Former mayor of Chicago Rahm Emanuel told a Boston audience he’s thinking about running for president in 2028 — but he wasn’t ready to make an announcement.
Emanuel, a Democratic party insider, is a former U.S. ambassador to Japan, Illinois congressman and chief of staff to President Barack Obama. He’s currently touring the country talking with voters and gauging interest in a potential run for commander in chief.
Speaking with The Atlantic’s Evan Smith at the WBUR Festival in Boston, Emanuel tipped his cards, but didn’t show the whole hand.
“ If I was thinking of doing it, which I am, I’m not announcing it here, OK? Because that would show you all my knowledge of political strategy would go out the window,” he said “This is, I love ya, but you ain’t the crowd I’m announcing it to.”
He said he won’t announce any intentions until after the midterms. Until then, he said, he’ll weigh some questions of himself to determine whether he should run.
“ Do you have what it takes to just kinda, as I say, scratch the itch that ails America?” he asked, adding, “Do you have what it takes to wake this country up, to restore confidence in the American dream? And that you have the policy and the plan that addresses that, and the strength to get it done?”
He said he knows it’ll be a crowded field of democrats in 2028 — though he didn’t say who he’s most worried about facing in a primary.
“ You didn’t have a choice in 2024 in the Democratic primary. You didn’t have a choice in 2020. I think you’re gonna have 31 flavors, and I’m gonna be rocky road if I decide to do it.”
Speculation aside, Emanuel did delve into potential campaign issues, including his criticism of how education was handled during the height of the COVID pandemic, when he said officials allowed kids to “wallow at home.”
“We’ve now lost a generation. And everybody’s looking at their shoes, hoping you don’t notice that they were there when they let kids sit at home when it was clear they should’ve been back in school,” Emanuel said. “And I’ll say it, and I don’t really — Here’s the thing. You don’t like that? Don’t vote for me. I’m OK with that.”
And politics followed those same kids when they returned to the classroom, he said.
“ When we opened up the school door, the only thing we debated was the bathroom door and the locker room. We didn’t debate the classroom excellence. We debated bathroom access,” Emanuel said.
For higher education, Emanuel offered several ideas to make college affordable, including a three-year program to earn a bachelor’s degree and free tuition for families making less than $200,000.
“Having been in the Oval Office for eight years of my life, if you don’t have a plan for the family room, the classroom, the boardroom, the break room, or the situation room, you shouldn’t run,” he said.
Beyond schools, Emanuel offered five policy ideas that he said could grow the economy. They included prioritizing the “best educated workforce in the world;” passing the Dignity Act, which provides a path for legal status to immigrants combined with tighter border security and mandatory employment verification; taxing online gambling and prediction markets; modernizing the nation’s energy infrastructure; and tax reform with an eye toward equity and wealth creation.
He also talked about affordability, and the fragility of the American Dream. He said every American should get help with a home’s down payment in exchange for two years of public service.
Asked about the role of anti-semitism in America today, and whether a Jewish person has a solid chance to win the White House, he said he was convinced people could see him not only for his faith but for his character and ability to lead.
“ My faith is not your problem. The fact that American people have lost faith in America is our problem,” he said. “Let’s work on the faith that actually matters, and if my Judaism is your problem, you shouldn’t vote for me. My Judaism is what’s influenced me to fight for people that never had pre-K and kindergarten, and I’m not walking away from it for your vote.”
