Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it’s investigating the financials of Elon Musk’s pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, ‘The A Word’, which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.
Read more
An ex-aide to former President Barack Obama might be stepping into the next presidential race.
Rahm Emanuel, who served as White House chief of staff and recently as Japanese ambassador, is mulling a return to executive mission — but this time as the top guy in charge, according to Politico.
“I’m not done with public service and I’m hoping public service is not done with me,” Emanuel, 65, told the outlet as part of a magazine profile.
Emanuel has held numerous positions throughout his adult life: Chicago mayor, chairman of the House Democratic Caucus as an Illinois representative, and Wall Street banker.
open image in gallery
His proponents suggest his unique experience may give him a sweeping advantage over other potential Democratic candidates, like Maryland Governor Wes Moore and California Governor Gavin Newsom.
“Who has more relevant experience?” David Axelrod, former White House official and a friend of Emanuel, told the magazine. “He understands how to win and speaks bluntly in an idiom that most folks understand.”
Apart from his diplomatic and political connections, Emanuel has built strong relationships with business, military, media and Hollywood leaders.
There are signs that the former White House aide might be serious about the run. The outlet reported Emanuel is testing out a stump speech and looking for an issue he can make his own.
One that could be a hallmark of his campaign is education, or the lack thereof. The potential candidate has become increasingly frustrated with new data showing two-thirds of eighth graders can’t read at a grade level.
open image in gallery
“I am done with the discussion of locker rooms, I am done with the discussion of bathrooms and we better start having a conversation about the classroom,” Emanuel said during a Democracy Forward conference in Washington, D.C. last month.
“We can lead a discussion and force a topic onto the agenda of this country that’s worthy of having a debate about.”
The best time for Emanuel to test his presidential hopes could be now, the Politico article stated, especially after the Democrats’ recent calamitous election loss.
“Democrats are as demoralized as any time in modern history, their voters desperately want to win and were open to untraditional candidates even before Trump,” the profile pointed out.
There are few downsides to Emanuel running, the outlet argues. Even if he doesn’t win, he could score a key position in the upcoming administration in the State Department or Pentagon.
open image in gallery
One concern could be whether he’ll be considered a candidate of the past.
“His connection to Barack Obama is decades old,” Gilda Cobb-Hunter, a South Carolina Democratic lawmaker, told the outlet. “We’re in a different time.”
Presidential candidates typically launch their campaigns two years before the general election.
