In six weeks, Rahm Emanuel's term as ambassador to Japan will end, and the former Chicago mayor will return to the city.
When he returns, what comes next? Will he run for president or take on a national role with the Democratic Party? Speaking with NBC 5's Mary Ann Ahern on Tuesday in his first post-election television interview in Chicago, Emanuel talked about the November election and his future.
Emanuel always has a to-do list, and while he's still in the process of figuring out what's next, he said he'll do it from his home in Chicago. He notes that public service can mean a lot of things — perhaps a behind-the-scenes role — but he doesn't rule out running for office again.
“There are so many different ways to serve,” Emanuel added.
As Democrats look to regroup, David Axelrod has suggested that Emanuel – as a centrist – could be the next chairman of the Democratic National Committee, despite opposition from progressives. Elections for the new Democratic National Committee chair are scheduled for February 1, 2025.
Mayor Brandon Johnson defended his leadership style Tuesday when he spoke to a large crowd at the City Club. Meanwhile, Rahm Emanuel is considering what's next for him and whether he might run for public office again. NBC 5's Mary Ann Ahern reports.
“I never thought about the Democratic National Committee until my best friend decided to put it out there,” Emanuel said. “If your goal in public life is to be liked by everyone, then you haven't done anything. Full stop. My goal is not to be liked. My goal is to make a difference in people's lives.”
As for why the Harris/Walls ticket lost to President-elect Donald Trump and Vice President-elect J.D. Vance, Emanuel didn't mince his words.
“When 70% of the country thinks the country is going in the wrong direction, the economy is not good, and that is an anti-incumbent structural environment,” he said.
He spoke of his loyalty to President Joe Biden, but he is also grappling with how to respond to the pardon of the president's son, Hunter Biden, who he recently pardoned after repeatedly promising not to do so.
“If you're going to do what he did as a father, there's a way to do it without creating a political problem for yourself,” Emanuel said.
Emmanuel learned lessons from his time in Japan. Now, as he prepares to return to Chicago for good in January, conversations turn to: Will he run for mayor again? Or the US Senate if Dick Durbin chooses not to run for another term? But the former Chicago mayor is keeping his lips shut.
“You can put on your dancing shoes, your best smile. I'm not doing that. We'll see. I've got to talk to the people who live here,” he said when pressed by Ahern about his political future.
He realizes that critics will quickly remember when he closed 50 Chicago public schools and the fallout from how he handled when a Chicago police officer shot Laquan McDonald 16 times.
The current mayor, Brandon Johnson, is currently facing multiple crises: from negotiating a budget, to the firing of his close friend and communications director, to declining poll ratings. Emanuel and Johnson have met privately several times but not recently. When asked what advice he would give Johnson, the former mayor said he recognizes the intense scrutiny that comes with the job.
He added: “If he is interested in my opinion, I will present it to him privately… I know the pressures exerted by that office.” It's hard, and I'm not here to make anything harder. I said I would help my successors. I cheer for the city's success. And within six weeks, although it had always been my home, it would become my home again on a permanent basis. “I want the city, I want my mayor to succeed,” Emanuel said.
