Pelosi Reveals Which Dem She Thinks Will Run For President In 2028

Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi appears convinced that former Chicago mayor Rahm Emanuel is preparing to enter the race for the White House in 2028.

During a recent interview with The Free Press, Pelosi made her prediction, bluntly stating, “I think he’s going to run.”

Her commentary came from a piece titled, “President Rahm Emanuel? He Thinks So,” which featured Emanuel in a sit-down interview with The Free Press.

Emanuel, who most recently served as U.S. ambassador to Japan under the previous administration, seemed to leave the door wide open for another act in his political career.

“I’m not done with public service. I’m hoping it’s not done with me,” he said.

When directly asked about his presidential ambitions, however, the 65-year-old avoided giving a firm answer.

“Before I make a decision, I want to know that I have an answer to what I think ails our country, ails our politics, and ails the party—and they may all be the same answer,” he remarked.

Emanuel made a jab about former President Joe Biden’s cancer diagnosis by quipping, “I don’t have prostate cancer,” according to journalist Peter Savodnik.

Speculation about Emanuel’s political plans has been growing since March, when Politico suggested he might be laying the foundation for a future campaign.

That report followed his return from diplomatic duty in Tokyo and noted that several of Emanuel’s recent remarks had the tone and structure of an early campaign pitch.

When asked about the report in the Free Press interview, he replied that “nothing” had been finalized.

Over the past month, Emanuel has made multiple media appearances, during which he floated a variety of possibilities for his next political move, which include a return to City Hall in Chicago or even a gubernatorial run in Illinois.

He has also been increasingly critical of his own party’s direction, especially in the wake of its defeat in November.

Emanuel’s career within the Democratic establishment spans more than three decades.

He first came onto the national scene during the Clinton years, serving as a senior adviser.

He later transitioned to Capitol Hill, winning election to Congress in 2002 and serving three terms before taking on the role of chief of staff for President Obama.

In 2010, he stepped away from the West Wing to run for mayor of Chicago, serving two terms before stepping down as public approval waned.

He re-emerged in 2022 when he was tapped to serve as U.S. ambassador to Japan, a role he held until the end of the previous administration.

In April, he repeated his intention to remain involved in government. “I’m not done with public service, and I hope public service isn’t done with me,” he said in an interview with Semafor.

But while Emanuel appears to be testing the waters, he’s also drawing fire from the more progressive wing of the Democratic Party, most notably from current Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson.

Last month, Johnson did not hold back while attacking Emanuel’s leadership record and potential presidential ambitions.

At a public appearance, he linked Emanuel’s past policies to the approach taken by President Trump.

“The playbook that Donald Trump is running is the playbook Rahm Emanuel executed in the city,” Johnson declared. “We didn’t get here because we just happened to have a tyrant in the White House.”

“We got here because someone gave him the script. Shutting of schools, the firing of Black women, the privatizing of our public education system is why the system is as jacked up as it is today,” he added.

Johnson played a central role in organizing the 2012 Chicago teachers’ strike and remains fiercely critical of Emanuel’s decision to shutter 53 public schools in 2013, many of them in minority neighborhoods on the South and West sides.

“The Emanuel administration had immense disdain for public education — and particularly for Black, brown, and poor children — and he was vocal about it,” Johnson said.

‘Twenty-five percent of kids won’t become anything’ — those were his words directly to [late former CTU President] Karen Lewis.”

Taking a shot at Emanuel’s possible political comeback, Johnson added, “And now he’s prancing around this country asking people to reconsider him. It is not just frustrating. It is beyond offensive.”

Johnson also took aim at President Trump this week after federal officials announced a Justice Department inquiry into the city’s hiring practices.

The probe was triggered after Johnson, speaking at a church in Woodlawn, said he had prioritized hiring Black staffers because they are “the most generous people on Earth.”

In response, Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon sent a letter to Johnson, raising concerns about possible racial bias.

“If these kind of hiring decisions are being made for top-level positions in your administration, then it begs the question whether such decisions are also being made for lower-level positions,” Dhillon wrote.

At a press conference on Wednesday, Johnson lashed out at the president and his administration.

“As far as, you know, the president’s animus towards women, people of color, working people, we have always known who he has been,” he said. “This is not a surprise. He’s a monster.”

“We have the most diverse administration in the history of Chicago, and he is threatened by that,” Johnson added.

Johnson argued the investigation was motivated by fear.

“You can tell when someone is fearful is because they act out,” he said. “We have a president that is screaming and having tantrums right now because we have an administration that reflects the city of Chicago, but he would much rather have administrations that reflect the country club. Period.”

“He is most comfortable around people who think and look like him,” the mayor concluded.