Mo News Interview: Rahm Emanuel on ICE, Israel, Global Chaos & Age Limits

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🚨 ONE IMPORTANT THING

Mo News One-On-One: Rahm Emanuel On U.S. Power, Politics, And 2028

As he considers a 2028 presidential run, former Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel joined Mo News in studio for a wide-ranging and candid conversation about power, politics, and the moment the U.S. finds itself in right now.

  • Emanuel has served at the highest levels of government — as a member of Congress, President Obama’s chief of staff, two terms as Chicago mayor, and most recently as U.S. ambassador to Japan under the Biden administration.

Join Mo News Premium for first access to the full conversation.

U.S. ON THE WORLD STAGE
Emanuel did not mince words about President Trump’s approach to Greenland. “I think it’s really reckless of the president of United States to ask the American taxpayers to pay full price for something you can get for free.”

He framed Trump’s Greenland push as part of a larger foreign policy play that could be permanently harming U.S. relations with longtime allies. “Could we have gotten this by just calling up and being cooperative rather than confrontational?” asked Emanuel.

  • ON CHINA: Emanuel warned countries tempted to lean toward Beijing: “China wants you — i.e. Canada, Brazil — dependent on China and China independent of you.”

    • The comments follow Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney declaring this week that the world order as we know — with the U.S. on top — is dead. Last week, Carney traveled to Beijing and reached a deal to open Canada to Chinese electric vehicle imports.

    • “We in the United States are exporting our political domestic dysfunction, a la Donald Trump… China is simultaneously exporting their domestic economic dysfunction,” Emanuel told Mo News.

  • ON IRAN: “The most underreported story is the fragility of Iran,” Emanuel said, arguing the protests reflect a population fed up with a regime that prioritizes weapons and proxies over basic living conditions. However, he warned: “Any change that could happen can never come from the outside, has to come from the inside out.”

  • ON ISRAEL: Emanuel – who is Jewish and whose middle name is literally “Israel” – grew up frequently visiting Israel and served as a volunteer assisting the Israeli army during the 1991 Gulf War. If he runs for president, he will face Democratic primary voters who are increasingly critical of Israel. Emanuel told us to look at his record, noting he will put U.S. national security first, is open to cutting military aid to Israel, and has been very critical of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu going back decades.

    • "Unlike everybody else who has to wait for a war before they're ready to be critical, I said it to the Prime Minister's face two decades ago," Emanuel said. "I told him in 2009, what you're doing is a problem, and I told him to his face." He has accused the Israeli government of perpetuating a starvation crisis in Gaza and Netanyahu of lacking a long-term “day after” plan for the region.

      • Netanyahu himself referred to Emanuel as a “self-hating Jew” when he was President Obama’s chief of staff.

  • ON VENEZUELA: “It doesn’t stand the test of time. We’re not going into Chile militarily to take the copper, are we? We’re not going into Peru to seize the shipyard, are we? We’re not going into the Amazon, are we, to take the coffee? This is crazy. This is insane,” he said.

STATE TRUST ISSUES
It’s not just global relationships that have eroded under Trump, Emanuel argues — it’s domestic ones too, especially between law enforcement agencies. “You cannot afford this gulf of trust,” he said, pointing to Minnesota where local and federal law enforcement have been caught between politics.

  • Emanuel has argued that ICE should be abolished “as we know it,” saying it is “operating not as a law enforcement. It’s a lawless mob.”

Emanuel also singles out the Supreme Court for allowing immigration stops based on a person’s appearance or language. “The Supreme Court is an enabler of this president… The Republicans in Congress, by not doing their constitutional job, are enablers of this president,” he said.

2026 MIDTERMS
While he won’t make predictions ten months out, Emanuel notes, “Swing voters or independent voters are breaking two-to-one to the party out of power” – suggesting there is a likely scenario where Democrats could win majorities in the House and Senate. But he adds, “We don’t know really the map yet because of the redistricting.”

  • AGE LIMITS FOR POLITICIANS: Emanuel has called for mandatory retirement at 75 years old across government. “I think Washington needs a good power washing,” he joked.

    • Under his own proposal, the 66-year-old would age out before a second term in the White House, if he decides to run for president and wins in 2028.

  • On when he will announce whether he will run for president: “I haven’t gotten there yet,” he said, joking that ‘when I leave this podcast, I’ll think about it.”

🎧 Listen to the full Mo News podcast with Emanuel, where we also discuss being Jewish in today’s Democratic Party, his highly successful family, and some of his policy ideas — like banning social media for kids under 16 years old. Available now for Mo News Premium members – join today!

⏳ THE SPEED READ

🚨NATION

  • Winter storm live updates: More than half of the U.S. braces for hazardous ice, heavy snow and brutal cold (NBC)

  • House Dems help GOP pass bills to fund ICE, avert shutdown (AXIOS)

  • Mass anti-immigration enforcement protests planned in Minnesota (THE HILL)

  • Jury finds Chicago man not guilty of circulating $10K bounty on life of top Border Patrol leader (FOX)

🌎 AROUND THE WORLD

  • Death toll in Iranian protests crackdown tops 5,000, activists say (NBC) as Trump warns U.S. ‘armada’ heading to Iran (MO NEWS)

  • Canada’s PM Mark Carney fires back at Trump after Davos speech (AP)

  • France seizes suspected Russian ‘shadow fleet’ tanker (BBC)

  • UN expert urges world to reject Myanmar ‘sham’ election (AFP)

📱BUSINESS, SCIENCE & TECH

  • TikTok distances from U.S. entity, distances itself from China (MO NEWS)

  • Airlines cancel hundreds of flights as massive winter storm sweeps across U.S. (CNBC)

  • U.S. measles cases surpass 400 with infections in 14 states: CDC (ABC)

  • New research says more planets are deemed hospitable for aliens than originally thought (INDEPENDENT)

🎬 SPORTS & ENTERTAINMENT

  • FCC targets TV talk shows amid Trump’s battles with Kimmel, others (USA TODAY)

  • Canadian Olympic snowboarder turned alleged cocaine kingpin in custody (GUARDIAN)

  • Stars and the public say a final goodbye to fashion icon Valentino at a Rome funeral (AP)

  • Director James Cameron leaves America and moves to New Zealand (VARIETY)

ICYMI FROM THE 📲

In case you (are going to) miss it… American rock climbing pro Alex Honnold will be free solo-ing up one of Asia’s tallest skyscrapers, the 1,667 feet-tall Tapei 101, on a livestream beginning tonight at 8PM ET on Netflix.

Free soloing is the practice of climbing alone and without any safety equipment. Critics say making a spectacle out of such a dangerous climb could promote risky behavior among amateurs. On the other hand, public daredevil events have long been a part of American culture.

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Trump Reaches Tentative Deal On Greenland, Drops Europe Tariff Threat