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As Democratic socialists, including New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, gain ground within the Democratic Party, former White House chief of staff Rahm Emanuel argued that socialists have less influence over his party than Republicans contend.
Emanuel, the former mayor of Chicago and, at one point, President Barack Obama’s right-hand man, distanced himself from the more radical positions of the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) while suggesting that the group could have a place within the party if it adopted more moderate positions.
“I don’t believe the socialists are a wing,” he told the “Hang Out with Sean Hannity” podcast. “I think they are a separate party. They believe in defunding the police, which is not the party position. They believe open borders and open prisons. That’s not the party’s position.”
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Rahm Emanuel speaks during the Inaugural Events Of The Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library on July 03, 2026 in Medora, North Dakota. (Bryan Bedder/Getty Images for Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library)
“When you switch that, we can talk,” Emanuel added.
Conservatives have expressed concern over the rise of far-left, progressive candidates within the Democratic Party, warning that socialist-leaning politicians like Mamdani and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., could overtake party moderates.
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Emanuel pushed back on the Republican Party’s characterization of the Democratic Party’s trajectory, pointing to New Jersey Gov. Mikie Sherrill and Virginia Gov. Abigail Spanberger as examples of Democratic pragmatism.
Members of the Democratic Socialists of America gather outside of a Trump owned building during a May Day rally in New York City in 2019. (Spencer Platt/Getty Images)
“I don’t think that’s where the party is,” Emanuel said. “I think the party is in the pragmatic wing; you can see that in the governor of Virginia, you can see that in the governor of New Jersey, how they both won their primaries.”
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The longtime Clinton adviser argued that it is healthy for the Democratic Party to have debate between its progressive and moderate factions. He also warned that the Republican Party faces an exodus of its moderate wing once spearheaded by Mitt Romney and John McCain.
“I happen to think we’re going to have a healthy debate in our party,” Emanuel told host Sean Hannity. “We haven’t had it for 20 years.”
The U.S. Capitol building is seen on Aug. 7, 2026 in Washington, D.C. (Kevin Carter/Getty Images)
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“There is a progressive and a pragmatic wing of the party. We’ll have a healthy debate. That’s what we should have,” he continued. “In the same way that the Romney and McCain wing of your party is leaving. They have walked away, and that’s what’s going to tell the story of 2026.”
Emanuel’s comments come as he joins a broader group of establishment Democrats navigating an evolving Democratic Party, where Democratic socialist figures have gained prominence alongside the party’s more moderate tradition.
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California Gov. Gavin Newsom is turning to former President Bill Clinton as his political model as speculation builds around his potential 2028 presidential bid, telling Vanity Fair Clinton is a “master of his craft.”
“I watch videos of Clinton. I seek his counsel, his advice, and even in his absence, do that. I’ve been a student of his from day one,” he told the outlet.