Rahm Emanuel, who was once President Barack Obama’s chief of staff and is now the U.S. ambassador to Japan, has made a bold prediction about what President-elect Donald Trump might do in his next term. Emanuel thinks Trump will treat the Oval Office like a business, putting it up for sale to the highest bidder.
In an interview on “The Ezra Klein Show,” Emanuel didn’t hold back. “Donald Trump is going to turn the Oval Office into eBay,” he said. “He’ll make deals with special interest groups, and in the end, regular people will have to pay for it.” Emanuel added that the Democratic Party is the only thing standing in the way of industries, like big pharmaceutical companies, from taking over and getting whatever they want.
Emanuel spoke from experience. As Obama’s chief of staff, he helped pass major laws like the Affordable Care Act and financial reforms after the 2008 housing crisis. He also served as the mayor of Chicago for two terms. Drawing on this background, Emanuel painted a picture of what he believes will happen under Trump’s leadership.
He criticized Trump’s promise to slap heavy tariffs on countries like China, Mexico, and Canada. Trump claims these moves will help American factories, but Emanuel and many economists disagree. They argue that such actions will only make things more expensive for Americans, worsening inflation.
Emanuel also reflected on why the Democrats lost the recent election. He said many voters turned to Trump because they felt frustrated with the economy. “Seventy percent of people think the economy is bad, and they believe the country is headed in the wrong direction,” he said. This frustration, according to Emanuel, gave Trump’s populist message a lot of power.
But Emanuel went even further, calling Trump “a threat to democracy.” He warned that Trump’s approach to governing would focus on making money for himself and his allies instead of helping regular Americans. “Whoever pays the highest price will get what they want, and the rest of us will end up footing the bill,” he said.
Emanuel also blamed two major events for shaping today’s political frustrations: the Iraq War, which cost thousands of lives and over a trillion dollars, and the financial crisis, which hurt ordinary people while the rich got bailed out. “People feel lied to, and no one is ever held accountable,” he said.
When podcast host Ezra Klein pointed out that Emanuel was part of the Obama administration during some of these problems, Emanuel didn’t deny it. “Totally,” he replied, acknowledging the criticism without argument.
Emanuel’s message was clear: he believes Trump’s presidency would prioritize profits and special interests over the needs of regular Americans. His warning comes at a time when the country is deeply divided, with concerns about democracy and economic fairness at the forefront.
