Rahm Emanuel Eyed for Biden Cabinet Position, Stoking Fervent Backlash

Now that Joe Biden is the projected winner of the presidential election, the focus has now turned towards who he will approach to be in his cabinet. One of the individuals he is reportedly considering for a position is Rahm Emanuel, a former mayor of Chicago and a former chief of staff to President Barack Obama. But, the mere possibility of Emanuel joining Biden’s cabinet has already sparked a fair amount of backlash.

According to CNN, Emanuel is under consideration to lead the department of transportation in Biden’s administration. Emanuel has, in turn, expressed interest in the position. He is one of many people expected to be considered for the position, with Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti being another. Biden has yet to announce any nominations for his cabinet. But, the president-elect has vowed to make sure that his cabinet reflects the diversity of the country.

Even though Emanuel has not secured the job (nor has he even been nominated), the fact that he is reportedly being considered has drawn ire amongst many progressive Democrats. Read on to see what those individuals are saying about Biden’s possible pick for Transportation Secretary.

Lawmakers Are Speaking Up

Emanuel’s reported consideration for a Biden cabinet position has even drawn ire from other lawmakers. Mondaire Jones, who was recently elected to Congress, took to Twitter to criticize this news. He claimed that Emanuel covered up the murder of a Black teenager, Laquan McDonald, while he was the mayor of Chicago. The controversy surrounding the cover-up of McDonald’s death was reportedly the leading reason why Emanuel did not seek another term as the mayor of Chicago, per CNN. 

AOC Shared Her Thoughts

Like Jones, congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez would not be alright with having Emanuel in Biden’s cabinet. She also cited the death of McDonald as the reason why the former mayor should not hold such a high position. 

Reaching Out to Joe

Some individuals have tagged Biden directly to tell them what they think about Emanuel. As this Twitter user wrote, they do “NOT” want the former chief of staff to be in the President-elect’s administration.

Disrespectful

The Atlantic reporter Jemele Hill also would not approve of Emanuel being in Biden’s cabinet. She said that him being in the position would be “disrespectful” to the many Americans and, particularly, the many Black Americans who helped put Biden in office. 

Not On Board

This individual tagged both Biden and the vice-president-elect, Kamala Harris, in their tweet about Emanuel. Clearly, they do not want the former mayor to serve in Biden’s cabinet in any capacity. 

Not Acceptable

Many Americans would not be okay with Emanuel holding another position in the White House. This user even wrote that going that route would be “unacceptable, unconscionable, and cruel.”

From A Chicago Resident

One user, who wrote that they were from the Chicago area, said that they would also not be pleased to see Emanuel as a part of Biden’s administration in some form. Like many others, they cited the controversy surrounding McDonald’s murder as the reason why Emanuel should not be closely tied to the White House.