Rahm Emanuel — a former Chicago mayor and a White Home official underneath Presidents Barack Obama and Joe Biden — is the most recent left-leaning pundit to affix CNN.
Emanuel, who most just lately served as ambassador to Japan throughout the Biden administration, is the community’s new senior political and world affairs commentator, CNN stated Thursday.
“Emanuel will deliver his in depth data of American politics and worldwide affairs to CNN’s on-air programming,” CNN stated in a press launch.
He was Chicago’s mayor from 2011 to 2019, after serving as White Home chief of workers for Obama.
The controversial Democrat, and brother to Endeavor CEO Ari Emanuel, is the most recent leftist pundit to be added to CNN’s panel because the community pursues sweeping adjustments at first of the Trump administration.
He emerged as one in all Biden’s most contentious ambassador nominees as left-wing Democrats decried his file on police brutality.
In 2014, Emanuel — then mayor of Chicago — refused to launch damning dashboard footage of a metropolis police officer fatally capturing 17-year-old Laquan McDonald. Amid backlash, the mayor dropped his bid for re-election.
Sens. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Ed Markey (D-Mass.) and Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.) opposed his ambassador nomination.
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) additionally spoke out in opposition to the “deeply shameful” alternative.
In January, Emanuel stepped down from the ambassadorship only a week earlier than President Trump took workplace.
He has already been showing on CNN’s exhibits as a visitor, talking with Cristiane Amanpour in December and on “State of the Union” with Dana Bash.
Emanuel has additionally penned a couple of opinion columns for the Washington Put up, claiming that Trump is “Nobel Prize procuring” and making arguments on how the Democratic Celebration can bounce again after shedding voters’ confidence.
Earlier this 12 months, CNN boss Mark Thompson unveiled wide-ranging adjustments to the community, together with 200 layoffs throughout TV operations as the corporate pivots to a digital-first technique.
The community additionally introduced schedule adjustments, like transferring veteran anchor Wolf Blitzer to frequent Trump critic Jim Acosta’s morning slot. Acosta later introduced he was leaving the community.
The community additionally moved Jake Tapper’s “The Lead” to the 5 p.m. spot, added Audie Cornish to “CNN This Morning” at 6 a.m. and named Rahel Solomon host of the 5 a.m. present “5 Issues.”