CNN on Monday gave Rahm Emanuel a wider platform for his warning that Democratic Socialists of America candidates could hurt Democrats in the November midterms if the party strays from attacking Donald Trump.
Emanuel argued any race not centered on Trump’s corruption and economic management is “a dollar wasted,” saying DSA policies play only in places like Manhattan and force Democrats in competitive districts onto defensive terrain.
He pointed to North Carolina, Georgia, Arizona and Nevada, saying DSA-backed activists target safe Democratic seats instead of red or purple states, and claimed the Progressive Caucus has not flipped a single red-to-blue district since 2018.
The clash sharpened after Bernie Sanders cast Emanuel as a billionaire-backed establishment figure, while Emanuel replied that progressives talk about a rigged system but deliver too little action.
The latest broadside fits Emanuel’s longer campaign against left-wing cultural and policing messages, which he says alienate swing voters and distract from bread-and-butter issues.