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For Rahm Emanuel, it’s more than the economy, stupid.
The likely 2028 presidential candidate, who served as House Democratic campaigns chief during the party’s successful 2006 midterms, told Semafor that Democrats should sharpen their arguments about President Donald Trump’s self-dealing while in office — by hitching them to affordability-focused messaging.
“This is a gem sitting there. I think the Democrats … have been episodic in touching it, rather than front and center,” Emanuel said. “Corruption as part of the affordability narrative is more chess, where affordability alone is more checkers.”
Many Democratic candidates have homed in on inflation and affordability-focused messaging this cycle, especially after some in the party chalked up their 2024 losses to voters punishing them for the post-pandemic spike in inflation.
With polling generally showing cost-of-living issues rank among voters’ top concerns, Democrats are confident they can turn this fall’s midterm elections into a referendum on Trump and Republicans’ handling of the economy.
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Top Hill Democrats contend that they’re already pairing the arguments together. The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee has targeted Trump’s $1.8 billion fund of taxpayer money for people allegedly victimized by the government and has singled out purple-district Republicans like Reps. Rob Bresnahan of Pennsylvania and Mike Lawler of New York for alleged ethical issues.
“Vulnerable Republicans have destroyed the economy and raised costs on almost everyone, all while self-dealing and lining their own pockets,” said DCCC spokesperson Viet Shelton. “Republicans will lose the House majority, because the DCCC and House Democrats are exposing their shameless corruption and failure to deliver on their central campaign promise to lower the high cost of living.”
Still, Emanuel is betting that voters could also reward Democrats for further highlighting alleged malfeasance in the Trump administration, like the controversy around the White House ballroom renovation or business deals that have benefited the president’s family — and for reminding voters how those misdeeds affect them.
“At the end of the day, this is a referendum election on the president and a rubber-stamp Congress,” he said. “Yes, it’s about groceries, but it’s about the fact that they’re not paying attention to your bread costs while they’re making millions and billions of dollars for themselves.”