With just about everything breaking Democrats’ way, the Elitist Media sought to test a narrative of DSA ascendancy. In particular, CBS’s Margaret Brennan and Norah O’Donnell tried to suggest there was some message to be had from Angie Nixon’s defeat. Former U.S. Ambassador to Japan Rahm Emanuel accepted.
Watch the exchange, and watch as Emanuel pushes back against this ideological framing:
Rahm Emanuel pushes back against the Margaret Brennan's idea of a DSA ascendancy, counters with a GOP split pic.twitter.com/qGEHWNnUqy
— Jorge Bonilla (@BonillaJL) November 4, 2026
MARGARET BRENNAN: I did want to ask you, you had talked at one point about the Democratic Socialists, and the Progressive wing of the party as kind of elevator music- you were like, background music. You didn't necessarily believe that they were going to represent your party as a whole. I'm looking at these numbers out of Florida and seeing what a close call it was with Angie Nixon versus Ashley Moody. She performed surprisingly well, Angie Nixon. Like there's a message there that is compelling. Does that say something?
RAHM EMANUEL: Yeah. Which, yes. What also says a lot to me. Look what I think is the biggest story here is that the country club or what I call John McCain, Mitt Romney Republicans? They are done with the Republican party. Adam Hamilton in Kansas, former Republican running as a Democrat. Jolly, who ran for governor, former Republican is running. Amy Acton in Ohio, the Democratic nominee for governor, worked in a Republican administration for Governor Dewine. The biggest- Neil Bush, Governor Bush's brother. President Bush's brother said he's going to vote for Talarico. The non-MAGA Republicans have had it with Trump's party. That's the biggest story coming out of this election. You can see. And this gets to the conversation about what you do across the country, where you're flipping red districts and red states. It's because a element of the Republican party says, “You know what? We've had it with them. We're going to give you a chance. We're going to give you a second look.” So my view is make that a transformational, not transactional. The Republicans who have walked away from the Republican party is a historic opportunity for the Democrats to build a broad-based governing coalition.
TONY DOKOUPIL: Congressman, I think what Margaret was pointing to is that you've got a DSA-aligned candidate overperforming expectations. You don't think that that wing of the party is helpful for the party at all.
(UNINT)
EMANUEL: For the- here's what I would think. Here's. Let me give you how- this is going to get. Like, I'm gonna really nerd out for you.
DOKOUPIL: We don't have that much time. We’re going to commercial break, so-
EMANUEL: Okay. Here it is. Four states. Minnesota, Ohio, Michigan, Maine. All four governorships are open in all four cases. The Democratic gubernatorial candidate comes from the pragmatic wing. The Senator comes from the Progressive wing. Let's see who runs ahead in each of those states and who doesn't.
NORAH O’DONNELL: Are you for Medicare for all?
EMANUEL: No, no, I'm. What I'm for is what I've said. Take the gover-. Take. When I was a congressman and chief of staff, I was on the federal employees health care plan. That's the best exchange. That's the true public option. Take everybody in the ACA and put them- If it's good enough for the president, good enough for you.
O’DONNELL: All right, Ambassador, Mayor, former Congressman.
GAYLE KING: Maybe President in 2028.
That's right.
EMANUEL: What happened to being like, CBS mouthpiece?
KING: That's good.
EMANUEL: The budget cuts are pretty severe here, huh..
(CROSSTALK)
The Florida Senate close-ish call in a blowout year seemed to Brennan like a good time to try to push the ascendancy of the Democrats’ socialist wing. Emanuel resisted, suggesting that this was a change election and that the Democrats had to deliver results to their electorate.
At that point, Tony Dokoupil jumps in. So does Norah O’Donnell shortly thereafter. Emanuel argues that Democrat socialists will consistently underform the top of the ticket. O’Donnell tries to swerve Emanuel with a question on Medicare for All, only wo get shut down with Emanuel’s counterproposal.
The Elitist Media are doing everything in their power to make socialism look as cool as possible. Even if it means trying to push a former White House Chief of Staff into bending the knee to the DSA.
