Rahm Emanuel, the U.S. ambassador to Japan and a prominent Democratic figure, urged Democrats to embrace President-elect Donald Trump's new "Department of Government Efficiency" (DOGE) initiative, viewing it as an opportunity to shape the agenda and challenge Republican priorities, The Hill reported.
Emanuel, a veteran political strategist, has called on Democrats to embrace DOGE, a newly established commission led by Tesla CEO Elon Musk and biotech entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy.
President-elect Donald Trump created the panel to identify regulatory cuts and streamline government operations.
"I would say welcome it. And I would say 100% ready to meet with you, so let's go and have a full agenda that puts them on their back foot," Emanuel told New York Times columnist Ezra Klein in a Monday interview.
Emanuel, who has been floated as a potential candidate for the Democratic National Committee (DNC) chair, emphasized that Democrats should seize the moment to shape the direction of government reforms rather than resisting the initiative outright.
"They have to make a choice between what they say they're for and what their actual interests are," he added, positioning the DOGE as a test of Republican priorities versus their stated goals.
The former Chicago mayor also invoked a quote from baseball legend Yogi Berra to illustrate his strategic approach: "The part of a political strategy is you put people in, as Yogi Berra used to say, where you get to the fork in the road, take it."
Emanuel suggested Democrats meet the DOGE initiative head-on with a proactive and comprehensive agenda. "People want to reform something, change something. I'm 100% for it. Let's go. Couldn't be more excited. Ready to meet today," he said, stressing his readiness to present a "full agenda, ten items" to the panel.
DOGE, spearheaded by Musk and Ramaswamy, aims to recommend the elimination of "thousands" of federal regulations and justify significant workforce reductions across government agencies. Trump has stated that the commission will provide advisory input from outside experts.
However, political observers have pointed out that the panel's advisory role could limit its influence, and implementing its recommendations may face logistical and legal hurdles.
Emanuel highlighted former Vice President Al Gore's 1993 National Partnership for Reinventing Government as a model for Democrats to emulate. Under Gore's leadership during the Clinton administration, the initiative pursued government reforms while advancing public safety and other Democratic priorities.
"It worked on reforming government. It also worked on funding public safety and other initiatives that Democrats cared about," Emanuel noted. He framed DOGE as an opportunity for Democrats to influence government operations while holding Republicans accountable for their actions.
Musk and Ramaswamy have described their vision for DOGE as a major efficiency overhaul, saying the initiative could modernize bureaucratic structures.
Jim Thomas ✉
Jim Thomas is a writer based in Indiana. He holds a bachelor's degree in Political Science, a law degree from U.I.C. Law School, and has practiced law for more than 20 years.
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