WASHINGTON — Former Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel, eyeing a potential 2028 White House run, has unveiled a sweeping proposal to prohibit federal workers and their relatives from participating in prediction market gambling as part of his broader campaign against government corruption.
Emanuel’s plan, which he revealed to The Associated Press, would cover personnel and leadership throughout all three branches of government — executive, legislative, and judicial. Should he win the presidency, Emanuel indicated he would create a specialized Justice Department unit dedicated to investigating violations of such betting restrictions.
The initiative comes as legal gambling continues expanding nationwide, raising concerns about its effects on various sectors and addiction rates. Emanuel said his focus on this particular issue stems from troubling reports suggesting Washington insiders may have used classified national security intelligence to profit from wagers placed before recent military operations involving Venezuela and Iran.
“Somebody clearly with inside information inside the government was making bets, made money,” he said in an interview. “You have fellow Americans, what I call the true 1%, the people that volunteer to serve the interests of this country and its national security, they’re putting their lives on the line and you’ve got somebody else sitting in his or her basement placing bets on it.”
Emanuel frames this initiative as one component of a wider effort to reform a capital city that he believes has grown numb to ethical violations during the Trump administration.
“All of Washington has become so accustomed to this amorality and immorality and nobody says anything,” Emanuel said. “Washington needs a good power washing.”
The 66-year-old Emanuel brings extensive Washington experience to his potential campaign. The former Illinois representative helped orchestrate major Democratic gains during the 2006 midterm elections, served as President Barack Obama’s White House chief of staff, completed two terms leading Chicago, and most recently worked as U.S. ambassador to Japan under President Joe Biden.
As Emanuel explores his own presidential ambitions for 2028, he faces early competition from several Democratic governors who have already garnered significant attention, including California’s Gavin Newsom and Pennsylvania’s Josh Shapiro. Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear also made headlines recently by visiting Vice President JD Vance’s Ohio hometown to deliver sharp criticism of the potential GOP presidential contender.
Emanuel has carved out his own space in this emerging field by releasing multiple policy proposals targeting central Democratic concerns. Following questions about elderly leaders’ fitness for office that arose during Biden’s presidency, Emanuel suggested implementing a mandatory retirement age of 75 for federal officials — a rule that would prevent him from pursuing re-election if he won the presidency. His other proposals include restricting social media access for children under 16 and implementing new literacy programs.
Rather than focusing solely on traditional early primary states, Emanuel has been traveling to communities across the country, from Michigan to Mississippi, presenting his ideas in areas that typically receive less attention from presidential hopefuls.
While Emanuel expressed hope that Congress would collaborate on passing the prediction market betting prohibition, he suggested executive action remains an option if legislative cooperation proves impossible. During the interview, he rejected suggestions that his policy proposals are merely strategic moves designed to influence Democratic Party discussions as the next campaign cycle approaches.
Emanuel explained that initiatives like the betting ban aim to jolt Washington back to the ethical standards that historically guided American politics.
“I put this out there because everybody else is walking around sleepwalking,” he said.
