Rahm Emanuel said being regarded as the early front-runner for the 2028 Democratic presidential nomination would be a “kiss of death”, playing down speculation about his own ambitions. His comments underline how unsettled the party’s next presidential contest remains, with prospective candidates wary of becoming an early target years before voting begins.

Emanuel, a former Chicago mayor, White House chief of staff under Barack Obama and US ambassador to Japan, has been mentioned as a possible contender. He suggested the race was too distant to predict and that early political expectations can quickly change, particularly before the 2026 midterm elections.