Former Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel tangled with the hosts of “Fox & Friends” on Wednesday morning in a heated live exchange over antisemitism.
The interview with co-hosts Brian Kilmeade, Ainsley Earhardt and Lawrence Jones began with a look back at Tuesday’s midterm elections. Emanuel, a rumored 2028 presidential contender, called the results a repudiation of President Trump, Project 2025 and Republicans.
Things turned tense when the conversation shifted to antisemitism. Kilmeade tried to tie anti-Israel sentiment to Democrats, as well as to portions of the Republican Party. Emanuel repeatedly rejected the idea that the problem belongs to Democrats.
Emanuel, who is Jewish, recalled that when he first ran for Congress he had to show his birth certificate. He said antisemitism is a problem across America and that he would fight for every American.
Kilmeade cut in to argue the problem is not equal across groups. Emanuel pointed to the numbers, noting that Jews make up roughly 2% of the U.S. population but are the targets of about 75% of religious hate crimes.
Emanuel told the hosts their mistake was treating antisemitism as belonging to one party. He accused them of making a political point on an issue that should be off-limits.
When Jones insisted no one was doing that, Emanuel shot back that they had just done it three times.
Then Emanuel had had enough. “With all due respect, I’m not taking a lecture from any of you on antisemitism,” he said.
The hosts moved straight into a segment about safety concerns over energy drinks.
Emanuel has positioned himself as one of the Democratic Party’s more outspoken voices on antisemitism. Earlier this year, he called on fellow Democrats to stop hedging on commentator Hasan Piker’s remarks, saying the party gets tongue-tied when it comes to antisemitism. On “Fox News Sunday,” he said the Democratic Socialists of America, which has backed candidates accused of spreading antisemitism, is not part of the Democratic Party. Still, he has pushed back on the idea that Jewish Democrats feel alienated in their party, arguing that the rise in antisemitism crosses party lines.
Emanuel has also faced antisemitism personally. In 2023, the fence outside his Michigan home was vandalized with the word “Nazis.” At the time, he called for an end to antisemitism and Islamophobia.
He has long warned against politicizing the issue. During a 2025 debate on Trump’s record, he urged critics to get into the trenches on antisemitism but not to use it as cover for a political agenda.
The exchange also comes amid an internal Republican debate over Israel. On Wednesday, Vice President JD Vance said one of the four reasons former Trump voters gave for switching to Democrats was a desire to change the U.S. relationship with Israel.
Emanuel previously served as White House chief of staff under President Obama and as U.S. ambassador to Japan. He has fueled speculation about a possible presidential run.
