(WBBM NEWSRADIO/AP) — President Biden on Friday said he will nominate former Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel to be ambassador to Japan.
The White House statement says Emanuel “has had a distinguished career in public service.”
Emanuel reportedly had wanted to be Secretary of Transportation, but the job went to presidential candidate Pete Buttigieg after progressives in the Democratic party objected to Emanuel having a cabinet post.
“For nearly 30 years I have worked with President Biden on behalf of the American people, and I am honored that he has nominated me to serve as Ambassador to Japan,” said Emanuel, a former Chicago congressman who served as President Barack Obama’s first chief of staff.
If confirmed by the Senate, Emanuel will be dispatched to Tokyo at a critical point in the U.S.-Japan relationship as Biden has made strengthening relations with partners in the Pacific a priority as he increases focus on China.
Emanuel served two terms as Chicago mayor but decided against running for a third as his administration was dogged by the Laquan McDonald scandal. Emanuel's relationship with the city’s Black community became strained following release of police video showing a white officer fatally shooting the black teen in 2014.
Related
