Mayor Rahm Emanuel spoke to WLS-890’s Bill Cameron Sunday, touching on the upcoming presidential election and Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton’s health.
On Sunday, Emanuel predicted a Clinton win in November, but noted that we are living in politically uncertain times.
"From day one I told you during the process she was going to be our nominee and i also told you she’s going to be the president,” Emanuel said. “I believe that to be the case, but we are living in a very interesting time and anything is possible."
"That doesn’t mean you guys are going to run out and do your headline: Emanuel predicts —.’ That’s not what I said. So I want to stop headlines,’ the mayor added.
Despite noting that “anything’s possible in politics,” Emanuel told Cameron that he thinks Clinton will win in November, crediting the former secretary of state’s work ethic.
"If you ask me what I think's going to happen, she's going to be the next president," Emanuel said. "She cannot run as if she thinks that because you cannot take the public for granted because they’ll smell it."
“And the one thing I know about Hillary is, she doesn’t take anything for granted. She works really hard," he added.
Local
Emanuel was also pressed on Clinton’s recent pneumonia diagnosis and a perceived lack of transparency with her medical records. The mayor said Clinton has "been more forthcoming with her medical records than Donald Trump’s been with his tax records and he’s had a lot more time to be public with it.”
"And she’s been more public about her health records even prior to this,” he added. "You know, you can evaluate how she had pneumonia, been up front with it, and the campaign has talked about what they did right and what they did wrong. But at the end of the day that’s not what’s going to get America moving or get American dealing with its challenges.”
Emanuel also faulted the media for being harder on Clinton than her opponent, Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump.
"I don’t think you guys have been balanced or even-handed in it,” Emanuel said. “I think the media has, if they assume you’re the frontrunner, assume you’re going to be the next president, they’re tougher on you. And my point is you should be even-handed, not tilt the scales.”
The mayor is primed to deliver an important speech on public safety Tuesday. During the interview with Cameron, Emanuel didn’t directly respond to questions about the city potentially hiring 300 additional police officers to combat the city’s record violence, but noted that “there will be more police officers above what we have today.”
