Donald Trump

President-Elect Trump Called Mayor Emanuel to Discuss Transition: Report

According to a source, the conversation was “cordial” and they plan to continue talking in the future

President-elect Donald Trump called Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel to discuss the ongoing presidential transition process, Politico reported Monday.

According to the report, Trump asked Emanuel about what lessons he learned working on past transition teams. Emanuel served as a senior advisor to former President Bill Clinton and later as President Barack Obama's chief of staff. According to the Politico source, the conversation was “cordial” and the two leaders plan to continue talking in the future.

Throughout the course of Trump’s campaign, Emanuel publicly criticized the Republican’s incendiary rhetoric about the city’s violence. Last month, the Chicago City Council voted to remove a street sign honoring Trump’s downtown skyscraper as a response to Trump’s rhetoric.

Emanuel, who received a $50,000 campaign contribution from the real estate magnate in 2010, supported the measure. It's unclear whether Emanuel and Trump discussed Chicago's violence during the call, according to the report.

Nevertheless, the two reportedly discussed sanctuary cities like Chicago, which Trump has condemned. In their phone conversation, Emanuel reportedly told Trump that Chicago was a city of immigrants and "pledged that it is and always will be a sanctuary city." Emanuel recently helped set up a legal defense fund to help protect Chicago immigrants and refugees threatened with deportation.

Trump also met with Emanuel’s brother, Ari Emanuel, at his New Jersey golf course last month. During the meeting, Trump referred to Emanuel, who is the co-CEO of the powerful WME-IMG talent agency, as “the king of Hollywood.”

Ari Emanuel is reportedly not seeking a role in Trump’s administration, but attended the meeting to “discuss some concerns he had,” although details remain scarce. Following the meeting, Trump referred to him as a “great friend.”

Ari Emanuel represented Trump in some negotiations with NBC over his reality television show “The Celebrity Apprentice,” according to CNN. However, WME-IMG, which bought Trump’s ownership stake in the Miss Universe Pageant in 2015, said it no longer represents Trump.

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