Rahm Emanuel said the Democratic Party is “not open to being taken over” by Democratic Socialists, who he does not consider part of the Demcoratic Party, during an interview on “FOX News Sunday.”

SHANNON BREAM: Bernie Sanders is part of this group, and he says people are sick and tired of the Rahm Emanuels and says the energy is not with people of the past; it is moving- RAHM EMANUEL: I don’t consider the Democratic Socialists are part of the Democratic Party. About four weeks ago, they had a convention in Chicago. Separate party. They believe in defunding police, letting prisoners out of prison, opening borders, eliminating the Pentagon. If you’re so confident people want that, I’ll see you in November. Put it on the ballot. Let’s go. Run as a separate party. The Democratic Party is not open to being taken over. You have a progressive wing and a pragmatic wing. We agree that the system is rigged against middle-class families. Agree with that. How we fix that problem to make sure the American Dream of owning a home, saving for retirement and your kid’s education, and your healthcare is not a nightmare, peace of mind – how we get that – we’ll have a good, solid debate about that. I’m for that debate. I give progressives credit. They have been out there with ideas, some I agree with, some I disagree with. The pragmatic wing – one reason I’m talking about education, banning anybody from public office in all three branches of government at the age of 75, you’re done; banning social media for kids under 16; what you have to do to invest in energy infrastructure to make sure we are a 21st-century economy with 21st-century infrastructure. We owe a good, solid intellectual debate. I happen to think President Clinton and President Obama, Nancy Pelosi, who I helped make speaker, they led the right way. The last time the minimum wage increased, Nancy Pelosi had the gavel. There is no way you will get there turning a blue district to midnight blue. You gotta flip red to blue. Win red states and turn them blue. That is how it happens. Examples of this: Senator Nelson from Nebraska was a critical vote for passing ACA health care and universal coverage for people with pre-existing conditions. We had a Democratic senator in a red state. Joe Manchin was a key to IRA. He was a Democrat in West Virginia. Win areas. Simple. Seven states, 500,000 voters determined who was president in the last three presidential elections. You have to win in areas that are not safe blue areas, but persuade independent voters to find alignment with the Democratic Party. I think [we need to be] energized, [with a] clear idea about the future. And as I said, if I decide to run, I’m not a peacetime consigliere; I’m a wartime general. But i win elections and I make sure policies happen, whether it is our kids have a good education and take on the failure of the establishment, whether in government or private sector.

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