Impolitic with John Heilemann Rahm Emanuel: Jimmy Kimmel Shows Why Growing a Pair > Bending the Knee
Sep 26, 2025
John welcomes Rahm Emanuel, a seasoned political figure and likely 2028 presidential candidate. They dive into the impact of Jimmy Kimmel's recent return, highlighting media pressure in the Trump era. Rahm calls for unity among broadcast networks to push back against political coercion and defends the independence of the Federal Reserve against Wall Street's silence. He also talks strategy for Democrats on healthcare cuts and suggests branding a potential government shutdown as the 'Trump shutdown' to sway public opinion. It’s a lively discussion on courage in politics!
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Government Pressure On Media Is Overt
- Rahm Emanuel argues Trump's attack on Jimmy Kimmel is a blatant, explicit attempt to silence dissent using government power.
- He ties Trump's behavior to Roy Cohn's playbook and warns it violates American free-speech norms.
Networks Should Adopt A Unified Fairness Standard
- Rahm advises networks to unite and voluntarily adopt a modernized Fairness Doctrine to resist being picked off one-by-one by Trump.
- He urges Congress and the FCC to reimpose rules or industry-wide standards to de-escalate media coercion.
Fairness Doctrine Could Break The Escalation Cycle
- Emanuel says reimposing a fairness standard would curb escalation and reciprocal abuses across the political spectrum.
- He admits the rule would need modernization for today's media landscape but keeps its core thrust.