Democrats have become 'distant and detached' from Americans, Biden official Rahm Emanuel warns

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Biden administration official and former Chicago mayor Rahm Emanuel lamented in a new op-ed that the Democratic Party has become "distant and detached," adopting an "aloof elite" image. 

Emanuel offered, "The road back to power for the Democrats," in a piece for the Washington Post Tuesday. He explained the party was "blind to the rising sea of disillusionment" in favor of the Kamala Harris campaign’s "joy" theme, ignoring growing distrust of the establishment.

"The bonds of trust between the establishment and the public had been severed, and too many in our party failed to appreciate it," Emanuel wrote. "In fact, during the pandemic, Democrats abandoned their antiestablishment credentials and enthusiastically morphed into the establishment. In ‘following the science,’ we shuttered schools and the economy."

U.S. Ambassador to Japan Rahm Emanuel criticized the party for not focusing on issues concerning the American people. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky)

Emanuel went on to attack Democrats for adapting an out-of-touch mindset focused on woke issues.

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"Meanwhile, our language and priorities have reinforced the ‘aloof elite’ stereotype. With inflation stinging, school absenteeism skyrocketing and students' academic scores plummeting, Democrats consumed themselves in debates over pronouns, bathroom access and renaming schools and adopted terms such as ‘care economy’ and ‘Latinx’ to win over voters. It was a hermetically sealed conversation with ourselves, and we appeared much as we sounded: distant and detached," he wrote.

Emanuel advised Democrats to focus on the "voice of the middle class" to push back on "Trump’s populist veneer." That includes, he insisted, broader issues the party has avoided.

"[W]e can no longer tiptoe around the issues that have people worried. Crime, immigration, homelessness and a fentanyl crisis are, understandably, on the minds of millions," Emanuel wrote. "When carjackings are up and everything in pharmacies is locked down, you can't recite crime statistics to deny people's everyday experiences."

Emanuel called out the Harris campaign for highlighting "joy" rather than the voters' discontent. (Will Oliver/EPA/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

He continued, "Americans want to see respect for the laws that govern our borders and to live in communities that are safe and secure. That shouldn't be hard to appreciate. People prefer order over disorder. Trump was successful on these issues because his words tapped the public's frustration. Ours communicated permissiveness."

Emanuel, a veteran of President Clinton’s administration, went on to serve in Congress and steered the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee during its successful 2006 cycle that saw Democrats take back the House of Representatives. He later served as President Obama’s chief of staff before going on to serve two terms as Chicago's mayor. Emanuel has served the past four years as U.S. ambassador to Japan during the Biden administration.

Last month, Fox News Digital reported that Emanuel was considering running for chair of the Democratic National Committee, quietly reaching out to DNC members as he mulls his bid.

Some DNC insiders weren't thrilled, with one saying "the absolutely last person we need leading us is an arrogant elitist that has never worked a day in his life."

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Emanuel has reportedly been considering a DNC chair run. (Getty Images)

Another insider told Fox News Digital, "Rahm is no doubt talented. But we need to know what we need to do to move forward as a party. We need new blood. We need modernization. We need somebody who understands the vastly changed new media landscape, and who is willing to invest in it. Don’t know that Rahm fits the bill for that."

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Fox News' Paul Steinhauser contributed to this report.