Chicago Mayor Criticizes Emanuel, Sacks in Livestream
Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson criticized former Mayor Rahm Emanuel and businessman Michael Sacks during a livestream with streamer Hasan Piker. Johnson accused them, along with corporate media, of hindering his administration's progressive agenda.
- During the February 14, 2026, livestream, Mayor Johnson claimed Michael Sacks has used his wealth to intentionally disrupt the progressive movement that elected him. He specifically connected Sacks to the policies of former Mayor Rahm Emanuel, whose administration he said closed schools and mental health clinics, pushed for privatization, and contributed to the displacement of Black residents. - Michael Sacks is the Chairman and CEO of the global alternative asset management firm GCM Grosvenor and a major Democratic donor who, along with his wife, gave over $2.7 million to Rahm Emanuel's mayoral campaigns. Sacks was a key advisor to Emanuel and was appointed Vice Chairman of World Business Chicago, the city's economic development agency, to link the mayor's office with the business community. - Johnson contrasted his administration with Emanuel's, stating the Emanuel administration "embodied the 1%." He pointed to his own policies, such as providing 10 paid days off for over a million workers and abolishing the subminimum wage for tipped workers, as examples of his different approach. - The host of the livestream, Hasan Piker, is a popular left-wing political commentator who streams on Twitch. The discussion also touched on Johnson's view that corporate media has been trying to separate him from his base since the beginning of his term. - Emanuel's mayoralty (2011-2019) was marked by the closure of 50 public schools in 2013 and the first Chicago teachers' strike in 25 years. His administration also faced significant controversy over the handling of the 2014 police shooting of Laquan McDonald, with a judge ordering the release of the video more than a year later. - In the interview, Johnson also mentioned that he re-established the city's Department of Environment, which he stated had been dismantled by the Emanuel administration. - Beyond his connections to Emanuel, Sacks is a prominent figure in national Democratic politics, having been a major "super bundler" for President Barack Obama's campaigns and an advisor to Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker. He also serves on the board of the Obama Foundation.
