WASHINGTON -- U.S. President Joe Biden is expected to nominate Rahm Emanuel, former chief of staff to President Barack Obama, as U.S. ambassador to Japan.
Emanuel, 61, is likely to be appointed if he is nominated by Biden and his nomination is confirmed by the Senate.
A former mayor of Chicago, Emanuel was born to a Jewish family in Illinois. He served as an adviser to former President Bill Clinton and was a Democratic congressman from 2003 for three terms over six years.
In the Obama administration launched in 2009, he served as chief of staff to the president, a key position in the White House, and acted as a primary conduit between the White House and Congress. He is said to be on as good terms with Biden, who was vice president for the Obama administration, as he can talk to Biden on the phone.
Emanuel served as Chicago mayor for eight years from 2011.
While known for his political skills, he is also said to have many political enemies due to his aggressive political stance.
The post of U.S. ambassador to Japan has been vacant since William Hagerty resigned in July 2019 during the administration of former President Donald Trump.
In March last year, Trump nominated Kenneth Weinstein, then president of the Hudson Institute, a U.S. policy research institute. However, as the Senate appointment process was delayed, Joseph Young has been serving as charge d'affaires ad interim of the U.S. Embassy.
Read more from The Japan News at https://japannews.yomiuri.co.jp/
