Rahm Emanuel on Trump, the left, and what's right for America

On a sunny afternoon in Chicago, along the Riverwalk he helped expand, former Mayor Rahm Emanuel was beaming about the city he led for eight years. "All along this Riverwalk, one mile, you have people from all parts of this city, and guess what, all parts of the country and all parts of the world."

So, what is it about Chicago that informs us about Emanuel? "Oh, well, its grit, its toughness, it's no-nonsense," he said. "I am tough – when I believe something's right, you're gonna get it done."

That toughness extends to interviews, where Emanuel is known for pushing back – on reporters, and on the left, including Sen. Bernie Sanders, a Democratic Socialist.

This year, Sanders and his allies have been factors in primary after primary – and progressives feel they have been pushing aside centrists like Emanuel and his allies inside the Democratic Party. On "Face the Nation" July 26, Sanders said , "People are sick and tired of the Rahm Emanuels and the Democratic establishment and the Republican establishment."

This week, Emanuel penned a Wall Street Journal op-ed (titled "How to Lose Friends and Alienate Allies" ), in which he wrote that "'Bernie bros' could spoil the midterms."

"Well, here's what I would say to you … I'm about flipping red districts to blue; I'm not about taking blue districts and making them midnight blue," Emanuel said. "You want to see a raise in the minimum wage? Winning over Democratic districts is not the way to get it there."

A lot of voters drawn to progressive candidates feel that members of the Democratic establishment, and long-time Democratic leaders, don't get the economic pain they are in. Asked how he would show the passion and commitment to address these voters' grievances with the economy, Emanuel laughed, "You don't think I bring any passion to what I do?"

Asked what he would say to a Democrat Socialist who called him for help winning over centrist voters, Emanuel replied, "First of all, it's a hypothetical. And let me break the news to you – the calls haven't come in. And everybody knows the number! So, I don't see that happening. Look, there's fundamental differences. And I'm comfortable with that."

And when it comes to progressives using the Democratic Party as a vehicle, Emanuel said, "I don't think they should, because I think they're a separate party; that's one. Two, I don't believe in defunding police. I don't believe in open borders."

Over a long career — as mayor, congressman, ambassador, and top aide for two presidents, including chief of staff in the Obama White House — Emanuel has been a key (and combative) moderate in showdowns over health care and the economy. These days, he wants Democrats to focus less on taking on capitalism, and more on matters like lowering costs — and on President Donald Trump.

On the matter of impeaching Mr. Trump should Democrats take control of Congress, Emanuel has accused the president and his administration of dirty business deals and corruption, which he said was "worse that Castro." "He'd make an alderman in Chicago blush for the kind of corruption he's doing," he laughed. "They're just out there taking money left and right.