Rahm Emanuel, former U.S. ambassador to Japan and Chicago mayor, said President Trump grabbed a “hand grenade” when it comes to the current government shutdown.

“I didn’t think this was a good — the best idea. Based on my experience, whoever pulls the pin on the hand grenade owns it,” Emanuel said on Tuesday's episode of the “Hacks On Tap” podcast.

“I could not have predicted that Trump would grab the hand grenade,” he added. “And I think that has saved the Democrats on the downside, because of what he’s threatened, ‘blue government agencies,’ ‘I’m going to threaten these programs.’ So, he grabbed the government —”

“And he’s doing it, by the way,” Democratic strategist David Axelrod cut in.

“He grabbed the government shutdown away from the Democrats, and the downside of this was owning

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