CHICAGO (WLS) — Former Ambassador and Mayor Rahm Emanuel established a new ROTC scholarship Monday.

And he’s naming it after former Chief of Naval Operations Admiral Lisa Franchetti, who was fired by the Trump administration.

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The announcement was made at Rickover Naval Academy on the Northwest Side, with former Admiral Franchetti on-hand to present the scholarships, which are named in her honor.

She stayed out of the political fray, but former Ambassador Emanuel had no qualms stepping into it.

For 12 CPS graduates of the Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps, this was a big day, shaking the hand of the admiral, who, until recently, headed up the Navy, and getting a scholarship check from Emanuel that provides $10,000 a year toward college.

The Admiral Lisa Franchetti ROTC scholarship was born out of a meeting Emanuel had with her while serving as ambassador to Japan.

“This is a scholarship that will change lives and create the opportunity for these students to pursue their dreams of serving our great nation,” Franchetti said.

In February, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth removed Franchetti as chief of Naval Operations without giving a reason.

Emanuel admitted his decision to name the scholarship after Franchetti was a political shot at the Trump administration, which has frequently criticized diversity, equity and inclusion.

“If I said no, it wouldn’t be honest. If I said it was the only reason, I also wouldn’t be honest,” Emanuel said. “The way they let her go after 40 years of strikes force, leading the Navy firsthand, that’s not the way to end somebody’s 40-year career.”

Franchetti took no questions, and made no mention of her firing while addressing the students.

“And I can tell you, looking back 40 years later, I can honestly say it was the journey of a lifetime,” Franchetti said.

“Admiral Franchetti has many other things she’ll contribute to the country and many other chapters to write. This was my way of making sure that that wasn’t the last chapter in the last wave that was written,” Emanuel said.

As for Emanuel’s next chapter, that remains to be written.

“I’m not ready to make that decision, but I am laser-like focus on the singular thing that I think matters, which is, it’s not an accident, in my view, that our politics became unstable as soon as the American dream became unaffordable,” Emanuel said.

Emanuel gave no clues as to when he will announce his next political plans. But he continues to keep his name out there, trying to remain relevant until he does.