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Politico
2 days ago
- Politics
- Politico
Unpacking Trump's big SCOTUS win
Presented by THE CATCH-UP The Supreme Court cleared the deck today as the justices wrapped up the final official decision day, handing down six rulings and delivering President Donald Trump a major victory as he seeks to carry out his domestic agenda. Nationwide injunctions The decision: In a big win for Trump, the court ruled in favor of the administration's request to narrow the scope of nationwide injunctions imposed by judges that blocked his executive order intended to end the right to birthright citizenship. In the 6-3 vote along ideological lines the court 'sharply curtailed the power of individual district court judges to issue injunctions blocking federal government policies nationwide,' POLITICO's Josh Gerstein reports. The justices said that in most cases, 'judges can only grant relief to the individuals or groups who brought a particular lawsuit and may not extend those decisions to protect other individuals without going through the process of converting a lawsuit into a class action.' Left untouched — at least for now — was the legality of Trump's order. The opinion: 'The universal injunction was conspicuously nonexistent for most of our Nation's history,' Justice Amy Coney Barrett wrote in the majority opinion, adding that the nationwide injunctions apply 'only to the extent that the injunctions are broader than necessary.' The dissent: 'The Court's decision to permit the Executive to violate the Constitution with respect to anyone who has not yet sued is an existential threat to the rule of law,' Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson wrote. Notably, Justice Sonia Sotomayor read her own portion of the dissenting opinion aloud in court for 19 minutes, in a 'signal of the gravity of her concern and the importance of the case,' Josh writes. The reaction: The White House was quick to celebrate the win. Trump dropped into the briefing room for an impromptu news conference shortly after the ruling, where he said he was 'grateful' to the court 'for stepping in and solving this very … complex issue and making it very simple.' Trump also heaped praise on Barrett — who has recently come under fire from the right — noting her decision was 'brilliantly written.' What's next: 'It's very possible that nothing has changed re: nationwide injunction on birthright citizenship,' POLITICO's Kyle Cheney points out. 'While the court broadly limited nationwide injunctions, it said states may still be entitled to them if it's necessary for complete relief. Two of the birthright cases were brought by states, who argued they needed nationwide relief because patchwork citizenship rules would be devastating when people move from state to state. If district courts agree, then the nationwide injunctions will remain in place.' And the majority opinion 'provides no clear roadmap except to say that the executive order 'shall not take effect until 30 days after the date of this opinion,'' POLITICO's Ankush Khardori notes. 'The absence of clear guidance on this point is likely to generate even more disputes — not the least of which is how the administration is going to enforce the executive order while at the same time defending the executive order against the states' pending challenges.' Obamacare coverage The decision: In another 6-3 decision, the Supreme Court preserved the provision of the Affordable Care Act that requires insurance companies to cover preventive health services at no cost to patients, POLITICO's Alice Miranda Ollstein and colleagues report. The analysis: 'Health policy experts and patient advocates who expressed relief that the Trump administration opted to defend Obamacare remain concerned that HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and other officials will now deploy that power to reshape what services must be covered by insurance without copays' and 'could also empower Kennedy to overhaul other advisory panels at HHS,' our colleagues write. LGBTQ+ lessons The decision: In another 6-3 ruling, the high court sided with a group of parents who opted to remove their children from classes that include books with LGBTQ+ themes. The decision comes after a group of Muslim, Christian and Jewish parents sued Marylans's Montgomery County Board of Education after the board prevented parents from removing their elementary school children from lessons citing religious reasons. More from POLITICO's Bianca Quilantan And more … More action on the way: 'Chief Justice John Roberts announced from the bench that the court plans to issue orders next week on Monday and Thursday,' Josh writes. 'Monday's orders are likely to include grants of review from a conference the justices held yesterday. Thursday's will likely address cases impacted by the decisions handed down this week.' Catch up on all the news and analysis from from our colleagues on the SCOTUS live blog Happy Friday afternoon. Thanks for reading Playbook PM. Drop me a line at birvine@ 7 THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW 1. RECONCILABLE DIFFERENCES: Another day, another slew of setbacks for GOP leaders over Trump's sweeping tax and spending legislation. As the Senate scrambles to meet Republicans' self-imposed July 4 deadline, Speaker Mike Johnson is now reluctantly admitting that they may not reach their goal, POLITICO's Meredith Lee Hill reports. 'It's possible,' he told reporters of the timeline slipping, 'but I don't want to even accept that as an option right now.' Even Trump is softening his stance: 'It's not the end all,' Trump said today of the July 4 goal, per POLITICO's Adam Cancryn. 'It can go longer, but we'd like to get it done by that time if possible.' The crunch: 'With the Senate not expected to start debating the bill until Saturday at the earliest, the House might not get the bill until Sunday. Johnson confirmed he plans to observe a House rule giving members at least 72 hours to review the bill before floor consideration begins. 'The House will not be jammed by anything,' he added.' SALT on the table: The White House is 'close to clinching an agreement on the state and local tax deduction after a last-ditch flurry of negotiations with blue-state House GOP holdouts and Senate Republicans,' POLITICO's Meredith Lee Hill reports. Johnson said 'a lot of progress' was made on the issue yesterday. Quote of the day: 'This bill is like yogurt, not wine,' one senator told Semafor's Burgess Everett, who notes that the chamber is racing to 'vote basically immediately' once Republicans get their ducks in a row. 2. TRADING SPACES: The early July deadline for the Trump administration's tariff negotiations with top trading partners also seems to be a moving target. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent noted in a Fox Business interview today that negotiations could stretch as far as Labor Day, POLITICO's Jacob Wendler reports. 'We have 18 important trading partners — U.K., China are behind us for now — and then Secretary [Howard] Lutnick said yesterday that he expects 10 more deals. So, if we can ink 10 or 12 of the important 18 — there are another important 20 relationships — then I think we could have trade wrapped up by Labor Day,' Bessent said. 3. TAKING STOCK: 'Historic Rebound Sends S&P 500 to New Highs,' by WSJ's Karen Langley and Krystal Hur: 'The S&P 500 on Friday touched its first new high since February, capping a dizzying 23% rally from the depths of April's tariff-induced selloff. The wild 89 trading days in between put the broad U.S. stock index on track for its swiftest recovery back to a record close after a decline of at least 15%, according to Dow Jones Market Data. Stocks have climbed in recent sessions after the fragile cease-fire between Israel and Iran sent oil prices lower and fueled optimism that the Middle East could avoid a prolonged conflict.' 4. MIDDLE EAST LATEST: As the Trump administration continues to show confidence in the success of last weekend's strikes on Iran, lawmakers huddled in the Capitol today for a closed-door intelligence briefing on 'Operation Midnight Hammer.' Upon leaving the briefing, Johnson told reporters that the group discussed the need for Iran 'to engage with us in direct good faith talks, negotiations, not through third parties, not through other countries. They need to sit down at the table with us and ensure that this peace is truly lasting,' Johnson said. Tensions remain high: Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz instructed military personnel today to prepare an 'enforcement plan' that would maintain 'Israel's air superiority, preventing nuclear and missile development, and responding to Iranian support for terrorist activity,' per CNN. Katz told local outlets he would pursue a ''policy of enforcement' against Iran despite a cease-fire, aiming to prevent Tehran from rebuilding its air power, advancing nuclear projects or developing 'threatening long-range missiles,'' NYT's Erika Solomon and Johnatan Reiss report. 5. INTEL ISSUES: Senate Intel Chair Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) has proposed in a new bill a radical reorganization of Tulsi Gabbard's Office of National Intelligence, proposing drastic cuts to its staff, shrinking numbers down from around 1,600 to 650, NBC's Dan De Luce and Gordon Lubold scoop. Gabbard has already slashed staff by 20 percent since stepping into her role as director, though the former presidential candidate reportedly has fallen out of favor with Trump in recent weeks. Still, a staffer notes 'Cotton and other Republican senators have been working on the proposed reform for months and that their effort preceded Gabbard's appointment.' 6. TRIGGER HAPPY: The Department of Government Efficiency has another target in its sights: gun restrictions. DOGE staff have been deployed to the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives 'with the goal of revising or eliminating dozens of rules and gun restrictions by July 4' as the White House takes a wrecking ball to the regulatory agency, WaPo's Perry Stein scoops. 'The initial target was to change 47 regulations, an apparent reference to Donald Trump's status as the 47th president of the United States,' but staffers now have 'upward of 50 changes planned.' Though exact details are still unclear, there are also planned tweaks to the form most buyers have to fill out when purchasing a firearm. 7. CALIFORNIA STEAMIN': 'Gavin Newsom sues Fox News for $787M in defamation case over Trump call,' by POLITICO's Tyler Katzenberger: 'The California governor accused Fox News of defamation in a lawsuit Friday morning, alleging the network should fork over $787 million after host Jesse Watters claimed Newsom lied about his phone calls with Trump, who ordered National Guard troops to Los Angeles this month. Newsom's lawyers argue Watters' program misleadingly edited a video of Trump to support the claim.' The response: 'Newsom's transparent publicity stunt is frivolous and designed to chill free speech critical of him. We will defend this case vigorously and look forward to it being dismissed,' Fox News said in a statement. TALK OF THE TOWN OUT AND ABOUT — Courier Newsroom hosted a 'Like and Subscribe' happy hour at the Eaton yesterday, celebrating the launch of their podcasts and digital series. The event featured light bites and cocktails, including drinks such as the 'Panic World Paloma' and 'Exit Poll Espresso Martini.' SPOTTED: Akilah Hughes, Ryan Broderick, Grant Irving, Ashley Ray, Nick Kitchel, Patrick Stevenson, Tyler Steinhardt, Teddy Schleifer, Kara Voght, Nancy Scola, Matt Erickson, Colin Delany and Alex Wall. — NBCUniversal and the Motion Picture Association co-hosted a screening of 'Jurassic World: Rebirth' last night. SPOTTED: Reps. Judy Chu (D-Calif.) and Laura Friedman (D-Calif.), Phil Tahtakran, Charlie Rivkin, Maureen Dowd, Dan Glickman, Neil Fried, Stephen Hartell, Sena Fitzmaurice and Philip Reeker. — The Washington AI Network hosted its first-ever speakeasy last night at The House at 1229, where guests enjoyed cocktails, karaoke, slushies and ice cream sandwiches. SPOTTED: Tammy Haddad, Jake Denton, Pierson Furnish, Adam Branch, Miriam Vogel, Max Fenkell, Ashley Callen, Mary Kozeny, Mitchell Rivard, Govind Shivkumar, Emma Mears, Cristóbal Alex, Josh Dawsey and Joanna Guy. — SPOTTED at a NewDEAL happy hour at Crimson Whiskey Bar yesterday honoring New York state Rep. Alex Bores, Alabama state Rep. Jeremy Gray, Hawaii state Sen. Troy Hashimoto, Massachusetts state Rep. Tram Nguyen, Iowa state Rep. Megan Srinivas and Kansas state Rep. Brandon Woodard: Helen Milby, Andy Flick, John McCarthy, Kathleen Mellody, Jon Boughtin, Ted Koutsoubas, Alex Chanen, Scott Quinn, Jonathan Lozier, Ryan Ford, Natasha Dabrowski, Jonathan Dworkin and Aaron Wasserman. FIRST IN PLAYBOOK — Treasury is bringing in a slate of new senior staff: John Crews will be deputy assistant secretary for financial institutions, Connor Dunn will be deputy assistant secretary for legislative affairs, Spencer Hurwitz will be deputy assistant secretary for public affairs, Ashtyn Landen will be deputy executive secretary, Parastu Malik will be counselor to the chief of staff and chief AI officer … … Zach Mollengarden will be deputy executive secretary, David O'Brien will be deputy assistant secretary for public affairs, John Poulson will be deputy assistant secretary for legislative affairs, Shane Shannon will be counselor to the general counsel and Cory Wilson will be deputy assistant secretary for the Office of Cybersecurity and Critical Infrastructure Protection. TRANSITIONS — Karen Paikin Barall is now chief policy officer at the Louis D. Brandeis Center for Human Rights Under Law. She previously was VP of government relations for Jewish Federations of North America. … Erica Goldman is joining Prologue as head of insights and analysis. She previously was managing director of research at Purple Strategies. … Jim Smythers is now senior director for government relations at Stratolaunch. He previously was in the Foreign Service and is a Senate Intelligence Committee alum. … Lauren Dueck is now SVP and comms director at The Asia Group. She previously was comms director at NOAA's National Environmental Satellite, Data and Information Service. … Claire Trokey will join LinkedIn's U.S. public policy team to lead engagement with the administration and congressional Republicans. She most recently has been policy adviser to House Majority Leader Steve Scalise. … Catherine (Cat) Oakar will be the next executive director of Freshfarm. She most recently was special assistant to the president for public health and disparities in the Domestic Policy Council in the Biden White House. BIRTHWEEK (was yesterday): Elizabeth Pipko Did someone forward this email to you? Sign up here. Send Playbookers tips to playbook@ or text us on Signal here. Playbook couldn't happen without our editor Zack Stanton, deputy editor Garrett Ross and Playbook Podcast producer Callan Tansill-Suddath.
Politico
5 days ago
- Politics
- Politico
Playbook PM: How Trump held a fragile ceasefire together
Presented by THE CATCH-UP A FRAGILE CEASEFIRE: Just hours after President Donald Trump announced a ceasefire between Israel and Iran effective at midnight, that deal seemed shaky as further strikes loomed in the region before a fiery Trump lashed out at both countries to tamp things down. The remarkable scenes were essentially narrated in real time through Trump's words to reporters and on his Truth Social feed. Dropping another bomb: 'We have two countries that have been fighting so long and so hard that they don't know what the fuck they're doing,' Trump told reporters as he departed the White House this morning as the planes flew toward Iran. How it happened: At 6:50 a.m., the president chastised Israel: 'DO NOT DROP THOSE BOMBS. IF YOU DO IT IS A MAJOR VIOLATION. BRING YOUR PILOTS HOME, NOW!' About 30 minutes later, his warning seemed to have landed: 'ISRAEL is not going to attack Iran. All planes will turn around and head home, while doing a friendly 'Plane Wave' to Iran. Nobody will be hurt, the Ceasefire is in effect!' The view from Israel: PM Benjamin Netanyahu said he held off on more aggressive strikes against Iran after getting on the phone with Trump, POLITICO's Gigi Ewing and Jake Traylor report. In a statement, Netanyahu claimed that Iran had sent missles before the ceasefire was set to start, and Israel responded by striking a radar installation in Tehran. But Trump spoke to him in 'an exceptionally firm and direct way' and laid out the stakes, a White House official told Axios' Barak Ravid. A backtrack: In a break from his remarks earlier this week, Trump told reporters on Air Force One that he does not want a regime change in Iran. 'I'd like to see everything calm down as quickly as possible. Regime change takes chaos and ideally we don't want to see so much chaos,' Trump said. Looming threats: A senior political official of the Houthi militant group in Yemen said that they are not bound by the Israel and Iran ceasefire, saying they would continue their attacks 'until the aggression against Gaza stops and the siege is lifted,' WSJ's Saleh al-Batati and Stephen Kalin report. And it's not just physical attacks to worry about: U.S. officials are still warning that retaliation from Iran could come from 'cyber actions calibrated to not elicit a forceful American response,' WaPo's Joseph Menn writes. The latest Hill action: The Senate's briefing on the Iran strikes — originally set for today — will now take place on Thursday, with Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth set to attend once they return from the Netherlands, per Semafor's Burgess Everett. Democrats are still barreling forward on voting on a War Powers resolution, per Punchbowl. The dust settles: With a ceasefire in place for now, Trump has sent out a barrage of posts on Truth Social during his flight to the Netherlands for the NATO summit. In total, the president has posted 32 times since 6:50 a.m. Here are some highlights: HELLO, NATO: In vexing comments aboard Air Force One, Trump was asked by reporters whether the U.S. remains committed to NATO's Article 5 clause. 'Depends on your definition,' he said. 'I'm committed to being their friends. … I'm committed to saving lives. I'm committed to life and safety. And I'm going to give you an exact definition when I get there. I just don't want to do it on the back of an airplane.' On his way, Trump predicted that the summit would be a 'much calmer period than what I just went through with Israel and Iran.' More from POLITICO's Chris Lunday and colleagues Trump has landed now, telling reporters: 'Now we're going to NATO. We'll get a new set of problems.' Good Tuesday afternoon. Thanks for reading Playbook PM. Send me your tips at abianco@ 7 THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW 1. RECONCILABLE DIFFERENCES: Even as he jetted off to the Netherlands, Trump is turning his attention to Congress, bringing the hammer down on Republicans to get his 'big, beautiful bill' done ASAP, telling lawmakers to lock in — maybe even literally, if they have to. 'To my friends in the Senate, lock yourself in a room if you must, don't go home, and GET THE DEAL DONE THIS WEEK,' Trump said in a post on Truth Social. 'Work with the House so they can pick it up, and pass it, IMMEDIATELY. NO ONE GOES ON VACATION UNTIL IT'S DONE.' It's a sentiment that was echoed by Speaker Mike Johnson today, who told his members in a closed-door meeting 'not to leave town' and stay flexible with their July Fourth plans, as the prospect grows of going to conference, which basically everyone seems keen to avoid, POLITICO's Meredith Lee Hill reports. How that's playing: 'We may not leave town for a while then — but I can vote no as many times as it takes and for as long as it takes to do something actually big and beautiful,' Rep. Chip Roy (R-Texas) told Meredith. Race to the finish: Speaker John Thune is pushing ahead with getting the megabill on the floor by the end of the week. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent is attending the Senate Republican policy lunch today to help get it done. We're still waiting on the megabill final text while the Senate parliamentarian rules on what can stay in. The last rulings are expected by tomorrow. Headaches persist: The cost of the Senate's tax package comes out to a hefty $4.2 trillion — already above what House Republicans say they're willing to spend — and that's before factoring in a SALT deal, which would likely add hundreds of billions of dollars more, POLITICO's Brian Faler reports. And the SALT Caucus won't be easily forced into a deal, per Meredith. Meanwhile, 16 House Republicans sent a letter to Thune and Johnson 'opposing the Senate's proposed Medicaid cuts, suggesting that they are prepared to vote against the legislation,' per NOTUS' Reese Gorman. 2. TRUMP WON'T LIKE THIS ONE: Fed Chair Jerome Powell said today at a hearing before the House Financial Services Committee that tariffs are likely to hike prices, and that the Fed will hold interest rates steady to mitigate the risk of inflation, POLITICO's Sam Sutton writes. 'For the time being, we are well-positioned to wait to learn more about the likely course of the economy before considering any adjustments to our policy stance,' Powell said. While a handful of House Republicans pressed Powell on his position, few attempted to work him over, as Trump had demanded. 3. IMMIGRATION FILES: 'Another man who was deported in violation of court order must be returned to US, court rules,' by POLITICO's Kyle Cheney and Josh Gerstein: 'It's the fourth time since March that federal courts have ordered the administration to return immigrants who were deemed illegally or improperly deported. Officials must begin seeking the return of Jordin Melgar-Salmeron, who was sent to his native country on May 7, 'as soon as possible,' a three-judge panel of the New York-based 2nd Circuit Court of Appeals ruled. Justice Department officials acknowledged last month that Melgar-Salmeron's deportation violated an earlier directive from the 2nd Circuit.' For your radar: 'ICE arrests 11 Iranian nationals in 48 hours,' by CBS' Nicole Sganga 4. CONSTITUTIONAL CRISIS WATCH: Emil Bove, a top DOJ official now nominated to a federal appeals court, 'told subordinates he was willing to ignore court orders' to make good on Trump's mass deportations, according to a formal complaint from former DOJ lawyer Erez Reuveni, NYT's Devlin Barrett reports. 'Bove 'stressed to all in attendance that the planes needed to take off no matter what,' according to Mr. Reuveni's account. … 'Bove stated that D.O.J. would need to consider telling the courts 'fuck you' and ignore any such order,'' Reuveni said in the complaint. The response: Deputy AG Todd Blanche called the NYT's reporting 'utterly false.' Blanche said he was present at the meeting described by Reuveni and that 'at no time did anyone suggest a court order should not be followed.' Bove is set to testify in front of the Senate Judiciary Committee tomorrow on his nomination to serve on a federal appeals court. 5. T-MINUS TWO WEEKS: Kevin Hassett, director of the National Economic Council, said on Fox Business today that more trade deals are coming as soon as Congress passes the megabill, per POLITICO's Doug Palmer. 'I think you're going to see a sequence of trade [deals], really starting from around the Fourth of July,' Hassett said. But talks with over a dozen of the biggest trade partners are 'struggling to get over the finish line,' Bloomberg's Katia Dmitrieva writes. It's possible that any promising good-faith talks may push back the July 9 deadline, but so far only the U.K. has an agreement on paper, while China has a truce going until August. 6. TAKING STOCK: Stephen Miller, the force behind the Trump administration's biggest immigration policies, owns from $100,001 up to a quarter of a million dollars in financial stock in Palantir Technologies — one of ICE's biggest contractors — per his recent financial disclosure, according to a report by the Project on Government Oversight. Big on pharma: A POLITICO review of stock trading by lawmakers found that many, including Republicans, are buying pharma stocks — suggesting they don't think the Trump administration's attacks on the industry are going to do lasting damage, POLITICO's Amanda Chu reports. Lawmakers 'purchased up to $2.9 million in pharmaceutical stocks in the first six months of the Trump administration, financial disclosures say, and Republicans outpaced Democrats in share purchases, investing as much as $1.8 million in drug companies.' 7. DOGE DAYS AREN'T OVER: The Atlantic's Charlie Warzel and Hana Kiros have new reporting on deaths across South Sudan, Somalia and Nigeria, 'the consequences of massive cuts to U.S. foreign assistance made by the Department of Government Efficiency and the State Department.' Despite Elon Musk's denials that the DOGE cuts have had an adverse impact, which extensive reporting proves false, his 'indifference to the suffering of people in Africa exists alongside his belief that he has a central role to play in the future of the human species,' The Atlantic notes. TALK OF THE TOWN Mike Huckabee reacts to Trump's praise of his work as Israeli ambassador on Truth Social: 'Whew! Looks like I still have a job!' Iranian State TV aired a Lego-style animation of its war with Israel … it's quite strange to say the least. Thomas Massie, under fire from Trump and MAGA, went on Theo Von's podcast. PLAYBOOK METRO SECTION — 'Metro's faster trains and 'Better Bus' launch mark biggest overhaul in decades,' by Axios' Anna Spiegel: 'Metro is unveiling major changes to its rail and bus system this month to increase efficiency and accommodate rising ridership — all without raising fares. … Trains are expected to run faster and longer, while the entirely new 'Better Bus' system launches Sunday — the first major overhaul in 50 years.' OUT AND ABOUT — The Children's Tumor Foundation held its annual NF conference from Saturday to today at the Omni Shoreham Hotel, where attendees discussed the state of funding for rare disease research amid Trump administration cuts. SPOTTED: William Gahl, Steffen Thirstrup, Amy Comstock Rick, Annette Bakker, Julie Tibbets, Aubrey Rothrock, Angela Lamari and Simon Vukelj. TRANSITIONS — Timothy O'Neill is now legislative director for Rep. Tom McClintock (R-Calif.). He most recently was a professional staff member for the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee. … Scott Barnes is now senior director of federal government affairs at Emergent BioSolutions. He is a Vertex Pharmaceuticals alum. … Dan Krassner is now SVP at Kensington Avenue Strategies and executive director of the American EV Jobs Alliance. He previously was senior director of campaigns at Unite America. … … Ninio Fetalvo is now principal for federal government relations at Michael Best Strategies, working in its health care practice. He previously was a director at Brunswick Group, and is a Trump White House and CMS alum. … Jack Clem is now press secretary for the House China committee. He most recently was a staff assistant for Rep. Dale Strong (R-Ala.). … Jeffrey Lopez has been named director of the New Mexico Office of Broadband Access and Expansion. He previously was a senior legislative assistant for Sen. Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.). Send Playbookers tips to playbook@ or text us on Signal here. Playbook couldn't happen without our editor Zack Stanton, deputy editor Garrett Ross and Playbook Podcast producer Callan Tansill-Suddath.
Politico
13-06-2025
- Politics
- Politico
Playbook PM: Trump presses Iran to negotiate as Israel vows sustained strikes
Presented by THE CATCH-UP Israel says it has more attacks planned against Iran after a series of overnight strikes targeted Tehran's nuclear program and shook global tensions. As Washington watches the fallout, President Donald Trump is continuing to push Tehran toward the negotiating table to come to a nuclear deal. Trump and Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu spoke earlier today, the president told Axios' Barak Ravid, though Trump 'declined to provide details about the call and didn't want to comment on whether Netanyahu asked the U.S. to directly join in the operation.' The view from Israel: Israeli officials say they have planned for at least 14 days of operations, per WSJ. 'The likely duration of the campaign fits with analysts' expectations that a single wave of strikes wouldn't be able to do enough damage to Iran's nuclear program and Israel's comprehensive approach of attacking Iran's facilities, leadership and arsenal at the same time to limit the possibility of a retaliatory strike.' The view from Washington: Trump also spoke with a handful of reporters this morning to expand on his Truth Social post from early this morning. The art of the deal: Trump told NBC in an interview that Iran 'may have another opportunity' to negotiate a nuclear deal and suggested officials were reaching out to him today to do so. 'They're calling me to speak,' Trump said. Previewing more pain: Trump also warned of more strikes to come. 'I think it's been excellent,' he told ABC's Jonathan Karl. 'We gave them a chance and they didn't take it. They got hit hard, very hard. They got hit about as hard as you're going to get hit. And there's more to come. A lot more.' The blame game: Trump told WSJ's Meridith McGraw in an interview this morning that Tehran brought the destruction upon itself. 'I told the other side, I said, you have 60 days to make the deal. On the 61st day, [Israel] attacked. Today is 61 actually, and it was a very successful attack,' Trump said. He also confirmed to WSJ that he spoke with Netanyahu on Thursday ahead of the attack. 'Heads-up? It wasn't a heads-up. It was, we know what's going on,' Trump said. On the ripple effect: The president 'said the markets would respond positively if Iran's nuclear capacity was diminished,' WSJ writes. ''I think ultimately, it would be great for the market because Iran will not have a nuclear weapon,' he said. 'It will be great for the market — should be the greatest thing ever for the market.'' On the ground: Officials report that four senior military officials and nuclear scientists in Tehran were killed, with strikes damaging a major nuclear facility and other military installations across the country. So far, reports indicate at least '121 people were injured in the overnight attacks on 12 of Iran's 31 provinces,' per WaPo. Around the world: Ahead of the attack, the State Department 'informed in writing a number of regional allies in the Middle East,' though the note emphasized that the U.S. was not directly involved, Reuters' Hümeyra Pamuk and colleagues report. Qatar was one of the countries notified. Following the initial strikes, Saudi Arabia's foreign minister called counterparts in Iran, Jordan and Egypt, while the United Arab Emirates urged 'the utmost self-restraint,' Semafor's Mohammed Sergie and Kelsey Warner report. Meanwhile, oil prices surged and stocks dropped dramatically this morning. Bracing for what's next: U.S. officials are scrambling to shift military sources in the region, moving two destroyers toward the Eastern Mediterranean, as they brace for potential retaliation from Tehran, POLITICO's Paul McCleary reports. 'The ships, which are capable of defending against ballistic and cruise missile attacks, were already in the region and are rerouting … They provide an extra layer of security for U.S. assets already in the Middle East and could help Israel beat back any Iranian missile attacks.' Smart read: POLITICO's Nahal Toosi writes in her latest Compass column that while the strikes are certain to set back Iran's nuclear program, 'among many Middle East obsessives, there's a growing sense that the Israeli operation has the potential to lead to something much bigger: toppling Iran's Islamist government.' Happy Friday afternoon. Thanks for reading Playbook PM. Drop me a line at birvine@ 6 THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW 1. IMMIGRATION FILES: Medicaid officials unsuccessfully sought to block the White House's recent transfer of personal data of their recipients — including immigration status — to deportation officials despite legal and ethical concerns, AP's Kimberly Kindy and Amanda Seitz scoop. 'The dataset includes the information of people living in California, Illinois, Washington state and Washington, D.C., all of which allow non-U.S. citizens to enroll in Medicaid programs that pay for their expenses using only state taxpayer dollars. … CMS transferred the information just as the Trump administration was ramping up its enforcement efforts in Southern California.' The latest on LA: Protests in Los Angeles against Trump's immigration actions continue as major cities around the country brace for major demonstrations over the weekend. Trump praised an appeals court ruling last night that reversed a federal judge's mandate that he hand over command of the California National Guard to Gov. Gavin Newsom. 'If I didn't send the Military into Los Angeles, that city would be burning to the ground right now,' Trump said in a post on Truth Social today. 'We saved L.A. Thank you for the Decision!!!' For your radar: 'Kilmar Abrego Garcia pleads not guilty to human trafficking charges' by POLITICO's Kyle Cheney and Josh Gerstein 2. ON DEFENSE: NY Mag's Kerry Howley is out with a buzzy deep dive on how Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth's time at the Pentagon has been marred by scandal, infighting and a shrinking staff. As he jumped into the job after a narrow confirmation, it was clear 'which parts of the job Hegseth most enjoyed: working out, posting about working out, and discussing the imminent removal of trans servicemembers. … It was clear, too, what worried him: disloyal operatives hiding in plain sight, whispering to his enemies under cover of anonymity.' Notable quotable: 'Whether one feels safe with Pete Hegseth alone in his office surrounded by pictures of his wife in a pink dress depends on whether one fears the void more than one fears a Trump White House forcefully executing its plans,' Howley writes. ''Pete is playing secretary,' a source says. 'He's not being secretary.' In crisis — an unplanned evacuation, Israel bombing Iran, China moving on Taiwan — there will be no one with experience to lead. 'For any sustained operations, we're screwed.'' 3. LAW AND ORDER: A second federal judge today blocked key provisions of Trump's executive order intended to make it harder to register to vote in federal elections, including a requirement for voters to prove their citizenship, POLITICO's Hassan Ali Kanu writes. 'Massachusetts U.S. District Judge Denise Casper wrote in the ruling that the Constitution gives the power to regulate elections to Congress, adding that lawmakers have not passed any laws that authorize Trump's actions or otherwise delegate their authority to the president.' Meanwhile, in Manhattan: Trump 'failed to persuade a federal appeals court to reconsider the $5 million verdict won by E. Jean Carroll after a jury found that the U.S. president sexually abused and defamed the former magazine columnist in the 1990s,' Reuters'Jonathan Stempel reports. Trump is also 'separately asking the appeals court to throw out an $83.3 million jury verdict in January 2024 for defaming Carroll and damaging her reputation when the Republican first denied her rape claim.' 4. RECONCIALABLE DIFFERENCES: As they close in on a deal this week, GOP lawmakers remain stuck between a rock and a hard place with state and local tax deductions. As leadership tries to mediate between both chambers, House Republicans still aren't backing down on their calls for the $40,000 state and local tax deduction cap in their version of the bill — and their Senate colleagues haven't yet offered any tangible compromise, with many wanting to cut 'or in some cases kill' the cap, Semafor's Burgess Everett and Eleanor Mueller report. 'Zero is a good number' for a SALT cap, Sen. Rick Scott (R-Fla.) told Semafor. 5. THE COMPANY WAY: As many as seven partners are exiting Willkie Farr & Gallagher after the law firm cut a deal with Trump to avoid an executive order targeting its employees. The departing partners are instead joining Cooley, 'a firm that has helped successfully challenge one of Mr. Trump's orders in court,' NYT's Michael Schmidt and Maggie Haberman report. 'Cooley represented Jenner & Block in that firm's legal efforts to challenge an executive order rather than settle with the president.' Willkie 'was a target for Mr. Trump's team primarily because it employed a top investigator for the congressional committee that investigated Mr. Trump's role in the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol.' 6. THE MOTHER LOAD: Democrats are hoping that a new wave of candidates, moms of young children, will give them an advantage with voters as they reevaluate how to connect with key demographics in the midterms, POLITICO's Amanda Friedman reports. 'Motherhood — once seen as a political liability — is becoming a key plank of campaign messaging for a new crop of Democratic candidates. … And they have support from Vote Mama, a PAC dedicated to helping mothers of minor children get elected to public office. The group currently has 70 endorsed candidates and expects that number to grow.' TALK OF THE TOWN Ruben and Sydney Gallego, recently welcomed a son, Cooper. A signed copy of Larry Csonka's memoir inscribed with, 'To Marco Rubio,' was left in a Little Free Library last week, including a 2023 birthday card to the then-senator tucked inside the pages. PLAYBOOK METRO SECTION — POLITICO's Michael Schaffer pens his latest Capital City column: 'America Actually Does Do Military Parades. But Not Like This One.' FROM FIRED TO FAREWELL — 'A Smithsonian Museum Director Steps Down in Wake of Trump's 'Firing,'' by NYT's Robin Pogrebin and Graham Bowley: 'Kim Sajet, the director of the National Portrait Gallery whom President Trump announced he was firing last month, is stepping down, explaining in a statement that she thought her decision was in the best interests of the institution. … 'This was not an easy decision, but I believe it is the right one,' she said [in a statement delivered to staff].' OUT AND ABOUT — SPOTTED at Aspen Digital and the Patrick J. McGovern Foundation's 'Shared Futures: The AI Forum' opening reception last night: Baratunde Thurston, Refik Anadol, Yasmin Green, Salome Agbaroji, Anil Dash, Louise Burke, Alexandra Reeves Givens, Miriam Vogel, Rebecca Finlay, Pippa Lambert, Aaron Huey, Dan Hammer, Vilas Dhar, Nick Cain and Vivian Schiller. Send Playbookers tips to playbook@ or text us on Signal here. Playbook couldn't happen without our editor Zack Stanton, deputy editor Garrett Ross and Playbook Podcast producer Callan Tansill-Suddath.
Politico
09-06-2025
- Politics
- Politico
Trump says he would arrest Newsom
Presented by THE CATCH-UP Tensions between California leaders and the Trump administration are still escalating after a weekend of protests over ICE raids and operations broke into chaotic scenes on Sunday with protesters blocking off a freeway and setting self-driving cars on fire in response to President Donald Trump's decision to deploy the National Guard. As he returned to the White House today, Trump was asked if border czar Tom Homan should arrest California Gov. Gavin Newsom, as Newsom has dared him to do. 'I would do it if I were Tom,' Trump told reporters. 'I think it's great. Gavin likes the publicity.' He added: 'I like Gavin Newsom, he's a nice guy, but he's grossly incompetent.' Earlier today, Newsom said in a post on X that his administration is moving forward with legal action against the Trump administration. 'This is exactly what Donald Trump wanted. He flamed the fires and illegally acted to federalize the National Guard. The order he signed doesn't just apply to CA. It will allow him to go into ANY STATE and do the same thing. We're suing him.' The war of words: Trump said in a lengthy post on Truth Social that he 'made a great decision in sending the National Guard to deal with the violent, instigated riots in California.' 'If we had not done so, Los Angeles would have been completely obliterated. The very incompetent 'Governor,' Gavin Newscum, and 'Mayor,' Karen Bass, should be saying, 'THANK YOU, PRESIDENT TRUMP, YOU ARE SO WONDERFUL. WE WOULD BE NOTHING WITHOUT YOU, SIR,'' Trump wrote. In the X post announcing that California would sue Trump, Newsom also included a clip of an interview he did with Brian Tyler Cohen, in which the Democratic governor called Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth a 'joke' and 'embarrassment.' He described Hegseth, Homan and other Trump admin officials as a 'band of misfits.' Homan was also on the airwaves this morning, echoing Trump's sharp critiques of Newsom's handling of the situation. 'I was on the ground. Governor Newsom wasn't,' Homan said on MSNBC's 'Morning Joe.' 'I think President Trump made the right decision deploying the National Guard to protect life and property. That's exactly what they're doing.' Watch the 11-minute interview On Fox News' 'Fox & Friends,' Homan said Newsom had 'failed' the state of California. 'He waited two days of that city burning, officers being assaulted, before he made a declaration of unlawful assembly,' Homan said, adding that Newsom was 'late to the game.' Homan told Fox News that there had been 'no discussion of arresting Newsom' within the Trump administration, though he reiterated his previous warning that 'no one is above the law' — which yesterday prompted Newsom to dare Homan to arrest him. Watch the 7-minute interview And Bass went on CNN's 'The Situation Room,' where she told the network that the National Guard isn't needed right now. 'It is important for people to know that, even in downtown, this is isolated to a few streets,' she said. 'It looks horrible. People committed crimes. It is absolutely unacceptable. And those people that set cars on fire or did other forms of vandalism will be sought to be arrested and prosecuted. This is not the way to promote a cause like immigrant rights.' How we got here: 'Inside the Trump administration's decision to deploy the National Guard to California,' by CNN's Priscilla Alvarez and Betsy Klein Meanwhile back in D.C.: Temporary security fencing was seen going up around the White House grounds this morning, POLITICO's Daniel Lippman reports. Good Monday afternoon. Thanks for reading Playbook PM. Drop me a line at gross@ HAPPENING TOMORROW: White House officials, congressional leaders and energy experts will explore the strategic choices shaping America's energy future under the Trump administration at POLITICO's Energy Summit. Key speakers include Jarrod Agen, deputy assistant to the president and executive director of the National Energy Dominance Council; Sen. John Curtis (R-Utah); Sen. Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.); Reps. Brett Guthrie (R-Ky.) and Bob Latta (R-Ohio); Jennifer Granholm, Neil Chatterjee and more. The summit kicks off at 8 a.m. More details here … Watch live here 9 THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW 1. RECONCILABLE DIFFERENCES: Senate Republicans are planning to huddle tomorrow as they try to iron out some of the trickiest parts of their 'big, beautiful bill,' POLITICO's Jordain Carney and Meredith Lee Hill report. GOP senators are expected to be briefed by committee leaders, including Finance Chair Mike Crapo (R-Idaho) and Ag Chair John Boozman (R-Ark.), who have yet to release their pieces of the sprawling megabill. Cover fire: A controversial proposal to make changes to Medicare that Republicans want to include in the megabill has support from Democrat Jeff Merkley — though the Oregon senator doesn't want it included in the party-line package, POLITICO's Robert King and Meredith Lee Hill report. 'Still, Merkley's statement standing up for the policy Republicans are now eyeing for their domestic policy agenda could give the GOP cover as they look to find more savings to offset costly tax cuts and other provisions.' 2. MONEY TALKS: Trump is planning to highlight the so-called 'Trump Accounts' that House Republicans wrote into the sprawling reconciliation bill during a White House roundtable with business leaders today, NBC's Garrett Haake reports. The provision in the megabill aims to deposit $1,000 into an investment account for newborns in the U.S. between Jan. 1, 2024 until Jan. 1, 2029. 'CEOs attending today's roundtable in the White House's State Dining Room include the heads of Uber, Dell and Goldman Sachs,' who are 'expected to announce billions of dollars in collective investments into Trump accounts for the children of their employees.' 3. FOR PETE'S SAKE: The Defense Department is struggling to find candidates to fill a handful of top aide-level roles for Secretary Pete Hegseth following a string of unceremonious departures, NBC's Gordon Lubold and colleagues report. The empty posts — including chief of staff — are 'normally considered prestigious and typically attract multiple qualified candidates,' but at least three people have turned down the roles, according to NBC. VP JD Vance and White House chief of staff Susie Wiles are particularly keen on helping Hegseth, but haven't yet turned up someone 'either willing to work for Hegseth or who fit the bill politically.' The White House has rejected some of Hegseth's proposed candidates, and vice versa. 4. IN THE CAN: Trump's tariffs could soon create higher prices for traditionally low-cost grocery items. 'The Trump administration's new 50% duty on imported steel could increase store prices for items in steel cans by 9% to 15%, according to the Consumer Brands Association,' WSJ's Bob Tita writes. 'At that rate, the price of a can of vegetables costing $2 could increase by 18 cents to 30 cents. … Can manufacturers say they will continue to buy lots of imported tin-coated steel, known as tin-plate — because there isn't enough of it made in the U.S. to supply them.' 5. THE LONG TAIL OF THE DOGE: Despite Elon Musk's formal departure from the government ranks, his Department of Government Efficiency still has backing in some corners, including the Social Security Administration. SSA head Frank Bisignano told WSJ 'he plans to deploy DOGE staffers to help Social Security personnel revamp customer service to rely more heavily on technology and artificial intelligence,' WSJ's Anne Tergesen reports. Describing himself as 'fundamentally a DOGE person,' Bisignano said he wants to make 'a digital-first organization,' that allows people access to 'do simple tasks like replacing their Social Security card without human interaction, freeing up agency resources for other tasks.' 6. I THINK I'VE SEEN THIS FILM BEFORE: Democrats are trying a big play for Texas again. Texas Majority PAC, backed by Democratic megadonor George Soros, today is launching a multimillion-dollar 'Blue Texas' initiative, 'aiming to organize tens of thousands of volunteers, recruit candidates and boost turnout ahead of the 2026 midterm elections,' WSJ's Ken Thomas reports. 'Soros, the billionaire investor and philanthropist, has devoted millions to turning Texas blue in the past and donated $2.1 million to Texas Majority in 2024 and $1 million in April, records show.' A reminder: Democrats in Texas haven't won statewide since 1994, a Senate election since 1988, or the presidential ballot since 1980. 7. TRUMP-PROOFING BY A DIFFERENT NAME: 'Ruby-red Florida is still preparing for a financial storm from DC,' by POLITICO's Gary Fineout: 'Florida's GOP-controlled Legislature is about to wrap up work on the state's budget with a series of significant steps designed to shore up reserves and curtail spending. The rationale given by Republican leaders includes everything from making the state's budget resistant to a possible recession (without mentioning the economic impact of tariffs imposed by Trump) to acknowledging 'uncertainty' associated with Congress and potential cuts to Medicaid, food aid and federal agencies responsible for helping with emergency efforts.' 8. NOTHING IN MODERATION: 'YouTube Loosens Rules Guiding the Moderation of Videos,' by NYT's Nico Grant and Tripp Mickle: 'For years, YouTube has removed videos with derogatory slurs, misinformation about Covid vaccines and election falsehoods, saying the content violated the platform's rules. But since President Trump's return to the White House, YouTube has encouraged its content moderators to leave up videos with content that may break the platform's rules rather than remove them, as long as the videos are considered to be in the public interest. Those would include discussions of political, social and cultural issues.' 9. MEDIAWATCH: 'Warner Bros. Discovery to Split Into Two Companies,' by NYT's Benjamin Mullin and Lauren Hirsch: 'Warner Bros. Discovery, the film and TV colossus behind HBO and CNN, announced Monday that it would cleave itself into two companies, separating its cable networks and streaming businesses. David Zaslav, the chief executive of Warner Bros. Discovery, will lead the company's streaming and studios business … The cable business, which will include CNN, will be run by Gunnar Wiedenfels, the chief financial officer of Warner Bros. Discovery.' TALK OF THE TOWN INSIDE THE CLUB — WaPo's Maura Judkis has some fresh details on Executive Branch, the exclusive (and expensive) MAGA-friendly haunt for backed by Donald Trump Jr.: 'They've hired a chef — Salvatore Brucculeri, of Carriage House, a club in Palm Beach, Florida — to create a menu of American food that will include touches of Mediterranean (think grilled fish, citrus, and olive oil) and Japanese (they're planning to hire a sushi chef, too). There will be high-end wines and cocktails, but no cigars. The club will be open at least six days a week, with a lower-level bar, dining space, and several lounge areas, and a private VIP section and bar on the mezzanine. The decor will be intended to evoke the elegance of a grand mansion.' PARADE PLANNING — The tanks that Trump has lined up to feature in the Army's 250th birthday parade this Saturday are 'nearly double the weight limit allowed on D.C. roads without a permit, raising concern from D.C. officials about potential damage even as the Army has said it would foot the bill for any repairs,' WaPo's Olivia George and Michael Brice-Saddler report. PLAYBOOK METRO SECTION — 'Empty desks,' by WaPo's Robert Samuels, Lauren Lumpkin and John Harden: 'How the District's failure to curb truancy in middle schools yielded the biggest youth crime surge in a generation.' OUT AND ABOUT — SPOTTED at the home of Jacob Heilbrunn and Sarah Despres last night in honor of Sam Tanenhaus and the publication of 'Buckley: The Life and the Revolution That Changed America' ($31.22): William Ruger, Steve Clemons, Jen Balderama, Jamie Kirchick, Freddy Gray, David Frum, Melinda Haring, Ron Radosh, Ann Hulbert, Steve Sestanovich, Antonia Ferrier, Jennifer Schuessler, James Rosen, Elisabeth Bumiller, Sidney Blumenthal, Rachel Rizzo, Geoffrey Kabaservice, David Klion, Damir Marusic, Tom Mallon, Walter Olson, Mike Isikoff, Eve Conant and Kathy Bonomi. FIRST IN PLAYBOOK — Jonathan Voss is launching Voss Research and Strategy, a new polling firm. He previously was a partner at Lake Research Partners. TRANSITIONS — Everett Eissenstat and Chris Lu have been appointed as the next James R. Schlesinger Distinguished Professors at the Miller Center of Public Affairs at the University of Virginia. Eissenstat is a partner in the public policy practice group at Squire Patton Boggs and is a Trump NEC alum. Lu previously was U.S. ambassador to the UN for management and reform under President Joe Biden and is an Obama alum. WELCOME TO THE WORLD — Kelsey Kemper Valentine, CFO of the Institute for Education and associate principal of payer strategy and partnerships at Headway, and Max Dickinson, founder and president of MXD Services, on Saturday welcomed Ike Kemper Dickinson, who came in at 8 lbs and 21 inches. Did someone forward this email to you? Sign up here. Send Playbookers tips to playbook@ or text us on Signal here. Playbook couldn't happen without our editor Zack Stanton, deputy editor Garrett Ross and Playbook Podcast producer Callan Tansill-Suddath.
Politico
03-06-2025
- Business
- Politico
Playbook PM: Trump and Paul spar over megabill
Presented by THE CATCH-UP It's crunch time for the Senate GOP this week as the conference rushes to advance President Donald Trump's sweeping tax and spending package through the reconciliation process. Staring down a July Fourth deadline, the president this morning ramped up his pressure campaign by jumping into a war of words with fiscal hawk Rand Paul. Paul is standing firm in his opposition to the GOP megabill because of its impact on the national debt, the Kentucky senator told CNBC this morning, adding that raising the debt ceiling is 'not conservative.' Shortly after the show, the president took to Truth Social to lambast Paul. What he said: 'Rand Paul has very little understanding of the BBB, especially the tremendous GROWTH that is coming,' Trump wrote. He added later: 'Rand votes NO on everything, but never has any practical or constructive ideas. His ideas are actually crazy (losers!). The people of Kentucky can't stand him. This is a BIG GROWTH BILL!' Paul said he was 'open to voting' for the package and is willing to compromise 'as much as I can.' But he is 'not going to take responsibility for the debt,' he cautioned, predicting that the issue will be owned by the Republicans' if it goes through. 'I think that's a big mistake.' And he's not the only one. Paul claims that there are enough deficit hawks who can block the bill in the Senate. Shortly after Trump's posts, Paul shared a Fox News article on X, writing 'I want to see the tax cuts made permanent, but I also want to see the $5 trillion in new debt removed from the bill. At least 4 of us in the Senate feel this way.' He told CNBC that 'four people with courage can make the bill into anything that we want to.' Still, leaders are projecting cautious optimism. Senate Majority Leader John Thune insisted on Fox News Radio that the chamber was on the right track to push the package through — but added the party needs 'to have [Trump] fully engaged with senators as we go through the next few weeks.' Expect more tensions to bubble up tomorrow, with Senate Republicans set to hold a meeting to discuss their reconciliation strategy, per POLITICO's Jordain Carney. 'The meeting will give GOP senators a chance to quiz committee chairs on their forthcoming pieces of the megabill and talk through unresolved issues.' Good Tuesday afternoon. Thanks for reading Playbook PM. Drop me a line at birvine@ 8 THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW 1. DANCE OF THE SUPERPOWERS: TikTok users rejoice … for now … again. Trump is set to sign yet another 90-day extension allowing the popular social platform to continue operations in the U.S., 'as the future of the Chinese short-video app get enmeshed in the trade US-Chinese trade talks and will likely be used as leverage by the Chinese in crafting a deal,' Fox Business' Charles Gasparino scoops. There is still the potential for the extension to be a short-lived maneuver if Trump 'sees a strategic advantage in crafting a deal by letting it go dark,' Gasparino notes. The current extension for TikTok's operations was set to expire June 19. Call it what you want: Meanwhile, Trump is 'obsessed' with scheduling a phone call with Chinese President Xi Jinping this week, 'convinced he can personally hash out deep-seated divisions between the world's two largest economies,' POLITICO's Phelim Kine and colleagues report. But there's doubt that a call would move the needle and improve trade relations. 'Other outside observers remain skeptical Trump will actually be able to get Xi on the phone.' 2. BARAKA HITS BACK: Newark Mayor Ras Baraka is suing the Trump administration for 'malicious prosecution' following his arrest — and subsequent dismissal — of trespassing charges earlier this month when touring an immigration detention facility, POLITICO's Madison Fernandez and colleagues report. Baraka's attorneys claim interim U.S. Attorney Alina Habba 'directed and ratified' his arrest unlawfully and acted as a ''political operative,' defaming him in inflammatory statements on social media and in TV interviews.' Read the filing 3. MARK YOUR CALENDARS: Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin has set a Sept. 9 special election to fill the seat of the late Rep. Gerry Connolly, POLITICO's Gigi Ewing reports. 'Virginia's 11th district is deep blue and will almost assuredly elect another Democrat.' Virginia's contest will kick off a series of special elections to replace late Democratic members this fall: Arizonans will vote on a successor for Rep. Raúl Grijalva on Sept. 23, and Texans will pick a replacement for Rep. Sylvester Turner on Nov. 4. 4. RUSSIA-UKRAINE LATEST: Russia and Ukraine's second round of talks yesterday failed to make progress toward ending the grueling three-year war, in part, Ukrainian officials say, because of the Kremlin's 'no compromise' demands for Kyiv, NBC's Keir Simmons and Alexander Smith report. Russian President Vladimir Putin's demands read like 'less of a peace plan and more a demand for Ukraine to surrender, defang its military and become a vassal of Moscow.' Putin calls for Ukraine to downsize its army, agree to a 'neutral status' between Russia and the West, make Russian an official language, and ban the 'glorification or promotion of Nazism.' 5. OFF TO THE MARKET: Amid a wide-ranging economic uncertainty, new numbers from the Bureau of Labor Statistics show demand for workers nationwide remains high. The latest openings and turnover report shows that the number of available jobs in the U.S. unexpectedly rose this month, totaling an estimated 7.39 million at the end of April — up from 7.2 million in March. What it all means: The surprisingly positive numbers 'support the Federal Reserve's assertion that the job market is in a good place. However, it's taking longer for those who are out of a job to find work, and economists expect the labor market to weaken more notably in coming months,' amid Trump's tariff threats, Bloomberg's Jarrell Dillard reports. The next major economic reading will come with Friday's May jobs report. 6. SCOTUS WATCH: Trump has long complained about the efficacy of the Supreme Court. But behind closed doors, the president has also been airing grievances about the justices he appointed, particularly Justice Amy Coney Barrett, CNN's Kristen Holmes and John Fritze reports. Trump's allies have convinced him Barrett is 'weak' and her 'rulings have not been in line with how she presented herself' during her 2020 confirmation. Some Trump allies say 'Barrett's rulings might have been shaped by menacing behavior and threats of violence directed at her family.' In response, 'Trump has asked advisers and allies if they think Barrett needs more security,' per CNN. And Trump 'insists he does not want to attack her publicly.' 7. MIDDLE EAST LATEST: The U.S.-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation's aid delivery program in Gaza has gotten off to a tumultuous start, with humanitarian groups denouncing the project and allegations that the Israeli military has shot into crowds in line for aid. Now, WaPo's Karen DeYoung and Cate Brown report that the U.S. consulting group that helped design the effort has abandoned the program entirely — leaving its future uncertain. Today, a spokesperson for the Israel Defense Forces said that it was investigating a shooting near a GHF site that resulted in an estimated 27 casualties, in which Israeli troops fired on what they said were 'several suspects … deviating from the designated access routes,' per CNN. 'Tuesday's incident marks the third day in a row that people have been killed on their way to the GHF distribution point west of Rafah while attempting to secure food.' 8. SOUTH KOREA'S NEW LEADER: After years of political tumult, South Korea has elected center-left Democratic Party leader Lee Jae-myung as its next president. Conservative candidate Kim Moon-soo officially conceded defeat this afternoon and congratulated Lee for the win — with 48.3% of the vote and 80% of the votes counted, per Bloomberg. In his acceptance speech, Lee didn't address 'how he would handle relations with Washington, an especially pressing issue as tariff negotiations with the Trump administration are a priority for South Korea's export-reliant economy.' TALK OF THE TOWN Darren Beattie has stirred up concerns inside the State Department over his pro-Russian views and marriage to a Russian woman 'whose uncle has taken several roles in Russian politics and once received a personal 'thank you' message from Vladimir Putin,' per The Telegraph. THE ARTS IMPACT — Kennedy Center subscription sales have dropped by roughly $1.6 million or 36 percent from last year, with ticket packages taking a major hit across every programming genre following Trump's takeover of the storied institution, WaPo's Travis Andrews scoops. SOMETHING TO TACO ABOUT — The DNC is renting a taco truck deploying the 'Trump Always Chickens Out' slogan parked outside of the RNC HQ, per Axios. The truck features a 'graphic of Trump in a chicken suit' and is serving free tacos until 2 p.m. VP JD Vance was quick to respond on X: 'We have the lamest opposition in American history.' PLAYBOOK METRO SECTION — 'Dupont Circle Park to remain open during Pride, council members say,' per WaPo: 'A plan to bar people from celebrating Pride in the park at Dupont Circle this weekend has been canceled following pushback from local elected officials, according to two D.C. council members. The change comes less than 24 hours after the closing was announced by the National Park Service Monday evening. The park is at the center of Washington's historic LGBTQ+ neighborhood, and an announcement by the Park Police that it would be closed during this weekend's WorldPride parade and parties was another blow to a celebration that has gotten off to a rocky start.' MEDIA MOVE — Nancy Vu is now a congressional reporter at National Journal. She previously was a health reporter at Bloomberg Government and is a Washington Examiner and POLITICO alum. TRANSITIONS — Bryan Moose is now a legislative assistant at the ACLU's National Political Advocacy Department. He previously was a deputy White House liaison at HUD under Bidden and is a Bobby Scott alum. … GuidePost Strategies has added Kate Beaulieu and Alex Large as principals, Pam Kinsey as senior adviser, Hailey Womer as director of research, Luke Midura and Tim Frei as associates and Mya Steir as an administrative assistant. … … The American Humanist Association has added Amitai Heller as legal director. Rachel Deitch has also rejoined the organization and the Center for Freethought Equality as policy and political director. Heller previously was senior staff attorney at Compassion & Choices. Deitch previously was federal policy director for the National Coalition of STD Directors. … Dean Hingson is now a partner at Farragut Partners. He previously was a principal at Mehlman consulting and is a Dan Coats, Judd Gregg and Elizabeth Dole alum. … Rita Baranwal is now chief nuclear officer at Radiant Nuclear. She most recently was SVP of Westinghouse's AP300 small modular reactor program and is a DOE alum. WEEKEND WEDDING — Alexandra Dakich, an associate at Cravath, Swaine and Moore LLP and a Pete Buttigieg 2020 campaign alum, and Nick Izzard, strategic finance senior manager at ZocDoc got married on Saturday at Newfields in Indianapolis. The couple met in college at Vanderbilt University. Pic Send Playbookers tips to playbook@ or text us on Signal here. Playbook couldn't happen without our editor Zack Stanton, deputy editor Garrett Ross and Playbook Podcast producer Callan Tansill-Suddath.
