| | | | | |  | | By Ken Burns | Presented by |  | | | | | | |  | DRIVING THE DAY | | Before we get to our very special guest author today, a quick look at the latest politics news: | • | President Donald Trump heads to Alamo, Texas, to tout his accomplishments on the border wall and his fight to curb illegal immigration — a trip the AP calls "a symbol of the president's defiance." | • | Speaker Nancy Pelosi instructs members to return to Washington tonight and plans to take up impeachment at 9 a.m. Wednesday. POLITICO's Congress team has the details. | • | Some 15,000 National Guard troops are flooding into D.C. in preparation for inauguration protests, and "the F.B.I. has notified local law enforcement of the potential for armed protests in all 50 state capitals, organized and promoted by far-right extremist groups," per NYT. | | And now over to today's writer, the legendary documentary filmmaker Ken Burns, for a 10-hour, multi-episode edition of Playbook. (We kid.) … I'm repeatedly asked whether I will make a film about this moment in time. The answer is no — or at least not now. I'm in the business of history. So rather than 16 hours on Trump, who has only appeared in passing in one of our films (calling for the execution of five innocent young men in "The Central Park Five"), the editors of POLITICO have allowed me to share some thoughts — and film clips — on how I think history can help us in this, our moment of crisis. | 
| There is a scene in our film on the Roosevelts that I've been thinking about while watching recent events unfold. "This is the second dedication," President FRANKLIN ROOSEVELT declared, head tilted up, confident grin in place, as he presided at the dedication of the Jefferson sculpture at Mount Rushmore in 1936. "I think that we can perhaps meditate a little on those Americans 10,000 years from now," the president said. "I think we can wonder whether our descendants — because I think they'll still be here — what they will think about us. And let us hope that at least they will give us the benefit of the doubt, that they will believe that we have honestly striven in our day and generation to preserve for our descendants a decent land to live in and a decent form of government to operate under." | 
| The previous 10,000 years had seen the human race emerge from its primitive existence, had watched countless civilizations rise and fall, had witnessed astonishing inventiveness and astounding brutality. And yet this man, humbled, even humiliated, by disease, unable to use his legs, his country ravaged by hard times, was certain that 10,000 years from then there still would be a human race, there still would be a United States of America, and there still would be people who would derive inspiration from the ideals written in our country's founding documents, ideals that he too embodied. He had come a long way — and would go further. He would expertly manage two of the four greatest crises in American history, the Depression and the Second World War (Lincoln, the president just beginning to emerge on Mount Rushmore when FDR visited in 1936, had handled the worst, the Civil War). We are living through the fourth. | | A message from the American Petroleum Institute: Meeting energy needs and tackling climate change isn't either/or. We have to do both. That's why America's natural gas and oil companies are working on climate solutions that will help the U.S. remain the world leader in reducing emissions. Let's make even more progress together. | | | The story of our democratic experiment is perhaps best told through our nadirs, of which there are many. In order to truly understand and appreciate the promise of the country, still unrealized for too many, we must explore the points at which it was most challenged, at times when it appeared even to almost fall apart. Last week, many asked whether the assault on the Capitol, fueled by Trump and his many political and media enablers, was the start of something or an end. It is neither, of course. It is a moment when we each get to decide how we want to proceed. Despite the disability he tried to hide, despite the demons he could not suppress, Franklin Delano Roosevelt, patrician to the core, developed an authentic empathy for his fellow citizens, an understanding of their needs and aspirations, that seems almost mystical to us today. | 
| History does not unfold in cycles. We are not condemned to repeat what we do not remember. Our world is too chaotic for those simplistic ideas. What we recognize in history is a combination of fact and myth, often at war with one another. The great writer JAMES BALDWIN reminded me of that in one of the first interviews I did for our film on the Statue of Liberty. "What is liberty?" he asked as he quoted the Declaration of Independence and explained how he and other Black Americans were excluded from the promises outlined in that document. The Statue of Liberty, he went on to say, was "a very bitter joke, meaning nothing to us. " | 
| Baldwin, like other Black Americans before and after him, understood, as we all should, that you cannot blindly accept American myths. Ours is a complicated, brutal history. But the promise of America is still a promise, something we can all demand to be part of. | | | |   | | | BARBARA FIELDS, then a young historian, perhaps said it best in some of the closing words of our film on the Civil War, the greatest crisis in our country's history. "The Civil War was still going on," she reminded us, recognizing in those few words the collapse of Reconstruction, Jim Crow, the civil rights movement and the ongoing racism that to this day is woven into American life and institutions. "It's still to be fought, and regrettably it can still be lost." | 
| You can find all of these film clips, and many others, on UNUM, a digital platform we created with PBS to bring historical context to today's current events. (Also, a quick plug for our next films: "HEMINGWAY," airing April 5-7, and "MUHAMMAD ALI," airing in September, both on your local PBS station.) | | | | KEEP UP WITH THE FIRST 100 DAYS OF THE BIDEN ADMINISTRATION WITH TRANSITION PLAYBOOK: It was a dark week in American history, and a new administration will have to pick up the pieces. Transition Playbook brings you inside the last days of this crucial transfer of power, tracking the latest from President-elect Biden and his growing administration. Written for political insiders, this scoop-filled newsletter breaks big news and analyzes the appointments, people, and the emerging power centers of the new administration. Track the transition and the first 100 days of the incoming Biden administration. Subscribe today. | | | | | | | PLAYBOOK READS | | | 
PHOTO DU JOUR: A Maryland National Guardsman reads the inscription on the statue of Frances Willard at the National Statuary Hall of the U.S. Capitol on Monday, Jan. 11. | Manuel Balce Ceneta/AP Photo | Back to the Playbook crew … INSIDE PELOSI'S IMPEACHMENT PUSH — "This time it's personal," by Heather Caygle and Sarah Ferris: "When Pelosi was reunited with her staff hours after the deadly siege at the Capitol, the speaker didn't even have to ask — she could see the terror reflected in their eyes. Now as the House prepares to impeach President Donald Trump this week for inciting the insurrection that shook the core of U.S. democracy and left five dead, the undertaking for Pelosi isn't simply a matter of politics. … "The speaker views the invasion of the Capitol as more than just an attempt to overturn the results of the presidential election by a pro-Trump mob. For Pelosi, it was also an attack on the people she calls her family — the lawmakers, support staffers and aides who are the lifeblood of the Capitol — and the building that she considers sacred and has called a second home since birth, when her father was a congressman." — "Manchin calls second Trump impeachment bid 'ill-advised': 'Let the judicial system do its job,'" Fox News FALLOUT FROM THE ATTACK ON CONGRESS — "Business titans pull back from GOP after Capitol insurrection," by Alex Isenstadt, Elena Schneider, Theodoric Meyer and Zachary Warmbrodt: "The breakup between the business world and the Republican Party is rapidly accelerating in the wake of last week's deadly pro-Trump riot at the Capitol, posing a serious financial threat to the party just as it's facing the loss of power in Washington. … "Losing corporate PAC support — if the bans last — will sting Republicans who have come to rely on such contributions, especially as the Democratic Party builds a big online fundraising advantage. But the consequences could reach even farther than that, with the GOP also confronting the prospect of losing the support of white-collar company workers and executives who are infuriated over the insurrection." — "Best Buy suspends donations to congressional members who voted against certifying election," Minneapolis Star Tribune THE FOOTAGE THAT HELPED SHOCK DEMOCRATS INTO ACTION — "'They Got a Officer!': How a Mob Dragged and Beat Police at the Capitol: Videos show pro-Trump rioters pulling three officers down a set of stairs during a violent attempt to breach the building," NYT APPALLING DETAILS — WAPO: "Beaten, sprayed with mace and hit with stun guns: police describe injuries to dozens of officers during assault on U.S. Capitol": "An officer was hit with a bat. Another was struck with a flagpole. A third was pinned against a statue. A fourth was clobbered with a wrench. One became stuck between two doors amid a frenzied mob. Many were hit with bear spray. "The number of injuries suffered by police as they attempted to fend off supporters of President Trump who seized the U.S. Capitol last week runs long. They include swollen ankles and wrists, bruised arms and legs, concussions and irritated lungs. How those injuries occurred is equally varied: pushed down stairs, trampled by rioters, run over in a stampede, punched with fists." — AXIOS' JONATHAN SWAN: "President Trump [on Monday] privately — and falsely — blamed 'Antifa people' for storming the Capitol … In a tense, 30-minute-plus phone call this morning with House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, Trump trotted out the Antifa line. "McCarthy would have none of it, telling the president: 'It's not Antifa, it's MAGA. I know. I was there,' according to a White House official and another source familiar with the call. The White House official said the call was tense and aggressive at times, with Trump ranting about election fraud and an exasperated McCarthy cutting in to say, 'Stop it. It's over. The election is over.'" BOTTOMING OUT? — A new Quinnipiac poll has Trump's approval rating at 33% — tied for his all-time Q low. The poll — TRUMP declared a state of emergency in D.C. through Jan. 24. WHAT'S SCARING LAWMAKERS — "'Hate in their heart': Lawmakers fear more violence after Capitol attacks," by Sarah Ferris, Kyle Cheney and Melanie Zanona: "House Democrats, dozens of whom were locked inside the chamber as mobs descended, held a security call Monday evening with the acting chief of Capitol Police and the acting House Sergeant-at-Arms to discuss ways to further improve safety measures. The call, which detailed more potential threats, further raised alarms in the caucus, according to people listening." RIPPLE EFFECT … Reps. PRAMILA JAYAPAL (D-Wash.) and BONNIE WATSON COLEMAN (D-N.J.) have tested positive for the coronavirus, after both said they were locked down with GOP lawmakers who refused to wear masks during the Capitol riots Wednesday. Jayapal's statement … Coleman's statement ABC: "Trump warned about potential civil liability, as some aides clear out desks": "In the wake of Wednesday's assault on the nation's Capitol, President Donald Trump has been advised he potentially could face civil liability connected to his role in encouraging supporters who went on to storm Congress, sources familiar with the conversations told ABC News. "'Think O.J.,' an adviser explained it to Trump, according to one source. It was a reference to O.J. Simpson, who was found not guilty of murdering his ex-wife and a friend but later faced stiff civil damages after being sued by his ex-wife's family." THE EXODUS — "Acting Department of Homeland Security Secretary Chad Wolf stepping down due to 'recent events,'" Fox News: "Mr. Wolf sent a letter to DHS employees Monday afternoon informing them of his decision, 'I am saddened to take this step, as it was my intention to serve the Department until the end of this Administration,' Mr. Wolf wrote. 'Unfortunately this action is warranted by recent events, including the ongoing and meritless court rulings regarding the validity of my authority as Acting Secretary.' Mr. Wolf goes on to say that Pete Gaynor, FEMA Administrator, will become the Acting Secretary of DHS." | | | |   | | | TRUMP-PENCE DETENTE?— "Trump and Pence Signal President Won't Resign or Be Removed," Bloomberg: "The two men, meeting in the Oval Office, agreed that people who broke into the Capitol don't represent Trump's 'America First' movement and pledged to continue their work on behalf of the country for the remainder of their term, the official said. It was a good conversation in which Trump and Pence discussed the week ahead and reflected on the last four years of the administration's work, the official added." BIG TECH LATEST — "Facebook removing 'Stop the Steal' posts before Biden's inauguration," by John Hendel … "Twitter says it booted 70,000 QAnon accounts after attack on Capitol," by Leah Nylen … AND THE PUSHBACK — "Parler hits Amazon with antitrust suit over shutdown," by Leah Nylen: "Parler said Amazon's decision was 'motivated by political animus' and designed to reduce competition to the benefit of Twitter. … Parler asked for an emergency order to reject Amazon's shutdown of its account." UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCES OF DEPLATFORMING — "Fringe Groups Splinter Online After Facebook and Twitter Bans: Tracking what may be planned in the coming days could become even more difficult as the groups take to lesser-known networks and apps that can't be easily monitored," NYT FINE, BUT EVERYONE STILL HATES THE PATRIOTS: Bill Belichick will not join the esteemed ranks of Arthur Laffer, Rush Limbaugh, Devin Nunes and Jim Jordan — all people upon whom Trump has bestowed the Presidential Medal of Freedom. The New England Patriots coach declined the award in the wake of Wednesday's attack on Congress. More from Stephanie Murray and Matthew Choi WE ARE NOT MAKING THIS UP: Hogan Gidley called Trump "the most masculine person, I think, to ever hold the White House." (In fairness, this response in an interview on Fox News seems to have been more about Hogan not understanding what the word emasculated means.) DAN DIAMOND: "HHS, FDA duel over top lawyer as officials fear last-minute moves": "The Food and Drug Administration cycled through three different top lawyers on Monday, a personnel shake-up driven by ongoing clashes between the agency and the Health and Human Services department that oversees it." VAX TO NORMAL — "Biden to unveil vaccination plan this week," by Adam Cancryn and Tyler Pager: "President-elect Joe Biden is set to unveil a sweeping coronavirus vaccination plan on Thursday, calling the nationwide distribution effort his 'number one priority.'" CORONAVIRUS RAGING … 1,739 deaths and 194,000 new cases were reported in the U.S. on Monday. THE TIMES GOES DEEP ON THE KAMALA VOGUE CONTROVERSY — "The selected photo is determinedly unfancy. Kind of messy. The lighting is unflattering. The effect is pretty un-Vogue. 'Disrespectful' was the word used most often on social media." NYT TOP-ED — Fiona Hill in POLITICO: "Yes, It Was a Coup. Here's Why": "I've been studying authoritarian regimes for three decades, and I know the signs of a coup when I see them. Technically, what Trump attempted is what's known as a 'self-coup' and Trump isn't the first leader to try it. Charles Louis Napoleon Bonaparte (nephew of the first Napoleon) pulled one off in France in December 1851 to stay in power beyond his term. Then he declared himself Emperor, Napoleon III. "More recently, Nicolas Maduro perpetrated a self-coup in Venezuela after losing the 2017 elections. The storming of the Capitol building on Jan. 6 was the culmination of a series of actions and events taken or instigated by Trump so he could retain the presidency that together amount to an attempt at a self-coup." TRUMP'S TUESDAY — The president will leave the White House for Alamo, Texas, at 10 a.m. Pence will lead a video teleconference with governors on pandemic response and recovery at 2 p.m. in the Situation Room. — Biden and Harris will receive the President's Daily Brief and meet with transition advisers. MEDIAWATCH — OUT NOW: Tara Palmeri's latest podcast, "Power: The Maxwells," has dropped. Produced by Sony Music and Somethin' Else, it's the true story about the mysterious life and death of Ghislaine Maxwell's father, media tycoon Robert Maxwell. Check out the first episode, "Daddy Issues," here — @AlexWardVox: "NEW: Per knowledgable source, VOA's White House senior correspondent Patsy Widakuswara was removed from her post after trying to ask @SecPompeo questions today, and later confronting VOA Director Reilly about the Pompeo session and lack of real questions." Video of the attempt to ask Pompeo — NPR's David Folkenflik is reporting that public radio stations across the country that run "The Daily" are lodging a protest with the NYT over Michael Barbaro's actions and Andy Mills' presence amid the "Caliphate" fallout. — Fox News announced a new daytime programming lineup slated to begin Jan. 18. Bill Hemmer and Dana Perino will anchor "America's Newsroom." Harris Faulkner will move to the 11 a.m. hour with "The Faulkner Focus." John Roberts and Sandra Smith will anchor a new program called "America Reports." The full announcement and schedule — Janice Min is joining Time as a contributing editor. She previously was head of daily content for Quibi. — Drudge reminds us of the extent to which Fox News has been eclipsed by CNN and MSNBC: | 
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| | | | A NEW YEAR, A NEW CONGRESS, A NEW HUDDLE: It was an ugly and heartbreaking week inside the Capitol, particularly for all of those who work on the Hill. How are lawmakers planning to move forward? How will security change? How will a new Senate majority impact the legislative agenda? With so much at stake, our new Huddle author Olivia Beavers brings you the most important news and critical insight from Capitol Hill with help from POLITICO's deeply sourced Congress team. Subscribe to Huddle, the essential guide to understanding Congress. It has never been more important. SUBSCRIBE NOW. | | | | | | | PLAYBOOKERS | | Send tips to Eli Okun and Garrett Ross at politicoplaybook@politico.com. @meridithmcgraw: "Spotted [Monday night] at Cafe Milano: Sec of State Pompeo and the head of Mossad, Israel's spy agency." FIRST IN PLAYBOOK — Liz Johnson is now COS for Sen. Mitt Romney (R-Utah). She previously was comms director for Romney, and is a Susan Collins and Kelly Ayotte alum. … Former chief of staff Matt Waldrip, a longtime Romney adviser who managed the senator's 2018 campaign and led the Senate office for the past two years, is joining a private equity group founded by members of the Marriott family. He will continue to stay involved in Romney's political arm. (h/t Tara Palmeri) TRANSITIONS — Tim Cummings will be chief of staff for Rep. Jackie Walorski (R-Ind.). He previously was chief of staff at the Department of Labor's Employee Benefits Security Administration. … Dan Jones is now VP of federal affairs at the Alliance of Community Health Plans. He previously was VP of enterprise policy and government relations at Health Care Service Corporation. … Daniel Schwarz is joining Hill+Knowlton Strategies as SVP in their public affairs practice. He previously was director of strategic comms for House Judiciary Chair Jerry Nadler (D-N.Y.). … … Dana Action is now director of science policy and legislative affairs at the American Association for Cancer Research. She previously was legislative director for House Appropriations Chair Nita Lowey (D-N.Y.). … Alyssa Ayres will be dean of GW's Elliott School of International Affairs. She's a foreign policy practitioner with expertise in India and South Asia, and the first woman in this role. … Nan Swift is now a governance fellow at the R Street Institute. She previously was a professional staff member for Senate Budget Chair Mike Enzi (R-Wyo.). BIRTHDAY OF THE DAY: Stephanie Taylor, co-founder of the Progressive Change Campaign Committee and Progressive Change Institute. A trend she thinks doesn't get enough attention: "I have a Ph.D. in American history, so I tend to take the long view. I think our current political system is splintering. The media pays a lot of attention to divisions between moderate and progressive Democrats, but doesn't pay enough attention to divisions among Republicans. We'll see realignments in the coming years, which is why progressives push a broadly popular anti-corruption, pro-democracy, pro-worker agenda." Playbook Q&A BIRTHDAYS: Jeff Bezos is 57 … Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee (D-Texas) is 71 … Rep. Cliff Bentz (R-Ore.) is 69 … Rush Limbaugh is 7-0 … HHS' Ryan Murphy … Michael B. Williams, principal deputy general counsel at HUD … Pink Sheet's Sarah Karlin-Smith … American Society of Landscape Architects CEO Torey Carter-Conneen (h/t husband Mike) … Sam Hananel, associate director of media relations at CAP … Danny O'Brien, Fox Corp. EVP and head of government relations … Anne Mosle … Doug Thornell, partner at SKDKnickerbocker … Julian Potter … Allison Cutler … Jackie Kendall … Cindy Dilliner (h/ts Teresa Vilmain) … … Christiane Amanpour … Howard Stern is 67 … Chris Marston … AIPAC's Jonathan Schulman is 39 … Madeline Osburn … Chris Laible, CBS News Asia bureau chief based in Beijing … WTOP's Debra Feinstein … POLITICO's Jon Olson and Alex Weiss … Stephanie Rigizadeh … Case Button … Kevin Curran is 41 … Kate Noel … Lisa DePaulo … Cristina Brooks, account executive at Rokk Solutions … Annie Dickerson … Basil Smikle … LJ Dawson … Andre Delattre, SVP and COO for program at the Public Interest Network … Andrew Fosina … Kandi Walker … Eliza Hanson … author John Aloysius Farrell is 68 | | A message from the American Petroleum Institute: Reducing emissions and providing affordable, reliable energy shouldn't be a choice. We can and must do both. Today, America is leading the world in CO2 emission reductions. As we look toward tomorrow and the future, America's natural gas and oil companies are working with the country's brightest minds and organizations to continue that progress while reliably delivering essential energy. Join us to create real, lasting progress – together. | | | | | | | Subscribe to the POLITICO Playbook family Playbook | Playbook PM | California Playbook | Florida Playbook | Illinois Playbook | Massachusetts Playbook | New Jersey Playbook | New York Playbook | Brussels Playbook | London Playbook View all our political and policy newsletters | | Follow us | | | | |
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