News : What to watch for at the G-7

Saturday, June 12, 2021

What to watch for at the G-7

Jun 12, 2021

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By Eugene Daniels

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DRIVING THE DAY

Happy D.C. Pride weekend, y'all!

SPOTTED: Second gentleman DOUG EMHOFF and CHASTEN BUTTIGIEG, husband of Transportation Secretary PETE BUTTIGIEG, grabbing lunch Friday at All Day by Kramers in Dupont. The two pals from the campaign trail also took some time to take pics with staff at the attached bookstore and do a little shopping. We're told Emhoff finally got his hands on the book he's been chasing since it came out: SETH ROGEN'S memoir. (Yes, that Seth Rogen.)

FLY LIKE A G-7 — Today, all eyes will be on President JOE BIDEN as he meets in person with major U.S. allies at the G-7 summit. Two quick reads on that:

— Ryan Heath leads a rundown of what to expect on Day 2 of the summit

— Anita Kumar reports that Biden is flourishing in DONALD TRUMP'S absence from the world stage

So far, Biden has experienced the "fun" parts of the conference — the gladhanding, the corny jokes, the required (awkward-looking ) class photo. (The other fun part of his U.K. trip comes Sunday, when he meets with QUEEN ELIZABETH II at Windsor Castle.)

But today is all business. Biden has said that this trip is about reassuring allies that "America is back." But other world leaders will be looking for tangible commitments on issues including the pandemic, climate change, Russia, China and global trade. On Biden's schedule: three sessions (topics: economic resilience, foreign policy and health), and a one-on-one with French President EMMANUEL MACRON.

What are foreign policy pros looking for? We asked a few of the sharpest minds in our newsroom. Here's what they told us.

— Watch out for tensions over China, writes Ryan Heath. "China is the subtext of nearly every discussion this weekend. The EU leaders were pre-gaming over China on Friday, because until now they've not been aligned with each other or the U.S. Meanwhile, Biden and U.K. PM BORIS JOHNSON signed their New Atlantic Charter, which is all about democracies presenting a united front — including on China. And there are a bunch of special guest nations at the summits, including India, South Korea and Australia, each of which has big complaints about China. So today, it's possible we'll see some movement on the topic — even in unexpected ways, like a potential deal over how to handle Chinese market manipulation that would also allow the lifting of Trump-era tariffs on European steel and aluminum."

— Can Biden successfully tie foreign policy to his domestic agenda? "I'm intrigued by how Biden is planning to get across his 'foreign policy for the middle class' idea," writes Nahal Toosi. "Obviously, he can point to the corporate minimum tax stuff. But will he use the opportunity to talk about traditionally domestic U.S. issues, like infrastructure? And will we see similar talk from his international counterparts?" (On that point, Ryan chimed back in: "Biden insisting all the donated vaccines will be made in American Pfizer plants is a contribution to the American middle-class theme. It's foreign aid that creates or sustains American jobs.")

— Will the EU press Biden on the climate, even if it's politically dangerous? "I want to know whether there's going to be a genuine discussion about taxing imports from countries that aren't doing enough to fight climate change," writes Karl Mathiesen. "The EU is readying a proposal to hit high-carbon commodities, including steel, and wants to force the issue this weekend, even though U.S. climate envoy JOHN KERRY has asked them to back off. From the U.S. perspective, the move is politically explosive: guaranteed to annoy opponents of carbon pricing in Congress almost as much as it will ramp up tensions with China, India and other emerging economies. But the White House also knows that it will have to eventually put some kind of border protection in place lest industries flee tougher emissions cuts and set up carbon havens."

— And is there a chance that things get dicey for Biden? "While the Pikachu protestors, photo ops and Royal sit-downs were amusing on Day 1, the leaders really get down to business this weekend," writes Ben Pauker. "And that's where things could get rocky. The G-7 leaders have agreed in principle on a global minimum tax of 15%, but actually getting pesky European tax shelters like Ireland and Luxembourg on board is a different matter — that's not going to happen over canapes. There's big talk around climate pledges, too, but despite Biden's best intentions, the Europeans have good reason to doubt the ability of the U.S. to follow through — the president needs Congress for real action. And we all know that's not going to happen."

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Good Saturday morning. Thanks for reading Playbook. Drop us a line: Rachael Bade, Eugene Daniels, Ryan Lizza, Tara Palmeri.

TOP THREE NON-G-7 READS …

— WaPo's Paul Kane on a tricky problem for Republicans: Their attacks on Biden's agenda can't break through conservative media's culture wars.

— NYT's Katie Rogers and Annie Karni on the vice presidency everyone seems to have an opinion about: "With two of the most polarizing issues, migration and voting rights, now in her portfolio, the risk of missteps is so high and the problems so intractable that even her allies say [VP KAMALA HARRIS] is in a no-win situation."

— NYT's Jack Nicas, Daisuke Wakabayashi and Katie Benner on tech giants' sticky situation in the DOJ's leak investigations: "[M]ore frequently than not, the companies comply with law enforcement demands. And that underlines an awkward truth: As their products become more central to people's lives, the world's largest tech companies have become surveillance intermediaries and crucial partners to authorities, with the power to arbitrate which requests to honor and which to reject."

FIRST IN PLAYBOOK — While in Greenville, S.C., on Monday, Harris will take part in a joint NAACP-Made to Save event aimed at boosting the vaccination rate among Black Americans and educating communities of color about the Covid-19 vaccines.

The NAACP's VP of campaigns, DOMINIK WHITEHEAD, tells Playbook: "The attendance of VP Harris at our event in South Carolina sends a clear message: our well-being and health matter greatly, and moving this country forward depends on all communities mobilizing around the solution."

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BIDEN'S SATURDAY — The president has already received the President's Daily Brief, traveled to Carbis Bay in Cornwall, England, and participated in two G-7 summit sessions. Still to come:

— 2:45 p.m. British Summer Time: Biden is holding a bilateral meeting with Macron.

— 4 p.m.: Biden will attend the fourth G-7 summit session.

— 7:30 p.m.: Biden and the other country leaders will take a family photo.

— 8:10 p.m.: Biden will leave Carbis Bay to head back to St. Ives, arriving at 8:15 p.m.

Harris has nothing on her public schedule.

DON'T MISS THE MILKEN INSTITUTE FUTURE OF HEALTH SUMMIT: POLITICO will feature a special edition of our Future Pulse newsletter at the 2021 Milken Institute Future of Health Summit. The newsletter takes readers inside one of the most influential gatherings of global health industry leaders and innovators who are turning lessons learned from the past year into a healthier, more resilient and more equitable future. Covid-19 threatened our health and well-being, while simultaneously leading to extraordinary coordination to improve pandemic preparedness, disease prevention, diversity in clinical trials, mental health resources, food access and more. SUBSCRIBE TODAY to receive exclusive coverage from June 22-24.

PLAYBOOK READS

Members of the Guardian Angels are pictured. | Getty Images

PHOTO OF THE DAY: In New York City, members of the Guardian Angels, a citizen law enforcement group, patrol Chinatown on Friday as they step up their efforts to protect against anti-Asian hate. | Alex Wong/Getty Images

POLICY CORNER

BORDER WALL LATEST — "Biden scuttles Trump's dreams for border wall cash," by Caitlin Emma and Connor O'Brien: "The White House on Friday detailed its plans for handling money Trump diverted for the project, plus border wall funding Congress passed last year. More than $2 billion Trump diverted from military construction projects will be returned, funding 66 military projects in 11 states, three territories and 16 countries. … If Congress cancels border wall funding, OMB said, the money could instead be used for 'effective border management measures like enhanced technology between points of entry and improved infrastructure' at land ports."

DOJ JUMPS INTO THE VOTING RIGHTS FIGHT — "Garland announces expansion of Justice Department's voting rights unit, vowing to scrutinize GOP-backed voting restrictions and ballot reviews," by WaPo's Amy Gardner and Sean Sullivan: "[A.G. MERRICK] GARLAND said the additional trial attorneys, which he plans to hire over the coming 30 days, will scrutinize new laws and existing practices across the nation for potential discrimination against Americans of color, including in new measures GOP state lawmakers are pushing. They will enforce provisions of the Voting Rights Act by challenging such laws or practices in court — and prosecute anyone found to intimidate or threaten violence against election officials.

"The expanded unit will also monitor the growing number of post-election ballot reviews being called for around the country by supporters of former president Donald Trump in search of signs of violations of federal laws, Garland said, and will watch over upcoming redistricting efforts to call out discriminatory practices."

AMERICA AND THE WORLD

FROM NBC'S PUTIN INTERVIEW — "Putin calls Trump 'colorful' but says he can work with Biden," by NBC's Corky Siemaszko: "[Russian President VLADIMIR] PUTIN compared the two presidents at a time when relations between Russia and the United States are at a historic low and ahead of the Russian leader's upcoming summit with Biden. 'Well even now, I believe that former U.S. president Mr. Trump is an extraordinary individual, talented individual, otherwise he would not have become U.S. president,' Putin told NBC's KEIR SIMMONS during a wide-ranging and, at times, contentious interview. 'He is a colorful individual. You may like him or not. And, but he didn't come from the U.S. establishment. He had not been part of big-time politics before, and some like it, some don't like it but that is a fact.'

"As for Biden, Putin said the current White House occupant 'is radically different from Trump because President Biden is a career man. He has spent virtually his entire adulthood in politics.'"

POLITICS ROUNDUP

2024 WATCH — "Nevada meltdown gives Iowa hope of saving first-in-the-nation fame," by David Siders: "On Friday — as the state's Democratic governor, STEVE SISOLAK , signed legislation aiming to move Nevada's 2024 nominating contest in front of Iowa and New Hampshire — longstanding fissures within the state Democratic Party had just erupted. Democrats in Washoe County, the state's second-most populous, pulled what amounted to a party coup, wresting control of the state's midterm campaign operation away from the state party.

"The chair of the Nevada Democratic Party, JUDITH WHITMER, blasted the move as an 'insurgency within our own party.' Watching the Nevada fireworks explode from halfway across the country, Iowa Democrats glimpsed a flicker of hope. As the national party considers the 2024 calendar, Iowa — in comparison to Nevada — might not look so bad anymore. And that might assist their efforts to save their cherished place in the early state pecking order."

JAN. 6 AND ITS AFTERMATH

ONLINE WATCHDOGS — "Meet the internet sleuths tracking down the January 6 insurrectionists," by CNN's Sara Murray: "FORREST ROGERS and the other internet sleuths known as the 'Deep State Dogs' saw the [CNN interview with officer MICHAEL FANONE ] and were determined to find out who was behind the Taser attack. … The Deep State Dogs are just one group in a sprawling social media community dedicated to rooting out insurrectionists after January 6. Experts and members of the community describe it as diverse and diffuse but united by a common goal: Accountability. But their efforts are also a rebuttal to Republicans looking to whitewash the horrifying events of that January day."

CAUSE FOR CONCERN — "Capitol Police watchdog flags training contractor's use of Nazi-adjacent symbols," by Roll Call's Chris Marquette: "Capitol Police spent $90,075 of taxpayer dollars in 2018 and 2019 to train its specialized Containment Emergency Response Team with Northern Red Inc., a company that publicly displays symbols often associated with the white supremacist movement.

"Capitol Police Inspector General MICHAEL BOLTON discovered the symbols as part of his review into the Jan. 6 insurrection and has recommended the department 'review the appropriateness of utilizing Northern Red, Inc. for further training,' according to an advisory report shared with acting Chief YOGANANDA PITTMAN and other department officials."

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MEDIAWATCH

YOUTUBE VS. RON JOHNSON — "YouTube suspends Ron Johnson for a week after GOP senator touts questionable drugs to fight Covid-19," by WaPo's Felicia Sonmez and Amy Wang

CLICKER — "The nation's cartoonists on the week in politics," edited by Matt Wuerker — 15 funnies

GREAT WEEKEND READS, curated by Ryan Lizza:

— "Democracy Is Already Dying in the States," by The Atlantic's Ron Brownstein: "Republicans around the country are proving JOE MANCHIN wrong."

— "The Rise and Fall of Planet Hollywood," by Esquire's Kate Storey: "Thirty years ago, the biggest celebrities on earth opened a chain restaurant. For a few years, it was the hottest ticket in town. Then it went bankrupt. Twice. The brains behind this pop-culture phenomenon explain how it happened."

— "The Tiger Mom and the Hornet's Nest," by N.Y. Mag's Irin Carmon: "For two decades, AMY CHUA and JED RUBENFELD were Yale Law power brokers. A new generation wants to see them exiled."

— "'We're Going to Publish': An Oral History of the Pentagon Papers," by NYT's Brian Gallagher, Jennifer Harlan and Janny Scott: "Secret hotel rooms, stolen classified documents and the bombshell scoop that exposed the lies behind the Vietnam War."

— "The elephant vanishes: how a circus family went on the run," by Laura Spinney for The Guardian: "Dumba has spent her life performing in circuses around Europe, but in recent years animal rights activists have been campaigning to rescue her. When it looked like they might succeed, Dumba and her owners disappear."

— "The Geophysicist Who Stormed the Capitol," by Melanie Warner for POLITICO Magazine: "JEFFREY SABOL lived in a quiet Colorado town and had some doubts about government spending. On January 6, he was photographed with a baton in his hand on the Capitol terrace. How does someone cross the threshold from belief to action?"

— "The Private School 'Awokening' Panic," by Alice Lloyd for American Consequences: "Private school parents push against the likes of critical race theory as their children's education gets lost in the culture-war shuffle."

— "The Crystal Hunters of Chamonix," by Simon Akam for Outside: "Climate change is melting the glaciers and permafrost of the Mont Blanc massif, revealing crystals hidden in pockets once covered in snow."

— From the archives, one of two winners of the 2021 Pulitzer Prize for feature writing: "Twelve Minutes and a Life," by Mitchell Jackson for Runner's World, June 18, 2020: "AHMAUD ARBERY went out for a jog and was gunned down in the street. How running fails Black America."

— From the archives, the other winner of the 2021 Pulitzer Prize for feature writing: "When can we really rest?" by Nadja Drost for California Sunday Magazine, April 2, 2020: "More migrants than ever are crossing the Colombia-Panama border to reach the U.S. Five days inside the Darién Gap, one of the most dangerous journeys in the world."

JOIN TUESDAY FOR A CONVERSATION ON REOPENING THE U.S.-CANADA BORDER : It's been more than one year since the border between the U.S. and Canada first closed to non-essential travel due to the Covid-19 pandemic. The unprecedented and ongoing closure imposed economic and social costs in border communities and across both countries. Join POLITICO for an urgent conversation on what's at stake in the border closure, what it will take to reopen safely, and how the pandemic will change the border in the long term. REGISTER HERE.

PLAYBOOKERS

I DON'T LOVETT — In an interview this week with Buttigieg, Crooked Media's Jon Lovett cracked a quick joke : "It's not the size of the infrastructure package, it's how you use it." Get it? Buttigieg (understandably) sidestepped the quip, but the two ended up going back and forth about it and Buttigieg just wouldn't bite.

The moment quickly passed, but it caused quite a stir Friday night on Twitter. "Making jokes about and/or using sexual innuendo with a cabinet secretary is gross," tweeted Stefan Smith, former online engagement director for the Buttigieg campaign. "And it's something that happens a lot more with queer candidates." Lovett spent the night making more jokes on Twitter, fanning reactions to Smith's comment — faced with a deluge of tweets from Lovett's fans, Smith has since locked his account — and probably getting even more people to tune into the podcast.

SPOTTED at Bloom, "a celebration of Joyce, Yeats and brighter days ahead" at Irish Ambassador Daniel Mulhall and Greta Mulhall's residence Friday evening: Justice Stephen Breyer, Margaret Brennan, EU Ambassador Stavros Lambrinidis, Suzanne Clark, John King, Coach Kathy Kemper, R. David Edelman, Tom Donohue, Mark Tuohey, Eric Motley and Brian O'Donovan.

STAFFING UP — The White House announced Biden plans to nominate Sandra Bruce for inspector general at the Education Department and Carlton Waterhouse for assistant EPA administrator of land and emergency management.

TRANSITIONS — Stephanie Dyson and Lucia Lodato are joining Bristol Myers Squibb. Dyson will be VP of U.S. policy and government affairs and previously was a VP for policy and government affairs at Biogen. Lodato will be director of U.S. policy comms and previously was SVP at Powell Tate.

ENGAGED — Daniel Strauss, senior political reporter for The Guardian, proposed to Claire Tonneson, a director at Sunshine Sachs, on Thursday as they were going to dinner on Martha's Vineyard. Their recently adopted dog, Jasper, helped Daniel pick up the ring from Tiffany's. Claire was also surprised with a visit from NBC's Justice Gilpin-Green and Brian Wanglin, who took them to dinner at the State Road restaurant. The couple were originally introduced by mutual friend Emily Adams years ago. Pic

WEDDINGS — Lauren Culbertson, head of U.S. public policy at Twitter, and Chris Grieco, a former senior DOJ official, got married Friday at the Supreme Court, surrounded by immediate family. Justice Neil Gorsuch presided. Pic

— George Hartmann, deputy comms director for Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), and Annie Chiang, a clerk for 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals Judge Allison Jones Rushing, got married in a private ceremony Friday at the D.C. War Memorial. For the first time in his life, Grassley officiated, and he offered some advice: "Marriage is a blessing from God. Respect, unwavering support and communication will fuel your devotion for one another. Above all else is love." The wedding took place on the eve of Loving Day, which celebrates the anniversary of the Supreme Court tossing out interracial marriage bans. Instapics

HAPPY BIRTHDAY: BEST BOSS IN TOWN Carrie Budoff Brown, editor of POLITICO … Reps. Mark Amodei (R-Nev.) and Lucille Roybal-Allard (D-Calif.) … Mayra Macías… Dag Vega of BCW Global … Bloomberg's Kevin Sheekey … Alex Castellanos of Purple Strategies … Rabbi Levi Shemtov … FiscalNote's Chris Lu … Sam Barke … Lilia Dashevsky … Michael Finnegan of Atlantic Media … Dominic Faraglia … Joyce Kazadi ... Eli Zupnick ... Majority Group's Dan Archer … Luis Miranda … Matt Mowers … Matt Wolking … former Energy Secretary Spencer Abraham … Campbell Curry-Ledbetter ... Sam Buchan … William Kresse ... Peter Schechter … Hanna Siegel

THE SHOWS (Full Sunday show listings here):

CNN	"State of the Union": Speaker Nancy Pelosi.
CBS	"Face the Nation": Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) … Andy Slavitt … Scott Gottlieb.
Gray TV	"Full Court Press": Rep. Adam Kinzinger (R-Ill.) … Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.).
FOX	"Fox News Sunday": Sen. Bob Menendez (D-N.J.) … Mike Pompeo. Panel: Marc Thiessen, Catherine Lucey and Harold Ford Jr. Power Player: Donna de Varona.
ABC	"This Week": Rep. Michael McCaul (R-Texas). Panel: Rick Klein, Michèle Flournoy, Will Hurd and Amna Nawaz.
MSNBC	"The Sunday Show": Associate A.G. Vanita Gupta … Kimberly Atkins Stohr … Michael Gerson … Chris Matthews … Yamiche Alcindor … Katty Kay … Helene Cooper… Terry McAuliffe … Jeremy Bash … Ben Rhodes.
CNN	"Inside Politics": Panel: Olivier Knox, Laura Barrón-López, Melanie Zanona, Vivian Salama and John Harwood.

Send Playbookers tips to playbook@politico.com. Playbook couldn't happen without our editor Mike Zapler, deputy editor Zack Stanton and producers Allie Bice, Eli Okun and Garrett Ross.

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