| | | | |  | | By Zack Stanton | | | |  Donald Trump is staying relatively quiet on the bombshell abortion news. | Eva Marie Uzcategui/Getty Images | | | | |  | DRIVING THE DAY | | OFFICIALLY OFFICIAL — KARINE JEAN-PIERRE will take over as White House press secretary when JEN PSAKI steps down from the post next week. She'll be the first Black woman and first openly LGBTQ person to hold the role. "This is a historic moment, and it's not lost on me. It's a very emotional day," Jean-Pierre said at Thursday's briefing. The White House also said ANITA DUNN is returning as a senior adviser. AP's Zeke Miller has more NEWS FROM A BOOK THAT ISN'T BY JMART & BURNS — NYT's Maggie Haberman has a juicy look at former Defense Secretary MARK ESPER's upcoming memoir, "A Sacred Oath," which recounts his time in the Trump administration. — The revelation everyone is talking about: In the summer of 2020, President DONALD TRUMP, "unhappy about the constant flow of drugs across the southern border … asked Mr. Esper at least twice if the military could 'shoot missiles into Mexico to destroy the drug labs.' … When Mr. Esper raised various objections, Mr. Trump said that 'we could just shoot some Patriot missiles and take out the labs, quietly,' adding that 'no one would know it was us.'" TRUMP MUM ON ROE — Overturning Roe v. Wade would be the culmination of the former president's bid to remake the judiciary — the very reason that many social conservatives held their noses and voted for him in 2016. But Trump, "never one to shy away from taking credit for accomplishments, real or imagined, has yet to crow about the majority draft opinion," our colleagues Meridith McGraw and Jonathan Lemire report. He's addressed it only "when asked in interviews." To wit: In an interview at Mar-a-Lago on Wednesday night, Trump told Meridith he was waiting to see "finality" in the case. "Nobody knows what exactly it represents, if that's going to be it," he said of the draft opinion. But four current and former advisers "insist the former president will aggressively claim ownership of a Supreme Court decision ending Roe once a ruling is formally issued." THE IMPENDING RULING IS ALREADY RESHAPING 2022 — It's all but certain that any decision overturning Roe would remake the terrain of the midterm elections — indeed, it already is. A few good examples this morning: — Swing-state Dems are using it as a cudgel. Nevada Sen. CATHERINE CORTEZ MASTO is a bellwether for how vulnerable Democrats hope to use the issue to motivate voters. "The first-term Democrat is facing a difficult reelection campaign in a state that voted overwhelmingly in 1990 to codify Roe — the only one of this fall's top-tier Senate battleground states to do so," writes Burgess Everett. "The first female senator ever elected in Nevada is now betting that the same coalition behind that 32-year-old move is intact and motivated to turn out. "'I have a record in support of a woman's right to choose. And my opponent, ADAM LAXALT, opposes it, and will take it away,' Cortez Masto said in an interview this week." — Republicans in heated primaries are using it, too — as a way to challenge their opponents' conservative bona fides. Witness Georgia: On Thursday, DAVID PERDUE pressed Gov. BRIAN KEMP to "promise to call a special session of the legislature to ban abortion outright if the court eliminates federal protections for abortion rights and leaves it to states to set their own laws," NYT's Maya King reports from Atlanta.
| | | | A message from Amazon: Only 23% of workers have access to paid parental leave, according to the U.S. Department of Labor. That number is even worse for hourly workers. Amazon is proud to provide up to 20 weeks of fully paid leave for employees like Elizabeth, who welcomed her first child last summer. | | | POTENTIAL FOR CIVIL UNREST — "On Wednesday, more than 150 officials nationwide joined a call to discuss concerns about growing threats in the wake of the news, including potential danger to Supreme Court justices," Betsy Woodruff Swan reports. ROBERTS SPEAKS — Per WaPo's Robert Barnes: Chief Justice JOHN ROBERTS, speaking at a judicial conference in Atlanta, denounced the disclosure of the draft opinion, while asserting that "if the people behind it, or person behind it, thinks that it's going to have an effect on our decision process, that's absolutely foolish." PLAYBOOK DEEP DIVE: SCOTUS EDITION — On this week's episode of "Playbook Deep Dive," we talk with one of the reporters behind Monday's mega-scoop about the draft SCOTUS opinion: senior legal affairs reporter Josh Gerstein. Listen as he joins Peter Canellos, a POLITICO editor and the author of an excellent book about the Supreme Court published last year with a direct tie-in to Justice SAMUEL ALITO's Roe draft. Josh takes listeners behind his story on the draft opinion and its potential implications — for abortion rights, for the country and for the judiciary itself. Listen and subscribe to Playbook Deep Dive
| 
| Happy Friday. Thanks for reading Playbook. Drop us a line: Rachael Bade, Eugene Daniels , Ryan Lizza. FIRST IN THE NATION — Elena Schneider goes inside the battle to take the coveted first slot in the Dems' 2024 presidential primary calendar. Here's the state of play: "More than a dozen states and at least one territory are applying to be among the first to vote for Democrats' next presidential nominee — with the biggest pile-up coming out of the Midwest, where states are jockeying to take Iowa's long-held early spot. "Fifteen state parties and counting, plus Puerto Rico, have submitted letters of intent to the Democratic National Committee ahead of a Friday deadline to be considered as a 2024 early state, according to a POLITICO tally." The timeline: The DNC's Rules and Bylaws Committee "will hear pitches from different states in late June and recommend a new early-state lineup to the full DNC by July." HEADS UP — The Labor Department will release the April jobs report this morning at 8:30 a.m. We'll bring you the details in Playbook PM.
| | | | A message from Amazon: Up to 20 weeks of paid leave gave Amazon employee Elizabeth extra time with her son, without missing her paycheck. | | | PRESIDENT JOE BIDEN'S FRIDAY: — 11:10 a.m.: The president will depart the White House en route to Hebron, Ky., where he is scheduled to arrive at 1 p.m. — 3 p.m.: Biden will meet with manufacturing leaders at United Performance Metals in Hamilton, Ohio, where he will deliver remarks at 3:45 p.m. — 5:30 p.m.: Biden will depart Hebron en route to New Castle, Del., where he is scheduled to arrive at 6:55 p.m. Psaki will gaggle aboard Air Force One en route to Hebron. THE SENATE and THE HOUSE are out.
| | | | STEP INSIDE THE WEST WING: What's really happening in West Wing offices? Find out who's up, who's down, and who really has the president's ear in our West Wing Playbook newsletter, the insider's guide to the Biden White House and Cabinet. For buzzy nuggets and details that you won't find anywhere else, subscribe today. | | | | | PHOTO OF THE DAY
| 
Outgoing White House press secretary Jen Psaki welcomes incoming White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre to the podium Thursday. | Evan Vucci/AP Photo | | | PLAYBOOK READS | | ALL POLITICS FIRST IN PLAYBOOK — Turning Point PAC, a sister organization to the 501(c)(4) Turning Point Action run by conservative activist CHARLIE KIRK, launched this week to identify, endorse and support political candidates. The PAC will specifically focus on issues popular on the right wing, including "Big Tech censorship" and "election integrity." It is unclear where funds for the PAC are coming from, but it has already raised close to $10 million, according to a source familiar. DEPT. OF BAD TIMING — Citing a new WaPo-ABC News poll, Paul Kane points to a welcome trend for Dems: "President Biden's approval rating for handling the virus has surged to 51 percent among all adults, his highest rating since last summer and up from 44 percent in February." Just one problem: While voters may be giving Biden's Democrats plaudits for their handling of the pandemic, the issue has lost salience for most voters, who "have turned their attention to other issues, particularly inflation." BATTLE OF THE BILLIONAIRES — In Illinois, "billionaire KEN GRIFFIN has upped his investment in Aurora Mayor RICHARD IRVIN's Republican bid for governor, kicking in an additional $25 million to the campaign after seeding Irvin's candidacy with an initial $20 million," Chicago Tribune's Rick Pearson reports. (Democratic Gov. J.B. PRITZKER, himself a billionaire, "has put $125.5 million of his own money into his reelection campaign.") CONGRESS RULES FOR THEE — Rep. PAUL GOSAR (R-Ariz.) consistently rails against "wasteful federal spending." And yet a review by the nonpartisan watchdog Moonlight Foundation found that since 2016, he has spent "nearly $1 million in taxpayer dollars on travel — the most in the entire 435-member House," CNN's Manu Raju reports. HORRIBLE BOSSES — Rep. VICTORIA SPARTZ (R-Ind.) has previously been tabbed as the office on the Hill with the highest turnover rate, and the record is only getting worse. But the problems lie deeper than just the numbers, Olivia Beavers reports. "The frequent departures stem from an allegedly unhealthy work environment, according to interviews with eight people, including more than a half-dozen former staffers as well as Republicans familiar with her office dynamics who were granted anonymity to speak candidly. They described Spartz as an unpredictable boss whose temper can rocket from tepid to boiling. Those former staffers and other Republicans told POLITICO she frequently yells and curses at aides, belittling her staff's intelligence and berating them in front of others — members, constituents and even with reporters in close proximity."
| | | | A message from Amazon:   Amazon's parental leave policy allowed Elizabeth to be there for the little things. | | | JAN. 6 AND ITS AFTERMATH WHO'S TALKING (OR MAYBE NOT) — On Thursday, the latest drama for the Jan. 6 select committee came from RUDY GIULIANI. A source close to Giuliani told The Gateway Pundit, a far-right online outlet that trafficks in misinformation, "that Rudy agreed to testify as long as it is recorded or broadcast live." But that request was denied by the committee, and his testimony was promptly canceled. In a statement, TIM MULVEY, a spokesperson for the committee, said that if Giuliani "refuses to comply, the committee will consider all enforcement options." Nicholas Wu and Kyle Cheney have more WAR IN UKRAINE LATEST BOMBSHELL — "Intelligence shared by the U.S. helped Ukraine sink the Russian cruiser Moskva, U.S. officials told NBC News, confirming an American role in perhaps the most embarrassing blow to Vladimir Putin's troubled invasion of Ukraine. A guided missile cruiser carrying a crew of 510, the Moskva was the flagship of Russia's Black Sea Fleet," NBC's Ken Dilanian, Courtney Kube and Carol Lee scoop. "The U.S. did not know in advance that Ukraine was going to target the Moskva, officials said, and was not involved in the decision to strike. Maritime intelligence is shared with Ukraine to help it defend against attack from Russian ships, officials added." TV TONIGHT — PBS' "Washington Week": Josh Gerstein, Jonathan Martin and Abby Philip. SUNDAY SO FAR … FOX "Fox News Sunday," guest-anchored by Bret Baier: Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) … Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.). Panel: Doug Heye, Juan Williams, Susan Page and Josh Kraushaar. ABC "This Week": Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan … Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) … Mini Timmaraju … Marjorie Dannenfelser. Panel: Rachel Scott, Yvette Simpson, Sarah Isgur and Alex Burns. MSNBC "The Sunday Show": Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.) … Rep. Karen Bass (D-Calif.) … Roberta Kaplan … Cecile Richards … Marianne Williamson. NBC "Meet the Press": Panel: Kimberly Atkins Stohr, Sara Fagen, Josh Gerstein and Ali Vitali. CNN "Inside Politics": Panel: Amy Walter, Tamara Keith, Manu Raju and Joan Biskupic. PBS "PBS News Weekend": Panel: Kimberly Atkins Stohr and Leigh Ann Caldwell.
| | | | INTRODUCING DIGITAL FUTURE DAILY - OUR TECHNOLOGY NEWSLETTER, RE-IMAGINED: Technology is always evolving, and our new tech-obsessed newsletter is too! Digital Future Daily unlocks the most important stories determining the future of technology, from Washington to Silicon Valley and innovation power centers around the world. Readers get an in-depth look at how the next wave of tech will reshape civic and political life, including activism, fundraising, lobbying and legislating. Go inside the minds of the biggest tech players, policymakers and regulators to learn how their decisions affect our lives. Don't miss out, subscribe today. | | | | | | | PLAYBOOKERS | | Max Rose didn't enjoyJoe Cunningham's excellent ribbing of him. George W. Bush spoke to Volodymyr Zelenskyy — whom he called "the Winston Churchill of our time." Ben Ray Luján opened up to Blake Hounshell about his stroke in a moving interview. Mike Pence prayed at a church in South Carolina that the five justices on the draft opinion overturning Roe would have "the courage of their convictions" in striking down abortion rights. Mitch McConnell held his annual Kentucky Derby-inspired luncheon, and gifted GOP senators a bottle of Old Crow bourbon — a nod to one of Donald Trump's favorite nicknames for the GOP leader. J.D. Vance and HarperCollins have mutually agreed to call off a new book by Vance about his Christian faith. Cory Mills, a Florida GOP congressional candidate, suggested in a campaign ad that he would tear-gas the "liberal media." (Mills previously made headlines for selling tear gas that was used against Black Lives Matter demonstrators.) Chris Licht asked CNN employees not to leak internal meetings, at least one of them leaked to the NYT. OUT AND ABOUT — The annual Kuwait America Foundation gala dinner was held Wednesday night in support of the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees. First lady Jill Biden was there as a guest of honor, CIA Director Bill Burns and Ben Stiller were honored with service awards, Margaret Brennan served as emcee, and UNHCR Filippo Grandi delivered remarks. The event raised over $1 million. SPOTTED: DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, DNI Avril Haines, Sen. Jim Risch (R-Idaho), Sen. Roy Blunt (R-Mo.) and Abby Blunt, Sen. Bob Menendez (D-N.J.) and Nadine Arslanian, Rep. Debbie Dingell (D-Mich.), Ukrainian Ambassador Oksana Markarova, Qatari Ambassador Mishal Al-Thani and Eva Al-Thani, German Ambassador Emily Haber, Monaco Ambassador Maguy Maccario Doyle, Mike Donilon, Bruce Reed, Brian Malnak, Dina Kawar, Devon Spurgeon, Ziad Ojakli, Bernard Looney and Jon Finer. — SPOTTED at a party for Jeff Nussbaum's new book, "Undelivered: The Never-Heard Speeches That Would Have Rewritten History" ($29.99), hosted by Julius Genachowski: Tom Daschle, Kathleen Kennedy Townsend, Kimberly and Mark Johnson, Mark Hetfield, Ed Cohen, Mark Wrighton, Jon Leibowitz and Ruth Marcus, Michael Froman, Alan Davidson, Lou and Di Stovall, Al Hunt, Alex and Molly Michael, David and Ellen Ginsberg, Mike Memoli, Jeremy and Robyn Bash, Jessica Dean, Katie Benner, Michael Crowley, Paul Orzulak, Rachel Holt and David Litt. — SPOTTED at a going-away party for White House Deputy Cabinet Secretary Cristóbal Alex hosted by Henry and Kyle Muñoz at Toro Toro on Thursday evening: Education Secretary Miguel Cardona, Neera Tanden, Gautam Raghavan, John McCarthy, U.S. Ambassador to Mexico Ken Salazar, Bradley Tusk, Laura Jimenez and Mayra Macias. — SPOTTED at a Cinco de Mayo celebration hosted by the U.S. Mexico Foundation, the Corn Refiners Association, Constellation Brands and the Hispanic Lobbyists Association at the Consumer Technology Association townhouse on Capitol Hill on Thursday evening: John Bode, Kent Roberson, Enrique Perret, César Remis, Michael Petricone, Kelsey Kelly, Norberto Salinas, Lucia Alonzo, Anais Carmona, Angela Arboleda, Amalia Chamorro, Susie Feliz, Omar Franco, Carissa Faña, Zuraya Tapia-Hadley, Daiquiri Ryan, Jessica Montoya and Halle Mayes. TRANSITIONS — Khalid Pitts is now VP of policy, advocacy and coalitions at the Rockefeller Foundation. He previously was national political director at the Sierra Club and president and board chair of USAction, and is co-owner of Cork Wine Bar & Market. … Jay Truesdale is joining Veracity Worldwide as CEO. He most recently was an associate partner at McKinsey, and is a State Department alum and a Navy vet. … … Kaade Wallace is now director of government relations at Consumer Brands Association. She most recently lobbied for Hennepin County, Minn., and is a Capitol Hill alum. … Steve Minarik is now director of legislative affairs at Textron. He most recently was manager for Washington operations at Bell Flight. WELCOME TO THE WORLD — Leslie Hayward, manager of policy comms at Rivian, and Greg Rogers, public policy manager at Nuro, welcomed Forest Hayward Rogers on Monday. Pic HAPPY BIRTHDAY: Sen. Richard Shelby (R-Ala.) … Jamie Gorelick … Spencer Pederson … Tucker Eskew of Vianovo … Wendy Helgemo of Big Fire Law & Policy Group … Liza Romanow ... Kate Jaffee of the Aspen Institute ... McKinley Lewis of Sen. Rick Scott's (R-Fla.) office … Meghan Conklin ... CBS' Lisa Ferri ... Bill Dolbow … Claire Mullican of the American Chemistry Council … Pat Cipollone … David Rogers … former Rep. Eric Fingerhut (D-Ohio) … POLITICO's Trevor Corning and Claire Whedbee … Rob Rozansky … Sheena Mollineau of PwC … Andy Oros … NBCUniversal's Tejasi Thatte … Benjamin Levine of BlackRock … Cardinal Timothy Dolan, archbishop of New York … Martha Nussbaum … Joe Nocera … former British PM Tony Blair Correction: Wednesday's Playbook misstated the level of support for expanding the number of justices on the Supreme Court. The POLITICO/Morning Consult poll found 45% approval for the measure, with a +9 net approval. Did someone forward this email to you? Sign up here. Send Playbookers tips to playbook@politico.com. Playbook couldn't happen without our editor Mike Zapler, deputy editor Zack Stanton and producers Bethany Irvine, Eli Okun and Garrett Ross.
| | | | A message from Amazon: The more than 75% of working Americans without paid leave are often faced with an unfair choice: being with their family or continuing to earn a paycheck. At Amazon, Elizabeth was able to do both. The company's paid leave policy gave her 20 weeks to bond with her new son.
"He's only going to be really little once," she said. "Spending that extra time with him just meant so much to me." | | | | | | | Follow us on Twitter | | | | Subscribe to the POLITICO Playbook family Playbook | Playbook PM | California Playbook | Florida Playbook | Illinois Playbook | Massachusetts Playbook | New Jersey Playbook | New York Playbook | Ottawa Playbook | Brussels Playbook | London Playbook View all our political and policy newsletters | | Follow us | | | | |
No comments:
Post a Comment