| | | | |  | | By Ryan Lizza and Eugene Daniels | | | With help from Eli Okun and Garrett Ross
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The Chesa Boudin recall will be seen as a major "I told you so" moment for vulnerable Democrats who have been warning their party about left-wing reforms to policing and prosecuting. | Gabrielle Lurie/San Francisco Chronicle via AP | | | | |  | DRIVING THE DAY | | ONLY IN D.C. — KELLYANNE CONWAY celebrated the publication of her new memoir, "Here's the Deal" — 4.5 stars on Amazon! — with a book party at Cafe Milano in Georgetown last night. Across town, in the middle of the event, at 8 p.m., GEORGE CONWAY appeared from his study on MSNBC's "All In with Chris Hayes." A few minutes later, he was on CNN's "Anderson Cooper 360." In both appearances, he offered his views on the "criminal conspiracy" on the part of former President DONALD TRUMP, his campaign and administration officials to overturn the 2020 election. We are reliably informed that George booked the appearances as "counterprogramming" to Kellyanne's event. Regular patrons of Milano will recall that above the bar in the center of the restaurant are two large T.V. screens that are usually tuned to cable news. TOP-ED — "How to Tell the Squad and the MAGA Caucus Apart," by NYT's Tom Edsall WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT TUESDAY'S ELECTION RESULTS — Seven states held elections on Tuesday. We stayed up overnight as the returns from California continued to roll in, and we have the key takeaways for you: Another mediocre night for Trump … — Five of the 35 House Republicans who voted to establish a Jan. 6 Commission faced primaries on Tuesday. Trump vowed to exact revenge on all of them. How'd they fare?
- In Iowa, Rep. MARIANNETTE MILLER-MEEKS ran uncontested.
- In South Dakota, Rep. DUSTY JOHNSON won with almost 59% of the vote.
- In New Jersey, Rep. CHRIS SMITH won with 58% of the vote.
- In Mississippi, a 50% threshold state, Rep. MICHAEL GUEST was forced into a runoff against a MAGA opponent who attacked his vote for the commission. Trump did not endorse in the race. Will he enter the fray before the June 28 runoff?
- In California, where all candidates regardless of party run in the same primary, Rep. DAVID VALADAO, who also voted to impeach Trump, looks likely to advance to the general election, though there are still a lot of votes left to count. (The Democrats' strategy of spending money on ads to boost a more Trump-aligned Republican who they thought would be easier to beat seems to have come up short.)
— Still another test of the Trump brand came in Montana, where the Trump-endorsed RYAN ZINKE, who resigned as Trump's Interior secretary amid scandals, was hanging onto a three-point lead with 41% of the vote counted this morning. A bad night for progressives in two big California cities facing upticks in crime… — San Franciscans voted overwhelmingly (60%-40%) to recall district attorney CHESA BOUDIN, who had implemented sweeping reforms. The NYT noted voters put "an end to one of the country's most pioneering experiments in criminal justice reform, ousting a district attorney who eliminated cash bail, vowed to hold police accountable and worked to reduce the number of people sent to prison." Earlier this year, the city recalled three school board members who many voters thought had gone too far left. The Boudin recall will be seen as a major "I told you so" moment for vulnerable Democrats who have been warning their party about left-wing reforms to policing and prosecuting. It was also the election that Fox News personalities were the most excited to discuss Tuesday night. More from S.F. Chronicle — In Los Angeles's special election for mayor, billionaire developer — and recent Republican — RICK CARUSO won a plurality over progressive favorite Rep. KAREN BASS . They will fight it out in a runoff this fall. Caruso has nearly unlimited funds so the city just might get its version of Michael Bloomberg. More from L.A. Times Gov. GAVIN NEWSOM makes some presidential noises … — Our Lara Korte noted that the resurgent California governor's "victory statement has a… national flavor." Said Newsom: "Across the country, Republicans are attacking our fundamental rights as Americans. Destroying democracy, stripping a woman of the right to choose, and standing idly by as gun violence claims too many lives. California is the antidote to their cynicism — leading with compassion, common-sense and science. Treasuring diversity, defending democracy, and protecting our planet. Here's to continuing that fight." A Republican has a shot at winning statewide in California… — It hasn't happened since 2006, but former MITT ROMNEY policy adviser LANHEE CHEN had a plurality of the vote in the jungle primary for state controller, and looks likely to advance to the general election. Political dynasties are alive and well in New Jersey… — ROBERT MENENDEZ JR., Rep. DONALD PAYNE JR., and TOM KEAN JR. all won their congressional primaries in New Jersey. Menendez, the son of the Democratic senator with the same name, and Payne, who took over his father's seat after he died in 2012, are shoo-ins for the general election. Kean, the former Republican governor's son, has a good shot at defeating Democratic Rep. TOM MALINOWSKI in the 7th district.
| | A message from Blackstone: Blackstone is bringing two of its companies together to install solar panels onto empty warehouse rooftops and power New Jersey homes. By expanding access to solar power, Blackstone can accelerate value for its investors. See how. | | | A weatherman who might know which way the wind blows in New Mexico… — Albuquerque TV weatherman MARK RONCHETTI, who has made a crime a major focus of his campaign, will be the Republican nominee for governor. Republicans are bullish on his chances of taking out Democratic Gov. MICHELLE LUJAN GRISHAM. New Mexico has the highest percentage of Hispanics in the country, and the race will be a test of whether the GOP can continue to attract more Hispanic support in the southwest and perhaps return New Mexico to its prior role as a presidential swing state.
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| A-democracy-not-a-republic vibes in South Dakota… — Republicans in the state legislature who feared a fall ballot initiative to expand Medicaid asked voters to raise the threshold to pass voter referendums from a simple majority to 60%. Sixty-seven percent of voters said no to that idea, a fairly stinging rebuke to one of the many GOP proposals in the last two years to limit direct democracy. See all the results: California statewide and California congressional districts … Iowa statewide and Iowa congressional districts … Mississippi congressional districts … Montana congressional districts … New Jersey congressional districts … New Mexico statewide and New Mexico congressional districts … South Dakota statewide and South Dakota congressional districts Good Wednesday morning. Thanks for reading Playbook. Drop us a line: Rachael Bade, Eugene Daniels , Ryan Lizza. JUST POSTED — "How Jared Kushner Washed His Hands of Donald Trump Before Jan. 6," by NYT's Peter Baker: "While the president spent the hours and days after the polls closed complaining about imagined fraud in battleground states and plotting a strategy to hold on to power, his daughter and son-in-law were already washing their hands of the Trump presidency. "Their decision to move on opened a vacuum around the president that was filled by conspiracy theorists like RUDOLPH W. GIULIANI and SIDNEY POWELL, who relayed to Mr. Trump farcically false stories of dead voters, stuffed ballot boxes, corrupted voting machines and foreign plots. … "The role Mr. Kushner played could come into sharp relief once the congressional committee investigating the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol opens public hearings this week. The committee interviewed Mr. Kushner, who otherwise has not spoken at length publicly about the events after the 2020 election, and plans to show video excerpts from his testimony along with IVANKA TRUMP's." NEW POLL — Fresh off reports that the Biden administration is preparing to forgive $10,000 in student loan debt for Americans who make less than $150,000 a year (or for married couples making less than $300,000), new polling from POLITICO and Morning Consult reveals a decidedly mixed reaction to that proposal.
- Twenty-nine percent of voters felt that the income threshold ($150,000 for individuals, $300,000 for couples) was the "right one" to be forgiven.
- Thirteen percent felt that threshold was too high.
- Nine percent felt that threshold was too low.
- Thirty-five percent feel that $10,000 in student loan debt should not be forgiven for people at any income level.
Officially, the White House continues to say that Biden hasn't yet made a final decision on forgiving student loan debt, although administration sources told Eugene and Michael Stratford last week that this was the policy framework chosen. Toplines … Crosstabs
| | A message from Blackstone:   Blackstone is driving value by advancing New Jersey's ambitious clean energy plans and expanding access to solar power. | | | BIDEN'S WEDNESDAY (all times Eastern): — 11:15 a.m.: The president will depart the White House en route to Los Angeles, where he is scheduled to arrive at 4:30 p.m. — 5:40 p.m.: Biden will tape an appearance for "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" — 7 p.m.: Biden will greet the heads of delegations at the Summit of the Americas. — 8:15 p.m.: The president and first lady JILL BIDEN will participate in the inaugural ceremony for the summit, where he will deliver remarks. VP KAMALA HARRIS will also deliver brief remarks. Press secretary KARINE JEAN-PIERRE and national security adviser JAKE SULLIVAN will gaggle aboard Air Force One en route to Los Angeles. HARRIS' WEDNESDAY (all times Eastern): — 2 p.m.: The vice president will deliver remarks at the CEO Summit on migration. — 5 p.m.: Harris will visit Dream Big Children's Center. THE SENATE is in. THE HOUSE will meet at 10 a.m. U.N. Ambassador LINDA THOMAS-GREENFIELD will testify before an Appropriations subcommittee at 10 a.m. Treasury Secretary JANET YELLEN will testify before the Ways and Means Committee at 10 a.m. The Oversight Committee will hold a hearing on gun violence, with testimony from NYC Mayor ERIC ADAMS and others affected by the shootings in Buffalo, N.Y., and Uvalde, Texas. PHOTO OF THE DAY
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Matthew McConaughey holds an image of 10-year-old Alithia Ramirez, who was killed in the Uvalde shooting, as he speaks during a press briefing at the White House on Tuesday, June 7. | Evan Vucci/AP Photo | | | PLAYBOOK READS | | ALL POLITICS NRCC MAKES MAJOR AD RESERVATIONS — The NRCC, House Republicans' primary campaign arm, is going big on fall TV ad placements as it seeks to reclaim control of the chamber in a competitive midterm year — to the tune of $52.3 million, Ally Mutnick scoops this morning . "The bulk of the buy, which is spread across more than two dozen markets, will go toward flipping Democratic-held seats, an acknowledgment that a favorable political environment has created a plethora of pickup opportunities for the GOP. This is the first of several TV ad bookings for the National Republican Congressional Committee, but it is more than twice as much as its initial reservation in the 2020 cycle, according to plans shared first with POLITICO. … The reservations span more than 20 districts and reveal the committee's top targets." 2024 WATCH — DAVID MCCORMICK's GOP Senate campaign is dead. Long live David McCormick's GOP Senate campaign. Just days removed from conceding the Republican nomination in Pennsylvania for this year's midterms, McCormick's camp is already looking ahead to the next round. "GOP leaders, donors and strategists are urging David McCormick … to run again in two years against Democratic Sen. BOB CASEY. A person familiar with McCormick's thinking said he is already looking at the possibility," Holly Otterbein reports this morning. "In a sign of how seriously he is tending to his political future, McCormick and his wife, DINA POWELL, are planning to continue living in Pennsylvania, people close to them said." JAN. 6 AND ITS AFTERMATH ON THE CALL SHEET — The Jan. 6 select committee has locked in its first two witnesses for the initial public hearing on Thursday: U.S. Capitol Police Officer CAROLINE EDWARDS and documentary filmmaker NICK QUESTED. Background on Edwards … background on Quested But who else can watchers expect to hear from in the subsequent hearings? That lineup is starting to come into focus … — Former acting A.G. JEFFREY ROSEN and his former deputy RICHARD DONOGHUE have been invited by the Jan. 6 panel to appear for live public testimony, CNN's Zachary Cohen, Evan Perez, Annie Grayer and Ryan Nobles report. — The panel also wants Trump White House counsel PAT CIPOLLONE to appear alongside Rosen and Donoghue — plus STEVE ENGEL, a former DOJ attorney, per ABC's Katherine Faulders and John Santucci. WHO'S TALKING — Behind the scenes, the panel has heard from the Secret Service agent who was closest to Trump during the Jan. 6 attack, Betsy Woodruff Swan reports. "ROBERT ENGEL was the special agent in charge on Jan. 6, 2021, meaning he was responsible for protecting the president from 'socks on to socks off' — the whole work day. … Because of that work, Engel has detailed insight on a key select committee focus: how the Secret Service handled the day's chaos." AND WHO DOESN'T WANT TO — "Twitter is fighting a Jan. 6 committee request for its employees' internal communications — including Slack messages about moderating Tweets related to the Capitol attack," Rolling Stone's Adam Rawnsley and Asawin Suebsaeng report. THE GOP COUNTERPROGRAMMING — The latest divide between the House and Senate GOP: How to treat the specter of Jan. 6 as they prepare for all of the Hill's focus to zero in on the committee's hearings. "There's no unified strategy among Republicans on how much time and energy they should expend on rebutting the hearings, particularly with lawmakers questioning how much breaks through beyond the Beltway," Jordain Carney reports. BRACING FOR IMPACT — Rep. ELAINE LURIA is one of the seven Dems on the committee. But she's the only one who faces a Trump-leaning district back home in Virginia. She doesn't seem to mind. "If I don't get re-elected because of this, that's OK," Luria told NYT's Jonathan Weisman. AND THEN THERE'S THIS — "Bannon subpoenas Pelosi and House January 6 committee members to fight contempt charges," by CNN's Sara Murray JUST POSTED — "'Will we do our duty?' Cheney lays her legacy on the line," by AP's Lisa Mascaro
| | A message from Blackstone:   Blackstone Creates Value by Backing Clean Energy Projects that Combat Climate Change. | | | GUNS IN AMERICA AT THE WHITE HOUSE — In remarks in the briefing room on Tuesday, actor MATTHEW MCCONAUGHEY , a native of Uvalde, Texas, called on Congress to enact "gun responsibility" measures and "emotionally told the stories of the 19 children and two teachers killed by a shooter at an elementary school in the small South Texas city on May 24," per WaPo's Mariana Alfaro and Seung Min Kim. "'You know what every one of these parents wanted, what they asked us for? … That they want their children's dreams to live on,' McConaughey said. 'They want to make their loss of life matter.'" Video GUN TALKS LATEST — "Senate Democrats acknowledge bipartisan gun safety talks will fall far short of what they want. They're desperate for a deal anyway — and seem willing to take whatever the GOP will give them," Burgess Everett writes . "Though they don't emphasize it publicly, Democrats believe there's a good chance that internal GOP divisions scuttle any gun safety deal in the end. That means they barely have to lift a finger to watch the issue vex Republicans. And so Democratic leaders are placing no limits on the negotiations, despite their strong feelings about approving more restrictive gun laws." Related: "Gun Talks Focus on Juvenile Records in Background Checks," by WSJ's Lindsay Wise and Siobhan Hughes ABORTION FALLOUT WHERE THEY STAND — If the Supreme Court moves ahead with its draft opinion that would strike down Roe v. Wade, the onus for restricting or expanding abortion access would fall to the states. So, POLITICO "sent a five-question survey to leading gubernatorial candidates in seven battleground states — Arizona, Georgia, Kansas, Nevada, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin and Michigan — asking candidates to explain where they stand on one of the most contentious issues of the 2022 midterms." Read more from Zach Montellaro MEDIAWATCH ON THE WAPO FUROR — Josh Barro writes in his Substack column "Are There Any Adults at the Washington Post?": "Internal disputes aren't kept internal anymore but are aired in public, on social media or in the press, with rampantly subordinate staff attacking their colleagues or decrying managerial decisions in full public view — and those actions apparently tolerated from the top."
| | PLAYBOOKERS | | Bob Woodward said that he is planning to release an audiobook with "nine hours of Trump interviews" he conducted in 2020. Jeanne Shaheen is apparently bringing in some, uh, props for a "New Hampshire Experience" event today.
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| Ken Graham, who is perhaps best known for his role in the Trump-era "Sharpiegate" scandal, is now director of the National Weather Service. Trump Tower is losing its Starbucks. SPOTTED: John Kerry at a Paul McCartney concert at Boston's Fenway Park on Tuesday night. (h/t Rolling Stone's Kara Voght) OUT AND ABOUT — House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy and Minority Whip Steve Scalise hosted a dinner on Tuesday evening at Joe's in honor of Rep. Hal Rogers (R-Ky.) becoming dean of the House. SPOTTED: Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell and House Majority Whip Jim Clyburn and a bipartisan group of over two dozen House members. — Sen. Cory Booker (D-N.J.) was the special guest at a Churchill Tommy Gun Society dinner hosted by Jamie Weinstein and Michelle Fields at their Woodland Normanstone house on Tuesday night. SPOTTED: Jonathan Swan, Kaitlan Collins, Olivia Nuzzi, Veronica Duron and Jeff Giertz. — British Ambassador Karen Pierce hosted a reception at the residence to celebrate CARE USA and UK, with honored guests Sen. Chris Coons (D-Del.), CARE chair and Boston Celtics owner Glenn Hutchins (who thanked the hosts for not having the event on a night when the Celtics are playing in the NBA Finals) and Rep. Brenda Lawrence (D-Mich.). SPOTTED: Charles Roxburgh, Evan Bayh, Kristalina Georgieva, Charlie Dent, Jim Moran, Andrea Mitchell, Paula Dobriansky, Jim Sciutto, Gloria Riviera, Bob Costa and Margaret Carlson. TRANSITIONS — Jason Matheny will be president and CEO of the RAND Corporation. He previously led White House policy on technology and national security at the National Security Council and the Office of Science and Technology Policy. The announcement … Josh Fendrick is now manager for U.S. policy at Coinbase. He most recently was economic policy adviser for Sen. Gary Peters (D-Mich.) and is a Josh Gottheimer alum. … Joe Damond is joining Edelman Global Advisory as a senior health adviser. He previously was deputy chief policy officer and executive VP for international affairs at BIO. ENGAGED — Collen Lewis , military legislative assistant to Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.), and Ciarra Bays, a Goldman Sachs analyst, got engaged in the Capitol Rotunda last week. The couple has been together for eight years and met in their hometown of Ripley, W.Va. Pic WELCOME TO THE WORLD — Amy Levin, partner at Benenson Strategy Group and president of Breakthrough Campaigns, and Sasha Issenberg, journalist and author of "The Engagement" and "The Victory Lab," welcomed Maximilia Luda Issenberg on June 6 in Murrieta, California. Pic HAPPY BIRTHDAY: Rep. Ken Calvert (R-Calif.) … Cory Fritz of FTI Consulting … Matt Whitlock … CNN and HBO Max's Justin Peligri … Eric Kuhn … POLITICO's Mike Shaw, Emily Keith and Alex Daugherty … Protocol's Tim Grieve Jonathan Collegio of the National Automobile Dealers Association … Lale Morrison … Kelsey Harkness … Roger Hickey of Campaign for America's Future … Erin Gorman Van Alsten … Paul Winfree of the Heritage Foundation … Strategic Partners & Media's Russ Schriefer … WaPo's Kris Coratti Kelly and Sarah Hashemi … former Rep. Gabby Giffords (D-Ariz.) … Erin Gorman Van Alsten … Taylor Mason of Forbes Tate Partners … Jennifer Dunn of Hill+Knowlton Strategies … Lindsey Wagner-Oveson of Handshake … Alifair Masters of Rep. Jimmy Gomez's (D-Calif.) office … The Bulwark's Hannah Yoest … NBC News PR's Sarah DeCaro … Julianna Margulies Did someone forward this email to you? Sign up here. Send Playbookers tips to playbook@politico.com or text us at 202-556-3307. Playbook couldn't happen without our editor Mike Zapler, deputy editor Zack Stanton and producers Setota Hailemariam and Bethany Irvine.
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