| | | | |  | | By Eugene Daniels and Ryan Lizza | | | With help from Eli Okun and Garrett Ross PHOTO OF THE DAY
|  NASA's James Webb Space Telescope has captured the sharpest image of the universe to date, showing thousands of galaxies and the faintest objects ever observed in infrared. Known as Webb's First Deep Field, the image of galaxy cluster SMACS 0723 is a milestone achievement toward reworking our understanding of how the universe has evolved over time. | NASA/ESA/CSA/STScI via AP Photo | | | | |  | DRIVING THE DAY | | THE TWEET DRIVING TODAY'S BIGGEST STORY — Today at 1 p.m. Eastern, the House Jan. 6 committee "plans to make its most complex case yet," write Nicholas Wu and Kyle Cheney: "that DONALD TRUMP's words and actions influenced extremists and brought them to the steps of the Capitol." Central to that case is Trump's tweet on Dec. 19, 2020: "Big protest in D.C. on January 6th. Be there, will be wild!" Rep. STEPHANIE MURPHY (D-Fla.) described that tweet as a "clarion call" to members of the far-right Proud Boys and Oath Keepers. "We'll show you how they began to organize around that date," she said in an interview. Doing so, Nick and Kyle write, "will require investigators to delve into the sordid world of internet extremism and specifically lay out how Trump's words rippled through its corners." The logistics: Murphy and Rep. JAMIE RASKIN (D-Md.) will lead the hearing following opening remarks from Chair BENNIE THOMPSON (D-Miss.) and Vice Chair LIZ CHENEY (R-Wyo.). The witnesses: In a departure from past procedure (save for the surprise emergency hearing starring CASSIDY HUTCHINSON), the committee opted not to release the names of today's witnesses in advance, citing security concerns and the "potential for harassment." Even so, some names of expected witnesses have been reported:
- JASON VAN TATENHOVE, a former spokesperson and self-described "propagandist" for the Oath Keepers.
What else to expect:
- Cipollone's interview: Murphy told Nick and Kyle that the hearing would feature the panel's first public clips of its interview with former White House counsel PAT CIPOLLONE, who met with the committee for more than eight hours Friday.
- A look at possible ties between Trump's advisers and members of the Oath Keepers and Proud Boys. Among the names that could come up: MICHAEL FLYNN and ROGER STONE, both of whom have been interviewed by the committee, pleaded the Fifth and, as NPR's Tom Dreisbach points out, have either appeared at events with one of the leaders of the groups or used the groups as a security detail.
SPEAKING OF THE OATH KEEPERS — The group's lawyer KELLYE SORELLE told NBC's Ryan Reilly that founder STEWART RHODES wanted her to connect him with the White House in the weeks leading up to Jan. 6, though she didn't do so. "A source familiar with the Jan. 6 committee's work said SoRelle was of great interest to the committee given her links both in Trump's orbit and with members of the alleged seditious conspiracy. " SURVEY SAYS — New polling out today from POLITICO/Morning Consult suggests that the Jan. 6 committee's work could be changing the public's understanding of that day's events. Toplines … Crosstabs (1) Sixty-six percent of voters say Trump attempted to overturn the 2020 election; (2) Sixty-six percent say he claimed the election was fraudulent without evidence, and; (3) Fifty-nine percent say he misled the public about the outcome of the election. An interesting nugget from the crosstabs: Forty-four percent of Republicans say Trump lied about the election results. That's up seven points since the end of June. That said, members of the GOP continue to avoid blaming Trump for the Jan. 6 attack: Sixty percent of Republicans said he's not responsible. On the 2024 front: Do you believe Donald Trump should run for president in the 2024 election?
- Yes: 35% (definitely: 25%; probably: 10%)
- No: 61% (definitely not: 48%; probably not: 13%)
Do you believe JOE BIDEN should run for president in the 2024 election?
- Yes: 29% (definitely: 14%; probably: 14%, rounding up to 29%)
- No: 64% (definitely not: 46%; probably not: 18%)
Good Tuesday morning. Thanks for reading Playbook. Drop us a line: Rachael Bade, Eugene Daniels, Ryan Lizza.
| | | | A message from PhRMA: Inflation is causing pain for people across the country. As policymakers search for ways to help provide relief, some are erroneously tying inflation to prescription medicines. To make matters worse, this false premise is being used to build support for harmful policies.
It's important to make medicines affordable for patients, but let's get a few facts straight – starting with the fact that prescription drugs are not fueling inflation. | | | FIRST IN PLAYBOOK — Florida Gov. RON DESANTIS recently held a confab of dozens of his top national donors as well as a handful of fellow Republican governors and prominent candidates he's close to as he runs for reelection and eyes a presidential run in 2024, two sources familiar with the event told Daniel Lippman. Attendees at the event in Fort Lauderdale — which sources described as the most significant assembly of Republican governors outside of the RGA so far this year — included Govs. KIM REYNOLDS of Iowa, HENRY MCMASTER of South Carolina, KEVIN STITT of Oklahoma and BILL LEE of Tennessee, Arkansas gubernatorial candidate and former Trump White House press secretary SARAH HUCKABEE SANDERS, former Maine Gov. and current gubernatorial candidate PAUL LEPAGE and Nevada Senate candidate ADAM LAXALT. Conservative media influencers in attendance included BUCK SEXTON, LISA BOOTHE and JOSH HAMMER. DeSantis' political operation billed the "lightly scheduled" event as a chance to connect his key donors and friendly media figures to Republican governors and candidates who share the Florida governor's political priorities and support his style of governing. The daylong conference featured an informal "get to know you" session over drinks and cigars, a dinner accompanied by a speech from DeSantis, and panels showcasing the visiting governors and conservative pundits moderated by DeSantis. A DeSantis campaign spokesperson declined to comment. BRACE YOURSELVES — Wednesday's consumer price index report could contain some dire inflation numbers. "The White House expects June's consumer price index figures to be 'highly elevated,'" reports Bloomberg's Justin Sink. On Monday, press secretary KARINE JEAN-PIERRE tried to get ahead of the news by telling reporters that the June data would be "backwards-looking" and "already out of date." (It's true that gas prices have been falling this month, but her qualifiers could also apply to literally any economic report.) THE ELEPHANT IN THE ROOM — Trump's dance around a potential early 2024 announcement is making the GOP nervous, as Republican leaders want him to hold off for fear of upsetting their favorable midterms environment, Burgess Everett and Marianne LeVine report. With Trump's place in the party secure, Republicans need his base — but many want their candidates talking about him as little as possible. Senate Minority Whip JOHN THUNE (R-S.D.): "The fewer disruptions, obviously, the better."
| | | | A message from PhRMA:   What's fueling inflation? Not prescription drugs. The administration's own economic data proves it. | | | | | BIDEN'S TUESDAY:
9:30 a.m.: The president will receive the President's Daily Brief.
11:15 a.m.: Biden will hold a bilateral meeting with Mexican President ANDRÉS MANUEL LÓPEZ OBRADOR in the Oval Office.
4:30 p.m.: The Bidens will host the White House Congressional Picnic on the South Lawn, with VP KAMALA HARRIS attending.
9:30 p.m.: Biden will depart the White House to head to Jerusalem.
HARRIS' TUESDAY — The VP will also host López Obrador for a breakfast at her residence at 9 a.m., and take part remotely in the Pacific Islands Forum annual leaders meeting at 5:30 p.m. | | | | | | HAVE QUESTIONS ABOUT ROE BEING OVERTURNED? JOIN WOMEN RULE ON 7/21: Now that the Supreme Court has overturned Roe v. Wade , abortion policy is in the hands of the states and, ultimately, voters. Join POLITICO national political correspondent Elena Schneider for a Women Rule "ask me anything" conversation featuring a panel of reporters from our politics and health care teams who will answer your questions about how the court's decision could play out in different states, its impact on the midterms and what it means for reproductive rights in the U.S. going forward. SUBMIT YOUR QUESTIONS AND REGISTER HERE. | | | | | The White House Covid-19 response team and public health officials will brief at 9:30 a.m. Jean-Pierre and national security adviser JAKE SULLIVAN will gaggle on Air Force One on the way to Israel. THE HOUSE will meet at 2 p.m. to take up several bills, with votes postponed until 6:30 p.m. The Rules Committee will meet at noon to take up bills including the National Defense Authorization Act and abortion-related legislation. The Jan. 6 committee will hold its latest hearing at 1 p.m. Speaker NANCY PELOSI will swear in new Rep. MIKE FLOOD (R-Neb.) at 7:10 p.m. THE SENATE will meet at 10 a.m. to take up ASHISH VAZIRANI's DOD nomination. At 11:30 a.m., the chamber will take a cloture vote on STEVEN DETTELBACH's nomination as director of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. After a recess from 12:30 p.m. to 2:15 p.m. for weekly conference meetings (we're told the Dem lunch will be virtual), the Senate will vote on both noms at 2:30 p.m. ( Here's NYT's Annie Karni on Dems' complicated math for these votes.)
| | PLAYBOOK READS | | CONGRESS MCCONNELL'S TWO-STEP — Senate Republicans are falling in line with Minority Leader MITCH MCCONNELL's threat to derail the major semiconductor manufacturing/China competitiveness bill if Dems push through a party-line reconciliation package, Andrew Desiderio and Sarah Ferris report. The GOP hardball tactic imperils a significant bipartisan bill, but even some of its Republican creators are backing McConnell. Democrats remain hopeful that some Republicans would still vote for the China bill, though they're also talking about just sending the Senate-passed version through the House as a backup. — FIRST IN POLITICO: The National Association of Manufacturers sent a letter Monday to Biden and congressional leaders siding with McConnell: "There is absolutely no reason to delay or derail legislation that has earned bipartisan support and would support American manufacturing workers for decades to come. The longer we wait, the further behind we fall. We will also fall behind if Congress undermines manufacturers' competitiveness by pursuing a reconciliation bill to raise taxes." The letter — But Sen. JOE MANCHIN doesn't sound scared by McConnell's threat. The West Virginia Democrat told CNN's Manu Raju that the move was "so wrong," adding, "I'm not walking away if anybody's gonna threaten me or hold me hostage, if I can help the country. And if they want to play politics and play party politics, shame on 'em." Reconciliation timing: Manchin also said that he views Sept. 30, not the summer recess, as the chamber's true deadline for landing a reconciliation deal. ALL POLITICS CASH DASH — House Minority Leader KEVIN MCCARTHY pulled in $19.2 million in Q2, making for a record-breaking $50 million haul in the first half of the year, Fox News' Paul Steinhauser scooped. 2024 WATCH — RootsAction.org is planning a six-figure campaign urging Biden not to run for reelection in 2024, just half a cycle after urging progressives to get on board with him in 2020, David Siders reports. The ads will kick off in early nominating states right after the midterms this fall. — But, but, but: Don't expect any major names to primary Biden if he runs. CNN's Isaac Dovere got a lot of potential rivals (or their spokespeople) on the record saying they're not challenging the president, including Rep. RO KHANNA (D-Calif.), California Gov. GAVIN NEWSOM, Illinois Gov. J.B. PRITZKER, Transportation Secretary PETE BUTTIGIEG, Colorado Gov. JARED POLIS and more. — Related read: "Are Democrats Stuck With Joe Biden in 2024?" by NY Mag's Ed Kilgore THE MIDTERMS LANDSCAPE — The U.S. has more than 3,000 counties. But with its population increasingly sorting into solidly blue or comfortably red territory, the number of truly contested regions is just a tiny fraction of that total. Out this morning, POLITICO has an interactive look at 20 of the most important counties that will determine whether Republicans or Democrats rule the House and Senate in 2023. The county profiles were reported and written by journalists who participated in the POLITICO Journalism Institute, a training program designed to advance newsroom diversity.
| | | | A message from PhRMA:   What's fueling inflation? Not prescription drugs. The administration's own economic data proves it. | | | THE WHITE HOUSE BIDEN'S BIG TRIP — "It's not the Middle East Biden wanted. But when he lands there this week, it's the one he'll get — a trip filled with opportunities but also a minefield for the president," Alex Ward and Jonathan Lemire write in their preview of Biden's trek. "It is better for us to be present, even if it hurts," a senior U.S. official told POLITICO. — Biden will likely face pressure from both Israel and Arab states to get tougher on Iran, NBC's Dan De Luce reports. They'll want him to outline the backup plan if the bid to revive the Iran nuclear deal falls apart. — "Biden won't be shaking hands in Israel due to COVID surge," The Jerusalem Post
| 
Ronen Sami irons an American flag ahead of a visit by President Joe Biden at the Israeli President's residence in Jerusalem, on Monday. This is Biden's first visit to Israel and the occupied West Bank since assuming office. | Maya Alleruzzo/AP Photo | JUST POSTED — "Biden admin: Docs must offer abortion if mom's life at risk," by AP's Zeke Miller TRUMP CARDS BOOT THE RALLY — A Trump rally in Greensboro, N.C., scheduled for Friday has been canceled, as the former president is due to testify that day alongside his children in the New York A.G.'s investigation into their business, per The News & Observer's Danielle Battaglia . "The American Freedom Tour did not publicize that the event would no longer take place Friday, but quietly removed it from its website. Tickets for the event initially sold for $9 to $3,955" (emphasis ours!). JAN. 6 AND ITS AFTERMATH THE DOJ PROBE — Hutchinson's bombshell testimony has altered the Justice Department's investigation, spurring officials to discuss "the pressure that the testimony created to scrutinize Mr. Trump's potential criminal culpability and whether he intended to break the law," NYT's Katie Benner and Glenn Thrush report. A.G. MERRICK GARLAND and Deputy A.G. LISA MONACO have been in the room for some of those conversations. And for the first time, after investigators had rarely talked about Trump himself among themselves, this news "seemed to have opened a path to broaching the most sensitive topic of all: Mr. Trump's own actions ahead of the attack." BANNON LATEST — STEVE BANNON suffered setback after setback Monday as a federal judge refused his request to delay Bannon's contempt of Congress trial scheduled to begin next week. The Trump-appointed judge sided with DOJ on nearly all pre-trial disputes and tossed Bannon's attempt to subpoena Pelosi and Jan. 6 committee members. More from Insider THE OTHER INVESTIGATIONS — A Georgia judge ruled Monday that Sen. LINDSEY GRAHAM (R-S.C.) has to comply with a subpoena and testify before a grand jury in the Fulton County district attorney's investigation into Trump's attempt to subvert the 2020 election. Graham had said last week he'd try to fight the subpoena. More from Fox 5 Atlanta COMING ATTRACTIONS — Jan. 6 committee aides say that the hearing that had reportedly been slated for this Thursday will instead take place next week.
| | | | INTRODUCING POWER SWITCH: The energy landscape is profoundly transforming. Power Switch is a daily newsletter that unlocks the most important stories driving the energy sector and the political forces shaping critical decisions about your energy future, from production to storage, distribution to consumption. Don't miss out on Power Switch, your guide to the politics of energy transformation in America and around the world. SUBSCRIBE TODAY. | | | | | | | PLAYBOOKERS | | Viktor Orban is going to speak at CPAC in August. Kevin Cramer divulged the grisly details of his finger injury, but is finally back in D.C. now. Herschel Walker has an, uh, interesting theory on how the U.S. is losing its "good air" to China. Jill Biden drew criticism for saying the Latino community's diversity is "as distinct as the bodegas of the Bronx, as beautiful as the blossoms of Miami and as unique as the breakfast tacos here in San Antonio." The National Association of Hispanic Journalists responded, "We are not tacos." Condoleezza Rice is now a part owner of the Denver Broncos. George W. Bush told Mitt Romney in 2012 that Rick Perry was dumber than him, per Mark Leibovich's new book. Hope Hicks once tried to boost Donald Trump's spirits by showing him an approval rating among Tennessee Republicans that he mistook for a national poll, also per Leibo. Tim Ryan launched a campaign ad featuring Fox figures — including Tucker Carlson — praising his ideas and moderate positioning over the years, NBC's Henry Gomez scooped. PLAYBOOK METRO SECTION — The National Park Service wants to close Beach Drive from Memorial Day until Labor Day every year, per ABC7. — Bad Saint is closing, per an email the restaurant sent customers. SPOTTED: Robert Costa and a CBS News crew ducking into House Majority Whip Jim Clyburn's (D-S.C.) office at the Capitol on Monday. FIRST IN PLAYBOOK — Tim Perry is now a senior media strategist for the New York based media strategy firm Stu Loeser & Co.; he'll be based in D.C. He most recently was a White House reporter at CBS News. — Jason Rosenberg is joining Block as head of corporate affairs. He most recently was managing director and head of U.S. government relations at JPMorgan Chase. MEDIA MOVE — Camille von Kaenel is joining POLITICO as California environmental reporter. She previously was at inewsource, and is an E&E News alum. NEW NOMINEES — The White House announced Biden will nominate Richard Mills Jr. as ambassador to Nigeria and Ann Marie Yastishock as ambassador to Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands and Vanuatu. TRANSITIONS — Emilia Rowland is now press secretary for John Fetterman's Pennsylvania Senate campaign. She previously was comms director and tech adviser for Rep. Sean Casten (D-Ill.). … Robert Williams is joining the NTIA as deputy director of intergovernmental affairs. He currently is senior political director at Stateside. … Nick Martin and Larry Meadows are joining Bully Pulpit Interactive. Martin will be a senior director and previously was an SVP at BCW. Meadows will be director of data science and previously led data teams at Blue State and Priorities USA. … … Mary Cordes is now manager of federal government affairs at Chemours. She previously was federal government affairs manager at Oxy Petroleum Corp. … Sophia Campbell is now a research analyst at HR&A Advisors. She most recently was a senior research assistant at the Brookings Institution. … Emily Hopkins is now assistant director of media relations at the Atlantic Council. She previously was comms associate at the Center for Nonprofit Advancement. ENGAGED — Fin Gómez, CBS News political director, got engaged to Sarah March, SVP for BAY Public Relations, this weekend on the same Manhattan rooftop where they shared their first kiss, watched a lunar eclipse and saw a shooting star. Among friends hiding behind chimneys with champagne and a guitarist playing their favorite songs, like "You're All I Need to Get By," Fin bent down on one knee, and Sarah responded, "Sí!" They first met in Miami's Design District and were close friends for over 11 years before starting to date when Fin was in Manhattan for White House travel pool duty. Instapics and the full story WEEKEND WEDDINGS — Rep. Tom Malinowski (D-N.J.) and Henrietta Levin, director for Southeast Asia at the NSC, got married Saturday in New Jersey. In dramatic fashion, Malinowski entered the ceremony via zipline to the theme music for "Indiana Jones" — of which he is a big fan. Watch the video:
| 
| — Simone Shenny, manager of broadcast outreach at the Cato Institute, and Andrew Berdahl, an associate in private equity at JPB Partners, got married Saturday at the Woodmont Country Club in Rockville, Md. It was almost exactly six years after they met at a rooftop July Fourth party. Pic … Another pic — Dave Martinez, director at Targeted Victory, and Hanna Allred, director of marketing at Red Spark Strategy, got married Sunday at the Chesapeake Bay Beach Club. The couple first met in 2016 and began dating in 2017.Pic … SPOTTED: Shashank Tripathi and Justine Sanders, Hooff Cooksey and Olivia Perez-Cubas, Jesse and Kim Hunt, Luke and Brooke Thompson, and Elliott Schwartz. WELCOME TO THE WORLD — Michael Barbaro, host of the NYT's "The Daily," and Lisa Tobin, executive producer for newsroom audio at the NYT, on Sunday welcomed Mira Ruth Barbaro, who came in at 7 lbs. BIRTHWEEK (was Sunday): Evelyn Swan of Rokk Solutions HAPPY BIRTHDAY: Playbook's own Ryan Lizza … Sen. Kyrsten Sinema (D-Ariz.) ... Reps. Betty McCollum (D-Minn.) and Andy Kim (D-N.J.) … FCC Chair Jessica Rosenworcel … CNN's Edward-Isaac Dovere … Brooke Baldwin … Thea McDonald … Rohini Kosoglu of the VP's office … Eric Ueland … Sean Cairncross ... Susan Axelrod ... Christie Vilsack ... Bank of America's Adam Elias ... POLITICO's Adam Wren … E&E News' Jael Holzman … Axios' Kayla Sharpe … Beth Lester Sidhu of the Stagwell Group ... Brendan Daly and Matt Daly … CNN's Eden Getachew … Ryan Bock ... Teresa Buckley Bill … Fox News' Bryan Llenas … WaPo's Jabin Botsford … Brian Schoeneman … Alex Levy of A.H. Levy & Co., celebrating in London (36) … Jordan Gehrke … John Gans Jr. … Nicole Narea … former Reps. Mickey Edwards (R-Okla.) and J.D. Hayworth (R-Ariz.) … CBS' Mary Walsh … Basel Hamdan … Jessica Hanks of DKC … Rachel DiCarlo Currie … Seton Motley … Malala Yousafzai … Kate Childs Graham … Ansley Schoen of the House Budget GOP … Madeline Saunders of Stu Loeser & Co. … NYSE's Josh King 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.
| | | | A message from PhRMA: What's fueling inflation? Not prescription drugs. The administration's own economic data proves it.
Even though medicines aren't fueling inflation, there are still patients who struggle to afford their treatments. But their challenges largely stem from a broken insurance system that too often forces patients to pay more for medicines than insurance companies pay.
The current system isn't fair for patients, but government price setting won't help. There is a better way to help lower drug costs for patients, while preserving choice, access and future innovation. | | | | | | | 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