| | | | |  | | By Garrett Ross | | | | 
Former President Donald Trump sat down with NYT's Maggie Haberman for three interviews for her new book. | Richard Shiro/AP Photo | |  | DRIVING THE DAY | | It has arrived: The first excerpt from MAGGIE HABERMAN's hotly anticipated new book, "Confidence Man: The Making of Donald Trump and the Breaking of America," ( $32) was published this morning by The Atlantic. And it's certain to generate buzz. Culled from three sit-down interviews Haberman had with DONALD TRUMP , the piece is chock full of eye-popping, quotable moments. (Trust us: You're going to want to read the whole thing.) Bits that raised our eyebrows: — Trump, on Senate Minority Leader MITCH McCONNELL: "The Old Crow's a piece of shit." — On what he told then-VP MIKE PENCE ahead of Jan. 6: "'I said, "Mike, you have a chance to be THOMAS JEFFERSON, or you can be Mike Pence,"' Trump recounted to me, repeating an inaccurate comparison to the election of 1800. 'He chose to be Mike Pence.'" — On Sen. LINDSEY GRAHAM (R-S.C.): "'You know why Lindsey kisses my ass?' he asked. 'So I'll endorse his friends.'" — On JARED KUSHNER: "I asked why he had given Jared Kushner expansive power. 'I didn't,' Trump said, although he had done exactly that. When I pressed, Trump said, 'Look, my daughter has a great relationship with him and that's very important.'" — On documents he took from the W.H.: "He demurred when I asked if he had taken any documents of note upon departing the White House — 'nothing of great urgency, no,' he said, before mentioning the letters that KIM JONG-UN had sent him. … 'You were able to take those with you?' I asked. He kept talking, seeming to have registered my surprise, and said, 'No, I think that's in the archives, but … Most of it is in the archives, but the Kim Jong-un letters … We have incredible things.'" — On his contacts with world leaders: "I was curious when Trump said he had kept in touch with other world leaders since leaving office. I asked whether that included Russia's VLADIMIR PUTIN and China's XI JINPING , and he said no. But when I mentioned North Korea's Kim Jong-Un, he responded, 'Well, I don't want to say exactly, but …' before trailing off. I learned after the interview that he had been telling people at Mar-a-Lago that he was still in contact with North Korea's supreme leader, whose picture with Trump hung on the wall of his new office at his club." — On his whole M.O.: "At one point, Trump made a candid admission that was as jarring as it was ultimately unsurprising. 'The question I get asked more than any other question: "If you had it to do again, would you have done it?"' Trump said of running for president. 'The answer is, yeah, I think so. Because here's the way I look at it. I have so many rich friends and nobody knows who they are.' … Reflecting on the meaning of having been president of the United States, his first impulse was not to mention public service, or what he felt he'd accomplished, only that it appeared to be a vehicle for fame, and that many experiences were only worth having if someone else envied them." — On his media strategy: "He started to explain why he doesn't like when audiotapes of his interviews are released. Being on camera was 'much different,' he said. 'Whereas,' he said, in a 'written interview, I'll repeat it 20 times, because I want to drum it into your beautiful brain. Do you understand that?' He repeated himself again. 'One of the things I'll do, if I'm doing, like with you, for the written word, is I got to drum it into your head. So I'll repeat something six times.'" — Haberman, on her interactions with Trump: "I have found myself on the receiving end of the two types of behavior Donald Trump exhibits toward reporters: his relentless desire to hold the media's gaze, and his poison-pen notes and angry statements in response to coverage." — Trump, on his interactions with Haberman: "[H]e turned to the two aides he had sitting in on our interview, gestured toward me with his hand, and said, 'I love being with her, she's like my psychiatrist.' … The reality is that he treats everyone like they are his psychiatrists — reporters, government aides, and members of Congress, friends and pseudo-friends and rally attendees and White House staff and customers. All present a chance for him to vent or test reactions or gauge how his statements are playing or discover how he is feeling. He works things out in real time in front of all of us. Along the way, he reoriented an entire country to react to his moods and emotions." NEWS FROM THE HOME TEAM — Congratulations are in order for our very own Eugene Daniels, who on Saturday was announced as president of the White House Correspondents' Association for the 2024-25 term. "The importance of a free press, access to our elected leaders, and essential fact-based reporting about the politicians, policy, and people of our country has never been more important," he wrote to his colleagues. "Defending these causes is no longer enough, we must advocate and advance them." Read Eugene's full letter … The WHCA's statement HAPPENING TODAY — Italy is voting on a new prime minister. NYT's Jason Horowitz has the scene-setter in Rome: "Italian Voters Appear Ready to Turn a Page for Europe: With the hard-right candidate GIORGIA MELONI ahead before Sunday's election, Italy could get its first leader whose party traces its roots to the wreckage of Fascism." Related: "How to watch the Italian election like a pro," by Giorgio Leali
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| While the Supreme Court's Dobbs decision — overturning Roe v. Wade and wiping out federal protections for abortion rights — has reverberated in midterm races at every level, the seismic shift is perhaps felt nowhere more tangibly than in gubernatorial races across the country. "That reality has in the past three months upended battleground governor races — where the winners could quite literally determine the level of access to abortion for millions of women," our colleagues Zach Montellaro and Megan Messerly write this morning. "And the way candidates are running on the issue could hardly be more polarized: Democrats are going all in. Republicans want to change the topic." Case in point: "Arizona Democrats vowed Saturday to fight for women's rights after a court reinstated a law first enacted during the Civil War that bans abortion in nearly all circumstances, looking to capitalize on an issue they hope will have a major impact on the midterm elections," writes AP's Jonathan Cooper . "Republican candidates were silent a day after the ruling, which said the state can prosecute doctors and others who assist with an abortion unless it's necessary to save the mother's life." In a statement on Saturday, the White House used the Arizona ruling to frame the entire midterm debate — centering the election on abortion rights: "The contrast between the President and his focus on moving the country forward and Republican officials' obsession with taking our country backwards could not be more stark," press secretary KARINE JEAN-PIERRE said in a statement. Related read: — "In GOP legislatures, a gender divide emerges over abortion," by AP's Leah Willingham: "As male-dominated legislatures worked to advance bans, often with support of the few Republican women holding office, protesters were more likely to be women." BIG PICTURE POLL POSITION — A new WaPo/ABC poll offers some fresh readings for each party ahead of the midterms. Top findings:
- "2 in 3 registered voters see this election as more important than past midterm campaigns. That's the same percentage that said this in 2018 when turnout surged to the highest in a century."
- "Among registered Democratic voters, 3 in 4 say they are almost certain to vote compared with about 8 in 10 Republicans. Independents are less motivated. Four years ago, Democrats were about as mobilized as Republicans and had a clear lead in overall support."
- "President Biden continues to be a drag on Democratic candidates this fall. The Post-ABC survey pegs his approval rating at 39 percent, with 53 percent disapproving, including 41 percent strongly disapproving."
STRATEGY SESSION — California Gov. GAVIN NEWSOM had some brutally honest words for his fellow Dems on Saturday, telling the Texas Tribune Festival that Republicans have a leg up when it comes to messaging, AP's Adam Beam writes. Referencing former first lady MICHELLE OBAMA's famous "when they go low, we go high" remark, Newsom said "that's not the moment we're living in right now." Newsom: "These guys are ruthless on the other side. … Where are we? Where are we organizing, bottom up, a compelling alternative narrative? Where are we going on the offense every single day? They're winning right now." BATTLE FOR THE HOUSE CAMPAIGN CLEANUP — "Rep. Mayra Flores' campaign says she misspoke when she said she fired aide after sexual harassment allegations," by the Texas Tribune's Matthew Choi BATTLE FOR THE STATES CHENEY GOES THERE — Speaking at the Texas Tribune Festival on Saturday, Rep. LIZ CHENEY (R-Wyo.) put Trump-endorsed Arizona GOP gubernatorial nominee KARI LAKE on notice: "I'm going to do everything I can to make sure Kari Lake is not elected," Cheney said. Asked then if that meant she would campaign with Democrats, she said yes. Watch the 19-second clip "But, Cheney would not go as far as saying that she wants Democrats to keep control of the House of Representatives after the midterm elections," CNN's Annie Grayer writes . "Cheney said there are a lot of 'bad policies' in the Biden administration but added, 'I think it's really important though, as voters are going to vote, that they recognize and understand what the Republican Conference consists of in the House of Representatives today.'" — Related read: "Liz Cheney says she will do whatever it takes to keep Donald Trump from the White House, even if it means leaving the GOP," by the Texas Tribune's Matthew Choi IN PENNSYLVANIA — AP's Marc Levy takes a look at JOSH SHAPIRO's run as the Democratic nominee for governor: "In one of the most politically competitive states in the U.S., the Democratic contender for governor is waging a notably drama-free campaign, betting that a relatively under the radar approach will resonate with voters exhausted by a deeply charged political environment. But Shapiro faces a test of whether his comparatively low-key style will energize Democrats to rally against Mastriano, who many in the party view as an existential threat." DeSANTIS DOWNLOAD — "DeSantis Re-Election Campaign Focuses on Voters in Florida Republican Base," by WSJ's Arian Campo-Flores and Alex Leary ONE TO WATCH — "Democrats in Florida seek to win over Latinos on gun control," by AP's Adriana Gómez Licón in Miami DEEP IN THE HEART — "Beto O'Rourke shrugs off polling deficit, promises he won't let down Democrats in South Texas," by the Texas Tribune's Patrick Svitek
| | | | A message from Facebook:   | | | SUNDAY BEST … — Rep. JAMIE RASKIN (D-Md.) on Wednesday's Jan. 6 committee hearing, on NBC's "Meet the Press": "It may be the last investigative public hearing where we're going to try to round out the factual narrative." On whether VIRGINIA THOMAS would testify on Wednesday: "I doubt that, but I think that there's an agreement in place with Ginni Thomas to come and talk." When asked whether the committee would complete its final report before Election Day, Raskin wouldn't commit: "I don't know whether it will be done then, but our commitment is to get it done by the end of this Congress." — Rep. NANCY MACE (R-S.C.) on whether she would support a Trump run in 2024: "I hope that it's a wide field. I hope that we see a woman on the ticket." Pressed by host Chuck Todd specifically on the question of Trump, Mace offered: "I'm going to support whomever Republicans nominate in '24." — Sen. JOE MANCHIN (D-W.Va.) responding to a WSJ editorial slamming his permitting bill , on "Fox News Sunday": "The article is not accurate, and we have a reply. The reply will be going in tomorrow to the Wall Street Journal … answering every one of the things that they basically evaluated wrongly." — British PM LIZ TRUSS on the U.K.-U.S. relationship, on CNN's "State of the Union": "I do think our relationship is special, and it's increasingly important at a time when we're facing threats from Russia, increased assertiveness from China." More from Olivia Olander TOP-EDS: A roundup of the week's must-read opinion pieces. All politics …
All policy …
The world …
| | BIDEN'S SUNDAY — The president has nothing on his public schedule.
VP KAMALA HARRIS' SUNDAY — The VP left Washington at 8:15 a.m. Eastern time to travel to Tokyo. | | | | | | DON'T MISS - MILKEN INSTITUTE ASIA SUMMIT : Go inside the 9th annual Milken Institute Asia Summit, taking place from September 28-30, with a special edition of POLITICO's Global Insider newsletter, featuring exclusive coverage and insights from this important gathering. Stay up to speed with daily updates from the summit, which brings together more than 1,200 of the world's most influential leaders from business, government, finance, technology, and academia. Don't miss out, subscribe today. | | | | | PHOTO OF THE DAY
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Russian policemen detain a demonstrator protesting against mobilization in St. Petersburg, Russia, on Saturday, Sept. 24. | AP Photo | | | PLAYBOOK READS | | 7 THINGS FOR YOUR RADAR 1. CRUZ CONTROL: Sen. TED CRUZ (R-Texas) popped up at the Texas Tribune Festival, where he held court on a variety of issues du jour. — On immigration: "It is utterly dysfunctional, and part of the reason why it happens is the press. … The press facilitates the Biden White House lying on this issue because they don't cover it," Cruz said, per the Texas Tribune's Stephen Neukam. Cruz continued: "The reason South Texas, I think, is turning red is because they are seeing this chaos. You cannot see it and defend it." — On a GOP-run House in 2023: Per the Washington Examiner's David Drucker, who conducted the interview: Cruz said "he expects any new House GOP majority (the likely Nov. 8 outcome) to IMPEACH [DHS Secretary ALEJANDRO MAYORKAS], triggering a Senate trial. Should be noted: Cruz talks regularly w/ many House Rs." — On gun safety measures: After one attendee shouted at Cruz that "violence doesn't solve violence," Cruz responded: "It actually is the only thing that does." 4-minute clip … 2-minute clip — On the 2024 GOP presidential field: "Everybody is waiting to see what Trump decides. And the reality is he is going to do what he wants to do. I don't know if he is going to run for president. Nobody else does, either. … If he doesn't run, everybody runs." 2-minute clip 2. 2024 WATCH: CNN's Edward-Isaac Dovere, Manu Raju, Jeff Zeleny, Kate Bennett, Jeremy Diamond and Daniella Diaz have the latest swing at the will-he-won't-he of it all as everyone waits for a formal launch of a Biden reelection campaign: "Inside the White House — both in the West Wing and in first lady Dr. JILL BIDEN's offices — the last six weeks have renewed confidence of the President's chances in a reelection run. "They've developed a chip-on-the-shoulder underdog mentality, saying people doubt Biden and claim they're not excited by him before he pulls it all together and comes out on top. He did it after he was counted out during the 2020 primaries, they say, he did it in going up against Trump and he did it again when his presidency was assumed to have sputtered out in the spring. Now they were ready to get on board -- if he is." 3. JAN. 6 AND ITS AFTERMATH: "Ex-staffer's unauthorized book about Jan. 6 committee rankles members," by WaPo's Jacqueline Alemany and Josh Dawsey: "Lawmakers and committee staff were largely unaware that [former Rep. DENVER RIGGLEMAN (R-Va.)] had spent the months since leaving the committee writing a book about his limited work on staff — or that it would be published before the conclusion of the committee's investigation. Reminder: Riggleman will be on CBS' "60 Minutes" tonight
| | | | A message from Facebook:   | | | 4. MORE MIGRANT STUNTS?: As Florida Gov. RON DeSANTIS has vowed to continue sending migrants across the country, the company he has used "operates charter flights under approvals granted by federal transportation regulators who have almost absolute power to regulate safety in the skies," Oriana Pawlyk writes. "But there's probably little the Federal Aviation Administration can do to stop DeSantis from continuing the flights, people familiar with the agency's legal authorities say — even though President Joe Biden and other Democrats have condemned the flights as cruel publicity stunts." — Related read: "Florida has long been a sanctuary for immigrants. That's now being tested," by WaPo's Tim Craig and María Luisa Paúl 5. THE PANDEMIC: "The City That Survived Covid Better Than the Rest of Us," by Victoria Colliver: "What would the pandemic have been like if testing had been more available? The college town of Davis, Calif., offers some clues." 6. WAR IN UKRAINE: "Winter's approach sets clock ticking for Ukraine, Russia," by AP's Jon Gambrell 7. HEADS UP: "Floridians brace for the arrival of Tropical Storm Ian, which is forecast to rapidly intensify on Sunday," CNN
| | | | SUBSCRIBE TO 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 | | Carla Hayden invited Lizzo to see the Library of Congress' extensive flute collection next week. Lizzo seems excited: "I'M COMING CARLA! AND I'M PLAYIN THAT CRYSTAL FLUTE!!!!!" Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter rode in a convertible for the 25th annual Peanut Festival parade in Plains, Ga. WHAT PLAYBOOKERS ARE READING: A roundup of the most-clicked links from the past week in Playbook. 1. "Nina Totenberg Had a Beautiful Friendship With RBG. Her Book About It Is an Embarrassment," by Michael Schaffer for POLITICO Magazine 2. "Biden Staffers Celebrate Their Love with September Wedding — Complete with a Gift from the President," People magazine 3. "Trump super Pac raised just $40 in August in sign of weakness," FT 4. "5 juiciest takeaways from the Tish James lawsuit against Donald Trump," by Josh Gerstein and Kyle Cheney 5. "Trump's Team of Lawyers Marked by Infighting and Possible Legal Troubles of Its Own," NYT SPOTTED: D.C. Councilmember Elissa Silverman making balloon animals Saturday for D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser's 4-year-old daughter at the Brookland Farmers Market. … MSNBC host Tiffany Cross dining with actor/comedian Deon Cole on Friday at Le Diplomate (wearing matching leather jackets). HAPPY BIRTHDAY: Reps. Mario Díaz-Balart (R-Fla.), Doris Matsui (D-Calif.), Gregory Meeks (D-N.Y.) and Marilyn Strickland (D-Wash.) (6-0) … Chamber of Commerce's Jack Howard … former Defense Secretary Robert Gates ... NPR's Tamara Keith … Barbara Walters (93) … NBC's Ryan Reilly … April Greener of Speaker Nancy Pelosi's office … Gary Carpentier … POLITICO's Bob King, Lesley Clark and Sakura Cannestra … Bloomberg's John Lauinger … Salesforce's Marc Benioff… George Hornedo … NRCC's Sloane Carlough … Jeff Roe of Axiom Strategies … Kiley Smith … Chrissy Harbin … Washington Examiner's Madeline Fry Schultz … Missy Owens of General Motors … Kirsten West of Cornerstone Government Affairs … Mallory Ward ... Carmiel Arbit ... Dave Peluso … Messina Group's Jack Davis … Arnold & Porter's Mickayla Stogsdill … Rita Norton … Emily Threadgill … Brian Beutler … Ed Newberry of Squire Patton Boggs … Vivyan Tran ... former Rep. Jerry Costello (D-Ill.) … Dena Kozanas … Katie Lee of Mental Health America … Steptoe & Johnson's Darryl Nirenberg … Brittney Peterson of the Naval War College Foundation … Tim Hogan 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 DeBonis, deputy editor Zack Stanton, reporter Eli Okun and producers Setota Hailemariam and Bethany Irvine.
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