| | | | |  | | By Eugene Daniels, Rachael Bade and Ryan Lizza | Presented by TikTok | With help from Eli Okun and Garrett Ross
|  As President Joe Biden gears up for a likely reelection, he appears to be shimmying back to the ideological middle (an easy move when there’s no real primary challenge). | Drew Angerer/Getty Images | | | | |  | DRIVING THE DAY | | A pair of fresh stories out this morning illuminate two emerging storylines in the early jockeying for the 2024 campaign … ON THE DEMOCRATIC SIDE: White House aides tell us that President JOE BIDEN is likely to announce a final decision on the 2024 reelection in the coming weeks. And as he gears up for a likely reelection, he appears to be shimmying back to the ideological middle (an easy move when there’s no real primary challenge). There are three issues in particular where this inching toward the center has been clearest in recent weeks, our Jonathan Lemire and Daniella Diaz write, and where Biden’s recent posturing has ticked off some of his most progressive supporters:
- Crime: Biden announced that he would not stop a Republican-backed bill to override changes that the D.C. Council made that overhauled the city’s criminal code, lessening maximum penalties for some offenses.
- Oil: Biden approved ConocoPhillips’ massive new Willow Project to drill for oil on federal land in Alaska.
- Immigration: Biden is reportedly considering whether to readopt DONALD TRUMP’s policy of detaining migrant families at the southern border amid concerns that lifting Title 42 in May will lead to a rush of migrants at the border.
In each of those areas, the Biden administration has taken positions that are at odds with some of the loudest and most influential voices in his coalition (and which seem to make it much harder to follow through on some of his 2020 campaign promises). And Jonathan and Daniella’s story is chock full of quotes from crestfallen progressives who were singing Biden’s praises not that long ago. Sen. BERNIE SANDERS (I-Vt.): “I think the devil is in the details and we will see what happens. … But has he made decisions that progressives disagree with? Absolutely. We will see what comes up in the next year.” Rep. ALEXANDRIA OCASIO-CORTEZ (D-N.Y.): “If the President supports D.C. statehood, he should govern like it.” Biden aides are quick to emphasize that there’s no “coordinated, deliberate strategy to move to the center,” as they told our colleagues. But it’s hard to ignore what our colleagues call the “emerging gulf between the president and his progressive base,” as it “provides a window into how Biden world views the looming presidential campaign.” ON THE REPUBLICAN SIDE: Our Olivia Beavers spoke with (nearly) every Republican of the Florida congressional delegation to see which Florida Man they plan on supporting in the 2024 GOP primary: former President DONALD TRUMP or Gov. RON DeSANTIS, who has yet to officially announce a bid. The members are torn over what to do. They fear Trump’s wrath, worry about retaliation against those he sees as disloyal and fret about the long-term need to get closer to DeSantis, who is three decades younger than Trump and has a much longer runway ahead of him. Conversations with nearly every member “point to clear future fractures over which candidate to support. And decision time is quickly approaching, as early polling shows the party primary trending towards a two-way battle between the two Floridians,” Olivia writes. Rep. NEAL DUNN: “Oh, wow. You really are trying to get me into a situation here.” (Dunn added that while he had “pretty much” made up his mind on who he’d endorse, he plans to keep it secret for now, because “I don’t need to make myself a target for a year.”) Rep. AARON BEAN likened it to “Sophie’s choice.” Rep. PAULINA LUNA: “Who am I supporting, Gov. DeSantis or Trump? Trump. I love DeSantis. I don’t think anyone will ever be able to compete with him as governor, and I’ll be sad to see if he leaves early. … I love them both.” And one anonymous Florida Republican said this in response to Olivia’s query: “Do you think I want to talk about that? You think I’m crazy?” Happy St. Patrick’s Day. Thanks for reading Playbook. Drop us a line: Rachael Bade, Eugene Daniels, Ryan Lizza.
| | | | A message from TikTok: TikTok is building systems tailor-made to address concerns around data security. What’s more, these systems will be managed by a U.S.-based team specifically tasked with managing all access to U.S. user data and securing the TikTok platform. It’s part of TikTok’s commitment to securing personal data while still giving the global TikTok experience people know and love. Learn more at http://tiktok.com/safety. | | | TALK OF THIS TOWN — Michael Schaffer’s latest Capital City column: “Mike Pence Shows the World that Washington is a Bunch of Cheap Dates” THE PLAYBOOK INTERVIEW: STEPHEN HADLEY — Yesterday, the Senate began to reevaluate one of the most controversial episodes in American history: the Iraq war. After a generation of use and abuse, Senate Majority Leader CHUCK SCHUMER is calling a vote to repeal a pair of congressional authorizations for the use of military force, or AUMFs, which were passed in the runup to the war in 2002 and have been a key underpinning for America’s so-called “forever wars” in the Middle East. But Stephen Hadley, the architect of many of the national security policies that the Iraq AUMFs enabled, has something to say before Congress votes. Hadley was President GEORGE W. BUSH’s national security adviser from 2005 to 2009 and was DICK CHENEY’s guy at the negotiating table with Russia during the GEORGE H.W. BUSH administration. Now, he has just published a book called, “Hand-Off: The Foreign Policy George W. Bush Passed to Barack Obama,” that chronicles 20 years of war and politics in America. On this week’s episode of Playbook Deep Dive, Ryan speaks with Hadley about what we stand to lose if Congress is sloppy in repealing the Iraq war AUMF, what Bush got right and wrong on China, how Biden’s foreign policy echoes Bush’s “Freedom Agenda,” and what the country can learn from Bush’s successes and failures dealing with VLADIMIR PUTIN. Listen to the full episode … Subscribe on Apple Podcasts or Spotify
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| BIG READ — “The Federalist Society Isn’t Quite Sure About Democracy Anymore,” by Ian Ward in Austin, Texas, for POLITICO Magazine: “After recent Supreme Court wins, the society’s youth arm debates the next stage for the conservative legal movement.” A TALE OF TWO McHENRYS — Then: “A young PATRICK McHENRY rose through the House GOP by bashing the government’s economic rescue plans in the wake of the global financial crisis. In 2008, the conservative North Carolinian — a self-described ‘bomb-thrower’ — helped sink the Bush administration’s first attempt to save Wall Street, triggering a historic stock market crash,” write Zachary Warmbrodt and Eleanor Mueller. Now: “Fourteen years later, with the banking system on the precipice once again, McHenry is anything but a partisan warrior in his new role as chair of the House Financial Services Committee. Rather than attack the Biden administration’s decision to backstop depositors at two failed regional banks, his first move offered political cover and calm as the crisis unfurled.” Former Trump OMB Director RUSSELL VOUGHT: “I don’t have faith in Patrick McHenry.”
| | | | A message from TikTok:   data security and privacy. your concern. our commitment. Learn more at http://tiktok.com/safety. | | | | | BIDEN’S FRIDAY:
9 a.m.: The president will receive the President’s Daily Brief.
10:30 a.m.: Biden will hold a bilateral meeting with Irish Taoiseach LEO VARADKAR.
12 p.m.: Biden will attend the Friends of Ireland Caucus St. Patrick’s Day Luncheon.
5 p.m.: Biden will host Varadkar for a Shamrock presentation and reception at the White House, which VP KAMALA HARRIS and second gentleman DOUG EMHOFF will also attend.
7:30 p.m.: Biden will depart the White House en route to New Castle, Del.
HARRIS’ FRIDAY:
8:30 a.m.: The VP and second gentleman will host Varadkar and MATTHEW BARRETT for breakfast at the Naval Observatory.
THE SENATE and HOUSE are out. | | | | | | We’re spilling the tea (and drinking tons of it in our newsroom) in U.K. politics with our latest newsletter, London Playbook PM. Get to know all the movers and shakers in Westminster and never miss a beat of British politics with a free subscription. Don’t miss out, we’ve got some exciting moves coming. Sign up today. | | | | | PHOTO OF THE DAY
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Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer shows off a photograph of himself at the Capitol on Thursday, March 16. | Francis Chung/POLITICO | | | PLAYBOOK READS | | 2024 WATCH THE COMEBACK CONTINUES — “Trump blends new policies with old grievances in his 2024 campaign,” by NBC’s Allan Smith and Jonathan Allen: “Former President Donald Trump is firing a fusillade of policy proposals into the GOP presidential primary. The effort to one-up rivals in the early stages of the race may help Trump shift focus from his mounting legal woes and the failings of high-profile candidates he backed in key midterm races. “But the main purpose, some close advisers to Trump say, is to offer primary voters a forward-looking vision that emphasizes what he plans to do — a notable shift from his 2020 campaign, which centered on ‘promises made, promises kept,’ and a response to conservatives who worry he’s too focused on the past. Dubbed ‘Agenda47,’ Trump’s developing platform mixes new, recast and recycled planks … to give his campaign a fresher look.” RELIVING HIS GLORY DAYS — Bloomberg’s Mario Parker takes us on board Trump’s campaign plane — the Boeing 757 named “Trump Force One” — where he finds that the “vernacular and procedures evident in traveling with the former president and current front-runner for the GOP nomination cast light on Trump’s yearning for the trappings of the White House.” Among the details: “The small group of reporters traveling with Trump on March 13 were given gold, octagonal lanyards that said ‘Trump Force One Press Pool,’ near-replicas of those issued during his administration. President Joe Biden’s White House has since changed the traveling badges to a longer, rectangular shape.” And one more detail for good measure: “Shortly after Trump’s plane was wheels up from Iowa back to Palm Beach, a flight attendant walked to the front with a large red and white bucket of KFC chicken. … The soundtrack from his rallies lightly played on the plane’s speakers.” FLORIDA MEN — “Trump vs. DeSantis: Rivals’ very different styles on display,” by AP’s Steve Peoples And Jill Colvin MORE POLITICS PENCE DOUBLES DOWN — Former VP MIKE PENCE yesterday stood by his Gridiron Dinner barb that Transportation Secretary PETE BUTTIGIEG took “maternity leave” after he and his husband, CHASTEN, adopted twins. (Reminder: The Buttigieg twins were born prematurely, had health complications and one was hospitalized for a period that included a week on a ventilator.) “The Gridiron Dinner is a roast,” Pence said last night at a Republican Party dinner in New Hampshire. “I had a lot of jokes directed to me, and I directed a lot of jokes to Republicans and Democrats. The only thing I can figure is Pete Buttigieg not only can’t do his job, but he can’t take a joke.” More from AP’s Holly Ramer Pence also weighed in on whether Trump should exit the presidential race if he is indicted next week. “Look, it’s a free country. Everybody can make their own decisions,” Pence said. More from Lisa Kashinsky in Keene, N.H. CONGRESS PUSHING FOR MORE — “House GOP quietly preps take two of its border push,” by Jordain Carney: “Senior members — including Majority Leader STEVE SCALISE (R-La.) and Reps. JIM JORDAN (R-Ohio) and MARK GREEN (R-Tenn.), chairs of the Judiciary and Homeland Security Committees, respectively — are quietly working on a slate of border-related bills, according to four GOP lawmakers and aides, that could be ready to begin moving as soon as the end of the month. Republicans have pitched ideas like reviving the border wall and cracking down on asylum seekers, policies that stand no chance in the Senate but would let them claim a messaging victory — if they can manage to push them through the House.” INVESTIGATION INVENTORY — “House GOP panel launches probe into Air Force’s ‘unauthorized’ record disclosures,” by Olivia Beavers THE WHITE HOUSE VEEP FILES — “In Iowa, Kamala Harris Says Republicans Won’t Stop at Abortion,” by NYT’s Zolan Kanno-Youngs in Des Moines HOT ON THE RIGHT — “Chinese Firm That Sent $3 Million To Biden Family Associates Appears To Have Been Run By CCP Member,” by The Daily Caller’s Philip Lenczycki Related read: “House G.O.P. Hunts for Evidence That Biden Family Deals Were Improper,” by NYT’s Luke Broadwater: “House Republicans on Thursday released financial records showing that HUNTER BIDEN and other relatives of President Biden received more than $1 million in 2017 from an associate who had entered into a business deal with a Chinese energy company, as they hunted for evidence that the president and his family have profited improperly from his position.” TRUMP CARDS MAR-A-LAGO LATEST — “Dozens of Mar-a-Lago staff, from servers to aides, are subpoenaed in classified documents probe,” by CNN’s Katelyn Polantz, Paula Reid, Kristen Holmes and Casey Gannon: “On Thursday, Trump’s communications aide MARGO MARTIN, who worked in the White House and then moved with Trump to Florida, appeared before the grand jury in Washington, DC. One of special counsel JACK SMITH’s senior-most prosecutors was involved in the interview.” DO THEY KNOW ANY OTHER MODE? — “As a Possible Indictment Looms, Trump’s Team Plans to Attack,” by NYT’s Maggie Haberman: “According to two of Mr. Trump’s political allies, the campaign will aim to portray any charges as part of a coordinated offensive by the Democratic Party against Mr. Trump, who is trying to become only the second former president to win a new term after leaving office. It is unclear what data points, if any, the Trump team plans to point to beyond [Manhattan DA ALVIN] BRAGG’s party registration in order to make a case that the district attorney is part of a broader political conspiracy against the former president.” JUST POSTED — “Trump-commissioned report undercut his claims of dead and double voters,” by WaPo’s Josh Dawsey: “The ‘Project 2020’ report conducted by the Berkeley Research Group and a team of scientists has now been obtained by prosecutors investigating the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol. A copy was reviewed by The Washington Post, and it shows that Trump’s own campaign paid more than $600,000 for research that undercut many of his most explosive claims. The research was never made public.” | | | | A message from TikTok:   data security and privacy. your concern. our commitment. Learn more at http://tiktok.com/safety. | | | POLICY CORNER CASHING IN CHIPS — “Everybody in Washington wants a byte of the CHIPS law,” by Brendan Bordelon and Caitlin Oprysko: “Washington is ready to unleash an unprecedented $52 billion to support the domestic microchip industry — and a startling array of companies are angling for a payday, some with an unclear connection to microchips. Among them are labor unions, the social media company Snap, FedEx, home heating and cooling companies, cryptocurrency exchange Coinbase and even the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, according to lobbying filings from the last three months of 2022.” UPDATING ABE — “Veterans Affairs modernizes mission statement based on Lincoln’s line,” by WaPo’s Mariana Alfaro WAR IN UKRAINE GOING WHERE OTHERS HAVEN’T — “Poland says it will be first NATO country to give fighter jets to Ukraine,” by WaPo’s Annabelle Chapman, Karen DeYoung, Loveday Morris and David Stern in Warsaw AMERICA AND THE WORLD DANCE OF THE SUPERPOWERS — “Wave of Stealthy China Cyberattacks Hits U.S., Private Networks, Google Says,” by WSJ’s Robert McMillan in San Francisco and Dustin Volz in Washington SAUDI STEPBACK — “With Saudi deals, U.S., China battle for influence in Mideast,” by AP’s Aamer Madhani, Matthew Lee and Ellen Knickmeyer THE ECONOMY TO THE RESCUE — “Big lenders inject $30B into embattled First Republic Bank,” by Ben White, Declan Harty and Sam Sutton: “The infusion of money is intended to sweep away fears by depositors and investors that First Republic and other midsize banks could fall victim to perilous runs. The private sector action could also help the Biden administration avoid the politically damaging charge that it is bailing out banks.” BEYOND THE BELTWAY ABORTION FALLOUT — “North Dakota Supreme Court upholds temporary block of state's abortion ban,” by the Bismarck Tribune’s Jack Dura IN THE STATES — “Kentucky lawmakers pass ban on youth gender-affirming care,” by AP’s Bruce Schreiner in Frankfort, Ky. … “Florida becomes eighth state to restrict transgender care for minors,” by NBC’s Jo Yurcaba DeSANTIS DOWNLOAD — “DeSantis’ anti-woke law remains blocked in Florida colleges,” by Andrew Atterbury in Tallahassee, Fla.: “The 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals denied a request from the DeSantis administration and higher education officials to block an injunction that determined the law restricting how race can be taught in schools was unconstitutional, ensuring that state officials are barred from carrying out the measure for now.” More from the Sunshine State: “Florida Faces Federal Lawsuit Over Signature Rules for New Voters,” by NYT’s Neil Vigdor … “Florida aims to revoke hotel’s liquor license for drag show,” by AP’s Adriana Gomez Licon VALLEY TALK TIKTOK ON THE CLOCK — “Biden’s TikTok plan echoes failed Trump bid China called a ‘smash and grab,’” by WaPo’s Drew Harwell and Cat Zakrzewski: “The Biden administration’s push to force TikTok’s Chinese owner ByteDance to sell off one of the world’s most popular apps has gained more bipartisan support than a similar Trump attempt in 2020, and the app has in recent years emerged as a major lightning rod for lawmakers unnerved by China’s technological prowess and social media’s effect on children and teens. “But it will likely face all the same challenges that doomed President Donald Trump’s bid in 2020, during which federal judges ruled the government had not provided proof that the app, which has more than 100 million U.S. users, presented enough of a national security risk to outweigh Americans’ First Amendment rights to free expression.” Related reads: “Finding a Buyer for TikTok May Not Be So Easy,” by NYT’s Sapna Maheshwari and David McCabe: “At a price of $50 billion or more — the value some analysts said TikTok could command — the social media platform would be too expensive for many companies, including competitors like Snap. The tech giants that could afford it, such as Facebook owner Meta, Google and Microsoft, are likely to shy away for fear of getting caught in years of antitrust scrutiny in the United States.” TV TONIGHT — PBS’ “Washington Week,” with guest moderator William Brangham: Fin Gomez, Neil Irwin, Zolan Kanno-Youngs and Kayla Tausche. SUNDAY SO FAR… ABC “This Week”: Mike Pence … Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.). Panel: Chris Christie, Donna Brazile, Mary Bruce and Rick Klein. CBS “Face the Nation”: Rep. Patrick McHenry (R-N.C.) … Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) … Kara Swisher and Scott Galloway. FOX “Fox News Sunday”: Mohamed El-Erian. Panel: Jason Chaffetz, Francesca Chambers, Juan Williams and Michael Allen. NBC “Meet the Press”: Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) … Sen. Mike Rounds (R-S.D.). Panel: Peter Baker, Carlos Curbelo, Carol Lee and Jen Psaki. MSNBC “The Sunday Show”: Rep. David Cicilline (D-R.I.) … Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.). MSNBC “Inside with Jen Psaki”: House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries … Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer … NYC Mayor Eric Adams.
| | | | DOWNLOAD THE POLITICO MOBILE APP: Stay up to speed with the newly updated POLITICO mobile app, featuring timely political news, insights and analysis from the best journalists in the business. The sleek and navigable design offers a convenient way to access POLITICO's scoops and groundbreaking reporting. Don’t miss out on the app you can rely on for the news you need, reimagined. DOWNLOAD FOR iOS– DOWNLOAD FOR ANDROID. | | | | | | | PLAYBOOKERS | | You think your bracket is busted? Joe Biden had Arizona winning it all. (Yesterday, the No. 2-seeded Wildcats lost in the first round to No. 15 Princeton.) Kamala Harris was on hand to watch her Howard Bison play their first NCAA tournament game since 1992. She even popped into the locker room after the game. Pete Ricketts and Ted Budd have a friendly wager on today’s Creighton vs. N.C. State matchup. The White House is going in One certain Direction for its St. Patrick’s Day entertainment. Gina Raimondo tried her hand as a game show host. From elections to electrification: The Stacey Abrams story. NSC ARRIVAL LOUNGE — Nicholas Berliner is now senior director for Russia and Central Asia on the National Security Council, Foreign Policy’s Robbie Gramer and Jack Detsch report. MEDIA MOVE — Kara Voght is joining WaPo as a political reporter on the style desk. She previously was a national political reporter for Rolling Stone. The announcement OUT AND ABOUT — SPOTTED at a St. Patrick’s Day party yesterday evening at the Irish Ambassador Geraldine Byrne Nason's house: Maryland Gov. Wes Moore, Sen. Ed Markey (D-Mass.), Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and Mary Gay Scanlon (D-Pa.), Kerry Kennedy, Kathleen Kennedy Townsend, Mike Donilon, Evan Ryan, Rufus Gifford, Martin O’Malley, Mary Jordan and Kevin Sullivan, Susan Brophy, Gerry McGowan, Joe Kennedy III, Jeffrey Donaldson, Naomi Long, Richard Schiff, Melissa Fitzgerald and Matthew O’Toole. TRANSITIONS — Jonathan Levin is now press secretary and digital director for Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick (D-Fla.). He previously was a senior comms associate at Marathon Strategies. … Marianne Kaiser is now SVP of creative and digital at the Clyde Group. She previously was VP/creative director at Fingerpaint. … … Nicole Flotteron is now director of external communications at Shopify. She previously was a partner at Actum LLC. … Chamber Hill has added Andy Franke and Annissa McDonald as principals and Tah Ashi as digital marketing manager. Franke previously was a government affairs manager at Zimmer Biomet. McDonald previously was VP of quality solutions at Healthgrades. HAPPY BIRTHDAY: Rep. Dave Joyce (R-Ohio) … Laurel Strategies’ Alan Fleischmann … former Reps. Denver Riggleman (R-Va.) and Cynthia McKinney (D-Ga.) … Tim Burger … former CIA Director Michael Hayden … Eileen O’Connor of the Rockefeller Foundation … Hill+Knowlton’s Judy Stecker (4-0) … POLITICO’s Connor Foxwell … Sarah Owermohle … Patrick Murphy of 3 Click Solutions … Mark Paustenbach … Joe Hines of Stand Up America … CNN’s Kate Sullivan … Stefano Dotti … NBC’s Sally Bronston … Carl Leubsdorf … Trey Sherman of “The Problem with Jon Stewart” … NRDC’s Mark Drajem … Ben Miller of Convergence Media … MSNBC’s Tiffany Mullon … Yahoo’s Dylan Stableford … Larry Farnsworth … Jon Blum … Mary Schaper … WSJ’s Anna Rafdal … Andrew Kovalcin of Advanced Advocacy … Adeline DeYoung of Rep. Teresa Leger Fernandez’s (D-N.M.) office … Veronica Pollock … Alex Ball of Rep. Mikie Sherrill’s (D-N.J.) office … Mike Goscinski … Angie Goff … GW’s Ethan Porter … Myrlie Evers-Williams (9-0) … 270toWin’s Allan Keiter … American Conservation Coalition’s Luke Dretske … Kountoupes Denham Carr & Reid’s Paula Short (7-0) 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 and producers Setota Hailemariam and Bethany Irvine. Correction: Yesterday’s Playbook incorrectly described a grand jury investigating Donald Trump in New York.
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