| | | | |  | | By Rachael Bade, Eugene Daniels and Ryan Lizza | | | With help from Eli Okun and Garrett Ross
|  Donald Trump's Waco, Texas-based rally left many Republican observers shaking their heads about the return of what Mike Pence’s aides once dubbed “crazy town.” | Evan Vucci/AP Photo | |  | DRIVING THE DAY | | WACKO IN WACO — It was everything that supporters of DONALD TRUMP love about the former president — and everything his GOP critics absolutely abhor. Yesterday, during his first campaign rally of the 2024 cycle, a revenge-hungry Trump blasted his perceived enemies and had his most fervent fans going ballistic about a possible return to the White House. The Waco, Texas-based rally, however, also left many Republican observers shaking their heads about the return of what MIKE PENCE’s aides once dubbed “crazy town.” At the top of the rally, organizers played “Justice for All,” a song performed by those imprisoned for storming the Capitol on Jan. 6 — which features a Trump voiceover reciting the Pledge of Allegiance. On a massive screen for the crowd to see, images of the rioters trying to break in and overturn the 2020 election showed while the music played. 1970s rocker TED NUGENT derided Ukraine President VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY, a hero in the eyes of most of the world (and the father of two children with his wife, Olena), as a “homosexual weirdo.” And that was just the warm-up act. Other highlights: — Trump claimed the “biggest threat” to the nation wasn’t Russia, China or another foreign adversary, but the people in the “Department of ‘Injustice,’” and “high-level politicians that work in the U.S. government, like [MITCH] McCONNELL, [NANCY] PELOSI, [CHUCK] SCHUMER, and [JOE] BIDEN.” — Trump went on to skewer his main 2024 GOP rival, RON DeSANTIS, mocking the Florida governor for “dropping like a rock” in polls, having “no personality” and suggesting DeSantis would be stuck working in a “cigar store” if he hadn’t endorsed him for governor years ago. In fact, Trump gave a dramatic retelling of DeSantis coming to him “with tears in his eyes … at almost nothing in the polls” and “no cash” and begging for endorsement. “Sir, if you endorse me, I'll win,” he recounted DeSantis saying. “Please, sir.” — Trump lambasted Manhattan DA ALVIN BRAGG, who is expected to indict him in the coming days, and dismissed Bragg’s probe as yet the latest “witch hunt” against him. “You will be vindicated and proud,” Trump said, suggesting the probes against him were a personal attack on his followers. “The thugs and criminals who are corrupting our justice system will be defeated, discredited and totally disgraced.” — Trump dismissed suggestions that he had an affair with porn star STORMY DANIELS, and mocked her appearance. “I never liked her. It’s just not … it’s terrible,” he said. “That would not be the one! There is no one. We have a great First Lady.” — And he savaged MICHAEL COHEN, his former “fixer” and attorney who went to jail in part for paying Daniels off during the 2016 campaign: “They took the word of a proven liar, a convicted felon, and a disbarred lawyer. All the same person.” THE STEPBACK — The clips and headlines coming out of the rally were enough to incite panic in any Republican concerned about the party’s ability to defeat President JOE BIDEN. The current president should be extremely politically vulnerable: Inflation is still hurting voters and some economists are predicting a recession. And yet, rather than attack Biden for those weaknesses, Republicans are held captive to Trump’s grievances. “I haven’t watched a Trump event in sometime,” observed ABC’s John Santucci. “But here’s the difference between 2015 and now… In 2015 Trump talked about people’s problems… This rally is all of his problems.” “This speech is like getting cornered by a guy at a party who is 11 beers deep and can't stop talking about how his career & marriage didn’t go as well as he hoped,” tweeted Trump critic and Bulwark writer TIM MILLER. NYT’s Michael Bender and J. David Goodman had quite the lede summing all this up: “In the last 28 months … Trump has been voted out of the White House, impeached for his role in the Capitol riot and criticized for marching many of his fellow Republicans off an electoral cliff in the 2022 midterms with his drumbeat of election-fraud lies. He dined at home with a white supremacist … called for the termination of the Constitution … embraced the QAnon conspiracy theory movement, described President VLADIMIR V. PUTIN of Russia as a genius and used a gay joke to mock a fellow Republican … has become the target of four criminal investigations. … Still, Mr. Trump remains a strong front-runner for the Republican Party’s 2024 presidential nomination.” The enthusiasm at the rally underscores just how difficult a time Republicans are going to have defeating the man their base still positively loves. As NBC’s Jonathan Allen tweeted, the line of cars waiting to enter the rally was long. His followers, our Meridith McGraw noted, stood in the hot sun for hours to get a glimpse of him. “I think there was a narrative inside Washington and in corporate boardrooms that Trump was dead and had no chance,”one GOP operative told Ben Jacobs for NY Mag. “The narrative was created because that’s what people wanted to believe.” For more from the rally, read Meridith and Alex Isenstadt. Good Sunday morning. Thanks for reading Playbook. Drop us a line: Rachael Bade, Eugene Daniels, Ryan Lizza.
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Explore more possibilities with the metaverse. | | | GOOD NEWS FOR McCONNELL — Senate Minority Leader MITCH McCONNELL left inpatient physical therapy yesterday, where he was receiving care after suffering a concussion. The Senate is poised for a two-week recess after next week’s Senate session, and a McConnell aide said the Kentucky Republican will work from home for the next few days. The aide also said that McConnell “will consult with his physical therapists on a return date to the Senate.” More from Burgess Everett BAD NEWS FOR McCONNELL — Trump appears to be encouraging Rep. MARJORIE TAYLOR GREENE (R-Ga.) to run for the upper chamber. “Would like to get you to run for the Senate — will fight like hell for you,” he said to her at the Waco rally. SUNDAY BEST … — Sen. MARK WARNER (D-Va.) on threats of violence if Trump is indicted, on CNN’s “State of the Union”: “I got briefed before the supposed Tuesday indictment. That didn't come to pass. We have had an update. They have seen no specific strains. But the level of rhetoric on some of these right-wing sites has increased.” — Trump lawyer JOE TACOPINA on Trump’s social media posts attacking Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg, on NBC’s “Meet the Press”: “I’m not his social media consultant. … I’m not going to defend or condemn anything regarding social media. That’s not what I do. I’m not a Trump PR person. I’m a litigator and a lawyer. And I’m talking about this case in Manhattan, which is a case that would not be brought if it were anyone other than Donald Trump.” — Rep. JAMES COMER (R-Ky.) on Bragg, on “State of the Union”: “We believe that he should come explain to us exactly what he's investigating, because, at the end of the day, this is a presidential candidate. … I don’t believe that Bragg would be doing this if Donald Trump were not running for president, and that’s something that we would like to ask Mr. Bragg as well.”
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| | BIDEN’S SUNDAY — The president will leave Wilmington, Del., to return to the White House.
VP KAMALA HARRIS’ SUNDAY — The VP and second gentleman DOUG EMHOFF have arrived in Accra, Ghana, and are meeting with staff and families of the U.S. Embassy. | | | | | | GO INSIDE THE 2023 MILKEN INSTITUTE GLOBAL CONFERENCE: POLITICO is proud to partner with the Milken Institute to produce a special edition "Global Insider" newsletter featuring exclusive coverage, insider nuggets and unparalleled insights from the 2023 Global Conference, which will convene leaders in health, finance, politics, philanthropy and entertainment from April 30-May 3. This year’s theme, Advancing a Thriving World, will challenge and inspire attendees to lean into building an optimistic coalition capable of tackling the issues and inequities we collectively face. Don’t miss a thing — subscribe today for a front row seat. | | | | | PHOTO OF THE DAY
|  A man sifts through wreckage from a demolished law office in Rolling Fork, Miss., on Saturday, March 25. Emergency officials in Mississippi say several people have been killed by tornadoes that tore through the state on Friday night. | Rogelio V. Solis/AP Photo | | | PLAYBOOK READS | | 9 THINGS FOR YOUR RADAR 1. GEAR UP: “Manhattan DA, House GOP chairs ramp up battle over Trump investigation,” by Jordain Carney: “Bragg on Saturday night accused a trio of House Republicans of trying to interfere in his office, amid an escalating standoff over an investigation into former President Donald Trump. Bragg, in a brief statement, said that it was ‘not appropriate for Congress to interfere with pending local investigations,’ after Reps. JIM JORDAN (R-Ohio), JAMES COMER (R-Ky.) and BRYAN STEIL (R-Wis.) — the chairs of the Judiciary, Oversight and Administration Committees, respectively — doubled down on their request for information in their own letter on Saturday.” Read the letter 2. GOING DOWN: “Biden nominee to head FAA withdraws after Republican criticism,” by Reuters’ David Shepardson: “Last year, Biden nominated Denver International Airport CEO PHIL WASHINGTON to serve as FAA administrator. A spokesperson for Washington at the airport did not immediately comment. Transportation Secretary PETE BUTTIGIEG late Saturday confirmed Washington's withdrawal first reported by Reuters. ‘The partisan attacks and procedural obstruction he has faced are undeserved, but I respect his decision to withdraw and am grateful for his service,’ Buttigieg said on Twitter.” 3. CALIFORNIA DREAMIN’: Rep. RO KHANNA (D-Calif.) is officially passing on entering the Senate race to replace retiring Sen. DIANNE FEINSTEIN (D-Calif.), he announced this morning on CNN’s “State of the Union.” But Khanna isn’t staying out of the race completely. In declining entry himself, Khanna said he was endorsing fellow progressive Rep. BARBARA LEE and will co-chair her campaign as she takes on Reps. KATIE PORTER and ADAM SCHIFF. More from Kelly Garrity 4. WHO MIGHT BE IN: “Chris Christie ‘trying to figure out’ if there’s a pathway to beating Trump, DeSantis,” by Fox News’ Paul Steinhauser: “Former Republican Gov. CHRIS CHRISTIE of New Jersey said his trip on Monday to New Hampshire, the state that holds the first primary and votes second overall in the GOP presidential nominating calendar, will help him decide whether to ‘get into the battle’ and launch a 2024 GOP presidential campaign.” 5. INSIDE THE WHITEHOUSE: “Senate’s new budget boss is also a climate hawk,” by Caitlin Emma: “There’s a sharp-elbowed progressive atop the Senate Budget Committee, with big ideas about corporate greed, the environment and shaking up Washington. And it isn’t BERNIE SANDERS. No, it’s SHELDON WHITEHOUSE, a Rhode Islander who’s notorious for skewering Republicans (while quietly working with them) and challenging Democratic leadership every two years to give up their gavels. … Just don’t expect him to be putting a budget resolution up for a vote anytime soon. For the moment, the third-term Democrat instead plans to use his first-ever chairmanship to try and make a case for the little guy.”
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One day, firefighters will use the metaverse to navigate through smoke and fire to find trapped people in burning buildings, saving crucial seconds when lives are on the line. The metaverse may be virtual, but the impact will be real. Explore more possibilities with the metaverse. Sponsored by Meta   | | | 6. THE STATE OF VOTING RIGHTS: “GOP states press voter photo ID rules, with unclear effects,” by AP’s Julie Carr Smyth: “As Ohio’s primary approaches, a strict new photo ID requirement is stirring concerns for military veterans and out-of-state college students, in Amish communities and among older voters. Other Republican-led states are moving in the same direction as they respond to conservative voters unsettled by unfounded claims of widespread fraud and persistent conspiracy theories over the accuracy of U.S. elections. Critics characterize such requirements as an overreaction that could end up disenfranchising eligible voters.” Related read: “Voting rights effort targets those held in jails across U.S.,” by AP’s Gary Fields and Michael Tarm 7. BEYOND THE BELTWAY: “Federal aid coming to tornado-wrecked swath of Mississippi,” by AP’s Leah Willingham: “Biden issued an emergency declaration for Mississippi early Sunday, making federal funding available to the areas hardest hit Friday night by a deadly tornado that ripped through the Mississippi Delta, one of the poorest regions of the U.S. At least 25 people were killed and dozens of others were injured in Mississippi as the massive storm ripped through several towns on its hour-long path.” 8. THE LATEST IN THE MIDDLE EAST: “Netanyahu’s political touch eludes him as Israel spirals into chaos,” by WaPo’s Steve Hendrix in Jerusalem: “As the upheaval nears its fourth month with no sign of easing, and even spreads into the ranks of Israel’s revered military, the prime minister seems unable, or unwilling, to apply his vaunted touch.” 9. ON THE EDGE: “An Anxious Asia Arms for a War It Hopes to Prevent,” by NYT’s Damien Cave: “Asia and the Pacific are steering into an anxious, well-armed moment with echoes of old conflicts and immediate risks. Rattled by China’s military buildup and territorial threats — along with Russia’s war of aggression in Ukraine and doubts about U.S. resolve — nations across the region are bolstering defense budgets, joint training, weapons manufacturing and combat-ready infrastructure.”
| | | | JOIN POLITICO ON 4/5 FOR THE 2023 RECAST POWER LIST: America’s demographics and power dynamics are changing — and POLITICO is recasting how it covers the intersection of race, identity, politics and policy. Join us for a conversation on the themes of the 2023 Recast Power List that will examine America’s decision-making tables, who gets to sit at them, and the challenges that still need to be addressed. REGISTER HERE. | | | | | | | PLAYBOOKERS | | John and Jackie Kennedy’s first home together in Georgetown is going back on the market. ONLY IN PLAYBOOK — Darren Walker, Laurie Tisch and Holly Peterson hosted a gathering on Friday night at an Upper East Side apartment for close friends from New Jersey and New York of Sen. Cory Booker (D-N.J.) to meet art world and NYC friends of his new girlfriend Sarah Lewis, a professor of art and architecture and African and African American studies at Harvard and the founder of the civic initiative Vision & Justice. Booker and Lewis made remarks to the crowd, who enjoyed passed hors d’oeuvres and a buffet dinner of vegan food featuring lentils, Brussels sprouts and stuffed peppers, plus salmon, steak and lamb chops. The couple met through mutual friends. (h/t Daniel Lippman) … Pic of Booker and Lewis at the party SPOTTED: Bill and Hillary Clinton, Chelsea Clinton, Sen. Raphael Warnock (D-Ga.), Drew Faust, Yara Shahidi, Kehinde Wiley, Amy Sherald, Nell Irvin Painter, Carrie Mae Weems, Veronica Duron, Hank Willis Thomas, Agnes Gund and Jordan Castel. TRANSITIONS — Harleen Gambhir is now counsel to Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.). She most recently was in the litigation group at Elias Law Group. … Katy Montgomery is now EVP and chief client officer at Adfero. She previously was EVP for corporate affairs and comms at Cyber Defense Labs. WELCOME TO THE WORLD — Ari Schaffer, comms director at the Buckley Institute at Yale and a Brad Raffensperger, Trump White House and Commerce alum, and Marissa Schaffer, a nurse practitioner at Hartford Healthcare, on Tuesday welcomed a baby boy, who joins big sister Lily. Pic HAPPY BIRTHDAY: Reps. Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and Laurel Lee (R-Fla.) … Bob Woodward … CBS’ Margaret Brennan … Center for Renewing America’s Russ Vought … Jon Huntsman … Matt Lira … James Gelfand … Chandler Hudson Bair … Caroline Darmody … Dan Caldwell … Michael Waxman of Waxman Strategies … Miriam Warren … Caren Street … FDIC’s Edward Garnett III … Planned Parenthood’s Melanie Roussell Newman … Juan Londoño of the Information Technology and Innovation Foundation … Melissa Toufanian ... Carlos Mark Vera of Pay Our Interns … former Justice Sandra Day O’Connor … former Rhode Island Gov. Lincoln Chafee (7-0) … former Rep. Jason Chaffetz (R-Utah) … former Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao … Nancy Peele of Rep. Bruce Westerman’s (R-Ark.) office … Shahid Naeem of the American Economic Liberties Project 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.
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