| | | | |  | | By Eugene Daniels, Ryan Lizza and Rachael Bade | | | With help from Eli Okun and Garrett Ross
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North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum is teasing a “special announcement” in Fargo this week. | Mike McCleary/The Bismarck Tribune via AP, File | | | | |  | DRIVING THE DAY | | | FIRST IN PLAYBOOK — Former Education Secretary MARGARET SPELLINGS will be the new CEO of the Bipartisan Policy Center. She most recently was president and CEO of Texas 2036, and was selected for the BPC after a nationwide search. More from BPC, including testimonials from Sen. JOHN CORNYN (R-Tex.) and North Carolina Gov. ROY COOPER. — TERRY CARMACK is joining DANIEL CAMERON’s campaign for Kentucky governor as campaign manager. Carmack is taking a leave of absence from his post as chief of staff to Senate Minority Leader MITCH McCONNELL’s personal office, where he will return after the election. Carmack is a four-decade veteran of Republican campaigns in Kentucky, including four of McConnell’s, and an NRCC alum. — Building Back Together is launching a six-figure ad campaign today highlighting the debt ceiling deal and President JOE BIDEN’s role in protecting Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid and veterans benefits in the face of “MAGA Republicans and their threat of a catastrophic default.” The 30-second spot will run on MSNBC's “Morning Joe,” on Fox News Channel’s daytime coverage and on digital platforms throughout the week. THE GOP FIELD EXPANDS … AND EXPANDS — Another week, another three Republicans are set to jump into the Republican presidential fray, likely bringing the field to a full dozen by week’s end … Tomorrow we have CHRIS CHRISTIE, the former New Jersey governor and 2016 presidential candidate, making an expected announcement at Saint Anselm College in New Hampshire, followed by a Wednesday two-fer, with former VP MIKE PENCE planning a kickoff speech in Des Moines and North Dakota Gov. DOUG BURGUM teasing a “special announcement” in Fargo. A hard truth for all three men: The fundamentals of this race will not be shaken by their entry. Republican strategists we’ve talked to for weeks see just three lanes on the primary highway for now: (1) DONALD TRUMP, (2) RON DeSANTIS and (3) everyone else. And the more crowded the race is, the thinner that last lane gets. Things, obviously, could always change. Legal landmines could throw Trump off track later this summer. DeSantis’ ability to forge a connection with early-state voters remains in question. So here’s a clear-eyed look at each candidate’s path to the nomination …
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Learn more | | | — For Christie … it comes down to the debates. The ex-governor is perhaps the most practiced and talented debater in the field, and his best bet to break out — or at least take Trump or DeSantis down a peg — is by throwing haymakers on stage. But first, he has to get there. Under the newly released RNC qualification criteria, he’ll have to do better than 1% in a series of qualifying polls later this summer and amass at least 40,000 campaign donors. They’re both considerable hurdles made even taller by his singular unpopularity with GOP voters. A CNN poll last month, for instance, found that 60% of Republicans simply would not support him under any circumstances. SARAH LONGWELL, a Republican strategist who has conducted focus groups with primary voters, said Christie reminds them of the politicians of yesteryear. “They're not going back to before 2016,” she told Playbook. “They do not want candidates that remind them of establishment 2016 candidates and aren't interested in candidates who forged their public identity prior to Donald Trump.” — For Pence … it comes down to betrayal. Until Jan. 6, 2021, Republicans knew what they were getting with Mike Pence — a steadfast No. 2, always ready to back up Trump and smooth over his razor-sharp edges with key GOP constituencies. But Trump’s post-election campaign of lies was a crucible that melted Pence’s broad appeal. The hardcore MAGA base views Pence as a traitor to the cause, while voters more sympathetic to his defense of democracy now have a plethora of alternatives to choose from — with Sen. TIM SCOTT (R-S.C.) and former Ambassador NIKKI HALEY, in particular, making plays for his traditional white evangelical base. Pence, like Christie, is inextricably tied to Trump, yet neither man is well positioned to capitalize on those ties — even as they approach things from radically opposite angles, with Christie taking Trump head-on and Pence intent on avoiding conflict in hopes of wooing Trump’s former supporters. “They're both kind of in a sour spot with voters,” Longwell said. “We all give [Pence] credit for certifying the election, but he also stood next to Donald Trump and normalized and validated him for four years while Trump ran roughshod over the presidency.” — For Burgum … it comes down to: Who? There’s a reason that most presidential hopefuls spend months, or even years, making early-voting-state appearances and otherwise raising their national profiles before launching their campaigns. If nothing else, it plants the notion of plausibility in the minds of party leaders, reporters and voters. Burgum has done almost none of that. So pardon our skepticism when we consider how the self-made software mogul can break through this very crowded field. We’ll defer to his hometown newspaper, The Forum of Fargo-Moorhead, to sum up his case: “Burgum is betting that he’ll be able to break through the culture wars fixation and appeal to persuadable voters by his stands on important pocketbook issues including the economy and energy. … The two-term governor recently told The Forum Editorial Board he believes there is a sizable ‘silent majority’ of voters who have been neglected by a political debate dominated by the noisy ideological fringes.” But there’s little evidence that “silent majority” is ready to play a kingmaker role in 2024. One aspect of DeSantis’s appeal — one that Burgum could potentially match — is his promise of competent leadership, one GOP strategist we spoke to pointed out. “The other is the appetite to be the warrior and fight certain cultural battles, or at least be outspoken about stuff that others won't be,” which has elevated DeSantis above the pack. That doesn’t sound like a recipe for Burgumentum to us. Good Monday morning. Thanks for reading Playbook. How are you dealing with “Succession” withdrawal? Drop us a line: Rachael Bade, Eugene Daniels, Ryan Lizza.
| | | | A message from UPS:   | | | MTP’S BIG SECRET — Ahead of the weekly “Meet the Press” taping yesterday at NBC’s upper Northwest studios, it was clear something was up. For one, NBC News President REBECCA BLUMENSTEIN was in the building, as was RICHARD HUDOCK, the network’s NYC-based VP of comms. Politics chief CARRIE BUDOFF BROWN was seen schlepping grocery bags into the studio with a staffer as Hudock shuttled in and out of a conference room. The secret didn’t slip until the show’s final commercial break, when host CHUCK TODD told the panel he had a personal announcement to make. Panelist ANDREA MITCHELL looked shocked. “You’re breaking my heart,” the veteran reporter and anchor told Todd, who reached out, patted her arm and explained that he wasn’t leaving NBC — just the program — and, after 10 years, it was time to go out on his own terms. “As I’ve watched too many friends and family let work consume them, before it was too late, I promised my family I wouldn’t do that,” he told viewers while announcing KRISTEN WELKER’s appointment as his successor. Fewer than 10 people across the network knew the announcement was coming, we’re told, and the surprise prompted plenty of tears as the newsroom came together after the show with Todd, his wife KRISTIAN DENNY TODD and Welker for a champagne toast — and a speakerphone call to Welker’s mom, who was overcome with emotion and thanked Mitchell for supporting her daughter over the years. SPOTTED at the impromptu lunch Blumenstein hosted in honor of Welker: Carrie Budoff Brown, Andrea Mitchell, Ken Strickland, Chloe Arensberg, Carol Lee, Richard Hudock, David Gelles and Melissa Frankel. THE WEEK AHEAD — Today: Biden hosts Danish PM METTE FREDERIKSEN at the White House. ELON MUSK hosts a Twitter Spaces conversation with ROBERT F. KENNEDY JR. … Tomorrow: BEN TERRIS’ new book, “The Big Break,” is released. … Wednesday: British PM RISHI SUNAK visits Washington and is scheduled to attend a Nats game. CNN hosts a primetime town hall with MIKE PENCE in Iowa. … Thursday: Biden holds a Cabinet meeting. Sunak speaks to the Business Roundtable and visits the White House, where he and Biden are expected to hold a joint press conference. … Friday: Biden and first lady JILL BIDEN travel to North Carolina for events, then head to Camp David for the weekend. … Saturday: Capital Pride parade.
| | BIDEN’S MONDAY:
10 a.m.: The president will receive the President’s Daily Brief.
1:30 p.m.: Biden will hold a bilateral meeting with Frederiksen.
4:30 p.m.: Biden will welcome the Kansas City Chiefs to the White House to celebrate their Super Bowl championship.
Press secretary KARINE JEAN-PIERRE will brief at 1:45 p.m.
VP KAMALA HARRIS’ MONDAY — The VP has nothing on her public schedule.
THE HOUSE will meet at noon and will take up several bills at 2 p.m., with votes postponed until 6:30 p.m.
THE SENATE is out. | | | | | | DON’T MISS POLITICO’S HEALTH CARE SUMMIT: The Covid-19 pandemic helped spur innovation in health care, from the wide adoption of telemedicine, health apps and online pharmacies to mRNA vaccines. But what will the next health care innovations look like? Join POLITICO on Wednesday June 7 for our Health Care Summit to explore how tech and innovation are transforming care and the challenges ahead for access and delivery in the United States. REGISTER NOW. | | | | | PHOTO OF THE DAY
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Joe Biden golfs at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland with his brother James Biden on Sunday, June 4. | Jim Watson/AFP via Getty Images | | | PLAYBOOK READS | | 2024 WATCH ABOUT LAST NIGHT — “Takeaways from CNN’s town hall with Nikki Haley,” by CNN’s Gregory Krieg and Eric Bradner: “Breaking with Trump and DeSantis, Haley makes the case for Ukraine … Haley explains federal role on abortion … Haley comes out against ‘red flag’ gun laws … Haley questions GOP frontrunners over Social Security and Medicare promises … Haley slams DeSantis over Disney row … Haley says she would end tech exports to China.” CASH DASH — Now that Biden has launched his campaign and lifted the debt ceiling, he’s starting to line up some heavy-hitting fundraisers for later this month, Holly Otterbein and Chris Cadelago report. A possible event with Illinois Gov. J.B. PRITZKER around June 28 is in the works, among others right before the second-quarter finance report deadline. ON THE SAME PAGE — “GOP 2024 Candidates Are United On One Thing: Opposing Sex Changes For Minors,” by The Daily Caller’s Diana Glebova MORE POLITICS THE GRAND CANYON DIVIDE — Arizona oppo researchers, rev your engines: Daniel Lippman reports this morning that Rep. RUBEN GALLEGO (D-Ariz.) has claimed both his Phoenix home and his D.C. house as his primary residence. He signed a VA loan document last year for his Capitol Hill residence that declares it’s his principal home. That could provide an opening for opponents in the Senate race to hit Gallego, though his spokesperson says he’s done nothing wrong. As the Senate race starts to take shape, one key constellation of outside groups may sit it out entirely: abortion rights organizations, The 19th’s Grace Panetta reports this morning. Incumbent independent Sen. KYRSTEN SINEMA is staunchly pro-abortion rights and enjoyed the groups’ support (including millions of dollars) in 2018. But her refusal to budge on altering the filibuster, which the groups see as essential to pass abortion rights protections in the Senate, has tanked those relationships. EMILY’s List is staying out of this campaign entirely; NARAL Pro-Choice America and Planned Parenthood haven’t said whether they might jump ship for Gallego. WHAT STEVE DAINES IS READING — “Suddenly, things are actually going the Senate GOP campaign arm’s way,” by Holly Otterbein and Ally Mutnick: “Privately, there is a growing belief that they are close to landing even more top recruits in the critical swing states of Montana, Pennsylvania and Nevada.” CONGRESS WITH FRIENDS LIKE THESE — “Far-Right Turns on Marjorie Taylor Greene — And MTG Hits Back in Text to Matt Gaetz,” by The Daily Beast’s Zachary Petrizzo and Ursula Perano: “The far-right instigators who spent years cheering [Rep. MARJORIE TAYLOR] GREENE on as a martyr of their cause now say she’s lost the plot. They’re fuming about her support for [Speaker KEVIN] McCARTHY’s debt limit deal … and her coziness with McCarthy in general.” Just one small part of the striking text she sent to Rep. MATT GAETZ (R-Fla.): “STEVE [BANNON], [LAURA] LOOMER, and any other POS attacking me will not beat me … Because of that people have been reaching out to me because they don’t like what Steve is doing to me … I’m at a place in my life where removing toxic and bad people out of my life makes me very happy. … Steve and I aren’t getting back together … And if he keeps it up I’ll take the house and kids. I hope you send it to Steve. Because I’m done.” POLICY CORNER ALONG COMES POLLY — “Deputy U.S. Transportation Secretary Polly Trottenberg Expected to Be FAA’s Next Interim Leader,” by WSJ’s Andrew Tangel: POLLY “TROTTENBERG’s appointment, which [sources] cautioned wasn’t final and could change, would come as the Biden administration’s attempts to install permanent management of the air-safety regulator have faltered.” REIGN OR SHEIN — “Shein tries to overhaul its image as Washington scrutiny grows,” by Gavin Bade: “The e-commerce site popular with Gen Z … is going on the offensive as lawmakers probe its supply chains, weigh new tariffs that would hit its shipments and potentially throw up roadblocks to its rumored initial public offering. The firm has hired Washington lobbyists for the first time and is talking up its new status as a Singapore-based company after relocating its headquarters there from Nanjing.” WAR IN UKRAINE CONTROLLING THE NARRATIVE — Domestic and foreign reporters covering the war in Ukraine have often tangled with the Ukrainian government over their coverage, with “journalists having their credentials threatened, revoked, or denied over charges they’ve broken rules imposed by Ukrainian minders,” Semafor’s Ben Smith reports. NBC, CNN and others have had a quiet but long-running conflict with Ukrainian authorities over press passes and interview access, as critics say Kyiv seeks to shape the narrative and clamp down on unfavorable coverage.
| | | | A message from UPS:   | | | AMERICA AND THE WORLD A NEW HEADACHE FOR BIDEN — “Saudi Arabia is slashing oil supply. It could mean higher gas prices for U.S. drivers,” by AP’s David McHugh THE ECONOMY YOUR NEXT BIG WORRY — The commercial real estate market could represent the next big threat to the American economy, Katy O’Donnell reports, as mortgages come due while property values drop thanks to remote work. If banks suffer the consequences, “a write-down in commercial loans could spell big trouble for the financial system and spill over into the larger economy just as the 2024 presidential campaign gets underway.” NOTABLE RAMIFICATION — “Biden Debt-Bill Signing Set to Unleash Tsunami of U.S. Debt Sales,” by Bloomberg’s Alex Harris and Christopher Condon: “The replenishing process — which could involve an amount well in excess of $1 trillion in new securities — could have unwanted consequences … Bank of America Corp. has estimated the issuance wave could have the same economic impact as a quarter-point interest-rate hike by the Federal Reserve.” BEYOND THE BELTWAY SEA CHANGE IN RON DeSANTIS’ FLORIDA — “Transgender adults in Florida ‘blindsided’ that new law also limits their access to health care,” by AP’s Thalia Beaty, Brendan Farrington and Hannah Schoenbaum: “[M]any transgender adults in Florida … are now facing tough choices, including whether to uproot their lives so that they can continue to access gender-confirming care. Clinics are also trying to figure out how to operate under regulations that have made Florida a test case for restrictions on adults.” SECTARIANISM WATCH — “In a Contentious Lawmaking Season, Red States Got Redder and Blue Ones Bluer,” by Mitch Smith in Chicago BRACE FOR IMPACT — “The Era of Flush State Budgets Is Over,” by The Atlantic’s David Schleicher MEDIAWATCH HMM … “Showtime Pulls ‘Vice’ Episode on Ron DeSantis,” by The Hollywood Reporter’s Rick Porter: “Showtime quietly pulled an episode of its Vice newsmagazine last week — one that featured a report on Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’ time as a U.S. Navy lawyer serving at the Guantanamo Bay detention facility in Cuba.” WHERE CHRIS LICHT WENT WRONG — “Can Chris Licht Survive at CNN?” by Brian Stelter in N.Y. Mag: “Some top anchors want him out. … That anti-Licht sentiment is shared by many in the CNN rank and file, and has existed to some extent for months, but The Atlantic article cemented it. In the words of three employees: ‘He’s over.’ ‘He’s done.’ ‘There’s no coming back from that profile.’ However, the staffers don’t know whether [DAVID] ZASLAV agrees. … Zaslav is telling associates that [DAVID] LEAVY is bringing adult supervision — a seeming indictment of Licht.” WHAT CHRIS LICHT GOT RIGHT — Stelter notes that many staffers were “particularly offended by Licht’s assertion that CNN unduly hyped COVID for ratings.” But Semafor’s Max Tani is up with a story providing some backup for his comments, surfacing a CNN-commissioned viewer survey that found the network’s “coverage of Covid-19 was the third leading cause of distrust,” with “respondents of all ideological stripes criticiz[ing] the network’s ‘overly dramatic and sensational’ and ‘dire’ reporting.” VALLEY TALK LOOK WHO’S BACK — Instagram yesterday lifted its suspension of RFK Jr.’s personal account, which was triggered by his propagation of coronavirus and vaccine disinformation, WaPo’s Cristiano Lima reports. His organization’s Facebook and Instagram accounts are still blocked. MISCELLANY PLAYBOOK METRO SECTION — The D.C. area was rocked by a sonic boom yesterday that was triggered by an F-16 intercept of an unresponsive private Cessna over Virginia, WaPo’s Katie Shepherd, Gillian Brockell, Justin Wm. Moyer and Ian Duncan report. The plane ultimately crashed, though sources tell the Post that the fighter jets didn’t shoot it down. The pilot hadn’t responded to air traffic control. The owner of the company to which the plane was registered said his “entire family” was aboard.
| | | | GET READY FOR GLOBAL TECH DAY: Join POLITICO Live as we launch our first Global Tech Day alongside London Tech Week on Thursday, June 15. Register now for continuing updates and to be a part of this momentous and program-packed day! From the blockchain, to AI, and autonomous vehicles, technology is changing how power is exercised around the world, so who will write the rules? REGISTER HERE. | | | | | | | PLAYBOOKERS | | Garret Graves is enjoying red snapper season. Doug Emhoff stopped by Jane Jane. Christie Smythe helped Martin Shkreli out with his community service. SPOTTED: Speaker Kevin McCarthy on a brisk walk yesterday afternoon on the National Mall by the Washington Monument, chatting away via his AirPods and flanked by security detail. Pic … President Joe Biden having dinner at Cafe Milano last night with Naomi Biden and Peter Neal. Pic via Luccia Borghese TRANSITIONS — Nick Goldstein is joining the Small Business Association’s Office of Advocacy. He previously was VP of regulatory and legal issues at the American Road and Transportation Builders Association. … Cygnal has added Ehren Oates as polling director, Ryan Shucard as director of comms, Charles Russell as account strategist and Nicholas Valdiviez as sampling coordinator. … … Brett Doyle is now managing director of outreach at the Mercatus Center at George Mason University. He most recently was director of government relations at Sylvamo Corp., and is a Pat Toomey alum. … Andrew Ansel is joining E Pluribus Unum Fund as head of philanthropy and strategic partnerships. He previously was VP of institutional advancement for Alliance for Justice, and is a Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights alum. ENGAGED — Joe Jackson, deputy chief of staff for Rep. Ken Buck (R-Colo.), proposed to Abigail Marone, comms director for Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.), on Friday night outside of Saratoga, Wyo. They originally met in 2019 when working at the RNC but reconnected last summer. Pic … Another pic HAPPY BIRTHDAY: Rep. Chrissy Houlahan (D-Pa.) … Megan Beyer … Treasury’s Jeff Rapp … Rob Engstrom … Elan Kriegel of BlueLabs … Jordan Dickinson of Rep. Dan Kildee’s (D-Mich.) office … Carol Guensburg … Mary Kirchner of Sen. John Kennedy’s (R-La.) office … Mike Heimowitz … Rob Kelly of Sen. Bob Menendez’s (D-N.J.) office … Todd Zubatkin … POLITICO’s Katie Schneider … Kara Hauck … Matt Vasilogambros … Abeer Al Otaiba 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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