| | | | |  | | By Ryan Lizza, Eugene Daniels and Rachael Bade | | | With help from Eli Okun and Garrett Ross
| 
Former VP Mike Pence, who turns 64 today, officially launched his campaign this morning with a kickoff video. | Scott P. Yates/The Roanoke Times via AP | | | | |  | DRIVING THE DAY | | | JUST IN — “Pope Francis to undergo intestinal surgery under general anesthesia,” AP: “The Vatican said FRANCIS, 86, would be put under general anesthesia for the procedure Wednesday afternoon and would be hospitalized at Rome’s Gemelli hospital for several days.“ THE REBELS PUNCH BACK — “Conservatives surprise McCarthy with floor rebellion over debt deal anger,” by Sarah Ferris, Jordain Carney and Olivia Beavers: “A band of House conservatives derailed a bill that takes aim at gas stove regulation. It could be just the beginning of moves to undercut the speaker.” 2024 WATCH — Longshot week continues, as the Republican presidential field adds what may be the final three contenders hoping to dislodge front-runners DONALD TRUMP and RON DeSANTIS … — Former VP MIKE PENCE, who turns 64 today, officially launched his campaign this morning with a kickoff video. (More on that in a moment.) — North Dakota Gov. DOUG BURGUM, writing in the WSJ, explains why he’s running for president ahead of a big announcement later this morning. — And former New Jersey Gov. CHRIS CHRISTIE launched his second bid last night with a two-hour town hall at New Hampshire’s Saint Anselm College last night, and he followed through on his promise to go after Trump with more ferocity than he did in his milquetoast 2016 campaign. Just check out this lede from the AP: “Former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie wasted no time going after Donald Trump while launching his presidential campaign on Tuesday, calling the former president and current Republican primary front-runner a ‘lonely, self-consumed, self-serving mirror hog’ and arguing that he’s the only one who can stop him.” POLITICO’s Lisa Kashinsky, who was at the event, has these five takeaways:
- He’s tearing into Trump. A taste: “I am going to be very clear — I’m going out there to take out Donald Trump. But here’s why: I want to win, and I don’t want him to win. There is one lane to the Republican nomination, and he’s in front of it. And if you want to win, you better go right through him.”
- He’s not perfect. Here’s how Christie’s addressing his own long, tortured history: “If you are in search of the perfect candidate, it is time to leave. I am not it. … But beware of the leader who won’t admit any of those shortcomings, because you know what the problem is with a leader like that? A leader like that thinks America’s greatness resides in the mirror he’s looking at.”
- He’s betting everything on New Hampshire, “calculating that he can better appeal to more moderate Republicans and independents who can vote in the Granite State’s open primary,” Lisa writes. Christie launched his charm campaign by knocking his rivals for kicking off their campaigns with “some big podium speech” rather than talking directly to voters — a particular jab at DeSantis.
- He’s got a fan in the state house. New Hampshire Gov. CHRIS SUNUNU, who announced he was passing on a run of his own Monday, didn’t attend Christie’s kickoff but had positive things to say in an interview yesterday — calling him “a lot more relaxed” than in his 2016 run. “He has a bit of a nothing-to-lose type of attitude, which I think is refreshing,” he said.
- He’s happy to stack his record up against DeSantis’. Lisa notes Christie will be the sixth current or former governor in the race once Burgum gets in, and all “are banking a lot on the idea that voters are interested in their executive experience.” But Christie moved to undercut DeSantis on that note, arguing the Florida governor benefited from “a Republican echo chamber” in Tallahassee that looks nothing like Washington: “He never had to compromise.”
SPOT CHECK: Now back to Pence, whose campaign video, titled “Best Days,” came off embargo just a few minutes ago. We watched it with an eye towards how Pence deals with both Trump and Biden. The 2-minute, 44-second spot does not stray far from the classic formula for these things, beginning with paeans of praise for the greatness of America before highlighting Pence’s bio — grandson of an Irish immigrant, congressman, governor, vice president — as an example of how he’s “lived the American dream.” (Nothing, sadly, about his talk radio days.) So why Pence and not Trump? Things are different now. “I’ll always be proud of the progress we made together for a stronger, more prosperous America. But today our country is in a lot of trouble.” In other words, things are so bad, according to Pence, that Trump isn’t up for the job: “Different times call for different leadership,” he says, the kind that appeals to our “better angels.” But more interesting is how Pence dramatizes a set of issues he uses to make the case against Biden. It’s worth looking at this part of the video closely, because it tells us a great deal about how vulnerable Biden might be to any potential GOP nominee. Check out how the Pence narration lines up with the images in the video:
- “President Joe Biden …” — Biden clenching his fist during his September speech on democracy.
- “and the radical left …” — KAMALA HARRIS doing an interview with Lester Holt.
- “have weakened America at home …” — BLM protesters.
- “and abroad …” — A plane surrounded by evacuees during the chaotic evacuation of Afghanistan.
- “The American dream is being crushed under runaway inflation …” — A WSJ article titled, “Bank Failures. High Inflation. Rising Rates. Is the Resilient Jobs Market About to Crack?” that paints a nuanced picture of the economy.
- “Wages are dropping …” — On-screen text that appears to reference a 2021 NY Post article about two unemployed former Keystone Pipeline workers.
- “Recession is looming … " — The headline of an NPR interview from April (“Economic growth in the U.S. is slowing down. Are we headed for a recession?”) with economist CLAUDIA SAHM, who does not predict a recession and calls the jobs market “really good.”
- “Our southern border is under siege …” — Some video clips from Fox News and elsewhere about migrants streaming across the border.
- “And the enemies of freedom are on the march around the world. …” — A shot of VLADIMIR PUTIN above a Newsweek headline, “Joe Biden Can't Escape Looking Weak Against Putin,” that was published before the war in Ukraine started.
- “And worse still, timeless American values are under assault as never before.” — A CNN headline: “Controversy Over Trans Female Swimmer.” A Fox News headline: “Drag Queens Storm Faith-based Story Hour in AR.” A picture of a heavily vandalized police car on which is spray-painted, “PIGS.”
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Learn more | | | Pence is obviously a serious underdog against Trump. He’s universally known and yet is polling at similar levels to his much less well known rivals. But what is really striking to us about his launch ad, and the reason we pulled apart this one section in such detail, is how precarious Pence’s case against Biden is on a number of fronts. His campaign had to cherry-pick articles about the economy that don’t quite support his picture of economic calamity. The southern border, to everyone’s surprise, has experienced a precipitous drop in crossings since the end of Title 42. Pence uses a pre-war opinion piece about Biden not standing up to Putin, when the big news this week is how House Republicans are threatening to block a substantial aid package to assist Ukraine. That points to a general problem that any GOP nominee will face: Despite Biden’s poor poll numbers, he is not yet presiding over the kind of economic or foreign policy disaster that historically creates a one-term president — which might be one reason that the video also leans heavily on culture war grievances that target groups with little to do with the economy and foreign policy: BLM, trans rights activists, drag show performers. Things could change, of course. Higher inflation or a recession could overwhelm the other positive economic data. The war in Ukraine could spiral out of control. We could go to war with China over Taiwan. Other issues related to Biden’s age or some new scandal could intrude. But on the two big fronts that can often decide the fate of an incumbent president — the economy and war — even a gifted political opponent such as Mike Pence is having a tough time making a case against Biden. Related reads: “55 Things You Need to Know About Mike Pence,” by Michael Kruse, Ekaterina Pechenkina and Adam Wren … “The G.O.P. Has Drifted, but Mike Pence Is as Conservative as Ever,” by NYT’s Jonathan Swan … “Pence Seeks to Go Where No Vice President Has Gone Before,” by NYT’s Peter Baker: “[N]ever before has a No. 2 mounted a direct challenge to a onetime running mate in the way that Mr. Pence is taking on [Trump] for the Republican nomination next year.” Good Wednesday morning. Thanks for reading Playbook. Drop us a line and tell us about your favorite 2024 longshot: Rachael Bade, Eugene Daniels, Ryan Lizza.
| | | | A message from UPS:   | | | | | BIDEN’S WEDNESDAY:
10 a.m.: The president will receive the President’s Daily Brief.
12:15 p.m.: Biden and VP KAMALA HARRIS will have lunch together.
Press secretary KARINE JEAN-PIERRE will brief at 1 p.m.
THE HOUSE will meet at 10 a.m. and at noon will take up legislation that would block the Department of Energy’s proposed standards for cooking products. The House will also take up a bill that would change how federal courts review the policies and regulations of executive agencies.
THE SENATE will meet at 10 a.m. At 11 a.m., the Senate will proceed to two roll call votes on nominations and recess from 12:30 p.m. to 2:15 p.m. for the weekly conference meetings. | | | | | | STEP INSIDE THE WEST WING: What's really happening in West Wing offices? Find out who's up, who's down, and who really has the president’s ear in our West Wing Playbook newsletter, the insider's guide to the Biden White House and Cabinet. For buzzy nuggets and details that you won't find anywhere else, subscribe today. | | | | | PHOTO OF THE DAY
|  President Joe Biden delivers remarks during a Cabinet Meeting at the White House on June 6, 2023. | Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images | | | PLAYBOOK READS | | 2024 WATCH UP FOR DEBATE — “Got $1 to spare? RNC debate rules trigger a mad dash for very small donors,” by Jessica Piper: “Fundraising schemes where campaigns offer free shirts, books or other items in exchange for even the smallest donations can be expensive in the short-term, as campaigns spend heavily on merchandise and digital advertising. The minuscule donations hardly cover their costs. But the contributions afford longshot candidates the chance to appear on the debate stage.” The early entrants: “NIKKI HALEY’S campaign told POLITICO that she already surpassed the 40,000 donor threshold. Entrepreneur VIVEK RAMASWAMY said he has, too, although he has continued to run Facebook ads this week asking for $1 to ‘secure a prime spot’ on the debate stage. Sen. TIM SCOTT (R-S.C.) has not confirmed a donor number but has a strong fundraising history.” AS THE CROW FLIES — Controversial GOP megadonor HARLAN CROW and ROSS PEROT JR. are among the high-rolling hosts of a private dinner for NIKKI HALEY in Dallas tonight, Bloomberg’s Shelly Hagan, Nancy Cook and Julie Fine scoop, part of a multi-day Texas fundraising swing. THE WHITE HOUSE CODE RED — “Biden rolls out 2 new red-state judicial picks,” by Betsy Woodruff Swan: “Biden’s two nominees are both set to fill judicial vacancies in Louisiana: JERRY EDWARDS, JR. is a top federal prosecutor in the state, according to a forthcoming White House announcement that POLITICO reviewed, while BRANDON SCOTT LONG is a former deputy chief of staff to FBI Director CHRIS WRAY.” Playing the blues: “Both Louisiana senators are expected to secure blue slips for confirmation hearings, according to a person familiar with the nomination process.” INTERESTING VENUE — “Kamala Harris praises ‘independent judiciary’ in speech at Israeli embassy event,” by the Jewish Telegraphic Agency’s Ron Kampeas CONGRESS BREWING SPLIT — “McCarthy and McConnell show signs of a split on defense spending,” by Anthony Adragna, Connor O’Brien, Joe Gould and Nancy Vu: In a floor speech yesterday, Senate Minority Leader MITCH McCONNELL called the Pentagon spending level in the new bipartisan debt deal negotiated by House Speaker KEVIN McCARTHY “simply insufficient given the major challenges that our nation faces,” citing China, Russia and other threats. “It’s a significant bit of daylight between McConnell and McCarthy — and a sign of intra-GOP tension to come over whether to approve new help for Ukraine in its war against Russia.” NICKEL AND DIMON — JPMorgan Chase CEO JAMIE DIMON paid a visit to the moderate New Democrat Coalition yesterday, where he told them to abolish the debt ceiling altogether, CNN’s Matt Egan reports. “Get rid of it,” Dimon told lawmakers, before describing the debt ceiling as an “unmitigated disaster.” SBF FALLOUT CONTINUES — Puck’s Theodore Schleifer reports that the House Financial Services Committee “has been quietly interviewing witnesses in recent months” as part of an investigation into the collapse of the FTX crypto exchange. “Some requests for interviews have already gone out, according to people involved in the matter, in pursuit of what could become a formal congressional report.” THE TALENTED MR. SANTOS — “Judge rules to release names of Rep. Santos bond cosigners, will stay secret as appeal considered,” by AP’s Michael Sisak TRUMP CARDS MEADOWS LARK — Trump White House chief of staff MARK MEADOWS “testified before a federal grand jury hearing evidence in the investigations being led by the special counsel’s office,” NYT’s Jonathan Swan, Michael Schmidt and Maggie Haberman report. Meadows has critical proximity to both Trump’s conduct following the 2020 election and the mishandling of classified documents — both of which are being investigated by special counsel JACK SMITH — though the NYT notes that it’s unclear which case he was questioned about. Interesting response: “Asked about the grand jury testimony, a lawyer for Mr. Meadows, GEORGE TERWILLIGER, said, ‘Without commenting on whether or not Mr. Meadows has testified before the grand jury or in any other proceeding, Mr. Meadows has maintained a commitment to tell the truth where he has a legal obligation to do so.’” Plus, NYT’s Alan Feuer, Maggie Haberman and Ben Protess report that “more than 20 members of Mr. Trump’s Secret Service security detail” testified before the D.C. grand jury, even though the panel “may have stopped hearing witness testimony in recent weeks.” Meanwhile, the Florida grand jury has only heard from “a handful of witnesses” with more coming in this week. JUST POSTED — “Florida grand jury involved in Trump documents probe by Justice Dept., AP source says,” by AP’s Eric Tucker: “[T]he use of a different grand jury in Florida suggests that prosecutors may also be eyeing at least some potential charges in that state.” POLICY CORNER HAPPENING TODAY — “What to watch for at the 2023 POLITICO health summit,” by David Lim: “Panelists will discuss the benefits and risks of permanent adoption of telehealth and how new AI tools can be efficiently and safely adapted to help improve U.S. health care.” Click through for a list of panelists, topics and the schedule THE CRYPTO CRACKDOWN — “Biden’s crypto cop taunts Republicans,” by Zachary Warmbrodt, Eleanor Mueller and Declan Harty: “House Republicans wanted the spotlight this week to sell a new plan to revamp the rules for crypto. SEC Chair GARY GENSLER — President Joe Biden’s top financial market cop — is stomping on their rollout.” Related read: “Crypto Firms Start Looking Abroad as U.S. Cracks Down,” by NYT’s David Yaffe-Bellany ACA UPDATE — “Appeals court weighs nationwide freeze of Obamacare’s coverage mandate,” by Alice Miranda Ollstein
| | | | A message from UPS:   | | | AMERICA AND THE WORLD MATCH PLAY — “Blinken meets Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman,” by AP’s Jon Gambrell in Dubai, United Arab Emirates: “Blinken’s trip, his second to Saudi Arabia since becoming America’s top diplomat, comes after the kingdom under Prince Mohammed has been more willing to disregard the U.S. in striking its own decisions.“ Related reads: “The PGA and LIV Gold Merger Is the Revenge of the Saudi ‘Pariah,’” WSJ editorial … “Through Ties to Saudis, Golf Deal Promises Benefits to Trump,” by NYT’s Eric Lipton BEYOND THE BELTWAY FLIGHT OR FIGHT — Florida officials confirmed Tuesday that Gov. RON DeSANTIS’ administration was responsible for sending two planes full of migrants from the Texas border to Sacramento as a protest to federal immigration policies, our colleagues Andrew Atterbury and Jeremy White report. “As California’s leaders continue to claim that the actions could amount to kidnapping or false imprisonment, Florida countered those allegations by posting a video of some of the migrants signing documents, smiling on a plane and waving their hands while riding inside what looks like a limousine or party bus.” Meanwhile: California Gov. GAVIN NEWSOM told our colleague Christopher Cadelago in an interview that Florida officials could still face charges for the saga, dismissing claims that the transport was part of a voluntary relocation. But, but, but: “Prosecuting Florida’s Migrant Flights Would Face Legal Hurdles,” by NYT’s Edgar Sandoval in San Antonio GUNS IN AMERICA — “Two dead in Richmond Public Schools graduation shooting,” by the Richmond Times-Dispatch’s Anna Bryson CANADIAN WILDFIRE IMPACT — “Where wildfire smoke is hitting the U.S. the hardest — and when it will end,” by WaPo’s Matthew Cappucci and Jason Samenow News you should use … NBC Washington’s @dougkammerer: “I don't say this often, but it's a good idea to stay indoors … or at least limit time outdoors. Definitely not a good idea to workout outside.” MEDIAWATCH TUCK EVERLASTING — TUCKER CARLSON made his return to the public discourse yesterday evening, posting the first episode of his new Twitter show, which NYT’s Katie Robertson and Jeremy Peters write was “similar to a stripped-down version of what his roughly three million Fox viewers would have seen on his nightly program.” The summary: “There were no guests or produced segments — only a monologue from Mr. Carlson, in which he hit some familiar themes. He expressed sympathy for President VLADIMIR V. PUTIN of Russia and mocked President VOLODYMYR ZELENSKY of Ukraine. He accused the mainstream media of lying. He wrapped up by declaring that U.F.O.s and extraterrestrial life are ‘actually real.’” CNN FALLOUT CONTINUES — A host of big names at CNN are voicing concern with CEO CHRIS LICHT as the questions regarding his leadership continue in the wake of The Atlantic article published last week, WSJ’s Isabella Simonetti and Joe Flint report. “JAKE TAPPER, ERIN BURNETT and ANDERSON COOPER are among the CNN personalities who have voiced their concerns about Licht’s leadership, some explaining their views during conversations with incoming CNN Chief Operating Officer DAVID LEAVY, the people said.”
| | | | 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 | | The State Department formally denounced Roger Waters’ history of antisemitic remarks. Tim Draper is throwing his support (and money) behind Nikki Haley. Cedric Richmond is facing scrutiny after a New Orleans car wreck. Nancy Pelosi threw out the first pitch at the Nats’ LGBTQ Pride night. And just like that … we found out Ruben Gallego is a big “Sex and the City” fan. OUT AND ABOUT — The Friends of the National World War II Memorial hosted a dedication of the FDR D-Day Prayer Plaque and the restoration of the Circle of Remembrance at a D-Day Ceremony yesterday. SPOTTED: Rep. Bill Johnson (R-Ohio), Rob Portman, Elliott “Toby” Roosevelt III, “Linc” Warner, Frank Cohn, Dixon Hemphill, Jane Droppa, Jeff Reinbold, Will Horton and Sherry Edwards. — GAIN Power celebrated the 2023 Powerful IDEA Awards at Capital Turnaround, co-chaired by Tasha Cole and Guy Cecil, where honorees included Olivia Julianna, Andrea Hailey, Rep. Grace Meng (D-N.Y.), Henry Muñoz III, Heather Booth and Lee Saunders. SPOTTED: Reps. Judy Chu (D-Calif.), Debbie Dingell (D-Mich.), Jan Schakowsky (D-Ill.) and Joaquin Castro (D-Texas), Amy Pritchard, Mini Timmaraju, Linda Lipsen, Randi Weingarten, Cristóbal Alex, Diane Blagman, Roger Lau, Robin Bronk, Mignon Clyburn, Alix DeJean, Justin Myers, A’shanti Choler, Kimberly Scott, Campbell Spencer, Kevin McDonald, Marissa Mitrovitch, Alison Schwartz and Josh Richman. FIRST IN PLAYBOOK — David Dewhirst is joining the Heritage Foundation’s 2025 Presidential Transition Project as a senior consultant. He previously was a senior adviser for Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and is a Trump Commerce Department alum. TRANSITIONS — Sahil Mehrotra is now press secretary for Sen. Maggie Hassan (D-N.H.). He previously was press secretary at Everytown for Gun Safety. … Maj. Gen. Paul Friedrichs is now the senior director for global health security and biodefense at the National Security Council. He was previously the Joint Staff surgeon at the Pentagon. … Ben Cowlishaw is now speechwriter for the House Appropriations Committee Democrats. He most recently was a speechwriter at the National Association of Realtors and is a U.S. Travel Association alum. WELCOME TO THE WORLD — Yamiche Alcindor, Washington correspondent at NBC News, and Nathaniel Cline, reporter at the Virginia Mercury, on May 30 welcomed Yrie Myles Alcindor Cline, who came in at 5 lbs, 1 oz. Pic … More from Today — Michael Turchetti, senior director of public policy at Eli Lilly, and Natalie Turchetti, medical writer at Labcorp Drug Development, recently welcomed Pietro Giuseppe Turchetti. Pic … Another pic HAPPY BIRTHDAY: Mike Pence ... Sen. Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M) … Reps. Alex Mooney (R-W.Va.) and Susan Wild (D-Pa.) … Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman … WSJ’s Catherine Lucey … SKDK’s Adonna Biel and Stephanie Reichin ... Myra Adams … Vox’s Christina Animashaun … FGS Global’s Lars Anderson ... POLITICO’s Lynn Zhong … DOD’s Dan Erikson (5-0) … Signal Group’s Chris Ortman … Paul Kelly (62) … retired Coast Guard Vice Adm. Brian Peterman … KHQ’s Bradley Warren (29) … Jerry White … Nathasha Lim … David Kim … CNN’s Javier de Diego … Kevin Peraino … Josh Jones … Raleigh Miller … Ryan Lynch … Jesse D’Angelo … Chrissy Barry of Rep. Eli Crane’s (R-Ariz.) office … Amazon Web Services’ Kaitlin Kirshner 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: Monday’s Playbook misstated Nick Goldstein’s new workplace. It is the Small Business Administration.
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