| | | | |  | | By Gary Fineout | Hello and welcome to Friday. Backup — Former President Donald Trump’s latest legal troubles — this time an indictment related to his handling of classified documents at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Palm Beach — prompted a flurry of denunciations from Florida Republicans, including Trump’s ally-turned-rival Gov. Ron DeSantis. Context — When Trump was about to be indicted in New York City earlier this year, DeSantis did not immediately respond — and when he did chime in, his quip that he didn’t “know what goes into paying hush money to a porn star” drew the wrath of some of those in Trump world. Quicker this time — Of course now DeSantis is a candidate for president running against Trump. And so just a few hours after Trump announced he was being charged, DeSantis said that “the weaponization of federal law enforcement represents a mortal threat to a free society. We have for years witnessed an uneven application of the law depending upon political affiliation.” He also asked why federal authorities were “so zealous in pursuing Trump yet so passive” about investigations of Hillary Clinton and Hunter Biden. Reminder — The irony here is that Team Trump and Team DeSantis have spent close to two weeks ripping into each other at every juncture on social media on every conceivable topic, including right before Trump announced his indictment. It's also worth noting that some Trump supporters were not satisfied with DeSantis' comments, especially because he talked about what he would do to the Department of Justice if elected. More support — Other Florida Republicans, including Sens. Marco Rubio and Rick Scott, were also highly critical of the indictment coming from federal authorities. Scott echoed the viewpoints of many other GOPers who questioned the timing and then took his rhetoric further by labeling Biden “corrupt” and “despotic.” Rep. Byron Donalds said on social media that “this mob-like justice system is turning Lady Justice on its head and is the most significant threat to our democracy. Stand with President Trump.” On the other side — Many top Florida Democrats, meanwhile, remained restrained or even muted in response to the news. A couple of Democrats shared news about Trump’s indictment on social media yet did not offer any commentary. — WHERE'S RON? — Gov. Ron DeSantis is scheduled to be in Texas for fundraisers connected to his presidential campaign. He is also scheduled to speak this evening at the North Carolina Republican Party state convention being held in Greensboro, N.C. Have a tip, story, suggestion, birthday, anniversary, new job, or any other nugget for Playbook? Get in touch: gfineout@politico.com
| | | | 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. | | | | | |  | TRUMPLANDIA AND THE SWAMP | | MULTIPLE CHARGES — “Justice Department charges Trump in documents case,” by The New York Times’ Alan Feuer, Maggie Haberman, William K. Rashbaum and Ben Protess: “The Justice Department on Thursday took the legally and politically momentous step of lodging federal criminal charges against former President Donald J. Trump, accusing him of mishandling classified documents he kept upon leaving office and then obstructing the government’s efforts to reclaim them. Mr. Trump confirmed on his social media platform that he had been indicted. The charges against him include willfully retaining national defense secrets in violation of the Espionage Act, making false statements and a conspiracy to obstruct justice, according to two people familiar with the matter.” DEFENDER — DeSantis sets rivalry aside: ‘Why so zealous in pursing Trump?’ by POLITICO’s Sally Goldenberg and Gary Fineout: He’s only been a presidential candidate for two weeks, but Ron DeSantis is already finding himself defending his chief rival. Several hours after news broke that former President Donald Trump was indicted over his handling of classified documents, DeSantis lambasted the Department of Justice. ... It was a remarkable statement from the second-place GOP candidate, who is considered the most viable alternative to Trump but has grappled with how to challenge the ex-president without alienating his most fervent supporters.”
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Former President Donald Trump listens as he speaks with reporters while in flight on his plane after a campaign rally at Waco Regional Airport, in Waco, Texas, March 25, 2023. | Evan Vucci/AP Photo | — “Inside Trump’s club when the call came: You’re indicted,” by The New York Times’ Maggie Haberman and Jonathan Swan — Trump indictment cheat sheet: What to know about the classified documents case, by POLITICO’s Josh Gerstein and Kyle Cheney — “Trump turns to a familiar playbook in effort to undermine documents inquiry,” by The New York Times’ Alan Feuer and Maggie Haberman — “Trump can still run for president in 2024 after being indicted twice,” by The Washington Post’s Perry Stein — “Poll: Ahead of North Carolina speeches, Donald Trump doubles Ron DeSantis’ support,” by Florida Politics’ A.G. Gancarski
| | DESANTISLAND | | HMM — “Ron DeSantis’ top aide organized government staff to solicit campaign cash from lobbyists,” by NBC News’ Matt Dixon: “Ron DeSantis’ chief of staff was among the biggest political fundraisers helping launch the Florida governor's presidential campaign, an unusual circumstance of a highly influential taxpayer-funded aide doubling as a top political bundler. And part of the way he raised that money was by having other government officials help him solicit cash from lobbyists. The move, besides being out of the ordinary, raises ethical questions and shocked many of those Republican lobbyists here in Florida’s capital who felt pressured to donate because they have business before the administration.” ‘A NEW ERA’ — Vance, MTG criticize DeSantis campaign for posting apparently fake Trump images, by POLITICO’s Madison Fernandez: Images of Donald Trump hugging Anthony Fauci posted on social media became political ammo for Ron DeSantis’ campaign. Except those pictures don’t appear to be real. And some conservatives aren’t happy. Republicans are pushing back against suspected digitally-altered images in a video the “DeSantis War Room” account posted on Twitter earlier this week. The video criticizes Trump for not firing Fauci, then the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, when he was president. Some images of the two men standing next to each other are real. But others appear to be fake images, showing Trump hugging and kissing Fauci. ‘NOT MORALLY ACCEPTIBLE’ — “DeSantis recruiters eyed Catholic church for migrant flights that bishop calls ‘reprehensible,’” by Associated Press’ Olga Rodriguez and Elliot Spagat: “Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’ recruiters set their sights on Sacred Heart Catholic Church in the Texas border city of El Paso in search of asylum-seekers they could take from its bustling migrant shelter to California’s capital on taxpayer-funded private jets. Intentionally or not, envoys for Florida’s Catholic governor and Republican presidential candidate infused an element of his own religion into his latest move on immigration, which has drawn sharp criticism from El Paso’s Catholic bishop. ‘Without going into the details of the politics of it, it does seem clear that they were being used not out of concern for the migrants but in an effort to make a political point,’ Bishop Mark Seitz told The Associated Press on Wednesday. ABOUT THOSE FLIGHTS — “Florida releases heavily redacted proposals from companies bidding on migrant flights,” by Miami Herald’s Ana Ceballos — “Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis woos GOP Christian voters but stays tight-lipped on his own Catholic faith,” by Associated Press’ Tiffany Stanley — “DeSantis ushers in our fake-images-in-politics nightmare,” by The Washington Post’s Aaron Blake — “DeSantis: Inside his rise from obscure member of Congress to presidential contender,” by CBS Miami’s Jim DeFede — “Gov. Ron DeSantis made campaign fundraising stop in Fort Worth. These donors hosted him,” by Fort Worth Star-Telegram’s Abby Church
| | CAMPAIGN MODE | | BIG RULING — The Supreme Court’s 5-4 ruling on Thursday that Alabama’s Republican-led Legislature likely violated the law by diluting the power of Black voters created quite a jolt and led to predictions that it could help redistricting challenges in other Southern states. There are currently two ongoing lawsuits challenging the map pushed by Gov. Ron DeSantis — one in federal court and the other in state court — that dismantled the seat once held by Black Democrat Al Lawson. The legal challenges in Florida do not center on the same section of federal law that was used in the Alabama case, but the ruling showed that the court was unwilling to further undermine the use of race in redistricting. DeSantis has justified breaking apart Lawson’s seat by asserting it ran counter to a previous court decision. The challenge in state court contends that DeSantis’ map violated the Fair Districts requirements adopted by voters in 2010, which led to the creation of Lawson’s seat. USA Today-Florida’s John Kennedy got this from one of those involved in the litigation: “We’re very hopeful that what came out in Alabama will bode well for Florida,” said Kathay Feng, vice president of programs for Common Cause, which is among the plaintiffs suing Florida in federal court over the congressional map. Michael McDonald, a University of Florida professor who studies redistricting, told the Tampa Bay Times’ Romy Ellenbogen the Supreme Court could have come out with a ruling that made it easier for the state to argue that the Fair Districts requirements violate federal law. McDonald cautioned the ruling does not guarantee a win for those suing “by any stretch of the imagination.”
| | | | 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. | | | | | | | ... DATELINE TALLAHASSEE ... | | HELP WANTED — “As DeSantis touts governing chops, state of Florida has thousands of open jobs,” by Tampa Bay Times’ Emily L. Mahoney: “While Gov. Ron DeSantis tours the country asking voters to look to Florida as proof of his results-oriented governing style, extensive worker shortages are quietly hobbling some of the regular functions of his state government. As of October of last year, 28 of 29 state agencies had percentages of vacant positions in the double digits, according to statistics obtained by the Tampa Bay Times through a public records request. In some crucial departments — the Department of Education, Department of State, Agency for Persons with Disabilities and the Department of Elder Affairs — about one in four jobs were open.” SCRUBBED — “Florida rejected federal youth health survey for being too sexual, so it came up with its own,” by WFTS’ Katie LaGrone: "Guns, gender identity, drugs, sex. These are among the hot-button, politically charged topics in Florida you largely won’t see on the state’s new voluntary health survey for teens. ‘Instead, they asked questions that had to do with character and had to do with decision-making,’ explained Christy Devigili, a Lee County parent and parents’ rights advocate who is among more than a dozen people chosen to be part of a state workgroup to help develop the new Florida-specific youth survey." — “Actor, cannabis farmer Jim Belushi wants to tap into Florida green,” by Florida Politics’ Christine Jordan Sexton — “Rebekah Jones to serve 1-year probation for 2019 cyberstalking charge,” by WEAR-TV’s Kai Davis
| | PENINSULA AND BEYOND | | ACROSS THE FLORIDA STRAITS — “Cuba to host secret Chinese spy base focusing on U.S.,” by The Wall Street Journal’s Warren P. Strobel and Gordon Lubold: “China and Cuba have reached a secret agreement for China to establish an electronic eavesdropping facility on the island, in a brash new geopolitical challenge by Beijing to the U.S., according to U.S. officials familiar with highly classified intelligence. An eavesdropping facility in Cuba, roughly 100 miles from Florida, would allow Chinese intelligence services to scoop up electronic communications throughout the southeastern U.S., where many military bases are located, and monitor U.S. ship traffic.” Reaction — “In a joint statement, the top lawmakers on the Senate Intelligence Committee said a Chinese eavesdropping facility in Cuba would pose a 'serious threat to our national security and sovereignty' and urged the administration to take action. ‘We are deeply disturbed by reports that Havana and Beijing are working together to target the United States and our people,’ said Sens. Mark Warner (D., Va.), the chairman of the panel, and Marco Rubio (R., Fla.), the vice chairman.” SCHOOL DAZE — “‘People are frightened.’ Florida’s book rules cause a chilling effect in Miami-Dade schools,” by Miami Herald’s Sommer Brugal: “The apparent misunderstanding — and delay in ensuring the books were available — between the parents and the district points to the ongoing confusion surrounding book restrictions in Florida. It also underscores how, in some instances, the new laws are causing a chilling effect and allow for what some say are the behind-the-scenes decisions being made regarding books. ‘What I’ve seen at our school is that there is an effort to have these books and to lift up diverse voices and have diverse people in the classrooms. I’ve seen that effort,’ [Elizabeth Casal] told the Herald. ‘But I also see this force coming from the state that is making it harder for everyone trying to get these things done.’” TO COURT — “Anti-abortion group sues Clearwater over its clinic buffer zone,” by Tampa Bay Times’ Tracey McManus: “Before the Clearwater City Council voted unanimously on March 2 to create a buffer zone at an abortion clinic due to volatile confrontations with protesters, Florida Preborn Rescue member Allen Tuthill warned what would happen next. ‘The intention of this ordinance is to suppress free speech of pro-life sidewalk counselors,’ Tuthill said at the lectern. ‘I believe the taxpayers of Clearwater are going to be buying an expensive lawsuit if this passes.’ Now Tuthill and the Pinellas Park-based Preborn Rescue have filed a federal lawsuit against the city of Clearwater.” — “Off-duty officer testifies he didn’t know just where shots fired from during Parkland massacre,” by Associated Press’ Terry Spencer — “Citizens eyes rate double-digit hikes for Florida customers,” by News Service of Florida’s Jim Saunders — “The smoke from wildfires isn’t expected to reach Florida. Here’s why,” by South Florida Sun-Sentinel’s Lisa J. Huriash — “200,000 gallons of sewage quietly leaked in the Florida Keys – some during a hurricane,” by FLKeysNews.com’s David Goodhue — “Officers round up hundreds of pigs from overwhelmed Florida animal sanctuary,” by Associated Press
| | ODDS, ENDS AND FLORIDA MEN | | — “Bitten by relative, Tampa Bay man infected with flesh-eating bacteria,” by Tampa Bay Times’ Christopher O’Donnell: “It looked like a bite, so on Feb. 14 he went to the emergency room at HCA Florida Northside Hospital in St. Petersburg for a tetanus shot and antibiotics. Three days later and barely able to walk, [Donnie] Adams, 52, was back at the hospital. This time, he was rushed into emergency surgery, where general surgeon and wound care specialist Fritz Brink battled to save his leg — and possibly his life. Every incision of Brink’s scalpel revealed bright red rotting flesh that stretched almost from knee to groin. About 70% of the tissue in the front of Adams’ thigh had to be cut out. A follow-up surgery was also needed to remove some remaining infected flesh.” BIRTHDAYS: Axios' Margaret Talev … The Associated Press’ David Fischer … Karl Etters of Tall Timbers … Jeff Solnet of U.S. Department of Homeland Security (Saturday) Nick Iarossi of Capital City Consulting … Ashley Montenegro Alexander, government relations specialist for CATALYST … (Sunday) Pasco County Tax Collector and former state senator Mike Fasano … Cesar Gonzalez of Rep. Mario Diaz-Balart’s (R-Fla.) office ... State Rep. Jervonte “Tae” Edmonds | | | | Follow us on Twitter | | | | Subscribe to the POLITICO Playbook family Playbook | Playbook PM | California Playbook | Florida Playbook | Illinois Playbook | Massachusetts Playbook | New Jersey Playbook | New York Playbook | Ottawa Playbook | Brussels Playbook | London Playbook View all our political and policy newsletters | | Follow us | | | | |
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