| | | | |  | | By Eugene Daniels, Ryan Lizza and Rachael Bade | | Presented by The Coalition to Protect America's Regional Airports | | | | With help from Eli Okun and Garrett Ross
| | | |  | DRIVING THE DAY | | | HEADLINE OF THE DAY — “Pardoning Is Not Enough: We Must All Perform Seppuku for Donald Trump,” by National Review’s Jeffrey Blehar
|  On issue after issue in his speech — the economy, crime, tech, immigration — Francis Suarez will juxtapose his record in Miami against the path taken by federal officials in Washington. | Alex Brandon/AP Photo | FIRST IN PLAYBOOK: SUAREZ’S BIG SPEECH — Another week … another GOP presidential candidate. Following yesterday’s FEC filing, Miami Mayor FRANCIS SUAREZ will publicly declare his candidacy for president today, becoming the 13th Republican candidate — and third Florida man — in the 2024 field. This morning, he’ll appear on ABC’s “Good Morning America,” making his announcement live on the air shortly after 8 a.m. And tonight, he’ll deliver a speech at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation and Institute, as Simi Valley again becomes a proving ground for potential campaign themes. Playbook got an early look at Suarez’s speech. On issue after issue — the economy, crime, tech, immigration — the mayor will juxtapose his record in Miami against the path taken by federal officials in Washington. He’ll also lean into his personal story, wielding it to underline his anti-leftist bona fides. “My family is not unique in Miami, where countless families have lost loved ones and their livelihoods to the onslaught of Communism across our hemisphere and Socialism here at home,” Suarez will say, recalling how his grandfather was jailed in Cuba by the Communist regime. One not-so-subtle jab that caught our attention: “It’s time for a next-generation leader who has the vision to lead and the character to connect with everyone by looking you in the eye and listening to you, not shouting at you or lecturing you.” (bcc: RON DeSANTIS, DONALD TRUMP and MIKE PENCE) Still, he has (at least) three big hurdles … 1. Francis who? If you haven’t heard of Suarez, you’re not alone. The 45-year-old was elected mayor in 2017 with 86% of the vote, and reelected in 2021 with 79%. And while he’s Miami political royalty — his father, XAVIER, was Miami’s first Cuban-born mayor and served two stints in the office — he’s not well-known outside of his home state. He does have an affiliated super PAC to boost his profile, NYT’s Maggie Astor and Patricia Mazzei report, that is making “an initial ‘six figure’ ad buy in three early-voting states: Iowa, New Hampshire and Nevada. But he faces a tall task, Gary Fineout and Brakkton Booker note, is garnering the 40,000 individual donors needed to make the first GOP debate in August. 2. His past votes. Suarez freely admits that he did not vote for Trump in either 2016 or 2020. And he reportedly told the Miami Herald in 2018 that he voted for Democrat ANDREW GILLUM over DeSantis. It’s hard to imagine that will go over well with a Republican primary electorate, which overwhelmingly voted for Trump in both 2016 and 2020. 3. His current legal woes. As Astor and Mazzei write, Suarez has “come under fire over reports that he was paid large sums of money by a company looking for help advancing a luxury condominium project. In a series of articles, The Miami Herald reported that Mr. Suarez had received at least $80,000 to consult for the developer, Location Ventures, and then that the developer had paid him $170,000 ‘to help cut through red tape and secure critical permits.’” A skeptical take from the Miami Herald editorial board: “As a mayor with mostly ceremonial duties, Suarez does not have the gravitas or experience of his counterparts in the 2024 primary … [But,] he could win without actually winning. If he raises enough money and gets a couple of viral soundbites at a presidential debate, Suarez might line up his next job.” FIRST IN PLAYBOOK: HOUSE DAYCARE DUSTUP — The culture war has officially opened up a new battleground: The U.S. House of Representatives’ daycare center. Playbook has obtained an email sent on Friday to a listserv of parents and staff at the House Child Care Center announcing that due to “concerns raised earlier today around the appropriateness of a book seen at our center,” daycare employees were “reviewing all books available at the center tonight to ensure that all books are age appropriate.” The email did not identify the offending book, but one parent we spoke to said they were told it was a book about “gender identity.” The parent further shared that they were told by daycare staff that the complaint came from a sitting Republican member of Congress. “My wife and I got that, and we’re like, ‘WTF! Why is it coming here?’ [Daycare is] supposed to be a non-political thing,” the parent told us. “If you don't want your kid to read a certain book, don’t read your kid that certain book. [But] don’t tell me what I can read or not read to my kids.” About 160 children currently attend the House Child Care Center — a resource for lawmakers, congressional staff and support personnel. The administrative officer who sent the initial email did not respond to Playbook’s requests for comment. Good Thursday morning. Thanks for reading Playbook. Drop us a line: Rachael Bade, Eugene Daniels, Ryan Lizza.
| | | | A message from The Coalition to Protect America's Regional Airports: There are only so many flights that can safely take off and land at DCA. The Coalition to Protect America’s Regional Airports opposes changes to the slot and perimeter rules to ensure safe travel for passengers. Any changes to the slot and perimeter rules threaten the passage of a much-needed FAA Reauthorization bill and are not in the interest of airline safety. Learn more. | | | NEW DYSTOPIA JUST DROPPED — “Could chatbots help devise the next pandemic virus?” by Science’s Robert F. Service: “An MIT class exercise shows how easily AI tools can be used to order a bioweapon.”
|  The U.S. Supreme Court is seen on Capitol Hill Tuesday, May 2, 2023. | J. Scott Applewhite/AP Photo | WASHINGTON BRACES FOR BIG SCOTUS DECISIONS — It’s mid-June and the Supreme Court still has 21 cases to decide. Most years, the end of a term is defined by maybe one or two giant cases with the potential to upend the political or cultural moment, but we’re now waiting on four likely to have a profound effect on American life — and we could get any of them as early as this morning. (1) AFFIRMATIVE ACTION and (2) STUDENT LOANS, via AP’s Annie Ma and Aaron Morrison: “[B]oth affirmative action and the student loan cancellation plan — policies that disproportionately help Black students — could soon be dismantled by the U.S. Supreme Court. To … many other people of color, the efforts to roll them back reflect a larger backlash to racial progress in higher education. … “The president’s plan forgives up to $10,000 in federal student debt for borrowers, and doubles the debt relief to $20,000 for borrowers who also received Pell Grants. About half of the average debt held by Black and Hispanic borrowers would be wiped out, according to the White House. Six Republican-led states filed a legal challenge questioning whether the president, a Democrat, has authority to forgive the debt. “In the affirmative action cases, the court is considering the use of race-conscious admissions policies that many selective colleges have used for decades to help build diversity on their campuses. The cases were brought by a conservative activist who argues the Constitution forbids the use of race in college admissions.” (3) LGBTQ RIGHTS AND FREEDOM OF SPEECH, via Pew Research Center’s J. Baxter Oliphant and Carroll Doherty: “The Supreme Court case centers on a challenge to Colorado’s public accommodations law by website designer LORIE SMITH, who says the law violates her right to freedom of speech by requiring her to design wedding websites for same-sex couples. “The oral arguments in the case highlighted the competing rights at issue. Smith’s attorney said her client’s complaint is based on the message being conveyed by her work, not the customers who may be affected. However, Colorado’s solicitor general said that by ruling in favor of Smith, the court would undermine the state’s accommodations law and open the door to discrimination because of a person’s race or religion, in addition to their sexual or gender identity.” (4) THE “INDEPENDENT STATE LEGISLATURE” THEORY, via TPM’s Kate Riga: “The case, Moore v. Harper, grew out of a contested North Carolina redistricting process, but has since become shorthand for the independent state legislature theory, a right-wing idea that state legislatures are entitled to sole authority over administering federal elections. A maximal reading of this notion excludes state courts, state constitutions and even governors’ vetoes. … “Since the latest raft of briefings were submitted on May 11, the Court’s silence has become conspicuous. Some legal observers at first predicted it might dismiss the case as moot. But if it was going to do so, we likely would have had that one- or two-sentence order by now. … The silence implies that some kind of writing is happening, dragging out the process.” THE BIG PICTURE: This is quite a docket for this late in the term, and court-watchers suggest that the body’s slow start is due in part to a lack of trust among the justices following last year’s leak of the Dobbs decision. But the ambition of the remaining docket reflects the change in the court’s makeup: With a supermajority, conservatives have felt much more comfortable hearing cases that years before would have seemed too bold or political. “Most of the time in American history, the Supreme Court hugs the middle,” MICHAEL WALDMAN, the president and CEO of the Brennan Center for Justice, tells Playbook. “It's cautious. It reflects the consensus in the country when in the past, when the Supreme Court has been unduly activist or extreme or partisan, it has shaken things up and has produced a big backlash.” TUNE IN — Today, POLITICO hosts Global Tech Day. Hear from Sens. TED CRUZ (R-Texas) and MARK WARNER (D-Va.), U.S. Trade Representative KATHERINE TAI and more at this inaugural transatlantic event where we explore how technology will shape the future of global power, politics and policy. Global Tech Day starts at 7:35 a.m. ET. Learn more and register … Related reads: “5 things to watch at POLITICO’s Global Tech Day,” by Mohar Chatterjee … “The British baroness writing American online safety laws,” by Mark Scott and Rebecca Kern
| | | | A message from The Coalition to Protect America's Regional Airports:   Take action now to protect regional airports. | | | | | BIDEN’S THURSDAY:
9:30 a.m.: The president will receive the President’s Daily Brief.
1:45 p.m.: Biden will deliver remarks on hidden junk fees.
7:45 p.m.: Biden and first lady JILL BIDEN will host a screening of the film “Flamin’ Hot.”
VP KAMALA HARRIS’ THURSDAY: The VP has nothing on her public schedule.
THE HOUSE will meet at 9 a.m., with first and last votes expected at 10:40 a.m.
THE SENATE will meet at 10 a.m. to consider judicial nominations. | | | | | | 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
|  Republicans celebrate their victory in the Congressional Baseball Game at Nats Park on Wednesday, June 14, as head coach Rep. Roger Williams (R-Texas) celebrates with Rep. Chuck Fleischmann (R-Tenn.). Read on for more coverage... | Tasos Katopodis/Getty Images | | | PLAYBOOK READS | | TRUMP CARDS THE ART OF NO DEAL — Trump rejected a proposal from one of his lawyers last fall that the former president simply settle with the Justice Department in the Mar-a-Lago documents case, WaPo’s Josh Dawsey and Jacqueline Alemany scooped. “Trump was not interested after listening to other lawyers who urged a more pugilistic approach, so [attorney CHRISTOPHER] KISE never approached prosecutors, three people briefed on the matter said. A special counsel was appointed months later.” CANNON FODDER — Here’s a roundup of the get-to-know-you pieces up on AILEEN CANNON, the federal judge who is presiding over the Trump documents case. Together, they paint a picture of a jurist with limited experience in major trials, but one whose handling of the case could be a major benefit for Trump.
FOR YOUR EYES ONLY — “How to hold a public trial when the key evidence is classified,” by Betsy Woodruff Swan and Erica Orden THOUGHT BUBBLE — NYT’s Nate Cohn: “To follow the impact of the indictment, it may be best to watch Fox News and not the polls.” To wit … @brianstelter: “Live coverage of Trump's post-arrest address lifted Fox to 2.4 million viewers at 8pm, well above the network's post-Tucker average. Newsmax netted 832,000 at 8pm, also well above normal. … Another way to view the Trump ratings: His heavily-promoted address barely drew a million more than Fox + Newsmax's norm.” 2024 WATCH
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President Joe Biden speaks in Washington. | Susan Walsh/AP Photo | ENDORSEMENT TRACKER — President JOE BIDEN received reelection endorsements from four of the biggest environmental advocacy groups last night, “an early declaration of support that also served as a show of appreciation for having passed the most significant climate legislation in history last year,” Eli Stokols writes. And while the support from the League of Conservation Voters, NextGen PAC, NRDC Action Fund and the Sierra Club was expected, it marked the first time all four have jointly backed a candidate. Another on the way: The influential AFL-CIO is preparing to roll out its endorsement for Biden this week, with an official union rally set for Saturday, WSJ’s Ken Thomas scoops. RIVALRY REPORT — “Newsom and Texas sheriff ‘compare notes’ on possible DeSantis prosecution,” by Fox 11 Los Angeles’ Elex Michaelson MORE POLITICS CALI SENATE SHAKEUP — A surprise late entrant is thinking about joining the race for Sen. DIANNE FEINSTEIN’s seat, potentially scrambling the field of better-known Democrats that most had assumed was already set. LEXI REESE, a Facebook and Google alumna and now COO of Gusto, confirmed her interest to Christopher Cadelago. She’s assembled a team and is preparing to file paperwork with the FEC this week to formally explore a run.
| | | | A message from The Coalition to Protect America's Regional Airports:   How The Coalition to Protect America’s Regional Airports is Prioritizing Safety. | | | CONGRESS McCARTHY’S MESSY MAJORITY — The recent right-wing rebellion that brought the House floor to a halt is a bad omen for another rapidly approaching legislative fight: The 2023 farm bill. “Major battle lines are forming within the House Republican caucus over the $1 trillion farm bill reauthorization expected to hit the full House this fall — just as Washington is set to descend into another all-consuming battle to fund the government,” Meredith Lee Hill writes. MAKING FOR MAYORKAS — House Republicans are ramping up their drive to impeach DHS Secretary ALEJANDRO MAYORKAS — and while they remain short of the votes to bring the effort to the floor, key players insist that they’re making headway, our colleague Jordain Carney reports. “I think we’re getting pretty darn close,” Rep. ANDY BIGGS (R-Ariz.), who introduced impeachment articles against Mayorkas, said in a brief interview. TUB THE TROUBLEMAKER — Sen. TOMMY TUBERVILLE is rejecting off-ramps and advice from senior Republicans to end his one-man blockade on hundreds of military promotions, even as Pentagon officials warn that his maneuver is compromising America’s security, Alexander Ward and Joe Gould report. Sens. JOHN CORNYN (R-Texas) and JONI ERNST (R-Iowa) are among the Republicans who have tried to work out a compromise with Tuberville, only to have their efforts dashed by the Alabama Republican. SWING AND A MISS — “House rejects effort to censure and fine Democrat Adam Schiff over Trump-Russia investigations,” by AP’s Mary Clare Jalonick POLICY CORNER FOR YOUR RADAR — “Energy secretary Granholm says she failed to reveal stock holdings; GOP calls for investigation,” by AP’s Matthew Daly AMERICA AND THE WORLD BREAKING OVERNIGHT — “Boris Johnson repeatedly misled UK parliament, inquiry finds,” by Matt Honeycombe-Foster and Andrew McDonald HEADS UP — “U.S. deploys F-22s to Middle East in response to ‘unsafe’ Russian aircraft activity,” by Andrew Zhang EXPLAINER — “The U.S. Is Paying Billions to Russia’s Nuclear Agency. Here’s Why,” by NYT’s Max Bearak: “Nuclear power companies rely on cheap enriched uranium made in Russia. That geopolitical dilemma is intensifying as climate change underscores the need for emissions-free energy.” BEYOND THE BELTWAY MORE MIGRANT BUSES — “Texas sends busload of 42 migrants to Los Angeles,” by L.A. Times’ Melissa Gomez, Christian Martinez, Julia Wick and Jack Herrera DEEP IN THE HEART — “Texas AG sues Biden administration over Title IX interpretation,” by The Texas Tribune’s William Melhado
| | | | SUBSCRIBE TO POWER SWITCH: The energy landscape is profoundly transforming. Power Switch is a daily newsletter that unlocks the most important stories driving the energy sector and the political forces shaping critical decisions about your energy future, from production to storage, distribution to consumption. Don’t miss out on Power Switch, your guide to the politics of energy transformation in America and around the world. SUBSCRIBE TODAY. | | | | | | | PLAYBOOKERS | | Juvenile — yes, of “Back That Azz Up” fame — was honored by Troy Carter with a congressional resolution for his contributions to hip-hop and Black America. Bill de Blasio blamed the advance team for his now-infamous “groundhog incident.” Bill Gates is in China to meet Xi Jinping. Steve Buyer did the crime, but he doesn’t want to do the time. PLAYBOOK SPORTS SECTION — Republicans defeated the Democrats, 16-6, last night at Nats Park in the annual Congressional Baseball Game, nabbing its third consecutive victory in the early-summer classic and bringing Republicans’ all-time series lead to 45-42-1. Supporters made a good turnout for the game, selling 26,663 tickets and raising $1.8 million for charity, per NOLA.com’s Mark Ballard. Fox News’ Chad Pergram served as the game’s color commentator. Fun moment: “When [pitcher and Texas GOP Rep. August] Pfluger nailed Democratic North Carolina Rep. Don Davis, the Presbyterian lay minister who graduated from the U.S. Air Force Academy playfully rushed the mound and, all smiles, hugged the GOP pitcher who had hit him with a pitch. There were almost as many hit batters as there were hits in the game. Republicans had 15 hits and the Democrats had 10.”
|  Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) hits. | /Jose Luis Magana/AP Photo | |  Rep. Jake Ellzey (R-Texas) gets hit. | Jose Luis Magana/AP Photo | Rookie report: Eric Schmitt (R-Mo.) joined Joni Ernst as the only senators on the Republican team, with this year being Schmitt’s introduction to the game. But Schmitt is no stranger to the diamond: He played college ball at Northeast Missouri State University (now Truman State University), where he was an outfielder. On the other side of the field, Texas Rep. Jasmine Crockett became the first Black woman Democrat to play in the game’s 114-year history, per CNN’s Kaanita Iyer. Odds and ends: Rep. Jeff Jackson (D-N.C.) had some fun with his postgame media session. Best fan sign: “Steal Bases Not Documents.” OUT AND ABOUT — SPOTTED at Cafe Milano last night at a dinner hosted by Bret Baier: Sens. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.), Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) and Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.), Reps. Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-Wash.) and Debbie Dingell (D-Mich.) and Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin. — SPOTTED at the Power to the Patients Congressional Baseball Game Pre-Party, featuring a special performance by rock band Everclear: Reps. Brendan Boyle (D-Pa.), Mariannette Miller-Meeks (R-Iowa), and Nanette Barragán (D-Calif.), Cynthia Fisher, Kevin and Paul Morra, Marni Carey, Daniel Lippman, Jennifer Simpson, Sarah Barth, Ben Jacobs, Juliegrace Brufke, Igor Bobic and Valerie Chicola, Jake Perry, Matt Whitlock, J.P. Freire, Brianna Manzelli and James Huddleston, TW Arrighi, Ninio Fetalvo, Stephen Groves, Taylor Mason, Johanna Persing, Rina Shah, Naomi Davis, Nikki Schwab, Suhail Khan, Ian Alberg, Shawn Smeallie, Samantha Bryant, Holly Kinnamon, George Seymore, Emily Goodin and Tyler Beardsley. FIRST IN PLAYBOOK — Dwayne Bolton will be VP at Moran Global Strategies. He previously was a principal at Mindset. — Rachel Campbell and Patrick Brown of HardPin are launching Novel Messaging, a media buying and message strategy shop. Campbell previously led teams at Do Big Things and 270 Strategies and Brown previously led the EMILY’s List federal campaigns team before starting FOGLAMP digital, where he is also a partner. TRANSITIONS — Seven Letter has added Blair Taylor as a managing director and Maura Hogan as a senior director. Taylor previously was comms director for Sen. Richard Shelby (R-Ala.) and is a Senate Appropriations Committee alum. Hogan previously was SVP at BCW Global and is a State alum. … Jeremy Hochberg is now senior counsel at Mitchell Sandler. He previously was managing counsel for supervisory policy and outreach at the Federal Reserve Board. … Cara Camacho is now chief of staff for Rep. Jim Himes (D-Conn). She previously was an SVP at the Bank Policy Institute and is an Obama Treasury, DOD and NSC alum. … April Harley and Saul Cunow are joining Movement Labs. Harley will be VP of development and previously served as the executive director of LEAD NC and is an Obama 2008 and 2012 alum. Cunow will be VP of research and previously was director of research at the Analyst Institute. HAPPY BIRTHDAY: Reps. Adam Smith (D-Wash.), Rick Larsen (D-Wash.) and Kevin Mullin (D-Calif.) … CNN’s Dana Bash, Bianna Golodryga and Karl de Vries … AP’s Evan Vucci … Clifford Levy … MSNBC’s Will Rabbe … Alyssa Farah Griffin … PBS NewsHour’s Ali Rogin ... Sophie Vaughan … Marie Harf … POLITICO’s Brian Faler, Claire Crawford and Katherine Tully-McManus … Joseph Brazauskas … Richard Edelman … Team Lewis’ Reagan Lawn … Susan Toffler … Wells Griffith … Jeff Green of J.A. Green & Co. … former NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine … former Rep. Todd Tiahrt (R-Kan.) … former House Majority Whip Tony Coelho (D-Calif.) … former Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell … Rokk Solutions’ Corinne Gorda … Dan Schwerin … Eva Bandola Berg … Jana Plat 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.
| | | | A message from The Coalition to Protect America's Regional Airports: The slot and perimeter rules were carefully designed to promote safety, ease airport congestion, and reduce traffic around the geographically constrained DCA. These rules were established and designed specifically to address safety concerns, airspace congestion, and high demand for flights in and out of DCA. The Coalition to Protect America’s Regional Airports recognizes the importance of regional airports and aims to protect the slot and perimeter rules to preserve connectivity to our Nation’s capital while maintaining safety and convenience for travelers. Learn more. | | | | | | | 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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