| | | | |  | | By Ryan Lizza, Rachael Bade and Eugene Daniels | | | With help from Eli Okun and Garrett Ross
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House Republicans have tried to make Alejandro Mayorkas the face of immigration policy, to the exclusion of most other DHS issues. | Jacquelyn Martin, File/AP Photo | | | | |  | DRIVING THE DAY | | | DONALD WHO? — “No one wants to talk about Trump in Aspen,” by Nahal Toosi and Alexander Ward. As Maggie Haberman noted, this is “[a]bout as a revealing a story as you will read about the state of politics in the U.S. right now.” FIRST IN PLAYBOOK: DeSANTIS GROWS STATE ENDORSEMENTS — More than a dozen Utah state legislators will endorse Gov. RON DeSANTIS for president today in a press conference at the state’s capital. The slate of supporters, which includes Utah Senate President SUART ADAMS, brings DeSantis’ nationwide total of endorsements from state leaders up to 270, according to the campaign. “Governor DeSantis is a strong conservative leader who knows how to get things done and has the record to prove it,” Adams will say, according to a copy of a press release that will be blasted out by the DeSantis campaign later today. “Now more than ever, our nation needs an energetic executive leader who will get right to work for the American people on Day One." THE PLAYBOOK INTERVIEW: ALEJANDRO MAYORKAS — When Mayorkas was tapped to run the Department of Homeland Security — the now 20-year-old behemoth with some 260,000 employees — he said that he was determined to be the secretary of homeland security, not the secretary of immigration. How’s that going? Yesterday, we sat down with him on the sidelines of the Aspen Security Forum to find out. Even if Mayorkas didn’t oversee immigration — one of the most fraught issues in politics — running DHS and all it entails would be a thankless job. When Congress created DHS, it famously smooshed together a lot of large federal entities that don’t always seem to have a lot to do with each other. It includes the Secret Service, FEMA, the Coast Guard and TSA; it works to prevent terrorist attacks, monitor threats from WMDs, protect infrastructure and ensure we’re safe from cyber warfare. Yet of course it is Mayorkas’ management of Border Patrol, ICE and Immigration Services that has dominated his tenure and made him the GOP’s main target of attack in the Biden cabinet. This week, House Republicans inched a step closer to impeaching him. The House Homeland Security Committee issued a report accusing him of “dereliction of duty.” Next week, on July 26, Mayorkas will appear before Rep. JIM JORDAN’s (R-Ohio) House Judiciary Committee. You can expect a ruckus. During our 40-minute conversation, we discussed domestic extremism, what we know about the recent Chinese cyber attack against the federal government, why the end of Title 42 didn’t lead to the border surge many predicted, whether there’s a future where we get through the airport unmolested by TSA agents, the fentanyl crisis, the prospects of his impeachment, and how going through the meat grinder of D.C. politics has changed him. You can listen to the full interview on this week’s Playbook Deep Dive podcast. What follows are some key excerpts:
| | | | A message from Capital Access Alliance: We're asking Congress to authorize additional flights at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA). We're sharing stories like Darlene's, a California school teacher. It illustrates how modernizing this outdated regulation can give Americans, including our nation’s students, affordable access to Washington, D.C. Visiting the nation’s capital is a rite of passage for students, and each one, regardless of where they live or their socioeconomic background, deserves to have that experience without prohibitive costs. Hear her story. | | | On how House Republicans have tried to make him the face of immigration policy, to the exclusion of most other DHS issues: “Let me start by saying something unequivocally: I am the secretary of Homeland Security. And our mission set is a very diverse and sweeping one … we do so much in so many different areas, and I'm proud to lead the department in each and every one of those areas. … “I well understand why the level of migration that we've been experiencing in our southern border has, in fact, captured a lot of attention. It's captured a great deal of my attention and the department's attention. What we are experiencing at the southern border is an element of a sweeping level of migration across the hemisphere and the world. It deserves and needs attention, and we're focused on it, and we're also focused on everything else our department does.” On what America could learn from Canada about immigration: “We’re dealing with a broken system — and everyone agrees on that, and yet we cannot cross the finish line of fixing it. It is a sad chapter of governance for our country. And we see other countries maximizing the benefits of immigration and minimizing the challenges of it through nimble processes and programs. … “When it comes to the value of immigrants and their contributions to the economy, Canada calibrates its level of migration … of skilled or low-wage workers … to their market needs. … We have limits, numeric limits … set years and years ago. We have 10 million vacant jobs in the United States; there's a tremendous supply of labor that could boost our economy. And yet we can’t marry the two.” On why unlawful crossings plummeted after the end of Title 42 in May, despite dire predictions of a surge: “We now have opportunities for you where you don't have to place your life, the lives of your loved ones, [or] your life savings in the hands of ruthless smugglers. We see so much tragedy and trauma along the migratory path. So we've built those lawful pathways. If you arrive in between the ports of entry … at our southern border without having taken advantage of those lawful pathways or satisfying other conditions, then you will … have a higher burden of proof to make your asylum claim. And if you do not succeed and you are removed, there's at least a five-year bar to admission to the United States. So it’s: lawful pathways, and a consequence regime for not using them — and we’ve seen a dramatic drop.”
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| On the changing nature of terrorism: “The terrorism threat has evolved. … [Where] we've seen [a] rise in prominence is … what we call ‘domestic violent extremism’: individuals radicalized to violence because of an ideology of hate, anti-government sentiment, false narratives, personal grievances, misinformation. … The ideologies run the gamut. They are not of one political stripe or another.” On whether he believes Section 702 of FISA will be reauthorized this year: “I am very hopeful. It needs to be.” On whether Section 702 needs to be reformed: “That, I cannot speak to. I think there are some misperceptions of its use.” On the fentanyl crisis: “The scourge of fentanyl — the devastation of fentanyl — has been increasing year over year for five years or more. … I think it was in 2020 that there were well over 55,000 deaths of Americans at the hands of fentanyl. I prosecuted many drug-trafficking cases when I was a federal prosecutor … I do have a great deal of knowledge in how to address it. “What differentiates fentanyl … is its extraordinary toxicity, the ease of manufacture, the margin of profitability, the ease of concealment. It is an extraordinary challenge. We have to tackle this as a country — a united country — to address the supply side and the demand side.” On whether China is using the export of fentanyl as leverage in U.S.-China relations: “I don’t want to speculate. But we are intent on making progress.” On how political attacks, accusations of “dereliction of duty,” and the threat of impeachment have affected him: “I am incredibly proud of my record in federal service, and I love serving our country. This country gave my family, including me, a new life. We fled the communist takeover of Cuba. And it’s a tremendous source of pride for me to have served our country and to continue serving our country. And I have so much admiration and gratitude for the people with whom I work. I have a very good understanding of who I am and what I am trying to do for our country in leading 260,000 people in the Department of Homeland Security. False accusations do not dent that one bit.” Related read: “Mayorkas gets new chief of staff with political battle skills,” by Eli Stokols and Myah Ward Happy Friday. Thanks for reading Playbook. Drop us a line: Rachael Bade, Eugene Daniels, Ryan Lizza.
| | | | A message from Capital Access Alliance:   | | | BARBIE — “The Twitter Menswear Guy Has Some Advice for the Campaign Trail,” by Derek Guy: “If there’s one thing that still has bipartisan support in politics, it’s embarrassing menswear.” OPPENHEIMER — “College Towns Have Become the GOP’s Electoral Nightmare,” by Charlie Mahtesian: “In isolation, it’s a worrisome development for Republicans. Unfortunately for the larger GOP, it’s not happening in isolation.” MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE — “Candidates were drowning in grassroots cash. Now, they’re thirsting for it,” by Jessica Piper and Brittany Gibson: “A POLITICO analysis of federal campaign finance data found a dramatic downturn in small-dollar donations across the board.” MISSION: VERY POSSIBLE — “Manchin and Sinema back to bedeviling Democrats,” by Burgess Everett: “The West Virginian is flirting with a third-party presidential bid and rejecting Biden nominees. And the Arizonan is drawing the ire of Democrats, too.”
| | BIDEN’S FRIDAY:
10 a.m.: The president will receive the President’s Daily Brief.
1:30 p.m.: Biden will deliver remarks on AI.
VP KAMALA HARRIS’ FRIDAY:
12:30 p.m.: The VP will depart Washington, D.C., en route to Jacksonville, Fla.
3:45 p.m.: Harris will deliver remarks on the fight to protect the freedom to learn and teach America’s full history at the Ritz Theater & Museum.
4:45 p.m.: Harris will depart Jacksonville en route to Washington.
THE SENATE is in. THE HOUSE is out. | | | | | | STOP SCROLLING (for just a minute!). Introducing a revamped California Playbook newsletter with an all-new team and a sharpened mission! Join Lara Korte and Dustin Gardiner as they take you on an extraordinary journey through California's political landscape. From inside the Capitol in Sacramento to the mayor’s office in Los Angeles, and from the tech hub of Silicon Valley to even further beyond, we're your front-row ticket to the action. Subscribe for access to exclusive news, buzzworthy scoops and never-before-revealed behind-the-scenes details straight from the heart of California's political arena. Don't miss out — SUBSCRIBE TODAY and stay in the know! | | | | | PHOTO OF THE DAY
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President Joe Biden greets workers as he tours a shipyard in Philadelphia on Thursday, July 20. | Susan Walsh/AP Photo | | | PLAYBOOK READS | | 2024 WATCH DeSANTIS CAMP ‘ON THE BRINK’ — The DeSantis campaign is planning a major overhaul of its messaging and strategy as the Florida governor struggles to find firm footing in the bruising presidential primary, NBC News’ Dasha Burns scoops. Expect more of a national focus than a Florida focus, and mainstream media potentially getting more access. The reboot will also be seen in DeSantis’ campaign events: “Going forward, expect fewer podiums and stages and more stops at Pizza Ranches, churches and VFW halls where DeSantis can speak directly to voters with no big platforms or barricades blocking close contact.” More details inside the campaign: “‘Downright low’ is how a source who was present when the staffers were fired described morale these days. ‘The entire campaign is on the brink,’ the person said. ‘I’ve never seen anything like it.’” Related reads: NBC: “Ron DeSantis defends Sen. Tommy Tuberville's blockade on military promotions” … CNN: “DeSantis calls for state investment manager to consider action against Bud Light’s parent company” CAN’T HURT TO ASK — “Trump Seeks U.A.W.’s Support as the Union Wavers on Backing Biden,” by NYT’s Jonathan Weisman: “In a video on Thursday, Mr. Trump predicted the demise of American auto manufacturing and the ‘slaughter’ of 117,000 auto jobs. ‘I hope United Auto Workers is listening to this because I think you’d better endorse Trump,’ he said.” Related read: “Trump vows to undo Biden’s electric vehicle policies,” by Timothy Cama FRIENDS IN HIGH PLACES — CHRIS CHRISTIE’s newest FEC filing showed the Trump critic winning the financial support of some donors with names familiar to Trump world: ANTHONY SCARAMUCCI, GEORGE CONWAY and MURRAY KUSHNER — JARED KUSHNER’s uncle, reports Dustin Racioppi. “The Kushner family has a long history of donating to New Jersey politicians, mostly Democrats,” Racioppi writes. “But the donations to Christie serve as a reminder of the bizarre and tangled relationship he has with the Kushners.” THE WHITE HOUSE JUST POSTED — AP: “Amazon, Google, Meta, Microsoft and other tech firms agree to AI safeguards set by the White House” HOPELESSLY DEVOTED TO SU — “White House moves on from confirmation effort for Su as Labor secretary,” by Jennifer Haberkorn: Despite a lack of sufficient support to confirm JULIE SU as Labor secretary, the White House plans to indefinitely leave her in the role by using a “rule that allows a [Labor] deputy to serve in an acting capacity indefinitely, unlike other nominees who are subject to a time limit by a federal vacancies rule.” HOT LABOR SUMMER — Biden isn’t directly involving himself in any of the major labor movements currently taking place around the country, rather charging administration officials with monitoring the negotiations, NBC’s Mike Memoli reports. It’s a stark contrast from the White House’s approach to handling last year’s rail strike, when the administration directly mediated and negotiated an agreement between freight carriers and unions. “White House officials are downplaying any potential for the disputes to undermine Biden’s newly ramped-up efforts to politically capitalize on lowering inflation and a robust job market as he runs for re-election.” CONGRESS DEPT. OF DEAD ENDS — Yesterday, the Senate Judiciary Committee voted along party lines, 11-10, to approve a bill that would overhaul ethics and transparency requirements for the Supreme Court. But the legislation has dim prospects in the divided Senate — and there appears to be little chance of it even being considered by the GOP-controlled House, Katherine Tully-McManus and Josh Gerstein write. MARSHALL LAW — Sen. ROGER MARSHALL (R-Kan.) is pushing to open up the amendment process on the NDAA in a bid to advance a contested measure that would crack down on credit card swipe fees, Sam Sutton and Eleanor Mueller report. Marshall told our colleagues yesterday that he was “not trying to hold up any votes on the National Defense Authorization Act, though he expressed serious concern with the amendment process.” SHOT — “Three key moments from RFK Jr.'s testimony to Congress,” by Eric Bazail-Eimil CHASER — “As Republicans elevate Robert F. Kennedy Jr., his polls sour,” by WaPo’s Aaron Blake
| | | | A message from Capital Access Alliance:   | | | MORE POLITICS AND THEN THERE WERE FIVE — Texas will leave the Electronic Registration Information Center, becoming the largest state to leave the bipartisan voting list project, Zach Montellaro writes. Only five Republican-leaning states are still members of the program, after the departures of Louisiana, Alabama, Missouri, Florida, West Virginia, Iowa, Ohio and Virginia. THE SELFIES — “Meet the 2024 self-funded candidates armed with $51 million in personal war chest cash,” by the Washington Examiner’s Gabe Kaminsky MEANWHILE, IN MAINE — “Protester claims Maine police illegally arrested him at Leonard Leo’s behest,” by The Bangor Daily News’ Billy Kobin: “The federal false-arrest lawsuit is bolstered by a 52-minute dashcam video that captures audio of police talking with LEONARD LEO, who accused ELI DURAND-MCDONNELL of cursing at him and his family on a street in Northeast Harbor.” TRUMP CARDS BILLS, BILLS, BILLS — “Trump prosecutions consume campaign funds and messaging as charges mount,” by WaPo’s Isaac Arnsdorf and Josh Dawsey: “To illustrate how Trump’s criminal defense is swallowing his campaign, just over half of the money he raised last quarter went not to the campaign itself but to an affiliated PAC that is footing the legal bills. … ‘A lot of money is going to legal and people who don’t do much, and not a lot is left over to do marketing and advertising,’ said one Trump adviser, who like others spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss internal plans. ‘A lot of the money we’re raising is just going to legal.’” OMERTA — “Federal judge orders forthcoming Trump deposition be kept under wraps in lawsuit against Michael Cohen,” by Kimberly Leonard in Miami YOU CAN’T HANDLE THE TRUTH — “Trump’s Truth Social partner lied to investors, SEC says in settlement,” by WaPo’s Drew Harwell JUDICIARY SQUARE ODD SCENE — DOJ special counsel JACK SMITH yesterday drew an admonishment for causing a delay in an unrelated hearing in a Jan. 6 criminal case. U.S. District Court Judge TREVOR McFADDEN “sent a U.S. marshal to summon Smith’s prosecutors from the grand jury room — where they were grilling a Trump-connected witness — to his courtroom Thursday afternoon,” Kyle Cheney writes. “That led to a bizarre scene in which THOMAS WINDOM, a leading prosecutor on Smith’s team investigating Trump’s effort to subvert the 2020 election, marched down the courthouse hallway and filed into McFadden’s courtroom during the ongoing Jan. 6 proceeding.” Related read: “Special counsel continues to schedule witness interviews even as potential Trump indictment looms,” by CNN’s Paula Reid, Katelyn Polantz, Kara Scannell, Hannah Rabinowitz and Jeremy Herb WATCHING THE WATCHMEN — “Obstruction Law Cited by Prosecutors in Trump Case Has Drawn Challenges,” by NYT’s Alan Feuer: “In its arguments to the appeals court, the government said that acting corruptly should be broadly construed to include all sorts of unlawful behavior … The defense argued for a much narrower interpretation, seeking to define the term as acting illegally to procure something to directly benefit oneself.” AMERICA AND THE WORLD HACK JOB — “U.S. Ambassador to China Hacked in China-Linked Spying Operation,” by WSJ’s Dustin Volz and Warren Strobel: “Though limited to unclassified emails, the inboxes of Burns and Kritenbrink could have allowed the hackers to glean insights into U.S. planning for a recent string of visits to China by senior Biden administration officials, as well as internal conversations about U.S. policies toward its rival amid a period of delicate diplomacy that has been challenged repeatedly in recent months.” TV TONIGHT — PBS’ “Washington Week”: Dan Balz, Jeffrey Goldberg, Fin Gomez and Sadie Gurman. SUNDAY SO FAR … ABC “This Week”: Rep. Michael McCaul (R-Texas). Panel: Rick Klein, Leigh Ann Caldwell, Terence Samuel and Heidi Przybyla. CBS “Face the Nation”: Chris Christie … Rep. Tony Gonzales (R-Texas). CNN “State of the Union”: Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) … Utah Gov. Spencer Cox … Colorado Gov. Jared Polis. Panel: Karen Finney, Scott Jennings, Ashley Allison and Miles Taylor. FOX “Fox News Sunday”: Vivek Ramaswamy. Panel: Guy Benson, Francesca Chambers, Katie Pavlich and Juan Williams. Panel: Jonathan Turley and Tom Dupree. MSNBC “The Sunday Show”: Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) … Rep. Joe Neguse (D-Colo.).
| | | | 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 | | Barack Obama released his annual summer playlist — but not everyone was happy to be on it. Members of the Arsenal football club got a tour of the Capitol. Katie Britt has introduced a new (very Southern) divide in the “Barbenheimer” debate. Todd Young is Team Oppenheimer. Mike Braun is … something else entirely. Gina Raimondo and her husband participated in the “Save the Bay” swim in Rhode Island. SPORTS BLINK — “NFL owners approve $6.05B sale of Commanders to Harris group,” by ESPN’s John Keim OUT AND ABOUT — Stephen Replogle hosted a book party for Chadwick Moore’s new book, “Tucker,” ($30) at the Metropolitan Club on Wednesday night, where Moore interviewed Justin Wells, a former producer for Tucker Carlson’s Fox News show. Wells told the crowd that now “you are going to see more Tucker than you saw on Fox,” and teased that Carlson has a “very big” interview coming on his Twitter show. SPOTTED: Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala.) (who was heard saying he hasn’t “watched a minute of Fox” since Carlson’s departure), retired Army Col. Douglas Macgregor, Michael Needham, Amber Athey, Jeffrey Lord, Robert Bluey, Jeffrey Clark, Robby Soave, Steve Lance and Benjamin Braddock. Pic — SPOTTED at a book party last night at Juleanna Glover’s house for Matt Lewis’ “Filthy Rich Politicians: The Swamp Creatures, Latte Liberals, and Ruling-Class Elites Cashing in on America” ($26.10): April and Ramesh Ponnuru, Tim Mak, John Tamny, Matthew Continetti, Michael Tomasky, Miranda Kennedy, Adam Green, Nihal Krishan, Alex Thompson, Molly Ball, Christine Emba, Christina Paulos, Shoshana Weissmann, Ryan Steusloff, Chris Perkins and Will Saletan. — SPOTTED at the Washington AI Network’s inaugural event last night at The House at 1229, hosted by Tammy Haddad in conversation with Victoria Espinel of BSA | The Software Alliance and Kellee Wicker of the Wilson Center: James Roscoe, Senay Bulbul, John McCarthy, Liz Johnson, Lynda Carter, Adrienne Elrod, Alexandra Veitch, Teresa Carlson, Carol Melton, Stephanie Cutter, Vince Evans and Rory Gates. TRANSITION — Lacie Newton is now managing director of strategic comms at Assemble. She previously was founder of LN Communications. HAPPY BIRTHDAY: Reps. Jim Clyburn (D-S.C.) and Cori Bush (D-Mo.) … Sen. John Barrasso (R-Wyo.) … Fox News’ Peter Doocy … Mick Mulvaney … CNN’s Mark Preston … David Stacy … Google’s Ali-Jae Henke … SoftBank’s Christin Tinsworth Baker … Steve Lerch … Nancy LeaMond of AARP … Samantha Summers of Albertsons Companies … IBEX Partners’ Michael Sessums … Trita Parsi … Dave Noble … Edelman’s Athena Johnson … Katherine Schneider ... Jahan Wilcox ... retired Gen. Dick Tubb … the Government Publishing Office’s Hugh Halpern … Roshan Patel of the Democratic Lieutenant Governors Association … RNC’s Brian Parnitzke … former Reps. Phil Roe (R-Tenn.), Jimmy Duncan (R-Tenn.), Ed Towns (D-N.Y.), John Salazar (D-Colo.) (7-0) and Bobby Bright (D-Ala.) … John Negroponte … former Connecticut Gov. Dan Malloy … Garrett Ventry of GRV Strategies … Bob Shrum 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 Capital Access Alliance: The bipartisan Direct Capital Access Act (DCA Act) would add a modest number of in- and beyond-perimeter flights at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA) while protecting current regional routes. It will help reduce costs for consumers by creating competition and increasing supply.
Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) data shows that DCA has the capacity to safely add more flights during at least three different time blocks each day and has the capacity for far more additional daily departures and landings than The DCA Act would authorize.
Bottom line: Modernizing the outdated federal perimeter rule would lower ticket prices and make America’s capital more accessible for air travelers around the country. It's time for Congress to get behind the bipartisan DCA Act. | | | | | | | 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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