| | | | |  | | By Rachael Bade, Eugene Daniels and Ryan Lizza | | | With help from Eli Okun and Garrett Ross
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Democrats think they can benefit politically from Sen. Tommy Tuberville’s unprecedented blockade, which has effectively frozen promotions for some 250 military officers. | J. Scott Applewhite/AP Photo | | | | |  | DRIVING THE DAY | | | WHAT WRAY WILL SAY — FBI Director CHRISTOPHER WRAY is set to appear for testimony before the House Judiciary Committee at 10 a.m., where he will “focus his remarks on the good work of the FBI to protect the American people and the professionalism, patriotism, and dedication to public service of FBI employees,” per an FBI spokesperson. Expect Judiciary Chair JIM JORDAN and fellow Republicans, meanwhile, to focus their questions on the bureau’s investigations of DONALD TRUMP and HUNTER BIDEN, along with its headquarters search, warrantless surveillance and other issues. Here’s a snippet from Wray’s prepared remarks: “I want to talk about the sheer breadth and impact of the work the FBI’s 38,000 employees are doing, each and every day. Because the work the men and women of the FBI do to protect the American people goes way beyond the one or two investigations that seem to capture all the headlines.” TOMMY GUN — During a fundraiser at the California home of Microsoft exec KEVIN SCOTT last month, President JOE BIDEN took a rare punch down, knocking a freshman senator whose name is probably more familiar to college football fans than political news mavens. Biden, who usually spares no niceties in addressing fellow senators past and present, sharply needled Sen. TOMMY TUBERVILLE (R-Ala.) over his monthslong blockade of military promotions — an unusually aggressive protest targeting a new Pentagon policy reimbursing costs to servicewomen who must travel to seek abortions. “It’s bizarre,” Biden said. “I don’t remember it happening before — and I’ve been around.” And there are plenty more barbs where that came from, our colleagues Jennifer Haberkorn and Burgess Everett write this morning. The president has seized on the blockade, which “has earned a steady spot in Biden’s fundraising pitches, social media and official speeches,” they write. Biden has also cheekily referred to him as “the former football coach from Alabama, who was a better coach than he’s a senator.” (To be clear for our persnickety SEC-football-loving readers: Tuberville coached at Auburn, not Alabama.) Add on top of that Tuberville’s recent comments defending white nationalists as not being racist, and Biden has found a gift that keeps on giving. (Tuberville walked back the remarks yesterday.) Why target a lesser-known senator when Biden can choose from a whole host of big-name 2024 rivals like DONALD TRUMP or RON DeSANTIS? It underscores how Democrats think they can benefit politically from Tuberville’s unprecedented blockade, which has effectively frozen promotions for some 250 military officers.
| | | | A message from The Coalition to Protect America's Regional Airports: DCA is at capacity. The airport already handles 9 million more passengers per year than it was designed to accommodate, and it is more prone to delays and cancellations than other airports. Even so, reckless efforts by a Delta-backed group are pushing to add more flights to DCA, threatening to worsen congestion and safety concerns. Join CPARA and its 130+ members in putting a stop to these efforts. Protect passenger safety and convenience and oppose changes to DCA’s slot and perimeter rules. | | | BRASS TACKS: Tuberville’s holds earned new attention this week when the U.S. Marine Corps found itself without a Senate-confirmed commandant for the first time in more than a century. If Tuberville holds firm, four of the eight sitting Joint Chiefs of Staff will retire without a confirmed successor in place. Democrats have blasted Tuberville for months, accusing him of undermining national security to wage a culture-war skirmish — a claim the senator firmly denies. Critics argue that acting military leaders won’t be able to make long-term strategic decisions, harming the country’s readiness. The hold also means the stalled nominees are losing out on salary increases and fringe benefits, such as relocating their families to their designated assignments. Military leaders who rarely weigh in on politics are starting to raise their voices in protest. “We need the Senate to do their job,” Gen. DAVID BERGER, the outgoing Marine Corps Commandant, told senators Monday. And Air Force Gen. C.Q. BROWN — the one senior officer whose promotion, to Joint Chiefs chair, isn’t being blocked by Tuberville — doubled down on that, arguing yesterday before the Senate Armed Services Committee that the blockade could cause a brain drain if talented officers decide to leave in frustration. HOW DOES THIS END? Your guess is as good as ours. We caught up with Morning Defense author Joe Gould yesterday, and he noted that even reporters on the beat were befuddled about how — or whether — this gets ironed out soon. While Tuberville once suggested he would relent if the Senate allowed a vote on the abortion policy, he now says that’s not enough and wants the Pentagon to retract the abortion policy itself. But the chances that the Pentagon might fold are exceedingly slim, Joe told us, with Defense officials reluctant to reward bad behavior and incentivize future holds on military brass. Senate Majority Leader CHUCK SCHUMER could file cloture on the various promotions to get around Tuberville. But (1) each nomination would eat up days of floor time, and (2) Schumer, too, is scared of edging down a slippery slope, turning military promotions a perennial hot potato. Schumer yesterday put the onus on Minority Leader MITCH McCONNELL to convince Tuberville to back down. But while McConnell has publicly disagreed with Tuberville’s move, he isn’t known for strong-arming colleagues and doesn’t appear to have plans to start now. Still, keep an eye on Republicans in the coming days. Some are starting to publicly voice their private frustrations with Tuberville, who they believe has boxed himself into a corner — and, perhaps more importantly, boxed them into an untenable position — all while leaving military officers who have little control over DOD policies to bear the brunt of his protest. (It didn’t help that they spent Tuesday being quizzed by reporters about his white nationalist comments.) “The ends, I agree with, but I think at some point the means to those ends is creating other challenges that are problematic long term,” the ever-diplomatic Minority Whip JOHN THUNE told reporters yesterday. Good Wednesday 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:   Experts agree: DCA is at capacity. The airport cannot safely handle more flights. Protect passenger safety and convenience and oppose changes to DCA’s slot and perimeter rules. | | | GREENE VS. GREEN — “How Marjorie Taylor Greene’s district became Biden’s climate poster child,” by Robin Bravender in Dalton, Ga. NDAA IN LIMBO — The House Rules Committee gaveled out shortly after 11 p.m. last night, leaving unresolved a nasty Republican split over the National Defense Authorization Act. With hardline conservatives pushing for amendments on abortion and other hot-button issues that could tank the entire bill, GOP leaders opted to kick the can — sending a package of relatively noncontroversial amendments to the floor for debate today while Speaker KEVIN McCARTHY tries to figure out a way to navigate through the rest. More from Katherine Tully-McManus and Connor O’Brien What Rep. JIM McGOVERN (D-Mass.) had to say: “We are here at 11 p.m. because once again Republicans are fighting with Republicans in a back room about how to make what should have been a bipartisan bill into a hyperpartisan bill. … I wish you luck in trying to solve this internal struggle, but I have to say that most people I talk to look at this majority and see a perfect example of everything that’s wrong with Washington.” Related read: “McCarthy summons GOP factions to counter threat of a new conservative rebellion,” by Sarah Ferris and Jordain Carney
| | BIDEN’S WEDNESDAY (all times Eastern): Earlier this morning, the president attended a meeting with leaders from Sweden, Indo-Pacific partners and the EU, and a meeting of NATO-Ukraine Council.
8:45 a.m.: Biden will participate in a bilateral meeting with Ukrainian President VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY.
12:45 p.m.: Biden will deliver remarks on Ukraine.
2:10 p.m.: Biden will depart Vilnius, Lithuania en route to Helsinki, Finland.
VP KAMALA HARRIS’ WEDNESDAY:
1:15 p.m.: The VP will meet with civil rights leaders and consumer protection experts to discuss the societal impact of AI.
THE SENATE will meet at 10 a.m. to take up a handful of nominations.
THE HOUSE will meet at 10 a.m. and noon. FBI Director CHRISTOPHER WRAY will testify before the Judiciary Committee at 10 a.m. | | | | | | 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 and Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan meet on the sidelines of the NATO summit in Vilnius, Lithuania, Tuesday, July 11, 2023. | Susan Walsh/AP Photo | | | PLAYBOOK READS | | 2024 WATCH WHEN YOU’VE LOST FOX NEWS — The top brass at Fox News is starting to sour on DeSantis as their antidote to Trump after the Florida governor’s “perceived stumbles, lackluster polling, and inability to swiftly dethrone” the frontrunning former president, Rolling Stone’s Diana Falzone, Asawin Suebsaeng and Adam Rawnsley report. “Billionaire media mogul RUPERT MURDOCH in particular has been voicing his doubts and frustrations, in private discussions and calls, at times wondering if a DeSantis ‘comeback’ is possible at this point.” Related read: “DeSantis Confronts a Murdoch Empire No Longer Quite So Supportive,” by NYT’s Nicholas Nehamas and Maggie Haberman A HEADLINE DeSANTIS WON’T LIKE — “Florida is now America’s inflation hotspot,” by CNN’s Bryan Mena and Alicia Wallace IF YOU AIN’T FIRST — “Ron DeSantis says he wouldn't be Trump's running mate: ‘I’m not a No. 2 guy,’” by NBC’s Alec Hernández INDIFFERENCE IN IOWA — Despite Iowa’s outsized importance on the presidential nominating calendar, Trump isn’t going out of his way to make friends on the ground. “If it’s the prerogative of the frontrunner to pick and choose his spots, the former president is taking it to a new level, thumbing his nose at any institution or Republican politician he prefers not to court or appear alongside,” Natalie Allison writes. “In a more competitive presidential primary, not being on the debate stage or snubbing Gov. KIM REYNOLDS might matter more. But in this GOP contest, it’s a reflection of Trump’s dominance that he can dismiss them — so far, with seemingly no price to pay.” Related read: “Trump Is Picking Fights in Iowa, No Matter the 2024 Consequences,” by NYT’s Shane Goldmacher and Maggie Haberman JUST SAY NO LABELS — “Former lawmakers plan new group to stop No Labels presidential bid,” by WaPo’s Michael Scherer: “Former House Democratic leader RICHARD A. GEPHARDT is planning to launch a new bipartisan group next week to oppose the No Labels third-party presidential effort, according to people familiar with the plans.” MR. MONEY BAGS — “Miami Mayor Doubles His Wealth, Buys Boat With Profit From His Side Gigs,” by Bloomberg’s Michael Smith: “Miami Mayor FRANCIS SUAREZ makes $126,000 working for the city, converting it into crypto. Despite last year’s market rout, the 45-year-old Republican’s net worth more than doubled to $3.5 million.” JUST POSTED — “The campaign of Chris Christie’s dreams,” by WaPo’s Kara Voght: “Who needs to wake up to the political realities of 2024 — Trump loyalists, or the anti-Trump candidate?” MORE POLITICS WELCOME TO THE INTERNET — “Montana GOP Senate candidate's old Facebook includes lewd photos of women, racist costumes, and homoerotic jokes,” by Insider’s Bryan Metzger: “Though aspects of [TIM] SHEEHY's apparent profile — named ‘Timothy Patrick’ — appear to have been made private, Facebook users can still find a litany of photos from his profile dating from 2006 to 2008, when Sheehy was a student at the US Army Ranger School in Georgia and at the US Naval Academy in Maryland. And the photos include much of what one might expect from an adolescent posting on a burgeoning social media network in the 2000s.” Click through for screenshots GRANITE STATE OF MIND — Manchester Mayor JOYCE CRAIG officially jumped into the New Hampshire gubernatorial race yesterday. She’s facing Executive Councilor CINDE WARMINGTON in a primary that’s already dividing the state’s Democratic establishment. GOP Gov. CHRIS SUNUNU has hinted he might not seek a record fifth two-year term, but is yet to announce his intentions. Former Sen. KELLY AYOTTE and former state Senate President CHUCK MORSE, who ran unsuccessfully for the Senate last year, are positioning to run on the Republican side if Sununu steps aside. NEW POLL — “Even in states that have them, few US adults support full abortion bans, AP-NORC poll finds,” by AP’s Geoff Mulvihill and Linley Sanders: “Overall, about two-thirds of Americans say abortion should generally be legal, but only about a quarter say it should always be legal and only about 1 in 10 say it should always be illegal.” CONGRESS NIGHT OF THE HUNTER — GAL LUFT was a key piece of House Republicans’ crusade against Hunter Biden, but on Monday he was charged with arms trafficking and acting as an unregistered foreign agent for Chinese entities. But senior Republicans aren’t discounting him yet, and on Tuesday “dismissed the importance of the charges against the fugitive defendant and instead accused the Justice Department, the FBI and other authorities of orchestrating a vast conspiracy on behalf of the first family, providing no documentation or other evidence to support their accusations,” WaPo’s Paul Kane writes. JET SETTERS — “F-16s for Turkey aren’t a done deal until these lawmakers say it’s OK. And they’re not sold yet,” by Joe Gould: “Senate Foreign Relations Chair BOB MENENDEZ (D-N.J.), who had previously blocked the fighter transfer to Turkey, said he is in talks with the Biden administration about his hold and that he could make a decision ‘in the next week,’ suggesting he could lift it.” DON’T ASK — “Marjorie Taylor Greene says Freedom Caucus hasn’t told her whether she’s out,” by Jordain Carney DON’T TELL — “Freedom Caucus members won't say if Marjorie Taylor Greene has been booted,” by NBC’s Scott Wong, Ryan Nobles and Kyle Stewart
| | | | A message from The Coalition to Protect America's Regional Airports:   Americans want fewer flight delays, NOT more. Protect passenger safety and convenience and oppose changes to DCA’s slot and perimeter rules. | | | TRUMP CARDS OUT ON HIS OWN — The Justice Department is stepping aside in defending Trump, saying that he “should not be immune from a defamation lawsuit over comments he made about the writer E. JEAN CARROLL while he was president,” Erica Orden and Josh Gerstein write. “The new court filing — which reverses a legal position first adopted under Trump and then maintained under President Joe Biden — paves the way for the lawsuit to proceed to trial in January.” MEANWHILE — “Justice Department asks appeals court to block Trump deposition in lawsuit by former FBI officials,” by NBC’s Zoë Richards BOOK CLUB — “Trump came close to using troops to ‘forcibly expel’ migrants, ‘Anonymous’ author writes,” by Lara Seligman POLICY CORNER THE BRAVE NEW WORLD — “You can say no to a TSA face scan. But even a senator had trouble,” by WaPo’s Shira Ovide: “On his way to catch a flight, Sen. JEFF MERKLEY (D-Ore.) was asked to have his photo taken by a facial recognition machine at airport security. … When Merkley said no to the face scan at Washington’s Reagan National Airport, he was told it would cause a significant delay, a spokeswoman for the senator said. There was no delay. The spokeswoman said the senator showed his photo ID to the TSA agent and cleared security.” DEEP DIVE — “FEMA Stretched Beyond Climate Response as Disasters Balloon,” by Bloomberg’s Kellie Lunney and Ellen Gilmer AMERICA AND THE WORLD THE NEW NATO — “State Department doubles down after Zelenskyy slams reluctance on Ukraine’s entry to NATO,” by Lucy Hodgman NEWS ANALYSIS — “Erdogan’s Flip on Sweden Signals Mending of Ties With U.S.,” by NYT’s Ben Hubbard and Zolan Kanno-Youngs NATO GEOGRAPHIC — “Four maps explain how Sweden and Finland could alter NATO’s security,” by WaPo’s Ruby Mellen, Dylan Moriarty and Júlia Ledur FOR YOUR RADAR — “Cuba calls the presence of U.S. nuclear-powered submarine at Guantanamo Bay naval base a provocation,” by AP’s Andrea Rodríguez and Lolita Baldor in Havana BEYOND THE BELTWAY LOOKING FOR MR. BAD GUY — “Foes with benefits: Governors reap rewards in their troll wars,” by Lisa Kashinsky and Shia Kapos: “Governors deprived of foils in states with one-party rule are increasingly turning to trolling their ideological opposites in faraway places. As culture wars rage, a billboard here or a pithy remark there can help state executives shore up their home bases and amplify their agendas to a new, national audience. And the brief spotlight each high-profile gambit brings is key for eager governors positioning for higher office.” ABORTION FALLOUT — “Iowa House passes 6-week 'fetal heartbeat' abortion ban; Senate vote to follow tonight,” by the Des Moines Register’s Stephen Gruber-Miller, Katie Akin and Galen Bacharier
| | | | 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 | | Mark Zuckerberg seems pretty serious about fighting Elon Musk. OUT AND ABOUT — America First Policy Institute hosted a book reception for Bob Lighthizer’s new book, “No Trade is Free: Changing Course, Taking on China, and Helping America's Workers,” ($25.60) at the Capitol Hill Club yesterday. SPOTTED: Sens. Rick Scott (R-Fla.), Bill Hagerty (R-Tenn.) and J.D. Vance (R-Ohio), Reps. Jason Smith (R-Mo.), Carol Miller (R-W.Va.), Keith Self (R-Texas) and Greg Steube (R-Fla.), Brooke Rollins, Linda McMahon, Chad Wolf, Renee Hudson, Marc Lotter and Hogan Gidley. — SPOTTED yesterday evening at an author talk and party hosted by Kevin Roberts at the Heritage Foundation for John Catsimatidis’ new book “How Far Do You Want to Go?: Lessons from a Common-Sense Billionaire” ($15.59): Sens. Steve Daines (R-Mont.), Rand Paul (R-Ky.), Rick Scott (R-Fla.), John Barrasso (R-Wyo.) and Ted Cruz (R-Texas), Newt Gingrich, Margo Catsimatidis, Ben and Candy Carson, Rep. Gus Bilirakis, Diana Davis Spencer, Charlie Hurt, Christopher Dolan, Dr. EJ Antoni, Dave Bossie, Alexandra Preate, Stephanie Whittier, Jamie Linen and Steve Moore. MEDIA MOVES — “Washington Post Hires Revenue Chief After Leadership Exodus,” by WSJ’s Alexandra Bruell: “The Washington Post named former CNN and New York Times executive Alex MacCallum its new revenue chief, a step in rebuilding its top ranks in the midst of a shake-up of senior leadership. The company also hired Uber Technologies’ Vineet Khosla as its chief technology officer, the Washington Post announced earlier Tuesday.” FIRST IN PLAYBOOK — CBS’ Margaret Brennan will join the board of directors for the Partnership for Public Service. — Juliane Sullivan, Danie Buckon and Dan Curran have joined Sierra Space. Sullivan is VP of legislative affairs and previously was founder of J.Sullivan Advocacy. Buckon is VP of government affairs and previously was senior director at Northrop Grumman Defense Mission Systems. Curran is senior director of legislative affairs and previously led federal public affairs for McKinsey & Co. TRANSITIONS — Jenna Ben-Yehuda will be EVP of The Atlantic Council. She previously was president and CEO of the Truman Center for National Policy and Truman National Security Project. … Ilyse Hogue is now a senior adviser at Rewiring America, helping lead strategy on work with the bicameral Congressional Electrification Caucus. She will continue to serve as a partner at Purpose, a social impact agency, and is the former president of NARAL Pro-Choice America. … Shannon Campagna is joining Mercury’s Food and Agriculture Policy practice. She most recently was head of federal government affairs at Mars, Inc. … … Lauren Beyer is joining the Cargo Airline Association as president. She previously was VP of security and facilitation at Airlines for America. … Katie Isaacson is now a defense/veterans legislative aide with Sen. Patty Murray (D-Wash.). She previously was a legislative associate at the American Legion. … Jerry Dunleavy is joining the House Foreign Affairs Committee to help lead its investigation into the Biden administration’s Afghanistan withdrawal. He most recently was a Justice Department reporter at the Washington Examiner. HAPPY BIRTHDAY: Playbook’s own Ryan Lizza … Sen. Kyrsten Sinema (I-Ariz.) ... Reps. Betty McCollum (D-Minn.), Andy Kim (D-N.J.) and Rob Menendez (D-N.J.) … FCC Chair Jessica Rosenworcel … CNN’s Edward-Isaac Dovere and Eden Getachew … Brooke Baldwin … Rohini Kosoglu … Eric Ueland … Sean Cairncross ... Susan Axelrod ... Adam Elias … POLITICO’s Adam Wren and Mary Riley … Axios’ Jael Holzman … Bloomberg’s Kayla Sharpe … Beth Lester Sidhu of the Stagwell Group ... Brendan Daly and Matt Daly … Ryan Bock ... Teresa Buckley Bill … Fox News’ Bryan Llenas … WaPo’s Jabin Botsford … Brian Schoeneman … Alex Levy of A.H. Levy & Co. … Jordan Gehrke … John Gans Jr. … Nicole Narea … former Reps. Mickey Edwards (R-Okla.) and J.D. Hayworth (R-Ariz.) … CBS’ Mary Walsh … Rachel DiCarlo Currie … Seton Motley … Malala Yousafzai … Kate Childs Graham … Ansley Schoen of the House Budget GOP … Madeline Saunders of Stu Loeser & Co. … Josh King … Jess Vaughn of Rep. Seth Magaziner’s (D-R.I.) office … Erica Jedynak 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. Corrections: Tuesday’s misspelled Isaac Walker’s name and incorrectly referred to the corporate structure of the investment firm Alden Global Capital.
| | | | A message from The Coalition to Protect America's Regional Airports: DCA is already prone to delays, and has the third worst cancellation rate among top U.S. airports. Experts agree that more flights would only exacerbate these issues. Despite the evidence, a Delta-backed group is pushing to add more flights to DCA. More flights means that safety concerns will worsen, facilities will be further strained, and the airport will come to a standstill. Protect passenger safety and convenience and oppose changes to DCA’s slot and perimeter rules. | | | | | | | 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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