| | | | |  | | By Rachael Bade, Eugene Daniels and Ryan Lizza | | Presented by |  | | | With help from Eli Okun, Garrett Ross and Bethany Irvine
| | | |  | DRIVING THE DAY | | | PLAYING HORSESHOES — “Left and Right Agree on One Thing: The Justice System Is Corrupted by Bias,” by John F. Harris and Ian Ward: “Monday marks the final day of the Supreme Court’s term, with a historic ruling on whether DONALD TRUMP is immune from prosecution for attempting to overturn the 2020 election. It’s an apt moment to note a development that has happened in such a steady progression that it can be easy to miss how consequential it is in historical perspective. … Both ends of the political spectrum believe the American justice system is simply not on the level.” HOT FRESH JMART — “Whitmer Disavows ‘Draft Gretch’ Movement,” by Jonathan Martin: “When Michigan Gov. GRETCHEN WHITMER telephoned a senior official with President JOE BIDEN’s campaign on Friday night, she wanted to convey a clear message: She hated the way her name was being floated as a replacement for Biden and she wasn’t behind the chatter. … [But] Whitmer had phoned [Biden campaign chair JEN] O’MALLEY DILLON with more of an unambiguous SOS: to relay that Michigan, in the wake of the debate, was no longer winnable for Biden.”
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Some Democratic lawmakers and many deep-pocketed donors are plotting how, if Joe Biden continues in the race, to ensure a congressional check on a second Donald Trump term. | Matt Kelley/AP Photo | BEHIND ‘THE LAST FIREWALL’ — As the Biden campaign scrambles to calm nerves about the president’s disastrous debate performance, Democrats on Capitol Hill are growing increasingly furious at those around him and increasingly despondent about his prospects for re-election — and their own chances of winning House and Senate majorities. Conversations about a strategy shift are already underway, with some Democratic lawmakers and many deep-pocketed donors plotting how, should Biden continue in the race, to ensure a congressional check on a second Trump term. “The way I’m talking to my donors is: The House is the last firewall, folks. We have to flip the House,” one frontline House Democrat told Playbook last night. “Ninety-nine percent of the people I talked to can't get their credit card out fast enough.” Those private discussions could eventually morph into an explicit campaign to place a Democratic check on an expected Trump presidency — much as congressional Republicans did back in 1996, when BOB DOLE was on his way to a thumping. Democrats aren’t there yet: Top party leaders, we’re told, are prepared to continue stumping for Biden as the party’s best choice for November, as they did on yesterday’s Sunday show circuit. Part of it is a collective action problem — no one wants to be first, and potentially the last — and part of it is that many believe that speaking out might only make Biden dig in further. But make no mistake: The despair and frustration are real, and it is pushing upward inside the party. It has been felt acutely by frontline members — the swing-district Democrats who would be the cornerstone of any majority: Donors blew up their phones over the weekend, with some prodding them to go public with a group letter calling for a new candidate, an idea that some discussed over the weekend. “The leadership of the party should be going to the White House and knocking down the doors and saying, ‘Time’s up,’” an adviser to top Democratic donors said. “Anybody trying to prolong the inevitable here is just basically putting us on a giant fucking death march towards the end.” That sense of anger is palpable among rank-and-file congressional Democrats, many of whom blame Biden and his family for hiding the reality of his condition. The House Democrat lamented defending the president on the campaign trail despite getting political advice to run away from him, only to find out how bad things were on Thursday. “It's just his egotism and his family's enabling,” the person said. “JILL [BIDEN] of all people — she sees him every single day. She's the one person who could end this train wreck. … This should have been a one-term president.” Related reads: “Democrats Fret Over Impact of Biden’s Debate Performance on House, Senate Races,” by WSJ’s Aaron Zitner, Siobhan Hughes and Natalie Andrews … “Democratic candidates run away from Biden,” by Axios’ Andrew Solender INSIDE BIDEN WORLD: Speaking of the family, they’re pointing some fingers of their own: As our colleagues Jonathan Lemire and Lauren Egan report, members of the Biden clan gathered at Camp David fumed at the likes of ANITA DUNN, BOB BAUER and RON KLAIN, complaining that the president was “not prepared to pivot more to go on the attack; that he was bogged down too much on defending his record rather than outlining a vision for a second term; and that he was over-worked and not well-rested.” They want him to stay in the race, NYT’s Katie Rogers and Peter Baker report. The paterfamilias, meanwhile, “has been soliciting ideas from advisers about how to proceed, and his staff has been discussing whether he should hold a news conference or sit for interviews to defend himself and change the narrative, but nothing has been decided yet.” It has fallen to top campaign officials to quiet the fury as best they can. Campaign manager JULIE CHAVEZ RODRIGUEZ — with an assist from Sen. CHRIS COONS (D-Del.) — spent last night arguing to a group of 40 top donors that Biden simply had a bad night and replacing him on the ticket would be “messy and impractical," NBC’s Mike Memoli and Monica Alba scooped last night. O’Malley Dillon will speak by phone to an even larger group of donors later today. But to many Democrats we spoke to, the deflection campaign rings hollow. In their view, the issue isn’t merely one of practice, style or even firing campaign hands — it’s a fundamental question about Biden’s fitness for a contentious campaign. They privately argue it’s not just the debate that has them spooked; it’s the fact that every future public stumble — like his apparent freeze during a recent Juneteenth event or BARACK OBAMA helping him off stage at an NYC fundraiser — will put Biden’s condition back in the spotlight, no matter what else happens. Many senior Democrats haven’t given up hope that Biden will change his mind should new polling reveal mass internal bleeding. They are prepared to argue that rather than disgracing his legacy, a graceful exit would be among his greatest, most selfless acts to save democracy. “There is an enormous amount of affection and deference to the president — but nobody thinks this is sustainable,” one senior Democratic aide told Playbook. GOP ON THE ATTACK: Meanwhile, Republicans are readying to paint Democrats as enablers of a feeble president. Over the weekend, the NRSC teased a new strategy of making Democrats eat their own words in downplaying concerns about Biden’s fitness for office. In Pennsylvania, Republican DAVID McCORMICK went live with a new ad that ping-ponged from incumbent Sen. BOB CASEY expressing confidence in Biden’s leadership with the president’s halting debate performance. “Casey knew about Biden’s condition,” the words on the screen read. The NRCC has also compiled a similar dossier and is planning to “weaponize the silence of vulnerable House Democrats … capitalizing on Biden’s political collapse to expand the map and grow the House Republican majority,” according to a new NRCC memo obtained by Playbook. “House Democrats have stood by and enabled this crisis due to their own fecklessness and allegiance to their party over the people of this country,” the memo continues. DCCC spokesman VIET SHELTON dismissed the GOP threat, arguing that “House races have always been about the strength of our candidates, combined with the fact that Democrats deliver when in charge while extreme Republicans sow chaos.” He also noted that Democrats outrun their GOP opponents. Left unsaid: They also outrun Biden considerably, as well. But if recent history is any guide, that could easily change. Good Monday morning. Thanks for reading Playbook. Drop us a line: Rachael Bade, Eugene Daniels, Ryan Lizza.
| | | | A message from The National Association of REALTORS®: Whether you want to rent or buy, housing is in short supply—and it’s a crisis.
The National Association of REALTORS® is in an all-hands, all-front advocacy posture in this fight that impacts every American.
An equal majority of Democrats, Republicans, and Independents say housing affordability is a top concern.
Every elected official can rally around this cause at the local, state, and federal levels.
Only a bipartisan, comprehensive approach will win this fight. | | | MORE DEBATE FALLOUT READS…
- In sign of peril for Biden’s delicate coalition, a group of high-profile Never Trumpers — including ex-RNC Chair MICHAEL STEELE, GEORGE CONWAY, MIKE MURPHY, BILL KRISTOL, CHARLIE SYKES and SARAH LONGWELL — will meet with the campaign, several of them ready to argue that Biden needs to go, The Dispatch’s Michael Warren, David M. Drucker, and Steve Hayes report.
- As we wait for more polling, WSJ’s Owen Tucker-Smith, Andrew Restuccia and Aaron Zitner spoke with several undecided battleground-state voters: “Some said they were withholding judgment … until the next debate. Others have written Biden off completely, arguing that he must stand aside and allow another Democrat to run for president in his place. Even those who said they still planned to vote for Biden added that his showing at the debate had rattled them.”
- On the flip side, CNN’s Steve Contorno, Alayna Treene and Kristen Holmes report, the Trump campaign is confronting how to keep “attention on [Biden] while navigating a busy sprint to next month’s Republican National Convention, a time during which Trump will be sentenced for his felony convictions and must pick a running mate. … Behind the scenes, Trump’s advisers are plotting how best to wield Biden’s underwhelming display to maximum effect.”
- FIRST IN PLAYBOOK: A new report from CredoIQ shows the viral-video peril for Biden after the debate. Among the top-performing TikToks responding to the debate — which garnered 483 million views — 39 percent of views were on negative Biden content, compared to just 10 percent on negative Trump content. Notably, the majority of the views on negative Biden videos came from progressive or independent accounts.
LE PEN IS MIGHTIER — “France on Sunday took a step closer to delivering what was once seen as an unthinkable nightmare: a far-right government taking power in Paris for the first time,” our Europe colleague Clea Caulcutt reports. “MARINE LE PEN’s National Rally made big gains in the first round of a snap election that could upend political orthodoxy across Europe and beyond, with implications for markets and global security that will be hard to predict.” By the numbers: “According to early projections based on exit polls, Le Pen’s party is expected to get 230-280 seats in the 577-seat national assembly, the left wing alliance 125-165 seats and [French President EMMANUEL] MACRON’s coalition 70-100.” Macron now must decide whether to throw his support behind the leftists ahead of the second round of elections Sunday in a bid to block the right. The stakes: “The French election risks torpedoing the global order,” by John Lichfield: “France’s leadership position in the EU, its seat on the U.N. Security Council and its military reach as a global power make this almost as much of a ‘world election’ as Biden vs. Trump in November.” THE WEEK — Tomorrow: Biden delivers remarks on extreme weather in Washington and attends a campaign fundraiser in McLean, Virginia. Fed Chair JEROME POWELL speaks at a European Central Bank event in Sintra, Portugal. … Wednesday: Biden hosts a Medal of Honor ceremony at the White House. … Thursday: Independence Day. Biden hosts a White House celebration for military and veteran families, caregivers and survivors, and he delivers remarks on the holiday. U.K. elections held. … Friday: June employment numbers released. … Sunday: Final round of French parliamentary elections held.
| | WHAT'S HAPPENING TODAY | | On the Hill The Senate and the House are out. What we’re watching … Biden’s debate performance has turbocharged Republican calls for release of recordings of president’s interviews with special counsel ROBERT HUR. Those interviews prompted Hur to conclude that a potential jury would see Biden as a “sympathetic, well-meaning, elderly man with a poor memory.” Said Sen. LINDSEY GRAHAM (R-S.C.) yesterday: “Democrats are now alleging that President Biden was over-coached and over-prepared for the debate. If that’s the case, then there should be no problem releasing the tapes.” More from The Washington Times At the White House Biden and first lady JILL BIDEN will leave Camp David to return to the White House at night. VP KAMALA HARRIS is in LA and has nothing on her public schedule.
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The Supreme Court’s final decisions of the term are coming down this morning, and everybody’s bracing for two blockbusters. | Susan Walsh/AP Photo | SCOTUS’ BIG FINALE — The Supreme Court’s final decisions of the term are coming down this morning, and everybody’s bracing for two blockbusters. Trump v. United States is the most anticipated: As we wrote earlier this month, the high court’s decision on whether Trump is immune from criminal prosecution “could be one of the most important decisions in American history” for presidential power. For special counsel JACK SMITH’s case against Trump for attempting to subvert the 2020 election, the potential outcomes range from giving the trial a green light to killing it (and other options in between). Broader ramifications — for the scope of executive authority, the balance of power and how much presidents can be shielded from the law — could be major, too. More from James Romoser, Josh Gerstein and Kyle Cheney The smart money going into today is on Trump at least partially losing — but the court can be unpredictable, and a narrow ruling could delay Trump’s trial past the election (or forever if he wins). ABC’s Peter Charalambous reports that most experts think the former president isn’t likely to go to trial in D.C. before November, though it’s not out of the question. Then there’s NetChoice v. Paxton and Moody v. NetChoice, a pair of cases in which the Supreme Court will decide whether Texas and Florida can block social media companies from engaging in content moderation online. Conservatives claim their First Amendment rights have been stifled by social media censorship, while Big Tech argues their First Amendment rights would be stifled by the laws — as would their efforts to keep harmful content offline. More SCOTUS stories: NBC’s Lawrence Hurley takes a look at Justice AMY CONEY BARRETT, whose cautious and sometimes ideologically surprising jurisprudence has made her one of the top justices to watch. She’s usually a solid conservative. But Barrett’s opinions, including some recent footnote sniping at Justice SAMUEL ALITO, have shown her reluctance “to indulge the more extreme arguments that reach the court” from the right. … As Supreme Court opinions have come online speedily in recent years, the famous “running of the interns” tradition looks to be on its way out, NBC’s Alex Seitz-Wald notes. AMERICA AND THE WORLD HEADS UP — “US military bases in Europe raise security threat levels,” by Stars and Stripes’ John Vandiver in Stuttgart, Germany 2024 WATCH A DEEP DIVE TO STRIKE FEAR IN DEMS’ HEARTS — “The Georgia Voters Biden Really, Really Needs,” by The Atlantic’s Stephanie McCrummen in Albany: “In a place long defined by Democratic solidarity, old loyalties were fraying, and not only because prices were high or Biden’s message wasn’t getting out. There were also signs of the sort of frustration, resentment, and burn-it-down nihilism that has defined Trumpism. Right-wing propaganda was seeping into the social-media feeds of young influencers.” FIRST IN PLAYBOOK — Rep. ALEXANDRIA OCASIO-CORTEZ (D-N.Y.) stars in a new Biden campaign video, pegged to the Copa América, urging people to vote for Biden and encourage their loved ones to do the same. She lauds the president for “fighting for working families, taking on corporate greed, protecting our freedoms [and] our democracy.” Watch it here DEPT. OF DIRTY TRICKS — “Paid operatives linked to a GOP firm are helping Cornel West in Arizona,” by NBC’s Alex Seitz-Wald
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|  Boeing will have to decide this week whether to plead guilty or force prosecutors to go to trial over the company’s disastrous 737 Max crashes. | Patrick T. Fallon/AFP via Getty Images | EYES ON THE SKIES — The Justice Department has decided to levy a criminal fraud charge against Boeing over the company’s disastrous 737 Max crashes, Bloomberg’s Allyson Versprille and Chris Strohm report. Boeing will have to decide this week whether to plead guilty or force prosecutors to go to trial; CNN’s David Goldman reports that it’s getting close to a deal with DOJ. Under the agreement, Boeing would be slapped with a second $243.6 million fine and take on a corporate monitor, stemming from its safety failures that ultimately killed 346 people. If Boeing does plead guilty, that “would mark a low-point in Boeing’s century-long history and a stunning development for a company that was once renowned for its cautious, straight-laced culture,” Bloomberg writes. The Justice Department earlier this year determined that Boeing had failed to comply with its 2021 agreement with the government, paving the way for the charge. But for the victims’ families, even half a billion dollars would be far from enough: They’d asked for almost $25 billion, with the majority deferred if Boeing implemented better safety measures. The lead counsel in a civil suit against Boeing told CNN that “the families are very unhappy and angered,” and would ask the judge to reject a plea deal. YIKES — “Pattern of Brain Damage Is Pervasive in Navy SEALs Who Died by Suicide,” by NYT’s Dave Philipps: “A military lab found distinctive damage from repeated blast exposure in every brain it tested, but Navy SEAL leaders were kept in the dark about the pattern.” MORE POLITICS FIRST IN PLAYBOOK PART I — The Senate campaign of Democratic Rep. RUBEN GALLEGO will announce an expanded reservation in his fight for the competitive Arizona seat. His team will announce a nearly $22 million investment across broadcast and cable, the largest on the Senate map so far this cycle. FIRST IN PLAYBOOK PART II — In the wake of the debate, the Campaign for a Family Friendly Economy is doubling its investment in issue advocacy campaigns to $3 million through the end of the month. The group will tout Biden’s stance on making child care more affordable, as it expands door-to-door and organizing programs in Georgia, Michigan, Montana, New Hampshire, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin. THE ECONOMY WARNING TO WATCH — “Even a Slowly Cooling Labor Market Often Ends With a Recession,” by WSJ’s Nick Timiraos: “The job market rarely rebalances painlessly; the Fed hopes this time is different.” BEYOND THE BELTWAY SURVEY SAYS — A new Gallup poll finds high levels of Americans worrying about antisemitism and Islamophobia: Eighty-one percent say prejudice against Jews is a very or somewhat serious problem in the U.S., and 74 percent say so for prejudice against Muslims. Thirty-six percent of Jewish adults say they’ve frequently or occasionally been treated poorly for their religion in the past year, as do 21 percent of Mormons. CLIMATE FILES — “A key to Biden’s lagging wind energy goal will set sail after the election,” by NBC’s Brian Cheung in Brownsville: “The U.S. is way behind Europe and its own offshore wind power targets, but the Charybdis — a giant ship nearing completion in Texas — could give a jolt to the industry.”
| | | PLAYBOOKERS | | | Kamala Harris made a virtual appearance at the BET Awards. Steve Bannon’s podcast won’t stop when he goes to prison today. OUT AND ABOUT — The Allbritton Journalism institute and NOTUS hosted a reception, dinner and discussion about the future of global news media at Swiss Ambassador Jacques Pitteloud’s residence Friday evening. SPOTTED: Robert and Elena Allbritton, Anthony Fauci, Josh Dawsey, Lulu Garcia-Navarro, Juleanna Glover, Colette Honorable, Ian Sams, Byron Tau, Scott Mulhauser, Mike Tuffin, Sabrina Singh, Cassandra Robertson, Morgan Kaplan, Francesca Craig, Rachel Thomas and Marcellus Rolle. FIRST IN PLAYBOOK — Michael Morris is joining NP Agency as a partner, launching their tech, cybersecurity and data practice. He previously was at the White House as the inaugural assistant national cyber director for public affairs, and is an Ex-Im Bank alum. — Oliver Money is starting as SVP of global comms at The Economist Group. He previously was senior director for global public affairs and comms at the International Rescue Committee. TRANSITIONS — Ben Cantrell is joining BlackRock to lead its outreach to Republicans on the Hill (or in an administration), as the company expands its D.C. presence. He most recently has been chief of staff for Sen. Markwayne Mullin (R-Okla.). … Dylan Mooers is now legislative affairs specialist at the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency. He previously was VP at Cornerstone Government Affairs. … Corey Jacobson is now chief of staff at DOD’s Office of Strategic Capital. He most recently was senior adviser to the first assistant secretary of Defense for space policy and is a Ted Lieu alum. ENGAGED — Conor Maguire, principal and managing director at WPAi, proposed to Erin Perrine, a strategist at Axiom Strategies, on Tuesday on the deck of their Alexandria home, after making the same meal for dinner they had the first date he cooked for her. They met in Atlanta working for Never Back Down. Pic — David Hookstead, a writer and podcast host at Outkick, proposed to Shelby Talcott, politics reporter at Semafor, on Friday at home with candles, flowers, her favorite chocolate, champagne and a slideshow with pictures of them. They met at The Daily Caller in 2019 and started dating after she lost a bet about whether Iowa would beat Wisconsin. Instapics WEEKEND WEDDINGS — Pat Dennis, president of American Bridge 21st Century, and Audrey Kubetin, an artist, got married Saturday. They met working on Tim Bishop’s New York congressional campaign in 2010. — James Cecil, account manager at Socko Strategies, and Woodham Kemmer, chief of staff at TAG Strategies, got married this weekend in Columbus, Georgia. They met in D.C. in August 2020. Pic … Another pic WELCOME TO THE WORLD — Alex Wirth, co-founder and CEO of Quorum, and Tracy Nelson Wirth, associate at Sullivan and Cromwell, welcomed Corbin William Wirth on Thursday. Pic — Rob Noel, president of Washington Writers Network and a Mike Pompeo and Marco Rubio alum, and Christina Noel, a Marco Rubio and VA alum, on Saturday welcomed Ava Margaret Noel, who joins big brother Max. Pic HAPPY BIRTHDAY: Sen. Joni Ernst (R-Iowa) … Reps. Teresa Leger Fernandez (D-N.M.) and Dan Bishop (R-N.C.) (6-0) … NBC’s Kristen Welker … Sally Quinn … Guy Cecil … Brett Zongker of the Library of Congress … Bob Dinneen … Washingtonian’s Susan Farkas … Mike Czin of SKDK … Greta Lundeberg … Grace Koh … AJ Roshfeld … Neal Patel of the Alpine Group … Clark Jennings … North American Millers’ Association’s Jane DeMarchi … POLITICO’s Timothy Cama, Vali Mansouri, Jason Plautz, Helen Dubas and Olivia Alafriz … Molly Wicker of Braver Angels … John Giesser … Victoria Nuland … National Journal’s Kirk Bado … Martin Indyk 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 Playbook Daily Briefing producer Callan Tansill-Suddath. Correction: Yesterday’s Playbook misstated James Carville’s title on Bill Clinton’s 1992 presidential campaign. He was chief strategist.
| | | | A message from The National Association of REALTORS®: Whether you want to rent or buy, housing is in short supply—and it’s a crisis.
The National Association of REALTORS® is in an all-hands, all-front advocacy posture in this fight that impacts every American.
An equal majority of Democrats, Republicans, and Independents say housing affordability is a top concern.
Every elected official can rally around this cause at the local, state, and federal levels.
Only a bipartisan, comprehensive approach will win this fight. | | | | | | | 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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