| | | | |  | | By Eli Okun | Presented by Kidney Care Access Coalition | |  | THE CATCH-UP | | GOP MONEY MOVES — The Republican super PAC American Crossroads is pulling nearly $3 million in ads from Montana, which could be a sign of confidence that they think TIM SHEEHY may have the Senate race in the bag. Meanwhile, Senate Leadership Fund is jumping in at the last minute to try to swing the Nevada Senate race, NBC’s Bridget Bowman reports.
|  Donald Trump's closing message is reminiscent of his 2016 declaration that “I alone can fix it.” | Rebecca Noble/Getty Images | THE LAST PITCH — As VP KAMALA HARRIS leans harder into warnings that DONALD TRUMP is a threat to democracy, the Trump campaign has settled on its own closing argument: “Harris broke it, Trump will fix it,” Fox News’ Brooke Singman reports. The message, reminiscent of Trump’s 2016 declaration that “I alone can fix it,” aims to focus principally on the economy and the southern border/immigration, along with chaos around the world. He’s blaming Harris for broad changes that occurred during the JOE BIDEN presidency, which Republicans have amplified to varying degrees of success for the past few years. One big question is whether the candidate himself, who could never be called tightly scripted, will keep his laser focus on these issues that Republicans believe have given them a leg up in the election, NBC’s Jonathan Allen and Katherine Doyle report. Trump has repeatedly deviated from prescribed policy messages to lob personal attacks at Harris and pursue baffling tangents. The Bulwark’s Sam Stein notes that anti-transgender ads have actually far surpassed economy ads from the Trump campaign on TV. Case in point: Trump today made the unsurprising but still remarkable comment to Hugh Hewitt that he would fire special counsel JACK SMITH “within two seconds.” And CNN’s Brian Stelter and Liam Reilly reported that Fox News spliced its recent Trump barbershop segment to remove his “rambling comments and false claims,” making him look better. (Fox says every such segment has to be edited down — an argument, we’ll note, that hasn’t much sated CBS’ critics on the right.) Another potential wild card, per NBC, is whether his campaign will use video footage of him being shot this summer: They haven’t so far, but “they are well aware of the powerful video in their hands.” Of course, the closing pro-Trump case will be made by more than just Trump himself. ELON MUSK is going all in for the former president with more donations, more speeches and a dinner with RUPERT MURDOCH, NYT’s Teddy Schleifer reports. RNC Chair MICHAEL WHATLEY tells NOTUS’ Reese Gorman that “I really like where we’re at,” as Trump delivers on messaging, the ground game is strong, and early GOP voter turnout is high. One thing Trump’s campaign won’t have is his own money: Forbes’ Zach Everson notes that he hasn’t spent any on the race, though his campaign has paid millions to his businesses. AFPI vs. Project 2025: “Inside Trump World’s Prep for a Second Term,” by WSJ’s Andrew Restuccia, Vivian Salama and Rebecca Ballhaus ON THE FLIP SIDE — Harris’ campaign is forging ahead with its own closing message, with a billboard tonight outside his Las Vegas rally that features the Atlantic headline with Trump’s HITLER quote, Irie Sentner reports. And it looks like Harris may be bringing in the big guns: WaPo’s Tyler Pager and Michael Scherer scooped that BEYONCÉ will be at her Houston rally tomorrow. JAMES TAYLOR is performing at a rally with Minnesota Gov. TIM WALZ in, yes, North Carolina today. SURVEY SAYS — Trump got some pretty good new polls today: Emerson has Trump up by 1 among likely voters in Pennsylvania, as does Franklin & Marshall, while Sen. BOB CASEY leads by 1 in both — though interestingly F&M finds much stronger Democratic numbers among registered voters. Nationally, CNBC clocks Trump ahead by 2 points, while the latest FT-Michigan Ross poll of national economic sentiment sees Trump gaining a 1-point lead on handling the economy. There’s better news for Democrats in Maryland, where ANGELA ALSOBROOKS has a comfortable 12-point Senate margin, per WaPo/UMD. RATINGS ROUNDUP — Sabato’s Crystal Ball shifted the Nebraska Senate race from likely to leaning Republican, put Rep. ELI CRANE’s (R-Ariz.) race on the board as newly competitive, and gave a boost to Reps. DON DAVIS (D-N.C.), EMILIA SYKES (D-Ohio), DAVID VALADAO (R-Calif.) and SUSAN WILD (D-Pa.), who all moved out of toss-up territory. The Cook Political Report did the same for Sykes. Good Thursday afternoon. Thanks for reading Playbook PM. Drop me a line at eokun@politico.com.
| | | | A message from Kidney Care Access Coalition: Today, dialysis patients can be forced off the health coverage that works best for them – even impacting coverage for their spouse and kids.
The Restore Protections for Dialysis Patients Act (S. 5018 and H.R. 6860) is a bipartisan and bicameral bill that will restore protections for dialysis patients and ensure that these patients and their families have a choice in their coverage.
The time for Congress to act is now.
https://www.kidneycareaccess.org/ | | | | | 9 THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW | | |  Michael Flynn has found a second political life around election denialism. | Mike Lang/Sarasota Herald-Tribune via AP Photo, Pool, File | 1. THE FLYNN EFFECT: “Sell the Steal: How Michael Flynn built a business and MAGA following out of election denialism,” by CNN’s Tierney Sneed, Zachary Cohen and Em Steck: “[U]nder oath in a court deposition earlier this year, [MICHAEL] FLYNN for the first time on record acknowledged there was no evidence to support a key part of some election fraud claims … Flynn has so far skirted any legal jeopardy himself, maintaining a unique place within the MAGA movement thanks to his relentless promotion of baseless election lies, and his continued loyalty to Trump. … No one has cashed in quite like Flynn.” 2. DEMOCRACY WATCH: With fears about democracy reaching a fever pitch around the election, there’s a number of pieces today about potential threats to worry about — or not:
- Violence: A new national Scripps News/Ipsos poll finds that 62 percent worry about post-election violence as at least somewhat likely, though more than three-quarters of Americans say they’ll accept the results even if their candidate loses.
- Intimidation: Election experts and local officials are concerned that GOP poll watchers, who have held aggressive training sessions about ferreting out fraud, “could disrupt, delay and undermine confidence” in the election, Reuters’ Helen Coster, Alexandra Ulmer and Tim Reid report from Sanford, North Carolina.
- The big picture: In a new NYT op-ed, Steven Levitsky and Daniel Ziblatt, the prominent authors of “How Democracies Die,” warn about Trump that there have been “few major national candidates for office in any democracy since World War II who have been this openly authoritarian.”
3. THE DECIDERS: To understand how Trump could win, read this Pennsylvania dispatch from NYT’s Jonathan Weisman on Democrats’ struggle to persuade white working-class voters, despite an intense ground game. And this Arizona report from NYT’s Jack Healy and Robert Gebeloff on Democrats’ slippage with Latino voters, which is causing a lot of rifts among family and friends — though the young man at the center of the profile ultimately opts reluctantly for Harris. To understand how Harris could win, read AP’s Amanda Seitz and Darlene Superville’s report from Winston-Salem, North Carolina, where is abortion is pushing younger white women toward Democrats and even unsettling some former Trump voters. 4. RACE FOR THE HOUSE: “Child of refugees runs for Congress as immigration divides his district,” by WaPo’s Anumita Kaur in Ankeny, Iowa: “The race reflects how far the state, and the country, has moved on the issue of immigration over the last few decades. Families like [LANON] BACCAM’s were once embraced with open arms in Iowa and by its Republican leader. Now, questions about who belongs — and why — divide the country and this state.”
| | | | A message from Kidney Care Access Coalition:   The Restore Protections for Dialysis Patients Act will right a wrong and ensure dialysis patients and their families aren’t forced off their health insurance. https://www.kidneycareaccess.org/ | | | 5. RACE FOR THE SENATE: “Abortion Is at the Center of Ohio’s Senate Race as Brown Battles for Survival,” by NYT’s Annie Karni in Toledo, Powell and Circleville: “[A SHERROD BROWN] campaign built to highlight workers’ rights is instead laser-focused on another issue altogether: protecting access to abortion. … [BERNIE] MORENO cites his lack of experience in politics or public service as a selling point. … And he appears to have adopted the Trumpian view of politics that doubling down is better than apologizing.” 6. THREE NOTABLE NEW POLICIES: Yes, the Biden administration is still making important new moves on a variety of policy fronts amid the frenetic final days of the campaign. Three that caught our eye today:
- Lead paint: The EPA finalized major new restrictions on lead paint dust that can damage children’s health in child-care centers and homes, per AP’s Matthew Daly. Overall, the agency says it will protect as many as 1.2 million people annually.
- AI: A landmark new White House directive tells the Pentagon and intelligence community to expand their use of artificial intelligence, per WaPo’s Gerrit De Vynck . It’s part of an effort to compete with adversaries, though the memo also sets guardrails against abuse.
- Financial data privacy: A recent CFPB regulation gives consumers more power over their financial info. What’s especially notable is that it has buy-in from some Republicans and private-sector actors, which could make it “the most consequential piece of [ROHIT] CHOPRA’s legacy” and mark “a new chapter” for the agency, Victoria Guida writes.
7. MIDDLE EAST LATEST: Secretary of State ANTONY BLINKEN announced today that negotiations will restart in an effort to reach a cease-fire in the Israel-Hamas war, per WaPo . Along with the talks in Qatar in the coming days, the U.S. is sending another $135 million in humanitarian assistance to Palestinians. 8. CHIPS AND DIP: “The White House Bet Big on Intel. Will It Backfire?” by NYT’s Ana Swanson and Tripp Mickle: “The doubts expressed by top tech executives show how far Intel has fallen at a moment when [Commerce Secretary GINA] RAIMONDO is trying to rebuild American chip manufacturing. … Intel’s business has recently worsened, causing concern on Capitol Hill and stoking the fears of some administration officials who have worried for years about the company’s ability to deliver on its promises.” 9. KNOWING USHA VANCE: “What Is Usha Vance Thinking?” by N.Y. Mag’s Irin Carmon: “As her husband’s arc in public life has been distinguished by his willingness to say absolutely anything, at great length and often eloquently, to get ahead, Usha has seemed to intentionally say as little as she can get away with. She has largely kept her own beliefs — political and otherwise — inscrutable even to those close to her. … I was told [by friends and associates] that Usha was well liked, academically and professionally impressive, and that her inner life was a black box.”
| | | | | PLAYBOOKERS | | Steve Kornacki will be livestreamed on Election Night. Civic Crafting has installed a new “monument” mocking the Jan. 6 insurrection. Chuck Schumer celebrated the New York Liberty. SPOTTED: Polymarket CEO Shayne Coplan with Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz at a campaign event Monday. Pic OUT AND ABOUT — The Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies awarded former president Spencer Overton with the Louis E. Martin Great American Award at the Royal Sonesta on Capitol Hill last night. SPOTTED: Dedrick Asante-Muhammad, Jessica Fulton, Paul Thornell, Lisa Cook, Kristin Johnson, Stephanie Sykes, Kylie Patterson, Ashley Lewis, Roger Fairfax, David Johns, Jesse Price, Kelly Dibble, Leslie Boissiere and Alyson Northrup. — SPOTTED at a party to toast Margaret Fung, who is retiring after 50 years of leading the Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund, on Monday evening at Bar Harta in NYC: Bethany Li, BD Wong, Lourdes Rosado, Donna Lieberman, Ira Glasser, Norman Siegel, José Pérez, Richard Kim and Phil Tajitsu Nash. TRANSITIONS — Chip Rogers is now CEO of Americans for Fair Treatment. He previously was president and CEO of the American Hotel & Lodging Association. … Ian Moss is now a special counsel at Jenner & Block. He previously was deputy coordinator for counterterrorism at the State Department, and is an NSC and Defense Department alum. … … William Howell will be the inaugural dean of Johns Hopkins University’s new School of Government and Policy. He currently is director of the University of Chicago’s Center for Effective Government. … The National Taxpayers Union and National Taxpayers Union Foundation are adding David Timmons as senior policy manager, Rachel Harden as VP of marketing, Luke Campopiano as marketing assistant, Michael Ward as development coordinator and Debbie Jennings as policy manager. 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. | | | | 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 politics and policy newsletters | | Follow us | | | | |
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