| | | | |  | | By Rachael Bade and Eugene Daniels | Presented by Kidney Care Access Coalition | | With help from Eli Okun, Garrett Ross and Bethany Irvine
|  Inside Trump world, there are real concerns about Howard Lutnick — and some of them have reached Trump. | Adam Gray/AFP via Getty Images | | | | |  | DRIVING THE DAY | | | BEDWETTERS, RELAX — “Why I’m Certain Kamala Harris Will Win,” by James Carville in NYT: “I refuse to believe that the same country that has time and again overcome its mistakes to bend its future toward justice will make the same mistake twice.” BEDWETTERS, WET AWAY — “Here’s What My Gut Says About the Election. But Don’t Trust Anyone’s Gut, Even Mine,” by Nate Silver in NYT: “My gut says DONALD TRUMP . … But I don’t think you should put any value whatsoever on anyone’s gut — including mine. Instead, you should resign yourself to the fact that a 50-50 forecast really does mean 50-50.” HOWARD THE MUCK — Yesterday we told you about the “knife fight” underway among rivals vying to serve as chief of staff next year in a potential Trump White House. Turns out there’s an even nastier battle brewing inside Trump world — one centered on the man Trump has chosen to lead his transition. That would be HOWARD LUTNICK, the longtime CEO of the Cantor Fitzgerald investment firm and Trump’s closest ally on Wall Street. After we surfaced his ties to GOP superlobbyist JEFF MILLER yesterday, we learned more about the growing concerns in Trump world that Lutnick, rather than keep Trump’s interests foremost, might be using his transition duties to also advance his own business objectives. Then we learned still more about the power struggle now taking place inside the Trump transition, where some veterans of the first administration are finding themselves iced out by Lutnick-led effort to sideline people associated with Project 2025, the politically disastrous proto-transition led by the Heritage Foundation. The result is a deep dive just posted from Rachael and Jasper Goodman into the 63-year-old Lutnick and the controversies already swirling around him. The veteran CEO insists he’s unfazed by the infighting, saying in a statement that the “entire transition team is solely focused on ensuring President Trump is victorious and that he is ready to start building out his historic second administration immediately.” But there are real concerns about Lutnick — and some of them have reached Trump, according to two GOP insiders familiar with the dynamics. — Double-dealing: Word has gotten around that Lutnick has set up meetings on Capitol Hill as transition co-chair, then allegedly used those meetings also as an opportunity to talk about matters involving Cantor Fitzgerald — something one of the insiders called “totally sketchy” and potentially “abusive.” A person close to Lutnick acknowledged that, yes, he has scheduled both transition- and business-related meetings in Washington on the same day but keeps a firewall between the two. — Crypto conflicts: Lutnick is closely linked with one of the world’s most controversial cryptocurrency companies, Tether, which has been linked to an array of global illicit finance scandals. Lutnick has vouched for and promoted the company — and has a significant stake in how Washington ends up regulating its signature product, known as stablecoins. “To have a guy who is in the crypto industry picking financial regulators, I think, is an invitation for trouble,” said ethics guru (and noted Trump critic) RICHARD PAINTER. — Power struggle: Lutnick’s allies argue the conflict-of-interest allegations are a distraction from the real clash brewing inside Trump’s transition — over whether some ex-Trump officials will be blacklisted because of their association with Project 2025. Lutnick makes no apologies and insists he is carrying out Trump’s will, said the person close to him: “Their beef is not with Lutnick, it’s with DJT.” But Lutnick’s critics say he has gone too far, overzealously sidelining people whose names merely appeared in some Heritage documents. Some of the gripes have gone to Trump, who made one thing clear: He will ultimately decide who gets jobs in his own administration. OR FOREVER HOLD YOUR PEACE — As Trump has moved closer and closer to regaining the presidency, a question has lingered for those who saw him up close the last time he held power: Will I speak up? For those who have remained loyal to Trump, it has obviously been no great burden to sing his praises. But those who have harbored reservations about Trump’s competence and character — JOHN BOLTON, JAMES MATTIS, BILL BARR, H.R. McMASTER, BETSY DeVOS, ELAINE CHAO , MARK ESPER, NIKKI HALEY and MIKE PENCE, to name a few — have been forced to make intensely personal calculations about what they are willing to say and what consequences they are willing to endure in return. So it’s no small thing to see JOHN KELLY, Trump’s first Homeland Security secretary and second White House chief of staff, emerge yesterday — two weeks out from the election — in a pair of blockbuster stories from The Atlantic’s Jeffrey Goldberg and the NYT’s Mike Schmidt, sounding alarms about Trump’s fitness during his first term and what he might be capable of in a second. The stories Kelly tells are familiar enough, backgrounded as they were previously in books and magazine stories. But there is something striking about hearing the retired four-star Marine general (particularly in the audio made available by the NYT) describe in his Boston accent how Trump had denigrated wounded soldiers and praised ADOLF HITLER ’s record, and how he has “rejected what America is all about” and meets “the general definition of fascist.” (Spokespeople for Trump furiously denied Kelly’s accounts in both stories.) We won’t try to argue that Kelly’s testimonials could swing the election, or even move more than a small handful of votes. But we’re interested to see if there will be a further outbreak of 11th-hour truth-telling — one that might meaningfully shift the national conversation in the next 13 days. Good Wednesday morning. Thanks for reading Playbook. Drop us a line: Rachael Bade and Eugene Daniels.
| | | | 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/ | | | | IN OTHER TRANSITION NEWS — “Judge who tossed Trump's classified docs case on list of proposed candidates for attorney general,” by ABC’s Katherine Faulders, Will Steakin, John Santucci and Alexander Mallin: “A proposed personnel roster circulating within Donald Trump's campaign and transition operation lists AILEEN CANNON, the federal judge who threw out Trump's classified documents case, as a possible candidate for attorney general, multiple sources familiar with the matter have told ABC News.” WHISKEY TANGO FOXTROT I — “TV reporter struck by bullet fragment at Lucas Kunce shooting range campaign event,” by the Kansas City Star’s Dominick Williams: “[LUCAS] KUNCE was shooting an AR-15 at the time, and was the only person shooting when the injury occurred. … ‘You never know what’s going to happen — shrapnel can ricochet off anything, and you’ve got to be prepared,’ Kunce said in a written statement. ‘We were able to handle the situation, and I’m grateful RYAN [GAMBOA] is okay and could continue reporting.’” WHISKEY TANGO FOXTROT II — “Wrong-way driver passes vice president's motorcade in Milwaukee,” by WISN-TV’s Nick Bohr: “A suspected drunken driver going the wrong way on the interstate nearly struck a vehicle containing Vice President KAMALA HARRIS Monday night in Milwaukee. … According to the report, the man failed several field sobriety tests and had an open beer can in his vehicle.”
| | | | 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/ | | | | | WHAT'S HAPPENING TODAY | | On the Hill The Senate and the House are out. What we’re watching … We’re in triage season, and House Majority PAC, the biggest super PAC backing House Democrats, is canceling its ad reservations in 10 districts where it feels confident the Democrats running there don’t need the money — and one where they may be waving the white flag, Ally Mutnick reports. It’s good news for Democratic Reps. CHRIS DELUZIO (Pa.), SHARICE DAVIDS (Kan.), HILLARY SCHOLTEN (Mich.), SUSIE LEE (Nev.), DINA TITUS (Nev.), STEVEN HORSFORD (Nev.), CHRIS PAPPAS (N.H.) and GREG LANDSMAN (Ohio), plus New Jersey’s HERB CONAWAY JR. and New Hampshire’s MAGGIE GOODLANDER. But with former Rep. PETER BARCA no longer receiving air cover, Rep. BRYAN STEIL (R-Wis.) can probably breathe easier, too. At the White House Biden will receive the President’s Daily Brief at 12:30 p.m. On the trail Harris will travel to Philadelphia and have a CNN town hall in Chester Township, Pennsylvania, at 9 p.m. Trump will be in Georgia, holding a town hall with Lt. Gov. BURT JONES in Zebulon at 3 p.m. and holding a rally with Turning Point Action in Duluth at 7 p.m. Sen. JD VANCE (R-Ohio) will be in Nevada, speaking in Las Vegas at 1 p.m. Eastern and in Reno at 4:30 p.m. Eastern. Minnesota Gov. TIM WALZ will make a local stop in St. Paul in the morning, while his interview on Univision Radio’s “El Bueno La Mala y El Feo” will air at 9:20 a.m. He’ll travel to Louisville, Kentucky, where he’ll speak at a campaign reception at 5:30 p.m., and then on to North Carolina at night.
| | | |  | BATTLE FOR THE BALLOT — Trump allies’ new election rules in Georgia yesterday crashed into the state Supreme Court, which rejected Republicans’ effort to quickly implement requirements including a hand count of all ballots and a hurdle to certification, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution’s Mark Niesse reports. Instead, the appeal of a lower court’s ruling will go ahead on a non-expedited basis. And the status quo will reign instead for now. As the election is increasingly fought not just at the polls but in the courts, a Michigan judge rejected the RNC’s challenge to the management of state voter rolls, Betsy Woodruff Swan reports. ELON MUSK had fanned similar concerns about voter rolls, which Michigan Secretary of State JOCELYN BENSON called “disinformation.” Notably, the Harris campaign is touting nine recent cases across the swing states where judges have ruled against Republican voter challenges or election rules. But Republicans are moving forward despite that record: As the party tries to crack down on swing-state voters who live abroad, the RNC said it will appeal Michigan and North Carolina rulings that rejected the effort, Reuters’ Susan Heavey reports. RACE FOR THE WHITE HOUSE
|  President Joe Biden's slip-up could turbocharge Republican claims that the Biden administration is targeting Donald Trump in court. | Ben Curtis/AP Photo | BIDEN’S MAJOR GAFFE — In New Hampshire yesterday, the president said, “We gotta lock him up” about Trump, Lauren Egan reports . He tried to backpedal by adding, “Politically lock him up. Lock him out.” But the slip-up could turbocharge Republican claims (without evidence) that the Biden administration is targeting Trump in court for political reasons, and it could undercut Harris’ emphasis on the rule of law and criticism of Trump’s threats to target his enemies. Will Harris use this moment as a way to break publicly with Biden? THE PURGE: ELECTION YEAR — “Trump has made more than 100 threats to prosecute or punish perceived enemies,” by NPR’s Tom Dreisbach THE PLOT TO CHALLENGE THE ELECTION — Trump has been talking recently with lawyer KURT OLSEN, who tried to overturn Trump’s 2020 loss, about doing preemptive work to challenge this year’s election too, NYT’s Maggie Haberman, Jonathan Swan and Nick Corasaniti report. BIG ONE — Trump will go on JOE ROGAN’s massively influential podcast Friday, Alex Isenstadt reports. It’s not clear yet whether Harris will follow suit. THE SITDOWNS — Harris told NBC’s Hallie Jackson that she supports raising the federal minimum wage to at least $15 an hour. She also said that “of course” her team is prepared to fend off any Trump efforts to claim victory falsely, and she’s not worried about losing votes due to sexism. Harris dodged on whether she would pardon Trump. Talking to Telemundo’s Julio Vaqueiro, Harris sought to parry Trump’s attacks that she’s a “Marxist,” saying that in fact she considers herself a “pragmatic capitalist.” QUIET FRIENDS IN HIGH PLACES — BILL GATES has told people privately that he donated $50 million to the pro-Harris group Future Forward, NYT’s Teddy Schleifer reveals. JAMIE DIMON has also told people privately that he backs Harris — and would be open to serving as her Treasury secretary, NYT’s Rob Copeland reveals. Meanwhile, MARK CUBAN told ABC’s Selina Wang that he tried to convene a Harris-Musk meeting, but the campaign declined. (Yesterday, Walz called Musk Trump’s de facto running mate and said he was trying to buy the election for him, per Meredith Lee Hill.) A RUNAWAY AMERICAN DREAM — BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN is holding a series of concerts for Harris in the last two weeks of the race, starting with BARACK OBAMA joining in Atlanta and Philadelphia, the campaign said. ON THE TRAIL — Yesterday in Wisconsin and Michigan, Obama warned that Trump “wants unchecked power” and wouldn’t make people’s lives better, per the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Obama also said credit that people assign Trump’s economy should really go to him. And his events got backup from BRADLEY WHITFORD and EMINEM, whose “Lose Yourself” got a rendition from the former president. GOOD SIGNS FOR TRUMP — As Republicans have changed their tune and urged their base to vote early, GOP numbers in the early vote are much higher than before, WaPo’s Amy Gardner, Patrick Marley, Colby Itkowitz and Yvonne Wingett Sanchez write. (Of course, the ultimate impact on the outcome is unclear.) Meanwhile, to the long list of stories about Harris’ struggles with crucial voting blocs, you can add: Megan Messerly on the youth vote in Arizona; AP’s Gary Fields on poor Black people in Georgia; NYT’s Hamed Aleaziz on Muslim and Arab voters; and the Detroit Metro Times’ Steve Neavling on an incident in which a popular Muslim leader was booted from a Harris event. (The campaign says it regrets what happened.) JMART REALITY CHECK — “The Clock Is Ticking on Kamala Harris,” by Jonathan Martin in Brookfield, Wisconsin: “The vice president’s tour with LIZ CHENEY focused on Trump’s outrageous conduct rather than Harris’ willingness to work with Republicans. … The problem was they were preaching to the converted.” RACE FOR THE HOUSE EMPIRE STATE OF MIND — Ultra-Orthodox Jews could be pivotal deciders in three Upstate New York congressional races, NYT’s Nicholas Fandos reports from Monsey. The community, which frequently votes “as a bloc” in line with last-minute recommendations from top rabbis, could be a major boon to GOP Reps. MIKE LAWLER and MARC MOLINARO and Democratic Rep. PAT RYAN. POLL POSITION THE QUESTION ON EVERYONE’S MIND — “Two Theories for Why the Polls Failed in 2020, and What It Means for 2024,” by NYT’s Nate Cohn … “The Pollsters Blew It in 2020. Will They Be Wrong Again in 2024?” by WSJ’s Aaron Zitner … “The polls were off in 2020. Will they be again in 2024?” by NBC’s Steve Kornacki … “‘Red Wave’ Redux: Are GOP Polls Rigging the Averages in Trump’s Favor?” by The New Republic’s Greg Sargent FIRST IN PLAYBOOK — A new internal NRCC poll finds AUSTIN THERIAULT narrowly ahead of Rep. JARED GOLDEN (D-Maine) in a crucial swing district, 47 percent to 45 percent. They also have Trump leading in the district, which awards its own electoral vote, by 9 points. Both numbers have moved toward the GOP since their last survey, as Golden’s lead among independents has vanished. The polling memo National: Trump +2, per Redfield & Wilton Strategies. Tied, per TIPP. Harris +2, per YouGov/The Times. Harris +2, per the University of Massachusetts. Harris +4, per Morning Consult. … Nevada: Trump +2, per AARP. … North Carolina: Harris +1, per SurveyUSA. Trump +2, per InsiderAdvantage. … Georgia: Trump +4, per The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. … Michigan: Trump +2, per Trafalgar. … Wisconsin: Trump +0.2, per Trafalgar. … New York: LAURA GILLEN +12 and Rep. NICK LaLOTA +3, per Newsday/Siena. JOSH RILEY +4, per NewsChannel 13/SurveyUSA.
| | | | | | PLAYBOOK READS | | | AMERICA AND THE WORLD
|  Intel officials confirmed that Russia had fabricated a sexual abuse allegation against Tim Walz. | Morry Gash/AP Photo | THREAT LEVEL — U.S. intelligence officials warned yesterday that Russia, Iran and others are stepping up efforts to influence the election with disinformation and division — and could try to boost violent unrest after Nov. 5. In a newly declassified memo and a call with reporters, intel officials confirmed that Russia had fabricated a sexual abuse allegation against Walz. Its propaganda machine might also advocate for threats against election workers and violent protests, WaPo’s Joseph Menn and David Nakamura report. (For what it’s worth: The Capitol will be reinforced with extra fences from Jan. 5-21, per NBC’s Daisy Conant.) Russia, Iran and China could grow bolder especially after Election Day if they seek to flood the internet with doubt about the result or exploit other vulnerabilities, the U.S. said — especially since they now understand how the process works better than in 2020, AP’s David Klepper notes. Russia and Iran are both accused of already having tried to boost protests in the U.S. More top reads:
- So much for that: Trump’s campaign has submitted a legal complaint to the FEC accusing the “far-left Labour Party” of breaking U.S. electoral laws by sending British volunteers to campaign for Harris. The complaint, which is also against the Harris campaign, centers on a now-deleted LinkedIn post from Labour’s head of operations SOFIA PATEL. Labour scrambled into furious reverse ferret mode after the news caused such a stink over the weekend, Emilio Casalicchio writes in. He hears the top brass shut down the central coordination of campaigners from within Labour HQ.
BEYOND THE BELTWAY THREE TRENDS BULLISH FOR HARRIS — Gas prices keep falling — down to $3.16 nationwide and below $3 in Georgia, North Carolina and Wisconsin, per NYT’s Rebecca Elliott. … Arrests at the U.S.-Mexico border keep falling — down to roughly 54,000 in September, the lowest level in four years, AP’s Elliot Spagat reports. … Phoenix and Atlanta are seeing housing affordability improve a bit, NBC’s Shannon Pettypiece and J.J. McCorvey report — though perhaps not enough for voters to really feel it. THE NEW BORDER-CROSSERS — “Young Indians have been making a ‘do or die’ journey to live the American dream,” by CNN’s Rhea Mogul, Kunal Sehgal, Aishwarya Iyer and Ivan Watson in Karnal, India SHOCKER — Despite the end of Roe v. Wade, 10 of 13 states that banned abortion actually saw the number of abortions rise, NYT’s Claire Cain Miller and Margot Sanger-Katz report from a comprehensive new survey.
| | | | A message from Kidney Care Access Coalition:   | | | JUDICIARY SQUARE
|  Rudy Giuliani has to give up his multimillion-dollar NYC apartment, a Mercedes-Benz, luxury watches and more in the next week, a judge ruled yesterday. | Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images | DAILY RUDY — Facing a $148 million defamation judgment, RUDY GIULIANI has to give up his multimillion-dollar NYC apartment, a Mercedes-Benz, luxury watches and more in the next week, a judge ruled yesterday, as Erica Orden reports from NYC. The remarkable loss for the former mayor and Trump adviser, who hasn’t yet paid any of the money, stems from his 2020 election smearing of Georgia election workers RUBY FREEMAN and SHAYE MOSS. They’d also asked for Giuliano’s condo in Palm Beach, but the judge didn’t rule on that yet. QUITE THE SCOTUS READ — “The Princess and the Justice,” by NYT’s Abbie VanSickle and Philip Kaleta in Regensburg, Germany: “Princess GLORIA VON THURN UND TAXIS bonded with Justice SAMUEL A. ALITO JR. over Catholicism and ending abortion. She introduced him to her sumptuous world when he visited her Bavarian palace.”
| | | | | PLAYBOOKERS | | Kamala Harris is facing more plagiarism questions. Insane Clown Posse endorsed Harris. Patrick Soon-Shiong decided that the L.A. Times won’t endorse in the presidential race. Usha Vance and her 7-year-old are reading “The Iliad.” Ivanka Trump and her 13-year-old went to the Eras Tour. TRANSITIONS — Nicole Longo is now director of U.S. policy and issues comms at Novartis. She previously was deputy VP for public affairs at PhRMA. … Brandon Palumbo is now director of policy and government relations at the Travel Technology Association. He previously was a senior policy adviser at Michael Best Strategies, and is a Ron Johnson and John Kennedy alum. … … Melissa Ryan, Rebecca Lenn and Liz Lebron have launched Inviolable Group, which helps progressive groups defend themselves against online attacks and harassment. Ryan is a digital strategist and Obama 2012 alum. Lenn is a campaign/comms strategist and former Media Matters executive. Lebron is president of Blue Nexus Group and a former election administrator. ENGAGED — Elisabeth St. Onge, press secretary for Sen. Peter Welch (D-Vt.), and Samuel Murray, legislative correspondent for Sen. Angus King (I-Maine), got engaged last week while hiking in Banff National Park in Canada. They met in 2020 as graduate students at American University. Pic … Another pic WEEKEND WEDDINGS — Sean Duggan, director of government affairs at Anduril Industries and a Martin Heinrich alum, and Jess Pavel, senior director of strategy at Penta Group and a Mitt Romney alum, got married this weekend in Merida, Mexico. They met while working on the Hill. Pic … Another pic — Clara Diaz, legislative assistant for Rep. Andy Ogles (R-Tenn.), and Thomas Bradbury, who works in policy and advocacy for the American Conservative Union (CPAC), got married Saturday at St. Coleman Catholic Church, with a reception at the Sea Ranch Lakes Beach Club in Florida. They were introduced through mutual friends in D.C. in 2020. Pic … Another pic HAPPY BIRTHDAY: WSJ’s Ryan Barber … Simon Rosenberg … former Sen. Mel Martinez (R-Fla.) … WaPo’s Lauren Morello … former Rep. Fred Keller (R-Pa.) … POLITICO’s Jackie Heinz … Brian Ross … The Hill’s Ellen Mitchell … Ani Chkhikvadze … Anne Filipic of YPO … Caroline Kitchens of TikTok … Hayden Haynes of Rep. Mike Johnson’s (R-La.) office … Malia Rulon Herman … Elissa Tew of Rep. Aaron Bean’s (R-Fla.) office … Sanjay Gupta ... Eliza Duckworth of Sen. Debbie Stabenow’s (D-Mich.) office … Allison Preiss of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau … Vikrum Aiyer … Vanity Fair’s Caleb Ecarma ... Kellyn Blossom … FGS Global’s Peter Benton-Sullivan … Matthew Barzun … Ken Feinberg ... Pat Cleary … Annika Lichtenbaum ... UNHCR’s Matthew Reynolds … Bobby Burchfield … Moe Vela … Eva Tell of Rokk Solutions … Martin Luther King III … Meghan Mitchum … NewsNation’s Tom Dempsey 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 misidentified the outlet for which Aamer Madhani and David Klepper work. It is the AP.
| | | | A message from Kidney Care Access Coalition: A June 2022 Supreme Court ruling undermined long-standing statutory protections for dialysis patients by allowing employer group health plans to force dialysis patients on Medicare before they would have otherwise chosen. When they transition from their employer health plan to Medicare, their family could also be forced off their coverage. This causes an unnecessary and costly disruption to these families – at a time when they are also managing a life-threatening disease.
The Restore Protections for Dialysis Patients Act is a bipartisan, bicameral bill to simply restore these critical protections for patients and their families. The bill ensures families can choose their coverage, protects private health insurance, and prevents Medicare from being overburdened.
Over 40 organizations, including those representing patients, providers, the disability community, and communities of color, are calling on Congress to pass the Restore Protections for Dialysis Patients Act.
https://www.kidneycareaccess.org/ | | | | | | | 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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