| | | | |  | | By Rachael Bade and Eugene Daniels | | Presented by Zelle® | With help from Eli Okun, Garrett Ross and Bethany Irvine
|  | DRIVING THE DAY | | | | | A ONE-TWO PUNCH — With 18 days left until Election Day, VP KAMALA HARRIS will be hitting the road with the two most popular members of her party: BARACK and MICHELLE OBAMA. A senior Harris campaign official says that two separate events are set for next week. Harris and the former president will rally together in Georgia on Thursday. The former first lady and Harris will be together in Michigan on Saturday. Both events will be held at early-voting sites. This will be the first time Harris appears with either during the election — and it’s also the first time Mrs. Obama has hit the road for the Harris campaign.
|  For weeks, the Trump campaign has been in conversations with The Shade Room about a sit-down interview. | Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images | WATCH THIS SPACE — “Trump World in Talks With Haley for 11th Hour Joint Campaign Event,” by The Bulwark’s Marc Caputo: “The details and dates for the joint appearance haven’t been fully worked out, but the likeliest scenario would put [DONALD TRUMP and NIKKI HALEY] together at a town hall toward the end of the month, perhaps involving Fox News personality SEAN HANNITY.” NO SHADE — Recently, it’s become something of a pattern: Trump is scheduled for an interview with a neutral media outlet, the date nears and then … things fall apart. It happened just this week to planned Trump sit-downs with NBC in Philadelphia and CNBC’s “Squawk Box” — and that’s on the heels of him backing out of a “60 Minutes” episode earlier this month. Why does this keep happening? Playbook has learned that yet another outlet was given an explanation by Trump’s team for why their own interview wasn’t coming to fruition: exhaustion. The Trump campaign had been in conversations for weeks with The Shade Room about a sit-down interview. The site, which draws an audience that is largely young and Black, hosted an interview with Harris just last week. But as no interview materialized, Shade Room staff began feeling that feet were being dragged inside Trump’s campaign. No date was ever set, we’re told, but the intention was to try and work toward a sit-down. In a conversation earlier this week, when describing why an interview hadn’t come together just yet, a Trump adviser told The Shade Room producers that Trump was “exhausted and refusing [some] interviews but that could change” at any time, according to two people familiar with the conversations. To make up for a lack of a Trump interview this close to the election, those two people say Trump-supporting rapper WAKA FLOCKA FLAME was offered up as an alternative. Trump’s national press secretary KAROLINE LEAVITT, while making clear she wasn’t part of the back and forth for The Shade Room interview, told Playbook last night that the idea that Trump was exhausted “is unequivocally false.” “President Trump is running laps around Kamala Harris on the campaign trail,” Leavitt said. “And has done media interviews every day this week. He has more energy and a harder work ethic than anyone in politics.” Trump’s team points out that he has constantly done interviews — which is fair, but we’d hasten to add that many of them are with friendly hosts or on friendly networks. As for the one contentious interview he did this week, with Bloomberg editor-in-chief John Micklethwait, Trump later complained that he was “hoodwinked to go on that. I was supposed to make a speech in front of the Chicago Economic Club, which is a big deal. It’s a very prestigious place, everything was beautiful. And all of a sudden I understand I’m being interviewed by this gentleman and he’s got a reputation.” As you can imagine, the Trump team had some more major pushback for the aforementioned canceled interviews:
- CBS’ “60 Minutes”: The campaign still maintains that the newsmagazine’s live fact-checking was “inappropriate and unnecessary” and stands by pulling out.
- CNBC’s “Squawk Box”: A campaign official told us last night that a campaign adviser leading the conversations with CNBC was a “little too hot to try to commit, not realizing that we were adding a full day in Michigan on the calendar, which of course is taking place tomorrow.” (We’d note that Trump will be doing “Fox and Friends” this morning just blocks away from where CNBC shoots.)
- The NBC interview: The official told us that “NBC was supposed to be a walk and talk at a retail engagement. We were running behind. … So unfortunately, it was removed from the calendar.”
As for the notion that Trump is canceling media appearances? “That’s B.S.,” says Leavitt. “President Trump has never backed down from any interview. This is a man who held a CNN town hall in the middle of the Republican primary, for goodness’ sake.” Related reads: Trump’s next notable podcast appearance will be on wrestler MARK “THE UNDERTAKER” CALAWAY’s “Six Feet Under,” Alex Isenstadt reports. And there’s an interesting piece this morning from NOTUS’ John Seward about Trump’s foreign-policy comments as he appeals to largely disaffected young men in his podcast stops: Trump is playing up World War III fears, talking in dark terms about Ukraine and the Middle East, and quoting Hungarian PM VIKTOR ORBÁN a lot. Happy Friday. Thanks for reading Playbook. Drop us a line: Rachael Bade and Eugene Daniels.
| | | | A message from Zelle®: 99.95% of Zelle® transactions in 2023 were completed without any report of fraud or scams. Learn more. | | | ABOUT LAST NIGHT — Each presidential election year, the annual white-tie Al Smith Dinner for Catholic Charities in New York is a late-in-the-cycle occasion for the main contenders to momentarily set aside their differences, roast themselves and each other and win some good press in the process. Before Trump it was, anyway. Harris didn’t attend, but sent a forgettable pre-taped video featuring “SNL” alum MOLLY SHANNON reprising her Mary Katherine Gallagher character. Trump attended — and MELANIA joined him, in a rare trail appearance — and got off a few zingers. “These days, it’s really a pleasure anywhere in New York without a subpoena for my appearance,” he said. And, targeting NYC Mayor ERIC ADAMS: “I've never met a person who's a vegan who likes Turkey so much.” But as in 2016, when HILLARY CLINTON attended, his remarks were otherwise sharply partisan and mean-spirited — at times, drawing audible gasps and boos from the audience, such as when he profanely criticized former Mayor BILL de BLASIO without a punchline and promised to “dispose” of Harris. “Comity and comedy are too much to ask for at this fraught moment,” Adam Wren writes in his recap. INCOMING — Judge TANYA CHUTKAN said documents in the federal election subversion case against Trump will be made public today, denying the Trump team’s petition to keep them sealed until after the election, WaPo’s Spencer Hsu reports. The source materials from special counsel JACK SMITH’s office should not be subject to political considerations, Chutkan decided. Trump had argued that their release would interfere with the election, but Chutkan wrote that withholding them would theoretically be just as impactful on the election. THE PLAYBOOK INTERVIEW: CHARLIE GEROW & ISAIAH THOMAS — For the next three weeks, the Keystone State is the center of the political universe. Trump, Harris, and the vast network of campaigns, super PACs and down-ballot candidates operating alongside them are now on pace to spend $1 billion there before Election Day. So if money talks, what it’s saying is loud and clear: Pennsylvania may very well determine the election. To talk through the state of play, Eugene called up two local experts — Democratic Philadelphia City Councilman Isaiah Thomas and GOP operative Charlie Gerow — to get an honest assessment of the obstacles and opportunities that their candidates face when it comes to winning the Commonwealth. Listen to Playbook Deep Dive on Apple Podcasts or Spotify
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| | | | | A message from Zelle®:   Anti-fraud countermeasures like real-time monitoring and detection are on all day, every day as we work to stay ahead of scams and fraud: https://www.zellepay.com/safety-education | | | | | WHAT'S HAPPENING TODAY | | On the Hill The Senate and the House are out. What we’re watching … Nevada’s Senate race has been comparatively off the national radar, with Republican SAM BROWN struggling to gain traction (or so said some surprisingly similar headlines in WaPo and the NYT). The reasons: Democratic Sen. JACKY ROSEN has used a fundraising advantage to define Brown on the airwaves and open up a polling lead, while some Republicans say Brown’s campaign has made missteps and struggled to get rural voters. Last night’s televised debate appears unlikely to change those basic dynamics, with the Nevada Independent’s Gabby Birenbaum and Eric Neugeboren writing that both candidates played it safe and stuck to their scripts. (One exception: Rosen agreed Congress should investigate UFOs, while Brown said he’d trust ELON MUSK to do it more.) At the White House President JOE BIDEN is in Berlin, where he already met with German President FRANK-WALTER STEINMEIER and Chancellor OLAF SCHOLZ and spoke at an Order of Merit ceremony. Later, Biden and Scholz will meet with French President EMMANUEL MACRON and British PM KEIR STARMER. Biden will return to Camp David at night. On the trail Harris will hold a rally in Grand Rapids, Michigan, at 2:30 p.m.; speak at a union hall in Lansing benefiting from the Inflation Reduction Act at 5:30 p.m., as Gavin Bade scoops today; and hold a rally in Oakland County at 8:30 p.m. Trump will hold a rally in Detroit at 7 p.m.
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VP Kamala Harris slammed Donald Trump’s recent comment that the fatal Jan. 6 insurrection was a “day of love.” | Jacquelyn Martin/AP Photo | DEMOCRACY WATCH — Harris and other Democrats have shifted their rhetoric into a starker warning that Trump represents a threat to the country in recent days. In Wisconsin yesterday, Harris slammed Trump’s recent comment that the fatal Jan. 6 insurrection was a “day of love,” calling it “gaslighting,” per Myah Ward. And a new quote from Gen. MARK MILLEY (largely co-signed by JIM MATTIS) seems to have given Harris and other Democrats the green light to start calling Trump “fascist” more openly — a bridge that many politicians had long stopped short of crossing, NYT’s Jonathan Weisman reports. You can see the change on the campaign trail, where Harris’ early emphasis on joy has given way to more direct verbal attacks on Trump, including playing video of him, AP’s Zeke Miller and Steve Karnowski report from La Crosse. You can see it on the airwaves, where a new Harris ad calls Trump “unhinged,” “unstable” and “unchecked” in a second term, NBC’s Monica Alba scooped. (Interestingly, this is all a bit of a return to Biden’s old anti-Trump messaging.) Reuters’ Jeff Mason and Nandita Bose report that the broader Harris strategy shift is an effort to play up her prosecutorial image and project strength to gain support from men and Republicans. And it’s not just messaging: Democrats are also ramping up preparations to defend against GOP efforts to contest the election, Reuters’ Luc Cohen reports . Rather than file hundreds of lawsuits preemptively, as Republicans have done, they’re depending on the courts and election officials to dismiss any untoward legal shenanigans. RACE FOR THE WHITE HOUSE REALITY CHECK — CBS’ Julia Ingram has a valuable analysis that takes seriously Trump’s pledge of mass deportations — and what it would take to execute. Beyond the “immense constitutional, humanitarian and economic problems” experts see, the price tag is sky-high: $20 billion to deport just 1 million undocumented immigrants. (Trump wants to target 11 million.) NOT QUITE THE FATHER OF IVF — “Trump Says He Would Consider Religious Exemptions to Covering IVF,” by Bloomberg’s Stephanie Lai: It would be “a concession to some of his conservative Christian supporters who oppose the fertility procedure.” BATTLE FOR THE BALLOT — A Michigan judge indicated yesterday that the RNC’s legal effort to prevent some Americans who live abroad from voting may have been filed too late to succeed, Josh Gerstein reports. MARK YOUR CALENDARS — Sen. JD VANCE (R-Ohio) will have a NewsNation town hall with CHRIS CUOMO on Thursday in Detroit, per Axios’ Zachary Basu. … Harris and Minnesota Gov. TIM WALZ will go to church Sunday in Georgia and Michigan, respectively, AP’s Darlene Superville scooped. She’ll also have an interview with AL SHARPTON. TIM WALZ UNCORKED — Post-debate, the Minnesota governor has finally returned to the more assertive public persona that helped him land the running-mate slot, NBC’s Katherine Koretski reports from Green Bay, Wisconsin. He’s doing more prominent media — including the “We Can Do Hard Things” podcast — and launching more aggressive broadsides against Trump. N.Y. Mag’s Kerry Howley has an in-depth feature capturing Walz on the trail, where he makes progressivism look and sound moderate. HELENE BE DAMNED — Early voting in North Carolina got off to a voluminous start yesterday, even in mountain regions devastated by the hurricane, AP’s Makiya Seminera and Jeffrey Collins report from Asheville. RACE FOR THE HOUSE BIG MONEY — “Super PACs are flooding NY House races with unprecedented cash,” by the Albany Times-Union’s Emilie Munson POLL POSITION All around: The latest batch of Morning Consult polls finds a very tight race, perhaps most notably showing Harris +1 in Arizona and Trump +1 in Wisconsin. Their most striking Senate polls show Republican BERNIE MORENO pulling into a 1-point lead over Sen. SHERROD BROWN in Ohio and Sen. TED CRUZ (R-Texas) ahead by only 1 point over Democratic Rep. COLIN ALLRED. Axios’ Stef Kight also reports that the newest internal Republican polling has Moreno up 3 — is Ohio breaking late for the GOP like it did in 2022? Arizona: Democrat JONATHAN NEZ is tied with GOP Rep. ELI CRANE at 42 percent each, Inside Elections/Noble Predictive Insights find — in a district some forecasters haven’t even labeled competitive. CBS has Trump +3 in the state. … Nebraska: An internal poll for GOP Sen. DEB FISCHER has her up by 6 or 7 points. … New York: An internal poll for Democrat JOSH RILEY finds him leading GOP Rep. MARC MOLINARO by 3 points, Daniella Diaz scooped.
| | | | | PLAYBOOK READS | | AMERICA AND THE WORLD
|  The next move following Yahya Sinwar's death is a monumental decision for Israel. | Ariel Schalit/AP Photo | AFTER SINWAR — The question on everybody’s lips after the killing of Hamas leader YAHYA SINWAR was whether this might help end the Israel-Hamas war. It was top of mind for Biden, who called Israeli PM BENJAMIN NETANYAHU and said this was an “opportunity” to free the remaining hostages and “move toward a cease-fire.” Secretary of State ANTONY BLINKEN will go to Israel shortly. Harris, too, said it’s a chance “to finally end the war.” The next move is a monumental decision for Israel: Netanyahu, who has repeatedly rebuffed U.S. pressure toward peace, vowed yesterday that “the war isn’t over.” But Axios’ Barak Ravid reports that both American and Israeli officials think Sinwar’s death could create the space to restart negotiations. This was the one event that stymied U.S. officials thought could lead to a breakthrough in recent months, and they were optimistic yesterday, despite major uncertainty, Jonathan Lemire, Eric Bazail-Eimil and Anthony Adragna report. Many obstacles remain, Reuters’ Matt Spetalnick and Jonathan Landay caution, including Israel’s other regional conflicts and the reality that Netanyahu would rather wait to deal with Trump. Other Middle East fallout: DHS announced yesterday that it will grant Temporary Protected Status to Lebanese amid the escalating Israel-Hezbollah war, per CNN’s Kylie Atwood and Priscilla Alvarez. Lebanese American leaders said the 18-month designation could also give Harris a political boost in Michigan. … But MASSAD BOULOS and RICHARD GRENELL have been working hard to make inroads for Trump with Arab American and Muslim voters, NYT’s Charles Homans reports from Dearborn. The Daily Caller’s Reagan Reese also dives into the Muslim effort in Michigan to prevent Harris from winning. More top reads:
- Rewriting history: Trump yesterday said on a podcast that Ukrainian President VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY “should never have let that war start” and Biden “instigated” the conflict, per WaPo. (The war started, of course, because Russia attacked Ukraine.)
- Labour pains: Republicans and mini-MAGA Brits are flipping their lids after a U.K. Labour Party aide let slip that almost 100 political foot soldiers from the governing party are preparing to jet to the U.S. to knock doors for the Harris campaign, Emilio Casalicchio writes in. The Telegraph quotes a couple of Republican Trumpers who think it’s outrageous, while former PM LIZ TRUSSalso attacked the move.
TRUMP CARDS ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT FALLOUT — RYAN ROUTH, the man accused of seeking to kill Trump in Florida, filed a motion yesterday asking for Judge AILEEN CANNON to remove herself from the case, given Trump’s support for her and her favorable rulings toward him, Josh Gerstein and Kimberly Leonard report .
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Elon Musk promulgated a false conspiracy theory about Dominion Voting Systems and election fraud at a Trump event. | Matt Rourke/AP Photo | MUSK READ — Musk hit the campaign trail for Trump in Pennsylvania yesterday, warning in dire and “apocalyptic” terms about what would happen with crime and immigration if Democrats remain in power, the Philly Inquirer’s Fallon Roth and Jesse Bunch report. To a roaring reception, Musk also took questions about his plans to improve government efficiency. But controversy dogged the event, too, as experts raised questions about whether Musk could require attendees to affirm that they’re voting in order to sign up. Musk also promulgated a false conspiracy theory about Dominion Voting Systems and election fraud at the event, NBC’s Kat Tenbarge, Ben Goggin and Emma Barnett report from Folsom. Remember: Dominion won $787 million from Fox News in a defamation lawsuit — and they refuted Musk last night. But if Trump wins, Musk could be in for significant power in Washington — as his online relationship with FCC Commissioner BRENDAN CARR already demonstrates, John Hendel reports this morning. Their shared policy goals could result in a big payday for Musk if Carr becomes FCC chair and SpaceX’s Starlink gets major federal subsidies. JUDICIARY SQUARE AT THE LAST MINUTE — Though the Supreme Court denied to intervene, ROBERT ROBERSON was spared execution late last night in the Texas shaken-baby case, as the state Supreme Court stepped in to issue a temporary halt. More from The Texas Tribune TV TONIGHT — PBS’ “Washington Week,” guest-moderated by Franklin Foer: Peter Baker, Francesca Chambers, Susan Glasser and Vivian Salama. SUNDAY SO FAR … CNN “State of the Union”: Speaker Mike Johnson … Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.). Panel: Rep. Madeleine Dean (D-Pa.), Brad Todd, Bakari Sellers and Erin Perrine. MSNBC “The Weekend”: Michael Cohen … Angela Alsobrooks. NewsNation “The Hill Sunday”: Rep. Don Bacon (R-Neb.) … Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger. Panel: Kevin Williamson, Tia Mitchell, David Drucker and Julie Mason. ABC “This Week”: New Hampshire Gov. Chris Sununu … Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer … Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers … Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro. Panel: Donna Brazile, Asma Khalid, Jonathan Martin and Ramesh Ponnuru. FOX “Fox News Sunday”: Maryland Gov. Wes Moore … Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin. Panel: Francesca Chambers, Jeremy Hunt, Josh Kraushaar and Juan Williams. Legal panel: Jonathan Turley and Tom Dupree. Sunday special: Jane Goodall. NBC “Meet the Press”: Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) … Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro … Megan Rapinoe and Sue Bird. Panel: Brendan Buck, Ashley Etienne, Carol Lee and Laura Leslie. CBS “Face the Nation”: Paul Whelan … Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger … Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson.
| | | | REQUEST AN INVITATION: 13TH ANNUAL MERIDIAN SUMMIT: Executives, diplomats, and policymakers are working to anticipate shifts shaping the future. The 2024 Meridian Summit highlights trends, risks, and opportunities shaping our world, empowering decision-makers like you to navigate a complex geopolitical landscape. Request an invitation here. | | | | | | | PLAYBOOKERS | | Jim Jordan may be out on the Kids Online Safety Act. Charlie Dent voted for Kamala Harris. Ruben Gallego’s unsealed divorce records are rather ho-hum. Barron Trump was put on blast by his dad. Bill Clinton is preparing for the gulag. OUT AND ABOUT — Marty Reiser hosted a Tune Inn engagement toast for Kelley Hudak and Brad Dayspring on Wednesday night, complete with a Miller High Life champagne tower. SPOTTED: Kevin Madden, Mike Sommers, Paul Kane, Brianna Keilar, Anna Palmer and Patrick Mellody, Brian Walsh, Laena Fallon, Shannon and Don McGahn, Gary Andres, Paige Decker, Mike Steel and Matt Miller. — Lauren Windsor screened her documentary, “Gonzo for Democracy,” at Landmark’s E Street Cinema on Tuesday night. The film, which focuses on how the U.S. got to Jan. 6, premieres today on The Undercurrent. Mike Lux, Celinda Lake and Nikki McCann Ramirez took part in a Q&A/panel after the screening. Also SPOTTED: Jim Acosta, Eric Feigl-Ding, Ally Sammarco, Adam Parkhomenko and Carter Dougherty. FIRST IN PLAYBOOK — Washington Office is adding Halimah Najieb-Locke, Casey Plew and Charlie Burgoyne as new team members and advisers. Najieb-Locke previously was deputy assistant secretary of Defense for industrial base resilience policy. Plew previously was director of NavalX in the U.S. Navy. Burgoyne is founder and CEO of Valkyrie. TRANSITIONS — Melissa Hockstad will be president and CEO of the Consumer Brands Association. She previously was president and CEO of the American Cleaning Institute. … Aaron Chan is now legislative affairs adviser for the Office of the National Cyber Director. He most recently was special assistant in the Office of the Administrator at FEMA. … … The Hoover Institution has added Lauren Wright as senior manager of government relations and elevated Jeff Marschner to assistant director for media and government relations and D.C. operations. … Tarsha Hearns is now VP of entrepreneurship at Small Business Majority. She previously was senior director of the DEC Network. HAPPY BIRTHDAY: Reps. Young Kim (R-Calif.) and Harriet Hageman (R-Wyo.) … SEC Chair Gary Gensler … NYT’s Annie Karni … Brittney Griner … Puck’s Julia Ioffe … Brunswick Group’s Michael Krempasky … Dan Pabon … Babs Chase … Jon Decker … Makese Motley … J Loft Company’s Jake Loft … Rachael Parry … Marc Ginsberg … Jonathan Tasini … Heritage Action’s Janae Stracke … White House’s Sahil Jain … Edelman’s Trisch Smith … Marion Smith of Common Sense Society … former Sen. Jim Talent (R-Mo.) … Chris Saxman … former Reps. Dennis Ross (R-Fla.), Chris Shays (R-Conn.) and Brenda Lawrence (D-Mich.) (7-0) … Martha Burk … Mason Wiggins … Walt Disney Co.’s Caitlin Conant … Bloomberg’s Matt Shirley … Jordan Cox of Rep. Guy Reschenthaler’s (R-Pa.) office … CNN’s Andrew Millman … DCCC’s Sophie Shiff 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.
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