| | | | |  | | By Garrett Ross | |  | THE CATCH-UP | | NEWS FROM THE NORTH — “Canada’s Parliament to shut down until March 24,” by Mike Blanchfield: “Canada’s JUSTIN TRUDEAU era is coming to an end. Abandoned by a majority of his caucus, the three-term prime minister announced Monday that he plans to step down as prime minister and as the leader of his party, the latest in a global line of sinking incumbents. … The announcement adds chaos to uncertainty in Ottawa ahead of DONALD TRUMP’s return to the White House and a looming trade war.”
|  Despite his preference for an all-encompassing policy bill, President-elect Donald Trump said on Monday that he's open to splitting legislation up. | Charlie Neibergall/AP Photo | RECONCILABLE DIFFERENCES — Once the business of counting the Electoral College votes for President-elect Trump is settled today (set to happen soon), the bulk of attention on Capitol Hill will turn to Republicans’ reconciliation plans. Trump has consistently expressed his wish for congressional leaders to bundle together taxes, border and energy into one catch-all bill, he’s easing off the demand ever so slightly today, Ursula Perano reports. “While I favor one bill, I also want to get everything passed. And you know, there are some people that don't necessarily agree with it,” Trump said in an interview with conservative talk show host HUGH HEWITT this morning. To be clear, Trump did reiterate his “preference” for “one big beautiful bill,” while noting it would take longer, which he could “live with” and he thinks would be “cleaner.” Though he noted he's open to either path, “as long as we get something passed as quickly as possible.” “I’m not wedded to either one bill or two bills,” Sen. JOHN KENNEDY (R-La.) told reporters at the Capitol on Monday morning. “I just think we need to all get in the same room and say, ‘OK, here’s our game plan.’ And some will be happy and some will be sad because there’s some people who feel strongly in the Senate that we ought to split it up, but I understand the House’s position, too.” ON THE ANNIVERSARY — The most notorious of all Jan. 6 defendants — former Proud Boys leader ENRIQUE TARRIO — is officially asking Trump to pardon him for his seditious conspiracy conviction related to the attack on the Capitol, Kyle Cheney reports. “Tarrio was convicted by a jury of helping orchestrate the attack on the Capitol, even though he was banished from the city by prosecutors that day for his role in burning a stolen Black Lives Matter banner. U.S. District Judge TIM KELLY, a Trump appointee, sentenced Tarrio to 22 years in prison, the lengthiest sentence of any Jan. 6 defendant.” In a letter to Trump requesting a full pardon, Tarrio claims he was targeted by the Biden administration for his political views rather than the alleged effort to subvert the 2020 election by force. Meanwhile, in an exclusive interview with WaPo’s Spencer Hsu, Capitol Police Chief THOMAS MANGER said that the prospect of Trump pardoning Jan. 6 rioters who assaulted officers doesn’t sit right with him. “What message does that send?” Manger told WaPo. “What message does that send to police officers across this nation, if someone doesn’t think that a conviction for an assault or worse against a police officer is something that should be upheld, given what we ask police officers to do every day?” The grinding gears of justice: “The lost year: How Merrick Garland’s Justice Department ran out of time prosecuting Trump for January 6,” by CNN’s Evan Perez and Hannah Rabinowitz Afternoon read: “The Jan. 6 Rioters, 4 Years Later,” by NYT’s Alan Feuer: “Hundreds of rioters accused of nonviolent crimes during the attack on the Capitol have wrapped up their cases. Here’s what some of their lives look like now.” Good Monday afternoon. Welcome to the first Playbook PM of 2025, and thanks for reading. Drop me a line with your most off-the-wall prediction for the year at gross@politico.com. NEWS FROM THE HOME TEAM — Mike DeBonis is taking on a new role as senior Congress editor, charged with driving our coverage of Hill leadership and politics. Emma Dumain will take on a newly created role as policy editor on the Congress team. And Kate Irby will take on a new assignment focused on Capitol Hill newsletter strategy and the “Inside Congress” blog. THE LATEST WAPO DEFECTION — Leigh Ann Caldwell is joining Puck as chief Washington correspondent, working to expand its D.C.-centric newsletter, “The Best & The Brightest” from four to five days per week, per Axios’ Sara Fischer.
| | 8 THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW | | |  Trump's transition team is aiming for a high target of political appointees in place on Day One. | Andrew Harnik/Getty Images | 1. TRANSITION LENSES: The Trump transition team is sending out a large stack of employment offers today, hoping to make up some ground on its goal of bringing in 2,000 political appointees on Jan. 20 — a target number that the team is currently falling short of, CBS’ Jennifer Jacobs and Ed O’Keefe report. “Sources told CBS News that candidates for senior management posts want to give their private sector companies two weeks' notice before they leave for government service. Some are reluctant to resign their current roles without hiring letters from the transition.” For comparison: “Around 1,200 political appointees were in place when Trump assumed the presidency in January 2017, aides estimated. President Biden's transition chair TED KAUFMAN said in 2021 his administration had 1,136 political appointees on Inauguration Day.” 2. THE TRUMP TRIALS: Trump’s legal team is seeking to cancel the president-elect’s Friday sentencing for his hush money conviction, arguing that the sentencing hearing must be postponed while he appeals, Erica Orden reports. “In court papers filed Monday, Trump’s lawyers signaled that they will ask a New York appeals court to toss out the jury’s May verdict, which found Trump guilty of 34 felony counts of falsifying business documents. In his appeal, Trump intends to argue that he is protected by presidential immunity — arguments that the trial judge, Justice JUAN MERCHAN, rejected. But Trump says the sentencing hearing must be halted while higher courts weigh the immunity claims.” Read the filing 3. THE TARIFF MAN COMETH: Aides for Trump are “exploring tariff plans that would be applied to every country but only cover critical imports,” WaPo’s Jeff Stein reports. “If implemented, the emerging plans would pare back the most sweeping elements of Trump’s campaign plans but still would be likely to upend global trade and carry major consequences for the U.S. economy and consumers.” On the campaign trail, Trump touted his desire for “universal” tariffs of as high as 10 or 20 percent on all imports into the U.S. — a proposal that was quick to draw warnings from experts and even concern from congressional Republicans who worried that the plan could backfire with voters who would feel the ramifications. FWIW: Trump responded to the WaPo report on Truth Social, saying that it “incorrectly states that my tariff policy will be pared back. That is wrong.” 4. STEEL YOURSELF: Nippon Steel and U.S. Steel today filed two lawsuits over Biden’s decision to block the Japanese company’s $14.9 billion acquisition of the Pittsburgh-based steelmaker, Ari Hawkins reports. The first lawsuit filed in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit claims the companies’ constitutional right to due process was violated and argues that Biden’s decision to block the deal was based on “purely political reasons.” The second case was filed in U.S. District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania and the companies claim that groups illegally colluded to prevent the planned deal. Trump on Monday also reiterated his opposition to the deal in a post on Truth Social. 5. NEW YORK STATE OF MIND: The Empire State will be the nexus of power for Senate Democrats heading into the 2026 cycle, with New York Sen. KIRSTEN GILLIBRAND taking over as chair of the DSCC, Ursula Perano writes. Gillibrand and Senate Democratic Leader CHUCK SCHUMER will be looking to defend Dem-held seats in Georgia (JON OSSOFF) and Michigan (GARY PETERS), and potential pickup opportunities in Maine (SUSAN COLLINS), Texas (JOHN CORNYN) and North Carolina (THOM TILLIS) as the most likely opportunities to regain the majority. Sounding the right note: “If we’ve learned anything in the last few cycles, if you’re not in the field early, talking to voters about what they’re worried about, what’s their kitchen table issues, and then coming up with legislative solutions to help them, they’re not going to feel that you have their back. And so it’s about a relationship with your voters,” Gillibrand told Fox News’ Paul Steinhauser. 6. SLAPPING SANCTIONS: The outgoing Biden administration is planning to levy “more sanctions on Russia over its war on Ukraine, taking aim at its oil revenues with action against tankers carrying Russian crude,” Reuters’ Timothy Gardner and Nidhi Verma report. “President Joe Biden's administration has sought to shore up support for Ukraine before President-elect Donald Trump takes office on Jan. 20, given the Republican leader's frequent complaints about the cost of U.S. support for Ukraine. … It is unclear what Trump's approach to sanctions on Russia will be. The Biden administration is planning sanctions targeting tankers that carry Russian oil sold above the West's $60 per barrel price cap, the sources said.” 7. MIDDLE EAST LATEST: “West Bank Settlers Hope Trump Will Back Annexation Dreams,” by NYT’s Isabel Kershner: “Some of President-elect Donald J. Trump’s staffing choices have raised hopes among settlers that that could happen. PETE HEGSETH, Mr. Trump’s contentious choice for defense secretary, went to ancient Shiloh for an episode of his ‘Battle in the Holy Land’ series on Fox Nation. MIKE HUCKABEE, Mr. Trump’s pick as the next ambassador to Jerusalem, has visited several times over the years and has argued that all of the West Bank belongs to Israel. 8. HAPPENING TODAY: “A Florida jury will decide if CNN defamed security contractor,” by WaPo’s Jeremy Barr in Panama City, Florida: “After winding through Florida’s court system for the past 2½ years, the case is finally heading to trial in a Panama City, Florida, courtroom starting Monday. CNN faces the potential of a sizable monetary judgment from a jury that could be predisposed against it, demographically, and at a time when public regard remains low for media outlets. While most defamation lawsuits against media companies are either settled out of court or dismissed in their early stages, the [ZACHARY YOUNG] case represents a rare example of a case actually going to trial, putting the network in the uncomfortable position of seeing its journalists, producers and executives being forced to take the stand.”
| | | | | PLAYBOOKERS | | OUT AND ABOUT — Sesha Joi Moon and Keenan Austin Reed hosted “A Toast To Black Women Leaders in Social Impact,” a bipartisan brunch to celebrate Black women leaders across the intersection of politics, media, and entertainment as part of the 119th Congressional Black Caucus Swearing-In Weekend, at HQ DC House in partnership with Carol's Daughter, PolicyLink, Broccoli City, On 25th Creative, Global Black Economic Forum, and ESSENCE. Greetings were offered by Maryland first lady Dawn Moore and CBC Chair Yvette Clarke (D-N.Y.) and honorees included Reps. Ayanna Pressley (D-Mass.), Jasmine Crockett (D-Texas) and Jennifer McClellan (D-Va.), Cheryl Johnson, Dietra Trent, Rashida Jones, Symone Sanders-Townsend, Minyon Moore, Yolanda Caraway, Tina Flournoy, Leah Daughtry, Elsie Cooke-Holmes, Stacie NC Grant, Shavon Arline-Bradley, Jotaka Eaddy, Brittany Packnett Cunningham, Ashley Allison, Alencia Johnson, Wendy Osefo, Erin Wilson, Kirsten Allen, Tasia Jackson, Erica Loewe, Joyce Kazadi, Brencia Berry, Charmion Kinder and Ashling Preston. FIRST IN PLAYBOOK — Shelby Talcott will be moving into a new role as White House correspondent at Semafor. She previously was a politics reporter covering the Trump campaign. TRANSITIONS — Samantha Schwab will be deputy chief of staff at the Treasury Department. She most recently did business development at Kalshi and is a Trump White House alum. … Sean Ryan is now comms director for Sen. Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-Del.). He previously was chief of staff for Rep. Barbara Lee (D-Calif.). … Mark Piland is now director of legislative affairs at the Artemis Group. He previously was chief of staff for Rep. Ralph Norman (R-S.C.). … … Lindsay Wigo will be senior producer at Young America’s Foundation. She previously was production manager at Townhall Media and is an RNC alum. … Sarah Paden is joining Goldman Sachs as VP of state government affairs. She most recently was VP and chief political director for the Progressive Policy Institute, and is a Kamala Harris and Andrew Cuomo alum. … Juan Carlos Mora is now a professional staff member and legislative aide for the House Judiciary Dems. He previously was a staff assistant for Rep. Jerry Nadler (D-N.Y.). 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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