| | | | |  | | By Ryan Lizza, Rachael Bade and Eugene Daniels | | | With help from Eli Okun and Garrett Ross
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The fate of CPAC and Donald Trump are tied together, with attendance shaping up to be a statement about whether or not one wants Trump to be the party's future leader. | John Raoux/AP Photo | | | | |  | DRIVING THE DAY | | YOU NEVER FORGET YOUR FIRST — “Joe Manchin and Jon Tester tee up Biden's first veto,” by Eleanor Mueller and Allison Prang KNIVES OUT — “Fox News election fraud revelations could take down the network’s embattled chief,” by CNN’s Oliver Darcy DOWN AND OUT IN NATIONAL HARBOR — Back in 2015, one of us was at a Republican presidential primary debate where we ran into MATT and MERCEDES SCHLAPP while waiting to do a cable news hit. Naturally, the conversation turned to DONALD TRUMP. The Schlapps were a power couple in Republican politics who met in the GEORGE W. BUSH White House and became successful lobbyists, political strategists and commentators. The previous year, 2014, Matt Schlapp became chairman of the American Conservative Union, best known for its annual CPAC event in Washington. Since Trump’s first appearance at CPAC in 2011, the conference had become an early venue for him to court the base of the Republican Party. But to the Schlapps, Trump showing up and delivering sick burns about then-President BARACK OBAMA was one thing. Leading the party was quite another. They were appalled by Trump’s surge in the polls and dreaded him becoming the GOP nominee. Like so many similar conversations we had with Republicans back then — MICK MULVANEY and TOM PRICE also stand out — that encounter with the Schlapps stuck with us over the years as Trump became president, CPAC became defined by MAGA, and the Schlapps became die-hard Trump supporters — “Washington’s Trump-Era ‘It Couple,’” as a 2018 headline in the NYT put it. Now, the fate of the Schlapp-era CPAC and Donald Trump himself are tied together. The annual event, which began yesterday in National Harbor, has been abandoned by most top GOP elected officials. Here’s a breakdown:
- Senate GOP leadership: None attending.
- House GOP leadership: Only ELISE STEFANIK is attending.
- GOP governors: Only Idaho Gov. BRAD LITTLE.
- GOP presidential candidates, declared and undeclared: Trump, NIKKI HALEY, MIKE POMPEO and VIVEK RAMASWAMY.
Outside the MAGA bubble, the event has literally become a punchline. JIMMY KIMMEL and JIMMY FALLON both mocked it in their monologues last night. “CPAC stands for ‘Clowns Periodically Assembling in Convention Centers,’” said Kimmel. “It’s basically Coachella for people who post on Facebook in all caps,” joked Fallon. “After each speech, there will be a QAnon — I’m sorry, Q&A.” There are several GOP senators going (TED CRUZ, MARSHA BLACKBURN, JOHN KENNEDY, TOMMY TUBERVILLE, BILL HAGERTY, J.D. VANCE, MIKE BRAUN, RICK SCOTT and ERIC SCHMITT), but attendance at the event is shaping up as a statement about whether you want Trump as the future of the party or not. Natalie Allison and Meridith McGraw explore the new politics of CPAC with some more takeaways about the event, which will run through Saturday night, when Trump’s speech will close out the event: “The Republican establishment is down on CPAC,” they write. “But for Donald Trump and his campaign operation, the conservative conference is not just the main event, it’s a crucial early test of his political strength. … If this weekend’s event mimics the conferences of recent years, Trump is preparing to bask in the glow. But that also raises the stakes for him. A poor showing in the crowd or in the CPAC straw poll could feed chatter that his grip on the GOP is failing. … “His likely top rival in a GOP primary, Florida Gov. RON DeSANTIS, is skipping CPAC along with other potential 2024 candidates and top Republican officials. Former Vice President MIKE PENCE and Sen. TIM SCOTT will gather with DeSantis and other GOP presidential hopefuls behind closed doors at The Breakers, a luxury Palm Beach resort, to address donors at a retreat hosted by the anti-tax group Club for Growth. Trump was not invited to attend. … “CPAC’s pull on establishment Republicans appears to have waned not just because the organization has tied itself closely to Trump. The conservative group is also navigating a serious public relations crisis as its chair, Matt Schlapp, faces sexual assault allegations from a GOP campaign staffer. The alleged victim, a former employee of HERSCHEL WALKER’s Senate campaign, sued Schlapp and his wife Mercedes in January for nearly $10 million. The couple has denied wrongdoing. … “And while a cast of Fox News stars have studded conservative conferences in recent months — SEAN HANNITY at CPAC Dallas in August, and both TUCKER CARLSON and LAURA INGRAHAM at Turning Point USA’s year-end conference in Phoenix — none of those high-profile commentators are scheduled to appear this weekend. Nor is Fox Nation, the network’s digital streaming platform, listed as a sponsor this year, as it has been previously.” For his part, Schlapp is taking issue with the spurt of CPAC obituaries. “We have never had such a strong lineup of speakers,” he told the AP’s Jill Colvin and Michelle Price. Good Thursday morning. Thanks for reading Playbook. Drop us a line: Rachael Bade, Eugene Daniels, Ryan Lizza.
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Discover all the ways Emergent perceives, prepares, and protects. | | | | | PRESIDENT JOE BIDEN’S THURSDAY:
9:30 a.m.: The president will receive the President’s Daily Brief.
12:40 p.m.: Biden will depart the White House en route to the Capitol to attend the Senate Democrats’ lunch.
Press secretary KARINE JEAN-PIERRE will brief at 2:30 p.m.
VP KAMALA HARRIS’ THURSDAY — The VP will participate in a moderated conversation at the House Democratic Caucus annual retreat in Baltimore at 10 a.m.
THE SENATE will meet at 10 a.m. to take up a number of judicial nominations.
THE HOUSE is out. | | | | | | We’re spilling the tea (and drinking tons of it in our newsroom) in U.K. politics with our latest newsletter, London Playbook PM. Get to know all the movers and shakers in Westminster and never miss a beat of British politics with a free subscription. Don’t miss out, we’ve got some exciting moves coming. Sign up today. | | | | | PHOTO OF THE DAY
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Mounted police are deployed as Israelis block a main road to protest against plans by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's new government to overhaul the judicial system, in Tel Aviv, Israel, Wednesday, March 1, 2023. | Oded Balilty/AP Photo | | | | | A message from Emergent:   Working with governments and Public Health to protect against the things we hope never happen — just in case they ever do.
Learn more about Emergent. | | | | | PLAYBOOK READS | | 2024 WATCH WHO WILL STAND WITH TRUMP? — “Trump’s loosening grip on GOP defines early 2024 campaign,” by Ally Mutnick and Sarah Ferris: “As of March 1, fewer than 20 House Republicans have formally endorsed Trump in the four months since he declared his third campaign, according to a POLITICO analysis. Roughly another dozen have publicly supported Trump in some way, though short of a formal endorsement.” The view from Trump world: “For now, Trump’s campaign doesn’t appear concerned about their tally of congressional support. Members of Trump’s team are in regular contact with lawmakers and they expect to roll out more endorsements soon, according to an adviser to Trump.” The context: “The widespread hesitancy would not be notable in another era — or if a former president was not already in the race. But in this instance, the lack of public support is perhaps the clearest sign yet that members feel Trump’s support is no longer a prerequisite for political survival. Trump’s vengeance is now barely registering as a threat, after years as one of the most dominant forces in politics. … In interviews with nearly 20 House Republicans, many cited the uncertainty in the field as reason to keep quiet for now.” THE WHITE HOUSE
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Evan Vucci/AP Photo | BIDEN RALLIES HOUSE DEMS — Yesterday, President Biden “took a victory lap with House Democrats at their yearly retreat with one clear message: Let’s tout our legislative wins,” Nicholas Wu and Daniella Diaz write from Baltimore. “Biden stopped by the Democrats’ yearly retreat, this time in Baltimore, where he listed off all their accomplishments in the 117th Congress, when Democrats held both chambers.” What Biden said: “It’s been one of the most successful, united caucuses we have ever seen. And you all stick together. Thank god, look what’s already happened.” The bogeywoman: “At one point, Biden even took a swing at Freedom Caucus member MARJORIE TAYLOR GREENE (R-Ga.), suggesting her politics are driving Republicans to the Democratic Party. ‘A little bit more Marjorie Taylor Greene, a few more and you’re gonna have a lot of Republicans run on our way,’ he joked to House Democrats as they laughed in the audience. ‘Isn’t she amazing? Oof.’” Taking attendance: “The lion’s share of caucus members cheered Biden on in Charm City, though several skipped his speech and stayed in D.C. for a tribute concert honoring singer-songwriter JONI MITCHELL.” AP’s Lisa Mascaro and Seung Min Kim note that Biden’s speech came “as energized Republicans are forcing the initial veto of his presidency — on a measure to limit the way private financial advisers promote ‘woke’ investment options.” SHIFTING SENTIMENT — “Biden Challenged by Softening Public Support for Arming Ukraine,” by NYT’s Peter Baker: “Polls show public support for arming the Ukrainians softening while the two leading Republican presidential candidates are increasingly speaking out against involvement in the war. While the bipartisan coalition in Congress favoring Ukraine has been strong in the year since Russia’s invasion, supporters of more aid fear the centrifugal forces of the emerging presidential contest and growing taxpayer fatigue with shipping tens of billions of dollars overseas may undercut the war effort before Moscow can be defeated. And some of them are frustrated that Mr. Biden has not done more to shore up support.” JUST POSTED — “White House proposes $1.6 billion to combat ‘historic’ covid aid fraud,” by WaPo’s Tony Romm TRUMP CARDS WHO’S TALKING — “Kellyanne Conway Meets With Prosecutors as Trump Inquiry Escalates,” by NYT’s Sean Piccoli, Jonah Bromwich, Ben Protess and William Rashbaum: “KELLYANNE CONWAY, who managed the final months of Donald J. Trump’s 2016 campaign, met with prosecutors from the Manhattan district attorney’s office on Wednesday, the latest sign that the office is ramping up its criminal investigation into the former president. … “[MICHAEL] COHEN has said that Ms. Conway played a small yet notable role in the payment [of hush money to STORMY DANIELS]: she was the person Mr. Cohen alerted after making the payment, he wrote in his 2020 memoir. … It is unclear whether Ms. Conway appeared before the grand jury or was only interviewed by prosecutors.” CONGRESS VANCE’S VANTAGE POINT — “How J.D. Vance made Dem friends on rail safety,” by Burgess Everett: “The first-term senator still has an undeniably hard edge to his conservatism: Vance opposes continued Ukraine aid, attacks Transportation Secretary PETE BUTTIGIEG for his derailment response, is one of just five Senate Republicans backing former President Donald Trump’s third presidential campaign and still won’t say whether he supported MITCH McCONNELL as Republican leader. “So don’t expect him to charge into the Senate’s famed bipartisan gangs. He’s still skeptical of ‘bipartisanship for its own sake,’ quipping in an interview in his temporary basement office this week that ‘the Iraq war was bipartisan, and it was a fucking disaster.’ Even so, the 38-year-old quickly built an intriguing dynamic with [Democratic Sen. SHERROD] BROWN, a flinty 70-year-old who needs support from some of Vance’s voters next November to win his own tough reelection battle.” Notable quotable: “I certainly came in expecting the political environment to be so partisan, that it would be harder to get anything done. In reality, so long as you’re not being a total jerk about it, I think it’s possible to do things.” THE NEW GOP — “McCarthy, GOP introduce measure to protect ‘parents’ rights,’” by AP’s Farnoush Amiri FIRST IN PLAYBOOK — Fight Corporate Monopolies, the political arm of the American Economic Liberties Project, is going up with a slate of new TV ads tonight, airing in primetime on Fox News during “Tucker Carlson Tonight.” The ads will be targeted in the districts of Reps. JIM JORDAN (R-Ohio), THOMAS MASSIE (R-Ky.), SCOTT FITZGERALD (R-Wis.) and DARRELL ISSA (R-Calif.), four members who have come out publicly against a federal effort to ban non-compete agreements across the country. More info EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW — Rep. ANGIE CRAIG (D-Minn.) speaks with our colleague Jackie Padilla about her assault in her D.C. apartment complex and potential legislation she is looking at regarding public safety, mental health and homelessness. The two also listen to some of the voicemails people left after her attack was discussed on Fox News’ “The Five.” Watch the interview on The POLITICO Show on Snapchat
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| THE TALENTED MR. SANTOS — “Santos Tries a New Tack in Washington: He Introduces a Bill,” by NYT’s Grace Ashford: Rep. GEORGE SANTOS (R-N.Y.) yesterday “introduced his first bill, seeking to partially undo President Donald J. Trump’s tax plan that limited how much homeowners could deduct in state and local property taxes. The bill places Mr. Santos, a Republican of New York, at odds with some in his own party.”
| | | | A message from Emergent:   25 years of protecting millions globally from threats to public health.
Find out how Emergent perceives, prepares, and protects. | | | ALL POLITICS THE WIDE-ANGLE LENS — “Chicago’s Choice Points to a Democratic Divide the G.O.P. Hopes to Exploit,” by NYT’s Jonathan Weisman and Michael Bender: “This year’s Chicago election will be watched by Republicans intently. Crime has already emerged as a potent weapon for a G.O.P. eager to win back the suburbs and chip away at Democratic gains among urban professionals. It has also highlighted the Democrats’ divide between a liberal left that coined the phrase ‘defund the police’ and a resurgent center insisting the party does ‘back the blue.’” Interesting nugget, via WaPo’s Philip Bump: “For the first time in American history, the mayors of the five largest cities in the country are not White men. Four — the mayors of the four largest cities — are Black. If PAUL VALLAS, a White man, wins the April runoff to replace [LORI] LIGHTFOOT, that pattern will be broken.” JUDICIARY SQUARE IF YOU CAN’T BEAT THEM, QUIT — “Washington lawyer Tom Goldstein leaves Supreme Court practice, law firm,” by Reuters’ David Thomas: TOM GOLDSTEIN “said in an email that his retirement is partly a response to the Supreme Court's evolving character. ‘I have lots of business clients with cases that aren’t ideological. But in the important civil rights and social cases, the court’s conservative super-majority makes it very difficult for the little guy to win,’ he said.” POLICY CORNER IMMIGRATION FILES — “Feds expand probe into migrant child labor in slaughterhouses,” by NBC’s Julia Ainsley and Laura Strickler FOR YOUR RADAR — “U.S. Air Force fires leaders for failing nuclear safety inspection,” by CNN’s Zachary Cohen, Oren Liebermann and Natasha Bertrand: “The removals occurred at Minot Air Force Base, which is the only Air Force installation that houses two legs of the ‘nuclear triad’ — ballistic missile silos and strategic bombers. The officials told CNN that the six service members were relieved of duty following the failed nuclear surety inspection at the base. The nuclear surety inspection is a pass/fail test and the results are classified.” CYBER UPDATE — “Biden unveils cyber strategy that takes more aggressive regulatory approach,” by WaPo’s Tim Starks: “[A]dministration officials said the approach is warranted, while emphasizing that it is still seeking to foster a cooperative relationship between federal agencies and the private sector to protect key parts of the economy and national security infrastructure from cyberattacks.” AMERICA AND THE WORLD DANCE OF THE SUPERPOWERS — “U.S. seeks allies’ backing for possible China sanctions over Ukraine war,” by Reuters’ Trevor Hunnicutt and Michael Martina: “The consultations, which are still at a preliminary stage, are intended to drum up support from a range of countries, especially those in the wealthy Group of 7 (G7), to coordinate support for any possible restrictions. It was not clear what specific sanctions Washington will propose.” THE ECONOMY THE GREAT COOLDOWN — “Long-Robust U.S. Labor Market Shows Signs of Cooling,” by WSJ’s Jon Hilsenrath and Bryan Mena BEYOND THE BELTWAY THE LATEST IN EAST PALESTINE — “Union letter says Norfolk Southern employees are reporting illness following train derailment,” by CNN’s Edward-Isaac Dovere and Phil Mattingly The impact: “Hazardous waste from Ohio derailment creates rippling health concerns as it gets shipped up to 1,300 miles away,” by NBC’s Elizabeth Chuck, Gabe Gutierrez and Halle Lukasiewicz Rhetoric check: “Republicans seize on train derailment to go after Buttigieg,” by WaPo’s Yasmeen Abutaleb, Ian Duncan and Justine McDaniel: “Buttigieg has faced GOP criticism before, notably during supply chain disruptions early in Biden’s presidency and the failure of a federal aviation safety system in January. But people close to the transportation secretary say the attacks on him since the derailment have risen to a new level, noting that the Environmental Protection Agency, which is in charge of the response to the derailment, has taken far less heat.” MEDIAWATCH JERSEY BUMMER — “Menendez, Booker, nine House members slap Star-Ledger for closing Washington bureau,” by NJ Globe’s David Wildstein: “Two U.S. Senators and nine members of the U.S. House of Representatives have sent a letter to Star-Ledger and NJ Advance Media executives protesting their decision to close their Washington, D.C. bureau and let veteran journalist JONATHAN D. SALANT go. ‘This action will immediately leave millions of New Jerseyans with no first-hand access to the issues being debated in Congress or to information about how actions taken by federal agencies specifically affect our state,’ the lawmakers said.”
| | | | DOWNLOAD THE POLITICO MOBILE APP: Stay up to speed with the newly updated POLITICO mobile app, featuring timely political news, insights and analysis from the best journalists in the business. The sleek and navigable design offers a convenient way to access POLITICO's scoops and groundbreaking reporting. Don’t miss out on the app you can rely on for the news you need, reimagined. DOWNLOAD FOR iOS– DOWNLOAD FOR ANDROID. | | | | | | | PLAYBOOKERS | | Capitol Lounge will return for one day only on April 1. Adam Kinzinger brought some mysterious straightjacket performance artists to Capitol Hill. Sirhan Sirhan was denied parole for the 16th time. Jamaal Bowman and Byron Donalds had a hearty 2024 debate on the Capitol steps. John Thune is a fan of Journey, apparently. Bill Cassidy may have a future as a Capitol tour guide. One District driver is clearly a fan of earmarks. Peter Meijer reminds us all: “Regularly rotate and balance your tires. You won’t regret it!” OUT AND ABOUT — Joni Mitchell was honored with the Library of Congress Gershwin Prize for Popular Song with a tribute concert at DAR Constitution Hall last night. The concert featured performances by James Taylor, Brandi Carlile, Annie Lennox, Herbie Hancock, Cyndi Lauper, Marcus Mumford, Graham Nash, Diana Krall, Angelique Kidjo and Ledisi. SPOTTED: Chief Justice John Roberts, Speaker Kevin McCarthy, Sens. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), Jack Reed (D-R.I.) and Gary Peters (D-Mich.), David Rubenstein, Ted Olson, Sharon Rockefeller, Douglas Brinkley. Barbara Guggenheim, Mandy Grunwald and Margaret Carlson. — SPOTTED at the Global Tech Security Commission Kickoff Reception, presented by the Krach Institute for Tech Diplomacy at Purdue and the Atlantic Council’s Global China Hub, in the Kennedy Caucus Room in the Russell Senate Office Building yesterday: Sens. Todd Young (R-Ind.) and Bill Hagerty (R-Tenn.), Keith Krach, Michelle Giuda, Roger Robinson, Elizabeth Economy, John Duncan, David Shullman, Nury Turkel and Henry Stoever. — The Recording Industry Association of America and Spotify hosted a charity event last night at 9:30 Club benefiting Musicians on Call, an organization that brings live and recorded music to hospital patients and families. iHeartRadio’s Toby Knapp remarked that in a town divided by politics, everyone gathered “to celebrate the healing power of music,” before DJ and producer Diplo took the stage to perform remixes of beloved classics like “Don’t Stop Believin’” and new favorites like the “White Lotus” theme song. SPOTTED: Mitch Glazier, Pete Griffin, April Boyd, Tamo Sein, Mike Klein, Elliott Tomlinson, Ella Yates, Jennifer Haynes, Hannah Fraher, Jamie Simpson, Olivia Tripodi, Jordan Dicksinson, Carlos Paz, Grace Bellone, Robert Edmonson, Edgar Rivas, Katie Morley, Mitchell Rivard, Joe Keeley, Elisabeth Deeb and Spencer Hurwitz. MEDIA MOVES — Adam Sternbergh is now a culture editor for NYT Opinion. He previously was deputy editor on the narrative projects desk. … Nancy Kaffer is now editorial page editor of the Detroit Free Press, becoming the first woman to hold that title in the paper’s 191-year history. She previously was a columnist and member of the editorial board. The announcement FIRST IN PLAYBOOK — Alondra Nelson is joining the Center for American Progress as a distinguished senior fellow. She previously was acting director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy. TRANSITIONS — The NRCC has added Ryan Powers as research director, Jillian Davidson as senior research adviser and Josh Boyer as deputy research director. Powers previously was research director at the NRSC. Davidson previously was independent expenditure research director at the NRSC. Boyer previously was deputy research director at the Republican Governors Association. … Yemisi Egbewole is now chief of staff for press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre. She previously was senior legislative affairs adviser at the White House Office of Legislative Affairs. … … James Schindler is now Republican counsel handling energy and environmental issues for the Senate Commerce Committee. He most recently was a legislative counsel for Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas). … Katie Mercer is now a senior manager with Walmart’s federal government affairs team. She previously was a senior adviser for public policy and government affairs at SHRM. … Nathan Robinson is now an energy and environment legislative assistant for Rep. Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-Del.). He previously was a legislative assistant with Rep. Jim Clyburn (D-S.C.). HAPPY BIRTHDAY: Reps. Rosa DeLauro (D-Conn.) (8-0) and Ami Bera (D-Calif.) … U.S. Ambassador to Mexico Ken Salazar … Kevin Madden … Brookings’ Robin Lewis … Liz Oberg … Laurie Van Hall of Bee Compliance … POLITICO’s Brakkton Booker and Caitlin Floyd … Emily Miller … Javelin’s Dylan Colligan … Yuri Beckelman … Ven Neralla … DaVita’s Javier Martínez … Syd Terry … Caitlin McFall … Aaron Sherinian of Deseret Management Corporation … Ellie Warner … Erik Hotmire … Katherine Harris Neal … former Sen. Russ Feingold (D-Wis.) (7-0) … Joe Garofoli … Ashley Chang of the Rockefeller Foundation 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 producers Setota Hailemariam and Bethany Irvine. | | | | A message from Emergent: From emerging viruses...to the risk of chemical or biological attacks...to the ongoing crisis of opioid overdose...public health threats can arise anywhere. At any time.
That’s why Emergent has spent the last 25 years developing, manufacturing, and delivering protections against the things we hope never happen — just in case they ever do.
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