| | | | |  | | By Rachael Bade and Eugene Daniels | | Presented by |  | | | With help from Eli Okun, Garrett Ross and Bethany Irvine
| | | |  | DRIVING THE DAY | | LATEST RACE CALLS — Rep. RUBEN GALLEGO (D-Ariz.) wins election to the Senate. Rep. MIKE GARCIA (R-Calif.) concedes his Antelope Valley seat to Democrat GEORGE WHITESIDES. And Democrat CLEO FIELDS returns to the House after 28 years, winning Louisiana’s court-ordered second Black-majority seat.
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President-elect Donald Trump greets Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) during a campaign rally. | Evan Vucci/AP | ‘DISSENTERS NEED NOT APPLY’ — DONALD TRUMP is moving rapidly to assemble his administration, and we’re quickly getting a real sense of just how different his second term will be. Feeling his oats following his Election Day romp, Trump is turning to known hands who have proven themselves worthy of his trust as he prepares to rock the boat here in Washington. While he has so far turned to well-known Capitol Hill quantities as he staffs up, that by no means indicates he is favoring establishment types. In other words: No REX TILLERSONs or ELAINE CHAOs this time around. Some trends we’re already noticing … — Loyalty is the coin of the realm: Rep. ELISE STEFANIK (R-N.Y.) and former Rep. LEE ZELDIN (R-N.Y.) both transformed their identities during the first Trump administration — morphing from mild-mannered moderates into MAGA darlings in the face of Democratic attacks on the president. Now they’re in line for UN ambassador and EPA administrator, respectively. Zeldin’s ascension is particularly instructive. He has virtually no experience with the EPA — he served on the Foreign Affairs and Financial Services committees in the House. The NYT reported that many in Trump world “were baffled by the choice.” What he does have is Trump’s trust that he will carry out his regulation-slashing agenda. And then there’s Sen. MARCO RUBIO (R-Fla.), who is likely to win nomination as secretary of State, per the NYT’s Maggie Haberman, Jonathan Swan and Edward Wong. Yes, we all remember the bygone days of “little Marco” who helped coin the “Never Trump” moniker. But while there are those on the MAGA right who still don’t trust him, the truth is that he and Trump have long since patched things up. Not only are he and Trump simpatico on their fiercely pro-Israel, anti-Iran, tough-on-China, skeptical-on-Ukraine foreign policy, but Trump noticed how enthusiastically Rubio hit the surrogate circuit and campaign trail this year — even after getting passed over as running mate. (It doesn’t hurt also that Trump is especially zealous about a convert.) The bottom line: “Dissenters need not apply,” as our colleagues Lisa Kashinsky, Alice Miranda Ollstein and Meredith Lee Hill write this morning. And it’s as much about whom he hasn’t picked (NIKKI HALEY and MIKE POMPEO) than whom he has, they write. Close Trump ally MIKE DAVIS — who explicitly and publicly warned job applicants last week to “provide me specific and concrete evidence of your loyalty to Trump,” or else — told our colleagues that the incoming president knows exactly what he wants: “highly competent loyalists.” — The MAGA mindmeld: Perhaps no announcement has been less surprising than Trump’s decision to tap STEPHEN MILLER as his deputy chief of staff for policy. The architect of the now-infamous family separation policy will play a central role in carrying out Trump’s promise of a border crackdown and mass deportations of undocumented immigrants. He’ll have a like-minded lieutenant in THOMAS HOMAN, the former acting Immigration and Customs Enforcement director who became the tough-talking face of Trump’s brand of hard-line enforcement and is now set to be White House “border czar.” That’s just one area of government where Trump is willing to put fierce critics in charge. That goes for Stefanik, too, who has emerged as one of the UN’s biggest critics on the Hill. And career officials at federal health agencies are holding their breath waiting to see what position ROBERT F. KENNEDY JR. ultimately lands. “It’s very clear to me that Trump is a lot more focused on picking people for posts who are aligned with his agenda this time around,” said one longtime Trump world aide. “Last time it was a team of rivals who disagreed with each other on just about every issue and that led to nonstop infighting, leaking and back-stabbing. This time he's signaling that he's looking for people who are rowing in the same direction.” And after spending nearly a decade transforming his party, he’s got plenty of candidates to choose from. — Obstacles be damned: If you thought the first Trump administration was hostile to Washington’s governing norms, you ain’t seen nothing yet. Look no further than how Trump is signaling he wants to run roughshod over Congress. An early signal came over the weekend with his demand for “recess appointments” — i.e., the power to populate his administration even if he can’t muster 51 Senate votes for confirmations. On one hand, it sent the message he doesn’t want senators navel-gazing over his nominees. On the other, it betrayed a blinkered view of how dearly the Senate has historically treated its advice-and-consent role — one that could easily backfire down the road. “I would encourage him to work within the norms of the Senate, as frustrating as it can be,” one GOP Senate aide told our colleagues. “If the Democrats object to the timely processing of his nominees, proving they learned nothing from the election, there are ways for the institution to deal with that.” That’s not the message Trump wants to hear, as his treatment of the other chamber also suggests. By any measure, the House Republican majority is going to be exceedingly slim, perhaps no more than two or three votes. And yet Trump has already plucked two sitting lawmakers away for his administration — Stefanik and Rep. MICHAEL WALTZ (R-Fla.) for national security adviser — potentially leaving Speaker MIKE JOHNSON with an even more ungovernable conference than he already has. Right now, the thinking in the GOP leadership suites is that they can probably make do for a couple months while the vacancies get filled — after all, they’ve had plenty of practice over the past 22 months. But several other members have been rumored to be in the mix for various administration posts, and there’s little certainty that Trump cares about the House margins. "The question is,” one senior GOP aide said, “how many more will he take?” Good Tuesday morning. Thanks for reading Playbook. Drop us a line: Rachael Bade and Eugene Daniels .
| | | | A message from America’s Credit Unions and the Independent Community Bankers of America: CREDIT UNIONS & COMMUNITY BANKS IN All 50 STATES OPPOSE THE DURBIN-MARSHALL CREDIT CARD BILL: America’s approximately 9,000 credit unions and community banks are united in opposition to the Durbin-Marshall Credit Card Bill because credit card routing mandates harm local financial institutions and the communities they serve. Durbin-Marshall jeopardizes access to credit for 140 million credit union and community bank customers. Congress should make no mistake about our adamant opposition. | | | AMONG THE COURTIERS — “Scenes from Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago transition,” by Meridith McGraw and Natalie Allison: “During Trump’s first transition, the press got a live look at VIPs being paraded through the Trump Tower lobby for meetings upstairs. … This time is less public, as the comings and goings are recorded on social media and in conversations with reporters. The work of the transition is taking place out of view of the photos of meals enjoyed underneath the yellow-striped umbrellas at the Mar-a-Lago patio, as Trump and his team huddle with a coterie of power players. “Another difference: Where in 2016 Trump leaned on Washington establishment types to navigate his initiation to the government, this time around he’s more likely to take advice from people more known for their influence in the worlds of business and political commentary, or for their massive social media followings. … [T]he message being sent by the people he’s huddling with in Palm Beach is that he’s more welcoming than ever to Republican outsiders who want to shake up Washington.” BACK TO WORK — As members and staff make their way back to Capitol Hill on the heels of the election, join us for a relaxed (Not-So) Lame Duck Happy Hour tomorrow at Hawk & Dove. Our congressional team colleagues Daniella Diaz, Nicholas Wu and Ursula Perano will be on hand throughout the evening to share their insights on the coverage and stories that will set the agenda on the Hill in the coming months. Register now
| | | | A message from America’s Credit Unions and the Independent Community Bankers of America:   CREDIT UNIONS & COMMUNITY BANKS IN All 50 STATES OPPOSE THE DURBIN-MARSHALL CREDIT CARD BILL | | | | | WHAT'S HAPPENING TODAY | | On the Hill The Senate will meet at 3 p.m. to take up a judicial nomination, with a vote at 5:30 p.m. The House will meet at noon. 3 things to watch …
- The lame duck session begins today, and the Senate Republican leadership race is the biggest thing going. The basic dynamics have not shifted much since we tackled things yesterday, though the MAGA world campaign for Sen. RICK SCOTT (R-Fla.) has gotten a touch nastier: Some online attacks have now reached members of Sen. JOHN THUNE’s (R-S.D.) family. That has done nothing to allay concerns inside the Senate GOP, with one senior aide insisting that Scott’s backers have “overplayed their hand.” Meanwhile, per the NYT and The Bulwark, it’s looking increasingly unlikely Trump intervenes on Scott’s behalf: He’s wary of backing a likely loser, they report.
- Trump’s early decisions to pluck lawmakers for high-level administration jobs are echoing across Capitol Hill. One immediate concern is who will succeed Stefanik as House Republican Conference chair: Within hours after news of the New Yorker’s pick for U.N. ambassador went public, three GOP women announced campaigns ahead of tomorrow’s scheduled vote: Reps. LISA McCLAIN (Mich.), KAT CAMMACK (Fla.) and ERIN HOUCHIN (Ind.). The sitting conference vice chair, Rep. BLAKE MOORE (R-Utah), meanwhile, has been making calls and hasn’t ruled out a run. More from Olivia Beavers
- The other big cascading effect is the vacancies Trump is creating. Should Rubio be nominated, Gov. RON DeSANTIS will get to name a two-year replacement. But for Stefanik and Waltz, their seats will remain open pending special elections, which could take quite some time. Expect Stefanik’s seat to remain vacant for upward of three months, based on the recent history of New York special elections. But the Waltz seat could be open even longer: Among the five House vacancies in Florida this century, none was filled faster than 144 days — nearly five months.
At the White House PRESIDENT JOE BIDEN will meet with Israeli President ISAAC HERZOG at 11:15 a.m. He and VP KAMALA HARRIS will have lunch together at 12:15 p.m. Biden will have a bilateral meeting with Indonesian President PRABOWO SUBIANTO at 2 p.m.
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|  Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) is seen in the spin room at Georgia Institute of Technology's McCamish Pavilion in Atlanta, Georgia, on June 27, 2024, after former President Donald Trump and President Joe Biden met in a debate hosted by CNN in its nearby studios. | Francis Chung/POLITICO | TRUMP’S NATSEC TEAM TAKES SHAPE — With Rubio, Stefanik and Waltz, the top echelon of Trump’s foreign policy and national security apparatus is quickly filling out, largely with Republicans who have roots in the party’s traditional conservative wing but have embraced more MAGA/isolationist tendencies of late. (All three have been skeptical of aid to Ukraine.) Some diplomats are feeling relieved the relatively institutionalist Rubio was tapped over RIC GRENELL, Eric Bazail-Eimil, Nahal Toosi, Robbie Gramer and Meridith McGraw report. Waltz, a combat veteran, also is one of Congress’ toughest voices on China, and he backs Trump’s positions on immigration, Ukraine, Israel, Iran and Mexican cartels. He’ll “oversee what promises to be a realignment of U.S. posture around the globe,” Paul McLeary, Meridith McGraw, Olivia Beavers and Robbie Gramer write . They cite his combination of political and policy chops as one of the reasons Waltz was chosen. Stefanik could shake up the U.N. with her history of criticizing the organization, especially over Israel. But U.N. officials plan to try to charm her, not fight with her, Nahal Toosi and Robbie Gramer report. And Stefanik got some support from across the aisle as Rep. JARED MOSKOWITZ (D-Fla.) tweeted that she’d bring “some needed medicine” against antisemitism. What about Defense secretary? AP’s Lolita Baldor reports that loyalty to Trump is likely to be paramount in the decision, but Pentagon officials are waiting to see how much of a military background Trump’s choice has. Meanwhile, Sen. BILL HAGERTY (R-Tenn.), who’d been in the mix for potential positions like secretary of State, is no longer in the running for the Cabinet, per NBC’s Vaughn Hillyard and Courtney Kube. The political fallout: If Rubio leaves the Senate, all eyes will be on the replacement appointment from DeSantis. Kimberly Leonard reports that DeSantis won’t pick himself or wife CASEY, but Lt. Gov. JEANETTE NUÑEZ, AG ASHLEY MOODY, JOSE OLIVA and JAMES UTHMEIER are possibilities. The Bulwark’s Marc Caputo seconds the Uthmeier idea. TRANSITION LENSES
|  Former New York Republican congressman Lee Zeldin speaks during the third night of the Republican National Convention at Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee, Wis., July 17, 2024. | Francis Chung/POLITICO | LEE-WAY — Trump’s selection of Zeldin for EPA administrator, and his announcement of the choice so early in the transition, signals a major transformation coming for U.S. energy and environmental policy, Josh Siegel and Alex Guillén report. Picking the former New York congressman was also something of an upset after ANDREW WHEELER was considered the frontrunner to return to his job from Trump’s first term. Zeldin said on X that he’d “restore US energy dominance, revitalize our auto industry to bring back American jobs, and make the US the global leader of AI … while protecting access to clean air and water.” Half a world away at COP29, global leaders projected resolve that the fight against climate change would march forward despite Republicans controlling Washington, Sara Schonhardt and Karl Mathiesen report from Baku, Azerbaijan. But underneath the rhetoric “was a sense of real worry about how the absence of U.S. leadership will impede the effort.” More administration posts:
ALL POLITICS EXPLAINING THE ELECTION — An early data analysis from NYT’s Michael Bender shows major Democratic turnout woes “in liberal strongholds across the country, from city centers to suburban stretches.” The numbers indicate that Harris may have lost to the couch as much as to Trump — across all kinds of demographic lines. Detroit and Philadelphia especially stand out as black eyes for Dems. 2026 WATCH — Sen. DICK DURBIN (D-Ill.) hinted to the Chicago Tribune’s Rick Pearson that Democrats’ relegation to the Senate minority may weigh on his decision about whether to seek another term, though “I enjoy serving in the Senate.” The bigger picture: Democrats will face an extremely difficult path to winning back control of the Senate in 2026, in 2028 or for the foreseeable future unless they figure out a way to win in red states, Daniel Block writes in The Atlantic. IN THE WILDERNESS — Democrats not only have a big decision to make about 2028. Come January, they’ll more immediately lack a clear opposition leader for the party, creating “their first real leadership vacuum in two decades,” N.Y. Mag’s Gabe Debenedetti writes. THE NEW LANDSCAPE — “What Democrats Don’t Understand About Joe Rogan,” by POLITICO Magazine’s Calder McHugh: “The future of American political engagement is barely political at all.”
| | | | A message from America’s Credit Unions and the Independent Community Bankers of America:   CREDIT UNIONS, COMMUNITY BANKS UNITED AGAINST DURBIN-MARSHALL CREDIT CARD BILL | | | VALLEY TALK MUSK READ — ELON MUSK’s America PAC shelled out a staggering $200 million to get Trump elected, AP’s Dan Merica reports. (As Dave Weigel notes, the new reporting shows that the WSJ July scoop on Musk’s election plans, which he denied at the time, was correct.) Musk’s bet on Trump is paying off handsomely: Tesla stock has surged $300 billion since the election, per Bloomberg’s Esha Dey. And Musk has seen his personal net wealth rise $70 billion, per CNBC’s Ari Levy and Lora Kolodny. Another possible reward: “Trump could tip the scales in Elon Musk’s secret battle against DOJ,” by Kyle Cheney, Josh Gerstein and Alfred Ng POLICY CORNER
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Sam Schultz looks along a border barrier separating Mexico from the United States, Friday, Oct. 18, 2024, near Jacumba Hot Springs, California. | Gregory Bull/AP | IMMIGRATION FILES — The choices of Miller and Homan indicate that Trump will prioritize an aggressive immigration crackdown and mass deportations, Nick Niedzwiadek and Betsy Woodruff Swan report. Their portfolios could range across several departments, and they’ll enter the White House better equipped to deliver results quickly than in Trump’s first term — though Homan’s vague job title leaves some questions outstanding. Miller’s remit “is expected to be vast and to far exceed what the eventual title will convey,” NYT’s Maggie Haberman and Jonathan Swan report. Adding to the Trump administration’s power is the fact that the Biden administration has already implemented historic emergency curbs on asylum, WaPo’s Nick Miroff notes. That will allow Trump to really hit the ground running: “Trump is planning to take away the carrots and keep the sticks.” More top reads:
CONGRESS THE BIG FOCUS FOR 2025 — To what extent are congressional Republicans willing to explode budget deficits to enact tax cuts? That’s perhaps the central question facing a likely GOP trifecta in Washington next year, and talk about “The Number” — i.e., the maximum deficit increase — is starting to bubble up, WSJ’s Richard Rubin reports. THE SCRAMBLE — “Inside House Dems’ 11th-hour plot to sabotage Trump’s agenda,” by Axios’ Andrew Solender: “[Rep. PRAMILA] JAYAPAL said one plan is to propose a raft of executive orders President Biden could issue to ‘protect existing structures,’ such as shielding career civil servants and Justice Department officials.” THE WHITE HOUSE I REALLY DON’T CARE, DO U? — Melania Trump is likely passing on the usual White House meeting with first lady JILL BIDEN, CNN’s Kristen Holmes and Betsy Klein report. JUDICIARY SQUARE THE JAN. 6 PROSECUTIONS — “DOJ says Jack Smith’s delay in Trump case is no reason to do the same for Jan. 6 defendants,” by Kyle Cheney
| | PLAYBOOKERS | | Steve Schwarzman’s gamble on Donald Trump could pay off big time. Alex Jones said bankruptcy auctioneers are coming for InfoWars. Harriet Tubman was awarded the rank of general. Jeff Landry may be in some tiger trouble. Rob Flaherty is helping Kamala Harris’ digital staffers find their next jobs. SPOTTED: California Gov. Gavin Newsom carrying his own bag to the back of the economy cabin on an Alaska Airlines flight from SFO to IAD yesterday. More from the LAT on Newsom’s lobbying trip FIRST IN PLAYBOOK — Austin Evers is now a partner in Freshfields’ strategic risk and crisis management group and co-chair of its congressional investigations practice. He most recently was associate deputy AG at the Justice Department, and is the founder of American Oversight and a State Department alum. MEDIA MOVES — Chris Wallace is leaving CNN in what The Daily Beast’s Hugh Dougherty calls “a watershed moment for cable TV.” He’s making the move to an independent platform, potentially in streaming or podcasting. … Jonathan Chait is joining The Atlantic as a staff writer. He previously has been a longtime political columnist at N.Y. Mag, and is a New Republic alum. TRANSITIONS — Jeff Hill will be SVP for advocacy at the American Academy of Pediatrics. He currently is principal deputy assistant secretary at HHS’ Administration for Children and Families. … Hans Riemer is joining Arnold Ventures as VP of advocacy for infrastructure. He most recently was a senior consultant at the Department of Energy’s Loan Programs Office. … Tevi Troy is now a senior fellow at the Ronald Reagan Institute. He is a best-selling presidential historian and Bush HHS alum. … … Noelle Rosellini is now chief of staff for Rep. LaMonica McIver (D-N.J.). She most recently was deputy chief of staff for Rep. Jimmy Gomez (D-Calif.), and is a Maggie Hassan and Pramila Jayapal alum. … Brianna Frias is joining Instacart as senior manager of policy comms. She previously was comms director for Rep. Jim Clyburn (D-S.C.), and is a Jason Crow and Sheldon Whitehouse alum. … Michael Calvo is now VP of policy and advocacy at BridgeBio. He most recently was head of federal government affairs at GSK. WEEKEND WEDDING — Jacob Bliss, comms director for Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.), and Jenna VanMiddelem, an attorney at Gordon Rees, got married Sunday at The View at Pepperrell Cove in Kittery Point, Maine. They had their first date at CopyCat Co. Pic … Another pic … SPOTTED: Anthony Sabatini, Wendell Husebø, Breccan Thies and Ashley Oliver. HAPPY BIRTHDAY: White House chief of staff Jeff Zients … Sen. Jack Reed (D-R.I.) … Elena Allbritton, celebrating at the new Osteria Mozza in Georgetown … PBS’ Stephanie Kotuby … POLITICO’s Debra Kahn and Brianna Ryan … Semafor’s Bennett Richardson … Harlan Hill … Steve Guest … Anchor Change’s Katie Harbath … Ian Bremmer of the Eurasia Group … Katie Stuntz … Ryan Coyne of Starboard … Jenn Ridder … Lauren Peikoff of MSNBC … Crozer Connor … Maria Cardona of the Dewey Square Group … Roger Ream of The Fund for American Studies … Meta’s Erica Sackin … former Rep. Diane Watson (D-Calif.) (91) … Pete DeAnna … Josh Britton of American Bankers Association … Morley Winograd … Jessica Kahanek … Alex Griswold … Marguerite Sullivan of Latham & Watkins ... Katelyn Beaudet of Rokk Solutions … Steve Kichen 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.
| | | | A message from America’s Credit Unions and the Independent Community Bankers of America: CREDIT UNIONS & COMMUNITY BANKS IN All 50 STATES OPPOSE THE DURBIN-MARSHALL CREDIT CARD BILL: The Durbin-Marshall Credit Card Bill would create harmful new routing mandates on credit cards that would put consumer data and access to credit at risk. The threat of Durbin-Marshall to small financial institutions is so clear that America’s approximately 9,000 credit unions and community banks across America are opposed to the bill. Credit unions and community banks also see through the so-called “carveout” for community financial institutions, an unworkable policy designed to disguise the negative impact of this legislation. Our message to Congress is simple: on behalf of 140 million credit union and community bank customers in all 50 states, commit to opposing the Durbin-Marshall Credit Card Bill. Lawmakers who choose not to support their local financial institutions can expect to hear from our 140 million customers this fall. | | | | | | | 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 | | | | |
