| | | |  | | By Bethany Irvine | | Presented by |  | | | |  | THE CATCH-UP | | | 
Senate Majority Leader John Thune told reporters that Donald Trump’s endorsement hasn’t changed his designs for the Senate budget plan. | Francis Chung/POLITICO | Today, President Donald Trump threw a major wrench into Senate Majority Leader John Thune’s planned vote later this week on the Senate GOP’s budget blueprint by endorsing the House’s blueprint instead, POLITICO’s Jordain Carney and Meredith Lee Hill report. What Trump said: In a lengthy Truth Social post, Trump wrote that both chambers were “doing a SPECTACULAR job of working together," but said “the House Resolution implements my FULL America First Agenda, EVERYTHING, not just parts of it!” Trump called on Congress to pass the House version “and move all of our priorities to the concept of, ‘ONE BIG BEAUTIFUL BILL.’” How it landed with the House GOP: House Speaker Mike Johnson was quick to latch on to Trump’s support, celebrating the endorsement on X as GOP leadership moves now to whip votes and win over stragglers from swing seats who are “wary of the major cuts to safety-net programs sketched out in the House budget framework,” as Jordain and Meredith write. The speaker is planning to put the spending package on the floor for a vote next week. How it landed with the Senate GOP: Trump’s announcement comes as the Senate leadership has teed up their own budget plan — which would divide up the president’s policy priorities into two bills — for a floor vote in the coming days. Right now, GOP senators are behind closed doors for a previously scheduled lunch with VP JD Vance to discuss the future of the two-bill plan. Before the lunch, Thune told reporters that Trump’s endorsement hasn’t changed his designs: “We're planning to proceed. But, you know, obviously we are interested in and hoping to hear with more clarity where the White House is coming from,” Jordain reports. “Obviously we've got a plan that we think makes sense," he added. "But as we've said all along … we're interested in what the House could pass.” Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) echoed Thune’s push for clarity, telling Semafor’s Burgess Everett that it seems “like we’re getting contradictory messages” on how to pass Trump’s agenda. “We're all anxious to try to help the administration accomplish their goal. But we’ve got to know exactly what that is.” Related read: “‘Did Not See That One Coming’: Trump Endorses House GOP’s Reconciliation Plan After a Standoff,” by NOTUS’ Daniella Diaz and Reese Gorman TRUMP TARGETS ZELENSKYY — In an incendiary statement this morning, President Trump ripped into Volodymyr Zelenskyy, describing the Ukrainian president as a “dictator” who has “done a terrible job” and who has duped the U.S. into wasting billions in his country “to keep the ‘gravy train’ going.” The context: “Trump’s remarkable attack on the wartime president — which inflates the amount of money the U.S. provided in aid and asserts without evidence that half of it was ‘MISSING’ — came after Zelenskyy said earlier on Wednesday that Trump was ‘surrounded by misinformation’ in response to the president’s comments on Tuesday in which he blamed Ukraine for starting the war,” POLITICO’s Eli Stokols reports. “It comes on the heels of Trump administration negotiators meeting with Russian officials earlier this week — without Ukraine at the table — to start negotiations to potentially end the war Russia started.” Republican lawmakers were quick to distance themselves from Trump’s characterization of Zelenskyy. What they are saying …
- Sen. Thom Tillis (R-N.C) told reporters the invasion “was the responsibility of one human being on the face of this planet: Vladimir Putin.” Tillis added that “dictator” is “not a word I would use" to describe Zelenskyy.
- Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska): “I would like to see that in context, because I would certainly never refer to President Zelenskyy as a dictator,” per CNN’s Morgan Rimmer.
- Sen. Mike Rounds (R-S.D.) said Zelenskyy was the “the duly elected” president of Ukraine, adding “I think he has been a key component in the fact that they've been able to withstand the Russian attacks.”
WHAT HHS IS READING — “RFK Jr. should handpick vaccine scientists, former adviser says,” by POLITICO’s Daniel Payne: Speaking this morning at POLITICO’s “Playbook: First 100 Days” event on health care, “Del Bigtree, who was Kennedy’s communications director during his presidential campaign and now leads a group promoting Kennedy’s ‘Make America Healthy Again’ movement, dismissed widely replicated studies finding no link to autism because he alleged that they were conducted by scientists who wanted to find that result.” What he wants RFK Jr.’s HHS to do: “Get scientists who say, ‘I think I can prove vaccines do cause autism,’” Bigtree said. “If they can’t pull that off, now you have a true safety profile.” Dire warning: Speaking at the event, Robert Redfield, who led the CDC during the first Trump administration, said that the Covid-19 pandemic “was a minor epidemic compared to the epidemic that’s coming — which is a bird flu pandemic.” More from POLITICO’s Sophie Gardner Good Wednesday afternoon. Thanks for reading Playbook PM. Drop me a line at birvine@politico.com.
| | | | A message from Better Medicare Alliance: More than 34 million Americans choose Medicare Advantage for better care at a lower cost than Fee-For-Service Medicare. But two straight years of Medicare Advantage cuts have left seniors feeling squeezed, with millions experiencing plan closures, higher costs, and reduced benefits. Seniors are already struggling with high prices for everyday necessities; they can't afford to pay more for health coverage and get less.
Protect seniors' affordable health care. Protect Medicare Advantage. Learn more at SupportMedicareAdvantage.com. | | | AFTERNOON READ — “Joe Rogan’s Elon Musk Love Affair,” by POLITICO Mag’s Calder McHugh
| | 7 THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW | | | 
Lori Chavez-DeRemer attends a hearing of the Senate HELP Committee on her nomination for Secretary of Labor. | AP | 1. LABOR PAINS: Trump’s Labor Secretary-designate, former Rep. Lori Chavez-DeRemer (R-Ore.) is facing questions today from the Senate HELP Committee today over her previous support of the PRO Act, which would make it easier for workers to unionize and which Senate Republicans have fought against for years. In her opening statement, Chavez-DeRemer addressed her support for the legislation, noting that her job while she was a member of Congress is distinct from her duties as a Cabinet member, and that she would be to adhere to Trump’s policy positions if confirmed.. “I recognize that that bill wasn’t perfect,” she said, “and I also recognize that I am no longer representing Oregon as a lawmaker.” Even as Republican senators grilled Chavez-DeRemer on her position on the PRO Act, they largely signalled support for her.
- This morning, Sen. Markwayne Mullin (R-Okla.) posted a video of himself and Teamster chief Sean O’Brien with the nominee: “[T]he last time @TeamsterSOB and I were in a hearing room together, we almost came to blows,” he tweeted. “President Trump brought business and labor together in this election. I trust his pick. Let’s finish this fight.”
- Even Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.), who had threatened to vote against Chavez-DeRemer, seemed placated in a brief exchange with the nominee today. “You no longer support the aspect of the PRO Act that would have overturned state right to work laws?” Paul asked, to which Chavez DeRemer responded “Yes, sir.” Paul then ceded his time, noting: “No more questions.” Watch the exchange here
2. SURVEY SAYS: Concerns about the economy have caused President Trump’s approval rating to slip and his disapproval to shoot upwards, a new Reuters/Ipsos poll finds, Reuters’ Jason Lange reports. A look at the numbers … Approval/disapproval: Forty-four percent of respondents approved of Trump's performance as president. while 51 percent said they disapprove. Though the approval rating is down slightly from his 47 percent approval in a Jan. 20-21 poll, disapproval has rocketed up by 10 percentage points in that same timeframe. On the economy’s direction: Around 53 percent of Americans believe the economy is headed in the wrong direction, up 10 points since a Jan. 24-26 poll. On inflation: Just 32 percent of respondents “approved of Trump's performance on inflation, a potential early sign of disappointment in the Republican's performance on a core economic issue.” On Trump’s economic stewardship: Only 39 percent of respondents approved of Trump’s economic stewardship. 3. DANCE OF THE SUPERPOWERS: President Trump is eyeing the possibility of a wide-ranging new trade deal with China “that goes beyond just reworking the trading relationship,” NYT’s Ana Swanson reports, drawing on a slew of “current and former advisers and others familiar with Mr. Trump’s thinking.” What could be in a deal: “Trump has expressed interest in a deal that would include substantial investments and commitments from the Chinese to buy more American products (despite China’s failure to buy an additional $200 billion of goods and services under the 2020 agreement). He would like an agreement to also include issues like nuclear weapons security, which he envisions ironing out man to man with [Chinese President Xi Jinping], his advisers say.” What stands in the way: Trump’s recent moves on tariffs and China’s weakened economy could impede any type of deal between Washington and Beijing, as “Chinese officials seem to view Mr. Trump warily, expecting relations to remain contentious.” Related read: “U.S. condemns 'dangerous' Chinese maneuvers after close encounter with Philippine plane,” by NBC News’ Jennifer Jett
| | | | With a new administration in place, how will governors work with the federal government and continue to lead the way on issues like AI, health care, economic development, education, energy and climate? Hear from Gov. Jared Polis, Gov. Brian Kemp and more at POLITICO's Governors Summit on February 20. RSVP today. | | | | | 4. IMMIGRATION FILES: Even as Trump has talked up arresting and deporting criminal undocumented immigrants, over the first two weeks of February, detainees without criminal convictions or pending criminal charges made up 41 percent of all the new detainees in Immigration and Customs Enforcement custody, NBC News’ Laura Strickler reports. How that affects overcrowding: “The new detention data from ICE … shows that its detention centers are at the upper limits of their capacity. The number of people detained went from 39,238 in early February to 41,169 in mid-February. ICE’s detention capacity nationwide is 41,500. It’s unclear how many people who had been in detention were deported or were released through the Alternatives to Detention monitoring program during these two weeks.” Related read: “Trump administration ends legal representation for unaccompanied minors,” by WaPo’s Teo Armus and Arelis R. Hernández: “The Trump administration on Tuesday cut off funding to legal service providers who give advice and legal representation to children who crossed the border without their parents, according to a memo obtained by The Washington Post. … Immigrant advocates say the directive threatens to leave children and teenagers who benefit from the federal funds to navigate the immigration court system.” 5. TAKING FLIGHT: “President Trump, furious about delays in delivering two new Air Force One jets, has empowered Elon Musk to explore drastic options to prod Boeing to move faster, including relaxing security clearance standards for some who work on the presidential planes,” NYT’s Eric Lipton, Jonathan Swan, Maggie Haberman and Eric Schmitt report. “His administration has even discussed whether a luxury jet could be acquired and refitted during the wait. … Mr. Trump regards Boeing as almost a lost cause … wondering aloud what happened to the jet maker and why it seems incapable of building things anymore.” 6. A BONE TO PICK WITH DOGE: “‘You would see lawsuits:’ Susan Collins fires new warning shot at Trump on spending,” by POLITICO’s Katherine Tully-McManus: “‘I think it's pretty clear that this violates Article One of the Constitution’ said Sen. Susan Collins of Maine … Collins also said she had not spoken to or heard from Musk since their first and only meeting late last year — a notable lack of communication between the leader of the Department of Government Efficiency and a chief gatekeeper of the federal pursestrings.” 7. MUSK TURNS TO THE STATES: “Elon Musk looks beyond Washington toward Wisconsin,” by POLITICO’s Jessica Piper and Liz Crampton: “Musk has directly boosted the Republican-backed candidate in the Wisconsin race on his powerful X platform. … The engagement from Musk and money from Building America’s Future are part of a broader national interest in the Wisconsin election — and state Supreme Court races across the map.”
| | | | We’ve re-imagined and expanded our Inside Congress newsletter to give you unmatched reporting on Capitol Hill politics and policy -- and we'll get it to your inbox even earlier. Subscribe today. | | | | | | | TALK OF THE TOWN | | SPOTTED leaving the Senate side of the Capitol today: Mark Zuckerberg. OUT AND ABOUT — Rwandan Ambassador Mathilde Mukantabana hosted Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas), the new Chair of the Senate Foreign Relations subcommittee on Africa for a discussion on his priorities in 119th Congress yesterday. SPOTTED: Moroccan Ambassador Youssef Amrani, Djibouti Ambassador Mohamed Siad Doualeh, Ethiopian Ambassador Binalf Ashenef, Tunisian Ambassador Hanéne Bessassi, Algerian Ambassador Sabri Boukadoum, Kenyan Ambassador David Kerich and Tarek Ben Youssef. Pic MEDIA MOVE — Gabe Kaminsky will be an investigative reporter for The Free Press. He previously was an investigative reporter for the Washington Examiner. TRANSITIONS — Lili McFarlane is joining Uplift as senior manager of paid media. She previously was deputy director of paid digital for the Harris campaign. … Mariah Baker will be senior policy adviser for Rep. Suzan DelBene (D-Wash.). She was previously a policy adviser for the Senate Aging Committee Dems. … Lisa Brown is now a partner at WilmerHale and the next head of its higher education practice group. She most recently was general counsel at the Education Department. 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 deputy editor Zack Stanton and Playbook Daily Briefing producer Callan Tansill-Suddath.
| | | | A message from Better Medicare Alliance:  
Millions of seniors are experiencing higher costs and fewer benefits due to Medicare Advantage cuts. Seniors can't afford to be squeezed more. Protect Medicare Advantage. | | | | | | | 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 | | | |
