| | | |  | | By Eli Okun | | Presented by |  | | | |  | THE CATCH-UP | | BREAKING FROM THE COURTS: “Judge extends temporary block to huge cuts in National Institutes of Health research funding,” by AP’s Lauran Neergaard and Michael Casey … “Judge vacates Eric Adams corruption trial but doesn’t immediately dismiss charges,” by CNN’s Lauren del Valle: “Judge Dale Ho … is appointing conservative attorney Paul Clement to present arguments challenging the Justice Department’s decision to drop charges against [NYC Mayor Eric] Adams.”
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President Donald Trump today continued to reserve most of his animus for Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. | Pool via AP Photo | UKRAINE LATEST: President Donald Trump and other top officials sent some mixed signals today on Ukraine, alternately castigating and cajoling Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy as the U.S. seeks to land two major deals: first a minerals agreement with Kyiv, and then — much harder — a cease-fire in the war with Russia. What they said: In an interview with Fox News’ Brian Kilmeade, Trump acknowledged that Russian President Vladimir Putin was indeed the attacker who started the war by invading its neighbor. But he reserved most of his animus for Zelenskyy, saying the Ukrainian leader had failed to negotiate or make progress for three years: “He has no cards,” Trump said. “You just get sick of it. And I’ve had it.” He blamed Ukraine for not talking Russia out of the war or ending it quickly, leading to lots of needless death. As for Zelenskyy’s protest at being excluded from initial U.S.-Russia talks in Saudi Arabia? “I don’t think he’s very important to be at meetings.” To Russia, with love: Trump said Putin “wants to make a deal,” even though he doesn’t need to. “I’m not trying to make Putin [seem] nicer or better,” he added. When Kilmeade pressed Trump repeatedly on whether the war’s atrocities were Putin’s fault, the president replied, “I get tired of listening to it.” In remarks to governors, Trump added that he’s had “very good talks” with Russia but not with Ukraine. The art of the deal: Trump grumbling aside (he said Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent’s visit to Ukraine had been “a wasted trip”), his administration is pressing forward with talks on a deal for U.S. access to Ukrainian rare earth minerals. National security adviser Mike Waltz declared at the Conservative Political Action Conference today that Zelenskyy “will sign” the deal — and soon. Negotiations lasted overnight, and the U.S. is applying the squeeze: One U.S. official tells Axios’ Barak Ravid that it’s now up to Zelenskyy in a “make-or-break scenario for the Ukrainians.” The carrot to their stick: Special envoy Keith Kellogg may not be singing from the same hymnal as Trump on “dictator” Zelenskyy. After meeting with him, Kellogg today called Zelenskyy an “embattled and courageous leader.” (In Kyiv, Trump’s attacks on Zelenskyy have paradoxically shored up his domestic political standing and national unity, AP’s Hanna Arhirova reports.) What’s really going on in Trump world: Tensions are rising behind the scenes between traditional conservative hawks and America First isolationists, POLITICO’s Rachael Bade and Eli Stokols report in an illuminating story. VP JD Vance and allies of Donald Trump Jr. are working to cast aside Republicans who believe in the old way, including Kellogg (plus adviser Heather Nauert). As the White House grows frustrated with him, Kellogg has been relegated to the “kids’ table.” MAGA leaders are also watching Waltz and Secretary of State Marco Rubio very closely, given their history of pro-Ukraine hawkishness. Dynamic to watch: The White House has been pressuring Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) over Elbridge Colby’s nomination, per Rachael and Eli. Vance stopped trying to get MAGA influencers like Charlie Kirk not to attack Cotton after the senator missed a phone call from the VP, though people close to Cotton said it was an accident and he called Vance back thereafter. The negotiations to come: Russia is considering giving up the $300 billion-plus in assets that the West has frozen as part of a peace deal with Ukraine, Reuters scooped. The money could be used for rebuilding Ukraine — but Moscow would demand that some of it go to the one-fifth of the country it has invaded and seized. Waltz said today that Trump will win the Nobel Peace Prize for ending the war. Too extreme for the National Rally: In another U.S.-Europe dust-up, French far-right leader Jordan Bardella said today he’d cancel his speech at CPAC over Steve Bannon making what Bardella described as a Nazi salute, per AFP. Bannon said it had just been a wave. He scorched the 29-year-old Bardella, who’s in D.C., as “a boy, not a man,” and “unworthy to lead France,” per Le Point’s Claire Meynial. Happy Friday afternoon. Thanks for reading Playbook PM. Drop me a line at eokun@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. | | | | | 9 THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW | | 1. COMING TODAY: Trump will open up a new front of the trade wars with an order laying the groundwork for tariffs in retaliation for foreign taxes on U.S. tech companies, Bloomberg’s Jenny Leonard reports. Though it won’t take any immediate action, Trump’s directive is expected to prod the Office of the USTR to figure out a response to these digital services taxes. Countries like France have slapped them on Alphabet, Meta and more in recent years; this could be another irritant in U.S.-European relations. Other tariff fears: The latest University of Michigan survey finds consumer sentiment diving 10 percent lower in February, largely due to Democrats and independents worrying about Trump’s tariffs, per CNN. Some farmers who voted for Trump are nervous about the impact on their livelihoods, WaPo’s David Lynch reports from the aptly named Farmersburg, Iowa. 2. DEATH BY A THOUSAND CUTS: In the administration’s latest efforts to shrink the federal government, the CIA today commenced its first mass firings since 1977, NYT’s Julian Barnes and Seamus Hughes report. They’re targeting officers who focused on recruitment and diversity. Incoming FBI Director Kash Patel quickly reassigned support staff in the director’s office, per NBC’s Ken Dilanian. And deep cuts are looming at FEMA, likely aimed at staffers who work on climate-related issues — no small feat at an agency that has to respond to disasters fueled by climate change — and diversity, CNN’s Annie Grayer reports. But the prospect of potentially axing FEMA outright has unsettled some congressional Republicans and state officials. Safe for now: The Pentagon is pausing its plans for mass firings, which could have affected some 50,000 probationary civilian employees, CNN’s Natasha Bertrand and Haley Britzky report. Defense Department lawyers and Secretary Pete Hegseth want to “carry out a more thorough review of the impacts such firings could have on US military readiness,” because the layoffs wouldn’t be legal without first doing that analysis. N.B.: Though many of the layoffs are aimed at saving taxpayer money, hundreds of fired civil servants at the FDA, CFPB and more were funded by industry fees, not tax dollars, Reuters’ Michael Erman, Patrick Wingrove and Marisa Taylor note. … Meanwhile, The Bulwark’s Sam Stein raises questions about the legitimacy of the “buyout” offer for federal employees: One FEMA regional leader who took it was then fired nonetheless. … And The Bulwark’s Andrew Egger reports that one of the fired-then-rehired National Nuclear Security Administration officials was not so junior: He was the acting chief of defense nuclear safety. The policy fallout: In the U.S. and abroad, groups that fight disinformation, propaganda and online extremism are staring down major funding cuts and rollbacks, Bloomberg’s Jeff Stone and Daniel Zuidijk report. But Republicans view some of that work as censorship. … Fired federal workers fear that Trump’s layoffs will make national parks less safe, Bloomberg’s Laura Bliss reports, and hamper wildfire response, ABC’s Bill Hutchinson reports. … The foreign aid freeze could muck up supply chains for antimalarial and anti-HIV drugs and other materials for months, Reuters’ Jennifer Rigby and Lisa Baertlein report. In Kenya, HIV-positive orphans are at risk of losing access to lifesaving treatment soon, AP’s Nicholas Komu reports. In the DOGE house: CNN’s Phil Mattingly and Tierney Sneed have a deep dive into how Elon Musk and co. took over Washington so quickly and effectively, thanks especially to “an underappreciated level of preparation in the deployment of key appointees inside specific agencies.” From power centers in the Office of Personnel Management and General Services Administration, DOGE employees have fanned out across the government while shrouding much of their work. Many top Trump officials are “irritated and blindsided” by DOGE’s actions — but essentially powerless because Musk retains Trump’s strong support, WaPo’s Jeff Stein, Jacqueline Alemany, John Hudson, Laura Meckler and Dan Diamond report. 3. LORI CHAVEZ-DeREMER IN TROUBLE? The Labor secretary nominee’s move this week to pull her support for part of the pro-labor PRO Act has left Sen. John Fetterman (D-Pa.) now undecided after previously backing her, NOTUS’ Katherine Swartz reports. And as more Democrats who might have supported Chavez-DeRemer refuse to vote yes on any Cabinet nominees to protest Trump’s cuts, she’ll increasingly have to rely on Republicans. 4. THE CRYPTO INDUSTRY GETS RESULTS: “Coinbase says the SEC is dropping its crypto lawsuit against them,” by NBC’s Rob Wile: “Coinbase said SEC staff had agreed in principle to dismiss a suit filed during the Biden administration. The suit accused Coinbase of acting as an unregistered securities broker. The agency must still vote to formally drop the suit. … The move to drop the suit would serve to make good on President Donald Trump’s campaign commitment to roll back the strict enforcement of the crypto industry that occurred under Biden.” 5. ONE TO WATCH: “U.S. piles pressure on Iraq to resume Kurdish oil exports, sources say,” by Reuters’ Maha El Dahan, Ahmed Rasheed and Jarrett Renshaw: If not, Iraq could “face sanctions alongside Iran … A speedy resumption of exports from Iraq’s semi-autonomous Kurdistan region would help to offset a potential fall in Iranian oil exports, which Washington has pledged to cut to zero.” 6. HEADS UP: D.C. police are investigating Rep. Cory Mills (R-Fla.) for an alleged simple assault, NOTUS’ Violet Jira reports. They responded to a residential address Wednesday afternoon, but didn’t arrest him. The Metropolitan Police Department is also internally reviewing its handling of the incident. Mills didn’t respond to NOTUS for comment. 7. ON THE ROAD: A couple of interesting stops in red America this week: Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) will hold big rallies today and tomorrow in Omaha, Nebraska, and Iowa City, Iowa, aimed at squeezing House Republicans and promulgating a Democratic working-class message, NYT’s Reid Epstein reports. And new DNC Chair Ken Martin went to Texas, where he insisted Democrats have a future despite their major setbacks in November, NYT’s David Goodman reports. 8. CHILLING EFFECT: “Trump’s power grab could dissuade military leaders from refusing illegal orders, experts warn,” by CNN’s Haley Britzky: “[W]ithout further clarity from the Pentagon or the White House on how the order will be implemented, it’s unclear what second- and third-order effects it could have within the military.” 9. AD IT UP: “Open source AI backers launch $10 million ad campaign,” by Axios’ Ina Fried: “The Open Source AI Foundation has launched a $10 million ad campaign aimed at convincing policymakers and others of open source AI’s benefits … The foundation, a new effort led by Cambridge Analytica whistleblower Brittany Kaiser, aims to convince lawmakers that civilian agencies should abandon work with closed source AI companies and adopt open source technologies instead.”
| | | | 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. | | | | | TALK OF THE TOWN | | PLAYBOOK METRO SECTION: So what will Donald Trump actually do with the Kennedy Center? POLITICO’s Michael Schaffer talks to Trump ally Paolo Zampolli, who’s been a trustee since 2020 and sketches out a very Trumpian vision: “He wants a marina for boat parking and water taxis outside; a Cipriani restaurant upstairs; international outposts in Europe, Asia and the Middle East; live collaborations between the Center and astronauts in orbit; and a revenue stream from lounges sponsored by countries like Qatar and Turkey, among others. Oh, and he thinks the Center’s grand hallway would make a terrific catwalk, too.” OUT AND ABOUT — Semafor hosted a Semafor x Substack media party last night in NYC, featuring a talk with Ben Smith, Max Tani and Hamish McKenzie. Guests enjoyed drinks and a charcuterie spread as McKenzie discussed the future of digital media and subscription-based content in today’s media landscape. SPOTTED: Ayman Mohyeldin, Emily Sundberg, Jessica Testa, Molly Jong-Fast, Choire Sicha, Mosheh Oinounou, Josh Barro, Carolyn Ryan, Pam Wasserstein, Astead Herndon, Foster Kamer, Michael Grynbaum, Jason Rapp, Noah Schactman, Jack Stebbins, Elan Bird, Shehab Marzouk, Madeline McIntosh, Noah Shachtman, Xan Aird, Britta Galanis and Catherine Valentine. — SPOTTED at CJ Pearson’s White House Black History Month reception after-party, sponsored by Meta, Sol Global and C2: Kodak Black, Ja’Ron Smith, Lynne Patton, Janiyah Thomas, Brock Pierce, Gates McGavick and Nicole Frazier. TRANSITION — Sophie Louise Delquié will be senior adviser for public affairs at the Treasury Department. She most recently was strategic comms adviser for the Senate GOP Conference. 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. | | | | 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 | | | |
