| | | |  | | By Bethany Irvine | Presented by the National Retail Federation | |  | THE CATCH-UP | | | 
“Signalgate” took over today’s fortuitously-timed Senate Intelligence Committee hearing | Francis Chung/POLITICO | DEVELOPING — “US announces Black Sea deal with Russia and Ukraine,” by POLITICO’s Eric Bazail-Eimil: “The Trump administration, in two statements, said that technical-level talks between U.S., Russian and Ukrainian officials in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, resulted in agreements to ‘ensure safe navigation, eliminate the use of force, and prevent the use of commercial vessels for military purposes in the Black Sea.’” BORN UNDER A BAD SIGN-AL — As expected, “Signalgate” took over today’s fortuitously-timed Senate Intelligence Committee hearing about worldwide threats. In a particularly explosive moment: DNI Tulsi Gabbard repeatedly refused to confirm her participation in the group text chain that shook Washington and claimed “there was no classified material shared in that chat.” And while CIA Director John Ratcliffe did confirm he was in the Signal chat, he insisted the communications were “entirely permissible and lawful.” Committee ranking member Mark Warner (D-Va.) responded: “If there was no classified material, share it with the committee!” Watch the exchange Notably silent on the group chat debacle was Committee Chair Tom Cotton, who instead partially used his opening statement to lambast the U.S. intelligence community overall as “woefully inadequate” at providing critical national security information to the president and to Congress. More probes ahead?: Senate Armed Services Committee Chair Roger Wicker confirmed the committee is planning to investigate the group chat fiasco, telling CNN’s Manu Raju "We are going to look into this and see what the facts are, but it’s definitely a concern. … You can be sure that the committee, House and Senate will look into this. And it appears mistakes were made. No question." MEANWHILE, AT 1600 PENN — The White House came out in defense of the Signalgate blunder this morning, with President Donald Trump throwing his support behind his national security adviser Mike Waltz in an interview with NBC News’ Garrett Haake. Trump said Waltz “has learned a lesson, and he’s a good man,” adding the incident had “no impact at all” on the success of the Houthi attacks. Trump’s public support of Waltz comes after our scoop last night detailed private discussions among top administration officials mulling whether to force Waltz out. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt was also on defense today, claiming in a post on X that “no war plans were discussed” in the chat and attacking The Atlantic’s editor-in-chief Jeffrey Goldberg as “well-known for his sensationalist spin.” THE UPHILL BATTLES — With both chambers back from recess this week, Congress is abuzz with activity. You be the judge … Speaker Mike Johnson told GOP conference members that he’s exploring alternatives to pursuing impeachments for federal judges who defy Trump’s wishes, POLITICO’s Meredith Lee Hill reports: “Johnson noted that Congress has only voted to impeach judges 15 times throughout history,” adding the “full legislative body will vote soon on a bill from Rep. Darrell Issa (R-Calif.) to rein in nationwide injunctions.” During the meeting, House Judiciary Chair Jim Jordan confirmed that he will hold a joint subcommittee hearing next Tuesday regarding the impeachment push, Meredith scoops. The scheduled hearing comes as Johnson works to placate members’ calls for judicial impeachments — though the House GOP does not have the votes to formally pursue them. Johnson is set to meet with the committee’s GOP members this afternoon around 2 p.m, though as Meredith writes: “It remains to be seen whether Johnson has a winning strategy of giving members other ways to work out their frustrations with perceived judicial overreach.” ACROSS THE CAPITOL CAMPUS — Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer is currently facing off with his caucus at the weekly Democratic lunch meeting — the first time since his vote on the GOP-backed funding bill sent his party into a tailspin. We’ll see what comes out of the lunch meeting as members trickle out later today. Meanwhile, former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) threw her weight behind Schumer today by telling reporters he should “of course” remain as Senate leader, POLITICO’s Nicholas Wu reports. RECONCILABLE DIFFERENCES — Senate Majority Leader John Thune, Johnson, tax committee chairs and Trump administration officials are set to meet around 4 p.m. today as both chambers work to hammer out their differences on a budget reconciliation deal. It’s a critical meeting for Trump, whose agenda continues to be held up after Hill negotiations stalled before last week’s recess. Adding to the stress: There’s little time left in the congressional schedule to sort out a deal to keep the government funded, as WaPo’s Meryl Kornfield and Patrick Svitek report: “Johnson has said he wants to put the reconciliation bill on the House floor by Easter, which falls on April 20 this year. The House and Senate are in recess the week before.
| | | | A message from the National Retail Federation: NRF supports plans by the administration and Congress to expand the American economy through tax reform, deregulation and new sources of affordable energy. But trade policy issues are creating uncertainty and causing consumers to hold back on spending. High tariffs on imported goods will raise the price of products and slow economic growth. We need trade policies that protect American families, workers and small businesses. Tariffs should always be strategic and a tool of last resort. Learn more. | | | | Good Tuesday afternoon. Thanks for reading Playbook PM. Drop me a line at birvine@politico.com. FIRST IN PLAYBOOK — Pete Buttigieg is returning as a client of CAA and Brillstein Entertainment Partners, the same agency that represented him after he dropped out of the 2020 Democratic presidential primary, POLITICO’s Adam Wren writes in. Ahead of a possible 2028 presidential campaign, the news provides the contours of what to expect from Buttigieg over the next few years. The agency last represented Buttigieg from March through November 2020, a partnership that produced his book, “Trust” and his podcast, “The Deciding Decade.” Buttigieg has said he wants to find new ways to engage in different media spaces, and another book and podcast or some other media venture could be in the offing. Buttigieg will also do select public speaking engagements. He's giving a talk on April 22 at University of California Santa Barbara called “Making Sense of the 2020s: What the Rest of This Decade Will Require From Leaders in Policy, Politics & Communications.” The event is sold out. — Former NSC official and Army veteran Cait Conley raised over $250,000 in the first 16 hours after formally launching her House campaign against incumbent Rep. Mike Lawler (R-N.Y.). According to her campaign, Conley’s fundraising total set a new record for an amount raised by a first-time congressional candidate in New York’s 17th district in the first 24 hours.
| | 7 THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW | | | 
Speaker Mike Johnson announced a $5 million transfer to the NRCC today as part of an overall $11 million transfer. | Francis Chung/POLITICO | 1. FILLING THE COFFERS: During today’s conference meeting, Johnson announced a $5 million transfer to the NRCC today “as part of an overall $11 million transfer to members, candidates, state parties, and committees,” WSJ’s Olivia Beavers reports this morning. A slew of other GOP members also announced in this morning's meeting what they've donated to the Republican political arm, including Republican Whip Tom Emmer ($1.3 million to the NRCC) and Majority Leader Steve Scalise ($5 million to the committee, members and candidates). The money transfers come as the GOP gears up for a fight in the 2026 midterms: Last week the NRCC announced its initial list of 26 House Democrats they are targeting in next year’s elections. 2. FEELING INSECURE?: Trump’s pick to head up the Social Security Administration, Frank Bisignano, faced off with Senate Finance Committee Democrats this morning as lawmakers grilled the finance CEO on the administration’s recent actions that have upended the agency. During the hearing, Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) cited a whistleblower statement claiming the nominee “insisted on personally approving several key DOGE hires at the agency,” and asked Bisignano if he will keep DOGE staff from accessing Social Security benefits information. Bisignano pushed back against Wyden’s questioning and promised to protect Americans’ personal information. The Wall Street veteran also noted he’d “never thought about privatizing” the agency, adding "it's not a word that anybody's ever talked to me about.” Watch the full hearing 3. IT’S NOT EASY BEIN’ GREENLAND: In some of her harshest criticism of yet, Danish PM Mette Frederiksen pushed back at the White House today for placing “unacceptable pressure” on Greenland and Denmark, arguing that Second Lady Usha Vance’s upcoming trip to the region isn’t “about what Greenland needs or wants,” POLITICO’s Csongor Körömi reports. Frederiksen also vowed to “stand against” Trump’s repeated calls to acquire Greenland for the U.S. The PM “stressed that when Trump talks about Greenland, the U.S. president ‘is serious,’ and poses a real threat. ‘He wants Greenland. Therefore, it cannot be seen independently of anything else.’” 4. ONE TO WATCH: The special election to replace former Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) in northwest Florida may be the first true test of how Trump’s agenda is landing among GOP voters as state CFO Jimmy Patronis faces off with Democrat Gay Valimont, AP’s Kate Payne reports from Pensacola. Though Patronis has a large advantage in the deeply red district, it’s a veteran-heavy area – and Trump and DOGE’s slash-and-burn approach t has many of them wary of future cuts. Now, “even in a part of the state where some are afraid to ‘come out’ as Democrats, Valimont hopes to win over conservatives by pounding the all-out effort to slash federal agencies.” 5. THERE’S NO PLACE LIKE HOME: WaPo’s Rachel Kurzius is out with a fascinating piece looking into how lawmakers new to D.C., like Rep. Emily Randall (D-Wash.), navigate the daunting D.C. housing market and find a suitable home — if they're not sleeping in their offices, that is. Beyond legislating on the Hill, where lawmakers “rest their heads afterward tends to be less of a concern to the public, though it’s certainly something the legislators need to figure out.” In her case, Randall “had to get a special letter from the House Administration Committee to secure her lease. As a state senator in Washington, she made about $60,000 … The leasing company wouldn’t approve Randall’s application until she provided them with the letter confirming her forthcoming six-figure salary.” 6. MEDIAWATCH: “The Trump White House shut out the AP. They keep showing up anyway.” by WaPo’s Jeremy Barr: “While the AP awaits [Judge Trevor McFadden’s] decision, its White House reporters continue to RSVP to presidential events and show up like the rest of the press corps, only to be turned away every time. … With its White House team barred, the AP has paid to fly in correspondents from abroad who have been allowed to attend and cover presidential events as members of foreign pools.” 7. SHE’S (NOT) RUNNING: “Scholten won't run for Michigan's open U.S. Senate seat,” by The Detroit News’ Melissa Nann Burke: “‘After a lot of thought and reflection, I've decided not to enter this race. ... At this particular time, people need me standing up for them, not running for the next thing,’ [Hillary] Scholten told The Detroit News … Scholten, a Grand Rapids Democrat in her second term, had been mulling a run for the seat of Sen. Gary Peters, D-Bloomfield Township, who announced earlier this year he's retiring at the end of his term in 2026.”
| | | | Policy moves fast—stay ahead with POLITICO’s Policy Intelligence Assistant. Effortlessly search POLITICO's archive of 1M+ news articles, analysis documents, and legislative text. Track legislation, showcase your impact, and generate custom reports in seconds. Designed for POLITICO Pro subscribers, this tool helps you make faster, smarter decisions. Start exploring now. | | | | | | | TALK OF THE TOWN | | Jasmine Crockett called Greg Abbott “hot wheels.” Anna Paulina Luna has receipts showing that Mike Johnson proxy voted in the past. Elon Musk’s “What did you do last week?” email completely clogged the OPM inbox. PLAYBOOK METRO SECTION — “Measles case confirmed in DC with exposures at Amtrak,” by NBC4 Washington’s Taylor Edwards: “The person who was diagnosed traveled through several places in D.C. while contagious, including an Amtrak train. … In a press release, health officials are asking residents to contact the health department immediately to report any suspected cases and arrange for public health testing.” FIRST IN PLAYBOOK — Joe Ballard is now deputy associate director in the office of legislative affairs at the White House. He previously was a legislative director for Rep. Kelly Armstrong (R-N.D.) OUT AND ABOUT — SPOTTED at a live taping of The Planetary Society’s podcast, “Planetary Radio,” to discuss space policy and the future of space politics at the Hopkins Bloomberg Center yesterday evening, following the group’s annual day of action on the Hill: Bill Nye, Reps. George Whitesides (D-Calif.) and Judy Chu (D-Calif.), Nancy Chabot, Cybele Bjorklund, Sarah Al-Ahmed, Casey Dreier and Antonio Peronace. — SPOTTED at a fundraiser last night benefiting ASPIRE PAC, hosted at Capitol Counsel by Norberto Salinas: Reps. Marilyn Strickland (D-Wash.), Grace Meng (D-N.Y.), Derek Tran (D-Calif.), Suhas Subramanyam (D-Va.), Mark Takano (D-Calif.), Jill Tokuda (D-Hawaii) and Dave Min (D-Calif.), Hawaii Lt. Gov. Sylvia Luke, Andrew Noh, Maeve Healy, Linto Thomas, Dao Nguyen, Jeremy Marcus, Eliana Locke, Wendy Clerinx, Albert Shen, Anais Carmona, Ashley Hayes, Linda Pham, Daniel Jones, Robert Chiappetta, James Carey, Colin Craib, Jocelyn Hong, Anna Kain, Ronny Lau, Joyce Liu, Rita Norton, Cherie Wilson, Mia Ayer and Monique Frazier. 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.
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