| | | |  | | By Eli Okun | Presented by the National Retail Federation | |  | THE CATCH-UP | | | 
National security adviser Mike Waltz and other top officials appear to have accidentally included The Atlantic's Jeffrey Goldberg in a Signal chat about war plans. | Saul Loeb/Pool Photo via AP Photo | WHISKEY TANGO FOXTROT: “The Trump Administration Accidentally Texted Me Its War Plans,” by The Atlantic’s Jeffrey Goldberg: “The world found out shortly before 2 p.m. eastern time on March 15 that the United States was bombing Houthi targets across Yemen. I, however, knew two hours before the first bombs exploded that the attack might be coming. The reason I knew this is that Pete Hegseth, the secretary of defense, had texted me the war plan at 11:44 a.m. The plan included precise information about weapons packages, targets, and timing. … “I could not believe that the national-security leadership of the United States would communicate on Signal about imminent war plans. I also could not believe that the national security adviser to the president would be so reckless as to include the editor in chief of The Atlantic in such discussions with senior U.S. officials, up to and including the vice president. … I have never seen a breach quite like this.” The NSC confirmed it was real and said it was investigating. The fallout begins: “Members of Congress and national security staffers were stunned” by the news, POLITICO’s Amy Mackinnon reports. Democrats are already demanding hearings as concerns arise about the security of classified communications. SCOTUS WATCH: The Supreme Court today wrestled with Louisiana’s congressional map, as some conservatives signaled that the drawing of a new majority-Black district in line with the Voting Rights Act might go too far in becoming a racial gerrymander, The Hill’s Zach Schonfeld and Caroline Vakil report. Liberal justices seemed sympathetic to the state, indicating that Louisiana had sought to comply with a court order striking down the previous map under the VRA. At issue is whether racial or political considerations primarily drove the map-making. Justice Neil Gorsuch said there was a tension between using race as a consideration and “the 14th Amendment’s promise that race should play no role.” If the challenge to the map succeeds, Republicans could flip a House seat back. “Several of the court’s conservative justices suggested they could vote to throw out the map and make it harder, if not impossible, to bring redistricting lawsuits under the landmark federal Voting Rights Act,” AP’s Mark Sherman and Sara Cline report, but it seemed close. Most notable move of the day: The justices declined to take up a case from Steve Wynn that sought to challenge the landmark New York Times v. Sullivan precedent setting a very high bar for defamation claims. Having fought the AP in court for years over its reporting on sexual misconduct allegations against him, Wynn wanted to revisit the standard that has long protected the American press. More from CBS More from the court: The Justice Department asked the Supreme Court to undo a judge’s ruling forcing the rehiring of thousands of probationary federal workers, per POLITICO’s Kyle Cheney. … The court turned away an attempt by children and teenagers to sue the government over climate change, per CNN. TO RUSSIA, WITH LOVE: U.S. and Russian negotiators met today in Saudi Arabia to try to iron out steps toward partial and full ceasefires in the Ukraine war. The Americans’ immediate focus is a cessation of maritime hostilities in the Black Sea, with Andrew Peek and Michael Anton taking the lead, Reuters reports. Interfax reported that a Russian negotiator said the two sides “understand each other’s views” and talks are proceeding in a “creative way.” But but but: The Moscow Times’ Pyotr Kozlov reports that Russia intends to prolong talks “for as long as possible” to keep seizing Ukrainian land and strengthen its position. Russia sees huge upside in forging closer ties with the U.S. in the meantime, so Russian President Vladimir Putin “is humoring [President Donald] Trump’s cease-fire push to seize the benefits of a thaw with Washington,” NYT’s Anton Troianovski reports. On the flip side: Ukraine remains concerned by recent U.S. comments showing sympathy toward Moscow or adopting its framing on many issues. “I believe Russia has managed to influence some people on the White House team through information,” Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy tells Simon Shuster for the latest Time cover story. Shuster also dives into what went wrong in that infamous Oval Office fight: The meeting turned south when Zelenskyy showed Trump photos of Ukrainian prisoners of war to try to “appeal to Trump as a human being” — instead it “seemed to get Trump’s guard up, as though he were being blamed.” NOTABLE QUOTABLE: “We are going to eliminate FEMA,” DHS Secretary Kristi Noem said at a Cabinet meeting today, per CBS’ Jennifer Jacobs. Good Monday afternoon. Thanks for reading Playbook PM. Drop me a line at eokun@politico.com.
| | | | 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. | | | | | | 9 THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW | | 1. HAPPENING SHORTLY: Trump’s 2 p.m. event with Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry will announce a major Hyundai investment in the state, CNBC’s Seema Mody reports. The South Korean carmaker is planning a $5.8 billion steel plant that’s forecast to directly create 1,500 jobs. That’s part of a broader $20 billion investment in the U.S. 2. IMMIGRATION FILES: Judge Jeb Boasberg maintained his ban on Trump using the Alien Enemies Act of 1798 to deport alleged gang members without due process, and ruled that the Venezuelans accused of belonging to Tren de Aragua must be able to challenge that in individual hearings, per Reuters. Boasberg cited inhumane conditions in the Salvadoran prison to which they’ve been taken, which has attracted controversy as more deportees’ loved ones claim they were wrongly targeted. Meanwhile, the government is challenging Boasberg’s temporary restraining order at an appeals hearing this afternoon. Trade wars: Trump announced today that any country buying oil or gas from Venezuela will be subject to a 25 percent tariff on all exports to the U.S. The president framed the new levies, coming April 2, as punishment for Tren de Aragua’s presence in the U.S., which he claimed — without evidence — had been intentionally sent by the Venezuelan government. Behind the deal: Why did Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele agree to take in hundreds of Venezuelans from the U.S. this month? The agreement included the release of alleged senior MS-13 figure César Humberto López-Larios, CNN’s Evan Perez and Priscilla Alvarez report. “US investigators believe [he] has information that could implicate top Salvadoran government officials in possibly corrupt deals with the violent gang,” they write, while “the transfer is a major loss of potential intelligence for investigators who helped track down López-Larios.” He won’t face justice in the U.S. The other Venezuelans: With hundreds of thousands of Venezuelan migrants set to lose legal protection from deportation starting next month when Noem revokes Temporary Protected Status, advocates and immigrants today are asking a court to block her move temporarily, NYT’s Jazmine Ulloa reports. 3. 2026 WATCH: Cait Conley is jumping into the Democratic primary to take on Rep. Mike Lawler (R-N.Y.), NYT’s Benjamin Oreskes reports. She’s an Army veteran who worked in counterterrorism at the Biden NSC and more recently in election integrity at the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency. But Conley says her top focus is the economy, and she’s criticizing both GOP funding cuts and NYC’s congestion pricing. The Democratic field is already crowded, while Lawler is also considering a gubernatorial bid. Not running yet: Former Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio) has launched the Dignity of Work Institute, a new nonprofit focused on the needs of American workers at a time when he says neither major party is seen as caring about them, NYT’s Reid Epstein reports. Brown is considering another run for Senate or governor next year, though he says he’s undecided and it’s “not really material” to the think tank. Primary colors: Kat Abughazaleh, a TikTok star who’s been a video creator for Mother Jones and Media Matters for America, announced that she’ll run against Rep. Jan Schakowsky (D-Ill.). She said Democrats need “to drop the excuses and grow a fucking spine” in fighting Trump. 4. BIG MONEY: In next week’s Wisconsin Supreme Court race, liberal judge Susan Crawford has pulled in $17 million since early February and $24 million total, NYT’s Reid Epstein reports. It’s the kind of sum more commonly seen in a Senate race, and a national record for a judicial race. And even that is dwarfed by the outside money pouring in on both sides. The April 1 election will determine ideological control of the court — with redistricting implications, among other effects — and be the first big swing-state election of the second Trump era.
| | | | 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. | | | | | 5. ALL IN THE FAMILY: “Law in Mahmoud Khalil’s Case Was Once Struck Down — by Trump’s Sister,” by NYT’s Adam Liptak: “The 1952 law under which the Trump administration seeks to deport Mahmoud Khalil, a lawful permanent resident who helped organize protests at Columbia University, is largely untested. Largely, but not entirely. It was ruled unconstitutional in 1996 — by [Maryanne Trump Barry]. … [A]n appeals court later reversed her decision, though on grounds unrelated to its substance. But it remains the most thorough judicial examination of the constitutionality of the law.” 6. TROUBLE AT NIH: “‘Chaos and Confusion’ at the Crown Jewel of American Science,” by NYT’s Gina Kolata: “Seven senior investigators working in different parts of the National Institutes of Health described rules put in place on orders from the Department of Government Efficiency that risk hampering and undermining American medical science. … Rules change seemingly from day to day. Can scientists order necessary supplies to do their research? Yes. No. Maybe. Can they travel? A 30-day ban was put in place on Feb. 26. What happens next? No one knows. … ‘Whatever people are reading in newspapers, it’s 10 times worse,’ [one] scientist added.” Related read: HHS has axed grants for $34 million in HIV research across 22 universities, NOTUS’ Mark Alfred reports. 7. FOR YOUR RADAR: Trump tapped Alina Habba as interim U.S. attorney for New Jersey, the latest elevation for his personal lawyer who became White House counselor after his election. More from ABC 8. IN THE DOGE HOUSE: “Judge blocks 3 agencies from disclosing troves of sensitive personal data to DOGE,” by The Hill’s Ella Lee: “U.S. District Judge Deborah Boardman barred the Department of Education, Department of the Treasury and Office of Personnel Management (OPM) from disclosing the personal identifying information of about 2 million plaintiffs in a lawsuit challenging DOGE’s access to any of the advisory board’s affiliates.” More Musk reads: POLITICO’s Megan Messerly reports that Elon Musk and OMB Director Russ Vought, far from clashing, have “become force multipliers” in slashing the federal government together. … Reuters’ Chris Prentice scooped that in January, the SEC voted 4-1 to sue Musk for breaking securities laws, with only Mark Uyeda, who’s now the agency’s acting leader, voting no. … Dave Levinthal reports in Fortune that only two congressional Republicans have bought stock in Tesla, and zero have invested in Trump Media & Technology Group or Trump’s cryptocurrency efforts. 9. FED UP: “Treasury’s play for regulatory control puts it on collision course with Fed,” by Semafor’s Eleanor Mueller and Rachel Witkowski: “The Treasury Department is drafting recommendations for streamlining banking regulators like the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency and Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation … after concluding that the agencies and their workers likely can’t be merged without a green light from Congress. … [Secretary Scott] Bessent’s ultimate agenda is … claiming more control over how US banking regulators write the rules that govern financial institutions in order to make them less restrictive, including those written by the Fed.” Related read: “‘He’s Very Polite’: The Rise and Future of Trump’s Least Trumpish Cabinet Member,” by NOTUS’ Claire Heddles
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Trade policy impacts businesses and consumers. Register to learn more. | | | | | | TALK OF THE TOWN | | IN MEMORIAM — Quincy Enoch, co-chair of Invariant’s economic policy practice, died this weekend. He was an Army Reserve veteran who served in Iraq and executive director of Financial Services Professionals, mentoring Black financial services practitioners. “Quincy Enoch was many things: friend, colleague, mentor, volunteer, veteran, advocate, and storyteller. But above all else, he was a dedicated husband and loving father,” the firm wrote in a remembrance. “He was the firm’s North Star, quick with a smile, and always ready to share his insights or offer whatever he could to a colleague in need.” The full statement TRANSITIONS — Mark Bednar is joining Monument Advocacy as a principal. He most recently was VP of comms at the American Exploration & Production Council, and is a Kevin McCarthy alum. … Joe Russo is joining Tiber Creek Group. He most recently was director of coalitions for the House Appropriations Committee, and is a Trump White House alum. … Foley & Lardner is adding Siran Faulders and Stephen Cobb as partners in its state attorneys general practice. Faulders is a former senior assistant AG for Virginia, and Cobb is a former deputy AG for Virginia. 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 | | | |
