| | | | | |  | | By Anna Palmer, Jake Sherman, Eli Okun and Garrett Ross | Presented by Facebook | PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP continued to try and push back against the explosive NYT story about his tax returns and dismal finances, dangling the possibility of releasing his financial statements, which he said would paint a much more robust financial picture. TRUMP tweeted at 10:29 a.m.: "The Fake News Media, just like Election time 2016, is bringing up my Taxes & all sorts of other nonsense with illegally obtained information & only bad intent. I paid many millions of dollars in taxes but was entitled, like everyone else, to depreciation & tax credits..... ".....Also, if you look at the extraordinary assets owned by me, which the Fake News hasn't, I am extremely under leveraged - I have very little debt compared to the value of assets. Much of this information is already on file, but I have long said that I may release.... ".....Financial Statements, from the time I announced I was going to run for President, showing all properties, assets and debts. It is a very IMPRESSIVE Statement, and also shows that I am the only President on record to give up my yearly $400,000 plus Presidential Salary!" -- TRUMP also continued his bizarre demand for JOE BIDEN to submit to a drug test before the first debate. Marc Caputo on Biden campaign's response SPEAKER NANCY PELOSI joined MSNBC's ANDREA MITCHELL and leaned in hard to the national security angle of the NYT bombshell: "This president appears to have over $400 million in debt, 420, whatever it is, million dollars in debt. To whom? Different countries? What is the leverage they have? So for me, this is a national security question. … $750? Yeah. It's a disdain for America's working families. It's not right. But our responsibility is to protect and defend and we have to make sure we know what exposure the president of the United States has, and what an impact it has on national security decisions for our country." -- PELOSI said she had a "brief conversation" with Treasury Secretary STEVEN MNUCHIN about Covid relief Sunday. "When he's ready to come back to the table we're ready to have that conversation, but it has to come back with much more money to get the job done. So I'm hopeful. I'm optimistic." FWIW -- CBS' BO ERICKSON tweeted: "While on the subject of taxes: Joe and Jill Biden paid $3.7 million and $1.5 million in taxes for 2017 and 2018. Effective tax rates were ~33%. (Source: Biden's released tax returns)" SIREN -- "Cindy McCain Joins Biden Transition Team Advisory Board," by WSJ's Andrew Restuccia: "Cindy McCain, the wife of the late GOP Sen. John McCain of Arizona, is joining the board of Joe Biden's presidential transition team, becoming the second Republican to sign on to formally advise the Democratic nominee as he plans for his possible presidency. "Mrs. McCain endorsed the former vice president last week, calling Mr. Biden a 'good and honest man' and arguing he is the only presidential candidate who will stand up for America's values. The advisory board of Mr. Biden's transition team has been charged with offering input as the Democratic nominee's team turns its campaign promises into policies that can be put in place if he wins the election on Nov. 3. Like other members of the board, Mrs. McCain will offer her counsel to the transition team, but isn't a paid member of the staff." Good Monday afternoon. The BIDEN campaign called a lid at 9:51 a.m., according to pooler Lauren Gambino of The Guardian. UPDATE: TRUMP will now speak about the U.S. coronavirus testing strategy at 3:30 p.m. in the Rose Garden. | | | | A message from Facebook: How Facebook is preparing for the US 2020 election
— Launched new Voting Information Center
— More than tripled our safety and security teams to 35,000 people
— Implemented 5-step political ad verification
— Expanded efforts to fight voting misinformation
Learn about these efforts and more | | | ALL EYES ON THE DEBATE ... NATASHA KORECKI and ALEX ISENSTADT: "'The Super Bowl' of politics: Why the debate is so crucial for Trump and Biden": "Tuesday night's debate might be the last chance for Donald Trump and Joe Biden to command the collective attention of swing-state voters who will decide the election: By the second debate in mid-October, many of them will have already cast their ballots through early voting. "It's why both campaigns have long had Sept. 29 marked on their calendars. A big night for Trump or a bad night for Biden could alter the trajectory of a race that's barely budged during months of nationwide upheaval. 'This debate will be watched by the country as though it's tuning into the Super Bowl,' said Mari Will, a debate coach and longtime Republican political adviser. "Or, as Republican strategist Michael Steel put it: 'In a race that has been remarkably stable — in the face of earth-shaking events — the debates, particularly the first one, represent one of the last real chances to change the terms of the contest.'" -- NYT: "How Joe Biden Is Preparing for the Biggest Debate of His Life," by Shane Goldmacher and Katie Glueck: "He is rehearsing and studying his briefing books — Mr. Biden has long preferred the Arial typeface, 14 point — in a process overseen by his longtime adviser and former chief of staff, Ron Klain, who similarly ran Hillary Clinton's debate camp. … "The risks for Mr. Biden are manifold. Allies and people who have coached him for past debates fret about his temper and tendency toward defensiveness when it comes to his own lengthy record. … And in Mr. Trump, he faces an asymmetrical antagonist … His advisers want the debate — and the race itself — to be a referendum on Mr. Trump's stewardship of the health crisis." NYT BUT, BUT, BUT: "Trump, Biden Have Few Americans to Persuade in Debates," by WSJ's Joshua Jamerson: "Fewer Americans say the presidential debates are important for how they vote than at any time over the past 20 years." WSJ ON MODERATOR CHRIS WALLACE -- "How the Biden-Trump Debate Will Play on TV (Don't Expect Fact-Checks)," by NYT's Mike Grynbaum WAPO ED BOARD endorses BIDEN: "Democracy is at risk, at home and around the world. The nation desperately needs a president who will respect its public servants; stand up for the rule of law; acknowledge Congress's constitutional role; and work for the public good, not his private benefit. Just as desperately, it needs a president with the know-how and experience to show that values and results can go together. It is fortunate to have, in Joe Biden, a candidate who can lead an administration that is both honorable and successful." -- THE NEW YORKER TOO: "It would be a relief simply to have a President who doesn't abuse the office as a colossal grift. But a new President must also address the failures that have been festering in American life for decades." FIRST IN PLAYBOOK -- A poll by the House Majority PAC, which supports Democrats, in Pennsylvania's 10th District has Democrat EUGENE DEPASQUALE up 50-43 over GOP Rep. SCOTT PERRY. They also found BIDEN leading TRUMP in the district, which is in the lower-central part of the state, 51-44. The poll DEM MONEY POURING INTO S.C. -- THE SENATE MAJORITY PAC is spending another $6.5 MILLION in South Carolina against Sen. LINDSEY GRAHAM (R-S.C.). More from WaPo's Seung Min Kim THE FIRST NONPARTISAN POLL of Nebraska's 2nd District, which contains Omaha, has BIDEN up 7, via NYT/Siena. Along with Maine, Nebraska doles out some Electoral College votes based on congressional districts. MARK YOUR CALENDARS -- ANNA is going to host a Women Rule virtual event on the day of the VP debate -- OCT. 7 at 1 P.M. -- with MAYA HARRIS, JEN PALMIERI and CHRISTINE PELOSI. Join us THE FRENZY of the looming election and the Supreme Court vacancy have somewhat obscured a SERIOUS DOWNTURN in the U.S. fight against Covid-19 as the pandemic surges anew. Since Sept. 12, when the seven-day rolling average of new cases sank to about 35,000, that metric has shot up 25%, to about 43,000. Case counts, via NYT | | | | HAPPENING THURSDAY - SOLVING THE DRUG PRICING PUZZLE: The cost of prescription drugs is top of mind for millions of Americans and a motivating factor in the upcoming election. Join POLITICO Thursday, Oct. 1 at 10 a.m. EDT for a conversation exploring ideas to make prescription drugs more affordable, including patent reform, how the FDA can build on its recent record of fast-tracking generic approvals, and the role of international price benchmarking. REGISTER HERE. | | | | | HUNT FOR A VACCINE -- "New document reveals scope and structure of Operation Warp Speed and underscores vast military involvement," by Stat's Nicholas Florko: "The labyrinthine chart, dated July 30, shows that roughly 60 military officials — including at least four generals — are involved in the leadership of Operation Warp Speed, many of whom have never worked in health care or vaccine development. Just 29 of the roughly 90 leaders on the chart aren't employed by the Department of Defense; most of them work for the Department of Health and Human Services and its subagencies. … "Despite the military's dominance, the chart also includes Nancy Messonnier, the director of the CDC's National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases who was almost fired by Trump in February for warning the public about the growing Covid-19 pandemic. … The military's extensive involvement in the development and distribution of a vaccine is a departure from pandemics of the past, but it is fitting for Trump." Stat NEW ENGLAND COLLEGES DOING OK! -- "Campus life sans Covid: A few colleges write the playbook for pandemic success," by Juan Perez Jr.: "Several universities have resumed in-person classes and invited students back to live on or near campus this semester while logging few infections, even as other institutions struggle to halt outbreaks or rely on virtual education. These early case studies hint at a potential path to recovery for a bruised higher education industry, as the virus continues to spread across the country and the death toll rises. … "[I]nitial victories include rigid protocols for frequent testing, contact tracing, social distancing and mask-wearing. … Some schools also have another edge over others struggling to prevent outbreaks: a partner capable of processing thousands of weekly campus coronavirus tests. More than 100 Northeastern colleges and universities employ the Broad Institute." … POOR KIDS IN BALTIMORE, NOT SO MUCH: "The Students Left Behind by Remote Learning," by Alec MacGillis in ProPublica and The New Yorker: "Has a desire to keep the coronavirus out of schools put children's long-term well-being at stake?" SWING-STATE DISPATCH -- "Pandemic overwhelms Trump's message in critical N. Carolina," by AP's Steve Peoples in Winston-Salem: "As conservative activists canvassed the neighborhood, one young mother, a baby in her arms, shouted through a closed window that she was in quarantine. Across the street, another was focused on teaching her children their daily lessons at the kitchen table. "And a few doors down, 49-year-old Christina Donnell, an independent who voted for Trump four years ago, said through a black face mask that Trump's 'terrible' handling of the pandemic and divisive leadership more broadly are her chief concerns. … In one of the nation's most consequential swing states, Trump's push to inject new dynamics into the final weeks of the 2020 election is being overshadowed by the frightening realities of everyday life during a pandemic. … Still, [Donnell's] not sure how she'll vote in November. She's 'not a fan' of Biden, either." AP THE BARRETT NOMINATION -- "For Conservative Christian Women, Amy Coney Barrett's Success Is Personal," by NYT's Ruth Graham: "Judge Barrett, for them, is a new kind of icon — one they have not seen before in American cultural and political life: a woman who is both unabashedly ambitious and deeply religious, who has excelled at the heights of a demanding profession even as she speaks openly about prioritizing her conservative Catholic faith and family. Judge Barrett has seven children, including two children adopted from Haiti and a young son with Down syndrome. … "Several women reported participating in enthusiastic group text chains about Ms. Barrett, who they sometimes refer to as 'ACB'; her name comes up in video calls with friends, in the preschool pick-up line, and in their own prayers. And some reported a feeling of protectiveness as the judge and her family enter what will probably be a bruising confirmation battle and sprawling culture-war skirmish. To Judge Barrett's fans, she is proof that women can be as ambitious maternally as they are professionally." NYT | | | | NEW EPISODES: LISTEN TO POLITICO'S GLOBAL TRANSLATIONS PODCAST: The world has always been beset by big problems that defy political boundaries, but in 2020 many of those issues have exploded. Are world leaders and political actors up to the task of solving them? Is the private sector? Our Global Translations podcast, presented by Citi, unpacks the roadblocks to smart policy decisions, and examines the long-term costs of the short-term thinking that drives many political and business decisions. Subscribe now for Season Two, launching Oct. 21. | | | | | RACIAL RECKONING -- "How Private Black Tragedy Shapes American Politics," by Teresa Wiltz in POLITICO Magazine: "[Breonna] Taylor's family has joined what the father of Jacob Blake, another 2020 shooting victim, describes as a 'fraternity' all too familiar now in American life: the families of Black Americans killed at the hands of police, or by self-deputized vigilantes. … "In seeking justice, they become reluctant activists, forced to become instant experts in public relations and advocacy—and also becoming part of a long history in which Black trauma has become inextricably entangled with political movements. … But for many families, the trauma of losing a family member so publicly, while an iPhone bears witness, takes both a physical and emotional toll—harder, perhaps, because it was a fight they never sought." POLITICO Magazine -- THE UPSHOT: "Murders Are Rising. Blaming a Party Doesn't Add Up," by Jeff Asher: "Violent crime is expected to be addressed during the first presidential debate Tuesday, and President Trump has long attacked 'Democrat cities' for not doing enough to stop it … A deeper dive into publicly available 2020 crime data paints a more complicated picture than the party-driven explanation President Trump and the Department of Justice have offered. More cities are run by Democratic mayors than by Republican ones, but murder is rising pretty much everywhere, regardless of a mayor's political party. … "What is clear is that murder is rising across a wide swath of America — irrespective of ruling political party and of designations of 'anarchist' havens — while other types of crime are generally flat or falling." NYT MUCK READ -- "Nominee to Financial Regulator CFTC Traded Stocks, Options While in Government," by WSJ's Paul Kiernan: "Robert Bowes, a political appointee in the Department of Housing and Urban Development, has reported 140 trades of stocks and options that collectively amount to between $671,000 and $3.2 million since joining the government in early 2017. Three bets on options or individual stocks were larger than $50,000 each. Disclosure forms filed by Mr. Bowes, a former banker and fund manager nominated by Mr. Trump to the Commodity Futures Trading Commission, list wagers against cruise operator Royal Caribbean Group, bets on market volatility and purchases of small-cap stocks. "Ethics rules don't ban government officials from trading, as long as they steer clear of conflicts of interest and don't take advantage of inside information, which Mr. Bowes said he didn't. What was unusual, ethics experts said, was the frequency of his transactions, the high-stakes bets he sometimes made and the exotic securities he sometimes traded. On several occasions in 2018 and 2020, he bought and sold thousands of dollars of options on the same day." WSJ THE THREAT COMING HOME -- "QAnon Goes to Washington," by Simon van Zuylen-Wood on the cover of New York magazine: "There will be 24 QAnon candidates on the federal ballot in November — 22 of them Republicans and two Democrats. And while [Marjorie Taylor] Greene is by far the most prominent of them, and the likeliest to win, she looks less like an outlier than like the vanguard of a new faction in American politics, heralding an even worse partisan epistemological muddle than the one the country has become distressingly accustomed to over the past decade. As any Q disciple can tell you, there's no such thing as a fluke." WINDOW OF VULNERABILITY -- "Hacker Releases Information on Las Vegas-Area Students After Officials Don't Pay Ransom," by WSJ's Tawnell Hobbs: "A hacker published documents containing Social Security numbers, student grades and other private information stolen from a large public-school district in Las Vegas after officials refused a ransom demanded in return for unlocking district computer servers. "The illegal release late last week of sensitive information from the Clark County School District in Las Vegas, with about 320,000 students, demonstrates an escalation in tactics for hackers who have taken advantage of schools heavily reliant on online learning and technology to run operations during the coronavirus pandemic." WSJ OK THEN! -- "Trump Considered Daughter Ivanka as 2016 Running Mate, Book Says," by Bloomberg's Jennifer Jacobs: "Donald Trump repeatedly discussed with advisers the idea of naming his daughter Ivanka as his running mate in 2016 before settling for Mike Pence, according to a former Trump campaign aide … Rick Gates, who in the summer of 2016 was Trump's deputy campaign chairman, describes in a new book how Trump … deliberated for about a month on a vice presidential candidate he could trust completely." ENGAGED -- John Chambers, a senior associate at FP1 Strategies and Kelly Ayotte alum, and Abby Templeton, a manager in the privacy department of Willis Towers Watson, got engaged Friday. They followed the proposal with dinner at St. Anselm and a party with friends at their home. Pic BONUS BIRTHDAY OF THE DAY: Vanessa Valdivia, comms director for Sen. Gary Peters' (D-Mich.) reelect and a Cory Booker alum. What she's reading: "Tough to get much non-work reading these days, but I've started Cecilia Muñoz's 'More Than Ready' and I can't wait to finish. As a first-generation Latina in politics, it's easy to doubt yourself in this field, but Muñoz's book is an honest reflection of how to get out of your own way and a reminder that for women of color more often than not you have to just forge your own path. There is no blueprint." Playbook Q&A | | | |   | | | | | | | 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 | Brussels Playbook | London Playbook View all our politics and policy newsletters | | Follow us | | | | |
