| | | | |  | | By Eli Okun | Presented by TikTok | |  The grand jury in the Donald Trump hush money payment probe isn’t meeting today. | Brandon Bell/Getty Images | INDICTMENT WATCH — The sword of Damocles that is the possible criminal indictment of DONALD TRUMP could dangle over American politics for yet another month: Our colleague Erica Orden scooped from NYC that the grand jury looking into the STORMY DANIELS hush money probe is expected to take a break for the next several weeks. The jury isn’t meeting today, and will take up unrelated matters tomorrow and next week, followed by a two-week respite. The hiatus, which was previously planned and accounts in part for a Passover break, could still be subject to change. (Manhattan DA ALVIN BRAGG has the ability to bring them in on a break if he so chooses.) But as of now, the new timeline would delay any Trump indictment to no earlier than late April. As the wheels of justice turn ever so slowly, plenty of political and legal speculation is rushing in to fill the void. — Humbling Bragg: Three lawyers who have worked on the hush money case now threatening a Trump criminal indictment tell The Daily Beast’s Jose Pagliery that it’s a weak case never intended to be a standalone charge. The probe was initially just one piece of a much broader investigation into potential financial misdeeds in Trump world, and it was seen as possibly just a misdemeanor. But, but, but: All three also “cheered on Bragg for taking on the case — and noted that this could merely be the first iteration in a larger investigation.” — Survey says: A new Quinnipiac poll finds mixed opinions about the matter among the American electorate, which seems cynical in multiple directions about both Bragg and Trump. On the one hand, by a wide margin (62% to 32%), voters think Bragg’s case is motivated more by politics than by law. But at the same time, they say any criminal charges filed against Trump should disqualify him from running for president, 57% to 38% — including 55% of independents. Fifty-five percent of voters say the accusations in the case are very or somewhat serious. AUMF OOMPH — The Senate voted 66-30 today to repeal the 1991 and 2002 authorizations for use of military force in Iraq in a bipartisan show of support that attracted more than a dozen GOP votes, despite Senate Minority Leader MITCH McCONNELL’s opposition. Now the big question is how Speaker KEVIN McCARTHY will handle the matter in the House. X MARKS THE SPOT — Kiss your recess plans goodbye: Testifying before the House Budget Committee today, MARK ZANDI of Moody’s estimated that the “X date” — when the debt ceiling must be lifted to avert fiscal calamity — could come in mid-August. MORE DEBT LIMIT TEA LEAVES — Moderate Rep. TONY GONZALES (R-Texas), who’s feuding with other House Republicans over immigration legislation plans, issued an ultimatum this morning: “Bring unchristian anti-immigrant bills to the floor and I am a NO on the debt ceiling.” Good Wednesday afternoon. Thanks for reading Playbook PM. Drop me a line at eokun@politico.com.
| | | | A message from TikTok: TikTok is building systems tailor-made to address concerns around data security. What’s more, these systems will be managed by a U.S.-based team specifically tasked with managing all access to U.S. user data and securing the TikTok platform. It’s part of TikTok’s commitment to securing personal data while still giving the global TikTok experience people know and love. Learn more at http://usds.TikTok.com. | | | CONGRESS BIPARTISAN BACKING — Texas Democratic Reps. VICENTE GONZALEZ and HENRY CUELLAR announced that they’ll support H.R. 1, Republicans’ big energy bill, The Texas Tribune’s Matthew Choi reports. That will give House GOP leaders the ability to label it as bipartisan legislation. “While this package is far from perfect, it is a step forward,” Gonzalez said in a statement, citing permitting reforms in particular. TIKTOK ON THE CLOCK — Sen. RAND PAUL (R-Ky.), never one to bow to prevailing winds, announced in a Louisville Courier Journal op-ed this morning that he opposes a ban on TikTok, calling such a Republican-backed move “a national strategy to permanently lose elections for a generation” as well as a form of censorship that would “emulate China’s speech bans.” STARBUCKS ON THE STAND — “Starbucks’ Howard Schultz defends union stance before Senate,” by AP’s Dee-Ann Durbin: “U.S. Sen. BERNIE SANDERS, a Vermont Independent who has been a vocal supporter of Starbucks labor organizers, accused the company of stalling efforts to reach a contract with workers who first voted to unionize in late 2021. … ‘I think unions have served an important role in American business for many years. In the ’50s and ’60s, unions generally were working on behalf of people in a company where people haven’t been treated fairly,’ [HOWARD] SCHULTZ said. ‘We do not believe that we are that kind of company. We do nothing nefarious. We put our people first.’” — Sen. MARKWAYNE MULLIN (R-Okla.) took the opportunity to call out Sanders during the hearing, saying he’s worth $8 million, per NBC’s Sahil Kapur. Sanders rejected the claim as “phony right-wing internet stuff.” 2024 WATCH CASH DASH — Ongoing and growing concerns about Florida Gov. RON DeSANTIS’ readiness for prime time have some top GOP donors casting about for a different alternative to Trump, WaPo’s Maeve Reston and Michael Scherer report. Some strategists say there’s still plenty of time for another candidate to rise, and the Post finds that “some unaligned donors have been underwhelmed in recent meetings with DeSantis” and are concerned by his comments on Ukraine. Among the familiar parade of names floating amid the Sea Island set: TIM SCOTT, GLENN YOUNGKIN, CHRIS SUNUNU and CHRIS CHRISTIE. POLITICIANS, THEY’RE NOT LIKE US — DeSantis doesn’t text or email at all in his official role as governor, Semafor’s Shelby Talcott reports. He communicates only via phone calls or face-to-face meetings. His office says it’s “because the topics discussed are often nuanced and detailed”; others point out that it also removes a paper trail in a state that gives outsize access to public information. POLICY CORNER OPIOID FILES — An over-the-counter version of naloxone, the drug that can undo an opioid overdose, got approval from the FDA today for the first time. Emergent BioSolutions’ Narcan may now become much more broadly accessible, as people won’t need a prescription to get it. The decision could translate to Narcan being available on store shelves as soon as late summer, the company said. “But the impact of making Narcan available over-the-counter will largely depend on how much it costs,” notes The Hill’s Nathaniel Weixel. MORE POLITICS GO BLUE — “Michigan Democrats Rise, and Try to Turn a Battleground Blue,” by NYT’s Katie Glueck in Bay City and Birmingham: “Against that backdrop — significant victories last fall, in a state that is still closely divided — state Democrats are pursuing a flood of liberal legislation, while measuring the durability of an unwieldy coalition that defeated Republicans in the last three elections.” Democratic Rep. DEBBIE DINGELL: “Tenuous is the operative word.” Former GOP Rep. DAVE TROTT: “The Republican Party in Michigan is dead for the foreseeable future … If I’m ELISSA SLOTKIN, I’m already trying to figure out which Senate building I want my office in.” GOVERNOR/SENATE WATCH — West Virginia AG PATRICK MORRISEY noticed a big announcement coming Tuesday, as expectations swirl about a possible GOP bid for governor or Senate.
| | | | GO INSIDE THE 2023 MILKEN INSTITUTE GLOBAL CONFERENCE: POLITICO is proud to partner with the Milken Institute to produce a special edition "Global Insider" newsletter featuring exclusive coverage, insider nuggets and unparalleled insights from the 2023 Global Conference, which will convene leaders in health, finance, politics, philanthropy and entertainment from April 30-May 3. This year’s theme, Advancing a Thriving World, will challenge and inspire attendees to lean into building an optimistic coalition capable of tackling the issues and inequities we collectively face. Don’t miss a thing — subscribe today for a front row seat. | | | | | THE WHITE HOUSE DOLLARS FOR DEMOCRACY — Biden today announced a new round of $690 million in financing to support democracies around the world, including funding fair elections and anti-corruption work. The pledge at the White House’s international Summit for Democracy, which includes 120 countries, is a step up from the $400 million he devoted at the last summit in 2021. But, but, but: How effective is that funding? “Rights advocates say there is little evidence the countries joining the summit have made progress on improving their democracies, and that there is no formal mechanism to hold participants to the modest commitments made at the first meeting,” Reuters’ Nandita Bose reports. JAN. 6 AND ITS AFTERMATH THE OTHER INVESTIGATIONS — After being ordered to testify in the government’s Jan. 6/election subversion investigation, former VP MIKE PENCE told reporters in Iowa today that he’s still deciding his next steps, per CNN’s Jeff Zeleny. “I have nothing to hide,” he said, and he’ll announce what’s next “in the days to come.” AMERICA AND THE WORLD GOING NUCLEAR — In a sudden reversal, Russia said today that it will stop giving the U.S. a heads up in advance of its missile tests, as nuclear cooperation and non-proliferation efforts between the two countries continue to disintegrate, AP’s Vladimir Isachenkov reports. “Such notices have been an essential element of strategic stability for decades, allowing Russia and the United States to correctly interpret each other’s moves and make sure that neither country mistakes a test launch for a missile attack.” THE NEXT FLASHPOINT? — Taiwanese President TSAI ING-WEN left for a trip to the U.S. today, a potential provocation to China that will include a meeting with McCarthy, NYT’s Amy Chang Chien and Chris Horton preview from Taipei. Tsai is walking a tightrope of trying to assert her nation’s independence and improve its bonds with Western countries without inciting a burst of ire from Beijing. But it’s “also about projecting strength at home,” as Tsai seeks to reap benefits from close U.S. ties for her party’s fortunes in Taiwan. DANCE OF THE SUPERPOWERS — China is positioning more of its anti-corruption enforcement officials in its embassies overseas, primarily in G-20 countries and the like, WSJ’s Chun Han Wong and Keith Zhai scooped. The move could provide more Chinese officials to work with other countries’ authorities in cracking down on fraud and graft, especially tackling longtime fugitives. But “[t]he presence of anticorruption officials in Chinese embassies risks raising alarm in host countries.” — “U.S. Urges EU to Sanction Chinese Satellite Firm Over Russia Aid,” by Bloomberg’s Alberto Nardelli, Natalia Drozdiak and Jennifer Jacobs: “Spacety China was hit with US sanctions in January … While the EU has aligned in coordination many of its Russia-related sanctions with the US, two months later it has yet to sanction the Chinese satellite firm.” SPY GAMES — “He came to D.C. as a Brazilian student. The U.S. says he was a Russian spy,” by WaPo’s Greg Miller in The Hague: “Using the access he gained during his two years in Washington, [SERGEY] CHERKASOV filed reports to his bosses in Russia’s military intelligence service, the GRU, on how senior officials in the Biden administration were responding to the Russian military buildup before the war in Ukraine … [In Brazil, he’s] now serving a 15-year prison sentence for document fraud related to his fake identity. … The case has revealed lingering vulnerabilities in Western defenses … The revelations have also exposed serious lapses in Russian tradecraft.”
| | | | JOIN POLITICO ON 4/5 FOR THE 2023 RECAST POWER LIST: America’s demographics and power dynamics are changing — and POLITICO is recasting how it covers the intersection of race, identity, politics and policy. Join us for a conversation on the themes of the 2023 Recast Power List that will examine America’s decision-making tables, who gets to sit at them, and the challenges that still need to be addressed. REGISTER HERE. | | | | | THE ECONOMY LIKE THE HOLES IN SWISS CHEESE — A new Senate Finance Committee report takes Credit Suisse to task for “major violations” of a 2014 plea deal with the Justice Department, finding that the bank has continued to find ways for super wealthy Americans to evade taxes. In particular, the report fingers “‘what may be an ongoing criminal tax conspiracy’ involving almost $100 million in secret offshore accounts belonging to a family of dual US-Latin American citizens,” per Bloomberg’s David Voreacos. And it says Credit Suisse hid $700 million from the IRS. The bank said in a statement that its new managers are working with authorities to address any issues. WHAT AJAY BANGA HAS PLANNED — “Biden’s World Bank pick sets ambitious course,” by Axios’ Hans Nichols: He “wants the bank to focus on poverty alleviation and climate change — and warns that the world needs a massive investment from the private sector to adequately address both challenges.” PLAYBOOKERS OUT AND ABOUT — SPOTTED last night at a Congressional Black Caucus reception at Forbes Tate Partners hosted by Rep. Glenn Ivey (D-Md.): Reps. Emilia Sykes (D-Ohio), Maxwell Frost (D-Fla.), Sydney Kamlager-Dove (D-Calif.), Jasmine Crockett (D-Texas) and Jonathan Jackson (D-Ill.), Justin Kintz, Jaimon Jackson, Chelsea Antony, Phylicia Woods, Andrew Okuyiga, Charles Wadelington and Sarah Badawi. FIRST IN PLAYBOOK — Anna Pusey is now director of media affairs for the House Republican Conference. She most recently was senior account executive at CRC Advisors. TRANSITION — Sindy Benavides is now executive director of the Latino Victory Project. She previously was CEO of the League of United Latin American Citizens. 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 editor Mike DeBonis, deputy editor Zack Stanton and producers Setota Hailemariam and Bethany Irvine.
| | | | A message from TikTok:   data security and privacy. your concern. our commitment. Learn more at http://usds.TikTok.com.. | | | | | | | 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 | | | | |
