| | | | | |  | | By Eli Okun | | | WHAT MIGHT HAVE TEAM BIDEN WORRYING — CORNEL WEST, already running for president on the People’s Party line, announced he’ll now seek the Green Party nomination, dangling the prospect of a more muscular third-party candidacy that could siphon votes on the left. (Although it’s worth noting that, as of now, the Greens aren’t on the ballot in Pennsylvania, Georgia, Arizona and some other key states.)
|  President Joe Biden is holding firm against a drive from some NATO members to hasten Ukraine’s admission into the alliance. | Susan Walsh/AP Photo | SAYING NO TO NATO — NATO’s summit next month in Lithuania is shaping up to be a consequential one for the future of the military alliance and the war in Ukraine. But President JOE BIDEN is holding firm against a drive from some members to hasten Ukraine’s admission into the alliance, as the White House wants to tread cautiously about confronting Russia too directly, NYT’s David Sanger and Steven Erlanger report. Eastern European nations want to set a clear timetable for Ukraine to join after the war and have its status clarified, but the U.S. and Germany are leading the resistance — even though the Times reports that “the Biden administration will be forced to be more specific about Ukraine’s path to membership.” As one alternative, the U.S., France, Germany and the U.K. are working on an umbrella agreement with Ukraine that would lock in security guarantees for the long term in the absence of Ukraine’s admission to NATO, FT’s Guy Chazan and Henry Foy report. Ukraine’s status is far from Biden’s only NATO headache. There’s also the matter of the next secretary-general. And a day after incumbent JENS STOLTENBERG met with Biden at the White House, FT’s Henry Foy, Felicia Schwartz and Richard Milne report that divisions over Stoltenberg’s possible successor are making it likelier that he gets tapped for an extension of his current term. There’s “mounting pessimism” that all 31 member countries could reach consensus on somebody else by next month. Notably, along with Eastern European skepticism of Danish PM METTE FREDERIKSEN as the next secretary-general (because she’d be another Nordic pick), Biden “did not lend his full support to Frederiksen at their White House meeting last week,” per the FT, “puncturing her candidacy’s momentum.” Then there’s Sweden. Most alliance members’ efforts to get Stockholm added to NATO continue to run into Turkey’s brick wall: Despite senior-level talks with Turkish President RECEP TAYYIP ERDOGAN today, the newly reelected strongman held firm in opposition, Nicolas Camut reports. Related read: “As Ukraine’s counteroffensive heats up, Washington holds its breath,” by WaPo’s Karen DeYoung: “After 16 months of war, and with tens of billions’ worth of advanced weapons sent, Western backers need Ukraine’s forces to show dramatic gains against Russian occupiers.” BLINKEN’S BIG TRIP — Secretary of State ANTONY BLINKEN will travel to Beijing this weekend, finally making up for the planned February visit that was scrapped after the spy balloon kerfuffle, the State Department announced today. It’s an important moment for fraught U.S.-Sino relations and the first time in five years that a secretary of State has visited China. The two countries decided that “now is the right time to engage at this level,” a State Department official said, per CNN’s Jennifer Hansler. No details yet on which officials Blinken will meet — or whether Chinese President XI JINPING will be among them. Blinken’s to-do list is long. Among the topics officials said he plans to raise: communication between the two superpowers, climate change, fentanyl, Taiwan, Ukraine and wrongfully detained Americans. And despite the sign of possible rapprochement, China is making clear in advance that they view improvement in relations as the U.S.’ cross to bear. “It’s clear where the responsibility lies,” Chinese Foreign Minister QIN GANG told Blinken in a phone call yesterday evening, according to the Chinese readout. More from the WSJ HAPPENING SHORTLY — The Fed’s latest much-watched interest rate decision will be announced at 2 p.m. Victoria Guida has a good preview up with this interesting observation: Even though inflation overall has proven frustratingly sticky, prices for food and fuel in particular are coming down — which could be politically helpful for Biden. Good Wednesday afternoon. Happy Flag Day. Thanks for reading Playbook PM. Drop me a line at eokun@politico.com.
| | | | A message from The Coalition to Protect America's Regional Airports: The Coalition to Protect America’s Regional Airports is working to protect regional airports and their local economies. We strongly believe that any changes to the slot and perimeter rules at DCA are not in the interest of promoting economic development and will negatively impact communities surrounding regional airports and their residents. We strongly oppose any changes to these rules. Learn more. | | | TRUMP CARDS THE WAGES OF INDICTMENT — DONALD TRUMP’s Bedminister, N.J., fundraising dinner last night pulled in north of $2 million just hours after he was arraigned in Miami, Meridith McGraw reports. SPLIT SCREEN — The most vulnerable House Republicans are largely staying quiet on the Trump federal criminal indictment, loath to alienate either primary or general-election voters, NBC’s Sahil Kapur reports. Of the 18 who represent Biden-won districts, only one — Rep. DON BACON (R-Neb.) — has criticized Trump over his behavior in the classified documents case. Almost all the others are either ignoring it publicly or defending the former president. “Let’s see what happens if/when Republicans from Biden districts are asked to vote on a subpoena of DOJ or an amendment defunding/hobbling the prosecution of Trump as part of the government shutdown fight,” notes WaPo’s Greg Sargent. Privately, many Republican strategists admit that Trump’s legal peril here is more worrisome than the GOP is willing to broadcast, NBC’s Allan Smith, Katherine Doyle, Matt Dixon and Natasha Korecki report. “The man is going to prison. It’s happening,” says one “operative in Florida Gov. RON DeSANTIS’ orbit.” But party strategists are divided over how best to handle the matter, as his presidential rivals have few good options politically. CONGRESS ANOTHER ONE TO WATCH — Rep. ANNA PAULINA LUNA’s (R-Fla.) effort to censure Rep. ADAM SCHIFF (D-Calif.) is expected to hit the House floor this afternoon. Luna seeks to punish Schiff for his handling of the Trump-Russia story and fine him $16 million. But Democrats may be able to table the bill before it comes up for a vote by peeling off some Republicans. This morning, Rep. THOMAS MASSIE (R-Ky.) said he’ll be one of them: “Adam Schiff acted unethically but if a resolution to fine him $16 million comes to the floor I will vote to table it. … A $16 million fine is a violation of the 27th and 8th amendments.” NOT BUSINESS AS USUAL — WSJ’s Brody Mullins is up with a deep dive on how GOP lawmakers are distancing themselves from corporate PAC money, relying instead on small donations from individuals who are skeptical of big business priorities. The WSJ’s analysis of campaign data found that in 2016, 128 House Republicans received more than 40% of their campaign funds from corporate PACs; in the 2022 cycle, just 42 House Republicans met that threshold. Republicans attribute the rift to CEOs taking progressive stances on social issues. NEW AT THE TOP — Freshman Sen. KATIE BRITT (R-Ala.) is now a member of Senate GOP leadership, our Huddle colleagues reported this morning. WHOOPSIE — “Barbara Lee says she voted against Abraham Accords bill by mistake,” by Jewish Insider’s Marc Rod
| | | | STEP INSIDE THE WEST WING: What's really happening in West Wing offices? Find out who's up, who's down, and who really has the president’s ear in our West Wing Playbook newsletter, the insider's guide to the Biden White House and Cabinet. For buzzy nuggets and details that you won't find anywhere else, subscribe today. | | | | | ALL POLITICS SECTARIANISM SECTION — A new NORC/Starts With Us survey lays bare a fascinating dynamic in a polarized America: Democrats and Republicans generally share many similar values, from compassion to personal responsibility, but they don’t think members of the opposite party do, AP’s David Klepper reports. “The findings reflect a phenomenon known as ‘affective polarization,’ in which disagreements are based on animosity and a lack of trust instead of an actual debate over values or policy” — and they offer a potential starting point for rebuilding that trust. BATTLE FOR THE SENATE — A new super PAC named “Lose Cruz” aims to defeat Sen. TED CRUZ (R-Texas) in his reelection bid, and has lined up more than seven figures in funding to pump out rapid-response advertising on TV and online, NBC’s Jane Timm reports. SEAN HAYNES founded the PAC, and other senior advisers include SAWYER HACKETT and OLIVIA JULIANNA. The group plans to hammer Cruz over the Jan. 6 attack, his trip to Cancún amid his home state’s power outage during a winter storm, his podcast and more. The first ad goes up this week. KNIVES OUT FOR NO LABELS — “No Labels Is Helping a Firm that Raises Money for Right-Wing Extremists,” by Mother Jones’ David Corn: “Donations to No Labels are handled by an online fundraising platform called Anedot. … [W]hen an online contributor sends No Labels $100, Anedot pockets $4.30. That money bolsters Anedot’s mission to raise funds for the right and the GOP.” ENDORSEMENT WATCH — Rep. ELISSA SLOTKIN’s Senate campaign got a boost from fellow Michigan Democratic Rep. HALEY STEVENS today, per The Detroit News’ Riley Beggin. AMERICA AND THE WORLD IRAN LATEST — Talks between the U.S. and Iran are back on, as the Biden administration quietly tries to make progress on detained Americans and the country’s nuclear development, WSJ’s Laurence Norman and David Cloud report. Since December, White House officials have been in Oman at least three times for indirect talks. “The latest attempt at diplomacy represents a delicate political balancing act for Biden and is focused on cooling tensions,” though the White House isn’t eager to make it very public. Tehran is hoping for some energy sanctions relief. And separately, the U.S. has unfrozen roughly $2.7 billion in Iraqi payments for electricity and gas from Iran. POLICY CORNER FROM 30,000 FEET — “Biden regulatory agenda previews busy period before election,” by Alex Guillén, Ben Lefebvre, Kelsey Tamborrino, Zack Colman and Gloria Gonzalez: “The first half of 2024 looks likely to be one of the busiest regulatory periods of the Biden administration, according to rulemaking timeline targets … The administration is closely watching the calendar, since any rule finalized later in 2024 could put the rule inside the timeframe for Congressional Review Act resolutions should Republicans win the White House and maintain or grow their power in Congress.”
| | | | GET READY FOR GLOBAL TECH DAY: Join POLITICO Live as we launch our first Global Tech Day alongside London Tech Week on Thursday, June 15. Register now for continuing updates and to be a part of this momentous and program-packed day! From the blockchain, to AI, and autonomous vehicles, technology is changing how power is exercised around the world, so who will write the rules? REGISTER HERE. | | | | | PLAYBOOKERS OUT AND ABOUT — Ford’s Theatre Society hosted its annual gala at Ford’s Theatre on Sunday evening. The Lincoln Medal was presented to Rita Moreno by playwright Tony Kushner, and to philanthropist Marlene Malek by Larry Hogan, for their achievements that “exemplify the lasting legacy of Abraham Lincoln.” SPOTTED: Sens. John Hickenlooper (D-Colo.), Ed Markey (D-Mass.), Rand Paul (R-Ky.) and Jim Risch (R-Idaho), Reps. Emanuel Cleaver (D-Mo.), Jim Clyburn (D-S.C.), Debbie Dingell (D-Mich.), Ro Khanna (D-Calif.), Mike Turner (R-Ohio) and Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and Paul Pelosi, Elaine Chao, John McCarthy, Steve Ricchetti, Carlos Elizondo, Sheikh Meshal bin Hamad Al-Thani, Dina Kawar, Heather Podesta and Don and Shannon McGahn. — SPOTTED Monday night at Foreign Policy for America’s annual Leadership Summit at the Hilton on The Wharf: Sens. Jon Ossoff (D-Ga.) and Tom Carper (D-Del.), Reps. Veronica Escobar (D-Texas), Elissa Slotkin (D-Mich.), Lauren Underwood (D-Ill.), Andy Kim (D-N.J.), Sean Casten (D-Ill.), Jason Crow (D-Colo.), Bill Keating (D-Mass.), Ruben Gallego (D-Ariz.), Yadira Caraveo (D-Colo.), Dina Titus (D-Nev.) and Matt Cartwright (D-Pa.), Ukrainian Ambassador Oksana Markarova, USTR Katherine Tai, CIA Director Bill Burns, Richard Verma, Ned Price, Carlyn Reichel, Jon Finer, Simon Clark, Tom Countryman, Nelson Cunningham and Ali Wyne. — SPOTTED Monday evening at a party for former Interior Secretary David Bernhardt’s new book, “You Report To Me” ($30), hosted by Norm Brownstein at the D.C. office of Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck: Sen. Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.), Jon Hrobsky, Luke Johnson, Jason Buckner, Kate Gonzales, Bella Wolitz, William McGrath, Cole Rojewski, William Bourdeau, Cameron Bishop, Lesley Schaaff, Holly Hopkins, Mike Olsen, Taylor Playforth, Blake Schindler, Micah Chambers, John Tanner, Tripp Parks, Rebecca Konolige and Rob MacGregor. — SPOTTED at Public Citizen’s 50th anniversary gala yesterday at the National Portrait Gallery, where over 800 people came out to celebrate: Sens. Raphael Warnock (D-Ga.), Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Ed Markey (D-Mass.) and Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), Reps. Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and Jamie Raskin (D-Md.), Robert Weissman, Chester Davis and Dannie Bolden. TRANSITIONS — Jacob Freedman is now senior adviser for strategic comms to Army Secretary Christine Wormuth. He previously was chief of staff to Madeleine Albright and a VP at Albright Stonebridge Group, and is a Chuck Hagel, Leon Panetta and Robert Gates alum. … Rachel Ogelsby is joining the America First Policy Institute as a department director. She previously was chief of policy for North Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem. … Claudia Santiago is now government relations manager at the J.M. Smuckers Co. She previously was government affairs senior specialist at Conagra. … … Millicent Hennessey is now deputy director of policy in the worldwide aerospace and defense division at GlobalFoundries. She most recently was senior manager of public policy at Samsung Semiconductor and is a NSC alum. … Joel Wiginton will be SVP for government relations at the Pew Charitable Trusts. He previously was a principal in the Raben Group’s government affairs and policy counsel practice. … Angela Hervig is now a special adviser at the EPA. She previously was a legislative assistant at the White House and is a Joe Cunningham alum. WEEKEND WEDDING — AnnMarie Graham, comms director for Rep. Brian Mast (R-Fla.) and a Steve Stivers alum, and Zach Barnes, legislative director for Rep. Andy Biggs (R-Ariz.), got married Saturday at the InterContinental at the Wharf. They met walking in a Memorial Day parade for Rep. Brad Wenstrup (R-Ohio) while campaigning for the Ohio Republican Party during the 2016 cycle. Pic by Margaret Wroblewski Photography 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. Correction: Yesterday’s Playbook PM misstated LaVontae Brooks’ new role. He has been selected as a Thomas R. Pickering fellow. It also misstated the organization of which he’s an alum; it is the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation.
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