| | | | |  | | By Rachael Bade, Eugene Daniels and Ryan Lizza | Presented by the Brennan Center for Justice | With help from Eli Okun, Garrett Ross and Bethany Irvine
| | | |  | DRIVING THE DAY | | | ANOTHER INCUMBENT GOES DOWN — Prosecutor WESLEY BELL defeated Rep. CORI BUSH (D-Mo.) in a St. Louis primary election yesterday, 51 percent to 46 percent, per Nick Wu. In the national narrative, this is another big victory for pro-Israel groups, which poured in millions of dollars to defeat a progressive “Squad” member — though on the ground, many voters were focused on (and saw ads about) the cost of living and Bush’s vote against the infrastructure bill. More election results below
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Tim Walz’s selection as Kamala Harris' VP has coincided with a crash effort across the GOP to encourage Donald Trump to zero in on Harris’ policy vulnerabilities. | Jamie Kelter Davis for POLITICO | CAN WALZ FOCUS TRUMP? — Republicans’ insta-reaction yesterday to VP KAMALA HARRIS’ choice of Minnesota Gov. TIM WALZ as her running mate was immediate and genuine: They were positively giddy about not having to take on Pennsylvania Gov. JOSH SHAPIRO, the popular leader of the most important state on the electoral map. “She went with the left-wing pick,” one GOP operative told us, calling it the outcome Republicans were “quietly rooting for.” Sen. STEVE DAINES (R-Mont.), charged with electing GOP senators in swing states across the country as NRSC chair, was even more succinct: “Thanks Kamala.” It is, in other words, the reset opportunity that Republicans were looking for. But the GOP glee obscures a big open question that will determine whether the party can capitalize on Harris’ perceived misstep: Can they get DONALD TRUMP to focus? Walz’s selection has coincided with a crash effort across the GOP, one we’ve heard about in private but also seen in public, to encourage Trump to zero in on Harris’ policy vulnerabilities and sing from the same hymnal as the rest of his party. Instead, the former president has repeatedly lashed out with personal attacks that betray his apparent mounting worries about his comeback effort. His new favorite slur: calling Harris “Kamabla.” (And as a post last night by HuffPost’s S.V. Dáte shows, his top aides aren’t necessarily helping to rein him in.) Earlier this week Fox News host LAURA INGRAHAM blasted Trump for reigniting an old feud with Georgia Gov. BRIAN KEMP during his recent Peach State visit, calling his attacks “a loser’s strategy.” Trump ally Sen. LINDSEY GRAHAM (R-S.C.) told CNN that his party has a “personality problem” that needs fixing. The Walz pick kicked off a fresh round of pleading. Trump surrogate VIVEK RAMASWAMY, for instance, used almost the entirety of an NBC interview yesterday to encourage his — party, ahem — to stop the school-yard taunts and take advantage of the opportunity it had been handed. “This provides the much-needed reset,” Ramaswamy said, later adding. “If this race does come down to policy, I think it should be a hands-down victory — not just for Trump, but for candidates all the way down the ballot … if Republicans keep our eye on the ball, and that's what I'm urging us to do.” Trump will get a first opportunity to show whether he’s interested in playing team ball when it comes to Walz this morning, when he is expected to call into “Fox & Friends” at 7:30 a.m. Already, however, his campaign, the RNC and GOP super PACs are all-in arguing that Walz reinforces Harris’ biggest political weaknesses, on issues including crime and immigration. Democrats argue those attacks aren’t going to stick, pointing to Walz resume as a teacher, football coach, longtime National Guardsman and representative of a rural House district for 12 years. Per one ranking he was the seventh most bipartisan member of the House during his final year in Congress, and yesterday he received praise yesterday from the likes of JOE MANCHIN and LARRY HOGAN. One fact you can expect to hear plenty over the coming weeks: Trump himself appointed Walz to his bipartisan Council of Governors, which advises the president and Cabinet. But Republicans we spoke to said they are readying a multi-prong attack, based largely on Walz’ record as governor, that will seek to undermine the folksy appeal that the Harris campaign is playing up: — That Walz turned Minnesota into what the AP has called a “trans refuge,” encouraging minors from across the country to come to his state for gender-affirming care. One provision gaining particular traction in conservative media requires schools to make menstrual sanitation products available in boys’ bathrooms. — That Walz has given undocumented immigrants incentives to come to the U.S. by providing them taxpayer-funded benefits in his state, including access to Minnesota’s free college program, subsidized health care and drivers licenses. — That Walz slow-walked requests to call in the National Guard to stop the 2020 rioting following the death of GEORGE FLOYD, a claim bolstered at time by the then-mayor of Minneapolis, who chafed that Walz tried to blame him for being unprepared. — That Walz bailed on his military service, quitting the National Guard in 2005 just as his unit was called up to deploy to Iraq, an allegation first aired during his 2018 governor campaign. (Top Trump adviser CHRIS LaCIVITA, architect of the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth campaign against JOHN KERRY, has been posting up a storm on this issue.) — And that Walz is an avuncular face on a socialist agenda, as supposedly demonstrated on last week’s “White Dudes for Harris” call where he said, “Don't ever shy away from our progressive values. One person's socialism is another person's neighborliness.” The Harris-Walz campaign is not engaging on the particulars of these attacks less than 24 hours out from the big announcement, but officials point to the new ticket’s blitz through swing states this week and upcoming paid advertising as proof they are not wasting any time in defining Walz on their own terms. Per a statement from Communications Director MICHAEL TYLER, Harris’ choice has “cemented the fundamental contrast in this race between the Harris-Walz ticket which is fighting for working families and the Trump-Vance Project 2025 agenda that would unleash harm on Americans across the country.” Good Wednesday morning. Thanks for reading Playbook. Drop us a line: Rachael Bade, Eugene Daniels, Ryan Lizza.
| | | | A message from the Brennan Center for Justice: Supreme Court reform is an issue whose time has come. Public trust in the Supreme Court has plunged to the lowest level ever recorded, and term limits for the justices has broad bipartisan support. Congress must take action to establish 18-year term limits and bring regular turnover to the bench. The result? A Court with more legitimacy that better reflects American values. No one should have that much power for life. Learn more about term limits. | | | MORE TOP WALZ READS …
- “What Walz told Harris in his VP interview,” by Elena Schneider, Eugene, Holly Otterbein and Sarah Ferris: “His message to Kamala Harris and her vetting team was one of deference. … ‘[I]f I have to run through a brick wall, if I have to do the hard things … I’m willing to do it because I’m not angling for anything else.’ That low ego, dutiful approach is exactly what Harris wanted to hear.”
- “Harris Chooses Comfort Food: Will America Bite?” by Jonathan Martin: “Tim Walz’s folksiness was on full display at a Philadelphia event that showcased both the threats and opportunities for the new Democratic ticket.”
- “Why Pelosi and other House Dems were privately pushing Walz,” by Sarah Ferris, Nicholas Wu, Meredith Lee Hill and Daniella Diaz: “House Democrats have often chafed at President JOE BIDEN’s favoritism for the Senate. So, when they pushed Tim Walz for vice president, they had more than ideology on their minds — they wanted one of their own.”
- “Staunch progressive or lifelong moderate? Tim Walz’s allies say he’s neither — or both,” by the Boston Globe’s Sam Brodey: “‘Tim has appeal across a number of different constituencies,’ said [Rep. ANGIE] CRAIG, a Democrat from a district south of the Twin Cities. ‘The best thing I can say — I’ve been turkey hunting with him in the morning and then to a gay rights dinner that night.’”
- “Trump World Fueled an Anti-Shapiro Whisper Campaign,” by the Bulwark’s Marc Caputo: “[T]he Trump campaign and its allies moved to quietly kneecap Shapiro. It did so by forging a de facto alliance with the enemy of its enemy, the progressive left.”
- “Tim Walz's election results don't show a clear blue-collar boost,” by NBC’s Steve Kornacki: “The coalition Walz assembled to win his last race in Minnesota looked very similar to what's become the typical post-Obama national Democratic coalition.”
HIT THE ROAD, JOE — Less than three weeks after Democrats persuaded Biden to abandon his presidential bid, aides to Biden and Harris are considering plans to bring him back to the campaign trail to make his first appearance alongside the party’s new nominee, Jonathan Lemire scoops. The date and location have not yet been settled, according to three officials familiar with the plans but not authorized to discuss them publicly. Biden is expected to be deployed strategically — such as to states he won in 2020 like Pennsylvania, Wisconsin and Michigan — and target constituencies where he polled well, such as older white voters. He would focus on some of his popular accomplishments, like the infrastructure law and lowering prescription drug prices. DNC COUNTDOWN — The Democratic National Convention is just two weeks away. Are you headed to Chicago? Join POLITICO for live, in-person conversations with the Democratic Party’s biggest newsmakers. Sign up to get notified when registration opens
| | | | A message from the Brennan Center for Justice:   | | | | | WHAT'S HAPPENING TODAY | | On the Hill The Senate and the House are out. What we’re watching … Rep. ANDY OGLES (R-Tenn.) won renomination to a second term just last week despite being embroiled in allegations about campaign-finance irregularities and resume exaggerations that invited comparisons to former Rep. GEORGE SANTOS (R-N.Y.). Now Ogles appears to be facing a serious federal investigation, with WTVF-TV’s Phil Williams reporting that the FBI executed a search warrant on Ogles, who is currently threatening to impeach VP Harris. Ogles acknowledged the search yesterday, saying agents had seized his cellphone and pledging to “fully cooperate with them, just as I have with the Federal Election Commission.” At the White House Biden will receive the President’s Daily Brief in the morning. On the trail Harris and Walz will travel to Eau Claire, Wisconsin, and Detroit for campaign events at 2:25 p.m. Eastern and 7 p.m., respectively. Vance will match her travel, speaking to the press at 10 a.m. in Shelby Township, Michigan, and at 2 p.m. Eastern in Eau Claire.
| | | | Breaking News Briefing: Where Tim Walz Stands on the Issues — The Democratic ticket is set now that Vice President Kamala Harris has named Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz as her running mate. Join POLITICO Pro on Friday Aug. 9 for a detailed discussion with specialist reporters on what Walz's track record says about the policies he and Harris will embrace in the final stretch of the 2024 presidential campaign. Register for the Briefing | | | | | | | PLAYBOOK READS | | ALL POLITICS
|  In the Missouri gubernatorial primary, Lt. Gov. Mike Kehoe triumphed over state Sen. Bill Eigel and Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft. | David A. Lieb/AP Photo | ABOUT LAST NIGHT — Other than Bell and Bush, the big primary races in Missouri yesterday were mostly on the Republican side. And in contests between more establishment figures and harder-line MAGA candidates, the results were mixed — though, to be sure, just about everyone is pretty aligned with Trump. In the gubernatorial primary, Lt. Gov. MIKE KEHOE triumphed over state Sen. BILL EIGEL and Secretary of State JAY ASHCROFT (a hard-liner who led polls but came in third). Kehoe was seen as the least combative in the race, though all three were endorsed by Trump. AG ANDREW BAILEY fended off a challenge from Trump lawyer WILL SCHARF (again, both endorsed by Trump). For secretary of state, state Sen. DENNY HOSKINS won the GOP primary, while viral anti-gay sensation VALENTINA GOMEZ managed only sixth place. Chalk up one win for the House’s far-right flank, though: BOB ONDER looks likely to replace Rep. BLAINE LUETKEMEYER. Michigan: No surprise, but the pivotal Senate race will officially be Democratic Rep. ELISSA SLOTKIN vs. Republican former Rep. MIKE ROGERS. In two competitive Dem-held House seats, PAUL HUDSON and CARL MARLINGA won GOP primaries. Rep. SHRI THANEDAR survived a challenge in his Detroit-area district, winning by 20 points. N.B.: A glacial vote-counting pace in Detroit last night bodes poorly for November, as FiveThirtyEight’s Mary Radcliffe flags. Washington state: As expected, BOB FERGUSON and DAVE REICHERT will square off for the governor’s mansion in November. In the state’s only tossup congressional race, Democratic Rep. MARIE GLUESENKAMP PEREZ and Republican JOE KENT are heading for a rematch; the Republicans in this all-candidate primary pulled a collective 53 percent yesterday. And Rep. DAN NEWHOUSE, one of only two remaining Republicans who voted to impeach Trump, appears on track for a November matchup with fellow Republican JERROD SESSLER, though only about half of ballots have so far been counted. Kansas: In the GOP primary to take on Democratic Rep. SHARICE DAVIDS, Republican establishment pick PRASANTH REDDY narrowly eked out a win over KAREN CRNKOVICH. More top reads:
- Dept. of meddling: A group with ties to House Democrats appears to be boosting three Republican candidates in the Alaska congressional primary, Ally Mutnick reports. With almost $1 million in ads, Vote Alaska Before Party may be hoping that competing against three conservatives, rather than any independents, would give Democratic Rep. MARY PELTOLA a leg up in the four-way, ranked-choice general election.
- Knowing JARED POLIS: The Colorado governor and new head of the National Governors Association offers advice via Liz Crampton on how Harris can appeal to rural voters: “[S]howing up is the big one. … In terms of an issue frame, it’s really about including everyone in the story of American success.”
AMERICA AND THE WORLD THE OTHER ASSASSINATION PLOT — “Pakistani national with ties to Iran charged in connection to a foiled assassination plot potentially targeting Trump,” by CNN’s Evan Perez and Hannah Rabinowitz: “ASIF MERCHANT, 46, is accused of traveling to New York City and working with a hit man to carry out the assassinations in late August or early September, according to charges filed by federal prosecutors in Brooklyn, New York.” MIDDLE EAST LATEST — The region is still awaiting retaliation against Israel from Iran and Hezbollah, while the Biden administration and its allies are trying desperately to prevent a major conflagration, WaPo’s Missy Ryan, John Hudson, Yasmeen Abutaleb and Karen DeYoung report. But American influence may be limited here. CNN’s Alex Marquardt reports that some officials now fear the response from Hezbollah more than from Tehran. If attacks are coordinated and significant, the Iron Dome may not be enough to protect Israel, which is why it’s working with the U.S. on other air defenses, WSJ’s Anat Peled reports. Meanwhile, YAHYA SINWAR was elevated to become Hamas’ political leader, a step up for the Gaza chieftain accused of leading the Oct. 7 attack that killed nearly 1,200 people. Secretary of State ANTONY BLINKEN said the change just confirms that the decision on whether to come to a cease-fire deal really is in Sinwar’s hands, per Bloomberg. BIDEN GETS RESULTS — “China imposes restrictions on fentanyl chemicals after pressure from US,” by FT’s Demetri Sevastopulo KSM FALLOUT — One of the most prominent 9/11 victim family members, former Solicitor General THEODORE OLSON, told NYT’s Carol Rosenberg that he supported the now-rescinded plea deal for KHALID SHEIKH MOHAMMED and other accused 9/11 plotters: “There was never going to be an enforceable death penalty anyway.”
| | | | A message from the Brennan Center for Justice:   | | | 2024 WATCH DEMOCRACY WATCH — In a closely watched 3-2 vote, Republicans on the Georgia Election Board decided yesterday to give local officials more leeway in deciding to certify election results, The Atlanta-Journal Constitution’s Mark Niesse reports. Critics warned that it could provide a pretext for election fraud claims to throw the outcome into chaos. WHAT SUSIE WILES IS READING — “Heritage President To Delay Book Publication After Project 2025 Firestorm,” by RealClearPolitics’ Philip Wegmann: “Notably, Ohio Sen. J.D. Vance, a friend of [KEVIN] ROBERTS and the Republican nominee for vice president, wrote the foreword of that book entitled ‘Dawn’s Early Light.’ ‘There’s a time for writing, reading, and book tours – and a time to put down the books and go fight like hell to take back our country,’ Roberts wrote in a statement to RCP.” POLL POSITION — The latest surveys yesterday were a bit of a mixed bag: Marist found Harris leading by 3 nationally, but Redfield & Wilton Strategies’ state polls had Trump ahead in Georgia, Michigan, North Carolina and Pennsylvania. Perhaps most interesting: Now that he’s out of the race, Biden’s approval rating has jumped to 46 percent in the Marist poll. HOW TRUMP WINS — “Kamala Harris Has a Scranton Problem,” by NOTUS’ Katherine Swartz: “[F]or all the new energy, there’s new concern about her winning coalition. Harris’ support among white, non-college-educated voters — the voters who helped win Pennsylvania for Biden and, therefore, propelled him to the presidency — is far from guaranteed.” MARK YOUR CALENDARS — Trump announced that he’ll do a big interview with ELON MUSK on Monday. TRUMP CARDS
|  Justice Juan Merchan said yesterday that his decision on Donald Trump team’s effort to toss out his guilty verdict will come Sept. 16. | Joe Raedle/Getty Images | THE TRUMP TRIALS — We’ll have to wait an extra 10 days for a presidential immunity ruling on Trump’s criminal hush money conviction. Justice JUAN MERCHAN said yesterday that his decision on the Trump team’s effort to toss out his guilty verdict will come Sept. 16, not Sept. 6 as was previously scheduled, AP’s Jennifer Peltz reports. That would be just two days before Trump’s potential sentencing finally comes down. (Merchan also has to rule beforehand on whether to recuse himself.) The former president is trying to get the whole verdict overturned and tossed out, citing the Supreme Court’s recent ruling granting presidents some significant criminal immunity. If Merchan stays the course, the sentencing will likely be Trump’s only pre-election legal reckoning. Trump almost faced yet another criminal case — in Arizona. Documents newly released yesterday showed that at least some grand jurors there wanted to indict Trump for trying to overturn the 2020 election, as part of the sprawling subversion/fake electors case that ultimately led to 18 people being charged. But prosecutors and Arizona AG KRIS MAYES recommended otherwise, saying it would be redundant and also citing a lack of evidence. More from the Arizona Republic … The case is nonetheless moving along, as fake elector LORRAINE PELLEGRINO pleaded guilty, the first person to do so, per Kyle Cheney. POLICY CORNER SUCCESS STORY — It hasn’t gotten much public notice, but the U.S. has seen remarkable achievement in tackling homelessness among veterans, slashing their numbers by more than half over the past 16 years, NYT’s Jason DeParle reports from LA in an illuminating policy solutions story. From the GEORGE W. BUSH administration to the Biden administration, the VA and HUD have combined — with major financial support from Congress — to make a difference that advocates say could provide a template for tackling homelessness writ large. Hefty vouchers — which take much less time to reach veterans than other homeless people — have been a significant factor, helping keep people afloat despite a punishing housing market. The cost exceeds $900 million annually. “The veterans effort stands out in homelessness policy precisely because it is not primarily constrained by a lack of money,” DeParle writes. More top reads:
| | | | SUBSCRIBE TO GLOBAL PLAYBOOK: Don’t miss out on POLITICO’s Global Playbook, our newsletter taking you inside pivotal discussions at the most influential gatherings in the world. Suzanne Lynch delivers the world's elite and influential moments directly to you. Stay in the global loop. SUBSCRIBE NOW. | | | | | | | PLAYBOOKERS | | Kamala Harris will get a boost from the cybersecurity industry. Tim Walz, Josh Shapiro, Phil Murphy and Beto O’Rourke have all gone to see Bruce Springsteen together. Penny Pritzker is leaving her role as U.S. special representative for Ukraine’s economic recovery. Trey Yingst has a new promotion and a new book in the works on the Israel-Hamas war. IN MEMORIAM — “Rich Galen, a long-time Republican consultant and writer has died,” his son Reed writes in. “He was 77. During a 40 year career in Washington he worked on Capitol Hill at the National Republican Congressional Committee and for the likes of Senator Dan Quayle and Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich and too many other campaigns and projects to count. Galen did extensive work with the International Republican Institute, including helping Eastern Bloc countries develop political parties after the fall of the Berlin Wall.” More from Reed — “Barbara Howar, whose hit memoir dished on D.C. society, dies at 89,” by WaPo’s Harrison Smith: “Initially known as a Georgetown hostess, she became a best-selling author with her candid 1973 memoir, ‘Laughing All the Way.’ She later interviewed celebrities for ‘Entertainment Tonight.’” FIRST IN PLAYBOOK — P2 Public Affairs is adding Alexa Henning as an SVP, and elevating Katherine Neal to an SVP and Shelby Hanson to chief of staff. Henning most recently was comms director for Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders, for whom she also worked in the Trump White House. — Kollin Crompton is joining the Republican Governors Association as rapid response director. He previously was deputy comms director for Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds. MEDIA MOVES — Bradley Devlin will be political editor of the Daily Signal. He currently is political editor of The American Conservative. … Sam Ogozalek is joining POLITICO to cover transportation and technology. He previously was a public health reporter at the Tampa Bay Times. TRANSITIONS — Lauren Tomlinson is joining Cornerstone’s public affairs practice. She previously co-founded Steer PR and ran her own company, Claffey Communications, and is a Trump DHS alum. … Lauren Larson is joining Natcast, the entity that operates the National Semiconductor Technology Center consortium, as CFO and chief administrative officer. She most recently was budget director for Colorado … … Dezenhall Resources is adding Maggie Johnston as a director, David Manitsky as a senior counselor, Nathaniel Beach as a counselor and Helen Taylor as an associate. … Dany Bahar is now director of the Center for Global Development’s migration, displacement and humanitarian policy program. He most recently has been an associate professor of the practice of international and public affairs at Brown University’s Watson Institute. … Todd Keator is now a principal at Deloitte Tax LLP and leader of the Washington National Tax Sec. 1031 exchange practice. He previously co-led the tax, executive compensation and employee benefits practice at Holland & Knight. HAPPY BIRTHDAY: Reps. Chip Roy (R-Texas), Abigail Spanberger (D-Va.) and Mary Miller (R-Ill.) … Robert Mueller (8-0) … NYT’s Jonathan Swan … Axios’ Sara Fischer … Larry Sabato of the U.Va. Center for Politics … Reason’s Nick Gillespie … Ron Christie … Andrew Gradison … The Atlantic’s Scott Stossel … Allyn Brooks-LaSure … Matt Mazonkey of Airbus … Alisa Wolking … Jordan Heiliczer of the National Restaurant Association … POLITICO’s Nate Robson … Jenn Lore London … Bruce Friedrich of the Good Food Institute … Juven Jacob of HUD … Kimberly Ellis of Monument Advocacy … Washington Examiner’s Breanne Deppisch … Alex Kahan … Caitlin Legacki … Ryan Callanan … Tamika Mason of Rep. Jim Clyburn’s (D-S.C.) office … Tom McClusky … Wesley Derryberry of Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati … Andrew Lott … Kirsten Borman Dougherty … Ryan Pettit … Hollie Tracz … Alan Keyes … Susan Feeney of GMMB … former Commerce Secretary Mickey Kantor ... George Kelemen … James Owens … BGR Group’s Jerry Strickland … Dan Merica … Matt Dornic … H.W. Brands 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 Playbook Daily Briefing producer Callan Tansill-Suddath.
| | | | A message from the Brennan Center for Justice: In response to a cascade of ethics scandals laying bare a system in which Supreme Court justices wield tremendous power for decades with little accountability, President Biden has called for 18-year term limits and a binding code of ethics. These reforms have bipartisan support among a majority of Americans. Congress must take action to establish 18-year term limits and bring regular turnover to the bench. Doing so would save the Court from itself, helping to drain the toxicity from the confirmation process and restore balance to the bench. These are conservative ideas, resting on a foundational premise of accountability: nobody should hold too much public power for too long. The result would be a Court that better reflects American values. To learn more about the constitutionality of term limits, visit the Brennan Center’s term limits resources. | | | | | | | 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 political and policy newsletters | | Follow us | | | | |
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