| | | |  | | By Jack Blanchard with Dasha Burns | | Presented by |  | | | With help from Eli Okun and Bethany Irvine
| | | Good Tuesday morning. This is Jack Blanchard, stuffed full of marionberry cobbler after a weekend on the magnificent Oregon coast. SO HOW WAS YOUR MEMORIAL DAY WEEKEND? Not as weird as Donald Trump’s, I’ll wager. Sometimes, it’s helpful to take a step back and just … note what happened. On Saturday — as is traditional — the president delivered the annual commencement address at the United States Military Academy at West Point. Except most presidents would not don a baseball cap emblazoned with a political slogan and then veer off for the best part of an hour with a campaign-style rally speech attacking “drag shows” and “critical race theory,” complaining about their treatment by law enforcement and offering musings on — checks notes — “trophy wives” to the watching cadets. On Sunday — less traditional, though becoming commonplace — Trump abruptly canned the 50 percent tariffs he’d announced barely 48 hours earlier on one of America’s closest allies, the European Union. (The two sides now have six weeks to cut a deal.) A few hours later, Trump was tearing into Russian President Vladimir Putin for killing civilians in Ukraine, insisting that “something has happened” to send his former friend “CRAZY” … while ignoring the fact Putin has been doing exactly this for the past three years. Then on Monday — back to tradition — the president delivered a solemn Memorial Day tribute to the fallen at Arlington National Ceremony … except most presidents maybe don’t get quite as political as he did. And they certainly don’t precede the occasion with a 174-word ALL-CAPS social media post which starts “HAPPY MEMORIAL DAY TO ALL, INCLUDING THE SCUM THAT SPENT THE LAST FOUR YEARS TRYING TO DESTROY OUR COUNTRY …” and takes in “MENTALLY INSANE” migrants, “WARPED RADICAL” Democrats and “USA HATING” judges, among others. Finally, Trump wrapped the long weekend … by pardoning former Sheriff Scott Jenkins, of Virginia, who was facing 10 years in prison after being convicted by a jury of accepting more than $75,000 in bribes. (Jenkins blames a Joe Biden-appointed judge for his plight, and it seems the current president agrees.) Despite the jaw-dropping nature of this move, it will barely register in the context of the past six months of American politics. It’s easy to get numb to all this stuff: But if we’re going to (rightly) hammer much of the media for failing to cover Biden’s decline when it was hiding in plain sight, it’s probably also incumbent on us to keep on pointing out that weekends like this are, in a different way, also unimaginably far from traditional presidential behavior. Equally, Trump has (very publicly) acted like this for years — and won reelection without softening his edges. And for plenty of his supporters, this bewildering, careening, no-holds-barred approach to the presidency is entirely the point. It’s certainly a spectacle. In today’s Playbook … — The world holds its breath for Trump’s next moves on Ukraine, Iran and Gaza. — Trade talks with Europe start in earnest after Trump’s weekend whirlwind. — Dems try to drag themselves back into the game. Could Michigan be the place it all starts?
|  | DRIVING THE DAY | | | 
President Donald Trump is in line for a big week focusing on a handful of foreign policy fronts. | Jacquelyn Martin/AP Photo | THE SOUND OF SILENCE: There’s nothing on Trump’s public schedule today. The House and the Senate are out all week. People are only just trickling back to work in D.C. after the holiday weekend, battling through the lines last night at Dulles and National (pic). Beyond Trump’s social media feed — which may erupt with news, or at least vitriol, periodically through the day — all the biggest things to watch for are in the realm of foreign affairs. ON UKRAINE: The world is waiting to see where Trump goes next after his angry attacks on Putin at the weekend. (Moscow yesterday dubbed Trump “emotional,” per Semafor, which is unlikely to help.) The WSJ’s Annie Linskey, Alex Ward and Josh Dawsey report Trump is now “eyeing” new sanctions on Russia later this week, but has yet to make a final decision. “Trump is also tiring of the peace negotiations and is considering abandoning them all together if a final push doesn’t work,” the Journal’s team reports. It could be the biggest thing to watch in the days ahead. But the big unanswered question remains: What does walking away actually mean? Walk away from peace talks — or walk away from Ukraine altogether? If they haven’t already, things may come to a head when Trump meets Western allies at the annual NATO summit in The Hague next month. (The NYT’s Steven Erlanger has a helpful preview.) NATO boss Mark Rutte rolled the pitch yesterday, predicting the summit will see all NATO members sign up to the president’s astonishing stretch target of spending 5 percent of GDP on defense. Trump would surely see that as a massive win. ON IRAN: Various Trump administration officials have hinted for the past couple of weeks that the U.S. is on the verge of a new nuclear deal with Iran — and Trump himself said Sunday that he could have positive news “over the next two days.” So keep a close eye out for that through the day. Another big unanswered question: How different will Trump’s deal be to the Barack Obama-era agreement he scrapped? And how much has been gained by the hiatus?
| | | | A message from The National Association of REALTORS®: The House-passed One Big Beautiful Bill Act is positive for homeownership and the middle class, with strong bipartisan voter backing. Key provisions—like lower tax rates, SALT relief, and incentives for small businesses and community investment—make housing more affordable and strengthen communities and the American Dream. While this bill brings real benefits, more bipartisan action is needed to reduce housing costs. Learn more. | | | | ON GAZA: The picture here is very confused, with Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff attacking Hamas yesterday for a “disappointing” response to his latest peace proposal, Axios’ Barak Ravid reports. (Hamas actually claimed it accepted a peace deal — Israel and the U.S. say it has not.) The U.S. remains still locked in negotiations with both sides, but there’s little sign of positive news. “Meanwhile, the Israel Defense Forces are proceeding with an operation to displace all 2 million Palestinians in Gaza to a ‘humanitarian zone’ and flatten most of the enclave,” Ravid writes. And you know this already: But the stories coming out of the strip are harrowing. AND ON THE 51ST STATE: Fans of “The Crown” can soak up scenes of pomp and ceremony north of the border today, with King Charles III in Ottawa for the formal opening of parliament. It’s the first time since 1977 that a British monarch has visited Canada for the “Speech from the Throne” (yes, of course they have a throne), and it’s being seen as a stern reminder to a certain would-be-king down here in D.C. that Canada is a Commonwealth country with a very different history — and constitution — to the United States. Will Trump respond? The palace intrigue: So how did new Canadian PM Mark Carney bag a royal visit at such a sensitive time? Well — the fact his brother works as a courtier in Kensington Palace probably didn’t hurt, per POLITICO’s Annabelle Dickson and colleagues.
| | | | A message from The National Association of REALTORS®:  
The House-passed One Big Beautiful Bill Act supports the middle class with broad voter support for provisions that boost housing affordability, community investment, and small businesses. Learn more. | | | | TRADING PLACES SUCKS TO BE EU: Trade talks between the U.S. and EU should take on a fresh urgency this week after Trump’s flash announcement of — and flash backtrack on — severe new tariffs for the bloc. EU trade chief Maroš Šefčovič said he’s in “constant contact” with American officials after calls yesterday with Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick and USTR Jamieson Greer. But the mood music is not good: Europe is preparing countermeasures even as it hopes both sides will cut a deal to slash levies, POLITICO’s Gregory Svirnovskiy reports, with one EU official deriding the latest developments as “self-sabotaging drivel.” With the new July 9 deadline already looming, the Americans and Europeans retain deep disagreements over trade policy, NYT’s Jeanna Smialek reports. Some small businesses in the U.S. are already staring down a difficult tariff-fueled choice: raise prices or swallow the financial hit, NBC’s Kayla Steinberg reports. And this won’t help: Bloomberg’s Melissa Shin details how the GOP’s draft reconciliation bill takes aim at nations like France and other U.S. allies who have imposed “digital services taxes,” which Republicans view as unfair. New British Ambassador Peter Mandelson will look to build bridges with a call at the Atlantic Council at 9 a.m. to “Make Alliances Great Again,” urging stronger economic security, deeper tech co-development and expanded European militaries as a bulwark against Chinese tech dominance. Speaking of which: China’s next five-year plan for its economy may run counter to U.S. hopes for a rebalancing of trade patterns between the two nations, Bloomberg reports. President Xi Jinping’s administration is weighing a “made in China” blueprint that emphasizes homegrown manufacturing of technologies like semiconductor chips. On the other hand, a big new NYT report from across the Asia-Pacific notes China’s soft underbelly in the ongoing talks with the U.S. — the threat of losing vast numbers of jobs if tariffs are reinstalled.
| | | | Did you know Playbook goes beyond the newsletter—with powerhouse new co-hosts at the mic? Tune in to The Playbook Podcast every weekday for exclusive intel and sharp analysis on Trump’s Washington, straight from Jack Blanchard and Dasha Burns. Start listening now. | | | | | OUT OF THE WILDERNESS FIRST IN PLAYBOOK: As Democrats search for a way back to power, those in southern states say the party has to get better at connecting with working-class voters on the economy and the border, POLITICO’s Liz Crampton reports. — One potential model: Though Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer drew ire from many national Democrats for her recent Oval Office appearance and willingness to work with Trump where their interests overlap, a new polling memo from Impact Research shows her with a healthy 63 percent job approval rating among Michigan voters. Read the memo The talk of Mackinac: Whitmer’s pragmatic approach to Trump is sure to be one of the buzziest topics of conversation today as the annual Mackinac Policy Conference gets underway in Michigan. Playbook’s Zack Stanton and Adam Wren will be on the Island this week to take in the scene as Dems’ path forward in the battleground state takes center stage. Among the storylines they’re watching: The brewing marquee Senate primary (Rep. Haley Stevens vs. state Sen. Mallory McMorrow vs. Bernie-endorsed Abdul El-Sayed vs. former state House Speaker Joe Tate), which offers a major test for the direction of the Democratic Party … and the machinations of the gubernatorial race, in which longtime Democratic Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan’s switch to run statewide as an independent will likely help him garner more support as the Democratic Party’s national image continues to suffer. Shadow dance: Indeed, with the party out of power in Washington and still in a state of post-election disarray, Democrats are struggling to cut through at a national level. But POLITICO Magazine’s Bill Scher has a fun thought experiment: What if the party created a U.K.-style “shadow Cabinet” to lead different messaging and coordinate a response to Trump? Think Mary Barra for Energy, Jon Stewart for VA, Gisele Fetterman for DHS, Ben Stein for SBA, Samantha Power for State and more. Back in the real world … It will be a series of hard-fought primaries — starting next month and running through to 2028 — that will be pivotal to the party’s direction. New Jersey’s gubernatorial primary is now just two weeks away, and POLITICO’s Daniel Han taps into a contradiction from frontrunner Rep. Mikie Sherrill. She’s framing her bid as a change candidacy, but she has fundamentally embraced incumbent Gov. Phil Murphy’s agenda and “is running the most traditional machine campaign possible.” Five other candidates have splintered the opposition. Two weeks later … Comes the NYC mayoral primary, where the only question is whether anyone can stop Andrew Cuomo. The left’s last best hope is that an endorsement by Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez transforms the dynamic — but time for her to back Zohran Mamdani or Brad Lander is running short, N.Y. Mag’s David Freedlander reports. As for 2026: One of the most prominent Democrats in the country, Kamala Harris, is expected to decide about a California gubernatorial bid this summer. State Republicans are now hoping she runs, POLITICO’s Jeremy White reports, viewing her as saddled with baggage and an opportunity to energize their voters. Another Democratic contender, Antonio Villaraigosa, has shifted away from his history of climate advocacy to take in significant oil-industry money, the L.A. Times’ Seema Mehta and Laura Nelson report. … And for your radar: Former The Hill reporter Hanna Trudo has decided against a progressive congressional bid in New Hampshire. And as for 2028: Rahm Emanuel continues to make noises about running for president, saying he wants to move Democrats to the center with economically populist — not “woke” — messaging, WSJ’s John McCormick reports. A bid for Illinois governor is also not off the table.
| | | | A message from The National Association of REALTORS®:  
The House-passed One Big Beautiful Bill Act is positive for homeownership and the middle class. Learn more. | | | | BEST OF THE REST IMMIGRATION FILES: Since the start of the year, more than 10,000 would-be immigrants (almost all Venezuelans) have reversed course and gotten boats from Panama to Colombia, NYT’s Annie Correal reports (from on board one such vessel). Their willingness to undertake a potentially life-threatening journey — for the second time — highlights just how far Trump has transformed the border debate in a few short months. THE DEPORTATION DOLLAR: WSJ’s Elizabeth Findell and colleagues have an illuminating breakdown of how many different companies profit from just one person’s deportation. And AP’s Joshua Goodman dives into the complicated South Florida politics of the growing crackdown on Cuban immigrants. SCHOOL TIES: Trump keeps escalating his fight against Harvard. His latest Truth Social salvo — one of several fired at the Ivy League uni over the holiday weekend — saw the president floating the idea of redirecting $3 billion in frozen federal grants to trade schools. It’s not yet clear how serious the idea is, or how he’d accomplish it. But we’re bound to hear more soon enough. INCOMING: FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino announced the bureau is reopening or ramping up three investigations into topics that have long been hot on the right: the 2021 pipe bombs planted near the DNC and RNC; POLITICO’s 2022 mega-scoop disclosing the Supreme Court draft decision overturning Roe v. Wade; and the bag of cocaine discovered at the White House in 2023. More from CBS ANOTHER INSTITUTION UNDER ATTACK: “GOP declares war on GAO,” by POLITICO’s Jennifer Scholtes and colleagues: “The independent Government Accountability Office has served Congress as the nation’s chief investigator of wrongdoing at federal agencies for more than a century. Now it’s under assault. The typically uncontroversial, under-the-radar agency is fighting to retain power against attempts by Republicans in the Trump administration and on Capitol Hill to undercut its legal conclusions and independence — an onslaught that has been fast and furious.” ALL THAT GLITTERS: With the super-rich having amassed a greater share of America’s wealth than during the Gilded Age, The New Yorker’s Evan Osnos takes a scalpel to concerns about oligarchy and corruption under Trump. The article includes this startling claim, which takes pay-to-play to a whole new level: People can secure individual conversations with Trump by donating $5 million to his super PAC MAGA Inc. BUT BUT BUT: Some of the crypto billionaires who bought a ton of Trump memecoins to bag a seat at last week’s controversial dinner at Trump’s golf club were not exactly impressed with what they got. Some said they found Trump’s speech “inspiring,” per this glorious color write-up in Wired, but others complained about the brevity of his speech, the lack of direct access to Trump and even the quality of the meal. SPEAKING OF CRYPTO: “Trump media group plans to raise $3bn to spend on cryptocurrencies,” by FT’s Antoine Gara and colleagues: “Trump Media & Technology Group, which is behind the Truth Social app and controlled by the president’s family, aims to raise $2bn in fresh equity and another $1bn via a convertible bond … TMTG’s capital raising could be announced ahead of a big meeting of crypto investors and advocates in Las Vegas this week.”
| | | | 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. | | | | | | | TALK OF THE TOWN | | IN MEMORIAM — “Charles B. Rangel, Longtime Harlem Congressman, Dies at 94,” by NYT’s Sam Roberts: He “became the first Black chairman of the powerful House Ways and Means Committee, only to relinquish that position when he was censured for an ethics violation … A mainstay of Harlem’s Democratic old guard, Mr. Rangel was first elected to Congress in 1970 … Mr. Rangel retired in 2016 after winning a 23rd term despite the ethics allegation — making him the ninth-longest continuously serving member of the House in American history. In 2000, he was instrumental in persuading Hillary Clinton to enter electoral politics.” SCENE SETTER — “Members Only: A New Trump Club, Ned’s Club and the Enduring Old Guard,” by NYT’s Elisabeth Bumiller: “In a 2025 Washington firebombed by political and ideological differences, [Executive Branch, Ned’s Club, Metropolitan Club and Cosmos Club] are growing, have wait lists or both. While they have varied levels of snobbery and exclusivity, Executive Branch is an outlier because of the price [up to $500,000] of its access to the White House and its enrichment of the Trump family. But all four clubs reflect the sorting of the city’s establishment into separate corners at a turbulent time.” TRANSITIONS — Sarah Flaim is now head of congressional affairs at Forterra. She most recently was a managing director at DCI Group, and is a Hill alum. … Jared Henderson is now a director of government affairs at Growth Energy. He previously was senior policy adviser for Sen. Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.). WEEKEND WEDDINGS — Andy Flick, a principal at Cornerstone Government Affairs and a Kamala Harris alum, and David Ochsman, a VP at Compass, got married in a small ceremony Friday in Montgomery County, Maryland. They met in D.C. 14 years ago at a cocktail party. Pic — Melissa Byars, an assistant solicitor in South Carolina’s 11th Circuit Solicitor’s Office, and Johnathan Moon, an attorney with Haynsworth Sinkler Boyd, got married on the lawn at The Sanctuary at Kiawah Island on Saturday. Sen. Tim Scott (R-S.C.) officiated. The couple met in law school at the University of South Carolina. Pic … SPOTTED: Reps. Russell Fry (R-S.C.) and William Timmons (R-S.C.), Ellen Weaver, Matt Orr, Kevin Walling and Alex Stroman, Hope Walker Rossi, Megan McKinley and Malcolm McMillan, Van Hipp, Matt Moore, Frances Scott, Angela McCallum and Phillip Habib. HAPPY BIRTHDAY: Reps. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.), Scott Perry (R-Pa.) and Alma Adams (D-N.C.) … David Plouffe … NYT’s Campbell Robertson and Noam Scheiber … former Sen. Chris Dodd (D-Conn.) … Andrew Harnik … former Reps. Jennifer Wexton (D-Va.) and Peter DeFazio (D-Ore.) … Benny Johnson … POLITICO’s Cy Zaneski … Devan Barber … Kat Dimenstein of General Atomics … Andrew Overton … Rasheedah Thomas Ballou of Emerald Digital Solutions … Drew Cole … Brigid Schulte of New America … PhRMA’s Andrew Powaleny … Kelsey Baron … Jenny Sheffield Drucker … Donni Turner of Sen. Michael Bennet’s (D-Colo.) office … Thalia Assuras … Cynthia McFadden … Stefanie Weishaupt Prelesnik Did someone forward this email to you? Sign up here. Send Playbookers tips to playbook@politico.com or text us on Signal here. Playbook couldn’t happen without our editor Zack Stanton, deputy editor Garrett Ross and Playbook Podcast producer Callan Tansill-Suddath. Correction: Yesterday’s Playbook misspelled Dave Chappelle’s name.
| | | | A message from The National Association of REALTORS®: The House-passed One Big Beautiful Bill Act is positive for homeownership and the middle class. A recent survey commissioned by the National Association of REALTORS® shows strong, bipartisan voter support for key provisions in the bill that make housing more affordable. From extending lower tax rates and SALT relief to incentives for small businesses and community investment, this bill delivers real benefits that will strengthen the American Dream and help build resilient communities. However, there is still more bipartisan work to be done to bring down the cost of housing. Learn more. | | | | | | | | Follow us on X | | | | Subscribe to the POLITICO Playbook family Playbook | Playbook PM | California Playbook | Florida Playbook | Illinois Playbook | Massachusetts Playbook | New Jersey Playbook | New York Playbook | Canada Playbook | Brussels Playbook | London Playbook View all our political and policy newsletters | | Follow us | | | |
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