| | | |  | | By Jack Blanchard with Dasha Burns | | Presented by |  | | | With help from Eli Okun and Bethany Irvine On this morning’s podcast, Dasha and I discuss the eruption of violence in Los Angeles and its political fallout; and the latest on Elon Musk’s falling-out with Donald Trump. Plus — what it’s like to call Trump on his cell on a Thursday night … and have him pick up.
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| Good Monday morning. This is Jack Blanchard. WHERE ELON’S AT: Having spent the weekend musing about space travel — and largely avoiding politics — Musk threw himself foursquare behind the Trump administration last night as the Los Angeles ICE protests descended into violent chaos. Musk loyally reposted messages from VP JD Vance and from Trump himself, with his own interventions all American flag emojis and anti-protester messaging. It’s the latest sign that the uneasy truce between the world’s richest man and the world’s most powerful politician is holding — kind of — for now. Making X Great Again: Those jaw-dropping exchanges of last week proved Musk’s version of social media can still deliver the goods when it counts — and it did so again last night when Musk was forced to publicly rebuke his own AI bot, Grok, for wrongly verifying a fabricated X post related to Musk and the wife of White House aide Stephen Miller. Katie Miller is one of Musk’s closest advisers, and it’s fair to say her loyalties have been the subject of endless discussion in D.C. since the messy Musk-Trump breakup. Maybe AI isn’t quite all it’s cracked up to be. In today’s Playbook … — Trump wants troops on the ground in L.A. after a violent night of protest and rioting ... — … as the president’s hard-hitting travel ban comes into effect. — U.S. and Chinese negotiators meet in London to talk trade.
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“Looking really bad in L.A.,” President Donald Trump wrote on Truth Social, shortly after midnight. “BRING IN THE TROOPS!!!” | Mario Tama/Getty Images | FIRE AND ICE: Downtown Los Angeles is finally quiet this morning after a third day of protests over ICE raids in the city descended into extraordinary scenes of violence. Masked rioters set cars alight and pelted cops with rocks as law enforcement officers fired tear gas and so-called “less lethal” rounds in an attempt to restore order. Trump’s controversially deployed National Guard appear to have played a relatively minor role so far — but that doesn’t mean last night’s violence was anything other than a major political event. America, 2025: The scenes everyone will be talking about this morning … Masked protesters pose for photos with Mexican flags in front of a burning vehicle in downtown LA … A law enforcement official shoots an Australian journalist with non-lethal ammo, the moment captured on her own rolling news camera … Protesters pelt stranded police vehicles with e-scooters and rocks from an occupied freeway bridge … A shirtless van driver attempts to reverse-ram rioters at spinning high speeds before racing off into the night … (Second vid here from ground level). Main character energy: As the two sides fought it out on the streets yesterday evening, a familiar air war was playing out across social media. The principal characters, predictably, are Trump and his old foe Gavin Newsom, the Democratic governor of California, each egged-on by the usual suspects, each seeming to relish a moment of maximum confrontation. For Trump, this is simply a fight he has been waiting for. The president was under no illusions about the protests that would eventually meet his deportation strategy, nor in any doubt about how he would respond when the moment came. And Saturday’s historic decision to send in the National Guard may only be the start; last night Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth put 500 Marines on standby for deployment. And then … this: “Looking really bad in L.A.,” Trump wrote on Truth Social, shortly after midnight. “BRING IN THE TROOPS!!!” Helping Trump’s cause were comments from the LAPD that the situation has spiraled “out of control” (though Newsom is blaming Trump himself for that.) It’s worth noting that Trump has not ruled out invoking the 1807 Insurrection Act — which gives authority for a president to deploy the U.S. military on the streets — though he told reporters yesterday afternoon that he did not believe the current situation meets that bar. This is diving-line politics, and Trump thinks he is on the winning side. The president knows Democrats will stand in opposition to his every move in L.A, but believes the popularity of his immigration policies means he has enough of the public on his side. And for these protests to have escalated so rapidly into televised riots makes the ideal backdrop for the White House’s messaging; they want the president standing up for law and order, and the deluded Dems on the side of flag-waving rioters. The fact it all came just as Trump faced one of the toughest news cycles of his presidency is just … a delicious bonus. Elon who? But for Newsom, there’s a big opportunity too — to stand up to a bullying opponent on behalf of his home state, while playing to the broader Democratic base ahead of 2028. It was striking to see Newsom invite the Dem-friendly MSNBC cameras right inside his situation room last night to stick it to Trump directly, even as the violence on the streets continued. “Donald Trump needs to pull back,” Newsom told viewers sternly. “He needs to stand down. Donald Trump is inflaming these conditions.” And there’s more: There were even echoes of the WWE locker room when Newsom was told that border czar Tom Homan has not ruled out arresting California’s leaders if they obstruct federal law enforcement. “He’s a tough guy. Why doesn’t he do that?” Newsom shot back. “He knows where to find me.” Addressing Homan directly, he added: “Lay your hands off four-year-old girls who are trying to get an education … Come after me. Arrest me. Let’s just get it over with, tough guy.” Reminder: these people are meant to be the grown-ups. Must-see TV: Homan will be doing more TV hits this morning, including "Morning Joe" at 9 a.m., and seems unlikely to dial things down.
| | A message from PhRMA: Let's address the real reasons Americans pay more for medicines.
The U.S. is the only country in the world with 340B hospital markups and PBM middlemen fees driving up costs for patients. Americans also foot the bill for the research and development of new treatments and cures, while other countries don't pay their fair share. It's time to lower drug prices by cracking down on middlemen and foreign free riders. Learn more. | | | | Where do we go from here? To the courts, most likely. Newsom said he intends to challenge Trump’s “illegal” decision to send in the National Guard, so we can expect some legal drama on that front later in the day. (Both the NYT and WaPo have already taken helpful looks at the uncertain legalities of Trump’s actions.) The president, meanwhile, spent last night at Camp David with military aides and will return to the White House this morning. Let’s see if he ratchets things up another notch when he faces the press. And then it’s all eyes on L.A. to see if protesters return to the streets for a fourth-consecutive day. Keep a close eye, too, on other liberally minded cities around the U.S. — these protests have a way of spreading, as we’ve seen before. Timing is everything: This latest skirmish in the immigration wars comes just as Trump’s travel ban on people from various listed countries comes into effect, per the AP. Among those hit will be Afghan refugees hoping to get a family member away from the Taliban (per AP again) … Countless understaffed restaurants around the U.S. (per the FT) … and soccer fans who’d planned to watch either this summer’s Club World Cup or next year’s FIFA World Cup, both of which are being hosted in the U.S. (per the NYT). Expect plenty more stories like these in the weeks ahead.
| | | | A message from PhRMA:  
| | | | TRADING PLACES DANCE OF THE SUPERPOWERS: Top negotiators from the U.S. and China are meeting in London today for the latest round of trade talks between the world’s largest economies — but the focus will not be on the tariffs and counter-tariffs that spiraled into a trade war earlier this year. Instead, the immediate emphasis is on export controls and rare earth minerals, another crucial front of commercial tensions between Washington and Beijing. More here from Reuters At the table: Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick is leading talks for the U.S. with Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and USTR Jamieson Greer. Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng is leading the other delegation. And expectations are reasonably high for a breakthrough: National Economic Council Director Kevin Hassett said on CBS’ “Face the Nation” that he’s “very comfortable that this deal is about to be closed” after today’s talks. The negotiations follow Trump’s first (known) phone call with Chinese President Xi Jinping since his return to the White House on Jan. 20. Control freaks: Expect to hear a lot more about export controls in the days and weeks ahead, given each side has a wish list of demands from the other. The Americans are eager to gain access to rare earth minerals, as WSJ’s Lingling Wei and Gavin Bade lay out, while Beijing is eyeing American jet engines and other technology. Businesses in both countries have started to find the restricted products they need in very short supply. The stakes: The talks provide “a glimmer of hope” that tensions can be turned down, Bloomberg’s Catherine Lucey and Daniel Flatley write. “Xi appears to be betting that a reset in ties will lead to tangible wins in the weeks and months ahead.” Markets, which have been ultra-sensitive to every twist and turn of this trade war, will be watching closely.
| | | | Playbook isn’t just a newsletter — it’s a podcast, too. With new co-hosts who bring unmatched Trump world reporting and analysis, The Playbook Podcast dives deeper into the power plays shaping Washington. Get the insider edge—start listening now. | | | | | MEANWHILE ON THE HILL RECONCILABLE DIFFERENCES: Senators return to town today for another high-stakes week of haggling over Republicans’ reconciliation megabill. And though plenty of senators have made plenty of noise recently, the key man to watch is Senate Finance Chair Mike Crapo (R-Wyo.), who’s expected to put out his panel’s critical piece of bill text this week, POLITICO’s Benjamin Guggenheim reports. Though he largely keeps a low profile, Crapo can be “one of Capitol Hill’s most calculating dealmakers.” Everyone’s waiting to see where he lands on tax breaks, Medicaid cuts, SALT and more. (More on Crapo’s “megabill Mission: Impossible” from our Inside Congress colleagues.) On the issues: One tax provision in particular has spurred a wave of concern from Wall Street — a “revenge tax” taking aim at foreign investments from certain countries. People from about 70 companies and major banks will hit the Hill this week to lobby against the measure, FT’s Martin Arnold and Alex Rogers report. Some advocates have also raised concerns about the House bill’s stricter limits on Pell Grant eligibility, CNBC’s Annie Nova and Jessica Dickler detail. The politics: The debate over whether the bill’s changes to Medicaid constitute “cuts” reflects just how much the politics around the program have shifted, POLITICO’s Jessica Piper and colleagues report. Republicans who openly called for Medicaid cuts in previous years are now trying to rebrand budget cuts as necessary steps to strengthen the program’s viability, in recognition of their electoral inroads with working-class voters who depend on it. But Democrats still believe they can make the GOP pay at the ballot box. It all cuts to the “populist paradox at the heart of MAGA,” Axios’ Tal Axelrod and Zachary Basu write. ELSEWHERE IN CONGRESS: The House Rules Committee will meet at 4 p.m. to tee up bills targeting local D.C. immigration laws and the HALT Fentanyl Act. On the House floor, the chamber at 2 p.m. will take up two resolutions condemning the recent fire attack in Boulder, Colorado. One is straightforward; but the other has been complicated by Republicans’ inclusion of language that refers to the “Free Palestine” slogan as antisemitic, Axios’ Andrew Solender reports: Many Democrats are now in a bind as to how to vote. Coming attractions: The House is expected to vote tomorrow on Trump’s rescissions package, which claws back funding for the current fiscal year from foreign aid and public broadcasting budgets. Speaker Mike Johnson could have tight numbers — Rep. Don Bacon (R-Neb.), for one, tells NYT’s Annie Karni he’ll vote no over its cuts to PEPFAR. (He also won’t say whether he voted for Trump, and remarks of the GOP more broadly: “I don’t want to be the guy who follows the flute player off the cliff. I think that’s what’s going on right now.”)
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| | | | BEST OF THE REST FIRST IN PLAYBOOK: Despite the Trump administration’s gleeful destruction of U.S. foreign aid, Secretary of State Marco Rubio insists that the lifesaving PEPFAR program is still 85 percent operational. But he and his department have repeatedly refused to provide clear evidence the claim is true, POLITICO’s Carmen Paun and colleagues report — and Democrats say outright that he’s lying. At stake are millions of lives. “People who worked on implementing PEPFAR, both inside and outside the government, as well as advocates for HIV prevention and care, are alarmed” despite Rubio’s reassurances, especially as foreign aid cuts have reportedly already killed people in multiple countries. Related read: Bill Gates went to the White House on Friday and begged Rubio to unwind the Department of Government Efficiency’s massive cuts to foreign aid, The Red Letter’s Tara Palmeri scooped. But the secretary of State “informed Gates that even with Musk out, they have no plans to reverse the cuts.” MORE DOGE FALLOUT: With summer travel kicking into high gear, mass layoffs have left America’s national parks seriously understaffed, Reuters’ Steve Gorman and colleagues report. “The risk of a public backlash against Trump if conditions at the national parks prove unpleasant for visitors this summer is significant.” TOP TALKER: ABC has suspended longtime senior national correspondent Terry Moran after he posted an opinionated, sharply critical overnight social-media analysis of Stephen Miller, CNN’s Brian Stelter reports. Top White House officials had taken intense umbrage to Moran’s comments. Moran had said the White House deputy chief of staff and architect of the intense immigration crackdown is deeply motivated by hate: “hatreds are his spiritual nourishment.” ABC said he’d violated the network’s standards of “objectivity and impartiality.” SCHOOL TIES: “Trump officials are vowing to end school desegregation orders. Some parents say they’re still needed,” by AP’s Collin Binkley and Sharon Lurye in Ferriday, Louisiana: GOP leaders “describe the orders as burdens on districts and relics of a time when Black students were still forbidden from some schools. … Civil rights groups say the orders are important to keep as tools to address the legacy of forced segregation — including disparities in student discipline, academic programs and teacher hiring.”
| | | | Cut through policy complexity and turn intelligence into action with POLITICO’s Policy Intelligence Assistant—a new suite of tools designed to save you time and demonstrate your impact more easily than ever—available only to Pro subscribers. Save hours, uncover critical insights instantly, and stay ahead of the next big shift. Power your strategy today—learn more. | | | | | | | TALK OF THE TOWN | | Usha Vance hosted a “Camp VPR” at the VP’s residence this weekend, entertaining hundreds of kids with books, water slides and more. It’s meant to launch a new annual tradition. Julian Raven, whose Donald Trump painting was rejected by the National Portrait Gallery in 2016, is hoping it’ll finally get in if the White House installs new conservative leadership. PLAYBOOK METRO SECTION — “‘Not just a party:’ World Pride celebrations end with defiant politics on display,” by AP’s Christine Fernando and colleagues: “Protesters cheered on LGBTQ+ activists taking the stage … They held signs declaring ‘Fight back,’ ‘Gay is good,’ ‘Ban bombs not bathrooms’ and ‘We will not be erased.’ Trump’s campaign against transgender protections and oft-stated antipathy for drag shows have set the community on edge, with some hoping to see a renewed wave of street politics in response.” TRANSITIONS — Shang Yi has been sworn in as acting administrator of the U.S. Maritime Administration. He most recently was director of investigations for the House Homeland Security Committee. … Rey Fuentes is joining the Roosevelt Institute’s think tank as director of strategic initiatives. He previously was an attorney at the Labor Department. WEEKEND WEDDINGS — Sarah Hasse, an associate at Brunswick Group and a Trump White House alum, and JT Blodgett, a systems engineer at Lockheed Martin, got married Saturday in Moab, Utah. They met through mutual friends in D.C. in 2019. Pic … SPOTTED: Zach and Hillary Parkinson, Jalen Drummond, Ninio Fetalvo, Charli Huddleston, Weston Loyd, Madeline Meeker, Claire Umetin, Kelly Armstrong, Alex Miller and Ryan Ritchie. — Maddy Witchey, account manager at Allison, and Robert Walsh, supervisor at Ryan & Wetmore, got married Saturday at Holy Trinity Catholic Church, with a reception at the National Museum of Women in the Arts. They met in 2019 at Hamilton’s Bar & Grill over a love for football. Pic … Another pic HAPPY BIRTHDAY: Ray Salazar of House Minority Whip Katherine Clark’s (D-Mass.) office … Joe Curl … Susannah Luthi … Marvin Kalb (95) … Margaret Talev … Liz Mair … Charisma Troiano … Yonathan Teclu of Rep. Ilhan Omar’s (D-Minn.) office … DSCC’s Laura Matthews … Jess O’Connell of Newco Strategies … Jeff Solnet ... Delve’s Jeff Berkowitz … Dante Atkins … Candi Wolff of Citi … Ria Strasser-Galvis … Newsweek’s Ramsen Shamon … Alexandra Toma … former Rep. Kendra Horn (D-Okla.) … Ken Adelman … Lori Lodes of Climate Power … Democracy Forward’s Skye Perryman … Parker Butler … Kelsey Glover … Matthew Martini … Daniel Rankin of Rep. Don Bacon’s (R-Neb.) office … Arkansas Lt. Gov. Leslie Rutledge … Aryele Bradford of Rep. Shomari Figures’ (D-Ala.) office … Zac Petkanas … Semafor’s Sarah Amin … Raj Goyle (5-0) 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 misstated Rob Simms’ previous job title. He is a former NRCC executive director.
| | A message from PhRMA: Foreign-first pricing is a bad deal for American patients.
Government price setting policies like foreign reference pricing are bad for American patients, especially over the long term. These "foreign-first pricing" schemes don't guarantee lower costs. Instead, they take away dollars that could be invested in American manufacturing and undermine biopharma R&D. Most importantly, foreign reference pricing fails to address the real reasons Americans pay more for medicines than other countries: PBM middleman fees, 340B hospital markups and foreign governments not paying their fair share for innovative medicines. We must address these issues to support American patients in accessing and affording the medicines they need, while ensuring the United States remains the global leader in biopharmaceutical innovation. 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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