| | | |  | | By Jack Blanchard with Dasha Burns | | Presented by |  | | | With help from Eli Okun, Bethany Irvine and Ali Bianco On today’s Playbook Podcast, Jack and Dasha discuss Donald Trump’s shifting stance on Ukraine — and the surprising gym habits of the D.C. elite.
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| Good Thursday morning. This is Jack Blanchard, just about to hit the six-month mark in the Playbook hot seat. Thanks as always for reading, and do let me know what you think so far. (I try to reply to all the emails, even if it sometimes takes longer than I’d like.) QUICK PROGRAMMING NOTE: Your author will be heading off today for a little R&R, and to give the kids a chance to reconnect with their grandparents. But Playbook, of course, never sleeps — so I'll be leaving you in the capable hands of Adam Wren, Dasha Burns and some of our other star reporters from around the newsroom who will continue to cover the ins and outs of Washington in my absence. Have fun! OH AND WHILE YOU WERE SLEEPING … Former White House tech guy Elon Musk released the new version of his AI chatbot, Grok4, which he says is so smart it will likely "discover new technology” and perhaps “new physics” in the next year or so. Its views on the Third Reich are not yet known … but I dare say we’ll find out soon enough. In today’s Playbook … — The phone call that changed the world. — How to win the Nobel Peace Prize. — Will Trump seal an EU trade deal today?
|  | DRIVING THE DAY | | | 
President Donald Trump has spent the past week making increasingly angry comments about Russian President Vladimir Putin. | Alex Brandon/AP | UKRAINE ON THE BRAIN: A week ago today, Trump had an hourlong phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin. And after that, everything changed. The end of the affair: The U.S. president — who in January came into office claiming he could strike a peace deal with Putin on Day One; who in February berated Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy as a “dictator” who was “gambling with World War III;” and who as recently as May described Putin as a “nice gentleman” — has spent the past week making increasingly angry comments about the Russian president. And with every passing day, the new direction of travel becomes clearer. Today, Secretary of State Marco Rubio will meet with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, with Trump-Putin relations at an all-time low — and with Trump rapidly warming to Zelenskyy and the Ukrainian cause. (Both Trump and Zelenskyy described their call last Friday — one day after Trump’s fateful conversation with Putin — in hugely positive terms.) And it’s not just words: Late last night, Reuters revealed that U.S. weapons shipments to Ukraine have indeed now restarted, just as Trump promised they would. Two officials tell Reuters’ Idrees Ali and Phil Stewart that American-made artillery shells and GMLRS (mobile rocket artillery) missiles are now being provided to Ukraine. It’s unclear whether other parts of the shipment paused by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth last week, such as the Patriot missiles, will also be headed to Kyiv. But it’s looking promising for Ukraine: A buoyant Zelenskyy said he discussed “weapons supplies and strengthening air defense” with Trump’s Ukraine envoy Keith Kellogg yesterday. WaPo’s Michael Birnbaum and Dan Lamothe cite a senior White House official who says Trump has agreed to key Ukrainian requests for military aid “based on a detailed list that Zelenskyy handed him last month when they met in The Hague” at the NATO summit. And it’s not just weapons: Trump’s position on Russian sanctions is clearly evolving too, as Senate Majority Leader John Thune and Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) have been making clear. Thune said yesterday that he expects a vote as soon as this month on the sanctions bill that Graham drew up some time ago, but which has since been gathering dust in Congress. Two weeks to go? The bill looks set to be modified to give Trump complete discretion over whether to actually press ahead with sanctions. But the president’s apparent willingness to sign it off — Graham said yesterday the president is now “good” with the wording — is another indication of the administration’s direction on the issue. We may hear more on the bill’s timing today, with Congress due to break for August recess in two weeks’ time.
| | | | A message from American Beverage: No spin. No judgments. Just the facts from the experts.
When it comes to what your family eats and drinks, you decide. That's why America's beverage companies have launched GoodToKnowFacts.org – a new website that puts easy-to-understand details about the ingredients in our beverages right in your hands, all in one place. For over 140 ingredients, you can find common uses, alternative names and safety assessments from food safety authorities at GoodToKnowFacts.org. | | | | On the ground: Last night saw another intense barrage of hundreds of drone and ballistic missile attacks on residential areas in Kyiv, resulting in multiple civilian deaths and injuries. The pictures of the capital city this morning are bleak; though not as bleak as this story about a remote-piloted Russian drone that killed a Ukrainian toddler in his home. Nevertheless: Before we get too carried away with this new world order, it’s worth remembering that Trump has the propensity to flip back and forth on issues — and on people — all the time. Indeed, America’s European allies are far from convinced Trump’s current mood will last, POLITICO’s Paul McLeary reports. And as The Atlantic’s Nancy Youssef points out in her latest analysis, the uncertainty itself remains a nightmare for Zelenskyy. How do you draw up a proper war strategy when you’re constantly fearing the next weapons pause? And a bigger crunch point is looming. “All weapons that have been provided to Ukraine since Trump took office were approved under President [Joe] Biden,” Youssef writes. “The delivery of those already-approved weapons is expected to run out by the end of the summer. The Trump administration has not asked Congress to fund supplies beyond that. Instead, Ukraine will depend on U.S.-provided funding to build new weapons supplies through contracts with American companies, a years-long process. And although Trump said this week that he would continue to supply Ukraine with defensive weapons, the administration hasn’t provided any details.” In the meantime … Trump may yet switch focus entirely this week and pivot back to Gaza, where his envoy Steve Witkoff had said he expected a peace deal by the weekend. Trump sounded a little more skeptical yesterday, saying only that “we have a chance this week or next week.” But we all know how badly Trump wants to pull off another big peace agreement … so watch this space.
| | | | A message from American Beverage:  
America's beverage companies are making it easier than ever to find transparent information about the ingredients in your favorite beverages. Learn more at GoodToKnowFacts.org. | | | | A NOBEL CAUSE SPEAKING OF PEACE: “I didn’t know I’d be treated this nicely,” Trump beamed yesterday as a procession of African leaders queued up to tell him why he should win the Nobel Peace Prize. “We could do this all day long,” the president joked. But it’s no laughing matter: The Nobel Peace Prize conversation has suddenly become a right of passage for visiting world leaders who want to curry favor with Trump and avoid any chance of a Zelenskyy-style Oval Office meltdown. Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu was at it on Monday night, surprising Trump with a formal nomination for the prize as they chatted before the cameras. “Wow — coming from you, in particular, this is very meaningful,” Trump told Netanyahu, apparently without any sense of irony. In June, Pakistan’s army chief Asim Munir even bagged an invitation to a private lunch with Trump after recommending him for the prize. Trump’s obsession with winning the Nobel Peace Prize is hardly a secret. You’ll have read the numerous insider accounts from his first term relaying Trump’s desire to win the award, an obsession apparently stemming back to former President Barack Obama’s frankly weird win just a few months after taking office in 2009. Indeed the desperation was palpable in this unabashed Truth Social post from late last month when Trump repeatedly complained — six times! — that he’ll never win the award. Truly, the struggle is real for the world’s most powerful man. It's not just world leaders who have noticed. Time Magazine ran a big piece on Trump’s quest for the Nobel Peace Prize this week; last night the WSJ had a decent bite at it too. Suddenly, the prize is the hottest topic in D.C. But does Trump actually understand how it’s given out? One of the African leaders at the White House yesterday tried to gently explain to the U.S. president that currying favor with fellow world leaders in the Oval Office isn’t actually going to help him win the award. “The jury will decide,” explained Senegal President Bassirou Diomaye Faye. “It's not a matter of voting amongst our countries.” Norwegians would: In fact, the Nobel Peace Prize is decided every year by the same five Norwegian academics, handpicked by the Norwegian parliament, who draw up a shortlist each March and then spend the spring and summer deliberating in private. Presumably, at some point Trump is going to realise that the fate of his most-coveted prize lies in the hands of this tiny, five-strong group. Might we see their chair, an impressive young charity CEO called Jørgen Watne Frydnes, being summoned to Mar-a-Lago for a quiet chat? Or — perhaps more likely — being berated as a “Loser!!” in a late night Truth Social post should the prize go elsewhere? The winner is announced in October, so we only have a few months to wait.
| | | | 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. | | | | | TRADING PLACES A NEW DEADLINE LOOMS: As Rubio takes meetings today in Kuala Lumpur with members of ASEAN and senior Malaysian officials, the new Trump tariff agenda is sure to loom over their conversations. Nearly every ASEAN country received a letter this week on the tariffs they’ll face starting Aug. 1, Reuters’ Daphne Psaledakis and David Brunnstrom report. You’ve got mail: Among the letters Trump posted yesterday afternoon was one announcing a whopping 50 percent tariff on Brazil. And unlike the other copy-and-paste missives, his Brazil letter opened by defending former President Jair Bolsonaro and raging against his prosecution for alleged involvement in an attempt to overthrow the results of the nation’s 2022 election — which he lost. Trump called it an “international disgrace.” And the tariff rates could even increase, as Trump has directed U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer to open a tariff investigation. More from POLITICO’s Ari Hawkins and colleagues Not having it: Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, released his response on X: “Brazil is a sovereign nation with independent institutions, and will not accept any form of tutelage.” What about the EU? EU trade chief Maroš Šefčovič said that there’s been good progress on negotiations, and that a framework agreement could be ready “potentially even in the coming days,” per Reuters’ David Lawder and colleagues. But Trump said Tuesday that the EU would get a letter in two days (which would be today). The next big hit: Trump announced that a 50 percent tariff on copper will go into effect on Aug 1, a price increase that will touch everything from semiconductors to missile defense systems. Copper traders have been rushing to get imports in through Hawaii and Puerto Rico, and they could see a huge profit before the tariff deadline, Bloomberg’s Mark Burton and colleagues write. Meanwhile, Chile and Mexico are exploring their other options for exporting, though Chilean President Gabriel Boric notes he’s waiting to see "whether this will actually be implemented or not,” Reuters’ Daina Beth Solomon and colleagues report. TACO supreme: Strikingly, the stock market appears to be taking a similar view. “Investors are looking through the tariff chaos, wagering the White House won’t ultimately follow through on its harshest threats,” WSJ’s Chelsey Dulaney and Krystal Hur write. Irony, a cruel mistress: “US tariffs on South Africa set to hit white farmers Trump has embraced,” by Reuters’ Wendell Roelf
| | | BEST OF THE REST FIRST IN PLAYBOOK — Sucks to be Brooke: With the Trump administration weighing how to square its hard-line immigration stance with ensuring farm workers have the workers they need, Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins “finds herself in an unenviable position,” POLITICO’s Jake Traylor and colleagues write this morning. “As secretary, she represents the interests of farmers who rely on immigrants to work long hours for modest pay. As a Trump official, she serves a president who has decried amnesty efforts, carveouts and open borders that he believes have ruined the country.” Rock, meet hard place: “Trump has promised a solution in the coming weeks but there’s no answer that won’t leave a key part of the MAGA constituency infuriated — and, if the past is prologue, Rollins will bear the brunt of the fallout. ‘I really feel for her, I just do,’ said Oscar Gonzales, vice chair of the California Horse Racing Board and a top aide and adviser to Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack during both the Obama and Biden administrations. ‘I’m on the opposite team, but I feel for the task that she’s been given’.” BATTLE FOR THE HOUSE: Democrats’ hopeful historical trends mean they can expect a strong showing in the midterms, but House Republicans are hoping to redistrict their way toward another two years in the majority. Mapmaker, mapmaker, make me a map: Texas Gov. Greg Abbott announced that his state’s legislature will hold a special session later this year during which it will focus on redistricting — with Republicans looking to squeeze even more seats out of a map already tilted dramatically in favor of the GOP, as POLITICO’s Aaron Pellish reports. That effort has been “pushed by the White House,” per the Dallas Morning News, and comes just days after DOJ sent Abbott a letter “raising concerns over the legality of [the] racial makeup” of four Democratic seats. Those districts, since you were wondering, belong to Reps. Al Green, Sylvia Garcia, Marc Veasey and the 18th District, which was vacated upon the death of Sylvester Turner. But what’s good for the goose: BOLO for a potential reprisal from California, where Gov. Gavin Newsom has reportedly expressed a willingness to redraw the Golden State’s maps to make them more favorable to Democrats if Texas follows through with an even more extreme gerrymander. … And in Wisconsin, a new lawsuit looks to redraw the district maps (which favor Republicans) to make them more competitive, per AP’s Scott Bauer. First in Playbook — Special election update: The race to succeed late Democratic Rep. Raúl Grijalva is magnifying generational divides as Deja Foxx, a young candidate backed by David Hogg’s PAC, is gaining on Adelita Grijalva, Grijalva’s daughter who has long been seen as the favorite to win in the deep-blue district. Read more from POLITICO’s Nick Wu and Andrew Howard FAST TIMES ON K STREET: “It is boom time in Washington for the influence industry,” WSJ’s Josh Dawsey, Rebecca Ballhaus and Maggie Severns write in a dishy look at the world of high-priced lobbying. “The top 10 lobbying firms in Washington took in about $123 million in the first quarter of 2025, compared with about $80 million in the same time frame of both Joe Biden’s presidency and Trump’s first term.” Nice work if you can get it. The view from one Trumpy firm: Barry Bennett, a partner at Tactic Global, “said in an interview that he had flown 379,000 miles this year” to drum up business from international clients looking for an in with the administration, especially amid the tariff tsunami. “I have three and a half more years,” Bennett said, referring to Trump’s term. “You can sleep when you’re dead.” MONEY MAKES THE WORLD GO ’ROUND: Sen. Cory Booker’s (D-N.J.) reelection campaign and an affiliated joint fundraising committee raised a whopping $10 million last quarter — a new record for the candidate, blasting past even his fundraising haul from his presidential run in 2019, NBC’s Bridget Bowman scoops this morning. … Rep. Chris Pappas (D-N.H.), who’s running to succeed Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), raked in $1.8 million in the second quarter and has $2 million in cash on hand, WMUR’s Adam Sexton reports. RECISSIONS WATCH: The White House’s push to claw back $9.4 billion in congressionally approved funding has at least one hurdle: Senate Republicans. As POLITICO’s Jordain Carney reports, there’s “broad pushback inside the Senate GOP conference against cutting public media and global health funds.” Meanwhile … Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said that if Republicans are “concocting rescissions packages behind closed doors that can pass with only their votes,” then they risk a government shutdown, NBC’s Sahil Kapur and colleagues write. The clock is ticking: As Jordain notes, “Congress has until the end of the day on July 18 to get the legislation to President Donald Trump’s desk.” What else to watch: Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) is returning to the Appropriations table today as the panel begins marking up three key spending bills. And the longtime Senate GOP leader is “already proving he’s ready to make a mark” as he seeks to “cement his legacy in the appropriations process before his retirement,” as our colleagues on Inside Congress write. AD ASTRA, EMPHASIS ON PER ASPERA: Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy will serve as interim administrator of NASA, Trump announced late yesterday. For those keeping count (like Semafor’s Elana Schor), that makes three full-time jobs for Rubio, three for Greer and now two for Duffy. … Awaiting him at NASA is an exodus of more than 2,000 senior staff, POLITICO’s Sam Skove reports. WHAT NATIONAL REPUBLICANS ARE CHEERING: Conservative firebrand and 2022 Republican gubernatorial nominee Tudor Dixon announced she will not mount a campaign for Michigan’s open U.S. Senate seat or the governorship, a nod to the strong Republican candidates already in the field for both positions. GOP insiders see both offices as potential pickup opportunities in 2026. WHAT NATIONAL REPUBLICANS ARE WOOZY ABOUT: Rep. Zach Nunn (R-Iowa) is considering a bid for governor, Punchbowl’s Jake Sherman and Ally Mutnick report, and will meet with the White House on Monday. Though Nunn is seen as a strong gubernatorial candidate, running would make vacant a competitive House seat for Republicans to defend. FIRST IN PLAYBOOK — Big law vs. everybody: Trump’s war against Big Law may still be raging, but the president is on an “unbroken losing streak in the courts,” POLITICO’s Ankush Khardori writes this morning in his latest Rule of Law column. “Trump’s executive orders and the deals struck by the settling firms have not aged well. The firms that threw in the towel appear to have misjudged the fallout … Privately, representatives for three of the settling firms … told me that they have not received any instructions or input from the White House on pro bono matters to take on.” IMMIGRATION FILES: The Trump administration is pushing leaders of five West African nations to accept deportees from other countries, WSJ’s Robbie Gramer and colleagues scoop. EVERY STEP COMEY TAKES: The Secret Service has been tailing former FBI Director James Comey and tracking his cellphone since he posted a photo in May that (unwittingly, per Comey) threatened Trump, NYT’s Michael Schmidt and Eileen Sullivan report.
| | | | 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 | | SPOTTED: Peter Thiel at the VIDA Fitness on U Street last night. CULINARY CORNER — Wonder, a New York tech-backed food hall, opens today on 14th Street NW, and plans to have 10 locations in D.C. by the end of the year. TURNING UP THE HEAT — EPA employees are sweating bullets at work as the indoor temperature at their HQ is above 80 degrees, per CBS. It’s the third-straight week of air conditioning problems at EPA. OUT AND ABOUT — The Washington AI Network and General Catalyst Institute hosted a “Building the Future of National Security” event last night at The House at 1229. Speakers included Teresa Carlson, Jason Rathje, Cameron McCord, Evan Beard and John Battles. SPOTTED: Brandon Beach, Jim Goyer, Alex Flemister, Jordan Wood, Jake Denton, Jeremy Bash, Andrew Wills, Ashley Callen, Jonathan Cousimano, Tyler Lewis, Andy Flick, Maryam Mujica, Peter Nonis, Machalagh Carr, Alan McQuinn, John Sankovich, Miriam Vogel, Jaisha Wray, Trevor Smith, Sabrina Singh, Anita McBride, Carey Browning, Mark Huntington, Grant Demaree, Martin Stanley, Artem Sherbinin, Chris Keller, Thomas Halvorsen, Alex Yergin and Alex Poulin. FIRST IN PLAYBOOK — NewsNation White House correspondent Robert Sherman is releasing his first book, “Lessons from the Front: A Rookie War Correspondent in Ukraine and Israel” ($31.50). The book will detail his career in journalism and experience on the front lines covering the war in Ukraine and conflict in the Middle East. MEDIA MOVES — James Bennet will be the next Washington Bureau chief at The Economist. He previously was the publication’s Lexington columnist, and will continue writing the column while leading the bureau. … Idrees Kahloon, who is currently the Washington bureau chief at The Economist, is joining The Atlantic. … Tom Bartlett is now a staff writer at The Atlantic. He previously was an editor at the Chronicle of Higher Education and wrote freelance. TRANSITIONS — Nicholas Raineri is joining TSG Advocates as head of the firm’s national security portfolio. He most recently was a senior advisor in the Office of the Director of National Intelligence. … Ryan Fioresi will be executive director of the US office of the International Campaign for Tibet. He most recently was the senior adviser on Tibetan issues in the State Department’s Office of the Under Secretary for Civilian Security, Democracy, and Human Rights. … Jaylene Kennedy is now a legislative assistant for Rep. Brian Mast (R-Fla.). She previously was a legislative assistant for Rep. Cory Mills (R-Fla.). Ross Dietrich is now deputy chief of staff for Rep. Brian Mast (R-Fla.), where he previously was legislative director. … … Sen. Bill Hagerty’s (R-Tenn.) office is adding Robert Donachie as deputy chief of staff for comms, Tiffany Delgado as deputy chief of staff for operations, Michael Sullivan as senior adviser, Alec Richardson as state director and Kalleigh Ahern as press and digital assistant. … Meridian International Center has added Jim Golsen as VP of the Center for Corporate Diplomacy and Kellee Wicker as VP for technology, innovation and space. Golden previously was deputy director general at the Commerce Department. Wicker previously was director of the science and technology innovation program at the Wilson Center. WEDDING — Aidan Quigley, an appropriations reporter at CQ Roll Call, and Ruth Watson, a family and preventive medicine resident in Baltimore, got married in Limestone, Tennessee on Saturday. They met in D.C. when Ruth was a medical student at Georgetown in the fall of 2022. SPOTTED: Kyle Stewart, Briana Reilly and Mica Soellner. Pic, courtesy of Drea Hill … Another pic, courtesy of Kyle Stewart HAPPY BIRTHDAY: Sen. Elissa Slotkin (D-Mich.) … Reps. Brian Mast (R-Fla.), Dan Newhouse (R-Wash.) (7-0), Laura Gillen (D-N.Y.) and Tom McClintock (R-Calif.) … Morgan Ortagus … Caroline Ciccone … POLITICO’s Chris Cadelago, Matt Daily and Emma Cordover … Sam Stein … MSNBC’s Kyle Griffin … Katie Pavlich … Business Insider’s Catherine Boudreau … Sarah Boxer … Alex Angelson of Michael Best Strategies … Eli Yokley of Morning Consult … CBS’ Shawna Thomas … White & Case’s Keir Whitson … Ben Napier … former CDC Director Robert Redfield … Rena Shapiro … Missouri Dem Chair Russ Carnahan … Kenny Day … former Reps. Ron Klein (D-Fla.) and Phil Gingrey (R-Ga.) … Emily Sirh … Mark Skidmore of Assemble … Michelle Baker of Forbes Tate Partners … Julianna Smoot … Elie Jacobs 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 Frances Robles’ name.
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That's why America's beverage companies are empowering you with the choices you want and the information you need to decide what's best for your family.
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