| | | |  | | By Zack Stanton | | Presented by |  | | | With help from Eli Okun, Bethany Irvine and Ali Bianco Good morning. I’m Zack Stanton. Get in touch.
|  | DRIVING THE DAY | | | 
President Donald Trump keeps pushing and pushing and pushing against people and institutions he opposes. | Win McNamee/Getty Images | PUSHING AND PUSHING: If you want to understand Donald Trump’s approach to wielding power, there’s a single paragraph in his 1987 book, “The Art of the Deal,” that still proves useful some 38 years later. “My style of deal-making is quite simple and straightforward,” Trump and ghostwriter Tony Schwartz wrote. “I aim very high, and then I just keep pushing and pushing and pushing to get what I’m after. Sometimes I settle for less than I sought, but in most cases I still end up with what I want.” There are elite institutions that, since last November, have met that pushing with “capitulation and compliance,” as POLITICO editor-in-chief John Harris wrote a few months back. They include major news outlets, white-shoe law firms and Ivy League universities. Harris called this “the Great Grovel.” But what about the institutions that haven’t groveled — at least, not yet? There is a common theme running through many headlines this morning: Trump’s pushing and pushing and pushing, and the people and institutions on the receiving end of it. The Trump administration’s newest front in its monthslong war on Harvard University is “an investigation into Harvard’s patents derived from federally funded research, threatening intellectual property potentially worth hundreds of millions of dollars,” per the Crimson’s Dhruv Patel and Grace Yoon. In a letter to Harvard President Alan Garber on Friday, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick “accused Harvard of failing to fulfill its obligations to disclose federally funded inventions in a timely manner, ensure substantial U.S. manufacturing for licensed technologies, and maximize public benefit.” He did not “identify any specific patents that could have violated federal law in the request.” It comes as the administration is seeking a settlement with Harvard in the hundreds of millions of dollars. On the other end of the country, the administration has suspended $584 million in grant funding to UCLA, demanding the school — which is a public university, not a private institution like an Ivy — pay a $1 billion fine. On the front page of this morning’s L.A. Times, Daniel Miller and Jaweed Kaleem detail some of the research at stake, which includes “lifesaving breakthroughs in cancer treatment, and developing tools to more easily diagnose debilitating diseases.” University of California President James Milliken calls the funding freeze a “death knell” to the school’s research; California Gov. Gavin Newsom, who says the state will sue, calls it “extortion.”
| | | | 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. | | | | Not every state is as protective of federal funding to research at their public universities. In Florida, Trump’s “efforts to reshape higher education in a conservative mold” have stripped millions from the state’s schools, POLITICO’s Andrew Atterbury writes this morning — and Gov. Ron DeSantis is happy to help. In just one instance, the University of South Florida in “January touted a $14.9 million EPA grant meant to bring ‘life changing improvements’ to an underserved neighborhood of about 10,000 residents near Tampa,” Andrew reports. The Trump administration advised “USF to tweak the grant proposal by scrapping words like ‘disadvantaged,’ ‘climate change’ and ‘minority;’” they did, and the feds terminated it anyway. “The Trump administration is working hard to get some of the rot out of higher education, the intellectual rot, the ideological rot,” DeSantis said last month during an event in Jacksonville. Here in Washington D.C., the most immediate threat isn’t a lack of funding but what the federal government could do with the resources at its disposal. Mayor Muriel Bowser has labored mightily for months to create a productive working relationship with Trump. Gone is her capital-r resistance of his first term, when Black Lives Matter Plaza was christened on 16th Street near the White House; the words have been erased from the roadway and the street signs removed. Bowser’s approach to second-term Trump is to “avoid public clashes … and lean into what she repeatedly refers to as ‘shared priorities’ with the White House,” as my colleagues reported in May. But that’s facing an urgent new test. On Friday night, Trump announced that federal law enforcement would, on his orders, patrol the streets of Washington. Over the weekend, several hundred such officers were spread throughout the city; the crime they encountered was roughly typical for a Saturday night in a major American city. This morning, Bowser appeared on MSNBC’s “The Weekend” to offer her first public remarks since Trump’s statement. Responding to Trump adviser Stephen Miller’s remark that Washington’s crime problem is “worse than Baghdad,” Bowser said that “any comparison to a war-torn country is hyperbolic and false.” Asked how she would convince the president that what she is saying is “right, true and fair,” Bowser demurred, answering with what she thought the federal government could do to be helpful: conduct upkeep of the National Park Service-maintained parks in the city, hire more prosecutors and police, help rebuild D.C.’s jail, and make “sure federal law enforcement is doing all the policing they can do.” Still, she allowed, “if the priority is to show force in an American city, we know he can do that here.”
| | | | 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. | | | | SUNDAY BEST … — Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker on Texas Gov. Greg Abbott calling Illinois’ gerrymander a joke, on NBC’s “Meet the Press”: “Gov. Abbott is the joke. He’s the one who is attempting mid-decade here — at a time when frankly all of us are concerned about the future of democracy, he’s literally helping whittle it away and licking the boots of his leader, Donald Trump. Here in Illinois, we followed the law.” — Abbott on the Texas Dems who have left the state to block Republicans from gerrymandering further, on “Fox News Sunday”: “If they show back up in the state of Texas, they will be arrested and taken to the Capitol. If they want to evade that arrest, they’re going to have to stay outside of the state of Texas for literally years. And they might as well just start voting in California or voting in Illinois, wherever they may be.” — NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte on Trump’s meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin this week, on ABC’s “This Week”: “He clearly is putting pressure on Putin. Next Friday will be important because it will be about testing Putin, how serious he is on bringing this terrible war to an end. … [There’s an] absolute need to acknowledge that Ukraine decides on its own future.” — Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) on the meeting, on “Meet the Press”: “I’m very OK with President Trump meeting with President Putin in Alaska. … If [the war] ends in a way that looks like that Putin’s overly rewarded, there goes Taiwan. You can’t end a war without talking. I do hope that [Ukrainian President Volodymyr] Zelenskyy can be part of the process. I’ll leave that up to the White House. But I have every confidence in the world that the president is going to go to meet Putin from a position of strength, that he’s going to look out for Europe and Ukrainian needs to end this war honorably.” TOP-EDS: A roundup of the week’s must-read opinion pieces.
- “The troubling decline in conscientiousness,” by FT’s John Burn-Murdoch
- “Does the Stock Market Know Something We Don’t?” by The Atlantic’s Rogé Karma
- “Did RFK just take away your cancer treatment?” by Noahpinion’s Noah Smith
- “A D.C. carjacking is sparking an unhelpful White House crusade,” by the WaPo editorial board
- “The MAGA Congressman Accused of Threatening His Ex With Revenge Porn,” by NYT’s Michelle Goldberg
- “How to end the forever redistricting wars,” by Protect Democracy’s Ansley Skipper and Drew Penrose
- “What’s really depressing America’s young men,” by Rahm Emanuel in WaPo
- “Nobody Is Making Deals in Trump’s Washington,” by Jim Secreto in POLITICO Magazine
- “Where Can Gaza Go From Here?” by NYT’s Bret Stephens
- “Netanyahu’s Gaza takeover plan satisfies no one but himself,” by Tal Shalev for CNN
- “Why the Far Right Hates Churchill,” by Andrew Roberts in the WSJ
- “They Let Their Children Cross the Street, and Now They’re Felons,” by Nicole Gelinas in the NYT
| | | | Playbook, the unofficial guide to official Washington, 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. | | | | | 9 THINGS FOR YOUR RADAR 1. VINAY PRASAD RIDES AGAIN: The top FDA vaccine regulator is returning to the agency less than two weeks after Laura Loomer helped push him out, in a win for HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and FDA Commissioner Marty Makary, per POLITICO’s David Lim. The White House green-lit Prasad’s return after looking over the past comments to which Loomer had drawn attention. But Prasad became well known for criticizing the federal response to Covid-19, and at the FDA, “staff morale remains low” amid mass layoffs. 2. SEPARATION OF POWERS: “Appeals court rules Trump clamp-down on spending data defies Congress’ authority,” by POLITICO’s Kyle Cheney and Josh Gerstein: “A federal appeals court panel shot down a Trump administration bid to make secret a public database of federal spending that researchers say is crucial to ensure the administration is not flouting Congress’ power of the purse. … [It] voted unanimously to give the administration until Friday to put the data back online. Two of the three appeals judges assigned to the matter also signed onto a forceful opinion declaring that the administration’s bid to conceal the data was an affront to Congress’ authority over government spending.” 3. THE LONG AND THE SHORT OF IT: Right before Billy Long’s ouster as IRS commissioner, the agency refused to comply with a White House request to provide more taxpayer information for tens of thousands of suspected undocumented immigrants requested by DHS, WaPo’s Jacob Bogage and Kadia Goba report. The immigration agency had asked the IRS for the addresses of 40,000 people, as CNN’s Rene Marsh reported, and then the White House followed up to ask if any of them had received the earned income tax credit. But it isn’t clear if this clash led to Long being removed. 4. WAR IN UKRAINE: As the White House plans an Alaska summit this week between Trump and Putin, it’s also discussing whether to invite Zelenskyy, NBC’s Kristen Welker and colleagues report. But amid the sudden surge of diplomacy, Europe and Ukraine set out their own proposal for a ceasefire that rejects Russia’s demand of ceding significant swaths of the country, per the WSJ. Europe said a ceasefire must precede reciprocal territorial concessions — and that Ukraine must have security guarantees. VP JD Vance attended the meeting, and Finnish President Alexander Stubb shared the plan with Trump yesterday. The view from Moscow: Russia is thrilled that Trump has granted Putin an audience on U.S. soil without extracting any apparent concessions, viewing this moment as a victory for the Kremlin, WaPo’s Francesca Ebel and Catherine Belton report.
| | | 5. CLIMATE FILES: “Trump team pushes to oust No. 2 official at world energy body,” by POLITICO’s Brian Dabbs and Sara Schonhardt: “The 32-country International Energy Agency has increasingly rankled Republicans in Washington by producing analyses that point to a waning future for fossil fuels and a need to embrace wind and solar power. Now the Trump administration is demanding that the agency replace its No. 2 leader [Mary Warlick] with someone more aligned with the president’s policies.” 6. NEW IN TURTLE BAY: Trump announced he’ll nominate Tammy Bruce as deputy U.S. ambassador to the U.N., per WaPo. The former Fox host is currently spokesperson at the State Department, where she “was not considered close to [Secretary Marco Rubio’s] inner circle.” 7. PLAYBOOK METRO SECTION: On Truth Social, Trump teased a White House press conference happening tomorrow that “will, essentially, stop violent crime in Washington, D.C.” The president falsely claimed that D.C. is “one of the most dangerous cities anywhere in the World.” But the city is still largely waiting for a surge of uniformed federal police that Trump promised last week as he threatens to take over the city, AP’s Ashraf Khalil and Lindsay Whitehurst report. 8. TRAGEDY IN ATLANTA: After a man at the CDC headquarters killed a police officer, CNN’s Kathleen Magramo and colleagues report that the shooter is believed to have targeted the agency because he blamed the Covid-19 vaccine for making him suicidal. Patrick Joseph White’s father told that to police, per the AP. At the CDC, the shooting — which left dozens of bullet holes across the agency’s buildings — has rattled and angered staffers as their worst fears about the backlash to the pandemic response come true, WaPo’s Tobi Raji and colleagues report. Kennedy’s spokesperson downplayed the secretary’s own history of denigrating the vaccine, which public health researchers credit with saving millions of lives. 9. 24 YEARS LATER: “9/11 Families See Lutnick, Who Lost Brother in Attack, as Last Hope for Justice,” by WSJ’s Natalie Andrews: “More than 100 family members of Cantor Fitzgerald employees who were killed during the attacks sent a letter to Lutnick last week asking him to demand that the Saudi government ‘accept responsibility for the actions of their predecessors.’ … They also hope the U.S. will use new evidence to charge and then push Riyadh to extradite Omar al-Bayoumi … Saudi Arabia has denied complicity in the attacks.”
| | | | Curious how policy pros are staying ahead? Meet our Policy Intelligence Assistant—only available with a POLITICO Pro subscription. It combines POLITICO’s trusted reporting with advanced AI to deliver sharper insights, faster answers, and two powerful new report builders that help you turn intelligence into action. Ready to experience it for yourself? Sign up for a demo and get 30 days free—no strings attached. | | | | | | | TALK OF THE TOWN | | Dr. Phil may have moved into right-wing politics with ICE raid embeds and praise for the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, but he doesn’t see it that way: “I don’t think I’m qualified to talk about politics.” PLAYBOOK INTERIOR DESIGN SECTION — “A review process exists for Trump’s White House ballroom. He hasn’t applied yet,” by WaPo’s Jonathan Edwards: “A security fence and a tennis pavilion — neither of which involved the White House itself — each took at least two years to move through the National Capital Planning Commission … Records show the [major ballroom project] has yet to be reviewed by the commission. Three former planning commission members told The Washington Post that a review of any exterior construction project at the White House is required by federal law.” WHITE HOUSE DEPARTURE LOUNGE — Bo Hines announced that he’s leaving his role as leader of the White House Presidential Council of Advisers for Digital Assets. The former congressional candidate is going back to the private sector. More from Bloomberg TRANSITION — Zach Fulton will be comms director for Rep. Ben Cline (R-Va.). He previously was press secretary for the House Financial Services Committee. WEDDINGS — “Wedding bells ring for Rob Bresnahan and congressional staffers over August recess,” by the Washington Examiner’s Lauren Green HAPPY BIRTHDAY: Axios’ Alex Thompson … CBS’ Nancy Cordes … Andrew Sullivan … Kevin McAlister … Jim Brady … Jessica Wehrman … Sarah Bryant Burns … Sarah Kyle of Eli Lilly … Joshua Karp … Justin Jenkins … Nvidia’s Sarah Weinstein … Alex Marquardt … CNN’s Susie Xu … John Dunagan of Highland Advocacy Group … Lissandra Villa de Petrzelka … Red+Blue Strategies’ Ben Klein … Invariant’s Noah Marine … ACLU’s Ally Harpootlian … John McManus of the McManus Group … David Forman … DTE Energy’s Andy Coulouris … Robert Cogan … Arnold Punaro … former Rep. Andy Levin (D-Mich.) … Clarissa Rojas of Pinterest … GMMB’s Andrew Zucker … Katie Papa (5-0) … Herald Group’s Lily Reckford 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 Garrett Ross and Playbook Podcast producer Callan Tansill-Suddath.
| | | | A message from American Beverage: When it comes to what your family eats and drinks, we know you make the decisions.
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.
Good to Know is a new transparency initiative from America's beverage companies. At its center, GoodtoKnowFacts.org puts easy-to-understand information about the ingredients in our beverages right in your hands, all in one place. For more than 140 ingredients, you can find common uses, alternative names and the safety behind our ingredients, including what food safety agencies around the world say.
No spin. No judgments. Just the facts from the experts. It is intended to be a first stop to learn more about our beverages. This is another step in our long history of working together to bring you more beverage choices and clear information. | | | | | | | | 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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