| | | |  | | By Adam Wren | | Presented by |  | | | With help from Eli Okun, Bethany Irvine and Ali Bianco On today’s Playbook Podcast: Adam Wren and POLITICO White House reporter Myah Ward discuss James Comey’s indictments, what it all means for the rule of law and where Trump’s retribution campaign goes from here.
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| Good morning, and happy Friday. This is Adam Wren. Let’s get right to the news. In today’s Playbook … — Trump’s retribution campaign rolls on with Comey indictment. — A government shutdown grows ever more near as each side digs its heels in. — HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is expected to decide soon about whether to embrace the recommendations of his vaccine advisory panel.
|  | DRIVING THE DAY | | | 
For Donald Trump, the indictment of James Comey is a potential signifier of a new phase of his presidency. | J. Scott Applewhite/AP Photo | WHO’S NEXT?: “Always get even,” Donald Trump wrote in his 2007 book, “Think Big and Kick Ass: In Business and in Life.” “When you are in business, you need to get even with people who screw you. You need to screw them back 15 times harder.” Trump has done just that. A little after 6:30 p.m. last night, news broke that a federal grand jury in Virginia indicted former FBI Director James Comey on two felony charges stemming from his congressional testimony in September 2020 about the FBI’s investigation into links between Trump’s 2016 campaign and Russia. The news triggered alarm both inside and outside the Justice Department that Trump “had effectively ordered the prosecution of a political adversary, exacting retribution against a longtime foe he blames for his own years of criminal prosecution and impeachment,” as POLITICO’s ace legal affairs reporters Kyle Cheney and Josh Gerstein wrote it for the history books. Many on the left saw it as a Rubicon-crossing moment. “The Justice Department we have long known is dead,” said Matthew Miller, the Obama-era DOJ vet. “As in many authoritarian states, it now exists as an arm of the government to punish the president’s enemies, regardless of the law. A tragedy for the country with lasting implications, even if this case is dismissed.” But MAGA loyalists could barely contain their glee. “Comey f--ked around and found out,” Mike Davis, Trump legal defender and a member of his DOJ landing team during the transition, told Playbook in a text message late last night. Thought bubble: Typically, politicians are successful by making their supporters' enemies their own. But Trump’s success is really the opposite: time and again he has made his own enemies into those of his supporters. “JUSTICE IN AMERICA!” the president rejoiced in a Truth Social post after the news broke. “One of the worst human beings this Country has ever been exposed to is James Comey … He has been so bad for our Country, for so long, and is now at the beginning of being held responsible for his crimes against our Nation.”
| | | | A message from Solana Policy Institute: The next generation of U.S. financial infrastructure is open-source and blockchain-based—built by developers creating transparent systems that empower consumer choice. As Congress crafts digital asset legislation, we must preserve historical protections for open-source developers. The future of American financial innovation depends on protecting those building it today. Learn more. | | | | For Trump, the Comey indictment isn’t just the culmination of years of grievance; it’s a potential signifier of a new phase of his presidency, when Trump uses the hammer of the state to try and prosecute his political rivals. Consider how sweeping Trump’s revenge quest has been — just in recent weeks. John Bolton: CNN’s Katelyn Polantz and Hannah Rabinowitz report that top officials in Trump’s DOJ are pushing for Bolton to be criminally charged today — even though lower-level prosecutors on the case want more time to strengthen it and bring charges later this year. George Soros: “A senior Justice Department official has instructed more than a half dozen U.S. attorney’s offices to draft plans to investigate” Soros’ Open Society Foundation, NYT’s Devlin Barrett reported yesterday. Among the possible charges prosecutors could file, per official’s directive is “material support of terrorism.” The memo “suggests department leaders are following orders from the president that specific people or groups be subject to criminal investigation — a major break from decades of past practice meant to insulate the Justice Department from political interference.” Lisa Cook: As the Trump administration alleges she committed mortgage fraud — and seeks to use that as a pretext to force her removal from the Federal Reserve board of governors — Cook’s Supreme Court filing yesterday argues that ruling for Trump would “transform the Federal Reserve into a body subservient to the President’s will” and “sound the death knell for the central-bank independence.” And many more: Trump pulled Secret Service protection for former VP Kamala Harris ahead of her book tour. … His DOJ is pursuing a criminal probe into former CIA Director John Brennan over allegations stemming from the 2017 intelligence assessment about Russia and Trump. … He has demanded DOJ prosecute Sen. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) and New York AG Letitia James. … His handpicked FCC chief implicitly threatened ABC affiliates over a statement made by late-night host Jimmy Kimmel. … He aimed to humiliate Joe Biden by hanging a photo of an autopen in place of a portrait of Biden at the White House. … And so on. Comey’s response: “We will not live on our knees, and you shouldn't either,” the former FBI director said in a video posted to Instagram. Comey is expected to be arraigned on Oct. 9. There is no warrant for his arrest, per CNN’s Kaitlan Collins, so don’t expect a pre-dawn raid. Perhaps chastening his reaction: “The bar for a grand jury is exceedingly low,” POLITICO’s Kyle Cheney writes in to Playbook, noting that “it’s supposed to be easy for prosecutors to win indictments — witnesses are typically not accompanied by lawyers or subject to cross examination, and prosecutors only show evidence favorable to their case.” And even with that low bar to hurdle, the grand jury “turned down one of the charges anyway, showing how tenuous the case was.” On the other hand, POLITICO legal columnist Ankush Khardori writes in to say that he’s “honestly surprised that the DOJ managed to get this past a grand jury, given all of the very public drama of the last week involving prosecutors at the department and the fact that Trump himself publicly announced to the world that he wanted them to charge Comey.” Next steps: Ankush notes prosecutors now have to get this past a judge and a trial jury if it doesn’t get thrown out first — and that is going to be a much heavier lift. “The events of the last week — Trump firing the U.S. attorney in the district and then installing [Lindsey Halligan,] a loyalist with no prosecutorial experience to secure indictments against his political enemies — has unquestionably tarnished this whole process,” Khardori tells us. “It looks like a prosecutorial sham and an abuse of power. Judges and juries read the news too.” It’s worth noting that high-profile cases like this have flopped in the past, and it’s particularly worth remembering the John Durham investigation, which was majorly hyped by Trump and his political allies, but ended with the defendants acquitted. When Trump had revenge on the mind in “Think Big,” he elaborated carefully on the why of it all. “You do it not only to get the person who messed with you, but also to show the others who are watching what will happen to them if they mess with you. If someone attacks you, do not hesitate. Go for the jugular.”
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| | | | SHUTDOWN SHOWDOWN FIVE DAYS TO GO: With time running out, both congressional Democrats and the Trump administration are digging in on their opposing demands to keep the government open. “Could be” a shutdown, Trump told reporters yesterday. “Because the Democrats are crazed.” The view from Democrats: Many party officials see their base demanding a fight with Trump above all else, even if they ultimately lose during a government shutdown, NBC’s Jonathan Allen and colleagues report. As Republicans have refused to negotiate with Democrats, some in the opposition party hope — against the trend of recent history — that voters will blame the GOP for fallout from a shutdown. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer told WSJ’s Lindsay Wise and colleagues that he won’t back down without bipartisan talks and concessions. The latest X factor: Dems’ stubbornness wasn’t budged by OMB Director Russ Vought’s threat of more mass layoffs if the government shutters. “We will not be intimidated by your threat to engage in mass firings,” House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries said. Meanwhile, federal workers already struggling with low morale and massive cuts worry about what comes next, POLITICO’s E&E News’ Hannah Northey and colleagues report for subscribers. And yet … Democrats, Republicans and nonpartisan analysts alike think the Dems are in a weak position, with “no discernible strategy for extracting the concessions” they want, Roll Call’s Paul Krawzak and Aidan Quigley report. The White House is supremely confident that it won’t negotiate, the shutdown will happen, Dems will be blamed, and Trump will win, Playbook’s Dasha Burns reports this morning. “We’re going to extract maximum pain,” a top official says. Democrats “will pay a huge price for this.” The view from Republicans: Though White Houses typically seek to find ways to soften the blow from a shutdown, this one sees it “as a potential political advantage, an opening that might allow Republicans to further whittle down the size and reach of government,” NYT’s Tony Romm and Catie Edmondson report. Indeed, a moment and a fight like this are what Vought has long craved, from Project 2025 to his confirmation hearing, POLITICO’s Jennifer Scholtes and Megan Messerly report. Some outside allies are thrilled at the prospect of how he could slash the civil service further during a shutdown — though others “just assume it’s a scare tactic.” The Vought step back: “Billions in Taxpayer Dollars Have Become Virtually Untraceable,” by NOTUS’ Anna Kramer and Mark Alfred: “The Trump administration’s aggressive approach to overhauling the executive branch has obscured how federal dollars are actually being spent — even for the members of Congress.” Much more on the shutdown standoff from POLITICO’s Inside Congress
| | | | Join us for a POLITICO Policy Outlook: Cybersecurity: incisive conversations on how the U.S. and its allies can counteract looming security risks without hampering the pace of technological innovation. Don't miss Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.), Kemba Walden, former acting National Cyber Director and more. Register Now. | | | | | BEST OF THE REST YOUR MORNING LISTEN: Democratic Texas state Rep. James Talarico joined POLITICO’s Dasha Burns on “The Conversation” podcast for a wide-ranging discussion about his Senate campaign, the role of his faith in politics, where Democrats are failing voters and what the party can learn from another fellow Texan: Beyoncé. Also, POLITICO’s White House reporter Megan Messerly breaks down Kimmel’s TV return and what his spat with the Trump administration means for free speech. BILL OF HEALTH: All eyes in the public health world are on HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who could decide “any day now” whether to accept his vaccine advisory panel’s recommendations, POLITICO’s Sophie Gardner and colleagues report. Kennedy or the CDC could make changes to the panel’s decisions last week on, say, the childhood vaccine schedule, which didn’t go as far in an anti-vaccine direction as many experts had feared. There is precedent for agency leaders to make changes from the group’s advice, but Kennedy hasn’t indicated how he’s leaning here. Meanwhile, Rep. Haley Stevens (D-Mich.) said she’s working on articles of impeachment against Kennedy, per NOTUS. More from Kennedy world: Adviser Andrew Downing said HHS may allow people with autism to enter a vaccine injury compensation program, even though science has long debunked any link between vaccines and autism. Doing so is “likely to throw [the program] into disarray,” per Bloomberg. … Kennedy railed against a U.N. declaration on tackling chronic illnesses, baffling health advocates, per the NYT. … HHS and CMS are moving forward on a pilot program for prescription drug pricing changes, sending a plan to the White House, Reuters’ Patrick Wingrove scooped. That could presage a Trump move to try to force drugmakers to lower costs and match other countries. Under the radar: Though Trump’s comments tying autism to vaccines and Tylenol — for which there’s a lack of causal scientific evidence — attracted the most attention, NIH is also putting $50 million into autism research efforts that “stand out for their rigor and potential to deliver credible answers,” Reuters’ Ahmed Aboulenein and Robin Respaut report. TRADING PLACES: Trump suddenly expanded his tariff regime again with Truth Social announcements last night of new industry-specific levies on imports from around the world, coming Wednesday: 25 percent on heavy trucks, 30 percent on upholstered furniture, 50 percent on kitchen cabinets and bathroom vanities and 100 percent on some pharmaceuticals. More from Bloomberg … Meanwhile, As the U.S. and South Korea work to hammer out the details of their trade agreement, the deal “is on shaky ground” as Seoul bristles at Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick’s harder line, WSJ’s Brian Schwartz and Timothy Martin scooped. SIREN IN NORTH CAROLINA: “Senator Berger denies accepting potential Trump endorsement in exchange for redistricting, but says redrawing could happen,” by WNCN’s Deana Harley: “Top Republican North Carolina state Senator Phil Berger is expected to accept an endorsement from President Donald Trump in his 2026 primary challenge in exchange for redrawing congressional maps, several sources told CBS 17 on Thursday. … The potential endorsement may come on any day in exchange for Berger redrawing Congressional District 1 – all part of an effort to oust current U.S. Representative Democrat Don Davis.” Berger said on X, “I’ve never spoken to President Trump about this or an endorsement.” THE MIKIE SHERRILL OPPO FILES: The National Personnel Records Center improperly gave an ally of Republican Jack Ciattarelli unredacted personal information about Democratic Rep. Mikie Sherrill, including her Social Security number and addresses, CBS’ James LaPorta scooped. The “egregious blunder” was a technician’s mistake that the agency said it is investigating, and it apologized to Sherrill. But the incident quickly became the latest focal point of debate over Sherrill’s military record in the New Jersey gubernatorial race. And House Oversight ranking member Robert Garcia (D-Calif.) demanded an investigation of this “illegal and likely politically motivated disclosure,” POLITICO’s Jacob Wendler and colleagues scooped. The underlying issue: the 1994 Naval Academy commencement. Sherrill and many of her classmates were prevented from walking in that ceremony as the result of a huge academic scandal, the New Jersey Globe’s David Wildstein reports. Republicans have seized on the Annapolis incident, but Sherrill said she was punished only because “I didn’t turn in some of my classmates.” More from the campaign trail: Republican Darren Bailey kicked off another bid for Illinois governor, after the former state senator lost to Gov. JB Pritzker four years ago, per the Chicago Tribune. TIKTOK ON THE CLOCK: Trump officially signed an executive order to clear the way for TikTok to keep operating in the U.S., led by investors outside China, POLITICO’s Anthony Adragna reports. VP JD Vance said the new U.S. TikTok’s valuation will be roughly $14 billion. POLITICAL VIOLENCE WATCH: Federal authorities said Joshua Jahn was the suspect who shot at an ICE facility, killing a detainee and then himself, per The Dallas Morning News’ Lilly Kersh. Acting U.S. Attorney Nancy Larson said Jahn was motivated by hatred of ICE agents and committed “the very definition of terrorism.” She said he acted by himself. The FBI said Jahn had repeatedly searched for video of Charlie Kirk’s killing. But one of Jahn’s relatives told the NY Post’s Steven Vago and Chris Nesi that he wasn’t anti-ICE or far-left. Into the abyss: A new study from the Center for Strategic & International Studies’ Daniel Byman and Riley McCabe finds that this year, left-wing terrorist attacks in the U.S. have outpaced right-wing attacks after more than 30 years of the reverse being true. The fallout: After Kirk’s killing, fearful members of Congress are boosting Capitol Police funding past $1 billion for the first time ever, and they may go further yet, POLITICO’s Katherine Tully-McManus reports. Meanwhile, Justice Amy Coney Barrett suggested that threats against judges’ loved ones are one reason why she’s reluctant to explain her recusals, per POLITICO’s Josh Gerstein. WHAT LINDA McMAHON IS UP TO: The Education Department announced that it’ll yank $65 million from magnet schools in NYC, Chicago and Fairfax, Virginia, for refusing to end diversity programs or prevent transgender students from using facilities that align with their gender identity, NYT’s Troy Closson reports. CAPITAL PUNISHMENT: Trump signed a memorandum yesterday directing the revival of the death penalty for murderers in D.C., per CNN’s Alayna Treene. KNOWING JEREMY CARL: “‘We either win or die’: Trump State Dept. nominee tried to erase thousands of tweets, many inflammatory,” by CNN’s Andrew Kaczynski and Em Steck: They included “incendiary posts about race, claims that ‘peaceful coexistence’ with Democrats is impossible, and even a call for a political opponent to face the death penalty.” THE BRAVE NEW WORLD: OpenAI CEO Sam Altman told die Welt’s Jan Philipp Burgard and the Axel Springer Global Reporters Network that the tech industry has become more favorable to Trump because of “some welcome policy changes,” including “a more general pro-business climate and pro-tech climate.” Read more from his Q&A in POLITICO Magazine, which is part of the reporters network. The full transcript
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| | | | THE WEEKEND AHEAD TV TONIGHT — PBS’ “Washington Week”: Stephen Hayes, Karen Tumulty, Ali Vitali and Nancy Youssef. SUNDAY SO FAR … POLITICO “The Conversation”: Texas state Rep. James Talarico. FOX “Fox News Sunday,” guest-anchored by Martha MacCallum: VP JD Vance. Panel: Charles Gasparino, Andy McCarthy and Jessica Tarlov. NBC “Meet the Press”: Senate Majority Leader John Thune … Andrew Cuomo. Panel: Jeh Johnson, Peggy Noonan and David Remnick. CNN “State of the Union”: Speaker Mike Johnson. Panel: Kate Bedingfield, Scott Jennings, Bakari Sellers and Kristen Soltis Anderson. CBS “Face the Nation”: Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) … Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) … Rep. Mike Turner (R-Ohio). MSNBC “The Weekend”: Rep. Pete Aguilar (D-Calif.) … Rep. Madeleine Dean (D-Pa.) … Rep. Gregory Meeks (D-N.Y.) … Mitch Landrieu … Ofirah Yheskel … Brendan Buck. NewsNation “The Hill Sunday”: Rep. Tom Cole (R-Okla.) … Rep. Emilia Sykes (D-Ohio) … John Yoo. Panel: George Will, Tamara Keith, Andrew Desiderio and Elana Schor.
| | | | Introducing Global Security: POLITICO’s weekly briefing on the policies and industrial shifts driving transatlantic defense. We track how decisions in Washington, Brussels and beyond ripple across borders — shaping the future of security and industry. Sign up today for the free preview version. | | | | | | | TALK OF THE TOWN | | Donald Trump will attend the opening day of the Ryder Cup today on Long Island. PLAYBOOK DESIGN SECTION — The latest plans for the White House’s major new ballroom give visual life to what the space could look like, CBS’ Arden Farhi scooped. OUT AND ABOUT — WaPo Executive Editor Matt Murray threw a party at Barrel House last night to celebrate Dan Balz as he retires from full-time political coverage after 47 years at the newspaper. SPOTTED: Nancy Balz, Don Graham and Amanda Bennett, Karen Tumulty and Paul Richter, Bob Woodward, Marcus Brauchli, Sally Quinn, Peter Spiegel, Maralee Schwartz, Amy Gardner, Rachel Van Dongen, James Hohmann, Matt Viser, Natalie Allison, Cat Zakrzewski, Emily Guskin, Brianna Tucker, Sabrina Rodriguez, Marianne LeVine, Sean Sullivan, Annah Aschbrenner, Kara Voght, John Wagner, Dan Merica, Debbi Wilgoren, Betsy Fischer Martin and Jonathan Martin, Lori Montgomery, Jen Liberto, Mike Madden, Matea Gold, Phil Rucker, Peter Wallsten, Michael Kranish, Nick Baumann, Margaret Talev, Anna Liss-Roy, Michael Birnbaum, Roz Helderman, Lois Romano, Griff Witte, Jenna Johnson, Manuel Roig-Franzia and Ceci Connolly, Gabrielle Sawyer and Olivia Petersen. TRANSITIONS — Evan Lukaske is joining The Herald Group as a VP. He previously worked for Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.) and is a DCCC alum. … Jay Nordlinger will be senior resident fellow for the Renew Democracy Initiative and a contributor to its publication The Next Move. He’s a journalist and cultural commentator who previously worked at The National Review. … … Brian Scott is now a national security and cybersecurity consultant. He most worked at the Office of the National Cyber Director. … Alexander Chanock is now legislative director for Rep. Joyce Beatty (D-Ohio). He most recently worked for the late Rep. Sylvester Turner (D-Texas). HAPPY BIRTHDAY: Reps. Barry Moore (R-Ala.) and Suhas Subramanyam (D-Va.) … Semafor’s Dave Weigel … former Reps. Beto O’Rourke (D-Texas) and Frank Guinta (R-N.H.) … Mark Isakowitz of Sen. Dave McCormick’s (R-Pa.) office … Dayne Cutrell … WaPo’s Kathleen Parker … Doug Sosnik … Evan Hollander of the House Democratic Policy and Communications Committee … Robert Kagan … TrailRunner International’s Josie Martin … Bill Scher … Missy Edwards of Missy Edwards Strategies … Jon Rosborough … Tom Gannon of LPL Financial … Stephen Voss … Brennan Georgianni of the American Cleaning Institute … Jeff Eshelman … former New Jersey Gov. Christine Todd Whitman … Sam Drzymala … former Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer … John Fitzpatrick of Stratacomm … Mason Devers … Matt Krack of Sen. Raphael Warnock’s (D-Ga.) office … NBC’s Abby Marks … Greg Lorjuste … POLITICO’s Casey Miles … With Honor’s Allan Filip 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.
| | | | A message from Solana Policy Institute: The next generation of U.S. financial infrastructure is open-source and blockchain-based—built by software developers creating transparent systems that empower consumer choice. As Congress crafts digital asset legislation, we must preserve historical protections for open-source software developers.
America's welcoming approach to software development enabled our leadership in groundbreaking technologies. But regulatory uncertainty is driving talent overseas. Our share of all global open-source developers dropped by more than 50 percent from 2015-2025, weakening our competitive edge. To maintain our status as the "crypto capital of the world," Congress must protect the builders and service providers who build and power it.
The future of American financial innovation depends on protecting those building it today. 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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