| | | |  | | By Jack Blanchard with Dasha Burns | Presented by American Advancement | With help from Eli Okun, Bethany Irvine and Ali Bianco On today’s Playbook Podcast: Jack and POLITICO White House reporter Megan Messerly discuss Donald Trump’s state visit to Britain; the fast-moving political fallout from the Charlie Kirk killing one week on; and two massive moments happening here in D.C. today.
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| Good Wednesday morning. This is Jack Blanchard. Get in touch. In today’s Playbook … — Trump hangs with the royals; but America is still absorbed by the death of Charlie Kirk. — Ousted CDC chief Susan Monarez prepares her fight back in the Senate. — It’s interest rates day at the Fed. All eyes on Jerome Powell this afternoon.
|  | DRIVING THE DAY | | | 
President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump are greeted by The Viscount Hood, Lord-in-Waiting, center right, as they arrive at Stansted Airport near London on Sept. 16, 2025. | Evan Vucci/AP | SPLIT SCREEN TV: Get ready for some jarring juxtapositions on cable news networks today as images of Donald and Melania Trump, bathing in the pomp and ceremony of a state visit to Britain, contrast sharply with the tumultuous, era-defining moments unfolding here in D.C. The president and first lady will spend the day at Windsor Castle, the oldest and grandest of Britain’s many royal residences, for a long-planned program of banquets, bejeweled carriages and military parades. But American viewers will see these charming images interspersed with minute-by-minute coverage of bitter domestic disputes over political violence, free speech, public health and the future of the U.S. economy. A little cognitive dissonance may be required to get yourself through the day. First, to the U.K.: Where we should see the Trumps arriving at Windsor Castle at around 7:20 a.m. Eastern. Their agenda today includes lunch with the British royal family, the laying of a wreath at the tomb of the late Queen Elizabeth II, endless grandiose military and musical performances and a full state banquet. The main political meetings with PM Keir Starmer aren’t scheduled until tomorrow. Trump loves all this stuff, and Britain knows it. Your Playbook author attended Trump’s first state visit to Britain way back in 2017, which was a grand enough affair — but this one will be almost twice the size. Organizers are promising the biggest military ceremony for a state visit in living memory, with an extra-large guard of honor and an elongated procession route. And remember — no U.S. president has ever been afforded two state visits by Britain before. The aim, of course, is simply to curry favor with Trump, using one of the few big plays this aging former empire has left — time-honored pomp and pageantry. Two minor problems. Firstly: it’ll probably rain. (Because of course it will.) Secondly: Trump remains spectacularly unpopular in the U.K., meaning organizers face the rather awkward prospect of thousands of angry protesters trying to muscle in. And these guys are quite good at it. Last night a small group of disruptors managed to project giant pictures of Trump, convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein and his disgraced pal Prince Andrew onto the side of Windsor Castle. It wasn’t quite the royal imagery for which Trump had been hoping. Happily other, less controversial members of the royal family will play the leading roles today, with Prince William and Princess Catherine (that’s Kate Middleton to you and I) due to greet the Trumps at Windsor this morning ahead of their carriage procession with King Charles and Queen Camilla. And here, Trump should be in his happy place. He is, after all, the first ever U.S. president to style himself as an actual king. On that note: The dynamic between King Charles and President Trump — two guys in their late 70s who finally got the position they craved — will be fascinating to watch. Trump is always very courteous to the royals, and described Charles last night in glowing terms. “He’s been a friend of mine for a long time,” the president told reporters. “Everybody respects him; and they love him.” But but but: As well as being a king, Charles also happens to be a decadeslong environmental campaigner who despises immigration crackdowns and believes the West must stand four-square behind Ukraine. So, will the king take the opportunity to bend the president’s ear about causes he’s long held dear? Plenty of people think so, my POLITICO U.K. colleague Esther Webber reports. Sadly, royal protocol dictates that conversations with the king must remain private — so we may never know. TOO CLOSE FOR COMFORT?: Panicked air traffic control audio posted on social media last night appears to suggest Air Force One and a Spirit Airlines flight got too close for air traffic control’s comfort. “GET OFF THE IPAD!” the harried-sounding controller tells the pilot. “I’m sure you can see who it is.” Spirit Airlines told CBS News: “Spirit Airlines flight 1300 (FLL-BOS) followed procedures and Air Traffic Control (ATC) instructions while en route to Boston (BOS) and landed uneventfully at BOS. Safety is always our top priority.”
| | | | A message from American Advancement: Democrats have a three-part plan for 2026: take back Congress, stop Trump's momentum, and erase his agenda. If Republicans lose the majority, President Trump's historic achievements vanish. Extending premium tax credits helps working families afford health care—and it's how Republicans keep promises that earned their majority. Republicans must protect these credits to protect the majority and the MAGA agenda. The choice is clear: defend our families, defend our future and defend our majority. Learn more. | | | | BACK HOME IN AMERICA ONE WEEK ON: The horrific killing of Charlie Kirk dominates the political discourse here in D.C. like no other news event this year. And any hope of two divided sides coming together in the wake of tragedy feels … if not far-fatched, then certainly a long way off. Still preaching unity: Former President Barack Obama, who told a think-tank event in Pennsylvania last night: “At moments like this, when tensions are high, then part of the job of the president is to pull people together,” per the NYT. Obama said his past Republican opponents — citing George W. Bush, John McCain and Mitt Romney — believed in national unity, but did not mention Trump in the same breath. Instead, Obama said: “When I hear not just our current president, but his aides, who have a history of calling political opponents ‘vermin,’ enemies who need to be ‘targeted,’ that speaks to a broader problem.” We do at least now have some facts, following the charges laid out against Kirk’s suspected killer, Tyler Robinson. Critically, yesterday’s hearing in Utah seemed to dispel the more outlandish theories being pushed both on the left and the right, as NYT’s Jeremy Peters writes. Some Very Online liberals had been trying to convince themselves the suspect was a far-right “Groyper” nihilist who believed Kirk was not right-wing enough. Meanwhile, certain parts of MAGA world had been desperate to believe Robinson was operating as part of a wider left-wing terror network. Neither theory was remotely supported by the charges laid out against Robinson. Instead, prosecutors “depicted him as a lone assassin with hardening left-wing, pro-L.G.B.T.Q. views that led him to violence,” per the NYT. And yet: Still not everyone believes it. A new theory now emerging on parts of the left — see here on CNN last night — is that this killing was more about the suspect’s personal life than any political belief. And on the right, key MAGA influencers like Steve Bannon say they simply don’t accept the “lone assassin” narrative presented by prosecutors yesterday. “I am absolutely not buying this,” Bannon told his “War Room” podcast. This is really important: Even as the facts of the case are laid out, significant voices on either side still seem wedded to whatever version of events most helps their own political cause. This does not bode well for national unity, let alone a coherent policy response. Bannon bluntly tells POLITICO’s Myah Ward, when discussing the government’s next steps: “The biggest thing is to broaden the assassination investigation from a single murder to the broader conspiracy. If we are going to go to war, let’s go to war.” Which brings us to … The administration’s looming policy response, which Myah reports involves a menu of options currently being considered inside the White House. Indeed, the NYT reports we could see something within the next few days. “Mr. Trump’s aides are crafting an executive order to combat political violence and hate speech that could come as soon as this week, according to a senior administration official.” We’ve had plenty of hints already about what this might involve. Left-wing donors and funding organizations are likely to be investigated, though it’s not yet clear upon what grounds. And left-wing protesters — such as those who have targeted Tesla showrooms or ICE operations — look set to face the most extreme punishments possible. “It’s not about speech,” a White House official tells Myah. “It’s about violence and criminal actions.” And yet: Strikingly, Trump chose not to slap down AG Pam Bondi’s attempt to distinguish between “free speech” and “hate speech” in a podcast interview Monday night — despite the onslaught of criticism she’s received from those on the right. (Bondi semi walked it back yesterday.) Hopefully the president will be pressed further on his position when he sits down with Fox News’ Martha MacCallum in the U.K. today for an interview, due to go out at 3 p.m. ET. While we’re waiting for that: We heard from Bondi’s deputy, Todd Blanche, last night that even the small gaggle of women whose noisy protest briefly disrupted Trump’s steak dinner last week could be the type of group facing investigation. “To the extent that it’s part of an organized effort to inflict harm and terror and damage to the United States, there’s potential, potential investigations there,” he told CNN, per POLITICO’s Josh Gerstein. It seems protesting in the age of Trump is about to get a little more fraught. Also being targeted: Outspoken progressive Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.), whom Republicans in the House are trying to censure after she criticized Kirk for his past comments on race (while also expressing “empathy” for his wife, Erika.) Rep. Nancy Mace (R-S.C.) wants a House vote to remove Omar from her committee roles, which she said would require a simple majority vote. Omar wrote on X that Mace “is trying to censure me over comments I never said.” And also happening in the House today: A second day of hearings for FBI chief Kash Patel, who’s before the House Judiciary Committee at 10 a.m. It’s unclear whether he’ll be wearing a Liverpool Football Club tie, as he did before the Senate Judiciary Committee yesterday, but given we’re still top of the league there’s surely every chance.
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| | | | BILL OF HEALTH HELP NEEDED: The life-and-death struggle over U.S. vaccine policy will hit the Senate today when ousted CDC director Susan Monarez appears in public for the first time since being fired. Monarez will give her side of the story about her row with HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. before the Senate HELP Committee at 10 a.m. Given the high stakes — with national vaccine policies now being reviewed under RFK Jr.’s leadership — it should be blockbuster stuff. Paging Dr. Cassidy: Committee Chair Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-La.) will again play an outsized role. He, of course, cast the critical vote to confirm Kennedy earlier this year after receiving assurances about RFK’s approach to vaccines — all of which are now called into question. And it was Cassidy who received a private phone call from Monarez in August revealing she was about to be fired. Monarez told Cassidy on the call how Kennedy had asked her to oust top CDC officials and accept the recommendations of his handpicked vaccine advisers — crossing two of Cassidy’s red lines, NYT’s Sheryl Gay Stolberg and Megan Mineiro report. Several key storylines to watch today, via POLITICO health reporter Sophie Gardner: - Is Kennedy losing support? Several Republican senators, including Cassidy, clearly have concerns about Kennedy’s performance at HHS. Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) called Monarez “a person of great integrity” after Kennedy accused her of lying. Their questions — and those of other moderate Republicans like Alaska Sen. Lisa Murkowski — will be key to watch for signs of how damaged Kennedy has been.
- How it all went down: According to a prepared version of Monarez’s remarks obtained by POLITICO, the testimony will paint a very different picture of her dismissal than the version offered by Kennedy. Monarez is expected to say that she was asked to pre-approve recommendations by the CDC’s panel of outside vaccine advisers, after Kennedy fired and replaced the members in June. She’s also expected to say she was ordered to fire long-standing health officials, per her WSJ op-ed earlier this month.
- Insider details: Also testifying before the committee is Debra Houry, the CDC’s former chief medical officer who resigned minutes after HHS announced Monarez was being pushed out. Houry could provide some new insights into directives the agency was receiving from HHS even before Monarez was confirmed as director.
INCOMING: The hearing comes at a critical moment, with Kennedy’s new-look vaccine advisory panel due to meet in Atlanta tomorrow — kicking off two days of meetings that could change recommendations on the Covid-19, hepatitis B and chickenpox vaccines. Kennedy announced the addition of five new members to the vaccine panel on Monday, including more who have expressed vaccine skepticism. It seems this most contentious of issues is finally coming to a head.
| | | | 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. | | | | | THE ECONOMY, STUPID POWELL’S BIG DAY: Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell will announce the central bank’s long-awaited decision on rate cuts at 2:30 p.m., punctuating the second day of the Fed’s drama-filled September meeting. We can’t be sure, but markets seem to be expecting a quarter point cut to interest rates — a move Trump would likely blast as both “too late” and “not enough,” if his recent Truth Social posts are any indication. Whatever happens, today’s central bank decision is already shaping up to be the most politically charged ever, POLITICO’s economics guru Victoria Guida writes in to Playbook. On the one hand, the likely outcome — a small interest rate cut — is not expected to be affected by either the new addition to the Fed board of White House chief economist Stephen Miran, or the continued presence of governor Lisa Cook, whom Trump is trying to remove from office. But the vote could still be much messier than usual as Fed officials grapple with two problems they simply cannot fight simultaneously: a weakening job market and rising prices. The result: A mix of political and economic turmoil which will test Powell’s ability to build a policy consensus as he aims to protect both the U.S. economy and the central bank’s autonomy. Good luck! The view from Wall Street: Markets slipped yesterday as the first day of the Fed’s meeting took off, per WSJ. Investors will be watching the rate projections and Powell’s comments closely for any signals about the rest of the year. AND BEYOND THE FED: House Republicans advanced a measure yesterday that effectively blocks challenges to Trump’s sweeping tariff agenda through March 2026, POLITICO’s Meredith Lee Hill and Mia McCarthy report. … On tariffs, Trump had a “wonderful” call with Indian PM Narendra Modi yesterday, as both countries resumed trade negotiations in a push to reset relations, Bloomberg’s Hadriana Lowenkron writes.
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| | | | TRAIL MIX FIRST IN PLAYBOOK — Hot on the left?: Wisconsin state Rep. Francesca Hong, who helped lead a protest vote against former President Joe Biden over his stance on Israel in the Democratic primary last year, is entering the governor’s race today, POLITICO’s Brakkton Booker reports. She joins a crowded Democratic field looking to replace Gov. Tony Evers, who is not running for reelection. “She’s likely a long-shot candidate, but her presence in the race is a sign that Democrats are still sorting through what they stand for on a host of issues after their steep losses last November,” Brakkton writes. DEMS HOLD HORTMAN’S SEAT: Democrat Xp Lee won the special election yesterday to fill the Minnesota state House seat that became vacant after the assassination of Democratic leader Melissa Hortman and her husband earlier this year. Lee’s win returns the state House to a 67-67 tie and restores the power-sharing deal which has characterized much of the 2025 legislative session, AP’s Steve Karnowski writes. 2026 WATCH: Trump announced yesterday that Republicans will hold a midterm convention to prop up “the great things we have done” since the last election, POLITICO’s Ben Johansen writes. No time or location has yet been announced. 2028 WATCH: Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear is paying a visit to New Hampshire on Oct. 7, a notable stop for a potential 2028 presidential candidate — though Beshear’s team insists the governor’s focus is rallying voters for the midterms, WMUR’s Adam Sexton reports. It’s his second visit to the Granite State in under a year.
| | | | Want to know how policy pros stay ahead? Policy Intelligence Assistant — only with POLITICO Pro — merges trusted reporting with advanced AI to deliver deeper insights, faster answers, and powerful report builders that drive action. Get 30 days free. | | | | | BEST OF THE REST MIDDLE EAST LATEST: The Israeli military plunged full-force into Gaza City yesterday, beginning the ground offensive officials have been threatening for weeks, NYT’s Aaron Boxerman and colleagues report. The operation was met with rebukes from world leaders. Yesterday alone, at least 93 people were killed in northern Gaza and more than 100 across the region, per CNN’s Oren Liebermann. Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu said Trump has invited him back to the White House in two weeks, following the UN General Assembly meeting in New York, per Reuters. How it’s playing: Democratic public affairs firm SKDK has cut its contract short with the Israeli government, with a spokesperson saying the work “had run its course,” POLITICO’s Daniel Lippman reports. SHUTDOWN SHOWDOWN: As we near the deadline to avert a Sept. 30 government shutdown, House Republicans are pushing to get their stopgap bill through. GOP leaders plan to vote on a rule to move their seven-week funding patch forward — plus a separate resolution honoring Charlie Kirk — as soon as today, per our Inside Congress colleagues. In the other chamber, Senate Democrats are doing their best to gum up Republicans’ plans, POLITICO’s Nick Wu reports. TIKTOK ON THE CLOCK: Trump has again extended the deadline for TikTok to be sold or blocked in the U.S. as the administration works to close a “framework” deal with China, POLITICO’s Anthony Adragna reports. Under the proposed deal, TikTok’s U.S. operations would be owned by a consortium of investors, with the 80 percent stake including Silver Lake, Andreessen Horowitz and Oracle, WSJ’s Raffaele Huang and colleagues report. Trump extended the deadline to Dec. 16; he’s due to speak to Chinese President Xi Jinping Friday.
| | TALK OF THE TOWN | | PLAYBOOK STYLE SECTION — “Attending New York Fashion Week Under Trump 2.0,” by the Cut’s Danya Issawi: “We spoke with three international fashion editors, all of whom requested anonymity for fear of retribution from the U.S. government, about opting out (or thinking about it) of this year’s New York Fashion Week. … ‘I’ve heard of people having their phones searched at border patrol. Some people are deleting all their apps or using burner phones when they go across the border and putting their personal phones into their luggage. I’ve traveled to Russia and China for work, and this feels like that,’” said a London-based editor. OUT AND ABOUT — SPOTTED at a reception and dinner last night hosted by Christopher Ruddy and Newsmax at the Peninsula hotel in London ahead of Trump’s state visit to the U.K.: Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, Sergio Gor, Boris Johnson, Nigel Farage, Liz Truss, Jacob Rees-Mogg, Sajid Javid, Michael Dobbs, Nizar Al Bassam, Mikhail Khodorkovsky, Greta Van Susteren, Andrew Neil and Con Coughlin. — SPOTTED at a 25th anniversary celebration for Qorvis at Café Milano hosted by CEO Matt Lauer last night: Samantha Sault, Grace Fenstermaker, Brad Klapper, Dan Rene, Sean Spicer, Roxanne Roberts, Norm Coleman, Charlie Rivkin, Susan Tolson, Raheem Kassam, Casey Flores, Pablo Manriquez, Steve Clemons and Amy Argetsinger. — Adrienne Arsht received Delaware’s highest honor, the Order of the First State, during a reception at Atlantic Council HQ in D.C. yesterday. Former Delaware Gov. Bethany Hall-Long and Sen. Chris Coons (D-Del.) bestowed Arsht with the honor. SPOTTED: Fred Kempe, Delaware Secretary of State Charuni Patibanda-Sanchez, Capricia Marshall, Anthony Fauci, Andrea Mitchell, French Ambassador Laurent Bili, Argentinian Ambassador Alec Oxenford, Chilean Ambassador Juan Gabriel Valdés, Monaco Ambassador Maguy Maccario Doyle, Steve Hadley, Laura Richardson, Barby Allbritton, Lloyd and Ann Hand and Doug Lute. WHITE HOUSE DEPARTURE LOUNGE — Kevin Harrington is joining the Defense Department, leaving his role as NSC senior director for strategic planning. FIRST IN PLAYBOOK — Laurie McKay is starting as senior director of government affairs at the Mellon Foundation. She previously worked at the Kennedy Center. TRANSITIONS — Juan Andrés Gilces has joined Community Security Service as regional director for Washington, D.C. Gilces previously worked in the Labor Department’s Bureau of International Labor Affairs. … Alex Gough is now comms director for Gov. JB Pritzker’s reelection campaign. He previously worked in the governor’s office. WELCOME TO THE WORLD — Calley Means, a special government employee at the White House for MAHA policy, and Leslie Voorhees, CEO of Superfoods Inc., welcomed Kepler Means on Friday. Pic … Instapic HAPPY BIRTHDAY: Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) (92) … Steve Scully of the Bipartisan Policy Center … David Litt … Richard Wolffe … NBC’s Henry Gomez and Anthony Coley … Anna Taylor … WaPo’s Rachel Roubein … Kimberley Fritts of Cogent Strategies … Bloomberg’s Emily Birnbaum … Sarah Selip of 917 Strategies … Scott Nulty of Shield AI … Cole Lyle … Brian Patrick of Rep. Bill Huizenga’s (R-Mich.) office … Don Baer … Morgan Gress ... Doug Johnson … Carol Kresse … retired Marine Gen. Anthony Zinni … Courtney O’Donnell … former Rep. Gene Taylor (D-Miss.) … Matthew Boyse … David Wade … Steve Kerrigan … POLITICO’s Crystal Thomas … ACC’s Stephen Power … Courtney Laydon … Sam Weinberger … Mae Eldahshoury of Rep. Summer Lee’s (D-Pa.) office … Thorn Run Partners’ Hayden Jewett 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 American Advancement: Democrats have a three-part plan for 2026: take back Congress, stop Trump's momentum, and erase his agenda. If Republicans lose the majority, President Trump's historic achievements vanish. Extending premium tax credits helps working families afford health care—and it's how Republicans keep promises that earned their majority. Republicans must protect these credits to protect the majority and the MAGA agenda. The choice is clear: defend our families, defend our future and defend our majority. 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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