| | | |  | | By Bethany Irvine | Presented by American Advancement | |  | THE CATCH-UP | | With help from Rachel Umansky-Castro
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FBI Director Kash Patel sat before the Senate Judiciary Committee for the first of two congressional oversight hearings this week. | AP | SAID AND DONE: The fallout from the killing of Charlie Kirk and subsequent debate around cracking down on free speech has been swirling in recent days — and President Donald Trump stoked the fire again this morning as he spoke with reporters before jetting off to the U.K. for this week’s state visit. Asked by ABC’s Jonathan Karl about AG Pam Bondi’s comments that she would “go after” those who were “targeting anyone with hate speech” following Kirk’s killing, Trump zeroed in on the news outlet. “We’ll probably go after people like you, because you treat me unfairly. It’s hate. You have a lot of hate in your heart. Maybe they’ll come after ABC. Well, ABC paid me $16 million recently for a form of hate speech … Maybe they’ll have to go after you,” Trump said. Bondi, for her part, riled up both conservative and liberal circles with her controversial comment that was seen as a threat to clamp down on free speech — a debate that she attempted to further define today, POLITICO’s Gigi Ewing writes. “Hate speech that crosses the line into threats of violence is NOT protected by the First Amendment. It’s a crime,” Bondi said in a post on X, claiming that the “radical left” has used it to “normalize threats, call for assassinations, and cheer on political violence. That era is over.” More reaction: FCC Chair Brendan Carr rejected the notion that the government should crack down on social media posts following Kirk’s death during the POLITICO AI & Tech Summit this morning. “I think you can draw a pretty clear line, and the Supreme Court has done this for decades, that our First Amendment, our free speech tradition, protects almost all speech,” Carr said. Social media posts that incite violence are potentially unprotected by the First Amendment, Carr said, though he added that it’s “a relatively small category of speech” and there are “existing laws on the books that deal with that.” More from POLITICO’s John Hendel and Brendan Bordelon Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) also weighed in on the debate around constitutional protections during the POLITICO summit, telling Rachael Bade that the first amendment “absolutely protects” hate speech. “It protects vile speech. It protects horrible speech. What does that mean? It means you cannot be prosecuted for speech, even if it is evil and bigoted and wrong,” Cruz said. Still, Cruz endorsed “naming and shaming” as “part of a functioning and vibrant democracy,” saying those who engage in such speech “should absolutely face the consequences for celebrating murder.” More from POLITICO’s Jacob Wendler Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor also waded into the debate. “Every time I listen to a lawyer-trained representative saying we should criminalize free speech in some way, I think to myself, that law school failed,” Sotomayor said on a panel in New York, offering a veiled critique of Bondi, though she did not mention anyone by name, POLITICO’s Erica Orden reports. MEANWHILE ON THE HILL: FBI Director Kash Patel sat before the Senate Judiciary Committee for the first of two congressional oversight hearings this week. Though Patel’s appearance before the committee had been planned weeks before Kirk’s death, the director’s perceived missteps around the case were top of mind. In his opening remarks, Patel mounted an impassioned defense to those who have challenged his position. “I’m honored to be the ninth director of the FBI — I’m not going anywhere,” he told lawmakers. “If you want to criticize my 16 years of service, please bring it on.” In the most heated exchange of the hearing, Sen. Cory Booker (D-N.J.) criticized Patel’s leadership of the agency and said he did not believe Patel would be in his job for much longer because Trump would remove him, claiming that the president “has shown us he is not loyal to people like you,” Booker said. Patel quickly pushed back, stating Booker’s “rant of false information does not bring this country together.” Both then got into a shouting match, with Patel urging Booker to provide him a chance to respond and Booker accusing Patel of making a “mockery” of the committee. Good Tuesday afternoon. Thanks for reading Playbook PM. Drop me a line at birvine@politico.com.
| | | | 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. | | | | | | 7 THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW | | | 
Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.) notably pressed FBI Kash Patel to go further and release the files. | Julia Demaree Nikhinson/AP | 1. THE EPSTEIN FILES: The Justice Department’s handling of the Jeffrey Epstein files largely took a backseat during Patel’s hearing before the Judiciary Committee, though Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.) notably pressed Patel to go further and release the files, POLITICO’s Hailey Fuchs and Kyle Cheney report. Kennedy specifically asked Patel for information about who, if anyone, other than Epstein was on the receiving end of the girls and women who were sex trafficked. “The issue’s not gonna go away,” Kennedy said. “I think you’re gonna have to do more to satisfy the American people’s understandable curiosity in that regard.” Patel said he agreed with Kennedy’s assessment. “I am not saying that others were not trafficked and others were not involved,” Patel said. 2. SHUTDOWN SHOWDOWN: House Republicans are now one step closer to reaching a funding deal as they stare down a Sept. 30 deadline. Following today’s GOP conference meeting, leaders released their 91-page continuing resolution designed to stave off a shutdown and keep the government’s lights on through November, POLITICO’s Jennifer Scholtes and colleagues report. After several days of intraparty debate, the legislation would “provide $30 million for lawmaker security and a total of $58 million in security assistance the White House requested for the Supreme Court and executive branch.” 3. FED UP: As Federal Reserve officials gather today for their two-day rate cutting meeting, the Trump administration is still pushing forward to appeal a lower court decision that blocked the president’s attempt to oust Fed Governor Lisa Cook, Bloomberg’s Zoe Tillman and Erik Larson report. A White House official “did not know exactly when the Justice Department would file papers taking the fight over firing Cook to the Supreme Court. There was no public indication that the government’s lawyers had asked the justices to intervene before the Fed met on Tuesday. Cook and newly-confirmed Governor Stephen Miran were both in attendance when the central bank’s meeting began mid-morning, according to a Fed spokesperson.” The latest numbers: New figures from the Commerce Department show that American’s spending habits haven’t changed much, despite an increasingly sluggish economy, CNN’s Bryan Mena reports. Spending at U.S. retailers rose 0.6 percent in August, remaining unchanged from July’s revised 0.6 percent. 4. U.S. STRIKES A THIRD BOAT: Trump told reporters this morning that the U.S. carried out a strike on a third boat alleged to be carrying drugs from Venezuela, following his announcement yesterday of a second boat strike, per Bloomberg’s Hadriana Lowenkron. Trump did not provide details about the strike, and the Pentagon has not yet publicly confirmed the strike. The new war on drugs: The Trump administration recently added Colombia to the growing list of nations it says are failing to comply with international drug regulations, AP’s Joshua Goodman and Astrid Suarez report. “The U.S. last added Colombia to the list, through a process known as decertification, in 1997 when the country’s cartels — through threats of violence and money — had poisoned much of the nation’s institutions.” 5. RUSSIA-UKRAINE LATEST: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is pushing Trump in to take a “clear position” on Russia and ratchet up sanctions, NBC’s Freddie Clayton reports. Europe has “already introduced 18 sanctions packages” against the Kremlin, Zelenskyy said. “All that’s lacking now is a strong sanctions package from the U.S. … More needs to be done, quicker.” In comments to reporters at the White House this morning, Trump lamented his position between Zelenskyy and Russian President Vladimir Putin, also reiterating his demand for Europe to “stop buying oil from Russia” and indicating Zelenskyy will “have to make a deal.”
| | | | Introducing Global Security: POLITICO’s weekly briefing on the policies, regulatory battles and industrial shifts shaping defense and security across continents. We connect what happens in Washington, Brussels and beyond to what gets funded, what gets built and who benefits. Subscribe now to access the free preview edition. | | | | | 6. TRAIL MIX: Geoff Duncan, the former Republican lieutenant governor, is throwing his hat into the Georgia gubernatorial race, launching a campaign bid this time as a Democrat, The Atlanta-Journal Constitution’s Greg Bluestein scoops. Duncan in an interview with The New Republic’s Greg Sargent said the “idea is that at least some Republican voters are ‘disgusted’ by Trump, as he put it. Indeed, Duncan blasted Trump for suggesting that political violence from the radical right is justified in response to left-wing extremism, and he condemned Trump’s threats to unleash investigations of liberal groups.” Walz goes again: Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz launched a reelection campaign this morning, seeking a third term, POLITICO’s Faith Wardwell reports. “In his campaign announcement, Walz lauded Minnesota as “the best place on Earth,” but acknowledged the ‘terrible times’ the state had experienced after former state House Speaker Melissa Hortman and her husband were killed by a gunman in June, and another state lawmaker was shot.” My old Kentucky home: Democrat Logan Forsythe, a Lexington attorney and former Secret Service agent, has launched a campaign for Sen. Mitch McConnell’s (R-Ky.) seat, The Lexington Herald Leader’s Austin Horn reports. He joins Kentucky House Minority Leader Pam Stevenson as the lone declared Democrats in the race. 7. IMMIGRATION FILES: In the first 50 days of ICE’s detention facility at Fort Bliss, called Camp East Montana, there have been at least 60 violations in the facility’s inspection, WaPo’s Douglas MacMillan and colleagues report. The immigrants at the detention center have not been properly monitored or treated for medical conditions, and the facility “lacked basic procedures for keeping guards and detainees safe.” Many of the detainees also were not provided “a way to contact lawyers, learn about their cases or file complaints.” This month, the facility is expected to contain about 2,700 migrants and is estimated to increase by 5,000 by the end of the year.
| | | | Don’t just keep up with policy shifts — set the pace. POLITICO Pro’s Policy Intelligence Assistant combines unmatched reporting with advanced AI to deliver sharper insights, faster answers, and two powerful report builders that turn intelligence into impact. Try it free for 30 days. | | | | | | | TALK OF THE TOWN | | TRANSITIONS — Mickeala Carter is joining FoodCops as a VP of policy and comms. She previously worked at FTI Consulting. … Sean Meloy is now director of donor advising at Way to Win. He previously worked at the LGBTQ+ Victory Fund.. … Phoebe Keller is now comms director for Senate Commerce Chair Ted Cruz (R-Texas). She has previously worked for the Senate Finance Committee. WEEKEND WEDDING — Katie Wood, health policy adviser to Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.), and Peter Burrus, corporate development analyst with MyEyeDr., got married this weekend in Bald Head Island, North Carolina. Pic 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.
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