| | | |  | | By Bethany Irvine | | Presented by |  | | | With help from Rachel Umansky-Castro
|  | THE CATCH-UP | | | 
President Donald Trump speaks during a meeting with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in the Oval Office of the White House, Thursday, Sept. 25, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci) | AP | AT 1600 PENN: President Donald Trump met with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan this morning at the White House, where Russia quickly emerged as the primary focus for the two leaders. Seated beside Erdoğan in the Oval, Trump doubled down on his demand that Turkey stop purchasing Russian oil. “I’d like to have him stop buying any oil from Russia while Russia continues its rampage against Ukraine,” Trump told reporters. He said it’s “a shame” that Russia is “unnecessarily” killing so many people. “It’s such a waste of human life,” Trump said, adding that Russian President Vladimir Putin “ought to stop.” Asked if Turkey could play a role in ending the conflict, Trump pressed further on the issue of oil. “The best thing he could do is not buy oil and gas from Russia,” per NBC’s Rebecca Shabad. The view from Kyiv: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in an interview with Axios’ Barak Ravid that he’s prepared to step down from his post after the war ends. “I’m ready … because it’s not my goal, elections. I wanted very much in a very difficult period of time to be with my country, help my country,” Zelenskyy said. “My goal is to finish the war.” The Ukrainian president said he told Trump of this plan when they met on Tuesday. He also noted he understands people may want “a leader with ... a new mandate” in order to reach a long-term peace in Ukraine. Buzzing the tower: U.S. fighter jets “scrambled to identify and intercept four Russian warplanes flying near Alaska” yesterday, the North American Aerospace Defense Command announced today, per AP. “It’s the third time in about a month and the ninth time this year NORAD has reported such an incident involving Russian aircraft flying near Alaska,” AP notes. Though NORAD noted that the aircraft remained in international airspace and was not seen as an overt threat, the latest incident comes after Trump this week said he thought Ukraine could win back territory claimed by Russia. Middle East latest: Trump also told reporters today that he is nearing “some sort of deal” that would bring an end to the war in Gaza after his meeting with Arab and Muslim leaders this week, per NBC News. “We had a great meeting with the leaders of that area, of that region, generally speaking, the Middle East,” Trump said. “We had a great meeting. I think we’re very close to getting some kind of a deal done here.” TRUMP’S UNGA REVIEW: “Trump’s Nobel dreams collide with diplomats’ doubts at the UN,” by POLITICO’s Felicia Schwartz: “The feeling among many foreign diplomats gathered in Turtle Bay this week is that Trump is often more interested in declaring victory than focusing on the unsexy diplomatic slog it takes to achieve it — a problem when U.S. support is key to negotiating the end to many conflicts. For the countries actually mired in conflict, the struggle to keep his attention is existential.” Good Thursday afternoon. Thanks for reading Playbook PM. Drop me a line at birvine@politico.com.
| | | | 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. | | | | | | 9 THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW | | | 
A senior DOJ official has instructed more than a half dozen U.S. attorney offices to draft plans to investigate a group funded by billionaire Democratic megadonor George Soros. | Ronald Zak/AP | 1. INVESTIGATION STATION: A senior DOJ official has instructed more than a half dozen U.S. attorney offices to draft plans to investigate a group funded by billionaire Democratic megadonor George Soros, NYT’s Devlin Barrett scoops. “The official’s directive, a copy of which was viewed by The New York Times, goes as far as to list possible charges prosecutors could file, ranging from arson to 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.” The timing: “In recent days, Mr. Trump has revisited his grievances against Mr. Soros, long a boogeyman for the right, in part because he has backed progressive causes. After the killing of the right-wing activist Charlie Kirk in Utah this month, the president threatened to use the levers of government to silence liberal protesters and donors to progressive groups, including Mr. Soros.” 2. SHUTDOWN SHOWDOWN: So far, Democratic lawmakers aren’t buckling in their opposition to Republicans’ short-term funding patch after Trump and OMB Director Russ Vought’s threat to fire swaths of government employees in the event of a shutdown next week, POLITICO’s Jordain Carney and Nicholas Wu report. “Among the Democrats still standing firm against a Republican-led seven-week funding punt include those representing many of thousands public employees who would be most at risk.” 3. ON DEFENSE: In a highly unusual directive, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has ordered hundreds of the nation’s top military generals and admirals to an urgent meeting at a Marine Corps base in Virginia next week, “sowing confusion and alarm” after the Pentagon previously announced plans to consolidate top military commands, WaPo’s Tara Copp and colleagues scoop. Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell confirmed to the Post that Hegseth “will be addressing his senior military leaders early next week,” but remained mum on the details. The why: The rationale behind the summons remains unclear, though none of those “who spoke with The Post could recall a defense secretary ever ordering so many of the military’s generals and admirals to assemble like this. Several said it raised security concerns.” One U.S. official told WaPo: “Are we taking every general and flag officer out of the Pacific right now? … All of it is weird.” 4. FED UP: Every living former chair of the Federal Reserve and a host of other former top Republican and Democratic economic officials are urging the Supreme Court to allow Fed Governor Lisa Cook to remain in her position as Trump’s case to oust her makes its way through the courts, WSJ’s Nick Timiraos reports. The “friend-of-the-court” brief “outlined a series of arguments in favor of greater independence for central banks,” and also “warned that allowing Cook to be removed while her legal challenge proceeds would signal a damaging erosion of safeguards to provide independence from the executive branch.”
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| | | | 5. IMMIGRATION FILES: DHS is ramping up security at Immigration and Customs Enforcement facilities nationwide following yesterday’s deadly shooting at a Dallas ICE facility, per POLITICO’s Gregory Svirnovskiy. “DHS will immediately begin increasing security at ICE facilities across the country,” DHS spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin said in a statement. “Our ICE officers are facing a more than 1000% increase in assaults against them.” DHS didn’t immediately provide more information on the security measures, or whether they are being paid for with funding from the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. 6. THE ECONOMY, STUPID: Newly revised numbers out this morning from the Commerce Department show that the nation’s economy grew faster than previously estimated in the second quarter of the year, per POLITICO’s Sam Sutton. “The Commerce Department on Thursday revised up its estimate of annualized gross domestic product to 3.8 percent, a 0.5 percentage point increase from an earlier report. While the economy contracted during the first three months of the year, a sharp decline in imports — which boosts GDP — and solid spending buoyed growth in April, May and June.” But but but: “Still, policymakers and economists have been skeptical that the economy will continue to grow at the same rate through the end of the year,” Sam writes. “The labor market has also been much weaker than most economists had thought — including Trump allies like acting Council of Economic Advisers Chair Pierre Yared. That could cause consumers to pull back in the coming months.” 7. FARM TO TABLE: Trump told reporters today that he’s planning to use tariff revenue to dole out cash bailouts to struggling farmers, per POLITICO’s Grace Yarrow. The president acknowledged that farmers across the country are “for a little while, going to be hurt until the tariffs kick into their benefit,” adding that his administration is “going to make sure that our farmers are in great shape, because we’re taking in a lot of money.” White House officials said they anticipate Congress will have to sign off on the bailout plan for the farm aid package, “and are hoping lawmakers will include it in their omnibus package due by Nov. 21.” 8. TRAIL MIX: When Michigan state Democratic Sen. Mallory McMorrow conveyed to the DSCC early this year that she wanted to launch a U.S. Senate bid, she was initially told to hold off — but she defied the party fundraising arm and launched her campaign in April anyway, NBC’s Sahil Kapur and Bridget Bowman report. “In that call and subsequent ones, some of which took place at the staff level, DSCC officials didn’t explicitly ask her not to run, but ‘they were slow-walking,’” one source told NBC. “Whether she intended it or not, the 39-year-old McMorrow started a trend of Democratic outsiders end-running party leaders to launch their campaigns, sometimes in explicit opposition to them.” Fresh polling in the Garden State: A new Emerson College poll for the New Jersey gubernatorial race found Democratic Rep. Mikie Sherrill and Republican Jack Ciatarelli tied at 43 percent, with 11 percent of voters undecided. 9. THE PILL PAINS: A social media post made by Tylenol in 2017 that recommended against “using any of our products while pregnant,” — which was boosted by the Trump administration this week on the heels of Trump and HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s controversial autism announcement — was clarified by parent company Kenvue that it was “taken out of context,” per NYT’s Jenny Gross. Kenvue in a statement said that the 2017 post was “incomplete and did not address our full guidance on the safe use of Tylenol which has not changed: Acetaminophen is the safest pain reliever option for pregnant women as needed throughout their entire pregnancy.”
| | TALK OF THE TOWN | | QATAR COMES TO THE U.S. — Qatar is participating in the “Knowledge Transfer” program in Seattle, Washington, at the invitation of the Seattle Police Department, according to Qatar’s Security Committee, which is present for the program. The program, which began on Monday and ends tomorrow, “aims to showcase Qatar’s experience in securing and managing major sporting events,” the committee said. “The program focuses on key areas including security planning, readiness, command and control, response, and lessons learned, in addition to presenting recommendations drawn from Qatar’s successful organization of the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022.” Other participants include representatives from U.S. and Canadian law enforcement agencies, who are preparing to host the 2026 FIFA World Cup. The program is part of the framework of the security agreement signed between the State of Qatar and the U.S., “reflecting the strength of the strategic partnership between the two countries in the fields of security and safety,” the committee said. OUT AND ABOUT — Jonathan Guyer and Mark Hannah hosted a happy hour for the Institute for Global Affairs at Eurasia Group last night. SPOTTED: Rudina Hajdari, Leigh O'Neill, Matt Duss, Deborah Amos, Sophie Schmidt, Jack Crosbie, Caroline Haskins, Adam Ellick, Joel Campagna, Yasmine Taeb, Annelle Sheline, Eli Clifton, Jen Kirby, Joshua Keating, Dan White, Waleed Nasir, Omri Ceren, Will Freeman, Thanassis Cambanis, Brett Rosenberg, Gareth Brown, Casey Michel, Maryum Saifee, Ike Sriskandarajah, Lauren Wagner and Hassan El-Tayyab. — The Ghana Diaspora Public Affairs Collective held its second annual Continent to Continent Afrobeats party honoring Rep. Gabe Amo (D-R.I.) on the sidelines of the CBC Annual Legislative Conference. SPOTTED: Reps. Janelle Bynum (D-Ore.), Wesley Hunt (R-Texas) and Nikema Williams (D-Ga.), Franklin Davis, Malcolm Sherrod, Yaw Thompson, Kimberly Afoakwah, Erin Waldron, Isaac Fordjour, Tara Rountree, Jerome Murray, Adrian Boafo, Clement Abonyi Jr., Chaka Burgess, Yemisi Egbewole, Zach Sentementes, Topaz Mukulu, Michael Pauls, Maude Okrah Hunter and Adjoa Kyerematen. MEDIA MOVE — Haven Orecchio-Egresitz is joining CNN as supervising editor for justice. She most recently worked at Business Insider. TRANSITIONS — Matthew Hanrahan is joining TC Energy as a senior policy comms adviser. He previously worked for Rep. Dan Meuser (R-Pa.). … Vic Goetz is now director of federal affairs at HCA Healthcare. He previously worked for Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.). … Emily Minster is now digital manager for Rep. Summer Lee (D-Pa.). She previously worked for Rep. Yassamin Ansari (D-Ariz.). … … Taylor Reaves is now Washington chief of staff for the personal office of House Majority Whip Tom Emmer (R-Minn.). She previously worked at Porter Wright. … Scott Quinn is now director of government and external affairs at Inclusive Abundance. He previously worked at Arnold Ventures. … Kailyn Ward is now SVP for public affairs at Forbes Tate Partners. She most recently worked in the Interior Department. 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. | | | | 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 | Ottawa Playbook | Brussels Playbook | London Playbook View all our politics and policy newsletters | | Follow us | | | |
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