| | | |  | | 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 Playbook’s Adam Wren discuss a seismic day ahead in the Charlie Kirk case; the fortunes of FBI chief Kash Patel; and the bitter struggle for control of the Federal Reserve.
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| START YOUR DAY: With POLITICO’s AI & Tech Summit, which kicks off at 8 a.m. in downtown D.C. Among those interviewed on stage will be FCC Chair Brendan Carr, White House senior AI policy adviser Sriram Krishnan and Senate Commerce Chair Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas). Expect yesterday’s dramatic deal to save TikTok, and the way social media has covered Kirk’s horrific killing, to dominate conversations. You can sign up to watch live here Good Tuesday morning. This is Jack Blanchard. Get in touch. TRUMP VS. THE TIMES: President Donald Trump filed a $15 billion lawsuit against The New York Times last night for what he said was its “decades long method of lying about your Favorite President (ME!), my family, business, the America First Movement, MAGA, and our Nation as a whole.” It marks the latest attempt by the president to take on a major media organization in the courts, following his lawsuits against ABC News and CBS that led to favorable settlements and ongoing action against The Wall Street Journal. Also targeted in this lawsuit: Publishing giant Penguin Random House, and NYT reporters Peter Baker, Michael Schmidt, Susanne Craig and Russ Buettner. Trump has filed a sprawling 85-page legal complaint (read it here) in a Florida court, complaining about a series of articles in the NYT, plus Buettner and Craig’s book about his life, “Lucky Loser: How Donald Trump Squandered His Father’s Fortune and Created the Illusion of Success.” Wibble: The court filing is quite a read, detailing Trump’s anguish at what he perceives to be negative coverage that he receives. The president seems to have taken particular exception — among other things — to the book’s assertion that he was “discovered” in 2004 by “The Apprentice” producer Mark Burnett. In fact, it explains, “President Trump was already a mega-celebrity and an enormous success in business.” His appearances at Wrestlemania V and in “Home Alone 2” are among the examples cited as legal proof. Free speech update: The lawsuit against the NYT comes with the Trump administration’s long-stated commitment to free speech looking murkier by the hour. Speaking on the Katie Miller Podcast last night, AG Pam Bondi said she would “come after those who engage in hate speech” following the appalling killing of Charlie Kirk. Since when did MAGA talk like this? “There’s free speech and then there’s hate speech,” Bondi said. “And there’s no place, especially now, especially after what happened to Charlie, in our society … We will absolutely target you, go after you, if you are targeting anyone with hate speech.” It’s fascinating to see Trump’s closest allies adopting the sort of language long associated with the so-called “illiberal left.” And of course this follows the campaign by Kirk’s angry and grieving friends within the administration — led yesterday by VP JD Vance — for anyone ghoulishly celebrating Kirk’s death to be fired from their jobs. “Call them out, and hell, call their employer,” Vance said as he guest-hosted an episode of Kirk’s podcast. “We don't believe in political violence, but we do believe in civility.” Cancel culture, it seems, is back in fashion. In today’s Playbook … — Trump heads to Britain … but all eyes are on Utah today. — Under-fire FBI chief Kash Patel hits the Senate. — And the Fed board meets at last — with both Lisa Cook and Stephen Miran in the room.
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President Donald Trump walks to Air Force One at Morristown Airport on Sept. 14, 2025, in Morristown, New Jersey. | Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images | SIDESHOW: Donald Trump heads to the U.K. this morning for a grand state visit — but not even the pomp and ceremony of the British royal family can tear D.C.’s attention away from the horror of the Charlie Kirk case. We may hear from Trump on the South Lawn as he departs for Britain this morning, or perhaps from Air Force One if he chats to reporters ahead of his arrival tonight. But with FBI chief Kash Patel due at a blockbuster Senate hearing this morning and with formal charges due to be filed against Kirk’s suspected killer Tyler Robinson in Utah this afternoon, the president — for once — is not the main event. First up is Patel, who makes his first appearance before the Senate Judiciary Committee since being confirmed as FBI director at 9 a.m. The first part of the hearing will surely focus on the Kirk case, with Patel having taken significant flak for his conduct over the past few days. The charge sheet against him — which includes grandstanding, needlessly criticizing local officials and wrongly announcing that the suspect had been caught — will be picked apart by Dems on the committee today. Audience of one: Patel has been getting his defense in early, making not one but two appearances on Fox News yesterday — a sure sign of a man seeking favor with the president. (And it’s working: Axios reports Trump thinks he’s doing just fine.) Patel insists his only crime has been transparency, and he’s certainly been unusually — some would say jaw-droppingly — willing to give real-time updates on the live investigation. So it’s possible we’ll hear more details on the case itself, too. All of which means … questions about the Epstein files will likely be relegated to the latter half of the hearing. But rest assured, they will come. All eyes on Utah: Attention will then switch to Utah this afternoon, where 22-year-old Robinson is due to appear in court — via video link — for the first time. And as my POLITICO colleagues Josh Gerstein and Kyle Cheney have reported, in Utah — unlike in federal court — criminal proceedings are routinely televised, though judges do have the power to ban cameras if they see fit. Clearly, the pictures are going to be everywhere if cameras are allowed in. Proceedings begin at 5 p.m. ET. One to watch: By that point, we should have learned an awful lot more about the suspect, with Utah County Attorney Jeff Gray due to file formal charges against Robinson at 2 p.m. ET. Gray will hold a news conference at that time, presumably alongside Utah Gov. Spencer Cox, laying out the case against the suspect. On Fox News last night Patel more or less confirmed WaPo’s Monday afternoon scoop about an apparent confession, made via a Discord chat group. Plenty more detail about the case against Robinson should come today. And this stuff really matters: As Playbook has noted, the most important political aspect of this tragedy may yet be the Trump administration’s policy response. And already, angry voices in the administration — plus countless MAGA supporters — are blaming what they call “radical left-wing” groups for helping cause Kirk’s death. That means the hard facts about who the suspect really is, and what may have motivated him to commit such an unspeakable crime, are vitally important. We have bits and pieces already. Investigators have said one of the bullet casings was inscribed with the message “Hey fascist! Catch!” Cox has said that Robinson has an “ideology” that’s “very different” from his conservative family. Patel told Fox News that Robinson’s family say he “subscribed to left-wing ideology,” and that the suspect had texted someone that he planned to “take out” Kirk “because of his hatred for what Charlie stood for.” But these are still just snippets, and the thirst for more information is vast. Liberals seem keen to explore Robinson’s immersion in gaming and other online sub-cultures; the MAGA right is desperate to know if the suspect was part of a broad left-wing conspiracy. The full details of the case will matter enormously to what follows — or at least they should. Immediate action: But as the WSJ’s Alex Leary and colleagues set out, a policy response is already being drawn up inside the White House even before today’s charges have been brought. “Among the actions being discussed by the president’s team: reviewing the tax-exempt status of left-leaning nonprofit groups and targeting them with anticorruption laws, according to administration officials. The president could begin rolling out the actions as soon as this week, officials said.” And there’s more: “Officials across the administration are working to identify groups suspected of targeting conservatives or causes conservatives support. That could include looking at attacks on Tesla showrooms earlier this year, as well as people who have retaliated against law enforcement carrying out Trump’s deportation campaign, the officials said, adding that perpetrators could be categorized as domestic terrorists.” Trump himself said yesterday that the loosely aligned group of left-wing protesters known as “antifa” — a shortening of anti-fascist — could even be designated a terrorist organisation. “I would do that 100 percent,” he told reporters in the Oval Office. In short: Between this and Bondi’s new distinction between “hate speech” and “free speech,” it looks like a crackdown on Trump’s opponents is coming rapidly down the tracks.
| | | | 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. | | | | THE DEMS RESPOND OBAMA SPEAKS: Former President Barack Obama is due to speak at a midwest think-tank this evening, and will surely address the killing of Kirk and the political and societal fallout. Obama is due on stage at the Jefferson Educational Society in Pennsylvania at 7 p.m. for an hourlong interview. Obama wrote on X last week that Kirk’s killing was a “despicable” act of violence which “has no place in our democracy.” First in Playbook: Ahead of that, Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro is set to deliver a major speech on political violence in America this morning at the Eradicate Hate Global Summit in Pittsburgh. Shapiro, a potential Democratic presidential candidate for 2028, was himself the subject of political violence earlier this year when the governor’s mansion was firebombed while his family slept inside. Shapiro will make the case that “when you hear speech you disagree with, the answer is more speech — not violence,” according to excerpts obtained by POLITICO’s Holly Otterbein. “Violence in all forms is unacceptable — and political violence is particularly dangerous,” he will say. “Not only does it seek to injure, maim, or kill — it seeks to intimidate, terrorize, and silence. It affects not just those directly targeted and their loved ones, it affects all of us. It tears at the fabric of American society.” Blame game: In an implicit criticism of Trump’s blaming of the left, Shapiro will argue that “leaders have a responsibility to speak and act with moral clarity” and insist “it doesn’t matter if it’s coming from one side or the other, directed at one party or another, or one person or another. It is all wrong.” And he’ll suggest the broader problem is that too many people have simply lost faith in institutions to solve their problems: “They find refuge often in the dark corners of the internet, where their righteous frustration is taken advantage of and used to foment hate.” Read the full excerpts. Coming attractions: If that’s not enough Democratic action for you … Former VP Kamala Harris will give her first interview since leaving office to MSNBC’s Rachel Maddow next week. Harris will join the host in New York for a live sitdown on Monday, Sept. 22.
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| | | | THE ECONOMY FED UP: Federal Reserve governors will gather in D.C. this morning for their long-awaited meeting on interest rates — and barring an extraordinary 11th-hour intervention, both Trump ally Stephen Miran and Trump foe Lisa Cook will be in the room. Trump cooked: The D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals court last night rejected Trump’s bid to oust Fed Governor Cook — a Biden appointee who Trump tried to fire last month — ahead of today’s meeting, ruling she can stay in her post while the court case plays out. But there’s still just about time for the Trump administration to file an emergency appeal to the Supreme Court, POLITICO’s Kyle Cheney and Josh Gerstein report, which would land on Chief Justice John Roberts’ desk. “He’s all but certain to escalate the issue to the full court, but could issue a temporary order blocking Cook from remaining in her post while the litigation plays out,” Kyle and Josh note. Trump’s man makes it through: Definitely in the room will be Trump’s handpicked economic adviser Miran, who was narrowly confirmed to the Fed board last night in a 48-47 Senate vote, POLITICO’s Victoria Guida reports. Though the two-day meeting kicks off today, the real public action will come tomorrow afternoon, when Chair Jerome Powell is due to deliver the Fed’s decision. All signs are pointing to the Fed cutting rates. ALSO COMING TODAY: With nearly all of the attention this week devoted in the Fed’s direction, investors will also be keeping an eye out for “economic data on retail sales, import prices, the housing market and business inventories,” which are all due out this morning, per CNBC.
| | | | 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. | | | | | AMERICA AND THE WORLD GAZA IN FLAMES: A massive new Israeli offensive got underway in Gaza City overnight, shortly after Secretary of State Marco Rubio departed after a two-day visit. “Gaza is burning,” Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said in the early hours of this morning. “The (Israel military) is striking with an iron fist at the terrorist infrastructure.” AP reports at least 20 people were killed in a night of heavy airstrikes. Per AP: “Israel has been warning the famine-stricken Gaza City residents to evacuate for the past month ahead of the operation but many have said they are unable to evacuate due to overcrowding in Gaza’s south and the high price of transport … The United Nations estimated on Monday that over 220,000 Palestinians have fled northern Gaza over the past month.” Meanwhile, a UN-commissioned panel of independent experts released a report today concluding that Israel is committing genocide in Gaza, per AP. Israel rejected the report and has vehemently denied allegations of genocide. Next stop, Qatar: Rubio will make a brief stop in Qatar today as the Trump administration continues efforts to straighten out relations following Israel’s shock attack on Hamas leaders in the Emirate last week. Unhelpfully for the U.S., it comes immediately after Axios’ Barak Ravid reported — citing multiple Israeli officials — that Netanyahu had in fact informed Trump last Tuesday morning of the planned airstrike, roughly an hour before it took place. The White House insists it was given no advance warning of the attack. TRUMP TAKES DOWN ANOTHER BOAT: The U.S. conducted another airstrike against an alleged drug vessel in international waters, Trump said on Truth Social, killing three men from Venezuela he described as “confirmed narcoterrorists,” POLITICO’s Aaron Pellish reports. The strike — footage of which Trump linked to in his post — marks the second U.S. attack on a drug trafficking boat this month. The attacks have been cheered by Trump’s allies, but have also triggered significant backlash. Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) was among those raising concerns about the president’s legal authority, describing the latest strike as a “big mistake.”
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| | | | TRAIL MIX CALIFORNIA STEAMIN’: California is emerging as the focal point for the generational, intraparty battle playing out to define the future of the Democratic Party. “Fully half of the state’s older House Democrats are set to face same-party challengers next year,” POLITICO’s Jeremy White reports. “While similar challenges are unfolding in blue bastions like Massachusetts and Maryland, the same-party struggle is especially striking in California, a Democratic stronghold where a culture of hierarchical deference is cracking under the weight of pervasive dissatisfaction with politicians who have been in office for decades.” THE AGE OLD QUESTION: Donna Brazile is urging D.C.’s longtime Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton to retire once her term expires in a WaPo op-ed. “I’ve known my dear friend Eleanor for 44 years … She’s been my role model and mentor ever since. She has been like a second mother to me,” Brazille wrote. “But Norton, a Democrat, is now 88 — the oldest current House member. She is no longer the dynamo she once was.” FIRST IN PLAYBOOK — Splashing cash in Virginia: The Republican Governors Association is pouring a fresh round of cash into the Virginia gubernatorial race to support Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears’ bid against Democratic nominee Abigail Spanberger. The RGA is dropping a multimillion-dollar in funding for an ad blitz to the tune of more than $1 million on TV in the D.C. market, $1 million in digital and $2.7 million total on TV statewide. Watch the ad
| | | | 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. | | | | | BEST OF THE REST SHUTDOWN SHOWDOWN: As the Sept. 30 government shutdown looms, extra cash for lawmaker security is the “only remaining holdup” keeping GOP leaders from unveiling plans for a two-month funding patch, POLITICO’s Meredith Lee Hill and colleagues report. House Republicans want “to temporarily extend a current pilot program to provide security for lawmakers when they are back home in their districts.” Expect more details after this: Republicans are gathering for a closed-door conference meeting this morning, where members will be briefed on the discussions. Trump also waded into the fray yesterday, urging House Republicans to pass a “Clean CR” this week. “Democrats want the Government to shut down. Republicans want the Government to OPEN,” he wrote in a post on Truth Social. “FAILURE IS NOT AN OPTION.” More in POLITICO’s Inside Congress WITH FRIENDS LIKE THESE: Some wary Republicans have been distancing themselves from HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. amid concern he could hurt them at the ballot box, POLITICO’s Simon Levien and Carmen Paun report this morning. Even Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala.), an ardent Kennedy supporter, “recently acknowledged that he saw the criticism Kennedy received at the Finance Committee as a sign that GOP colleagues were worried more about their political futures.” COURT IN THE ACT: U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan said yesterday the Trump administration “had doomed five West African men it deported to the prospect of torture and death in their home countries — even though they had won protection from U.S. immigration courts,” POLITICO’s Kyle Cheney and Josh Gerstein report. COMING TO YOUR CITY: Trump signed an order yesterday deploying the National Guard into Memphis to combat crime, AP’s Will Weissert and Jonathan Mattise report.
| | TALK OF THE TOWN | | WHAT JARED AND IVANKA ARE UP TO — Jared Kushner and Ivanka Trump were at the REFORM Alliance’s Casino Night Gala on Saturday night in Atlantic City, rubbing shoulders with sports and entertainment stars. They helped raise more than $20 million at an event which featured Kevin Hart as emcee plus a performance by The Weeknd. REFORM Alliance aims to improve America’s probation and parole system, with CEO Jessica Jackson leading the charge. SPOTTED: Robert Kraft, Beyoncé, Jamie Foxx, Travis Scott, DJ Khaled, Michael Novogratz, Hans Vestberg, Tiffany Haddish, Cameron Diaz, Ice Spice, Dez Bryant, Jayson Tatum, Tyrese Haliburton and Phoebe Gates. OUT AND ABOUT — Joel and Dana Wood’s Foundation to Eradicate Duchenne hosted its 25th Annual Dining Away Duchenne at Eastern Market last night. The celebrity dine-around event raised over $750,000 for cutting-edge research into treatments for Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy. SPOTTED: Senate Majority Leader John Thune, Sens. Roger Wicker (R-Miss.), Susan Collins (R-Maine.), Chris Coons (D-Del.), John Barrasso (R-Wyo.), Deb Fischer (R-Neb.), Ashley Moody (R-Fla.) and Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-Del.), Rep. Robert Aderholt (R-Ala.), Ben Cline (R-Va.), Glenn Grothman (R-Wis.), Michael Guest (R-Miss.), Dave Joyce (R-Ohio), John Joyce (R-Pa.), Young Kim (R-Calif.), John Mannion (D-N.Y.), Frank Mrvan (D-Ind.), Hillary Scholten (D-Mich.), Pete Stauber (R-Minn.), Haley Stevens (D-Mich.), Ritchie Torres (D-N.Y.), Troy Balderson (R-Ohio), Jim McGovern (D-Mass.), Brad Knott (R-N.C.), Bryan Steil (R-Wis.) and Steve Cohen (D-Tenn.), George Holding and Ed Royce. — SPOTTED last night at an evening reception hosted by Anthropic following a panel discussion on how policymakers can prepare for artificial intelligence: Dario Amodei, Jack Clark, Matt Yglesias, Nick Johnston, Derek Thompson, Dean Ball, Abigail Ball, Rebecca Kagan, Neil Chilson, Taylor Stockton, Julia Pollak and Katherine Sears. FIRST IN PLAYBOOK — Albert Fujii is now deputy states comms director at the DNC. He previously worked for Rep. Morgan McGarvey (D-Ky.) and is a Biden and Harris campaign alum. TRANSITIONS — Daniel Castro is taking over as president of the Information Technology and Innovation Foundation in May. He previously was a VP and director at ITIF. WEEKEND WEDDING — Jackie Del Bonis, director of member services for Majority Whip Tom Emmer, and Colin Burke, associate at Booz Allen Hamilton, got married on Saturday at the Fairmont Georgetown. Pic, via Christa Rae Settle … SPOTTED: Majority Whip Tom Emmer, Robert Boland, Hailey Borden, Emily Casey, Stephen Chang, Leigh Ann Gillis, Chris Maneval, Laura Pinsky, Justin Shockey, Mary Claire and Peter Barnes, Ben and Karly Rajadurai, Kathryn and Truman Reed and Shelbie and Jason Rogers. HAPPY BIRTHDAY: Rep. Joaquin Castro (D-Texas) … Julián Castro … NBC’s Richard Engel … Hogan Gidley … Jason Zengerle … RENEWPR’s Ben Finzel … Jill Lesser of FGS Global … Paul Orzulak of West Wing Writers … Cleta Mitchell… Lauren Dillon … Andrea Arora … former Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards … WaPo’s Sara Goo… Lori Brutten … Stoick Consulting’s Jordan Stoick … Laurie Knight of the National Beer Wholesalers Association … CNN’s Angelica Grimaldi … Richard Perle … Ian Walton … Chuck Westover … Elliot Vice … former Reps. Stephanie Murphy (D-Fla.), Ralph Abraham (R-La.) and David Rivera (R-Fla.) (6-0) … Christine Ciccone … Meta’s Jackie Rooney and Josh Ginsberg … Alekhya Tallapaka … POLITICO’s Xinran Xu and Ester Wells … Evan Thies … Education's Sara Feldpausch Ursprung … Brandon Russell of VoteNexus … Nate Hurst of CSPAN (4-0) 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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