| | | |  | | By Jack Blanchard with Dasha Burns | | Presented by |  | | | With help from Eli Okun, Bethany Irvine and Ali Bianco On the Playbook podcast this morning, Jack and Dasha discuss Donald Trump’s momentous peace deal in Gaza; two huge court hearings on the deployment of U.S. troops in our cities … and what that Katie Porter meltdown means for her campaign.
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| Good Thursday morning. This is Jack Blanchard. START YOUR MORNING with some more jaw-dropping Katie Porter footage, scooped last night by POLITICO’s ace California duo Melanie Mason and Blake Jones. This time Porter — the Democratic frontrunner for California Governor — is filmed berating a staff member who wanders into the background of a video Porter is making. “Get out of my fucking shot!” Porter yells at the staffer, who tries to explain that Porter needs to correct something she’d said on-camera. “You also were in my shot before that,” Porter shoots back. “Stay out of my shot!” A quote for the ages: In a statement to POLITICO, Porter — who’s been previously criticized for her treatment of staff — explained that she holds herself and her employees to “a high standard.” She said this had been “especially true” when she was a member of Congress (the video dates back to 2021, when she was a House Representative.) “I have sought to be more intentional in showing gratitude to my staff for their important work,” she added. OK, then. Of course, this leaked clip comes hot on the heels of Porter’s absolute trainwreck interview with a local CBS news reporter, which (rightly) went viral on Monday night. Melanie and colleagues report her campaign to succeed Gavin Newsom is now in crisis. “Is this a disaster? Yes,” says Gale Kaufman, a veteran Democratic strategist based in Sacramento. “And the reason it’s a disaster is because it amplifies what her reputation already is.” You can almost hear the knives being sharpened among Porter’s opponents ... Will there be more leaks to come? In today’s Playbook … — Trump — and the whole world — celebrates a peace deal in Gaza. But will it hold? — U.S. military troops are now working in the Chicago area. All eyes are now on the courts. — It’s Day 9 of the government shutdown … And nope, there’s no agreement in sight.
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Secretary of State Marco Rubio whispers to President Donald Trump, who is holding a note Rubio handed to him, during a roundtable meeting on antifa at the White House on Wednesday, Oct. 8. | AP | TRUMP’S TOWERING ACHIEVEMENT: President Trump is in a celebratory mood this morning after brokering a landmark peace deal in Gaza. It’s early days, but expectations are sky high after Israel and Hamas agreed to the first part of a deal that will see all remaining Israeli hostages released from Gaza in return for a pullback of Israeli troops. It looks like a historic moment for the Middle East — and yes, a personal triumph for the U.S. president. After months of touting himself as the world’s greatest peace broker, Trump is on the verge of something remarkable. Trump speaks to Playbook: Our Dasha Burns spoke with President Trump by phone last night and found him ebullient. “I feel good,” Trump told her. “It's a great deal for the world. It's a beautiful deal.” The Trump factor: White House aides love to talk about the president delivering “peace through strength” — and there’s no doubt it’s been a highly effective strategy this time round. In the final weeks, Trump threatened Hamas with total destruction at the hands of Israeli forces, while at the same time strong-arming Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu (using Israel’s attack on Hamas leaders in Qatar as leverage) like no U.S. president has done before. Those power moves, coupled with military strikes on Iran this summer that cowed Tehran’s leadership and a long-term charm offensive with other Middle East power players like Turkey and Qatar, both of whom hold considerable sway over Hamas, are what got us where we are today. But don’t get carried away just yet, cautions the Atlantic’s Yair Rosenberg. There are many outstanding concerns still to be addressed. “Hamas will still be standing, still be armed, and will not have been supplanted by an alternative Palestinian regime,” he writes. “Far-right members of Netanyahu’s government will still seek to vanquish the terror group and potentially resettle parts of Gaza.” (And indeed — Israel's far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich said this morning he opposes the deal, per AFP.) But here’s the thing: “Trump is counting on the force of his personality, the exhaustion of the parties, and the momentum created by the initial agreement to ultimately end the war entirely,” Rosenberg writes. And who’s betting against him today? How it all panned out: Trump formally announced the peace deal at 6.51 p.m. last night on Truth Social, after three days of intense, all-party talks in Egypt. (And we knew it was coming: Legendary AP photographer Evan Vucci had earlier snapped a handwritten note being passed to Trump at a White House event by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, urging the president to “Approve a Truth Social post soon so you can announce [the] deal first.” An odd first draft of history, if you will.) The details: All remaining Israeli hostages being held by Hamas — around 20 — will be released, either late Sunday night or early Monday morning Eastern Time. Trump is expected to travel to Israel this weekend, and may want to greet them in person. (He may also address the Israeli Parliament, per the Times of Israel, though nothing is confirmed as yet.) The bodies of Israeli hostages who have died — thought to number around 28 — will also be handed over, although the timing for that is less clear. In return: Israel will cease military action in Gaza and pull back its troops to an agreed (but as-yet-undisclosed) line. Israel will also release 250 Palestinian prisoners serving life sentences and 1,700 Gazans detained after the October 7 attacks, the FT reports. A statement from the Qatari government said long-delayed aid convoys will be allowed into Gaza at last. Very important caveat: This is only phase one of the deal. Enormously complex negotiations lie ahead to make this agreement permanent — not least over the decommissioning of Hamas’ arsenal; the future governance and reconstruction of the Gaza strip; and Israel’s future activities in the West Bank. To repeat: It’s still very possible it all falls apart. But Trump believes: "There are no dark clouds,” the U.S. president told Fox News’ Sean Hannity last night. “We will have peace … Some people say this is a deal for 3,000 years.” Trump added that in the next phase, a “Council of Peace” will be established to oversee Gaza’s governance. “You’re going to see Gaza rebuilt,” he said, adding that neighboring Arab countries “with enormous wealth" are willing to play a central role. Also basking in glory this morning: Trump’s so-called “everything envoy” Steve Witkoff, the 68-year-old New York real estate dealer — with zero previous diplomatic experience — who now stands on the brink of an epic achievement. And Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner, who returned from (self-imposed) political exile this summer to help push this deal over the line. Among people close to the president, the mood is one of barely-contained excitement, Dasha texts in with some reporting. “President Trump did what Biden couldn’t do: bring an end to the war, unite Gulf Countries, and bring home the hostages,” one White House ally tells her. “If this deal holds, it will be one of Trump’s greatest legacies.” And a White House official adds: “It’s very humbling to witness something so gigantic. There’s also a real sense of pride, because so many Democrats and haters in the media doubted this would happen. They wrote hit pieces about Steve. They shit on Jared for simply coming in to help. They have, of course, always doubted the president. And he proved them all wrong, once again.” Who can argue? And with perfect timing … It’s Nobel Peace Prize day tomorrow. Unfortunately for Trump, the five-strong panel of Norwegian judges likely made up their minds some weeks back. But next year’s award? Honestly, who knows. How today pans out: Netanyahu’s government was due to formally approve the plan this morning. Trump will then host one of his epic televised Cabinet meetings at 11 a.m., and you can expect the praise from his top team to be in overdrive given the circumstances. (Also: Thoughts and prayers for today’s White House poolers. The last Cabinet meeting went on for more than three hours.) Then this afternoon, Trump will welcome his golfing buddy — and Finnish Prime Minister — Alexander Stubb to the White House. The focus here is likely to be Ukraine; Stubb being one of the few voices Trump reliably listens to on this topic. They’ll both take questions from the press at 3 p.m. In short, it’s going to be a very busy day.
| | | | A message from the National Retail Federation: Georgetown University and the National Retail Federation announced last week the launch of the NRF Business of Retail Initiative at Georgetown University's McDonough School of Business. NRF is endowing a first-of-its-kind chair in retail studies, connecting faculty and retail leaders to explore emerging trends, drive innovation and shape the future of retail. Learn more. | | | | THE MAGA MILITARY TROOPS MOVE IN: After months of threats from President Trump, the AP reports that an “element” of the 200-strong Texas Guard troops sent to Illinois are now working in the Chicago area, citing a spokesperson for the U.S. Northern Command. “The troops are in the city to protect U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement buildings and other federal facilities and law enforcement personnel, Northern Command said online.” Pattern of behavior: This is Trump’s fourth deployment of National Guard troops onto the streets of a major American city in four months, following missions to Los Angeles, Washington D.C. and Memphis. In all cases bar Memphis, the deployments have been forced upon cities against the will of their elected state and civic leaderships. But Trump has vowed “to go city by city” to crack down on crime. All eyes on the courts: The picture could change this afternoon, with twin court cases kicking off in tandem at noon which could have a significant impact on Trump’s plans. In Illinois, a federal judge will be asked to decide whether to grant state leaders a temporary restraining order blocking today’s deployment of troops, as happened in Portland at the weekend. At the same time over in Oregon, a panel of senior judges will decide whether to lift or retain that blocking order, after the Trump administration lodged an appeal. Numbers game: The stakes are high. Depending how those cases go, it’s not impossible up to five U.S. cities will have a military presence by the end of the day … or back down to three. While the courts ponder … the White House is getting “increasingly serious” about invoking the Insurrection Act, NBC’s Courtney Kube and colleagues scooped. Such a move would give new legal teeth to deploying the military domestically, but “is not expected to be imminent,” they report — Trump aides are eyeing it as a last resort. Naturally, Stephen Miller is leading the charge. On the ground in Portland and Chicago: Just two weeks ago, federal officers in Portland reported internally that anti-ICE protests were “low energy” — undercutting Trump’s justification for sending in the troops, NYT’s Hamed Aleaziz and colleagues report. Meanwhile in Chicago, a planned Argentina-Puerto Rico friendly soccer match was relocated to Florida as an immigration crackdown intensifies, AP’s Debora Rey reports. (But the Chicago Cubs NLDS game did go ahead last night — and they won! Game 4 vs. Milwaukee is tonight.) FOR PETE’S SAKE: Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has undertaken a massive effort to find anybody at the Pentagon who criticized Charlie Kirk after his killing, with almost 300 people being investigated, WaPo’s Noah Robertson and Tara Copp scooped. At least two were ousted. And Hegseth’s effort to impose more restrictions on the Pentagon press corps still isn’t sitting right with reporters, with a deadline looming next week when tensions could come to a head, AP’s David Bauder reports. First in Playbook: Meanwhile, Hegseth’s unexplained firing of the Navy chief of staff has intensified a chilling effect at the Pentagon, where officials say they feel growing uncertainty, fear and intimidation, POLITICO’s Paul McLeary and Daniel Lippman report.
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| | | | SHUTDOWN SHOWDOWN ON THE HILL: Speaker Mike Johnson will be on C-SPAN’s “Washington Journal” at 8:30 a.m. and hold a news conference at 10 a.m. as GOP leaders try to seize back control of the shutdown narrative. But divisions are still there: Top Republicans, including Senate Majority Leader John Thune, have urged the White House to avoid mass layoffs and deep cuts during the shutdown to prevent political backlash, WSJ’s Natalie Andrews and colleagues report. And Hill GOP leaders aren’t getting on board with denying furloughed federal workers back pay, either. Thune said they will receive it, as required by law, and that Trump’s threats are a “non-issue,” ABC’s Justin Weaver and colleagues report. Johnson said law and tradition require payment after shutdowns, Bloomberg’s Alicia Diaz and Joe Mathieu report. Where things stand: The Senate failed for the sixth time yesterday to pass competing government funding bills, prolonging the government shutdown into its second week, POLITICO’s Jordain Carney and Jennifer Scholtes report. Both parties are refusing to back down. Now Thune is considering bringing standalone funding bills, like Defense, to the floor to reopen the government slowly, bit by bit, Axios’ Stef Kight and Hans Nichols write. But that would require Democratic agreement. The troop pay question: Several dozen House Democrats are urging Johnson to hold a vote on a bill that would ensure military members get paid before their first missed paycheck Wednesday, POLITICO’s Aaron Pellish reports. And the White House is considering shifting funds or pressuring Republicans to pass standalone legislation to address the issue, per POLITICO’s Meredith Lee Hill. News from the (surprisingly jolly) wilderness: Democratic critics of Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer admit he’s surpassed their expectations in the shutdown fight so far — though it’s far from over, POLITICO’s Nick Wu and Meredith Lee Hill report. More from POLITICO’s Inside Congress. Tensions rising: Rep. Mike Lawler (R-N.Y.) confronted House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, urging him to back a one-year ACA subsidies extension. And Arizona Democratic Sens. Mark Kelly and Ruben Gallego confronted Johnson over delaying the swearing-in of Rep.-elect Adelita Grijalva (D-Ariz.), accusing him of blocking progress on an Epstein Files vote, per NBC. MEANWHILE IN THE REAL WORLD: The IRS has furloughed nearly half of its staff, grinding many of its taxpayer services to a halt, Bloomberg’s Caitlin Reilly reports. (Notably, the IRS said its workers will receive back pay, per Axios’ Avery Lotz.) … A leaked list shows OMB Director Russ Vought’s clean-energy cuts could hit red states like Texas and Louisiana next, NYT’s Maxine Joselow and Brad Plumer report. … And more flight delays will make the shutdown increasingly tangible to everyday Americans, POLITICO’s Sam Ogozalek and colleagues report.
| | | | Global Security is POLITICO’s new weekly briefing on the policies and industrial forces reshaping transatlantic defense. From Washington to Brussels and beyond, we track how decisions ripple across borders — redefining the future of security and industry. Sign up for the free preview edition. | | | | | TRAIL MIX THE SPRINT TO NOVEMBER: The AG race in Virginia is still roiled by revelations about Democrat Jay Jones having fantasized about political violence: Though Dems largely haven’t abandoned Jones, Republicans spy an opening. Competing partisan polls show a tightening campaign, with Jones ahead by 1 or trailing GOP incumbent Jason Miyares by 2. Democrats would surely rather focus on this story by the Virginia Mercury’s Markus Schmidt on Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears’ “pattern of omissions and inconsistencies in her financial disclosures.” (She didn’t respond for comment). First in Playbook — Down-ballot digest: The States Project is pumping $5 million-plus into Virginia state legislative races to try to plump Democrats’ majorities, POLITICO’s Liz Crampton scoops this morning. RED-LIGHT REDISTRICT: Top White House officials head to Indiana today to pressure Republicans to gerrymander another congressional seat away from Democrats, the Indiana Capital Chronicle’s Niki Kelly and Casey Smith report. VP JD Vance will be there tomorrow. The new push is coming because White House efforts are “on the verge of stalling” in Indianapolis, Playbook’s Adam Wren reports. HOT ON THE LEFT: Sen. Jon Ossoff (D-Ga.) pulled in a whopping $12 million in the third quarter, per The Atlanta Journal-Constitution’s Greg Bluestein … New York City Council Member Chi Ossé is considering a primary challenge from the left against House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, Axios’ Holly Otterbein and Alex Thompson scooped.
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| | | | BEST OF THE REST THAT FEELING WHEN YOU ACCIDENTALLY HIT ‘REPLY ALL’: WSJ’s Josh Dawsey and colleagues have confirmed what we all suspected: Trump’s historic, jaw-dropping Truth Social post to AG Pam Bondi last month, urging the prosecution of his political enemies — and shredding decades of Justice Department independence in the process — was meant to be a private message. Oops. Next up after Comey: Former NSA John Bolton is likely to be charged by Maryland prosecutors “in [the] coming days,” Dawsey and co. report in their must-read deep-dive into Trump’s DoJ. Some GOP Trump allies tell Semafor’s Shelby Talcott and colleagues fear convictions will be hard to come by — but others, like Sen. Eric Schmitt (R-Mo.), want more charges added against James Comey. Meanwhile, the FBI fired three special agents connected to special counsel Jack Smith’s investigations of Trump, NBC’s Ryan Reilly reports. FED UP: Fed Chair Jerome Powell will deliver brief opening remarks at 8:30 a.m. at the central bank’s Community Bank Conference. Minutes from the Fed’s most recent meeting show policymakers fretted about lingering inflation, even as job-market fears drove an interest-rate cut, per Reuters. And though we’re without government data updates during the shutdown, private-sector numbers keep reiterating that the “labor market is losing steam,” WSJ’s Konrad Putzier reports. DIDN'T SEE THAT COMING: “CDC, its advisers quietly expand access to Covid-19 shot for pregnant women,” by POLITICO’s Sophie Gardner: “The panel voted to undo an action by Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. which removed the vaccine from the immunization schedule for pregnant women.” BILL OF HEALTH: The White House said Trump will get a physical at Walter Reed tomorrow, per Bloomberg.
| | | | 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. | | | | | | | TALK OF THE TOWN | | IN MEMORIAM — “Joan Kennedy, Who Married Into a Dynasty, Dies at 89,” by NYT’s Katharine Seelye: “The wife of Senator Edward Kennedy for a quarter of a century, she both basked and struggled in the reflected glare of a political family in the spotlight.” PLAYBOOK METRO SECTION — Around D.C., bars and restaurants are offering discount deals, thematically-named drinks and “unhappy hours” to reflect the partially-shuttered federal government, WSJ’s Anvee Bhutani captures. Jayme Franklin and Camryn Kinsey, former Trump White House staffers, are launching a new podcast from The Conservateur, “Sincerely American,” that aims to win over young women to MAGA conservatism. Hahrie Han, a political scientist, is among the latest winners of the MacArthur Foundation’s “Genius Grants.” Jack Advent floated having Barron Trump named to TikTok’s board of directors. OUT AND ABOUT — SPOTTED at the Hispanic Lobbyists Association’s annual Avanza Awards last night at the Longview Gallery: Rep. Nicole Malliotakis (R-N.Y.), Ivelisse Porroa-García, Maria Luisa Boyce, Art Motta, Manuel Bonilla, Erica Romero, Pedro Montenegro, Norberto Salinas, Chuck Rocha, Liz Lopez, Estuardo Rodriguez, Lucia Alonzo, Carla Rynerson, Carlos Becerra, Corina Scheuren, Gregorio Rubio, Maria Amalla, Marco Davis, Omar Franco, Diego Zambrano, Emely Sanchez, Vanessa Saenz, Osiris Morel and Leonardo Mendoza Bernuy. — GlobalWIN and the Swiss Embassy hosted a fireside chat and cocktail reception last night for the visit of a delegation of Swiss female leaders in government and business, led by Maja Riniker. Teki Akuetteh moderated with Nana Amma Pierri and Bea Knecht. SPOTTED: Helen Milby, Angeli Chawla, Stacy Rich, Tiffany Moore, Julie Eddy Rokala, Johanna Shelton, Jessica Strieter Elting, Leah Graham, Elizabeth Wise, John McCarthy, Jacqueline Rooney, Patty Stolnacker Koch, Chanelle Hardy, Meredith Pilcher, Lauren Belive, Jennifer Curley, Sahra English, Kirsty McVicar, Andrea Rauber Saxer, Monika Rühl, Regine Sauter and Elisabeth Schneider-Schneiter. First in Playbook — Jasmine Lane is joining HB Strategies as a principal in its 50 State practice group. She most recently worked at ITG Brands. MEDIA MOVE — Liam Scott is now a press freedom content strategist at WaPo. He previously worked at Voice of America. TRANSITIONS — Ryan Morgan is now a policy fellow at the Knight First Amendment Institute at Columbia University. He previously worked for Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.). … Beverly Perry is joining Taft as a partner to lead its new government resource and response group. She most recently worked for D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser. … Rachel Culver is joining Pacific Legal Foundation as a case publicist. She previously was at the Federalist Society. WELCOME TO THE WORLD — Aly Wheeler, founder and chief fundraiser at Wheelerhouse LLC, and Graham Wheeler, a sports marketing consultant, recently welcomed Olivia Jane Wheeler. She joins big brothers Jackson and Callum. Pic … Another pic HAPPY BIRTHDAY: CNN’s Aaron Blake … Miles Taylor … NPR’s Juana Summers … Justin Barasky of Left Hook … former Reps. Tom Perriello (D-Va.) and Artur Davis (D-Ala.) … POLITICO’s Arianna Skibell and Cheyanne Daniels … Chad Bown … Chris Kofinis of Park Street Strategies … Peter Billerbeck of House Foreign Affairs … Jodie Kelley of the Electronic Transactions Association … Becki Donatelli … ABC’s Justin Fishel … Russell Dye of House Judiciary … Kat Skiles of Narrative Creative Agency … Carrie Adams … Shailagh Murray … Kaelan Deese of the Washington Examiner … Michael Tubman … McKinsey’s David Bibo … Brian Lamb … Russell Moore of Christianity Today … Amy Dacey of American University’s Sine Institute … Rochelle Mallett of HB Strategies Did someone forward this email to you? Sign up here. Send Playbookers tips to playbook@politico.com or text us on Signal here. 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