| | | |  | | By Ali Bianco | | Presented by |  | | | With help from Rachel Umansky-Castro
|  | THE CATCH-UP | | SCARY MOMENT: During President Donald Trump’s announcement of a deal to lower the cost of popular weight-loss medications, one of the pharmaceutical company representatives fainted. CMS Administrator Mehmet Oz immediately attended to the man, and the White House medical team “quickly jumped into action, and the gentleman is okay,” press secretary Karoline Leavitt said in a statement. Watch the video
| 
Nancy Pelosi announced she will not be running for reelection this morning. | J. Scott Applewhite/AP | CHANGING OF THE GUARD: A longtime titan of the Democratic Party is stepping aside just as her party reclaims its footing on the national level and searches for a new generation of leaders to lead them — while Republicans reckon with their flagbearer and weigh his grasp against his limitations. In a moment when the metaphors write themselves, Nancy Pelosi announced she will not be running for reelection this morning on the heels of a dominant Democratic display in Tuesday’s elections, signaling the end of an era that saw her rise to become one of the most powerful political operators — and creating an immeasurable vacuum to fill. The view from San Francisco: Pelosi’s decision is primed to set off a “cascade of campaign maneuvering here as Democrats seize on the once-in-a-generation opportunity of an open House seat in this center of Democratic politics,” POLITICO’s Dustin Gardiner and Nick Wu write this morning. The view from Washington: But the 85-year-old speaker emeritus’ retirement may also be a come-to-Jesus moment for her more senior colleagues on the Hill, who will be feeling pressure to follow in her and Sen. Dick Durbin’s (D-Ill.) footsteps, Dustin and Nick write. In with the new: As Pelosi steps out of the spotlight, California Gov. Gavin Newsom is stepping firmly into it — basking in his resounding redistricting win on Tuesday and representing the U.S. at the climate conference in Brazil today. The near-immediate victory of the Prop 50 ballot measure this week has not only buoyed national Democrats and their prospects, but also made a stronger case for Newsom’s 2028 presidential ambitions, POLITICO’s Jeremy White and Melanie Mason report from Sacramento. It’s cementing Newsom as a figure primed to stand up to Trump and has expanded his donor list. Even Republicans are conceding that even though they don’t see Newsom as a threat during Trump’s presidency, he’s elevated himself as a “Tier 1 Democrat,” POLITICO’s Alex Gangitano and Alec Hernandez report. Right on cue: Newsom’s big week shows no signs of slowing. He’ll headline a rally this Saturday in Texas, a show of force in the “belly of the Republican beast,” POLITICO’s Blake Jones scoops. He also returned $3 million from his ballot measure account to the House Majority PAC, for the committee to help fund redistricting efforts in other states. Beyond the West Coast: Tuesday’s results are also raising hard questions for other pivotal Democratic leaders — chief among them Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer. As Zohran Mamdani emerges as the voice of New York as mayor-elect, Schumer’s silence on Mamdani is risking his leadership looking out of touch, NYT’s Michael Gold and Katie Glueck write.
| | | | A message from Instagram: Automatic protections for teens. Peace of mind for parents.
Last year, Instagram launched Teen Accounts, which default teens into automatic protections. Now, a stricter "Limited Content" setting is available for parents who prefer extra controls.
And we'll continue adding new safeguards, giving parents more peace of mind.
Learn more. | | | | On the other side of the aisle: Republicans, meanwhile, are facing tough questions about what comes next after Tuesday’s thumping. GOP lawmakers on the Hill are also showcasing a rare instance of pushback to Trump’s demands, balking at his crusade to eliminate the filibuster. While no one expects a wholesale rejection of the president — his grip on the party and base of voters are still strong — there are “growing signs that lawmakers are contending with the facts of their political lives: He’ll be gone in just over three years, while they’ll still be around,” POLITICO’s Meredith Lee Hill and Jennifer Scholtes report. “Welcome to the dawn of Trump’s lame duck era,” they write. Though Republicans may not be sounding alarm bells, chalking up Tuesday’s results to blue wins in blue states, “what GOP lawmakers do know is that there is a dramatic difference in their party’s performance in elections where Trump appears on the ballot versus the midterm and off-year contests where he’s not.” Republicans also know “third-term musings of questionable constitutionality aside, Trump will never run for office again — which had many acknowledging that, if not fully reckoning with, the fact it might not be a great idea to hew so closely to Trump’s agenda,” Meredith and Jennifer write. Some GOP lawmakers are preparing to potentially break with Trump on key issues like the shutdown — even as the GOP’s narrative over Tuesday’s Democratic inroads splinters. Good Thursday afternoon. Thanks for reading Playbook PM. Send me your tips at abianco@politico.com.
| | | | A message from Instagram:  
| | | | | | 6 THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW | | | 
Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) speaks with reporters outside his office at the U.S. Capitol on the 37th day of a government shutdown on Nov. 6, 2025. | Francis Chung/POLITICO | 1. SHUTDOWN SHOWDOWN: There’s an off-ramp coming into view for the longest government shutdown in history: It involves a potential deal for a continuing resolution, an appropriations package and a vote of ACA subsidies that some centrist Dems seem primed to accept — but whether that moves will depend on some Democrats who may want to ride with the momentum they have, our Inside Congress colleagues write. The GOP view: Senate Majority Leader John Thune said this morning that though Democrats may get a vote in the Senate on the ACA subsidies they’ve been fighting for, he “can't guarantee them an outcome,” per Semafor’s Burgess Everett. Meanwhile, Speaker Mike Johnson is being more direct — he shot down the prospect of promising an ACA vote in the House, per NBC. For the bigger picture, CNN’s Annie Grayer is out with a must-read on how the shutdown politics has soured the once-collegial relationship between Johnson and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries. (The leaders have previously committed to appearing on C-SPAN’s “Ceasefire” with Playbook’s Dasha Burns.) New deal: Republicans made a new offer to Senate Democrats today ahead of their crucial special caucus meeting — opening the door to rehiring federal workers that have been laid off during the shutdown’s reductions in force, POLITICO’s Senate ace Jordain Carney scoops. Thune said he’s waiting for a response from Dems on the current proposal before deciding if the Senate will stay in town through the weekend, per Punchbowl’s Andrew Desiderio. “It’s all gonna be subject to whether or not it looks like there’s a path to wind this down this weekend. It’s in their court. It’s up to them,” Thune said. SNAP back: The Agriculture Department told a federal court that the administration will pay 65 percent of SNAP benefits for November, instead of the 50 percent they had estimated, POLITICO’s Grace Yarrow reports. 2. LOOK TO THE SKIES: The administration is doubling down on warnings that the effects of the shutdown will imminently get worse. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy was on Fox News this morning saying if the shutdown stretches to Thanksgiving, “it's gonna be rough out there. Really rough.” That comes as dozens of major airports across the country, including three around Washington, will be among the initial flight cuts ordered by the FAA in the coming days, POLITICO’s Sam Ogozalek and Chris Marquette report. The importance of air traffic controllers: Last Friday, two passenger jets departing LAX came dangerously close to colliding — and indeed could have, if it wasn’t for swift action by an air traffic controller, who directed the pilots in order to avert disaster. Read the details, via The Daily Mail. 3. ROCKING THE BOAT: During yesterday’s congressional briefing on the administration’s boat strikes near Venezuela, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth told lawmakers that the U.S. is not planning to launch strikes inside Venezuela and has no legal justification for doing so, CNN’s Natasha Bertrand and colleagues report. The legal justification for the strikes against the boats does not allow for strikes inside the country. But the DOJ is looking for a potentially different legal justification that would allow for land strikes. Digging deeper: “Inside Trump’s Fight With Venezuela,” by The Atlantic’s Missy Ryan and colleagues: “The United States is amassing an armada in the Caribbean as Trump figures out his endgame with Maduro.”
| | | | As the shutdown fight deepens, stay on top of every twist with POLITICO’s essential newsletters.
Inside Congress delivers the reporting and analysis you need on negotiations, votes, and power dynamics driving Washington’s next move.
➡️ Subscribe to Inside Congress
West Wing Playbook covers how Trump’s Washington is navigating the shutdown — and what it means for the people running government day to day.
➡️ Subscribe to West Wing Playbook | | | | | 4. TRAIL MIX: Former Democratic Rep. Tom Malinowski announced today he’ll run in the special election to replace New Jersey Gov.-elect Mikie Sherrill in the 11th District, the New Jersey Globe reports. “I’ve got the experience, I’ve done it before, and I’ll be ready to do it effectively the day I’m elected,” Malinowski said. … Terry Virts is exiting the Democratic primary in Texas’ Senate race to instead mount a Democratic bid to represent the state’s 9th District, per National Journal’s Nicholas Anastácio. 5. TRADING SPACES: Trump is hosting a suite of leaders from central Asian countries tonight at the White House, aiming to expand U.S. access to the rare earth minerals that have been largely dominated by China, AP’s Aamer Madhani reports. The meeting with officials from Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan comes after Trump’s trade thaw with China last month, while the U.S. looks to potentially expand the C5+1 group beyond a regional security coalition to one with deep economic ties. Speaking of trade: Now that oral arguments in the pivotal Supreme Court case weighing Trump’s tariffs have ended, businesses are staring down months of uncertainty on what comes next, per Bloomberg. An adverse ruling for the administration could potentially bring tariffs down to 6.5 percent. And the revenue from the tariffs that Trump has courted could end up being the thing that marks their downfall, WSJ’s Greg Ip writes. The economy, stupid: Layoffs accelerated last month, with 2025 job cuts at near-recession levels, according to data released today by Challenger, Gray & Christmas, WaPo’s Abha Bhattarai reports. There’s been 1.1 million layoffs so far — which is on par with 2008 and 2009. The resilience of the economy is also largely being driven by the country’s richest individuals, while masking increasing struggles for the middle and lower class in what economists are warning feels like a “top-heavy Jenga tower,” per Bloomberg. 6. MAGA WARS: The Heritage Foundation is facing a mounting wave of criticism against its president Kevin Roberts following his defense of Tucker Carlson — a criticism Roberts tried to quell at a staff meeting yesterday, but has instead drawn calls for him to resign, WaPo’s Isaac Arnsdorf and Jacob Bogage write. It also reflects a simmering tension with Roberts over the handling of “Project 2025” during last year’s election. And Carlson’s platforming of Nick Fuentes is testing whether MAGA can hold together a coalition that at once embraces nationalism while weeding out bigotry, NYT’s Clyde McGrady writes in a look at Fuentes’ rise.
| | | | Sponsored Survey WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU: Please take a 1-minute survey about one of our advertising partners. | | | | | | TALK OF THE TOWN | | APPOINTMENT VIEWING: Outgoing NYC Mayor Eric Adams’ interview with Ziwe will be released tonight at 8 p.m. IN MEMORIAM — “Paul Ignatius, Navy secretary at height of Vietnam War, dies at 104,” by WaPo’s Harrison Smith: “Paul R. Ignatius, a management consultant who served as secretary of the Navy at the height of the Vietnam War and spent two turbulent years as president of The Washington Post, died Nov. 6 at his home in Washington.” OUT AND ABOUT — The founding partners of Dunn Isaacson Rhee LLP held a launch party at their Washington office last night to mark the opening of the new litigation boutique, where partners Karen Dunn, Jeannie Rhee and Bill Isaacson all spoke. SPOTTED: D.C. AG Brian Schwalb, Greg Craig, Stuart Delery, Rebecca Kelly Slaughter, Jane Roberts, Louisa Terrell, Stephanie Cutter, Scott Mulhauser, Andy Pincus, Molly Levinson, Lorraine Voles, Fatima Goss Graves, Lanny Breuer, Matt Klapper, David Lat, David Kendall, Debra Katz, Julie Fink, Philippe Reines, Brian Nelson, Lane Dilg, Luke Albee, Rohini Kosoglu, Charles Cooper, Amy Jeffress, Danielle Gray and Lona Valmoro. — SPOTTED at the Hay-Adams yesterday for a panel reception hosted by Mulberry Industries and moderated by the Washington Examiner’s Callie Patteson on the future of domestic manufacturing: Reps. Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) and Buddy Carter (R-Ga.), Kevin Feng, Andrew Sweatman, Joe Quinn, Allison Smith, Jeff Miller and Amelia Galvin. INCOMING — Virginia Gov.-elect Abigail Spanberger announced that Bonnie Krenz-Schnurman will be her chief of staff and Karen Mask will be her transition director. They both previously worked in her congressional office. … New Jersey Gov.-elect Mikie Sherrill announced that Alex Ball will be chief of staff and Tim Lydon will be chief counsel for her incoming administration. Both previously worked on her campaign. TRANSITIONS — Jennifer Berlin, Anka Lee and Puneet Talwar are joining DGA Group as senior advisers. Berlin joins from the Center for Strategic and International Studies. Lee is a DOD alum. Talwar most recently was U.S. ambassador to Morocco. … Hannah Hagen is now staff director for the House Homeland Security Transportation and Maritime Security Subcommittee under Rep. Carlos Gimenez (R-Fla.). She previously worked on the Senate Commerce Committee. … … Eric Farnsworth and Luke Nickless have joined Continental Strategies as partner and VP, respectively. Farnsworth joins from the Council of the Americas, and Nickless joins from the House Budget Committee. … Dan Tarman is joining Actum as partner, and Nabanita Chaterjee and Cecelia Prewett are joining Actum as senior managing directors. Tarman was previously at eBay, Chaterjee was previously at Norfolk Southern, and Prewett was previously at SKDK. … Aalok Mehta is joining the Center for Strategic and International Studies as director of the Wadhwani AI Center. He previously worked at Google. 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 deputy editor Garrett Ross and Playbook Podcast producer Callan Tansill-Suddath.
| | | | POLITICO’s Global Security briefing connects the policies, deals, and industrial shifts shaping the global defense landscape. From Washington to Brussels, we follow who’s funding what, what’s being built, and how power moves across continents. Subscribe now for the free preview. | | | | | | | | | 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 politics and policy newsletters | | Follow us | | | |
No comments:
Post a Comment