| | | |  | | By Adam Wren | | Presented by |  | | | With help from Eli Okun, Bethany Irvine, Ali Bianco and Rachel Umansky-Castro Good Saturday morning. I’m Adam Wren, taking my kids to a local Christkindl market later today that looks like it’s a Hallmark Christmas movie set. What are you doing on this last weekend before Thanksgiving? Let me know.
|  | DRIVING THE DAY | | | 
President Donald Trump and New York City Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani after their meeting in the Oval Office of the White House, in Washington, Friday, Nov. 21, 2025. | Evan Vucci/AP | UPSIDE DOWN — A weekend wellness check on the MAGA coalition after a topsy-turvy Friday: Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.), who announced her resignation last night, is spurned by its leader. And incoming New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, held up as a midterm Republican bogeyman, is now welcomed by him. In the space of a whipsaw few hours from Friday and into this morning, President Donald Trump, who has said only he defines his movement because he knows what “MAGA wants better than anybody else,” celebrated the impending departure of “Marjorie ‘Traitor’ Brown” on Truth Social (“Marjorie went BAD,” he said) and fangirled over Mamdani (“a Great Honor meeting Zohran Mamdani,” he said). “A world turned upside down,” as MAGA macher Steve Bannon put it to your Playbook author. All of this, mind you, unfolded in a week during which Reps. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.) and Thomas Massie (R-Ky.), another frequent intraparty Trump target, effectively cracked it with their Epstein Files Transparency Act. And it is the freshest reminder that the MAGA movement has always been defined more by id than ideology, the political shaped by the personal — presenting quite the challenge for whomever must hold the coalition together after Trump. First up: Let’s just allow Playbook New York’s Nick Reisman and Joe Anuta to set the scene: “After they emerged from the private meeting, Trump even told reporters that Mamdani had played up their unlikely political similarities: Mamdani ‘said a lot of my voters actually voted for him,’ said the evidently pleased president. “Mamdani noted that he often spoke with those voters — a point that elicited a grin from the president sitting behind the Resolute Desk. The meeting was dominated by presidential compliments for Mamdani’s upstart campaign, a focus on blue-collar people and Trump’s interest in helping enact aspects of the new mayor’s agenda, like an expansion of much-needed housing.” For some of the president’s most ardent supporters, Trump’s friendly meeting with Mamdani — a man he previously warned would lean to ruin in New York City, and who some of Trump’s closest allies (like Elise Stefanik) has spent months setting up as their personal campaign trail foil — was agonizing. “What’s the purpose of people voting in 2026 if the Democrat policies are ‘rational’?” Trump whisperer Laura Loomer told Playbook in an interview, referencing Trump’s answer to an Oval question, saying “I met with a man who’s a very rational person.” Looming questions: “I’m a little confused because, like, I need to know for the sake of my own edification what the administration’s stance is on Mamdani.” (Playbook reached out to the White House to get clarity on its Mamdani stance, but didn’t hear back.)
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Explore the impact in communities like Altoona. | | | | But Democrats — particularly those close to the incoming mayor — were thrilled with how Friday went down. “Trump respects strength and winners,” said Rebecca Katz, founding partner at Fight Agency, whose firm made ads for Mamdani.. The real question is how long this political horseshoe moment lasts. It’s unclear whether Mamdani exited the White House as the midterm bogeyman he entered. Did Speaker Mike Johnson’s entire 2026 strategy just crumble? “Pour one out for the NRCC/NRSC staffers who saw their 2026 ads go up in smoke. Sad!” as the veteran Democratic strategist Jesse Ferguson texted POLITICO’s Lisa Kashinsky. But don’t be so sure that Trump’s embrace will hold: “Plenty of time for that to come if it does,” GOP strategist Doug Heye texted Lisa. “Either of them coming out of that meeting on the attack would have been a mistake, especially given they’ve both tapped into voters who feel systems are broken and things cost too much.” And some Democrats — particularly Mamdani’s intraparty critics — are convinced it all fades, and GOP messaging continues apace. Alex Hoffman, the Democratic strategist and donor advisor, said: “He will become the bogeyman as soon as he starts implementing policy and saying socialist as the sitting mayor.” One GOP strategist who texted POLITICO’s Andrew Howard agreed, saying “We’re going full speed ahead because Democrats will have to answer for every single crazy policy from Mamdani.” But for Democrats, Friday’s friendly confab presented a possible path forward for handling the president. Hot on the left: In a year when Democrats have struggled with how to engage Trump, in which at least one of them hid behind a folder in a White House meeting and left the base wondering about her 2028 sauce, Mamdani just put on a masterclass, Katz and other Democratic strategists told Playbook. In his meeting, he offered a template for handling Trump and Trumpism. Trump thinks Democrats are weak; Mamdani projected strength. His body language was neither embarrassed nor defensive. He did not moderate any of his positions. He didn’t grandstand, nor was he pugilistic. “Some Democrats made the decision that they had to reject Zohran completely if they didn’t agree with all of his policies,” Katz told Playbook. “That was a mistake. Zohran doesn’t have all the answers, but he does have a way at looking at situations that is different from typical Democrats in Washington. We need a lot of wins in 2026. Let’s work together to figure out how to get them.”
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| | | | 9 THINGS THAT STUCK WITH US
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Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) holds a MAGA hat during a press conference announcing that she will trigger a vote on her motion to remove Rep. Mike Johnson as Speaker of the House outside the U.S. Capitol on May 1, 2024. | Francis Chung/POLITICO | 1. MT-GONE: POLITICO’s Aaron Pellish and Meredith Lee Hill capture how Greene and Trump grew increasingly divided on the populist stances that propelled Trump into office, with Greene becoming one of the president’s biggest critics on foreign policy, healthcare and the Jeffrey Epstein files. Greene said she will step down on Jan. 5. Reactions pour in: Her announcement came as a surprise to House GOP leadership, who had no knowledge of her intent to resign. Trump, on the other hand, called it “great news for the country” to ABC’s Rachel Scott. On Truth Social this morning, Trump thanked Greene for her service, while blasting her “never ending barrage of phone calls.” And it could quickly change the calculus in the House for the next year, depending on Tennessee’s special election, PBS’ Lisa Desjardins breaks down. The full picture: “She was once [Trump’s] most loyal Georgia warrior, the congresswoman who declared he won the 2020 election, fought fiercely for his policies and styled herself as the embodiment of his political movement.” Atlanta Journal-Constitution’s Greg Bluestein has a full timeline of MTG’s meteoric rise and fall. 2. THE EPSTEIN CRISIS: The DOJ renewed its push to publicly release grand jury records related to the prosecution of the late Epstein, after a court earlier this year tabled such efforts, POLITICO’s Kyle Cheney reports. On the Hill, the House Oversight Committee is expanding its investigation — issuing subpoenas to two banks, requesting documents from the U.S. Virgin Islands and getting advice from Epstein’s survivors on how to proceed next, CNN’s Annie Grayer and MJ Lee write. That comes as the committee’s bid to interview Ghislaine Maxwell has fallen flat, after Maxwell said she would invoke her Fifth Amendment rights, POLITICO’s Hailey Fuchs reports. And in New York, Manhattan U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton’s office has been tasked with investigating Democrats’ ties to Epstein, a request that was “met with a mix of bewilderment and trepidation,” per POLITICO’s Erica Orden. Weekend reading: “4 questions — and answers — about the Epstein files release,” by Hailey, Erica and Josh Gerstein. What they’re saying: Reps. Jared Moskowitz (D-Fla.) and Tim Burchett (R-Tenn.) spoke about the votes to release the Epstein files on C-SPAN’s “Ceasefire” with Playbook’s own Dasha Burns last night, with both agreeing that the delay presented bad optics. “They mishandled it,” Moskowitz said. “Republicans should have gotten this over with sooner. The fact that they dragged it out brought on more attention to it. People started asking why. When you drag things out like this in Washington, people smell a cover-up.” Burchett agreed, citing the John F. Kennedy assasination investigation: “Any time you delay, there is a cover-up — perceived, or not.” Watch the clip 3. 2026 WATCH: Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito restored Texas’ new congressional map, for now, staying a lower court order last night that had blocked the more GOP-friendly map from going into effect, Josh and Kyle report. Meanwhile in Indiana, Gov. Mike Braun and his family are the latest to receive threats of swatting, violence or intimidation as they face pressure from the White House to undergo their own redistricting, per CNN’s Eric Bradner. The old guard: As Democrats face down calls for generational change in their party, Rep. John Larson (D-Conn.) is hanging on, NYT’s Annie Karni writes. Larson is facing multiple primary opponents, even getting outraised by one of his Democratic competitors. “When you’re the leader of the band, how does it make sense to say: ‘Hey, you know what? … I’m thinking maybe I shouldn’t see this through,’” Larson told NYT. “I’m not going to back away from the thing I worked on for a decade when we’re four seats away from taking back the House.” The new guard: Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) has become one of the most powerful players in the Democratic Party’s leadership vacuum. She “has learned to play the inside game,” WaPo’s Liz Goodwin and Yasmeen Abutaleb report, and is seriously weighing either a Senate run or a presidential run in 2028.
| | | | With the shutdown behind them, the White House and federal agencies are pivoting to the next challenges. West Wing Playbook reveals how the administration is managing the fallout — and the people behind every move.
➡️ Subscribe to West Wing Playbook | | | | | 4. WAR AND PEACE: Ukraine’s top European allies met on the sidelines of the G20 meeting in Johannesburg today, racing against the clock to support Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy — who has less than a week to sign on to the U.S. proposed peace deal, NYT’s John Eligon reports. They discussed possible paths for a ceasefire and negotiations on the peace deal, largely trying to buy time to “essentially re-write much of the document but present it as constructive updates,” Bloomberg’s Natalia Drozdiak and colleagues write. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz phoned Trump yesterday, agreeing to more discussions between their national security advisers. The view from Ukraine: Between the raging corruption scandal within his innermost circle and an ultimatum from one of Ukraine’s biggest international allies, Zelenskyy is facing one of the toughest moments of his wartime leadership so far, WSJ’s Ian Lovett reports. “He predicted that negotiations will be difficult,” one Ukrainian parliamentary member told WSJ. “But he is still optimistic, and he hopes the Ukrainian position will be heard …” The view from the U.S.: “The Ukrainians will have to accept [the deal] given the weakness of Zelenskyy’s current position,” a senior White House official told POLITICO’s Diana Nerozzi and colleagues. Another U.S. official said, “Any changes will be decided upon by the president himself.” 5. ROCKING THE BOAT: “Rubio’s political future could hinge on Venezuela campaign,” by POLITICO’s Eric Bazail-Eimil and Nahal Toosi: “Secretary of State Marco Rubio is hoping the Trump administration’s pressure campaign against Venezuela breaks strongman Nicolás Maduro’s will to stay in power. But if the effort goes sideways, it could wreck Rubio’s presidential prospects instead — damaging his standing with key voters, especially in his home state of Florida.” 6. WEAPONIZATION WATCH: Several Democratic lawmakers filed police complaints with Capitol Police over Trump’s social media posts calling for them to face arrest for seditious conspiracy after they advised service members not to follow illegal orders, Axios’ Andrew Solender scoops. In an interview yesterday morning on Fox News Radio, Trump hedged a bit — “I’m not threatening death, but I think they’re in serious trouble. In the old days, it was death,” per NBC. 2020, all over again: Arizona AG Kris Mayes, a Democrat, is preparing to petition the state Supreme Court to revive her criminal case against some of Trump’s top political allies in his challenge to the 2020 election, POLITICO’s Kyle Cheney reports. Among the people facing charges are former White House chief of staff Mark Meadows, Rudy Giuliani, John Eastman. “Mayes’ bid to resuscitate the long-stalled case ensures it will be a live issue for months, including as she seeks reelection in 2026.”
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| | | | 7. IMMIGRATION FILES: Trump announced on Truth Social last night that he would “immediately” be revoking the temporary protected status of Somali migrants— citing Minnesota as a “a hub of fraudulent money laundering activity,” per the AP. Data drive: The Trump administration yesterday told a federal judge it plans to resume giving immigration officials access to sensitive information on Medicaid recipients across 22 states, possibly including phone numbers, addresses and immigration statuses, POLITICO’s Tyler Katzenberger and Josh Gerstein report. Meanwhile, another federal judge paused the administration’s efforts to hand over IRS tax data including immigrants’ addresses to immigration agents, NYT’s Andrew Duehren writes. 8. RISE OF THE RESISTANCE?: “New Jersey may stop paying federal taxes under new governor,” by POLITICO’s Daniel Han: Gov-elect Mikie Sherrill, “speaking with [Jon] Stewart, said that she thinks about withholding federal tax dollars ‘all the time’ and that it’s a ‘great idea.’ … ‘If they’re not gonna run the programs, then what are we paying them for?’ she said. ‘It’s like, you know, you’re paying us for a service and they’re not delivering. So let’s stop paying for it.’” One to watch: Sherrill formally resigned her seat this week in preparation for the start of her term as governor on Jan. 20, per AP. And the special election to fill Sherrill’s New Jersey seat in Congress has been set — with a primary on Feb. 5 and the general election on April 16. 9. PAGING DR. CASSIDY: A day after Sen. Bill Cassidy said that Trump would not work against his reelection campaign, the Louisiana Republican was in Illinois for a GOP holiday gathering — posing for selfies and emphasizing the need for health care reform, POLITICO’s Shia Kapos writes in. Cassidy, a physician, has emerged as a vocal critic of HHS Secretary Robert Kennedy Jr., taking particular issue with Kennedy’s decision to alter the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website in a way that, as Cassidy argues, suggests doubt about the well-established science that vaccines do not cause autism. “We clearly disagree on this,” Cassidy told POLITICO on Friday. “Vaccines have no role with autism.” Cassidy notably voted to convict Trump during the former president’s second impeachment trial in 2021. With that history, the assurance that Trump will not oppose his reelection bid lands as an early holiday gift. “That’s a good thing,” Cassidy said. Cassidy also had some advice for Illinois Republicans who find themselves at odds within their ranks. “Let me quote a good Illinoisan: ‘United we stand. Divided we fall,’” he said, referring to the biblical quote that Abraham Lincoln espoused. “The question is to find what unites us. I think this whole health care issue should unite us.” Big read: “Cassidy Got Pledges From Kennedy on Vaccines. They Haven’t Stuck,” by NYT’s Annie Karni
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Explore the impact in communities like Altoona. | | | | CLICKER — “The nation’s cartoonists on the week in politics,” edited by Matt Wuerker — 17 funnies
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| GREAT WEEKEND READS: — “The Strange and Totally Real Plan to Blot Out the Sun and Reverse Global Warming,” by Karl Mathiesen and Corbin Hiar for POLITICO Magazine: “A 25-person startup is developing technology to block the sun and turn down the planet’s thermostat. The stakes are huge — and the company and its critics say regulations need to catch up.” — “A Councilwoman Intervened During an ICE Arrest. Then She Faced the Voters,” by NYT’s Jenna Russell: “Months before the election, Etel Haxhiaj, a councilwoman in Worcester, Mass., was charged with assaulting an officer when she stood between the police and an immigrant family.” — “Kash Patel’s Acts of Service,” by The New Yorker’s Marc Fisher: “The F.B.I. director isn’t just enforcing the President’s agenda at the Bureau—he’s seeking retribution for its past investigations of Donald Trump.” — “The ‘Easy Way’ to Crush the Mainstream Media,” by The Atlantic’s Gilad Edelman: “FCC chair Brendan Carr is on a crusade to Trumpify the airwaves.” — “Recycling Lead for U.S. Car Batteries Is Poisoning People,” by NYT’s Peter Goodman, Will Fitzgibbon and Samuel Granados: “Factories are poisoning people. We know because we tested them.” — “He went from KY political unknown to MAGA fame. He faces jail if he returns home,” by the Lexington Herald-Leader’s Austin Horn: “Nick Sortor was arrested last month in Oregon for disorderly conduct. It was a huge boost for his career.” — “They retired from the government. Now they’re back, protecting forests Trump abandoned,” by WaPo’s Hannah Natanson: “If Bill made repairs, it might seem like the Forest Service was getting along fine with a smaller staff, justifying Trump’s cuts to government. But if he didn’t, people might get hurt.” — “(Some) MAGA Girls Just Wanna Have Fun,” by The Atlantic’s Elaine Godfrey: “What does it mean to be female and conservative in 2025?”
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➡️ Explore POLITICO Pro Briefings | | | | | | | TALK OF THE TOWN | | SPORTS CORNER — The Kennedy Center said yesterday they’re being paid $7.4 million to host the draw for the FIFA World Cup on Dec. 5, per AP. … The Trump administration is not granting any special exceptions for Haitian soccer fans hoping to travel to the U.S. to follow their team at next year’s games, POLITICO's Myah Ward and Sophia Cai report. HALL OF FAME — CNN’s Dana Bash was inducted into the New Jersey Hall of Fame in East Rutherford yesterday, introduced by “Sopranos” actress Edie Falco. Other inductees included Olympian Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone, hockey goalie Martin Brodeur, musicians David Bryan, the Isley Brothers and the Jonas Brothers. CLINTONS IN CHICAGO — Former President Bill Clinton and Hillary Clinton were in Chicago yesterday to visit Jesse Jackson, who is currently hospitalized, POLITICO’s Shia Kapos writes in. According to a spokesperson for Jackson, the Clintons expressed their support for Rainbow PUSH’s work and for Jackson’s longstanding leadership on civil rights, peace and global justice. Jackson remains in stable condition at Northwestern Memorial Hospital. He was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease in 2013, and in April his diagnosis was updated to progressive supranuclear palsy, a neurological disorder. OUT AND ABOUT — Even with the Trump administration’s public support for Bitcoin and cryptocurrency, heads turned on Thursday night when Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent arrived at the VIP preview of PubKey, the famed New York “Bitcoin bar” that is opening a D.C. location next month. Bessent chatted with guests, stayed to hear PubKey co-founder Thomas Pacchia speak and signed a PubKey poster before departing. Hundreds of D.C. bitcoiners, high-profile crypto executives and politicos, including Rep. Ritchie Torres (D-N.Y.) and U.S. Treasurer Brandon Beach, were among the other guests spotted at the new Penn Quarter haunt for a night that featured cocktails, a live band, mariachi performer, psychic and — in a nod to the neighborhood — dragon dancers. Pics MEDIA MOVES — Aja Whitaker-Moore and David Crow will be deputy editors in chief at the WSJ. Whitaker-Moore joins from Axios, and Crow was previously WSJ’s executive editor. Dan Colarusso is also joining the WSJ as coverage chief for business, finance and economics. He was previously at CNBC. TRANSITIONS — Veronica Winham is joining Rep. Maxwell Frost’s (D-Fla.) office as a legislative assistant. She previously worked for Sen. Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii). … Sarah Courtney is joining States United Democracy Center as SVP of comms. She previously worked at League of Women Voters. … George Alderman is now deputy press secretary at NASA. He previously worked for Rep. Mike Haridopolos (R-Fla.). WEDDING — Elizabeth Thomas and Anthony Gregg, via NYT: “Ms. Thomas [is] now a producer for ABC News, including ‘World News Tonight with David Muir,’ which earned a News & Documentary Emmy this year … Mr. Gregg [is] a software engineer at Asurion … On Oct. 18, Deacon James LeBlanc officiated their wedding ceremony, in front of 175 guests, at the St. Louis Cathedral in New Orleans.” HAPPY BIRTHDAY: Reps. Andrew Clyde (R-Ga.), Cleo Fields (D-La.) and George Latimer (D-N.Y.) … NBC’s Scott Wong … former U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Linda Thomas-Greenfield … Ned Price … Reagan McCarthy of Sen. Bernie Moreno’s (R-Ohio) office … Shefali Razdan Duggal … Austin Matheny-Kawesch of Environmental Defense Fund … Cassie Spodak … Rob Atkinson of the Information Technology and Innovation Foundation … James Williams … CBS’ Matthew Mosk … Jacob Wood … Meghan Twomey … Lauren Reamy of Penn Avenue Partners … Meena Ganesan … Tim Cohen … former Rep. Anthony Brindisi (D-N.Y.) … Bettina Inclán-Agen … Tim Cameron of FlexPoint Media … Andy Stern … POLITICO’s Kat Snare and Ashley Koo … Brian Reisinger of Platform Communications … NRCC’s Swati Singh THE SHOWS (Full Sunday show listings here): NBC “Meet the Press”: NYC Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani … Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent … Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.). Panel: Sara Fagen, Hallie Jackson, Jeh Johnson and Jonathan Martin. CNN “State of the Union”: National Economic Council Director Kevin Hassett … Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-La.) … Rep. Jasmine Crockett (D-Texas). Panel: Brad Todd, Shermichael Singleton, Rep. Sarah Elfreth (D-Md.) and Kate Bedingfield. FOX “Fox News Sunday”: Sen. Mark Warner (D-Va.) … Sen. Eric Schmitt (R-Mo.). Panel: Susan Page, Tiffany Smiley, Marc Thiessen and Juan Williams. Legal panel: Ilya Shapiro and Tom Dupree. CBS “Face the Nation”: Sen. Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.) … Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) … Rep. Jason Crow (D-Colo.) … Ukrainian Ambassador Olga Stefanishyna … new national polling with Anthony Salvanto. ABC “This Week”: Sen. Mark Warner (D-Va.). MS NOW “The Weekend”: Rep. Kevin Kiley (R-Calif.) … Rep. Suhas Subramanyam (D-Va.) … Demetre Daskalakis… Ty Cobb. NewsNation “The Hill Sunday”: James Carville … Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-La.) … Rep. Julie Johnson (D-Texas). Panel: Carl Hulse, Megan McArdle and Emily Brooks. 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.
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