| | | |  | | By Jack Blanchard with Dasha Burns | | Presented by |  | | | With help from Eli Okun, Bethany Irvine, Ali Bianco and Rachel Umansky-Castro On today’s Playbook Podcast: Jack and POLITICO’s diplomatic correspondent Felicia Schwartz discuss the latest on Donald Trump’s plans for peace in Ukraine … and possible military action in Venezuela. Plus — is it too early for the White House Christmas tree to arrive?
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| Good Monday morning. This is Jack Blanchard, suddenly grateful that no one at work cares about cricket. Please don’t get in touch. In today’s Playbook … — War and peace in the age of Marco Rubio. — Trump prepares to unveil his cheaper health care plan. We got the deets. — And AP heads back to court over the “Gulf of America” row.
|  | DRIVING THE DAY | | | 
Secretary of State Marco Rubio is at the center of two major foreign policy moves this week. | Fabrice Coffrini/AFP via Getty Images | UKRAINE’S BIGGEST WEEK: Talk about split-screen action. The war in Ukraine is entering a pivotal week as U.S. negotiators try to hash out a reformed peace plan with Kyiv ahead of Trump’s Thanksgiving deadline. But even as the president tries (again) to burnish his peacemaker credentials, America’s top military officer is headed to the Caribbean to inspect the massive build-up of U.S.firepower now bearing down on Venezuela — as Trump's campaign against President Nicolás Maduro enters a potentially deadly new phase. Busy week ahead: The man sitting right at the center of these juxtaposed foreign policy moves is Secretary of State Marco Rubio. Let’s start with Ukraine: Rubio spent yesterday in Geneva, working with senior Ukraine officials to turn his colleague Steve Witkoff’s strikingly Russia-friendly peace plan into an agreement that Ukraine can accept. Details of the negotiations remain thin on the ground. Rubio said yesterday that “a couple” of outstanding issues remain. But the mood music is suddenly worlds apart from the threatening briefings and anti-Ukraine statements that had been emanating from parts of the White House over previous days. “We’ve made substantial progress,” Rubio told reporters in Geneva. “Today was the best day we have had in our entire 10 months of working on these issues.” A buoyant U.S.-Ukraine joint statement confirmed the vibe shift. Man of the hour: Rubio has played a central role in trying to reframe this negotiation since Witkoff’s secret plan was leaked. Last week, key figures inside the White House were presenting the proposal as a fait accompli that Ukraine would have no choice but to accept. Then Rubio publicly intervened. First came Rubio’s social media post on Wednesday painting the proposal as “a list of potential ideas” for ending the war. He stressed any agreement must be “based on input from both sides” — making clear Ukraine must get a say. A bipartisan group of senators say he went even further in a weekend phone call and told them Witkoff’s “plan” was actually a Moscow-penned wishlist. (Rubio quickly denied this.) Then came Saturday night’s rush to Geneva to meet Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s powerful chief of staff Andriy Yermak. Witkoff went too, but this time it was clearly Rubio leading the talks. Afterward, Rubio was determined to press home just how positive the negotiations had been — telling reporters so around two-dozen times during two short news conferences yesterday afternoon. It was hard to avoid the conclusion that Rubio’s ultra-positive message was aimed at a certain Audience of One back in Washington. Trump, after all, had made clear his extreme frustration with the Ukraine government several hours before.
| | | | A message from McDonald's: Extra Value Meals are back at McDonald's, which means Americans can save when you make it a meal. McDonald's is committed to providing quality food at a good value, so this month, fans can get even deeper discounts on two of the most popular Extra Value Meals, the $5 Sausage, Egg & Cheese McGriddles® Meal and $8 10 pc. Chicken McNuggets® Meal, for a limited time*. | | | | Making his Marc: Indeed, it’s striking just how often it’s been the secretary of State — a Russia hawk in his former life — who has walked back Trump and Witkoff’s biggest pro-Russia moves this year. It was Rubio who poured cold water on Trump’s summit with Vladimir Putin in Alaska, telling journos afterward that a peace deal remained “a long ways off.” It was Rubio whose call with opposite number Sergey Lavrov led to the sudden postponement of a follow-up Trump-Putin summit in Budapest. And now it’s Rubio who has very publicly brought Kyiv back into the negotiations after Witkoff and Moscow’s plan emerged. Late to the party? The extent of Rubio’s involvement in the original Witkoff talks remains disputed. Reuters notes that “many senior officials inside the State Department and on the National Security Council were not briefed,” and hints that Rubio may have been among them. The Kyiv Post says the Ukraine government believes Witkoff has been running a “shadow operation.” But Rubio’s spokesperson says any suggestion he was excluded is “completely false.” And the White House says the two men have worked closely together throughout. They were certainly having dinner together (along with the Ukraine delegation) at a fancy Italian restaurant this weekend, for whatever that’s worth. The official line from Rubio is that the plan was always to keep refining the peace proposal with feedback from both sides. “Just because it’s printed on a piece of paper doesn’t indicate finality,” he said yesterday. “So you get input, and based on that input you make adjustments, and then you get more input or you make a counteroffer and you get more adjustments. That’s an ongoing process.” However we got here, Europe is just relieved the Trump administration is in listening mode again — for now, at least. Trump spoke with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz on Friday and British PM Keir Starmer yesterday, and both will likely have pressed on him the importance of not giving away Ukrainian sovereignty. Rubio also met with several nations’ national security advisers in Geneva. We’ll find out in the coming days (or perhaps hours) how much impact any of this has had on Trump’s state of mind. “I think he’s quite pleased at the reports we’ve given him about the amount of progress that’s been made,” Rubio told reporters. So what happens next? Rubio is back in D.C. today but said talks will continue at a technical level. POLITICO’s Paul McLeary and colleagues report further discussions between the U.S. and Moscow are also expected soon. In the meantime, Trump’s Thanksgiving deadline is looming, though Rubio loosened it a little more yesterday. “We want to get this done as soon as possible,” he said. “Whether it’s Thursday, whether it’s Friday, whether it’s Wednesday, whether it’s Monday of the following week, we want it to be soon.” How they might get there: Merz told German broadcasters we may get an interim agreement that meets the Thanksgiving deadline without solving every issue. And rumors are swirling that we may see Zelenskyy back at the White House this week. But anything agreed by the U.S. and Ukraine presidents will still need to go back to Moscow for sign-off, Rubio confirmed. “Obviously the Russians get a vote here,” he said. So peace may yet be some way off. GOING CARACAS: Rubio’s return to D.C. also allows him to switch gears this morning and focus on the other major project currently consuming his time. Everyone knows Rubio has been one of the driving forces behind the decision to ramp up pressure on Maduro in Venezuela to extraordinary levels — and today it hits new heights. Dan’s the man: Joint Chiefs Chair Dan “Razin” Caine is in the Caribbean for talks with commanders of the naval fleet that Trump has sent to combat “drug trafficking” in the region. Caine’s visit comes on the day a new State Department designation comes into effect, rendering a group called Cartel de los Soles as a foreign terrorist organization and — crucially — naming Maduro as its head. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said last week the move would bring "a whole bunch of new options" to how the U.S. deals with alleged narco-terrorists in the region. Exactly what that means, we’re about to find out. But here’s a clue: Reuters reported this weekend that the struggle against Maduro is moving into a new phase, with Trump apparently having signed off on some sort of covert action against the Venezuela government. People around Trump insist he has not yet decided whether to press ahead with land-based military action. For Rubio — a potential 2028 contender who has led the charge against Maduro — the stakes are high, as POLITICO’s Eric Bazail-Eimil and Nahal Toosi pointed out in this essential piece over the weekend. But they’re high for Trump too. Playbook readers hardly need reminding that this is a president who promised voters “the years of war will be over” if he won the election. It’s difficult to square that campaign message with what is now the biggest military buildup in the region in decades. Perhaps Trump is securing the maximum leverage available as he tries to force an exit plan upon Maduro. Or perhaps he’s on the brink of his most significant foreign policy move as U.S. president. Only time will tell.
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Start your morning with a $5 Sausage, Egg & Cheese McGriddles® meal – which comes with Hash Browns and a small coffee – for a limited time*. | | | | BILL OF HEALTH MAN WITH A PLAN: Trump is poised to unveil details of his long-awaited proposal on health care costs — with less than six weeks to go until Obamacare subsidies expire. The details: The plan includes a two-year extension of the Obamacare subsidies and new limits on eligibility, POLITICO’s Benjamin Guggenheim reveals. It’s expected to include new income caps for enrollees to qualify for the ACA tax credits as well as minimum premium payments. “The planned eligibility cap would limit the subsidies to individuals with income up to 700 percent of the federal poverty line —aligning with what a bipartisan group of senators have been discussing separately,” Benjamin reports. The timeline: Dubbed the “Healthcare Price Cuts Act,” the proposal could be rolled out “as soon as today” with an announcement featuring remarks from the president and CMS Administrator Mehmet Oz, MS NOW’s Jake Traylor scooped. Although so far the president’s schedule has only a closed-press executive order session at 4 p.m. The White House declined to confirm details of a plan, with an official telling Benjamin: “Until President Trump makes an announcement himself, any reporting about the administration’s healthcare positions is mere speculation.” On the Hill: Senate Majority Leader John Thune and Speaker Mike Johnson were expected to be briefed yesterday, per MS NOW. But while Republicans have been eager for Trump to get involved on the issue, “the initial details that emerged late Sunday left many Hill conservatives feeling blindsided, with a number especially interested in how the plan would impact abortion coverage,” POLITICO’s Meredith Lee Hill reports for Inside Congress. GEORGIA ON MY MIND: The subsidies problem is playing out acutely in Georgia, where a pinching of realities is squeezing Republicans: Georgia is a state with a particularly high reliance on the ACA and one where Republicans have one of their best opportunities to pick up a Senate seat in the midterms, POLITICO’s Alec Hernandez reports this morning. “Georgia Republicans running to unseat Democratic Sen. Jon Ossoff are avoiding talking about health care in their crowded primary, giving him leverage to tout his vote against the shutdown on the grounds that the deal did not address the loss of subsidies.” MEDIA MATTERS BACK IN COURT: The Associated Press returns to the appeals court today in its latest attempt to win back access to the Oval Office following the “Gulf of America” row with the White House. The AP will seek to restore a district court ruling from April that found the White House could not exclude journalists based on their opinions, in a decision widely hailed by First Amendment campaigners. But that ruling was stayed by the appeals court in the summer, pending a full hearing this fall. Fox News’ Brian Flood has a preview of today’s case. Reminder: Trump blocked AP’s access after it refused to start referring to the Gulf of Mexico as the “Gulf of America” in its copy, as he had decreed it must. “This isn't about the AP and the Trump administration. This is about something that's much bigger," AP executive editor Julie Pace tells Fox. “This is about the First Amendment … What's at stake here is whether the government can retaliate against you for the words you use.” WHILE WE’RE DOING TRUMP AND THE MEDIA: Semafor’s Max Tarni has a story about Trump bending Larry Ellison’s ear to bring back some of his favorite projects. “A person directly familiar with the conversations told Semafor that the president of the United States has personally pressed the Paramount owner to revive … Rush Hour, a buddy-cop comedy starring Jackie Chan and Chris Tucker that blended physical comedy, martial arts, and gags about racial stereotypes.” Cue a thousand think-pieces about Trump’s cultural nostalgia. From a desire to revert the Washington Commanders back to their old name, to nixing the new NFL kickoff rule; from staging 1980s musicals at the Kennedy Center, to the golden oldies set list he plays at his rallies; and from the envoy jobs he gave Jon Voight, Sylvester Stallone and Mel Gibson to the invite for Mike Tyson to visit the White House last week … Trump is basically stuck in an ’80s timewarp.
| | | | A message from McDonald's:  
The return of Extra Value Meals ensures Americans can find everyday affordable pricing at McDonald's. | | | | BEST OF THE REST ONE TO WATCH: Pressure is growing on (the now-former) Prince Andrew to give evidence to Congress over his friendship with the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein after Britain's PM “suggested he should testify,” per the AP. Andrew “has so far ignored a request from members of the House Oversight Committee for a ‘transcribed interview’ about his ‘long-standing friendship’ with Epstein.” THE DOGE DAYS ARE OVER: The Department of Government Efficiency has disbanded, with OPM Director Scott Kupor telling Reuters DOGE “doesn't exist” and no longer works as a “centralized entity” — despite the fact that Trump signed an order stating DOGE would be around until May 2026. THE ECONOMY, STUPID: A POLITICO Poll shows Republicans are still struggling to find a winning message when it comes to affordability — this time on housing costs, which is an issue that’s top of mind for Americans, POLITICO’s Cassandra Dumay reports. The poll found homebuying and rental costs “were among the top affordability concerns for U.S. adults overall — especially among young and Hispanic adults.” The POLITICO Poll, conducted in partnership with the research firm Public First, found the cost of housing came in second place (after groceries) among issues U.S. adults most frequently cited as “the most challenging” to afford. RANK ’EM IF YOU GOT ’EM: A collection of Democratic politicians and activists — including Maryland Rep. Jamie Raskin and pollster Celinda Lake — are pitching the DNC on a plan to implement ranked-choice voting in the 2028 presidential primaries, Axios’ Holly Otterbein reports. Supporters argue it would “prevent people’s votes from being ‘wasted’ after presidential candidates drop out.” It’s received a mixed response inside the DNC. TRADING SPACES: A month after Trump halted trade negotiations with Canada in response to a “hostile” anti-tariff ad from Ontario, the president hasn’t actually followed through on placing an additional 10 percent tariff on Canadian imports, POLITICO’s Ari Hawkins reports. A “U.S. official suggested the Trump administration had opted to hold off on additional duties — which would have sent tariffs on Canadian goods to 45 percent — and instead continue to dangle the threat.” THE NEW NORMAL: Discharge petitions have become “a routine part of life in the Republican House majority” under Speaker Mike Johnson’s speakership, POLITICO’s Jennifer Scholtes and colleagues write. Fresh off his victory in forcing a vote on the Epstein files, Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) is predicting other, similar efforts. “Massie said members of both parties are now ‘brainstorming’ other bills they might be able to catapult to the floor,” POLITICO reports. Democrats “have quietly plotted for months to take full advantage of the tool.” NEW KIDS ON THE BLOCK: Democracy Forward — a rapidly growing progressive legal advocacy group — is working to become the “nerve center of the legal opposition to Trump,” Ankush Khardori writes for POLITICO Magazine. The coalition reportedly includes more that 650 organizations — “including well-known liberal groups like the Brennan Center for Justice, the National Immigration Law Center and Public Citizen.” TALK OF THE WEST COAST: “F.B.I. Letters Send Shivers Through California’s Political Inner Circle,” by NYT’s Laurel Rosenhall: “Letters from the F.B.I. landed this month in the mailboxes of California’s political class, notifying recipients that their phone calls and text messages were captured on a wiretap last year. The unwelcome correspondence began to arrive almost immediately after Gov. Gavin Newsom’s former chief of staff was indicted on 23 felony charges.”
| | | | | TALK OF THE TOWN | | CHRISTMAS IS COMING! Yes it’s only Nov. 24. Yes, we’re not even past Thanksgiving. But first lady Melania Trump will still have the White House Christmas tree delivered to the lawn at noon today, per the White House schedule. Never too early to start celebrating, I guess. Laura Loomer is having fun discovering which “patriotic” far-right social media accounts she doesn’t like are actually being controlled from abroad, following Elon Musk’s latest app update that set X ablaze all weekend. MEDIA MOVE — Deirdre Walsh is now senior editor overseeing NOTUS’ Capitol Hill team. She is currently a congressional correspondent for NPR and is a CNN alum. TRANSITION — Kristina Biyad is now executive director of the American Committee for Middle East Rights. She previously worked at Foreign Policy for America. HAPPY BIRTHDAY: Former DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas … Krystal Ball … former Agriculture Secretary Dan Glickman … POLITICO’s Calen Razor, Shia Kapos, Katie Phillips, Shubham Kadam and Anastasiia Romanova … Rachel Kriegsman … Ben Burger … Chris Putala of Putala Strategies … former Rep. Chet Edwards (D-Texas) … Frank Ahrens … Nikki Clifton of UPS … Mark Steitz … Brooke Jamison … Gary Beck of AHIP … MS NOW’s Rachel Witkin … Jeff Ballabon … Alpex International’s Lee Godown … Patrick Burchette … Lindsey Schulte … Jim Landry … Dave Rapallo … Jeremy Pevner … Sally Susman of Pfizer … Kathleen Hall Jamieson of the Annenberg Public Policy Center … Marlin Fitzwater … KFF Health News’ Darius Tahir … Jonathan Black … Tyler Goodspeed of ExxonMobil … Aidan Shank of the American Conservation Coalition … Tom LoBianco 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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