| | | |  | | By Adam Wren | | Presented by |  | | | |  | THE CATCH-UP | | | 
Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro said President Donald Trump's view of his economy "does not reflect the reality on the ground." | Susan Walsh/AP | Ahead of President Donald Trump’s remarks tonight on the economy in a swing district in Northeastern Pennsylvania, his self-grading of an “A-plus-plus-plus-plus-plus” on a key midterm issue is roiling the campaign trail. In an exclusive statement to Playbook, Pennsylvania Democratic Gov. Josh Shapiro responded to Trump’s remark, which came during his sitdown with Playbook's Dasha Burns for a special episode of “The Conversation” released this morning. “The President’s statement does not reflect the reality on the ground here in a community where many Pennsylvanians voted for him in the last election,” Shapiro told Playbook. “The record is clear: his policies have hurt the very communities that propelled him to the White House. Trump’s tariffs and economic policies have raised prices at the grocery store, shuttered markets for our farmers, hurt our manufacturers, and dramatically increased the cost of living for Pennsylvanians.” Trump’s grade for his economy comes despite consistent polling, including a recent POLITICO Poll, that shows voters are feeling pinched. According to the most recent Consumer Price Index, prices rose 3 percent over the 12 months ending in September. Trump’s top advisers, meanwhile, are pitching his Pennsylvania trip as an attempt to “reboot an affordability message that’s been hindered by his insistence that the economy is strong,” as POLITICO’s Alex Gangitano reports. The president’s comments to Dasha on the economy are already becoming a cudgel against him heading into the midterms, as Shapiro’s response — and other Democrats — shows. (Scroll on for more reaction … ) “Bringing his alternative reality and talking points to our Commonwealth won’t bring down the cost of groceries or make life more affordable for working families,” Shapiro added. “Instead of trying to put on a show, he should get to work with Democrats and Republicans to actually cut costs for hard working families — as we have done here in Pennsylvania.” Even Pennsylvania Republicans are ever so slightly distancing themselves from his assessment. Notably, ahead of Trump’s visit, Fox Business asked Sen. Dave McCormick (R-Pa.) whether most Pennsylvanians agree with Trump’s grading. His response, which left a lot of daylight with Trump, was telling: “I think the starting point is we're digging out of a huge hole that we're in as a result of the Biden administration,” he said. “What the president is saying is we’ve done a remarkable amount over the last 12 months. The economy is better. … But there’s a lot more work to do. Working families that are still living paycheck to paycheck, they’re still feeling crunched — by health care, by energy costs.” Playbook also reached out to Stacy Garrity, the GOP gubernatorial candidate and state treasurer — who is headed to Trump’s visit in Mount Pocono and has backed his tariffs and the OBBA — to ask whether she agreed with Trump’s assessment of the economy. Matt Beynon, a spokesperson for Garrity, didn’t address Trump’s economic grade, only saying that she is “looking forward to joining President Trump” and that the “treasurer is looking forward to being a partner with” Trump and “not a courtroom opponent like Josh Shapiro.” Shapiro wasn’t the only potential 2028 candidate to respond to Trump’s remarks to Dasha about the economy. “Must be graded on a curve that excludes rent, groceries, and healthcare,” Illinois Democratic Gov. JB Pritzker added. On the Republican side: Playbook reached out to “The War Room’s” Steve Bannon, the keeper of the MAGA flame, for a reaction on what Trump told Dasha about the economy. Among the highlights: “If you're gonna go on the road, go on it, but he’s showing you that he’s the best person to sell his program. And if you don’t believe it’s an ‘A-plus-plus-plus-plus-plus,’ then you're not the right guy to sell it.” Asked whether anyone can unite the MAGA coalition like Trump has (“I hope so,” Trump told Dasha. “I don’t know. You never know until they’re tested.”), Bannon seemed to agree with Trump that he has no natural successor. “Trump 2028,” he texted your Playbook author this morning. But why, we asked, is no one else fit to take over? “Says everything that needs saying,” Bannon replied. He added: “In a war you are winning, don't change generals.” Catch up with the essentials: Watch the full interview … Read Alex Burns’ analysis … Read Megan Messerly’s 7 takeaways … Read John Harris’ “Altitude” column … Listen and subscribe to “The Conversation” … Read the full transcript … See the full POLITICO 28 list Good Tuesday afternoon. Thanks for reading Playbook PM. Drop me a line at awren@politico.com.
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Explore the impact in communities like Altoona. | | | | | | REACTION ROUNDUP | | MORE ON TRUMP’S GRADE … DEMS POUNCE: Democrats have been eager to use Trump’s grading of the economy as an “A-plus-plus-plus-plus-plus” as a plank in their messaging on affordability and the cost of living, which they argue Trump has not effectively managed. “The Trump Republican economy is not an ‘A-plus,’” House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries said at a news conference this afternoon. “Everyday Americans are not confused about that, and if there's any debate as to the success or failure of this economy related to how it may be graded, the only question is whether the American people would give it a ‘D’ for disaster or an ‘F’ for failure.” Rep. Ted Lieu (D-Calif.) directly pleaded to the White House: “Please send Trump to EVERY SINGLE HOUSE SWING DISTRICT. He is so out of touch and in the fantasy bubble you created that he will help Dems flip the House even more. Oh, and we love his interview below so much that we will absolutely highlight it to voters.” FROM THE HILL … ON UKRAINE: A pair of Democratic lawmakers this morning decried Trump’s position on the push for peace in the Russia-Ukraine war, with Trump telling Dasha that Russia has the “upper hand” and that Ukraine and President Volodymyr Zelenskyy are going to have to start “accepting things.” What Trump said: “I give the people of Ukraine and the military of Ukraine tremendous credit for the, you know, bravery and for the fighting and all of that. But you know, at some point, size will win, generally.” The reaction: “President Trump is trying to show urgency to resolve the war between Russia and Ukraine, but he's doing it in exactly the wrong way by undermining the country that has bravely fought for its freedom and ignoring or undermining our allies who are sustaining and supporting Ukraine in that fight,” Sen. Chris Coons (D-Del.) said on CNN. Rep. Adam Smith (D-Wash.), the ranking member on the House Armed Services Committee, told CNN that “the biggest impediment for the last, gosh, almost year now has been President Trump consistently undermining Zelenskyy, whereby our European partners have made it clear, ‘we’re not going to abandon Ukraine.’” More from POLITICO’s Gregory Svirnovskiy ON VENEZUELA: The Senate is “likely to vote on a new effort to restrain … Trump from taking military action against Venezuela next week,” Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.) told POLITICO’s Leo Shane III and Connor O'Brien. “The move follows comments from Trump to POLITICO indicating he isn’t ruling out deploying ground troops in the next phase of military operations against alleged drug smugglers. It’s an escalation of rhetorical pressure that sponsors say could help their case as they push to win more Republican support for a third war powers vote after two unsuccessful bids.” But at least one senior Republican is backing Trump. What Trump said: “I don’t comment on that. I wouldn’t say that one way or the other,” the president said when asked whether American troops could be deployed on the ground. The reaction: “I don't think we need them right now, but you never know,” Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) told reporters today, regarding troops, per Leo. Asked if he has concerns with Trump bringing that up, Graham said “no, I don't at all.”
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| | | | ACROSS THE GLOBE … EUROVISION: Trump in the interview with Dasha thrashed European leaders as “weak” — prompting a quick rebuke from EU officials. What Trump said: “I think they’re weak, but I also think that they want to be so politically correct. They don’t ... I think they don’t know what to do. Europe doesn’t know what to do.” The reaction: European Council President António Costa said Europe and the U.S. “must act as allies” and urged Trump to show “respect.” “We respect the choice of Americans, and they need to respect the democratic choices of our citizens,” he added during a press conference in Ireland. More from POLITICO’s Seb Starcevic and Zoya Sheftalovich The view from the Kremlin: Kirill Dmitriev, one of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s aides, shared a screenshot of the POLITICO story, saying: “Trump shares TRUTH on European leaders.” The view from the White House: Alex Bruesewitz, one of Trump’s top aides, mounted a defense of the president’s comments: “President Trump pointing out that Europe, right now, is a weak disaster because of their open-border policies that are allowing the third world to take over their countries isn't an ‘extraordinary attack.’ It's stating the obvious,” Bruesewitz wrote in a post on X. “Also, these ‘allies’ are doing very little to help end the Ukraine-Russia war that has cost our nation a fortune. Really great friends!”
| | | | Transition of Power: What's Next for Virginia Join POLITICO in Richmond on Dec. 9 for dynamic conversations on the transition of power in the commonwealth and the future political stakes for Virginia residents.
Key speakers include Gov.-elect Abigail Spanberger, Virginia Senate Republican Leader Ryan McDougle, and Virginia House Speaker Don Scott.
The event will be in-person and streamed live, and participants can request to join here. | | | | | | | 5 THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW | | 1. BILL OF HEALTH: “Senate Republicans set to put Cassidy-Crapo health proposal up for a vote Thursday,” by POLITICO’s Jordain Carney: “Senate Republicans will offer a health care plan for a vote Thursday alongside a Democratic proposal to extend expiring Obamacare subsidies, capping off days of furious behind-the-scenes debates. The decision announced Tuesday by Senate Majority Leader John Thune is a U-turn from just a day prior, when GOP leadership was prepared to skip a vote on a Republican alternative to the Democrats’ proposal, which would continue the expiring subsidies for three years.” 2. FED UP: “Kevin Hassett Says He Wouldn’t Bow to Pressure Over Cutting Interest Rates,” by WSJ’s Brian Schwartz and Nick Timiraos: “National Economic Council director Kevin Hassett says he would rely on his own judgment and not bow to political pressure to decide whether to cut interest rates if he becomes the next chairman of the Federal Reserve. Hassett said, however, that there is ‘plenty of room’ to cut rates in the months ahead.” 3. HARRIS ON TOUR: NYT’s Shane Goldmacher profiles Kamala Harris on her book tour that has done little to dim the intense spotlight on her as Democrats wait for word on her political future and whether she will mount another presidential bid in 2028. Though Harris insists that she doesn’t want to stoke the discussion, it rages on. But she feels secure in her future and legacy nonetheless: “I understand the focus on ’28 and all that,” Harris told NYT. “But there will be a marble bust of me in Congress. I am a historic figure like any vice president of the United States ever was.” Asked whether she could see her fellow California Democrat Gavin Newsom as president one day, Harris largely dodged: “He has to make that decision if he wants to first,” she said. “I think Gavin is very talented. I really do. And I think we have many talented people.” 4. SCOTUS WATCH: VP JD Vance’s 2028 ambitions “were a hot topic among the justices Tuesday as the Supreme Court heard a case looking to upend campaign finance restrictions originally brought by the now-vice president when he was a Senate candidate,” POLITICO’s Andrew Howard and Josh Gerstein report. “At issue was whether Vance’s current public ambiguity about his presidential ambitions three years from now rendered his original case — which sought to allow more coordination between political parties and candidates — moot.” 5. FOR YOUR RADAR: “Judge OKs public release of Ghislaine Maxwell documents,” by POLITICO’s Erica Orden: “A federal judge on Tuesday granted the Justice Department’s request to publicly unseal grand jury material from the Ghislaine Maxwell case, but ordered the Manhattan U.S. attorney to personally certify that the material doesn’t disclose victim information.”
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➡️ Learn more about Pro Briefings | | | | | | | TALK OF THE TOWN | | DECORATIONS DIGEST — Second lady Usha Vance gave USA Today a tour of the Naval Observatory, where she and VP JD Vance are spending their first holiday season with their family. This year, the second family’s resident 5 year old asked for “a really skinny tree.” “Of course, there are three grander trees on the ground floor of the house that guests see. But for the family quarters, there's the Charlie-Brown style Christmas tree,” Francesca Chambers writes. More details: “A large white tent out front, where the family is entertaining this season, sports framed photos of some the house’s former residents, part of this year’s ‘Golden Noel’ theme paying tribute to 50 years of Christmases at the vice presidential residence. Some of the images are from scrapbooks left behind by former vice presidents. Others are from the Library of Congress.” WELCOME TO THE WORLD — Scott Binkley, SVP at McGuireWoods Consulting, and Taylor Binkley, deputy finance director at the RNC, welcomed Riley Margaret Binkley on November 22. She came in at 4 lbs 8 oz and 17 inches. She joins pup Thomas Binkley. Pic. 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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