| | | |  | | 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 Pentagon reporter Paul McLeary discuss the case of Pete Hegseth, the Trump administration’s policy toward Venezuela … and why Europe doesn't think Steve Witkoff will deliver.
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| FIRST IN PLAYBOOK — Meet Trump’s favorite Dem: “In this season of giving thanks,” Dasha writes this morning, “there is one Democrat that the White House is particularly grateful for: Gretchen Whitmer.” An unlikely duo: “President Donald Trump and the Michigan governor, an oft-talked about 2028 presidential candidate, have developed a surprisingly productive and affable relationship, according to two White House officials and a Whitmer political aide. ‘Of the Democrats, she is the one who we have spent the most time with, who has reached out to us the most, who has wanted to work with us,’ said one White House official … Whitmer’s decision to work with the White House stands in stark contrast to potential 2028 rivals such as California Gov. Gavin Newsom and Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker.” It’s a dangerous game: “Whitmer has sought to walk the line, insisting that she disagrees with Trump’s policies and rhetoric in public while taking a softer tone in private. She has visited the White House three times this year, more than any other Democratic governor.” Autograph hunting: “During one visit, she hid her face behind some blue folders, hoping not to be seen,” Dasha writes. “The subsequent New York Times photo went viral, underscoring the tightrope she is walking. Publicly, she said she hid because she was not happy to be there. Privately, she signed a copy of the newspaper bearing the photo the next time she visited, and joked about the affair, according to the two White House officials.” The Whitmer line: “As Governor Whitmer has said, she and the president disagree on ‘a lot’ of topics,” a Whitmer political aide said. “And she is not afraid to hold him accountable. But leadership means finding common ground where you can so you can get things done.” Read the full story In today’s Playbook … — Trump gathers his Cabinet for another epic TV summit … — … but missing from the table will be Steve Witkoff, who’s meeting Putin in Moscow. — It’s Election Day in Tennessee, with all eyes on the GOP’s margin of victory.
|  | DRIVING THE DAY | | | 
President Donald Trump speaks during a Cabinet meeting at the White House in Washington on Aug. 26, 2025. | Mark Schiefelbein/AP | SHOW TIME: It’s a strange place, Washington in 2025, but rarely stranger than when the president assembles his Cabinet for the TV cameras. This town is well acquainted with long, pointless meetings packed full of boastful claims, but these truly bizarre White House events stand out even in such a crowded field. So once again this morning, we’ll see some of America’s most successful business leaders, politicians, war veterans and legal minds crowd into a room at the White House to pay homage to their boss. In case you weren’t watching: At the last meeting in October, we were treated to Marco Rubio — a two-term United States senator — telling Trump that no president in modern history could have pulled off a ceasefire deal in the Middle East. Pete Hegseth, a proud war veteran, told Trump it was “a personal honor” to “witness the way you lead.” Doug Burgum — a billionaire businessman and former state governor — told the president he’d delivered “a masterclass in peace through strength.” The previous meeting in August went even further, dragging on for more than three hours as Trump’s team took lengthy turns to out-do one another. Does anyone actually talk to their boss like this? It’s not entirely clear what the purpose of all this actually is. No other democracy in the Western world showcases its officials paying homage like this to their leader. And how many people are even watching a three-hour Cabinet meeting on live TV? But beyond the wild claims and the flattery, we should actually get some interesting moments today — not least because this will likely be the first public outing for Hegseth since that Washington Post story on Caribbean missile strikes was published Friday afternoon. Mop up: Tellingly, yesterday’s White House clean-up operation was as careful as you’ll see, with press secretary Karoline Leavitt sticking doggedly to her pre-prepared (and presumably legally approved) script as she faced repeated questions at her weekly briefing. Both she and Hegseth — via his latest statement on X — insisted the military commander who gave the order for a second missile strike, Admiral Frank “Mitch” Bradley, acted legally and retains their full backing. But but but: They were also sure to make clear the decision was Bradley’s to take. WaPo’s Noah Robertson and Tara Copp report that some officials in Congress and the Pentagon now fear Bradley could be made a scapegoat. Furthermore: As Playbook noted yesterday, Hegseth said on Sept. 3 that he’d watched the attack live, in real time — thus tying him more closely to the events that unfolded. You could also make the case that Hegseth has generally set a very different tone about the military’s rules of engagement, which was always likely to result in more deaths. On the other hand: Hegseth will surely be emboldened today by a new NYT story last night on the events on Sept. 2 — which cites five sources who say Hegseth never specified whether a second strike was necessary if the first did not fully destroy its target. Plenty of conservatives are now declaring this case closed. But congressional inquiries will continue, with senior House and Senate figures — who’ve already interviewed Hegseth and Joint Chiefs Chair Dan Caine — expected to speak with Bradley this week. Sen. Jim Justice (R-W.Va.) is the latest Republican to criticize the second missile strike, which he said “seems way over the edge to me.” Let’s see if Trump’s position has changed at all since Sunday night. More broadly on Venezuela, there should be questions for Trump and Hegseth (and Rubio) today on the likely next steps, with the trio having joined a National Security Council meeting last night to discuss a way forward. If reports that Trump issued an ultimatum to Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro last week are true, then this story could suddenly start moving very quickly at any time.
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Explore our ongoing work. | | | | Also worth watching for at today’s Cabinet meeting: Will AG Pam Bondi have more info on the release of the Epstein files, given the Massie-Khanna bill is now law? And will HHS Secretary Robert Kennedy Jr. have anything to say about the big ACIP meeting on Hepatitis B vaccines later this week? (Hopefully someone will also ask if he’s planning to buy a copy of Olivia Nuzzi’s “American Canto,” which is out today.) THE MISSING MAN: One person decidedly not at the Cabinet confab today will be Witkoff, who is in Moscow this morning to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin. This is Witkoff’s sixth visit to Moscow this year, and this time he goes armed with what U.S. officials insist is a genuine and realistic plan for peace. “The administration feels very optimistic,” Leavitt said yesterday. Feeling less optimistic: Europe, where Ukraine’s allies are feeling excluded and fearing the worst. Witkoff has long been mistrusted across the Atlantic — telling Tucker Carlson back in March how much he “liked” Putin was not the best start —- and the leak last week of a transcript of his chummy phone call with a Kremlin adviser has made matters worse. “I am afraid that all the pressure will be directed at the victim … to make concessions,” the EU’s diplomatic chief Kaja Kallas predicted yesterday. Still, it feels like this situation is now coming to a head, one way or another. Witkoff’s return from Moscow will surely trigger yet another round of frantic diplomacy, with some in Europe expecting Trump to meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and — perhaps then with Putin, too — in the coming weeks. Watch this space.
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| | | | TENNESSEE BIRD WALK FEELING SPECIAL: The closely watched special election today in deep-red Tennessee’s 7th Congressional District has become a national test for both parties, POLITICO’s Andrew Howard writes in. Republicans and Democrats are predicting GOP nominee Matt Van Epps will topple Democrat Aftyn Behn — but the margin will be the key point to monitor in a district that Trump carried by 22 points last fall. Super PACs from both parties have flooded the airwaves in a sprawling district that includes parts of Nashville. The number to watch: If Behn comes within single digits, as recent polling suggests, expect Democrats to amplify the result as a sign of where things are headed in the midterms. Notably, cold weather and possibly some snow are forecast for today, which could unsettle Republicans already worried about voters not turning out, per Andrew. Decision Desk HQ’s Geoffrey Skelley breaks down the county-by-county benchmarks to watch, and notes that special elections this year have seen an average 20-point swing to Dems from last year’s presidential race. National attention: Far from the sleepy profile you might expect in a safe-seat special election, the campaign has seen millions of dollars in outside spending. Democrats are “trying to turn the narrative into some kind of tidal wave” after last month’s electoral victories, Sen. Bill Hagerty (R-Tenn.) said yesterday, per The Nashville Tennessean’s Vivian Jones. “This is the moment we stop them from doing it.” Speaker Mike Johnson stumped across the district for Van Epps, dialing in Trump on his cellphone. “The whole world is watching,” the president told the crowd. On the flip side: Behn had a virtual rally with Al Gore (who represented Tennessee in Congress from 1977-1993) and Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) and Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.). (Yes, AOC in a Trump +22 district.) AND THAT’S NOT ALL: Playbook’s psephological geeks may want to watch a handful of other elections happening today across Georgia and New Jersey, many of which will test matchups between progressives and establishment Democrats. The Jersey City mayoral runoff is perhaps the most prominent, but there’s also one in Hoboken. Atlanta has multiple runoffs for city council and school board seats. And in the Atlanta suburbs, Roswell, Sandy Springs and South Fulton will all choose their mayors. More from Bolts’ Daniel Nichanian
| | | | Join us for Treats from the Team at POLITICO Pro Happening today: 1–3 p.m., Rayburn Foyer — Hill staffers are invited to drop in — no registration required — for free snacks, hot chocolate, and POLITICO Pro swag. Pick up a 2026 congressional calendar and talk with the team about how Pro’s reporting, tools, and analysis help inform the Hill. | | | | | ROAD TO THE MIDTERMS BREAKING: Mandela Barnes is back. The former Wisconsin lieutenant governor is joining the state’s Democratic gubernatorial primary, POLITICO’s Elena Schneider reports. But after Barnes narrowly lost the 2022 Senate race to GOP incumbent Ron Johnson, he’s not expected to clear the field, which includes several other big names. More campaign launches: Republican Aaron Guckian kicked off a Republican gubernatorial bid in Rhode Island, per The Providence Journal’s Katherine Gregg. … In Kentucky’s 6th Congressional District, which Democrats are hoping to make competitive, former state Rep. Cherlynn Stevenson became the latest Dem to file, FOX 56’s Ren Music reports. THE GERRYMANDERING WARS: Indiana Republicans are moving a step closer to enacting a Trump-demanded gerrymander as a state House committee holds a hearing on a new map at 9 a.m., barreling toward a final vote Friday, per the Indianapolis Star’s Marissa Meador and colleagues. They likely have the votes in the House, but it’s unclear if the Senate’s roadblocks will hold firm. The chamber will take it up next week. As Playbook’s Adam Wren noted, senators “will be making that decision under sustained, significant threats to their personal safety.” Eleven elected Republicans have now faced swatting or other threats, most recently a bomb threat against state Sen. Mike Bohacek, per NBC’s Megan Lebowitz and Raquel Coronell Uribe. First in Playbook — Maryland grab: POLITICO’s Brakkton Booker has a big profile of Maryland state Senate President Bill Ferguson, the chief obstacle to his fellow Democrats’ efforts to enact a deeper gerrymander as a counter to the GOP. Ferguson thinks he erred in the past by springing for a maximalist map that courts rejected. Now Gov. Wes Moore has to decide how to proceed — and whether he can convince dozens of state senators to flout Ferguson. “But in Annapolis, many think it is the Senate president who has made the better case.” Also in motion: Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis told The Floridian’s Javier Manjarres he plans to call a special session to push through a new gerrymander next spring. But in Tallahassee, that plan is not a done deal yet, as lawmakers weigh different options and it’s not yet clear they’re bought into DeSantis’ plan. New frontiers of carpetbagging: In the wake of Texas’ move to create several new GOP congressional districts, and California’s response to eliminate several, Rep. Darrell Issa (R-Calif.) is considering changing states to run in the Dallas area, Punchbowl’s Jake Sherman and colleagues report. “If drawn out of my seat,” responded Florida Dem Rep. Jared Moskowitz, “I will run to represent Narnia.”
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| | | | BEST OF THE REST BRAVE NEW WORLD: A House Energy & Commerce subcommittee will host a hearing at 10:15 a.m. on the Kids Online Safety Act and more than a dozen other related bills. Washington has yet to pass federal legislation regulating social media and protecting children and teens online, despite the Senate passing a sweeping KOSA last year (it stalled in the House). The efforts have gotten entangled with a package that would preempt states from regulating AI. Key questions now include how strong the kids’ safety protections will be, and whether they’re enough for Dems to go along with AI preemption, as our Future Pulse colleagues reported. At the same time, the AI moratorium is disliked by some Republicans along with most Democrats, so there’s a chance it gets booted from its current vehicle, the National Defense Authorization Act, Semafor’s Burgess Everett reports. Trump might then take executive action on AI instead. The debate comes as AI increasingly emerges as an unpredictable political issue dividing both parties, NBC’s Allan Smith and colleagues report. More on the Hill: The big focus remains on Affordable Care Act subsidies, with less than a month to go until they expire. But ahead of next week’s ACA vote, senators are increasingly pessimistic about a deal, POLITICO’s Jordain Carney and colleagues report. Senate Majority Leader John Thune also said it’s not clear whether his chamber will be able to pass another appropriations package before the Christmas holiday, per Jordain and Jennifer Scholtes. More from POLITICO’s Inside Congress WEAPONIZATION WATCH: The Justice Department could try as early as this week to get a grand jury to re-indict James Comey, CNN’s Katelyn Polantz and Holmes Lybrand report, and is considering doing the same against New York AG Letitia James, POLITICO’s Josh Gerstein and Kyle Cheney report. Though a judge previously tossed the cases against Trump’s perceived enemies because acting U.S. Attorney Lindsey Halligan was illegally appointed, DOJ could appeal that decision — or could try to land new indictments. The latter option, which Josh and Kyle report is under consideration, is a significant risk: A new filing can correct mistakes, but a grand jury could also say no. DOJ appears to have more latitude against James than Comey. THE PURGE: More than a dozen suspended FEMA employees who’d signed an open letter speaking out against the administration’s changes were reinstated — and then, after CNN’s Gabe Cohen reported the news yesterday, were re-suspended by DHS leaders. D.C. SHOOTING FALLOUT: West Virginia Gov. Patrick Morrisey said Andrew Wolfe, the surviving National Guard troop shot in D.C. last week, is showing signs of life but remains in a serious condition, per Reuters. WaPo’s Susannah George and colleagues have an illuminating dive into the life of alleged shooter Rahmanullah Lakanwal, who underwent thorough and repeated vetting while working with the U.S. in Afghanistan. But after moving stateside as a refugee, Lakanwal “appeared to struggle to adapt to his new circumstances.” BLEEDING CUTS: Trump’s huge cuts to PEPFAR and other HIV/AIDS prevention work are now helping usher in resurgent infections and reversing global progress, Andrew Green reports for Foreign Policy from Blantyre, Malawi. TRADING PLACES: The U.S. and the U.K. reached an agreement to zero out American tariffs on British pharmaceuticals in exchange for London ponying up to spend more on the drugs, per the WSJ. Meanwhile, the legal fights against Trump’s tariffs — which have been driven mainly by small businesses — have landed one of their biggest corporate recruits so far, as Costco sued the White House in trade courts, per Bloomberg.
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Learn more. | | | | | | TALK OF THE TOWN | | Joe Biden will receive the LGBTQ+ Victory Institute’s Chris Abele Impact Award at its D.C. conference this weekend, when he’ll deliver a rare post-presidency speech. Gene Simmons will testify before a Senate Judiciary subcommittee next week on the American Music Fairness Act, two days after receiving the Kennedy Center Honors with Kiss, musicFIRST will announce this morning. FREE MONEY! Trump will unveil his plans for “Trump accounts” for newborn babies in the Oval Office this afternoon. BILL OF HEALTH — The White House released a memo from presidential physician Sean Barbabella in which he said Trump’s recent MRI comprised preventive cardiovascular and abdominal imagining that is standard for men his age. He said the results were “perfectly normal” and showed “excellent overall health.” More from POLITICO’s Cheyanne Daniels SEASON’S GREETINGS — Public tours of the White House will finally resume today after months of being suspended. And Speaker Mike Johnson will host the Capitol’s Christmas tree lighting — along with members from Nevada, the tree’s proud state of origin — at 5 p.m. PLAYBOOK FASHION SECTION — The NRSC is putting out “ugly primary sweaters” for the season that poke fun at Democrats’ contested Senate primaries in Maine, Michigan and Iowa, the Washington Examiner’s Ramsey Touchberry scooped. They feature the stitched visages of the Dems running — and are accompanied by an AI-generated digital ad. OUT AND ABOUT — Washington AI Network hosted a preview of CES 2026 with the Consumer Technology Association last night at the House at 1229, where Tammy Haddad interviewed Gary Shapiro and Kinsey Fabrizio. SPOTTED: Kara Swisher and Amanda Katz, Lynda Carter, Alex Flemister, Karen Sessions, Robert Hayes, Barbara Humpton, John Taylor, J.P. Freire, Elizabeth Falcone, Luther Lowe, Marie Baldassarre, Sara Fischer, Senay Bulbul, Thomas Pacchia, Montgomery Odle, Tina Anthony, Michael Block, Michael Moroney, Sam Feist, Liz Johnson, Liz Hart, Helen Milby and Alex Allaire. FIRST IN PLAYBOOK — Rolling Stone is adding Matt Bai as national affairs columnist and Katherine Eban as national investigative correspondent, starting next month. Bai previously has written for WaPo and the NYT, and he joins as Rolling Stone seeks to beef up its political journalism. Eban previously has written for Vanity Fair. — Arianna Jones is returning to NextGen America as its new executive director, and Kim Rubey will become board chair. Jones most recently worked with the International Association of Sheet Metal, Air, Rail and Transportation Workers, and is a Bernie Sanders campaign and Peter Welch alum. MEDIA MOVES — Courtney Subramanian is now a White House correspondent at Bloomberg. She previously worked at the BBC, and is an L.A. Times and USA Today alum. … MS NOW is adding Andy Campbell as digital senior enterprise editor and building out its breaking news team with several new hires: Michelle Gaps as a coordinating editor for live blogs and Sydney Carruth, Ebony Davis and Julianne McShane as breaking news reporters. Campbell previously worked at HuffPost, Gaps at WaPo, Carruth at NBC, Davis at CNN and McShane at Mother Jones. TRANSITIONS — Fred Davis is now VP for legislative affairs at the Consumer Bankers Association. He previously worked at Daly Consulting Group and is a William Timmons alum. … May Malik is now head of the National Education Association’s center for communications. She previously worked at the Biden HHS. … Lauren Bates is now director of legislative affairs at Textron, focusing on civil aviation and Air Force programs. She previously worked for Skyryse and is a Jerry Moran alum. … … The Natural Resources Defense Council’s center for campaigns and organizing has added Sam Goodstein as managing director of federal affairs, Jed Ober as managing director of political affairs for the Action Fund and Ben Lenet as managing director of campaigns. Goodstein previously worked at Venn Strategies and is a Sheldon Whitehouse/Senate Judiciary alum. Ober previously worked for Rep. Susan Wild (D-Pa.), and is a DCCC and Hillary Clinton alum. Lenet previously worked at Leeward Renewable Energy. WEDDING — Maggie Miller, cybersecurity reporter at POLITICO, and Alex Pustelnyk, director of performance and change at NeighborWorks America, got married Nov. 23 at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center in Austin, Texas. They met in 2022 after being introduced by mutual friends in D.C., having never met before despite growing up miles apart in Austin. Pic … Another pic HAPPY BIRTHDAY: Rep. Robert Garcia (D-Calif.) … former Interior Secretary Deb Haaland … Rayshon Payton … former VA Secretary Denis McDonough … Cal Thomas … Bank of America’s Liz Rosenberg … Julianne Smith … Kelly (Klass) Bourne of LSG … Bob Carey … John Bodnovich of American Beverage Licensees … Carrie Wofford … NBC’s Chris Berend … Andrew Howell … ABC’s Brad Mielke … Mairéad Lynn … former AG Edwin Meese … former Sen. Wayne Allard (R-Colo.) … Lauren Cross … former Reps. Carol Shea-Porter (D-N.H.) and Pete Gallego (D-Texas) … Martín Diego Garcia of the Campaign Workshop … DJ Sigworth … POLITICO’s Tejinder Kooner … David Maxwell 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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