| | | |  | | By Adam Wren | | Presented by |  | | | With help from Eli Okun, Bethany Irvine, Ali Bianco and Rachel Umansky-Castro Good Saturday morning. This is Adam Wren. Get in touch. SPORTS MOMENT: President Donald Trump will attend the Army-Navy game, his sixth time doing so as president or president-elect at the rivalry matchup.
|  | DRIVING THE DAY | | | 
From the outside, Trump 2.0 appears at the nadir of its power. But there are reasons to think it's still hurtling along. | Alex Brandon/AP | TRUMPED UP: Trump ended his week by suffering his most significant intraparty defeat at the hands of elected Republicans at any level of government since his return to the White House — one from Indiana Republicans that he was still smarting over at 12:52 a.m. this morning. But it was just the latest in his recent string of stinging losses. Now, he’s also waving the white flag over his bareknuckled tactic of stocking the legal system with loyalists as top federal prosecutors without the buy-in from Congress, as our colleague Erica Orden reports this morning. Instead, Erica writes, the Trump administration is refocusing “its efforts on trying to eliminate a Senate procedural tool used to block U.S. attorney nominees, rather than continuing to challenge the disqualifications in court.” Indeed, Trump’s lame duck status is on full display in almost every corner of his domestic agenda. The only place his call to end the filibuster has won approval so far is in Republican primaries. Congress rejected his health care plan before the Trump administration could fully roll it out. His boat strikes off the coasts of Central and South America face congressional scrutiny. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) is in open rebellion. He caved on the release of the Epstein files after months of resistance. His $2,000 tariff checks for Americans seem as likely as his DOGE checks. His backed candidate for Miami mayor tanked, allowing a Democrat to win the office for the first time in nearly three decades. His handpicked Republican National Committee chair is predicting “a pending, looming disaster” in the midterms. (The caveat, of course, is that Joe Gruters said Trump is the only man who can save Republicans.) Just 31 percent of Americans approve of his handling of the economy; voters are expressing generational financial strain at a time he says the economy is “A+++++; and the expiration of the ACA subsidies threaten to hurt him. All told, from the outside, Trump 2.0 appears at the nadir of its power, and the White House did not respond to a request for comment on Saturday morning. But there are reasons to think Trump 2.0 is still hurtling along. Bipartisan Mehlman Consulting firm’s Bruce Mehlman — famous for his slide decks, Age of Disruption Substack and “Six Chart Sunday” — gave Playbook an exclusive look at tomorrow’s report, “Decoding Trump 2.0,” excerpts from the broader presentation Mehlman has been giving to client boards and leadership teams throughout the year. The bigger picture: Mehlman tells us that, notwithstanding growing challenges such as inflation and court rulings, Trump may be “stronger in many ways now than he was at the end of 2017, with a lot more experience and much greater understanding how to leverage power, maximize outcomes and avoid the inevitable headwinds that slowed each of the past four presidents in their second terms.” But, Mehlman argues, Trump 2.0 features profound differences in how they think, act and operate from Trump 1.0. “Attitudinally, politically and globally, Trump 2.0 is operating with broader ambitions, more fearlessness & greater understanding of how to maneuver the levers of power to get things done. T2.0 knew exactly who they wanted in their Cabinet (only 1 departure this year)… how to flood the zone from day one to overwhelm resistance (pick every fight, everywhere, all at once)… how to engage other Washington centers of power (ignore Democrats, dominate Republicans, litigate everything, move fast and break the 'deep state').” The details: Among the core elements of the “Trump 2.0 operating system that Mehlman aims to decode are a “domination imperative (always hitting back twice as hard when challenged), a transactional rather than ideological bent (befitting the author of ‘the Art of the Deal,’) and a preference for ‘unilateral’ actions such as executive orders and declaring emergencies (‘moving fast and breaking precedents’).” Mehlman includes this chart to illustrate this last point among his six graphs:
| 
Bruce Mehlman argues Trump 2.0 features profound differences in how they think, act and operate from Trump 1.0. | Bruce Mehlman | The Trump 2.0 team and its leaders “hear the clock ticking,” Mehlman tells us. “The pendulum always swings against the party that holds the White House,” Mehlman adds. “They all lived through 2018, which is what they’re working their hardest to avert through fundraising, through redistricting, through putting the president on the campaign trail, but that is an uphill climb for any president.”
| | | | A message from Meta: Meta is investing $600 billion in American infrastructure and jobs, creating opportunities in communities across the country.
Phil, a Lead Building Engineer in Los Lunas, New Mexico, has seen the impact that Meta's investment can bring.
"Supporting my family used to mean leaving my hometown and missing out on special moments," he says. "Now, it doesn't."
Explore Phil's story. | | | | | 
U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner attend talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin at the Kremlin in Moscow, Russia on Dec. 2, 2025. | Alexander Kazakov/AP | 9 THINGS THAT STUCK WITH US 1. WAR AND PEACE: U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff is set to meet with European leaders and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Berlin starting tomorrow, WSJ’s Alexander Ward scoops. The summit comes as the White House increasingly presses Ukraine to accept its terms for a potential peace deal with Russia. Trump floated sending someone to the talks only if he felt progress could be made. Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner, will also attend the talks, per Reuters. But major sticking points remain as the U.S. looks to broker an end to the war. The latest: Ukraine’s response to the U.S.’ peace proposal this week removed Zelenskyy’s red lines and asked for legal protections against another attack, plus protection of its current frontlines, NYT’s Michael Shear and Steven Erlanger report. Zelenskyy cast doubt on a U.S. proposal for a “free economic zone” in the hotly-contested Donbas region with Ukraine withdrawing its troops, per WSJ. And Europe also has concerns this plan could be something of a trojan horse for Russia, which could use the opening to move into the “free economic zone,” as territory continues to define the terms of the peace talks, Bloomberg’s Alex Wickham and Alberto Nardelli write. Russia signaled yesterday that it has no intention of pulling its troops entirely out of the Donbas region, per AP. Beyond Europe: Trump declared yesterday that Thai and Cambodian leaders “agreed to CEASE all shooting effective this evening” after days of restarted fighting, AP’s Aamer Madhani and Jintamas Saksornchai report. But Thailand’s leader said today that they will continue fighting on the disputed border, with fresh fighter jet attacks this morning following Trump’s announcement. … U.S. special forces raided a ship in the Indian Ocean last month and seized military materials onboard headed to Iran from China, a rare sea-intervention against Iran’s military buildup, WSJ’s Benoit Faucon and Lara Seligman scoop. 2. FROM THE WILDERNESS: “Democrats gather in California feeling sunny once again,” by POLITICO’s Elena Schneider and colleagues: “Optimism coursed through the hotel ballrooms, following a string of double-digit wins in off-year elections last month. Democratic National Committee members flocked to California Gov. Gavin Newsom — a likely presidential contender — for selfies and major donors are resurfacing after a period of hibernation. Conan O’Brien, Jane Fonda and Shonda Rhimes joined Illinois Governor JB Pritzker for a major donor gathering … And Nebraska and Utah officials are among those expressing interest in hosting the party’s novel midterm mini-convention next year.” 3. COURT IN THE ACT: Twenty Democratic state attorneys general filed suit against the Trump administration over its policy to hike up fees for new H-1B visa applications to $100,000,, POLITICO’s Christine Mui reports. … The DOJ is suing for access to voting materials from 2020 in Fulton County, Georgia, the latest lawsuit to build on Trump’s conspiracy claims that the election was stolen, per POLITICO’s Aaron Pellish. Sounding the gavel: A federal judge last night ordered the DOJ to return the data it seized to prosecute former FBI Director James Comey through the laptop files of a longtime friend, POLITICO’s Kyle Cheney and Josh Gerstein write, with the judge calling it a “remarkable breach of protocol.” … An appeals court intervened last night to pause a planned hearing for Monday, where Judge James Boasberg was set to explore whether the DOJ violated his orders when they moved forward with deportations under the Alien Enemies Act in March, per Josh and Kyle. 4. ON THE HILL: House GOP leadership gave the green light for a floor vote next week to extend the expiring ACA subsidies, an opening for the party’s moderates whose calls for a temporary extension have grown in recent weeks, POLITICO’s Meredith Lee Hill reports. The vote will come as an amendment to the new healthcare proposal that Republicans unveiled yesterday, the culmination of a last-minute push by Speaker Mike Johnson to see which provisions had enough consensus to narrowly pass, WaPo’s Riley Beggin writes. More on the full GOP health care plan, from POLITICO Eyes on the skies: Senate leaders are planning for a vote next week to pass the National Defense Authorization Act before they break for the remainder of the year, Roll Call’s John Donnelly reports. But POLITICO’s Sam Ogozalek and Pavan Acharya write there’s one provision that’s brewing controversy — one that would let the military fly helicopters in D.C. without a key location transmitter under certain circumstances, echoing concerns of the deadly D.C. aviation crash from early 2025. The Epstein crisis: House Oversight Committee Chair James Comer is threatening potential contempt charges against former President Bill Clinton and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton if they don’t give depositions to the committee in their Jeffrey Epstein probe, Aaron reports.
| | | | A message from Meta:  
| | | | 5. RED-LIGHT REDISTRICT: “Indiana GOP’s Trump rebuke could lead to temporary redistricting detente,” by POLITICO’s Brakkton Booker: “Indiana Republicans’ redistricting rejection marks a rare ceasefire in the gerrymandering wars — and could lead to other state leaders backing off their own plans. … Maryland Democratic Senate President Bill Ferguson has exchanged phone calls with Indiana Senate Republican leader Rodric Bray … Each resisted pressure from top officials in their party to move on redistricting. Bray’s success could now lessen the pressure on Ferguson.” 6. ROCKING THE BOAT: Trump said Friday that the U.S. would be “starting” land strikes against drug operations in Latin America, his latest tease of potential U.S. action in Venezuela and beyond, Bloomberg’s Justin Sink reports. Trump told reporters the strikes won’t “necessarily” be in Venezuela, but will target “people that are bringing in drugs to our country.” That comes as the U.S. is moving even more firepower to Puerto Rico to enable these land strikes, per WSJ’s Shelby Holliday and Costas Paris. At the same time, Adm. Alvin Holsey — who initially oversaw the Pentagon’s boat strikes as head of SOUTHCOM but raised concerns on the admin’s plans for the region — officially retired yesterday, NYT’s Eric Schmitt reports. The bigger picture: The seized oil tanker off Venezuela’s coast was Cuba-bound, as part of the Venezuelan government's ongoing support for the Cuban regime, NYT’s Anatoly Kurmanaev and colleagues scoop. It's illustrative of a greater point that has guided Secretary of State Marco Rubio for years — that toppling Venezuela’s regime is the domino that will then topple Cuba’s, NYT’s Michael Crowley and Edward Wong write. 7. FED UP: Trump confirmed his top two picks to replace outgoing Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell are former Fed governor Kevin Warsh and his NEC Director Kevin Hassett, WSJ’s Meridith McGraw and colleagues scoop. “I think the two Kevins are great,” Trump told the WSJ. Trump has pressed Warsh on whether he can count on him to lower borrowing rates, pushing to avoid a repeat of his fracture with Powell. But the Fed itself will remain divided heading into 2026, with governors split on how to handle inflation risks with the softening labor market, and with a dearth of economic data following the government shutdown, NYT’s Colby Smith writes. Pulse check: Many of America’s largest companies are already reaping the benefits of Trump’s sweeping tax cuts, with government revenue from corporate income tax dropping by about a third in the second half of this year, per NYT’s Andrew Duehren. The latest AP-NORC poll shows more Americans say they’re dealing with higher prices than usual this holiday season, and there’s waning optimism about how much the economic situation will improve next year. 8. MAGA REVOLUTION: “Amid Fractures on the Right, Tucker Carlson Continues His Attacks,” by NYT’s Jesse McKinley: “Tucker Carlson knows a thing or two about stirring up controversy. But even so, his ongoing feud with fellow members of the Republican Party — and critics who have suggested he’s antisemitic — has been striking. … In his appearance on ‘This Past Weekend with Theo Von,’ posted on Tuesday, Mr. Carlson — a longtime ally of the president — offered searing personal attacks on Bari Weiss, the newly appointed head of CBS News, and the billionaire Bill Ackman, a major supporter of the president … Mr. Carlson pointedly suggested that the leadership of the country itself was mediocre and malignant.” 9. KNOWING MARK PAOLETTA: “The lawyer behind Vought’s bureaucracy crackdown,” by POLITICO’s Sophia Cai: “If Russ Vought sees his quest to dismantle the federal bureaucracy as a race against time, his lawyer sidekick Mark Paoletta is holding the stopwatch. … Vought, the point man for the administration’s efforts to slash the federal bureaucracy, has spent months assembling a team of legal, budget and political operatives … Paoletta is at the center of that team, paving the legal road for just about every major action Vought has taken, from withholding congressionally appropriated funds to yanking back pay from furloughed workers – not to mention Trump passion projects like the construction of the Trumphiant Arch.”
| | | | A message from Meta:  
| | | | CLICKER — “The nation’s cartoonists on the week in politics,” edited by Matt Wuerker — 15 funnies
| 
| GREAT WEEKEND READS: — “Rescued at Sea: How Venezuela’s Machado Survived the Riskiest Leg of Her Escape,” by WSJ’s José de Córdoba and colleagues: “The Nobel Peace Prize winner was lost in the Caribbean with no communication for hours before an extraction team found her.” — “How to Leave the U.S.A.” by Atossa Araxia Abrahamian for the New Yorker: “In the wake of President Trump’s reëlection, the number of aggrieved Americans seeking a new life abroad appears to be rising. The Netherlands offers one way out.” — “What I Learned Discussing Israel with Tucker Carlson, Steve Bannon and Marjorie Taylor Greene,” by POLITICO Magazine’s Ian Ward: “Inside the push to turn MAGA against Israel.” — “How Trump Pushed US Park Rangers to the Breaking Point—and a Union Drive,” by Bloomberg’s Laura Bliss and Josh Eidelson: “Galvanized by cuts to the federal workforce, park workers are organizing to protect their jobs and some of America’s most iconic places.” — “USAID Hired the Right-Wing Influencer Responsible for Its Decimation,” by the Atlantic’s Isaac Stanley-Becker: “Mike Benz was brought aboard to find evidence for his claims that the agency is secretly a spy operation.” — “The Manosphere Index: A New Framework for Understanding Modern Men,” by Precision Strategies: “The Manosphere Index reveals how a collision of economic instability, algorithmic media, and spiritual identity is actually shaping modern masculinity across race, generation, and class.” — “The Married Scientists Torn Apart by a Covid Bioweapon Theory,” by NYT’s Katie J.M. Baker: “In 2020, a Chinese virologist fled to the United States, aided by allies of President Trump who sought to promote her unproven theories about the origins of Covid-19. Her husband still can’t find her.” — “Are young conservatives OK? Where Gen Z is taking the American right,” by Deseret News’ Brigham Tomco: “The next conservative civil war is here — and it’s being led by Zoomers.” — “Oliver Sacks Put Himself Into His Case Studies. What Was the Cost?” by the New Yorker’s Rachel Aviv: “The scientist was famous for linking healing with storytelling. Sometimes that meant reshaping patients’ reality.”
| | | | A message from Meta: Meta's AI infrastructure is bringing jobs to local communities.
For Phil—and many Los Lunas, New Mexico locals—supporting his family used to mean "leaving town, and missing moments I couldn't get back." Not anymore.
Meta is investing $600 billion in American infrastructure and jobs, creating opportunities in communities nationwide.
Explore Phil's story. | | | | | | TALK OF THE TOWN | | Andrew Wolfe, the West Virginia National Guard member who was shot in an attack blocks from the White House on Nov. 26, is now breathing on his own and "has made extraordinary progress" in his recovery. WEATHER WATCH — Expect snow and extreme cold in the D.C. area starting tonight, per Mayor Muriel Bowser. We could get up to 2 inches of snow tonight, a deeply chilly day tomorrow and possible low of 9 degrees on Monday. HAPPY HANUKKAH — For months, the brass at the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency — a 15,000-employee unit of the Defense Department — rebuffed pleas from some of its Jewish employees to hold a Hanukkah celebration. Some in NGA’s leadership said they worried such an event would violate Trump’s executive orders banning DEI, or that any mention of the Oct. 7, 2023 attack in Israel would be “divisive,” two people familiar with the matter told POLITICO’s Daniel Lippman. The issue came to a head this week. When an employee raised it at a town hall event for workers Thursday, NGA director Lt. Gen. Michele Bredenkamp responded that her team would follow up, according to one of the people. POLITICO inquired with the agency the same night. On Friday, NGA employees were told that a Hanukkah event for next Wednesday was approved — but that a menorah would not be allowed, even though NGA has a Christmas tree currently on display. But that wasn’t the final word. The controversy made it all the way to Pentagon general counsel Earl Matthews and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, who made it clear that NGA’s resistance to allowing the Hanukkah celebration “would not be tolerated,” according to one of the people familiar. And so it was ordered: The NGA will have its Hanukkah celebration on Wednesday, complete with a menorah. Bredenkamp “recognizes and appreciates the importance of a federal workplace that respects individual expressions of religious freedom,” an NGA spox said. VIBE CHECK — “Trump Has Stomped Out the Holiday Spirit in European Embassies,” by Jaime Dettmer for POLITICO Magazine: “After attending a handful of Christmas parties at European embassies this week, it was clear the mood is quite dour. It was as if the European Whos of Whoville have been watching aghast as the Grinch stole Christmas. … ‘The Western alliance is over. The relationship will never be the same again,’ an envoy of a midsized European nation told POLITICO Magazine.” TRUMP’S D.C. MAKEOVER — The National Trust for Historic Preservation filed suit against the Trump administration yesterday in an attempt to block construction of the new White House ballroom following the demolition of the East Wing, per WaPo’s Dan Diamond and Jonathan Edwards. Meanwhile, Trump has his sights on his next D.C. renovation project: the district’s golf courses, starting with the East Potomac Golf Links, WSJ’s Meridith McGraw scoops. BIDEN’S LIBRARY — Former President Joe Biden has raised only a small fraction of what he needs to build his presidential library, with the foundation seeded entirely from $4 million left over from his 2021 inauguration, per NYT’s David Fahrenthold and colleagues. OUT AND ABOUT — Joe and Penelope Kernen hosted an early golden birthday party for Sen. Susan Collins’ (R-Maine) press secretary, Blake Kernen, last night at Monocle. SPOTTED: Gaden James, Olivia Coleman, Jim Byron, Lauren Camp, Amelia Chasse Alcivar and Lenny Alcivar, Carl Hulse, Olivia Beavers, Nate Brand, Rachel Dumke, Stephen Lewerenz, Trent Benishek, Judy Shelton, Jesse Oney, Phil Wegmann, Chris Weihs, JT Jezierski, Juliegrace Brufke and Katie Brown. — Former Rep. David Trone hosted the “Former Members of Congress Holiday Party” on Thursday night in Potomac. SPOTTED: Cindy and John Axne, Carolyn Bourdeaux, Larry and Kathryn Bucshon, Barbara and Chip Comstock, Donna Edwards, Roswell Encina, Russ Feingold, Martin and Jo Ellen Frost, Jane Harman, Tim and Randi Hutchinson, Doug and Dareen Johnston, Derek Kilmer, Lauren Kilmer, Doug and Jeanie Lamborn, Brenda Lawrence, Kailynn Cummings, Tom McMillen, Jim Moran, Wiley and Caroline Nickel, Danny O’Brien, Don Ritter, Steve Scully, Shanti Shoji, Jim Slattery, Dontai Small, Jennifer Mauskapf, Tricia Szurgot, John and Betty Ann Tanner, Jeff and Claudia Werner, Susan Wild, Adrienne Wild, Pete and Annette Weichlein, Sabine Schleidt, Lenny Steinhorn, Andriana Gregovic, Abigail Cate, Miles Monaco, Abby Haas and Gopika Ramesh. — The USC Annenberg’s Cronkite Awards hosted their awards ceremony at the national press club in D.C. yesterday. Honorees included NBC’s Peter Alexander, CBS’ Scott Pelley, MS NOW’s Rachel Maddow, PBS’ Amna Nawaz and Geoff Bennett, Jon Stewart and more. SPOTTED: Kristen Welker, Chloe Arensberg, Michelle Perry, Monica Alba, Elyse Perlmutter, Gemma Garcia, Julio Vaqueiro, Lori Montenegro, Leticia Herrera, Grace Solorzano and Celeste Juarez. MEDIA MOVE — Garrett Downs has joined CNBC as a politics reporter. He previously worked at POLITICO. ENGAGED — Rep. Julia Letlow (R-La.) and Kevin Ainsworth, a lawyer and lobbyist with Jones Walker, got engaged at the White House Christmas party on Thursday night. Pics HAPPY BIRTHDAY: Reps. Jamie Raskin (D-Md.), Donald Norcross (D-N.J.) and Michael Baumgartner (R-Wash.) … Alexandra Seymour … Kyle Hauptman of the National Credit Union Association … Eugene Kinlow … Florida Democratic Chair Nikki Fried … Tara Rigler … former Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack … Alec Zender … former Rep. Anna Eshoo (D-Calif.) … Jing Qu … Mo Elleithee of Georgetown’s Institute of Politics and Public Service … Stephenie Foster … Precision’s Matt Creeden … Todd S. Purdum … Jeffrey Schneider of The Lead PR … Trish Regan … Punchbowl’s Haley Talbot … Allan Blutstein … Michael Smith of Eckerd Connects … Brian Baenig … former Fed Chair Ben Bernanke … Lizzie Gregory … POLITICO’s Cheyenne Haslett and Kyler Rowzee … Joe Rozek … Consumer Healthcare Products Association’s David Spangler … Peter Ogburn … Martin Whitmer … Staci McDermott of the McCain Institute … Gillum Ferguson … YouTube’s Riva Sciuto … Aaron Mendelsohn THE SHOWS (Full Sunday show listings here): NBC “Meet the Press”: Sen. Raphael Warnock (D-Ga.) … Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) … Steve Kornacki. Panel: Lanhee Chen, Jonathan Martin, Amna Nawaz and Neera Tanden. FOX “Fox News Sunday,” guest-anchored by Jacqui Heinrich: Sen. Jim Banks (R-Ind.) … Sen. Jack Reed (D-R.I.) … Ukrainian Ambassador Olga Stefanishyna … Energy Secretary Chris Wright. Panel: Olivia Beavers, Doug Heye, Josh Kraushaar and Juan Williams. Sunday special: Wreaths Across America. ABC “This Week”: Sen. Mark Warner (D-Va.) … Rep. Mike Turner (R-Ohio). Panel: Donna Brazile, Danielle Alvarez, Susan Glasser and Leigh Ann Caldwell. CBS “Face the Nation”: Nobel laureate Maria Corina Machado … National Economic Council Director Kevin Hassett … Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-La.) … Sen. Mark Warner (D-Va.). CNN “State of the Union”: Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) … Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-La.). Panel: Rep. Sara Jacobs (D-Calif.), David Urban, Ashley Etienne and Scott Jennings. MS NOW “The Weekend”: Rep. Laura Friedman (D-Calif.). NewsNation “The Hill Sunday”: Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-La.) … Rep. Jim Clyburn (D-S.C.) … Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.). Panel: George Will, Julie Mason and Franco Ordoñez. 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. Correction: Yesterday’s Playbook stated that Bill Gates had pulled back on climate funding; the Gates Foundation said that is incorrect.
| | | | Sponsored Survey WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU: Please take a 1-minute survey about one of our advertising partners. | | | | | | | | 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 political and policy newsletters | | Follow us | | | |
No comments:
Post a Comment