| | | |  | | By Bethany Irvine | | Presented by |  | | | |  | THE CATCH-UP | | | 
Iranian officials said they gave advance notice that the attacks were coming in an effort to minimize casualties. | Jose Luis Magana/AP | Iran launched a missile attack on Al Udeid Air Base — the largest U.S. military installation in the Middle East, which President Donald Trump visited just last month — after the U.S. carried out a series of bombings against three nuclear sites in Iran over the weekend. The details: Qatar’s “air defenses successfully thwarted the attack and intercepted the Iranian missiles,” and no injuries were reported, per AP’s Jon Gambrell. The strikes from Iran “matched the number of bombs dropped by the United States on its nuclear sites this weekend, signaling its likely desire to deescalate,” Gambrell reports. “Iran also said it targeted the base because it was outside of populated areas.” Iranian officials said they gave advance notice that the attacks were coming in an effort to minimize casualties, NYT’s Farnaz Fassihi reports. “The officials said Iran symbolically needed to strike back at the U.S. but at the same time carry it out in a way that allowed all sides an exit ramp.” They “described it as a similar strategy to 2020 when Iran gave Iraq heads up before firing ballistic missiles at an American base in Iraq following the assassination of its top general.” Back in Washington: Trump “summoned top officials including Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Joint Chiefs Chair Gen. Dan Caine to the White House’s Situation Room Monday afternoon amid reports of Iranian attacks targeting U.S. troops in Qatar,” POLITICO’s Megan Messerly, Nahal Toosi and Joe Gould report. An administration official “added that the White House and the Defense Department are monitoring the situation in both Qatar, Iraq and elsewhere across the Middle East where the U.S. has military bases.” The response: Qatar, in a statement posted by Foreign Minister spokesman Majed al-Ansari, said it “reserves the right to respond directly in a manner equivalent with the nature and scale of this brazen aggression,” but also emphasized that “such escalatory military actions will undermine security and stability in the region.” It called for “the immediate cessation of all military actions and for a serious return to the negotiating table and dialogue.” From Russia, with love: Ahead of a meeting with Iran’s top diplomat, Russian President Vladimir Putin denounced the attacks today, calling them “absolutely unprovoked,” per WaPo’s Robyn Dixon and Natalia Abbakumova, though they note that Putin “so far stopped short of any more concrete measures to assist Russia’s regional ally.” About that ‘regime change’ debate: Reza Pahlavi, the exiled son of Iran’s last shah, in an interview with POLITICO’s Tim Ross in Paris today offered himself up as an interim leader to take over running the country, as he called on the West to give its full-throated backing to regime change. Related reads: “White House tries to find messaging balance on Trump’s regime change comment,” by POLITICO’s Cheyanne Daniels and Megan Messerly … “Bannon warns regime change could lead to US military in Iran,” by POLITICO’s Aaron Pellish What’s on Trump’s mind: Trump has not yet directly responded to Iran’s strikes, but he was on Truth Social weighing in on the unfolding situation earlier this morning.
- Going nuclear: “Did I hear Former President [Dmitry] Medvedev, from Russia, casually throwing around the ‘N word’ (Nuclear!), and saying that he and other Countries would supply Nuclear Warheads to Iran? Did he really say that or, is it just a figment of my imagination? If he did say that, and, if confirmed, please let me know, IMMEDIATELY. The ‘N word’ should not be treated so casually. I guess that’s why Putin’s ‘THE BOSS,’” the president wrote.
- An eye on oil: “KEEP OIL PRICES DOWN. I’M WATCHING! YOU’RE PLAYING RIGHT INTO THE HANDS OF THE ENEMY. DON’T DO IT!” Trump wrote, later posting: “To The Department of Energy: DRILL, BABY, DRILL!!! And I mean NOW!!!”
Good Monday afternoon. Thanks for reading Playbook PM. Drop me a line at birvine@politico.com.
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Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R- S.D.) meets with reporters at the Capitol on June 10, 2025. | J. Scott Applewhite/AP | 1. RECONCILABLE DIFFERENCES: A fully revised reconciliation bill text is unlikely to appear in the Senate today as Republicans continue their race to deliver the sprawling megabill to Trump’s desk by July 4, per POLITICO’s Jordain Carney. “The timeline slip comes after GOP leaders saw setbacks over the weekend when Senate Parliamentarian Elizabeth MacDonough ruled that key pieces of their bill didn’t comply with the strict rules governing what can be included in a bill they are hoping to pass along strict party lines, skirting a 60-vote filibuster threshold.” What happens now: “Republicans also still need to make final arguments to MacDonough on Finance Committee language, a key portion that touches on their tax plan and changes to Medicaid. That meeting is now set for Monday, and senators are not expected to get rulings any sooner than Tuesday. Senate Republicans will still meet Monday night to get briefed on the status of negotiations and what to expect as Majority Leader John Thune threatens to keep them in session until the bill clears the Senate.” Thune reiterated that threat today, writing in a Fox News op-ed that the chamber “will remain here until this bill is passed.” Ad it up: The NRCC is out with a new ad campaign today, going on offense against 25 House Democrats over their opposition to the megabill, charging that Democrats are “pushing the largest tax hike in generations,” Fox News’ Paul Steinhauser scoops. 2. GAO UNDER FIRE: It’s appropriations season, and House Republicans have the Government Accountability Office in their sights, looking to slash the nonpartisan watchdog for waste, fraud and abuse within the federal government by nearly half in the next fiscal year, POLITICO’s Katherine Tully-McManus reports. The Legislative Branch bill would provide $6.7 billion — $51 million below the current funding level, and the GAO “would see a $396.5 million reduction from current levels to $415.4 million.” The text also included a policy change that would eliminate the office’s “ability to bring civil action against the executive branch over impoundments of funds.” 3. COMING ATTRACTIONS: Kevin O’Connor, former President Joe Biden’s doctor, has agreed to appear before the committee on July 9 for a transcribed interview, per NBC’s Ryan Nobles. O’Connor was subpoenaed for testimony earlier this month as a part of Chair James Comer’s (R-Ky.) ongoing investigation into Biden’s physical and mental decline while in office. 4. EMPIRE STATE OF MIND: A new poll out this morning is jolting the NYC mayoral race as voters head to the polls in the Democratic primary tomorrow. Insurgent progressive Zohran Mamdani is predicted to overtake former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo 52 percent to 48 percent in the final round of ranked-choice voting, according to the latest Emerson College Polling/PIX11/The Hill survey. It’s a major moment on the eve of Election Day for Mamdani, who has trailed Cuomo in nearly every poll thus far. Bookmark this: Cuomo spokesman Rich Azzopardi described the poll as an “outlier” and maintained the former governor will secure a double-digit win, per FOX 5 NY’s Robert Moses. 5. HOGG WILD: In his first interview since his departure from the DNC, David Hogg has a message for his fellow Democrats: “I’m not going away,” the controversial 25-year-old former vice chair told The Hill’s Caroline Vakil. “While some Democrats have welcomed him back into the fold since his exit, other members of the party fear he could be a hindrance as they prepare for the midterms. … Hogg told The Hill that since he’s decided to forgo running again within the DNC, he’s called his supporters to thank them and said he’s been focused on his Leaders We Deserve group.” 6. VIRGINIA VIBE CHECK: “Virginia Democrats’ race to replace Rep. Connolly is a weeks-long sprint,” by WaPo’s Teo Armus: “Both Democrats and Republicans will be holding party-run nominating contests Saturday to select nominees to fill the term of Rep. Gerry Connolly, who died of esophageal cancer in May. … [F]or Democrats, who are holding their first competitive House primary since November, the sprint for Virginia’s 11th Congressional District carries unusual resonance at a time when the party is being pulled apart by generational and ideological rifts over age, experience and the traditional hierarchy on Capitol Hill.”
| | | | Playbook, the unofficial guide to official Washington, isn’t just a newsletter — it’s a podcast, too. With new co-hosts who bring unmatched Trump world reporting and analysis, The Playbook Podcast dives deeper into the power plays shaping Washington. Get the insider edge—start listening now. | | | | | 7. A NEW YORK MINUTE: New York Gov. Kathy Hochul confirmed that the state plans to build the first major new U.S. nuclear-power plant in over 15 years, WSJ’s Ryan Dezember and Jennifer Hiller scoop. The project could “jump-start a new era of U.S. nuclear-reactor construction” and will serve as a big test for executive orders signed by Trump in May aimed at boosting the development of domestic nuclear power projects. Nuclear energy projects have proven difficult over the past decade. “Only five new commercial reactors have come online in the U.S. since 1991.” 8. TRAIL MIX: Bayly Winder has officially launched a campaign for New Jersey's 2nd District, challenging GOP Rep. Jeff Van Drew. Winder most recently was an adviser at USAID and is a former FBI consultant and State Department alum, The New Jersey Globe’s Joey Fox reports. … In Texas, former astronaut Terry Virts has formally launched a Democratic bid for the seat held by incumbent GOP Sen. John Cornyn, The Texas Tribune’s Owen Dahlkamp reports. 9. KNOWING SEAN DUFFY: “The MTV Reality Star in Trump’s Cabinet Who Wants You to Have More Kids,” by NYT’s Caroline Kitchener: “Over three decades, Americans have watched him evolve from a sex-hungry 25-year-old on MTV’s ‘The Real World,’ gyrating with a woman on a pool table, to Secretary Duffy, a devoutly Catholic husband and father at the helm of President Trump’s Transportation Department … Even as Mr. Duffy, 53, focuses on air traffic reforms … his policies and perspectives are shaped by the conviction that women should be having more children.”
| | | | Curious how policy pros are staying ahead? Meet our Policy Intelligence Assistant—only available with a POLITICO Pro subscription. It combines POLITICO’s trusted reporting with advanced AI to deliver sharper insights, faster answers, and two powerful new report builders that help you turn intelligence into action. Ready to experience it for yourself? Sign up for a demo and get 30 days free—no strings attached. | | | | | | | TALK OF THE TOWN | | ACCESS DENIED — WhatsApp is now banned across House staffers’ work devices, with the CAO describing the messaging app as a “a high-risk to users due to the lack of transparency in how it protects user data,” Axios’ Andrew Solender scoops. SPOTTED: Frank Luntz and Kevin McCarthy having lunch at SeoulSpice on 7th and E. OUT AND ABOUT — SPOTTED at the opening night of “Aspen Ideas: Health in Aspen, Colorado” yesterday: Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), Sylvia Burwell, Kathleen Sebelius, Charlie Dent, Atul Gawande, Dan Porterfield, Ruth Katz, Roy Cooper, Bill Frist, John Torres, Jonathan LaPook, John Quiñones, Margot Sanger-Katz, Bertha Coombs, Nancy-Ann DeParle, Sophie Grégoire Trudeau and Karen DeSalvo. TRANSITIONS — Ben Finfrock is now deputy press secretary for Sen. Gary Peters (D-Mich.). He most recently was a freelance press and digital aide for the Dignity of Work Institute and is a Sherrod Brown alum. … Ryan Walker is now an external relations manager at Google. He most recently was EVP at Heritage Action for America. … … Betsy Rakola is now principal risk manager for the North American food safety team at Amazon. She most recently was acting director of the Office of Tribal Relations at USDA. … Joseph Ferrari is now a press assistant for Rep. Lizzie Fletcher (D-Texas). He most recently was a regional press secretary for the Harris campaign. ENGAGED — Rebecca Rainey, a senior reporter at Bloomberg Law and a POLITICO alum, and Robert Borkowski, a specialist for Howard County Parks, got engaged Saturday after boating on the Chesapeake Bay with family. The couple met at a pirate-themed bar. Pic … Another pic WEDDING — Abigail Kukura, director for future tech platforms at the Special Competitive Studies Project, and Daniel Remler, a policy adviser at the State Department, recently got married at Meridian House. They met in 2016 while both working at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. Pic by Emily Gude ... Another 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 editor Zack Stanton, deputy editor Garrett Ross and Playbook Podcast producer Callan Tansill-Suddath. Correction: Friday’s Playbook PM misspelled Jeffery Mays’ name.
| | | | A message from Keep Americans Covered: Families who purchase health coverage on their own are under serious threat. Changes to marketplace rules in the pending reconciliation bill and the looming expiration of the health care tax credit will send premiums skyrocketing next year and cause 8.5 million people to lose coverage. Everyone who buys coverage on the individual market – working class families, farmers, small business owners – is at risk for premiums to double or more. If Congress doesn't act soon, families will be forced to pay hundreds or thousands of dollars more to keep their coverage.
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