P.S., IF THIS IS AUSTIN: The Texas House will reconvene soon for another session without the required legislative quorum, as Democrats remain spread out around the country in an attempt to thwart a vote on the GOP’s redrawn congressional map. Prior quorum break efforts, like those in 2016 and 2021 were relatively unsuccessful for the party, however. And with a GOP majority in power, Democrats are unlikely to stop the map from ultimately getting passed. But this time, Democrats are standing up together across the country. The state’s redistricting saga has now stretched well beyond the borders of the Lone Star State — with California, Illinois and New York now weighing their own redistricting efforts. In Illinois: Texas House Democrats who fled to Chicago joined Gov. JB Pritzker and other state lawmakers at a joint news conference today to lambast the GOP-led effort as a violation of basic democratic principles. Flanked by Washington lawmakers and DNC Chair Ken Martin, Texas House Rep. John Bucy told reporters: “I didn’t run for office to walk out of the Capitol, but I also didn’t run for office to stand by while democracy is stolen in broad daylight … Texas Democrats broke quorum because sometimes, the only way to uphold your oath is to refuse to play along with a rigged game.” Pritzker called the Texas Democrats “heroes,” adding that President Donald Trump is a “cheater.” “So is Texas Gov. Greg Abbott. We’ve all got to stand up and do the right thing,” he said. “Everything is on the table.” And that seems to be the sentiment permeating across the country. In Maryland: Democrats are reportedly weighing whether they can redraw their own maps, The Baltimore Sun’s Sam Janesch reports. “Joining the fray could mean fast-tracking the creation of a new map of Maryland’s eight U.S. House districts — potentially in a way that would erode Republicans’ chances of winning any seats in an already Democrat-dominant state.” But but but: A Democratic-led effort to carve up the lone Republican-held district in 2022 was squashed by a judge as “extreme partisan gerrymandering.” Republicans told the Sun that the latest effort is illegal and a “transparent grab for partisan advantage.” Democratic Del. Adrian Boafo said the party has “to put up some type of fight in this moment.” In Missouri: Republicans are weighing their options to bring one of two Democratic House seats into their column. This morning, Missouri Senate President Pro Tem Cindy O’Laughlin told Columbia radio station that it’s “likely” lawmakers will be called to a special session to redraw the map. “We all agreed we’d continue working on the idea,” O’Laughlin added, though she noted that no decision has been made. More from the Missouri Independent's Rudi Keller In Indiana: The White House is considering dispatching VP JD Vance to Indianapolis on Thursday to huddle with Republican Gov. Mike Braun and state GOP leaders about a long-shot redistricting effort to potentially scrape out two more seats, per Punchbowl News. The cold water: The state’s “legislative leaders are immensely powerful and it’s not clear there’s any appetite among them to redistrict.” Trump is also finally weighing in. Asked about his request to redistrict Texas, the president broke his notable silence on the matter, telling CNBC’s “Squawk Box” this morning that Democrats “started it.” “They did it to us first,” he said. “I got the highest vote in the history of Texas, as you probably know. And we are entitled to five more seats.” Trump also complained that Democratic-held states like California and Illinois are also “gerrymandered.” More from POLITICO’s Gigi Ewing Good Tuesday afternoon from the Lone Star State. Thanks for reading Playbook PM. Are you a fellow Texan with thoughts on the redistricting battle? Drop me a note: birvine@politico.com.
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1. TRUMP TALKS: Beyond the growing redistricting saga, Trump touched on several other topics this morning on CNBC. Here are the highlights:
- On migrant labor: Trump teased the release of new rules and regulations on migrant farm labor. Trump said his administration will continue to deport criminals but that he wants to “work with” farmers to find a solution for their workers. He suggested the White House was working on a touchback program for some workers. More from POLITICO’s Myah Ward
- On pharmaceutical tariffs: The president also noted he’s planning to announce further tariffs on pharmaceutical products “within the next week or so,” adding “In one year, one-and-a-half years maximum, it’s going to go to 150 percent and then it’s going to go to 250 percent, because we want pharmaceuticals made in our country.”
- On appointing Treasury Scott Bessent as the new Fed chair: “I love Scott, but he wants to stay where he is,” Trump said. He indicated that he’s considering National Economic Council Director Kevin Hassett and former Fed governor Kevin Warsh to head up the central bank: “Both Kevins are very good.” More from WSJ
- On tensions with Moscow: “[Russian President Vladimir] Putin will stop killing people if you get energy down another $10 a barrel. He’s going to have no choice because his economy stinks.”
2. TRADING SPACES: With Trump’s new tariffs set to take effect on Thursday, global leaders are scrambling to avert crippling hikes on goods, Swiss President Karin Keller-Sutter is making a last-minute trip to Washington today as the country scrambles to head off a whopping 39 percent levy coming later this week, WSJ’s Georgi Kantchev reports. Though exact details are scarce, the Swiss government noted Keller-Sutter hopes to “facilitate meetings with the U.S. authorities at short notice and hold talks with a view to improving the tariff situation for Switzerland.” Et EU, brute?: As the European Union hashes out its own trade deal, officials noted today that the coalition is still pushing to exempt its wine and spirit exports from Trump’s baseline 15 percent tariffs, WSJ’s Edith Hancock reports. The official said “negotiators hope to have more news soon on which products would be included in a list of goods that will be exempted from that rate,” though talks “on steel and aluminum duties are taking longer while details on export quotas are hashed out.” 3. RUSSIA-UKRAINE LATEST: Trump held a phone call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy today ahead of the Friday deadline to reach a ceasefire that Trump set for Putin, Axios Barak Ravid reports. What went down: Zelenskyy and Trump were said to have agreed during the call “that targeting Russian oil sales to India, China and other countries could create the economic pressure needed to change Putin’s mindset about the war.” Following the conversation, Zelenskyy wrote on X that the leaders “coordinated our positions” on sanctions and “discussed joint European decisions that can help our defense.” The call comes just a day before White House envoy Steve Witkoff is expected to meet with Putin in Russia. Still, it seems the Kremlin isn’t too worried about Trump’s ultimatum, Reuters’ Darya Korsunskaya and colleagues write from Moscow. Sources say Putin insists that Russia “is winning” in the three-year conflict and doubts that “more U.S. sanctions will have much of an impact.” Still, there is a sense that Putin “does not want to anger Trump, and he realises that he may be spurning a chance to improve relations with Washington and the West, but his war goals take precedence.” 4. EPSTEIN SAGA LATEST: As the White House works to quell the furor over the Jeffrey Epstein files, the Trump administration is now considering releasing the transcript of co-conspirator Ghislaine Maxwell’s recent interview with Deputy AG Todd Blanche, CNN’s Alayna Treene, Paula Reed and Kristen Holmes scoop. The administration has reportedly been quietly “transcribing and digitizing” the previously unreported recording, though “portions of the transcript that could reveal sensitive details like victim names would also have to be redacted.” Though no final decision on the release has been made, two administration officials said “if they were to release the audio and transcript, it would likely be done sooner rather than later.” On the Hill: House Oversight Chair James Comer (R-Ky.) issued a subpoena today for DOJ records on the Epstein investigation as well as summons for nearly a dozen former officials to appear for depositions related to the case, POLITICO’s Gigi Ewing and Kyle Cheney report. The list includes former President Bill Clinton, Hillary Clinton, William Barr, Alberto Gonzales, Jeff Sessions, Loretta Lynch, Eric Holder and Merrick Garland, among others. Related read: “A Look Inside Jeffrey Epstein’s Manhattan Lair,” by NYT’s David Enrich and colleagues: “In his seven-story townhouse, the sex offender hosted the elite, displayed photos with presidents and showcased a first edition of ‘Lolita,’ according to previously unreported photos and letters.” 5. MIDDLE EAST LATEST: Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu is anticipated to advocate for “occupying all of the Gaza Strip” as the starvation crisis in the war-torn enclave continues to escalate, per a statement obtained by NBC’s Chantal Da Silva. “The statement was shared in Hebrew and the term used can be translated to mean both ‘occupy’ and ‘conquer.’ … Netanyahu's office did not immediately respond to a request for clarification on the intended definition.” Israeli media also reported that Netanyahu would hold a “limited security meeting” today to discuss what’s ahead for Israel's campaign in Gaza. Meanwhile, the nation’s officials are trying to address the growing global condemnation for the continued crisis with at least one office expected to attend a U.N. Security Council meeting in New York today to discuss the captives’ conditions, NYT’s Aaron Boxerman reports from Jerusalem. 6. THE MAN BEHIND THE CURTAIN: “How Corey Lewandowski’s power at the Department of Homeland Security keeps growing,” by CNN’s Priscilla Alvarez, Gabe Cohen and Alayna Treene: As DHS Secretary Kristi Noem’s chief adviser, “Lewandowski directed the firings of personnel, requested employees be put on administrative leave, called agency leaders ‘to hold them accountable,’ and in at least one instance, signed off on billions of dollars in FEMA grant funding … ‘He’s the de facto chief of staff in the department. Everyone is terrified of him because he has almost singular authority to fire people,’ a source familiar with the dynamic told CNN.” 7. CALIFORNIA DREAMIN’: Former Biden climate official Jake Levine is jumping into the California House race to mount an intraparty challenge against longtime Rep. Brad Sherman (D-Calif.), POLITICO’s Melanie Mason reports. “Levine, the son of former Democratic Rep. Mel Levine, pitches himself largely on his experience. He has been active in climate change policy … and has been working with the wildfire recovery nonprofit Department of Angels.” Levine’s wife, MSNBC’s Jacqueline Alemany, posted a statement about his bid on X, writing: “As a journalist, it’s paramount to respect certain boundaries on my support,” adding that she wouldn’t be involved in the campaign or any coverage of it. 8. TEXAS TWO-STEP: Texas AG Ken Paxton’s search for an all-important endorsement from Trump in his Texas Senate primary race against incumbent Sen. John Cornyn recently took him all the way to Scotland, CNN’s Sarah Ferris and colleagues report. “On the last Saturday in July, Paxton was in the Scottish village of Turnberry at the president’s luxury golf resort, where the Texas attorney general encountered his occasional golf partner out on the links of Trump Turnberry. Trump and Paxton did not play a round together on the course in western Scotland that overlooks the Irish Sea, and it’s not clear if the president was expecting to see him there. But the two crossed paths … and spoke privately for several minutes about the Texas race.”
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Donald Trump took a stroll along the White House roof today. OUT AND ABOUT — Stu Loeser & Co. Strategy hosted a book party in their Manhattan office last night to celebrate Michael Grynbaum’s new book “Empire of the Elite: Inside Condé Nast, the Media Dynasty That Reshaped America.” ($26). SPOTTED: Carolyn Ryan, Sam Dolnick, Emma Fitzsimmons, Ed Lee, Erica Orden, Matt Flegenheimer, Sally Goldenberg, Simone Swink, Marcia Kramer, David Seifman, Molly Ball, Becca Rutkoff, Chrissy Persico, Jennifer Bloch, Corey Chambliss, Grace Smoker, Dora Pekec, Geoff Burgan,Michael O’Regan Jeannie Kedas, Allison Jaffin, Grace Rauh, Rich Lamb, Angela Sun, Robert George,Irena Briganti, Kevin Dugan, Josh Margolin, Jo Craven McGinty, Phil Walzak, Jordan Barowitz, Dani Simons and Max Young. TRANSITIONS — Ayesha Khan is joining Democracy Forward as senior legal adviser. She most recently was a partner at Potomac Law Group. 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: Yesterday’s Playbook PM misstated the production cost for interceptor drones in Ukraine. It is $6 billion.
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