| | | |  | | By Bethany Irvine | | Presented by |  | | |
|  | THE CATCH-UP | | | 
Police block off the street close to a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement office after a reported shooting in Dallas, Texas. | AP | THE LATEST FROM DALLAS: Two people were killed and another was left in critical condition at an Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility in Dallas this morning after a shooter reportedly opened fire — marking another deadly shooting that occurred exactly two weeks to the day since Charlie Kirk was shot and killed on a Utah college campus. What we know: Though details are still developing, police sources told the local Fox 4 affiliate that the shooter, identified as a white male, shot at the facility with a rifle from a nearby rooftop around 6:30 a.m. local time, striking three detainees. The shooter was found dead from self-inflicted gunshot wounds after he was approached by officers, per Fox 4. The shooting occurred as ICE officers were reportedly transferring detainees into the facility and the victims were shot while “inside a law enforcement van,” per Fox News. Local officials initially confirmed that one detainee was killed, though DHS later said two had died in the attack while one remains hospitalized. No ICE officers or law enforcement personnel were injured in the incident. The FBI said it is “investigating the incident as a ‘targeted attack’ against ICE, and multiple sources familiar with the investigation have identified the alleged shooter as 29-year-old Joshua Jahn,” Fox News’ Anders Hagstrom reports. “Representatives for the FBI at a Wednesday morning press conference in Dallas said that preliminary investigations uncovered anti-ICE messaging on bullet rounds found near the shooter.” FBI Director Kash Patel, who was in the Dallas area for a “prescheduled visit” this morning, said in an X post that the initial investigation “shows an ideological motive behind this attack.” He included in the post a picture of unspent shell casings that he said were recovered from the scene, with one appearing to read “ANTI-ICE.” Patel went on to write that the “despicable, politically motivated attacks against law enforcement are not a one-off,” adding the FBI will continue investigating the incident. DHS Secretary Kristi Noem posted on X that this morning’s “horrendous killings must serve as a wake-up call to the far-left that their rhetoric about ICE has consequences. Comparing ICE Day-in and day-out to the Nazi Gestapo, the Secret Police, and slave patrols has consequences.” More reactions:
- VP JD Vance: “The obsessive attack on law enforcement, particularly ICE, must stop. I'm praying for everyone hurt in this attack and for their families.”
- Texas Gov. Greg Abbott: “Texas fully supports ICE … This assassination will NOT slow our arrest, detention, & deportation of illegal immigrants. We will work with ICE & the Dallas Police Dept. to get to the bottom of the assassin’s motive.”
- Rep. Marc Veasey (D-Texas), who represents the area: “We are keeping the victims in prayer and will update the North Texas community as we get news on their conditions and learn more about the suspect.”
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Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) talks about the shooting at during a news conference in Dallas. | AP | On the ground in Dallas, Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) vehemently condemned all forms of political violence. “Violence has no place. It is wrong. If we want to have a debate about immigration we can do so in the halls of Congress,” he told reporters at the scene this morning. He also sharply rebuked partisan rhetoric that he said led to today’s shooting. “To every politician who is using rhetoric demonizing ICE and demonizing CBP: stop. To every politician demanding that ICE agents be doxxed and calling for people to go after their families: stop. This has very real consequences,” Cruz said. Good Wednesday afternoon.Thanks for reading Playbook PM. Drop me a line at birvine@politico.com.
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The United Nations flag flies outside UN headquarters as the United Nations General Assembly high level meetings begin in New York City on Sept. 22, 2025. | Angela Weiss/AFP via Getty Images | 1. ON THE WORLD STAGE: The United Nations General Assembly is halfway through and even though President Donald Trump is back in Washington, his shift in rhetoric on Ukraine yesterday — and his expansive speech before the assembly — continues to ripple among the body. Secretary of State Marco Rubio was set to meet with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov in New York today as the Kremlin continues to shrug off Trump’s support for Ukraine. Russia roars back: This morning, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov responded to Trump’s post by insisting in an interview with RBC Radio that Russia is a “bear” and not “a paper tiger” on the geopolitical stage. “There is no such thing as paper bears. Russia is a real bear … There is nothing paper about it,” Peskov said, adding that despite “certain points of tensions” like Western sanctions, Russia “maintains resilience and macroeconomic stability,” More from POLITICO’s Ketrin Jochecová And Zelenskyy makes a call to arms: In his address to world leaders today at UNGA, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy appealed for the U.N. to ramp up military aid to Kyiv, noting the only thing that can save a nation during a war is “friends and weapons,” per NYT’s Farnaz Fassihi. Meanwhile, more details have emerged over Trump’s meetings yesterday. The president promised Arab and Muslim officials “that Israel would not be allowed to absorb the West Bank, which is governed by the Palestinian Authority, not Hamas,” POLITICO's Felicia Schwartz, Eli Stokols and colleagues scoop. And despite multiple failed attempts to secure a ceasefire in the Middle East, Trump floated yet another plan, handing out a “white paper outlining the administration’s plan to end the war, including the annexation promise and other details such as governance and postwar security.” 2. BANK ON IT: Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent announced in a post on X this morning that the U.S. is in talks with Argentina to grant a $20 billion swap line and “stands ready to purchase secondary or primary government debt” as the Latin American country struggles to stabilize its financial markets. In response, Argentinian President Javier Milei thanked Trump and Bessent on X for their “firm support and confidence in the Argentine people.” The dual posts come after Trump shrugged off the need for a formal bailout yesterday, telling reporters, “We’re going to help them. I don't think they need a bailout.” More from the FT 3. SURVEY SAYS: The latest AP-NORC poll finds Trump carrying immigration, border security and crime as his strongest issues among voters in his second term, but his approval on the economy has dipped, per AP’s Linley Sanders. Digging into the data:
- Overall approval: “This month, 39% of U.S. adults approve of how Trump is handling his job as president, which is back in line with his average approval rating after a slight uptick in August.”
- On immigration: “In March, about half of U.S. adults approved of his handling of immigration. The most recent measure found his approval on immigration at 43%, a tick higher than his overall approval rating.”
- On crime: “His approval on how he is handling crime is down slightly to 46%, after reaching 53% in August as he deployed the National Guard in the District of Columbia. But that still exceeds his overall job approval, and it also is an advantage among certain groups such as independents.”
- On the economy: “Just 37% of U.S. adults approve of Trump’s handling of the economy. That is down slightly from August, when 43% approved, but broadly in line with his overall approval. The economy is a particularly weak issue for Trump among independents.”
| | | | Introducing Global Security: POLITICO’s weekly briefing on the policies, regulatory battles and industrial shifts shaping defense and security across continents. We connect what happens in Washington, Brussels and beyond to what gets funded, what gets built and who benefits. Subscribe now to access the free preview edition. | | | | | 4. PILING ON: The World Health Organization has joined the chorus rejecting Trump’s recent cautions for acetaminophen use during pregnancy after he and HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. claimed it’s linked to autism, WaPo’s Vivian Ho and Karla Adam report. The group announced this morning that despite “extensive research” over the last decade, “no consistent association has been established” between the drug and the condition. “Nearly 62 million people have autism spectrum disorder, according to the WHO, which added that the global community needs to ‘do more to understand the causes of autism and how best to care for and support the needs of autistic people and their families.’” 5. THE EPSTEIN SAGA: Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) is declaring victory on his move to force a vote to release the Jeffrey Epstein files after the election of Arizona Democrat Adelita Grijalva. Grijalva is all-but-certain to be the final signatory needed for the discharge petition that Massie and Rep. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.) have filed in an effort to force a vote on the Epstein files. Massie noted at an event in Northern Kentucky today that “some of the powers that be in DC are in full panic right now” over the measure, per Semafor’s Burgess Everett. Massie told Semafor that party leaders have tried to lean on the four GOP signatories to pull back their support for the effort. “They came back and tried to get the four of us to take our names off of the petition,” Massie said. “They asked some of my colleagues who are co-signers. And they actually threatened them politically, not physically.” Massie added that if House Speaker Mike Johnson tries to squash a vote, “there’s enough notoriety on this issue that people will know that he’s sweeping this under the rug.” 6. AD IT UP: In the aftermath of Charlie Kirk’s killing, Republicans are now deploying Kirk’s death in campaign ads as a way to rally voters, POLITICO’s Andrew Howard reports. “In two new ads released this week, Republicans who are competing in primary elections in Georgia and Tennessee invoke Kirk’s death …The references in campaign ads so far are part of broader swipes at Democrats for being soft on crime and opposing President Donald Trump’s agenda. … Democrats have also used Kirk in some campaign materials. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s campaign sent an email last week — though it did not include a donation link — where she criticized some of Kirk’s past comments.” Watch one of the ads … Another ad
| | | | Don’t just keep up with policy shifts — set the pace. POLITICO Pro’s Policy Intelligence Assistant combines unmatched reporting with advanced AI to deliver sharper insights, faster answers, and two powerful report builders that turn intelligence into impact. Try it free for 30 days. | | | | | | | TALK OF THE TOWN | | FOR THOSE KEEPING TRACK — It may be the most significant attempted carjacking in Washington’s history — and now one of the accused perpetrators is pleading guilty. In a D.C. courtroom this morning, a 15-year-old male acknowledged taking part in an attempted robbery and assault on the Trump administration appointee known as “Big Balls” — real name: Edward Coristine. POLITICO’s Michael Schaffer was permitted into the ordinarily closed juvenile court session on condition that he not identify either of the teens accused in the case. According to the plea agreement, the 15-year-old male was part of a group that assaulted patrons at a gas station on the night of Aug. 3, then came upon Coristine a few blocks away. After someone in the group said “let me get your car,” Coristine’s companion managed to get in the automobile and lock the door. But the group began punching Coristine “many times, causing injury,” a prosecutor said in court. Under the terms of the deal, the 15-year-old male faces up to 18 months of incarceration when the plea is finalized. The second teen, a 15-year-old female, has not entered a plea, though her attorney said in court that a deal may be forthcoming. PLAYBOOK SOCIAL SECTION — Washington’s hottest club is … the revamped White House Rose Garden, AP’s Chris Megerian and Darlene Superville report in a look at the new White House grounds. Dubbed the Rose Garden Club, the new space is equipped with “a stone patio, food from the White House kitchen and even a playlist curated by President Donald Trump. But good luck getting a spot on the guest list. So far, only some of the president’s political allies, business executives and administration officials have been invited.” MEDIAWATCH — “MSNBC, Sky News Strike Deal to Bring Global Reporting to U.S. Audiences,” by Variety’s Brian Steinberg: “The deal, billed as ‘multi-year,’ commences October 1 — five days ahead of initial moves that will separate the journalism resources of NBC News from MSNBC as the cable network prepares for a spin off later this year into a new company called Versant.” OUT AND ABOUT — Cat Rakowski, John Hudson and Shadi Hamid hosted a party on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York last night at the 230 Fifth Rooftop Bar. SPOTTED: Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), Tommy Pigott, Eddie Vasquez, Jon Finer, Naz Durakoğlu, Sajit Gandhi, Bill de Blasio, Ben Smith, Shaun Tandon, Ben Haddad, Felicia Schwartz, Eric Bazail-Eimil, Daniella Cheslow, Robbie Gramer, Alex Ward, Anat Peled, Michael Crowley, Michael Birnbaum and Andrew Roth. — SPOTTED at a reception last night on the rooftop of United Airlines’ D.C. office: Rep. Jim Clyburn (D-S.C.), Belgian Ambassador Frédéric Bernard, Swiss Ambassador Ralf Heckner, Chris Sununu, Troy Edgar, Chris Rocheleau, Reince Priebus, D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser, Surangel Whipps Jr., Kelly Ortberg, Suzanne Clark, Walter Isaacson, Jonathan Martin, Susan Farkas, Scott Kirby, Terri Fariello and Derek Theurer. — SPOTTED at Crooked Media’s “Toast to Black Journalists” event last night in downtown D.C. ahead of the CBC Annual Legislative Conference: Michael Hardaway, Nolan McCaskill, Eugene Scott, Jenny Abamu and Shaniqua McClendon. MEDIA MOVE — Liz Johnstone will be director for data and election experiences at NBC News. She previously worked at The New York Times. TRANSITIONS — Crowell & Moring have added Rachel Park and Jill Abrams as senior counselors and members of the firm’s health care group. Both previously worked at HHS. … Richard Merino is now a managing director at BRG. He previously worked at Ankura. … Grace Smith is now a manager at Signal Group for the firm’s climate portfolio. She previously served in the Biden administration at the White House and EPA. WELCOME TO THE WORLD — Olivia Gristina, comms director at Creative Click Media and Alexander Gristina, legislative assistant for Rep. Frank Pallone (D-N.J.) recently welcomed Eva Gristina. Pic … Another pic — Jon Thompson, comms director for National Federation of Independent Business and a RGA and Mike Pence alum, and Carolyn Thompson, lead associate for Booz Allen Hamilton, welcomed Penelope Jane Thompson on September 17. She came in at 6lbs and 8oz and joins big brother Willy. Pic … 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.
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