| | | |  | | By Garrett Ross | | Presented by |  | | | With help from Eli Okun, Bethany Irvine, Ali Bianco and Rachel Umansky-Castro Good Sunday morning. Garrett Ross here. With the Commanders drawing the early time slot today in the latest installment of the NFL’s expanded international slate, it does make me wonder whether there’s something to be said for knowing your team’s result one way or another by lunchtime, so that you can get on with your day. Let me know your thoughts.
|  | DRIVING THE DAY | | | 
Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) was on her own messaging mission this morning. | Rod Lamkey, Jr., File/AP | ON MESSAGE: If you’re trying to deliver a message directly to President Donald Trump, the best arena might just be an interview on Fox News. So one might imagine, as one of the biggest intraparty blowups among Republicans unravels, that the subject of Trump’s ire would appear on the airwaves of Fox News. But Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene — once among the president’s staunchest defenders in Congress and now a subject of Trump’s scorn following her push to release the files on the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein — was on her own messaging mission this morning. Though her comments centered on the president, he didn’t appear to be her primary audience: Greene gave her first TV interview since the public spat with Trump to Dana Bash on CNN’s “State of the Union” — perhaps an unintentionally well-named venue for the swirling saga that is set to dominate headlines for at least a few more days. So what was the reason for the split? “Unfortunately, it has all come down to the Epstein files, and that is shocking,” Greene told Bash, underscoring her belief that the country “deserves transparency” with regard to the files and vowing to continue pushing for their full release. Greene said she still supports Trump and the majority of his agenda — but cracks continue to emerge, with the Georgia Republican maintaining that Trump should focus on cost-of-living issues more and cut back on foreign affairs. And she acknowledged that Trump’s comments this week have been “hurtful.” “The most hurtful thing he said, which is absolutely untrue, is he called me a ‘traitor.’ And that is so extremely wrong. And those are the types of words used that can radicalize people against me and put my life in danger,” Greene said. Pressed by Bash, she acknowledged it was “fair criticism” to say that she has stayed silent on other occasions when Trump has attacked political opponents. “I am committed, and I’ve been working on this a lot lately, to put down the knives in politics,” Greene said, noting that she’s wanted to move away from “toxic politics” since the killing of Charlie Kirk. “I’m leading the way with my own example. And I hope that President Trump can do the same.” While Greene may be undergoing some changes, others in her party are following familiar patterns. One person who did make an appearance over on “Fox News Sunday” this morning was Speaker Mike Johnson. With the House set to vote on the release of the Epstein files on Tuesday, Johnson waved off the idea that Trump is sweating it. “He’s not worried about it. I talk to him all the time. He has nothing to do with this,” Johnson said. “He’s frustrated that they are turning him into a political issue, and it's not surprising because the Democrats have nothing else to talk about.”
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Learn more at siemens-energy.com | | | | But it’s not just Democrats talking about the Epstein files. Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.), who teamed up with Rep. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.) to deliver the discharge petition that forced the House vote this week, was on ABC’s “This Week” to tout his efforts. “Dogs don’t bark at parked cars, and we are winning,” Massie said. “I am not tired of winning yet,” he said, likely a cheeky nod to a Trumpian phrase, “but we are winning. And not only the speaker, but the attorney general, the FBI director and the president himself and the vice president, they are taking a big loss this week because after months of fighting I am winning this week with Ro Khanna. We are forcing this vote and it will happen.” As for the vote itself, he predicted a “deluge” of Republicans will join in voting for the release of the files — but his aim is much higher. “I hope we get a veto-proof majority on this legislation,” Massie said, noting that the path forward in the Senate is far from clear. “I just hope John Thune will do the right thing,” Massie said of the Senate majority leader. “But the pressure is going to be there if we get a big vote in the House.” And he’s got a message for his colleagues who are still deciding how they’ll vote come Tuesday. “Donald Trump can protect you in red districts right now by giving you an endorsement. But in 2030, he’s not going to be the president, and you will have voted to protect pedophiles if you don’t vote to release these files,” he warned. “And the president can’t protect you then. This vote — the record of this vote — will last longer than Donald Trump’s presidency.” SUNDAY BEST … — Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-La.) on the coming HHS advisory vote on the hepatitis B vaccine schedule for infants, on CBS’ “Face the Nation”: “I’m very concerned about this. … The vaccine is safe … and these ingredients they’re speaking of have been shown to be safe. This is policy by people who don’t understand the epidemiology of hepatitis B, or who have grown comfortable with the fact that we’ve been so successful with our recommendation that now the incidence of hepatitis B is so low, they feel like we can rest on our laurels. I’m a doctor. I have seen people die from vaccine-preventable disease. … I want to make America healthy, and you don’t start by stopping recommendations that have made us substantially healthier.” — Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent on U.S.-China trade talks, on Fox News’ “Sunday Morning Futures”: “We haven’t even finished the agreement, which we hope to have done by Thanksgiving, and I am confident that post-our meeting in Korea between the two leaders — President Trump, President Xi [Jinping] — that China will honor their agreements.” — National Economic Council Director Kevin Hassett on the cost of coffee, bananas, beef and other goods after tariffs are removed, on ABC’s “This Week”: “The prices for those goods weren’t necessarily going up just because of tariffs, so —” Jonathan Karl: “So they might not come down.” Hassett: “And so the prices will go down, of course.” Karl: “Because the tariffs have been taken off, right?” Hassett: “Right, well because the supply of goods into the U.S. is going to increase.” — Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.) on whether Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer gave his quiet blessing for Kaine to vote to end the shutdown, on NBC’s “Meet the Press”: “Absolutely not. … He would have preferred that I not voted the way that I did. But he knows that U.S. senators are going to do what’s in the interest of their constituents. And my 320,000 federal workers and their families are a powerful, powerful part of who I represent. And when I could get important protections for them after a year of being kicked around by Donald Trump, I said, ‘I’m ready to sign on.’ … Some folks like [Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez] may think that’s nothing. Virginians think it’s an awful lot.” — Sen. Rick Scott (R-Fla.) on GOP changes to Obamacare, on “Fox News Sunday”: “We’re not going to repeal Obamacare. We’re going to fix Obamacare … You do have to protect pre-existing conditions, you have to make sure that it’s a fair system to everybody. So this is all doable. There’s no reason health care costs what it costs. We should not give money directly to the insurance companies.”
| | | TOP-EDS: A roundup of the week’s must-read opinion pieces.
- “What I Saw And Heard In Washington,” by Rod Dreher
- “How Elon Musk’s Changes to X Made Our Discourse Far Stupider,” by David Weigel in Talking Points Memo
- “Democrats Need a Wartime Consigliere. Hakeem Jeffries Isn’t One,” by NYT’s Michelle Cottle
- “He worked hard to give me a home. ICE took his: How I lost my father to deportation,” by the Chicago Sun-Times’ Vanessa Lopez
- “This is the right way to overthrow Maduro,” by John Bolton in WaPo
- “Trump turned the military on U.S. cities. I will continue to hold him accountable,” by Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) in MS NOW
- “Why Latino voters turned out against Trump,” by Sen. Ruben Gallego (D-Ariz.) in MS NOW
- “Make Medical School Three Years,” by Ezekiel Emanuel, Emily Kim and Vitor de Souza in the NYT
- “This Comedian Just Showed Democrats How to Solve Their Messaging Problems,” by David Litt in POLITICO Magazine
- “Shocked by Trump’s profiteering? Here’s some perspective,” by Zachary Karabell in WaPo
9 THINGS FOR YOUR RADAR 1. THE CRACKDOWN: The federal immigration crackdown has arrived in Charlotte, North Carolina. In Trump’s latest urban target — which has seen huge recent population growth from Latin American immigrants — masked Border Patrol agents commenced operations yesterday and into today, arresting people in sometimes violent encounters and triggering protests, as the Charlotte Observer reports. In one high-profile incident, agents smashed through the window of a U.S. citizen’s truck. Immigrant advocates condemned the dozens of arrests already, while Border Patrol leader Gregory Bovino celebrated “a record day today!!!!!” The fallout unfolded similarly to the previous crackdowns in LA and Chicago: Businesses closed and streets emptied out in areas with large immigrant populations. Democratic and Republican elected officials feuded over the crackdown. It’s not clear how long Border Patrol’s operations in the city, dubbed “Charlotte’s Web,” will last. Republicans have targeted crime in Charlotte since the random killing of a woman on a train in August. Up next: After Charlotte, Border Patrol plans to take on New Orleans as its next target, as CBS’ Camilo Montoya-Galvez scooped. That operation will be called “Catahoula Crunch.” Standing down: Some 400 federalized National Guard troops who were sent to Portland, Oregon, and Chicago from out of state are heading back home, after court fights prevented them from ever deploying on the streets, ABC’s Luis Martinez reports. Though the troops from California and Texas are leaving, 200 Illinois National Guard troops will remain in Chicago, as will half of the 200 Oregon National Guard troops in Portland. 2. BIG INVESTIGATION: “The Department of Deportation,” by NYT’s Nicholas Nehamas and colleagues: “The Department of Homeland Security has diverted thousands of federal agents from their normal duties to focus on arresting undocumented immigrants, undermining a wide range of law enforcement operations in response to mounting pressure from President Trump … A national security probe into the black market for Iranian oil sold to finance terrorism has been slowed down for months because of the shift to immigration work, allowing tanker ships and money to disappear. And federal efforts to combat human smuggling and sex trafficking have languished … “Homeland security investigators worked approximately 33 percent fewer hours on child exploitation cases from February through April compared to their average in prior years … Administration officials defended Mr. Trump’s approach, saying the immigration crackdown was paramount to protecting public safety and national security. They also disputed that the intensified focus on immigration had undermined D.H.S.’s work. … Roughly 8 percent of those arrested had been convicted of a violent crime.”
| | | | POLITICO Policy Outlook: Combating Financial Cybercrime: From identity theft to phishing scams, financial cybercrimes have skyrocketed in recent years. But catching perpetrators and preventing future scams remains a challenge. Join Rep. Jim Himes (D-Conn.) and Rep. David Schweikert (R-Ariz.) for discussions on the latest strategies for confronting these crimes and empowering consumers. Register to attend or watch online. | | | | | 3. THE SUBSIDIES: If Congress ends up extending enhanced Affordable Care Act subsidies but makes policy changes to secure Republican votes, the 20 state Obamacare exchanges would have to race to update their systems accordingly, POLITICO’s Robert King reports. Implementing a clean extension would be pretty feasible, but big changes could take the state exchanges a lot of time to update premiums and communicate to consumers. The politics: As Democrats increasingly focus on health care ahead of the midterms, some believe they can win over voters by decrying HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s anti-vaccine views and actions, POLITICO’s Alice Miranda Ollstein reports. And they’ll seek to win over a public facing the largest contraction of the social safety net in decades. Even as SNAP comes back online following the government shutdown, Republicans’ cuts in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act are expected to force millions of people off food stamps in the next few months, along with Medicaid cuts and other changes, POLITICO’s Marcia Brown notes. Annals of influence: Health insurance companies faced off with Trump to try to secure the subsidy extensions. Pharmaceutical companies tried to win him over and strike deals to forestall tariffs. The divergent outcomes — with pharma so far coming out ahead — were “a case study for lobbyists trying to figure out how to handle the mercurial president and his populist approach to politics,” POLITICO’s Amanda Chu reports. “Currying favor helps, fighting is risky business.” 4. SURVEY SAYS: Americans agree that Republicans won the government shutdown, saying by a margin of 55 percent to 6 percent that the GOP got more of what they wanted, according to a new CBS poll. Relatedly, Republicans are largely satisfied with their leaders’ level of compromise, while a majority of Democrats think their party gave in too much. But the standoff did raise the salience of health care: Nearly two-thirds of the country expects that health insurance premiums are going up in the months to come. 5. STAT OF THE DAY: “Trump buys at least $82 million in bonds since late August, disclosures show,” by Reuters’ Nandita Bose: “According to the forms released by the U.S. Office of Government Ethics, Trump carried out more than 175 financial purchases … Most of the assets listed in Saturday’s disclosures consist of bonds issued by municipalities, states, counties, school districts and other entities with ties to public agencies. Trump’s new bond investments span several industries, including sectors that have already benefited, or are benefiting, from his administration’s policy changes … The administration has said before that … neither he nor his family has a role in running the portfolio.”
| | | 6. PARDON ME: Ed Martin announced that Trump has pardoned two more people for crimes that arose from the Jan. 6 Capitol insurrection, per NYT’s Alan Feuer. One, Daniel Wilson, had been convicted for having illegal weapons and ammunition discovered as part of an investigation into his separate Jan. 6 crimes. The other, Suzanne Kaye, was sentenced for threatening FBI agents with violence. The pardons “were part of Mr. Trump’s continuing efforts to rewrite the history of Jan. 6,” the Times writes. 7. MAKING A LIST: “Trump recasts foreign terror list to focus on ‘antifa,’ cartels,” by WaPo’s Adam Taylor: “The Trump administration is pursuing an unprecedented expansion of the U.S. government’s list of foreign terrorist organizations, adding left-wing groups in Europe along with Latin American drug-trafficking organizations … [E]xperts said the targeting of groups linked to antifa … was a highly unusual move, particularly as those targeted this week do not directly threaten the United States or have a record of committing deadly attacks.” 8. MYSTERY SOLVED? Newly released financial disclosures show that Adriana Kugler’s surprise departure from the Fed in August came as she was being investigated for breaking ethics rules, per Bloomberg. Kugler had traded individual stocks, against Fed rules. The central bank’s IG is still investigating. Kugler had asked for a waiver and been denied by Fed Chair Jerome Powell, the documents reveal. She declined to comment. 9. AN UNORTHODOX CANDIDATE: “Bravo star Dr. Heavenly Kimes wins reality TV fights. Can she win a run for Congress?” by USA Today’s Jay Stahl: “Cosmetic dentist Dr. Heavenly Kimes has been throwing shade with a smile for over a decade on Bravo’s ‘Married to Medicine’ … Now, Kimes, 54, is running in a crowded Democratic primary as she seeks to unseat Rep. David Scott, the 80-year-old incumbent in Georgia’s 13th congressional district … Kimes was demoted from main cast member and has less airtime this season – a move some believe Bravo made due to her congressional hopes – but she was allowed to film while running for office.”
| | | | POLITICO’s Global Security briefing connects the policies, deals, and industrial shifts shaping the global defense landscape. From Washington to Brussels, we follow who’s funding what, what’s being built, and how power moves across continents. Subscribe now for the free preview. | | | | | | | TALK OF THE TOWN | | Nicolás Maduro sang “Imagine” at a rally against Donald Trump’s pressure campaign. Tina Brown thinks it’s “wonderful” that NYC’s plutocrats are “terrified” by Zohran Mamdani: “We have been so bullied by the super-rich.” John Fetterman is back home after 20 stitches and some gnarly facial injuries. Brian Glenn posted love and support for his girlfriend, Marjorie Taylor Greene, as Trump feuds with her. George Conway responded: “Seriously, it must be nice to have someone you care for stick up for you when you stand up to Trump.” OUT AND ABOUT — At the ModSquad retreat yesterday in Charlottesville, Virginia, Rahm Emanuel was the keynote speaker, weighing in on the government shutdown. Senate Minority Leader “Chuck Schumer is not the problem, Donald Trump is and the Republicans,” Emanuel said. “They don’t come out of this really well … Do not underestimate what it meant for a president of the United States, who’s already got some preconceived negatives, to be going to the Supreme Court to deny people food, to be so cruel that he was willing to fire people because he wanted to hurt them, shut down bridges. … The contrast of that picture is cutting the food stamps and doing a ‘Great Gatsby’ party.” Samson Signori, campaign manager for Virginia Gov.-elect Abigail Spanberger, also spoke at the retreat about lessons for Democrats from their victory. Signori said the campaign was laser-focused on costs and safety — and the effects of Trump’s policies, like DOGE’s civil service cuts, rather than the man himself. “It was only invoking Trump when it was having a direct impact on Trump’s economy,” Signori said. — SPOTTED at the Belgian Embassy’s King’s Day reception Friday night: Belgian Ambassador Frédéric Bernard, USTR Jamieson Greer, Italian Ambassador Marco Peronaci, Liechtenstein Ambassador Georg Sparber, Egyptian Ambassador Motaz Zahran, Burundian Ambassador Jean Bosco Barege, Congolese Ambassador Yvette Kapinga Ngandu, Spanish Ambassador Ángeles Moreno Bau, Michael Gordon, Vera Bergengruen, Sam Skove, Olivia Gazis and Eric Martin. — More than 1,000 Iranian-Americans gathered at the Hyatt Regency yesterday for the National Council of Resistance of Iran’s “Free Iran” convention, where speakers included Mike Pompeo, Carla Sands, Patrick Kennedy, John Bercow and Guy Benson. Pompeo called for the Abraham Accords to keep growing and said Iran’s government “is weak and more isolated than ever. Fear is its only tool.” — The National Portrait Gallery held its Portrait of a Nation awards and fundraiser gala last night at Union Station, with honors going to Jamie Dimon, Temple Grandin, Joy Harjo and Steven Spielberg. Presenters included Jeff Bezos, Claire Danes, Emily Gerson Saines, Sandra Cisneros and Amy Sherald. The four honorees will have their portraits hanging at the gallery for roughly the next year. TRANSITION — Kathryn Rexrode is now chief comms officer at the Association of American Publishers. She previously worked for Rep. Rob Wittman (R-Va.). WEEKEND WEDDING — OMB Director Russ Vought and Michelle Martin got married yesterday in Arlington, Virginia. WELCOME TO THE WORLD — Rachel (Weisel) Drian, associate director of comms at Pew Research Center, and Joshua Drian, a partner at Manatt, Phelps and Phillips, recently welcomed Samantha Drian. She joins big sister Sophie. Pic HAPPY BIRTHDAY: Reps. Eric Swalwell (D-Calif.), Beth Van Duyne (R-Texas), Scott Fitzgerald (R-Wis.) and David Taylor (R-Ohio) … Hannah Hankins of Barack Obama’s office … Matt Brooks of the Republican Jewish Coalition … Lisa Camooso Miller … Elizabeth Drew … CNN’s Fredreka Schouten … Adrienne Schweer … Ken McIntyre … Emily Ackerman of House Republican Whip Tom Emmer’s (R-Minn.) office … Melissa Winter … Kathy Gilsinan … Zerlina Maxwell … Mike Reynard … GMMB’s Madalene Milano … Michael Smith of Eckerd Connects … James Joyner … David Peikin of Bloomberg Industry Group … Invariant’s Jenny Werwa … Economic Innovation Group’s John Lettieri … Michelle Nunn of Care USA … Shanita Penny of Forbes Tate Partners … Alex Nongard … Ben Henschel of Trident GMG … POLITICO’s Kerrington Martin 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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