| | | |  | | By Irie Sentner | | Presented by |  | | | With help from Makayla Gray
|  | THE CATCH-UP | | FULL EPSTEIN RELEASE: The Justice Department is releasing more than three million files related to the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, Deputy AG Todd Blanche announced today, fulfilling DOJ’s obligations under a law Congress pushed through last year. The new tranche includes 2,000 videos and 180,000 images and comes more than a month after the Trump administration failed to meet the December deadline required by the law, which President Donald Trump fought for months before reversing course when it became clear he would not have the votes to stop it. Blanche balked today at the suggestion that the administration had slow-walked the release process, saying: “I take umbrage at the suggestion, which is totally false, that the attorney general or this department does not take child exploitation or sex trafficking seriously or that we somehow do not want to protect victims.” He also offered lawmakers the opportunity to coordinate with DOJ to view unredacted materials. POLITICO’s Hailey Fuchs has all the details
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If confirmed, Kevin Warsh is set to succeed current Fed Chair Jerome Powell. | Mark Lennihan/AP | FED PICK, FINALLY: Trump this morning tapped Kevin Warsh as his pick to be the next chair of the Federal Reserve, installing a GOP insider and critic of the central bank to lead the independent institution the president has persistently attacked and attempted to influence in his second term. If confirmed, Warsh is set to succeed current Chair Jerome Powell when his term expires in May, taking over from someone who Trump has stood up as one of his greatest foes in Washington, bombarding him with relentless insults and a criminal investigation. Trump has been enraged by Powell’s refusal to heed his demands to lower interest rates and has made clear he expects loyalty from whomever comes next. Warsh has made previous stops as a Morgan Stanley investment banker, an adviser to former President George W. Bush and a Fed board member, making him about as establishment as it gets. (Warsh’s wife is also the granddaughter of cosmetics magnate Estée Lauder.) It’s a notable choice for a president known for distrusting institutionalists and lauding disruptors. To wit: Trump originally wanted an outsider but “came around to the fact that having someone who deeply understands the Fed was needed to change the Fed,” a person familiar with the selection process told POLITICO’s Victoria Guida and Sam Sutton. The view from the Hill: Republicans are largely applauding the pick, POLITICO’s Jasper Goodman reports. Senate Banking Chair Tim Scott (R-S.C.) said in a statement that Warsh “has deep knowledge of markets and monetary policy that will be essential in this role,” and House Financial Services Chair French Hill (R-Ark.) said Warsh “brings a clear understanding of the responsibilities of the Fed.” But but but: Walsh’s confirmation won’t be a total glide path — the White House still has one pesky problem, and his name is Sen. Thom Tillis. The retiring North Carolina Republican said today he would oppose the pick until DOJ’s probe into Powell is “fully and transparently resolved.” Tillis’ vote would be necessary to advance Warsh’s nomination through the Senate Banking Committee without any Democratic support. Asked if the Senate could confirm a Fed pick without Tillis, Majority Leader John Thune yesterday said: “Uh, probably not.” The DOJ would need to be “completely done” with its investigation before Tillis will consider any new nominees, he said in an interview with Playbook’s Dasha Burns for “The Conversation” this week. “If these people want to be unprofessional, I’ll match them,” he added. The view from Wall Street: Trump described Warsh as having come out of “central casting,” and that speaks to his Wall Street pedigree, Sam writes in to Playbook. When he was previously appointed to the Fed's board, he was a key conduit between the central bank and Wall Street institutions during the global financial crisis. He worked closely with Fed Chair Ben Bernanke during that period and — suffice it to say — that was a very, very, very important job at that time. That explains the support he’s getting from the financial services industry now that the selection is public, Sam adds. JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon put out a statement saying he's seen Warsh “act with integrity and a dedication to making our country better.” Financial Services Forum President and CEO Amanda Eversole, whose Washington-based organization represents the interests of the largest U.S. banks, called him “the right man for the job.” That’s particularly notable given the warning shots fired by Dimon and other Wall Street CEOs as Trump hammered away at Powell and other central bankers over the last year. The Fed's independence from direct political influence on rate decisions is widely viewed as critical to its ability to fight inflation. Support from industry heavyweights who are keen on keeping the central bank insulated from the White House will help Warsh's chances in confirmation hearings. How it’s playing: “Kevin Warsh Is the Right Choice for the Fed,” by the WSJ editorial board The world view: Warsh also has some fans abroad, including Canadian PM Mark Carney (himself a darling of the establishment banking milieu) who called him “a fantastic choice.” Happy Friday afternoon. Thanks for reading Playbook PM. Drop me a line at isentner@politico.com.
| | | | A message from AHIP: 35 Million Seniors Could See Reduced Benefits and Higher Costs. Health plans welcome reforms to strengthen Medicare Advantage. However, a proposal for flat program funding at a time of sharply rising medical costs and high utilization of care will directly impact seniors' coverage. If finalized, this proposal could result in benefit reductions and higher costs for 35 million seniors and people with disabilities when they renew their Medicare Advantage coverage in October 2026. Learn more. | | | | | | 6 THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW | | 1. SHUTDOWN LATEST: “Lindsey Graham signals path to defuse funding threat,” by POLITICO’s Jordain Carney: “Senate Republican leaders believe they can move forward with approval of the spending agreement notched by President Donald Trump and Senate Democrats by offering votes on amendments demanded by the South Carolina Republican — one related to cities that don’t comply with federal immigration laws and two changes related to the defunct investigation into the 2020 election led by former special counsel Jack Smith.” 2. MORE FROM MINNESOTA: Former CNN anchor Don Lemon was arrested last night in a federal criminal case stemming from a protest at a Minnesota church — an escalation of the Trump administration’s assault on the media that sets up the the highest profile First Amendment showdown of his presidency, POLITICO’s Josh Gerstein reports. Criminal charges against journalists over their work activities are extraordinarily rare. Lemon — an independent journalist and fierce critic of the president — entered a church in St. Paul alongside anti-ICE protesters on Jan. 18 in, he claims, his press capacity. In an X post this morning, AG Pam Bondi announced Lemon’s arrest alongside three others for what she called a “coordinated attack.” The arrest comes two months into the Trump administration’s crackdown in Minnesota, which in recent weeks has become a flashpoint for broader resistance in the wake of the killings of Alex Pretti and Renee Good. Blanche today said that the Justice Department is conducting a civil rights investigation into Pretti’s killing, per POLITICO’s Aaron Pellish. Three dispatches from Minnesota worth your time today:
- “The Schoolchildren of Minneapolis,” by The New Yorker’s Emily Witt: “As thousands of ICE agents arrived, kids started staying home from school. A local principal, teachers, and parent volunteers have banded together to keep the families safe.”
Playbook preview: San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria and Oklahoma City Mayor David Holt are on tonight’s episode of C-SPAN’s “Ceasefire” with Playbook’s Dasha Burns. The two local leaders discuss the ongoing crackdown in Minneapolis, and the impacts that it’s having across the country. “Not only is there all this chaos in our communities,” Gloria, a Democrat, said, “but we also don’t see any discussion of the actual solution to our immigration problems.” Holt, a Republican, said he wants to see the return of a “professional” law enforcement operation. “All of the things we’ve learned in recent decades about law enforcement have been like thrown out the window in Minneapolis,” he said. “All Americans at this point know that what we’re witnessing in Minneapolis, that isn’t it. So try something else.” Watch the clip
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➡️ Subscribe Now | | | | | 3. DISCONTENT SPREADS NATIONWIDE: Protests against Trump’s mass deportation agenda — and the killings of two U.S. citizens by federal agents — erupted across the country today as demonstrators took to the streets, businesses announced they would be closed for a “blackout” and some schools canceled classes, AP’s Kimberlee Kruesi and Holly Ramer report. In the DMV, a number of establishments are observing the strike, and a handful of protests have been planned, Washingtonian’s Jenae Barnes reports. Going online: As ICE has tapped into its massive budget to expand domestic surveillance capabilities, online activists and hacker groups are deploying their own arsenal of digital tools to fight back, POLITICO’s Dana Nickel and Alfred Ng report. Efforts to track ICE raids and publicize agents’ movements have exploded online, and even prolific cybercriminal collectives are joining the fray. 4. THE DEMOCRACY ANGLE: Democrats are concerned the administration’s immigration crackdown could turn into a voter suppression effort ahead of the midterms, and election officials are preparing for the possibility of immigration enforcement activity at or near polling sites in November, POLITICO’s Samuel Benson reports. For your radar: “ICE buys warehouses for mass detention network, rattling locals,” by WaPo’s Jonathan O'Connell and Douglas MacMillan: “The Trump administration has moved to acquire industrial buildings in at least eight states. DHS bought two this month: one in Maryland for $102 million and another in Arizona for $70 million.” 5. WE DON’T TALK ANYMORE: Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi told reporters in Istanbul today that Iran would not engage in direct talks with the U.S. unless Trump stops threatening the nation, emphasizing that “just as we are ready for negotiations, we are ready for warfare,” NYT’s Ben Hubbard reports. As the Iranian regime continues its brutal crackdown on protesters, Trump earlier this week said he was sending a “massive Armada” to the region and threatened “violence, if necessary.” 6: ONLY IN JERSEY: “Lawyers want to send Trump a message in New Jersey: Free accused criminals,” by POLITICO’s Ry Rivard: “The standoff is the latest test of how far the Trump administration can stretch the limits of executive power — and how willing courts are to push back. Across the country, judges have increasingly found themselves refereeing disputes over appointments, enforcement authority and the bounds of presidential discretion, often with few clear remedies.”
| | | | A message from AHIP:  
| | | | | | TALK OF THE TOWN | | COMING SOON TO A STREET NEAR YOU — “Trump orders up IndyCar race on the streets of Washington for ‘America250 Grand Prix,’” by NBC’s Sahil Kapur: “Trump will sign an executive order Friday aimed at launching an IndyCar race on the streets of the District of Columbia this summer during the celebration of America’s 250th birthday.” AWARDS SEASON — Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, Tim Keller and Robyn Tannehill today are being named the recipients of the 2026 Public Leadership in the Arts Awards from Americans for the Arts and the U.S. Conference of Mayors. OUT AND ABOUT — After the “Melania” premiere wrapped at the Kennedy Center last night, Ned’s Club hosted an after-party bringing together attendees that spanned from Washington to Wall Street to Hollywood. SPOTTED: Maria Bartiromo, Richard Grenell, Rep. Maria Elvira Salazar (R-Fla.), U.S. Attorney for D.C. Jeanine Pirro, Bob Kraft, John Paulson, Charles Harder, Adam Lippes, Hervé Pierre, Rachel Roy, Paolo Zampolli, Dr. Phil, Marc Beckman and George Papadopoulos. — Latino Victory Fund hosted a “Power in Unity” reception yesterday at Proper 21 on K Street, together with The Collective PAC and AAPI Victory Fund, to announce joint mobilization efforts in Black, Latino and AAPI communities ahead of the midterms. SPOTTED: Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens, Cincinnati Mayor Aftab Pureval, Montgomery, Alabama, Mayor Steven Reed, Allentown, Pennsylvania, Mayor Matt Tuerk, Savannah, Georgia, Mayor Van Johnson, Lancaster, Pennsylvania, Mayor Jaime Arroyo, Katharine Pichardo, Nick Rathod, Irene Marion, Maria Teresa Kumar, Hector Sanchez-Barba, Marco Davis, Brent Wilkes, Don Graves and Eddie Taveras. POLITICO MOVES — Allison Hoffman is POLITICO’s new executive editor for the U.K., and Pauline De Saint Remy is POLITICO’s new executive editor for France. Read the announcement TRANSITIONS — Min Goodman-Cheng is joining the AI Policy Network as director of comms. She previously worked for the Senate Banking Dems. … Jordan Root is joining JLK Political Strategies as a senior strategist. He most recently worked for Texas Gov. Greg Abbott’s campaign. … Austin Higginbotham will join the Aquia Group, with a focus on national security. He currently is chief of staff for Rep. Pat Fallon (R-Texas). … Sophia Barro is now a digital content associate for Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro’s reelect. She previously worked for Sen. Ed Markey (D-Mass.). 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.
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