| | | |  | | By Jack Blanchard with Dasha Burns | | Presented by |  | | | With help from Eli Okun, Ali Bianco, Irie Sentner and Makayla Gray On today’s Playbook Podcast: Jack and POLITICO’s legal ace Kyle Cheney discuss the Epstein files — and the next big immigration cases hitting the courts.
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| Good Monday morning. This is a shivering Jack Blanchard, starting to dream of spring. OK, so they’re still skating and playing ice hockey on the Lincoln Memorial reflecting pool … but the thaw is coming! Hang in there D.C. NEW THIS MORNING: Energy Secretary Chris Wright tells POLITICO he’s headed to Venezuela soon and expects to see elections take place within two years. But speaking to James Bikales for the revamped POLITICO Energy podcast this morning, Wright insists it’s just a “nice coincidence” that the country President Donald Trump took control of … happens to be full of oil. In his own words: “This was a geopolitical problem of a country that was a threat to all of its neighbors, a threat to the Western hemisphere, and a massive exporter of guns, of drugs, of criminals,” Wright tells James. “It may be a nice coincidence — but it is coincidental that Venezuela’s main product and giant resource is oil.” Read the full story … Listen to the podcast on Apple or Spotify In today’s Playbook … — Is trashing Bad Bunny a smart political strategy? — The truth behind the Epstein file redactions is about to emerge. — Happy MAHA Day! RFK Jr. celebrates a year in his post. WHAT EVERYONE IS TALKING ABOUT
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Bad Bunny performs during the Super Bowl halftime show on Sunday, Feb. 8, in Santa Clara, California. | AP | WAS THERE EVEN A BALL GAME LAST NIGHT? Bad Bunny’s Super Bowl halftime show offered America a raucous, heartfelt celebration of Latino culture with a powerful message of unity at its core. And the nation’s commander-in-chief was having none of it. Benito’s way: America watched Puerto Rican superstar Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio swap the overt political messaging of his speech at the Grammy Awards last week — “Before I say thanks to God, I’m going to say ‘ICE OUT’” — for a joyous, Spanish-language tribute to his culture and its place in the national story. But the central theme of his show — “Together we are America,” emblazoned on a football that he triumphantly spiked before marching off the field — was instantly rejected by Trump. Allow me to retort: “The Super Bowl Halftime Show is absolutely terrible, one of the worst, EVER!” Trump posted on a Truth Social at precisely 9 p.m. Eastern, after the show was over. “Nobody understands a word this guy is saying, and the dancing is disgusting.” More than 6 million people — although, as his post would seem to indicate, maybe not Trump himself? — tuned in to watch the alternative Turning Point USA show on YouTube instead. MAGA world celebrated the impressive numbers switching over to Kid Rock and co. — dwarfed though they obviously were by the audience for America’s biggest sporting event. But was it really smart for Trump to put himself so completely on one side of this? Bad Bunny is the world’s top-streamed star, and a U.S. citizen representing a large and hugely important demographic. And as Republicans in, say … Texas will tell you, Trump has a growing problem with the Latino voters who turned out for him in 2024. For some in MAGA world, Trump’s predictably aggressive response last night didn’t jive with what they’d just seen — suggesting Bad Bunny’s message of pan-American unity was well receieved. “Bad Bunny had the biggest stage in the world and could’ve made it political. He didn’t. He chose unity & love,” wrote conservative influencer Emily Austin. “You can celebrate different backgrounds and still love this country.” And there were plenty more: Trump’s former press aide Harrison Fields, who only left the White House a few months ago, hit out at suggestions the NFL’s choice of halftime star was un-American. “Last time I checked, my Puerto Rico-born grandmother was a full American citizen — and she voted for Trump,” he wrote. Another former Trump campaign official, Vianca Rodriguez, said she “loved” the Bad Bunny show and attacked MAGA fans for complaining. “Way to go alienating your Puerto Rican conservative base,” she wrote. Kash Patel’s singer-girlfriend Alexis Wilkins praised the way Democrats claimed the Bad Bunny moment. By the end, even MAGA-friendly influencer Logan Paul was rounding on his brother Jake for criticizing the show and the “fake American citizen” at its heart. “I love my brother but I don’t agree with this,” Logan Paul wrote. “Puerto Ricans are Americans & I’m happy they were given the opportunity to showcase the talent that comes from the island.” The discourse will dominate much of the day. More reaction: Sen. Ruben Gallego (D-Ariz.) was in tears … Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth switched over for Kid Rock … Rep. Shri Thanedar (D-Mich.) certainly garnered attention for his social media pics … Yes, that couple really did get married halfway through the show … And yes, that really was Ricky Martin, and Lady Gaga, and Pedro Pascal, and Jessica Alba … but no, the little kid Benito gave the Grammy to was not Liam Conejo Ramos. Will any of this actually matter come November? Probably not. But it’s way more interesting than spending the day talking about the Patriots’ dismal offensive line.
|  | DRIVING THE DAY | | | | | | 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. | | | | AND STILL IT GOES ON: Six-and-a-half years after the death of Jeffrey Epstein, his longtime co-conspirator Ghislaine Maxwell is due to give evidence to Congress today. Maxwell has agreed to appear before Rep. James Comer’s (R-Ky.) House Oversight Committee today for a virtual deposition from prison about the decadeslong scandal still engulfing members of the global elite. Temper your expectations: Her lawyers say she’ll plead the Fifth. A previous letter to the committee suggested she would only be prepared to testify without fear of “further criminal exposure” if she were afforded clemency, which of course has not happened. (On which point — it’s worth remembering Trump still hasn’t ruled this out, despite being asked several times. Let’s see if it comes up again today.) While that’s taking place, other members of Congress will be headed to the Justice Department this morning, where they will be permitted to view unredacted versions of the Epstein files for the first time. Reps. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) and Ro Khanna (D-Calif.) have confirmed they’ll be headed there today, with Rep. Nancy Mace (R-S.C.) among those also planning a trip this week. Massie has been crowdsourcing suggestions for which redacted documents he should view. You’ve no doubt seen some of the more extreme examples circulating on social media. Blackout: Speaking to the “Free the People” podcast last week, Massie suggested some of the more contentious redactions of names may have been down to DOJ error. “The DOJ may argue that those were victims’ [names],” he said. “But it wasn’t a very intelligent redaction process. In some cases I read those emails and I wonder — is it a victim talking about a torture video? Is it a victim talking about a little kid? … What [the DOJ] may have done is they went through and if they saw a woman’s name, they redacted it.” We could hear his verdict later today. So what happens next? POLITICO’s legal ace Kyle Cheney tells Playbook that members have power to act if they find unjustified redactions. “If they’ve violated the terms of the actual law that Congress passed … there may be recourse that Congress can take.” And he adds: “Members have a lot of power. They'll know what to be asking about. Even if they can't come out and tell us, they can find ways to get these things released in other forums — and they have subpoena power.” Meanwhile in Britain: While the U.S. elite point fingers at one another about who really knew Epstein and then try to quietly get on with their lives, Britain’s prime minister — who never met Epstein or Maxwell, and is not implicated in the files — is clinging to his job by his fingertips. Plenty of people believe PM Keir Starmer could be forced out as soon as this week over his decision to appoint Peter Mandelson, a grandee of the U.K. Labour Party and an old friend of Epstein’s, to be his U.S. ambassador last year. Such is the pressure on Starmer that his most powerful aide, chief of staff Morgan McSweeney, resigned yesterday, and many believe Starmer will be next to go. “The feeling in the Labour Party is mutinous right now,” our London Playbook author Sam Blewett texts in this morning. “There are a few MPs piping up to say changing leader just 18 months after winning a landslide election victory would be madness — but deep down, most in the party think he’s cooked. Starmer knows he’s fighting for his political life, and if he survives the week without a leadership challenge it’s down to his critics not yet alighting on a viable alternative.” In other words: It’s probably time to start monitoring that lettuce.
| | | | A message from AHIP:  
| | | | IMMIGRATION FILES ONE TO WATCH IN MINNESOTA: A court-ordered inspection of the Minneapolis federal building at the center of the immigration enforcement drive will finally take place this morning, POLITICO’s Josh Gerstein writes in. The Trump administration has claimed the facilities at the Bishop Henry Whipple Building make it impossible to allow detainees to receive in-person attorney visits, and that phone access is sufficient since detainees usually stay less than 24 hours. But detainee lawyers say phone calls aren’t adequate. And for immigrants held at Whipple, rapid access to a lawyer can mean the difference between remaining in Minnesota to fight deportation or being transferred to Texas to face less-friendly federal courts. A legal dispute over the terms of the Whipple walk-through broke out over the weekend, as immigrant rights advocates sought to bring phones and cameras into the building. U.S. District Court Judge Nancy Brasel — the Trump appointee who ordered the inspection last Friday after DOJ was “unable to answer” key questions about Whipple — last night nixed cameras but said both sides’ attorneys can speak with detainees “on topics relevant to this case.” KEEP YOUR MONEY: The National Immigration Law Center is refusing a $50,000 donation from the Democratic Lieutenant Governors Association after reading in Playbook that the money originated as a political contribution from CoreCivic, a longtime ICE contractor, Playbook’s Adam Wren writes in. “On Friday, we received an email from staff at the Democratic Lieutenant Governors Association asking to make a $50,000 contribution to NILC-IJF," said NILC's Will Dempster. “On Saturday morning, we learned for the first time in Politico that the proposed donation corresponded with an identical contribution the DLGA received from CoreCivic.” The NILC called on “every Democratic candidate and campaign committee to reject donations from CoreCivic and every other company that seeks to make money from the suffering of vulnerable immigrants,” Dempster said. SHUTDOWN SHOWDOWN: As Congress braces for another partial shutdown at the end of this week, Senate Democrats yesterday put bill text for a full-year funding compromise on the table. The draft legislation would codify the wishlist of immigration enforcement guardrails outlined by Democratic leaders last week, POLITICO’s Jordain Carney reports. Reality check: Republicans and the White House view some of the Dems’ ideas as possible areas for negotiation, but it’s highly unlikely all sides agree to a full-year DHS revamp by Friday at midnight. Senate Republicans expect to begin taking procedural steps today to set up consideration of a DHS funding patch. More from POLITICO’s Inside Congress BEHIND THE SCENES: “Inside the ‘Cigar SCIF:' How Tom Cole pulled off a House appropriations miracle,” by POLITICO’s Jennifer Scholtes and Katherine Tully-McManus: “From his clubby Capitol office, the 76-year-old Appropriations chair managed demanding colleagues and political headwinds — and pulled off a seemingly impressive feat.”
| | | | POLITICO Governors Summit Join POLITICO's annual Governors Summit, held alongside the National Governors Association’s Winter Meeting, for a series of forward-looking conversations with governors from across the country about how state leaders are setting the agenda for America’s next chapter. Hear from Gov. Wes Moore (D), Gov. Kevin Stitt (R), and more. Register Now. | | | | | PLANET MAHA ONE YEAR IN: HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is set to speak about his MAHA agenda at the Heritage Foundation today during a fireside chat to mark one year since his Senate confirmation (though the actual anniversary of his confirmation is Feb. 13). Kennedy’s cause marked the occasion with its first Super Bowl ad — featuring none other than a grayscale Mike Tyson devouring an apple. “We’re the most powerful country in the world and we have the most fudgy people,” Tyson said. Watch the ad … and now see RFK mocked up as Tyson. SCALPELS OUT: Not everyone is happy about the anniversary. Protect Our Care, a left-of-center health care advocacy organization, is out with a new report titled “Year One of RFK Jr.: Public Health Enemy #1,” according to a copy shared first with Playbook. “The idea that this charlatan would make America healthy again is B.S. and it always was,” Brad Woodhouse, the group’s president, said of RFK Jr. in a statement.
| | | | A message from AHIP:  
| | | | BEST OF THE REST GUTHRIE LATEST: Today is the second deadline given by the alleged ransom note in the abduction of Nancy Guthrie, according to the FBI, as the investigation stretches into its second week. Over the weekend, “Today” show anchor Savannah Guthrie posted a heartbreaking video alongside her siblings begging for their mother’s return and promising to pay. Trump had teased a possible “solution” Friday night. RACE OF THE DAY: Georgia Lt. Gov. Burt Jones is launching a seven-figure ad campaign that highlights two rationales for his gubernatorial bid: Trump and taxes. The spot, shared exclusively with Playbook, is the first installment of an eight-figure ad buy ramping up through May and is airing on broadcast, cable and digital. It emphasizes Trump’s endorsement of Jones and their shared interest in cutting taxes. Jones has held a lead in the limited public polling so far of the GOP primary, but it’s a crowded lane with Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger and AG Chris Carr. The ad arrives just as billionaire businessman Rick Jackson’s surprise entrance has shaken up the race — and made it even more expensive. Watch the ad here BIG IN THE BADGER STATE: Pete Buttigieg is endorsing Democrat Rebecca Cooke in her repeat bid against GOP Rep. Derrick Van Orden in western Wisconsin, POLITICO’s Lisa Kashinsky scoops for Playbook. In a video touting the endorsement, Buttigieg said Cooke “knows what hard work looks like” and praised her for being “serious about restoring trust in our politics” by rejecting corporate PAC money and supporting a ban on congressional stock trading. It’s Buttigieg’s second endorsement of a House challenger this midterm cycle, per his team. NO MONEY, MO PROBLEMS: “New York GOP’s midterm problem: No money, no bench — and Trump,” by POLITICO’s Emily Ngo: “Across the deep blue state, the GOP is being outraised and outpolled in key races … [and] their woes are compounded now by [Trump’s] abysmal favorability, prodigious fundraiser Rep. Elise Stefanik exiting office and a dearth of competitive candidates.” PRETTY PENNY: “For $1 Million, Donors to U.S.A. Birthday Group Offered Access to Trump,” by NYT’s Ken Vogel and colleagues: “[T]he detailed breakdowns of packages for donors indicate that those who give $1 million or more will get invitations to a ‘private Freedom 250 thank you reception’ hosted by Mr. Trump, with a ‘historic photo opportunity.’ Those who give $2.5 million or more also are being offered speaking roles at an event in Washington on July 4.” BETTING BIG: After the market on Friday surpassed 50,000 points for the first time, Trump took to Truth Social last night to predict that the index would hit 100,000 by the end of his term. He claimed the market rally was due to his tariffs, adding pointedly: “I hope the United States Supreme Court is watching.”
| | | | New from POLITICO POLITICO Forecast is a forward-looking global briefing on the forces reshaping politics, policy and power. Drawing on POLITICO’s global reporting, Forecast connects developments across regions and sectors — including major global moments and convenings — to help readers anticipate what comes next.
➡️ Sign up for POLITICO Forecast. | | | | | | | TALK OF THE TOWN | | A NICE RING TO IT — “How Oura Ring won over Washington,” by POLITICO’s Amanda Chu: “Oura rings are on fingers from the Pentagon to Capitol Hill … Their Finnish maker’s success stems from design savvy and good timing, but also shrewd attention to the way politics works in the capital. … The company in the last year has hired top lobbying shops with links to the administration and Republican lawmakers in Congress, boosting its lobbying spend from $40,000 in 2024 to more than $1 million a year.” THE LONG WALK — A group of Buddhist monks on a 2,300-mile “Walk for Peace” from Texas to Washington has officially arrived in the DMV, and hundreds of people braved the extreme cold last night to meet them in Alexandria, Virginia, per Fox 5. The monks are holding an event at American University’s Bender Arena tomorrow and will reach the Capitol on Wednesday. ‘QUAD GOD’ WINS U.S. GOLD — DMV-native Ilia Malinin landed five quadruple jumps in his free skate yesterday, winning the gold for the U.S. figure skating team. Malinin, who grew up in Vienna, Virginia, and attends George Mason, is the two-time and reigning world champion. OUT AND ABOUT — Kristen Soltis Anderson on Friday hosted a party for Elliot Williams’ new book “Five Bullets: The Story of Bernie Goetz, New York’s Explosive ’80s, and the Subway Vigilante Trial That Divided the Nation” ($27.49). SPOTTED: Ginny Badanes, Molly Ball, Julian Barnes, Geoff Bennett, Maria Cardona, Damara Catlett, Amy Dacey, Mo Elleithee, Karen Finney, Richard Fowler, JP Freire, Lulu Garcia-Navarro, Josh Gerstein, Mary Katharine Ham, Meghan Hays, Joanne Irby, Sarah Isgur, Xochitl Hinojosa, Zolan Kanno-Youngs, Victoria Lai, Kate Marsh, Boris Sanchez, Stephanie Slade, Alex Thompson, Jenn White and Howard Yoon. — The National Pediatric Cancer Foundation held its Fashion Funds the Cure runway and fashion show Friday at the Andrew W. Mellon Auditorium. SPOTTED: Jacqueline Matter, Montel Williams, Todd Blanche, Paula White-Cain and Jonathan Cain, Anna Kelly, Kisa Motiwala, Pat Adams, Mandi Grandjean Gould, Brian Nieves, Rachel Jag, Tucker Stewart, Cristina Del Rosso, Christina Norton, Sarah Selip, Preston Blaine Arsement, Alivia Roberts, Chris Costa, Lauren Salimbene, Al Silva, John Fitzpatrick, Mike Weigner, Mark McHugh, Randi Bass, John Bates, John McLemore, Dave Frazier and Stinson Rogers. MEDIA MOVE — Kelly Poe is joining NOTUS as a newsletters editor. She previously worked at WaPo. TRANSITIONS — Emily Benavides is now a VP of government affairs at UnitedHealth Group. She most recently worked for Rep. Bob Latta (R-Ohio). … Rob Placek is now senior advisor for sports diplomacy at the State Department. He previously worked at the White House. … Jonathan Elkin has joined the Association of Community College Trustees as Director of Government Relations. He most recently worked at the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities. … … Michaela Johnson is joining UNICEF USA as deputy director for U.S. policy & advocacy communications. She most recently worked for Rep. Debbie Dingell (D-Mich.). … Robert Swanger is now head of public affairs at the Association for Consumer Debt Relief. He most recently worked at Bully Pulpit International. WELCOME TO THE WORLD — Elizabeth Pipko and Darren Centinello welcomed their first child, a girl, on Thursday. They met on the Trump 2016 campaign. Pic … Another pic HAPPY BIRTHDAY: POLITICO Pro (15) … CNN’s Manu Raju … Jay Inslee … Charles Luftig … Terry McAuliffe … Kelly Lungren McCollum … Raphael Chavez-Fernandez … Elana Firsht … AEI’s Chris Gavin … Chloe Arevalo … Dom Bartkus of HarrisX … Melanie Kenderdine … Indiana AG Todd Rokita … Anna Perina … Boris Zilberman … former Reps. Renee Ellmers (R-N.C.) and Gary Franks (R-Conn.) … Eliza Griswold … former Sen. Jim Webb (D-Va.) … Gail Huff Brown … Joseph Stiglitz … Grayson & Co.’s Chris Sheeron … Dilpreet Sidhu … Peter Hatch 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 Giuseppe Macri and deputy editor Garrett Ross.
| | | | 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. | | | | | | | | Follow us on X | | | | Subscribe to the POLITICO Playbook family Playbook | Playbook PM | California Playbook | Florida Playbook | Illinois Playbook | Massachusetts Playbook | New Jersey Playbook | New York Playbook | Canada Playbook | Brussels Playbook | London Playbook View all our political and policy newsletters | | Follow us | | | |
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