| | | |  | | By Jack Blanchard with Dasha Burns | | Presented by |  | | | With help from Eli Okun, Ali Bianco, Irie Sentner and Makayla Gray BREAKING THIS MORNING: “Jesse Jackson, Civil Rights Leader Who Sought the Presidency, Dies at 84,” by NYT’s Peter Applebome: “The Rev. Jesse Jackson, whose impassioned oratory and populist vision of a ‘rainbow coalition’ of the poor and forgotten made him the nation’s most influential Black figure in the years between the civil rights crusades of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and the election of Barack Obama, died on Tuesday. He was 84. His death was confirmed by his family in a statement, which said that Mr. Jackson ‘died peacefully,’ but did not give a cause.” “Mr. Jackson was hospitalized in November for treatment of a rare and particularly severe neurodegenerative condition, progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP), according to the advocacy organization he founded, the Rainbow PUSH Coalition. In 2017, he announced that he had Parkinson’s disease, which in its early stages can produce similar effects on bodily movements and speech.” More from the WaPo obit, penned by Edward Walsh: “At the height of his influence, Rev. Jackson was widely regarded as the nation’s preeminent civil rights leader, a ubiquitous presence before the television cameras. He showed up at protests and marches across the country to champion civil rights and social justice. And when civil disorder broke out — as it did after King’s assassination in 1968 and, decades later, after the fatal police shooting of 18-year-old Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri, in 2014 — he urged restraint and nonviolence.” On today’s Playbook Podcast: Jack and Adam Wren discuss war in Iran, peace in Ukraine, Trump in Georgia and primaries in Texas. A tour of the political world — in under 15 minutes.
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| Good Tuesday morning. This is Jack Blanchard. Get in touch. In today’s Playbook … — How likely is war with Iran? We’ve got the latest. — Why even Dems are criticizing AOC’s Munich spin. — And early voting starts in the most closely watched primaries of 2026.
|  | DRIVING THE DAY | | BEYOND THE WIT OF MAN: Just in case you thought Steve Witkoff wasn’t working hard enough, the president’s “everything envoy” will be trying to negotiate peace in both the Middle East and Europe today in extraordinary back-to-back summits in Geneva. Dynamic duo: Witkoff, along with his ever-present partner-in-peace and fellow billionaire property developer Jared Kushner — landed in Switzerland overnight and were due to head straight into talks with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, hosted by Omani diplomats. As soon as that wraps up, they’ll be whisked across the city by motorcade into the latest round of trilateral Russia-Ukraine peace negotiations, which start later this morning. And you thought you were facing a tough day back in the office. But this is no joke: The U.S. military buildup in the Gulf is reaching critical mass, with Trump’s warnings toward Tehran growing ever more stark. And the Ukraine war hits its fourth anniversary next week, with combined casualties since Russia’s invasion in 2022 now approaching an unimaginable two million people. This is life and death, on an enormous scale. Given the sky-high stakes, it does seem a little bonkers to have the same small team of negotiators dealing with both sets of talks on the very same day. But Trump trusts Witkoff, more than almost anyone else in this administration. And in Gaza, of course, this pairing got results. Iran feels like the biggest flashpoint — and if today goes badly, could become the story that dominates the coming weeks. The USS Gerald R. Ford and its accompanying strike group are still en route from the Caribbean, but by some estimates will be within striking distance of Iran later this week. At that point, the visible U.S. military presence in the Gulf will be immense, with two aircraft carriers, more than 100 fighter jets and multiple destroyers — plus the U.S. military bases across the Middle East. Next level: This is in many ways a far more significant buildup than what we saw in the Caribbean last year — and as we know, Trump wasn’t bluffing there. Equally: Trump is a man who likes leverage in any negotiation, and the Iranians may yet find something persuasive about the largest warship ever built arriving on their doorstep. What they’re saying: “I am in Geneva with real ideas to achieve a fair and equitable deal,” Araghchi wrote on X. “What is not on the table: submission before threats.” A few hours later, Trump told reporters he’d be involved in the talks “indirectly,” adding: “I think they want to make a deal. I don't think they want the consequences of not making a deal.”
| | | | A message from American Beverage: No spin. No judgments. Just the facts from the experts.
When it's time to decide what goes on your table, you know facts are the first ingredient. That's why America's beverage companies are sharing clear information about the ingredients in our beverages at GoodToKnowFacts.org.
For over 140 ingredients, you can find common uses, alternative names and safety assessments from food safety authorities at GoodToKnowFacts.org. | | | | Shuttle diplomacy: Once the Iran talks are over, it's only a five-minute drive from Oman’s diplomatic outpost in northern Geneva down to the InterContinental Geneve, the $1,000-a-night, five-star hotel where local reports suggest the Ukraine-Russia summit will take place. On Ukraine: Don’t hold your breath for an actual breakthrough — there’s still zero sign of Russian President Vladimir Putin changing course. And what’s clear is that Trump is again choosing to pile pressure onto the Ukrainian side, sending JD Vance-aligned Army Secretary Dan Driscoll in with Witkoff & co. today. “Ukraine better come to the table fast, that's all I'm telling you,” Trump told reporters last night. There was no mention of Putin or Russia at all — just as there wasn't in Marco Rubio’s speech in Munich over the weekend. Back here in the U.S.: There’s a danger for chief of staff Susie Wiles and co. that between Munich, Iran, Ukraine and the inaugural meeting on Thursday of Trump’s Board of Peace, yet another week goes by where foreign affairs dominate the headlines. So it’s no surprise to hear that Trump’s affordability tour is also finally returning on Thursday after a three-week hiatus, with the president due to make remarks on the cost of living in former Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene’s district in northwest Georgia. In fairness, Republicans are actually finding some political traction on foreign affairs, thanks largely to Democratic missteps in Munich. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer may only have been speaking on lowkey panels, but are surely savvy enough to have realized their presence on this grand diplomatic stage would be scrutinized. And serious presidential contenders can’t really expect to give answers like this or this on geodiplomacy and not expect some serious flak. Rattled: The fallout (Fox News had a field day last night) clearly rattled AOC’s cage, given she chose to call the NYT direct from Germany to set the record straight. She went to Munich “not because I’m running for president,” she said, “but because we need to sound the alarm bells that a lot of those folks in nicely pressed suits in that room will not be there much longer if we do not do something about the runaway inequality that is fueling far-right populist movements.” Collector’s item: It’s rare to see a clarification from someone as media-savvy as AOC. The old adage says: if you're explaining, you're losing. But AOC thinks that maxim is for the birds. She may be right. But it’s not just Republicans attacking her performance: Playbook’s Adam Wren spoke yesterday with another 2028 contender, Rahm Emanuel, and asked for his take on Munich. The former ambassador to Japan was quick to criticize Rubio and Vance. But what about his fellow Democrats? “Do I think other people handled themselves well on the world stage?” Emanuel asked. “As somebody who has served time in the Indo-Pacific, I don’t think so — but I’ll just leave you with the secretary of State and the vice president.” Only two more years until primary season!
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America's beverage companies are making it easier than ever to find clear information about the ingredients in your favorite beverages. Learn more at GoodToKnowFacts.org. | | | | SPEAKING OF WHICH … THE PRIMARY EVERYONE’S WATCHING: Early primary voting begins today in Texas. No race will be more closely scrutinized than the Senate campaign, in which heated and personal contests in both parties could anoint new rising stars — and maybe even give Democrats an outside shot, if they play everything right, at finally flipping the state blue. How it’ll work: Early voting runs for 10 days, and then Election Day is March 3. A runoff will follow on May 26 if nobody clears 50 percent — as seems likely for the three-way Republican contest between incumbent John Cornyn, AG Ken Paxton and Rep. Wesley Hunt. (Colin Allred dropped out in part to help Democrats avoid the same fate.) There are primaries up and down the ballot, including for freshly gerrymandered House districts. Paxton last night also announced an “illegal voting tipline” for the primary. Not choosing favorites yet: Trump told reporters last night that he supported Cornyn, Paxton and Hunt — despite establishment Republicans’ efforts behind the scenes to get Trump to boost Cornyn, whom the president called “a good man.” Trump did wade into four open House primaries, endorsing Jon Bonck, Alex Mealer, Carlos De La Cruz and Jessica Steinmann. First in Playbook — Cash dash: Cornyn’s campaign and associated groups pulled in another $3.6 million in the first five weeks of the year, ending the rough pre-primary period with $10.3 million on hand. ABOUT LAST NIGHT: Paxton held the first rally since he launched his Senate bid 10 months ago (yes, really) last night in Tyler, where he kicked off a more aggressive phase campaigning across the state, AP’s Thomas Beaumont reports. “His money is coming from the D.C. establishment,” Paxton said to dismiss Cornyn’s ad blitz against him. “I’m not their person and I’m never going to be.” Despite Paxton’s personal peccadilloes, low-profile campaigning and minimal advertising, his hard-right actions as AG and Trumpian ability to withstand scandal give him “the look of his party’s front-runner,” Beaumont writes. ON THE DEM SIDE: The race between Rep. Jasmine Crockett and state Rep. James Talarico has turned bitter — though more among their online backers than the candidates themselves. (The latest example: a “Genocide Jasmine” website criticizing her record on Israel.) Still, as the Dallas Morning News’ Gromer Jeffers Jr. notes, “Texas has seen far nastier contests.” First in Playbook — Survey says: A poll commissioned by Forward Texas, a super PAC supporting Crockett, shows her beating Paxton in a hypothetical general-election matchup, a result which her supporters say undercut the argument she’d perform poorly in November, POLITICO’s Liz Crampton writes in. Crockett leads Paxton 49 percent to 45 percent, according to the poll of likely voters conducted by Hart Research. See the polling memo Talaric-no: Stephen Colbert said Talarico was denied a high-profile slot on “The Late Show” last night, with Colbert blaming an edict from CBS and the FCC’s equal time rule — though Colbert noted that there have long been exceptions, including for talk shows. “FCC You!” Colbert told Chair Brendan Carr. The interview was instead posted on Colbert’s YouTube page — and had already garnered more than 340,000 views as of publishing time. Talarico tried to make the best of it, telling followers it was “the interview Donald Trump didn't want you to see.”
| | | | 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. | | | | | EPSTEIN FILES NOT OVER YET: Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) isn’t done putting the squeeze on the Trump administration over the Jeffrey Epstein files, he tells Meredith Lee Hill in a big POLITICO Magazine Q&A this morning. The rebel Republican will continue to push the Justice Department to undo redactions as the revelations about wealthy figures continue to emerge. But he doesn’t see any need at this stage to start legal action against the DOJ or try to hold AG Pam Bondi in contempt. “I don’t think it’s necessary to proverbially pull a knife right now in this argument — because we’re winning it,” he said. For the umpteenth time: “I have nothing to hide” on Epstein, Trump told reporters again last night, while pointing a finger at the Clintons. “I’ve been totally exonerated.” Two can play that game: Hillary Clinton told the BBC in an interview that the Trump administration is perpetuating a “cover-up” of the documents: “Get the files out,” she said in Berlin, ahead of her appearance before the House Oversight Committee next week. “They are slow-walking it.” Clinton, too, said she and Bill “have nothing to hide.” And the furor over Steve Bannon’s extensive conversations with Epstein hasn’t subsided, either. NYT’s Sharon LaFraniere and Teresa Mondría Terol report Bannon advised Epstein on how to respond to allegations against him, and Epstein sent Apple watches to Bannon and his son. Bannon wrote to Epstein that he was “NOT” irredeemable. Bannon maintains that he was making a documentary to expose Epstein — still yet to be released — and was texting with him solely in that capacity, as documentarian and source. But you can check out the comments under any WarRoom post on X to find plenty of MAGA fans who aren’t convinced. ALSO NOT SUBSIDING — Bannon’s crypto court concerns: “Steve Bannon Is in Trouble — and It Has Nothing to Do With Epstein,” by The Bulwark’s Will Sommer
| | | | A message from American Beverage:  
America's beverage companies are sharing clear info on beverage ingredients at GoodToKnowFacts.org. | | | | BEST OF THE REST FIRST IN PLAYBOOK — The next political battleground: The vast, server-filled data centers springing up all over America as the AI revolution gathers pace are shaping up to be the next NIMBY-fueled battleground for politicians to confront, per a new POLITICO Poll out this morning. “Our polling of more than 2,000 people found nearly half of Americans expect the explosion of these projects to be a campaign issue in their area in the next five years,” POLITICO’s Jason Plautz and Christa Marshall report, “setting up the midterms as a new test of voter appetites for the build-out and energy costs of AI.” The poll — conducted by our polling partner Public First — found many Americans are willing to support a new data center in their area “even if it hikes their electric bills a bit” … but that “their views swing noticeably if data centers are associated with President Donald Trump.” Read the full report MAJOR MEDIA MOVE: Anderson Cooper is departing CBS’ “60 Minutes” in the fall, Breaker’s Lachlan Cartwright scooped. The star news anchor won’t renew his contract after nearly two decades, instead focusing on his CNN work and his family. VAX NOT: “Vaccine Makers Curtail Research and Cut Jobs,” by NYT’s Rebecca Robbins: Industry fears that the appointment of RFK Jr. as health secretary would “wreak havoc on the fragile business of vaccine development …. are beginning to come true,” the NYT reports. “[I]nvestors have grown hesitant to bet on a field that has fallen out of favor in Washington. Major manufacturers are reporting declining sales of their shots. Smaller companies are taking the brunt of the impact,” as is Moderna.. BATTLE FOR THE BALLOT: The DNC and RNC have struck a deal that would mostly curtail Republicans’ efforts to strike nearly a quarter-million people from North Carolina’s voter rolls, per The Charlotte Observer’s Kyle Ingram. The settlement still needs a judge’s OK. In Georgia, civil rights groups including the NAACP filed a motion to try to stop the federal government from misusing the voter rolls it seized in Fulton County, per The Atlanta Journal-Constitution’s David Wickert. THE FINE LINE: Several Democratic members of Congress called on Rep. Randy Fine (R-Fla.) to resign or be stripped of his committee posts after his latest display of bigotry against Muslims, when he wrote on X this weekend, “If they force us to choose, the choice between dogs and Muslims is not a difficult one.” Everyone from California Gov. Gavin Newsom to Megyn Kelly slammed Fine for the post. Meanwhile, Laura Loomer will host Fine on her podcast tonight. More from NBC CRISIS IN CUBA: “Trash piles up in Havana as US oil chokehold halts garbage trucks,” Reuters/Havana: “Garbage has begun to pile up on street corners in the Cuban capital of Havana, attracting hordes of flies and reeking of rotten food, in one of the most visible impacts of the U.S. bid to prevent oil from reaching the Caribbean’s largest island.” HISTORY LESSON: “Federal judge orders Trump administration to restore slavery exhibits to the President’s House,” by the Philadelphia Inquirer’s Abraham Gutman and Fallon Roth: “[Cynthia] Rufe, a George W. Bush appointee, compares the federal government’s argument that it can unilaterally control the exhibits in national parks to the Ministry of Truth in George Orwell’s 1984.” CALIFORNIA DREAMIN’: Newsom’s new clean energy deal with the U.K. earned a sharp rebuke from Trump, who told POLITICO’s Sophia Cai that it’s “inappropriate” for the governor to operate on the international stage like this. “Gavin is a loser,” Trump said. The presidential opprobrium amounted to an unexpected political thrill for Sacramento: “The more Trump takes the bait, the more attention you get in return,” one Newsom adviser told POLITICO’s Melanie Mason and Camille von Kaenel.
| | | | 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 | | GUTTER POLITICS — President Donald Trump declared that he would have FEMA play a significant role in responding to the disaster in the Potomac River, now one of the largest sewage spills in U.S. history. He said federal authorities would step in to coordinate the cleanup to prevent a “Disaster Zone.” And Trump blamed local and state Democratic leaders, including Maryland Gov. Wes Moore, for “gross mismanagement.” DHS Secretary Kristi Noem also slammed Democrats for the partial government shutdown, which she noted would leave FEMA employees working without pay to address the crisis. More from POLITICO’s Jacob Wendler Not so fast: Moore’s office replied that the Potomac Interceptor pipe is under the purview of owner/operator DC Water and the EPA, not Annapolis. His spokesperson accused the EPA of declining to participate in a Friday hearing on the matter — and said the feds, not Maryland, had been AWOL since the leak. Water load of crap: Noem warned that the leak imperiled “the entire DC region’s water supply” — but in fact local drinking water comes from upstream of the leak and is still safe, D.C. said. The latest logistical updates: DC Water announced that emergency repairs to the pipe will last for four to six weeks. The nine- to 10-month timeline you may have heard about applies to broader preexisting efforts to strengthen the pipe beyond the specifically broken portion, per The 51st’s Martin Austermuhle. IN MEMORIAM — “Richard Ottinger, 97, Dies; Fought for the Environment in Congress,” by NYT’s Joseph Fried and Trip Gabriel: “Descended from a wealthy Republican family — one of his uncles narrowly lost to Franklin D. Roosevelt in the 1928 New York governor’s race — Mr. Ottinger switched to the Democratic Party while a young lawyer in the 1950s. He served six years in the House of Representatives beginning in 1965 and 10 more years starting in 1975. During the four-year hiatus between those stints, he ran unsuccessfully for the U.S. Senate.” A PRESIDENTS’ DAY INDEED — Former President George W. Bush penned a tribute to former President George Washington on his Substack: “Washington modeled what it means to put the good of the nation over self-interest and selfish ambition.” SPOTTED: Jack Smith at DCA yesterday afternoon, drinking out of a coffee cup that said “Jake.” TRANSITIONS — Eben Burnham-Snyder is joining Signal Group as managing director to lead its energy practice. He most recently worked at Cheniere Energy, and is an Energy Department and Hill alum. … Rob Simpson is now executive director of the Protecting Americans Project and Protecting Americans Project Action Fund. He previously worked at Bullpen Strategy Group, and is a The Fund for American Studies and RAGA alum. … DGA-Albright Stonebridge Group is adding Markus Kerber, Andy Rothman and Laura Stone as senior advisers. Kerber is managing partner at 1886 Ventures GmbH. Rothman is founder of Sinology LLC. Stone most recently was U.S. ambassador to the Marshall Islands. … … Tristan Justice is now comms director for Rep. Harriet Hageman (R-Wyo.). He previously worked at the Transportation Department. … Robert Sweeney is now government affairs manager for the East at the Association for Consumer Debt Relief. He most recently worked at the Investment Company Institute, and is a Citi alum. … Sofia Godoy is now a legislative assistant for Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-Md.). She previously worked for Sen. Ruben Gallego (D-Ariz.) and is a Biden White House alum. … WEEKEND WEDDING — Rep. Guy Reschenthaler (R-Pa.) and Brooke Singman, a political correspondent and reporter for Fox News Digital, got married Saturday (Valentine’s Day) at her home parish, St. Patrick’s Cathedral in NYC. Cardinal Timothy Dolan, a friend of Singman’s, was the celebrant of the nuptial mass, and the couple took an old-fashioned checker cab to their black-tie reception at the Union League Club. They met the day Donald Trump made his campaign stop at a McDonald’s in Pennsylvania, and reconnected last January at Bistrot du Coin. Pic, via Sergey Lapkovsky … Another pic … SPOTTED: White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt, FBI Director Kash Patel and Alexis Wilkins, Kevin McCarthy, Devin Nunes, House Majority Whip Tom Emmer (R-Minn.), U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Mike Waltz and Julia Nesheiwat, Tricia McLaughlin and Ben Yoho, Gary Brewer, and Carl and Molly Metzgar. HAPPY BIRTHDAY: Reps. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio), Suzan DelBene (D-Wash.) and Brian Jack (R-Ga.) … Sam Vinograd … Betsy Fischer Martin … Lachlan Markay … Keegan Goudiss … Kristin Roberts … Ashley Berrang … Dianna Heitz … Cara Camacho … AARP’s Barbara Shipley … Danielle Most … POLITICO’s Kelsey Tamborrino and Mitchell Cain … Annamarie Rienzi … Mark Shriver … Drew Cantor … Frederick Hill of House Oversight … Steven Grossman … Allison Hunn … Emmanual Guillory … Shana Marchio … Stephanie Young … Cliff Sims … former Reps. Randy Forbes (R-Va.) and Jake LaTurner (R-Kan.) … PwC’s Shantanu Chandra … Sonia Vasconcellos of Global Counsel … Edith Honan … Surya Gunasekara … Anna Koval … Robert Giuffra … Newsmax’s Haley Gillman … Paris Hilton … Kelsey Rohwer … Fred Schwien … Mike Sager of New Harbor … Andrea Hitt of Rep. Jim Baird’s (R-Ind.) office … Matt Boggs of MDB Advisory 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 Giuseppe Macri and deputy editor Garrett Ross.
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