| | | |  | | By Ali Bianco and Irie Sentner | | Presented by |  | | | With help from Eli Okun and Makayla Gray Good Sunday morning. This is Ali Bianco and Irie Sentner, taking the helm today.
|  | DRIVING THE DAY | | | 
For Democrats, it’s not just the Supreme Court’s ruling that could open a new messaging avenue — it’s also President Donald Trump’s doubling down on tariffs. | Damian Dovarganes/AP | TRADING PLACES: Democrats are frothing at the mouth to center President Donald Trump’s tariff chaos in their affordability messaging as they charge into the midterms. The party was already planning to slam Republicans over the economy on the campaign trail, riding the playbook that helped propel New Jersey Gov. Mikie Sherrill, Virginia Gov. Abigail Spanberger and NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani to victories last year. Then, on Friday, the Supreme Court in a remarkable rebuke slapped down Trump’s tariffs — declaring illegal his favorite lever to bend the global economy to his will. But for Democratic strategists and party officials who spoke with Playbook, it’s not just the high court’s ruling that could open a new avenue — it’s also Trump’s doubling down, moving to levy 15 percent tariffs worldwide under a different authority. “Now we have a new data point that Trump is not going to relent,” a person familiar with Democrats’ strategies, granted anonymity to speak candidly, told Playbook. Democratic operatives see it as a massive windfall. “It’s such a gift,” the person familiar told Playbook. “The gift of it is how politically inept it is.” Doug Herman, a Democratic strategist based in California, said Trump’s renewed tariff saber-rattling provides “tailor-made” messaging on affordability for Democrats. “Every American has borne the cost of these Trump tariffs,” he said. “It’s the kind of thing that everybody needs to take advantage of in their campaigns.” The crop of potential Democratic 2028 presidential candidates leapt into action immediately. Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker released an “invoice” demanding that the White House pay more than $8.6 billion in “past due” tariff revenue, which he calculated out to $1,700 per family in his state. “The President owes you an apology — and a refund,” Pete Buttigieg said on X. California Gov. Gavin Newsom told reporters that Trump “should return that money immediately.” “They imposed a sales tax on the American people,” veteran Democratic strategist James Carville told Playbook. “What did you get? Nothing.” That messaging — branding the tariffs as illegal taxes that Trump must repatriate to voters (which, he said Friday, he did not intend to do) — is expected to become a core component of Democrats’ strategy as they fight to retake majorities in Congress. “I wouldn’t be surprised if tariffs made it in 50 percent of our paid advertising,” said one Democratic strategist working on House campaigns. Another who works on Senate campaigns said they’re preparing to rev up their ads on affordability as well. “We have a very clear line that we can draw from [voters] struggling to make ends meet, and things that Trump is doing intentionally,” Third Way’s Matt Bennett told Playbook. “It is a uniquely easy story for Democrats to tell.”
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For over 140 ingredients, you can find common uses, alternative names and safety assessments from food safety authorities at GoodToKnowFacts.org. | | | | It’s also not lost on the party that the states whose economies have been hit hardest by the tariffs are home to some of the most contentious Senate races that could make or break the GOP’s majority. “We’ve not only lost our markets and gotten lower prices selling corn and soybeans, particularly soybeans, but we have also, at the same time right now, we have the misfortune of having very high inputs, a lot of uncertainty,” Iowa Democratic Party Chair Rita Hart told Playbook. “We’re talking about real hardship where people are going to be really negatively affected financially.” Trump, of course, is not on the ballot in November, but multiple Democratic operatives told Playbook they’re planning to skewer any Republican who has defended his tariffs. “It’s this very, very easy to understand action that the president took, and that congressional Republicans backed,” the Democratic strategist working on Senate races said. So the line for Dem candidates will be cut and dried: “This is where my opponent is not fighting for you,” they said. The RNC is fully prepared to defend against any Democratic attacks. “The Supreme Court’s decision does not change the reality: President Trump’s trade agenda is working, and Republicans are united in strengthening the economy for American families,” RNC spokesperson Kiersten Pels said in a statement. “His tariffs have helped lower inflation, raise wages, and drive historic investment into U.S. manufacturing and energy. As we head into the midterms, Republicans are focused on building on these gains and putting workers first — while Democrats oppose the policies bringing jobs back home.” The White House, too, is brushing off the idea that Democrats have been handed a messaging victory. “President Trump has powerfully used tariffs to renegotiate broken trade deals, lower drug prices, and secure trillions in manufacturing investments for American workers — all things Democrats have promised to do for decades,” White House spokesperson Kush Desai told Playbook in a statement. “It’s not surprising Democrats care more about having a phony talking point than these tangible victories for the American people, because talking is all Democrats have ever been able to do.” But the economic picture over the last year has soured, with key indicators released Friday showing slowed growth and rising inflation. Recent polls find that costs and the economy remain a central concern going into November. And though Trump is visiting battleground states to pitch his economic message, he has thus far struggled to acknowledge voters’ concerns. In Georgia on Thursday, the day before the Supreme Court’s ruling came down, Trump claimed he had “won affordability” and told voters his tariffs were “the greatest thing that’s happened in this country.” On Tuesday, Trump will stand before Congress for his State of the Union address — one of the largest platforms that the presidential bully pulpit provides. Trump said last week he would focus on the economy in those remarks. Democrats have a tsunami of counterprogramming planned — including anti-SOTU rallies. Multiple Democrats, including Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, will bring as their guests some small business owners who’ve been affected by Trump’s tariffs, guaranteeing the issue will be front and center, regardless of the substance of the president’s remarks DCCC Chair Suzan DelBene (D-Wash.) previewed what this messaging will sound like on the campaign trail. “House Republicans rubber stamped President Trump’s tariffs and are responsible for the painful affordability crisis they have unleashed on American families,” DelBene said in a statement to Playbook. “Voters will not soon forget Republicans are the reason everything is more expensive.” SUNDAY BEST … — USTR Jamieson Greer on the Supreme Court ruling, on ABC’s “This Week”: “We had to look at backup plans, and we found ways to really reconstruct what we’re doing. Now, it doesn’t have the same flexibility that the president had under the previous authority that he was using, but it gives us very durable tools. It allows us to do investigations, implement tariffs where needed, and provides a lot of leverage and a lot of protection for American industry. … We need the court to tell us what to do [about refunds]. They’ve created a situation where they struck down the tariffs and gave zero guidance on this. … My expectation is that they’ll have to step in and give some direction on how they want that to be done, if at all.” — Greer on the impact for foreign trade deals, on “Fox News Sunday”: “The president and [Chinese President Xi Jinping] have developed a very strong and stable relationship. [Treasury Secretary] Scott Bessent and myself, we’ve established strong relationships with our counterparts. Our deals were not premised on whether or not this case remains in place or not.” — Bessent on what comes next, on CNN’s “State of the Union”: “This [Section] 122 authority is good for 150 days. During that time, we will do studies on Section 232, which will be done by [the] Commerce Department, [and] Section 301, which will be done by USTR. Those tariffs remain in effect and have withstood more than 4,000 challenges since the president’s first term. So, during that time, it is very likely that those studies will result in higher 232s, higher 301s, and it will get us back to the same tariff level. We’ve been in touch with our foreign trading partners, and all of them want to keep the trade deals that have been set.” — House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries on the impact of tariffs, on “Fox News Sunday”: “The trade deficit has not been meaningfully closed. That’s number one. Point number two is that we know farmers and small business owners, companies, as well as perhaps most importantly the American consumer, have been hurt being forced to pay thousands of dollars more per year in additional expense, when the affordability crisis right now is already crushing everyday Americans, middle-class Americans and working-class Americans. And we also haven’t seen a return of manufacturing jobs to the United States of America, which is what the Trump administration promised would take place.”
| | | | A message from American Beverage:  
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. | | | | TOP-EDS: A roundup of the week’s must-read opinion pieces.
9 THINGS FOR YOUR RADAR 1. SCARY STUFF: An armed young man was shot and killed by Secret Service and local law enforcement officers overnight when he entered Mar-a-Lago’s secure perimeter, authorities said. The Palm Beach County sheriff said this morning that the man had a gas can and a shotgun, the latter of which he lifted up after being ordered to drop it. Trump and first lady Melania Trump were in Washington. More from AP 2. IF AT FIRST YOU DON’T SUCCEED: Trump cranked up the new iteration of his global trade war again, raising universal tariffs on products from around the world from 10 percent to 15 percent. These are the levies Trump is imposing under the authority he claims from Section 122 of the 1974 Trade Act — a new approach after the Supreme Court barred his International Emergency Economic Powers Act tariffs. The Section 122 import taxes can last for 150 days, and 15 percent is as high as they can go; it’s not clear what’ll come afterward. The upshot is that for now, some trading partners (like Japan and the EU) are seeing the same trade burden as before SCOTUS’ decision, while others face much lower tariff rates. Reality check: Though some business and free-trade advocates celebrated the Supreme Court ruling, Trump’s love of tariffs — and commitment to continuing them through other avenues — means the economy is still in for a prolonged bout of uncertainty, WaPo’s David Lynch reports. The Section 122 tariffs, too, could face legal and congressional fights, along with confusion over IEEPA tariff repayments and new national-security levies. The tariff upheaval will also affect diplomatic relations, including Trump’s upcoming China trip. Some countries that struck big trade deals — agreeing to major concessions or investments in the U.S. — may now fear they gave in too quickly, NYT’s Alexandra Stevenson and River Akira Davis report. Playing favorites: “My new hero is United States Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh,” who dissented from the 6-3 decision, Trump gushed on Truth Social. Clicker: “How the US is moving away from Chinese imports,” by POLITICO’s Doug Palmer and Paroma Soni
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➡️ Sign up for POLITICO Forecast. | | | | | 3. PRIMARY COLORS: Tariff fallout rippled through a Colorado congressional race, as Trump yanked his endorsement of Rep. Jeff Hurd because the Republican voted to end Trump’s Canada tariffs, per Bloomberg. The president’s new backing of primary challenger Hope Scheppelman could endanger Hurd — and, Democrats hope, put this GOP-leaning seat further in play for them to flip. 4. THE SHUTDOWN SQUEEZE: Americans mostly haven’t yet felt the effects of the partial government shutdown affecting DHS. But that’s about to change for airline passengers: TSA PreCheck and Global Entry are getting suspended today, WaPo’s Marianne LeVine and colleagues scooped. Democrats slammed the move, while trade groups called for both parties to end the shutdown. Maybe not? “At this time, TSA PreCheck remains operational with no change for the traveling public,” the agency just announced. “As staffing constraints arise, TSA will evaluate on a case by case basis and adjust operations accordingly.” Courtesy escorts, which members of Congress sometimes receive, are suspended. Also struggling: furloughed workers at the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, which has already been attacked by Trump, shrunk by cuts and demoralized as it works to protect the country from cyberattacks, NYT’s Adam Sella reports. 5. THE BUZZ IN TALLAHASSEE: “The Casey DeSantis question looming over Florida's governor race,” by POLITICO’s Kimberly Leonard: “POLITICO spoke with 20 friends, lobbyists, operatives and GOP leaders about Casey DeSantis’ future, and most expect she won’t run for governor. She and Gov. [Ron] DeSantis haven’t floated her name to insiders or started fundraising. … Yet no one close to the first lady was willing to rule out the possibility of a gubernatorial run. … [I]n interviews, it also became clear some party faithful — unlike average GOP voters — are on the fence about [Rep. Byron] Donalds given the governor won’t support him, and want the DeSantises to weigh in about their succession preferences.”
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America's beverage companies are sharing clear info on beverage ingredients at GoodToKnowFacts.org. | | | | 6. THE DRUMBEAT OF WAR: With Trump still deciding whether to attack Iran, Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) lamented to Axios’ Barak Ravid that some of the president’s advisers are encouraging him to hold off. The pressure campaign to take action is strong, too. Special envoy Steve Witkoff warned on Fox News that Iran is “probably a week away from having industrial-grade bomb-making material. And that’s really dangerous. So they can’t have that.” Trump, Witkoff added, is “curious as to why they haven’t … I don’t want to use the word ‘capitulated,’ but why they haven’t capitulated.” Down to the wire: The U.S. is open to holding talks with Iran on Friday “if they receive a detailed Iranian proposal for a nuclear deal in the next 48 hours” — which U.S. officials say is probably the final opportunity for Iran to stave off an attack, Ravid scooped. 7. SURVEY SAYS: A new WaPo/ABC/Ipsos poll finds Trump’s approval rating falling to 39 percent and disapproval reaching 60 percent — a black mark he hasn’t hit since the Jan. 6 insurrection. He gets especially low marks from the public on inflation, and nearly two-thirds of the country think Trump has acted beyond his authority as president. But dissatisfaction with Trump still hasn’t translated into enthusiasm for Democrats: In fact, Trump is still narrowly ahead of congressional Dems when Americans are asked whom they trust more to deal with the country’s problems. 8. MIKE HUCKABEE KICKS UP A STORM: “US ambassador causes uproar by claiming Israel has a right to much of the Middle East,” by AP’s Sam Mednick and Samy Magdy: “[Tucker] Carlson said that according to the Bible, the descendants of Abraham would receive land that today would include essentially the entire Middle East, and asked Huckabee if Israel had a right to that land. Huckabee responded: ‘It would be fine if they took it all.’ Huckabee added, however, that Israel was not looking to expand its territory … His comments sparked immediate backlash from neighboring Egypt and Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Oman, the Organization of Islamic Cooperation and the League of Arab States.” 9. BATTLE FOR THE BALLOT: “Senate G.O.P. Faces Pressure to Force ‘Talking Filibuster’ for Voter ID Bill,” by NYT’s Carl Hulse: “The move, which Senator John Thune, the South Dakota Republican and majority leader, has been reluctant to undertake, involves using tactics that haven’t been employed for decades, and could paralyze the Senate indefinitely with no guarantee of success. … G.O.P. proponents of the legislation are now openly saying they cannot maintain control of Congress if they fail to enact the bill. They insist that Republican senators must do whatever it takes to send Mr. Trump legislation that they claim [baselessly] is needed to secure elections against an onslaught of fraudulent voting.”
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➡️ Learn More about POLITICO Pro | | | | | | | TALK OF THE TOWN | | PLAYBOOK METRO SECTION — President Donald Trump signed off yesterday on an emergency declaration for the sewage disaster in the Potomac River, per WaPo. The granting of Mayor Muriel Bowser’s request will give federal agencies greater ability to step in and respond to the spill. HOLLYWOODLAND — Trump demanded that Netflix boot Susan Rice off its board, warning that otherwise it will have to “pay the consequences,” per The Hollywood Reporter. Ironically, his ire came in response to a Laura Loomer post that highlighted Rice’s condemnation of companies that have groveled to Trump. “There will be an accountability agenda,” Rice had said on Preet Bharara’s podcast. “You know, companies already are starting to hear they better preserve their documents. They better be ready for subpoenas. If they’ve done something wrong, they’ll be held accountable, and if they haven’t broken the law, good for them.” Netflix’s bigger headache: The Justice Department’s scrutiny of Netflix’s acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery keeps growing — and “going beyond a standard deal review.” Bloomberg’s Josh Sisco scooped that DOJ is now examining whether Netflix monopolizes its market power, hanging it over the heads of independent filmmakers or studios to get leverage in negotiations. Regulators are looking at not just the Clayton Act but the Sherman Act too. GOOD FENCES — “Josh Shapiro to neighbors: Get off my lawn,” by WaPo’s Matt Viser and Sarah Blaskey: “In a leafy Philadelphia suburb, a petty neighborhood dispute has escalated into a bizarre saga, with mundane issues of land surveyors and town ordinances morphing into one of political attacks and confrontations at the property lines. … At issue is a narrow 10-foot-wide peninsula, a comically small spit of land along the Shapiros’ property line that broadens slightly into a small chunk of someone’s backyard. Whose yard depends on whom you ask.” SPOTTED: Stephanie Grisham and Olivia Troye getting drinks last night at Off The Record. Pic OUT AND ABOUT — SPOTTED at the Wicked Game concert last night at the Theater Alliance Hothouse New Works after-party: Shanara Gabrielle, Alec Wild, Christina Sevilla and Steve Rochlin, Fin Gómez and Sarah March-Gómez, Hedvig and David Lunderquist, Mary Jacoby, Mark Paustenbach, Dane Strother, Josh Friedlander and Maia Daniels. — SPOTTED at Janiyah Thomas’ birthday party Friday evening at St Yves: Alice Johnson, Lynne Patton, Xaviaer DuRousseau and CJ Pearson. BIRTHWEEK (was Thursday): Will Canavan HAPPY BIRTHDAY: David Axelrod … Bob Bauer … Hugh Hewitt … Kristen Soltis Anderson … Rodney Hood … Alex Slater … POLITICO’s Heidi Sommer, Connor Zoesch and Eric Bazail-Eimil … AARP’s Dan Gilgoff … Alyssa Mastromonaco … Caroline Donlon of the House Rules Committee … Peter Siegal of Norton Rose Fulbright … Jennifer Poersch … Protect Democracy’s Chris Crawford … Ed Brookover … former Reps. Anthony D’Esposito (R-N.Y.), John Bryant (D-Texas), Harley Staggers Jr. (D-W.Va.) and David Skaggs (D-Colo.) … Viet Dinh … MS NOW’s Dan Holway … CNN’s Laurie Ure … TikTok’s Elizabeth Oblinger … AP’s Michael Biesecker … Ryan Eaton … Jay Driscoll … Liz Glover … Ellis Brachman … Shawn Martin … Marissa Lang … Lauren Bates … Yvesner Zamar … Dave LesStrang … NBC’s Keir Simmons … former Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist … Alan Katz … former Sen. Ben Sasse (R-Neb.) … John Gibson … Courtney Veatch … Jim Friedlich … Danielle Bella Ellison … Jennifer Roberts Creager … Martha Boudreau … Hallie Hartley of HB Strategies 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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