| | | |  | | By Irie Sentner | | Presented by |  | | | With help from Makayla Gray
|  | THE CATCH-UP | | BREAKING: “Photos show armed potential subject on Nancy Guthrie’s door camera,” by NBC: “The FBI released surveillance photos in a post on X showing a potential subject in the investigation into the disappearance of Nancy Guthrie.” In a series of posts on X, FBI Director Kash Patel included six images and two videos recovered from a camera at Guthrie’s home. “Working with our partners - as of this morning, law enforcement has uncovered these previously inaccessible new images showing an armed individual appearing to have tampered with the camera at Nancy Guthrie's front door the morning of her disappearance.” White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said President Donald Trump had reviewed the new images and footage. “The president encourages any American across the country with any knowledge of this suspect to please call the FBI, who continue to assist state and local authorities who are leading this investigation on the ground,” Leavitt said at the top of her briefing.
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Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick confirmed he had lunch with Jeffrey Epstein “for an hour” in 2012. | Francis Chung/POLITICO | LUTNICK’S LUNCH: Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick appeared before a Senate Appropriations subcommittee today to talk about broadband funding — but Democrats used the forum to take him to task over his ties to Jeffrey Epstein, which continued even after the late financier had been convicted of sex crimes, POLITICO’s Daniel Desrochers and Brendan Bordelon report. The Commerce secretary, who lived next door to Epstein’s Upper East Side mansion, professed in October that he had cut ties with the disgraced financier in 2005, years before Epstein was convicted of soliciting a minor for prostitution. But that claim was undermined when the Justice Department last week released a tranche of millions of documents related to its investigation into Epstein. Emails in the files showed that Lutnick and Epstein interacted several times after Lutnick said they had cut contact. Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.) today laid out eight of such instances — and cautioned that it was “probably not a full and complete accounting.” “You totally misrepresented the extent of your relationship with him to the Congress, to the American people and to the survivors of his despicable criminal and predatory acts,” Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) told Lutnick, though he added that there is no indication that Lutnick engaged in any wrongdoing. Lutnick, who has faced bipartisan calls to resign, confirmed to the panel that he had lunch with Epstein “for an hour” in 2012 alongside his wife, children and nannies. He added that he “barely had anything to do” with Epstein. “I don’t recall why we did it, but we did,” Lutnick told the committee. He emphasized there was nothing “untoward” about the meal. But Leavitt in her briefing emphasized that Lutnick “remains a very important member of President Trump’s team and the president fully supports the secretary.” She quickly pivoted to “wins in the news this week that people in this room have not asked about.” Leavitt did not take any further questions. Asked about a reported call Trump had with the Palm Beach Police Department about Epstein in 2006, Leavitt said she did not know whether the call had occurred. She added: “Unlike many other people who are named in these files, President Trump cut off his relationship with Jeffrey Epstein and was honest and transparent about that for years and years.” Wexner to testify: Les Wexner, the former Victoria’s Secret executive from whom it appears Epstein derived much of his wealth, is among the names that the Justice Department redacted as a co-conspirator in the document tranche the DOJ released, according to House Oversight ranking member Rep. Robert Garcia (D-Calif.). Garcia said in a post on X that the Democrats on the panel have “forced a subpoena for him to testify” and the 88-year-old billionaire “will answer our questions under oath next week.” Wexner has not been accused of wrongdoing and “hasn’t spoken publicly about his relationship with Epstein,” per USA Today. How it’s landing: “The Epstein files are creating headaches for New Hampshire’s most powerful political dynasties,” by POLITICO’s Lisa Kashinsky: Segway founder Dean Kamen “has longstanding ties with the Sununu and Shaheen families — and, we now know, Jeffrey Epstein. … Kamen has not been accused of wrongdoing and did not respond to requests for comment through his companies Monday. The recently released files indicate a closer relationship between the two than was previously known.” Good Tuesday 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. | | | | | | 8 THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW | | 1. BULLETIN: “Rule vote postponed amid tariff backlash,” by POLITICO’s Meredith Lee Hill: “House leaders are postponing their latest effort to block votes on President Donald Trump’s tariffs until 8:30 p.m. amid internal GOP backlash. House Republican leaders are attempting to use a procedural measure to block any resolutions related to Trump’s tariffs until the end of July, restarting a moratorium on such votes that expired on January 31. But they face significant internal opposition from a band of tariff-skeptical Republicans, led by Reps. Thomas Massie of Kentucky and Rep. Kevin Kiley of California.” 2. NOT BACKING DOWN: Acting ICE Director Todd Lyons refused to apologize to the families of Renee Good and Alex Pretti after the two were labeled as “domestic terrorists” by Trump and top officials in his administration following their fatal shootings at the hands of federal immigration enforcement agents, POLITICO’s Finya Sawi reports. “I welcome the opportunity to speak to the family in private but I’m not going to comment on any active investigation,” he told Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-Calif.) during the hearing. Asked directly if Good was a domestic terrorist, Lyons declined to comment. Tracking ICE cases: “Immigrants Who Say Their Detention Is Illegal Have Filed More Than 18,000 Cases. It’s a Historic High,” by ProPublica’s Pratheek Rebala, Jeff Ernsthausen and Perla Trevizo, co-published with The Texas Tribune: “The Trump administration’s push for mass deportations has resulted in more than 18,000 challenges in federal court from immigrants claiming their detention is illegal, more than were filed under the last three administrations combined — including [Trump’s] first term.” See ProPublica’s case tracker 3. BIG L FOR AIPAC: Former Rep. Tom Malinowski this morning conceded to progressive Analilia Mejia in the special Democratic primary for New Jersey’s 11th Congressional District to succeed Gov. Mikie Sherrill, POLITICO’s Madison Fernandez reports. The result is a crushing blow to AIPAC, whose super PAC United Democracy Project jumped in the race late, spending millions to sink Malinowski over a stance the lobby found too hard on Israel — only for him to lose to Mejia, who has accused Israel of genocide. Malinowski — who AIPAC has previously endorsed — blasted the group for the “massive flood of dark money” that it unleashed on “dishonest ads.” In the concession statement, Malinowski warned that the “threat unlimited dark money poses to our democracy is far more significant than the views of a single member of Congress on Middle East policy.”
| | | | 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. | | | | | 4. TRAIL MIX: The DCCC today added five more districts Trump won by nine or more points to its battleground map, bringing Democrats to a total of 44 red-leaning targets, POLITICO’s Andrew Howard reports. The new additions include Reps. Jeff Crank (R-Colo.), Brad Finstad (R-Minn.), Ryan Zinke (R-Mont.) and John McGuire (R-Va.), as well as South Carolina’s 1st District, which is open because GOP Rep. Nancy Mace is running for governor. She’s running: Republican Sen. Susan Collins today formally announced her reelection bid in Maine this morning, POLITICO’s Jessica Piper reports. The moderate Republican, who chairs the Senate Appropriations Committee, cast herself as the “experienced” choice in an op-ed in the Bangor Daily News and posted to X a video of herself opening a pair of New Balance shoes (manufactured in Maine, of course!) and declaring: “I’m running.” He’s not: New York Lt. Gov. Antonio Delgado dropped his longshot bid for New York governor, POLITICO’s Nick Reisman reports. “The development comes as Gov. Kathy Hochul enjoys a massive polling lead and is now on a glidepath to securing the Democratic nomination for a second full term.” The vibes are off: “Congressional candidate who made ‘no negativity’ pledge sought help finding dirt on rival,” by POLITICO’s Matt Friedman: “[D]espite the pledge, [Democratic New Jersey House candidate Brian Varela] approached several of his opponents’ campaigns with a proposition: Pool their money to dig up dirt on rival [Democrat] Rebecca Bennett … All of them rejected the offer.” Waters under the bridge: “Maxine Waters is the newest target in Democrats’ intergenerational war,” by POLITICO’s Melanie Mason: “Myla Rahman, a nonprofit executive, hopes to turn [Democratic California Rep. Maxine] Waters’ 35 years in Congress — and 50 years overall as an elected official — against her, arguing the 87-year-old incumbent has lost touch with her district.” 5. ENERGY BAR: “Democrats gain an edge as poll show doubts on Trump energy strategy,” by POLITICO’s Zack Colman: “Thirty-seven percent of U.S. adults believe Democrats care more about protecting them from spiking natural gas, heating and utility bills, compared with 25 percent who believe Republicans do, according to the poll of 2,093 people conducted by Public First on behalf of POLITICO. While far short of a majority, the edge for Democrats on the question is striking given the decades that surges in fuel costs have tormented nearly every Democratic president since Jimmy Carter, giving Republicans a message to hammer at election time.” 6. OUTLOOK NOT SO GOOD: Americans’ optimism for the future is at an at least 20-year low, according to a Gallup poll out today, with fewer than 60 percent of respondents saying they anticipate high-quality lives in five years. That’s Gallup’s bleakest response since it began tracking Americans’ future outlooks two decades ago, with the biggest declines since 2024 among Hispanic adults and Democrats. 7. BETWEEN A ROCK AND A HARD PLACE: “Trump wants lower mortgage rates. His Fed pick may push the other way,” by WaPo’s Andrew Ackerman: Kevin Warsh, Trump’s Fed chair nominee, “has spent years criticizing the central bank’s enormous bond portfolio. Any push to significantly shrink the Fed’s $6.6 trillion balance sheet … could push mortgage rates higher, working against the president’s goals [of cutting mortgage rates].” 8. UNLIKELY ALLIES: Sens. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) and Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) have little in common politically — but they’re introducing a bill together to break up what they call “Big Medicine,” CBS’ Caitlin Huey-Burns reports. The proposed legislation — which would bar health companies from controlling both sides of a medical transaction — focuses on the nexus of affordability and health care, two of voters’ top issues heading into the midterm elections.
| | | | A message from AHIP:  
| | | | | | TALK OF THE TOWN | | WALK THIS WAY — The Buddhist monks walking for peace reached the District today, crossing over the Chain Bridge shortly after 8 a.m. and concluding a 15-week trek entirely on foot that started in Texas, AP’s Tiffany Stanley and Deepa Bharath report. “Large crowds are expected to greet them during their two-day stay in Washington. The Metropolitan Police Department issued a traffic advisory announcing there would be ‘rolling road closures’ along the monks’ route to ensure safety for them and spectators.” BUDGET CRUNCH — The outlook for the 2027 D.C. budget looks bleak, according to City Administrator Kevin Donahue, who previewed it at a breakfast with Mayor Muriel Bowser this morning. “I did budgets in the [2008] recession. This is as hard as what we did during the recession,” Donahue said, per the 51st News’ Martin Austermuhle. TRANSITIONS — Collin Cisco is joining the American Seed Trade Association as director of state government affairs. He most recently worked at the Illinois Soybean Association. … Benjamin Rietmann is joining ASTA as director of international programs and policy. He most recently worked at the USDA. … Neal Kemkar is now chief network officer at Ceres. He previously worked at Galvanize Climate Solutions and is an Obama White House alum. … … Jody Rabhan is now CEO of the National Council of Jewish Women. She was previously executive VP of NCJW. … Kinsey Fabrizio will become CEO of the Consumer Technology Association effective May 1, adding to her current role as president. 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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