| | | |  | | By Adam Wren | | Presented by |  | | | With help from Eli Okun, Ali Bianco, Irie Sentner and Makayla Gray On today’s Playbook Podcast: Adam and Dasha discuss Pam Bondi’s dismissal as attorney general — and whether more Cabinet shakeups could be in store.
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| Happy Friday. This is Adam Wren. Get in touch. FRIDAY LISTEN: With the Artemis II mission in full swing, NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman sat down with Dasha for this week’s episode of “The Conversation,” where Isaacman dug into the latest maneuvers in the space race. On criticism of NASA’s budget: “I don't think we should just spend for the sake of spending. But when you do these big, bold endeavors, it has the opportunity to change the world.” And on the question everyone wants to know … is there life out there? “We’ve got two trillion galaxies out there, let alone all the star systems within them. So I’d call it the greatest adventure in human history. NASA has always led the way in that and will continue to do so. And who knows what questions we might answer in the years ahead.” Listen and subscribe on Apple or Spotify and check out Dasha’s behind-the-scenes tour of NASA’s Kennedy Space Center In today’s Playbook … — Democrats’ next big stump stop ahead of 2028. — Meet Trump’s next attorney general. — House Republicans stinging after shutdown loss.
|  | DRIVING THE DAY | | POWER PLAY: A phalanx of potential 2028 candidates will file through the Sheraton in Times Square this time next week as they arrive at the biggest cattle call yet for the increasingly visible Democratic presidential primary — the National Action Network’s 35th Anniversary Convention. Inside the confab hosted by Rev. Al Sharpton that will bring together a who’s who in Black political power circles, the could-be candidates will participate in some early jostling for Black voters — and the influencers who will ultimately influence them. “Two years out, we’ll see some of the people that have been thinking of running, and they’ll see us,” Sharpton told Playbook in an interview. Among the attendee list so far: former VP Kamala Harris, Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, Rep. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.), Maryland Gov. Wes Moore, Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker, former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear and Sen. Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.). More could be announced. Even as the 2028 presidential primary remains wide open, with no candidates officially in the race, Harris stands as the one major candidate there who remains far ahead of the field in this arena. Her strength with Black voters is staggering: A Center Square Voters' Voice Poll had her at 55 percent last month. And in case there’s any confusion about her grip on this key constituency, Sharpton intends to emphasize it as her rivals watch in real time. “I wouldn't ignore the fact that she’s absolutely a potent force in the Black community,” Sharpton told Playbook. “I do not have any idea whether she's going to try to go again, but I think she's due all the respect for what she did, and the fact that she got more votes than any presidential candidate in American history, other than Trump. I think she has been ignored, and we're going to raise that at our convention.” In addition to her appearance at NAN next Friday, Harris is swinging through the deep South later this month, hitting fundraisers for state parties in North Carolina, South Carolina and Georgia. She is also slated to deliver remarks at a major fundraising dinner for the Arkansas Democratic Party Annual Fisher Shackelford Dinner in Little Rock on April 25. The move itself is both a flex of her already deep ties with Black voters and an effort to keep those relationships warm. Even those who have known Harris the longest aren’t certain what to make of her entertaining 2028 speculation, but her southern swing is both the surest sign yet she is primed for a 2028 comeback bid — and that the current field has work to do among Black voters. “As she considers what another candidacy looks like, she knows that there are voters there,” said the person familiar, granted anonymity to speak candidly about her intentions. “We can’t cede that ground.” Harris’ travels across the South are earning her praise from activists on the ground. “It speaks to a depth of knowledge on her perspective as well as maybe gaps that people may have seen before, right?” DeJuana Thompson, the Birmingham, Alabama-based founder of Woke Vote, told Playbook. “She’s course-correcting those gaps. And so I can say that I'm really excited that she's thinking in that way, and her team is leading her to do those types of things.” “People know where you have shown up, where have you shown leadership,” this person added. “NAN is not going to convince me that this is my girl or my guy.” Sharpton, though, says NAN will give the wide-open field a chance to get their message out. “That you've got several candidates that have had experience and have won Black votes in their states makes this very competitive,” Sharpton said. “Nobody can walk in taking the Black vote for granted.”
| | A message from Anthropic: AI helps most with the hardest work, not the simplest. Anthropic analyzed 2 million conversations and found Claude's biggest impact is on complex, college-level tasks. The Economic Index tracks adoption across every state and occupation. See the data | | | | MEET THE NEW BOSS CARTE BLANCHE: Todd Blanche is set to take the reins as acting AG — elevating the dyed-in-the-wool Trump loyalist, and former personal defense lawyer of the president, to the height of the Justice Department with the power to pursue Trump’s retribution campaigns. He’s become the public face already for many of DOJ’s efforts, where he’s seen as the “lead horse,” POLITICO’s Erica Orden and Eli Stokols report in a must-read this morning. But if Bondi’s tenure is any indication, Blanche could be in for the most extreme test of his loyalty. Bondi largely did everything Trump asked — and it wasn’t enough, POLITICO’s Kyle Cheney writes. Her ouster culminates a failure “in Trump’s eyes, to sufficiently use the Justice Department as a shield from legal scrutiny and a sword against his political enemies.” And for whomever takes up the post next — whether it be EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin, any of the other floated names like Utah Sen. Mike Lee or Blanche himself — they’ll also have to ask how far they’ll go to avoid Bondi’s fate. UP NEXT?: Beyond the DOJ, it may not only be Bondi who’s on the way out: Trump has expressed frustrations with Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick and Labor Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer — and he’s thinking about more changes to his Cabinet, Playbook’s Dasha Burns reports. Rumors also continue circling around FBI Director Kash Patel and Army Secretary Daniel Driscoll, per The Atlantic’s Ashley Parker and Sarah Fitzpatrick. Nothing is final, as he’s changed his mind about firing people before, Dasha notes. And the White House defended all of the names above in response to the reports. NOT SO FAST: The biggest political headache of Bondi’s tenure isn’t yet over, either. She’s still facing a subpoena from the House Oversight Committee compelling her to testify this month on the investigation into Jeffrey Epstein. Chair James Comer (R-Ky.) hasn’t ruled out making good on the request, POLITICO’s Hailey Fuchs reports. But Blanche sounds eager to turn the page: “To the extent the Epstein files was a part of the past year of this Justice Department, it should not be a part of anything going forward,” Blanche told Fox News last night. WAGES OF WAR IRAN LATEST: As the USS Gerald Ford prepares to rejoin operations for “Epic Fury” with another major U.S. aircraft carrier en route, and Iran continues to fire on Israel and its other Gulf Arab states, the war shows little signs of abating. But the Pentagon is finding fewer strategically important targets to hit, with options on airstrikes slimming as Trump promises at least three more weeks of pummeling Iran, POLITICO’s Leo Shane III and colleagues report. It’s a reality that “could hand Iran enough leverage that it refuses to negotiate over its nuclear program, the security situation in the Middle East or the reopening of choke points,” they write. Insult to injury: U.S. intelligence has found about half of Iran’s missile launchers are still intact and they still have thousands of drones in their arsenal despite the last several weeks of attacks, CNN’s Haley Britzky and colleagues scoop. Sources told CNN Iran is still “poised to wreak absolute havoc.” The country is also steadily preparing for the possibility of a ground troop operation by stepping up defenses around its biggest oil port, per WSJ. Inside the Pentagon: Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth asked Army Chief of Staff Gen. Randy George to step down and retire, CBS’ Jennifer Jacobs and colleagues scoop. Gen. David Hodne, who led the Army's Transformation and Training Command, and Maj. Gen. William Green, who headed the Army's Chaplain Corps, were also removed, per WaPo. THE DON-ROE DOCTRINE: The emphasis on regime change in Tehran has put one of Trump’s other top foreign policy items on the backburner — regime change in Cuba, POLITICO’s Gigi Ewing and Eric Bazail-Eimil write. The administration decided it’s worth giving Cuba a longer leash for now, with political change still being the endgame. Meanwhile, Russia is sending another oil tanker to Cuba to try and avert the budding humanitarian crisis, per NYT.
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| | | | BEST OF THE REST SHUTDOWN SHOWDOWN: House Republicans aren’t happy about the Senate’s deal to reopen DHS while funding immigration enforcement through reconciliation. The push to pursue party-line funding is a slippery slope and shatters conventional wisdom about reconciliation, POLITICO’s Jennifer Scholtes and colleagues write this morning. The path forward could set a precedent they might regret — with GOP lawmakers especially concerned about securing a supplemental for the Iran war without Democratic support. Budget day: The White House is due to send its budget request to Congress today — and members are hoping for something resembling a complete document, POLITICO’s Katherine Tully-McManus and colleagues write for Inside Congress. Last year’s document came in multiple pieces and did not include the type of detail that could be crucial to help Republicans push through their priorities in subsequent reconciliation bills. Expect a historic defense budget request of $1.5 trillion — including a whopping $350 billion in outside mandatory defense spending, per Inside Defense’s Tony Bertuca. More from Inside Congress FIRST IN PLAYBOOK — Hoosier daddy: Indiana Gov. Mike Braun is making good on his promise to support Trump’s efforts to “recruit, endorse, and finance primary challengers for Indiana’s senators who refuse to support fair maps.” Braun plans to endorse challengers to sitting state senators who opposed redistricting, a person briefed on his strategy told Adam. His HOPE Super PAC is expected to spend $500,000 in next month's primaries. That's equivalent to the entire amount spent across all Indiana senate ads in 2024 — and in addition to the more than $5 million in national money coming in, which Playbook scooped last month. CASH DASH: JoAnna Mendoza, the Democratic challenger running to unseat incumbent GOP Rep. Juan Ciscomani in Arizona’s 6th District, raised over $2.3 million in the first quarter of 2026, POLITICO’s Samuel Benson scoops. NEVER TIRED OF TARIFFS: A year after his “Liberation Day” announcement, Trump is rolling out new tariffs as high as 100 percent on some pharmaceuticals, plus an adjustment of some tariffs on steel and aluminum products, POLITICO’s Daniel Desrochers and colleagues report. The levies on steel and aluminum will change to being based on “the full value of the metals paid by U.S. customers rather than the amount it cost to produce them in a foreign country.” THE FRIDAY READ: “The MAGA talent agent,” by Sophia Cai and Finya Swai for POLITICO Magazine: “Alex Bruesewitz went from volunteer online hatchet man for Donald Trump to his lead impresario. What will he do if pop culture decides MAGA is no longer cool?” THE WEEKEND AHEAD FRIDAY PROGRAMS … POLITICO “The Conversation”: NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman. C-SPAN “Ceasefire”: Tom Davis III and Sean Patrick Maloney … Mick Mulvaney and Steve Ricchetti. PBS “Washington Week”: Idrees Ali, Peter Baker, Susan Glasser and Michelle Price. SUNDAY SO FAR … ABC “This Week”: House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries … Rep. Mike Turner (R-Ohio). Panel: Rachel Scott, Donna Brazile, Chris Christie and Doug Heye. NBC “Meet the Press”: Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.) … Rep. Mike Lawler (R-N.Y.) … Rep. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.). Panel: Susan Glasser, Jeh Johnson and Marc Short. CBS “Face the Nation”: Maryland Gov. Wes Moore … Timothy Broglio. Panel: Amy Walter, David Sanger and Jeff Mason. FOX “Fox News Sunday”: Sen. Dave McCormick (R-Pa.) … Rep. Jake Auchincloss (D-Mass.). Panel: Richard Fowler, Hugh Hewitt, Howard Kurtz and Meridith McGraw. CNN “State of the Union”: Sen. Raphael Warnock (D-Ga.). Panel: Susan Wild, Scott Jennings, Bill Stepien and Nayyera Haq. MS NOW “The Weekend”: Nevada Secretary of State Cisco Aguilar. PBS “Compass Points”: Thomas Reese … Joseph Capizzi … Stephen White … Annie Selak. Fox News “Sunday Morning Futures”: Rep. Beth Van Duyne (R-Texas) … Joel Rayburn … Timothy Dolan. Panel: Jim Bridenstine and Chris Cassidy. NewsNation “The Hill Sunday”: Rep. Chellie Pingree (D-Maine) … Erick Erickson … Mitch Landrieu.
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Anthropic's Economic Index found AI helps most with the hardest work, not the simplest. See the data | | | | | | TALK OF THE TOWN | | YES, THIS IS REAL — “DC is putting rats on birth control,” by NBC4’s Megan McGrath: “DC Health announced it's going to trying something unusual to curb the rat population: birth control. The agency said it will put edible fertility control bait in areas prone to large numbers of rats. … In addition to edible birth control, D.C. will also use lethal bait in two forms, one that the rats will eat and the other a powder. The city will start using the birth control and lethal bait in Adams Morgan.” BELLE OF THE BALLROOM — Trump’s handpicked panel on the federal urban planning commission gave their final approval on his plans for the White House ballroom, swatting away the last procedural obstacle, WaPo’s Jonathan Edwards and Dan Diamond report. But there’s still the courts to deal with: a federal judge ordered a halt to construction and Congress so far has not acted to authorize the renovation. EMERGENCY CONTACT — “After crash, Tiger Woods told deputy he was ‘talking to the president,’ body camera shows,” by AP’s R.J. Rico: “After crashing his SUV last week in Florida, Tiger Woods took out his phone and told a deputy, ‘I was just talking to the president,’ according to body camera footage released Thursday showing Woods’ arrest on a DUI charge. The phone conversation was not captured on video, but Woods could be heard saying, ‘Thank you so much,’ as he hung up and the deputy approached.” TRANSITIONS — Mason Devers is now manager of strategic comms at the American Petroleum Institute. He previously worked for Rep. Lisa McClain (R-Mich.). … Anne Knapke will join the Center for American Progress as a senior fellow. She previously worked at the Department of Agriculture. … … Misha Linnehan is now press secretary for Sen. Maggie Hassan (D-N.H.). She previously worked on the Joint Economic Committee. … Christina Noel has launched a new health business called Balance with Christina Noel. She previously worked for the American Petroleum Institute, and is a Senate HELP and VA alum. HAPPY BIRTHDAY: POLITICO’s Goli Sheikholeslami, Alex Burns and Jonathan Martin … Arizona Secretary of State Adrian Fontes … NYT’s Samantha Latson … Greg Honan … Jeff Forbes … Chanse Jones … Susannah Wellford of Running Start … Russ Newell of Penn State … Hope Goins of the House Homeland Security Dems … Ed Cash of Frontier Security Strategies … Savannah Lane … Troy McCurry of Philip Morris International … Keith Norman … Eliot Cohen … Brian Zuzenak … Sam Newton 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 Anthropic: AI helps most with the hardest work, not the simplest. Anthropic analyzed 2 million conversations and found Claude's biggest impact is on complex, college-level tasks. The Economic Index tracks adoption across every state and occupation. See how your state uses AI. | | | | | | | | Follow us on X | | | | Subscribe to the POLITICO Playbook family Playbook | Playbook PM | California Playbook | Florida Playbook | Illinois 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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