Current Affairs Of Pakistan & World: A big week in the 2028 race

A big week in the 2028 race

Jun 16, 2026

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With help from Eli Okun, Ali Bianco and Irie Sentner

Good Tuesday morning. This is Jack Blanchard, loving the World Cup so far and feeling inspired by the heroics of Cape Verde’s 40-year-old goalkeeper Vozinha, who shut out Spain yesterday. There’s hope for us silver-haired oldies yet! (Sadly, his mom missed his moment of glory, as the family couldn’t afford the visa bond required to enter the U.S.)

And after the soccer … comes the golf. “Organizers of the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics are working with the Trump administration to put on a tournament at the Trump National Golf Club Los Angeles right before the Summer Games,” POLITICO’s Sophia Cai scoops this morning. “The prospect of holding a marquee Olympics-adjacent event at a golf course owned by the presidential family’s Trump Organization highlights the extent to which organizers believe maintaining a productive relationship with the White House is essential to delivering a successful Games.”

In today’s Playbook …

— Crunch time for two Dem hopefuls in the 2028 race.

— All the latest from Evian as Trump and the G7 talk Ukraine.

— The Boldfaces: Mike Collins, Derek Dooley, Brian Kemp, Kevin Warsh, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Jack Schlossberg, Mike Bloomberg, Graham Platner, Susan Collins, Ken Burns and more.

DRIVING THE DAY

A BIG MOMENT FOR 2028: It’s turning into a very big week for two of the buzziest candidates in the Dems’ nascent 2028 presidential field.

Tonight, Sen. Jon Ossoff (D-Ga.) will learn the identity of his Republican opponent in this November’s Senate race — a vital stepping stone on what looks like an increasingly plausible path to the presidential nomination. It comes 24 hours after California Gov. Gavin Newsom received what might just be the ultimate boost for any 2028 wannabe — the coveted Trump DOJ investigation. Now watch both men spend the week seeking to capitalize.

First, to Georgia, where Rep. Mike Collins is widely expected to beat former football coach Derek Dooley to the GOP Senate nomination in today’s primary runoff. Collins edged out Dooley 40 percent to 30 percent in the initial primary on May 19 — and that was before he bagged the all-important Trump endorsement this past weekend. The big question today is where third-placed Rep. Buddy Carter’s supporters now go. (Carter received 20 percent of the vote last month.)

This race has been framed as a power struggle between Trump and Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp, who campaigned hard for Dooley. But it’s worth paying attention to what both leaders are actually saying. In his Truth Social post on Sunday, Trump hailed Collins as a “MAGA warrior” who “has been with me from the very beginning,” contrasting that with an opponent who “didn’t vote in 2020 or 2016, and said that I lost Georgia in 2020.” Clearly, loyalty was top of Trump’s mind. (POLITICO’s Will Steakin and colleagues have the fresh juice on how Collins’ campaign initially feared his abortion stance could cost him the endorsement after a meeting with Trump, who thought it would leave him vulnerable against Ossoff.)

Kemp, by contrast, has been pitching the less tribal Dooley as a “political outsider” who’s Republicans’ “best chance of beating Jon Ossoff” in what’s now a purple state. Kemp has served in state-level politics in Georgia for more than 20 years — and famously defeated a Trump-endorsed candidate in his own gubernatorial primary in 2022 — so he knows a thing or two about winning.

Whoever emerges tonight is going to get plenty of cash thrown their way. The National Republican Senatorial Committee and Senate Leadership Fund last year set up the Georgia Nominee Fund, Playbook’s Adam Wren scoops, a “first-of-its kind joint fundraising operation.” It uses SLF’s independent expenditure fundraising and the NRSC’s infrastructure, and has raised over $1 million for the GOP nominee.

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Tonight’s result could go a long way to deciding the outcome of this pivotal Senate race in November — and beyond that, of Ossoff’s prospects for the 2028 nomination. Ossoff’s clipped-up campaign speeches have been wowing Dem observers, and his fundraising skills are stratospheric. A thumping win in what ought to be a tight November Senate race might propel Ossoff into the 2028 frontrunners category.

Speaking of frontrunners: it’s looking like a pivotal week for Gavin Newsom’s own potential 2028 campaign. His office last night released a FOIA request of Trump administration communications mentioning the governor or his wife, Jennifer Siebel Newsom — the latest PR stunt in an all-out attempt by Team Newsom to frame the investigation into his family finances as a weaponized attack. Expect plenty more of this in the days to come.

To be clear: It’s way too early to say how this will play out. But what is clear is that Newsom will seek to capitalize, regardless. “Persecution by Trump — or even prosecution by his weaponized Department of Justice — is a badge of honor to Democrats, kind of like the political version of a Purple Heart,” veteran Democratic strategist Garry South tells POLITICO California’s Melanie Mason and Dustin Gardiner.

Exhibit A: Just check out the fundraising numbers posted by Sen. Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.) after the Trump administration targeted him over the so-called “Seditious Six” video.

So far, so good … Unless the investigation ends badly for Newsom. “Privately among those in his circle, the belief that Trump has handed Newsom a political gift is not unanimous,” Melanie and Dustin write. “The prospect of federal investigators scouring the governor’s actions — and in particular, the finances of his wife — threatens to be distracting, and potentially damaging if the probes turn up concrete wrongdoing.” In the meantime, expect the governor to try and make hay.

Beyond the Georgia Senate runoff, there are several other races worth watching tonight. “The GA Senate race rightfully gets a lot of attention,” Playbook’s national politics reporter Alec Hernandez told Playbook. “But I’ll be paying closer attention to the primary for governor.”

Rick-rolled? “Trump has proven time and again that his endorsement is a kingmaker in Republican primaries, and Kemp's endorsement in Georgia is a strong second,” Alec says. “Burt Jones has locked down both. But Rick Jackson is testing whether his seemingly endless stream of cash (over $100 million spent so far) can make that establishment support moot. If Jackson were to win, it could mean a major upending of how we think about the strength of these kinds of endorsements.” More from Alec and Erin Doherty

Also worth watching: The gripping Alabama Senate runoff, which Playbook’s Eli Okun previewed earlier this month, where former Navy SEAL sniper Jared Hudson takes on Trump-endorsed Rep. Barry Moore. … The crowded race in the Republican primary for Oklahoma governor, which WaPo previews here. … And D.C.’s own primaries, with the District poised to elect its first new mayor in a dozen years and its first new congressional delegate since 1991. Playbook’s Irie Sentner previewed that one on Sunday … Don’t forget to vote!

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THE DOWNLOAD

FED UP: It’s a milestone day at the Fed with Kevin Warsh set to host his first committee meeting as the central bank’s chair. He’ll step firmly into the spotlight tomorrow to deliver the Fed’s latest decision on monetary policy — when they’re widely expected to hold interest rates steady. But as inflation numbers raise the possibility of the Fed raising rates down the line, Warsh’s words will be closely watched by many — Trump most of all.

ON THE GROUND IN ÉVIAN: Now that he’s reached an agreement with Iran, Trump is shifting his attention back toward ending Russia’s war with Ukraine, joining a meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on the sidelines of the G7 early this morning. But some of Kyiv’s top allies in Europe aren’t thrilled. Behind the scenes, European officials fear Trump “could try to retake control of the Ukraine peace talks, leaving them on the sidelines and derailing their strategy of putting maximal pressure on Russia and fully supporting Ukraine,” POLITICO’s Nicholas Vinocur and colleagues report.

From 30,000 feet: G7 leaders are walking a tightrope this week of appeasing Trump to prevent a meltdown and avoiding topics like the Iran war or defense spending to maintain their fragile interpersonal relationships, POLITICO’s Gigi Ewing writes.

ALL GAS, NO BREAKS: Republicans feeling heartburn over rising gas prices are experiencing a moment of relief that the war might be ending — but they’re split on whether the damage is already done, POLITICO’s Megan Messerly and Scott Waldman report. Gas prices have been falling since Memorial Day, and that could accelerate with the Strait of Hormuz reopening. But there’s fear that voter perception of a declining economy is already baked in. One source close to the White House says “it’s too late.”

Where stakeholders are turning: Venezuela is getting a second look from oil companies given the uncertainty on Iran, with some saying they have “FOMO,” per POLITICO’s Ben Lefebvre and James Bikales.

Watch J.B. Pritzker on On the Road with Jonathan Martin

Gov. J.B. Pritzker joins Jonathan Martin in Chicago for a wide-ranging conversation on Democrats’ future, his own political rise, Trump and what it will take for the party to rebuild.
Watch the interview.

THE FRONT PAGE

ON THE HILL: GOP lawmakers still have a lot of questions about Trump’s Iran deal — and they want their own say, POLITICO’s Jordain Carney and Connor O'Brien write. The absence of any deal text has left an information vacuum, with even Republicans largely saying they need the fine print soon, especially on the future of Iran’s nuclear program. “If you want a deal to last, it can’t be an executive agreement,” Sen. James Lankford (R-Okla.) said. “We’ve got to have a vote of Congress to be able to solidify [it] long term.”

DREAM ANALYSIS: Jack Schlossberg is feeling bullish about his chances of conquering the crowded contest for New York’s 12th Congressional District. Why? Because his cousin Robert F. Kennedy Jr. came to him in a dream. “He was saying, ‘Good job, you're gonna win,’” Schlossberg told Playbook’s Dasha Burns on this week’s episode of “The Conversation.” It’s not the first time RFK Jr. heralded good fortune for Schlossberg, who said he had a similar dream before he passed the bar exam. The full episode drops Friday

ACROSS THE POND: The man bidding to become the next British PM had an unlikely influence — centibillionaire financial data tycoon Mike Bloomberg. The former New York mayor helped Andy Burnham build his political persona, POLITICO’s Dan Bloom writes. “Learning how to build this U.S.-style profile has helped propel Burnham to where he is now, running in a June 18 parliamentary by-election which, if he wins, will allow him to launch a leadership challenge against Keir Starmer.”

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5 THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW

1. THE MAINE LINE: New polling from 2WAY and Wick puts Democrat Graham Platner in a tight contest for Sen. Susan Collins’ (R-Maine) seat. The poll, shared first with Playbook, has Platner at 47.6 percent and Collins at 45.4 percent, within the poll’s 3.1 percent margin of error. Digging deeper, the poll finds female voters favoring Platner, while men favor Collins. But it also shows a majority of voters with at least some concern on Platner’s multiple scandals — the biggest being 47.6 percent who are “very concerned” about the allegations from his former girlfriends. See the polling

2. DEAL OR NO DEAL: CIA Director John Ratcliffe told Trump that U.S. intelligence is casting serious doubt on Iran’s openness to making concessions on its nuclear weapons program in any final deal, Axios’ Barak Ravid scoops. VP JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio also raised questions. Iran has yet to show it’ll come to the table on specifics to reduce its capabilities. Other than reopening the strait, it’s all still a work in progress, POLITICO’s Felicia Schwartz writes.

3. COMING ATTRACTIONS: The Senate could vote as soon as Thursday on Jay Clayton’s bid to lead ODNI, but it’ll need buy-in from all 100 senators to work, Jordain reports. With unanimous consent, his nomination could move at lightning pace, greasing the wheels for some Dems to agree to an extension of government spy powers that lapsed Friday. And on new nominations, Todd Blanche’s bid for AG is meeting cautious optimism, including from key votes like Sen. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.), per Bloomberg.

4. BRAVE NEW WORLD: Anthropic reps met with senior Trump officials in the first in-person meeting since pulling their latest AI model, POLITICO’s Cheyenne Haslett and Sophia Cai report. The company sent senior leaders with research and safeguard expertise to D.C. after multiple hourslong calls with Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick and National Cyber Director Sean Cairncross. The White House’s last-minute restrictions on Anthropic’s new AI model are raising doubts about Trump’s approach, POLITICO’s Brendan Bordelon and colleagues report.

5. THERE CAN BE ONLY ONE: Alaska’s top elections official announced Dan J. Sullivan can’t be on the August primary ballot, stating his campaign was “not filed in good faith,” as it could confuse voters for incumbent GOP Sen. Dan S. Sullivan, POLITICO’s Lisa Kashinsky reports.

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TALK OF THE TOWN

VEEP FILES — VP JD Vance’s new book on his spiritual journey, “Communion: Finding My Way Back to Faith,” ($22.75) is out today. To tout its release, Vance will be on ABC’s “The View” at 11 a.m. Eastern. Given the administration’s history with the program (and with ABC writ large), it’ll be worth a watch.

HEALTH CHECK — Senate Majority Leader John Thune is projecting optimism that Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) will return to work later this week after his hospitalization, Jordain reports. “He wants to be back, but I’ll defer to his staff on when,” Thune said, adding that McConnell “sounded good” when the two spoke.

FIRST IN PLAYBOOK — The Radio Television Correspondents Association is announcing the performers for its second congressional karaoke competition/awards dinner on June 30. The congressional team will feature a duet from Reps. Jared Moskowitz (D-Fla.) and Tim Burchett (R-Tenn.) and performances from Reps. Becca Balint (D-Vt.) and Dave Min (D-Calif.). On the media team, the competitors are NBC’s Sahil Kapur (the defending champion), MS NOW’s Shawna Thomas and C-SPAN’s Robb Harleston.

OUT AND ABOUT — British Ambassador Christian Turner hosted a black-tie dinner last night with Washington luminaries in honor of Ken Burns. The legendary filmmaker spoke about the deep historic and cultural ties that have bound the U.K. and U.S. together for 250 years. During the cocktail hour, guests had the chance to view the original Treaty of Paris, which was on display courtesy of the National Archives. SPOTTED: Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy and Rachel Campos-Duffy, CMS Administrator Mehmet Oz, Sens. Mark Warner (D-Va.), Chris Coons (D-Del.) and Elissa Slotkin (D-Mich.), Alberto Martinez, Keith Krach, Andy Baker, Cyber Director Sean Cairncross, Nick Luna, FCC Chair Brendan Carr, Luke Thompson, Jarrod Agen, Troy Edgar, Dario Gil, Sarah Rogers, Jill Hazelbaker, Jan Bayer, Charles Rivkin, Mark Ein, Wilbur Ross, David Ginsberg, Stewart McLaurin, Matt Gorman, Jonathan Barzilay, Adrienne Arsht, Claire Turner, Rima Al Sabah and Eric Fanning.

MEDIA MOVE — Breanne Deppisch is now a senior politics reporter at the Daily Mail. She previously worked at Fox News. … Douglas Murray has joined the Free Press as a columnist. He previously worked at The Spectator.

TRANSITIONS — Xanthe Scharff has been named president and CEO of the Women’s Refugee Commission. She most recently worked at the Freedom Fund. … Joe Costello has joined TLG Communications as a senior director. He previously worked at Tusk Strategies. … Megan Apper has joined the corporate communications team at AMD. She most recently worked at the Council on Foreign Relations and is an alum of the U.S. Treasury. … Theo Gardner-Puschak is now senior strategist at Slingshot Strategies. He was previously at Sunshine, Sachs, Morgan & Lylis.

ENGAGED — Ben Monticello, legislative director for Rep. Darin LaHood (R-Ill.), and Isabel Lane, senior public affairs adviser at Holland & Knight, got engaged over the weekend at Meridian Hill Park. Pic … Another pic

WEDDING — Rebecca Hattar, a senior legislative assistant for Senate Environment and Public Works Chair Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.), and Casey Hines, an engineer at the FAA, got married May 30 at Whitehall Manor in Annapolis, Maryland. The University of Virginia alums met in D.C. Pic, via Sarah Murray Photography … Another pic

HAPPY BIRTHDAY: Rep. Jason Smith (R-Mo.) … MS NOW’s Zack Stanton … Don McGahn … Michael Isikoff … Phil Singer of Marathon Strategies … Liz Bourgeois … NPR’s Steve Inskeep … POLITICO’s Madison Fernandez, Sophie Gardner, Greta Forslund and Nicole Norman … Colin Diersing … Fountain Productions’ Rachel Wellford … Cook Political Report’s Jessica Taylor … Matt Gruda … Indira Lakshmanan … Mark Tapscott … Frank Sánchez … former Rep. Robert Hurt (R-Va.) … Reid Wilson … Phil Cox of GP3 Partners and P2 Public Affairs … Jared Kamrass of Technicolor Campaigns … James Kim of the American Cleaning Institute … Ryan Yeager … Shelley Husband of the Association of American Publishers … Cristina Gallotto … Rocky Deal

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Correction: Yesterday’s Playbook misstated the nature of a gathering that Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker is hosting at his Chicago residence. It is a dinner.

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