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By Jack Blanchard with Dasha Burns |
Presented by |
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With help from Eli Okun, Ali Bianco and Irie Sentner Good Thursday morning. This is Jack Blanchard. Yes, they’re still counting in California. Get in touch. In today’s Playbook … — For Todd Blanche, winning Trump’s approval was only half the struggle. — Senators brace for vote-a-rama. — The Boldfaces: Thom Tillis, Bill Cassidy, John Cornyn, James Comey, John Brennan, Pam Bondi, Jon Ossoff, Lisa Cook, Sam Altman, Bill Pulte, Brian Armstrong, Jamie Dimon and more.
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DRIVING THE DAY |
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TODD GETS THE NOD: Donald Trump will nominate his former defense lawyer Todd Blanche to be the next U.S. attorney general today after a two-month audition for the job. But it’s just the start of the next battle for Blanche, who now faces an almighty task to get his nomination through a skeptical Senate. ICYMI: Playbook’s Dasha Burns and POLITICO colleague Myah Ward confirmed Trump’s decision last night, with one official telling Dasha that Blanche was informed on Tuesday. (CNN was first to report an announcement was likely.) The White House then released video late last night of Trump telling a Rose Garden Club dinner that he’ll push forward Blanche’s nomination today. Top marks for optimism: Trump told the crowd he believes the confirmation process will go “very quickly.” Let’s see how that works out. All eyes on Tillis: The first potential roadblock for Blanche is Sen. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.), the “YOLO Republican” retiring this November who’s been more than happy to buck Trump. Tillis sits on several powerful committees including Senate Judiciary, the key body tasked with approving Blanche’s nomination. He can really snarl this up if he wants to. Reminder: Tillis recently held up the confirmation of new Fed Chair Kevin Warsh in a successful effort to force the DOJ to drop its investigation into Jerome Powell. He also torpedoed Ed Martin’s nomination for a key DOJ role over his support for Jan. 6 rioters. Now he has concerns about Blanche. Speaking to POLITICO’s Jordain Carney last month, Tillis savaged the $1.8 billion "anti-weaponization" fund signed off (and since abandoned) by Blanche as “an embarrassment” — and said it would “absolutely” be “in the mix” when he came to consider a new permanent AG. And that’s not all: Tillis said he would also consider what he dubbed “bogus” lawsuits pushed forward by Trump’s DOJ, including the latest indictment of former FBI chief James Comey. “I want to know whose fingerprints were on it,” Tillis told Jordain. “Anything where they were in the decision loop, yeah, they got a lot of questions to answer to get my support.” Blanche’s name was literally all over the DOJ press release announcing Comey’s indictment. The irony: Blanche’s decision to seek new charges — three weeks after becoming Acting AG — is thought to have been a key factor in convincing Trump to offer him the job full-time. Trump expressed frustration with Blanche’s predecessor Pam Bondi over the DOJ’s failure to successfully prosecute his political enemies on what have often appeared the flimsiest of charges. And let’s not forget: Bondi already moved the bar a long way. “During the Bondi era, many were stunned by the lengths to which the Justice Department was going to carry out Trump's political vendettas,” POLITICO’s legal ace Josh Gerstein tells Playbook. “During Blanche's tenure that drive has only intensified. It was on display with the re-indictment of Comey, the hiring of Joe diGenova to chase after John Brennan, and an aggressive probe of Iran-related leaks that resulted in subpoenas to news organizations. The moves seemed like an overt campaign by Blanche to win the nod for the permanent AG job, although he always publicly denied he was auditioning.” Pick me, pick me! Blanche has bent over backward to convince Trump of his loyalty, most recently signing off on the highly scrutinized deal exempting Trump and his family from future IRS investigations. And at times, his obsequiousness toward the president has been toe-curling. “If [Trump] chooses to nominate me, that’s an honor,” Blanche told a press conference in April. “If he chooses to nominate somebody else and I go back to being the D[eputy] AG, that’s an honor. If he chooses to nominate somebody else and asks me to go do something else, I will say — ‘Thank you very much. I love you, sir.’” But the lovebombing worked, with Trump telling a conservative podcast host yesterday that Blanche is a “very talented guy” doing “a very good job.” In the end, few observers close to the White House were surprised. “He is the only sensible pick and will make a great AG,” an administration official tells Myah.
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A message from Vapor Technology Association: The science is clear: Vaping saves lives, and youth vaping is at historic lows. Now Acting FDA Commissioner Diamantas must fix the broken system to save vaping: establish predictable scientific guidelines for PMTA review, enforce against illicit products that fail those standards, and protect adult Americans relying on flavored vapes to quit smoking. FDA policy must change to catch up to its own data. The window is open — act now. |
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Nope: Democrats don’t agree, harboring deep concerns about Blanche’s record in government — as acting AG and as Bondi’s deputy — and in his previous life as Trump’s lead defense attorney battling multiple criminal cases. “There is no world in which Todd Blanche could earn my vote,” Sen. Jon Ossoff (D-Ga.) said last night. “Todd Blanche is a crony. Todd Blanche is a loyalist. He has no business as the nation's top law enforcement official.” The question is how many Republican Senators — beyond Tillis — might agree. Hill journos will canvass the usual suspects like Sens. Rand Paul (Ky.), Lisa Murkowski (Alaska) and Susan Collins (Maine), along with the now occasionally rebellious Mitch McConnell (Ky.) and Bill Cassidy (La.), who both retire in November. John Cornyn (Texas), forced out — like Cassidy — in a Trump-fueled primary last month, remains a wild card. Worth noting: They all backed Blanche’s nomination to be deputy AG last year. But much has changed since. “The key question is whether the GOP senators Blanche threw into a tizzy last week over the anti-weaponization fund will let bygones be bygones,” Josh tells Playbook. “Or whether the lame duck senators, those aggrieved at Trump, and those who might be looking to create some space with the administration for political reasons make Blanche's confirmation a nail-biter.” On today’s Playbook Podcast: Jack and Dasha discuss why Trump picked Blanche, and how the next big oil shock could be a disaster for the president.
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THE DOWNLOAD |
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AT THE HIGH COURT: It’s an opinion day — and we’re closing in on the Supreme Court’s final weeks before its summer recess. And while they’ve already struck out Trump’s tariffs, there are still plenty of cases to watch. Keep your eye on the news around 10 a.m.
- Still on the docket: Justices will rule before summer’s end on everything from rules on campaign spending and coordination, to Trump’s authority to fire the Fed’s Lisa Cook or the FTC’s Rebecca Slaughter. They’ll also rule on trans athletes, counting ballots after election day, asylum declarations at the border, TPS protections and of course — Trump’s push to eliminate birthright citizenship.
VOTE-A-RAMA DAY: Senate Republicans launched debate on the party-line immigration enforcement funding bill after weeks of delay, even as internal concerns continue over the future of the DOJ’s “Anti-Weaponization Fund,” POLITICO’s Jordain Carney reports. The updated bill doesn’t include the DOJ fund or funding for the White House ballroom. But don’t expect those issues to go away … the vote-a-rama is set to kick off around 10 a.m. Democrats already signaled plans to push back with amendments aimed at killing the DOJ fund permanently — and some GOP senators might just sign on. If the Senate proceeds with final passage tonight, the House could take up the bill as soon as tomorrow morning. MEANWHILE IN THE HOUSE: Speaker Mike Johnson said lawmakers plan to unveil the discussion draft of a bipartisan AI regulatory framework today, POLITICO’s Meredith Lee Hill and colleagues write. Movement on the bill comes a day after OpenAI’s Sam Altman made the rounds yesterday, meeting with Republican and Democratic lawmakers.
- Trend to watch: The House is also dealing with the reauthorization of key government spy powers, which expire next week. But Democratic leaders now say they could block FISA over concerns about Bill Pulte’s nomination to lead ODNI, with Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries telling Punchbowl that Pulte’s elevation is “about to cause the plug to be pulled.”
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THE FRONT PAGE |
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DOWN ON WALL STREET: Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong is Dasha’s guest on this week’s forthcoming episode of “The Conversation,” and we’ve got an exclusive sneak preview today of his response to JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon calling Armstrong “full of shit” last week over Armstrong’s support for a crypto bill moving through Congress. “I’ve got a lot of respect for Jamie Dimon, so it was kind of sad to hear that,” Armstrong said. “I’m a little perplexed by that,” he added. “I think in general, when people communicate through the media, nuance gets lost.” FIRST IN PLAYBOOK: The new book from bestselling “Moneyball” and “The Big Short” author Michael Lewis will be an exposé of Elon Musk’s DOGE project and the Trump administration’s broader efforts to reshape the federal government. Publisher W. W. Norton & Co. says “Blockers: Rebels in the Deep State” will peel back the curtain on how key individuals inside the U.S. government were targeted as DOGE officials scrapped hundreds of federal projects and ripped apart countless long-standing policies and processes last year. Those protesting the changes internally were dubbed “blockers” by the incoming administration. Many were simply swept away. It’s due out Oct. 6. “Every now and then the world hands you the material for a wild story,” Lewis told Playbook last night. “The collision between the Trump Administration and the civil service is one of those moments.” WADING DEEPER INTO 2026: Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro is up with the first general-election ad of his reelection bid, a 30-second spot touting his universal free breakfast program that serves 1.7 million kids, POLITICO’S Lisa Kashinsky writes in. His campaign is spending over $400,000 on the ad that’s running on TV statewide, plus another six figures on digital. Shapiro’s hitting the airwaves even as he leads his rival, GOP state Treasurer Stacy Garrity, by double digits in polling and amasses a staggering cash advantage. AD IT UP: Senate Leadership Fund, the top Senate GOP super PAC aligned with Majority Leader John Thune, is launching its first ad slamming newly-minted Democratic nominee Josh Turek in Iowa as “America’s Favorite Liberal,” Dasha scoops. Watch the ad
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5 THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW |
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1. PLATNER PLOTZ: In his private meeting this week with Democratic senators, Graham Platner tried to quell growing concerns over his campaign for Maine Senate — with multiple senators asking if they should expect more allegations against him to emerge in the coming days, WSJ’s Eliza Collins and colleagues scoop. Platner denied further allegations will emerge, saying: “The worst of the rumors we’ve all heard are not true.” 2. WILDERNESS DISPATCH: This month will test much of the greater Democratic Party’s future, with a host of primaries that could refine the party’s message and direction, POLITICO’s Andrew Howard and Lisa Kashinsky write. Next up are contests in Maine, Colorado and New York that will test key questions on Israel and generational change. 3. WAR REPORT: Trump told aides behind the scenes that he’ll only end the ceasefire with Iran if they kill American troops, WSJ’s Alexander Ward and colleagues scoop. But as negotiations drag on, one of the main sticking points is monetary compensation, which the administration worries would lessen its leverage against Tehran, CNN’s Alayna Treene and Kevin Liptak report.
- How it’s playing: The House approved, for the first time, an effort to halt the Iran war, with some Republicans joining Democrats to buck Trump, per POLITICO’s Connor O'Brien and Leo Shane III. The largely symbolic vote calls for ending operations without congressional approval, but is the clearest signal yet of growing discontent within the GOP over the war. The Senate adopted a similar discharge petition before the recess.
4. OIL CHANGE NEEDED: The oil industry is warning the administration that the war in Iran created a “Hormuz-sized hole” in the market that’s draining inventories and could send energy prices soaring in the next several weeks, POLITICO’s Ben Lefebvre and James Bikales report for Pros. Executives flagged concerns to the White House as recently as last month, with one industry executive saying “You’re hitting tank bottom.” A White House official dismissed claims that any senior staff received industry warnings. 5. THE CASE OF THE MISSING CONGRESSMAN: After her primary victory, Democrat Rebecca Bennett has the playing field for New Jersey’s highly competitive 7th Congressional District largely to herself, with Republican Rep. Tom Kean Jr. still MIA, POLITICO’s Matt Friedman writes. Kean hasn’t voted since March 5, and while Bennett told Matt she wishes him a “good recovery,” she added he’s “absolutely failed this district.” Speaker Johnson told reporters he knows what Kean’s health issue is, but will not disclose it.
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TALK OF THE TOWN |
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FIRST IN PLAYBOOK: Current and former defense officials are pushing back on acting Pentagon press secretary Joel Valdez’s claims that blocking journalist access to the agency’s press office is due to designating it a SCIF for speechwriters’ use, POLITICO’s Daniel Lippman and Paul McLeary report. But the office has long been designated a SCIF, according to former Pentagon public affairs head Sabrina Singh and former DOD and State Department spokesman John Kirby. “Most of what the speechwriters deal with is not handling classified information,” Singh said. “They just need to be able to have access to it if and when they need it.” Kirby said that “there has always been a SCIF inside the press office because the press officers need access to classified material,” and “there is no reason that speechwriters — who need less access to classified material than press officers — could not also avail themselves of that space.” When asked for comment, Valdez said in a statement: “These sources clearly don’t know what they’re talking about. Speechwriters do handle classified information and will continue to do so in their office space shared with the Pentagon press office.” ALL IN THE FAMILY — “GOP Rep. Max Miller reveals bombshell secret audio of ex-wife to The Post after abuse claims from senator’s daughter,” by NY Post’s Ryan King: “Embattled Rep. Max Miller (R-Ohio), whose increasingly complicated re-election is critical to the GOP holding the House, shared secret recordings he captured of his ex-wife to The Post as he tries to fend off allegations that he abused her and that he’s an unfit parent for their 2-year-old.” OUT AND ABOUT — Sen. Eric Schmitt (R-Mo.) and Rep. Wesley Bell (D-Mo.) hosted the second bipartisan, bicameral Congressional Chess Tournament yesterday in the Kennedy Caucus Room. Members of Congress played against visiting students and members of the St. Louis Chess Club. THE PLAYERS: Schmitt, Bell, Reps. Ann Wagner (R-Mo.) and Bob Onder (R-Mo.), and Sens. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) and Josh Hawley (R-Mo.). But the winners were often the visiting students. — P&G and Global Cellulose Fibers hosted their fifth annual event, “U.S. Manufacturing: Delivering for Moms, Girls & Babies,” yesterday afternoon at the American Trucking Association. Attendees packed over 300 kits of essential P&G personal hygiene products made with critical GCF inputs, which were donated to Mary’s Center, a local nonprofit serving women and girls. SPOTTED: Reps. Shontel Brown (D-Ohio), Buddy Carter (R-Ga.) and David Rouzer (R-N.C.), Julie Alsup, Nicole Collier, Selina Jackson, Tara Hogan Charles, Meghan Plotz, Jonny Slemrod, Joel Bailey, Syd Terry, Blake Nanney, Joe Ambrosi, Nick Johns, Gia Komst, Elizabeth Olds, Peter Ingle, Naomi Fecher-Davis, and Jaqlyn Alderete. — SPOTTED at Engage's State of the Majority Summit at the Milken Center for Advancing the American Dream: Sens. Maggie Hassan (D-N.H.), Deb Fischer (D-Neb.) and Todd Young (R-Ind.), Reps. Joyce Beatty (D-Ohio), Debbie Dingell (D-Mich.), Lauren Underwood (D-Ill.) and Mike Turner (R-Ohio), Rachel Pearson, Kevin O'Leary, Holly Page, Ashley Davis, Shannon McGhan, Jill Kozeny, Cindy Goff, Nancy LeaMond, Adrienne Elrod, Rylin Rodgers, Shelley Waters Boot, Sadie Kilner, Kit Young, Olivia Igbokwe-Curry, Pam Thiessen, Meghan Tiara, De’Ara Balenger, Christina Gungoll Lepore and Michelle Barlow Richardson. — The World Food Program USA held a reception honoring Cindy McCain for her service as executive director of the U.N. World Food Program and her continued work combating global hunger, hosted with the chairs of the House and Senate Hunger Caucuses yesterday in the Senate's Mansfield Room. SPOTTED: Sens. Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), John Thune (R-S.D.), Jerry Moran (R-Kan.), Chris Coons (D-Del.), Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.), Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), Tim Kaine (D-Va.), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), John Boozman (R-Ark.), Cory Booker (D-N.J.), Bill Cassidy (R-La.), Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.), Elissa Slotkin (D-Mich.), Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), Susan Collins (R-Maine) and Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), Dan Goldman (D-N.Y.), Tracey Mann (R-Kan.), Jim McGovern (D-Mass.) and Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), Tom Daschle, Heidi Heitkamp, Charlie Black and Rick Davis. MEDIA MOVE — Amanda Marsh has joined Resolute as SVP of paid media, leading marketing and business development. She is a ROKK, POLITICO and BPI alum. TRANSITION — Andrew Fisher is now a principal on HBS’ federal team. He previously was chief of staff for the Department of Agriculture’s farm production and conservation mission area. WEDDING — Lily Patricof, a political fundraiser and co-founder/co-executive director of Democratic donor membership organization Juno, recently wed Teddy Himler, founder and managing partner at VC firm Optimist Ventures. Pic ... Another pic HAPPY BIRTHDAY: Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah) … Reps. Chris Pappas (D-N.H.), Marie Gluesenkamp Perez (D-Wash.) and Jim Baird (R-Ind.) … Mike Murphy … Colby Itkowitz … ProPublica’s Justin Elliott … May (Davis) Mailman … MS NOW’s Emily Gold … POLITICO’s Carlos Anchondo and Chase Sutton … Scott Tranter … Camden Stuebe of Free the Facts … Joey Coon of the Niskanen Center … Chatham Advisory Group’s Steve Lombardo … Meta’s Ryan Daniels … DGA Group’s Jason Attermann … John Arundel of Perdicus Communications … Mort Zuckerman … Amelia Showalter … David Bolger … Daniel Swartz … Patrick Dumas of the House Ways and Means GOP 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. Correction: Tuesday’s Playbook misspelled Nithya Raman’s name.
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A message from Vapor Technology Association: Youth vaping is at its lowest level in over twelve years — a direct result of common-sense restrictions that the vapor industry championed. The FDA's own data tells a clear story. Yet policy has failed to keep pace with science.
With new leadership now in place, Acting Commissioner Diamantas has a narrow and consequential window to deliver real reform built on three pillars: transparent, evidence-based scientific standards for PMTA review so e-cigarette manufacturers know exactly what is required; consistent enforcement against bad actors failing those standards— the actual source of the problem; and surgical enforcement criteria that target predatory design and youth-facing marketing, not the compliant products millions of American smokers depend on.
Protecting youth and preserving adult consumer access are not competing goals. A real and well-designed regulatory framework achieves both. The science is clear. The leadership is in place. It's time to fix the system and save vaping. |
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