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By Dasha Burns, Will Steakin and Adam Wren |
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With help from Eli Okun, Ali Bianco and Irie Sentner Good Monday morning, we’re back with a MAGA world dispatch on the movement’s latest displeasure with the Trump administration. Refresh the X app and get in touch. In today’s Playbook … — MAGA looks to ice out Markwayne Mullin over words — and despite actions. — Todd Blanche’s nomination looks to be back on the table in the Senate. — The Boldfaces: Laura Loomer, Gregory Bovino, Bill Pulte, Steve Bannon, Josh Shapiro, Wes Moore, John Cornyn, Jay Clayton, Kamala Harris, Ashley Moody, James Talarico and more.
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DRIVING THE DAY |
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Another of Donald Trump’s Cabinet secretaries is on the rocks — but this time, the surge of displeasure is swelling from the right. Influential MAGA voices say DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin is too quick to please ambitious Democrats and far too conciliatory in his tone when describing a pillar mission of the department that’s equally critical for the movement. Rage boiled over on X Saturday after Mullin spoke about immigration reform at the National Governors Association Summer Meeting in Oklahoma City. Drawing a distinction between immigrants pursuing legal status and those who aren’t, he called for changes to employment visa programs to address labor shortages. A couple hours later, he posted on X: “NO amnesty for illegal aliens. Ever.” Mullin sustained a barrage of attacks from the likes of Laura Loomer, Robby Starbuck, Nick Sortor, Tomi Lahren, and former Border Patrol chief Gregory Bovino. Popular MAGA podcaster Jake Posobiec told Playbook that after Mullin’s comments over the weekend “there is a growing wave among MAGA to find a DHS secretary who puts deportations first.” The new MAGA conventional wisdom: Mullin is weak on immigration. That has some Trump allies pushing for a less-diplomatic choice for the job: Bill Pulte. “MAGA wants President Trump to detail ‘Pitbull’ Pulte to DHS,” Steve Bannon, part of a growing chorus of the MAGA faithful blasting Mullin, told Playbook. “Mullin is the wrong guy at the wrong time for the wrong job — a time when we need focus on ‘mass deportations,’ we get an amnesty advocate.” But the numbers say otherwise. Nearly every metric — including removals, arrests, detention population — is up, with several at record or near-record levels for this administration. And the president is standing by Mullin so far. “The President has confidence in Secretary Mullin and his entire Administration to carry out the agenda the American people voted for,” White House deputy press secretary Abigail Jackson told Playbook. A DHS spokesperson said: “We are all focused on delivering on the President’s mission to deport illegal aliens and protect the homeland. Anyone who says otherwise is just trying to sow division and create an illusion of chaos.” DHS pointed to 985,000 deportations, 1 million arrests, and 2.2 million self-deportations of unauthorized people in the U.S. But for a movement that cares just as much about rhetoric and posture as results, that may not be enough to silence the far right. And it’s not limited to the MAGA internet universe. “It takes a lot to unite this administration around a cohesive point of view,” a senior administration official told Playbook. “Mullin deserves credit where credit is due. Everyone agrees he sucks donkey butt.” Add to the list of grievances: elevating ambitious Democrats. Mullin stumbled into another morass potentially even more damaging, drawing praise from at least two potential 2028 Democratic presidential candidates. The wave of backlash came — at least in part — in response to the Friday outing of Mullin’s surprisingly chummy relationship with Pennsylvania Democratic Gov. Josh Shapiro, who recounted a win alongside the DHS secretary to Playbook. Then on Saturday, Maryland Gov. Wes Moore lathered Mullin with praise at the NGA, saying, “there has been an absolute difference in what we have seen from the start of the administration until now.” Mullin, for his part, acknowledged from the stage talking to Moore “quite a bit.” Asked if Shapiro’s comments hurt Mullin more, the official replied: “Yes. 100%.” “He’s a people pleaser, and that doesn’t work when you’re a Cabinet official.” This past weekend represents a culmination of frustration with Mullin, who drew MAGA fire last month after DHS ordered ICE officers to suspend most vehicle stops following two deadly shootings in a week. The move prompted multiple House Democrats Mullin’s been friendly with to reach out privately with praise for the move, a source familiar with the conversations said. “He acts like this is an embassy job,” a former administration official told Playbook. On today’s Playbook Podcast: Dasha and Will discuss why Mullin’s words are louder than his actions when it comes to attracting MAGA ire, and they’re joined by POLITICO’s California Bureau Chief Melanie Mason to catch up on the latest with Kamala Harris.
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A message from Anthropic: Helping a Boston restaurant owner support his team
Running a restaurant means financial pressure and moving parts. At Shy Bird, owner Eli Feldman uses Claude to help solve problems from kitchen organization to manager coaching, so he can give more to the people who make the restaurant run. Learn more. |
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THE DOWNLOAD |
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THE SENATE’S BIG WEEK: Senators will take a procedural vote at 5:30 p.m. on a stopgap funding bill to keep the government operational at status-quo levels past the midterms. The bipartisan aim is to pass the funding patch by week’s end, teeing it up for the House’s return in September, POLITICO’s Jennifer Scholtes and Katherine Tully-McManus report. The bill would punt any possible shutdown to Dec. 11. But the newly released agreement contains at least one hard pill to swallow for House Republicans: blocking the White House, for now, from installing political appointees to decide federal grant awards. More from POLITICO’s Inside Congress
- Carte Blanche: Todd Blanche’s nomination to take over as full-time AG may be back on track this week, after a spokesperson for Sen. John Cornyn said late last night he had come to terms with DOJ on a deal to rein in the controversial settlement agreement Trump reached with the IRS in April. The breakthrough comes after Trump on Air Force One yesterday said he wants to revive the “Anti-Weaponization Fund.” More from POLITICO’s Chris Marquette
INTELLIGENCE QUOTIENT: Jay Clayton takes over as DNI today from Bill Pulte, the Trump attack dog who made sweeping layoffs in his short time as acting head of the intelligence office. PURE MICHIGAN: Attention shifts tomorrow to hard-fought primaries in the Great Lakes State, where three Senate and House contests provide a critical test for progressives/democratic socialists vs. moderates/establishment Dems, POLITICO’s Erin Doherty and Andrew Howard write. Republicans have their share of drama too: Rep. John James is the frontrunner to land the gubernatorial nomination, but the primary with Perry Johnson has turned personal and strange, POLITICO’s Emilio Perez Ibarguen reports.
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A message from Anthropic:  
Helping a Boston restaurant owner support his team
Running a restaurant comes with pressure. At Shy Bird, Claude helps Eli Feldman do more for his team. Learn more. |
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THE FRONT PAGE |
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2028 WATCH: Is Kamala Harris running for president again? Close observers and people in her orbit are split, POLITICO’s Melanie Mason reports. She’s not ruling anything out yet — or delivering any clear messages. Donors say they don’t hear much from Harris. But she’s been focusing more on the midterms and voting rights, keeping her political operation small while also studying up on AI. FIRST IN PLAYBOOK: Environmental Defense Fund Action is betting big on a Democratic wave. In a new memo, the group announced at least a $15 million midterm investment in campaigns and a ground game boosting Democrats, while urging allies to “go all-in” on an expanding map, arguing the party should compete in leaning and likely Republican districts as backlash to Trump’s agenda creates opportunities beyond the traditional battlegrounds. — Ad it up: Home of the Brave is putting $2 million behind a new national digital ad and billboards, slamming Trump for high prices. The spot spoofs law office commercials: “Have you or a loved one been injured by sticker shock this summer?” Watch it here FEELING MOODY: Florida Republicans think GOP Sen. Ashley Moody will win this fall. But some don’t love the very low-key way she’s going about it, POLITICO’s Kimberly Leonard and Gary Fineout report from Miami. Some operatives worry a lack of enthusiasm for Moody hurting Republicans down ballot. But Moody’s campaign is consistent with how she’s always approached her political career, lacking the ubiquitous aggression of other top Florida Republicans. THE MEASURE OF A MAN: Texas Republicans have united in attacking Democratic state Rep. James Talarico’s masculinity as a cudgel in the Senate race, including false claims that he’s vegan or gay. But Talarico is addressing it head-on, trying to win over young men with a different narrative about manhood (plus Joe Rogan and barbecue), POLITICO’s Calen Razor reports. Whether Talarico or AG Ken Paxton sufficiently claims a macho mantle — and how much that really matters with voters — remains an open question.
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A message from Anthropic:  
How a Boston restaurant owner uses Claude to help support his team |
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5 THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW |
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1. THE ART OF THE DEAL: The Iran war’s perpetual pendulum is swinging back from conflict to negotiations, as Trump said the next talks will commence this afternoon. Behind the scenes, Oman and other regional interlocutors are trying to make progress with Iran toward reopening the Strait of Hormuz, just as Saudi Arabia helped get Trump to stand down. But nothing fundamental seems to have changed, making a resolution still look distant: The Iranian Foreign Ministry said yesterday a deal with Oman wouldn’t reopen the strait. Nonetheless, oil prices dropped last night.
- Meanwhile in Gaza: In some of Israel’s first public comments since the Board of Peace announced a Gaza deal, PM Benjamin Netanyahu’s government sounded skeptical and cited “serious security concerns” with the plan to get Hamas to disarm, per the AP. Israeli strikes kept raining down on Gaza, killing 17 more people, including kids.
2. THE MAX MILLER FUROR: Even as the Ohio GOP congressman strongly rejected domestic-abuse allegations against him, the controversy is reaching a new peak this week thanks to Sen. Bernie Moreno (R-Ohio). Miller’s ex-father-in-law spoke out yesterday, saying the past two years have been “pure hell” for his family and that Miller shouldn’t be in the House. “Max Miller needs serious psychological help,” Moreno wrote. “He is a danger to my daughter.” More from the Plain Dealer 3. A YEN FOR YEN: Japan is due to announce today that the U.S. and Japan jointly intervened in the currency market to try to prop up the sliding yen, the first time they’ve done so since 2011, as Reuters scooped. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent previewed the action last night, writing on X, “The Trump Administration delivers for America's trusted partners. Economic security is national security. And the U.S.-Japan alliance is built on both.” 4. KNIVES OUT FOR KEN MARTIN: As the DNC chair’s stewardship has come under a cascade of criticism in recent weeks, Martin is doubling down, “defensive and extremely distrustful of others,” AP’s Steve Peoples reports. Martin has rejected the idea of making significant changes at the DNC, or opening up with public appearances. So despite the calls for him to go, few people expect a shakeup anytime soon. 5. THE GREAT GROVEL: “How a Top Law Firm Went From Standing Up to Trump to Bending the Knee,” by NYT’s Michael Schmidt and Jessica Silver-Greenberg: “Paul Weiss’s bow to the White House was the culmination of a reordering of power and finances behind the scenes at the firm for years. … The pursuit of Wall Street business in service of higher profits per partner — a key metric for law firms — was at odds with its social justice principles. When Mr. Trump took aim at Paul Weiss, in part because of its activist history, the firm’s long-simmering identity crisis became an existential crisis.”
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A message from Anthropic: Helping a Boston restaurant owner support his team
Running a restaurant means financial pressure and moving parts. At Shy Bird, owner Eli Feldman uses Claude to help solve problems from kitchen organization to manager coaching, so he can give more to the people who make the restaurant run. Learn more. |
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TALK OF THE TOWN |
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THE PHOTO HEARD ’ROUND THE GOP — Marjorie Taylor Greene lit up the political world over the weekend, posting a photo alongside a who’s who of onetime-Trump-supporters-turned-biggest-Trump-critics and declaring, “The movement has begun.” The photo, which featured Tucker Carlson, Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.), Joe Kent and Brian Glenn, set off a firestorm online that was equal parts roasting and praise. But the people in the room are taking the gathering’s purpose rather seriously. “It was like laying the groundwork for the first Continental Congress in 1774,” Glenn — the former pro-Trump journalist who once infamously scolded Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy for not wearing a suit to the White House, and who just married Greene in a Vegas wedding — told Playbook. “Trump could’ve never gotten elected without MTG and Tucker Carlson,” he added. “This is a political earthquake.” One MAGA world figure texted Playbook: “This crew doesn’t really represent anything in American politics.” Another called the group “the island of misfit traitors.” IN MEMORIAM — “Former U.S. Rep. Kay Granger dies at 83, Speaker Johnson says,” by the Dallas Morning News’ Joseph Morton and colleagues: “In addition to being the mayor of Fort Worth for four years starting in 1991, Granger would move on in 1997 to the U.S. House of Representatives, becoming the first Republican woman from Texas to be elected to the House. Granger was also the first Republican woman appointed to chair the House Appropriations Committee.” SCARY STUFF — Rep. Marcy Kaptur (D-Ohio) was a victim of a hit-and-run car accident on her way to church yesterday, her office said. She was hospitalized but is in stable condition and has non-life-threatening injuries. More from the Plain Dealer MEDIAWATCH — Former “60 Minutes” executive producer Bill Owens is casting about for funding to launch a new rival to the CBS stalwart, using Scott Pelley and other top talent that has formed an exodus under Bari Weiss, the NY Post’s Alexandra Steigrad scooped. It remains to be seen whether they can raise the $50 million they’re aiming at for two years. WHAT’S IN A NAME — Morocco is renaming a major thoroughfare, which stretches into Western Sahara, the Donald J. Trump Highway, per Bloomberg. MEDIA MOVE — Jonas Du is now covering Washington, D.C., for Pirate Wires. He previously was at The Free Press. TRANSITION — Nick Vucic is joining the Children’s Defense Fund as national director of public affairs. He most recently worked at HHS’ Administration for Children and Families. ENGAGED — Nathan Brand, president of On Brand Strategies and adviser to Sen. Tim Scott (R-S.C.), and Natasha Pasui, deputy director of events and member services at the NRSC, got engaged Friday. He proposed at the National Portrait Gallery, then surprised her with a celebration with friends and visiting family at Dirty Habit — retracing the route of their first date. The two met at a happy hour before Jennifer DeCasper’s birthday movie (“Jurassic World”) last year. Pic, via Oscar Navarre … Another pic WEEKEND WEDDING — Juan Ayala, comms director for Rep. Dan Newhouse (R-Wash.), and Sharon Popke, a registered nurse at Inova Fairfax, got married Saturday at Riggs in D.C. Pics and content by Dove & Fox and Chapter and Chapel … Another image … SPOTTED: retired Maj. Gen. Juan Ayala and Diane Ayala, Diego Zambrano, Keith Fernandez, Mary Collins Howell, Ashlie Dolce, Angela Chiappetta, Jason Howell, Jeremy Ortiz, Michael Guy, Ashley Juhn, Will Pietri, Jae Jang, Jack Wilkinson, Sara Guerrero and Francisco Flores-Pourrat. HAPPY BIRTHDAY: Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) … Reps. Gabe Vasquez (D-N.M.) and Ryan Mackenzie (R-Pa.) … Matthew Foldi … Jacob Weisberg of Pushkin Industries … Dmitri Mehlhorn … Bernadette Meehan … KFF Health News’ Rachana Pradhan … ABC’s Ben Siegel and John Parkinson … Scott Parkinson … Jeff Dressler of SoftBank … Tom Freedman … Matt Compton … former Sen. Roland Burris (D-Ill.) … Erikka Knuti … Katherine Robertson of the Alabama AG’s office … Graham MacGillivray … City Journal’s Brian Anderson … Brian Morgenstern … Dow Jones’ Clarissa Matthews … Joe Ramallo of the Senate HELP GOP … Jay Caruso … Rachael Shackelford Dussuau … Reuters’ Brad Brooks … Ken Nahigian … DNC’s Emma Bailey … James Wegmann … Andrew Craft … Christian Paz … Vicki Cram of Thorn Run Partners … Tom Qualtere of CRC Advisors … Colin Oldenburg of the DLCC … Jordan Burke … POLITICO’s Natalie Skees … Jessica Ennis Kitelyn 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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