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By Megan Messerly, Dasha Burns, Adam Wren and Will Steakin |
Presented by |
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With help from Eli Okun, Ali Bianco and Irie Sentner Good Wednesday morning. When you load up your chatbot of choice today, spare a thought for the president and get in touch. In today’s Playbook … — Why Donald Trump is becoming the data center defender. — A lot of Republicans are skipping out on Trump’s midterm election convention. — The Boldfaces: Steve Bannon, Greg Abbott, Jason Calacanis, Susan Collins, Brett Guthrie, Hakeem Jeffries, Ed Markey, Howard Lutnick, JD Vance, Tucker Carlson and more.
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DRIVING THE DAY |
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WELCOME TO THE MACHINE: Donald Trump knows the polling on data centers is bad. He’s making the case for them anyway. For the president, data centers are the “Golden Goose,” as he put it on Truth Social Monday. They’re one of the few investment engines humming in an otherwise sputtering economy, and a cornerstone of the administration’s strategic AI arms race with China. Trump is defending them because they’re also an albatross around Republicans’ necks heading into the November election. “He looks at the polling. He looks at what people are saying,” a senior White House official told Playbook. “Polling isn’t necessarily great on data centers, but it’s incumbent upon us to explain our position. I think that’s part of what he was trying to do.” And no small part of that position, as is often the case with Trump, is economics. The bright spot in construction is increasingly data centers, not the factories Trump promised through his push to reshore manufacturing. “Trump is married to data centers no matter what because it’s the only real job creator,” one former Trump administration official told POLITICO’s Alex Gangitano. Telling communities they’d end up “backwards and poor” if they rejected data centers is the most blunt he’s been on the issue as Republicans rapidly abandoned ship amid widespread public backlash. And the president “will continue leveraging the data center boom to deliver real benefits for working families and small businesses,” White House spokesperson Davis Ingle said in a statement. Trump called Texas Gov. Greg Abbott’s decision to pause approvals for new data centers “a mistake” last month, before later telling reporters, “If a Republican’s against a data center, that’s OK with me.” Now, as Republicans from Mike Rogers in Michigan to Ken Paxton in Texas race to distance themselves from data centers, he’s actively making the opposing case.
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Despite the split, Trump doesn’t believe Republican candidates are crossing a red line in staking out a more skeptical position, the senior White House official added. “Data centers are a big topic of conversation when it comes to the midterms, when it comes to what people are concerned about, so he’s not going to shy away from letting everyone know exactly how he feels,” they said. Those feelings are “very sincere,” one person close to the White House told Playbook. “It’s not the reflexive populist thing to do. And he’s seen the polling.” But the reflexive populist thing is never far from Trump’s orbit. Steve Bannon told Playbook, “the Data Center controversy is a wedge issue for the populist right.” “It’s far deeper than electrical bills — it’s about the ‘Broligarchs’ who overplayed their hand and overstayed their welcome,” Bannon said. “You stand with them and you stand to lose — in 60 days and in two years.”Bolstering Bannon’s case, a POLITICO Poll from July found support for data centers among those who voted for the president in 2024 fell from 45 percent to 34 percent in just six months. Trump isn’t eliciting rave reviews from even the industry itself. One data center executive bemoaned to POLITICO’s Brendan Bordelon that Trump failed to lay out “a well thought-out plan at the national level” — like some sort of profit-sharing proposal — to halt the hemorrhaging of data center support. “I think it is a significant marker — of panic,” the executive said. “Short of major economic incentives, I think the backlash will get worse — not better.” Jason Calacanis, the prominent Silicon Valley investor, tech entrepreneur and co-host of the “All-In” podcast had a particularly cynical read of the growing backlash. “Right after the midterms, politicians will flip their positions back to being pro growth and pro data center,” he said. “They just have to make it past November.” More on Trump’s data center defense from Megan On today’s Playbook Podcast: Megan and Dasha parse the White House case for taking one of the most unpopular stances of the election cycle. And JMart returns from Vacationland with a dispatch on Susan Collins’ fight to keep her battleground seat, before digging into the convention sensation Trump hopes will turn the historic midterm tide for the GOP. Listen on Apple or Spotify
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THE DOWNLOAD |
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TAKING ATTENDANCE: A POLITICO survey of more than 70 GOP candidates and members revealed that most either don’t plan to attend or are still weighing whether to go to Trump’s midterms convention in Texas next week, with dozens more declining to share their plans.
- The 45 Republicans cited varied reasons: Some said they had prior commitments, while some in tough races are steering clear of what’s privately been called “Trump-a-palooza.” And still some others are balking at the price tag. “It’s $25,000, apparently — I just got a bill,” said Rep. Tim Burchett (R-Tenn.), who’s still “not sure” whether he’ll go. One House member called the convention a “a waste of time” and “a mess.” Much more from POLITICO’s Mia McCarthy and colleagues
DIVISIONS IN THE HOUSE: After two House Democrats joined Republicans to rescue the Republican legislative agenda, leadership is eyeing disciplinary action. “We haven’t ruled anything in, and we haven’t ruled anything out,” Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries told POLITICO’s Riley Rogerson. Dem House leaders said in a statement that they’re swiftly referring Reps. Jared Golden (D-Maine) and Marie Gluesenkamp Perez (D-Wash.) to the Committee on Caucus Rules in response.
- The dominos fall: The procedural vote cleared the way for the GOP to take up a messaging vote condemning socialism and pushing for an election security crackdown, with eight Dems breaking ranks in support, Riley reports. And despite Rep. Chuck Edwards’ (R-N.C.) denial and appeal to his colleagues from the House floor, the House voted overwhelmingly to formally censure him, per POLITICO’s Chris Marquette.
- One thing’s for sure: The government is all but guaranteed to be funded through the midterms, as the stopgap funding patch now heads to Trump’s desk.
ABOUT LAST NIGHT: Octogenarian Sen. Ed Markey (D-Mass.) warded off Rep. Seth Moulton (D-Mass.) in a primary largely made a referendum on generational change. Markey’s victory was a big one for progressives — but now comes the hard part: winning in November, POLITICO’s Lisa Kashinsky and Meredith Lee Hill write.
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THE FRONT PAGE |
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ON THE ROAD AGAIN: JMart returns from Perry’s Lobster Shack in Surry, Maine, where he cracked crustaceans with Sen. Susan Collins. It was a placid setting, but the topic was one of the most turbulent races in the country this year. Collins flashed a rhetorical blade by noting her opponent, Troy Jackson, had children by his second cousin. But she was less expansive about her relationship with Trump and whether she thinks he’s a good man. Collins was more emphatic denouncing Trump’s trade war with Canada, a country that’s vital to Maine’s economy. Watch on YouTube … Read the Q&A JUST VANCE: VP JD Vance is trying to make inroads with Jewish Republicans. His closed-door speech at the Republican Jewish Coalition’s annual leadership summit went a long way in alleviating pro-Israel donors’ worries about where he stands, and cemented their bet that Vance would be their preferred 2028 pick. But some attendees still have questions for Vance — particularly around his relationship with conservative pundit Tucker Carlson, POLITICO’s Samuel Benson reports from Las Vegas. BERN NOTICE: Establishment Dems are clapping back at Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) after he suggested to Playbook earlier this week that some might prefer to see Abdul El-Sayed lose in Michigan. Sanders’ missive for the establishment set off a round of sniping between the party’s factions, with over a dozen Democratic party leaders and officials airing out their frustrations to POLITICO’s Andrew Howard and colleagues. “Are you willing to spend?” a senior Democratic operative said of Sanders. “Or are you just going to shit on us?” ON IRAN: “The Iranian Regime’s Dynamics Are Fooling Trump,” by POLITICO’s Nahal Toosi: “When it comes to the regime in Tehran, the Trump administration appears to still be in the early learning stages. … At times, Trump and his aides, including those who’ve negotiated with Iranian officials, seem frustrated or outright surprised by [the regime’s] dynamics.” POLL POSITION: A new Democratic survey has Jonathan Nez just 2 points behind Rep. Eli Crane (R-Ariz.), 44 percent to 46 percent, Playbook’s Eli Okun reports. The result, within the margin of error, is much closer than a poll last week that found Crane ahead by 11 in his rematch with the former Navajo Nation president. Details of the GBAO poll
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5 THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW |
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1. FOR PETE’S SAKE: In the battle over the Pentagon’s future, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is winning out — prioritizing appearance and culture issues with lofty support from the president, and leaving outgoing Army Secretary Dan Driscoll and his modernization efforts out in the cold, POLITICO’s Paul McLeary and Jack Detsch report. Army Undersecretary Michael Obadal is expected to take over from Driscoll in an acting capacity, though there’s talk among officials that Pentagon spox Sean Parnell could be considered for the post. Meanwhile, Trump announced he’s nominating acting Navy Secretary Hung Cao for the permanent role. 2. MAMMA MIA!: A monthslong crackdown within the Trump administration to soften its trade rules all started with a flap over pasta, POLITICO’s Ari Hawkins and Oliver Ward report. Since the Commerce Department determined leading pasta makers were violating trade rules by underpricing their products in the U.S., Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick and other department officials have leaned on agency staff not to drive up tariffs on grocery items and other goods ahead of the midterms. 3. PREP WORK: Republicans are bracing for Democrats to reclaim power. Trump, top officials and his family are preparing for what could be an onslaught of demands during a Democratic takeover, briefing appointees, looking for lawyers, outlining what falls under executive privilege and reviewing oversight materials, POLITICO’s Sophia Cai and Myah Ward report. 4. DON-ROE DOCTRINE: Oil company executives are raising eyebrows at Trump’s $100 billion plan to boost Venezuela’s energy infrastructure, pouring cold water on the idea that it could soon yield significant oil and warning the fields targeted for oil could take years to produce, POLITICO’s Ben Lefebvre and colleagues report. 5. NEARLY A YEAR LATER: The Charlie Kirk murder case is moving to trial after a federal judge said last night prosecutors had presented enough evidence to bring murder charges against 23-year-old Tyler Robinson and seek the death penalty, per NYT’s Jack Healy and Nicholas Bogel-Burroughs. Robinson pled not guilty to all charges, with Erika Kirk in attendance in the courtroom. Still, it’s unclear when the trial will begin or how long it could go.
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TALK OF THE TOWN |
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RAHM’S D.C. BLITZ — SPOTTED: Rahm Emanuel and Rep. Haley Stevens (D-Mich.) having lunch at Ama yesterday. Pic … Emanuel also met with other House members in D.C. this week and headlined a private DCCC dinner with red-to-blue candidates at Centrolina last night. The potential 2028 presidential candidate is heading to Michigan today to raise money and campaign with Sean McCann in Michigan’s 4th District. MEDIAWATCH — The Bulwark is rolling out three new video podcasts: Psycho Politics with George Conway, Receipts with Catherine Rampell, and Reporter and the Spy with Michael Weiss and Marc Polymeropoulos. It’s also launching The Focus Group, a pop-up newsletter authored by publisher Sarah Longwell that will run weekly through the midterms. WHAT’S IN A NAME? — Google and Apple have changed Lake Ontario to “Lake America” for users in the U.S. after Trump asked Apple to make the switch last week following his executive order, per Axios. Meanwhile, MapQuest has refused to switch the names — and was the top navigation app in Apple’s App Store charts. HINDSIGHT IS 20/20 — In his first interview since being deported, far-right commentator Milo Yiannopoulos told Piers Morgan he is “very ashamed” to have supported Trump, per Mediaite. “If I had any clue that anything remotely like this was even possible, I would never have got involved,” he said. FIRST IN PLAYBOOK — Alexis Wilkins, the country music singer who is dating FBI Director Kash Patel, is joining Independent Women as a 2026 visiting fellow, where she’ll focus on “foreign malign influence and digital warfare.” WHITE HOUSE ARRIVAL LOUNGE — Reid Dagul has joined the White House as special assistant to the president in the Office of Legislative Affairs. He previously worked for Rep. Ben Cline (R-Va.). TRANSITIONS — Katherine Bowles is now assistant secretary of State for legislative affairs. She previously worked at the Ex-Im Bank. … Larry Lee has joined Better Markets as director of consumer financial protection policy. He previously worked at the CFPB. … Kasey Williams has joined the Citi's policy communications team. She previously worked at the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency. WELCOME TO THE WORLD — Alex Stone, chief of staff to Rep. Brian Jack (R-Ga.) and a Trump White House alum, and Matt Cummings, director of special projects for Indian affairs at the Department of the Interior, on Tuesday welcomed a baby girl, Celeste, who joins big brother Noah. HAPPY BIRTHDAY: Rep. John Rutherford (R-Fla.) … Jess Fassler … Don Gonyea … Newsmax’s James Rosen … former Sen. Jim DeMint (R-S.C.) … J.P. Freire … former Rep. Earl Pomeroy (D-N.D.) … Zakiya Thomas … Dan Klaidman … Tom Manatos of Block … Gilead Sciences’ Bill Bode … Kris Balderston … Emily Porter of Sidecar Health … PBS’ Raney Aronson-Rath … Seth Gainer … Evan Viau of Cisco … Victoria Bonney of Rep. Frank Pallone’s (D-N.J.) office … Axiom Strategies’ Ethan Zorfas … Dylan Vorbach … AHIP’s Andrew Shine … Wyss Foundation’s Molly McUsic … Jennifer Haynes of Invariant … Lisa Barclay … POLITICO’s Michael Sanossian … Emily Koons Jae of the American Council of Trustees and Alumni … Lindsey Kelleher 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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