Playbook: Trump to MTG: Give it a rest

Presented by the Financial Services Forum

With help from Eli Okun, Garrett Ross and Bethany Irvine

DRIVING THE DAY

SPOILER ALERT — “Republicans are starting to worry about RFK Jr.,” by Lisa Kashinsky, Brittany Gibson, Jessica Piper and Steven Shepard: “‘Kennedy was introduced, supported and certainly propped up by the right thinking he would be a torpedo to [President JOE] BIDEN in a primary,’ [GOP strategist MATTHEW] BARTLETT said. Now, he said, ‘That torpedo may be turning into a bit of a boomerang.’”

SACRAMENTO CALLING — “Xavier Becerra plots political future after Biden administration,” by Chris Cadelago and Daniel Lippman: “Health and Human Services Secretary XAVIER BECERRA’s plans to leave the Biden administration and run for California governor are more advanced than previously known — with hiring discussions and spending further developed than he’s letting on.”

AIN’T EASY BEING GREENE — Turns out it wasn’t a momentary lapse of judgment: DONALD TRUMP yesterday evening defended Speaker MIKE JOHNSON for the second time in as many weeks amid a swirl of speculation about his future atop the House GOP.

After spending the day holed up in a Manhattan courtroom (more on that in a second), the former president told Real America’s Voice radio host John Fredericks that Johnson is “trying very hard” and “a very good person.”

“Well, look, we have a majority of one, OK?” Trump said, extending Johnson some grace and echoing the speaker’s own explanation for working with Democrats on a host of issues. “It’s not like he can go and do whatever he wants to do.”

Trump even praised Johnson for turning some foreign aid to Ukraine into a loan (a maneuver we previewed as a Trump sop weeks ago) and for standing “very strong with me” on urging NATO countries to up their defense spending commitments. More from Meridith McGraw

The remarks come just a day after Rep. MARJORIE TAYLOR GREENE (R-Ga.) vowed on Fox News to force out Johnson one way or another. And it came just hours after MAGA chieftain STEVE BANNON claimed that Trump was in fact “furious about what happened” with Johnson’s support of foreign-aid spending and that he had been manipulated by “cuck political operatives” into backing the rookie speaker.

What does it all mean for Greene? Under her theory of the case, conservative lawmakers are home in their districts right now getting an earful from their constituents about Johnson’s betrayal of the MAGA cause, bucking them up to join Greene in a motion to vacate when they return to Washington next week.

But after first hearing Trump say, “I stand with the speaker,” and now, “I think he’s trying very hard,” it’s going to be awfully hard to deny that Trump is being crystal clear in signaling what he wants — or rather, doesn’t want: a messy election-year coup that throws the House into chaos and again reminds voters what MAGA governance can look like.

TRUMP AND CONSEQUENCES — If you’re already sick of all the Trump trial news, we don’t blame you. But today’s developments are worth following: For the first time, the former president might face a real reckoning for violating his gag order.

Prosecutors allege that Trump has violated an order not to attack witnesses, jurors and others involved in the hush money case as many as 10 times, and now the judge who ordered it, JUAN MERCHAN, will consider whether to hold Trump in contempt and potentially mete out punishment.

So what could Merchan do? “His options range from a sternly worded warning to a modest fine to a short stint in jail,” our colleague Betsy Woodruff Swan writes, though “several former prosecutors said they expect Merchan to be lenient” — at least for now.

The real question is: Will a light censure do anything to stop Trump from going on future tirades? Color us skeptical, but it will be hard for Merchan to continue ignoring antics like those on display yesterday — where Trump walked out of the courtroom, turned directly to cameras and attacked key witness MICHAEL COHEN.

SUNSHINE ON THE MAGA AGENDA — The Biden campaign has made more than a few eyes roll with their claims that Florida is winnable for Democrats in 2024 — and with good reason: Democrats haven’t won electoral voters there in over a decade, and the Biden camp has yet to put their money where their mouth is and run a major flight of ads in the state.

Still, Florida could play an important role in Biden’s messaging, as he uses Florida’s book bans, loose gun laws and crackdown on abortion rights as a cautionary tale of what could happen nationwide if he’s not re-elected, as our colleagues Kimberly Leonard and Elena Schneider write this morning. Campaign insiders, in fact, are calling the state “ground zero for Trump’s MAGA blueprint.”

Today in Tampa, Biden will denounce those policies — particularly the state’s six-week abortion ban that takes effect next week — as fellow Democrats promise that he’ll return often to the Sunshine State. “He understands that if we’re going to fight back against the extremism of the MAGA Republicans, that you got to come to the belly of the beast,” state Democratic Party Chair NIKKI FRIED said.

Good Tuesday morning. Thanks for reading Playbook. Drop us a line: Rachael Bade, Eugene Daniels, Ryan Lizza.

FIRST IN PLAYBOOK — World Central Kitchen’s memorial service Thursday for its seven aid workers killed by Israeli strikes in Gaza will include a speech by JOSÉ ANDRÉS, a performance by YO-YO MA and readings from prominent Muslim, Jewish and Christian clergy. The celebration of life for the late SAIFEDDIN ISSAM AYAD ABUTAHA, JACOB FLICKINGER, ZOMI FRANKCOM, JOHN CHAPMAN, JIM HENDERSON, JAMES KIRBY and DAMIAN SOBÓL will take place at 11 a.m. at Washington National Cathedral. WCK staffers and families of the victims will come to Washington from around the world, and top officials in the Biden administration and on the Hill have been invited. The full program

WHAT TO WATCH IN P.A. TODAY — It’s primary day in the Keystone State. With Biden and Trump the presumptive nominees and the marquee Senate race set between incumbent Democrat BOB CASEY JR. and Republican DAVID McCORMICK, the real intrigue is in a handful of House races. Here’s a quick guide, with help from our friends at Morning Score:

In Pittsburgh … Rep. SUMMER LEE (D-Pa.) will become the first Squad member to face a primary challenge this cycle, though she won’t be the last. While Lee was among the first and most outspoken lawmakers to call for a cease-fire in Gaza, she appears on track to glide to renomination after pro-Israel groups who previously opposed her decided not to spend big on this year’s race. More from Madison Fernandez

Around Bucks County … Problem Solvers Caucus ringleader BRIAN FITZPATRICK (R-Pa.) faces a challenge on the right from MARK HOUCK, an anti-abortion activist. The three-term moderate is battle-tested and will likely be fine. But if he loses, Democrats could easily pick up his seat, given that Biden carried the district by 5 points in 2020.

Around Harrisburg … Dems will choose their nominee to take on GOP Rep. SCOTT PERRY, who’s been embroiled in controversy since participating in the post-2020 “stop the steal” efforts. Democrats have long targeted Perry, a former Freedom Caucus chair, as being waaay too conservative for his district, with no success. This year, different factions of the party are looking at former TV news anchor JANELLE STELSON or veteran MIKE O’BRIEN to change that.

Around Allentown … Republicans will choose their candidate to take on Rep. SUSAN WILD, who won by 2 points in 2022 in what was considered to be a good showing for Democrats in the state. Wild is considered a workhorse in Washington, but she’s also a top GOP target in their attempt to expand their slim majority.

WHAT'S HAPPENING TODAY

On the Hill

The Senate will meet at 10 a.m. to take up the motion to proceed to the FAA reauthorization bill. Votes on the foreign aid bills are expected to start around 1 p.m.

The House is out.

What we’re watching … The vast majority of senators are hoping to finish up work today on the $95 billion foreign-aid supplemental (read on for more on that) and return to their previously scheduled recess week. But bringing things to close by a decent hour will likely require setting up votes on at least a few amendments. Among the possibilities: Sen. BERNIE SANDERS (I-Vt.) wants one cutting funding for Israel’s offensive military operations, while Sen. MIKE LEE (R-Utah) is seeking to ensure Ukraine will have to pay back the loans it is getting under the House bill. Expect talks to percolate slowly through the afternoon.

At the White House

Biden will travel to Tampa for a pair of campaign events in the afternoon, before returning to the White House.

VP KAMALA HARRIS and second gentleman DOUG EMHOFF will host a Passover Seder in the evening.

PLAYBOOK READS

THE WHITE HOUSE

CAMPUS CLASH — As protests over the Israel-Hamas war continued to roil Columbia University — and spread to other college campuses — Biden spoke out about the situation yesterday in a notably equivocal comment that stood in contrast to the strong statements of support for Jewish students that emerged from the administration over the weekend.

“I condemn the antisemitic protests,” Biden said as he returned to the White House from an Earth Day event. “That’s why I have set up a program to deal with that. I also condemn those who don’t understand what’s going on with the Palestinians.” He also declined to weigh in on whether Columbia President MINOUCHE SHAFIK should step down.

The remark comes as critics of the Israeli government have “criticized the White House for having a one-sided approach,” Eli Stokols notes, and “Biden’s comments on Monday appear to be a nod towards their angst.” But other figures in national politics have arrayed in support of Jewish students, with groups of pro-Israel Democratic and Republican members of Congress visiting Columbia in solidarity, per Axios, and Sens. TOM COTTON (R-Ark.) and JOSH HAWLEY (R-Mo.) calling on Biden to send the National Guard into Morningside Heights, Kierra Frazier reports.

The big picture … “Dozens of pro-Palestinian protesters arrested at Yale, NYU,” by WaPo’s Jonathan Edwards, Hannah Natanson, Danielle Douglas-Gabriel and Kyle Melnick: “Students at many schools are escalating protests over the war, living in tents on campus, disrupting university events, and risking and provoking arrest, leading to a growing sense of chaos and crackdown at colleges in the waning days of the academic year.”

TRUMP CARDS

THE HUSH MONEY TRIAL — Yesterday’s proceedings in the criminal hush money case against Trump offered several new glimpses into both sides’ legal arguments and the evidence yet to come. Among the top takeaways, as recapped by Erica Orden and Ben Feuerherd:

  • Trump attorney TODD BLANCHE will argue that Trump’s checks to MICHAEL COHEN were for legit legal work, not reimbursements for paying off STORMY DANIELS to conceal an alleged affair during the 2016 election.
  • Trump’s lawyers will frame his NDA with Daniels as a measure he took to protect his family, not to affect the election.
  • Prosecutor MICHAEL COLANGELO and Blanche clashed over the National Enquirer’s decisions to spike negative Trump stories that year — whether those were legitimate journalistic choices or, as the prosecution emphasized, part of Trump’s broader “conspiracy.”
  • ALLEN WEISSELBERG, the former Trump Organization CFO, and DYLAN HOWARD, the former National Enquirer EIC, look unlikely to testify.

Many jurors took notes as the arguments unfolded, NYT’s Jonah Bromwich and Ben Protess report. Earlier in the day, the prosecution scored a win when Merchan said they would be allowed to ask Trump about the civil judgments against him if he testifies. The New York court system also announced yesterday that it will put out daily transcripts of the trial.

One thing Trump’s not happy about: sparse crowds of supporters outside the courthouse, NYT’s Jonathan Swan, Maggie Haberman and Nate Schweber report.

The opposition: Ankush Khardori has an interesting read this morning revealing that a group of prominent anti-Trump legal pundits, ranging from progressive to conservative, are gathering weekly over Zoom to discuss Trump’s collisions with the court system, convened by NORM EISEN. “It’s the perfect emblem of today’s Trump-media-legal-industrial complex,” with participants ranging from GEORGE CONWAY and BILL KRISTOL to ANDREW WEISSMANN and LAURENCE TRIBE.

More top reads:

  • Docu-drama: Newly unsealed documents in Trump’s classified documents case reveal that valet WALT NAUTA was told he’d get pardoned in a second Trump White House term, or at least so one witness claimed, CNN’s Tierney Sneed and Holmes Lybrand report. They also show that an unnamed associate urged Trump starkly in 2021 to return any materials he had to the Archives, NYT’s Alan Feuer reports. Striking detail: The FBI’s code name for this investigation was “Plasmic Echo,” per CNN.

CONGRESS

ALMOST AT THE FINISH LINE — As the package of aid to Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan nears the finish line, Axios’ Stef Kight and Stephen Neukam report, one number to watch is how many Republicans support the legislation: LINDSEY GRAHAM (R-S.C.) says he’ll flip from his opposition to the last foreign aid bill and support this one, and Axios writes that others may join him.

The money could be a game-changer for Kyiv on the battlefield, possibly staving off significant Russian advances — and the Pentagon is already prepping to put it into action. The next time Ukraine gets a tranche of military assistance from Washington, it’ll be much larger than the last one, Lara Seligman and Lee Hudson scooped, and armored vehicles will be among the big-ticket inclusions. DOD officials are working to have the package ready shortly after the Senate passes the bill and Biden signs it into law. The money will put some wind in Biden’s sails on the world stage, NYT’s Peter Baker writes.

Final passage will also conclude a big moment for Johnson, who ended up second in the presidential line of succession more or less by accident — but might be “actually good at this,” Elaina Plott Calabro writes in a big new Atlantic profile. She talks to everyone from Johnson’s wife, KELLY, to NANCY PELOSI about the new speaker’s learning curve, childhood trauma and completely transformed life in the past several months. “This is where the beauty of the process has brought Mike Johnson,” she writes: on the verge of a motion to vacate.

The TikTok bill (which Trump continues to trash) breaks new historical ground: Experts say the U.S. has never passed legislation quite like it, Derek Robertson reports in Digital Future Daily. That could also make it legally vulnerable.

VALLEY TALK

WHERE NINA JANKOWICZ ENDED UP — “New Group Joins the Political Fight Over Disinformation Online,” by NYT’s Steven Lee Myers and Jim Rutenberg: “[S]he has re-entered the fray with a new nonprofit organization [the American Sunlight Project] intended to fight what she and others have described as a coordinated campaign by conservatives and others to undermine researchers, like her, who study the sources of disinformation.” CARLOS ÁLVAREZ-ARANYOS is the co-founder.

MEDIAWATCH

WHAT MEHDI HASAN IS UP TO — “The ‘Debate Me’ Bro,” by NY Mag’s E. Alex Jung: “With the winds of gossip and outrage at his back, Hasan, 44, decided to launch his own media company on Substack, Zeteo … He hopes to create something on the left along the lines of what BEN SHAPIRO and BARI WEISS have done on the Zionist, cancel-culture-obsessed, the-teens-aren’t-all-right right.”

POLICY CORNER

GREEN MACHINE — Biden’s splashy Earth Day policy announcement yesterday included news that the administration will dole out $7 billion to fund close to 1 million low-income households getting rooftop solar power, per Reuters’ Andrea Shalal and Nichola Groom. Biden also touted the June opening of applications for the American Climate Corps, kick-starting a whole week of climate-focused moves from the Biden administration.

But Biden’s message has yet to break through politically. CBS polling finds that even among voters who consider climate very important, 49% have heard not much or nothing about his historic climate investments and other policy moves, Jennifer De Pinto, Fred Backus and Anthony Salvanto report. Just 10% of this group has read a lot about them.

More top reads:

JUDICIARY SQUARE

BIG NEW QUESTION — “What counts as a medical exception for abortion? Depends who you ask,” by Alice Miranda Ollstein and Megan Messerly: “The legal and medical murkiness has physicians around the country begging state officials to clarify when they can terminate pregnancies without risking legal peril. … The conflict is a key part of a case this week at the Supreme Court focusing on the clash between federal protections for patients in medical crises and Idaho’s near-total abortion ban.”

SCOTUS WATCH — The Supreme Court’s conservative supermajority yesterday sounded likely to allow cities to bar sleeping in public and take other anti-homelessness measures. Details from The Oregonian

AMERICA AND THE WORLD

NOT LOOKING GOOD IN NIAMEY — “US vs. Russia: Why the Biden strategy in Africa may be failing,” by Erin Banco and Lara Seligman: “U.S. officials are starting to accept that their strategy of pressing Niger and other war-battered African countries to break off ties with Moscow and embrace democratic norms is no longer working. The recent breakdown in relations with Niger, where American troops are set to withdraw as Russian fighters arrive, has forced a reckoning inside the Biden administration over its approach.”

The withdrawal of troops, one top U.S. official tells CBS’ Sarah Carter, is “a devastating blow, both for our regional counterterrorism efforts and to overall peace in the region going forward.”

PLAYBOOKERS

Joe Biden will give Morehouse College’s commencement address.

Bob Good’s primary challenger landed the Republican Jewish Coalition’s support, Olivia Beavers scooped.

Kari Lake’s voting machine lawsuit was rejected by the Supreme Court.

Kim Reynolds, Christopher Rufo and others are interested in being Education secretary.

Tony Bobulinski’s latest lawsuit target is Jamie Raskin.

John Carter’s office was vandalized by pro-Palestinian protesters.

FIRST IN PLAYBOOK — Elizabeth Wilkins is joining the American Economic Liberties Project as a senior fellow. She previously was chief of staff and director of the Office of Policy and Planning for the FTC and is a Biden White House alum.

MEDIA MOVES — Matt Fuller is joining NOTUS as its first congressional bureau chief. He most recently has been Washington editor at The Daily Beast. Anna Kramer, a former Protocol reporter, is also joining NOTUS. … Laura McGann is now a senior editor for WaPo’s opinions section. She previously was executive editor of Grid, and is a Vox and POLITICO alum. … Asa Hutchinson is now a political analyst for Scripps News. He’s a former presidential candidate and Arkansas governor.

TRANSITIONS — Simon Brown is now director of public relations at Small Business Majority. He previously was senior media relations manager at New America. … Dan Swislow is joining the fintech company Mercury as director of policy and government affairs. He most recently was head of policy across the Americas for Block (formerly known as Square). … Maggie Moran is launching a new boutique national public affairs firm, Moxie Strategies. Other top hires for the firm include Jeannine Frisby LaRue, Pearl Gabel, Hira Shaikh and Joe Libutti.

ENGAGED — Samuel Hoops, a tax/entertainment associate at Willkie Farr & Gallagher and a U.S. Tax Court alum, and Tahra Jirari, a comms manager at ocean carbon removal firm Captura and a Niskanen Center alum, got engaged this weekend in Central Park. They met at Franklin Hall, when she approached him and they started talking about tax policy. Pics

WELCOME TO THE WORLD — Enxhi Myslymi, comms manager at Accenture, and Benjamin Gmurczyk, senior director of software engineering at U.S. News & World Report, welcomed Sibora Alicja Gmurczyk on April 15. Pic … Another pic

HAPPY BIRTHDAY: Rep. Norma Torres (D-Calif.) … Conexión’s Pili Tobar … Aaron Huertas … Jeff Wiener of Milne, Wiener & Shofe Global Strategies … John Oliver … Hadar Susskind of Americans for Peace Now … Tim Lim … Doug Brake … Kindred Motes … Clarine Nardi Riddle of Kasowitz Benson Torres … Ted Trippi … Uber’s Tizzy Brown … Alex Lupica … Camila Gonzalez of WilmerHale … Darien Flowers … POLITICO’s Julian Sharat … Justin White … former Rep. Fred Upton (R-Mich.) … Gus Portela … Once Upon a Hill’s Michael Jones … Blendi Qatipi … Gideon Lett … Jesse Seidman … Michael Moore … Kal Penn … Bill Browder (6-0)

Send Playbookers tips to [email protected] or text us at 202-556-3307. Playbook couldn’t happen without our editor Mike DeBonis, deputy editor Zack Stanton and Playbook Daily Briefing producer Callan Tansill-Suddath.

Correction: An earlier version of this newsletter misspelled Janelle Stelson’s name.