Trump changes the subject

Politico

2 days ago

Presented by
With help from Eli Okun and Bethany Irvine
On this morning's podcast, Jack and Adam discuss the chances of another Oval Office bust-up later today … and why Elon Musk just can't keep quiet about the 'big, beautiful bill.'
Good Thursday morning. This is Jack Blanchard. My Hoosier colleague Adam Wren is probably a better follow for Pacers-related content if you're watching the NBA Finals tonight ... But hey — if you're one of the three people in D.C. interested in test cricket, do hit me up.
In today's Playbook …
— Trump kills off the Musk headlines with a blizzard of executive orders …
— … before facing the media for the first time this week with the German chancellor in town.
— But another barrage of court defeats spells trouble for the White House.
DRIVING THE DAY
THE LEVERS OF POWER: When Donald Trump departed the stage shortly after 7 p.m. last night after addressing thousands of staffers enjoying a 'summer soiree' on the White House lawn, there was still only one story in town.
Elon Musk's row with the GOP — and by extension, with Trump himself — had escalated through the day. Musk had continued his relentless attacks on Trump's 'big, beautiful bill,' dropping another 32 hostile posts in the hours before Trump took to the stage. Speaker Mike Johnson admitted publicly what Playbook had already told you — that Trump was not impressed. The WSJ had just dropped a buzzy follow-up about the anger in the White House. Almost every major news site was leading on the Musk story for a second-consecutive day.
And then, everything changed. At the push of a button just before 7:45 p.m. Trump delivered a blizzard of headline-grabbing announcements which sent even the world's richest man tumbling down the news agenda. There was something for everyone — a major policy shift on immigration; a vindictive attack on a world-famous U.S. institution; a conspiracy-fueling inquiry into an old political foe. All three were red meat for the MAGA right. And no one was talking about Musk any more.
Elon has quite the platform — 220 million followers on one of the world's most-influential social media platforms. But even Musk cannot compete with the bully pulpit of the American presidency. Musk can only tweet. Trump can pull the levers of power, and with brutal force.
Let's take those executive orders, one by one:
7:40 p.m.: Trump's meatiest policy move — and the story leading most of the major news websites this morning — was a sweeping new travel ban for people from 19 countries around the world. Trump cited national security risks and painted it as a major expansion of the highly controversial travel ban he slapped on people from a handful of Muslim-majority nations during his first term.
For the record: The new ban fully restricts people from Afghanistan, Burma, Chad, the Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan and Yemen from entering the United States. The president is also partially restricting and limiting U.S. entry for nationals of Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan and Venezuela.
Obviously … something of this magnitude wasn't just dreamed up in the past 24 hours, as my POLITICO colleague Myah Ward confirms — but you'll have to decide for yourselves why it was suddenly unveiled last night as part of a trio of headline-grabbing moves. Trump explicitly linked the ban to the recent firebombing attack in Colorado, though it's worth noting that people from Egypt — the country of origin of the chief suspect in that incident — aren't actually affected.
7.45 p.m.: Trump's most MAGA-pleasing move was the launch of an investigation into Joe Biden, and the alleged use of a so-called autopen to sign presidential orders. For the uninitiated, this is a conspiracy theory that has swirled around MAGA world for months: that Biden became so mentally incapacitated that his aides were using an automated pen to sign orders the president barely knew about. There's been no credible reporting so far that this happened — and autopens have been used by presidents, including Trump, for years — but MAGA types point to the identikit signatures on some of Biden's documents and extrapolate from there.
Pres says yes: Trump is certainly on board, and writes social media messages about 'the autopen' on a regular basis. Helpfully, the theory allows Trump and his allies to claim many of Biden's actions — including the preemptive pardons he issued in his final weeks in the White House — were illegitimate. Let's see where it goes.
For what it's worth: Biden issued a statement last night dismissing the investigation as a stunt. 'Let me be clear: I made the decisions during my presidency. I made the decisions about the pardons, executive orders, legislation, and proclamations. Any suggestion that I didn't is ridiculous and false,' Biden said.
8.05 p.m.: Trump's most vindictive move — and the announcement most likely headed for the courts — was a fresh attack on Harvard, the first elite university that had the temerity not to simply fold under presidential pressure but instead to hire hard-hitting lawyers and fight back. Having seen his first attempt to block Harvard from taking on foreign students struck down by judges last month, Trump is now having a second go via presidential proclamation.
Trump's new order bans students from entering the U.S. to study at Harvard, again citing national security terms. The president said in a statement he's also empowered Secretary of State Marco Rubio to begin revoking visas of foreign students at the Ivy League school. Harvard immediately issued an angry response, and you can expect Robert Hur and co. to drag the administration straight back to a courtroom as soon as this afternoon. POLITICO's Gregory Svirnovskiy has more.
While all that was going on … Musk was still furiously tweeting his displeasure at the GOP megabill, late into the night. Your Playbook author has counted at least 70 X posts and reposts attacking the bill since his OG on Tuesday afternoon … Where will it end?
Fingers in ears: For now, GOP senators are trying to ignore the noise — and the threats — and get on with their job of debating the bill. My ace colleagues on Inside Congress report the latest Senate scheme is to pare back the House GOP's painstakingly negotiated SALT deal and spend the cash on making other tax cuts permanent. If confirmed, the move would obviously set up another big, SALTy brawl in the House later this month.
FUN SPOTTED: Reps. Nick LaLota, Mike Lawler and a host of other Empire State electeds filing into Butterworth's — one of the places to see and be seen among the Trump tribe in D.C. — just as Senate Majority Leader John Thune was publicly discussing possible changes to the SALT provisions on Capitol Hill.
UKRAINE ON THE BRAIN
OUT OF THE SHADOWS: Having somehow made it through the week without taking any media questions, Trump will emerge blinking into the sunlight today when German Chancellor Friedrich Merz arrives in town. The two leaders have the usual working lunch-plus-Oval Office mini-presser-thing planned, which means Trump should be on camera and in front of media around 12:45 p.m. This will be the first time anyone's had the chance to ask him about Musk since the row kicked off, so it's worth tuning in just for that.
But there's more … much more. Given Merz's devout support for Ukraine, we can expect the White House pool to press both leaders for their thoughts on the latest developments in the war. Because some might say not nearly enough attention is being paid to the deeply ominous tone of Trump's readout from his call with Russian President Vladimir Putin yesterday.
ICYMI amid yesterday's newsageddon, Trump posted on Truth Social that Putin 'did say, and very strongly, that he will have to respond to the recent attack on the airfields.' The U.S. president offered no further commentary on Putin's warning; gave no public pushback to the implied threat; made no clear statement that Putin must show restraint. But if the Russian president is calling Washington to warn in advance about the scale of a military attack he has planned, we should probably be concerned about what lies ahead.
And what about those peace talks? Trump, as if you needed reminding, said he'd get this done on Day One. More than four months later, we have Putin amping up nightly bombing raids on Ukraine civilians and — yesterday — refusing to negotiate with 'terrorists,' and you have Ukraine carrying out jaw-dropping tactical strikes on military targets deep inside Russia.
On that topic: 'Exclusive: Ukraine hit fewer Russian planes than it estimated, US officials say,' by Reuters' Phil Stewart and Idrees Ali … But POLITICO's Joe Gould and Connor O'Brien report the attack still shows just how 'easily and cheaply uncrewed systems can cripple sophisticated air forces' — potentially including here in the U.S.
First in Playbook — How to make peace actually happen: Trump and his aides are struggling to understand that 'you can't make Putin walk away from Ukraine; you have to put Ukraine out of his reach,' Nahal Toosi writes in her latest 'Compass' column. Analysts warn 'new sanctions alone won't make Putin back down. Neither will continued military aid to Ukraine, nor tough-talking posts on social media. Showing Putin that he absolutely cannot subsume Ukraine will require all these tactics, and more. It will also require patience.' Good luck with that.
Not helping: The Trump administration is redirecting Ukraine-earmarked antidrone technology to U.S. forces in the Middle East, in a move 'that reflects the Pentagon's waning commitment to Kyiv's defense,' WSJ's Michael Gordon scoops. In a private memo to Congress last week, Pentagon officials informed the Senate Armed Services Committee that the reallocation was a 'Secretary of Defense Identified Urgent Issue.'
Speaking of the secretary of Defense … Pete Hegseth is at a NATO summit in Brussels today, and this morning urged allies to meet Trump's 5 percent defense spending target, per AFP. The expectation is NATO countries will pledge to do just that — albeit over a seven-year period, and with only 3.5 percent being 'pure' defense spending. At any rate, it's still a massive increase from a year ago.
Back to Germany: Despite possible disagreements over Ukraine — not to mention trade — POLITICO's James Angelos, Eli Stokols and Nette Nöstlinger suggest today's Trump-Merz summit could prove a match made in heaven. Merz, after all, is a rich, elderly business executive who loves jet planes, golf and defense spending — and hates mass immigration.
COURT IN THE ACT
IMMIGRATION FILES: The Trump administration has just one week to provide due process to more than 100 Venezuelan migrants deported to a supermax prison in El Salvador, U.S. District Judge James Boasberg ruled last night. Boasberg — who has been entangled in the case over the fate of the deportees for months — ruled the 137 men had been 'plainly deprived' of their right to due process and announced that the White House must produce a plan for how they 'can pursue cases in U.S. courts challenging their deportations,' POLITICO's Josh Gerstein and Kyle Cheney report. Expect plenty of Trump world fury about that one.
Also upsetting Stephen Miller: A Colorado federal judge issued an order last night blocking the Trump administration's efforts to rapidly deport the family of Mohamed Sabry Soliman, the Egyptian man accused in Sunday's attack in Boulder, Colorado, WSJ's Victoria Albert reports. Judge Gordon Gallagher prevented the government from removing Soliman's wife and five children for the time being, saying that deporting them without due process could be detrimental.
Returned: The Trump administration has obeyed a court order to return a Guatemalan man improperly deported to Mexico in February, it was confirmed last night. The man — identified only as O.C.G. — is back in the U.S. and expected to be taken into federal custody, Kyle reports.
BEST OF THE REST
JUST POSTED: Trump is considering Florida Atlantic University — which is nearby to his Mar-a-Lago compound — 'for a presidential library, on a site where he has been offered free land, as planning begins for the MAGA mecca he eschewed during his first term,' WSJ's Meridith McGraw, Josh Dawsey and Annie Linskey scoop. 'Florida lawmakers are preparing the red carpet for Trump, recently passing legislation that gives the state full regulatory control over presidential libraries — and prevents local governments from potentially obstructing the project.'
EMPIRE STATE OF MIND: The NYC Democratic mayoral rivals clashed last night in their first televised debate, with former Gov. Andrew Cuomo standing out as the frontrunner, despite a slew of attacks from his eight opponents, POLITICO's Nick Reisman reports. The evening forum, co-sponsored by POLITICO and WNBC, was marked by 'periods of extensive crosstalk from the candidates mostly trying to pile on Cuomo,' Nick writes.
The unlikely standout? Former Assemblymember Michael Blake delivered some of the sharpest barbs against Cuomo last night, alluding to the allegations of sexual harassment and a controversial Covid record that led to his 2021 ousting: 'The people who don't feel safe are the young women, mothers and grandmothers around Andrew Cuomo — that's the greatest threat to public safety.' Blake said.
MISS INDEPENDENT: The pile-on continues following Karine Jean-Pierre's announcement that she's becoming an independent — helpfully timed with the rollout of a new book — after years as Biden's mouthpiece in the White House. You've surely already read the brutal verdicts of her former colleagues via an unmissable piece by POLITICO's Eli Stokols — sample quote: 'Everyone thinks this is a grift' — and there's plenty more where that came from this morning. Jonathan Kott, a longtime aide to former Sen. Joe Manchin (I-W.Va.), said he was 'sick and tired of Democrats not being proud to be Democrats and fighting for what we believe in,' per NYT.
TALK OF THE TOWN
A DIFFERENT KIND OF SPOTTED — 'Leopards on the Potomac! Trump Is Delighted by Deal With Saudis for Rare Cats,' by NYT's Shawn McCreesh
DINNER IS NOT SERVED: The Members' Dining Room in the Capitol and the House Carryout will both close this summer for renovations lasting up to two years, per Punchbowl's John Bresnahan.
NEWS FROM POLITICO TOWERS: Playbook is delighted to announce eight (count 'em!) new hires to the POLITICO ranks. Cheyanne Daniels is joining from The Hill as part of our Breaking News team … Isa Dominguez is joining the Energy team to helm the Morning Energy newsletter. She previously reported on state politics as an intern in POLITICO's Florida bureau … Katherine Hapgood is joining the Financial Services team to report on regulation and small business policy on the Hill. She was an investigative policy reporter at the Center for Public Integrity …
And there's more: Simon Levien is joining POLITICO's Health Care team from the NYT … Aaron Mak is joining our national Tech team after graduating from Yale Law School … Olivia McCormack joins from WaPo as our new Weekend & Evenings Audience Editor … Aaron Pellish is joining the Breaking News team after eight years at CNN … And Calen Razor is joining the Congress team and will be a co-author of our Inside Congress newsletter. He comes to us from NOTUS. Welcome to all!
OUT AND ABOUT — Starboard, Tactic Global and Touchdown Strategies last night held an after party for the White House's summer soirée event at The Ned Club, hosted by Ryan Coyne, Caroline Wren and James Davis. SPOTTED: Reps. Byron Donalds (R-Fla.), Beth Van Duyne (R-Texas) and Nicole Malliotakis (R-N.Y.), CMS Administrator Mehmet Oz, Kellyanne Conway, Andrew Giuliani, Alice Marie Johnson, Alexandra Preate, Sean Spicer, Hogan Gidley, Lynne Patton, Kari Lake, Calley Means, Frank Cassidy and Alex deGrasse.
— SPOTTED at Steve Rattner and Maureen White's annual spring dinner on the rooftop of the Hay Adams last night: Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, Sens. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), Mark Warner (D-Va.), Chris Coons (D-Del.), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), John Hickenlooper (D-Colo.) and Robin Hickenlooper, Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) and John Bessler, Ed Markey (D-Mass.) and Susan Blumenthal, Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.) and Anne Holton, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, Reps. Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), Maggie Goodlander (D-N.H.) and Ro Khanna (D-Calif.), Robert and Elena Allbritton, Afsaneh and Michael Beschloss, Tony Blinken and Evan Ryan, Margaret Carlson, Lael Brainard, E.J. and Mary Boyle Dionne, Tom Donilon, Tom and Ann Friedman, H.P. Goldfield, Mike Froman and Nancy Goodman, John Heilemann, David and Eve Ignatius, Jonathan and Maria Karl, Dorothy and Terry McAuliffe, Andrea Mitchell, Bruce Reed and Bonnie LePard, Steve and Amy Ricchetti, Justin Smith and Tania Dominguez and Steve Weisman and Elisabeth Bumiller.
— P&G and International Paper hosted an event, 'U.S. Manufacturing: Delivering for Moms, Girls & Babies,' yesterday afternoon at the American Trucking Association. Guests joined in showcasing the U.S. manufacturing of absorbent hygiene products and helped pack kits to be donated to local moms, children and babies, in partnership with March of Dimes and Mary's Center. SPOTTED: Reps. David Rouzer (R-N.C.) and Greg Murphy (R-N.C.), Rob Seidman, Jonny Slemrod, Kyle Nevins, John Leganski, Lisa Goldman, Rosemary Gutierrez, Meghan Joyce, Julie Alsup, Kate Sighinolfi, Nicole Collier, Tara Hogan Charles, Robert Cusmano, Sean Mulvaney, Julie Henson, Meghan Plotz and Mimi Vance.
STAFFING UP — Michael Jensen will be senior director of Western Hemisphere affairs at the NSC, per Reuters. He'd previously been nominated to serve as assistant secretary of defense for special operations and low-intensity conflict.
TRANSITIONS — Sophia Kim is now director of media relations and comms strategy for the Council on Foreign Relations. She is an Obama White House and Small Business Administration alum. … Dezenhall Resources is adding Phillip Bogdan and Diane Chaaban as senior directors. Bogdan previously was director of research and comms at Reach Global Strategies. Chaaban previously was head of comms for the City of El Segundo and is a State Department and National Geographic alum. …
… GPS Impact is adding Mariafernanda 'Marifer' Zacarias and Lidya Mesgna. Zacarias will be VP of campaigns and previously was national engagement director at the DCCC. Mesgna will be VP of digital mobilization and previously was director of paid media at Voto Latino. … Amy Hopcian is now a strategic adviser at Comella & Co. She most recently was head of state and local public affairs at CLEAR. … Allison Smith is now a VP at Lot Sixteen. She previously was deputy assistant USTR for environment and natural resources.
WELCOME TO THE WORLD — Jummy Olabanji, morning anchor at NBC4, and Darren Sands, a freelance national reporter, welcomed Lola Catherine Sands on Tuesday. Pic
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Correction: Yesterday's Playbook mischaracterized USDA's response to a POLITICO report about a delayed and redacted trade forecast document. A spokesperson for the agency provided comment.