Inside the grudge that paralyzed the House

Sep 29, 2023

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By Rachael Bade, Ryan Lizza and Eugene Daniels

Presented by

With help from Eli Okun and Garrett Ross

Listen to this week's episode of Deep Dive

DRIVING THE DAY

THE FRIDAY READ — “Nikki Haley Doesn’t Want to Choose a Side,” by Michael Kruse: “The conventional wisdom is that this is a time for choosing, for all Republicans, and for her, too. Conservatism or populism? … Backward or forward? Trump or not Trump? The gambit of the Haley candidacy is that it doesn’t have to be so. Voters don’t have to choose. They can choose her.”

DEMS VS. BIDEN WORLD — “Dems urge White House to reconsider ‘Bidenomics’ as it lands flat with voters,” by Adam Cancryn and Holly Otterbein

Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) speaks with reporters as he departs a vote at the Capitol on Sept. 27, 2023.

Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) speaks with reporters as he departs a vote at the Capitol on Sept. 27, 2023. | Francis Chung/POLITICO

GAETZ OF HELL — To hear him tell it, Rep. MATT GAETZ is on a good-government crusade. The 41-year-old Florida Republican has railed against continuing resolutions, the short-term spending stopgaps that he blames for Washington’s fiscal dysfunction. He has insisted on regular order for appropriations bills and the devolution of power to the House rank-and-file.

That’s why, he says, he’s spent months relentlessly hounding House Speaker KEVIN McCARTHY — to the point that he’s almost certain to lead a charge to remove him in the coming weeks.

Most other House Republicans watching as Congress lurches toward a federal shutdown see something else entirely: “This isn't a function of him being concerned about process,” Rep. MIKE LAWLER (D-N.Y.) told Playbook. “This is a function of personality.”

“He wants Kevin,” added a Gaetz friend. “That’s it, and everything else revolves around that.”

With less than 48 hours until the shutdown deadline, we thought we’d step back and dive deep on how this one deeply chaotic relationship has evolved and helped shape the present standoff.

Gaetz has by no means done it by himself. But he has harnessed the anti-establishment fervor inside the House GOP like no other member, setting trap after trap for a speaker desperate to please his detractors and keep his job.

Past government shutdowns have been organized around a demand — reversing the Affordable Care Act, for instance, or building a border wall. This one, should it come to pass Sunday, is better understood as being centered on a long, nasty grudge.

The tensions spilled out again yesterday, with Gaetz angrily confronting McCarthy in front of the entire GOP conference, rekindling the question that our Olivia Beavers closely examined yesterday: “What does Matt Gaetz really want?”

As Olivia writes, there’s certainly layers to Gaetz’s recent behavior. He’s reportedly exploring a run for governor, which might compel him to turn his antics up a notch. And he has been persistent in his policy demands of late — never mind that he voted repeatedly for CRs under President DONALD TRUMP.

But the real throughline is Gaetz and McCarthy’s mutual antipathy, according to those who have watched the two men closely in recent years.

“There is something between them, and I don’t know what it is,” Rep. MIKE ROGERS (R-Ala.) told Playbook. “And that’s the impression I’ve gotten from McCarthy, too: It’s not policy-driven; it’s personal.”

COMPETING FOR ATTENTION: Both men brush off the suggestions of animosity. “Matt is Matt,” McCarthy has said. Gaetz says he’s more concerned about McCarthy’s broken promises than any personal issues.

Yet the two have persistently clashed, dating back to Trump’s presidency, when they were engaged in what might be best described as a political love triangle, competing for Trump’s attention and affection. As one former House leadership aide put it to us, “I wouldn’t underestimate the jealousy factor.”

Gaetz would often float ideas to Trump, only to see McCarthy intervene and kill them, according to senior GOP aides on the Hill and in Trump’s White House. During Trump’s first impeachment, for instance, Gaetz publicly pressured McCarthy to name MAGA-minded members to the House Intelligence Committee, which was leading the public hearings.

McCarthy phoned Gaetz and excoriated him for launching a public campaign without a heads-up, according to a lawmaker with knowledge of the situation. McCarthy then convinced Trump that he’d be better served with the members already on the panel, though he ended up subbing in Rep. JIM JORDAN (R-Ohio), a Trump loyalist.

Another incident from that era was captured in a new memoir written by former Trump White House aide CASSIDY HUTCHINSON. Late at a 2019 Camp David retreat, Hutchinson says Gaetz followed her to a cabin he thought was hers — only to find McCarthy, who had gathered a bunch of Republicans for drinks and conversation.

Gaetz said he was lost, she writes, and prodded Hutchinson to escort him back to his cabin. “Get a life, Matt,” McCarthy said, shutting the door. (Gaetz denies the exchange.)

PUTTING KEVIN IN A BOX: McCarthy has offered olive branches over the years, according to people close to the speaker. He helped Gaetz land seats on the House Armed Services and Judiciary committee, which the Floridian was pining for, according to one senior GOP aide.

But when it came time for McCarthy to fulfill his own ambitions and claim the speaker’s gavel, Gaetz quickly emerged as his fiercest critic — mocking him publicly and leading a conservative revolt that was settled only after four days, 15 ballots and a series of tense episodes on the floor (including one where Rogers lunged at Gaetz).

While other conservatives flipped their votes to McCarthy in exchange for a suite of policy and process promises, Gaetz never once voted for him — agreeing only to vote “present,” passively allowing him to secure the gavel.

Meanwhile, those promises — which reportedly included allowing regular order for the 12 yearly appropriations bills — set the stage for the present showdown. Now McCarthy’s only way out will be to pass a bipartisan CR, reneging on his January deal and empowering Gaetz to seek revenge.

“Gaetz has boxed McCarthy in,” said one senior GOP aide close to McCarthy world. “People think Gaetz is dumb, but he’s fucking smart — he’s really smart.”

But should Gaetz take the next step and move to oust McCarthy from the speaker’s chair, it will not be without risks. Actually removing McCarthy will require Democrats to join the band of rebels, and some Republicans believe that will never happen — instantly rendering Gaetz irrelevant.

“If he wants to, he can keep the attention … and that keeps people asking about him,” said one senior House GOP aide who predicted Gaetz might flinch. “The moment he calls the motion to vacate, the charade is up. It’s put up or shut up.”

Happy Friday. Thanks for reading Playbook. How are you preparing for a shutdown? Drop us a line: Rachael Bade, Eugene Daniels, Ryan Lizza.

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TALK OF THIS TOWN — Michael Schaffer’s latest Capital City column: “What If the Government Shut Down and No One Noticed?”

HAPPENING TODAY — “UAW set to widen strike barring progress in contract talks,” by WaPo’s Jeanne Whalen

THE PLAYBOOK INTERVIEW: DEBBIE DINGELL — The center of presidential politics this week was the swing state of Michigan, which Trump won in 2016, Biden won back in 2020, and which is certain to be a fierce battleground in 2024.

That’s why both candidates flew to metro Detroit this week to insert themselves into the UAW strike — Biden, joining a picket line in Wayne County, home of Detroit, on Tuesday; Trump, speaking at a non-union shop in neighboring Macomb County on Wednesday.

When you unpack the politics of the two Michigan trips, a lot of big issues emerge: populism, trade, the U.S.-China relationship, climate change, the long-running debate between environmentalists and unions, and questions about whether the Democrats or Republicans are the party of the working class.

And there is one member of Congress who understands all of this better than just about anyone: Rep. Debbie Dingell (D-Mich.).

In the House, Debbie Dingell is the key player when it comes to the UAW strike: advising — sometimes yelling at — Biden’s top aides about how they should handle the strike; communing with auto workers in union halls whenever she’s back home; mediating fights between the interests of environmentalists and manufacturers.

On this episode of Playbook Deep Dive, Ryan joins Rep. Dingell in her Washington, D.C., office for wide-ranging conversation about the realities of the UAW strike, including her honest thoughts about Biden’s appearance on the picket line; why she thinks that Democrats may be in danger of losing Michigan in 2024; and why the biggest sticking point in the strike is something you might not even have heard about. Listen to the full episode on Apple Podcasts … Spotify

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WHAT'S HAPPENING TODAY

On the Hill

The House will meet at 10 a.m. to consider a continuing resolution to keep the government open.

The Senate will meet at 10 a.m. to resume consideration of a (different) continuing resolution to keep the government open. At noon, the Senate will vote on the U.S. attorney nominations of TODD GEE and TARA McGRATH.

3 things to watch …

After managing last night to pass three of the four full-year spending bills they debated this week, House Republicans will turn today to trying to pass a shutdown-averting stopgap — albeit one that cannot pass the Senate as written. It’s still a major test for the fractious House GOP, and success or failure will set the tone for the final showdown before the shutdown. Things kick off with an 8 a.m. Rules Committee meeting. More from Sarah Ferris and Jordain Carney
With nothing else to do as time elapses before tomorrow’s CR cloture vote, the Senate today is turning to a pair of U.S. attorney nominations that would typically win confirmation by voice vote but have been blocked by Sen. J.D. VANCE (R-Ohio) in protest of the Justice Department’s Trump prosecutions.
There’s a new caucus in town, and Rep. SHRI THANEDAR (D-Mich.) is holding a rare Friday news conference to promote it: The Hindu, Buddhist, Sikh and Jain American Congressional Caucus, aka the HBSJ. Thanedar, who is Hindu, says he has 23 other lawmakers signed up as charter members.

At the White House

JOE BIDEN … At 9:35 a.m., the president, VP KAMALA HARRIS and second gentleman DOUG EMHOFF will travel to Arlington, Va., to attend a farewell tribute in honor of Gen. MARK MILLEY and participate in an Armed Forces Hail in honor of Gen. CHARLES BROWN. Press secretary KARINE JEAN-PIERRE and OMB Director SHALONDA YOUNG hold a briefing at 12:30 p.m.

GROWING IN THE GOLDEN STATE: POLITICO California is growing, reinforcing our role as the indispensable insider source for reporting on politics, policy and power. From the corridors of power in Sacramento and Los Angeles to the players and innovation hubs in Silicon Valley, we're your go-to for navigating the political landscape across the state. Exclusive scoops, essential daily newsletters, unmatched policy reporting and insights — POLITICO California is your key to unlocking Golden State politics. LEARN MORE.

PLAYBOOK READS

CONGRESS

House Oversight and Accountability Committee Chair James Comer (R-Ky.) arrives for a hearing.

House Oversight and Accountability Committee Chair James Comer (R-Ky.) arrives for a hearing on the basis for an impeachment inquiry into President Biden. | Francis Chung/POLITICO

COMER’S IMPEACHMENT BELLYFLOP — This is the way the impeachment inquiry began: not with a bang, but a whimper.

After weeks of hype, yesterday’s kickoff of the official proceedings in the House Oversight Committee’s Biden impeachment inquiry seemed, well, lackluster. It was, as one Republican aide told CNN’s Melanie Zanona, “an unmitigated disaster.”

“I don’t know what was achieved over these last six-plus hours,” said Fox News anchor NEIL CAVUTO, encapsulating the reaction of much of the commentariat. “JAMES COMER, the Oversight Committee chairman, said there would be presented a mountain of evidence against Mr. Biden. But none of the expert witnesses today presented, yet, any proof for impeachment.”

Indeed, expert witnesses called by Republicans undermined the supposed “evidence.” At the hearing’s opening, conservative attorney JONATHAN TURLEY told the committee that he did not believe “that the current evidence would support articles of impeachment." More from Jordain Carney

Knowing that, Turley would “maybe not [be] a witness I call initially to lay out the case,” longtime Trump ally STEVE BANNON fumed on podcast yesterday. “[I]f that was the professor’s thought and that’s what he believes, maybe we sit around a conference table and say, ‘Hey … Maybe we bring him in in a couple of weeks? Maybe we don’t start with him.’ It’s just an idea.”

More top reads:

After spending weeks threatening McCarthy’s gavel, conservative hardliners are starting to pivot to searching for a replacement speaker, Olivia and Jordain report. “But they’re hitting a familiar dead end: They can’t land on a feasible alternative.” WaPo’s Leigh Anne Caldwell and Marianna Sotomayor report that Majority Whip TOM EMMER (R-Minn.) is their leading candidate, though he is disclaiming any interest.
Sen. JOE MANCHIN (D-W.Va.) has been stalling President Biden’s nominee for VA general counsel, ANJALI CHATURVEDI, over the agency’s abortion policy allowing counseling and abortions in some instances, Ben Leonard scooped.

ALL POLITICS

FROM THE JERSEY SHORE TO DORADO BEACH — In a closed-door meeting of Senate Democrats yesterday, Sen. BOB MENENDEZ (D-N.J.) defied calls for his resignation over federal bribery charges, reports AP’s Mary Clare Jalonick. “More than half of Democratic senators have said Menendez should step down. But none of them asked questions after he spoke and vowed to remain in office, according to several senators leaving the meeting.”

Lest there be any doubt that he’s serious about this, Menendez is still planning on holding a high-dollar donor retreat at the Ritz-Carlton at Dorado Beach — literally Spanish for “golden” beach — in Puerto Rico, CNN’s Manu Raju reports.

Meanwhile, in the event that Menendez does resign, the Latina Civic PAC is urging Gov. PHIL MURPHY to consider a Latina candidate to replace him — with much of the buzz surrounding U.S. District Court Judge ESTHER SALAS, especially if Murphy appoints a caretaker, New Jersey Globe’s Joey Fox reports.

FIRST IN PLAYBOOK — MOORE CAPITO, a GOP frontrunner in the race for West Virginia’s governor’s mansion, is endorsing Trump’s comeback bid today, Ally Mutnick reports. His support is notable, in part, because his mother, Sen. SHELLEY MOORE CAPITO (R-W.Va.), has spoken critically of the former president and has not backed his campaign. Moore Capito is in a heated race to replace outgoing Gov. JIM JUSTICE, running against CHRIS MILLER, the son of Rep. CAROL MILLER (R-W.Va.), and PATRICK MORRISEY, the state’s AG who has the support of the Club for Growth.

TRUMP CARDS

The Fulton County Courthouse is seen during sunset.

The Fulton County Courthouse is seen on Aug. 14, 2023 in Atlanta, Ga. | Joe Raedle/Getty Images

GEORGIA ON MY MIND — In a surprise notice filed last night, Trump lawyers STEVE SADOW and JENNIFER LITTLE announced the former president would not seek to move his election interference case from Georgia’s Fulton County to the federal court, the Atlanta Journal Constitution’s Chris Joyner, Tamar Hallerman and Shannon McCaffrey report.

The context: “In order to move his case, Trump would have had to show he was operating as a federal official — rather than a political candidate — as he attempted to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election in Georgia and elsewhere. … The notice came three weeks after MARK MEADOWS, Trump’s former chief of staff, failed in his bid to move his case to federal court” using a similar rationale.

Meanwhile, in New York: Trump’s long-shot appeal to delay his trial in his New York civil case related to fraud allegations was denied yesterday, which allows NY AG LETITIA JAMES’ case against him to proceed to trial on Monday.

“James, a Democrat, has accused the former president of a decadelong fraud scheme in which his business provided false and misleading valuations to banks and insurers for financial gain,” WSJ’s Corinne Ramey reports. “The trial beginning Monday will delve into several other allegations in the New York attorney general’s case, including those related to insurance fraud and conspiracy.”

More top reads:

“Poll: Slim majority of voters believe Trump could be disqualified under 14th Amendment,” by Zach Montellaro: “After a series of questions about the Constitution and Trump’s conduct after the 2020 presidential election, 51 percent said the 14th Amendment prohibits Trump from running again because he engaged in insurrection, compared with 34 percent who said the opposite.”

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2024 WATCH

TEFLON DON — A Republican PAC with close ties to the Club for Growth has spent $6 million dollars on anti-Trump ads in Iowa and South Carolina, but in a candid new memo obtained by NYT’s Jonathan Swan, PAC head DAVID McINTOSH found that after testing more than 40 TV ads, “all attempts to undermine his conservative credentials on specific issues were ineffective.”

“Even when you show video to Republican primary voters — with complete context — of President Trump saying something otherwise objectionable to primary voters, they find a way to rationalize and dismiss it,” McIntosh states in the memo. “Every traditional postproduction ad attacking President Trump either backfired or produced no impact on his ballot support and favorability.”

THE FALLBACK — “Alarmed Republicans are preparing to draft Glenn Youngkin,” CBS News’ Bob Costa writes for WaPo

THE WHITE HOUSE

U.S. Attorney Robert Hur arrives at U.S. District Court in Baltimore.

U.S. Attorney Robert Hur arrives at U.S. District Court in Baltimore on Nov. 21, 2019. | Steve Ruark/AP Photo

UNDER THE RADAR — NYT’s Glenn Thrush is out with a detailed look behind the scenes of DOJ Special counsel ROBERT HUR’s “quiet” nine-month investigation into President Biden’s handling of classified documents while VP, which “has reached into the upper levels of the White House and the cabinet, people familiar with the case said.”

The context: “[The investigation] is primarily focused on determining the chain of custody for the documents with classified markings found in the offices of the president’s Washington think tank and at his house in Delaware … Mr. Hur’s team has also scrutinized whether longtime Biden aides, and the president himself, adhered to security protocols in handling and packing up official documents and private notes from his vice presidency.”

Notably: “One of the thorniest unresolved issues is whether Mr. Biden will submit to an interview, typically the final stage of an investigation. He could also answer written questions or interact with Mr. Hur’s team through his team of White House and personal lawyers.”

More top reads:

In an Arizona speech yesterday on the importance of democracy, Biden sharply criticized Trump for his moves to undermine the democratic process. “There is something dangerous happening in America,” Biden said. “There is an extremist movement that does not share the basic beliefs of our democracy. The MAGA Movement.” More from Lauren Egan and Jonathan Lemire

THE ECONOMY

THE ALMIGHTY DOLLAR — “‘Everything was built around cheap money’: How the Fed is transforming Biden’s economy,” by Victoria Guida, Katy O'Donnell and Sam Sutton

PENNY PINCHING — “US consumer spending was much weaker in the second quarter than previously estimated,” by CNN’s Bryan Mena

JUDICIARY SQUARE

THE MAN BEHIND THE CURTAIN — On the media and ProPublica are out with the first episode of a new three-part podcast series, “We Don’t Talk About Leonard,” an investigative series that takes a look into the web of money, influence and power behind the conservative legal movement in America. Check out the first episode

TV TONIGHT — PBS’ “Washington Week”: Anne Applebaum, Peter Baker, Leigh Ann Caldwell and Asma Khalid.

SUNDAY SO FAR …

MSNBC “The Sunday Show”: Rep. Suzan DelBene (D-Wash.) … Miles Taylor.

CNN “Inside Politics Sunday”: Panel: Amy Walter, Seung Min Kim, Melanie Zanona and Jeff Zeleny.

FOX “Fox News Sunday”: Rep. Byron Donalds (R-Fla.). Panel: Julia Manchester, Jason Rantz, Kevin Roberts and Juan Williams.

ABC “This Week”: Chris Christie. Panel: Donna Brazile, Sarah Isgur, Astead Herndon and Julie Pace.

GO INSIDE THE CAPITOL DOME: From the outset, POLITICO has been your eyes and ears on Capitol Hill, providing the most thorough Congress coverage — from political characters and emerging leaders to leadership squabbles and policy nuggets during committee markups and hearings. We're stepping up our game to ensure you’re fully informed on every key detail inside the Capitol Dome, all day, every day. Start your day with Playbook AM, refuel at midday with our Playbook PM halftime report and enrich your evening discussions with Huddle. Plus, stay updated with real-time buzz all day through our brand new Inside Congress Live feature. Learn more and subscribe here.

PLAYBOOKERS

Melania Trump reportedly renegotiated her prenup.

Barack Obama took some Tinseltown meetings at CAA yesterday.

Brittney Griner attended a Phoenix fundraiser for Joe Biden.

John King opened up about his MS diagnosis.

OUT AND ABOUT — The Best Friends Foundation hosted its annual “Heart of Gold” awards dinner Wednesday night at the Four Seasons, honoring Barbara Harrison, Rep. Debbie Dingell (D-Mich.) and Diana Davis Spencer. SPOTTED: Ecuadorian Ambassador Ivonne Baki, Alma Powell, Postmaster General Louis DeJoy and Aldona Wos, Angelique Pitteloud, Bill Bennett, Bo Derek, Marlene Malek, Todd Tiahrt, John and Krista Bennett, and Kara Krause.

NEW NOMINEES — The White House announced Biden will nominate Aprille Ericsson as assistant secretary of Defense for science and technology and John Nkengasong as ambassador-at-large for global health security and diplomacy.

MEDIA MOVES — National Geographic is adding Tulani André as VP for social media and Soo-Jeong Kang as VP and head of visuals. André previously was at Prime Video. Kang previously was at Condé Nast.

TRANSITIONS — Yvette Rose is now deputy executive director in FAA’s Office of Rulemaking. She previously was SVP for the Cargo Airline Association. … Aneesa McMillan is now comms director at Giffords. She previously was deputy executive director at Priorities USA. … Elisabeth St. Onge is now press secretary for Sen. Peter Welch (D-Vt.). She previously was press secretary and digital director for Rep. Shontel Brown (D-Ohio).

HAPPY BIRTHDAY: NASA Administrator Bill Nelson … U.S. Ambassador to the Holy See Joe Donnelly … Larry Burton of Sen. Dan Sullivan’s (R-Alaska) office … David Nather … Salena Zito … Anton Vuljaj … Liz Sidoti … CBS’ Tory Coughlan … Stephen Parker … POLITICO’s Ryan Hutchins, Marissa Martinez, Jade-Snow Joachim and Lucas Morgan … Insider’s Oma Seddiq … Riley Swinehart … Finn Partners’ Scott Widmeyer and Jessica Ross … NBC’s Emma Barnett … Ryann DuRant of the Senate Banking Committee … Edelman’s Lisa Osborne Ross … Shawn Pasternak of S-3 Group … Brian Shankman … Kevin Pérez-Allen of United States of Care … USAID’s Elvir Klempic … Sony’s Cameron Normand … Paul Bock … NDRC’s Kelly Ward Burton … Aviva Rosenthal of the Smithsonian Institution … Sandra Sobieraj Westfall … Precision Strategies’ Laura Gaffey ... Ashley Bryant Bailey … former Rep. Max Sandlin (D-Texas) … Melissa DeRosa … Will Saletan … Robbie Kaplan … Marisa Salemme of Sen. Chris Murphy’s (D-Conn.) office.

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