| | | | |  | | By Rachael Bade, Ryan Lizza and Eugene Daniels | | | With help from Eli Okun, Garrett Ross and Bethany Irvine
| | | |  | DRIVING THE DAY | | | ENDORSEMENT WATCH — “Latest GOP split: Senate leaders hold out as House brass goes all-in for Trump,” by Burgess Everett, Olivia Beavers and Anthony Adragna
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Donald Trump arrives for a Fox News Channel town hall in Des Moines, Iowa, Jan. 10, 2024. | Carolyn Kaster/AP | IS CHRISTIE’S SACRIFICE ENOUGH? — Former New Jersey Gov. CHRIS CHRISTIE finally saw the writing on the wall. After telling Playbook months ago that he’d only run if he believed he could beat DONALD TRUMP, Christie yesterday came to the same conclusion that any political forecaster worth their salt would have come to even before he’d even announced his candidacy: that his brand of Republicanism — with its truth-telling, anti-Trump firebreathing — is out of vogue in today’s GOP. We’re told by someone close to Christie that he decided to drop out now — before primary voting begins and despite being at double digits in New Hampshire — to ensure maximum impact in the race. And that he wanted to give a Trump alternative, namely NIKKI HALEY, the best chance of catching enough momentum to defeat Trump. “I am going to make sure that in no way do I enable Donald Trump to ever be president of the United States again,” he said in his dropout speech. Yet there are still plenty of reasons to be skeptical about whether Christie’s timely exit will be the game-changer Trump’s skeptics are praying it will be. Trump still dominates GOP primary polling, both nationwide and in most early states — and time is running short to change those dynamics. THE SPLIT SCREEN: Haley’s uphill battle was on full display last night with the CNN Iowa debate and Fox News town hall with Trump. While she and Florida Gov. RON DeSANTIS spent two hours attacking each other, Trump was already pivoting to general-election messaging.
- Seeking to downplay JOE BIDEN’s recent warnings about the future of democracy being at stake in the election, the former president declared that “I am not going to be a dictator.” (That, of course, did little to put the issue to rest.)
- Aware of the political toxicity of the party line on abortion rights, Trump sought to distance himself from GOP states passing six-week abortion bans, noting that a lot of women don’t even know they’re pregnant at the time. (That said, Democratic strategists are positively giddy at this sound bite: “For 54 years, [conservatives] were trying to get Roe v. Wade terminated, and I did it. And I’m proud to have done it.”)
- Trump even walked back suggestions that he’ll come for his critics during a second term. “I’m not going to have time for retribution,” he declared. “We’re going to make this country so successful again, I’m not going to have time for it.” (He said this just hours after his campaign sent out a fundraising pitch to voters promising to be “your retribution.”)
“If you watched any part of the JV debate this evening, you see two campaigns that are beating the living hell out of each other. Right?” Trump adviser CHRIS LaCIVITA told reporters after Trump’s town hall. “Then you have a Donald Trump commercial that shows up and he's talking about Joe Biden. … We couldn't have scripted any better ourselves.” For more on last night’s splitscreen, read our politics team’s wrap-up
| | | | A message from Instagram: More than 75% of parents want to approve the apps teens under 16 download.
According to a new poll from Morning Consult, more than 75% of parents agree: Teens under 16 shouldn’t be able to download apps from app stores without parental permission.1
Instagram wants to work with Congress to pass federal legislation that gets it done.
Learn more. | | | BACK IN NEW HAMPSHIRE: Meanwhile, ahead of his exit speech, Christie himself was caught in a hot mic moment trashing Haley’s ability to pull off a Trump upset. “She’s gonna get smoked,” he said. “And you and I both know it — she’s not up to this.” There are, of course, reasons to speculate that Christie’s exit could scramble the 2024 chess board to Haley’s benefit. A CNN/University of New Hampshire poll released Tuesday found that 65 percent of Christie’s supporters would turn to Haley if he wasn’t on the ballot. While Christie’s nationwide support remains minimal, those numbers could matter in the first-in-the-nation primary state, where Trump stands at 39 percent, compared to Haley’s 32 percent and Christie’s 12 percent. Numbers like those have given rise to theories that if Haley (1) performs well in Iowa, (2) beats Trump in New Hampshire and (3) spends the next few weeks campaigning in her home state of South Carolina and does well there, that such momentum could build nationally and help her take down Trump. But, boy, that’s a lot of “ifs” — with virtually zero room for error. To be sure, allies of at least one other candidate will be worried. DeSantis’s advisers warned him a few months back that Christie dropping out before New Hampshire would be a “nightmare scenario” for his campaign, according to ABC News’ Rachel Scott, Will McDuffie and Tal Axelrod. That may be true. But even if Haley gains steam from Christie supporters and wins New Hampshire, the Granite State is something of an outlier in terms of its electorate. And, as FiveThirtyEight politics podcast host Galen Druke noted yesterday, her success there won't necessarily translate elsewhere. — For one, Druke points out, independents can vote in New Hampshire’s GOP primary, which isn’t the case in many other states. — What’s more, Druke notes that about 40% of New Hampshirites have a four-year bachelor’s degree. As our Jonathan Martin noted this week, Haley typically performs well with a highly educated electorate. “While the polling for her might be promising [in New Hampshire], really for her to even have a chance at winning the primary, she has to do extremely well there,” Druke said. “She has to not just win, but blow Trump out of the water there to even have a shot in these subsequent states.” Meanwhile, the Trump campaign is seeking to downplay the impacts of Christie’s exit on the race. In a memo citing campaign pollster JOHN McLAUGHLIN’s work, they claim the former president “still wins decisively” in a head-to-head matchup with Haley in New Hampshire — even beating her by eight points, 52% to 44%. Asked about the Trump memo, Haley spokesperson OLIVIA PEREZ-CUBAS told Playbook that “if Trump has something to say, he should say it on a debate stage.” But you can bet Haley’s inner circle is more bullish than ever that things are falling their way. We’ll see if it’s enough. Good Thursday morning. Thanks for reading Playbook. Drop us a line: Rachael Bade, Eugene Daniels, Ryan Lizza. A TALE OF TWO HEADLINES — “Biden holding private meetings at White House to reassure supporters,” by WaPo’s Tyler Pager and Michael Scherer: “Biden has been holding private lunches at the White House with top donors and other supporters as part of an effort to reassure them about his reelection campaign.” … “Biden warned to stop bringing big donors to Oval Office,” by Axios’ Hans Nichols and Alex Thompson: “The donor outreach has caused some concern in the White House Counsel’s office … [H]e decided to stop including an Oval tour for donors early in the campaign … The exclusive briefings and meals are expected to continue.” FIRST IN PLAYBOOK — Secretary of State ANTONY BLINKEN is on the latest cover of Time for a feature from Vera Bergengruen about this moment’s massive test for American leadership on the world stage. The story will post later this morning.
|  | | | | | A message from Instagram:   | | | | | WHAT'S HAPPENING TODAY | | On the Hill The House will meet at 10 a.m. and at noon will take up a bill that would curtail the Justice Department’s ability to send settlement money to non-governmental groups. HUD Secretary MARCIA FUDGE will testify before the Financial Services Committee at 10 a.m. The Senate is in. 3 things to watch …
- Senate border negotiators are zeroing in on the thorny question of parole, the executive power to temporarily admit some migrants that Republicans are hoping to restrict. Burgess Everett and Ursula Perano report that GOP senators are now seeking an “explicit cap” on how many migrants parole can be applied to. Separately, negotiators are exploring how to get asylum-seekers work permits more quickly — something that would please the largely Democratic big-city mayors dealing with migrant influxes.
- Could there finally be movement on legislation allowing the U.S. to seize hundreds of billions of dollars in frozen Russian assets and use it to aid Ukraine? Bloomberg’s Daniel Flatley reports that a bipartisan bill now has the White House’s quiet support, and there’s this tidbit: Senate Foreign Relations Chair JIM RISCH (R-Idaho) is threatening to hold Biden’s deputy secretary of State nominee, KURT CAMPBELL, until the bill moves through committee.
- The House Oversight and Judiciary committees did, in fact, manage to advance a contempt resolution against HUNTER BIDEN amid the circus caused by his surprise appearance yesterday. But big questions remain: (1) With the House floor gridlocked in a right-wing spending revolt (more on that in a moment), how soon can it pass? And (2) is there any universe where the Biden Justice Department actually enforces the subpoena, especially considering its target’s repeated offers to testify publicly?
At the White House Biden will receive the President’s Daily Brief. VP KAMALA HARRIS will travel to Charlotte, North Carolina, where she’ll take part in a gun violence prevention roundtable with Education Secretary MIGUEL CARDONA at Eastway Middle School, before returning to Washington.
| | | | GLOBAL PLAYBOOK IS TAKING YOU TO DAVOS! Unlock the insider's guide to one of the world's most influential gatherings as POLITICO's Global Playbook takes you behind the scenes of the 2024 World Economic Forum. Author Suzanne Lynch will be on the ground in the Swiss Alps, bringing you the exclusive conversations, shifting power dynamics and groundbreaking ideas shaping the agenda in Davos. Stay in the know with POLITICO's Global Playbook, your VIP pass to the world’s most influential gatherings. SUBSCRIBE NOW. | | | | | | | PLAYBOOK READS | | CONGRESS
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House Speaker Mike Johnson looks on during a press conference on House Republicans' impeachment inquiry into President Biden at the U.S. Capitol on Nov. 29, 2023. | Francis Chung/POLITICO | SPENDING SHOWDOWN — As Congress inches closer to trying to pass a bipartisan spending deal, Speaker MIKE JOHNSON for the first time yesterday said he would consider a continuing resolution to keep the government open while the spending deal moves forward, per Roll Call. But he faced another significant revolt from hard-line conservatives, who oppose a CR and want to shut the government down without major spending cuts: They brought House floor action to a screeching halt yesterday by voting in protest against starting debate on unrelated bills. It isn’t obvious where the chamber will go next if the band of rebels doesn’t relent. “House Republicans found themselves in an all too familiar predicament for their majority: struggling to find consensus on even the basic functions of governing,” write CNN’s Annie Grayer, Melanie Zanona, Manu Raju and Lauren Fox. Meanwhile, the policy stakes of the funding fight for many vulnerable Americans remain perilously high. The WIC food aid program for mothers and children is headed for a potential $1 billion shortfall unless Congress gives it a funding boost, NYT’s Madeleine Ngo reports. That could lead some states to reject eligible, needy citizens for the first time in decades. There’s a major rental assistance cliff coming, especially on housing vouchers, that could strand millions of families with fewer benefits to pay for housing, WaPo’s Tony Romm reports. Without a stopgap — or even with it, if the deal reduces spending — tens or hundreds of thousands of families could risk eviction and homelessness. More top reads:
ALL POLITICS WHISKEY TANGO FOXTROT — “Staffers Allege Jamie McLeod-Skinner’s Driver Feared Physical Violence From Her,” by Willamette Week’s Sophie Peel: “Three former campaign workers for U.S. congressional candidate JAMIE McLEOD-SKINNER have come forward to allege that, during her last bid for office, the candidate twice made physical contact with her campaign driver. The three allege the situation got so bad that the driver expressed fear of McLeod-Skinner … McLeod-Skinner denied the allegations, saying they were politically motivated.” SURVEY SAYS — A new Quinnipiac poll of Pennsylvania finds Biden rising to a 3-point lead over Trump and Democratic Sen. BOB CASEY ahead of DAVID McCORMICK by 10. … Rep. ELISSA SLOTKIN (D-Mich.) is in a tossup Michigan Senate race against any of the leading GOP contenders, per The Detroit News/WDIV-TV. … A Democratic poll finds Rep. RUBEN GALLEGO (D-Ariz.) and KARI LAKE essentially tied in the Arizona Senate race, with independent incumbent KYRSTEN SINEMA lagging far behind, per The Messenger’s Matt Holt. CASH DASH — McCormick’s super PAC Keystone Renewal has raised an eye-popping nearly $18 million since it launched in August, drawing support from big names like KEN GRIFFIN, STEVE SCHWARZMAN and PAUL SINGER. More from Bloomberg PRIMARY COLORS — “A Trump Test In the Piedmont,” by The Assembly’s Bryan Anderson: “Donald Trump’s surprise endorsement of a young, little-known lobbyist has added to the unpredictability of a Republican primary in the newly drawn 6th U.S. House District.”
| | | | A message from Instagram:   | | | TRUMP CARDS
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Donald Trump greets supporters as he leaves a town hall in Des Moines, Iowa, on Jan.10, 2024. | Kamil Krzaczynski/AFP via Getty Images | TODAY’S BIG HEARING — Trump has yet another big day in court as he’s expected to attend closing arguments for his civil business fraud trial in NYC. But Judge ARTHUR ENGORON said yesterday that Trump likely won’t be allowed to speak, as the former president indicated he wanted to, because he hasn’t agreed to the court’s conditions, per CNN. Trump’s attorneys had contested Engoron’s restrictions on what Trump could say, provoking the judge’s ire. Engoron also rejected media outlets’ request to have the proceedings televised live. Nonetheless, the trial promises major political and legal sparks as New York AG TISH JAMES’ $370 million lawsuit — which threatens Trump’s business empire and the foundation of his public reputation — winds to a conclusion. BEYOND THE BELTWAY WHAT BIDEN IS WATCHING — “‘Obamacare’ sign-ups surge to 20 million, days before open enrollment closes,” by AP’s Amanda Seitz NOT QUITE WHAT DeSANTIS WANTED — “In Florida, New School Laws Have an Unintended Consequence: Bureaucracy,” by NYT’s Dana Goldstein FRONTIERS OF CAPITAL PUNISHMENT — “US judge allows first nitrogen-gas execution to proceed,” by Reuters’ Jonathan Allen EMPTY PLATES — “Republican governors in 15 states reject summer food money for kids,” by WaPo’s Annie Gowen THE WHITE HOUSE AUSTIN PITY LIMITS — The White House has remained torn between concern for Defense Secretary LLOYD AUSTIN’s health after his cancer diagnosis was revealed and frustration at his opacity about being hospitalized, Eugene, Alex Ward, Adam Cancryn and Sam Stein report. There are similar mixed emotions among Hill Dems: Armed Services member CHRIS DELUZIO (D-Pa.) yesterday became the first to call for Austin’s resignation, per Nick Wu, but many of the rest are sympathetic, interested in getting more info and unworried about political blowback, Nick, Ursula Perano, Katherine Tully-McManus and Connor O’Brien report this morning. Even more Austin stories: “How Lloyd Austin’s Deputy Ended Up Running the Pentagon From the Beach,” by WSJ’s Gordon Lubold and Nancy Youssef … “Austin’s public cancer disclosure brings Hill sympathy, calls for accountability,” by Ursula … “Why Some People Keep Serious Illnesses Private,” by NYT’s Catherine Pearson HAPPENING TODAY — “Hunter Biden expected to plead not guilty in Los Angeles hearing on federal tax charges,” by AP’s Colleen Long AMERICA AND THE WORLD MIDDLE EAST LATEST — U.S. officials are warning of growing worries that Hezbollah could target Americans in the Middle East or even attempt a terrorist strike in the U.S., amid rising tensions from the Israel-Hamas war, Erin Banco and Lara Seligman scooped. Either scenario could force the U.S. to get more directly involved militarily in the region. And Washington is already being ensnared: The U.S. and the U.K. yesterday downed a major barrage of rockets and drones the Houthis fired in the Red Sea, per the WSJ. Worth reading: Jewish Insider’s Gabby Deutch profiles AMOS HOCHMAN, who’s working to try to prevent a bigger Israel-Lebanon war. DANCE OF THE SUPERPOWERS — “Joe Biden to send delegation to Taipei after Taiwan’s election,” by FT’s Demetri Sevastopulo: “The White House has tapped JAMES STEINBERG … and STEPHEN HADLEY … to lead the bipartisan delegation … [which] is unusual — and will probably anger Beijing.” WAR IN UKRAINE WHAT JAKE SULLIVAN IS UP TO — “US Set to Push Zelenskiy at Davos for Clearer War Plan,” by Bloomberg’s Alberto Nardelli and Jennifer Jacobs POLICY CORNER THIS TIME IT’S REAL — “SEC greenlights bitcoin ETFs even as hack sets off Washington alarms,” by Declan Harty, Eleanor Mueller and Jasper Goodman
| | | | POLITICO AT CES® 2024: We are going ALL On at CES 2024 with a special edition of the POLITICO Digital Future Daily newsletter. The CES-focused newsletter will take you inside the most powerful tech event in the world, featuring revolutionary products that cut across verticals, and insights from industry leaders that are shaping the future of innovation. The newsletter runs from Jan. 9-12 and will focus on the public policy-related aspects of the gathering. Sign up today to receive exclusive coverage of the show. | | | | | | | PLAYBOOKERS | | Lauren Boebert was cleared of domestic violence allegations after her ex-husband was arrested. Andrew Warren could have a pathway to reinstatement. Marjorie Taylor Greene filed a formal complaint against Fani Willis. Kaitlan Collins is bereft about Nick Saban. OUT AND ABOUT — SPOTTED at the Power to the Patients concert yesterday evening at the Hamilton Live, featuring performances by Fat Joe, Jelly Roll and Wyclef Jean: Sen. Mike Braun (R-Ind.), Stephen Benjamin, Reps. Mariannette Miller-Meeks (R-Iowa), Nanette Diaz Barragán (D-Calif.), Debbie Dingell (D-Mich.) and Jason Smith (R-Mo.), Joshua Kelley, Marty Makary, Dan Conston, Victoria Knight, Sara Sidner, Reese Gorman, Liz Elkind, Farnoush Amiri, Alex Isenstadt, Jade Womack, Tiffany Guarascio and Olivia Beavers. — SPOTTED at a celebration for Nathalie Rayes’ swearing-in as ambassador to Croatia last night at Ciel Social Club, organized by Nathaly Maurice and George Pla: Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, Sen. Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), House Minority Whip Katherine Clark (D-Mass.), Reps. Nanette Diaz Barragán (D-Calif.), Jimmy Gomez (D-Calif.), Gabe Amo (D-R.I.), Adriano Espaillat (D-N.Y.) and Greg Casar (D-Texas), Rosie Rios, Stephen Benjamin, Carlos Sanchez, Jennifer Molina, Shyh Saenz, Luis Miranda Jr., Hector Sanchez Barba, Ricardo Lara, Nora Vargas, Janet Murguía, Adrian Saenz, Johanny Adames, Luisana Pérez, Mayra Macías, Marco Davis and Elizabeth de Leon. FIRST IN PLAYBOOK — John Mize is now CEO at Americans United for Life. He most recently was EVP for business development at the Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation. MEDIA MOVE — Britta Galanis is now comms manager at Semafor. She previously was comms manager at Vice. COMING SOON — The president plans to tap Nelson Cunningham as his nominee for deputy USTR focused on Europe, the Americas and the Middle East, Daniel Lippman reports for Pros. He’s a longtime Democratic hand in D.C. TRANSITIONS — Don Cravins is departing the Commerce Department’s Minority Business Development Agency, where he’s been the bureau’s first-ever undersecretary. Eric Morrissette will lead the bureau on an interim basis. … Lelaine Bigelow will be executive director of the Georgetown Center on Poverty and Inequality. She previously was VP of social impact and congressional relations at the National Partnership for Women and Families, and is an Obama HUD and Hill alum. HAPPY BIRTHDAY: Rep. Mike Turner (R-Ohio) … MSNBC’s Rashida Jones … Steven Law … Washington Examiner’s Reese Gorman … Uber’s C.R. Wooters … AbbVie’s Ashley Czin … Jonathan Kott … John Milne … Daria Grastara of Direct Persuasion … Jennifer Higgins of Guardant Health … Joe Lai of BGR Group … Jessica Bartlett … Kevin Mooney … Chris Beauregard … Ron Phillips … Jim Hightower … Frederic Mishkin … Ben Barrett of the Aspen Institute … Richard Posner … Emma Ernst … Gerald Rafshoon (9-0) … Peacock’s Caragh Fisher O’Connor … POLITICO’s Jeremy Crenshaw and Sheron Sen … Ford’s Melissa Miller … NBCUniversal’s Rose Wallace (3-0) Did someone forward this email to you? Sign up here. Send Playbookers tips to playbook@politico.com or text us at 202-556-3307. Playbook couldn’t happen without our editor Mike DeBonis, deputy editor Zack Stanton, producer Andrew Howard and Playbook Daily Briefing producer Callan Tansill-Suddath.
| | | | A message from Instagram: New federal legislation will give parents a say in teen app downloads.
According to a new poll by Morning Consult conducted in November 2023, more than 75% of parents believe teens under 16 shouldn’t be able to download apps without parental permission.1
Instagram wants to work with Congress to pass federal legislation that gets it done.
Learn more.
1"US Parents Study on Teen App Downloads" by Morning Consult (Meta-commissioned survey of 2,019 parents), Nov. 2023. | | | | | | | Follow us on Twitter | | | | Subscribe to the POLITICO Playbook family Playbook | Playbook PM | California Playbook | Florida Playbook | Illinois Playbook | Massachusetts Playbook | New Jersey Playbook | New York Playbook | Ottawa Playbook | Brussels Playbook | London Playbook View all our political and policy newsletters | | Follow us | | | | |
