| | | | |  | | By Eugene Daniels, Rachael Bade and Ryan Lizza | | Presented by |  | | | With help from Eli Okun, Garrett Ross and Bethany Irvine
| | | |  | DRIVING THE DAY | | | WATCH THIS SPACE — Nebraska Gov. JIM PILLEN yesterday threw his support behind a bill that would deliver all five of the state’s electoral votes to the statewide winner of the presidential race rather than allocating them by congressional district. It could shake up the presidential election. For President JOE BIDEN, it would take away what is currently his easiest path to 270: win the “blue wall” states of Michigan, Wisconsin and Pennsylvania, plus one electoral vote from metro Omaha. Pillen’s announcement came under pressure from MAGA activist CHARLIE KIRK, though Nebraska Democrats tell Semafor’s Dave Weigel they’re confident the bill won’t pass before the legislative session ends next week. (Do note: The Democratic-majority legislature in Maine, the other state with piecemeal electoral voting, also ends its session next week.)
|  Palestinians inspect a vehicle with the logo of the World Central Kitchen wrecked by an Israeli airstrike in the Gaza Strip. | Ismael Abu Dayyah/AP | ‘A GRAVE MISTAKE’ — In terms of cold hard math, seven deaths shouldn’t mean much. More than 30,000 have been killed in Gaza since Israel began its counteroffensive after the Oct. 7 Hamas attack, which itself claimed around 1,200 lives. More than 200 humanitarian aid workers have perished since, including nearly two dozen Americans. But the killings of seven World Central Kitchen employees Monday in a series of Israeli airstrikes have managed to galvanize official Washington in a way that Gaza’s more routine horrors have not. They have sparked a series of fierce reactions at the highest levels of government — and an unusually sensitive response from Israeli leaders who, till now, have become accustomed to hand-waving away questions about their scorched-earth military campaign. To explain why, you can start with a chef: World Central Kitchen founder JOSÉ ANDRÉS, who built a D.C. tapas parlor into not only a culinary empire but a global philanthropic operation that has made him ubiquitous in circles of Washington power. He is, as Michael Schaffer writes this morning, “a thought leader, humanitarian icon, and secular saint for the nation’s capital.” NANCY PELOSI nominated him for the Nobel Prize. He recorded a podcast with Secretary of State ANTONY BLINKEN. Biden made him co-chair of his Council on Sports, Fitness and Nutrition and has volunteered alongside him, as have first lady JILL BIDEN, VP KAMALA HARRIS and second gentleman DOUG EMHOFF. “His access and the respect he garners from people in the Democratic Party, he's going to have their ear in a way that many other people will never get to have their ear. And I think that that is going to mean something,” a Democratic strategist told Playbook last night. Adding to the outrage are the stunning circumstances: The seven aid workers were traveling in marked cars, moving on coordinated routes to and from facilities known to the IDF. They were killed in three separate strikes, repeatedly targeted as the wounded sought to escape. And keep in mind the context: They were working to deliver food to a hungry populace in Gaza as international frustrations over Israel’s blockade of humanitarian aid have reached a fever pitch — as have domestic questions about America’s support for the Israeli war effort. Together it amounts to one of the most volatile moments yet in the six-month saga, as reflected in the dramatic reactions we’ve seen over the past 24 hours: — From Biden himself: The White House quickly made known yesterday that the president had called Andrés to share his condolences and concerns about the Israeli strike. It was the first time during the conflict that the administration had publicized a call between Biden and a leader of a humanitarian organization. Later in the day, Biden released a fiery statement chiding Israel for not doing enough to protect aid workers and civilians: “[T]his is not a stand-alone incident. This conflict has been one of the worst in recent memory in terms of how many aid workers have been killed. This is a major reason why distributing humanitarian aid in Gaza has been so difficult.” — From administration officials: Our colleagues Matt Berg, Alexander Ward and Lara Seligman spoke with multiple administration officials who lashed out against Israel in much more pointed terms than we’re used to hearing. One said the strike “underscores Israeli carelessness toward Gaza civilians and international humanitarians alike.” Some said they doubted whether a promised Israeli probe would be credible or provide accountability, given “how Israel has conducted investigations in the past.” Israel will “do and say whatever is necessary to maintain the status quo and I have little hope their investigation will be transparent or honest,” another official said, while a third noted, “Three hits on three cars in a row is not an accident. We aren’t stupid.” — From Israeli officials: Early yesterday, Israeli PM BENJAMIN NETANYAHU released a perfunctory video acknowledging Israel was at fault for the “unintentional” strike and vowing to investigate. “This happens in wartime,” he added, speaking in Hebrew. What was more surprising — and telling of the seriousness of the incident — was a much longer video recorded later in the day by Lt. Gen. HERZI HALEVI, the IDF’s top uniformed officer, praising WCK and apologizing for the attack. “I want to be very clear,” Halevi said in English. “The strike was not carried out with the intention of harming WCK aid workers. It was a mistake that followed a misidentification at night during a war in very complex conditions. It shouldn’t have happened. … This incident was a grave mistake.” SO WHAT’S NEXT? There are plenty who still don’t believe this attack will spur a more serious break between Biden and Netanyahu — one, in other words, that would threaten the flow of arms from the U.S. to Israel. “I understand this is different in a way as a media moment given Jose Andrés and World Central Kitchen,” said MATT DUSS of the Center for International Policy, a former BERNIE SANDERS aide. “But Biden seems to have made his decision. And that decision is to back Israel to the hilt regardless.” But keep an eye on Andrés, who has kept a low profile since his initial statement mourning the victims and calling on the Israeli government “to stop this indiscriminate killing.” As Schaffer notes, he has historically tended to keep his political views pretty mild — supporting immigrants in the face of DONALD TRUMP’s attacks, yes, and making soft-edged calls for a Gaza ceasefire but otherwise careful not to alienate wide swaths of the political spectrum. That could change fast, and should he speak, one highly influential person could be listening. Biden referred to the chef yesterday as “a friend,” and those in the presidential orbit reminded us that the surest way to change his mind on anything is with a personal tug on the heartstrings. "He is not swayed by the loudest people in the room or the folks protesting him or whatnot,” one person told us. “What sways the president is the stories. Which is why his call with [Andrés] was really important. … I'm sure the chef has seen pictures and has talked to some of the families, so lord knows what he told the president.” Related reads: “Hill progressives unleash fresh fury at Netanyahu over WCK strike,” by Christine Zhu … “Family and friends recall dedication of World Central Kitchen aid workers killed in Gaza,” AP … “Israel is determined to invade Rafah. The U.S. is still waiting for its plan,” by WaPo’s William Booth, Hazem Balousha , Karen DeYoung and Missy Ryan Good Wednesday morning. Thanks for reading Playbook. Drop us a line: Rachael Bade, Eugene Daniels, Ryan Lizza.
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Explore the impact of the metaverse. | | | FIRST IN PLAYBOOK: INSIDE BIDEN’S ‘MONTH OF ACTION’ — Last month, following Super Tuesday and a State of the Union energy jolt, the Biden campaign went on an intensive blast of hiring, outreach and travel signifying a reelection march beginning in earnest. This morning, they are sharing some stats from that push exclusively with Playbook:
- Since March 8, Biden has held events in every battleground state.
- More than 100 campaign offices have opened up nationwide, with staff surging in battleground states.
- More than 2 million text messages and 385,000 calls have gone out recruiting volunteers.
- 20,000 volunteers participated in voter outreach, with almost 120,000 supporters joining organizing calls.
- Students for Biden, Latinos con Biden and Women for Biden launched.
- And Biden held a record $26 million New York fundraiser with BARACK OBAMA and BILL CLINTON.
The flurry of action, campaign officials believe, should go a long way in settling down Democrats who were panicking earlier this year about a slow ramp-up. It’s also a far cry from Trump and the RNC’s cash-strapped operations, they point out, which have been cutting staff and have a meager presence in the biggest battleground states. AND YET — “Trump Leads Biden in Six of Seven Swing States, WSJ Poll Finds,” by WSJ’s Aaron Zitner: “The poll of the election’s main battlegrounds shows Trump holding leads of between 2 and 8 percentage points in six states — Pennsylvania, Michigan, Arizona, Georgia, Nevada and North Carolina — on a test ballot that includes third-party and independent candidates. Trump holds similar leads when voters are asked to choose only between him and Biden." AND THIS, TOO — “Biden and Trump cruised in Tuesday’s primaries. But both showed signs of weakness,” by Steve Shepard: “Biden’s problem still seemed more acute. That’s because the Trump holdouts were concentrated in places Republicans have already lost — and will not come into play in November — while the ‘uncommitted’ protest vote against Biden was strongest among Democrats’ core base.” IN OTHER ELECTION NEWS — “Wisconsin voters OK amendments aimed at private election grants after 'Zuckerbucks' scrutiny,” by the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel’s Hope Karnopp
| | | | A message from Meta:   | | | | | WHAT'S HAPPENING TODAY | | On the Hill The Senate and the House are out. What we’re watching … There’s an election cliffhanger out in California’s 16th congressional district, where two candidates have been separated by mere handfuls of votes, trading leads as counting in the March 5 primary draws to a close. Last night, state Assemblyman EVAN LOW took a one-vote lead over Santa Clara County Supervisor JOE SIMITIAN after trailing by single digits over the last week of counting. A handful more votes are set to be added before certification Thursday. The winner earns the right to take on the top finisher — former San Jose mayor and fellow Democrat SAM LICCARDO — in November for the seat held by retiring Rep. ANNA ESHOO. (h/t Rob Pyers) At the White House Biden will receive the President’s Daily Brief in the morning. At 11 a.m., the president will deliver remarks on lowering health care costs. Press secretary KARINE JEAN-PIERRE will brief at 1:30 p.m. VP Kamala Harris is scheduled to record two radio interviews and receive briefings and conduct internal meetings with staff.
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|  House Republican Committee chairs, including Rep. James Comer, (R-Ky.) sent nearly 50 oversight requests from several different committees. | Francis Chung/POLITICO | KEEPING IT MOVING — House Republicans are saying out with the old (impeaching Biden) and in with the new (literally anything else that might stick), our colleague Jen Haberkorn reports. On the docket: “The search for a fresh line of attack has had a scattershot feel to it, including what Republicans say is the administration’s failure to aggressively combat the Chinese Communist Party; the origins of Covid-19; the approach to liquified natural gas exports and the Strategic Petroleum Reserve; and whether the administration sidestepped the Senate confirmation process in naming JOHN PODESTA the new climate envoy." “All told, House Republican Committee chairs sent nearly 50 oversight requests from several different committees to a variety of agencies. … The barrage makes clear that House Republicans remain eager to inflict a modicum of pain on the White House as the president and his team gear up for the Democratic National Convention and, after that, the election.” More top reads:
- With Rep. MARJORIE TAYLOR GREENE’s (R-Ga.) threat to oust Speaker MIKE JOHNSON sitting on the table during recess, the two are letting the issue simmer for now. “I haven't talked to him on the phone one time,” Greene told our colleague Olivia Beavers yesterday. “He reached out to me Thursday night before Good Friday and left me a strange voicemail about how he’s traveling all over and he’s exhausted. … I’m like, ‘Why do I want to talk to someone that’s so exhausted?’ That’s not good.”
- Biden administration officials delivered a briefing to congressional committees and leadership on the recently confirmed cases of avian flu, telling them that the risk to the general public remains low, David Lim reports.
- “Colleges are lawyering up to avoid becoming the next Harvard,” by Hailey Fuchs: “In campaigns, on K Street and in Congress, the machinery of the city has cashed in on the fight against perceived liberal bias on campus, as colleges have turned to consultants or lawyers to navigate the increasingly unforgiving landscape.”
2024 WATCH
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President Biden weighed in on the Florida abortion ruling yesterday, calling the decision by the state’s Supreme Court to uphold a restrictive abortion law “outrageous." | Andrew Harnik/AP | BURNISHING THEIR BRANDS — As we predicted in Playbook yesterday, Biden and Trump teed up their campaign can’t-misses, putting abortion and immigration at the forefront of this year’s reelection matchup. Biden weighed in on the Florida abortion ruling, calling the decision by the state’s Supreme Court to uphold a restrictive abortion law “outrageous” and “extreme,” NYT’s Katie Rogers writes. Campaign manager JULIE CHÁVEZ RODRÍGUEZ jumped in, too: “Donald Trump is directly to blame for the fact that abortion has now been effectively banned across the entire Southeastern United States,” she told reporters, adding that Trump “will do everything in his power to try and enact a national abortion ban if he’s re-elected.” But, but, but: Florida Dems are already warning Biden’s campaign to tread lightly on the issue, worrying that his approach could alienate Republicans, our colleagues Arek Sarkissian and Kimberly Leonard report. “I wish they hadn’t,” said state Rep. ANNA ESKAMANI, an Orlando Democrat who previously worked for Planned Parenthood and now supports a “multi-partisan effort” to secure abortion rights in the state: “I would expect them to support the initiative, but letting locals lead on this is smart.” FWIW: Trump yesterday vowed to reporters that he would offer a stance on abortion “next week,” while dodging questions about whether he supports Florida’s six-week abortion ban. Trump, meanwhile, accused Biden of fostering a “border bloodbath” while making a stop “in a swing county some 1,283 miles from the southern border,” our colleagues Adam Wren and Elena Schneider report from Grand Rapids, Michigan. “In his first pair of visits to battleground states in 24 days, Trump declared ‘every state a border state and every town a border town’ at an event in Michigan, before jetting to Wisconsin for a rally in Green Bay.” Yikes: “The sister of murder victim RUBY GARCIA said she and her family were home watching live, in disbelief, as [Trump] told an audience in Grand Rapids that he had spoken with ‘some of her family,’” Wood TV 8’s Ken Kolker reports. “‘He did not speak with any of us, so it was kind of shocking seeing that he had said that he had spoke with us, and misinforming people on live TV,’ Ruby Garcia’s sister, MAVI GARCIA, told Target 8.” More top reads:
- GOP pollster TONY FABRIZIO, a longtime Trump ally, is joining the former president’s campaign as a senior adviser, Alex Isenstadt reports. “Fabrizio had been serving as a top strategist for MAGA Inc., a pro-Trump super PAC.”
| | | | A message from Meta:   | | | ALL POLITICS FIRST LOOK — Faith Forward is launching a six-figure ad buy in battleground states backing Biden’s reelection bid and presenting a direct “counter-narrative” to the Christian nationalist messaging that has been deployed for Trump’s campaign, such as the viral “God Made Trump” ad. The new spot is intended as a springboard for a larger election program aimed at mobilizing faith-based communities and combating disinformation. What the ad says: “On the sixth day, God made all of us. God said we need leaders who can unite rather than divide, who stand on morals and values and who don’t idolize dictators and bullies,” the voiceover in the ad says before ticking through a number of Biden policies. “President Biden answered the call.” It concludes: “For such a time as this, we pray to God what is true in our hearts: Four more years.” Watch the 60-second spot More top reads:
- MAGGIE GOODLANDER, a top White House aide, is considering moving back to her home state of New Hampshire to run for retiring Rep. ANNIE KUSTER’s (D-N.H.) seat, The Boston Globe’s James Pindell reports. “She is married to Biden’s National Security Advisor JAKE SULLIVAN, meaning this contest might be watched internationally.”
- The long tail: “NBC News has identified seven candidates who are running for elected office this year who were at the Capitol on Jan. 6 or attended the Trump ‘Stop the Steal’ rally that preceded it, plus three more who ran but have already lost in primaries,” NBC’s Diana Paulsen reports.
TRUMP CARDS
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Thanks to the help of a California billionaire, Donald Trump managed to post the nearly $200 million bond that kept his appeal of a New York civil judgment alive. | Jamie Kelter Davis for POLITICO | HOW IT HAPPENED — WaPo’s Michael Kranish and Jonathan O'Connell tell the tale of how Trump managed to post the nearly $200 million bond that kept his appeal of a New York civil judgment alive and kept authorities from seizing his properties: In short, he has California billionaire DON HANKEY to thank. “Hankey, a Trump supporter who made a fortune providing high-interest auto loans to customers with poor credit, soon reached out to Trump’s team to negotiate a deal that would allow Trump to stay the penalty while he appealed a massive New York civil fraud judgment. But when a court reduced the bond to $175 million last week and Trump said he had the cash to post it himself, the matter seemed moot, Hankey told The Washington Post. “Then, to his surprise, the Trump team last week revived the talks and asked Hankey if he would back the new amount. Hankey promptly agreed. He said that his company is charging Trump a ‘modest fee,’ which he declined to disclose, and that the arrangement allowed Trump to hold onto his money, adding, ‘At least he’s getting interest on his collateral.’” More top reads:
- Trump’s lawyers are requesting a recusal of Judge JUAN MERCHAN in the hush money case against him claiming that his daughter’s previous work and the recent gag order should disqualify him, NBC’s Zoë Richards reports.
- You can’t handle the Truth: Trump is suing the co-founders of his Truth Social platform, “alleging they mismanaged the social media platform early on and should therefore lose their stock in the company, which recently went public,” NBC’s Dareh Gregorian reports.
| | | | YOUR GUIDE TO EMPIRE STATE POLITICS: From the newsroom that doesn’t sleep, POLITICO's New York Playbook is the ultimate guide for power players navigating the intricate landscape of Empire State politics. Stay ahead of the curve with the latest and most important stories from Albany, New York City and around the state, with in-depth, original reporting to stay ahead of policy trends and political developments. Subscribe now to keep up with the daily hustle and bustle of NY politics. | | | | | | | PLAYBOOKERS | | Lauren Boebert had surgery for a blood clot in her leg — but will make a full recovery. Adam Schiff shared news of his father’s death. John Cornyn’s foodie Instagram account is something to behold. Tim Alberta tipped his cap to Chris Licht after winning an award for the profile that led to Licht’s ouster at CNN. Don Lemon is getting married this weekend. FIRST IN PLAYBOOK — Indira Lakshmanan is joining U.S. News & World Report to launch an Ideas & Opinions platform. She most recently led the global enterprise team at the AP, and will remain a part-time host for WAMU/NPR’s “1A” show. MEDIA MOVES — Jon Ward is leaving Yahoo News, where he’s worked for a decade, most recently as chief national correspondent. He’s moving into the strategic comms and public affairs space. … Jim LaPorta is now a verification producer at CBS News Confirmed. He previously was a national security reporter at The Messenger. … Shannon Young is now associate editor/senior reporter for 340B Report. She previously was a senior reporter for Morning Brew’s Healthcare Brew and is a POLITICO alum. TRANSITIONS — Matthew Fery is joining Invariant as a principal, focusing on health care, tax and trade government relations. He previously was chief of staff for Rep. Brian Higgins (D-N.Y.). … Tom McCuin is joining the Association of the U.S. Army as deputy director of media operations and deputy editor of Army Magazine. He previously was program manager of the DCG Communications contract team supporting the Army’s Office of the Chief of Public Affairs. … Aaron-John “AJ” Malicdem is now director of government relations at FGS Global. He previously was senior adviser for Rep. Don Davis (D-N.C.). … … Dan Kochis is now a senior fellow in the Center on Europe and Eurasia at the Hudson Institute. He previously was a research fellow in European affairs at the Heritage Foundation’s Margaret Thatcher Center for Freedom. … James “Jim” Schufreider is retiring from the Congressional and Legislative Affairs Office at the National Institute of Standards and Technology after 37 years of federal service. HAPPY BIRTHDAY: POLITICO’s Goli Sheikholeslami, Jonathan Martin, Alex Burns and Samantha Latson … Greg Honan … Jeff Forbes … Chanse Jones … Susannah Wellford of Running Start Russ Newell of UnitedHealth Group … Hope Goins of the House Homeland Security Dems … Ed Cash of Frontier Security Strategies … Savannah Lane … Troy McCurry of the Pew Charitable Trusts … Keith Norman … Eliot Cohen … Brian Zuzenak … Sam Newton … Greg Martin … Mario Ruiz … Arizona Secretary of State Adrian Fontes 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 and Playbook Daily Briefing producer Callan Tansill-Suddath.
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