| | | | |  | | By Lauren Egan, Eli Stokols and Ben Johansen | | Presented by |  | | | Welcome to POLITICO’s West Wing Playbook, your guide to the people and power centers in the Biden administration. Send tips | Subscribe here | Email Eli | Email Lauren Every newsroom takes immense pride when one of their own is elected president of the White House Correspondents’ Association. Sure, you’re at the tip of the spear, fighting for press access on, arguably, the most important beat in the country. And yeah, your advocacy helps determine not only who gets to write history but how much of it gets written. But let’s be real here for a bit. You also have a lot of sway over the planning of the annual Correspondents’ Dinner, which makes you the big cheese in the company town. This year, NBC News’ KELLY O’DONNELL is occupying that role. She is the first NBC reporter to serve as WHCA president since the organization was founded in 1914. And her company, Comcast-NBCU News Group, isn’t holding back. That’s especially true since it’s not just O’Donnell who will represent the company onstage at the Washington Hilton. Saturday Night Live’s COLIN JOST is this year’s entertainer and NBC News photojournalist RODNEY BATTEN will also receive a lifetime career achievement award at the dinner. NBCU executives for months have been planning how to show up big — not wasting any opportunity to make their presence known throughout the week. They’ve gone so far as to design gold and black acrylic NBC peacocks to put at the center of their dinner tables (don’t confuse it for the chicken on the menu!). The network has snagged White House chief of staff JEFF ZIENTS as a guest to the dinner, scooping up what’s viewed by many dinner-goers as one of the more prestigious invitees to have seated at your table. NBC’s parent company, Comcast, teamed up with the Motion Picture Association to throw a Friday evening party in honor of O’Donnell. And Comcast-NBCU News Group also landed the coveted residence of French Ambassador LAURENT BILI to host its annual after party. “[The French ambassador’s residence] is considered the ultimate location to end Washignton’s most important evening,” said media consultant TAMMY HADDAD, whose annual WHCD brunch is also one of the more sought after invites of the weekend. And if the ritzy Kalorama residence wasn’t enough of a draw, luxury giant LVMH is providing bespoke champagne and rosé bars, custom signature cocktails and tastings from its portfolio of spirits and wines for the after party. Ford, a sponsor for the party, is setting up iRacing simulators on the residence terrace for guests (we’re sure everyone will be great at this after 10+ hours of drinking). And the party, naturally, will highlight the upcoming 2024 Olympic Games in Paris, which NBC will exclusively broadcast. Sounds fun! The do-it-up approach exemplifies the unapologetic lavishness of the WHCA weekend, which is both frowned upon by certain folks (who believe journalists shouldn’t be mucking it up like this with the people they cover) and deeply enjoyed by others. But before you get too excited… invitations to NBC’s after party are harder than ever to get this year. The ambassador’s residence is a much smaller venue compared to the spacious event spaces that NBC booked in years past, meaning that a number of people who are used to getting invited will be left off the list this time. NBC waited until Monday to send out their after party invites, hoping to delay the inevitable crush of requests from reporters, administration officials and D.C. politicos asking to get added to the guest list. (We swear we’re not writing this newsletter piece just to get an invite. But… NBC, you know how to reach us.) And while some party-goers have had success with showing up uninvited and talking their way through the front door, Washington event planners say that after last year got a bit out of control (visit the West Wing Playbook archives to get up-to-speed on that), it will be much harder to gate crash this year. Most event hosts are beefing up their security, instituting strict no plus-one policies and requiring photo ID at the door. “Last year was too much,” said a co-host of a popular embassy party. “There was just way too much party crashing last year.” MESSAGE US — Are you RICHARD HUDOCK? Seriously, where are our invites? Email us at westwingtips@politico.com. Did someone forward this email to you? Subscribe here!
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| | GATOR BAIT: Florida is enacting a six-week abortion ban — and President JOE BIDEN won’t let voters forget DONALD TRUMP’s to blame. “Women have fewer rights than their mothers and their grandmothers had because of Donald Trump,” he told a crowd of supporters in Tampa on Tuesday. Biden also pledged that as long as he was president, a national abortion ban “is never going to happen” and that he would veto any such bill put at his desk. While highlighting Trump’s stance on reproductive rights, Biden debuted a fresh ding. “He said there has to be punishment for women exercising their reproductive freedom,” Biden quipped. “Maybe it's coming from that bible he’s trying to sell. I almost want to buy one just to see what the hell is in it.” COMING IN HOT: The Biden administration is putting the finishing touches on a $1 billion package of military aid for Ukraine, as the Senate looks to expeditiously get much needed funding to Kyiv, our LEE HUDSON, LARA SELIGMAN and NAHAL TOOSI report. The tranche will include artillery, air defenses and armored vehicles. WHAT THE WHITE HOUSE WANTS YOU TO WATCH: Four years ago (yes, four), former President Trump stood at the White House briefing room lectern during the early stage of the Covid-19 pandemic, and suggested that there could be health benefits for Americans injecting themselves with bleach to treat the virus. “I see the disinfectant that knocks it out in a minute, one minute,” Trump mused. The spectacle made for a moment that the Biden campaign will never let you forget. The president mentioned it last week while in Pennsylvania. His campaign’s X account spotlighted it today. WHAT THE WHITE HOUSE DOESN’T WANT YOU TO READ: This piece by NBC’s CAROL E. LEE, NNAMDI EGWUONWU and AARON GILCHRIST, who report that Morehouse College faculty members are raising concerns after it was announced Monday that Biden would be delivering the school’s commencement speech next month. Administrators are reportedly bracing for the possibility that faculty members will join students in protesting Biden during the ceremony. “This week, I received an inquiry from concerned faculty about rumors they were hearing about President Biden’s selection as the 2024 Commencement speaker,” Morehouse’s provost KENDRICK BROWN said in an email to faculty members. CAN’T HANDLE THE HEAT: No, literally. The White House South Lawn can’t handle the heat of the new presidential helicopter, which has been demoted to backup because Lockheed Martin Corp. — the chopper’s manufacturer — can’t figure out how to keep it from scorching the grass, Bloomberg’s ANTHONY CAPACCIO and JENNIFER JACOBS report. Now, the VH-92 Patriot is only flying missions with White House officials or Secret Service staff, not the commander in chief, and only landing on paved runways. For the time being, the helicopter tasked with carrying the president and dawning the title of Marine One will be the VH-3D Sea King. HOW MANY HONORARY DIPLOMAS DOES THIS MAN NEED? President Biden will deliver another commencement speech next month, this one for graduates in the U.S. Military Academy in West Point, N.Y., the White House announced Tuesday. The graduation is scheduled for May 25 at Michie Stadium. TATTE REIGNS SUPREME: News that Foxtrot was abruptly closing all of its D.C. stores hit hard for those among us who love delicious breakfast tacos without having to wait in line at La Tejana and appreciate a wide selection of frozen desserts (the ice cream cone shaped like fried chicken being the clear standout). More importantly, it also solidified Tatte’s stronghold on the White House employee market now that staffers will no longer have the option to visit Foxtrot’s Farragut Square location for a cup of coffee or a grab-and-go salad.
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Chime is expanding banking with no overdraft fees to everyday people. Cost is a barrier to many, which is why Chime never charges overdraft or monthly fees — and there are no minimum balance requirements for our checking and savings accounts. We reach customers traditional banks don't, can't or won't and are helping everyone unlock financial progress. Learn more. | | | | | SHINING A LIGHT ON THE SUNSHINE STATE: The Biden campaign knows that winning Florida this November is a stretch. Nonetheless, the campaign is dedicating resources to designate the state as “ground zero for Trump’s MAGA blueprint,” citing not only abortion but looser gun laws and book bans, our KIMBERLY LEONARD and ELENA SCHNEIDER report. The president’s aforementioned swing through Tampa today is part of that push to turn Florida into a cautionary tale for voters elsewhere. MAKING UP FOR THAT SIXERS HEARTBREAK: The Biden campaign opened 10 new coordinated offices throughout Pennsylvania on Tuesday, days after the president wrapped up a three-day swing through the state, the Pennsylvaia Capital-Star’s KIM LYONS reports. The latest set of offices will include five more in Philly and adds in both Centre and Luzerne county. Alas, opening an office is not the same as properly calling that JALEN BRUNSON foul on TYRESE MAXEY last night. Or catching that clear as day NICK NURSE timeout. But Sixers fans will have to make due.
| | GONE BABY GONE: Health and Human Services Secretary XAVIER BECERRA’s plans to leave the Biden administration for a run to succeed Gov. GAVIN NEWSOM are widely known. But not only has he had conversations about making the move, our CHRISTOPHER CADELAGO and DANIEL LIPPMAN report that Becerra or emissaries have already approached political firms about mounting a gubernatorial campaign. The secretary has spent more than $130,000 over the past year for “campaign consultants.” Campaign finance reports reviewed by POLITICO found that the payments were made to the Washington lobbying firm the Podesta Group, run by JOHN and TONY PODESTA. However, an attorney for Becerra’s state committee from his time as AG, said that was a “result of a data entry error” and that the reports have been amended to reflect the proper payee — ALEXIS PODESTA, of Podesta Company in Sacramento. FIRST IN WEST WING PLAYBOOK: CARLOS MONJE has joined JPMorgan Chase’s corporate responsibility team as the head of the PolicyCenter, Lippman has learned. He most recently was under secretary of transportation for policy. SPOTTED: Some Washingtonians go to L’Ardente for the 40-layer lasagna. Some (you know who you are) go there to find love. And some go, we can only assume, to vet potential running mates for their 2028 Democratic presidential ticket. That probably explains why Transportation Secretary PETE BUTTIGIEG and FTC chair LINA KHAN were spotted having lunch there on Tuesday.
| | | | A message from Chime:   | | | | | YOU CAN, IN FACT, COMPETE: The Federal Trade Commission on Tuesday finalized sweeping regulations banning most non-compete clauses in employment agreements, which bar employees from working for competitors or starting competing businesses for months or even years. The move comes over a year after the FTC issued its proposed rule, which received some 27,000 public comments, our JOSH SISCO and NICK NIEDZWIADEK report for Pro subscribers. The agency estimates that banning the practice — a key priority of the Biden administration — could translate to nearly $300 billion in boosted wages for some 30 million American workers from an array of industries. We should note that we are extremely excited to read Ben Johansen's new newsletter “1600 Pennsylvania Avenue’s Book of Plays” in Punchbowl soon! THAT'S ONE WAY TO GET OUT OF WHCD WEEKEND: Secretary of State ANTONY BLINKEN will head to Saudi Arabia this weekend following his trip to China, where he’ll be until Thursday. Blinken is expected to participate in a special meeting at the World Economic Forum taking place in Riyadh, Axios’ BARAK RAVID reports. While there, the secretary will likely meet with Saudi Crown Prince MOHAMMED BIN SALMAN (free advice: no fist bumps), and officials say he is also considering a trip to Israel to meet with Prime Minister BENJAMIN NETANYAHU. AND ON THAT CHINA TRIP… On Tuesday, Blinken began his three-day long trip to China, where he will speak with senior Chinese officials in Shanghai and Beijing amid a critical point in U.S.-China relations, AP’s MATTHEW LEE reports. Blinken will “raise clearly and candidly our concerns” over an array of issues the two superpowers break on, from Russia and Ukraine, to the war in the Middle East, according to a senior State Department official. Blinken’s visit comes as the U.S. is drafting sanctions that would cut off some Chinese banks from the global financial system, which officials hope will stop Beijing’s commercial support of Russia’s military production, WSJ’s IAN TALLEY and ALAN CULLISON report.
| | Israel Planned Bigger Attack on Iran, but Scaled It Back to Avoid War (NYT’s Ronen Bergman and Patrick Kingsley) TSMC’s debacle in the American desert (Rest of World’s Viola Zhou) Inside the Week That Shook Columbia University (NYT’s Nicholas Fandos and Sharon Otterman)
| | A message from Chime: Chime is expanding banking with no overdraft fees to everyday people. Cost is a barrier to many, which is why Chime never charges overdraft or monthly fees — and there are no minimum balance requirements for our checking and savings accounts. We reach customers traditional banks don't, can't or won't and are helping everyone unlock financial progress. Learn more. | | | | | DWIGHT EISENHOWER. The 34th president called poker unseemly for a president to participate in. But during his time in the Army, Eisenhower made enough winnings to pay for his dress uniform and engagement ring for MAMIE EISENHOWER. According to the NYT, during World War II, Ike “spurned poker because he felt he was taking so much of his fellow officers’ cash.” A CALL OUT! Do you think you have a harder trivia question? Send us your best one about the presidents, with a citation or sourcing, and we may feature it! Edited by Sam Stein and Rishika Dugyala.
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