| | | | |  | | By Eugene Daniels, Ryan Lizza and Rachael Bade | | Presented by |  | | | With help from Eli Okun, Garrett Ross and Bethany Irvine
| | | |  | DRIVING THE DAY | | | LATEST IN WESTWOOD — “LAPD breaches Palestine solidarity encampment at UCLA in dispersal attempt,” by the Daily Bruin’s Catherine Hamilton: “By 2:50 a.m., police officers in riot gear had begun to engage with protesters – who chanted, “The people united will never be defeated,” as they pushed back police.” DON’T CALL IT A COMEBACK — Florida Gov. RON DeSANTIS is on something of a redemption tour, making peace with his biggest foes — including Disney and DONALD TRUMP. It all amounts to DeSantis’ latest act as a burgeoning GOP money machine, “campaigning for GOP candidates in Florida and beyond in the coming months — and taking a leading role in fighting an abortion-rights referendum in his home state,” Gary Fineout reports this morning. BLIND LEADING THE BLIND ITEM — N.Y. Mag’s Justin Miller has a buzzy look inside the new Daily Beast, opening with the backstory behind a perplexing anonymously authored piece that caught Washington’s attention a couple weeks back: “On her first week on the job as chief creative and content officer, JOANNA COLES carried a tip into the newsroom: A friend told her that BARRON TRUMP would attend NYU for college. She told a group of staff to write it up for a new gossip column she wanted, called ‘Beast Buzz.’ After trying to confirm the story, the team came up empty, but Coles pressed them to publish. The task fell to TRACY CONNOR, the editor-in-chief who eschews her office for a simple desk among reporters and editors. As she wrote up the blind item without a byline, Coles said in a voice loud enough for all to hear: ‘We will see how it does. Let’s hope it’s true!’”
|  Perhaps the most consistently vexing question for Biden world: How can the president get credit for his marijuana policy and other moves? | Manuel Balce Ceneta/AP Photo | THE CHRONIC CANDIDATE — You could be forgiven for expecting that President JOE BIDEN — an 81-year-old devout Catholic who was first elected to the Senate in 1970, whose son has struggled with substance abuse and who spent decades voting for tougher criminal penalties for drug possession — would not be in favor of marijuana reform. But here we are. This week, in a nod to both shifting public opinion and political incentives in an election year, the Biden administration announced that it will reclassify marijuana, moving it from a “Schedule I” narcotic (which elicits the harshest restrictions) to “Schedule III” (which eases research and business operations involving marijuana). Even if it’s short of the all-out decriminalization Biden supported as a presidential candidate in 2020, it is nevertheless a meaningful policy change. It all prompts a political question — perhaps the most consistently vexing one for Biden world: How to get credit for it? It is a reliable complaint we’ve heard over and over from Biden’s aides and strategists: a frustration that the president never seems to get credit for his accomplishments. On this, pot is no different — and Biden world is clear-eyed that this marijuana reform doesn’t go far enough for many voters on the left. “If your position is ‘Joe Biden is not strong on this and needs to go further,’ then that’s fine,” one campaign adviser tells Playbook. “Give us four more years, and let us try to go further.” Campaign aides and allies don’t appear to be under any illusions that this is going to push him over the top with voters. But they see a clear upside among key constituencies, even if our reporting over the past couple of days did not turn up evidence of an aggressive strategy to turn his modest-but-meaningful policy shifts into a voter-activation machine. Marijuana reform is supported “by people of every age, but very salient to younger voters, African American voters, progressives,” CELINDA LAKE, a Democratic pollster, tells Playbook. “They want to see him fighting. They want him to be taking action. … They want to see him taking on old ways of thinking and old, outdated laws. And he is doing all of that.” You don’t have to be a cynic to note that that’s been the case on other issues, too, with little to show for it. But some Democrats think marijuana could be different, and one major ally promises to be out front: Sen. CORY BOOKER (D-N.J.), who yesterday reintroduced a bill that would decriminalize cannabis and allow states to set their own marijuana policies. Booker has seen Biden’s change firsthand. Speaking to Playbook, the New Jersey Dem recalled being nonplussed by Biden’s response to a question about pot during a debate in the 2020 primary — so much so that Booker quipped that Biden “must have been high” to say weed shouldn't be legalized. “Backstage, he began this earnest conversation with me. He said, ‘Look, I’m going to take a really hard look at this. Cory, I hear what you’re saying.’ And to move gears in the federal government is not easy,” Booker told us over the phone last night. “So we’ve come a long way, but I’m not satisfied.” The senator seemed aware that Biden needs outside validators to lift up his work. “You’ll see many of us have credibility in our communities going around talking about the tangible things that have been done,” Booker said. “And that’s what gives me confidence in this election when it comes to the African American vote.” They’re betting on a split screen that plays in their favor, as WaPo’s Michael Scherer, David Ovalle, Tyler Pager and Fenit Nirappil report: “[T]he proposed change also has the potential to set up a contrast with Donald Trump … who has shown little interest in engaging with federal marijuana policy while previously saying he supports medical marijuana and states’ ability to set their own laws. GOP voters remain one of the only demographic groups in the nation who are still sharply split on full legalization.” Good Thursday morning. Thanks for reading Playbook. Drop us a line: Rachael Bade, Eugene Daniels, Ryan Lizza.
| | | | A message from the Small Business Payments Alliance: SMALL BUSINESS OWNERS: INFLATION IS MAJOR THREAT & A TOP DRIVER OF COSTS: According to a new survey, a majority of small business owners (64%) believe skyrocketing inflation is hurting their bottom line. Yet politicians in Washington are focused on credit card costs, which nearly 9 in 10 (86%) businesses say is not a top business expense. Durbin-Marshall is an unnecessary fix for the wrong problem. Read full survey here. | | | HAPPENING TODAY — “Trump faces prospect of additional sanctions in hush money trial as key witness resumes testimony,” by AP’s Michael Sisak, Jennifer Peltz, Eric Tucker and Jake Offenhartz WHAT THEY’RE READING AT MAR-A-LAGO — LAURA LOOMER, the ultra-right-wing activist who opposes all immigration and describes herself as “anti-Islam,” is often “too much for even her ostensible allies in the MAGA-friendly media to stomach,” as WaPo’s Kara Voght writes in a feature that just posted. And yet Trump “appreciates her fearlessness and tenacity,” per a senior campaign aide. The dynamic is Trump world in miniature: “People around the former president apparently see [Loomer] as a liability at a time when the Trump campaign (if not the candidate himself) is making a conscious effort to make their man appear less extreme, according to several sources close to the campaign’s inner circle. Loomer is friendly with Trump’s campaign staff and hung around with them at hotels in Iowa and New Hampshire. And yet, no one wanted to discuss Loomer on the record. ‘No thank u,’ texted JUSTIN CAPORALE, Trump’s deputy campaign manager for operations, when I asked whether he’d chat with me about her. ‘She scares people in Trumpworld,’ says [STEVE] BANNON. ‘They would refer to her as a grenade with a pin in it.’” JUDGES FUME OVER JAN. 6 LEGAL MUDDLE — The federal judges who’ve overseen almost 1,400 criminal cases stemming from the Jan. 6, 2021 riot at the U.S. Capitol are grumbling about the fact that the Supreme Court is only now grappling with key legal issues involved in the prosecutions, our colleague Josh Gerstein reports. “It’s frustrating not only for the lawyers, but for the members of my court, to take two years to get the first appellate opinion and that was split, 2-1, and then [we] get another opinion out of the court of appeals, which split … and never anything en banc from the [D.C. Circuit],” veteran U.S. District Court Judge ROYCE LAMBERTH told a packed American Bar Association session at the Capital Hilton yesterday. “So, it takes two years before they finally do anything. It takes another year before we get the Supreme Court to finally hear the case, two weeks ago. So, it’s been three years. We have hundreds of cases pending, and we still don’t have any clear law.” Lamberth, who has denounced claims by Trump and others that the Jan. 6 convicts are “hostages” or “political prisoners,” said he isn’t sure how the Supreme Court will come out on the application of an obstruction statute to Jan. 6 rioters. If the high court takes a narrow view of the law, which seemed quite possible based on oral arguments last month, hundreds of defendants could need to be resentenced or retried. “Who knows what five justices are going to do?” said the 80-year-old appointee of President RONALD REAGAN. “We’ll find out what five will tell us is the law, three years later, after we’ve tried hundreds of cases. It’s a little frustrating for a mere district judge to find out after we’ve got hundreds of cases finished what the law is, but that’s our wonderful system we have of justice, I guess.”
| | | | A message from the Small Business Payments Alliance:   | | | | | WHAT'S HAPPENING TODAY | | On the Hill The Senate will meet at 10 a.m. to resume consideration of the FAA reauthorization bill, post-cloture, with a procedural vote at 1:45 p.m. DNI AVRIL HAINES will testify before the Armed Services Committee at 9:30 a.m. Interior Secretary DEB HAALAND will testify before the Energy and Natural Resources Committee at 10 a.m. Transportation Secretary PETE BUTTIGIEG and VA Secretary DENIS McDONOUGH will testify before Appropriations subcommittees at 10 a.m. and 10:30 a.m., respectively. The House is out. 3 things to watch …
- Looks like May will be the month that will determine whether there’s any hope of passing a farm bill this Congress. As of right now, it’s not looking great: House Ag Chair GLENN ‘G.T.’ THOMPSON (R-Pa.) and Senate Ag Chair DEBBIE STABENOW (D-Mich.) yesterday released dueling proposals, with nutrition, climate and farm safety net programs emerging as key flashpoints. Some House Dems are under pressure to back Thompson’s blueprint ahead of an upcoming markup, Meredith Lee Hill reports, but expect Stabenow to drive a hard bargain ahead of her retirement later this year.
- The general election in California’s 16th Congressional District will be a one-on-one affair after all. A tie for second place in March’s jungle primary had threatened to put three candidates on November’s ballot. But Assemblyman EVAN LOW prevailed by five votes in final recount results announced last night and will face former San Jose Mayor SAM LICCARDO in a Dem-on-Dem matchup to replace retiring Rep. ANNA ESHOO (D-Calif.) in the south Bay. More from Sarah Grace Taylor
- We’ve seen a successful motion to vacate the speaker’s chair. We’ve seen more failed rule votes than we can frankly remember. We’ve seen governing essentially handed over to an ad hoc bipartisan coalition. But the House GOP has now managed to hit for the cycle of floor embarrassments after six hard-right Republicans joined Democrats yesterday to pass a motion to recommit a mining bill. Per Kacper Surdy (aka procedural wunderkind @ringwiss), it’s the first MTR agreed to since 2020 and the first in a GOP-majority House since 2004.
At the White House Biden will travel to Charlotte, North Carolina, in the afternoon, where he is scheduled to “meet with the family members of four officers killed earlier this week in the deadliest attack on U.S. law enforcement since 2016,” AP’s Erik Verduzco and Zeke Miller write. Later, Biden will deliver remarks on infrastructure in Wilmington. The president will return to the White House in the evening. Press secretary KARINE JEAN-PIERRE will gaggle aboard Air Force One en route to Charlotte. VP KAMALA HARRIS will receive briefings and conduct internal meetings with staff.
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Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell isn’t counting any hatching chickens just yet. | Francis Chung/POLITICO | BE WARY OF THE RED WAVE — Senate Republicans are salivating over their most favorable Senate map in decades that presently sees them with pickup opportunities in at least a half-dozen states — including sapphire-blue Maryland. But Minority Leader MITCH McCONNELL isn’t counting any hatching chickens just yet, Burgess Everett reports. Despite the expanded map, McConnell said in an interview that he’s narrowing his focus to a handful of states. “Even from the doorstep of his exit from leadership, the Kentucky Republican is delivering a subtle splash of cold water to Republicans eager for a Senate romp.” “It’s important to McConnell to break his party’s losing streak this year and hand his successor control of the chamber, particularly after the GOP blew several winnable election cycles during McConnell’s tenure as leader. He’s no fan of Trump, but a strong performance by the former president could turn a crop of swing-state Senate races into easier terrain for the GOP: Nevada, Arizona, Wisconsin, Pennsylvania and Michigan. “‘You take polls around Labor Day and begin to decide where you’re going to play,’ McConnell said. ‘But we know where we’re going to play for sure right now: Montana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Maryland.’” More top reads:
- Rep. MAXWELL FROST (D-Fla.), Democratic Tennessee state Rep. JUSTIN JONES, North Carolina Democratic Party Chair ANDERSON CLAYTON and digital strategist ANNIE WU HENRY all share a group chat where they “navigate what Henry describes as the ‘craziness’ of existing in a world where the majority of their colleagues are three times their age — at least,” Rachel Janfaza writes for Vogue.
2024 WATCH
|  Donald Trump railed against his criminal trial on the campaign trail. | Jamie Kelter Davis for POLITICO | TRUMP UNCHAINED — The former president was back on the campaign trail for the first time since the start of his criminal trial in Manhattan. And in a pair of events, the courtroom that is keeping him off the trail most days was a main point of contention. “Addressing crowds in Wisconsin and Michigan on Wednesday, Trump called the New York judge in his case ‘crooked,’ ‘corrupt’ and ‘totally conflicted.’ He called the trial ‘fake,’ ‘bullshit’ and part of a ‘kangaroo court,’ while taking care not to disparage witnesses in the proceedings after being found in contempt of court on Tuesday for having done so recently,” our colleagues Natalie Allison and Shia Kapos report from Waukesha, Wisconsin. More from the scene: “In both states, Trump spoke for well over an hour. He talked about closing the border, suggested that pro-Palestinan college protesters are paid actors, decried electric cars and a ‘plunging’ economy under President Joe Biden and discussed whether CHRIS CHRISTIE is a ‘fat pig.’ ‘It’s called having a little fun on the campaign trail in Wisconsin,’ Trump said during his first rally of the day.” Raising our eyebrows: Among the attendees at Trump’s Michigan rally was disgraced former Detroit Mayor KWAME KILPATRICK, whose prison sentence was shortened by Trump in the waning days of his administration, notes Detroit News’ Craig Mauger. (Color us deeply curious for how the politics of this one play out across metro Detroit.) More top reads:
- ROBERT F. KENNEDY JR. assembled members of the media for a polling presentation yesterday, where he challenged Biden to drop out of the 2024 race: “We only have one chance to beat Donald Trump, and we need a nominee who can get the job done. And that would be me,” Kennedy said, per Brittany Gibson.
- Biden and Harris both want to take Trump to task on abortion. But their approaches are turning out to be quite different, Kimberly Leonard and Eugene write. Look no further than two recent speeches that the two delivered on the issue eight days apart, which “underscored Biden and Harris’ diverging approaches and comfort levels in talking about abortion.”
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Student protests over the Israel-Hamas war are continuing to rock many campuses. | Seyma Bayram/AP | MIDDLE EAST FALLOUT — What started as demonstrations at Columbia University has now “lit a fuse nationwide, as students at public universities from Austin to Los Angeles have set up tents, defied police orders to vacate and even occupied academic buildings as they protest Israel’s war in Gaza,” Blake Jones, Bianca Quilantan and Jeff Coltin write. “The escalating demonstrations have pushed elected officials and college leaders into the fraught position of publicly engaging on such a divisive topic.” To wit: The House yesterday offered its “first concrete response to a wave of pro-Palestinian campus protests nationwide that have often included antisemitic language,” Anthony Adragna writes. “The legislation, led by Reps. MIKE LAWLER (R-N.Y.) and JOSH GOTTHEIMER (D-N.J.), and passed on a bipartisan 320-91 vote, would update the definition of antisemitism used in enforcing federal anti-discrimination laws. But the Senate, as of Wednesday, has indicated no plans to act on it.” Putting the pressure on: Meanwhile, Senate Majority Leader CHUCK SCHUMER is caught in a tricky spot as his home state erupts. “It’s a delicate balance for the Democratic leader, who clearly felt a personal weight before speaking out against the Israeli government,” Ursula Perano and Anthony write. “Schumer’s Democratic colleagues say he’s handling the burden well.” Getting personal: POLITICO intern and incoming fellow Irie Sentner, a senior at Columbia, shares a personal perspective: “Inside the chaos at Columbia” Related reads: “It’s Not Just Gaza: Student Protesters See Links to a Global Struggle,” by NYT’s Jeremy Peters … “After weeks of college protests, police responses ramp up,” by WaPo’s Danielle Paquette, Hannah Natanson, Joanna Slater and Emily Wax-Thibodeaux … “Negotiate? Call in the Police? University Presidents Try Range of Tactics as Protests Roil Campuses,” by WSJ’s Melissa Korn and Douglas Belkin In the region: The U.S. military-built pier off the coast of Gaza “will be up and running as early as this weekend barring weather delays, and aid is expected to begin flowing into the enclave soon afterward,” Lara Seligman and Alex Ward report. “Officials are expected to make a decision on allowing the project to begin operations by Friday, meaning aid could begin flowing to Palestinians as soon as early next week.” BEYOND THE BELTWAY ABORTION FALLOUT — Abortion politics are playing out in nearly every corner of the U.S. as state lawmakers push forward with moves on the issue that could have major impacts in November.
- In Arizona: State lawmakers yesterday voted to repeal the state’s Civil War-era abortion ban, Megan Messerly reports. “The legislation, which is expected to be soon signed into law by Democratic Gov. KATIE HOBBS, will preserve access to the procedure for millions of women. But there’s a potential political downside for Democrats, who had been using the Arizona Supreme Court’s decision last month upholding the law to foment outrage and boost turnout heading into the November election.”
- In the South: Florida was the last bastion of abortion rights in the deep South. Now that the state’s six-week ban has taken effect, people “from Florida to Texas are cut off from obtaining abortions either entirely or beyond the very beginning stages of pregnancy — unless they have the time and means to travel across states to a place where appointments are available, an option many women will not have,” Liz Crampton and Alice Miranda Ollstein report.
- In South Dakota: “South Dakota abortion rights groups collect enough signatures to advance ballot measure,” by NBC’s Adam Edelman: “If passed, the amendment would effectively undo the state’s near-total ban on abortion, which snapped back into effect after Roe v. Wade was struck down in 2022.”
POLICY CORNER FED UP — The Fed yesterday “left interest rates unchanged and signaled that they were wary about how stubborn inflation was proving, paving the way for a longer period of high borrowing costs,” NYT’s Jeanna Smialek 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 | | Kristi Noem is still defending her decision to kill a family dog, saying it was a “working dog” and “not a puppy.” Donald Trump probably won’t be going vegan anytime soon. Rudy Giuliani is spending money at an absurd clip. George W. Bush’s art is destined for Disney World. Donald Payne Jr. will be laid to rest today. PLAYBOOK METRO SECTION — “Marcel’s, a D.C. fine-dining mainstay, to close after 25 years,” by WaPo’s Emily Heil and Tim Carman: Chef-owner ROBERT WIEDMAIER said “the building’s new landlord wouldn’t negotiate better terms — something he said needed to happen to reflect the tough climate restaurants are facing. According to a statement Wiedmaier posted on the restaurant’s website, its last day of service will be May 12.” OUT AND ABOUT — Alencia Johnson, Michele Ballantyne, Ryan Butler, Sean Glover and Ashley Allison hosted the official “Grammys on the Hill” after-party Tuesday night at the Recording Industry Association of America to celebrate Black women in music and advocacy. The event was supported by the Recording Academy’s Black Music Collective, RIAA, 1063 West Broad, Watering Hole Media and SoundExchange. Rep. Sydney Kamlager-Dove (D-Calif.) noted the role Black women play in shaping culture, J. Ivy surprised the crowd with a special performance, and DJ Miss H.E.R. played for guests well after midnight. SPOTTED: Harvey Mason Jr., Tammy Hurt, Chelsey Green, Dawn Richard, Rapsody, Panos Panay, Mitch Glazier, Mike Huppe, Sesha Joi Moon, Simone Eccleston, Vincent Evans, Marcus Hunter, Candice Dillard Bassett, Preston Mitchum, Steve Benjamin, Crystal Carson, Fatima Goss Graves, Beth Lynk, Brittany Packnett Cunningham, Heather Foster, Erica Loewe, Karen Finney, Alisha Johnson Wilder, Brandon Webb, Dionna Dorsey, Maya Petterson, Autumn Merritt, Kim Tignor and Nicholas Wiggins. FIRST IN PLAYBOOK — Casey Hernandez is now a partner at Seven Letter. She most recently was head of comms at Herbalife and is an Obama Treasury and DOT alum. WHITE HOUSE ARRIVAL LOUNGE — Veteran Democratic campaign hand Greg Hale is joining the White House as director of presidential production, The Hill’s Amie Parnes reports. TRANSITIONS — Charlie Cadden is joining the Biden campaign as an email and SMS strategist. He currently is a legislative correspondent for Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-Fla.). … Georgina Burros will be comms director for Rep. Jake Auchincloss (D-Mass.). She previously was chief comms officer for global issues at the British Embassy. … … Gina Comottor is joining Reservoir Communications Group as VP. She most recently was director of corporate comms at the American Society of Clinical Oncology. … Sam Spector is joining the government relations team at Lenovo US as lead for cybersecurity policy. He most recently was director of government affairs and public policy with the BlackBerry Corporation and is a DoD and House Energy and Commerce Committee alum. WELCOME TO THE WORLD — Thomas Kingsley, director of financial services and housing policy at the American Action Forum, and Aaron Kingsley, consultant at BCG, welcomed Hugo Kingsley on Tuesday. Pic HAPPY BIRTHDAY: Sen. Peter Welch (D-Vt.) … Indiana Gov. Eric Holcomb … Mika Brzezinski … Poppy Harlow … Steve Elmendorf … Jeff Butler … Karen Doyne … MSNBC’s Jesse Rodriguez … Daniel Kroese … POLITICO’s Andrew Atterbury and Justine Lore … Rick Stengel … Axios’ Nick Sobczyk … Megan Harrington … Russ Sullivan of Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck … Taylor Lioce … Push Digital’s T.W. Arrighi … Emily Tisch Sussman … Bess Evans … Nate Zimpher … Cogent Strategies’ Will Bohlen … Joel Payne … Chieko Noguchi … Drew Florio … former Commerce Secretary Penny Pritzker … Katie (Thompson) Sansone … former Rep. Robert Turner (R-N.Y.) … Matt Murray … Julianna Goldman … Andrew McGill 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. Correction: Yesterday’s Playbook included an incorrect title for the RNC’s Michael Whatley. He is chair.
| | | | A message from the Small Business Payments Alliance: SMALL BUSINESS OWNERS OPPOSE DURBIN-MARSHALL MANDATES: According to a new survey, most small business owners oppose new government regulation for payment networks and have reservations about the Credit Card Competition Act or other forced adoption of processing networks. When asked how much government regulation there should be on payment processing fees, most (83%) small business decision makers say government regulation should stay the same (48%) or decrease (35%). Two-thirds (64%) believe that the Credit Card Competition Act would benefit large retailers more than small businesses and a similar two-thirds (64%) say that forced adoption of new/updated processing networks will place an unfair cost burden on business owners. The survey also found that the existing electronic payments system is critical for small businesses, with most (88%) saying digital transactions are very important and nearly all (99%) placing a high priority on keeping customer payments secure. Learn more. | | | | | | | 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 | | | | |
