| | | | |  | | By Myah Ward, Jennifer Haberkorn, Eli Stokols, Lauren Egan and Ben Johansen | Presented by the League of United Latin American Citizens | 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 There was little suspense in how JOE BIDEN would view the Senate’s rejection Thursday of a bipartisan border bill. And when nearly all 49 Senate Republicans (along with a handful of Democrats) did, indeed, vote it down, the president took a crisp whack. They “do not care about securing the border” he said, accusing them of putting “partisan politics ahead of our country’s national security.” “I will not stop fighting to deliver the resources that border and immigration personnel need,” the president said. “If you believe, as I do, that we need reform now, doing nothing is not an option.” Biden may have gotten some fresh political ammo today, but as we reported this morning, it came at the cost of further splintering his own party. Progressives and immigration advocates were enraged by efforts from the White House and Senate Majority Leader CHUCK SCHUMER to force another vote, one they viewed as political theater. There’s also growing fear that the whole ordeal has set a new benchmark for future border negotiations. The bubbling frustration around the second vote is just the latest example of the longstanding tug and pull between the White House and progressives on the issue — one that’s only intensified now that the president is facing a rematch against DONALD TRUMP. The left has long lamented that their demands have been overshadowed by the White House’s focus on getting a hold on border crossings. Biden aides and some Democratic allies have bought into the idea that voters will reward them for efforts to crack down on immigration, or at least blame them less. Biden is expected to move ahead with a policy next month that will allow him to shut down the border when it becomes overwhelmed. “It’s very clearly a top issue for voters. This is a democracy. We have an obligation to try to fix the problems that voters want us to fix,” said Sen. CHRIS MURPHY (D-Conn.). “And just because Republicans have decided to do nothing on the border because it helps them politically doesn’t mean we should give up.” For immigration groups and certain lawmakers, the focus has become way too one-sided. And they are dialing up the pressure to have their demands met, too, pushing Biden to pair his tough talk on the border with affirmative relief for long-term, undocumented residents like caregivers, farmworkers and spouses of U.S. citizens. “Never in the 20-plus years that I’ve been doing this work have I seen Democrats abandon immigrants like they have today. And all for the sake of political theater,” said KICA MATOS, president of the National Immigration Law Center. Local leaders have also jumped into the fray. Earlier this year, a coalition of bipartisan mayors successfully pushed the Biden administration to grant work permits for some new arrivals, as Democratic cities struggled to deal with an influx of migrants being bussed by Texas Gov. GREG ABBOTT. Now more than 40 mayors, in a new letter obtained by West Wing Playbook, are calling on Biden to expand work authorization — focusing on long-term residents who have been in the U.S. for more than 10 years — and to grant parole to the 1.2 million undocumented spouses of U.S. citizens. “If Congress will not do what is required at this moment, we urge President Biden to use every tool at his disposal to support undocumented residents and new arrivals,” said Chicago mayor BRANDON JOHNSON, who organized the letter from Cities for Action and the American Business Immigration Coalition. Advocates continue to argue that in addition to border security, affirmative relief could pay political dividends by energizing Democrats ahead of the November election. Biden’s statement today, at times, struck that balance, noting that not everything he wanted was included in the border bill, namely a pathway to citizenship for Dreamers. But progressives fear their asks will fall victim to election year calculations, and that the results will be a reorientation of the immigration debate that lasts long past 2024. “I feel like we’re at the bottom of the barrel on this issue right now, where nothing really works but it’s who messages it better,” said one immigration advocate. MESSAGE US — Are you MICHAEL HAYES, deputy director for the office of public engagement? We want to hear from you. And we’ll keep you anonymous! Email us at westwingtips@politico.com. Did someone forward this email to you? Subscribe here!
| | | | A message from the League of United Latin American Citizens: The U.S. Dept. of Transportation is considering severing a partnership between Delta Air Lines and Aeroméxico that Latino families rely on. Get the facts and find out the true impact this decision would have on travelers, our economy, and commerce with the U.S.’ top trading partner. | | | | | How was THEODORE ROOSEVELT’s eyesight permanently damaged? (Answer at bottom.)
| | PORTLANDIA TAKES A SHIFT: The defeat of liberal Portland DA MIKE SCHMIDT by tough-on-crime primary challenger NATHAN VASQUEZ has hardened top White House officials’ stance that Democrats need to further distance themselves from the far left on crime. Our ADAM CANCRYN, ADAM WREN and JONATHAN LEMIRE report that Biden aides believe the results validate their long-held concerns: Being seen as soft on crime and the current border crisis could weaken the president’s reelection prospects. “Particularly right now, Americans don’t want to feel like things are out of control,” one Biden official said. “Well-meaning ideas have gone too far, and we need a sensible approach.” Inside the West Wing, senior counselor STEVE RICCHETTI has been a big cheerleader on this issue. But the president has not taken much convincing, having personally favored an approach that emphasizes more support for law enforcement alongside criminal justice reform. THE DAY AFTER: The Biden administration is considering appointing a U.S. official to serve as the top civilian adviser to a mostly Palestinian force when the Israel-Hamas war ends — a sign that the U.S. plans to be heavily involved in a post-war Gaza, our ALEXANDER WARD reports. The official would be based in the region and work closely with the commanding officer of the force, who would be Palestinian or from an Arab nation. “EACH MORNING, KARINE SIPS A CHAI TEA”: If you wanted to know every detail about press secretary KARINE JEAN-PIERRE’s day — and we mean every detail — this exhaustive profile by Women’s Health’s CURRIE ENGEL is the piece for you. There she is at 4:45 a.m. beginning her daily meditation, doing her running routine (curtailed of late due to a broken middle toe), discussing the curation of her office bookshelves with an interior decorator pal, sharing her Spotify playlist of walk-out songs that are played before briefings and wrestling with becoming a recognizable public figure. “It’s very hard for me to go out in public now,” she says. Engel, granted a whole lot of access, reports that Jean-Pierre “infuses meetings with a gentle warmth and laughter,” that “joy and self-confidence are two of her most powerful weapons” and that she “remains unruffled” while fielding questions from the lectern every day. WHAT THE WHITE HOUSE WANTS YOU TO READ: This piece by WSJ’s DAVID UBERTI, who reports that gas prices are down this Memorial Day weekend. According to federal data, a gradual decline has pushed the average U.S. cost of gasoline to $3.58 per gallon last week, down from $3.67 a month earlier. The average is roughly in line with gas prices a year ago and 5 percent lower than the typical pre-Memorial Day cost since 2000, when adjusting for inflation. Communications director BEN LABOLT, senior deputy press secretary ANDREW BATES and deputy communications director HERBIE ZISKEND shared the piece on X. WHAT THE WHITE HOUSE DOESN’T WANT YOU TO READ: This piece by NBC News’ BEN KAMISAR, who reports that a new focus group of 12 Latino voters in Arizona reflects broader polling that Latinos think Trump would do a better job than Biden at securing the border. Eight out of the 12 participants — all of whom were frustrated with both presidential candidates — preferred Trump’s clarity on the border over Biden’s struggle to maintain control of the issue, illustrating how the crisis has become such a political liability for the incumbent. SIMON SAYS STFU: The New Yorker’s ISAAC CHOTINER sat down with longtime Democratic strategist SIMON ROSENBERG for an interview Thursday, where Chotiner had the audacity to ask the most “optimistic Dem online” about FiveThirtyEight’s polling averages. After a series of back-and-forths between the two (seemingly five minutes into the conversation) Rosenberg said, “I’m ending the interview. I’m ending the interview because what you’re doing is ridiculous … This has become one of the most ridiculous interviews that I’ve ever done my entire professional career.” Chotiner apologized and the two went on with the conversation, touching on who is to blame for there being only two presidential debates and … more polls. It didn’t go too hot. “Given that you’re a journalist, you can distinguish between what is true and what people believe, and these are not the same things,” Rosenberg asked Chotiner. “Right?”
| | | | THE GOLD STANDARD OF POLICY REPORTING & INTELLIGENCE: POLITICO has more than 500 journalists delivering unrivaled reporting and illuminating the policy and regulatory landscape for those who need to know what’s next. Throughout the election and the legislative and regulatory pushes that will follow, POLITICO Pro is indispensable to those who need to make informed decisions fast. The Pro platform dives deeper into critical and quickly evolving sectors and industries—finance, defense, technology, healthcare, energy—equipping policymakers and those who shape legislation and regulation with essential news and intelligence from the world’s best politics and policy journalists.
Our newsroom is deeper, more experienced, and better sourced than any other—with teams embedded in the world’s most active legislative and regulatory power centers. From Brussels to Washington, New York to London, Sacramento to Paris, we bring subscribers inside the conversations that determine policy outcomes and the future of industries, providing insight that cannot be found anywhere else. Get the premier news and policy intelligence service, SUBSCRIBE TO POLITICO PRO TODAY. | | | | | | | | HEY NIKKI! Just hours after former GOP presidential hopeful NIKKI HALEY announced she’d be voting for Donald Trump, the Biden campaign’s deputy political director JUAN PEÑALOSA called up former Haley backers (the call had already been on the books). He stressed that the president’s campaign would continue to quietly reach out, hoping to not only win their votes but also their endorsements, our ELENA SCHNEIDER reports. The campaign also plans to deploy former Haley backers as Biden surrogates to help convince Trump-wary Republicans to vote for the Democratic nominee. IT’S GETTING SHARP, EARLY: The Biden campaign is out with a pair of new ads taking aim at Trump’s treatment of Black people. “Donald Trump disrespecting Black folk is nothing new,” the narrator of the first ad — titled “Contempt” — says before slamming him for standing with white nationalists during the deadly Charlottseville, Va., “Unite the Right” rally and accusing him of discriminating against Black New Yorkers in his business practices. The second ad, called “Knock Knock,” depicts a mock conversation between a Trump campaign canvasser and a potential voter in a 60-second radio hit. Both ads come as Trump plans a rally in the South Bronx this evening.
| | REJECTED: The White House plans to withdraw its nominee for a top trade job after running into trouble with senior Senate Democrats, our DOUG PALMER reports for Pro subscribers. NELSON CUNNINGHAM will now take a senior adviser role at the State Department under JOSE FERNANDEZ, undersecretary for Economic Growth, Energy and the Environment. Biden nominated Cunningham in January to be the deputy U.S. trade representative, but several key Senate Democrats said the nominee’s experience advising corporate clients conflicted with the administration’s “worker-focused” trade policy. Cunningham previously served as a top lawyer for the Senate Judiciary Committee. MORE TRUMP-PROOFING: President Biden is nominating U.S. National Labor Relations Board Chair LAUREN MCFERRAN for a new five-year term, Bloomberg’s JORDAN FABIAN reports. Reconfirming McFerran would secure a majority for Democrats on the board, even if the party loses control of the Senate or White House this November. MORE PERSONNEL MOVES: FERNANDO BRIGIDI DE MELLO has been promoted to deputy director of public engagement and intergovernmental affairs in the office of the vice president. He most recently was an engagement adviser in the office. — ADRIAN SHANKER is now acting deputy assistant secretary for health policy at HHS. He most recently was senior adviser on LGBTQI+ health equity at HHS. THE MOST RANDOM CROSSOVER: For those “Survivor” fans who also tune into “Pod Save America,” Wednesdays this fall will be nirvana. “Pod Save America” co-host and former Obama speechwriter JON LOVETT is joining the cast of contestants for season 47 of Survivor (jesus, there’s been 47 seasons??). During Wednesday’s season 46 finale, Lovett was featured in the new season’s first trailer, where he seemed quite out of his element. “I have no outdoor skills,” Lovett explained to an off-camera producer. “What am I doing here? I went camping as a cub scout. I threw up and went home.” I mean, there’s no way he makes it to the tribe merge … right? The real question is whether Lovett will reveal who he is or disguise himself as “an underground podcaster.” TBH, being a former Obama aide and co-host of one of the most listened to political podcasts in the country is not the most persuasive foundation for leaving the show with that million dollar bag.
| | | | A message from the League of United Latin American Citizens:   | | | | | REDEMPTION TOUR FOR THE SWIFTIES: The Justice Department on Thursday sued Live Nation, alleging that the parent company of Ticketmaster illegally maintained a monopoly on the live entertainment industry, NYT’s DAVID MCCABE and BEN SISARIO report. In an historic antitrust lawsuit with 29 states and D.C., the government accuses Live Nation of locking venues into exclusive ticketing contracts, pressuring artists to use their service and threatening its rivals — all of which has jacked up ticket prices for hopeful concert-goers. SCALING BACK: Some of the biggest retailers are cutting costs after years of consumer grumbling, WaPo’s JACLYN PEISER reports. In recent weeks, Target and Aldi have publicized price cuts on thousands of items, and Walmart unveiled a new lineup of quality “chef-inspired food” mostly in the $5-and-under range. In response, the White House wrote on X, “President Biden called on grocery chains making record profits to lower prices for consumers – and they’re answering the call.” Your move, Tatte.
| | Inside the White House, a Debate Over Letting Ukraine Shoot U.S. Weapons Into Russia (NYT’s David E. Sanger) The Biden administration has a plan to shut down the border. But it needs Mexico's help. (NBC’s Monica Alba, Julie Tsirkin and Julia Ainsley) Bidenworld Candidate Says She’s a Renter, But She Owns a $1.2M House (The Daily Beast’s Jake Lahut) Biden Set to Skip Ukraine Peace Summit for Hollywood Fundraiser (Bloomberg’s Jennifer Jacobs and Alessandro Speciale)
| | | | A message from the League of United Latin American Citizens: The potential termination of the partnership between Delta Air Lines and Aeroméxico by the U.S. Department of Transportation is a decision that could have significant negative implications for travelers, including millions of Latino families.
This partnership serves as a crucial link for trade, tourism, and business operations.
A February 2024 survey, conducted by Global Strategy Group, found that 65 percent of U.S. voters oppose canceling this partnership. More than 80 percent of U.S. voters say putting thousands of jobs at risk would be harmful. And 70 percent of Mexican-American voters oppose canceling the agreement.
Let’s ensure continued connectivity between the U.S. and Mexico. Let’s say no to terminating the Delta-Aeroméxico partnership. Learn more. | | | | | KOTA MIZUTANI, senior adviser for public engagement at the White House, holds his Japanese heritage close to his heart. Traditions such as teriyaki festivals and taiko performances were an integral part of his upbringing. Learning how to play, perform and celebrate the taiko — a Japanese drum — as a 6-year-old member of community group Sonoma County Taiko, encapsulated his childhood in Northern California. “Above all, our kid’s group had dedicated teachers who put up with our shenanigans to help us mature as taiko drummers and as people — from childhood into adolescence,” Mizutani wrote in 2021. If you have 2 and a half hours to spare, here’s Kota showing off his taiko (and saxophone) skills from a year ago.
| | Roosevelt was widely known for his boxing prowess, which at times, landed him in trouble. He would regularly stage boxing matches at the White House with anyone who would take him on. He only stopped boxing when military aide, Col. DANIEL T. MOORE caught him in the face with an uppercut, permanently damaging our 26th president’s eyesight. “It never got around to me till I saw in the papers the other day that he had said that he lost the sight of his eye while boxing with a captain of artillery who was his aide,” Moore said, according to his obituary in The New York Times. “He didn’t name anybody then, but I knew that he must have meant me, for I happen to have been the only boxing aide he had who was in the artillery.” 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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