| | | | |  | | By Eli Okun | | Presented by |  | | | |  | THE CATCH-UP | | | EYES EMOJI — “Judge in Trump Documents Case Rejected Suggestions to Step Aside,” by NYT’s Charlie Savage and Alan Feuer: “Two federal judges in South Florida privately urged AILEEN M. CANNON to decline the case when it was assigned to her last year … She chose to keep it.” TOP TALKER — “Inside the Rise and Fall of Project Veritas,” by Laura Jedeed in Rolling Stone: “JAMES O’KEEFE helped transform U.S. conservatism into a war machine — then it all imploded.”
|  Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has not made the cut for the CNN debate. | Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images | UP FOR DEBATE — We knew this was coming, but now it’s official: ROBERT F. KENNEDY JR. will not be at the CNN debate next week, the network announced, as he fell short of the polling and ballot access criteria. That could be a blow for the independent, who could have gained more visibility and legitimacy from squaring off against President JOE BIDEN and DONALD TRUMP — though, as MICHAEL BLOOMBERG can attest, the debate stage can cut both ways for an insurgent outsider. After a coin flip, Biden chose to take the podium on viewers’ right side, and Trump chose to deliver his closing statement after Biden, per CNN’s Eric Bradner. For Biden and Trump, it’s now full steam ahead to the debate, as the president heads to Camp David today to begin his prep. Both campaigns tell CNN’s MJ Lee, Alayna Treene, Kayla Tausche and Kevin Liptak that in some ways, they’re looking to paint their opponent in similar terms: “as presiding over disorder and wholly unfit for office.” But they’ll take fairly different approaches otherwise. Biden’s dayslong retreat with RON KLAIN, BRUCE REED and others will range from casual discussions to lengthy mock debates, and there’s a chance he could stay at Camp David right up until he goes to Atlanta. Biden’s plan is to put Trump’s vulnerabilities front and center, trying to make the race a true contrast and remind tuned-out Americans of the former president’s many controversies. That will include highlighting comments that low-information voters may have missed, especially Trump’s comment that he’d be a dictator on Day One. The stakes are especially high for Biden because incumbents have historically often struggled during the first debate of their reelection bids, NBC’s Megan Lebowitz reports. (And, of course, because he’s behind: The latest Emerson surveys find Trump leading in all six swing states Biden won in 2020 and tied in Minnesota.) Biden’s advisers say he won’t make the mistake of expecting Trump to be deferential. Trump’s plan is to focus on policy issues in preparatory conversations, honing his messaging to present himself as a steadier hand, per CNN. He’s also been working on how to respond to criticisms about Jan. 6 and other attacks on democracy. The electorate will be watching, as Reuters’ Helen Coster and Alexandra Ulmer detail in interviews with undecided voters who hope the debate will help them make up their minds. No surprise: Many of them are most eager to hear about the economy/inflation and the border/immigration, as well as how fit for office Biden seems amid concerns about his age. SCOTUS WATCH — The Supreme Court justices celebrated our colleague Josh Gerstein’s birthday today by giving him a relatively light day at work: Four new rulings were handed down, but none were the blockbuster end-of-term cases we’ve been anticipating. But there was a notable decision in Moore v. U.S., as the court rejected a challenge to the repatriation tax created in the 2017 tax reform, which targets the money businesses make abroad, Brian Faler reports. Justice BRETT KAVANAUGH led a 7-2 majority to uphold the tax, while Justices CLARENCE THOMAS and NEIL GORSUCH dissented. The case attracted attention for a number of reasons: Tax experts worried that a win for CHARLES and KATHLEEN MOORE could create broader chaos in the tax code, while there were serious factual questions about the underpinnings of their challenge. It also would probably have cost the IRS hundreds of billions of dollars, to be given back to companies. The most significant ramification, though, was for a potential wealth tax — an idea that has gained currency among progressives, and which the Moores and conservative backers were hoping a favorable ruling would prevent in Congress. While the court’s decision in the other direction was good news for the likes of Sen. ELIZABETH WARREN (D-Mass.), that fight isn’t over. Kavanaugh emphasized that the ruling was narrow. Concurrences from Justices KETANJI BROWN JACKSON on one side and AMY CONEY BARRETT and SAMUEL ALITO on the other presage disagreements to come, Semafor’s Jordan Weissmann notes. Good Thursday afternoon. Thanks for reading Playbook PM. Drop me a line at eokun@politico.com.
| | | | A message from U.S. Travel Association: Nearly 3 million passengers fly safely every day in the U.S. Our industry is committed to a safe and secure traveler experience, from point A to point B. With record-setting air travel on the summer horizon, TSA’s secure screening technologies, along with the expertise of the U.S. airline industry, will get you to your destination safely and seamlessly. Learn more. | | | | | 8 THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW | | |  Lionel Messi and other soccer stars will attract plenty of eyeballs. The Biden campaign wants to capitalize. | Mike Stewart/AP Photo | 1. AD IT UP: As the Copa América soccer tournament kicks off today, the Biden campaign is making a new seven-figure ad push to reach Latino voters, NBC’s Monica Alba scooped. As battleground states host games, an ad called “Gooaalll!” will air bilingually, while organizing efforts will include everything from watch parties at sports bars to Biden-branded soccer jerseys. It’s an especially big moment because Biden has lost crucial ground with Latinos in the polls, and because the Copa América doesn’t come to the U.S. often. Some analysts say it could reach 100 million people and be the highest-rated Spanish TV event before the election. 2. HOW THE SAUSAGE IS MADE: “Bayer lobbies Congress to help fight lawsuits tying Roundup to cancer,” by WaPo’s Tony Romm: “The measure threatens to make it harder for farmers and groundskeepers to argue that they were not fully informed about some health and safety risks posed by the popular herbicide. By erecting new legal barriers to bringing those cases, Bayer seeks to prevent sizable payouts.” The matter will come to a head in the farm bill: One section in the House version of the massive legislation uses language from Reps. DUSTY JOHNSON (R-S.D.) and JIM COSTA (D-Calif.) that “Bayer helped craft,” per the Post. Bayer claims it’s not intended as a lawsuit shield. 3. CASH DASH: As Biden trails Trump in the game to pump out viral videos and memes, the Future Forward USA Action super PAC is launching a $10 million drive to catch up, Reuters’ Jarrett Renshaw scooped. That fundraising push is intended “to help better understand the algorithms that help Trump and his allies dominate vertical video platforms,” which provide crucial — and often slanted or misleading — flows of information to otherwise ill-informed Americans. The money will also go toward creating their own content with left-leaning influencers. 4. HOW TRUMP WINS: “Biden’s Lead With Women Is Smaller Than Trump’s With Men, a Warning for Democrats,” by NYT’s Ruth Igielnik: “[H]is current standing among women is the weakest lead a Democrat has had since 2004 … Trump’s support among men has recovered and is back to the double-digit lead he had in 2016. … Biden’s drop in support has been particularly pronounced among Black and Hispanic women … [E]ven as abortion and democracy are key issues for a small but meaningful segment of women, concerns about inflation continue to play a more central role.”
| | | | 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. | | | | | 5. OPIOID FILES: The decision by the U.S. and China in the fall to crack down again together on fentanyl suppliers briefly had a major impact — but the change has already vanished, WaPo’s Cate Cadell and Lily Kuo report. By now, despite the diplomatic cooperation, the breakthrough has broken back, as sellers of the chemicals that create fentanyl say they’re back to normal. All it took this year was “making minor adjustments to avoid scrutiny, including tweaking customs labeling on packages and pivoting to alternative compounds that have virtually identical applications.” That shows how hard it will be for the U.S. to tackle this, as Beijing has little incentive to commit to an intensive crackdown. 6. LATEST IN UKRAINE: “Ukraine moved to top of list to receive US air defense capabilities,” by CNN’s Kylie Atwood: “A senior White House official described the action as a ‘rather extraordinary’ policy adjustment at a critical moment for Ukraine. The deliveries to Ukraine will begin this summer, and it is not immediately clear how many countries are impacted.” Related read: “Bombarded but ‘unbreakable’: Ukraine’s 2nd city relieved by Biden’s shift on U.S. weapons,” by NBC’s Richard Engel, Marc Smith, Yuliya Talmazan and Daryna Mayer: “Kharkiv is taking a breath after the White House allowed the use of its arms inside Russia. But the northeastern city is still in Putin’s sights.” 7. HOT ON THE LEFT: Sen. TINA SMITH (D-Minn.) today is introducing a bill to try to repeal parts of the Comstock Act that could be used to crack down on abortion medication (but not the entire law), WaPo’s Dan Diamond and Caroline Kitchener scooped. Rep. BECCA BALINT (D-Vt.) will do the same in the House, and other Democrats and outside groups are backing the effort. But other Dems wonder whether this is the best focus for the party politically in an election year. And it remains to be seen how far it can get with Republicans in control of the House. 8. OFF THE DEEP END: “On campaign trail, RFK Jr. pushes ‘bonkers’ theory about CIA’s ‘takeover of the American press,’” by ABC’s Mike Levine: “[O]ne recurring conspiracy theory has garnered relatively little notice: his persistent assertion that major U.S. media outlets are being run by undercover CIA operatives or are controlled in some other way by the CIA, as part of a secret government plot to manipulate Americans’ minds. ‘The new head of NPR is a CIA agent,’ Kennedy declared at a New York campaign fundraiser in April … Kennedy’s questionable tactics are all ‘classic techniques of propaganda,’ according to SARAH OATES, a journalism professor at the University of Maryland who specializes in propaganda.”
| | | | JOIN US ON 6/13 FOR A TALK ON THE FUTURE OF HEALTH CARE: As Congress and the White House work to strengthen health care affordability and access, innovative technologies and treatments are increasingly important for patient health and lower costs. What barriers are appearing as new tech emerges? Is the Medicare payment process keeping up with new technologies and procedures? Join us on June 13 as POLITICO convenes a panel of lawmakers, officials and experts to discuss what policy solutions could expand access to innovative therapies and tech. REGISTER HERE. | | | | | | | PLAYBOOKERS | | Mark Rutte’s last obstacle to becoming NATO secretary-general is gone. Colin Allred was dismissive of problems at the border just two years ago. Ksenia Karelina is going on trial in Russia. Mark Kelly and Gabby Giffords shared their experience with in vitro fertilization. IN MEMORIAM — “Ricardo M. Urbina, Trailblazing Latino Judge in Capital, Dies at 78,” by NYT’s Sam Roberts OUT AND ABOUT — The Washington Women in Public Relations announced its 2024 class of Emerging Leaders Awards at a reception Tuesday at the Wharf, where Kirstin Garriss gave a keynote speech. The award winners were Michelle Byamugisha, Jen Bristol, Valeria Sabaté, Erin Berst, Jenny Wang, McKenzie Wax and Jennifer Min. TRANSITIONS — Bruce Spiva is now an SVP at Campaign Legal Center. He is a Perkins Coie alum and former candidate for D.C. AG. … Annie Shuppy is now senior fellow working on fiscal policy at Third Way. She was previously a senior adviser at the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget. 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: Monday’s Playbook PM contained incorrect past employment information for John Cunningham. His previous job was at Infosys.
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