| | | | |  | | By Lauren Egan, Eli Stokols and Ben Johansen | 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 This newsletter wrote a few months ago about how there was yet to be a TV show or movie that captured the political essence of the JOE BIDEN era (sorry, “Girls on the Bus”). But as Democratic support crumbles around him, some Biden aides say they’ve finally landed on a piece of political entertainment that captures what it’s been like to work on the White House campus these past three weeks: ARMANDO IANNUCCI’s “The Death of Stalin.” For the uninitiated, the 2017 satire (loosely) depicts the mad scramble for power in the Soviet Union after the death of JOSEPH STALIN. The movie is resonating with White House staffers now less for the leader-to-leader comparison, as much for its portrayal of a cloistered, toxic workplace — one that is marred by the denial of reality as it orbits one man’s colossal ego. As KYLE SMITH, the Wall Street Journal’s film critic, posted on X: “DEATH OF STALIN except this time Uncle Joe is technically still alive.” West Wing Playbook caught up with Iannucci this week to talk about the movie and why White House staffers are finding some comic relief — or is it gallows humor? — in it. We also chatted about his political comedy hit TV show, “Veep.” (The conversation below has been edited for length and clarity.) What do you make of the fact that some White House aides are drawing comparisons to their workplace and “The Death of Stalin”? The scene I always remember is that committee scene at the end of the film where they are all voting on what to do. And of course, no one wants to be the first person to put their hand up in case they’ve got it wrong and will be shot. Everyone is looking to what everyone else is saying before they put their hand up to vote. And I think that’s what’s happening as well, isn’t it? Everyone is thinking, ‘Yeah, he’s not up to another four years.’ But nobody wants to be the first person to say it. I imagine no one wants to be the first one of his close, close associates to actually say, ‘It’s not going to happen.’ One of the themes in “The Death of Stalin” is the way a cloistered information environment and a temperamental leader can produce jockeying and bad incentives for their subordinates. When the film came out, it was read as a commentary on President Donald Trump — but do you think it can offer lessons on Biden? We made it before Trump [was sworn into office]. But I think what’s happened since then is that facts are now irrelevant. We’ve retreated into these camps where we only speak to people who agree with us and only get news that gives us the stories we want to hear. We’re all now being conditioned into thinking that what we believe is the only truth that there is and that is what any autocratic and totalitarian government has participated in. It just tells you that there is only one authentic truth, and therefore anyone who disagrees with you is unpatriotic, is a traitor. Two of the best satires and comedies of the last decade in American life were written by Brits: “Veep” and “Succession.” What do you think it is about the political culture in the U.K. that allows you to see the U.S. so clearly? We have more of a tradition of giving our politicians a hard time. It’s not unusual for us to do something that looks at politics or the media world and not be polite about it — really show it close up in all its flaws. It’s always been the case that we’re less reverential towards politicians. Of course, constitutionally, the president is also the head of state, so there is a kind of respect for the office. It’s seen as slightly crossing a line if you’re too disrespectful to whoever has that role. We don’t have that. Our head of state is elsewhere in a palace. In hindsight, it seems like “Veep” wrapped up at the perfect time. Could a show like that work today? I think our work would be cut out trying to do a White House in the current climate. Most episodes of Veep are about how somebody has done something wrong and they’re worried that it might get out. But, of course, now nobody cares. They just say ‘No, it didn’t happen.’ Veep kind of implied that there is an objective reality that everyone is aware of — but now people just deny reality. There’s nowhere else to go, really. MESSAGE US — Are you JULIA LOUIS-DREYFUS? 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!
| | | | CHECK OUT WHAT YOU MISSED IN MILWAUKEE! Watch the full event from the CNN-POLITICO Grill at the RNC HERE.
The program featured Bayer’s Jessica Christiansen, senior vice president and head of crop science and sustainability communications, as well as a conversation with Sen. John Boozman (R-Ark.), Rep. G.T. Thompson (R-Pa.) and POLITICO’s Meredith Lee Hill for discussions about agriculture, food policy and how these issues will impact the November election. | | | | | | | Where was President ABRAHAM LINCOLN’s bodyguard, JOHN PARKER, when Lincoln was shot while watching a play at Ford’s Theater? (Answer at bottom.)
| | IT’S NOW “MOMENT TO MOMENT”: Still recovering from Covid in Rehoboth Beach and begrudgingly beginning to accept that Democratic opposition to his reelection bid isn’t going away, Biden and his inner circle’s feelings about what to do are shifting from “moment to moment,” two people familiar with private conversations told our ADAM CANCRYN, JONATHAN LEMIRE and Eli. That runs counter to the public messages of defiance coming from the president’s campaign and the White House. Appearing on MSNBC’s “Morning Joe” on Friday, campaign chair JEN O’MALLEY DILLON insisted Biden isn’t quitting. “We believe, on this campaign, we are built for the close election that we’re in. And we see the path forward,” she said. Although Biden’s inner circle has seethed this week at leaks from Democratic leaders aimed at nudging him aside, some in that group have begun to entertain in private conversations that the president may have to step aside. COONS BREAKS CHARACTER: The senator closest to the president, CHRIS COONS of Delaware, spoke with striking candor about Biden reevaluating his candidacy, a development his aides have denied. “I think our president is weighing what he should weigh, which is who is the best candidate to win in November and to carry forward the Democratic Party’s values and priorities in this campaign,” Coons said during an interview at the Aspen Security Forum. He cleaned it up later in a tweet, writing: “I fully support the President. He's told me he's in it to win it. I'm with him 100% because I know he can beat Trump just like he did last time.” BUYING TIME: The Democratic National Convention Rules Committee convened on Friday about scheduling its roll call vote on Biden’s nomination — and decided to convene again next week to set a date for the vote, our ELENA SCHNEIDER reports. And they said that the vote itself would occur no earlier than Aug. 1. But all of these moves are laden with uncertainty about whether Biden will remain as the party’s nominee, not to mention strategic complexity for those on opposite sides of that question. THE DOCTOR IS IN: Biden continued to test positive for Covid on Friday but his symptoms are improving, White House physician KEVIN O’CONNOR wrote in a short letter. The president, after four doses of Paxlovid, is still fighting a “loose non-productive cough and hoarseness,” O’Connor wrote, but those symptoms “have improved meaningfully” since Thursday. WHAT THE WHITE HOUSE WANTS YOU TO READ: This piece by CBS News’ CAMILO MONTOYA-GALVEZ, who reports that the number of migrants illegally crossing into the U.S. continued to plummet in July — nearing a threshold that would require the president to lift a partial ban on asylum claims. The month marks the third consecutive monthly drop in migrant apprehensions at the U.S.-Mexico border and the lowest level of illegal immigration since the fall of 2020. Campaign spokesperson JAMES SINGER shared the piece on X. WHAT THE WHITE HOUSE DOESN’T WANT YOU TO READ: This NBC News report that is very much at odds with the administration and campaign’s firm assurances that Biden remains committed to remaining as the nominee. Members of the president’s family have begun to discuss his possible exit from the race and how that might be carried out to look as though it's on his own terms, NBC’s CAROL E. LEE, MONICA ALBA, SARAH FITZPATRICK, JONATHAN ALLEN and NATASHA KORECKI report. According to two people familiar with the conversations, the focus is on figuring out how to put Democrats in the best possible position to beat Trump. But the impact of the campaign on Biden’s health, his family and the stability of the country are also at the heart of the discussions.
| | DRIP. DRIP. DRIP DRIP DRIPPPP. Eleven more House Democrats, representing different factions within the conference, as well as one senator on Friday called on President Biden to pass the torch, putting the number of congressional Democrats who have publicly said he should end his reelection bid at 32. In a joint statement, Reps. JARED HUFFMAN (D-Calif.), MARC VEASEY (D-Texas), CHUY GARCIA (D-Ill.) and MARK POCAN (D-Wis.) all urged the president to step aside. Notably, Garcia is a member of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, which (see below) has strongly backed Biden. Veasey is also a member of the Congressional Black Caucus and the first to break with Biden. “Mr. President, with great admiration for you personally, sincere respect for your decades of public service and patriotic leadership, and deep appreciation for everything we have accomplished together during your presidency, it is now time for you to pass the torch to a new generation of Democratic leaders,” the letter reads. That letter was followed by another from Rep. ZOE LOFGREN (D-Calif.), a close ally of former Speaker NANCY PELOSI and a member of the Jan. 6 House Select Committee. “Simply put, your candidacy is on a trajectory to lose the White House and potentially impact crucial House and Senate races down ballot,” Lofgren writes. “It is for these reasons that I urge you to step aside.” Another senior House member, Rep. BETTY McCOLLUM of Minnesota also joined the chorus, arguing Vice President KAMALA HARRIS should become the nominee, with Minnesota Gov. TIM WALZ as her running mate. Also abandoning Biden on Friday were Reps. GREG LANDSMAN (D-Ohio), KATHY CASTOR (D-Fla.), MORGAN McGARVEY (D-Ky.), GABE VASQUEZ (D-N.M.) and SEAN CASTEN (D-Ill.). New Mexico Sen. MARTIN HEINRICH joined the House members in breaking from Biden, saying that while it’s his decision on whether to continue the campaign, he “believes it’s in the best interests of our country for him to step aside.” BUT THEN, THE CHC BACKS BIDEN: BOLD Pac, the political arm of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, officially endorsed Biden on Friday, affirming that the president continues to enjoy strong support from an important Democratic bloc, The Hill’s ALEX GANGITANO was first to report. Rep. LINDA SÁNCHEZ, BOLD PAC’s chairwoman, praised Biden and Vice President Harris in a statement and vowed that her organization’s targeted and strategic campaigns would mobilize Hispanic voters this fall. “From historic investments in our infrastructure system to expanding access to affordable health care, they have championed policies that lifted up our families and communities,” Sánchez said. AOC ALSO HAS THOUGHTS: Rep. ALEXANDRIA OCASIO-CORTEZ (D-N.Y.) outlined her reasons for sticking with Biden in an hourlong Instagram livestream on Thursday night. “People underestimate Biden’s performance,” she said, especially “with demographics that are not traditionally valued. I think people see where he’s weak. They don’t often see where he’s strong — just electorally.” Beyond that, she warned that dumping Biden would “set us up for enormous peril.” WHEN ONE FALLS OUT OF A COCONUT TREE: A majority of Democrats believe Vice President Harris would do a good job if given the top job, according to a new AP-NORC poll released Friday. Six in 10 Dems have confidence Harris would perform well as president, 2 in 10 believe she wouldn’t and 2 in 10 say they don’t know enough to say. But surveying overall Americans, the number drops to 3 in 10. The poll showed that about 4 in 10 adults have a favorable opinion of Harris, while about half have an unfavorable opinion. There are more Americans with a negative view of Biden: approximately 6 in 10. If you are like Eli and had no idea what it meant to fall out of a coconut tree, here’s this helpful NBC News explainer (you know you’re old when you need a network to explain social media to you!). Relatedly, a majority of Americans agree with the vice president that “you exist in the context of all in which you live and what came before you,” including 56% of Democrats and 61% of Republicans, according to a poll from Data for Progress. Finally, something on which voters from both parties can find common ground. Maybe, just maybe, things will be alright. President Biden is clearly a part of that 56 percent.
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| TOUGH TIMING: While her husband recovers from Covid and mulls over his political fate, first lady JILL BIDEN will be wheels up in a few days for Paris. Biden announced last week that the first lady would lead the presidential delegation to the opening ceremony at the Paris Olympic Games on July 26. But she will also headline a campaign fundraiser the day before, according to an emailed invitation shared with West Wing Playbook. In an email to donors, the Biden Victory Fund referred to the July 25 Paris reception as “the campaign’s fist fundraising event in Europe of this kind.” The invite lists TONY GARDNER, BELINDA DE GAUDEMAR and LORNA JOHNSON as hosts.
| | PROTEST LETTERS ARE BACK: A group of former foreign policy and national security officials released a letter on Friday publicly calling Biden to end his reelection campaign. The group writes that “we strongly believe that ongoing concerns surrounding your continued candidacy and the growing likelihood of an electoral college victory for Donald Trump put your national security accomplishments — and our country and your legacy — at an unacceptable level of risk.” “We also are keenly aware of the comments you made in March 2020, in which you indicated that you viewed yourself as ‘a bridge’ to ‘an entire generation of leaders’ who represent the country’s future,” the letter continues. “We strongly believe that now is the time to pass the mantle of leadership, and we respectfully urge you to do so.” Most of the people on the list are from the Clinton, Bush and Obama administrations, including some notable names such as ANTHONY LAKE. NEW LEADERSHIP AT DIA: CHRISTINE BORDINE will be the next deputy director at the Defense Intelligence Agency, DIA director Lt. Gen. JEFFREY KRUSE announced in a press release on Friday. Bordine, currently the National Security Agency’s deputy director of the Directorate of Capabilities, will succeed SUZANNE WHITE in the position.
| | PROJECT 2025 IN FOCUS: The Biden campaign’s battleground states director, DAN KANNINEN, asserted in a new memo on Friday that organizers in key states are finding that undecided voters are turned off when they learn more about Project 2025, the policy roadmap Trump’s conservative allies have drawn up for his return to office next year. Pointing to polling and data drawn from doorstep conversations and emphasizing the campaign’s organizational strength, Kanninen argued that focusing voters on what’s at stake will help Biden turn things around. “We can do a whole lot more to make Project 2025 the referendum this election is determined on,” he wrote. “Because if we do, we will win.”
| | In this historic Black neighborhood in Milwaukee, the Biden question is met with indifference (LAT’s Anita Chabria and Mark Z. Barabak) Evan Gershkovich Sentenced to 16 Years in Russian Prison After Wrongful Conviction (WSJ’s Georgi Kantchev) What Undecided Voters Thought of Trump’s Speech: Mostly, Not Much (NYT’s Julie Bosman, Jack Healy, Eduardo Medina, Campbell Robertson and David Goodman) Why Biden should exit the race (Seth Moulton for the Boston Globe) Harris tries to calm jittery donors (POLITICO's Eugene Daniels and Elena Schneider)
| | According to Smithsonian Magazine, Parker was initially watching the play from the gallery. But during intermission, he went for drinks at the Star Saloon next door to Ford’s Theatre. “No one knows for sure if Parker ever returned to Ford’s Theatre that night. When [John Wilkes] Booth struck, the vanishing policeman may have been sitting in his new seat with a nice view of the stage, or perhaps he had stayed put in the Star Saloon,” according to the magazine. 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 Steve Shepard and Rishika Dugyala
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