| | | | |  | | By Eugene Daniels, Ryan Lizza and Rachael Bade | | Presented by |  | | | With help from Eli Okun, Garrett Ross and Bethany Irvine
| | | |  | DRIVING THE DAY | | | 
| Greetings from Chicago, where the Democratic National Convention kicks off in a few hours, marking another milestone in this crazy presidential election year. So much is exciting and familiar, a return to form after 2020’s pandemic-cloistered conventions that were essentially reduced to elaborate TV productions. Now — from the bright-eyed O’Hare volunteers directing excited Democrats and exhausted reporters to their Ubers to the convention staffers doing their last-minute run-throughs inside the United Center — we’re feeling that old buzz again. As we bopped around the perimeter last night, we ran into elected officials, DNC staffers and other D.C. glitterati who were each ready to witness history as Democrats nominate the first woman of color to lead a major-party ticket this week. (Good to see you, Sen. CHRIS COONS, and good job practicing your speech — you and your staff earned that celebratory drink.) here was a bit of mischief afoot, though nothing too concerning: Downtown protests of the war in Gaza were mostly uneventful, with activists appearing to infiltrate one delegate event on Navy Pier. The DNC itself, meanwhile, beamed messages such as “Project 2025 HQ” and “Weird As Hell” onto the Trump Hotel looming over the Chicago River. And we got a first look at what promises to be the hub of the conversation over the next four days: the CNN-POLITICO Grill, set up just outside the United Center where your Playbook authors and their colleagues will be bringing you sharp and lively conversations with some of the Democratic Party’s biggest names. Peek inside the grill Stay with Playbook throughout the week for everything happening inside and outside the arena in our newsletters and podcasts, but also be sure to follow POLITICO’s live blog launching later today and blanket coverage which will bring you the very latest on what’s happening on the floor, at the Grill and beyond. TODAY AT THE GRILL — 3:30 p.m.: Sen. GARY PETERS (D-Mich.), DSCC chair, with Jonathan Martin … 4 p.m.: QUENTIN FULKS, Harris-Walz principal deputy campaign manager, with Eugene … 4:30 p.m.: New York Gov. KATHY HOCHUL, with Emily Ngo … 5:30 p.m.: North Carolina Gov. ROY COOPER, with Ryan … 6 p.m.: Sen. BERNIE SANDERS (I-Vt.), with Ryan … 6:30 p.m.: Senate Majority Leader CHUCK SCHUMER, with Rachael.
|  WASHINGTON, DC - JULY 9: U.S. President Joe Biden speaks during a NATO 75th anniversary celebratory event at the Andrew Mellon Auditorium on July 9, 2024 in Washington, DC. NATO leaders convene in Washington this week for its annual summit to discuss their future strategies and commitments, and marking the 75th anniversary of the alliance's founding. | Andrew Harnik/Getty Images | | THANK YOU AND GOODBYE — Now let’s talk about what’s very, very unusual about the DNC: Less than one month after dropping his reelection bid, President JOE BIDEN tonight addresses a crowd that includes some of the people who maneuvered behind the scenes to push him out of the race and many more who are intensely relieved that he did so. Expect him to get a hero’s ovation. Tonight’s convention theme is ostensibly “For the People” (a conspicuously NANCY PELOSI-coded moniker, we’ll note) but the true motif is “Thank You and Good Luck,” with convention organizers determined to show party unity as Biden passes the torch. Subtle signs will be here and there. VP KAMALA HARRIS and running mate TIM WALZ will watch from above as Biden, preceded by former nominee HILLARY CLINTON and first lady JILL BIDEN, speaks before 11 p.m. Eastern. Notably, the Delaware and Pennsylvania delegations have been seated right near the stage in a gesture usually reserved for the nominee. We’re told this is not a farewell speech. The man has five months and one day left in his presidency, and — following BARACK OBAMA’s model — he is likely to deliver a true valedictory address in January. But this is almost certainly the biggest audience Biden will face for the rest of his term, if not his five-decade political career, so expect it to feel like a swan song nonetheless. In true Biden form, the speech is still being hammered out, but you can expect Biden to hand the party’s reins to Harris by highlighting their accomplishments together. It’s not clear, in fact, whether the president will even mention DONALD TRUMP’s name, a Biden aide told us, as he seeks to contrast the Biden-Harris record with what they inherited from Trump and paint the picture of what a second Trump term would entail. As Adam Cancryn and Jonathan Lemire write in their curtain-raiser, “Officials want Monday, in particular, to remind Americans of the reeling, pandemic-plagued nation that Biden inherited three-and-a-half years ago and the progress he made while charting the U.S. out of a confluence of crises — from restoring relationships abroad to curbing unauthorized border crossings and crime at home, while executing on a sweeping economic agenda.” Then the Bidens will leave the stage, hop on a plane for a week’s vacation near Santa Barbara, California, and watch the rest of the DNC on television like most other Americans. Biden is “going to get an incredible reception,” Rep. DEBBIE DINGELL (D-Mich.) tells Jonathan and Adam. "But I’m sure it’s very complicated. I know it’s very complicated.” That, of course, is because Biden, his family and some of his closest aides are still smarting from what unfolded ever since that fateful June 27 debate. That makes tonight’s opportunity especially meaningful, Biden aides told us, giving the outgoing president a chance to bask not just in his own accomplishments but also in the momentum Harris has enjoyed and the energy he injected into his party by stepping aside. Yet even that sentiment is complicated: While Biden rides high tonight, he and his brain trust know that the real judgment awaits. Only in November will he learn if he will be remembered as a selfless hero — or as a tragic figure who waited too long to pass the torch. DEMS IN ARRAY — “How Democrats Reversed the Script on the GOP,” by Jonathan Martin in Chicago: “Democrats arrive here, a city that’s played host to so many drama-filled political conventions, as a party lacking in drama. They are disciplined, orderly and united around Vice President Kamala Harris and, more to the point, thwarting former President Donald Trump’s restoration. “This new era of good feelings for Democrats is a far cry from last month, when they faced their most existential crisis since Trump’s initial election, their leaders staring one another down in a sort of political version of nuclear brinksmanship. And it differs from so many previous conventions when there was often intra-party tension over policy, politics, personnel, or all three, looming above the proceedings.” Good Monday morning. Thanks for reading Playbook. Drop us a line: Rachael Bade, Eugene Daniels, Ryan Lizza.
| | | | A message from USAFacts: Americans deserve clear, trustworthy facts to make up their minds on today’s most pressing issues. In this new series, USAFacts Founder Steve Ballmer walks through the data on immigration, the economy, healthcare, and much more, to help you inform your perspective. Get the numbers, not rhetoric, topic by topic. | | | MORE DNC READS …
- “Harris’ momentum is growing. Our polling expert explains whether it’ll last,” by Steven Shepard: “It’s far from a sure thing that Harris will continue to rise through the end of August — though some Republicans are preparing for the possibility that Harris will have a larger lead on Labor Day than she does now — but adding a convention bump on top of that could position Harris as a significant favorite in the race.”
- “Everyone’s talking about Chicago and 1968. But is the vibe more 2008?” by WaPo’s Kara Vought: “Hopey-changey and ‘Yes we can,’ but modified for the moment and the movement coalescing around Harris’s candidacy.”
- “Democrats Unveil Convention Platform With Familiar Themes,” by NYT’s Nicholas Nehamas: “As a sign of what Democrats believe will mobilize their forces — and the head-spinning transformation that has remade their presidential ticket — the document mentions former President Donald J. Trump’s name 150 times.”
- “Kerry Washington, Mindy Kaling and more will serve as DNC hosts,” by CNN’s Elizabeth Wagmeister: “KERRY WASHINGTON, TONY GOLDWYN, MINDY KALING and ANA NAVARRO … will host one night of the four-day convention, in a role similar to an award show host, kicking off the broadcast with opening remarks and then reappearing onstage throughout the evening to help guide the audience through programming.”
- “Encrypted app used in campus protest planning deployed for DNC demonstrations,” by Irie Sentner, Joe Anuta and Betsy Woodruff Swan: “Over the spring, student groups and pro-Palestinian organizations used the app Telegram to distribute how-to manuals on occupying buildings and other rally tactics, provide real-time updates on police movements and, in some cases, share explicitly pro-Hamas content.”
TODAY ON LONG ISLAND — “George Santos due in court, expected to plead guilty in fraud case,” by AP’s Philip Marcelo: “Santos has previously pleaded not guilty to a range of alleged financial crimes, including lying to Congress about his wealth, collecting unemployment benefits while actually working and using campaign contributions to pay for personal expenses.”
| | | | A message from USAFacts:   Want to know the facts on immigration, taxes and spending? Steve Ballmer, former Microsoft CEO and owner of the LA Clippers, shares facts and data, you make up your mind! | | | | | WHAT'S HAPPENING TODAY | | On the Hill The House and the Senate are out. What we’re watching … On the morning of Biden’s big convention speech, House Republicans have finally released their report on the two-year-long impeachment inquiry into the man they thought would now be in the thick of his reelection campaign. The short version: Biden engaged in “impeachable conduct” related to his family’s business dealings and alleged obstruction, the Oversight, Judiciary and Ways and Means committees conclude in the 291-page document. But the practical upshot of the report is minimal, as Jordain Carney notes: “It’s unlikely to change a reality the party has faced for months: They don’t have the votes to impeach him.” It is likely to become the first instance where a formal impeachment inquiry did not end with a House vote or a presidential resignation. At the White House Biden will receive the President’s Daily Brief in the morning. The president will travel to Chicago in the afternoon ahead of his DNC speech scheduled for 10:50 p.m. Eastern. Afterward, Biden and first lady JILL BIDEN will travel to Santa Ynez, California. Press secretary KARINE JEAN-PIERRE will gaggle aboard Air Force One en route to Chicago. On the trail Vance will speak on the economy in Philadelphia at 1 p.m. Trump will speak on the economy in York, Pennsylvania, at 3 p.m.
| | | | WELCOME TO THE CNN-POLITICO GRILL AT THE DNC! If you are in Chi-Town next week, join us at the CNN-POLITICO Grill just steps from the United Center for daily events and live programs. Featuring an all-star lineup of the most influential Democrats including Gov. JB Pritzker, Sen. Chuck Schumer, Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi, the Honorable Pete Buttigieg, Gov. Josh Shapiro, Sen. Laphonza Butler, New York City Mayor Eric Adams and many more surprise guests. Don’t miss out on the buzziest conversations and newsworthy events hosted by POLITICO’s top reporters and editors. RSVP HERE. | | | | | | | PLAYBOOK READS | | 2024 WATCH
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A campaign official confirmed to POLITICO that "Medicare for All" is no longer part of VP Kamala Harris’ agenda. | Jamie Kelter Davis for POLITICO | PERUSING THE POLICY PERCH — Harris has jettisoned her support of “Medicare for All,” which she championed as a senator and during her 2020 presidential run — a campaign official confirmed to POLITICO it’s no longer part of Harris’ agenda. Progressives are ready to look the other way, though. “It’s the latest example of Harris shifting to the center of her party, as she’s done on abortion and energy policy. Progressives said they’re disappointed but still support her as she works out the best strategy to defeat Trump — even if it means leaving their cause behind,” Daniel Payne writes. How it’s playing: “With the Harris campaign signaling that Medicare for All is not on her agenda, the debate among Democratic policy insiders — made clear in interviews with nine experts and activists, some of whom are in touch with the Harris campaign — is now over whether Harris should stick to touting accomplishments of the Biden administration, or offer a refreshed policy agenda.” More top reads:
- Harris, who is already making history as the first Black and South Asian person to lead a major ticket, isn’t leaning into that element of her campaign in TV ads or in her stump speech, focusing instead on her middle-class upbringing and prosecutorial track record, Elena Schneider and Holly Otterbein write. Experts say it’s “a bet that swing voters … care far more about her record and platform — not how her run will feature in history textbooks.”
- As undecided voters try to land on a candidate, many see Harris as largely undefined — but they want her “to fill in the considerable gaps in their understanding of how she would lead,” NYT’s Jeremy Peters writes. “Among the issues they mentioned were inflation, immigration and school vouchers. Many insisted they would never vote for Mr. Trump but said they needed more reasons to vote for Ms. Harris.”
- Democrats mounted the cavalry yesterday to defend Harris’ economic platform — but they were hesitant to specifically back a proposed price gouging ban that has raised eyebrows among Republicans and some economists, Isabella Ramírez and Mia McCarthy write. One exception was Kentucky Gov. ANDY BESHEAR, who spoke favorably of his own state’s price-gouging prosecutions.
MORE POLITICS FIRST IN PLAYBOOK — A pair of new ad campaigns going up in two closely watched congressional races on each coast are up today, with each underlining an interesting trend of candidates bucking their traditional party messaging in tight races.
|  Former Gov. Larry Hogan is up with a series of new ads in the Maryland Senate race. | Daniel Kucin Jr./AP | In Maryland: Former Gov. LARRY HOGAN is up with a series of new ads in the Maryland Senate race against Democrat ANGELA ALSOBROOKS, continuing his streak of hemming toward the middle instead of leaning into Republicans’ favorite campaign issues. The trio of ads are releasing digitally in conjunction with the first day of the DNC, featuring testimony from three Maryland women of different demographic backgrounds — a welder, a nurse and single mom, two of which are Democrats and one an independent — who all say they’re voting for Hogan. “Larry Hogan is doing what some of his party members are scared to do. If we can have him in the Senate, you can best believe he would say it like it is. He can get things done on a national level,” Kay Williams says in one of the ads. Watch ad 1 … Ad 2 … Ad 3
|  Oregon state Rep. Janelle Bynum is going up with her first ad of the general election race. | Jenny Kane/AP Photo | Over in Oregon: Democratic state Rep. JANELLE BYNUM is going up with her first ad of the general election race to unseat incumbent GOP Rep. LORI CHAVEZ-DEREMER. Bynum’s ad — a six-figure TV, radio and digital buy — titled “Worry,” highlights her record of bipartisanship in the legislature — including to re-criminalize fentanyl and other drugs — and focuses on her commitment to ensuring Oregon law enforcement is properly resourced. “As a mom of four, I worry about keeping my family safe like many Oregonians. That’s why I will never play politics with protecting Oregon families,” Bynum says. Watch the ad BIG IN BIG SKY COUNTRY — “Democrats are dwindling in Wyoming. A primary election law further reduces their influence,” by AP’s Mead Gruver: “In Wyoming, the state that has voted for Trump by a wider margin than any other, overwhelming Republican dominance may be even more cemented-in now that the state has passed a law that makes changing party affiliation much more difficult. Tuesday’s primary will be the first election since the law took effect.”
| | | | A message from USAFacts:   USAFacts: Data straight from the source. | | | TRUMP CARDS ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT FALLOUT — Amid the fallout since the attempted assassination of Trump, there have been swirling questions about the security presence at the former president’s rallies. “The difficulties have prompted numerous arguments over the past 3½ years between agency officials, Trump and his advisers. His aides grew increasingly angry as many of their requests for additional security were rebuffed by the Secret Service, according to eight people familiar with the events,” WaPo’s Josh Dawsey and Carol Leonnig report. “Trump aides say they had sometimes been forced to cancel or reschedule events when aides felt the venues were not going to be sufficiently secure. They described repeatedly being denied pleas for more snipers, bomb-sniffing dogs, magnetometers and specialty teams to protect Trump, often because agency higher-ups said extra resources were not available. Trump and his campaign have a close relationship with his security detail.” Trump has also complained about the additional security measures at Mar-a-Lago in recent weeks and regular Trump rally attendees say “the service is being more aggressive at those events.” AMERICA AND THE WORLD MIDDLE EAST LATEST — “Israeli strike kills 7 members of same family as Blinken lands to make fresh push for truce,” CNN: Secretary of State ANTONY BLINKEN “will meet on Monday with Prime Minister BENJAMIN NETANYAHU, Defense Minister YOAV GALLANT, and President ISAAC HERZOG, according to a senior State Department official. Following his meetings in Israel, Blinken will continue on to Egypt on Tuesday.” The stepback: “The Way to Fix the Middle East Conflict Looks Obvious — Except to Israelis and Palestinians,” by WSJ’s Marcus Walker, Fatima AbdulKarim and Anat Peled: “Most Israelis and Palestinians know they need to find a way to share the land between the river and the sea. But they can no longer see a partner on the other side.” THE BACKSTORY — “How Israel Killed a Ghost,” by WSJ’s Sune Engel Rasmussen, Adam Chamseddine and Carrie Keller-Lynn in Beirut: “FUAD SHUKR had eluded the U.S. for four decades, ever since a bombing killed 241 American servicemen in a Marine barracks in the Lebanese capital, which it says he helped plan. At the end of July, an Israeli airstrike found him on the seventh floor of a residential building not far away.” MEDIAWATCH RARE SUCCESS STORY — “Defying Crisis in Local News, The Star Tribune Expands,” by NYT’s Katie Robertson: “The paper will now be called The Minnesota Star Tribune, its chief executive announced on Sunday, and it will use an injection of money from its billionaire owner to expand its coverage beyond the Twin Cities into other parts of the state.”
| | | | DON’T MISS OUR AI & TECH SUMMIT: Join POLITICO’s AI & Tech Summit for exclusive interviews and conversations with senior tech leaders, lawmakers, officials and stakeholders about where the rising energy around global competition — and the sense of potential around AI and restoring American tech knowhow — is driving tech policy and investment. REGISTER HERE. | | | | | | | PLAYBOOKERS | | Kamala Harris made a pit stop at Sheetz. No word on whether she’ll hit a Wawa to even things up. Barbara Comstock is ready to vote for Kamala Harris. Bill de Blasio and Max Tani had something of a trading places moment. Mike Lindell says he’s ditching the flavor-saver to infiltrate the DNC. Eric Adams, call your office. PLAYBOOK METRO SECTION — “FBI arrests D.C. Council member Trayon White,” by Emily Davies, Perry Stein, Meagan Flynn, Karina Elwood and Keith Alexander: “The circumstances of the arrest, which occurred Sunday, and the nature of the allegations against White were not immediately clear.” SPOTTED: Rudy Giuliani getting accosted at baggage claim at O’Hare yesterday. … Common on a flight from D.C. to Chicago yesterday. FIRST IN PLAYBOOK — Swing Left is announcing two 2024 cycle hires: Tomás Kloosterman is joining as national political director. He previously was senior adviser at the State Department Office of Global Partnerships and is an SBA and Latino Victory Project alum. Adin Lenchner will serve as head of program and strategy. He previously was a strategic consultant and is an Obama reelect and NextGen America alum. — Andrew Mills is joining the American Conservation Coalition Action to lead political and government affairs efforts. He is president of Lone Tree Strategies and was previously the executive director at the Audubon Action Fund. TRANSITIONS — Rebecca Brubaker is joining the Harris-Walz campaign as battleground digital director in North Carolina. She previously was associate director of partnerships at the Center for American Progress. … Nicolás Ballón is now comms director for Rep. Barbara Lee (D-Calif.). He previously was press secretary for Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.). … Andrew Patterson is launching Wide Shot Events. He previously was director of advance for Nikki Haley’s presidential campaign and is a Trump administration and Mehmet Oz Senate campaign alum. … … Chile Emenuga is joining the House Budget GOP as press secretary. He previously was press secretary for House Intelligence Chair Mike Turner (R-Ohio), and is a Rick Allen and Fred Keller alum. … Mason Devers is now comms director for Rep. Lisa McClain (R-Mich.). He is a Tennessee Department of Disability and Aging, Will Hurd (R-Texas) and a Targeted Victory alum. WELCOME TO THE WORLD — Courtney Houston-Carter, executive director for federal government affairs at JPMorgan Chase, and Rachael Houston-Carter, people policy lead for federal government affairs at Accenture, welcomed William Ford Houston-Carter last Monday. Pic … Another pic HAPPY BIRTHDAY: Former President Bill Clinton (78) … NYT’s Joe Kahn … Rep. James Comer (R-Ky.) … Sen. Pete Ricketts (R-Neb.) (6-0)… Molly Jong-Fast … Mary Matalin … former Rep. Will Hurd (R-Texas) … Farhad Manjoo … Julius Genachowski of the Carlyle Group … WSJ’s Brody Mullins and Madeline Marshall … Daily Mail’s Emily Goodin … McKinsey’s Neil Grace … Neil Patel … Adam Tomlinson … Pat Jones of the International Bridge, Tunnel and Turnpike Association … CNN’s Paula Reid … Steve Sothmann … Andrew Vlasaty ... Maria Reynolds of Sen. Ted Cruz’s (R-Texas) office … Christian McMullen … Adam Conner of the Center for American Progress … Alan Pyke … Shannon Campagna … Meta’s Eva Guidarini … Kevin Minoli … Rob Damschen of Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s office … Ralph Alswang … Tipper Gore … former Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder … Carol Blymire … BGR Group’s Steve Pfrang 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.
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