| | | | |  | | By Rachael Bade, Eugene Daniels and Ryan Lizza | | Presented by |  | | | With help from Eli Okun, Garrett Ross and Bethany Irvine
| | | |  | DRIVING THE DAY | | | FIRST IN PLAYBOOK — A new round of surveys from GOP pollster Public Opinion Strategies, conducted for the Competitiveness Coalition, finds a tight presidential race in five battleground states:
- Pennsylvania: KAMALA HARRIS at 48%, DONALD TRUMP at 45%
- Wisconsin: Harris 48%, Trump 46%
- Arizona: Trump 48%, Harris 43%
- Nevada: Trump 46%, Harris 45%
- Michigan: Harris 45%, Trump 45%
Some caveats: In this sample, 47% of undecided voters lean Republican, compared to 19% who say they are Democrats. Each state had a sample size of 400 likely voters. The margin of error is ±2.19%. The full results
|  VP Kamala Harris’ vetting team has privately met with both Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro and Arizona Sen. Mark Kelly. | Getty Images | VEEPSTAKES TIDBIT — We are just days away from VP Harris announcing her running mate — a pick that will signal not just who she wants to stand beside onstage as we blitz into November, but what kind of presidency she wants to have. Harris campaign aides have said she wants a “governing partner” — as we’ve reported — who can hit the ground running on day one and has some … executive experience. This morning, we can report that Harris’ vetting team has privately met with both Pennsylvania Gov. JOSH SHAPIRO and Arizona Sen. MARK KELLY, multiple sources tell Eugene and our colleague Holly Otterbein. (Bloomberg also reported the meeting with Shapiro.) We’ve been warned from reading too much into this, and that the fact that those two have moved forward in the process does not necessarily mean they’ve advanced ahead of others. But time is running out, and we’re also told that Harris herself intends to sit down with the finalists on her short list as she makes her decision — with just five days until she’s scheduled to campaign with her pick. TRUMP’S MIXED-RACE-BAITING — If Trump wanted to steal the spotlight away from Harris this week, well, he succeeded in doing that. Just not in a politically advantageous way. During an interview at the National Association of Black Journalists conference in Chicago, Trump said he would pardon the Jan. 6 rioters who assaulted police officers. He dodged a question about whether he thought his running mate, Sen. JD VANCE (R-Ohio), would be ready to assume the presidency if necessary. And — most egregious of all — suggested that Harris isn’t really Black. “I didn’t know she was Black until a number of years ago, when she happened to turn Black, and now, she wants to be known as Black,” Trump said of the VP, who is unquestionably of both Black and South Asian descent. “So, I don't know — is she Indian or is she Black?"
|  During an interview at the NABJ conference in Chicago, Donald Trump doubled down on baselessly questioning VP Kamala Harris’ biracial background. | Jamie Kelter Davis for POLITICO | While our heads were still spinning from that session, Trump doubled and even tripled down on baselessly questioning Harris’ biracial background.
- Taking to Truth Social, he wrote that “Crazy Kamala is saying she’s Indian, not Black. This is a big deal. Stone cold phony.”
- And at his Harrisburg, Pa., rally last night, a Business Insider headline from 2016 was projected above the stage: “California’s Kamala Harris becomes first Indian-American US senator.” (Well, duh. As Semafor’s Dave Weigel noted, “news outlets don’t do ‘historic second’ stories, they do ‘historic first’ stories, so you can find heds and ledes that ignore her black heritage.”)
The one-two punch signaled very quickly that Trump’s NABJ comments weren’t a onetime off-the-cuff screed, but an intentional line of attack that Trump thought out in advance and plans to use on the trail. Trump world’s thinking is they can paint Harris as a “phony” who flip-flops or says whatever is politically advantageous in a given moment. (It’s also just the latest iteration of his long history of trying to smear his critics and opponents as grifters and panderers.) Indeed, you saw some semblance of this plan in Vance’s remarks last night, when he attacked Harris for having a “chameleon-like nature” and accused the VP of trying to adopt a southern accent during her Georgia rally when she spent part of her childhood in Canada. “She is not who she pretends to be," Vance told reporters at his rally in Phoenix. "She’ll say one thing to one audience, another thing to another audience. … She's flip-flopped on every issue. She's fake, she's phony.” But Vance’s execution of this strategy is far different from what Trump did. Just ask Hill Republicans, who are privately freaking out over Trump’s latest broadsides. We spent last night working the phones calling Republicans to find out what the hell happened to attacking Harris as the “border czar” who wants to end private health insurance, decriminalize border crossing and the like. And we can tell you this morning that virtually every Republican we spoke with was flat-out distraught by what they perceive as a self-inflicted wound not only for Trump, but for Republicans down the ballot. We’re not just talking about moderate Republicans like former Maryland Gov.-turned-Senate hopeful LARRY HOGAN — who blasted Trump’s statement as “unacceptable and abhorrent” — or Alaska Sen. LISA MURKOWSKI, who called the comments “very unfortunate.” Just take a look at some of the on the record remarks from the Hill yesterday, courtesy of HuffPo’s Igor Bobic and Axios’ Andrew Solender, Stef W. Kight, and Juliegrace Brufke:
- NRSC Chairman STEVE DAINES (R-Mont.): "I think the better approach is to focus on their policies of Kamala Harris ... that's what I've been talking about.”
- Sen. TOMMY TUBERVILLE (R-Ala.): “I ain't getting involved in that. Let him talk about what he wants to talk about. I’m talking about how bad our country is in shape right now because of her.”
- Sen. JOSH HAWLEY (R-Mo.): “It’s not a great idea for either of the parties to be playing racial identity politics, whether it's ‘white dudes for Kamala’ or whatever this is. … We should spend less time talking about race and more time talking about how we're going to get people to work.”
And that’s just what they’re saying in public. The GOP backlash suggests that Trump appears to have botched the “reset” that Republicans were hoping he’d implement this week, as our colleagues Natalie Allison and Alex Isenstadt write this morning. Indeed, the entire line of attack reeks of a desperation that Trump world has been doing a pretty damn good job hiding during Harris’ honeymoon these past few weeks. And yet there are signs that GOP confidence in Trump is now slipping. The Trump camp is launching new ads today in North Carolina, a state that has only once voted for a Democratic presidential candidate once in the past 40 years. Republicans are hoping to refocus Trump in the coming days. But they also know that’s not an easy task. On some level, this is who Trump is: He’s always had a penchant for prioritizing schoolyard taunts and divisive rhetoric over substantial policy talk. As longtime MITCH McCONNELL advisor SCOTT JENNINGS put it succinctly on CNN last night: “Trump did crap the bed today. The only question is if he’s going to roll around in it or change the sheets.” Good Thursday morning. Thanks for reading Playbook. We can’t believe it’s already August. Drop us a line: Rachael Bade, Eugene Daniels, Ryan Lizza.
| | | | A message from Wells Fargo: Wells Fargo seeks broad impact in our communities. As a company, we are focused on building a sustainable, inclusive future for all by supporting housing affordability, small business growth and financial health. We have donated nearly $2 billion to strengthen local communities over the last five years. What we say, we do. See how. | | | JUST VANCE — Trump has no plans to get rid of Vance on his ticket, The Bulwark’s Marc Caputo reports. But a dozen sources tell him that they think KELLYANNE CONWAY is behind damaging comments/leaks to the press about Vance, which Conway denies as rumors from “gossip girls” and “ankle biters.” KICKING OFF TODAY — “Don’t expect a balloon drop quite yet. How the virtual roll call to nominate Kamala Harris will work,” by AP’s Robert Yoon
| | | | A message from Wells Fargo:   We seek broad impact in our communities. What we say, we do. See how. | | | | | WHAT'S HAPPENING TODAY | | On the Hill The Senate is in. It will hold a cloture vote on the motion to proceed to the bipartisan tax bill. The Appropriations Committee will meet at 9:30 a.m. to mark up the Energy-Water, Defense, Labor-HHS-Education, Homeland Security and Financial Services bills. The House is out. 3 things to watch …
- The outcome of the Senate test vote later today on the House-passed bipartisan tax bill is not in doubt. Even some Republicans who were once sympathetic to the deal that could extend both the Child Tax Credit and several corporate incentives say they have now turned away. Sen. MIKE ROUNDS (R-S.D.), for instance, told Benjamin Guggenheim this week that “with everything going on during an election year, I think that time of that possibly moving forward has passed.” But watch for some scrambled party lines, nonetheless. More from WSJ
- Senate appropriators are set to mark up four fiscal 2025 spending bills this morning, but a fifth — the ever-thorny Homeland Security bill — has been dropped from consideration for now. Part of that, Caitlin Emma reports, is due to the usual immigration-related headaches. Another piece, however, is new scrutiny on the Secret Service budget following the July 13 Trump assassination attempt. The leaders of the subcommittee drafting the bill, Sens. CHRIS MURPHY (D-Conn.) and KATIE BRITT (R-Ala.), asked the agency yesterday if it needs more money to meet its mission in light of growing threats.
- The bipartisan permitting deal brokered by Sens. JOE MANCHIN (I-W.Va.) and JOHN BARRASSO (R-Wyo.) emerged from the Energy and Natural Resources Committee yesterday on a 15-4 vote. What remains to be seen is whether it emerges onto the Senate floor before this Congress wraps, though it’s already being seen as a prime candidate for action in a lame-duck session. The biggest obstacle, Joshua Siegel writes for Pros, could be green-friendly Democrats unhappy with some provisions benefiting fossil fuel projects.
At the White House Biden will receive the President’s Daily Brief in the morning. Harris will eulogize the late Rep. SHEILA JACKSON LEE (D-Texas) in Houston at 2:20 p.m. Eastern, before returning to Washington.
| | | | SUBSCRIBE TO GLOBAL PLAYBOOK: Don’t miss out on POLITICO’s Global Playbook, our newsletter taking you inside pivotal discussions at the most influential gatherings in the world. Suzanne Lynch delivers the world's elite and influential moments directly to you. Stay in the global loop. SUBSCRIBE NOW. | | | | | | | PLAYBOOK READS | | | |  Khalid Sheikh Mohammed and two other accomplices accused of plotting the 9/11 terrorist attacks have decided to plead guilty and avoid the death penalty. | AP Photo | AMERICA AND THE WORLD 23 YEARS LATER — In a major deal, KHALID SHEIKH MOHAMMED and two other accomplices accused of plotting the 9/11 terrorist attacks have decided to plead guilty and avoid the death penalty, NYT’s Carol Rosenberg reports from Guantánamo Bay, Cuba. The plea deals for Mohammed, WALID BIN ATTASH and MUSTAFA AL-HAWSAWI, which a top Pentagon official signed off on yesterday, will condemn them to life in prison instead. It’s a momentous close to more than two decades of legal limbo for the mastermind of Sept. 11, responsible for nearly 3,000 murders. If not for the plea deals, trials could have lasted for more than a year — and the defendants would have raised serious questions about the permissibility of evidence after their torture in CIA prisons. Prosecutors said they hoped victims’ families could have some closure and justice from their admissions of guilt and lifelong punishment instead. A restorative justice process will also ensue in which the defendants will answer questions from the family members. The reaction was mixed: Some family members were grateful that the cases will in fact be resolved, while others wanted to push for capital punishment. Speaker MIKE JOHNSON slammed the Biden administration for having “done the unthinkable.” More top reads:
- Middle East fears: The assassinations of top Hezbollah and Hamas leaders in short succession could be a setback for U.S. efforts to achieve peace in the Middle East, as fears abound of an even larger war, NYT’s Peter Baker writes. Nonetheless, the U.S. is doubling down on trying to land a cease-fire/hostage release deal between Israel and Hamas, Nahal Toosi, Erin Banco, Jonathan Lemire and Joe Gould report — and they “don’t appear to have a serious plan B.”
- Ukraine latest: The West’s long-anticipated F-16 fighter jets have finally started arriving in Ukraine, AP’s Tara Copp reports.
2024 WATCH BIG MONEY — Everytown for Gun Safety is planning to pump $45 million into ads and organizing efforts to bolster Harris and Democratic candidates in Arizona, California, Michigan, Minnesota, North Carolina, New York, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin, WaPo’s Michael Scherer reports. HARRIS ON THE ISSUES — In the latest instance of Harris retreating from a progressive policy position she staked out in the 2020 race, her campaign told the Washington Examiner’s Zachary Halaschak that she’s not on board anymore with the idea of a federal jobs guarantee. And in one of her first big decisions, Harris is running hard on immigration and the border, with plans to keep going on offense to try to turn the tables against Trump, Myah Ward reports. As for foreign policy, we still don’t have many clues: “Harris has kept her views closely held during Situation Room meetings and policy debates,” NBC’s Courtney Kube, Dan De Luce, Andrea Mitchell, Abigail Williams and Carol Lee report in a deep dive on her time as VP. TRUMP ON THE ISSUES — “Trump pitches repealing tax on Social Security benefits,” by Roll Call’s Caitlin Reilly: “The policy has some supporters on both sides of the aisle in Congress, but so far legislative proposals have failed to pick up momentum.” … “Trump win would spark constitutional fight over spending power,” by Roll Call’s Paul Krawzak: “Trump hasn’t been shy about his affinity for ‘impoundments.’” HOLLYWOODLAND — A Harris dance-party fundraiser today in West Hollywood will include DARREN CRISS, JESSE TYLER FERGUSON, ASHLEY PARK, JINKX MONSOON, COLTON UNDERWOOD and BETTY WHO, per Variety’s Marc Malkin. POLICY CORNER
|  Fed Chair Jerome Powell made sure to emphasize the central bank’s independence while speaking yesterday, saying their decisions are made irrespective of politics. | Francis Chung/POLITICO | FED UP — The Fed edged closer to an interest rate cut in September following its meeting this week, where the central bankers kept the rates steady (as they have for a year now). Chair JEROME POWELL said if the data shows “rising confidence on inflation and maintaining a solid labor market,” finally easing up on rates after years of belt-tightening “could be on the table.” That reflects the Fed feeling more confident that it can steer the economy to a soft landing — and that the risks of cooling down the labor market too much may now outweigh the risks of prodding inflation back up. More from Bloomberg Powell also made sure to emphasize the central bank’s independence, saying their decisions are made irrespective of politics, per Reuters’ Michael Derby. It’s an especially crucial message as the bank prepares to make a big policy move less than two months before the presidential election — amid recent criticism from Trump. CLEARING THE BARR — A new IG report from the Justice Department determined that then-AG BILL BARR did not personally demand that authorities remove racial justice protesters from Lafayette Square in June 2020, per WaPo’s Perry Stein. That contradicts what DOJ said at the time. The probe also criticized Barr’s performance as “chaotic and disorganized.”
| | | | A message from Wells Fargo:   What we say, we do. See how. | | | MEDIAWATCH WILL LEWIS LATEST — “U.K. police open criminal investigation into Washington Post publisher,” by NPR’s David Folkenflik in London: “Scotland Yard has opened a criminal inquiry into whether Washington Post publisher and chief executive Will Lewis obstructed justice 13 years ago.” The GORDON BROWN Guardian op-ed announcing the news GOING DOWN, PART I — “ABC News, ‘GMA’ staffers brace for layoffs as Disney demands budget slashes: sources,” by the N.Y. Post’s Alexandra Steigrad: “It’s the behind-the-scenes staffers like bookers and producers who will likely get the shaft.” GOING DOWN, PART II — “CNN shuts down opinion section,” by The Hill’s Hanna Trudo MORE POLITICS AND THE WINNER IS — In Arizona, the 8th Congressional District GOP primary was officially called for ABE HAMADEH, who beat BLAKE MASTERS and BEN TOMA. More from the Arizona Republic FIRST IN PLAYBOOK — Senate Minority Leader MITCH McCONNELL will join ERICK ERICKSON for a conversation at The Gathering 2024 in Atlanta on Aug. 9. CONGRESS
|  Rep. Andy Ogles (R-Tenn.) is among the top contenders to lead the House Freedom Caucus. | Francis Chung/POLITICO | FIND THE COST OF FREEDOM — As Rep. BOB GOOD (R-Va.) looks likely to be ousted from Congress, the House Freedom Caucus he leads is grappling with internal schisms as a new leadership contest looms, Olivia Beavers and Jordain Carney report this morning. Disputes have arisen over specific tactics and personal rifts, but most broadly the caucus is split between conservatives with Tea Party roots and populists more focused on Trump. The recount in Good’s narrow primary loss happens today; if the result is confirmed, the caucus will likely take up the question of a new chair when the House returns in September. Reps. ANDY OGLES (R-Tenn.), CHIP ROY (R-Texas) and ANDY HARRIS (R-Md.) are among the top contenders to lead the Freedom Caucus (though Ogles has a primary of his own today). There’s also the possibility that a former chair could step in as a temporary chair until next year. The group’s fiscal strategy, campaign fundraising and relationship with Trump will all be big question marks, though some in the caucus hope that a second Trump term could heal the fissures. NOT SO FAST — Senate Majority Leader CHUCK SCHUMER, Senate Judiciary Chair DICK DURBIN (D-Ill.) and other Senate Dems aren’t yet jumping on board with Biden’s proposed Supreme Court reforms, even as they express concerns with the court, Ursula Perano, Josh Gerstein and Adam Cancryn report. TRUMP CARDS OFF THE DEEP END — “Some Republicans Embrace Conspiracy Theories on Trump Assassination Attempt,” by NYT’s Annie Karni JUDICIARY SQUARE A NOUN, A VERB AND CHAPTER 11 — “Rudy Giuliani agrees to deal to end his bankruptcy case, pay creditors’ financial adviser $400k,” by AP’s Dave Collins: “[He’s] avoiding a potential deep-dive into the former New York City mayor’s finances that was threatened by a federal judge.”
| | | | DID YOU MISS IT? On Tuesday, POLITICO and McKinsey convened three conversations in D.C. with policymakers and space experts, including NASA Administrator Bill Nelson. The discussions also featured a panel of experts, an interview with Sens. John Hickenlooper (D-CO) and Jerry Moran (R-KS) and an executive conversation with McKinsey's Ryan Brukardt.
The conversations focused on the next great innovation frontier – the space industry, including deeper discussion around which sectors of the global economy see their growth arc in space and what the role of government leaders is in expanding and regulating the growing number of orbital ideas. CATCH UP AND WATCH HIGHLIGHTS HERE | | | | | | | PLAYBOOKERS | | Bob Menendez charged his campaign account for a hotel stay during his trial. Ella Emhoff’s Secret Service detail’s cars were damaged, leading to a police detention. Donald Trump might need a refresher on David McCormick’s campaign. Tom Cole is still leading the charge for smoking in the Capitol. Raphael Warnock has a substitute for “say cheese” when snapping photos of Mark Kelly. Elissa Slotkin, scion of Ball Park Franks’ founding family, weighed in on TikTok hot dog recipes. OUT AND ABOUT — Supporters of the Kids Online Safety Act had an impromptu gathering to celebrate its Senate passage at Cafe Berlin, where Sens. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) and Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) addressed advocates. SPOTTED: Sen. Laphonza Butler (D-Calif.), Didier Barjon, Harleen Gambhir, Collin Anderson, Jamie Susskind, Sarah Miller, Janet Kelly, Kathryn Zimmerman, Allison Ivie, Sacha Haworth, Josh Golin, Danny Weiss and Jamie Neikrie. FIRST IN PLAYBOOK — Bullpen Strategy Group is adding Carolyn Needham as SVP for research and analysis, Ben Vihstadt as VP for comms, Madeleine Lefranc and Sydney Maingot as comms associates, and Cameron Helms as a media intelligence associate. Needham previously was research director for Nikki Haley’s presidential campaign. Vihstadt previously was senior comms adviser for New Hampshire Gov. Chris Sununu. NEW NOMINEES — The White House announced several new nominations from Biden, including Lisa Re as IG at the Commerce Department, Kristi Scott as IG at the NSA and Angela Kerwin as ambassador to Brunei. WHITE HOUSE DEPARTURE LOUNGE — Yash Mori is starting a new consulting firm, Mori Strategies. He previously has been deputy director of the White House Photo Office. TRANSITIONS — Spencer Brown is rejoining Young America’s Foundation as chief comms officer. He previously was managing editor at Townhall.com. … The Federation of American Hospitals is adding Hannah Hurley as VP of comms and Geoff Werth as VP of government relations. Hurley most recently was deputy chief of staff for comms for Sen. Kyrsten Sinema (I-Ariz.). Werth most recently was a principal at k10 Government Relations. WEEKEND WEDDING — Keeley Franklin, a director at Edelman, and Ian Bryson, a manager of medical sales training at Kerecis, got married Saturday at the Meridian House. They met while they were at respective bachelor and bachelorette parties in New Orleans. Pic … Another pic HAPPY BIRTHDAY: Rep. Josh Harder (D-Calif.) … Howard Kurtz … Ed Gillespie of AT&T … Mikayla DeMasi … POLITICO’s Chris Buddie, Lara Korte, Jackie Ramsay and Hannah Northey … CSIS’ Andrew Schwartz … CEI’s Travis Burk … Clare Foran … Josie McSpadden of the Gates Foundation … Karen Marangi … Drew Littman of Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck … Roy Loewenstein … U.S. Ambassador to South Korea Philip Goldberg … Sheila Katz … Dana Zureikat Daoud of the Jordanian Embassy … Ogilvy’s Jordan Lubowitz … Benji Englander … Macaulay Porter of Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s office … Christina Gungoll Lepore of Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt’s D.C. office … Scott Evertz … Hayden Center’s Larry Pfeiffer … former Reps. Rick Boucher (D-Va.), Sue Myrick (R-N.C.), Van Taylor (R-Texas) and Madison Cawthorn (R-N.C.) … former Sen. Al D’Amato (R-N.Y.) … Dan Shapiro … Graeme Trayner of FGS Global … Martin Hamburger … Cappy McGarr … BGR Group’s Ansley Haulbrook … American Conservation Coalition’s Amy Mastrine … California state Sen. Toni Atkins … Angela Coats of The Morning Group 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. Corrections: Yesterday’s Playbook misstated which candidate was on the receiving end of racially tinged attacks in a Republican primary in Arizona. It was Abe Hamadeh. It also misstated Sen. Thom Tillis’ (R-N.C.) title and misspelled Sen. Michael Bennet’s (D-Colo.) name.
| | | | A message from Wells Fargo: Wells Fargo seeks broad impact in our communities. As a company, we are focused on building a sustainable, inclusive future for all by supporting housing affordability, small business growth and financial health.
In 2023, examples of our work include:
- Donated approximately $300 million to over 3,000 nonprofits in support of housing, small business, financial health, sustainability, and other community needs.
- Opened HOPE Inside centers in 15 markets supporting 57 retail branches to help empower community members to achieve their financial goals through financial education and free one-on-one coaching.
- Launched $10,000 Homebuyer Access℠ grants that will be applied toward the down payment for eligible homebuyers who currently live in or are purchasing homes in certain underserved communities.
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