| | | | |  | | By Jennifer Haberkorn, Eli Stokols, Lauren Egan and Ben Johansen | | Presented by |  | | | Welcome to POLITICO’s West Wing Playbook, your guide to the people and power centers in the Biden administration and Harris campaign. Send tips | Subscribe here | Email Eli | Email Lauren Presidents have long been associated with their (rather pedestrian) food interests: BILL CLINTON famously jogged to McDonald's. GEORGE H. W. BUSH expressed his disdain for broccoli. RONALD REAGAN had a penchant for jelly beans. For DONALD TRUMP, nothing hit like an overcooked steak slathered with ketchup. And much ink has been spilled here over JOE BIDEN’s love of ice cream. If elected, KAMALA HARRIS might be known for flavor: herbs, salt and pepper — even bacon as a spice. And, beyond that, for embracing her love of preparing food, not just consuming it, in a way that sets her apart from every modern president. (It’s been a while since DWIGHT EISENHOWER worked the White House grill.) The vice president has long leaned into her love of cooking as a public relations tactic, recording cooking videos with actress MINDY KALING during her 2020 run, teaching Sen. MARK WARNER (D-Va.) how to actually make a tuna melt and posting a Thanksgiving recipe during the pandemic. She and Second Gentleman DOUG EMHOFF have tried to keep up their tradition of Sunday family dinners since taking office. And Harris’s culinary obsession has flavored her travel itinerary at times: She picked up some expensive pots at E. Dehillerin on a trip to Paris and chose a Pittsburgh spice shop for a drop-in last weekend in between debate prep sessions. Since becoming the Democratic presidential nominee, Harris has hardly mentioned the history she could make as the first woman to hold the nation’s highest office. And in all of her unabashed public joy about cooking, Harris has quietly flipped on its head the idea that a commander in chief can’t also enjoy what has traditionally been a role filled by women, at least at home — that there is nothing anomalous about ambitious working women being equally at home in the halls of power and in the kitchen flawlessly cracking eggs with one hand. Gender politics aside, West Wing Playbook is committed to covering the hottest culinary trends in presidential politics. And so we couldn’t pass up the opportunity to dig into the important questions: What kind of cook might be inhabiting 1600 Pennsylvania next year? We cooked up three of Harris’s publicly known recipes and here’s what we found: Lots of flavor. Salt, pepper, garlic, tons of herbs. Her cooking is heavy on onions. She can put the hurt on a vegetable. Anyone surprised by her debate performance might not have known that Harris has legit knife skills, as documented in several kitchen videos. Maybe she uses so much onion because she’s so good at chopping them. The veep has a casual nature in the kitchen. In fact, calling these “recipes” might be a bit of an exaggeration because they don’t list all the details needed to fully recreate them. There is no future at Bon Appetit if she doesn’t take the White House. As we followed her recipes, we wondered: How much salt and pepper? What kind of baking vessel does the cornbread stuffing go in? How much nutmeg? Bourbon? (To be fair, the Bacon and Apples video wasn’t sold as a recipe. But it looked delicious enough to try to recreate.) SUZANNE GOIN, a four-time James Beard award winning chef who recreated Harris’ roast chicken for a recent Harris fundraiser, deemed her a “really good home cook.” “She loves to season, she loves flavoring, she loves bold flavors, and she's not afraid of salt. So those are all, to me, signs of a really good home cook,” Goin told us after watching Harris’ kitchen prep. “She takes it very seriously, and she's passionate about it and I love that …She seems like not so much a recipe cook. She seems like somebody who is cooking from the heart and with instinct.” Tuna Melt: The spritz of lemon and bit of parsley adds freshness to a sandwich that, let’s be real, comes from a can. But the red onion overpowers the tuna. Although, reading between the lines, she doesn’t seem to love the red onion either. She adds them to Doug’s sandwich and says you can add it to your own “if you like red onion.” In this video, infamously cut during the early days of the pandemic in response to Warner’s murder of a tuna melt in a microwave, the Virginia Democrat chides Harris as being “definitely Northern California” for adding Grey Poupon mustard to her sandwich. He’s right. Harris’s tuna preparation is a more elevated, flavorful version of the mayo-and-tuna a lot of people grew up with. Bacon-Fried Apples: Perhaps the most controversial of her repertoire. “Bacon is a spice!” is thrown around in this video without any explanation. There also doesn’t appear to be an exact recipe. When Harris’s video partner — an Iowa campaign worker — asks how much nutmeg to add, Harris is coy. The addition of bourbon seems almost unplanned. But, the combination of bacon and apples leaves little room for error – or judgment. If you like both main ingredients (as we do), you’ll like this recipe. Splurge on the good bacon. Fry some up in a cast-iron skillet, add sliced apples, caramelize with bourbon and a little nutmeg. Harris uses this as a topping for pancakes. Cornbread Dressing: Harris released this as a whole recipe during the first pandemic Thanksgiving, underscoring how family meals can bring people together even when they’re not physically together. Relying on boxed cornbread reduced the stress but didn’t hurt the flavor. This one seems to rely on the flavor of the sausage – don’t skimp on the good stuff. But we had to string together some of the details ourselves: How much salt and pepper and what kind of baking dish? Our cooking time was way shorter, but that’s likely because we used a larger baking pan than she did. Thankfully, we added some extra butter to the pan or it would have been a nightmare to clean. Ours came out a bit dry but the crisp of the cornbread and the flavor of the sausage and veggies makes this a recipe worth attempting again. And yes, it felt weird to make cornbread dressing in September. But November will be here before we know it. MESSAGE US — Are you CRISTETA COMERFORD? Enjoying retirement? Well, too bad. 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 Kenvue: Summer may be ending, but sunscreen is an important part of self care year-round. If there’s daylight, there’s UV exposure, which can lead to sun damage and even skin cancer. In fact, 9,500 people in the U.S. are diagnosed with skin cancer every day, making it the most common cancer in America. One simple way to protect yourself is by applying sunscreen every day. Learn more about how you can protect yourself at Kenvue.com/sun | | | | | Who was the first White House executive chef? (Answer at bottom.)
| | |  Former President Donald Trump walks away during a commercial break as Vice President Kamala Harris takes notes during a presidential debate at the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia, on Sept. 10, 2024. | Saul Loeb/AFP via Getty Images | | | | | HOW DO YOU DO, FELLOW KIDS? The Harris campaign’s blistering first two months has been thanks in no small part due to a group of 25 year olds churning out TikToks in the Wilmington HQ, as WaPo’s DREW HARWELL writes. With a free leash to produce whatever content they feel could go viral, the campaign’s TikTok team — all 25 and under, some working their first jobs — has amassed over 4 million followers and gotten 100 million more views than Trump on the app. “This campaign empowers young people to speak to young people,” said PARKER BUTLER, the 24-year-old director of Harris’ digital rapid response content, a team that watches all of Trump’s speeches and can blast a clip onto social media at a moment’s notice. “And we’re here to put in the work.” Deputy campaign manager ROB FLAHERTY described the group as a pack of “feral 25-year-olds.” The then-Biden campaign developed the strategy last year, worried voters had forgotten about Trump. THE BRITISH ARE COMING! Okay, they came already — last week, in fact, to advise Harris’ campaign. In an interview with our ALEXANDER BURNS for Politico Magazine, British Prime Minister KEIR STARMER’s top political advisers talked about what they told top Harris aides about how Labour was able to regain a majority by winning back blue collar voters who’d soured on the party over economic issues. DEBORAH MATTINSON, Starmer’s former top strategist, spoke of the “eerie similarity” between what voters say in focus groups on both sides of the pond. “People talked about being the squeezed middle — they were the middle class who were struggling,” she said. Harris’ economic agenda, she continued, is exactly what these voters want to hear, but she suggested the campaign be even more disciplined about focusing on it. “They need to be packaged up in a way that means that they definitely land. Because at the moment, people, I think, won’t know about them. They’re only going to get to know about them by hearing it on repeat.” YOU GET A ZOOM CALL! AND YOU GET A ZOOM CALL! Vice President Harris will join OPRAH WINFREY for a live streaming event on Thursday, which will feature representatives from dozens of groups that have organized over Zoom since the Harris campaign launched in July.
| | STARMIN’ THE CASTLE: First, Starmer put LARRY THE CAT on notice at 10 Downing by introducing a new kitten to the household. Now, the British prime minister is making someone else a tad uncomfortable, reportedly pushing Biden in an Oval Office meeting on Friday afternoon to figure out a way to approve Ukraine’s use of western-made missiles further inside of Russia. “I think the next few weeks and months could be crucial,” Starmer said of the war in Ukraine at the outset of the meeting. The president, who has been a little skittish about moves VLADIMIR PUTIN might see as escalatory, since the war began, is likely to sign off on the agreement eventually, eager to put Ukraine on the strongest possible footing before he leaves office. Putin, who said earlier this week that such a move would mean Europe and the U.S. are “at war” with Russia, on Friday expelled six British diplomats, ostensibly over allegations of spying, NYT’s IVAN NECHEPURENKO reports. Asked about Putin’s threats, Biden was nonchalant: “I don’t think much about Vladimir Putin.” BIDEN WEIGHS IN ON SPRINGFIELD: Speaking on the South Lawn to around 1,000 attendees at the first White House lunch celebrating Black excellence, Biden took a minute to comment on Trump’s continued amplifications of a debunked conspiracy theory about Haitian immigrants eating people’s pets in Springfield, Ohio — a lie that, for a second straight day, has sparked bomb threats and evacuations and continues to threaten public safety. Biden praised press secretary KARINE JEAN-PIERRE, who decried the pet-eating canard as “hate speech” and “racist poison” during Thursday’s briefing. “So many Americans like Karine, as she pointed out a proud Haitian-American, a community that’s under attack in our country right now — it’s simply wrong,” Biden said. “There’s no place in America. This has to stop. What he’s doing. It has to stop.” YOU’RE WELCOME, NYT: If any readers doubted that this newsletter gets results, consider: We wrote on Wednesday about NYT DC bureau chief ELISABETH BUMILLER’s summer long crusade to get the property manager of the paper’s DC building to fix the HVAC unit. And we called out Brookfield’s regional director of operations COLLEEN DALBY by name. On Friday, the bureau’s property manager, TARA ANGLIN, emailed staffers that the 7th floor AC is up and running after the installation of a new compressor. “Additionally, property management is moving forward with ordering a new unit for the 7th floor with a lead time of approximately 12 weeks.” We’re not going to say this is all because of our push, and not the indefatigable Bumiller and Anglin. We’re just going to say, you’re welcome. And if anyone else out there needs help, our team of troubleshooters are here for you. THE WILMY CONNOISSEUR: Friend of the newsletter DIRK DURSTEIN, former Delaware deputy attorney general and Wilmington savant, has some thoughts on how the president should entertain the Quad leaders. In an email to West Wing Playbook, Durstein suggested the Winterthur Museum and Hagley Museum as must-sees for the three leaders and their entourages. Seconding the Charcoal Pit rec, he also agreed with KEN THOMAS that Big Fish would be ideal for the Aussies. WHAT THE WHITE HOUSE WANTS YOU TO READ: This piece by Washington Blade’s CHRISTOPHER KANE, who gives a preview of an interview the LGBTQ+ magazine had with the president on Thursday. After winning her Democratic congressional primary this week, Delaware state Sen. SARAH McBRIDE — who is set to become the first transgender member of Congress — received a phone call from the president congratulating her. “I called her and I said, ‘Sarah,’ I said, ‘Beau’s looking down from heaven, congratulating you,'” Biden said, referring to his late son, whose campaigns McBride had worked on in 2006 and 2010. Biden said that McBride was overcome with emotion — “she started to fill up” — as she responded that the “‘only reason I’m here is because of Beau. He had confidence in me.’” Communications director BEN LaBOLT shared the post on X. WHAT THE WHITE HOUSE DOESN’T WANT YOU TO READ: This piece by AP’s JOSH BOAK and DIDI TANG, who write that President Biden’s announcement Friday on new tariffs for Chinese products (more on that below) could mean higher prices for U.S. consumers who flock to shopping websites like Temu and Shein. Biden’s proposed rule says foreign companies can’t avoid tariffs simply by shipping goods that they claim to be worth $800 or less. Sellers mainly from China have used the so-called de minimis exemption to flood the U.S. market, shipping dresses, shoes, toys and bags directly to American shoppers in small packages. Annual shipments have jumped from 140 million to over 1 billion last year, according to the White House. The U.S. says the exemption would make it harder to block banned imports like fentanyl and synthetic drug content.
| | | | A message from Kenvue:   | | | | | SO MANY QUESTIONS: If there’s one song every American can say they have drunkenly passionately sang at their college bar or maybe at a WHITE FORD BRONCO concert for you Washingtonians, it’s THE KILLERS’ “Mr. Brightside.” Eli, rumor has it, gave a stellar performance a couple weeks ago at a friend’s wedding. But this unexpected cover of the hit from NBC’s SAHIL KAPUR at D.C.’s The Anthem (for the RTCA Annual Dinner nonetheless) had us watching with one eye closed, turning away, then watching it again — and, obviously, discussing on Slack. Ben, maybe a bit clouded by his soft spot for Sahil’s guts, said it was “pretty good.” Had a rough spot around the :18 mark but made a solid recovery. Eli, Lauren and our MYAH WARD were more ambivalent. “I give him credit for the effort,” Eli slacked. “But I’m confused,” said Lauren, who suffers from second hand embarrassment, adding “why did he do this .... at the RTCA dinner…??” Myah gave him his flowers, but also asked ... why?? We’ll let you, the readers, rate the performance. And if anyone is sitting on some videos of other D.C. journos performing, maybe, some BON JOVI’s “Livin’ on a Prayer,’ send it our way. IF YOU THOUGHT THAT WAS EMBARRASSING…. Then take a look at PHILIPPE REINES’ X account. Reines, who played the role of Donald Trump during Vice President Harris’ debate prep, clearly would like some credit for her performance on Tuesday night. So much so that he broke his nine-month X break on Tuesday to make sure the internet knew he was Harris’ Trump, posting a selfie of himself dressed like the former president, bronzer and all. And in case anyone was unclear about the situation, he shared a video on Friday of a Sephora cosmetologist explaining to him how to use makeup products to perfect his orange look. And one getting sprayed with what we would assume is orange dust? We’re approaching NANCY MACE levels of thirstiness here.
| | MIGHT HAVE A POINT: White House officials are signaling that President Biden will not imminently block the merger between Japan’s Nippon Steel and U.S. Steel amid ongoing political and international concerns of axing the deal, WaPo’s JEFF STEIN and DAVID LYNCH report. Last week, the White House announced that Biden would formally block the $14.9 billion deal, but now, following vocal opposition to the move, Biden will likely punt the decision until possibly after the election. White House spokeswoman SALONI SHARMA disputed that there had been a change of plans, saying an announcement was never imminent and that Biden remains committed to waiting for a recommendation from an interagency review board, as the law requires. HIKE ‘EM UP: The Biden administration on Friday locked in steep tariffs on Chinese imports, including a 100% duty on electric vehicles, Reuters’ DAVID LAWDER reports. The office of the U.S. Trade Representative said that many of the tariffs, including a 100% duty on Chinese EVs, 50% on solar cells and 25% on steel, aluminum, EV batteries and key minerals, would go into effect on Sept. 27. National Economic Council director LAEL BRAINARD said that the tariffs aim at ensuring that the U.S. EV industry diversifies away from China’s dominant supply chain. The administration also left in place Trump’s tariffs on over $300 billion worth of Chinese goods ranging from toys and t-shirts to internet routers at rates of 7.5% to 25%.
| | | | First families are finally catching up to America (POLITICO’s Megan Messerly) She’s an Icon, She’s a Legend, and She Is the Moment. Meet Viral Baby Hippo Moo Deng (TIME’s Koh Ewe) Trump’s Ugly Rants About Haitians Suddenly Take On a More Sinister Hue (TNR’s Greg Sargent)
| | | French-born American chef RENÉ VERDON was the first White House executive chef after JACKIE KENNEDY established the position in 1961. As the NYT put it in his 2011 obituary, “Verdon brought French culinary flair to the White House, long a headquarters for dull institutional cooking often supplied by outside caterers.” His first official meal at the White House, a lunch for U.K. Prime Minister HAROLD MACMILLAN and 16 guests: trout in Chablis and sauce Vincent, beef filet au jus and artichoke bottoms Beaucaire, and a dessert he dubbed désir d’avril, or “April Desire,” a meringue shell filled with raspberries and chocolate. 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.
| | | | A message from Kenvue: As summer comes to an end and long days at the beach are behind you, you may be inclined to pack away your sunscreen. But as long as there’s daylight, there’s still UV exposure which can cause sun damage and even skin cancer. One easy way to protect yourself is by applying sunscreen every day. If you’re going to be outside all day, it’s important to re-apply regularly, wear a hat or other protective clothing and seek shade, especially during the peak hours of 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. While skin cancer is the most common cancer in America, it’s also one of the most preventable, with up to 90% of melanoma cases caused by UV exposure. Learn more about how you can protect yourself at Kenvue.com/sun | | | | | | | Follow us on Twitter | | | | Follow us | | | | |
