| | | | |  | | 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 and Harris campaign. Send tips | Subscribe here | Email Eli | Email Lauren On Sunday, a 40-minute interview with Vice President KAMALA HARRIS aired on a platform with an audience of 5 million engaged and loyal listeners. No, it wasn’t “Meet the Press” or “Face the Nation.” And it wasn’t “State of the Union” or “This Week.” It was ALEX COOPER’s wildly popular podcast “Call Her Daddy.” There were immediately takes from the mainstream political press about how the “Call Her Daddy” appearance, along with an upcoming interview later this week on HOWARD STERN’s radio show, were signs that Harris was shying away from substantive interviews and hiding from more combative reporters eager to press her on uncomfortable topics. And there were some snide suggestions about how going on “Call Her Daddy,” a show focused on relationships and sex, was a frivolous use of the VP’s time. The backlash to the backlash was just as swift, as veteran Democratic operatives turned to social media and Substack to air their frustrations with reporters who they have long thought needed to swallow their egos and wake up to the reality that an increasingly fragmented media environment — and declining trust in traditional news outlets — has changed politicians’ dependency on them. “Voters will not be satisfied until Kamala Harris sits down with West Wing Playbook and the Playbook Deep Dive podcast. These are facts,” JON FAVREAU mockingly posted on X. (No hard feelings, Favs. We can take a punch.) Democrats close to the Harris campaign said they felt the national political press has for years been uneasy about the shifting media landscape, pointing to frustrations among the White House press corps when then-President BARACK OBAMA went on ZACH GALIFIANAKIS’ “Between Two Ferns.” “In a town full of narcissists, nobody has a bigger sense of entitlement than D.C. journalists. And it’s particularly rich to snipe at the campaign for not doing enough interviews the very week she’s sitting down with the most revered news program in all of television,” said former Obama White House spokesperson ERIC SCHULTZ, referring to Harris’ interview with CBS’ “60 Minutes” airing Monday night. “We don’t live in an age when everyone gets their news from three white guys at 6:30 every night,” he added. Schultz and other Democratic strategists said that it’s not that there isn’t value in going on some of the big network and cable news shows (since accepting the Democratic nomination, Harris has been on CNN and MSNBC). But network and cable news audiences are shrinking. Most people tuning into JAKE TAPPER or KATY TUR probably already know who they are voting for. “Harris has to make strategic decisions about every second of her time these last few weeks. You just can’t capture undecided voters by sticking with the traditional press. So by necessity, you have to spend time in other places,” said another Democratic strategist close to the campaign who was granted anonymity to speak about internal party thinking. Harris deputy campaign manager ROB FLAHERTY spelled out the strategy fairly plainly in an X post on Monday, writing: “People have more content choices than ever. … If you consume political info, you want to consume political info. … Most of the remaining voters we need to talk to don't.” “That [traditional] press don’t get this sorta ... speaks to the reason why this fact pattern exists!” he concluded. For the Harris team, going on “Call Her Daddy” was a no-brainer. Cooper’s podcast used to be owned by Barstool Sports, if that’s any indication of the type of listener she attracts. She has described her audience as “politically divided,” and according to data from Edison Research obtained by NPR, 24 percent of her listeners identify as Republican and 20 percent as independent. The vast majority are women under the age of 45, a group Harris needs to win by a dramatic margin. Cooper has made a point to stay out of politics for her ideologically diverse audience, aside from voicing her support for abortion access. She told the New York Times earlier this year that she turned down overtures from the Biden White House and suggested that politicians wouldn’t make good pod guests. “Go on CNN, go on Fox,” Cooper told NYT when asked about shutting down conversations with the White House. “You want to talk about your sex life, Joe?” The fact that Cooper was willing to rethink that calculus, opening herself up to backlash from her own fans, is a win for the Harris campaign. And we’re not just saying this because Eli one of us is a day one member of the Daddy Gang. “More is more when it comes to getting the vice president out there in non traditional media outlets. No need to micro analyze every choice,” said TIM MILLER, a former Republican comms staffer turned anti-Trump podcaster. MESSAGE US — Are you IAN SAMS? How’d you like that big L Vandy hung on your Tide? 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| | Who played in the first-ever College World Series? (Answer at bottom.)
| | | FIRST IN WEST WING PLAYBOOK: On Wednesday, Oct. 16, the Human Rights Campaign is holding a fundraiser in support of the Harris campaign, labeled as a “Reception with Kelley Robinson,” president of the HRC. The event, hosted by former Ambassador to Spain JAMES COSTOS, HRC board member MORGAN COX and author JODIE PATTERSON, will take place at Newton D. Baker House in Georgetown, a historic property once owned by JACKIE KENNEDY, according to a source familiar with the planning. Costos has hosted several major fundraising events throughout this presidential cycle, including JOE BIDEN’s first Los Angeles fundraiser, which raked in over $9 million. He also recently hosted an event with former President Obama at his L.A. home, bringing in more than $4.5 million for the Harris Victory Fund. SOOOO … ABOUT THE OTHER GUY’S INTERVIEW: While everyone fixates on what media appearances Harris is and isn’t doing, former President DONALD TRUMP is also, you know, out there. In a phone interview with conservative radio host HUGH HEWITT on Monday, the GOP nominee continued the xenophobic rhetoric that has characterized his campaign, suggesting that immigrants commit horrendous crimes because “it’s in their genes,” our EMMY MARTIN reports. “How about allowing people to come to an open border, 13,000 of which were murderers, many of them murdered far more than one person, and they’re now happily living in the United States,” Trump falsely claimed. “You know now a murder, I believe this, it’s in their genes. And we got a lot of bad genes in our country right now,” he added. Trump, in another false statement, also claimed that Vice President Harris “wants to go into a Communist Party-type system” to “feed people governmentally,” after Hewitt asked about Harris’ proposal to give $25,000 in down-payment assistance to first-time homebuyers. WHAT WILMINGTON WANTS YOU TO READ: This piece by NYT’s ANDREW DUEHREN and ALAN RAPPEPORT, who write that a pair of new economic analyses show former President Trump’s economic plan could inflame the national debt while ultimately raising prices for a vast majority of Americans. The Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget, a nonpartisan group aiming to lower deficits, concluded that Trump’s various economic policy proposals could add as much as $15 trillion to the nation’s debt over a decade — nearly twice as much as Vice President Harris’ economic plans. And the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy, a liberal think tank, found that Trump’s tax and tariff plan would, on average, amount to a tax increase for every income group except the top 5 percent of highest-earning Americans. Campaign spokesperson JAMES SINGER shared the piece on X. WHAT WILMINGTON DOESN’T WANT YOU TO READ: This piece by POLITICO Magazine’s CATHERINE KIM, who writes that one key voting bloc in Biden’s 2020 electoral coalition — Korean Americans in Georgia — may be breaking away from Vice President Harris. Gwinnett County, a once-conservative stronghold, now votes blue thanks to a massive influx of Korean immigrants. But that support for Democrats has faltered, mainly due to uncertainty over the economy. Nationally, Korean Americans’ Democratic party identification has dropped from 51 percent to 38 percent in the span of four years since 2020. “The price of ingredients has just risen so much — almost 80 percent for certain items,” says LEE SUNG YONG, who owns traditional Korean BBQ and noodle restaurants in the area. He says he’ll be voting for Trump, pointing to one main reason: “The yearly costs of my operation have been so different under the two administrations.”
| | ONE DEVASTATING YEAR LATER: On Monday, President Biden and Vice President Harris commemorated the one-year anniversary of the Oct. 7 attacks, the most deadly attack in Israel’s history that took the lives of over 1,200 people. At the White House this morning, Biden and first lady JILL BIDEN participated in a candle lighting in honor of the victims. In a separate statement, the president said he and Vice President Harris “remain fully committed to the safety of the Jewish people, the security of Israel, and its right to exist.” Harris and second gentleman DOUG EMHOFF later planted a memorial pomegranate tree at their residence, representing hope and righteousness in Judaism, she told reporters. In the 12 months since the attack, the retaliation from Israel has been broad and unrelentless, leaving over 40,000 Palestinians in Gaza dead and leading to a wider war throughout the Middle East. And the Biden administration's financial and rhetorical support for Israel has amounted to a legacy-defining political obstacle for the president and now the vice president’s campaign. Questions have arisen over the administration’s influence on Israeli Prime Minister BENJAMIN NETANYAHU, who has continually ducked U.S. calls to deescelate its intrusion into Gaza. As our ROBBIE GRAMER and JONATHAN LEMIRE report, Biden’s support for Israel has also forced the U.S. to divert attention and resources from other foreign policy priorities, complicating efforts to foster relationships with some other parts of the world. “It became our foreign policy priority whether we liked it or not,” said one senior administration official of the war. SURE, WHY NOT? With just under four months left in this administration, more of the folks sticking it out in the West Wing have gotten new titles that we’re sure have nothing to do with finding that next post-White House gig. Most notably, press secretary KARINE JEAN-PIERRE has been promoted to senior adviser to the president, continuing in her role as chief White House communicator. Interestingly, the new title was leaked to ABC News’ “Good Morning America,” underlining, it seemed to us, Jean-Pierre’s rumored ambitions of landing a role as an on-air TV host or commentator. Also promoted to senior adviser to the president on Monday is White House director of policy strategy and outreach EMMY RUIZ, who will join the small group of trusted aides tasked with helping Biden navigate his final months, NBC’s MONICA ALBA reports. The move also makes Ruiz the youngest Biden staffer with that title.
| | FIRST IN WEST WING PLAYBOOK: The Biden alum-heavy strategic advisory firm Lafayette Advisors has quietly changed its name to Lilette Advisors after a different Washington communications firm with a similar name complained, our DANIEL LIPPMAN writes in. In early August, Biden White House alums RYAN BERNI and ZACH BUTTERWORTH, former Rep. CEDRIC RICHMOND (D-La.), Transportation Department alum MICHAEL HALLE and Democratic operatives BRADLEY BEYCHOK and LEAH ISRAEL announced the merger of four firms into a new firm called Lafayette Advisors. The firm’s clients include labor unions, coalitions, infrastructure projects and efforts to advance paid family leave. But the firm changed its name in late September after it was informed of the overlap with political consulting firm Lafayette Company, which was started by longtime Republican operative ELLEN CARMICHAEL, according to a firm official. While Lilette Advisors updated its website and LinkedIn profiles, it didn’t do a public announcement. “We are excited to have rebranded to Lilette Advisors,” Berni said in a statement to West Wing Playbook. “We are still the same passionate team, delivering the same commitment to our growing roster of over 60 clients and important causes, but with a new name that matches our commitment to support work that aligns with the meaning of Lilette, good and generous.” MATT KIRSNER, an attorney for The Lafayette Company, said in a statement that the parties had reached “an amicable resolution.” FIRST IN WEST WING PLAYBOOK: Biden White House alums IAN MELLUL and TEAGAN AGUIRRE are starting an event production firm named Resolute Productions, Lippman has also learned. A pitch deck obtained by Lippman says the firm, which includes an Emmy-award winning executive director of production, is “a premier event production and management agency, specializing in the design, production, and execution of high-caliber events around the world.” The deck features White House events that Mellul and Aguirre helped put on, such as Biden’s Ireland homecoming speech and the launch of the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework for Prosperity. Mellul was director of presidential production at the White House, but was put on paid administrative leave and then resigned in early March after a months-long investigation by the White House counsel’s office into complaints of verbal harassment by him, which ended when he left, according to a person familiar with the matter. Before leaving the White House, Aguirre was deputy director of presidential production. “Teagan and I are very excited to have started our new firm, Resolute Productions, and we look forward to creating amazing events including town halls and summits for a variety of clients all over the world… stay tuned for more!" Mellul said in a text message. Aguirre said in a statement, “Ian and I always had a terrific working relationship and I’m thrilled to be starting this new venture together.” LOVE IS BLIND D.C. … IS NOT D.C. ENOUGH: Only one reference to “the Hill.” Only one question about voting history. A Bingo card left mostly unfulfilled. As dedicated reality TV watchers of anything remotely connected to politics/D.C. culture, we were thrilled for this season of "Love is Blind." Yes, we acknowledge D.C. is made up of more than Hill and White House staffers, politicos and journalists. And yes, our expectations were lowered when not a single one of those staffers got casted (a show publicist has countered that clean energy policy consultant TAYLOR KRAUSE is White House-adjacent and is always “on” with them). But now we’re six episodes in — and though the season was hyped up because of the filming location, it feels like just any other season. Where was the dramatic one-upping of whose job puts them closest to people in power? Where were all the deep political discussions? Where were the arguments about who really lives in D.C. proper? And WHERE was the only journalist-contestant’s love story? (WaPo’s NINA ZAFAR, you were robbed.) Anyway, more episodes come out this Wednesday. If there’s no cringey Le Diplomate date in our viewing future, we’ll be rioting.
| | KEEP BRACING, FLORIDA: Hurricane Milton, which intensified rapidly into a Category 5 storm on Monday and now has maximum sustained winds of 180 miles per hour, is expected to make landfall Wednesday or early Thursday as a “large and powerful hurricane,” according to the National Hurricane Center. It is predicted to produce a deadly storm surge of 10 to 15 feet, including in Tampa Bay, the Hurricane Center warned in its latest advisory. On Monday, President Biden approved an emergency declaration for Florida, authorizing FEMA and the Department of Homeland Security “to coordinate all disaster relief efforts … and provide appropriate assistance for required emergency measures.” SCOTUS IS SO BACK: The Supreme Court on Monday left in place a court order blocking the Biden administration from enforcing its policy in Texas of requiring hospitals to provide emergency abortion care or risk losing federal funding, CNN’s TIERNEY SNEED reports. The justices rejected a DOJ request that it wipe away the lower-court ruling and send the case back down for more proceedings. And in another defeat for reproductive rights advocates, Georgia’s state Supreme Court on Monday restored the state’s six week abortion ban, halting a judge’s ruling a week ago that the ban was unconstitutional and abortions could continue past six weeks, CBS News’ KATHRYN WATSON reports. THE CRACKDOWN CONTINUES: In September, the number of migrants crossing into the U.S. illegally at the southern border reached its lowest point under the Biden administration, CBS News’ CAMILO MONTOYA-GALVEZ reports. According to internal Department of Homeland Security statistics, U.S. Border Patrol agents recorded nearly 54,000 apprehensions of migrants who crossed into the country between legal entry points along the border with Mexico.
| | A Mosquito in My Backyard Made Me the Sickest I’ve Ever Been (Anthony Fauci for the NYT) Ron DeSantis is refusing to take Harris' call on Hurricane Helene (NBC News’ Matt Dixon) Feds are sweating a Trump comeback (E&E News’ Robin Bravender) The ‘Crypto Punks’ Behind Trump’s Murky New Business Venture (NYT’s Sharon LaFraniere and David Yaffe-Bellany)
| | Eli Former President GEORGE H.W. BUSH, who played for the Yale Bulldogs as a first baseman and captain. In 1947, Bush played in the first-ever College World Series, losing in two games to the University of California (roll on, you Bears!). The next year, Yale would make it there again, where they would lose again, this time to Southern Cal.
SPARKY ANDERSON, who would go on to win the World Series as the manager of the Cincinnati Reds and Detroit Tigers, was a bat boy for USC at the time. 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. | | | | Follow us on Twitter | | | | Follow us | | | | |
