| | | | |  | | By Eugene Daniels and Rachael Bade | | Presented by |  | | | With help from Eli Okun, Garrett Ross and Bethany Irvine
| | | |  | DRIVING THE DAY | | | BIG FAMILY NEWS — From Global Editor in Chief John Harris: Rachael Bade — who for the past four years has been a Playbook co-author and for the past 14 years has fashioned a reputation as one of the best reporters of her generation — will be taking on a new role as Capitol Bureau Chief & Senior Washington Columnist. In a breathtaking and accelerating way, Rachael has used her Playbook platform to break news about the behind-the-scenes workings of Washington. What we are doing now is giving Rachael her own platform: A reported column built around her distinctive knowledge and sourcing on Capitol Hill, campaigns and other corridors of Washington power. For those who have grown accustomed to Rachael’s vibrant presence in Playbook each morning, there is no cause for despair. Although she is giving up being a primary author — and the very late nights that accompany this — her scoops and insights will continue to be featured regularly there. Read John’s full announcement A note from Eugene: Working as closely as we have over the last four years gave me a front row seat to what I always saw from afar: Rachael Bade is one of the most talented and hard-working reporters in D.C. She is tenacious, fierce (in every sense of the word) and cares deeply about the accuracy and impact of the news that she covers. She is also someone who has been a steadfast and generous colleague every day of the last four years of co-authoring Playbook together. I've learned a tremendous amount from Rachael as a journalist and a person, and I am absolutely thrilled for this new, well-deserved expansion, and grateful she isn’t going far and will still be part of the Playbook family. DIVIDING LINES — Victoria Guida’s latest: “Republicans (Quietly) Disagree With Trump on the Fed”
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Pete Hegseth, President-elect Donald Trump's nominee for secretary of defense, is surrounded by his entourage and pursued by journalists as he walks to a meeting on Capitol Hill on Dec. 3, 2024. | Francis Chung/POLITICO | THE GHOST OF JOHN TOWER — With his nomination for Defense secretary teetering on the brink, PETE HEGSETH will soon learn whether his 11th-hour offensive yesterday to save his nomination has succeeded. DONALD TRUMP’s choice to lead the Pentagon is in the middle of an all-out media blitz against allegations of sexual misconduct, financial mismanagement and alcohol-infused carousing on the job. Yesterday, Hegseth’s efforts included short, pugnacious tweets on X, a combinative WSJ op-ed and a longform podcast with MEGYN KELLY. His mom — yes, the same person who once called him an “abuser of women” — sang his praises on “Fox & Friends.” His high-profile former coworkers defended him on the record. His attorney, TIMOTHY PARLATORE, did a media campaign of his own. There was a consistent message across all of those appearances. Hegseth and allies blamed the press for what he dubbed “the classic art of the smear” and casting himself in the role of an unflinching soldier as he vowed not to “back down” and told Hill reporters that Trump “supports me fully. We’re not going anywhere.” “It’s the only chance that they have to get him through,” as our colleague Betsy Woodruff Swan, who wrote about his offensive, told us for today’s Playbook Daily Briefing podcast. “It's pretty clear that the approach they had been taking — which was to try to sort of rise above what they would characterize as ‘noise’ — was not working.” The question everyone is asking: Did it work? And there’s probably one person who can actually answer that right now: Sen. JONI ERNST (R-Iowa). We hear Trump himself is eager to get a readout of how Hegseth’s meeting yesterday with Ernst went, knowing full-well that everyone was looking to her — the combat veteran and advocate for survivors of sexual assault in the military — to determine whether Hegseth stands any shot at surviving. All Ernst has said so far is that she and Hegseth had a “frank and thorough conversation.” Meanwhile, here are the dynamics to keep an eye on as we wait for more to trickle out today… — The drip, drip, drip: Unfortunately for Hegseth, it continues. A day after an NBC story suggested employees at Fox News were concerned about Hegseth drinking on the job, the NYT matched that reporting and added some of their own details, including these nuggets: “More than once during his early years at the network, Mr. Hegseth’s heavy drinking and raucous behavior at Fox News-related events escalated into episodes that were addressed by company officials or co-workers … At Fox News, the network’s human resources department looked into Mr. Hegseth’s conduct at the ‘Fox & Friends’ Christmas party in 2016 and discussed it with him, according to a person with intimate knowledge who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss a personnel matter. … “The following December, Mr. Hegseth got so drunk at a wedding of a Fox News producer that he struggled to stand upright in a men’s bathroom … Friends asked a producer who was there to get Mr. Hegseth a ride home so he could make it to the set by 6 a.m., they said.” — The pressure campaign: Just weeks after MAGA world tried to pressure Senate Republicans into electing Trump ally Sen. RICK SCOTT (R-Fla.) the next majority leader, Ernst has now become the subject of a smaller-scale pressure campaign online, we’re told. Just take a look at the replies to her tweet about meeting with Hegseth, which include primary threats and curse words. (We don’t have to remind readers what happened the last time hardliners tried to pressure senators into falling in line.) — Desperation moves: Amid media focus on his history with alcohol, Hegseth promised GOP senators yesterday that he wouldn’t drink if he was confirmed. “I think that’s probably a good idea,” Senate Armed Services Chairman ROGER WICKER (R-Miss.) quipped, echoing other Senate Republicans who were relieved to hear him make such a declaration. But that’s not exactly how it works. As WaPo points out, Hegseth is being tapped to lead a fighting force whose leaders are required to maintain the highest standards of personal conduct. “While the secretary of defense is a civilian and not subject to those rules,” Michael Kranish, Dan Lamothe, Sarah Ellison and John Hudson write, “the leader of the Pentagon would be expected to set a leadership example of temperance or moderation, former senior defense officials said.” Yesterday, we asked Sen. KEVIN CRAMER — who met with Hegseth and is a fan — if he thought the nominee was an alcoholic. (Cramer doesn’t drink and has witnessed family members struggle with substance abuse.) “Well, I’m not a therapist,” Cramer (R-N.D.) told us. “I think a lot of people have alcohol problems that think they don’t. That’s one of the first indicators.” More from WaPo Good Thursday morning. Thanks for reading Playbook. Drop us a line: Rachael Bade and Eugene Daniels.
| | | | A message from Tobacco-Free Kids Action Fund: E-cigarettes have gone from bad to worse. They are hooking kids with fun flavors, more nicotine than ever and even built-in video games. Some vapes have as much nicotine as 20 packs of cigarettes. Almost all are illegal. To protect kids, the FDA and other federal agencies must act now to remove illegal products from the market and stop them from being imported into the U.S. Learn more. | | | WHAT SCOTT BESSENT IS READING — “Bitcoin storms above $100,000 as bets on Trump fuel crypto euphoria,” by Reuters DOGE’S PALACE — ELON MUSK and VIVEK RAMASWAMY are on Capitol Hill today to promote the “Department of Government Efficiency,” their Trump-backed cost-cutting effort. “Musk and Ramswamy are expected to attend the first Senate DOGE Caucus meeting Thursday morning,” Fox News’ Brooke Singaman reports. “Later, the pair will cross to the other side of the Capitol for a bicameral event hosted by House Speaker MIKE JOHNSON, R-La., who invited legislators from both the House and Senate to the event.” THE RANKING MEMBER SHUFFLE — As previewed in Monday’s Playbook, Rep. JERRY NADLER (D-N.Y.) dropped out of the race to be the top Democrat on the House Judiciary Committee after facing a challenge from Rep. JAMIE RASKIN (D-Md.), Daniella Diaz and Nicholas Wu report. In a “Dear Colleague” letter, Nadler wrote: “As our country faces the return of Donald Trump, and the renewed threats to our democracy and our way of life that he represents, I am very confident that Jamie would ably lead the Judiciary Committee as we confront this growing danger.” Raskin’s response on X: "Jerry Nadler is an extraordinary lawyer, patriot and public servant. His dogged defense of civil rights and civil liberties is a great inspiration to our people. I am honored and humbled to have his support in the battles ahead.” The 30,000-foot view: “Jeffries stays out of the way as Dems mutiny against senior panel leaders,” by Nicholas, Daniella and Marcia Brown
| | | | A message from Tobacco-Free Kids Action Fund:   Parents are pleading: FDA must protect kids. Over 1.6 million kids use e-cigarettes. Nearly 90% use flavored products. Clear the market of illegal vapes now. | | | | | WHAT'S HAPPENING TODAY | | On the Hill The Senate is in. FDA Commissioner ROBERT CALIFF will testify before the HELP Committee at 10 a.m. Postmaster General LOUIS DeJOY will testify before the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee at 10 a.m. The House will meet at 10 a.m. Acting Secret Service Director RONALD ROWE JR. will testify before the task force investigating Trump’s assassination attempt at 9:30 a.m., and it will mark up its final report at 11:30 a.m. Census Bureau Director ROBERT SANTOS will testify before the Oversight Committee at 10 a.m. 3 things to watch …
- One of the biggest races of the 2026 cycle is already taking shape — among two Republicans. Louisiana state Treasurer JOHN FLEMING announced a primary challenge to Sen. BILL CASSIDY yesterday, citing his vote to impeach Trump in 2021 over the Jan. 6 riot. Both are doctors, and both entered Congress in 2009 and served together in Louisiana’s House delegation. Until this year, Cassidy could court support from independents and crossover Democrats in the state’s “jungle” primary. But the rules have changed, and he now faces a traditional closed primary. More from NOLA.com
- Speaker MIKE JOHNSON gave a notable gesture of support yesterday to Taiwan’s new tough-on-China president, LAI CHING-TE, holding a call with him as he made a brief visit to Guam, VOA’s Nike Ching reports. The call is notable because China fiercely criticized Lai’s stops in Guam and Hawaii as part of a broader Pacific tour, calling them a provocative threat to its “national sovereignty and territorial integrity.” Not surprisingly, Rep. NANCY PELOSI (D-Calif.) — a China hawk who became the first speaker to visit Taiwan — also phoned Lai yesterday.
- ’Tis the season — for congressional farewell addresses. This week’s top valedictions came Tuesday from Sen. JOE MANCHIN (D-W.Va.), who delivered a paean to bipartisan dealmaking and his out-of-fashion aisle-crossing style (“I was not elected to take a side, I was elected to represent all sides”), and yesterday from Sen. MITT ROMNEY (R-Utah), who delivered an appreciation for his family, staff and colleagues: “The truth is that while I may not miss the Senate itself terribly much … I will very much miss you, my fellow senators, for among you are some brilliant, some entertaining, some kind and generous, and all patriotic.”
At the White House President JOE BIDEN will receive the President’s Daily Brief at 10 a.m. In the evening, he will participate in the National Christmas Tree Lighting on the White House Ellipse. VP KAMALA HARRIS and Second Gentleman DOUG EMHOFF will attend.
| | | | REGISTER NOW: As the 118th Congress ends, major decisions loom, including healthcare appropriations. Key focus: site neutrality. Can aligning hospital and clinic costs cut federal spending, reflect physician costs, and lower patient expenses? Join policymakers and providers to discuss. | | | | | | | PLAYBOOK READS | | THE WHITE HOUSE
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President Joe Biden speaks with the press as he prepares to board Marine One on the South Lawn of the White House, Aug. 15, 2024, in Washington. | Mark Schiefelbein/AP | PARDON ME? — Behind closed doors, Biden’s inner circle is weighing whether to give blanket pardons to officials who’ve run afoul of Trump, including Sen.-elect ADAM SCHIFF (D-Calif.) and former Rep. LIZ CHENEY (R-Wyo.), Jonathan Martin reports. The decision is a tricky one, however, “both because it could suggest impropriety, only fueling Trump’s criticisms, and because those offered preemptive pardons may reject them.” Who’s behind it: “The West Wing deliberations have been organized by White House counsel ED SISKEL but include a range of other aides, including chief of staff JEFF ZIENTS. The president himself, who was intensely focused on his son’s pardon, has not been brought into the broader pardon discussions yet.” The eternal question: “At issue, to repurpose a phrase, is whether to take Trump seriously and literally when it comes to his prospective revenge tour against Democrats and others in the so-called Deep State who’ve raised his ire.” BIDEN ABROAD — Meeting with African heads of state yesterday in Angola, Biden announced a $560 million investment in a trans-African railway project that would transport minerals crucial to the global tech industry as part of the U.S. effort to counteract China’s influence on sub-Saharan Africa, WaPo’s Abigail Hauslohner reports from Benguela, Angola. CONGRESS
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Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.) speaks with reporters after being elected to be Senate Republican Leader at the U.S. Capitol, on Nov. 13, 2024. | Francis Chung/POLITICO | SPLITTING THE DIFFERENCE — “Congressional Republicans are clashing over sweeping legislation on taxes, energy and immigration that will be the heart of President-elect Donald Trump’s legislative agenda — underscoring the hurdles ahead as the party tries to unify amid thin margins,” Jordain Carney, Benjamin Guggenheim and Olivia Beavers report. At issue: Incoming Senate Majority Leader JOHN THUNE proposed (and Speaker MIKE JOHNSON endorsed) a plan to pass the president-elect’s sweeping agenda in two parts. Supporters say splitting the package would help land Trump’s border security promises quickly in the new administration. But “the move to prioritize immigration in the first bill could make it more challenging for the Ways and Means Committee to move a tax package later in the year — and Republicans on the panel are making their dissatisfaction clear. … [T]ax writers had hoped that including border and energy in one package with tax would help sweeten the pot for skeptical lawmakers.” Rep. DAVID SCHWEIKERT (R-Ariz.): “They have a bigger majority in the Senate than we have in the House. And the problem is: Thune is managing his traditional Senate ideas, not realizing we have one or two votes to give on our side.” ALL POLITICS FIRST IN PLAYBOOK — In a new statement, Nevada Democrats are urging party officials and candidates for DNC chair to emphasize “diverse, working-class states” in rebuilding the party. “Nevada is the battleground state that best reflects our growing nation and the Democratic Party cannot afford to let overwhelmingly college-educated, white, or less competitive states start the process of winnowing the field again in 2028,” said Nevada State Democratic Party Chair DANIELE MONROE-MORENO. “This will be one of the DNC's primary responsibilities over the next two years, and it’s crucial that we set an early window and primary calendar that puts us in the best position to win back the White House.” Full statement
| | | | A message from Tobacco-Free Kids Action Fund:   Almost all flavored e-cigarettes are illegal. The FDA must act. Learn more. | | | TRANSITION LENSES
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Tulsi Gabbard speaks on July 17, 2019 in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. | Justin Sullivan/Getty Images | NOMINATION STATION …
- DNI … Concerns about former Rep. TULSI GABBARD’s views on Russia are unlikely to be allayed by the latest from ABC’s Lucien Bruggeman, who reports that three former aides to Gabbard say that her opinions favorable to Russia and autocrat VLADIMIR PUTIN stem in part from her regularly consumption of content (we hesitate to use the word “news” here) from Kremlin-affiliated RT. Where things already stand: “Behind closed doors, people think she might be compromised. Like it’s not hyperbole,” one Senate GOP aide told The Hill’s Al Weaver. “There are members of our conference who think she’s a [Russian] asset.”
- SBA … Trump tapped inaugural committee co-chair and former Sen. KELLY LOEFFLER (R-Ga.) to head up the Small Business Administration. Loeffler, you may remember, was “one of Trump’s most vocal allies while in the Senate and vowed to supporters that she would challenge the 2020 Electoral College results until the Jan. 6 storming of the Capitol,” as Kierra Frazier and Meredith Lee Hill note.
- IRS … Trump announced former Rep. BILLY LONG (R-Mo.) as his pick for IRS commissioner last night, hailing the former auctioneer as a “consummate ‘people person.” The policy context: “Trump’s announcement means that he intends to fire current IRS Commissioner DANNY WERFEL, as Republicans also contemplate rescinding as much of the Inflation Reduction Act funding for the agency as possible,” Benjamin reports.
- SSA … Trump named fintech CEO and Republican donor FRANK BISIGNANO as his pick for Social Security Administration commissioner. “Bisignano previously was chief operating officer at JPMorgan Chase and held a number of executive positions at Citigroup,” Kierra Frazier reports.
TRUMP CARDS GEORGIA ON MY MIND — Trump’s legal team pushed to dismiss his Georgia election interference case in a court filing last night, arguing it is unconstitutional now that he is president-elect, citing a Justice Department memo that holds presidents can’t be prosecuted while in office, NBC News’ Dareh Gregorian and Charlie Gile report. But, but, but: Even as the DOJ used the memo as its basis for dismissing two federal cases against the president-elect in November, the Georgia case is a state proceeding. So what’s the deal? “Trump contends that constitutional principles and Supreme Court precedent ‘prevent state prosecutors from proceeding against the sitting president in any way,’” Kyle Cheney reports. “But that proposition has not been tested in the courts, in part because Trump is the first ever former (and now incoming) president to face criminal charges.” AMERICA AND THE WORLD MIDDLE EAST LATEST — Amnesty International issued a 296-page report last night formally stating that Israel’s treatment of Palestinians in Gaza constitutes genocide. The human rights organization alleges Israel’s military forces have “forcibly displaced 90% of Gaza’s 2.2 million inhabitants … forcing people to live in conditions that exposed them to a slow and calculated death.” More from AP More top reads:
| | | | Billions in spending. Critical foreign aid. Immigration reform. The final weeks of 2024 could bring major policy changes. Inside Congress provides daily insights into how Congressional leaders are navigating these high-stakes issues. Subscribe today. | | | | | | | PLAYBOOKERS | | Jeff Bezos is optimistic about Donald Trump’s second term, and thinks the president-elect has “grown in the past eight years.” John Fetterman has one condition for a Ron DeSantis confirmation vote. James Carville may have mixed up Kash Patel and Neil Patel. OUT AND ABOUT — Americans for Free Markets hosted a fireside chat with Bill Barr and Pluribus’ Reid Wilson at City Tap House in Penn Quarter on Tuesday evening. SPOTTED: Illinois state Sen. Dan McConchie, Pete Sepp, Mario Lopez and Rob Engstrom. — SPOTTED at a farewell party for Sen. Joe Manchin (I-W.Va.) on Tuesday evening at the Capitol: Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, Sens. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), Thom Tillis (R-N.C.), John Boozman (R-Ark.), Pete Ricketts (R-Neb.), Mitt Romney (R-Utah), Mike Rounds (R-S.D.), Bill Cassidy (R-La.), Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.), Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.), Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), Roger Marshall (R-Kan.), Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), Todd Young (R-Ind.), Tina Smith (D-Minn.), Eric Schmitt (R-Mo.), Maggie Hassan (D-N.H.), John Hickenlooper (D-Colo.), George Helmy (D-N.J.), Ted Budd (R-N.C.), Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii), Mark Warner (D-Va.), Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala.), Cory Booker (D-N.J.), Rick Scott (R-Fla.), Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio), Susan Collins (R-Maine), Angus King (I-Maine), John Kennedy (R-La.), John Barrasso (R-Wyo.), Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), Chris Coons (D-Del.), Jon Tester (D-Mont.), Laphonza Butler (D-Calif.), Patty Murray (D-Wash.), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Michael Bennet (D-Colo.), Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.), Tom Carper (D-Del.) and Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.), Rep. Wiley Nickel (D-N.C.), Ann Romney, Amy Kate Budd, Paul Masto, David Rosner, Gayle Manchin, Heather Manchin, Sarah Venuto, Cecil Roberts, Jordanian Ambassador Dina Kawar, Lance West, Pat Hayes, Jonathan Kott, Bryer Davis, Katey McCutcheon, Samantha Runyon, Steve Clemons, Manu Raju, Burgess Everett, David Weigel, Carl Hulse, Ted Barrett, Ryan Murguía, Mara Boggs, Chris Osman, Renae Black, Wes Kungel and Charlotte Laracy. — SPOTTED at the National Association of Broadcasters’ annual holiday party last night: Sen. Ed Markey (D-Mass.), Reps. Carol Miller (R-W.Va.), Glenn Grothman (R-Wis.), Brad Schneider (D-Ill.), Bob Latta (R-Ohio), Tom Emmer (R-Minn.), Randy Feenstra (R-Iowa), Rick Allen (R-Ga.), Buddy Carter (R-Ga.), John Joyce (R-Penn.), Gabe Amo (D-R.I.), Pete Stauber (R-Minn.), Jim Jordan (R-Ohio), Mariannette Miller-Meeks (R-Iowa) and Del. Stacey Plaskett (D-U.S. Virgin Islands) FIRST IN PLAYBOOK — Rachel Janfaza is launching Up and Up Strategies, a boutique qualitative research and consulting firm to complement her newsletter about young voters, The Up and Up. TRANSITIONS — Brian Colas has been named staff director for the Senate GOP Conference. He previously has been chief counsel and campaign manager for Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.), who’s taking over as conference chair. … Rep.-elect Emily Randall (D-Wash.) is adding Zahraa Saheb as chief of staff and Katy Crabtree as district director. Saheb previously was legislative director for Rep. Veronica Escobar (D-Texas). Crabtree is a Derek Kilmer alum. WEDDING — JR Kennelly, who has just been tapped to lead the political campaigns division as director of strategic partnerships at Koch Industries i360, and Kailee Kennelly, political strategist at HSP Direct, got married Nov. 23 at St. Patrick’s Catholic Church and the Sarasota Yacht Club in Sarasota, Florida. They met on Ron DeSantis’ 2018 Florida gubernatorial campaign. Pic … Another pic WELCOME TO THE WORLD — Rachael Lighty, policy comms and head of HQ2 PR at Amazon, and Alan Butler, associate VP at Morgan Stanley, recently welcomed Emmett Louis Butler, who joins big brother Maxwell. Pic ... Another pic HAPPY BIRTHDAY: Rep. French Hill (R-Ark.) … Axios’ Roy Schwartz … NYT’s Mike Grynbaum … Jamie Rhoades of Quartus Strategies … Khorri Atkinson … WaPo’s Rachel Van Dongen … Gray Johnson … POLITICO’s Liz Crampton … Lisa Spies of the LS Group … Brai Valerio-Esene of SW4 Insights … Ari Drennen … NBC’s Billy Koch … Eli Miller … former Reps. Ben McAdams (D-Utah) (5-0) and Rodney Alexander (R-La.) … Jamie McCourt … Moira Mack Muntz … Nicole Drummond … American Petroleum Institute’s Amanda Eversole … Calvin Trillin … Herald Group’s Caitlin Burns … Ruiyong Chen … Anthony Bedell … Point 2 Strategies' Blair Gladding (4-0) 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.
| | | | A message from Tobacco-Free Kids Action Fund: E-cigarettes are more addictive and kid-friendly than ever.
E-cigarette makers are hooking kids with illegal vapes featuring fun flavors and built-in video games. These products contain more nicotine than ever — some have as much nicotine as 20 packs of cigarettes.
Over 1.6 million kids use e-cigarettes, and nearly 90% use flavored products — almost all of which are illegal. That’s why we are calling on the FDA and other agencies to take action. It's time to protect kids by removing illegal products from store shelves and stopping them from pouring into our country. Learn more. | | | | | | | Follow us on Twitter | | | | Subscribe to the POLITICO Playbook family Playbook | Playbook PM | California Playbook | Florida Playbook | Illinois Playbook | Massachusetts Playbook | New Jersey Playbook | New York Playbook | Ottawa Playbook | Brussels Playbook | London Playbook View all our political and policy newsletters | | Follow us | | | | |
