| | | |  | | By Irie Sentner, Ben Johansen and Sophia Cai | Presented by Bayer | Welcome to POLITICO’s West Wing Playbook, your guide to the power dynamics, personnel decisions and policy deliberations of Donald Trump’s White House. Send tips | Subscribe here | Email Sophia | Email Irie | Email Ben Vice President JD VANCE has already had to cast one tie-breaking Senate vote to confirm Defense Secretary PETE HEGSETH. And there was building concern among Republicans this week that the chamber might need to tap him again for votes on two of President DONALD TRUMP’s most controversial remaining Cabinet picks, TULSI GABBARD and ROBERT F. KENNEDY JR. The problem? Vance is nearly 4,000 miles away. The vice president is in Europe all week, meeting with world leaders and helming the U.S. delegations to an artificial intelligence summit in Paris and a security conference in Munich as he pushes Trump’s “America First” agenda on the world stage. With Maine Sen. SUSAN COLLINS’ last-minute pledge to back Kennedy on Tuesday securing enough votes for confirmation, Vance avoided an exhausting eight-hour flight back to Washington to preside over the Senate and break a tie before turning around and going straight back. But the concern underscores the Republicans’ slim majority — and could pose a pesky issue for Vance’s schedule in the future. It was a frequent inconvenience for former Vice President KAMALA HARRIS, whose razor-thin Democratic majority made her break a staggering 33 ties — shattering a record last set by former Vice President JOHN C. CALHOUN, who served from 1825 to 1832. By comparison, former Vice President MIKE PENCE cast 13 tie-breaking votes, and former President JOE BIDEN cast none when he was vice president. With the chamber at a knife-edge 50-50 in the first two years of her term, Harris’ staff closely tracked vote counts and built “floating holds” into her schedule around when Senate votes could occur, the Washington Post reported. And it was as necessary for Harris as it was annoying: The then-vice president cast the tie-breaking vote for a number of the party’s highest-profile legislative priorities, including the American Rescue Plan and the Inflation Reduction Act. She also cast some lower-profile votes on judicial nominations. “She could only travel a few days per week — she needed to be in D.C. or near D.C. when the Senate was in session,” JAMAL SIMMONS, a former top aide to Harris, told West Wing Playbook. He said it was a “logistical challenge” to limit the vice president’s travel. Then-Senate Majority Leader CHUCK SCHUMER even agreed not to hold votes on certain days to accommodate her schedule, Simmons said. It will likely be less of a problem for Vance, who presides over a chamber with 53 Republicans. But Hegseth’s vote — and the concern in the White House around those for Gabbard and Kennedy — signals that even with a slight cushion, Vance may need to occasionally jump in to push the party’s most contentious moves across the finish line. As of now, Vance appears not to have plans to return to the U.S. before the confirmation votes. The vice president on Thursday will visit the memorial site of the Dachau concentration camp in Germany ahead of the Munich Security Conference, where he will meet Ukrainian President VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY on Friday, according to a person familiar with his plans granted anonymity to discuss details they weren’t authorized to publicly divulge. A spokesperson for Vance did not respond to a request for comment. AND IN PARIS: In his first international speech as vice president, Vance on Tuesday implored European leaders to embrace AI “with optimism and not trepidation” — and warned that “excessive regulation” of AI “could kill” the transformative technology, our CLEA CAULCUTT reports. “This administration will not be the one to snuff out the start-ups and the grad students producing some of the most groundbreaking applications of artificial intelligence,” Vance said. “Instead, our laws will keep big tech, little tech and all other developers on a level playing field.” Vance slammed Europe's tightening tech regulations, saying they amounted to “onerous international rules” that have stifled innovation and created unnecessary hurdles for American businesses. He said the countries that demand the tightest regulations “very often” already have an “incumbent advantage in the market.” He also promised AI systems developed in the U.S. will be “free from ideological bias,” appearing to cite Google’s Gemini, which last year came under fire from Republicans and ultimately paused its service after the software generated images that appeared to prioritize racial diversity over historical accuracy. “American AI will not be co-opted into a tool for authoritarian censorship,” Vance said. After the speech, Trump met with European Commission President URSULA VON DER LEYEN, who earlier in the day had called Trump’s steel tariffs on the EU “unjustified” and promised “firm and proportionate countermeasures.” The two were cordial in front of the press — then Vance told reporters: “Now that we have made our public remarks, we'll have a real conversation, so you guys have to leave.” MESSAGE US — Are you JACOB RESES, Vance’s chief of staff? 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!
| | | | We’ve re-imagined and expanded our Inside Congress newsletter to give you unmatched reporting on Capitol Hill politics and policy -- and we'll get it to your inbox even earlier. Subscribe today. | | | | | | | Which president had an electric toothbrush “give-away”? (Answer at bottom.)
| | FIRST IN WEST WING PLAYBOOK: COREY LEWANDOWSKI is now a special government employee at the Department of Homeland Security, two people familiar with the matter told our DANIEL LIPPMAN. Lewandowski, the former Trump campaign manager, sat in on transition meetings with DHS Secretary KRISTI NOEM and consulted with her on political appointees for the sprawling agency. In a statement to West Wing Playbook, a DHS spokesperson said, “Like Elon Musk and so many other patriots, Mr. Lewandowski volunteers his time as a special government employee (SGE) to help President Trump Make America Great Again.” The spokesperson declined to comment when asked for specifics of what Lewandwoski is doing at the department. Lewandowski referred questions to the DHS press office. THE KING MAKES AN OFFERING: King ABDULLAH II of Jordan, the first Middle Eastern leader to visit the White House since Trump announced his intention to take over the Gaza strip, deflected questions about the plan to displace Palestinians from their homeland as he tried to avoid a public face-to-face confrontation with Trump, our ELI STOKOLS reports. Abdullah, who dismissed Trump’s proposal when he announced it last week, said at the White House on Tuesday that Jordan would accept 2,000 sick Palestinian children from Gaza, but punted the question of broader resettlement to Egypt. “That’s really a beautiful gesture. That’s really good, and we appreciate it,” Trump, who threatened to withhold U.S. aid to Jordan if the country continued to oppose taking in Palestinians, said in the Oval Office alongside Abdullah. “That’s music to my ears.” AP GETS THE BOOT: The White House blocked an Associated Press reporter from attending Trump’s executive order signing this afternoon after the news organization — known for its stylebook that guides most newsrooms — retained its guidance on the name “Gulf of Mexico” instead of adjusting to reflect the administration’s stance that the body of water should now be called the “Gulf of America.” Executive editor JULIE PACE said in a statement it is “alarming that the Trump administration would punish AP for its independent journalism,” adding that “Limiting our access to the Oval Office based on the content of AP’s speech not only severely impedes the public’s access to independent news, it plainly violates the First Amendment.” The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment. COMING HOME: MARC FOGEL, an American teacher who had been imprisoned in Russia since 2021 on charges of bringing medical marijuana into the country, was released by the Kremlin on Tuesday after negotiations between Trump, special envoy to the Middle East STEVE WITKOFF and Russian leaders, the White House announced. Fogel, who was flown out of the country on Witkoff’s plane, began serving a 14-year sentence in June 2022 and was not classified as wrongly detained until late last year. “By tonight, Marc Fogel will be on American soil and reunited with his family and loved ones thanks to President Trump’s leadership,” national security adviser MIKE WALTZ said in a statement.
| | | | A message from Bayer: In America, farming isn't just a profession; it's a purpose. With 880 million acres of farmland and more than 2 million people dedicated to producing our food in America, farmers are the backbone of our economy. In communities nationwide, Bayer employees work alongside farmers to bring cutting-edge innovations in breeding, crop protection, and technology to their fields. American farmers trust our tools because we have a purpose, too: helping farmers thrive. Learn more at Go.Bayer.com/Purpose. | | | | | THE STRATEGY BEHIND IT: Strong poll numbers and weaker-than-expected resistance are emboldening Trump and his allies to push further in their fight against the federal government. But some allies of the president believe the next programs on the chopping block could prove to be more politically risky, our MEGAN MESSERLY, HOLLY OTTERBEIN and DASHA BURNS report. Some of the early targets of ELON MUSK and RUSS VOUGHT, including USAID, were chosen because they carry little political risk, especially among conservatives. The next phase of the dismantling, which is likely to include the Department of Education, Department of Defense and the Department of Health and Human Services, could be more challenging as it targets programs that are better-known, more popular and have much more support on Capitol Hill. “Once they start targeting certain benefits, that is when it will hurt the most,” said a former senior White House official who worked with Vought during the last administration, granted anonymity to speak candidly about the cuts. HE LOST THE POPE: Pope FRANCIS scolded the president for his sweeping deportation efforts in a letter to the American Catholic bishops this week — saying it “will end badly,” our AMANDA FRIEDMAN reports. “The rightly formed conscience cannot fail to make a critical judgment and express its disagreement with any measure that tacitly or explicitly identifies the illegal status of some migrants with criminality,” Pope Francis wrote in an open letter that was made public Tuesday. PERSONNEL MOVES: KATE LAIR is now deputy assistant U.S. trade representative for public and media affairs. She most recently was communications director for Rep. RONNY JACKSON (R-Texas) and served in the first Trump White House.
| | | | A message from Bayer:  
| | | | | THE PURGE (CONT’D): The Office of Personnel Management has formally submitted draft regulations that would make it easier for agencies to fire career government officials who push back against presidential orders, our NICK NIEDZWIADEK and ALFRED NG report. The move, laid out in documents obtained by POLITICO on Tuesday, is the latest step toward bringing back a plan initiated at the end of Trump’s first term to eliminate civil service protection for federal employees who play a role in policy development or advocacy. The draft regulation’s title, “Improving Performance, Accountability and Responsiveness in the Civil Service,” carries out Trump’s Jan. 20 executive order on the federal workforce. Excerpts note it “will allow agencies to quickly remove employees from critical positions who engage in misconduct, perform poorly, or obstruct the democratic process by intentionally subverting Presidential directives.” MORE GOVERNMENT BLEED: Two top officials at the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau resigned on Tuesday, saying they could no longer carry out their roles in light of the Trump administration’s order to cease all work in the agency, our KATY O’DONNELL reports. Assistant Director for the Office of Enforcement ERIC HALPERIN and Assistant Director for Supervision Policy LORELEI SALAS each sent emails to their teams notifying them of their resignations. “As you know we have been ordered to cease all work,” Halperin wrote to his staff. “I don’t believe in these conditions I can effectively serve in my role, which is protecting American consumers.” DOCTOR’S ORDER: A federal judge on Tuesday ordered federal health agencies to restore pages they removed from their websites last month to comply with Trump’s executive order on “gender ideology and extremism,” saying the decision to pull them down could be detrimental to public health, our LAUREN GARDNER and KYLE CHENEY report. The decision by the U.S. District Judge JOHN BATES of the District of Columbia, a GEORGE W. BUSH appointee, came after a hearing Monday in which he sharply questioned the administration about doctors’ claims that the removal of the pages damaged their ability to care for patients. Bates said the pages’ removal appeared to harm some doctors’ ability to treat patients and was done without any public rationale, recourse or ability to challenge the decisions, despite laws and regulations that typically require them.
| | | | A message from Bayer: The heartbeat of American agriculture can be heard at every farmer's market and every family's dinner table. The agriculture industry, spanning 880 million acres of farmland and supported by more than 2 million people, contributes $1.5 trillion to our economy.
Thousands of Bayer employees live and work alongside farmers in communities across America, ensuring they have access to breakthrough innovations and the support to implement them effectively, keeping that heart beating strong. Bayer's advanced breeding techniques, innovative crop protection offerings, and emerging digital technologies are reshaping the future of farming. We're more than a partner; we're part of the farming fabric of America, and we're invested in every field, every acre, and every harvest. Because at Bayer, we share the same purpose as American farmers: helping agriculture thrive so we can bring high-quality, abundant, and diverse food to millions of tables and help feed the nation. Learn more at Go.Bayer.com/Purpose. | | | | | There’s No Need to Guess. JD Vance Is Ready to Ignore the Courts. (POLITICO’s Ian Ward) Will Trump have a chilling effect on Hollywood? Insiders say it’s already happening (LAT’s Samantha Masunaga) Elon Musk’s Business Empire Scores Benefits Under Trump Shake-Up (NYT’s Eric Lipton and Kirsten Grind)
| | President LYNDON B. JOHNSON had electric toothbrush give-aways in the Oval Office, according to the LBJ Library and Museum. DORIS KEARNS GOODWIN, the presidential historian who served as a White House intern in the Johnson administration, amassed several during her tenure. She supposedly asked Johnson, why toothbrushes? “I want people to think of me right away when they wake up and right before they go to bed,” he responded, according to the museum. 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 Jennifer Haberkorn, Noah Bierman and Kaitlyn Locke
| | | | A new era in Washington calls for sharper insights. Get faster policy scoops, more congressional coverage, and a re-imagined newsletter under the leadership of Jack Blanchard. Subscribe to our Playbook Newsletter today. | | | | | | | | | Follow us on Twitter | | | | Follow us | | | |
