| | | |  | | By Irie Sentner, Ben Johansen and Sophia Cai | | Presented by |  | | | 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 HEYYY BESTIE: President DONALD TRUMP on Friday hosted a foreign leader at the White House for the second time in three days — and for the second time in three days, that leader made it a priority to communicate just how much he appreciated Trump. “I was so excited to see such a celebrity on television, to see in-person,” SHIGERU ISHIBA, the Japanese prime minister, told reporters after the two dined together privately. “On television, he is frightening, and he has a very strong personality. But when I met with him, actually, he was very sincere and very powerful.” Ishiba quickly added he was not trying to “suck up.” That meeting came on the heels of Trump’s White House confab with Israeli Prime Minister BENJAMIN NETANYAHU on Wednesday, when the president announced the U.S. would “take over the Gaza Strip.” Unlike Ishiba — who on Friday met Trump for the first time and was trying to fill the shoes of the late former Japanese Prime Minister SHINZO ABE, a friend of the American president — Netanyahu and Trump are close allies who have worked together to advance Netanyahu’s archconservative government’s agenda in the region. Still, the Israeli prime minister came to the White House ready to make his closeness to Trump abundantly clear — gifting the president a golden pager in reference to the deadly military operation Israel launched last year in Lebanon. “To President Donald J. Trump, Our greatest friend and greatest ally,” the beeper read. Will the kowtowing work? Many leaders tried it during Trump’s first term, but still found themselves on the receiving end of threats or tariffs. For Trump, who has long had a transactional view of foreign policy, there are no permanent friends and there will always be a need for foils. But in the early days of Trump’s second go-round in the Oval Office, it’s clear that heads of state are looking to avoid needless confrontation, and still see abject flattery as the smartest strategy. Read more from our ELI STOKOLS and PHELIM KINE. GRAND OLD PARTIERS: Republicans have a trifecta in Washington — and they’re trying to make the famously liberal city their own, even as their policies tear at the core of the federal government that fuels its economy and cultural life. During Trump 1.0, some younger Republican staffers told us, they were more timid about getting out — especially after high-profile incidents of top-level staffers getting protested or refused service. But this time around, Trump’s sweep of the swing states and popular vote victory have emboldened the MAGA youth, even in a city that went 92 percent for former Vice President KAMALA HARRIS. “We’re here,” said one Republican lobbyist, granted anonymity to speak candidly, proving that hesitance hasn’t entirely disappeared. “We’re going to come to all the restaurants you go to and you’re going to have to deal with it.” Here is an incomplete guide on where to find the MAGA crowd: As West Wing Playbook reported last month, the lobby of the Waldorf Astoria — formerly the Trump International Hotel — was crawling with MAGA celebrities around Inauguration Day. Ned’s Club, a member’s lounge a block from the White House, is also popular among West Wing officials. Then there’s Butterworth’s on Capitol Hill, a well-known MAGA hangout whose investor, RAHEEM KASSAM, is the former editor-in-chief of Breitbart News London and a close ally of Vice President JD VANCE. Kassam has turned the swanky establishment, steps from the Heritage Foundation’s HQ, into a go-to spot for young Republicans. It’s a “big hangout spot,” said one person in touch with the restaurant’s cultural significance among White House staffers. As for the more junior staffers who keep this town running, many say they are too busy at the moment to have robust social lives. Several junior Trump administration officials — none of whom agreed to speak on the record — told West Wing Playbook they didn’t have the time to go out as Trump enacts his sweeping agenda at breakneck speed. One staffer offered to ask around and send us a list of what she heard. We’re still awaiting her response. But for those lucky 20-somethings who do have a moment to breathe, their go-to neighborhood is undoubtedly Navy Yard — or as some call it, “Bar-a-Lago.” In D.C., this neighborhood that went 73 percent for Harris counts as a GOP haven. Navy Yard classics include Willie’s Sports Bar and Mission, whose co-owner, FRITZ BROGAN, was a top aide to Republican Sen. RICK SCOTT when he was governor of Florida. The “Wine Wednesday” night at Scarlet Oak is another popular option. But some are missing the best part — half-priced bottles of wine. We’re told they keep ordering dirty martinis. MESSAGE US — Are you TONY P? 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 D.C. restaurant hosted every president from HARRY TRUMAN to GEORGE W. BUSH? (Answer at bottom.)
| | FIRST IN WEST WING PLAYBOOK: The U.S. Trade and Development Agency says in a post on LinkedIn that all activities "are suspended until further notice," our DANIEL LIPPMAN and Ben write. In the post, the agency announced the suspension of workshops and programs throughout the world. USTDA has historically helped companies create U.S. jobs through the export of U.S. goods and services for priority infrastructure projects in emerging economies, according to its website. A spokesperson for USTDA didn't respond to a request for comment. BOTH SIDES-ISM: Trump on Friday morning sent a statement on Truth Social previewing Super Bowl LIX, taking place on Sunday between the Kansas City Chiefs and Philadelphia Eagles. He called PATRICK MAHOMES and JALEN HURTS “Two great Quarterbacks in this game” and TRAVIS KELCE “the absolute best tight end in football (Ever!)” This comes after Kelce, who is dating TAYLOR SWIFT, got some heat this week for saying it is “awesome” and “a great honor” for the president to attend the game. In September, Trump wrote, “I hate Taylor Swift,” on Truth Social. West Wing Playbook pick: Chiefs 27, Eagles 24. Book it. ROUGH DAY FOR THE TURTLES: Trump announced on Friday that next week, he will sign an executive order “ending the ridiculous Biden push for Paper Straws that didn’t work,” adding, “BACK TO PLASTIC.” It’s unclear exactly what Trump is referring to, but in July, the White House announced an effort to phase out the federal government’s purchasing of single-use plastics, including straws.
| | | | A message from American Chemistry Council: President Trump: Chemistry Powers American Greatness. Mr. President, chemistry is foundational to America's supply chain. It fuels national defense, energy security, healthcare, and innovation. Growing U.S. chemical production means jobs, stronger supply chains, and winning the global competition. Over 75% of Americans agree: chemistry is essential to our economy and security. By championing smart, pro-growth policies we can bolster chemical production here and help make America the world's manufacturing superpower. American success relies on American chemistry. | | | | | JD IN CHARGE OF TIK TOK DEAL: Trump has handed Vice President Vance the job of hammering out a deal between ByteDance and a potential buyer, our CHRISTINE MUI, MIA McCARTHY and Irie report for Pro subscribers. His involvement, first reported by Punchbowl News, was confirmed by two people familiar with the assignment. Trump wants a “bidding war” over TikTok, and private investors are giving him one. Billionaires FRANK McCOURT and KEVIN O’LEARY submitted a $20 billion offer to ByteDance ahead of the January ban. They’re willing to buy TikTok even without its powerful algorithm, which Chinese law prevents from leaving the country. MUSK-IN-CHIEF: As ELON MUSK dismantles government agencies, anti-Trump groups are trying to capitalize on the attention by getting under the elected president’s skin. The Lincoln Project — a Trump troll farm group founded by GEORGE CONWAY — put out a blistering ad on YouTube, titled: “President Musk.” In the ad, the narrator addresses the audience, listing benefit after benefit that Musk is taking away, purposely leaving Trump out of it. “You think you voted for Trump, but you didn't, you voted for Elon Musk. All heil President Musk,” the ad ends, with Musk raising his hand at the Capitol One Arena, in a way which many associated with the Nazi salute. Real question, will this get out of the liberal echo chamber? On the same day, TIME Magazine came out with a story, “Inside Elon Musk’s War on Washington.” And the cover picture speaks for itself.
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| Trump responded to the cover during his fireside chat with Ishiba. “Is TIME Magazine still in business? I didn’t even know that.” INTERESTING HILL TO DIE ON: After the WSJ reported on Thursday that a high-level DOGE staffer, 25-year-old MARKO ELEZ, resigned over racist comments, one White House official said he deserves a second chance. “I obviously disagree with some of Elez’s posts, but I don’t think stupid social media activity should ruin a kid’s life,” Vance said in a post on X Friday. “We shouldn’t reward journalists who try to destroy people. Ever. So I say bring him back. If he’s a bad dude or a terrible member of the team, fire him for that.” In July, Elez posted: “Just for the record, I was racist before it was cool.” In September, Elez said in two separate posts, “You could not pay me to marry outside of my ethnicity” and “Normalize Indian hate.” “Are you going to tell him to apologize for saying "Normalize Indian hate" before this rehire? Just asking for the sake of both of our kids,” Rep. RO KHANNA (D-Calif.) asked on X of Vance, whose wife, USHA VANCE, and children are Indian-American. Khanna’s parents were born in India. “For the sake of both of our kids?” the vice president shot back, “Grow up.” Asked for his thoughts on the matter, Trump said he wasn’t familiar with the situation but agreed with his vice president. And Musk, shortly afterward, said, “He will be brought back. To err is human, to forgive is divine.” WE SUPPORT OUR OWN: Trump is considering tapping ROD BLAGOJEVICH, the former Illinois governor who was impeached and served eight years in prison on corruption charges, to be U.S. ambassador to Serbia, our ERIC BAZAIL-EIMIL and AMY MACKINNON report. Blagojevich, whose sentence was commuted by Trump in 2020, is also a former Democratic member of Congress. He was the co-chair of the group Serbians for Trump during the 2024 presidential campaign and has morphed into a strong political supporter of Trump. Blagojevich’s father is from Serbia.
| | | | A message from American Chemistry Council:  
| | | | | ABOUT THOSE JOBS: The pace of hiring slowed slightly in January, signaling more subdued employment growth even as joblessness remained low, NYT’s LYDIA DePILLIS reports. A total of 143,000 jobs were added, a showing that fell short of forecasts, the Labor Department reported on Friday. The unemployment rate edged down to 4 percent. “Today’s jobs report reveals the Biden economy was far worse than anyone thought, and underscores the necessity of President Trump’s pro-growth policies,” White House press secretary KAROLINE LEAVITT said in a statement. “President Trump is delivering on his promise to restore our broken economy, revive small business optimism, create jobs, and ignite a new Golden Age for America.” ON A TEAR: On Friday, Musk’s team entered the headquarters of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, an agency that the billionaire Trump adviser has personally targeted, our HOLLY OTTERBEIN and KATY O’DONNELL report. Three Musk allies, some of whom are tied to DOGE, have also embedded with the consumer bureau, according to the CFPB’s employees union, NTEU 335. It's a sign that cuts could be coming to the agency, which Republicans have long opposed.
| | | | A message from American Chemistry Council: President Trump: Let's Make America the Manufacturing Superpower
Mr. President, chemistry is the backbone of American innovation and strength. From national defense to energy independence, healthcare, and advanced technology, U.S. chemical manufacturers drive the products and solutions our nation relies on every day.
By growing U.S. chemical production, we can create jobs, bolster our sector's trade surplus, and ensure America wins the global competition. Over 75% of Americans agree: chemistry is essential to our economy and technological edge.
Smart, pro-growth policies are key to fostering domestic production, strengthening supply chains, and prioritizing energy security. By supporting American chemical manufacturers, you'll support families, businesses, and our nation.
Let's work together to champion growth, innovation, and American-made success. With your leadership, we can help you secure America's place as the world's manufacturing superpower.
American success relies on American chemistry. | | | | | FBI nominee Kash Patel Warned Elon Musk Is Becoming “One Ginormous Trust” (Jake Lahut for Drop Site News) Trump Takes Over the Kennedy Center (The Atlantic’s Michael Scherer and Ashley Parker) Vought wants to dismantle the “deep state.” As he takes office, it’s already happening. (POLITICO’s Megan Messerly) Musk’s DOGE Teen Was Fired By Cybersecurity Firm for Leaking Company Secrets (Bloomberg’s Jason Leopold, Margi Murphy, Sophie Alexander, Jake Bleiberg and Anthony Cormier) How Tucker Carlson’s Nicotine Pouch Became the Latest in the Culture War (POLITICO’s Ian Ward)
| | Martin’s Tavern in Georgetown, which opened in 1933, has hosted every president from Truman to the younger Bush. Former President BARACK OBAMA broke the streak, but his daughter, MALIA, was once spotted there. Rumor is that it was also the place JOHN F. KENNEDY proposed to JACQUELINE KENNEDY in what is now known as the “Proposal Booth.” Several presidents have booths named after them, including Truman, LYNDON B. JOHNSON, RICHARD NIXON and Bush. 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 and Noah Bierman
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