POLITICO Playbook Audio Briefing

President Donald Trump last night announced that Israel and Hamas both signed off on the first phase of his peace plan. This isn't just a momentous occasion for the people of Israel and Gaza, but it is also an opportunity for Trump to take a victory lap. White House Bureau Chief Dasha Burns spoke with Trump last night and joins Playbook's Jack Blanchard to discuss the implications and what comes next.

Former FBI Director James Comey is set to be arraigned this morning. The move, though hardly unexpected, marks a defining moment in the history of the justice system after President Donald Trump repeatedly pressed for Comey's prosecution. Playbook's Jack Blanchard and White House Bureau Chief Dasha Burns break down where things go from here. Plus, National Guard troops are poised to deploy to another major U.S. city. And on the eighth day of the government shutdown, do Democrats have the upper hand?

Attorney General Pam Bondi is on Capitol Hill today for a high-profile hearing before the Senate Judiciary Committee. Among those poised to grill Bondi is Sen. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), who claims he is being targeted as an enemy of President Donald Trump. Playbook's Jack Blanchard and White House Bureau Chief Dasha Burns walk through what to watch from Bondi's appearance. Plus, Trump says he's not wholly opposed to invoking the Insurrection Act, and Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney will be at the White House today.

Communities in Chicago and Portland spent the weekend adjusting to President Donald Trump's decision to send in the National Guard — but some of his moves are hanging in legal limbo. In Egypt, representatives from Hamas, Israel and the U.S. are set to hold talks on a Middle East ceasefire. Back in D.C., signs of a shutdown resolution are nowhere to be found as it stretches to six days. Playbook's Jack Blanchard and White House Bureau Chief Dasha Burns unpack it all.

Kevin Hassett is the director of the National Economic Council and arguably the economist closest to President Donald Trump. Right now, he's also one of the top advisers tasked with explaining the economic fallout of the government shutdown and forging a path forward. Hassett joins POLITICO's Dasha Burns for this week's episode of The Conversation, where he talks about the shutdown standoff on Capitol Hill, when Americans should start feeling the benefits of Trump's big tax bill and how the trade wars may affect the midterms.  “The really striking thing is that the place where the tariff policy effects should be the worst is the time right now where we have almost 4 percent growth and low inflation,” Hassett says. “We're very, very optimistic about how this policy is working and what it's gonna look like.” And, Hassett digs into the buzz surrounding whether or not he will be Trump's pick to replace Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell.  Plus, Shark Tank judge and investor Kevin O'Leary comes on the show to explain why he's bullish on the TikTok deal news, bearish on the federal government's investment in Intel and how he's grading Trump 2.0's economic performance so far.

It's day three of the federal shutdown, and the Democrats are struggling to come up with a coherent and unifying message. Meanwhile, Republicans are encountering a shutdown-inspired divide of their own — this one centering on the role of OMB Director Russ Vought, and the political popularity (or lack thereof) of some of his undertakings. Playbook's Adam Wren and POLITICO White House reporter Megan Messerly discuss the state of play as the shutdown shows no signs of abating.

Washington may not agree on much at the moment, but there's a broad consensus on at least one thing about the federal shutdown: There is, at this moment, no end in sight. Today, it's all but certain that Republicans and Democrats will continue to lob barbs — and subpar memes — at one another. Meanwhile, outside the Beltway, Americans will feel the day-to-day consequences of an unfunded government. Playbook's Jack Blanchard and Dasha Burns discuss the state of play. Plus, President Donald Trump's Gaza proposal faces an uncertain future, while Trump's military push into major cities looks to continue.

Overnight, the federal government shut down as its congressionally approved funding lapsed. How long will it last? Who will the American public hold responsible for it? And what is going to happen to the government while a prospective solution gets sorted out? Playbook's Jack Blanchard and POLITICO White House bureau chief Dasha Burns walk through every angle.

Barring a last-minute deal, the federal government will shut down at midnight tonight. And at this hour, the two sides seem as far apart as ever. A meeting at the White House saw Democratic and Republican leaders dig in their heels and emerge while aiming fire at one another, confident that they can spin a shutdown as the other side's fault. What does President Donald Trump think about all of it? Our very own Dasha Burns spoke with him last night and brings us the latest. Plus, Dasha and Jack Blanchard walk through what the president also had to say about his plans for the Middle East, and parse Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth's big military meeting at Quantico today.

First came Los Angeles. Then, Washington, D.C. Now, President Donald Trump's ongoing federal crackdown on big cities comes to Portland, Oregon. Last night, the city and state filed suit to block Trump from deploying 200 members of the Oregon National Guard to the City of Roses. But in an era when the confrontation is the point, that's a fight Trump is perfectly willing to have. Playbook's Adam Wren and Dasha Burns walk through Trump's Portland push and what it portends for other major cities. Plus, we're two days away from a federal government shutdown, and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu visits the White House today as Trump pushes a new ceasefire plan.

James Talarico is a Texas state representative who's recently announced his candidacy for US Senate. He's a Democrat, but not afraid to criticize some aspects of his party.  “National Democrats have talked about defending democracy or protecting institutions,” he said. “But, this democracy of ours doesn't work for a lot of people in this country. It doesn't work for a lot of people in Texas…. This is a deeply broken political system. And I'm not interested in defending it.”  Talarico joined POLITICO's Dasha Burns this week for an episode of The Conversation, in a wide-ranging conversation about his candidacy, his faith and what Democrats can learn from Beyoncé.  Talarico caught national attention when he flipped a state House district outside Austin in 2018, and has grown in prominence on social media, where he boasts millions of followers on TikTok and Instagram. The former school teacher who's studying to be a pastor is joining a crowded race to try to turn a Senate seat blue in Texas. His faith has been one of the central aspects of his campaign. “My faith is why I went into public service. My granddad was a Baptist preacher in South Texas [and he] told me that Jesus gave us these two commandments to love God and love neighbor, which means that your faith is inherently public, right?,” he said. “That means that your faith should impact how you treat people out in the world. And really politics is just another word for how we treat our neighbors at the most fundamental level.” When it comes to immigration, a Texas issue in the national spotlight, Talarico offered a metaphor to explain his approach. “People have a desire for a sane immigration system, a secure border that can ensure public safety and can ensure that the people coming here are coming to contribute to our communities and not threaten our communities,” he said. “We should treat our southern border like our front porch. We should have a giant welcome mat out front, and we should have the lock on the door.”

Last night, federal prosecutors in Virginia charged former FBI Director James Comey with obstruction and making a false statement to Congress. It comes just days after President Donald Trump publicly demanded that Attorney General Pam Bondi more aggressively pursue criminal charges against Comey and other political enemies. What does it mean for the rule of law and where does Trump's retribution campaign go from here? Playbook's Adam Wren and POLITICO White House reporter Myah Ward unpack it all.

President Donald Trump has found his next big foreign policy project: Peace in the Middle East. And where that's a goal hat has vexed generations of presidential administrations, Trump believes he can force a breakthrough with a bit of help from his friends in the region. On Tuesday, Trump met with eight leaders of Arab or Muslim-majority nations in New York. Today, he welcomes Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan to the White House to talk about a nascent 21-point plan for peace in Gaza. Could Trump succeed where so many others have failed? Playbook's Jack Blanchard and Dasha Burns unpack it all. Plus, Trump's efforts at lawfare drastically escalate.

With just days left before a federal funding lapses, a government shutdown is looking more and more likely. There's no deal in sight that would deliver the Democratic votes to make it through the Senate, top congressional leaders aren't talking to one another and the race is on to pre-assign blame. Playbook's Jack Blanchard and Adam Wren sort through what you need to know with T-minus seven days remaining. Plus: President Donald Trump makes an abrupt — and potentially hugely consequential — shift on Ukraine. And: Are Democrats too focused on the rear-view mirror instead of the road ahead?

President Donald Trump is set to address the United Nations General Assembly in New York today, and there's no shortage of topics he could wade into. There's Russia's ongoing war in Ukraine, the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, a smattering of U.S.-brokered peace deals, the outlook for beleaguered international institutions and new attempts to reset and remake the global order. Playbook's Jack Blanchard and POLITICO White House reporter Megan Messerly walk through what to expect. Plus, the far-reaching fallout from Trump's autism announcement is only beginning to be understood.

President Donald Trump and dozens of top administration officials and aides spent Sunday at Charlie Kirk's stadium-sized memorial service in Arizona. Trump called Kirk “our greatest evangelist for American liberty” and a “martyr” for American freedom, while drawing at least one stark contrast between himself and the late conservative Christian activist. “He did not hate his opponents. He wanted the best for them. That's where I disagreed with Charlie,” Trump said. “I hate my opponents, and I don't want the best for them.” That portends turbulence ahead, as Trump returns to Washington eager to press the Justice Department to prosecute his political enemies, readies a major announcement on autism and gears up for a battery of meetings at the U.N. General Assembly. Playbook's Jack Blanchard and Adam Wren unpack what to know as the week begins.

Sriram Krishnan is a venture capitalist who once served as general partner at Andreessen Horowitz. Now, he serves as White House Senior Policy Advisor for AI, where he has helped to develop President Trump's American AI Action Plan.  In a live interview with The Conversation host Dasha Burns at POLITICO's AI & Tech Summit, Krishnan discussed what it takes for the United States to win the AI race, how the White House wants to keep “wokeness” out of government-funded AI, and how artificial intelligence will be harnessed, regulated, and contested in the years ahead.  “We want to make sure that our ecosystem has market share, and if [China's] Huawei gets market share that means revenue, that means usage, it makes their chips better, it makes them set up to start exporting to other countries,” Krishnan said. Krishnan explains that the era of artificial intelligence is still very new, and while it closely resembles the early days of the internet, the Trump White House is working to make sure everyday Americans can make good use of the technology. “What I think about is how do we get more of what people here are seeing, which is AI making your lives better, making your work better and figuring out how to get us to economic prosperity.”  Plus, Playbook managing editor and in-house UK expert Jack Blanchard breaks down the significance of Trump's unprecedented second state visit to Great Britain and the president's close relationship with prime minister Keir Starmer.

There's a hot new fitness trend that may offer some insight into the 2026 midterms, according to a new poll. Women who wear weighted vests are the new niche voting group that could be key for both parties to capture. So who has the early edge? Playbook's Adam Wren and White House reporter Myah Ward dig in. Plus, former Vice President Kamala Harris paints a fiery picture of her 107-day presidential campaign, and the fallout from Jimmy Kimmel's suspension continues.

President Donald Trump is on day two of his U.K. state visit. While Wednesday saw plenty of pomp and circumstance, today will bring the business end. Trump is set to meet with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, and talks about trade and Ukraine are likely to top the agenda. Trump will be back in the U.S. later today, and he's returning as Washington grapples with two big pieces of news: Disney indefinitely pulled Jimmy Kimmel's late-night show off the air over comments made in the aftermath of Charlie Kirk's killing. Meanwhile, Trump said in a post on Truth Social that he is designating the antifa movement a terrorist organization. Playbook's Jack Blanchard and White House reporter Megan Messerly break it all down.

President Donald Trump is in the U.K. today for his second state visit, but the spotlight today will be pointed squarely back home in Washington. Attorney General Pam Bondi is attempting to define the debate over free speech one week after Charlie Kirk's death. Susan Monarez, who was dismissed as head of the CDC, is set to appear before the Senate to detail the break with HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. that led to her ouster. And Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell will announce the central bank's highly anticipated decision on interest rates. Playbook's Jack Blanchard and White House reporter Megan Messerly break down how it's all playing out while Trump is abroad.

As President Donald Trump travels to the U.K. this morning, the conversation in the U.S. remains focused on the aftermath of Charlie Kirk's death. FBI Director Kash Patel is set to appear for a Senate hearing this morning, where he'll likely face questions over his credibility in light of his response to the investigation. Meanwhile, Kirk's death is spurring Republicans to go after what they have deemed the “radical left” over the response to Kirk's death. Playbook's Jack Blanchard and Adam Wren unpack the stakes and what to expect next. Plus, the Federal Reserve's highly anticipated meeting begins this morning.

In the days since the public killing of conservative activist Charlie Kirk, the country has seen an unprecedented level of eulogizing from Washington. Vice President JD Vance escorted Kirk's body back to Arizona in Air Force Two and is set to host Kirk's podcast Monday afternoon. A number of senior Trump officials spoke at a memorial for Kirk at the Kennedy Center on Sunday night. But how will Kirk's killing influence the next stage of policymaking from the administration? Playbook's Jack Blanchard and White House Bureau Chief Dasha Burns walk through what may come next.

Charlie Kirk was shot and killed while speaking at an event at Utah Valley University on Wednesday, September 10. Kirk founded Turning Point USA, which became one of the most influential conservative grassroots organizations in the country. He was a larger-than-life figure in Republican politics who was controversial, provocative, and intrinsically tied to the movement of youth toward voting for Donald Trump in the 2024 election. In the first episode of the newest season of The Conversation, host Dasha Burns, POLITICO's White House Bureau Chief, speaks with Global Editor-in-Chief John F. Harris about Kirk's death, what it says about the state of free speech in America, and the country's history of political violence.

The FBI and top law enforcement officials continue to piece together the events that led to the fatal shooting of Charlie Kirk in Utah on Wednesday. In Washington, President Donald Trump and others are cementing the MAGA leader's legacy, posthumously awarding him the Presidential Medal of Freedom. And though Trump praised what he said was Kirk's advocacy for nonviolence, he also told reporters “we have to beat the hell” out of “radical left lunatics.” Tempers are high among his closest confidants and millions of followers. So, where does that energy go now, and can any figure unite a grieving and angry America? Playbook's Adam Wren and White House reporter Megan Messerly break it down.

Charlie Kirk, the right-wing political influencer and founder of Turning Point USA, was shot dead in an apparent act of political violence during an event at Utah Valley University on Wednesday. Scores of politicians from both sides of the aisle quickly condemned the killing. Trump — who counted Kirk among his close allies — promised action in an address from the Oval Office, stating that his administration “will find each and every one of those who contributed to this atrocity and to other political violence, including the organizations that fund it and support it.” Playbook's Jack Blanchard and White House Bureau Chief Dasha Burns walk through how we got to this moment and where things go from here.

It has been one month since President Donald Trump federalized Washington, D.C. His control over the police department expires today, and it appears unlikely Congress will act to extend his power. But the National Guard troops and other federal agents are set to stay for now, so Trump's influence will likely still be felt throughout the city. The question on everyone's mind: Where will he direct troops next? Playbook's Jack Blanchard and White House Bureau Chief Dasha Burns explore some possibilities. Plus, the aftershocks from Israel's shocking bombing of Qatar are being felt in Washington.

The Jeffrey Epstein files are dominating the conversation in Washington today, following the release yesterday of a birthday greeting reportedly sent to Epstein by Donald Trump. Democrats are taking some glee over the release, but Republicans are ignoring the issue altogether, opting instead to focus on immigration and crime. Playbook's Jack Blanchard and POLITICO White House Bureau Chief Dasha Burns walk through the situation. Plus, the immigration crackdown in Chicago ramps up, and it's special election day in northern Virginia.

This morning, President Donald Trump will head to the Museum of the Bible to speak at the second meeting of his Religious Liberty Commission. But as his words aim to shore up support from a key constituency, his actions — ranging from deploying the National Guard in major cities to favorably comparing his efforts to “Apocalypse Now” — risk opening new fissures in American life. Playbook's Jack Blanchard and Dasha Burns break it all down. Plus, the inside scoop about the latest public clash within Trump's inner circle.

The Conversation with Dasha Burns is back! In Season 1, Burns sat down with some of the most powerful players in Washington to get their perspectives on what's really going on inside The White House. Join The Conversation again as Burns continues to explore how President Trump and his team are fundamentally reshaping the country, and how Democrats are tackling this new era of American politics. Full episodes will now air every Friday, starting Sept. 12.

The private sector jobs boom that President Donald Trump pledged to deliver in his second term is starting to look shaky — and that raises the political stakes for this morning's new monthly jobs report. Weak numbers — or substantial revisions to previously reported gains — would blow a hole in the Trump administration's claims its agenda has unleashed a new “Golden Age” for American workers — and could portend a turbulent path ahead for the U.S. economy. Playbook's Zack Stanton and POLITICO White House reporter Megan Messerly sort out what to expect as the spin cycle fires up. Plus: the Defense Department gets a rebranding, and the Justice Department opens a criminal probe into Lisa Cook.

This morning on Capitol Hill, Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr. will appear before the Senate Finance Committee to answer questions. Officially, the topic is the "President's 2026 Health Care Agenda." But unofficially, the hearing will offer the first chance for senators to grill Kennedy since the the CDC's internal war over vaccines spilled into public view, pitting scientists and medical professionals against RFK Jr.'s MAHA loyalists. Playbook's Jack Blanchard and Politico White House reporter Megan Messerly tell you what to watch for. Plus, President Donald Trump engages with European leaders on Ukraine and Russia, and a who's who of tech world CEOs descend on DC for a Rose Garden soiree.

The day Washington has been anticipating for more than a month has finally arrived: With August recess over and Congress back in action, the furor over the Jeffrey Epstein files is set to ramp up in a major way. From the maneuvering around the bipartisan discharge petition to the public pressure campaign spearheaded by Epstein's survivors, the story is set to dominate DC today. Playbook's Jack Blanchard and Politico White House reporter Megan Messerly talk through what to expect. Plus, Trump threatens to send the military to Chicago and his tariff policies head to the Supreme Court.

When President Donald Trump addresses the press today in the Oval Office, it will be his first public appearance in a week. For many presidents, that wouldn't be particularly notable. But Trump's weeklong absence was heard loud and clear and sparked myriad theories about his health and vitality. POLITICO White House reporter Megan Messerly joins Playbook's Jack Blanchard to discuss that, the president's latest comments on Russia and all the rest of the news driving the day.

In their ongoing effort to reorganize and define the party, Democrats have gotten some new guidance on how to win over voters. And it's not so much about what they should do, but what they shouldn't. In a new memo shared exclusively with Playbook, the center-left Democratic think tank Third Way reveals the party should distance itself from a few dozen words and phrases that may alienate potential voters. Could terms such as “microaggression,” “privilege” and “triggering” in fact be turning off potential Democratic voters? Playbook's Adam Wren and White House reporter Megan Messerly unpack that and more.

President Donald Trump's “One Big, Beautiful Bill” Act is in for one big, beautiful rebranding effort. Today in Georgia, VP JD Vance will seek to reframe the Republican megalaw as primarily  “working families tax cuts.” In part, that's a reaction to weak poll numbers for Trump's signature legislative accomplishment heading into the midterms. But the new approach is also a reflection of a divide within the GOP over whether congressional Republicans have been sufficiently proactive in promoting the policy to voters. Playbook's Adam Wren and Politico White House reporter Irie Sentner break down what to watch.

With a smashmouth, all-caps-laden and meme-filled X account, California Gov. Gavin Newsom is holding a mirror up to MAGA — and MAGA doesn't like what it's seeing. For a decade, President Donald Trump has blazed trails online. And now, Newsom is finding that by replicating Trump's posts — to the point of outright parody and trolling — he's effectively gamed social media algorithms and colonized X's “for you” tab. Is this a new era for political communication in America? And is the Michelle Obama “when they go low, we go high” era effectively dead and buried? Playbook's Adam Wren and Dasha Burns sort through the AI-generated slop and get some answers.

A whirlwind of diplomacy whipped through Washington yesterday. Today, we're sorting through the aftermath of the series of historic meetings between President Donald Trump, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and a coterie of European leaders. Playbook's Adam Wren and Dasha Burns sort through the big takeaways, what really changed and what lies ahead for Ukraine, Russia and the U.S.

Another day, another massive summit with huge geopolitical implications. On Friday, the biggest story in politics was the meeting between President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin. Today, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's meets with Trump, with a cavalcade of European leaders in tow. What can we expect today? Playbook's Adam Wren and Dasha Burns unpack what to expect.

This afternoon, President Donald Trump is set to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska. For the better part of a week, the White House has been tempering expectations — with the latest chatter being that this will all be the prelude to a second meeting with Putin at which real progress could be made on a ceasefire agreement in Russia's war on Ukraine. So what would success look like today? And what is each side's strategy going in? Playbook's Adam Wren and POLITICO White House and foreign affairs correspondent Eli Stokols walk you through what you need to know.

After his appearance last week on “Pod Save America,” Pete Buttigieg attracted incoming fire over his response to a question about Gaza — an answer which critics thought was especially mealy-mouthed. This morning, in an exclusive interview for Playbook, Buttigieg clears the air — and offers the latest sign of just how much opinions within the Democratic Party are shifting on Israel and Gaza. Playbook's Adam Wren and Dasha Burns talk it through. Plus, the latest on tomorrow's Trump-Putin meeting, and Dasha talks through her latest scoop on Susie Wiles and Laura Loomer.

After successfully ousting several officials in the Trump administration, far-right activist and MAGA influencer Laura Loomer has sharpened her focus on her next targets: HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and one of his top aides. And a big part of the reason why has to do with 2028. Playbook's Adam Wren and Dasha Burns break it all down and what it could mean for the administration. Plus, the latest geopolitical jockeying ahead of the Trump-Putin summit, and questions abound about the trustworthiness of new economic data from Trump's Washington.

Residents of Washington are waking up this morning to a city that looks a little different. At a press conference yesterday morning, President Donald Trump announced he would effectively take over the Washington's police department for 30 days and deploy the National Guard to patrol the city. What happens next? How are Democrats responding? And what is the conversation Trump is trying to bait them into? Playbook's Adam Wren and Dasha Burns break it all down.

Today at 10 a.m., President Donald Trump is expected to announce that he will deploy federal forces to patrol the streets of Washington, D.C., in an attempt to fight crime and “immediately clear out the city's homeless population.” It comes as Trump has reportedly eyed a federal takeover of Washington in response to what he characterizes as “out of control crime” — even though statistics from law enforcement show that violent crime in the district has dropped substantially over the past two years. Is this an attempt by Trump to control the narrative? How seriously should Washingtonians take the threat of a takeover? And what does this mean for self-governance in D.C.? Playbook's Adam Wren and POLITICO senior Congress editor Mike DeBonis talk it through.

Last night, the White House announced that it will use federal law enforcement officers to patrol Washington D.C. in a striking escalation of the administration's antagonism towards the city's locally controlled government. It comes as Trump has threatened in recent days to federalize the city and take over its police force in response to an attempted carjacking that injured a staffer in the Trump administration. But there's a bigger picture, too: A pivot on the part of the administration to refocus its message on the “law and order” issues where they feel the safest politically. Where do things go from here? Playbook's Adam Wren breaks it all down with POLITICO White House reporter Megan Messerly. That, plus Texas' redistricting melee scrambles the state's marquee U.S. Senate race, and how the White House is thinking about the prospect of a one-on-one meeting between Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin.