Podcast appearances and mentions of mike debonis

It's a fitting end to a week of news dominated by foreign policy hands in Trump world: Yesterday, the White House announced that it is withdrawing Rep. Elise Stefanik's nomination for UN ambassador. The New York Republican will instead remain in the House as Republicans work to maintain their narrow majority in the chamber. What does that tell us about the outlook for Trump's agenda? And how does Stefanik return to life on Capitol Hill? Senior Congress editor Mike Debonis joins Playbook deputy editor Zack Stanton to break it all down. Plus, Vice President JD Vance heads to Greenland, and Signalgate fallout continues for a fifth day.

This evening, President Donald Trump will address a joint session of Congress for the first time in his second term in the White House. After a whirlwind 24 hours that included pausing all military aid to Ukraine, and imposing tariffs on our two closest trading partners, Congress will be in for quite the speech. Senior Congress editor Mike DeBonis joins chief Playbook correspondent Eugene Daniels to discuss what he expects.

Trump's rapid-fire approach to governing is shaking up Washington. But is he moving too fast for his own good? In this episode of Playbook Deep Dive, host Eugene Daniels talks with POLITICO's senior Congress editor Mike DeBonis and West Wing Playbook co-author Sophia Cai to break down the risks of Trump's high-speed strategy and what it means for the weeks ahead. Eugene Daniels is the Chief Playbook Correspondent for POLITICO. Mike DeBonis is the senior Congress editor for POLITICO. Sophia Cai is a West Wing Playbook author and White House reporter for POLITICO. Kara Tabor is a producer for POLITICO audio.  Alex Keeney is a senior producer for POLITICO audio. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The House's big, beautiful fiscal blueprint is up for a vote today, but Speaker Mike Johnson is already navigating inter-party fighting over possible budget cuts. POLITICO senior Congress editor Mike DeBonis joins deputy Playbook editor Zack Stanton to break down Johnson's sticky situation. Plus, a military contractors' pitch for deportation camps and all the rest of the news you need to know today.

The Republican battle for the upper hand in the reconciliation debate is in full swing today. House GOP leaders are set to finally unveil their plan. Senate Republicans descend on Mar-a-Lago to woo President Donald Trump toward their own competing vision. In the balance is Trump's legislative agenda, whose plan will come out on top? Senior Congress editor Mike DeBonis walks Playbook deputy editor Zack Stanton through the possibilities. Plus, Russell Vought gets confirmed as OMB director despite Senate Dems protesting for roughly 30 hours straight. All that, and the rest of the news you need to know today.

The Republican House majority is narrow, and there are a lot of policy priorities President-elect Donald Trump would like to see addressed. But, his preference on how to best approach the budget reconciliation process is unclear. Senior Congress editor Mike DeBonis joins Playbook co-author Eugene Daniels to discuss the potential paths forward.

At this moment, we are mere hours away from a government shutdown. How did we get here? Well, just take a look at House Republicans: After Speaker Mike Johnson's initial spending deal was scuttled amid opposition from President-elect Donald Trump, the replacement deal — this one backed by Trump — fell short of the votes it needed amid 38 GOP defections. With time running out, what options remain? Who's in for the lion's share of the blame? And who are the key players to watch today? Playbook deputy editor Zack Stanton and Playbook editor Mike DeBonis talk through it all.

On Tuesday, we finally got the continuing resolution that Republicans on both sides of the Hill were quarreling over. But today, with the fine print coming into view, it doesn't look like a sure thing that a unified GOP will show up to get it through. Rep. Eric Burlison (R-MO) called the potential bill a “total dumpster fire.” Speaker Mike Johnson says he wants to take this bill to the House Rules Committee and then to the House floor. Playbook editor Mike Debonis and Playbook co-author break down what could happen next.

Donald Trump is coming back to the White House. On this episode of Deep Dive, POLITICO's top Trump-ologist, Meridith McGraw, and Playbook editor Mike DeBonis join host Rachael Bade to discuss how the next Trump presidency will defy our expectations.  Included in this discussion:  Who will be in Trump's cabinet; who will lead the GOP on the Hill and can Trump really be sure that they'll cooperate with him? On the Democratic side — how will they respond to their crushing defeat? And will they resist Trump's every move as doggedly as they did during his first administration? Rachael Bade is a Playbook co-author for POLITICO. Meridith McGraw is a national political correspondent for POLITICO. Mike DeBonis is the editor of Playbook for POLITICO. Kara Tabor is a producer for POLITICO audio.  Alex Keeney is a senior producer for POLITICO audio. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It seemed unthinkable on Jan. 7, 2021. Now it's reality. Donald Trump will retake the presidency after making sweeping gains in state after state, slashing away at the margins that kept him from a second term four years ago. He declared victory in a raucous speech in West Palm Beach last night, where he hailed “the greatest political movement of all time” — a boast that suddenly did not sound like unhinged hyperbole. Playbook editor Mike DeBonis breaks down what we know with Playbook co-authors Eugene Daniels and Rachael Bade.

The Tampa Bay area is on high alert as the Category 5 hurricane is expected to hit later this week. This comes as the Southern U.S. is still recovering from Hurricane Helene. With Election Day just weeks away, political optics are at the forefront of how the Florida government, and Gov. Ron DeSantis, will manage the crisis. Tallahassee-based reporter Gary Fineout joins Playbook editor Mike DeBonis to discuss the situation.

That smell coming off Capitol Hill today? Jet fumes, as members prepare to get out of dodge. The House of Representatives is expected to vote this evening on a continuing resolution that will fund the government until December. According to Playbook editor Mike DeBonis, what happens next is heavily influenced by the outcome of the election. He breaks it all down with Playbook co-author Eugene Daniels. Plus, formal charges from the Department of Justice for would-be Trump assassin Ryan Routh, and the rest of the news you need to know today.

President Joe Biden will address the United Nations General Assembly this afternoon in what is expected to be one of the most important appearances in the final months of his presidency. Aides to the president say Biden has two goals: to burnish his own foreign policy legacy and to bolster Vice President and Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris. White House Bureau Chief Jonathan Lemire joins Playbook editor Mike DeBonis to walk through what else we know. Plus, another possible scandal for a New York Republican representative, and all the rest of the news you need to know today.

House Speaker Mike Johnson's initial attempt to avoid a government shutdown has been quashed. Yesterday, Johnson put a spending bill on the floor, and it died in a 202-220 vote, with some Republicans joining with Democrats to down the proposal. So … where does Johnson go from here? Playbook editor (and former congress reporter) Mike DeBonis joins Playbook co-author Ryan Lizza to walk through next moves. Plus, the Teamsters put out a non-endorsement in the presidential race, while Donald Trump made some outlandish predictions about New York's vote during a rally on Long Island. All of that, plus the rest of the news you need to know today.

President Joe Biden may not be running for reelection, but that does not mean he intends to be invisible during his lame duck period. Today, Biden is expected to present a proposal to significantly reform the Supreme Court, which included imposing term limits on justices. Biden's decision marks a significant departure from his longstanding reluctance to change the court. White House Correspondent Adam Cancryn joins Playbook editor Mike DeBonis to break down what this all means. Plus, what we know about how the presidential race is shaping one week after Biden's departure from it, and two events around the world that could have large implications for the U.S. That, plus the rest of the news you need to know today.

House Republicans dramatically failed to both impeach Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas and pass the Israel aid bill last night, delivering two major blows to the party leader. Speaker Mike Johnson has vowed to reintroduce articles of impeachment, but with yet another failure during his brief tenure, Playbook co-author Rachael Bade explains Republican members of the House are beginning to question whether he can guide the party through a very public implosion.All that, plus the rest of the news you need to know today. Playbook editor Mike DeBonis interviews Playbook co-author Rachael Bade.

House Republicans are ready to get rolling on formally authorizing an impeachment inquiry into President Joe Biden with a floor vote later this week. Despite a lack of evidence, accusers say Biden may have benefited from his son's business ventures. Right now, as Congress reporter Anthony Adragna explains, the GOP is largely united in supporting the  investigation. But that doesn't necessarily mean they'll ultimately vote to impeach Biden. Plus, an update on an action-packed week on Capitol Hill, with big-ticket issues such as the National Defense Authorization Act and the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, and a visit from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Playbook editor Mike DeBonis interviews congress reporter Anthony Adragna.

Congress has until the end of the work week to determine, once again, how to keep the government funded. New House Speaker Mike Johnson wants to pass a continuing resolution that is going to delay funding for some government agencies until January and the rest of until the deadline in early February. The CR is clean enough that it'll be hard for Democrats to reject the plan, Playbook co-author Rachael Bade explains. But, even some hardline Republicans are already vowing they won't vote for it.Plus, the GOP Primary pool is down another candidate, new exclusive polling shows a comfortable win for Donald Trump in 2024, and the rest of the news you need to know today. Playbook editor Mike DeBonis interviews Playbook co-author Rachael Bade.

In a meeting with lawmakers later today, President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris will talk artificial intelligence and Biden will issue an executive order expected to organize for federal agencies to monitor and find new uses for artificial intelligence technology. Vice President Kamala Harris will also travel to London this week for a summit focused on AI hosted by Prime Minister Rishi Sunak. Playbook co-author Eugene Daniels and Playbook editor Mike DeBonis break it all down.   Playbook editor Mike DeBonis interviews Playbook co-author Eugene Daniels.

After a 23-day stalemate, House Republicans unanimously elected a new speaker: Rep. Mike Johnson. Now, the question being asked by much of Washington is: Mike who? We've got answers. Politics bureau chief and senior columnist (and noted Louisianophile) Jonathan Martin joins Playbook editor Mike DeBonis to talk through the new MAGA-aligned speaker's background, what his ascendance tells us about the new center of power in the Republican Party and what to expect in the days and weeks ahead. Playbook editor Mike DeBonis interviews Politics bureau chief and senior columnist Jonathan Martin.

When the House reconvenes after August recess tomorrow, Speaker Kevin McCarthy will be greeted in the Capitol by unhappy people, many of whom are members of his own party. McCarthy must navigate conservatives who feel the he has not delivered on promises the Speaker made when seeking the gavel back in January. Playbook editor Mike DeBonis talks with Playbook co-author Rachael Bade.

We are just days away from a potential federal default, and Washington this week is going to be consumed with the latest twists and turns on whether Congress will act to raise the debt limit in time to prevent a whole parade of horribles – from a tanking stock market to skyrocketing borrowing costs to mass unemployment. Over the weekend bipartisan negotiations went from on again to off again to on again, and today's main event is a White House meeting between President Joe Biden and House Speaker Kevin McCarthy. Playbook editor Mike DeBonis and author Rachael Bade break it down, along with the rest of the news you need to know today.

It's gonna be all about the vibes this week as we look for clues to how the big debt ceiling standoff is going to get resolved. Plus, unpacking Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis in Iowa over the weekend. All that, and the rest of the news you need to know today. Playbook editor Mike DeBonis on the week ahead.

The House is out, the Senate is in, and the news you need to know. Playbook editor Mike DeBonis talks with Playbook co-author Eugene Daniels.

It's a huge week for us at Playbook — the White House Correspondents' Dinner is on Saturday and we're also expecting President Joe Biden to launch his re-election campaign this week — although the usual caveats apply. Plus we've got our eyes on the House, where Speaker Kevin McCarthy is hoping to get his Republican conference in line behind his plan to handle the debt limit. Playbook editor Mike DeBonis talks with Playbook co-author Eugene Daniels.

The “Jack the Dripper” story heads to Capitol Hill today, Supreme Court action on abortion pill is expected and we're processing the surprise settlement in the Dominion lawsuit against Fox News. Plus DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas testifies before the House Homeland Security Committee. Over in the Senate, Rocket Man himself Elton John will testify at a Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing on PEPFAR. Playbook editor Mike DeBonis talks with Playbook co-author Rachael Bade.

What's more important: respecting the principle of D.C. self-governance, or staying on the right side of an explosive national issue? Yesterday, President Joe Biden chose politics over principle. It did not go over well with some Democrats.  In November, the D.C. Council passed a major reform of the District's criminal code. The legislation was vetoed by Mayor Muriel Bowser, who objected to reductions in penalties for some serious crimes, such as carjackings and home burglaries. In January, her veto was overridden by the council, 12-1. At the time, the White House issued a statement of administration policy opposing the resolution on the grounds that “denial of self-governance is an affront to the democratic values on which our Nation was founded.” An overwhelming majority of House Democrats voted against the resolution (31 Dems supported it). As the resolution was teed up in the Senate, it became conventional wisdom that Biden would veto it. That was incorrect. On Thursday, while addressing Senate Democrats, the president shocked Washington and declared that he would sign the measure if it reached his desk. “I support D.C. Statehood and home-rule,” Biden tweeted after the meeting, “but I don't support some of the changes D.C. Council put forward over the Mayor's objections — such as lowering penalties for carjackings. If the Senate votes to overturn what D.C. Council did — I'll sign it.” Plus, Playbook editor Mike DeBonis catches up with national political correspondent Meridith McGraw who's on the ground at CPAC, the annual conservative conference.  Subscribe to the POLITICO Playbook newsletter Raghu Manavalan is the host and senior editor of POLITICO's Playbook Daily Briefing. Jenny Ament is the executive producer of POLITICO Audio.

Happening today (offically offically) — “Haley enters the fray, a female candidate against a man known for mocking them,” by Natalie Allison in Charleston, S.C.: “Stepping out ahead of a field of men who spent the better part of two years mulling and flirting with a 2024 run, Nikki Haley marked her entrance into the Republican presidential primary with an announcement video and a formal event on Wednesday. And tonight, VP Kamala Harris will board Air Force Two for the Munich Security Conference, the annual confab of global political, defense and intelligence leaders. It stands to be the most critical foreign trip of her vice presidency — at least since last year's trip to Bavaria.   Plus, Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), the oldest sitting senator at age 89, announced yesterday that she would retire at the end of her term in 2024. Playbook editor Mike DeBonis and deputy editor Zack Stanton reflect on her career in politics and what's next for her Senate seat. Subscribe to the POLITICO Playbook newsletter Raghu Manavalan is the host and senior editor of POLITICO's Playbook Daily Briefing. Jenny Ament is the executive producer of POLITICO Audio. 

When President Joe Biden ascends the House rostrum tomorrow to deliver his State of the Union address, the buzz will hover tens of thousands of feet higher, where a Chinese surveillance balloon floated until it was shot down Saturday off the South Carolina coast. It's a distraction Democrats aren't exactly thrilled about. They've been hoping Biden could use the biggest bully pulpit of them all to tout their legislative victories of the past two years — moving to cut prescription drug prices, combat climate change, rebuild the nation's infrastructure, tighten gun laws and protect same-sex marriage. They're also eager for Biden to highlight a resilient economy and paint a sharp contrast with Hill Republicans while millions of voters tune in to watch. And yet, thanks to the balloon saga, it's the GOP that's relishing the chance to differentiate itself this week. Playbook editor Mike DeBonis and co-author Rachael Bade discuss what they'll be watching for as the week unfolds.  Subscribe to the POLITICO Playbook newsletter Raghu Manavalan is the host and senior editor of POLITICO's Playbook Daily Briefing. Jenny Ament is the executive producer of POLITICO Audio.

The brutal and shocking video showing Tyre Nichols being beaten to death by Memphis police officers earlier this month prompted condemnation from all corners of Washington after it was released Friday. Whether it will prompt action is another matter. It has, for now, renewed behind-the-scenes conversations on Capitol Hill about the possibility of bipartisan policing legislation. Aides for key lawmakers on the issue, including Sens. Cory Booker (D-N.J.) and Tim Scott (R-S.C.), as well as White House staff, made calls through the weekend to set the stage for further talks.  To be clear, any negotiations will not start from a hopeful place. The last round of negotiations between Booker and Scott collapsed in September 2021 in a flurry of behind-the-scenes finger-pointing that threw the whole framework of a potential deal into question. Playbook editor Mike DeBonis joins the show to explain how policing reform efforts might look in Congress. 

The biggest moment yet in the 2024 election cycle happens later this week in Dana Point, Calif., where RNC members will choose their next leader — and incumbent Chair Ronna McDaniel faces an unexpected fight for a fourth two-year term. McDaniel is still the favorite, but the race has turned contentious: Attorney Harmeet Dhillon, who backed Donald Trump's attempt to throw out the 2020 election results and represented him before the House's Jan. 6 panel, is challenging McDaniel, blaming her for the GOP's abysmal midterm performance. (MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell is also running, but few RNC members take him seriously. Plus, Congress is back in session this week, with debt ceiling negotiations taking center stage. And, Jeff Zients will take over for Chief of Staff Ron Klain. Playbook editor Mike DeBonis and co-author Rachael Bade discuss what to watch in the day ahead. Subscribe to the POLITICO Playbook newsletter

NBC's Scott Wong and Kyle Stewart did the work on putting together a comprehensive list of where all of the antagonizers who slowed McCarthy's ascension to the speakership ended up after committee assignments were settled Tuesday. A few of the notables: - Reps. Andy Biggs (R- Ariz.), Dan Bishop (R-N.C.) and Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) kept their seats on the Judiciary Committee; - Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-Colo.), who like Biggs and Gaetz voted ‘present' on the final ballots, won a seat on the Oversight and Accountability Committee, in addition to keeping her seat on Natural Resources; - Rep. Michael Cloud (R-Texas) won a spot on the coveted Appropriations Committee; and - Rep. Byron Donalds (R-Fla.), who was nominated to run against McCarthy for speaker and flipped to him on the 12th ballot, was awarded a seat on Financial Services as well as a spot on the House GOP steering committee, which doles out panel assignments. And Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis is getting prodded to jump into the 2024 presidential primary field from an unexpected — and distant — camp: Michigan Republicans. “Last month, Bryan , the Republican floor leader in the Michigan state House, flew to Florida and hand-delivered DeSantis a letter encouraging him to run for president,” our colleague Alex Isenstadt reports this morning. “The letter — which was signed by 18 Republican members of the state House, one quarter of the party's caucus — called DeSantis ‘uniquely and exceptionally qualified to provide the leadership and competence that is, unfortunately, missing'” in the White House. “While the letter doesn't explicitly endorse DeSantis over [Donald Trump], it illustrates simmering discontent with the former president among Republicans, following a series of elections that saw the party get bludgeoned at the ballot box,” Alex writes. Plus, Playbook editor Mike DeBonis and deputy Zack Stanton look at how senate primaries are starting to take shape ahead of the 2024 cycle, including in the pivotal battleground state Michigan. Subscribe to the POLITICO Playbook newsletter Raghu Manavalan is the host and senior editor of POLITICO's Playbook Daily Briefing. Jenny Ament is the executive producer of POLITICO Audio.

Today, ambitious Indiana Republican Rep. Jim Banks launches his bid to replace retiring GOP Sen. Mike Braun. (Watch his announcement video here.) The 42-year-old former chair of the Republican Study Committee is widely seen as the favorite in the race, which has already attracted interest from fellow Rep. Victoria Spartz. But he could face a challenging primary if former Hoosier State Gov. Mitch Daniels jumps in.  And, Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen sent a letter to Speaker Kevin McCarthy and other congressional leaders last Friday urging Congress to act “promptly” to raise the debt ceiling and avoid defaulting. Yellen writes that the debt is projected to reach its “statutory limit” this Thursday, though she says it is “unlikely that cash and extraordinary measures will be exhausted before early June.” Playbook editor Mike DeBonis and deputy Zack Stanton discuss the upcoming fight over debt ceiling and the state of Indiana's GOP senate primary.  Subscribe to the POLITICO Playbook newsletter Raghu Manavalan is the host and senior editor of POLITICO's Playbook Daily Briefing. Jenny Ament is the executive producer of POLITICO Audio.

The rules package that will govern how the House operates this session is scheduled for a vote this evening. It's shaping up as Speaker Kevin McCarthy's first big test in governing what is shaping up to be an ungovernable Republican majority.  The package is the closest thing to a contract drawn up between McCarthy and his internal critics. Alongside various side deals dealing with committee assignments, budget policy and other matters, the rules changes define the devolution of power away from leadership and towards the House Freedom Caucus. If tonight's vote goes down, the entire project unravels. And President Joe Biden will meet with Mexican president Andrés Manuel López Obrador at the North American Leaders' Summit in Mexico City – the pair are expected to talk through trade issues, drug trafficking, and migration.  Playbook editor Mike DeBonis and  deputy editor Zack Stanton break down the day ahead in DC. Subscribe to the POLITICO Playbook newsletter Raghu Manavalan is the host and senior editor of POLITICO's Playbook Daily Briefing. Jenny Ament is the executive producer of POLITICO Audio.

So how does this end? And how long will it take to end it? Those are the questions towering over the new House Republican majority, which for the first time in 100 years, found itself unable to choose a speaker on the first ballot — or two others afterward. The House is now paralyzed, unable to swear in its members or form committees or adopt rules — let alone pass legislation. And the scary realization for the GOP rank-and-file is that there's no easy way out of this mess and no sign that one is going to appear anytime soon. Playbook editor Mike DeBonis and co-author Rachael Bade break it all down, plus West Wing Playbook co-author and White House correspondent Eli Stokols stops by to discuss the view from the Biden administration. Subscribe to the POLITICO Playbook newsletter Raghu Manavalan is the host and senior editor of POLITICO's Playbook Daily Briefing. Jenny Ament is the executive producer of POLITICO Audio.

Welcome to the 118th Congress, the new Republican House majority, and one of the most unpredictable and potentially chaotic scenarios we've seen on Capitol Hill. The House will gavel in at noon, and following a prayer, the Pledge of Allegiance and a quorum call, the clerk will immediately start the live roll call to elect the next speaker. GOP Leader Kevin McCarthy, however, still hasn't clinched the votes he needs, and the day could drag late into the night, we're told, as Republicans grapple with choosing their leader. Be prepared for surprises and a lot of drama. Even veteran lawmakers who emerged from meetings with McCarthy on Monday evening weren't entirely sure how this will all shake out. We're told that McCarthy's plan, however, is to continue voting — over and over again — in a bid to wear down his detractors until he gets the gavel. Playbook editor Mike DeBonis and co-author Rachael Bade discuss the long day ahead for Kevin McCarthy. Subscribe to the POLITICO Playbook newsletter Raghu Manavalan is the host and senior editor of POLITICO's Playbook Daily Briefing. Jenny Ament is the executive producer of POLITICO Audio.

It's that time of year: the omnibus has dropped. This time it's a $1.7 trillion dollar whopper, with appropriations filling out more than 4,000 pages. Right after the bill dropped on Tuesday, we looked at some of the most notable big-ticket inclusions and omissions in the text of the omnibus government spending bill released overnight, from Electoral Count Act reform to Ukraine aid to the expanded child tax credit. But in such a behemoth, there are plenty more consequential policy decisions to dig into. Playbook editor Mike DeBonis and Playbook reporter Eli Okun discuss what's inside — and what's not.

Senate Appropriations Chair Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) announced Sunday night that Democrats would not proceed as planned with a vote today on their own spending package, citing “sufficient progress in negotiations … over the weekend.” Government funding runs out Friday. Talks have stalled for weeks as the parties wrangle over funding levels, with Republicans thus far refusing to give Democrats the nondefense plus-ups they desire. Could the distant chime of jingle bells finally be having an effect? There's no way an omnibus can be negotiated, drafted and passed in the next five days, so expect another stopgap to move this week. Beyond that? There's already chatter about negotiations dragging right up to and even through the holiday season. We'll see who blinks first. More from Roll Call Playbook editor Mike DeBonis and co-author Rachael Bade discuss the funding fight plus the week ahead, including Sam Bankman-Fried's visit to Congresss and President Joe Biden's planned signing ceremony for the Respect for Marriage Act on the South Lawn.  Subscribe to the POLITICO Playbook newsletter Raghu Manavalan is the Host and Senior Editor of POLITICO's Playbook Daily Briefing. Jenny Ament is the Executive Producer of POLITICO Audio.

POLITICO's Burgess Everett with a mega-scoop this morning: “Arizona Sen. Kyrsten Sinema is changing her party affiliation to independent, delivering a jolt to Democrats' narrow majority and Washington along with it. “In a 45-minute interview, the first-term senator told POLITICO that she will not caucus with Republicans and suggested that she intends to vote the same way she has for four years in the Senate. ‘Nothing will change about my values or my behavior,' she said. “Provided that Sinema sticks to that vow, Democrats will still have a workable Senate majority in the next Congress, though it will not exactly be the neat and tidy 51 seats they assumed. They're expected to also have the votes to control Senate committees. And Sinema's move means Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) — a pivotal swing vote in the 50-50 chamber the past two years — will hold onto some but not all of his outsized influence in the Democratic caucus.” Plus, Mike DeBonis and Rachael Bade discuss the feasibility of a so-called unity House speaker, and FDA reporter and astrology emperor Katherine Foley stops by for some birthday news.  Subscribe to the POLITICO Playbook newsletter Raghu Manavalan is the Host and Senior Editor of POLITICO's Playbook Daily Briefing. Jenny Ament is the Executive Producer of POLITICO Audio.

Over the past 30 months, Raphael Warnock has won a Senate primary, got the most votes in two general elections and won two runoffs. On Tuesday night, he finally won a full six-year term in the United States Senate.  A lot has been said about how flawed a candidate that Warnock's opponent, Herschel Walker, was. (A lot.) And so much of the conversation and coverage of Georgia's election centered on what it would mean for the power of a current and a former president.  But Warnock's three-point win Tuesday underscored his own talents and cemented the 53-year-old pastor as one of the nation's most compelling and effective Democratic politicians. Plus, Playbook editor Mike DeBonis and author Rachael Bade stop by to discuss the hot-and-cold relationship between House GOP leader Kevin McCarthy and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell. Subscribe to the POLITICO Playbook newsletter Raghu Manavalan is the Host and Senior Editor of POLITICO's Playbook Daily Briefing. Jenny Ament is the Executive Producer of POLITICO Audio.  

 In roughly 37 hours, Georgians will cast the final votes of the 2022 midterms, deciding the Senate runoff between incumbent Democrat Raphael Warnock and Republican football legend Herschel Walker. The two campaigns spent the final weekend very differently. Warnock continued his flood-the-zone strategy, with six events across the state, while Walker held just one public event, on Sunday with GOP Sens. Tim Scott (S.C.) and John Kennedy (La.). Playbook editor Mike DeBonis and deputy editor Zack Stanton preview the race in Georgia, Wednesday's SCOTUS case on the ‘independent legislature' theory that could radically reshape elections and South Carolina's request to hold the first presidential primary on the calendar.  Subscribe to the POLITICO Playbook newsletter Raghu Manavalan is the Host and Senior Editor of POLITICO's Playbook Daily Briefing. Jenny Ament is the Executive Producer of POLITICO Audio.  

Playbook editor Mike DeBonis and deputy editor Zack Stanton break down the weekend in politics, including the Republican Jewish Coalition conference in Las Vegas, NV.  “2024 Republican rivals put Trump on notice,” by Alex Isenstadt in Las Vegas: “If former President Donald Trump thought his early 2024 announcement would cow prospective Republican primary rivals into submission, he clearly miscalculated. “At this weekend's Republican Jewish Coalition conference, a parade of ambitious Republicans hit all the notes that politicians eyeing future campaigns for the White House typically do. Their tones and messages varied — few called out Trump by name — but collectively they made clear they are not going to back down to the former president after a third consecutive poor election with him at the helm. What the contenders sound like: “Mike Pompeo, Trump's hand-picked secretary of State and CIA director, warned that for Republicans to win elections, they can't simply ‘go on Fox News or send tweets.' Former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, who ran Trump's transition, said Republicans were losing because ‘Donald Trump has put himself before everybody else.' “Nikki Haley, Trump's U.N. ambassador who said last year she wouldn't run if her former boss did, has apparently changed her mind. She used her Saturday evening speech here to say she was looking at running in a ‘serious way,' and to call for ‘a younger generation to lead across the board.' … “‘He's not going to have the financial support he had anymore, he's not going to have the internal support that he had before,' said New Hampshire Gov. Chris Sununu, whose state hosts the first-in-the-nation GOP primary. ‘And so therefore, there's opportunity there. That political weakness is blood in the water for some folks.'” Subscribe to the POLITICO Playbook newsletter Raghu Manavalan is the Host and Senior Editor of POLITICO's Playbook Daily Briefing. Jenny Ament is the Executive Producer of POLITICO Audio.

We're truly in the home stretch with one day to go until Election Day. That means we are running out of precious time to deploy our favorite campaign season cliches. So allow us to note: It all comes down to turnout. And as we all know, the only poll that matters is the one on Election Day... Playbook editor Mike DeBonis and Playbook co-author Ryan Lizza preview the crucial week ahead, including, what should, actually, constitute a red wave? In the House, the most likely outcome is that this will be a typical midterm in which the president's party loses seats. The modern average is a loss of 27 House seats. Three of the last four presidents did much worse in their first midterms: Bill Clinton lost 54 seats, Barack Obama lost 63 seats, and Donald Trump lost 40 seats.  Every election brings with it confident predictions of some enduring new majority. George W. Bush and Barack Obama were both seen as ushering in eras of dominance for their respective parties. Donald Trump's election supposedly meant the end of the Democratic Party's presidential prospects. Some liberals say that the 2018 and 2020 anti-Trump surges prove that a stable center-left coalition exists to extinguish MAGA.  The challenge after Tuesday is to keep two things in mind: There can be a massive change in policy direction (the House flipping) with only a small change in the electorate (less than 5% of House seats changing hands). Ryan's Playbook Deep Dive interview with Lynn Vavreck: Hindsight is 20/20 Subscribe to the POLITICO Playbook newsletter Raghu Manavalan is the Host and Senior Editor of POLITICO's Playbook Daily Briefing. Jenny Ament is the Executive Producer of POLITICO Audio.

15 days left until Election Day. … 7,501,492 early votes already cast as of 10:20 p.m. Sunday, per the United States Elections Project. And Playbook editor Mike Debonis and deputy editor Zack Stanton preview the packed debate schedule around the country, including the highly anticipated debate between Pennsylvania Lt. Gov. John Fetterman and Mehmet Oz on Tuesday.  Plus, FL Gov. Ron DeSantis endorsement of Colorado Republican Joe O'Dea is a notable boost for the moderate and a sharp contrast with Trump, who blasted O'Dea in a feud last week. “A BIG MISTAKE!” Trump responded on Truth Social. Subscribe to the POLITICO Playbook newsletter Raghu Manavalan is the Host of POLITICO's Playbook Daily Briefing. Jenny Ament is the Executive Producer of POLITICO Audio.

The Supreme Court returns to the bench today, a return that is marked mostly by tension and is perhaps unlike any other in the history of the institution. “The normally relaxed season for heading to vacation homes and teaching abroad was marked by the most intense security footing ever for the justices, along with uncommonly public internecine strife among the court's members,” POLITICO's senior legal affairs reporter Josh Gerstein writes.  Playbook editor Mike DeBonis and Josh Gerstein discuss the cases coming up before the court in this term, the seditious conspiracy case involving Oathkeepers' founder Stewart Rhodes and former president Donald Trump's ongoing showdown with the Justice Department. Subscribe to the POLITICO Playbook newsletter Raghu Manavalan is the Host of POLITICO's Playbook Daily Briefing. Jenny Ament is the Executive Producer of POLITICO Audio.

Playbook editor Mike DeBonis and deputy editor Zack Stanton discuss Maggie Haberman's anticipated book, Confidence Man: The Making of Donald Trump and the Breaking of America. POLITICO's Steve Shepard's must-read this morning, Pollsters fear they're blowing it again in 2022 and the odds of a government shutdown if Congress can't reach a deal by Friday at Midnight. Subscribe to the POLITICO Playbook newsletter Raghu Manavalan is the Host of POLITICO's Playbook Daily Briefing. Jenny Ament is the Executive Producer of POLITICO Audio.

It's hard to imagine a political event that was covered more intensively in real time than Trump's two impeachments. But only now, 18 months after the Senate acquitted Trump a second time, we are learning crucial new details about what happened behind the scenes of those proceedings. And only now are we starting to reckon with what those two failed impeachments have wrought for Congress, the presidency, and the Constitution — and who was responsible. That reckoning comes courtesy of Playbook's own Rachael Bade and Washington Post national security reporter Karoun Demirjian, who on Oct. 18 will publish “Unchecked: The Untold Story Behind Congress's Botched Impeachments of Donald Trump.” It's an unsparing look at the characters, the calculations and, frequently, the cowardice that shaped Congress's dealings with Trump — and how the results have likely changed impeachment forever. On this week's Playbook Deep Dive, Rachael and Karoun talk extensively about their book and its provocative argument with Playbook editor Mike DeBonis. It's a reunion for the trio, who covered Capitol Hill together at the Washington Post and watched closely as Congress struggled to hold Trump to account. They discuss why “Unchecked” is an unapologetically “both sides” book, how congressional leaders' public rhetoric rarely matched private reality, and just how many impeachment articles President Joe Biden might be facing if Republicans take the House. Mike DeBonis is Playbook's editor for POLITICO. Rachael Bade is Playbook's co-author for POLITICO.  Karoun Demirjian is a national security reporter at The Washington Post. Afra Abdullah is an associate producer for POLITICO audio. Kara Tabor is a producer for POLITICO audio. Brook Hayes is senior editor for POLITICO audio. Adam Allington is senior producer for POLITICO audio.  Jenny Ament is executive producer for POLITICO audio. 

With much of President Biden's legislative agenda stalled recently he is finally poised for some big wins in Congress.  The first major prescription drug legislation in nearly 20 years and a $50 billion bill to subsidize semiconductor chip manufacturing are two bills that have bipartisan support and appear to be on their way to passing.  Mike DeBonis, congressional reporter at The Washington Post, joins us for how Democrats hope these bills have big political payoffs.   Next, as inflation continues to push prices higher for everyone, businesses are looking to offset their increased costs by making products slightly smaller but keeping the same price.  It's called shrinkflation, and if you don't pay close enough attention, you could be missing out.  Laura Daily, contributor to The Washington Post, joins us for how to combat shrinkflation by looking at unit pricing and keeping an eye on tricky labeling.   Finally, the sober-curious movement is making its way into dating and more people are opting to go out without the drinks.  Social norms around drinking on dates have changed and people looking for more authentic connections.  They are also making sure to mention it on their online dating profiles.  Rachel Wolfe, consumer trends reporter at the WSJ, joins us for how younger adults are looking for more creative dates without the booze.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This past fourth of July, at least ten people were killed in different mass shootings in Illinois, Indiana, New York and elsewhere. These tragedies occurred in the wake of the federal government finally passing gun control legislation. But many — including President Joe Biden — don't believe the bill went far enough, which leaves questions about what more needs to be done to prevent mass shootings and the actual costs on the psyche of our communities. Washington Post congressional reporter Mike DeBonis joins the show to discuss the legislation passed by Congress and the politics behind its passage. Then Wayne University's College of Liberal Arts & Sciences dean and professor of sociology Stephanie Hartwell joins the show to discuss the interplay between gun violence and society.

The Senate voted to advance a gun control package last night in response to the mass shootings in Uvalde, Texas and Buffalo, New York. The Washington Post's Mike DeBonis has details. Guest Hosts: Maura Carabello and Taylor Morgan. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.