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DRIVING THE DAY
BREAKING OVERNIGHT — “House passes Biden’s $1.9 trillion coronavirus aid package,” by Caitlin Emma and Sarah Ferris
ORLANDO, Fla. — Friday was the warm-up act at TPAC (get it?), where 2024 GOP hopefuls like TED CRUZ, TOM COTTON, JOSH HAWLEY, RICK SCOTT and DONALD TRUMP JR. tried out their material. The scene felt … low energy, but hey, it’s Covid and there’s a lot of wound licking after the election. There was a crescendo of cheers and boos (at ALEXANDRIA OCASIO-CORTEZ, NANCY PELOSI and requests to wear masks, among other villains) as the day wore on, capped by Trump Jr.’s speech, the main act of the day.
With each speech, we approach the real reason everyone’s here: former President DONALD TRUMP’S Sunday appearance, in which he will formally pronounce himself party kingmaker and take aim at his enemies.
Advisers to Trump say his hit list changes daily. But typically what he says privately, he says on stage. And he’s not just griping about the usual suspects (MITCH MCCONNELL, LIZ CHENEY and NIKKI HALEY).
Three people close to Trump tell me that he’s stewing anew over KEVIN MCCARTHY. It’s become so frequent that his advisers think the House minority leader may be in for a public reprimand. That’s even after the powwow at Mar-a-Lago where McCarthy tried to patch things up after he denounced Trump for the violence on Jan. 6.
The reason for Trump’s displeasure: an emboldened Cheney.
Each time Cheney criticizes Trump from her leadership post as the No. 3 House Republican, he’s reminded that it was McCarthy who pleaded with his conference to keep her on as chair — despite her vote to impeach Trump. The latest trigger came Wednesday, when Cheney said at a press conference that Trump should not lead the party going forward while McCarthy awkwardly stood by.
We’ll see whether McCarthy can get to Trump before his speech Sunday. He seems to already be trying to work his way back into Trump’s good graces. On Thursday, McCarthy took a swipe at Cheney on Fox News, suggesting that she supports cancel culture.
Trump signaled Friday that he’s ready to tangle in McCarthy’s conference, endorsing Rep. ANTHONY GONZALEZ’S (R-Ohio) primary challenger, MAX MILLER, a former aide to the president. Gonzalez voted for impeachment.
Despite the tensions, a Trump aide said he plans to downplay the extent of the rift in his CPAC speech by dismissing the GOP establishment altogether. “The only divide in the Republican Party is between the grassroots and a half a dozen Beltway insiders,” he’s expected to say.
On deck today at CPAC: Ric Grenell, Mike Pompeo, Devin Nunes, Lauren Boebert, Kristi Noem and McCarthy.
One word that’s been notably absent at CPAC: fight. Republicans are avoiding it because of Jan. 6. But there was one person at CPAC who was willing to use the f-word, DAVID BOSSIE, one of Trump’s closest aides. He just launched a website, stopbidenagenda.com, and told me, “There’s no reason to not say fight, there’s nothing wrong with saying we are going to fight Biden’s leftist policy for America.”
THE REAL STAR OF FRIDAY’S SHOW: A gilded, larger-than-life-size statue of Trump … and you’ll never guess where it was crafted.
“It was made in Mexico,” said artist TOMMY ZEGAN, who traveled all the way to CPAC from Rosarito, Mexico, where he lives as an American expat on a permanent resident visa.
The supply chain: Zegan spent over six months crafting the 200-pound fiberglass statue with the help of three men in Rosarito. He transported it to Tampa, Fla., where it was painted in chrome, then hauled it from there to CPAC in a U-Haul, where he managed to cart it through the conference in just a black-and-white Hawaiian shirt and no CPAC credential. (Tickets were sold out.)
“If someone offered me $100,000 I’d take it,” Zegan told Playbook.
There’s more: Zegan crafted an even higher-end, stainless steel version that cost his “life savings,” or $50,000. He said he’s aiming to sell that one for over $1 million. But if not, he hopes to see it in a future Trump Presidential Library. He’s even been in touch with Trump’s longtime executive assistant RHONA GRAFF about the matter.
“She’s trying to get me in with the right people,” he said.
Zegan said he tried to get into Mar-a-Lago on Trump’s birthday last year to present the president with the original sculpture, but he couldn’t get past security.
“I was not a big Trump supporter when he ran,” Zegan told me. “I mean I voted for him because I wasn’t going to vote for Hillary. So I voted for him, but I didn’t really care for him. I used to watch ‘The Apprentice’ but I would turn it off halfway. I thought, ‘This is stupid.’”
BIDEN’S SATURDAY — President JOE BIDEN will deliver remarks about the Covid relief bill at 11 a.m. in the Roosevelt Room. He’ll leave the White House at 3 p.m. for Wilmington, Del. VP KAMALA HARRIS will deliver remarks at 11:30 a.m. at the virtual 40th annual Black History Month celebration hosted by House Majority Leader STENY HOYER.
THE NEXT BIDEN BILAT — The White House announced Biden will hold a virtual bilateral meeting with Mexican President ANDRÉS MANUEL LÓPEZ OBRADOR on Monday to talk migration, pandemic, economic cooperation and more.
PLAYBOOK READS
AMERICA AND THE WORLD
HOW TO GET AWAY WITH MURDER — “Biden doesn’t penalize crown prince despite promise to punish senior Saudi leaders,” CNN: “Despite promising to punish senior Saudi leaders while on the campaign trail, President Joe Biden declined to apply sanctions to the one the US intelligence community determined is responsible for the death of journalist Jamal Khashoggi: Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
“The choice not to punish Prince Mohammed directly puts into sharp relief the type of decision-making that becomes more complicated for a president versus a candidate, and demonstrates the difficulty in breaking with a troublesome ally in a volatile region.”
— The NYT breaks down the report in detail: “Crushing Dissent: The Saudi Kill Team Behind Khashoggi’s Death”
SYRIA STRIKE FALLOUT — “Biden: Strikes in Syria sent warning to Iran to ‘be careful,’” AP: “President Joe Biden said Friday that Iran should view his decision to authorize U.S. airstrikes in Syria as a warning that it can expect consequences for its support of militia groups that threaten U.S. interests or personnel. ‘You can’t act with impunity. Be careful,’ Biden said when a reporter asked what message he had intended to send.”
— “Russia says U.S. gave only a few minutes’ warning before strike in Syria,” WaPo: “Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov … said the warning came too late to reduce the risk of a potential clash between the two country’s forces. … Later Friday, Syria’s Foreign Ministry put out a statement condemning the attack, saying it breached international law and would escalate tensions in the area.”
SATURDAY MORNING READ — “How the Pentagon Got Inside ISIS’ Chemical Weapons Operation—and Ended It,” by Joby Warrick in POLITICO Magazine, adapted from his new book, “Red Line”: “How shady reports of ISIS-made poison gas led the U.S. to a valuable ISIS weapon-maker, who helped bring the whole operation down.”
GREAT POWER COMPETITION — “U.S. to Impose Sweeping Rule Aimed at China Technology Threats,” WSJ: “The Biden administration plans to allow a sweeping Trump-era rule aimed at combating Chinese technology threats to take effect next month, over objections from U.S. businesses … The rule, initially proposed in November, enables the Commerce Department to ban technology-related business transactions that it determines pose a national security threat.”
CONGRESS
— “The GOP’s anti-stimulus rallying cry: What happened to the unspent $1 trillion?” by Megan Cassella: “It’s a criticism meant to underscore their argument that the resurgent U.S. economy doesn’t need another giant influx of cash, and certainly not the $1.9 trillion package that Biden is seeking …
“But congressional Democrats, the White House and many economic experts argue that even as money continues to get to unemployed Americans, small businesses, cities and schools, it’s clear that they and the broader economy require more.”
WHOA — “‘Danger Warning’: Women Say Madison Cawthorn Harassed Them In College,” BuzzFeed: “BuzzFeed News spoke with more than three dozen people, including more than two dozen former students, their friends, and their relatives, who described or corroborated instances of sexual harassment and misconduct on campus, in Cawthorn’s car, and at his house near campus. Four women told BuzzFeed News that Cawthorn, now a rising Republican star, was aggressive, misogynistic, or predatory toward them. Their allegations include calling them derogatory names in public in front of their peers, including calling one woman ‘slutty,’ asking them inappropriate questions about their sex lives, grabbing their thighs, forcing them to sit in his lap, and kissing and touching them without their consent.
“One of these women now works as an intern for another Republican member of Congress and passes Cawthorn in the corridors of the Capitol. According to more than a dozen people — including three women who had firsthand experience and seven people who heard about these incidents from them at the time — Cawthorn often used his car as a way to entrap and harass his women classmates, taking them on what he could call ‘fun drives’ off campus. Two said he would drive recklessly and ask them about their virginity and sexual experiences while they were locked in the moving vehicle.
“BuzzFeed News sent Cawthorn a detailed list of allegations in this story. His communications director, Micah Bock, did not respond to the specific allegations but instead referred BuzzFeed News to remarks the young Republican had made during a campaign debate in September: ‘I have never done anything sexually inappropriate in my life.’”
THE WHITE HOUSE
IN THE COMMS SHOP — “Biden considers elevating Mayor Pete’s spokesperson,” by Daniel Lippman: “Chris Meagher, a top spokesman for Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, is being seriously considered to be a White House deputy press secretary … Meagher, who recently started as deputy director of public affairs at the Department of Transportation, would replace TJ Ducklo …
“In addition to Meagher’s potential hire, Andrew Bates is also likely to go into the White House as another deputy press secretary.”
POLICY CORNER
IMMIGRATION FILES — Sabrina Rodríguez writes on Biden’s early immigration actions and finds the new administration is quickly learning there’s no magic wand: “Migrants aren’t going to stop coming just because his officials say they shouldn’t. Nor are progressives and Republicans going to stay quiet just because he asks for patience.
“As a result, the administration is relying on controversial practices of past presidents — housing unaccompanied minors in temporary detention facilities, applying a Trump-era pandemic rule to rapidly expel migrants at the border without due process — even as officials quietly try to draw up new policies to handle migrants at the Southern border that are a break from the past. Biden officials have provided scant details, however, on how, exactly, they plan to tackle the problems on the border that bedeviled their predecessors.”
PANDEMIC
TRACKER: The U.S. reported 2,137 Covid-19 deaths and 74,000 new coronavirus cases Friday.
NO. 3 INCOMING — “FDA says it will ‘rapidly work’ to approve Johnson & Johnson single-dose coronavirus vaccine after advisory panel’s unanimous vote,” WaPo
POLITICS ROUNDUP
REDISTRICTING RUMBLE — “How Trump scrambled the next decade of elections,” by Ally Mutnick and Elena Schneider: “Traditionally, state legislators and political mapmakers rely heavily on recent election results for clues about how communities will vote in the future — baselines they use to gerrymander advantageous districts for their party. But the whiplash in Trump-era elections make drawing conclusions from those results more complicated this year.
“And both parties’ strategists know that if they make bad bets, drawing districts based on elections that were driven more by Trump’s singular personality than by trends that will persist until 2030, those mistakes could swing control of the House against them over the next decade.”
SASSE SPEAKS — “Sasse marches to own tune as GOP implodes around him,” by Burgess Everett: “Strong opinions came to Sasse easily during a 30-minute interview in his Capitol hideaway. Of Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.), he says: ‘That guy is not an adult.’ President Joe Biden’s White House is ‘cowering’ to the opinions of people like Rep. Alexandria Ocasio Cortez (D-N.Y.). Sasse sees Congress itself as little but ‘a bunch of yokels screaming.’”
JAN. 6 AND ITS AFTERMATH
ZEROING IN — “F.B.I. Said to Have Singled Out Potential Assailant in Capitol Officer’s Death,” NYT: “In a significant breakthrough in the case, investigators have now pinpointed a person seen on video of the riot who attacked several officers with bear spray, including Officer [Brian] Sicknick … And video evidence shows that the assailant discussed attacking officers with the bear spray beforehand … [T]hey have yet to identify the assailant by name.”
MEDIAWATCH
A TESTING TEST — “White House and press are at odds over plan to charge reporters for coronavirus testing,” WaPo: “Starting Monday, the White House’s press office said it will start charging journalists for coronavirus tests, which are required for anyone entering the White House grounds. The proposed cost for each test: $170. With dozens of journalists at the White House each day, the fees could add up to tens of thousands of dollars flowing from newsrooms, many of them small and cash-strapped, into government coffers.
“Until now, the cost of testing has been borne by the White House. But officials there contend that the cost of maintaining the testing regime for nearly a year has strained its budget. So it wants to shift the burden onto news organizations: No test, no entry to the White House. The plan has alarmed the White House Correspondents’ Association.”
THE ATLANTIC announced several changes on its masthead, including elevating Denise Wills to editorial director. The announcement
CLICKER — “The nation’s cartoonists on the week in politics,” edited by Matt Wuerker — 15 funnies
GREAT WEEKEND READS:
— “The Sports Reporter Who Blew the Lid Off a National Health Scandal,” by The Ringer’s Bryan Curtis: “In the new documentary ‘Collective,’ a Romanian journalist shows how covering the world of sports made him one of the most trusted muckrakers in his country. And why his newspaper was the right outlet to expose a shocking cover-up.”
— “American Cynicism Has Reached a Breaking Point,” by The Atlantic’s Megan Garber: “The nation’s politics is in dire need of earnestness. Can its culture meet the moment?”
— “The Wrestler,” by Scott Raab in Esquire: “Mike Schyck and hundreds of other Ohio State University athletes suffered sexual abuse by Dr. Richard Strauss. Schyck and many others believe then-OSU assistant wrestling coach Jim Jordan—now a congressman from Ohio—knew about it. This is an unprecedented look inside those locker rooms—and inside the mind of a victim.”
— “Deported to Death,” by Vice’s David Mora and Emily Green: “The father of three, and grandfather of four, had been attempting to return to his home in Mississippi. He was killed in a massacre at the border.”
— “Inside a Battle Over Race, Class and Power at Smith College,” by NYT’s Michael Powell: “A student said she was racially profiled while eating in a college dorm. An investigation found no evidence of bias. But the incident will not fade away.”
— “This Rural Liberal Set Out to Talk to His Pro-Trump Neighbors,” by Bill Donahue in WaPo Magazine: “It didn’t go well — until it did.”
— “Special Report: In Germany’s Black Forest, Putin critic Navalny gathered strength and resolve,” by Reuters’ Sabine Siebold, Anton Zverev, Catherine Belton and Andrew Osborn: “Navalny never wavered in his single-minded mission to displace Putin, and never entertained staying in the West to wage his campaign from abroad.”
— “My Year of Grief and Cancellation,” by Liat Kaplan in the NYT: The creator of the “Your Fave is Problematic” Tumblr — and one of the originators of contemporary cancel culture — reveals herself as a then-high school student, and reflects.
— “Inside Xinjiang’s Prison State,” by Ben Mauk in The New Yorker: “It is likely the largest internment of ethnic and religious minorities since the Second World War. Survivors of China’s campaign of persecution reveal the scope of the devastation.”
— “Inside DC’s Secret Covid Morgue,” by Washingtonian’s Luke Mullins: “Last April, the District built a secret disaster morgue, assembled an army of volunteers to staff it, and trained people who had never previously seen a dead body to care for the dead. This is the story of the morgue—and the quiet force of civil servants tending to everyone we’ve lost to Covid.”
PLAYBOOKERS
SPOTTED: newly sworn-in Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm on a Zoom with her former executive team from her time as Michigan governor. Over 100 Granholm alumni surprised the new secretary with the event to say congratulations on her confirmation and share stories from their time working together. Granholm served as governor from 2003 to 2011.
STAFFING UP — The Commerce Department announced a long list of new top appointees, including Mike Harney as chief of staff, Cynthia Aragon as White House liaison and Gabriela Castillo as director of public affairs. The full list
TRANSITIONS — Ross Branson is now chief of staff for Rep. Debbie Lesko (R-Ariz.). He most recently was SVP in the office of congressional and intergovernmental affairs at the Export-Import Bank. … Anastasia Golovashkina is joining Dem consulting firm Trilogy Interactive to head their social media department as senior director. She previously ran the Elizabeth Warren campaign’s social media program. … Elizabeth Brooks is now director of federal government affairs at AstraZeneca. She most recently was senior director of federal government affairs at CVS Health. …
… Brent McIntosh is now adjunct senior fellow for international economics and finance at the Council on Foreign Relations. He most recently was undersecretary of the Treasury for international affairs. … Dane Hughes is now director of strategic engagement at software company Research Innovations. He most recently was senior adviser to the Defense secretary. … Sam Dubke is now part-time on the comms team on Glenn Youngkin’s Virginia gubernatorial campaign while finishing his senior year at Georgetown. He most recently was press assistant on the Trump campaign.
WELCOME TO THE WORLD — Jeff Grappone, SVP at Rokk Solutions, and Amy Grappone, comms director for Sen. Todd Young (R-Ind.), welcomed Graham Young Grappone on Monday. Pic … Another pic
HAPPY BIRTHDAY: Sen. Maggie Hassan (D-N.H.) … Rep. Adam Kinzinger (R-Ill.) … Chelsea Clinton … Ralph Nader … Greg Speed … Robbie Aiken … Maureen Bunyan … SBA’s Kate DePriest … Sasha Johnson of United Airlines … Rebecca Sinderbrand ... former Rep. Luke Messer (R-Ind.) … Gary Knell … POLITICO’s Mike Irwin, Joe Kamali and Kelsey Wessels … Nils Bruzelius … Vincent Polito … David Baumann, Washington correspondent for the Credit Union Times … Craig Kennedy … Emma Nelson … Kelly Olsen … AHIP’s David Merritt … Jill Chappell Adly … Massachusetts state Sen. Eric Lesser … Dan Moldea
THE SHOWS (Full Sunday show listings here):
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“Meet the Press”: Anthony Fauci … Canadian PM Justin Trudeau … Sen/ Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio). Panel: O. Kay Henderson, Carol Lee, Eugene Robinson and Bret Stephens.
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“State of the Union”: Anthony Fauci … White House press secretary Jen Psaki … Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-La.) … Sen. Chris Coons (D-Del.) … Rep. Karen Bass (D-Calif.).
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“Fox News Sunday”: White House press secretary Jen Psaki … Sen. Rick Scott (R-Fla.) … Sen. Mark Warner (D-Va.). Panel: Ben Domenech, Jane Harman and Susan Page. Power Player: Caleb Anderson.
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“The Sunday Show”: Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.) … Rep. Marie Newman (D-Ill.) … Rep. Mondaire Jones (D-N.Y.) … DNC Chair Jaime Harrison … Rep. Joe Neguse (D-Colo.).
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“This Week”: Anthony Fauci … Sen. Rob Portman (R-Ohio) … Sen. Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii). Panel: Chris Christie, Rahm Emanuel, Yvette Simpson and Sarah Isgur.
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“Face the Nation”: RNC Chair Ronna McDaniel … Rep. Adam Kinzinger (R-Ill.) … Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear … Scott Gottlieb.
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“Full Court Press”: Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-La.) … Sen. Mark Warner (D-Va.).
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“Inside Politics”: Seung Min Kim and Phil Mattingly … Amy Walter and Scott Jennings … Ashish Jha.
Got a document to share? A birthday coming up? More deets on Trump’s CPAC speech? Drop us a line at [email protected] or individually: Rachael Bade, Eugene Daniels, Ryan Lizza, Tara Palmeri.
Playbook couldn’t happen without our editor Mike Zapler and producers Allie Bice, Eli Okun and Garrett Ross.
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