The Playbook Podcast

The Republican National Convention begins today, with former President Donald Trump expected to address attendees on Thursday. But all expectations of what that moment would hold were shattered when a 20-year-old gunman opened fire on Trump at a rally in Pennsylvania on Saturday. National politics correspondent Meridith McGraw joins Playbook co-author Eugene Daniels from Milwaukee to talk about ho...

It was almost certainly the most important press conference of President Joe Biden’s long career. And now that it’s done … well, things seem even more unclear than they were before. Democrats now find themselves in a sort of purgatory while their ultimate fate remains undetermined.  Was it enough to silence the naysayers? Probably not. But it also wasn’t bad enough to swell their ranks, either. Wh...

What’s driving the day today is what’s been driving the day: Joe Biden’s health and whether he’s going to stay in the race. Recently, the Biden campaign has begun calling delegates, in what politics bureau chief and senior political columnist Jonathan Martin calls an unprecedented sign of the times. He talks about it with Playbook co-author Eugene Daniels.

A Tuesday meeting with Hill Democrats left many who initially expressed concerns after the debate two weeks ago reluctantly falling in line with Biden or saying nothing at all. Though the dam appears to be holding behind the president for now, will it stay strong? What will happen if Biden stumbles again before the Democratic National Convention next month? Congressional reporter Nicholas Wu joins...

Over the next few days, the spotlight on Joe Biden will only sharpen as the president attends this year’s NATO summit in Washington. His first big test will be a major address today commemorating the 75th anniversary of the organization. Whether a strong performance there — and at a Thursday news conference — can calm the nerves of Democrats still shaken by a shoddy debate performance is another t...

Congress returns today after time off for the Fourth of July, but it is the forthcoming presidential election that is the only thing anyone is talking about. More and more Democrats are coming out of the woodwork to suggest President Joe Biden step aside and pass the baton to another candidate to run in November. But who, if anyone, actually has influence over the decision? Playbook co-author Rach...

Nearly a week after the disastrous presidential debate, more Democrats are going on the record to suggest President Biden step aside and let another candidate be the nominee for president in 2024. After prominent Democrats called questions about Biden’s mental acuity “valid,” a cascade of other voices echoed the sentiment. But that introduces a potentially more complicated question: if not Biden,...

The Supreme Court ruled Monday that Donald Trump has immunity from criminal prosecution for some actions he took as president while fighting to subvert the 2020 election, further complicating efforts to put Trump on trial in Washington on criminal charges. The decision immediately deflated some of the central allegations that special counsel Jack Smith leveled against Trump. Plus, what does this i...

The fallout from last week's presidential debate continues. Over the weekend, it was reported that the Biden family gathered to discuss whether the president should remain in the race. His family is said to have encouraged him to see it through. But, despite nobody publicly coming forward to encourage him to drop out, others in the Democratic Party are indicating that they aren’t so sure that is t...

President Joe Biden’s campaign gambled on a June debate, ostensibly with the goal of shaking up the trajectory of the campaign. Last night, it backfired in spectacular fashion. Over the course of a disastrous 90 minutes, the incumbent often wandered into incoherence, his voice faint, while former President Donald Trump blasted a firehose of insults and untruths. Now, with word that prominent Dems...

It’s the day that members of both major parties have been waiting for with excitement and/or dread. Tonight in Atlanta, President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump will take to the debate stage for their first debate of the 2024 cycle. Could this be a make-or-break moment for the candidates? How are both candidates angling to get under one another’s skin? What is realistically at stake?...

The Supreme Court is slated to deliver rulings on roughly a dozen cases in the coming days—its last batch of this term. Among these is Trump v. United States, which will rule on whether the former president is immune from criminal prosecution over his bid to subvert the 2020 election. Also expected in this wave of decisions is a ruling on Relentless Inc. v. Department of Commerce, which may spell...

It is primary day in the Empire State, and one of the buzziest races of the day involves Rep. Jamaal Bowman (NY-16). In the only public polls out, Bowman appears to be trailing his opponent, George Latimer, by a whopping 17 points. As New York Playbook co-author Emily Ngo explains, it is the issues at hand in the race—namely, a divide surrounding Israel and Gaza, a microcosm of the Democratic Part...

Groups including Planned Parenthood, the ACLU, and Reproductive Freedom for All are banding together to form Abortion Access Now, an alliance focused on restoring protections for abortion care on the federal level. The new coalition is marking the second anniversary of the fall of Roe v. Wade with a pledge to spend $100 million on a national, 10-year campaign. But the coalition is finding fracture...

Today begins a momentous three days of hearings in Trump’s classified documents case in the Florida courtroom of Judge Aileen Cannon. In an alternate timeline, the criminal prosecution — which was originally slated to start on May 20 — is already underway. But in the real world, Cannon has postponed proceedings indefinitely — and it’s likely that, pending what happens today, Monday and Tuesday, th...

It could happen today. It could happen tomorrow. And you can count on it happening next week, too. The Supreme Court has 22 remaining cases left on the docket, and with time ticking down on this term, the floodgates are about to open. From abortion restrictions to Trump’s claims of presidential immunity in his bid to subvert the 2020 election, to social media censorship, to a decision that could g...

Twelve years after former President Barack Obama passed DACA, and just a few weeks after President Joe Biden announced a harsh crackdown at the U.S.-Mexico border, Biden is slated to make a major announcement today that takes the opposite approach. The parole-in-place program will allow the spouses of U.S. citizens who have lived in the country for at least 10 years to obtain work permits. A secon...

The Republican National Convention is less than one month away, which means we are less than one month from knowing who presumptive Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump will choose for his running mate. Sen. J.D. Vance (R-Ohio), Sen. Tim Scott (R-S.C.), Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-N.Y.), and Gov. Doug Burgum (R-N.D.) are among those speculated to be near the top of the list for the job, but eac...

At the G7 meetings in Italy, many of the conversations revolve around two men: One who’s there (Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy), and one who isn’t (Donald Trump). Though much of President Joe Biden’s agenda at the summit is occupied by reasserting American support for Ukraine, the specter of the 2024 elections is never far from the center of attention. White House correspondent Adam Cancr...

Former President Donald Trump is visiting Capitol Hill today, where he is set to meet with members of both chambers. Yes, there’ll be chatter about a 2025 agenda and an attempt to rally Republican support for his campaign. But behind the scenes, there’s tension as the GOP’s slim House majority is making it hard for Speaker Mike Johnson to deliver for Trump — whether the issue is impeaching Joe Bid...

On Tuesday, Hunter Biden was convicted on all three charges he faced in a Delaware court over an unlawful gun purchase. The result was not necessarily a surprise for the Biden camp, though insiders say it is taking a tremendous personal toll on the president. But could the conviction actually benefit Biden politically? White House bureau chief Jonathan Lemire joins Playbook co-author Eugene Daniel...

It’s Tuesday, and that means another day of primaries. Races to watch today include South Carolina Republican Nancy Mace facing a primary challenger backed by ousted Speaker Kevin McCarthy, the race to fill outgoing North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum’s seat, races in Nevada and Ohio and more. Plus, the bribery trial for Senator Bob Menendez heats up in New Jersey. All that, and the rest of the news you...

In a sharp blow to PM Benjamin Netanyahu’s government, Benny Gantz, a key member of Israel’s war cabinet, resigned his post this weekend in protest of the lack of a plan to win the peace in Gaza. While the move — which came with a call for new elections — is unlikely to force Netanyahu from power, Gantz’s departure has significant implications for both Israel and the U.S. Foreign affairs correspon...

In the week since former President Donald Trump was found guilty of 34 felonies, his campaign has been flooded with a jaw-dropping amount of cash. Aiming to keep up that momentum, Trump is currently in California for a $500,000-per-couple fundraiser with some of the nation’s wealthiest donors. Will it be enough to overtake the Biden campaign’s much touted cash advantage? National politics correspo...

Black voters have long been the backbone of the Democratic Party. But this year, MAGA is betting it can win over enough Black voters to make a real difference in November. As prominent Black Republicans including Sen. Tim Scott (R-S.C.), Reps. Byron Donalds (R-Fla.) and Wesley Hunt (R-Texas) make entreaties to Black voters in key states, political correspondent Brakkton Booker joins Playbook co-au...