The Playbook Podcast

Two major hearings today will shape the trajectory (and timing) of the legal woes that Donald Trump faces as he attempts to return to the White House. In New York, a judge will decide whether the hush money case against the former president can move to trial in late March or whether that timeline will be pushed back — a popular Trump delay tactic honed over his many decades of lawsuits. Meanwhile...

On their second attempt, House Republicans managed to formally impeach Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas by one vote. That will likely be the end of the story, though, as the impeachment proceedings are expected to come to a stop in the Senate. Plus, in Tuesday’s election, Democrats managed to flip a seat in the New York District 3 special election to fill the seat forme...

The center of the political universe today is on Long Island, where voters in Queens and Nassau County will decide whether Democrat Tom Suozzi or Republican Mazi Pilip will replace George Santos, the fabulist who was expelled from Congress. Playbook co-author Ryan Lizza calls up Politico editor Steve Shepard — a fellow Long Island native — to discuss. Plus, the latest on the Senate's supplemental...

Over the weekend, former President Donald Trump captured headlines and confused many when he said he would “encourage” Russia to attack NATO members who did not pay their financial dues. Among those who were quick to condemn the comments is former South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley, Trump’s remaining challenger for the 2024 GOP presidential nomination. Playbook co-author Rachael Bade spoke with H...

The special counsel report on Joe Biden’s handling of classified documents was about as damaging as it could possibly be while stopping short of recommending criminal charges. Over nearly 350 pages, the investigation paints a troubling picture of Biden’s behavior and cognitive abilities — one almost certain to feed voters’ existing concerns about the 81-year-old president, whom it describes as a “...

This morning, the Supreme Court will hear arguments in a momentous case that could determine former President Donald Trump’s ballot eligibility — and, potentially, whether the 14th Amendment’s insurrection clause bars him from a return to the White House. Playbook co-author Ryan Lizza and legal editor James Romoser break down what to expect inside the courtroom.

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 beginnin...

It took months of negotiations to craft the bipartisan border agreement that debuted Sunday night, and only a few hours for its fate to take a grim turn.  Republican senators are continuing to come out of the woodwork to voice concerns that  the deal isn’t tough enough on border security. But, as congress reporter and Inside Congress author Daniella Diaz tells Playbook co-author Ryan Lizza, there...

Senate negotiators unveiled at the text of the bipartisan border agreement Sunday night, offering a compromise that would both tighten security at the U.S.-Mexico border and send air money to Ukraine, Israel, and Taiwan. But whether the $118 billion agreement that came to be after months of negotiations even stands a chance is another question entirely, Playbook co-author Rachael Bade explains.

At this hour, virtually no one knows exactly what is or isn’t in the hotly anticipated bipartisan Senate border bill — legislative text could drop as soon as tonight. But it’s already dominating conversation in Washington and on the campaign trail. Former President Trump is eager to kill the deal and keep the border alive as a galvanizing election issue — and so far, House Republicans seem to be f...

What are the biggest takeaways from last night’s major new fundraising numbers? For starters, here are two: Democratic frontrunner President Joe Biden is in pretty good shape, and GOP frontrunner former president Donald Trump is spending an unprecedented amount on legal fees. Campaign reporter Zach Montellaro joins Playbook deputy editor Zack Stanton to walk through more key findings, and what the...

CEOs from five of the world’s biggest social media companies head to Capitol Hill today to face a grilling about the safety of children on their platforms. Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg — a hearing veteran — will be joined by leaders from X, Snap, Discord, and TikTok during the appearance. Politico Tech host Steven Overly talks with Playbook co-author Eugene Daniels. Plus, the House's Homeland Security...

President Joe Biden has vowed the U.S. will respond to the weekend drone attack of three U.S. troops in Jordan, but what will that look like exactly? And, does this mean the country is at war with Iran — or at the very least, an Iran-backed militia group? Pentagon reporter Lara Seligman walks Playbook co-author Ryan Lizza through the details. Playbook co-author Ryan Lizza interviews Pentagon repor...

After three U.S. troops were killed and 25 more were wounded in a drone attack in Jordan, President Joe Biden vowed a response and Senators Lindsey Graham and John Cornyn echoed a call for retaliation. Plus, over the weekend, House Republicans unveiled articles of impeachment against Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas. Finally, Legal Editor James Romoser walks Playbook co-author Rachae...

Republicans demanded a border deal in order to pass any Ukraine aid. And they’ve just about got one. But if Donald Trump gets his way, Republicans will abandon that effort and the bill will go down in flames. Congress reporter Ursula Perano joins Playbook co-author Rachael Bade to talk through the bizarre politics on the Hill that are leading some Republicans to ditch the deal they helped broker —...

When it was unveiled, the bipartisan tax deal brokered by Senate Finance Chair Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) and House Ways and Means Chair Jason Smith (R-Mo.) seemed like a layup — it expanded the child tax credit (a Dem priority) while offering relief to businesses (a GOP priority). But now, in the cold spotlight of simple congressional vote-counting, it faces a very real challenge: border politics. Can it...

A victory in the granite state for former President Donald Trump effectively ended Nikki Haley’s shot at the 2024 GOP presidential nomination. But the former governor of South Carolina announced Tuesday she will continue the fight in her home state, even though she is expected to lose by an even larger margin there. President Joe Biden, meanwhile, handily — and, as expected— won the New Hampshire...

Playbook co-authors Rachael Bade and Ryan Lizza talk about what Ryan's been experiencing on the ground in New Hampshire, where Donald Trump currently has a double digit polling lead over Nikki Haley. Plus everything else you need to know today.

After vowing to stay in the race despite a disappointing second place finish in Iowa, Gov. Ron DeSantis made a 180-degree turn and ended his turbulent campaign Sunday. Florida reporter Gary Fineout talks to Playbook co-author Eugene Daniels about the failure to launch and whether we'll see DeSantis as a surrogate. Plus, POLITICO legal editor James Romoser breaks down what you need to watch for in...

With Senate negotiators expected to unveil a bipartisan border deal any day now, the chatter on Capitol Hill has turned to one elephantine obstacle: How to get this thing past the GOP-led House. The answer may just be… Democratic votes. And that could be a problem for Speaker Mike Johnson, especially as Donald Trump and the party’s right flank aren’t eager to support a border compromise — potentia...

With a partial government shutdown just days away, a clutch of top government officials — including President Joe Biden and House Speaker Mike Johnson — met yesterday to negotiate a potential spending deal. But before any deal gets finalized, they must reach a compromise on two big issues: border security (a priority for the GOP) and aid to Ukraine (a priority for Biden). So, what, if anything, ch...

The Supreme Court will take up Chevron deference on Wednesday, a principle related to how much consideration judges must give to federal agency regulations and other executive branch decisions that stems from a Reagan-era environmental regulation. Energy reporter Alex Guillén tells Playbook co-author Ryan Lizza that the fact the court is even taking it up signals that a change in the 40 year-old r...

Capturing more than 50% of the delegates up for grabs, former president Donald Trump claimed a historic, dominant win mere minutes after the Iowa caucuses began Monday night. By the end of the evening, he had also picked up another endorsement, this time from businessman Vivek Ramaswamy, who withdrew his bid for president. Florida governor Ron DeSantis claimed second place and South Carolina gover...

We’re just days away from the first ballots cast in the 2024 presidential cycle: the Iowa caucuses. But this year’s GOP contest is shaping up to look a bit different than you may expect. Playbook co-author Ryan Lizza sits down with storied Iowa Republican strategist David Kochel in Des Moines to talk the field, campaigns and what to expect on Monday.

Last night in Des Moines, the split-screen reality of the GOP primary was on full display. On CNN, Ron DeSantis and Nikki Haley brutalized each other for two hours during a debate essentially for second place — largely ignoring the man who even while absent from the stage, is running away with the race. Instead, a noticeably subdued former President Donald Trump took to a Fox News-sponsored town h...