The Playbook Podcast

The complicated life of President Joe Biden’s son Hunter has been capturing the attention of the media and the public for years. But it reached a new level during summer 2023 when the younger Biden  rejected a plea deal in a case related to his business dealings. As the 2024 election nears, national correspondent Betsy Woodruff Swan and Playbook co-author Eugene Daniels discuss how Hunter Biden’s...

After the Thanksgiving break, lawmakers return to Capitol Hill today to tackle the White House’s $100 billion supplemental funding request. The funds would be designated for aid to Israel, Ukraine, Taiwan and the U.S.-Mexico border, but finding the common ground between parties needed to move the package as one will be a difficult feat. Playbook co-author Rachael Bade walks through how party leade...

Qatari officials announced late Tuesday that Hamas plans to release 50 hostages in exchange for a multi-day pause in fighting between Hamas and Israel after a deal was struck between the two powers. The extensive agreement will lead to the first reprieve after six weeks of nearly nonstop aggression. National security reporter Alex Ward tells Playbook co-author Eugene Daniels that the sensitive dea...

On Monday, a panel of three judges with the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals signaled they may loosed a gag order imposed on former President Donald Trump originally imposed by the judge during his Washington, D.C. criminal trial. Senior legal affairs reporter Josh Gerstein was in the courtroom and walks Playbook co-author Ryan Lizza through what lies ahead for Trump in this case and the others with...

During a slow Thanksgiving week on the Hill, attention is largely focused on the new year, when Democratic incumbents in the Senate will go full speed into campaign mode in an attempt to hang on to their seats. Few seats are more important to Senate Democrats next year than those occupied by Montana’s Jon Tester and Ohio’s Sherrod Brown, who have proven they can emerge victorious even as their sta...

A blistering report on Thursday from the House Ethics Committee poured jet fuel onto the efforts to oust Rep. George Santos (R-N.Y.) from Congress. Among the many damning details: Santos allegedly spent campaign funds on Sephora, OnlyFans and cosmetic procedures like Botox. What comes next? Congress reporter Anthony Adragna talks Playbook deputy editor Zack Stanton through the coming expulsion vot...

The truth about UFOs is out there. But what exactly do we know, and how? Unidentified flying objects — or, as they are now called, UAPs (unidentified anomalous phenomena) — have long captivated curious minds. But where the topic was once taboo, recent years have seen more and more mainstream discussion on the topic in Washington. That transition — and the underlying questions beneath it — is the t...

President Biden is in San Francisco for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation, where he will meet with President Xi Jinping of China. There is a lot riding on the meeting, Phelim Kine tells Playbook co-author Eugene Daniels, and not just because Biden will be on the campaign trail for the next year. Issues as varied as artificial intelligence, espionage, and fentanyl are expected to come up. And l...

We’re less than a year from the election and the Biden campaign has to reckon with some troubling new voter insights. Extensive data conducted by the organizations Progressive Change Campaign Committee and Data for Progress found those surveyed generally lacked confidence in President Biden’s handling of the economy. But, as White House reporter Adam Cancryn tells Playbook co-author Rachael Bade,...

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 Rac...

Sen. Joe Manchin announced yesterday that he will not seek reelection in 2024 — news with wide-reaching 2024 implications. His seat is almost certain to flip into Republican hands, drastically complicating Democrats’ hopes of holding a majority in the chamber. But rumors abound that Manchin himself may not be done with politics just yet. Political reporter Ally Mutnick joins Rachael Bade to break...

Last night, five Republican presidential candidates took the stage in Miami for a policy-heavy debate where they clashed about everything from TikTok to Trump to taking on Hamas. National political correspondent Brakkton Booker joined Playbook co-author Rachael Bade to talk through the highs, the lows, and whether or not it all will make a difference in the long run. Playbook co-author Rachael Bad...

Andy Beshear secured a second term as governor of Kentucky; Democrats kept the Virginia state Senate and flipped the House; and Ohioans voted to enshrine the right to an abortion in the state Constitution. So what does all of this say about 2024? Morning Score author Madison Fernandez breaks it all down with Playbook co-author Eugene Daniels. Playbook co-author Eugene Daniels interviews Morning Sc...

The 2024 presidential election may be a little less than a year away, but residents in states around the country today will cast ballots for a variety of pivotal races. There are gubernatorial contests in Kentucky and Mississippi, a referendum on abortion rights in Ohio, and a battle for control of the Virginia legislature, among other contests. As senior campaigns and elections editor Steve Shepa...

Donald Trump is scheduled to appear in a Manhattan courtroom today, testifying about claims that his companies falsified documents submitted to banks and insurers to land favorable real estate loan terms. New York Attorney General Letitia James is looking to bar the former president from doing business in the state and have him pay $250 million in damages. But a chance to take the stand could give...

A Republican-backed $14.3 billion bill to aid Israel passed the House, but is going nowhere fast in the Senate. One reason is because the bill is funded by IRS cuts, which the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office says would add to the federal deficit over the next decade. Another  is that the bill does not contain any money for Ukraine. White House reporter Myah Ward lays out some compromises D...

Republican senators pushed to confirm more than 60 military nominees Wednesday evening in a direct challenge to fellow GOP member Tommy Tuberville and his blockade on promotions — but the Alabama senator is refusing to budge. Defense reporter Connor O'Brien breaks it down with Playbook co-author Rachael Bade. All that, and the rest of the news you need to know today.

Over the next two days, tech giants and world leaders — including Tesla CEO Elon Musk and Vice President Kamala Harris — will gather in London for a summit on artificial intelligence. Highlighting the agenda is discussions on the dangers of the evolving technology and how to regulate it. Additionally, the U.S. and U.K. are slated to announce a collaborate effort on AI safety. But already, Politico...

Speaker Mike Johnson has come out swinging in his first few days with the gavel. The newly-elected leader of the House has raised eyebrows in both parties with an announcement that he will use funds allotted to the IRS plus-up within the Inflation Reduction Act to offset 4.3 billion worth of assistance to Israel. The decision, Playbook co-author Rachael Bade explains, is leaving many Democrats in...

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 Ris...

Today, Dean Phillips launches his presidential campaign in New Hampshire — a quixotic attempt to unseat President Joe Biden in the Democratic primary, mounted just ahead of the early state’s filing deadline. It’s a long shot. But amid  widespread concerns about Biden’s age and electability, Phillips is betting that voters will be drawn to his relative youth and outsider message. How will he make t...

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 th...

Donald Trump dominated headlines in Washington and around the country Tuesday. After staying mum for much of the House Speaker search process, Trump took to Truth Social to call frontrunner Tom Emmer a “globalist” and a “RINO” among other things, leading to Emmer’s decision to withdraw from consideration. The move came hours after Trump’s former campaign attorney, Jenna Ellis, pleaded guilty to a...

Now in its third week, the search for a new House Speaker leads House Republicans back to a private internal conference vote to decide who of the eight candidates should be the next nominee. Congress reporter Anthony Adragna lays out for Playbook co-author Ryan Lizza what we can expect (or try to) from the Hill in the week ahead. All that, and the rest of the news you need to know today. Playbook...

After more than two weeks and multiple failed floor votes, House Republicans have yet to elect a new speaker. Among nine declared candidates, Majority Whip Tom Emmer is most likely to win the GOP conference nomination and head to the floor. But will he be able to evade accusations that he is not in lockstep with Donald Trump? Playbook co-author Rachael Bade breaks it down.