The Playbook Podcast

Elon Musk, Mark Zuckerburg and other of heavy hitters from the tech world joined Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer last night for a closed-door meeting about the future of artificial intelligence — and what the government should do about it. Playbook co-author Eugene Daniels talks with Politico Tech host Steven Overly. All that, and the rest of the news you need to know today.   Playbook co-aut...

Mere hours into the first day members of the House convened after August recess, Speaker Kevin McCarthy announced he would be opening an impeachment inquiry into President Joe Biden. At the center of the investigation are claims that the overseas business dealings of Biden’s son Hunter influenced his political agenda. But, as Playbook co-author Rachael Bade explains, McCarthy must accomplish a few...

House Republicans are supposed to be taking up (and are expected to pass) a right-wing defense funding bill this week. But, head butting within the party over spending may throw a wrench in that plan. As Playbook co-author Rachael Bade explains, the vitriol is starting to get messy and spill over onto social media

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.

As the House returns next week, the relationship between Speaker Kevin McCarthy and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell could face its greatest test yet. Playbook co-author Rachael Bade joins deputy editor Zack Stanton to talk through the road ahead, the unique pressures McCarthy faces, and the battery of issues that threaten to put the House and Senate GOP on very different pages. Deputy Edito...

Today, President Joe Biden heads to New Delhi for the G-20 summit. The subtext of the trip? Convince countries that the U.S. is a better bet than China. That’s a complicates sales pitch, but could be coming at exactly the right time. National security reporter Alex Ward joins Playbook co-author Eugene Daniels to discuss the potential for a historic breakthrough at the meeting — and what success lo...

Mitch McConnell is moving as fast as he can to get beyond questions about whether his health will hurt his ability to lead Senate Republicans. Playbook co-author Eugene Daniels talks with Senate reporter Ursula Perano. Plus, Jim Messina on why Democrats need to take a third-party threat seriously and what songs the 2024 Republican presidential candidates are listening to.

A new book dropping today offers a rare inside look at Biden’s first two years in office. Franklin Foer’s “The Last Politician” offers in-depth insights into topics such as the president’s approaches to foreign policy and opinion of reproductive rights. Plus, fresh off the holiday weekend, a fight is brewing over fentanyl; and some Republicans are still pushing for an impeachment inquiry. Ryan Liz...

Playbook deputy editor Zack Stanton talks with senior columnist and politics bureau chief Jonathan Martin about this week in politics and his new column on why you should be paying attention to Virginia, where Sen. Mark Warner is sounding the alarm about the Virginia legislative elections — which Gov. Glenn Youngkin hopes to use to catapult himself into the national conversation. Playbook Deputy E...

One story looms above all others today: the first Republican debate. (Although a close second is Donald Trump, who is expected to surrender to law enforcement in Georgia later today, after giving a bizarre interview to Tucker Carlson that aired last night.) The Playbook team got together for a post-debate call to talk it all through.

We’re just a few hours away from the start of the first presidential debate of the 2024 cycle, and the event is already mired in controversy. Playbook co-author Rachael Bade walks through everything you need to know about the main event, and then sits down with RNC Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel to talk about the sideshows.

The debate stage is set. Late last night, the RNC announced that eight candidates will be participating in the first presidential debate of the 2024 cycle on Wednesday night. Meanwhile, the debate’s most notably absent figure — Donald Trump — announces when he will surrender to an Atlanta court on Thursday. Reporter Zach Montellaro walks Playbook co-author Eugene Daniels through the debate maneuve...

Vice President Kamala Harris’ political future — and quite possibly the success of the Democratic ticket in 2024 — hinges on a simple question: In modern-day D.C., is it possible to make a second impression? She recently sat down with Playbook co-author Eugene Daniels to discuss how her job has changed, what people get wrong about her public profile, and what many insiders see as a major shift in...

As Republicans gear up for the big debate in Milwaukee, further west, California Gov. Gavin Newsom injects himself into the debates raging in San Francisco. The city’s myriad challenges — from culture war topics to substance abuse to unaffordable housing to rampant crime — not only pose governing problems, but political ones as the city reemerges as a Republican punching bag. Deputy editor Zack St...

Six months into her presidential campaign, Nikki Haley is mired in the single digits and needs a breakout moment. Could next week’s presidential debate offer it? Playbook co-author Rachael Bade joined the former South Carolina governor at the Iowa State Fair to talk through the benefits and drawbacks of being the sole woman in the crowded GOP primary race, what she thinks of her campaign’s traject...

Thus far, President Joe Biden’s administration has not used Donald Trump’s multiple indictments as fodder for insult. Playbook co-author Eugene Daniels and White House Bureau Chief Jonathan Lemire explore what it will take for the White House to change their approach. Plus, Sen. Kyrsten Sinema is unhappy with the situation at the Southern border, and Mark Meadows wants his trial out of Georgia. Al...

On Monday night, a Georgia grand jury delivered a 98-page indictment against Donald Trump and many of his close allies on charges of interfering with the 2020 election. Legal Affairs reporter Kyle Cheney joins Playbook co-author Eugene Daniels to explore the most wide-ranging indictment against the former president yet. Playbook co-author Eugene Daniels talks with reporter Kyle Cheney.

Republican Minority Leader McConnell says he is working to preserve the United States’ identity as a strong, visible presence internationally and within NATO. But with Donald Trump now the de facto party leader, that’s no longer a popular position to take. The senator’s declining health only adds further complication to his endeavors. Host Ryan Lizza talks with Politics Bureau Chief Jonathan Marti...

Nearly every Republican presidential hopeful will be in Des Moines for the Iowa State Fair this weekend. And so will our own Rachael Bade. She joins Ryan to discuss the scene at Ron DeSantis, Mike Pence and Doug Burgum’s campaign stops. That, plus what (and who) we can expect to make headlines in the days ahead. Playbook co-author Ryan Lizza talks with reporter Rachael Bade.

As abortion rights advocates celebrate a major win in Ohio, eyes are turning to other purple-to-red states as Democrats potentially see a path to juice 2024 turnout in some of the most competitive areas of the country. Plus, as Republican presidential hopefuls flock to Des Moines for the Iowa State Fair, former President Donald Trump is bringing an entourage hand-picked to troll Ron DeSantis. All...

Eight candidates – including, most recently, former Vice President Mike Pence – have qualified for the first GOP Presidential Debate. Will Donald Trump take the stage? Plus, a victory for proponents of abortion rights in Ohio yesterday, and another staffing shakeup for the DeSantis campaign. All that, and the rest of the news you need to know today.

Today voters in Ohio decide the fate of Issue 1, an amendment that would make it significantly harder to alter the state’s constitution. But the stakes are broader: If passed, it would immediately jeopardize efforts to enshrine abortion rights into state law. Plus, Donald Trump’s legal team is arguing that a protective order proposed by DOJ special counsel Jack Smith would be an infringement on Tr...

D.C. District Judge Tanya Chutkan has given Donald Trump until 5 p.m. today to respond to a protective order in his Washington, D.C., criminal case. Playbook co-author Ryan Lizza explains how this event will give important clues about how the former president’s prosecution will unfold in D.C., and when his trial may actually happen.

Donald Trump’s third arraignment may be dominating chyrons nationwide this week, but in California, he and his allies are working to ensure that he can secure every last GOP delegate. Rivals like Ken Cuccinelli are even claiming that the Trump camp is “looking to rig the system in their favor.” Playbook co-author Rachael Bade digs into her exclusive reporting.

With President Joe Biden still at the beach and Congress in August recess, there’s one gigantic story dominating the headlines today: Donald Trump’s expected arraignment in Washington D.C. following his indictment this week stemming from his attempts to overturn the 2020 election. Playbook co-author Ryan Lizza talks with senior legal affairs reporter Josh Gerstein about what to expect from this la...