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Presented by Invest in Our Land: The unofficial guide to official Washington. | | | | |  | | By Rachael Bade, Ryan Lizza and Eugene Daniels | | | With help from Eli Okun, Garrett Ross and Bethany Irvine
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Yesterday's high-stakes hearing overall was a dud for the GOP’s efforts to oust President Joe Biden. | Francis Chung/POLITICO | | | | |  | DRIVING THE DAY | | | CLINCHED — Last night, both JOE BIDEN and DONALD TRUMP crossed the delegate thresholds for the respective Democratic and Republican presidential nominations. The Biden clinch, by Elena Schneider … The Trump clinch, by Natalie Allison WHAT TEAM BIDEN DOESN’T WANT TO TALK ABOUT — The president hasn’t seen any post-State of the Union bump in his polls. In fact, FiveThirtyEight’s G. Elliott Morris notes that yesterday’s “updated approval rating average is a new all-time low” for Biden. The polls WHAT TEAM TRUMP DOESN’T WANT TO TALK ABOUT — In 2020, Trump lost Georgia by 11,779 votes. Yesterday, NIKKI HALEY received more than 77,000 votes in the state’s Republican presidential primary — even though she dropped out of the campaign last week. (Yes, many voted early, as the Atlanta Journal-Constitution’s Greg Bluestein notes, “but a significant number voted [Tuesday] in protest of Trump.”) GOP SEEKS AN IMPEACHMENT OFF-RAMP — It wasn’t exactly the ROBERT MUELLER doomsday scenario that Democrats dealt with back in the summer of 2019. Yesterday, Republicans wrung a few damaging lines out of former special counsel ROBERT HUR, who testified in no uncertain terms about Biden’s mishandling of classified documents. But like Mueller’s doddering testimony years ago — after which, the NYT declared impeachment all but “certainly” dead — the high-stakes hearing overall was a dud for the GOP’s efforts to oust Biden. Now, talk in the House GOP is turning to the search for an off-ramp. Behind the scenes, Republicans of all ideological persuasions are increasingly admitting that they pulled the trigger on Biden’s impeachment too soon and that the effort has been hobbled by embarrassing setbacks. They’ve accused the president of profiting off the Oval Office but have yet to find any proof that the president benefitted from his family’s business dealings. And it doesn’t help their case that the informant behind the most prominent and scandalous accusations of corruption by Biden was found to have lied to the FBI about those allegations and has been indicted. The GOP is also dealing with a brutal math problem. Republicans in swing districts continue to balk at taking an impeachment vote when they say there’s no proof of high crimes. And with Rep. KEN BUCK (R-Colo.) announcing yesterday that he’s resigning effective March 22, the GOP’s majority is tightening yet again, further complicating their whipping efforts. “I don't think we have the will to impeach Joe Biden. … We just don’t,” Rep. TROY NEHLS (R-Texas), a Trump ally, told Fox News’ Elizabeth Elkind yesterday. Don’t expect Republicans to just come out and announce an end to their impeachment inquiry altogether. Doing so, they realize, would be tantamount to exonerating Biden in an election year — hardly a smart political play, and one that would infuriate the GOP base. Instead, Republicans are brainstorming Plan Bs — exit strategies they say will keep their anti-Biden base happy but fall far short of their initial impeachment goal. “The current GOP thinking goes, Republicans would at least have something to show to their anti-Biden voters with their thin majority on the line,” our colleague Jordain Carney writes this morning in a story about these discussions. (Though let’s be real here: The base will find all of these options below extremely disappointing.) Here are the lower-stakes alternatives being discussed: 1. Criminal referrals: Republicans have been talking about criminally referring HUNTER BIDEN or others in their probe — maybe even Biden himself — to the Justice Department for prosecution. If that happens, you can expect DOJ, which has already charged the president’s son, to wave off those recommendations. But the GOP could play the long game here. As ABC News’ Olivia Rubin, Will Steakin and Rachel Scott note, “the plan could give … Trump a long-shot roadmap for his own administration to investigate his predecessor, should he win back the White House in November.” House Oversight Chair JAMES COMER (R-Ky.) recently said as much on Fox: “If MERRICK GARLAND’s Department of Justice won't take any potential criminal referrals seriously, then maybe the next president, with a new attorney general, will.” 2. Legislative reforms: Another option on the table is enacting tighter restrictions on influence peddling. Republicans are looking at new laws sunlighting the business dealings of the family members of presidents and vice presidents, as well as stricter foreign lobbying laws and ethics rules, Jordain writes. These, of course, could fail in the Senate, though given the Democrats’ complaints about Trump profiting off the Oval Office, there’s potential to enact real change here — if lawmakers can stop squabbling over such issues for two seconds. (Don’t count on it!) 3. Lawsuits: Republicans continue to demand access to documents and witnesses, and they have discussed escalating their fight by suing for such testimony. House Judiciary Chair JIM JORDAN (R-Ohio), for example, recently penned a letter to Justice accusing them of stonewalling Republicans’ requests to tax officials familiar with Biden’s tax charges. The problem here is timing. Such lawsuits take years to resolve, so wouldn’t do much for the GOP’s impeachment cause. AND ABOUT THAT IMPEACHMENT VOTE: There’s an ongoing debate in the GOP conference about whether to hold an impeachment vote, even if it’s doomed to fail. As conservative Rep. TIM BURCHETT (R-Tenn.) told Jordain, “the base is going to demand it.” Other Republicans disagree. “That’s not a vote you put on the floor if you don’t have a chance of passing it,” said Rep. KELLY ARMSTRONG (R-N.D.), a member of the Judiciary Committee. There’s also another matter to contend with: Trump. His spokeswoman recently insisted that the former president expects Republicans to impeach Biden despite news that their top witness lied about his allegations. Republicans don’t have to make any decisions right away. For now, they’re focused on trying to bring Hunter Biden in next week for a public hearing. They also have outstanding inquiries with other Biden associates. But the clock is ticking — and every day they wait, the impeachment window closes a little more. “He deserves to be impeached with the information we have now, but let’s be realistic — this is March. The election is in November,” conservative Rep. RALPH NORMAN (R-S.C.) told Jordain. “You save your gunpowder at some point.” Good Wednesday morning. Thanks for reading Playbook. Drop us a line: Rachael Bade, Eugene Daniels, Ryan Lizza.
| | | | A message from Invest in Our Land: In 2022, Congress invested $20 billion in conservation funding to protect America's family farms. Now, they could roll back that investment. These funds help strengthen family businesses, lower costs, and increase profits, but most importantly, they protect the future of American farms.
Congress: Protect conservation funding, and keep farming viable for generations.
Protect Conservation Funding. | | | TOUGH BREAK FOR JETS FANS? — ROBERT F. KENNEDY JR. is searching for a running mate for his long-shot campaign and has “recently approached the N.F.L. quarterback AARON RODGERS and the former Minnesota governor and professional wrestler JESSE VENTURA,” NYT’s Rebecca Davis O’Brien reports. Those who won’t be joining the ticket: Sen. RAND PAUL (R-Ky.), who said he would decline a formal invitation, and former Rep. TULSI GABBARD (D-Hawaii), who has stopped participating in the vetting process, our colleague Brittany Gibson reports. FIRST IN PLAYBOOK — VP KAMALA HARRIS will be convening a roundtable discussion on cannabis policy on Friday, and is expected to hold it in the White House’s Roosevelt Room, where she’ll be joined by rapper FAT JOE, Kentucky Gov. ANDY BESHEAR, Director of Public Engagement STEVE BENJAMIN and a handful of people who have received pardons from the administration’s executive action on marijuana offenses. In 2023 and 2022, Biden issued proclamations granting blanket clemency for “simple marijuana possession, use, and certain related offenses,” and further issued pardons to individual people convicted of other marijuana offenses — work that the VP is expected to tout at the roundtable. HAPPENING TODAY — POLITICO’s annual Health Care Summit convenes today at the Waldorf Astoria in Washington, where we expect lots of news on everything from the fentanyl crisis to the war in Gaza, abortion, drug prices and even the Ozempic craze. Eugene will sit down with the White House’s NEERA TANDEN and Ryan will interview KELLYANNE CONWAY. Other interviews include HHS Secretary XAVIER BECERRA, Sen. JOE MANCHIN (D-W.Va.), USAID Administrator SAMANTHA POWER, Reps. LARRY BUCSHON (R-Ind.), BRAD WENSTRUP (R-Ohio) and ROBIN KELLY (D-Ill.) and more. Click here for the full agenda and watch
| | | | A message from Invest in Our Land:   Protect Conservation Funding. | | | | | WHAT'S HAPPENING TODAY | | On the Hill The House will meet at 9 a.m. The Senate is in. 3 things to watch …
- It’s judgment day for TikTok. Today at 10 a.m., the House is expected to vote on a bill to force China-based ByteDance to either sell the popular app or face a de facto ban. It’ll require a two-thirds majority to advance — and should clear that hurdle. Majority Leader STEVE SCALISE made a “big, impassioned defense” for the bill in a closed-door meeting yesterday, bill sponsor Rep. MIKE GALLAGHER (R-Wisc.) told Olivia Beavers. And though a cadre of progressives came out against the legislation yesterday — more on that from Nick Wu and Daniella Diaz — its support is broadly bipartisan in the House. (Less clear: The outlook in the Senate.) More on the bill below
- The annual House Republican retreat opens today at West Virginia’s Greenbrier resort. One unavoidable topic of discussion: the shrinking Republican majority. With Rep. KEN BUCK’s (R-Colo.) announcement yesterday that he’ll retire next week, the GOP will have just 218 seats — creating a new wrinkle in Speaker MIKE JOHNSON’s hopes to pass legislation through regular order. The announcement also adds a bit of intrigue to Rep. LAUREN BOEBERT’s reelection plans, as Olivia and Anthony Adragna detail: She moved into Buck’s district anticipating a safely red open seat in November, but now needs to decide if she’ll compete in the special election to replace him — and potentially create another vacancy if she wins.
- The push for Ukraine-Israel funding will continue today as House Dems seek to put momentum behind the discharge petition that went live yesterday. With 169 signers so far, it’s well short of the 218 needed to force a floor vote on the Senate’s aid package, and some progressives are refusing to sign on, citing concerns about aid to Israel. Watch to see whether a slowdown in momentum accrues to the benefit of a competing discharge petition led by Rep. BRIAN FITZPATRICK (R-Pa.).
At the White House Biden will receive the President’s Daily Brief in the morning. In the afternoon, Biden will travel to Milwaukee, Wisconsin, where he is scheduled to deliver remarks on jobs and later participate in a campaign event. Press secretary KARINE JEAN-PIERRE will gaggle aboard Air Force One en route to Milwaukee. Harris will record two political radio interviews and receive briefings and conduct internal meetings with staff.
| | | | CALIFORNIA CLIMATE: Climate change isn’t just about the weather. It's also about how we do business and create new policies, especially in California. So, we have something cool for you: our California Climate newsletter. It's not just climate or science chat, it's your daily cheat sheet to understanding how the legislative landscape around climate change is shaking up industries across the Golden State. Cut through the jargon and get the latest developments in California as lawmakers and industry leaders adapt to the changing climate. Subscribe now. | | | | | | | PLAYBOOK READS | | 2024 WATCH
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Donald Trump has horseshoed all the way around on TikTok, opposing a bill that could result in the app’s ban in the U.S. | Jamie Kelter Davis for POLITICO | FROM NO TO YASS — Back in 2020, Trump as president dubbed TikTok a “national security threat” and considered an outright ban of the platform. Now, Trump has horseshoed all the way around on the app, opposing a bill that could result in the app’s ban in the U.S. How did he get there? While Trump has repeatedly cited a claim that banning TikTok would benefit Facebook’s parent company, Meta, the about-face is also “the product of a lobbying campaign connected to a GOP megadonor with connections that reach into Trump’s inner circle,” WaPo’s Josh Dawsey and Jeff Stein report. “The investment company of billionaire JEFF YASS owns 15 percent of ByteDance, which would amount to roughly $40 billion of the company’s $268 billion valuation.” “Behind the scenes, however, Trump and his aides have spoken about TikTok to people with direct financial ties to Yass. Yass is the biggest donor to the conservative organization Club for Growth, which is currently paying former Trump senior counselor KELLYANNE CONWAY to defend TikTok on Capitol Hill and which recently reconciled with Trump after a feud last year. “Conway has also spoken to Trump about the importance of defending the social media app, according to two other people familiar with the matter, who also spoke on the condition of anonymity to reflect private deliberations. These people said Conway told Trump that the app was popular and that many of his supporters were on it — an argument echoed by other pro-TikTok allies — and that they were not being censored in their support of him.” To wit: “‘Foolish to go after TikTok in an election year’: Trump allies see upside in TikTok feud,” by Meridith McGraw, Natalie Allison and Burgess Everett More top reads:
- Some abortion-rights activists are upset with Biden over his SOTU address last week, as they see the president as comfortable lifting up women who have not been able to receive fertility care, contraception and abortions in cases of rape, incest and medical emergencies, while being less willing to talk about women who have struggled to terminate unwanted pregnancies for other reasons. But, Megan Messerly and Alice Miranda Ollstein report, that delineation could actually help Biden’s campaign, as polling shows that’s right where the public is, too.
MORE POLITICS A NEW YORK MINUTE — New York Gov. KATHY HOCHUL is taking a more aggressive role in politicking this year, hoping to avoid another “down-ballot disaster” for the Democratic Party in the Empire State, our colleague Nick Reisman reports from Albany. “Hochul … seeks to become a national surrogate for Biden and Democratic House candidates and ensure New York is a bulwark against another red wave. She is reviving New York’s moribund Democratic Party infrastructure and carefully laying the groundwork to build out the organization.” POLITICAL VIOLENCE WATCH — “Viral video of Biden effigy beating prompts calls for top Kansas Republican leaders to resign,” by AP’s John Hanna in Topeka, Kansas CONGRESS
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TikTok Chief Executive Officer Shou Zi Chew intends to meet with lawmakers this week as lawmakers push to ban the app in the U.S. | Francis Chung/POLITICO | THE TIKTOK TICK TOCK — “How TikTok Was Blindsided by U.S. Bill That Could Ban It,” by WSJ’s Stu Woo, Georgia Wells and Raffaele Huang: “Inside TikTok, some leaders were aware that lawmakers were working on legislation, but they didn’t expect it to win so much support so quickly, some of the people familiar with the matter said. “The company has scrambled in response, messaging its users to call their representatives, which angered some lawmakers. TikTok executives, though, are considering additional, similar notifications to users urging them to contact Congress. Meanwhile, TikTok Chief Executive Officer SHOU ZI CHEW intends to meet with lawmakers this week while he is in Washington for a preplanned visit, lobbying against a ban.” Meanwhile, Bloomberg’s Alex Barinka and Zheping Huang report that the company “intends to exhaust all legal challenges before it considers any kind of divestiture from Chinese parent company ByteDance Ltd. if the latest US legislation targeting the app becomes law, according to people familiar with the matter. “A sale of the viral video app is considered to be the last resort for ByteDance, said the people, who asked not to be identified discussing private matters. A divestiture would also require approval by the Chinese government, which said last year that it would firmly oppose a forced sale. No plans are final, and would depend on how the legislation progresses, the people said.” Related reads: “TikTok fights for its life in Washington,” by Rebecca Kern … “Trump’s newfound opposition to a TikTok ban isn't swaying Republicans,” by NBC’s Scott Wong and Kyle Stewart More top reads:
- Sen. CHRIS VAN HOLLEN (D-Md.) said yesterday that congressional action to block U.S. arms sales to Israel is “certainly something that’s on the table” if Israeli PM BENJAMIN NETANYAHU launches a large-scale invasion of Rafah, our colleagues Joe Gould and Alexander Ward report.
- As Senate Democrats dig in for a tough election year with the high hopes of defending their majority, they are making a wishlist of legislative action that could be helpful, Burgess Everett reports. “In interviews this week, Democrats sketched out their top priorities: The House-passed tax deal; a rail safety bill responding to the disaster in East Palestine, Ohio; cannabis banking legislation, a new farm bill, a package of community health center funding and action to lower drug prices; and a new FAA bill. Some Democrats even want another try on the bipartisan border deal that Republicans blocked.”
| | | | A message from Invest in Our Land:   Protect Conservation Funding. | | | THE WHITE HOUSE
|  Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen is hitting the Bluegrass State today for an appearance with Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear. | Carlos Osorio/AP Photo | FIRST IN PLAYBOOK — Treasury Secretary JANET YELLEN is hitting the Bluegrass State today for an appearance with Kentucky Democratic Gov. ANDY BESHEAR in Elizabethtown as the Biden administration continues its post-SOTU blitz to sell the president’s vision for a second term. During her remarks, Yellen is seeking to draw a sharp contrast with Trump — though not by name — continuing Biden’s theme from last week. “Past government efforts haven’t worked to bring back or create jobs and the dignity that comes with them,” Yellen will say, according to the prepared remarks seen by Playbook. “Strategies like trickle-down economics cut taxes for those at the very top with the hope that the gains would reach the rest of the economy and boost growth. But the results are clear: Trickle-down doesn’t fuel growth and only the wealthiest benefit. As President Biden said last week during the State of the Union, we envision ‘a future where the days of trickle-down economics are over and the wealthy and biggest corporations no longer get all the breaks.’” JUDICIARY SQUARE FOR YOUR RADAR — “Federal courts move against ‘judge-shopping,’” by Josh Gerstein: “The move is aimed at reining in a growing practice of lawyers and interest groups — and even states — trying to guarantee that the lawsuits they file wind up in front of a judge they expect to be friendly to their arguments.” COMING SOON — “Georgia judge says he’s on track to rule this week on whether to remove DA Fani Willis from Trump election case,” by CNN’s Nick Valencia and Jason Morris
| | | | Easily connect with the right N.Y. State influencers and foster the right relationships to champion your policy priorities. POLITICO Pro. Inside New York. Learn more. | | | | | | | PLAYBOOKERS | | Kristi Noem is keeping her lips sealed about her cosmetic dentistry work. Amy Coney Barrett and Sonia Sotomayor appeared together at George Washington University to discuss civility. Sean O’Brien said the Teamsters are in no rush to endorse between Joe Biden and Donald Trump. Jon Schuppe, Mike Hixenbaugh and Rich Schapiro of NBC News won the 2024 Anthony Shadid Award for Journalism Ethics. PLAYBOOK SPORTS SECTION — Lawmakers and lobbyists dropped the puck last night for the Congressional Hockey Challenge, an annual charity hockey game, where House Majority Whip Tom Emmer (R-Minn.) and Rep. Mike Quigley (D-Ill.) hit the ice, with Rep. Pete Stauber (R-Minn.) coaching from the bench. The lawmakers team won by a score of 4-2, with goals scored by Jeff Burton, Will Bensur, Rob MacGregor, Austin Yager, retired Washington Capitals defenseman Karl Alzner and Quigley. The three stars of the game were: Rob MacGregor of the Committee on Natural Resources, Jeff Burton of the American Academy of Family Physicians and Rob Wagener of Rep. Scott Fitzgerald’s office (R-Wis.). See the full rosters OUT AND ABOUT — POLITICO CEO Goli Sheikholeslami and John Harris hosted a party for Alexander Ward’s new book, “The Internationalists: The Fight to Restore American Foreign Policy After Trump” ($32) at Kaimaki last night. SPOTTED: Rep. Jim Himes (D-Conn.), Sara Amin, Amal Hijazi, Morgan Gress-Johnson, Michael Allen, William Baskin-Gerwitz, Ethan Bassoff, Zack Beauchamp, Ben Haas, Anne Hsu, Zolan Kanno-Youngs, Justin Logan, Irvin McCullough, David Sanger, Sean Savett, Swati Sharma, Gavin Bade, Francesca Barber, Eric Bazail-Eimil, Matt Berg, Brakkton Booker, Peter Canellos, Adam Cancryn, Lauren Egan, Natalie Fertig, Hailey Fuchs, Josh Gerstein, Lee Hudson, Eun Kim, Anita Kumar, Daniel Lippman, Meridith McCraw, Paul McLeary, Connor O'Brien, Heidi Przybyla, Nahal Toosi, Heidi Vogt, Myah Ward, Kate Day, Brad Dayspring, Natasha Bernard, Molly Martinez, John Hudson, Josh Dawsey and Farnoush Amiri. Pics — SPOTTED at Miller Strategies' Jeff Miller's 50th birthday party last night at his lobbying firm's offices: Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.), Sens. Lindsay Graham (R-S.C.), Rick Scott (R-Fla.), Tim Scott (R-S.C.), J.D. Vance (R-Ohio) and Eric Schmitt (R-Mo.), Reps. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio), Josh Gottheimer (D-N.J.), Jared Moskowitz (D-Fla.), Ronny Jackson (R-Texas), Mike Lawler (R-N.Y.), Dan Crenshaw (R-Texas), Ryan Zinke (R-Mont.), Bruce Westerman (R-Ark.) and Jason Smith (R-Mo.). — SPOTTED last night at a CTA Innovation House reception for Ukraine national hero and former heavyweight champion Wladimir Klitschko: Reps. Darrell Issa (R-Calif.), Mark DeSaulnier (D-Calif.), Mariannette Miller-Meeks (R-Iowa), Eric Swalwell (D-Calif.) and Victoria Spartz (R-Ind.), Yevgeny and Alexander Vindman, Gary Shapiro, Kinsey Fabrizio, Michael Petricone, Tiffany Moore, Randy Fry, Vicki Liviakis, Karl Ahlgren and Dwayne Bolton. FIRST IN PLAYBOOK — Samantha Silverberg is now deputy assistant to the president for infrastructure implementation and Minelly De Coo is now special assistant to the president for infrastructure implementation. Silverberg previously was deputy infrastructure implementation coordinator under Mitch Landrieu and is an NEC alum. De Coo previously was deputy director of infrastructure for New York Gov. Kathy Hochul. TRANSITIONS — Elizabeth Lopez-Sandoval is now deputy director of public affairs for the Transportation Department. She previously oversaw USAID’s press response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. … Ken Farnaso is now a director in the public affairs practice at PLUS Communications. He previously was press secretary for the Nikki Haley campaign and is a Donald Trump and Tim Scott alum. … Blake Kernen is now press secretary for Larry Hogan’s Maryland Senate campaign. She previously was press secretary for the House Budget Committee. WELCOME TO THE WORLD — James Martin, executive secretary for the Office of VP Kamala Harris, and Stevie Martin, senior people team specialist at Boston Consulting Group, on Monday welcomed Scout Martin. Pic … Another pic HAPPY BIRTHDAY: Sen. John Hoeven (R-N.D.) … Jeff Weiss … CNN’s Katelyn Polantz … Ari Rabin-Havt … POLITICO’s David Lim and Tamar Barsamian … White House’s Maya James … Kiki McLean … Ashley Hoy of Monument Advocacy … Erin Billings of Global Strategy Group … former Reps. Alan Grayson (D-Fla.), Joseph Cao (R-La.) and Rick Lazio (R-N.Y.) … Joe Rubin … Ryan Tracy … MSNBC’s Yelda Altalef … Brian Gaston … Lauren Inouye of the American Academy of Nursing … Chris Gaspar … Tres York of the American Gaming Association … The Clearing’s Christina Roberts … James Wesolek of the Texas GOP … JPMorgan Chase’s Jamie Dimon … Mike Murphy of the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget … Erin Harbaugh … Will Thomas … Sarah Mulcahy Did someone forward this email to you? Sign up here. Send Playbookers tips to playbook@politico.com or text us at 202-556-3307. Playbook couldn’t happen without our editor Mike DeBonis, deputy editor Zack Stanton and Playbook Daily Briefing producer Callan Tansill-Suddath.
| | | | A message from Invest in Our Land: In 2022, Congress invested $20 billion in America’s farmers and ranchers. These funds supported land conservation and profits for future generations of farmers. Now, Congress is considering rolling back this $20 billion investment in the upcoming Farm Bill, putting crucial programs out of reach for thousands of family farms. Protecting this $20 billion investment in conservation programs ensures more of America's farmers and ranchers can access these programs, and with them, the tools and supplies they need to power our nation’s agricultural economy.
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