The Playbook Podcast

U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer is no stranger to President Donald Trump’s tariff-forward trade agenda. Greer served as chief of staff to Robert Lighthizer, the U.S. Trade Representative in Trump’s first administration. But now, it’s Greer who’s at the helm of the president’s tariff implementation strategy — one that has drawn both criticism and praise from surprising places.  “I've also had members of Congress come to me, people who maybe weren't fans of tariffs two years ago, and they said, ‘This is actually real money that's coming in that can be used to pay down the debt or pay for other things or finance our reindustrialization,” Greer said. In this week’s episode of The Conversation, Ambassador Greer sits down with POLITICO’s Dasha Burns to explain why trade policy defies political labels, the particulars of how deals are shaping up globally and the strategy behind reconfiguring seven decades’ worth of international policy.  Plus, Randi Weingarten, the president of the American Federation of Teachers, joins Dasha to explain how the battle for school funding continues to unfold, the intrinsic relationship between education and democracy and why the well-being of students should be at the top of the president’s mind.

The draw for the 2026 FIFA World Cup kicks off at noon today at the Kennedy Center. The event is to determine which countries will fall into each group for the 48-team tournament this summer. But it’s not only a monumental day in the sports world: amid all the typical pageantry will be plenty of politicking. FIFA is plying President Donald Trump with praise and prizes. And Trump will be shaking hands with leaders of Canada and Mexico, the two other host nations with whom he has sparred at times. White House reporter Sophia Cai joins Playbook’s Adam Wren to break down all the behind-the-scenes drama and what you can expect from the draw.

Pete Hegseth has been no stranger to drama during his tenure as Defense secretary, with a steady stream of headlines following him since his nomination. But perhaps the most notable fiasco was the “Signalgate” incident, in which Hegseth shared detailed military plans in a group chat of administration officials — and one stray journalist. Today, the Pentagon inspector general’s report of the incident is set to be released. Playbook’s Jack Blanchard and White House Bureau Chief Dasha Burns unpack what we already know, and what to expect.

Republican Matt Van Epps won a closely watched special election in Tennessee last night, defeating Democrat Aftyn Behn. But Republicans writ large may still be wringing their hands as they look forward. Despite Van Epps’ relatively easy victory, the margin of victory — which drastically trailed President Donald Trump’s edge in the district last year — shows that Republicans still have work to do to find a message that lands on affordability. Playbook’s Jack Blanchard and White House Bureau Chief Dasha Burns break down what the results mean for the midterms and whether Trump can strike the right chord on cost-of-living issues.

President Donald Trump is holding his latest made-for-TV Cabinet meeting today, where all eyes will be on Pete Hegseth. The Defense secretary has captured headlines over the legality of airstrikes the U.S. conducted on the boats of alleged “narcoterrorists” around Venezuela — with a Washington Post report over the weekend raising more questions from Republicans and Democrats. Both Trump and Hegseth in recent days have voiced support for the action but distanced themselves from the report. Playbook’s Jack Blanchard and Pentagon reporter Paul McLeary unpack what to know, plus the latest on Ukraine peace talks.

The Trump administration pressure campaign against Venezuela and strikes against alleged drug-trafficking boats in the region are coming under increased scrutiny after reporting that caught the attention of bipartisan members of Congress. President Donald Trump offered cautious support for Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s involvement. It comes after Trump’s controversial decision to pardon former Honduran President Juan Orlando Hernandez, who was convicted in the U.S. of drug trafficking. Playbook’s Jack Blanchard and White House Bureau Chief Dasha Burns break down what to expect next, plus Trump’s next immigration crackdown.

A stunning transcript reportedly detailing Steve Witkoff’s private conversation with one of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s top aides reveals the approach that President Donald Trump’s administration is taking to end the war in Ukraine. The White House hasn’t denied the transcript’s validity, and the revelation comes as Trump’s plans to dispatch emissaries to meet with Putin next week. Playbook’s Jack Blanchard and diplomatic correspondent Felicia Schwartz walk through the stakes. Plus, the FBI opens investigations into six Democratic members of Congress who Trump is accusing of sedition.

President Donald Trump has dispatched Army Secretary Dan Driscoll to meet with Russian officials in Abu Dhabi over the Ukraine peace plan. The proposal is an updated version from the original 28-point plan, drafted by Steve Witkoff, which was criticized by many for favoring Russia. The new plan, which has been slimmed down, has garnered far more support in Kyiv and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy proclaimed that peace seems “doable” now. Playbook’s Jack Blanchard and Adam Wren break down what to know and what comes next.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio is back from Geneva, where he met with Ukrainian and European officials to negotiate a peace agreement to end the Russia-Ukraine war. Rubio said Sunday he was “very optimistic” about the progress thus far. President Donald Trump has set a Thursday deadline for Ukraine to accept a deal. Meanwhile, tensions with Venezuela are mounting as the U.S. amasses military resources in the region at a level not seen in decades. Playbook’s Jack Blanchard and diplomatic correspondent Felicia Schwartz discuss the stakes.

Dan Driscoll made history earlier this year when, at 38, he was sworn in as the youngest Army secretary in U.S. history. And he just made news again this week when he became the highest-level Trump administration official to visit Kyiv for the White House’s secret peace talks in effort to end Russia’s war on Ukraine. Driscoll joined high-level talks with Ukrainian officials, including President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, as news broke about a potential peace deal on the horizon. Driscoll is a veteran of the Iraq War, and as a result, has felt the effects of Pentagon decisions firsthand. He’s set out to reshape the U.S. Army and the Pentagon into an agile institution that can make better use of existing resources and channel the best practices of the private sector. “When you are creating defensive and offensive solutions, you have to think even 10 years out when the war really gets to its most catastrophic moment, ‘What are the very basic tools of warfare that can't be impacted by the enemy,” Driscoll said. In this week’s episode of The Conversation, Driscoll sits down with POLITICO’s Dasha Burns to delve into the future of warfare, his plans for reinvigorating the Army’s technology and the innovation spurred by conflict. “I think the best guess is if the United States entered a conflict with a peer in a couple of years, it would be a hybrid war where nearly every human being on the battlefield would be empowered and enabled with a digital tool,” Driscoll said. “I think we believe every infantryman in the United States Army will carry a drone with them into battle.” CNN "NewsNight" host Abby Phillip also joined Dasha to chat about her new book, “A Dream Deferred: Jesse Jackson and the Fight for Black Political Power,” Jackson’s influence on today’s political landscape and Phillip’s approach to her own roundtable show.

This afternoon, two politicians who embody diametrically opposite facets of New York City — President Donald Trump and NYC Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani — will meet in Washington. Despite their myriad differences, both Trump and Mamdani are presently focused on the same issue: affordability. It’s a topic both men hinged their campaigns on. But will they be able to find any common ground? Playbook’s Adam Wren and New York Playbook co-author Nick Reisman walk through what they’re watching. Plus, exclusive reporting on the man at the center of Indiana’s redistricting resistance, and Barack Obama’s new role as mentor-in-chief.

Despite his continued insistence that cost-of-living concerns aren’t a problem, President Donald Trump is confronting subpar stats on the U.S. economy, as evidenced in the data and lived reality for Americans. The September jobs report that was delayed due to the government shutdown is expected to arrive today as fresh Fox News polling shows that more than three quarters of Americans view the economy unfavorably. Trump — and 2026 candidates up and down the ballot on both sides of the aisle — are reckoning with a sour economic state. Playbook’s Jack Blanchard and White House Bureau Chief Dasha Burns break it all down.

There appears to be some progress toward an end to the Russia-Ukraine war after months of start-and-stop talks between President Donald Trump and top-level negotiators. Army Secretary Dan Driscoll is reportedly traveling to Ukraine today with two high-ranking military officials for urgent talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, armed with the early stages of a plan to bring the conflict to a resolution. Playbook’s Jack Blanchard and White House Bureau Chief Dasha Burns break down what we know, and what to expect next.

Two big things are happening in Washington today, and each involves a separate controversial figure. On Capitol Hill, the House is set to vote on closely watched legislation to release the files from the investigation into the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. It is far from the first time Epstein has been at the center of activity on the Hill, but President Donald Trump’s U-turn to encourage Republicans to vote for the release has taken much of the drama out. At the White House, Trump will welcome Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman for the first time since the killing of Jamal Khashoggi. Playbook’s Jack Blanchard and White House Bureau Chief Dasha Burns walk through what to expect, plus Trump’s latest affordability pitch.

President Donald Trump is aiming to grab control of the news cycle after a tumultuous turn over the past couple of weeks. The White House wants to be laser-focused on affordability messaging — but things aren’t that simple. On Tuesday, the House is poised to vote on legislation calling for the release of the Epstein files. Many Republicans were already expected to join Democrats on the vote, and now Trump is telling them to do so after initial resistance. Playbook’s Jack Blanchard and White House Bureau Chief Dasha Burns tee up what to expect, the latest on Trump’s engagement with Venezuela and Trump’s ire toward Indiana.

Rep. Seth Moulton (D–Mass.) is not one to shy away from criticism of his own party. He made waves in the past when he insisted that the Democrats’ approach to dialogue on transgender issues was stifling. Moulton has also been vocal about the need for generational change in an aging Washington.  This time, the Massachusetts congressman is speaking out about the deal that ended the longest government shutdown in history. And how Senate Democrats missed an opportunity to extend the Affordable Care Act subsidies “If Republicans were somehow gaining advantage here, if the polling was shifting in their favor, if they had done well in the elections last week, then I might say,’Okay, I get it. It doesn't seem like this strategy is working, so let's give up,’” says Moulton. “But Schumer has just snatched defeat from the jaws of victory.” Moulton is a veteran who served four tours in Iraq as a Marine Corps infantry officer. He’s also challenging Massachusetts Senator Ed Markey for his seat in the 2026 midterms — a feat that former Rep. Joe Kennedy III attempted and lost in 2020. “Senator Markey is a good guy,” says Moulton. “He served the country for half a century. I mean, he's been in office longer than I've been alive. He and I agree on many of the issues. He says the right things, he has great press releases, but how much has he actually gotten done?” In this week’s episode of The Conversation, Moulton talks with POLITICO’s Dasha Burns about how Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer is failing his party, why age needs to be a major consideration for lawmakers and how Senate Democrats could have done more to guarantee access to affordable healthcare. Plus, POLITICO’s Senior Congressional editor Mike DeBonis joins Dasha to discuss how the shutdown finally came to an end, which party ended up better off afterwards and how this event may shape Congress in the year to come. CORRECTION: An earlier version of this podcast misstated that former Rep. Joe Kennedy III is running against Sen. Ed Markey in  2026. Kennedy ran against Markey in 2020 but has not announced plans to run against Markey in 2026.

Michigan Sen. Elissa Slotkin stepped into the spotlight when she delivered the Democratic response to President Donald Trump’s joint address to Congress earlier this year, and has remained there ever since. Now, on a mission to help rebuild the Democratic Party, Slotkin is hearing from people across the country just how deep the fractures go. Playbook’s Adam Wren and national politics reporter Samuel Benson dig into the existential threats facing both parties, and how the hot-button issues playing out in Washington are reverberating across the West.

President Donald Trump last night signed a short-term funding bill that officially reopened the government. But when one door opens, so does a large can of worms. As lawmakers returned to the Capitol on Wednesday morning, a new collection of Jeffrey Epstein emails were made public, and their references to Trump reignited a storyline that dominated headlines earlier this year. Now, with Rep. Adelita Grijalva (D-Ariz.) finally sworn in, a dramatic vote on the release of the Epstein files is on its way. Playbook’s Jack Blanchard and White House Bureau Chief Dasha Burns walk through what to expect, and what it all means for Trump.

The record-breaking government shutdown is on track to end after 43 days. But lawmakers are returning to Washington with both parties sorting out internal dilemmas. Democrats are dealing with the intra-party strife that eight caucus members triggered when they joined Republicans to reopen the government. And Republicans are reckoning with the future of the party once Donald Trump leaves office as a confluence of hot-button issues exposes a series of rifts. Playbook’s Jack Blanchard and White House Bureau Chief Dasha Burns break down the discord, plus what to expect as the House convenes for the first time in weeks.

There is a growing sense of unease within the Trump administration over the ceasefire in Gaza, with new documents obtained by POLITICO revealing a White House beset with questions over how to move to the subsequent phases of the peace deal. The collection of documents paint a vivid picture of the myriad hurdles that could complicate — or even tank — the effort. Playbook’s Jack Blanchard and White House Bureau Chief Dasha Burns unpack the reality that the documents display, which runs counter to the rhetoric that President Donald Trump deploys.