The Conversation with Dasha Burns

Former Trump national security adviser John Bolton joins POLITICO's Rachael Bade to discuss the Signalgate controversy and the broader battle over who will define Donald Trump’s foreign policy — Reagan-era hawks or America First types and isolationists — and who might take the fall for this national security scandal. Rachael Bade is Capitol Bureau Chief and Senior Washington Correspondent for POLITICO. John Bolton is a former Trump White House national security adviser. Kara Tabor is a producer for POLITICO audio. Alex Keeney is a senior producer for POLITICO audio. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

White House deputy chief of staff James Blair is one of the most important people in politics you’ve never heard of — yet. On this week’s episode of Deep Dive, he talks with POLITICO Capitol Bureau Chief and Senior Washington Columnist Rachael Bade to pull back the curtain on how Trump 2.0 has managed to do so much in just two months; Susie Wiles’s style as chief of staff; the White House reaction to the latest Democratic dysfunction on Capitol Hill; the administration’s hope to ease tariff concerns and the president’s true strategy behind threatening judges with impeachment. Rachael Bade is Capitol Bureau Chief and Senior Washington Correspondent for POLITICO. James Blair is a White House deputy chief of staff. Kara Tabor is a producer for POLITICO audio. Alex Keeney is a senior producer for POLITICO audio. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Chris LaCivita co-managed Donald Trump’s 2024 campaign. On this episode of Deep Dive, he’s sharing some of his secrets about Trump’s inner circle, as well as where he thinks Trump’s presidency is headed next. He joins POLITICO White House Bureau Chief Dasha Burns to discuss the truths about Project 2025 and Donald Trump; what actual power Elon Musk has; some spicy tidbits about Trump’s plans to redevelop Gaza and who he thinks will be the heir to the MAGA movement. Dasha Burns is the White House Bureau Chief for POLITICO. Chris LaCivita is a Republican strategist. Kara Tabor is a producer for POLITICO audio. Alex Keeney is a senior producer for POLITICO audio. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

House Budget Committee ranking member Brendan Boyle (D-Pa.) joins the show to discuss how his Democratic colleagues should respond to California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s recent pivot on trans athletes in sports, President Donald Trump’s joint address to Congress, the looming government shutdown and the GOP’s possible cuts to Medicaid in reconciliation. Rachael Bade is Capitol Bureau Chief and Senior Washington Correspondent for POLITICO. Brendan Boyle is the Ranking Member of the House Budget Committee. Kara Tabor is a producer for POLITICO audio. Alex Keeney is a senior producer for POLITICO audio. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Trump’s rapid-fire approach to governing is shaking up Washington. But is he moving too fast for his own good? In this episode of Playbook Deep Dive, host Eugene Daniels talks with POLITICO’s senior Congress editor Mike DeBonis and West Wing Playbook co-author Sophia Cai to break down the risks of Trump’s high-speed strategy and what it means for the weeks ahead. Eugene Daniels is the Chief Playbook Correspondent for POLITICO. Mike DeBonis is the senior Congress editor for POLITICO. Sophia Cai is a West Wing Playbook author and White House reporter for POLITICO. Kara Tabor is a producer for POLITICO audio. Alex Keeney is a senior producer for POLITICO audio. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Colorado Gov. Jared Polis has an independent streak and a big job leading the National Governors Association. Here’s what he’s telling fellow governors about when to work with Trump and when to oppose him, how he thinks that Trump is hurting himself, and what the first thing Elon Musk and DOGE should cut is. Eugene Daniels is a Playbook co-author for POLITICO. Jared Polis is the Governor of Colorado. Kara Tabor is a producer for POLITICO audio. Alex Keeney is a senior producer for POLITICO audio. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Where is the Democratic “resistance” for Trump’s second term? Chief Playbook Correspondent Eugene Daniels asks Rep. Jamie Raskin, a longtime nemesis of President Trump’s and the current House Judiciary Committee ranking member, why the Democrats have been slow to counter the president’s aggressive governing, and what the plan is going forward to rebuild the party and its message. Eugene Daniels is a Playbook co-author for POLITICO. Rep. Jamie Raskin is the Ranking Member of the House Judiciary Committee Kara Tabor is a producer for POLITICO audio. Alex Keeney is a senior producer for POLITICO audio. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

House Republicans are facing tough choices on reconciliation, party unity, and whether or not to look the other way when President Trump steps on their authority. In this episode, House GOP Conference Chairwoman Lisa McClain gives the scoop on House leadership's hours-long meeting with the president on Thursday, and why she thinks that the House GOP is about to have a major breakthrough. Rachael Bade is a Playbook co-author for POLITICO. Lisa McClain is the Chair of the House Republican Conference Kara Tabor is a producer for POLITICO audio. Alex Keeney is a senior producer for POLITICO audio. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Trump has moved aggressively to define his second presidency. POLITICO’s top reporters have thoughts on where he’s going, and how Congress, Democrats and the courts may try to stop him. Eugene Daniels is a Playbook co-author for POLITICO. Rachael Bade is the Capitol Bureau Chief and Senior Washington Columnist for POLITICO. Ankush Khardori is a columnist and senior writer for POLITICO Magazine. Kara Tabor is a producer for POLITICO audio. Alex Keeney is a senior producer for POLITICO audio. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) is the longest serving current U.S. senator and currently chairs the Judiciary Committee, which will have purview over President Donald Trump’s immigration policy. He is also the former chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, which has jurisdiction over tax policy — two big seats for the coming reconciliation bill. On this episode, Playbook’s Eugene Daniels checks in with Grassley about reconciliation; Trump’s brash talk about the FBI and DOJ, both of which he’ll have to oversee, and to get a general vibe check on the Senate during this time of change. Eugene Daniels is a Playbook co-author for POLITICO. Chuck Grassley is the President Pro Tempore of the U.S. Senate. Kara Tabor is a producer for POLITICO audio. Alex Keeney is a senior producer for POLITICO audio. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ways & Means Committee Chairman Jason Smith joins the show to elaborate on his vision for reconciliation, how he’s working with the diverse factions within the GOP to achieve it and why he believes he will prevail in passing “one big beautiful bill” with major tax cuts. Eugene Daniels is a Playbook co-author for POLITICO. Jason Smith is the Chair of the House Ways and Means Committee. Kara Tabor is a producer for POLITICO audio. Alex Keeney is a senior producer for POLITICO audio. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Michael Froman — former U.S. Trade Representative, Deputy National Security Advisor and current president of the Council on Foreign Relations — joins Playbook co-author Eugene Daniels to discuss the state of affairs in the world that Trump is stepping into, how world leaders are watching and reacting to Trump’s every word and what he thinks Trump will do differently than Biden in global hot spots like Ukraine, Taiwan, Israel, and yes… Greenland. Eugene Daniels is a Playbook co-author for POLITICO. Michael Froman is the president of the Council on Foreign Relations. Kara Tabor is a producer for POLITICO audio. Alex Keeney is a senior producer for POLITICO audio. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Out with the old and in with the new or in the case of 2025, it’s back to the future with the return of Donald Trump to the White House. As America and her allies prepares for Trump 2.0, what can we be certain of in an increasingly unpredictable and fractious world? In the final episode of Power Play this year, host Anne McElvoy is joined by POLITICO's Global Editor-in-chief John Harris and Nicholas Vinocur, editor-at-large in POLITICO's Europe newsroom and author of Brussels Playbook. They chew over an eventful election year in 2024 and look ahead to what 2025 might bring. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

One thing Donald Trump loves to say is that he knows how to make a deal. And even for our allies, sometimes the “Art of the Deal” can feel like a shakedown. Ask NATO about that, and you’ll get some nods. But lately, Canada is the ally that’s been caught in Trump’s line of sight. The president-elect has been trolling Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on social media, calling him the “governor” of America’s “51st state,” and threatening to impose a 25 percent tariff on Canadian imports if they don’t step up their game on border security. On this episode of Playbook Deep Dive, Canada’s ambassador to the U.S., Kirsten Hillman, joins Playbook co-author Eugene Daniels to discuss how Justin Trudeau’s embattled government is rolling with Trump’s punches; enduring their own political crisis and making inroads with Trump world. Eugene Daniels is a Playbook co-author for POLITICO. Kirsten Hillman is the Canadian ambassador to the U.S. Kara Tabor is a producer for POLITICO audio. Alex Keeney is a senior producer for POLITICO audio. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Donald Trump’s Washington is going to be packed with heavyweights from big business such as Elon Musk, Scott Bessent and Howard Lutnick. But the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, which represents traditional business interests in D.C., has recently found itself estranged from its longtime allies in the Republican Party. On this episode of Playbook Deep Dive, the Chamber’s top lobbyist, former Rep. Rodney Davis, joins Playbook co-author Rachael Bade to discuss how the Chamber is winning back its swagger with the GOP and how they plan to interface with President-elect Trump. Rachael Bade is a Playbook co-author for POLITICO. Rodney Davis is the Head of Government Affairs at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. Kara Tabor is a producer for POLITICO audio. Alex Keeney is a senior producer for POLITICO audio. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Generational change. It’s been a hot topic for Democrats ever since Joe Biden announced he’d run for a second term, and it's been picking up steam this past week as House Democrats pushed aside aging ranking members on key committees in order to make room for some younger leaders. In this episode, Playbook co-author Eugene Daniels speaks with Rep. Jared Huffman, who is challenging for the top Democratic slot on the House Natural Resources Committee, about what and who is behind this generational rebellion. Eugene Daniels is a Playbook co-author for POLITICO. Jared Huffman is the representative for California's 2nd district. Kara Tabor is a producer for POLITICO audio. Alex Keeney is a senior producer for POLITICO audio. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sen. Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.) weighs in on President-elect Trump’s cabinet picks, the news of former Rep. Matt Gaetz’s withdrawal from attorney general consideration and his takes on some of the incoming president's most controversial ideas. Rachael Bade is a Playbook co-author for POLITICO. Kevin Cramer is the junior senator from North Dakota. Kara Tabor is a producer for POLITICO audio. Alex Keeney is a senior producer for POLITICO audio. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio) opens up for the first time about his recent defeat, and what he thinks his experiences holding a senate seat in reliably red Ohio since 2006 can teach fellow Democrats attempting to redefine the party’s brand. Eugene Daniels is a Playbook co-author for POLITICO. Sherrod Brown is the senior senator from Ohio. Kara Tabor is a producer for POLITICO audio. Alex Keeney is a senior producer for POLITICO audio. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Donald Trump is coming back to the White House. On this episode of Deep Dive, POLITICO’s top Trump-ologist, Meridith McGraw, and Playbook editor Mike DeBonis join host Rachael Bade to discuss how the next Trump presidency will defy our expectations. Included in this discussion: Who will be in Trump’s cabinet; who will lead the GOP on the Hill and can Trump really be sure that they’ll cooperate with him? On the Democratic side — how will they respond to their crushing defeat? And will they resist Trump’s every move as doggedly as they did during his first administration? Rachael Bade is a Playbook co-author for POLITICO. Meridith McGraw is a national political correspondent for POLITICO. Mike DeBonis is the editor of Playbook for POLITICO. Kara Tabor is a producer for POLITICO audio. Alex Keeney is a senior producer for POLITICO audio. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Top election forecasters Lakshya Jain (Split Ticket) and Logan Phillips (Race to the White House) join Playbook co-author Eugene Daniels to give their key insights and predictions for Tuesday. They discuss how to analyze early voting returns, who the remaining swing voters are, and why polls are more useful than most people give them credit for. Stay until the end, where they each share what one race that will be called early on Election Night that will signal to them who the next president is going to be. Eugene Daniels is a Playbook co-author for POLITICO. Lakshya Jain is CEO and co-founder of Split Ticket. Logan Phillips is founder of Race to the White House. Kara Tabor is a producer for POLITICO audio. Alex Keeney is a senior producer for POLITICO audio. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Election Day is less than two weeks away. And Donald Trump has been employing an innovative strategy to keep Democrats’ — and an increasingly large number of Republicans’ — doubts about his fitness for office at bay. The former president has been burnishing his image on a nontraditional media spread of podcasts, golf outings, and shifts working at McDonald's. To understand Trump’s own thinking about the campaign, including the risks of this unorthodox strategy and the most recent indictments of his character, Playbook co-author Rachael Bade sat down with one of his most trusted advisers: Jason Miller. Miller and Trump have a long history together. He’s worked on each of Trump’s campaigns since 2016, in roles ranging from comms guru to senior strategist, and he isn’t afraid to elaborate on the campaign’s strategy or defend Trump’s most controversial comments. Rachael Bade is a Playbook co-author for POLITICO. Jason Miller is a senior adviser to President Donald Trump. Kara Tabor is a producer for POLITICO audio. Alex Keeney is a senior producer for POLITICO audio. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Trump, Harris, and the vast network of campaigns, Super PACs, and down ballot candidates operating alongside them are now on pace to spend $1 billion before election day in Pennsylvania. For the time being, it is the center of the political universe. On this episode of Deep Dive, Playbook co-author Eugene Daniels is joined by two local experts on the race: Philadelphia City Councilmember Isaiah Thomas, who is the Chair of Black Men for Harris Pennsylvania; and Charlie Gerow, a Trump surrogate, Republican consultant in Harrisburg, and former candidate for governor. Eugene Daniels is a Playbook co-author for POLITICO. Isaiah Thomas is a Philadelphia City Councilmember At-Large and Majority Whip. Charlie Gerow is the CEO of Quantum Communications and a Republican consultant. Kara Tabor is a producer for POLITICO audio. Alex Keeney is a senior producer for POLITICO audio. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The 2024 election. It’s a contest between Kamala Harris and Donald Trump. But increasingly, it also looks like it’s girls versus boys. Playbook’s Rachael Bade caught up with Sarah Longwell, Executive Director of Republican Voters Against Trump, Publisher of The Bulwark, and Host of "The Focus Group" Podcast, to learn what is driving a record-setting gender gap this election cycle. Longwell has conducted hundreds of focus groups and knows intimately how voters, in their own words, are processing Harris and Trump’s candidacies, and what issues and ideas will determine who they vote for. Rachael Bade is a Playbook co-author for POLITICO. Sarah Longwell is the CEO of Longwell Partners, Publisher of The Bulwark, and host of "The Focus Group" podcast Kara Tabor is a producer for POLITICO audio. Alex Keeney is a senior producer for POLITICO audio. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Joining Playbook’s Eugene Daniels on this episode of Deep Dive are two pollsters who know how to find the signal in what has been a very noisy election. John Anzalone aka “Anzo,” was Joe Biden, Hillary Clinton, and Barack Obama’s pollster. And Greg Strimple is a veteran of John McCain, Chris Christie, Rick Perry, and John Cornyn’s campaigns. Together, they dissect why this election’s polling is so close despite all the crazy news; who the swing voters are that both Trump and Harris are spending millions of dollars to reach; and if ticket-splitting is about to have a resurgence. Eugene Daniels is a Playbook co-author for POLITICO. John Anzalone is the founder of Impact Research. Greg Strimple is the founder and president of GS Strategy Group. Kara Tabor is a producer for POLITICO audio. Alex Keeney is a senior producer for POLITICO audio. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

James Carville is one of the oldest and best known political strategists in America. He also is the subject of a new CNN documentary called “Winning is Everything, Stupid.” On this episode of Deep Dive, Carville talks with host Ryan Lizza about his outlook on the election, including why he’s not so sure that it’ll be a close race once the votes are counted; what he thinks Kamala Harris could learn from Trump’s huckster style; and why Carville has absolutely no remorse for voicing his complaint that the Democratic Party’s culture was dominated by what he calls “preachy females.” Ryan Lizza is a Playbook co-author for POLITICO. James Carville is a Democratic political strategist. Kara Tabor is a producer for POLITICO audio. Alex Keeney is a senior producer for POLITICO audio. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Brian Fallon, senior communications adviser for Kamala Harris’ presidential campaign, joins Playbook’s Eugene Daniels to discuss the inner workings of the vice president’s campaign, including why her positions on the issues have shifted since 2019, when she’ll start opening up to the press and how her view of Trump differs from Biden’s. Ryan Lizza is a Playbook co-author for POLITICO. Brian Fallon is senior communications adviser for Harris for America. Kara Tabor is a producer for POLITICO audio. Alex Keeney is a senior producer for POLITICO audio. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Mike Murphy, the storied GOP strategist and co-host of the popular “Hacks On Tap” podcast, joins Deep Dive host and Playbook co-author Ryan Lizza to discuss Tuesday’s debate and why some very strong winds are still at Trump’s back; how Murphy would tweak Kamala Harris’s message; what might become of the Republican party after Trump and how he, Mike Murphy, almost killed JD Vance’s dream of being a senator back in 2017. Ryan Lizza is a Playbook co-author for POLITICO. Mike Murphy is a Republican consultant and co-host of "Hacks On Tap." Kara Tabor is a producer for POLITICO audio. Alex Keeney is a senior producer for POLITICO audio. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Everyone knows the Latino vote will be decisive in this presidential election year. But our guest today says most of what you know about Latino voters and how to win them over is wrong. Mike Madrid is a third-generation Mexican-American and one of the country’s leading political strategists when it comes to Latino voters. He was a senior operative for the California Republican Party who rubbed shoulders with the likes of George W. Bush and his generation of GOP officials. Madrid later got jaded by Trump and co-founded the Lincoln Project. In his new book, “The Latino Century”, Madrid lays out a breadcrumb trail for both Republicans and Democrats to win this decisive block of voters, who he believes are very much up for grabs this year. He shares his findings with host & Playbook co-author Ryan Lizza as well as the reason why both parties are doing something right to win them — and something wrong. Ryan Lizza is a Playbook co-author for POLITICO. Mike Madrid is a Latino GOP political consultant and author of "The Latino Century." Kara Tabor is a producer for POLITICO audio. Alex Keeney is a senior producer for POLITICO audio. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A special bonus episode from Deep Dive's POLITICO sister podcast, Power Play: With the U.S. presidential debate now confirmed, our Power Play guests explain the tips and tricks that could help Donald Trump or Kamala Harris win their first head-to-head encounter on Sept. 10 — and why there has been a pre-debate row over format and mics. POLITICO’s Anne McElvoy is joined by Brett O’Donnell, a veteran expert on preparing candidates for debate on both sides of the pond, having coached Republicans Ron DeSantis, Mitt Romney, John McCain and George W. Bush, as well as prepping Rishi Sunak and Boris Johnson for their televised tussles in the U.K. Then POLITICO’s Rachael Bade, co-author of our Playbook in Washington, reveals which way the political winds are blowing, following last week’s momentous Democratic National Convention and how the rival Trump-Harris campaigns are preparing for the forthcoming debate. Find more of POLITICO’s Power Play podcast here. Playbook Deep Dive, hosted by Ryan Lizza, will return next week. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Democratic kingmaker Nancy Pelosi has come to be pegged as the chief force behind President Joe Biden’s decision to step down from his reelection campaign — a claim that she refuses to dignify much. While Pelosi no longer wields the Speaker’s gavel, its absence hasn’t done much to stifle her power within the party. She’s not only the first female Speaker of the House, but also one of the most talented political tacticians of her generation. POLITICO’s senior political columnist and politics bureau chief Jonathan Martin sat down with the Speaker Emerita at the CNN-POLITICO Grill on the last day of the Democratic National Convention. JMart and Pelosi covered what state Pelosi believes to be key to retaking the House; how a President Kamala Harris would need to govern; that time when party transcended heritage in her snub of a New York Republican; her relationship with successor Hakeem Jeffries and what she really thinks of that DIY pin of her image that floated around the convention. Ryan Lizza is a Playbook co-author for POLITICO.Jonathan Martin is politics bureau chief for POLITICO.Nancy Pelosi is the Speaker Emerita of the U.S. House of Representatives. Kara Tabor is a producer for POLITICO audio. Alex Keeney is a senior producer for POLITICO audio. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders joins Playbook co-author and Deep Dive host Ryan Lizza to give his candid thoughts on Kamala Harris’s presidential campaign, including whether he thinks Joe Biden should have stepped aside in the first place; how Democrats can win back young people, minorities, and progressives; as well as where he agrees with Harris’s policies, and where he thinks she needs to lean in his direction to win. Ryan Lizza is a Playbook co-author for POLITICO.Bernie Sanders is the senior senator from Vermont.Kara Tabor is a producer for POLITICO audio. Alex Keeney is a senior producer for POLITICO audio. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

With the Democratic National Convention just days away, Doug Sosnik, a longtime Dem strategist best known for being a top adviser to Bill Clinton, joins the show to help unpack the new fundamentals of the 2024 presidential campaign. Sosnik and Playbook co-author Ryan Lizza discuss: Why the gender gap is getting larger — and how it could impact the election in ways that have not yet been fully appreciated; why JD Vance might influence the election more than Tim Walz; two metrics can tell you the most about the state-of-the-race; why Omaha, Nebraska might be the most important place in this presidential election; and why Sosnik thinks Kamala Harris has the potential to be like Ronald Reagan and Barack Obama. Ryan Lizza is a Playbook co-author for POLITICO.Doug Sosnik is a Democratic political strategist.Kara Tabor is a producer for POLITICO audio. Alex Keeney is a senior producer for POLITICO audio. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Anita Dunn left her position as a senior advisor to president Joe Biden this week, marking the end of an era for the White House. She was a key architect of his 2020 presidential campaign and one of his closest advisors throughout her tenure. On this episode of Deep Dive, Dunn joins host and Playbook co-author Ryan LIzza to talk about the extraordinary series of events that lead to Biden dropping out of the presidential race, including: the pivotal decision to call for a June debate with Trump; what Dunn was thinking as she watched Biden struggle through the event; the strategy she and her colleagues developed to fight the calls for Biden to step aside; Biden’s final days as the nominee; the new electoral opportunities now available to Harris and a lot more. Ryan Lizza is a Playbook co-author for POLITICO.Anita Dunn is a former adviser in the Biden Administration.Kara Tabor is a producer for POLITICO audio. Alex Keeney is a senior producer for POLITICO audio. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

When President Joe Biden dropped out of the race and the Democratic party rallied around Kamala Harris as his replacement, North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper was widely considered to be a top choice to serve as Harris’s running mate. But Cooper did something unusual: he told the Harris team he didn’t want to be considered as her running mate. On this episode of Deep Dive, host and Playbook co-author Ryan Lizza talks to Cooper about why he took himself out of contention and how some weird local politics influenced his decision. Also discussed in this episode of the show: Cooper’s conversations with Harris, Biden, and Nancy Pelosi as Democratic leaders navigated the post-debate crisis that lead to Harris’s ascension; how Cooper coached the president in the last days of Biden’s campaign; and whether or not you should believe the hype about Democrats flipping North Carolina this year. Ryan Lizza is a Playbook co-author for POLITICO.Roy Cooper is the governor of North Carolina.Kara Tabor is a producer for POLITICO audio. Alex Keeney is a senior producer for POLITICO audio. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Playbook co-author Eugene Daniels and POLITICO politics bureau chief Jonathan Martin join host Ryan Lizza to tackle questions about Vice President Kamala Harris’s new role at the top of the Democratic ticket, including: What really caused Joe Biden to end his quest for a second term? How did Kamala Harris lock up the nomination so fast? And what is really going on inside her campaign right now? How have the issues, swing states, and demographics that will decide the 2024 election changed? What are the strengths and weaknesses of the Democrats vying to serve as vice president? And how is Donald Trump responding to all of this? Ryan Lizza is a Playbook co-author for POLITICO.Eugene Daniels is a Playbook co-author for POLITICO.Jonathan Martin is politics bureau chief for POLITICO.Kara Tabor is a producer for POLITICO audio. Alex Keeney is a senior producer for POLITICO audio. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Congressman Richard Hudson is chairman of the National Republican Campaign Committee, which is to say, he’s in charge of delivering a majority in November for Speaker Mike Johnson and possibly President Donald Trump. In this episode of Playbook Deep Dive, Hudson discusses how the recent assassination attempt on Donald Trump and the possibility of Joe Biden leaving the Democratic ticket are influencing his strategy for House Republicans this November. Ryan Lizza is a Playbook co-author for POLITICO.Richard Hudson is the representative for North Carolina's 9th district and chairman of the NRCC.Kara Tabor is a producer for POLITICO audio. Alex Keeney is a senior producer for POLITICO audio. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Georgia Governor Brian Kemp joins for a bonus episode of Playbook Deep Dive. In a live interview from the Republican National Convention, Kemp — a swing state governor with a famously conflicted relationship with Trump — opines on how Saturday’s assassination attempt will change both Trump and Biden’s election strategy; his thoughts on J.D. Vance, Trump's running mate; what his advice to Trump is for his convention speech and everything after; and whether or not he is courting a position in Trump’s cabinet. Eugene Daniels is a Playbook co-author for POLITICO.Brian Kemp is the governor of Georgia. Kara Tabor is a producer for POLITICO audio. Alex Keeney is a senior producer for POLITICO audio. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Elaine Kamarck is a longtime member of the DNC’s rules committee, a scholar at Brookings, a former advisor to top Democrats such as Bill Clinton, Al Gore, and Walter Mondale; and author of “Primary Politics: Everything You Need to Know about How America Nominates Its Presidential Candidates.” On this episode of Playbook Deep Dive, Playbook co-author Eugene Daniels asks Kamarck all of your questions about how the Democratic Party would choose a new nominee should Joe Biden step aside. Topics include: How and when Joe Biden would go about dropping out; if his delegates can rebel against him if he doesn’t; whether or not he can choose a successor; how exactly an open convention would unfold in Chicago; and what she thinks the public’s reaction will be if the Democratic nominee for president is chosen by a handful of party insiders in smoke-filled back rooms. Eugene Daniels is a Playbook co-author for POLITICO.Elaine Kamarck is a scholar at The Brookings Institution.Kara Tabor is a producer for POLITICO audio. Alex Keeney is a senior producer for POLITICO audio. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Utah Governor Spencer Cox is a longtime Trump critic who is known nationally for his work to depolarize American politics. This week, Cox easily defeated a far-right opponent in the Republican primary. So too did a slate of other Utah Republicans. While national Republicans continue to move in Trump’s direction, in Utah, the Romney faction of the GOP is still holding its own. On this episode of Deep Dive, Cox joins host and Playbook co-author Ryan Lizza to discuss Utah politics, as well as Cox’s disagreements with Trump; how he’s preparing to be cast as MAGA’s next boogeyman; what he thinks Trump’s other Republican critics, such as Liz Cheney and Adam Kinzinger, get wrong; and why “disagreeing better” doesn’t mean giving up your most strongly held beliefs. Ryan Lizza is a Playbook co-author for POLITICO.Spencer Cox is the governor of Utah.Kara Tabor is a producer for POLITICO audio. Alex Keeney is a senior producer for POLITICO audio. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Bob Bauer is President Joe Biden’s personal lawyer and was general counsel to both of Barack Obama’s presidential campaigns. But over the last three decades, he’s developed another specialty practice: playing the role of his candidate’s rival during debate prep. Bauer has helped Democratic candidates prepare for debates by playing the likes of Bernie Sanders, Al Gore, and Donald Trump. He’s also been involved with efforts to reform the process and production of presidential debates themselves. So with the first presidential debate less than one week away, and both Biden and Trump cramming to prepare for it, Bauer is joining the show to preview the event, as well as to discuss his new book, “The Unraveling: Reflections on Politics without Ethics and Democracy in Crisis”. Ryan Lizza is a Playbook co-author for POLITICO.Bob Bauer is a lawyer for President Biden and a veteran Democratic debate coach. Kara Tabor is a producer for POLITICO audio. Alex Keeney is a senior producer for POLITICO audio. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

South Carolina Congressman Jim Clyburn is often considered the single most important person in helping Joe Biden win the Democratic nomination in 2020. Now, in 2024, Clyburn is one of Biden’s six campaign co-chairs. On this episode of Deep Dive, Clyburn joins host and Playbook co-author Ryan Lizza to discuss: Biden’s weakness with Black and Latino voters; the rebellion on the left over Israel’s war in Gaza; the continued Democratic carping about the Biden campaign’s messaging; Biden’s dismal approval ratings; who will be the post-Biden leaders of the Democratic Party; what side he’s taking in that New York Democratic primary that’s pitting the likes of Hakeem Jeffries against Hillary Clinton; and more. Ryan Lizza is a Playbook co-author for POLITICO.Jim Clyburn is a U.S. Congressman from South Carolina. Kara Tabor is a producer for POLITICO audio. Alex Keeney is a senior producer for POLITICO audio. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sen. Chris Coons (D-Del.), one of President Joe Biden’s closest foreign policy advisors, gives his assessment of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s controversial upcoming address in front of Congress, the politics of the Hunter Biden trial, why Coons thinks the president’s executive order on asylum is hollow, how our allies around the world are bracing themselves for the coming election, what would happen if China invaded Taiwan in a Trump versus a Biden administration, and his honest assessment of what’s changed about Biden as he’s aged,. Ryan Lizza is a Playbook co-author for POLITICO.Chris Coons is a U.S. senator from Delaware. Kara Tabor is a producer for POLITICO audio. Alex Keeney is a senior producer for POLITICO audio. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

POLITICO’s senior legal affairs reporter Kyle Cheney and legal columnist Ankush Khardori debrief on what happened at the Hush Money trial, how Trump’s team may have hurt its own case, and what their best plan is to win an appeal after Thursday’s massive guilty verdict. Ryan Lizza is a Playbook co-author for POLITICO.Kyle Cheney is a senior legal affairs reporter for POLITICO.Ankush Khardori is a columnist and senior writer for POLITICO Magazine.Kara Tabor is a producer for POLITICO audio. Alex Keeney is a senior producer for POLITICO audio. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sen. Rick Scott (R-Fla.) joins host and Playbook co-author Ryan Lizza to discuss his entry into the Senate GOP leadership race to succeed Mitch McConnell. They discuss why Sen. Scott is running, what Donald Trump told him about his decision, his relationship with key Republicans such as McConnell and Susie Wiles, his policy agenda on foreign aid, abortion, entitlements, and Israel if he’s elected leader, Trump’s running mate choices, and the importance of having a purpose in life. Ryan Lizza is a Playbook co-author for POLITICO.Rick Scott is the junior U.S. senator from Florida. Kara Tabor is a producer for POLITICO audio. Alex Keeney is a senior producer for POLITICO audio. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On Wednesday morning, Frank Fahrenkopf received a letter from the Biden presidential campaign that ruined his day. Fahrenkopf is co-chair of the Commission on Presidential Debates, which has produced 33 debates since 1988, the first election year it was in business. He was planning on four more this year: three with Biden and Trump as well as the quadrennial vice presidential debate. But the Biden campaign told Fahrenkopf that the president would not be participating in any of them. Instead, the Biden campaign announced that it would negotiate with the Trump campaign and individual media organizations to plan two debates outside of the Commission’s process. By the end of the day Biden and Trump were set to debate in June on CNN and in September on ABC. On this episode of Deep Dive, Fahrenkopf joins host and Playbook co-author Ryan Lizza to discuss the fall-out from this decision, including the roles of Biden, Trump, and Anita Dunn; why he thinks RFK Jr. may have grounds for a lawsuit against CNN and what some of his favorite behind-the-scenes stories are from his decades of producing debates. Ryan Lizza is a Playbook co-author for POLITICO.Frank Fahrenkopf is the co-chair of the Commission on Presidential Debates. Kara Tabor is a producer for POLITICO audio. Alex Keeney is a senior producer for POLITICO audio. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Fresh off fending off a hard-right coup attempt, the House speaker opens up about his strategy and his future plans for the GOP Conference. Topics in this lengthy interview include: Johnson’s victory over the GOP radicals; Israel; Ukraine; January 6th; the Trump trials; abortion; and his relationships with key Washington leaders, such as Joe Biden, Hakeem Jeffries, Kevin McCarthy and, of course, Donald Trump. Ryan Lizza is a Playbook co-author for POLITICO. Rachael Bade is a Playbook co-author for POLITICO. Mike Johnson is the Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives. Kara Tabor is a producer for POLITICO audio. Alex Keeney is a senior producer for POLITICO audio. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Rep. Jerry Nadler, who has represented a big piece of Manhattan since 1992, is one of the longest-serving Jewish members of the House. He’s also a Columbia University alumnus: he was on campus in 1968 when police cleared Hamilton Hall of anti-Vietnam war protesters. Nadler is a close observer of the Middle East and the politics of Israel in the U.S. And he’s the ranking Democrat on the House Judiciary Committee, where he’s long seen himself as a champion of civil liberties. All of this background helped put Nadler at the center of a swirl of events this week as pro-Palestinian protesters at Columbia were ejected from Hamilton Hall, as President Biden made his first public remarks about campus protests, as a ceasefire deal between Hamas and Israel seemed tantalizingly close and as the House passed, by an overwhelming majority of 320 to 91, the Antisemitism Awareness Act — a bill against which Nadler led the opposition. On this week’s episode of Playbook Deep Dive, host and Playbook co-author Ryan Lizza talked talks with Nadler about all of this and about Trump’s interview in Time Magazine, the potential for disruption at the Democratic Convention in Chicago, the vote Nadler most regrets in his long career and the nature of truth. Ryan Lizza is a Playbook co-author for POLITICO.Jerry Nadler is the ranking member of the House Judiciary Committee. Kara Tabor is a producer for POLITICO audio. Alex Keeney is a senior producer for POLITICO audio. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The biggest movie in the country right now is about a civil war — in America. If you see the film “Civil War” at a theater in downtown Washington, the scenes of the Lincoln Memorial exploding and the White House being attacked are jarring when you exit into the D.C. air. The movie is writer and director Alex Garland’s very in-your-face attempt to imagine the unimaginable in America — an authoritarian leader in the White House, intractable political differences being resolved through violence and the very specific horrors of modern warfare — urban fighting, refugee camps, mass atrocities, the collapse of the currency — all the things that we associate with stuff that can happen over there happening right here in the United States. “Civil War” is also a movie about journalism. It follows four reporters traveling from New York to Washington, D.C., via a circuitous route through Pennsylvania, West Virginia and Virginia. The movie takes on a lot of the weighty issues we talk about on shows like this one: media ethics, political polarization, disinformation polluting our media ecosystem and the potential threat from an autocratic leader. Wagner Moura plays a hardened war correspondent addicted to the battlefield. He also provides some much needed levity in the movie. Moura is best-known for his role as Pablo Escobar in “Narcos.” But he’s also a former journalist, a political activist and a writer and director himself. His 2019 movie “Marighella” about the coup and counter-revolution in Brazil in the 1960s incurred the wrath of then-president Jair Bolsonaro in Moura’s home country of Brazil. Deep Dive host and Playbook co-author Ryan Lizza talked with Moura on Thursday just as Washington’s annual White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner festivities were getting under way. It’s the time of year when the relationship between journalists, politicians and Hollywood is at its peak in this town. They had a fascinating conversation about how making a movie about a new civil war changed Moura’s own personal thinking about politics, how his experience with Bolsonaro in Brazil is a warning for Americans and the role of art in politics. Ryan Lizza is a Playbook co-author for POLITICO.Wagner Moura is a star of A24's film "Civil War".Kara Tabor is a producer for POLITICO audio. Alex Keeney is a senior producer for POLITICO audio. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

After months of delay, this week House Speaker Mike Johnson advanced his much awaited version of the Ukraine, Israel, and Taiwan foreign aid package. Standing between that legislation and the House floor: two very powerful committees. First, the House Appropriations Committee, which controls about a third of federal spending. And second, the Rules Committee, which controls access to the House floor, and which has become a problem for GOP leaders in this Congress. Johnson needed to pick the lock on both of these committees. And there is one Member of Congress who has chaired them both. Not just in the past year — but in the past month: Oklahoma Republican Tom Cole. Deep Dive host and Playbook co-author Ryan Lizza caught up with Cole on Thursday afternoon after he’d just testified in support of the foreign aid bill in front of his old committee. They got deep into the weeds of why the Rules Committee has been such a trouble spot for recent GOP speakers; and they discussed Johnson’s tenure so far and whether Cole thinks the Speaker can hang on as members threaten to oust him. Cole also previewed how he will run the Appropriations Committee, including how he’ll handle the controversial earmarks process. And Cole answered some prying questions from some of his favorite historians on the subject of Donald Trump. Ryan Lizza is a Playbook co-author for POLITICO.Tom Cole is the chair of the House Appropriations committee. Kara Tabor is a producer for POLITICO audio. Alex Keeney is a senior producer for POLITICO audio. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Michael Cohen may be the only person standing between Donald Trump and jail. Three of Trump’s four criminal trials — the ones in Washington, Florida and Georgia — seem hopelessly stalled. But on this coming Monday in New York, the hush money case is set to begin. Deep Dive guest and former Trump lawyer Michael Cohen is the star witness in the case. On this episode, he joins host and Playbook co-author Ryan Lizza to discuss how he will defend the assault on his credibility at the trial, why Alvin Bragg’s case is stronger than analysts believe, the legal tactics he’s expecting from Trump’s team and whether he ever regrets breaking with Trump. Ryan Lizza is a Playbook co-author for POLITICO.Michael Cohen is Donald Trump's former lawyer and fixer.Kara Tabor is a producer for POLITICO audio. Alex Keeney is a senior producer for POLITICO audio. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices