Playbook PM: Biden’s 2024 economic message plays the hits

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ANOTHER BIG DEPARTURE — “Nate Silver Out at ABC News as Disney Layoffs Once Again Hit News Division,” by The Hollywood Reporter’s Alex Weprin: NATE “SILVER told FiveThirtyEight employees in a Slack message that he expects to leave Disney when his contract is up, which he added would be ‘soon’ … ABC News is expected to keep the FiveThirtyEight brand name, with plans to streamline the site and make it more efficient.” Silver’s tweets

HERE COMES 2024 — President JOE BIDEN officially launched his reelection campaign this morning, and hours later, we got a taste of what his economic messaging will look like.

Speaking to a very friendly crowd from the National Building Trades Union — “This feels like coming home,” Biden said — the president struck populist and triumphant notes. “Four more years,” the audience erupted at one point.

The speech functioned as a preview of the ads, rallies and debate-stage arguments we’re likely to see over the next year and a half — albeit with several more nods to the value of union labor tucked in. Biden ticked through his biggest legislative achievements: the American Rescue Plan, the bipartisan infrastructure law, the semiconductor chips bill, prescription drug price reforms. And he touted economic successes, from low unemployment to rebuilding domestic manufacturing (with nary a mention of inflation’s bite or looming recession fears).

“Our economic plan is working!” he said. “We now have to finish the job.”

His speech started out principally positive and forward-looking, with fewer attacks on Republicans than he sometimes lobs. But as Biden went on, he delivered more jabs at Republicans’ refusal to support the big-ticket items Democrats passed last Congress. “They believe the best way to grow the economy is from the top down,” he said. And on drug prices: “I don’t know where the hell these guys — heck where these guys live.”

Biden got particularly animated in blasting Speaker KEVIN McCARTHY’s spending cuts proposal, calling it “the same old trickle-down dressed up in MAGA clothing.”

On the flip side … On Truth Social, DONALD TRUMP just dangled the possibility that he’ll refuse to participate in Republican presidential primary debates.

Knowing JULIE CHAVEZ RODRIGUEZ: AP’s Darlene Superville profiles Biden’s campaign manager, a low-key but hard-working senior White House staffer who doesn’t play up her family connections as the granddaughter of CESAR CHAVEZ. “White House staffers are often of a type, hard-charging strivers who crave their own sliver of the limelight or even trade on a famous name. Rodriguez has been a clear exception.”

The brave new world: The RNC’s first ad slamming Biden after he announced his reelection bid features images generated entirely by artificial intelligence, meant to depict an eerie dystopian future in a second Biden term, Axios’ Alex Thompson reports. The crises envisioned include a Chinese invasion of Taiwan, a banking collapse, a migrant surge at the border and a crime wave in San Francisco. The 30-second clip

Good Tuesday afternoon. Thanks for reading Playbook PM. Drop me a line at [email protected].

CONGRESS

McCARTHY’S WHIP COUNT — With McCarthy unable to afford more than four Republican no votes, it’s going to be a tight margin on the floor for Republicans’ debt ceiling/spending cuts bill. Rep. TIM BURCHETT (R-Tenn.) told CNN’s Manu Raju this morning that he’s “still a no.” Two senior GOP aides told Fox News’ Chad Pergram they were more optimistic about passage yesterday than today.

But, but, but: Key far-right Rep. CHIP ROY (R-Texas) took a forceful stand in support of the bill in a new Federalist op-ed.

The Rules Committee takes up the bill at 4 p.m. today.

MOVEMENT ON DRUG PRICES — Senate HELP leaders BERNIE SANDERS (I-Vt.) and BILL CASSIDY (R-La.) announced that they’ve struck a deal on legislation intended to ameliorate drug prices. The bills will encompass pharmacy benefit manager reform and generic drug availability. More from the Washington Examiner

2024 WATCH

ANOTHER DOMINO WOBBLES — As some big donors have shut their purses lately for Florida Gov. RON DeSANTIS, the crucial support of billionaire KEN GRIFFIN seemed to be holding steady. But now Griffin’s backing is in question too, report NYT’s Maggie Haberman and Rebecca Davis O’Brien, as he has qualms about DeSantis’ moves on Ukraine and abortion. The two men met recently, and though Griffin may still support DeSantis, he’s also open to other non-Trump candidates.

HALEY ON ABORTION — In a speech this morning at the Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America headquarters, NIKKI HALEY sought to burnish her anti-abortion bona fides while also positioning herself as a Republican who could reach swing voters on the issue. “I want to save as many lives and help as many moms as possible,” she said plainly, decrying fringe ideas like executing women who get abortions. Notably, she said there is a federal role on abortion policy.

SPOTTED: Sen. SUSAN COLLINS (R-Maine) at a reception in D.C. last night that supported Haley’s campaign.

MORE THAN WALMART — “Hutchinson’s launch highlights Arkansas city of Bentonville,” by AP’s Andrew DeMillo: “When ASA HUTCHINSON launches his bid for president [tomorrow], he’ll do so at a familiar location: the downtown square in the northwest Arkansas city where he was born, practiced law and first ran for office. … [T]he venue also highlights Hutchinson’s portrayal of himself as a business-friendly conservative in the backyard of his state’s most well-known employer.”

DeSANTIS ABROAD — As DeSantis heads to Israel this week, Florida Republicans are wondering whether he’ll use the trip to tout or even sign into law a new state bill against hate crimes and antisemitism, Jewish Insider’s Matthew Kassel reports.

MORE POLITICS

THE INFRASTRUCTURE OF DEMOCRACY — “Massive turnover in local election officials likely before 2024, says new survey,” by NBC’s Jane Timm: “According to the [Brennan Center] survey, 12% of local officials began working in their roles after the 2020 election and 11% said they were very or somewhat likely to quit before next year’s election.”

POLICY CORNER

CLIMATE FILES — Climate advocates are voicing “[w]idespread confusion — and anxiety” after Energy Secretary JENNIFER GRANHOLM yesterday backed the Mountain Valley pipeline in West Virginia and Virginia, report POLITICO’s E&E News’ Emma Dumain and Miranda Willson. Environmentalists are wondering whether she’s trying to strike a deal with Sen. JOE MANCHIN (D-W.Va.) for a fifth FERC commissioner and energy permitting reform. “She sounds like a cheerleader for the fossil fuel industry; it’s really quite pathetic,” vented Rep. JARED HUFFMAN (D-Calif.).

WHEN THE CHIPS ARE DOWN — The Commerce Department today laid out its plans for the new National Semiconductor Technology Center, which will comprise several research facilities that are aiming to come online by the end of the year, NYT’s Ana Swanson and Don Clark report.

BEYOND THE BELTWAY

WHAT THE WHITE HOUSE WILL TOUT — General Motors and Hyundai today announced big new investments in battery cell manufacturing for electric vehicles, WSJ’s Selina Cheng reports from Hong Kong. Taking advantage of new incentives that Democrats passed to speed the clean energy transition, GM and Samsung SDI are putting $3 billion into a new factory, North American location TBD. Hyundai and SK On are investing $5 billion in a Georgia plant.

AMERICA AND THE WORLD

SO MUCH FOR THAT — Hopes that a declared cease-fire might offer a respite in Sudan gave way to bursts of violence today, NYT’s Abdi Latif Dahir reports. Some people managed to escape in pockets of calm, but in all, it was a bad sign for U.S. hopes to work on a potential long-term solution during a break in the fighting.

Siren: “‘Huge Biological Risk’ After Sudan Fighters Occupy Lab: WHO,” by Agence France-Presse’s Nina Larson: “[T]he lab held so-called isolates, or samples, of a range of deadly diseases, including measles, polio and cholera.”

JAN. 6 AND ITS AFTERMATH

BLAME GAME — “Proud Boys leader: Trump caused Jan. 6 attack,” by Kyle Cheney: “‘It was Donald Trump’s words. It was his motivation. It was his anger that caused what occurred on January 6th in your amazing and beautiful city,’ said NAYIB HASSAN, [ENRIQUE] TARRIO’s lawyer, during closing arguments in a seditious conspiracy trial stemming from the Jan. 6 attack. … ‘It was not Enrique Tarrio. They want to use Enrique Tarrio as a scapegoat for Donald Trump and those in power,’ Hassan said.”

MEDIAWATCH

END OF AN ERA — “As Carlson and Lemon Exit, a Chapter Closes on Cable’s Trump War,” by NYT’s Jim Rutenberg: “No equivalence can be drawn between the two hosts. … But in their most recent incarnations, [TUCKER] CARLSON and [DON] LEMON were both products of the Trump years — set-top-box combatants who often made headlines themselves by giving their audiences generous helpings of indignation and outrage. Now, in different ways, their ousters represent at least a temporary pulling back from the excesses of the media coverage that the Trump election, presidency and post-presidency spawned.”

THE WHITE HOUSE

BIG SCOOP — The state dinner tonight for South Korean President YOON SUK YEOL will feature, of course, ice cream: Chef EDWARD LEE has concocted a deconstructed banana split of bananas and lemon bar ice cream with doenjang-infused caramel sauce, USA Today’s Maureen Groppe reports. It’s part of a broader menu melding American and Korean flavors, including Maryland crab cake with gochujang slaw; chilled yellow squash soup; and braised beef short ribs with butter bean grits, carrots and pine nuts. The linens will be platinum color, and six-foot cherry blossom boughs will be the centerpieces.

PLAYBOOKERS

OUT AND ABOUT — UPS’ Malcolm Berkely and the Cigar Association of America’s David Ozgo and Frank Coleman hosted a reception last night at the UPS townhouse on Capitol Hill to kick off White House Correspondents’ Association dinner week. Guests enjoyed a premium cigar bar and specialty spirits and liquors. SPOTTED: Mongolian Ambassador Batbayar Ulziidelger, Carl Hulse, Paul Kane, Doug Heye, Jonathan Martin, Daniel Lippman, Louise Schiavone, Anthony Zurcher, Kevin Cirilli, Geoff Earle, Austen Hufford, Ryan King, Matt Cooper, Guy Bentley, Elvina Nawaguna, Loren Smith, Kendrick Curry, Brian Mabry, Casey Clark, Ian Kullgren, Leonora Cravotta and Michael Bilello.

MEDIA MOVES — David Rohde will be senior executive editor for national security at NBC News. He currently is executive editor for The New Yorker’s website. … Robert King is now a health care reporter at POLITICO. He previously was a reporter at Fierce Healthcare.

TRANSITIONS — Sezaneh Seymour will be VP and head of regulatory risk and policy at Coalition. She most recently was a deputy assistant USTR and is a former senior adviser to deputy national security adviser for cyber and emerging tech Anne Neuberger. … Adam Hughes and Robert Shea have launched GovNavigators, a consulting firm that helps mostly government contractor clients understand federal policy and work with the government. Hughes most recently ran government affairs, marketing and comms for Grant Thornton Public Sector LLC, and is an Obama GSA and Senate Budget alum. Shea most recently was national managing principal at Grant Thornton, and is a Bush OMB alum. …

… Michael Best Strategies LLC and Michael Best & Friedrich LLP have added Joe Keeley as a partner and senior counsel in the intellectual property practice group and Nicole Vele as senior counsel in the regulatory practice group. Keeley previously was chief counsel and deputy staff director of the Senate Budget Committee. Vele previously was an Air Force judge advocate general. … Izzy Olive is now press secretary at Brady. She most recently was a senior account manager at Trident DMG, and is an Eric Swalwell alum. … Laura Esquivel is now a senior legislative representative at Earthjustice, focusing on federal oil and gas issues. She previously was VP for federal policy at the Hispanic Federation.

ENGAGED — Christian Bray, legislative aide for Rep. Pete Stauber (R-Minn.), proposed to Genevieve Harding, scheduler for Rep. Warren Davidson (R-Ohio), last weekend on the National Mall. The couple met as interns through mutual friends. Pic … Another pic

WEEKEND WEDDINGS — Hilary Halpern, senior director of public policy and government affairs for Rocket Mortgage and a U.S. Chamber and Mike Rounds alum, and Brad Fowler, director of client services for FIA Tech, got married Saturday at the Cosmos Club. Her dad, James Halpern, a senior judge on the U.S. Tax Court, officiated. The couple met while they were both at Georgetown for their MBAs. Pic … Another pic … SPOTTED: Ryan Eaton, Dan Gans, Julie Heath, Wayne Ting, Carrie Denning, Calley Means, Wendy Chamberlin, Marie Policastro, Baker Elmore and Anna Yanker Elmore.

— Margaret Crilley, regional operations manager at Colliers, and Colin Fay, director at Tishman Speyer, got married at Blessed Sacrament and Columbia Country Club on Saturday. They grew up in the area and met at a real estate event in D.C. Pic … Another pic … SPOTTED: Tony Kornheiser, Kaitlan Collins, Alex Gangitano, Steve Conley, James Underhill, Sean Fay, Robert Lehrman, Mary and John Kane, Nancy Murphy, Don Dooley, Matt Gannon, Joseph Coleman, Mark Minich, Amy Brendler and Genevieve Murphy.

BONUS BIRTHDAY: WaPo’s Kathy Baird

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