Politico Playbook Audio Briefing

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, faci

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.

A 60-40 procedural vote in the Senate on Sunday night is putting the 40-day government shutdown on track to find an end date this week if all goes according to plan. While the shutdown may be coming to an end, another dramatic fracas is spinning off from it. The eight centrist Democrats who voted with Republicans, and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, are now at the center of intra-party ire. Playbook’s Jack Blanchard and White House Bureau Chief Dasha Burns unpack what happens now, and what the deal means for both sides.

New Jersey’s governor-elect Mikie Sherrill and James Blair, the political director for the Trump 2024 Campaign and the RNC, break down the lessons learned from this week’s Democratic sweep  Election Night 2025 was a sweet one for Democrats nationwide. Democratic Socialist Zohran Mamdani won the New York City mayoral race. Former congresswoman Abigail Spanberger clinched the Virginia gubernatorial contest. California Governor Gavin Newsom’s Prop 50 initiative passed, paving the way for redistricting reform across the country. And, by a double-digit margin, Rep. Mikie Sherrill (D-N.J.) is now the Governor-elect of New Jersey. The Navy helicopter pilot-turned federal prosecutor defeated Republican Jack Ciattarelli with a campaign focused on standard issues like capping energy costs and cutting administrative bloat. In this week’s episode of The Conversation, Governor-elect Sherrill chats with POLITICO’s Dasha Burns about her campaign strategy, navigating New Jersey’s electoral landscape, and the need for Demo

As Republicans continue reeling from the resounding losses they faced across the country on Tuesday, one glaringly obvious lesson has emerged: the party needs a plan for how to win when Donald Trump isn’t on the ballot. In 2024, the president demonstrated a unique ability to attract typically disengaged voters to the polls. But the inroads that Trump built with this coalition failed to hold for Republicans in key off-year races on Tuesday. Playbook’s Adam Wren and White House reporter Megan Messerly discuss where the party turns ahead of the midterm elections and beyond. Plus, movement to end the longest shutdown in history may be materializing.

There is a lot that President Donald Trump wants to talk about today. He wants to talk about drug prices and rare earth minerals, among other things. But the only thing anyone else in Washington wants to talk about are the dramatic election results on Tuesday, when Democrats put on a dominating display. Trump is blaming the losses on his name being absent from the ballot, and on the shutdown, for which he blames Democrats. Playbook’s Jack Blanchard and White House Bureau Chief Dasha Burns discuss Republicans’ path forward, and how the longest government shutdown in history figures into the equation.

If last night was any indication, Democrats may have regained some spark. The party pulled off wins in various races around the country. From Democratic Socialist Zohran Mamdani’s decisive win over Andrew Cuomo in the New York mayoral race to the more centrist Democrat victories in the Virginia and New Jersey gubernatorial races, the left came out on top. Playbook’s Jack Blanchard and White House bureau chief Dasha Burns discuss what lessons—if any—the party as a whole can learn from the success.

Election Day is here and even though some of the races look predictable, plenty of questions abound: Will Zohran Mamdani’s Democratic socialist agenda carry him to victory in New York City over Andrew Cuomo, who received an eleventh-hour endorsement from President Donald Trump? How close will the margins be in the New Jersey governor’s race? Which other races should you be watching? Playbook’s Jack Blanchard and White House Bureau Chief Dasha Burns break down all the marquee matchups that could provide a glimpse into the midterms. Plus, the government shutdown is set to become the longest in U.S. history later today.

There’s one day of campaigning left before Election Day in states like New York, New Jersey and Virginia for contentious mayoral and gubernatorial races, plus a redistricting referendum in California that will help decide control of Congress. The case on the constitutionality of President Donald Trump’s tariffs is before the Supreme Court this week — but Trump won’t be there. Plus, the government shutdown enters its 34th day, without a compromise in sight. Playbook’s Jack Blanchard and White House Bureau Chief Dasha Burns walk through a big week in Trump’s Washington.

Rep. Jasmine Crockett (D-Texas) hasn’t been in Congress for very long, but she’s transformed the way that Democrats are communicating with voters and energized her colleagues in the party.  Crockett is known for her willingness to frankly engage with Republican counterparts from Georgia Rep. Marjorie Taylor Green all the way to President Donald Trump. And while some critics in the Democratic Party worry that her way of messaging might alienate swing voters, Crockett says her fellow Democrats are recruiting her to stump for them all over the country. “I think at the end of the day, whether you agree with my style or disagree with my style, I think people respect me for my authenticity,” says Crockett. “They never feel like they're getting someone different. They feel like they know exactly who they're getting.” In this week’s episode of The Conversation, Rep. Crockett chats with POLITICO’s Dasha Burns about what her colleagues think about her messaging style and the strategies that Democrats need to pursue

President Donald Trump and Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney have been off touring Asia, seeking to firm up partnerships and open up trade with countries across the region. While Trump has already returned home, Carney is wrapping up his sojourn soon. White House reporter Megan Messerly and Ottawa Bureau Chief — and host of the new Playbook Canada podcast — Nick Taylor-Vaisey walk through what each leader is expecting to come from their trip, plus the interesting way Canada is feeling the effect from the shutdown.

Minutes before President Donald Trump headed into his long-awaited and widely watched meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping, he took to Truth Social to announce that the U.S. would “immediately” begin testing nuclear weapons. The U.S. has not conducted a test of nuclear weapons in more than three decades. But it’s unclear how much of a practical play this announcement by Trump was or whether it was largely wielded as a negotiating tactic with other nuclear powers. Playbook’s Jack Blanchard and White House Bureau Chief Dasha Burns dig into the nuclear news, and the government shutdown that Trump is returning to today.

President Donald Trump is winding down his trip across Asia. Today, he meets with South Korean President Lee Jae Myung for what many are expecting will be thorny trade talks. But in a way, everything now is a precursor to the big finale of the trip: Trump’s meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping. Playbook’s Jack Blanchard and White House Bureau Chief Dasha Burns walk through what to expect. Plus, eyes are fixed on Fed Chair Jerome Powell again for his interest rate announcement later today.