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 Democrats to reclaim their reputation with working-class Americans.

Plus, James Blair, political director for President Trump’s 2024 campaign and the RNC, sits down with Dasha to break down what Tuesday night’s Democratic sweep means for the GOP’s battle plans going into the 2026 midterms. 

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.