The Playbook Podcast

Republicans and Democrats are searching for the right message on immigration as the fallout from the most recent fatal shooting in Minneapolis continues reverberating across America. Republicans are trying to toe the line between President Donald Trump’s unprecedented immigration crackdown, while Democrats are debating whether to shut the government down amid the furor. Playbook’s Jack Blanchard and White House reporter Megan Messerly break down how each party is approaching the issue and what it means for the weeks and months ahead.

As the furor over this weekend’s deadly shooting in Minnesota continues to unfold, President Donald Trump appears to be shifting his approach. Trump is sidelining some administration officials and bringing in border czar Tom Homan to provide something of a steadier hand as the White House tries to contain the fallout. Playbook’s Jack Blanchard and White House Bureau Chief Dasha Burns discuss what the shift means for the White House and the situation on the ground. Plus, Trump is headed to Iowa to kick off a midterm-year tour across America.

After another fatal shooting in Minnesota over the weekend, the Trump administration and Minnesota officials are in dispute over the facts. Border Patrol agents shot and killed 37-year-old Alex Pretti on Saturday during an encounter between observers and federal agents. The latest shooting comes less than a month after an ICE officer shot and killed Renee Good. Playbook’s Jack Blanchard and White House Bureau Chief Dasha Burns discuss the fallout from the incident. Plus, the winter storm that descended around D.C. this weekend has tightened the timeline for Congress to avoid another government shutdown.

Sen. Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.) is making big money moves. In an effort to help flip control of Congress in the midterms, Kelly has used the extra attention that President Donald Trump and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s campaign against him to dramatically ramp up his giving and fundraising for competitive candidates, party committees and state parties. But more than anything, Kelly's rising national profile shows Trump has a unique ability to elevate foils. Playbook’s Adam Wren and White House reporter Megan Messerly discuss whether Trump’s instinctual attacks will serve Republicans or Democrats more in the 2028 presidential race.

President Donald Trump is still in Davos, where his Board of Peace is the issue that is driving the conversation at the World Economic Forum. The entity that Trump has proposed to oversee the peace process in Gaza is cause for consternation among many of the countries who received invites to join. But it is that very list of invitees — which includes the likes of China and Russia — that is ruffling feathers among the traditional ally set. Playbook’s Jack Blanchard and White House reporter Megan Messerly discuss the latest upheaval that Trump has brought to Davos. Plus, could there be a breakthrough on a Ukraine-Russia peace deal?

President Donald Trump is arriving in Davos today as the subject of nearly every conversation. Trump’s push to bring Greenland under U.S. control has dominated the discussion at the World Economic Forum, even as the president prepares to deliver a speech before those gathered in Switzerland on Wednesday. While the world will be parsing every word in his address, the real tea leaves to read may come out of Trump’s meetings with world leaders on the sidelines. Playbook’s Jack Blanchard and White House and foreign affairs correspondent Eli Stokols discuss the stakes of Trump’s trip, plus the big case to watch at the Supreme Court on Wednesday.

Today marks one year since President Donald Trump returned to office. In his first year back in the White House, Trump has wielded the power of the presidency in unprecedented ways. But despite many of the achievements that the White House points to from 2025, there are a number of fronts with uncertain horizons in 2026. Trump has spent the first part of the year focused on various foreign affairs — despite voters’ consistent cost-of-living concerns, which are set to dominate the midterm messaging battle. Playbook’s Jack Blanchard and Adam Wren take stock of Trump’s return to power and where the president and his team turn now.

President Donald Trump’s signature tariffs are still roiling Michigan, one of the most closely watched midterm states in 2026. Almost nowhere on the map are there more battleground congressional seats, not to mention a Senate seat on a knife’s edge and a three-way governor’s race featuring a wildcard independent candidate polling in the double digits. And that’s before you dig into any number of down-ballot races. Playbook’s Adam Wren and White House reporter Megan Messerly discuss the topic du jour at this week’s Detroit Auto Show and what the impact of Trump’s tariffs could mean for the midterms.

A handful of international fronts are simmering with tension as President Donald Trump’s foreign policy agenda expands. The president seemingly backed off taking action in Iran for now, telling reporters that the situation on the ground had improved. The standoff over Greenland is ramping up. Trump once again shifted blame for the stalled Ukraine-Russia negotiations. And the administration announced a new phase in the Gaza peace plan. Playbook’s Jack Blanchard and White House reporter Megan Messerly break down the stakes for each of Trump’s foreign policy forays.

President Donald Trump is ramping up the rhetoric over Iran. Trump is considering a range of options as the death toll from the crackdown on protests in Iran grows higher. The different responses on the table range from the diplomatic to so-called kinetic options, which could involve the military. But the administration’s recent moves in the Western Hemisphere have hampered some of the immediate options. Playbook’s Jack Blanchard and White House reporter Megan Messerly discuss Trump’s Iran options. Plus, what’s Trump’s end game on Greenland?