The Playbook Podcast

Nearly a week after the disastrous presidential debate, more Democrats are going on the record to suggest President Biden step aside and let another candidate be the nominee for president in 2024. After prominent Democrats called questions about Biden’s mental acuity “valid,” a cascade of other voices echoed the sentiment. But that introduces a potentially more complicated question: if not Biden, who? Playbook co-authors Rachael Bade and Eugene Daniels take stock of the Democratic disarray. 
 

The Supreme Court ruled Monday that Donald Trump has immunity from criminal prosecution for some actions he took as president while fighting to subvert the 2020 election, further complicating efforts to put Trump on trial in Washington on criminal charges. The decision immediately deflated some of the central allegations that special counsel Jack Smith leveled against Trump. Plus, what does this indicate for the powers a President has? Playbook co-author Ryan Lizza and Ankush Khardori — former federal prosecutor at the Department of Justice and now senior writer for Politico Magazine — break down the details.

The fallout from last week's presidential debate continues. Over the weekend, it was reported that the Biden family gathered to discuss whether the president should remain in the race. His family is said to have encouraged him to see it through. But, despite nobody publicly coming forward to encourage him to drop out, others in the Democratic Party are indicating that they aren’t so sure that is the best approach. Playbook co-author Rachael Bade has the inside scoop. Plus, all eyes are on the Supreme Court, which is set to rule today on whether former President Trump has immunity from criminal prosecution.

President Joe Biden’s campaign gambled on a June debate, ostensibly with the goal of shaking up the trajectory of the campaign. Last night, it backfired in spectacular fashion. Over the course of a disastrous 90 minutes, the incumbent often wandered into incoherence, his voice faint, while former President Donald Trump blasted a firehose of insults and untruths. Now, with word that prominent Dems are in crisis mode, could we be approaching virtually unforeseen political territory? Playbook co-authors Rachael Bade, Ryan Lizza and Eugene Daniels unpack what we saw and where things go from here.

It’s the day that members of both major parties have been waiting for with excitement and/or dread. Tonight in Atlanta, President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump will take to the debate stage for their first debate of the 2024 cycle. Could this be a make-or-break moment for the candidates? How are both candidates angling to get under one another’s skin? What is realistically at stake? White House reporter Lauren Egan joins Playbook co-author Rachael Bade to tell us what to watch for — and what she’s expecting to see in the spin room.

The Supreme Court is slated to deliver rulings on roughly a dozen cases in the coming days—its last batch of this term. Among these is Trump v. United States, which will rule on whether the former president is immune from criminal prosecution over his bid to subvert the 2020 election. Also expected in this wave of decisions is a ruling on Relentless Inc. v. Department of Commerce, which may spell the end of the controversial so-called Chevron doctrine. Senior legal affairs reporter Josh Gerstein joins Playbook co-author Eugene Daniels to discuss the cases and what—if anything—can be predicted about the rulings. Plus, the biggest takeaways from Tuesday's primary elections. 

It is primary day in the Empire State, and one of the buzziest races of the day involves Rep. Jamaal Bowman (NY-16). In the only public polls out, Bowman appears to be trailing his opponent, George Latimer, by a whopping 17 points. As New York Playbook co-author Emily Ngo explains, it is the issues at hand in the race—namely, a divide surrounding Israel and Gaza, a microcosm of the Democratic Party at large—that are perhaps the most interesting thing about the race. She joins Playbook co-author Rachael Bade to discuss it and what else she is watching. Plus, Julian Assange is a free man, and the rest of the news you need to know today.

Groups including Planned Parenthood, the ACLU, and Reproductive Freedom for All are banding together to form Abortion Access Now, an alliance focused on restoring protections for abortion care on the federal level. The new coalition is marking the second anniversary of the fall of Roe v. Wade with a pledge to spend $100 million on a national, 10-year campaign. But the coalition is finding fractures within the Democratic Party about how to best proceed with protecting abortion. Health care reporter Alice Miranda Ollstein walks Playbook co-author Ryan Lizza through what to know about her scoop. Plus what we're watching during Tuesday's primary elections out West. That, plus all the rest of the news you need to know today.

Today begins a momentous three days of hearings in Trump’s classified documents case in the Florida courtroom of Judge Aileen Cannon. In an alternate timeline, the criminal prosecution — which was originally slated to start on May 20 — is already underway. But in the real world, Cannon has postponed proceedings indefinitely — and it’s likely that, pending what happens today, Monday and Tuesday, they won’t begin at all in 2024. Senior legal affairs reporter Kyle Cheney joins Playbook co-author Ryan Lizza to discuss. Plus, after an enormous wave of donations triggered by his conviction in New York, Trump has all but erased Joe Biden’s cash advantage in the presidential race. All that and the rest of the news you need to know today.

It could happen today. It could happen tomorrow. And you can count on it happening next week, too. The Supreme Court has 22 remaining cases left on the docket, and with time ticking down on this term, the floodgates are about to open. From abortion restrictions to Trump’s claims of presidential immunity in his bid to subvert the 2020 election, to social media censorship, to a decision that could gut the regulatory state, the decisions that remain could have a sweeping impact on American life. Senior legal affairs reporter Josh Gerstein sits down with Playbook co-author Eugene Daniels to walk through some of the key cases and what pros should watch for.