The Playbook Podcast

When the House reconvenes after August recess tomorrow, Speaker Kevin McCarthy will be greeted in the Capitol by unhappy people, many of whom are members of his own party. McCarthy must navigate conservatives who feel the he has not delivered on promises the Speaker made when seeking the gavel back in January. Playbook editor Mike DeBonis talks with Playbook co-author Rachael Bade.

As the House returns next week, the relationship between Speaker Kevin McCarthy and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell could face its greatest test yet. Playbook co-author Rachael Bade joins deputy editor Zack Stanton to talk through the road ahead, the unique pressures McCarthy faces, and the battery of issues that threaten to put the House and Senate GOP on very different pages.

Deputy Editor Zack Stanton interviews Playbook co-author Rachael Bade.

Today, President Joe Biden heads to New Delhi for the G-20 summit. The subtext of the trip? Convince countries that the U.S. is a better bet than China. That’s a complicates sales pitch, but could be coming at exactly the right time. National security reporter Alex Ward joins Playbook co-author Eugene Daniels to discuss the potential for a historic breakthrough at the meeting — and what success looks like from the White House’s perspective.

Playbook co-author Eugene Daniels interviews national security reporter Alex Ward.

Mitch McConnell is moving as fast as he can to get beyond questions about whether his health will hurt his ability to lead Senate Republicans. Playbook co-author Eugene Daniels talks with Senate reporter Ursula Perano. Plus, Jim Messina on why Democrats need to take a third-party threat seriously and what songs the 2024 Republican presidential candidates are listening to.

A new book dropping today offers a rare inside look at Biden’s first two years in office. Franklin Foer’s “The Last Politician” offers in-depth insights into topics such as the president’s approaches to foreign policy and opinion of reproductive rights. Plus, fresh off the holiday weekend, a fight is brewing over fentanyl; and some Republicans are still pushing for an impeachment inquiry. Ryan Lizza breaks down the news you need to know today.

Playbook deputy editor Zack Stanton talks with senior columnist and politics bureau chief Jonathan Martin about this week in politics and his new column on why you should be paying attention to Virginia, where Sen. Mark Warner is sounding the alarm about the Virginia legislative elections — which Gov. Glenn Youngkin hopes to use to catapult himself into the national conversation.

Playbook Deputy Editor Zack Stanton talks with Senior Columnist and Politics Bureau Chief Jonathan Martin.

One story looms above all others today: the first Republican debate. (Although a close second is Donald Trump, who is expected to surrender to law enforcement in Georgia later today, after giving a bizarre interview to Tucker Carlson that aired last night.) The Playbook team got together for a post-debate call to talk it all through.

We’re just a few hours away from the start of the first presidential debate of the 2024 cycle, and the event is already mired in controversy. Playbook co-author Rachael Bade walks through everything you need to know about the main event, and then sits down with RNC Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel to talk about the sideshows.

The debate stage is set. Late last night, the RNC announced that eight candidates will be participating in the first presidential debate of the 2024 cycle on Wednesday night. Meanwhile, the debate’s most notably absent figure — Donald Trump — announces when he will surrender to an Atlanta court on Thursday. Reporter Zach Montellaro walks Playbook co-author Eugene Daniels through the debate maneuvering in the GOP and the opaque process that frustrated a number of Republican hopefuls.

Playbook co-author Eugene Daniels talks with reporter Zach Montellaro.

Vice President Kamala Harris’ political future — and quite possibly the success of the Democratic ticket in 2024 — hinges on a simple question: In modern-day D.C., is it possible to make a second impression? She recently sat down with Playbook co-author Eugene Daniels to discuss how her job has changed, what people get wrong about her public profile, and what many insiders see as a major shift in her comfort in recent months. That, plus, a look ahead to a busy week for Donald Trump — and for the GOP presidential candidates he won’t be joining on the debate stage.