By Ryan Lizza, Eugene Daniels and Rachael Bade

With help from Eli Okun and Garrett Ross

All Doug Burgum has to do is break through from the clutter of politicians and podiums and leave an impression. Of course, that’s everybody else’s strategy, too. | Charlie Neibergall/AP Photo

WARNING SIGN FOR BIDEN — “Biden’s reelection threatened by poor marks on the economy from voters of color,” by Brakkton Booker

THE MAYOR OF CALIFORNIA — GAVIN NEWSOM has a San Francisco problem, Chris Cadelago and Melanie Mason write in a big piece this morning: The California governor is taking an increasingly hands-on approach to the city’s spiraling struggles with crime, drug and homelessness. It’s personal for the former SF mayor, who tells Chris and Melanie that “I feel like I’m being pulled back” to his old job. And it could also be existential to his political fortunes, as his tenure in Sacramento — or beyond it — hinges on San Francisco’s image.

JUST POSTED — “James O’Keefe Is Now Under Investigation for Looting Project Veritas,” by Elizabeth Farkas and Matthew Phelan in The Nation

THE PLAYBOOK INTERVIEW: NORTH DAKOTA GOV. DOUG BURGUM — The Republican Debate in Milwaukee may be the most important moment of a campaign that has seen very little volatility. In 2016, GOP debates attracted as many as 24 million viewers — a massive audience for candidates who can struggle to attract a few dozen voters in person in Iowa or New Hampshire.

The more unknown the candidate, the bigger the opportunity for him or her on Wednesday in Wisconsin.

And as the governor of a state that ranks 47th in population and a candidate who rarely hits 1% in polls, Burgum is arguably the most unknown serious candidate in the race.

Yes, he essentially bought his way onstage by enticing donors to give him one dollar in return for a $20 gift card (an effort he undertook to hit the RNC’s 40,000-donor requirement). But the beauty of being unknown is that most voters don’t know that about him either. All they’ll know is that he’ll be standing on an equal footing with more famous names such as RON DeSANTIS, MIKE PENCE and TIM SCOTT — and maybe even DONALD TRUMP if he shows up (here’s Trump’s latest tease about that).

Besides, Burgum defends the gift card gimmick as a clever hack of what he sees as a rigged system designed to keep the non-Washington, non-Fox News regulars out of the game.

Now all he has to do is break through from the clutter of politicians and podiums and leave an impression. Of course, that’s everybody else’s strategy, too.

We talked to Burgum yesterday about his debate strategy, what might make him stand out, his against-the-odds success in tech, his come-from-behind campaign to become governor, and why he thinks those last two things mean you shouldn’t count him out.

You can listen to the full conversation on this week’s episode of the Playbook Deep Dive podcast. What follows are some key excerpts.

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— Burgum on the RNC’s debate qualifications: “If you have clubhouse rules, then you design the rules; they always favor someone, and they always disfavor others.”

— On the thinking behind his gift card scheme: “The RNC was like, ‘Oh, if you need help, go talk to these [fundraising] firms.’ Well, these firms want to charge $100 a donor to build their … donation file. … I was like, ‘Wow, a hundred bucks a donor?’ … So that was where the idea was born out of — just being entrepreneurs. And then, of course, we got this thing done for like one-fifth the cost or less than if we had gone with some traditional route because we were being entrepreneurs.”

— On his job Wednesday night at the debate: “We’re in a very different spot than almost anybody else on the stage, because … virtually everyone else has got almost 100% name recognition. … We’re at the other end of that spectrum. So for us, part of it is just people getting to know who we are. … Small-town guy, entrepreneur, started a business, you know, grew it to a $1 billion business [with] 2,000 team members — creating great, great jobs. …

“There’s this success story there. But then also then pivoted from that and, you know, ran as an outsider for governor. And then we’ve had a remarkable run as governor. So there’s a little bit of just sort of, you know, solving the ‘Doug who?’ problem. … One thing that we know that people like is someone who’s authentic. … I can’t be anybody other than who I am. And this is who I am.”

— On how he is *not* preparing for the debate: “There’s a long litany of people that have … gone in a room and tried to memorize lines and … cram for finals that have, you know, come out and and frozen. … Those are the moments everybody remembers. And what we want to be is talking about real people with real challenges and what they’re up against.”

— On the no-frills debates of his gubernatorial race: “Some of them were more like a ‘Parks and Rec’ episode. … I had done a debate on the floor of a hockey arena, and no one could hear us because the glass was up, and they were getting up and moving further away so they could kind of hear over the hockey glass. And then the mics went out. So there were three of us and we had to share; we had to pass a mic back and forth between the different candidates.”

— On why he’s willing to spend tens of millions of his personal fortune on the campaign: “I’ve never asked people to invest in anything if I’m not willing to invest in myself.”

— On that personal wealth: “Well, first of all, [I’m] not a billionaire. Never was a billionaire. So all that’s just incredibly shoddy reporting. … You know, we started with this little [software] company, which I was also not the founder of — so we can clear up two things at once. … [And] 18 years later, we were an overnight success story when we got acquired by Microsoft for $1.1 billion.”

— On Microsoft’s acquisition of his software company: “When we did a deal, it was a stock-for-stock deal. So every Great Plains shareholder got 1.1 share of Microsoft. … All 2,002 Great Plains team members became Microsoft employees — and they became Microsoft employees not only with the same benefits, but they came with the same tenure. If you started working for us in 1983 and we got acquired in 2001, you were an 18-year veteran of Microsoft the day you started. … We were on equal par because we said, ‘We’re buying in, we’re not selling out.’”

— On North Dakota’s rivalry with South Dakota: “We’ve been protecting South Dakota from Canada for 134 years, and we never get any credit for that, ever.”

— On his longshot campaign: “No one believed that you could build a software company in the Midwest, in [a] small town, just like … there’s a lot of people who say, ‘Well, he can’t be president.’ … My whole life is people telling me what I can’t do, and nothing motivates me more than that.”

Happy Friday. Thanks for reading Playbook. Drop us a line: Rachael Bade, Eugene Daniels, Ryan Lizza.

A message from Climate Power:

President Biden’s Clean Energy Plan already has meant over 170,600 new jobs in 44 states totaling $278 billion in new investments for local economies.

FIRST IN PLAYBOOK — Speaking of the debate, we have some news this morning that will cheer debate watching canine lovers across America. At its debates in the 2016 cycle, Fox News used a chime to signal that time has expired that sounded like a doorbell.

Apparently, the bell was confusing to dog owners, as these tweets can attest.

Well, dog owners, Fox News has heard you and they have retired the 2016 doorbell sound.

At Wednesday’s debate, the network will be unveiling a new chime. Playbook has exclusively heard it, though we were sworn to secrecy and can’t publish it here. We do agree it is dog-safe, and while internally at Fox it’s being described as akin to a “reception/front-desk bell,” we would describe it more like a game show bell (think “Pyramid” or “Jeopardy!”).

Either way, if you are participating in the debate, when you hear it, your time is up.

HAPPENING TODAY — “Trump’s 2024 GOP rivals converge on Atlanta just days after his latest indictment,” by AP’s Bill Barrow: “Trump won’t speak at The Gathering, an Atlanta event by syndicated radio host ERICK ERICKSON taking place Friday and Saturday about 10 miles from the jail where the former president has to surrender before next Friday.”

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PHOTO OF THE DAY

Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas delivers remarks alongside Robin Carnahan, the administrator of the General Services Administration, during an event to discuss how DHS is using IRA funding toward the construction of headquarters for two agencies under the department, including ICE and CISA, on Thursday, Aug. 17. | Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images

TRUMP CARDS

THE ELECTION SUBVERSION TRIALS — With Trump facing his most serious criminal indictments yet in both federal and state court, the former president’s legal team is making moves on both fronts:

In Washington, Trump’s attorneys suggested a start date of April 2026 for his trial for allegedly attempting to overturn the 2020 election. That opens up a massive discrepancy with special counsel JACK SMITH’s prosecutors, who had requested Jan. 2, 2024. Trump’s lawyers said that wouldn’t be enough time for them to prepare. More from Axios

In Fulton County, Ga., Trump is expected to surrender sometime next week (although before Thursday), CNN’s Alayna Treene reports. His team and DA FANI WILLIS’ office are still discussing the details. The prospect of a mugshot and fingerprints for Trump in Georgia set this surrender/arraignment apart from his others. And the timing seems poised to ensure that even if Trump doesn’t attend the GOP presidential primary debate Wednesday, he’ll dominate much of the news nonetheless.

Score one for Trump’s legal team vs. Trump: The former president announced that his Monday morning press conference, at which he’d vowed to release a more than 100-page report purporting to back up his false claims of election fraud in Georgia, will be delayed. Some of Trump’s lawyers and other advisers had reportedly been urging Trump not to hold the presser, as he faces court scrutiny over his public comments about the cases.

There was also a flurry of interesting news yesterday about all of the people not named Trump who are caught up in Willis’ sprawling legal case:

The jurors: After far-right forums doxxed the grand jurors in the case, the Fulton County Sheriff’s Office said yesterday that it will investigate threats to their safety, per The Atlanta Journal-Constitution’s Chris Joyner.

The other indictees: Former DOJ leader JEFFREY CLARK’s attorney became the first for any of the 19 defendants to formally oppose Willis’ proposed March 4 trial start date. In a filing yesterday, Clark’s lawyer said the suggestion was “highly premature.” More from ABC

The unindicted co-conspirators: There are 30 of them, unnamed, in Willis’ massive indictment, and CNN’s Elizabeth Stuart, Jeremy Herb and Zachary Cohen have put names to nearly all the descriptions. They range from prominent figures like Georgia Lt. Gov. BURT JONES and BORIS EPHSTEYN to fake electors, Coffee County interveners and local operatives, including the Trump campaign’s amazingly named ROBERT SINNERS.

THE WHITE HOUSE

WHAT TO EXPECT FROM CAMP DAVID — Biden’s historic trilateral summit with the leaders of Japan and South Korea aims to exploit an opening in the U.S. allies’ tense history to build much stronger security and economic ties, AP’s Aamer Madhani previews. Among the tangibles the U.S. hopes to announce: “plans to expand military cooperation on ballistic defenses and make the summit an annual event … plans to invest in technology for a three-way crisis hotline and … an update on the progress the countries have made in sharing early-warning data on missile launches.” But more broadly, Biden wants to make sure South Korea and Japan will publicly be on the same page on China and North Korea, despite some lingering animosity.

2024 WATCH

YOUR DEBATE PREP …

• DeSantis’ debate guru: Meet BRETT O’DONNELL, debate coach extraordinaire — or, as one Republican consultant calls him, “WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE and VINCE LOMBARDI rolled into one.” More from Cameron Joseph for POLITICO Mag
  
• Highly questionable strategy from a pro-DeSantis super PAC: “Ramaswamy’s Faith Singled Out in DeSantis Super PAC Memo,” by NYT’s Jonathan Swan, Shane Goldmacher and Maggie Haberman
  
• Will Trump debate? “Trump has asked people in [the] last 48 hours if he should debate, per multiple people close to him,” reports WaPo’s Josh Dawsey. “Advisers say it’s still unlikely — but no final decision is made.”
  
• The underdog: VIVEK RAMASWAMY is the subject of a big new profile by Time’s Mini Racker that gets into his debate plans and how his campaign will shift strategies after the debate. NYT’s Jonathan Weisman also looks at Ramaswamy this morning, focusing on how he is transitioning from an underestimated outsider to a target for other candidates.

THE POLICY PRIMARY — Amid all his legal woes and debate drama, Trump made some news yesterday on a couple of substantive fronts: He told Larry Kudlow on Fox Business Network that he would not reappoint Fed Chair JEROME POWELL (an original Trump pick) to another term. And he posted a new video blasting Biden for a reported deal with Iran to unfreeze some funds in exchange for the release of imprisoned U.S. citizens.

KATIE BRITT’S BIG HEADACHE — “Inside the Incredible Drama Over One Senator’s Trump Endorsement,” by The Daily Beast’s Zachary Petrizzo

CONGRESS

MIDDLE EAST MOVEMENT — Jake Sullivan and other Biden administration officials have started meeting with some Democratic senators under the radar to keep them abreast of a potential new Saudi-Israeli diplomatic deal, NYT’s Karoun Demirjian and Mark Mazzetti report.

As the U.S. works to broker talks for a pact, it also has to keep an eye on the Senate, where two-thirds of the chamber — a very high bar — would need to sign off on a new U.S.-Saudi security arrangement. That, apparently, is one of the prices Crown Prince MOHAMMED BIN SALMAN is demanding to normalize relations with Israel.

A new agreement could be a tough pill to swallow for Senate Dems who have been sharply critical of MBS; notably, the White House has met with Senate Majority Leader CHUCK SCHUMER, Senate Foreign Relations Chair BOB MENENDEZ (D-N.J.) and Sen. CHRIS MURPHY (D-Conn.). Sen. LINDSEY GRAHAM (R-S.C.), meanwhile, is working to build support among Republicans.

INDEPENDENT SINEMA — “Sinema calls for Biden admin and Tuberville to find ‘middle ground’ in abortion standoff,” by NBC’s Allan Smith and Sahil Kapur

NOTABLE QUOTABLE — In a story about the Montana Senate race from NBC’s Ryan Nobles and Frank Thorp V in Big Sandy, Democratic Sen. JON TESTER offers this up about senators in old age: “I mean, look, the last thing I want to have happen is stay there too long … I’ve watched it happen too many times in my time in the Senate, and it’s a pitiful thing to watch, where really good people, both sides of the aisle, really, really good people, have stellar careers in public service, really deteriorate to the point where they’re just a shell of what they formerly were. But the voters know that; the voters know that. They can see what I can see.”

A message from Climate Power:

Biden’s Clean Energy Plan - One year: Over 170,600 new clean energy jobs and 270 clean energy projects.

JUDICIARY SQUARE

GATHERING HUNTER — The surprising about-face for HUNTER BIDEN’s legal fortunes took another step forward yesterday, as the misdemeanor tax charges against him were dismissed — so that new ones might potentially be filed elsewhere, CNN’s Kara Scannell and Marshall Cohen report. Special counsel DAVID WEISS had asked for their dismissal in Delaware; his newly invigorated investigation could lead to fresh charges in California or D.C.

The president has been keeping his son close in recent months: Hunter Biden and his family stayed at the White House for two weeks starting in June, right after his initial plea deal was reached, WaPo’s Tyler Pager reveals. Biden saw the deal as “the apparent conclusion of his son’s legal troubles … a welcome end to a painful chapter for the Biden family … The feeling of closure was premature, however.”

WAR IN UKRAINE

RED FLAG FROM D.C. — “U.S. intelligence says Ukraine will fail to meet offensive’s key goal,” by WaPo’s John Hudson and Alex Horton: “Ukraine’s forces, which are pushing toward Melitopol from the town of Robotyne more than 50 miles away, will remain several miles outside of the city, U.S. officials said. … Melitopol is critical to Ukraine’s counteroffensive because it is considered the gateway to Crimea.”

GREEN LIGHT FROM D.C. — “U.S. gives final approval allowing F-16 training for Ukraine to begin,” by Lara Seligman

BEYOND THE BELTWAY

LATEST FROM MAUI — “Embattled head of Maui emergency management resigns after defending wildfire response,” Hawaii News Now

TV TONIGHT — PBS’ “Washington Week”: Dan Balz, Zolan Kanno-Youngs, Tia Mitchell and Elaina Plott Calabro.

SUNDAY SO FAR …

FOX “Fox News Sunday”: Nikki Haley … Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds … “Sunday special” with Sen. Joni Ernst (R-Iowa) from the Iowa State Fair. Iowa panel: Kathie Obradovich and Galen Bacharier. Panel: Peggy Collins, Kevin Roberts and Juan Williams.

NBC “Meet the Press”: North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum … Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz. Panel: Lanhee Chen, Jonathan Martin, Susan Page and Kimberly Atkins Stohr.

CBS “Face the Nation”: Hawaii Gov. Josh Green … Scott Gottlieb … FEMA Administrator Deanna Criswell.

CNN “State of the Union”: FEMA Administrator Deanna Criswell … Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-La.). Debate preview panel: Larry Hogan and David Axelrod. Panel: Keisha Lance Bottoms, Geoff Duncan, Paula Begala and Ken Cuccinelli.

ABC “This Week”: FEMA Administrator Deanna Criswell. Panel: Donna Brazile, Rick Klein, Sarah Isgur and Asma Khalid.

MSNBC “The Katie Phang Show”: Rep. Nikema Williams (D-Ga.) … Mary Trump.

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