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Never say Never Jordan

Presented by Business Roundtable: POLITICO's must-read briefing on what's driving the afternoon in Washington.
Oct 16, 2023 View in browser
 

By Eli Okun

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GAGGED — Federal judge TANYA CHUTKAN today imposed a partial gag order on DONALD TRUMP in his criminal election subversion case, an extraordinary though limited step that will restrict his speech out of concern for others’ safety. Trump will be barred from making public statements attacking special counsel JACK SMITH, other prosecutors, court staff or witnesses in regard to their testimony.

“First Amendment protections yield to the administration of justice and to the protection of witnesses,” Chutkan ruled, acknowledging the tricky political tightrope of hemming in a criminal defendant who’s also a leading presidential contender. “His presidential candidacy does not give him carte blanche to vilify … public servants who are simply doing their job.” (Now, the question is: What will she do if Trump violates the gag order?) More from Kyle Cheney and Josh Gerstein

Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) now looks to be in a stronger position to become speaker than he appeared Friday. | Francis Chung/POLITICO

HOUSE MAJORITY WHIP SEAN HANNITY — A JIM JORDAN speakership is suddenly looking closer to reality this afternoon, after several of his top opponents in the House GOP executed a rapid 180 and announced their support for the Ohio Republican.

“I think we’ve been picking up colleagues,” Jordan told CBS’ Nikole Killion this morning. And then, like clockwork, Reps. MIKE ROGERS (R-Ala.), KEN CALVERT (R-Calif.) and ANN WAGNER (R-Mo.) — some of whom had made vociferous “Never Jordan” vows — all announced that conversations with Jordan had changed their minds.

That front-line members or STEVE SCALISE loyalists are suddenly falling in line is, in some sense, no surprise: Time and again, moderates/establishment types fold to the hard right in today’s House GOP Conference. There was an intense pressure campaign this weekend from the conservative base and media (like Fox News host Hannity) for members to get behind Jordan. But it’s still quite a shift for members like Calvert, who sit in toss-up districts, or like Wagner, who have real personal beef with Jordan. Rep. MIKE LAWLER (R-N.Y.) told a constituent yesterday that he’d support Jordan too if he has the votes, according to audio obtained by New York Playbook’s Jeff Coltin.

Rogers, the House Armed Services chair, indicated that he’d secured assurances from Jordan on key issues like the National Defense Authorization Act, the farm bill and government funding. Calvert, a top appropriator, made similar comments.

Notably not mentioned: Ukraine aid, which you can expect to be seriously threatened under a Jordan speakership.

Heading into the floor vote, Jordan now looks to be in a stronger position than he appeared Friday. KEVIN McCARTHY said he thinks Jordan can win tomorrow.

Jordan hasn’t flipped everyone yet. Rep. STEVE WOMACK (R-Ark.) told CNN that he’s still not supporting Jordan, and again floated the prospect of working with Democrats. Rep. CARLOS GIMENEZ (R-Fla.) is still “Only Kevin.” Rep. DON BACON (R-Neb.) sounds dubious. But “[t]he members who have flipped for Jordan have the Jordan-resistance House Rs feeling far more nervous now,” Olivia Beavers reports.

Jordan told CNN’s Manu Raju that the vote will be set for noon tomorrow, even if he hasn’t secured the backing of 217 Republicans by then. His latest “Dear Colleague” letter

BIG DEAL — The U.S. is readying sanctions relief on Venezuelan oil in exchange for President NICOLÁS MADURO promising to hold freer and fairer elections next year, with international monitors, WaPo’s Samantha Schmidt and scooped. That would be a major shift for his authoritarian government, though the U.S. may reserve the right to reimpose the sanctions if Maduro doesn’t follow through. Lifting sanctions on the country’s oil industry could also be a significant economic shift for Venezuela. The agreement could be signed and announced tomorrow.

Good Monday afternoon, and thanks for reading Playbook PM. Drop me a line at [email protected].

 

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CASH DASH REHASH — This morning’s Playbook included a rundown of Q3 presidential fundraising numbers that was incorrectly labeled. The figures listed represented the candidates’ quarterly cash receipts, not their cash on hand. We regret the error, and here is the correct cash-on-hand leaderboard (N.B.: not all of it can be used in the primary):

1. Trump $37,541,961 … 2. JOE BIDEN $32,180,366 … 3. TIM SCOTT $13,330,124 … 4. RON DeSANTIS $12,326,905 … 5. NIKKI HALEY $11,551,692 … 6. ROBERT F. KENNEDY JR. $6,172,041 … 7. VIVEK RAMASWAMY $4,247,877 … 8. CHRIS CHRISTIE $3,915,219 … 9. DOUG BURGUM $2,322,576 … 10. MIKE PENCE $1,181,452.

AMERICA AND THE WORLD

LATEST IN THE MIDDLE EAST — Americans remained stuck in Gaza today as the U.S. effort to open a border crossing with Egypt faltered again thanks to Egyptian resistance, WSJ’s Stephen Kalin, Summer Said and Fatima AbdulKarim report. Egypt said the delay was prompted by its “concerns that Israel hadn’t given assurances it would pause airstrikes and by Israeli insistence that trucks entering via Egypt be thoroughly searched.” Humanitarian aid is also stuck at the border. Secretary of State ANTONY BLINKEN is in Israel again today, trying to help get Americans out of Gaza, among other priorities.

U.S. officials said Egypt has blocked them from monitoring the border crossing due to safety concerns, per WaPo’s John Hudson.

2024 WATCH

UP FOR DEBATE — NBC News has been tapped as the host and broadcaster of the third GOP presidential primary debate, taking place in Miami on Nov. 8, per NBC’s Amanda Terkel. Rumble will also livestream the debate, whose other partners include Salem Radio Network and the Republican Jewish Coalition. No word yet on the moderators/other debate details.

INSIDE THE FEC FILINGS — Amid the flurry of campaign fundraising numbers, Jessica Piper and Steve Shepard cut through the noise to highlight some notable takeaways: Biden ramped up spending while DeSantis ramped down. Trump is pulling in lots of money but spending a lot on fundraising expenses to get it. Scott and Haley have similar numbers — but Scott’s trend line points down, while Haley is on the upswing. And down ballot, vulnerable Senate Democrats have built big cash advantages over GOP challengers.

FIRST IN PLAYBOOK — NewsNation’s Blake Burman will interview DeSantis and ASA HUTCHINSON at a presidential forum at Winthrop University in South Carolina on Thursday. They’ll be broadcast on “The Hill.”

BAND OF BROTHERS — DeSantis’ fellow Delta Kappa Epsilon fraternity brothers, college baseball teammates and other friends from Yale are helping him raise lots of money, with the self-declared “Fight Club” having pulled in $5.5 million for the Florida governor, Bloomberg’s Hadriana Lowenkron and Stephanie Lai report. The group of bundlers meets every week to discuss strategy and fundraising.

 

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THE WHITE HOUSE

SCRAP THAT — The White House postponed Biden’s trip to Pueblo, Colo., today to tout renewable energy investments, citing his need to stay in Washington for national security meetings.

POLICY CORNER

NOTABLE IMMIGRATION NEWS — “Legal Settlement Bars U.S. From Separating Migrant Families,” by WSJ’s Michelle Hackman: “The U.S. government won’t be allowed to return to a policy of separating migrant families at the southern border for at least the next eight years under a legal settlement reached between the American Civil Liberties Union and the Biden administration.”

MORE POLITICS

YOU GET AN ELECTION! AND YOU GET AN ELECTION! — What might have been: McKay Coppins’ new book about Sen. MITT ROMNEY (R-Utah), “Romney: A Reckoning,” reports that OPRAH WINFREY pitched him on a unity presidential ticket in 2020 to oppose Trump, per Axios’ Mike Allen. Romney says he turned her down; Winfrey world says she was never really serious about it.

PRIMARY COLORS — Moderate challengers to progressive House Democrats spy an opening over support for Israel, Jewish Insider’s Matthew Kassel reports. BHAVINI PATEL’s challenge to Rep. SUMMER LEE (D-Pa.), DON SAMUELS’ to Rep. ILHAN OMAR (D-Minn.) and GEORGE LATIMER’s to Rep. JAMAAL BOWMAN (D-N.Y.) are all hoping to capitalize on what they see as a backlash to “the Squad.”

— The GOP establishment’s top picks for key Senate races are beating their insurgent primary opponents in the money race, The Messenger’s Matt Holt reports.

MUCK READ — “This Top GOP Recruit Has a Swampy Connection to a Trumpy Rep,” by The Daily Beast’s Roger Sollenberger and Jake Lahut: “Bridger Aerospace, a Montana-based aerial firefighting company which [TIM] SHEEHY founded and still runs, has reaped millions of dollars from the same system that Sheehy has decried … What is less known is the relationship that could explain his lucrative business with the federal government: the one he shares with his friend Rep. RYAN ZINKE (R-MT).”

BATTLE FOR THE BALLOT — The Fair Elections Center is bringing lawsuits in Virginia and Kentucky arguing that their governors constitutionally do not have the power to make arbitrary, unilateral decisions over restoring former felons’ right to vote, NYT’s Michael Wines reports. “The stakes are potentially large” in the two states, with more than 100,000 people’s votes in the balance. The Fair Elections Center lawsuits lost in Kentucky but are moving forward in Virginia; the matter could ultimately be headed for the Supreme Court.

EMPIRE STATE OF MIND — The New York Working Families Party, which aims to play a significant role in mobilizing progressives to flip House seats to Democrats next year, has two new co-directors leading the party, Emily Ngo scooped in New York Playbook. ANA MARÍA ARCHILA and JASMINE GRIPPER are taking the helm of the party, which they say is focused on elevating progressive leaders, not just helping Democrats.

DEMOCRACY WATCH — “Few Republicans have confidence in elections. It’s a long road for one group trying to change that,” by AP’s Christine Fernando in Suamico, Wis.: “‘This state is vital, and it’s ground zero in this fight to save our republic,’ said REID RIBBLE, a Republican who represented the area in Congress until 2017 and is an adviser to the nonprofit Keep Our Republic. The group is holding town hall-style forums throughout Wisconsin hoping to restore faith in elections and has plans to do the same in two other states that will be pivotal to next year’s presidential race, Michigan and Pennsylvania.”

 

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PLAYBOOKERS

OUT AND ABOUT — Adrienne Arsht hosted a party Friday for Bret Baier’s new book, “To Rescue the Constitution” ($26). SPOTTED: Jordanian Ambassador Dina Kawar, German Ambassador Andreas Michaelis, Ukrainian Ambassador Oksana Markarova, Kellyanne Conway, Shannon Bream, Robert and Elena Allbritton, NASA Administrator Bill Nelson, Steve Clemons, Capricia Marshall, Mack McLarty and Matt Kaminski.

MEDIA MOVE — Camila DeChalus is joining CNN Worldwide as a White House reporter. She previously was a congressional reporter for WaPo.

TRANSITIONS — The DNC is adding Rosemary Boeglin as comms director and promoting Libby Schneider to chief of staff and Brencia Berry to political director. Boeglin most recently was comms director for Sen. Ed Markey (D-Mass.). … Michelle Strucke is joining the Center for Strategic and International Studies as director and senior fellow for the Humanitarian Agenda. She previously was deputy assistant secretary of Defense for global partnerships. …

… Tim Hruby is now of counsel in Blank Rome’s international trade group. He most recently was chief of staff to the assistant Commerce secretary for enforcement and compliance at the International Trade Administration. … Kevin Barnett is joining BakerHostetler as counsel with its business practice group and government contracts team. He most recently was with PilieroMazza.

ENGAGED — Chris Nuelle, comms director for Sen. Eric Schmitt (R-Mo.), and Danielle Matthews, a lead generation specialist at Watchfire Signs, got engaged over the weekend. They met in Missouri through another Schmitt staffer, Morgan Corder. Pic … Another pic

WEDDINGS — Fatima Hussein, Treasury reporter for the AP, and Thomas Drechsel, an economist and University of Maryland professor, got married at the D.C. courthouse Friday. They celebrated with a small group of friends and plan to have a bigger ceremony next summer in Germany. The couple met on an app during quarantine and got to know each other on long walks through D.C. Pic

— Brian Papp, managing director at FTI Consulting and a Tom Carper alum, and Stephanie Teagarden, kindergarten teacher for DCPS, got married Saturday in Rehoboth Beach, Del. They met online during Covid and had their first in-person date at Red Bear Brewing Co. Pic … SPOTTED: Naomi Zeigler, Joe Marinelli, John Kilvington, Richard Starr Colley and Ashley Poling.

— Natalie Cook Fahlberg, a deputy program manager at Anduril Industries, and Christopher Edmond Bissett, a captain in the U.S. Army, got married at St. Peter’s on Capitol Hill on Oct. 7. They met in 2019 while learning to fly helicopters for the Army at Fort Rucker, Ala. Pic … Another pic

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