With help from Eli Okun, Ali Bianco and Irie Sentner
Good Monday morning. This is Jack Blanchard, staggering into the new week after completing the toughest assignment of 2026 — hosting a 5-year-old’s birthday party. No journalism gig could ever come close. But we survived! Drop me a line.
In today’s Playbook …
— All eyes on Colorado tomorrow as the Democratic insurgency heads for the hills.
— Get ready for another SCOTUS news dump at 10 a.m.
— The Boldfaces: Michael Bennet, Phil Weiser, Melat Kiros, Diana DeGette, Hasan Piker, Janeese Lewis George, Mike Johnson, Brendan Carr, Rick Scott, Mark Kelly and more.
ROCKY ROAD: In case you hadn’t noticed, Democratic insurgents are having a moment. In Colorado tomorrow we’ll find out if that’s shifting to momentum, as a quartet of closely watched primary races reach their climax.
Mountain high: In the context of last week’s New York City earthquake, what had once looked like a relatively low-key primary date tomorrow is now anything but. We have a professional Donald Trump-basher threatening to block a senator’s path to the governor’s mansion. We have a political novice — not even born when her veteran opponent first took her seat in Congress — on the verge of an extraordinary ouster. We have a key midterm battleground shaping up to be fought sharply from the left. And we might — might — even see one of Colorado’s best-known politicians face a radical progressive challenge.
New York is one thing, but Colorado is another. Expect to learn plenty tomorrow night about how insurgent messaging really lands outside of a coastal metropolis, and what that means for the future of the Democrats — and perhaps the presidential contest in 2028.
First up: The shocker. Sen. Michael Bennet, the three-term senator and 2020 presidential wannabe, at one point appeared on a glide path to the Colorado governor’s mansion this fall. Far from it, POLITICO’s William Steakin reports this morning. Bennet’s opponent, Colorado AG Phil Weiser, has closed the gap dramatically and may yet come out on top after polls close in tomorrow’s primary.
Let off some steam, Bennet: “There may be only a slight Bennet advantage at this point,” a Democratic strategist tells William, revealing that private polling in the race has been “all over the place.”
Important: This is not the same leftist insurgency we witnessed in New York City last week, though there are clearly parallels to be drawn. While Weiser has positioned to Bennet’s left on certain policy issues, he’s mainly gained traction by casting himself as a battle-hardened anti-Trump warrior, ready to jolt the complacent Dem establishment and take the fight directly to the president. Weiser has sued Trump 66 times as AG, a record he’s leaning on heavily. It’s music to the ears of a Democratic base desperate for someone — anyone — to start clobbering back at Trump.
Beyond the governor’s mansion: As Playbook told you last week, the most closely watched House primary tomorrow will be in the 1st Congressional District — essentially covering Denver itself — where 29-year-old lawyer-turned-barista Melat Kiros is trying to oust 15-term Rep. Diana DeGette. At 29, Kiros was born a few months after DeGette was first elected in 1997. The changing-of-the-guard narrative here is just waiting to be written.
And this one does have shades of NYC. Kiros is a signed-up member of the Democratic Socialists of America, and her campaign is seeking to mimic the Zohran Mamdani method. National DSA chapters are hosting daily phone banks, with organizers vowing to overcome their opponents’ large corporate donations by knocking on tens of thousands of doors. Hasan Piker, the lightning-rod progressive Twitch streamer, told William he intends to host a phone-bank marathon for Kiros and to campaign in the state tomorrow.
Several recent polls have put Kiros out in front, and the shift in expectations through this final stretch has been striking. While it’s been known for a while that DeGette had a fight on her hands, plenty of observers now clearly believe she’s going to lose. “It’s not looking great,” one prominent Colorado Democratic strategist familiar with DeGette’s polling tells William. “It’s very tough when you’re fighting against a wave.”
If DeGette’s ouster no longer feels like a long shot, anything similar playing out in Colorado’s Senate primary would have jaws hitting the floor. Democratic Sen. John Hickenlooper has been a cornerstone of Colorado politics for decades, with the near-universal name recognition you’d expect of a two-term state governor and Denver city mayor. Initial polls in February gave him a seemingly unassailable 30-point lead over his leftist challenger, state Sen. (and former DSA member) Julie Gonzales.
And yet: In 2026, incumbency is not the superpower it once was. (Hickenlooper will also be 80 years old after another full Senate term.) A local poll last month had his lead over Gonzales reduced to just seven points, suggesting this may be closer than expected. One strategist even tells William they’ve seen private polling putting the race as a dead heat. If the leftist wave really does extend to Colorado, the final numbers in this Senate primary will be a measure of how far up the beach it can go.
And don’t forget: As Playbook’s Ali Bianco set out yesterday, the Dem primary to take on Republican Rep. Gabe Evans in one of the country’s most fiercely contested House battlegrounds — Colorado’s 8th — is also a fascinating one, and plenty are predicting state Rep. Manny Rutinel will defeat his opponent Shannon Bird from the left. Evans is wisely trying to keep his own focus on affordability, and will be joined by Energy Secretary Chris Wright at a campaign event this morning.
The red scare: More broadly, Republicans spy a major opportunity in their opponents’ shifting position, and Trump has wasted no time in trying to weaponize the trend. The president’s speech to the Faith and Freedom Coalition last Friday saw him trial a tub-thumping new message about the “Communist” threat America is supposedly facing, and his Truth Social feed was peppered with further posts on the theme throughout the weekend. Expect to hear this on a near-daily basis for the next four months.
New boogeyman needed: The assumption had been that Trump would use Mamdani as his socialist boogeyman-in-chief, but unhelpfully for Republicans the president has made clear that, well, he rather likes the guy. (Also unhelpfully for Republicans, Mamdani has proven adept at making himself look far more human than the vast majority of D.C. politicians on either side of the aisle. Just check out his NYC pool jump on Saturday for the latest example.)
Instead, Trump now appears to be focusing on the likely next mayor of D.C., Janeese Lewis George, as an alternative target. His diatribe toward her yesterday afternoon read like a harbinger of battles to come. (“We will not let [Washington] be destroyed by a Communist adherent,” Trump blasted.) Expect to hear plenty more about her on Truth Social in the weeks and months ahead. For D.C., real conflict could be coming down the track.
On today’s Playbook Podcast: Jack and Megan Messerly discuss the Trump-shaped specter looming over Colorado’s primaries.
SCOTUS WATCH: The next batch of Supreme Court opinions arrives at 10 a.m., and with the clock ticking down, we’re still waiting for several major cases to be decided. Birthright citizenship, firing Lisa Cook and Rebecca Slaughter, mail ballots, transgender athletes, campaign finance limits — look for at least one, and perhaps more, this morning. Behind the scenes, as justices increasingly clash with each other, several justices have said they miss the peacemaking presence of former colleague Stephen Breyer, WSJ’s James Romoser reports.
THE AFFORDABILITY AGENDA: Speaker Mike Johnson is sending the bipartisan housing bill to Trump today. That’ll pose a challenge for the president, who torpedoed last week’s signing ceremony over his demands that Congress pass the SAVE America Act: Now Trump will have to sign the bill, veto it or let it become law without his signature. (Congress would likely have the votes for a veto override.)
- What’s next: House GOP leaders want to move spending bills, the defense policy bill and long-gestating kids online safety legislation on the floor this week. The big question is whether hard-liners trip up procedural votes in their own SAVE Act protest — or if Trump’s admonition brings them in line. More from POLITICO’s Inside Congress
FIRST AMENDMENT WATCH: Conservative groups are expected to file multiple petitions ahead of today’s deadline to push the FCC to deny the broadcast TV licenses for Disney’s ABC stations, POLITICO’s John Hendel reports. That could add more political pressure to Chair Brendan Carr’s drive to threaten media outlets he sees as critical of Trump. These groups’ intervention could help broaden the FCC’s review beyond the diversity practices it has cited and into claims that ABC is politically biased.
POLITICAL VIOLENCE WATCH: Cole Allen, the alleged attempted Trump assassin at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner, is scheduled for his next court appearance today. He has pleaded not guilty.
NOMINATION WOES: GOP senators are eager to push through nominees for a panoply of open positions, including dozens of federal judges and multiple Cabinet positions, POLITICO’s Alex Gangitano and colleagues report. They’re also worried about a pre-midterms time crunch. But the Trump administration hasn’t moved with similar alacrity. The judicial vacancies have especially concerned some senators, while Trump hasn’t even nominated someone for Labor secretary or FDA commissioner.
GREAT SCOTT: Despite some recent attention-grabbing moves, Sen. Rick Scott (R-Fla.) tells POLITICO’s Jordain Carney he’s not angling to challenge John Thune for majority leader. But he does want to make an impact — including pushing the chamber to take more tough votes (especially the SAVE Act) and emerging as a conservative policy leader. These days, with his closeness to the administration, Scott has “renewed influence and a base of support outside of leadership.”
FIRST IN PLAYBOOK: Sen. Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.) will headline the Ohio Democratic Party’s annual state dinner Aug. 1 and stump for Democratic Senate candidate Sherrod Brown, Playbook’s Adam Wren scoops.
1. WAR REPORT: After a weekend of attacks threatened the U.S.-Iran ceasefire and provisional peace deal, the U.S. now says both sides are ready to stop and return to talks tomorrow, Axios’ Barak Ravid reports. Other countries’ officials confirmed as much to the WSJ, with the potential negotiations taking place in Qatar and focused on the Strait of Hormuz. Iran hasn’t yet publicly confirmed the stand-down — and in fact Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi declared yesterday that Iran would take complete control of managing the strait.
2. FROM RUSSIA, WITH LOVE: Russian President Vladimir Putin said yesterday that once the U.S. turns its attention from Iran, he’s ready for Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner to come back and talk about ending the Ukraine war, per Bloomberg.
3. THE NEW DOJ: Top prosecutors thought they had sufficiently voluminous evidence to bring criminal charges against Abbott Laboratories over a baby formula contamination crisis. But the Justice Department ultimately decided to drop the case, end the probe and instead spring for “clawing back money the company earned from selling formula through federally funded nutrition programs,” WSJ’s Dave Michaels and colleagues scooped.
4. THE LOAN LURCH: Beginning Wednesday, major new student loan changes from Republicans’ One Big Beautiful Bill Act will kick in, NBC’s Erik Ortiz previews. Lower-income people will see an especially big hit from higher payments, while borrowing restrictions will increase and repayment options will narrow. Meanwhile, an interesting analysis from WaPo’s Federica Cocco and colleagues shows that the Trump and Biden administrations’ student loan payment pause during the pandemic actually led borrowers to rack up other types of debt.
5. WEAPONIZATION WATCH: “Yoo to advise diGenova on probe into inquiries of Trump’s 2016 campaign and Russia,” by POLITICO’s Josh Gerstein and Kyle Cheney: “Prominent conservative law professor John Yoo has agreed to advise Justice Department prosecutor Joseph diGenova on his probe of what President Donald Trump’s allies have described as a ‘grand conspiracy’ to upend Trump’s first term in office through allegations of ties between his campaign and Russia.”
AMERICAN EXPORT — POLITICO’s Sebastian Starcevic has the readout from Brussels’ Cinquantenaire Park, where the U.S. Embassy threw a blowout America 250 July Fourth party, complete with country music from Alexis Wilkins (FBI Director Kash Patel’s girlfriend) and the Zac Brown Band, traditional American fare and protests nearby.
“The event’s guests were treated to a feast of corn dogs, Texas BBQ, milkshakes, lobster rolls (which quickly sold out), American flag cupcakes and Philly cheesesteaks, along with spectacles such as a flyover of historic aircraft and a drone show that spelled out FREEDOM and took the shape of the White House. There was also a mechanical bull ride, cheerleaders lifting guests into the air and a bunch of free swag, including totes, baseball caps and, somewhat randomly, Duracell batteries (which flew off the shelves).
“As Wilkins sang the national anthem, beamed onto giant screens between Cinquantenaire’s stone arches, her microphone appeared not to be working. She looked at it in confusion and continued soundlessly until the camera cut away. Later in the evening, she was given a do-over and performed it again, this time with sound.” Much more in Brussels Playbook
FIRST IN PLAYBOOK — Jeremy Lewin is moving to the White House as deputy assistant to the president and senior director for Western Hemisphere affairs at the NSC. He has been serving as acting undersecretary of State for foreign assistance, humanitarian affairs and religious freedom, leading the administration’s overhaul of U.S. foreign aid.
SCARY STUFF — Rep. Jahana Hayes (D-Conn.) shared that she was admitted to the hospital for two days for treatment and testing after feeling strangely dizzy due to a blood clot, but is now feeling better. … Sen. Chris Coons (D-Del.) was in a car accident in Delaware and got treated for minor injuries at a hospital, but has now gone home.
PLANTING A SEED — As President Donald Trump drills down on one of his true passions — federal buildings and grounds in D.C. — he’s now planning to have Lafayette Square feature 47 maple trees in honor of him being the 47th president, WaPo’s Dan Diamond and Jake Spring scooped. He went to see the park’s renovations in person yesterday. But the Post reports that it’s not likely to reopen until August, contrary to Trump’s July Fourth projection.
SPORTS BLINK — Also following his tour yesterday, Trump announced that East Potomac Golf Links will begin major upgrades Sept. 1, per Reuters. He walked around the site with Interior Secretary Doug Burgum and architect Tom Fazio. Questions remain about legal challenges and how Trump’s timeline will work with environmental and regulatory reviews.
POOL REPORT — Greenwater Services is the little-known firm co-owned by a felonious Trump friend that got a no-bid contract to clean up the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool. But President Chas Antinone Jr. told WSJ’s Will Hobson and Jim Carlton they have “nothing to hide” — and the pool’s green tinge is going away. Meanwhile, Trump’s latest evidence-free claim about the pool is to label its problems as “criminally made algae.”
PLAYBOOK METRO SECTION — “Food Truck Mafia,” by Washingtonian’s Jessica Sidman: “This is not just a hodgepodge of misfit vehicles. It’s a coordinated network. And it’s all anchored right here on the Mall … It’s America’s Front Lawn, a symbol of our very democracy. And it’s also where, US Park Police say, organized crime is operating in plain sight.”
MEDIA MOVE — Rema Rahman is now White House and politics team lead for Bloomberg Government. She previously worked for The Hill.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY: Playbook’s own Garrett Ross … Rep. Virginia Foxx (R-N.C.) … Ropes & Gray’s Amish Shah … Laura Rozen … Intel’s Robin Colwell … White House’s Marie Policastro … Josh Meyer … CNN’s Evan Pérez … Carl Forti … former Rep. Collin Peterson (D-Minn.) … Ben Jarrett … Hal Brewster of Freshfields … Christina Pearson … Don Verrilli of Munger, Tolles & Olson … Max Virkus … Hanna Trudo … Christian Marrone of McKenna & Associates … Jordan Davis … Roku’s Kaya Singleton … Katie Zirkelbach … Vijay Menon of Sen. Josh Hawley’s (R-Mo.) office … Owen Kilmer … Mercedes-Benz’s Christopher Wenk … Emily Spain … MS NOW’s Kenny Reilly … Caitlin Bugas … Anahita Dhungel of Senate Intelligence
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