{"id":19996,"date":"2026-07-28T16:18:39","date_gmt":"2026-07-28T11:18:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/?p=19996"},"modified":"2026-07-28T16:18:39","modified_gmt":"2026-07-28T11:18:39","slug":"put-one-ogre-on-a-pike","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/?p=19996","title":{"rendered":"\u2018Put one ogre on a pike\u2019"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><script>\r\n  atOptions = {\r\n    'key' : '644b717812d811d6a1c1fc5b6ccd6fa6',\r\n    'format' : 'iframe',\r\n    'height' : 90,\r\n    'width' : 728,\r\n    'params' : {}\r\n  };\r\n<\/script>\r\n<script src=\"https:\/\/www.highperformanceformat.com\/644b717812d811d6a1c1fc5b6ccd6fa6\/invoke.js\"><\/script>\r\n<br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div>\n<p><i>With help from Eli Okun, Ali Bianco and Irie Sentner<\/i><\/p>\n<p><b>Good Monday morning.<\/b> After spending some days in Maine, the political press corps will travel to Michigan down the homestretch before the big Aug. 4 primary. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thevernorsstore.com\/\" target=\"_blank\">Try a Vernors<\/a>, and <a href=\"http:\/\/www.politico.com\/cdn-cgi\/l\/email-protection#03627471666d43736c6f6a776a606c2d606c6e\" target=\"_blank\">get in touch<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p><b><i>In today\u2019s Playbook \u2026<\/i><\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color:#b70000;font-weight:bold;font-family:sans-serif;\"><b>\u2014<\/b><\/span><b> Abdul El-Sayed <\/b>is taking no prisoners in Michigan or elsewhere with an eye toward 2028.<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color:#b70000;font-weight:bold;font-family:sans-serif;\"><b>\u2014<\/b><\/span> <b>Lindsey Graham\u2019s <\/b>last act brings <b>Benjamin Netanyahu <\/b>and<b> Volodymyr Zelenskyy <\/b>to D.C.<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color:#b70000;font-weight:bold;font-family:sans-serif;\"><b>\u2014<\/b><\/span><b> The Boldfaces: Haley Stevens, John Fetterman, Hasan Piker, Summer Lee, Mike Rogers, Jay Clayton, Troy Jackson, Todd Blanche, Anthony Fauci, Pete Buttigieg, <\/b><i>and more.<\/i><\/p>\n<p><b>Abdul El-Sayed<\/b> has a frank private assessment of what victory in the Michigan Senate Democratic primary over Rep. <b>Haley Stevens<\/b> would mean.<\/p>\n<p><b>During a recent Zoom donor meeting<\/b>, El-Sayed indicated that a win in the Aug. 4 contest \u2014 and another one in November \u2014 would give him a platform to push the progressive movement forward. \u201cYou put one ogre on a pike, and then everyone else gets the message, and all of a sudden starts to sound a lot different,\u201d El-Sayed said, according to audio of the meeting obtained by Playbook.<\/p>\n<p><b>El-Sayed was responding to a supporter<\/b>, who asked how he planned to use his \u201cvoice at a time when, unfortunately, we\u2019re not going to get any policy over the finish line,\u201d referring to the final two years of the Trump administration.<\/p>\n<p><b>In his response<\/b>, El-Sayed framed the race, which has seen a historic level of spending by AIPAC\u2019s political arm, as one of biblical stakes: He likened himself to David and the forces that have lined up against him to Goliath. \u201cI need to use the platform that I have, and frankly, AIPAC and all the other corporations are going to give me if I win this race,\u201d El-Sayed said.<\/p>\n<p><b>\u201cWhat they don\u2019t really realize<\/b> is that in spending so much money, they\u2019re turning me into David, right? So, like, if I\u2019m the guy who came through and beat Goliath, now all of a sudden you just gave me the best platform in the entire U.S. Senate, which I love because then guess where all eyes are going to be?\u201d<\/p>\n<p><b>The discussion revealed<\/b> how he views his race as the left\u2019s most consequential stand in the midterms and its implications for 2028 \u2014 especially as a newly crowned early 2028 presidential primary state.<\/p>\n<p><b>\u201cMichigan is going to be<\/b>, what state number five \u2014 first big swing state on the whole map. I love that for us, which means that I get to then start paving the pathway for 2028 and who will be the next president,\u201d he said. \u201cWhat I\u2019m trying to do in this race right now \u2026 is to offer compelling ways or offer sort of memes that people can pick up who are running for president to sound like we need them to sound.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><b>And he wasn\u2019t speaking purely conceptually.<\/b> El-Sayed talked about \u201corganizing downward and outward\u201d as part of a larger progressive project with national implications \u2014 and targets.<\/p>\n<p><b>\u201cA big pickup for us <\/b>could be that <b>John Fetterman<\/b> seat,\u201d El-Sayed said, referring to the Democratic senator up for reelection in 2028. (Earlier this year at a rally with the far-left Twitch streamer <b>Hasan Piker<\/b> and Pennsylvania Rep. <b>Summer Lee<\/b>, El-Sayed floated the idea of Lee primarying Fetterman.)<\/p>\n<p><b>\u201cThey\u2019re gonna f around<\/b> and give me carte blanche to go take them out. Like that\u2019s the best thing about the way they\u2019re doing this is if I win \u2026 \u2018Well, y\u2019all came at me, so now I get to come at you.\u2019 And you know, primarying people like John Fetterman, I have no problem to do that. Like I\u2019m looking forward to it. And people are like, \u2018We don\u2019t primary the Senate.\u2019 I\u2019m like: watch me do it. Tell me why I should stop.\u201d<\/p>\n<aside class=\"story-related cl-l db no-border\">\n<div class=\"intext-ad intext-ad--presented intext-ad--custom \" style=\"background-color:#e3dacc\">\n<p class=\"intext-ad__caption\" style=\"color:#000000\">A message from Anthropic:<\/p>\n<div class=\"intext-ad__copy-styles0\">\n<p>How a small shop finds new ways to create using Claude <\/p>\n<p>New ways to create start with new ways to solve problems. Joe Bacus and Leef Armontrout, founders of BLA Studios in St. Louis, are doing both with Claude\u2014from welding machinery, to a steel-saving program, to community improvements. <a style=\"color:#000000; text-decoration:underline;\" href=\"https:\/\/ad.doubleclick.net\/ddm\/clk\/646595489;453150744;y;gdpr=${GDPR};gdpr_consent=${GDPR_CONSENT_755}\" target=\"_blank\">Learn more.<\/a><\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/aside>\n<p><b>El-Sayed summed up his stance <\/b>as more of a winner-take-all champion than a big-tent coalition builder. \u201cYou\u2019re gonna spend $60 million to beat me \u2014 OK, two can play at that game,\u201d he said. \u201cAnd then what happens is, ideally, you put one ogre on a pike, and then everyone else gets the message, and all of a sudden starts to sound a lot different.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><b>He did not specifically <\/b>mention Stevens in the portion of the call reviewed by Playbook.<\/p>\n<p><b>\u201cAbdul was clearly speaking metaphorically<\/b> about the fact that he fully intends to support a primary against John Fetterman, who despite being elected to support the values Abdul fights for has sold out his voters and votes with Trump more than any other Democrat,\u201d an El-Sayed spokesperson told us of the call.<\/p>\n<p><b>Ninety-nine days before the midterms <\/b>and eight days before its own primary, Michigan is now the political epicenter of national politics.<\/p>\n<p><b>El-Sayed and Stevens will face off in the final<\/b> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fox2detroit.com\/news\/senate-debate-fox2-haley-stevens-abdul-el-sayed-preview\" target=\"_blank\">Democratic Senate debate<\/a> in Michigan at 7:30 p.m. on FOX 2 Detroit. They also come as President <b>Donald Trump<\/b> visits Michigan today, heading to a General Motors\u2018 Milford Proving Ground facility in Milford, where he\u2019ll deliver remarks this afternoon. <b>Mike Rogers<\/b>, who\u2019s cruising blissfully through Aug. 4 as the Democrats rip each other to shreds, is expected to speak at the event, according to two people familiar with the logistics.<\/p>\n<p><b>Rogers is also expected to frame the election<\/b> as one of \u201ccrazy vs. common sense.\u201d (This <a href=\"https:\/\/www.politico.com\/newsletters\/playbook\/2026\/07\/21\/trump-to-hill-im-not-that-into-you-01005915\" target=\"_blank\">one\u2019s for you<\/a>, <b>Lisa McClain<\/b>!)<\/p>\n<p><b>On today\u2019s Playbook Podcast:<\/b> POLITICO\u2019s Megan Messerly and Jordain Carney set up the stakes for Republicans in the Senate, where the pressure is on to move their next big legislative swing alongside several Trump nominees to fill critical Cabinet posts.<\/p>\n<aside class=\"story-related cl-l db \">\n    <iframe loading=\"lazy\" frameborder=\"0\" height=\"200\" scrolling=\"no\" src=\"https:\/\/playlist.megaphone.fm?e=POLL5508046746&amp;light=true\" width=\"100%\"><\/iframe><\/aside>\n<aside class=\"story-related cl-l db \">\n<div class=\"intext-ad intext-ad--presented  \" style=\"background-color:#FFFFFF\">\n<p class=\"intext-ad__caption\" style=\"color:#000000\">A message from Anthropic:<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/ad.doubleclick.net\/ddm\/clk\/646595441;452917022;l;gdpr=${GDPR};gdpr_consent=${GDPR_CONSENT_755}\" target=\"_blank\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"intext-ad__img\" align=\"\" style=\"width:100%;max-width:500px\" width=\"500\" src=\"https:\/\/static.politico.com\/07\/34\/247681c44371b3949489123fb86e\/anthropic-politico-500x125-bla-2x.png\" title=\"Advertisement Image\" alt=\"Advertisement Image\"\/><\/a> <\/p>\n<div class=\"intext-ad__copy-styles1\">\n<p>How a small shop finds new ways to create using Claude <\/p>\n<p>New ways to create start with new ways to solve problems. <a style=\"color:#007BC7; text-decoration:underline;\" href=\"https:\/\/ad.doubleclick.net\/ddm\/clk\/646595438;452917022;r;gdpr=${GDPR};gdpr_consent=${GDPR_CONSENT_755}\" target=\"_blank\">Learn more.<\/a><\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/aside>\n<p><b>ANNALS OF DIPLOMACY: <\/b>Tomorrow\u2019s funeral for the late Sen. <b>Lindsey Graham <\/b>(R-S.C.) will bring major world figures to Washington. It\u2019ll also tee up White House meetings for Israeli PM <b>Benjamin Netanyahu <\/b>and Ukrainian President <a href=\"https:\/\/abcnews.com\/International\/zelenskyy-meet-trump-white-house-week-official\/story?id=135089520\" target=\"_blank\"><b>Volodymyr Zelenskyy<\/b><\/a><b>, <\/b>both looking to shore up support after losing one of their highest-profile backers in D.C. But Netanyahu will arrive as his relationship with Trump grows tense amid the Iran war: Bibi\u2019s been trying to get an invite for the past three months, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.politico.com\/news\/2026\/07\/27\/netanyahu-white-house-visit-trump-iran-war-01012362\" target=\"_blank\">POLITICO\u2019s Felicia Schwartz reports this morning<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p><b>ON THE HILL: <\/b>The Senate will take up <b>Jay Clayton\u2019s <\/b>nomination to be DNI with a procedural vote at <b>5:30 p.m. <\/b>With Clayton\u2019s impending arrival, acting DNI <b>Bill Pulte <\/b>is hard at work firing staffers during his brief tenure: <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/DNIPulte\/status\/2081540892905906179?s=20\" target=\"_blank\">He announced last night<\/a> the fourth round of layoffs had concluded.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><b>It\u2019s a busy week in the Senate,<\/b> as Majority Leader <b>John Thune <\/b>tries to make progress on government funding and Russia sanctions bills, while the hard right keeps making demands for the SAVE America Act. Plus: a Senate Judiciary vote on <b>Todd Blanche <\/b>for AG, Senate HELP votes on <b>Keith Sonderling <\/b>for Labor secretary and <b>Erica Schwartz <\/b>for CDC director, and another round of <b>Anthony Fauci <\/b>vs. Sen. <b>Rand Paul <\/b>(R-Ky.).<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><b>FED UP: <\/b>The outcomes of many Fed meetings are foregone conclusions. Not so this week, when the central bank faces at least some genuine suspense over whether it\u2019ll hold interest rates steady or \u2014 cue the Truth Social outburst \u2014 <i>raise <\/i>them on wartime inflation concerns. It\u2019s a tricky decision for new Chair <b>Kevin Warsh<\/b>; don\u2019t be surprised by dissents Wednesday. Thursday will also bring some closely watched economic data: the Personal Consumption Expenditures Price Index (the Fed\u2019s preferred inflation metric) and the advance estimate of second-quarter GDP. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bloomberg.com\/news\/articles\/2026-07-26\/fed-faces-growing-pressure-to-hike-rates-as-price-risks-rebound\" target=\"_blank\"><b><i>More from Bloomberg<\/i><\/b><\/a><\/p>\n<p><b>DANCE OF THE SUPERPOWERS: <\/b>With an eye toward China, the U.S. and more than 20 allies today are launching a joint effort to speed up 6G development, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.politico.com\/news\/2026\/07\/27\/trump-administration-builds-6g-alliance-to-challenge-china-01011436\" target=\"_blank\">POLITICO\u2019s John Hendel scoops<\/a>.<\/p>\n<aside class=\"story-related cl-l db \">\n<div class=\"intext-ad intext-ad--presented  \" style=\"background-color:#FFFFFF\">\n<p class=\"intext-ad__caption\" style=\"color:#000000\">A message from Anthropic:<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/ad.doubleclick.net\/ddm\/clk\/646595399;452916965;m;gdpr=${GDPR};gdpr_consent=${GDPR_CONSENT_755}\" target=\"_blank\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"intext-ad__img\" align=\"\" style=\"width:100%;max-width:500px\" width=\"500\" src=\"https:\/\/static.politico.com\/a1\/13\/97a895444e4ebaaa67f10a8c1e1e\/anthropic-politico-500x500-bla-2x.jpg\" title=\"Advertisement Image\" alt=\"Advertisement Image\"\/><\/a> <\/p>\n<div class=\"intext-ad__copy-styles2\">\n<p>How a small shop finds new ways to create using Claude<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/aside>\n<p><span style=\"color:#b70000;font-weight:bold;font-family:sans-serif;\"><b>FIRST IN PLAYBOOK \u2014<\/b><\/span><b> Ad it up: <\/b>The pro-<b>Susan Collins <\/b>Pine Tree Results PAC is putting seven figures behind its first ad hammering new Democratic Senate nominee <b>Troy Jackson <\/b>in Maine, Adam scoops. The strategy is all about <b>Graham Platner<\/b>, hammering Jackson for supporting the former nominee through previous scandals: \u201canother phony we can\u2019t trust,\u201d the ad warns of Jackson. Expect the messaging linking Jackson to Platner to become a mainstay of the GOP\u2019s attack plans in Maine, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.politico.com\/newsletters\/playbook\/2026\/07\/26\/how-republicans-plan-to-conquer-troy-01012294\" target=\"_blank\">as Playbook scooped yesterday<\/a>. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=srGjI_EqFtI\" target=\"_blank\"><b><i>Watch the ad here<\/i><\/b><\/a><b><i> <\/i><\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color:#b70000;font-weight:bold;font-family:sans-serif;\"><b>\u2014<\/b><\/span><b> Phony is also the general idea <\/b>in Minnesota Lt. Gov. <b>Peggy Flanagan\u2019s <\/b>latest six-figure ad campaign against Rep. <b>Angie Craig <\/b>in the Democratic Senate primary, Playbook\u2019s <b>Eli Okun<\/b> scoops. The spot slams Craig for her votes on cryptocurrency and immigration bills, tying her to Trump and saying \u201cMinnesota deserves a real fighter and a real Democrat.\u201d <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=tkzEMyEIARk\" target=\"_blank\"><b><i>Watch it here<\/i><\/b><\/a><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color:#b70000;font-weight:bold;font-family:sans-serif;\"><b>SURVEY SAYS:<\/b><\/span> The One Big Beautiful Bill Act is the centerpiece of Republicans\u2019 midterm pitch \u2014 but about half the country knows little about it, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.politico.com\/news\/2026\/07\/27\/poll-republicans-tax-megabill-midterms-trump-01010422\" target=\"_blank\">Bernie Becker reports from the latest POLITICO Poll results<\/a>. Worse for the GOP, of those in the know, more Americans say it has hurt them and helped the wealthy than vice versa. Just a quarter of Trump voters think the law provided substantial tax breaks to the working class. And as he hit the campaign trail in Pennsylvania yesterday, House Minority Leader <b>Hakeem Jeffries <\/b>doubled down on affordability as Democrats\u2019 top messaging cudgel, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.politico.com\/news\/2026\/07\/26\/hakeem-jeffries-policies-midterm-elections-01012354\" target=\"_blank\">POLITICO\u2019s Riley Rogerson reports<\/a> from Bethlehem.<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color:#b70000;font-weight:bold;font-family:sans-serif;\"><b>BRAVE NEW WORLD:<\/b><\/span> Reps. <b>Jay Obernolte<\/b> (R-Calif.) and <b>Lori Trahan<\/b> (D-Mass.) are still scrambling to try to get an AI regulatory framework passed through Congress, having now introduced a revamped version of an initial bill that fell flat on the left and right, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.politico.com\/news\/2026\/07\/27\/ai-house-bill-obernolte-trahan-01012080\" target=\"_blank\">POLITICO\u2019s Kelsey Brugger reports<\/a>. The bipartisan pair is optimistic for pre-midterms action, but the legislation faces steep hurdles \u2014 raising the prospect that Congress will fail to put any guardrails around AI.<\/p>\n<aside class=\"story-related cl-l db no-border\">\n<div class=\"intext-ad intext-ad--presented intext-ad--custom \" style=\"background-color:#e3dacc\">\n<p class=\"intext-ad__caption\" style=\"color:#000000\">A message from Anthropic:<\/p>\n<div class=\"intext-ad__copy-styles3\">\n<p>How a small shop finds new ways to create using Claude <\/p>\n<p>New ways to create start with new ways to solve problems. Joe Bacus and Leef Armontrout, founders of BLA Studios in St. Louis, are doing both with Claude\u2014from welding machinery, to a steel-saving program, to community improvements. <a style=\"color:#000000; text-decoration:underline;\" href=\"https:\/\/ad.doubleclick.net\/ddm\/clk\/646845814;452917016;q;gdpr=${GDPR};gdpr_consent=${GDPR_CONSENT_755}\" target=\"_blank\">Learn more.<\/a><\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/aside>\n<p><b>1. WAR REPORT: <\/b>The Iran war <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2026\/07\/26\/world\/middleeast\/us-iran-war-pause.html\" target=\"_blank\">took a turn this weekend<\/a> as two days\u2019 respite from violence followed two weeks of escalation. Will the pause hold? Trump\u2019s decision to hold off on further attacks was recommended by top U.S. military commander Adm. <b>Brad Cooper<\/b>, among others, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.axios.com\/2026\/07\/26\/hormuz-bombing-pause-trump-iran\" target=\"_blank\">per Axios\u2019 Barak Ravid<\/a>. And a senior Iranian official <a href=\"https:\/\/www.reuters.com\/world\/asia-pacific\/iran-will-halt-attacks-long-us-maintains-pause-iranian-source-says-after-trump-2026-07-26\/\" target=\"_blank\">told Reuters\u2019 Parisa Hafezi and colleagues<\/a> they\u2019ll stay quiet as long as the U.S. does. Regional mediators trying to get the U.S. and Iran back to a ceasefire <a href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/iran-war-trump-diplomacy-netanyahu-d491158a4c9a1d3429a87a6ed58f2f72\" target=\"_blank\">told AP\u2019s Ben Finley and colleagues<\/a> they hope to use this moment to make progress on talks. But Trump personally seems more inclined toward saber-rattling: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.notus.org\/trump-white-house\/trump-iran-threats-ai-images-strikes\" target=\"_blank\">He spent part of the day<\/a> posting AI-generated war images on Truth Social.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><b>The fallout: <\/b>Oil prices <a href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/oil-prices-crude-iran-shipping-2fdef9c0b59d90367206d103f0939d30\">ebbed a bit<\/a> thanks to the war\u2019s standstill. And back home, the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cbsnews.com\/news\/iran-conflict-trump-opinion-poll\/\">latest CBS poll<\/a> finds Americans largely feeling uncertain and frustrated about the war.<\/li>\n<li><bsp-playbook-rubric><b>Now read this:<\/b><\/bsp-playbook-rubric> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.politico.com\/news\/magazine\/2026\/07\/27\/at-the-whcd-trump-showed-that-winging-it-has-its-limits-01012490\"><b>\u201cAs Bombs Fall in Iran, Trump Bombs in Washington,\u201d<\/b><\/a> by POLITICO\u2019s John Harris: \u201cIn its own way, [Trump\u2019s White House Correspondents\u2019 Dinner] performance and tepid response in the room of journalists and Washington personages may have underlined how Trump and Trumpism are entering the twilight hours.\u201d<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><b>2. THE NEXT DEPORTATION DRIVE: <\/b>Now that the Supreme Court has greenlit DHS\u2019 move to end Temporary Protected Status for hundreds of thousands of Haitians, ICE is planning for a new \u201carrest and deportation blitz\u201d as the high court\u2019s legal mandate comes down today, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cbsnews.com\/news\/ice-haitian-migrants-arrest-deport-temporary-protected-status\/\" target=\"_blank\">CBS\u2019 Camilo Montoya-Galvez scooped<\/a>. ICE wants to go after Haitians in Ohio and elsewhere, as soon as this week, and send them back to a country wracked with strife. The prospect has sent fear rippling through Haitian communities \u2014 and could yield labor shortages as TPS expires for people from other countries too, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2026\/07\/26\/us\/trump-tps-labor-shortage.html\" target=\"_blank\">NYT\u2019s Miriam Jordan and Madeleine Ngo report<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p><b>3. STATE OF THE MIDTERMS: <\/b>It\u2019s 99 days to go until Nov. 3. Despite Republican gerrymanders, this year\u2019s House map is actually roughly as favorable to the GOP as 2018\u2019s \u2014 or perhaps even a little less, Sabato\u2019s Crystal Ball\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/centerforpolitics.org\/crystalball\/the-2026-house-map-versus-2018\/\" target=\"_blank\">Kyle Kondik writes in a new analysis out this morning<\/a>. The number of plausible Democratic targets is roughly comparable to that previous midterm wave year. Meanwhile, Republicans are worried about a significant portion of their base turning unenthused about the midterms, particularly due to economic concerns, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonpost.com\/politics\/2026\/07\/26\/republican-enthusiasm-problem-hits-even-core-voters\/\" target=\"_blank\">WaPo\u2019s Liz Goodwin and Ben Binday report<\/a>. But the NRSC\u2019s messaging is <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/NRSC\/status\/2081376475123499054\" target=\"_blank\">seeking no daylight from Trump<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p><b>4. HOW IT HAPPENED:<\/b> The episode that separated <b>Pete Buttigieg <\/b>from his twin children in Michigan last month \u201crelied on a vague and unsubstantiated allegation from an accuser authorities later deemed possibly \u2018mentally unstable,\u2019 according to previously unreported police records,\u201d <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonpost.com\/politics\/2026\/07\/27\/source-bogus-buttigieg-allegation-appeared-mentally-unstable-records-show\/\" target=\"_blank\">WaPo\u2019s Olivia George and colleagues report<\/a>. \u201cChild welfare experts who reviewed the documents at The Post\u2019s request said they illuminate a flawed process that was made worse by poor judgment by agencies and a lack of communication among investigators from two states.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><b>5. THE MAN BEHIND THE CURTAIN: <\/b><a href=\"https:\/\/www.bloomberg.com\/news\/features\/2026-07-26\/at-trump-s-hhs-mehmet-oz-seen-as-heir-apparent-to-rfk-jr-as-health-secretary\" target=\"_blank\"><b>\u201cFrom TV Doctor to Power Broker: Dr. Oz Thrives on Trump\u2019s Team,\u201d<\/b><\/a> by Bloomberg\u2019s Rachel Cohrs Zhang: <b>Mehmet Oz<\/b> \u201chas cultivated not only a close relationship with President Donald Trump, but a reputation as a surprisingly serious operator \u2026 As a result, there\u2019s a growing perception that the 66-year-old administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services has become the heir apparent to lead the health department if [<b>Robert F. Kennedy Jr.<\/b>] departs.\u201d<\/p>\n<aside class=\"story-related cl-l db \">\n<div class=\"intext-ad intext-ad--presented  \" style=\"background-color:#FFFFFF\">\n<p class=\"intext-ad__caption\" style=\"color:#000000\">Sponsored Survey<\/p>\n<div class=\"intext-ad__copy-styles4\">\n<p>WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU: Please take a <a style=\"color:#007BC7; text-decoration:underline;\" href=\"https:\/\/politico.az1.qualtrics.com\/jfe\/form\/SV_6Md6UzD8k0b4Ceq?group=exposed&amp;adtype=newsletter&amp;newsletter=Playbook_AM\" target=\"_blank\">1-minute survey<\/a> about one of our advertising partners.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/aside>\n<p><b>TOP TALKER \u2014 <\/b>The latest dive into the DNC\u2019s financial and organizational woes <a href=\"https:\/\/www.notus.org\/democrats\/dnc-headquarters-collateral-loan-ken-martin-phone\" target=\"_blank\">comes from NOTUS\u2019 Elena Schneider and Jasmine Wright<\/a>, who revealed that the Democrats put up their headquarters as collateral to get a line of credit for election investments. But the DNC said it has also done so to get loans in multiple previous years.<\/p>\n<p><b>SPORTS BLINK \u2014 <\/b>The Freedom 250 Grand Prix will come to Washington next month \u2014 an IndyCar race that required navigating tricky political, bureaucratic and security tangles for <b>Bud Denker <\/b>to pull off, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/2026\/07\/26\/politics\/indycar-washington-street-race-trump-vis\" target=\"_blank\">CNN\u2019s Isabelle Khurshudyan and Aleena Fayaz detail<\/a>. Cars will end up going 175 mph on Pennsylvania Avenue, and a two-month construction build-up and take-down is beginning imminently in the heart of downtown D.C. \u201cI want the entire city, I want all of Congress to be part of this event,\u201d Denker says.<\/p>\n<p><b>TRANSITIONS \u2014 Misha Linnehan<\/b> is now the Maine Democratic Party\u2019s senior comms adviser for the Senate race. He most recently worked for Sen. Maggie Hassan (D-N.H.), and is a Bob Casey and Janet Mills alum. \u2026 <b>Jamaal Mobley<\/b> is now senior director for public affairs for America\u2019s Credit Unions. He previously worked at H\/Advisors Abernathy, and is a T. Rowe Price and Charles Schwab alum.<\/p>\n<p><b>ENGAGED \u2014 Daniella Diaz,<\/b> politics reporter at NOTUS and a POLITICO alum, and <b>Alexander Andresian,<\/b> trial attorney at the Justice Department Antitrust Division, got engaged Friday. He proposed on their balcony before dinner at her favorite restaurant, Izakaya Seki, and then surprised her with a party at Franklin Hall with all their friends. The two met on Hinge two years ago, bonding over their shared love of Bad Bunny, after she almost (unintentionally) ghosted him when they first started talking. <a href=\"https:\/\/static.politico.com\/3c\/f4\/155554414eb49bcf54001669e558\/engaged.jpg\" target=\"_blank\"><b><i>Pic<\/i><\/b><\/a><\/p>\n<p><b>HAPPY BIRTHDAY: <\/b>Rep. <b>Glenn \u201cG.T.\u201d Thompson<\/b> (R-Pa.) \u2026 <b>Johanna Persing<\/b> \u2026 Live Action\u2019s <b>Lila Rose<\/b> \u2026 <b>Sean Savett<\/b> \u2026 <b>Priscilla Painton <\/b>of Simon &amp; Schuster \u2026 <b>Katie Wheelbarger<\/b> \u2026 <b>Alex Wirth<\/b> of Quorum \u2026 <b>Andy Spahn<\/b> \u2026 <b>Paul McLeod<\/b> \u2026 <b>Cecilia Mu\u00f1oz <\/b>\u2026 retired Adm. <b>Craig Faller <\/b>\u2026 <b>Jeremy Adler <\/b>\u2026 Prime Policy Group\u2019s <b>Stefan Bailey <\/b>\u2026 <b>John Connell<\/b> of Google \u2026 <b>Linda Feldmann<\/b> \u2026 <b>Gaurav Parikh<\/b> \u2026 <b>Bobby Cunningham <\/b>of the Vogel Group \u2026 <b>Bobby Saparow<\/b> \u2026 <b>Jeremy Deutsch <\/b>of Capitol Venture \u2026 <b>Anna McCormack <\/b>of Rep. David Rouzer\u2019s (R-N.C.) office \u2026 <b>Juan Mejia<\/b> \u2026 former Reps. <b>Dave Brat<\/b> (R-Va.) and <b>Lacy Clay<\/b> (D-Mo.) \u2026 <b>Ashley Gonzalez <\/b>\u2026 former Commerce Secretary <b>Don Evans<\/b> \u2026 CNN\u2019s <b>Susan Durrwachter <\/b>\u2026 former CIA Director <b>John Deutch <\/b>\u2026 <b>Seth Waugh <\/b>\u2026<b> Kate Thompson <\/b>of the National Cattlemen\u2019s Beef Association \u2026 Air Force\u2019s <b>Charlie McKell<\/b> \u2026 <b>Susan Phalen<\/b> \u2026 <b>Nicholas Anast\u00e1cio<\/b> of National Journal \u2026 <b>Andrew Grossman <\/b>\u2026 POLITICO\u2019s <b>Brian Tran-Dac<\/b> \u2026 <b>Denis Horgan<\/b><\/p>\n<p><i>Send Playbookers tips to <\/i><a href=\"http:\/\/www.politico.com\/cdn-cgi\/l\/email-protection#7b0b171a02191414103b0b1417120f12181455181416\" target=\"_blank\"><i><span class=\"__cf_email__\" data-cfemail=\"95e5f9f4ecf7fafafed5e5faf9fce1fcf6fabbf6faf8\">[email\u00a0protected]<\/span><\/i><\/a><i> or <\/i><a href=\"https:\/\/signal.me\/#eu\/Y_J-vxijzCPSLbXEtVrVH0ZLVZVBqr8iBbfikL2lBrl5QgVVODxM47rLk6iFu6EM\" target=\"_blank\"><i>text us on Signal here<\/i><\/a><i>. Playbook couldn\u2019t happen without our editor <\/i><b><i>Giuseppe Macri<\/i><\/b><i> and deputy editor <\/i><b><i>Garrett Ross<\/i><\/b><i>.<\/i><\/p>\n<ul class=\"twitter-authors\">\n<div class=\"twitter-authors__content\">\n            <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/static.politico.com\/hosted\/icon_x_gray.png\" class=\"twitter-authors__icon\"\/><\/p><\/div>\n<\/ul><\/div>\n<script async=\"async\" data-cfasync=\"false\" src=\"https:\/\/pl30214220.effectivecpmnetwork.com\/9ab3d4df8a7e1a6171e16ddbf732cc19\/invoke.js\"><\/script>\r\n<div id=\"container-9ab3d4df8a7e1a6171e16ddbf732cc19\"><\/div>\r\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>With help from Eli Okun, Ali Bianco and Irie Sentner Good Monday morning. After spending some days in Maine, the political press corps will travel to Michigan down the homestretch before the big Aug. 4 primary. Try a Vernors, and get in touch. In today\u2019s Playbook \u2026 \u2014 Abdul El-Sayed is taking no prisoners in&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":19997,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/static.politico.com\/c4\/89\/656a7f5c4e47ab48ed00e3e86333\/election-2-26-young-voters-4121.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[17],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-19996","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-political-news"],"brizy_media":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/19996","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=19996"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/19996\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/19997"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=19996"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=19996"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=19996"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}