POLITICO Playbook Daily Briefing

President Donald Trump promised a deal to end Russia’s war in Ukraine in one day. Nearly 100 days into his presidency, it remains elusive — and Trump is now ramping up the pressure on Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to accept a deal that many observers see as overly favorable to Russia. What is Ukraine to do? What’s at stake for Europe? And how does it all play out from here? Ahead of a series of key meetings between Trump, his emissaries and European leaders, Playbook managing editor and author Jack Blanchard and POLITICO White House bureau chief Dasha Burns discuss what to expect.

The White House is attempting to stabilize the economy amid market fluctuations and the complexities of trade negotiations with more than 30 countries. But how long can Trump world say they're making progress with little to show for it? White House bureau chief Dasha Burns joins Playbook managing editor and author Jack Blanchard to discuss. Plus, the latest on the drama at the Pentagon.

This morning, we’ll get a better look at the state of the world economy through the International Monetary Fund’s World Economic Forecast. All signs point to a relatively grim prediction, due in no insignificant part to the tariffs President Donald Trump has leveled against nations around the world. White House bureau chief Dasha Burns joins Playbook managing editor and author Jack Blanchard to discuss. Plus, the latest on Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s future.

Just how much trouble is Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth in? That question is set to dominate Washington today. Last night, former top Pentagon spokesman John Ullyot published an op-ed in POLITICO Magazine detailing chaotic conditions at the Pentagon and predicting President Donald Trump will oust Hegseth. Plus, the New York Times reports on a second Signal group chat in which Hegseth shared details about the attack plan for Yemen — and this one included Hegseth’s wife and brother. So — how’s this story going to develop today? Playbook managing editor and author Jack Blanchard and White House bureau chief Dasha Burns break it down.

While new developments in the saga of Kilmar Abrego Garcia — the man wrongly deported from Maryland to a notorious mega-prison in El Salvador — are certain to drive the day, there’s a bigger meta-story going on. It’s about Trump’s war on institutions — from the court system (as in the Abrego Garcia case) to higher education to law firms to the independent media. With Washington’s attention turning to next week’s White House Correspondents’ Dinner, we’re joined by POLITICO Magazine’s resident Trumpologist, Michael Kruse, to talk through Trump’s relationship with the press — arguably the longest-lasting and most important relationship of his decades in public life — and why it has soured so dramatically. All that, and the rest of the news you need to know today.

Everyone is dispensable in Trump world, but don’t expect the president to get rid of his commerce secretary even when the going gets tough. Trump and Lutnick’s storied friendship goes far beyond business. Even with the tariff rollout proving chaotic, the chances Trump ousts his closest friend from his cabinet are slim. Capitol bureau chief and senior Washington columnist Rachael Bade joins Playbook managing editor Jack Blanchard to dig in.

A court hearing in Maryland yesterday kicked off a two-week legal sprint that could shake America’s system of checks and balances. On its surface, the wrongful deportation of Kilmar Abrego Garcia is a story about immigration policy and government power. But dig deeper, and the stakes for the rule of law are profound. Senior legal affairs reporter Josh Gerstein joins Playbook managing editor and author Jack Blanchard to discuss the implications of the hearing and what to expect next.

On its face, the Oval Office meeting yesterday between President Donald Trump and President Nayib Bukele of El Salvador centered around the illegal deportation of Kilmar Abrego Garcia — the Maryland resident who is still locked away in a Salvadoran mega-prison despite the Supreme Court’s ruling that the administration “facilitate” his release. But below that surface-level issue is a standoff over the rule of law: whether the administration still feels bound to operate in good faith and comply with court rulings that go against its political agenda. Senior legal affairs reporter Kyle Cheney joins host Steven Overly to unpack the details of the situation and what he expects to see when the case returns to a lower court today. Plus, Harvard is the latest Ivy League school on targeted for defunding by the administration.

In the two-plus months since Robert F. Kennedy Jr. took the helm at the Department of Health and Human Services, the agency has been shaken to its core — data collection has been halted, research has been cut, and more than 10,000 employees have been laid off. POLITICO White House reporter Adam Cancryn joins host Steven Overly to unpack what is happening and why it matters. Plus, Meta’s antitrust trial begins today, and President Donald Trump will meet with the president of El Salvador to discuss immigration.

With Trump’s chaotic tariff moves shocking markets and spurring vast uncertainty about the economic outlook, Democrats see a political opening. Could the issue — so central to Trump’s political fortunes in 2024 — suddenly become his kryptonite? And what precisely are Democrats doing to make that happen? POLITICO national politics correspondent Brakkton Booker joins Playbook deputy editor Zack Stanton to talk it through. Plus, SCOTUS says the Trump administration must “facilitate” the return of a man erroneously deported to a mega-prison in El Salvador.

The U.S. is engaged in a trade war — just not the one many people expected. Yesterday afternoon, President Donald Trump backpedaled on most of the steep tariffs that took effect only hours earlier, pausing them for 90 days to allow time to negotiate potential deals with other nations. One big exception? China, which he announced will now be subject to a 125%. tariff. How did we get here, and what comes next? White House bureau chief Dasha Burns joins Playbook author and managing editor Jack Blanchard to unpack what happened and why. Plus, Speaker Mike Johnson delays the budget vote in the House.

At 12:01 this morning, President Donald Trump’s massive tariffs against China, Vietnam, Japan, and other countries took effect. The new policies are sure to impact not only the country’s economy, but also the dynamics among Republicans on Capitol Hill. White House Bureau Chief Dasha Burns joins Playbook author and managing editor Jack Blanchard to unpack what’s at stake and where things go from here.

United States Trade Representative Jamieson Greer will be in the hot seat today as he testifies in front of the Senate Finance Committee, where he's expected to defend President Donald Trump's global tariff hike. Trump has sent mixed messages about whether his new tariffs are permanent or up for negotiation, although there are some signs that Trump is entertaining offers. Meanwhile, tensions with China are flaring. Trump told Beijing to withdraw its reciprocal tariffs by today, or else he’ll hike tariffs on China by another 50 percent. POLITICO trade reporter Daniel Desrochers breaks it all down with host Steven Overly. Plus, the House is slow-marching toward its vote on a budget blueprint, which could happen as soon as tomorrow.

The stock market is already showing the impact of President Donald Trump’s tariffs — and there’s no sign the pain will stop any time soon. Wall Street banks are ratcheting up their predictions of a recession this year, global markets continue to nosedive and meanwhile, Trump administration officials fan out across media with mixed messages about what it all means. POLITICO White House reporter Megan Messerly joins host Steven Overly to unpack it all and where things go from here.

The major story today is still the economic after-effects of Trump’s globe-reshaping cascade of new tariffs. Yesterday, they sent markets tumbling head over heels with major losses — the biggest one-day wipeout in value since the early days of the Covid-19 pandemic. POLITICO economics correspondent and Capital Letter columnist Victoria Guida joins Playbook Deputy Editor Zack Stanton to break it down. Plus, Playbook London reports that President Donald Trump could hold another phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin as soon as today, and here in Washington, Capitol Hill is intently focused on the Senate’s vote-a-rama session that’s expected this weekend ahead of final adoption of the Senate GOP’s budget resolution.

Buckle up. In a major announcement after markets closed yesterday afternoon, President Donald Trump unleashed a major wave of tariffs against America’s trading partners throughout the world. Today, as allies respond in kind with tariffs targeting the U.S., all eyes will be on the markets as investors react to the new economic reality. Even so, a whirlwind of news occupies Washington, from Elon Musk’s potential future (or not) in the Trump administration, to new revelations about national security adviser Mike Waltz’s use of Gmail and Signal for government work. POLITICO’s White House bureau chief Dasha Burns joins Playbook author and managing editor Jack Blanchard to break it all down.

This morning, many Democrats are waking up feeling something they haven’t experienced since Donald Trump’s election in November: optimism. Yesterday, Democratic-backed Judge Susan Crawford won election to the Wisconsin Supreme Court, ensuring a liberal majority that some Dems hope could throw out district maps that favor the GOP. Meanwhile in Florida, Republicans won two special elections for the House, but with margins that hint at the makings of a national Democratic wave heading into the 2026 cycle. Playbook deputy editor Zack Stanton joins Playbook author and managing editor Jack Blanchard to unpack what this all means for Trump, Elon Musk, and the rest of Washington. Plus, it’s “Liberation Day” at the White House, where a slate of major new tariffs are set to be unveiled this afternoon.

The first major electoral tests of the Trump era are here: In two special elections in Florida and a statewide race in Wisconsin, voters will head to the polls and offer the first meaningful glimpse of the prevailing winds heading into the 2026 cycle. In normal times, Republicans would handily win both seats up for grabs in Florida, but as politics bureau chief and senior political columnist Jonathan Martin tells host Steven Overly, the Democrats shouldn’t be counted out just yet. We walk through what to watch for and how it’s likely to shape the narrative in Washington in the days ahead.

After several days dominated by a single story — Signalgate — the new week brings a series of major stories that will drive the narrative here in Washington. One of those comes from Wisconsin, where a high-profile battle for control of the state supreme court has become the unlikely center of the political universe. With north of $100 million spent, tomorrow’s election presents the first and most meaningful electoral test of the new Trump era — even as the race itself has turned into something of a referendum on conservative billionaire donor Elon Musk. POLITICO Morning Score author Andrew Howard joins Playbook deputy editor Zack Stanton to unpack the ins and outs of the race, its implications and what Democrats hope it tells them. Plus, voters head to the polls in two key Florida special elections, a battery of trade moves hit the economy and Trump’s weekend interviews make headlines and spin heads.

It’s a fitting end to a week of news dominated by foreign policy hands in Trump world: Yesterday, the White House announced that it is withdrawing Rep. Elise Stefanik’s nomination for UN ambassador. The New York Republican will instead remain in the House as Republicans work to maintain their narrow majority in the chamber. What does that tell us about the outlook for Trump’s agenda? And how does Stefanik return to life on Capitol Hill? Senior Congress editor Mike Debonis joins Playbook deputy editor Zack Stanton to break it all down. Plus, Vice President JD Vance heads to Greenland, and Signalgate fallout continues for a fifth day.