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DRIVING THE DAY
When Kabul fell to the Taliban several days ago, rocking President JOE BIDEN’s pullout operation, the White House made a strategic choice: They doubled down, didn’t apologize and crossed their fingers that the nation would move on quickly.
Now, 13 U.S. service members are dead following a pair of suicide bombs — the first U.S. troops to be killed in Afghanistan in 18 months — as are 95 Afghans. The attack, carried out by ISIS-K, is the deadliest assault on American forces in the country in a decade. And it’s precisely the situation Biden hoped to avoid by leaving Afghanistan: the death of U.S. troops.
As WaPo’s Sean Sullivan and Anne Gearan report in their story about the situation, “Biden keeps a tally of U.S. service members who have died in Iraq and Afghanistan on a card in his breast pocket, and now, for the first time, that tally will include some who lost their lives on his watch.”
The tragedy fundamentally changes this situation for Biden, escalating a predicament he’d hoped would stabilize and, over time, be reduced to a mere blip in the radar of his presidency. But there’s no minimizing what happened Thursday, or that the tragic day will be a part of his legacy. It also has the makings of a billowing crisis that threatens Biden on several fronts.
— Congressional Republicans are up in arms, arguing that none of this had to happen. Some called on Biden to resign as president in the wake of the attack — and not just conservative darlings like Sens. JOSH HAWLEY (R-Mo.) and MARSHA BLACKBURN (R-Tenn.), but also Rep. TOM RICE (R-S.C.), one of only 10 House Republicans who voted to impeach DONALD TRUMP. Sen. RICK SCOTT (R-Fla.) has floated invoking the 25th Amendment, which won’t happen. There’s already talk about impeaching Biden over the ordeal if, as many expect, the GOP flips the House.
It all signals Republicans’ eagerness to capitalize on this crisis and potentially hammer it into a Benghazi-style scandal. On a House GOP conference call Thursday night, the ranking members of several committees — who could wield gavels and subpoena power in 2023 — said they’ve already sent document preservation requests to the administration.
— Some Democrats on the Hill are now seeking to distance themselves from Biden, who was long seen as the key to their ability to win in competitive swing seats. Rep. SUSAN WILD, a front-line Democrat from Pennsylvania, didn’t mince words when she tweeted that “although it is clear to me that we could not continue to put American servicemembers in danger for an unwinnable war, I also believe that the evacuation process appears to have been egregiously mishandled … We need answers and accountability regarding the cascading failures that led us to this moment.” The calls for oversight and investigations will only grow louder.
— There’s growing outrage over U.S. coordination with the Taliban to secure the airport and help with evacuations.
Our colleagues Lara Seligman, Alexander Ward and Andrew Desiderio delivered an incredible scoop Thursday: “U.S. officials in Kabul gave the Taliban a list of names of American citizens, green card holders and Afghan allies to grant entry into the militant-controlled outer perimeter of the city’s airport, a choice that’s prompted outrage behind the scenes from lawmakers and military officials.”
This, too, is prompting new criticism of the Biden administration’s handling of the pullout. Senate Foreign Relations Chair BOB MENENDEZ (D-N.J.) issued an indignant statement about U.S. reliance on the Taliban: “We can’t trust the Taliban with Americans’ security,” he said. Sen. BEN SASSE (R-Neb.) is now referring to the list of names given to the Taliban as a “kill list,” and demanding to know whose idea it was.
As WaPo’s Matt Viser tweeted Thursday, in early July, Biden was asked whether he trusted the Taliban. His answer? “Is that a serious question? … No, I do not.” But the situation has deteriorated so much that this is where we are.
Asked about the report Thursday, Biden said that the U.S. and Taliban share a “mutual self-interest” in, essentially, getting American troops out, and noted that there is no evidence that the Taliban assisted in the ISIS attack. It’s an honest answer, but not necessarily a politically satisfying one.
In his speech, Biden hailed those we lost. (“The lives we lost today were lives given in the service of liberty, the service of security, the service of others.”) He promised retaliation. (“We will hunt you down and make you pay.”) And he accepted fault. (“I bear responsibility for, fundamentally, all that’s happened of late.”)
But he also reiterated that he’s going to stay the course and stick to the Tuesday deadline to withdraw from Afghanistan, and he lowered expectations about whether the U.S. will evacuate every Afghan who wants to leave. (“I know of no conflict — as a student of history — no conflict when a war was ending [where] one side was able to guarantee that everyone who wanted to be extracted from that country was able to get out,” Biden said.)
There was, in the press conference that followed, no spinning the gravity of what happened. “Any day when you lose service members is, maybe, the worst day of your presidency,” said press secretary JEN PSAKI.
— Latest headlines: “Evacuations resume after Kabul bombings as toll now over 100,” AP … “U.S. on alert for more ISIS attacks,” Reuters … “Biden Faces a Tragedy He Worked to Avoid,” NYT … “An army of veterans and volunteers organizes online to evacuate Afghans, from thousands of miles away,” WaPo … “Inside the Hidden War Between the Taliban and ISIS,” WSJ
Guten Morgen, happy Friday. Thanks for reading Playbook. Drop us a line: Rachael Bade, Eugene Daniels, Ryan Lizza, Tara Palmeri.
CUOMO PLOTS HIS REVENGE — As governor of New York, ANDREW CUOMO was notorious among the Albany press corps for using the media as a tool to inspire fear and sow mayhem. He’d speak to reporters on background as a “senior administration official,” and use that anonymity to defend himself. He’d plant unsavory stories about political opponents. He’d get his aides to carry out his dirty work.
It’s an approach Cuomo plans to continue in life after office.
Playbook has learned that RICH AZZOPARDI — Cuomo’s longtime spokesperson and senior adviser — is the former governor’s first big hire using the $18 million in leftover campaign cash the governor had amassed for his now-defunct reelection campaign — and which he now plans to use to mount a campaign of retribution against his perceived political enemies, including now-Gov. KATHY HOCHUL.
According to a dozen reporters and political aides, during Cuomo’s final two weeks in office, Azzopardi mounted an aggressive last-ditch attempt to salvage the governor’s political career, including:
— Posing as an ally of Hochul’s and suggesting that he was recruiting candidates for her transition — a move that some observers saw as an attempt to test Cuomo aides for loyalty. Senior members of Hochul’s staff say they were unaware of Azzopardi’s outreach and, in the words of one senior aide, view it as “nonsensical.”
— Cold-calling reporters to plant stories about Cuomo’s perceived enemies.
— DMing journalists on Twitter and encouraging them to tweet out messages questioning the veracity of New York A.G. TISH JAMES’ report into the accusations of sexual harassment against Cuomo.
— Serving up background quotes questioning the competence of then-Lt. Gov. Hochul.
“The fever [with] which they are doing this — to relitigate the past and undermine Hochul — is incredible,” said one reporter. “They don’t seem to see that they are out of power and no one cares.”
Azzopardi denies that he has planted stories against Hochul. “I’ve been very clear about my thoughts, I wrote an op-ed, but I’ve never said anything about the governor or the new administration,” Azzopardi said.
But revenge is Cuomo’s hallmark. Political aides and operatives who have worked for Cuomo say they expect him to use his $18 million war chest first to pay his legal bills and then to take out his “enemies” — a broad term that many assume includes prominent Democrats who called on him to resign.
“What is a man to do with $18 million, a lot of enemies and a desire for revenge?” said HANK SHEINKOPF, a political consultant who has worked both for and against Cuomo. “This is not a guy who forgets. The only question is when he tries to get even, and whether it’s upfront or behind the scenes.”
There are very few restrictions on how Cuomo can spend his millions. He can hire spin doctors, pay legal expenses, create a nonprofit, conduct polling, launch attack ads and support those candidates running against his enemies.
“That money is politically radioactive,” said PHIL SINGER, a Democratic strategist who worked on Cuomo’s 2010 and 2014 gubernatorial campaigns. “Any politician who wants to benefit from it would have to be publicly reluctant to do so — even if they are privately excited about the cash infusion that it would provide.”
More than attack ads in their districts, Cuomo’s critics fear that he will use the money to run for statewide office again. “His last two weeks in office [were] about trying to see if he could survive politically,” said New York state Sen. GUSTAVO RIVERA. “What I am worried about is him making a comeback — period.”
Cuomo’s aides are mum about what’s in store. Azzopardi deflected when asked if revenge were on the table: “I have no earthly idea how to answer that question, come on.” But will Cuomo use the $18 million to dabble in state politics again? “I don’t have anything to say to you,” Azzopardi said — for now.
HOW HARRIS IS EMBRACING — AND CHANGING — THE SYSTEM: VP KAMALA HARRIS entered law school as the daughter of activists and came out as a prosecutor — an evolution that shaped the politician she is today. Now, as the VP grapples with some of the thorniest issues in politics and builds relationships with a wide array of Democratic allies — which she could leverage in both the administration and a future presidential campaign — even some of her closest allies admit she needs help fending off incoming fire. Eugene and POLITICO Magazine’s Jesús A. Rodríguez dig into the veep’s law school past, her performance eight months in and how wearing the mantle of “first” comes layered with racism and misogyny. Listen and subscribe to Playbook Deep Dive
BIDEN’S FRIDAY:
— 8 a.m.: The president will receive the President’s Daily Brief.
— 8:30 a.m.: Biden will meet with his national security team on Afghanistan.
— 10:30 a.m.: Biden will hold a bilateral meeting with Israeli PM NAFTALI BENNETT in the Oval Office, followed by an expanded bilateral meeting at 10:55 a.m.
— 4 p.m.: Biden will receive the weekly economic briefing.
The White House Covid-19 response team and public health officials will brief at 11 a.m. Psaki will brief at 1 p.m.
THE HOUSE and THE SENATE are out.
PLAYBOOK READS
THE WHITE HOUSE
EVICTION MORATORIUM GETS EVICTED — “Supreme Court throws out Biden administration eviction moratorium,” CNN: “The Supreme Court on Thursday blocked the Biden administration's Covid-related eviction moratorium. ‘If a federally imposed eviction moratorium is to continue, Congress must specifically authorize it,’ the court wrote in an unsigned, eight-page opinion.The three liberal justices dissented.”
MEDIAWATCH
HABERS GONNA HABE — “Maggie Haberman and the never-ending Trump story,” by WaPo’s Sarah Ellison: “After overcoming her skepticism about Trump as a candidate, [MAGGIE] HABERMAN, 47, quickly became the highest-profile reporter covering his campaign, and eventually his presidency. She was the most-cited journalist in the Mueller report, and yet she continues to be attacked from certain corners of the left as a supposed water carrier for the 45th president. Like nearly everything Trump touched, she also became part of the culture war — a symbol, bigger than the sum of her stories.
“Trump’s presidency ended, but the story hasn’t ended yet for Haberman. Now on leave from the Times to write a book about ‘where Trump came from and what he created in the White House,’ she frequently emerges to drop a new Trump scoop on the public, often about some drama within the sulking exiled ruler’s camp. Ten years after her first aborted attempt to make sense of a reality star’s political aspirations, Haberman is stuck on the Trump beat. And so, in a way, are we all.”
POLITICS ROUNDUP
FIRST IN PLAYBOOK — MIKE PENCE’s 501(c)(4) Advancing American Freedom has snatched up JOHN FOGARTY as its new director of development and strategy. Previously, Fogarty served as SVP of development at the Heritage Foundation, where he raised around $1 billion and grew the group’s donor base to more than 700,000 individuals, and as VP of partner strategies at Stand Together, the Koch Network’s umbrella organization.
TOTAL RECALL — Our own Jeremy White and Victoria Colliver ask a question that was, until recently, considered unthinkable: “What would happen if a conservative Republican became governor of deep blue California?”
“For the Republicans vying to replace Gov. GAVIN NEWSOM, winning September’s recall race could prove easier than governing a state that’s become the cornerstone of America’s liberal agenda. Any Republican who succeeds Newsom would be parachuting into hostile political territory. Democrats command two-thirds majorities in the state Legislature that allow them to override vetoes without a single Republican vote. The state’s biggest cities are run by Democrats. And all would be aiming to drive the new governor out of office in next year’s general election.
“But a Republican executive could fight back through unilateral action, uprooting the state’s vast government bureaucracy, freezing spending and issuing sweeping edicts with a swipe of the pen. Expect a year of political bedlam.”
TIME’S UP AT TIME’S UP — “Time’s Up C.E.O. Resigns Amid Crisis Over Cuomo Ties,” by NYT’s Jodi Kantor, Arya Sundaram and Melena Ryzik: “TINA TCHEN, who had led the group since 2019, said in a statement that her ‘position at the helm of Time’s Up has become a painful and divisive focal point.’ Explaining her decision to step aside, she said, ‘Those very women and other activists who should be working together to fight for change are instead battling each other in harmful ways.’ …
“The departure of Ms. Tchen — who served as MICHELLE OBAMA’s chief of staff in the White House — raises as many questions for Time’s Up as it resolves. She was a proponent of the organization’s initial, bold mission: for female power players to use their connections for good. … Some staff members and outside critics think that Time’s Up requires a systemic change beyond the recent resignations, according to interviews.”
CONGRESS
FIRST IN PLAYBOOK — ACLU, HOMECARE ADVOCATES TARGET SINEMA. Be a Hero co-founder ADY BARKAN is teaming up with the ACLU for a six-figure TV ad buy in Arizona, upping the pressure on Sen. KYRSTEN SINEMA (D-Ariz.) to support homecare funding.
The ads — which you can watch here, here and here — come as the party gears up for an intense internal battle over what will remain in the massive reconciliation package currently being drafted. Democrats originally proposed $400 billion for the matter, but with moderates like Sinema vowing that they won’t swallow a $3.5 trillion price tag for the reconciliation package, some priorities are going to get cut. The question is: Which ones?
A source tells us these ads are just the first in a series they plan to run in not only Arizona but West Virginia (paging Sen. JOE MANCHIN) and New Jersey (paging Rep. JOSH GOTTHEIMER).
JAN. 6 AND ITS AFTERMATH
BYRD SPEAKS — “Officer who shot Ashli Babbitt during Capitol riot breaks silence: ‘I saved countless lives,’” by NBC’s Rich Schapiro, Anna Schecter and Chelsea Damberg: “For [MICHAEL] BYRD, who is Black, the incident turned his life upside down. He has been in hiding for months after he received a flood of death threats and racist attacks that started when his name leaked onto right-wing websites. But in his interview with [NBC’s LESTER] HOLT, Byrd said he has no doubt that he made the right decision in light of the circumstances.
“‘I know that day I saved countless lives,’ Byrd said. ‘I know members of Congress, as well as my fellow officers and staff, were in jeopardy and in serious danger. And that’s my job.’ Byrd said he had no idea whether the person he shot was carrying a weapon. It was only later that night that he found out that the rioter was a woman who was unarmed.”
POLICY CORNER
BUZZ ON POWELL — Bloomberg’s Saleha Mohsin tweeted Thursday that “Biden advisers are considering recommending [Fed Chair JEROME] POWELL for a second term as Fed chair paired w/ LAEL BRAINARD as vice chair for supervision … The plan that could assuage progressives resistant to a second term for Trump’s Fed chief.”
PRO ENERGY SCOOP — “Durbin pushes ally for appointment over EPA chief’s pick, sources say,” by Alex Guillén and Shia Kapos
TV TONIGHT — PBS’ “Washington Week”: Yasmeen Abutaleb, Jane Ferguson, Sahil Kapur and Nancy Youssef.
SUNDAY SO FAR …
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“Fox News Sunday”: Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell. Panel: Karl Rove, Annie Linskey and Juan Williams.
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“The Sunday Show”: Craig Whitlock … Rep. Colin Allred (D-Texas) … House Majority Whip Jim Clyburn (D-S.C.) … Al Sharpton … Rep. Joe Neguse (D-Colo.).
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“This Week”: Sen. Ben Sasse (R-Neb.). Panel: Jonathan Karl, Gayle Tzemach and Vivian Salama.
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“Face the Nation”: Scott Gottlieb … Rep. Brian Mast (R-Fla.) … Rep. Jimmy Panetta (D-Calif.).
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“Full Court Press”: Rep. Scott Perry (R-Pa.) … Rep. Susan Wild (D-Pa.).
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“Meet the Press”: Panel: Matthew Continetti, Courtney Kube, Amna Nawaz and Eugene Robinson.
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“Inside Politics”: Panel: Catherine Lucey, Jonathan Martin, Phil Mattingly, Rachael Bade and Jonathan Reiner.
PLAYBOOKERS
IN MEMORIAM — Marc Hanson, 46, chief of staff to California state Sen. Josh Newman, suffered a heart attack and died suddenly Wednesday morning. Our own Ben Pauker sends in a remembrance: “A tireless progressive advocate for Californians, Hanson was a legislative aide in the House of Representatives for Sam Farr (D-Calif.) and district director for Reps. Norma Torres (D-Calif) and Gil Cisneros (D-Calif). He was also a senior policy adviser on Cuba for WOLA; senior advocate on government affairs for Refugees International; and a researcher and organizer for SEIU.” GoFundMe for his family and young kids here
TRANSITIONS — Nick Givas is now comms director for Rep. Ken Buck (R-Colo.). He most recently hosted a podcast called “What Would Givas Do?” and is a Fox News and Daily Caller alum. … Jessica Hart Steinmann is now deputy general counsel and senior adviser for election integrity for the America First Policy Institute. She previously was elections committee senior counsel in the Texas House of Representatives, and is a DOJ and Ted Cruz alum. … Ally Riding is now an internal and external comms associate for Google’s global comms and public affairs team. She most recently was comms director for Rep. John Curtis (R-Utah), and is an Orrin Hatch alum.
WELCOME TO THE WORLD — Caitlin Sickles, principal in the Policy Resolution Group at Bracewell LLP, and Ryan Sickles, VP at BowerGroupAsia, welcomed Rowan Jack Sickles on Aug. 19. He joins big brother Declan. Pic
HAPPY BIRTHDAY: New York Gov. Kathy Hochul … DNI Avril Haines … Roger Stone … The Hill’s Steve Clemons … Jennifer Senior … Fox News’ David Spunt and Ashley Moir … POLITICO’s Darius Dixon and Megan Cassella … Francesca McCrary … E&E News’ Blake Sobczak, David Iaconangelo and Kasi Perkins … Ty Matsdorf … Christopher LaPrade of the American Chemical Society … Leah Daughtry … Brandt McCool of New Blue Interactive … Benjamin Haas of the State Department … CNN’s Jedd Rosche … Vanessa Wruble … George Hartmann of Sen. Chuck Grassley’s (R-Iowa) office (3-0) … Kelsey Berg … Francisco Flores Pourrat of Rep. Victoria Spartz’s (R-Ind.) office … Sarah Schenning … Peter Rothfeld ... Moutray McLaren … Spencer Silverman of Axiom Strategies … Pete Boyle … FDD’s Rich Goldberg … TikTok’s Mac Abrams … former Sen. Bob Kerrey (D-Neb.) … Xavier Pugliese … Jenn Sharkey … August Skamenca (4-0) ... Naomi LaChance … Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz … Jon Kinney (71) … Gary Cohn … Peter Sterne … NBC’s Josh Mankiewicz
Send Playbookers tips to [email protected]. Playbook couldn’t happen without our editor Mike Zapler, deputy editor Zack Stanton and producers Allie Bice, Eli Okun and Garrett Ross.
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