POLITICO Playbook: Biden jumps in, finally Presented by Amazon

Once his announcement video is live this morning, Joe Biden’s campaign will roll out more details about campaign staff and his travel over the next several weeks. | Tasos Katopodis/Getty Images

DRIVING THE DAY

BIDEN’S FINALLY IN … NATASHA KORECKI sends us this dispatch: “The announcement video goes live at 6 a.m. across social media platforms, including Twitter and Facebook. In it, the former vice president will talk about his candidacy as a battle to reclaim the soul of America, one of the three ‘pillars’ the campaign says will make up the focus of Biden’s candidacy (the other two: rebuilding an inclusive middle class and bridging the divide in our democracy). Once the video is live, the campaign will roll out more details about campaign staff and his travel over the next several weeks. That will include a Monday union-heavy kickoff in Pittsburgh, then on to early presidential states, where he’s also likely to hold fundraisers.

“Biden is to attend a fundraiser in Philadelphia later today at the home of Comcast executive David Cohen, along with former Gov. Ed Rendell, former Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter, former state Sen. Connie Williams, U.S. Sen. Bob Casey and Reps. Lisa Blunt Rochester, Brendan Boyle, Matt Cartwright, Madeleine Dean, Dwight Evans, Chrissy Houlahan and Mary Gay Scanlon.

“In an early May visit to South Carolina, state senator and former state party chair Dick Harpootlian, who will be active in Biden’s operation there, tells us he’s likely to hold a fundraiser for Biden early on. Harpootlian was among those to swear that Biden’s fundraising problems aren’t as dire as they seem. ‘I did some calling. … I found some $30,000 to $40,000 low-hanging fruit that wasn’t all that hard to find.’”

-- BUT, BUT, BUT … SCOOP: “Biden sounds alarm in fundraising call,” by Marc Caputo and Natasha: “On the eve of announcing his presidential bid, former Vice President Joe Biden raised the alarm about fundraising in a Wednesday conference call with top donors and supporters.

“‘The money’s important. We’re going to be judged by what we can do in the first 24 hours, the first week,’ Biden told the group, according to one participant, whose recollections of the quotes were confirmed by two others on the call.

“‘People think Iowa and New Hampshire are the first test,” Biden said. ‘It’s not. The first 24 hours. That’s the first test. Those [early states] are way down the road. We’ve got to get through this first.’” POLITICO … Marc and Natasha also have a look at Biden’s union backing

IMAGINE THIS: President DONALD TRUMP could quite easily have claimed the Mueller report exonerated him, and quickly pivoted to show how he’s getting down to business by working on an infrastructure bill. Or some new middle-class tax cut. Moving on would be an obvious play for a president who has been hampered by investigations from almost Day One of his administration.

BUT … THE PRESIDENT can’t stop talking about ROBERT MUELLER. Infrastructure doesn’t drive news cycles, and his jeremiads against the special counsel’s “witch hunt” do. Notice that Democrats don’t talk much about the Russia investigation on the campaign trail? They’d rather talk about health care or the minimum wage or free college education. But one Trump tweet on Mueller can blot out the sun for an entire news cycle.

A LOT OF PEOPLE discount this president as undisciplined, unsavvy. But that’s giving him way too little credit.

CASE IN POINT: WaPo’s Ashley Parker (@AshleyRParker): “ATLANTA — Trump, after saying something buzzy at [Wednesday’s] heroin forum — ‘I know all about rigging the system because I had the system rigged on me’ — demonstrates his TV producer’s canny instincts, faux-lamenting: ‘Unfortunately, that will be your soundbite tonight.’”

TV TONIGHT … Trump will sit down with his informal adviser and Fox News host Sean Hannity tonight to talk about Mueller’s report “as well as other news of the day,” per Fox News. The interview will air at 9 p.m. Eastern time.

JEFF SESSIONS on the Mueller report at Amherst College, per the Amherst Republican: “‘I have the greatest confidence in the integrity of the system. The process that was initiated was carried forth vigorously and with integrity … I think it deserves respect and I think it is about time to accept the results and let’s get on with the business of America.’” The Republican

NYT’S SHERYL GAY STOLBERG and NICK FANDOS: “Divided on Impeaching Trump, Democrats Wrestle With Duty and Politics”: “As Speaker Nancy Pelosi urges caution on impeachment, rank-and-file House Democrats are agonizing over the prospect of trying to oust President Trump, caught between their sense of historic responsibilities and political considerations in the wake of the special counsel’s damning portrait of abuses.

“The Democrats — including more than 50 freshmen — are mindful that impeachment poses political risks that could endanger the seats of moderates and their majority, as well as strengthen Mr. Trump’s hand. They ran on kitchen-table issues dear to their constituents and do not want to be consumed in a partisan morass that might unite Republican voters in opposition. But some prominent members of the 55-member strong Congressional Black Caucus and a newly empowered progressive caucus are pressing for action — three Democrats have filed articles of impeachment against Mr. Trump and dozens of others have signaled a willingness to consider that path.” NYT

-- CNN’S LAUREN FOX, MANU RAJU and JEREMY HERB: “Democrats look to courts as White House stonewalls on subpoenas”: “Faced with all-out resistance from the White House, Democrats are turning to the courts as they grapple with a dilemma of limited options to enforce their subpoenas.

“Amid a Trump administration blockade of subpoenas for numerous Democratic investigations, House Democrats are preparing a response that begins by holding officials in contempt. But they are also gearing up to fight their cases in the courtroom, acknowledging that the courts are likely their only subpoena recourse.” CNN

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HILLARY CLINTON in WAPO: “Mueller documented a serious crime against all Americans. Here’s how to respond.” WaPo

WHITE HOUSE ARRIVAL LOUNGE -- PER ANITA KUMAR -- “KRISTI BOSWELL, a senior adviser to Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue, has moved to the White House to help Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner craft a new immigration proposal, according to two people familiar with the situation. The move has hawkish immigration activists worried that Boswell is advocating for the agriculture industry, which is pushing to expand the number of legal immigrants allowed in the U.S. to work on farms.

“Boswell previously worked for the American Farm Bureau and Nebraska Department of Agriculture. Kushner expects to present a broader immigration plan to Trump in the next week that will include changes to the number of legal immigrants allowed in the country as well as security measures on the southern border.”

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DAN DIAMOND SCOOP: HHS TO STRIKE TRANSGENDER PROTECTIONS -- The health department is planning to issue two regulations next week that roll back Obama-era protections for transgender patients while further shielding workers with religious objections to care. POLITICO

-- What the Trump administration is prepared to argue: that they’re simplifying federal rules and will save the health industry billions of dollars, part of the White House’s ongoing regulatory rollback.

-- What public health and patient groups worry: that vulnerable patients will face more prejudice from doctors and other workers who don’t want to treat them.

2020 WATCH -- LAURA BARRÓN-LÓPEZ in Houston: “‘Racism and sexism’: Women of color slam white male tilt of Dem primary”: “The women of color who packed into a university auditorium here Wednesday for a first-of-its-kind presidential forum delighted in the rhetoric of candidates who vowed to make Donald Trump a one-term president.

“But their frustration was just as palpable — over the heavy media attention being paid to white male candidates in the early days of the Democratic primary, and over polling they contended is feeding a misleading narrative that only a white man can defeat Trump.

“‘With all due respect to the vice president, he hasn’t even announced yet but he’s the frontrunner?’ Leah Daughtry, a political operative and former [DNC] official who helped organize the ‘She the People’ event, said of Joe Biden. ‘Racism and sexism are part of the fabric and the fiber and the founding of our country,’ she added, ‘and the way that the [Democratic] candidates are being treated, it just reminds you of that. We’re not past it.’” POLITICO

-- THE GOOP PRIMARY: “Gwyneth Paltrow, Bradley Whitford Among Co-Hosts for Pete Buttigieg’s Next L.A. Fundraising Swing,” by Ted Johnson in Variety

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THE INVESTIGATIONS -- “Trump could stiff-arm Democrats until after 2020,” by Josh Gerstein, Darren Samuelsohn and Kyle Cheney: “President Donald Trump may successfully drag out many of his legal battles with Congress beyond 2020, denying Democratic investigators much, if any, political bounty before the next election. … Asked whether Trump could keep his legal blockade up through November of next year, one former senior White House official said: ‘One and a half to two years is a safe bet.’” POLITICO

-- BUT, BUT, BUT … CNN’s Cristina Alesci: “Deutsche Bank begins process of providing Trump financial records to New York's attorney general”

TRUMP’S THURSDAY -- The president is having lunch with Secretary of State Mike Pompeo at 12:45 p.m. in the private dining room. He will deliver remarks at a “Take Our Daughters and Sons to Work Day” at 4:30 p.m. on the South Lawn.

PLAYBOOK READS

PHOTO DU JOUR: North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and Russian President Vladimir Putin are all smiles at a summit in Vladivostok, Russia, on Thursday. | Yuri Kadobnov/Pool Photo via AP Photo

#THISTOWN … JOHN HARRIS and DANIEL LIPPMAN: “How Trump Took the Shine Off Washington’s Glitziest Night”: “After a decade or more where it built into a kind of fantasy weekend for political journalists … the WHCD today is, at best, in a semi-flaccid state. People in the local economy of hotels, salons, limo companies, caterers and professional handlers report a marked drop in interest and spending among entertainment and business leaders in attending the dinner and the corresponding three-day marathon of parties that still surround it.

“Veteran Washington social observers describe an unmistakable drop in the energy and allure of the dinner. ‘It certainly is not the glamour place to be in Washington anymore,’ says writer and long-time Washington observer Sally Quinn. ‘What ignites something like this is to have celebrities from Hollywood and New York and the political celebrities from Washington, and when you don’t have either one, you’ve got 3,000 journalists staring at each other.’” POLITICO Magazine

NUMBER DU JOUR: 90% of voters say they are concerned about “uncivil and rude behavior of politicians,” according to a new Georgetown Institute of Politics and Public Service Battleground Civility Poll. Read the poll

-- JARED KUSHNER: “Fifteen Lessons I Learned from Criminal Justice Reform”: Time

-- DONALD TRUMP JR.: “What Did the Democrats Know and When Did They Know It?” Breitbart

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TRUMP ABROAD -- “Trump Backed Libyan Strongman’s Attack on Tripoli, U.S. Officials Say,” by Bloomberg’s Samer Al-Atrush, Jennifer Jacobs and Margaret Talev: “President Donald Trump indicated in a phone call with Libyan strongman Khalifa Haftar last week that the U.S. supported an assault on the country’s capital to depose its United Nations-backed government, according to American officials familiar with the matter.

“An earlier call from White House National Security Adviser John Bolton also left Haftar with the impression of a U.S. green light for an offensive on Tripoli by his forces, known as the Libyan National Army, according to three diplomats.” Bloomberg

WaPo: “Kim Jong Un has a fleet of ghost ships sneaking around the high seas to beat sanctions”

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WAIT, WHAT? -- Carter Page is selling a print edition of the Mueller report, along with his own introduction. Amazon, $6.99

FED WATCH -- “Moore Hopeful for Fed Post, but Says He Would Bow Out If He Becomes Liability”: WSJ

VALLEY TALK -- “Facebook Set Aside $3 Billion For A Penalty. Then It Grew By $40 Billion: Facebook will set aside $3 billion to cover expenses associated with a fine from the Federal Trade Commission over its privacy practices. All good here, say investors,” by BuzzFeed’s Alex Kantrowitz and Ryan Mac

MEDIAWATCH … PROFILE: “Mad About Bari Weiss: The New York Times Provocateur the Left Loves to Hate,” by Vanity Fair’s Evgenia Peretz: “Though most of her friends are liberals, she sometimes socializes with conservatives too. According to friends, she loves to spar not just to hear the sound of her own voice but because she might learn something. After listening to someone else’s point of view, she’s been known to do something amazing—change her mind. Given the current climate, in which everyone seems to be retreating to angry and angrier corners, those who meet her find this expansiveness refreshing.” Vanity Fair

-- CNN: “Hackers could target the 2020 election. How will newsrooms respond if they release stolen data?” by Oliver Darcy and Donie O’Sullivan

PLAYBOOKERS

SPOTTED: Rod Rosenstein on Wednesday night at game 7 of the Caps vs. the Carolina Hurricanes -- the Caps lost 4-3 in double overtime. Pic ... former Rep. Dana Rohrabacher (R-Calif.) wearing a MAGA hat having lunch in Longworth. Pic

FIRST IN PLAYBOOK -- CLETE WILLEMS is joining Akin Gump as a partner in its public law and policy practice. He most recently was deputy assistant to the president for international economic affairs, deputy director of the NEC and a member of the NSC.

TRANSITIONS -- Holly Shulman will be senior communications adviser for the New Hampshire Democratic Party. She most recently was comms director for the Center for Global Development and is an alum of the DNC and Obama Treasury Department. ... Alyssa Miller-Hurley, who has led public affairs for Planned Parenthood in New York and South Carolina and worked for Democratic campaigns in Mississippi, South Carolina and Florida, is joining NARAL as senior campaign manager. (hat tip: Marc Caputo)

WELCOME TO THE WORLD -- Jill Kerr, PR manager for public policy at Amazon and a Pete Sessions and Michael Burgess alum, and Preston Kerr, VP at Highwood Capital, welcomed Harrison Hatton Kerr. Pic ... Another pic

BIRTHWEEK (was yesterday): DOE’s Conner Prochaska (h/t Kyle Wiley) … (was Tuesday): Zachary Todd

BIRTHDAY OF THE DAY: Erica Suares, policy adviser for Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell. A trend she thinks deserves more attention: “I recently attended a lecture by Patrick Deneen of [the University of] Notre Dame … on ‘Aristopopulism.’ Most days on the Hill tend to focus on policy, but it’s important to take a step back and think about political philosophy too, and the underpinnings and intent the Founders had for the nation. Deneen says we can turn to classic thinkers like Aristotle and Machiavelli to help explain modern trends like populism, elites vs. the middle class, and what role and responsibility government has toward its citizenry.” Playbook Plus Q&A

BIRTHDAYS: John Anzalone ... former Sen. Jon Kyl (R-Ariz.) is 77 … Patrick Mellody … Steve Murphy, managing partner at MVAR Media, is 68 ... Kathy Baird ... Mark McCullough ... David Fenton, founder and chairman of Fenton, is 67 ... Ron Tipton (h/ts Jon Haber) ... Danielle Vogel, founder of Glen’s Garden Market in D.C., is 4-0 (hubby tip: Ken) ... former Rep. Keith Rothfus (R-Pa.) is 57 ... Susan Orr ... David Gardiner ... Bill Duhnke is 57 … Mike Gwin, regional press secretary at DCCC ... Zev Siegl, co-founder of Starbucks, is 77 ... AshLee Strong, who moved back to Montana to start Granite Peak Communications ... Adam Silver is 57 ... Teddy Goff, co-founder and a partner of Precision Strategies (h/t Stephanie Cutter) ... Andrew H. Schapiro is 56 … Shareblue’s Emily Singer is 3-0 ... Jeff Mascott ... Julie Roginsky ... ITA’s Andy Sigmon (hubby tip: Crosley) … Robert Skidelsky is 8-0 … POLITICO’s Alexander Nieves and Cameron Thrasher ... Mike Tuffin, SVP for external affairs/public affairs at UnitedHealth Group, is 51 ...

… Mike Doran, senior fellow at the Hudson Institute, is 57 … Alejandra Cancino (h/t Lydia Mulvany) ... Arch Campbell ... Geoff Bennett, WH correspondent at NBC News (h/t Elizabeth Perry) … Mac Ehlen of Owyhee Research (h/t Lenwood Brooks) ... Jaclyn Rothenberg ... Jennifer Anderson … Jack Young ... Drew Anderson, director of campaigns and rapid response at GLAAD … APCO Worldwide’s Claire Cooper … Melissa Musiker ... Kristen Ricciardelli ... Emily Hesselbrock … Smythe Anderson … Derek LaVallee … George Hunter ... Jim Mustian ... Alex Brown is 37 ... Josie Wilson ... Wendy Anderson, general manager of defense and national security at SparkCognition … Kenny Gold is 33 ... Gretchen Lowe ... Michelle McGrorty ... Tom Springer … Juha Sipilä is 58 … Haider al-Abadi is 67

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