POLITICO Playbook: Bloomberg eyeing Manhattan office space for campaign Presented by Amazon

This appears to be the most material sign that Michael Bloomberg is leaning toward jumping in to the presidential race. | Scott Eisen/Getty Images

NEWS: REPS FOR MICHAEL BLOOMBERG are looking at 7 World Trade Center and the old NYT building in Times Square as headquarters if he embarks on a 2020 campaign, according to two sources familiar with the matter. Bloomberg's emissaries are already interviewing people to hire if the New York billionaire jumps in. They are looking at leasing approximately 30,000 square feet of office space to start, according to the sources. Bloomberg is expected to decide in March if he will enter the race. A spokesman for Bloomberg declined to comment.

-- THIS APPEARS TO BE the most material sign that Bloomberg is leaning toward jumping in.

THE LATEST ON THE SUMMIT BREAKDOWN -- ELIANA JOHNSON in Hanoi, Vietnam: “‘Sometimes you have to walk’: Why Trump bailed on North Korea”: “In the end, President Trump did the unexpected: He walked away. A visibly deflated Trump began the press conference wrapping up his second summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un by talking about anything else. He riffed on the potentially nuclear crisis between India and Pakistan. The violent crackdown in Venezuela.

“Only then did Trump turn to the subject at hand: why, after weeks of buildup, flattery and reality TV-style showmanship, his negotiations with the North Korean leader had come to an abrupt halt. ... Trump attributed the summit’s collapse to Kim’s demands for full and immediate sanctions relief — a concession the president said he wasn’t willing to make for the partial denuclearization the North Korean leader was willing to offer.

“‘It was about the sanctions,’ Trump said. ‘Basically, they wanted the sanctions lifted, in their entirety, and we couldn’t do that. They were willing to denuke a large portion of the areas that we wanted but we couldn’t give up all of the sanctions for that. … We had to walk away from that particular suggestion.’

“Asked whether it was his decision to walk away from the negotiating table, the president declined to say. ‘Sometimes you have to walk and this was just one of those times,’ Trump said.” POLITICO

-- WHERE THINGS STAND: TRUMP said talks would continue, but wouldn’t commit to a third U.S.-North Korea summit. So far, the two meetings have produced no appreciable results.

-- NYT HAS AN INFOGRAPHIC depicting the experienced North Korean negotiating team, compared to the U.S. team, which includes Mick Mulvaney: “The president’s closest adviser is a former congressman with little foreign policy experience.” The infographic

THE SCENE -- NYT’S MOTOKO RICH: “Confusion reigned in the international media center. What was happening? Hundreds of reporters frantically looked for an explanation or a statement from the White House. Once Mr. Trump’s motorcade left the Metropole Hotel, it was clear that the deal was off. At the press center, mild mayhem broke out when reporters from a Japanese news network started interviewing a reporter from Voice of America, a news agency funded by the United States government.

“A crowd of journalists swarmed the VOA reporter, assuming that he was an official government spokesman. At one point a reporter who joined the scrum realized that it was just a case of hacks interviewing each other. ‘You’re just journalists?’ she said in disgust. ‘Oh my god, why did I run over here?’ And stormed off.” NYT

-- ELIANA JOHNSON in Hanoi: “On ‘Hannity,’ Trump’s summits are a smashing success: In Hanoi or Singapore, Helsinki or Jerusalem, Fox News personalities are always on hand to make the president look good”: “Stymied by the bumper-to-bumper traffic in Hanoi on Tuesday as the teeming Vietnamese capital absorbed the arrival of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, Sean Hannity decided to get to the studio another way. ‘After literally 40 minutes not moving, we’re getting nervous about getting on the air,’ Hannity told his American audience, ‘I hopped on a scooter.’

“The Fox News host and close confidant of President Donald Trump broadcast images of himself, clad in the same navy blazer he was wearing on the air, zipping through Hanoi's clogged streets on the back of a motorbike. ‘And by the way, we were riding on the sidewalk there, in case you were interested,’ he added.” POLITICO

-- WAPO’S JOHN HUDSON in Hanoi: “In a first for North Korea’s secretive leader, Kim Jong Un takes a question from a foreign journalist”

Good Thursday morning. SPOTTED: Brad Parscale, Trump’s 2020 campaign manager, Wednesday morning on a Jetblue flight to DCA from Ft. Lauderdale. “He was watching the Cohen testimony from his seat and listening to it exiting the plane into the terminal,” according to our tipster.

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WEDNESDAY WAS A HUGE DAY, so we wanted to take a moment to take stock of what went down. In short: REPUBLICANS are having a tough time getting accustomed to the minority, and DEMOCRATS are having a tough time getting used to the majority.

REPUBLICANS spent all day Wednesday trying to tarnish Michael Cohen as a criminal -- something he conceded was true, and something DOJ has already proven. Republicans were privately saying that they were worried they were scattershot, and hadn’t landed a big-time punch in their one opportunity to go after Cohen.

DEMOCRATS, meanwhile, got beat again by House Republicans on the floor, losing a procedural vote in another example of the Dem leadership’s inability to strongarm their membership. Republicans have one procedural tool at their disposal -- the motion to recommit -- and they’re beating Democrats over the head with it.

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-- HEATHER CAYGLE, JOHN BRESNAHAN and SARAH FERRIS: “House Democrats weigh rules change after GOP floor victory”: “Democratic leaders are considering changing House rules to make it harder for Republicans to spring surprise procedural votes on the majority after several embarrassing incidents on the floor in recent weeks.

“Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) and other top Democrats are weighing revising the House rules to require Republicans give them more notice on specific procedural votes, known as a ‘motion to recommit,’ a wonky tactic that the GOP has used to force Democrats to vote on a range of controversial issues since January.” POLITICO

THE STEP BACK … DARREN SAMUELSOHN, JOSH GERSTEIN and ANITA KUMAR: “Trump's inner circle sustains collateral damage in Cohen hearing”: “In the high-stakes battle between President Donald Trump and Michael Cohen, some of the people in their immediate orbit are ending up as collateral hits.

“Trump’s former personal attorney and fixer dropped several names of people in Trump’s inner circle Wednesday during the nationally-televised testimony before the House Oversight Committee, including the president’s adult children and top executives at his namesake company, the Trump Organization. Cohen also fingered Trump’s first 2016 campaign manager and the legal team surrounding the president.

“It’s unclear whether any of the people Cohen referenced will face any kind of criminal charges or other legal consequences, though during his testimony he declined to answer several lawmakers’ questions about them because they’re part of ongoing federal investigations.” POLITICO

THE NEW COUNTDOWN … Is there any chance Democrats don’t ask DONALD TRUMP JR., ERIC TRUMP, IVANKA TRUMP and ALLEN WEISSELBERG to testify?

THIS IS SOME WALK BACK … FLORIDA GOP REP. MATT GAETZ (@mattgaetz): “I’ve personally apologized to @MichaelCohen212 4 referencing his private family in the public square. Regardless of disagreements, family members should be off-limits from attacks from representatives, senators & presidents, including myself. Let’s leave the Cohen family alone.”

-- GAETZ is going on Martha MacCallum’s Fox News show tonight at 7 p.m.

MEANWHILE, DEMS KEEPING THEIR POWDER DRY -- “Pelosi and top Dems won’t bite on impeachment despite Cohen bombshells,” by Heather Caygle, Sarah Ferris and Melanie Zanona: “It was Michael Cohen’s day on Capitol Hill, but Democrats are still waiting for Robert Mueller. Donald Trump’s former lawyer leveled a raft of explosive allegations against the president Wednesday, but Speaker Nancy Pelosi and her leadership team are in no hurry to launch impeachment proceedings.

“Instead, they’re still waiting to see what the special counsel turns up. Pelosi largely sidestepped questions about Cohen’s testimony on Wednesday, declaring that she had been too busy to watch the hours-long grilling he received from her members on the House Oversight Committee.” POLITICO

SCHUMER WATCH -- “Inside Schumer’s plot to be majority leader,” by Burgess Everett and James Arkin: “A Democratic majority in the Senate, which once looked assured in the fall of 2016, has eluded the New York Democrat for two consecutive Senate cycles. Now, Schumer is recruiting high-profile Democrats in swing states and deep red territory — searching for any advantage he can find to net at least three seats he needs for his party to finally assume power.

“‘There's a real thirst to win in 2020, and I'm getting good vibes,’ Schumer said in an interview this month, exuding confidence between chomps on a Baby Ruth bar. ‘There's going to be a fervor I think for taking back the Senate this election the way there was taking back the House in the last one.’” POLITICO

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MNUCHIN GOES AWOL … WAPO’S DAMIAN PALETTA with Robin Givhan: “In undisclosed trip, Trump’s Treasury breaks with precedent on transparency”: “The French government on Tuesday announced U.S. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin would meet with French president Emmanuel Macron in Paris and hold a news conference with finance minister Bruno Le Maire. …

“But the Treasury Department had never announced that Mnuchin was even leaving the country. On Friday, when Treasury revealed its public engagements for this week, it suggested Mnuchin wouldn’t make a single one. …A person close to Mnuchin, speaking on the condition of anonymity to discuss travel planning, said the events weren't made public until this week because the details weren't confirmed until late in the process. …

“On Wednesday evening, he attended a cocktail party hosted by the U.S. ambassador to France, Jamie McCourt, which was meant to recognize fashion designer Diane von Furstenberg and her work to commemorate the Statue of Liberty. … Approached by a Washington Post reporter at the party, Mnuchin said he was in Paris for a series of meetings and spoke about the importance of the two countries’ historic relationship. Mnuchin said he would be attending an event in London on Thursday at the invitation of top officials from Jordan, another public appearance Treasury had not revealed until this week.” WaPo

PLAYBOOK READS

PHOTO DU JOUR: President Donald Trump speaks alongside Secretary of State Mike Pompeo at a press conference Thursday after his summit with Kim Jong Un broke down in Hanoi, Vietnam. | Evan Vucci/AP Photo

TRADE WARS -- “U.S. Drops Threat of 25% Tariffs on Chinese Goods in Sign That Accord Is Near,” by WSJ’s Bob Davis: “In the strongest sign yet that an accord is near, U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer said Wednesday that the U.S. was abandoning for now its threat to raise tariffs to 25% on $200 billion of Chinese goods.” WSJ

-- REUTERS’ RITVIK CARVALHO in London: “Global stocks fall for third day as investors dial down trade hopes”

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2020 WATCH -- CHRIS CADELAGO in Des Moines, Iowa: “Kamala Harris’ big question mark”: “In interviews, two dozen political strategists, elected officials and Democratic activists and voters — most of whom watched Harris’ events in Iowa, New Hampshire and South Carolina — said she’s shown promise as someone who can connect with voters at an emotional level.

“The excitement she's generating and her profile as a charismatic, mixed-race progressive, they said, is creating a sense that she may be the candidate who best matches the mood of Democratic voters at this moment. But in her early-state debuts, Harris has at times compensated for her lack of precision and detailed policy prescriptions by lapsing into prepared remarks, turning to legislation she supports — even when it indirectly relates to the question — and leaning on anecdotes to connect with audiences.” POLITICO

-- MARC CAPUTO: “Puerto Rico emerges as 2020 campaign hotspot”: “Julián Castro made Puerto Rico his first stop after announcing his presidential bid. Elizabeth Warren showed up days later. And Bernie Sanders just named San Juan’s lightning-rod mayor as his campaign co-chair. Puerto Rico has vaulted into the presidential primary limelight like never before, both as a campaign stop and a campaign issue.” POLITICO

-- DANIEL STRAUSS: “Washington Gov. Inslee bolsters political team with eye on 2020”

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MEDIAWATCH -- “AT&T Weighs Combining HBO, Turner Units,” by WSJ’s Joe Flint: “Veteran television executive and producer Robert Greenblatt is in advanced talks with AT&T Inc. to take a senior role at WarnerMedia that could include oversight of a new unit that would combine HBO and Turner entertainment networks and an upcoming streaming service, people familiar with the matter said.

“A former chairman of Comcast Corp.’s NBC network and Universal Television production studio and a former chief executive CBS Corp.’s pay-TV channel Showtime, Mr. Greenblatt would bring a wealth of entertainment production and management experience to WarnerMedia. HBO is best known for its prestige dramas and movies while Turner is the parent of TNT, TBS and Cartoon Network.” WSJ

PLAYBOOKERS

OUT AND ABOUT … OPIC CEO David Bohigian hosted a farewell party at his home for outgoing OPIC CEO Ray Washburne. SPOTTED: Ivanka Trump, Labor Secretary Alex Acosta, Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao, Ron Kaufman, Marc Short, David Urban, David Tamasi and Tommy Hicks.

BIRTHWEEK (was yesterday): Jove Oliver turned 4-0. He’s celebrating with his wife Hope, family and friends in Sun Valley (hat tip: Craig Minassian) ... (was Tuesday): Alana Newhouse

BIRTHDAY OF THE DAY: WaPo reporter Sarah Ellison. How she got her start in journalism: “I started as a news assistant in the Paris bureau of Newsweek. The big story at that time was the death of Princess Diana. There were so many conspiracy theories, in a way it was a perfect precursor to the time we’re in now. I had to call all the Pauls in Normandy, to try to reach the parents of Henri Paul, the driver. He had died in the crash and I was to find them and get their reaction. It was pretty awful, mostly because of the subject of the call, but also because it was a very common name.” Playbook Plus Q&A

BIRTHDAYS: Paul Krugman is 66 ... POLITICO senior politics editor Charlie Mahtesian ... Ira Forman is 67 ... WaPo's Miki King ... Steven Chu is 71 ... Kristen Slaughter Brown ... CAP’s Laura Durso ... Porter DeLaney ... Andrea Riccio, VP at S3 Public Affairs (h/t Amos Snead) ... John Nagl ... POLITICO’s Jay Morgan ... USA Today's Kelsey Bloom ... RNC’s Christiana Purves (h/t Ryan Mahoney) ... Ken Blackwell is 71 ... Christine Simpson … Pamela King of E&E News ... Christine Domenech ... Jessie Singleton Lazarus (h/t Rowan Morris) ... Emma Nelson, CLF’s director of development and an NRCC and Jeb alum (h/t Dan Conston) .. Pete Williams, NBC News justice correspondent ... Adam Sieff of Latham & Watkins … Brendan S. Kelly is 36 (h/t Conchita Cruz) ... Sandhya Taneja ... Mark Lippert, VP at Boeing International ...

... NYT’s Lisa Lerer (h/ts Annie Linskey, Julie Bykowicz and Rachel Adler) ... Erica Goldman of Purple Strategies … Cara Hewitt of Bloomberg Government (hubby tip: James) ... Deidre DeJear, Kamala Harris’ Iowa campaign chair (h/t Miryam Lipper) … Ned and Drew Ryun, twin sons of former Rep. Jim Ryun (R-Kan.) … Lamar Echols … Judy Schneider … Heather Sabharwal ... Samantha Kruse ... Kent Gray … Heather Fluit, comms director for Sen. Doug Jones (D-Ala.) ... Emily Krueger ... Enid Doggett ... Alicia Powe ... journalist Tom Hussain is 52 ... James Sullivan ... Claire Francis ... Bruce Potter ... Leslie Aun ... Bush 43 WH alums Katye Riselli, Matt Abbott, Meghan Kielty and Darlene Ayers-Johnson ... Michelle Brown ... Emily Sporn ... Darcy Burke ... Rhea Lieber ... Trinity Hall of Sen. Chris Coons’ (D-Del.) office (h/t Jonathan Kott)

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