POLITICO Playbook: The Trump phone call that launched a whistleblower complaint Presented by Amazon

The Washington Post reported that President Donald Trump’s communications with a foreign leader sparked a whistleblower complaint. | Alex Wong/Getty Images

DRIVING THE DAY

TODAY’S BIG STORY … WAPO: “Trump’s communications with foreign leader are part of whistleblower complaint that spurred standoff between spy chief and Congress, former officials say,” by Greg Miller, Ellen Nakashima and Shane Harris: “The whistleblower complaint that has triggered a tense showdown between the U.S. intelligence community and Congress involves President Trump’s communications with a foreign leader, according to two former U.S. officials familiar with the matter.

“Trump’s interaction with the foreign leader included a ‘promise’ that was regarded as so troubling that it prompted an official in the U.S. intelligence community to file a formal whistleblower complaint with the inspector general for the intelligence community, said the former officials, speaking on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the matter publicly.

“It was not immediately clear which foreign leader Trump was speaking with or what he pledged to deliver, but his direct involvement in the matter has not been previously disclosed. It raises new questions about the president’s handling of sensitive information and may further strain his relationship with U.S. spy agencies. One former official said the communication was a phone call.” WaPo

-- HEADS UP! … The intel community inspector general is going to brief the House Intel Committee today at 9 a.m. And Joseph Maguire is testifying Sept. 26 in a public hearing at 9 a.m.

IN THE LAST 24 HOURS, two potential rivals camps for the presidency have asked us to suspend our disbelief:

-- President DONALD TRUMP’S White House said legislative affairs director Eric Ueland and A.G. BILL BARR were walking around the Capitol, canvassing for support for a gun plan on paper that Hogan Gidley said had nothing to do with the White House. More from Marianne LeVine and Burgess Everett

-- SEN. ELIZABETH WARREN (D-Mass.) told reporters in the Capitol that she has endorsed Sen. ED MARKEY (D-Mass.), and he was a great partner in the Senate. But asked if it was ill-advised for Rep. JOE KENNEDY (D-Mass.) to launch a primary challenge to Markey, Warren said, “I have no criticism.” (hat tip: NBC’s Frank Thorp)

ALL IS AWESOME BETWEEN PELOSI AND NADLER! … HEATHER CAYGLE: “Speaker Nancy Pelosi said on Wednesday that Corey Lewandowski deserved to be held in contempt of Congress for his combative performance before the House Judiciary Committee, where the former Trump campaign manager repeatedly refused to answer questions about his testimony to special counsel Robert Mueller.

“Pelosi told Democrats during a private meeting on Wednesday that Democrats should have held Lewandowski in contempt ‘then and there,’ according to multiple sources in the room.” POLITICO

TRUMP SPEAKS TO REPORTERS … AGAIN: The president headed back to the press cabin on AF1 on Wednesday night, en route from San Diego to D.C., and spoke on the record:

-- S.F. GETTING EPA VIOLATION … POOL REPORT FROM NYT’S PETER BAKER, via Mike Shear: “President Trump told a pool on Air Force One tonight that his administration will slap the city of San Francisco with a notice of environmental violations within about a week related to its homelessness problem.

“He said tremendous pollution was flowing into the ocean because of waste in storm sewers, citing specifically used needles. ‘It’s a terrible situation — that’s in Los Angeles and in San Francisco,’ he said. ‘And we’re going to be giving San Francisco, they’re in total violation, we’re going to be giving them a notice very soon.’ ‘EPA is going to be putting out a notice,’ he said. ‘They’re in serious violation.’ He added ‘they have to clean it up. We can’t have our cities going to hell.’

-- TRUMP ON OBAMA’S NETFLIX PRODUCTION DEAL, via a pool report from The Hill’s Brett Samuels: “‘Well it was a very substantial deal. … Cecil B. DeMille -- if he ever came back from the dead, one of the greats of all time -- he would have loved to have made that deal.’ ‘Plus [Obama’s] book was the highest book ever sold, and there were many other things that he did. So, I think somebody should -- if they’re going to be looking at me over nonsense, they should certainly be looking at that also.’”

NOTE: DeMille died in 1959. Also, what law does he think Obama violated by getting a Netflix deal? We asked the White House a few days ago and did not receive a response.

-- ON GUANTANAMO, where Trump said it costs too much to house prisoners: “We’re looking at a lot of things. I know about that. I think it’s crazy. It costs a fortune to operate it, and I think it’s crazy. But the big decision we have now is we have thousands of people. They came from other countries. We want those countries to take them back. We did them a big favor by stopping them. If they came from France, we want France to take them and to try them and to do whatever they have to do with them, but that’s a very expensive situation.”

-- TRUMP PULLED A WAD OF CASH out of his pocket, when answering about a Reuters photo published Wednesday, which showed 20-dollar bills coming out of his pants: “I don’t carry a wallet because I haven’t had to use a credit card in a long time. I do like leaving tips to the hotel. I like to carry a little something. I like to give tips to the hotel. I’m telling you, maybe a president’s not supposed to do it, but I like to leave a tip for the hotel, etc., etc. Oh, that’s funny. So the jacket was blowing up?”

THE PHOTO -- @reuterspictures: “Money is seen in President Donald Trump's back pocket as he boards Air Force One in Mountain View, California. … @tombrennerphoto” Tweet with photo

Good Thursday morning.

A message from Amazon: Amazon is investing $18 billion in 2020 on tools, services, programs, and people to help small and medium-sized businesses reach more customers worldwide. Learn how we're empowering independent sellers to grow and thrive.

DANIEL LIPPMAN: “Bolton unloads on Trump’s foreign policy behind closed doors”: “John Bolton, President Donald Trump’s fired national security adviser, harshly criticized Trump’s foreign policy on Wednesday at a private lunch, saying that inviting the Taliban to Camp David sent a ‘terrible signal’ and that it was ‘disrespectful’ to the victims of 9/11 because the Taliban had harbored al Qaeda.

“Bolton also said that any negotiations with North Korea and Iran were ‘doomed to failure,’ according to two attendees. All the North Koreans and Iranians want to do is negotiate for relief from sanctions to support their economies, said Bolton, who was speaking before guests invited by the Gatestone Institute, a conservative think tank.

“‘He ripped Trump, without using his name, several times,’ said one attendee. Bolton didn't immediately respond to a request for comment. Bolton also said more than once that Trump’s failure to respond to the Iranian attack on an American drone earlier this summer set the stage for the Islamic Republic’s aggression in recent months.” POLITICO

-- NATASHA BERTRAND ET AL: “Trump’s new national security adviser is the anti-Bolton in style only” … NYT’S MICHAEL CROWLEY, PETER BAKER and MAGGIE HABERMAN: “Robert O’Brien ‘Looks the Part,’ but Has Spent Little Time Playing It”

LIKE WE TOLD YOU IN PLAYBOOK PM … “White House withdraws nominee to head FEMA,” by Marianne LeVine and Daniel Lippman: “The White House will withdraw its nominee to lead the Federal Emergency Management Agency, according to a White House official and a source familiar with the matter.

“They confirmed that the Trump administration will pull the nomination of Jeffrey Byard to head FEMA. The official said that Byard withdrew his nomination after an accusation surfaced that he was in an altercation. The official also said that the FBI determined that the accusation was unsubstantiated.

“The official said the White House will nominate Peter Gaynor, the current acting administrator of FEMA, to lead the agency.” POLITICO

FIRST IN PLAYBOOK -- SKDKNICKERBOCKER was hired two weeks ago to handle public affairs and public relations for the UAW, in anticipation of its strike with GM. SKDK is running UAW’s rapid-response efforts out of the Detroit Marriott at the Renaissance Center, according to a source familiar with the effort. SKDK’s Jason Kaplan confirmed the firm was hired by the union.

Playbook PM Sign up for our must-read newsletter on what's driving the afternoon in Washington. Email Sign Up By signing up you agree to receive email newsletters or alerts from POLITICO. You can unsubscribe at any time. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

WHAT TEAM MITCH IS READING … LEXINGTON HERALD-LEADER: “Kentucky State Police take computer from Alison Lundergan Grimes’ office amid inquiry,” by Daniel Desrochers: “Kentucky State Police seized a computer Tuesday from the Office of the Secretary of State as part of an ongoing investigation into how Secretary of State Alison Lundergan Grimes and her aides used voter data.

“In a motion filed in Franklin Circuit Court Tuesday, attorneys for Grimes disclosed that Mark Metcalf, the commonwealth’s attorney appointed by Attorney General Andy Beshear to spearhead a state investigation into her office, ‘caused state police officers to seize, with no warrant or subpoena, the computer of the individual in the Office of the Secretary of State who created and maintained the VRS (voter registration system).’

“The motion was filed in Grimes’ ongoing legal challenge to a law enacted earlier this year that stripped some of her powers as secretary of state over the Kentucky Board of Elections.” LHL

A THIRD ISRAELI ELECTION? … AP/JERUSALEM: “While weeks of negotiations to form a coalition government lay ahead, conditions set by the parties could hobble the task within the allotted time, prompting a never-before held third election. With nearly all votes counted Thursday, the centrist Blue and White party stood at 33 seats in Israel’s 120-seat parliament. Netanyahu’s conservative Likud stood at 31 seats. …

“Neither party can form a government without the support of the election’s apparent kingmaker, Avigdor Lieberman of the Yisrael Beitenu party. His insistence on a secular government would force out Netanyahu’s traditional allies, the country’s two ultra-Orthodox parties and another nationalist-religious party.

“Benny Gantz’s Blue and White has pledged not to sit in the same government as Netanyahu, as the long-serving Israeli leader is expected to face indictment in a slew of corruption scandals. The fiercely loyal Likud is unlikely to oust Netanyahu.

“After meeting with his traditional allies Wednesday, Netanyahu on Thursday called on Gantz to join him in a unity government. ‘Throughout the campaign I called for a right-wing government, but unfortunately the election results show that’s not possible,’ Netanyahu said in a video statement. ‘Therefore there is no choice but to form a broad unity government.’” AP

2020 WATCH … CHRIS CADELAGO: “Kamala Harris bets it all on Iowa to break freefall”: “Kamala Harris is putting her stumbling campaign on the line with a new Iowa-or-bust strategy: She's shifting away from the closed-door fundraisers that dominated her summer calendar to focus on retail politicking in the crucial kickoff state.

“Harris huddled with top campaign officials Tuesday in Baltimore to discuss the next steps as a series of polls show her plummeting into the mid-single digits. She's not expected to significantly alter her message. Instead, Harris is planning to make weekly visits to the state and nearly double the size of her 65-person ground operation, sources familiar with the discussions told POLITICO.”

-- “Sanders campaign cracks down on leaks,” By Holly Otterbein and Trent Spiner: “The Bernie Sanders campaign is clamping down on leaks. In the midst of a staff shakeup in New Hampshire and Iowa, Sanders’ aides are sending emails and making calls to allies to tell them not to speak with the media.

“After news broke of the campaign’s decision to reassign the state director and part ways with a senior adviser in the first-in-the-nation primary state, a Sanders aide emailed members of its steering committee in New Hampshire and asked them to not discuss the moves with reporters.” POLITICO

-- MATT DRUDGE (@DRUDGE): “It's Elizabeth Warren's nomination to lose…”

A message from Amazon: Helping small businesses. Learn how Amazon is helping small businesses grow.

NYT’S MAGGIE HABERMAN: “When President Trump attended a fund-raiser at a private home in Beverly Hills on Tuesday night, there was a familiar face in the crowd: Thomas J. Barrack Jr., the billionaire investor and an old friend of the president’s who has come under scrutiny by federal prosecutors looking into possible foreign influence over Mr. Trump’s 2016 campaign.

“Mr. Barrack was among Mr. Trump’s relatives, party and campaign officials and the well-heeled attending the event at the home of Geoffrey Palmer, a real estate developer, according to two people familiar with what took place. Mr. Barrack spoke during the round-table portion of the event, and the president acknowledged him pleasantly, one of the people said.

“Mr. Barrack also attended a fund-raising breakfast for Mr. Trump on Wednesday morning in Los Angeles. And he has given $360,600, the maximum amount allowable, to the Trump Victory Committee, a joint entity between the Trump campaign and the Republican National Committee, according to three people familiar with the donor list.” NYT

TRUMP’S THURSDAY: The president has nothing on his public schedule.

PLAYBOOK READS

PHOTO DU JOUR: President Donald Trump signs his name on the border wall during a tour in Otay Mesa, Calif., on Wednesday. | Evan Vucci/AP Photo

BIG IN OTTAWA -- “Justin Trudeau Wore Brownface at 2001 ‘Arabian Nights’ Party While He Taught at a Private School,” by Time’s Anna Purna Kambhampaty, Madeleine Carlisle and Melissa Chan: “The picture was taken at an ‘Arabian Nights’-themed gala. It shows Trudeau, then the 29-year-old son of the late former Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau, wearing a turban and robes with his face, neck and hands completely darkened. The photograph appears in the 2000-2001 yearbook of West Point Grey Academy, a private day school where Trudeau was a teacher. …

“Speaking to reporters Wednesday night, following TIME’s publication of the photo, Trudeau apologized: ‘I shouldn’t have done that. I should have known better and I didn’t. I’m really sorry.’ When asked if he thought the photograph was racist, he said, ‘Yes it was. I didn’t consider it racist at the time, but now we know better.’”

-- NOTE: Canada’s election is Oct. 21. ALEX PANETTA: “Trudeau ‘brownface’ controversy lays bare split in Canadian racial attitudes”

IRAN UPDATE … NYT’S PETER BAKER and ERIC SCHMITT: “Mr. Trump’s team has developed a range of alternatives short of a retaliatory strike with bombs or missiles, including a new round of sanctions to further strangle Iran’s economy, the deployment of more American forces to the region as a deterrent against future provocations and a stepped-up cybercampaign to send a message of resolve to Tehran without bloodshed, officials said.

“The president, who was wrapping up a three-day campaign trip to New Mexico and California, began Wednesday by vowing more sanctions on Iran to be detailed in the next 48 hours. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo arrived in Saudi Arabia and declared the attacks an ‘act of war’ by Iran but talked mainly of rallying allies to enhance deterrence.” NYT

HAPPENING TODAY … REUTERS’ DAVID LAWDER: “U.S. and Chinese deputy trade negotiators were set to resume face-to-face talks on Thursday for the first time in nearly two months as the world’s two largest economies try to bridge deep policy differences and find a way out of a bitter and protracted trade war.

“The negotiations on Thursday and Friday are aimed at laying the groundwork for high-level talks in early October that will determine whether the two countries are working towards a solution or are headed for new and higher tariffs on each other’s goods.

“A delegation of about 30 Chinese officials, led by Vice Finance Minister Liao Min, were set to launch talks on Thursday morning at the U.S. Trade Representative’s (USTR) office near the White House. The U.S. side is expected to be led by Deputy USTR Jeffrey Gerrish.” Reuters

CLICKER -- “This Picture Tells You Everything You Need to Know About Impeachment,” by NYT’s Nick Fandos

A message from Amazon: Amazon helps sellers grow. See how .

IMMIGRATION FILES -- “More Than 500 Acres of Public Land to Be Used for Border Wall Construction,” by WSJ’s Jim Carlton and Michelle Hackman: “The Interior Department is transferring public lands to the Pentagon for construction of about 70 miles of border wall, in a move likely to ratchet up controversy over one of the Trump administration’s signature projects.

“The action by Interior Secretary David Bernhardt moves jurisdiction over about 560 acres currently overseen by the Bureau of Land Management to the U.S. Army, which will use it to construct barriers the president has said will help secure the nation’s southern border against illegal migration.

“The lands being transferred include 213 acres in southwestern New Mexico, 301 acres in Arizona’s Yuma County and 44 acres in California’s San Diego County. The Interior Department said the new walls in those areas would replace and expand current pedestrian barriers.” WSJ

EYES ON THE SKIES -- “FAA chief says he won’t certify the Boeing 737 Max until he flies the plane himself,” by CNBC’s Phil LeBeau

OBAMA ALUMNI -- “UC President Janet Napolitano to step down,” by the L.A. Times’ Teresa Watanabe: “University of California President Janet Napolitano, who has championed immigrant students and sexual abuse victims but whose management style has sparked criticism, announced Wednesday she was resigning as head of the nation’s premier public research university system.

“Napolitano made the announcement at the UC regents meeting at UCLA. She will step down Aug. 1, 2020. … Napolitano, 61, said she would join the UC Berkeley Goldman School of Public Policy to teach and write in fall 2021 after a yearlong sabbatical. … She did not rule out running for political office, taking a Cabinet position or serving on the U.S. Supreme Court if nominated.” LAT

POLITICO Playbook newsletter Sign up today to receive the #1-rated newsletter in politics Email Sign Up By signing up you agree to receive email newsletters or alerts from POLITICO. You can unsubscribe at any time. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

MEDIAWATCH … CNN’S OLIVER DARCY: “Back in the 2000 election, John McCain opened his campaign bus up to reporters, offering extreme access as he engaged with journalists in between stops. The bus was called the Straight Talk Express and became a symbol of McCain's commitment to providing press access.

“Nearly 20 years later, Pete Buttigieg is going to try out the concept. Beginning Saturday, Buttigieg will go on a four-day swing through Iowa in which reporters from national and local outlets will be welcomed on his bus. Everything will be on the record, spokesperson Lis Smith told me. ‘Like the original Straight Talk Express, it's a pen and pad thing. No stills and no TV cameras because that ruins the whole feel of it,’ Smith said. ‘But it's all on the record.’” CNN

-- “CNN announces details for LGBTQ town hall”: “Nine Democratic presidential candidates have accepted the Human Rights Campaign Foundation's invitation to participate in a CNN town hall next month focused on lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer issues. HRC is billing the October 10 town hall in Los Angeles [as] ‘Power of our Pride,’ and it coincides with the 31st anniversary of National Coming Out Day on October 11. It will air live on CNN from 7 p.m. ET to 11:30 p.m. ET.”

-- NBC’s Andrea Mitchell sat down with Terry Gross of NPR to talk journalism ahead of formally receiving her lifetime Emmy Award on Tuesday. NPR

-- MARC TICE, the father of Austin Tice, the reporter who went missing in Syria, praised Robert O’Brien’s appointment as national security adviser. More than 80 people will canvass Congress on Monday, trying to raise the profile of Austin’s case. Marc Tice’s tweet

PLAYBOOKERS

Send tips to Eli Okun and Garrett Ross at [email protected].

SPOTTED: Andrew Yang playing pickup basketball Wednesday evening at Georgetown’s Yates Field House. … Rep. Joe Kennedy (D-Mass.) walking out of Capitol Lounge on Wednesday night.

RENT THE RUNWAY CEO JENNIFER HYMAN took her message on paid family leave and venture capital access to Capitol Hill on Wednesday, meeting over lunch with the House Future Forum Caucus members, including Reps. Stephanie Murphy (D-Fla.), Abigail Spanberger (D-Va.), Grace Meng (D-N.Y.), Jimmy Gomez (D-Calif.), Marc Veasey (D-Texas), Eric Swalwell (D-Calif.), Darren Soto (D-Fla.), Katie Porter (D-Calif.), Seth Moulton (D-Mass.), Haley Stevens (D-Mich.), Nanette Diaz Barragán (D-Calif.), Colin Allred (D-Texas) and Abby Finkenauer (D-Iowa).

OUT AND ABOUT … SPOTTED at the National Hispanic Foundation for the Arts’ “Noche De Gala” Black Tie Dinner at the Mayflower on Wednesday night: Sen. Bob Menendez (D-N.J.), Reps. Tony Cárdenas (D-Calif.), Katherine Clark (D-Mass.), Jimmy Gomez (D-Calif.), Marc Veasey (D-Texas) and Joaquin Castro (D-Texas), Julián Castro, Felix Sanchez, Merel Julia, Melissa Barrera, Alfonso Herrera, Virginia Zigras, Ginny Grenham, Gloria Rodriguez, Jim Vella, Maria Cardona, Susie Santana, Lyndon Boozer, Connie Coopersmith, Mickey Ibarra, Gerry Harrington, Kevin Ryan, Bayly Hassell, Elaine Coronado and Lani Green-Rowley.

-- SPOTTED at El Pre - the Kickoff, a celebration of Latino members of Congress: Reps. Adriano Espaillat (D-N.Y.), Donna Shalala (D-Fla.) and Ruben Gallego (D-Ariz.), Mayra Macías, Leopoldo Martinez, Oscar Ramirez, Aaron Trujillo, Dana Thompson, Valeria Sandoval, Tayhlor Coleman, Colin Rogero, Javier Gamboa, Tomás Kloosterman, Daniela Fernandez and Kiara Pesante Haughton.

TRANSITIONS -- Lindsay Bomar is now director of public affairs at WeWork. She previously was director of corporate communications at AdvoCare and is a Bloomberg alum. … Juan Carlos Pinzon will be senior adviser at Albright Stonebridge Group. He is chairman of Virtus Global SAS and is Colombia’s former minister of defense and ambassador to the U.S.

WEDDING -- Bryan Rafanelli, founder of Rafanelli Events and an Obama White House alum, married Mark Walsh, former deputy chief of protocol, on Sept. 8. The grooms received a call from Hillary Clinton and a text from Pete Buttigieg at the wedding. … SPOTTED: Huma Abedin, Anthony Mercurio, Kathy Gasparine, Dennis Cheng and Mike Taylor.

BIRTHDAY OF THE DAY: Sarah Davey Wolman, press secretary for Rep. Jimmy Panetta (D-Calif.). An interesting book she’s been reading: “I just finished reading ‘Yes She Can: 10 Stories of Hope & Change from Young Female Staffers of the Obama White House.’ My friend and fellow Obama-intern alum, Taylor Lustig, is a co-author. It’s an inspiring read for young women, and anyone who has ever been interested in public service.” Playbook Plus Q&A

BIRTHDAYS: Sen. Tim Scott (R-S.C.) is 54 (h/t Ken Farnaso) ... Rep. Henry Cuellar (D-Texas) is 64 … Ben Cantrell, deputy director of leg affairs in the VP’s office, is 31 … Andrea Saul, policy comms at Facebook ... Michael Barone, senior political analyst for the Washington Examiner, is 74 ... Roger Angell is 99 ... Christina Iskandar ... Anne Garland Berryshimm … Rebecca Blank, chancellor of the University of Wisconsin at Madison … Toby Chaudhuri ... Suzanne Salgado ... POLITICO’s Colleen Connolly ... David Pittman ... WSJ’s Wade Lambert is 59 … David Silber (h/t Claude Marx) … Greta Carnes … Claire Gianotti ... Ariana Mushnick of Precision Strategies ... Dorey Scheimer ... Jeannie Bunton, EVP COS with the Consumer Bankers Association … Bhutanese PM Tshering Tobgay is 54 … Maggie Moran, managing partner at Kivvit … Spencer Garrett ...

… Chris Cooper, partner at Potomac Square Group (h/t Jon Haber) … Teddy Scheinman, an editor for CNN Opinion and a Pacific Standard alum, is 34 (h/t Nadia Szold) … POLITICO Europe’s Marion Solletty … Sonali Desai … Kate Adie … John Byers ... Sarah Kleiner, federal politics reporter at The Center for Public Integrity (h/t Dave Levinthal) … Bruce Rohr (h/t Mitchell Rivard) … Carly Rolfe ... Greg Audel … Patrick M. Hughes … Amanda DeBard ... Will Hackman of Pew Charitable Trusts ... Curtis Rhyne ... Sarah Marie Miller ... Frank Konkel, executive editor at Nextgov ... Dan Kolko ... Andrea McCarren ... Masamichi Hanabusa ... Valentyna Polunina ... Neal Urwitz, VP at Edelman, is 36 ... Kimberly Halkett ... Bruce Alpert … Bill Varian … Sean Coit, communications director for Sen. Chris Coons (D-Del.) ... Paul Logan ... Mike Laws ... Ali Glisson ... Adam Temple … Sarah Bailey … Donn Stanley … Mark Edwards … Christina Iskander (h/ts Teresa Vilmain)

A message from Amazon: Amazon helps independent sellers grow and thrive in our store. Read the story behind the growth of independent sellers—mostly small- and medium-sized businesses—in the Amazon store.

Follow us on Twitter Anna Palmer @apalmerdc



Jake Sherman @JakeSherman