Herbert Hoover stans fight back

Presented by Center Forward: The power players, latest policy developments, and intriguing whispers percolating inside the West Wing.

Feb 12, 2024 View in browser   By Ben Johansen, Lauren Egan and Myah Ward Presented by Welcome to POLITICO’s West Wing Playbook, your guide to the people and power centers in the Biden administration. With help from producer Raymond Rapada. Send tips | Subscribe here | Email Eli | Email Lauren President JOE BIDEN has a rotation of names for former President DONALD TRUMP (not all of which are appropriate in public). But in recent weeks, he appears to favor a new one: “Donald ‘Herbert Hoover’ Trump.” At a November campaign reception in Denver, Biden told the crowd that “Trump is one of just two presidents who lost jobs during his four years as president. The other one was Herbert Hoover. That’s why every now and then we call him Donald ‘Herbert Hoover’ Trump.” But the barrage came after Trump said in an interview last month that he hopes the economy crashes in the next 12 months before he could potentially take office again “because I don’t want to be Herbert Hoover.” The Biden team jumped on the opportunity. The campaign shared a video on X of Biden reacting to Trump’s comments: “He’s already Herbert Hoover. He’s the only other president who’s lost jobs during his term,” Biden said. The Hoover name was here to stay. Biden has since drawn a comparison between the two presidents at nearly every speech he’s given — from an infrastructure speech in North Carolina to fundraisers in New York and campaign events in Nevada and Washington, D.C. These days, Biden can hardly get through public remarks without getting his Hoover jab in there. Although the nickname is Biden’s go-to punch line and always draws a laugh from supporters, not everyone appreciates the joke. In fact, it’s landed with a thud among the Hoover fans and even family members out there. “It’s such a cheap shot,” MARGARET HOOVER, the great granddaughter of President Hoover and conservative political commentator, told West Wing Playbook of both Biden and Trump’s comments. “If a person spent a minute studying Herbert Hoover’s contributions, one would come to see that these political jabs have obscured a shining example of an uncommon public servant.” Was Hoover, who entered the White House in 1929 at the onset of the Great Depression, just months before “Black Monday,” being unfairly judged? Historians tend to rate the guy pretty low (though not JAMES BUCHANAN low) among all time presidents. But Hoover buffs feel like he gets dragged down too much by the economic developments that happened early on his watch. GEORGE NASH, the author of four books on Hoover’s life, argued that Biden’s comments come from “ignorance” of Hoover’s actual record and tunnel vision about the Great Depression. “You don’t expect most political figures to have deep knowledge of these matters so they are looking for quick stereotypes to invoke,” Nash said. “These are very superficial statements that both individuals have made.” Beyond that, Nash questioned the potency of an insult centered on a nearly century-old record. “I’m not sure the public understanding of Hoover is that substantial at this point for that to be an effective attack line,” Nash said. There were others who say Hoover is getting a bad rap and is not deserving of being compared to Trump. TOM SCHWARTZ, director of the Hoover Presidential Library and Museum in West Branch, Iowa, was one of them. Although he kept from commenting on Biden’s remarks, he backed up his guy, saying that there were many financial events outside of Hoover’s control. “It was something that Hoover had to respond to, but it wasn’t something he could control or stop,” Schwartz said of the economic collapse. The pro-Hoover crowd notes that he was nicknamed by the public and media as the “great humanitarian,” for his humanitarian work in Europe, especially during World War I. Margaret Hoover pointed towards his long-standing friendship with former President HARRY TRUMAN as the “model of the post-presidency.” Schwartz said he agreed with a comparison Nash made in 2012, calling Hoover the RODNEY DANGERFIELD of presidents: “He gets no respect.” “We apologize for any undue pain we caused Herbert Hoover by lumping him in with Donald Trump,” Biden campaign senior spokesperson LAUREN HITT said. “While they do share the worst jobs record in American history, Hoover never said he wanted the economy to crash to improve his own political fortune — an important distinction.” If either Biden or Trump are in the mood for a refresh on their Hoover history, Margaret Hoover is happy to oblige. “I will personally offer either Donald Trump or Joe Biden — or any elected official of either party — a tour of the Herbert Hoover Presidential Library and Museum,” she said. “This is an open invitation.” MESSAGE US — Are you TERICKA LAMBERT, deputy director in the office of digital strategy? We want to hear from you. And we’ll keep you anonymous! Email us at westwingtips@politico.com. Did someone forward this email to you? Subscribe here!  A message from Center Forward: America’s capital markets benefit our whole economy – with investments, innovation, economic growth and job creation. They enable everything from stable prices to strong pensions and clean energy. But the Federal Reserve is considering Basel III Endgame, which will weaken capital markets and undermine American competitiveness. Why would we hurt our economy at a time like this? See why companies and groups across America are speaking out against the proposal.   POTUS PUZZLER Which president nearly burned down his father’s blacksmith shop while messing with hot coals? (Answer at bottom.) The Oval A SOMBER VISIT: President Biden hosted King ABDULLAH II of Jordan at the White House on Monday, marking the first in-person meeting between the two leaders since the conflict between Israel and Hamas. In brief remarks Monday afternoon, Biden said the U.S. was working on a hostage deal that would bring an “immediate and sustained period of calm to Gaza for at least six weeks, which we could then take the time to build something more enduring.” Biden said “gaps remain” on the deal, but he encouraged Israeli leaders to reach an agreement. King Abdullah, for his part, called for a lasting cease-fire and said it was “imperative” that the UNRWA continue to receive the support it needs to carry out its mandate. TROUBLE IN THE HOLY LAND: Biden has been voicing frustration in private conversations about “his inability to persuade Israel to change its military tactics in the Gaza Strip, and he has named Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as the primary obstacle,” NBC’s CAROL E. LEE, JONATHAN ALLEN, PETER NICHOLAS and COURTNEY KUBE report. “Biden has said he is trying to get Israel to agree to a cease-fire, but Netanyahu is ‘giving him hell’ and is impossible to deal with.” Publicly, Biden offered a more diplomatic take on the situation. When asked by reporters Monday whether Netanyahu is listening to his advice, Biden replied: “Everybody does.” WHAT THE WHITE HOUSE WANTS YOU TO READ: This piece by WaPo’s JEANNE WHALEN about how “Phoenix is a boom town, thanks in part to President Biden.” Whalen writes that the Biden-backed CHIPS and Science Act of 2022 has “sparked some of the biggest investment projects in the nation’s history, transforming Maricopa County into one of the world’s most important manufacturing sites for the tiny components that power all modern electronics.” White House communications director BEN LABOLT and deputy communications director HERBIE ZISKEND shared the piece on X. WHAT THE WHITE HOUSE DOESN’T WANT YOU TO READ: This piece by Axios’ ALEX THOMPSON and STEF W. KIGHT about how “infighting, blame-shifting and indecision” have hampered the Biden administration’s handling of the crisis at the southern border. The pair report that when Biden was en route to tour the southern border in January 2023, he “exploded with fury” and “lit into his team” on Air Force One when they didn’t have “obscure immigration data points” handy. “People in the meeting later told others in frustration that his winding process and irritability were making it more difficult to reach decisions about the border.” HAVE NO FEAR: In an interview on Air Force Two last week, WSJ’s TARINI PARTI asked Vice President KAMALA HARRIS whether voter concerns about Biden’s age put pressure on her to convince the public that she would be ready to step up to the plate, if needed. “I am ready to serve. There’s no question about that,” Harris told Parti. The VP added that everyone who sees her on the job “walks away fully aware of my capacity to lead.”   YOUR VIP PASS TO THE MUNICH SECURITY CONFERENCE: Dive into the heart of global security with POLITICO's Global Playbook at the 2024 Munich Security Conference. Gain exclusive insights and in-depth analysis as author Suzanne Lynch navigates the crucial discussions, key players and emerging trends that will shape the international security landscape. Subscribe now to Global Playbook and stay informed.     CAMPAIGN HQ A DIFFERENT KIND OF KITCHEN TABLE CONVERSATION: Vice President Harris hosted battleground state governors at her residence over the weekend to discuss the 2024 election, CBS’ ED O'KEEFE reports. Governors huddled around the VP’s dining room table for three hours sipping coffee and munching on light snacks (later, they sipped cocktails) as they voiced concerns about what one person described as a “lack of creativity and agility that comes from the West Wing.” O’Keefe reports that there was agreement in the room that Biden could hit Republicans harder on issues such as immigration and abortion. Harris also laid out plans for a big campaign-style push after Biden’s State of the Union address on March 7. TOO DANGEROUS FOR FEDERAL WORKER PHONES. JUST RIGHT FOR THE ELECTION: The Biden campaign joined TikTok on Sunday, debuting with a post of the president playing a Super Bowl themed this-or-that game, our ELENA SCHNEIDER reports. The move comes a year after the White House demanded that federal agencies wipe TikTok off all government devices, and as the app becomes increasingly politically controversial. During Monday’s White House press briefing, reporters repeatedly pressed KARINE JEAN-PIERRE and JOHN KIRBY about whether this signaled a change in the Biden administration’s posture toward the app. Jean-Pierre said the White House didn’t get a heads up that the campaign was going to join. And Kirby said that from an National Security Council perspective, “there are still national security concerns about the use of TikTok on government devices and there's been no change to our policy.” THE BUREAUCRATS MOVING ON UP: John Kirby has a new title — White House national security communications adviser — and has been elevated to an assistant to the president from deputy assistant, Reuters STEVE HOLLAND reports. RAIN CHECK: Defense Secretary LLOYD AUSTIN canceled a trip to Brussels for a meeting on Ukraine aid after being admitted to the critical care unit at Walter Reed National National Military Medical Center over the weekend, our LARA SELIGMAN reports. The Pentagon said Austin was admitted following symptoms suggesting an “emergent bladder issue” and was expected to resume his normal duties on Tuesday, although it’s unclear how long he will remain hospitalized. Austin transferred his official duties to his deputy, KATHLEEN HICKS, after arriving at the hospital, the Pentagon said. SURF’S UP: Several White House officials on Monday met with the founders of the Israeli charity HaGal Sheli to learn about their work using surfing to help Oct. 7 survivors find resilience and personal security, a person familiar with the meeting told our DANIEL LIPPMAN. JESSICA KILLIN, deputy assistant to the president and chief of staff to the second gentleman, and AMI FIELDS-MEYER, senior policy adviser to the vice president, met with YARON WAKSMAN and EPHRAIM SHAPIRO, who lead the nonprofit, which means “my wave” in Hebrew.   A message from Center Forward:   Agenda Setting FIRST IN WEST WING PLAYBOOK: Timed with Valentine’s Day, thousands of tenants from Minnesota, Alaska, Maine, Connecticut, Arizona, New Jersey, Nevada, California, New York, North Carolina, Arkansas and Pennsylvia are planning actions on Tuesday to “break up with their landlords” and calling on President Biden to address the housing crisis. The Center for Popular Democracy organized the effort to urge Biden to invest in federal, state and local funds in green social housing — publicly owned or community controlled housing — and to pass stronger tenant protections, including a ban on evictions for people who owe less than $1,000 in rent. The group also wants Biden to create an Office of Social Housing. “If President Biden hopes to appeal to working families this election cycle, he must take action and implement green social housing,” said the organization’s co-Executive Director ANALILIA MEJIA. CITIES MAKE ANOTHER IMMIGRATION PUSH: More than 40 mayors and county leaders sent a letter Monday to Department of Homeland Security Secretary ALEJANDRO MAYORKAS, urging the Biden administration to issue an automatic work permit extension for immigrants for 540 days or longer. Without this move, they warn, hundreds of thousands of immigrants could be booted from the workforce due to current processing delays, further straining local economies across the country. Among the signers from the Cities for Action group was New York City Mayor ERIC ADAMS, Boston Mayor MICHELLE WU, Denver Mayor MIKE JOHNSTON and Chicago Mayor BRANDON JOHNSON.   YOUR GUIDE TO EMPIRE STATE POLITICS: From the newsroom that doesn’t sleep, POLITICO's New York Playbook is the ultimate guide for power players navigating the intricate landscape of Empire State politics. Stay ahead of the curve with the latest and most important stories from Albany, New York City and around the state, with in-depth, original reporting to stay ahead of policy trends and political developments. Subscribe now to keep up with the daily hustle and bustle of NY politics.      What We're Reading Group Focused on Child Care Sets $40 Million Effort to Help Democrats (NYT’s Lisa Lerer) Rep. Ruben Gallego's Senate run has rarely highlighted his support for President Joe Biden (Arizona Republic’s Ronald J. Hansen) POTUS PUZZLER ANSWER You guessed it! HERBERT HOOVER. Hoover’s father, JESSE HOOVER, was trained in traditional blacksmithing and there’s even a working blacksmith shop at the Herbert Hoover National Historic Site. Perhaps President Biden can give it a try if he ever makes that visit. Thanks to the Hoover Presidential Foundation for this question! A CALL OUT! Do you think you have a harder trivia question? Send us your best one about the presidents, with a citation or sourcing, and we may feature it! Edited by Eun Kyung Kim and Sam Stein. A message from Center Forward: The Federal Reserve’s Basel III Endgame will undermine the U.S. economy – and American competitiveness. That’s why so many companies, organizations and people are speaking out in rare agreement against the proposal and its harmful impact on capital markets and the U.S. economy – Republicans and Democrats, corporations and nonprofits, manufacturers and consumers, and even groups from California and Alabama.    Organizations from across industries are urging the Fed to reconsider the rule, saying it would have “significant adverse consequences” and is “bad for consumers and bad for economic stability.” Even lawmakers from both sides of the aisle agree that the Fed should “carefully consider the proposal’s consequences on capital markets.” America has spoken. Will the Fed listen? Protect our Capital Markets. Protect our Economy.     Follow us on Twitter Lauren Egan @Lauren_V_Egan Myah Ward @MyahWard Ben Johansen @BenJohansen3   Follow us

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