What Biden does now

The power players, latest policy developments, and intriguing whispers percolating inside the West Wing.

Aug 08, 2024 View in browser   By Jonathan Lemire, Eli Stokols, Lauren Egan and Ben Johansen Welcome to POLITICO’s West Wing Playbook, your guide to the people and power centers in the Biden administration. Send tips | Subscribe here | Email Eli | Email Lauren Just weeks after Democrats drove JOE BIDEN from the race, his aides are rethinking his final months as president, sketching out a targeted role on the campaign trail and sharper focus on White House events that shape his legacy. White House and political aides have talked about occasionally sending Biden out to stump for KAMALA HARRIS as polls suggest his approval rating has ticked up following his decision to step aside. The vice president wants Biden’s support in the targeted places where he has the most strength, including with older white voters in states he won in 2020, including Pennsylvania and Michigan, according to three political aides granted anonymity to discuss private discussions. It’s a remarkable contrast from how Biden envisioned spending the next several months, criss-crossing the country to sell voters on a second term. Still, some Democrats have privately suggested in recent weeks that the president would be better suited to staying in the White House and governing. “Joe Biden and America had a big win last week,” said one Democratic strategist on a Senate campaign granted anonymity to characterize private conversations, referring to the return of prisoners from Russia. “He reminded voters of his compassion and steadfast leadership. More strong governing wins and less campaigning is probably the best thing he could do for the ticket.” Another Democratic operative, also granted anonymity, who has worked on presidential campaigns was more blunt: “It’s clear the party did not want Biden as the nominee. It’s very hard to see the Harris team wanting him out there on the trail.” Biden is expected to make his first campaign appearance with his party’s new nominee in the next few weeks following his speech at the Democratic convention, according to the three officials. He would embark on a limited campaign schedule for the fall, likely deployed strategically — certainly to Pennsylvania and perhaps other key states — and target constituencies where he continues to poll well while avoiding competing with Harris for the spotlight. Biden would, through a mix of official and campaign events, focus on some of his popular accomplishments, like the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and lowering prescription drug prices, moments that would be held with an eye on both helping the Harris ticket and burnishing the president’s legacy. “He doesn’t have to fit into the Harris-Walz vibes. That energy and enthusiasm is something she owns. But he can be helpful in specific ways,” said Democratic pollster CORNELL BELCHER, who noted that Biden, prior to his disastrous June 27 debate, had been enjoying strong support from seniors. “He can really lean in with older, more blue-collar voters, particularly around issues like Social Security and retirement.” And in any appearances alongside Harris, Belcher added, “he should lean into the ‘passing the mantle’ thing and his legacy.” In the White House, aides are flipping the script from campaign to legacy mode. Biden plans to cede much of the limelight to Harris, giving her the space she needs to separate herself from a president whom most Americans did not want to seek reelection, according to the officials. In the weeks since his decision to step aside, the White House has been in something of a reshuffle, as aides at all levels — many considering how best to position themselves for 2025 — determine whether they want to stay on or take leave to join the Harris campaign. Those staying on have been drawing up memos for the president on how he might approach the final months of his term, suggesting domestic policies to consider highlighting, potential travel and a new approach to communication. On Wednesday, chief of staff JEFF ZIENTS led a call with around 2,000 appointees across all executive branch agencies to talk about what the final months of Biden’s term will look like. National security adviser JAKE SULLIVAN spoke about new possibilities for more foreign engagements at home and abroad now that Biden is no longer a candidate, according to a person familiar with the call but granted anonymity to discuss a private call. And HHS Secretary XAVIER BECERRA previewed an announcement coming this month about the renegotiated and reduced costs of 10 specific prescription drugs as a result of the Inflation Reduction Act, the person said. While much remains in flux, there is already a consensus around slowing the cadence of the president’s public schedule. According to two of the officials, Biden plans to appear less frequently to deliver speeches. When he does speak, aides hope to make a bigger splash with more substantive, newsy set pieces that will focus largely on the administration’s accomplishments. Aides pointed to last week’s call for Supreme Court policy changes at the Lyndon Johnson Library in Texas, Biden’s remarks announcing a historic prisoner swap with Russia and a sit-down interview this week for “CBS News Sunday Morning” as the kinds of more substantive, higher-payoff events the White House will be looking for. The president’s schedule is expected to be a mix of events highlighting the impact of policy wins and bucket list items for a politician capping a five-decade career. One example: Biden’s reported creation of a new national monument in Maine for FRANCES PERKINS, the country’s first female cabinet member. And a senior campaign official pointed to Labor Day, when in past years Biden has frequently attended Pittsburgh’s Labor Day parade, as a moment where the president could play a role in a broader campaign push to demonstrate support for workers. "If I were them, I would just park his ass in Pennsylvania and move on," said a veteran Democratic operative granted anonymity to speak frankly. Adam Cancryn and Eugene Daniels contributed to this report. To keep reading the rest of this report, CLICK HERE. MESSAGE US — Are you DANIELA DIAZ, special assistant to the social secretary and events coordinator? We want to hear from you. And we’ll keep you anonymous! Email us at westwingtips@politico.com. DNC COUNTDOWN: Are you headed to the 2024 Democratic convention in Chicago? Join POLITICO in Chicago for live, in-person conversations with the Democratic Party’s biggest newsmakers. Sign up here to get notified once registration opens. Did someone forward this email to you? Subscribe here!    Breaking News Briefing: Where Tim Walz Stands on the Issues — The Democratic ticket is set now that Vice President Kamala Harris has named Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz as her running mate. Join POLITICO Pro on Friday Aug. 9 for a detailed discussion with specialist reporters on what Walz's track record says about the policies he and Harris will embrace in the final stretch of the 2024 presidential campaign. Register for the Briefing     POTUS PUZZLER Which former president is a now converted vegan? (Answer at bottom.) CAMPAIGN HQ TRUMP RE-AGREES TO DEBATES: Former President DONALD TRUMP held an hour-long press conference on Thursday at Mar-a-Lago, where he said he had agreed to two different debates with Vice President Harris, on top of the initial Trump-agreed upon Fox News debate on Sept. 4: One on ABC News on Sept. 10 and another with NBC News on Sept. 25. Shortly after, ABC News confirmed that both the Harris and Trump campaigns have agreed to the televised, prime-time debate on Sept. 10 with the network. DAVID MUIR and LINSEY DAVIS will host the showdown. AND MAKES CLEAR THAT HE'S REALLY DOING JUST FINE! Trump also expressed frustration at having to run against Harris and not Biden, asserting that “they took the presidency away” from him (news to us!) “like he’s a child” and even referencing our reporting about the Democratic pressure campaign to get him to step aside (thanks for reading!). On a point of real sensitivity, he minimized Harris’ rally crowds as being a mere “1,500 people” (she had actual crowds of 12,000 and 15,000 people on Wednesday) while claiming he gets “more people” than MARTIN LUTHER KING JR. did, seemed not to know what Mifepristone is, played dumb about his contention last week that Harris recently “became” Black, explained his light campaign schedule by asserting “I’m leading by a lot” and tested out a number of other attack lines on her. He dismissed Harris’ running mate, Minnesota Gov. TIM WALZ, as “a radical left man” who is “heavy into the transgender world. Heavy into lots of different worlds.” The Harris campaign responded in an email to what it called “Donald Trump’s Very Good, Very Normal Press Conference,” characterizing it as part of a “split screen” featuring the Democrats’ “joy and freedom” against “whatever the hell that was.” The release also included a screenshot of a @dril post on X that read: “and another thing: i’m not mad. please don’t put in the newspaper that i got mad.” HARRIS’ OPPORTUNITY: New data from Democratic research firm Blueprint shows that Harris has far more of an opportunity to define herself than Trump does. Just 57 percent of voters say their minds are made up about the new Democratic nominee, compared with 71 percent who say there’s no changing their opinion on Trump. Pollsters also tested several Republican lines of attack on Harris, finding that critiques of her record on immigration and the economy scored the best, while DEI and family arguments scored the worst. Blueprint then looked at her campaign’s rebuttals to these attacks and found that “the most effective responses are ones that immediately highlight Vice President Harris’ background and record of accomplishments rather than ones that call out Republican lies and use traditional anti-Trump messaging.” PELOSI’S “FOR THE CHILDREN” MIC DROP: Former House Speaker NANCY PELOSI has been heralded by many on the left for her role in pressing President Biden to step out of the race. And now, in an interview with the New Yorker’s DAVID REMNICK, Pelosi, one of the most calculated politicians we’ve seen, is digging the knife deeper. “I’ve never been that impressed with his political operation,” Pelosi admitted. “They won the White House. Bravo. But my concern was: this ain’t happening, and we have to make a decision for this to happen.” Pelosi — whom Remnick describes in peak TNY prose as being especially gifted at “keeping a straight face while shoveling a certain amount of barnyard material on your wingtips” — offered up a quintessential encapsulation of her own credo: “You take a punch, but you have to be willing to throw a punch. For the children.” DEMS COOK: Cook Political Report made three changes to its Electoral College ratings Thursday, moving Arizona, Nevada and Georgia from “Lean Republican” to “Toss Up.” CPR’s AMY WALTER wrote that three weeks ago, Donald Trump was leading President Biden in the CPR national vote tracker by about 2.5 percentage points. And today, Harris leads Trump by less than one point. The FiveThirtyEight state polling averages from July 21, the last day Biden was the Democratic nominee, found the president trailing in those same three Sun Belt states by more than five points. Today, Trump’s lead is well within the margin of error in Arizona and Georgia. There weren’t enough polls for a Nevada average, but recent CBS and Bloomberg surveys have Harris with a two-point lead. Republican strategist RON NEHRING, who served as TED CRUZ’s national spokesperson during his 2016 presidential bid, responded to the change in rating: “We will continue losing races we should win until realizing it’s about persuading, not the social media-induced endless doubling down.” The Oval WHAT THE WHITE HOUSE WANTS YOU TO READ: This piece by CNN’s BRYAN MENA, who reports that U.S. mortgage rates have plummeted this week, with the standard 30-year fixed-rate mortgage averaging 6.47 percent, according to mortgage financing giant Freddie Mac. It’s significantly down from last week’s average of 6.73 percent and marks the lowest level since May 2023. Mortgage rates have steadily fallen over the past several weeks since reaching a 2024 peak of 7.22 percent in early May. “The decline in mortgage rates does increase prospective homebuyers’ purchasing power and should begin to pique their interest in making a move,” said SAM KHATER, Freddie Mac’s chief economist, in a release. Communications director BEN LaBOLT shared the piece on X. WHAT THE WHITE HOUSE DOESN’T WANT YOU TO READ: This report from WaPo’s DANIELLE PAQUETTE on how Harris replacing Biden atop the ticket has done little to mollify Democratic voters still upset by the administration’s continued support of Israel. “I do want to vote,” LEAH SHEPPERD, a Pennsylvania voter, said. “But ethically, I’m stuck.” Support from those demanding the White House do more to help people in Gaza and clinch a ceasefire agreement could matter in some key battleground states, where the results may be decided by just a few thousand votes. THE BUREAUCRATS MOVING ON UP: White House communications director Ben LaBolt will take on a new responsibility as senior adviser to the president in the final months of the administration, Axios’ MIKE ALLEN reports. LaBolt will spend more time on broad strategy and advising Biden, taking on a similar role to ANITA DUNN, who left the White House last week to advise Future Forward, a super PAC supporting the Harris campaign. Chief of staff Jeff Zients said LaBolt will help “navigate through the campaign period and then the final chapter of this presidency — and make sure Americans understand everything President Biden has delivered.” GOTTA GET PETE ON THE CRAPS TABLE: CHASTEN BUTTIGIEG, husband of Transportation Secretary PETE BUTTIGIEG, seems to be quite the high roller. According to the secretary’s financial disclosures, Chasten took home $6,755 in “gambling winnings” from MGM National Harbor and Grand Traverse Resort & Casinos in 2023. Agenda Setting WOULD YOU LOOK AT THAT: The U.S. stock market climbed Thursday after new labor market data boosted investor confidence in the economy following a sharp downturn earlier this week, CNBC’s HAKYUNG KIM and JESSE POUND report. The S&P 500 advanced 2.3 percent, closing at 5,319.31 and posting its best day since November 2022. The Dow Jones Industrial Average surged 683 points, while the Nasdaq Composite added 2.87 percent. The latest weekly jobless claims also came in below forecasts, helping to ease some recent concerns about the strength of the labor market. What We're Reading Tim Walz’s Camo Cap Is More Important Than You Think (Derek Guy for POLITICO Mag) Netanyahu at War (TIME Magazine’s Eric Cortellessa) Few national monuments honor women. Biden will create this new one. (WaPo’s Maxine Joselow) I Reviewed Restaurants for 12 Years. They’ve Changed, and Not for the Better. (NYT’s Pete Wells) POTUS PUZZLER ANSWER In 2010, BILL CLINTON adopted a vegan diet after he was forced to have an emergency surgery to insert a pair of stents. One of his veins had given out, a frequent complication following the quadruple-bypass surgery he had undergone in 2004. For Clinton, a native of Arkansas where residents run on pulled pork, it might seem like a difficult transition. “The main thing that was hard for me actually — much harder than giving up meat, turkey, chicken and fish — was giving up yogurt and hard cheese," Clinton said in a 2013 interview. "I love that stuff, but it really made a big difference when I did it." His preference of plant based milks? Almond. His favorite plant-based drink? Vodka. 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 Steve Shepard and Rishika Dugyala.   SUBSCRIBE TO GLOBAL PLAYBOOK: Don’t miss out on POLITICO’s Global Playbook, our newsletter taking you inside pivotal discussions at the most influential gatherings in the world. Suzanne Lynch delivers the world's elite and influential moments directly to you. Stay in the global loop. SUBSCRIBE NOW.       Follow us on Twitter Eli Stokols @EliStokols Lauren Egan @Lauren_V_Egan Ben Johansen @BenJohansen3   Follow us

To change your alert settings, please log in at https://login.politico.com/?redirect=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.politico.com/settings This email was sent to rouf@idiot.cloudns.cc by: POLITICO, LLC 1000 Wilson Blvd. Arlington, VA, 22209, USA Unsubscribe | Privacy Policy | Terms of Service