State of distress

Oct 30, 2023

By Myah Ward, Lauren Egan and Lawrence Ukenye

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Morale is plummeting in certain quarters of the Biden administration, as officials grapple with the fallout of the U.S. response to the attacks in Israel and the resulting humanitarian crisis in Gaza.

What was already a tense environment grew worse this past weekend with Israel expanding its ground invasion and protests breaking out around the globe.

Officials described something akin to a chilling effect, particularly inside the State Department, fueled by a sense that they can’t raise concerns about the administration’s response to the broadening crisis in the Middle East. A State Department official said “there are a lot of emotions,” while one Arab American administration official told West Wing Playbook that it’s “frustrating to show up to work and put your best effort forward.”

“It’s a demoralizing experience,” the second official said.

JOSH PAUL, who worked in the State Department’s Bureau of Political-Military Affairs for more than 11 years before resigning earlier this month amid concerns about arms transfers to Israel, told West Wing Playbook he had scores of administration officials reach out to him to talk. He said he spent Friday evening on calls with people he’s never met. A few officials floated the idea of resigning as they lose faith in the administration’s policies, he said, while others expressed concerns but said they can’t afford to leave their jobs.

“All evening, I was on back-to-back calls with people reaching out, particularly from the State Department, whose perspective was just, ‘Look, we have deep concerns about what’s going on, and we’re being offered emotional support, and we’re being told we can have listening sessions. But we’re being coddled, and no one’s actually addressing the policy issues. And when we do raise the policy issues, they tell us, look, this is coming from the top, there’s no space for discussion,’” Paul said, recounting recent conversations with current administration officials.

“People are saying, ‘I really care deeply about this, and I’m losing trust in the system.’”

The rising anxiety within State and elsewhere mirrors the tensions currently on display within the Democratic Party. The death toll in Gaza surpassed 7,000, according to the Gaza health ministry, and some Democrats over the weekend continued to pile on to the pressure for President JOE BIDEN (who has cast doubt on that 7,000 figure) to embrace a ceasefire. The president has emphasized the need to protect innocent Palestinian civilians in Gaza as he presses for a “humanitarian pause.”

“We are losing credibility,” Washington Democratic Rep. PRAMILA JAYAPAL said Sunday on NBC’s “Meet the Press.” “And, frankly, we’re being isolated in the rest of the world.”

But Biden has so far resisted calls for a ceasefire, continuing to express his belief that Israel has the right to defend itself after the Oct. 7 brutal Hamas attack that killed 1,400 people.

Concerns among some administration officials continue to fester, extending beyond questions of morality, Paul said. There is fear that the crisis may leave a lasting wound on America’s foreign policy. There is an even more immediate concern that dissenting voices are being ignored.

“There’s a tight circle around Biden making these core decisions right now,” said a former administration official. “The White House has already made up its decision on how it wants to respond, and the experts have been sidelined.”

The administration has held listening sessions and offered emotional support in the wake of the conflict. The White House, according to our colleagues at National Security Daily, held a series of recent staff meetings to discuss the crisis and its impact on aides’ lives.

The State Department, when asked for comment, referred West Wing Playbook to its spokesperson MATTHEW MILLER’s comments during an Oct. 19 press briefing.

“It, of course, is the president that sets policy, but we encourage everyone, even when they disagree with our policy, to let — to make their leadership know. Secretary Blinken has spoken to this on a number of occasions, when he’s said that he welcomes people exercising the dissent channel,” Miller said. “He finds it useful to get conflicting voices that may differ from his opinion. He takes it seriously, and it causes him to reflect on his own thinking in terms of policy making.”

But the concern is that these forums haven’t actually addressed the policy issues fundamentally driving the internal discontent.

“If the conflict deepens in Gaza — if there is a significant uptick in civilian casualties,” Paul said, “I think that would probably result in resignations.”

Alexander Ward contributed to this report.

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POTUS PUZZLER

Thanks to the White House Historical Association for this question!

Which first lady was responsible for facilitating LEONARDO DA VINCI’s Mona Lisa to be displayed in the U.S. for a limited time?

(Answer at bottom.)

The Oval

THE AI PLAYBOOK: Biden on Monday signed an executive order aimed at setting comprehensive guidelines on artificial intelligence technology through emergency powers under the Defense Production Act. The new order will allow multiple agencies to start regulating emerging technology and protect individuals’ privacy in the absence of any legislation governing AI from Congress, our MOHAR CHATTERJEE reports.

During a White House event highlighting the EO, the president joked about how AI can be used to impersonate voices and even recalled seeing a deep fake of himself. “I’ve watched one of me — I said, when the hell did I say that?” Biden said.

Vice President KAMALA HARRIS is scheduled to travel to the United Kingdom later this week to attend the Global Summit on AI Safety. She will deliver a “major policy speech on the Biden-Harris Administration’s vision for the future of Artificial Intelligence” at the U.S. Embassy in London, according to the White House.

PROGRESSIVE PUSHBACK CONTINUES: National Security Council spokesperson JOHN KIRBY shot down comparisons between Israel and Russia after Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.) called out the administration’s unequivocal support for Israel amid mounting civilian casualties in Gaza, our MATT BERG reports.

WHAT THE WHITE HOUSE WANTS YOU TO READ: This piece by The Hill’s BRETT SAMUELS about the Biden administration’s efforts to address the rise of antisemitism on college campuses in the wake of the Israel-Hamas conflict. The Department of Justice, DHS and other federal departments have been in communication with various localities to provide support to schools, Samuels writes. Education Secretary MIGUEL CARDONA and White House domestic policy adviser NEERA TANDEN are also scheduled to hold an on-campus discussion with Jewish students this week.

ALONG THOSE LINES: It is somewhat rare for members of the White House press shop to personalize their take on the news. But White House deputy communications director HERBIE ZISKEND shared this piece from The Hill in a thread on X, adding he found the online threats made this weekend against Jewish students at Cornell University, his alma mater, “deeply concerning, dangerous, and blatantly Antisemitic.” The university sent campus police to guard its Center for Jewish Living on Sunday after the posts were discovered on a student discussion site.

WHAT THE WHITE HOUSE DOESN’T WANT YOU TO READ: This story by Axios’ BEN GERMAN about recent BlueLabs Analytics data that found 40 percent of Americans haven’t heard of the Biden administration’s electric vehicle subsidies. The survey also found that only 22 percent know a “great deal” or “good amount” about the provisions in Biden’s signature climate law.

“Consumer knowledge gaps could undercut the substantive and political impact of the 2022 climate law, which provides tax breaks for home efficiency retrofits, EVs, green appliances, and much more,” German writes.

GET THOSE PENCILS READY: Biden’s allies in New Hampshire launched a write-in campaign Monday to help the president win the Granite State’s presidential primary, our LISA KASHINSKY reports. The launch includes a website — writeinbiden.com — that explains to voters why Biden won’t be appearing on the ballot (his campaign is following the new DNC primary calendar that puts South Carolina first). Our JONATHAN MARTIN has more about the challenges facing Biden in New Hampshire now that Rep. DEAN PHILLIPS (D-Minn.) is in the race.

IN NEED OF A LAST-MINUTE HALLOWEEN COSTUME? New York Times Washington bureau chief ELISABETH BUMILLER sent out a newsroom-wide email Monday morning offering up extra Halloween costumes … for dogs. “I have extra dog costumes if anyone needs one,” she wrote in the subject line. Staffers could pick from one butterfly costume (size medium), one chef (large) and one pumpkin (large). In return, she kindly asked: “Don’t ask how this happened.”

If you dressed up your dog in a Bumiller-provided costume, please send us a pic.

A NOTE (OF APOLOGY) FROM ELI: Being on parental leave with my seven-month-old, I had not been over at the White House much when Monday’s invitation came for staffers and members of the press to bring their kids to trick-or-treat in the EEOB. We accepted. And now I must apologize to those administration officials who encountered our toddler, a cute but highly temperamental astronaut.

Apologies to the agent working the magnetometer to whom Charlie screamed, “Give back my helmet!” when we momentarily relinquished loose objects. Apologies to the nice staffer Charlie screamed at for offering him candy. Apologies to whoever was sitting outside Ike’s around 12:30 and pelted from above with a mini-Snickers. Apologies to anyone whose hallway path was blocked by him rolling around the floor. And apologies to the folks he nearly maimed on 17th Street when he chucked a full plastic water bottle down the sidewalk.

(Sounds like things went well, Eli.)

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THE BUREAUCRATS

PERSONNEL MOVES: RACHEL PALERMO on Friday left the White House, where she was deputy communications director and associate counsel to Vice President Kamala Harris. She was Harris’ longest-serving communications aide. After getting married this weekend, she is starting at a law firm in December.

— LINDSAY MILLARD is now assistant director for space security at the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy. She most recently was principal director for space technology at the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering.

— KRISTA SCHWARZ is now senior economist for the Council of Economic Advisors. She most recently was principal economist at the Federal Reserve Board.

A message from American Chemistry Council – Chemistry Creates America Competes:

Agenda Setting

STILL ON THE STUDENT LOANS BEAT: The Biden administration will punish the Missouri Higher Education Loan Authority for failing to send timely billing statements to 2.5 million borrowers in the past month, our MICHAEL STRATFORD reports. The penalties mark another bump in the administration’s efforts to ease student debt following the Supreme Court’s strikedown of Biden’s student loan forgiveness plan.

The Education Department will withhold $7.2 million from MOHELA’s contract after over 800,000 borrowers were delinquent on their loans due to the error.

AND EVEN MORE: The Education Department will take another swing at student debt forgiveness in the coming months by targeting more specific groups, a departure from its previous push for sweeping debt relief, AP’s SEUNG MIN KIM reports. The proposal will focus on vulnerable borrowers whose balances exceeded the amount they originally owed.

CRISIS AVERTED: United Auto Workers on Monday secured a tentative agreement with General Motors, the last of Detroit’s three largest car manufacturers to reach a deal with the union, our OLIVIA OLANDER and HOLLY OTTERBEIN report.

“I’ve always believed that the middle class built America and that unions built the middle class, and that’s especially the case for United Auto Workers who built the iconic automobile industry,” Biden said before giving remarks about his executive order on AI.

GET READY FOR POLITICO’S DEFENSE SUMMIT ON 11/14: Russia’s war on Ukraine … China’s threats to Taiwan … a war in Gaza. The U.S. is under increasing pressure to deter, defend and fight in more ways — but not everyone agrees how. Join POLITICO's 3rd Annual Defense Summit on November 14 for exclusive interviews and expert discussions on global security and the U.S.'s race to bolster alliances and stay ahead of adversaries. Explore critical topics, including international conflicts, advanced technology, spending priorities and political dynamics shaping global defense strategies. Don’t miss these timely and important discussions. REGISTER HERE.

What We're Reading

How Trump’s Verbal Slips Could Weaken His Attacks on Biden’s Age (NYT’s Michael C. Bender and Michael Gold)

Can the Most Pro-Union President Maybe Ever Get a Little Love Here? (The New Republic’s Michael Tomasky)

Krispy Kreme Drops on Worries Ozempic Will Hit Doughnut Demand (Bloomberg’s Joel Leon)

Biden blasted Times’s Gaza coverage (Semafor’s Max Tani and Liz Hoffman)

POTUS PUZZLER ANSWER

After a trip to France in 1961, first lady JACQUELINE KENNEDY negotiated for LEONARDO DA VINCI’s “Mona Lisa” to travel to the United States. Millions of Americans eventually visited the famous painting in Washington, D.C. and New York City in 1963, according to the White House Historical Association.

To share this story about the Mona Lisa’s trip to the United States and first lady Kennedy’s role in this historic act of cultural diplomacy, the new book, Mona Lisa in Camelot: How Jacqueline Kennedy and da Vinci’s Masterpiece Charmed and Captivated a Nation, is now available as an eBook and is coming soon as an audiobook.

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.

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Our nation’s supply chain runs on the U.S. business of chemistry. When chemistry creates, America competes.

Semiconductors, automotive, healthcare, infrastructure, and energy all rely on chemistry. From EV’s to smartphones, America’s chemical manufacturers power innovations we can't live without.

Unfortunately, regulatory overload and lack of coordination between the White House and its agencies is handicapping American chemistry’s ability to create products that support national priorities, jeopardizing the economy and America’s ability to compete with countries like China. This tidal wave of unduly restrictive regulations could disrupt the supply chain for crucial technologies and everyday products.

President Biden and his administration need to understand how vital chemistry is to the supply chain when it comes to making the things America and the world can’t live without. The Biden Administration and Congress must support policies that empower chemistry, promote American innovation, and strengthen U.S. competitiveness. Learn more – Chemistry Creates, America Competes.