Join POLITICO Playbook Co-Authors Anna Palmer and Jake Sherman, and Playbook California Author Carla Marinucci, for a special Playbook Elections event in California to discuss the 2018 midterm cycle and issues shaping the races. This event, part of the POLITICO-AARP Deciders series, will feature exclusive interviews with candidates and party leaders to address the issues that matter most to voters.
Featured Speakers:
Jim Brulte, Retired California State Senator and Chairman, California Republican Party Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom, Lieutenant Governor of California and Gubernatorial Candidate
When: Thursday, August 16, 2018 - Doors at 8:30 a.m. PDT Where: The InterContinental Los Angeles Downtown - 900 Wilshire Blvd
Interested in attending as press? Bringing a camera? EMAIL US or RSVP Here. *Seating and Wifi reserved for press*
Tune into the livestream here: www.politico.com/live
Playbook Elections events are part of The Decidersseries, driven by a partnership with AARP, focused on the 50+ voter who is poised to decide November's midterms.
Tweet with us during the event: #PlaybookElections
In the latest episode of POLITICO Money, POLITICO's chief economic correspondent Ben White is joined by veteran trade lawyer and adjunct scholar at the Cato Institute Scott Lincicome to discuss tariffs… and a T-shirt that highlights the complexities of trade and the economy.
Lincicome was scrolling through Twitter one Saturday morning when he noticed a photo of a woman at a Donald Trump rally wearing a T-shirt that said something like “Tariffs are great!” That visual inspired him to create his own shirt humorously designed to highlight the difficulty boiling down opposition to protectionist trade policy into catchy slogans.
The shirt, which quickly went viral and has appeared on NBC, Bloomberg and other TV networks, reads: “Tariffs not only impose immense economic costs but also fail to achieve their primary policy aims and foster political dysfunction along the way.”
“The protectionist side has a three-word issue, ‘Trade kills jobs,‘” Lincicome said, explaining the dilemma that inspired the T-shirt. “Whereas the other side comes back with, ‘Actually the composition of jobs changes and we get better jobs,’ and by that point the audience has fallen asleep.”
Lincicome argues that Trump’s support for tariffs on steel, aluminum, and imported Chinese goods is already negatively impacting the U.S. economy and could get much worse if more levies are added beyond the current $34 billion in Chinese imports. (The Trump administration announced late Tuesday that it will add tariffs to an additional $16 billion in Chinese imports as soon as Aug. 23).
The Cato scholar rejects Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross’s argument that even at $200 billion or more in goods, the tariffs would be a tiny sliver of an $18 trillion-plus U.S. economy.
“This is what I call the ‘So I burn down your house but at least the neighborhood is fine’ argument and it fails on a couple points,” he said. “There are going to be real harms to real companies, individuals, farmers, exporters, importers. Those folks are going to have real harms."
A man hold a "Blacks for Trump" sign as he waits to see US Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump address supporters at Freedom Hill Amphitheater on November 6, 2016 in in Sterling Heights, Michigan.
Donald Trump barnstorms five states Sunday while Hillary Clinton implores her most fervent supporters to get to the polls, in a frenetic final 48-hour dash to the US presidential election. / AFP / JEFF KOWALSKY (Photo credit should read JEFF KOWALSKY/AFP/Getty Images) | Jeff Kowalsky/AFP/Getty Images
Arlington, VA — According to the latest POLITICO/Morning Consult poll, a majority of voters (55%) say race relations have worsened under President Trump, compared with just 16% who see improvement. The poll comes in the run-up to the one-year anniversary of the unrest in Charlottesville, in which protesters descended on the central Virginia town to oppose the removal of a statue of Confederate war general Robert E. Lee.
Just over half of white voters (51%) say race relations have worsened under Trump, while larger majorities of African-American voters (79%) and Hispanics (60%) believe relations have deteriorated. The split is even more pronounced along political party lines. Self-identified Democratic voters overwhelmingly say race relations have worsened under Trump (82%), compared with only 4% who see improvement.
“President Trump continues to struggle with black voters one year following the Charlottesville attack,” said Tyler Sinclair, managing director of Morning Consult. “Seventy-three percent of black voters disapproved of the president in August 2017, compared to 78 percent who disapprove today. Among white voters, 53 percent disapproved in August 2017, compared to 47 percent who disapprove today.”
Also in this week's poll, a plurality of voters (46%) say the Department of Justice investigation into Russian government's efforts to interfere in the 2016 presidential election should continue, while 37% say it should end. Democrats (76%) and Independents (46%) are more likely to say the investigation should continue while Republicans (76%) want it to end. The results come as jurors in a Virginia courtroom hear testimony from Trump's former campaign aid Paul Manafort during the first trial associated with the DOJ investigation.
President Trump's approval rating remains unchanged, holding at 43% approve and 52% disapprove. Democrats lead the 2018 generic congressional ballot by 6 percentage points, 42% to 36% – last week, the party held a 7-point lead on the generic ballot.
Former Vice President Joe Biden speaks to the media during a campaign stop with Democratic gubernatorial candidate Richard Cordray at the Beyond Image Barber Salon, Friday, June 29, 2018, in Cincinnati. Former Vice President Joe Biden is urging Americans to "rise up" to demand President Donald Trump nominate a "consensus candidate" to the Supreme Court. Biden sided with Democrats who have said the Senate should postpone the confirmation process until after the mid-term elections. He said, "so many of our fundamental rights, freedoms, and liberties, and the rule of law, are all at risk." (AP Photo/John Minchillo) | John Minchillo/AP Photo
Arlington, VA — According to the latest POLITICO/Morning Consult poll, a plurality of registered voters prefer former Vice President Joe Biden to President Donald Trump in a hypothetical 2020 match up. By a 44%-37% margin, voters chose the 75-year-old former Senator from Delaware over the 72-year-old New York businessman.
Biden remains relatively popular with Democratic voters, securing a slightly larger percentage of his political base (80%) than Trump does with Republicans (78%). The former vice president, who unsuccessfully campaigned for the White House in 1988 and 2008, has been floated as a 2020 contender, and has not ruled out a third go at it.
The poll, however, doesn’t offer all good news for Biden. In fact, among Democratic voters, Biden trails an unnamed generic Democrat by 9 percentage points. "Notably, 89% of Democrats say they would vote for a generic Democrat over Trump, but only 80% of Democrats say they prefer Biden over Trump,” said Morning Consult Managing Director Tyler Sinclair.
The poll also finds bipartisan support for President Trump’s initiative to provide financial aid to American farmers impacted by his retaliatory tariffs — 57% of voters approve of the strategy while 26% are opposed. Among Republicans, 79% support Trump’s aid to farmers, compared to 48% of Democrats, a noteworthy number given previous aversion to government bailouts by conservatives.
“President Trump’s decision to provide aid to farmers hurt by the trade war is a hugely popular move with rural voters,” Sinclair said. “63% of rural voters support the assistance. Additionally, 30% of this group ‘strongly’ approve of Trump’s job performance overall.”
Compared to last week, Trump's approval rating remained relatively consistent, down two points to 43%, and his disapproval rating is up one point to 52%.
Police officers, partly seen in the background, stop opposition activists carrying a giant Russian flag as they attempt to march after a rally sanctioned to celebrate State Flag Day national holiday, Moscow, Russia, Sunday, Aug. 22, 2010. Police prevented an attempt by the opposition to turn a rally sanctioned in downtown Moscow into an unauthorized march across central Moscow streets, the RIA Novosti news agency reported on Sunday. The holiday was introduced in 1994 by President Boris Yeltsin to mark the failure of the Aug. 1991 hard line Communist coup attempt. (AP Photo/Misha Japaridze) | Misha Japaridze/AP Photo
Arlington, VA — The latest POLITICO/Morning Consult poll reveals that a majority of voters think Russia will try to influence this year's midterm elections. Does Russia have an electoral preference? Voters think so, as 47% of voters believe Russia would be more likely to help Republicans, and just 13% say Russia would be more likely to try and help Democrats win.
The poll was conducted after President Trump met with Russian President Vladimir Putin last week in Helsinki, but before the president floated the possibility that Russia — which U.S. officials have concluded attempted to aid Trump’s election in 2016 — would work to aid candidates from the Democratic Party this fall.
President Trump came under fire last week after offering little criticism of Putin during a joint press conference with the Russian leader and appeared to give equal weight to Putin’s denials of meddling in the 2016 election.
Voters are divided on the Trump-Putin summit: 37% describe it as a success, while 36% call it a failure. President Trump’s grades for the summit are slightly lower with 26% saying it gave them a more favorable view of Trump, compared to 34% who said it gave them a less favorable view.
Tyler Sinclair, Morning Consult's managing director, said voters' trust in Trump when it comes to Russia has declined — especially among the president’s electoral base.
“GOP confidence in the president to manage Russian aggression has dropped significantly amid contradictory messages from the White House following the Helsinki summit,” said Sinclair. “Two weeks ago, 58 percent of Republicans said they had a lot of confidence in Trump’s ability to handle those threats, compared to 49 percent who said the same today.”
Despite the sharp reaction to the Russia Summit, President Trump's approval rating actually ticked up one point to 45% this week, with a disapproval rating of 51%.
POLITICO Pro Health Care Reporter Sarah Karlin-Smith (right) and POLITICO Pro Food and Agriculture Reporter Catherine Boudreau (center) are joined by Scott Gottlieb, MD, Commissioner, Food and Drug Administration (left) for a keynote conversation during the POLITICO Pro Summit at the Renaissance Hotel in Washington, DC, Tuesday, July 17, 2018. (Photo by Rod Lamkey Jr.)
ARLINGTON, VA— POLITICO, the most robust news operation and information service in the world specializing in politics and policy, yesterday hosted the 2018 Pro Summit in Washington, D.C. The Pro Summit brought together Pro subscribers, expert reporters and key decision-makers for in-depth conversations and incisive policy analysis. Here are the top five moments:
WORK REQUIREMENTS: Seema Verma, Administrator, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, says the Administration is "very committed" to Medicaid work requirements despite a judge's decision to bar Kentucky from imposing a work requirement on Medicaid recipients. She phrased it as a commitment from Trump administration to keep people out of poverty. Read more HERE.
NAFTA TALKS BOGGED DOWN: Gerónimo Gutiérrez, Mexican Ambassador to the U.S. and Kirsten Hillman, Deputy Ambassador, Embassy of Canada spoke about renegotiating NAFTA, which Amb. Gutiérrez thinks can be "wrapped up by the end of this year." Read more HERE.
"AN ALMOND DOESN'T LACTATE." FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb is cracking down on labeling nondairy products "milk." Watch more HERE.
TOO FAR TO THE LEFT? Dan Sena, Executive Director, Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, says the Democratic Party is not seeing that shift in big numbers for the midterms. “We have independently minded candidates,” he said.
THE BORDER CRISIS: Kevin McAleenan, Commissioner, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, called illegal border crossings into the U.S. a "crisis" — even as border arrests remain lower than levels in past decades. Watch more HERE.
For more headlines and highlights from the POLITICO Pro Policy Summit, click HERE.
Click HERE for highlights from conversations including Carolyn Bartholomew, Vice Chairman, U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission, Rep. Linda Sánchez (D- Calif.), Vice Chair, House Democratic Caucus, Nora Volkow, MD, Director, National Institute on Drug Abuse, National Institutes of Health and more.
ARLINGTON, VA – POLITICO, the most robust global newsroom specializing in politics and policy, and AARP, the nation's largest nonprofit, nonpartisan organization that empowers Americans 50 and older, today debuted the newest issue of the new POLITICO Magazine series, “The Deciders.” The series encompasses original polling focused on Americans age 50 and older, data analysis and cutting-edge data visualization, alongside award-winning, on-the-ground narrative storytelling and photojournalism. The second package in the series looks at 50+ Hispanic voters in Arizona, a key battleground state perpetually on the verge of turning blue, yet remains in the red column.
“As a border state, Arizona is in many ways a crucible for how Americans see issues like immigration… And with the state’s deepening polarization, it’s a great time to be taking the temperature of voters as they begin to turn their attention to the upcoming midterm elections,” said Blake Hounshell, editor in chief of POLITICO Magazine.
This new issue takes readers to Maricopa County, Arizona – a dynamic, diverse area surrounding Phoenix that perfectly encapsulates the deeply polarized politics of the state, particularly on the fraught issue of immigration. Readers are introduced to the voters crucial to the upcoming midterm elections and the presidential contest in 2020: Hispanics over 50 years of age. This group, which has historically voted at lower rates than other voters over 50, may be the determining factor as to whether Democrats can finally begin turning the state blue this fall.
Supplementing this feature story is new original polling from POLITICO and AARP. Among the findings:
52% of 50+ voters in Arizona strongly approve or somewhat approve of the job President Trump is doing, but his overall approval rating is 44%, which mirrors his national approval rating.
Social Security is the major issue for 50+ voters in Arizona, with 78% of those polled saying it's "very important" to their vote for federal offices. Following Social Security are the issues of health care (76%), Medicare (75%), national security and terrorism (73%), and immigration (69%)
Most Arizona voters think immigration is good for the country, including 50% of 50+ voters, 60% of Hispanic voters, and 53% of white voters.
When evaluating five policy options, a majority of 50+ voters in Arizona (57%) support building a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border as their third-choice alternative, as opposed to the 65% of Hispanic voters in Arizona who oppose the wall – the option they most strongly opposed.
When evaluating five policy options, a majority of 50+ voters in Arizona (70%) support creating a pathway to citizenship for undocumented immigrants as their first-choice alternative. 83% of Hispanic voters in Arizona support a pathway to citizenship – also their first choice alternative.
Arlington, VA– POLITICO’s investigative unit has released a groundbreaking expose that details how an ambitious Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) plan to indict heroin kingpins to thwart the insurgency in Afghanistan was derailed just as the Obama administration geared up to hold peace talks with the Taliban.
Just as Afghanistan inched closer to becoming a narco-state in 2013, a team of U.S. officials in Kabul presented the Obama administration with a 940-page legal blueprint for how to prosecute 26 top Taliban commanders and allied drug lords who supplied more than 90 percent of the world’s heroin – including a growing amount fueling the nascent opioid crisis in the United States. But on May 27, 2013, the plan was stopped dead in its tracks 16 months after it began.
The investigation by POLITICO Senior Investigative Reporter Josh Meyer details how the plan, code-named Operation Reciprocity, was the result of 10 years of DEA investigations in Afghanistan done in conjunction with U.S. and allied military forces, working with embassy legal advisers from the departments of Justice and State.
Retired DEA agent and Justice Department contractor John Seaman, who sifted through mountains of U.S. and Afghan evidence to build the conspiracy case against the 26 men, says it was “the best, if not the only way, of preventing Afghanistan from becoming a narco-state.” He described Operation Reciprocity as a fast, cost-effective and proven way of crippling the Taliban insurgency — akin to severing its head from its body — before the U.S. handed over operations to the Afghan government in 2014. “Without it,” he said, “they didn’t have a chance.”
Soon after the Justice Department’s specialized Terrorism and International Narcotics unit in New York green-lighted the case, the Obama administration’s deputy chief of mission in Afghanistan, Ambassador Tina Kaidanow, issued an immediate stand-down order, citing political concerns. The team of DEA and Justice Department legal advisers in Kabul fought for months to revive the case, but were unsuccessful and ultimately gave up.
Today, Afghanistan is under siege from the Taliban like never before, with terrorist attacks, and narcotics production and trafficking, at or near record levels. The plan’s authors are expressing anger over the decision, and hope that the Trump administration, which has followed a path similar to former President Barack Obama’s in Afghanistan, will eventually adopt their plan as part of its evolving strategy.
The Afghanistan team members said there are striking parallels between Operation Reciprocity and Hezbollah drug-running investigations and Iranian nuclear trafficking cases disclosed in previous POLITICO exposes as being derailed during the Obama administration because of the Iran nuclear deal. Taken together, they said, the cases show a troubling pattern of thwarting international law-enforcement efforts to the overall detriment of U.S. national security.
They hope that a special task force commissioned by the Trump Justice Department to investigate the Hezbollah and Iran cases also examines what happened to Operation Reciprocity, and jump-start it so that it can bolster the existing military and diplomatic efforts to finally end America’s longest war.
Despite President Trump’s tough talk about Afghanistan over the past two years, the plan to indict Taliban senior leadership, “lies dormant, buried in an obscure file room, all but forgotten,” says Michael Marsac, the main architect of the plan as the DEA’s regional director for South West Asia at the time.
Such an undertaking would involve serious logistical challenges, and could destabilize an Afghan political and economic system that has been corrupted to the core by billions of dollars in narcotics proceeds. But Marsac says Afghanistan may not be able to survive the status quo, where politics – including a continuing interest in negotiating a peace deal with the Taliban – continues to trump national security concerns.
“We’ve made a deal with the devil on many occasions, in an effort not to antagonize anybody and kick the can down the road,” Marsac told POLITICO. “But you’ve got to cut that off. It might be painful at first, but it has to be confronted.”
ARLINGTON, VA - POLITICO, the most robust global newsroom specializing in politics and policy, today announced the creation of POLITICO Pro Canada, a new cross-border intelligence service for professionals with a stake in the Canada-U.S. relationship and the integrated border economy. POLITICO Pro Canada will be produced through a hybrid approach that marries POLITICO's deep bench of political and policy reporters with a team of well-sourced Canadian reporters.
"POLITICO aspires to be the dominant source of politics and policy news and information, and that means expanding our presence in capitals of consequence around the globe," said Robert Albritton, Publisher of POLITICO. "POLITICO continues to increase our footprint across Europe, took our first steps in Asia last month, and now are bringing our unique brand of journalism and tools to professionals in Canada, starting with cross-border policy intelligence service for those with a stake in the Canada-U.S. relationship."
POLITICO Pro Canada will be produced by leading Canadian journalist, Alexander Panetta. As editor, he will lead a specialized team working closely with POLITICO's newsroom of more than 200 policy and politics journalists in the U.S. to detail storylines that are key for Canadian readers in areas like trade, energy, financial services, agriculture, defense, immigration, technology, cyber-security and more. The offering will include a tailored report that will serve Canadians who need daily intelligence about what is happening each day in Washington and the state capitals—and what it means for Canada.
"The U.S. and Canada are joined at the hip geographically, economically and culturally," said Luiza Savage, Executive Director, Canada. "Canada is deeply affected by policies implemented in trade, energy, financial services and more - and Canadians need the best available policy intelligence on its indispensable neighbor at a moment of high-stakes uncertainty. POLITICO Pro Canada will do just that."
Beyond the original reporting and policy intelligence associated with the daily newsletter, POLITICO Pro Canada will also include high-level interviews with key players in the U.S. and Canada, conference call briefings, legislative updates from state capitals and invitations to POLITICO Live events. It’s launch is planned for September.
For more information on POLITICO Pro Canada, click here.
###
POLITICO is the global authority on politics, policy, and the power surrounding their intersection. We have the most robust news operation and information service in the world specializing in politics and policy, which informs the most influential audience in the world with more insight, edge, focus and authority than any other publication.
ARLINGTON, VA – POLITICO, the most robust global newsroom and information service specializing in politics and policy, today announced that it will produce exclusive midterm elections coverage and content for Apple News. Apple News will feature a custom POLITICO section that will monitor "Races to Watch," and provide insight and updates on top tier races and major themes surfacing with voters during the midterm election.
The exclusive content for Apple News is part of POLITICO’s robust midterms coverage plan that draws on the expertise of more than two dozen reporters and data journalists in Washington and across seven states.
"The midterm elections are quickly approaching and Apple News provides a trusted and accessible platform to feature POLITICO's deeply sourced and insightful journalism from our campaign and congressional teams to new readers and audiences," said Paul Volpe, Executive Editor of POLITICO.
###
POLITICO is the global authority on politics, policy, and the power surrounding their intersection. We have the most robust news operation and information service in the world specializing in politics and policy, which informs the most influential audience in the world with more insight, edge, focus and authority than any other publication.
Arlington, VA - POLITICO's growing "Women Rule" franchise has joined forces with two premier national research organizations – the Center for American Women and Politics (CAWP) at the Eagleton Institute of Politics at Rutgers University and the Women in Public Service Project at the Wilson Center – to create a new "Women Rule Candidate Tracker," which follows the performance of female candidates for the U.S. House of Representatives, the Senate, and Governor's mansions across the country in detail. While more women than ever before in history are running for political offices this year, whether they will be successful is yet to be determined.
The first major primary night of the year certainly seemed promising for female candidates across the country. "Women romped in the first multi-state primary night of 2018, showing that enthusiasm for female candidates isn’t like to wane anytime soon. More than three in five female House candidates won their races in the states that held primaries: North Carolina, Indiana, West Virginia and Ohio. And of the 27 female House candidates who were successful, nearly 30 percent were women of color, according to data compiled by the Center for American Women and Politics,”POLITICO congressional reporter Heather Caygle writes. “With six state‘s primaries in the books — candidates in Texas and Illinois competed earlier this year, though Texas will have a runoff later this month — 2018 is shaping up to be a record-breaking year for female candidates. That’s true not just in terms of women signing up to run, but in the number who will appear on the ballot in November."
"Women Rule" – which aims to inform, empower, and connect women across diverse sectors and career levels – will illuminate the story of the influx of women candidates in the 2018 mid-terms and track progress throughout the year. Insights from the tracker will help drive POLITICO's authoritative election-year coverage and inform national conversations through the Women Rule series of events, podcasts and journalism.
Click HERE to see the Women Rule Candidate Tracker after last night's primaries.
If you are interested in discussing the new candidate tracker, you can reach out to booking@politico.com.
###
ABOUT WOMEN RULE: Women Rule is a community of influential women devoted to expanding leadership opportunities for other women. The Women Rule series aims to inform, empower and connect women across diverse sectors and career levels to have an impact. Women Rule brings together rising stars, accomplished professionals and VIPs at the pinnacle of their careers for large-scale summits, newsmaker interviews, networking events, podcasts and original reporting. To learn more about Women Rule, visit http://www.politico.com/womenrule.
ARLINGTON, VA – POLITICO, the most robust news operation and information service in the world specializing in politics and policy, today announced the latest roster of top speakers at Smart Cities New York (SCNY) on May 8-10 at Pier 36 in New York City.
Speakers include business leaders, academics, and experts who join an impressive list of more than 20 mayors across the United States and around the world. An complete list of speakers can be found here.
Speakers include:
Rahm Emanuel - Mayor, Chicago | Mayor Emanuel will join Bruce Katz, the Co-Founder of New Localism Advisors, for a fireside chat on a range of issues, including the increasing role of public-private partnerships in addressing the challenges of urban life in the 21st century
Ahmed Aboutaleb – Mayor, City of Rotterdam, Netherlands
Steve Benjamin - Mayor, City of Columbia, SC
Marianne Borgen – Mayor, City of Oslo, Norway
LaToya Cantrell – Mayor-Elect, City of New Orleans, LA
Michael B. Hancock – Mayor, City of Denver, CO
Sly James - Mayor, City of Kansas City, MI
Gregor Robertson – Mayor, City of Vancouver, Canada
Mauricio Rodas – Mayor, City of Quito, Ecuador
Jan Vapaavuori – Mayor, City of Helsinki, Finland
As the official media partner of SCNY, POLITICO reporters will serve as moderators throughout the 2018 Smart Cities conference. POLITICO speakers include:
Arthur Allen - eHealth Editor
Cory Bennett - Deputy National Security Editor
Caitlin Emma - Education Reporter
Margaret McGill Harding - Technology Reporter
Nancy Scola - Senior Technology Reporter
Ben White - Chief Economic Correspondent and host of POLITICO Money, POLITICO
POLITICO is the global authority on politics, policy, and the power surrounding their intersection. We have the most robust news operation and information service in the world specializing in politics and policy, which informs the most influential audience in the world with more insight, edge, focus and authority than any other publication.
About Smart Cities New York
Smart Cities New York (SCNY) is North America’s leading global conference exploring the emerging influence of cities in shaping the future. With the global smart city market expected to grow to $1.6 trillion within the next three years, Smart Cities New York is Powered by People and guided this year by its “Emerging Power Of Cities” theme. The conference brings together top thought leaders and senior members of the private and public sector to discuss investments in physical and digital infrastructure, health, education, sustainability, security, mobility, workforce development, and more, to ensure cities are central to advancing and improving urban life.
