A peace of work

Sen. Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.) is making big money moves. In an effort to help flip control of Congress in the midterms, Kelly has used the extra attention that President Donald Trump and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s campaign against him to dramatically ramp up his giving and fundraising for competitive candidates, party committees and state parties. But more than anything, Kelly's rising national profile shows Trump has a unique ability to elevate foils. Playbook’s Adam Wren and White House reporter Megan Messerly discuss whether Trump’s instinctual attacks will serve Republicans or Democrats more in the 2028 presidential race.

President Donald Trump is still in Davos, where his Board of Peace is the issue that is driving the conversation at the World Economic Forum. The entity that Trump has proposed to oversee the peace process in Gaza is cause for consternation among many of the countries who received invites to join. But it is that very list of invitees — which includes the likes of China and Russia — that is ruffling feathers among the traditional ally set. Playbook’s Jack Blanchard and White House reporter Megan Messerly discuss the latest upheaval that Trump has brought to Davos. Plus, could there be a breakthrough on a Ukraine-Russia peace deal?

President Donald Trump is arriving in Davos today as the subject of nearly every conversation. Trump’s push to bring Greenland under U.S. control has dominated the discussion at the World Economic Forum, even as the president prepares to deliver a speech before those gathered in Switzerland on Wednesday. While the world will be parsing every word in his address, the real tea leaves to read may come out of Trump’s meetings with world leaders on the sidelines. Playbook’s Jack Blanchard and White House and foreign affairs correspondent Eli Stokols discuss the stakes of Trump’s trip, plus the big case to watch at the Supreme Court on Wednesday.

Today marks one year since President Donald Trump returned to office. In his first year back in the White House, Trump has wielded the power of the presidency in unprecedented ways. But despite many of the achievements that the White House points to from 2025, there are a number of fronts with uncertain horizons in 2026. Trump has spent the first part of the year focused on various foreign affairs — despite voters’ consistent cost-of-living concerns, which are set to dominate the midterm messaging battle. Playbook’s Jack Blanchard and Adam Wren take stock of Trump’s return to power and where the president and his team turn now.

President Donald Trump’s signature tariffs are still roiling Michigan, one of the most closely watched midterm states in 2026. Almost nowhere on the map are there more battleground congressional seats, not to mention a Senate seat on a knife’s edge and a three-way governor’s race featuring a wildcard independent candidate polling in the double digits. And that’s before you dig into any number of down-ballot races. Playbook’s Adam Wren and White House reporter Megan Messerly discuss the topic du jour at this week’s Detroit Auto Show and what the impact of Trump’s tariffs could mean for the midterms.

A handful of international fronts are simmering with tension as President Donald Trump’s foreign policy agenda expands. The president seemingly backed off taking action in Iran for now, telling reporters that the situation on the ground had improved. The standoff over Greenland is ramping up. Trump once again shifted blame for the stalled Ukraine-Russia negotiations. And the administration announced a new phase in the Gaza peace plan. Playbook’s Jack Blanchard and White House reporter Megan Messerly break down the stakes for each of Trump’s foreign policy forays.

President Donald Trump is ramping up the rhetoric over Iran. Trump is considering a range of options as the death toll from the crackdown on protests in Iran grows higher. The different responses on the table range from the diplomatic to so-called kinetic options, which could involve the military. But the administration’s recent moves in the Western Hemisphere have hampered some of the immediate options. Playbook’s Jack Blanchard and White House reporter Megan Messerly discuss Trump’s Iran options. Plus, what’s Trump’s end game on Greenland?

The Justice Department’s investigation into Fed Chair Jerome Powell is still sending shockwaves through Washington and beyond. As President Donald Trump prepares to deliver a speech on the economy Tuesday, the headlines are still being dominated by Powell. Scores of Republicans are denouncing the move, and some inside the White House are concerned the push to target Powell is distracting from other issues the administration would rather focus on. Playbook’s Jack Blanchard and White House Bureau Chief Dasha Burns discuss how the fallout is threatening Trump’s agenda.

Jerome Powell is the latest target of President Donald Trump’s Justice Department. The Federal Reserve chair confirmed that DOJ has opened a criminal investigation into his statements to Congress regarding Fed HQ renovations, marking the latest and sharpest escalation of Trump’s monthslong crusade against Powell. Though Trump denied having knowledge of the investigation, he has long pushed Powell to cut interest rates. Playbook’s Jack Blanchard and White House Bureau Chief Dasha Burns discuss the ramifications of the inquiry into Powell.

Affordability was supposed to be the primary focus of 2026 as Republicans try to shore up voter support ahead of the midterms. Instead, nearly every day this year has been dominated by headlines surrounding President Donald Trump’s extraordinary intervention in Venezuela. Whether the Trump administration can successfully tell voters why they should care about the Venezuela action could go a long way in defining the success of the operation. White House reporters Megan Messerly and Myah Ward discuss what it will take for Trump to drive his message home.