The Playbook Podcast

As a new book about former President Joe Biden’s cognitive health steamrolls its way through the Washington conversation, a new litmus test is emerging for Democrats with national ambitions: Did Biden, in fact, decline in mental acuity while in office?  National politics correspondent and contributing Playbook author Adam Wren joins Playbook deputy editor Zack Stanton to talk it through. Plus, President Donald Trump wraps up his Middle East trip, and the GOP mega-bill is teetering as hard-line conservatives force Speaker Mike Johnson to entertain major changes to the legislative package.

Today, the Supreme Court hears arguably the biggest case of the term. But precisely what is being decided is up for debate. There’s a constitutional question about birthright citizenship. And then there’s a procedural question with wide-reaching implications: Can lower-court judges block federal policies with nationwide injunctions? Depending on how the high court rules, one of the main impediments preventing President Donald Trump from implementing his policy agenda could disappear. Playbook managing editor and author Jack Blanchard and chief Playbook correspondent Dasha Burns talk through the case and survey the potential fallout. Meanwhile, Vladimir Putin is a no-show for peace talks with Ukraine in Istanbul, and Trump’s Mideast trip comes to a close.

It’s Washington’s buzziest new book, and Joe Biden would probably prefer not to talk about it. And there’s a reason for that: It has ignited a ferocious discourse about the former president’s mental acuity and alleged decline and prompted uncomfortable questions for his former staffers and aides about who knew what and when. Playbook managing editor and author Jack Blanchard and chief Playbook correspondent Dasha Burns talk about the D.C. zeitgeist and how it all unfolded. Plus, Trump remains in the Middle East, where his Qatari jet fiasco is only picking up speed.

President Donald Trump’s well-known love of pomp and grandeur will be on full display today as he makes an official state visit to Saudi Arabia. The kingdom’s royal family is all too eager to woo Trump — especially as other regional powers, like Qatar, very publicly make entreaties — so they’ve pulled out all the stops for a major gathering of business leaders as well as a banquet with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. What are insiders looking for from the trip? Playbook managing editor and author Jack Blanchard and chief Playbook correspondent Dasha Burns unpack that and more. Plus, the “one big, beautiful bill” presses forward today on Capitol Hill and the administration braces for new inflation numbers this morning.

It’s the start of a frenzied week for Washington, as President Donald Trump embarks on his first overseas trip of his second term and congressional Republicans unveil sweeping new proposed cuts to spending and taxes (and, likely, Medicaid). Add in a few major geopolitical issues — the end of talks between U.S. and Chinese leaders in Geneva and the start of talks between Russia’s Vladimir Putin and Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Istanbul — and you’re beginning to get the shape of it. What do you need to know about it all? Playbook managing editor and author Jack Blanchard and chief Playbook correspondent and POLITICO White House bureau chief Dasha Burns make sense of the news that will drive the day on this, the pilot episode of “The Playbook Podcast.”

It takes a lot to rip the news cycle away from President Donald Trump. But yesterday, that’s precisely what happened. Shortly after the president unveiled a major new trade deal with the U.K. — something the White House was eager to shine attention on — white smoke billowed from the Sistine Chapel’s chimney. Meet the new pope: Chicago-born Robert Francis Prevost, now known as Pope Leo XIV. And just as soon as his name was uttered, he was dragged into a partisan battle over his real or imagined personal politics. POLITICO national political correspondent Adam Wren joins Playbook deputy editor Zack Stanton to discuss.

Last night, President Donald Trump teased an announcement the White House had been waiting for: Trump’s first trade deal since his sweeping tariffs upended the global economy. Who answered Trump’s call? The United Kingdom, the latest chapter in the so-called “special relationship” between the two nations. What does it mean for Trump, for the economy, for the US-UK alliance and for Europe as a whole? Playbook managing editor and author Jack Blanchard and POLITICO White House bureau chief Dasha Burns discuss.

This morning, Vice President JD Vance will speak at a meeting of world leaders convened in Washington by the Munich Security Conference. The speech is amid a backdrop of rising tensions between India and Pakistan, a Russia-Ukraine war that is dragging on, and seemingly endless tensions between Israelis and Palestinians. Back home, officials are bracing both for Federal Reserve Board Chair Jerome Powell’s decision on whether to cut interest rates — and President Donald Trump’s reaction to the announcement. Playbook managing editor and author Jack Blanchard and POLITICO White House bureau chief Dasha Burns unpack what they’re watching.

Today, President Donald Trump will meet with Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney on the heels of his recent electoral victory. It’s their first time face to face, even as backlash to Trump in Canada helped propel Carney to power. Is it possible that the two men could actually find some middle ground? Playbook managing editor and author Jack Blanchard and POLITICO White House bureau chief Dasha Burns discuss what to watch for as the two leaders face off.

If one issue has defined President Donald Trump’s second term, it is the economy. Markets continue to deal with tariff-induced whiplash, and people around the country are bracing for higher prices to hit home. But rather than denying the possible hits to people’s wallets, Trump has taken to projecting a new message: settle for less. Playbook managing editor and author Jack Blanchard and POLITICO White House bureau chief Dasha Burns discuss. Plus, what’s next for Secretary of State Marco Rubio?