Before we get all the way down to enterprise, Sergio Gor took his Instagram followers inside the gilded ballroom at Mar-a-Lago for its New Year’s Eve dance celebration, and gave them a peek of the Covid denial that’s defining the final throes of DONALD TRUMP’S presidency. SPOTTED dancing like no one’s watching: Rudy Giuliani, Kimberly Guilfoyle, Don Jr., Eric, Lara, Tiffany, MyPillow man Mike Lindell, Vanilla Ice, Mike Love of the Beach Boys, and Teri Nunn, who sang “Highway to Hell.” Don’t miss the finale with Gor and Don Jr. singing “Play That Funky Music (White Boy).” Video
MOVING ON … Gird your loins (as the president-elect once said). Lots of drama on the Hill and past this week: a possible squeaker of a vote Sunday on NANCY PELOSI’S bid to stay speaker of the House for what she has pledged can be her final time period working the place, two runoffs in Georgia on Tuesday that can decide management of the Senate, and a last-ditch try Wednesday by Trump and his allies in Congress to overturn the outcomes of an American presidential election. (We can’t give up you, 2020!)
BUT ON THIS FIRST WEEKEND of the new yr, coming off an extended stretch masking the presidential election, I’ve received another issues on my thoughts, too.
Naturally, they revolve round the president — what doesn’t these days? — and what he’s doing in his final weeks earlier than he boards Marine One on Jan. 20, presumably en path to Palm Beach. I like to take a look at issues numerically, so right here goes:
Since the November election, Trump has issued not less than 15 pardons for individuals who have been allies convicted in relation to Robert Mueller’s Russia probe, lawmakers charged with corruption, a member of the family convicted of tax evasion, and Blackwater guards concerned in the killing of Iraqi civilians. Fifty-plus lawsuits have been filed by the Trump marketing campaign to reverse his loss and subvert the will of the voters. And greater than 63,000 Americans died on account of Covid-19 in December, making it the deadliest month since the begin of the pandemic.
The pardons, lawsuits and Covid deaths proceed to rightfully obtain a good quantity of media focus. But one determine that’s getting much less consideration is the three federal civilian executions carried out since November. Three different prisoners are scheduled to be executed by deadly injection earlier than Trump leaves workplace at the finish of the month, together with two who lately contracted the coronavirus in addition to the only woman at present on federal demise row. It’s the first time in greater than 100 years that an outgoing president has carried out a single execution throughout a transition, not to mention six.
July was a turning level: States halted their executions on account of the pandemic whereas Trump’s administration resumed federal executions for the first time in almost twenty years. A complete of 10 federal prisoners have been executed in 2020 between July and December. But voters aren’t conscious of the administration’s rush of executions — solely 13% say they knew of the surge, per a recent HuffPost/YouGov poll.
The Trump-authorized executions have led lawmakers like Rep. AYANNA PRESSLEY (D-Mass.), Rep.-elect CORI BUSH (D-Mo.) and dozens of others to name on President-elect JOE BIDEN to commute the sentence of each particular person on demise row (which might make them be resentenced), halt executions and bar U.S. attorneys from in search of the demise penalty. Biden can do all three, they are saying, with the stroke of a pen on Day One in workplace. Biden has been cool to unilateral govt motion, however Pressley has had a number of constructive conversations along with his transition about the request.
As president, Biden “will work to end” the use of the demise penalty, spokesman TJ Ducklo mentioned. Biden desires to ban it with laws, however his transition didn’t reply to a query about whether or not he would commute the sentences of roughly 50 federal death-row prisoners to life with out parole — an choice raised by some authorized consultants who oppose capital punishment.
GOHMERT HOUR: “A federal judge has tossed out a GOP-led lawsuit aimed at empowering Vice President Mike Pence to unilaterally overturn President-elect Joe Biden’s victory,” write Josh Gerstein and Kyle Cheney. Plaintiffs, together with Rep. Louie Gohmert (R-Texas) and 11 Arizona Republicans, lacked standing to sue, U.S. District Court Judge Jeremy Kernodle, a Trump appointee, mentioned Friday night.
Pence had urged the courtroom Thursday to reject Gohmert’s go well with in opposition to him. More from Gerstein and Cheney
REPUBLICANS IN DISARRAY: From Georgia to Congress, Republicans are attacking their very own as they face an outgoing president refusing to concede.
“President Donald Trump won’t get his coveted $2,000 stimulus checks — and he’s blaming the very Senate Republican leaders he’s trying to protect in the closing days of Georgia’s runoffs,” James Arkin and Andrew Desiderio report from Georgia.
“Though he is actively campaigning for the state’s two incumbent GOP senators Kelly Loeffler and David Perdue, holding a Monday night rally to drive turnout to help save the Republican majority, Trump is continuing to run roughshod all over the party’s message for Tuesday’s must-win runoffs and, some Republicans worry, giving Democrats a perfect opening.” More from Arkin and Desiderio here
MEANWHILE, Senate Republicans are blasting Sen. JOSH HAWLEY (R-Mo.), who plans to “challenge Joe Biden’s election victory as the party hurtles toward its most consequential confrontation with Donald Trump of his entire presidency,” writes Burgess Everett.
“I THINK IT’S AWFUL. I am going to support my oath to the Constitution. That’s the loyalty test here,” mentioned Sen. LISA MURKOWSKI (R-Alaska). … Sen. MITT ROMNEY (R-Utah) referred to as Hawley’s transfer “disappointing and destructive.”
Burgess provides: “Republicans either risk blowback or a primary challenge by approving Biden’s win amid Trump’s baseless claims of widespread fraud, or they can align themselves with Trump’s attempt to subvert the election results.”
TO PUT A BOW ON THE INFIGHTING, TRUMP attacked the No. 2 Senate Republican, JOHN THUNE of South Dakota. Upset about Thune’s opposition to the Electoral College gambit, the president is urging South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem to major Thune in 2022.
Thune appeared nearly offended that Trump hadn’t singled him out prior to now. His response, per CNN’s Ted Barrett: “Yeah, well finally an attack tweet. What took him so long? … It’s fine, that’s the way he communicates.”
THREE DAYS TILL GEORGIA RUNOFFS: Stories of word from the ATLANTA JOURNAL-CONSTITUTION … Trump’s Monday night time rally in Dalton is inflicting some consternation a couple of super-spreader occasion. And an astonishing 3 million people voted early in line with the final tally — a determine that might have been met with disbelief amongst Democratic consultants had it been predicted on Nov. 4.
FIRST IN PLAYBOOK: Former Bernie Sanders advisers CHUCK ROCHA and KARA TURRENTINE are launching their very own nationwide political media agency, BLACKBROWN PARTNERS, to help Democratic candidates in reaching younger, numerous and progressive electorates. The agency, Rocha mentioned, will “create much-needed space for people of color in the consulting and vendor space of campaigns.” The agency launches Monday with a digital celebration that can function former Senate candidate and DNC chair hopeful JAIME HARRISON and Democratic Reps. MARC VEASEY (Texas), NANETTE BARRAGÁN (Calif.), RO KHANNA (Calif.) and RUBEN GALLEGO (Ariz.), together with eight different House members.
“There were zero Black and brown-owned firms working at the highest parts of any campaign in 2020, so we created a firm to fix this problem,” Rocha mentioned.
EYES EMOJI — AOC jumped to the protection of the mainstream media over its protection of the thousands and thousands of {dollars} that JANET YELLEN has made in previous talking charges.
ON THE WAY OUT … The Senate formally handed Trump his first veto override Friday afternoon, voting 81-13 to enact the National Defense Authorization Act. More from Connor O’Brien
—The NYT says, “The vote ended a devastating legislative week for Mr. Trump …”
— FWIW: Georgia GOP Sens. David Perdue and Kelly Loeffler didn’t partake in the vote, per NBC’s @frankthorp. The full list of ‘no’ votes and non-voters
THE CORONAVIRUS CONTINUES TO RAGE … 20.1 million Americans have examined constructive. … 348,000 have died.
— The Roanoke Times: “State Sen. Ben Chafin, R-Russell, died Friday from complications related to COVID-19, according to his legislative office. Gov. Ralph Northam and the Virginia Senate Republican Caucus confirmed Chafin died Friday night. He represented a swath of far Southwest Virginia, including part of the New River Valley. He was 60.”
— “32 More Countries Have Found the More Contagious Virus Variant First Seen in Britain,” NYT
TRUMP’S SATURDAY — The president and VP Mike Pence don’t have anything on their public schedules.
Biden and VP-elect Kamala Harris don’t have anything on their public schedules.
Programming word: You’ll discover some visitor writers as we put together to formally relaunch Playbook on Jan. 19. In the meantime, we additionally need to hear from you: What do you want most about Playbook? How may we be extra priceless to you? Let us know — we’ll read every submission.
BACKSTORY — “Before Embracing America-First Agenda, David Perdue Was an Outsourcing Expert,” NYT: “The man who has lately voiced support for some of President Trump’s signature tariffs built his career as an unapologetic, free-trading practitioner of the outsourcing arts. As a top executive at companies including Reebok, Sara Lee and Dollar General, he was often deeply involved in the shift of manufacturing, and jobs, to low-wage factories in China and other Asian countries.
“A review of that business record shows a man who achieved significant successes, making millions, managing complex periods of corporate growth and change and creating domestic jobs, particularly at Dollar General. But there were also disappointments, like the failed trucking business he ran with Sonny Perdue and his fruitless effort to rescue a company called Pillowtex that brought heartbreak to a North Carolina mill town.” NYT
FOR YOUR RADAR — WSJ: “U.S. and Iraqi authorities warned Iran and Iranian-backed militias that any attacks on American diplomats or military forces here would be met with swift retaliation as the anniversary of a U.S. drone strike that killed one of Tehran’s top military leaders approached.”
CLIMATE FILES — “How Trump Tried, but Largely Failed, to Derail America’s Top Climate Report,” NYT
THE FRESHWOMAN CLASS — “‘Badasses in Their Own Right’: Meet the Freshwomen of Congress,” POLITICO Magazine
THE YEAR OF THE BLACK VOTER — Teresa Wiltz, additionally in POLITICO Magazine, weighs in with a provocative essay: “It goes without saying that 2020 ranks as one of the all-time worsts, particularly if you come wrapped in melanin. Goodbye and good riddance to 2020’s cascade of horrors: a once-in-a century global pandemic. … disproportionately slamming people of color. Worldwide recession as a result of said pandemic. Not to mention that 400-year-old epidemic — American-style racism—laid bare for all to see.
“But something else happened in 2020. It saw the gestation of a new kind of Black power, the political maturation of a people who decided collectively that a change was gonna come. And that meant voting by any means necessary, damn the pandemic. … And with that flexing came Black joy — hopeful, pragmatic to the bone, and an act of defiance and power in the face of hardship.” POLITICO Magazine
— “The Southern state where Black voters are gaining in numbers, but not power,” by Renuka Rayasam: “If Georgia is the epitome of the ‘New South,’ Mississippi remains very much still the old South: a conservative stronghold where the GOP is composed almost exclusively of white voters, and the Democratic Party of Black voters.
“At first blush, Mississippi would seem to be fertile terrain for Democrats. It has the highest percentage of Black people of any state in the country, 38 percent, and virtually all of them of voting age are Democrats. … After fracturing over the past decade, political alliances have settled along racial lines because of defections of white Democrats. About 90 percent of white people in the state vote Republican, a higher share of conservative white voters than any other state, according to Tom Bonier, CEO of TargetSmart, a Democratic data firm.” POLITICO
TRIGGERING THE RIGHT — “Proposed House Rules Eliminate Gendered Terms Like ‘Father’ and ‘Daughter,’” Daily Caller: “The resolution would change ‘pronouns and familial relationships in the House rules to be gender neutral or removes references to gender, as appropriate, to ensure we are inclusive of all Members, Delegates, Resident Commissioners and their families – including those who are nonbinary,’ [House Rules Chair Jim] McGovern’s announcement said.”
PLAYBOOK METRO SECTION — “D.C. is becoming a protest battleground. In a polarized nation, experts say that’s unlikely to change,” WaPo: “D.C. is no stranger to protests. The city has averaged more than 800 permitted demonstrations annually in recent years and many more that gather without permits. While arrests have increased as protesters have sought to use civil disobedience to make a point, the arrests often are planned and choreographed.
“When violence has erupted, it has largely targeted property — not people. But security experts who study extremist movements and terrorism threats say street brawls are part of the ethos of far-right agitators. Experts said these groups will continue to return to Washington well after Biden is sworn into office.” WaPo
CLICKER — “The nation’s cartoonists on the week in politics,” edited by Matt Wuerker — 14 funnies
GREAT WEEKEND READS, curated by Margy Slattery and the workers of POLITICO Magazine:
— “What the Hole Is Going On?” by Rachel Handler in New York journal’s Grub Street: “The very real, totally bizarre bucatini shortage of 2020.” New York
— “The Cruise Ship Suicides,” by Austin Carr in Bloomberg Businessweek: “Confined mostly to tiny cabins as the pandemic unfolded, crew members struggled to cope.” Businessweek
— “Tallying Up a Year of Loss,” by WaPo’s Jerry Brewer: “I’m not quite done shaving pounds off my body. However, I cannot bear losing anything else.” WaPo
— “The Tale of Franco A.,” by NYT’s Katrin Bennhold: “In broken English, he presented himself as a Syrian refugee. … In reality, he was a lieutenant in the German Army.” NYT
— “The Secret Formula,” by Steven Lance in The Atavist: “Could shrunken heads from the Amazon hold the key to curing cancer? One man thought so—and spent a lifetime trying to prove it.” Atavist
— “My Dinners With le Carré,” by Jeff Leen in the WaPo Magazine: “What I learned about writing, fame and grace when I spent two weeks showing the master spy novelist around Miami.” WaPo Magazine
Send tricks to Eli Okun and Garrett Ross at [email protected].
SPEAKER’S SAN FRANCISCO HOME VANDALIZED — Details from KRON4 News: “Nancy Pelosi’s home vandalized with pig’s head, fake blood”
IN MEMORIAM — “Richard Bates, Disney’s Longtime Head of Government Relations, Dies at 70,” Variety: “Richard Bates, the longtime head of government relations for Disney, died Dec. 31 at his home outside Washington, D.C. He was 70. Disney said the executive’s death was sudden. Bates had represented Disney in the halls of Congress and other public policy arenas since 1991.
“Disney insiders are ‘heartbroken’ over Bates’ death, Disney executive chairman Bob Iger and CEO Bob Chapek said in a joint statement. Friends and co-workers described Bates as a ‘gentleman’ who was extremely knowledgeable about governmental issues. … He was the first to open a Washington, D.C. office for the studio when he signed on. Before joining Disney, Bates served as executive director of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, where he steered a staff of 80.”
MEDIAWATCH — Per Peter Baker, Bob Costa is leaving his moderator gig on PBS’ “Washington Week.” No phrase but on a alternative. Costa earlier introduced he’s engaged on a e book with Bob Woodward.
TRANSITION — Mason Di Palma shall be comms director for Rep. Anthony Gonzalez (R-Ohio). He most lately was marketing campaign supervisor for Rep. Mike Turner’s (R-Ohio) reelect.
ENGAGED — Eric Bovim, CEO of Avisa Partners U.S., and Cathryn Donaldson, who’s in business actual property, received engaged Thursday at L’Auberge Chez Francois. They have been launched by mutual buddy Robb Watters in summer season 2019. Pic
BIRTHDAYS: Playbook’s personal Mike Zapler … Judy Miller … CRC Public Relations’ Greg Mueller … Erin Hughes, SVP of public affairs and comms at Marathon Strategies … Will Jawando … NBC’s Cyrus Farivar … Michael Webb is 55 … Christi Layman … Chris Hartline is 31 … Rachel Perrone … former Rep. Henry Bonilla (R-Texas) is 67 … former Rep. Robert Wexler (D-Fla.), president of the S. Daniel Abraham Center for Middle East Peace, is 6-0 … Cheyenne Foster, federal affairs specialist at Koch Industries … Rebecca Bill Chavez (h/t Evelyn Farkas) … Annie Starke, affiliate and coverage adviser at Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck … Facebook’s Annie Lewis and Marc Johnson …
… John Thornton, govt chair of Barrick Gold … James Tisch, CEO of Loews Corp., is 68 … NYT’s Annie Tressler … Scott Cullinane … Anna Wishart is 36 … Lizzie Langer … Rachel Hicks, director of federal affairs and PAC at American Beverage Association … Masango Ngole Ngeh … Jane Krause … Kelly Schulz … Douglas Faulkner … Alexa Barchuk … Faridon Abbas … Craig Varoga (h/t Teresa Vilmain) … Kyle Gazis, a litigation affiliate at Davis Polk & Wardwell’s Washington workplace … Fox Business Network’s Elizabeth MacDonald … Ben Sheffner (h/t Tim Burger) … Anna Lee, managing director of selling for Morning Consult … Alice M. Greenwald
THE SHOWS (Full Sunday show listings here):
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NBC
“Meet the Press”: Anthony Fauci … Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.) … Stacey Abrams. Panel: Peter Baker, Geoff Bennett and Leigh Ann Caldwell. Panel: Clint Watts and Brandy Zadrozny.
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CNN
“State of the Union”: Surgeon General Jerome Adams … Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine … Jon Ossoff … Stacey Abrams.
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CBS
“Face the Nation”: Moncef Slaoui … Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson … Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti … Jo Ann Jenkins … Scott Gottlieb.
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ABC
“This Week”: Anthony Fauci … Stacey Abrams. Panel: Chris Christie and Rahm Emanuel. Panel: Matthew Dowd, Byron Pitts, Julie Pace and Susan Glasser.
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FOX
“Fox News Sunday”: Sen. Kelly Loeffler (R-Ga.) … Rep. Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.). Panel: Jason Chaffetz, Catherine Lucey and Juan Williams.
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Gray TV
“Full Court Press”: Jeanne Marrazzo … Yasmeen Abutaleb … Lauren Warren.
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Sinclair
“America This Week” (re-air): President Donald Trump city corridor.
