The struggle is real. Ever since Kamala Harris emerged as the likely Democratic presidential nominee, Donald Trump’s allies have struggled to land on a consistent line of attack against the VP. The result? A gusher of insults aimed at Harris’ identity rather than her policies. Can the rhetoric be reined in? Breaking news reporter Irie Sentner joins…

Last night, President Joe Biden gave a rare Oval Office speech to mark an even more rare occurrence: A president who is eligible for another term choosing not to run for reelection. While at times forward-looking — as when he reiterated his support for VP Kamala Harris — the address was, on its face, an attempt at legacy building. Biden checked off…

Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will address a joint session of Congress on Wednesday afternoon. However, the recent shakeup in the presidential race has overshadowed what would normally be Washington's biggest story. A vocal few lawmakers have stated that they will not attend the address, and presumptive Democratic presidential nominee …

Kamala Harris has received enough commitments to move closer to clinching the Democratic presidential nomination. When Harris previously ran for the Democratic nomination, her record was criticized for being insufficiently progressive. But this time around, that characterization could actually give her an advantage. Former prosecutor and current se…

For the first time in over 50 years, a sitting president eligible for a second term has opted to forgo reelection. After weeks of speculation, the president announced on Sunday that he would withdraw from the race and endorse Vice President Kamala Harris. According to reports, the decision caught not only Democratic politicians off guard, but also …

On Thursday night, Donald Trump gave the longest televised acceptance speech ever, and while the crowd was initially locked in, it later grew restless. The news elephant in the room for many reporters was actually President Biden, as speculation continues to increase about when — and if — he steps down from the ticket. Playbook co-authors Ryan Lizz…

J.D. Vance officially accepted his party’s nomination for vice president Wednesday night at the Republican National Convention. To unpack how Vance's speech played in the room — and the split screen as speculation around Biden grew Wednesday — Playbook co-author Ryan Lizza is joined by Playbook co-author Eugene Daniels and national political corres…

Day two of the 2024 Republican National Convention was informally about the runners-up. Former South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley and Florida Governor Ron DeSantis were two of the notable speakers. Each pledged their full support for the Trump/Vance ticket, urging even those who don't see eye-to-eye with the former president on every single issue …

Roughly halfway through the first day of the Republican National Convention, Donald Trump announced that had chosen J.D. Vance, a junior senator from Ohio, as his running mate. But of course although the announcement was one of the biggest and arguably most important moments of the election cycle, it was overshadowed by the biggest elephant in the …

The Republican National Convention begins today, with former President Donald Trump expected to address attendees on Thursday. But all expectations of what that moment would hold were shattered when a 20-year-old gunman opened fire on Trump at a rally in Pennsylvania on Saturday. National politics correspondent Meridith McGraw joins Playbook co-aut…

It was almost certainly the most important press conference of President Joe Biden’s long career. And now that it’s done … well, things seem even more unclear than they were before. Democrats now find themselves in a sort of purgatory while their ultimate fate remains undetermined. Was it enough to silence the naysayers? Probably not. But it also w…

What’s driving the day today is what’s been driving the day: Joe Biden’s health and whether he’s going to stay in the race. Recently, the Biden campaign has begun calling delegates, in what politics bureau chief and senior political columnist Jonathan Martin calls an unprecedented sign of the times. He talks about it with Playbook co-author Eugene …

A Tuesday meeting with Hill Democrats left many who initially expressed concerns after the debate two weeks ago reluctantly falling in line with Biden or saying nothing at all. Though the dam appears to be holding behind the president for now, will it stay strong? What will happen if Biden stumbles again before the Democratic National Convention ne…

Over the next few days, the spotlight on Joe Biden will only sharpen as the president attends this year’s NATO summit in Washington. His first big test will be a major address today commemorating the 75th anniversary of the organization. Whether a strong performance there — and at a Thursday news conference — can calm the nerves of Democrats still …

Congress returns today after time off for the Fourth of July, but it is the forthcoming presidential election that is the only thing anyone is talking about. More and more Democrats are coming out of the woodwork to suggest President Joe Biden step aside and pass the baton to another candidate to run in November. But who, if anyone, actually has in…

Nearly a week after the disastrous presidential debate, more Democrats are going on the record to suggest President Biden step aside and let another candidate be the nominee for president in 2024. After prominent Democrats called questions about Biden’s mental acuity “valid,” a cascade of other voices echoed the sentiment. But that introduces a pot…

The Supreme Court ruled Monday that Donald Trump has immunity from criminal prosecution for some actions he took as president while fighting to subvert the 2020 election, further complicating efforts to put Trump on trial in Washington on criminal charges. The decision immediately deflated some of the central allegations that special counsel Jack S…

The fallout from last week's presidential debate continues. Over the weekend, it was reported that the Biden family gathered to discuss whether the president should remain in the race. His family is said to have encouraged him to see it through. But, despite nobody publicly coming forward to encourage him to drop out, others in the Democratic Party…

President Joe Biden’s campaign gambled on a June debate, ostensibly with the goal of shaking up the trajectory of the campaign. Last night, it backfired in spectacular fashion. Over the course of a disastrous 90 minutes, the incumbent often wandered into incoherence, his voice faint, while former President Donald Trump blasted a firehose of insults…

It’s the day that members of both major parties have been waiting for with excitement and/or dread. Tonight in Atlanta, President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump will take to the debate stage for their first debate of the 2024 cycle. Could this be a make-or-break moment for the candidates? How are both candidates angling to get under on…

The Supreme Court is slated to deliver rulings on roughly a dozen cases in the coming days—its last batch of this term. Among these is Trump v. United States, which will rule on whether the former president is immune from criminal prosecution over his bid to subvert the 2020 election. Also expected in this wave of decisions is a ruling on Relentles…

It is primary day in the Empire State, and one of the buzziest races of the day involves Rep. Jamaal Bowman (NY-16). In the only public polls out, Bowman appears to be trailing his opponent, George Latimer, by a whopping 17 points. As New York Playbook co-author Emily Ngo explains, it is the issues at hand in the race—namely, a divide surrounding I…

Groups including Planned Parenthood, the ACLU, and Reproductive Freedom for All are banding together to form Abortion Access Now, an alliance focused on restoring protections for abortion care on the federal level. The new coalition is marking the second anniversary of the fall of Roe v. Wade with a pledge to spend $100 million on a national, 10-ye…

Today begins a momentous three days of hearings in Trump’s classified documents case in the Florida courtroom of Judge Aileen Cannon. In an alternate timeline, the criminal prosecution — which was originally slated to start on May 20 — is already underway. But in the real world, Cannon has postponed proceedings indefinitely — and it’s likely that, …

It could happen today. It could happen tomorrow. And you can count on it happening next week, too. The Supreme Court has 22 remaining cases left on the docket, and with time ticking down on this term, the floodgates are about to open. From abortion restrictions to Trump’s claims of presidential immunity in his bid to subvert the 2020 election, to s…