Playbook Deep Dive

Former Nancy Pelosi and Kamala Harris adviser Ashley Etienne joins Rachael Bade to assess House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries’ first 100 days leading his caucus. They also discuss what Democratic kingmakers need to do to win back voters—from building a better ground game, to ditching attention-grabbing stunts, to coordinating their messaging so they can finally land some punches on Trump. Rachael Bade⁠ [https://x.com/rachaelmbade] is Capitol Bureau Chief and Senior Washington Correspondent for POLITICO. Ashley Etienne [https://x.com/ashleyetienne09?lang=en%20] is a former adviser to Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi and Vice President Kamala Harris. ⁠Kara Tabor⁠ [https://twitter.com/KATabor] is a producer for POLITICO audio.  ⁠Alex Keeney⁠ [https://twitter.com/keendawg?s=21&t=j3oegv5XKq-jOHmvtcriMg] is a senior producer for POLITICO audio. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices [https://megaphone.fm/adchoices]

Longtime Democratic strategist Doug Sosnik joins Deep Dive host Dasha Burns to discuss the current identity crisis within the Democratic Party. Sosnik discusses insights from a presentation he’s shared exclusively with Playbook that details the path forward for the Democrats, including how to connect with voters, elevate the right new leaders, and whether or not to oppose Trump or work with him.  Dasha Burns [https://twitter.com/DashaBurns?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor] is the White House Bureau Chief at POLITICO Doug Sosnik is a former Clinton adviser and political strategist Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices [https://megaphone.fm/adchoices]

Robert Doar, the President of the American Enterprise Institute, joins host Rachael Bade to discuss how an institution long dedicated to promoting ideas such as free trade and strong American global leadership, is asserting itself in a Trump administration that often does not prioritize those views. In this episode, they discuss who in the White House is receptive to these values; how AEI is trying to influence an administration that’s fixated on podcasters and TikTokers — not conventional policy papers; who the emerging leaders are on Capitol Hill that are carrying this message; and why Doar is so much more optimistic about the future than your average cable TV host. Rachael Bade [https://x.com/rachaelmbade] is Capitol Bureau Chief and Senior Washington Correspondent for POLITICO. Robert Doar [https://x.com/RobertDoar/status/1865151898744955368] is the president of the American Enterprise Institute Kara Tabor [https://twitter.com/KATabor] is a producer for POLITICO audio.  Alex Keeney [https://twitter.com/keendawg?s=21&t=j3oegv5XKq-jOHmvtcriMg] is a senior producer for POLITICO audio. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices [https://megaphone.fm/adchoices]

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is making some big shakeups at the Department of Health and Human Services — and Calley Means is one of his key strategists. In this episode, POLITICO White House Bureau Chief Dasha Burns sits down with Means to break down the Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) movement, and how Secretary Kennedy is planning to channel its energy into policy goals. Dasha Burns [https://x.com/DashaBurns] is the White House Bureau Chief for POLITICO. Calley Means [https://x.com/calleymeans] is special government employee at the Department of Health and Human Services. Kara Tabor [https://twitter.com/KATabor] is a producer for POLITICO audio.  Alex Keeney [https://twitter.com/keendawg?s=21&t=j3oegv5XKq-jOHmvtcriMg] is a senior producer for POLITICO audio. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices [https://megaphone.fm/adchoices]

Former Trump national security adviser John Bolton joins POLITICO's Rachael Bade to discuss the Signalgate controversy and the broader battle over who will define Donald Trump’s foreign policy — Reagan-era hawks or America First types and isolationists — and who might take the fall for this national security scandal. Rachael Bade [https://x.com/rachaelmbade] is Capitol Bureau Chief and Senior Washington Correspondent for POLITICO. John Bolton [https://x.com/AmbJohnBolton?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor] is a former Trump White House national security adviser. Kara Tabor [https://twitter.com/KATabor] is a producer for POLITICO audio.  Alex Keeney [https://twitter.com/keendawg?s=21&t=j3oegv5XKq-jOHmvtcriMg] is a senior producer for POLITICO audio. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices [https://megaphone.fm/adchoices]