Late last night, the House Budget Committee approved GOP leadership’s voluminous one-bill budget plan — a giant step toward fulfilling President Donald Trump’s policy agenda, but one that sets them up for collision with the Senate GOP’s two-bill approach. But launching it out of committee may have been the easy part. Where do things go from here? P…

Today, President Donald Trump will host Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the White House — the latest high-stakes meeting between the leaders of the world’s two largest democracies. On the agenda? Tariffs, immigration and the future of the global balance of power. POLITICO’s Washington-based China correspondent Phelim Kine breaks it all down …

There’s one thing dominating the discourse in Washington today: Money. Dueling Republican budgets face big days on Capitol Hill, new inflation numbers drop this morning and President Donald Trump could unleash his latest salvo of tariffs. Meanwhile, the economic world is bracing itself for the Bureau of Labor Statistics to come under scrutiny from …

In the few weeks since President Donald Trump returned to office, Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency panel has implemented significant changes within the federal government. Strong favorability ratings over the weekend are reported to have boosted morale within the White House, leaving them feeling emboldened. But as DOGE eyes new agen…

As soon as tomorrow, Tulsi Gabbard is likely to sail through confirmation as Director of National Intelligence. Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s confirmation is likely to follow later this week. Just weeks ago, it felt like a stretch that either would be confirmed. So, what changed? Congress reporter Jordain Carney joins chief Playbook correspondent Eugene …

The Republican battle for the upper hand in the reconciliation debate is in full swing today. House GOP leaders are set to finally unveil their plan. Senate Republicans descend on Mar-a-Lago to woo President Donald Trump toward their own competing vision. In the balance is Trump’s legislative agenda, whose plan will come out on top? Senior Congress…

As Elon Musk wages war on the bureaucracy, federal workers face a time for choosing: At midnight tonight, the self-styled “early buyout” offer to federal employees expires, marking a potential hinge point in the so-called Department of Government Efficiency’s work in Washington. How did we get here and what happens next? National political reporter…

This afternoon, President Donald Trump is expected to sign an executive order that would effectively ban trans women and girls from participating in women’s sports. The move would reverse a change to Title IX implemented by the Biden administration that argued the law should also apply to LGBTQ students. White House reporter Megan Messerly joins ch…

Today, President Donald Trump is set to meet with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, his first visit from a foreign dignitary during his second term. There’s a lot at stake for both leaders — notably, the possibility of a more permanent ceasefire in the Middle East. National security reporter Robbie Gramer joins chief Playbook correspondent…

On Saturday, President Donald Trump signed an order to impose 25% tariffs on imports from Canada and Mexico and a 10% tariff on energy products from Canada. Those new actions go into effect at midnight, and experts are predicting the economic fallout could be catastrophic. Canadian federal politics reporter and Ottawa Playbook author Nick Taylor-Va…

As the tragedy at Washington Reagan National Airport dominates the policy conversation in DC, the political conversation is quickly turning to the pivotal Democratic National Committee meeting tomorrow where the party will elect a new head. Minnesota’s Ken Martin and Wisconsin’s Ben Wikler are locked in a neck-and-neck contest for the top seat, and…

In what appears to be the most serious aviation disaster in the U.S. in more than a decade, last night, a regional passenger jet collided with an Army helicopter at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport. We bring you the latest this morning, plus a preview of today’s big hearings on Capitol Hill, as two of President Donald Trump’s most controve…

Today, President Donald Trump’s nominee to lead the Department of Health and Human Services faces what’s expected to be a contentious Senate hearing. Health care reporter Daniel Payne joins Playbook deputy editor Zack Stanton to discuss how RFK Jr.’s history as a noted vaccine skeptic and promoter of other disproven medical beliefs may lead to the …

President Donald Trump was short on procedure and long on demands in addressing House Republicans at the annual House GOP policy retreat last night. Today, lawmakers will be strategizing about how to actually move these goals through congress. Senior Congress Editor Mike DeBonis joins Playbook Deputy Editor Zack Stanton to discuss. Plus, the Office…

This afternoon marks the start of the House GOP retreat in Florida, where Republicans will strategize about how to get President Trump’s legislative agenda passed in Congress. The biggest task for the gathering is to finalize a budget blueprint plan for the massive, party-line bill they’re planning, touching energy, border security and tax policy. …

Today, President Donald Trump plans to take his first trip outside Washington since taking office, visiting North Carolina and California to assess disaster recovery efforts. California Bureau Chief Christopher Cadelago chats with Playbook Deputy Editor Zack Stanton on whether to expect a sympathetic or confrontational Trump, and how Gov. Gavin New…

Last night, in the first Oval Office interview of his second term, Donald Trump let loose on a range of topics — from wildfires in California and his pardons of Jan. 6 rioters to his near assassination and his coming immigration crackdown. What was the takeaway from the interview, and what does it all tell us about the message the Trump team wants …

With President Donald Trump’s inauguration in the rearview, his cabinet nominees are retaking the spotlight. This week, the Senate takes a closer look at Russell Vought, Pete Hegseth, Elise Stefanik and Sean Duffy, among others. Congress reporter Jordain Carney joins Chief Playbook Correspondent Eugene Daniels to walk through which of these she is …

President Donald Trump closed his first day with an unprecedented show of executive force, signing dozens of executive orders, including orders to withdraw the U.S. from the World Health Organization, move to end birthright citizenship and grant TikTok a reprieve from a forced shutdown. Trump also pardoned or commuted the sentences of nearly every …

It has arrived. Today at noon, Donald Trump will be sworn in for a second term as president — the culmination of a political comeback for the ages. But things will look different than we’ve come to expect from past inaugurations: Frigid temperatures have forced the ceremony inside the Capitol for the first time in 40 years. What comes next? A delug…

In the final days of the Biden White House, all eyes are fixed on President-elect Donald Trump and Republicans’ total control of the levers of power in Washington. But what does the future hold for the opposition party? Chief Playbook Correspondent Eugene Daniels joins Playbook editor Zack Stanton to dig into that question, and talk about what he l…

In public, House Speaker Mike Johnson and Senate Majority Leader John Thune get along just fine. Dig a little deeper, and you’ll find that all is not well: Capitol Hill’s two most powerful lawmakers have two very different legislative strategies, and that puts them at a loggerheads as they each vie for President-elect Donald Trump’s ear. How will i…

Robert F. Kennedy Jr., President-elect Trump’s pick to lead the Department of Health and Human Services, faces an uphill battle for confirmation. Among other things, Kennedy is a noted vaccine skeptic and has spent years embroiled in controversy. So how will the Trump team negotiate his confirmation? White House reporter Adam Cancryn joins Playbook…

This morning, the Senate will start confirmation hearings for Trump’s Cabinet nominees. Will any of Trump’s picks see resistance? Senate reporter Ursula Perano joins Playbook co-author Eugene Daniels to go over what to expect. Plus, a sneak peek at the new era of Playbook.Von POLITICO

This afternoon, President Joe Biden will deliver an address on foreign policy from the State Department—his first of two farewell speeches during the final week of his political career. Senior foreign affairs correspondent Nahal Toosi joins Playbook co-author Eugene Daniels to explore how Biden’s foreign policy legacy might be remembered. Plus, the…