The Playbook Podcast

President Donald Trump is arriving in Davos today as the subject of nearly every conversation. Trump’s push to bring Greenland under U.S. control has dominated the discussion at the World Economic Forum, even as the president prepares to deliver a speech before those gathered in Switzerland on Wednesday. While the world will be parsing every word in his address, the real tea leaves to read may come out of Trump’s meetings with world leaders on the sidelines. Playbook’s Jack Blanchard and White House and foreign affairs correspondent Eli Stokols discuss the stakes of Trump’s trip, plus the big case to watch at the Supreme Court on Wednesday.

Today marks one year since President Donald Trump returned to office. In his first year back in the White House, Trump has wielded the power of the presidency in unprecedented ways. But despite many of the achievements that the White House points to from 2025, there are a number of fronts with uncertain horizons in 2026. Trump has spent the first part of the year focused on various foreign affairs — despite voters’ consistent cost-of-living concerns, which are set to dominate the midterm messaging battle. Playbook’s Jack Blanchard and Adam Wren take stock of Trump’s return to power and where the president and his team turn now.

President Donald Trump’s signature tariffs are still roiling Michigan, one of the most closely watched midterm states in 2026. Almost nowhere on the map are there more battleground congressional seats, not to mention a Senate seat on a knife’s edge and a three-way governor’s race featuring a wildcard independent candidate polling in the double digits. And that’s before you dig into any number of down-ballot races. Playbook’s Adam Wren and White House reporter Megan Messerly discuss the topic du jour at this week’s Detroit Auto Show and what the impact of Trump’s tariffs could mean for the midterms.

A handful of international fronts are simmering with tension as President Donald Trump’s foreign policy agenda expands. The president seemingly backed off taking action in Iran for now, telling reporters that the situation on the ground had improved. The standoff over Greenland is ramping up. Trump once again shifted blame for the stalled Ukraine-Russia negotiations. And the administration announced a new phase in the Gaza peace plan. Playbook’s Jack Blanchard and White House reporter Megan Messerly break down the stakes for each of Trump’s foreign policy forays.

President Donald Trump is ramping up the rhetoric over Iran. Trump is considering a range of options as the death toll from the crackdown on protests in Iran grows higher. The different responses on the table range from the diplomatic to so-called kinetic options, which could involve the military. But the administration’s recent moves in the Western Hemisphere have hampered some of the immediate options. Playbook’s Jack Blanchard and White House reporter Megan Messerly discuss Trump’s Iran options. Plus, what’s Trump’s end game on Greenland?

The Justice Department’s investigation into Fed Chair Jerome Powell is still sending shockwaves through Washington and beyond. As President Donald Trump prepares to deliver a speech on the economy Tuesday, the headlines are still being dominated by Powell. Scores of Republicans are denouncing the move, and some inside the White House are concerned the push to target Powell is distracting from other issues the administration would rather focus on. Playbook’s Jack Blanchard and White House Bureau Chief Dasha Burns discuss how the fallout is threatening Trump’s agenda.

Jerome Powell is the latest target of President Donald Trump’s Justice Department. The Federal Reserve chair confirmed that DOJ has opened a criminal investigation into his statements to Congress regarding Fed HQ renovations, marking the latest and sharpest escalation of Trump’s monthslong crusade against Powell. Though Trump denied having knowledge of the investigation, he has long pushed Powell to cut interest rates. Playbook’s Jack Blanchard and White House Bureau Chief Dasha Burns discuss the ramifications of the inquiry into Powell.

Affordability was supposed to be the primary focus of 2026 as Republicans try to shore up voter support ahead of the midterms. Instead, nearly every day this year has been dominated by headlines surrounding President Donald Trump’s extraordinary intervention in Venezuela. Whether the Trump administration can successfully tell voters why they should care about the Venezuela action could go a long way in defining the success of the operation. White House reporters Megan Messerly and Myah Ward discuss what it will take for Trump to drive his message home.

The Trump administration is pushing forward with its oil-driven agenda in Venezuela. President Donald Trump is set to welcome oil industry executives to the White House later this week to talk about kickstarting production there again. Meanwhile, Trump appears to be easing up on some of the hardline stances he took against other countries in the wake of the shock military action to capture Nicolás Maduro in Venezuela over the weekend. The president seems to be easing his position on Colombia and Greenland after members of Congress expressed concern. Playbook’s Jack Blanchard and White House Bureau Chief Dasha Burns discuss the shift. Plus, Congress is finally eyeing a vote on the now-expired Obamacare subsidies.

President Donald Trump touted on Tuesday night that Venezuela’s interim government would turn over billions of dollars worth of oil to the U.S., just days after Nicolás Maduro was toppled. The U.S. plans to sell the oil at market prices, Trump said, adding that he would personally control the proceeds. Meanwhile, administration officials are delivering a bipartisan briefing to senators on the Venezuela action today, which is certain to prompt plenty of reactions once it’s wrapped. Playbook’s Jack Blanchard and White House Bureau Chief Dasha Burns discuss the oil equation, plus what Trump really wants to do with Greenland.

President Donald Trump is speaking with House Republicans at the Kennedy Center today for what was originally intended to be a rally-the-troops gathering as a pivotal midterm year kicks off. But the topic driving the majority of headlines this week is Venezuela. Questions swirl about what comes next in the country as various corners of the administration divulge different details. Republican lawmakers so far have supported the move — but it’s unclear how long that unity will last. Playbook’s Jack Blanchard and White House Bureau Chief Dasha Burns break down what to watch out of the meeting. Plus, today is the fifth anniversary of the Jan. 6 Capitol attack.

President Donald Trump is taking hardline stances on a number of countries in the Western Hemisphere and beyond after the U.S. carried out a stunning military operation to capture Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro and his wife. The two are facing narcoterrorism charges and are due to appear in court on Monday. Meanwhile, Trump rattled the saber toward more nations that could see U.S. intervention on the heels of the action in Venezuela. Playbook Jack Blanchard and White House Bureau Chief Dasha Burns discuss Trump’s dire messaging and how it fits into his larger “America First” agenda.

Few political stories dominated the headlines and displayed the sharp divisions across the country more in 2025 than redistricting. Under the demands of President Donald Trump, Republicans across the country set out to redraw maps to claw seats into their column as the party tries to protect its slim majority in the House. But Democrats have fought back — with a handful of potential presidential candidates taking up the mantle and positioning themselves to reap the rewards. Playbook’s Adam Wren and politics reporter Andrew Howard break down who came out ahead, and what it means for 2026 and beyond.

Democrats are fretting about a certain candidate profile in red and purple states that’s giving some in the party heartburn. Much of their consternation is over what they view as ultra-liberal positions that are resistance relics of Trump 1.0 — ones they think won’t age well among median voters in states where Democrats already absorbed setbacks. The vetting intensified after Tennessee Democratic state Rep. Aftyn Behn cut into GOP margins in a deep-red district, but still lost as Republicans attacked her position on defunding the police. Playbook’s Adam Wren and politics reporter Andrew Howard discuss what the concerns mean for the midterms.

The coalition that sent Donald Trump back to the White House appears fragile as Republicans search for a successor who can unite the party once Trump exits the stage. New results from The POLITICO Poll reveal ideological fault lines that could threaten to break up the base of voters who any potential Republican presidential candidate will rely on in 2028. Vice President JD Vance, who many believe could be up to the task, tried to quell a round of MAGA infighting at Turning Point USA’s AmericaFest. Playbook’s Adam Wren and politics reporter Andrew Howard break down what the current state of the right says about the future of the Republican Party.

When President Donald Trump signed the Epstein Files Transparency Act into law in November, he set off a 30-day deadline for the Justice Department to release all the files related to the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Now, that day has come as the Justice Department prepares to drop the long-awaited documents. But what the files actually hold remains unclear. Playbook’s Adam Wren and White House reporter Megan Messerly discuss whether the release of the files will spell the end of the story that has dominated headlines throughout the year, or if the new materials will stoke new flames.

President Donald Trump delivered a live address to the nation from the White House in succinct fashion with a sharp focus on the economy on Wednesday night. During the roughly 20-minute speech — which was a far cry from the president’s meandering campaign-style rally in Pennsylvania last week — Trump touted the “progress” that his administration has made in addressing Americans’ cost-of-living concerns. Playbook’s Jack Blanchard and White House reporter Megan Messerly assess whether the message will stick with voters ahead of this year’s midterms.

Susie Wiles, President Donald Trump’s chief of staff, set off a media storm on Tuesday after Vanity Fair published a deeply reported account of the White House’s inner circle of operators. The story featured candid comments delivered by Wiles over 11 interviews on a range of issues. Trump and other senior administration officials rushed to defend Wiles, while others privately questioned why she and other officials agreed to the interviews with Vanity Fair. Playbook’s Jack Blanchard and White House Bureau Chief Dasha Burns break down what the episode revealed about the dynamics inside the White House.

Vice President JD Vance is headed to Pennsylvania on Tuesday to talk about affordability with voters who are feeling the pinch of cost-of-living concerns. Vance’s visit comes exactly one week after President Donald Trump delivered a speech on affordability in Pennsylvania — a sign that the administration is laser-focused on the all-important swing state ahead of the midterms, and perhaps an indication that Vance can drive the message home after Trump veered off script. Playbook’s Jack Blanchard and White House Bureau Chief Dasha Burns discuss the renewed push.

Negotiators are engaged in high-level talks to hammer out a peace plan for Ukraine in Berlin, with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy sounding like he’s ready to cut a deal. Though President Donald Trump did not attend the weekend negotiations with European leaders, he seems poised to swoop in once a legitimate plan is on the table. The question mark looming over the talks, though, is uncertainty over Russian President Vladimir Putin’s position. Playbook’s Jack Blanchard and POLITICO White House reporter Sophia Cai break down the latest developments.