Subject: POLITICO Playbook, presented by UnitedHealth Group: Trump says he’s ‘not really sure’ he believes voting in 2018 is as important as it was in 2016
From: "Anna Palmer Jake Sherman Daniel Lippman" <[email-masked]>
To: <[email-masked]>
Date: Wed, 23 May 2018 04:24:50 -0600
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Today's POLITICO Playbook presented by UnitedHealth Group 
            
By ANNA PALMER ([email-masked]; @apalmerdc), JAKE SHERMAN ([email-masked]; @JakeSherman) and DANIEL LIPPMAN ([email-masked]; @dlippman)
        
Listen to today's Audio Briefing | Subscribe on Apple Podcasts
                  Driving the Day         
TRUMP GOES OFF SCRIPT -- Last night at the Susan B. Anthony List Campaign for Life Gala -- TRUMP: "But if Democrats gain power they will try to reverse these incredible gains, these are historic gains, they will try and reverse many of them. So your vote in 2018 is every bit as important as your vote in 2016 - although I'm not sure I really believe that, but you know. 

 "I don't know who the hell wrote that line! I'm not sure. But it's still important, remember that." http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=e6437147a848deec5a2bbd9514f311280383ed70fb9899b4edaa2e1c1844df03f58db4d7748a93bcc6fb375ed94b5723 (h/t Dan Diamond) 
 
-- REPUBLICANS are really hoping this doesn't become part of the shtick. Like they're really, really, really hoping that the Republican president doesn't downplay how important it is for his base to get out and vote in November. 

 Good Wednesday morning. BAD NUMBERS FOR TRUMP -- NEW POLITICO/MORNING CONSULT POLL: "Poll: Trump reelection bid begins in a hole," by Steven Shepard: "The 2020 presidential election is still two and a half years away, but President Donald Trump's path to a second term is littered with roadblocks, according to a new POLITICO/Morning Consult poll. 
 
"Just 36 percent of voters say they would vote for Trump over a generic Democratic candidate in 2020, compared with 44 percent who would pick the Democrat, the poll shows. One in five voters, 20 percent, are undecided. 

 "Trump has trouble on the homefront, too. Despite the conventional wisdom that the president is wildly popular with the GOP base, the poll also shows a desire among a healthy slice of Republicans - though a distinct minority - for a challenger to run against Trump for the nomination. 

"While the poll suggests Trump is being buffeted on all sides, he may be stronger than the data suggest. On Election Day 2016, only 38 percent of voters had a favorable opinion of the then-GOP candidate, according to exit polls. More than three in five voters, 61 percent, said he wasn't qualified to be president." http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=e6437147a848deec59701501e74fa6d683aa07dcb63b820d96a3be783ac2ccc86b4db0e1493cc36955c19d4c2915ab5e 

ELIANA JOHNSON, ANDREW RESTUCCIA and NANCY COOK: "Trump demands housecleaning on White House communications team": "President Donald Trump has demanded changes to his communications team - long seen as one of the most internally divided offices in his White House - in an effort to crack down on the leaks that have plagued his presidency since Day One. 
 
"White House chief of staff John Kelly signed off on a plan that would flush out some of the department's mid-level and junior aides, according to three people familiar with the situation. White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders and other key senior officials are expected to remain, these people said. ... 

 "Trump spoke to ... communications aide Kelly Sadler, during a meeting earlier this month in which he asked Sadler and others present to identify leakers in the communications shop, according to two of the people familiar with the internal discussions. He also expressed deep frustration with the leaks coming out of the White House, telling aides he believes many of the stories that cite leaked information are inaccurate and damage his presidency." http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=e6437147a848deec7e65cb189df8cb79d1938c8a4854cdbf563093d7469fd93a7635378eed5bdb0adfd1d9bddf59e5a2 

-- @vanessagezari: "Lesley Stahl asked Trump in semi-private meeting why he's always attacking the press. His answer: 'I want to demean you and discredit you so that when you do negative stories about me, no one will believe you.' @deadlineclub #deadlineawards". 

MARK LEIBOVICH in this Sunday's N.Y. Times Magazine, "The Risky Business of Speaking for President Trump: Flacks in this White House press office are getting enormous exposure - but potentially at a long-term cost to their credibility": "[S]peaking for President Donald J. Trump presents a particular set of challenges. In [Hogan] Gidley's case, it means saying things that Gidley might normally not be inclined to say, or defending things he might normally have a hard time defending, or offending people in ways that might defy his otherwise pleasing nature. ... Gidley had natural gifts to draw upon. His manner is eager and aggressively aw-shucks, reminiscent of those dumbfounded underling
 characters from military-themed sitcoms of the '60s ... 

"Before entering politics in 2004, he worked as an on-air personality at a TV station in Little Rock, including a stint as a local weatherman. He clearly likes being on TV and is possessed of a polished on-camera presence, customized earpieces (molded especially for each ear) and a repertoire of syrupy banter and evasion skills well suited to times like this." http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=e6437147a848deeca26286239d24df2462891878584d7b2719c0ea1741baf3e36c538d01649aa1bbc3f9b8b810b23924 
 
GIVING CREDIT WHERE CREDIT IS DUE ... We said a while back that Congress was done and not to expect much legislative activity before Election Day. But as one GOP leadership aide pointed out -- they are having a pretty good week. The House sent the president last night the right-to-try bill, legislation that allows ill patients to try experimental treatments, and a long-fought bill to rework parts of Dodd-Frank. Today the Senate is expected to pass a veterans reform bill. Trump also signed a roll-back of auto-lending rules yesterday. 

 A REALLY, REALLY BAD SET OF HEADLINES FOR PAUL RYAN ... POLITICO: "Immigration showdown puts Ryan's job in peril" ... A1 of the NYT: "Ryan's Hold on Speaker's Job Is Tested by G.O.P. Infighting" http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=e6437147a848deec522ea618e137f89bbf94a93bdcc50b381c6621b9379eb276d58cb9a5c4e6055750019871dca7d7e8 ... WAPO A1: "Ryan's grip on House is growing weaker" http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=e6437147a848deecfa66e0efd85444d398be8f76fb7c383350471b9a58eba9bf421b8e8c20e55e6a66e545b4ec39de1a 
 
-- THERE IS NO QUESTION June is going to be absolutely brutal for the speaker, given the Republican leadership's curious decision to elevate immigration as an election-year issue after more than a decade of division on the topic. 

IF RYAN IS TO BE REMOVED, Republicans have two choices: try to oust him on the House floor, or find a candidate with 218 votes to tell him he's gotta go. Neither option is viable at the moment, even according to Ryan's most fervent detractors. That doesn't mean it won't be at some point. That means today, May 23, neither option is viable. 

-- BTW: THIS IS WHAT HAPPENS when you are speaker and you announce you're gone months before the end of the Congress.

READ RACHAEL BADE'S STORY TODAY AND CHECK OUT THESE QUOTES ...  
 
"'If we run an amnesty bill out of a Republican House, I think all options are on the table,' Freedom Caucus member Scott Perry (R-Pa.) told reporters Monday night when asked whether Ryan could remain speaker if the so-called discharge petition succeeds. 

 "'If leadership doesn't stop it, they would be violating their own word, which was the Hastert rule, majority of the majority,' agreed Rep. Dave Brat (R-Va.), referring to an unofficial Republican policy of not holding votes on matters that aren't backed by more than half of the conference." http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=e6437147a848deec2f6a1a8f24341fc6ed7fd57e64f9075d35c57c39a2351d031338ce5a3b5afb2c4a6404e84b4aed07 

-- THIS IS SIGNIFICANT: The Freedom Caucus has said they stand for a lot of things. There is hardly an area on which they take a pass at having an opinion. But they've been most consistent in saying that they are hell-bent on a strict adherence to the House rules, and a fair process for everything. They've decried a strong leadership structure, and have pushed back when the speaker or majority leader has weighed in on legislation that rises from the rank and file. 

WELL ... Now, Perry -- a member of the leadership of the group -- and Brat are asking the leadership to stop the discharge petition -- or else. This is veering wildly from the group's original charge, and gives ammo to HFC critics, who think they are a bunch of charlatans who oppose for opposition's sake. 

THE DISCHARGE PETITION is regular order -- the very mechanism these guys have been talking about for years. They are asking the leadership to strong-arm something they don't like. 
 
YOU DON'T SEE the HFC as a group coming out and lining up with Brat and Perry. Why? Because some in the HFC see this as an example of a group that is slowly losing its way.

****** A message from UnitedHealth Group: Working to reduce out-of-pocket drug costs. With the critical need to control high drug prices, UnitedHealth Group is focused on solutions - like point of sale discounts - to help make drug costs more affordable for millions of people we have the privilege to serve. Learn more. ******

SOMETHING TO WATCH -- NATASHA KORECKI SCOOPS: "Prominent donor threatens GOP over DACA": "Former Exelon chairman John Rowe, a prominent Chicago business leader who's donated to dozens of GOP House and Senate members, first told POLITICO in an interview he is tightening the spigot - and in some cases, completely turning off the flow - of money to Republican lawmakers who refuse to sign onto a discharge petition that would force a vote on legislation related to so-called 'Dreamers.'
 
 "'Every member of the Illinois delegation knows this is one of the most important issues facing them and it determines how much money I'm giving them,' said Rowe, who heads a pro-immigrant business group in Illinois. 'This is the home state of Abraham Lincoln. We're betraying our entire heritage if we don't get this done.' Rowe has directly contributed more than $500,000 to campaigns over the last three years alone, predominantly to Republicans, and raised tens of thousands more." http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=e6437147a848deece1dd42b10655f80a241694fcb7a1deb2f55d673f5192811aa61391c8f95e3e15d3a09a04f9beea4e 

 THE PRIMARIES ... BIG PICTURE ... WAPO'S MICHAEL SCHERER and DAVE WEIGEL: "Democratic voters reject tradition, choosing outsiders in their quest to regain power" http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=e6437147a848deece0c669f9ef104620c17eb74063e5af5700c7ddb71443d61ae24db6ba1370d1326e65277c925c6219 

-- STEVE SHEPARD: "Top takeaways from Tuesday's historic primary night": "The Georgia governor's race will test a risky Democratic gambit. ... It's still Democrats' Year of the Woman. ... It was a pretty good night for the Democratic establishment. ... Conservatives are poised to make their mark on the Texas delegation. ... Pence couldn't drag Bunni Pounds over the finish line." http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=e6437147a848deec0418215a08637b93b9351cecb1ac1f47df28da89aa674398c274fbec5d845bae75fd2e756a23445d 

-- GEORGIA DEM GUBERNATORIAL NOMINEE ... AJC'S GREG BLUSTEIN: "Former House Minority Leader Stacey Abrams won the Democratic nomination for Georgia's top office on Tuesday, defeating ex-state Rep. Stacey Evans and advancing her quest to become the nation's first black female elected governor. ... 

"The Democrats largely abandoned centrist talk to appeal instead to left-leaning voters with a promise of implementing gun control, increasing financial aid for lower-income families and taking steps toward the decriminalization of marijuana." http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=e6437147a848deecbd23067643a7f4a7d3b76956f212c81f11a4a1d0033891941f39fac2015ee800c8cc8abc7d21ce53 

-- GEORGIA GOP GOV. RUNOFF, also via Greg Blustein: "Lt. Gov. Casey Cagle will face Secretary of State Brian Kemp in a July runoff, after the two emerged as the top finalists Tuesday in the five-man race for the Republican nomination for Georgia governor. ... Whoever emerges from the grueling nine-week runoff will face a November showdown against former House Minority Leader Stacey Abrams, a competition that will test whether the state is competitive after more than a decade of Republican rule." http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=e6437147a848deec9d03817c79b11725750da37701edab71649937e73826a32a0d8bead6b919b7ff0889984df26fcae9 

-- IN TEXAS ... SOMEONE TO WATCH FOR: HOUSTON CHRONICLE: "Republican Dan Crenshaw jumped out to such a commanding early lead over his opponent Kevin Roberts in one of the hottest congressional battles in the Houston area that Roberts conceded less than two hours after polls closed. 

"Early voting and absentee ballot results showed Crenshaw had twice as many votes as Roberts in the 2nd Congressional District's Republican primary runoff on Tuesday. The GOP foes were battling for the chance to succeed retiring U.S. Rep. Ted Poe, R-Atascocita, who is retiring after seven terms in Congress. 
 
"Crenshaw, a 33-year-old retired lieutenant commander, spent 10 years in the SEALs, including tours in both Iraq and Afghanistan. Crenshaw nearly lost his vision when an improvised explosive device in Afghanistan put him into a coma for five days. He survived but lost his right eye, over he now wears an eye patch." http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=e6437147a848deec41372fa32118b84be02b0e058e285c73d0ee55340df1c879ed1169073a9233bcc8cb8af8d9bda72c 

 -- CRENSHAW did five tours in Iraq, lost an eye and got a degree from Harvard and then deployed twice more. He'll probably be a favorite of national security Republicans in D.C. American Patriots PAC spent $500,504 in independent expenditures boosting his bid. 

-- FAIL FOR NATIONAL DEMS ... LEXINGTON HERALD LEADER: "Amy McGrath soars to victory over Jim Gray in Kentucky. Battle with Andy Barr is next," by Daniel Desrochers, Lesley Clark and John Cheves: "Former fighter pilot Amy McGrath surged to victory over Lexington Mayor Jim Gray Tuesday in the Democratic primary for Kentucky's 6th Congressional District, setting up a November election that will attract national money and attention as Democrats try to make Kentucky part of a possible blue wave in 2018. ... 

"She is a candidate who fits the Democratic moment. The former fighter pilot - the first woman Marine to fly into combat in an F-18 -- is a political newcomer at a time Democrats across the country are looking for a fresh response to the 2016 election of President Donald Trump. There are no women in Kentucky's congressional delegation." http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=e6437147a848deec0a2800ab35198a09f0d566f1cab4cbb583e2a06b0122024cf1720c74f27f30372e4c743321019ef7 
 
-- A NOTE OF CAUTION: Lots of Democrats are going to talk about how this is a competitive race in November. McGrath faces Rep. Andy Barr (R-Ky.), and the district is an R+9 that he won by 23 points in 2016. 

 BURGESS EVERETT and HEATHER CAYGLE: "The ex-synagogue president who could decide Senate control": "Democrats' slim hopes of taking back the Senate this fall rest with a former synagogue president serving her first term in Congress taking on a battle-tested Nevada Republican who's won four statewide elections. 

"'No pressure there,' said Rep. Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.) with a chuckle. Democrats are banking on Rosen to deliver in one of their few shots at picking up a Republican-held seat this fall. The Senate map is stacked in favor of the GOP, and if she can't beat Sen. Dean Heller (R-Nev.), Democrats are almost certainly staring at two more years in the minority." http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=e6437147a848deecd90c13bd99baa50dd44f09e1c88c4d304f0c8e980a5f7c2613f77c3575a09ed4c0e66181957efea0 

L.A. TIMES' SARAH WIRE: "California has moved to the left, and Feinstein is following in her bid for a fifth term": "[C]alifornia has moved left, becoming one of the nation's bluest states. 

"At 84 and seeking a fifth full term in November, Feinstein has moved left as well, though not far enough for some Democrats. She still gets boos from her party's progressive wing. But on a series of issues, Feinstein is changing long-held positions, at times overriding her time-tested instinct for centrism. 

"Most surprising, Feinstein recently announced quietly that she no longer supports capital punishment - a dramatic reversal of the position she embraced during that iconic appearance at the 1990 convention. Similarly, after decades opposing legalizing marijuana use, Feinstein said this month that she supports a federal law keeping the government from interfering in states such as California that choose to legalize marijuana use." http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=e6437147a848deece3bcf237bdcfa21a9372ddf4ebdc6ee58250eac9aacf7ad392356e31acb2c587c499c490ba97217f 

THE LATEST ON NORTH KOREA ... 

-- WaPo's David Nakamura, Carol D. Leonnig, John Hudson and Ashley Parker: "[T]op aides [are] prepared to travel to Singapore for a crucial planning meeting this weekend with North Korean officials. Their trip comes less than two weeks after a North Korean delegation failed to show up for a similar planning meeting with U.S. officials in the island country, a failure that raised red flags at the White House, according to people familiar with the situation ... 

"Members of the White House negotiating team, which includes Deputy Chief of Staff Joseph Hagin and deputy national security adviser Mira Ricardel, intend to discuss with their North Korean counterparts the specific agenda and logistics for the June 12 summit in Singapore. ... 

"The North Koreans have sent signals to U.S. officials that Kim is skittish about logistical concerns, including ensuring that his plane would be able to access enough fuel for the 6,000-mile round trip flight and safeguarding his security while on the ground in Singapore, according to the people familiar with the deliberations. Among other things, Kim purportedly is concerned that a trip so far from home could expose him to a military coup or other internal attempts to unseat him." http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=e6437147a848deecd7b6aa10a004faee9852d8e52c8d0adb91d2abf52ecfa60232a327e242a35aa2fe23813257c67212 
 
THE INVESTIGATIONS ...  
 
 -- "Israeli Intelligence Company Formed Venture With Trump Campaign Firm Cambridge Analytica," by WSJ's Byron Tau and Rebecca Ballhaus: "A company owned by Joel Zamel, an Israeli entrepreneur whose work has drawn the scrutiny of special counsel Robert Mueller, formed a strategic partnership with a data firm for President Donald Trump's campaign in a joint bid to win business from the U.S. government and other clients after the 2016 election, according to people familiar with the matter. The Psy-Group, one of Mr. Zamel's firms, signed a memorandum of understanding with Cambridge Analytica LLC, a digital media firm that helped propel Mr. Trump to the presidency, these people said. ... 
 
 "The Dec. 14, 2016, memorandum, as described to The Wall Street Journal, outlines a partnership whereby the two firms could cooperate on a case-by-case basis to provide intelligence and social-media services, or pitch business to an array of clients. A person familiar with the work of Psy-Group, a private intelligence firm, said the partnership was intended in part to help win government contracts-something that Cambridge and its parent company, SCL Group, were aggressively seeking to do as their allies in the Trump administration took power." http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=e6437147a848deecc3d9b406ee6980df912399c943a2aec0da54f3147a91e30bd9084de6fdc4ffc7295bb27d638027ca 

 -- NYT'S DANNY HAKIM, WILLIAM RASHBAUM and VIVIAN WANG: "Michael Cohen's Business Partner Agrees to Cooperate as Part of Plea Deal": "A significant business partner of Michael D. Cohen, President Trump's personal lawyer, has agreed to cooperate with the government as a potential witness, a development that could be used as leverage to pressure Mr. Cohen to work with the special counsel examining Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election. 

"Under the deal reached with the New York attorney general's office, the partner, Evgeny A. Freidman, a Russian immigrant who is known as the Taxi King, specifically agreed to assist government prosecutors in state or federal investigations, according to a person briefed on the matter." http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=e6437147a848deec2a5d85edc9ed088cb7d03773c9a5c054077e8bee8ccf1808f763825e7f7c68b2be1e787a028bcbdc 

-- "Judge orders firm of Stormy Daniels' attorney to pay $10 million judgment," by CNN's Maeve Reston and Sara Sidner: "A U.S. bankruptcy court judge on Tuesday ordered the law firm of Stormy Daniels' attorney Michael Avenatti to pay a $10 million judgment to an attorney who once worked for the firm, according to court documents. 
 
"The judgment comes after Avenatti's firm, Eagan Avenatti LLP, failed to make the first payment on a $4.85 million settlement with lawyer Jason Frank, a one-time partner at the firm. ... In a text to CNN asking for his response to the judgment, Avenatti said, 'Completely irrelevant and a sideshow. Nothing was issued against me personally. That firm has nothing to do with the case or the client. Who cares?'" http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=e6437147a848deec8f934b7730cf2bbe9f3e954d57a58d26e72dfa73cdd340068420fc93f92c9b6a71de7eef8cbdf8ee 

 -- BROIDY FIGHTS BACK: "GOP fundraiser subpoenas AP over hacked emails, setting up legal showdown," by Ben Schreckinger: "A top Republican fundraiser has subpoenaed the Associated Press for information about the source of hacked emails that formed the basis of recent reports about him, people familiar with the matter tell POLITICO. 

"The AP has received the subpoena from Elliott Broidy - the subject of several recent articles about his efforts to lobby President Donald Trump and the U.S. government to adopt a hard-line stance against the Persian Gulf state of Qatar - and is planning to resist it, according to the outlet's director of media relations, Lauren Easton. 

"The impasse sets up a potential legal standoff over press protections at a time when political battles are increasingly being waged via leaks of hacked data. A copy of the subpoena obtained by POLITICO demands the AP turn over all its information about its sources, including their names, along with information about how the AP obtained the hacked emails." http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=e6437147a848deec9e27fd70419b92335ddc219ef0ad445189674057825e07a436d963c5c1bb04585a4a0a3512455088 

TRUMP'S WEDNESDAY -- In the afternoon, the president will fly to New York. He will participate in an immigration roundtable at Morrelly Homeland Security Center in Bethpage, New York. He will then travel back to New York City to participate in a roundtable and dinner with supporters at Lotte New York Palace Hotel before returning to Washington. 

A BURN BOOK FOR JARED? -- "'Shame on you, Jared Kushner': Harvard alumni tear apart classmate in 15th reunion notes," by Boston Globe's Matt Viser: "Graduates of the Harvard class of 2003 are making known their displeasure with the current White House administration in an unusual way, using the platform of their 15th reunion alumni notes to launch harsh, personal attacks on a former classmate. 'Shame on you, Jared Kushner,' Sophia Macris wrote in the traditional Harvard Red Book alumni listings, in the most blunt of multiple critiques targeting President Trump's son-in-law and official presidential adviser. 
 
"The salvos against Kushner - by a small number of alumni - are tucked in among the usual fare of alumni notes, where former classmates proudly recite their latest accomplishments, volunteer work, a move across the country, or the birth of a child. Kushner is not expected to attend the 15th reunion festivities that begin Thursday in Cambridge, but his younger brother, Josh, is planning on attending his 10th Harvard reunion. Jared Kushner, through the White House, declined to comment." http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=e6437147a848deec91f5a117dd44c2e117e37d34f573259acfad2e99c59b762189c2edbe83b3f97fde7b3314454bbaea

          Playbook Reads         

PHOTO DU JOUR: Stacey Abrams trounced her opponent in the Democratic primary for Georgia's gubernatorial race. She will campaign this fall to become the first female African-American governor in history. | John Bazemore/AP Photo 

MUST LISTEN -- SALLY KOHN spoke with ANNA in the latest "Women Rule" podcast about the controversy her book "The Opposite of Hate" has stirred up and also for the first time spoke about two interactions with former Fox Chairman Roger Ailes. "'I go into Roger's office and he tells me I have pretty eyes,' Kohn said. 'Five times in like five minutes.' 'Let's be honest -- I think I got off easy, right?' Kohn added of that interaction. 

 "'Just before she stopped working at Fox News, Kohn said she had a final meeting with the now-deceased chairman. 'He told me again how pretty my eyes are several times and then he told me-I can't say this straight-faced - 'I mean, you're so beautiful. Men must not know what to do with you,'' she recounted. 

"Kohn, who is gay, said she responded: 'I don't know what to do with that statement, Roger.' In the podcast interview, Kohn said she was 'more distracted by the things he was saying about Obama and Muslims' to fully comprehend his statements to her. 'The big sexual harassment thing didn't register because there was like - there was a lot to wade through, you know?' Kohn said." http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=e6437147a848deec53c1ca5c7f5a5e8795073068325d03b5a68fdb678ca4475802f99b4855c8408777afd41bebce9346 ... Subscribe http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=e6437147a848deec89efd39d419a9d66bfb8afa4babaee477ed78b547080c2156e8c97a0b867c9986d74f417ce27383a ... Get Kohn's book http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=e6437147a848deec2211b83fb3a82373b32d53d2b3e4169fda828507b9edd9059a63aa7db96b95f0111c40928f13da4f 

ISAAC DOVERE ON THE STATE OF THE RESISTANCE ... 

-- "The new AG itching to take on Trump": "The man aspiring to be the new face of the resistance is a practicing Sikh who likes to call attention to his turban and happens to have jurisdiction over 20 of President Donald Trump's properties, including Bedminster. New Jersey Attorney General Gurbir Grewal says he sees an opening in the continuing wake left by New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman's surprise resignation, and he's ready to take it. 

"'If with him not being there, there's a gap, we'll fill that gap to make sure there's no backsliding,' said Grewal, ticking off a list of active or potential lawsuits against the administration over immigrants, the stripping down of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, threats to the state coastline, the proposed citizenship question on the Census and more." http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=e6437147a848deec9087ccde36705ceb73bad1c25dc8e96a8cc4b1012f5526d05c77002310eaf13f239a99a7c51b2c1a 
 
-- "Our Revolution keeps consultant who made anti-immigrant comments": "Nina Turner is keeping her personal consultant on the Our Revolution payroll despite complaints from current and former board members and staff that the woman has made anti-immigrant comments that compromise the Bernie Sanders-inspired political group's values." http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=e6437147a848deec5d6b3309fd7fb1208ffd5b76ae957d11de2daf9fe4a233155e525c5e3a6eb16fedc48cacbe8bd874 

****** A message from UnitedHealth Group:  While the fundamental issues with prescription drug affordability are the high prices set by, and marketing practices of, pharmaceutical manufacturers, UnitedHealth Group is committed to doing its part to help make prescription drug costs more affordable, predictable and stable for Americans. Actions have included our initiative to reduce out-of-pocket drug costs for millions of people by providing direct savings from drug rebates at the point of sale, and our application of advanced technology to provide drug cost transparency in real time, right in the doctor's office. And, there's more to come. Learn more. ******

REMEMBERING PHILIP ROTH - NYT's Charles McGrath: "Philip Roth, the prolific, protean, and often blackly comic novelist who was a pre-eminent figure in 20th century literature, died on Tuesday night at a hospital in Manhattan. He was 85.The cause was congestive heart failure ... In the course of a very long career, Mr. Roth took on many guises - mainly versions of himself - in the exploration of what it means to be an American, a Jew, a writer, a man. ... Mr. Roth was the last of the great white males: the triumvirate of writers - Saul Bellow and John Updike were the others - who towered over American letters in the second half of the 20th century." 
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=e6437147a848deecdedf297b8e1128ee091604052afae368756f476ec1b95ac3311ae11d95a5f315178044109ae7a449 
 
 MEDIAWATCH -- Per Michael Calderone's Morning Media: "Michelle Cottle is joining the New York Times editorial board as lead opinion writer on national politics. Cottle has covered national politics since the Clinton years for publications such as Washington Monthly, the New Republic and, most recently, the Atlantic." http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=e6437147a848deec85eb29c53468d4bb87cdc90a54836bc9ea9ae078416fc95c663c6301a9cb53fc60ce03668158f4cf 

                  Playbookers         
SPOTTED: Wilbur Ross dining at the chef's counter at Pineapples & Pearls on Tuesday night ... Eric Bolling, Corey Lewandowski with David Bossie and Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) at the Trump Hotel, all separately 

 SPOTTED at Tuesday's women-only book party for Emily Chang, Bloomberg Technology anchor and author of the bestseller "Brotopia: Breaking Up the Boys Club of Silicon Valley," at The Wing in Georgetown ($15.53 on Amazon http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=11184b7020292841e5fabfe832dbcf32507ba12be0bc80b47288040f5e08bc71237f6eeedc497502b1c08fb463152ea5 Victoria Espinel, Claire Shipman, Kristin Gunther, Niloofar Howe, Katie Benner, Kim Scardino, Sarah Chen, Elizabeth Hyman, Jenny Abramson, Melissa Ingber, Alissa Starzak, Jennifer Simpson, Sarah Serota, Stephanie Martz, Ashley Larson, Ruchi Jain, Julie Hrdlicka, Abby Livingston and Pherabe Kolb. 
 
-- WEWORK and VOTERUNLEAD launched a new initiative to train women to run at WeWork office locations around the country last night in D.C. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.) was interviewed by Alicia Menendez in front of a packed house. SPOTTED: Minnesota State Rep. Ilhan Omar, Elise Jordan, Jennifer Palmieri, Erin Vilardi, Jehmu Greene, Maria Comella, Lauren Fritts, Sam Smith Atkinson, Jess O'Connell, Amy Fenton, Angelica Grimaldi and Samantha Slosberg. 
 
 SPOTTED at the U.S. Soccer Foundation's sixth annual Congressional Soccer Match last night at Gonzaga College High School: Sen. Todd Young (R-Ind.), Reps. Jack Bergman (R-Mich.), Darin LaHood (R-Ill.), Kathy Castor (D-Fla.), Ruben Kihuen (D-Nev.), Don Bacon (R-Neb.), Rick Larsen (D-Wash.), David Valadao (R-Calif.), Erik Paulsen, Mike Bishop and Norma Torres, Ed Foster-Simeon, Cully Stimson, John Harkes, Cobi Jones, Jaime Moreno, Ben Chang, Karla Gonzalez, Megan Devlin, Artur Orkisz, Matt Ballard, David Sutphen, Arturo Sarukhan, Olivia Beavers. 

WELCOME TO THE WORLD - Zack Roday, comms director for RAGA, and Alleigh Marr&eacute;, senior adviser and chief of staff to the Secretary of the Air Force, email friends and family: "She's here! Margo Clara Roday was born ... Tuesday, May 22, at 11:28 a.m. ET. She weighed in at 7 lbs 14 oz. We picked Margo because we like it, and Clara is a family name on both sides. It was a long night, but Alleigh is healthy and recovering. She is also ready for an Italian sub! Both Mom and Dad are happy and tired." Pic http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=e6437147a848deecac4a703a3355aa2cc2ca9c4c4ee3645d17c6f63851910ad193e9c36cfffe8079b4ae9e6bfc88dd71
 
BIRTHDAY OF THE DAY: Melanie Fonder Kaye of MFK Strategies. How she got her start in politics: "At family get-togethers in Wisconsin, listening to my great-grandparents and grandparents loudly argue over FDR and Eisenhower. In college, I got the D.C. bug through a summer internship at Knight Ridder, which led me to come back to D.C. after graduation. I had the great fortune to run around Capitol Hill as a reporter for The Hill newspaper, making lifelong friends. Made the official jump from reporting to politics when I went to work for then-Gov.of Wisconsin Jim Doyle." Read her Playbook Plus Q&A: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=e6437147a848deec5e0cda20440a39f01c70cd8145b2c2456aec6cf7bfbe6dc8e7b15f24816502daf5a28f04ff532b57 

 BIRTHDAYS: WaPo's Dana Priest, a Pulitzer Prize winner ... William Minor, partner at DLA Piper, is 51 ... Ilyas Kirmani, executive producer at NBC News International ... ABC News' Mary Bruce ... NBC's Danielle Dellorto ... Politico's Matt Nussbaum ... Tom Heinemann, principal at HeinemannConsulting ... Blake Rollins ... Shekar Narasimhan ... CNN's Nate McDermott ... Adam Levy, senior producer at CNN ... Poynter alum Mallary Tenore Tarpley ... Megan McKinley, a Marco Rubio alum now at Socko Strategies, is 24. She's celebrating at a Bishop Briggs concert at 9:30 Club (h/t Caitlin Oprysko) ... Jacob Gladysz is 23 ... Anna Gohmann of Comcast ... Jerry H. Goldfeder of Stroock & Stroock & Lavan
 LLP ... Helen Smith ... Nicole Gill, executive director of the Tax March (h/t Christina Freundlich) ... 

... Rep. Dina Titus (D-Nev.) is 68 ... Adrienne Cisneros-Selekman ... Rachel MacKnight ... Jorge Martinez ... Casey Greenfield ... Entergy's Nick Culp ... Anna Giaritelli, Washington Examiner reporter (h/t Hayley Andrews) ... Adrienne Cisneros-Selekman ... Rob Keast ... Cameron Smith ... Brian Bakst of Minnesota Public Radio News and an AP alum ... Alan Auglis ... John Gonzalez ... Vivian Graubard ... Georgiana Bloom ... Reuters' Katherina Lemus ... Connie Sammarco ... Lucy Cook ... Mark Sullivan (h/ts Teresa Vilmain)

****** A message from UnitedHealth Group:  While the fundamental issues with prescription drug affordability are the high prices set by, and marketing practices of, pharmaceutical manufacturers, UnitedHealth Group is committed to doing its part to help make prescription drug costs more affordable, predictable and stable for Americans. Actions have included our initiative to reduce out-of-pocket drug costs for millions of people by providing direct savings from drug rebates at the point of sale, and our application of advanced technology to provide drug cost transparency in real time, right in the doctor's office. And, there's more to come. Learn more. ******

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