The first MAGA speaker?

From: POLITICO Playbook PM - Wednesday Oct 25,2023 06:08 pm

Oct 25, 2023

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An unlikely candidate, newly-elected House Speaker Mike Johnson seems to be a leader born of circumstance. | Getty Images

Here’s one you probably didn’t have on your 2023 bingo card: House Speaker MIKE JOHNSON.

After 22 days of speakerless chaos and division (as opposed to the normal chaos and division, which happens with a speaker), Johnson (R-La.) overcame weeks of GOP infighting to secure the speaker's gavel — a remarkable outcome for a representative who was first elected to the House in 2016 after a single two-year term in the state legislature.

The vote: 220 for Johnson; 209 for House Minority Leader HAKEEM JEFFRIES.

The buildup: An unlikely candidate, the Louisiana Republican seems to be a leader born of circumstance. As reported this morning in Playbook, the fatigued GOP had been ready to lock down a new speaker, and Johnson has very few enemies on the Hill — unlike prior candidates JIM JORDAN (R-Ohio), STEVE SCALISE (R-La.) and TOM EMMER (R-Minn.)

In her nominating speech, House Republican Conference Chair ELISE STEFANIK (R-N.Y.) praised Johnson’s “deep faith,” calling him a “friend to many and an enemy to none,” and vowed that “today is the day we get this done.”

And they did. Republican holdouts quickly got in line this morning, including Rep. KEN BUCK (R-Colo.), who announced his support for Johnson despite the Louisianan’s legal work to reject the results of the 2020 election. “What he did was he went to the courts,” Buck said. “That’s what the courts are set up for. It is absolutely appropriate.”

Prior to the vote, Johnson received the support — if not the formal endorsement — of former President DONALD TRUMP, who congratulated Jordan this morning on Truth Social: “My strong SUGGESTION is to go with the leading candidate, Mike Johnson, & GET IT DONE, FAST!”

MEANWHILE, top Democrats are practically giddy at Johnson’s ascension.

“Mike Johnson, probably moreso than almost any other member of the House Republican Conference, wants to criminalize abortion care and propose a nationwide ban,” Jeffries said this morning.

Johnson passes House Republicans’ “extreme litmus test,” House Democratic Caucus Chair PETE AGUILAR said shortly before the vote, reiterating that Johnson supports a nationwide abortion ban without exceptions, overturning the 2020 election and opposing marriage rights for same-sex couples. (“Damn right,” one Republican member yelled back after Aguilar accused Johnson of trying to reject Electoral College votes.)

Remember that there were two giant electoral drags on the GOP during the 2022 elections: (1) denialism about the outcome of the 2020 presidential election, and (2) policies on abortion rights that voters saw as overly restrictive or out of the mainstream.

Now, the Republicans have elected a speaker who Dems bet they’ll be able to use as an albatross around the neck of every Republican in a swing district or suburban seat. He was the architect of a lawsuit to overturn results of the 2020 race. He has supported abortion restrictions that make no exceptions for rape, incest or the life of the mother. He fits neatly into their talking points about “MAGA extremism” in the GOP.

And given his brief time in Congress, they see the rare chance to define a leader of the opposing party before Washington (or the press) knows much of anything about him.

Lest there be any real dispute about what a Johnson speakership means, here’s Rep. MATT GAETZ (R-Fla.) on STEVE BANNON’s podcast this morning: “If you don't think that moving from Kevin McCarthy to MAGA Mike Johnson shows the ascendance of this movement and where the power in the Republican Party truly lies, then you're not paying attention.”

Good Wednesday afternoon. Thanks for reading Playbook PM. Drop me a line: birvine@politico.com.

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AMERICA AND THE WORLD

LOOK WHO’S COMING TO DINNER — As the White House rolls out the red carpet for high-level meetings and a state dinner with Australian PM ANTHONY ALBANESE today, the two world leaders are expected to “share notes and compare details” about their interactions with China, WSJ’s Annie Linskey and Mike Cherney report:

“Australia is viewed as a linchpin to the U.S. effort to counter China. Washington has long eyed Canberra’s military bases, which are out of range of most Chinese missiles ... Australia also has key ties with island nations in the Pacific, where China has been trying to grow its influence in recent years.”

Related read: “China, a U.S. Ally and the Fight Over an Old Rusty Ship,” by WSJ’s Niharika Mandhana

LATEST IN THE MIDDLE EAST — Hours after the UN secretary general called for a ceasefire in Gaza, Israel announced it has again launched “wide scale” strikes on the region, NYT’s Nadav Gavrielov reports.

2024 WATCH

RESPONSE ON THE LEFT — As the violence ramps up in the Middle East, Biden confronts his own battle for domestic support, as a recent spike in support for Palestinians among progressives threatens the president’s "fragile alliance" with the left ahead of the 2024 election, WaPo’s Marisa Iati and Colby Itkowitz report.

The bigger picture: “With the election a year away, the war could well fade into the background by the time Americans cast their ballots. But in interviews, progressive voters and younger activists said they will not forget Biden’s full-throated support of Israel, and Arab and Muslim groups have also expressed anger about U.S. backing for Israel’s airstrikes on Gaza.”

AND ON THE RIGHT — “Support for Israel becomes a top issue for Iowa evangelicals key to the first Republican caucuses,” by AP’s Thomas Beaumont Newton, Iowa: “Since the Oct. 7 attack, Iowa’s evangelical pastors, faith leaders and rank-and-file caucus participants have been looking more closely at candidates’ statements, while ministers urge their congregations to keep those positions top-of-mind when weighing their options.”

MONEY, MONEY, MONEY — “Senate Democrats' campaign arm ups investments in two targets,” by NBC News’ Bridget Bowman: “The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee is investing ‘seven figures’ in its ‘Republican accountability programs’ to support staffers on the ground across 10 battleground states … The DSCC's investment in Texas and Florida, where GOP Sens. TED CRUZ and RICK SCOTT are running for re-election, is a sign that the party is looking to go on offense even [as it] defends its slim majority next year.”

CALIFORNIA CLIMATE: Climate change isn’t just about the weather. It's also about how we do business and create new policies, especially in California. So we have something cool for you: A brand-new California Climate newsletter. It's not just climate or science chat, it's your daily cheat sheet to understanding how the legislative landscape around climate change is shaking up industries across the Golden State. Cut through the jargon and get the latest developments in California as lawmakers and industry leaders adapt to the changing climate. Subscribe now to California Climate to keep up with the changes.

CONGRESS

LEW PROCEEDS TO CONFIRMATION VOTE — As expected, the Senate Foreign Relations Committee approved former Treasury Secretary JACK LEW’s nomination to serve as U.S. ambassador to Israel in a 12-9 vote this morning. While the vote was primarily along party lines, Sen. RAND PAUL (R-Ky.) joined all Dems in voting for Lew’s confirmation. But GOP opposition to Lew’s previous work on a nuclear deal with Iran may still create some stumbling blocks ahead of his full confirmation vote, NBC News’ Frank Thorp V and Rebecca Shabad report.

“Lew is likely to get widespread support from Senate Democrats, but it is unclear how many Republicans he can win over. And while he may not need GOP backing if all 51 members of the Democratic Caucus back him, unanimous bipartisan support would allow for a faster confirmation vote.”

TRUMP CARDS

GEORGIA ON MY MIND — Fulton County Attorney FANI WILLIS is riding a "wave of momentum" after a succession of recent guilty pleas from defendants in her vast election fraud case against Donald Trump, NYT’s Richard Fausset and Danny Hakim report.

The context: “With Mr. Trump and 14 of his co-defendants still facing trial in the case, the question of the moment is who else will flip, and how soon. But the victories notched thus far by Ms. Willis and her team demonstrate the extraordinary legal danger that the Georgia case poses for the former president. And the plea deals illustrate Ms. Willis’s methodology, wielding her state’s racketeering law to pressure smaller-fry defendants to roll over, take plea deals, and apply pressure to defendants higher up the pyramids of power.”

So what are the legal dangers to Trump? New York Mag’s Ankush Khardori drills down this morning on the impact that the recent plea deals could have on Trump’s case, noting that, “The plea deals are in fact bad news for Trump, though not nearly as bad as they could have been.”

While some of the recent deals mean Trump’s legal team missed the benefits of a trial, so far “the defendants have pleaded guilty to misconduct concerning fairly narrow elements of the indictment in factual terms and in certain cases to conduct with no clear connection to Trump himself.”

But, but, but … “It will be interesting to see whether — or perhaps when — this starts to change. Early plea deals in big cases tend to be the most generous because prosecutors want to incentivize people to come in and cooperate.”

Still, even with the latest momentum, Willis has a tough road in front of her to secure a conviction: “Persuading a jury of 12 people to convict Mr. Trump, a leading 2024 presidential candidate and the most polarizing figure in American politics, is a far different challenge than securing plea agreements, especially ones like the four so far that do not involve jail time,” Fausset and Hakim write.

Related read: “Judge Who Set Gag Order Considers More Punishment for Trump,” by NYT’s Jonah Bromwich and Kate Christobek

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BEYOND THE BELTWAY

THE 2023 TEST RUN — “Youngkin bets 15-week abortion limit is winner in Virginia and beyond,” by WaPo’s Gregory Schneider and Michael Scherer: “If successful, [Virginia Gov. GLENN] YOUNGKIN’s reputation inside the party will probably rise … If he fails, festering strategic divisions among antiabortion activists and Republican political strategists are set to worsen.”

FROM THE GRANITE STATE — Former New Hampshire Gov. JUDD GREGG endorsed NIKKI HALEY’s bid for president. In an op-ed for the New Hampshire Union-Leader this morning, Gregg described Haley as “a leader in the tradition of RONALD REAGAN,” and suggested she “will lead our party in a way that will not only allow us to obtain the respect of the American people but will give opportunity, hope, and strong leadership to our country.”

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PLAYBOOKERS

OUT AND ABOUT — SPOTTED at the 10th anniversary gala for the Atlantic Council’s Adrienne Arsht Latin America Center, honoring Carlos Gutierrez, Mack McLarty, Carlos Vives and Amazon basin countries: Rep. Joaquin Castro (D-Texas), Adrienne Arsht, Fred Kempe, Jenna Ben-Yehuda, Luis Almagro, Gen. Laura Richardson, Rebecca Bill Chavez, Georgette Mosbacher, Capricia Penavic Marshall, Andrea Mitchell, Phil Rucker, Eric Martin, Steve Clemons, Mary Jordan, Gabe Gutierrez, Roy Blunt, Argentina Ambassador Jorge Argüello, Brazilian Ambassador Maria Luiza Ribeiro Viotti, Colombian Ambassador Luis Gilberto Murillo Urrutia, Costa Rican Ambassador Catalina Crespo Sancho, Dominican Republic Ambassador Sonia Guzman, Peruvian Ambassador Gustavo Meza-Cuadra, Spanish Ambassador Santiago Cabanas, St. Kitts and Nevis Ambassador Jacinth Henry-Martin and Uruguayan Ambassador Andrés Augusto Durán Hareau.

— Sony Interactive Entertainment PlayStation and the MLB hosted a reception at Silver Social to showcase its 2023 MLB The Show video game, featuring the inclusion of educational and play functions incorporating pioneering Black and Latino athletes of the Negro Leagues. The event was supported by the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum, Jackie Robinson Foundation, Negro Leagues Family Alliance and the Entertainment Software Association. SPOTTED: Reps. Emanuel Cleaver (D-Mo.) and Nanette Barragán (D-Calif.) Stanley Pierre-Louis, Sonya Pankey Robinson, Bob Kendrick, Sean Gibson and Ramone Russell.

— The Hill’s Bob Cusack moderated the “Entrepreneurship Engine: What’s Driving the Small Business Economy” breakfast discussion featuring Amway’s 2023 entrepreneurship report at the Hay Adams rooftop yesterday. SPOTTED: Reps. John Moolenaar (R-Mich.) and Darren Soto (D-Fla.), Andrew Schmidt, Neil Bradley, Michael Brownlie, Evelyn Barahona, Charles DeBow, Matt Haller, Karen Kerrigan, Tanya Hughes, Mandy Yamamoto, Stephanie Bell, Patrice Janene Cunningham, Danny Dubbaneh, Scott Ganz, Diana Rios Jasso, Bob Smith and David Stillerman.

— The National Women’s History Museum hosted a panel discussion last night on #MeToo movement featuring Ashley Judd, Diane Rosenfeld, Fatima Goss Graves and Amanda Nguyen, moderated by NWHM’s Frederique Irwin. SPOTTED: Kathy Spillar, Maria Patrick, Emily Martin, Elizabeth Vogel, Amanda Katz, Arlene Limas, Yehudit Sidikman, Naomi Brown, Jennifer Herrera, Christy Setzer, Nicholas Sensley, Marina Pisklakova-Parker, Kali Grant and Christina Serrano Taylor.

— SPOTTED last night a With Honor Action gala honoring bipartisan veteran leaders in Congress at the Army Navy Club: Sens. Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.), Jack Reed (D-R.I.) and Roger Wicker (R-Miss.), Reps. Jason Crow (D-Colo.), Steve Womack (R-Ark.), Mike Gallagher (R-Wis.), Mikie Sherrill (D-N.J.) and Jimmy Panetta (D-Calif.), Barbara Mikulski, Maryland Gov. Wes Moore, Gen. Charles Q. Brown and Margaret Brennan.

TRANSITIONS — Renée Gibson is now director of government affairs at the Autonomous Vehicle Industry Association. She previously was director of state government relations at the American Traffic Safety Services Association. … Ashraf Faramawi is now VP of Civic Tech at BlueLabs Analytics. He previously was an associate at Booz Allen Hamilton. … Steven McCullough is now COO of Share our Strength. He previously was chief operating and equity officer at Communities in Schools.

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Correction: Yesterday’s Playbook PM included an incorrect rank for Gen. Anthony Zinni.

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