Show Notes
Nebraska independent Senate candidate Dan Osborn slammed President Donald Trump’s border wall after previously signaling support, according to leaked audio of a private meeting obtained by Playbook. What do Osborn’s remarks reveal about his strategy to appeal to voters across the political spectrum? Then Playbook co-authors Dasha Burns, Adam Wren and Will Steakin unpack the takeaways from Playbook’s on-the-ground reporting with California Gov. Gavin Newsom during his southern-state swing and discuss the lore behind an AI-generated video of Trump moonlighting as the Green Lantern.
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Vivek Ramaswamy’s new attack ad on Democratic opponent Amy Acton has ignited a firestorm in Ohio. The backlash points to a much bigger problem for Republicans: finding a closing message that connects with voters. Then the other stories animating Washington: President Donald Trump sidesteps questions about endorsing Vice President JD Vance for 2028 and Trump reportedly considers replacing the Brady Press Briefing Room with a swimming pool.
Elon Musk isn’t on the ballot, but he’s once again becoming a central figure in the midterms. Democrats hoping to reclaim the House majority are already signaling that he’ll be a major target of congressional oversight if they win. Then the other stories animating Washington: Sen. Thom Tillis has a countdown clock ticking toward “whoop-ass,” the palace intrigue surrounding Susie Wiles shows no signs of letting up, and an Indiana Democrat admits to a three-beer warmup before her now-infamous interview.
Ohio could be a bellwether for the future of a GOP-controlled Senate. In the final weeks toward the midterm, can Republicans shore up their red walls in states like Ohio and Iowa before they crumble? Then the other stories animating Washington: Abdul El-Sayed hits back at ‘Muslim Brotherhood’ questions and Hollywood is rolling out the red carpet for James Talarico. Plus, what Playbook is looking out for in the week ahead.