DONALD TRUMP is headed to Phoenix Aug. 31, just days before the long Labor Day weekend. The Arizona Republic says he plans to give an address at the Hyatt Regency Phoenix. A recent CNN/ORC poll had Trump beating Hillary Clinton by five in Arizona -- Mitt Romney beat President Barack Obama by 9 in 2012.
Trump continues to show signs that he’s abandoning his tough immigration positions -- including his policy to deport 11 million undocumented people in the U.S.
-- “Trump to highlight party unity in speech in Phoenix on Aug. 31,” by Arizona Republic’s Yvonne Wingett Sanchez: “Representatives of the Trump campaign on Wednesday afternoon initially said Trump would take the stage to outline his policy positions on illegal immigration. But late Wednesday evening, they backtracked, saying the nominee’s remarks would instead focus on ‘post-primary unity,’ but could also include remarks on illegal immigration. Trump’s appearance, if it holds, will occur the day after the Arizona primary election.” http://bit.ly/2bkjitx
Trump spokesman Jason Miller told POLITICO, “Mr. Trump looks forward to returning to Arizona for the AZGOP unity event next Wednesday, but there will not be a new policy speech.”
Good Thursday morning! Anna and Daniel are in D.C. Jake is coming to you live from London Heathrow airport -- the world’s busiest mall that also serves as an international airline gateway.
From Jake: reading material for the connecting flight to Tel Aviv includes James Andrew Miller’s new book on Hollywood’s Creative Artists Agency, the FT, Times of London (thanks for the suggestion, Hugh!), the Daily Mail and the Daily Mirror. Here are some photos out the window from his overnight flight from Dulles on the incredible British Airways A380. View from the friendly skies: http://bit.ly/2bkK98S ... http://bit.ly/2bDrAlF
**SUBSCRIBE to Playbook: http://politi.co/1M75UbX
THE NEW DONALD -- “A Conflicted Donald Trump Tries a New Tactic: Sticking to the Script,” by Pat Healy and Alex Burns on A1 of the Times: “[M]r. Trump is also drastically tempering his language about the signature issue of his campaign: immigration. After winning the Republican nomination on a promise to deport all 11 million immigrants who are in the United States illegally, he indicated on Wednesday night that he was considering allowing some to stay if they had lived in the United States for many years, lacked criminal records and paid back taxes…
“Even Mr. Trump is not sure he can be letter-perfect. He said in an interview that he still loved his freewheeling rallies of old, even when they got him in trouble, and that he would not always rely on prepared remarks or stop waging warfare with his Twitter account, even if he ended up overshadowing his advisers’ preferred arguments…’I have been staying on message more now because, ultimately, I’m finding that I do better with voters, do better in the polls, when I’m on message,’ he said in a telephone interview on Tuesday…[I]n the interview this week, he said he needed to ‘give people a mix of things at the rallies’ and wanted ‘to be more on message.’ ‘Now we’re getting to Labor Day, and things will be different,’ he said ...
“‘If people hit me, I will certainly hit back,’ he said. ‘That will never change.’” http://nyti.ms/2bpBJiw
--Here’s what Trump told Hannity last night: “No citizenship. Let me go a step further — they’ll pay back-taxes, they have to pay taxes, there’s no amnesty, as such, there’s no amnesty, but we work with them.”
--Jeb Bush spox Kristy Campbell: “It is unsurprising that Donald Trump is finally faced with reconciling his immigration policy with reality, something Gov. Bush predicted last year.”
--Former Boehner immigration staffer @beckytallent: “Well...this sounds vaguely like some talking points I’ve written in the past…”
--@MarkSKrikorian, executive director of the Center for Immigration Studies: “Jeb spits out his drink and yells at the TV: ‘Hey, that’s MY immigration plan!’”
K STREET WATCH -- The FBI and DOJ’s probes into the Podesta Group’s work for a non-profit tied to the former Ukrainian government are sending shockwaves downtown, where the investigation into the firm’s work for the European Centre for a Modern Ukraine has led to widespread nervousness. Reps from multiple firms who lobby for foreign entities think this might be a tipping point, and the feds might take a much broader look at other firms and clients. “It’s right in the purview of the DOJ — they don’t need a referral,” said one lobbyist.
CHECK IT OUT -- The Time cover this week explores successful families -- like the Emanuels (Rahm, Zeke and Ari). Check out the cover. http://bit.ly/2biFgSK ... Read the cover story http://ti.me/2bXZUau
SCOOP: NEW TO THE PRESS SHOP IN BROOKLYN -- Julie Wood is joining Hillary Clinton’s campaign as a senior spokesman. She’s a veteran of Mike Bloomberg’s City Hall press team, where she served as first deputy press secretary. More recently, she was the director of global communications at Kickstarter. The campaign is bringing her on for the final push because they are in need of sharp, New York-trained flacks for the homestretch of the campaign against Donald Trump. A tipster points out she has already had one run-in with Trump. http://nydn.us/2bOi0Jn
CLINTON INC. -- “Chelsea Clinton Plans to Stay on Board of Family Foundation: Clinton Health Access Initiative might also continue to accept foreign government and corporate funding,” by WSJ’s James V. Grimaldi and Rebecca Ballhaus: “The Clinton Foundation is considering exceptions to its plan to stop accepting corporate and foreign donations and reduce family involvement as a way to insulate Hillary Clinton from potential conflicts of interest if elected president.”
“As recently as this summer, the foundation was discussing with some allies plans for Chelsea Clinton to leave the board, along with former President Bill Clinton, if Mrs. Clinton should win. But on Wednesday, foundation spokesman Craig Minassian said Chelsea Clinton plans to stay on the board. Mr. Clinton told donors he still plans to leave. While the parent Clinton Foundation will stop accepting money from foreign governments and corporations, the foundation’s largest project, the Clinton Health Access Initiative, might continue to accept foreign government and corporate funding.” http://on.wsj.com/2bpzD2c
CLINTON SPEECH PREVIEW -- “It reminds me of that great saying that Maya Angelou had that when someone shows you who they are, believe them the first time. And Donald Trump has shown us who he is, and we ought to believe him. He is taking a hate movement mainstream,” she told CNN’s Anderson Cooper last night. “He’s brought it into his campaign. He’s bringing it to our communities and our country. And someone who’s questioned the citizenship of the first African American President, who has courted white supremacists, who’s been sued for housing discrimination against communities of color, who’s attacked a judge for his Mexican heritage and promised a mass deportation force, is someone who is very much peddling bigotry and prejudice and paranoia. I will have more to say about this tomorrow when I give a speech in Reno.”
TRUMP CAMPAIGN RESPONDS -- “Hillary Clinton’s attempt to delete the single worst week of her political career isn’t going to work. Her admission that there's a lot of smoke but no fire is a complete lie, and the American public’s response will be to do exactly as her campaign suggests: don’t vote for her,” said Trump spokesman Jason Miller. “Clinton’s attempt to blame Colin Powell for her illegal email server backfired, and there’s no way the Clintons could go from dead broke to making more $250 million since leaving office without breaking the law and trading off their access to office. This is exactly why we need a Special Prosecutor to investigate the blurring of lines between the Clinton State Department, the Clinton Foundation and the Clinton’s personal bank account. It’s corruption and the rigged system in Washington at its worse, and it’s exactly why we need to vote for a change agent like Donald Trump.”
HAPPENING TODAY -- Trump will be in Manchester, New Hampshire, for a rally. Pence is back in his home state visiting areas affected by storm damage and tornadoes. Clinton will be in Reno, Nevada.
JAKE’S FAULT! -- The Trump transition call is TODAY at 12:15 p.m.! Blame the blurry morning eyes.
DAILY DONALD -- “Trump rallies faithful, rakes in money in Jackson,” by The Clarion-Ledger’s Geoff Pender: “Donald Trump in Jackson made an appeal for African-American votes, vowed to continue to take a hard line on illegal immigration and raked in a reported $1.2 million or so in campaign donations Wednesday night. ‘Hillary Clinton is a bigot who sees people of color only as votes, not as people,’ Trump, flanked by Gov. Phil Bryant, former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani, Sen. Jeff Sessions of Alabama and a UK leader of the Brexit movement, said to a crowd of thousands at a rally at the Mississippi Coliseum. The crowd was vastly white, but Trump said he plans to change ‘the Democratic Party taking the vote of African Americans for granted.’” http://on.thec-l.com/2bhNHit
--“Donald Trump’s Description of Black America Is Offending Those Living in It,” by NYT’s Richard Fausset, Alan Blinder and John Eligon: “[T]he unrelievedly dire picture he has painted of black America has left many black voters angry, dumbfounded or both. Interviews with roughly a dozen blacks here turned up no one who found any appeal in Mr. Trump’s remarks. More common was the suggestion that Mr. Trump was trying to appeal to whites who might support him.” http://nyti.ms/2bIfBkx
-- “Trump will be ‘tough’ on trade, VP candidate Pence says in Charlotte,” by the Charlotte Observer’s Steve Harrison and Jim Morrill: “Republican vice presidential nominee Mike Pence said Wednesday that Democratic and Republican administrations have been ‘eroding the foundation’ of American manufacturing. Speaking at Charlotte Pipe and Foundry, the Indiana governor said he and presidential candidate Donald Trump would restore that foundation by getting tough on trade and easing regulations on business. ‘Donald Trump and I know we haven’t been tough, we haven’t been smart in defending American jobs and American workers,’ he said. ‘And that’s about to change. … We aren’t walking away, but we will roll our sleeves up and hold our (trading) partners accountable.’” http://bit.ly/2bhIOFT ... Front page: http://politi.co/2bIKxkv
--NBC News’ in-depth ‘Beyond Trump’ feature from Leigh Ann Caldwell and Benjy Sarlin has gone live, diving into four possible futures of the Republican Party post-November (Trump takes over the GOP; refined Trumpism; the party establishment wins or the stalemate) through a dozen-plus interviews with prominent GOP voices. With cameos by David Frum, Phil Robertson, Jenny Beth Martin, Fred Malek www.NBCNews.com/Trump
WHAT BROOKLYN IS READING -- “The AP’s big exposé on Hillary meeting with Clinton Foundation donors is a mess,” by Vox’s Matthew Yglesias: “The nut fact that the AP uses to lead its coverage is wrong, and [Stephen] Braun and [Eileen] Sullivan’s reporting reveals absolutely no unethical conduct. In fact, they found so little unethical conduct that an enormous amount of space is taken up by a detailed recounting of the time Clinton tried to help a former Nobel Peace Prize winner who’s also the recipient of a Congressional Gold Medal and a Presidential Medal of Freedom.” http://bit.ly/2byIWPh
--@danmericaCNN: “This Clinton apology to @CNN on emails is possibly the cleanest, most succinct answer she’s given on emails”: “I have the utmost respect of Secretary Powell and he was incredibly gracious and helpful after I was nominated and before I took the job. ... I am not going to re-litigate in public my private conversation with him. I have been asked many, many questions in the past year about emails and what I have learned is that when I try to explain what happened, it can sound like I am trying to excuse what I did. And there are no excuses. I want people to know that the decision to have a single email account was mine. I take responsibility for it. I apologize for it. I would certainly do differently if I could.” http://bit.ly/2byIqQY
TOP TWEETS -- Joe Weisenthal (@TheStalwart): “‘... there’s nothing Trump can do that won’t be forgiven. Except change his immigration policies.’ -- @AnnCoulter in her new book.” … @Nigel_Farage: “Thank you @realDonaldTrump for the tremendous introduction. Decent people can beat the establishment!” http://bit.ly/2bRdgDw
THE PIVOT -- “Trump’s baffling immigration wobbles: Immigration law buffs say his latest comments don’t make any sense,” by Sarah Wheaton and Tyler Pager: “Donald Trump may be ‘softening’ his incendiary language on immigration, but those versed in the complexities of immigration law say his plan has gone from unrealistic to downright incomprehensible. Trump’s campaign insists that he hasn’t changed his views. But as the Republican nominee ramps up his outreach to minorities, his latest talk on immigration has created a muddled mess, with Trump insisting in one breath that he’s open to ‘softening’ laws that deal with undocumented immigrants, and pledging to be ‘100 percent’ behind his wall in the next. Both supporters and critics who study immigration law say it’s clear Trump hasn’t developed much knowledge about how the immigration system actually works since he first promised to build that border wall 14 months ago.” http://politi.co/2bii1DZ
-- “Team Cruz on Trump’s immigration shift: Told you so, The conservative senator, eyes on 2018 and 2020, warned voters Trump was a liberal in disguise,” by Katie Glueck: “As Donald Trump soft-pedals his once-hard-line immigration rhetoric, supporters of his vanquished primary foe Ted Cruz have one message for Republican voters: We told you so. Cruz spent the final months of his unsuccessful presidential primary run arguing that Trump was a not-so-closeted liberal whose conservative language on immigration was not to be trusted. Now, Trump says he is open to ‘softening’ the approach to some undocumented immigrants already in this country, a departure from his previous calls for a deportation force.” http://politi.co/2bCMkdy
DATA DU JOUR -- @greg_ip: “Fun fact: Since November Subaru has created about as many jobs in Indiana as will be lost in Carrier move to Mexico”
CASH DASH -- “Clinton’s Gold Rush: $18 million raised on three-day swing,” by AP’s Lisa Lerer: “Hillary Clinton mingled with Hall of Fame basketball player Magic Johnson and Apple CEO Tim Cook, vamped in a photo booth with actor Justin Timberlake and dined with some of California’s richest families on what was likely the most lucrative fundraising swing of her presidential campaign. The Democratic presidential candidate raised $18 million on a three-day trip through California, or roughly $270,000 an hour.” http://apne.ws/2bI67qE
--@llerer: “Apple CEO Tim Cook appears to be hitching a ride to the next fundraiser in Hillary Clinton’s staff van”
AIR WARS -- The National Republican Senatorial Committee reported that it dropped $2.3 million in media against Ted Strickland, Maggie Hassan, Evan Bayh, Catherine Cortez Masto and Katie McGinty.
POLL DU JOUR -- MONMOUTH: NORTH CAROLINA -- Hillary Clinton 44, Donald Trump 42 … Sen. Richard Burr (R) 45, Deborah Ross 43. http://bit.ly/2bhmypQ
-- “Trump Super PAC Chair: Trump Would ‘Lose Badly’ If Election Was Today,” by BuzzFeed’s Andrew Kaczynski: “Ed Rollins, chairman of a pro-Donald Trump super PAC ... [said:] ‘If we’re sitting here three weeks from now after Labor Day and it’s in the same position, we’re gonna have a hard uphill battle,’ Rollins said on the Laura Ingraham Show on Wednesday. ‘He’d lose badly today.’” http://bzfd.it/2c9GZeb
PLAYBOOK INBOX -- fundraising off of a federal investigation! -- From: “Sheriff Joe Arpaio <news@americanactiondaily.com>.” Subject: “Criminal contempt?”... “Dear Friend, You're not going to believe this. And you may have to read this email a second time to allow it all to sink in. A federal judge has just recommended the US Attorney's Office investigate me for possible criminal contempt. The judge made this decision just 10 days before my primary election! ... I’m going to have to re-double my efforts to win this race which means more TV ads, more mail, more signs, and more campaign appearances to get my message out to the voters that I’m not backing down. I need financial support from patriots like you to allow me to do that --will you donate $50 today to help?”
HOT VIDEO – “White Caller Admits He’s Prejudiced. C-SPAN Guest Helps Him Do Better” – HuffPost: 4-min. video http://huff.to/2byI4tN
COMING ATTRACTIONS -- “Debate Commission faces new challenge in selecting moderators,” by CNN’s Dylan Byers: “The Commission on Presidential Debates had planned to announce moderators in late August, but it now intends to wait until after September 5, the sources said. The delay is due in part to an unprecedented challenge the bipartisan Commission faces in selecting individuals who are immune (or at least as immune as possible) to accusations of bias. While that is always a concern for the Commission, the sources said it is more challenging than ever this time around due to one factor: Donald Trump.” http://cnnmon.ie/2bRciqL
TEXT FROM TRUMP – “I’m looking for 2 dinner guests to join me ASAP! I want to hear your ideas for the campaign. There’s not much time. Enter to win now: http://bit.ly/2bOg4Ai -DJT”
MILESTONE -- “Colombia and FARC Announce Deal to End the Americas’ Longest War,” by NYT’s Nick Casey: “Colombia’s government and the largest rebel group in the country have reached a deal to end more than 50 years of conflict, the two sides announced Wednesday, paving the way for an end to the longest-running war in the Americas. ... The agreement, reached in Havana where the talks took place, effectively signifies the end of the last major guerrilla struggle in Latin America.” http://nyti.ms/2bhPowd
TOO LATE? -- “Zika infects Miami politics, with little action,” by Miami Herald’s Patricia Mazzei: “One by one, the politicians sat before a flock of TV cameras and went around the table, commending each other for their arduous work to fend off the Zika virus. Florida Gov. Rick Scott lauded the state’s ‘very good coordination’ with the Miami-Dade County health department. Agriculture Commissioner Adam Putnam praised the ‘extraordinary job’ of local mosquito control. ‘Thank you on behalf of the citizens of the state of Florida,’ Lt. Gov. Carlos Lopez-Cantera told Miami-Dade health administrator Lillian Rivera. It all sounded very Kumbaya. But to some people waiting for their turn to speak Monday, the words seemed to ring a bit hollow.
“‘This roundtable that we’re sitting at now is really what we would’ve liked to have seen several weeks ago,’ said Joseph Furst, chairman of the business improvement district in Wynwood, the Miami neighborhood hardest-hit by the mosquito-borne virus.” http://hrld.us/2bhDvGK
HILL WATCH -- “Can one name - Bayh - win Democrats control of the Senate?” by Seung Min Kim in Indianapolis: “He’s an opposition researcher’s holy grail: A former senator who cashed in after leaving office by working for a Washington lobbying firm and serving on corporate boards, while buying expensive out-of-state homes and rarely showing up in the state where he now wants to serve again. By the normal laws of politics, Evan Bayh shouldn’t have a prayer in the Indiana Senate race this fall. ... Yet none of that will likely matter come Election Day. The Bayh brand still goes a long way in Indiana, and he's betting that his family’s six-decade bond with voters is too durable for Republicans to tear down in a few months.” http://politi.co/2bC2jDV
-- “The Senator’s Daughter Who Raised Prices on the EpiPen,” by Bloomberg’s Anna Edney and Billy House: “Members of Congress are in an unusual position as they demand an explanation for Mylan NV’s 400 percent price hike for the EpiPen and focus attention squarely on its CEO: Heather Bresch. If lawmakers follow the usual script, Bresch could get called up to Capitol Hill next month to explain her company’s justification for raising the price on the life-saving allergy shot. But that could be awkward, since she’s the daughter of Democratic Senator Joe Manchin of West Virginia.” http://bloom.bg/2bvGtES
FOR YOUR RADAR -- “In University Purge, Turkey’s Erdogan Hits Secularists and Boosts Conservatives,” by WSJ’s Joe Parkinson and Emre Parker in Konya, Turkey: “Overnight, educators became a suspected class. The Education Ministry dismissed more than 27,000 staff and Turkey’s Council of Higher Education forced all 1,577 university deans to resign ... The gathering intellectual purge is arming allies of Mr. Erdogan to realize a goal of their own: to tip the balance of power away from the Western-oriented ivory towers in Istanbul and Ankara toward what ruling-party adherents call academies for ‘New Turkey’—an amalgamation of Islamic piety and nationalism rooted in the Ottoman past.” http://on.wsj.com/2bimXLO
--“How Many Guns Did the U.S. Lose Track of in Iraq and Afghanistan? Hundreds of Thousands,” by NYT’s C.J. Chivers, a Marine veteran and author of “The Gun”: “Since the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, the United States has handed out a vast but persistently uncountable quantity of military firearms to its many battlefield partners in Afghanistan and Iraq. Today the Pentagon has only a partial idea of how many weapons it issued, much less where these weapons are. Meanwhile, the effectively bottomless abundance of black-market weapons from American sources is one reason Iraq will not recover from its post-invasion woes anytime soon.” http://nyti.ms/2binu06
WEST COAST WATCH -- “‘A real commitment backed up by real power’: Gov. Jerry Brown to sign sweeping new climate legislation,” by LA Times’ Chris Megerian: “Gov. Jerry Brown marked a milestone for California’s climate change policies Wednesday even as he warned of more battles to come, saying opponents of new environmental regulations were ‘vanquished’ as lawmakers approved tougher plans for cracking down on greenhouse gas emissions … Environmental advocates and clean energy companies have pushed the proposals as a major step forward for California, which has been touted as an international example for tackling global warming. Oil companies and some manufacturers fought the legislation, warning of higher costs and out-of-control regulators.” http://lat.ms/2bk1C6d
D'OH -- “New details show how ‘swinger’ Army general’s double life cost him his career,” by USA Today’s Tom Vanden Brook: “Army Maj. Gen. David Haight, Army Ranger, decorated combat veteran and family man, held a key post in Europe this spring and a future with three, maybe four stars. He also led a double life: an 11-year affair and a ‘swinger lifestyle’ of swapping sexual partners that put him at risk of blackmail and espionage, according to interviews and documents.” http://usat.ly/2bBZrac
MEDIAWATCH -- “Future of Times-CBS News poll is up in the air,” by Joe Pompeo: “The future of The New York Times–CBS News poll, one of America’s oldest and most influential public opinion polls, is up in the air. At issue is the departure, after the 2016 election, of the Times’ remaining veteran pollsters who worked with CBS. Two of them, Megan Thee-Brenan and Dalia Sussman, recently took voluntary buyout packages and will leave the Times at the end of the year. … CBS has indicated privately ... that it is only interested in working with experienced, traditional pollsters at the Times. … [T]here is growing speculation that they will go their separate ways after the election.” http://politi.co/2bYg7g0
-- “Vice boss Shane Smith predicts ‘bloodbath’ of media consolidation in 2017,” by Business Insider’s Jake Kanter: “Vice Media will go on an acquisition spree next year as Shane Smith’s company looks to take advantage of a ‘bloodbath’ of consolidation in the digital-media industry. Smith, Vice’s cofounder and chief executive, said the millennial-media giant is building a ‘war chest’ of funding to ‘go out there and buy market share.’ ...
“Smith also shared some rumours about potentially landscape-shifting takeovers being speculated about in US media circles. One persistent rumour, he said, is that Apple wants to buy Time Warner and Netflix. ‘What you’re going to see is a mergers-and-acquisitions frenzy where the last two or three big boys buy the last scale plays to say, ‘We’ve got digital, we’ve got mobile, so we’re smart.’ And the digital guys are going to go, ‘F---, thank god — we’ve finally got money,’’ Smith said.” http://read.bi/2bjTORY
-- “Glenn Beck Defies Judge’s Order to Reveal Boston Marathon Bombing Sources,” by Hollywood Reporter’s Eriq Gardner: “An attorney for Glenn Beck, the conservative commentator and founder of TheBlaze, told a judge on Wednesday that Beck won't comply with an order directing him to disclose the identities of those who told his producers that 20-year-old Saudi Arabian student Abdulrahman Alharbi was the ‘money man’ who gave the ‘go order’ for the 2013 Boston Marathon bombing. Alharbi is presently suing Beck for defamation. The plaintiff was at the Boston Marathon where a bomb exploded, but blames Beck and TheBlaze for falsely implicating him. Beck has maintained his statements were true.” http://bit.ly/2bBY8Z1
FUTURECAST – “World’s first self-driving taxis debut in Singapore,” by AP’s Annabelle Liang and Dee-Ann Durbin: “Select members of the public will be able to hail a free ride through their smartphones in taxis operated by nuTonomy, an autonomous vehicle software startup. While multiple companies, including Google and Volvo, have been testing self-driving cars on public roads for several years, nuTonomy says it will be the first to offer rides to the public. It will beat ride-hailing service Uber, which plans to offer rides in autonomous cars in Pittsburgh, by a few weeks.” http://apne.ws/2bk8EYJ
COLLEEN MCCAIN NELSON to Kansas City – KC Star’s Mark Davis: “The Kansas City Star has hired Colleen McCain Nelson, a Pulitzer Prize-winning editorial writer, to lead its editorial page — just as soon as she finishes covering the U.S. presidential race for The Wall Street Journal. The Star also has hired Eric Nelson, her husband [and a Politico alum], to lead its digital news operations. He currently is head of digital content for the U.S. Chamber of Commerce in Washington. For each, the move to Kansas City marks a return to roots. Both graduated from the University of Kansas and have family in the area. He grew up in Omaha, Neb., and she in Salina, Kan.” http://bit.ly/2bPsnwm
SPOTTED -- Karl Rove, wearing a cream colored suit, at the Army/Navy Club yesterday ... David Rothkopf earlier this week at the Four Seasons for breakfast … Daniel Hernandez, a candidate for Arizona legislative District 2, telling everyone who can listen to his phone conversation, that he is up “five points” in an Arizona Chamber poll on a flight Thursday to DCA.
TRANSITIONS -- Trevor Kincaid is joining FWD.us as senior communications strategist. The former deputy assistant U.S. Trade Representative will “oversee the development and implementation of the organization’s communications strategy,” according to a release. He also previously served as communications director for Sen. Claire McCaskill (D-Missouri) and communications director for Sen. Michael Bennet’s 2010 campaign in Colorado.
MORNING JOE PROFILE -- the PRIDE of Fairfield County -- “JOE SCARBOROUGH HAS A LITTLE SECRET . . .: The renowned television host, and former congressman, is embracing his deep yearning—to be a late-in-life rock star. ‘I turned 50 and I said, I’m going to die and my kids are never going to see this side of me,’ by Emily Jane Fox in VF Hive: “I asked him how someone who ran for office, who served in Congress, and who hosts a daily cable news show could possibly still claim to be scared of judgment. Without a beat, he responded that music is the only thing he has ever really cared about professionally. ‘When I was in Congress, there were about 10 or 11 of us who were holdouts, who didn’t want to send troops to Bosnia. We were in this room with the president, the vice president, the secretary of state, the secretary of you name it. I sat there and could not have cared less. It just wasn’t what I valued,’ he said, evincing a dry humor that seemed designed to amplify his inner musician. ‘But music, music is so important to me and my songs are so important to me. If somebody says, ‘Hey, Pete Townshend or Elvis Costello is going to be there,’ at that point I sort of dissolve.’” http://bit.ly/2c814Bv
SUNDAY SO FAR -- CNN’s SOTU: Gov. Mike Pence … Gov. Chris Christie.
OUT AND ABOUT – Breitbart hosted a book party last night for Ann Coulter’s new book “In Trump We Trust.” Breitbart’s political editor Matt Boyle introduced Coulter, saying how proud the site is to be at the center of the nationalist populist movement worldwide that has seen the rise of Trump and Brexit in the UK. “It’s the happy warriors at Breitbart and leaders like Ann Coulter who are offering struggling Americans a different, positive and devoutly patriotic vision for the way forward,” Boyle told Playbook. Pic of Boyle and Coulter http://bit.ly/2bktE1F
SPOTTED at the party, held at the “Breitbart Embassy” on Cap Hill, which partygoers joked was the new headquarters of the Republican Party: Ken Vogel, Josh Green, Mickey Kaus, Byron York, Michael Isikoff, Alice Stewart, Sergio Gor, Jonathan Swan, Ryan Williams, Jill Barclay, Annie Starke, Jon Conradi, Lauren Ehrsam and Jason Gorey, Garrett Marquis and Kenny Cunningham, Amanda Lee House, Marlon Bateman, Rosie Gray, Neil McCabe, Charlie Spiering, Julia Hahn, Patrick Howley, Sonnie Johnson, Chris Bedford, Betsy Rothstein, Garrett Murch, Darin Miller, Jennifer Grossman, Mark Krikorian, Scottie Nell Hughes, Betsy Woodruff.
BEST LINES FROM JOHN OLIVER’s stand-up performance at the Kennedy Center last night: “What I wanted to do and I failed at was my only childhood dream was to be an athlete. That was it. [Crowd is silent.] F*** you. I just want to put on record how little I appreciate the stunned silence. What? He wanted to be an athlete! Does the word athlete mean the same in England as it does in America? It can’t. It can’t mean the same. It’s impossible! Is chess a registered sport? ...
“My whole childhood, I wanted to be an athlete, specifically a football player. That's my dream. Don’t use laughter as a weapon or I’ll have nothing ... All I wanted to do was play for Liverpool to make my dad proud. This is how much I wanted it. When I was 8 years old, I went to my first game with my dad and I made him let me wear my full Liverpool uniform plus shin guards and cleats, because my rationale was if someone gets hurt and they run out of substitutes, I’m sure they’ll just turn to the crowd does anyone have the equipment necessary to participate? ... And as an eight year old, yes I do!” He performs at the Kennedy Center the next three nights through Saturday -- tickets http://bit.ly/2bPCwcF
WELCOME TO THE WORLD -- Abbie McDonough, comms director for Sen. Heidi Heitkamp (D-ND), and Jeremy Merkelson, general counsel and assistant director for the Association of American Law Schools, welcomed daughter, Ruby Ellie Merkelson born on July 28 - the same day Hillary Clinton became the first woman to accept the Democratic presidential nomination - at 4:35pm weighing 7lbs 9oz.” Pic http://bit.ly/2bPrZhk
ENGAGED -- Brian Forde, director of digital currency at MIT, to Alison Grigonis, senior advisor to the assistant secretary for Indian affairs at Interior. He proposed a couple of weeks ago outside of the West Wing just after Alison’s departure photo with POTUS. He emails us: “It’s fitting, as we both worked at the White House, Alison as Senior Director in Cabinet Affairs, and me as Senior Advisor for Mobile and Data Innovation. We met while Alison was working ... for Sen. Heidi Heitkamp and I was at the White House. I left the White House to start a research lab at MIT on bitcoin and the blockchain and she joined the WH right after I left.” Engagement pic collage http://bit.ly/2biwS0I
SPOTTED at this weekend’s engagement party on the rooftop of 1905: Steve Clemons, Carlos Monje, Megan Smith, Roy Austin, Jamie Smith, DJ Patil, Cori Zarek, Kathy Kemper, Nate Loewentheil, Hale Van Dyke, Adam Conner, Lauren Smith, Clarence Wardell, Kristin Lee, Matt McAllister, Emily Tavoulareas, Morgan Rodman, Katharine Ferguson, Lou Pieh, Lillian Sparks Robinson, Sarah Walters, Tony Walters, Acee Agoyo, Julie Klein, Megan DesCamps, Jillian Martin Fitzpatrick, Amit and Miriam Magdieli, Pascaline and Lee Brenner.
ANNIVERSARY: ROY and KELLY SCHWARTZ celebrate nine years today.
BIRTHDAYS: Dan Stein, the keeper of Hillary Clinton’s briefing book, is 25 … RNC’s Sara Sendek is 32 (bro tip: Scott) ... Elsa Walsh (hat tips: Bob, Diana) ... Georgia Gov. Nathan Deal is 74 ... Jedd Rosche, CNN Politics breaking news editor … Qorvis VP Tom Squitieri ... Daniel Barash, deputy director of opinion research at Hillary For America ... Brad Bainum, American Bridge deputy press secretary ... Sarah Peck, HFA Virginia comms director (h/t Ian Sams) ... Leigh Claffey, Sen. Ernst’s press secretary (h/ts sister Lauren Claffey and Brook Hougesen) ... Zach Cikanek, VP of public affairs at FP1 Strategies, who celebrated over the weekend at Ruth’s Chris with a few friends -- pic: http://bit.ly/2bRiM9l (h/t fiancée Jolyn Lorenzetti) ... Robin Groulx of Independent Journal Review ... Mike Burns, comms director for Rep. Donald M. Payne, Jr., is 29, celebrating with his son Jack who turns 18 months ... Lennon Duggan, associate director of scheduling and advance at Treasury ... Jeff Choudhry, VP at The Nickles Group ... former NCUA Board Chairman Debbie Matz ... Michael Wascom, SVP at The Moak Group and an American Airlines alum (h/t Boyd Bailey) ... Ella Goodman turns 2, daughter of Rep. Ron Kind’s COS, Mike Goodman and GWU cancer care expert Allison Harvey (a pic of Ella with President Obama in June, and her Iron Throne pic: http://bit.ly/2byRqFO ... http://bit.ly/2c9S6Ur) ...
… Rep. Elizabeth Esty (D-CT) is 59 ... Rep. Susan Brooks (R-Ind.) is 55 ... Rep. Raul Ruiz (D-Calif.) is 44 ... former Rep. Ron Barber (D-Ariz.) is 71 ... former Rep. Larry LaRocco (D-Idaho) is 7-0 ... Dave Hoppe is 65 (h/ts Legistorm) ... Politico alum Caroline Melo, now a J.D. candidate at SMU Dedman law school ... William Flaherty, son of Jen and Peter … Anna Mulrine, defense/national security correspondent at Christian Science Monitor ... P.R. pro Sarah Lee … James Allen … Sam Michelman ... Clémentine Aymard ... Ted Metzger, supervising producer at CNN International ... Allison Davis O’Keefe ... WJLA alum Courtney Robinson, now an anchor/reporter at WTSP in Florida ... Beth Burke ... Joe Walker … Margo Hennigan … Kim Warkentin ... Eric Stern ... Olivia Craighead (h/ts Teresa Vilmain) ... Brian Majorsky … Harley Mayersohn … Robin Johnson is 58 ... PwC’s Michael O’Brien is 44 ... DTCC’s Theresa Pagliocca ... Brian Sweeney, regional field director at ONE ... Monty Hall is 95 ... Sean Connery is 86 ... Regis Philbin is 85 ... Frederick Forsyth is 78 ... Elvis Costello is 62 ... Catch the virus: Billy Ray Cyrus is 55 ... Blair Underwood is 52 ... Terminator X (Public Enemy) is 5-0 ... Jeff Tweedy (Wilco) is 49 ... Rachael Ray is 48 ... Jo Dee Messina is 46 ... Claudia Schiffer is 46 ... actress Rachel Bilson is 35 ... actress Blake Lively is 29 ... actor Josh Flitter is 22 (h/ts AP)