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Today's POLITICO Playbook presented by Chevron

08/21/2017 06:22 AM EDT

By JAKE SHERMAN (sherman@politico.com; @JakeSherman), ANNA PALMER (anna@politico.com; @apalmerdc) and DANIEL LIPPMAN (daniel@politico.com; @dlippman)

Listen to the Playbook Audio Briefing | Subscribe on iTunes | Visit the online home of Playbook
Driving the Day
FIRST LOOK -- INSIDE THE NEW OVAL OFFICE -- http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=31d97d86a383a54f08ad41bfd4d9355553694197a89c6b84fb63d3195dfd42b0e82bb5593f6b037b6bee61f3f322bf847d07cf67b19ca347 ... http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=31d97d86a383a54fc10d212a1e9a03a8d6348cca6b4101939e6e4c5ec11b59f696849b552e5df94be7afcb48e6d2d37f08c24d233b0895d8

BULLETINS, at 5:22 a.m.: "MOSCOW (AP) -- U.S. Embassy in Russia suspends issuing nonimmigrant visas until Sept 1, when it will resume giving visas only in Moscow." ... at 5:26 a.m.: "PARIS (AP) -- French media report at least one woman killed as car rams into bus stops in the port city of Marseille."

Good Monday morning. PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP has returned to Washington from his working vacation. He is expected to lay out his new strategy for the war in Afghanistan in an address to the nation tonight at 9 p.m. from Fort Myer in Arlington, Virginia. The New York Times, Washington Post and other outlets report that Trump is expected to boost the troop presence in Afghanistan by several thousand. THIS WILL be a major issue on Capitol Hill in September, as lawmakers gear up to grill Defense Secretary Jim Mattis on the shift in strategy.

ALSO HAPPENING TONIGHT -- CNN's JAKE TAPPER hosts a town hall with SPEAKER PAUL RYAN after the president's address.

PHOENIX RALLY TOMORROW -- THE NEW WORRY, via Noah Weiland and Maggie Haberman: "Of particular concern for some officials is the prospect that Mr. Trump may be planning to announce a pardon for Joe Arpaio, the former sheriff of Maricopa County, Ariz., who became an avatar for hard-line policies with his roundups of undocumented immigrants. Some of Mr. Trump's advisers worry that a pardon could deepen the racial wounds exposed in the last week and compound the president's political problems. ...

"Reached by phone at home on Sunday, Mr. Arpaio said that he was not sure why Mr. Trump was thinking of the pardon, and that he had not talked to the president since around Thanksgiving, when Mr. Trump called to ask about the health of Mr. Arpaio's wife. But Mr. Arpaio would not say whether he had talked to the Trump campaign or White House about the visit Tuesday, or whether he had made formal plans with them to make an appearance." http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=31d97d86a383a54f2bf7c1972bd358a29cde6ebb30540846d3461dcea1e820a31f7590d52e8a562ff466cff87e4a644b248c0620c40c664a

-- PRETTY COOL: Maggie Haberman and her dad Clyde are both on the front page of today's New York Times. http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=31d97d86a383a54f1574595565e3fa7e301dfbf1d40f95e22bb9c48aef5daaf8097aa0e453b506a9d2dd6d491d08423e2bee7f81df39d4a7

IN THE SOUTH PACIFIC -- "Damaged USS John S. McCain arrives in Singapore; 10 missing," by AP's Annabelle Liang in Singapore and Stephen Wright in Bangkok: "The USS John S. McCain guided missile destroyer docked Monday at Singapore's naval base with 'significant damage' to its hull after an early morning collision with an oil tanker ... The collision east of Singapore between the destroyer and the 183-meter (600-foot) Alnic MC, which has recent safety violations, was the second involving a ship from the U.S. Navy's 7th Fleet in the Pacific in two months. Vessels and aircraft from the U.S., Indonesia, Singapore and Malaysia are searching for the missing sailors. ... The Navy's 7th Fleet said
damage to the McCain's hull flooded adjacent compartments including crew berths, machinery and communications rooms. ... The 154-meter (505-foot) destroyer is named after U.S. Sen. John McCain's father and grandfather, who were both U.S. admirals." http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=31d97d86a383a54f83197a14d56b1d72c65711c52bba6d39629cefedfc9c736f8dd2d4cd985824f0c897cc18c6b6905da2bbc8af9fbeee6e ... Reuters photo of the damage http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=31d97d86a383a54f83ff03ba6c97a09c901d2ac8aeb35cc3ac002f9fe7e4bb17e7e7048a6212b8eee9327c281144467956fd59586ba39c82

-- TRUMP was asked about the collision last night outside the White House, and he said, "that's too bad," per a pool report. He later tweeted: "Thoughts & prayers are w/ our @USNavy sailors aboard the #USSJohnSMcCain where search & rescue efforts are underway."

-- BREITBART -- "Source: McMaster Fails to Brief Trump Before 'That's Too Bad' Error," by Matt Boyle: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=31d97d86a383a54f17ee5d807cff9ec68bc69ee838d7abf040145fe96f3243173dd32d256b90d53629218b14700b65c205f0a52248844c09

TICK TOCK -- NYT A1, "Bannon Was Set for a Graceful Exit. Then Came Charlottesville," by Jeremy W. Peters and Maggie Haberman: "John F. Kelly, the new White House chief of staff, told Stephen K. Bannon in late July that he needed to go: No need for it to get messy, Mr. Kelly told Mr. Bannon, according to several people with firsthand knowledge of the exchange. The two worked out a mutually amicable departure date for mid-August, with President Trump's blessing. But as Mr. Trump struggled last week to contain a growing public furor over his response to a deadly, race-fueled melee in Virginia, Mr. Bannon clashed with Mr. Kelly over how the president should respond. Give no ground to your
critics, Mr. Bannon urged the president, with characteristic truculence. At the same time, New York real estate investor friends told Mr. Trump that the situation with Mr. Bannon was untenable: Steve Roth on Monday, Tom Barrack on Tuesday and Richard LeFrak on Wednesday.

"By Thursday, after Mr. Bannon undercut American policy toward North Korea in an interview published by a left-leaning magazine, Mr. Trump himself had concluded that Mr. Bannon was too much of a liability. By Friday, when he was forced from his job as Mr. Trump's chief strategist, Mr. Bannon had found himself wholly isolated inside a White House where he once operated with such autonomy that he reported only to the president himself. ... Mr. Bannon was notorious for maintaining his own, shadowy presence within the White House. He would frequently skip meetings where policy was discussed, injecting his views into the process in other ways, according to two administration officials. He did
not use a computer, preferring to have paper printed and handed to his assistant to stay outside the formal decision-making process. ...

"Mr. Bannon openly complained to White House colleagues that he resented how Ms. Trump would try to undo some of the major policy initiatives that he and Mr. Trump agreed were important to the president's economic nationalist agenda, like withdrawing from the Paris climate accords. In this sense, he was relieved when Mr. Kelly took over and put in place a structure that kept other aides from freelancing. 'Those days are over when Ivanka can run in and lay her head on the desk and cry,' he told multiple people. ... In late July, after a weekend with Robert Mercer, the hedge fund billionaire who finances some of his projects, Mr. Bannon told him, 'I dread going back' to the White House."
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=31d97d86a383a54f27cfbc00db6f631e2fe52aecbff8e64b4b459ddbcb03d0cebdbbd0f3df4f5c31693d63837e32750aa415e4c438a0e65c

-- THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN JARED AND BANNON: Here's a very telling anecdote from the Times story: Bannon "also advised that ideological softening would buy the president no good will from Democrats or independent voters, whom Mr. Kushner and Ms. Trump believe Mr. Trump still has a chance of reaching. 'They hate the very mention of his name,' Mr. Bannon told them. 'There is no constituency for this.' His advice for the president: 'You've got the base. And you grow the base by getting' things done."

-- IMPORTANT FOR TRUMP: "Prominent U.S. religious conservatives defend Trump after Charlottesville," by Reuters' Doina Chiacu and Sarah N. Lynch: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=31d97d86a383a54fdcb6bfc9eae893b150300c9f5f3e1eb09238126297ab43430298bc71c1254018b8d8d2aad0cb06d489e1c163fdb3755a

-- BREAKING OVERNIGHT ... TEXAS TRIBUNE: "UT-Austin removing Confederate statues in the middle of the night: In a surprise move, workers at the University of Texas at Austin began removing multiple Confederate statues from a prominent grass mall on campus late Sunday night," by Matthew Watkins: "The surprise news came with little notice. University president Greg Fenves announced that the statues of Robert E. Lee, Albert Sidney Johnston and John Reagan were being removed because they depict parts of American history that 'run counter to the university's core values' in an e-mail to the campus community just before 11 p.m. A statue of former Texas Gov. James Stephen Hogg was also marked for
removal. 'We do not choose our history, but we choose what we honor and celebrate on our campus,' he wrote. 'As UT students return in the coming week, I look forward to welcoming them here for a new academic year with a recommitment to an open, positive and inclusive learning environment for all.'" http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=31d97d86a383a54ffaf7fe8f452fb3f46bf2dbd345674d42989ef478e27712a1db72b1e8d1a84f0ebb04e96c9593b01c19e7e278f145dc48


****** A message from Chevron: We're piloting a program that uses drones to keep an eye on Chevron wells, tanks, and pipelines-all to keep DOERS and what they're doin' safer. Watch the video: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=31d97d86a383a54f22ffbc9d8e4cecd6695dba0b3087df9647b966dfaf5a635ce9daad158d7b8aeebfcc055b40b0458d05fac7f6887e3d78 ******

FOR YOUR RADAR -- "Secret Service out of money to pay agents because of Trump's frequent travel, large family," by USA Today's Kevin Johnson: "The Secret Service can no longer afford to pay hundreds of agents it needs to carry out an expanded protective mission - in large part due to the sheer size of President Trump's family and efforts necessary to secure their multiple residences up and down the East Coast. Secret Service Director Randolph 'Tex' Alles, in an interview with USA TODAY, said more than 1,000 agents have already hit the federally mandated caps for salary and overtime allowances that were meant to last the entire year. The agency has faced a crushing workload since the height
of the contentious election season, and it has not relented in the first seven months of the administration. Agents must protect Trump - who has traveled almost every weekend to his properties in Florida, New Jersey and Virginia - and his adult children whose business trips and vacations have taken them across the country and overseas." http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=31d97d86a383a54faf41efedaf06adcc69e7ad60849f191e172f900ac4205255165596cce4d69a0d47763ede517dd818aa7ce3c37a34b1a0

WHAT BOB MUELLER IS READING -- NYT A1, "Lobbyist at Trump Campaign Meeting Has a Web of Russian Connections," by Sharon LaFraniere, David D. Kirkpatrick and Ken Vogel: "Rinat Akhmetshin, a Russian immigrant who met last summer with senior Trump campaign officials, has often struck colleagues as a classic Washington mercenary -- loyal to his wife, his daughter and his bank account. He avoided work that would antagonize Moscow, they suggested, only because he profited from his reputation as a man with valuable connections there.

"But interviews with his associates and documents reviewed by The New York Times indicate that Mr. Akhmetshin, who is under scrutiny by the special counsel Robert S. Mueller III, has much deeper ties to the Russian government and Kremlin-backed oligarchs than previously known. He has an association with a former deputy head of a Russian spy service, the F.S.B., and a history of working for close allies of President Vladimir V. Putin. Twice, he has worked on legal battles for Russian tycoons whose opponents suffered sophisticated hacking attacks, arousing allegations of computer espionage. He helped federal prosecutors bring corruption charges against an American businessman in the former
Soviet Union who turned out to be working for the C.I.A. ... After Mr. Akhmetshin's presence came to light, a spokesman for Mr. Putin, Dmitry Peskov, told reporters: 'We don't know anything about this person.'" http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=31d97d86a383a54f531cef6bbb2dd6bfb5e065d3c4156da30892dd73f7a77ca1111e3bc9c483ef886193502819c7e74d305f6cde40133df0

2020 WATCH -- "Trump ramping up for 2020 reelection," by Alex Isenstadt: "President Donald Trump is methodically building a 2020 reelection campaign machine, shunting aside doubts about his viability for a second term as controversy consumes the early months of his administration. Trump is mapping out a fall fundraising tour that is expected to fill his campaign bank account with tens of millions of dollars. His team has tracked dozens of potential Democratic rivals, a list of names that ranges from Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren to Facebook co-founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg. And his administration has received political advice from a top campaign pollster from his 2016 campaign, who
has urged the president to keep up his attacks on the mainstream media. On Tuesday, Trump heads to the swing state of Arizona for a campaign-style rally organized by his political operation.

"The preparations, described by 10 White House staffers, [RNC] officials, and Trump campaign aides, come at a perilous time for the president, who has seen his approval rating plummet to historic lows and is facing mounting criticism from senior Republicans. Trump is under fire for going easy on white supremacists and has failed to sign a major piece of legislation, while a special counsel is bearing down on his campaign's dealings with Russia. His chief strategist and main conduit to the activist right, Steve Bannon, left the White House on Friday, and Trump's advisers say the president is increasingly isolated from his own party.

"Yet Trump's team - rankled by reports that other Republicans are preparing to run in 2020 if the president falters - are proceeding on the assumption the 71-year-old president seeks reelection. The work commenced in January when Trump filed federal papers declaring himself a 2020 candidate." http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=31d97d86a383a54fb652f41958a5dedfca1e2f439eb1d1ff04fe2de471cc1394bbe921864ed59be4c2709a459fefe3faef71c356d7097a8c

WASHINGTON EXAMINER'S DAVID DRUCKER -- "Paul Ryan gives huge fundraising boost to House Republicans": "Speaker Paul Ryan continued building a campaign war chest for House Republicans ahead a possibly treacherous midterm election, transferring another $1.5 million to the [NRCC] in July. The transfer brought the total the Wisconsin Republican has raised for the NRCC to more than $27 million through July 31, and represented an increase of nearly $500,000 over what he gave to the House GOP campaign arm in July of last year. Of the $60 million the NRCC raised through June 30, Ryan was responsible for more than half -- $33 million (the committee ended the first six months of the year with $33.7
million in the bank)." http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=31d97d86a383a54f486d0020d319e2a6e6a1a980c68fafd77288cf16b45c942173bb45feeed49f535a68fde8b6aa7c6bf3bb26218caea542

COMING ATTRACTIONS -- "Labor groups step up pressure on Trump to deliver," by WaPo's Dave Weigel: "Labor leaders, once courted by President Trump, are stepping up their campaign to turn workers against the White House if it does not deliver more on jobs and trade - and if it does not stop undoing Obama-era regulations. The most visible effort, which starts in Indianapolis on Monday afternoon, is a two-week tour organized by the coalition Good Jobs Nation that ropes in labor-friendly politicians. The coalition, launched in 2013 to pressure Barack Obama's White House on trade and wage issues, is organizing rallies throughout the Midwest through Labor Day."
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=31d97d86a383a54f0bc2c0b6d79b9791e794c04bea01cfdfe3ef9af02ed5283b474c761dd96f1ba31149e151e49f2767edb26f0e5308ad4c

-- "First Round of Talks to Revamp Nafta Reveals Friction," by WSJ's Sara Schaefer Muñoz and Bob Davis: "Opening-round talks to remake the North American Free Trade Agreement revealed early fissures dividing the U.S. from Mexico and Canada, including a Trump administration proposal to require a 'substantial portion of autos and auto parts produced under the pact be made in the U.S. The renegotiation of the trade deal, which was one of President Donald Trump's main campaign promises and a key pillar of his 'America First' agenda aiming to revive U.S. manufacturing and reduce the country's trade deficit, is likely to face many hurdles. Auto makers in all three nations generally oppose
the stricter rules floated by the U.S. negotiator, and pro-business lawmakers in Congress don't want the pact altered to restrict trade." http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=31d97d86a383a54fb123f30b1b02a1846889814b1d41c3c28338ca1755b01d759729329f25fa2cb15893acb575e45ea2b4ac054418f0fa0a

TRUMP'S MONDAY -- The president is lunching with VP Mike Pence and will meet with Secretary of State Rex Tillerson at 1:30 p.m. He'll attend the swearing in ceremony for Woody Johnson, who is going to London to be the ambassador to the United Kingdom. Trump is going to Fort Myer at 8:30 p.m. and speaks in prime time about Afghanistan at 9 p.m.

THE JUICE ...

-- FIRST IN PLAYBOOK: Save My Care is launching a new digital ad campaign urging Republicans to oppose the ending of subsidies for Obamacare. The video http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=31d97d86a383a54fdb68eedd6ca29b2ee759413add13a2643ceaf650fefb42466a269bef8d25bcd3c554b8fc8879e577977476058fda6bf9

-- THE RNC raised $10.6 million in July, per a filing made public Sunday.

TODAY'S THE DAY -- "Final Eclipse Plans Under Way as Celestial Event Nears," by WSJ's Daniela Hernandez: "Monday marks the end of a 99-year wait as the country experiences a total eclipse of the sun, coast to coast for the first time since 1918. The event is drawing large crowds to small towns and cities, and is expected to become a vast, shared experience online. ... Roughly 200 million people live within a day's drive of the so-called path of totality-the 70-mile-wide swath cutting across 14 states from Oregon to South Carolina where the sky will go completely dark as the moon passes directly in front of the sun ...

"Nearly twice as many will be able to view at least a partial eclipse ... Hopkinsville, Ky., will have one of the nation's longest periods of darkness during the Aug. 21 eclipse. If skies are clear, the entire U.S. will be able to see at least partial obscuration. Skygazers are planning weddings, participating in citizen-science projects, and flocking to festivals featuring aliens, science-themed activities and concerts to mark the celestial event." http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=31d97d86a383a54f5ea2010a2f6810fb7c1df43fad193290fe9e4e899452c868b68790a878e257054c025b18847db610b9a2da300fc5328b ... Cool NASA map of the U.S. eclipse path http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=31d97d86a383a54f5355a8fd03f889224ddeac47748530abee80b28e557368b8aa38149e7d45b74a82982931160f667f9fb3ae23b2d631ea ... Livestream on NASA's Facebook page http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=31d97d86a383a54fd521c47b5d631f453d051fdd74dd3e03fd5961916a432eb0da09cf56a037cd720369c294048c8ec74eb28cc638c7dae0

-- PER MORNING MEDIA: "[T]he broadcast networks all have special reports planned, while the cable news channels will have rolling coverage. They all have correspondents spread across the country, and gimmicks too. CNN, for example, will offer a 360 degree virtual reality live stream. Non-TV outlets like Time magazine are getting in on the action too, lest you decide to point your browser in their direction. Time will have its White House correspondent (and certified pilot!) Zeke Miller fly a plane from D.C. to South Carolina, through the path of the eclipse."

REMEMBERING JERRY LEWIS -- "Jerry Lewis, Hollywood survivor, showman, dies at 91," by AP's Christy Lemire in Los Angeles: "Jerry Lewis epitomized what it meant to be a survivor in Hollywood. Through ups and downs in popularity, health troubles and weight fluctuations and the sorts of seismic shifts that take place over decades in the entertainment industry, Lewis always figured out a way to battle back, to reinvent himself, to stay relevant. It's what enduring stars know how to do instinctively; perhaps it's that very drive that makes them stars in the first place.

"Through it all, Lewis remained the consummate showman, and his distinctive comic legacy surely will continue to survive for decades to come. The manic, rubber-faced performer who jumped and hollered to fame in a stage, radio, TV and film partnership with Dean Martin, settled to become a self-conscious auteur in movies he wrote, produced and directed, and found new fame as the tireless, teary host of the annual muscular dystrophy telethons, died Sunday at home in Las Vegas surrounded by family. He was 91. Lewis, who had battled the lung disease pulmonary fibrosis, heart issues, a debilitating back problem and addiction to pain killers, died of natural causes, according to his publicist."
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=31d97d86a383a54fa1345226d8eb998ec87c7e397c9c4c57db717a3eb4cc675efe83c1762735c866ee64c6634be5d32724f290fb7268f483


Playbook Reads


PHOTO DU JOUR: Marine One, carrying President Donald Trump, lands on the South Lawn of the White House on Aug. 20. The president returned to Washington D.C. after a working vacation. | J. David Ake/AP Photo

CHARLIE SYKES in the N.Y.T. Magazine: "I have long admired Paul Ryan and thought of him as the future of the Republican Party. But he's made a Faustian bargain. I keep thinking about that scene from 'A Man for All Seasons,' where Thomas More says, 'What profit a man to gain the whole world if he loses his soul, but for Wales?' And I keep thinking, But for tax cuts, Paul?" http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=31d97d86a383a54fcf8bcbf7265d8794136e5326a17912a22e28bc4946c6f01db405d2949358408bf42b522ead200f7bc674d5b68c27c3ab

BOSTON GLOBE'S ANNIE LINSKEY in Bristol, Tennessee: "Among NASCAR fans, there's a divide over Trump": "Donald Trump's seven months in Washington have netted little in the way of meaningful legislative accomplishments or even enforceable executive edicts. Yet many in this crowd said they feel more permission to be outspoken on issues once viewed as sensitive, like race. And in interviews with more than 50 fans here, nearly all have seen divisions in their lives growing wider, with sharper lines between those who support Trump and those who don't. ...

"'The white people are starting to stand up,' said Miller 'Bud' Fulton, 56, who sat out near his camper sipping beer one evening last week with his son. 'You've got a movement going on.' Fulton, who drove to the racetrack from Ohio, wanted to be clear about one thing: 'I'm not a Klan member. I'm not a racist.'" http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=31d97d86a383a54f53c8219192df157bbab991fbaac0749d03ade084235831656c38eeedb138962fedb5d6c14c565c6bb0d4d4ca3fe494b8

THE ADMINISTRATION -- "White House Likely to Name Rep. Jim Bridenstine NASA Chief by Next Month," by WSJ's Andy Pasztor: "The White House by early September plans to nominate Oklahoma Rep. Jim Bridenstine as head of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, tapping a Republican legislator who is a strong proponent of commercial space ventures but has scant management experience, according to people familiar with the details. A former active-duty U.S. Navy pilot who publicly sought the position and was widely reported to be the front-runner even weeks before President Donald Trump's inauguration, Mr. Bridenstine has been a leader in fashioning legislation boosting manned exploration
of the moon, including minerals mining. Such positions are in line with the views of senior White House officials ... as is his desire to save money-and improve efficiency-by more closely coordinating NASA programs with those at other civilian agencies and the Defense Department." http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=31d97d86a383a54f179b6120967b1266aad939abd20701731d3db4461686d3a85b75ca3d90b629a898ad7f24626a81503b3b48b43627d737

-- WE REPORTED Bridenstine was in the running in February, and many of the Oklahoma Republican's friends were wondering why the administration has been so slow to tap him for this slot. This will spark a special election in Bridenstine's solidly Republican district, which he snatched from a sitting lawmaker in 2012.


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L.A. TIMES -- "Trump impeachment more likely than removal, California Rep. Brad Sherman says at town hall meeting," by Doug Smith: "San Fernando Valley Rep. Brad Sherman received an overwhelming endorsement from constituents Sunday for his decision to introduce articles of impeachment against President Trump. Several hundred attendees of a town hall cheered Sherman's recitation of the reasons he thinks Trump has committed high crimes and misdemeanors, the constitutional standard for impeachment. ...

"'Impeachment is more likely than the 25th Amendment, and it could take a few more shocking things to happen,' Sherman said. 'We're not there yet.'" http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=31d97d86a383a54f5940bbbd68ef1dc77846eefef176aa51c14141994618d56dec249b386942459571adccf7ef142d4d7a20b04037ab08b7

GABE SHERMAN RETURNS -- "STEVE BANNON READIES HIS REVENGE: The war on Jared Kushner is about to go nuclear," in Vanity Fair's The Hive: "Bannon's main targets are the West Wing's coterie of New York Democrat 'globalists' -- Ivanka Trump, Jared Kushner and former Goldman Sachs president Gary Cohn-as well as the 'hawks,' comprised of National Security Adviser H.R McMaster and his deputy, Dina Powell. 'He wants to beat their ideas into submission,' Breitbart News Editor-in-Chief Alex Marlow told me. 'Steve has a lot of things up his sleeve.'

"The chaotic, war-torn West Wing of the past six months will be prologue, but the coming struggles will be as personal as they are ideological, waged not with leaks but with slashing Breitbart banners. On Sunday, Breitbart took renewed aim at McMaster, with a headline claiming he advocated 'Quran Kissing.' But most of all, there's a deep animosity between Bannon and Kushner, amplified by a lack of respect. Bannon finds Kushner's political instincts highly questionable. 'He said Jared is a dope,' one Bannon ally recalled.

"The two clashed fiercely on personnel decisions and policy debates, both domestic and international, many of which Bannon lost. But Bannon, who was the only West Wing advisor to publicly support the president's response to the violence in Charlottesville, is especially galled at being scapegoated as an anti-Semite in its wake. 'It's one of the attacks he takes most personally because it's not true,' a Breitbart staffer told me." http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=31d97d86a383a54f1ef9dcfa044865d1c98e8e964e7b35d8bc35d99adba276d3dd80f09ee9a414a66f400d6be3c8fee217902cc82912ecfb

VALLEY READ -- "Tech Goes From White House to Doghouse in Trump's Washington," by Bloomberg's Todd Shields, Mark Bergen and Ben Brody: "Google once had Barack Obama's ear, served as a revolving door for White House staff and saw its political agenda advance. In Donald Trump's Washington, some conservatives say it's gotten so powerful it should be regulated like a public utility. Google is not alone in a fall from grace. Tech companies -- including Facebook and Amazon.com -- that were previously lauded as innovators are facing increased scrutiny over their size, their hiring practices and whether online news feeds skew liberal. ...

"A regulation that protects data flows is already slated for gutting by the Federal Communications Commission, and, in Congress, a law has been proposed that would bring internet companies under a privacy regulator. Another would increase legal liability for website operators as a way to combat online sex trafficking." http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=31d97d86a383a54f62b8f5f65b78f446840e24c2f363a285bc69223a3687ea3619955a773bf5ee1e30b74a63d3a2a1a9f9913e945a9a43c1

Playbookers
SPOTTED: Tiffany Trump and Marla Maples yesterday at Miss Pixies on 14th

TRANSITIONS -- Molly Drenkard has been promoted to national press secretary for the House Republican Conference.

BIRTHDAY OF THE DAY: Steve Case, chairman and CEO of Revolution and co-founder of AOL, is 59. How he's celebrating: "First, I'd like to point out that I won't just be celebrating my birthday on August 21st -- it's also World Entrepreneurship Day -- a time to celebrate all the ways in which brilliant minds and ideas have changed the way we live, work, and interact. Today, popular culture often glamorizes the profession. But there is often little glamour involved in building a startup. I like to say that AOL was an overnight success 10 years in the making. It's important that we celebrate the contributions and journeys of those that pursue such challenging paths. On Monday, I'll be in
Tennessee to watch the solar eclipse with my wife Jean. Jean is chairman of National Geographic and I am vice chairman of the Smithsonian Institution, so we decided to travel to a place where we can (weather permitting) see the total eclipse. It's an awesome way to celebrate a birthday!" Read his Playbook Plus Q&A: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=31d97d86a383a54f99cb3e2601eb436b83f42ffcc520b508c5f7de2f76c197cefc815b3b2570215adf3d84ed5c5eecadaa67dfe224494234

BIRTHDAYS: Ken Mehlman, global head of public affairs at KKR ... Peter Hamby, head of news at Snapchat and host of Snapchat's "Good Luck America" (hat tips: girlfriend Jackie Alemany, Rachel Racusen and Jesse Ferguson) ... NBC newsman Harry Smith is 65 ... WaPo's Manuel Roig-Franzia ... Ben Howard, special assistant to the president who works in the office of legislative affairs (h/t dad Jack) ... Politico's David Beavers ... Sen. Jon Tester (D-Mont.) is 61 ... Mike Shannon ... Margaret Chan, former director-general of WHO, is 7-0 ... Steve Munroe is 32 ... Elizabeth Stoltz ... Stephen Neuman, Hillary campaign alum, is 41 ... Brian Parks of Locust Street Group ... Matt Cott ... Puja Murgai
... Joe Minges ... Hunter Lipscomb ... Katie Brown ... Politico Europe's Stephanie Semeraro ...

... Arkansas Lt. Gov. Tim Griffin is 49 (h/t Matt Rhoades) ... Elaine Godfrey, assistant editor at The Atlantic and author of their "Politics and Policy Daily" newsletter (h/t Daniel Stublen) ... Ruben Olmos, president of government/public affairs shop Global Nexus, LLC ... Cheyne Worley ... Mary Ann Naylor ... Bruce Evans ... Katherine Rojas ... Sarah Rusciano ... Joan Kirchner ... Marguerite Biagi ... former Fox News and NY Post reporter Jana Winter ... David Heifetz ... Matt DeCample ... Reuben Jeffery is 64 ... Greg Bell, executive comms at Pinterest ... Robert Wells ... Joe Mathieu ... Quartz's Cameron Hough ... Lindsay Fisher, VP at Citigroup ... WMAL's Heather Smith ... Francine
McMahon ... former Calif. Lt. Gov. Abel Maldonado is 5-0 ... Brandon Lee Breaux ... Larry Martin ... Paul Harstad (h/ts Teresa Vilmain) ... Lamont Black ... Jack Kelly ... Tom Houck ... Jessica Lee ... Adam Dubitsky ... Heather Martin ... Olympic gold medal sprinter Usain Bolt is 31 (h/t AP)

****** A message from Chevron: This is a story about energy, safety, and some truly high-flyin' doin'. We're piloting a program that uses drones, HD imaging, and thermal mapping to help keep a close eye on Chevron wells, tanks, and pipelines-all to keep DOERS and what they're doin' safer. Watch the video: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=31d97d86a383a54f22ffbc9d8e4cecd6695dba0b3087df9647b966dfaf5a635ce9daad158d7b8aeebfcc055b40b0458d05fac7f6887e3d78 ******

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