Mar 16, 2026
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By Jack Blanchard with Dasha Burns
Presented by
With help from Eli Okun, Ali Bianco, Irie Sentner and Makayla Gray
On today’s Playbook Podcast: Jack and Playbook’s Adam Wren discuss President Donald Trump’s prospects of winning allied assistance in the Gulf, 18 days after the war began.
Good Monday morning. This is Jack Blanchard, loading up on bottled water and cans of beans and heading to the basement. Good luck out there. Get in touch.
Yes, we’re still talking about the weather. Today’s tornado warning is the most severe storm threat Washington has faced in more than two years, per WaPo’s Capital Weather Gang. Even now, there’s still plenty of uncertainty about how bad things will get today. All votes in Congress are canceled, public schools are closing early and federal employees are working from home where possible. The worst of the weather is expected to hit D.C. late afternoon. Stay safe.
TODAY’S MUST-READ: “Jeffrey Epstein’s role in Peter Attia’s rise,” by POLITICO’s Maya Kaufman and Lauren Gardner. “Emails show Attia asked Epstein for patient referrals in 2015, stayed in an empty Upper East Side apartment Epstein owned in 2016, discussed the 2017 job opening with Epstein and, over several years, provided him with health advice and testing. The interactions all unfolded years after Epstein’s 2008 conviction for child prostitution, requiring him to register as a sex offender.
“The records suggest Attia had a deeper relationship with the late convicted sex offender than he publicly acknowledged last month, when he claimed to have met with Epstein on ‘approximately seven or eight occasions at his New York City home’ to discuss research studies and be introduced to other people, including scientists, doctors, business leaders or heads of state.”
The response: “David Vermillion, a spokesperson for Attia, told POLITICO the influencer’s interactions with Epstein ‘did not result in a referred patient, an investment, or any support in building his practice’ and that the model was never offered a position. He said Attia’s previous estimate of his meetings with Epstein was based on his memory and that they appeared to have met 11 times over four years.”
A SUNDAY NIGHT CRASHOUT: Trump put up more than 1,600 words across multiple posts on Truth Social last night, all of them furious. That Supreme Court defeat over tariffs last month is clearly gnawing away at the president, and last night — apropos of nothing — Trump unleashed (again) via two lengthy posts. Chief Justice John Roberts’ court is “completely inept and embarrassing,” Trump wrote, and has “unnecessarily RANSACKED” the country.
Also in Trump’s firing line: D.C. District Judge James Boasberg (“a Wacky, Nasty, Crooked, and totally Out of Control Judge”) … Fed Chair Jerome Powell (“his horrible performance… is either gross incompetence, total dishonesty, or both”) … The Fed’s building contractors (“should also be heavily investigated”) … Media outlets reporting the war in the wrong way (“should be brought up on Charges for TREASON”) … Conservative critics of Fox News host Mark Levin (“jealous and angry Human Beings”) … And Jack Smith (“Deranged”).
This all followed a tempestuous 20-minute briefing on Air Force One, where Trump raged at reporters and mainstream outlets alike. Media organizations making false claims about the war were “pretty criminal,” ABC News was “maybe the most corrupt news organization on the planet.” One reporter was told she was a “very obnoxious person,” another was accused of knowingly peddling Iranian myths. A question about U.S. military options was ridiculed, another on deceased U.S. servicemen was simply ignored.
There was far less political rage last night at the Oscars, where the night was littered with a handful of speeches with thinly veiled critiques and a few light quips from Jimmy Kimmel and host Conan O’Brien. (POLITICO’s Daniel Miller has the details.)
In today’s Playbook …
— Trump wants military allies. But no one seems too keen.
— JD Vance will face the media alongside Trump today for the first time since the war began.
— And the Kennedy Center bids farewell to Richard Grenell.
DRIVING THE DAY
YOU AND WHOSE ARMY? It’s early days, but Trump’s efforts to cajole, bully and threaten allied nations into sending warships to help his mission in the Gulf are already mired in difficulty.
The challenge: Having made zero effort to build a military coalition ahead of his attack on Iran — as even President George W. Bush did before unloading on Iraq in 2003 — Trump now finds himself without an obvious set of allies to fall back on. And this, remember, is the same president who only a few weeks ago was threatening a NATO ally — Denmark — with the invasion of part of its sovereign territory. Which is maybe not the best way to win trust.
Nevertheless: As you probably saw, Trump spent much of the weekend urging key U.S. allies and competitors to join the struggle to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, as oil and commodity prices continue to spiral. The president sought to up the ante significantly last night with a few barely veiled threats aimed squarely at the NATO alliance. Trump told the FT NATO faces a “very bad” future if member states fail to pitch in on Hormuz. And speaking on Air Force One, Trump said: “We’re always there for NATO, we’re helping them with Ukraine … It’ll be interesting to see what country wouldn’t help us with a very small endeavor, which is just keeping the strait open.”
We ride tonight: Trump said he’s in conversation with “about seven” countries over sending warships to the strait. (In his weekend Truth Social he named five — China, France, Japan, South Korea, the U.K., plus “others.” ) “We’ve had some positive responses,” Trump said last night. “We had a few that would rather not get involved.”
But the responses have been lukewarm at best.
- Japanese PM Sanae Takaichi said her country has no plans to send ships to the Gulf, per Reuters.
- Britain will not send ships either, but is offering minesweeping drones, per The Independent.
- France has previously expressed interest but wants the situation to stabilize first, per France24.
- EU foreign ministers today will discuss moving an existing three-ship team protecting vessels from Houthi rebels into the Strait of Hormuz … But German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul has already said he does not believe it would be effective, per Reuters.
- South Korea remains non-committal, already fearful of draining the U.S. military presence in the Indo-Pacific.
- Australia has also ruled out sending ships, per Aussie national broadcaster ABC.
And as for China … It’s hard to imagine Chinese ships actually working alongside American vessels in the strait — not least because Iran already said it has no plans to disrupt Chinese energy supplies. Still, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent is in Beijing today on a pre-arranged trip and the issue will surely come up. Trump told the FT his planned trip to meet President Xi Jinping in Beijing in two weeks’ time could yet be delayed if a deal is not done.
And so we muddle through: WSJ’s Alexander Ward reports U.S. officials are still hopeful of announcing some sort of “Hormuz coalition” this week, with “multiple countries” on board. If so, the devil will likely be in the details — and how closely any announcement matches Trump’s request for warships to be deployed as soon as possible. The WSJ says one key point of debate is whether “operations would begin before or after hostilities end.”
Worth watching: Takaichi — who has a close relationship with Trump — is due at the White House for talks later this week. Trump hosts U.S. Ambassador to Japan George Glass at the White House later this afternoon.
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How we got here: Did Trump see this crisis coming? It seems not. “At a meeting in the Oval Office last week, a frustrated Mr. Trump pressed Gen. Dan Caine, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, about why the United States could not immediately reopen the Strait of Hormuz,” NYT’s David Sanger and colleagues write in a must-read, high-altitude take on where we’re at. “The answer was straightforward: Even one Iranian soldier or militia member zipping across the narrow neck of the strait in a speedboat could fire a mobile missile right into a slow-moving supertanker, or plant a limpet mine on its hull.”
Belatedly, this message seems to have landed with Trump, who was repeating this concern to reporters last night. “Remember, it only takes a couple of people to screw up the strait,” Trump said.
We should hear more from the president later today — the first time we’ll see Trump line up with (the famously war-skeptical) VP JD Vance since the attack on Iran began. The idea is presumably to show a united front — but expect plenty of questions from the press pack keen to parse any bit of daylight between the two men. POLITICO’s Diana Nerozzi and Eli Stokols reported Friday that Vance remains highly skeptical about the war in private — though both his team and the White House have pushed back on any suggestion of a split.
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TRAIL MIX
2028 WATCH: What was Pete Buttigieg up to in Georgia over the weekend? Working to address one of his fundamental weaknesses as a potential 2028 candidate, Playbook’s Adam Wren reports on today’s Playbook Podcast. Buttigieg yesterday visited the famous Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta, the spiritual home of the late Reverend Martin Luther King Jr., where Sen. Raphael Warnock (D-Ga.) is now the pastor. Watch the warm reception he received here
Adam notes: “In a number of very strategic engagements across the South over the last week, Buttigieg has been dealing with one of his chief nagging problems — the idea that he doesn’t have the Black support necessary to be the Democratic nominee in 2028. You’ve seen him campaign with a number of Black candidates, and he’ll be doing that again this week in Michigan.”
2020 WATCH: Republicans are desperate to move on from the 2020 Election, but Trump just won’t let it go — and his party fears it could detract from its economic message for the midterms, POLITICO’s Erin Doherty and colleagues report. “[There’s] a growing view inside the party that focusing on ‘stolen election’ claims and voter fraud will kneecap them in the general election: That messaging might play well with the MAGA base in the primary, but it could alienate moderates tired of rehashing an election from nearly six years ago.”
RACE OF THE DAY: Sens. Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.) and Maggie Hassan (D-N.H.) are throwing their support behind state Rep. Josh Turek in the primary race for Senate in Iowa, Playbook’s Adam Wren scoops. This contest is a must-watch, offering one of the next major contested primary races for the party as Turek faces off against Iowa state Sen. Zach Wahls for the nomination on June 2. Turek now has the first endorsements from sitting U.S. senators so far in the primary.
PRIMARY COLORS: We’re just 24 hours away from Election Day in Illinois — the most immediate big test for the different factions of the Democratic Party and the super PACs spending to get them in (or keep them out) of office. Illinois’ race for Senate has seen a massive infusion of dollars from Fairshake, a crypto PAC, in favor of Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi, whose power will be tested against the Gov. JB Pritzker-aligned super PAC supporting Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton, WaPo’s Theodoric Meyer and Mariana Alfaro report. In the race to represent Illinois’ 9th District, AIPAC is front and center as progressives look to stave off its influence, CNN’s Isaac Dovere writes.
POLITICO Policy Outlook: Powering 6G
The next generation of mobile communications technology — commonly known as 6G — promises to unlock a bold new digital future. On Wednesday, March 18, POLITICO will convene decision makers from government and industry for incisive conversations that explore what’s next for the 6G rollout — and what stands in the way. Register now to join us.
BEST OF THE REST
SHUTDOWN DAY 31: We’re over a month into the DHS shutdown — and any way out remains elusive. Wait times and lines at major airports are growing, and TSA agents have missed their first full paycheck as the pain points of the shutdown materialize, per NBC. The CEOs of major airlines sent an open letter to Congress pushing for funding to be restored, writing that air travel is again a “political football,” per AP. House votes today have been pushed to tomorrow because of the weather risks, POLITICO’s Meredith Lee Hill reports.
But the major storyline to follow on the Hill this week will be the fate of Trump’s much-trumpeted SAVE America Act, which is poised for a vote in the Senate. Trump and MAGA world have put Senate Majority Leader John Thune’s feet to the fire to get this passed, but the math isn’t there to overcome the 60-vote threshold. So Thune’s preparing for a marathon floor debate that will keep it center stage. Much more on the SAVE saga from POLITICO’s Inside Congress
KNOWING MARKWAYNE MULLIN: Mullin is set for a big week, staring down a confirmation hearing to be Trump’s next DHS secretary on Wednesday. And while he’ll be in the hot seat on Trump’s immigration agenda, there’s also renewed interest in his financial dealings. The Oklahoma Republican has been “one of the most prolific stock buyers in Congress,” NYT’s Christopher Flavelle and colleagues report. “A spokeswoman for Mr. Mullin said the senator does not personally direct or inform his family’s stock purchases and complies with all laws and ethics rules.”
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TRY, TRY AGAIN: “The National Park Service race to rewrite history becomes a slog,” by POLITICO’s Heather Richards: “The Trump administration’s campaign to remove National Park Service exhibits that ‘inappropriately disparage’ historical figures is bogged down more than nine months after Interior Secretary Doug Burgum set it in motion. Many park personnel on the ground now are unsure if NPS will soon demand changes at many parks or leave things as they are, said a park superintendent … The effort has reached a ‘nebulous’ phase, the superintendent said, with some parks moving forward with edits and others still waiting for changes to be approved.”
MEANWHILE IN CUBA: “Cubans Intensify Protests After Sundown, Protected by the Night and Blackouts,” by WSJ’s José de Córdoba: “Across the island, pot-banging is becoming louder as Cuba plunges into darkness almost every night, protecting the identity of protesters … Cuba’s economy is on the brink of collapse, exacerbated by an oil blockade recently imposed by the Trump administration, which threatened to impose punitive tariffs on any country shipping fuel to Havana.”
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TALK OF THE TOWN
FAREWELL, RICHARD GRENELL — Trump will attend a board meeting at the Kennedy Center at lunchtime where Richard Grenell’s tempestuous time in charge will formally come to an end. ICYMI over the weekend, The Atlantic’s Jonathan Fischer took a closer look at the role Grenell played and why, in the end, the White House felt it was time for him to be shuffled on.
MUST-WATCH MAYOR’S RACE — “Where the money in D.C.’s mayoral race is coming from,” by WaPo’s Jenny Gathright and colleagues: “Fundraising among the two leading Democratic candidates in D.C.’s mayoral race is close, and early patterns are emerging in their support — with Janeese Lewis George getting a boost from labor unions and Kenyan R. McDuffie receiving support from business leaders, developers and Bowser administration officials … The analysis also shows Lewis George, who represents Ward 4 on the D.C. Council, pulling in more money from D.C. donors.”
PLAYBOOK METRO SECTION — “‘Tulips make you happy’: Thousands line National Mall for springtime magic,” by WaPo’s Maggie Penman: “Cities around the world host Tulip Day celebrations, including Amsterdam, Berlin, New York and San Francisco. But this is the first time the event has been held in Washington.”
MEDIA MOVE — Joe Gould is joining NOTUS as a defense reporter. He previously worked at POLITICO.
TRANSITIONS — Mindy Finn is joining the Forward Party as VP of advancement. She previously worked on Evan McMullin’s 2016 campaign, co-founded Stand Up Republic and founded Citizen Data. … Prerna Jagadeesh is now press secretary on Aaron Ford’s campaign for governor of Nevada. She was previously at the AFL-CIO. … Matas Anuzis is joining ColdSpark as the account executive of public affairs. Matas comes from i360 and is a DDC, WPAi and Ted Cruz presidential campaign alum. …
… Joshua Hess is now senior director of legislative affairs at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Institute for Legal Reform. He previously worked for Rep. Morgan Griffith (R-Va.). … Nana Pierri is joining Northwestern Mutual as VP of federal relations. She previously worked at Rocket Companies.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY: Rep. Julia Letlow (R-La.) … AP’s Julie Pace … former NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg … MS NOW’s Amy Shuster … Art Collins … Jeff Nussbaum … former Reps. Joe Crowley (D-N.Y.), Ron Kind (D-Wis.) and Yvette Herrell (R-N.M.) … WHCA Secretary Sara Cook … Andy Lewin of BGR Group … Ian McCaleb … Dalton Bennett … WaPo’s Ellen McCarthy … Scott Simon … Adam Blickstein … CoreWeave’s Carl Holshouser … Brian Young … NYT’s Neil Vigdor and Brian Rosenthal … Gary Emerling … Elevance Health’s Ben Steinhafel … Rebecca Coffman … Gabriella Hoffman … Kate Brown … The Capitol Forum’s Chris Kane … The Washington Blade’s Michael Key … Maddie Melendez of Trident GMG … HBS’ Meghan Schmidtlein
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