The Playbook Podcast

The Munich Security Conference kicks off on Friday — and it has turned into the marquee venue for Democrats with eyes toward 2028 to burnish their foreign policy bona fides. At least half a dozen Democrats who are tabbed as potential presidential contenders are descending on the conference that has become known as the Davos for the defense world. The rush to Munich follows last year’s gathering, where VP JD Vance stunned attendees — and the world — by torching European leaders in a sharp speech from the stage. Playbook’s Adam Wren and POLITICO’s Chief EU Correspondent and host of the Brussels Playbook Podcast Zoya Sheftalovich break down everything to know about this year’s Munich Security Conference.

The House voted to block President Donald Trump’s tariffs on Canada, with six Republicans joining Democrats in the symbolic rebuke. While the future is unclear in the Senate, it amounts to a sharp political slap on Trump’s wrists as Democrats line up more votes against Trump’s tariffs with the midterms approaching and a consequential Supreme Court decision still looming. Meanwhile, Trump offered a fresh threat to Republicans who voted against the tariffs. Playbook’s Jack Blanchard and White House reporter Megan Messerly discuss the vote ramifications.

AG Pam Bondi is due on the Hill today as a series of storylines swirls around her Justice Department. When she sits before the House Judiciary Committee, she is certain to face questions about DOJ's attempts to investigate and prosecute President Donald Trump's perceived enemies, plus her department's handling of the Epstein files. Playbook's Jack Blanchard and White House Bureau Chief Dasha Burns discuss Bondi's approach to the appearance. Plus, Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu is headed to the White House.

The leaders of ICE and CBP, two of the agencies leading President Donald Trump’s immigration crackdown, will sit for testimony before the House Homeland Security Committee on Tuesday. The venue will provide a platform for Democrats to grill the leaders. But Republicans may be left toeing the line between pressing for accountability and defending the administration’s immigration agenda. Playbook’s Jack Blanchard and White House Bureau Chief Dasha Burns break down what to expect.

Ghislaine Maxwell is due before Congress today — but don't expect to learn much new. Maxwell, the longtime co-conspirator of the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, will sit for a deposition before the House Oversight Committee, where she is expected to plead her Fifth Amendment rights. Still, the appearance is sure to put the Epstein saga back in the spotlight as lawmakers also begin to look over the unredacted files. Playbook's Jack Blanchard and senior legal affairs reporter Kyle Cheney break down what you need to know.