POLITICO Playbook PM: Now you can read the transcripts

11 YEARS AGO TODAY … BARACK OBAMA was elected president.

THE FAA has alerted extra VIP motion for New York next weekend, signaling that President DONALD TRUMP could be heading back to the Huge Apple. The advisory

READ THE TRANSCRIPTS! … HOUSE IMPEACHMENT COMMITTEES launched transcripts from their depositions of former U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine MARIE YOVANOVITCH and former prime State Department adviser MICHAEL MCKINLEY. Yovanovitch 317-page testimony… McKinley 156-page testimony … POLITICO ledeall

THERE WILL BE LOTS OF TAKEAWAYS from this over the subsequent 12 hours or so. Here are a few things that stuck out to us:

-- YOVANOVITCH stated a senior Ukrainian government official advised her she wanted to “watch my back” in regard to RUDY GIULIANI. “[H]e principally stated, and went into some detail, that there were two people from Florida, Mr. Parnas and Mr. Fruman, who have been working with Mayor Giuliani, and that they had arrange the meetings for Mr. Giuliani with Mr. Lutsenko. And that they have been fascinated by having a special ambassador at submit, I assume … as a result of they needed to have enterprise dealings in Ukraine, or further business dealings.”

-- YOVANOVITCH stated somebody at State -- maybe Secretary MIKE POMPEO -- referred to as SEAN HANNITY about what he was saying concerning the former ambassador to Ukraine: “What I used to be advised by Phil Reeker was that the secretary or perhaps anyone round him was going to put a name to Mr. Hannity on Fox Information to say, you recognize, what is going on? I imply, do you've got proof of these kinds of allegations or not? And when you have proof, you recognize, telI me, and if not, stop. And I perceive that that call was made. I don’t know whether it was the secretary or someone else in his inside circle. And for a time, you understand, things sort of simmered down.”

-- YOVANOVITCH stated assaults by TRUMP’S son involved her: “WelI, if in case you have the president’s son saying, you realize, We need to pull these clowns, or nevertheless he referred to me, it makes it exhausting to be a credible ambassador in a nation.”

-- HOW THE ADMINISTRATION WORKS … THE CHAIRMAN: “I simply need to ensure that I’m understanding. The statement you’re speaking about, is that the requested assertion by the secretary of State?” YOVANOVITCH: “Yeah.” THE CHAIRMAN: “So you have been knowledgeable, principally, that the assertion was not going to be issued by the secretary of State as a result of it could possibly be undermined by the president?” YOVANOVITCH: “Sure. No assertion was going to be issued, not by the secretary, not by anyone else.” THE CHAIRMAN: “As a result of if the secretary did concern a press release, it could be undermined by the president?” YOVANOVITCH: “Uh-huh.” THE CHAIRMAN: “Is that a sure?” YOVANOVITCH: “Sure, that may be a yes.”

-- GORDON SONDLAND’S ADVICE … YOVANOVITCH: “[Sondland] stated, you recognize, that you must go massive or go house. You have to, you understand, tweet on the market that you simply help the president, and that each one these are lies and every part else. And, you already know, so, you recognize, I imply, clearly, that was recommendation. It was recommendation that I did not see how I might implement in my position as an ambassador, and as a Overseas Service officer.”

TRANSCRIPTS from Kurt Volker and Sondland might be out Tuesday.

INCOMING FOR JOHN ROBERTS … “Appeals courtroom rules Trump must give taxes to Manhattan grand jury,” by Josh Gerstein: “A three-judge panel of the 2nd Circuit Courtroom of Appeals unanimously dominated that the president isn't immune from state prosecutors’ investigative steps, akin to a grand jury subpoena, notably for data that don’t pertain to his official duties. Trump plans to ask the Supreme Courtroom to attempt to block his tax returns from being handed over to the Manhattan district lawyer, a lawyer for the president stated Monday.” POLITICO

TODAY IN STONEWALLING -- “White House officials spurn demand to testify in impeachment probe,” by Kyle Cheney and Andrew Desiderio: “Those witnesses, together with the White House’s prime nationwide security lawyer John Eisenberg, blew off subpoenas to testify, underscoring the probability that Democrats are already sitting on the evidence they’ll have for impeachment as they transfer towards public hearings. …

“All that is still before these hearings start is a cluster of high-profile witnesses intently related to Trump who appear likelier to battle Congress to a near-certain stalemate than submit to questioning … [in] a serious victory for a White Home that has largely failed to stop senior officials from throughout the administration from displaying up.” POLITICO

-- MORE FROM ANDREW: House Intelligence Chairman Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) is within the SCIF right now, as is Fiona Hill, the former Trump Russia hand, who's reviewing her transcript.

Good Monday afternoon.

HOW TRUMP COULD STILL DAMAGE BIDEN -- “Amid impeachment drive, the pro-Trump seek for filth on Ukraine and the Bidens goes on,” by NBC’s Josh Lederman in Kyiv: “Far from holding their heads down, those working in widespread cause with the president’s and Giuliani’s marketing campaign to get Ukraine to investigate Trump’s political opponents are shifting forward unabated, interviews in Kyiv and Washington with a number of of those concerned reveal. …

“In Ukraine, a gaggle of parliamentarians are even working to face up a new investigative commission — the Ukrainian analogue to a congressional select committee — to probe what they are saying was a Ukrainian government marketing campaign to smear former Trump marketing campaign chairman Paul Manafort in a bid to take down Trump in 2016. Additionally they need to investigate the Bidens. … [Rudy] Giuliani continues to be listening, whilst investigations surrounding his work intensify. …

“Though the trouble by [Oleg] Voloshin and a handful of different parliamentarians to launch an investigative committee is unlikely to bear a lot fruit — it might require 150 lawmakers to vote for it — that will not matter politically if it permits Trump to say that Ukraine, too, is wanting into 2016 meddling and the Bidens.” NBC

TOP-ED -- REPS. STEVE CHABOT and JIM SENSENBRENNER in the WSJ: “The Clinton Impeachment Was Fair”

FLORIDA MAN ROGER STONE ON TRIAL IN D.C. … From Darren Samuelsohn: “‘I feel we’re in wonderful form this morning to be ready to move ahead tomorrow,’ U.S. District Courtroom Decide Amy Berman Jackson stated Monday firstly of her ultimate pre-trial hearing in the Robert Mueller-era case towards the longtime Trump affiliate that centers around costs of lying to Congress and obstructing its Russia investigation.”

-- TIMING ISSUES: “Tuesday’s proceedings start at 9:30 a.m, and Jackson stated the day can be devoted just to jury selection. There gained’t be any opening statements till Wednesday at the earliest. The lead authorities prosecutor also stated its first witness within the trial would be the FBI’s former case agent dealing with the Stone investigation.”

WHAT’S ON THE PRESIDENT’S MIND -- @realDonaldTrump at 7:50 a.m.: “The Whistleblower gave false info & dealt with corrupt politician Schiff. He have to be introduced forward to testify. Written answers not acceptable! Where is the 2nd Whistleblower? He disappeared after I released the transcript. Does he even exist? Where is the informant? Con!”

SO MUCH FOR THAT CANCELED SUBSCRIPTION … at 9:22 a.m.: “Many individuals say they know me, claiming to be ‘greatest pals’ and actually shut and so on., once I don’t know these individuals in any respect. This occurs, I suppose, to all who turn into President. With that being said, I don’t know, to the most effective of my information, a person named Michael Esposito.....” “....I don’t like him using my identify to build his consulting company, or whatever. Please advise his shoppers and Administration officers accordingly.” The original WaPo article, which was on today’s front page

IMMIGRATION FILES -- “Trump administration weighs proscribing asylum seekers from working,” by NBC’s Julia Ainsley: “With a newly named appearing secretary of Division of Homeland Safety, the Trump administration is engaged on unveiling a set of latest restrictions this week that are supposed to additional deter asylum seekers from getting into the USA by limiting their capability to work, in line with 4 DHS officials.

“The new proposal, which has not but been finalized, would maintain asylum seekers from applying for work permits till they had been in the nation for at the least a yr, the officials stated.” NBC

FILL THE SWAMP! -- “Earlier than his claims of corruption, Trump tried to construct a resort in Ukraine,” by Anita Kumar: “In 2006, Donald Trump Jr. and Ivanka Trump traveled to Ukraine to satisfy with government officers about constructing a multimillion dollar lodge and golf course within the country. Two years later, Trump Jr. was again to satisfy with developers.

“The Trumps have been trying to erect luxury resorts across the former Soviet republics, and Ukraine appeared like a promising location. But doing so meant navigating a landscape that had long struggled with corruption. And as a part of its overtures, the Trump Organization engaged builders Dmitry Buriak and felon Felix Sater, both of whom have had business pursuits in Russia. …

“There are not any accusations that the Trump Group crossed any legal strains with its early-2000s effort in Ukraine — a lot of which has not been previously reported in American media. … Home and Senate committees look like unaware of the Trump Group’s prior Ukraine connections, based on greater than half a dozen lawmakers and staffers. The brand new particulars are based mostly on courtroom documents, government emails obtained by the conservative group Judicial Watch and overseas media stories, a few of which have been translated.” POLITICO

ANOTHER LAWSUIT -- “E. Jean Carroll Sues Trump for Lying about Sexually Assaulting Her,” by Rolling Stone’s Andy Kroll: “The go well with alleges Trump lied in public statements he made when he responded to Carroll’s allegation — first revealed in June in New York journal — and ‘smeared her integrity, honesty, and dignity,’ inflicting her emotional ache and injury to her profession.

“Carroll’s grievance, filed by the outstanding civil-rights lawyer Roberta Kaplan in New York state courtroom, says the writer seeks ‘to acquire redress for those accidents and to show that even a man as powerful as Trump could be held accountable underneath the rule of regulation.’” Rolling Stone … The original book excerpt in New York

2020 WATCH -- “MSNBC announces Tyler Perry Studios as site for November debate,” by NBC’s Allan Smith

-- “Dems tiptoe round ‘Pocahontas’ and Hunter as Trump licks his chops,” by Natasha Korecki: “‘Pocahontas?’ A racial slur unfit for discussion. Bernie’s coronary heart assault? Out of bounds. Questions about Hunter Biden’s enterprise dealings? Stop carrying Donald Trump’s water. To take heed to 2020 Democrats, some of probably the most risky critiques of the top three polling candidates aren’t worthy of public debate — despite the fact that Trump and GOP operatives have made clear they’d hammer them on these points through the basic election.

“Some Democrats worry the crowded area is doing the eventual nominee a disservice by tiptoeing round their potential vulnerabilities whereas the GOP masses torpedoes into the tubes. It’s a dynamic harking back to the 2016 Democratic main, when Democrats — together with main candidate Bernie Sanders — downplayed the controversy surrounding Hillary Clinton’s emails, solely to confront a vicious common election onslaught on these very questions from Donald Trump.” POLITICO

-- NYT’S SHANE GOLDMACHER: “Democratic Strategists Set Up $75 Million Digital Marketing campaign to Counter Trump”: “The effort, by a nonprofit group referred to as Acronym and an affiliated political motion committee, is an outgrowth of rising concern by some Democratic officers that Mr. Trump might construct an insurmountable edge in these key states by way of large early advertising efforts.

“Mr. Trump has spent greater than $26 million thus far nationally just on Facebook and Google, more than the four top-polling Democrats — Joseph R. Biden Jr., Elizabeth Warren, Bernie Sanders and Pete Buttigieg — have spent in complete on these platforms. … In an interview, [David] Plouffe and Tara McGowan, the founder and chief government of Acronym, stated their digital marketing campaign would kick off immediately with a heavy give attention to shaping how the public views Mr. Trump and the Democratic Social gathering through the main season, properly before a nominee emerges.” NYT

NEW NYT/SIENA POLLS -- “One Yr From Election, Trump Trails Biden but Leads Warren in Battlegrounds,” by The Upshot’s Nate Cohn: “Regardless of low national approval scores and the specter of impeachment, President Trump remains highly competitive in the battleground states likeliest to determine his re-election …

“Throughout the six closest states that went Republican in 2016, he trails Joe Biden by a mean of two factors amongst registered voters however stays inside the margin of error. Mr. Trump leads Elizabeth Warren by two points amongst registered voters, the similar margin as his win over Hillary Clinton in these states three years in the past. The poll showed Bernie Sanders deadlocked with the president amongst registered voters, but trailing among probably voters.” NYT

-- SIGNIFICANT: “Almost two-thirds of the Trump voters who stated they voted for Democratic congressional candidates in 2018 say that they’ll back the president towards all three named opponents.”

-- BUT, BUT, BUT … “Unemployment is climbing in key swing states, including Michigan and Wisconsin,” by WaPo’s Andrew Van Dam and Heather Long: “In more than 1,00zero counties, or about one in three, the unemployment fee is greater than it was a yr in the past. That features all 72 counties in Wisconsin and all 10 in New Hampshire, as well as most in Michigan, Minnesota and North Carolina.” WaPo

-- BUT, BUT, BUT, BUT (WE COULD DO THIS ALL DAY!) … WSJ: “U.S. Stocks Hit New Highs on Optimism Over Trade, Earnings”

AFTERNOON READS, from CATHERINE BOUDREAU and HELENA BOTTEMILLER EVICH: “How Washington retains America sick and fat”: “Weight-reduction plan-related sicknesses like obesity, Sort 2 diabetes and high blood pressure are on the rise whereas coronary heart illness remains the main reason for dying. … However even in an more and more health-conscious America, the federal government has devoted solely a tiny fraction of its analysis dollars to vitamin, a degree that has not stored tempo with the worsening disaster of diet-related illnesses. Learning the relationship between weight-reduction plan and well being is such an afterthought that Washington doesn’t even hassle tracking the full quantity spent annually.

“A POLITICO evaluation of federal finances documents reveals that at the Nationwide Institutes of Health and the Agriculture Division — the two businesses that fund nearly all of government-backed vitamin science — the share of research dollars devoted to vitamin has stayed largely flat for at the least three many years, and pales in comparison to many different areas of analysis.” POLITICO

-- “Meet the Silicon Valley investor who wants Washington to figure out what you should eat: On the subject of better vitamin, Joon Yun thinks government is the answer.”

MEDIAWATCH -- “In historic shift, The Salt Lake Tribune gets IRS approval to turn into a nonprofit,” by Matt Canham: “The Salt Lake Tribune is now a nonprofit, an unprecedented transformation for a legacy U.S. day by day that is meant to bolster its monetary prospects throughout a troubling time for journalism nationwide. The IRS permitted the shift in a letter dated Oct. 29, deeming The Tribune a 501(c)(3) public charity. Meaning supporters can start making tax deductible donations now.

“The move from a for-profit mannequin was spurred by Tribune owner Paul Huntsman, who, in agreeing to turn Utah’s largest paper right into a nonprofit, is giving up his sole ownership. … The Tribune will, nevertheless, cease any endorsements of political candidates going forward as required by the regulation governing nonprofits, however the editorial board, which is separate from the news employees, will proceed to opine on the large issues of the day.” Salt Lake Tribune

-- Gilad Edelman is now a tech and politics reporter for Wired. He was beforehand was government editor of the Washington Month-to-month.

SPOTTED: Mark McKinnon at Dulles’ Concourse D this morning.

ENGAGED -- Katie Waldman, VP Mike Pence’s press secretary, and Stephen Miller, senior adviser to Trump, are getting hitched. Pic … Another pic

WELCOME TO THE WORLD -- Emily Passer, senior director of digital communications for NBC News, and Peter Wolkofsky, director of corporate catering at HUNGRY, welcomed Joanna “Jo” Hila Wolkofsky on Saturday. Pic… Another pic

BONUS BIRTHDAY: Maggie McNerney is 25.

BONUS BIRTHDAY OF THE DAY: Carlos Gutierrez, chair at Albright Stonebridge Group and former Commerce secretary. A fun reality about him: “Here’s one from my childhood vault: Once I was eight years previous, for a brief time period, I held the Florida report for the longest softball throw. I’m already serving to my baby granddaughter put together to beat this document.” Playbook Q&A

Article originally revealed on POLITICO Magazine

Src: POLITICO Playbook PM: Now you can read the transcripts
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