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Today on the Playbook podcast: Can Abdul El-Sayed in Michigan win over voters who have been skeptical of his campaign, particularly the Jewish and black communities? This is the main topic of the day. And in the Talk of the Town column: Hakeem Jeffries faces a potential leftist revolt as new progressive candidates prepare to arrive in Washington. A new poll has revealed voters' top concern, and it's not the economy. And the new White House press secretary must explain the situation with her legal qualifications. Hello, I'm Megan Messerly. And I'm Adam Wren. Today is Friday, October 16. So, Adam, we need to get down to business right away.
You were on a business trip to Michigan this week. The situation there is clearly escalating, it is one of the many centers of the political universe right now. But before we get into that, I have a Jay Mart-esque question for you: What was the best meal you've had on the road? You know, I was in West Michigan and went to my favorite pub- brewery there. Craft beer is very popular in the west of the state, I was at New Holland Brewing in Holland, Michigan, and had their amazing pickle pizza, er, dill pickle and bacon pizza. Surprisingly, the only thing I don't like is pickled foods. Very specific. So I don't like pickles, but for those who do, they must be delicious. And I love bacon. But, unfortunately, we are not here to We are not a cooking podcast, we are a
political podcast. So we have to talk about politics. So, let's move on to your report. Abdul El-Sayed is very confident of his victory. He predicts a seven-percent lead over Mike Rogers. But there are several key groups of voters in Michigan who have not yet decided, namely Jewish and black voters. So, as you report in this morning's Playbook newsletter, some typical Democratic donors have actually switched sides and are now supporting Mike Rogers. Tell us what you discovered in Michigan this week. Yes, I prepared this material together with our colleague Lisa Kashinski. That's really interesting, Megan.
Mainly Abdul El- Sayed, who, by the way, is in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan this week with Congresswoman Elissa Slotkin, campaigning in the most Republican parts of the state. But what is essentially happening is that he is rebuilding his own democratic coalition from scratch. He is getting votes from some Trump supporters. He receives support from socially active white voters, and in some places from black voters. And so he builds it all from scratch. We spoke with Congresswoman Hayley Stevens, who quickly endorsed El-Sayed after he narrowly defeated her in the primary, and as many Democrats in the party have noted, she took it in a sporting manner. But in reality, she was everywhere, Megan, except next to El-Sayed himself.
She was on Yes, she was on TMZ, right? On TMZ with her fiancé. This appearance was later parodied on The Jimmy Fallon Show. She met with the Dalai Lama. So she was everywhere except near El Sayed, which is really interesting. Our colleague Lisa spoke with David Kramer, who led Haley Stevens' campaign and is also the vice chair of the Michigan Democratic Jewish Caucus. He is currently working with Non-Negotiable Michigan, a group of Jewish leaders who have pledged to withdraw their support for El-Sayed unless he changes some of his views on Israel. And that's why he has n't united the coalition parts yet. You would say that Mike Rogers has a problem with his electoral base because he can't attract people like Tucker Carlson,
who is very supportive of El- Sayed's candidacy. So, we're seeing a massive reshuffle in the Michigan Senate race, and that's very telling. We asked El-Sayed about this, about his lack of support from Jewish donors, and here's what he told us. You know, I take very seriously the fact that I will be representing the great Jewish community of Michigan, and I want them to know: I am committed to their safety and well-being, even if there are foreign policy issues on which we may disagree. Yes, Adam, this passage seems very interesting to me. He's really trying to say, "I care about you, the Jews of Michigan," but what is he ultimately doing to connect with these voters and win them over to his side?
Well, he apologized for some of the comments he made after an event in Michigan earlier this year that upset many Jewish voters and residents of the state. And he said then that " the wounded inflict pain on others." Last month, he apologized for it and said he should have simply expressed condemnation and regret instead of trying to justify himself. So he apologized, but he's still trying to win their favor. And look, we talked to Hayley Stevens about this and asked her what she thought. We also asked her, incidentally, what she thought about El-Sayed inviting his House colleague AOC to Michigan, whether it was a wise decision. And, you know, she said that Abdul is not afraid to choose sides and do unpopular things, and he doesn't really
care about the consequences, if there are any. Interestingly, in this interview, El- Sayed also told us that he is in talks with Vermont Senator, Independent Senator Bernie Sanders, about his return to Michigan at the finish line. And it's just really, really fascinating how he, you know, sometimes stirs up wounds in the coalition, but at the same time builds everything from scratch. I mean, he's kind of an "America First" candidate, who sounds very Trumpian and has run ads in that vein. Yeah, we've seen this before, right? You know, people on both the left and the right are appealing to these populist, you know, working class frustrations. And that, I mean, was part of what After all, there was a lot of talk after the primaries
about whether he was a candidate who reflected the views of progressive white, but more affluent and educated voters, or whether he was appealing to the working class? And so, you know, a campaign with someone like AOC or Bernie Sanders, what does that do? Does this allow him to bridge the gap with some of these voters? And I mean specifically, you know, voters of color. I mean, black voters, we see this all over the country, right? Many black voters believe that the Democratic Party has simply gone too far to the left on some social issues. At the same time, we know that black voters supported the president in 2024, especially black men. Now some of these same people are very disappointed. You know, they wanted to see more from the president in
the economy and other everyday issues, but they don't see what the president promised. So the question is, where will they go now? So, I spoke this week with a White House official who told me that they don't believe that black voters will turn out in significant numbers for El-Sayed; but this person said it was unclear whether that meant they would support Mike Rodgers or simply stay home. And this person told me that this is very difficult to take into account in the polls, because sociologists make assumptions about who will or will not come to this election. And some of their assumptions, correct or not, may determine how accurate the poll results will ultimately be. And black voters are just one of those complex demographic groups
whose behavior in midterm elections is difficult to predict. Yes, and it should be said that former President Barack Obama will be in Michigan later this month, and this is obviously an attempt to help solidify the position. Absolutely. He constantly appears in commercials, trying to encourage people to come to the polling stations. This is true. Talk of the Town, where we'll discuss other events affecting Washington this morning. And to start, I want to talk about House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries. So, in the latest episode of The Conversation, our Dasha Burns spoke with Delia Ramirez Avila
Chevalier, a candidate for the House of Representatives from New York, and Mel Geros, a Democratic candidate And I want to show an excerpt from this episode. What we're seeing now in the "blue" districts is that people, as you said, are electing democratic socialists, right? They elect candidates from the Justice Democrats. And that's because we really present a vision, a vision of how we move forward. And it's not just, "Oh, Republicans are bad." Yes, Republicans are bad. Republicans are the ones who are cutting SNAP and Medicaid, making life harder for working people, the ones who are continuing these wars that no one wants. And we need Democrats who will truly stand
up to them, who will present a vision for how we move forward, a vision for how we solve health care in this country, how we solve child care, how we solve housing, all the crises that people across the country are facing And do you think you handled it better than the Democratic Party as a whole nationally? Absolutely. I mean, we really offer bold visions, and we don't look for excuses, right? Why ca n't these things happen. So, Mailo, what do you think the national Democrats could learn from you and what you did in this, uh, election? I would advise people to first truly understand what they believe in, and then speak honestly about it.
You know, many of the candidates who are winning this race, surprising everyone, are very sincere about the urgency with which we have to act at this moment. I fundamentally believe in programs like these that provide a universal framework for Americans to meet their basic needs. And when you have that conviction, you can speak very clearly about how you see a better world and what specific steps are needed for us to achieve it. Listen, Adam, if the Democrats win the midterm elections, Jeffries will have to deal with this group of DSA candidates. Of course, these only won the primaries, but they are in districts so "blue" that their victory is almost guaranteed. And
the question in November now is how will they fit into Congress, especially if Democrats do take control of the House? What will it look like? How is Jeffries going to lead this coalition? You know, Jeffries has made it clear that restoring tax breaks under the Affordable Care Act, repealing Republican- imposed Medicaid cuts, and repealing Donald Trump's tariff regime will be on the agenda he plans to introduce in the first 100 hours after the new Congress takes office in January. But the question is, will this be enough to satisfy the insurgent left wing? And I guess not. Adam, it looks like Jeffries has a really tough task ahead of him here.
Yes, I met with Greg Casar and Pramila Jayapal, co-chairs of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, yesterday, and we'll have more to say about that interview next week. But First, Jeffries is actively in contact with many of these people, not just DSA members, but as a former member of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, he establishes connections with them, coordinating the agenda. He's trying to unite as many forces as possible, but you're right, it's going to be a tough alliance in the early stages of a potentially new Democratic-controlled House of Representatives. And what I hear from all corners of the party is that the party really needs to show results in the first few months of government. They really need to address the
affordability crisis, because that was the basis of their election campaign. Look, we look back at the last almost two years, and that's why we're seeing this reaction to the White House, Trump administration: he campaigned promising to affect food and fuel prices, but he hasn't been able to do it. So it seems that even despite possible disagreements, there is a sharp understanding: if we win, we have to do everything right, otherwise we will lose the trust of the voters, and we will lose it very quickly. This is the challenge. I mean, the pendulum is constantly swinging back and forth. It's much easier to campaign and say that your predecessors screwed up, but when the ball is in your court, voters expect you to deliver on your
promises, and that's why the pendulum swings back in the opposite direction. And I think about the number of issues that this Congress will have to deal with, including AI, or "AI," as the president calls it. There are a lot of really complex issues around which they will have to build important coalitions, but, you know, internal struggles can make that process much more difficult. So we'll have to see how this all turns out. So, Adam, in support of Kiro and Chevalier, let's talk about what voters really want. This was very interesting to me: yesterday Fox News released a poll showing the level of concern among voters about key issues. We see a lot of these polls during and outside of election cycles, but the number one issue
that 88% of people cite as their greatest concern is government corruption. Inflation and high prices are in second place. Honestly, I did n't expect this at all. We have seen for a very long time that inflation and the cost of living have been the main points in all these studies. But a new political poll found that 49% of Democratic midterm voters and 44 % of Republican voters believe that issues of democracy should be a central part of candidates' campaigns and their work in office. So, we see that voters really do care how effectively or ineffectively the government works for them. Adam, what do you think about these numbers and the fact that corruption has come out on top of this list?
Yeah, you know, corruption, it really strikes me, Megan, and it's interesting that we're talking about this now, because I just had a chance to look at a new poll in Indiana, of all places, a red state, where there's a three-way, or rather four-way, race for secretary of state, and the son of the senator, former Democratic Senator Evan Bai, Bo Bai, is running for the position. There have been many allegations of corruption in this office, including an incumbent Republican buying a $90,000 SUV funded by taxpayers, and other instances of self-serving and nepotism in this office. And I looked at the poll results yesterday, which are exactly consistent with this, even in a red state like Indiana, and they show that corruption is a major issue, even more important than the
cost of living in Indiana. So, we really have a moment of national significance. But look, you saw how the inauguration began. It started with a bunch of billionaires, a gathering behind President Trump: Jeff Bezos, Elon Musk, and others. And in places like Michigan, Ohio, Indiana, and Iowa, there's a real sense that there's a class of billionaires who get special treatment and have a government that works for them, not other people. And this is happening among both independent voters and Republicans. Yeah, and I mean, that's what the I remember my first Trump rally, which I went to in 2015 in Vegas, right? It was "draining the swamp ", you know? And now, I think, many people increasingly feel that Washington may be becoming a swamp again,
just of a different kind. We've heard so many concerns from voters and Republican candidates in the states about the way the president, you know, talks about the ball in the hall, right? People don't want to hear about this when they're barely making ends meet to pay for gas. We saw the survey that came out after it was revealed that taxpayer money was being used to fund these public service announcements that praised the president and his achievements. Many voters didn't like it and saw it as a promotion for the president rather than a wise use of their tax dollars. And, of course, after that, the president declared that MAGA Inc. will pay for these TV spots in the future. But one
of the things, Adam, that I find very interesting is this question: would corruption be so high on this list if voters were happy with the government's performance and if the cost of living wasn't such a big issue right now? I think we're seeing, as you said, a split between people who feel like, aren't they sometimes in Washington profiting from their connections with each other and with the government, while I'm here barely making ends meet? You know, it seems to me that these fears become much more acute when people are already disappointed with the economy. I think then they are looking for someone to blame. And they say, "Okay, the reason I'm struggling to survive and can't afford anything is because these people in Washington or, you know
, in high positions in state capitals, are getting rich." And finally: we've talked a lot about Katie Zecheria, and it would be appropriate to end our week by talking about the new White House press secretary. So yesterday she gave her first interview as a press secretary to Jack Posobiec. They talked about why her first briefing was so uncertain and about her family. At one point she said that there are no proper toilets in China. But I actually found a moment where she explains why she called herself a lawyer for so many years, even though she never passed the bar exam -that was really interesting. Let's listen. A lot of the misinformation and misunderstanding, Jack, is because I called myself a lawyer, and I've consulted with a lot of people in the
field for a very long time. Is it normal and acceptable to call yourself a lawyer-not an attorney, not "Kathy Zecheria, Esq.", but simply a lawyer-and to provide legal analysis rather than legal advice? And they said, "Absolutely, without a doubt." You can call yourself a lawyer, you have a doctorate in law, and in addition, international legal experience in the field of transactional law, which gives you the opportunity to analyze, but not necessarily give advice. That's where a lot of this discussion came from, and you know, it's unfortunate that people are calling it some kind of conspiracy or trying to put a label on me. The truth is that I was very careful about this and never presented myself as someone who had a lawyer's license
So, Adam, we see headline after headline on this topic. She, you know, had questions shouted at her on the runway when she went on a western tour with the president about this. This became perhaps the first real controversy of her tenure, the idea that she called herself a lawyer even though she had not passed the bar exam. This looks like the first real defense plan she has presented, and perhaps an attempt to put an end to this issue. But what do you think about this, Adam? The fact that this resulted in and, so to speak, overshadowed the beginning of her work as a press secretary? Well, in the traditional role of a press secretary, Megan, as you well know, the job is multifaceted. It involves access to the administration and the president, but also
access and trust from journalists. Reporters want to know that you are a reliable person, that you are honest with them, and that you are truly connected to the administration. So, there are two aspects here. First, I think it seriously damages her credibility among reporters, even though she seems to be trying to be as transparent as possible, even though she sought this friendly interview with Rain to explain the situation. So we'll find out all the details pretty quickly. This doesn't look like a long argument. So we'll see how that trust manifests itself in dealing with reporters and in the briefing room. And secondly, you know, this work, especially in the Trump era, has one audience, and that is
President Donald Trump. So we won't really know how long she'll last, how she'll adapt here, and what her future holds until we find out what President Trump thinks of her. And so far he supports her. Yes, that's true. And I mean, this is not the kind of case that, you know, usually worries the president a lot. He is much more concerned with whether people are loyal to him. How do they work? Of course, there was a lot of pressure at the first press briefing , because I'm sure she knew the president was watching her closely to see how she would handle it. But in the end, it all comes down to whether he thinks she or anyone else who works for him is doing a good job. So, it was interesting to watch
how she reacted to it. And again, it took a lot of time in the first few days; but it will be interesting to see how she proceeds and, as you rightly point out, how she works to gain credibility among the press and the general public. It is worth noting that in 2026, many of these press briefing fragments are making their way onto social media and appearing on Instagram Reels. So we, as the press, don't even have to be intermediaries. So she will also have a direct connection with the public. Well, that's where we'll end. That's all for today's edition. As always, you'll find more news and analysis today's Playbook newsletter, which can be read at politico.com/playbook. If you watch us on YouTube, subscribe so you don't miss a single
episode of Playbook. And for those who listen to audio, subscribe to us wherever you usually listen to podcasts. We will be back on Monday. We wish you a nice weekend.
