POLITICO Playbook Daily Briefing POLITICO

After roughly a month of testimony and 19 witnesses, the end of the Trump hush money trial may draw to a close by the end of this week. The former president and current GOP frontrunner will either be charged or acquitted of falsifying business records. This week, the jury takes center stage. Plus, could Trump himself still take the stand? Legal affairs reporter Erica Orden, who has been present in the courtroom throughout the trial, walks Playbook co-author Ryan Lizza through that possibility and what else to expect this week. That, plus the rest of the news you need to know today.

During the last presidential election cycle, Donald Trump said he would never return to Minnesota should he lose. He is slated to break that promise when he keynotes the Lincoln-Reagan dinner this evening. Moreover, Trump’s fixation on the gopher state seems not to have abated but has intensified since 2020. Does he stand any chance of winning a state with a Democratic trifecta? National political correspondent Adam Wren walks Playbook co-author Ryan Lizza through the situation. All that, and the rest of the news you need to know today.

In a dizzying turn of events yesterday, President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump agreed to two debates well before the election this November — one on CNN in June, and one on ABC in September. Did Democrats box Trump in, or Biden walk right into a carefully laid trap? White House bureau chief Jonathan Lemire offers Playbook co-author Rachael Bade some insights.

When Michael Cohen makes an appearance, it is hard to know whether you will be hearing from a vulgar, bombastic hater or the measured and careful man who took the stand this week. The noticeably restrained Cohen may have delivered a critical blow to his former boss when he alleged Trump specifically approved a plan to pay Stormy Daniels hush money disguised as legal payments to cover up an affair. Could this seal the former president’s fate? What else can we expect from the courtroom? Senior legal affairs corespondent Kyle Cheney joins Playbook co-author Ryan Lizza to walk through the whole situation.

Primary elections are taking place today in Maryland, Nebraska, North Carolina, and West Virginia. In Maryland, there is the ultra-competitive (and ultra-expensive) race for who will take over Ben Cardin’s Senate seat after he retires. In West Virginia, Sen. Joe Manchin’s seat is on the line. Senior campaign and elections editor and chief polling analyst Steve Shepard walks Playbook co-author Rachael Bade through the races to watch and what they can tell us about the presidential election.
All that, and the rest of the news you need to know today.

All eyes today are on the Manhattan courthouse where Michael Cohen will take the stand in the hush money case against former President Donald Trump. Politico reporter Erica Orden — who has been at the courthouse since the beginning — joins Playbook co-author Ryan Lizza to break it all down. All that, and the rest of the news you need to know today.