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| By Garrett Ross | Presented by the National Retail Federation | |
 | THE CATCH-UP
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 Donald Trump's second inauguration will move inside due to a dangerously cold weather forecast. | Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images |
DONALD TRUMP will enter office for the second time in yet another historic way: Due to dangerously cold temperatures forecasted in D.C. on Monday, the inauguration will be held indoors for just the third time in U.S. history. Trump will take the oath of office inside the Capitol Rotunda, with all invited guests and dignitaries joining him inside. The National Weather Service is projecting a high of 23 degrees on Monday, with wind chills expected to plunge that number lower. “This will be a very beautiful experience for all, and especially for the large TV audience!” Trump said in a lengthy post on Truth Social detailing the decision. “We will open Capital One Arena on Monday for LIVE viewing of this Historic event, and to host the Presidential Parade. I will join the crowd at Capital One, after my Swearing In.” The last time that cold weather scuttled the ceremony was 1985, when RONALD REAGAN was sworn into his second term — a fact that Trump was eager to point out. JAMES MONROE’s second inauguration was also held inside the Capitol, in the House chamber, because of a snowstorm. More from Megan Messerly Playbook thought bubble: The swearing-in ceremony is one of the most pomp-filled displays of the presidency and Trump used his first inauguration as a rollicking preview of how his administration would be governed. Had this been his first run in the Oval Office, would Trump have pushed to hew to tradition of holding the event outside with the National Mall and throngs of supporters stretched out below the dais? As he stated in his post on Truth Social, there is a sense that he’s ready to get back in power and that those around him just want it to be done so they can start moving on his agenda. “January 20th cannot come fast enough!” he said. Who’s coming: China noticed today that Vice President HAN ZHENG will attend Trump’s inauguration in place of President XI JINPING, sending a high-ranking government official instead of an ambassador for the first time in the country’s history, WaPo’s Christian Shepherd reports. STRAIGHT TO WORK — “Trump administration to convene Quad foreign ministers on Tuesday,” by Phelim Kine, Robbie Gramer and Daniel Lippman CLOCK TICKS DOWN ON TIKTOK — The Supreme Court this morning upheld a law forcing the sale of TikTok. The ruling leaves the future of the video-sharing app, which is set to be banned in the U.S. in two days, in extremely uncertain territory as President JOE BIDEN has opted not to enforce the ban and Trump angles to rescue the platform. Siding with the government, the justices upheld a lower court ruling that Congress did not violate the First Amendment when it passed the sell-or-ban law last year on national security grounds, Christine Mui and Josh Gerstein write. From the opinion: “There is no doubt that, for more than 170 million Americans, TikTok offers a distinctive and expansive outlet for expression, means of engagement, and source of community,” the court wrote in an unsigned opinion. “But Congress has determined that divestiture is necessary to address its well-supported national security concerns regarding TikTok’s data collection practices and relationship with a foreign adversary.” As for what’s next, Trump has vowed to “save” TikTok and is exploring means by which to do so, including through executive action. NEW IN TOWN — Big news out of Ohio, where Gov. MIKE DeWINE has selected his own Lt. Gov. JON HUSTED to replace JD VANCE in the Senate, skipping over VIVEK RAMASWAMY, who was “lobbying like hell” in the past week to earn DeWine’s pick, Adam Wren and Sophia Cai report. Meet the new senator: “Husted, a Republican more in DeWine’s institutionalist mold, had long planned to run for governor in 2026 to succeed DeWine. His ascent to the Senate will likely scramble the field in that race.” As for Ramaswamy: He’s “expected to focus on attempting to gain some policy wins at DOGE while announcing a gubernatorial run in the coming weeks, two people familiar with his plans say.” HISTORY IN THE MAKING — POLITICO Mag’s latest roundup: “11 Historians Predict How Joe Biden Will Be Remembered” TALK OF THIS TOWN — Michael Schaffer pens his latest Capital City column: “Pizzagate Has Lost Its Bite: A series of lawsuits and shifts among conspiracists have produced a strange lack of anxiety in Washington.” THE REAL-WORLD IMPACT — “Gay couples race to the altar before Trump takes office,” by WaPo’s Abby Ellin: “It’s not so much that they’re worrying about something in particular happening; it’s the unknown that’s freaking them out.” Happy Friday afternoon. Thanks for reading Playbook PM. Drop me a line at gross@politico.com.
| | | | A message from the National Retail Federation:
NRF is advocating for strategic trade policies that protect American families, workers and small businesses. It is well established that tariffs will raise the price of goods brought in from another country. Those higher prices are paid by the U.S. importer, not a foreign country or the exporter, and ultimately get passed on to consumers. Economists estimate that blanket tariffs can cost American families between $2,500 - $7,600 a year in additional costs. That’s why tariffs should always be a tool of last resort for policymakers. Learn more. | | | |
| 8 THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW | |
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 Biden is still trying to stamp his legacy as he leaves office. | Evan Vucci/AP |
1. PARTING SHOTS: Biden continued his sweeping use of clemency powers on his way out of the Oval Office this morning, commuting the sentences of about 2,500 inmates who are serving prison time for nonviolent drug offenses, “the broadest commutation of individual sentences ever issued by a U.S. president,” NYT’s Erica Green and Zolan Kanno-Youngs write. “The commutations are for offenders who received harsher sentences for drug crimes than they would under current practices, a move aimed at reversing longstanding criminal justice disparities, Mr. Biden said. Those disparities disproportionately affected Black people and fueled mass incarceration, many experts say.” Biden this morning also “moved to enshrine the Equal Rights Amendment in the Constitution, declaring that the measure to prohibit sex-based discrimination had cleared the necessary hurdles to go into effect after a half-century of debate,” WSJ’s Catherine Lucey and Jess Bravin write. “A senior administration official said Biden was stating an opinion that the amendment had been ratified. It wasn’t immediately clear if Biden’s statement had any legal and practical weight.” 2. IMMIGRATION FILES: As Trump promises to sweep into office and carry out historic mass deportations, “the Mexican government and other regional allies have been unable to meet with the incoming Trump administration, according to officials in Latin America, leaving them in the dark about the president-elect’s plans to deport millions of illegal immigrants,” NYT’s Maria Abi-Habib and Annie Correal report. “The incoming administration rebuffed requests by Mexico for a formal meeting, insisting that detailed discussions will only begin after Mr. Trump is sworn in next Monday, according to a Mexican official and two people familiar with the exchanges who were not authorized to speak publicly. The Guatemalan and Honduran governments received similar messages, according to officials from those countries.” The man charged with executing Trump’s expansive plan is TOM HOMAN, who will take the title of border czar and does not require Senate confirmation. His ascension “completes his transformation from dutiful official in a Democratic administration to full-throated Trump world fixture,” NYT’s Alexandra Berzon and Hamed Aleaziz write. “At times, Mr. Homan, who is 63, has tempered Mr. Trump’s talk of using the military or emergency powers for what the president-elect said could be a ‘bloody story.’ Yet Mr. Homan has made clear his goal is the same: deporting as many people as possible, and conceding nothing to his critics. ‘The talk is tough but it has to be tough,’ Mr. Homan told The New York Times in an interview. ‘Everything I say I mean.’” Related read: “Seven Experts on What Keeps Them Up at Night Ahead of Mass Deportations,” by The Bulwark’s Adrian Carrasquillo … “Trump tees up aggressive immigration push in first hours of administration,” by CNN’s Priscilla Alvarez 3. NEW DOGE, NEW TRICKS: “Inside the Early Days of DOGE,” by WSJ’s Ken Thomas, Kevin Dugan and Peter Rudegeair: “Their work has been shrouded in secrecy, conducted on Signal and at SpaceX offices a few blocks from the White House. Team members have been dispatched to federal agencies to review them for cuts. And ELON MUSK, their leader and the world’s richest man, continues to be at President-elect Donald Trump’s side. … “DOGE is expected to work closely with the Office of Management and Budget, making recommendations to Congress and the Trump administration on ways to bring down spending and cut regulations. DOGE officials have focused on ways that their goals can be accomplished through executive action as opposed to legislatively, people familiar with the matter said.” 4. WAR IN UKRAINE: Officials departing with the Biden administration yesterday declassified “one last piece of information about how it has helped Ukraine: an account of its once-secret support for the country’s military drone industry,” NYT’s Julian Barnes reports. “U.S. officials said on Thursday that they had made big investments that helped Ukraine start and expand its production of drones as it battled Russia’s larger and better-equipped army. “Much of the U.S. assistance to the Ukrainian military, including billions of dollars in missiles, air defense systems, tanks, artillery and training, has been announced to the public. But other support has largely gone on in the shadows. That included helping Ukraine develop a new generation of drones and revolutionize how wars are fought.” 5. DANCE OF THE SUPERPOWERS: “Facing a Flurry of U.S. Sanctions, China Prepares to Hit Back,” by NYT’s Alexandra Stevenson: “It threatened a widespread investigation into American chipmakers. It zeroed in on one American retailer, accusing it of “inappropriate conduct” that could lead to sanctions usually reserved for weapons sellers. And it got ready to slap duties on imports of industrial plastics. The flurry of retaliatory gestures, all delivered this week, could have far-reaching implications for American companies. They join other measures by China in recent weeks with one objective: putting the incoming Trump administration on notice.” Related read: “Biden administration to penalize Chinese actors behind two major hacks,” by WaPo’s Ellen Nakashima and Cate Cadell 6. STACKING UP: “I.M.F. Raises U.S. Economic Forecast as Other Regions Lag,” by NYT’s Danielle Kaye: “The U.S. economy is on track to grow faster this year than previously expected, the International Monetary Fund said on Friday, citing strength in the labor market and an acceleration in investment. The I.M.F. projects 2.7 percent U.S. economic growth in 2025 in its latest World Economic Outlook report, up from an estimate of 2.2 percent. That stands in stark contrast to reduced growth projections for the euro area, which the fund attributed in large part to weakness in the manufacturing sector and heightened political uncertainty.” 7. FORWARD UNTO DAWN: While Democrats are left sorting out their path out of the wilderness following last year’s elections, RNC Chair MIKE WHATLEY isn’t resting on the party’s laurels despite a powerful governing trifecta in Washington. “It’s really critical for us to make sure that the Trump voters become Republican voters,” he told Fox News’ Paul Steinhauser about the work that lies ahead for the RNC in 2025 and beyond. Once Trump is officially installed in the White House, Whatley said “we’re going to go right back to the RNC. We’re going to roll up our sleeves and get to work,” noting that there are a few gubernatorial races in 2025 but stressing that “everything is focused on ’26.” 8. BIG HEALTH CARE NEWS: “Medicare to Negotiate Lower Prices for Weight-Loss Drugs,” by NYT’s Rebecca Robbins: “Medicare’s prices for the blockbuster weight-loss drugs Ozempic and Wegovy are likely to decline starting in 2027, thanks to their inclusion on a list of medicines whose prices will be negotiated directly between the government and drug makers. The Biden administration announced the list on Friday, but the incoming Trump administration will oversee the price discussions this year.”
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| PLAYBOOKERS
| | OUT AND ABOUT — Irish Ambassador Geraldine Byrne Nason hosted a dinner honoring John McCarthy for his White House service in the Biden administration. The evening included video tributes from Simon Harris, Michael Martin, Leo Varadkar and Enda Kenny. Joe Crowley also offered a guitar performance of “Thunder Road.” SPOTTED: Sen. Chris Coons (D-Del.), Reps. Brendan Boyle (D-Pa.), Ami Bera (D-Calif.), Gabe Amo (D-R.I.) and Haley Stevens (D-Mich.), Norah O’Donnell, Steve and Amy Ricchetti, Greta Van Susteren and John Coale, Bob Costa, Jonathan Lemire, David Chalian, Kaitlan Collins, Tammy Haddad, Ryan Williams, Karen and Kent Knutson, Matt Dornic, Liz Johnson and Laurie McKay. — SPOTTED at NewDEAL’s mayors reception at Helen Milby’s D.C. residence: Sen. Chris Coons (D-Del.) Reps. Gabe Amo (D-R.I.) and Haley Stevens (D-Mich.), Debbie Cox Bultan, Phoenix Mayor Kate Gallego, Milwaukee Mayor Cavalier Johnson, Cleveland Mayor Justin Bibb, Boise, Idaho, Mayor Lauren McLean, New Bedford, Massachusetts, Mayor Jon Mitchell, Lincoln, Nebraska, Mayor Leirion Gaylor Baird, Beaverton, Oregon, Mayor Lacey Beaty, Scranton, Pennsylvania, Mayor Paige Gebhardt Cognetti, Williamsport, Pennsylvania, Mayor Derek Slaughter, Providence, Rhode Island, Mayor Brett Smiley, San Antonio Mayor Ron Nirenberg and Newport News, Virginia, Mayor Phillip Jones. — SPOTTED at the Suspicious Package concert fundraiser at Madam’s Organ last night, with all bar sales donated to LA wildfire relief by owners Bill Duggan and Mercedes Bien: Tim Burger, Josh Meyer, Christina Sevilla, Bryan Greene, Bob Hagemann, Gideon Lett, Neil Grace, Fin Gómez and Sarah March-Gómez, Dan Ronayne, Steve Rochlin, Puru Trivedi, TK Harvey, Amirah Sequeira, Mark Vlasic, George Conway, Andrew Cooper, Tim Noviello, Jen Renteria, Rafael Mathus Ruiz, Gilles Bauer, Philip Bednarczyk and Nii Simmonds. — Jeff MacKinnon hosted a celebration of Jeff Freeland, incoming House legislative affairs director at the White House, ahead of inauguration weekend at Cafe Milano. SPOTTED: “roastmaster” Jeff Ross, Rick Dearborn, Ben Cantrell, Phil Beshara, Jill Byers, Scott Tranter, Andrew Robreno and Paul Debs. — U.S. Chamber of Commerce President Suzanne Clark hosted a Cafe Milano power roundtable moderated by Steve Clemons on the state of American business. SPOTTED at the dinner: Reps. Young Kim (R-Calif.), Richard Hudson (R-N.C.), French Hill (R-Ark.) and Jared Golden (D-Maine), David Coleman, Courtney Caputo, Heather Long, Eamon Javers, George Goldman, Mark Organ, Barbara Humpton, Ebrahim Rasool, John Polson, Priscilla Almodovar, Megan Cassella, Courtenay Brown, Michelle Russo, Alex Rogers, Don Stone, Matice Wright-Springer, Elizabeth Baker Keffer and Neil Bradley. Did someone forward this email to you? Sign up here. Send Playbookers tips to playbook@politico.com or text us at 202-556-3307. Playbook couldn’t happen without our deputy editor Zack Stanton and Playbook Daily Briefing producer Callan Tansill-Suddath.
| | | | A message from the National Retail Federation:   America’s small businesses and consumers will pay more for goods and services as a result of blanket tariffs. Learn more. | | | | |
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