Pelosi Has Trump Over a Barrel

Playbook! “Amid the Bach and forth over the federal response to the coronavirus, this much the top ranks of Republican and Democratic leadership and the White House can agree on: Speaker Nancy Pelosi, once again, has extraordinary leverage over President Trump and the White House. One Republican put it to us this way: Pelosi has Trump over a barrel.”

“Here’s why: Trump and his White House are the public faces of the fallout over the deadly virus rippling across the nation, and he needs Pelosi — his nemesis — to cut a deal, and pass a bill. The U.S. just surpassed 1,000 confirmed cases as of Tuesday night.”

“Of course, Pelosi has a laundry list of priorities of her own. But rarely is the leverage as skewed as it is here.”

“Something to keep an eye on: In our conversations, Tuesday, one influential Republican made sure to tell us that this is not like TARP. No one had suggested it was, so clearly the GOP is feeling anxious about having this branded as a massive bailout.”