Good Tuesday morning. I'm Anna Palmer and welcome to your Politico Playbook audio briefing sponsored by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. We're kicking off this morning with a stat of the day via the Washington Post. The number of people receiving visas to move permanently to the United States is on pace to drop 12% in President Trump's first two years in office, according to an analysis of State

Department data. There are also a slew of stories on the Supreme Court. Politico is reporting

how Trump's list of conservative potential SCOTUS nominees helped him get elected, but now Democrats

are using that same list against him. The Washington Post has a piece up on how Trump

is interviewing potential Kennedy replacements, and he has spoken to at least four contenders.

While ABC News is reporting that anti-abortion groups are trying to scuttle Brett Kavanaugh's bid.

Here's what's on the president's mind this morning. He tweeted, crazy Maxine Waters, said by some

to be one of the most

corrupt people in politics, is rapidly becoming, together with Nancy Pelosi, the face of the

Democrat Party. Her ranting and raving, even referring to herself as a wounded animal, will make

people flee the Democrats. Leaving aside the invictive, this is Trump trying to elevate Maxine Waters and lump all

Democrats in with her.

It's the same thing the GOP did with Nancy Pelosi, with much success, although that took

millions of dollars and years attacking her.

Waters also doesn't have anywhere close to the name ID Pelosi has.

She's a relatively minor national figure despite her recent celebrity.

On the world stage, the New York Times is reporting that Trump has warned our NATO allies

to spend more on defense.

And the trade wars keep intensifying.

Burgess Everett reports that Trump ally finance committee chairman oran hatch would like to kill

trump's tariffs while ben white and mcine cacella detailed trump's war with corporate america

here's the latest in maryland the post is reporting that the capital gazette alleged shooter

...