Happy Friday, everyone.

Happy holiday weekend.

I'm Jake Sherman and welcome to your political playbook audio briefing sponsored by the Coalition for Affordable Prescription Drugs.

Send us your favorite holiday vacation photos and we'll print some in playbook this weekend.

The AP Bulletin came into our mailbox shortly after midnight, but Top House Republicans were texting us around 11 telling us the news.

Greg Gianforte, the Montana, who allegedly body slammed a reporter this week, would be elected to Congress.

Gianforte had 51% of the vote when the AP called the race Thursday evening, and he will be a member of Congress and likely soon.

Geneforte offered his mea culpa saying you deserve a congressman who stays out of the limelight and just gets the job done at the New York Times. Jonathan Martin and Alex Burns reported. Our own Elena Schneider quoted him saying when you make a mistake, you have to own up to it. That's the Montana way. Last night I made a mistake and I took an action that I can't take back. I'm not proud of what happened. I should not have responded in the way I did. And for that, I'm sorry. I should not have treated that reporter that way.

And for that, I am sorry, Mr. Ben Jacobs. That statement from Gianforte runs completely contrary to the

statement that his campaign issued on Wednesday evening. Gabe de Benedetti has five takeaways from

the race. Trump was an asset not a drag. All

eyes shift back to Georgia. When do Democrats actually win something? The Republican freakout

has been delayed and press bashing is the new normal. Gabe is talking about a special election

in Georgia between John Ossoff and Karen Handel. That race should tell us a little bit more about

the election environment,

but for the time being, the Democratic resurgence is a bit overhyped.

Gianforte will need to get accustomed to reporters. There are hundreds in the capital,

and we have unfettered access to the building. President Donald Trump is in Sicily today

meeting with world leaders in the sideline of the G7, beginning with Japanese Prime Minister Shinenzhou Abe. Here's a snippet from the pool report from Jerome Cartelier of AFP, quote, Potis said there would be a, quote, particular focus on the North Korea problem. It's a big problem, it's a world problem, he said. It'll be solved at some point. It will be solved. One funny comment from Prime Minister Shenzhou Abe, quote,

there's one unfortunate thing I have to confess, this time around we will not be able to play

golf together. Remember, Abe and Trump played golf together at Mar-a-Lago. Der Spiegel in Germany

has some incredibly interesting intrigue from the NATO summit yesterday. Trump told EU nations,

...