How Ro Khanna seeks to build on his victory in the Epstein files: from the political office

Welcome to the online version of From the political officea newsletter bringing you the latest reporting and analysis from the NBC News Politics team from the White House, Capitol Hill and the campaign trail.

In today’s edition, Sahil Kapur speaks with the House Democrat who led passage of the Epstein records bill to discuss what’s next. Plus, Andrea Mitchell dives into President Donald Trump’s growing list of foreign policy priorities.

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—Adam Wollner

How Ro Khanna seeks to build on his victory in the Epstein cases

By Sahil Kapur

With a near-unanimous vote in Congress to pass his bill requiring the release of Jeffrey Epstein’s records, Rep. Ro Khanna can claim a victory no other Democratic presidential candidate has achieved: breaking up the MAGA coalition.

Early polls suggest he would be a big underdog if he ran in 2028. But the California Democrat has visited key states and entered early contests to test the waters for a possible White House bid.

The bill from Khanna and Kentucky Republican Rep. Thomas Massie – which was co-sponsored by GOP representatives. Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia, Nancy Mace of South Carolina and Lauren Boebert of Colorado – has now passed the House and Senate and is awaiting President Donald Trump’s signature.

In an interview moments before the House voted on his bill, Khanna told NBC News that his plan contained the building blocks of a national vision.

“Whatever role I play, I hope it helps shape the national future of the Democratic Party and the country,” he said. “We need to build a lasting coalition around a vision of a new economic patriotism that can unite the left and the right. And the elements of that are to denounce an elite ruling class that has created a system that doesn’t work for ordinary Americans. And then to offer a concrete vision of how we are going to prioritize the economic independence and success of these forgotten Americans, as opposed to just this billionaire elite class.”

Khanna’s approach is unique among Democrats. He doesn’t have quite the fiery rhetoric of other White House contenders, like California Gov. Gavin Newsom and Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker, or the national progressive profile of New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.

Simply put, his willingness to associate with MAGA figures who are hated by liberals may not be a selling point to an angry and inflamed Democratic base.

“That’s a criticism I get sometimes,” Khanna joked.

Khanna tends to seek out Republican lawmakers to partner with on populist issues that both left and right can present as a rebuke to an entrenched establishment.

He joined with Rep. Don Bacon, R-Neb., to repeal Trump’s coffee tariffs, and with Reps. Brian Fitzpatrick, R-Pa., and Jodey Arrington, R-Texas, to propose term limits on Congress. He worked with Republicans to advocate for limiting the government’s warrantless surveillance powers under Section 702 of FISA and to prevent U.S. military intervention in Yemen.

Learn more about Sahil →

Trump adds Saudi crown prince’s visit to foreign policy agenda

Analysis by Andrea Mitchell

President Donald Trump appeared energetic and jovial as he hosted Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman at an investors conference at the Kennedy Center that Trump now presides over. Speaking about the benefits of a stronger security and economic relationship with the Saudi kingdom, Trump was also particularly proud of what he called an “incredible spectacle” at Tuesday’s lavish dinner, while promising that the next time the crown prince comes, he will have a much bigger room — the ballroom he is building that can accommodate 900 people, not the 119 guests from last night’s party.

For the Saudis, the crown prince’s first visit in seven years was an inflection point, an opportunity to try to turn the page on the lingering controversy over the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi and consolidate ties with the United States.

His visit resulted in a security deal and promises for advanced F-35 fighter jets and, in the future, civilian nuclear technology, as well as access to AI and computer chips.

The Saudis play a central role in key U.S. diplomatic goals in the Middle East, particularly regarding the future of Gaza. Before Hamas’ attack on Israel on October 7, the crown prince was known to be on the verge of rejoining Trump’s Abraham Accords by recognizing Israel, potentially transforming the region. Since the devastating two-year war, the Saudis have told the United States that normalization with Israel would now require the United States to pressure Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu to accept a path to statehood for the Palestinians.

Trump also said the crown prince would like him to do something about Sudan, which he said “wasn’t one of my priorities,” quoting the Saudi leader as telling him, “Sir, you talk about a lot of wars, but there is a place on Earth called Sudan.” »

Sudan has become one of the most brutal wars in modern history, with hundreds of thousands dead and mass graves in the blood-stained desert sands visible from commercial satellites. For more than two years, American diplomats, alongside Saudi Arabia, Egypt and certain European allies, have tried in vain to negotiate a cease-fire. Millions of refugees have fled to neighboring countries to escape what the United States has called a genocide, overwhelming available aid and threatening to destabilize the region.

As first reported by The New York Times in 2023, several U.S. officials and foreign diplomats confirmed to NBC News that rebel forces had received billions of dollars in weapons from a U.S. ally, the United Arab Emirates. The Saudis, worried about their country becoming a haven for ISIS and other resurgent terrorist groups, support the regime. In recent weeks, rebels have taken control of a key town, El Fashir, threatening the collapse of the central government.

Devoting more energy to ending the horrific bloodshed in Sudan would add to an already ambitious foreign policy menu that includes threats against Venezuela and Nigeria.

Separately, Steve Witkoff, Trump’s special envoy, is now developing a plan to offer Russian President Vladimir Putin significant territorial concessions in exchange for security guarantees to revive dormant negotiations in Ukraine.

That’s all that’s coming from the politburo for now. Today’s newsletter was written by Adam Wollner.

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