Masters of the Universe Eye 2020

Greetings from Los Angeles, where the sun finally broke through this afternoon and your MM host is once again bringing you a special edition newsletter from the annual Milken Institute Global Conference, a gathering of more than 4,000 of some of the splashiest names in politics, finance, entertainment and sports. This year, POLITICO’s Zachary Warmbrodt is also on the scene to bring you the news and the juice.

Ivanka Trump is here for lunch on Monday. Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross speaks Tuesday and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin schmoozed privately at the Beverly Hilton on Sunday and recorded an interview with Fox’s Maria Bartiromo ahead of his trip to Beijing on Monday for the latest round of China-U.S. trade talks (a hot topic here). A-Rod is back again, seemingly unfazed by MM’s tough PED question to him last year. (Great Mnuchin spotted-with photo below).

One topic bubbling around the private parties, dinners and hallway chatter at the Beverly Hilton and around town this year will be what the global elite should do in the 2020 election. Feelings are generally warmer towards President Donald Trump and his administration than in previous years. Big tax cuts, deregulation and 3.2 percent first quarter GDP growth will do that. (More on this below).

But Trump’s trade and immigration policies (not to mention Twitter tirades and attacks on the press) still rankle a proudly globalist class who could see a palatable and familiar alternative in former Vice President Joe Biden.

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