Sam Stein is joined by Sen. Chris Coons (D-DE) to discuss the escalating situation in Iran, warning that after 42 days and tens of billions of dollars, the U.S. is no better off and still lacks a clear strategy. Coons raises concerns about congressional authorization, potential backdoor war funding, and the risks of deeper escalation. The conversation also turns to domestic politics, including Pam Bondi and concerns about a more aggressive and loyal next attorney general under Trump. Finally, they discuss Melania Trump’s unusual press conference calling for more Epstein hearings.

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Ned Brower from The Pitt and Karen Tumlin of the Justice Action Center join The Bulwark's hosts Sonny Bunch and Adrian Carrasquillo to discuss the impact of the "ICE episode"—and the Trump policies that it shone a light on. They discuss the reality behind ICE showing up in hospitals, what changed in U.S. policy, and why viewers—and real doctors and nurses—responded so strongly.

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If there’s a blue wave in the 2026 elections, it’ll be either because new people start voting for Democrats, or the current Republican base gets sad and stays home. So we convened a focus group of 2020 and 2024 Trump voters who are unhappy with his administration to give you a sample of the kind of despair that could keep Republicans home in November. Amy Walter, editor-in-chief of the Cook Political Report, returns to the show to break down the midterm landscape.

Pre-order Sarah’s book, How to Eat an Elephant, coming in September!

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The Focus Group with Sarah Longwell is available wherever you get your podcasts and on YouTube. Click to find the show or add this podcast to your player of choice, here.

Tim Miller gives his take on the heated CNBC Squawk Box exchange between Pete Buttigieg and Joe Kernen over Trump’s economy, gas prices, and the war in Iran. Kernen tries to argue with weak MAGA talking points about Biden-era inflation and partisan blame, but Buttigieg pushes back so well that Kernen's co-host literally laughs at him. Tim breaks down why Buttigieg’s approach is resonating and how bad it is for the state of pro-Trump economic defenses.

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JVL and Sarah discuss the failed ceasefire, Melania’s bizarre Epstein pre-denial, and the growing rift between Trump and “America First” heavyweights like Tucker, Megyn, Candace, and Alex Jones. Is this just another performative feud, or the start of something real? And as AI muddies reality itself, what happens when nobody believes anything anymore?

Pre-order Sarah’s book, How to Eat an Elephant, coming in September

The Secret Podcast with JVL and Sarah is exclusively for members of Bulwark+. To watch or listen to future episodes and join the Secret community in the comments become a Bulwark+ member today.

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Every votes counts: Vote here for Best Email Newsletter

No one was really asking about Melania’s ties to Epstein. But after her surprise White House statement to the press on Thursday, the questions are flowing—particularly because a former Brazilian model who moved in both Trump and Epstein circles is posting threats against the First Lady on social media. Tim and Jane break it all down. Plus, Melania does not speak or read English very well, Trump is furious about Tucker & co.’s opposition to the Iran war, Vance’s motives for converting to Catholicism are disgusting and unchristian, and why would Iran permit Saudi-paid Jared to participate in the Islamabad peace talks? Jane Coaston joins Tim Miller for the weekend pod.

Jane Coaston joins Tim Miller for the holiday weekend pod.

show notes

* JVL and Catherine LIVE on the not-so-great economic news

* Tim's deep dive on Oscar Romero was in this episode

* Tix on sale soon for The Bulwark LIVE in San Diego on May 20 and in Los Angeles on May 21

* Follow "Bulwark Takes" for breaking news over the weekend

* Tim's playlist

As always: Watch, listen, hit the like button or leave a comment. We want to hear from you.

Ad-free editions of The Bulwark Podcast are available exclusively for Bulwark+ members.

The Bulwark Podcast with Tim Miller is available wherever you get podcasts and on YouTube. New shows drop each weekday afternoon. If you like the show, leave a comment and ⭐⭐⭐⭐ wherever you listen. Add The Bulwark Podcast to your player of choice, here.

Catherine Rampell and JVL talk about the the week's financial and economic news.

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Solomon discussed the idea for the film, which began with a single sentence from Steven Soderbergh, and blossomed from a twisty noir into something more emotionally resonant. We also discussed their previous collaboration, No Sudden Move, and why he wishes more people had had a chance to see it; the difference between more conceptual art and actual paintings; and the joy of working with McKellen and Cole in shaping the voice of the characters on the screen in The Christophers.

It was a wide-ranging chat, is what I’m saying, and we didn’t even get a chance to discuss Men in Black or the Bill & Ted series of films, which he co-wrote. Maybe next time! If you enjoyed this episode, please share it with a friend!

Sam Stein and Will Sommer dive into the latest MAGA meltdown: a rumored DOJ probe into conservative influencers allegedly taking foreign money. From imagined arrests to twisted punishments, MAGA figures from Benny Johnson and Catturd to Laura Loomer are eating their own, accusing each other while ignoring the real ideological splits.

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Andrew Egger and Will Sommer break down Melania Trump’s bizarre and unexpected White House statement on Jeffrey Epstein. After speaking and not answering any questions, Melania forcefully denied any involvement with Epstein, while also calling past email exchanges with Ghislaine Maxwell as “casual” and “trivial.” We dig into the timing, the messaging, and what could be driving this sudden need to get ahead of the Epstein story inside Trump world.

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Putin puppet Viktor Orbán—whose nepotistic and corrupt government in Hungary has become the model for the far-right in America and Europe—is facing his first serious election challenge in 16 years. It turns out that voters get mad when a president steals from the public and tanks the economy. Vance tried to bolster Orbán with Kremlin-esque fake propaganda, but the energy may be with the grassroots campaign of Peter Magyar. Plus, Vance's arrogance and ignorance about Ukraine, Trump is still coming up short on his Iran war goals, the administration made some weird threats against Pope Leo, and Kari Lake is still a loser.

Anne Applebaum joins Tim Miller.

show notes

* Anne's piece on Hungary, "The First Post-Reality Political Campaign"

* Thursday's "Morning Shots"

* Giselle Donnelly's Bulwark piece on how Trump's war is impacting global navigation

* Anne's book, "Twilight of Democracy"

* Anne's "Autocracy, Inc." in paperback

* Anne's book recommendation, "Furious Minds: The Making of the Maga New Right"

* Letters from Leo on Substack

As always: Watch, listen, hit the like button or leave a comment. We want to hear from you.

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The Bulwark Podcast with Tim Miller is available wherever you get podcasts and on YouTube. New shows drop each weekday afternoon. If you like the show, leave a comment and ⭐⭐⭐⭐ wherever you listen. Add The Bulwark Podcast to your player of choice, here.

JVL talks with Ed Condon of The Pillar about the escalating clash between the Vatican and the Trump administration after Pope Leo’s comments on the Iran war. They unpack the shocking report that a Vatican ambassador was confronted by the Pentagon, JD Vance’s awkward response, and why the American pope likely won’t be visiting the U.S. anytime soon.Read more from JVL: https://www.thebulwark.com/p/the-department-of-war-vs-the-popeRead more from Ed Condon: https://www.pillarcatholic.com/p/when-will-leo-come-home

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Tim Miller joins Nicolle Wallace on MS Now to give his take on the wave of Democratic momentum. From a massive Wisconsin Supreme Court victory to a surprising swing in Georgia, Democrats are seeing major gains even in places Republicans thought were safe. Tim explains why one number matters more than anything right now. A fourteen point shift. If that trend holds, states like Texas, Florida, Iowa, and Alaska could all be in play in the midterms. He also shares what he is hearing from Democratic organizers across the country and why there is still a disconnect between voters who want to help and campaigns that need volunteers.Watch Deadline: White House on MS NOW: https://www.ms.now/deadline-white-house

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Andrew Egger talks with shipping expert Sal Mercogliano about his initial reaction to the ceasefire with Iran and what it really means for global shipping with the Strait of Hormuz. Despite claims that the strait is open, most vessels remain stuck or are forced to navigate Iran’s “toll booth,” creating uncertainty for trade and commerce. Sal explains how Iran’s control could permanently reduce shipping capacity and generate massive revenue for Iran, with ripple effects that may take up to 40 weeks to fully recover. We also cover the humanitarian situation for mariners, the economic stakes for oil and global trade, and what the US and other countries are doing or not doing to respond.Watch more of Sal’s videos here: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCT_yBgKSiwb3WP4ACPnF5nA

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Tom Nichols join Lt. Gen. Mark Hertling (Ret.) and Ben Parker to discuss the bleak reality of Trump’s Iran war—where early strikes gave way to confusion, a shaky “ceasefire,” and no clear endgame. They explain how tactical hits didn’t translate into strategic success, why the U.S. may be in a worse position now, and what this reveals about decision-making, military leadership, and the absence of a real plan.

JVL and Andrew Egger went live reacting to Karoline Leavitt's totally divorced from reality press conference as Iran closes the Strait of Hormuz.

Trump showed that he is completely unequipped to be a war leader. He threatened crimes against humanity, and not only let a foe prove it could take our punches, but also inflict economic pain on the global economy as well. Indeed, with the closing of the Strait of Hormuz, Iran looks to have emerged from the war with a stronger hand. We also don't know how much Trump's financial ties to Gulf countries are influencing his wild and erratic handling of the war. And if this military operation was just about Israel's national security, then that should have been explained to the American people from the start. Plus, the threat an Orbán loss would pose to MAGA, the key redistricting election in Virginia, and how Dems would prioritize oversight if they win back the House.

David French and Rep. Suhas Subramanyam join Tim Miller.

show notes

* TNL live last night after Trump folded

* Wednesday's "Morning Shots"

* Tim's debate over the war with Rep. Josh Gottheimer

* Tix on sale soon for The Bulwark LIVE in San Diego on May 20 and in Los Angeles on May 21

As always: Watch, listen, hit the like button or leave a comment. We want to hear from you.

Ad-free editions of The Bulwark Podcast are available exclusively for Bulwark+ members.

The Bulwark Podcast with Tim Miller is available wherever you get podcasts and on YouTube. New shows drop each weekday afternoon. If you like the show, leave a comment and ⭐⭐⭐⭐ wherever you listen. Add The Bulwark Podcast to your player of choice, here.

Sarah Longwell and Andrew Weissmann explain the legality of Trump’s unhinged Iran threats, the legal reality behind “war crimes” warnings, and the global fallout of a strategy with no clear objective. They also discuss Trump’s push to control elections, why it’s likely unconstitutional—and why losing in court may actually be part of the plan. Plus, the Steve Bannon case and what it says about a system where accountability depends on loyalty to the president.

Buy Liar’s Kingdom

Pre-order Sarah’s book, How to Eat an Elephant, coming in September!

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Sarah, Tim and JVL go live to cover Trump's Iran ultimatum and other news.

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This ad-free video version of The Next Level is exclusively for Bulwark+ members. Click the learn about setting up this show, ad-free, on your podcast player of choice. Or watch in the new Bulwark App—available now in the Apple and Google App sto…

Rep. Josh Gottheimer joins Tim Miller for a heated debate over the war with Iran—where even pro-war lawmakers admit they still don’t know the plan. They clash over whether weakening Iran justifies the risks, rising costs at home, and the lack of clear objectives, while digging into Trump’s leadership, Israel’s role, and the looming War Powers showdown in Congress.

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AI poses real existential threats. The global economy is dependent on it, it's being deployed in war zones and used for domestic surveillance, and it's increasingly integrated into our medical and financial sectors. But the guy sitting atop the world's biggest AI company, Sam Altman, is regarded by some colleagues as a liar, driven by a quest for power, and someone with sociopathic tendencies. When Biden was in the White House, Altman was worried about the limited regulation of AI; under Trump, he's loving that the shackles have come off. Plus, Tim on how the Dems need to get the politics of the Iran war right: Welcome converts into the fold, and prioritize American interests.

Ronan Farrow and Andrew Marantz join Tim Miller to discuss their New Yorker piece on OpenAI’s Sam Altman.

show notes

* TNL is LIVE tonight at 7:45 ET on Substack and YouTube

* Ronan's and Andrew's story in The New Yorker

* Tim's interview with Karen Hao on the unchecked rise of Altman

As always: Watch, listen, hit the like button or leave a comment. We want to hear from you.

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The Bulwark Podcast with Tim Miller is available wherever you get podcasts and on YouTube. New shows drop each weekday afternoon. If you like the show, leave a comment and ⭐⭐⭐⭐ wherever you listen. Add The Bulwark Podcast to your player of choice, here.

Andrew Egger and Bill Kristol are going live to cover the morning's big news items.

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In threatening to bomb Iran to smithereens, Trump seems to be motivated by a combination of frustration, vengeance, and wanting to look like a tough guy. But he also has a God complex. Destroying the country’s bridges and its entire energy infrastructure has nothing to do with nukes—and everything to do with war crimes. Plus, the soldiers and airmen who carried out the daring rescue mission over the weekend hail from the “woke and weak” era of the U.S. military, Trump should be impeached, his family has ties with military contracts involved in the war effort, and there are rumors of at least one SCOTUS retirement this year.

Bill Kristol joins Tim Miller.

show notes

* Monday's "Morning Shots"

* Lauren on the Democrats feeling electoral hopium

* The UK's Andrew Neil on the power of the Strait of Hormuz v the Bomb

As always: Watch, listen, hit the like button or leave a comment. We want to hear from you.

Ad-free editions of The Bulwark Podcast are available exclusively for Bulwark+ members.

The Bulwark Podcast with Tim Miller is available wherever you get podcasts and on YouTube. New shows drop each weekday afternoon. If you like the show, leave a comment and ⭐⭐⭐⭐ wherever you listen. Add The Bulwark Podcast to your player of choice, here.

The gang reacts to President Trump’s April 6 press conference.

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Sam Stein and Will Sommer were live discussing the significant MAGA pushback against Trump’s Easter post about bombing Iran’s civilian infrastructure, the Jonathan Majors filming incident with The Daily Wire, and more.

David Frum analyzes the roots of both left and right-wing anti-Semitism and what it means for a liberal democracy.

The Mona Charen Show is a weekly, one-on-one discussion that goes in depth on political and cultural topics. New shows drop Mondays. Find this show wherever you get your podcasts and on YouTube. Add the show to your player of choice, here.

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Eric welcomes retired U.S. Army Special Forces officer, and Penn Washington’s Chief of Staff and Director of Communications, Mike Nelson to the show. They discuss the President’s White House speech to sell the Iran war to the American people, and its failure to address a number of important questions. They discuss Mike’s recent Dispatch article on the risks and benefits of different proposed courses of action for U.S. military forces on the ground in Iran, including the difficulties surrounding any mission to extricate the regime’s remaining Highly Enriched Uranium, the potential risks to forces of seizing Kharg Island, the prospect for seizing the smaller islands like Abu Musa, the Tunbs, or Larak, and whether or not the juice would be worth the squeeze in providing an off-ramp to end the war. Finally, they address both the legality and advisability of attacks on Iranian infrastructure and how the Iranians might react to such a campaign.

What a Ground Operation Might Look Like in Iran

Shield of the Republic is a Bulwark podcast co-sponsored by the Miller Center of Public Affairs at the University of Virginia.

Tim Miller takes on Donald Trump’s Easter morning threats to bomb Iran’s bridges, power grid, and energy infrastructure if a deal isn’t reached.

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Just Security's Tom Joscelyn joins Bill Kristol to discuss how Trump and his allies are reshaping the DOJ/FBI, DHS/ICE, and the Pentagon — with major implications for civil liberties, political dissent, and the 2026 elections. Correction: Bill incorrectly stated that President Trump will make a speech today. Trump said he will hold a news conference on Monday, April 6, at 1 p.m. ET.

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Trump’s foreign policy is colliding with reality—from Iran to Venezuela to a collapsing Cuba. John Avlon speaks with with former NSC official Juan Gonzalez to break down the unintended consequences: rising oil prices, shaky regime changes, and a growing risk of chaos just 90 miles from Florida. Is there any real strategy here—or are we making things worse?

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How to Fix It with John Avlon is available wherever you get your podcasts and on YouTube. New episodes drop each weekend so if you like what you hear, add the show to your player of choice. To help more people discover this show, leave a comment and rate the show ⭐⭐⭐⭐ wherever you listen.

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Tim Miller and Sarah Longwell give their takes on the Trump White House calling an early “lid” during an escalating war with Iran. As Trump claims the U.S. military is “unstoppable," American fighter jets were shot down and a service member is missing. Sarah also explains that swing voters are turning against Trump, feeling misled as the war drags on and prices rise. They also discuss Trump’s repeated “48-hour” threats, rising oil costs, and the growing gap between his rhetoric and reality.

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The Iran War has been going on for a month, and it’s deeply, DEEPLY unpopular. Plus, we get reactions from swing voters on the characters inside the Trump administration who they like (like Marco Rubio), or REALLY dislike (listen to find out). Atlantic staff writer Ashley Parker returns to the show.

By Ashley Parker:

The Wrath of Stephen Miller

Pre-order Sarah’s book, How to Eat an Elephant, coming in September!

Watch, listen, and leave a comment. Hit that like 🤍 button and share this episode with a friend.

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Tim Miller and Sarah Longwell give their takes over one of the biggest questions facing Democrats right now: what to do about Hasan Piker? Should the party engage with voices on the far left to reach angry, anti-war voters or draw a hard line against rhetoric they see as toxic and illiberal? The two debate whether Democrats are picking the wrong fight at the wrong time, how to talk to audiences outside the traditional coalition, and whether engaging controversial figures risks amplifying them.Read more from Lauren’s piece: https://www.thebulwark.com/p/how-big-is-the-democrats-big-tent-hasan-piker-litmus-test

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The pro-Iran war hawks keep crowing about how U.S. military prowess is supposedly striking fear in Beijing and Moscow. But what’s really happening is that Trump is doing exactly what China and Russia hoped he’d do. Beijing has wanted the U.S. out of the Western Pacific and Putin, of course, wants NATO wrecked. Our major allies are scrambling to form new economic and military relationships, and America is likely to be very lonely in the world with only a few stooges to count as friends. This is what ending our role as a global superpower would look like. Plus, the U.S. is unable to win the war at a cost that is acceptable to Americans, Trump is taking a cue from Putin by bombing civilian infrastructure, and blaming NATO for not being willing to fight for the Strait of Hormuz is absurd when the world’s most powerful navy doesn't seem to want to do it either.

Bob Kagan joins Tim Miller for the holiday weekend pod.

show notes

* Bob's recent piece in The Atlantic

* Tim's bimbofied livestream

* "Foreign Policy" piece on South Korea that Bob referenced

* Follow "Bulwark Takes" for breaking news over the weekend

* Tim's playlist

As always: Watch, listen, hit the like button or leave a comment. We want to hear from you.

Ad-free editions of The Bulwark Podcast are available exclusively for Bulwark+ members.

The Bulwark Podcast with Tim Miller is available wherever you get podcasts and on YouTube. New shows drop each weekday afternoon. If you like the show, leave a comment and ⭐⭐⭐⭐ wherever you listen. Add The Bulwark Podcast to your player of choice, here.

JVL and Sarah discuss Trump’s rambling, unfocused address that failed to clarify any of the war’s goals, even as evidence mounts that the situation is getting worse. They also talk about the Bondi firing, why it may have been timed to shift attention, and what it says about how this White House handles bad news.Plus: rising oil prices, market jitters, and new warning signs from voters who are starting to turn against Trump.

Pre-order Sarah’s book, How to Eat an Elephant, coming in September

The Secret Podcast with JVL and Sarah is exclusively for members of Bulwark+. To watch or listen to future episodes and join the Secret community in the comments become a Bulwark+ member today.

JVL’s newsletter, The Triad, has been nominated for a Webby Award in the Best Email Newsletter: Business, News & Technology category. Even if you don’t read it regularly—like some best friends—you can vote to give our very own JVL the W.

Every votes counts: Vote here for Best Email Newsletter

Catherine and Sam cover economic news, including Trump's new budget proposal and the March jobs numbers.

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We discussed all sorts of stuff here, from the movie magician who made Lt. Dan’s legs disappear, to his work as second unit director, to the early days of using digital trickery to fake the words and faces of famous people, to the worst note he’s ever gotten after an audience test, to the difficulties facing California’s film industry in the face of global tax rebates and production credits.

On the Set of Forrest Gump is laid out like a coffee table book and is beautifully illustrated with 250 or so full-color stills from set. So it’s nice to look at. But the story he tells is a fascinating glimpse into the push and pull of art and business, the struggle between the producer on the ground trying to make sure his director has the resources he needs and the studio bankrolling the whole thing and worried about losing tens of millions of dollars on a movie that isn’t a guaranteed hit.

Anyway, I hope you check it out. And if you enjoyed this episode, I hope you share it with a friend!

Andrew Egger and Catherine Rampell look back at the first anniversary of Trump’s “Liberation Day,” the administration’s infamous tariff rollout. From tariffing penguins to gold bars from Switzerland, "Liberation Day" has proven to be a bust. The Supreme Court ruled them illegal and companies are still waiting for refunds, while the White House fiddles with new versions of the same failed policies.

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Tim Miller takes on a Trump world that’s starting to crack. Even voices from the Theo Von / Joe Rogan universe are turning on Donald Trump—and in some cases making more sense than the people in charge.

Tim also digs into the fight over figures like Hasan Piker—arguing that Democrats are blowing a major chance to build a broader anti-Trump coalition.

Trump delivered a highly anticipated address on Iran, but instead of clarity, viewers got a confusing, low-energy speech that raised more questions than it answered. JVL and Andrew Egger give their takes on why the speech felt so off, from Trump abandoning his usual rambling to awkwardly sticking to a teleprompter and recycling his own Truth Social posts. They dig into the lack of a clear strategy, the strange war messaging, how the markets reacted so poorly in real time, and why even casual viewers were left asking: what was the point of this? If this speech was supposed to reassure Americans, it may have done the opposite.Read more from JVL's Triad: https://www.thebulwark.com/p/america-lost-iran-won-trump-shat

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Trump fired Pam Bondi, maybe the most destructive AG in the history of the United States, because she wasn't able to magically and lawlessly jail his political enemies. On Wednesday night, he told Americans that gas prices would naturally go down when he was finished with his war—much like the way he told the country in March 2020 that COVID would just go away. In reality, China may end up in control of the Strait of Hormuz and with freight passage paid with the Chinese Yuan. America and the world are paying for the incompetent (and petrified) advisers Trump has surrounded himself with. Plus, POTUS threatened war crimes on national television, the Iranian diaspora bet on the wrong horse, and who will be the next Barbie to get the ax?

Susan Glasser joins join Tim Miller.

show notes

* Tim's livestream at 8pm ET on YouTube and Substack

* The Bulwark LIVE after Trump's Iran address

* Susan's column on Trump's Wednesday address

* Susan on Trump breaking up with NATO

* The New Yorker on the ex-CIA officer who stopped Iran from getting the bomb

As always: Watch, listen, hit the like button or leave a comment. We want to hear from you.

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The Bulwark Podcast with Tim Miller is available wherever you get podcasts and on YouTube. New shows drop each weekday afternoon. If you like the show, leave a comment and ⭐⭐⭐⭐ wherever you listen. Add The Bulwark Podcast to your player of choice, here.

Sam Stein, Sarah Longwell, JVL and Will Sommer reacted live to the breaking news that Trump fired Attorney General Pam Bondi.

Sam Stein, JVL, Tim Miller and Mark Hertling react to President Trump's April 1st address on the war in Iran.

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Will Saletan takes on Pete Hegseth’s conduct during a wartime briefing campaign that keeps veering off course. Instead of focusing on strategy or coalition-building, he’s taking shots at past presidents, the press, and even U.S. allies.

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The war-induced global oil shock is already pushing consumers and businesses to new pain points because of higher fuel prices. Airlines are cutting back routes and ticket prices have started to spike. Expect road trips to be canceled, lifestyles to change, and more people to work from home. Trump is trying to deflect blame onto Iran and NATO, but the world will focus its rage on him and his war of choice. Plus, stagflation may be in the offing, tariffs made people poorer, both Kristi and her husband have unnatural ideas about what the body can do, and Scranton Mayor Paige Cognetti is taking on one of the most corrupt inside-traders in Congress.

Paige Cognetti and Josh Barro join Tim Miller.

show notes

* The Bulwark LIVE tonight after Trump’s address at 9 ET: YouTube or Substack

* Tim's livestream Thursday at 8 ET

* Josh's Substack

* Cognetti's campaign website

* Josh's "Serious Trouble" pod

* "Central Air" podcast

* Scranton's "The Office" 5K on May 2

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The Bulwark Podcast with Tim Miller is available wherever you get podcasts and on YouTube. New shows drop each weekday afternoon. If you like the show, leave a comment and ⭐⭐⭐⭐ wherever you listen. Add The Bulwark Podcast to your player of choice, here.

Sam Stein, JVL, and Andrew Egger give their takes on the newly unveiled “Donald J. Trump Presidential Library” that Trump now himself admits will “most likely” be a hotel. The crew digs into the absurd renderings, including the giant gold statue, an oversized ballroom, and even the Qatari plane overhauled to become Air Force One in the lobby. They also break down how valuable land originally owned by Miami Dade College was transferred to the state and then handed over for the Trump “library.”

Read more from JVL on the latest Trump family grift: https://www.thebulwark.com/p/the-great-trump-library-robbery

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Command Post Live! Mark Hertling and Ben Parker are going live to discuss Trump’s speech tonight, the prospect of ground troops in Iran, and Trump’s slow-motion destruction of NATO.

Sarah Longwell and Elliot Williams explain a series of legal fights that go to the core of how the country operates—from whether birthright citizenship could actually be undone, to a new immigration detention policy that could keep people locked up for years.They also discuss the Pentagon’s escalating clash with the press and what it means for the First Amendment and the surreal push to rewrite the January 6th attack on the Capitol.Correction (March 31, 2026, 9:20 p.m. EDT): Elliot Williams mistakenly mentioned San Antonio, Texas as the location of a court conducting legal proceedings involving abortion pills; in fact, the court is in Amarillo, Texas.

Buy Five Bullets: The Story of Bernie Goetz, New York’s Explosive ‘80s, and the Subway Vigilante Trial That Divided the Nation

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The Illegal News with Sarah Longwell is available wherever you get your podcasts and on YouTube. Leave us a review and ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ so more people can find this important show from The Bulwark.

Sam Stein and Will Saletan take on a judge’s decision to halt Donald Trump’s plan to build a massive White House ballroom, Trump’s fixation on the project, how often he brings it up in public, and the bizarre moments where it overtakes everything else—even during major national and global events.

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Sarah Longwell, Tim Miller, and JVL get into the wild new scandal involving Kristi Noem’s husband—and why the story isn’t what people think it is.They also discuss Trump’s chaotic handling of the Iran conflict, the political fallout at home, and whether his support is starting to crack. Plus: Lindsey Graham’s surreal Disney detour, protests across the country, CPAC’s decline, and JD Vance’s latest reinvention.

show notes

JVL’s newsletter, The Triad, has been nominated for a Webby Award in the Best Email Newsletter: Business, News & Technology category. Even if you don’t read it regularly—like some best friends—you can vote to give our very own JVL the W.

Every votes counts: Vote here for Best Email Newsletter

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Trump has served up so many rationales for why he had to do this war, but helping Iran project even more power in the region was surely not one of the reasons. And yet, here we are. Iran is in control of a good chunk of the global energy supply, and other countries are going to have to beg to get through the Strait of Hormuz. This is the moment for Democrats to show what a real opposition is—especially when warmonger Lindsey Graham runs off to play at Disney World. Plus, Trump's coalition is mid-crackup, Hegseth's self-pity and insecurity is pathetic, and of course, Tim and Jon react to the news of Kristi Noem's bimbofied husband.

Jon Lovett joins Tim Miller.

show notes

* Jon's "Lovett or Leave It" pod

* The book Tim and Jon discussed, "People of the Lie"

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The Bulwark Podcast with Tim Miller is available wherever you get podcasts and on YouTube. New shows drop each weekday afternoon. If you like the show, leave a comment and ⭐⭐⭐⭐ wherever you listen. Add The Bulwark Podcast to your player of choice, here.

Andrew and Bill discuss the morning's news.

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Tim Miller breaks down the surreal viral moment of Lindsey Graham at Disney World—and why it’s more than just a weird photo. He also joined Nicolle Wallace to talk about the government shutdown and rising global tensions, and argues it reflects something deeper about accountability and leadership.

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Sam Stein talks with former top intelligence official Sue Gordon to break down the fast-moving Iran crisis—and why the U.S. may not have the intelligence it needs for what comes next. Drawing on decades at the CIA, Gordon explains the growing intel gaps, the risks of escalation, and why bombing Iran is the easy part compared to what follows. As tensions rise and off-ramps shrink, the big question remains: is the U.S. prepared for the consequences of a conflict it may not fully understand?

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JVL and Sarah Longwell give their takes on the shocking new UMass poll showing Donald Trump at just 33% approval, only one point away from the “Bush line.” As the Iran war drags on, gas prices rise, and inflation worsens, they dig into what’s really driving Trump’s downfall and whether it signals real movement with voters. Plus, they react to Brendan Carr openly celebrating media firings as a political “win” for Trump and what it says about power, influence, and the future of the press.

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Thousands of soldiers and Marines have arrived in the Middle East to potentially engage in combat on Iranian soil. Trump has done nothing to make the case for an invasion of Iran, even though he’s got plenty of time to wax rhapsodic about the patios and Corinthian columns on his ballroom project. The Republican congress may have abdicated its Constitutional obligations, but that doesn’t mean Democrats can’t raise hell: Cut your vacation short, demand a vote on the deployment of troops, and go on Fox and denounce Republicans for allowing one man to call the shots on this war—and also make a mess of our economy. Plus, the united opposition in the "No Kings" protests, the wisdom of Lincoln, and life lessons for poor Duke fans.

Bill Kristol joins Tim Miller.

show notes

* Monday's "Morning Shots"

* Lincoln's letter about the Mexican-American war

* "Bulwark Takes" pod for breaking and developing news

* Tim's interview with Al Gore

* ProPublica on the nursing home owner with a Trump pardon

* The Atlantic on how the AI boom wasn't built for this kind of crisis

* Tim's closing song

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The Bulwark Podcast with Tim Miller is available wherever you get podcasts and on YouTube. New shows drop each weekday afternoon. If you like the show, leave a comment and ⭐⭐⭐⭐ wherever you listen. Add The Bulwark Podcast to your player of choice, here.

Jonathan Cohn analyzes the first godawful year of MAHA, but are things changing for the better? Or slightly better?

The Mona Charen Show is a weekly, one-on-one discussion that goes in depth on political and cultural topics. New shows drop Mondays. Find this show wherever you get your podcasts and on YouTube. Add the show to your player of choice, here.

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Will Sommer and Andrew Egger are going live to cover a strange weekend at CPAC, where sparse crowds, defensive spin, and open infighting raised questions about where the MAGA movement stands right now. Plus: Clavicular went to jail...again!

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Eric welcomes Michael O’Hanlon, the Philip Knight chair in defense and strategy at the Brookings Institution, and author of To Dare Mighty Things, and a recent op-ed in the Financial Times on the Trump administration’s $200 billion supplemental budget request to fund the Iran War. They discuss whether there is a unique American “way of war” or “way of strategy,” and the accomplishments of U.S. grand and defense strategies in the post-World War II era and whether Trump is undoing those achievements. They also examine why limited force operations are sometimes hard to avoid, and the role of American pragmatism and innovation in allowing the U.S. to successfully adapt under fire on the battlefield. They close with a conversation about Congress’s role in setting defense strategy and the role it could play in setting limits to “boots on the ground” in Iran and investing in the defense industrial base to increase its productive capacity to replenish the enormous stocks of precision munitions and missiles that have been expended in the war.

Congress must not give Trump a blank cheque for the Iran war (Gift Link):

https://giftarticle.ft.com/giftarticle/actions/redeem/ce6a9f97-9f47-414b-856b-ab82972c6c20

To Dare Mighty Things: U.S. Defense Strategy Since the Revolution:

https://www.amazon.com/Dare-Mighty-Things-Strategy-Revolution/dp/0300279930

Shield of the Republic is a Bulwark podcast co-sponsored by the Miller Center of Public Affairs at the University of Virginia.

Shield of the Republic is a Bulwark podcast co-sponsored by the Miller Center of Public Affairs at the University of Virginia.

Will Saletan takes on a series of moments showing how Donald Trump is pushing past basic limits of presidential power—from putting his face on coins and signature on currency to calling judges “criminals” and claiming he doesn’t need Congress for war or NATO decisions. As millions joined “No Kings” protests, the pattern becomes hard to ignore: a president who treats the rules as optional, surrounds himself with loyalists, and increasingly acts like the law doesn’t apply to him.

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Tim Miller gives his take on Donald Trump’s latest Truth Social spiral and why he's boosting pro-war voices like Mark Levin, who’s floating plans that sound more like a uranium heist than a real strategy. Tim breaks down how Trump’s feed has become a window into his decision-making, why the signs point toward escalation and possible troops on the ground, and how the war is already causing global disruptions. He also reacts to the surreal Palm Sunday moment with Trump sharing a letter from Franklin Graham about Trump getting into heaven.

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The Bulwark's own Jim Swift joins Bill Kristol to talk about No Kings.

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Sonny Bunch and Adrian Carrasquillo take on The Pitt’s ICE episode—how a single raid transforms the ER, triggers fear across patients and staff, and mirrors real-world reporting on immigration enforcement. They discuss the show’s attempt at “balance,” the ripple effects of fear, and why dramatized storytelling can land harder than traditional coverage.They also explore the reaction online, the pressure on Hollywood to soften political edges, and why The Pitt is connecting right now as a rare show that forces viewers to see these issues up close.Read more here: Why the ICE Raid in ‘The Pitt’ Matters: https://www.thebulwark.com/p/why-the-ice-raid-in-the-pitt-matters-hbo

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JVL (filling in for Sarah Longwell) joins Andrew Weissmann for a wide-ranging breakdown of a system under strain. They discuss the DOJ’s $1.25M payout to Michael Flynn, a surprising leak tied to the Trump investigations, and the backlash that followed—including a top official calling prosecutor Jack Smith a “proven liar.”

Buy “Liar’s Kingdom”

* Chatham Bookstore signed copies: https://bit.ly/4aXHu4R

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* Pre-order Sarah’s book, How to Eat an Elephant, coming in September!

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The Illegal News with Sarah Longwell is available wherever you get your podcasts and on YouTube. Leave us a review and ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ so more people can find this important show from The Bulwark.

Join JVL, Catherine Rampell, Andrew Egger, and many, many others from The Bulwark for live "No Kings" rally coverage.

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Sam Stein takes on a series of bizarre Trump appearances, ranging from crude jokes and made-up stories to comments that may have revealed something far more serious. The pattern raises a bigger question: when the president speaks, how much of it is real?

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Artificial intelligence is such a big change to human civilization that our political class is struggling to keep up. The voters in our focus groups are struggling, too. The Washington Post's Megan McArdle joins the show to discuss how everyday Americans are using (and misusing!) AI, its impact on the political process and information environment, and how public policy can adapt to this brave new world.Megan McArdle's Washington Post Podcast, Reasonably Optimistic

Pre-order Sarah’s book, How to Eat an Elephant, coming in September!

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Tim Miller was on MS NOW's Deadline: White House to explain why Trump’s Iran decision may be doing lasting damage to his own coalition. From GOP infighting to failed election interference efforts and another Democratic win in Washington, MAJOR cracks are starting to show.

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Sam Stein and Tim Miller give their takes on the latest fiasco for FBI Director Kash Patel after Iran-linked hackers breached his email and released a trove of personal messages and photos. From embarrassing photos during a trip to Cuba to serious counterintelligence concerns, it’s another brutal moment for a guy already struggling to prove he’s up for the job.

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In addition to the global energy shock brought on by Trump's war, mortgage rates are surging, and labor costs and prices are rising. And Republicans don't seem to have a plan except to spend more, blame trans kids, and feed Trump's megalomania by allowing him to put his ugly signature on our currency. Plus, JD thinks Americans are stupid, the gap between Bibi's and Trump's objectives vis-à-vis Iran continues to widen, and where is Marco Rubio?

Michael Steele joins Tim Miller for the weekend pod.

show notes

* "The Weeknight" on MS Now

* JVL's and Catherine's live show Friday on the state of the economy

* Find your local "No Kings" protest

* Tim's playlist

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JVL and Bill Kristol—filling in for Sarah—discuss escalating Iran conflict, the risky push toward a wider war, and why the real damage may outlast the fighting. They also get into the global fallout—from threats to the petrodollar system to the collapse of U.S. alliances—and what a rushed exit might look like.

Pre-order Sarah’s book, How to Eat an Elephant, coming in September

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Tim Miller, Sam Stein, and Will Sommer give their takes on Kash Patel’s girlfriend, a country music “sensation,” over her bizarre Twitter rant about Michael Flynn, Candace Owens fights with MAGA media darling Nick Shirley, and comedian Druski mocks Erika Kirk in viral video.

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Sam Stein and Andrew Egger watched an hour-and-a-half long Trump cabinet meeting and it was a mess. From ranting about $1,000 pens and fake gold columns to personal attacks on Gavin Newsom’s dyslexia and Jerome Powell, Trump spent more time complaining about the Kennedy Center than he did on foreign policy. We break down the top five most unhinged things that happened during Thursday's meeting.

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For nearly 50 years, since the Ayatollah seized power in Iran and took Americans hostage, the U.S. has known that the regime could single-handedly shut down the Strait of Hormuz. Trump was reportedly warned of this threat, but the failed casino owner blew it off. And now Iran unilaterally controls 20% of the world’s oil supply and an even higher percentage of the fertilizer inventory. But the former vice president tells Tim that Trump’s judgment has been even worse on climate change. On the 20th anniversary of “An Inconvenient Truth,” Gore discusses how the rest of the global economy has ‘miraculously’ responded to the climate threat. He also gives high marks to Mamdani, explains Trump’s use of fear, shares details about his relationship with Clinton—and how his actions after the 2000 election inspired Mike Pence on Jan. 6.

Former Vice President Al Gore joins Tim Miller.show notes

* Gore’s climate change training in Nashville in May

* More on Gore’s “Climate Reality Project”

* Tim’s ‘Bulwark Take’ with Ezra Levin on Saturday’s “No Kings” protests

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The Bulwark Podcast with Tim Miller is available wherever you get podcasts and on YouTube. New shows drop each weekday afternoon. If you like the show, leave a comment and ⭐⭐⭐⭐ wherever you listen. Add The Bulwark Podcast to your player of choice, here.

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Tim Miller was on with Katy Tur to take on a surprising shift in Florida politics after Democrats flip a seat in Trump’s own backyard. Is this a one-off—or the start of something bigger? Plus: the corruption questions that still aren’t being investigated—and what it all could mean for 2026.

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JVL and Andrew Egger take on a surreal White House briefing where everything is supposedly “going great”—even as TSA chaos, rising gas prices, and a widening Iran conflict tell a very different story. Plus: how JD Vance is getting boxed into a political no-win situation.

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Katie Couric joins Tim Miller and JVL to dig into some of the biggest stories so far this week on a special edition of Bulwark Takes happening live on Wednesday at 6:30 PM ET. With Iran rejecting a cease-fire proposal, what will President Trump do next? And why is Iran requesting that Vice President JD Vance come to the negotiating table? Plus, reactions to new reporting from NBC that for the last few weeks, Trump has been shown by his team highlight reels of destruction in Iran. Plus, a look at whether there will be a breakthrough on Department of Homeland Security funding to finally end the growing chaos and delays at U.S. airports, a report from Status that CBS News is seeing its latest ratings of any first quarter this century and Katie has a very important reminder she hopes you and your loved ones to take seriously.

Trump's shamelessness has been his political superpower, but the regime in Tehran is seeing a desperate and panicked man doing the opposite of what he's said about Iran for the past decade. But his supporters at home are not likely to see the dangerous moment we are in unless or until they feel real economic pain personally. Plus, Markwayne Mullin is another shorty tough guy, the Dems don't understand our reality show politics, and how an alternate universe might look if Kamala were president and we weren't in a war.

Phil Gordon and Angie "Pumps" Sullivan join Tim Miller.

show notes

* The "I've Had It" podcast

* "IHIP News" podcast

* Phil's book, "Losing the Long Game: The False Promise of Regime Change in the Middle East"

* Markwayne's booster box

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The Bulwark Podcast with Tim Miller is available wherever you get podcasts and on YouTube. New shows drop each weekday afternoon. If you like the show, leave a comment and ⭐⭐⭐⭐ wherever you listen. Add The Bulwark Podcast to your player of choice, here.

Daniel Biss joined Lauren Egan to discuss his win in a crowded Democratic primary for Illinois' 9th Congressional District. AIPAC spent more than $7 million trying to stop him. Biss, whose mother is Israeli and whose grandparents are Holocaust survivors, opens up about what it felt like to be personally targeted and why he believes those attacks backfired. He also breaks down the strategy behind his campaign, taking on outside money head-on, defining the race early, and turning a flood of spending into a liability for his opponents.

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California Governor Gavin Newsom joins John Avlon for a wide-ranging conversation starting with a blunt assessment of the Iran war, what's happening with TikTok and media power under Trump and why Newsom thinks American democracy's biggest test isn't 2028, it's 2026. The conversation also dives into Newsom's leadership in California from policies he says are working because they're about "growth and inclusion" to why fewer than 30 homes have been rebuilt since last year's LA fires. Plus: Why the movie Rocky was everything to Newsom as a bullied kid with a bowl cut.

Note: This conversation was taped on Tuesday afternoon, March 24, 2026.

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Sam Stein, Joe Perticone, and Will Sommer give their takes on the bizarre rise and abrupt fall of Nick Adams, the self-styled “alpha male” known for his tweets about boobs, Hooters, and American exceptionalism. Adams saw his ambassador nomination pulled before landing in a made up new State Department role.

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Tim Miller is going live to talk about the news of the day and just generally hang out.

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Tim Miller, JVL and Sam Stein (filling in for Sarah) discuss Trump’s shambolic approach to the Iran war—no clear objective, mixed signals, and rising economic fallout. As gas prices climb and markets wobble, they ask whether the political damage has already begun, even if the polls haven’t fully caught up.Plus: signs of a potential MAGA fracture, ICE at airports, a look inside the grift behind Project 2025, and a disturbing interview with Greg Bovino.

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This ad-free video version of The Next Level is exclusively for Bulwark+ members. Click the learn about setting up this show, ad-free, on your podcast player of choice. Or watch in the new Bulwark App—available now in the Apple and Google App stores.

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A war of choice may evolve into a war of necessity because the brains at the White House apparently did not anticipate that Iran—in response to the bombing campaign—would shut down the Strait of Hormuz, which the global economy depends on being open. It's also not a good look for the U.S. to be got by a power like Iran because China is watching. Plus, how the war is impacting the supply chain, the markets may be underpricing oil because traders keep banking on Trump to do his usual TACO, and Israel acting like an illiberal Middle Eastern regime is creating a disconnect with American Jews.

The Atlantic’s Jeffrey Goldberg and Bloomberg’s Joe Weisenthal join Tim Miller.

show notes

* Where to catch Tim's Tuesday livestream at 8:30pm ET

* Jeffrey on Signalgate and Hegseth one year later

* The Atlantic's McKay Coppins on America's sports betting boom

* Joe's "Odd Lots" podcast

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The Bulwark Podcast with Tim Miller is available wherever you get podcasts and on YouTube. New shows drop each weekday afternoon. If you like the show, leave a comment and ⭐⭐⭐⭐ wherever you listen. Add The Bulwark Podcast to your player of choice, here.

Sam Stein and Lauren Egan take on a real idea circulating among Democratic operatives: run more “hot” candidates. They discuss what that actually means—youth, charisma, online presence—and whether it reflects a deeper effort to fix the party’s image and win back voters.

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Bill Kristol and Andrew Egger discuss the DHS funding fight, ICE at America's airports, and Trump's erratic flip-flops in Iran.

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Tim Miller was on Deadline: White House to take on the political fallout from Trump’s Iran war, warning that the real backlash hasn’t shown up in polling yet as rising costs start to hit voters. He also looks at growing cracks inside the GOP, where even MAGA voices are struggling to defend a war with no clear objective.Plus: chaos at U.S. airports after ICE agents are deployed to “help,” a Supreme Court case that could reshape mail-in voting ahead of the midterms, and Trump’s reaction to Robert Mueller’s death.Watch Deadline: White House on MS NOW: https://www.ms.now/deadline-white-house

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This is a special treat exclusively for Bulwark+ members—a segment from the March 18th live show in Dallas, Texas! Tim Miller, Sarah Longwell, and JVL took on the grift and chaos inside Trumpworld—from paid influencer campaigns and Ric Grenell’s well-deserved downfall to a system where loyalty is bought, not earned.

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The man in charge is bluffing, blustering, and trying to manipulate the markets by claiming that the administration is in negotiations with Iran and was holding off on further military strikes. Israel's reaction was to drop more bombs on Iran, and the regime itself used Trump's own lines against him in its response. In any event, Iran has shown it can close the Strait of Hormuz, which is much more of a power move than the degradation of Tehran's missile capacity. With the war hitting Americans financially in their daily lives—and Trump now refusing a deal to fund TSA—the Dems have to hammer home that it's POTUS who has delivered higher gas prices and long lines at the airport. Plus, JD is in a job bind, the head of FEMA has a teleporting issue, and Trump showed utter depravity over the passing of Bob Mueller.

Bill Kristol joins Tim Miller.

show notes

* Monday's "Morning Shots"

* "Bulwark on Sunday" with Bill and Catherine

* Tim's and Bill's 'Bulwark Take' on Trump's reaction to Mueller's death

* Yeats’ poem, “To a Friend Whose Work Has Come to Nothing”

* The real "Baghdad Bob"

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JVL and Andrew Egger go live to cover the bizarre statements that Trump made at an event this morning in Memphis.

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Sam Stein and Will Sommer go live to talk about Dan Bongino getting heckled for not "taking on the deep state," James Fishback being banned from Mar-a-Lago, and a double dose of TPUSA controversy.

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Brookings scholar Jessica Riedl analyzes the DOGE debacle and the failure of Americans to make grown up choices about spending and taxes.

The Mona Charen Show is a weekly, one-on-one discussion that goes in depth on political and cultural topics. New shows drop Mondays. Find this show wherever you get your podcasts and on YouTube. Add the show to your player of choice, here.

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Eric and Eliot open by analyzing the decapitation campaign against Iran's leadership, the knock-on consequences of the war's energy disruptions, and the Gulf states' reaction to the war. They also explore how the PRC will incorporate lessons from the war, and how depleted U.S. munitions stocks will be refilled. They then turn to special guest Jason Burke, author and longtime national security correspondent at The Guardian. They discuss Jason's effort to explain the origins of contemporary Islamist terrorism in the late 1960s and early 1970s, the role technology played in the evolution of terrorism, and the transition from secular to religious terrorism in the twentieth century.The Revolutionists: The Story of the Extremists Who Hijacked the 1970s:https://a.co/d/09FMRU7UShield of the Republic is a Bulwark podcast co-sponsored by the Miller Center of Public Affairs at the University of Virginia.

Shield of the Republic is a Bulwark podcast co-sponsored by the Miller Center of Public Affairs at the University of Virginia.

Sarah Longwell talks with Rep. Lizzie Fletcher about Texas redistricting, the GOP’s push for new seats, and why that strategy could backfire. They discuss the 2026 outlook, the Paxton–Cornyn fight, and why Democrats see a real opening in Texas.

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Sam Stein and Andrew Egger take on Trump’s “48-hour” threat against Iran and the risk of a wider war, with global oil markets and the global economy hanging in the balance. They also discuss the administration’s push to put ICE in security roles at airports and Sen. Mike Lee’s bizarre SAVE Act post.

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Bill Kristol and Catherine Rampell are going live to talk about the economic fallout from Trump's war in Iran.

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Why do small factions end up with outsized power in American politics? John Avlon talks with Dan Cantor about how the two-party system distorts representation—and how fusion voting could break the gridlock.Watch Borgen. Then Get Inspired.

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Robert Mueller, the former FBI director and special counsel who led the Russia investigation, has died at 81. A Vietnam veteran and lifelong public servant, Mueller spent decades in service to the country across administrations of both parties earning a reputation for discipline, restraint, and an unwavering commitment to the rule of law. Trump responded to Mueller's death with a disgusting message: “Good. I’m glad he’s dead.” In this video, Tim Miller and Bill Kristol reflect on Mueller’s legacy from his leadership of the FBI to his role investigating Russian interference in the 2016 election and contrast it with the reaction from the man he was tasked with investigating. Correction: Robert Mueller died Friday evening, not today (Saturday) as stated in the episode. His family announced the news in a statement on Saturday.

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Tim Miller and Adam Kinzinger were live in Austin, talking about the escalating Iran war, why it’s already going badly, and how Trump’s “peace candidate” promise unraveled into a costly conflict. Plus: a live “cuck-off” game (it’s not quite what you’d expect).

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A lot of the young people we’ve been talking to recently in our focus groups are relatively apolitical, and many of them don’t vote. But what DO these young people care about? And what could mobilize them in the future? Rachel Janfaza discusses with Anderson Clayton, the youngest state party chair in the U.S. and chair of the North Carolina Democratic Party.

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The Focus Group with Sarah Longwell is available wherever you get your podcasts and on YouTube. Click to find the show or add this podcast to your player of choice, here.

Andrew Egger and maritime history and shipping expert Sal Mercogliano take on the rapidly escalating crisis in the Strait of Hormuz—and why it’s far more dangerous for the global economy than most people realize. As Iran tightens its grip on one of the world’s most critical shipping chokepoints, up to 25% of global trade is being disrupted. Tankers are stalled, crews are stranded, and energy markets are already feeling the shock.Catch more of Sal’s videos here

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Tim Miller, Sarah Longwell, and JVL were live in Austin talking about Trump’s Iran war, the cascading economic fallout, and growing global instability. As gas prices spike and allies react, the conversation turns darker: how bad could this get—and what it says about America right now.

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This ad-free video version of The Next Level is exclusively for Bulwark+ members. Click the learn about setting up this show, ad-free, on your podcast player of choice.

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The U.S. is at war with the leading state sponsor of terror, and Donald Trump appointed Markwayne Mullin—a man with no counter-terrorism experience—to help defend the homeland. At the same time, Hegseth is a meathead, and the shoe designer at the top of the FBI is preoccupied with visiting all the places on his bucket list. This is the moment for Democrats to argue that Trump has made the country very vulnerable. Plus, the administration apparently did not consider worst case scenarios vis-à-vis Iran, the Iraq War planners look like pros in comparison, Denmark was seriously preparing for an American invasion of Greenland, and is Israel's conduct contributing to the growing antisemitism problem?

David Frum joins Tim Miller for the weekend pod.

show notes

* David's podcast

* David encouraging Dems to get to the right of Trump on the war

* Tim's playlist

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Catherine Rampell and Sam Stein cover inflation warnings from the Fed and the worsening economic outlook as the Iran war drives oil prices higher and job growth stalls.

Sam Stein and Jonathan Cohn talk with Therese Vogel about the return of measles. Therese shares the story of her sister, who contracted measles as a child and suffered permanent brain damage—shaping the rest of her life—and why that led her to join Grandparents for Vaccines.They discuss why vaccine skepticism has risen, how outbreaks are spreading again as vaccination rates fall, and why many Americans have forgotten how dangerous these diseases once were. They explore the nascent political backlash to anti-vaccine messaging—and how groups like Grandparents for Vaccines are using personal stories to reach people when facts alone aren’t enough.Learn more about Grandparents for Vaccines: https://grandparentsforvaccines.org.

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Will Saletan gives his take on Donald Trump’s dumb and chaotic Oval Office meeting with Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi. He called the Iran war an “excursion,” bragging about demolishing Iran while gas prices doubled, and insulted Japan with a Pearl Harbor reference.

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Sam Stein talks with Reuters national security reporter Erin Banco about how the U.S. ended up at war with Iran—and why the official story doesn’t hold up. Intelligence assessments didn’t show an imminent threat, but the administration moved forward anyway after months of pressure, shifting justifications, and a last-minute decision from Trump.

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JVL and Sarah Longwell discuss the Trump administration’s stumble into an Iranian conflict that betrays its "no more wars" promise. They analyze the sudden resignation of Joe Kent over foreign wars, Tulsi Gabbard’s surreal FBI testimony regarding Fulton County ballots, and the looming "bloodbath" within a fracturing Republican coalition.

Watch: Tim interview James Talarico live in Dallas

Pre-order Sarah’s book, How to Eat an Elephant, coming in September

The Secret Podcast with JVL and Sarah is exclusively for members of Bulwark+. To watch or listen to future episodes and join the Secret community in the comments become a Bulwark+ member today.

For Talarico, it doesn't really matter whether Cornyn or Paxton wins their runoff battle. Either way, the Texas Democratic Senate candidate says he is running against the billionaire mega-donors and their corrupt system. To flip the Senate seat, he says he is speaking to the hearts of voters, avoiding media echo chambers, and campaigning on being both pro-immigrant and pro-border security. Plus, Trump's broken promises, Cornyn may be more corrupt than Paxton, Apostle Paul's thoughts on God's sausage, and a Shermanesque denial of the vegan accusations.

James Talarico joins Tim Miller before a live Bulwark audience.

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The Bulwark Podcast with Tim Miller is available wherever you get podcasts and on YouTube. New shows drop each weekday afternoon. If you like the show, leave a comment and ⭐⭐⭐⭐ wherever you listen. Add The Bulwark Podcast to your player of choice, here.

Tim Miller moderated a conversation with Don Lemon at the 2026 New Orleans Book Festival. They talked about Lemon’s arrest and time in custody and the broader crackdown on Trump critics. They also discussed the war in Iran, and the failures of the mainstream media during Trump's second term.

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POTUS is pretending the laws of supply and demand don't apply when it comes to the price of oil. And his long list of conflicting statements on the Strait of Hormuz is not providing any clarity on whether it will reopen to Western vessels anytime soon. But while Rep. Khanna successfully helped create the Epstein coalition, he says most of his Republican…

Sam Stein and Sonny Bunch give their reactions to Trump nominee Markwayne Mullin at his DHS confirmation hearing.

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Sam Stein and Rachel Janfaza take on a striking shift among young voters: support for Israel has collapsed, with just 13% of Gen Z viewing it positively. Drawing on new polling and a focus group of students, they discuss how anti-Israel sentiment is spreading—and how it’s increasingly bleeding into something more troubling on campuses and online.

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Tim Miller joins Nicolle Wallace to talk about the escalating Iran war, the sudden resignation of Trump official Joe Kent, and the growing split inside MAGA. As competing narratives collide, the panel looks at what’s actually driving the conflict—and why even Trump’s allies are breaking ranks.They also discuss Trump’s erratic messaging, rising concerns about leadership, and the economic fallout already starting to hit Americans—from higher gas and food prices to a broader slowdown that could get much worse by the fall.Watch Deadline: White House with Nicolle Wallace on MS NOW: https://www.ms.now/deadline-white-house

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In this Command Post edition of Bulwark Takes, Lt. Gen. Mark Hertling (Ret.) and Ben Parker break down how Trump’s snub of NATO allies is shaping the Iran conflict, and how even spectacular military success against the Iranian government and military won’t necessarily lead to victory.Have questions about the Iran war? Send them to commandpost@thebulwark.com and we’ll try to answer them in the next episode!Read more from Mark's piece here: https://www.thebulwark.com/p/iran-gets-vote-in-this-war-thormuz-trump-hegseth-israel-strategy

Buy Mark's book, "If I Don't Return: A Father's Wartime Journal": https://www.amazon.com/If-Dont-Return-Fathers-Wartime/dp/1966786727

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Andrew Weissmann joins Sarah Longwell to explain Trump’s failed attempt to target Fed Chair Jerome Powell—and why a judge shut it down as harassment. They also discuss the Trump admin's bizarre border strategy that’s collapsing in court, as DOJ lawyers admit they’re being forced to bring cases they can’t prove. Plus: a major Supreme Court fight over immigrant protections, and new warning signs around Trump’s broader legal strategy heading into 2026.Review of State Bar Complaints and Allegations Against Department of Justice Attorneys

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Cam Kasky and Ashley St. Clair join Tim Miller.

show notes

* FYPod on looksmaxxing in February 2025

* FYPod's interview with Kat Abughazaleh

* Tickets for our LIVE show in Austin on March 19: TheBulwark.com/Events.

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The Bulwark Podcast with Tim Miller is available wherever you get podcasts and on YouTube. New shows drop each weekday afternoon. If you like the show, leave a comment and ⭐⭐⭐⭐ wherever you listen. Add The Bulwark Podcast to your player of choice, here.

Andrew and Bill are going live to discuss Joe Kent's resignation over the war in Iran and other news of the day.

Tim Miller and Sam Stein take on Trump’s latest Oval Office comments on Iran. They discuss the contradictions, the absence of a clear strategy, and what it signals about how this war is being handled. Plus, JD Vance dodges a simple question about whether he actually supports the operation, raising questions about what’s really happening behind the scenes.

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Tim Miller talks with Cato’s David Bier about his viral clash with Senator John Kennedy—and what the exchange reveals about today’s immigration debate. They discuss the data on immigrants and the economy, the gap between rhetoric and actual policy, mass deportation proposals, visa bans affecting families, and how enforcement tactics are impacting both immigrants and U.S. citizens.

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As the Iran war enters its third week, the Trump administration looks like it doesn’t know what it’s doing: It did not bother to consult U.S. allies before the military operation began but it now wants their help to reopen the Strait of Hormuz; POTUS keeps talking about his great victory even with Marine Expeditionary Forces en route; and the disruption in the oil markets is likely to last for months. In the face of the neutered Republican leaders in Congress, the Dems must be a hard “No” on additional funding—unless it’s about helping our people to exit safely. Plus, FCC Chair Brendan Carr is threatening broadcasters for reporting the truth about the war, JD is hiding in the hedge, our enemies are less afraid of us, the “Donroe Doctrine” looks like a joke, and a major intra-right fight has broken out online.

Bill Kristol joins Tim Miller.

show notes

* Monday's "Morning Shots"

* Bill's "Bulwark on Sunday" with Bob Kagan

* Tickets for our LIVE show in Austin on March 19: TheBulwark.com/Events.

As always: Watch, listen, hit the like button or leave a comment. We want to hear from you.

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Will Sommer takes us on a tour of the groypers and other right wing influencers.

The Mona Charen Show is a weekly, one-on-one discussion that goes in depth on political and cultural topics. New shows drop Mondays. Find this show wherever you get your podcasts and on YouTube. Add the show to your player of choice, here.

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Will Sommer and Sam Stein are going live to discuss Laura Loomer’s tense event in New Delhi, Tucker Carlson’s new CIA conspiracy theory, and the ugly feud between Megyn Kelly and Mark Levin.

Eric and Eliot continue to wrestle with the ongoing Iran war, examining the media coverage surrounding it, the tactical successes the joint forces have had, the inexplicable failure to provide counter-drone defense to US forces, the baffling inattention to mine storage facilities that may have led to mines being seeded in the Gulf, and the enormous expenditure of munitions that may leave the US vulnerable if military operations were required in other theaters. They also discuss how the war might be concluded, likely downstream consequences, and the prospect that President Trump may shift his focus to Cuba, where President Diaz-Canel has confirmed that quiet negotiations with the US have been going on for some time.

Eliot’s Latest in The Atlantic on Air Campaigns (Gift Link).Shield of the Republic is a Bulwark podcast co-sponsored by the Miller Center of Public Affairs at the University of Virginia.

Shield of the Republic is a Bulwark podcast co-sponsored by the Miller Center of Public Affairs at the University of Virginia.

Robert Kagan (Senior Fellow at the Brookings Institution) joins Bill to discuss the likely consequences of Trump's war in Iran.

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Harvard economist and former IMF chief economist Kenneth Rogoff joins John Avlon to discuss the growing risks facing the U.S. dollar. From exploding national debt and attacks on Fed independence to war in the Middle East and rising global competition, they examine why America’s reserve currency status matters—and what happens if the world starts to move away from it.

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Sam Stein and Will Saletan take on Donald Trump’s claims that Iran has been “decimated” even as his administration asks other countries to help secure the Strait of Hormuz. They discuss the contradictions in Trump’s messaging and what it reveals about the war. They also react to FCC Commissioner Brendan Carr’s warning to broadcasters over their coverage.

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Sarah Longwell and Andrew Weissmann discuss a chaotic week for the rule of law, from the DOJ bizarrely flip-flopping on defending Trump’s executive orders targeting law firms, to a Trump-appointed judge finding evidence of racial profiling in ICE stops in Minnesota, and a new DOJ proposal that could shield government lawyers from ethics investigations.

Buy “Liar’s Kingdom”

* Chatham Bookstore signed copies: https://bit.ly/4aXHu4R

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* Bookshop.org: Bookshop.org: https://bit.ly/3N5hVa3

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* Pre-order Sarah’s book, How to Eat an Elephant, coming in September!

* ON SALE NOW: Bulwark Live in Texas at TheBulwark.com/Events

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The Democratic primary for US Senate in Illinois is a bit quiet, according to our guest. But underneath the surface, one candidate has a VERY interesting way of getting attention...and voters are starting to notice. David Axelrod, former adviser to President Obama, joins the show to discuss this Chicago-style Senate race.

Pre-order Sarah’s book, How to Eat an Elephant, coming in September!

Watch, listen, and leave a comment. Hit that like 🤍 button and share this episode with a friend.

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The Focus Group with Sarah Longwell is available wherever you get your podcasts and on YouTube. Click to find the show or add this podcast to your player of choice, here.

Sam Stein, Tim Miller, and Will Sommer take on one of the strangest scandals to hit the far-right internet: extremist agitator Jake Lang getting caught in a social-media sting run by a self-styled “predator hunter.” They also talk about the growing war inside conservative media as Megyn Kelly and Ben Shapiro clash publicly.

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Sarah Longwell and JVL talk about what happens if Trump doesn’t TACO and pull the plug on the Iran war excursion after things go from messy to bad. Not great!

Also: What happens if we know how to reform the system, but the system is so ossified that it can’t be reformed? And are The People, in fact, the worst?

Order If I Don’t Return by retired Lt. Gen. Mark Hertling

Pre-order Sarah’s book, How to Eat an Elephant, coming in September

Pre-order Andrew Weissmann’s book, Liar’s Kingdom, coming in May

The Secret Podcast with JVL and Sarah is exclusively for members of Bulwark+. To watch or listen to future episodes and join the Secret community in the comments become a Bulwark+ member today.

The Trump administration is preparing to deploy a Marine expeditionary unit to the Middle East along with more warships. But that development was not Hegseth’s highest priority at his Pentagon briefing. His first order of business was attacking the media—even before mentioning the six fallen service members who were killed in a plane crash supporting the war in Iran. And while the administration may have finally narrowed down its reasons for launching the war alongside Israel, it hasn’t discussed the risks of the operation, or why it doesn’t seem to have an issue with Putin helping Iran in the fight. Plus, JD is skeptical about the war but won’t tell Trump to his face, oil prices are soaring while Russia cashes in, and don’t forget that the Department of Homeland Security is still shut down while our country is at war.

Tom Nichols joins Tim Miller for the weekend pod.

show notes

* Tom on 'victory disease' in The Atlantic

* French news channel with a split screen of bombs and Trump dancing

* Tim's playlist

* Tickets for our LIVE show in Austin on March 19: TheBulwark.com/Events.

As always: Watch, listen, hit the like button or leave a comment. We want to hear from you.

Ad-free editions of The Bulwark Podcast are available exclusively for Bulwark+ members.

The Bulwark Podcast with Tim Miller is available wherever you get podcasts and on YouTube. New shows drop each weekday afternoon. If you like the show, leave a comment and ⭐⭐⭐⭐ wherever you listen. Add The Bulwark Podcast to your player of choice, here.

Catherine Rampell and Sam Stein went live to talk about the revised job numbers and other economic news.

In a special live edition of Bulwark Takes, Katie Couric joins JVL and Tim Miller to take on some of the biggest and most interesting stories of the week including the breaking news today out of Michigan where a suspect is dead after ramming a vehicle into Temple Israel synagogue, the latest on the Iran war including the first comments from the country's new supreme leader, what Kash Patel is up to at the FBI and more. Katie also digs in with the Bulwark crew on her latest TV obsession.

We’re raining hellfire down on Iran and American soldiers have died, but that doesn’t stop Trump from hitting the links, doing a little dancing, or holding a revenge rally. His main preoccupation is his daily PR battle over the war—which currently involves arguing that higher gas prices are a good thing. And his ever dutiful backup chorus in Congress is happy to explain how “freedom isn’t free.” Meanwhile, the immigration system has been so undone that we now have a shortage of seasonal workers. Plus, the absurd shoe-related loyalty test at the White House, a major Trump donor is trying to buy a Senate seat in Oklahoma, at least one white Afrikaner refugee has seen enough and wants to go home, Sam and Tim have new Cabinet member rankings, and some justice for JVL and Bill after Wednesday's pod.

Sam Stein joins Tim Miller.

show notes

* JVL’s “Triad” on Iran from Wednesday and Thursday

* Bill on the "epic failure" of the Iran war in "Morning Shots"

* Adrian and Jared on Markwayne Mullin

* Sam's and Catherine's 'Bulwark Take' on higher gas prices

* Tim's and Sam's year-end ranking of Cabinet members

* "Odd Lots" podcast

* Tickets for our LIVE show in Austin on March 19: TheBulwark.com/Events.

As always: Watch, listen, hit the like button or leave a comment. We want to hear from you.

Ad-free editions of The Bulwark Podcast are available exclusively for Bulwark+ members.

The Bulwark Podcast with Tim Miller is available wherever you get podcasts and on YouTube. New shows drop each weekday afternoon. If you like the show, leave a comment and ⭐⭐⭐⭐ wherever you listen. Add The Bulwark Podcast to your player of choice, here.

Sam Stein and Catherine Rampell give their takes on the sudden shift in Republican messaging on gas prices after the war with Iran disrupted global oil markets. For years, Republicans blamed Joe Biden for high prices at the pump. Now, with prices rising again under Donald Trump, some GOP lawmakers are telling Americans they need to “make sacrifices” or even suggesting struggling families just need better financial literacy.

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Tim joined Katy Tur to talk about the backlash from the “podcast right” over a potential Iran conflict. If those newer, anti-war voters peel away—or simply stay home—it could reshape the politics around Trump’s base. They also discussed immigration, where Republicans are starting to get nervous about the real-world impact of mass deportation policies. Watch Katy Tur Reports on MS NOW: https://www.ms.now/katy-tur-reports

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Sarah was out last week, and felt she had to bring you some timely focus group reactions to the War in Iran. We also check in on their feelings about the Trump administration (especially their handling of the Epstein Files), and talk about a growing strain of conspiracy theorizing tied to Israel (Jeffrey Epstein and Charlie Kirk are BOTH involved!)

Finally, we’ve recently seen members of the Bulwark community pop up in the wild in our focus groups. Hear what drew THEM to The Bulwark. Sarah and Bill Kristol sift through it all.

Pre-order Sarah’s book, How to Eat an Elephant, coming in September!

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The Focus Group with Sarah Longwell is available wherever you get your podcasts and on YouTube. Click to find the show or add this podcast to your player of choice, here.

Tim Miller is going live, just because he feels like hanging out. Not everything needs a special occasion.

Sam Stein, Will Sommer, and Andrew Egger give their takes on the new right-wing conspiracy that claims John Thune is secretly controlled by Punchbowl News and that’s why he won’t eliminate the filibuster to pass the SAVE Act. The theory comes from a software engineer known online as “Data Republican,” who gained prominence during the DOGE era by posting false claims about uncover government waste. Her latest claim hinges on a series of confusing flowcharts that immediately collapses under even minimal scrutiny, but it’s still gaining traction in conservative circles, including Sen. Mike Lee.

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One of the biggest America First fans tells Tim that he thought Trump 2.0 would be different because like-minded, high-level personnel—including the vice president and top DOD staff—were supposed to stop Trump from doing stupid wars like the strategic catastrophe unfolding in and around Iran. And Trump’s mass deportation was supposed to crack down on the labor practices of big business and Big Ag, but POTUS instead is sticking with the Chamber of Commerce status quo. Saagar now regrets his vote for Trump. Plus, the difference between MAGA and America First, a different take on Epstein, Venezuela red-pilled Trump, and the U.S. may be facing a major shortage of munitions because of the latest shock and awe campaign.

Saagar Enjeti joins Tim Miller.

show notes

* Tim's livestream Wednesday at 8:30pm ET on YouTube or Substack

* Saagar's show, "Breaking Points"

* Carville's 2009 book, "40 More Years: How the Democrats Will Rule The Next Generation"

* Tickets for our LIVE show in Austin on March 19: TheBulwark.com/Events.

As always: Watch, listen, hit the like button or leave a comment. We want to hear from you.

Ad-free editions of The Bulwark Podcast are available exclusively for Bulwark+ members.

The Bulwark Podcast with Tim Miller is available wherever you get podcasts and on YouTube. New shows drop each weekday afternoon. If you like the show, leave a comment and ⭐⭐⭐⭐ wherever you listen. Add The Bulwark Podcast to your player of choice, here.

Sam Stein and Tim Miller give their takes on Joe Rogan’s surprisingly blunt reaction to Donald Trump’s war with Iran. Rogan says many supporters feel “betrayed” after Trump campaigned on ending “stupid wars,” only to launch major strikes that have now killed U.S. troops and raised fears of wider conflict. Sam and Tim dig into Rogan’s political evolution and why this moment is so uncomfortable for the MAGA-friendly podcast world. After years of embracing Trump as the anti-war outsider, figures in the “podcast bro” ecosystem are now confronting the possibility that they misjudged him.

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Sarah Longwell talks with former federal prosecutor Andrew Weissmann about his new book: Liar’s KingdomThey discuss how Donald Trump exposed weaknesses in American institutions, why misinformation has become so central to modern politics, and what that means for the future of democracy.Weissmann explains why simply winning elections won’t fix the problem, explores how other democracies handle threats to the rule of law, and lays out reforms that could strengthen guardrails without rewriting the Constitution.

Buy “Liar’s Kingdom”

* Chatham Bookstore signed copies: https://bit.ly/4aXHu4R

* Politics & Prose signed copies: https://bit.ly/4aALp8Q

* Amazon: https://amzn.to/3MHQ8MR

* Barnes & Noble: https://bit.ly/402H2xc

* Bookshop.org: Bookshop.org: https://bit.ly/3N5hVa3

More great stuff:

* Pre-order Sarah’s book, How to Eat an Elephant, coming in September!

* ON SALE NOW: Bulwark Live in Texas at TheBulwark.com/Events

Watch, listen and leave a comment.

Access to this show’s community comments and ad-free editions are available exclusively for Bulwark+ members. Bulwark+ members can listen ad-free on your podcast player of choice—click SET UP here.

The Illegal News with Sarah Longwell is available wherever you get your podcasts and on YouTube. Leave us a review and ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ so more people can find this important show from The Bulwark.

Sarah, Tim and JVL go LIVE to talk about the escalating air war with Iran and the chaos and dishonesty of Trump’s shifting explanations for it.

Watch, listen, and leave a comment.

This ad-free video version of The Next Level is exclusively for Bulwark+ members. Click the learn about setting up this show, ad-free, on your podcast player of choice.

You can find The Next Level wherever you get your podcasts and on YouTube. Add The Next Level to your podcast player of choice, here. And help more people find this show by leaving us a review and ⭐⭐⭐⭐ wherever you listen.

Sonny Bunch and Laura Rozen joins Tim Miller.

show notes

* Laura’s Substack

* Sonny on our dystopian parody

* Tickets for our LIVE show in Austin on March 19: TheBulwark.com/Events.

As always: Watch, listen, hit the like button or leave a comment. We want to hear from you.

Ad-free editions of The Bulwark Podcast are available exclusively for Bulwark+ members.

The Bulwark Podcast with Tim Miller is available wherever you get podcasts and on YouTube. New shows drop each weekday afternoon. If you like the show, leave a comment and ⭐⭐⭐⭐ wherever you listen. Add The Bulwark Podcast to your player of choice, here.

Bill Kristol and Andrew Egger are going live to discuss whether Trump is already close to ending his Iran war, under pressure from both markets and bad polls.Read the latest Morning Shots newsletter.

Tim Miller joined Nicolle Wallace to discuss Donald Trump’s latest comments on the Iran war and the chaos surrounding his administration’s messaging. Plus: Lindsey Graham’s reported efforts to push Trump toward escalation and Tucker Carlson’s claim that Trump is being fed fake polling about the war’s popularity.Watch Deadline: White House on MS NOW: https://www.ms.now/deadline-white-house

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Sarah Longwell and Sam Stein give their takes on Donald Trump’s latest press conference on the war in Iran, where Trump seemed to declare victory while also suggesting the conflict is just beginning. Trump claimed the war was essentially “over” after the first two days, even as his own defense secretary says the mission is only getting started. They also break down a tense exchange with a reporter who challenged Trump on his claim that Iran bombed its own elementary school, prompting the president to suddenly say he “doesn’t know enough about it.”Pre-order Sarah's book, "How to Eat an Elephant: One Voter at a Time": https://static.macmillan.com/static/smp/how-to-eat-an-elephant-9781250464170/

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Sam Stein and Will Saletan give their takes on why Lindsey Graham is suddenly everywhere celebrating the escalation against Iran and why even some Republicans are alarmed by his rhetoric. As Graham cheers the bombing campaign and openly talks about taking on other regimes around the world, critics including Meghan McCain warn that his messaging is scaring voters and pushing the U.S. toward endless wars. Sam and Will trace Graham’s long obsession with regime change, how he’s learned to appeal to Donald Trump, and why this moment may represent the culmination of a decades-long foreign policy vision.Listen to Will's 2023 series on Lindsey Graham here: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLJNKzTkCZE9sb384PfewA7Gur01abBrcS

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Unless the administration is keeping some closely-guarded secret about why America went to war against Iran, the only thing officialdom is saying out loud is that Netanyahu wanted us to. And now Trump says he's waiting on Netanyahu to end it. But support for the state of Israel cannot make up for the fact that both the president and the prime minister are not to be trusted. Both Trump and Netanyahu are corrupt men who used their power to avoid being held accountable for their corruption. To be skeptical about the aims of the military operation is not antisemitic, but the fact that it is happening at all may contribute to the rising incidence of antisemitism. Plus, JD is in a tight spot, the administration keeps lying about our killing of Iranian schoolchildren, and Sarah's new book advises Democrats on how to win the comms war against Republicans.

Sarah Longwell joins Tim Miller.

show notes

* Pre-order Sarah's book, "How to Eat an Elephant: One Voter at a Time"

* Stream "Memphis Belle," the film Sarah recommended

* Tickets for our LIVE show in Austin on March 19: TheBulwark.com/Events.

As always: Watch, listen, hit the like button or leave a comment. We want to hear from you.

Ad-free editions of The Bulwark Podcast are available exclusively for Bulwark+ members.

The Bulwark Podcast with Tim Miller is available wherever you get podcasts and on YouTube. New shows drop each weekday afternoon. If you like the show, leave a comment and ⭐⭐⭐⭐ wherever you listen. Add The Bulwark Podcast to your player of choice, here.

Mona Charen talks with Unite America’s Nick Troiano about the structural problem driving America’s political polarization: the primary system.

Sam and Will talk Iran war, Tucker Carlson and the MAGA fallout.

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Eric and Eliot welcome Norman Roule, a non-resident senior adviser at the Center for Strategic and International Studies and a thirty-four-year career veteran of the U.S. intelligence community, where he served in the Directorate of Operations as a division chief and chief of station, and for nearly a decade as the national intelligence manager for Iran in the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI). They discuss Trump’s effort to replicate his Venezuela playbook and the search for an Iranian Delcy Rodríguez, the intricacies of the Iranian succession, and the potential for the regular army (ARTESH) to step in and seize leadership of the country. The conversation also covers the IRGC’s hold on the system in Iran, the sources of Iran’s misreading of the regional situation and of Donald Trump, the failure of Iran’s alliances to come to the rescue, and the nature of Iran as an intelligence target.

Eliot’s Latest in The Atlantic (Gift Link)Shield of the Republic is a Bulwark podcast co-sponsored by the Miller Center of Public Affairs at the University of Virginia.

Shield of the Republic is a Bulwark podcast co-sponsored by the Miller Center of Public Affairs at the University of Virginia.

Tim Miller and Andrew Egger take on Trump’s latest ultimatum to Congress: pass the SAVE Act or he won’t sign any other legislation. They explain what the bill does, why Trump is suddenly pressuring Republicans to blow up the filibuster, and how MAGA activist Scott Pressler ended up shaping the president’s message after a Fox & Friends appearance.

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Tim Miller and JVL are going live to cover the massive increase in oil prices roiling markets right now.

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Tim Miller takes on the hypocrisy behind Washington’s deficit panic. After Elon Musk and Trump allies promised massive spending cuts and warned about “debt slavery,” federal spending kept climbing—and now the Iran war is burning through billions per day.

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Sarah and Bill talk about her new book and all the week’s news.

Pre-order Sarah’s new book How to Eat an Elephant—One Voter At a Time.

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John Avlon talks with Annabelle Gurwitch about surviving stage-4 lung cancer—and what her experience reveals about America’s broken health system. They discuss the rise of lung cancer among non-smokers, the role of pollution and climate policy, the spread of medical misinformation pushed by figures like RFK Jr. and Dr. Oz, and how insurance companies and pharmacy benefit managers can trap patients in bureaucratic nightmares. Gurwitch also explains the targeted therapy that has kept her alive for five years and the class-action lawsuit she’s leading over an insurance practice she says is ripping off cancer patients.

Annabelle Gurwitch book: The End of My Life Is Killing Me: The Unexpected Joys of a Cancer Slacker

Watch, listen and leave a comment. The How to Fix It with John Avlon podcast is available wherever you get your podcasts and on YouTube. Add this podcast to your player of choice, here.

Ad-free editions are available exclusively for Bulwark+ members.

Lauren Egan is joined by Ryan Busse, a Democratic candidate for Congress in Montana’s 1st District, for his take on the stunning shakeup in Montana politics. Within days, Rep. Ryan Zinke announced he won’t seek reelection and Sen. Steve Daines revealed he’s retiring, throwing the state’s political landscape into turmoil. Busse talks about why he believes the race is now wide open and how Democrats can compete in a deeply red state. A former firearms industry executive who later broke with the industry, Busse also explains his unusual political journey and why he thinks economic issues will decide the next election.

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Tim Miller takes on Trump’s latest Truth Social rant about Iran—where the president calls Iran the “loser of the Middle East,” talks about the country potentially “collapsing,” and signals the war could escalate even further. He also reacts to Tucker Carlson’s claim that Trump believes the war is polling at 90% support, and what that might mean for where this conflict is headed.

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Sarah Longwell talks with Just Security’s Tess Bridgeman about whether the Iran war is legal under the Constitution, the War Powers Resolution, and international law. They discuss how presidents have stretched their authority for decades, why Congress keeps failing to act, and what it means when one man can take the country to war on his own.

* Read more from Tess: https://www.justsecurity.org/author/bridgemantess/

* Pre-order Sarah’s book, How to Eat an Elephant, coming in September!

* ON SALE NOW: Bulwark Live in Texas at TheBulwark.com/Events

Watch, listen and leave a comment.

Access to this show’s community comments and ad-free editions are available exclusively for Bulwark+ members. Bulwark+ members can listen ad-free on your podcast player of choice—click SET UP here.

The Illegal News with Sarah Longwell, formerly known as George Conway Explains It All (to Sarah Longwell), is available wherever you get your podcasts and on YouTube. Leave us a review and ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ so more people can find this important show from The Bulwark.

Rachel Janfaza sits in for Sarah on this week’s Focus Group to take a look at Gen Z’s personal finances, from their long-term outlooks to their day-to-day habits…especially their investments in crypto and how they’re engaging with sports betting and prediction markets. Ed Elson, co-host of Prof G Markets, joins Rachel.

Pre-order Sarah’s book, How to Eat an Elephant, coming in September!

Show notes:

Rachel in The Up and Up: How Gen Z spends, saves, and invests

Rachel in The Up and Up: The Kalshi election

Ed’s interview with Kalshi founder Tarek Mansour

Watch, listen, and leave a comment. Hit that like 🤍 button and share this episode with a friend.

Ad-free editions are available exclusively for Bulwark+ members. Upgrade now to listen without ads and to join the community in the comments.

The Focus Group with Sarah Longwell is available wherever you get your podcasts and on YouTube. Click to find the show or add this podcast to your player of choice, here.

Will Sommer and Joe Perticone give their takes on Rep. Tony Gonzales’ sudden retirement after he admitted to an affair with a subordinate staffer. They also discuss the emerging Republican candidate to replace him, who's based his campaign on a hardline pro-gun rhetoric and previously touted ownership of Mein Kampf.

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Tim Miller talks with former CIA officer Marc Polymeropoulos about the rapidly escalating situation with Iran and the chaos surrounding the Trump administration’s strategy. Trump has floated the idea of choosing Iran’s next leader, while reports suggest the U.S. may be considering covert support for Kurdish groups that could amount to regime change. They also discuss the growing “brain drain” across national security agencies, including reports that FBI Director Kash Patel fired agents with Iran expertise just before the war with Iran.

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Republicans and the Supreme Court have put basically no guardrails on Trump, so he started a global war that is costing taxpayers $1 billion a day. He shrugs about soldiers dying, and he lies about the school full of children that Americans likely killed. And he's downright giddy that because he signed off on all the bombing of Iran, he may get to choose the country's new leader. At the same time, one of the few occasions when Republicans stood up to him resulted in the firing of his first Cabinet member, the scandalous Kristi Noem. Plus, new job loss numbers show how Trump continues to hurt the working class, fuel prices are rising, the administration is again helping Russia in its war on Ukraine, Rand Paul may have an issue with Noem's chosen successor, and have the Dems' chances of retaking the Senate improved?

Neera Tanden, with the Center for American Progress, joins Tim Miller for the weekend pod.

show notes

* The Center for American Progress web site

* Catherine on Trump's warflation

* NPR on Neera's OMB nomination being pulled because of her tweets about GOP senators

* Follow "Bulwark Takes" for breaking news coverage over the weekend

* Tim's playlist

* Tickets for our LIVE show in Austin on March 19: TheBulwark.com/Events.

As always: Watch, listen, hit the like button or leave a comment. We want to hear from you.

Ad-free editions of The Bulwark Podcast are available exclusively for Bulwark+ members.

The Bulwark Podcast with Tim Miller is available wherever you get podcasts and on YouTube. New shows drop each weekday afternoon. If you like the show, leave a comment and ⭐⭐⭐⭐ wherever you listen. Add The Bulwark Podcast to your player of choice, here.

JVL and Catherine Rampell are going live to discuss the disappointing new jobs report.

JVL and Sarah Longwell discuss the chaotic firing of Kristi Noem after a disastrous hearing, the MAGA infighting that may have taken her down, and what it says about how Trump runs his administration. They also talk about the war with Iran—why the strategy looks confused, how Tehran may be playing the long game, and why the economic fallout is already hitting gas prices, supply chains, and the global economy.

Bulwark+ members also get to learn Sarah’s secret…

Sarah has written a book! Pre-order How to Eat An Elephant now at: https://static.macmillan.com/static/smp/how-to-eat-an-elephant-9781250464170/

We’re discussing their new film, Dolly, a true indie endeavor made in the spirit of American classics like The Texas Chain Saw Massacre and The Evil Dead or the New French Extremity’s High Tension. Rod and his partners raised some money, brought some folks to the woods of Tennessee, and put together something he hopes will be memorable for the audiences who see it. It’s hitting theaters this weekend, playing around 800 or so screens across the country, and if you’re a horror head—or just someone looking for something different—I hope you’ll check it out. (It is a horror movie, though, so I cannot provide any refunds if the onscreen terror sparks a walkout.)

As I said, getting Ethan on the show is a real treat because I’ve been a fan for years and it’s been interesting to watch him dip his toes into some darker waters in recent years in films like Dolly, Babylon, Blood for Dust, and God Is a Bullet. It was fun to pick his brain about consciously making that shift and why his film work often gives him a little more space to stretch than his TV work.

Tim Miller and Will Sommer give their takes on why a stolen truck full of Tucker Carlson’s nicotine pouches has led to an escalating feud with Laura Loomer, another racist group chat scandal that has rocked young Republican and Candace Owens’ increasingly bizarre conspiracy series that now includes a theory involving youth travel basketball.

You MUST read Will's False Flag newsletters.

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Not only is Trump failing to provide any clarity on why the United States went to war against Iran, the administration is also sticking to its habit of declaring an emergency based on some arcane legal provision that supposedly gives the executive branch the power to do whatever it wants. It's almost as though the American legal system can justify authoritarianism if a lawyer can dig deep enough. And Anthropic is currently feeling the sting of this monarchical-style power grab. Meanwhile, the tech overlords wanted free rein on AI under Trump, but they got a Maoist approach instead. Plus, Mamdani's embrace of abundance, the movie industry's troubles, and how parents fall in love with their children.

Derek Thompson joins Tim Miller.

show notes

* Derek's interview with Karim Sadjadpour on the "Plain English" pod

* Derek's Substack

* Tickets for our LIVE show in Austin on March 19: TheBulwark.com/Events.

As always: Watch, listen, hit the like button or leave a comment. We want to hear from you.

Ad-free editions of The Bulwark Podcast are available exclusively for Bulwark+ members.

The Bulwark Podcast with Tim Miller is available wherever you get podcasts and on YouTube. New shows drop each weekday afternoon. If you like the show, leave a comment and ⭐⭐⭐⭐ wherever you listen. Add The Bulwark Podcast to your player of choice, here.

JVL, Tim Miller and Andrew Egger are going live to cover Trump firing Kristi Noem.

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NOTE: This episode was recorded on Monday, March 2, 2026.Eric and Eliot assess where the US and Israel stand in the current war with Iran and identify the downside risks while acknowledging the world is a better place with the death of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. They weigh the prospects for success against some of the darker possibilities, discuss the internal situation in Iran, and examine Israel’s role in the operation.

Eliot’s Latest in the Atlantic:America’s Invaluable Ally:

https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/2026/03/americas-invaluable-ally/686205/?gift=KGDC3VdV8jaCufvP3bRsPo_i9WWeAapCb1_ocSZQ-ag&utm_source=copy-link&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=share

Trump Rolls the Iron Dice:

https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/2026/02/trump-rolls-iron-dice-iran/686199/?gift=KGDC3VdV8jaCufvP3bRsPiz9hFl3HmKfcY7OSD7I258&utm_source=copy-link&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=shareShield of the Republic is a Bulwark podcast co-sponsored by the Miller Center of Public Affairs at the University of Virginia.

Shield of the Republic is a Bulwark podcast co-sponsored by the Miller Center of Public Affairs at the University of Virginia.

Tim Miller gives his take on The New York Times reporting that the Trump Justice Department’s failed to build a criminal case over President Biden's use of an “autopen." Biden and his aides are just the latest in a growing list of revenge investigations that have fizzled under Pam Bondi’s DOJ. From Biden to Obama to Mark Kelly and Jim Comey, the indictments never seem to materialize.

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Sam Stein, JVL, and Catherine Rampell give their takes on why HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is demanding “safety data” from Dunkin' over its sugar-loaded iced coffees and why that fight could hit differently in Massachusetts. From 115 grams of sugar to 48-ounce coffee buckets, the crew taste-tests a truly unholy Dunkin order and debates whether this is public health policy or just another front for the MAHA movement in the culture wars.

As always: Watch, listen, and leave a comment. Bulwark+ Takes is home to short videos, livestreams, and event archives exclusively for Bulwark+ members.

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The starting kit for a unified Democratic Party with the biggest, broadest tent should be calling out the billionaire class that is sabotaging our political system, our healthcare system, and driving up costs. Katz, the young media strategist who helped propel Mamdani to his historic win, says it's not enough for Dems to campaign on just hating Trump. Instead, they should take on Trump for breaking his promises about helping working people and being a peace president. Plus, Talarico's winning message in Texas, the risks of a horseshoe alliance between MAGA and the populist left, the algorithmic pipeline that feeds antisemitism, and Platner's appeal in Maine.

Morris Katz joins Tim Miller.

show notes

* Tickets for our LIVE show in Austin on March 19: TheBulwark.com/Events.

As always: Watch, listen, hit the like button or leave a comment. We want to hear from you.

Ad-free editions of The Bulwark Podcast are available exclusively for Bulwark+ members.

The Bulwark Podcast with Tim Miller is available wherever you get podcasts and on YouTube. New shows drop each weekday afternoon. If you like the show, leave a comment and ⭐⭐⭐⭐ wherever you listen. Add The Bulwark Podcast to your player of choice, here.

Lt. Gen. Mark Hertling (Ret.), Tom Nichols, and Ben Parker discuss the war with Iran—especially the bigger strategic question: what comes after the airstrikes. They react to Pete Hegseth’s press conference, and answer audience questions about escalation, the point of no return, and how the U.S. and Israel actually coordinate in wartime.

If I Don’t Return: A Father’s Wartime Journal by Lt. Gen Mark Hertling (Ret.) is available for pre-order now on Amazon and Bookshop.

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Sarah Longwell, Tim Miller and JVL traveled to Minneapolis to see what’s happening outside the Whipple detention center, where local volunteers and protesters say ICE activity hasn’t slowed despite official claims.

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Laxe will be appearing for Q&As in person through the 8th in DC, Boston, Chicago, Austin, and Nashville; you can see the dates on the flyer below. But if you don’t live near one of these shows, I hope you check out the movie in a theater near you. It’s a real trip.

Tim Miller goes back into the lion’s den on Piers Morgan’s panel to debate Trump’s escalating war with Iran. Tim notes something surprising: even some of Trump’s biggest MAGA allies sound conflicted about the war. Watch Piers Morgan Uncensored: https://www.youtube.com/piersmorganuncensored

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Sam Stein talks with Senator Tim Kaine as he forces a Senate vote to block Trump from waging war with Iran without congressional approval. Kaine says lawmakers are ducking their constitutional duty and warns the administration’s rationale echoes the run-up to Iraq. If senators want this war, he argues, they should have the guts to put their names on it.

As always: Watch, listen, and leave a comment. Bulwark+ Takes is home to short videos, livestreams, and event archives exclusively for Bulwark+ members.

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Join Sarah Longwell, JVL, Tim Miller, Lauren Egan and more for Bulwark's LIVE coverage of the Texas primary elections. The biggest contest is the U.S. Senate primary, with Republicans John Cornyn, Ken Paxton, and Wesley Hunt, and Democrats Jasmine Crockett and James Talarico competing for their parties’ nominations.

Sam Stein, JVL and Andrew Egger give their takes on the chaotic and dramatic Senate Judiciary Committee hearing with Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem. Republican senators sharply questioned Noem over her leadership at DHS, ICE's deadly actions in Minnesota, and her department’s $220 million ad campaign featuring Noem front and center. They also debate a bigger question: Is Noem being set up as the scapegoat? With DHS funding frozen and Republicans under pressure, are some in the GOP trying to sacrifice the secretary to avoid deeper reforms to ICE and immigration enforcement?

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The facts on the ground and the ludicrous statements speak for themselves: The administration inadequately planned for the execution of this war. That's likely why six service members were killed in an insufficiently protected facility. It's why our embassy in Riyadh and our consulate in Dubai were hit with drones. And the administration clearly does not have an exit plan. Venezuela had Trump thinking this could be a cakewalk, but in the Middle East, circumstances can change in a heartbeat. Plus, Israel's role in pushing for the military campaign, Marco's effort to pawn off responsibility for the war, and Gallego's endorsement of Graham Platner in the Maine Democratic Senate primary.

Sen. Ruben Gallego and Lt. Gen. Mark Hertling join Tim Miller.

show notes

* Order Hertling’s new book, If I Don’t Return: A Father’s Wartime Journal, or read an excerpt of it here.

* Watch The Bulwark’s LIVE coverage of the Texas Senate primary on Substack YouTube

* Carol Leonnig's reporting on the firing of FBI agents with Iran expertise

* Tickets for our LIVE show in Austin on March 19: TheBulwark.com/Events.

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The Bulwark Podcast with Tim Miller is available wherever you get podcasts and on YouTube. New shows drop each weekday afternoon. If you like the show, leave a comment and ⭐⭐⭐⭐ wherever you listen. Add The Bulwark Podcast to your player of choice, here.

Will Saletan revisits Tulsi Gabbard’s past warnings that Trump “lied” about ending wars—and compares them to her current role defending new bombings in Iran and moves in Venezuela.

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Bill Kristol and Andrew Egger are going live to discuss Israel and the war in Iran, Congressional war powers, the growing split between hawks and “America First” within MAGA, and the DoD/AI question.

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In this emergency episode of The Mona Charen Show, Tom Nichols lays out the tremendous risks Trump has taken with Iran war.

The Mona Charen Show is a weekly, one-on-one discussion that goes in depth on political and cultural topics. New shows drop Mondays. Find this show wherever you get your podcasts and on YouTube. Add the show to your player of choice, here.

Ad-free editions of The Mona Charen Show are exclusively available for Bulwark+ members.

Tim Miller and Sarah Longwell take on the early polling after Trump’s strikes on Iran—and the warning signs for his coalition. Independents are overwhelmingly opposed, soft Trump voters are wavering, and the “America First” brand is colliding with a foreign war. Is this the start of a political fracture inside MAGA?

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Trump cannot enunciate a clear reason for why he's chosen to go to war against Iran, and the administration is not even bothering to coordinate a message that clarifies its objective. While the military campaign appears aimed at regime change, Hegseth denies it is. And instead of speaking directly to Americans, POTUS himself has taken on a Jekyll and Hyde approach to his rationales in a series of private interviews: he's waffled between "freedom," to installing a caretaker regime à la Venezuela, to maybe even revenge. In any event, the United States seems like it's being dog-walked by the Israelis and the Saudis, and the corrupt deals between the Trump family and Gulf Arab states may be a factor. Plus, anti-interventionist JD is in the cuck chair, and a preview of Tuesday's Senate primary in Texas.

Bill Kristol joins Tim Miller.

show notes

* Tim and Sarah on the administration's war messaging

* 'Bulwark on Sunday' with Bill, Tim, and Mark Hertling

* Tickets for our LIVE show in Austin on March 19: TheBulwark.com/Events.

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The Bulwark Podcast with Tim Miller is available wherever you get podcasts and on YouTube. New shows drop each weekday afternoon. If you like the show, leave a comment and ⭐⭐⭐⭐ wherever you listen. Add The Bulwark Podcast to your player of choice, here.

Sam Stein and Will Sommer discuss MAGA’s growing anger over the war in Iran. Is this a temporary wobble, or the start of a deeper split between isolationists and hawks?

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NOTE: This episode was recorded before the US/Israel attack on Iran.Two professors describe the staggering corruption Trump is normalizing and how it is affecting foreign policy. Alexander Cooley and Daniel Nexon join The Mona Charen Show to discuss their Foreign Affairs piece “The Age of Kleptocracy.”

The Mona Charen Show is a weekly, one-on-one discussion that goes in depth on political and cultural topics. New shows drop Mondays. Find this show wherever you get your podcasts and on YouTube. Add the show to your player of choice, here.

Ad-free editions of The Mona Charen Show are exclusively available for Bulwark+ members.

Tim Miller and Sarah Longwell discuss the deafening silence from President Donald Trump and his administration after the U.S. strikes in Iran. As of Sunday evening, no one from the White House has laid out to the American public the case or any clear objectives for the major assault. Three U.S. service members have been killed with others severely wounded.

Note: Shortly after this taping, The New York Times published a report about a brief telephone interview the Times conducted with Trump Sunday in which he said the assault will go on for "four to five weeks" if needed and offered no clear vision for a transfer of power in Iran.

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NOTE: This episode was recorded before the attack on Iran.Eric and Eliot review the State of the Union and discuss Eliot’s Atlantic article on the degradation of American political rhetoric. They criticize the President’s failure to make a case for military action in Iran and discuss the potential for the operation to go sideways quickly. They also cover the outbreak of hostilities between Afghanistan and Pakistan and the Pentagon’s declaration of war on Anthropic. They then turn to returning guest Seth Jones, President of the Defense and Security Department at the Center for Strategic and International Studies and author of The American Edge: The Military Tech Nexus and the Sources of Great Power Dominance. They examine consolidation within the defense industrial base, the scale of Chinese military-industrial production, the convoluted U.S. procurement system, and lessons about munitions consumption from the war in Ukraine.The American Edge: The Military Tech Nexus and the Sources of Great Power DominanceEliot on the State of the UnionFrank Kendall on The Pentagon v AnthropicAnthropic StatementShield of the Republic is a Bulwark podcast co-sponsored by the Miller Center of Public Affairs at the University of Virginia.

Shield of the Republic is a Bulwark podcast co-sponsored by the Miller Center of Public Affairs at the University of Virginia.

Sam Stein and Will Saletan watched the the Sunday shows and give their takes on the spin after the U.S. strikes on Iran, zeroing in on the mixed messaging from Republican lawmakers defending the action. From Lindsey Graham insisting it’s “not our job” to shape Iran’s future, to Ted Cruz struggling to define an imminent threat, the hawkish case for war raises more questions than it answers. They unpack the interventionists’ victory inside Trump world, the rejection of “you break it, you own it,” and the vague comparisons to a so-called Venezuela model that doesn’t seem to apply.

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Tim Miller and Lt. Gen. Mark Hertling (Ret.) join Bill Kristol to discuss the latest developments in Iran.

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Michigan sheriff and Democratic gubernatorial candidate Chris Swanson joins John Avlon to talk about why Democrats' numbers are stuck in the mid-20s, how the party lost working-class trust, and what it would take to win it back. Swanson makes a law-and-order case for Democrats—arguing you can have a “fist of iron and a hand of velvet”—and lays out his data-driven jail reform plan that he says cut violence 97% and reduced recidivism.

Watch, listen and leave a comment. The How to Fix It with John Avlon podcast is available wherever you get your podcasts and on YouTube. Add this podcast to your player of choice, here.

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Tim Miller takes on Trump’s Texas rally—from floating Ted Cruz for the Supreme Court to teasing a “third term” and congratulating a scandal-plagued congressman. Then he relishes a staggering Truth Social filing: $3.7 million in revenue, $712 million in losses.

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Hayden Field of The Verge joins Andrew Egger to discuss the Pentagon’s fight with Anthropic and what it means for the future of AI. After Anthropic drew red lines around autonomous weapons and domestic mass surveillance, the Department of Defense responded by labeling the company a “supply chain risk” -- a designation typically reserved for foreign adversaries.

Read more from Hayden Field in The Verge, "We don’t have to have unsupervised killer robots"Read more from Andrew Egger's Morning Shots, "AI Death Machines. No Human Oversight. What Could Go Wrong?"

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Tim Miller, Sarah Longwell, JVL and Lt. Gen. Mark Hertling (Ret.) go live to discuss Trump's attacks on Iran.

The Texas Senate primary on March 3 between James Talarico and Rep. Jasmine Crockett is a toxic cesspool on Twitter. But Texas Democrats are practically giddy over how much they like both candidates. Atlantic staff writer Elaine Godfrey, who's profiled both candidates, joins the show to chat about the race and discuss why she was kicked out of a Jasmine Crockett campaign event.By Elaine Godfrey:Why I Got Thrown Out of a Jasmine Crockett RallyAudio of Elaine being kicked out: ‘Elaine From Atlantic … She Needs to Leave’Texas's PeteA Democrat for the Trump Era

Watch, listen, and leave a comment. Hit that like 🤍 button and share this episode with a friend.

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The Focus Group with Sarah Longwell is available wherever you get your podcasts and on YouTube. Click to find the show or add this podcast to your player of choice, here.

Tim Miller joins Nicolle Wallace to discuss a stunning new reality: Americans are leaving the country at record levels, the U.S. may be facing population decline, and Trump’s “golden age” looks more like national humiliation. From the Qatari jet embarrassment to foreign-backed media consolidation and escalating tensions with Iran, the conversation covers how corruption, chaos, and bad optics are colliding. Plus: brutal new polling that shows majorities questioning Trump’s honesty, competence, and abuse of power.Watch Deadline: White House on MS NOW: https://www.ms.now/deadline-white-house

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The U.S. government is ordering employees out of Israel and Iraq, the latest signal that war with Iran is approaching. Larry and David Ellison just bought Warner-Discovery and CNN.

Sarah and JVL also talk about the new John Fetterman in Maine and the primary in Texas. As well as the Kansas law targeting trans people.

Finally, they go deep on DHS, depraved indifference, and accountability. (See the piece JVL talks about here.)

Bonus: Pinball discourse. Help decide JVL’s fate in the comments.

The Secret Podcast with JVL and Sarah is exclusively for members of Bulwark+. To watch or listen to future episodes and join the Secret community in the comments become a Bulwark+ member today.

Trump’s head is stuck in the 80s so he may not have noticed that cable is dying. All he can think about is getting his greedy little hands on CNN so he can make them say nice things about him. But independent outlets—like The Bulwark— are changing the media space and are beyond the reach of a corrupted FCC. Nevertheless, our screens are going to be filled with vast quantities of pro-MAGA propaganda. Meanwhile, Mamdani played to Trump’s 80s tabloid obsession to win a favor, which was good, but it was also something that would have the left howling in disgust if Hakeem had done it. Plus, Hegseth is bullying Anthropic because he wants to mass surveil Americans, how states can legally fight back against ICE and the administration’s election meddling, and the irony of cool, edgy, masculine men behaving like women with Mar-a-Lago face.

Amanda Carpenter joins Tim Miller for the weekend pod.

show notes

* Tim and Andrew on Mamdani's latest White House visit

* Friday's "Morning Shots"

* The Focus Group Podcast on Apple and YouTube

* Protect Democracy's website

* Protect Democracy's lawsuit against ICE on behalf of Maine residents

* Protect Democracy on the Universal Constitutional Remedies Act

* Tim's playlist

* Tickets for our LIVE show in Austin on March 19: TheBulwark.com/Events.

As always: Watch, listen, hit the like button or leave a comment. We want to hear from you.

Ad-free editions of The Bulwark Podcast are available exclusively for Bulwark+ members.

The Bulwark Podcast with Tim Miller is available wherever you get podcasts and on YouTube. New shows drop each weekday afternoon. If you like the show, leave a comment and ⭐⭐⭐⭐ wherever you listen. Add The Bulwark Podcast to your player of choice, here.

Donald Trump isn’t just attacking voter ID opponents—he’s laying the groundwork to reject the midterms if Republicans lose.Will Saletan traces the throughline from 2020 to now: the claim that Democrats can only win by cheating, the endless escalation from voter ID to reopening old elections, and the growing chorus inside the GOP repeating the same message.

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Sam Stein, JVL, Catherine Rampell, and Sonny Bunch respond to Paramount taking over Warner Bros. Discovery after Netflix walked away. The deal, still pending regulatory approvals, would put CNN, HBO, and CBS under one Trump-backed company.

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Tim Miller and Andrew Egger give their takes on the shocking and strangely stylish White House visit by Zohran Mamdani, who met with Trump to discuss housing plans. They break down Mamdani’s strategy of engaging Trump directly, the optics of the now-viral meeting photo, and whether Mamdani managed to “mog” the president or simply played to Trump’s ego. Is Mamdani’s approach political genius, dangerous flirtation with Trump’s brand, or just effective results-oriented dealmaking?

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Tim Miller, Will Sommer and Sam Stein give their takes on down two of the strangest—and most troubling developments in MAGA media right now. First: Nick Shirley promotes a gross "documentary" targeting Jewish people and why anti-Semitic tropes keep surfacing in so-called investigative content. Then the trio goes deep on the premiere of Candace Owens’s “Bride of Charlie” series about Erika Kirk. Owens attempts to build a murder conspiracy out of birth certificate discrepancies, Swedish Freemasons, Marine Corps symbolism, charter schools, bees, gambling great-grandmothers, and Jewish Studies departments. Does any of it amount to evidence? Or is this what happens when engagement becomes the only goal?

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No matter how often Trump tries to change the subject, he keeps getting caught in his own attempted diversions. He blames Somali immigrants for importing bribery, corruption, and lawlessness while he sits behind the resolute desk taking a million dollar bribe to b***h about a new bridge. Or he showcases the US men's hockey team while his lying FBI director gets caught red-handed pretending he just happened to be in Italy when the team was playing. And the more Trump tries to run away from the Epstein case, the more blatant the administration's cover-up becomes. Plus, distancing from the craziest parts of the DSA is part of the anti-authoritarian project, Mamdani and AOC have avoided some of their fan base's worst impulses, Newsom put his name on a number of policies that will dog his ambitions, and the Dems need to reclaim improving public schools as one of their key issues.

The Atlantic’s Jon Chait joins Tim Miller.

show notes

* Tim's 'Bulwark Take' on the Epstein records connected to Trump

* Jon on the new Michigan-Canada bridge

* Jon on the 2028 problems for Gavin

* Jon on the corrupt circumstances around Bari at CBS

* Tim on David Frum's podcast

* Tickets for our LIVE show in Austin on March 19: TheBulwark.com/Events.

As always: Watch, listen, hit the like button or leave a comment. We want to hear from you.

Ad-free editions of The Bulwark Podcast are available exclusively for Bulwark+ members.

The Bulwark Podcast with Tim Miller is available wherever you get your podcasts and on YouTube. New shows drop each weekday afternoon. If you like the show, leave a comment and ⭐⭐⭐⭐ wherever you listen. Add The Bulwark Podcast to your player of choice, here.

In a new edition of Command Post, Retired Lt. Gen. Mark Hertling and Ben Parker give their takes on Trump’s military-heavy State of the Union address, including Trump’s claim that Iran’s nuclear program was “obliterated” even as he suggests military action. They break down how the speech leaned more on ceremony and applause lines than on strategy, vision, or a clear explanation of U.S. national security goals. Former General Hertling also explains why praising military service without explaining its purpose risks misunderstanding the meaning of sacrifice, and why the State of the Union is meant to be more than a performance, it’s supposed to inform Congress and the American people about the country’s direction.

Have a question that you'd like us to consider for a future episode of Command Post? Send an email to commandpost@thebulwark.com. Please include your name, how to say it and where you're located.

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Tim Miller is joined by reporter Roger Sollenberger to discuss Sollenberger’s reporting on Epstein-related records connected to Donald Trump. Roger breaks down the documents from a survivor who allegedly accused Trump of abuse as a minor, the interviews conducted by the FBI, and claims that portions of the investigative files were held by DOJ. They also examine document logs, slideshow materials listing prominent names associated with the Epstein investigation, and allegations that transparency obligations required by law related to the Epstein files were not met.

Roger Sollenberger Substack

DOJ Deleted Record Revealing That Maxwell Holds Potential Blackmail Over Trump

DOJ Removed Record of Multiple FBI Interviews with Underage Trump Accuser, Epstein Data Shows

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Sam Stein, Sonny Bunch, and Ben Parker give their takes on a Wall Street Journal story about a DC tax policy expert who made nearly $500,000 betting that Elon Musk wouldn’t actually cut federal spending, a wager that turned out to be almost free money. They break down how the bet worked, why it was such a lock, how political betting markets create openings for insider trading, and just how absurd some of these political wagers have become.

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For just under two hours, Trump in his State of the Union address lied about the state of the economy, the cost of living, his tariffs, and even his immigration policy—claiming that he favors legal immigration while his armed, masked goons grab and imprison people who followed the law. And if Americans didn’t hear Trump discuss any real policy proposals in speech, it might be because he’s a bit distracted with his quest to capture more media outlets, including his longtime nemesis, CNN. Trump’s attempt to silence dissent has become the signature of his presidency. Plus, the paradoxes and conflicting signals on Iran, the sellout of bipartisan support for Ukraine, Vance finally has a job as VP, and POTUS only allows robotically remixed, Fox fever-dream women in his Cabinet.

Susan Glasser joins Tim Miller.

show notes

* Susan's column on the SOTU

* Susan on Trump's attacks on free speech

* Josh Barro's new pod, "Central Air"

* Tickets are now on sale for our LIVE shows in Dallas on March 18 and in Austin on March 19. TheBulwark.com/Events.

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The Bulwark Podcast with Tim Miller is available wherever you get your podcasts and on YouTube. New shows drop each weekday afternoon. If you like the show, leave a comment and ⭐⭐⭐⭐ wherever you listen. Add The Bulwark Podcast to your player of choice, here.

After the State of the Union, Tim Miller spoke with Pete Buttigieg for a rapid-fire breakdown of the speech. They took on affordability, immigration, corruption, AI, corporate capitulation to Trump, and what Democrats need to do differently.

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Sarah Longwell is joined by CNN legal analyst Elliot Williams to break down Trump’s latest legal battles—from the Supreme Court limiting his tariff plan to a judge holding ICE in contempt for ignoring court orders.They also discuss the FCC targeting late-night shows, questions about DOJ independence after Trump put his face on the building, and new reporting on the Epstein files.

show notes

* Sarah and Andrew Weissmann discuss SCOTUS’s tariff ruling, here.

* By Elliot: Five Bullets—The Story of Bernie Goetz, New York’s Explosive ‘80s, and the Subway Vigilante Trial That Divided the Nation

* ON SALE NOW: Bulwark Live in Texas at TheBulwark.com/Events

Watch, listen and leave a comment.

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The Illegal News with Sarah Longwell, formerly known as George Conway Explains It All (to Sarah Longwell), is available wherever you get your podcasts and on YouTube. Leave us a review and ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ so more people can find this important show from The Bulwark.

Marjorie Taylor Greene suddenly wants civility?Tim join "Katy Tur Reports" on MS NOW to take on MTG’s call to “get politics out of everything”—and why that argument misses the point entirely. Plus: does the GOP have a Nazi problem, why Trump won’t disown extremists, and what’s really driving voters away from him (hint: it’s not the tweets).Watch Katy Tur Reports on MS NOW: https://www.ms.now/katy-tur-reports

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Sarah Longwell, Tim Miller, and JVL run through a packed episode: explosive new questions about the Epstein files and whether Trump’s DOJ is shielding him, the Supreme Court’s tariff ruling (and the three justices who would green-light almost anything), and what it means for the midterms. They also discuss Kristi Noem’s completely fabricated “cannibal” story, Laura Loomer pressuring Trump to go after Netflix, Make-a-Wish kid Kash Patel, and the messy Senate primary in Texas.

Watch, listen, and leave a comment.

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Apart from all the lies MAGA is forced to say in defense of Donald Trump, the movement is actually better at political organizing than Democrats. So while the Dems can pull off the massive No Kings rallies, the protests are just one day and the energy can fizzle away. But MAGA is really focused on turning out the vote so they can win. And they got the idea from the big tent campaign tactics that Obama deployed in 2008 and 2012. Plus, some advice on how Dem candidates can turn their communications into a superpower—like stop proposing solutions when voters are mad and just want to vent.

The New Yorker’s Charles Duhigg joins Tim Miller.

show notes

* Charles's piece, "What MAGA Can Teach Democrats About Organizing—and Infighting"

* Charles's book, "Supercommunicators: How to Unlock the Secret Language of Connection"

* Tickets are now on sale for our LIVE shows in Dallas on March 18 and in Austin on March 19. TheBulwark.com/Events.

As always: Watch, listen, hit the like button or leave a comment. We want to hear from you.

Ad-free editions of The Bulwark Podcast are available exclusively for Bulwark+ members.

The Bulwark Podcast with Tim Miller is available wherever you get podcasts and on YouTube. New shows drop each weekday afternoon. If you like the show, leave a comment and ⭐⭐⭐⭐ wherever you listen. Add The Bulwark Podcast to your player of choice, here.

Will Saletan gives his take on Donald Trump’s escalating war against anyone who refuses to show total loyalty, including his own appointees. After the Supreme Court ruled against Trump on tariffs, the president lashed out at the justices, even targeting justices he nominated. But it’s not just the Supreme Court, it’s also Jerome Powell, Republican senators, governors, and lawmakers who dared to exercise independent judgment. In Trump’s eyes, if you cross him, you’re a traitor.

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Read the latest Morning Shots newsletter:

Candace Owens just dropped a trailer for her new “Bride of Charlie” series—and it is something else. Tim Miller and Will Sommer discuss the wild claims, the "handler" plotline, the Romania detour, and the right-wing civil war it’s fueling. Plus: Tucker Carlson’s latest White House visit, his clash with Mike Huckabee over Israel and Iran, and why parts of MAGA are threatening to revolt.

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Sam Stein is joined by Drew Harwell of The Washington Post to talk about his reporting on one of the most disturbing viral stories of the year. Ben Palmer, a Nashville comedian, set up a fake ICE deportation tip line and watched as Americans flooded it with calls. The callers weren’t trolls. They were neighbors, coworkers, even a kindergarten teacher, calmly trying to get families deported. What began as a prank by Palmer turned into a horrifying window into people's worst instincts.Read more from Drew's reporting: https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2026/02/20/fake-ice-tip-line-viral/

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With a shooting at Mar-a-Lago and some real counterterrorism issues associated with Trump's threat of war on Iran, Kash Patel probably had more important matters to attend to than shotgunning beer with the U.S. hockey team. And the team itself might have remembered that Patel himself is standing in the way of investigating the murders of Alex Pretti and Renee Good. But too many people at the top don't give a crap, and others are taking their cue. And that includes the larger media, which has moved on from Minnesota, even though women are having to resort to giving birth at home out of fear that federal agents will snatch family members in the labor & delivery ward. Meanwhile Trump is aggressively promoting regime change in Iran, and Sam Altman sounds like he thinks Neo was the bad guy in "The Matrix." Plus, does Netanyahu's role in helping get Trump back into power—and perhaps pushing him to war— open up a political opportunity for Dems to put pressure on Israel?

JVL joins Tim Miller.

show notes

* Tim plays the guest on Bill's "Bulwark on Sunday"

* Sonny and Tim assess the aesthetics of Trump's performance at his press conference

* JVL's "Triad" about what he saw in Minnesota

* The Wright Thompson Bulwark pod interview that Tim referenced

* The Atlantic on the other aid programs being cut

* Tickets are now on sale for our LIVE shows in Dallas on March 18 and in Austin on March 19. TheBulwark.com/Events.

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The Bulwark Podcast with Tim Miller is available wherever you get podcasts and on YouTube. New shows drop each weekday afternoon. If you like the show, leave a comment and ⭐⭐⭐⭐ wherever you listen. Add The Bulwark Podcast to your player of choice, here.

Sam Stein and Will Sommer go live to discuss the Kash Patel Olympics controversy—from the FBI jet questions to that now-viral hockey locker room moment. Plus: the blowback from Tucker Carlson’s sit-down with Mike Huckabee, and a James Fishback update after Byron Donalds labeled him a fake groyper.

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Doctor Atul Gawande joins Mona to take on the hardening myths about COVID, the collapse of USAID, and the dangerous assault on American science.

The Mona Charen Show is a weekly, one-on-one discussion that goes in depth on political and cultural topics. New shows drop Mondays. Find this show wherever you get your podcasts and on YouTube. Add the show to …

Eric and Eliot debate the merits and deficiencies of Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s attempt to present “Trumpism with a human face” at the Munich Security Conference before turning to the dilemmas Trump faces in Iran. They discuss the administration’s uncertain strategic objective, the failure to consult Congress and the public, and the potential for a much longer military engagement than Trump is accustomed to. In the second half of the show, they welcome Hoover Institution Senior Fellow Frank Dikötter to discuss his newly published book, Red Dawn Over China: How Communism Conquered a Quarter of Humanity. They explore the weakness of the communist movement before World War II; the extensive role Soviet support played in sustaining it and in equipping and training what would become the People’s Liberation Army; the deep Stalinist ideological impact on the party; and the extraordinary violence and barbarity the CCP inflicted on the Chinese populace in the territories it occupied.

Red Dawn Over China: How Communism Conquered a Quarter of Humanity:

https://a.co/d/0d3ozDuB

Eliot on Marco Rubio’s Munich Speech (Gift Link):

https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/2026/02/marco-rubio-munich/686025/?gift=KGDC3VdV8jaCufvP3bRsPv8cuxRM97HlBS7AWRa8x2QShield of the Republic is a Bulwark podcast co-sponsored by the Miller Center of Public Affairs at the University of Virginia.

Shield of the Republic is a Bulwark podcast co-sponsored by the Miller Center of Public Affairs at the University of Virginia.

Bill Kristol and Tim Miller go live on Sunday—fresh off their Minneapolis trip.Read JVL's The Triad newsletter, "What I Saw at the Battle of Minneapolis"

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Rahm Emanuel joins John Avlon to argue that Washington needs a full reset—age limits across all three branches, bans on congressional stock trading, strict Supreme Court ethics rules, and an end to “investor days” in the Oval Office.

Watch, listen and leave a comment. The How to Fix It with John Avlon podcast is available wherever you get your podcasts and on YouTube. Add this podcast to your player of choice, here.

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Sam Stein is joined by Columbia Heights Superintendent Zena Stenvik for a sobering conversation about what happened when ICE began targeting families in her school district. After multiple students were detained, including five-year-old Liam Ramos, Stenvik describes how her community mobilized, how schools shifted to online learning out of fear, and why she says “we can never normalize this.” It’s a firsthand account of how Trump's national immigration policy collides with real kids, real classrooms, and real consequences.

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Catherine Rampell is joined by Obama’s former U.S. Trade Representative Mike Froman for his take on Friday’s landmark Supreme Court ruling that struck down Trump's emergency tariffs. They explore the implications of the court’s decision on executive power, the future of U.S. trade policy under Trump, and what it means for American consumers.

Tickets are now on sale for our LIVE shows in Dallas on March 18 and in Austin on March 19. Plus, we have a handful of seats still available for our second show in Minneapolis on February 18: https://www.thebulwark.com/p/bulwark-events

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The Supreme Court struck down Trump’s sweeping tariffs in a 6–3 decision—including votes from two of his own appointees. Sarah Longwell and Andrew Weissmann explain why the Court said Congress, not the president, controls the power to tax, what the “major questions” fight was really about, and why Chief Justice Roberts appeared to take direct aim at Kavanaugh’s dissent.

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Sen. John Cornyn has been a consistent ally of President Trump. Even Trump likes him just fine...but that may not be enough to save him in Texas, because he may have just been too mild-mannered for too long. He's running against a scandal-plagued (but combative) Attorney General, and a less scandal-plagued (but also less known) newcomer. Texas Monthly writer Eric Benson joins Sarah to break down the Republican brawl in the Lone Star State.Show notes:Eric Benson's John Cornyn profile: The Last Ride of Big Bad John

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The Focus Group with Sarah Longwell is available wherever you get your podcasts and on YouTube. Click to find the show or add this podcast to your player of choice, here.

Tim Miller and Sonny Bunch give their takes on Trump’s bizarre temper tantrum after the Supreme Court ruled against his emergency tariffs. In weird mood lighting, Trump bashed the Supreme Court justices, announced new tariffs, and kept repeating stories about how much men want to kiss him.

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JVL, Sarah Longwell, Tim Miller and Sam Stein team up, live in Minneapolis, to dish on how Donald Trump kicked off his new Board of Peace by threatening to go to war with Iran and why other countries are holding people accountable in Epstein-related cases while elites in the United States have dealt with few consequences. Plus, Bill Kristol crashes the party to sling some takes about the potential field of Democratic presidential candidates in 2028.

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This ad-free video version of The Next Level is exclusively for Bulwark+ members. Click the learn about setting up this show, ad-free, on your podcast player of choice.

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Of course, SCOTUS struck down Trump’s stupid tariffs. Nearly every legal expert in America said they were unconstitutional, but we have had to live with them for more than a year. Now, he’s threatening war on Iran apparently because it’s not fair that Obama got a Nobel and he didn’t. Meanwhile, as we approach the fourth anniversary of Russia’s war on Ukraine, Putin still holds out hope he can seize all of the country. Plus, Marco is working on getting Cuba to be the next domino to fall, Trump’s Board of Peace is pushing a complete fantasy in Gaza, the battle against ICE in Minnesota is not over, and gold medal-winner Alysa Liu—a California lib, and a child of an immigrant—represents the shining city on a hill. She is America.

Michael Weiss joins Tim Miller for the weekend pod.

show notes

* Michael's Substack

* Alysa Liu's gold-winning performance

* The Gettysburg Address

* Shaun Walker on how most of Europe dismissed the intel on Putin's invasion plans

* Tim's playlist

* Tickets are now on sale for our LIVE shows in Dallas on March 18 and in Austin on March 19: TheBulwark.com/Events.

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Ad-free editions of The Bulwark Podcast are available exclusively for Bulwark+ members.

The Bulwark Podcast with Tim Miller is available wherever you get podcasts and on YouTube. New shows drop each weekday afternoon. If you like the show, leave a comment and ⭐⭐⭐⭐ wherever you listen. Add The Bulwark Podcast to your player of choice, here.

Catherine Rampell and Andrew Egger take on the breaking news that the SCOTUS has blocked Trump's tariffs.

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This week Sarah and JVL did the show with a thousand of their best friends at the Pantages Theater in downtown Minneapolis.

You’ll laugh, you’ll cry, you’ll never be able to erase the mind picture of Kid Rock and RFK Jr. as Never Nudes. Come and relive the magic with us in the comments.

The Secret Podcast with JVL and Sarah is exclusively for members of Bulwark+. To watch or listen to future episodes and join the Secret community in the comments become a Bulwark+ member today.

You can also go to the documentary’s website, TheAlabamaSolution.com, to learn more about the deaths inside Alabama’s prisons. And if you think this is an important film and an important issue, please share it with a friend.

Sonny Bunch speaks with Andrew Jarecki and Charlotte Kaufman to discuss their Oscar-nominated documentary, The Alabama Solution. Currently streaming on HBO, their documentary combines interviews, investigative journalism, and footage from within the prisons themselves obtained via contraband cellphones to reveal the horrible and dangerous living conditions of those serving time in the Alabama correctional system. It’s a documentary primed to shock the conscience, and I hope everyone out there watches it—even, perhaps especially, if you do not consider yourself a prison reform advocate.Go to https://TheAlabamaSolution.com to learn more about the deaths inside Alabama’s prisons.

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The junior senator from Minnesota joined Tim on Wednesday for the first show of a two-night Bulwark run at the historic Pantages Theatre in Minneapolis—the city that caught ICE off-guard with its "radical empathy" and kick-ass organizing skills. It was the "secret sauce" of Minnesotans that looks to have federal agents winding down their operation there. Plus, Democrats need to continue to hold the line on DHS funding, the incompetent clown atop the DoD and other loser Republicans, the Senate is fundamentally broken, and the beauty of retiring to make way for a new generation of leaders.

Sen. Tina Smith joins Tim Miller.

show notes

* Tickets are now on sale for our LIVE shows in Dallas on March 18 and in Austin on March 19: TheBulwark.com/Events.

As always: Watch, listen, hit the like button or leave a comment. We want to hear from you.

The Bulwark Podcast with Tim Miller is available wherever you get podcasts and on YouTube. New shows drop each weekday afternoon. If you like the show, leave a comment and ⭐⭐⭐⭐ wherever you listen. Add The Bulwark Podcast to your player of choice, here.

In this edition of Command Post, Ben Parker and Lt. Gen. Mark Hertling (Ret.) give their takes on the alarming report that Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth is blocking military promotions because one colonel worked for Gen. Mark Milley, a former Trump adviser turned foe. Plus, the team breaks down the “toxic leadership” behind Kristi Noem’s Coast Guard scandal and why the Trump administration’s approach to NATO at the Munich Security Conference missed the point. Europe isn’t a burden, it’s America’s secret weapon.Read more from retired Lt. Gen. Hertling:

America’s Generals Shouldn’t Face Political Loyalty Tests

Europe Is America’s Secret Weapon. And We’re Giving It Up.

Have a question that you’d like us to consider for a future episode of Command Post? Send an email to commandpost@thebulwark.com. Please include your name, how to pronounce it and where you're located.

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Andrew Egger and Jonathan Cohn give their takes on the stunning back-and-forth at the FDA over Moderna’s new mRNA flu vaccine, why the agency initially refused to even review the application, and what the sudden reversal says about political pressure inside the Trump administration’s health agencies.

Tickets are now on sale for our LIVE shows in Dallas on March 18 and in Austin on March 19. Plus, we have a handful of seats still available for our second show in Minneapolis on February 18: https://www.thebulwark.com/p/bulwark-events

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Sam Stein, Will Sommer and Jonathan Cohn give their takes on RFK Jr.’s bizarre HHS video featuring Kid Rock, whole milk in a hot tub, push-ups in jeans, cold plunges, pickleball, and the increasingly strange aesthetics of the MAHA movement. Why is the Department of Health and Human Services posting this? And who exactly is this messaging for: MAHA moms, the manosphere, or the online right? But beyond the absurd video, the trio digs into the serious policy story underneath. While RFK Jr. leans into culture-war health branding, the Trump administration is making technical but meaningful changes to the Affordable Care Act, loosening coverage requirements, and cutting federal health spending, including major reductions to Medicaid.

Tickets are now on sale for our LIVE shows in Dallas on March 18 and in Austin on March 19. Plus, we have a handful of seats still available for our second show in Minneapolis on February 18: https://www.thebulwark.com/p/bulwark-events

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Most Democratic politicians are scared to criticize each other. They also fear dinging former presidents, or the various groups that make up the party’s broad coalition. And too many Dem candidates are afraid to color outside the lines, even if voters want them to be less establishment and more like regular people. Can the party get it together before the midterms? Plus, Trump’s threat of war against Iran, and his reported intent to kill Netflix’s bid to takeover Warner Discovery—potentially giving him power over CBS, CNN, Fox, and TikTok.

The Atlantic’s Mark Leibovich joins Tim Miller.

show notes

* Mark's Atlantic piece, "The Democrats Aren’t Built for This"

* Jonathan Alter on Trump's attempt to scuttle a Netflix-Warner deal

* Tickets are now on sale for our LIVE shows in Dallas on March 18 and in Austin on March 19. Plus, we have a handful of seats still available for tonight's show in Minneapolis. TheBulwark.com/Events.

As always: Watch, listen, hit the like button or leave a comment. We want to hear from you.

Ad-free editions of The Bulwark Podcast are available exclusively for Bulwark+ members.

The Bulwark Podcast with Tim Miller is available wherever you get podcasts and on YouTube. New shows drop each weekday afternoon. If you like the show, leave a comment and ⭐⭐⭐⭐ wherever you listen. Add The Bulwark Podcast to your player of choice, here.

Sam Stein and Will Sommer give their takes on the latest lawsuit against Steve Bannon. The suit alleges investors behind a pro-Trump meme coin that Bannon promoted saw $2.7 million in transaction fees meant for charity go missing. They break down how the “FJB Coin,” launched to capitalize on the “Let’s Go Brandon” movement, promised that a portion of every transaction would go to conservative-friendly charities, but now investors claim the money can’t be accounted for. Plus, they explore Bannon’s ongoing ties to Jeffrey Epstein and what it all means for his standing in Trumpworld.Read more from Will’s reporting:

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Andrew Weissmann explains to Sarah Longwell the new filing from officials in Georgia’s Fulton County election office attacking the FBI's search of the county's election records last month. They also discuss the latest around ICE cases in Minnesota and get to Sarah's rapid fire questions.

ON SALE NOW: Bulwark Live in Minneapolis and Texas at TheBulwark.com/Events

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The Illegal News with Sarah Longwell, formerly known as George Conway Explains It All (to Sarah Longwell), is available wherever you get your podcasts and on YouTube. Leave us a review and ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ so more people can find this important show from The Bulwark.

Tim Miller and JVL give their takes on the escalating drama at CBS. The Colbert-Talarico interview controversy is less about FCC fears and more about high-stakes merger politics tied to CBS’ fight to acquire Warner Bros. Discovery. They break down Bari Weiss’ role at CBS News, the internal fight over contributor Peter Attia following disgusting emails he sent to Jeffrey Epstein, and why Weiss drove Anderson Cooper to not renew his deal at 60 Minutes.

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From FCC Chair Brendan Carr—who keeps trying to silence the political opinions of late night TV comedians, to DHS pressuring social media companies to expose anti-ICE accounts, and to the willingness of serial killer RFK, Jr and his MAHA cohort to stack up dead children so they can keep their antivax con going—it’s clear the shamelessness of MAGA knows no bounds. But even if the coalition that delivered Trump’s victory in ‘24 has been shattered, the Dems have to skip the seven-point policy plans and focus on the economy and Trump’s corruption. And Dem candidates need to do their own tweeting. Plus, the potential legal peril for Kristi and Corey, Virginia went big and bold against Republicans on redistricting, and an homage to Jesse Jackson.

Rick Wilson joins Tim Miller.

show notes

* Will Sommer on Bannon's legal trouble with his memecoin

* Jonathan on the FDA's anti-vaccine agenda

* Rick on how the pro-democracy coalition is winning

* Colbert's banned interview with James Talarico

* Abby Phillip's book on Jesse Jackson, "A Dream Deferred"

* Tickets are now on sale for our LIVE shows in Dallas on March 18 and in Austin on March 19. Plus, we have a handful of seats still available for our second show in Minneapolis on February 18. TheBulwark.com/Events.

As always: Watch, listen, hit the like button or leave a comment. We want to hear from you.

Ad-free editions of The Bulwark Podcast are available exclusively for Bulwark+ members.

The Bulwark Podcast with Tim Miller is available wherever you get podcasts and on YouTube. New shows drop each weekday afternoon. If you like the show, leave a comment and ⭐⭐⭐⭐ wherever you listen. Add The Bulwark Podcast to your player of choice, here.

Will Sommer and Lauren Egan give their takes on the unlikely rise of Louise Lucas, the 82-year-old Virginia lawmaker whose unapologetic, meme-heavy social media presence has Democrats buzzing. As Virginia Democrats push an aggressive redistricting plan, Lucas has become a lightning rod for her online trolling of Republicans, including high-profile sparring with Ted Cruz. Meanwhile, figures like Gavin Newsom and Brian Schatz are experimenting with punchy online voices of their own. Is this the future of Democratic politics and does going viral translate into votes?Read more from Lauren’s reporting: https://www.thebulwark.com/p/how-82-year-great-grandmother-louise-lucas-became-masterclass-democratic-shitposterTickets are now on sale for our LIVE shows in Dallas on March 18 and in Austin on March 19. Plus, we have a handful of seats still available for our second show in Minneapolis on February 18: https://www.thebulwark.com/p/bulwark-events

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Will Saletan takes on Marco Rubio’s warning to Europe about Chinese “extortion”—and the uncomfortable reality that Donald Trump is using America’s economic and military leverage the same way.

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George W. Bush publishes an essay praising George Washington—and the media falls all over themselves calling it a jab at Trump. JVL and Tim Miller aren’t quite buying it.

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The white Anglo-Saxon supremacy in Trumpland is so over the top that even child-of-Cuban-immigrants Marco Rubio claims America’s common cultural heritage is European. But then with a schizophrenic touch, our secretary of state went on to endorse the reelection of Viktor Orban, who has decidedly turned Hungary away from Western democratic values. In response, some high-profile Democrats weighed in, including AOC from Munich. Plus, we are constantly reminded to not trust anything DHS says, the Dems should not agree to give one more penny to ICE, and Marco: The music of The Beatles and The Rolling Stones would not have existed without African American culture.

Bill Kristol joins Tim Miller for the holiday pod.

show notes

* Monday's "Morning Shots"

* Tickets are now on sale for our LIVE shows in Dallas on March 18 and in Austin on March 19. TheBulwark.com/Events.

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Ad-free editions of The Bulwark Podcast are available exclusively for Bulwark+ members.

The Bulwark Podcast with Tim Miller is available wherever you get podcasts and on YouTube. New shows drop each weekday afternoon. If you like the show, leave a comment and ⭐⭐⭐⭐ wherever you listen. Add The Bulwark Podcast to your player of choice, here.

ICE released 31-year-old Mariela Sobrero just hours after The Bulwark published a report on her detention. Sobrero, who may have breast cancer, had been held for over a month at the Dilley facility in Texas with her three children. Sam Stein and Adrian Carrasquillo discuss what happened, why media and congressional scrutiny appears to have forced action, and what this case reveals about families and children still inside ICE detention.

Read Adrian’s latest: The Kids Aren’t Alright in Dilley

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David French discusses culture wars morphing into hot wars, partisanship, and the idiocy of threatening Greenland.

The Mona Charen Show is a weekly, one-on-one discussion that goes in depth on political and cultural topics. New shows drop Mondays. Find this show wherever you get your podcasts and on YouTube. Add the show to your player of choice, here.

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Eric and Eliot begin with a buffet of administration jackassery before pivoting to a preview of the Munich Security Conference. They discuss Under Secretary of Defense for Policy Bridge Colby's remarks, as well as German Chancellor Friedrich Merz's speech highlighting the importance of transatlantic ties. They also examine the New START treaty's recent lapse and the future of arms control, the prospect for additional U.S. strikes on Iran, and the apparent shutdown of Russian Starlink terminals. They conclude with a discussion of the ongoing international fallout from the Epstein affair and his many unexplained Russian connections.Eric and Frank Miller's Latest on New START:https://thedispatch.com/article/new-start-expiration-russia-united-states-nuclear-program/Eric and Frank Miller on NATO:https://www.nationalreview.com/2026/01/natos-not-dead/Shield of the Republic is a Bulwark podcast co-sponsored by the Miller Center of Public Affairs at the University of Virginia.

Shield of the Republic is a Bulwark podcast co-sponsored by the Miller Center of Public Affairs at the University of Virginia.

Will Sommer joins Bill Kristol to explain the ever-changing cast of characters that populate the MAGA movement.

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David Frum joins John Avlon to discuss the unprecedented scale of corruption in the Trump era—from petty self-dealing to billion-dollar enrichment—and what real accountability would look like. They talk about the Supreme Court’s presidential immunity ruling, the risk of elections that are “free but not fair,” and whether the next administration should forgive, prosecute, or fundamentally reform the system.

Watch, listen and leave a comment. The How to Fix It with John Avlon podcast is available wherever you get your podcasts and on YouTube. Add this podcast to your player of choice, here.

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On Valentine’s Day, Sarah Longwell joins Rachel Janfaza and Sarah Matthews to talk about the political dating divide shaping Gen Z. Why are so many women refusing to date Trump supporters? Are conservative men facing a numbers problem? And how did the Dobbs decision, social media, and financial anxiety turn romance into a culture war?

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More and more Trump voters are souring on his administration. But why? Inflation, immigration, and Epstein are all in the mix, but there's a giant mosaic of disappointments. We needed a second qualitative researcher to make sense of it all. Democratic pollster Margie Omero joins the show to discuss what she's heard in her own focus groups, listen to Trump voters who are down on his job performance, and check in with the Democratic base.Margie's focus groups:Trump’s Problems With Latinos Go Deeper Than the Economy14 Wellness Voters Talk Parenting, MAHA and Social Media

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The Focus Group with Sarah Longwell is available wherever you get your podcasts and on YouTube. Click to find the show or add this podcast to your player of choice, here.

Tim, JVL, and Will Sommer discuss the drama inside Turning Point USA, the trad husband hypocrisy circus surrounding Elijah Schaffer, and the jaw-dropping Wall Street Journal exposé on Kristi Noem and Corey Lewandowski—luxury jets, fake badges, blankie tantrums and all.

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Sarah and JVL discuss the Wall Street Journal exposé on Kristi Noem, Corey Lewandowski, and the internal fight over whether ICE raids should be loud and viral or quiet and deniable. They talk about why humiliation has become the price of loyalty in Trump World, why Biden is suddenly polling better than Trump on the economy, and what the backlash in Minneapolis tells us about how this moment could turn.

Sam Harris podcast with Tim and Sarah

The Secret Podcast with JVL and Sarah is exclusively for members of Bulwark+. To watch or listen to future episodes and join the Secret community in the comments become a Bulwark+ member today.

In addition to protesting and voting, we have another option hiding in plain sight against this administration: our economic power. Scott says resistance should also include unsubscribing—from one or more streaming platforms, from LLMs, or from ride hailing platforms. Stick it to the CEOs who are enabling Trump and take a piece of hide out of Big Tech, especially Tim Cook’s Apple. There should be an economic downside to supporting ICE. After all, the day Alex Pretti was murdered, Cook was at the White House for a “Melania” screening. Plus, the weak job growth numbers under Trump, the shabby state of our healthcare system, the dangers v. the benefits of AI, the unregulated predictions markets are a breeding ground for bad actors, and young men need to get off their screens, and focus on being healthy, smart, and kind.Scott Galloway joins Tim Miller for the weekend pod.

show notes

* Scott's "Resist and Unsubscribe"

* "Notes on Being a Man," Scott's latest book

* The Prof G podcasts

* "Raging Moderates" pod with Scott and Jessica Tarlov

* "Pivot" podcast with Scott and Kara Swisher

* Tim's playlist

* Tickets are now on sale for our LIVE shows in Dallas on March 18 and in Austin on March 19. Plus, we have a handful of seats still available for our second show in Minneapolis on February 18. TheBulwark.com/Events.

As always: Watch, listen, hit the like button or leave a comment. We want to hear from you.

Ad-free editions of The Bulwark Podcast are available exclusively for Bulwark+ members.

The Bulwark Podcast with Tim Miller is available wherever you get podcasts and on YouTube. New shows drop each weekday afternoon. If you like the show, leave a comment and ⭐⭐⭐⭐ wherever you listen. Add The Bulwark Podcast to your player of choice, here.

I discussed that and more with Brian Raftery, whose new book Hannibal Lecter: A Life is both the perfect Valentine’s Day gift for the love consuming your heart and a fascinating portrait of a bizarre creation from a reclusive writer. Indeed, the most interesting part of the book is the early deep dive into the life and writing of Thomas Harris, who has given just a handful of interviews over his nearly 50-year career.

Andrew Weissmann explains to Sarah Longwell why Pam Bondi’s bizarre hearing indicates deep problems at the Justice Department. From the DOJ’s handling of the Epstein files to the FBI’s raid on Georgia’s Fulton County election office, they discuss what’s happening behind the scenes—and whether core legal standards are being ignored.

ON SALE NOW: Bulwark Live in Minneapolis and Texas at TheBulwark.com/Events

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ICE failed in its operation in Minnesota because the people would not bend to their terror campaign. Minneapolis residents also maintained incredible discipline in their resistance and totally let Trump down by keeping a check on any potential riotous behavior. Meanwhile, the El Paso airport closure shows the administration’s continuing communication problems, and Bondi’s performance before the House Oversight Committee was so over-the-top bad, it’s even getting panned on the right. Plus, Bongino is a con artist and a loser, the Dems have an increasing number of pickup opportunities in red states, Nick Fuentes of all people is providing a little clarity on the state of Republicans, and exactly how many pardoned J6 insurrectionists have gone on to commit child sex abuse? We’re losing count.

Adam Kinzinger joins Tim Miller.

show notes

* Country First's campaign to push back on politicization of the National Guard

* Kinzinger on his event with Democrats in Anderson, Indiana

* Tickets are now on sale for our LIVE shows in Dallas on March 18 and in Austin on March 19. Plus, we have a handful of seats still available for our second show in Minneapolis on February 18. TheBulwark.com/Events.

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Sen. Mark Kelly joins Sam Stein to explain just how close the country came to a constitutional crisis. He discusses the grand jury’s rejection, the chilling effect on retired service members, and why he believes this fight is far from over—including what Mike Johnson and Republican leaders are (and aren’t) doing about it.

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When the White House starts moving military lawyers into immigration courts, you want people who’ve actually been there to explain what that means. Ben Parker, Retired General Mark Hertling and former JAG officer, combat advisor, and federal prosecutor Margaret Donovan break down what happens when you pull legal advisers out of war rooms and drop them into political fights, and why that could have real consequences for military readiness and the rule of law.JAGs Shouldn’t Be Civilian Prosecutors

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Tim and JVL go through various moments from Pam Bondi's hearing in the Congressional Oversight Committee, in which she evades, lies, and covers for Donald Trump.

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The DOJ tried to criminally indict six lawmakers for reminding service members to obey the Constitution, and a grand jury refused to go along. But even after the charges failed, Speaker Mike Johnson suggested they “probably” should have been indicted. JVL and Andrew Egger discuss what the failed prosecution says about Trump’s Justice Department, the resilience of juries, and the growing willingness of Republican leadership to flirt with red lines that once seemed unthinkable.

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Trump may keep telling Ukrainians their country is about to collapse, and Putin may keep bombing their power plants—leaving them miserably cold during one of the harshest winters in years— but Ukrainians are not giving up, and they’re not backing down. On the streets of Kyiv, Kharkiv, and Odessa, Ben found defiance, the will to fight and survive, and a still lingering sentimental attachment to America. But during his recent visit, he also felt embarrassed to be American because of our own resident bully who constantly manufactures faux problems for us to fight about—like the 2020 Fulton County vote count, yet again. Plus, the disorganization and staff shortages in the US Attorneys offices and a tribute from a former Postie to the great news organization Jeff Bezos is vandalizing.

Ben Wittes joins Tim Miller.

show notes

* Support Ben's Ukraine battery project on Venmo

* Ben's photo essay from Ukraine

* Tickets are now on sale for our LIVE shows in Dallas on March 18 and in Austin on March 19. Plus, a small number of seats are still available for our second show in Minneapolis on February 18. TheBulwark.com/Events.

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The Bulwark Podcast with Tim Miller is available wherever you get podcasts and on YouTube. New shows drop each weekday afternoon. If you like the show, leave a comment and ⭐⭐⭐⭐ wherever you listen. Add The Bulwark Podcast to your player of choice, here.

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Follow Paul Krugman on Substack.

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JVL, Sarah Longwell, and Tim Miller relish Trump’s losing streak—from +6 approval to –14—and why slipping GOP support could signal a Bush-style collapse. They also get into inflation backlash, the White House’s “Don’t Be a Panican” spin, and the early cracks forming inside MAGA. Is this the start of a 2006-level wave?

See the gang live in Minneapolis on February 18 or in Texas, March 18 & 19. For Bulwark Live show details and to get tickets go TheBulwark.com/Events.

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Not only did Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick go to the Epstein island, a sultan from the UAE, who sent a “torture video” to Epstein, also attended Trump’s first inaugural. That would be the same country where the royal family secretly bought half of the Trump family’s crypto venture—right before he was inaugurated a second time. For some reason, Sultan bin Sulayem was one of six powerful and wealthy men whose names were redacted in the Epstein files by the DOJ. Thank you, congressmen Khanna and Massie. Also, Lauren Boebert saw something in the unredacted files that led her to call for Ghislaine Maxwell to be moved back to a higher security prison. Plus, the administration wants to be feared but also loved, the benefits of being on Bluesky, and a eulogy for The Washington Post’s sports section.

Jane Coaston joins Tim Miller.

show notes

* Jane's podcast, "What A Day"

* Barron's on how there's only one enforcement lawyer left in the Chicago CFTC

* Crooked Media on Substack

* Tickets are now on sale for our LIVE shows in Dallas on March 18 and in Austin on March 19. Plus, a small number of seats are still available for our second show in Minneapolis on February 18. TheBulwark.com/Events.

As always: Watch, listen, hit the like button or leave a comment. We want to hear from you.

Ad-free editions of The Bulwark Podcast are available exclusively for Bulwark+ members.

The Bulwark Podcast with Tim Miller is available wherever you get podcasts and on YouTube. New shows drop each weekday afternoon. If you like the show, leave a comment and ⭐⭐⭐⭐ wherever you listen. Add The Bulwark Podcast to your player of choice, here.

Sam Stein, Tim Miller, and Will Sommer break down the bizarre, disturbing, and increasingly influential world of “looksmaxxing” and the internet personality at its center, Clavicular. The trio give their takes on how a 20-year-old influencer built a massive following by bone smashing his face, abusing steroids and meth, and livestreaming chaos all while becoming a minor celebrity in right-wing online culture. They explain the strange vocabulary (mogging, jestermaxxing, foids), the overlap with incel ideology, and why figures like Clavicular matter politically, even if you wish you’d never heard of them.Read more of Will's reporting on Clavicular, here.

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Sam Stein and Catherine Rampell give their takes on why Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick faces zero consequences for lying about his contact with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. The files reveal family trips, business deals, and charitable donations between Lutnick and Epstein, contradicting his claims that he cut off contact with him in 2005. They break down how other governments, including the UK, Slovakia, and Norway have forced resignations or investigations over Epstein ties, and why the Trump administration is shrugging off any accountability for Lutnick's lies.

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JVL, Sarah Longwell, and Adrian Carrasquillo give their takes on the record-breaking Super Bowl halftime show by Bad Bunny. The Puerto Rican superstar delivered a joyful, confident, massively popular performance and MAGA promptly lost its mind. The trio break down why Bad Bunny’s show worked, why Kid Rock’s conservative counter-programming flopped, and what it all says about Trump losing his grip on American culture.

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Trump of course hated Bad Bunny's halftime performance, but even he wasn't running the Turning Point alternative at Mar-a-Lago. And a couple of Olympic skiers expressing disapproval of ICE or calling for love and respect for immigrants and their fellow Americans sent MAGA into hyperdrive—with calls for the athletes to be denaturalized and deported. Meanwhile, Kash Patel stopped an investigation into the killing of Renee Good because it could make Trump look bad, and this is the week for Dems to stay on offense over the DHS funding bill. Plus, Jon Ossoff hit the right notes in a key speech in Georgia, the National Review is reporting on Trump's corruption, Lutnick did George Costanza-grade lying over his business ties to Epstein, and no, Tim is not running for Senate.

Bill Kristol joins Tim Miller.

show notes

* Monday's "Morning Shots"

* Bill's "Bulwark on Sunday" with Ron Brownstein

* Tim's 'Bulwark Take' on the National Review's reporting on Trump's corruption

* Tim and Andrew on how Dems may be winning the DHS funding fight

* Tickets are now on sale for our LIVE shows in Dallas on March 18 and in Austin on March 19. Plus, a small number of seats are still available for our second show in Minneapolis on February 18. TheBulwark.com/Events.

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Mona is joined by the Atlantic’s Peter Wehner to discuss the psychology of MAGA and why defeating them must be the precursor to depolarization.

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The Mona Charen Show is a weekly, one-on-one discussion that goes in depth on political and cultural topics. New shows drop Mondays. Find this show wherever you get your podcasts and on YouTube. Add the show to your player of choice, here.

Eric and Eliot welcome back friend of the show Kori Schake, Senior Fellow and Director of Foreign and Defense Policy Studies at the American Enterprise Institute, to discuss her new book, The State and the Soldier: A History of Civil-Military Relations in the United States. They explore Kori’s critique of Samuel Huntington’s canonical study, The Soldier and the State, examine George Washington’s consequential resignation of his commission before the Continental Congress, and discuss the role of charismatic but unhinged military figures in American politics, as well as the relationship between civilians and military officers when executing orders. The State and the Soldier: A History of Civil-Military Relations in the United States: https://a.co/d/0biIePiPThe Soldier and the State: The Theory and Politics of Civil–Military Relations:https://a.co/d/0dsgKaLr

Shield of the Republic is a Bulwark podcast co-sponsored by the Miller Center of Public Affairs at the University of Virginia.

Shield of the Republic is a Bulwark podcast co-sponsored by the Miller Center of Public Affairs at the University of Virginia.

Tim Miller takes on a stunning National Review series that details the scale of Trump’s crypto corruption—dwarfing anything ever alleged about Biden—and explains how Trump’s crypto business operated as a pay-to-play system for foreign money, why Republican oversight collapsed, and why it matters that conservatives are finally starting to say it out loud.

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Senior CNN political analyst Ron Brownstein joins Bill Kristol to discuss the Democrats chances of winning the Senate during the 2026 midterms.

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Last year, Principles First was hit with bomb threats serious enough to bring in law enforcement, simply for standing up on principle. It was a sign of how dangerous American politics has become when dissent is treated as a threat.John Avlon and Heath Mayo of Principles First examine the erosion of democratic norms on the right, from political intimidation and executive overreach to the collapse of congressional courage. They also focus on solutions: protecting elections and judges, restoring checks and balances, and rebuilding a politics rooted in constitutional limits, character, and courage.

Watch, listen and leave a comment. The How to Fix It with John Avlon podcast is available wherever you get your podcasts and on YouTube. Add this podcast to your player of choice, here.

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Tim Miller, Catherine Rampell, and Will Sommer give their takes on the rise of the infomercial wing of the GOP. From ShamWow and MyPillow to the ambassador selling blood-flow vitamins and miracle sleep aids, they unpack how selling stuff became a political credential and why Trump’s brand of politics made it inevitable.

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Why are Gen Z men drifting right while Gen Z women move left? And why do right-wing zoomers think the gender gap is so wide? Sarah Longwell talks with the newest Bulwark contributor Rachel Janfaza, founder of The Up and Up, to analyze new focus groups of Gen Z Trump voters. They also get into these voters' Trump fatigue on foreign policy, why a future JD Vance presidential run isn't appealing, and whether these voters could ever date someone across the political divide.Show notes:Rachel in Vox: The quiet reason why Trump is losing Gen ZNovember 2025: Rachel Janfaza on The Focus Group Podcast

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Andrew Egger and Joe Perticone give their takes on the growing wave of House Republicans announcing their exits as the midterms approach. They break down why Nevada Rep. Mark Amodei and others are heading for the door, how Trump’s iron grip over Congress has made life miserable even for Freedom Caucus hardliners, and why the prospect of being in the minority is driving GOP members to run for the hills.

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Tim Miller and Adrian Carrasquillo joined Nicolle Wallace to relish the moment JD Vance was loudly booed at the Winter Olympics. They also talked about MAGA’s meltdown over Bad Bunny to growing signs of global and cultural rejection, and how Trumpworld’s behavior is turning into a real political liability.Watch Deadline: White House on MS NOW: https://www.ms.now/deadline-white-house

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Donald Trump posts an overtly racist video, Republicans briefly squirm, and the usual defenses start to crack. JVL and Sarah Longwell explain why this moment exposed GOP cowardice, how Trump’s vanity and distractions are starting to cost him politically, and what billionaire media self-destruction says about power, accountability, and the institutions being hollowed out.

The Secret Podcast with JVL and Sarah is exclusively for members of Bulwark+. To watch or listen to future episodes and join the Secret community in the comments become a Bulwark+ member today.

Trump casually posted a racist video and the White House essentially told Americans to calm down. Convicted felons are being treated better than rounded-up immigrants in detention centers. And the evangelicals' favorite president doesn't seem to understand the meaning of the word, prayer. Still, Republicans on The Hill are seeing the broad unpopularity of ICE's behavior in Minnesota and may be starting to distance themselves from the policies they funded. Plus, a simple measure beyond masks that could really rein in ICE, the extensive structural damage at the DOJ, trads keep rationalizing cruelty, and why is SCOTUS taking so long on the tariffs case? Also, Tim puts David in the squirm chair with a Kid Rock v. Bad Bunny lyrics quiz.David French joins Tim Miller for the Super Bowl weekend pod.

show notes

* David on ending immunity for federal agents

* Chris Geidner on government lawyer Julie Le

* David's tweet about "tradlife"

* Tim, Sam, and Will Sommer on Elijah Schaefer

* JVL on the Beatitudes in "The Triad"

* David's recent piece on liberalism

* The NYT on Katie Britt

* Tim's playlist

* Tickets are now on sale for our LIVE shows in Dallas on March 18 and in Austin on March 19. Plus, a small number of seats are still available for our second show in Minneapolis on February 18. TheBulwark.com/Events.

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Sam Stein, Tim Miller, and Andrew Egger react to Trump's racist video last night depicting Barack and Michelle Obama as apes. As the White House defends the post, Republicans like Sen. Tim Scott are "praying it was fake because it’s the most racist thing I’ve seen out of this White House" and calling for it be removed.

It’s opening wide on February 13, and I really hope you check it out. I may write a hair more about it in my newsletter though I probably won’t review it properly as I try not to review movies made by people I’ve interviewed so as to avoid the appearance of a conflict of interest. (Ethics, baby!) That said, I strongly recommend going to see it in a movie theater if for no other reason then to demonstrate that there is an audience for original films with a clear point of view and something to say about our world and our moment.

Sarah Longwell and CNN legal analyst Elliott Williams walk through a stunning week of norm-breaking: the arrest of journalists after a Minnesota protest, Trump hovering over federal law enforcement, an FBI raid on a Georgia election office, and open talk of "nationalizing" U.S. elections. They also discuss Trump’s jaw-dropping $10 billion lawsuit against the IRS and his move to take over—and potentially shut down—the Kennedy Center.

show notes:Read the Don Lemon indictmentRead Trump's $10 billion lawsuitON SALE NOW: Bulwark Live in Minneapolis and Texas at TheBulwark.com/Events

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The Illegal News with Sarah Longwell, formerly known as George Conway Explains It All (to Sarah Longwell), is available wherever you get your podcasts and on YouTube. Leave us a review and ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ so more people can find this important show from The Bulwark.

Tim Miller and Catherine Rampell give their takes on the crypto crash, why Bitcoin and meme coins are plunging, and what the sell-off says about speculation, interest rates, and the broader economy. They break down why crypto hasn’t held up as an inflation hedge, how rising rates are squeezing risky assets, and why Trump-world’s deep exposure to crypto and speculative stocks suddenly looks a lot more precarious.

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Tim Miller, Sam Stein, and Will Sommer give their takes on the chaotic scandal surrounding far-right influencer Elijah Schaefer. After disappearing from his online show, Schaefer reemerged with a black eye, paranoid Rumble rants, and a series of increasingly bizarre videos, including wandering through a flooded hotel. The fallout has pulled in secret audio recordings, trad Catholic influencer drama, Milo Yiannopoulos, online feuds, and renewed scrutiny of Schaefer’s self-styled role as a “family values” enforcer on the right as he faces a sex scandal.Read more from Will's reporting

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The massive layoffs at Jeff Bezos's Washington Post involve more than just the financial situation at the paper. The Amazon founder's real priority is keeping Donald Trump happy so the money keeps flowing from his lucrative government contracts. And the man worth $260 billion will do what it takes, even if that means hollowing out a great news organization and potentially turning it into a MAGA-friendly outlet. Maybe having the economy so dependent on government contracts—with an erratic, megalomaniac at the top of the food chain—is not such a good idea. The former executive editor at The Post says Bezos should turn the paper into a nonprofit. Plus, the origin story of "Democracy Dies in Darkness," and the profiteering and corruption in the administration is not getting the press attention it deserves.

Marty Baron joins Tim Miller.show notes

* Marty's book, "Collision of Power: Trump, Bezos, and The Washington Post"

* Tickets on sale Friday for our LIVE shows in Dallas and Austin in March, and our second Minnesota show is selling out. Go to: TheBulwark.com/Events.

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The Bulwark Podcast with Tim Miller is available wherever you get podcasts and on YouTube. New shows drop each weekday afternoon. If you like the show, leave a comment and ⭐⭐⭐⭐ wherever you listen. Add The Bulwark Podcast to your player of choice, here.

Tim Miller joins Katy Tur on MS NOW with his take on what the newly released Epstein documents reveal about Jeffrey Epstein, but about how few powerful adults were willing to say no, draw a line, or walk away when it mattered. Tim also responds to Steve Bannon’s threats for ICE to surround the polls ahead of the 2026 midterm elections and what Stephen Miller’s continued influence inside Trump’s orbit says about the current state of Republican politics.Watch Katy Tur Reports on MS NOW: https://www.ms.now/katy-tur-reports

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In this edition of Command Post, Lt. Gen. Mark Hertling (Ret.) joins Ben Parker to break down the surprising clash between the Department of Defense and Scouting America (formerly Boy Scouts). Secretary Hegseth is threatening to cut support for Scouting America over DEI policies and integrated troops, but is this really what the Pentagon should be focusing on? Hertling explains why the Scouts’ values like honor, service, and leadership align with military priorities, and why Hegseth’s fight seems out of touch.We also also viewer questions questions about Iranian drone threats to U.S. carriers, Canadian-American military cooperation & NORAD, and maintaining global alliances despite political turbulence.Have a question that you'd like us to consider for a future episode of Command Post? Send an email to commandpost@thebulwark.com. Please include your name, how to say it and where you're located.

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Tim Miller and Andrew Egger give their takes on why Democrats may actually be winning the fight over DHS and ICE funding, even as critics on both the left and right accuse Democratic leadership of weakness. With a partial government shutdown looming, Democrats managed to fund the rest of the government while isolating DHS, forcing Republicans to defend some of ICE’s most unpopular and constitutionally questionable practices.

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Donald Trump is going to do everything he can to hold onto his near monopoly on power after the midterms. Beyond his scheme to invoke the Insurrection Act through a riot he’s trying to will into being in Minneapolis, he could also declare foreign election interference—or claim there was skullduggery afoot in Los Angeles or Georgia precincts. Anything to stall or stop the new Congress from being seated. Who’s going to stop him? Meanwhile, America will get the short end of the stick under his stupid new National Security Strategy. Plus, Dem elites since 2016 have failed to appreciate the economic despair among so many Americans, and some spiritual guidance for getting back to the moral and political pillars of the Declaration of Independence.

Marianne Williamson and Bob Kagan join Tim Miller.show notes

* Bob's recent piece in The Atlantic

* Marianne's Substack

* Due to popular demand, we've added a second show in Minneapolis on Wednesday, February 18. Tickets are now on sale at TheBulwark.com/Events.

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Sam Stein, JVL, and Semafor’s Max Tani react to the Washington Post laying off roughly one-third of its newsroom staff, cutting entire desks, and shutting down major areas of coverage—including foreign bureaus during an active war. They break down what happened, who made the decisions, and why this collapse didn’t have to happen.

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Tim Miller and Sam Stein give their takes on Donald Trump’s explosive White House press conference, where he lashed out at CNN’s Kaitlan Collins, dismissed questions about the Epstein files, and once again showed how comfortable he is attacking female reporters. They explain why Trump’s treatment of Collins was especially revealing, how it fits his long-standing pattern of defending powerful men accused of abuse, and why the press corps’ failure to step in matters more than people realize.They also break down Speaker Mike Johnson openly casting doubt on the legitimacy of U.S. elections while admitting he has no evidence of fraud. Tim and Sam explain why Johnson’s comments are not a slip or rhetorical excess, but a deliberate signal and why the real threat may come on the back end of the election, through stalling, lawsuits, and refusal to seat members.

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Sam Stein gives his take on the good news out of Congress. After years of inexplicable delays, political dysfunction, and gut-wrenching defeats, the Give Kids a Chance Act has finally passed and is set to become law. The bipartisan bill will expand pediatric cancer research by allowing the FDA to study combination drug therapies, opening new funding streams, and cutting bureaucratic red tape that has long slowed progress for kids with cancer. Sam walks through how this widely supported legislation was repeatedly sidelined, including Elon Musk’s intervention, Senate procedural roadblocks, and last-minute objections that left families and advocates devastated.

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JVL, Sarah Longwell, and Tim Miller talk about the new Epstein file releases and what they reveal about elite weakness, Peter Attia’s emails, the effort to rehabilitate Epstein after prison, and why this isn’t “cancel culture.” They also discuss what the FBI's raid of an election center in Georgia and Donald Trump's talk about nationalizing elections means for the midterms and beyond.

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From dads standing guard at school doors, to Costco moms delivering food to people afraid to leave home, and to the ICE spotters patrolling the streets— everyday Minnesotans have been standing up to the Trump administration’s terror campaign with a vibrant sense of community that Stephen Miller apparently did not even consider a possibility. And while most of the rank-and-file activists are not particularly ideological, leftwing protestors are now creating tensions as they try to play a more visible role with dumpster fires and barricades. Plus, Tim makes an urgent plea to the Democratic candidates in the Texas Senate race to skip the racial politics and focus instead on what voters care about.

Minneapolis activist and social media firebrand Will Stancil joins Tim Miller.show notes

* Due to popular demand, we're adding a second show in Minneapolis on Wednesday, February 18. Tickets go on sale Feb 4. Check TheBulwark.com/Events.

* The Atlantic on the neo-Nazi cartoon where Will is the main character

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The Bulwark Podcast with Tim Miller is available wherever you get podcasts and on YouTube. New shows drop each weekday afternoon. If you like the show, leave a comment and ⭐⭐⭐⭐ wherever you listen. Add The Bulwark Podcast to your player of choice, here.

Tim Miller, Sam Stein, and Will Sommer give their takes on the latest wave of Trumpworld absurdity, as the 2020 election conspiracy crowd suddenly snaps back into focus after an FBI raid in Fulton County, Georgia. They unpack Trump promoting a conspiracy about Italian satellites, the apparent sidelining of Ed Martin, the expose on Rep. Nancy Mace that includes late-night tequila runs and Reddit vanity projects, and Florida long-shot gubernatorial candidate James Fishback deciding to join Tinder to meet “young female voters.”

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Tim Miller join Nicolle Wallace to talk about the shifting politics of immigration, Trump’s comments about “taking over” voting in “at least 15 places,” and special-election results in Texas.Watch Deadline: White House on MSNOW: https://www.ms.now/deadline-white-house

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JVL and Sonny Bunch give their takes on Trump’s sudden decision to shut down the Kennedy Center for two years after politicizing it, slapping his name on it, and driving ticket sales to historic lows. They break down how an iconic, nonpartisan arts institution ended up with pandemic-level attendance, why artists and audiences fled, and how a pathetic vanity project backfired spectacularly.

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Sam Stein and Jonathan Cohn give their takes on the alarming return of measles in the United States. The disease is spreading again, with major outbreaks in South Carolina and hundreds of cases appearing nationwide. They break down why falling vaccination rates are driving this preventable crisis, how government leaders are downplaying the threat, and why vaccine skepticism has become a badge of honor on the right, from RFK Jr.’s influence at HHS to Florida Surgeon General Joseph Ladapo’s push to end vaccine mandates altogether.

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JD originally made a name for himself as an economic populist but now spends all his time lying and ignoring the woes of the white working class. Stephen Miller is far more interested in authoritarianism than the American worker. And the biggest MAGA warrior of all, Steve Bannon, was downright smitten with Jeffrey Epstein. Meanwhile, the Trump administration is busy trying to hide the identities of other co-conspirators in the Epstein documents. Plus, the CBP has no business being deployed on the streets of American cities, Tulsi wants foreign election interference, the good news in a Texas special election result, Trump is flailing at another business—the Kennedy Center—and Bad Bunny previews his message for the Super Bowl halftime show.

Bill Kristol joins Tim Miller.

show notes

* Monday's "Morning Shots"

* Bannon's "interview" with Epstein

As always: Watch, listen, hit the like button or leave a comment. We want to hear from you.

Ad-free editions of The Bulwark Podcast are available exclusively for Bulwark+ members.

The Bulwark Podcast with Tim Miller is available wherever you get podcasts and on YouTube. New shows drop each weekday afternoon. If you like the show, leave a comment and ⭐⭐⭐⭐ wherever you listen. Add The Bulwark Podcast to your player of choice, here.

Protect Democracy founder Ian Bassin talks about victories and setbacks in the effort to thwart authoritarianism America-style, and what each person can do to preserve free and fair elections going forward.

* Power the Polls – Sign up to work as a paid poll worker and help ensure free and fair elections.

* Protect Democracy: How to Re-Engage – A practical checklist of ways individuals can get involved locally and defend democratic norms.

* For Individuals

* For Introverts (really!)

The Mona Charen Show is a weekly, one-on-one discussion that goes in depth on political and cultural topics. New shows drop Mondays. Find this show wherever you get your podcasts and on YouTube. Add the show to your player of choice, here.

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