The Bulwark | Substack

The Last Thing Minneapolis Needs Is the Insurrection Act

Inserting military forces into the situation risks disaster.

3 hrs ago • Mark Hertling

How Trump Turned a Foreign Country Into a Piggybank

And how Marco Rubio used Trump to hurt Cuba.

6 hrs ago • Jonathan V. Last

ICE Started the Fire

Rather than trying to calm things down, the government is fanning the flames.

9 hrs ago • William Kristol, Andrew Egger, and Jim Swift

ICE Is a Law-Breaking ‘Law Enforcement’ Agency

A Trump-appointed judge took the agency to task for its flagrant contempt.

16 hrs ago • Mona Charen

Time to End the Last U.S.–Russia Nuclear Treaty

The agreement is no longer in America’s interests.

17 hrs ago • Eric S. Edelman and Franklin C. Miller

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Bulwark+ Takes

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19:36

Trump Threatens to Invoke the Insurrection Act

President Trump said he may invoke the Insurrection Act of 1807 in response to protests and ICE activity in Minneapolis.

4 hrs ago • Mark Hertling and Benjamin Parker

30:43

Putin Escalates His Cruel War Against Civilians

Mark Hertling and Bill Kristol discuss the war in Ukraine, including deliberate civilian targeting through winter blackouts, why U.S.

12 hrs ago • Mark Hertling and William Kristol

16:25

ICE Shot a 21-Year-Old in the Eye and Blinded Him

Tim Miller gives his take on a wave of disturbing ICE confrontations, including Minneapolis agents threatening civilians and a California protester who…

18 hrs ago • Tim Miller

16:23

Democratic Memo Warns That “Abolish ICE” Is Politically Toxic

Sam Stein talks with Lauren Egan about her scoop on a new Democratic memo warning lawmakers to steer clear of “Abolish ICE.” They give their takes on…

Jan 14 • Sam Stein and Lauren Egan

Media Matters Says It’s Ending Its Presence on X

The liberal watchdog says changes to the terms of service make it impossible for them to keep posting on the platform.

Jan 14 • Andrew Egger

The Best Military ‘Option’ for Greenland: Let It Be

Attacking an ally with special forces would be the wrong tool for the wrong mission.

Jan 14 • Mark Hertling

We Make Our Own Monsters

Foucault’s Boomerang and the road from Fallujah to Minneapolis.

Jan 14 • Jonathan V. Last

Dems Are Begging Their Own to Drop ‘Abolish ICE’

A new memo circulating on Capitol Hill urges Democratic lawmakers to instead embrace reforming the agency.

Jan 14 • Lauren Egan

56:28

Sam Stein: Trump Is Trying to Instigate Unrest

For some reason, the president thinks he is winning the news cycle by occupying a great American city and ordering his agents to violently confront U.S.

3 hrs ago • Tim Miller and Sam Stein

Hey. Remember the Epstein Files?

Congress’s legal fight with the administration is far from over.

3 hrs ago • Joe Perticone

56:39

Mark Hertling: The Cowards of ICE

To the people who have actually served in war zones—and been up close and personal in real do-or-die situations—the masked, heavily armed agents who are…

Jan 14 • Tim Miller and Mark Hertling

Trump Takes Another Blowtorch to Substance Abuse and Mental Health Service

Potentially $2b was just cut from a key HHS agency despite bipartisan support for its work.

Jan 14 • Jonathan Cohn

If You Think MAGA Journalism Is Bad Now, Just Wait

The mayhem in Minnesota is partially the fault of one pup “reporter” chasing clicks.

Jan 14 • Andrew Egger, William Kristol, and Jim Swift

1:02:10

Jack Smith Says He Had Trump Dead to Rights (w/ Asha Rangappa)

Sarah Longwell sits down with Asha Rangappa—a lecturer at Yale Law School and co-host of the “It’s Complicated” legal podcast—to discuss Venezuela, Jack…

Jan 14 • Sarah Longwell

How Somalis Became the New ‘Welfare Queens’

Trump has reinvented Reagan’s old attack, with one key twist.

Jan 14 • Jonathan Cohn

1:08:17

JD Vance Picked the Ugliest Fight on Purpose

Sarah, Tim and JVL discuss the ICE killing in Minneapolis and the escalation that followed, including DOJ prosecutors resigning rather than smearing the…

Jan 14 • Tim Miller, Sarah Longwell, and Jonathan V. Last

The Bulwark

The Bulwark is home to Sarah Longwell, Tim Miller, Bill Kristol, JVL, Sam Stein, and more. We are the largest pro-democracy bundle on Substack for news and analysis on politics and culture—supported by a community built on good-faith.

Podcasts

The Bulwark Podcast

Sam Stein: Trump Is Trying to Instigate Unrest

The Secret Podcast

The Government Keeps Shooting Civilians

The Next Level

JD Vance Picked the Ugliest Fight on Purpose

Bulwark+ Takes

Trump Threatens to Invoke the Insurrection Act

The Illegal News

Jack Smith Says He Had Trump Dead to Rights (w/ Asha Rangappa)

The Focus Group

What a Difference a Year Makes (with Jonathan Chait)

The Mona Charen Show

Venezuela Was Not Liberated (w/ Quico Toro)

How to Fix It with John Avlon

Is Trump Punishing Colorado? (w/ Gov. Jared Polis)

Bulwark Goes to Hollywood

The Throwback Rage of ‘Dead Man’s Wire’

Shield of the Republic

A Dangerous Start to 2026

Just Between Us

Demolition Donald

FYPod

Cam’s Gone & Things Are Getting Weirder (w/ Tahra Hoops)

Recommendations

The UnPopulist

Shikha Dalmia

Crooked Media

Home of the Brave

Letters from an American

Heather Cox Richardson

Newsletters

The Triad

Three things to read, from JVL.

Morning Shots

Politics and news, every morning with Bill Kristol and Andrew Egger.

Receipts

Sharp insights and fresh reporting on our nation’s economy, delivered to your inbox by the inimitable Catherine Rampell.

Overtime

Start your Saturdays with a roundup of what's happening in the news and around The Bulwark.

Press Pass

In-depth reporting on Congress, campaigns, and the way Washington works from Joe Perticone.

The Opposition

Charting the Democrats as they try to emerge from the political wilderness. A twice-weekly newsletter from Lauren Egan.

Huddled Masses

A newsletter by Adrian Carrasquillo chronicling immigration in America.

False Flag

Unparalleled reporting and insights into the online culture and communities that now run our country. A twice-weekly newsletter from Will Sommer.

The Breakdown

A newsletter from Jonathan Cohn that will tell you what the hell is actually happening to our government.

Bulwark Goes to Hollywood

Sonny Bunch on movies, technology, and understanding the next Hollywood

Bulwark Offers

Welcome to The Bulwark!

‘28 Years Later: The Bone Temple’ Review

Ralph Fiennes delivers the performance of the year in mid-January.

Jan 13 • Sonny Bunch

1:08:41

Susan Glasser and Jacob Soboroff: A Dangerous Lame Duck

Trump's low approval ratings may be giving people the idea that he is weak and disempowered.

Jan 13 • Tim Miller and Jacob Soboroff

Democrats Appear Ready to Duck a Key Fight on ICE

Top Senate Democrats are focused on other priorities in the government funding fight.

Jan 13 • Joe Perticone

Iran Is More Than Just a Target Set

Military action—especially unsupported by diplomatic, economic, and information efforts—could make things worse.

Jan 13 • Mark Hertling

The latest from

Mark Hertling

The Last Thing Minneapolis Needs Is the Insurrection Act

Sam Stein

Sam Stein: Trump Is Trying to Instigate Unrest

Tim Miller

Sam Stein: Trump Is Trying to Instigate Unrest

Joe Perticone

Hey. Remember the Epstein Files?

Jonathan V. Last

How Trump Turned a Foreign Country Into a Piggybank

William Kristol

ICE Started the Fire

Andrew Egger

ICE Started the Fire

Jim Swift

ICE Started the Fire

Mona Charen

ICE Is a Law-Breaking ‘Law Enforcement’ Agency

Jonathan Cohn

Trump Takes Another Blowtorch to Substance Abuse and Mental Health Service