Bulwark+ Takes

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.thebulwark.com The Democratic National Committee is facing growing criticism from within its own ranks—and now one of the party's most prominent fundraisers is speaking out. Sam Stein sits down with veteran Democratic fundraiser Rufus Gifford to discuss why he believes DNC Chair Ken Martin is failing at the two most important parts...

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.thebulwark.com Jonathan Cohn takes on the Fauci hearing spectacle, where Rand Paul grilled the former NIH chief over newly obtained diaries—and Fauci pled the Fifth. Cohn joins MS Now to separate legitimate oversight from what he calls a political show trial aimed at Trump-era vengeance.

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.thebulwark.com Lt. Gen. Mark Hertling (Ret.), Ben Parker and special guest Ret. Rear Adm. John Kirby went live to discuss the U.S. intercepting an attack by Iran, Trump’s response to the attacks, and the concern on U.S. missile stockpiles as the war drags on. Drawing on his own experience in the Navy, John breaks down what it’s real...

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.thebulwark.com The Justice Department's case against Olympic canoeist David Hearn may have a major problem and it comes from the government's own witness. Sam Stein is joined by NBC News justice reporter Ryan Reilly to take on new court filings showing the prosecution's key witness reportedly acknowledged the reflecting pool was alr...

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.thebulwark.com Andrew Egger and Bill Kristol went live to cover Trump’s claim that the late Lindsey Graham wanted him to make a deal with Iran, the Republican holdouts who could derail Todd Blanche’s confirmation to be AG, and why Trump is now pushing RFK Jr. to find a connection between autism and vaccines.

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.thebulwark.com Mitch McConnell says he's "still working hard" to get back to the Senate, but the only proof of life we've gotten is two photos and a statement from his physician. JVL and Andrew Egger break down why the timeline doesn't add up, why a five-minute call with a reporter could end all the speculation, and why the new phot...

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.thebulwark.com Will Sommer and Sam Stein went live to cover Laura Loomer's recent trip to Ukraine, the giant conspiracy theory on Joe Rogan, Kash Patel using the FBI to hype himself up, Liz Truss partnering up with Matt Schlapp, and Trump posting gross and disgusting slop all weekend long.

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.thebulwark.com Will Saletan and Ben Parker take on Mike Waltz's Sunday show gauntlet defending Trump's Iran war—confused goals, dwindling munitions, Russia and China's help, civilian infrastructure targeting, and fantasy pipelines meant to bypass the Strait of Hormuz. As always: Watch, listen, and leave a comment. Bulwark+ Takes is...

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.thebulwark.com Bill Kristol welcomes Epstein survivor Dani Bensky to discuss her private meeting with Todd Blanche, her communications with Senators Tillis and Cornyn, and whether any GOP Senators will do the right thing.

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.thebulwark.com Trump took the stage at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner and delivered one of the most uncomfortable speeches of his political career. Sam Stein and Will Saletan break down the jokes that bombed, the attacks on Kaitlan Collins and other targets that crossed the line from comedy into cruelty, the surreal Wall Str...

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.thebulwark.com JVL joins Destiny for his first-ever political stream to talk about how MAGA media manufactures reality, why mainstream outlets keep playing by obsolete rules, and how Democrats kill their own messages before voters ever hear them. As always: Watch, listen, and leave a comment. Bulwark+ Takes is home to short videos,...

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.thebulwark.com Join Lt. Gen. Mark Hertling (Ret.) and Ben Parker as they cover the Pentagon lowering the count of US service members killed in the Iran War.

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.thebulwark.com Join JVL and special guest Paul Krugman (filling in for Catherine) as they cover the week's biggest stories from the world of economics and finance. For more on Catherine's original reporting, check out her latest Receipts newsletter on how the Trump administration is conspiring to exclude millions of immigrants from...

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.thebulwark.com Sam Stein and Ben Parker give their takes on why the DOJ abruptly withdrew its subpoenas against three New York Times reporters and their family members over reporting on security flaws in Trump’s Qatari-gifted Air Force One. But the losses in court don't stop there, the administration also quietly dropped its demand...

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.thebulwark.com Sam Stein and Will Sommer break down the double standard at the heart of the GOP right now: Democrats forced Graham Platner off the ballot over disturbing allegations, while Republicans stand by candidates and members with far more documented records. Texas gun-YouTuber Brandon Herrera made disgusting comments about w...

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.thebulwark.com Sam Stein and Andrew Egger give their takes on Trump's new threats of war crimes to Iran, the new polling showing MAGA support for the war cratering, and the new U.S.-Saudi civilian nuclear agreement. Plus, they dig into the White House's ever-expanding gold decor of oversized frames, mystery bells, and speculation ab...

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.thebulwark.com Will Saletan breaks down how Donald Trump’s empty threats, reckless boasts, and shifting stories turned his Iran deal into a deadly fiasco—and exposed just how little he understands the war he started. As always: Watch, listen, and leave a comment. Bulwark+ Takes is home to short videos, livestreams, and event archive...

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.thebulwark.com Lt. Gen. Mark Hertling (Ret.) and Ben Parker are joined by Senator Elissa Slotkin (D-MI) for her take on the state of the Iran war, U.S. military strategy, and the health of American democracy heading into the midterms. Slotkin, a former CIA analyst with three tours in Iraq, pushes back on Secretary of Defense Pete He...

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.thebulwark.com Christopher Nolan's The Odyssey just pulled in $124.5 million over its opening weekend, the biggest domestic opening for a live-action film this year. So why has MAGA Twitter spent the weekend insisting it's a woke disaster, a box office fraud, and a betrayal of Homer himself? Sam Stein, Sonny Bunch, and Will Sommer g...

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.thebulwark.com Join Sam Stein and HuffPost's Arthur Delaney as they cover the brewing dissatisfaction with Trump's nominee for Attorney General, Todd Blanche.

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.thebulwark.com Bill Kristol and Andrew Egger went live to cover CNN's reporting that Trump and Elon Musk's cuts through DOGE to the CDC and USAID slowed the response to the cyclosporiasis outbreak, the Pentagon withholding the number of U.S. military injuries from the war with Iran, and why Trump's strategy appears trapped between m...

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.thebulwark.com Brendan Hartnett and Will Saletan put their encyclopedic knowledge of Donald Trump to the test by predicting which words he would use in a major speech. The fake bets produce some eerie wins, one brutal near-miss, and a new appreciation for how quickly prediction markets can become addictive. As always: Watch, listen,...

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.thebulwark.com Will Sommer and Sam Stein went live to cover Trump refusing to leave Spain’s World Cup celebrations, the MAGA right questioning Trump’s claim that Iran is “obliterated” after deadly attacks on U.S. bases, the Tate brothers arrested in Florida, and Clavicular explaining “looksmaxxing” to Sean Hannity.

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.thebulwark.com Join Bill Kristol and former DOJ pardon attorney Liz Oyer as they discuss Oyer's testimony at Todd Blanche's confirmation hearing. Read Liz's Substack, Lawyer Oyer: https://www.lawyeroyer.com/

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.thebulwark.com Sam Stein and Lt. Gen. Mark Hertling (Ret.) take on the deadly Iranian strike on a U.S. base in Jordan, the mounting American casualties, and a rapidly widening war with no clear path to de-escalation. As always: Watch, listen, and leave a comment. Bulwark+ Takes is home to short videos, livestreams, and event archive...