Bulwark Takes

Ready to be seen? Check that appointment off your to-do list with Zocdoc ✅: https://zocdoc.com/bulwarktakes #sponsored Sam Stein and Will Sommer break down the disgusting attack ad targeting Ohio Democratic gubernatorial nominee Amy Acton, featuring her estranged mother accusing her of lying. When Acton was 12, her stepfather was accused of sexually abusing her and was indicted by a grand jury be...

Ready to be seen? Check that appointment off your to-do list with Zocdoc ✅: https://zocdoc.com/bulwarktakes #sponsored  Will Saletan gives his take on the growing panic inside House Republican leadership as bad polls, shrinking campaign budgets, and vulnerable races threaten the GOP’s hold on Congress. Even friendly voices on Fox News are pressing Mike Johnson, Tom Emmer, and Steve Scalise on why...

Ready to be seen? Check that appointment off your to-do list with Zocdoc ✅: https://zocdoc.com/bulwarktakes #sponsored  Andrew Egger and Bill Kristol give their takes on Trump’s increasingly desperate push to save Republicans two weeks before the midterms. As Trump’s approval rating sinks and Democrats build a major polling advantage, the president is struggling to make the case for his party, re...

Donald Trump can’t seem to stop talking about other men’s bodies, from Republican candidates’ jawlines to their backsides, even as his presidency faces mounting crises. Sam Stein joins Nicolle Wallace on MS NOW to discuss Trump’s bizarre fixation and misplaced priorities, plus why James Talarico’s unconventional campaign against Ken Paxton could rewrite the political playbook in Texas. Ready to be...

Sen. Andy Kim joins The Bulwark’s Jonathan Cohn to discuss the terrifying family health crisis that inspired his political career, Republicans’ attacks on healthcare, and his ambitious new proposal to guarantee health insurance for every American from birth through age 26. Could this be the first step toward universal healthcare? Read Jonathan Cohn's newsletter: https://www.thebulwark.com/p/before...

Sam Stein and Will Sommer break down the foreign money scandal involving Alina Habba’s new husband, Ric Grenell, and the Kennedy Center. They also examine the protests roiling Albania over Jared Kushner and Ivanka Trump’s controversial resort project, and Bari Weiss’s pursuit of right-wing internet conspiracy theories at CBS News. Plus, the strange cast of characters gathering for a $3,000-a-ticke...

For years, American spies and diplomats have suffered mysterious, debilitating injuries. Was Russia secretly targeting them, and did the CIA cover it up? Former CIA officer Mark Polymeropoulos, whose career was ended by Havana Syndrome, and Michael Weiss welcome 60 Minutes investigative journalist Michael Rey to examine explosive new evidence, a suspected Russian microwave weapon, and the governme...

Trump is lifting sanctions on Russian energy, his own energy secretary is contradicting his explanation, and Republicans are scrambling to defend the indefensible. Sam Stein and Will Saletan take on Trump’s latest gift to Putin, Elon Musk’s troubling role in Ukraine’s Starlink crisis, and the disastrous legacy of Lindsey Graham, who helped bring Trump back to power believing he could control him.

Tim Miller talks with journalist Caolan Robertson, reporting from Ukraine’s front lines, about disruptions to the satellite communications Ukrainian soldiers depend on, Marco Rubio’s baffling explanation, and the deadly consequences of losing that lifeline. They also discuss Russia’s escalating attacks on civilians, Ukraine bringing the fight to Russian territory, and how Trump’s relationship with...

James Carville joins Bill Kristol to explain why he's cautiously optimistic about a massive Democratic wave, with Republicans facing unexpected threats in Florida, Texas, and even the Deep South. They discuss Trump’s disastrous polling, the GOP’s crumbling coalition, the possibility of election interference, and what a crushing Republican defeat could mean for Trump’s billionaire allies and the fu...

Recorded live in Columbia, South Carolina, on October 16, 2026, Tim Miller, Sam Stein, and Will Sommer take a hilarious tour through the latest MAGA madness: Kimberly Guilfoyle’s increasingly messy scandals, Tucker Carlson’s inexplicable horse commentary, James O’Keefe’s $3,000 journalism awards, the mystery of $60,000 in missing beef, and the growing civil war among young Republicans.

Lt. Gen. Mark Hertling (Ret.) and Ben Parker welcome Eliot Cohen to discuss what makes great leaders, the dysfunction inside Trump’s Pentagon, and the difficult choices facing military officers. Drawing on lessons from Churchill, Afghanistan, and Iraq, they explore why wars go wrong, how to recognize victory, and what history teaches us about military strategy. Preorder The Strategist on Bookshop....

Tim Miller ventures outside the Bulwark bubble for a candid conversation with Mario Nawfal, a Trump-friendly influencer who’s having serious buyer’s remorse. They discuss Trump’s disastrous Iran war, the voters abandoning his coalition, his increasingly dangerous obsession with his legacy, and his willingness to throw Ukraine under the bus to appease Putin. Find your next fall favorites at https:/...

Five days. That’s how long Katie Zachariah lasted as Trump’s White House press secretary before a disastrous debut, questions about her legal credentials, and a wave of West Wing backstabbing brought her tenure to an abrupt end. Former Trump White House deputy press secretary Sarah Matthews joins Andrew Egger and Judd Legum, whose reporting helped expose Zachariah’s questionable résumé, to explain...

Sam Stein, Tim Miller, and Will Sommer give an update on the MAGA influencers caught pushing a false story about Texas Democrat James Talarico, and why those behind the smear may face few consequences. They also examine court documents revealing how Kristi Noem and Corey Lewandowski allegedly fed false information to Laura Loomer to smear a government employee, raising questions about how politica...

Right now, save up to 20% on mattresses when you go to https://Casper.com . #ad Tim Miller gives his take on Elon Musk’s return as the biggest campaign donor of the 2026 midterms, funneling $276 million into Republican groups, including $158 million to help Republicans hold the Senate. After threatening to launch his own political party and breaking with Donald Trump, Musk is back in the GOP’s cor...

Right now, save up to 20% on mattresses when you go to https://Casper.com . #ad Is Donald Trump about to fire the woman who has kept his White House from descending into chaos? Bill Kristol and Andrew Egger cover reports that Trump is considering replacements for Susie Wiles, his retreat from Pete Hegseth’s planned livestreamed execution, and his increasingly alarming efforts to appease Vladimir P...

Marc Polymeropoulos and Michael Weiss give their takes on the growing questions surrounding Elon Musk’s Starlink and his company purposely disrupted Ukraine’s war effort. They examine reports of missed Russian missile warnings, the status of U.S. intelligence sharing with Ukraine, and why any deliberate disruption could put American personnel at risk. They also discuss the need for congressional o...

Ben Parker and Lt. Gen. Mark Hertling (Ret.) break down the latest developments in Ukraine, including Russia’s escalating attacks on Ukrainian energy infrastructure, the growing rift between Washington and Kyiv, and how Ukraine is imposing mounting costs on Russian forces. They also examine how the Trump administration’s approach is undermining a critical U.S. ally and what the battlefield’s evolu...

Sam Stein again welcomes Eric Deters, the man whose text messages helped expose Kimberly Guilfoyle’s alleged $100,000 ask and preceded her resignation as U.S. ambassador to Greece. Deters discusses why he believes Guilfoyle was forced out, his plans to sue her for defamation, and why he says her resignation won’t end the congressional and State Department investigations. He also shares his take on...

Andrew Egger and Bill Kristol give their takes on the news White House Press Secretary Katie Zacharia made when she announced on her first day that the White House asked Kimberly Guilfoyle to resign as U.S. ambassador to Greece. Beyond that, Zacharia’s first briefing was remarkably short, with questions from just a few outlets, all of them conservative, yet she still struggled to deliver clear ans...

Sen. Brian Schatz joins Sam Stein to explain why Democrats suddenly have a shot at winning Senate races in deep-red states, how they plan to hold Trump’s corrupt officials accountable, and why he doubts JD Vance has what it takes to succeed Trump. From the possibility of impeaching Trump administration officials to Vance’s struggle to connect with MAGA voters, Schatz offers an unusually candid loo...

Sam Stein and Andrew Egger break down Donald Trump’s bizarre and disturbing Ohio rally, from his repeated comments about Senator Jon Husted’s physique to mocking a woman who was assaulted by a fellow rallygoer for wearing a shirt demanding the release of the Epstein files. Trump revived his racist lies about Haitian immigrants in Springfield and embraced embattled Republican Rep. Max Miller despit...

MAGA thought it had a career-ending scandal on James Talarico. Instead, it got a spectacular humiliation. Sam Stein and Will Sommer break down how the conspiracy unraveled, including the full phone call obtained by The Bulwark that exposed the holes in the story. Plus, the federal raid on Ilhan Omar’s home, Pete Hegseth’s public execution plans, and the latest MAGA infighting. Ready to reach your...

Michael Weiss and Marc Polymeropoulos give their takes on Trump’s latest deal with Vladimir Putin and why Trump suddenly announced an energy ceasefire. Sources tell Michael that Ukraine was blindsided by this weekend’s series of announcements from Trump as his approach only benefits Moscow even more. They also examine the threat to intelligence sharing, the future of U.S. weapons sales to Ukraine,...