Bulwark+ Takes

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.thebulwark.com Rep. Chuck Edwards faces House Ethics censure over harassment allegations involving young staffers—Christmas tree visits, 30 tubs of ice cream, matching guns, a custom Adam Sandler puzzle. Will Sommer and Sarah Matthews dig into the creepy details, the power dynamics on the Hill, and why GOP colleagues are staying qui...

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 the DOJ dropping more Reflecting Pool cases, Senate Republicans advancing Todd Blanche’s vote out of committee, Max Miller defiantly staying in for bid for re-election, and Oman and Iran potentially coming to a deal over the Strait of Hormuz.

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.thebulwark.com Tim Miller and Sam Stein give their takes on Trump’s chaotic press conference in the Oval Office on Monday, where Trump defended Rep. Max Miller amid domestic violence allegations and lashed out at his longtime friend and U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro over her failed Reflecting Pool vandalism case. Is Jeanine Pirro abou...

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.thebulwark.com Will Saletan dismantles RFK Jr.'s disastrous CNN interview, exposing one false claim after another on COVID, vaccines, Anthony Fauci, Donald Trump, and the media. From conspiracy theories to blatant contradictions, the secretary of Health and Human Services spends more time attacking Dana Bash than defending his own c...

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.thebulwark.com Will Sommer, Sam Stein and Andrew Egger went live to cover the growing calls on the right for GOP Rep. Max Miller to resign, whether Jeanine Pirro will be fired over the botched Reflecting Pool case, Tucker speaking with foreign agents, and the audience collapse among right-wing MAGA media figures.

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.thebulwark.com Will Saletan fact-checks the GOP's Fauci diary attacks, debunking RFK Jr.'s vaccine claims, Fox News's selective editing, and conspiracy theories about lab leaks, school closures, and vaccine sabotage—showing why these "gotcha" moments collapse under scrutiny.

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.thebulwark.com Join Bill Kristol and Ron Brownstein as they cover Trump's awful polling, Democrats' chances in the Senate, and whether we could see a blue Tsunami in November.

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.thebulwark.com Sonny Bunch and Bill Kristol take on the dismissed felony vandalism case against Olympic canoeist David Hearn—who was accused of damaging the Reflecting Pool—after government officials acknowledged problems with the work itself. They consider what the case reveals about political pressure, government misconduct, the c...

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.thebulwark.com Sarah Matthews joins MS NOW’s Nicolle Wallace to break down Trump’s Cabinet meeting, his continued defense of January 6th rioters, and why his obsession with 2020 could hurt Republicans in the midterms. BBC They also discuss Trump’s falling poll numbers, the chaos inside his administration, and how the Texas Senate ra...

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.thebulwark.com The Washington Post is in turmoil once again. Opinion editor Adam O’Neal is stepping down after just over a year, raising fresh questions about Jeff Bezos’s controversial overhaul of the newspaper’s opinion section to focus more on “personal liberties and free markets.” Will Sommer sits down with Semafor media editor...

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.thebulwark.com Join Catherine Rampell and JVL as they cover the week's biggest economics and finance stories.

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.thebulwark.com Jasmine poses Triad readers’ questions to JVL: What do you think about the DSA? What can be done to protect the 2030 census from Republican meddling? Why does the right crave authoritarianism? Why did The Bulwark change its website? All that and more (like JVL’s hidden backstory as an opera singer) in this week's mail...

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.thebulwark.com President Trump’s approval rating is collapsing, and new polling shows voters are increasingly unhappy with his handling of the issues that matter most: the Iran war and the economy. Sarah Matthews gives her take on the three new polls showing Trump stuck in the low 30s, with voters questioning his decision to launch...

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.thebulwark.com JVL and Andrew Egger discuss Todd Blanche’s stalled attorney general confirmation, as Senators John Cornyn and Thom Tillis seek assurances that the Trump administration will not revive a proposed “anti-weaponization” fund for allies and January 6 defendants. They also consider Trump’s response, Blanche’s political str...

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.thebulwark.com Savanna Cannon has become one of the fastest-rising viral personalities in right-wing media, but is politics really what she's selling? Will Sommer joins Brendan Hartnett to break down how Cannon's provocative MAGA videos have ignited a civil war on the right, with conservative influencers arguing over sex appeal, aut...

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...