The Bulwark

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.thebulwark.com Sarah and JVL have a super-sized, instant classic: * The Trump administration is using ChatGPT for everything. * Why are Cornyn and Tillis even bothering with their fake protest of Todd Blanche? * The Dem Senate map is looking . . . possible? * Trump has raised $800 million from “donors” since coming back to office. *...

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 week, I’m joined by Sugar showrunner Sam Catlin to discuss the second season of Apple TV’s underappreciated gem. If you haven’t watched the show, you should; season one is available in full and the penultimate episode of season two airs today. It’s a neo-noir with a sci-fi twist, a show about how media can shape us as people, and one of the best-acted programs on television. (Seriously: There...

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 Sam Stein and George Conway discuss James Comey’s challenge to the “8647” prosecution, Donald Trump’s Supreme Court bid to overturn E. Jean Carroll’s $83 million defamation judgment, and the administration’s push for new restrictions on mail-in voting. They also cover the withdrawal of subpoenas targeting New York Tim...

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 At the very least, Hegseth's refusal to acknowledge that it was our Tomahawk missile that killed 120 schoolchildren on the very first day of the war makes him unfit to serve as secretary of defense. Army JAG veteran Margaret Donovan says civilian casualties are a tragic reality in war and the public has the right to k...

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 Tim’s back next week but in the meantime enjoy this ad-free preview of The Bulwark Podcast — today with JVL and Robert Kagan. Upgrade to watch the full show—ad free—and join the Bulwark community in the comments. Ride with us. At a little-noticed conference on political violence a couple of weeks ago, Marco Rubio and...

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 Sarah, JVL, and Catherine Rampell discuss:- Mitch McConnell's SECOND proof of life photo, and what's really going on with him.- The White House Correspondents' Dinner do-over, Trump's comments about Kaitlan Collins, why anyone goes to it anymore, and how the whole thing seems to be playing into Trump's hands.- The dra...

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 Stephen Miller has a free hand to pump out his racist policies; Trump regularly says blatantly offensive things that are way past a dog whistle; and one-time insurgents at the Heritage Foundation and other MAGA institutions are muscling out people who aren't comfortable with openly embracing bigotry. The groypers are...

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 Not only has our lousy commander-in-chief allowed the country's missile inventory to be dramatically depleted, Hegseth's politicized hiring and firing of officers has come home to roost and is doing real damage to the military as an institution. Meanwhile, Zelensky says he'll show Trump proof that Russia is helping Ir...

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 Eliot returns from his trip to western Canada to review the latest jackassery with Eric. The two discuss recent developments surrounding a potential U.S.-Saudi nuclear cooperation agreement and contextualize it against the history of U.S. non-proliferation and counter-proliferation efforts. They also reflect on their...

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 Thomas Edsall tells Mona Charen Democrats can recover from Trump's bad ratings by moderating on three fronts: transgender policy (affirm two sexes, restrict sports/prisons/youth surgery), immigration (pro-legal, pro-enforcement), and crime (oppose lenient DAs and no-bail policies). His diagnosis: the party's become to...

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...