Bulwark+ Takes

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.thebulwark.com Join Sam Stein and Lauren Egan for this exclusive, members-only look at the state of primary races ahead of the 2026 midterm election.

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.thebulwark.com Ben Parker and Lt. Gen. Mark Hertling (Ret.) discuss an alleged Russian explosive drone at a German airport and the potential implications for NATO, President Trump’s use of a decoy Air Force One amid an Iranian threat, and George W. Bush’s secret 2003 Thanksgiving trip to Iraq. They also answer viewer questions about...

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.thebulwark.com Donald Trump was secretly smuggled out of Turkey last month after U.S. intelligence reportedly warned of a possible Iranian assassination plot, but the journalists and White House staff traveling on Air Force One were left in the dark. Michael Weiss and former CIA officer Marc Polymeropoulos give their takes on the ex...

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.thebulwark.com Sam Stein and Andrew Egger went live to cover the GOP’s misleading furor with Tony Fauci’s text messages, Trump appearing to sleep as he peddles vaccine misinformation, the elaborate plan that had Trump stowed away in a catering truck amid a threat from Iran, and the new memo from the White House that shows Trump is s...

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.thebulwark.com Andrew Egger and Lt. Gen. Mark Hertling (Ret.) give their takes on Iran’s sweeping new demands, Trump’s response, and why the prospects for a diplomatic deal are fading. They discuss Trump’s shrinking military options, depleted U.S. weapons supplies, and the ongoing crisis in the Strait of Hormuz that's left merchant...

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.thebulwark.com Donald Trump’s attacks on Michigan Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed may be doing the exact opposite of what he intends. Tim Miller gives his take on Trump repeating the same failed strategy Republicans used against him in 2015 and 2016, attacking an outsider in ways that ultimately give them more attention and support....

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.thebulwark.com Will Saletan gives his take on Trump’s new NIH director, Dr. Jay Bhattacharya, becoming a loyalist defender of the Trump administration’s most controversial and absurd health claims. Bhattacharya repeatedly blames Anthony Fauci for COVID-era school closures, declining vaccine confidence and other public-health failure...

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 the right’s freakout over AOC deciding to freeze her eggs, Max Miller refusing to drop out of his re-election bid, Sen. Mike Lee fuming at Coca-Cola, and Trump mocking Joe Biden after it was announced that his cancer had spread.

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.thebulwark.com Bill Kristol welcomes recently retired Col. Bree Fram to discuss Hegseth's leadership and the damage he's inflicting on the United States Military, as well as her own personal experience being forced out of the military after over 20 years of service.

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.thebulwark.com Tim Miller shares highlights from his MS NOW appearance with John Heilemann and Jessica Taylor—Trump's political struggles, a scorching anti-war ad targeting Mike Rogers, Bill Cassidy's confirmation vote, and a state-by-state look at the Senate map, from Georgia to Texas to Kansas.

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.thebulwark.com Tim Miller sits down with Isaac Saul, founder of Tangle, to discuss Donald Trump’s plans to build a border wall through and around Big Bend National Park in West Texas. Saul explains why local residents, business owners, sheriffs, and even some Trump-supporting officials are pushing back against the project. Tim and I...

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.thebulwark.com Andy Ogles is officially not returning to Congress after losing his Tennessee Republican primary. Brendan Hartnett and Lauren Egan, give their takes on Ogles’ stunning defeat and why Trump’s endorsement wasn’t enough to save him. We break down Ogles’ history of disgusting, racist and homophobic comments, his controver...

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.thebulwark.com Catherine Rampell and Sam Stein went live to cover the terrible jobs report this month, the White House's attempt to spin the economy as booming, the bill in the Senate that could give Trump more tariff power, and a federal appeals court blocking construction on Trump's ballroom. Read more from Catherine's newsletter:...

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.thebulwark.com Tucker Carlson has a new message for the Republican Party—and it sounds an awful lot like the opening pitch of a presidential campaign. JVL, Andrew Egger and Will Sommer give their takes on Tucker's sweeping "10-point" vision for America, why he's increasingly distancing himself from Donald Trump, and whether he's lay...

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.thebulwark.com Sen. Ron Wyden (D-OR) joins Catherine Rampell to discuss his years-long investigation into Jeffrey Epstein's finances and why he believes major Wall Street banks helped enable Epstein's sex trafficking operation by failing to report suspicious transactions. Wyden explains why he says top bank executives should be held...

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.thebulwark.com Tim Miller, Sam Stein, and Will Sommer take on Laura Loomer’s latest cabinet ambitions, MTG’s over-the-top Vegas wedding, Sean Duffy’s disappearing taxpayer-backed road trip, the bizarre MAHA diet taking hold in Trump’s orbit, Steven Crowder’s defense of fascism, and one congressional candidate’s unbelievable beach br...

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.thebulwark.com Lt. Gen. Mark Hertling (Ret.) and Andrew Egger (filling in for Ben Parker) went live to cover reports that the U.S. missile supplies are dwindling, the Russian missile attack on Ukraine, the cyberattacks across several U.S. states, and Oman’s role in a potential deal with Iran.

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.thebulwark.com Tim Miller joins Nicolle Wallace on Deadline: White House to discuss Donald Trump’s declining approval ratings, voter frustration over the economy and the war in Iran, and Democrats’ midterm opportunities. They also consider the limits of Republican campaign spending and the party’s response to abuse allegations again...

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.thebulwark.com Tim Miller and producer Ansley Skipper test how much political news made it through Tim’s vacation bubble, from Trump’s White House correspondents’ dinner insults and the Fauci diaries to Canada tariffs, RFK Jr.’s cooking show, and a bizarre lettuce-recall controversy.

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.