Bulwark+ Takes

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.thebulwark.com Sam Stein and Andrew Egger take on Trump’s latest meltdown after Maryland Governor Wes Moore invited him to walk the streets of Baltimore and see the city’s progress on crime. Trump threatened to “take back” federal bridge funds and even floated sending troops into Baltimore. As always: Watch, listen, and leave a comm...

Bree Fram joins Bill Kristol to discuss the escalating attacks on transgender Americans—from the removal of federal health care benefits to subpoenas for hospital records and even reports of the Department of Justice searching VA files for evidence of transition. What does this mean for trans service members and for the broader assault on trans lives? Support Bree and her work at militarytransrigh...

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.thebulwark.com Senator Catherine Cortez Masto joins Lauren Egan to talk about how Democrats can actually win in swing states — and what it will take to beat Donald Trump. From grocery prices to border security, she argues that moderation and voter engagement are the key to victory. As always: Watch, listen, and leave a comment. Bulw...

Trump’s latest press conference was pure chaos: he joked about renaming the Kennedy Center after himself, called the Epstein files a “Democrat hoax,” gushed over a signed photo from Putin, and bragged about sending masked federal police into Chicago and New York. He even mocked his own allies like Kristi Noem while wearing a hat that read “Trump Was Right About Everything.” As always: Watch, liste...

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.thebulwark.com Tim Miller sits down with Congressman Greg Landsman (D-OH) to discuss his bold new plan to reframe the Democratic Party’s message: a “Pledge to America.” Inspired by Newt Gingrich’s “Contract with America,” Landsman argues Democrats must stop running as simply the anti-Trump party and start addressing core issues head...

Tim Miller joins MSNBC’s The Beat With Ari Melber and The 11th Hour to take on JD Vance’s defense of Trump’s unpopular economic bill and its hidden healthcare cuts, the stagnant Trump economy, Republican redistricting power grabs, and MAGA's authoritarian theater on the National Mall. As always: Watch, listen, and leave a comment. Bulwark+ Takes is home to short videos, livestreams, and event arch...

Tim Miller, JVL, Mona Charen and George Conway reacted live to the breaking news that John Bolton, former national security adviser, had his home raided by the FBI on August 22, 2025. George Conway was live on the scene. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.thebulwark.com/subscribe

Tim Miller and Andrew Egger take on Trump’s lawless TikTok play. The White House just launched an official account even though the platform was supposed to be banned under U.S. law — a ban upheld 9–0 by the Supreme Court. Trump shrugs it off, admits he’s doing it to chase young voters, and meanwhile creators say TikTok is censoring anti-Trump voices. As always: Watch, listen, and leave a comment....

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.thebulwark.com Sonny, JVL, and Hannah Yoest take on the Cracker Barrel rebrand, from the missing barrel man to the minimalist junk drawer décor. Is this about chasing Gen Z, corporate blandness, or American nostalgia gone wrong? As always: Watch, listen, and leave a comment. Bulwark+ Takes is home to short videos, livestreams, and e...

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.thebulwark.com JVL and Jon Lovett join forces in this Substack Live to cut through the noise on Trump, authoritarianism, and whether Democrats can find the urgency to fight back before it’s too late. As always: Watch, listen, and leave a comment. Bulwark+ Takes is home to short videos, livestreams, and event archives exclusively for...

Tim Miller and Jonathan Cohn break down why electricity bills are climbing as clean energy credits vanish, tariffs rise, and AI data centers expand. Read more from Jonathan Cohn at The Breakdown . As always: Watch, listen, and leave a comment. Bulwark+ Takes is home to short videos, livestreams, and event archives exclusively for Bulwark+ members. Don’t care for video? Use the controls on the left...

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.thebulwark.com JVL and Hannah Yoest discuss Gavin Newsom’s new “dark woke” shitposting style. Newsom is upsetting MAGA, dividing Democrats, and boosting his national profile as he continues eyeing a presidential run. Don’t miss Hannah’s Morning Shots column about Newsom . As always: Watch, listen, and leave a comment. Bulwark+ Takes...

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.thebulwark.com MAGA’s biggest feud right now isn’t with Democrats — it’s inside Trump World. Marjorie Taylor Greene and Laura Loomer have turned on each other in spectacular fashion. JVL and Andrew Egger take on why Loomer goes lower than anyone, and why MTG actually believes the crazy stuff. As always: Watch, listen, and leave a co...

Tim Miller slams Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry for sending National Guard troops to Washington, D.C. to support Trump’s latest “law and order” stunt, even as Louisiana faces its own crime, jailbreaks, and looming hurricanes. Tim argues it’s pure political theater, troops used as props to please Trump, while real problems at home go ignored. As always: Watch, listen, and leave a comment. Bulwark+ Take...

Rep. Elise Stefanik walked on stage in her own district and got brutally booed — twice. Tim Miller explains how Stefanik went from anti-Trump moderate to full-blown sycophant, why she’s lost touch with her constituents, and what happens when you trade credibility for clout in Trump’s world. Spoiler: the clown nose doesn’t come off. As always: Watch, listen, and leave a comment. Bulwark+ Takes is h...

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.thebulwark.com JVL and Andrew Egger discuss Trump’s federal takeover of DC, the administration’s exaggerated claims about crime vanishing overnight, and the way the crackdown is being staged as a law-and-order success while raising serious concerns about authoritarian overreach, particularly by the amateur officers hiding their iden...

Marc Elias warns that Trump’s latest plan is not just bluster. By banning mail voting and claiming that states answer to him, Trump is setting up the biggest threat yet to American elections in 2026. Check out more from Marc Elias at Democracy Docket . As always: Watch, listen, and leave a comment. Bulwark+ Takes is home to short videos, livestreams, and event archives exclusively for Bulwark+ mem...

As Trump calls in red state troops, should blue state governors fight back? Tim and JVL debate bold moves and risky strategies. Read more in today’s Triad: A Modest Proposal: Send Blue State National Guardsmen to D.C. As always: Watch, listen, and leave a comment. Bulwark+ Takes is home to short videos, livestreams, and event archives exclusively for Bulwark+ members. Don’t care for video? Use the...

Tim Miller takes on Melania Trump's bizarre letter to Putin, asking him to “restore the melodic laughter” of children—without once mentioning Ukraine. As always: Watch, listen, and leave a comment. Bulwark+ Takes is home to short videos, livestreams, and event archives exclusively for Bulwark+ members. Don’t care for video? Use the controls on the left side of the player to toggle to audio. Add Bu...

Eric Edelman joins Bill Kristol to discuss the Trump–Putin summit in Alaska. No ceasefire was signed. Trump deferred the hard decisions to Ukraine. Putin scored a diplomatic win simply by being allow on U.S. soil What does that mean for U.S. credibility, Western unity, and Ukraine’s future? You can catch Eric every week on Shield of the Republic with Eliot Cohen. As always: Watch, listen, and leav...

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.thebulwark.com JVL and Ben Parker dive VERY deeply into Trump’s BLS pick E.J. Antoni’s proud admiration of a Nazi battleship, and if his big plan for his upcoming role is to sink honest jobs reports similar to the battleship itself. As always: Watch, listen, and leave a comment. Bulwark+ Takes is home to short videos, livestreams, a...

Tim Miller takes on how the Trump-Putin Alaska summit went from what seemed to be an empty nothing-burger to a grotesque betrayal as it’s now being reported Trump pushed Putin’s demands onto Zelenskyy that Ukraine give up Donetsk and Luhansk. Financial Times’ report, “Putin demanded Ukraine cede Donetsk and Luhansk in exchange for freezing rest of front line“ As always: Watch, listen, and leave a...

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.thebulwark.com Donald Trump’s much-hyped Alaska summit with Vladimir Putin was a dud. No peace deal was announced. No press conference was held. It was all flattery, no real progress, and a big win for the Kremlin. Even Fox News gave it bad reviews. Tim Miller breaks it down.

As we await the Putin-Trump presser after the 3-on-3 summit in Alaska, the gang hoped on line to chat about first impressions from the summit. We’re watching events from Alaska and may go live again tonight—watch your inbox. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.thebulwark.com/subscribe

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.thebulwark.com Andrew Egger and Will Sommer take on the story of how Donald Trump’s former Attorney General, Bill Barr, is now the target of a bizarre MAGA conspiracy theory — all thanks to a “whistleblower” with a rap sheet of cons, fake baby photos, forged documents, and an alleged grift trail from Brazil to the United States. We...