Bulwark+ Takes

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.thebulwark.com Trump’s White House is racking up losses, picking fights with the press, and increasingly operating without anyone willing to tell the president no. Bill Kristol talks with former Trump White House deputy press secretary Sarah Matthews about what’s happening behind the scenes, why Republicans are suddenly putting some...

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.thebulwark.com Catherine Rampell and Will Sommer take on Trump’s escalating war on the White House press, the amateur-hour MAGA media operation stepping in to replace the traditional White House pool, and Byron Donalds’ awkward attempt to put a little distance between himself and Trump. Plus, Kimberly Guilfoyle’s misadventures as am...

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.thebulwark.com Marc Polymeropoulos and Michael Weiss examine the growing Russian threat in Europe, separating the real danger of Russian sabotage and state terrorism from the media panic over a potential Russian invasion of NATO territory. They discuss the intelligence briefing that sparked concerns across Europe, how the assessment...

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.thebulwark.com Jon Ossoff is running so far ahead in Georgia that his strength is starting to shape the races around him. Tim Miller and Lauren Egan look at the striking gap between Ossoff and Keisha Lance Bottoms, whether Ossoff can drag the Democratic ticket across the finish line, and why the governor’s race could wind up determi...

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.thebulwark.com Tim Miller gives his take on the Republican candidates who are suddenly calling for an end to the Iran war after repeatedly supporting it. John James, Mike Rogers, Tom Tiffany and Ashley Hinson are all trying to distance themselves from the war, but Tim asks the obvious question: What is their actual plan to end it? T...

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.thebulwark.com A quick note: Your Bulwark membership makes journalism like this possible—and by “journalism,” we mean having Brendan watch six hours of Trump TV. Join today so we can continue funding Brendan’s masochism. Sam Stein, Brendan Hartnett and Will Sommer discuss the chaos surrounding the White House press corps after CNN,...

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.thebulwark.com Andrew Egger is joined by Maryland Gov. Wes Moore to give his take on Maryland’s new AI regulations, the rapid growth of data centers, and the need for guardrails around increasingly powerful AI models. Moore explains why he believes AI is moving faster than government safeguards, criticizes the White House’s approach...

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.thebulwark.com Tim Miller steps outside the bubble for a conversation with Brandon Weichert, a former Trump supporter and American Greatness writer who has become deeply disillusioned with the administration. They take on Trump’s Iran war, his growing foreign-policy mess, the GOP’s increasingly dangerous midterm map, and what could...

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.thebulwark.com JVL and Lawfare's Benjamin Wittes take on the strange legal fight over Trump’s ballroom and proposed triumphal arch, including why standing may be the biggest obstacle to stopping them and what John Roberts’ dissent could be signaling to future challengers. They also dig into a bigger question: whether Congress, the c...

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.thebulwark.com Ben Parker and Lt. Gen. Mark Hertling (Ret.) break down President Trump’s extraordinary comments at the United Nations about Venezuela, including his claim that “to the victor belong the spoils.” Hertling explains why that language raises serious questions under international law and walks through the laws and treatie...

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.thebulwark.com Rep. Jim Himes, ranking member of the House Intelligence Committee, joins Marc Polymeropoulos and Michael Weiss for his take on the major national security risks surrounding the Trump administration. Himes explains the counterintelligence concerns surrounding the reported Russian financing of Donald Trump Jr.’s weddin...

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.thebulwark.com Andrew Egger and Bill Kristol went live to react to Trump’s address to the United Nations, breaking down his claims about Iran, Russia and Ukraine, Venezuela, Greenland, the economy and America’s role in the world. Trump made wild comments about Russia’s war against Ukraine, including a grotesque false equivalence bet...

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.thebulwark.com Tim Miller and David Pakman take on Trump’s plummeting poll numbers, the White House putting Pakman on its official “Media Offenders” list, and the creators who Pakman says are now afraid to interview him because they fear becoming targets themselves. They also discuss how algorithms reward outrage and misinformation,...

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.thebulwark.com The White House is trying to defend Donald Trump’s decision to ban major news organizations from covering the White House and the policy is already producing some pretty absurd results. JVL and Will Sommer discuss Trump’s crackdown on the press, including a Newsmax broadcast where viewers couldn’t hear the president b...

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.thebulwark.com Will Sommer and Sonny Bunch (filling in for Sam) take on Trump’s escalating war on the press, the TV networks pushing back on his White House ban, and the growing signs that even some longtime allies are getting sick of the chaos. Plus: Trump’s plan to put snipers in his giant D.C. arch, the bizarre MAGA fight over In...

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.thebulwark.com Sam Stein and Will Saletan take a look at Donald Trump’s latest architectural fever dream: a 250-foot triumphal arch near Arlington Cemetery that Trump says will double as a “top grade Military Complex,” complete with drones and snipers. They dig into the bizarre location, the questionable military rationale and Trump...

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.thebulwark.com Sam Stein and former CIA officer Marc Polymeropoulos give their takes on the flurry of international headlines over the weekend. The Houthis have escalated attacks on Saudi Arabia, including strikes on Riyadh, while Ukraine has launched a major wave of drone and missile strikes on Moscow and Russian energy infrastruct...

Tim Miller is back with another installment in his continuing series on the Republican candidates running in key races across the country. This time it’s Michael Whatley, Trump’s handpicked Senate candidate in North Carolina, whose record includes appointing a convicted child sex offender to a state GOP committee, hard-line abortion politics, financial interests tied to policies he supports, and q...

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.thebulwark.com Bill Kristol talks with Robert Kagan about how Trump’s Iran war is accelerating America’s retreat from the world, leaving allies to fend for themselves while China and Russia gain room to maneuver. They also discuss Trump’s unfinished ambitions in Greenland, Xi Jinping’s visit to Washington, and Kagan’s warning that t...

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.thebulwark.com Donald Trump has banned CNN, MS NOW and Politico from the White House, and this time, he followed through. Will Saletan and Will Sommer discuss Trump’s escalating attack on the press, his claim that the outlets can return if they start covering him more favorably, and what the crackdown could mean for journalists acro...

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.thebulwark.com Ben Parker and Lt. Gen. Mark Hertling (Ret.) break down the latest developments in the Iran war, including reports that AI-generated intelligence nearly led the U.S. military to board a Chinese vessel in the Strait of Hormuz. They discuss the dangers of relying on false intelligence, the importance of human oversight,...

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.thebulwark.com Join George Conway, Andrew Egger and Catherine Rampell as they cover the protests at the Kennedy Center.

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.thebulwark.com Bill Kristol talks with Nathaniel Zelinsky, the lead counsel challenging Trump’s efforts at the Kennedy Center, about the president’s demolition threats, the judge putting new limits on what the administration can do, and what happens if Trump simply refuses to obey a court order. Zelinsky explains why this fight over...

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.thebulwark.com Sam Stein and Will Sommer give their takes to The Daily Wire’s bizarre new movie, Run Hide Fight: Infidels . They dig into the film’s deeply anti-Muslim premise, its portrayal of liberals, LGBTQ students and campus progressives, and the strange political fantasy at the center of the story. Will explains the chaotic pl...

Trump is threatening the future of the Kennedy Center if he doesn’t get the recognition he wants. Andrew Egger and George Conway give their takes on Trump’s push to put his name on the institution, his talk of demolishing the building, and the surreal image of Trump looking at a mock-up of the Kennedy Center in ruins. They also discuss the growing clash between the Trump administration and the cou...