Bulwark Takes

Sam Stein and Will Saletan take on the messy first day of U.S.-Iran talks—Trump's threat to seize the Strait of Hormuz and kill negotiators, JD Vance appearing to get publicly snubbed, and the Lebanon clause that may have handed Hezbollah a veto over the whole deal.

Jonathan Cohn reports from South Beach on the fight over a beloved LGBTQ landmark, the history of Miami Beach’s queer community, and how a symbol many thought was gone ended up becoming permanent. Read more in The Bulwark

Bill Kristol sits down with Civil War historian Kevin Levin to examine Trump’s effort to reshape America’s story ahead of the nation’s 250th anniversary. Read Civil War Memory

JVL and Sonny Bunch take on the bizarre saga of Washington’s algae-filled Reflecting Pool and John Cafaro the Trump-connected donor who landed the contract to fix it. Plus, an unexpected detour into wrestling history, Paul Bearer, and why this whole scandal feels more like a cartoon than real life. Looking for a Father's Day gift? Consider a membership to The Bulwark's website. Learn more at https...

Join Catherine Rampell and JVL live as they cover the week's economic and financial news. The Bulwark makes a fantastic Father's Day gift: Learn more at thebulwark.com/subscribe

Will Saletan takes on JD Vance's TV blitz defending the Iran nuclear deal—and checks his claims against the actual text. 

Sam Stein, Tim Miller and Will Sommer take on an insane MAGA scandal in DC—fake Secret Service badges, a strip club blowup, tearful confessions about an Iran airstrike that never happened, and an arrest that finally brought the whole charade crashing down. Plus: what exactly is going on with Kari Lake's face? Read Will Sommer's False Flag newsletter: https://www.thebulwark.com/p/the-shocking-arres...

Sam Stein, Brendan Hartnett and Sarah Matthews are going live to cover the mess at Trump's renovated Reflecting Pool.

Tim Miller and JVL attempt to read JD Vance’s new memoir 'Communion' and discover a book full of contradictions, self-owns, political rationalizations, and some very revealing clues about the vice president’s worldview. Buy Vance's new book (or don't!): https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0GTQ68YZN CORRECTION: Talking about a Catholic bookstore in Washington, D.C., on K Street, JVL says it was “Pauline Boo...

Journalist Michael Weiss, editor of The Insider, and retired CIA veteran Marc Polymeropoulous take over The Bulwark for the kind of conversation they have with each other every day about the intelligence world, what the hell is happening in the United States and what it means around the globe. As they started recording, Trump was wrapping his bizarre Wednesday speech at the G7 Summit defending his...

Sam Stein, Andrew Egger, and Lt. Gen. Mark Hertling (Ret.), went live to cover Trump's appearance at the G7 conference. Plus, the gang reacts to the U.S. unveiling the text in their official MOU with Iran.

Lt. Gen. Mark Hertling (Ret.) and Ben Parker are joined by Tom Nichols to discuss the week's military news. Read more from Tom Nichols: https://www.theatlantic.com/newsletters/2026/06/trump-g7-comments-misunderstsand-middle-east/687569/ Buy Mark's book here: http://www.amazon.com/dp/1966786727/?tag=bulwark08-20

Sam Stein and JVL give their takes on a bombshell new report from the Washington Post showing Trump's White House ballroom project could cost more than $600 million with taxpayers footing half the bill. They break down the ballooning price tag, the demolition of the East Wing, and whether a future president should just tear the whole thing down. Ready to reach your goals? Visit https://hims.com/bu...

Andrew Egger and Bill Kristol are going live to cover the week's biggest news. Ready to reach your goals? Visit https://hims.com/bulwarktakes to get a personalized, affordable plan that gets you.

Sam Stein and POLITICO’s Chris Cadelago take on reports that the Trump Justice Department is investigating Gavin Newsom and his wife, Jennifer Siebel Newsom. They discuss what's actually known about the probe, the long-running Trump-Newsom rivalry, and whether the investigation is a legitimate corruption case or the latest example of Trump targeting his political opponents. Sleep cooler this summe...

Tim Miller is joined by journalist and YouTuber Caolan Robertson, reporting from Kyiv after one of Russia's most devastating attacks on Ukraine in months. Caolan witnessed the aftermath firsthand as Russian missiles and drones struck the Dormition Cathedral, a historic monastery and church complex more than 1,000 years old and one of the most significant sites in Christian history. They discuss Pu...

Will Sommer and Sam Stein went live to unpack last night's gross UFC fight at the White House, Eric Trump's alleged betting scandal, MAGA allies unhappy about a proposed Iran deal, James Fishback calling his opponent Byron Donalds a "slave," and Spencer Pratt now becoming the Joker after losing the LA mayor's race. Sleep cooler this summer with Boll & Branch during their Annual Summer Event. F...

Tim Miller and JVL give their takes on Trump's announcement that he's reached a deal with Iran. Pakistan says the deal will be signed on Friday.

Will Saletan gives his take on the Trump administration’s victory lap over a potential Iran agreement and explains why the supposed deal sounds remarkably similar to the nuclear deal Trump spent years attacking. After Pete Hegseth and Mike Waltz hit the Sunday shows to sell Trump’s foreign policy “win,” Will examines the White House's contradictions and what the administration may not be telling y...

Bill Kristol and Ryan Goodman discuss Bill Pulte, FISA, Todd Blanche, and the legality of the Iran War.

The Bulwark's Brendan Hartnett reported live from the Kennedy Center at 2:30 AM on Saturday morning, where Rep. Joyce Beatty—who sued Trump in December after being silenced during the board vote to add his name to the building—joins him to watch it finally come back down, following a federal judge's ruling that only Congress has the authority to rename the memorial.

Tim Miller and political streamer Destiny take on Bulwark Podcast clip that radicalized an anti-communist, Elon's first trillion, Trump's kakistocracy cabinet, why Democrats keep walking into far-left media ambushes, and whether the rest of us have any idea what to do about any of it.

Tim Miller recaps his appearance on Deadline: White House with Nicole Wallace, then delivers his personal thoughts about Pride. Watch Deadline: White House on MS NOW: https://www.ms.now/deadline-white-house

Pete Hegseth's latest workout video was supposed to showcase strength. Instead, it was sloppy, in poor form, and seems to show Trump administration officials more determined to become fitness influencers than lead a country. Will Sommer and Joe Perticone give their takes on Hegseth's viral bench press session, RFK Jr.'s airport pull-up stunts, Kash Patel's workout videos, and the broader obsession...

Bill Kristol, Sonny Bunch and Brendan Hartnett went live to cover the court ordered removal of Trump's name from the Kennedy Center. Watch Sonny's conversation with Kennedy Center whistleblower Josef Palermo: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_rEDNCdqYzg Read Sonny's piece on the dismantling of the Kennedy Center: https://www.thebulwark.com/p/a-day-and-a-nation-at-the-kennedy-center