Bulwark Takes

Tim Miller takes on the growing controversy surrounding Delaney Hall, the ICE detention facility facing allegations of abusive conditions, blocked inspections, and a detainee hunger strike. He also examines the confrontation outside the facility involving protesters and Senator Andy Kim. Life inside the Delaney Hall ICE detention camp is a travesty https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2026/ju...

Ben Parker and Lt. Gen. Mark Hertling (ret.) discuss Pete Hegseth’s controversial intervention in military promotions, rising tensions with Iran, and Ukraine’s latest strikes deep inside Russia. Then they’re joined by former Army Surgeon General Lt. Gen. Eric Schoomaker for a wide-ranging conversation on Ebola, pandemic preparedness, military medicine, and what America may be losing as public heal...

Jonathan Cohn talks with oncologist and UPenn vice provost Zeke Emanuel about the breakthrough new pancreatic cancer treatment—what the science actually means, why it took so long, and what Trump's cuts to federal research funding put at risk.

Tim Miller talks with Rufus Gifford—former U.S. Ambassador to Denmark—about Jeff Landry's uninvited, chaotic trip to Greenland as Trump's made-up "special envoy." Spoiler: it did not go well for Landry. Text TAKES to 64000 for your 2 free gifts with the purchase of any Pocket Hose Ballistic hose. By Texting 64000, you agree to receive recurring automated marketing messages from Pocket Hose. Messag...

Sam Stein and Semafor's Max Tani go live to react to CBS firing Scott Pelley from 60 Minutes. Pelley's firing comes after he tore into Bari Weiss and 60 Minutes' new executive producer Nick Bilton, accusing Weiss of "murdering" the venerated newsmagazine. Text TAKES to 64000 for your 2 free gifts with the purchase of any Pocket Hose Ballistic hose. By Texting 64000, you agree to receive recurring...

Sarah Longwell gives her take on the state of the race in Iowa ahead of Tuesday's primary elections. With Donald Trump's approval numbers slipping, farmers feeling the effects of tariffs, and growing frustration with Republican leadership in the state, Democrats believe they have a real opportunity to compete in races that once seemed out of reach. Sarah breaks down what's driving voter anger and...

Andrew Egger and Bill Kristol went live to react to Trump’s shocking decision to install housing official Bill Pulte as Acting Director of National Intelligence, despite having no intelligence background. They discuss what the appointment says about Trump’s priorities, growing concerns about the weaponization of government power, signs of Republican resistance on Capitol Hill, and whether Trump’s...

JVL and Will Sommer give their takes on the explosive showdown inside CBS News after Scott Pelley confronted new 60 Minutes executive producer Nick Bilton during his first meeting with staff. According to reporting from Oliver Darcy's Status newsletter, Pelley blasted CBS leadership and declared that Bari Weiss is "murdering 60 Minutes." JVL and Will break down what happened in the meeting, why Bi...

Sam Stein and Andrew Egger give their takes on the breaking news that the Trump administration is reportedly pausing and potentially abandoning the controversial $1.8 billion slush fund for January 6 defendants and other Trump allies. Sam and Andrew walk through how the arrangement came together, why judges are now scrutinizing it, and why even Republican lawmakers are growing uneasy with the impl...

Will Sommer and Sam Stein went live on Monday at 10am to cover the outrage from Republicans about artists cancelling on America 250 and Trump making it a rally instead, the Proud Boys bringing cookies to a pro-ICE rally, Trump’s former Border Patrol chief Greg Bovino hanging with white nationalists, and James Fishback’s ex-girlfriend speaking out. Read more from Will: https://www.thebulwark.com/s/...

Catherine Rampell and Will Sommer take on one of the strangest stories in American politics: a mystery candidate named Dan Sullivan has entered the Alaska Senate race—as a Republican—to run against the incumbent Republican senator also named Dan Sullivan. Who recruited him, why does his photo look AI-generated, and why is a Peltola-aligned strategist's name buried in the press release metadata?

Nathaniel Zelinsky, lead counsel in the Kennedy Center case against Trump, joins Bill Kristol for Bulwark on Sunday to discuss the current situation with Trump and the courts. Nathaniel Zelinsky is a senior counsel and member of the Washington Litigation Group’s steering committee . He is an appellate lawyer who has handled high stakes cases involving major constitutional questions and multibillio...

Tim Miller and Pablo Torre take on the White House calling Tim an Iranian propagandist, how Trump colonized American sports culture—from SEC stadiums to the White House lawn—and why Democrats keep fumbling the ball on sports politics.

Catherine Rampell welcomes Epstein survivor Annie Farmer to discuss Pam Bondi’s closed-door congressional testimony, the DOJ’s handling of the Epstein files, and the unanswered questions that continue to fuel demands for transparency. Farmer shares her firsthand perspective on the investigation, the treatment of survivors, concerns about missing documents, and why accountability remains elusive de...

Ben Parker and Sonny Bunch give their takes on the news that a federal judge's ruled that Trump's name must be removed from Kennedy Center. They examine the legal battle, the mass exodus of performers, the uncertain future of upcoming seasons, and how Trump's efforts to remake the Kennedy Center may have backfired. Read more from Sonny's piece: https://www.thebulwark.com/p/a-day-and-a-nation-at-th...

Catherine and JVL are going LIVE at 12:30pm  on Friday. Read Catherine Rampell's 'Receipts' newsletter: https://www.thebulwark.com/s/receipts

Tim Miller reacts after the official White House account suggested he should be investigated under FARA over his commentary on the Iran war. He also breaks down the Trump administration’s escalating use of the DOJ against critics, including a criminal investigation against E. Jean Carroll, and explains why he believes the White House is lashing out as the Iran negotiations unravel.

JVL and Sam Stein give their takes on CBS News firing Sharyn Alfonsi, Cecilia Vega, and top executives at 60 Minutes. Plus, they break down why the changes at CBS News appear tied to corporate merger politics from Trumpworld and what the shakeup says about the future of independent journalism in America.

JVL and Sonny Bunch take on Trump's "Freedom 250" disaster—the washed-up acts already bailing on the Great American State Fair, the UFC cage being built on the White House lawn, and why the whole spectacle looks less like a birthday party and more like something straight out of The Boys.

Sam and Will went live at 11am ET to cover the week's biggest developments in the right wing fever swamp. Get 50% off of a new Bulwark+ subscription for the next year, that’s everything we offer on our website, by going to thebulwark.com/sanity – this is a limited time offer.

Andrew Egger and Will Saletan give their takes on Trump’s latest cabinet meeting spectacle, from his bizarre rant about the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool, potentially bombing Oman, and Pete Hegseth pitching a staggering $1.5 trillion defense budget. As Trump’s poll numbers slide and Republicans brace for a brutal midterm environment, the White House still seems trapped in a reality-defying loya...

Lt. Gen. Mark Hertling (Ret.) and Ben Parker went live on Wednesday at 10:30am ET to cover the latest on the war in Iran and Pete Hegseth's graduation speech at West Point where he blamed “foolish and feckless leaders” for promoting diversity. Programming note: On June 8 at 7pm ET, Mona Charen and Mark Hertling will kick off the Bulwark Book Club with a live chat about Mark’s book, If I Don’t Retu...

Sam Stein and Will Saletan give their takes on Donald Trump’s latest visit to Walter Reed, the White House’s growing secrecy around his health, and the bizarre effort by the White House to defend footage of the president appearing to fall asleep during meetings. They discuss Trump’s repeated medical checkups, his confusing answers about MRIs and CAT scans, comparisons to the Biden health debate, a...

Andrew and Bill went live at 10am ET on Tuesday to cover the notable deflections over the weekend from a small group of GOP Senators about a potential deal with Iran, the worsening approval ratings for Trump and the war, and the reported potential plan by the U.S. to have Iran send its enriched uranium to Pakistan, Turkey, Russia, or China. Read more from Morning Shots: https://www.thebulwark.com/...

Jasmine poses Triad readers’ questions to JVL: How can we stop Trump's slush fund? Will AI discourse dominate the 2028 campaign? Why does Trump keep turning down Iran's proposals to end the war? What is the true definition of populism? All that and more (like whether JVL thinks his best friend, Sarah Longwell, should run for Senate in Pennsylvania) in this week’s mailbag. Paid members of the Bulwa...