Bulwark Takes

Jonathan Cohn is joined by epidemiologist and former CDC consultant Katelyn Jetelina to unpack the emerging hantavirus outbreak linked to a small expedition cruise ship in the South Atlantic. Katelyn breaks down what hantavirus is, how it typically spreads, why this outbreak is unusual, and what health officials actually know so far. She also explains why experts are urging calm rather than panic...

Tim Miller breaks down the rapidly escalating confrontation between the U.S. and Iran after Iranian forces targeted American destroyers in the Strait of Hormuz and the U.S. responded with new strikes on Iranian military assets. Despite active combat at sea, Donald Trump insists the ceasefire is still intact, even calling the exchange a “love tap.” Tim gives his take on the administration’s contrad...

Sam Stein and Lauren Egan give their takes on the first ads from Maine Senate candidates Graham Platner and Susan Collins. The two campaigns couldn’t be more different. Platner comes out aggressively, launching a hard-hitting populist message that goes straight at Collins’ record and frames the race as part of a broader fight over power, Trump, and the direction of the country. Meanwhile, Susan Co...

Sarah Longwell takes on growing backlash from Trump’s own voters as rising gas prices, grocery costs, and the fallout from the Iran war hammer household budgets. New focus groups reveal frustration, disappointment, and anger from people who believed Trump’s promises on the economy and “no more forever wars.” Stop putting off those doctors appointments and go to https://ZocDoc.com/BULWARKTAKES to f...

Tim Miller joins Nicole Wallace on MSNBC with General Mark Hertling to discuss the Iran war chaos—Trump undercut Rubio twice in one day, the ceasefire is already wobbling, and the "deal" is one page long. Plus: Trump declared war on the Pope and is losing that one too. For a limited time, listeners can get an exclusive $25 off AuraFrame's best-selling Carver Mat frame at https://on.auraframes.com/...

Tim Miller reacts to Barack Obama and Stephen Colbert joking about Trump, “Colbert 2028,” Democratic messaging failures, and the corruption Americans have somehow normalized in modern politics. For a limited time, listeners can get an exclusive $25 off AuraFrame's best-selling Carver Mat frame at https://on.auraframes.com/BULWARKTAKES with code BULWARKTAKES. The Bulwark is going to Southern Califo...

Sam Stein and Will Saletan give their takes on the breaking news that the FBI raided the office of Virginia Democrat Louise Lucas, the bizarre presence of a Fox News crew already on the scene, and the FBI’s reported investigation into leaks connected to a damaging Atlantic story about FBI Director Kash Patel. For a limited time, listeners can get an exclusive $25 off AuraFrame's best-selling Carve...

Lt. Gen. Mark Hertling (Ret.) and Ben Parker went live to discuss the Washington Post’s reporting that Iran has hit more U.S. military assets than previously reported, the pause on Trump’s Project Freedom hours after it was announced, and whether Putin had any say about the U.S. withdrawing troops from Germany. For a limited time, listeners can get an exclusive $25 off AuraFrame's best-selling Car...

Sam Stein joined Nicolle Wallace on Deadline: White House to break down Trump’s billion-dollar White House ballroom boondoggle, the GOP’s corruption problem, Democratic Senate momentum, and why the “Epstein class” attack line may be landing harder than Republicans expected. For a limited time, listeners can get an exclusive $25 off AuraFrame's best-selling Carver Matframe at https://on.auraframes....

Tim Miller and Will Sommer give their take on the Libs of TikTok’s latest campaign targeting a Louisiana doctor and the disturbing evolution of the account growing into right-wing influencer operation. As Libs of TikTok is now deploying a rotating cast of influencer-style hosts to mass-produce outrage content, Tim and Will get into why the anti-cancel culture crowd still seems obsessed with gettin...

Sam Stein and Bill Kristol are going live to discuss Senate Republicans' request for $1 billion in taxpayer money for Trump's ballroom after Trump claimed it was "free of charge." Plus Pete Hegseth announces a new military campaign in Iran, while also claiming the ceasefire is still in place. For a limited time, listeners can get an exclusive $25 off AuraFrame's best-selling Carver Matframe at htt...

Tim Miller is joined by Gas Buddy's Head of Petroleum Analysis Patrick De Haan for his take on the escalating oil crisis, surging gas prices, and why Americans could be feeling the effects for a long time. De Haan warns that every day the Strait of Hormuz remains disrupted could mean weeks of recovery for global oil markets, potentially leading to a 65-week climb back to pre-crisis prices. He also...

Jared Poland headed to Capitol Hill after reports that Donald Trump will put his face on U.S. passports—and finds Republicans either defending it, laughing it off, or refusing to engage. For a limited time, listeners can get an exclusive $25 off Aura Frame's best-selling Carver Mat frame at https://on.auraframes.com/BULWARKTAKES with code BULWARKTAKES.

Will Saletan breaks down Tucker Carlson’s series of interviews with the New York Times and shows why his “apology tour” doesn’t hold up. From flat-out denials caught on tape to wild swings between moral outrage and shrugging off atrocities, the pattern is the story: in one moment he sounds reasonable, in the next he’s saying the exact opposite. Read Lulu Garcia-Navarro's article on Tucker Carlson...

Will Sommer and Sam Stein are going live to cover the biggest news in the right wing fever swamp. For a limited time, listeners can get an exclusive $25 off AuraFrame's best-selling Carver Matframe at https://on.auraframes.com/BULWARKTAKES with code BULWARKTAKES. Tickets for our Bulwark Live shows in San Diego and Los Angeles in May: https://thebulwark.com/events

On ‘Meet the Press’, Todd Blanche, Trump’s Acting Attorney General, tries to defend the Justice Department’s indictment of James Comey, but the explanation doesn’t hold up particularly well under scrutiny. Sam Stein and Will Saletan take on the flimsy argument, the timeline, and why the case is drawing skepticism, not just from critics but with Republicans as well. Tickets for our Bulwark Live sho...

H. David Baer joins Bill Kristol for Bulwark on Sunday to discuss the lessons of Hungary. Read Baer's article in The Bulwark Tickets for our Bulwark Live shows in San Diego and Los Angeles in May

Tim Miller talks with Democracy Docket's Marc Elias about the mess unfolding in Louisiana, where votes are already being cast—and now the election itself could be reset. Marc explains the Supreme Court decision reshaping the Voting Rights Act, the rush to redraw maps across multiple states, and why both parties are bracing for a full-on redistricting war ahead of 2026. Tickets for our Bulwark Live...

Tim Miller, Sam Stein, and Will Sommer discuss a chaotic CNN panel blowup, the strange rise of Scott Jennings as cable news’ go-to defender, and the surreal world of MAGA-themed cruises—from a “Gulf of America” getaway to a gay conservative cruise that left Tim stunned. They talk about the escalating Candace Owens feud and lawsuit drama, plus one of the weirdest political clips you’ll see all week...

Sarah Longwell is joined by Kyle Sweetser, a former Trump voter and lifelong Republican who is now running for Senate in Alabama as a Democrat. Sweetser explains how Trump-era tariffs impacted his business, why January 6 pushed him into political activism, and why he believes Democrats can compete in deep red states by directly challenging MAGA politics instead of avoiding the fight. They also tal...

Catherine Rampell and JVL went live to discuss the week's economic and financial news. For a limited time, listeners can get an exclusive $25 off AuraFrame's best-selling Carver Matframe at https://on.auraframes.com/BULWARKTAKES with code BULWARKTAKES. Tickets for our Bulwark Live shows in San Diego and Los Angeles in May: https://thebulwark.com/events

Tim Miller talks with Navy veteran and former NASA Chief of Staff Bail Dalton, who’s running for Congress in a deep red Florida district Democrats usually ignore—but may now be in play. They dig into his opponent, Rep. Cory Mills' the mountain of scandals and lies, and why Trump-era chaos could open the door for an upset. For a limited time, listeners can get an exclusive $25 off AuraFrame's best-...

Sam Stein talks with Jake Sherman about a week of House chaos that somehow ended in a string of wins—key bills passed, a shutdown quietly ended, and hardliners once again backed down. They break down why the threats never stick, how Mike Johnson keeps his conference in line, and why Republicans are still sticking with Trump even as his numbers slide—plus what it all means for redistricting and the...

Sam Stein and Jonathan Cohn are going live to cover Trump's newest Surgeon General nominee, Dr. Nicole Saphier, a Fox News contributor. After pulling Casey Means' nomination, Trump bashed GOP Senator Bill Cassidy for opposing Means. Exclusive $25-off Carver Mat at https://on.auraframes.com/BULWARKTAKES . Promo Code BULWARKTAKES Tickets for our Bulwark Live shows in San Diego and Los Angeles in May...

Tim Miller was all over MS NOW, talking about Trump’s $400 million “gold ballroom” obsession as his poll numbers slide and voters feel squeezed. He breaks down why the GOP’s usual message machine—coordinated distractions, echo chamber spin, and nonstop attacks—is suddenly falling flat, with backlash over Iran, rising gas prices, and broken promises piling up. For a limited time, listeners can get...