The Next Level

Tim, Sarah, and Sam Stein (filling in for JVL) take on the political stories dominating the headlines: • Mitch McConnell is alive and taking calls (maybe, probably?)—despite Laura Loomer’s reports to the contrary.. • Platnerdämmerung; the enormous irresponsibility of the Platner candidacy will have real consequences for his movement and for the country; and the messy road ahead in Maine (even if P...

Full episodes of the Bulwark Podcast are available to paid members of The Bulwark via YouTube, Substack, and Apple Podcasts. Sarah Longwell and Bill Kristol (filling in for JVL) take on America’s 250th birthday under Trump—and how far the GOP has fallen from Reagan’s “you can become an American” to 2,000 ICE arrests a day. They break down the right-wing meltdown over the birthright citizenship rul...

Sarah, Tim, and Andrew Egger (filling in for JVL) discuss: -The Supreme Court's ruling upholding birthright citizenship. -NPR's retracted report that Justice Alito was retiring. -The DSA-aligned Democratic candidates winning primaries in New York City, and whether Democrats are headed for a giant fight over socialism in 2027. -Rep. Tom Kean's return to Congress after his depression diagnosis. -The...

The full episode of Secret Podcast is available to paid members of the Bulwark on YouTube, Substack and Apple Podcasts. It’s a special show this week where JVL gives Sarah a series of impossible choices. Will she choose institutionalism, or Secretary Mayor Pete? Will she endorse the political analysis of [REDACTED]? What will she do when Cletus says that he doesn’t like democracy and wants minorit...

Tim is sick, but he's strapping on his football helmet. Tim, Sarah, and JVL cover: -The mysterious 79 year-old receiving non-public weight loss drugs (and if not Trump, who?) -The latest revelations from Jonathan Swan and Maggie Haberman's new book. -Tucker Carlson supposedly leaving the Republican Party...or is it all a long game to help JD Vance? -The Trump administration's ongoing capitulation...

The Iran war deal is falling apart (already). Israel is turning on Trump. And the two most insipid trad-Cath poasters in America are podcasting together again. Plus: JVL (finally) explains his disdain for the NYT’s DEI Trump apologist. Read JVL's Triad newsletter: https://www.thebulwark.com/p/trumps-iran-hawks-found-a-way-to-love-surrender

JVL, Sarah Longwell, and Tim Miller discuss the Iran "deal" that isn't really a deal—a memorandum of understanding that lifts sanctions immediately and hands Iran $300 billion while punting everything else down the road. Then: the war hawks who drummed up the Iran war—Thiessen, Graham, Levin, the WSJ editorial board — are repositioning and refusing to say they were wrong. Plus: Trump's acceleratin...

A super-sized Secret this week: Sarah and JVL are coming to the legendary 92nd Street Y in New York on September 8. Come and hang out with them in JVL’s back yard! It’s possible he’ll have the championship belt! (Tickets on sale here.) JVL actually thinks the Iran deal might be real this time. He’s got a theory. Sarah has a theory of her own about who leaked to Maggie Haberman and Jonathan Swan ab...

The gang is back together, and the U.S. and Iran are back at war...maybe? Tim, Sarah, and JVL discuss the latest in Iran, Donald Trump storming off of Meet the Press, the 'stolen election' freakout in Los Angeles, Todd Blanche's nomination as Attorney General, and JVL's Triad about former DHS commander Greg Bovino (kinda sorta maybe) eyeing a presidential run. Plus: Graham Platner, Lindsey Graham'...

Tim Miller, Sam Stein, and JVL talk about the week's biggest stories: Trump installs a meme stock grifter as acting Director of National Intelligence, the $1.8 billion weaponization slush fund may be dying (or just hibernating), Tina Peters walks free and heads straight to Steve Bannon, Scott Pelley goes out swinging at 60 Minutes, and the leaked Trump-Netanyahu call reveals a president trapped by...

Full episodes of The Secret Podcast are available to paid members of the Bulwark, on Apple Podcasts, Substack and YouTube. Sarah and JVL talk about the ongoing meltdown of Trump’s Freedom 250 event; the inappropriateness of putting a UFC cage fight on the White House lawn; John Cornyn’s sudden understanding of what Trump is; and Bari Weiss’s murder of 60 Minutes. It’s a good show / short show beca...

Sarah Longwell, Tim Miller and JVL went live to cover the Texas primary runoff election, Megyn Kelly (maybe?) turning against Trump, and much more. Visit http://upwork.com/THENEXTLEVEL right now and post your job for free.

Full episodes of The Secret Podcast are available to paid members of The Bulwark via Apple Podcasts, YouTube and Substack. Sarah is in the City of Angels; JVL is in the Big Apple;) and they have A LOT to catch up on. Gas is at $4.65. Trump is at -22 in the latest Fox poll. The Senate said no to the billi for his ballroom. Oh, and maybe we’re going to do regime change in Cuba soon? Plus: They recap...

Tim Miller, Sarah Longwell, and Sam Stein debate whether Democrats should just “let Trump cook” as his approval numbers crater, Republicans start breaking ranks, and the MAGA coalition begins to fracture. Plus: Rubio takes heat over Iran, the gang ranks Trump’s worst cabinet members, and they roast Trump’s gaudy gold makeover of Washington. Get 20% off your first order, plus free shipping during t...

The Secret Podcast is available exclusively to paid subscribers of The Bulwark. You can join on Apple Podcasts, Substack or YouTube! Last night news broke that President Trump would drop his $10b lawsuit against the IRS if the people who work for him at the Justice Department would create a $1.7b fund out of taxpayer dollars and allow him to appoint five commissioners to run this fund and they wou...

JVL, Sarah Longwell, and Tim Miller discuss the Virginia redistricting ruling, what it means for elections this November, and whether Democrats need to start playing as dirty as their opponents. Plus: the Iran war is a strategic catastrophe that most Americans don't understand yet, and what Bob Kagan—the man who cheered on every Middle East intervention—now thinks about where this is all heading....

The full episode is available exclusively to paid members of The Bulwark. You can join on Apple Podcasts, Substack or YouTube. Sarah and JVL had a big show planned for you. Lots of different subjects. Important news. Funny stories. The whole nine. And then everything derailed as they went SUPER deep on Graham Platner and the meta-debate about him. If you think Platner has electoral upside, you lov...

Sarah Longwell, Tim Miller and Sam Stein (filling in for JVL) discuss the Trump administration’s assertion that the effort to protect ships in the Strait of Hormuz is "separate and distinct" from the larger war effort in Iran. Plus, they get into the drama over Ken Martin’s time as DNC chair, the effect the Supreme Court’s recent voting rights ruling might have on the midterms, the wisdom of Senat...

Full episodes of the Secret Podcast are available to paid members of the Bulwark on Substack, YouTube, and Apple Podcasts. JVL and Sarah Longwell discuss the signs that voters are starting to regret their Trump vote—and why that doesn’t mean politics is getting any simpler. Gas prices are rising, a gerrymandering arms race is raging and the Supreme Court reshaped the rules. Plus: the Maine race, t...

Sarah Longwell, Tim Miller and JVL are going LIVE to cover yet another indictment of Jim Comey by the Trump administration. NOTE: If you're getting this late—we apologize! Something went wrong and some of you may not have received this episode on the day that it was originally released (Tuesday, April 29). We will try to track down and punish the gremlins responsible. Make today a good day, and ge...

JVL and Sarah Longwell talk about the firing of the Navy secretary mid-conflict and the bizarre “Trump-class battleship” saga, exposing a pattern of impossible promises and chaotic leadership. Plus: the Spirit Airlines bailout and what it says about Trump’s commitment to “capitalism.” Full episodes of the Secret Podcast are available to paid members of the Bulwark on Substack, YouTube, and Apple P...

Sarah Longwell, Tim Miller and JVL celebrate JVL’s Webby win (sort of), and cover Tucker Carlson’s sudden “regret” turn and what it means about MAGA, Donald Trump Jr. as a 2028 front-runner, and the continued disaster in Iran. Plus: the ongoing dysfunction inside the administration, including the latest turmoil surrounding Kash Patel. Sign up for your one-dollar-per-month trial today at https://SH...

JVL and Sarah Longwell discuss a bizarre week where markets surge amid global chaos, Trump feuds with his own allies, and confusion over Iran keeps escalating. They also break down a blowout Democratic win, surging fundraising, and what it all signals for the midterms—plus a growing fight inside the party over Israel and its future direction.

Sarah Longwell, Tim Miller and JVL cover a rough week for Trump, from failed talks with Iran that turned into a naval blockade, to strong signs of real cracks inside his coalition as allies and right-wing media begin to push back against his idiocy. They also talk about what Orbán’s defeat in Hungary means for Trump-style politics, and discuss the lightning-fast downfall of Eric Swalwell. Go to ht...

JVL and Sarah discuss the failed ceasefire, Melania’s bizarre Epstein pre-denial, and the growing rift between Trump and "America First" heavyweights like Tucker, Megyn, Candace, and Alex Jones. Is this just another performative feud, or the start of something real? And as AI muddies reality itself, what happens when nobody believes anything anymore? Paid members of the Bulwark get exclusive acces...