Bulwark+ Takes

Bill Kristol and Sarah Longwell discuss Longwell’s new book, How to Eat an Elephant: One Voter at a Time , tracing the origins of The Bulwark and their efforts to oppose Trump while drawing lessons from years of voter focus groups. They consider how the media environment has changed, what Democrats can learn from Republican political infrastructure, how a broad pro-democracy coalition can manage i...

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.thebulwark.com Tim Miller and Sam Stein take on Fox firing Maria Bartiromo after she reportedly shared internal network information with the Trump White House, and revisit some of her most infamous conspiracy-theory moments. Then, they discuss the wild IG report on former Labor Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer, featuring strip clubs, a...

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.thebulwark.com Mark Hertling and Ben Parker react live to Trump dismissing the mounting costs of the Iran war as “small potatoes.”

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.thebulwark.com Catherine Rampell and JVL break down Donald Trump’s latest economic claims—and explain why his understanding of interest rates, inflation, and economic growth is so badly detached from reality. They also dig into a disturbing new trend: European countries are moving gold and other assets out of the United States as al...

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.thebulwark.com Donald Trump wants Ken Paxton in the Senate, but he really wishes Paxton would do something about those ugly outfits. Trump has repeatedly praised Paxton as a loyal ally while taking bizarrely personal shots at his clothes, his appearance, and his interviews. Joe Perticone and Sonny Bunch give their takes on Trump’s o...

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.thebulwark.com Will Saletan takes on Trump’s Venezuela oil deal, as the president openly brags that Venezuelan oil has already paid for the war “many times over” and Republicans argue that U.S. oil companies deserve benefits for the next 100 years. Saletan follows the money—and shows how the administration is putting oil profits ahe...

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.thebulwark.com Tim Miller joins Nicolle Wallace to discuss why the Republican Party can see Trump dragging it toward a midterm disaster but still can’t bring itself to break away. They also discuss the horrifying death of a young Haitian immigrant targeted by Trump’s deportation crackdown and the administration’s escalating efforts...

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.thebulwark.com MAGA pollster Rich Baris joins Tim Miller to explain why Republicans may be underestimating just how competitive the 2026 Senate map could become. Baris says that Michigan and Georgia are effectively locks for Democrats Abdul El-Sayed and Jon Ossoff. He also sees Democratic opportunities in states Republicans have lon...

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 Russia’s attempted attacks in Germany, the growing threat of Russian hybrid warfare across Europe, and why Germany’s muted response could invite even more aggression. They also dig into the extraordinary contradiction at the heart of U.S. policy:...

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.thebulwark.com The USS Abraham Lincoln finally returns to port after nearly 300 days at sea—and the visible wear and tear is a stark reminder of the strain being placed on the U.S. military. Ben Parker and Lt. Gen. Mark Hertling (Ret.) discuss the Navy’s mounting readiness challenges, the Pentagon’s purge of senior Army leaders, and...

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.thebulwark.com A 20-year-old Haitian college student, Pierre Damas Bel, came to America to study, play soccer, serve in JROTC, and pursue a career in medicine. Instead, he was placed with an ankle monitor, bullied and humiliated by classmates, and made to feel like a criminal despite having committed no crime. Tim Miller and Sam Ste...

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.thebulwark.com Sam Stein and Lauren Egan give their takes on the behind-the-scenes scramble for campaign staff, the Democrats already courting operatives in early primary states, and why South Carolina is suddenly such a crucial piece of the 2028 puzzle. They also debate just how massive the Democratic field could get and where the...

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.thebulwark.com Andrew Egger has uncovered one of the strangest congressional candidate stories you’ll hear all year: a woman facing federal fraud charges in Illinois appears to have resurfaced as a different candidate in Florida and denied being the same person. Plus, Dan Driscoll’s stunning resignation exposes the deepening chaos a...

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.thebulwark.com Tim Miller and a secret guest take on JD Vance’s disastrous trip to Michigan, from his awkward attempt to defend Trump’s deeply unpopular data-center push to an astonishing 9/11 gaffe and an ugly attack on Abdul El-Sayed’s Muslim faith. Tim breaks down the hypocrisy behind Vance’s “populist” persona—and eventually, he...

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.thebulwark.com Donald Trump is posting AI-generated war footage, threatening Canada, spreading dangerous vaccine misinformation, and flooding Truth Social with bizarre content—and Andrew Egger and Catherine Rampell are trying to make sense of it all. From the fake footage showing U.S. strikes on Iran’s Kharg Island to Trump’s bizarr...

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.thebulwark.com Sam Stein and Will Sommer went live to cover the Pentagon’s secret army of MAGA influencers, including the government employees allegedly working behind anonymous accounts to attack Pete Hegseth’s critics and target the left. Next, Milo Yiannopoulos has been deported. Watch the video to see Will break down the spectac...

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.thebulwark.com Sam Stein and Ben Parker unpack a brutal 24 hours for press freedom: Trump threatening Kristen Welker with the FCC, journalists barred from G20 Treasury access, a leaked Pentagon assessment on Iran drawing threats against reporters, and big tech's silent complicity as DHS bypasses judges to subpoena journalists' data....

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.thebulwark.com Tim Miller talks with author and Tulane professor Nathaniel Rich about climate change, the growing backlash to data centers, their security and privacy risks, and Rich’s new novel, Cloudthief. They also discuss public anxiety about AI and technology, the appeal of scams and get-rich-quick thinking, and how people navi...

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.thebulwark.com Bill Kristol talks with Jim Swift, reporting from Springfield, Ohio on ICE's crackdown on Haitians who lost protected status, and ACLU attorney Sarah Mehta on third-country deportations, "remigration," and the legal and legislative fights over immigration enforcement.

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.thebulwark.com Tim Miller, Sam Stein, and Will Sommer give their takes on Milo Yiannopoulos being detained by ICE, Laura Loomer taking credit, and the latest bizarre fallout inside the MAGA world. Plus, a KKK/Nazi-linked staffer in the orbit of Georgia Senate candidate Mike Collins, Marjorie Taylor Greene’s unforgettable message to...

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.thebulwark.com Trump’s immigration crackdown isn’t just targeting people who entered the country illegally—it’s making it harder for legal immigrants, international students, nurses, and highly skilled workers to come to and stay in the United States. Catherine Rampell and Doug Rand, former senior advisor at U.S. Citizenship and Imm...

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.thebulwark.com Karoline Leavitt is leaving the White House and George Conway has a few thoughts about her tenure as Donald Trump’s press secretary. Andrew Egger and George give their takes on Leavitt’s talent for lying, deflecting, insulting reporters, and never losing her cool, even when defending the indefensible. They also look a...

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.thebulwark.com Sam Stein and Catherine Rampell give their takes on Trump’s escalating trade war with Canada and why Canada may be looking to China and other countries as more reliable partners. Plus, Trump says the Strait of Hormuz is “open.” So why does the actual data tell a very different story? Watch Catherine break it down and...

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.thebulwark.com Tim Miller and Joe Perticone give their takes on Stacy Garrity, Pennsylvania’s Trump-endorsed Republican nominee for governor and one of the country’s most committed election deniers. From her role in the January 5, 2021 rally in Harrisburg to her refusal to back away from Trump’s election lies, Garrity has built her...

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.thebulwark.com Sam Stein and Andrew Egger went live to cover Trump order to rename Lake Ontario to “Lake America.” They give their takes on the absurdity of it, the cost, and why Trump’s latest map-making stunt is a perfect snapshot of a president who seems increasingly out of ideas and out of touch. Plus, they dig into Trump’s biza...