Bulwark+ Takes

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.thebulwark.com There aren’t many shows where a former CIA officer and an investigative journalist with deep sources in Ukraine and the intelligence community can compare notes like this. Help us bring you more of it by becoming a Bulwark member. Marc Polymeropoulos and Michael Weiss give their takes on the growing questions surround...

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.thebulwark.com Ben Parker and Lt. Gen. Mark Hertling (Ret.) break down the latest developments in Ukraine, including Russia’s escalating attacks on Ukrainian energy infrastructure, the growing rift between Washington and Kyiv, and how Ukraine is imposing mounting costs on Russian forces. They also examine how the Trump administratio...

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.thebulwark.com Sam Stein sits down with Eric Deters, the man whose text messages helped expose Kimberly Guilfoyle’s alleged $100,000 ask and preceded her resignation as U.S. ambassador to Greece. Deters discusses why he believes Guilfoyle was forced out, his plans to sue her for defamation, and why he says her resignation won’t end...

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.thebulwark.com Andrew Egger and Bill Kristol give their takes on the news White House Press Secretary Katie Zacharia made when she announced on her first day that the White House asked Kimberly Guilfoyle to resign as U.S. ambassador to Greece. Beyond that, Zacharia’s first briefing was remarkably short, with questions from just a fe...

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.thebulwark.com A quick note: The Bulwark doesn’t believe in phony balance that gives liars the benefit of the doubt or treats bad-faith arguments as legitimate debate. We call out the lies and explain what’s actually happening. If you value that kind of independent media, join Bulwark+ and help us keep doing it. Sam Stein and Andrew...

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.thebulwark.com MAGA thought it had a career-ending scandal on James Talarico. Instead, it got a spectacular humiliation. Sam Stein and Will Sommer break down how the conspiracy unraveled, including the full phone call obtained by The Bulwark that exposed the holes in the story. Plus, the federal raid on Ilhan Omar’s home, Pete Hegse...

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.thebulwark.com Michael Weiss and Marc Polymeropoulos give their takes on Trump’s latest deal with Vladimir Putin and why Trump suddenly announced an energy ceasefire. Sources tell Michael that Ukraine was blindsided by this weekend’s series of announcements from Trump as his approach only benefits Moscow even more. They also examine...

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.thebulwark.com Sen. Brian Schatz joins Sam Stein to explain why Democrats suddenly have a shot at winning Senate races in deep-red states, how they plan to hold Trump’s corrupt officials accountable, and why he doubts JD Vance has what it takes to succeed Trump. From the possibility of impeaching Trump administration officials to Va...

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.thebulwark.com Trump’s midterm problem may be far worse than it was in 2018, and the warning signs are showing up in places Republicans never expected. Bill Kristol and veteran political analyst Ron Brownstein examine Trump’s collapsing support among core MAGA voters, the surprising Senate races emerging in deep-red states, and how...

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.thebulwark.com A quick note: The Bulwark doesn’t believe in phony balance that gives liars the benefit of the doubt or treats bad-faith arguments as legitimate debate. We call out the lies and explain what’s actually happening. If you value that kind of independent media, join Bulwark+ and help us keep doing it. If you do want to su...

A quick note: We’re keeping this video free because every Ohio voter deserves to know who they’re voting for. If you have friends or family in Ohio, please send it to them. And if you believe this kind of reporting needs to reach as many people as possible, become a Bulwark member. Your support helps us keep telling these stories without putting them behind a paywall. If you do want to support us,...

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.thebulwark.com Sam Stein and Lt. Gen. Mark Hertling (Ret.) give their takes on Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s plan to livestream the execution of the Fort Hood shooter, Nidal Hasan, and why turning an execution into a public spectacle raises serious moral questions. Hertling explains the potential toll on soldiers ordered to carry...

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.thebulwark.com Could a Democratic landslide in 2026 actually help JD Vance win the presidency? JVL and Jasmine Green answer your questions about Trump’s purge of military leadership, the future of the anti-abortion movement, the allegations at Cornell, and which MAGA heir would make the least disastrous president. Plus, JVL gets per...

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.thebulwark.com Tim Miller, Sam Stein, and Democratic strategist Lis Smith join a live audience at Dartmouth for a spirited debate about Trump’s collapsing political fortunes, the GOP’s future under JD Vance, the Democrats’ struggle to rebuild their coalition, and the wide-open 2028 presidential race. Plus, a sobering question: What...

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.thebulwark.com Tim Miller gives his take on JD Vance’s fumbling attempt to define socialism and the hypocrisy at the heart of MAGA’s attacks on Democrats. Asked why socialist candidates are gaining ground across the country, Vance pivots to immigration and transgender athletes instead of explaining what socialism actually means. But...

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.thebulwark.com This is what makes The Bulwark different : going straight to the people involved, asking the uncomfortable questions, and getting answers you won’t hear anywhere else. If you value that work, please consider supporting us by becoming a Bulwark+ member. Sam Stein speaks with Eric Deters, the man at the center of the Wa...

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.thebulwark.com Sam Stein, Marc Polymeropoulos, and Michael Weiss went live to take on the bombshell Wall Street Journal report that reveals Kimberly Guilfoyle’s extraordinary private messages with a Trump donor, including a $100,000 request to pay her Amex bill and repeated warnings to stop creating a paper trail.

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.thebulwark.com Will Saletan breaks down the Maine Senate debate between Republican incumbent Susan Collins and Democratic challenger Troy Jackson, and why Collins is struggling to separate herself from Donald Trump in a state where the president remains deeply unpopular. Jackson repeatedly tied Collins to Trump on the Iran war, tari...

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.thebulwark.com A quick note: This is exactly why we want Bulwark reporters out in the field: not just watching the Senate map change from Washington, but talking to the candidates and voters who are changing it. If you value that kind of on-the-ground reporting, you’re in luck: Bulwark+ memberships are 30% for a limited time! Lauren...

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.thebulwark.com Lt. Gen. Mark Hertling (Ret.) and Ben Parker discuss the U.S. decision to pull B-1 bombers out of the United Kingdom over concerns about Iranian drone attacks, and what the move reveals about the changing nature of modern warfare. They examine the growing vulnerability of U.S. military bases, the risks to American for...

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.thebulwark.com Reporter Michael Weiss and former CIA officer Marc Polymeropoulos break down a staggering spy scandal involving the former head of German intelligence, an alleged Iranian plot targeting U.S. bombers in Britain, and the increasingly strange questions surrounding Kimberly Guilfoyle in Greece. Plus: why Russian intellige...

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.thebulwark.com Ben Parker and Bill Kristol discuss Donald Trump’s increasingly frantic attacks as Republicans face a surprisingly competitive Senate race in South Carolina, including Trump’s use of an anti-trans slur against Democratic candidate Annie Andrews. They examine what the race says about the Republican Party’s standing hea...

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.thebulwark.com Tim Miller gives his take on the Democrats who are already arguing against investigating Donald Trump’s corporate allies, warning that accountability cannot be sacrificed in the name of avoiding political “retribution.” He argues that companies and executives who participated in or benefited from Trump’s corruption sh...

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.thebulwark.com Catherine Rampell and Jonathan Cohn give their takes on Donald Trump’s latest checks to Americans, including $500 payments to some ACA marketplace enrollees and $90 payments to certain Medicare recipients. They explain where the money is coming from, why the ACA payments may lack clear legal authority, and how diverti...

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.thebulwark.com Sam Stein and Will Sommer give their takes on Kash Patel’s engagement, Benny Johnson facing a lawsuit from two anti-ICE protesters, and The Daily Wire’s new pro-ICE movie being filmed in Livingston, Montana. The film reportedly recreates the shooting of Renee Good before turning it into a fictionalized action story in...