{"_":"The news cycle doesn’t slow down, and neither does The Bulwark. Bulwark Takes brings you bite-sized takes on the news of the day from the entire Bulwark team, including Tim Miller, Sarah Longwell, and Bill Kristol, and more. \n\n","$":{"audioboom:html":"1"}}
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Sam Stein speaks with Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) for her take on the fast-moving fight in Congress over extending enhanced Obamacare subsidies, the looming spike in premiums, and why millions could lose coverage if lawmakers fail to act. Shaheen breaks down the competing proposals, the political pressure inside the Senate, and the GOP’s reliance on Donald Trump to bless any deal. They also discuss the administration’s continued escalation in the Caribbean, the unanswered questions surrounding th...
Trump wants your kids to have fewer dolls and fewer pencils, but he’ll happily take a new ballroom, a Gatsby party, and a marble-soaked Lincoln bathroom. JVL, Sam Stein, and Sonny Bunch give their takes on the surreal contrast, his obsession with opulence, and why Trump should instead be hosting an HGTV show. Exclusive $35 off Carver Mat at https://on.auraframes.com/BULWARKTAKES . Promo Code BULWARKTAKES
Will Saletan breaks down Donald Trump’s shocking pardon of Juan Orlando Hernández, the former president of Honduras convicted of trafficking hundreds of tons of cocaine into the United States. Since the pardon, Republican senators have been asked to explain it, and the results have been excruciating. Exclusive $35 off Carver Mat at https://on.auraframes.com/BULWARKTAKES . Promo Code BULWARKTAKES
Tim Miller and Andrew Egger give their takes on Donald Trump’s rally at the Mount Airy Casino Resort, where the supposed “affordability” message was instead swallowed by recycled riffs, Somali rants, and compliments about his staffers’ lips. Exclusive $35 off Carver Mat at https://on.auraframes.com/BULWARKTAKES . Promo Code BULWARKTAKES
Sam Stein sits down with CNN’s Andrew Kaczynski to discuss Pete Hegseth’s past comments on military law and unlawful orders. Kaczynski unearthed video of Hegseth defending troops for refusing illegal orders—something he now attacks Democratic lawmakers for saying. Exclusive $35 off Carver Mat at https://on.auraframes.com/BULWARKTAKES . Promo Code BULWARKTAKES Read more of Andrew’s work: https://www.cnn.com/2025/12/08/politics/hegseth-trump-warned-unlawful-orders-kfile...
ProPublica’s Justin Elliott talks with Tim Miller about a fresh set of Trump-connected mortgage records that deserve a closer look. Exclusive $35 off Carver Mat at https://on.auraframes.com/BULWARKTAKES . Promo Code BULWARKTAKES Justin’s story: https://www.propublica.org/article/trump-mortgage-fraud-florida-principal-residences...
JVL is joined by Catherine Rampell and Sonny Bunch to give their takes on the wild Warner Brothers takeover drama and the surprising role Jared Kushner is playing in Hollywood’s biggest bidding war. we break down how Kushner and Trump allies are shaping the bidding war and why Paramount and Netflix are fighting over Warner Bros. and CNN. Get 40% off unlimited access to Calm’s entire library at https://Calm.com/BULWARKTAKES .
Sam Stein, Tim Miller, and Will Sommer give their takes on the wild Benny Johnson vs. Milo Yiannopoulos feud that started with with gay allegations, lawsuit threats, and MAGA chaos. Even George Santos somehow becomes the voice of reason in this mess. We dig into the political infighting, factional battles over TPUSA’s legacy, and how the right-wing influencer world weaponizes sexuality for power. Is Benny’s “traditional family man” persona under threat? Get 40% off unlimited access to Calm’s ent...
Tim Miller takes on the jaw-dropping story of GOP Rep. Corey Mills with guest Roger Sollenberger—the reporter who’s spent nearly a year digging through Mills’s financial records, sex scandals, secret religious conversion, and his bizarre “rescue mission” abroad. Get 40% off unlimited access to Calm’s entire library at https://Calm.com/BULWARKTAKES . Read Roger’s article on Substack, “‘George Santos With a Gun’: The Untold Story of Cory Mills, A Mercenary In Congress”: https://substack.com/home/p...
Tim Miller takes on the ICE raids unfolding in Louisiana, exposing how the operation leans on spectacle, intimidation, and political theatrics instead of real public safety.
Sam Stein talks Donald Trump’s chaotic pardons, from Democratic Rep. Henry Cuellar to the Honduran ex-president, and the political mess they’ve left for Republicans to attempt to explain.
Bill Kristol is joined by Sen. Mark Warner of Virginia to discuss the boat strikes, what really happened, and the latest intelligence raising new questions.
Sam Stein highlights 16-year-old cancer patient Mikaela Naylon, who spent her final days lobbying Congress for the Give Kids a Chance Act, helping revive the long-stalled pediatric cancer research bill, with her story inspiring new momentum and raising cautious optimism it could finally pass. Sam's piece from September 2025, "Elon Musk Torpedoed a Beloved Pediatric Cancer Bill. It’s Yet to Recover.": https://www.thebulwark.com/p/elon-musk-pediatric-cancer-bill-congressional-inertia-give-kids-a-c...
Sam Stein and Will Sommer take on The Blaze’s spectacular pipe-bomb fiasco—from the bogus gait analysis to the wrongly accused Capitol Police officer and the scramble to retract the story once the real suspect was arrested. They discuss how the piece got published, why it collapsed so fast, and whether a brutal defamation fight is about to hit The Blaze hard.
Ben Parker and Catherine Rampell give their take on the absurdity of Donald Trump receiving the first-ever FIFA Peace Prize, a prize that didn’t exist until it was suddenly handed to the most unlikely recipient imaginable. They walk through the surreal ceremony like the Village People performing, the corruption vibes radiating off every angle of the event, and why FIFA and Trump seem perfectly matched in their mutual need for flattery and image laundering. Find a doctor near you today with ZocDo...
Tim Miller and JVL take on the wildly conflicting stories coming out of Congress after lawmakers watched the same “double tap” boat strike video—from Jim Himes’ alarm to Tom Cotton’s macho fantasy version.
In a financial crisis, the markets need to trust the Treasury Secretary and the Fed chair. After watching Scott Bessent posture and preen his way through a NYT interview, it’s clear he can’t be trusted with either role. JVL and Tim give their take on just how dangerous it would be if Trump puts someone this political in charge of the Fed. Exclusive $35 off Carver Mat at https://on.auraframes.com/BULWARKTAKES . Promo Code BULWARKTAKES
Sam Stein and Catherine Rampell take on Corporate America's biggest concern: how to flatter Donald Trump. From Rolex clocks to Diet Coke trophies, and even a resurrected Rush Hour 4, Sam and Catherine walk through the strangest offerings, the economic harm caused by political suck-ups, and why companies would rather bribe a president than run their businesses. Exclusive $35 off Carver Mat at https://on.auraframes.com/BULWARKTAKES . Promo Code BULWARKTAKES...
Sam Stein and Andrew Egger take on Trump’s surreal cabinet meeting—the praise parade, the nodding-off moments, the shifting story on the Venezuela strikes, and the loyalty-pledge Pentagon press corps. Exclusive $35 off Carver Mat at https://on.auraframes.com/BULWARKTAKES . Promo Code BULWARKTAKES
Sam Stein and Will Saletan take on Trump’s bizarre pardon of the former President of Honduras—how he was nudged into it by friends and fixers, why the story he repeated falls apart, and what this decision means for U.S. credibility, drug enforcement, and the growing pattern of Trump siding with corrupt leaders over the law. Exclusive $35 off Carver Mat at https://on.auraframes.com/BULWARKTAKES . Promo Code BULWARKTAKES
Jonathan Cohn and Dr. Demetre Daskalakis take on the FDA’s dramatic “vaccine-death” email, the CDC’s autism web page rewrite, and the turmoil inside RFK Jr.’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP)—getting into how these moves sow panic, undermine science, and threaten real public-health protections. Exclusive $35 off Carver Mat at https://on.auraframes.com/BULWARKTAKES . Promo Code BULWARKTAKES
Ben Parker and Lt. Gen. Mark Hertling take on the alleged kill order at sea, the Pentagon’s denials, Trump’s contradictory comments, and the White House attempt to blame it on Admiral Bradley. Exclusive $35 off Carver Mat at https://on.auraframes.com/BULWARKTAKES . Promo Code BULWARKTAKES
JVL and Will Sommer give their take on the latest culture-war absurdity: a 650-word psych class reaction paper at the University of Oklahoma that somehow escalated all the way to the governor’s office and right-wing media ecosystem. Exclusive $35 off Carver Mat at https://on.auraframes.com/BULWARKTAKES . Promo Code BULWARKTAKES
Andrew Egger is joined by law professor and constitutional law expert Leah Litman to discuss why the court rejected Habba’s appointment, how it fits into Trump’s larger strategy to pack DOJ offices with loyalists, and what it could mean if the cases reach the Supreme Court. Exclusive $35 off Carver Mat at https://on.auraframes.com/BULWARKTAKES . Promo Code BULWARKTAKES
Andrew Egger and Will Saletan take on Trump’s stunning move to pardon Honduras’s ex-president Juan Orlando Hernández, convicted in U.S. court for drug trafficking, and detail Trump’s pattern of protecting criminal allies from around the world.
Bill Kristol and Aaron Reichlin-Melnick discuss Trump’s escalating nativism and the implications of his increasingly aggressive anti-immigrant policies.
Tim Miller challenges Scott Jennings' rationale for supporting Donald Trump, dissecting Jennings' arguments that Trump stands for America and the West. Miller counters that Trump actively undermines democratic institutions and global alliances, arguing that Jennings and other Trump supporters have abandoned traditional conservative principles, unlike the consistent Never Trumpers. The episode also touches on personal integrity and the evolving definition of conservatism in the Trump era.
James Carville, the “Ragin' Cajun,” is back with his view on the Democratic Party and once again, it’s all about the economy. Tim Miller gives his take on Carville’s latest New York Times column, where he argues that Democrats need a clear, unapologetic focus on economic issues to unite the party and win over voters. From government shutdowns to the pitfalls of “performative woke politics,” Tim digs into what Carville calls the era of "economic rage" and why it could be the key to future Democra...
Sam Stein and Will Sommer take on X/Twitter's new geolocation feature and the weekend chaos it caused. MAGA accounts that claimed to be all-American turned out to be from places like Bangladesh, Nigeria, India, and Serbia, sparking a major debate about why political discourse has become so toxic online. Read more from Will's False Flag newsletter: https://www.thebulwark.com/p/new-x-twitter-games-location-geolocation-about-right-wing-groypers...
JVL and Sarah take on the shooting of two National Guard members in DC, Trump’s escalation, his push for denaturalization and “reverse migration,” the online right’s king-fantasies, the Wall Street Journal’s warning about abandoning allies, and what real leadership demands in moments of national crisis.
