Bulwark Takes - podcast cover

Bulwark Takes

The Bulwarkwww.thebulwark.com
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.
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Episodes

Sarah Longwell: They Support Gun Rights—But Only for Republicans

Fresh off MSNOW's The Weekend with Catherine Rampell, Sarah Longwell explains why the killing of Alex Pretti is breaking through with voters—and why government lies and Second Amendment hypocrisy aren’t holding up. Watch The Weekend on MSNOW: https://www.ms.now/the-weekend

Jan 26, 20269 minEp. 553

Will Saletan: Kristi Noem Cannot Be Trusted to Investigate These Shootings

Will Saletan gives his take on why Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem cannot be trusted to oversee the investigation into her own department. In just three weeks, ICE and Border Patrol agents killed two Americans. In both cases, Noem publicly described the victims as violent “domestic terrorists.” And in both cases, video evidence flatly contradicts her claims.

Jan 26, 202612 minEp. 552

Sam Stein: The Government is Telling You Not to Believe Your Eyes

Sam Stein, The Bulwark's managing editor, takes on Border Patrol Commander-at-Large Greg Bovino’s Orwellian inversion of reality in the aftermath of the killing of Alex Pretti, a 37-year-old U.S. citizen and intensive care nurse. Sam digs into Bovino’s Sunday interview with CNN’s Dana Bash, where Bovino reframes the victim as the aggressor and dismisses what videos of the killing show.

Jan 25, 202616 minEp. 550

ICE Detains a Corrections Officer, Leaves His Pregnant Wife Terrified (w/ Ben Bozeman)

Over the past week, there’s been a surge of ICE activity in Maine and one incident in particular has captured national attention. A corrections officer recruit was detained by ICE in the middle of the street and his car was left running in the cold. Tim Miller spoke to witness Ben Bozeman, who captured the shocking footage and stepped in to help return the officer’s car. Cumberland County Sheriff Kevin Joyce, whose recruit was detained, called ICE’s actions “Bush League policing.” We reached out...

Jan 25, 202614 minEp. 548

The Minneapolis Shooting Demands a REAL Investigation (w/ Andrew Weissmann)

Sarah Longwell is joined by Andrew Weissmann for his reaction to the second killing of a civilian in Minnesota by federal agents. Andrew is professor of practice at the NYU School of Law who served as lead prosecutor in Special Counsel Robert Mueller's office from 2017 to 2019, and was General Counsel for the FBI from 2011 to 2013. They discuss the roles of the First and Second Amendments in the case, the contradictions and falsehoods issued by the government, and why it is important for people ...

Jan 25, 202636 minEp. 547

Trump Deporting Gay Men to Iran Is a Death Sentence

Tim Miller gives his take on one of the most morally disgraceful moments of the Trump presidency. Trump told protesters in Iran that America had their back. He encouraged them to stay in the streets and keep fighting a brutal theocratic regime. Then the Iranian government began executing them by the thousands and the United States walked away. Now, in the middle of that crackdown, the Trump administration is planning to deport Iranian asylum seekers back to Iran, including gay men who face execu...

Jan 23, 202611 minEp. 544

JD Vance Defends the Indefensible on Live TV (w/ Jon Favreau)

Tim Miller and Pod Saves America’s Jon Favreau give their takes on JD Vance’s latest performance defending ICE raids, child detentions, warrantless home entries, and racial profiling allegations. We walk through the facts JD Vance ignored, the lies he told calmly and confidently, and why this version of Trumpism that’s cooler, smoother, and more deliberate may be even more dangerous. Jon Favreau is the host of Pod Save America . Subscribe to their channel for more podcasts, videos and analysis....

Jan 23, 202620 minEp. 542

Trump’s New Voters Are Already Bailing

Tim Miller gives his take on the latest New York Times/Siena poll and the results should worry Trump and the Republican Party. Trump's much-touted 2024 coalition is unraveling, especially among young voters and non-white voters who helped power his return to office. The MAGA realignment didn’t stick with 56% of Americans disapproving of Trump's job as president.

Jan 22, 202614 minEp. 541

Retired General Breaks Down Trump’s Davos Speech | Command Post

Lt. General Mark Hertling (Ret.) is joined by Ben Parker for a Command Post edition of Bulwark Takes, breaking down the national security fallout from Trump’s chaotic Davos remarks and growing global instability. As Russia escalates its war on Ukraine, Hertling explains why Putin’s threats keep working on Trump and why allies are alarmed about his recent Greenland rhetoric. We also examine the dangerous implications of preparing troops from Alaska and North Carolina for possible deployment to Mi...

Jan 22, 202629 minEp. 539

Trump Chickens Out on Greenland After Markets Flinch

Sam Stein and Catherine Rampell give their takes on Trump backing off his threat to occupy Greenland after the markets flinched, calling the "concept of a deal" a victory, when it's really just the status quo being restored.

Jan 22, 202614 minEp. 540

Nick Fuentes Turns Down Girls While His Friends Do Nazi Salutes

Tim Miller and Will Sommer give their takes on the disturbing viral night out that brought together the worst corners of the manosphere and the alt-right. From Andrew Tate and Nick Fuentes to Clavicular and a new crop of livestreamers, the group’s Miami club crawl featured Nazi salutes, extremist chants, and nonstop “aura farming” all broadcast straight into people’s social media feeds.

Jan 21, 202628 minEp. 538

Trump Shivs Sen. Bill Cassidy

JVL, Sam Stein, and Joe Perticone give their takes on how Trump abruptly endorsed a primary challenger to Louisiana Sen. Bill Cassidy. Even after Cassidy bent over backward to confirm RFK Jr., Trump still decided it was time to end him.

Jan 21, 202615 minEp. 535

Tim Miller: Sorry Sen. Murkowski, This Is Your Party Now

Tim Miller joined MSNOW’s Deadline: White House with Alicia Menendez to talk about why Republicans admitting Trump is wrong—on Greenland, tariffs, and foreign policy—means nothing when they refuse to act. Plus, why a viral Minnesota man’s firsthand account of ICE hits harder than any talking point.

Jan 20, 202610 minEp. 534

ICE Dragged an Old Man Into the Snow. Now DHS Is Lying About It.

Sam Stein and Tim Miller give their takes on the disturbing footage of ICE agents detaining an elderly U.S. citizen in Minneapolis with no warrant, no explanation, and no apology. The raid went wrong at every step and DHS is still defending it. Get 20% off your DeleteMe plan when you go to https://joindeleteme.com/TAKES and use promo code TAKES at checkout.

Jan 20, 202618 minEp. 533

Watch Scott Bessent Debase Himself Defending Trump’s Greenland Threats

Will Saletan surgically dissects one of the most embarrassing interviews of the Trump administration: Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent twisting himself into knots on Meet the Press to defend Donald Trump’s threats against Greenland and Europe. Get 20% off your DeleteMe plan when you go to https://joindeleteme.com/TAKES and use promo code TAKES at checkout.

Jan 20, 202612 minEp. 532

Trump’s Greenland Text Is Mob Boss Bullsh*t

JVL, Sam Stein, and Andrew Egger give their takes on Donald Trump’s shocking message to European leaders, in which he complains about not receiving the Nobel Peace Prize and links it to his demands for the U.S. to take over Greenland. They unpack how Trump’s message reflects his strongman worldview, drives allies into China’s hands, and draws uneasy parallels to Putin’s actions in Ukraine. Get 20% off your DeleteMe plan when you go to https://joindeleteme.com/TAKES and use promo code TAKES at ch...

Jan 19, 202629 minEp. 531

EXCLUSIVE: Viral Protester Speaks Out As ICE Turns Minneapolis Into “Military Zone”

Tim Miller is joined by Minnesota resident turned viral protester Chis Ostroushko for his take on the “insane” Minneapolis protests. Chris shares his unfiltered perspective on how ICE has turned the city into a “military zone” and why he felt compelled to speak out and protest. You can follow Chris at MNAngryMan on Instagram and BlueSky: https://www.instagram.com/mnangryman/ https://bsky.app/profile/mnangryman.bsky.social...

Jan 18, 202630 minEp. 529

Football Is Our Last Monoculture... And It's Fragile (w/ Chuck Klosterman)

Sonny Bunch sits down with writer Chuck Klosterman to talk about his new book Football—and what the sport’s dominance says about America’s shrinking monoculture. Buy "Football" by Chuck Klosterman: https://www.amazon.com/Football-Chuck-Klosterman/dp/0593490649

Jan 18, 202654 minEp. 527

Democrats Think They Can Flip the Senate in 2026 (w/ Sen. Adam Schiff)

Can Democrats flip the Senate in 2026? Lauren Egan is joined by Sen. Adam Schiff (D-CA) about the states that could make it happen, the recruits who are stepping up, and how the DSCC decides when to endorse. From Texas and Florida to Alaska and Maine, Schiff lays out the plan and explains why the midterms may come down to economic pressures and Trump’s chaos.

Jan 17, 202615 minEp. 526

DOJ Targets Tim Walz and Jacob Frey

Sam Stein takes on the breaking news that a federal judge has set limits on ICE’s violent tactics against peaceful protesters in Minnesota. Also breaking, the DOJ has reportedly launched an investigation into Gov. Tim Walz and Mayor Jacob Frey, claiming conspiracy to impede federal officers.

Jan 17, 202610 minEp. 525

Tim Miller: Trump Can’t Stop What He Started

Tim Miller takes on the rough stretch for Trump as leaked internal polling shows his immigration tactics backfiring, ugly ICE footage sparks public backlash, and even the White House admits the optics are hurting them. Watch Chris Jansing Reports on MSNOW: https://www.ms.now/chris-jansing-reports

Jan 17, 202617 minEp. 524
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