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: Cops Are Worried ICE Turned People Against Police

Sarah Longwell joins Nicolle Wallace on Deadline: White House, explaining why the Minneapolis shootings—and the Alex Pretti video in particular—have shifted public opinion. Watch Deadline: White House on MSNOW: https://www.ms.now/deadline-white-house

Jan 30, 20269 minEp. 566

The Government Treats Armed Militias Better Than Protesters (w/ Radley Balko)

JVL is joined by journalist and civil liberties expert Radley Balko for his take on the why the federal response in Minneapolis fundamentally different and far more dangerous than a typical police shooting. Balko explains why this isn’t just a case of bad officers or poor judgment, but a breakdown at the institutional level, where DHS and ICE no longer even pretend to care about legitimacy and may be beyond reform. Read more from Radley Balko: https://radleybalko.substack.com/...

Jan 30, 202627 minEp. 565

Trump Cuts Cabinet Meeting Short, Dodges Questions

Tim Miller and Sam Stein give their takes on Trump’s latest Cabinet meeting where he dodged questions, ignored controversial Cabinet members, and declared that housing prices should go up as he tried to tout affordability. Save the date for our 2026 live tour which we will kick off on February 19 to be with our friends in the Twin Cities. Sarah, JVL, Tim, and Sam will be there and then we will head to the Lone Star State for a one-night show in Dallas on March 18 and one in Austin on March 19. M...

Jan 29, 202622 minEp. 564

The FBI Just Raided a Georgia Elections Office Over Trump’s 2020 Lies

Tim Miller and Andrew Egger give their takes on the FBI’s raid of a Georgia elections office on Wednesday as Donald Trump revives “Stop the Steal” six years after losing the 2020 election.Tim and Andrew break down how it escalates Trump’s long-running election conspiracy into federal law enforcement action, why it looks like a dry run ahead of the midterms, and why Tulsi Gabbard was at the raid. Save the date for our 2026 live tour which we will kick off on February 19 to be with our friends in ...

Jan 29, 202620 minEp. 563

Retired General Warns Militarizing Minneapolis Would Be A Disaster | Command Post

In this edition of Command Post, Bill Kristol and Lt. Gen. Mark Hertling (Ret.) give their takes on the federal agents in Minneapolis following the killing of Alex Pretti, explain the dangers of militarizing U.S. cities, and what NATO allies are doing in the Arctic. Have a question that you'd like us to consider for a future episode of Command Post? Send an email to commandpost@thebulwark.com . Please include your name, how to pronounce it and where you're located....

Jan 29, 202632 minEp. 562

Tim Miller: Federal Agents Shot an American And These Ghouls Defended It

Tim Miller joined Piers Morgan to give his take on Alex Pretti's murder by federal officers in Minneapolis and called out panelists defending state violence, while breaking down what real courage and real masculinity looks like. Watch the full video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cgHftUYA9rQ

Jan 29, 202618 minEp. 561

Man Rushes Ilhan Omar With Syringe at Town Hall

Andrew Egger and Will Saletan give their takes on the attack at an Ilhan Omar town hall in Minnesota, where a man rushed the podium and sprayed her with an unknown substance before being arrested. Donald Trump’s response was to dismiss the attack and blame Omar. Andrew and Will break down the Republican reactions to the attack, including Rep. Randy Fine’s attempt to condemn the violence while justifying it, and what it says about the state of American politics.

Jan 28, 202620 minEp. 560

Right-Wing Media Won’t Let Trump De-Escalate Minneapolis

Sam Stein and Will Sommer give their takes on the right wing media fallout from the killing of Alex Pretti in Minneapolis after the White House quietly tried to distance themselves from Greg Bovino. Megyn Kelly was grossly indifferent and didn't "feel sorry" about Pretti's death while Tim Pool remains unapologetic and is pushing for the crackdowns to continue.

Jan 28, 202615 minEp. 559

Trump’s Minneapolis Raids Are Crushing Peoples’ Lives

Adrian Carrasquillo spent several days on the ground in Minneapolis as immigration operations intensified across the city. Drawing on firsthand reporting and eyewitness testimony, the conversation documents how immigration enforcement tactics have reshaped daily life for residents, workers, and small business owners. Segundo Balboa, co-owner of Galapagos Bar & Grill: A small-business describes ICE arriving in December, families becoming afraid to leave their homes, and neighborhood commerce ...

Jan 27, 202624 minEp. 558

Jared Tried the White House’s $3 Diet

The Trump White House says Americans can eat healthy meals for about $3 a serving. To test that claim, Jared Poland tried living on the administration’s guidance for three days. He also speaks with Colleen Heflin, a professor at the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs at Syracuse University who studies food and nutrition policy and social welfare policy.

Jan 27, 202613 minEp. 556

Tim Miller: You Don’t Get a Mulligan for Murder

Tim Miller takes on the Trump administration’s effort to defuse outrage over Minneapolis with PR tweaks and cosmetic changes, arguing that softer language and shuffled personnel don’t address the abuse of power.

Jan 27, 202618 minEp. 557

Trump’s Health Claims Are Getting Embarrassing (w/ Ben Terris)

Tim Miller is joined by New York magazine Washington correspondent Ben Terris to talk about his reporting on Trump’s health and the increasingly surreal way the White House talks about it. From mysterious MRIs and constantly bruised hands to doctors reading from talking points and Stephen Miller insisting Trump is “superhuman,” Tim and Ben dive into what we actually know about the president’s health versus what his inner circle wants us to believe.

Jan 27, 202620 minEp. 555

The White House is Scrambling to Contain Fallout Over Minneapolis Killing

Sam Stein and Andrew Egger give their takes on the fallout from the White House after top officials like Stephen Miller, Kristi Noem, and Greg Bovino called Alex Pretti a “would‑be assassin” and “domestic terrorist” in the minutes after federal agents shot and killed him in Minneapolis even as video evidence and witness accounts contradicted them. As the Trump team scrambles to change the narrative, Bovino has been moved out of his Minneapolis role.

Jan 26, 202613 minEp. 554

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
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