Bulwark Takes - podcast cover

Bulwark Takes

The Bulwark•www.thebulwark.com
News
Politics
News Commentary
Society & Culture
{"_":"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

Oh God, ANOTHER Racist GOP Group Chat Leaked

Tim Miller and Will Sommer give their takes on why a stolen truck full of Tucker Carlson’s nicotine pouches has led to an escalating feud with Laura Loomer, another racist group chat scandal that has rocked young Republican and Candace Owens’ increasingly bizarre conspiracy series that now includes a theory involving youth travel basketball. You MUST read Will's False Flag newsletters: https://www.thebulwark.com/s/false-flag

Mar 06, 2026•23 min•Ep. 651

Pam Bondi’s Revenge Tour Is a Total Bust

Tim Miller gives his take on The New York Times reporting that the Trump Justice Department’s failed to build a criminal case over President Biden's use of an “autopen." Biden and his aides are just the latest in a growing list of revenge investigations that have fizzled under Pam Bondi’s DOJ. From Biden to Obama to Mark Kelly and Jim Comey, the indictments never seem to materialize.

Mar 05, 2026•8 min•Ep. 649

RFK Jr. Picks a Fight With Dunkin’—And New England Isn’t Having It

Sam Stein, JVL, and Catherine Rampell give their takes on why HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is demanding “safety data” from Dunkin' over its sugar-loaded iced coffees and why that fight could hit differently in Massachusetts. From 115 grams of sugar to 48-ounce coffee buckets, the crew taste-tests a truly unholy Dunkin order and debates whether this is public health policy or just another front for the MAHA movement in the culture wars.

Mar 05, 2026•20 min•Ep. 648

LIVE REACTION: Hegseth Press Event, Iran War Updates (w/ Tom Nichols)

Lt. Gen. Mark Hertling (Ret.), Tom Nichols, and Ben Parker are LIVE to discuss the war with Iran—especially the bigger strategic question: what comes after the airstrikes. They react to Pete Hegseth’s press conference, and answer audience questions about escalation, the point of no return, and how the U.S. and Israel actually coordinate in wartime.

Mar 04, 2026•50 min•Ep. 647

Sarah, Tim and JVL Went to See Minneapolis for Themselves

Sarah Longwell, Tim Miller and JVL traveled to Minneapolis to see what’s happening outside the Whipple detention center, where local volunteers and protesters say ICE activity hasn’t slowed despite official claims.

Mar 04, 2026•9 min•Ep. 646

Tim Miller: MAGA Influencers Don’t Know How to Defend This War

Tim Miller goes back into the lion’s den on Piers Morgan’s panel to debate Trump’s escalating war with Iran. Tim notes something surprising: even some of Trump’s biggest MAGA allies sound conflicted about the war. Watch Piers Morgan Uncensored: https://www.youtube.com/piersmorganuncensored

Mar 04, 2026•18 min•Ep. 645

Sen. Kaine on Iran War: “Have we learned nothing?”

Sam Stein talks with Senator Tim Kaine as he forces a Senate vote to block Trump from waging war with Iran without congressional approval. Kaine says lawmakers are ducking their constitutional duty and warns the administration’s rationale echoes the run-up to Iraq. If senators want this war, he argues, they should have the guts to put their names on it. Delegate smarter and grow faster. Post your job for free at https://Upwork.com and connect with top freelance talent today....

Mar 04, 2026•16 min•Ep. 644

Texas Votes: Crockett vs. Talarico! How MAGA Will Texas Go?

Join Sarah Longwell, JVL, Tim Miller, Lauren Egan and more for Bulwark's LIVE coverage of the Texas primary elections. The biggest contest is the U.S. Senate primary, with Republicans John Cornyn, Ken Paxton, and Wesley Hunt, and Democrats Jasmine Crockett and James Talarico competing for their parties’ nominations.

Mar 04, 2026•1 hr 19 min•Ep. 644

GOP Senators Suddenly Discover Kristi Noem Is a Problem

Sam Stein, JVL and Andrew Egger give their takes on the chaotic and dramatic Senate Judiciary Committee hearing with Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem. Republican senators sharply questioned Noem over her leadership at DHS, ICE's deadly actions in Minnesota, and her department’s $220 million ad campaign featuring Noem front and center. They also debate a bigger question: Is Noem being set up as the scapegoat? With DHS funding frozen and Republicans under pressure, are some in the GOP tryin...

Mar 04, 2026•27 min•Ep. 643

Tulsi Gabbard Believes in Nothing

Will Saletan revisits Tulsi Gabbard’s past warnings that Trump “lied” about ending wars—and compares them to her current role defending new bombings in Iran and moves in Venezuela. Delegate smarter and grow faster. Post your job for free at https://Upwork.com and connect with top freelance talent today.

Mar 03, 2026•16 min•Ep. 642

NEW POLLS: Trump’s Iran War is Deeply Unpopular

Tim Miller and Sarah Longwell take on the early polling after Trump’s strikes on Iran—and the warning signs for his coalition. Independents are overwhelmingly opposed, soft Trump voters are wavering, and the “America First” brand is colliding with a foreign war. Is this the start of a political fracture inside MAGA? Find a doctor you’ll love. Go to https://Zocdoc.com/bulwarktakes to find and instantly book in-network care today.

Mar 03, 2026•18 min•Ep. 639

Trump Can’t Control His Own Base on Iran War

Sam Stein and Will Sommer discuss MAGA’s growing anger over the war in Iran. Is this a temporary wobble, or the start of a deeper split between isolationists and hawks?

Mar 02, 2026•33 min•Ep. 638

We’re at War. Why Is Trump Silent?

Tim Miller and Sarah Longwell discuss the deafening silence from President Donald Trump and his administration after the U.S. strikes in Iran. As of Sunday evening, no one from the White House has laid out to the American public the case or any clear objectives for the major assault. Three U.S. service members have been killed with others severely wounded. Note: Shortly after this taping, The New York Times published a report about a brief telephone interview the Times conducted with Trump Sunda...

Mar 02, 2026•13 min•Ep. 637

Ted Cruz Faceplants on the Case for War With Iran

Sam Stein and Will Saletan watched the the Sunday shows and give their takes on the spin after the U.S. strikes on Iran, zeroing in on the mixed messaging from Republican lawmakers defending the action. From Lindsey Graham insisting it’s “not our job” to shape Iran’s future, to Ted Cruz struggling to define an imminent threat, the hawkish case for war raises more questions than it answers. They unpack the interventionists’ victory inside Trump world, the rejection of “you break it, you own it,” ...

Mar 01, 2026•12 min•Ep. 636

Trump Floats Putting Ted Cruz on the Supreme Court

Tim Miller takes on Trump’s Texas rally—from floating Ted Cruz for the Supreme Court to teasing a “third term” and congratulating a scandal-plagued congressman. Then he relishes a staggering Truth Social filing: $3.7 million in revenue, $712 million in losses.

Mar 01, 2026•13 min•Ep. 634

What Happened to Anthropic Could Happen to Any AI Company (w/ Hayden Field)

Hayden Field of The Verge joins Andrew Egger to discuss the Pentagon’s fight with Anthropic and what it means for the future of AI. After Anthropic drew red lines around autonomous weapons and domestic mass surveillance, the Department of Defense responded by labeling the company a “supply chain risk” -- a designation typically reserved for foreign adversaries. Read more from Hayden Field in The Verge, "We don’t have to have unsupervised killer robots" Read more from Andrew Egger's Morning Shots...

Feb 28, 2026•24 min•Ep. 633

62% Say Trump is Using the Presidency for Cash

Tim Miller joins Nicolle Wallace to discuss a stunning new reality: Americans are leaving the country at record levels, the U.S. may be facing population decline, and Trump’s “golden age” looks more like national humiliation. From the Qatari jet embarrassment to foreign-backed media consolidation and escalating tensions with Iran, the conversation covers how corruption, chaos, and bad optics are colliding. Plus: brutal new polling that shows majorities questioning Trump’s honesty, competence, an...

Feb 28, 2026•17 min•Ep. 631

Last Time He Had a Mob. Now He Has Congress.

Donald Trump isn’t just attacking voter ID opponents—he’s laying the groundwork to reject the midterms if Republicans lose. Will Saletan traces the throughline from 2020 to now: the claim that Democrats can only win by cheating, the endless escalation from voter ID to reopening old elections, and the growing chorus inside the GOP repeating the same message.

Feb 27, 2026•14 min•Ep. 630

Zohran Knows EXACTLY How to Play Trump

Tim Miller and Andrew Egger give their takes on the shocking and strangely stylish White House visit by Zohran Mamdani, who met with Trump to discuss housing plans. They break down Mamdani’s strategy of engaging Trump directly, the optics of the now-viral meeting photo, and whether Mamdani managed to “mog” the president or simply played to Trump’s ego. Is Mamdani’s approach political genius, dangerous flirtation with Trump’s brand, or just effective results-oriented dealmaking?

Feb 27, 2026•22 min•Ep. 628

Tim and Will Torture Sam With Candace Owens’ Moronic “Documentary”

Tim Miller, Will Sommer and Sam Stein give their takes on down two of the strangest—and most troubling developments in MAGA media right now. First: Nick Shirley promotes a gross "documentary" targeting Jewish people and why anti-Semitic tropes keep surfacing in so-called investigative content. Then the trio goes deep on the premiere of Candace Owens’s “Bride of Charlie” series about Erika Kirk. Owens attempts to build a murder conspiracy out of birth certificate discrepancies, Swedish Freemasons...

Feb 27, 2026•31 min•Ep. 627

Does Trump Even Know What Soldiers Fight For? | Command Post

In a new edition of Command Post, Retired Lt. Gen. Mark Hertling and Ben Parker give their takes on Trump’s military-heavy State of the Union address, including Trump’s claim that Iran’s nuclear program was “obliterated” even as he suggests military action. They break down how the speech leaned more on ceremony and applause lines than on strategy, vision, or a clear explanation of U.S. national security goals. Former General Hertling also explains why praising military service without explaining...

Feb 26, 2026•27 min•Ep. 626

Democrats Investigate DOJ Over Epstein Files Involving Trump (w/ Roger Sollenberger)

Tim Miller is joined by reporter Roger Sollenberger to discuss Sollenberger’s reporting on Epstein-related records connected to Donald Trump. Roger breaks down the documents from a survivor who allegedly accused Trump of abuse as a minor, the interviews conducted by the FBI, and claims that portions of the investigative files were held by DOJ. They also examine document logs, slideshow materials listing prominent names associated with the Epstein investigation, and allegations that transparency ...

Feb 26, 2026•19 min•Ep. 625

Easiest Money Ever: Bet Against Elon!

Sam Stein, Sonny Bunch, and Ben Parker give their takes on a Wall Street Journal story about a DC tax policy expert who made nearly $500,000 betting that Elon Musk wouldn’t actually cut federal spending, a wager that turned out to be almost free money. They break down how the bet worked, why it was such a lock, how political betting markets create openings for insider trading, and just how absurd some of these political wagers have become. Get 30% off your order with Soul at https://GetSoul.com ...

Feb 26, 2026•19 min•Ep. 624

Pete Buttigieg Shreds Trump’s “Affordability” Fantasy

After the State of the Union, Tim Miller spoke with Pete Buttigieg for a rapid-fire breakdown of the speech. They took on affordability, immigration, corruption, AI, corporate capitulation to Trump, and what Democrats need to do differently. Get 30% off your order with Soul at https://GetSoul.com with promo code BULWARKTAKES.

Feb 25, 2026•16 min•Ep. 623
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