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Bulwark Takes

The Bulwark

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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  • 254 episodes
  • Avg 30 min
  • English

Episodes 254

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  • #1112
    August 26 · 40 min

    Wall Street Legend Calls Out Scott Bessent (w/ Bob Elliott)

    Stanley Druckenmiller just delivered a brutal public rebuke of his former protégé, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent. Catherine Rampell is joined by Bob Elliott, co-founder and chief investment officer at Unlimited, for his take on what’s behind Druckenmiller’s criticism and why Bessent’s bond-market strategy may be making things worse. They also discuss Bessent’s failed attempt to push down long-term interest rates, the erosion of confidence in U.S. economic policymakers, and what Druckenmiller’s intervention says about the growing divide on Trump’s economic team. Go to https://zbiotics.com/bulwarktakes and use BULWARKTAKES at checkout for 15% off any first time orders of ZBiotics probiotics.

  • #1112
    August 26 · 39 min

    What Is Trump’s CIA Director Doing in Moscow?

    CIA Director John Ratcliffe’s surprise trip to Moscow has raised major questions: Is he there to warn Putin, negotiate over Ukraine, or deliver a message about Russia’s escalating covert attacks across Europe? Reporter Michael Weiss and former CIA officer Marc Polymeropoulos break down Ratcliffe’s unexpected visit, the intelligence warnings about possible Russian provocations against NATO, and the growing campaign of sabotage and attacks targeting European infrastructure. Plus, they turn to the U.S.-Canada trade war and the extraordinary strain being placed on one of America’s closest allies. Sleep cooler this summer with Boll & Branch. Get 15% off your first order plus free shipping at BollAndBranch.com/bulwarktakes with code bulwarktakes.

  • #1110
    August 25 · 16 min

    Rep. Jared Huffman: Pete Hegseth Is Preparing for a Religious War

    Congressman Jared Huffman joins Joe Perticone for his take on the rise of Christian nationalism and the religious movements reshaping the American right. Huffman, the author of "No Prophets: The Fight to Save Democracy from Christian Nationalism," explains how he believes Christian nationalism has become increasingly powerful and entrenched in American politics, from the events of January 6 to the highest levels of government. They also discuss JD Vance, “just war” theory, the rise of the “Rad Trad” movement, Pete Hegseth’s crusade rhetoric, and the religious factions influencing MAGA. Read more from Joe: https://www.thebulwark.com/s/presspass Sleep cooler this summer with Boll & Branch. Get 15% off your first order plus free shipping at BollAndBranch.com/bulwarktakes with code bulwarktakes.

  • #1111
    August 25 · 35 min

    Morning Shots Live: Trump Is Coming for Lake Ontario

    Andrew Egger and Bill Kristol went live to cover Trump's dumbest idea yet: renaming Lake Ontario to "Lake America." Plus, Andrew and Bill give their takes on the Supreme Court's decision Monday regarding Trump's executive order on mail-in voting and ICE deports the wife of an active-duty Army sergeant. Sleep cooler this summer with Boll & Branch. Get 15% off your first order plus free shipping at https://BollandBranch.com/bulwarktakes with code bulwarktakes.

  • #1108
    August 25 · 21 min

    Republicans Don’t Want Trump Anywhere Near the Midterms

    Katy Tur hosts Sam Stein, Mona Charen, and others for a wide-ranging discussion of Donald Trump’s role in the 2026 midterms, his focus on sporting events and legacy projects, turnover in the White House, Jared Kushner’s meeting with Hakeem Jeffries, and the growing political backlash to AI and data centers. Watch The Moment with Katy Tur on MS NOW: https://www.ms.now/katy-tur-reports

  • #1108
    August 25 · 21 min

    Tim Miller Loses It Over MAGA’s Sick Attack on a Political Prisoner

    Tim Miller breaks down the ugly smears fueling Michigan’s Senate race, why Mike Rogers’ allies have him furious, and how Republicans are scrambling to distract voters from Trump’s struggling economy. This video is sponsored by The New York Times. Watch On the Line with Alicia Menendez on MS NOW: https://www.ms.now/on-the-line

  • #1107
    August 24 · 24 min

    Canada’s Blunt Message to Trump: Kiss My Ass

    Andrew Egger and Catherine Rampell give their takes on the latest escalation in Donald Trump’s trade war with Canada. As Trump attacks Canada, Prime Minister Mark Carney is looking to deepen economic ties with the European Union, while Ontario Premier Doug Ford fires back with a blunt message of his own to Trump: “Kiss my ass.” Catherine explains why Trump’s claims about the U.S.-Canada trade deficit don’t add up, how deeply intertwined the American and Canadian auto industries are, and why the trade war could end up hurting American workers and consumers. This episode is sponsored by The New York Times.

  • #1105
    August 24 · 56 min

    MAGA Mondays: Trump Can’t Wave a Flag, MAGA Goes to War With the WNBA

    Will Sommer and Sam Stein went live to cover the IndyCar race in DC, the Republican operative who thought you was being entrapped by the "deep state," Enes Kanter Freedom being ejected from a WNBA game, and Sean Duffy's war against Harvard in his reality tv show. This episode is sponsored by The New York Times.

  • #1104
    August 24 · 25 min

    Trump Blows Up His Own Trade Deal with Canada

    Trump’s trade war with Canada is back and this time, the negotiations have completely fallen apart. Andrew Egger and Catherine Rampell give their takes on Canada’s decision to walk away from trade talks, Trump’s latest tariffs, and why the administration’s escalating fight with one of America’s closest allies could hit U.S. businesses and consumers hard. They also look at the political risks for Republicans in states like Maine and Michigan, Susan Collins’ attempt to distance herself from Trump’s trade policies, and why Republicans keep blaming Joe Biden for economic problems happening on Trump’s watch.

  • #1103
    August 23 · 37 min

    Trump’s War Has Left America Weaker (w/ Michael Wood) | Bulwark on Sunday

    Bill Kristol talks with veteran Michael Wood about six months of the Iran war: strained military readiness, munitions and base vulnerabilities, growing politicization of the officer corps, Hegseth's leadership failures, and what a post-Trump president must do to rebuild U.S. alliances and credibility.

  • #1102
    August 22 · 15 min

    Tim Miller Digs Into Andy Biggs’ Record—and Finds Something Disturbing

    Tim Miller runs through the disturbing record of Arizona gubernatorial candidate Andy Biggs, from his role in the effort to overturn the 2020 election to his extreme positions on abortion, healthcare, the FBI, and more. Watch Tim's video on Zach Lahn, Republican candidate for Iowa governor: https://youtu.be/0NFPrcBWHSw

  • #1101
    August 22 · 15 min

    MAGA’s Plan to Screw Democrats in Swing Seats

    The Green Party is supposed to be a left-wing alternative to Democrats. So why are Republican-connected candidates showing up on Green Party ballots in competitive races? Andrew Egger and Brendan Hartnett walk through Brendan’s reporting on a series of suspicious Green Party candidates in Michigan, Arizona, and Pennsylvania—including one Michigan candidate who showed up to the party’s nominating convention on Zoom, never turned on his camera, spoke for 33 minutes, and walked away with the nomination. In some of these races, a third-party candidate could siphon off just enough votes to help a Republican win. This video is sponsored by The New York Times. Read more from Brendan: https://www.thebulwark.com/p/did-maga-infiltrate-the-green-party-in-michigan

  • #1100
    August 21 · 1 hr 8 min

    Receipts Live: Markets Turn on Trump, Bessent Flails, and Stephen Moore Drools on Live TV

    Catherine Rampell and JVL went live to cover Scott Bessent flailing as he intervenes in the bond market and Catherine's reporting on how Trump's political appointees hijacked the U.S. Census Bureau, numbers that we're supposed to trust. Plus, for more than a decade, Trump promised to pay down the national debt. This week, it grew to $40 trillion. This video is sponsored by The New York Times. Read more from Catherine's newsletter: https://www.thebulwark.com/p/donald-trump-maga-war-on-reality-comes-for-the-census-bureau-voting-citizens-fraud-bogus-report

  • #1099
    August 21 · 12 min

    Tim Miller: Republicans Know What’s Coming. That’s Why They’re Hiding.

    Tim Miller joins Alicia Menendez on MS NOW to take on the growing questions around Natalie Harp’s access to Trump, why Republicans are hiding from their own voters, and the Trump administration’s increasingly shaky economic message. This video is sponsored by The New York Times. Watch Deadline: White House on MS NOW: https://www.ms.now/deadline-white-house

  • #1098
    August 21 · 38 min

    Ex-CIA Officer: Natalie Harp Is a Counterintelligence Nightmare

    Taking care of your health just got easier – start here with Zocdoc: https://zocdoc.com/BULWARKTAKES #sponsored Michael Weiss and Marc Polymeropoulos discuss Trump’s “economic D-Day” against Iran, the risks of secondary sanctions and a prolonged blockade, and why Tehran may retaliate rather than simply give in. They also examine the bizarre influence and security concerns surrounding Natalie Harp and the dysfunction inside the White House. Plus, Michael and Marc discuss Ukraine’s evolving role as a military technology powerhouse, America’s intelligence support for Kyiv, and Russia’s growing threat to Europe.

  • #1097
    August 20 · 1 hr 2 min

    The Man Who Taught Donald Trump How to Be a Demagogue (w/ Chris Cillizza)

    Taking care of your health just got easier – start here with Zocdoc: https://zocdoc.com/BULWARKTAKES #sponsored Chris Cillizza and JVL use Hulk Hogan and the strange world of professional wrestling to explain Donald Trump’s political dominance, why conventional political skills don’t seem to matter anymore, and why Trumpism may survive long after Trump himself is gone. Check out Chris Cillizza on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/chriscillizza ...and subscribe to his Substack, "So What": https://chriscillizza.substack.com/

  • #1095
    August 20 · 13 min

    Mike Johnson Is Humiliating Himself Trying to Defend Trump’s War

    Taking care of your health just got easier – start here with Zocdoc: https://zocdoc.com/BULWARKTAKES #sponsored Will Saletan tracks House Republicans—Mike Johnson, Gabe Evans, Jason Smith—flailing to defend Trump's Iran war and rising gas prices, catching them in contradictions, dubious legal justifications, and outright lies about the economy ahead of the midterms.

  • #1096
    August 20 · 13 min

    Republican Candidate: Please Stop Calling My Sex Toy a Sex Toy

    Zach Lahn is the Republican candidate for governor of Iowa with a very unusual résumé and some very unconventional positions. Tim Miller and Brendan Hartnett dig into Lahn’s ties to Kansas and the Koch network, his investment in FirmTech and its award-winning “sex tech” device that Lahn insists is not a sex toy, and questions about whether he’s really an Iowan. They also examine Lahn’s opposition to mRNA vaccines, support for a total abortion ban, MAHA politics, his defense of Trump’s tariffs, and the other positions putting him on the far edge of the Republican field. Read Brendan's article: https://www.thebulwark.com/p/zach-lahn-please-stop-calling-the-award-winning-sex-toy-a-sex-toy-firmtech-iowa-governor-campaign Watch Tim’s take on Mike Collins: https://www.thebulwark.com/p/republicans-found-a-way-to-blow-georgia

  • #1095
    August 19 · 18 min

    MAGA Scumbag Cory Mills Just Learned What Trump’s Loyalty Is Worth

    Andrew Egger and Lauren Egan break down Florida’s Democratic primaries—and what Angie Nixon’s surprise Senate win means for Democrats in a state they’ve struggled to compete in. They discuss Nixon’s uphill battle against Republican Ashley Moody, David Jolly’s path for governor, and the awkward dynamic of having a self-described democratic socialist and a centrist Democrat at the top of the ticket. Plus, Cory Mills loses his primary despite Donald Trump’s endorsement.

Showing 181–200 of 254 episodes