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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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206 episodes
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#1086
August 16 · 45 min
Cassidy is Still Lame, MTG Lights Up Scott Jennings, GOP Wants Price Controls?!
Andrew Egger and Catherine Rampell discuss Sen. Bill Cassidy’s criticism of vaccine policy after his vote to confirm RFK Jr., questions surrounding Mitch McConnell’s prolonged absence, growing support for price controls in the GOP, the political fallout from Trump’s tariffs, and the Navy’s potential multibillion-dollar warship redesign to suit the president’s aesthetic preferences.
#1085
August 15 · 11 min
Republicans Accused of Horrible Things Have a Perfect Excuse: Donald Trump
Will Saletan gives his take on how Republicans accused of serious misconduct have learned to survive scandal. All they have do is follow Donald Trump’s example: never resign, deny everything, attack the accusers, call the investigation “political,” and invoke Trump’s own history as proof that they can stay in the fight. From Duncan Hunter and Matt Gaetz to George Santos, Cory Mills and Max Miller, Will walks through how Trump has become the model for Republican politicians facing allegations, investigations and convictions — with endorsements, pardons and political support often waiting on the other side. Read more from Will: https://www.thebulwark.com/p/how-to-survive-a-republican-scandal-imitate-trump
#1084
August 15 · 13 min
James Talarico Just Gave Democrats a Red-State Blueprint
Tim Miller joins Alicia Menendez to discuss widespread calls for Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to resign, Trump’s continued support for him, Democrats’ affordability message, and efforts to recruit stronger young candidates for down-ballot races nationwide. Watch One the Line with Alicia Menendez on MS NOW: https://www.ms.now/on-the-line
#1083
August 14 · 31 min
BREAKING: Trump Says USS Lincoln Deployment Hasn’t Gone on “Nearly Long Enough” | Command Post
Ben Parker and Lt. Gen. Mark Hertling (Ret.) give their takes on the growing crisis aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln, where sailors have endured months at sea with poor food and living conditions, disrupted communications, and little clarity about when they will finally come home. Now, there's been several reports that sailors have considered or attempted jumping overboard. And yet, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth called the situation “completely misrepresented.” Go to https://thebulwark.com/events for more info on the upcoming Fall tour.
#1083
August 14 · 1 hr 1 min
Trump’s Truth Social Cash Grab Just Landed Him in Court | Receipts Live
Catherine Rampell and JVL discuss the Trump administration’s latest corruption controversies, including paid early access to Truth Social posts, the destruction of a shell-company ownership database, executive power, and the White House ballroom. Read more from Catherine: https://www.thebulwark.com/p/trumps-gift-to-the-money-launderers-database-treasury
#1082
August 14 · 35 min
Sam Is BEGGING You Not To Listen to This Trio Video
Brandon Herrera is running for Congress in Texas and we’ve discovered a very strange side of his public persona. Sam Stein, Tim Miller, and Will Sommer dig into Herrera’s podcast, where he discusses “Lock & Load,” a supplement he says helps men with...something. The trio goes down the bizarre rabbit hole of male-enhancement supplements, the nine-pills-a-day regimen, and the strange world surrounding these products. Plus: Sean Duffy’s son-in-law is running for Congress, a MAGA podcast fight turns physical, and Candace Owens is preparing for a bizarre $300,000 debate. Ready to reach your goals? Visit https://hims.com/bulwarktakes to get a personalized, affordable plan that gets you. Read more from Will: https://www.thebulwark.com/p/the-charlie-kirk-murder-business-crass-spectacle-candace-owens-andrew-wilson-debate
#1082
August 14 · 14 min
Trump’s Kennedy Center Obsession Is Getting Embarrassing
Andrew Egger and Sonny Bunch take on Trump’s latest attempt to get his name back on the Kennedy Center, his refusal to let go of fights he’s already lost, and what his obsession with credit, legacy, and scapegoats says about a president who increasingly seems stuck doing the same thing over and over and over and over and over and over and over... Ready to reach your goals? Visit https://hims.com/bulwarktakes to get a personalized, affordable plan that gets you.
#1081
August 13 · 18 min
Republicans Found a Way to Blow Georgia Again
Tim Miller takes on Georgia Senate candidate Mike Collins, from his support for taxpayer-funded payouts to January 6 rioters to his ties to white nationalists, racist social media posts, election conspiracies, and bizarre campaign stunts. And when Collins is confronted with questions about the extremists in his orbit, he literally runs away. Ready to reach your goals? Visit https://hims.com/bulwarktakes to get a personalized, affordable plan that gets you.
#1080
August 13 · 19 min
Mike Lindell Burned It All Down for Trump... and Lost Anyway
Sam Stein and Will Sommer look back at the wildest moments from Mike Lindell’s career after the Trump-backed election denier lost the Republican primary for Minnesota governor. From refusing to accept election results and offering a $5 million challenge, to arguing with a kid at the Democratic National Convention, getting served legal papers onstage, and blaming the CIA, Lindell has produced no shortage of memorable moments. Upgrade your everyday. Download the Quince app for app-exclusive offers, or go to https://Quince.com/BULWARKTAKES. Get free shipping on your order and 365-day returns. Now available in Canada and the UK, too.
#1079
August 12 · 42 min
U.S. Intel: Russia Behind Explosive at German Airport | Command Post
Ben Parker and Lt. Gen. Mark Hertling (Ret.) discuss an alleged Russian explosive drone at a German airport and the potential implications for NATO, President Trump’s use of a decoy Air Force One amid an Iranian threat, and George W. Bush’s secret 2003 Thanksgiving trip to Iraq. They also answer viewer questions about drone warfare, munitions production, and rebuilding the military after the Trump administration. Upgrade your everyday. Download the Quince app for app-exclusive offers, or go to https://Quince.com/BULWARKTAKES. Get free shipping on your order and 365-day returns. Now available in Canada and the UK, too.
#1078
August 12 · 29 min
Why Trump Was Secretly Moved Off Air Force One
Donald Trump was secretly smuggled out of Turkey last month after U.S. intelligence reportedly warned of a possible Iranian assassination plot, but the journalists and White House staff traveling on Air Force One were left in the dark. Michael Weiss and former CIA officer Marc Polymeropoulos give their takes on the extraordinary Secret Service operation, the threat from Iran, and the explosive legal question at the center of the story: did the administration have a duty to warn the people who remained on the plane? They also examine why Trump has stayed silent about the incident, how this was kept secret for more than a month, and what this reveals about the growing threats facing the U.S. and its allies. This episode is sponsored by The New York Times.
#1077
August 11 · 54 min
Bizarre Trump Oval Office Event May Upend Childhood Vaccines | Morning Shots
Join Andrew Egger and Sam Stein (filling in for Bill) as they cover the week's biggest stories. This episode is sponsored by The New York Times.
#1076
August 11 · 12 min
Trump Is Accidentally Helping Abdul El-Sayed
Donald Trump’s attacks on Michigan Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed may be doing the exact opposite of what he intends. Tim Miller gives his take on Trump repeating the same failed strategy Republicans used against him in 2015 and 2016, attacking an outsider in ways that ultimately give them more attention and support. Tim also weighs in on AOC’s comments about “Woke 1.0,” arguing that Democrats need to be more willing to acknowledge where the movement went too far and how that overreach hurt the party politically. Watch The Moment with Katy Tur on MS NOW: https://www.ms.now/katy-tur-reports This episode is sponsored by The New York Times.
#1075
August 10 · 24 min
Trump Is Running Out of Options in Iran
Andrew Egger and Lt. Gen. Mark Hertling (Ret.) give their takes on Iran’s sweeping new demands, Trump’s response, and why the prospects for a diplomatic deal are fading. They discuss Trump’s shrinking military options, depleted U.S. weapons supplies, and the ongoing crisis in the Strait of Hormuz that's left merchant crews trapped at sea for months. Read more from Mark: https://www.thebulwark.com/p/precision-has-a-price-mlrs-prsm-thaad-patriot-missiles-rockets-iran-war
#1075
August 10 · 17 min
The Question That Left Trump’s NIH Chief Squirming
Will Saletan gives his take on Trump’s new NIH director, Dr. Jay Bhattacharya, becoming a loyalist defender of the Trump administration’s most controversial and absurd health claims. Bhattacharya repeatedly blames Anthony Fauci for COVID-era school closures, declining vaccine confidence and other public-health failures, even when the record doesn’t support those claims. He also refuses to clearly say that vaccines do not cause autism and dodges questions about anti-vaccine misinformation and the CDC shooting. What happens to science when the people running America’s health agencies become more focused on defending Trump and RFK Jr. than following the evidence?
#1074
August 10 · 1 hr 1 min
MAGA Mondays: MAGA Loses It Over AOC’s Egg-Freezing Video
Will Sommer and Sam Stein went live to cover the right's freakout over AOC deciding to freeze her eggs, Max Miller refusing to drop out of his re-election bid, Sen. Mike Lee fuming at Coca-Cola, and Trump mocking Joe Biden after it was announced that his cancer had spread. Make today a good day, and get yourself some Soul gummies. Right now, Soul is offering 30% off your entire order! Go to https://GetSoul.com and use the code BULWARKTAKES.
#1073
August 9 · 32 min
How Much Harm is Hegseth Doing? (w/ Col. Bree Fram)
Bill Kristol welcomes recently retired Col. Bree Fram to discuss Hegseth's leadership and the damage he's inflicting on the United States Military, as well as her own personal experience being forced out of the military after over 20 years of service.
#1072
August 8 · 20 min
Tim Absolutely LOVES This New Anti-Rogers Ad
Tim Miller shares highlights from his MS NOW appearance with John Heilemann and Jessica Taylor—Trump's political struggles, a scorching anti-war ad targeting Mike Rogers, Bill Cassidy's confirmation vote, and a state-by-state look at the Senate map, from Georgia to Texas to Kansas.
#1071
August 8 · 25 min
Trump Is Bulldozing a National Park for His Border Wall
Tim Miller sits down with Isaac Saul, founder of Tangle, to discuss Donald Trump’s plans to build a border wall through and around Big Bend National Park in West Texas. Saul explains why local residents, business owners, sheriffs, and even some Trump-supporting officials are pushing back against the project. Tim and Isaac discuss the environmental damage from construction, the enormous $19.4 billion cost for the new border barriers, and the surprising possibility that new roads and infrastructure could actually make it easier for migrants to navigate the area. Read more from Isaac’s work at Tangle: https://www.readtangle.com/author/isaac-saul/
#1071
August 7 · 15 min
Trump-Backed, Racist Republican Just Lost His Primary
Andy Ogles is officially not returning to Congress after losing his Tennessee Republican primary. Brendan Hartnett and Lauren Egan give their takes on Ogles’ stunning defeat and why Trump’s endorsement wasn’t enough to save him. We break down Ogles’ history of disgusting, racist and homophobic comments, his controversial $25,000 GoFundMe for a memorial garden that never happened, and how Tennessee’s redistricting helped reshape the race. Plus, Brendan and Lauren talk about what Ogles’ defeat means for Democrats hoping to flip the newly redrawn district and whether Trump’s endorsement is still the force it once was in Republican primaries. This episode is sponsored by The New York Times.

Showing 161–180 of 206 episodes