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The Bulwark

The Bulwark

The Bulwark is home to Sarah Longwell, Tim Miller, Bill Kristol, JVL, Sam Stein, Catherine Rampell and more. We are the largest pro-democracy bundle on Substack for news and analysis on politics and culture—supported by a community built on good faith.

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  • August 28 · 31 min

    How Copyright Law Is Being Used to Squelch Speech

    This week I’m joined by Puck’s Eriq Gardner to discuss his fascinating piece on Warner Bros.’ efforts to keep a lid on spoilers for their new show, Lanterns, including some potential abuse of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act’s ability to remove infringing content from the internet. We discussed what’s happening and how it could reflect a broader effort to stifle speech in contexts other than spoiler warnings. You can read Eriq’s reporting on the topic here. And if you enjoyed this episode, make sure to share it with a friend! This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.thebulwark.com/subscribe

  • August 28 · 3 min

    Why Did Trump Pick This Loser to Run a Swing State?

    This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.thebulwark.com Tim Miller and Joe Perticone give their takes on Stacy Garrity, Pennsylvania’s Trump-endorsed Republican nominee for governor and one of the country’s most committed election deniers. From her role in the January 5, 2021 rally in Harrisburg to her refusal to back away from Trump’s election lies, Garrity has built her political career around MAGA loyalty. Plus, Joe shares some memorable stories from covering Andy Biggs and explains why some of the nicest politicians can be among the worst for the country. Visit https://upwork.com right now and post your job for free. Read more from Joe: https://www.thebulwark.com/p/we-are-not-prepared-for-election-denying-swing-state-governors Check out these previous episodes in Tim’s “worst Republicans” series. - Mike Collins: - Andy Biggs: - Zach Lahn: Watch TNL for a discussion of the South Carolina primary:

  • August 27 · 16 min

    Sam Stein Used to Be a Thief

    This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.thebulwark.com We’ve hit the August doldrums, so Tim is taking the daily pod on a little excursion. The Bulwark community delivered some epic mailbag questions, one of which prompted Sam to make one of the nerdiest confessions ever. Also, Tim and Sam adjust their cabinet member rankings: Marco is an utter catastrophe, RFK Jr. is failing on all fronts, and Kelly Loeffler is proof that aliens exist. Plus, DeSantis is doing some seemingly dirty dealing down in Florida, ICE arrests are soaring—and here’s hoping that Trump’s super PAC spends millions on ads for the midterms extolling what a great job he’s doing as president.Sam Stein joins Tim Miller. show notes: * NYT on the surge in ICE arrests * Vanity Fair piece on Lutnick that Tim referenced * The Atlantic on Trump's midterms ad campaign * Tim's latest 'Take' on Trump's immigration policy * Sam's 'Take' from May on the DeSantis Medicaid scandal * Alien Kelly Loeffler video Bulwark LIVE: GOOD FIGHT TOUR with Tim, Sarah, Sam and JVL is coming to the Southeast in October. Tickets are on sale NOW. Head to TheBulwark.com/Events for details and to get your tickets. As always: Watch, listen, hit the like button or leave a comment. We want to hear from you. Ad-free editions of The Bulwark Daily are available exclusively for Bulwark+ members. Tim Miller’s Bulwark Daily is available wherever you get podcasts and on YouTube. New shows drop each weekday afternoon. If you like the show, leave a comment and ⭐⭐⭐⭐ wherever you listen. Add The Bulwark Daily to your player of choice, here.

  • August 27 · 4 min

    BREAKING: Trump Orders Lake Ontario Renamed to "Lake America"

    This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.thebulwark.com Sam Stein and Andrew Egger went live to cover Trump order to rename Lake Ontario to “Lake America.” They give their takes on the absurdity of it, the cost, and why Trump’s latest map-making stunt is a perfect snapshot of a president who seems increasingly out of ideas and out of touch. Plus, they dig into Trump’s bizarre claims about the Strait of Hormuz, the U.S. missile shortages caused by the Iran war, and why the administration is suddenly asking Russia for favors. Good Fight Tour tickets: https://www.thebulwark.com/events

  • August 27 · 2 min

    Talarico’s Texas Surge Should Terrify Republicans

    This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.thebulwark.com Tim Miller joins Katy Tur on MS NOW for his take on Trump’s growing disconnect with voters on the economy and affordability—and why his billionaire bubble may be making that problem worse. Tim breaks down new polling showing a dramatic swing toward Democrat James Talarico in key Texas districts and explains why the Texas Senate race is increasingly within Democrats’ reach. Plus, Trump plans to use his massive super PAC war chest to promote himself ahead of the midterms and that could backfire on Republicans. Watch The Moment with Katy Tur on MS NOW: ms.now/katy-tur-reports

  • August 27 · 6 min

    Trump’s Immigration Policy Is Sending People to Their Deaths

    This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.thebulwark.com Tim Miller gives his take on the intentional cruelty and escalating human cost of the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown—from a five-year-old boy detained by ICE on his way to soccer to the father of a U.S. Navy sailor being detained, with the White House defending the decision. Plus, ICE is planning a facility in Louisiana that could hold women and children, developed by the company that operates the state’s notorious Angola prison. Now, immigrants are being sent back to dangerous areas of Haiti and Guatemala, and even deported to countries they aren’t from. In some cases, people sent back to dangerous areas have been killed. Tim breaks down the growing list of horrifying cases and what they reveal about the administration’s immigration policy.

  • August 26 · 27 min

    Trump Is Racing to Build His Ballroom Before the Courts Stop Him (Andrew Weissmann)

    This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.thebulwark.com Sarah Longwell and Andrew Weissmann discuss a pair of Supreme Court moves benefiting Trump, including John Roberts allowing construction on the White House ballroom to continue and a ruling affecting Trump’s plans for mail-in voting. They also examine Greg Abbott’s refusal to extradite an ICE officer accused of shooting a man and lying about it, a provocative case involving a traveler who wiped his phone rather than let border agents search it, and the unanswered questions surrounding Natalie Harp’s lack of a security clearance despite her extraordinary access to Trump. Bulwark LIVE: GOOD FIGHT TOUR with Tim, Sarah, Sam and JVL is coming to the Southeast in October. Tickets go on sale August 21 at 10am in the East. Head to TheBulwark.com/Events for details and to get your tickets. How to Eat An Elephant is coming! Sarah’s debut book is out September 8 and she is hitting the road in September with stops in New York City, Boston, LA, San Francisco, Seattle, Chicago and Kenyon College. She’ll be in DC with Kara Swisher September 3. All the event details and links to secure tickets are here. Watch, listen, and leave a comment. Full ad-supported episodes of The Focus Group are available wherever you get your podcasts and on YouTube. Hit that like 🤍 button and share this episode with a friend. Ad-free editions like this one are available exclusively for Bulwark+ members on the site, the Bulwark App, via your member-only RSS feeds, and the Substack mobile and TV Apps. Upgrade now to listen without ads and to join the community in the comments. Ad-free editions like this one are available exclusively for Bulwark+ members on the site, the Bulwark App, via your member-only RSS feeds, and the Substack mobile and TV Apps. Upgrade now to listen without ads and to join the community in the comments.

  • August 26 · 19 min

    Neera Tanden: How to Win

    This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.thebulwark.com The only likely way to end the nightmare of Trump—and Republicans supporting him no matter how much he ruins the country—is for Democrats to win in Republican-leaning states and congressional districts. That means giving moderates the grace to compete for people who voted for Trump. Likewise, moderates also need to recognize that the left will be swing voters in key races this election cycle. Plus: the online brawl over Hasan Piker, Scott Jennings’ desperate campaign to be the new White House press secretary, Trump is widening his attack on the First Amendment to research institutions, and Rob Sand is breaking the candidate mold in Iowa.Epic poster and Center for American Progress president Neera Tanden joins Tim Miller. show notes: * The Center for American Progress website * 'Take' on the CIA director's trip to Moscow (with Weiss & Polymeropoulos) * Neera's busy Twitter feed * Jonathan Martin's interview with gubernatorial candidate Rob Sand Bulwark LIVE: GOOD FIGHT TOUR with Tim, Sarah, Sam and JVL is coming to the Southeast in October. Tickets are on sale NOW. Head to TheBulwark.com/Events for details and to get your tickets. As always: Watch, listen, hit the like button or leave a comment. We want to hear from you. Ad-free editions of The Bulwark Daily are available exclusively for Bulwark+ members. Tim Miller’s Bulwark Daily is available wherever you get podcasts and on YouTube. New shows drop each weekday afternoon. If you like the show, leave a comment and ⭐⭐⭐⭐ wherever you listen. Add The Bulwark Daily to your player of choice, here.

  • August 26 · 18 min

    Command Post: Pete Hegseth Is Hollowing Out the U.S. Military

    This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.thebulwark.com Ben Parker and Lt. Gen. Mark Hertling (Ret.) give their takes on Trump’s latest claims that the U.S. has “really dominated” Iran, the Pentagon’s purge of senior military leaders, and reports that a top Army official was pushed out after opening an investigation into the bizarre Kid Rock helicopter flyby. Plus, they discuss reports that the Navy could rename an aircraft carrier planned to honor Doris Miller, the Black sailor and Medal of Honor recipient who became a hero at Pearl Harbor—and name it after Trump instead. Read more from Mark: https://www.thebulwark.com/p/the-pentagons-purge-at-stars-and-stripes-hegseth-firing-military-newspaper-aircraft-carrier-iran-war

  • August 26 · 12 min

    Wall Street Legend Calls Out Scott Bessent

    This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.thebulwark.com 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.

  • August 25 · 17 min

    All MAGA Media Can Talk About Now is Trans Sports

    This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.thebulwark.com Tim, Sarah, and JVL are back together for a JAM-PACKED show. They discuss:-Dolly Parton's passing and her legacy.-America's war (not the Iran war, our trade war with Canada), and why the rest of the world can't count on American anymore--even if Democrats win in 2028.-Sarah's Focus Group Podcast episode from Georgia--which Tim found pleasant (for once).-The South Carolina primary runoff, and whether having Donald Trump's endorsement is enough to put a political novice in the Senate.-The first U.S. measles deaths of the year in Pennsylvania.-Does the Trump administration want to demolish the Kennedy Center? Do WE want them to?-Why MAGA media is talking about the WNBA and trans issues so much.-Finally: They discuss JVL's Monday Triad about Trump's completely crazy relationship with Natalie Harp.Read JVL's TriadGet your tickets for The Bulwark's Good Fight Tour this October, coming to Charlotte, Columbia, and Atlanta. Get your tickets to Sarah's How to Eat an Elephant book tour in September! Her Chicago stop with Axe goes on sale for everyone Thursday. Watch, listen, and leave a comment. This ad-free video version of The Next Level is exclusively for Bulwark+ members. Click the learn about setting up this show, ad-free, on your podcast player of choice. Or watch in the new Bulwark App—available now in the Apple and Google App stores.

  • August 25 · 17 min

    What Is Trump’s CIA Director Doing in Moscow?

    This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.thebulwark.com 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.

  • August 25 · 16 min

    Tracy Alloway and Will Sommer: A Cabinetful of Clueless Grifters

    This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.thebulwark.com Yield curve control has gone mainstream (seriously, just ask the Asheville Beatnik with a message for Scott Bessent), so Tracy Alloway is here to explain the latest economic turmoil to Tim. Bessent’s bond buyback gambit seems to have flopped, but apparently, according to the President, there’s always the option of military intervention to bring the market to heel. In the meantime, consumers are going to pay more interest on everything, and there’s no plan to reduce the federal debt. Then, for some MAGA drama dessert, Will Sommer joins the pod to talk about Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy’s dud of a pay-for-play road trip video series, the Trump/Tucker beef, and the feud between a Groyper-adjacent Undersecretary of State and an anonymous MAGA propaganda account that your tax dollars are paying for.Will Sommer and Tracy Alloway join Tim Miller. show notes: * Picture of the Asheville protestor with the yield curve sign * Tracy’s Odd Lots podcast * Will and Tim’s DC tour * Will’s False Flag newsletter on Data Republican * Catch Tim, Sarah, and JVL on The Next Level later tonight Bulwark LIVE: GOOD FIGHT TOUR with Tim, Sarah, Sam and JVL is coming to the Southeast in October. Tickets are on sale NOW. Head to TheBulwark.com/Events for details and to get your tickets. As always: Watch, listen, hit the like button or leave a comment. We want to hear from you. Ad-free editions of The Bulwark Daily are available exclusively for Bulwark+ members. Tim Miller’s Bulwark Daily is available wherever you get podcasts and on YouTube. New shows drop each weekday afternoon. If you like the show, leave a comment and ⭐⭐⭐⭐ wherever you listen. Add The Bulwark Daily to your player of choice, here.

  • August 25 · 14 min

    Morning Shots Live: Trump Is Coming for Lake Ontario

    This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.thebulwark.com 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.

  • August 25 · 5 min

    Republicans Don’t Want Trump Anywhere Near the Midterms

    This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.thebulwark.com 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.

  • August 25 · 8 min

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

    This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.thebulwark.com 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.Watch On the Line with Alicia Menendez on MS NOW: https://www.ms.now/on-the-line

  • August 24 · 9 min

    Canada’s Message to Trump: Kiss My Ass

    This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.thebulwark.com 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.

  • August 24 · 5 min

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

    This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.thebulwark.com 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

  • August 24 · 18 min

    Bill Kristol: The Weak Bully Keeps Flailing

    This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.thebulwark.com Canada flat-out rejected Trump’s terms in trade talks, so now it looks like we are going to have a trade war with our friends in the Great White North. Sorry, Maine. Sorry, bourbon industry. And in MAGA farm country, ranchers are furious that POTUS is increasing beef imports free of tariffs. Even Tom Cotton has dared to question Trump’s move. And on the other side of the aisle, Democrats should maximize their attacks on ICE, the midterms are looking wave-ish, and Hakeem should explain why he would have a conversation with Kushner that did not involve a subpoena. Plus: the Iran war has been a strategic loss for the U.S., Trump’s summer 250 celebrations were a bust, Lindsey’s sister is an empty vessel, and hater Enes Kanter’s campaign against the WNBA is gross and disgusting. Bill Kristol joins Tim Miller. show notes: * Lauren’s piece on Roy Cooper * Tim’s latest crazy, stupid Republicans ‘Take.’ This time: Andy Biggs * Bob Kagan on “Iran Unleashed” * Katie Britt’s contact page for Venezuelan detainees Freddys Revilla and Edgarianny Gervis Bulwark LIVE: GOOD FIGHT TOUR with Tim, Sarah, Sam and JVL is coming to the Southeast in October. Tickets are on sale NOW. Head to TheBulwark.com/Events for details and to get your tickets. As always: Watch, listen, hit the like button or leave a comment. We want to hear from you. Ad-free editions of The Bulwark Daily are available exclusively for Bulwark+ members. Tim Miller’s Bulwark Daily is available wherever you get podcasts and on YouTube. New shows drop each weekday afternoon. If you like the show, leave a comment and ⭐⭐⭐⭐ wherever you listen. Add The Bulwark Daily to your player of choice, here.

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