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. www.thebulwark.com
"Make-a-Wish" Kash Patel Turned the FBI Into a Bachelor Party
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Tim Miller takes on reports that Kash Patel is snorkeling at Pearl Harbor, rigging the most wanted list, and jetting his girlfriend around Europe on your dime. Meanwhile Trump just created a $1.7 billion slush fund for his criminal allies—no Congress required.
JOIN US! We’ll have some chatty friends joining us on stage for Bulwark Live in San Diego on May 20 and Los Angeles on May 21. For details or to grab your seats today head to TheBulwark.com...
Republicans Just Handed Black Voter Organizers Their Best Message Ever (w/ Joshua Doss)
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Joshua Doss joins Sam Stein to discuss why Black voters are abandoning the Democratic Party, how Republican redistricting may have accidentally handed organizers their most powerful message in years, and why the voters Democrats need most are the ones they've ignored the longest.
JOIN US! We’ll have some chatty friends joining us on stage for Bulwark Live in San Diego on May 20 and Los Angeles on May 21. For details or to grab your seats today head to Th...
Catherine Rampell and Robert Garcia: China Is Starting to Eclipse the U.S.
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The Chinese have long envied America's power, influence, and market share. But after Trump's failed trade war, his attacks on allies, and the embarrassment in Iran, the view from Beijing has shifted: It now sees us as a nation in decline. Plus, inflation is creeping back up, the stock market is out of whack, new Fed Chair Kevin Warsh is screwed, and the ag community is feeling the pain of Trump's policies. And for the view from the Democratic resistance, Rep...
Tim Can’t Stop Laughing at Rand Paul’s Son’s Twitter Name
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Tim Miller, Sarah Longwell, and JVL are doing a bonus not-quite-TNL to take on Trump’s staggering $10 billion lawsuit scheme against the federal government, the MAGA civil war over Thomas Massie, and the surreal Capitol Hill bar confrontation involving Rand Paul’s son, antisemitic insults, and Kentucky Republican chaos. Plus, JD Vance launches an “anti-fraud” task force while Trump’s allies chase billions and pardon money.
JOIN US! We’ll have some chatty friends joining us on stage for Bulwark...
Rand Paul’s Son Berates GOP Congressman in Drunken Antisemitic Outburst
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Sam Stein and Will Sommer give their takes on the report from NOTUS that Senator Rand Paul’s son confronted Congressman Mike Lawler in a drunken late-night exchange that reportedly included antisemitic remarks, a rant about Thomas Massie’s Kentucky primary, and even complaints about the SALT cap. The two unpack the growing MAGA civil war surrounding Massie, the influence of figures like Tucker Carlson, and why Trumpworld appears determined to crush one of the few Republicans willing to openly defy Trum...
Kash Patel Gets Grilled on His Drinking Habits in Senate Hearing
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Sam Stein and Will Sommer give their takes on the explosive Senate hearing where Senator Chris Van Hollen pressed FBI Director Kash Patel over his reported heavy drinking, leak hunts, and polygraph tests inside the FBI. What started as a bizarre exchange about an alcohol “AUDIT test” quickly spiraled into accusations, evasions, and some very awkward denials. The two unpack Patel’s combative performance, the administration’s growing paranoia over leaks, and why Donald Trump may see Patel as too useful to lose...
Tom Nichols: There’s Something Wrong with the President
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Trump’s recent insomnia-induced, Obama-obsessed posting spree showed a level of paranoia and delusion that should be raising real concerns about the mental health of our commander-in-chief. The new blotch on his neck to go with the giant bruises on his hands is not helping matters. Is the DOJ mulling a $10 billion IRS settlement with Trump to try to ease his emotional distress over his seeming loss in Iran? Plus, Gorka’s half-baked “official” counterterrorism strategy, Tim did ask Comey about the Hill...
Trump Pardoned Him. He Pulled a Gun on Someone at Church.
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Tim Miller gives his take on the troubling pattern involving several January 6 defendants who were pardoned by Donald Trump and have since been re-arrested or charged with new crimes in the last year. Recent cases include allegations ranging from assault and harassment to child sexual exploitation charges, as well as violent threats against elected officials, including Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries.
JOIN US! We’ll have some chatty friends joining us on stage for Bulwark Live in San Diego on...
Should the Next Democrat Punish Red States? JVL Says... Maybe
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JVL, Sarah Longwell, and Tim Miller discuss the Virginia redistricting ruling, what it means for elections this November, and whether Democrats need to start playing as dirty as their opponents. Plus: the Iran war is a strategic catastrophe that most Americans don't understand yet, and what Bob Kagan—the man who cheered on every Middle East intervention—now thinks about where this is all heading. And Marjorie Taylor Greene has moved to Costa Rica. Seriously.
Watch, listen, and leave a co...
Rep. Adam Smith: We Need An Investigation Into The U.S. Strike on The Iranian Girl’s School
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Sam Stein is joined by Rep. Adam Smith, ranking member of the House Armed Services Committee, for his take on Trump’s war in Iran, the $29 billion estimate of the cost of the war, the $1.2 trillion cost to make a “Golden Dome” style defense, and Congressman Smith’s plan to investigate the U.S. strike on an Iranian girl’s school that killed over 100 people.
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BREAKING: Trump's FDA Commissioner Resigns
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Jonathan Cohn and Andrew Egger went live to cover the breaking news that FDA Commissioner Marty Makary has resigned.
Tickets for our Bulwark Live shows in San Diego and Los Angeles in May: https://thebulwark.com/events
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James Comey: We Can't Trust the DOJ
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Because Donald Trump has so thoroughly hijacked the Department of Justice, the public can no longer be confident that a criminal investigation or indictment is legitimate. The default assumption is that official DOJ actions are about servicing Trump's needs for validation, power, or retribution—like the latest seashell-related charges against Comey. Acting AG Todd Blanche acts like a mobster, wears his partisanship on his sleeve, and appears to be breaking the law himself. And at the FBI, Kash Patel presides over a...
Trump Goes Insane Online As Inflation Spikes | Morning Shots Live
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Andrew Egger and Bill Kristol went live at 10am ET to discuss Trump's insane overnight Truth Social posts about how “Dumacrats Love Sewage” and how Barack Obama should be prosecuted for treason. Plus, the Trump family's latest grift is their non-existent cellphone Trump Mobile, despite collecting $59 million in deposits. And, Catherine Rampell joins Andrew to break down the latest inflation numbers, the highest in nearly three years.
Tickets for our Bulwark Live shows in San Diego and Los Angeles in M...
Trump Admits His Tariffs Are Raising Prices
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Sam Stein joined Katy Tur on MS Now to break down the Trump administration’s increasingly desperate messaging on the economy as prices keep climbing and voters feel the squeeze. As top Trump economic adviser Kevin Hassett pointed to soaring credit card spending as proof the economy is “strong,” Trump is now proposing a federal gas tax holiday, and is considering easing tariffs on beef imports.Watch Katy Tur Reports on MS NOW: https://www.ms.now/katy-tur-reports
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Bill Kristol: What a Bunch of Jackasses
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Instead of doing the job Americans have been paying Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy for—like trying to alleviate the high price of gas and air travel—he's been shirking his responsibilities on a seven-month-long family road trip paid for by industry lobbyists. And of course, Trump is also being looked after: His ghastly, 22-foot golden sculpture was unveiled, and Republicans promised a billion taxpayer dollars for what was supposed to be a donor-funded ballroom. POTUS needs a little bit of a psyc...
MAGA Mondays: Pastor Insists Giant Gold Trump Statue Is NOT a “Golden Calf”
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Sam Stein and Will Sommer went live to discuss the golden statue of Trump just unveiled at his golf club, the Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy going on a 7-month road trip, Trump's obsession with painting the reflecting pool, and the UFC fight next month on the White House lawn.
Join Sam and Will each Monday at 10:00 a.m. EDT for MAGA Mondays live on Substack and YouTube. Replays are available on Bulwark Takes.
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Trump is Destroying Our Diplomatic Corps
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Eric and Eliot lament the firing of 200 Foreign Service officers and the recent large-scale exodus of senior diplomats from public service. They discuss the impact of the Trump Administration’s diplomatic malpractice including the handling of Operation Freedom and their own disagreements about it. They assess the likely costs of ensuring Iran is not left in control of the Strait of Hormuz and the inevitable long-term future US presence in the Persian Gulf. They also consider the impact of the UK lo...
The Greatest War Movies Ever Made, According to a Retired General
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Sonny Bunch and Lt. General Mark Hertling (Ret.) break down the greatest war movies ever made from "Saving Private Ryan" and "Black Hawk Down" to "Gettysburg" and "Patton." But this isn’t just a movie ranking. Hertling explains what these films reveal about leadership, combat, strategy, sacrifice, and the real human cost of war. Drawing on decades of military experience, he discusses which movies got war right, what Hollywood still misses, and why stories about combat still matter today.JOIN US! We...
We Have Six Months to Crush Trump. Here's the Playbook. | Bulwark on Sunday
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In a special pre-recorded edition of Bulwark on Sunday, Bill Kristol and Sarah Longwell discuss the Virginia redistricting shock, the fight for the 2026 Senate map, Trump’s falling approval numbers, and why Democrats have a much bigger opening than they realize. They also talk about inflation, tariffs, the Iran war’s effect on gas prices, Trump voter backlash, and why Democrats need to stop panicking and start campaigning like they’re trying to win power back.
JOIN US! We’ll...
Seth Moulton Torches the Democratic Establishment
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John Avlon speaks with Rep. Seth Moulton about his insurgent Senate campaign against incumbent Ed Markey, the Democratic Party’s leadership crisis, and why he believes Democrats need a forward-looking agenda instead of running solely against Trump. Moulton weighs in on the Iran war, Pete Hegseth, China, immigration, affordability, health care, high-speed rail, and why he says Democrats must reclaim credibility on national security and the economy.Tickets for our Bulwark Live shows in San Diego and Los Angeles in May: ht...
Trump's Tariffs Trashed the Economy. Why Won't We Say That? (w/ Matt Bennett)
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Mona Charen spoke with Matt Bennett of Third Way for a diagnosis of where the Democratic Party actually stands: a brand stuck at 28% approval, an immigration message that still hasn't landed, the Hasan Piker debate, a Supreme Court that just made gerrymandering easier, and a tariff-driven economic crisis that Democrats inexplicably won't run on.
The Mona Charen Show is a weekly, one-on-one discussion that goes in depth on political and cultural topics. New shows drop Mondays. Find this show...
Tim Miller’s Rage Finally Boiled Over
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Tim Miller reacts to the escalating fight over redistricting and voting rights after appearances on 'All In with Chris Hayes' and 'Katy Tur Reports,' breaking down the Louisiana and Tennessee map battles, canceled votes, and why he believes Republicans are trying to rig the midterms in plain sight. Plus, Tim discusses the Iran war, Trump’s obsession with getting a deal, and why Iran and Russia may see weakness in Trump’s “day-by-day” political style.All In with Chris Hayes: https...
Little Marco’s Awkward Gift to Pope Leo (w/ Katie McGrady)
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JVL is joined by SiriusXM's The Catholic Channel host Katie McGrady to break down one of the strangest diplomatic moments of the year: Secretary of State Marco Rubio meeting Pope Leo XIV at the Vatican and gifting him a crystal football paperweight. They unpack the awkward exchange, why the Trump administration seems uneasy with the first American pope, and how previous presidents and diplomats handled papal gifts with a lot more thought.Bulwark Live: California tickets are on sale now! Sarah...
Tim Miller: Good Riddance, Bill Cassidy?
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This week's show has a rare note of agreement with our MAGA focus group participants. In Louisiana, Bill Cassidy is running for re-election to the Senate, and trying to pass himself as a MAGA true believer, even though after January 6 he voted to bar Donald Trump from office forever. Our Republican focus groups know he's full of it, and so does Tim Miller who joins the show this week.Tim and Sarah also discuss Republican voters' recent Strange New Respect for...
Even After Virginia, Democrats Aren’t Out of This Fight
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Sam Stein and Sarah Longwell break down the shocking Virginia Supreme Court decision overturning the state’s new redistricting maps and what it means for the battle for control of the House in 2026. Democrats believed Virginia was their biggest answer to Republican-led mid-cycle gerrymandering in states like Texas, Florida, and Tennessee. Sam and Sarah explain why the decision is such a major setback for Democrats, how Republicans are redrawing districts across the South, and whether Democrats can still overcome a growing GO...
Adam Serwer: Now, This Is Rigged
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Tennessee just completely disenfranchised its black voters after the Supreme Court gave red states the green light to rig the midterms by redistricting black majority districts out of existence—as long as lawmakers pretend they don’t see color when they’re doing it. And while partisan gerrymandering is A-OK with Alito & co., it apparently is not alright for Democratic voters in Virginia to do anything like that to Republicans. Sure sounds like the free speech rules of the Trump administration, where...
The Platner Variations
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Sarah and JVL had a big show planned for you. Lots of different subjects. Important news. Funny stories. The whole nine.
And then everything derailed as they went SUPER deep on Graham Platner and the meta-debate about him. If you think Platner has electoral upside, you love Nazis. If you have concerns about Platner’s populism, you’re a closet Republican. The internet has spoken!
It’s a whole thing.
Also: This marks the first time i...
Courts Keep Rejecting Trump’s Tariffs
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Catherine Rampell and JVL discuss the week's economic and financial news.
ON SALE NOW: Bulwark Live is coming to San Diego on May 20 and Los Angeles on May 21.
Just announced! We’re adding some chatty friends to the lineups for both shows. Grab your seats now to join Sarah, Tim and Sam for an evening of politics among friends and keep an eye on TheBulwark.com/Events for more announcements.
Ask JVL: What Can Americans Be Proud Of Today?
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Jasmine poses Triad readers’ questions to JVL: How close are we to organized political violence? What should be Democrats’ top-three priorities if they retake power? What’s the deal with JVL’s history with Tucker Carlson? What can American’s be proud of today? All that and more (like why Jasmine, a Chicago native, will never support Rahm Emmanuel) in this week’s mailbag.
ON SALE NOW: Bulwark Live is coming to San Diego on May 20 and Los Angeles on M...
Summer Movie Preview!
On this week’s episode, I’m rejoined by Scott Mendelson of The Outside Scoop to preview the summer movie season and address some of the hottest questions in the biz. Why did Netflix push Greta Gerwig’s Narnia movie to next year and give it a full(ish) theatrical window? What’s shaping up to be the biggest flop of the summer? Is box office health finally back on the upswing after some down years post-COVID and post-strikes? And what the heck is “Infinity Vision”? All that and more on this week’s episode. Leave your most-anticipated film in the comment...
Why is the CDC Silent About the Hantavirus Outbreak? (w/ Katelyn Jetelina)
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Jonathan Cohn is joined by epidemiologist and former CDC consultant Katelyn Jetelina to unpack the emerging hantavirus outbreak linked to a small expedition cruise ship in the South Atlantic. Katelyn breaks down what hantavirus is, how it typically spreads, why this outbreak is unusual, and what health officials actually know so far. She also explains why experts are urging calm rather than panic and how different the hantavirus is from COVID.Read more of Katelyn’s work: https://yourlocalepidemiologist.substack.com/Ti...
Could an 8-Year-Old Beat Up the President?
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Sarah Longwell and Catherine Rampell react to the absurd new YouGov poll asking whether Americans think they—or even an 8-year-old boy—could beat Donald Trump in a fight.Bulwark Live: California tickets are on sale now! Sarah and gang return to sunny Southern California for two nights May 20 & 21. For details and tickets go to https://TheBulwark.com/Events.
As always: Watch, listen, and leave a comment. Bulwark+ Takes is home to short videos, livestreams, and event archives exclusively for...
BREAKING: U.S. and Iran Exchange Fire in Strait of Hormuz
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Tim Miller breaks down the rapidly escalating confrontation between the U.S. and Iran after Iranian forces targeted American destroyers in the Strait of Hormuz and the U.S. responded with new strikes on Iranian military assets. Despite active combat at sea, Donald Trump insists the ceasefire is still intact, even calling the exchange a “love tap.” Tim gives his take on the administration’s contradictory messaging, global oil markets, and America’s role in the region.Tickets for our Bulwark Live sho...
New Graham Platner Ad Comes Out Swinging Against Collins
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Sam Stein and Lauren Egan give their takes on the first ads from Maine Senate candidates Graham Platner and Susan Collins. The two campaigns couldn’t be more different. Platner comes out aggressively, launching a hard-hitting populist message that goes straight at Collins’ record and frames the race as part of a broader fight over power, Trump, and the direction of the country. Meanwhile, Susan Collins responds with a very different strategy: a nostalgic, local-focused ad centered on a decade-old infrastructure win...
Isaac Saul: The Mind-Blowing Self-Dealing in the Oval Office
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Trump's corruption is so astonishing, extensive, and overwhelming that most people can't keep up with all the ways he's profiting off his presidency every single day. Isaac examined the reporting on the First Family's self-dealing in Trump's second term, and he's compiled the most exhaustive accounting of it so far. Just two examples: Trump's sons are doing business with a criminal syndicate that stole billions from Americans; and Trump last year branded a cellphone, had it certified by the FCC, and...
These Trump Voters Are Turning on Him Over Iran and Gas Prices
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Sarah Longwell takes on growing backlash from Trump’s own voters as rising gas prices, grocery costs, and the fallout from the Iran war hammer household budgets. New focus groups reveal frustration, disappointment, and anger from people who believed Trump’s promises on the economy and “no more forever wars.”Bulwark Live: California tickets are on sale now! Sarah and gang return to sunny Southern California for two nights May 20 & 21. For details and tickets go to https://TheBulwark.com/Events.
As alw...
Jerome Powell is Fueled by Pure Righteous Anger—And We LOVE IT (w/ Andrew Weissmann)
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Sarah Longwell and Andrew Weissmann discuss the Supreme Court’s voting rights decision, the rush to redraw congressional maps before the midterms, Trump allies pushing criminal investigations against political enemies, the escalating fight over Jerome Powell and the Federal Reserve, and the growing fears around abuse of FISA surveillance powers. Plus, Weissmann explains why the SPLC case is already DOA—and why he believes these moves are straight up authoritarian.
show notes
Buy Andrew Weissmann’s book, Liar’s...
Tim Miller: Trump’s Treatment of Marco Rubio is Utterly Humiliating
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Tim Miller joins Nicole Wallace on MSNBC with General Mark Hertling to discuss the Iran war chaos—Trump undercut Rubio twice in one day, the ceasefire is already wobbling, and the "deal" is one page long. Plus: Trump declared war on the Pope and is losing that one too.
Watch Deadline: White House on MS NOW: https://www.ms.now/deadline-white-house
Tickets for our Bulwark Live shows in San Diego and Los Angeles in May: https://thebulwark.co...
Obama Accidentally Made the Case for Why Colbert SHOULD Run (Maybe)
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Tim Miller reacts to Barack Obama and Stephen Colbert joking about Trump, “Colbert 2028,” Democratic messaging failures, and the corruption Americans have somehow normalized in modern politics. Tickets for our Bulwark Live shows in San Diego and Los Angeles in May: https://thebulwark.com/events
As always: Watch, listen, and leave a comment. Bulwark+ Takes is home to short videos, livestreams, and event archives exclusively for Bulwark+ members.
Add Bulwark+ Takes feed to your player of choice, here.
Arash Azizi and Jodi Kantor: Iran Has the Leverage
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The regime in Tehran is not as fractured as is commonly portrayed, and it is also pragmatic enough to see the economic opportunities that would follow from a deal with an eager-to-please-the-markets Donald Trump. But the contours of a potential agreement look like a win for Iran—not for the U.S., which has spent billions a day, lost military personnel and assets, and handed Iran new-found leverage over the global economy. Also, in this season of commencement, Jodi has advice fo...
