The Bulwark
The Bulwark is home to Sarah Longwell, Tim Miller, Bill Kristol, JVL, Sam Stein, 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
GOP Senators Embarrassed Again
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RFK Jr. fired the entire CDC vaccine committee, breaking his promise to GOP senators. Andrew Egger and Joe Perticone discuss how senators like Bill Cassidy and Joni Ernst traded integrity for empty assurances, exposing their desperation to avoid Trump-driven primary challenges.
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Trump’s Nightmare Poll as Budget Bill is Big Loser
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Tim Miller breaks down the new polling from Economist/YouGov revealing widespread opposition to Trump’s proposed “big beautiful” budget, including among key Republican groups.
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What Do Trump and These Rioters Have In Common?
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On this week’s Just Between Us, guest host Andrew Egger and Will Saletan discuss Trump’s immigration crackdown in L.A. Meant to provoke unrest and fuel a political spectacle, Trump’s use of the National Guard over local objections shows a push toward authoritarian escalation. Democrats must more forcefully condemn protest violence to credibly oppose Trump. There's no conflict between condemning both—upholding the rule of law demands it.
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Tulsi’s Bizarre and Creepy Nuclear War PSA
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Tim Miller and Sam Stein deep dive into Director of National Intelligence Tusli Gabbard’s wild and ominous social video on nuclear annihilation following a trip to Hiroshima, Japan.
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Bill Kristol: People Should Be Mad
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Where is Obama? Where is George W. Bush? A Marine battalion and the National Guard have been deployed in response to a spark Trump set off by sweeping up people who aren't doing anything illegal besides being present here. And the administration may ramp up the tension if it uses the military for domestic law enforcement purposes. At least Gavin is finally angry. Plus, MAGA is built around conspiracists and conspiracy theories, so RFK Jr can do what he wants with...
Military in the Streets? This Is Martial Law by Another Name
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Ryan Goodman and Sam Stein walk through the little-noticed memo that could allow military force on American streets, even without a governor’s request. They unpack the legal implications, the use of federal troops against civilians, and what it signals about 2025.
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Plotting 'The Phoenician Scheme'
On this week’s episode, Sonny Bunch (The Bulwark), Alyssa Rosenberg (The Washington Post), and Peter Suderman (Reason) discuss the latest effort by conservatives to break into the world of big-time film production, this effort headed by Leonard Leo of the Federalist Society. Then they review The Phoenician Scheme, a movie some might describe as … conservative? Make sure to swing by Bulwark+ for our bonus episode on Wes Anderson and his forthcoming box set. And if you enjoyed this episode, please share it with a friend!
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An Extremely Unfiltered Hour With Rep. Stacey Plaskett
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Congresswoman Stacey Plaskett joins Michael Steele on the podcast. She describes the frustration of hearing people say that Democrats aren't doing anything, despite their efforts in the House and the Senate. Rep. Plaskett also discusses not being allowed to vote for Speaker as a representative for the Virgin Islands, how Medicaid cuts would hurt Americans, Senator Joni Ernst's bizarre comments about people dying and David Hogg's disruption of the DNC.
REMINDER! Join Michael Steele, Molly Jong-Fast, Elie Mystal, Lucy...
RFK Jr. Lied to Congress. Does Anyone Care?
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Sam Stein and Jonathan Cohn take on RFK Jr's Wall Street Journal op-ed, his lies to Sen. Cassidy, the administration's thinly veiled crusade against science, and what it means for public health in America.
Read RFK's op-ed in the Wall Street Journal.
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Did Cops Really Trample Protestors?
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Tim Miller and Cameron Kasky team up for an especially unfiltered episode of FYPod, recorded just after Trump sent 500 Marines into Los Angeles in response to protests over ICE raids. Cameron reflects on his messy MSNBC appearance, overshares about his Hinge profile, and explains why Gen Z isn’t showing up in the streets—yet.
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Could The Rage after LA Defeat Trump or Embolden Him?
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Trump's administration ramps up mass deportations in Los Angeles, triggering intense protests and clashes. Against California’s wishes, Trump deploys the National Guard, raising tensions over immigration enforcement and the role of protests in political resistance. JVL and Sarah Longwell question whether demonstrations effectively challenge policies or inadvertently strengthen Trump's hand.
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“Arrest Me, Tough Guy!” Gov Newsom Punches Back on Trump Admin’s Threats
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Tim Miller and Sam Stein talk California Governor Gavin Newsom’s forceful response to Donald Trump and Tom Homan’s threats and deployment of the National Guard on anti-ICE protesters in Los Angeles, and how Democratic lawmakers can learn from his leadership at this defining moment.
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Ta-Nehisi Coates: A Natural Human Reaction
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Trump and Stephen Miller wanted a backlash against the immigration raids, because even they know that humans will respond when the federal government is snatching people off the street. But the tenor of modern protests is not going to be like the Civil Rights Movement, because activists back then were trained to suppress their natural inclination to defend themselves. Plus, the key role of culture in politics, Dems have to show that the state does good things, and it's the 10th...
Was Lincoln Actually Gay? Historian Busts Myths!
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Historian Harold Holzer debunks the widely spread myth that Abraham Lincoln was secretly gay, a claim popularized by AIDS activist Larry Kramer, who falsely claimed to have discovered intimate diaries under floorboards. Holzer reveals Kramer admitted privately that the diaries never existed, exposing how easily sensational myths can overshadow historical truth.
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Stop Making Excuses for Americans
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Kevin Williamson of The Dispatch muses about the voters' culpability for Trump, socialism, and the "Abundance" agenda. They explore the cultural and economic decline of American civic virtue, the bipartisan slide into demagoguery, and Williamson’s disdain for both Trumpism and technocratic central planning.
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 wherever you get your podcasts and on YouTube. Add the sh...
The Crisis They Wanted
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Bill Kristol and JVL discuss Trump’s latest moves to expand executive power, including deploying the National Guard, staging a military parade, and laying the groundwork for mass deportations.
Then JVL dropped this post: The Most Dangerous Week in American History (So Far)
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Trump Wants Riots to Unleash His Authoritarian Playbook
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Bill Kristol and Sam Stein look at the growing authoritarian impulse behind Trump’s immigration policy, the targeting of journalists, and the political fight with California. The tactics may vary but the strategy is clear and it is accelerating.
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FREE ANDRY: A Big Gay Live Show With Tim Miller, Sarah Longwell and Jon Lovett
Tim, Sarah and Jon Lovett, co-host of Pod Save America, join together for a big, beautiful, gay-as-hell fundraiser during WorldPride to support Andry José Hérnandez Romero and other individuals wrongfully disappeared to El Salvador without due process.
Jon, Tim and Sarah open the floor to two people doing the hard, important work for justice: Andry’s lawyer and President of the Immigrant Defenders Law Center, Lindsay Toczylowski, and Congressman Robert Garcia. Then Lovett takes us to the library for some good old fashioned reads of the Trump administration with help from the audience.
Later, they...
Bulwark on Sunday: LA Erupts as Immigration Raids Spark Citywide Protests
This week on Bulwark on Sunday, Bill Kristol talks with Adrian Carrasquillo about the mass arrests in Southern California, the communities fighting back, and the dangerous precedent of military force in American cities.
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How Democrats Can Win Back America
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John Avlon and strategic advisor Jon Henes discuss the Democratic Party’s deep messaging crisis and identity politics pitfalls. Henes argues Democrats must return to clear, relatable messages about public safety, economic opportunity, and everyday concerns. They explore Jons experience with Harris, why voters feel alienated, the dangers of extreme rhetoric, and lessons from Bill Clinton’s successful approach.
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Is This GOP “Electoral Genius” Actually a Fraud?
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Will Sommer joins Sonny Bunch to discuss the latest edition of False Flag. Will breaks down the messy, petty feud between MAGA influencers Scott Presler and Brandon Straka. From bogus Amish voter drives and Elon Musk’s $1 million donation to sex scandals, cosplay jail cells, and January 6 fallout, they dive into the clout battles and chaos fracturing the GOP’s influencer class.
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My Dad and Giuliani, Crime BFFs (w/ Aaron Parnas)
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Tim and Cameron sit down with Aaron Parnas for a wild ride through Trumpworld family drama, Rudy Giuliani’s bizarre role, and Elon Musk’s explosive tweet alleging Trump is in the Epstein files. They unpack MAGA chaos, ICE abuses, Gen Z political shifts, and why Democrats are struggling with young men.
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New Jersey's (Very) Odd Year (with Amy Walter)
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The Democratic primary for New Jersey governor is crowded, and Democratic voters all over the map. But as always, they're united in wanting a candidate who can fight the Trump administration effectively. So which candidate can do it? Amy Walter of the Cook Political Report and the podcast The Odd Years makes her sixth appearance on the show to discuss how these off-year elections in New Jersey and Virginia can change the political environment.
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Trump Slams Federalist Society
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George Conway and Sarah Longwell discuss Donald Trump’s investigation into Joe Biden’s presidency, Trump’s new travel ban on 12 countries, and Trump’s retaliation against Harvard and foreign exchange students. Also, another judge slams Trump’s use of the Alien Enemies Act to deport without due process, and Trump's fight with Leonard Leo and the Federalist Society.
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Trump Backs Down? Abrego Garcia Back in US After Legal Pressure
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Sam Stein, Andrew Egger and Aaron Reichlin-Melnick, senior fellow at American Immigration Council, discuss the return of Kilmar Abrego Garcia to the U.S. after being sent to El Salvadoran prison without due process, and what this case means for the many others wrongly deported to El Salvador.
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Sam Stein: The Divorce
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Elon went nuclear, accusing Trump of being a pedo, taking credit for his election victory, and calling for his impeachment. Trump in return may try to destroy Musk's businesses, or worse. While the public feud is entertaining—Thursday was one of the best days for Twitter and Steve Bannon—their meltdown is also frightening. It shows that we are at the mercy of two emotionally unstable men who can blackmail each other. Of course, Republicans and Fox desperately want the clash to e...
The Breakup Edition: Elon x Trump
Sarah and JVL chat about Elon dumping Donald in the most deliciously public way. They get into who’s actually winning, whether it’s all just a stunt, and if Democrats should use the chaos to their advantage.
ICYMI JVL’s late-night Triad:
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The Senator Who Isn't Afraid To Punch Trump In The Face
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Senator Chris Murphy joins Lauren Egan to talk his new political action committee, the American Mobilization Project’s $400,000 effort not to fund campaigns, but to fuel grassroots protest and organize resistance to what he calls a looming threat to American democracy.
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How the Studios Are (Quietly) Using AI
On this week’s episode, I’m joined by New York Magazine features writer Lila Shapiro to discuss her feature story on the growing utilization of generative AI by Hollywood studios to cut costs and speed up production times. From a party hosted by an AI studio to the work being done by Runway to the growing sense that, hey man, this is just The Future, it seems like AI is, as several folks in the piece put it, “inevitable.” If you enjoyed this episode or learned something in it, please share it with a friend!
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Trump’s Idiotic Government Spending $2M on Another Conspiracy?
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Tim Miller and Sam Stein discuss the $2M being spent to determine if DEI causes plane crashes, and Trump’s latest travel ban on 12 countries, including Afghanistan while contradictorily lifting protections for refugees.
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Trump on the Epstein list? Elon Drops a Bomb on Trump.
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Trump publicly attacks Elon Musk during a White House press conference, accusing him of "Trump Derangement Syndrome" and blaming him for turning hostile. Musk fires back online, claiming Trump owes him credit for GOP victories. The feud exposes personal grudges, ego clashes, and policy tensions, especially over electric vehicle subsidies and a controver…
Matt Yglesias: Elon's Smash and Grab
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Trump's and Musk's very public breakup may be amusing, but don't lose sight of the fact that DOGE was a failure—despite what the manosphere says. Elon's ego trip found no fraud and cut only a minor amount of spending. But those cuts are meaningfully hurting the global poor as well as scientific research at home. And now, Republicans are trying the same kind of DOGE sleight of hand on their spending bill, largely under the radar. Meanwhile, Megan McCain is ge...
Trump Goes Nuclear on Elon Musk in Oval Office Freakout!
Trump publicly attacks Elon Musk during a White House press conference, accusing him of "Trump Derangement Syndrome" and blaming him for turning hostile. Musk fires back online, claiming Trump owes him credit for GOP victories. The feud exposes personal grudges, ego clashes, and policy tensions, especially over electric vehicle subsidies and a controversial bill. Trump makes a chilling comparison between the Ukraine war and a playground fight, drawing widespread criticism.
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ICE Tore Their Family Apart. But It Didn't Kill Their Love.
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Andrew Egger and Adrian Carrasquillo discuss Adrian’s story on a real family caught in the immigration system, where a sudden ICE raid tore their lives apart, leaving a wife behind to navigate fear, lawyers, and an uncertain future.
See the full report and what happened to the family here: Love in the Time of Self-Deportation
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What to Make of The Middle East
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Eric and Eliot discuss this week's jackassery (Joni Ernst's dismissive attitude towards Medicaid cuts, Trump's obsessive posting on Truth Social and his disconnection from reality) before moving into a discussion of the Ukrainian drone attack on Russian Long-Range Aviation and the degree to which it represents an inflexion point in military affairs. How much will future wars in different parts of the world look like what we witnessed this past weekend? How will autonomy and AI combine to change the character...
This Is A TOTAL DISASTER For Kristi Noem!
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Sam Stein joins Tim Miller to discuss a growing scandal involving a fake assassination threat, a DHS press release that was never corrected, and a system built to punish first and ask questions later.
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MAGA is Imploding in Real Time
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Tim Miller, Sarah Longwell and JVL discuss the Elon Musk and Donald Trump breakup thats amplifying throughout all of MAGA, how the primaries for New Jersey governor and New York mayor could shape the future of both parties, Joni Ernst’s comments on everyone dying show how much MAGA is losing their minds, and Curtis Yarvin’s dangerous influence.
Join Tim and Sarah in DC with John Lovett in June 6th for their Free Andry fundraiser and live show duri...
Who Will Take The GOP Throne From Trump?
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JVL joins Chris Cillizza to break down the wild Republican race shaping up for 2028—from JD Vance as the Honky Tonk Man, to the dynastic ambitions of Don Jr., and the charisma of Tucker Carlson. They dig into the MAGA base, why traditional Republicans are toast, and whether Trump might just run again. Watch the full conversation on Chris Cillizza’s Substack!
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So Awkward! Elon Humiliates Johnson Over Trump’s Bill!
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Elon Musk humiliates Speaker Mike Johnson over a GOP bill. Once allies, the two are now locked in a public feud, with Musk using his platform to torch Johnson—and ignore his calls.
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Rahm Emanuel: Trump Is a Chump
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The lovelorn TACO trader has been hanging by the phone at 2am hoping China's Xi will call him to make a tariff deal. But that call is not coming without America paying a very high price— because world leaders know that Trump is a feckless, desperate negotiator. Meanwhile, Republicans are blowing off Elon's take-down of the reconciliation bill and prepping to turn themselves into roadkill in the midterms. Plus, Scranton Joe went missing in the White House, and the Dems need to...
