The Bulwark Daily

Jamelle Bouie: The World's Most Influential Racist Is Bankrolling Republicans

23 octobre 202651 min

Elon Musk is the largest single donor in American political history. He's also the world's most prominent booster of white supremacy. While Democrat after Democrat gets asked about Hasan Piker, most reporters …

Notes de l’épisode

Elon Musk is the largest single donor in American political history. He's also the world's most prominent booster of white supremacy. While Democrat after Democrat gets asked about Hasan Piker, most reporters don't seem to ask Republicans about the views of the man who's pumped nearly a half billion dollars into their Senate campaigns. Nor do they ask about the destruction he rained down on our government under DOGE. Plus: Trump is trying to build a city-size mausoleum for himself, his targeting of Ilhan Omar is also an attack on Congress, MBS is finding out he bribed the wrong family, the gang of jackals around Trump has no loyalty to the U.S., and is JD such an a-hole because deep down he hates his mother...and himself?

Jamelle Bouie joins Tim Miller for the weekend pod.
show notes:

Adam Kinzinger: Who Should Be Forced to Testify First?

22 octobre 202659 min

Democrats on the House Oversight Committee are already divvying up how to investigate Musk, the one-time shadow president who's still making foreign policy decisions about the war in Ukraine. Also on tap for …

Notes de l’épisode

Democrats on the House Oversight Committee are already divvying up how to investigate Musk, the one-time shadow president who's still making foreign policy decisions about the war in Ukraine. Also on tap for hearings is the impeachable Hegseth, who ironically broke the iconic globe used by Eisenhower—a man who actually knew how to fight a war. And of course there's self-enriching Jared Kushner, who pretends to do diplomacy with his Putin-worshipping sidekick, Steve Witkoff. Plus: Vance's support of Vivek's ad suggests that he has deep psychological problems, Marco keeps flailing on the Starlink debacle, the crypto industry is spending $55 million to buy Ohio Senator Jon Husted, Mike Rogers's wife has won some very large government contracts, and Kinzinger feels a real energy behind Talarico in Texas.

Adam Kinzinger joins Tim Miller.
show notes:

Mike Murphy and Mark Hertling: Vivek Is a Despicable Creep

21 octobre 20261 h 8 min

Could there be a bigger sign of Ramaswamy's depravity and desperation than using a mother from hell to sell your message? His campaign for governor of Ohio against Amy Acton has been a nightmare from the …

Notes de l’épisode

Could there be a bigger sign of Ramaswamy's depravity and desperation than using a mother from hell to sell your message? His campaign for governor of Ohio against Amy Acton has been a nightmare from the beginning. Meanwhile, Murphy senses kryptonite in the water around Trump as well, particularly with the farm belt in revolt over tariffs and the price of diesel. But in Michigan, El-Sayed has got to cool it on the cocky bro stuff in the final days of his campaign. Plus: From our live show in Atlanta Tuesday evening, Gen. Hertling joined Tim to discuss the continuing blame game between Musk and the administration over the crippling of Ukraine's military communications, the lack of leadership at the Pentagon, and the failure to protect our troops.

Mike Murphy and Lt. Gen. Mark Hertling join Tim Miller.

show notes:

Michael McFaul: Trump Is Just 'Fine' with Mass Murder

20 octobre 202653 min

Though they deny any involvement, the Trump administration and Elon Musk are apparently helping Putin escalate his campaign of terror against Ukraine. Civilian casualties across Ukraine are rising—including …

Notes de l’épisode

Though they deny any involvement, the Trump administration and Elon Musk are apparently helping Putin escalate his campaign of terror against Ukraine. Civilian casualties across Ukraine are rising—including women and children—but Trump said Monday that Russia "has been fine on Ukraine." At the same time, Team Trump looks to be lining up business deals with Russian energy companies. And Marco's whitewashing of it all is sickening. Plus: Zelensky is tired of Trump's games, China is playing a curious role on both sides of the war, and JD has another whopper to add to his stack of lies.

Former Amb. Michael McFaul joins Tim Miller.

show notes:

Bill Kristol: You Can't Hide Your Lyin' Eyes, JD

19 octobre 202654 min

The vice president had the gall to suggest he didn't know anything about what millions of Americans know: that Trump is using his office to enrich himself and that the administration made major mistakes in …

Notes de l’épisode

The vice president had the gall to suggest he didn't know anything about what millions of Americans know: that Trump is using his office to enrich himself and that the administration made major mistakes in executing the war in Iran. But the polls strongly suggest a rebuke of Putin's biggest fan is coming because of the conflict in the Middle East. Plus: The obsession at Fox over Abdul El-Sayed is getting embarrassing, Mike Rogers is a POS, Tim and Bill share their new round of long shots (in North Carolina and Mississippi), and the tech oligarchs will be among the last to break with Trump.

Bill Kristol joins Tim Miller.
show notes:

Alan Cumming and Robert Garcia: The Traitors Running Our Government

16 octobre 20261 h 6 min

For more than 10 years, Trump has been showing us how skilled he is at sowing division and riling people up. Alan sees the kind of tribal mentality that Trump has fostered on his own reality show, "The …

Notes de l’épisode

For more than 10 years, Trump has been showing us how skilled he is at sowing division and riling people up. Alan sees the kind of tribal mentality that Trump has fostered on his own reality show, "The Traitors," where contestants make incredibly stupid decisions because they don't want to deviate from the pack. The actor takes the opportunity to urge people to vote, protest, and stay vigilant in the face of the Republicans' campaigns of hate against immigrants and trans people. (And that includes Vance's dumb, dated gay jokes.) Plus: Rep. Garcia of the House Oversight Committee is preparing to get the gavel in January. He's already teed up new Epstein legislation, and he's planning to end the cover-up of 3 million Epstein documents, many of which have to do with Donald Trump. Also on the target list: the Trump family's business deals and the donors to the ballroom.

Alan Cumming and Rep. Robert Garcia join Tim Miller for the weekend pod.

show notes:

George Conway: Subpoenas Are Coming

15 octobre 202659 min

Mike Johnson sure sounds afraid of what might come out when the House—under Democratic control—actually does its job and investigates the corruption of this administration. Democrats should start with the …

Notes de l’épisode

Mike Johnson sure sounds afraid of what might come out when the House—under Democratic control—actually does its job and investigates the corruption of this administration. Democrats should start with the families of Trump officialdom who've been making bank since Inauguration Day. And as the Guilfoyle firing shows, everyone in Trumpland is expendable. Plus: Republicans have got nothing to offer voters but bribery and bigotry, Talarico shows the right way to disarm MAGA lies, the Elon-Putin-Trump Axis of Evil is together again, and George—in his first week back with The Bulwark—passed a cognitive test just like our president.

George Conway joins Tim Miller.

show notes:

Roy Cooper and Noam Scheiber: We Gotta Rein Trump In

14 octobre 20261 h 22 min

Elon is now pitching in to help POTUS sabotage Ukraine while Trump makes a payout to Putin and works on his next self-enrichment scheme. A Cooper victory in North Carolina would be key to a potential Democratic …

Notes de l’épisode

Elon is now pitching in to help POTUS sabotage Ukraine while Trump makes a payout to Putin and works on his next self-enrichment scheme. A Cooper victory in North Carolina would be key to a potential Democratic Senate majority—a first step to reining in Trump—but the former governor warns Tim that Republicans have historically been undercounted in the polls and his lead should not be taken for granted. Plus: Scheiber in his recent book has the backstory on the radicalization of recent college grads, who tend to support the DSA and think America has too much power. And at a time when even white collar professionals identify with the working class, Trump's economic messaging sounds even more ridiculous.

Roy Cooper and New York Times reporter Noam Scheiber join Tim Miller.

show notes:

Cooper’s campaign site
Noam’s book, “Mutiny: The Rise and Revolt of the College-Educated Working Class”
JVL on Trump screwing the housing market
This week’s “The Next Level”
Link to send to elected Democrats on behalf of Maryam Tahmasebi and her family
The Jay Kang piece that Tim referenced about Noam’s book
October Surprise: The Bulwark is 30% off
Upcoming Bulwark LIVE show in Atlanta on Oct. 20
The Bulwark’s campaign to help the Haitian community of Springfield
The Bulwark store
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Susan Rice: Vote Like Your Life Depends on It

13 octobre 20261 h 5 min

Americans are living in a more dangerous world now because of Donald Trump. Not only because of his now-expanding war in the Middle East, but also through his reckless advocacy of AI. And in his desperation …

Notes de l’épisode

Americans are living in a more dangerous world now because of Donald Trump. Not only because of his now-expanding war in the Middle East, but also through his reckless advocacy of AI. And in his desperation over the midterms, he's cut a sinister deal with Putin, the very same man helping Iran to kill Americans. Rice tells Tim this is not the time to be complacent over the good polling numbers. Just go vote. Plus, Democratic strategist Jackie Rosa checks in from South Texas on the electoral landscape there and offers up some advice on how Dems should talk to Latino voters.

Susan Rice and Jackie Rosa join Tim Miller.

show notes:

Bill Kristol: The Paxton Nightmare Is Costing Republicans Big Time

12 octobre 202657 min

Not only did the lamest of October surprises blow up in the faces of Ken Paxton and the rightwing loons desperate to get Talarico on something, Greg Abbott is now in a tight race with his Democratic challenger …

Notes de l’épisode

Not only did the lamest of October surprises blow up in the faces of Ken Paxton and the rightwing loons desperate to get Talarico on something, Greg Abbott is now in a tight race with his Democratic challenger, Gina Hinojosa. And all the money pouring in to prop up Paxton could be better spent on Senate races in Alaska and Kansas. This would be a great time for the Democratic Governors Association to steer (a lot) more funding Hinojosa's way. Plus: Bill and Tim share their long shots, POTUS can't quit showing how much he's in the tank for Putin, MBS is finding out the hard way how the Trump family treats their business partners, don't be distracted by DHS's clownish authoritarianism in raiding Ilhan Omar's home, and the Iranian family that Tim has been advocating for is still in the Dilley detention center.

Bill Kristol joins Tim Miller.

show notes:

Derek Thompson and Adam Carlson: The Republicans' Strength Is Now Their Weakness

9 octobre 20261 h 25 min

While the cult of Trump is dragging Republicans' popularity down, the Democrats have good, ideologically diverse candidates running all over the place. And voters aren't stupid: They know Trump's war and his …

Notes de l’épisode

While the cult of Trump is dragging Republicans' popularity down, the Democrats have good, ideologically diverse candidates running all over the place. And voters aren't stupid: They know Trump's war and his tariffs are why prices are higher. But high-profile polling misses in recent years still haunt Dems, so Adam takes a deep dive into whether Republicans are doing better than the polls are showing. Plus: Derek explains how AI is making our lives more expensive and ponders why people behind AI think it's the most dangerous thing in the world yet still keep trying to build it as fast as possible. And no, AI does not have feelings.

Derek Thompson and Adam Carlson join Tim Miller for the weekend pod.

show notes:

Susan Glasser: Trump Has a Man Problem

8 octobre 202657 min

The king of the birther conspiracy knows he needs to round up the white male vote, so he's serving up one of his old faves—straight-up anti-Muslim bigotry. And he's added a new one: Making Americans pay for …

Notes de l’épisode

The king of the birther conspiracy knows he needs to round up the white male vote, so he's serving up one of his old faves—straight-up anti-Muslim bigotry. And he's added a new one: Making Americans pay for another political ad, this time about what a tough guy he is. But Trump also has another corruption problem, courtesy of Trump Jr.'s ex-fiancée, Amb. Kimberly Guilfoyle, who seems to have a habit of calling in very expensive favors. Plus: Rubio is laying the groundwork for 2028, Hegseth is lobbying to keep his job after the midterms, the Democratic establishment is coming together for El-Sayed, Bibi has been very bad for Israel, and Trump has created a long-term security crisis for the West as a result of his Iran war.

Susan Glasser joins Tim Miller.

show notes:

Angie Nixon: People Power

7 octobre 202656 min

Florida's Democratic nominee for the Senate says average Americans right now are living in the dreams of oligarchs and the super-rich, and it's time for regular people to live their own dreams. The progressive …

Notes de l’épisode

Florida's Democratic nominee for the Senate says average Americans right now are living in the dreams of oligarchs and the super-rich, and it's time for regular people to live their own dreams. The progressive maverick promises to fight to help all Floridians—regardless of party—to be healthy, prosperous, and safe. And while Republicans like to point out Nixon's DSA affiliation, the Trump administration itself is acting socialist, while also sending immigrants back to countries like Cuba and Venezuela. Plus: Nixon weighs in on Vance's racist dog whistle, and Tim praises Troy Jackson's debate performance against Susan Collins—who seemed out of touch and was forced to play defense over Trump, the war, and the stupid tariffs.

Angie Nixon joins Tim Miller.

show notes:

Angie’s campaign site
October Surprise: The Bulwark is 30% off
Upcoming Bulwark LIVE shows, including Atlanta on Oct. 20
Closing Song: The War on Drugs - “Suffering”
The Bulwark’s campaign to help the Haitian community of Springfield
The Bulwark store
Get 20% off your DeleteMe plan when you go to www.joindeleteme.com/BULWARK and
use promo code BULWARK at checkout
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Michael Lewis: Don't Bet Against the Country

6 octobre 202649 min

Destroying trust in the government is one of Trump's key sources of power, but Michael reports from the front lines of the deep state that there still are good employees serving the public interest. In his new …

Notes de l’épisode

Destroying trust in the government is one of Trump's key sources of power, but Michael reports from the front lines of the deep state that there still are good employees serving the public interest. In his new book, Michael celebrates some of the heroes who either managed to survive DOGE—or were stupidly pushed out despite the vital roles they filled. And the absolute failures of DOGE raise serious questions about how Elon could be trusted to run any enterprise. Plus: Trump sure sounded like he was inviting Iran to bomb two big blue cities, and Republicans are rushing money to South Carolina and a very GOP district in Kentucky. Seems like Tim and Bill were onto something with their long-shot midterms picks on Monday.

Michael Lewis joins Tim Miller.

show notes:

Bill Kristol: Throw the Bums Out

5 octobre 20261 h 1 min

Like all good demagogues, Trump's appeal works when he's got someone to blame. But it's on his watch that we've got a war-related global food crisis brewing and mass layoffs in Ohio—where Trump just happened to …

Notes de l’épisode

Like all good demagogues, Trump's appeal works when he's got someone to blame. But it's on his watch that we've got a war-related global food crisis brewing and mass layoffs in Ohio—where Trump just happened to hold a rally over the weekend. So, POTUS is focused on getting his family more money through a new bribery scheme while Republicans struggle to demonize Dems and throw away resources on Paxton. Plus: Bill and Tim share their new long shot picks (in South Carolina, Florida, and Kentucky), Thom Tillis is a coward and a weakling, online trolls claiming The Bulwark is trying to get Dems more hawkish on the war really ought to catch one of our podcasts, and Russia's got a worrisome plague outbreak.

Bill Kristol joins Tim Miller.
show notes:

Tommy Vietor: The Marionette in the White House

2 octobre 20261 h 2 min

What is going on with Trump's legs? He appears to be wearing a brace and a recent video shows him standing in a most unnatural way—as though he is mid-exorcism. But his apparent health issues don't seem to be …

Notes de l’épisode

What is going on with Trump's legs? He appears to be wearing a brace and a recent video shows him standing in a most unnatural way—as though he is mid-exorcism. But his apparent health issues don't seem to be stopping the administration from re-escalating against Iran with an additional 10,000 troops on their way to the region. Meanwhile, Trump's son-in-law, Jared (AKA the point person on the Gaza peace deal) turns out to be a war profiteer heavily invested in Israeli bomb-making companies. Plus: Some of the recent polls have been too rosy for the Dems, Islamophobia may be at play in the Michigan Senate race, Tim makes the case for regime change in Eritrea, and the cabal of guys at the All-In podcast—who bought their access to Trump—are some of the loudest voices pushing for his all gas, no breaks approach to AI.

Tommy Vietor joins Tim Miller for the weekend pod.
show notes:

Josh Barro and Jonathan V. Last: The Patriotic Cowboys Wrecking Our Economy

1 octobre 20261 h 2 min

Finally, some accountability in Washington: Sen. Eric Schmitt’s general counsel and poster-holder is in career limbo after the infamous basketball mix-up in the Jack Smith hearing. And Americans seem to be …

Notes de l’épisode

Finally, some accountability in Washington: Sen. Eric Schmitt’s general counsel and poster-holder is in career limbo after the infamous basketball mix-up in the Jack Smith hearing. And Americans seem to be holding Trump responsible for their economic frustrations—he’s below the Bush Line. Josh Barro explains: We’re not in a recession, but people feel stuck because borrowing costs are higher. Big budget deficits are inflationary, the president’s war of choice is making things worse, and our leaders don’t have a plan to deal with any of it. Plus, JVL explains why the markets are finally pricing in the risk of Trump’s war, and he and Tim discuss the weirdos running our government, Hegseth’s obsession with masculinity, and the importance of shame in a liberal democracy.

Josh Barro and Jonathan V. Last join Tim Miller.
show notes:

Part one and part two of Tim’s list of Democrats who can win Red America
TIME’s interview of Trump
Subscribe to JVL’s Triad
JVL on oil risk premiums
Jodi Kantor for The New York Times on the public shaming of John Roberts
Closing Song: The War on Drugs - Suffering
Get 20% off your DeleteMe plan when you go to www.joindeleteme.com/BULWARK and use promo code BULWARK at checkout.

Maria Comella and The Trio: Holy Schmitt, That Was Bad

30 septembre 20261 h 6 min

The Trio comes together on the daily pod for the first time to give a little taste of the MAGA-land news Sam, Will, and Tim are covering for The Bulwark. The latest developments include speculation that Candace …

Notes de l’épisode

The Trio comes together on the daily pod for the first time to give a little taste of the MAGA-land news Sam, Will, and Tim are covering for The Bulwark. The latest developments include speculation that Candace Owens may be a lesbian and that Florida gubernatorial candidate Byron Donalds pretended he was Jamaican. He may also have very poor judgment on financial matters. But first, Maria talks with Tim about Eric Schmitt and what may be the biggest self-own in the history of the Senate. Plus: Most of the media is still doing fake balance in favor of Trump, the pivotal scandal that knocked Chris Christie out as the 2016 frontrunner—and may have opened the door to you-know-who—and Tim shares details about a kiss he wanted but never got.

Ex-Christie aide Maria Comella and Trio members Sam Stein and Will Sommer join Tim Miller.
show notes:

Amanda Carpenter and Evan Gershkovich: Trump's and Putin's Authoritarian Projects

29 septembre 20261 h 9 min

Vigilance is still in order, but Trump’s efforts to rig the midterms have so far flopped. And that includes Trump’s self-sabotaging of his own plan to blame China for hacking our voting machines. But should the …

Notes de l’épisode

Vigilance is still in order, but Trump’s efforts to rig the midterms have so far flopped. And that includes Trump’s self-sabotaging of his own plan to blame China for hacking our voting machines. But should the Dems win back Congress, they’re going to be busy tracing all the money that was stolen for the ballroom, the arch, and Pentagon contracts with Trump family members. Plus: Evan discusses his new book, which memorializes both his 16 months in Russian captivity—and the recent history of Russia at war under Putin.

Amanda Carpenter and Evan Gershkovich join Tim Miller.

show notes:

Bill Kristol: They're F*cking Thieves

28 septembre 202657 min

The Trump administration stole our tax dollars to run a campaign ad during NFL games on Sunday. They're also breaking the law on congressional funding appropriations—and enjoying rubbing the public's face in …

Notes de l’épisode

The Trump administration stole our tax dollars to run a campaign ad during NFL games on Sunday. They're also breaking the law on congressional funding appropriations—and enjoying rubbing the public's face in all the illegality they're getting away with. In Dayton, The Bulwark had its largest live show ever, and the community came through in a huge way with donations for Haitian immigrants in Springfield. For a taste of the event, we're sharing Tim's interview with Democratic strategist Patrick Gaspard. Plus: Tim and Bill launch a new segment on longshot picks to back in the midterms, Trump is being unbelievably irresponsible on AI, the media is still not talking about the Iranian green card-holding family being held at the Dilley detention center, and Americans need a reminder of the Parable of the Good Samaritan.

Bill Kristol and Patrick Gaspard join Tim Miller.

show notes:

Alex Wagner: An Unlawful Administration

25 septembre 202653 min

Trump pulled out all the stops at the state dinner to regale the guy who is working with our enemy: Not only has China been helping Iran target and kill American soldiers, it's also been shipping Tehran …

Notes de l’épisode

Trump pulled out all the stops at the state dinner to regale the guy who is working with our enemy: Not only has China been helping Iran target and kill American soldiers, it's also been shipping Tehran component parts for drones and missile guidance systems. Senate Republicans, of course, blocked an effort to end the war as one of their last votes before the midterms. Meanwhile, election deniers keep showing us that they're going to try to monkey around with the election results in November. Plus: Alex discusses her new book about the origin story behind today's supermajority Supreme Court, and warns that Republicans may try to steal another SCOTUS seat in the lame duck Congress.

Alex Wagner joins Tim Miller for the weekend pod.
show notes:

Sam Stein and Mary Peltola: Cozying Up to Commies and Corporate Elites

24 septembre 20261 h 17 min

First, Sam Stein sits down with Tim to discuss the latest humiliation of our troops: Trump’s red carpet welcome for President Xi. Plus: the White House’s insane propaganda machine, a new Maine poll throws some …

Notes de l’épisode

First, Sam Stein sits down with Tim to discuss the latest humiliation of our troops: Trump’s red carpet welcome for President Xi. Plus: the White House’s insane propaganda machine, a new Maine poll throws some cold water on the midterms hopium, Sen. Tommy Tuberville’s obsession with furries, and is RFK Jr. running for president? Then, Tim pulls back the curtain on his interview with Mary Peltola, which wrapped just hours before a new critical New York Times piece dropped. In their conversation, Peltola explained how nearly every issue Alaskans care about can be summed up by “fish, family, and freedom.” And that viral debate moment with Dan Sullivan revealed something deeper: He is not doing enough to protect Alaskans from corporate greed in Washington.

Sam Stein and Mary Peltola join Tim Miller.
show notes:

Sarah Matthews and Jason Horowitz: Trump Propaganda and Italian Fascism

23 septembre 20261 h 8 min

The cozy White House Correspondents' Dinner, where Trump joked around with reporters, was only in July. But now he's ripping away press credentials and setting up state-run media. Sarah scolds the WHCA for …

Notes de l’épisode

The cozy White House Correspondents' Dinner, where Trump joked around with reporters, was only in July. But now he's ripping away press credentials and setting up state-run media. Sarah scolds the WHCA for bending the knee to Trump to begin with. And recent Italian history even foreshadowed the Trump era. Jason, in his new book, explains how Silvio Berlusconi learned how to become the central character in the media. The more he was talked about, the more powerful he became—and the more his opposition became trapped. Plus: a case study of Giorgia Meloni, her love of the hobbits, her opposition to Trump, and the rise of far-right populism in Italy. Also, a little hopium for Texas turning blue. And today's Republicans will always choose power over the interests of women.

Sarah Matthews and The New York Times' Jason Horowitz join Tim Miller.

show notes:

Brendan on watching six straight hours of Trump TV
Sarah on MAGA world trying to save Max Miller
Jason's new book, "The Italian Job"
Catch Tim's TNL rant on George W. Bush
Nicole Bassett's Oregeon state senate campaign site
BJ's Lounge in NOLA
Go to https://zbiotics.com/thebulwark and use THEBULWARK at checkout for 15% off any first time orders of ZBiotics probiotics.

Stuart Stevens: Republicans Are Desperate

22 septembre 202649 min

The party has been busy playing defense in Trump states, and now comes the news that Susan Collins is corrupt on top of being a loyal MAGA supplicant. More Democrats should walk with Ossoff's swagger and keep …

Notes de l’épisode

The party has been busy playing defense in Trump states, and now comes the news that Susan Collins is corrupt on top of being a loyal MAGA supplicant. More Democrats should walk with Ossoff's swagger and keep their message simple: attack Trump on his corruption and the war. (And in colder climes, the price of heating oil.) Meanwhile, subpoenas over Trump Jr.'s Russian mobster-funded wedding are coming, and even some Republicans are likely to get on board. Plus: Ukraine is showing how to fight wars now and how the U.S. under Trump and Hegseth is not ready. And Tim keeps his promise and puts on a hair shirt after LSU's loss to Ole Miss.

Stuart Stevens joins Tim Miller.

show notes:

Andrew Egger: Donald, You’re Rattled

21 septembre 20261 h 1 min

As Trump’s war of choice continues to expand in the Middle East, it’s clear that the president is desperate not to show how weak he really is. The administration is out of time and out of both strategic and …

Notes de l’épisode

As Trump’s war of choice continues to expand in the Middle East, it’s clear that the president is desperate not to show how weak he really is. The administration is out of time and out of both strategic and rhetorical options in Iran. Another sign that he is flailing: Trump is trying to ban CNN, MS NOW, and Politico from the White House press pool. But other TV outlets are pushing back in solidarity, forcing Trump to choose between two of his favorite things: punishing his critics and dominating the airwaves. Plus why the triumphal arch would be the silliest possible place for a military installation, Trump’s American Idol-style vote on what to call AI, and the unaddressed, ongoing education crisis.

Sitting in for Bill Kristol, Andrew Egger joins Tim Miller on the Monday pod.
show notes:

Tim’s conversation about the latest AI news with Stephen Witt
Tim and JVL’s 2023 conversation with Reid Hoffman
Andrew in today’s “Morning Shots” on AI
Dan Selsam’s statement
Nikole Hannah-Jones on her daughter’s public school education
The Bulwark’s campaign to help the Haitian community of Springfield
The Bulwark Store
Song of the Day: MJ Lenderman - “She’s Leaving You”
For a limited time, get 60% off your first order, plus free shipping, when you head to Smalls.com/THEBULWARK.

Anne Applebaum: Globalized MAGA Kleptocracy

18 septembre 202651 min

In Greenland, the Trump administration has got tech bros and hedge fund guys running an influence operation there. The aim may be to fulfill Trump's territorial ambitions—or to create a sovereign state run by …

Notes de l’épisode

In Greenland, the Trump administration has got tech bros and hedge fund guys running an influence operation there. The aim may be to fulfill Trump's territorial ambitions—or to create a sovereign state run by CEOs. In Venezuela, the administration is imperialistically seizing its gold, oil and other assets with no oversight. And in Brazil, the White House is trying to bring the Bolsonaro family back to power—which may or may not have something to do with Elon being angry about the country's tech regulation laws. In Trump 2.0, informal envoys, private companies, and hardened ideologues are turning American diplomacy upside down. Plus: Putin has played Kushner like a fiddle, don't let the story of Don Jr.'s Russian gangster-funded wedding die, new additions to the Applebaum book club, and we're going to have to bulldoze the ballroom.

Anne Applebaum joins Tim Miller for the weekend pod.

show notes:

Anne’s Atlantic cover story, “Empire of Grift”
“Whistler: A Novel,” Anne's latest book recommendation
Tim’s book recommendation, “The Disappearers: A Novel”
The Bulwark’s campaign to help the Haitian community of Springfield
The Bulwark store
Tim’s playlist
Closing song - War on Drugs - “Suffering”
Try ZipRecruiter to post your job FOR FREE at http://ziprecruiter.com/BULWARK
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Wright Thompson and Jesse Lehrich: Hopium and Hate

17 septembre 20261 h 21 min

Republicans are reeling, the vibes are shifting, and the wave is building. Jesse serves up a particularly optimistic view of the Democrats' chances in the midterms, with even stretch districts now in play. And …

Notes de l’épisode

Republicans are reeling, the vibes are shifting, and the wave is building. Jesse serves up a particularly optimistic view of the Democrats' chances in the midterms, with even stretch districts now in play. And ahead of Saturday's Ole Miss-LSU game, Wright shares how Mississippians are responding to the gutting of the Voting Rights Act and says that conservative farmers in the state are turning on MAGA. Plus, the love of a father and Ole Miss football, some Magnolia Bowl lore, why 1956 is the linchpin year in college sports history, and predicting the hate ratio on Saturday in Oxford.

Wright Thompson and Jesse Lehrich join Tim Miller.

show notes:

Wright's books, including "The Barn" and "The Cost of These Dreams"
Wright's ESPN piece on Friday will post here
Jesse's "Nobody Knows Anything" podcast
"Nobody's Listening," Jesse's newsletter
Campaign site for Eliott Rodriguez, Maria Elvira Salazar's opponent
Erick Erickson piece Tim mentioned
Bulwark LIVE: Benefit for Springfield
The Bulwark Store
Try ZipRecruiter to post your job FOR FREE at http://ziprecruiter.com/BULWARK
4 out of 5 employers who post on ZipRecruiter get a quality candidate within the first day.

Catherine Rampell and Stephen Witt: Can We Avert Economic Disaster and the Robot Apocalypse?

16 septembre 20261 h 8 min

The Fed raised interest rates to curb inflation, as expected, but mortgage rates are surging and flailing Scott Bessent remains the treasury secretary. Meanwhile, the alarm raised in the AI community is not an …

Notes de l’épisode

The Fed raised interest rates to curb inflation, as expected, but mortgage rates are surging and flailing Scott Bessent remains the treasury secretary. Meanwhile, the alarm raised in the AI community is not an op despite the backlash from people like Nvidia's Jensen Huang, who seems to get everything he wants from Donald Trump. Plus, the Europeans who once parked their gold in the US to hide it from the Nazis are now trying to protect it from Trump.

Catherine Rampell and Stephen Witt join Tim Miller.

show notes:

Subscribe to Catherine Rampell's Receipts podcast and newsletter on Substack or follow her new show wherever you get your podcasts: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | YouTube | More
Stephen's "This Is Really Bad" piece in the NYT
Stephen's "The Thinking Machine," about Nvidia and Jensen Huang
The latest episode of "The Next Level"
Dan Selsam's statement on Twitter that Tim read from
"If Anyone Builds It, Everyone Dies," the book Stephen mentioned
Huang's "impromptu" phone call with Trump
Closing song - Orville Peck - It's the End of the World
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Bulwark LIVE: Benefit for Springfield
Some moments require you to step up. Some require you to show up. That’s why The Bulwark is coming to Ohio. Join Tim, Sarah, JVL, Sam and friends Friday, September 25 at the Dayton Masonic Center for an evening of politics and fellowship.

Jonathan Swan: We Only Know 5%

15 septembre 202654 min

The co-author of the signature book inside Trump 2.0 says the media only knows 5% of what is happening inside the administration—particularly when it comes to national security, the money-making, and the …

Notes de l’épisode

The co-author of the signature book inside Trump 2.0 says the media only knows 5% of what is happening inside the administration—particularly when it comes to national security, the money-making, and the self-dealing. Jonathan does have new reporting about how the administration keeps pretending that our military is not running low on long-range missiles. In reality, the war is costing us a month's worth of Patriots almost every day. Plus: Stephen Miller has become the White House's resident kingmaker, why Trump is turbocharged on AI, and some contentious moments when Tim and Jonathan discuss how to characterize JD's divergent private and public posturing on the war.

Jonathan Swan joins Tim Miller.
show notes:

Jonathan’s “Regime Change: Inside the Imperial Presidency of Donald Trump”
The Bulwark’s campaign to help the Haitian community of Springfield
Closing Song - MJ Lenderman - She's Leaving You
Get 15% off OneSkin with the code BULWARK at https://www.oneskin.co/BULWARK
#oneskinpod

Bulwark LIVE: Benefit for Springfield
Some moments require you to step up. Some require you to show up. That’s why The Bulwark is coming to Ohio.
Join Tim, Sarah, JVL, Sam and friends Friday, September 25 at the Dayton Masonic Center for an evening of politics and fellowship.

Bill Kristol: It Always Comes Back to Trump/Russia

14 septembre 202650 min

A Putin bestie who's involved with the kidnapping of Ukrainian children bankrolled Don Jr.'s island wedding for some mysterious reason. Kushner is calling on Ukraine to give in to Putin's territorial demands …

Notes de l’épisode

A Putin bestie who's involved with the kidnapping of Ukrainian children bankrolled Don Jr.'s island wedding for some mysterious reason. Kushner is calling on Ukraine to give in to Putin's territorial demands. And Trump himself is blaming Zelensky for the high cost of diesel even though prices shot up after Trump launched his war of choice. It's the whole Trump family that tends to remind us of their close ties to Russia, Russia, Russia. Meanwhile, POTUS is not troubled by China's involvement with the death of U.S. soldiers in the Mideast. Plus: Adam Hamilton in Kansas was on fire in his debate with Roger Marshall, the list of horrible Republican candidates keeps growing, and the fears about AI have broken wide open.

Bill Kristol joins Tim Miller.
show notes: