Bulwark Takes

Will Saletan takes on Todd Blanche’s Sunday show appearances, where Trump’s former lawyer—now running the Justice Department—defends mass deportations, self-issued warrants, foreign money flowing to Trump, and openly political prosecutions, despite promising the Senate none of this would happen.

Sam Stein and Sarah Longwell discuss Epstein releases and other news.

Tim Miller and Sarah Longwell react to the “Greater Than” ad campaign, a polished rebrand of the push to roll back gay marriage. They watch the ads, break down the claims about children and families, and explain why the argument doesn’t hold up—factually, morally, or politically.

Sonny Bunch saw "Melania" so you don’t have to and it’s no surprise that it’s not good. Sonny is joined by JVL to give their takes on why the movie makes no sense as a business proposition, Donald Trump’s central role in shaping its purpose, and the decision to put the project in the hands of Brett Ratner, a director exiled from Hollywood after multiple sexual misconduct allegations, as part of his attempted comeback.

Tim Miller and Sam Stein give their takes on the explosive revelations from the recently released Epstein files. They delve into the disturbing connections of high-profile figures, including Howard Lutnick and Elon Musk, Bondi's lack of involvement in today's presser, and what the latest docs dump says about Trump’s relationship with Epstein.

Sarah Longwell and Tim Miller listen to a rare focus group of 14 law enforcement officers, Trump-voting and Harris-voting, to get honest reactions to ICE’s actions in Minneapolis. Hear more on "The Focus Group" on Saturday morning.

Sam Stein is joined by Sen. Chris Coons (D-DE) for his take on the rapidly unfolding government shutdown fight and why Democrats are willing to shut down the Department of Homeland Security unless Congress passes real, binding limits on ICE and CBP. Coons explains why Democrats agreed to a short-term DHS extension, what specific statutory reforms they’re demanding, and how Trump’s governing chaos is reverberating beyond U.S. borders.

Sam Stein, Sarah Longwell and Catherine Rampell are LIVE discussing Don Lemon's arrest related to a Minneapolis church protest and Trump tapping Kevin Warsh as the new Fed chair.

Sarah Longwell joins Nicolle Wallace on Deadline: White House, explaining why the Minneapolis shootings—and the Alex Pretti video in particular—have shifted public opinion.Watch Deadline: White House on MSNOW: https://www.ms.now/deadline-white-house

JVL is joined by journalist and civil liberties expert Radley Balko for his take on the why the federal response in Minneapolis fundamentally different and far more dangerous than a typical police shooting. Balko explains why this isn’t just a case of bad officers or poor judgment, but a breakdown at the institutional level, where DHS and ICE no longer even pretend to care about legitimacy and may be beyond reform.Read more from Radley Balko: https://radleybalko.substack.com/

Tim Miller and Sam Stein give their takes on Trump’s latest Cabinet meeting where he dodged questions, ignored controversial Cabinet members, and declared that housing prices should go up as he tried to tout affordability.Save the date for our 2026 live tour which we will kick off on February 19 to be with our friends in the Twin Cities. Sarah, JVL, Tim, and Sam will be there and then we will head to the Lone Star State for a one-night show in Dallas on March 18 and one in Austin on March 19. Minnesota tickets will go on sale this Friday and both Texas shows will go on sale next week.Watch your inbox and https://TheBulwark.com/events for more.

Tim Miller and Andrew Egger give their takes on the FBI’s raid of a Georgia elections office on Wednesday as Donald Trump revives “Stop the Steal” six years after losing the 2020 election.Tim and Andrew break down how it escalates Trump’s long-running election conspiracy into federal law enforcement action, why it looks like a dry run ahead of the midterms, and why Tulsi Gabbard was at the raid.Save the date for our 2026 live tour which we will kick off on February 19 to be with our friends in the Twin Cities. Sarah, JVL, and Tim will be there and then we will head to the Lone Star State for a one-night show in Dallas on March 18 and one in Austin on March 19. Minnesota tickets will go on sale this Friday and both Texas shows will go on sale next week.Watch your inbox and https://TheBulwark.com/events for more.

In this edition of Command Post, Bill Kristol and Lt. Gen. Mark Hertling (Ret.) give their takes on the federal agents in Minneapolis following the killing of Alex Pretti, explain the dangers of militarizing U.S. cities, and what NATO allies are doing in the Arctic.Have a question that you'd like us to consider for a future episode of Command Post? Send an email to commandpost@thebulwark.com. Please include your name, how to pronounce it and where you're located.

Tim Miller joined Piers Morgan to give his take on Alex Pretti's murder by federal officers in Minneapolis and called out panelists defending state violence, while breaking down what real courage and real masculinity looks like.Watch the full video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cgHftUYA9rQ

Andrew Egger and Will Saletan give their takes on the attack at an Ilhan Omar town hall in Minnesota, where a man rushed the podium and sprayed her with an unknown substance before being arrested. Donald Trump’s response was to dismiss the attack and blame Omar. Andrew and Will break down the Republican reactions to the attack, including Rep. Randy Fine’s attempt to condemn the violence while justifying it, and what it says about the state of American politics.

Sam Stein and Will Sommer give their takes on the right wing media fallout from the killing of Alex Pretti in Minneapolis after the White House quietly tried to distance themselves from Greg Bovino. Megyn Kelly was grossly indifferent and didn't "feel sorry" about Pretti's death while Tim Pool remains unapologetic and is pushing for the crackdowns to continue.

Adrian Carrasquillo spent several days on the ground in Minneapolis as immigration operations intensified across the city. Drawing on firsthand reporting and eyewitness testimony, the conversation documents how immigration enforcement tactics have reshaped daily life for residents, workers, and small business owners.Segundo Balboa, co-owner of Galapagos Bar & Grill: A small-business describes ICE arriving in December, families becoming afraid to leave their homes, and neighborhood commerce collapsing as fear spread. He explains the impossible choice between staying safe and continuing to work to pay bills.Carolina Ortiz, associate executive director of Communities Organizing Latine Power and Action (COPAL): A community organizer and on-the-ground responder, who provides detailed eyewitness accounts of ICE tactics across Minneapolis—agents positioned on nearly every block, unmarked vehicles, covered faces, and arrests carried out through intimidation.Daniel Hernandez, owner of Colonial Market & Restaurant: He explains sales dropping by nearly 90 percent, the loss of the holiday season, and his efforts to support families through food delivery, recovery of impounded vehicles, and coordination with city officials to keep aid inside the community.These interviews show how immigration policy is playing out in real time: fear as a tool, force as a default, and an entire community caught in the middle.Read more about Adrian's experience in Minneapolis:Portraits of the Minneapolis Resistance: https://www.thebulwark.com/p/portraits-of-the-minneapolis-resistance-dhs-cbp-ice-protests-minnesota24 Hours Alongside an ICE Protester in Minneapolis: https://www.thebulwark.com/p/24-hours-alongside-an-ice-protester-minneapolis

The Trump White House says Americans can eat healthy meals for about $3 a serving. To test that claim, Jared Poland tried living on the administration’s guidance for three days. He also speaks with Colleen Heflin, a professor at the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs at Syracuse University who studies food and nutrition policy and social welfare policy.

Tim Miller takes on the Trump administration’s effort to defuse outrage over Minneapolis with PR tweaks and cosmetic changes, arguing that softer language and shuffled personnel don’t address the abuse of power.

Tim Miller is joined by New York magazine Washington correspondent Ben Terris to talk about his reporting on Trump’s health and the increasingly surreal way the White House talks about it. From mysterious MRIs and constantly bruised hands to doctors reading from talking points and Stephen Miller insisting Trump is “superhuman,” Tim and Ben dive into what we actually know about the president’s health versus what his inner circle wants us to believe.