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The news cycle doesn’t slow down, and neither does The Bulwark. Bulwark Takes brings you bite-sized takes on the news of the day from the entire Bulwark team, including Tim Miller, Sarah Longwell, and Bill Kristol, and more.
913 Episodes
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Trump publicly fantasized about firing Jerome Powell and installing a more compliant Fed chair. Andrew Egger and Catherine Rampell break down why Trump’s threats to seize control of monetary policy could destabilize inflation, markets, and the entire economy—and why Wall Street still seems weirdly calm about it.
3JVL and Sam Stein take on Trump’s rambling McDonald’s appearance, the scrambled stories, and the stark drop in his energy compared to last year—and discuss why his team keeps steering him into cushioned, low-pressure settings.
Be sure to read JVL's Triad newsletter on the speech: https://www.thebulwark.com/p/trump-is-not-have-all-the-mentals-cognitive-functioning
Take our quick listener survey and help us make The Bulwark even better. https://bit.ly/bulwarkaudio
Sam Stein and Tim Miller take on the genuinely wild day in redistricting. Texas’ GOP-drawn maps were blocked by a federal court as Indiana Republicans revolt against Trump’s pressure campaign, and the whole 2025 gerrymandering project starts wobbling.
Take our quick listener survey and help us make The Bulwark even better. https://bit.ly/bulwarkaudio
Donald Trump welcomed Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman to the Oval Office and whatever you were expecting from the press conference — it was worse. JVL and Andrew Egger share their take on Trump's attacks on an American reporter for asking about slain journalist Jamal Khashoggi, Trump's praise for Saudi Arabia's “human rights" record, and then meltdown when he was pressed about the Epstein files.
Take our quick listener survey and help us make The Bulwark even better. https://bit.ly/bulwarkaudio
Description: The House just voted 427–1 to release the Epstein files, a shocking turn after months of GOP resistance, including from President Trump. Sam Stein and Joe Perticone break down how Trump’s flip changed everything, why Mike Johnson lost control of his own conference, and what happens now as the Senate takes over.
Take our quick listener survey and help us make The Bulwark even better. https://bit.ly/bulwarkaudio
Red states built up a massive hemp industry and the vote by Congress to reopen the government suddenly set up a deadline to shut it all down. Tim Miller is joined by Politico's Natalie Fertig as they take on the strange coalition forming to save THC seltzers and how Sens. Mitch McConnell, Ted Cruz, and Rand Paul ended up on opposite sides of the issue.
Take our quick listener survey and help us make The Bulwark even better. https://bit.ly/bulwarkaudio
Tim digs into Trump’s ugly attacks on Rep Thomas Massie, the backstory Trump ignores, and what it says about the cracks forming inside MAGA. He also joins Nicolle Wallace to dig into it.
Watch Deadline: White House on MSNBC: https://www.msnbc.com/deadline-white-house
Take our quick listener survey and help us make The Bulwark even better. https://bit.ly/bulwarkaudio
JVL and Sam Stein take on Larry Summers’ embarrassing Epstein emails, Summers’ long-running influence in Democratic circles, the fallout inside Harvard and CAP, and the absurdity of a Treasury Secretary asking a convicted predator for dating tips.
Take our quick listener survey and help us make The Bulwark even better. https://bit.ly/bulwarkaudio
Sam Stein and JVL take on Marjorie Taylor Greene’s break from Trump, why her sincerity sets her apart from the GOP’s careerist crowd, and what her Epstein-driven pivot says about the party’s collapse into pure performance politics.
Take our quick listener survey and help us make The Bulwark even better. https://bit.ly/bulwarkaudio
Sam Stein and Will Saletan dissect Sen. Barrasso’s messy defense of Trump amid new Epstein-related revelations, soaked in both contradictions and political awkwardness.
Take our quick listener survey and help us make The Bulwark even better. https://bit.ly/bulwarkaudio
Sam Stein and Jack Cocchiarella take on Trump’s attacks on Rep. Massie hitting a nerve within his own base, as Marjorie Taylor Greene pivots away from Trump on CNN and die-hard MAGA loyalists start calling out the corruption and hypocrisy.
Bill Kristol and Mark Hertling discuss Venezuela’s uncertain path, Europe’s evolving troubles, and growing discontent inside the Pentagon.
Pre-order "If I Don't Return" by Lt. Gen. Mark Hertling (Ret.)
Sam Stein is joined by Sen. Chris Murphy live in Austin, TX to talk the Epstein files fight, Trump’s threats to democracy and abuse of pardons, shutdown politics, and how Democrats should respond. Plus, an audience Q&A on AI, gun violence, and rebuilding a broad pro-democracy coalition.
NOTE: There are a few moments when the recording cuts out. We apologize for these issues.
JVL and Andrew Egger take on Donald Trump’s messy public split with Marjorie Taylor Greene and what this rift signals for the future of the MAGA movement.
Sam Stein gives a rapid rundown of a chaotic 24 hours in Trump-world, from corruption allegations and lavish gifts, to meltdown posts, MRI secrecy, and Trump lashing out at critics. It’s all so over the top, even MAGA’s most influential figures are beginning to notice the blatant corruption.
Tim Miller takes on JD Vance’s latest lie, the immigrant scapegoating cycle, and why Trump’s economic crew keeps bending reality on prices, tariffs, and the state of the economy. He also joins Nicolle Wallace to dig into it.
Watch Deadline: White House on MSNBC: https://www.msnbc.com/deadline-white-house
NOTE: There are a few moments when the video cuts out. We apologize for these issues with the recording.
Sam Stein sits down with former Congressman Adam Kinzinger at the Texas Tribune Festival to talk about “The Last Republican,” how the GOP became a personality cult, what January 6 did to his family, McCarthy’s surrender in Mar-a-Lago, the DOJ’s failures, and why winning back ex-MAGA voters means not shaming them. Kinzinger also weighs in on Trump’s $400M Qatar jet deal, corruption, his future in Texas politics, and whether he’d ever take on Ted Cruz.
Tim Miller gives his take on Donald Trump promoting Paul Ingrassia, the racist Twitter troll whose private texts about having a "Nazi streak" were so vile that even MAGA group chats were telling him to dial it back. The Senate refused to confirm him for a previous job and now he's going to be deputy general counsel at the General Services Administration.
Watch Tim's video on Ingrassia's texts: https://youtu.be/MInUIlH7sfU
Tim Miller takes on Megyn Kelly and Batya Ungar-Sargon’s appalling attempt to spin Jefferey Epstein’s 15 and 16-year-old victims as nearly-adults, as they try to manipulate the well-documented accusations in effort to rewrite the story to protect Trump.
Watch Tim’s conversation with Stacey Williams
Donald Trump has a new message for Americans worried about the economy: you’re wrong. Andrew Egger and Will Saletan share their take on Trump's message, breaking down his bizarre insistence that prices are “way down,” that gas is $2, that groceries are cheaper, and that any reporting to the contrary is just a “manufactured” media conspiracy.
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When I tried to play this, the audio was cutting in and out, making it impossible to listen to. Please fix.
Don't defend John Bolton. He is a war criminal at the end of the day. He deserves to be behind bars or worse.
Am I the only one that thought orange Mussolini was falling asleep while putting was talking?
Good old Uncle Tim!!
I had to turn this episode off. I kept missing words Bill was saying because he's audio is so poor. Audio quality matters Bulwark.
Does anyone know why some of this episodes are getting numbers in the title now? I haven't found a rhyme or reason for which get a number and which don't, and the inconsistency is beginning to bug me.
I am sick and tired on Sam Stein's foul mouth. It is so difficult to listen to him and his loud nasty tone full of awful language. BTW, I am a deep democrat, just feel his style is revolting.
Can Sam Stein lighten up and be less aggressive and vulgar his words? When he is host, I now turn the podcast off, just can't handle listening to that anymore.
Bill's sound clarity is awful.
Vance's comments in Munich were not merely astonishing but Appalling.