The Bulwark Podcast

The very online crowd is very upset, but Dems did fight like Republicans. This was a longer shutdown than anything the Tea Party pulled and real pain was being caused. And Democrats have now made the cost of healthcare front and center—while Republicans keep showing that they are the party of billionaires, Mar-a-Lago soirées, and golden ballrooms. Plus, President Al Capone pardoned all the people who tried to help him steal the 2020 election, pro-democracy Americans must stay united against the evil of the administration’s deportation policy, and the effort to keep POTUS in a bubble backfired big time Sunday night at the Commanders’ stadium. Will Saletan joins Tim Miller. show notes Will on Trump's disregard for his party Jon Chait on ending the shutdown without ending the filibuster The NYT on Venezuelans sent to CECOT in El Salvador Book referenced by Tim, "Everyone Who Is Gone Is Here" F*%k your khakis and get The Perfect Jean 15% off with the code BULWARK15 at theperfectjean.nyc/BULWARK15 #theperfectjeanpod Start your new morning ritual & get up to 43% off your @MUDWTR at mudwtr.com/THEBULWARK! #mudwtrpod

Our economy may be in the early days of stagflation, Democrats are winning the shutdown fight, and Republicans aren't getting help from the tariff king—who is just sticking his fingers in his ears and lying about the price of Thanksgiving dinner going down. Maybe it's time for the Dems to declare victory and let them reopen the government. Plus, Jeanine Pirro's complete humiliation over the sandwich guy case, and Rep. Jared Golden's retirement is a bracing reminder that Democrats must keep recruiting moderate candidates who can win in red districts. Jessica Tarlov joins Tim Miller for the weekend pod. show notes Jessica's "Raging Moderates" podcast with Scott Galloway Catherine's newsletter on stagflation, tariffs and how SCOTUS may save Christmas Tim's playlist Go to https://www.american-giant.com and get 20% off your first order with promo code BULWARK. Thanks to American Giant for sponsoring the show!

Trump took it on the chin in Tuesday's elections, SCOTUS sounds skeptical about his tariffs, and his plan to 'gerry-rig' the midterms looks like it is slipping away—but he is still the most powerful president since FDR. And murmurs about a lame duck may prompt him to take even more extreme actions. Plus, the still infuriating inability to hold Trump accountable for trying to steal the 2020 election, and the long-term damage he has done to the DOJ. Carol Leonnig and JVL join Tim Miller. show notes Carol's new book, "Injustice" on the DOJ, Merrick Garland, and the Jack Smith investigations JVL's Wednesday Triad on Hispanic voters and 2028  Tim's 'Bulwark Take' with Rep. Pat Ryan on sports blackouts Get 20% off your DeleteMe plan when you go to joindeleteme.com/BULWARK and use promo code BULWARK at checkout.

The huge Democratic wins in Virginia, New Jersey, NYC, and California spoke loud and clear—and make Trump’s 2024 supposed ‘landslide’ margin of 1.5% look even more wimpy. Trump is not delivering on his economic promises and the backlash was across the board. Voters are also rejecting the overreach of Stephen Miller’s nativist immigration policy, particularly Latino voters. One of the biggest impacts from Tuesday’s elections is that redistricting suddenly looks like it favors the Dems. Plus, what Mamdani could teach Democrats, and the bad place the Republicans put the party in by focusing on Trump’s random obsessions instead of talking about the concerns of voters. Semafor’s Dave Weigel joins Tim Miller. show notes Dave’s election reaction piece Dave's book, "The Show That Never Ends: The Rise and Fall of Prog Rock" Go to https://zbiotics.com/THEBULWARK and use THEBULWARK at checkout for 15% off any first time orders of ZBiotics probiotics Get 15% off OneSkin with the code BULWARK at https://www.oneskin.co/BULWARK #oneskinpod

With Trump slashing SNAP benefits, Gov. Beshear is asking the people of Kentucky to look out for their neighbors so they don't go hungry—since the administration won't. Meanwhile, Trump's tariffs are hammering farmers in the Bluegrass State at the same time Republicans are sabotaging rural healthcare. And reporting from Chicago, Moran finds his hometown still full of tough, independent people who won't be pushed around. True to form: Moms, bystanders, and priests are standing up to immigration agents while Trump tries to flex the full force of his authoritarian ambitions. Plus, Norah O'Donnell did not stand up for the truth, and the legacy and patriotism of Dick Cheney. Gov. Andy Beshear and Terry Moran join Tim Miller. show notes The Bulwark's Special Election Night Coverage at 8ET Bill and JVL on the legacy of Dick Cheney Terry's Substack Terry's recent reporting from Chicago Andrew's recent interview with Iowa's Rob Sand To get 6 bottles of wine for $39.99, head to NakedWines.com/THEBULWARK and use code THEBULWARK for both the code AND PASSWORD.

CBS News heavily edited its ‘60 Minutes’ interview with Trump, not only removing his lies about 2020, but also conveniently cutting the part about how the news show paid him off for his bogus lawsuit over a Kamala interview last year. That payoff may well have been how the one-time legendary news network landed a 90-minute interview with Trump to begin with. Meanwhile, the ‘peace’ president is conducting an illegal war in the Caribbean, and also happens to know nothing about the crypto magnate he just pardoned—even though he’s funneling billions to the Trump family’s crypto venture. Plus, Dems are definitely united in wanting the party to show some cojones, Republicans are trying some rage bait against Mamdani, and the ‘strong’ president who won a ‘big’ mandate has not been invited to campaign the night before tomorrow’s elections. Bill Kristol joins Tim Miller. show notes Bill's "Bulwark on Sunday" with Ryan Goodman Monday's "Morning Shots"

It’s hard to find a better example of seizing the means of production than our government seizing an equity stake in a company—which Trump keeps doing over and over again. And what do the diehard Republican capitalists have to say about all this socializing of the private sector? Nothing, of course. But they definitely were up in arms over Bill Kristol saying he’d probably vote for Mamdani if he still lived in NYC, and that voting for Cuomo was ridiculous. Plus, the crypto-based bribery of Trump and his family is flourishing, SNAP cuts and Head Start closures will have a big impact on rural areas, businesses have been trying to find ways to lower their tariff burden since Trump won last November, and the potential ties between recent layoffs and the AI arms race. The Bulwark’s Catherine Rampell joins Tim Miller for the Halloween weekend pod.  show notes Tim's playlist Tim's Halloween playlist

President Trump meets with Xi Jinping and agrees to an embarrassingly one-sided trade deal, as the “China Hawks” in the administration cower. Meantime, the government shutdown moves to a more painful phase, with funding for SNAP expiring on Nov. 1. Former Sen. Heidi Heitkamp joins Tim to discuss how the chaos from Trump’s trade wars has already hurt farmers, how Democrats should play their next moves on the shutdown, and her surprising support for Mamdani/Platner style candidates. show notes: The One Country Project’s Hot Dish Podcast

From the jump, the administration has been all about the memes, owning the libs, and pissing people off. But Abby says she wants Trump’s supporters to have a chance to share their points of view on her show—and be challenged in real time. Meanwhile, during the weirdest shutdown ever, Republicans are at risk on SNAP and Obamacare subsidies. And policing the Caribbean and the Pacific to commit summary executions is not America First. Plus, the roots of Bernie Sanders’s populist campaigns were planted by Jesse Jackson’s runs for the presidency in ‘84 and ‘88. But Trump too also echoes Jackson as a political figure—through their use of celebrity, personality, and similar outsider populist messaging. Abby Phillip joins Tim Miller. show notes Abby's book, "A Dream Deferred: Jesse Jackson and the Fight for Black Political Power" CNN's NewsNight with Abby Phillip Tim and Bill on Trump creepiest propaganda yet

While the inhumane and aggressive tactics unfolding in Chicago are repelling many Americans, they are having the opposite effect among Trump's top aides. The Kristi Noem clique wants more— much more— of the Border Patrol's "Midway Blitz" around the country, and they're busy purging local ICE leadership in a number of cities in an attempt to dramatically ramp up the pace of deportations. Meanwhile, Trump keeps talking like he's all for regime change in Venezuela. Plus, how conspiracy and our phones helped fuel the rise of global populism, why the left and right yearn for a struggle in an age of peace and prosperity, and the modern effort to reclaim the word 'liberal.' Frank Fukuyama and Sam Stein join Tim Miller. show notes: Adrian's recent reporting from Chicago Isaac Chotiner's interview with Karine Jean-Pierre Frank on Substack Frank's "Liberalism and Its Discontents" and his "The End of History and the Last Man" "Termination Shock," referenced by Frank

Trump was so embarrassed by Canada using Reagan’s warnings about tariffs that he had a little hissy fit and decided to punish Americans for buying Canadian goods. And by the way, stuffed shirt Scott Bessent: Real American soybean farmers are being hurt by tariffs while you bail out Argentina and pretend that your dainty hands are tilling the soil on the farmland you bought as an investment. Meanwhile, the White House isn’t even pretending that it’s going after corrupt moneyed interests, as the Trump family rolls in dough from the most entrenched swampy types in DC. Plus, Dems get pressure on the shutdown and Trump weighs in on the VP gimmick for 2028. Bill Kristol joins Tim Miller. show notes Scott Bessent saying he's a soybean farmer Monday's "Morning Shots" For a limited time only, get 60% off your first order, plus free shipping, when you head to Smalls.com/THEBULWARK.

Members of the administration, like Stephen Miller, who spend hours every day kissing Trump’s ass look so pathetic—but since the time of the ancients, courtiers have gone to great lengths to degrade themselves before the vain and vindictive. And one lesson for the ages is to not compromise with an extortionist: it will only lead to more extortion and more pressure because the extortionist wants everything. Meanwhile, Elon’s brain is broken, Peter Thiel spends too much time at dinner parties, Trump’s media diet allows no time for presidential reflection, and authoritarians can be seductive. Plus, Tim sees the redistricting fight looking better for Democrats, and argues that the best way to shut down the talk of a decrepit Trump running in ‘28 is to make sure the Dems win the House in 2026. Ryan Holiday joins Tim Miller for the weekend pod.  show notes Ryan's new book, "Wisdom Takes Work"  Ryan's book, "Conspiracy: Peter Thiel, Hulk Hogan, Gawker, and the Anatomy of Intrigue" Tim and JVL's interview with Ryan about being a dad The Daily Stoic Podcast Tim's playlist

The convicted felon was legitimately prosecuted for hoarding classified docs at Mar-a-Lago. And he was justifiably investigated over the numerous contacts he and his associates had with Russian nationals during 2016. But Trump feels he has endured so much pain and suffering from all the probing that he's owed a quarter of a billion dollars in damages from hard-working American taxpayers. Meanwhile, his hired tool of revenge, Lindsey Halligan, is hard at work pursuing really weak cases against Comey and Tish James when she's not sending mean girl texts.   Lawfare's Anna Bower and Ben Wittes join Tim Miller. show notes Anna on her Signal chat with Lindsey Halligan Lawfare's Molly Roberts on the weak case against James Ben's Substack

One of the promises of this country has been the freedom to walk down the street without being harassed by the government. But even being an American citizen isn't stopping ICE agents from grabbing people with passports or IDs—and detaining them for hours. At the same time, many of the thugs and sadists who want to do the grabbing and snatching are pathetically failing basic physical fitness tests. Plus, JD is painfully unfunny, Republicans calling Democrats 'terrorists' has real world consequences, and Dems need more normal people running for office—but they should save the wild card candidates for long shot races. Jon Favreau joins Tim Miller. show notes Pod Save America interview with Graham Platner The Atlantic on "ICE’s ‘Athletically Allergic’ Recruits" Tickets for Crooked Con in DC in November Get $35 off your first box of wild-caught, sustainable seafood—delivered right to your door. Go to: https://www.wildalaskan.com/BULWARK.

Putin’s friend in the White House may be back in his safe space with his kindred spirit in Moscow, but Trump is finding that he has limited leverage on Ukraine to end the war on Putin’s terms. He wants so badly to be crowned the ‘Prince of Peace,’ but he has no vim and vigor to get there—and Zelensky actually said “No” to Trump. Meanwhile, the Gaza ceasefire looks precarious. Plus, former press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre on stepping away from the two-party system, the lingering anger over how Trump was allowed to win, and the fallout from emphasizing Biden’s legacy at the expense of Kamala’s ‘24 campaign. Karine Jean-Pierre and Michael Weiss join Tim Miller. show notes Michael’s Substack “Foreign Office” Story from “The Insider,” “Our people poisoned Navalny” WSJ article on Havana Syndrome Karine Jean-Pierre's book Start your new morning ritual & get up to 43% off your @MUDWTR with code THEBULWARK at mudwtr.com/THEBULWARK! #mudwtrpod Get 20% off your DeleteMe plan when you go to www.joindeleteme.com/BULWARK and use promo code BULWARK at checkout.

Nearly seven million Americans peacefully took to the streets out of their love for this country, and Trump in response acted out like a toddler obsessed with his own poop. Indeed, our commander-in-chief really does have more affinity for the Sharia law dictators in the sand kingdoms than he does for Saturday’s true patriots. This may be the moment when the Dems and its allies take the patriotism banner back from Republicans. Plus, the lengths the administration went to imprison immigrants in El Salvador, the Dem base wants a fight over the shutdown, and Trump keeps serving up reasons why the Trump/Russia conspiracy has survived for so long. Bill Kristol joins Tim Miller. show notes Miles Bruner's Bulwark piece on leaving the GOP Jon Cohn on the Americans caught in the shutdown vice The FT on the volatile Trump-Zelensky meeting last week Bill and Sarah on a successful "No Kings" The Post on the El Salvador prison deal Go to https://zbiotics.com/THEBULWARK and use THEBULWARK at checkout for 15% off any first time orders of ZBiotics probiotics.

The administration under sticky fingers Trump is now pretending it cares about the sanctity of classified documents, while it seems that Marco Rubio is the one pushing for regime change in Venezuela. In California, the redistricting ballot measure has been seen as one of the most significant battles in the November election, but the Supreme Court may end up disrupting the Dem’s effort to retake the House next year. Plus, Democrats are winning the under-covered shutdown fight, but why is Schumer meddling in the Maine and Michigan Senate primary fights? And the right-wingers complaining about Bad Bunny are such nerd losers. Peter Hamby joins Tim Miller for the weekend pod.  show notes Peter's piece on the CA redistricting measure Ben Wittes's Lawfare on the Bolton indictment Book rec from Peter: "Everyone Who Is Gone Is Here" Peter's pod, "The Powers That Be: Daily" Nate Cohn on the SCOTUS case that could hand Republicans the House Tim's playlist

The U.S. has been a model for other aspiring democracies since 1776. At the same time, the idea of America as the leader of the democratic world has also had a unifying effect at home. It’s what has kept this diverse country of many faiths and ethnicities together, and it has been our national identity. But with Trump actively undermining those ideals, what will we be unified around? Plus, the potential new whites-favored refugee policy, Trump’s psychological comfort to the Russian war effort, Hegseth got himself a state media press room at the Pentagon, JD is totally cool with lots of Nazi talk—and could the administration be trying to start a war in Venezuela so it can expand its militaristic crackdown on the streets here? Anne Applebaum joins Tim Miller. show notes Anne's new piece, "The Beacon of Democracy Goes Dark" Anne on the Nobel Peace Prize winner "Ukraine’s Plan to Starve the Russian War Machine," by Anne Ian McEwan's "What We Know" — second recommendation this week! F*%k your khakis and get The Perfect Jean 15% off with the code BULWARK15 at theperfectjean.nyc/BULWARK15 #theperfectjeanpod

Republicans in Congress know that what they’re doing is deeply unpopular—on healthcare, supporting troops in the streets, and on redistricting. That’s why they’re basically in hiding, plotting new ways to try to shift the narrative. But because they’ve given their Constitutional power away to Trump & company, unelected officials in the administration are now making the taxing and spending decisions. Meanwhile, Trump has another monument in the works. Plus, Democrats and the Senate race in Maine, another military strike in the Caribbean, and MTG may be a bellwether of MAGA’s future. Heather Cox Richardson joins Tim Miller. show notes Heather on Trump's proposed arch that would disrupt the Lincoln Memorial Heather on how Congressional Republicans have abdicated their power

After a court temporarily blocked the deployment of Guard troops in Illinois, ICE agents began ramping up their operations around Chicagoland. They are now demanding that residents produce their papers—particularly if they have brown skin. Officers stand outside churches holding Spanish-language Mass or they go into tourist areas to confront people, including U.S. Citizens. If someone doesn’t have an ID with them, they’ll be detained. The power-hungry officials around Trump, including Stephen Miller, are likely behind the enhanced menacing. Meanwhile in Israel, the resilience of the surviving hostages—after a sustained campaign of deprivation—is worthy of celebration. Plus, the Hamas executions of Gazans, our American pharoah’s comfort with Middle East strongmen, and even Newsmax says the new Pentagon press rules are a bridge too far. Gov. JB Pritzker and The Atlantic‘s Frank Foer join Tim Miller. show notes Sam's 'Bulwark Take' with former Amb. Dan Shapiro Frank's book, "World Without Mind: The Existential Threat of Big Tech" Ian McEwan's "What We Can Know," referenced by Frank Upgrade your wallet today! Get 10% Off @Ridge with code THEBULWARK at https://www.Ridge.com/THEBULWARK #Ridgepod