Claim OwnershipThe Next Level
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Sarah Longwell, Tim Miller, and Jonathan V. Last bring their signature political insight and banter to the masses in The Next Level podcast. Tune in to hear them discuss the news of the week, break down campaigns and elections, and wade into pop culture feuds. www.thebulwark.com
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Another dark week: Trump toys with occupying Chicago, the FBI under Kash Patel ignores domestic terrorism, RFK Jr. runs HHS with conspiracy theories, and even the CDC is led by a political crony. JVL and Sarah Longwell ask the hard question, what if our democracy is already too broken to fix?
4Sarah Longwell is back and ready to go!
They dive into Trump’s accelerating authoritarian moves, from masked cops snatching people off the streets to purging the Federal Reserve, while Gavin Newsom trolls Trump with meme-style politics that energize Democrats but raise doubts about his 2028 chances. Meanwhile, the DNC looks out of touch, bogged down in land acknowledgments and bad messaging, leaving many wondering if the party is ready to stand up to Trump’s power grab.
JVL, Tim Miller, and special guest Andrew Egger get into the rise of Trump’s cult cops, the right’s open flirtation with Caesarism, and whether Newsom’s new “mean streak” is a weapon or a trap for Democrats.
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Sarah and JVL defend the honor of Baby Boomer protestors and debate the merits of anti-fascist sandwich throwing before hunkering down for a loooong conversation about whether Trumpism is a perversion of conservatism, or a fulfillment of it.
Sarah, Tim and JVL are BACK!
Trump turns a late-night DC fight into an excuse for a full-blown National Guard takeover — complete with a TV personality running the cops. The gang tackles this absurd “Big Balls” pretext, Trump’s upcoming Alaska summit with Putin (and the Billy Joel geography lesson), his bizarre choice of an unqualified weirdo to cook the jobs numbers, and what it all means for the economy, authoritarian crackdowns, and the next elections. Plus: Sherrod Brown’s uphill Ohio battle, and why Democrats need real butch he-men running for office.
Bill Kristol fills in for JVL during this extra super secret edition of the Secret Podcast. Trump’s economy is cracking under its own weight—grocery prices, tariffs, and a sputtering job market are chipping away at his support. Could these numbers spell trouble for 2026?
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Tim, Sarah, and Sam talk Trump’s continuing Epstein nightmare, the GOP’s redistricting chaos in Texas, and RFK Jr.‘s disastrous anti-vax decisions. Plus, Megyn Kelly picks a fight with Sarah, Acosta creeps everyone out by interviewing an AI ghost, and conservatives suddenly think they made human breasts cool again.
Sarah and JVL give you the mega-show you’ve been waiting for: Trump’s $200 million presidential palace ballroom! Tariff TACOs! Kamala’s book! Hunter Biden! Vegas, Baby!
All this and Sydney Sweeney, too.
It’s a super-sized go-home show as JVL heads out for vacation.
Sarah Longwell, Tim Miller and JVL discuss the recent ICE job postings. These listings describe positions for “Deportation Officer”, "Criminal Investigator" and "General Attorney". They suggest this is part of a broader strategy to staff a loyalty-vetted enforcement agency with little oversight or transparency.
Then back to Epstein, who “stole” a 16-year-old girl from a Mar-a-Lago Spa, to work for him. They examine the deeply unsettling context of this story and how Trump appears to recount it without moral concern. They connect it to a broader pattern of normalization of sexual misconduct and the erosion of outrage in political culture.
Finally, the story of Luke Farritor, a young man who used AI to help decipher text from a scroll. Then went on to work for DOGE and who is to blame for his work.
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Sarah and JVL talk about Hulk Hogan, MAGA’s coming pivot on Ghislaine Maxwell, and Derek Huffman, the MAGA dad who joined Putin’s war on Ukraine. And the new Superman movie, too.
It’s a doozy.
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Celebrate the chaos with Sarah, Tim and JVL! Trump panics over Epstein revelations and demands Barack Obama’s arrest for “treason,” sending MAGA into conspiracy-theory overdrive. Republicans literally flee Congress to avoid tough votes, Jerome Powell’s Fed independence hangs by a thread, and Gen-Z conservatives openly embrace fascism as their new ideology. Meanwhile, Trump’s Oval Office gets a garish, gold-plated, dictator-inspired makeover.
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Sarah and JVL break down the WSJ Trump-Epstein story. Sarah has some rage and JVL has a brand new conspiracy theory involving JD Vance.
This is a special preview of an episode that's JUST for paid Bulwark subscribers. If you'd like to hear the full episode, you can subscribe via thebulwark.com, YouTube, or right through Apple Podcasts!
Tim Miller, Sarah Longwell and JVL debate whether Trump’s reaction to the Epstein files, calling it a “hoax” and lashing out at former supporters, marks a turning point. They explore whether this could crack the deep trust his base has in him, especially conspiracy-driven voters who saw him as the one to expose elites.
They also argue Democrats should lean into the issue, pushing for hearings and accountability. While Trump’s health and appearance come up briefly, the real question is whether this controversy could shake his hold on crank-aligned voters who once saw him as their truth-teller.
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Trump fumbles through a chaotic cabinet meeting, announcing new tariffs and cluelessness to the Ukraine weapons pause. Meanwhile, MAGA world erupts over the Epstein files, Grok turns into a bigoted chatbot, and ICE has transformed into Trump’s personal police force. Special guest Sam Stein joins Sarah and JVL to discuss yet another wild week.
show notes
Will Sommer’s False Flag “MAGA World’s Mega Meltdown Over Latest Epstein Flop”
JVL’s Triad “The American Police State Is Here”
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Tim Miller, Sarah Longwell, and JVL break down the latest news. On today’s show, we will be covering the House vote on Trump’s fugly bill, ICE expansion, and the cowards at Paramount.
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Watch Tim Miller, Sarah Longwell, and JVL break down the latest news. On today's show, we will be covering Mitch McConnell's threats, the Iran war, and the New York City mayoral primary results.
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Tim, Sarah, and JVL discuss Trump continuing to TACO causing increasingly slipping support, more Democrats getting arrested over immigration policies, the mixed feedback from Tim’s interview with NYC mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani on FYPod, and Tucker Carlson and Ted Cruz’s heated conversation.
Show Notes
Arrest of NYC Comptroller and mayoral candidate Brad Lander
Zohran Mamdani: FYPod Crossover
Tulsi’s Bizarre and Creepy Nuclear War PSA
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The gang discuss Trump’s extreme response to protests in L.A., his unsettling rally to a cheering military crowd, and the upcoming birthday parade. Also: Elon Musk’s 3am apology, RFK Jr. dissolving the vaccine board, and Mikie Sherrill’s primary win.
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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.
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Live from Chicago, Tim Miller, Sarah Longwell, and JVL break down the latest wave of Trump pardons, the rising authoritarian behavior from GOP leaders, and the Democratic Party’s identity crisis. Also, who is the worst (and best?) cabinet member so far, and what comes next.
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I agree w Miller - fuck Gavin Newsome, he's everything that's wrong with the Dems and politics in general. I'm glad he's threatening the gerrymander, but I hate having to cheer for that phony fuck. I'm sick of these stuffed suit, smarmy corporate douchebags. He's only putting up a fight for his own career, not for the good of the country. I'm tired of all the pretenders.
Now that the Hur tapes have been released and we heard proof positive that Joe Biden not know what year his son was deployed, what year his son died, what year President Trump won, what year the disastrous Afghanistan retreat was, endless incoherent ramblings of an "elderly man with a poor memory" etc. - it begs the question: who really was in charge from 2020 to 2024 and what were the national security implications of essentially having no sitting president, rather only a impotent potatohead?
So only the Southern border is real and absolutely dire to protect, but the Northern border is imaginary and fungible? 🤣🤣🤣 And this is the "America First" movement, that doesn't even give a shit about the very definition of the fucking nation???? 🤣🤣🤣 It blows my mind that anyone is falling for this absolutely laughable nonsense.
JVL is my brother from a conservative mother.
"Read-only access is not safe... it usually, almost always, implies "copy" access as well.
I’ve been thoroughly impressed with ‘The Next Level’ podcast! The insights and actionable strategies shared are both inspiring and practical. https://www.podchaser.com/podcasts/deli-wrap-solutions-5796598/episodes/how-deli-paper-is-made-218086040
Question at end of "How we got here?" How did the convo go straight to Joe stepping down and wholly bypassing the strategy/possibility of expanding his current VP/successors role as a strategy? With Kamala highest likely replacement whether via the polling or structural issues, why not run THEM as a TEAM? Seems she's in the best position to "understudy" Joe in international affairs, where the other possible top ticket options seem limited in that area. Trump on global stage= terrifying
Tim, I can NEVER remember the name of this pod. I listened to the New Orleans live and agree. I vote for a rebrand.
I came here looking for Tim Miller content. I can only say, RUN TIM!!! Get as far away from these old people (I, too, am old) as you can because their taint will totally degrade your brand. The lady is a petulant scold who has a very perverse notion of propriety. (Who cares what Sen. Fetterman wears?!) The dude lost me when he started making excuses for BoBo Boebert and the theater fondle. I like Tim best on the Bulwark pod with Charlie. Hope he's there more often.
So, you want me to pay to listen about more hunter Biden bs? No thank you.
Holy hell... I would be mortified if my child supported Trump. I would be incredibly depressed wondering what I did wrong.
Funny how JVL had no idea his "BFF" Tim had been arrested back in the day.
What's the story behind the personal gym trainer who has a story somewhat akin to this tale. And are we to assume no homosexual activity took place to Falwell and Johan Carlos?
honestly. never heard this before, this is a great show
I love this pod. I so appreciate the humility you all exhibit. I'm a crazy liberal, and I feel like you're a moderating influence on me.