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
292 Episodes
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JVL and Sarah go head-to-head over the New York Times, Trump’s $15 billion lawsuit, and what solidarity really means when democracy is on the line.
Tim, Sarah and JVL are BACK! Trump’s allies want to charge protesters with RICO, Kash Patel stonewalls, Trump plays the victim, and MAGA world spins truly nuts new conspiracy theories about Charlie Kirk’s assassination.
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For our friends in Canada, we added a second live show with Sarah, Tim and Sam to the schedule. Tickets are on sale now for our bonus Bulwark Live Q&A Matinee show on Saturday, September 27, here: https://admitone.com/events/the-bulwark-podcast-toronto-10155121
1Sarah and JVL talk about the president’s response to Charlie Kirk’s murder and why it’s so dangerous. Then we go deep on how to react in moments of crisis: Can you be too nice? How do you balance truth and compassion? What is the impact of timing? And was JVL right to turn the comments off for the first 24 hours?
Do us a solid, though: Don’t comment on this until you’ve listened to the episode.
Tim, Sarah and JVL are back! Trump shrugs at Russian drones, clings to a laughable “hoax” defense on Epstein, and gets played by Netanyahu yet again — while Kamala Harris calls Biden’s 2024 run reckless.
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Sarah and JVL go through the Epstein Birthday Book in detail. We tell you what’s actually in it, no euphemisms. And what it means for Trump and 2026.
But before you ask: It’s Tuesday. So no Rebecca.
Sarah and JVL go long on the economy, The People, double standards, RFK, and . . . Hamilton.
It’s a super-sized Secret pod.
In the comments, we want you to talk about whether or not the double-standard is real—is it true, as JVL proposes—that voters obsess over Democratic mistakes while waiving away Republican insanity?
And if it is true, why is it? Remember: We’re not just talking about partisans, but about the generalized broader public. We want to hear your theories.
Sarah, JVL and Tim are back! Trump disappears for a weekend and sets off health rumors, Epstein victims speak out on Capitol Hill, and Congress releases “new” files that turn out to be mostly recycled documents. Meanwhile, Trump tries to change the subject with National Guard deployments, a tariff scheme runs into the courts, and GOP leaders flirt with blood-and-soil politics.
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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?
Sarah 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.
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!
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.
Get $35 off your first box of wild-caught, sustainable seafood—delivered right to your door. Go to: https://www.wildalaskan.com/NEXTLEVEL.
Get 60% off your first order with Smalls at https://Smalls.com/THENEXTLEVEL
Get 30% off your first order with Soul at https://GetSoul.com and use the code THENEXTLEVEL.
Go to https://zbiotics.com/NEXTLEVEL and use NEXTLEVEL at checkout for 15% off any first time orders of ZBiotics probiotics.
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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"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.