The Bulwark

On this week’s episode, I’m pleased to be joined by W. David Marx, author of the new book Blank Space: A Cultural History of the Twenty-First Century. Alongside Marx’s Status and Culture, this book is one of the key texts to understanding how and why the culture has shifted so radically so quickly: the combination of “poptimism” (we discuss what, precisely, this is early on) and cultural omnivorism (the merging of all genres and all forms into a sort of equally viable mass entertainment) and the internet’s flattening of culture have led to a stagnant culture and a revanchist counter-counterculture eager to exact revenge and facing no real opposition in that effort. If you enjoyed our conversation, or simply want to understand how we wound up in the world we wake up to every morning, I strongly recommend picking up Marx’s book. And if anything was unclear from our chat, drop me a line in the comments and hopefully I can help clear things up! This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.thebulwark.com/subscribe

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.thebulwark.com Eric and Eliot return from holiday break with a special episode breaking down all things Venezuela. They discuss the Trump administration’s raid in Caracas to capture Nicholas Maduro, the legal and constitutional basis for the operation, and the differences from past interventions in Panama and Iraq. The two also examine the next steps in Venezuela and the administration’s prospects of success in “running” the country. Eliot’s latest in The Atlantic Shield of the Republic is a Bulwark podcast co-sponsored by the Miller Center of Public Affairs at the University of Virginia.

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.thebulwark.com Sarah Longwell sits down with Andrew Weissmann to break down a fatal ICE shooting in Minnesota, shocking detention conditions exposed by a federal judge, and a growing pattern of the government misleading courts and defying judicial orders. Watch, listen and leave a comment. Access to this show’s community comments and ad-free editions are available exclusively for Bulwark+ members. To listen ad-free on your podcast player of choice, click SET UP here. The Illegal News with Sarah Longwell, formally known as George Conway Explain is All (to Sarah Longwell), is available wherever you get your podcasts and on YouTube. Leave us a review and ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ so more people can find this important show from The Bulwark.

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.thebulwark.com Most law enforcement departments train officers not to stand in front of vehicles—or shoot at moving ones—but masked ICE agents in Minneapolis did just that after descending on Renee Good's Honda Pilot and spitting out conflicting instructions to her. Not only did the president of the United States lie about the condition of the officer who shot her, Vance and Noem disparaged the deceased 37-year-old mother of three. Meanwhile, Americans are not down with the idea of the US running Venezuela. And the manosphere podcast world, which helped Trump win the election, are now feeling disillusioned and embarrassed about his betrayal of his "peace president" promise—along with his handling of the Epstein files. Plus, a discourse on white people, a consideration of Epstein's influence with the rich and powerful, and a meaty exchange over Kamala courting the Liz Cheney wing while bypassing the left's demands on Gaza. Ryan Grim joins Tim Miller. show notes * Drop Site news * Ryan's 2022 piece on progressive advocacy groups As always: Watch, listen, hit the like button or leave a comment. We want to hear from you. Ad-free editions of The Bulwark Podcast are available exclusively for Bulwark+ members. The Bulwark Podcast with Tim Miller is available wherever you get podcasts and on YouTube. New shows drop each weekday afternoon. If you like the show, leave a comment and ⭐⭐⭐⭐ wherever you listen. Add The Bulwark Podcast to your player of choice, here.

Sam Stein, Tim Miller, and Andrew Egger react live to JD Vance defending the ICE officer who fatally shot Minnesota woman Renee Good. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.thebulwark.com/subscribe

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.thebulwark.com Tim Miller gives his take on the Jan. 6 rioter pardoned by Donald Trump, who has not only avoided accountability, but is now running for Senate. This extremist attacked Capitol police, threatened Muslims and Jews, and continues to spread hate. As always: Watch, listen, and leave a comment. Bulwark+ Takes is home to short videos, livestreams, and event archives exclusively for Bulwark+ members. Don’t care for video? Use the controls on the left side of the player to toggle to audio. Add Bulwark+ Takes feed to your player of choice, here.

Sam Stein sits down with Lt. Gen. Mark Hertling (Ret.) to break down the recent Maduro operation in Venezuela, the challenges of coordinating military and political strategy, and what the U.S. would actually gain from Greenland. Mark will break down the biggest stories involving the military in a series of chats right here, every Thursday, in a special series.Like the name “Command Post” or have another suggestion? Let us know in the comments. As always: Watch, listen, and leave a comment. Bulwark+ Takes is home to short videos, livestreams, and event archives exclusively for Bulwark+ members. Don’t care for video? Use the controls on the left side of the player to toggle to audio. Add Bulwark+ Takes feed to your player of choice, here. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.thebulwark.com/subscribe

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.thebulwark.com The trio is back and 2026 is off to a wild start. Tim Miller, Sam Stein, and Will Sommer give their takes on the calls for Nicki Minaj to be deported, the political influencers for sale creating a reality TV show, and former FBI deputy director Dan Bongino blasting Matt Gaetz in a fiery MAGA feud. As always: Watch, listen, and leave a comment. Bulwark+ Takes is home to short videos, livestreams, and event archives exclusively for Bulwark+ members. Don’t care for video? Use the controls on the left side of the player to toggle to audio. Add Bulwark+ Takes feed to your player of choice, here.

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.thebulwark.com Sam Stein and Tim Miller break down the shocking video from Minneapolis where an ICE agent fatally shot an American woman in her car. Sam and Tim give their take on the deadly escalation of federal ICE operations, and the dangerous spin already coming out from DHS Secretary Kristi Noem. As always: Watch, listen, and leave a comment. Bulwark+ Takes is home to short videos, livestreams, and event archives exclusively for Bulwark+ members. Don’t care for video? Use the controls on the left side of the player to toggle to audio. Add Bulwark+ Takes feed to your player of choice, here.

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.thebulwark.com Biden and Merrick Garland thought Trump would just go away, but malignant narcissists must be made to go away. And with Congress not fulfilling its constitutional obligation to hold Trump accountable for running the country like a mob boss, newly christened congressional candidate George hopes to join those Democrats on the Hill who aren't afraid to inv…

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.thebulwark.com Sam Stein talks with Rep. Ritchie Torres about the explosive rise of political prediction markets—and the serious corruption risks we face. As always: Watch, listen, and leave a comment. Bulwark+ Takes is home to short videos, livestreams, and event archives exclusively for Bulwark+ members. Don’t care for video? Use the controls on the left side of the player to toggle to audio. Add Bulwark+ Takes feed to your player of choice, here.

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.thebulwark.com Five years after January 6, the diehards came back to the scene of the crime. Pardoned rioters, conspiracy theories, and a fierce counter-protest collided on the National Mall. Jared Poland gives his take to Sam Stein on what he found from reporting on the ground as Americans argue again over what really happened on Jan. 6. As always: Watch, listen, and leave a comment. Bulwark+ Takes is home to short videos, livestreams, and event archives exclusively for Bulwark+ members. Don’t care for video? Use the controls on the left side of the player to toggle to audio. Add Bulwark+ Takes feed to your player of choice, here.

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.thebulwark.com Sarah Matthews was inside Trump’s White House on January 6. Matthews, the former deputy press secretary explains to Sarah Longwell what it was like watching the Capitol attack from the West Wing, why Trump refused to meet the moment, and how that day finally pushed her to resign. Five years later, she reflects on Republican accountability, January 6 fading from public memory, and why Trump’s return to power still shocks her. As always: Watch, listen, and leave a comment. Bulwark+ Takes is home to short videos, livestreams, and event archives exclusively for Bulwark+ members. Don’t care for video? Use the controls on the left side of the player to toggle to audio. Add Bulwark+ Takes feed to your player of choice, here.

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.thebulwark.com Sarah, Tim and JVL discuss the legality and consequences of the Venezuela operation, the emerging split between “America First” and “Trump First,” Stephen Miller’s grotesque worldview, and why Greenland suddenly feels less hypothetical. They also debate the legacy of neoconservatism and Iraq, MAGA influencer drama, and GOP dysfunction in Congress. Watch, listen, and leave a comment. This ad-free video version of The Next Level is exclusively for Bulwark+ members. Click the learn about setting up this show, ad-free, on your podcast player of choice. You can find The Next Level wherever you get your podcasts and on YouTube. Add The Next Level to your podcast player of choice, here. And help more people find this show by leaving us a review and ⭐⭐⭐⭐ wherever you listen.

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.thebulwark.com Trump wanted to alpha male and take some oil, Hegseth wanted to bomb something, Rubio wanted Maduro gone, and aggrieved Stephen Miller wanted to bully the weak. The White House eventually settled on Venezuela as the best place to take out its aggressions and drive home its anti-immigration message. And now the administration finds itself depending on an…

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.thebulwark.com Sen. Ruben Gallego (D-AZ) joins Sam Stein and Lauren Egan to give his take on why Trump’s Venezuela policy risks another disastrous war. A veteran of the Iraq War, Gallego says the administration is lying about its intentions, prioritizing oil interests and deportation deals over stability and democracy. He also discusses his Senate amendment to block military force against Greenland, Trump’s threats to NATO, and what the January 6 anniversary tells us about the state of American democracy. As always: Watch, listen, and leave a comment. Bulwark+ Takes is home to short videos, livestreams, and event archives exclusively for Bulwark+ members. Don’t care for video? Use the controls on the left side of the player to toggle to audio. Add Bulwark+ Takes feed to your player of choice, here.

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.thebulwark.com Five years after January 6, Bill Kristol sits down with Tom Jocelyn, the lead writer of the House January 6 Committee report, to assess where the country stands today. They give their takes on why January 6 was not an endpoint, but the beginning of a new political reality: one defined by a lack of accountability with sweeping pardons, the normalization of political violence, and a movement that no longer accepts elections or constitutional limits. As always: Watch, listen, and leave a comment. Bulwark+ Takes is home to short videos, livestreams, and event archives exclusively for Bulwark+ members. Don’t care for video? Use the controls on the left side of the player to toggle to audio. Add Bulwark+ Takes feed to your player of choice, here.

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.thebulwark.com JVL and Jonathan Cohn give their take on the shocking changes coming from Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s Department of Health and Human Services. The federal government is now recommending fewer vaccines for American children, including RSV and Hep B, while flu, COVID-19, and rotavirus vaccines move to “shared clinical decision-making.” What does this mean for parents, pediatricians, and public health? How could it affect vaccine access, liability, and supply? And is this just the first step in a larger anti-vaccine agenda? We break it all down. As always: Watch, listen, and leave a comment. Bulwark+ Takes is home to short videos, livestreams, and event archives exclusively for Bulwark+ members. Don’t care for video? Use the controls on the left side of the player to toggle to audio. Add Bulwark+ Takes feed to your player of choice, here.

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.thebulwark.com Toppling the leader of Venezuela looks to be about greed and Trump's vanity. It's not about national security, and is likely to produce bad outcomes—including more repression of ordinary Venezuelans and more refugees fleeing the country. And even the monetary value of plundering a sovereign country's oil is vastly overstated. Meanwhile, fake imagery of …

Senator Mark Warner joins Sam Stein to give his take on the Trump administration’s dramatic actions in Venezuela, congressional oversight, and what comes next. Warner warns that extracting a foreign leader, sidelining Congress, and talking openly about “running” other countries reflects an imperial mindset that America has spent decades trying to move away from. As always: Watch, listen, and leave a comment. Bulwark+ Takes is home to short videos, livestreams, and event archives exclusively for Bulwark+ members. Don’t care for video? Use the controls on the left side of the player to toggle to audio. Add Bulwark+ Takes feed to your player of choice, here. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.thebulwark.com/subscribe