The Bulwark

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.thebulwark.com Tim Miller and Sarah Longwell give their takes on the Trump White House calling an early “lid” during an escalating war with Iran. As Trump claims the U.S. military is “unstoppable," American fighter jets were shot down and a service member is missing. Sarah also explains that swing voters are turning against Trump, feeling misled as the war drags on and prices rise. They also discuss Trump’s repeated “48-hour” threats, rising oil costs, and the growing gap between his rhetoric and reality. As always: Watch, listen, and leave a comment. Bulwark+ Takes is home to short videos, livestreams, and event archives exclusively for Bulwark+ members. 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 The Iran War has been going on for a month, and it’s deeply, DEEPLY unpopular. Plus, we get reactions from swing voters on the characters inside the Trump administration who they like (like Marco Rubio), or REALLY dislike (listen to find out). Atlantic staff writer Ashley Parker returns to the show. By Ashley Parker: The Wrath of Stephen Miller Pre-order Sarah’s book, How to Eat an Elephant, coming in September! Watch, listen, and leave a comment. Hit that like 🤍 button and share this episode with a friend. Ad-free editions are available exclusively for Bulwark+ members. Upgrade now to listen without ads and to join the community in the comments. The Focus Group with Sarah Longwell is available wherever you get your podcasts and on YouTube. Click to find the show or add this podcast to your player of choice, here.

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.thebulwark.com Tim Miller and Sarah Longwell give their takes over one of the biggest questions facing Democrats right now: what to do about Hasan Piker? Should the party engage with voices on the far left to reach angry, anti-war voters or draw a hard line against rhetoric they see as toxic and illiberal? The two debate whether Democrats are picking the wrong fight at the wrong time, how to talk to audiences outside the traditional coalition, and whether engaging controversial figures risks amplifying them.Read more from Lauren’s piece: https://www.thebulwark.com/p/how-big-is-the-democrats-big-tent-hasan-piker-litmus-test As always: Watch, listen, and leave a comment. Bulwark+ Takes is home to short videos, livestreams, and event archives exclusively for Bulwark+ members. 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 The pro-Iran war hawks keep crowing about how U.S. military prowess is supposedly striking fear in Beijing and Moscow. But what’s really happening is that Trump is doing exactly what China and Russia hoped he’d do. Beijing has wanted the U.S. out of the Western Pacific and Putin, of course, wants NATO wrecked. Our major allies are scrambling to form new economic and military relationships, and America is likely to be very lonely in the world with only a few stooges to count as friends. This is what ending our role as a global superpower would look like. Plus, the U.S. is unable to win the war at a cost that is acceptable to Americans, Trump is taking a cue from Putin by bombing civilian infrastructure, and blaming NATO for not being willing to fight for the Strait of Hormuz is absurd when the world’s most powerful navy doesn't seem to want to do it either. Bob Kagan joins Tim Miller for the holiday weekend pod. show notes * Bob's recent piece in The Atlantic * Tim's bimbofied livestream * "Foreign Policy" piece on South Korea that Bob referenced * Follow "Bulwark Takes" for breaking news over the weekend * Tim's playlist 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.

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.thebulwark.com JVL and Sarah discuss Trump’s rambling, unfocused address that failed to clarify any of the war’s goals, even as evidence mounts that the situation is getting worse. They also talk about the Bondi firing, why it may have been timed to shift attention, and what it says about how this White House handles bad news.Plus: rising oil prices, market jitters, and new warning signs from voters who are starting to turn against Trump. Pre-order Sarah’s book, How to Eat an Elephant, coming in September The Secret Podcast with JVL and Sarah is exclusively for members of Bulwark+. To watch or listen to future episodes and join the Secret community in the comments become a Bulwark+ member today. JVL’s newsletter, The Triad, has been nominated for a Webby Award in the Best Email Newsletter: Business, News & Technology category. Even if you don’t read it regularly—like some best friends—you can vote to give our very own JVL the W. Every votes counts: Vote here for Best Email Newsletter

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.thebulwark.com Catherine and Sam cover economic news, including Trump's new budget proposal and the March jobs numbers. As always: Watch, listen, and leave a comment. Bulwark+ Takes is home to short videos, livestreams, and event archives exclusively for Bulwark+ members.

On this week’s episode, I’m joined by Steve Starkey to discuss his new book, On the Set of Forrest Gump. Steve won an Oscar for best picture as producer on that film, but he has a career that, as I told him, has meant a lot to me, with credits on, among other pictures, Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi, Who Framed Roger Rabbit, the two Back to the Future sequels, Contact, Cast Away, and, of course, Forrest Gump. We discussed all sorts of stuff here, from the movie magician who made Lt. Dan’s legs disappear, to his work as second unit director, to the early days of using digital trickery to fake the words and faces of famous people, to the worst note he’s ever gotten after an audience test, to the difficulties facing California’s film industry in the face of global tax rebates and production credits. On the Set of Forrest Gump is laid out like a coffee table book and is beautifully illustrated with 250 or so full-color stills from set. So it’s nice to look at. But the story he tells is a fascinating glimpse into the push and pull of art and business, the struggle between the producer on the ground trying to make sure his director has the resources he needs and the studio bankrolling the whole thing and worried about losing tens of millions of dollars on a movie that isn’t a guaranteed hit. Anyway, I hope you check it out. And if you enjoyed this episode, I hope you share it with a friend! 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 Andrew Egger and Catherine Rampell look back at the first anniversary of Trump’s “Liberation Day,” the administration’s infamous tariff rollout. From tariffing penguins to gold bars from Switzerland, "Liberation Day" has proven to be a bust. The Supreme Court ruled them illegal and companies are still waiting for refunds, while the White House fiddles with new versions of the same failed policies. As always: Watch, listen, and leave a comment. Bulwark+ Takes is home to short videos, livestreams, and event archives exclusively for Bulwark+ members. 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 Tim Miller takes on a Trump world that’s starting to crack. Even voices from the Theo Von / Joe Rogan universe are turning on Donald Trump—and in some cases making more sense than the people in charge. Tim also digs into the fight over figures like Hasan Piker—arguing that Democrats are blowing a major chance to build a broader anti-Trump coalition.

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.thebulwark.com Trump delivered a highly anticipated address on Iran, but instead of clarity, viewers got a confusing, low-energy speech that raised more questions than it answered. JVL and Andrew Egger give their takes on why the speech felt so off, from Trump abandoning his usual rambling to awkwardly sticking to a teleprompter and recycling his own Truth Social posts. They dig into the lack of a clear strategy, the strange war messaging, how the markets reacted so poorly in real time, and why even casual viewers were left asking: what was the point of this? If this speech was supposed to reassure Americans, it may have done the opposite.Read more from JVL's Triad: https://www.thebulwark.com/p/america-lost-iran-won-trump-shat As always: Watch, listen, and leave a comment. Bulwark+ Takes is home to short videos, livestreams, and event archives exclusively for Bulwark+ members. 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 Trump fired Pam Bondi, maybe the most destructive AG in the history of the United States, because she wasn't able to magically and lawlessly jail his political enemies. On Wednesday night, he told Americans that gas prices would naturally go down when he was finished with his war—much like the way he told the country in March 2020 that COVID would just go away. In reality, China may end up in control of the Strait of Hormuz and with freight passage paid with the Chinese Yuan. America and the world are paying for the incompetent (and petrified) advisers Trump has surrounded himself with. Plus, POTUS threatened war crimes on national television, the Iranian diaspora bet on the wrong horse, and who will be the next Barbie to get the ax? Susan Glasser joins join Tim Miller. show notes * Tim's livestream at 8pm ET on YouTube and Substack * The Bulwark LIVE after Trump's Iran address * Susan's column on Trump's Wednesday address * Susan on Trump breaking up with NATO * The New Yorker on the ex-CIA officer who stopped Iran from getting the bomb 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.

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.thebulwark.com Sam Stein, Sarah Longwell, JVL and Will Sommer reacted live to the breaking news that Trump fired Attorney General Pam Bondi.

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.thebulwark.com Sam Stein, JVL and Mark Hertling were live, reacting to President Trump's April 1st address on the war in Iran.

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.thebulwark.com Will Saletan takes on Pete Hegseth’s conduct during a wartime briefing campaign that keeps veering off course. Instead of focusing on strategy or coalition-building, he’s taking shots at past presidents, the press, and even U.S. allies. As always: Watch, listen, and leave a comment. Bulwark+ Takes is home to short videos, livestreams, and event archives exclusively for Bulwark+ members. 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 The war-induced global oil shock is already pushing consumers and businesses to new pain points because of higher fuel prices. Airlines are cutting back routes and ticket prices have started to spike. Expect road trips to be canceled, lifestyles to change, and more people to work from home. Trump is trying to deflect blame onto Iran and NATO, but the world will focus its rage on him and his war of choice. Plus, stagflation may be in the offing, tariffs made people poorer, both Kristi and her husband have unnatural ideas about what the body can do, and Scranton Mayor Paige Cognetti is taking on one of the most corrupt inside-traders in Congress. Paige Cognetti and Josh Barro join Tim Miller. show notes * The Bulwark LIVE tonight after Trump’s address at 9 ET: YouTube or Substack * Tim's livestream Thursday at 8 ET * Josh's Substack * Cognetti's campaign website * Josh's "Serious Trouble" pod * "Central Air" podcast * Scranton's "The Office" 5K on May 2 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.

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.thebulwark.com Sam Stein, JVL, and Andrew Egger give their takes on the newly unveiled “Donald J. Trump Presidential Library” that Trump now himself admits will “most likely” be a hotel. The crew digs into the absurd renderings, including the giant gold statue, an oversized ballroom, and even the Qatari plane overhauled to become Air Force One in the lobby. They also break down how valuable land originally owned by Miami Dade College was transferred to the state and then handed over for the Trump “library.” Read more from JVL on the latest Trump family grift: https://www.thebulwark.com/p/the-great-trump-library-robbery As always: Watch, listen, and leave a comment. Bulwark+ Takes is home to short videos, livestreams, and event archives exclusively for Bulwark+ members. 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 Command Post Live! Mark Hertling and Ben Parker are going live to discuss Trump’s speech tonight, the prospect of ground troops in Iran, and Trump’s slow-motion destruction of NATO.

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.thebulwark.com Sarah Longwell and Elliot Williams explain a series of legal fights that go to the core of how the country operates—from whether birthright citizenship could actually be undone, to a new immigration detention policy that could keep people locked up for years.They also discuss the Pentagon’s escalating clash with the press and what it means for the First Amendment and the surreal push to rewrite the January 6th attack on the Capitol.Correction (March 31, 2026, 9:20 p.m. EDT): Elliot Williams mistakenly mentioned San Antonio, Texas as the location of a court conducting legal proceedings involving abortion pills; in fact, the court is in Amarillo, Texas. Buy Five Bullets: The Story of Bernie Goetz, New York’s Explosive ‘80s, and the Subway Vigilante Trial That Divided the Nation Watch, listen and leave a comment. Access to this show’s community comments and ad-free editions are available exclusively for Bulwark+ members. Bulwark+ members can listen ad-free on your podcast player of choice—click SET UP here. The Illegal News with 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 Sam Stein and Will Saletan take on a judge’s decision to halt Donald Trump’s plan to build a massive White House ballroom, Trump’s fixation on the project, how often he brings it up in public, and the bizarre moments where it overtakes everything else—even during major national and global events. As always: Watch, listen, and leave a comment. Bulwark+ Takes is home to short videos, livestreams, and event archives exclusively for Bulwark+ members. 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 Longwell, Tim Miller, and JVL get into the wild new scandal involving Kristi Noem’s husband—and why the story isn’t what people think it is.They also discuss Trump’s chaotic handling of the Iran conflict, the political fallout at home, and whether his support is starting to crack. Plus: Lindsey Graham’s surreal Disney detour, protests across the country, CPAC’s decline, and JD Vance’s latest reinvention. show notes JVL’s newsletter, The Triad, has been nominated for a Webby Award in the Best Email Newsletter: Business, News & Technology category. Even if you don’t read it regularly—like some best friends—you can vote to give our very own JVL the W. Every votes counts: Vote here for Best Email Newsletter 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. Or watch in the new Bulwark App—available now in the Apple and Google App stores. 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.