The Bulwark

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.thebulwark.com Sam Stein talks with former top intelligence official Sue Gordon to break down the fast-moving Iran crisis—and why the U.S. may not have the intelligence it needs for what comes next. Drawing on decades at the CIA, Gordon explains the growing intel gaps, the risks of escalation, and why bombing Iran is the easy part compared to what follows. As tensions rise and off-ramps shrink, the big question remains: is the U.S. prepared for the consequences of a conflict it may not fully understand? 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 JVL and Sarah Longwell give their takes on the shocking new UMass poll showing Donald Trump at just 33% approval, only one point away from the “Bush line.” As the Iran war drags on, gas prices rise, and inflation worsens, they dig into what’s really driving Trump’s downfall and whether it signals real movement with voters. Plus, they react to Brendan Carr openly celebrating media firings as a political “win” for Trump and what it says about power, influence, and the future of the press. 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 Bill Kristol joins Tim Miller. show notes * Monday's "Morning Shots" * Lincoln's letter about the Mexican-American war * "Bulwark Takes" pod for breaking and developing news * Tim's interview with Al Gore * ProPublica on the nursing home owner with a Trump pardon * The Atlantic on how the AI boom wasn't built for this kind of crisis * Tim's closing song 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 Jonathan Cohn analyzes the first godawful year of MAHA, but are things changing for the better? Or slightly better? The Mona Charen Show is a weekly, one-on-one discussion that goes in depth on political and cultural topics. New shows drop Mondays. Find this show wherever you get your podcasts and on YouTube. Add the show to your player of choice, here. Ad-free editions of The Mona Charen Show are exclusively available for Bulwark+ members.

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.thebulwark.com Will Sommer and Andrew Egger are going live to cover a strange weekend at CPAC, where sparse crowds, defensive spin, and open infighting raised questions about where the MAGA movement stands right now. Plus: Clavicular went to jail...again! As always: Watch, listen, and leave a comment. Bulwark+ Takes is home to short videos, livestreams, and event archi…

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.thebulwark.com Eric welcomes Michael O’Hanlon, the Philip Knight chair in defense and strategy at the Brookings Institution, and author of To Dare Mighty Things, and a recent op-ed in the Financial Times on the Trump administration’s $200 billion supplemental budget request to fund the Iran War. They discuss whether there is a unique American “way of war” or “way of strategy,” and the accomplishments of U.S. grand and defense strategies in the post-World War II era and whether Trump is undoing those achievements. They also examine why limited force operations are sometimes hard to avoid, and the role of American pragmatism and innovation in allowing the U.S. to successfully adapt under fire on the battlefield. They close with a conversation about Congress’s role in setting defense strategy and the role it could play in setting limits to “boots on the ground” in Iran and investing in the defense industrial base to increase its productive capacity to replenish the enormous stocks of precision munitions and missiles that have been expended in the war. Congress must not give Trump a blank cheque for the Iran war (Gift Link): https://giftarticle.ft.com/giftarticle/actions/redeem/ce6a9f97-9f47-414b-856b-ab82972c6c20 To Dare Mighty Things: U.S. Defense Strategy Since the Revolution: https://www.amazon.com/Dare-Mighty-Things-Strategy-Revolution/dp/0300279930 Shield of the Republic is a Bulwark podcast co-sponsored by the Miller Center of Public Affairs at the University of Virginia. 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 Will Saletan takes on a series of moments showing how Donald Trump is pushing past basic limits of presidential power—from putting his face on coins and signature on currency to calling judges “criminals” and claiming he doesn’t need Congress for war or NATO decisions. As millions joined “No Kings” protests, the pattern becomes hard to ignore: a president who treats the rules as optional, surrounds himself with loyalists, and increasingly acts like the law doesn’t apply to him. 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 gives his take on Donald Trump’s latest Truth Social spiral and why he's boosting pro-war voices like Mark Levin, who’s floating plans that sound more like a uranium heist than a real strategy. Tim breaks down how Trump’s feed has become a window into his decision-making, why the signs point toward escalation and possible troops on the ground, and how the war is already causing global disruptions. He also reacts to the surreal Palm Sunday moment with Trump sharing a letter from Franklin Graham about Trump getting into heaven. 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 Bulwark's own Jim Swift joins Bill Kristol to talk about No Kings. 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 Sonny Bunch and Adrian Carrasquillo take on The Pitt’s ICE episode—how a single raid transforms the ER, triggers fear across patients and staff, and mirrors real-world reporting on immigration enforcement. They discuss the show’s attempt at “balance,” the ripple effects of fear, and why dramatized storytelling can land harder than traditional coverage.They also explore the reaction online, the pressure on Hollywood to soften political edges, and why The Pitt is connecting right now as a rare show that forces viewers to see these issues up close.Read more here: Why the ICE Raid in ‘The Pitt’ Matters: https://www.thebulwark.com/p/why-the-ice-raid-in-the-pitt-matters-hbo 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 JVL (filling in for Sarah Longwell) joins Andrew Weissmann for a wide-ranging breakdown of a system under strain. They discuss the DOJ’s $1.25M payout to Michael Flynn, a surprising leak tied to the Trump investigations, and the backlash that followed—including a top official calling prosecutor Jack Smith a “proven liar.” Buy “Liar’s Kingdom” * Chatham Bookstore signed copies: https://bit.ly/4aXHu4R * Politics & Prose signed copies: https://bit.ly/4aALp8Q * Amazon: https://amzn.to/3MHQ8MR * Barnes & Noble: https://bit.ly/402H2xc * Bookshop.org: Bookshop.org: https://bit.ly/3N5hVa3 More great stuff: * Pre-order Sarah’s book, How to Eat an Elephant, coming in September! * ON SALE NOW: Bulwark Live in Texas at TheBulwark.com/Events 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 Join JVL, Catherine Rampell, Andrew Egger, and many, many others from The Bulwark for live "No Kings" rally coverage. 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 Sam Stein takes on a series of bizarre Trump appearances, ranging from crude jokes and made-up stories to comments that may have revealed something far more serious. The pattern raises a bigger question: when the president speaks, how much of it is real? 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 Artificial intelligence is such a big change to human civilization that our political class is struggling to keep up. The voters in our focus groups are struggling, too. The Washington Post's Megan McArdle joins the show to discuss how everyday Americans are using (and misusing!) AI, its impact on the political process and information environment, and how public policy can adapt to this brave new world.Megan McArdle's Washington Post Podcast, Reasonably Optimistic 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 was on MS NOW's Deadline: White House to explain why Trump’s Iran decision may be doing lasting damage to his own coalition. From GOP infighting to failed election interference efforts and another Democratic win in Washington, MAJOR cracks are starting to show. 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 Sam Stein and Tim Miller give their takes on the latest fiasco for FBI Director Kash Patel after Iran-linked hackers breached his email and released a trove of personal messages and photos. From embarrassing photos during a trip to Cuba to serious counterintelligence concerns, it’s another brutal moment for a guy already struggling to prove he’s up for the job. 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 In addition to the global energy shock brought on by Trump's war, mortgage rates are surging, and labor costs and prices are rising. And Republicans don't seem to have a plan except to spend more, blame trans kids, and feed Trump's megalomania by allowing him to put his ugly signature on our currency. Plus, JD thinks Americans are stupid, the gap between Bibi's and Trump's objectives vis-à-vis Iran continues to widen, and where is Marco Rubio? Michael Steele joins Tim Miller for the weekend pod. show notes * "The Weeknight" on MS Now * JVL's and Catherine's live show Friday on the state of the economy * Find your local "No Kings" protest * 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 Bill Kristol—filling in for Sarah—discuss escalating Iran conflict, the risky push toward a wider war, and why the real damage may outlast the fighting. They also get into the global fallout—from threats to the petrodollar system to the collapse of U.S. alliances—and what a rushed exit might look like. 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.

On this week’s episode, I’m very pleased to be joined by McKay Coppins, author of April’s cover story in The Atlantic: “Sucker: My Year as a Degenerate Gambler.” We discussed the rise of sports betting apps, why his boss gave him $10,000 to lose, how the wild proliferation of sports gambling could destroy faith in the sports we watch, and why Kalshi/Polymarket could wind up getting people killed. If you enjoyed this episode, please share it with a friend! And make sure to read McKay’s story! It’s really quite 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, Sam Stein, and Will Sommer give their takes on Kash Patel’s girlfriend, a country music “sensation,” over her bizarre Twitter rant about Michael Flynn, Candace Owens fights with MAGA media darling Nick Shirley, and comedian Druski mocks Erika Kirk in viral video. 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.