Bulwark Takes

Bill Kristol and Ben Parker (filling in for Andrew Egger) went live to cover Trump's trip to the NATO summit, where he said the war in Ukraine "doesn't affect us," announced he would remove sanctions from Turkey, and renewed his calls for the U.S. to control Greenland. Plus, the continued fallout in Maine following POLITICO's reporting on Graham Platner.Larineco is offering listeners up to 50% off at https://BuyLarine.com/BulwarkTakes

Donald Trump spent America's 250th birthday celebrating one person: himself.Will Saletan breaks down Trump's July 4th speeches, his bizarre Mount Rushmore post, his obsession with foreign leaders praising him, and why Trump's version of patriotism always revolves around Donald Trump. From claiming America was "dead" before his return to joking about a third term, Trump reveals a vision of the country where loyalty to him matters more than loyalty to the Constitution.Taking care of your health just got easier – start here with Zocdoc: https://zocdoc.com/BULWARKTAKES #sponsored 

Sarah Longwell and Tim Miller went live to cover POLITICO's bombshell story on Graham Platner, Platner's response, and the future of the campaign.Taking care of your health just got easier – start here with Zocdoc: https://zocdoc.com/BULWARKTAKES #sponsored

Will Sommer and Sam Stein went live to cover the week's craziest stories from the right wing fever swamp, including MAGA blaming liberals for the rain on Trump's fireworks show, the conspiracy involving rap music and USAID, Trump asking FIFA's president to investigate the red card call, and the latest charges filed against Students for Trump founder.Taking care of your health just got easier – start here with Zocdoc: https://zocdoc.com/BULWARKTAKES #sponsored

Will Saletan and Jonathan Cohn take on the shakeup in Michigan's Senate race: Mallory McMorrow has dropped out, leaving a two-way Democratic primary between establishment favorite Haley Stevens and Bernie-backed progressive Abdul El-Sayed. Was McMorrow pushed? Where do her voters go? And is the man who would be America's first Muslim senator the party's biggest risk—or its best shot at holding a seat Democrats have kept for decades?

Trump's massive America 250 celebration was supposed to be a patriotic showcase, but it quickly descended into chaos. Sam Stein and Bill Kristol give their takes on the biggest failures of the day, from Patriot Front's march through Washington, D.C. and Republicans' attempts to blame the left, to Doug Burgum's refusal to clearly condemn neo-Nazis, hours-long security delays, thunderstorms, and a celebration that seemed designed more to glorify Donald Trump than the country itself.

Jay Nordlinger joins Bill Kristol for Bulwark on Sunday.Read Jay's Substack, "Onward and Upward" https://www.jaynordlinger.com/

Tim Miller is joined by TMZ DC's Charlie Cotton and Jacob Wasserman to talk about their unlikely rise on Capitol Hill and why lawmakers keep stopping to talk to them. From Lindsey Graham's infamous Disney bubble wand to chasing members of Congress through the Capitol, the pair discuss how they're bringing a fresh approach to political reporting, what surprised them most about Washington, and why asking different questions can reveal a different side of the people in power. They also share behind-the-scenes stories from their first two months covering Congress and what it's like building relationships with politicians across the political spectrum.

Tim Miller takes on Trump's 327 unreported stock trades made the day before his surprise tariff pause—and why Tim has come around on impeachment. He also breaks down the July 4th speech from Mayor Mamdani that even this ex-Republican appreciated. Plus, Tim appears on Deadline: White House to discuss a new congressional report on how the White House hijacked America's 250th, from the shadow charity Freedom 250 to Park Service workers made to wear "Vichy pins."Watch Deadline: White House on MS NOW: https://www.ms.now/deadline-white-house

Sarah Longwell and Andrew Egger give their takes on the surprisingly competitive political race in Iowa, where Democratic nominee Rob Sand is trying to build a new kind of populist message: less culture-war confrontation, more competence, accountability, and structural reform. Andrew went to Iowa to attend Sand’s campaign events in rural Iowa, where Rob is blending local concerns like affordability, school funding, abortion restrictions, and agricultural policy into a broader pitch against one-party Republican control. Despite Iowa’s recent GOP dominance, new polling suggests a closer-than-expected race, raising questions about whether Sand’s “nonpartisan populism” can break through in a state that has been trending right for years.Read more from Andrew's reporting: https://www.thebulwark.com/p/iowa-rob-sand-democratic-governor-nominee-campaign-report-auditor-populism

Tim Miller recaps his appearance with Katy Tur: Trump's vow to give a "really long" July 4th speech in extreme heat, the "threesome" medal moment in North Dakota, and Tim's theory of why Trump has stopped trying to win the midterms—he's chasing statues, arches, and grotesque wealth instead. Plus, an ugly June jobs report.

Tim Miller is joined Jared Poland and Brendan Hartnett after they spent time at Trump's "Great American State Fair" on the National Mall. What was billed as a patriotic celebration to celebrate America's 250th anniversary felt more like an underwhelming county fair, complete with sparse crowds, overpriced food, empty podcast tapings, Michael Knowles debating the Salem witch trials and a lumberjack competition.This episode is sponsored by The New York Times.

Sam Stein and Will Sommer take on the lewd "Uncle Sam" court battle to get back on the National Mall, Stephen Miller's deranged pregnancy-test proposal for women entering the country, Scott Presler getting blocked from the South Dakota GOP convention, Trump's $700 million Qatari Air Force One, James Fishback's residency lawsuit and his cringeworthy iShowSpeed stream-snipe, MAGA's blackmail-debate meltdown, and JD Vance bombing in front of the troops.This episode is sponsored by The New York Times.

The Supreme Court left birthright citizenship intact, but the bigger story may be everything else it handed the Trump administration. Ben Parker and Adrian Carrasquillo are joined by the American Immigration Council's Michelle LaPointe and Todd Schulte from FWD.us to break down the Court's immigration rulings, what they mean for Temporary Protected Status asylum, and Trump's mass deportation agenda. They also react to Stephen Miller's explosive response to the birthright citizenship decision, the far-right rhetoric surrounding immigration, and explain why hundreds of thousands of immigrants could soon lose legal protections.Read more from Adrian: https://www.thebulwark.com/s/huddled-massesThis week, The Bulwark is running our July 4th sale—a full year of membership for our email newsletters, articles, and everything else that we offer on our website for $86. Because this holiday, this flag, this country—it belongs to all of us. Not one party. Not one person. Come join us: https://thebulwark.com/july4

Sarah Longwell, Tim Miller and Will Sommer take on the Great American State Fair fiasco, MAGA's rival Freedom Fest lineup (starring Dog the Bounty Hunter), and Colorado's stranger-than-fiction GOP frontrunner Victor Marx—live from the Aspen Ideas Festival. Plus: an audience Q&A on hate, hope, and why authoritarians want you exhausted.

Join Lt. Gen. Mark Hertling (Ret.) and Ben Parker as they cover the latest on negotiations with Iran, why Pete Hegseth and Marco Rubio are still using Signal despite the blatant security risks, and why American allies are losing trust in the United States. This week, The Bulwark is running our July 4th sale—a full year of membership for our email newsletters, articles, and everything else that we offer on our website for $86. Because this holiday, this flag, this country—it belongs to all of us. Not one party. Not one person. Come join us: https://thebulwark.com/july4

Tim Miller recaps his appearance on Deadline: White House with Nicole Wallace—discussing new polls for the Texas Senate race, the Supreme Court's liberal justices sounding the alarm in recent rulings, and new reporting on Trump's East Wing ballroom, which broke ground under no-bid contracts despite Trump's repeated promises that it would cost taxpayers "not 10 cents."

Join Sam Stein and Brian Tyler Cohen as they go live to cover the day's news and discuss BTC's new book, "The Day After."Pre-order the book: https://www.harpercollins.com/pages/thedayafter

Sam Stein, Andrew Egger and Bill Kristol went live to cover the Supreme Court's decision to uphold birthright citizenship in a major blow to Trump's agenda. They break down the decision and the political impact it could have for Republicans ahead of the midterms.This week, The Bulwark is running our July 4th sale—a full year of membership for everything we offer on our website for $86. Because this holiday, this flag, this country—it belongs to all of us. Not one party. Not one person. Come join us.Become a Bulwark+ member: thebulwark.com/july4

Will Saletan gives his take on Sen. Bill Cassidy's remarkable CBS interview, where the outgoing Louisiana Republican criticizes Trump on everything from Iran and affordability to executive power, RFK Jr., vaccines, and the Constitution. Cassidy says RFK Jr. is building public health on "a foundation of lies," warns against putting any president above the law, and reflects on why standing up to Trump ultimately cost him his Senate seat.Make today a good day, and get yourself some Soul gummies. Right now, Soul is offering 30% off your entire order! Go to https://GetSoul.com and use the code BULWARKTAKES.

Former Republican Senator Jeff Flake joins Sarah Longwell for his take on the moment Republicans could have stopped Donald Trump and why they didn't. Flake reflects on his famous 2017 speech, the GOP's surrender of congressional power, why so few Republicans stood up to Trump, and whether the party can ever return to its conservative roots.Make today a good day, and get yourself some Soul gummies. Right now, Soul is offering 30% off your entire order! Go to https://GetSoul.com and use the code BULWARKTAKES.

Sam Stein, Andrew Egger, and Politico's Kyle Cheney go live to break down the Supreme Court's latest rulings, including decisions upholding mail-in voting, blocking President Trump from firing Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook, and allowing him to remove independent regulators.Read more from Kyle: https://www.politico.com/staff/kyle-cheneyMake today a good day, and get yourself some Soul gummies. Right now, Soul is offering 30% off your entire order! Go to https://GetSoul.com and use the code BULWARKTAKES.

Will Saletan takes on Trump's unraveling Iran war—drone strikes on U.S. allies, Iran's claim to control the Strait of Hormuz, and a new threat to build nuclear weapons. He breaks down the actual text of the agreement Trump signed, fact-checks a week of contradictory claims about oil prices and military control, and explains why Iran knows Trump's threats are empty.

Former Pardon Attorney Liz Oyer joins Bill Kristol to discuss Todd Blanche, Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell.Read Liz Oyer's Substack

Sonny Bunch and Catherine Rampell take on Mel Brooks' 100th birthday and AFI's new ranking of Blazing Saddles as the funniest movie ever made. They dig into his EGOT-winning career, his fearless mockery of Hitler, why his comedy still holds up — plus the upcoming Spaceballs sequel and Catherine's middle-school Spaceballs obsession.

Tim Miller and Will Sommer to give their takes on one of the strangest weeks in MAGA world. They unpack the arrest of a pro-Trump streamer accused of committing lewd acts at Trump's Great American State Fair, the latest legal troubles facing Students for Trump founder Ryan Fournier, and the new report raising questions about Rep. Abe Hamadeh's live-in senior staffer.Read more from Sources Say News: https://sourcessay.news/p/looksmaxxing-gilded-offices-and-a-live-in-staffer-insider-allegations-of-abe-hamadeh-s-capitol-hill

Tim Miller takes on the collapsing Iran ceasefire—Iranian drones hitting ships in the Strait of Hormuz, U.S. counterstrikes, Iran retaliating against U.S. targets in Bahrain, and JD Vance's tough-guy statement that's landing nowhere. Plus: Trump's new self-portrait passport, and whether he understands what a passport is.

Tim Miller went on MS Now to talk to Nicolle Wallace to give his take on one of the most disturbing political stories of the year after Pete Buttigieg revealed that a false report led child protective services to investigate his family. Tim explains why weaponizing the government against political opponents should alarm every American. Plus, Tim reacts to Megyn Kelly's comments about Haitian immigrants and fact-checks JD Vance's take on Watergate.Read more from Pete: https://petebuttigieg.substack.com/p/a-terrible-thing-happened-to-my-family

Join Catherine Rampell and JVL as they cover the week's financial and economics stories.Read more from Catherine's newsletter: https://www.thebulwark.com/p/the-americans-trump-would-rather

Will Saletan takes on Donald Trump’s vision of American power, arguing that military force is increasingly being used as a tool for profit—through oil, minerals, trade concessions, and economic leverage rather than the defense of allies or democratic values.Ready to reach your goals? Visit https://hims.com/bulwarktakes to get a personalized, affordable plan that gets you.

JVL and Will Sommer give their takes on Trump’s kickoff event for the America 250 celebration and the president’s immediate lie that 45,000 people packed the National Mall and “nobody left” early. They dig into the crowd-size lies, the campaign-style speech at an official government event, Trump’s promises about the White House ballroom, and why the America 250 rollout already feels more focused on Trump’s image than America’s birthday.Ready to reach your goals? Visit https://hims.com/bulwarktakes to get a personalized, affordable plan that gets you.

Sam Stein and Jonathan Cohn discuss the major SCOTUS decision that would allow the White House to deport more than 350,000 refugees. Read more from Jonathan Cohn: https://www.thebulwark.com/trumps-deportation-agenda-awaits-supreme-court-grandma-haitians-temporary-protected-status-heath-aidesReady to reach your goals? Visit https://hims.com/bulwarktakes to get a personalized, affordable plan that gets you.

Join Sam Stein, Will Sommer, and Andrew Egger as they cover Trump's "Freedom 250" rally in Washington, DC.Stop putting off those doctors appointments and go to https://Zocdoc.com/bulwarktakes to find and instantly book a doctor you love today.

Andrew Egger, Catherine Rampell and Joe Perticone are going live to cover Trump's sudden decision not to sign the bipartisan housing bill.Stop putting off those doctors appointments and go to https://Zocdoc.com/bulwarktakes to find and instantly book a doctor you love today.

Join Lt. Gen. Mark Hertling (Ret.) and Ben Parker as they cover the week's biggest military and foreign policy stories.Stop putting off those doctors appointments and go to https://Zocdoc.com/bulwarktakes to find and instantly book a doctor you love today.

Jonathan Cohn takes on Trump's push to end temporary protected status for Haitian immigrants—following home healthcare worker Maryse, who cares for a 96-year-old in South Florida, and what's actually at stake for the 350,000+ people (and their U.S.-born children) facing deportation as early as July 2nd if the Supreme Court sides with the administration.Read more from Jonathan Cohn: https://www.thebulwark.com/trumps-deportation-agenda-awaits-supreme-court-grandma-haitians-temporary-protected-status-heath-aidesStop putting off those doctors appointments and go to https://Zocdoc.com/bulwarktakes to find and instantly book a doctor you love today.

Sen. Mark Warner joins Sam Stein for his take on the chaos surrounding acting DNI Bill Pulte, alarming reports of potential firings inside the intelligence community, and why Warner believes Pulte poses a national security risk. They also dive into explosive questions surrounding former DNI Tulsi Gabbard after reports detailing her ties to a cult and why those revelations surfaced only after she left office. Plus, Warner weighs in on Trump's Iran negotiations, the lack of congressional oversight, and what lawmakers still don't know about the administration's plans.

Andrew and Bill went live to talk about Trump's hatchet man Bill Pulte firing people as his first day at DNI, JD Vance getting embarrassed by Iran, the Trump official making the case that taking over Greenland could help Red Lobster, and Trump blames Obama for Trump's poor job renovating the Reflecting Pool.Read more from Morning Shots: https://www.thebulwark.com/s/morningshots

Tim Miller and JVL take a victory lap through some of the most confident predictions from the Iran War's biggest cheerleaders. Scott Jennings, Ben Shapiro, Hugh Hewitt, Mark Levin, and Bari Weiss' bloggers promised total victory, regime change, and a transformed Middle East. Instead, Trump ended up signing a deal with the very regime they said had to be defeated. Now, those same loudest voices cheering for "total victory" are scrambling to explain Trump's deal with Iran.Head to https://Superpower.com and use code BULWARKTAKES at checkout for $20 off your membership. Unlock your new health intelligence. 100+ biomarkers. Every year. Detect early signs of 1,000+ conditions. #superpowerpod  

Will Sommer and Sam Stein went live as they cover the craziest stories from the right wing fever swamp, including Trump threatening people with a 10-year prison sentence over the Reflecting Pool, the false Candace Owens death conspiracy theory, Tulsi Gabbard being controlled by a cult leader, and Greg Bovino's love for Dracula.Head to Superpower.com and use code BULWARKTAKES at checkout for $20 off your membership. Unlock your new health intelligence. 100+ biomarkers. Every year. Detect early signs of 1,000+ conditions. #superpowerpod You can buy Will's book here: https://www.amazon.com/Trust-Plan-Conspiracy-Reshaped-America/dp/0063114488/?tag=bulwark08-20

Sam Stein and Will Saletan take on the messy first day of U.S.-Iran talks—Trump's threat to seize the Strait of Hormuz and kill negotiators, JD Vance appearing to get publicly snubbed, and the Lebanon clause that may have handed Hezbollah a veto over the whole deal.

Jonathan Cohn reports from South Beach on the fight over a beloved LGBTQ landmark, the history of Miami Beach’s queer community, and how a symbol many thought was gone ended up becoming permanent.Read more in The Bulwark

Bill Kristol sits down with Civil War historian Kevin Levin to examine Trump’s effort to reshape America’s story ahead of the nation’s 250th anniversary.Read Civil War Memory

JVL and Sonny Bunch take on the bizarre saga of Washington’s algae-filled Reflecting Pool and John Cafaro the Trump-connected donor who landed the contract to fix it. Plus, an unexpected detour into wrestling history, Paul Bearer, and why this whole scandal feels more like a cartoon than real life.Looking for a Father's Day gift? Consider a membership to The Bulwark's website. Learn more at https://www.thebulwark.com/subscribe

Join Catherine Rampell and JVL live as they cover the week's economic and financial news.The Bulwark makes a fantastic Father's Day gift: Learn more at thebulwark.com/subscribe

Will Saletan takes on JD Vance's TV blitz defending the Iran nuclear deal—and checks his claims against the actual text. 

Sam Stein, Tim Miller and Will Sommer take on an insane MAGA scandal in DC—fake Secret Service badges, a strip club blowup, tearful confessions about an Iran airstrike that never happened, and an arrest that finally brought the whole charade crashing down. Plus: what exactly is going on with Kari Lake's face?Read Will Sommer's False Flag newsletter: https://www.thebulwark.com/p/the-shocking-arrest-of-a-maga-pit-bull-fake-secret-service-pal-ryan-fournier-jordan-daleyBulwark website subscriptions make a fantastic Father's Day gift! Learn more at https://www.thebulwark.com/subscribe

Sam Stein, Brendan Hartnett and Sarah Matthews are going live to cover the mess at Trump's renovated Reflecting Pool.

Tim Miller and JVL attempt to read JD Vance’s new memoir 'Communion' and discover a book full of contradictions, self-owns, political rationalizations, and some very revealing clues about the vice president’s worldview.Buy Vance's new book (or don't!): https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0GTQ68YZNCORRECTION: Talking about a Catholic bookstore in Washington, D.C., on K Street, JVL says it was “Pauline Book Center.” This is wrong. JVL was referring to the Catholic Information Center on K Street. There is another Catholic hub, across the river on King Street in Alexandria, Virginia, called Pauline Books. JVL's stupid brain mushed them together. He regrets the error.

Journalist Michael Weiss, editor of The Insider, and retired CIA veteran Marc Polymeropoulous take over The Bulwark for the kind of conversation they have with each other every day about the intelligence world, what the hell is happening in the United States and what it means around the globe. As they started recording, Trump was wrapping his bizarre Wednesday speech at the G7 Summit defending his deal with Iran. Marc and Michael go off about the news conference and turn to a riveting conversation about what is different about the war with Iran compared to the continuing show of strength in Ukraine and how that's happening thanks to years of groundwork by the CIA. It's an alliance that is actually winning despite Trump's posture towards Ukraine and the country's president, Volodymyr Zelensky.Follow Marc on X here: https://x.com/Mpolymer...and Michael here: https://x.com/michaeldweissWatch Michael's latest conversation with Tim Miller: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=85RXVxg8CHIAnd you can read Michael's work on his Substack: https://macspaunday.substack.com/...and at The Insider: https://theins.press/en/authors/weiss