Even Megyn Kelly Calls Trump’s Presidency a “Five-Alarm Fire” (w/ Bill Kristol) | Bulwark Podcast
Quick Read
Summary
Takeaways
- ❖The 'No Kings' rallies demonstrate diverse, united opposition to the Trump administration's perceived lawlessness and unilateral actions.
- ❖Congress is criticized for its abdication of war-making powers, with no public hearings or authorization for the escalating Iran conflict.
- ❖Trump's administration is accused of lacking a coherent strategy for the Iran war, with conflicting messages and potential for ground troop deployment without public justification.
- ❖The economic impact of the Iran conflict is severe, with rising oil prices, bond market instability, and increased farm bankruptcies.
- ❖The DHS shutdown, attributed to Trump and House Republicans, is causing airport disruptions and neglecting domestic security needs.
- ❖Democrats are urged to adopt a more aggressive, 'Tea Party Democrat' approach to highlight the administration's failures and hold them accountable.
- ❖Trump's focus on personal projects, such as detailing ballroom renovations, is presented as evidence of disengagement from national crises.
Insights
1Congressional Abdication on War Powers
Both hosts express alarm at Congress's failure to assert its constitutional authority regarding the escalating conflict with Iran. Despite a month of bombing and the imminent prospect of ground troops, there have been no public hearings or votes on war authorization. This inaction is framed as a dangerous precedent, allowing the executive branch to unilaterally engage in potentially fateful military actions.
Bill Kristol cites Abraham Lincoln's letter on presidential war-making power (). Tim Miller notes that 'Roger Wicker is the chairman of the Armed Services Committee in the Senate... they could have Pete Hegsth over. They could have General Kaine over there. There there's plenty of things to ask about. And obviously a vote, you know, authorization of the war is is more important' ().
2Escalating Economic Crisis from Iran Conflict
The hosts warn of severe and potentially long-lasting economic consequences stemming from the Iran conflict. They highlight rising oil prices, increasing 30-year treasury yields approaching 'great recession territory,' and a doubling of farm bankruptcies. The disruption of global supply chains for critical resources like aluminum, fertilizer ingredients, and helium is expected to cause widespread inflation and potentially a recession.
Tim Miller states, 'oil prices are up again this this morning. 30-year treasuries are up to about 5%. We're getting close to great recession territory on in the bond markets. ...farm bankruptcies, there's a new report out this morning, doubled last year' (). He later adds, 'I think we're looking at 2022 style um inflation and disaster coming forward' ().
3Trump's Disengagement and Focus on Personal Projects
The podcast criticizes Trump for appearing disengaged from national crises, instead focusing on trivial personal projects. This is exemplified by his detailed discussion with reporters about ballroom renovations at one of his clubs, including marble types and Corinthian columns, while the country faces war, economic turmoil, and a government shutdown.
Tim Miller recounts, 'He takes out a huge like cardboard picture of the new ballroom and he starts going through to the reporters... He was showing them the the pictures of the new ballroom, saying things like it's going to have an open porch on the top level. Underneath there'll be a closed porch under the columns. It's handcarved. The columns are Corinthian columns. ...the country is unraveling right now. Well, he's talking about the marble armrests at the Kennedy Center and like what the portico is going to look like' ().
4DHS Shutdown and Republican Blame
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) shutdown, leading to unpaid TSA agents and airport disruptions, is squarely placed on Trump and House Republicans. Despite a bipartisan Senate deal to fund most of DHS, House Speaker Mike Johnson, allegedly at Trump's behest, rejected it, prolonging the crisis.
Tim Miller explains, 'It went to the House, Mike Johnson said, 'No.' The House Republicans said, 'No, we're not going to do this.' They funded an 8-week extension of all DHS, including ICE. Obviously, that is not going to land anywhere in the in the Senate. ...TSH agents still not getting paid' (). Bill Kristol adds, 'that feels like Trump pulling that string and and Johnson being the the puppet and people should blame Trump for it' ().
Bottom Line
A Louisiana Congressman, Clay Higgins, publicly boasted about using AI to collect biometric data (height, weight, shoe size, tattoos, gait) on attendees of 'No Kings' rallies, framing it as a 'flawless operation' for future crackdowns on a 'free population.'
This reveals an alarming, unabashedly authoritarian mindset within parts of the Republican party, openly championing surveillance tactics against political dissenters. It suggests a willingness to use advanced technology for domestic political control, moving beyond previous denials by agencies like DHS and Palantir.
This could be leveraged by opposition groups to highlight threats to civil liberties and privacy, potentially galvanizing broader public and bipartisan concern about government overreach and the weaponization of technology against citizens.
The destruction of a $600-700 million Awax plane by an Iranian missile in Saudi Arabia, initially downplayed by the administration as 'damaged,' raises concerns about Vietnam-era style honesty regarding war progress and casualties.
This incident suggests a potential pattern of obfuscation by the administration regarding military setbacks, which could erode public trust and prevent an accurate assessment of the war's true cost and effectiveness. It implies that the public may not be receiving full transparency on the conflict's impact.
Journalists and congressional oversight committees could press for greater transparency on military engagements and losses, demanding full disclosure to ensure public accountability and informed debate on the war's trajectory.
Key Concepts
Lincoln's Warning on Executive War Powers
Bill Kristol references Abraham Lincoln's 1848 letter, which argued against a president's unilateral power to declare war. Lincoln stated that giving the president sole judgment on invading another nation 'destroys the whole matter and places our president where kings have always stood,' directly linking it to the constitutional framers' intent to prevent 'kingly oppressions' of involving people in wars at pleasure. This model is applied to critique Trump's actions in Iran without congressional authorization.
The Valley of Suffering (Life Lesson from Sports)
Tim Miller uses the analogy of a devastating Duke basketball loss for 13-year-old fans to explain the importance of experiencing disappointment early in life. He suggests that such 'catastrophic' losses build resilience and prepare individuals for future setbacks, like political disappointments. This 'valley of suffering' makes eventual victories more meaningful, contrasting with those who 'never have to work for anything' or are 'born with a silver spoon of fandom.'
Lessons
- Democrats should aggressively message against the Trump administration's multi-front failures (war, economy, DHS shutdown) by staging public stunts, holding rallies, and appearing on diverse media platforms, including Fox News, to reach a broader audience.
- Members of Congress, particularly Democrats, should return from recess to demand immediate action on the DHS shutdown and to assert constitutional war-making authority, potentially by holding votes on ground troop deployments.
- Political strategists should highlight the economic consequences of the Iran conflict and the DHS shutdown, linking them directly to the administration's policies and demonstrating the tangible impact on everyday Americans.
Notable Moments
Discussion of Congressman Clay Higgins's tweet about collecting biometric data on 'No Kings' rally attendees.
This moment exposes a chilling, openly authoritarian stance from an elected official, suggesting a willingness to use advanced surveillance against domestic political opposition, which is deeply concerning for civil liberties.
Tim Miller's detailed account of Trump showing reporters pictures of his new ballroom while the country faces multiple crises.
This anecdote powerfully illustrates Trump's perceived disengagement from critical national and international issues, highlighting a stark contrast between presidential priorities and the severity of ongoing crises.
Quotes
"Allow the president to invade a nation whenever he shall deem it necessary, and you allow him to do so whenever he may choose to say he deems it necessary for such purpose. You allow him to make war at pleasure. The provision of the Constitution giving the war making power to Congress was dictated, as I understand it, Lincoln continues, by the following reasons. Kings had always been involving and impoverishing their people in wars, pretending generally, if not always, that the good of the people was the object."
"Iran is run by lunatics, religious fanatic lunatics. They have an ambition to have nuclear weapons. They intend to develop those nuclear weapons behind a program of missiles and drones and terrorism that the world will not be able to touch them for fear of those things. And this is the weakest they've ever been. Now is the time to go after them."
"The country is in shambles. The economic situation is a disaster. The war is going way worse than they said it was going to go. Like people can't even fly anywhere because the House Republicans and Trump are shutting down the airports and not paying TSA agents and sending ICE agents to the airports apparently. Like this is the moment to go on Fox and say to people like people, you signed up for this for no new wars and for lower costs and we're in the stupidest war I could possibly think of and everything is costing more and it's about to get worse."
Q&A
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