Bulwark Takes

Bulwark Takes

Donald TrumpGeopoliticsUS Foreign PolicyUS PoliticsTrump AdministrationForeign PolicyPolitical StrategyPolitical CorruptionRepublican PartyDemocratic PartyIran WarEconomic ImpactDemocratic Party StrategyGerrymanderingMilitary StrategyNational SecurityIran ConflictVoter BehaviorInflationIranPolitical PolarizationAuthoritarianismUS Supreme CourtConspiracy TheoriesArtificial IntelligenceStrait Of HormuzDepartment Of JusticePolitical CommentaryElectionsNATOPolitical PollingEconomic PolicyRedistrictingPopulismDepartment of Justice (DOJ)Iran Nuclear DealMAGA MovementDemocracyDiplomacyUkraine WarCampaign FinanceCorruptionVoting Rights ActCongressional OversightRule Of LawAccountabilityVoting RightsUkraineConstitutional LawChinaInternational RelationsPresidential PowerSupply ChainsHungarian PoliticsViktor OrbanAmerica FirstCuba PolicyGovernment AccountabilityExecutive PowerJudicial SystemImmigration PolicyMilitary LeadershipPublic OpinionGas PricesFederal ReserveTrade PolicyRussiaElection IntegrityVoter SentimentGovernment CorruptionJanuary 6thMiddle EastMidterm ElectionsJD VanceSenate RacesFederal Reserve SystemEconomic InequalityPolitical HypocrisySocial MediaTechnologyFinancePoliticsMiddle East GeopoliticsIsrael-US RelationsRussia-Ukraine WarMedia CriticismRepublican PrimaryMiddle East ConflictGenerational ChangeCivil RightsDomestic PoliticsFilm AnalysisIdentity PoliticsImpeachmentCalifornia PoliticsEconomyConsumer ConfidenceTariffsDefense SpendingEpstein FilesDefense PolicyJournalism EthicsDefense BudgetPolitical CampaignsEducation PolicyTaxationHousing CrisisChina RelationsSupreme CourtFBIJudicial ReformElectoral StrategyDefamation LawsuitsFree SpeechGlobal EconomyHousing PolicyJudicial ActivismElectoral PoliticsDemocratic NormsPolitical MessagingPolitical WeaponizationCivil ServiceAlliancesUS Domestic PoliticsLeadershipAffordable HousingLouisiana PoliticsMarco RubioDonald Trump Jr.Healthcare PolicyRacial DiscriminationJournalismFirst Amendment RightsEnergy MarketsPolitical ViolencePolitical RhetoricMedia AnalysisLiberal DemocracyZoning LawsRight-Wing MediaGun ControlEconomic WarfareImmigrationWhite Christian NationalismMedia InfluenceTrump PresidencyNuclear ProliferationJeffrey EpsteinFBI OversightFISA Section 702International AlliancesCatholicismUS-Israel RelationsMedia controlHungary ElectionIlliberalismPolitical ScandalsPolitical Accountability
For the First Time Since WWII, Moscow Is Under Attack (w/ Marc Bennetts) | Shield of the Republic
US Foreign PolicyIran Nuclear DealCuba Policy

For the First Time Since WWII, Moscow Is Under Attack (w/ Marc Bennetts) | Shield of the Republic

This episode dissects the unpredictable nature of US foreign policy under Trump, the hollowing out of American diplomacy, and offers a grim, first-hand account of Russia's descent into authoritarianism and the pervasive impact of state propaganda.

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He Went on Fox News—and Turned Hannity's Script Against Him (w/ Justin Jones) | Bulwark Podcast
GerrymanderingVoting RightsPolitical Representation

He Went on Fox News—and Turned Hannity's Script Against Him (w/ Justin Jones) | Bulwark Podcast

Tennessee State Representative Justin Jones exposes how the state's gerrymandering and legislative actions are dismantling Black political power, while also discussing the broader national implications of Trump's influence and the strategy of engaging with Fox News audiences.

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Trump Is Drowning—And There’s Nothing the GOP Can Do About It (w/ John Heilemann) | Bulwark Podcast
US PoliticsDonald TrumpRepublican Party

Trump Is Drowning—And There’s Nothing the GOP Can Do About It (w/ John Heilemann) | Bulwark Podcast

John Heilemann and Tim Miller argue that Donald Trump's political standing is irrevocably damaged, with nothing the GOP can do to reverse his declining approval, while media companies continue to self-censor out of fear of retribution.

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Trump's War Could Cost Him EVERYTHING (w/ Nicholas Kristof) | The Bulwark Podcast
Iran WarGeopoliticsUS Foreign Policy

Trump's War Could Cost Him EVERYTHING (w/ Nicholas Kristof) | The Bulwark Podcast

Nicholas Kristof and Tim Miller dissect the catastrophic geopolitical and economic fallout of the Iran war, arguing it has weakened US strategic positions, empowered hardline regimes, and exacerbated global crises, all while highlighting the domestic political implications for the US.

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Europe Is Preparing for Life Without America (w/ Richard Stengel) | How to Fix It
Public DiplomacySoft PowerUS Foreign Policy

Europe Is Preparing for Life Without America (w/ Richard Stengel) | How to Fix It

As American soft power declines and alliances fray, Europe is actively preparing for a future without consistent US leadership, while recent elections in Hungary offer a surprising blueprint for restoring democracy against authoritarianism.

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What Finally Broke Orbán’s Grip (w/ David Pressman)
Hungary politicsViktor OrbanPeter Majar

What Finally Broke Orbán’s Grip (w/ David Pressman)

US Ambassador David Pressman details how Peter Majar's fearless, anti-corruption campaign shattered Viktor Orbán's seemingly unbreakable grip on Hungary, offering critical lessons for other democracies facing authoritarianism.

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Hungary Just Humiliated Donald Trump (w/ Sarah Longwell & Bill Kristol) | Bulwark Podcast
Hungarian PoliticsViktor OrbanDonald Trump

Hungary Just Humiliated Donald Trump (w/ Sarah Longwell & Bill Kristol) | Bulwark Podcast

The recent overwhelming defeat of Hungary's illiberal leader Viktor Orban serves as a significant repudiation of global authoritarianism and a potential blueprint for challenging Trumpism in the US.

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Trump Wants to Invent a Fake Reality (w/ Anne Applebaum) | The Bulwark Podcast
Hungarian PoliticsViktor OrbanAuthoritarianism

Trump Wants to Invent a Fake Reality (w/ Anne Applebaum) | The Bulwark Podcast

Anne Applebaum details how Hungary's Viktor Orban employs 'post-reality' politics and disinformation to maintain power, a model increasingly adopted by the American far-right, while critiquing Trump's chaotic foreign policy and the breakdown of international relations.

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From Unconditional Surrender to…Whatever This Is (David French & Rep. Subramanyam) | Bulwark Podcast
US-Iran ConflictForeign PolicyExecutive Power

From Unconditional Surrender to…Whatever This Is (David French & Rep. Subramanyam) | Bulwark Podcast

This episode dissects the chaotic and strategically flawed US-Iran conflict under Trump, highlighting the degradation of military integrity, the weaponization of the DOJ, and the broader erosion of democratic norms.

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The MAGA Dominos Are Falling (w/ Bill Kristol) | The Bulwark Podcast
Iran warUS foreign policyTrump administration

The MAGA Dominos Are Falling (w/ Bill Kristol) | The Bulwark Podcast

Tim Miller and Bill Kristol dissect the Trump administration's erratic and unhinged foreign policy regarding Iran, the moral and political implications of his war threats, and the growing calls for his impeachment from across the political spectrum.

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Trump is Remaking National Security to Enforce His Agenda (w/ Tom Joscelyn)
National SecurityPoliticization of GovernmentAuthoritarianism

Trump is Remaking National Security to Enforce His Agenda (w/ Tom Joscelyn)

Tom Joscelyn and Bill Crystal dissect how the Trump administration is systematically politicizing and weaponizing national security agencies, from the Pentagon to the FBI, to enforce a specific ideological agenda against perceived domestic opposition.

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Trump’s Alternate Reality War Speech | The Bulwark Podcast
Donald TrumpForeign PolicyIran War

Trump’s Alternate Reality War Speech | The Bulwark Podcast

Tim Miller and Susan Glasser dissect Donald Trump's 'alternate reality' war speech, exposing its lack of a coherent plan, the administration's dysfunction, and the severe global consequences of his 'magical thinking' approach to foreign policy.

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Even Megyn Kelly Calls Trump’s Presidency a “Five-Alarm Fire” (w/ Bill Kristol) | Bulwark Podcast
Trump administrationIran warEconomic impact

Even Megyn Kelly Calls Trump’s Presidency a “Five-Alarm Fire” (w/ Bill Kristol) | Bulwark Podcast

Tim Miller and Bill Kristol dissect the escalating Iran conflict, the DHS shutdown, and the severe economic repercussions, framing the Trump administration's actions as a 'five-alarm fire' due to congressional inaction and presidential disengagement.

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No Kings: What We—and You—Saw at the Rallies (w/ Jim Swift) | Bulwark on Sunday
Political activismGrassroots organizingDemocracy

No Kings: What We—and You—Saw at the Rallies (w/ Jim Swift) | Bulwark on Sunday

The hosts share their firsthand observations from the recent 'No Kings' rallies, revealing a surprisingly sober, community-driven, and strategically organized public pushback against authoritarianism.

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No Kings Might Be Bigger than Anyone Expected
Political activismNon-violent resistanceAuthoritarianism

No Kings Might Be Bigger than Anyone Expected

The 'No Kings' movement has mobilized millions across thousands of protests, aiming to prevent authoritarian power consolidation through organized non-violent resistance and sustained community engagement.

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Trump May Be Trapped by His Own War (w/ Bill Kristol) | The Bulwark Podcast
US Foreign PolicyIran WarInternational Alliances

Trump May Be Trapped by His Own War (w/ Bill Kristol) | The Bulwark Podcast

The US's unilateral war in Iran has severely damaged global alliances, triggered significant economic disruption, and exposed deep rifts within the MAGA movement, leaving the Trump administration in a precarious political and strategic position.

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Trump Says Iran Is Finished—Then Asks the World for Backup
US Foreign PolicyIran ConflictStrait of Hormuz

Trump Says Iran Is Finished—Then Asks the World for Backup

The hosts dissect President Trump's contradictory statements on Iran and the Strait of Hormuz, alongside FCC Commissioner Brendan Carr's explicit threats to revoke broadcast licenses for 'fake news,' highlighting a perceived authoritarian shift in US foreign policy and media control.

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Trump Made an Insane Bet on a Risky War (w/ Derek Thompson) | The Bulwark Podcast
Trump AdministrationForeign PolicyIran

Trump Made an Insane Bet on a Risky War (w/ Derek Thompson) | The Bulwark Podcast

Derek Thompson and Tim Miller dissect the Trump administration's foreign policy and domestic governance, revealing a pattern of executive overreach, transactional decision-making, and the weaponization of obscure legal statutes.

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Kleptocrat-in-Chief (w/ Alexander Cooley & Daniel Nexon) | Mona Charen Show
KleptocracyForeign PolicyCorruption

Kleptocrat-in-Chief (w/ Alexander Cooley & Daniel Nexon) | Mona Charen Show

Trump's foreign policy is primarily driven by a kleptocratic impulse for personal enrichment, fusing with far-right ideology to dismantle traditional diplomatic structures and anti-corruption measures.

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Welcome to MAGA’s Male Beauty Pageant (w/ Amanda Carpenter) | The Bulwark Podcast
Political ComplicityDHS AbusesGovernment Surveillance

Welcome to MAGA’s Male Beauty Pageant (w/ Amanda Carpenter) | The Bulwark Podcast

This episode exposes the deep psychological drivers behind political complicity, the alarming expansion of government surveillance, and the evolving landscape of media control and election interference, all while critiquing the absurdities of modern masculinity and conservative aesthetics.

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The Darkest State of the Union in Years (w/ Susan Glasser) | The Bulwark Podcast
US PoliticsState of the UnionDonald Trump

The Darkest State of the Union in Years (w/ Susan Glasser) | The Bulwark Podcast

This episode dissects Donald Trump's State of the Union address as a performative, policy-empty spectacle, highlighting his administration's escalating attacks on free speech, democratic norms, and media independence, while pursuing contradictory foreign policies.

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Lindsey Graham Berated Denmark’s Prime Minister (w/ Frank Dikötter) | Shield of the Republic
US PoliticsForeign PolicyDiplomacy

Lindsey Graham Berated Denmark’s Prime Minister (w/ Frank Dikötter) | Shield of the Republic

This episode exposes the fragility of US alliances under populist pressures and re-evaluates the true origins of the Chinese Communist Party's rise, challenging long-held Western narratives.

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Trump Wants to Be King of the World (Live from Minneapolis) | The Next Level
US politicsDonald TrumpBoard of Peace

Trump Wants to Be King of the World (Live from Minneapolis) | The Next Level

A live podcast dissects Trump's 'Board of Peace' as a global power grab, exposes America's failing rule of law compared to other nations, and critiques the Democratic Party's timid response to escalating political crises.

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Putin, Bone Saw, and Gnomes: Inside Trump’s ‘Peace’ Board (w/ Michael Weiss) | The Bulwark Podcast
US Foreign PolicyTrump AdministrationIran Conflict

Putin, Bone Saw, and Gnomes: Inside Trump’s ‘Peace’ Board (w/ Michael Weiss) | The Bulwark Podcast

This episode dissects the Trump administration's chaotic foreign policy, from a Supreme Court ruling against his tariffs to the perplexing 'Board of Peace' and the precarious state of US-European alliances amid escalating tensions with Iran and Russia.

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