Bulwark Takes

Sen. Rand Paul Slams Sen. Markwayne Mullin at DHS Confirmation Hearing

Senator Rand Paul launched an unprecedented personal attack against DHS nominee Markwayne Mullin during his confirmation hearing, questioning his temperament and fitness for office due to past comments justifying an assault on Paul.

Support for Israel Has Collapsed Among Young Americans

A new NBC poll and focus group data reveal a sharp decline in young Americans' support for Israel, coupled with a disturbing conflation of anti-Israel sentiment and antisemitism, and a widespread desensitization to violence and hate rhetoric.

Tim Miller: Trump Sounds Erratic—Especially on War in Iran

Tim Miller dissects the US-Iran war's dubious origins, its severe economic fallout, and the resulting 'civil war' within the MAGA coalition, framing Trump's erratic leadership as a catalyst for political and economic instability.

Former General Gives Brutally Honest Iran War Assessment | Command Post

General Mark Hertling and Ben Parker dissect the ongoing Iran war, highlighting the critical mismatch between US kinetic military objectives and Iran's asymmetric political and economic warfare, emphasizing the lack of a clear US end state.

Trump’s Half-Baked Border Plan Collides With Legal Reality (w/ Andrew Weissmann) | Illegal News

Legal experts dissect how Trump's politically motivated legal strategies, from targeting Jerome Powell to fabricating border trespassing charges, consistently collide with judicial scrutiny and legal precedent.

From MAGA Influencer to Elon Musk Baby Mama (w/ Ashley St. Clair & Cam Kasky) | Bulwark Podcast

Ashley St. Clair, a former right-wing influencer and mother of one of Elon Musk's children, details her journey out of MAGA and her legal battles against XAI, while youth activist Cam Kasky shares his firsthand account of the West Bank occupation and efforts to pass human rights legislation.

Top Trump Aide Quits Over Iran War | Morning Chaser

A top Trump administration official resigned over the Iran war, exposing deep rifts within the MAGA movement and highlighting the war's destabilizing impact on global alliances and the economy.

Distracted Trump Rambles While Iran War Expands

Sen. Kennedy Tried to Dunk… And Got Schooled Instead (w/ David Bier)

David Bier, Director of Immigration Studies at the Cato Institute, details how Senator John Kennedy's attempt to discredit him with out-of-context social media posts backfired, while highlighting the significant economic benefits of immigration and the extreme nature of current anti-immigrant policies.

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.

Candace Owens Is Tearing MAGA Apart (w/ Will Sommer) | Mona Charen Show

Explore the alarming rise and unchecked influence of far-right MAGA influencers like Candace Owens, Tucker Carlson, and Steve Bannon, and how their extreme rhetoric and conspiracy theories are reshaping the conservative movement.

Laura Loomer Publicly Humiliated Over Racist Statements | MAGA Mondays

Laura Loomer's racist past explodes in India, Tucker Carlson claims CIA surveillance, Megan Kelly drops a "micro penis" insult, and Newt Gingrich proposes nuking a new shipping channel—all in a wild weekend of political drama.

Iran War Could Trigger a Global Terror Wave | Shield of the Republic

This episode dissects the US-Iran conflict, criticizing both media coverage and the administration's communication while emphasizing the brutal nature of the Iranian regime and the long-term strategic challenges.

Iran War Consequences: Will Epic Fury be an Epic Failure? (w/ Robert Kagan) | Bulwark on Sunday

Robert Kagan details how the ongoing Iran war has fractured US alliances, empowered adversaries like Russia and China, and left the US facing a critical, high-stakes decision on long-term military commitment in the Middle East.

Trump’s Iran War Could Send Prices Soaring (w/ Kenneth Rogoff) | How to Fix It

Harvard Professor Kenneth Rogoff details how escalating US debt, attacks on Federal Reserve independence, and geopolitical instability in the Middle East threaten the dollar's global reserve status and could trigger a domestic economic crisis.

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.

Trump’s DOJ Made an Embarrassing Legal U-Turn (w/ Andrew Weissmann) | Illegal News

Andrew Weissmann and Sarah Longwell dissect the Trump DOJ's chaotic legal maneuvers, including a retracted dismissal of lawsuits against law firms, a controversial proposed rule to shield DOJ attorneys from state ethics probes, and a federal judge's finding of racial profiling by ICE in Minnesota.

The “F-Trump” Ad That Broke the Illinois Senate Race | The Focus Group

An Illinois Senate primary reveals how an aggressive, profane anti-Trump ad can cut through a crowded media landscape, polarizing voters but significantly shifting poll numbers, while a well-funded frontrunner struggles with a lack of coherent narrative.

Predator Sting Takes Down a MAGA Star

A prominent MAGA hatemonger is exposed in a 'To Catch a Predator' style sting, while a major feud erupts between right-wing media personalities Megan Kelly and Ben Shapiro, revealing ideological fault lines within the conservative movement.

Would You Trust These Idiots With a War? | Secret Podcast Preview

The hosts sharply critique the current US government's perceived incompetence and lack of seriousness in handling the escalating conflict with Iran, drawing stark comparisons to historical leaders like Churchill and the Nuremberg trial figures.

JD Vance Knows the Iran War Is a Disaster—But Can’t Say It (w/ Tom Nichols) | The Bulwark Podcast

This episode dissects the Trump administration's chaotic and ill-conceived Iran war, highlighting its strategic blunders, economic fallout, and the dangerous lack of competent leadership and internal dissent.

BREAKING: GDP Growth Revised WAY Down

Revised GDP growth, sticky inflation, and a disrupted global oil supply from the Strait of Hormuz closure reveal a fragile economy, with geopolitical decisions exacerbating challenges and undermining climate efforts.

Live Reaction: Are We Already in World War III? (w/ Tim Mak)

Tim Mak, reporting from Armenia, details how the US-Israel strikes on Iran, driven by internal Iranian drought and US oil price concerns, are depleting critical air defense assets, inadvertently compromising Taiwan's and Ukraine's security and potentially strengthening the Iranian regime.

America’s at War—and Trump’s Dancing to YMCA (w/ Sam Stein) | The Bulwark Podcast

The Bulwark hosts dissect the Trump administration's chaotic Iran war, disastrous immigration policies, and pervasive political idiocy, highlighting a leadership more concerned with personal image than national consequence.