Bulwark Takes

Tom Nichols: There Are 500 Ways This War Goes Wrong | Mona Charen Show
Tom Nichols and Mona Charen dissect the Trump administration's war strategy in Iran, concluding it's a high-stakes gamble lacking planning, allies, and a realistic path to success.

The Hawks Got Their War—Now It’s Trump’s Problem
Republican hawks, led by Lindsey Graham, pushed for military action in Iran without a clear post-conflict strategy, leaving the Trump administration with an escalating situation and vague justifications for 'imminent threat.'

Where Does the Iran War Go From Here?
A retired Lieutenant General and a political analyst break down the military realities, logistical constraints, and domestic political implications of the escalating conflict with Iran.

Trump Goes to War: Iran Strike Breaks Promise of No Regime Change
Donald Trump's administration initiated a major military operation in Iran, contradicting his campaign promises of a 'peace-time presidency' and raising concerns about international legality, domestic political fallout, and the reliability of information in a fragmented media landscape.

Trump’s America Is Losing People
The hosts argue that America is experiencing a concerning decline in population and global standing, exacerbated by foreign influence in media and Trump's inconsistent policies.

Netanyahu Knows Trump Won’t Say No—And That Won’t Last | Secret Podcast
The hosts predict an imminent war with Iran driven by Netanyahu's leverage over Trump, expose a 'command economy' where the US President dictates media acquisitions, and detail the inhumane treatment of migrants by US law enforcement.

Bill and Tim Couldn’t Wait Until Monday
Tim Miller and Bill Kristol discuss the shifting tactics of ICE in Minneapolis, the grassroots community resistance, Trump's fabricated hospital ship to Greenland, and the ongoing war in Ukraine.

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.

Trump to Europe: Give Me Greenland… Or Else
The host argues that Donald Trump's actions and rhetoric towards Europe, Venezuela, and Greenland mirror the very 'extortion' tactics Marco Rubio warned against regarding China, undermining the concept of a reliable Western supply chain.

The Epstein Files Could Blow Up Everything | Shield of the Republic
This episode dissects the US political landscape, the expiration of the New Start treaty, evolving European security, and the far-reaching implications of the Epstein files, highlighting elite incompetence and geopolitical shifts.

David Frum: The GOP Didn’t Drift Into Trumpism—It Chose It | How to Fix It
David Frum, a former Bush speechwriter, details the Republican Party's deliberate shift into Trumpism, the unprecedented scale of Trump's personal corruption, and the resulting erosion of American alliances and democratic norms.

Trump is Leading America’s Global Collapse (w/ Robert Kagan) | The Bulwark Podcast
Robert Kagan argues that Trump's 'America First' policies are dismantling the post-WWII global order, pushing the world towards a dangerous multipolar environment where US allies become adversaries and democratic institutions face deliberate subversion.

What Foreign Allies Really Say About Trump in Private (w/ Sen. Chris Coons)
Senator Chris Coons details how Democratic legislative strategy forced a rare Trump concession on DHS oversight and reveals the private, scathing reactions of foreign leaders to Trump's foreign policy bluster.

Minnesota Solidarity is Beating Trump's Goon Squad (w/ Ta-Nehisi Coates) | The Bulwark Podcast
Ta-Nehisi Coates and Tim Miller dissect the Trump administration's weaponization of 'homeland' rhetoric, the erosion of truth in politics, and the alarming shift from journalism to 'takes,' while highlighting the power of collective action against systemic oppression.

What Replaces the Ayatollahs in Iran? (w/ Christiane Amanpour) | How to Fix It
Veteran journalist Christiane Amanpour dissects the complexities of Iranian uprisings, external interventions, and the profound challenges of achieving lasting regime change, drawing on decades of experience covering the region.

Trump Deporting Gay Men to Iran Is a Death Sentence
The Trump administration's planned deportation of 40 Iranian nationals, including gay men facing death sentences, is framed as a morally depraved act that contradicts US foreign policy supporting Iranian protesters.

Europe Is Planning for a Post-America World (w/ Fiona Hill) | The Bulwark Podcast
Fiona Hill details how Europe is actively preparing for a post-America world, driven by US unreliability and Trump's disruptive foreign policy, leading to a "rupture" in global alliances and potential nuclear proliferation.

Trump Chickens Out on Greenland After Markets Flinch
The hosts analyze how market pressure, specifically a 'sell America' trade and rising interest rates, forced Trump to back down from his Greenland tariffs, highlighting the long-term damage to US alliances and economic reliability.

Trump Doesn’t Even Know What Greenland Is (w/ Rep. Sarah McBride) | The Bulwark Podcast
Representative Sarah McBride and host Tim Miller dissect the profound, real-world consequences of presidential rhetoric, from Trump's 'imbecillic' Greenland demands to the direct impact on children, and reveal how Democrats successfully thwarted anti-trans legislation.

BREAKING: Trump Melts Down at Davos, Confuses Iceland and Greenland
Donald Trump's chaotic Davos speech, marked by confusing Iceland for Greenland and threatening allies, exposed the US's eroding global standing and introduced significant economic and geopolitical instability.

Putin Won Davos Without Even Showing Up (w/ Caolan Robertson)
While Kyiv faces a catastrophic winter and European leaders gather in Davos, the focus has shifted from Ukraine to Trump's potential actions, inadvertently benefiting Russia and weakening NATO.

An Idiot's Tantrum Is Now U.S. Foreign Policy (w/ Bill Kristol) | The Bulwark Podcast
The hosts dissect how the former president's 'tantrums' and 'idiotic' foreign policy decisions, like demanding Greenland and imposing tariffs on allies, are actively damaging US standing and democratic norms.

Trump's Greenland Text Is Publicly Embarrassing America
President Trump's bizarre text to Norway's Prime Minister, demanding Greenland and linking it to his unreceived Nobel Peace Prize, exposed a 'mob boss' approach to international relations that is driving Europe towards China and dismantling the American-led world order.

Don't Count on Trump Coming to the Rescue (w/ Michael Weiss)
This episode dissects the unpredictable and transactional nature of Trump's foreign policy across Iran, Venezuela, and Ukraine, revealing how his personal psychology and covert US intelligence operations shape global events, often independently of stated policy.
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