Bulwark Takes

Todd Blanche’s Jaw-Dropping Ethics Violation (w/ Andrew Weissmann) | Illegal News
This episode exposes the alarming erosion of legal and ethical norms within the U.S. government, from questionable financial settlements and conflicts of interest to the Pentagon's attempts to control press access and the Department of Defense's coercive tactics against an AI company.

Is Trump Already Getting Tired of His Iran War? | Morning Chaser
The hosts dissect the Trump administration's approach to the Iran conflict, arguing Trump is seeking an exit despite maximalist objectives, and then pivot to the emerging political and regulatory challenges of rapidly advancing AI.

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.

Did Israel Drag Us Into the Iran War?
The US administration's rationale for its large-scale military action against Iran is critiqued as incoherent and potentially influenced by Israel's independent actions, while a major conflict between the Pentagon and leading AI firm Anthropic highlights the urgent need for congressional regulation on AI's military and surveillance applications.

JD Vance Will Say Absolutely Anything (w/ Seth Jones) | Shield of the Republic
The US defense industrial base, once the 'arsenal of democracy,' has critically atrophied, leaving America unprepared for a protracted conflict against a rapidly militarizing China and facing acute munitions shortages in current skirmishes.

The Pentagon's AI Fight Was Never Just About Anthropic (w/ Hayden Field)
A high-stakes conflict between the Pentagon and leading AI firm Anthropic over contract terms exposes fundamental disagreements on AI's military application, particularly regarding autonomous lethal weapons and mass surveillance.

Dark Horse Predictions for 2026! Is Kash Patel on Borrowed Time?
Bulwark hosts lay out their bold, often cynical, predictions for 2026, from Trump's health and foreign policy to MAGA infighting, House dysfunction, and the unexpected return of Liz Cheney.
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