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Bulwark Takes

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Andrew Weissmann: Trump's Slush Fund Isn't Just Corrupt—It's a Crime | Illegal News
Political CorruptionLegal ReformFirst Amendment

Andrew Weissmann: Trump's Slush Fund Isn't Just Corrupt—It's a Crime | Illegal News

Andrew Weissmann and Sarah Longwell dissect the illegality of Trump's "anti-weaponization fund" and explore systemic legal reforms to hold politicians accountable for lies, drawing lessons from international and state laws.

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Are Georgia Republicans Already Surrendering To Jon Ossoff? (w/ Greg Bluestein) | Focus Group
Georgia PoliticsPrimary ElectionsVoter Behavior

Are Georgia Republicans Already Surrendering To Jon Ossoff? (w/ Greg Bluestein) | Focus Group

Georgia's primary elections reveal widespread voter fatigue, Republican dejection over their Senate candidates against Jon Ossoff, and a complex Democratic gubernatorial race marked by electability concerns and a former Republican's surprising bid.

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War, High Prices… And Regret (w/ Amanda Carpenter) | Bulwark Podcast
Political AnalysisElection IntegrityCorruption

War, High Prices… And Regret (w/ Amanda Carpenter) | Bulwark Podcast

This episode dissects the shifting political landscape, Trump's controversial religious imagery, and the escalating concerns over election integrity and corruption, including a bizarre anecdote about RFK Jr.'s roadkill encounter.

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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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Tim Miller: If You’re Feeling Hopeless, Hear Me Out
US PoliticsRepublican PartyDemocratic Party

Tim Miller: If You’re Feeling Hopeless, Hear Me Out

Tim Miller offers a surprisingly optimistic analysis, asserting that the MAGA coalition is significantly wounded due to recent political missteps and internal divisions, leading to a potential shift in the political landscape.

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This Is How the GOP Starts to Crack
ICE airport deploymentsTrump Iran policyMail-in voting laws

This Is How the GOP Starts to Crack

The host dissects the Trump administration's chaotic policies, from ineffective ICE deployments to shifting Iran war objectives, and the GOP's internal fractures, alongside critical Supreme Court and historical accountability issues.

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Why Big Media Keeps Caving to Trump (w/ Don Lemon)
Political TargetingCorporate MediaJournalism Ethics

Why Big Media Keeps Caving to Trump (w/ Don Lemon)

Don Lemon details his experience being targeted by the Trump administration, critiques corporate media's failure to challenge political narratives, and warns of the dangers of eroding democratic institutions and the separation of church and state.

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

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.

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Texas Votes: Crockett vs. Talarico! How MAGA Will Texas Go?
Texas PrimariesDemocratic Party StrategyRepublican Party Divisions

Texas Votes: Crockett vs. Talarico! How MAGA Will Texas Go?

Texas primary results reveal a pragmatic Democratic electorate favoring electability and a fractured Republican base, setting the stage for a potentially competitive Senate race and highlighting the perils of 'accommodating' MAGA.

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Trump Says There's No Point in Having Midterm Elections
Election IntegrityVoter Fraud ClaimsPolitical Strategy

Trump Says There's No Point in Having Midterm Elections

Donald Trump and key Republicans are systematically constructing a narrative that Democrats can only win elections through fraud, aiming to delegitimize any future Democratic victories and justify rejecting election results.

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The Video That Blew Up ICE’s Story (w/ Andrew Weissmann) | The Illegal News
Rule of LawGovernment OverreachCivil Liberties

The Video That Blew Up ICE’s Story (w/ Andrew Weissmann) | The Illegal News

This episode exposes multiple instances where government agencies, particularly under the Trump administration, allegedly abused power, lied, and undermined the rule of law, from seizing election ballots to unlawfully sharing private tax data and retaliating against critics.

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Republicans in Congress CHOSE to Be Weak (w/ Heath Mayo) | How to Fix It
Constitutional ConservatismExecutive OverreachJudicial Independence

Republicans in Congress CHOSE to Be Weak (w/ Heath Mayo) | How to Fix It

Heath Mayo, founder of Principles First, discusses how Republicans in Congress have abandoned constitutional principles, enabled executive overreach, and failed to protect democratic institutions, advocating for specific reforms to restore balance and accountability.

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Trump Is Treating Elections Like Crimes (w/ Elliot Williams) | Illegal News
US PoliticsLegal AnalysisElection Integrity

Trump Is Treating Elections Like Crimes (w/ Elliot Williams) | Illegal News

This episode unpacks how Donald Trump's actions, from the Don Lemon arrest to the Kennedy Center's renaming, consistently challenge legal norms and institutional independence, often by exploiting 'kernels of truth' to undermine democratic processes.

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Trump is Leading America’s Global Collapse (w/ Robert Kagan) | The Bulwark Podcast
US Foreign PolicyInternational RelationsMultipolar World Order

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.

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Trump’s “Smile, Woman” Meltdown in the Oval Office
Political CommentaryMedia AccountabilityPress Freedom

Trump’s “Smile, Woman” Meltdown in the Oval Office

This episode dissects Trump's demeaning interaction with a female reporter and House Speaker Mike Johnson's alarming comments on election integrity, highlighting a perceived collective failure of the press and political allies to challenge such behavior.

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New Epstein Files Reveal Pathetic Depths of America’s Elites | The Next Level
Epstein FilesPolitical AccountabilityElection Integrity

New Epstein Files Reveal Pathetic Depths of America’s Elites | The Next Level

The hosts dissect the latest Epstein files, exposing the 'pathetic depths' of elite social climbing and discussing alarming efforts to undermine future elections, alongside a contentious debate on political accountability versus strategic inaction.

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Trump’s Blueprint for Breaking Elections (w/ Ian Bassin) | Mona Charen Show
DemocracyAuthoritarianismElection Integrity

Trump’s Blueprint for Breaking Elections (w/ Ian Bassin) | Mona Charen Show

Ian Bassin, founder of Protect Democracy, details how Trump's predictable playbook to subvert elections and undermine democratic institutions can be countered through strategic litigation, state-level reforms, and robust citizen engagement.

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January 6 Was a Dress Rehearsal For Trump, Not a Finale (w/ Tom Joscelyn)
January 6thDonald TrumpAccountability

January 6 Was a Dress Rehearsal For Trump, Not a Finale (w/ Tom Joscelyn)

Five years after January 6th, the guest, Tom Joscelyn, argues that the event was a dress rehearsal for a 'post-constitutional' movement, marked by a lack of accountability for Trump and a systematic effort to undermine democratic institutions.

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Andrew Weissmann: The Epstein Releases Are a DISASTER | The Illegal News
Epstein FilesDepartment of Justice (DOJ)Judicial System

Andrew Weissmann: The Epstein Releases Are a DISASTER | The Illegal News

Andrew Weissmann details the Department of Justice's mishandling of the Epstein file releases, highlighting a lack of transparency and potential political motivations, alongside an analysis of the Supreme Court's stance on presidential power and the legality of foreign military actions.

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Dark Horse Predictions for 2026! Is Kash Patel on Borrowed Time?
US Politics2026 Midterm ElectionsTrump Administration

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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