Bulwark Takes

This Could be Hegseth's Biggest Mistake Yet (w/ David French) | Bulwark Podcast
Tim Miller and David French dissect recent Supreme Court rulings, from birthright citizenship to executive power, and offer sharp political commentary on the state of American democracy and the challenges facing both major parties.

Audience Members Leave Trump's Dull "Freedom 250" Rally Early
Donald Trump's 'America 250' celebration, intended as a unifying national event, quickly devolved into a recycled, dull campaign rally, prompting early departures and highlighting the politicization of national commemorations.

John Avlon’s Final Warning (w/ Rye Barcott) | How to Fix It
Rye Barcott, co-founder of With Honor, discusses how political courage, particularly among military veterans in Congress, is essential to combat America's deepening polarization and civic decline.

When He Swore an Oath, It Wasn’t to a Political Party. (w/ Seth Bodnar) | How to Fix It
Seth Bodnar, an independent US Senate candidate from Montana, outlines his strategy to break political gridlock by forming an independent bloc in the Senate and addressing critical issues like housing, healthcare, and foreign policy through a mission-focused approach.

Will Trumpism Die With Trump? (w/ Margaret Hoover) | How to Fix It
Margaret Hoover and John Avlon dissect the current state of the Republican Party, Trump's enduring influence, and the systemic issues preventing effective governance, offering a historical perspective on political change and the potential for a 'post-Trump' era.

Eddie Glaude Is Sounding the Alarm. Are We Listening? | Bulwark Podcast
Professor Eddie Glaude Jr. unpacks how America's milestone anniversaries consistently reveal the nation's "divided soul" regarding race and freedom, arguing that current political polarization echoes historical patterns of forgetting and white republicanism.

$5 Gas Is Just the Beginning. It Gets MUCH Worse. | The Next Level
The hosts dissect the escalating political 'winner-take-all' mentality, from partisan redistricting to the potentially catastrophic global economic fallout of the Iran war, arguing for aggressive, persuasive political action.

Trump's Tariffs Trashed the Economy. Why Won't We Say That? (w/ Matt Bennett) | Mona Charen Show
Matt Bennett of Third Way dissects the Democratic Party's brand crisis, arguing that extreme progressive positions alienate crucial moderate voters and hinder electoral success, while advocating for a return to pragmatic, centrist policies on issues like immigration, crime, and trade.

Polls Say Trump Is Tanking. Adam Serwer Doesn’t Believe Them. | Bulwark Podcast
Adam Serwer argues that the Supreme Court's weakening of the Voting Rights Act, fueled by a 'reactionary colorblindness' and Trump's normalization of overt racism, is dismantling decades of civil rights progress and creating a dangerous vulnerability for minority communities, mirroring post-Reconstruction disenfranchisement.

Marc Elias: Reagan Called the VRA the "Crown Jewel of American Liberty." His Party Destroyed It.
Marc Elias, head of Democracy Docket, details how a recent Supreme Court decision effectively gutted the Voting Rights Act, enabling Republican governors to unilaterally cancel ongoing elections and redraw maps to diminish minority voting power.

America Feels Like A Powder Keg (w/ Jessica Tarlov) | The Focus Group
This episode unpacks the profound political divisions in America, revealing how voters across the spectrum feel angry, sad, and financially strained, and explores strategies for bridging these divides through direct engagement and a focus on material concerns.

Will JVL Survive These Focus Groups of Catholic Voters? | The Focus Group
This episode dissects how Catholic voters, both Trump and Harris supporters, navigate the complex intersection of their faith and political allegiances, revealing a significant shift towards prioritizing political identity over traditional religious doctrine.

The Real Reason Hasan Piker Is Gaining Power
Tim Miller and Sarah Longwell debate whether Democrats should engage with or condemn far-left streamer Hasan Piker, whose controversial views are gaining traction amidst shifting public sentiment on US foreign policy and Israel.

Tim is Getting Bimbofied
Host Tim Miller, after a humorous 'bimboification' stunt, delivers a sharp critique of centrist Democratic political strategy, advocating for a 'big tent' approach that engages disaffected voters and controversial figures to counter the existential threat of Trumpism.

LIVE: The Bulwark's No Kings Rally Coverage
The third 'No Kings' rally across the U.S. demonstrates sustained anti-Trump sentiment, evolving from a broad show of force to a movement grappling with specific 'asks' and the challenge of translating mass dissent into concrete political outcomes.

Red State MAGAs ASHAMED as Trump Craters (w/ Angie "Pumps" Sullivan & Phil Gordon) | Bulwark Podcast
This episode features a two-part discussion: first, an Oklahoma-based attorney and podcast co-host shares her insights on engaging MAGA voters and red-state women, highlighting the role of privilege and the rise of Christian nationalism; second, a former National Security Advisor to VP Harris analyzes Trump's chaotic foreign policy in Iran and offers a critique of Democratic foreign policy caution.

MAGA Isn’t a Majority—So Why Is It Winning? (w/ Dan Cantor) | How to Fix It
Explore how fusion voting, a historical electoral system, could depolarize American politics by empowering minor parties and incentivizing compromise, directly challenging the current two-party duopoly.

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.

Primaries are Creating a Political Doom Loop (w/ Nick Troiano) | Mona Charen Show
Partisan primaries, decided by a small fraction of voters, are driving political polarization and preventing effective governance, but a solvable path exists through open all-candidate primaries and ranked-choice voting.

The Real Conflict is Between Decent and Indecent (w/ David French) | Mona Charen Show
David French and Mona Charen analyze how extreme political polarization, tribalism, and a disregard for the rule of law are eroding American democracy and its international standing, advocating for a focus on liberalism over partisan divides.

Trump 2.0 is Trashing Sarah M's Love Life
Gen Z and younger millennials navigate a dating landscape reshaped by political polarization, financial anxiety, social media, and evolving gender roles, leading to a low-commitment culture and a 'male loneliness epidemic'.

Trump’s DHS Is Eating Itself Alive | Secret Podcast Preview
The Bulwark hosts dissect the internal chaos and public perception battle within Trump's DHS, highlighting the strategic blunders of political appointees versus career officials and the broader implications for American democracy.

Pam Bondi LOSES IT In Congressional Hearing
Pam Bondi's congressional testimony on the Epstein documents revealed a Justice Department operating with open contempt for Congress, prioritizing political performance over accountability, and raising serious questions about transparency and competence.
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