The Bulwark Podcast

The Bulwark

Tim Miller and guests discuss the latest political news for the flagship podcast of the Never Trump movement and the reality-based community. Every weekday we provide insightful analysis, political hot-takes, an unabashed defense of liberal democracy and long-form interviews that cut through the "both-sides" BS. Plus a few laughs to help you wash down the crazy. Bulwark+ members can get a totally ad-free version of the show delivered right to their favorite podcast player.

  • 53 minutes 21 seconds
    S2 Ep1014: Adam Kinzinger: Mortal Damage to the American Empire
    It's been great to live in America since World War II, but Trump is in the process of blowing up that whole order. Even Canada is looking to lead a new alliance, because how can other countries trust us after voters put the stupidest convicted American back in charge? And never forget that Russia is not on the tariff list—despite the fact that the US does more trade with Russia than a number of other countries on the list. Meanwhile, Trump opted to head to a golf tournament instead of attending the dignified return of the four dead servicemen who were killed in Lithuania. Plus, 9/11 truther Laura Loomer is running the National Security Council and we're still bombing the Houthis.

    Adam Kinzinger joins Tim Miller for the weekend pod.
    show notes

    4 April 2025, 7:01 pm
  • 1 hour 6 minutes
    S2 Ep1013: Mallory McMorrow and Tracy Alloway: A Self-Inflicted Crisis
    The market plunge is just pure Trump chaos, and perfectly matches his record as a businessman. From his numerous bankruptcies and many failures—including his airline, his casinos, his university, his water, and his steaks—he's been running one long con. And the supposedly smart people who should have known better put him back in power, somehow thinking he would never do something like destroy global trade. Meanwhile, in Michigan, where there have already been job losses directly caused by Trump's tariff war, State Senator Mallory McMorrow announced she's running for the U.S. Senate—saying she's had enough of the leadership and the bullshit in DC.

    Bloomberg's Tracy Alloway and Mallory McMorrow join Tim Miller.
    show notes 

    3 April 2025, 6:43 pm
  • 54 minutes 37 seconds
    S2 Ep1012: Sam Stein: Elon Is Toxic
    Musk was so high on his own supply that he thought he and his money were magic—but Wisconsin voters turned out in droves to prove to him just how toxic his brand and DOGE are. Meanwhile, the Dem base is looking highly engaged as they keep showing up for special elections in numbers Republicans used to deliver in off-cycle races.
    Plus, Cory Booker's epic filibuster, Mike Johnson gets owned by moms, and China will fill all the vacuums Trump is creating in science, foreign aid, and trade. Sam Stein joins Tim Miller.
    2 April 2025, 5:46 pm
  • 1 hour 6 minutes
    S2 Ep1011: Susan Rice: This Is Bloody Serious
    The administration admits it mistakenly sent a Maryland father with protected status to the Salvadoran penal colony—but at the same time, it says the federal courts have no jurisdiction over him because he is now in a foreign country. If some of us have no due process, that opens the door to none of us having due process. Meanwhile, Trump's administration seems hellbent on destroying the U.S.-led world order, Marco Rubio is acting very un-American, and we actually do have long-standing protocols for how a president's national security team should discuss a military strike. Plus, Mother Jones reporters show the absurdity of ICE's assertions about migrant gang membership.

    Former National Security Adviser Susan Rice, along with Noah Lanard and Isabela Dias, join Tim Miller.
    show notes

    1 April 2025, 6:40 pm
  • 48 minutes 31 seconds
    S2 Ep1010: Bill Kristol: Stiffen Your Spines, Democrats
    If Joe Rogan is the voice in the wilderness on the disappearing of migrants to El Salvador, then the Democratic leadership really needs to rethink its cautiousness. Meanwhile, the Bluffer-in-Chief is musing about a third term and Elon seems to be skirting the law in Wisconsin over an election he claims will determine the fate of civilization. Plus, the tariffs threats are rattling the markets, Trump's gullibility with Putin is coming through loud and clear, and why does JD hate Europe so much? 

    Bill Kristol joins Tim Miller.
    show notes


    31 March 2025, 6:48 pm
  • 58 minutes 52 seconds
    S2 Ep1009: Amanda Carpenter: Daddy? No, Manny Trump
    Trump is siccing the thought police on the Smithsonian, he's got an FBI task force set up to protect Elon's car company, and he's turning random tattoos into gang insignia—unless they're on Pete Hegseth. Meanwhile, Greenlanders did not come to play, Elise Stefanik gets benched, the DOJ won't do its real job, and next week's elections are making Republicans nervous. Plus, courage is contagious—make them come after everybody. Amanda Carpenter joins Tim Miller for the weekend pod.

    Amanda Carpenter joins Tim Miller for the weekend pod.
    show notes

    28 March 2025, 6:08 pm
  • 1 hour 56 seconds
    S2 Ep1008: Jon Lovett: A Worst Case Scenario Comes Into View
    Trump so far is not delivering on his promised spike in deportations, but he is creating a permission structure where we lock up people without due process in a foreign gulag—and where masked, plainclothes officers in unmarked cars can grab an international student off the street because of her speech. Meanwhile, a Rolex-wearing Kristi Noem is shooting videos in front of people we've turned into hostages, the mainstream media is struggling to respond to the moment, we can't count on judges siding with the Constitution, Republicans refuse to be honest, and far too much of the public is not paying attention. 

    Jon Lovett joins Tim Miller.
    show notes

    27 March 2025, 7:31 pm
  • 1 hour 13 seconds
    S2 Ep1008: Michael Weiss, Ben Smith, and Annie Karni: Radioactively Stupid
    No matter how hard Republicans try to spin the sharing of top secret military attack plans on an insecure app, the colossal f***up of an administration that claimed it was rooting out incompetence is plain on its face. And while Jeffrey Goldberg told Tim Tuesday that he was mulling over releasing the Signal messages, he went ahead and did so after the administration accused him of lying and sneaking into the Signal group chat. Plus, Russia pretends to agree to a cease-fire, Breitbart kind of grows up, and a new book examines Capitol Hill's craziness—including Trump's control of the House GOP, Nancy Mace's delusions of grandeur, and Schumer's infinite faith in the Republican Party of old.

    Michael Weiss, Ben Smith, and Annie Karni join Tim Miller.

    show notes

    26 March 2025, 6:41 pm
  • 1 hour 46 seconds
    S2 Ep1007: Jeffrey Goldberg and Peter Wehner: What's Going on with Our National Security?
    Senior members of Trump's Cabinet got caught sharing attack plans—down to details of who they were planning to kill, and with what kind of weapons, while also wishing Godspeed to our soldiers—and now they'll say anything to get out of the jam they put themselves in. Also, JD Vance openly questioned the judgement of the president in front of those very senior Cabinet members. Meanwhile, vengeance has long been a defining feature of Trump, but the habits of his heart have also infected his supporters. And they've become a moral freak show cheering on deportations of families and starving Africans. Jeff Goldberg and Pete Wehner join Tim Miller.

    show notes
    25 March 2025, 7:50 pm
  • 42 minutes 36 seconds
    S2 Ep1006: Live from Phoenix
    Bill Kristol joined Tim Saturday in Arizona to rip the atrocious behavior of our government—depriving even lawful Venezuelan migrants of due process, and shipping them off to a mega-prison in San Salvador where they may be being tortured. Any Democratic politician failing to speak out on this is wrong politically, morally, and ethically. Meanwhile, the DOJ is gearing up to charge Tesla vandals with domestic terrorism and Trump sent a Putin fanboy and very useful idiot, Steve Witkoff, to negotiate over Ukraine. Plus, AOC, Bernie, and Bill 2003 vs. Bill 2025. Bill Kristol joins Tim Miller.

    show notes

    24 March 2025, 6:53 pm
  • 1 hour 46 seconds
    S2 Ep1005: Michael Lewis: Government Workers Aren't the Corrupt Ones
    Trump loves to complain about the deep state while Elon claims he's rooting out waste, fraud, and abuse with all his mass firings. But DOGE should be looking higher up the food chain to target the graft: for example, the South African immigrant whose car company would not have gotten off the ground without the taxpayer money he still collects. In contrast, government workers are mainly mission-driven and they're not in it for the money. Michael's new collection of essays takes a look at some of the characters who populate our federal workforce, including people performing small miracles without fame and glory. Plus, the risk of Trump politicizing economic data and his plan to destroy whatever trust people still have in the government.

    Michael Lewis—and Sarah Vowell, who profiled a record keeper at the National Archives for the new book—join Tim Miller for the weekend pod.
    show notes

    21 March 2025, 8:35 pm
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