Sarah, JVL, and Catherine Rampell discuss:

- Mitch McConnell's SECOND proof of life photo, and what's really going on with him.

- The White House Correspondents' Dinner do-over, Trump's comments about Kaitlan Collins, why anyone goes to it anymore, and how the whole thing seems to be playing into Trump's hands.

- The drama inside the Democratic National Committee, and how (and whether) having a strong national party committee matters anymore.

- The proposed new primary calendar for the 2028 Democratic primaries.

- The final stretch of the Michigan Senate primary.

Paid members of the Bulwark get access to FULL episodes of the Secret Podcast. You can join via Apple Podcasts, Substack and YouTube.

Big show today: It’s the dawn of Streamer JVL? 

Plus: Some questions for Tom Homan about shooting January 6 insurrectionists; Haley Stevens and authenticity; and the Mitch McConnell conspiracy theory. Also, a conversation about raising good men.

But the big topic is the Department of Defense suddenly removing the names of four dead soldiers from the Iran war casualty list because they were killed after Trump declared a ceasefire in April—because there are now apparently two distinct Iran wars. Even though neither of them is, for legal purposes, a “war.”

This episode is sponsored by The New York Times.

• Whether Laura Loomer is one of the adults in MAGA-land? I'm Ron Burgundy?
• The state of the Iran War.
• The ridiculous AI advertisement being run by a Ted Cruz-aligned outside group in Florida (and the whacky candidates in the ad).
• The unfolding special Republican primary for Senate in South Carolina
• The Michigan Senate race...and how all of the online conventional wisdom stacks up with reality.

Get 30% off your entire order with Soul at https://GetSoul.com and use promo code THENEXTLEVEL.

Get 15% off your order with Boll and Branch at https://BollandBranch.com/NEXTLEVEL.

Sarah Longwell and Sam Stein (filling in for JVL) discuss Trump’s tedious (and still scary!) election speech, the documents that undercut his election claims, JD Vance’s cringe appearance on Joe Rogan, Trump voters’ brutal reactions to Vance, and Democrats’ missed opportunities at the Todd Blanche hearing.

Finally: There are more tickets to see Sarah and JVL on September 8 in NYC! We are about to sell out the orchestra section—but we want to sell out the balcony, too. It’s a point of pride. Come hang with us. Tickets are here: https://www.92ny.org/event/sarah-longwell-how-to-eat-an-elephant

The whole gang is back together, for the last time until August. Tim, Sarah, and JVL discuss:

- Two more killings by ICE officers. JVL asks whether we're getting numb to this. No one on this show is numb.
- Trump's aborted plan to toll the Strait of Hormuz--and whether it was an act of war.
- Sarah lets Todd Blanche (and Republican senators) have it.
- After JVL's wifi goes bad, Tim and Sarah discuss Tim's interview with Pete Buttigieg, and why Tim is glad Josh Shapiro isn't wading into intra-Democratic turf wars.

Make laundry day the best day of the week! Get 20% off your entire order @LaundrySauce with code THENEXTLEVEL at https://laundrysauce.com/THENEXTLEVEL #laundrysaucepod

Make your summer wardrobe feel easier. Go to https://Quince.com/THENEXTLEVEL for free shipping on your order and 365-day returns.

Sarah and JVL are back together, looking at Trump’s NATO disgrace, wondering if Mitch McConnell is really talking to people on the phone about detailed policy questions, and analyzing the factional fight in the Democratic party between the people trying to elect Democrats and the insurgents focused on displacing the establishment.

Short version: What if Morris Katz is just the left’s Steve Bannon?

Also, there’s some personal stuff at the end.

Get quality window treatments that fit your budget with 3 Day Blinds. Head to https://3DayBlinds.com/THENEXTLEVEL for their buy one get one 50% off deal on custom blinds, shades, and drapery.

Finally: There are more tickets to see Sarah and JVL on September 8 in NYC! We are about to sell out the orchestra section—but we want to sell out the balcony, too. It’s a point of pride. Come hang with us. Tickets are here.

Tim, Sarah, and Sam Stein (filling in for JVL) take on the political stories dominating the headlines:

• Mitch McConnell is alive and taking calls (maybe, probably?)—despite Laura Loomer’s reports to the contrary..
• Platnerdämmerung; the enormous irresponsibility of the Platner candidacy will have real consequences for his movement and for the country; and the messy road ahead in Maine (even if Platner does the right thing and drops out.).
• In the wake of the Platner debacle, irony is dead as Trump defenders trip over themselves to claim the moral high ground. Case in point: Kevin McCarthy..
• Mallory McMorrow’s failed Michigan Senate campaign exemplifies the challenges of splitting the difference between the moderate and progressive factions of the Democratic Party..
• Plus, the USMNT’s embarrassing loss to the waffle-eating Belgians in the World Cup Round of 16.

Ready to transform your customer support? Go to https://decagon.ai/thenextlevel to get a personalized demo and see what Decagon can do for your team.

Go to https://greenchef.com/50NEXTLEVELGRAZA to get 50% off your first month of healthier meals.

Get 30% off select mattresses PLUS an extra $50 off during Leesa’s July 4 sale. Go to https://Leesa.com, promo code THENEXTLEVEL.

Full episodes of the Bulwark Podcast are available to paid members of The Bulwark via YouTube, Substack, and Apple Podcasts.

Sarah Longwell and Bill Kristol (filling in for JVL) take on America’s 250th birthday under Trump—and how far the GOP has fallen from Reagan’s “you can become an American” to 2,000 ICE arrests a day. They break down the right-wing meltdown over the birthright citizenship ruling, Megyn Kelly’s race to the bottom, why the “socialist takeover” panic misses what Democratic voters actually want, and who’s really rising in the 2028 field.

Read Sarah’s Triad newsletter: https://www.thebulwark.com/p/the-real-reason-the-democratic-socialists-are-surging

Sarah, Tim, and Andrew Egger (filling in for JVL) discuss:

-The Supreme Court's ruling upholding birthright citizenship.
-NPR's retracted report that Justice Alito was retiring.
-The DSA-aligned Democratic candidates winning primaries in New York City, and whether Democrats are headed for a giant fight over socialism in 2027.
-Rep. Tom Kean's return to Congress after his depression diagnosis.
-The gang pops off on the gut-wrenching story of the false CPS report against Pete Buttigieg
-Fresh polling in the Maine and Texas Senate races.

Get 30% off your entire order with Soul at https://GetSoul.com with code THENEXTLEVEL

Join The Bulwark for $86 a year—14 percent off, this week only. Declare your independence today: http://thebulwark.com/july4

The full episode of Secret Podcast is available to paid members of the Bulwark on YouTube, Substack and Apple Podcasts.

It’s a special show this week where JVL gives Sarah a series of impossible choices. Will she choose institutionalism, or Secretary Mayor Pete? Will she endorse the political analysis of [REDACTED]? What will she do when Cletus says that he doesn’t like democracy and wants minority rule?

Come find out!

Also: There are more tickets to see Sarah and JVL on September 8 in NYC. We’ve moved to a bigger room at the 92nd Y and we need to sell it out. So come hang with us. Tickets are here: https://www.92ny.org/event/sarah-longwell-how-to-eat-an-elephant

Visit https://Hims.com/THENEXTLEVEL to get a personalized, affordable weight loss plan that gets you.

show notes

Catherine Rampell: The Americans Trump Would Rather Not See: https://www.thebulwark.com/p/the-americans-trump-would-rather

JVL’s Traid: What Was Cletus Thinks About Democracy: https://www.thebulwark.com/p/what-cletus-thinks-about-democracy

Jim Swift: Haitians Prepare for Disaster: https://www.thebulwark.com/i/203693183/forward-together-backward-by-order

This was recorded before Pete's Substack post: https://petebuttigieg.substack.com/p/a-terrible-thing-happened-to-my-family

Tim is sick, but he's strapping on his football helmet. Tim, Sarah, and JVL cover:

-The mysterious 79 year-old receiving non-public weight loss drugs (and if not Trump, who?)
-The latest revelations from Jonathan Swan and Maggie Haberman's new book.
-Tucker Carlson supposedly leaving the Republican Party...or is it all a long game to help JD Vance?
-The Trump administration's ongoing capitulation to Iran...and even JD Vance used to think it was stupid!
-The latest National Mall reflecting pool drama.
-How Pete Buttigieg got 'radicalized' by his time in the Biden administration...and Tim's warning for Democrats.
-FINALLY: The Washington Post's monster feature on the cult leader who's been coaching Tulsi Gabbard through her political career.

Get your tickets to Sarah's How to Eat an Elephant book tour in September at https://TheBulwark.com/EVENTS.

Ready to transform your customer support? Go to https://decagon.ai/thenextlevel to get a personalized demo and see what Decagon can do for your team.