The Bulwark

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.thebulwark.comSam Stein, Brendan Hartnett and Will Sommer discuss the chaos surrounding the White House press corps after CNN, Politico and MS NOW were banned from the White House, then allowed back on the premises but haven't gotten reassurances that CNN would be allowed back into the TV pool.They also take on the right-wing media’s attempt to create its own version of the White House press pool, including technical failures, a lack of basic pool protocol and footage that appeared to...

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.thebulwark.comFirst, Sam Stein sits down with Tim to discuss the latest humiliation of our troops: Trump’s red carpet welcome for President Xi. Plus: the White House’s insane propaganda machine, a new Maine poll throws some cold water on the midterms hopium, Sen. Tommy Tuberville’s obsession with furries, and is RFK Jr. running for president? Then, Tim pulls back the curtain on his interview with Mary Peltola, which wrapped just hours before a new critical New York Times piece droppe...

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.thebulwark.comAndrew Egger is joined by Maryland Gov. Wes Moore to give his take on Maryland’s new AI regulations, the rapid growth of data centers, and the need for guardrails around increasingly powerful AI models. Moore explains why he believes AI is moving faster than government safeguards, criticizes the White House’s approach, and raises concerns about Trump’s personal financial stake in the AI boom.They also discuss AI safety, potential benefits in government and healthcare, and whether the U.S. sho...

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.thebulwark.comTim Miller steps outside the bubble for a conversation with Brandon Weichert, a former Trump supporter and American Greatness writer who has become deeply disillusioned with the administration. They take on Trump’s Iran war, his growing foreign-policy mess, the GOP’s increasingly dangerous midterm map, and what could happen if Democrats take back Congress.Watch more on Mario Nawfal’s YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/c/marionawfal

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.thebulwark.comJVL and Lawfare's Benjamin Wittes take on the strange legal fight over Trump’s ballroom and proposed triumphal arch, including why standing may be the biggest obstacle to stopping them and what John Roberts’ dissent could be signaling to future challengers. They also dig into a bigger question: whether Congress, the courts, and the power of the purse can actually constrain a president determined to push ahead anyway.A quick note: Look, there probably aren’t many m...

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.thebulwark.comThe cozy White House Correspondents' Dinner, where Trump joked around with reporters, was only in July. But now he's ripping away press credentials and setting up state-run media. Sarah scolds the WHCA for bending the knee to Trump to begin with. And recent Italian history even foreshadowed the Trump era. Jason, in his new book, explains how Silvio Berlusconi learned how to become the central character in the media. The more he was talked about, the more powerful he became—and th...

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.thebulwark.comSarah and Andrew cover Trump’s escalating war with the press, from his White House ban on CNN, MS NOW, and Politico to the growing consolidation of major media companies. They also debate Zohran Mamdani’s approach to Trump, unpack the dubious “national security” rationale for Trump’s giant arch, and discuss Weissmann’s victory in the defamation lawsuit brought against him by Cassidy Hutchinson’s former lawyer.Show Links:* CNN, MS NOW & Politico sue over Trump’s White House pr...

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.thebulwark.comBen Parker and Lt. Gen. Mark Hertling (Ret.) break down President Trump’s extraordinary comments at the United Nations about Venezuela, including his claim that “to the victor belong the spoils.” Hertling explains why that language raises serious questions under international law and walks through the laws and treaties that prohibit pillage and establis…

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.thebulwark.comSarah's back from the book tour! The gang discusses Sarah's Focus Group Newsletter, George W. Bush's fundraiser for Republican Senate candidates (we thought he was staying out of politics?) Then they get into Trump's ban on CNN, MSNOW, and POLITICO from the White House press pool, and whether we still care. Sarah also has some words about Zohran Mamdani sharing a podium with Donald Trump.Then, the gang talks about a Wall Street Journal columnist who has "TDS" (maybe not the...

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.thebulwark.comThe party has been busy playing defense in Trump states, and now comes the news that Susan Collins is corrupt on top of being a loyal MAGA supplicant. More Democrats should walk with Ossoff's swagger and keep their message simple: attack Trump on his corruption and the war. (And in colder climes, the price of heating oil.) Meanwhile, subpoenas over Trump Jr.'s Russian mobster-funded wedding are coming, and even some Republicans are likely to get on board. Plus: Ukraine is...

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.thebulwark.comRep. Jim Himes, ranking member of the House Intelligence Committee, joins Marc Polymeropoulos and Michael Weiss for his take on the major national security risks surrounding the Trump administration.Himes explains the counterintelligence concerns surrounding the reported Russian financing of Donald Trump Jr.’s wedding and why the access to Trump’s inner circle at the event could have created an unusually soft target for Russian intelligence. They also discuss the intelligence community’s warnings about war with Iran, and the possib...

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.thebulwark.comAndrew Egger and Bill Kristol went live to react to Trump’s address to the United Nations, breaking down his claims about Iran, Russia and Ukraine, Venezuela, Greenland, the economy and America’s role in the world.Trump made wild comments about Russia’s war against Ukraine, including a grotesque false equivalence between Ukrainian children abducted into Russia and his claim that Russian children were also abducted into Ukraine. They also examine Trump’s claims about Iran, including his repeated...

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.thebulwark.comCatherine Rampell welcomes former Obama economic adviser Jason Furman to make sense of an economy that keeps confusing almost everyone. They also talk about Trump’s pressure on the Fed, the White House’s economic spin, the risks of politicizing scientific research, and why Democrats may be learning the wrong lessons from inflation and the affordability crisis.Follow Receipts with Catherine Rampell on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube or wherever you get your podcasts.Enjoy this...

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.thebulwark.comTim Miller and David Pakman take on Trump’s plummeting poll numbers, the White House putting Pakman on its official “Media Offenders” list, and the creators who Pakman says are now afraid to interview him because they fear becoming targets themselves. They also discuss how algorithms reward outrage and misinformation, the coming flood of synthetic political content, and Pakman’s new book, Pay Attention, about what the attention economy is doing to our politics and our brains.David Pakman’s new book, Pay...

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.thebulwark.comThe White House is trying to defend Donald Trump’s decision to ban major news organizations from covering the White House and the policy is already producing some pretty absurd results.JVL and Will Sommer discuss Trump’s crackdown on the press, including a Newsmax broadcast where viewers couldn’t hear the president because the press pool wasn’t there to provide audio. They also examine the upcoming court fight over White House press access, the administration’s new White House app, and t...

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.thebulwark.comAs Trump’s war of choice continues to expand in the Middle East, it’s clear that the president is desperate not to show how weak he really is. The administration is out of time and out of both strategic and rhetorical options in Iran. Another sign that he is flailing: Trump is trying to ban CNN, MS NOW, and Politico from the White House press pool. But other TV outlets are pushing back in solidarity, forcing Trump to choose between two...

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.thebulwark.comWill Sommer and Sonny Bunch (filling in for Sam) take on Trump’s escalating war on the press, the TV networks pushing back on his White House ban, and the growing signs that even some longtime allies are getting sick of the chaos. Plus: Trump’s plan to put snipers in his giant D.C. arch, the bizarre MAGA fight over Indian Americans, Turning Point’s James Fishback problem, and the very questionable Lauren Boebert allegations.Please...

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.thebulwark.comSam Stein and Will Saletan take a look at Donald Trump’s latest architectural fever dream: a 250-foot triumphal arch near Arlington Cemetery that Trump says will double as a “top grade Military Complex,” complete with drones and snipers. They dig into the bizarre location, the questionable military rationale and Trump’s claim that the project came at the “strong request” of the military. As Sam and Will point out, this is an enormous armed monument sitting near Reagan National Airport, the Pentagon...

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.thebulwark.comSam Stein and former CIA officer Marc Polymeropoulos give their takes on the flurry of international headlines over the weekend. The Houthis have escalated attacks on Saudi Arabia, including strikes on Riyadh, while Ukraine has launched a major wave of drone and missile strikes on Moscow and Russian energy infrastructure.They also discuss the Trump administration’s response to the Saudi crisis, the U.S. role in Ukraine, Russia’s escalating attacks and sabotage efforts across Europe, and the prospect of a br...

Tim Miller is back with another installment in his continuing series on the Republican candidates running in key races across the country. This time it’s Michael Whatley, Trump’s handpicked Senate candidate in North Carolina, whose record includes appointing a convicted child sex offender to a state GOP committee, hard-line abortion politics, financial interests tied to policies he supports, and questions about his role in Hurricane Helene recovery. Plus, Tim digs into the ugly story behind an anti-Roy Cooper ad featuring a grieving father who says he was misled about how his story would be used.Watch more in t...