The Bulwark

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.thebulwark.comEliot returns from his trip to western Canada to review the latest jackassery with Eric. The two discuss recent developments surrounding a potential U.S.-Saudi nuclear cooperation agreement and contextualize it against the history of U.S. non-proliferation and counter-proliferation efforts. They also reflect on their personal experiences with the late Senator Lindsey Graham and examine his legacy. From there they turn to the latest updates from Ukraine, including President Zelensky’s dismissal of Defense Minister Fedorov and Commander-in-Chief Syrskyi. Fi...

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.thebulwark.comWill Saletan and Ben Parker take on Mike Waltz's Sunday show gauntlet defending Trump's Iran war—confused goals, dwindling munitions, Russia and China's help, civilian infrastructure targeting, and fantasy pipelines meant to bypass the Strait of Hormuz.As always: Watch, listen, and leave a comment. Bulwark+ Takes is home to short videos, livestreams, and event archives exclusively for Bulwark+ members.Add Bulwark+ Takes feed to your player of choice, here.

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.thebulwark.comBill Kristol welcomes Epstein survivor Dani Bensky to discuss her private meeting with Todd Blanche, her communications with Senators Tillis and Cornyn, and whether any GOP Senators will do the right thing.

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.thebulwark.comThomas Edsall tells Mona Charen Democrats can recover from Trump's bad ratings by moderating on three fronts: transgender policy (affirm two sexes, restrict sports/prisons/youth surgery), immigration (pro-legal, pro-enforcement), and crime (oppose lenient DAs and no-bail policies). His diagnosis: the party's become too elitist and needs working-class voters back to beat MAGA.If the Democrats Actually Want to Win, This Is What They Have to DoBulwark Book Club pick for August: Mark...

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.thebulwark.comTrump took the stage at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner and delivered one of the most uncomfortable speeches of his political career. Sam Stein and Will Saletan break down the jokes that bombed, the attacks on Kaitlan Collins and other targets that crossed the line from comedy into cruelty, the surreal Wall Street Journal/Epstein moment, and what happened when Trump faced an audience that simply stopped laughing.As always: Watch, listen, and leave a comment. Bulwark+ Takes is ho...

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.thebulwark.comIn Pennsylvania, Gov. Josh Shapiro is on track for a pretty big win in November. And he can’t do that without winning over a lot of former Trump voters, including the ones in our focus group. Cook Political Report editor-in-chief Amy Walter returns to the show to discuss how our Pennsylvania focus group felt about Shapiro, AND Sen. John Fetterman’s possible party switch, and about the Trump administration. They also break down whether Democrats should be concerned about the gene...

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.thebulwark.comJVL joins Destiny for his first-ever political stream to talk about how MAGA media manufactures reality, why mainstream outlets keep playing by obsolete rules, and how Democrats kill their own messages before voters ever hear them.As always: Watch, listen, and leave a comment. Bulwark+ Takes is home to short videos, livestreams, and event archives exclusively for Bulwark+ members.Add Bulwark+ Takes feed to your player of choice, here.

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.thebulwark.comBig 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 dist...

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.thebulwark.comJoin Lt. Gen. Mark Hertling (Ret.) and Ben Parker as they cover the Pentagon lowering the count of US service members killed in the Iran War.

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.thebulwark.comJoin JVL and special guest Paul Krugman (filling in for Catherine) as they cover the week's biggest stories from the world of economics and finance.For more on Catherine's original reporting, check out her latest Receipts newsletter on how the Trump administration is conspiring to exclude millions of immigrants from the 2030 census, here.Follow Paul Krugman on Substack.

On this week’s episode, I’m joined by Nate Jones of Vulture to discuss his monumental effort to rank the 100 most powerful directors in Hollywood. We discussed how the audience has shifted from stars to IP to maybe, now, directors, and what that means for the industry. Plus: Who did his inside sources think he rated too highly … and too lowly? All that and more on this week’s (if I do say so myself) very fun episode. Debate amongst yourselves: Who has the most juice in Hollywood … and who should have the most juice? This is a...

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.thebulwark.comSam Stein and Ben Parker give their takes on why the DOJ abruptly withdrew its subpoenas against three New York Times reporters and their family members over reporting on security flaws in Trump’s Qatari-gifted Air Force One. But the losses in court don't stop there, the administration also quietly dropped its demand for a list of Jewish faculty and students at UPenn, and a Trump-appointed judge just blocked the White House from obtaining Kentucky’s voter rolls. Plus, in a scen...

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.thebulwark.comIn 2026, everyone who follows politics has an opinion about Maine politics. Here’s the thing: a lot of people in Maine think they’re wrong. So, Sarah talked to a former national political reporter who moved his family to Maine to help stand up a local paper. Former NBC News reporter Alex Seitz-Wald, now deputy editor of the Midcoast Villager, joins to discuss his transition to local journalism, the unique culture of Maine politics, and how Graham Platner’s exit from the U...

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.thebulwark.comSam Stein and Will Sommer break down the double standard at the heart of the GOP right now: Democrats forced Graham Platner off the ballot over disturbing allegations, while Republicans stand by candidates and members with far more documented records. Texas gun-YouTuber Brandon Herrera made disgusting comments about women and children. Arizona's Mark Lamb is facing sexual misconduct allegations. Sitting Congressmen Cory Mills and Max Miller continue to face domestic abuse allegations. So what does Mike Johnson say when he's asked...

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.thebulwark.comSam Stein and Andrew Egger give their takes on Trump's new threats of war crimes to Iran, the new polling showing MAGA support for the war cratering, and the new U.S.-Saudi civilian nuclear agreement. Plus, they dig into the White House's ever-expanding gold decor of oversized frames, mystery bells, and speculation about Trump's late-night decorating habits.As always: Watch, listen, and leave a comment. Bulwark+ Takes is home to short videos, livestreams, and event archives exclusively for...

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.thebulwark.comSarah Longwell welcomes George Conway back to The Illegal News to discuss Trump Media’s plan to sell Wall Street firms early access to Trump’s market-moving Truth Social posts. They also talk about DOJ subpoenas targeting New York Times reporters and their families, Trump’s Qatar jet, the newly activated Alien Terrorist Removal Court, and the Paramount–Warner merger.show notes:Watch, listen and leave a comment.The Illegal News with Sarah Longwell is avail...

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.thebulwark.comTrump keeps promising more bombs and bigger explosions in Iran, but the regime knows he’s just trying to disguise his retreat. And the Iranians are not going to back down until the whole world can see that they beat Trump. Meanwhile, in the middle of a war that is ostensibly about stopping Iran from getting a nuke, POTUS just cut a deal with the Saudis for their own nuclear program. Plus: The failure of Republican senators to stand up to Tr...

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.thebulwark.comWill Saletan breaks down how Donald Trump’s empty threats, reckless boasts, and shifting stories turned his Iran deal into a deadly fiasco—and exposed just how little he understands the war he started.As always: Watch, listen, and leave a comment. Bulwark+ Takes is home to short videos, livestreams, and event archives exclusively for Bulwark+ members.Add Bulwark+ Takes feed to your player of choice, here.

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.thebulwark.comLt. Gen. Mark Hertling (Ret.) and Ben Parker are joined by Senator Elissa Slotkin (D-MI) for her take on the state of the Iran war, U.S. military strategy, and the health of American democracy heading into the midterms. Slotkin, a former CIA analyst with three tours in Iraq, pushes back on Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth's testimony that the U.S. has neutralized Iran's naval threat in the Strait of Hormuz, arguing Iran retains "veto power" over the critical waterway...

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.thebulwark.comChristopher Nolan's The Odyssey just pulled in $124.5 million over its opening weekend, the biggest domestic opening for a live-action film this year. So why has MAGA Twitter spent the weekend insisting it's a woke disaster, a box office fraud, and a betrayal of Homer himself?Sam Stein, Sonny Bunch, and Will Sommer give their takes on the right's bizarre backlash: the fake Achilles/Elliot Page casting controversy, the Emily Wilson translation discourse, the conspiracy theories about Rotten Tomatoes being "rigged," and...