The Bulwark

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.thebulwark.comAndrew Weissmann turns the tables on Sarah Longwell for a conversation about her new book, How to Eat an Elephant: One Voter at a Time—and what a post-Trump political future could look like. They get into Trump’s unusual hold on his voters, the right-wing media ecosystem, why Democrats too often let polls dictate what they believe, and what years of listening to voters have taught Sarah about how to build a pro-democracy coalition that can actually win.How...

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.thebulwark.comThis is a long one, folks! If you’re not strong enough to endure Trump’s speech, skip to 2:07:00 for post-ordeal commentary.Join Sam Stein, Catherine Rampell, Will Sommer and Sonny Bunch for live coverage of Donald Trump's keynote address to the RNC's midterm convention.If you think Sam, Sonny, Catherine and Will deserve a little bit of compensation for their suffering, consider becoming a Bulwark+ member.

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.thebulwark.comSam Stein and Michael Weiss take on Steve Witkoff’s groveling meeting with Vladimir Putin, the growing power struggle inside Trump’s administration over Russia, and why CIA Director John Ratcliffe is emerging as a counterweight to Witkoff’s approach. Plus, Weiss explains why the reality on the battlefield may be considerably worse for Putin than the conventional wisdom suggests.Related Links:Financial Times — US spy chief prepares for greater role in Russia-Ukraine talkshttps://www.ft.com/content/d0557d25-78b5...

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.thebulwark.comWith Republicans in tight races stripping Trump’s name off their campaign websites, the president is in need of some love from Republicans he has summoned to Dallas to celebrate him. The fake convention also conveniently serves as a distraction from the surging price of oil. Plus: Vance may be the source who’s leaking about the missile depletions, Fox is giving more leeway for criticism of Trump, anti-Muslim hysteria is driving the complaints about Mamdani attending the 9/11 memorial in NYC, and...

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.thebulwark.comBen Parker and Lt. Gen. Mark Hertling (Ret.) look back at 9/11, Trump’s bizarre remarks at a commemoration, and the lessons Hertling wishes America had learned over the last 25 years. Then they turn to the escalating Iran war, attacks on Saudi oil infrastructure, Pete Hegseth’s sidelining of Gen. Christopher Donahue, and the Pentagon’s effort to identify and remove transgender service members through their medical records.Links:Mark Hertling: “A Letter to Myself on 9/11”The New York Times...

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.thebulwark.comSam Stein and Will Sommer preview Trump’s strangely low-energy midterm convention, where Republicans are skipping town, lawmakers are being asked to cough up $25,000, and even the convention website has become an embarrassment. Plus, they discuss the increasingly bizarre campaign attacks coming from Elon Musk’s PAC and Ken Paxton—and what they say about the GOP’s plan for 2026.A quick note: The Bulwark will be watching the convention so you don’t have to—including live coverag...

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.thebulwark.comTim, Sarah, and JVL discuss Trump's Labor Day Weekend with his favorite person, Corey Lewandowski's possible ‘light extortion,’ and whether Trumpworld will circle the wagons around him. Plus: why the GOP's midterm convention shows Trump losing his fastball, ABC News's bizarre framing of Rudy Giuliani's Islamophobic comments about Zohran Mamdani, and John Fetterman's total lack of interest in doing the job of a U.S. senator.Watch, listen, and leave a comment.Show links:* Get your...

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.thebulwark.comFrom politics to sports, business, and tech, the rich are breaking the rules, looking out for their friends, and still getting rewarded in the end—maybe with the help of a little trip to the White House with a POTUS gift in hand. For the midterms and beyond, Adam is bullish in his new book about the Dems' prospects to win on a grand scale and pass the kind of policies that help regular people. Part of the trick is cooling it...

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.thebulwark.comAndrew Egger and Bill Kristol discuss Donald Trump’s increasingly erratic social media posts, his proposed triumphal arch near Arlington National Cemetery, and the GOP’s Trump-centered midterm convention in Dallas as the elections draw closer. They also consider the expanding Senate battlefield, looming Supreme Court decisions affecting voting, and what a possible wave election could mean for Republicans.Plus, we have huge news about the Bulwark’s Fall tour: Pete Buttigieg will be joining the gang for the Sunday...

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.thebulwark.comWith just under two months until Election Day, Tim and Bill revisit the run-up to the midterms in 2006 and 1994, two major wave election cycles where the bottom just fell out from under the party in power. The 1994 blowout was more about the end of an era, while 2006 was about an unpopular war in the Middle East, a scandal, and a disappointed base. What do those wave elections suggest about the prospects for a big blue year in 2026? Plus: Do not miss...

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.thebulwark.comA quick note: Joe’s reporting from Capitol Hill adds something you won’t get from the headlines—what vulnerable Republicans are actually saying and doing when Trump isn’t nearly as useful to them as he used to be. If you value that kind of reporting, become a Bulwark member and help us keep making more of it.Catherine Rampell and Joe Perticone discuss the growing signs that Republicans see Trump as a midterm liabilit...

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.thebulwark.comTim Miller sits down with New York Magazine’s Ben Terris to discuss his extraordinary reporting on Donald Trump’s obsession with the new White House ballroom. Ben spent 90 minutes with Trump, toured the ballroom construction site, and got a firsthand look at the massive project, which is already employing hundreds of workers.Trump claims the ballroom is being built with “nuclear concrete” strong enough to withstand a nuclear blast. He also opened up to Ben about why he’s so determined...

Bill Kristol and Sarah Longwell discuss Longwell’s new book, How to Eat an Elephant: One Voter at a Time, tracing the origins of The Bulwark and their efforts to oppose Trump while drawing lessons from years of voter focus groups. They consider how the media environment has changed, what Democrats can learn from Republican political infrastructure, how a broad pro-democracy coalition can manage internal disagreements, and what a successful strategy against Trumpism could look like.Help knock Ted Cruz off the NY Times Best Sellers list by ordering your copy of How to Eat an Elephant by...

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.thebulwark.comMona Charen is joined by Bill Galston, Linda Chavez, and Damon Linker for a "Beg to Differ" reunion! They discuss the Trump administration’s foreign policy and corruption, America’s standing in the world, Israel and Gaza, antisemitism, the Democratic Party’s internal battles over the DSA, and the political significance of upcoming races in Pennsylvania and Michigan. Plus: recommendations for books and TV shows.If you value long-form shows that resist the rush to the next topic...

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.thebulwark.comTim Miller and Sam Stein take on Fox firing Maria Bartiromo after she reportedly shared internal network information with the Trump White House, and revisit some of her most infamous conspiracy-theory moments. Then, they discuss the wild IG report on former Labor Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer, featuring strip clubs, an alleged affair, drinking on the job, staffers organizing her closet, and a suspiciously convenient trip to Vegas. Plus, Trumpworld unveils a bizarre Apprentice-style competition featuring Nicki Minaj and Dean Cain.<...

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.thebulwark.comNorth Carolina has been a difficult nut for Democrats to crack for nearly two decades. But relatively popular former Gov. Roy Cooper appears to be on the verge of changing that this year, partly because NOBODY knows who his opponent is. Western Carolina University political science professor Chris Cooper joins Sarah to discuss this year's U.S. Senate race, the House landscape in North Carolina and whether some recent successes for Democrats can translate into carrying the state in 2028....

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.thebulwark.comMark Hertling and Ben Parker react live to Trump dismissing the mounting costs of the Iran war as “small potatoes.”

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.thebulwark.comMarco Rubio is using dubious powers to create a new class of immigrant political prisoners. Meanwhile, DHS officials are bragging about how they're brutally shackling and frog-marching Haitians who came here under protected status. On this American holiday weekend, David takes a "nerd moment" to explain that the Founders always intended our Constitutional liberties to apply to noncitizens as well—including even despicable Milo Yiannopoulos. Plus: How Trump keeps getting away with his illegal ballroom construction, what normie Texas Republicans are th...

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.thebulwark.comIt’s almost Book Week! How to Eat an Elephant drops on Tuesday and the Best Friends really want to get it to #1 on the NYT best seller list. To do that, we have to unseat . . . a biography of Clarence Thomas by Ted Effing Cruz.Don’t let Teddy Cancun and High Life Clarence win. Order a copy of Sarah’s book now. (If you haven’t already, I mean.)OR!If you...

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.thebulwark.comCatherine Rampell and JVL break down Donald Trump’s latest economic claims—and explain why his understanding of interest rates, inflation, and economic growth is so badly detached from reality.They also dig into a disturbing new trend: European countries are moving gold and other assets out of the United States as allies increasingly worry that Trump co…