The Next Level

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The Bulwark's Gigantic Election Night Episode Nov 04, 2026

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

Election night delivers a stunning rebuke of Donald Trump as Democrats seize control of Congress and score extraordinary victories in Texas, Kansas, South Carolina, Maine, Ohio and beyond. Tim Miller, Sarah Longwell, JVL, and the Bulwark team react to the results in real time, joined by Pete Buttigieg, Ro Khanna, Lis Smith and others to break down the races, MAGA’s meltdown, and what comes next for Trump.

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This premium ad-free version of The Next Level is exclusively for Bulwark+ members.

JVL’s Wild 57-Seat Senate Scenario Has Tim Doing the Math Oct 28, 2026

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

For the final stretch of the election and everything that comes after, become a paid member of The Bulwark for more of Sarah, Tim, and JVL’s unfiltered conversations, members-only Q&As, and election analysis.

Tim, Sarah, and JVL are back together for their last Next Level before Election Day. They discuss Marco Rubio helping Flavio Bolsonaro take refuge in the United States after losing Brazil's presidential election, RFK Jr's wildly racist comments about Arabs in Michigan, and the continued fallout from Vivek Ramaswamy's ghoulish ad against Amy Acton.Then: a Kansas City Star report finds Roger Marshall’s own hometown turning on him, and Susan Collins is running a snobby ad against Troy Jackson. The gang runs through the whole Senate map and how big the Democratic wave could get, then they react to reports that Pete Hegseth has his eye on Marsha Blackburn’s Senate seat. And finally, after seeing the new Elizabeth Holmes documentary, Tim is soft-on-crime. Again.Send your political questions or pleas for life advice for future Next Level episodes to nextlevel@thebulwark.com.

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This premium ad-free version of The Next Level is exclusively for Bulwark+ members.

Elon Musk Could Face a MOUNTAIN of Subpoenas in 2027 Oct 21, 2026

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

This week’s Next Level starts out as a Secret Pod episode, before Tim and Sam crash the stage. They discuss Sarah’s interview with Pete Buttigieg, why Jon Ossoff might be history’s choice for 2028 whether he likes it or not. Plus: some hopium on some key races across the South. Then the crew turns to Vivek Ramaswamy’s despicable ad featuring Amy Acton’s estranged mother, and whether JD Vance might be (shudder) underrated in 2028. who they most want to see hauled before Democratic committees in 2027, with Elon Musk, RFK Jr., Todd Blanche, and Jared Kushner all making the list.

If following all of this is making you feel like you’re losing your mind, join The Bulwark. We can’t make the news less insane, but we can help you make sense of it with smart people who haven’t lost the plot.

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Show links:

* Get your copy of How to Eat an Elephant, Sarah’s first book! And join Sarah on Friday for a live AMA on Substack and YouTube. Leave your questions here.

This ad-free video version of The Next Level is exclusively for Bulwark+ members.

Trump Insiders Are Already Trashing the New Press Secretary Oct 14, 2026

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

Tim, Sarah, and JVL are back together for a super-sized, off-the-rails show. They wish Kimberly Guilfoyle well after she was forced out of the Trump administration, dig into the background of our new White House Press Secretary, discuss the DHS raid on Rep. Ilhan Omar's home, discuss the right-wing meltdown over James Talarico's absence from the campaign trail, and gloat about the GOP pulling resources out of some key House races.Then, they go behind they paywall, and it REALLY gets fun: They watch Katie Zacharia's entire White House press briefing (all 15 minutes), and give their minute-by-minute commentary. Then: Sarah and JVL ask Tim whether he's reconsidered his stance on a take that got MANY Bulwark listeners mad a few months ago.

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This premium ad-free version of The Next Level is exclusively for Bulwark+ members.

MAGA’s Racism is Blowing Up Its Own Coalition Oct 07, 2026

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

Memberships are 30% off for our October sale, a discount so large that JVL and Sarah would like it known they personally object to it. Please take advantage of this terrible business decision while you can.

The gang congratulates Kash Patel on his engagement, discuss JVL's Triad on the White House reporter-turned-press staffer from Real America's Voice. Then: Megyn Kelly's ghoulish rant against Cornell's Jane Doe, and whether we're happy to see John Roberts experiencing public shame. Finally: Two VERY weird campaign ads, one filled with weird innuendo, and the other featuring Angela Paxton announcing her vote for her cheating ex-husband. They wrap up by discussing a long New Yorker article about the Heritage Foundation's groypery turn.Show links:Read JVL's Triad Emma Green's New Yorker feature on the Heritage Foundation

Show links:

* Get your copy of How to Eat an Elephant, Sarah’s first book! And join Sarah on Friday for a live AMA on Substack and YouTube. Leave your questions here.

This ad-free video version of The Next Level is exclusively for Bulwark+ members.

Things Are Going So Badly for Trump, Even JVL Has Hope Sep 29, 2026

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

Tim, Sarah, and JVL are all together in-studio. It turns out things are so bad for the GOP, even JVL is hopeful. They discuss Marjorie Taylor Greene calling BS on the GOP's 'caravan' tactic, whether Pete Hegseth could be the administration's fall guy for the Iran war, and a new Marist poll showing Democrats with an almost-too-good-to-be-true lead on the generic congressional ballot.Later: Did Scott Jennings REALLY talk to Mitch McConnell for 30 minutes? Can Democrats get to 56 Senate seats? The gang has thoughts on how Democrats should handle oversight investigations in 2027. Plus: Bo French is racist AND wants mass executions, and finally: the gang discusses some interesting rumors about Candace Owens.You can help: Donate here to support the Haitian Support Center in Springfield, OH.

Watch, listen, and leave a comment.

Show links:

* Read JVL’s Triad.

* Get your copy of How to Eat an Elephant, Sarah’s first book! And join Sarah on Friday for a live AMA on Substack and YouTube. Leave your questions here.

This ad-free video version of The Next Level is exclusively for Bulwark+ members.

Suddenly, Democrats Have a Path to a HUGE Senate Majority Sep 27, 2026

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

This bonus episode of The Next Level was recorded during Bulwark LIVE: Benefit for Springfield on Friday, September 25. Tim, Sarah, and JVL dig into the quieter tactics behind Trump’s deportation crackdown, what Sarah’s Ohio focus groups are saying about Vivek Ramaswamy, Sherrod Brown, John Husted, and Amy Acton, and just how big the 2026 Senate map could get. Plus, as conservative media struggles to defend Trump, The Trio holds a contest to see who can do a better Scott Jennings impression.You can help, too. Donate here to support the Haitian Support Center in Springfield, OH.

Watch, listen, and leave a comment.

Show links:

* Read JVL’s Monday and Tuesday Triads on the AI race, and how our political leaders can respond.

* Get your copy of How to Eat an Elephant, Sarah’s first book! And join Sarah on Friday for a live AMA on Substack and YouTube. Leave your questions here.

This ad-free video version of The Next Level is exclusively for Bulwark+ members.

Furious Republicans are Finally Breaking with a Weakened Trump Sep 22, 2026

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

Sarah'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 TDS you're thinking of). Also: The FBI was investigating Susan Collins for bribery, Tim is mad at Jared Golden, and JVL wants to discuss the Department of Defense's "Gender-Affirming Care."

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Show links:

* Sarah’s Focus Group Newsletter about Vivek Ramaswamy

* Gerard Baker has TDS

* Amy Acton ad

* Propublica’s investigation into Susan Collins and her Super PAC’s donors

* Get your tickets for The Bulwark's Good Fight Tour this October, coming to Charlotte, Columbia, and Atlanta.

* See you in OH on Friday for Bulwark LIVE:Benefit for Springfield. Support the Haitian community through this link.

This ad-free video version of The Next Level is exclusively for Bulwark+ members.

Thomas Massie Has a Nasty Surprise for Pete Hegseth Sep 15, 2026

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

JVL's on the west coast for Sarah's book event, and he, Tim, and Andrew Egger discuss Mitch McConnell's triumphant (?) return to the Senate, Donald Trump casually floating conspiracy theories over the Butler, PA assassination attempt, and Thomas Massie's articles of impeachment against Pete Hegseth. Then, they turn their attention to a New York Times poll with some GREAT news for Democrats in the midterms (with the exception of one issue: AI). They discuss the developments from the world of AI in the last week and how our political leaders should respond. Then: Is Gavin Newsom really thinking about NOT running for president? There's a really, really, REALLY racist Republican running for Texas railroad commission, and Tim debriefs on a rather contentious interview he did on the Bulwark Daily.

Watch, listen, and leave a comment.

Show links:

* Read JVL’s Monday and Tuesday Triads on the AI race, and how our political leaders can respond.

* Get your tickets for our September 25 show in Dayton, Ohio to benefit the Springfield, OH Haitian community.

* Get your copy of How to Eat an Elephant, Sarah’s first book!

This ad-free video version of The Next Level is exclusively for Bulwark+ members.

Trump’s Imaginary Presidency Is Going Just Great Sep 08, 2026

Show notes

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

Tim, 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 tickets for The Bulwark's Good Fight Tour this October, coming to Charlotte, Columbia, and Atlanta. Pete Buttigieg is joining us in Charlotte on October 18.

* Get your copy of How to Eat an Elephant and help push Ted Effing Cruz out of the top spot on the NY Times Best Sellers list.

This ad-free video version of The Next Level is exclusively for Bulwark+ members.

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