Bulwark Takes

Latest Episodes:

JD Vance’s Latest Speech Sends Tim Miller Over the Edge Sep 01, 2026

Show notes

Tim Miller and a secret guest take on JD Vance’s disastrous trip to Michigan, from his awkward attempt to defend Trump’s deeply unpopular data-center push to an astonishing 9/11 gaffe and an ugly attack on Abdul El-Sayed’s Muslim faith. Tim breaks down the hypocrisy behind Vance’s “populist” persona—and eventually, he blows his lid.

If you value having an outlet that can call out this kind of garbage without pulling punches, become a paid Bulwark member. Your support helps us keep making things like this every day.

The President Is Posting Fake Bombings and Threatening Allies Aug 31, 2026

Show notes

Donald Trump is posting AI-generated war footage, threatening Canada, spreading dangerous vaccine misinformation, and flooding Truth Social with bizarre content—and Andrew Egger and Catherine Rampell are trying to make sense of it all.

From the fake footage showing U.S. strikes on Iran’s Kharg Island to Trump’s bizarre AI videos about Canada, the president’s latest posting binge raises a bigger question: Does Trump know what’s real anymore? And when the president’s information diet is increasingly filled with AI slop designed to flatter his worldview, the consequences go far beyond embarrassing social media posts.

Fall Show Tickets: thebulwark.com/events

MAGA Mondays: MAGA Influencers Secretly Working for the Pentagon Aug 31, 2026

Show notes

Sam Stein and Will Sommer went live to cover the Pentagon’s secret army of MAGA influencers, including the government employees allegedly working behind anonymous accounts to attack Pete Hegseth’s critics and target the left. Next, Milo Yiannopoulos has been deported. Watch the video to see Will break down the spectacular feud between Milo and Laura Loomer that helped get him there. Plus, the rise of a neo-Nazi boxing spectacle that drew thousands of spectators in Florida.

If you want to understand the increasingly unhinged world of MAGA influencers, join The Bulwark. Will Sommer is one of the few reporters actually spending his days tracking these people, figuring out who they are, what they’re doing, and how their influence keeps spreading.

Read more from Will: https://www.thebulwark.com/s/false-flag

Trump Wants the FCC to “Punish” NBC's Kristen Welker for Telling the Truth Aug 30, 2026

Show notes

Sam Stein and Ben Parker unpack a brutal 24 hours for press freedom: Trump threatening Kristen Welker with the FCC, journalists barred from G20 Treasury access, a leaked Pentagon assessment on Iran drawing threats against reporters, and big tech's silent complicity as DHS bypasses judges to subpoena journalists' data.

Politicians Loved Data Centers. Now They’re Running Away From Them. (w/ Nathaniel Rich) Aug 30, 2026

Show notes

Tim Miller talks with author and Tulane professor Nathaniel Rich about climate change, the growing backlash to data centers, their security and privacy risks, and Rich’s new novel, Cloudthief. They also discuss public anxiety about AI and technology, the appeal of scams and get-rich-quick thinking, and how people navigate a future that increasingly feels uncertain.

Buy Cloudthief: https://us.macmillan.com/books/9780374619794/cloudthief/

The Trump Admin Found a Way to Make Mass Deportation Even Crueler Aug 30, 2026

Show notes

Bill Kristol talks with Jim Swift, reporting from Springfield, Ohio on ICE's crackdown on Haitians who lost protected status, and ACLU attorney Sarah Mehta on third-country deportations, "remigration," and the legal and legislative fights over immigration enforcement.

The Trio: You Won’t Believe What Marjorie Taylor Greene Did Aug 29, 2026

Show notes

Tim Miller, Sam Stein, and Will Sommer give their takes on Milo Yiannopoulos being detained by ICE, Laura Loomer taking credit, and the latest bizarre fallout inside the MAGA world. Plus, a KKK/Nazi-linked staffer in the orbit of Georgia Senate candidate Mike Collins, Marjorie Taylor Greene’s unforgettable message to JVL, and the latest bizarre saga surrounding Colorado gubernatorial nominee Victor Marx.

If the Trio’s particular brand of political insanity is your thing, watch the full video and subscribe to The Bulwark. There’s nowhere else you’ll get this kind of reporting and commentary on the characters Will is tracking—and there are plenty more freaks where these came from.

You can subscribe on Apple Podcasts, YouTube or Substack.

Trump Said He’d Target Illegal Immigration. That Was a Lie. (w/ Doug Rand) Aug 29, 2026

Show notes

Trump’s immigration crackdown isn’t just targeting people who entered the country illegally—it’s making it harder for legal immigrants, international students, nurses, and highly skilled workers to come to and stay in the United States. Catherine Rampell and Doug Rand, former senior advisor at U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, break down how the administration is shutting down legal pathways, imposing massive new barriers on H-1B workers, and driving international talent toward other countries.

Listen to Doug Rand's podcast, 'The Melting Pod' — https://meltingpod.org/

A quick note: This is the kind of conversation we want to do more of at The Bulwark: bringing in people who have actually worked inside the agencies and understand how these policies operate beyond the headlines. There aren’t many outlets putting out substantive conversations with experts like Doug, giving them the time to explain what’s changing and why it matters. If you value having that kind of expertise available—and accessible to everyone—becoming a Bulwark member helps us keep making it possible.

Karoline Leavitt Is Getting Out. George Conway Thinks He Knows Why Aug 29, 2026

Show notes

Karoline Leavitt is leaving the White House and George Conway has a few thoughts about her tenure as Donald Trump’s press secretary. Andrew Egger and George give their takes on Leavitt’s talent for lying, deflecting, insulting reporters, and never losing her cool, even when defending the indefensible. They also look at the potential candidates to replace her, including CNN’s Scott Jennings, and ask whether he has what it takes to become Trump’s next professional gaslighter. Watch as George makes the case as to why replacing Leavitt may be harder than it looks.

Get your tickets for The Bulwark's Good Fight Tour this October, coming to Charlotte, Columbia, and Atlanta. (https://www.thebulwark.com/events)

Receipts Live: Trump Has Absolutely No Idea How Trade with Canada Works Aug 28, 2026

Show notes

Sam Stein and Catherine Rampell give their takes on Trump’s escalating trade war with Canada and why Canada may be looking to China and other countries as more reliable partners.

Plus, Trump says the Strait of Hormuz is “open.” So why does the actual data tell a very different story? Watch Catherine break it down and share what the administration doesn’t want you to look at.

Read more from Catherine's reporting: https://www.thebulwark.com/s/receipts

Tickets for our Good Fight Tour: https://www.thebulwark.com/events