Bulwark Takes

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Politics
**Bulwark Takes**

The news cycle doesn’t slow down, and neither does The Bulwark. Bulwark Takes brings you bite-sized takes on the news of the day from the entire Bulwark team, including Tim Miller, Sarah Longwell, and Bill Kristol, and more.

Latest Episodes:

Trump Admin Threatens to Disrupt Air Travel Over "Sanctuary" Policies | Receipts LIVE May 29, 2026

Show notes

Catherine and JVL are going LIVE at 12:30pm on Friday.

Read Catherine Rampell's 'Receipts' newsletter: https://www.thebulwark.com/s/receipts

The White House Accused Tim of Being a Foreign Agent. Seriously. May 29, 2026

Show notes

Tim Miller reacts after the official White House account suggested he should be investigated under FARA over his commentary on the Iran war. He also breaks down the Trump administration’s escalating use of the DOJ against critics, including a criminal investigation against E. Jean Carroll, and explains why he believes the White House is lashing out as the Iran negotiations unravel.

CBS Fires Top Staffers from 60 Minutes In Newsroom Purge May 28, 2026

Show notes

JVL and Sam Stein give their takes on CBS News firing Sharyn Alfonsi, Cecilia Vega, and top executives at 60 Minutes. Plus, they break down why the changes at CBS News appear tied to corporate merger politics from Trumpworld and what the shakeup says about the future of independent journalism in America.

Trump’s Pitiful America 250 Event Is Already an Embarrassment May 28, 2026

Show notes

JVL and Sonny Bunch take on Trump's "Freedom 250" disaster—the washed-up acts already bailing on the Great American State Fair, the UFC cage being built on the White House lawn, and why the whole spectacle looks less like a birthday party and more like something straight out of The Boys.

Trump Wants To Put His OWN Face on a $250 Bill | MAGA Thursdays LIVE May 28, 2026

Show notes

Sam and Will went live at 11am ET to cover the week's biggest developments in the right wing fever swamp.

Get 50% off of a new Bulwark+ subscription for the next year, that’s everything we offer on our website, by going to thebulwark.com/sanity – this is a limited time offer.

Trump Threatens To Blow Up Oman Amid Negotiations With Iran May 27, 2026

Show notes

Andrew Egger and Will Saletan give their takes on Trump’s latest cabinet meeting spectacle, from his bizarre rant about the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool, potentially bombing Oman, and Pete Hegseth pitching a staggering $1.5 trillion defense budget. As Trump’s poll numbers slide and Republicans brace for a brutal midterm environment, the White House still seems trapped in a reality-defying loyalty pageant.

Breaking Down Hegseth’s West Point Address | Command Post May 27, 2026

Show notes

Lt. Gen. Mark Hertling (Ret.) and Ben Parker went live on Wednesday at 10:30am ET to cover the latest on the war in Iran and Pete Hegseth's graduation speech at West Point where he blamed “foolish and feckless leaders” for promoting diversity.

Programming note: On June 8 at 7pm ET, Mona Charen and Mark Hertling will kick off the Bulwark Book Club with a live chat about Mark’s book, If I Don’t Return: A Father’s Wartime Journal. This livestream is for Bulwark+ subscribers on Substack and YouTube.

Mark’s book consists of a series of journal entries Mark wrote to his two young sons while he was deployed in the Middle East. You can order Mark's book from Amazon or Barnes & Noble, or buy a signed copy via the publisher.

Have question for Mark after reading If I Don’t Return? Drop your questions here or on this members-only post and join us live June 8.

Members-only post: https://www.youtube.com/post/UgkxLdXeNJIIRiHPOGdVqOZQi2wa5KfRRniY

Mark's book: http://www.amazon.com/dp/1966786727/?tag=bulwark08-20

Trump Is Not Being Honest About His Health May 26, 2026

Show notes

Sam Stein and Will Saletan give their takes on Donald Trump’s latest visit to Walter Reed, the White House’s growing secrecy around his health, and the bizarre effort by the White House to defend footage of the president appearing to fall asleep during meetings. They discuss Trump’s repeated medical checkups, his confusing answers about MRIs and CAT scans, comparisons to the Biden health debate, and why transparency matters when it comes to the president of the United States.

A Few GOP Senators Tell the Truth About Trump’s Iran Mess (Briefly) | Morning Shots Live May 26, 2026

Show notes

Andrew and Bill went live at 10am ET on Tuesday to cover the notable deflections over the weekend from a small group of GOP Senators about a potential deal with Iran, the worsening approval ratings for Trump and the war, and the reported potential plan by the U.S. to have Iran send its enriched uranium to Pakistan, Turkey, Russia, or China.

Get 50% off of a new Bulwark+ subscription for the next year, that’s everything we offer on our website, by going to https://www.thebulwark.com/sanity – this is a limited time offer.

Ask JVL: On AI, Iran War, Populism and Should Sarah Run for the Senate? May 25, 2026

Show notes

Jasmine poses Triad readers’ questions to JVL: How can we stop Trump's slush fund? Will AI discourse dominate the 2028 campaign? Why does Trump keep turning down Iran's proposals to end the war? What is the true definition of populism? All that and more (like whether JVL thinks his best friend, Sarah Longwell, should run for Senate in Pennsylvania) in this week’s mailbag.

Paid members of the Bulwark can get the full episode on Apple Podcasts, YouTube or Substack.