Bulwark Takes

Latest Episodes:

Trump Wants $1 BILLION in Taxpayer Money for His Ballroom | Morning Shots Live May 05, 2026

Show notes

Sam Stein and Bill Kristol are going live to discuss Senate Republicans' request for $1 billion in taxpayer money for Trump's ballroom after Trump claimed it was "free of charge." Plus Pete Hegseth announces a new military campaign in Iran, while also claiming the ceasefire is still in place.

For a limited time, listeners can get an exclusive $25 off AuraFrame's best-selling Carver Matframe at https://on.auraframes.com/BULWARKTAKES with code BULWARKTAKES.

Tickets for our Bulwark Live shows in San Diego and Los Angeles in May: https://thebulwark.com/events

GasBuddy Expert Warns: This Oil Crisis Could Last Over a Year (w/ Patrick De Haan) May 05, 2026

Show notes

Tim Miller is joined by Gas Buddy's Head of Petroleum Analysis Patrick De Haan for his take on the escalating oil crisis, surging gas prices, and why Americans could be feeling the effects for a long time. De Haan warns that every day the Strait of Hormuz remains disrupted could mean weeks of recovery for global oil markets, potentially leading to a 65-week climb back to pre-crisis prices. He also predicts a July 4 “sticker shock” as rising diesel costs drive up prices on everything from gas to summer cookout staples. They break down why U.S. oil production can’t insulate Americans from global markets, how refinery problems are making things worse, and why this crisis could ripple through the entire economy.

Read more from Patrick's work: https://gaspriceguy.substack.com/

For a limited time, listeners can get an exclusive $25 off AuraFrame's best-selling Carver Matframe at https://on.auraframes.com/BULWARKTAKES with code BULWARKTAKES.

Tickets for our Bulwark Live shows in San Diego and Los Angeles in May: https://thebulwark.com/events

Trump Is Putting His Face on EVERYTHING—And the GOP Is Cool With It May 04, 2026

Show notes

Jared Poland headed to Capitol Hill after reports that Donald Trump will put his face on U.S. passports—and finds Republicans either defending it, laughing it off, or refusing to engage.

For a limited time, listeners can get an exclusive $25 off Aura Frame's best-selling Carver Mat frame at https://on.auraframes.com/BULWARKTAKES with code BULWARKTAKES.

Tucker Carlson Looked Her in the Eyes and Lied May 04, 2026

Show notes

Will Saletan breaks down Tucker Carlson’s series of interviews with the New York Times and shows why his “apology tour” doesn’t hold up. From flat-out denials caught on tape to wild swings between moral outrage and shrugging off atrocities, the pattern is the story: in one moment he sounds reasonable, in the next he’s saying the exact opposite.

Read Lulu Garcia-Navarro's article on Tucker Carlson in the New York Times: https://www.nytimes.com/2026/05/02/magazine/tucker-carlson-interview-trump-iran.html

For a limited time, listeners can get an exclusive $25 off Aura Frame's best-selling Carver Mat frame at https://on.auraframes.com/BULWARKTAKES with code BULWARKTAKES.

Tickets for our Bulwark Live shows in San Diego and Los Angeles in May: https://thebulwark.com/events

Trump’s Golf Obsession, Groyper Conference Disaster, Daily Wire Layoffs | MAGA Monday May 04, 2026

Show notes

Will Sommer and Sam Stein are going live to cover the biggest news in the right wing fever swamp.

For a limited time, listeners can get an exclusive $25 off AuraFrame's best-selling Carver Matframe at https://on.auraframes.com/BULWARKTAKES with code BULWARKTAKES.

Tickets for our Bulwark Live shows in San Diego and Los Angeles in May: https://thebulwark.com/events

Todd Blanche Melts Down Defending Absurd Comey Case May 03, 2026

Show notes

On ‘Meet the Press’, Todd Blanche, Trump’s Acting Attorney General, tries to defend the Justice Department’s indictment of James Comey, but the explanation doesn’t hold up particularly well under scrutiny. Sam Stein and Will Saletan take on the flimsy argument, the timeline, and why the case is drawing skepticism, not just from critics but with Republicans as well.

Tickets for our Bulwark Live shows in San Diego and Los Angeles in May

Nobody Believed Orbán Could Lose. Then It Happened. (w/ H. David Baer) May 03, 2026

Show notes

H. David Baer joins Bill Kristol for Bulwark on Sunday to discuss the lessons of Hungary.

Read Baer's article in The Bulwark

Tickets for our Bulwark Live shows in San Diego and Los Angeles in May

Marc Elias: This is the End of the Voting Rights Act May 03, 2026

Show notes

Tim Miller talks with Democracy Docket's Marc Elias about the mess unfolding in Louisiana, where votes are already being cast—and now the election itself could be reset. Marc explains the Supreme Court decision reshaping the Voting Rights Act, the rush to redraw maps across multiple states, and why both parties are bracing for a full-on redistricting war ahead of 2026.

Tickets for our Bulwark Live shows in San Diego and Los Angeles in May: https://thebulwark.com/events

Scott Jennings Threw a Fit on Live Television May 02, 2026

Show notes

Tim Miller, Sam Stein, and Will Sommer discuss a chaotic CNN panel blowup, the strange rise of Scott Jennings as cable news’ go-to defender, and the surreal world of MAGA-themed cruises—from a “Gulf of America” getaway to a gay conservative cruise that left Tim stunned. They talk about the escalating Candace Owens feud and lawsuit drama, plus one of the weirdest political clips you’ll see all week—featuring Callista Gingrich.

Tickets for our Bulwark Live shows in San Diego and Los Angeles in May: https://thebulwark.com/events

He Voted for Trump Twice. Now He’s Running for Senate as a Democrat. (w/ Kyle Sweetser) May 02, 2026

Show notes

Sarah Longwell is joined by Kyle Sweetser, a former Trump voter and lifelong Republican who is now running for Senate in Alabama as a Democrat. Sweetser explains how Trump-era tariffs impacted his business, why January 6 pushed him into political activism, and why he believes Democrats can compete in deep red states by directly challenging MAGA politics instead of avoiding the fight. They also talk about the political realities of running in Alabama, Trump’s standing with voters, immigration rhetoric, working-class frustrations, and Sweetser’s strategy for winning over disaffected Republicans in a state Trump carried by more than 30 points.

For a limited time, listeners can get an exclusive $25 off AuraFrame's best-selling Carver Mat frame at https://on.auraframes.com/BULWARKTAKES with code BULWARKTAKES.

Tickets for our Bulwark Live shows in San Diego on 5/20 and LA on 5/12: https://www.thebulwark.com/p/bulwark-events

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