Bulwark Takes

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Live Coverage of Trump's Midterm Convention Speech Sep 10, 2026

Show notes

This 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.

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Steve Witkoff’s Groveling to Putin Was Painful to Watch (w/ Michael Weiss) Sep 09, 2026

Show notes

Sam 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 talks
https://www.ft.com/content/d0557d25-78b5-45d8-bb33-d655e859d803

The Wall Street Journal — How Putin Got His Preferred U.S. Envoy: Come Alone, No CIA
https://www.wsj.com/world/putin-witkoff-russia-envoy-04da229d

More Iran Attacks, Oil Problems Worsen, Tanker-for-Tanker Strategy | Command Post Live Sep 09, 2026

Show notes

Ben 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”
https://www.thebulwark.com/p/a-letter-to-myself-on-911-september-11-world-trade-center-pentagon-al-qaeda-afghanistan-iraq-anniversary-war-terror

The New York Times: “Inside the Battle to Save One Pioneering General From Hegseth’s Purge”
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/09/06/us/politics/hegseth-army-general-donahue.html

Federal News Network: “Pentagon searching medical records to identify transgender troops”
https://federalnewsnetwork.com/defense-main/2026/09/pentagon-searching-medical-records-to-identify-transgender-troops/

Military.com: “Pentagon Moves Out on Transgender Ban After Supreme Court Ruling”
https://www.military.com/daily-news/2025/05/09/about-1000-troops-slated-immediate-separation-under-reinstated-transgender-ban.html

Trump’s Big Midterm Convention Is Already Looking Like a Flop Sep 09, 2026

Show notes

Sam 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.

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The Bulwark will be watching the convention so you don’t have to—including live coverage when Vance and Trump take the stage. Join us as a member to support more of the reporting, analysis, and ridicule that goes into making sense of this stuff.

Trump Spent the Weekend Posting Truly Unhinged Stuff | Morning Shots Sep 08, 2026

Show notes

Andrew 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, October 18 show in Charlotte, NC! Get your tickets at https://thebulwark.com/events.

Like this video? You’ll love the Morning Shots newsletter: https://www.thebulwark.com/s/morningshots

Kash Patel’s Embarrassing Video Botches the Name of the FBI Sep 07, 2026

Show notes

Catherine Rampell and Joe Perticone discuss the growing signs that Republicans see Trump as a midterm liability, from candidates scrubbing his photos and endorsements from their websites to vulnerable members finding excuses to skip his big convention. They also look at the collapse of the MAGA merch business, Trump’s post about renaming New Mexico, and Kash Patel’s embarrassing AI-generated FBI propaganda.

Joe Perticone, The Bulwark — “Sorry, Mr. President. I Have a Thing.”
https://www.thebulwark.com/p/sorry-mr-president-i-have-a-thing-republican-midterm-convention-trumpapalooza-dallas-gop

New York Times — "As Midterms Approach, Republicans Find There Is No Escape From Trump" https://www.nytimes.com/2026/09/06/us/politics/trump-miderm-elections-republicans.html

Axios — “‘We’re stuck’: GOP accepts Trump’s all-about-me midterms”
https://www.axios.com/2026/09/05/republicans-stuck-trump-midterms

The Wall Street Journal — “In Trump’s Second Term, the MAGA Merchandise Boom Is Going Bust”
https://www.wsj.com/politics/in-trumps-second-term-the-maga-merchandise-boom-is-going-bust-725bc43a

CBS News — “At the FBI, a history of hiring prostitutes or stealing from employer may no longer be a barrier to being hired”
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/fbi-candidates-prostitutes-theft/

Trump’s Ballroom Obsession Has Gone Totally Off the Rails (w/ Ben Terris) Sep 06, 2026

Show notes

Tim 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 to build it, agreeing that nobody else would build monuments to him after he’s gone.

Sarah Longwell: Trump’s Failures Give Democrats a Once-in-a-Generation Opening | Bulwark on Sunday Sep 06, 2026

Show notes

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.

Buy Sarah's book: https://www.amazon.com/How-Eat-Elephant-Voter-Time/dp/B0GR8JRW71

Fox News FIRES Maria Bartiromo After She Secretly Helped Trump Sep 05, 2026

Show notes

Tim 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.

BREAKING: Trump Says 18 Deaths Are “Small Potatoes” | Command Post Sep 04, 2026

Show notes

Mark Hertling and Ben Parker react live to Trump dismissing the mounting costs of the Iran war as “small potatoes.”

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