The Next Level

Latest Episodes:

1107: Melania May Be Behind MAGA’s Natalie Harp Freakout Aug 18, 2026

Show notes

Tim, JVL, and Andrew Egger discuss:
-(Yet another) story of a former Trump voter seeing a loved one run into the immigration policies he voted for.
-The faux outrage from MAGA-world at Sen. Jon Ossoff pointing out that Donald Trump and Natalie Harp travel together a lot.
-Karoline Leavitt leaving the White House, and who might come next.
-The Florida primary, and how Trump's hand-picked candidate MIGHT fumble the state away this fall.
-Pete Hegseth traveling to Iowa. Is HE running?
-Andrew breaks down the latest weird trend on right wing twitter: Postpartum Depression truthers.
-Tim welcomes Nancy Mace to the YouTube content game.

For Bulwark+ Subscribers: The pre-sale for this fall’s Good Fight tour is ON. We’re heading to Charlotte, Columbia, and Atlanta in October. Get your tickets HERE, or first, become a subscriber HERE.

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1106: Secret Podcast: American Stasi Aug 15, 2026

Show notes

Full episodes of The Secret Podcast are available only to paid members of The Bulwark. You can join on Substack, YouTube or Apple Podcasts!

Lots of stuff this week.

(1) There are still balcony seats left for the Best Friends Show in NYC on September 8. Come sell out the 92nd Street Y with us! You can get tickets here.

If we sell this show out, JVL will do something nuts.

(2) Sarah, Tim, Sam and I are coming to South Carolina, North Carolina, and Atlanta in October. We’re bringing friends. Tickets go on sale August 21, but Bulwark+ members get access to an exclusive presale on August 18—so join!

(3) Then there’s the news:

Trump is trying to put his name on the Kennedy Center again. Grandpa is so thirsty.
Karoline Leavitt is taking her talent for baldfaced lying to the private sector. Who will be the lucky news organization to buy the privilege of having her lie to its audience? And what lucky liar will inherit her spot behind the podium?
JVL loses his mind over the revelation that after DHS agents murdered Alex Pretti, the federal government launched far-reaching investigations against . . . liberal activist groups in Minnesota. This story will take your hate-fire to 11.
Sarah was always right about the Wisconsin Democratic primary.
- Why don’t progressives say a little prayer of thanksgiving for winning a big race in Minnesota with Peggy Flanagan while not having to defend Francesca Hong? Take the W.
- Also: JVL has some nice things to say about Bernie while Sarah is totally getting there on AOC.

(4) And then there’s the feelings talk. JVL has a lot of them. About Flash and mortality and his gratitude to all of you guys.

(Also: (5) We have news about Rebecca taking us home.)

This isn’t an Instant Classic level show, but it’s a good one. Top quintile for sure.

1105: Tucker Carlson Learned the Most Dangerous Lesson From Donald Trump Aug 12, 2026

Show notes

Tim, Sarah, and JVL are BACK TOGETHER after a month apart. They discuss:

-Bill Cassidy’s pathetic, weepy floor speech before casting the deciding vote to confirm Todd Blanche as Attorney General.
-What Tucker Carlson is up to these days…from interviewing Hunter Biden, to a monologue that sounds a LOT like the prelude to a presidential campaign.
-DSA-aligned Wisconsin gubernatorial candidate Francesca Hong, and the stakes of experimenting with a DSA-aligned candidate in a swing state like Wisconsin.
-Democrats like AOC saying that ‘Woke 1 was crazy,’ and how much of an ‘apology’ Democrats owe for ‘Woke 1.’
-Sarah is raring to talk about the WNBA and its growing role in America’s culture wars.

Read JVL's criminally neglected Triad newsletter.

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1104: Secret Podcast: The GOAT Episode Aug 07, 2026

Show notes

Full episodes of The Secret Podcast are available exclusively to paid members of The Bulwark. Join on Substack, Apple Podcast or YouTube!

JVL and Tim did a GIANT show this week.

Uncanny Callista Gingrich.
Thom Tillis publishes his burn book.
Tucker’s running for president.
Burrito discourse.
And more!

Seriously: Instant classic. This one goes in the vault.

Read JVL’s Triad newsletter: https://www.thebulwark.com/s/thetriad

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1103: Michigan Senate Primary Becomes a Late-Night Nail-Biter Aug 05, 2026

Show notes

Sam joins Tim and JVL to discuss:
-Live results from the (unexpectedly close) Michigan Senate primary, and discuss what an Abdul El-Sayed or Haley Stevens win would mean for November.
-The horrifying child abuse allegations against Rep. Max Miller, and his disastrous CNN interview.
-Trump's anger at Jeanine Pirro after she dropped vandalism charges related to the reflecting pool.
-Todd Blanche advancing out of the Senate Judiciary Committee
-Finally, they discuss JVL's triad about democratic socialists (meh) versus social democrats (better), and how Democrats can stop letting Republicans set the narrative of this election.

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1102: Secret Podcast: You Can See the Bush Line from Your House Jul 31, 2026

Show notes

Sarah and JVL have a It’s a super-sized, instant classic:

The Trump administration is using ChatGPT for everything.

Why are Cornyn and Tillis even bothering with their fake protest of Todd Blanche?

The Dem Senate map is looking . . . possible?

Trump has raised $800 million from “donors” since coming back to office.

And JVL finally explains why he’s obsessed with 60 Minutes investigative reporter Ross Douthat.

Plus: Emo JVL needs your advice in the comments!

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Full episodes of the Secret Podcast are available to paid members of the Bulwark through Substack, YouTube or Apple Podcasts. Come ride with us!

1101: The WHCD Walked Straight Into Trump’s Trap Jul 28, 2026

Show notes

Sarah, JVL, and Catherine Rampell discuss:

- Mitch McConnell's SECOND proof of life photo, and what's really going on with him.

- The White House Correspondents' Dinner do-over, Trump's comments about Kaitlan Collins, why anyone goes to it anymore, and how the whole thing seems to be playing into Trump's hands.

- The drama inside the Democratic National Committee, and how (and whether) having a strong national party committee matters anymore.

- The proposed new primary calendar for the 2028 Democratic primaries.

- The final stretch of the Michigan Senate primary.

1100: Secret Podcast: The Second Iran War? Jul 24, 2026

Show notes

Paid members of the Bulwark get access to FULL episodes of the Secret Podcast. You can join via Apple Podcasts, Substack and YouTube.

Big show today: It’s the dawn of Streamer JVL?

Plus: Some questions for Tom Homan about shooting January 6 insurrectionists; Haley Stevens and authenticity; and the Mitch McConnell conspiracy theory. Also, a conversation about raising good men.

But the big topic is the Department of Defense suddenly removing the names of four dead soldiers from the Iran war casualty list because they were killed after Trump declared a ceasefire in April—because there are now apparently two distinct Iran wars. Even though neither of them is, for legal purposes, a “war.”

This episode is sponsored by The New York Times.

1099: This Deranged New Campaign Ad Creeped Us Out! Jul 21, 2026

Show notes

Sarah, JVL, and Will Sommer (sitting in for Tim) discuss:

Whether Laura Loomer is one of the adults in MAGA-land? I'm Ron Burgundy?
The state of the Iran War.
The ridiculous AI advertisement being run by a Ted Cruz-aligned outside group in Florida (and the whacky candidates in the ad).
The unfolding special Republican primary for Senate in South Carolina
The Michigan Senate race...and how all of the online conventional wisdom stacks up with reality.

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1098: Secret Podcast: Trump Voters Say JD Vance Gives Them the Willies Jul 17, 2026

Show notes

Sarah Longwell and Sam Stein (filling in for JVL) discuss Trump’s tedious (and still scary!) election speech, the documents that undercut his election claims, JD Vance’s cringe appearance on Joe Rogan, Trump voters’ brutal reactions to Vance, and Democrats’ missed opportunities at the Todd Blanche hearing.

Finally: There are more tickets to see Sarah and JVL on September 8 in NYC! We are about to sell out the orchestra section—but we want to sell out the balcony, too. It’s a point of pride. Come hang with us. Tickets are here: https://www.92ny.org/event/sarah-longwell-how-to-eat-an-elephant

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