The Bulwark Podcast

The man in charge is bluffing, blustering, and trying to manipulate the markets by claiming that the administration is in negotiations with Iran and was holding off on further military strikes. Israel's reaction was to drop more bombs on Iran, and the regime itself used Trump's own lines against him in its response. In any event, Iran has shown it can close the Strait of Hormuz, which is much more of a power move than the degradation of Tehran's missile capacity. With the war hitting Americans financially in their daily lives—and Trump now refusing a deal to fund TSA—the Dems have to hammer home that it's POTUS who has delivered higher gas prices and long lines at the airport. Plus, JD is in a job bind, the head of FEMA has a teleporting issue, and Trump showed utter depravity over the passing of Bob Mueller. Bill Kristol joins Tim Miller.
show notes

Monday's "Morning Shots"

"Bulwark on Sunday" with Bill and Catherine

Tim's and Bill's 'Bulwark Take' on Trump's reaction to Mueller's death

Yeats' poem, "To a Friend Whose Work Has Come to Nothing"

The real "Baghdad Bob"

The U.S. is at war with the leading state sponsor of terror, and Donald Trump appointed Markwayne Mullin—a man with no counter-terrorism experience—to help defend the homeland. At the same time, Hegseth is a meathead, and the shoe designer at the top of the FBI is preoccupied with visiting all the places on his bucket list. This is the moment for Democrats to argue that Trump has made the country very vulnerable. Plus, the administration apparently did not consider worst case scenarios vis-à-vis Iran, the Iraq War planners look like pros in comparison, Denmark was seriously preparing for an American invasion of Greenland, and is Israel's conduct contributing to the growing antisemitism problem?
David Frum joins Tim Miller for the weekend pod.
show notes

David's podcast

David encouraging Dems to get to the right of Trump on the war

Tim's playlist

For Talarico, it doesn't really matter whether Cornyn or Paxton wins their runoff battle. Either way, the Texas Democratic Senate candidate says he is running against the billionaire mega-donors and their corrupt system. To flip the Senate seat, he says he is speaking to the hearts of voters, avoiding media echo chambers, and campaigning on being both pro-immigrant and pro-border security. Plus, Trump's broken promises, Cornyn may be more corrupt than Paxton, Apostle Paul's thoughts on God's sausage, and a Shermanesque denial of the vegan accusations.
James Talarico joins Tim Miller before a live Bulwark audience.

POTUS is pretending the laws of supply and demand don't apply when it comes to the price of oil. And his long list of conflicting statements on the Strait of Hormuz is not providing any clarity on whether it will reopen to Western vessels anytime soon. But while Rep. Khanna successfully helped create the Epstein coalition, he says most of his Republican colleagues on the Hill are sticking with Trump's war narrative—though with a little less chest thumping. Plus, progressive Squad candidates came up short in Illinois, Joe Kent reportedly gave his resignation letter to Vance before Trump, conflating critiques of Israel with antisemitism is likely going to backfire politically, and why are three million Epstein files still being protected?
Rep. Ro Khanna joins Tim Miller.
show notes

Only a few tickets left for our LIVE show in Austin on Thursday: TheBulwark.com/Events.

A former MAGA influencer who saw the underbelly of the immense power and wealth around this administration says never-Trumpers should show compassion for people who are now feeling betrayed by him—and who are starting to have second thoughts about the cult they joined. Ashley, who is the mother of one of Elon's kids, also tells Tim that an increasing number of MAGA women are waking up to the fact that they've been used as pawns in the movement. Plus, Ric Grenell's desperate effort to land a job with Trump, the role of AIPAC in Tuesday's Illinois Democratic primary, and a pending congressional resolution on the West Bank.
Cam Kasky and Ashley St. Clair join Tim Miller.
show notes

FYPod on looksmaxxing in February 2025

FYPod's interview with Kat Abughazaleh 

Tickets for our LIVE show in Austin on March 19: TheBulwark.com/Events.

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