Bulwark Takes

Sonny Bunch sits down with writer Chuck Klosterman to talk about his new book Football—and what the sport’s dominance says about America’s shrinking monoculture.Buy "Football" by Chuck Klosterman: https://www.amazon.com/Football-Chuck-Klosterman/dp/0593490649

JVL and Will Saletan break down Donald Trump’s escalating threats against Europe as he pushes to “conquer” Greenland, claiming “World Peace is at stake!”

Can Democrats flip the Senate in 2026? Lauren Egan is joined by Sen. Adam Schiff (D-CA) about the states that could make it happen, the recruits who are stepping up, and how the DSCC decides when to endorse. From Texas and Florida to Alaska and Maine, Schiff lays out the plan and explains why the midterms may come down to economic pressures and Trump’s chaos.

Sam Stein takes on the breaking news that a federal judge has set limits on ICE’s violent tactics against peaceful protesters in Minnesota. Also breaking, the DOJ has reportedly launched an investigation into Gov. Tim Walz and Mayor Jacob Frey, claiming conspiracy to impede federal officers.

Tim Miller takes on the rough stretch for Trump as leaked internal polling shows his immigration tactics backfiring, ugly ICE footage sparks public backlash, and even the White House admits the optics are hurting them.Watch Chris Jansing Reports on MSNOW: https://www.ms.now/chris-jansing-reports

Trump’s immigration issue is unraveling and even his own private polls show trouble. Viral videos of ICE raids and protests are driving public backlash, leaving Trump’s team worried about optics… but not about policy. Sam Stein is joined by Marc Caputo of Axios to break down the numbers, the backlash, and what it could mean for Trump’s next moves.

Sam and Sonny give their takes on an embarrassing scene at the White House in which Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado handed Trump her Nobel Peace Prize medal and Trump accepted it.

JVL and Andrew Egger give their takes on Donald Trump repeatedly floating the idea of canceling elections and why calling it a "joke" is dangerously naive. From past attempts to overturn results to testing how far his party will follow him, they break down why this isn’t just trolling.

President Trump said he may invoke the Insurrection Act of 1807 in response to protests and ICE activity in Minneapolis. Ben Parker is joined by retired Lt. Gen. Mark Hertling to explain what the Insurrection Act actually allows, when it has been used in U.S. history, and why this situation is fundamentally different.

Mark Hertling and Bill Kristol discuss the war in Ukraine, including deliberate civilian targeting through winter blackouts, why U.S. disengagement is helping Putin more than any battlefield victory, and how infighting with NATO over Greenland is weakening the alliance from within. They also examine Europe’s response, the rise of the Nordic–Baltic security bloc, the global consequences of American strategic vacuums, the limits of military action in Iran, and risks around the Pentagon’s embrace of AI tools like Elon Musk's Grok.

Tim Miller gives his take on a wave of disturbing ICE confrontations, including Minneapolis agents threatening civilians and a California protester who was shot in the face and left blind.

Sam Stein talks with Lauren Egan about her scoop on a new Democratic memo warning lawmakers to steer clear of “Abolish ICE.” They give their takes on the latest polling on ICE, political fear from voters, and why Democrats seem unwilling to use funding leverage even as public opinion shifts. Dems Are Begging Their Own to Drop ‘Abolish ICE’https://www.thebulwark.com/p/democrats-abolish-ice-reform-searchlight-memoHalf of Americans think ICE is making American cities less safe, CNN poll findshttps://www.cnn.com/2026/01/14/politics/ice-minnesota-cnn-pollMore Americans view the ICE shooting in Minnesota as unjustified than say it is justifiedhttps://today.yougov.com/politics/articles/53878-more-americans-view-ice-shooting-minnesota-unjustified-than-justified-january-9-12-2026-economist-yougov-poll‘Disgusting’: Minnesota Senate Race Gets Hostile After ICE Shootinghttps://www.huffpost.com/entry/minnesota-ice-senate-race_n_6967c68ee4b0141cc9b1e8ac

Catherine Rampell and Sam Stein take on Trump’s Detroit Economic Club speech on Tuesday so you don’t have to. From tariffs and credit card caps to pitching Socialist-style ideas, they unpack what’s real, what’s bluster, and what it means for everyday Americans.

Tim Miller returns to "Piers Morgan Uncensored" to give his take on the killing of Renee Good in Minneapolis. While Nick Shirley and Will Chamberlain defend the officer’s actions as justified, even Joe Rogan and Tim Dillon said this one crossed a line.

Tim Miller gives his take on the disturbing wave of videos coming out of Minneapolis and who ICE and CBP are really targeting. Scene after scene shows federal agents confronting ordinary people just trying to live their lives: an Uber driver targeted over his accent, a 17-year-old U.S. citizen tackled to the ground while working at Target, and a DoorDash driver chased into a stranger’s home while armed agents surrounded the house.Get free shipping and 365 day returns with Quince at https://Quince.com/BULWARKTAKES.

Tim Miller joined Nicolle Wallace on Deadline: White House to discuss why the killing of Renee Good—and the administration’s decision to release the video—may be a political turning point. What was supposed to project strength instead exposes a strategy that alienates swing voters, activates non-activists, and turns immigration from a GOP advantage into a liability.Watch Deadline: White House on MSNOW: https://www.ms.now/deadline-white-house

Sam Stein, Catherine Rampell, and JVL provide breaking analysis after Fed chair Jerome Powell released a remarkable video message Sunday night announcing an "unprecedented" criminal investigation into him by federal prosecutors. Powell, in the video, says the probe is because the Fed has been setting interest rates "based on our best assessment of what will serve the public, rather than following the preferences of” President Donald Trump.

Jack and Tim take on Jake Tapper’s on-air fact-checking of Kristi Noem, the rush to label a protester a “domestic terrorist,” and the dangerous argument that being in a car now justifies lethal force.

After the dramatic capture of Venezuela’s dictator Nicolás Maduro, Trump publicly suggested he’d be honored to “accept” the Nobel Peace Prize won by Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado, as if awards work like trophies, souvenirs, or FIFA medals. Ben Parker and Mona Charen give their takes on the sheer absurdity and Trump’s warped understanding of Venezuela and immigration.

Bill and Sam discuss the Minneapolis killing and other items from a very eventful week.

Tim Miller and JVL give their takes on the shocking Minneapolis ICE killing of Renee Good, the federal government’s handling of state-sanctioned violence, and what it reveals about America’s culture of death.

Tim Miller talks with Harvard student and New York Times op-ed writer Alex Bronzini-Vender about the new campus speech crackdown and why it’s now being driven by Republicans, not the left. They dig into how anti-woke politics and federal pressure are reshaping campus life and how the right has adopted the same speech-policing tactics it once condemned.

Correction, January 9, 2025, 3:35 p.m.: The footage from the perspective of ICE agent Jonathan Ross played in this video appears to have come not from a body camera, as mentioned in the video, but from the phone Ross was holding during the incident.Tim Miller breaks down newly released footage appearing to be from the ICE officer who fatally shot Renee Good in Minneapolis.

Donald Trump’s approval numbers are sinking and the cracks are showing in places that once kept him afloat. Sarah Longwell and Andrew Egger giver their takes on why Trump is bleeding support among young men, struggling far beyond his MAGA base, and facing growing backlash over his unilateral intervention in Venezuela. We texted 1,000 Americans about U.S. actions in Venezuelahttps://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/interactive/2026/venezuela-maduro-poll-trump-military/Manospheres of Influencehttps://puck.news/why-young-men-are-souring-on-trump/?sharer=390630&token=53008331bc2ed20edb3afe09938aa6c0

Sam Stein, Tim Miller, and Andrew Egger react live to JD Vance defending the ICE officer who fatally shot Minnesota woman Renee Good.

Tim Miller gives his take on the Jan. 6 rioter pardoned by Donald Trump, who has not only avoided accountability, but is now running for Senate. This extremist attacked Capitol police, threatened Muslims and Jews, and continues to spread hate.Show notes: In the New Year, take ownership of your health with ZocDoc, at https://ZocDoc.com/BULWARKTAKES.

Sam Stein sits down with Lt. Gen. Mark Hertling (Ret.) to break down the recent Maduro operation in Venezuela, the challenges of coordinating military and political strategy, and what the U.S. would actually gain from Greenland. Mark will break down the biggest stories involving the military in a series of chats right here, every Thursday, in a special series.In the New Year, take ownership of your health with ZocDoc, at https://ZocDoc.com/BULWARKTAKES.

The trio is back and 2026 is off to a wild start. Tim Miller, Sam Stein, and Will Sommer give their takes on the calls for Nicki Minaj to be deported, the political influencers for sale creating a reality TV show, and former FBI deputy director Dan Bongino blasting Matt Gaetz in a fiery MAGA feud.

Sam Stein and Tim Miller break down the shocking video from Minneapolis where an ICE agent fatally shot an American woman in her car. Sam and Tim give their take on the deadly escalation of federal ICE operations, and the dangerous spin already coming out from DHS Secretary Kristi Noem.

Sam Stein talks with Rep. Ritchie Torres about the explosive rise of political prediction markets—and the serious corruption risks we face.

Five years after January 6, the diehards came back to the scene of the crime. Pardoned rioters, conspiracy theories, and a fierce counter-protest collided on the National Mall. Jared Poland gives his take to Sam Stein on what he found from reporting on the ground as Americans argue again over what really happened on Jan. 6.

Sarah Matthews was inside Trump’s White House on January 6. Matthews, the former deputy press secretary explains to Sarah Longwell what it was like watching the Capitol attack from the West Wing, why Trump refused to meet the moment, and how that day finally pushed her to resign. Five years later, she reflects on Republican accountability, January 6 fading from public memory, and why Trump’s return to power still shocks her.Go to https://GetSoul.com and use the code BULWARKTAKES for 30% off.

Sen. Ruben Gallego (D-AZ) joins Sam Stein and Lauren Egan to give his take on why Trump’s Venezuela policy risks another disastrous war. A veteran of the Iraq War, Gallego says the administration is lying about its intentions, prioritizing oil interests and deportation deals over stability and democracy. He also discusses his Senate amendment to block military force against Greenland, Trump’s threats to NATO, and what the January 6 anniversary tells us about the state of American democracy.Go to https://GetSoul.com and use the code BULWARKTAKES for 30% off.

Description: Five years after January 6, Bill Kristol sits down with Tom Joscelyn, the lead writer of the House January 6 Committee report, to assess where the country stands today. They give their takes on why January 6 was not an endpoint, but the beginning of a new political reality: one defined by a lack of accountability with sweeping pardons, the normalization of political violence, and a movement that no longer accepts elections or constitutional limits.Go to https://GetSoul.com and use the code BULWARKTAKES for 30% off.

JVL and Jonathan Cohn give their take on the shocking changes coming from Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s Department of Health and Human Services. The federal government is now recommending fewer vaccines for American children, including RSV and Hep B, while flu, COVID-19, and rotavirus vaccines move to “shared clinical decision-making.” What does this mean for parents, pediatricians, and public health? How could it affect vaccine access, liability, and supply? And is this just the first step in a larger anti-vaccine agenda? We break it all down.

Senator Mark Warner joins Sam Stein to give his take on the Trump administration’s dramatic actions in Venezuela, congressional oversight, and what comes next. Warner warns that extracting a foreign leader, sidelining Congress, and talking openly about “running” other countries reflects an imperial mindset that America has spent decades trying to move away from.

Sarah Longwell, Lauren Egan, and Jonathan Cohn are going live to discuss the news that Tim Walz, the Governor of Minnesota and former vice-presidential candidate, is leaving the governor’s race.

Will Saletan takes on Donald Trump’s post-invasion claims about Venezuela and Maduro, putting Marco Rubio into a series of awkward Sunday show cleanups on war powers, oil, and pardons that exposes just how much of Trump’s story doesn’t add up.Read Will's written piece: https://www.thebulwark.com/p/which-countries-will-trump-invade-next-after-venezuela-maduro

Bill Kristol and Sarah Longwell discuss Bill's thoughts on possible paths 2026 could take—from a democratic rebound to a far darker slide.

Sam Stein and Sonny Bunch take on new reporting on Donald Trump’s health—from repeated cognitive tests and confusing medical disclosures to visible signs of aging and a White House press operation that won’t give straight answers.Read the WSJ article: https://www.wsj.com/us-news/as-signs-of-aging-emerge-trump-responds-with-defiance-769c5dcd

Please note: The population of Venezuela was incorrectly stated during this conversation as "about 90 million." It is about 30 million. We regret the error.Sam Stein, Mark Hertling, Sarah Longwell, Ben Parker and Joe Perticone cover the breaking news about the Venezuela regime change operation and react to the Trump administration’s press event.

The Bulwark team makes their predictions for 2026—from MAGA infighting and Trump’s fading grip on power to economic fallout, media chaos, and a midterm backlash.

From the Trump–Elon Musk Twitter war that briefly melted everyone’s brain, to the election of the Bulwark Pope, and the moments of real tragedy and moral collapse, the year of 2025 delivered a nonstop barrage of chaos, absurdity, and consequence. The Bulwark team looks back at the craziest, most astonishing moments of the year to give their takes on the stories that dominated headlines and the events of the last 12 months that will matter long after the news cycle moves on.

Mark Cuban joins Jonathan Cohn to give his take on why America’s healthcare system is broken and what it would take to fix it. Cuban breaks down prescription drug pricing, the role of PBMs, and how his Cost Plus Drug Company is making medications affordable for millions. Cuban also weighs in on system reforms, transparency, and whether U.S. healthcare can ever work for everyone.

Tim Miller and Sam Stein give their takes on the Trump cabinet after a full year of chaos, incompetence, and outright danger. From “livable” appointments to the "worst of the worst" category, they rank every cabinet member and argue over who did the most damage in 2025.Note: this video was recorded on December 22, 2025. Any horrible acts committed after that have not been factored into the rankings.

DHS is using Norman Rockwell’s art to sell an anti-immigrant message and his family is furious. Catherine Rampell sits down with Daisy Rockwell, Norman Rockwell’s granddaughter and a writer and artist herself, to talk about why these images are being misused, what Rockwell actually believed, and get her take on how nostalgia and Americana are being weaponized to promote white nationalist ideas.

Bill Kristol sits down with Ryan Goodman to discuss new and upcoming Epstein document releases. They’ll cover which records to watch for next, what the disclosures do—and don’t—tell us so far, and whether the U.S. Department of Justice is dragging its feet, playing procedural games, or protecting powerful interests.

Ben Parker is joined by Derek Owen and R.M Schneiderman to discuss their deeply reported investigation into how the FBI rebuilt its counterintelligence capabilities after decades of failure—and how Trump-world politics, Kash Patel, and shifting priorities could put America at risk.Read more from Owen and Schneiderman here: https://www.thebulwark.com/p/fbi-spent-generation-relearning-catch-spies-kash-patel-counter-intelligence-espionage-tulsi-gabbard-china

Sam Stein and Jared Poland give their takes on a curious White House claim. After repeated questions about Donald Trump’s bruised hand, press secretary Karoline Leavitt said it was caused by constant handshaking and aspirin use.So we decided to test it.

A holiday classic, Bulwark-style. From foreign jets to fake honors, we rewrote The 12 Days of Christmas to keep track of Trump’s greatest hits in 2025.The 12 Days of Grift-mas, annotated:1 giant Qatari jet: https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cwy5lp4v594o2 peace awards: FIFA Peace Prize (https://www.thebulwark.com/p/screw-it-lets-rename-the-moon-trump-institute-of-peace-kennedy-center-coin-epsitein-files) and the Nixon Foundation Architect of Peace Award (https://www.cbsnews.com/news/trump-architect-of-peace-award-nixon-foundation/)3 Olympic medals: from the LA Olympic Committee (https://www.whitehouse.gov/videos/president-trump-has-been-awarded-a-full-set-of-1984-olympic-medals-%F0%9F%8F%85%F0%9F%87%BA%F0%9F%87%B8/)4 Four Rush-Hour films: Recently promised by Paramount, which wants Trump to approve a merger with Warner Bros. Discovery (https://www.thebulwark.com/p/jackie-chan-sequel-rush-hour-4-says-whole-lot-trump-economy)5 golden trophies: A golden plaque from Apple (https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2025/08/07/tim-cook-trump-gift/85555805007/), a golden pager from Netanyahu (https://www.cnn.com/2025/02/06/middleeast/netanyahu-trump-golden-pager-intl/index.html), the FIFA Club World Cup trophy (https://people.com/trump-pockets-fifa-medal-club-world-cup-11774149), World Boxing Council BC boxing belt from Ukraine (https://www.si.com/fannation/boxing/ukraine-president-zelensky-boxing-gift-that-didnt-land-with-trump), and a golden crown from South Korea (https://www.nytimes.com/2025/10/29/world/asia/trump-south-korea-crown-gyeongju.html)6 golfing wins: At his own clubs, naturally (https://www.palmbeachpost.com/story/sports/2025/08/05/donald-trump-golf-tournament-championship/85516763007)7 pretty portraits: Saudi (https://www.thedailybeast.com/the-insane-gifts-saudi-arabia-gave-president-trump/), El Salvador (https://www.nytimes.com/2023/03/21/world/americas/trump-painting-missing.html), 2 from Russia (https://www.cnn.com/2025/04/22/style/russian-artist-trump-portrait-putin-intl and https://www.nytimes.com/2025/08/22/us/politics/trump-putin-photo.html), Australia (https://www.newsweek.com/donald-trump-gifted-least-3-portraits-himself-foreign-leaders-2019-1616322), Egypt (https://www.newsweek.com/donald-trump-gifted-least-3-portraits-himself-foreign-leaders-2019-1616322), Vietnam (https://www.newsweek.com/donald-trump-gifted-least-3-portraits-himself-foreign-leaders-2019-1616322?utm_source)8 foreign honors: Georgia, Saudi Arabia, Kosovo, Morocco, UAE, Egypt, Israel, South Korea (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_awards_and_honors_received_by_Donald_Trump#International)9 postage stamps: From Poland (https://oversightdemocrats.house.gov/sites/evo-subsites/democrats-oversight.house.gov/files/Foreign%20Gifts%20Appendix%20I%20-%20Trump.pdf)10 Epstein years: “I was Donald’s closest friend for 10 years” - Jeffrey Epstein (https://docs.house.gov/meetings/JU/JU08/20250227/117951/HHRG-119-JU08-20250227-SD006-U6.pdf)11 Nobel noms – Argentinian President Javier Millei, Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu, Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet, U.S. Representative Buddy Carter, U.S. Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, Malta foreign minister, U.S. Rep. Darrell Issa, Pakistan, U.S. Rep Claudia Tenney, U.S. Rep. Bernie Moreno, Rwanda’s foreign minister12 diet cokes: Trump reportedly drinks about a dozen per day (https://www.nytimes.com/2017/12/09/us/politics/donald-trump-president.html)Merry Christmas!