Bulwark Takes

Jonathan Cohn talks with former White House chef and Obama nutrition advisor Sam Kass about RFK Jr.’s phony “health revolution.” Kass explains how the administration’s obsession with seed oils and food dyes is a smokescreen for dismantling the CDC, FDA, and USDA—and why RFK Jr. has become the biggest threat to public health in modern U.S. history.Go to https://Zocdoc.com/BULWARKTAKES to find and instantly book a doctor today.

Sam Stein and Rep. Jason Crow (D-CO-06) take on the growing backlash to Trump’s chaos politics—and why voters are sending a clear message that they’ve had enough.Go to https://Zocdoc.com/BULWARKTAKES to find and instantly book a doctor today.

JVL and Sarah Longwell take on the absurd “Sandwich Guy” trial—where prosecutors literally made a federal case out of a thrown sandwich.

Sarah Longwell and JVL take on Donald Trump’s hidden unemployment crisis—the million jobs lost, the vanishing economic data, and the chaos of his tariff-driven “businessman” presidency.

Sam Stein, Jonathan Cohn, and former Congresswoman Barbara Comstock take on Nancy Pelosi’s retirement—her unmatched record as Speaker, her behind-the-scenes power, and what her exit means for the Democratic Party.

Rep. Pat Ryan joins Tim to talk takeaways from big wins in New York, New Jersey and Virginia, the path to the House, and why costs still dominate. They also look at sports streaming chaos and why blackouts need fixing.

Democrats notch big wins from New Jersey to Virginia, including a historic first woman governor. Sam Stein joins Nicole Wallace to explain how affordability, real-world prices, and a fading culture war reshaped the map.

Jonathan Cohn and Will Sommer take on Trumpworld’s sudden rush to help Dilbert creator Scott Adams get cancer treatment—while millions lose health coverage under Trump’s own cuts. A look at MAGA’s “healthcare by loyalty” system.

Sarah Longwell talks with Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro about what Democrats’ big election wins really mean, how Trump’s tariffs and shutdowns hurt his own voters, why voters are rejecting chaos, and how Democrats can win by simply making people’s lives better. They also discuss the divide over Israel and Gaza, the future of the party, and what moral clarity looks like in politics today.

Sam Stein takes on Tuesday's stunning election results with Senator Tim Kaine, why the Virginia Senator believes putting the economy front and center is key to Democratic victories, and how Trump’s chaos still looms over everything from shutdown talks to foreign policy.

Sam Stein and John Avlon take on the Democrats’ major wins this election — from New York’s historic mayoral race to big centrist victories in Virginia and New Jersey. They break down how Democrats turned affordability and authenticity into a winning message while Trump’s GOP keeps alienating voters.

Tim Miller joins Nicolle Wallace on MSNBC to break down Election Night—from Trump’s intimidation tactics via “election monitors” to the high-stakes battles in Virginia, New Jersey, California and more. He also shares what he’s watching most closely: the Hispanic vote, democracy’s stress test, and whether Democrats can win by enough to make the results undeniable.Watch Deadline: White House with Nicolle Wallace: https://www.msnbc.com/deadline-white-house

Tim Miller and Sam Stein take on Marjorie Taylor Greene’s latest stop on her makeover tour—The View. She played the victim, dodged her past conspiracies, and even got some applause.

JVL and Bill Kristol reflect on the life and legacy of Dick Cheney—a man who defined a certain strain of Republican politics for half a century, from Ford’s White House to the Trump resistance. They discuss how Cheney went from “Darth Vader” to one of the last serious conservatives, and what his death says about the end of the old GOP.

JVL and Andrew Egger take on Trump’s threat to attack Nigeria over Christian persecution, and how genuine policy gets warped by his “guns blazing” posturing making it unclear what will happen next.

Sam Stein and Sarah Longwell take on Trump’s brutal new polling—approval ratings in the 30s, independents abandoning him, and voters saying he’s making the economy worse.

Tim Miller takes on the MAGA meltdown after the Charlie Kirk assassination—where right-wing influencers and even Senator Mike Lee went after teachers over an innocent Halloween costume, and a Tennessee man was jailed for posting a meme.

Sam Stein and Will Saletan recap Donald Trump’s ‘60 Minutes’ interview, both the edited television version and full transcript, discussing the shutdown, tariffs, inflation, Vladimir Putin, concepts of plans, and of course, Joe Biden.

Tim Miller, Sam Stein, and Will Sommer take on Kash Patel's use of his FBI plane to watch his girlfriend sing the National Anthem at a wrestling match before flying her home to Nashville, with critics, including an ex-FBI agent tracking his flights, pointing out his using the plane for personal reasons amid the shutdown.

Jack Cocchiarella takes on the aftermath of Donald Trump's international trip amid the government shutdown and SNAP benefits halting, returning with no apparent advantages for the US and unclear messaging around China closing in on Taiwan.

Sam Stein takes on the jarring contrast between Trump’s over-the-top Mar-a-Lago Halloween party and a violent ICE arrest in Chicago—two scenes that capture everything wrong with America right now.

Bill Kristol talks with legal scholar Ryan Goodman about how the Trump administration has rejected all congressional oversight over planned military strikes in Venezuela.

Tim Miller takes on how Fox News ran with a totally fake story—racist AI videos pretending to be real “Black women”—and then quietly changed the headline instead of admitting they make a mistake.

Tim Miller and Sam Stein recap the week’s news, from Trump’s remodeling of the Lincoln Bathroom, an extremely troubling DOJ decision, Tim’s annual rage on Daylight Savings, and more.

Arthur Delaney joins Sam Stein to break down what changed, why it matters, and what happens to 22 million households who rely on SNAP every month.In 2018, during the last Trump shutdown, the Trump administration moved fast to make sure SNAP benefits kept flowing, even paying out early to avoid families going hungry. Now, with another shutdown dragging on, millions of Americans are being told the money’s gone and the emergency fund is “too hard” to use.

Tim Miller joins MSNBC’s Deadline: White House to break down the Trump administration’s shocking decision to block emergency SNAP funds — a move that could leave millions without food assistance. Tim explains why this kind of cruelty isn’t just immoral, it’s bad politics.Watch Nicolle on MSNBC: https://www.msnbc.com/deadline-white-house

JVL and Andrew Egger discuss Katie Miller, wife of Stephen Miller and “MAGA mom” podcaster, after her tense on-air exchange with Cenk Uygur on Piers Morgan’s show — where she questioned his citizenship.

Tucker Carlson’s gone full mask-off, giving airtime to white nationalist Nick Fuentes while the Heritage Foundation rushes to defend him. Sam Stein and Will Sommer discuss the latest False Flag.

Bill Kristol and General Mark Hertling discuss the wave of senior military officers forced out under Trump, the redeployment of forces toward Venezuela, and growing signs of unlawful or politically driven military actions that threaten alliances, strategy, and the rule of law.Read Joe Perticone in The Bulwark, "SCOOP: Trump Swaps Decorated Admiral With 33-Year-Old DOGEr": https://www.thebulwark.com/p/scoop-trump-replaces-admiral-office-naval-research-rothenhaus-riley-doge

This one’s for Tim Miller, and he’s on fire. Jeff Landry getting involved with LSU football, sucking up to Trump and so much more! Enjoy this good old Tim Take!Get 30% off your first order from Soul at https://GetSoul.com with promo code BulwarkTakes

Sam Stein talks with Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi about ICE agents going rogue in Illinois, racism stoked by far-right lawmakers, and how Trump’s shutdown is hurting Americans. They also discuss U.S.–China tensions, redistricting wars, and the strange new alliances forming in Congress.

Nancy Mace used to wave the pride flag and support gay marriage, and now she’s tweeting “Adam and Eve, not Adam and Steve.” Tim Miller breaks down how Mace’s descent from moderate Republican to culture war crusader mirrors the GOP’s own unraveling, and what it says about where the party is heading next.Get 30% off your first order from Soul at https://GetSoul.com with promo code BulwarkTakes

House Democrats are fighting back in what’s shaping up to be a national redistricting war. Joe Perticone talks with Rep. Suzan DelBene, chair of the DCCC, about how Donald Trump pushed Texas to redraw its congressional map and how states like California, Virginia, Indiana, and New York are now responding.Get 30% off your first order from Soul at https://GetSoul.com with promo code: BulwarkTakes

Tim Miller and Bill Kristol take on the Trump administration’s bizarre new Department of Labor ad campaign — a “white nationalist” throwback full of 1950s imagery — and Tucker Carlson’s disturbing interview with Nick Fuentes, the Holocaust-denying/Stalin-admiring streamer.Get free shipping and 365 day returns with Quince at https://Quince.com/BULWARKTAKES. #sponsored

Sarah, JVL and Sonny take on Rounders—the ’90s cult poker movie that turned Matt Damon, Ed Norton, and John Malkovich into gambling legends. They debate whether Teddy KGB is secretly the hero, confess real-life Vegas stories, and unpack how online betting is turning America into a nation of addicts.Get free shipping and 365 day returns with Quince at https://Quince.com/BULWARKTAKES. #sponsored

Sen. Mark Kelly joins Sam Stein to warn that millions of Americans are about to get slammed with health-care hikes on November 1—and predicts Trump will melt down once the outrage hits his own supporters. Kelly also talks about the administration’s secretive military strikes in the Caribbean and what Democrats need to fix before 2026.Get free shipping and 365 day returns with Quince at https://Quince.com/BULWARKTAKES. #sponsored

JVL and Andrew Egger take on Trump’s bizarre Japan visit — the wandering, the salutes, the confusion — and what it says about a president who no longer seems to know where he is, or what he’s doing.Get free shipping and 365 day returns with Quince at https://Quince.com/BULWARKTAKES. #sponsored

Tim Miller and JVL take on Donald Trump’s unhinged reaction to the NBA gambling scandal—and what it reveals about his plan to turn the Department of Justice into a weapon for revenge.Get free shipping and 365 day returns with Quince at https://Quince.com/BULWARKTAKES. #sponsored

Tim Miller takes on the contrast of Bernie, AOC, and Zoran Mamdani’s upbeat campaign messaging with Trump’s push to weaponize the DOJ over 2020 “fraud,” and explains why Mamdani’s economic focus matters for New Yorkers and could be inspiring for Democrats.Watch Chris Jansing Reports on MSNBC: https://www.msnbc.com/chris-jansing-reports

Andrew Egger is joined by Rob Sand to discuss his run for governor of Iowa, Iowa’s economic struggles, and his effort to unite Democrats and disillusioned Trump voters through accountability over partisanship.

Bill Kristol and Michael Wood take on the fears we could be at the end of the republic as we know it.An earlier version of this episode was uploaded with an audio issue. This is the corrected version. Thanks for your patience!

Sam Stein and Will Saletan take on the Republicans break amid Trump's shutdown on Sunday shows as they call out his lack of participation in helping re-open the government, and Scott Bessent fumbles through defending the shutdown and condemning Canada for Ronald Reagan ad.

Tim Miller takes on our “everyone is twelve now” government mentality as the Trump administration posts immature content about former presidents Barack Obama and Bill Clinton, as well as Joe Biden’s son Hunter, on the official White House webpage, and using MGMT songs without permission with TikTok edit styles to glorify ICE’s violent attacks on protesters.Watch FYPod with Harry Sisson

Trump’s latest tantrum isn’t about policy, it’s about power, ego, and a Canadian baseball ad. JVL and Tim Miller discuss how Reagan’s anti-tariff words set him off, why his reaction says more about him than trade, and how the world is moving on without him. Plus: Doug Ford, maple syrup shade, and the return of tariffpalooza.

Sam Stein and Will Sommer break down how MAGA media keeps inventing stories of supposed “left-wing violence.” From a GOP event crash that turned out to be Republicans fighting other Republicans to a teenager’s fake kidnapping blamed on “Mexican cartel hitmen,” the right’s obsession with finding liberal villains keeps blowing up in their faces. The two also discuss how online outrage from right-wing influencers can now trigger real government responses, like ICE raids inspired by a single viral video.Go read the False Flag article here:https://www.thebulwark.com/p/maga-media-keeps-thirsting-for-left-wing-violence

Tim Miller joins MSNBC’s Erielle Reshef to take on right-wing infighting as Trump’s favorite Fox host, Pete Hegseth, gets attacked by his own allies—from Pentagon insiders to the Washington Times. Plus, the fallout from Trump’s shutdown and the East Wing demolition that’s starting to look like another corruption scandal in plain sight.Watch Katy Tur reports on MSNBC: https://www.msnbc.com/msnbc-live-katy-tur

Tim Miller dives into the corporate corruption funding Donald Trump's East Wing demolition to build his new ballroom, with many corporations and executives' ulterior motives for giving money to Trump in plain sight.

Sam Stein and John Avlon discuss the alarming rise of Nazi rhetoric inside MAGA — from leaked texts involving Trump’s nominee to lead the Office of Special Counsel and a group of Young Republicans, to the administration’s silence and JD Vance’s attempts to downplay the offensive messages.

The Bulwark hit the streets of D.C. to ask what people think about Trump demolishing the east wing of the White House to build a $250 million gold ballroom.

Tim Miller takes on Fox’s Will Cain after a tweet from his flight sets off an on-air meltdown.