The Bunker – News without the nonsense

Trump continues to reign terror upon Americans with his ICE crackdowns. Protests are heating up after two killings at the hands of ICE officers – how far will this division spread and what consequences will it have? Alex von Tunzelmann joins Jacob Jarvis to discuss. www.patreon.com/bunkercast Advertisers! Want to reach smart, engaged, influential people with money to spend? (Yes, they do exist). Some 3.5 MILLION people download and watch our podcasts every month – and they love our shows. Why not get YOUR brand in front of our influential listeners with podcast advertising? Contact [email protected] to find out more Written and presented by Jacob Jarvis with Alex von Tunzelmann. Producer: Liam Tait. Audio production: Tom Taylor. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Artwork by James Parrett. Managing Editor: Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production. www.podmasters.co.uk Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Donald Trump continues to eye Greenland, as he continues to float the idea of annexing the Danish territory. Europe has rallied behind Denmark and Greenland, which insists nothing is up for negotiation. So what’s really going on? Today on The Bunker, Alex von Tunzelmann speaks to Dr Christine Nissen of the European Council on Foreign Relations about Europe’s pushback against Trump’s pressure tactics, what this standoff reveals about shifting global power and what it means for the people who actually live in Greenland. www.patreon.com/bunkercast Advertisers! Want to reach smart, engaged, influential people with money to spend? (Yes, they do exist). Some 3.5 MILLION people download and watch our podcasts every month – and they love our shows. Why not get YOUR brand in front of our influential listeners with podcast advertising? Contact [email protected] to find out more Written and presented by Alex von Tunzermann. Producer: Liam Tait. Audio production: Robin Leeburn. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Artwork by James Parrett. Managing Editor: Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production. www.podmasters.co.uk Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The public executions of Renée Nicole Good and Alex Pretti by ICE in Minneapolis have horrified America. Now the Trump Administration is slandering Good and any woman who protests as a trivial, out-of-control “Wine Mom” or an “AWFUL”: Affluent White Female Urban Liberals. What are these new iterations of the hated “Karen” meme telling us about the misogyny that powers MAGA – and Trump’s vulnerability? Podcaster and New York Times writer Molly Jong-Fast takes Andrew Harrison on a tour of the politics that cannot bear women who speak up. • “Who are the AWFULs? Trump hates them, so they’re doing something right” by Molly Jong-Fast. • Listen to Molly’s podcast Fast Politics. www.patreon.com/bunkercast Written and presented by Andrew Harrison. Audio production: Robin Leeburn. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Artwork by James Parrett. Managing Editor: Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production. https://www.podmasters.co.uk Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Trump’s foreign policy has been described as “the Donroe Doctrine”, harking back to the Monroe Doctrine. How does the current president’s expansionist mindset compare with this historical outlook? History Seth Thévoz and borders expert Jonn Elledge discuss what the Monroe Doctrine was, how it was formed and how it measures up to the present day. www.patreon.com/bunkercast Follow us on BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/bunkerpod.bsky.social • Advertisers! Want to reach smart, engaged, influential people with money to spend? (Yes, they do exist). Some 3.5 MILLION people download and watch our podcasts every month – and they love our shows. Why not get YOUR brand in front of our influential listeners with podcast advertising? Contact [email protected] to find out more Written and presented by Seth Thévoz with Jonn Elledge. Producer: Liam Tait. Audio editor: Robin Warren. Managing editor: Jacob Jarvis. Design by James Parrett. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham has been blocked from standing as an MP sparking a fresh row within Keir Starmer’s Labour Party. What will the fall out look like? Does the PM come out stronger or weaker? Gavin Esler and Ros Taylor discuss this and the other issues to look out for in politics this week. www.patreon.com/bunkercast Advertisers! Want to reach smart, engaged, influential people with money to spend? (Yes, they do exist). Some 3.5 MILLION people download and watch our podcasts every month – and they love our shows. Why not get YOUR brand in front of our influential listeners with podcast advertising? Contact [email protected] to find out more. Written and presented by Ros Taylor with Gavin Esler. Audio production: Robin Leeburn. Managing Editor: Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Music by Kenny Dickinson. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Catching you up on the big stories of the week… Trump blusters, threatens and rambles his way through the World Economic Forum week in Davos, insulting America’s allies. Where does this shitshow leave the semblance of Western security? Plus: the Chinese mega-embassy, super-intelligent cows, whatever the hell is going on with the Beckhams… and would you fly RyanAir if Elon Musk owned it? The Guardian’s Rafael Behr reads the entrails of another brain-dissolving week with Andrew Harrison. www.patreon.com/bunkercast Presented by Andrew Harrison. Produced by Liam Tait with Kathleen Johnston. Audio production: Robin Leeburn. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Artwork by James Parrett. Managing Editor: Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production. www.podmasters.co.uk Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The government says it’s getting serious about childhood obesity, with a ban on junk food ads before 9pm and online. Today on The Bunker, Zoë Grünewald is joined by Dr Beverley O’Hara lecturer in Public Health Nutrition at Leeds Beckett University to find out whether this is real reform or a rerun of previous failed plans. www.patreon.com/bunkercast Written and presented by Zoë Grünewald. Producer: Liam Tait. Audio production: Robin Leeburn. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Artwork by James Parrett. Managing Editor: Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production. www.podmasters.co.uk Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Pete Hegseth is one of the most powerful people in Trump’s orbit as the self-proclaimed secretary of ‘war’. He has a huge budget and the weight of the entire American military at his disposal. What will he do with it and why has he caused such chaos so far? Guardian US politics reporter Joseph Gedeon joins us to discuss. www.patreon.com/bunkercast Written and presented by Jacob Jarvis. Audio production: Simon Williams. Producer: Liam Tait. Managing Editor: Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Music by Kenny Dickinson. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

After the Cold War ended, the West thought of Russia as a potential ally, a protégé nation ripe for liberal democracy. How wrong we were. Western ignorance, short-termism, and a catastrophic failure to understand how humiliation grips the Russian psyche – plus the suspicious and resentful mindset of eventual supreme leader Vladimir Putin – have led Russia to a dark place of vengeance, neofascism and the horrors of Ukraine. How did we get here? And can we get out? Former BBC and Reuters Moscow Correspondent James Rodgers, author of The Return Of Russia, walks Andrew Harrison through a quarter century of emnity that could end in all-out war. • Pre-order The Return Of Russia through our affiliate bookshop and you’ll help fund The Bunker by earning us a small commission for every sale. Bookshop.org’s fees help support independent bookshops too. www.patreon.com/bunkercast Written and presented by Andrew Harrison. Producer: Liam Tait. Audio production by Tom Taylor. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Artwork by James Parrett. Managing Editor: Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production. www.podmasters.co.uk Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Trump is trying to bully and blackmail the world with cashgrabs and tariff threats. How will his actions play out and how will leaders respond? Rafael Behr joins Jacob Jarvis to discuss the key issues and questions for the days ahead. www.patreon.com/bunkercast Advertisers! Want to reach smart, engaged, influential people with money to spend? (Yes, they do exist). Some 3.5 MILLION people download and watch our podcasts every month – and they love our shows. Why not get YOUR brand in front of our influential listeners with podcast advertising? Contact [email protected] to find out more Written and presented by Jacob Jarvis with Rafael Behr. Audio production: Robin Leeburn. Managing Editor: Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Music by Kenny Dickinson. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

What a week! We kick off with the news of Robert Jenrick being booted from the Tories. Is this good for Badenoch? Is it good for him? Is it good for anything?! Plus, we look at our winners and losers and an under the radar story you might have missed, with Seth Thévoz and Jacob Jarvis. www.patreon.com/bunkercast Written and presented by Jacob Jarvis with Seth Thévoz. Audio production: Simon Williams. Managing Editor: Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Music by Kenny Dickinson. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Open warfare between British citizens is “inevitable” according to Elon Musk. Farage says “I don’t think anybody in London even understands how close we are to civil disobedience on a vast scale.” New Reform convert Nadim Zahawi says we’re entering “a dark and dangerous chapter”. Where is all this talk coming from? Why are the Right so keen on these apocalyptic ideas? And beyond all the hysteria, what really triggers civil wars? Political commentator and author Phil Tinline tells Andrew Harrison about the reality behind the fever dreams of civil war… and when we really were close to fighting one another. • Buy Phil Tinline’s Ghosts Of Iron Mountain through our affiliate bookshop and you’ll help fund the podcast by earning us a small commission for every sale. Bookshop.org’s fees help support independent bookshops too. www.patreon.com/bunkercast Written and presented by Andrew Harrison. Producer: Liam Tait. Audio production: Tom Taylor. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Artwork by James Parrett. Managing Editor: Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production. www.podmasters.co.uk Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

If racism is supposed to be in retreat in Britain, why does it feel so much harder to ignore? We like to see ourselves as a tolerant, post-multicultural country, yet that story jars with a reality in which racial hostility feels more visible: spread across social media and validated by politicians. But is this really a rise in racism, or the effect of heightened scrutiny driven by the internet? Today on The Bunker, Zoë Grünewald is joined by Rahul Sambaraju, Lecturer in Psychology at City St George's, University of London, and Simon Goodman, Associate Professor at De Montfort University to ask: is racism becoming more acceptable in the UK? www.patreon.com/bunkercast Written and presented by Zoe Grunewald. Producer: Liam Tait. Audio production: Robin Leeburn. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Artwork by James Parrett. Managing Editor: Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production. www.podmasters.co.uk Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

One year into Donald Trump’s second term, 2026 is already looking worse than 2025. In just its opening days, the White House has intervened militarily in Venezuela, seized a Russian-flagged oil tanker in the North Atlantic, and revived threats to take Greenland by force. All of this unfolds alongside a faltering economy, violent ICE raids, slipping poll numbers, and the unresolved Epstein files. Alex von Tunzelmann is joined by Dr Casey Burgat, Legislative Affairs Program Director at George Washington University and author of We Hold These "Truths", to look at where this presidency goes next, and what a year defined by invasion and escalation could mean for American democracy. www.patreon.com/bunkercast Buy Casey’s book We Hold These "Truths" How to Spot the Myths that are Holding America Back through our affiliate bookshop and you’ll be helping the podcast by earning us a small commission for every sale. Bookshop.org’s fees help support independent bookshops too. Written and presented by Alex von Tunzelmann Producer: Liam Tait. Audio production: Simon Williams. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Artwork by James Parrett. Managing Editor: Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production. www.podmasters.co.uk Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Hundreds are killed by the Iranian government as the country erupts into its most serious rebellion since the Woman Life Freedom protests of 2022. Will Iran finally overthrow its theocratic oppressors? And will Trump intervene now he’s decided that not only Venezuela and Greenland but Cuba too are subject to his whim? Plus: financing Britain’s defence against Russia, is the pubs “bailout” really a bailout, and will Labour ban X? Ros Taylor and Andrew Harrison set out the stories of the week ahead. www.patreon.com/bunkercast Written and presented by Andrew Harrison. Producer: Liam Tait. Audio production by Robin Leeburn. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Artwork by James Parrett. Managing Editor: Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production. www.podmasters.co.uk Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Wrapping up the stories of the week, Jacob Jarvis is joined by Alex von Tunzelmann to dig into the fallout from Trump’s frenetic first week of 2026. From military intervention in Venezuela to the looming threat to seize control of Greenland, the President kicks off America’s 250th year with a bang. Plus, should Remainers be getting excited about Keir Starmer’s plan to reset the UK’s relationship with the EU? And finally, Alex’s under-the-radar story takes us to Texas, where a proposal to ban the teaching of Plato has become the latest front in the culture war. www.patreon.com/bunkercast Written and presented by Jacob Jarvis with Alex von Tunzelmann. Producer: Liam Tait. Audio production: Simon Williams. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Artwork by James Parrett. Managing Editor: Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production. www.podmasters.co.uk Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The human cost of Russia’s war on Ukraine is staggering, yet the war continues and Vladimir Putin’s position has barely shifted. Despite mounting attrition and international pressure, Moscow shows no sign of backing down. Today on The Bunker, Chris Jones is joined by Ian Garner, historian and author of Z Generation: Into the heart of Russia's fascist youth, to examine the scale of the losses and ask what “peace” would actually look like now. • Buy Ian’ book Z Generation: Into the heart of Russia's fascist youth through our affiliate bookshop and you’ll be helping the podcast by earning us a small commission for every sale. Bookshop.org’s fees help support independent bookshops too. www.patreon.com/bunkercast Written and presented by Chris Jones. Producer: Liam Tait. Audio production: Simon Williams. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Artwork by James Parrett. Managing Editor: Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production. www.podmasters.co.uk Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Elon Musk destroyed Twitter, tarnished the reputation of Tesla, and his financial backing of far fight politics has tipped the scales towards authoritarianism across the globe. Now he has his sights set on his next target: higher education. This week on The Bunker, Alex von Tunzelmann is joined by Beth Singler, assistant professor in digital religions at the University of Zurich, to examine Musk’s push to use AI as a replacement for traditional universities. What gets lost when education is stripped of human judgement? www.patreon.com/bunkercast Written and presented by Alex von Tunzelmann Producer: Liam Tait. Audio production: Simon Williams. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Artwork by James Parrett. Managing Editor: Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production. www.podmasters.co.uk Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Turning around Labour’s unpopularity would be a tall enough order for the Prime Minister. But the stakes are higher than ever with a far-right government waiting in the wings, Trump and Putin shredding the international rules-based order, and the economy refusing to recover. Can Starmer turn it around in 2026? Steve Richards, political commentator and presenter of the Rock’n’Roll Politics podcast , explains the Prime Minister’s make-or-break year to Andrew Harrison. • Listen to Rock’n’Roll Politics for more from Steve Richards. www.patreon.com/bunkercast Written and presented by Andrew Harrison. Producer: Liam Tait. Audio production: Tom Taylor. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Artwork by James Parrett. Managing Editor: Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production. www.podmasters.co.uk Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Well, the year has started with chaos and conflict. With Trump meddling with Venezuela and beyond, how will these events play out? Rafael Behr joins Jacob Jarvis to discuss the weeks and months ahead as 2026 shapes up to be another big year. www.patreon.com/bunkercast Written and presented by Jacob Jarvis with Rafael Behr. Audio production: Simon Williams. Managing Editor: Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Music by Kenny Dickinson. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production. ENDS Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

It’s the last of our Best of 2025 and the final Bunker of the year! And how better to see off/kick out the year than with the thing that’s blighted the last twelve months, crappy artificial intelligence imagery? The far-right stuffs your feeds with blond white children at play, London as an open sewer patrolled by threatening migrants, and Trump as Superman – but why? Is A.I. slop the official art style of the new authoritarianism? New York Times columnist Jamelle Bouie talks to Andrew Harrison about why the radical right loves shiny, sentimental images; how they connect to Hitler’s fascist kitsch; and what it means when reality doesn’t live up to your fantasies. patreon.com/bunkercast Written and presented by Andrew Harrison. Audio production by Chris Jones and Robin Warren. Produced by Liam Tait. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Art by Jim Parrett. Managing Editor Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production www.podmasters.co.uk Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

We’re bringing you some of the best Bunkers of the year to tide you over the holidays. Today: Where’s your flag???!? The Cross of St George sprouted across the lamp-posts and roundabouts of Britain this summer. Fans, boosters and grifters claimed it was simple patriotism. Imagine our surprise when it turned out that many behind “Operation Raise The Colours” had far-right associations – who’d have thought it?? Alex von Tunzelmann sat down with Jonn Elledge to find out what flags really mean today. www.patreon.com/bunkercast Written and presented by Alex von Tunzelmann. Producer: Liam Tait. Audio editors: Robin Leeburn. Managing editor: Jacob Jarvis. Art by James Parrett. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In case you missed them, over Christmas we’re bringing you some of the best Bunkers of the year. “Organise before they rise,” is Max Brooks’ advice in his zombie survival guide. But are world leaders prepared enough? Jacob Jarvis speaks to Daniel Drezner, author of Theories of International Politics and Zombies and professor of international politics at Tufts University, to find out how the world might react and how governments would interact during such a catastrophe. Buy Theories of International Politics and Zombies through our affiliate bookshop and you’ll help fund The Bunker by earning us a small commission for every sale. Bookshop.org’s fees help support independent bookshops too. www.patreon.com/bunkercast Written and presented by Jacob Jarvis. Audio editor: Robin Leeburn. Art direction: Jim Parrett. Managing editor: Jacob Jarvis. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In case you missed them, over Christmas we’re bringing you some of the best Bunkers of the year. Today: How mobbed up is the American political establishment? From FDR to Trump, every modern president has had brushes with organised crime. So how have secret pacts, betrayals, and under-the-table deals influenced the commander-in-chief? Eric Dezenhall, author of Wiseguys and the White House, explores the not-so-hidden ties between the leader of the free world and the mob with Seth “The Consigliere” Thévoz. www.patreon.com/bunkercast Written and presented by Seth “The Consigliere” Thévoz. Produced by Liam “Big Guy” Tait. Audio editor: Ice-Pick Simon Williams. Art direction: Crazy Jimmy Parrett. Managing editor: Jacob “Mr Clean” Jarvis. Music by Mr Fingers Kenny Dickinson. Group Editor: Andrew “Uncle Junior” Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production. You should drop by some time. Play some cards. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In case you missed them, over Christmas we’re bringing you some of the best editions of the year. Our first selection: It’s February and Labour legend and former leader Neil Kinnock joins us for the FIFTEEN HUNDREDTH edition of The Bunker. On the agenda: the story Labour should be telling… what his battles against Thatcherism can teach Starmer about fighting the rising right wing… the dangers of a radicalised Conservative Party… and how to hit Reform UK where it hurts. With Andrew Harrison and Alex von Tunzelmann. www.patreon.com/bunkercast Written and presented by Andrew Harrison. Audio production by Tom Taylor. Art by James Parrett. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Managing Editor Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production www.podmasters.co.uk Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices