The Bulwark Podcast

The White House readies plans for mass firings in the federal government as Democrats weigh the stakes of forcing a government shutdown. The Justice Department prepares to seek an indictment for former FBI Director James Comey as President Trump hunts for revenge against his political enemies. Ezra Klein of The New York Times joins Tim to discuss what a fight about a shutdown should really be about, how Democrats can find a message that can meet the moment and what it will take to pull our politics out of a violent moment. Show Notes: Ezra Klein: “Charlie Kirk Was Practicing Politics The Right Way.” Ezra Klein: “We Are Going to Have To Live With Each Other.” (An Interview with Ben Shapiro) Bulwark Live in DC (10/8) and NYC (10/11) with Sarah, Tim and JVL are on sale now at TheBulwark.com/events. NEW show added to Toronto schedule:tickets are on sale now, here

A government shutdown creeps closer as President Trump cancels a meeting with Democratic leaders. Former Vice President Kamala Harris embarks on a press tour to promote a score settling book about her campaign. Plus, Trump taps one of his former personal lawyers to replace a U.S. attorney he dismissed for not targeting his political enemies after publicly calling on the Justice Department to move against people he thinks wronged him. In a two-part episode, U.S. Rep. Angie Craig (D-Minn.) joins Tim Miller to talk about her race for the Senate and how Democrats can dig themselves out of a hole nationwide. And Glenn Thrush of The New York Times joins the show to talk about his reporting on Trump’s escalating pressure on the Justice Department. Show Notes: Glenn’s piece in The New York Times about Donald Trump tapping his former defense lawyer as the new U.S. Attorney in Eastern Virginia.Bulwark Live in DC (10/8) and NYC (10/11) with Sarah, Tim and JVL are on sale now at TheBulwark.com/events.NEW show added to Toronto schedule:tickets are on sale now, heremudwtr.com/THEBULWARK

The injecting-bleach president is getting some super-strong pseudoscientific information to scare mothers and blame them for autism while conveniently ignoring the role geriatric sperm may play in neurodivergence. Meanwhile, Kimmel may be coming back, but confusion remains about why his show was pulled to begin with—given the jokes Trump, his son, and other high-profile people made about the attempted murder of Paul Pelosi. Plus, the strength of Dems out in the field vs the leadership in DC, and how overly focusing on race and identity in this majority-white country can make everybody focus on it. Bakari Sellers joins Tim Miller. show notes Tim and Sam on the Tylenol briefingBakari's book, "The Moment"Jesse Jackson's 1984 convention speechCNN on the Clinton Lincoln Bedroom scandalBulwark Live in DC (10/8) with special guest Rep. Sarah McBride On sale now at TheBulwark.com/events.NEW show added to Toronto schedule:tickets are on sale now, here

We thought Tom Homan was just an extreme border hawk and ideologue. Now we know this powerful law enforcement official, who's depriving immigrants of their freedom, may also be a corrupt law-breaker—after he was reportedly recorded taking a $50,000 cash bribe during an FBI sting operation. And MAGA die-hards, like Megyn Kelly, have made clear they don't care. Meanwhile, Kash is having FBI agents pursue QAnon leads in the Kirk assassination. Plus, Tucker is a very sick person, Trump is demanding that Bondi file trumped-up charges against his enemies, and Democrats should absolutely not vote to fund this administration. Bill Kristol joins Tim Miller. show notes Leonnig's and Dilanian's reporting on Homan taking a $50,000 bribeTim on Megyn Kelly's diatribe against himYouTubeMonday's "Morning Shots"Will Sommer's newsletter, "False Flag" Bulwark Live in DC (10/8) with special guest Rep. Sarah McBride On sale now at TheBulwark.com/events. NEW show added to Toronto schedule: Bulwark Live Q&A Matinee show on Saturday, September 27 —tickets are on sale now, here.

Cancel culture lives on, but it's taken new turns, especially among some of the loudest opponents of woke culture who simply can not abide one word of criticism about Charlie Kirk or Israel. Meanwhile, the vice president of the United States is actively encouraging his kind of Americans to rat out their neighbors. Plus, how authoritarianism and corruption go together, the challenge for academics who don't adhere to views on race they're 'supposed' to have, and Trump's talent for exploiting grievance will be studied for years. The Atlantic's Thomas Chatterton Williams joins Tim Miller for the weekend pod. show notes Thomas's "Summer of Our Discontent: The Age of Certainty and the Demise of Discourse" Thomas's recent Atlantic piece The Harper's Letter Tim's playlist Bulwark Live in DC and NYC at TheBulwark.com/events. Tix for a second Toronto show go on sale for members Tuesday at noon and for everyone else on Wednesday!https://zbiotics.com/THEBULWARK

The administration wants people to believe that Jimmy Kimmel was pulled off the air because he supposedly crossed a red line when it came to Charlie Kirk—yet at the same time, somehow totally ignore that this is naked government coercion of critics who embrace the time-honored tradition of skewering presidents. And because this is the Trump administration, there's also a corruption angle, namely a local TV station conglomerate trying to curry favor with Trump and FCC Chair Brendan Carr to get a $6.2 billion merger approved. Meanwhile, Vance is openly manufacturing a new, broader conspiracy behind the Kirk assassination, continuing his admitted pattern of just making things up out of whole cloth. It'd be nice if other members of the media noticed. JVL and Brian Stelter join Tim Miller. show notes Brian's "Reliable Sources" newsletter JVL's Thursday 'Triad' Bulwark Live in DC (10/8) and NYC (10/11) with Sarah, Tim and JVL are on sale now at TheBulwark.com/events. NEW show added to Toronto schedule:tickets are on sale now, here

This country has been dealing with an increase in political violence for nearly a decade, and leaders from across the spectrum need to do everything they can to get us off this terrible path. Declaring 'free speech for me and not for thee,' or getting random people fired for not saying nice things about Charlie Kirk isn't helping to tamp things down. Meanwhile, it looks like Trump is sacrificing U.S. national security interests with his corrupt TikTok and UAE deals, and Russia remains one of the only countries in the world Trump hasn't tariffed. Plus, Democrats must not roll over and play dead on the spending bill like they did in the spring. Amb. Susan Rice joins Tim Miller. show notes Bulwark Live in DC (10/8) and NYC (10/11) with Sarah, Tim and JVL are on sale now at TheBulwark.com/events. NEW show added to Toronto schedule:tickets are on sale now, here

The former senator and former Dem has some not-very-nice things to say about Schumer and Obama—as well as progressives—who he blames for hounding Biden to move left and diminishing his will to fight. And while he's proud he helped protect the filibuster while he was in the Senate, Republicans just invoked the nuclear option to get Trump's nominees approved. Plus, what's with all the Confederate flags in West Virginia? And why aren't West Virginians more angry that conditions in the state have not improved since flipping red under Trump? Sen. Joe Manchin joins Tim Miller. show notes Sen. Manchin's new book, "Dead Center: In Defense of Common Sense"Tim's 2021 piece, "An Ode to Saint Joe Manchin"Bulwark Live in DC and NYC at TheBulwark.com/events. Tix for a second Toronto show go on sale for members Tuesday at noon and for everyone else on Wednesday!https://www.wildalaskan.com/BULWARK

The administration is threatening to take away money and power—and maybe even freedom—from some vague Trump opponents because of the Kirk assassination. It doesn't seem to matter that elected Democrats have roundly condemned his murder. And it doesn't matter that Trump himself largely ignored the recent political assassination of Minnesota Democratic legislator Melissa Hortman and her husband. But anyone who is pro-assassination is a foe of The Bulwark. Full stop. A free country by definition must protect the right to self-expression. Plus, the giant nationalist march in London over the weekend, the latest stalling tactic on Russia sanctions, and the right of trans people to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Bill Kristol joins Tim Miller. show notes Today's "Morning Shots"Bill's "Bulwark on Sunday" with Jay NordlingerBulwark Live in DC and NYC at TheBulwark.com/events. Tix for a second Toronto show go on sale this week!RocketMoney.com/thebulwark

Trump and the people around him want to use the Kirk assassination to suppress their political opposition. And Trump is clearly laying the groundwork for cracking down on people he doesn't like—peaceful protesters, Dem fundraisers—while also offering rhetorical comfort to potential vigilantes on the right. Meanwhile, we are witnessing the danger of having an incompetent person atop the FBI, who alternates his time between posting for clicks and purging the bureau of highly qualified personnel for political cred. Plus, Vance is running for the 2028 nomination every day, the raid on the Georgia Hyundai plant shows the incoherence and stupidity of Trump's economic vision, and as Putin tests the resilience of NATO, the White House is playing politics in Poland. David Frum joins Tim Miller for the weekend pod. show notes Frum's "Trump Is No Nationalist" pieceBill's tribute to Georgia police officer David RoseBob Kagan's "The Beginning of the End of Nato" Tim referencedThe poem, "For Whom the Bell Tolls"Tim's playlistFrum's podcastBulwark Live in DC and NYC at TheBulwark.com/events. Tix on sale next week for extra Toronto show!

This country has too many guns and too many crazy people. And the social media oligarchs are fanning the flames of violence by constantly trying to piss people off. The Kirk assassination highlights just how dangerous a moment we are living in. America is not free if people are too afraid to speak their minds. Plus, parenting and the surprising gap in what Gen Z women and men think are the highest priorities in life. Crooked Media's Erin Ryan joins Tim Miller. show notes Tim's latest FYPod episodeJVL on Charlie KirkAndrew on the reaction to the assassinationNancy Mace after the shootingThe Wired story on surrogacyhttps://www.american-giant.com

If Zohran Mamdani, as NYC mayor-elect, held a dinner with finance bros and threatened them with a huge wealth tax if they didn't sweet-talk him and say how much they agreed with his political vision, the Wall Street community would freak out. Yet, this version of a shakedown is *really* happening at the White House all the time and in response, the country's most powerful and wealthy business leaders can only trip over each other as they jostle for the chance to cut up Trump's well-done steak. Meanwhile, the Supreme Court is tripping over its own rulings to green-light ICE's racial profiling in Southern California. Stephanie Ruhle and MALDEF's Thomas Saenz join Tim Miller. show notes Maggie Haberman pursuing the White House's 'hoax' theory on EpsteinJob Garcia's video of his arrest—includes non-visuals when his phone was in his back pocketMexican American Legal Defense and Educational FundBulwark Live in DC and NYC at TheBulwark.com/events. Toronto is SOLD OUTjoindeleteme.com/

More than 10 years in, journalists still have not figured out how to cover Trump. He understands the media environment better than a lot of reporters, and knows his outrageous acts and statements command attention—and that people will not be able to finish processing one outrage before the next one comes down the pike. But now he's laying down the terms of how he expects to be covered, and media orgs are complying by hiring or giving airtime to MAGA avatars. In the process, journalists are failing to hold the powerful to account. Plus, Dems actually went on offense and got their hands on the Epstein birthday book, and Israel is aggressively embracing the age of impunity. The Economist's James Bennet joins Tim Miller. show notes James, in The Economist, on his departure from the NYT over the Tom Cotton op-ed (gifted)James on the rules for defending democracy under Trump (gifted)Bulwark Live in DC and NYC at TheBulwark.com/events. Toronto is SOLD OUT

In seven months, Trump has accumulated an astonishing amount of unchecked power. No one inside his administration is challenging his will, and Trump is assuming war powers with barely any explanation—while blacklisting Tom Hanks from West Point. At the same time, in the business world, only one MAGA-friendly hedge fund billionaire has raised mild concerns about the Fed, but top-shelf tech leaders can't thank Trump enough just for existing. But, the resistance is showing up in Chicago and the Dems have a chance to throw their weight around with a potential government shutdown. Plus, Vance is an amazingly succinct liar and the White House Rose Garden has had a Panera patio makeover. Bill Kristol joins Tim Miller. show notes Today's "Morning Shots"Gov. Pritzker responding to Trump's Chi-pocalypse memeBackgrounder on the Bobbsey TwinsBulwark Live in DC and NYC at https://www.thebulwark.com/p/bulwark-events. Toronto is SOLD OUThttps://www.oneskin.co/

Last month, Trump fired the "woke" job numbers person after she released weak employment data. Now, we have even worse jobs numbers—and burgeoning signs of a tariffs-triggered manufacturing recession. Meanwhile, the administration may be working on a de facto military policy that would fulfill one of Trump's biggest longtime wishes: summarily executing drug dealers. Plus, a trans gun ban would be grotesquely unconstitutional, the blood-and-soil types at NatCon are missing what the Founding Fathers intended, Tucker can't quit his Putin obsession, and why Gen X enthusiastically embraced helicopter parenting. David French joins Tim Miller for the weekend pod. show notes Bulwark's live reaction to RFK hearing, with Sam, Jon Cohn, and Will SaletanDavid on Gen X helicopter parenting Gen ZMore from James Madison in 1785Post-recording news: Pentagon is deploying F-35s for a counter-narcotics missionTim's playlistBulwark Live in DC and NYC at TheBulwark.com/events. Toronto is SOLD OUTNakedWines.com/THEBULWARK

The lethal U.S. military strike on a speedboat in the Caribbean was more about putting on a show than countering the drug trade out of South America. And it's not even clear that the people killed on the boat were running drugs, or that any contraband was bound for America. Meanwhile, if senators are truly concerned that local police departments are insufficiently staffed, then they should pass a bill to fund more officers instead of pushing the charade that Guard troops can legally do police work. Plus, Russia is running out of ammunition, Ashli Babbitt was no hero, and a dissection of Trump's fatuous 'seven wars' lie. Lt. Gen. Mark Hertling joins Tim Miller. joins Tim Miller. show notes Hertling's piece, "Bombs Won't Win the War on Drugs""Honoring Ashli Babbitt Dishonors the Military"Hertling on the 'perils of yes-men'Rand Paul on the speedboat bombingBulwark Live in DC and NYC at TheBulwark.com/events. Toronto is SOLD OUT

The economic populists at the Nat Con conference may be talking a lot about elites screwing over the little guy, but the Trump administration itself has been catastrophic for working people—its policies are all about doing special favors for elite interests. And while many loud voices in Silicon Valley cursed the Biden administration for blocking some deals, other start-ups appreciated the efforts to try to level the playing field against the tech giants. Plus, a response to Jason Calacanis, how Dems can shake off their elite vibes, and resisting the temptation to run for office. Former FTC chair Lina Khan joins Tim Miller. show notes Tim's interview last month with Jason CalacanisThis week's TNLBulwark Live in DC and NYC at TheBulwark.com/events. Toronto is SOLD OUTSmalls.com/THEBULWARK

Democrats need to learn to fight like Republicans. So when senators with serious foreign policy chops vote to confirm a middling weekend talk show host as secretary of defense, Dems need to call them out for being unpatriotic. And when they allow an ex-junkie to sabotage vaccines that have saved millions of American lives, say they're destroying the legacy of what the Greatest Generation built. The party of Putin-philes is no longer a normal political party with whom Dems can hammer out a compromise. Stuart Stevens joins Tim Miller—and pulls no punches. show notes Lincoln Square on SubstackStuart's piece on trying steroids"The Conspiracy to End America"Stuart's book, "It Was All a Lie"Stuart's "The Last Season" Bulwark Live in DC and NYC at https://www.thebulwark.com/p/bulwark-events. Toronto is SOLD OUT

Red States are flexing their muscles and imposing their will on the other states through their coordinated redistricting efforts. And if they deploy their Guard troops to other blue cities beyond D.C., the only real precedent would be the era before the Civil War when the South tried to force more slave states on the union. Meanwhile, the infighting at the CDC over the Covid vaccine seems to be upsetting Trump, but what can he do about it? He's only the president. And in China, a new axis of authoritarians is creating a post-American world order, thanks to voters putting Trump back in office. Plus, his faux golf outings and declarations of perfect health are very Soviet, and Giuliani wants people to think 'America's Mayor' is back—this time as Batman. JVL joins Tim Miller. show notes "The Triad," JVL's newsletter"The Secret Podcast," with Sarah and JVLJon Cohn on the crisis at the CDC in his 'Breakdown' newsletterBulwark Live in DC and NYC at https://www.thebulwark.com/p/bulwark-events. Toronto is SOLD OUTDupe.comDupe.com

Trump is like a dysfunctional 8-year-old whose parents are always in the principal's office arguing that their son is a good boy. The media, CEOs, and Wall Street keep giving him a pass for his behavior while his supporters and apologists explain why he just had to set the school on fire. At the same time, he's empowering ideologues behind the scenes who are dismantling the government and executing their policy wet dreams. Plus, Joni Ernst's Senate tenure has been a sham, Vance tries Mickey Mouse Stalinism on for size, and what's going on with the bruising on Trump's right hand? The public has the right to know about the health of a president. Tom Nichols joins Tim Miller for the weekend pod. Tom Nichols joins Tim Miller for the weekend pod. show notes Tom's newsletter installment, "President Homelander"JVL's Thursday 'Triad'Tom calling Trump 'unmanly'Vance an 'ass****'The film, "The Death of Stalin"Felicia Schwartz's piece on Steve WitkoffTim's playlist Bulwark Live in DC and NYC at https://www.thebulwark.com/p/bulwark-events. Toronto is SOLD OUT