Jon Lovett: It Is Time to Scream and Yell
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What are the implications of Trump's actions in Iran?
Hello and welcome to the Bulwark Podcast. I'm your host, Tim Miller. Delighted to welcome back to the show the co-creator of the short-lived TV sitcom, 1600. Wow. Wow. Last place finisher on Survivor 47. And my co-host on Speech Center, the video series taking the world by storm on the Love It or Leave It YouTube channel, which you should subscribe to today. It's Jon Lovett. How you doing, man?
I'm doing great. As a great president once said, it's not whether or not you get knocked down, it's whether you get back up again.
That's true. Way to pander to the eight Bush lovers left listening to this podcast. Don't worry, everybody. We've got good news. We're going to get to the bimbofication of Kristi Noem's husband at the end of the program. And this might be coming out a little later than usual today because Lovett likes his beauty rest. It's... It's Farm Workers Ni Cesar Chavez Day in California, something I was just informed of this morning. And so it's, you know, it's taking us a little bit longer to get going today, but it's going to be worth it because had we done this on time, we would have not had the bimbofication topic to give you at the end of the podcast. So stick around. That's right. Levitt, here's where I want to start.
One year ago, you were last on the podcast. It feels like too long, so we're going to have to do that. The title of that show was A Worst Case Scenario Comes Into View. And I was kind of curious what I thought we meant by that. And I went back and read the transcript. And here's what you said. You said, it's hard to imagine a version of the Trump administration unfolding in which they're doing more in bad things without getting the blowback that might hurt them.
Yeah.
And I thought that was interesting to reread that, thinking back to March of 2025, that the worst case scenario was not just their behavior, which we expected, but the behavior of everyone else. And that's something to be positive about in the ensuing year. A lot of bad behavior has continued, but that has changed somewhat, wouldn't you say? It's... Not enough?
Not enough. I mean, look, the full... co-opting of the republican party has continued the the idea that we would have gone to war in iran without a debate without a vote without a plans extraordinary we're going to talk about what he posted today about our about about what europe should be up to and the the like incompetence and chaos and silliness and idiocy of this is like such a staggering, like unacceptable and obvious degree. And there's still so many people on the right defending it. I think the optimistic part to me is I do think he's finally crossed some Rubicon and lost a lot of people that he needs or what you would have thought his coalition needed. And so I do think there is a crack up happening.
And I think that's a reason to be hopeful. But I think what we said there still is right. But for you, the worst case scenario is still in view for you right now. So I think what we were talking about in March of 2025, which I, first of all, I can't believe it feels like that is a long time ago, but also I can't believe we were having that conversation so early in the administration, was that we were seeing the worst possible version of Trump and everybody was really caught off guard, right? Like that's what was happening. He was doing Doge and he was destroying USAID and he was weaponizing the Department of Justice. He was the worst version of himself. And the question I think is, okay, We've had the worst version of Trump.
Are we in the worst case version of America, right? Like, he's doing his damnedest, right? That, I think, is true. And I think the answer there is no. Like... Yes, the weaponization of DOJ has been absolutely terrible and dangerous, but there are ways in which the courts are holding their ways in which, you know, juries and judges are kind of holding the line. Also, just the the fact that Trump is so unpopular and has never really had. the populace behind his right-wing populism means that there are these natural democratic checks that include leaks to the press, that include the fact that they can't get the lawyers they need, that are competent enough to do what they would have to do to actually successfully weaponize the Department of Justice.
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Chapters
8 chapters
1
What are the implications of Trump's actions in Iran?
0:13–8:56
2
How is the Democratic Party responding to current challenges?
8:56–16:52
3
What does the bimbofication of Kristi Noem's husband reveal?
16:52–24:17
4
How do the hosts analyze the state of the Republican Party?
24:17–27:36
5
What insights do they provide about the upcoming elections?
27:36–32:34
6
How does the discussion touch on the concept of evil in politics?
32:34–36:34
7
What are the challenges facing California Democrats?
36:34–45:49
8
What final thoughts do the hosts share about the episode?
45:49–1:04:44
Speakers
3 identifiedMore from The Bulwark Daily
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