The Bulwark Podcast

Ep. 2: The Corruption of Lindsey Graham

10 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Within days of the 2016 election, Lindsey Graham began transforming into Trump's chief apologist—in an effort to influence him on national security ...

Tommy Vietor: David Plouffe Would Have Murdered Us

07 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

How Obamaworld views the weird attempt by Team DeSantis to mimic Ted Cruz's failed 2016 campaign. Plus, Dems need to stop worrying about Biden and Kam...

Trump Is Going Down

06 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

The docs case against Trump is bigger than Snowden's, the people of South Florida should be cut more slack as a jury pool, and the media is largely ig...

A.B. Stoddard: Governing Is for Wimps

05 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

House Republicans are racing to the crazy again as they try to nail down who they're going to impeach. Plus, gaming out why Biden gets so little credi...

Ep. 1: The Corruption of Lindsey Graham

03 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Lindsey Graham was once one of Donald Trump's fiercest critics—before becoming one of his most important collaborators. His eventual capitulation is...

Mark Hertling: How Dangerous Were the Trump Docs?

30 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

If Trump wanted to impress a memoir writer with classified documents, wouldn't he also want to do the same with Putin and MBS? Plus, will the US suppl...

TRAILER The Bulwark Podcast Presents: The Corruption of Lindsey Graham

30 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Will Saletan has a story to tell: It’s about what’s happened to the United States since Donald Trump began his rise to power eight years ago. It’...

Trump’s Bravado Defense

29 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Charging Trump for Jan 6 just got meaningfully harder after a Supreme Court ruling that has nothing to do with storming the Capitol. Plus, Rudy was Qu...

Seth Masket: Trending Trump

28 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Grassroots Republican leaders increasingly favor Trump, and he's getting significantly more coverage on CNN than the other candidates. Plus, when Demo...

Ben Terris: It's Not Going Back to Normal

27 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Why is DC so weird? The Washington Post's Ben Terris describes his hitchhiker's guide through the backrooms of Washington to show why normal is not co...

Will Saletan: A Wannabe Coup

26 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

After this weekend's mutiny in Russia, the world is suddenly seeing Putin in a new light. Meanwhile, America's wannabe authoritarian goes full martyr,...

Tim O'Brien: A Clown Rodeo

23 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

The celebrification of running for president continues to grow, Boebert and MTG are a couple of ignoramuses, Schiff gets censured instead of Santos, R...

Trump’s TV Strategy

22 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Trump keeps undermining his own defense, but he's not wrong that if he wins, he can make the cases against him go away. Plus, John Durham gets humilia...

Andrew Weissmann: Jack Smith Cometh

21 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Special Counsel Jack Smith is racing the clock, Justices Alito and Thomas seem to be taking cues from Donald Trump's "What are you gonna do about it?"...

Chris Christie: Why I Want to Beat Trump

20 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Gov. Christie joins Charlie Sykes to explain campaign strategy, his error in judgment in 2016, and how Trump knows he lost. Plus, why Trump voters exp...

Will Saletan: Welcome to the Resistance, Bill Barr

19 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Former AG Barr protected Trump while he obstructed justice, but he's now staked out a spot in the anti-Trump coalition. Plus, Tim Scott tests out bein...

Tim Miller: A Season of Grifters and Crackpots

16 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. has found the sweet spot in the horseshoe— between QAnon-ers waiting for JFK, Jr. and the weirdo, anti-vaxxers in the Dems. P...

Jack Smith's Steely-Eyed Gaze

15 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

The special prosecutor had his eyes on Trump during the arraignment, but Trump—who seemed tired and resigned—didn't even look at him once. Plus, w...

Adam Kinzinger: The Freak Prom

14 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Trump likes to convey that he is invincible and has a massive army of people behind him. But he's scared and deflated. And many in the cult behind him...

Michael Weiss: Perp Walks and Counteroffensives

13 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Even after winning the White House, Trump is still the consummate grifter who's got no time for political correctness or following the law—whether i...

Will Saletan: A World Series of Whataboutism

12 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Republicans spent the weekend defending Trump by pointing to Biden, Pence, other ex-presidents, and of course, Hillary. In MAGA-land, he's always exem...

Listen to the Indictment

10 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

This is a reading of the classified documents indictment against former President Trump that was unsealed by the Justice Department on Friday. Parts o...

Tim Miller and Bill Kristol: Rally Around the Felon

09 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Fox calls Trump's prosecution an insurrection. The GOP shrug off his hoarding, hiding, and sharing of top secret national security docs. But our justi...

Wait, Is This Guy a Freakin' Criminal?

08 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Jack Smith will need a barn burner of a case, rich in facts, and one that holds up under the scrutiny of conservative legal analysts on Fox. Plus, Pen...

A.B. Stoddard: Christie Brought the Hot Sauce

07 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Chris Christie launched his presidential campaign by calling out Trump—and hit him on the kleptocracy, the hypocrisy, and the lying. Plus, the Freed...

Astead Herndon: Our Broken Politics

06 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Too many of today's politicians don't care that they are undermining their own parties with messages the general public doesn't support. Plus, the don...

Will Saletan: The Dem’s RFK, Jr. Problem

05 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Steve Bannon and company are helping give anti-vaxxer Robert F. Kennedy a boost in the polls, Trump gets challenged from the right on foreign policy, ...

Tim Miller: Normal v Crazy

02 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

It wasn't like the boring 90s, but politics this week felt almost normal. Meanwhile, Trump's bleats are getting more demented and DeSantis is all-in o...

Lordy, There Are Tapes

01 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Trump's own recorded words appear to undercut his already weak defense that he had declassified the documents he took from the White House—and he ma...

Michael Steele: We're Way Past Kumbaya

31 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

The media thinks the GOP base could still want 'Morning in America,' Citizens United is keeping no-hopers in the race, Charlie totally called it on Ta...

Tom Nichols: Knuckleheads with Flamethrowers

30 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

McCarthy cut a normal deal with Biden when the GOP caucus couldn't agree on what to demand—beyond just shouting and pounding the table. Plus, missin...

Luke Russert: Look for Me There

26 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

In the summer of 2016, on the eve of the Republican and Democratic conventions, Luke Russert—an NBC News star and a scion of media royalty—walked ...

Indictment Time?

25 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Jack Smith is wrapping up his investigation into the Mar-a-Lago classified document collection, and Trump world is bracing for indictments. Plus, defa...

David Frum: Losing the Dominance Primary

24 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

DeSantis claims he doesn't back down, but most of the time, he is flinching and cowering—and now he's allowing Musk to push him around. Plus, Trump ...

Philip Bump: Running Against Reality

23 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Reality is Kari Lake's biggest opponent, Tim Scott is warmly welcomed into a growing candidate field, Biden gets blamed for guns, and younger voters a...

Will Saletan: Is Tim Scott Running a Potemkin Campaign?

22 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Are Tim Scott, Nikki Haley, and Mike Pence really running for the VP slot—or a chance to increase their speaking fees? Plus, Trump is still an extor...

The Bulwark: Live from New York

19 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Charlie Sykes and Tim Miller held court on the Upper West Side Thursday night, weighing in on Rudy's medical experiments on himself, Disney's humiliat...

Steve Vladeck: The Supreme Court's Shadow Docket

18 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Justice Alito frequently complains that critics of the court are trying to delegitimize it. But it's the Supreme Court's own actions—including its l...

Durham's Fizzle

17 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

John Durham didn't report anything new, and he took longer to produce less useful material than Mueller did to expose Russian election interference in...

Anne Applebaum: The Case for a Complete Ukrainian Victory

16 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Ukraine's freedom is on the line, but America's role in the world is also at stake. And if a democratic Ukraine can win against autocratic Russia, the...

Will Saletan: We Are Not the Crazy Ones

15 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

DeSantis tries to pretend he's normal, James Comer can't find his Biden informants, Republicans are disappointed there's not a bigger crisis at the bo...

Richard Reeves: The Trouble with Boys

12 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Girls are blowing past boys in school, and while most men are poorer than they were 50 years ago, women's incomes have risen across the board. A new k...

Trump vs Law and Order

11 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

From promising a general amnesty to Jan 6 rioters, to re-victimizing E. Jean Carroll on CNN's town hall, and calling a police officer a thug, Trump is...

The Counteroffensive Against Trump—and Putin

10 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Turns out that being a star doesn't allow you to get away with sexual assault after all. The GOP still has an 'Access Hollywood' choice, but now there...

Felix Salmon: The New Not Normal Economy

09 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Globalism is dead, the remote work revolution is here to stay, and more people are pursuing their big dreams in smaller cities. The Covid pandemic ush...

Will Saletan: A New American Exceptionalism?

08 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Greg Abbott says gun violence is due to a mental health crisis, not guns. So, America is exceptionally crazy? Plus, a bad poll for Biden, Trump's type...

Tim Miller: The Thomas Family Grift

05 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Clarence and Ginni are enjoying the grift that keeps on giving, Fox's PR moves are not helping, seditious conspiracy doesn't require actually being at...

The Proud Boys: GUILTY

04 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

It was not an Ocean's 11-style conspiracy that convicted the Proud Boys in their sedition case. But the government made a compelling case that the con...

Ben Smith: The Rise and Fall of the Social Media News Age

03 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

The pioneers of the digital media age thought they were building a progressive answer to Drudge—that would help get a Democrat elected in '08. But t...

A.B. Stoddard: Normalizing Trump Again

02 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

For the first time since 2016, Trump will be back on CNN for a live event. It's a huge gift to Trump. Will the media once again center their campaign ...

Will Saletan: The Crassness Is the Point

01 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Greg Abbott chose to be breathtakingly inhumane, MAGA cancel culture is a runaway train, Biden gets in some good digs, Trump is the biggest victim of ...

Tim Miller: Trump Has Already Ball-Gagged Them in the Basement

28 Apr 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Republicans are so weak and craven: DeSantis has three bad weeks, and they've thrown in the towel—they're not even trying to try to defeat Trump. Pl...

The Trump Trials

27 Apr 2023

Contributed by Lukas

State and federal prosecutors may be closing in on Trump, so we've launched a new companion pod—in partnership with Lawfare—that will bring you up...

Benjy Sarlin: The Bud Light Freak-Out

26 Apr 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Conservatives surrendered on gay marriage, but kept their fear about societal change bottled up. And now a beer is a stand-in for transgender people t...

Brian Stelter: Tucker Thought He Was Invincible

25 Apr 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Tucker Carlson's firing shocked the media world and Tucker himself. He thought he could say and do anything. What role did Tucker's phony Jan. 6 progr...

Will Saletan: How Many Coups Do You Have to Attempt?

24 Apr 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Trump's negative poll numbers are not high enough, Alito couldn't get other justices to go off the cliff with him, and DeSantis can't stop bossing com...

Tim Miller: Our WWE Politics

21 Apr 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Marco Rubio thinks he's in office just to send tweets, No Labels couldn't have picked a worse time for a third-party candidate, and DeSantis' war on w...

Kara Swisher: Musk's Cry for a Giant Hug

20 Apr 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Elon Musk says that running Twitter is very painful, but it's a pain he brought on himself with firings, stunts, and overpaying for the company. Plus,...

Tina Nguyen: The Cost of Fox’s Lies

19 Apr 2023

Contributed by Lukas

The unsettling Dominion settlement, DeSantis is not fooling MAGA, and the "Taliban 20"—who demanded ransom before Kevin McCarthy could become speake...

Michael Steele: Confronting the Ugliness

18 Apr 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Oklahoma sheriffs pining for lynching, Tennessee legislators trying to teach young Black men a lesson, and Stand Your Ground turning the innocent into...

Will Saletan: What Are You Grooming These Kids to Be?

17 Apr 2023

Contributed by Lukas

At the annual NRA meeting, Kristi Noem bragged about her 2-year-old granddaughter's rifle, while other young kids handled guns. Plus, the GOP is chall...

Dylan Byers: The Media Trial of the Century?

14 Apr 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Dominion v. Fox is not only about defamation—it's also about the erosion of truth at the network and its impact on our democracy. And with Tucker, H...

Mark Hertling: Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Gamer

13 Apr 2023

Contributed by Lukas

The military runs on young soldiers, and sometimes, chatroom braggarts who want to share classified documents get recruited too. Plus, the real world ...

John Harwood: Our Cartoonish Politics

12 Apr 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Trump may excel at firing up resentment in the base, but the party is squandering support from an entire generation of young people. Plus, Alvin Bragg...

Peter Wehner: A Grotesque Leader of a Grotesque Party

11 Apr 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Too many GOP leaders failed to grasp that going along with Trump would increase his hold on the party—and further radicalize the base. Now, the part...

Will Saletan: The GOP’s Abortion Quagmire

10 Apr 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Republicans have boxed themselves in on abortion, Elon continues his petulance, the knives are out in the House GOP, and Lindsey Graham sheds tears fo...

Tim Miller: Tennessee’s Idiocracy

07 Apr 2023

Contributed by Lukas

The Tennessee GOP lives in such a bubble, they thought it was a good idea to expel two Black legislators, who've now become superstars. Plus, the GOP ...

Jeff Sharlet: Scenes from a Slow Civil War

06 Apr 2023

Contributed by Lukas

In the parts of the country where Ashli Babbitt is a martyr, pastors glorify guns, and conspiracies thrive, the anticipation of some kind of civil war...

Ben Wittes: The Trump Indictment Is Not Trivial

05 Apr 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Trump's indictment may be tied to his hush money payments, but it's also bound up with democracy concerns. If one more shoe had dropped after Access H...

Tim Alberta: Trump Has an Evangelical Problem

04 Apr 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Trump threw the anti-abortion movement under the bus after losses in the midterms — which prompted a ferocious backlash among evangelicals. He has y...

Will Saletan: Individual 1 Gets His Day in Court

03 Apr 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Trump always calls for his enemies to get prosecuted and now he's getting a taste of his own medicine. But will he get to skip the mugshot? Plus, Fox'...

Special Indictment Podcast: Adam Kinzinger, Mona Charen, Will Saletan

31 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Trump faces a 34-count indictment in New York and more charges may be on the way. But will it hurt him politically, or propel him to the GOP nominatio...

Tim Miller: DeSantis Whiffs on Disney

30 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

"Tiny D" thought he'd puff up his chest to go after Mickey Mouse — only to get outflanked. Plus, loony GOP state legislators, Wisconsin's $45 millio...

Ruy Teixeira: More Tough Love for Democrats

29 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

While Republicans frequently overdo it on cultural issues, Democrats still are vulnerable on race, gender, and drag queen story hour. They need to sto...

Judge Michael Luttig: A Betrayal of America

28 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Trump's incitement of Jan 6 and his call to terminate the constitution were treason-like. And the Republicans who won't renounce him have betrayed the...

Will Saletan: The Purest Distillation of Trump

27 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Down in Waco, Trump was on double duty: Blowing up the DeSantis' campaign on the launch pad, and clearing up any ambiguity about who he really is. Wil...

Tim Miller: Ron DeSantis Is Scott Walker

24 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

DeSantis gets over his skis on Ukraine, 'Don't Say Gay' escalates, and it's not racist to criticize the CCP. Plus, the crowd that warns of death and d...

Shelby Talcott: DeSantis Sticks His Toe in the Water

23 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Ron DeSantis threw a couple of very small rocks at Trump this week, and he's angling to get to the right of Trump on Covid, and perhaps on abortion as...

Michael Steele: Trump Punked Everybody

22 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Using a page from his well-worn playbook, Trump framed the narrative about the Manhattan grand jury case on his terms. Plus, the white boy frat party ...

Dana Milbank: It’s the Trump Show Again

21 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

The Republican Party had been showing signs it was beginning to move on from Trump, but now it's wrapping itself around him once again — because att...

Susan Glasser: Trump 2024 Is Scarier than Trump 2020

20 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Trump's rhetoric is more apocalyptic and more confrontational, and the party still can't renounce its addiction to the man. This is Trump without guar...

Tim Miller: Be Alarmed

17 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Trump is crystal clear that he wants retribution against the people who wouldn't let him remain in office — and he'll pull us out of NATO too. Plus,...

Philip Bump: The Baby Boom Generation Is Winding Down

16 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

America has long responded to the needs of Baby Boomers, and the generation reshaped the country as it grew older. But now, its grip on the direction ...

Tom Nichols: Our Fatal Complacency

15 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Pence warned us about the threat to our democracy, and we shrugged. Plus, Bethany Mandel can't define woke, Fox can't keep its talking points straight...

James Hohmann: DeSantis Joins the Surrender Caucus

14 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Ron DeSantis chose to pander to Tucker Carlson on Ukraine and shows himself as unserious on one of the biggest issues of our time. Plus, socialism for...

Will Saletan: Pence’s Profile in Half-Courage

13 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Mike Pence is trying win over the DC press corps but still refuses to do his part to hold Trump accountable for January 6. Plus, the new too-big-to-fa...

Tim Miller: Be Happy, Make Babies

10 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

People not having kids because of climate change anxiety are not thinking about a future with Josh Hawley having 100 babies. Plus, sad CPAC, the least...

Adrienne LaFrance: The New Anarchy

09 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

The largest threat of extremist violence right now is coming from the rightwing. But 100 years ago, it came from the left. History can teach us about ...

Matt Gertz: Tucker's Trump Derangement Syndrome

08 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Tucker has been dining out on how much the media supposedly despises Donald Trump — when by his own admission, he hates Trump with a passion. And hi...

Tucker’s Latest Lies

07 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Tucker's attempting to white-wash Jan 6, Trump and DeSantis have a thing against prosecutors, Kari says we'll have world peace again with Trump capitu...

Amb. John Bolton: I Thought Trump Would Be Disciplined

06 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

John Bolton thought he could create a coherent foreign policy for Trump, but now sees he was naive. Plus, Charlie Sykes asks Bolton about his early de...

Rick Wilson: Why Would MAGA Want Trump-Lite?

03 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

The base wants the sugar, the fat, and the salt — not someone afraid to say how they're different from Trump. Plus, DeSantis doesn't want to face th...

Mehdi Hasan: How to Win Any Argument

02 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Master interlocutor Mehdi Hasan says come to a debate prepared — bring receipts and know the other side's best argument better than they do. And Dem...

Jennifer Senior: How Old Are You in Your Head?

01 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

People over 40 tend to see themselves as about 20% younger than their actual age. Is it because aging is seen as bad — or because they're optimistic...

My Conversation With Paul Ryan

28 Feb 2023

Contributed by Lukas

The former Speaker of the House tells Charlie Sykes a Reagan 2.0 candidate would have a shot in '24. He also discusses his relationship with McCarthy,...

Will Saletan: Dilbert, Free Speech, and Racism

27 Feb 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Scott Adams has the right to carry on about white victimhood, and newspapers have the free speech right to drop him. Plus, after the Ohio train wreck,...

Tim Miller: Here's Why You Need to Shut Up

24 Feb 2023

Contributed by Lukas

The Georgia jury forewoman needs to stop talking, Norma Desmond took a break from Mar-a-Lago, Charlie and Tim disagree on Roald Dahl, and DeSantis lec...

Brian Rosenwald: Fox Is Afraid of Its Audience

23 Feb 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Fox isn't news, and it isn't propaganda. It's about getting the biggest audience it can, to make the most money it possibly can. And Tucker Carlson an...

Bill Lueders: Wisconsin's High Stakes Supreme Court Race

22 Feb 2023

Contributed by Lukas

With abortion and election integrity on the line, Democrats got the opponent they wanted for the most consequential election of 2023. Plus, Joe Biden ...

Will Sommer: The Power of QAnon

21 Feb 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Conspiracy theories had been gaining ground in the GOP before Trump, but after he became conspiracy-theorist-in chief, many of his fans dove into cons...