The Bulwark Daily

Team Trump is trying to intimidate the opposition. Stop showing them your fear. Plus, Gaetz moves from AG nominee to low-rent MAGA cable channel host, and RT's girlfriend, Tulsi, could have access to the identities of our informants in Russia if she is confirmed. Meanwhile, as Dems plot a way forward, they need to be more clear about calling out the heroes and the villains: When you're trying to be everything to everyone, you're nothing.

Adam Kinzinger and Rep. Pat Ryan join Tim Miller.

show notes
Kinzinger's Substack response to Trump's jail threat
Jake Tapper's 2017 interview with Tulsi Gabbard after her meeting with Assad

A sense of Biden's irrelevance has descended on Washington, with Trump flying off to Paris and meeting world leaders, and also openly conducting his own foreign policy—often at odds with the current US policy. Meanwhile, following the diminishment of our foes in the Middle East, and after all the assistance America gave to Israel and Ukraine, Biden isn't being given credit—or he's choosing not to take it. Plus, the MAGA media mob is doing all it can to get Trump's nominees through, and a postscript from Tim on the danger of romanticizing someone who was "radicalized" by a bad experience.

Susan Glasser joins Tim Miller.
show notes
Susan's most recent column
Cathy's piece last year on the Daniel Penny case
Noah Smith piece on how insurance companies aren't the main villain in the healthcare system

Trump is threatening members of Congress with jail and Republican senators may be circling the wagons around his nominees, but we still need to protect ourselves from a nihilistic mindset. Plus, cautious optimism and uncertainty after the fall of Syria's brutal dictatorship. And no, Tulsi: You were wrong. Assad was our enemy.

Bill Kristol and Michael Weiss join Tim Miller.
Show notes:
Tim's Triad piece on fighting a nihilistic mindset

Trump may have authoritarian aspirations, but he's very bad at governing and managing—four weeks into the transition, he's had two major Ls. Meanwhile, Democrats have to rebuild their connection to voters with local party clubs, and not wait until an election year. Plus, a reverse cancel culture is silencing any conversation about the role that gender and race played in Kamala's loss. And finding solace in the words of Frederick Douglass.

Jamelle Bouie joins Tim Miller.

show notes:
Jamelle's column about one of Frederick Douglass's final speeches
Tim's playlist

Kash Patel is making legal threats to try to silence his critics, and Tulsi Gabbard wouldn't even be able to get a security clearance in the regular job market: The parade of incompetence is so bad that Pete Hegseth is being described as the most unqualified Cabinet nominee in American history—and that's before the rape and alcoholism. Plus, Bluesky v Twitter, Russia is running out of military equipment, and are preemptive pardons a good idea? 

David French joins Tim Miller.
show notes
Steve Schale's Bulwark piece on the Democratic Party
The Southern Baptist Convention's 1998 "Resolution on Moral Character of Public Officials"
Longer version of Jake Tapper clip

We're going back to a president who can't be bothered to read his briefing books. So who will be getting in the ear of the man who had the judgment to choose Pete Hegseth in the first place? Plus, blue state governors v Trump, the need for more mid-range housing, the role of women in modern combat, and Tim reads more from the mailbag. 

New Jersey gubernatorial candidate Mikie Sherrill joins Tim Miller.

Russ Vought, Trump's nominee to run the Office of Management and Budget—and a Project 2025 author—believes we are living in a post-constitutional America and that any check on Trump's power would be illegitimate. And what's really scary is that Vought knows how the government works. Meanwhile, jihadi technocrats effortlessly took over Syria's second-largest city because Assad's protectors—Russia and Iran—are a bit distracted. Plus, Ukraine prepares for Trump. 

Michael Weiss and Georgetown's Thomas Zimmer join Tim Miller.
show notes

Zimmer's piece on Russ Vought
Michael's piece on the fall of Aleppo
Cathy Young's latest regarding Russia's war on Ukraine

Kash Patel, who could potentially run the FBI, is a compulsive liar who can't keep his facts straight about his work experience or even where he was born. Aside from being a player in the attempted coup, even Trump loyalists are alarmed by his devotion to the president-elect. Meanwhile, by pardoning Hunter, Biden is not only putting his family ahead of the public interest, he's also giving a giant gift to Trump. Plus, more details on Pete Hegseth's disqualifying behavior, and Trump's avenue for getting around the Senate confirmation process. Elaina Plott Calabro and Bill Kristol join Tim Miller.

show notes:

Elaina's profile of Kash Patel
Patel's target list
Jack Goldsmith on Trump getting around the Senate confirmation process
Tim and Sam on Biden's pardon of Hunter
Tim and Sam on Pete Hegseth's mom 

Pete Hegseth may have a winning Fox & Friends smile, but his desire to shoot protesters, commit war crimes, and purge non-MAGA leaders from the military aligns with Trump's views—and is probably the reason why he was nominated for defense secretary. Plus, Republicans won without offering a middle-class economic agenda, and the ties between the Democrats' loss and the party's busy-body language police. 

Jonathan Chait joins Tim Miller.

show notes

Chait's piece on Pete Hegseth
Tim's Thanksgiving playlist

For those living under a gray cloud because of what the American electorate has done, it's time to get to work on changing opinions. People who follow the news and read op-eds may be in a minority, but salient minorities have propelled history. On the 50th anniversary of George Will's tenure at The Washington Post, George joins Tim to discuss the power of criticizing presidents and saying what you think. Plus, Tim reads from the mailbag and serves up some advice for dealing with Trump-supporting relatives at the Thanksgiving table.

George Will joins Tim Miller

show notes

George on his first 50 years as a columnist

George's first column for The Post

An appreciation of the Iron Man of America's oped pages

Mona's tribute to George