The Bulwark Podcast

By The Bulwark

What's The Bulwark Podcast about?

Charlie Sykes and guests discuss the latest news from inside Washington and around the world. No shouting, grandstanding, or sloganeering. Conservative, conscientious, and civil.
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LAST EPISODE

Tim Miller: Why Lizzo Trigg...

09.30.2022

Kevin McCarthy tries/fails to argue he's not a spineless suck-up, the [Blame] America First crowd goes full Alex Jones, and the fake mad get tied in knots over Lizzo and the flute. Plus, Trump really had the USS John McCain ...

The Bulwark Podcast episodes:

09.30.2022 Tim Miller: Why Lizzo Triggers Ben Kevin McCarthy tries/fails to argue he's not a spineless suck-up, the [Blame] America First crowd goes full Alex Jones, and the fake mad get tied in knots over Lizzo and the flute. Plus, Trump really had the USS John McCain ...
09.29.2022 Susan Glasser & Peter Baker: A History and a Warning The history of the Trump presidency is also a warning of a Trump 2.0 — this time, he would know how to pull the levers of power to get what he wanted, and there would be no John Kelly or ...
09.28.2022 Tom Nichols: Clowns with Flame Throwers Roger Stone, Tucker Carlson, and other clowns rile people up only to stand back and let violent political tourists do the actual fighting — and jail time. Plus, the nuclear threat from Russia. Tom Nichols joins Charlie Sykes today. Learn ...
09.27.2022 A.B. Stoddard: The Super Kooks Oz is critiquing Fetterman's clothing style, Obama supporter and liar Kari Lake is a contender, Marjorie Taylor Greene has been normalized — and Elise Stefanik is trying to stay in her good graces. Plus, progressives may be in for a ...
09.26.2022 Tim O'Brien: For Trump, It's Always about the $$$ Letitia James aims to shut down the Trump family operation in New York, which means he'd have to unload his skyscrapers in a fire sale. Plus, Trump will sell anything — he's sold underwear, water, and steaks. Why wouldn't he ...
09.23.2022 Tim Miller: Can We Indict Him Just by Thinking about It? Judge Dearie is not the kind of master Trump wanted, Hannity is like a North Korea propagandist, DeSantis has thoughts about history, and Turning Point welcomes Alex Jones. And from TribFest, Charlie Sykes and Tim Miller debate immigration deep in ...
09.22.2022 Jonathan Lemire: How Do You Cover an Insurrectionist? The media had to learn never to quote Trump verbatim because of the lies, and it fact-checked him on steroids. Is it up to the task of covering him again? Plus, is the Big Lie just a pretext for not ...
09.21.2022 Stephanie Slade: The NatCons’ Will to Power Elements on both the left and right are tracking in the same illiberal direction on economic regulation, the First Amendment, and on radical rhetoric. Plus, the NatCons’ plan to get the country to go full Trump. Stephanie Slade joins Charlie ...
09.20.2022 Dylan Byers: What's Going On at CNN? It's a new era at CNN. Don Lemon's moving to mornings, and some of the more outspoken anchors and correspondents, like Brian Stelter, have been cleared out. Plus, the goings-on at Politico, Semafor and Puck. Dylan Byers joins Charlie Sykes ...
09.19.2022 Will Saletan: Nice Little Democracy You Got There Trump hosted a Q extravaganza, DeSantis won't let anyone else be more cruel than him, Lindsey keeps pushing his abortion ban pitch, and the risk of polling errors. Will Saletan is back with Charlie Sykes for Charlie and Will Monday. ...
09.16.2022 Tim Miller: LOLs in DeSantis-Stan Refugees escaping communist Venezuela are pawns in a big joke, but isn't it brilliant political theater? -> Charlie Sykes and Tim Miller do an epic takedown of the "Nothing Matters" crowd. Plus, weird Blake Masters, putting Kemp on the spot, ...
09.15.2022 Catherine Rampell: The Economy Is Weird Right Now Too few workers, too much inflation — these are confusing times for our economy. Plus, the myth of a manufacturing comeback, and the slow-moving employment crisis among teachers, cops, and other public servants. Catherine Rampell joins Charlie Sykes. Learn more ...
09.14.2022 General Mark Hertling: Russia’s Awful Army Ukraine's advances are due to Western weapons, and also American training during the occupations of Iraq and Afghanistan. But Ukraine can also credit the Russian Army, which has been debased and corrupted by senior officers and political leaders. Lt. Gen. ...
09.13.2022 David Corn: How the GOP Unleashed the Furies Establishment Republicans let the kooks out of the basement, and now they're dominant. But this didn't start with Trump. David Corn argues it started 70 years ago when Dwight D. Eisenhower surrendered to Joseph McCarthy on a train. Today's podcast ...
09.12.2022 Will Saletan: A Tribute to Ukraine Zelensky continues to rally his country and the world, Trump planned to never leave, and Republicans splinter on culture war issues. After a summer holiday, Will Saletan is back with Charlie Sykes for Charlie and Will Monday. Learn more about ...
09.09.2022 Bill Kristol: The Intersection of Trump and Roe In recent midterms, the right bet was against the incumbent party. But those elections didn't have an overturning of a popular SCOTUS precedent and an ex-POTUS who tried to stage a coup on the ballot. Plus, an appreciation of the ...
09.08.2022 David Priess: Why Trump Did It Sure, Trump could have kept top secret docs for blackmail or profit. Or maybe he was simply collecting classified intel on what other countries said about him — in much the same way he collects magazine covers featuring his face. ...
09.07.2022 Mike Murphy: Democrats Should Run like They're Five Points Behind August polling is not a guarantor of November results. And in a nation of grumpy voters, why are Dems not running offense on the CHIPS act? It's bringing good-paying manufacturing jobs and a new plant to Ohio, and most Republicans ...
09.06.2022 Amanda Carpenter: Need to Know Trump has stayed on message from the start: The people who stormed the Capitol did nothing wrong. This once-radical idea has since become mainstream MAGA. Amanda Carpenter drills down on how the movement to pardon the rioters took off — ...
09.02.2022 Mitch Daniels: Raised Four Wonderful Daughters and Fixed the BMV Purdue President Mitch Daniels joins guest host Mona Charen to talk about loan forgiveness, negative campaigning, threats to democracy, and making government work well. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
09.01.2022 James Carville: Better Constipated than Evil Come for the West Wing fantasy politics, stay for the Carville-isms, like: "Really stupid voters produce stupid candidates," "MAGA runs the show," and "If you're going to look at something 150 times a day, it might as well be pretty." ...
08.31.2022 Bakari Sellers & Lis Smith: Can Dems Do Better in Red America? Enough unforced errors, Democrats: 1. Get mayors to talk up the infrastructure & inflation bills. 2. Be like Warnock, Shapiro, and Kelly —> cut into GOP margins in red areas. Plus, Trump lawyer missteps and staying honest in your writing. ...
08.30.2022 Alex Holder: A Weird, Simple Man Trump lives in a world where he can't understand anything other than total and absolute adoration — and the top priority of the Trump kids is that their father is not associated with defeat. Plus, how Ivanka and Donald really ...
08.29.2022 Will Saletan: Biden Is Playing to the Middle Biden hits MAGA Republicans hard, threatening to riot in the streets if your guy gets prosecuted IS semi-fascist, the Trump team tampered with elections, and the student loan relief plan may be 3-D chess. Will Saletan joins Amanda Carpenter for ...
08.26.2022 Tim Miller: Wait, Are You Getting Squishy? Blake Masters is dog paddling away from a personhood amendment, the term "pro-life" is in flux, and a president acting by fiat is bad for democracy. Plus, Oz's trolling of Fetterman's health and Jared/Slenderman's no apology tour. The weekend pod ...
08.25.2022 James Hohmann: The Dems’ Squad Fatigue Four years after AOC's surprise win, the pendulum is swinging back to moderates, turnout in the midterms may be historic, and both sides underestimated the effect of overturning Roe. Plus, Biden's cave on student loans. James Hohmann joins Charlie Sykes ...
08.24.2022 Elliot Ackerman: Leaving Afghanistan, One Year Later With no evacuation plan in place to get Afghan allies out of Kabul, people like veteran Elliot Ackerman helped organize a "Digital Dunkirk" that rescued thousands. Ackerman joins Charlie Sykes today to share his story, and to warn of the ...
08.23.2022 Nicole Hemmer: When the Line between Politics and Entertainment Disappeared Republicans cling to the idea they are members of the party of Reagan, but Reaganism ended in the 90s when angry right-wing populists like Rush, Pat Buchanan, and Newt Gingrich seized control of the conservative movement. Nicole Hemmer joins Charlie ...
08.22.2022 Amanda Carpenter: Need to Know Liz Cheney is campaigning against election deniers, Republicans were too arrogant about a red wave, and Trump's new made-for-TV legal team. Plus, a deep dive into the Georgia election interference investigation. Amanda Carpenter flies solo today — listen and share ...
08.19.2022 Tim Miller: Sad Turtle Mitch McConnell sounds like a man who's lost control of his party, rising MAGA star Kari Lake has taken a raving antisemite under her wing, DeSantis loses in court (again) — and Dan Crenshaw knows Liz is right. Your weekend pod ...
08.18.2022 Philip Bump: A Reminder that the "Russia Hoax" Is a Hoax Trump may have been giddy thinking the raid would boost his numbers, but that's not showing up yet, and DeSantis fandom lives. Plus, Cheney won't go quietly, something has changed in the polls since Dobbs, and a reminder that the ...
08.17.2022 Tom Nichols: She's Daring Them to Pick Sides When Liz Cheney invoked history in her concession speech, Trumpers and anti-anti-Trumpers sneered. But they know the truth of her stance on the Constitution and the rule of law, and they know everything about Donald Trump is a lie. Tom ...
08.16.2022 Charlie Warzel: Alex Jones' Footprint of Misery From Trump to Tucker, figures on the far-right are cribbing from the Alex Jones' playbook — using outrageous antics to spread their message and creating their own information networks to inoculate themselves from any consequences. Charlie Warzel joins Charlie Sykes ...
08.15.2022 Will Saletan: They Keep Negotiating with Their Own Hostage-Takers Magic declassification wand or feds planted the docs? And after a week of attacks on the FBI, will the game now be 'Blame Merrick Garland?' Plus, Dominion's suit vs Fox, Afghanistan one year later, and Cheney's closing argument. Amanda Carpenter ...
08.12.2022 Jonathan Martin: Liz Cheney's Political Awakening Liz Cheney is sacrificing her seat to get charges brought against Trump, the smoke's clearing on the Mar-a-Lago search, and Democrats should hand in their politician cards if they can't capitalize on the GOP attacking law enforcement. Jonathan Martin joins ...
08.11.2022 Dana Milbank: The 25-Year Crack-Up of the GOP The lies, conspiracies, demonizing, and sedition didn't start with Trump. The Newt Gingrich era set the ball in motion — and Trump stood on the sidelines, waiting and watching for his shot. Dana Milbank joins Charlie Sykes today. Learn more ...
08.10.2022 James Wigderson: From Paul Ryan to Paranoia Ron Johnson keeps doubling down on all his crackpot ideas, but he couldn't have been handed a more ideal challenger — progressive Mandela Barnes. And the Wisconsin GOP goes MAGA in the governors' race. James Wigderson joins Charlie Sykes for ...
08.09.2022 Peter Wehner: The GOP Thinks Trump Is above the Law Trump supporters who slammed the left for Defund the Police now want to Defund the FBI because whatever the "Lock Her Up" guy was doing to justify a search warrant couldn't possibly be illegal. Peter Wehner joins Charlie Sykes on ...
08.08.2022 Will Saletan: It's Not Just Trump, It's Party-Wide Republicans may love Trump because "he fights," but CPAC showed that a lust for violence has extended to the whole party. Plus, Doug Ducey gets no props, and are Democrats afraid to be happy with their policy wins? Will Saletan ...
08.05.2022 Tim Miller: When Bad Things Happen to Bad People On the weekend pod: Alex Jones' bad week was cathartic, Orban's a troll, and Biden delivers on bipartisanship. Plus, Tim issues a correction for overstating Hawley's manliness, and even Trump thinks Kari Lake takes the election stuff too far. Tim ...
08.04.2022 Gov. Christine Todd Whitman and Andrew Yang: Who's up for a Third Party? Leaders of Forward — the new national third party — think they have the answers to move us past our divisiveness and extremism. Gov. Christine Todd Whitman and Andrew Yang join Charlie Sykes to make the case for systemic change. ...
08.03.2022 Josh Kraushaar: If Only You'd Been Warned Arizona Republicans doubled down on the crazy, voters in very red Kansas turned out in huge numbers to protect abortion rights, and Democrats played with fire in Michigan. Josh Kraushaar joins Charlie Sykes today. Learn more about your ad choices. ...
08.02.2022 Rachel Kleinfeld: Republicans Have a Militia Problem Trump created a permission structure for militia groups starting in 2016, and now those groups are infiltrating state and local Republican parties around the country. The Carnegie Endowment's Rachel Kleinfeld joins Charlie Sykes to discuss the growing threat from the ...
08.01.2022 Will Saletan: Hot Joe Summer Biden's getting a lot done, the Dems are finding their footing, and Joe Manchin is the face of the climate bill. Plus, the tactical perspectives of a third party, a preview of Tuesday's primaries, and the gaudy and gross LIV. ...
07.29.2022 Tim Miller: The Politics of Petulance Republicans are so pissed about the Manchin deal that they talked themselves into voting against wounded veterans. Meanwhile, the Dems have the wind at their backs for the first time in a year. Tim Miller joins Charlie Sykes for a ...
07.28.2022 Adm. James Stavridis: An Endgame in the Russia-Ukraine War? Putin's mission has failed — he controls only slightly more stolen Ukraine land than he did in 2014. And the war may be headed to a conclusion much like the end of the Korean War, a "frozen conflict." Adm. James ...
07.27.2022 James Poniewozik: They Knew They Had a Thriller on Their Hands The Jan 6 committee hearings are like a well-produced true crime doc. Using TV tropes and popcorn elements, the committee is the telling the very serious story of how Trump & co tried to steal the election. Yes, the ketchup ...
07.26.2022 Andrew Weissmann: Trump Acted with Premeditation Trump lied when he said on Jan 5 that Pence was on board with his plan, and he lied when he said he immediately sent in the National Guard. The committee has given the DOJ political cover, but the time ...
07.25.2022 Will Saletan: What Happens to Jan. 6th Investigations Now? What should Congress and the Department of Justice do with all the shocking new details presented by the Jan. 6th Committee, and how is it changing conservative media? Will Saletan's back with Amanda Carpenter for Summer Mondays. Learn more about ...
07.22.2022 Tim Miller: These Guys Are Worse than Whores The political operatives who felt "white hot rage" at Trump after Jan 6 are back to being tribalist trolls, Josh Hawley is a prissy little wuss, and Liz Cheney is going to follow Trump to the gates of hell. Tim ...

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