The Secret Podcast

JVL ambushes Sarah with The Darkness. It’s a fun-filled episode with the indictment of John Bolton, the decimation of the Pentagon press corps, another extra-legal killing off the coast of Venezuela, the resignation of the head of SouthCom, and the weaponization of the IRS.

Good times.

The Secret Podcast with JVL and Sarah is exclusively for members of Bulwark+. To watch or listen to future episodes and join the Secret community in the comments become a Bulwark+ member today.

Live from New York, Sarah Longwell, JVL and Tim Miller tear into America’s culture of cowardice—from billionaires hiding in Hawaii to Merrick Garland’s endless hesitation. They discuss into how Trump’s intimidation works, why “lawfare” backfired, and why too many Democrats STILL seem afraid to fight.

Note: This bonus edition was recorded on Saturday, October 11, 2025 in front of a live audience in NYC.

The Secret Podcast with JVL and Sarah is exclusively for members of Bulwark+. To watch or listen to future episodes and join the Secret community in the comments become a Bulwark+ member today.

This week we did something we haven’t done on this show for a couple of years: We just . . . hung out and asked each other questions. Some stuff about life. Some stuff about The Bulwark. Some stuff about the world.

Honestly it was just nice to be together. Hope you enjoy listening as much as we enjoyed visiting with each other.

The Secret Podcast with JVL and Sarah is exclusively for members of Bulwark+. To watch or listen to future episodes and join the Secret community in the comments become a Bulwark+ member today.

The government is shut down, and the stakes couldn’t be higher. JVL and Sarah Longwell dig into why this is the moment for Democrats to fight, not fold.

From Trump’s reckless threats to use the military against American citizens, to his embrace of Project 2025, to the GOP’s sheer incompetence in running the government they control, this episode makes the case that Democrats can’t afford to play “business as usual” politics anymore.They break down how media is failing to confront authoritarian lies, and what leaders like Gavin Newsom are getting right in this fight.

The Secret Podcast with JVL and Sarah is exclusively for members of Bulwark+. To watch or listen to future episodes and join the Secret community in the comments become a Bulwark+ member today.

Sarah and JVL talk about big-tent liberalism—who’s in and who’s out of the l-word tent. JVL goes on a riff quasi-defending Henry Kissinger, which you are absolutely going to hate.

And then we get the main event: JVL doesn’t think [gestures broadly] all this is fixable. Sarah has a plan to fix it.

Who’s right?

The Secret Podcast with JVL and Sarah is exclusively for members of Bulwark+. To watch or listen to future episodes and join the Secret community in the comments become a Bulwark+ member today.

Sarah and JVL talk media consolidation, JVL’s solidarity problems, and Cardinal Dolan’s appearance on Fox.

The Secret Podcast with JVL and Sarah is exclusively for members of Bulwark+. To watch or listen to future episodes and join the Secret community in the comments become a Bulwark+ member today.

Sarah and JVL talk about the president’s response to Charlie Kirk’s murder and why it’s so dangerous. Then we go deep on how to react in moments of crisis: Can you be too nice? How do you balance truth and compassion? What is the impact of timing? And was JVL right to turn the comments off for the first 24 hours?

Do us a solid, though: Don’t comment on this until you’ve listened to the episode.

ICYMI: JVL's Triad: A History of Violence

The Secret Podcast with JVL and Sarah is exclusively for members of Bulwark+. To watch or listen to future episodes and join the Secret community in the comments become a Bulwark+ member today.

Sarah and JVL go through the Epstein Birthday Book in detail. We tell you what’s actually in it, no euphemisms. And what it means for Trump and 2026.

But before you ask: It’s Tuesday. So no Rebecca.

NYC and D.C. friends don’t delay! Grab your seats today for our Bulwark Live shows in October. Go to TheBulwark.com/events for details and to purchase tickets.

The Secret Podcast with JVL and Sarah is exclusively for members of Bulwark+. To watch or listen to future episodes and join the Secret community in the comments become a Bulwark+ member today.

Sarah and JVL go long on the economy, The People, double standards, RFK, and . . . Hamilton.

It’s a super-sized Secret pod.

In the comments, we want you to talk about whether or not the double-standard is real—is it true, as JVL proposes—that voters obsess over Democratic mistakes while waiving away Republican insanity?

And if it is true, why is it? Remember: We’re not just talking about partisans, but about the generalized broader public. We want to hear your theories.

The Secret Podcast with JVL and Sarah is exclusively for members of Bulwark+. To watch or listen to future episodes and join the Secret community in the comments become a Bulwark+ member today.

Another dark week: Trump toys with occupying Chicago, the FBI under Kash Patel ignores domestic terrorism, RFK Jr. runs HHS with conspiracy theories, and even the CDC is led by a political crony. JVL and Sarah Longwell ask the hard question, what if our democracy is already too broken to fix?

The Secret Podcast with JVL and Sarah is exclusively for members of Bulwark+. To watch or listen to future episodes and join the Secret community in the comments become a Bulwark+ member today.