Episodes

  • Bill Kristol: Trump Is a Moral Monster

    Bill Kristol: Trump Is a Moral Monster
    Jul 28 2025
    The man who cavorted with Jeffrey Epstein for 15 years never even thinks to feign empathy for Epstein's victims—even a sociopath would fake it. And neither Trump nor his administration and supporters can get their talking points straight on the scandal: The files are a hoax, but Ghislaine Maxwell is going to name names; she's a horrible person, but the public is supposed to believe her; POTUS didn't go to Epstein's island but it would have been a "privilege" if he had. Meanwhile, Trump is tying himself in knots on Gaza and Russia. Plus, for our audio listeners, former model Stacey Williams tells Tim about briefly dating Epstein, getting groped by Trump, and why she's going public with her story.

    Bill Kristol and Stacey Williams join Tim Miller.
    show notes

    • Video of Tim's interview with Stacey
    • Bill's 'Bulwark on Sunday' interview with Tom Joscelyn
    • Subscribe to 'Bulwark Takes' here
    • Lauren on how the Dems plan to use the congressional recess
    • Peter Strzok on David Frum's podcast
    • To get 6 bottles of wine for $39.99, head to NakedWines.com/THEBULWARK and use code THEBULWARK for both the code AND PASSWORD
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    1 hr and 6 mins
  • Andrew Weissmann: It Stinks to High Heaven

    Andrew Weissmann: It Stinks to High Heaven
    Jul 25 2025
    The deputy attorney general of the United States, who took an oath to help Donald Trump no matter what, is conferring with Jeffrey Epstein's literal partner in crime—a woman who lied about the sex trafficking she orchestrated and participated in. And Ghislaine Maxwell has every motive to exculpate Trump now (and incriminate some other high-profile figure) in return for a pardon or a reduction in her 20-year sentence for sexually exploiting and abusing numerous minor girls, some as young as 14. Meanwhile, JD isn't offering a very vigorous defense of Trump's integrity, the administration is making a giant legal mess for themselves in New Jersey over Alina Habba, and Emil Bove's nomination is all about trying to destroy checks and balances.

    Andrew Weissmann joins Tim Miller for the weekend pod.
    show notes

    • Weissmann's Substack

    • The "Main Justice" podcast, co-hosted by Weissmann and Mary McCord

    • Tim's playlist

    • Get $35 off your first box of wild-caught, sustainable seafood—delivered right to your door. Go to: https://www.wildalaskan.com/BULWARK

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    59 mins
  • Mike Murphy: Trump's Kryptonite

    Mike Murphy: Trump's Kryptonite
    Jul 24 2025
    The one thing Mr. Authenticity was supposed to be was the anti-politician: the guy who would supposedly go after the establishment, clean up Washington, and make a booming economy. Now, Trump's acting just like a typical politician trying to cover-up a scandal—and he's vulnerable to a backlash from the manosphere that went all in on him. Meanwhile, he is getting near-Biden polling numbers on the economy, he's trying to make the Fed chair his scapegoat, and he's the best American president the Chinese auto industry ever had. Plus, Newsom's prospects in '28 and the success of 'change' mayors across the board.

    Mike Murphy joins Tim Miller.
    show notes

    • Mike on the EV industry after the passage of the budget bill
    • Mike on leaving the Republican Party
    • More clips from the first episode of South Park's new season
    • For 15% off your order and a special gift, head to Pacagen.com/THEBULWARK and use codeTHEBULWARK.
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    55 mins
  • Neera Tanden: Aiding and Abetting Trump

    Neera Tanden: Aiding and Abetting Trump
    Jul 23 2025
    Mike Johnson is racing to shut the business of the House down to avoid a vote on releasing the Epstein files. Trump's own criminal lawyer, who's moonlighting as deputy attorney general, will be minding the matter of Ghislaine Maxwell. And Texas is looking to squeeze out some more House seats to try to protect Trump from having to be held accountable on Epstein. Has any other politician ever acted so guilty? But in this moment, the Dems are finally bringing a gun to a gunfight. And for the midterms, they need to commit to Benghazi-style hearings on the contents of the files—and the Republican cover-up. Plus, securing the border without a terror campaign, and recruiting candidates to fill out a bigger Democratic tent.

    Neera Tanden, at the Center for American Progress, joins Tim Miller.
    show notes

    • CAP's new immigration policy platform, co-authored by Neera

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    57 mins
  • Chris Murphy: Time to Break Norms(?)

    Chris Murphy: Time to Break Norms(?)
    Jul 22 2025
    Republicans are nullifying bipartisan budget deals and planning a mid-decade redistricting to try to hold the House after the midterms. Trump is methodically working to crush dissent in the media, chill major Dem donors, and shut down the party's online fundraising portal, ActBlue. One political party is breaking all the norms, while the other is trying to stick to them. Sen. Murphy tells Tim that democracies die when the rules change and the opposition refuses to adapt. Meanwhile, Trump's detention regime is not only making prison-builders filthy rich, it will also likely draw in ICE candidates eager to abuse their power. Plus, Epstein is a bad story for the administration no matter how you slice it, and Tim shares his thoughts about Hunter.

    Sen. Chris Murphy joins Tim Miller.

    show notes

    • Sen. Murphy's Substack piece on regulating AI

    • For 20% off your first purchase, head to FairHarborClothing.com/BULWARK and use code BULWARK.
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    50 mins
  • Bill Kristol: It's the Crimes and the Cover-Up

    Bill Kristol: It's the Crimes and the Cover-Up
    Jul 21 2025
    Our government disappeared hundreds of Venezuelans to a hellish Salvadoran prison for 125 days. When Trump's and Stephen Miller's whole CECOT plan even became too much for the dictator who runs El Salvador, Marco Rubio helped orchestrate a political win for Venezuela's strongman, Nicolas Maduro—who gets to look like a white knight in the hostage exchange. Meanwhile, the administration still has not recovered from its rake-step claim that there was no Epstein list. Did Bondi release her memo because the 1,000 FBI personnel who were made to review the Epstein documents kept finding Trump's name? Cover-ups are hard. Plus, now the Dems have new reasons to not cooperate with Republicans.

    Bill Kristol joins Tim Miller.

    show notes

    • Tim and Sam's livestream after Andry and the other Venezuelans were released from CECOT

    • Bill and Sarah discuss the Epstein timeline for 'Bulwark on Sunday'

    • Rep. Boyle on not cooperating with Republicans on the budget

    • Lauren on Democratic messaging for the midterms
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    53 mins
  • Tom Nichols: Secrets and Lies

    Tom Nichols: Secrets and Lies
    Jul 18 2025
    If anyone in America was still thinking that Trump's ties to Epstein were a nothingburger, Trump’s own behavior this week has probably disabused them of that notion. His panicking and flailing around sure seem exactly like how a guilty man would act. And the sudden firing of Jim Comey's daughter, Maurene—who worked on the Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell cases at the DOJ—isn't helping to tamp down the conspiracy theorizing. Meanwhile, Tulsi and Kash are trying to ferret out the unfaithful, and there are still adults in the room when it comes to the Fed. Plus, our nuclear command and control system was organized around the assumption that we would have a sane president, not somebody who has psychotic fantasies about the Unabomber.

    Tom Nichols joins Tim Miller for the weekend pod.
    show notes

    • Tom on the McCarthyist moves by Patel and Gabbard
    • The president and the nuclear button, part of The Atlantic's August issue
    • Tom on Hollywood and the fear of nuclear catastrophe
    • James Clapper was banned from a service dog graduation at the CIA
    • Tim's playlist
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    1 hr and 7 mins
  • David Wallace-Wells: The U.S. Is Handing the Baton to China

    David Wallace-Wells: The U.S. Is Handing the Baton to China
    Jul 17 2025
    While the Trump administration is doubling down on fossil fuels, China is annihilating us in the clean energy space. Right now, 75% of all renewable projects anywhere in the world are being built by a Chinese company. China is dominating the green energy supply chain with solar panels and batteries, and its electric car can charge in five minutes. The U.S. may be betting on AI, but that build-out needs cheap, fast energy—like wind or solar. We may have thought modernity was a Western story, but that may not be the case. Meanwhile, inland flooding could be the new face of the climate crisis, Silicon Valley overlords want to live in a sci-fi novel, and the Epstein story has legs because it's about elite impunity.

    David Wallace-Wells joins Tim Miller.
    show notes

    • David on the increasing occurrence of inland flooding, and how we respond (gift)
    • David's newsletter on the mystery of rich, powerful people hanging out w/ Epstein
    • David's book, “The Uninhabitable Earth: Life After Warming"
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    1 hr and 12 mins