Episodes

  • S2 Ep1020: Bill Kristol: Staring Down the Barrel

    S2 Ep1020: Bill Kristol: Staring Down the Barrel
    Apr 14 2025
    We are here: Trump is openly defying the Supreme Court while sitting side-by-side with a Latin American strongman who openly mocked our judicial system from inside the Oval Office. Trump so badly wants his one-man rule and Republicans keep helping him, while corporate America keeps trying to get on his good side. Meanwhile, the intimidation is chilling free speech on college campuses and within immigrant communities.

    Bill Kristol joins Tim Miller.
    show notes

    • JVL's emergency Triad from Sunday

    • JVL's latest Triad

    • The latest Focus Group on the fighting mood among Dem voters

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    46 mins
  • S2 Ep1019: David Frum: It's Too Late to Stop the Pain

    S2 Ep1019: David Frum: It's Too Late to Stop the Pain
    Apr 11 2025
    Trump has effectively imposed a trade embargo on China, which means that after the inventory runs out, American retail will soon dry up. Since Europeans are already bypassing U.S. military contractors to beef up their defense spending —El Salvador is our only ally now— Trump is likely to do something desperate, like firing the Fed chair or seizing Greenland. American presidents decades from now will still be cleaning up what Trump did to this country in 2025. David Frum breaks down the insanity and stupidity of the vision behind the tariffs regime as well as the deep feelings of betrayal in Canada. If globalism means peace, prosperity, and commerce, then let's be globalists.

    David Frum joins guest host Jonathan V. Last for the weekend pod.
    show notes

    • David's new Atlantic podcast

    • David on screw manufacturing and the absurdity of Trump's tariffs

    • David on how the tariffs will make smuggling great again

    • Tim's playlist
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    52 mins
  • S2 Ep1018: Andrew Weissmann and Patrick Gaspard: Naked Corruption

    S2 Ep1018: Andrew Weissmann and Patrick Gaspard: Naked Corruption
    Apr 10 2025
    Just before he paused the tariffs on Wednesday, an unusual spike in activity on the S&P 500 prompted speculation that Trump was orchestrating an insider trading scheme. After the markets closed, he joked with *the* Charles Schwab about how the financier had made $2.5 billion in trades that day. Meanwhile, Trump ordered the DOJ to investigate two former officials he regards as enemies—this comes on the heels of his efforts to intimidate law firms from taking on clients who oppose him. Plus, Trump's long obsession with white South Africans, and do Democrats listen too much to grassroots activist groups?

    Andrew Weissmann and Patrick Gaspard join Tim Miller.

    show notes
    • Andrew's Substack
    • Rep. Steve Horsford questioning whether the tariff pause was market manipulation
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    1 hr and 19 mins
  • S2 Ep1017: Catherine Rampell: Trump's Tariffmageddon

    S2 Ep1017: Catherine Rampell: Trump's Tariffmageddon
    Apr 9 2025
    The White House is pumping out a lot of happy talk about countries wanting to make deals over the tariffs, but the tumult Trump has created has spread to the bond market. And that may be a sign that he has people so spooked about the U.S. economy that our Treasuries are no longer seen as a safe bet. Meanwhile, China has a lot of leverage here and may be using it.

    Plus, the Democrats' candidate recruiter for the midterms, Colorado's Jason Crow, discusses how to win back working class voters.

    Catherine Rampell and Rep. Jason Crow join Tim Miller.

    show notes

    • Catherine's column, "Who will tell Trump he’s naked?"

    • Catherine's column on the Senate GOP tax plan

    • NYT profile of Jason Crow

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    1 hr and 20 mins
  • S2 Ep1016: Jonathan Cohn and Mark Lilla: Lobotomizing America

    S2 Ep1016: Jonathan Cohn and Mark Lilla: Lobotomizing America
    Apr 8 2025
    When it comes to biomedical research, America is already great. We are the world's leader in the field. But the Trump administration is gutting research and innovation on things like cancer, Alzheimer's, and arthritis—and the amputation of our scientific expertise under RFK, Jr. has been about as thoughtful as the tariffs rollout. Meanwhile, when it comes to the developing budget bill, Medicaid is getting some surprising red state support from people like Josh Hawley. Plus, when people willfully choose ignorance as a way to cope with an uncertain world.

    Professor Mark Lilla and The Bulwark's Jonathan Cohn join Tim Miller.
    show notes

    • Mark Lilla's new book, "Ignorance and Bliss: On Wanting Not to Know"

    • Mark's website

    • Jonathan on Trump's cuts at child-care programs like Head Start
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    1 hr and 7 mins
  • S2 Ep1015: Bill Kristol: The High Cost of Stupidity

    S2 Ep1015: Bill Kristol: The High Cost of Stupidity
    Apr 7 2025
    Part of the reason for the market bloodbath is because the finance wizzes didn't factor in that Trump would actually do the truly moronic thing he kept saying he would. Their shock over his recklessness is intensifying the crash. Meanwhile, a trio of administration fools trying to defend the tariffs—Lutnick, Bessent, and Hassett—showed there is no grand design to the trade war, White House infighting is getting hot enough that even Elon is subtweeting Trump, and the folks we elected over on the Hill could actually do something to try to stop the market carnage. Plus, new reporting on our government's kidnapping of migrants, Republicans in North Carolina are trying to steal a supreme court seat, and where is JD Vance?

    Bill Kristol joins Tim Miller for the weekend pod.

    show notes

    • JVL on the end of the American Age

    • Lauren on the backlash against Dems in major law firms who are bending the knee

    • 60 Minutes segment on migrants sent to the Salvadoran penal colony

    • Tim's 'Bulwark Take' responding to the 60 Minutes report

    • Tim talking with AEI's Stan Veuger about Trump's terrible tariff math

    • The book, "The Captive Mind" by Polish poet Czeslaw Milosz

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    57 mins
  • S2 Ep1014: Adam Kinzinger: Mortal Damage to the American Empire

    S2 Ep1014: Adam Kinzinger: Mortal Damage to the American Empire
    Apr 4 2025
    It's been great to live in America since World War II, but Trump is in the process of blowing up that whole order. Even Canada is looking to lead a new alliance, because how can other countries trust us after voters put the stupidest convicted American back in charge? And never forget that Russia is not on the tariff list—despite the fact that the US does more trade with Russia than a number of other countries on the list. Meanwhile, Trump opted to head to a golf tournament instead of attending the dignified return of the four dead servicemen who were killed in Lithuania. Plus, 9/11 truther Laura Loomer is running the National Security Council and we're still bombing the Houthis.

    Adam Kinzinger joins Tim Miller for the weekend pod.
    show notes

    • Video of Lithuanians paying homage to the four American soldiers who died in a training accident

    • Tim's playlist
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    53 mins
  • S2 Ep1013: Mallory McMorrow and Tracy Alloway: A Self-Inflicted Crisis

    S2 Ep1013: Mallory McMorrow and Tracy Alloway: A Self-Inflicted Crisis
    Apr 3 2025
    The market plunge is just pure Trump chaos, and perfectly matches his record as a businessman. From his numerous bankruptcies and many failures—including his airline, his casinos, his university, his water, and his steaks—he's been running one long con. And the supposedly smart people who should have known better put him back in power, somehow thinking he would never do something like destroy global trade. Meanwhile, in Michigan, where there have already been job losses directly caused by Trump's tariff war, State Senator Mallory McMorrow announced she's running for the U.S. Senate—saying she's had enough of the leadership and the bullshit in DC.

    Bloomberg's Tracy Alloway and Mallory McMorrow join Tim Miller.
    show notes

    • Tracy's Bloomberg podcast, "Odd Lots"

    • Mallory McMorrow's Instagram

    • Mallory's new book, “HATE WON’T WIN: Find Your Power and Leave This Place Better Than We Found It.”

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    1 hr and 7 mins
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