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The Bulwark

Tim Miller and guests discuss the latest political news for the flagship podcast of the Never Trump movement and the reality-based community. Every weekday we provide insightful analysis, political hot-takes, an unabashed defense of liberal democracy and long-form interviews that cut through the "both-sides" BS. Plus a few laughs to help you wash down the crazy.

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The Bulwark Podcast

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

Bill Kristol and Michael Weiss: Catastrophic Success

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

Susan Glasser: A Lame Lame Duck

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

Adam Kinzinger and Pat Ryan: Bring It On

The origins of the Democratic party's current malaise include ineffective messaging on climate and economic policy, too rigid a tent on cultural issues, and Dem politicians just too scared to speak their mind. Like, Kamala could've turned the trans youth in sports convo into one about parents spending boatloads on sports camps so their kids can get into a good college. Plus, Christopher Wray chose the worst option.

Matt Yglesias and Tyler Austin Harper join Tim Miller to hash it out. 

show notes:

Tyler's new piece in The Atlantic

Matt's "Common Sense Manifesto #4" from Slow Boring

Ben Wittes piece in Lawfare on Chris Wray

Book recommended by Tyler, "The Conservative Intellectual Movement in America"

Matt Yglesias and Tyler Austin Harper: Popularism v Populism

The billionaires rushing to get on board with Trump, and contributing millions for his inauguration, may have missed this key detail: Enhancing the power of a leader—to bend the rules and undermine the rule of law—is often very bad for business. Meanwhile, Team Trump is distracting the media and the public with the firehose of nominations. Plus, election laws v TikTok and Elon, how brutal regimes can quickly die, and the impact of Israel's campaigns on international law during wartime.

Anne Applebaum joins Tim Miller.

Show notes:

 • 
Anne's recent piece on Syria, and potentially other brutal regimes, falling quickly

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 • 
Video of Clarissa Ward finding a Syrian prisoner who didn't know about the fall of Assad

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 • 
Tim's playlist

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Anne Applebaum: Planning for a Techno-Oligarchic Regime

ABC News and George Stephanopoulos have joined the preemptive capitulation parade by settling Trump's defamation suit—and by conspicuously paying out protection money ahead of the inauguration. The potential chilling effect on a key First Amendment issue is breathtaking. Meanwhile, Mitt Romney backs off of his criticism of Trump and Vance. Plus, the anti-oligarchic, semi-populist grounds for challenging the incoming administration. 

Bill Kristol joins Tim Miller.

show notes:

NYT piece Bill mentioned

Bulwark debate on potentially ending Daylight Saving Time

Bill's conversation with Jack Goldsmith

Bill Kristol: Fake Nicey-Nicey Sh**t

The existential dread has a strong pull, especially since Trump has made a lot of Americans worse people, but we've had other bad, immoral, and creepy presidents who've sullied the office. Meanwhile, Vance is basically the invisible man while Elon lives in Trump's bedroom, and Andreessen is loading up a pile of BS to justify his vote. Plus, a Tim v Tom Christmas playlist.

Tom Nichols joins Tim Miller.

show notes:

Tom's audiobook version of "The Death of Expertise"

Tim's Christmas playlist

John Ganz book Tom and Tim referenced

Tom Nichols: Don't Descend into Darkness

Russia is on its weakest footing since it invaded Ukraine: Putin has destroyed his military, his economy is in the toilet, and the North Korean troops who've been deployed to help out are dying in waves on the battlefield. Why would the US bail Putin out? Meanwhile, MAGA world is trying to distract us with phony DEI issues in the military while we're dealing with some of the biggest challenges we've ever faced in the international space. Plus, with 180,000 US troops currently deployed overseas and 100+ Navy ships at sea, the DOD probably needs someone with a little more breadth of experience than a weekend talk show host on Fox. Lt. Gen. Mark Hertling joins Tim Miller.

Lt. Gen. Mark Hertling joins Tim Miller.

show notes

Hertling's piece on the Army's and America's values

Hertling's piece on North Korean troops fighting for Russia in Ukraine

Tim and Sarah's live event with Reason magazine in DC Wednesday night

Mark Hertling: Putin's Weakness

We are seeing in real time what it looks like to turn a democracy over to an oligarch, namely the unstable guy from South Africa who thinks he's going to be emperor of the universe. It's also authoritarian for that one unstable guy to threaten members of congress with job loss if they vote to provide hurricane relief or to rebuild part of the interstate highway system. Plus, the need for a pro-democracy media ecosystem, the difference between liberal and left, and the terribleness of the William McKinley era.

Heather Cox Richardson joins Tim Miller.

show notes

Some of Heather's books:

“Democracy Awakening: Notes on the State of America"

"Wounded Knee: Party Politics and the Road to an American Massacre"

"West from Appomattox: The Reconstruction of America after the Civil War"

Heather Cox Richardson: The Reality Show-ification of the Government

While it's still going to be bad, for the first time since the election we're beginning to see that we may actually have a little fun watching these idiots prove they don't know how to govern. Meanwhile, we've also got aspiring authoritarians on the left who think they're right at any cost. Plus, the challenge of holding on to American ideals, how to reach low-info voters, Tim's take from Phoenix on TPUSA, and can Tim make Jon cry? And one more Biden critique (that comes toward the end)... Merry Christmas.

Jon Favreau joins Tim Miller.

show notes:

Jon's piece in The Atlantic

Clip from Stavros Halkias about not voting Trump that Tim referenced

Tim's playlist

Jon Favreau: Funny and Horrible

The markets may be hanging in there but they also held strong in early 2020—right up until Covid hit New York. Meanwhile, tariffs are driving consumer confidence down, firms are talking about cutting back on hiring and investments, and Goldman Sachs is predicting that the U.S. will have the highest inflation and lowest growth of any developed economy this year. Plus, Scott Bessent is not a calming influence, and Trump has a real 'War on Christmas' in the works.

The Stalwart Joe Weisenthal joins Tim Miller. 

show notes

 • 
Joe and Tracy Alloway's newsletter on how the markets can get things wrong (gift)

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 • 
Recent 'Odd Lots' pod on the coming empty shelves & the War on Christmas

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Joe's Bluesky post on the War on Christmas

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S2 Ep1031: Joe Weisenthal: Everything Screams Recession

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