Episodes

  • S2 Ep1028: Cory Booker: A National Crisis and a Global Crisis

    S2 Ep1028: Cory Booker: A National Crisis and a Global Crisis
    Apr 24 2025
    Donald Trump is trying to foist the worst peace deal in the last 100 years on Ukraine, as he gets repeatedly played by foreign leaders on the world stage. At home, he's turned JFK's "Ask not" upside down to 'Ask what you can do for Donald Trump.' But when will the cowardly law firms or CEOs groveling for a tariff exemption stand up for patriotism, our core constitutional values—and America's better vision of itself? Plus, Tim challenges an 11-year-old block from Twitter's golden era, and Booker shares diet & exercise tips.

    Sen. Cory Booker joins Tim Miller.
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    53 mins
  • S2 Ep1027: Jonathan Rauch: Focus on the Corruption

    S2 Ep1027: Jonathan Rauch: Focus on the Corruption
    Apr 23 2025
    Trump may be brilliant at assaulting us with his daily distractions, but Democrats need to relentlessly target his corruption because that may be his weak spot. He is running the government in a pre-modern way—like it's his own personal piggy bank. And he has replaced rules-oriented bureaucrats with mostly incompetent loyalists who are only there to do his bidding. Meanwhile, Christianity could help heal the country's partisan polarization if it returns to the teachings of Jesus instead of the gospel of Donald Trump. Plus, the constant burden of having to fight the cognitive warfare and sensory overload coming out of the White House.

    Brookings’ Jonathan Rauch joins Tim Miller.joins Tim Miller.

    show notes

    • Jon's piece on Trump's patrimonialism

    • Jon's predictions in 2022 about a Trump second term

    • A Chris Murphy Senate floor speech on Trump's corruption

    • Mark Hertling piece on the Russian and Ukrainian armies that Tim referenced

    • Jon's new book, "Cross Purposes: Christianity's Broken Bargain with Democracy"

    • Jon's book, "The Happiness Curve: Why Life Gets Better After 50"

    • The opening scene of The Godfather
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    57 mins
  • S2 Ep1026: Michael Steele: Your Voice Matters

    S2 Ep1026: Michael Steele: Your Voice Matters
    Apr 22 2025
    Trump and the people around him are trying to weaken our constitutional protections like due process. Because people see that the Abrego Garcia story is not about the man, but our rights, and because people keep protesting, the administration is getting rattled. We have to keep gumming up the works. Meanwhile, why aren't the Chamber of Commerce and other business groups howling while Trump single-handedly ruins our country's global economic status? Plus, our fully-grown SecDef is blaming the deep state for his troubles, even though they involve his wife, his brother, and his phone. And Dear Charleston: Please un-elect Nancy Mace.

    Michael Steele joins Tim Miller.
    show notes

    • Support the Jesuit Refugee Service here
    • More on the Harvard scientist being held in ICE detention
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    1 hr
  • S2 Ep1025: Bill Kristol: Hegseth Keeps Proving his Unfitness

    S2 Ep1025: Bill Kristol: Hegseth Keeps Proving his Unfitness
    Apr 21 2025
    Republican senators could have insisted on someone who was even minimally competent to run our military, but because of their spinelessness, we've now got a SecDef who can't resist texting top secret war plans. Meanwhile, the Supreme Court shows it doesn't trust the Trump administration, and judges on lower federal courts have stopped believing what its lawyers say. Plus, Joe Perticone joins from Rome to discuss the passing of Pope Francis. And the uncanny relevance of the American revolutionaries' grievances against King George.

    Bill Kristol joins Tim Miller.
    show notes

    • Ryan Holiday on the Naval Academy canceling his speech (gift)

    • Prof. Manisha Sinha sharing an excerpt from the Declaration of Independence
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    52 mins
  • S2 Ep1024: Anne Applebaum: Everything Is a Game to Trump

    S2 Ep1024: Anne Applebaum: Everything Is a Game to Trump
    Apr 18 2025
    Sen. Van Hollen showed that Congress actually does have agency, and a federal judge finally scorched the administration in crystal-clear language about how it's violating the essence of our constitutional republic. But the White House is just treating the whole Abrego Garcia affair like it's a joke. Meanwhile, Trump is elevating his own businesses over the nation's, and is quickly adopting the kleptocratic models of Russia and China—while overlooking the fact that the Chinese have maintained a functional and competent government. Plus, children all over the world are going to die because Elon wants our money to go to his companies, and Marco signaled that the big talker who promised to end the Russia-Ukraine war in 24 hours is ready to give up and walk away.

    Anne Applebaum joins Tim Miller for the weekend pod.

    show notes

    • Anne's recent piece, "Kleptocracy, Inc."
    • The Atlantic on Trump ending lifesaving humanitarian aid
    • JVL's Triad on the mindset of ICE agents
    • Tim's playlist
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    49 mins
  • S2 Ep1023: Ben Wittes: Sorry, We Still Have Due Process

    S2 Ep1023: Ben Wittes: Sorry, We Still Have Due Process
    Apr 17 2025
    The White House is doubling down on justifying its extra-judicial actions around Abrego Garcia by trying to incriminate him in the court of public opinion. But the government still can't take people off an American street and send them to a concentration camp without due process. Plus, Judge Boasberg is not letting Stephen Miller off the hook for defying his order to turn the Salvadoran-bound planes around. And while the administration tries to stir up outrage about one immigrant's marital problems, they admiringly describe the evil, blood-thirsty Vladimir Putin as a good guy. Ben Wittes joins Tim Miller.

    show notes

    • CNBC on Chris Krebs leaving his company after being targeted by Trump

    • Boasberg's probable cause finding to hold the goverment in criminal contempt

    • Tim's 2019 Bulwark piece that he referenced

    • Support Lawfare
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    57 mins
  • S2 Ep1022: Stephanie Ruhle: Only Trump Is Happy

    S2 Ep1022: Stephanie Ruhle: Only Trump Is Happy
    Apr 16 2025
    Manufacturing orders are down, stocks are down, and mortgage rates are up. But Trump and his family are wealthier than they've ever been. He's got his Ponzi-like crypto scheme, his meme coin, and a boatload of big money types showing up at Mar-a-Lago trying to curry favors from him for some cold, hard cash. Meanwhile, Trump is play-acting like he has a strong hand, but he's begging China to make a deal. Plus, the administration is defunding science and our world-renowned medical centers to buy crypto. And the Abrego Garcia kidnapping and imprisonment has touched a nerve in surprising ways.

    Stephanie Ruhle joins Tim Miller.

    show notes
    • Chuck Grassley getting grilled at town hall over Abrego Garcia
    • WSJ story on Elon's 'legion of babies,' and their mothers (behind firewall)
    • Mediaite summary of WSJ piece
    • Bluesky post on the fake gold medallions in the Oval Office
    • Bloomberg on United Airlines having two profit scenarios because of the trade war (gifted)

    *The Bulwark Podcast is sponsored by BetterHelp
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    51 mins
  • S2 Ep1021: Josh Barro: Total Idiocy

    S2 Ep1021: Josh Barro: Total Idiocy
    Apr 15 2025
    Trump & company want to turn us into Taiwan circa 1985. But the brilliant minds behind the idea of intentionally weakening the dollar are prioritizing making America a good place to manufacture rather than a good place to live. If the administration stays on this track, this country will have lower incomes, higher inflation, and weaker buying power—and more expensive beer and tomatoes. Maybe we were better off with Jared there. Meanwhile, in the Rust Belt, some Dems are arguing for a smarter version of tariffs. Plus, Abrego Garcia's union brothers want him home and Trump wants to fight with Harvard.

    Rep. Chris Deluzio and Josh Barro join Tim Miller.

    show notes

    • Rep. Deluzio's NYT piece arguing for smarter tariffs

    • Josh's NYT piece on how Trump is giving Dems a gift with his tariffs
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    1 hr and 13 mins
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