Bulwark Takes

Will Sommer speaks with Alabama shrimper Maynard Dubuisson, a longtime Donald Trump supporter who says soaring diesel prices are pushing fishermen and small businesses to the brink. The war in Iran has sent fuel costs soaring, forcing shrimpers to conserve fuel and produce less, and threatened the local economy. Dubuisson says working-class Americans aren’t worried about tax cuts. They’re worried about affording groceries and keeping their businesses afloat. Now he’s pleading with Trump to deliver relief before it’s too late.Looking for a different way to unwind? Soul’s Mood Gummies pair precise dosing and clean ingredients with formulas designed for different moods, whether you want to feel uplifted, mellow, or somewhere in between. Get 30% off your entire order at https://getsoul.com with promo code BULWARKTAKES.

Will Saletan uses Trump's own words to expose the contradictions behind the Iran war. Trump says he obliterated Iran's nuclear program, claims the threat is under control, and admits the U.S. could leave now. So why is the war still going eight months later? Trump says he wants a guarantee Iran will never build a nuclear weapon, but he also admits he may have gone too far in killing the country's leaders and doesn't know who to negotiate with. Meanwhile, gas prices are rising, Trump is bragging about the money high oil prices are bringing in, and he says the financial pain Americans are facing is a small price to pay. For Trump voters unhappy with the economy and the war, Will makes the case that the midterms are a chance to send a message.Right now, podcast listeners can save up to 48% off their first order at https://pendulumlife.com/BULWARKTAKES.Show Notes:Trump rally in South Carolina, Oct. 21: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YNmr6SyjoAoTrump rally in Florida, Oct. 23: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pMD0ffRom7MTrump interview with NBC Montana, Oct.14: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jLcKKXgngVkTrump rally in Arizona, Oct. 14: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wf36VMa0rDETrump rally in Alabama, Oct. 2: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PZCcFK6y9fATrump rally in Oklahoma, Oct. 1: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3zYR9nIuvDsTrump rally in Kansas, Oct.19: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gpvsst07C28Trump gaggle at the White House, Oct. 3: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tlYbzF9hSBETrump interview with Newsmax, Oct. 15: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KvwQankQR-8Trump gaggle at Joint Base Andrews, Oct. 10: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_MWwc6p33yMTrump rally in Georgia, Oct. 24: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v2vfPUbdZsgTrump rally in Michigan, Oct. 25: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CkM_CFtIDUsTrump Q&A in the Oval Office, Oct. 20: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IQKChHxD9e8

Mike Rogers’s disastrous Meet the Press interview was a masterclass in political desperation. Catherine Rampell and Jonathan Cohn break down his increasingly absurd attempts to dodge questions about Trump, his contortions over tariffs hurting Michigan, and his ugly attacks on Democratic opponent Abdul El-Sayed.

Texas Republicans are facing a nightmare scenario: Ken Paxton could lose, rural turnout is lagging, and the GOP may have to spend $400 million defending a state it once took for granted. Tim Miller talks with Republican operative Garrett Fulce about the growing anxiety inside the Texas GOP, the possibility of a Democratic upset, and why Garrett himself just voted for a Democrat.

Sarah Matthews joins Nicolle Wallace to discuss the Trump DOJ’s removal of thousands of January 6 records, the effort to preserve the evidence, and what it could mean for the midterms. They also examine Trump’s broken promises, his family’s growing wealth, and why young men who helped return him to office are increasingly feeling betrayed. Watch Deadline: White House on MS NOW: https://www.ms.now/deadline-white-house#ad Go to https://zbiotics.com/bulwarktakes and use code BULWARKTAKES at checkout for 15% off your first order of ZBiotics probiotics.

Tim Miller, Sam Stein and Will Sommer give their takes on the latest chaos from the MAGA universe. Top Trump allies Chris LaCivita and James Blair had to hand over their six-figure consulting fees from a pro-Russian Balkan politician to Trump’s presidential library are right-wing influencers embarrassed themselves while campaigning for Serbia’s strongman. Plus, Republican Senate candidate Mike Collins’ was caught fantasizing about public executions and throwing Nancy Pelosi out of a plane.Then, a pro-Trump, pro-ICE commentator gets arrested by ICE himself. A State Department employee was caught throwing a drink at a Washington Wizards game. Since we taped, she has subsequently been fired from her job. And Will breaks down the implosion of Ethan Klein’s H3 Podcast following allegations of an affair, while the trio also weighs in on influencer Clavicular’s bizarre appearance at his rape-case arraignment.For a limited time, Tempo is offering 60% off your first box! Go to https:/Tempomeals.com/BULWARKTAKES

Vivek Ramaswamy has dragged Amy Acton’s estranged mother into the Ohio governor’s race to smear her daughter — even though the mother’s husband was charged with raping Acton when she was just 12. Now Trump and JD Vance are backing the attack, with Trump calling Acton “defective” and demanding Republicans fall in line. Will Sommer and Andrew Egger give their takes on the ad’s horrifying backstory and the shameless decision to turn Acton’s childhood trauma into a campaign weapon.Plus, Glenn Beck, Megyn Kelly, and Ben Shapiro twist themselves into knots defending the ad, while some Ohio Republicans struggle to explain how this is acceptable politics. As Trump attacks Gov. Mike DeWine for condemning the spot, the MAGA media machine faces a familiar choice: acknowledge the facts or defend their guy at any cost.

Tim Miller sits down with David Mauricio, the newly minted Jubilee Surrounded star, to break down his viral clashes with MAGA debaters. Mauricio explains why he came out swinging, how Trump’s defenders struggled to answer questions about the president’s corruption, and why one debater’s attempt to question his citizenship backfired.Plus, Mauricio confronts woman who casually admits she was at the Capitol on January 6 while defending a pardoned insurrectionist who later sexually abused children.

How do democracies fall apart, and why do the people who could stop it so often look the other way? CNN’s Dana Bash joins Sarah Longwell to examine the elections that changed history, including the fatal miscalculation that helped bring Hitler to power and its disturbing echoes in Trump’s Republican Party. They also explore how a handful of votes might have prevented Trump’s rise, why Democrats need to learn how to win, and which 2026 races could change American politics for generations.This episode is sponsored by the New York Times.Get Dana Bash’s new book, The Elections That Changed the World: Fifteen Pivotal Moments That Shaped How We Live, co-written with David Fisher:https://bookshop.org/p/books/the-elections-that-changed-the-world-fifteen-pivotal-moments-that-shaped-how-we-live-dana-bash/bcc71c1baa846304

Ready to be seen? Check that appointment off your to-do list with Zocdoc ✅: https://zocdoc.com/bulwarktakes #sponsoredDonald Trump claims Russia has been “fine” in Ukraine, and Michael Weiss, who has witnessed Russian atrocities firsthand, is furious. Weiss and former CIA officer Marc Polymeropoulos examine Trump’s increasingly alarming alignment with Putin, reports that Elon Musk interfered with Ukraine’s satellite defenses, Pete Hegseth’s refusal to release desperately needed Patriot missiles, and whether Trump now fits the intelligence definition of a Russian agent of influence.

Ready to be seen? Check that appointment off your to-do list with Zocdoc ✅: https://zocdoc.com/bulwarktakes #sponsored Will Saletan gives his take on the growing panic inside House Republican leadership as bad polls, shrinking campaign budgets, and vulnerable races threaten the GOP’s hold on Congress. Even friendly voices on Fox News are pressing Mike Johnson, Tom Emmer, and Steve Scalise on why Republicans are struggling ahead of the midterms. From Texas districts where Republican gerrymandering may be backfiring to rising frustration over fuel prices and the Iran war, GOP leaders are running out of explanations.

Donald Trump can’t seem to stop talking about other men’s bodies, from Republican candidates’ jawlines to their backsides, even as his presidency faces mounting crises. Sam Stein joins Nicolle Wallace on MS NOW to discuss Trump’s bizarre fixation and misplaced priorities, plus why James Talarico’s unconventional campaign against Ken Paxton could rewrite the political playbook in Texas.Ready to be seen? Check that appointment off your to-do list with Zocdoc ✅: https://zocdoc.com/bulwarktakes #sponsored Watch Deadline: White House on MS NOW: https://www.ms.now/deadline-white-house