The Bulwark Daily

For more than 10 years, Trump has been showing us how skilled he is at sowing division and riling people up. Alan sees the kind of tribal mentality that Trump has fostered on his own reality show, "The Traitors," where contestants make incredibly stupid decisions because they don't want to deviate from the pack. The actor takes the opportunity to urge people to vote, protest, and stay vigilant in the face of the Republicans' campaigns of hate against immigrants and trans people. (And that includes Vance's dumb, dated gay jokes.) Plus: Rep. Garcia of the House Oversight Committee is preparing to get the gavel in January. He's already teed up new Epstein legislation, and he's planning to end the cover-up of 3 million Epstein documents, many of which have to do with Donald Trump. Also on the target list: the Trump family's business deals and the donors to the ballroom.Alan Cumming and Rep. Robert Garcia join Tim Miller for the weekend pod.show notes: "The Traitors" on NBC Alan's show, "Tip Toe," on Starz October Surprise: The Bulwark is 30% off Upcoming Bulwark LIVE show in Atlanta on Oct. 20 The Bulwark’s campaign to help the Haitian community of Springfield The Bulwark store

Elon is now pitching in to help POTUS sabotage Ukraine while Trump makes a payout to Putin and works on his next self-enrichment scheme. A Cooper victory in North Carolina would be key to a potential Democratic Senate majority—a first step to reining in Trump—but the former governor warns Tim that Republicans have historically been undercounted in the polls and his lead should not be taken for granted. Plus: Scheiber in his recent book has the backstory on the radicalization of recent college grads, who tend to support the DSA and think America has too much power. And at a time when even white collar professionals identify with the working class, Trump's economic messaging sounds even more ridiculous. Roy Cooper and New York Times reporter Noam Scheiber join Tim Miller.show notes: Cooper’s campaign site Noam’s book, “Mutiny: The Rise and Revolt of the College-Educated Working Class” JVL on Trump screwing the housing market This week’s “The Next Level” Link to send to elected Democrats on behalf of Maryam Tahmasebi and her family The Jay Kang piece that Tim referenced about Noam’s book October Surprise: The Bulwark is 30% off Upcoming Bulwark LIVE show in Atlanta on Oct. 20 The Bulwark’s campaign to help the Haitian community of Springfield The Bulwark store NOBL gives you real travel peace of mind — security, design, and convenience all in one. Head toNOBLTravel.com for 46% off your entire order! #NOBL #ad

Not only did the lamest of October surprises blow up in the faces of Ken Paxton and the rightwing loons desperate to get Talarico on something, Greg Abbott is now in a tight race with his Democratic challenger, Gina Hinojosa. And all the money pouring in to prop up Paxton could be better spent on Senate races in Alaska and Kansas. This would be a great time for the Democratic Governors Association to steer (a lot) more funding Hinojosa's way. Plus: Bill and Tim share their long shots, POTUS can't quit showing how much he's in the tank for Putin, MBS is finding out the hard way how the Trump family treats their business partners, don't be distracted by DHS's clownish authoritarianism in raiding Ilhan Omar's home, and the Iranian family that Tim has been advocating for is still in the Dilley detention center. Bill Kristol joins Tim Miller.show notes: Will Sommer and Andrew on MAGA's Talarico breakdown Bill in "Morning Shots" on thinking beyond the midterms Bill's "Bulwark on Sunday" with Ron Brownstein Brendan on the Trump superfan running in upstate New York Blake Gendebien's campaign site (NY-21) Gina Hinojosa's campaign Tim's piece on Maryam Tahmasebi and her family October Surprise: The Bulwark is 30% off Bulwark LIVE in Atlanta on Oct. 20 Closing Song: MJ Lenderman - “She’s Leaving You” The Bulwark store Get 15% off OneSkin with the code BULWARK at https://www.oneskin.co/BULWARK#oneskinpod

The king of the birther conspiracy knows he needs to round up the white male vote, so he's serving up one of his old faves—straight-up anti-Muslim bigotry. And he's added a new one: Making Americans pay for another political ad, this time about what a tough guy he is. But Trump also has another corruption problem, courtesy of Trump Jr.'s ex-fiancée, Amb. Kimberly Guilfoyle, who seems to have a habit of calling in very expensive favors. Plus: Rubio is laying the groundwork for 2028, Hegseth is lobbying to keep his job after the midterms, the Democratic establishment is coming together for El-Sayed, Bibi has been very bad for Israel, and Trump has created a long-term security crisis for the West as a result of his Iran war.Susan Glasser joins Tim Miller.show notes: Susan on Hegseth declaring victory in the wrong war The NYT on Iran forcing Trump and Hegseth to retreat Sam's interview with the guy who snitched on Guilfoyle Susan's 'Political Scene' podcast Trump falling asleep during the Susan Dell photo-op Will Sommer on the Andrew Tate eel-sex problem October Surprise: The Bulwark is 30% off Closing song: MJ Lenderman's "She's Leaving You" Upcoming Bulwark LIVE show in Atlanta on Oct. 20 The Bulwark’s campaign to help the Haitian community of Springfield The Bulwark storeJoin at functionhealth.com/THEBULWARK and use code THEBULWARK25 for a $25 credit.

Destroying trust in the government is one of Trump's key sources of power, but Michael reports from the front lines of the deep state that there still are good employees serving the public interest. In his new book, Michael celebrates some of the heroes who either managed to survive DOGE—or were stupidly pushed out despite the vital roles they filled. And the absolute failures of DOGE raise serious questions about how Elon could be trusted to run any enterprise. Plus: Trump sure sounded like he was inviting Iran to bomb two big blue cities, and Republicans are rushing money to South Carolina and a very GOP district in Kentucky. Seems like Tim and Bill were onto something with their long-shot midterms picks on Monday. Michael Lewis joins Tim Miller.show notes: Michael's new book, "Blockers: Rebels in the Deep State" Tim's 'Take' on how Trump's corporate enablers should be worried about 2027 Michael's post-Katrina piece, "Wading Toward Home" "The Fifth Risk," Michael's book on Trump 1.0 Michael on Sam Bankman-Fried, "Going Infinite: The Rise and Fall of a New Tycoon" October Surprise: The Bulwark is 30% off Upcoming Bulwark LIVE shows, including Atlanta on Oct. 20 Closing Song: MJ Lenderman - She’s Leaving You The Bulwark’s campaign to help the Haitian community of Springfield The Bulwark store

What is going on with Trump's legs? He appears to be wearing a brace and a recent video shows him standing in a most unnatural way—as though he is mid-exorcism. But his apparent health issues don't seem to be stopping the administration from re-escalating against Iran with an additional 10,000 troops on their way to the region. Meanwhile, Trump's son-in-law, Jared (AKA the point person on the Gaza peace deal) turns out to be a war profiteer heavily invested in Israeli bomb-making companies. Plus: Some of the recent polls have been too rosy for the Dems, Islamophobia may be at play in the Michigan Senate race, Tim makes the case for regime change in Eritrea, and the cabal of guys at the All-In podcast—who bought their access to Trump—are some of the loudest voices pushing for his all gas, no breaks approach to AI. Tommy Vietor joins Tim Miller for the weekend pod.show notes: Tommy’s “Pod Save the World” Recent video of Trump standing Closing Song: Orville Peck - “It’s the End of the World” The Bulwark’s campaign to help the Haitian community of Springfield The Bulwark store

The Trio comes together on the daily pod for the first time to give a little taste of the MAGA-land news Sam, Will, and Tim are covering for The Bulwark. The latest developments include speculation that Candace Owens may be a lesbian and that Florida gubernatorial candidate Byron Donalds pretended he was Jamaican. He may also have very poor judgment on financial matters. But first, Maria talks with Tim about Eric Schmitt and what may be the biggest self-own in the history of the Senate. Plus: Most of the media is still doing fake balance in favor of Trump, the pivotal scandal that knocked Chris Christie out as the 2016 frontrunner—and may have opened the door to you-know-who—and Tim shares details about a kiss he wanted but never got. Ex-Christie aide Maria Comella and Trio members Sam Stein and Will Sommer join Tim Miller.show notes: Tim’s updated list of additional Democratic candidates to support in “The Triad” Will’s “False Flag” newsletter The Trio on Youtube or on Substack The campaign site for Montana’s Sam Forstag The Bulwark’s campaign to help the Haitian community of Springfield The Bulwark store

The Trump administration stole our tax dollars to run a campaign ad during NFL games on Sunday. They're also breaking the law on congressional funding appropriations—and enjoying rubbing the public's face in all the illegality they're getting away with. In Dayton, The Bulwark had its largest live show ever, and the community came through in a huge way with donations for Haitian immigrants in Springfield. For a taste of the event, we're sharing Tim's interview with Democratic strategist Patrick Gaspard. Plus: Tim and Bill launch a new segment on longshot picks to back in the midterms, Trump is being unbelievably irresponsible on AI, the media is still not talking about the Iranian green card-holding family being held at the Dilley detention center, and Americans need a reminder of the Parable of the Good Samaritan. Bill Kristol and Patrick Gaspard join Tim Miller.show notes: Monday's "Morning Shots," with Bill on Cardinal Robert McElroy, archbishop of Washington Bill’s longshot in Idaho, Todd Achilles Tim’s longshot in Colorado, Jessica Killin The Trio on Victor Marx, running for governor in Colorado A sampling of Jim’s newsletters on Springfield Ohio’s Don Leonard for Congress campaign site Dan Scavino’s AI image Tim referenced Closing Song: MJ Lenderman - She’s Leaving You The Bulwark’s campaign to help the Haitian community of Springfield The Bulwark store

First, Sam Stein sits down with Tim to discuss the latest humiliation of our troops: Trump’s red carpet welcome for President Xi. Plus: the White House’s insane propaganda machine, a new Maine poll throws some cold water on the midterms hopium, Sen. Tommy Tuberville’s obsession with furries, and is RFK Jr. running for president? Then, Tim pulls back the curtain on his interview with Mary Peltola, which wrapped just hours before a new critical New York Times piece dropped. In their conversation, Peltola explained how nearly every issue Alaskans care about can be summed up by “fish, family, and freedom.” And that viral debate moment with Dan Sullivan revealed something deeper: He is not doing enough to protect Alaskans from corporate greed in Washington.Sam Stein and Mary Peltola join Tim Miller.show notes: The New York Times story on Mary Peltola Trump’s new propaganda ad paid for by your tax dollars Video of Trump greeting President Xi The White House’s AI reconstruction of the meeting Jonathan Cohn’s newsletter “The Breakdown” Closing Song: MJ Lenderman - “She’s Leaving You”

The party has been busy playing defense in Trump states, and now comes the news that Susan Collins is corrupt on top of being a loyal MAGA supplicant. More Democrats should walk with Ossoff's swagger and keep their message simple: attack Trump on his corruption and the war. (And in colder climes, the price of heating oil.) Meanwhile, subpoenas over Trump Jr.'s Russian mobster-funded wedding are coming, and even some Republicans are likely to get on board. Plus: Ukraine is showing how to fight wars now and how the U.S. under Trump and Hegseth is not ready. And Tim keeps his promise and puts on a hair shirt after LSU's loss to Ole Miss. Stuart Stevens joins Tim Miller.show notes: ProPublica’s reporting on Susan Collins Lauren on how Dems are dealing with the Republicans’ huge war chest Tim’s interview with Wright Thompson last week Stuart’s books, including “The Conspiracy to End America” and “The Last Season” Stuart on performance-enhancing drugs The Bulwark’s campaign to help the Haitian community of Springfield The Bulwark store Head to https://forkfulmeals.com/thebulwark for 50% off your first order today!

In Greenland, the Trump administration has got tech bros and hedge fund guys running an influence operation there. The aim may be to fulfill Trump's territorial ambitions—or to create a sovereign state run by CEOs. In Venezuela, the administration is imperialistically seizing its gold, oil and other assets with no oversight. And in Brazil, the White House is trying to bring the Bolsonaro family back to power—which may or may not have something to do with Elon being angry about the country's tech regulation laws. In Trump 2.0, informal envoys, private companies, and hardened ideologues are turning American diplomacy upside down. Plus: Putin has played Kushner like a fiddle, don't let the story of Don Jr.'s Russian gangster-funded wedding die, new additions to the Applebaum book club, and we're going to have to bulldoze the ballroom.Anne Applebaum joins Tim Miller for the weekend pod. show notes: Anne’s Atlantic cover story, “Empire of Grift” “Whistler: A Novel,” Anne's latest book recommendation Tim’s book recommendation, “The Disappearers: A Novel” The Bulwark’s campaign to help the Haitian community of Springfield The Bulwark store Tim’s playlist Closing song - War on Drugs - “Suffering” Try ZipRecruiter to post your job FOR FREE at http://ziprecruiter.com/BULWARK4 out of 5 employers who post on ZipRecruiter get a quality candidate within the first day.

The Fed raised interest rates to curb inflation, as expected, but mortgage rates are surging and flailing Scott Bessent remains the treasury secretary. Meanwhile, the alarm raised in the AI community is not an op despite the backlash from people like Nvidia's Jensen Huang, who seems to get everything he wants from Donald Trump. Plus, the Europeans who once parked their gold in the US to hide it from the Nazis are now trying to protect it from Trump. Catherine Rampell and Stephen Witt join Tim Miller.show notes: Subscribe to Catherine Rampell's Receipts podcast and newsletter on Substack or follow her new show wherever you get your podcasts: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | YouTube | More Stephen's "This Is Really Bad" piece in the NYT Stephen's "The Thinking Machine," about Nvidia and Jensen Huang The latest episode of "The Next Level" Dan Selsam's statement on Twitter that Tim read from "If Anyone Builds It, Everyone Dies," the book Stephen mentioned Huang's "impromptu" phone call with Trump Closing song - Orville Peck - It's the End of the World NOBL gives you real travel peace of mind — security, design, and convenience all in one. Head to NOBLTravel.com for 46% off your entire order! #NOBL #ad Bulwark LIVE: Benefit for SpringfieldSome moments require you to step up. Some require you to show up. That’s why The Bulwark is coming to Ohio. Join Tim, Sarah, JVL, Sam and friends Friday, September 25 at the Dayton Masonic Center for an evening of politics and fellowship.

A Putin bestie who's involved with the kidnapping of Ukrainian children bankrolled Don Jr.'s island wedding for some mysterious reason. Kushner is calling on Ukraine to give in to Putin's territorial demands. And Trump himself is blaming Zelensky for the high cost of diesel even though prices shot up after Trump launched his war of choice. It's the whole Trump family that tends to remind us of their close ties to Russia, Russia, Russia. Meanwhile, POTUS is not troubled by China's involvement with the death of U.S. soldiers in the Mideast. Plus: Adam Hamilton in Kansas was on fire in his debate with Roger Marshall, the list of horrible Republican candidates keeps growing, and the fears about AI have broken wide open.Bill Kristol joins Tim Miller. show notes: ProPublica on the Russian oligarch bankrolling Don Jr.'s wedding The Bulwark's campaign to help the Haitian community of Springfield Tim's 'Take' on the debate between Mary Peltola and Dan Sullivan Bill in "Morning Shots" on AI fears The NYT on Roger Marshall suing patients for debts The Trio 'Take' on Brandon Herrera The Bulwark Store Get 20% off your DeleteMe plan when you go to www.joindeleteme.com/BULWARK and use promo code BULWARK at checkout. Bulwark LIVE: Benefit for SpringfieldSome moments require you to step up. Some require you to show up. That’s why The Bulwark is coming to Ohio. Join Tim, Sarah, JVL, Sam and friends Friday, September 25 at the Dayton Masonic Center for an evening of politics and fellowship.