
Bill Kristol: The Tough Guy Really, Really Means It This Time
From The Bulwark Daily by The Bulwark
April 20, 2026 · 50 min
About this episode
Bill Kristol joins Tim Miller to discuss Trump's foreign policy and its implications for U.S. allies and adversaries.
Just hang tight: Trump is super close to a deal with an enemy that he handed all the leverage to. Absolutely do not read his steady supply of hollow threats as him begging Iran for a face-saving off-ramp. Meanwhile, back in reality, Iran too can see how desperate Trump is, the war is helping China feel emboldened, and some of our closest post-WWII allies think Beijing is more dependable than the U.S. under Trump. Plus, Hegseth has chosen an ideal time to pick a fight with the secretary of the Army, numerous officials at the FBI are alarmed by Kash's alleged alcohol-induced absences, kudos to Ossoff for the way he talked about corruption and kleptocracy, and more Vance-splaining from the newbie Catholic Veep. Bill Kristol joins Tim Miller. show notes Tim’s livestream Monday at 8ET on YouTube or Substack JVL on the "Trump Madman Theory' of the stock market Lauren on the Dems preparing for a potential midterm-year SCOTUS vacancy Tim's 2020 piece on Joe DiGenova Images of the Poodle Room, Kash's alleged hangout in Vegas Tickets for our Bulwark Live shows in San Diego and LA in May: TheBulwark.com/Events Upgrade your wallet today! Get 10% Off @Ridge with code THEBULWARK at…
People in this episode
Host: Tim Miller
Guest: Bill Kristol
Topics covered
- Trump administration
- Iran negotiations
- U.S. foreign policy
- China's influence
- political commentary
- FBI concerns
- midterm elections
Keywords
- Trump
- Iran
- China
- FBI
- politics
- foreign policy
- midterms
- Ossoff
- Hegseth
Sponsors
Ridge
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: FBI, China, Iran, Beijing, Democrats, The Bulwark
Books & works: Trump Madman Theory, Joe DiGenova
Places: San Diego, LA
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