Brian Stelter and Jonathan V. Last: Worst Case Scenario
The administration wants people to believe that Jimmy Kimmel was pulled off the air because he supposedly crossed a red line when it came to Charlie Kirk—yet at the same time, somehow totally ignore that this is naked government coercion of critics who embrace the time-honored tradition of skewering presidents. And because this is the Trump administration, there's also a corruption angle, namely a local TV station conglomerate trying to curry favor with Trump and FCC Chair Brendan Carr to get a $6.2 billion merger approved. Meanwhile, Vance is openly manufacturing a new, broader conspiracy behind the Kirk assassination, continuing his admitted pattern of just making things up out of whole cloth. It'd be nice if other members of the media noticed.
JVL and Brian Stelter join Tim Miller.
show notes
Brian's "Reliable Sources" newsletter
JVL's Thursday 'Triad'
Bulwark Live in DC (10/8) and NYC (10/11) with Sarah, Tim and JVL are on sale now at TheBulwark.com/events.
NEW show added to Toronto schedule: Bulwark Live Q&A Matinee show on Saturday, September 27 —tickets are on sale now, here.
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1:07:06
Susan Rice: A Cancer in the Body Politic
This country has been dealing with an increase in political violence for nearly a decade, and leaders from across the spectrum need to do everything they can to get us off this terrible path. Declaring 'free speech for me and not for thee,' or getting random people fired for not saying nice things about Charlie Kirk isn't helping to tamp things down. Meanwhile, it looks like Trump is sacrificing U.S. national security interests with his corrupt TikTok and UAE deals, and Russia remains one of the only countries in the world Trump hasn't tariffed. Plus, Democrats must not roll over and play dead on the spending bill like they did in the spring.
Amb. Susan Rice joins Tim Miller.
show notes
Bulwark Live in DC (10/8) and NYC (10/11) with Sarah, Tim and JVL are on sale now at TheBulwark.com/events.
NEW show added to Toronto schedule: Bulwark Live Q&A Matinee show on Saturday, September 27 —tickets are on sale now, here.
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Joe Manchin: The Man in the Middle
The former senator and former Dem has some not-very-nice things to say about Schumer and Obama—as well as progressives—who he blames for hounding Biden to move left and diminishing his will to fight. And while he's proud he helped protect the filibuster while he was in the Senate, Republicans just invoked the nuclear option to get Trump's nominees approved. Plus, what's with all the Confederate flags in West Virginia? And why aren't West Virginians more angry that conditions in the state have not improved since flipping red under Trump?
Sen. Joe Manchin joins Tim Miller.
show notes
Sen. Manchin's new book, "Dead Center: In Defense of Common Sense"
Tim's 2021 piece, "An Ode to Saint Joe Manchin"
Bulwark Live in DC and NYC at TheBulwark.com/events. Tix for a second Toronto show go on sale for members Tuesday at noon and for everyone else on Wednesday!
Get $35 off your first box of wild-caught, sustainable seafood—delivered right to your door. Go to: https://www.wildalaskan.com/BULWARK.
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Bill Kristol: What Does 'They' Mean?
The administration is threatening to take away money and power—and maybe even freedom—from some vague Trump opponents because of the Kirk assassination. It doesn't seem to matter that elected Democrats have roundly condemned his murder. And it doesn't matter that Trump himself largely ignored the recent political assassination of Minnesota Democratic legislator Melissa Hortman and her husband. But anyone who is pro-assassination is a foe of The Bulwark. Full stop. A free country by definition must protect the right to self-expression. Plus, the giant nationalist march in London over the weekend, the latest stalling tactic on Russia sanctions, and the right of trans people to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.
Bill Kristol joins Tim Miller.
show notes
Today's "Morning Shots"
Bill's "Bulwark on Sunday" with Jay Nordlinger
Bulwark Live in DC and NYC at TheBulwark.com/events. Tix for a second Toronto show go on sale this week!
Cancel your unwanted subscriptions and reach your financial goals faster with Rocket Money. Go to RocketMoney.com/thebulwark today.
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1:04:47
David Frum: Leveraging Violence as a Tool of Power
Trump and the people around him want to use the Kirk assassination to suppress their political opposition. And Trump is clearly laying the groundwork for cracking down on people he doesn't like—peaceful protesters, Dem fundraisers—while also offering rhetorical comfort to potential vigilantes on the right. Meanwhile, we are witnessing the danger of having an incompetent person atop the FBI, who alternates his time between posting for clicks and purging the bureau of highly qualified personnel for political cred. Plus, Vance is running for the 2028 nomination every day, the raid on the Georgia Hyundai plant shows the incoherence and stupidity of Trump's economic vision, and as Putin tests the resilience of NATO, the White House is playing politics in Poland.
David Frum joins Tim Miller for the weekend pod.
show notes
Frum's "Trump Is No Nationalist" piece
Bill's tribute to Georgia police officer David Rose
Bob Kagan's "The Beginning of the End of Nato" Tim referenced
The poem, "For Whom the Bell Tolls"
Tim's playlist
Frum's podcast
Bulwark Live in DC and NYC at TheBulwark.com/events. Tix on sale next week for extra Toronto show!
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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