The man in charge is bluffing, blustering, and trying to manipulate the markets by claiming that the administration is in negotiations with Iran and was holding off on further military strikes. Israel's reaction was to drop more bombs on Iran, and the regime itself used Trump's own lines against him in its response. In any event, Iran has shown it can close the Strait of Hormuz, which is much more of a power move than the degradation of Tehran's missile capacity. With the war hitting Americans financially in their daily lives—and Trump now refusing a deal to fund TSA—the Dems have to hammer home that it's POTUS who has delivered higher gas prices and long lines at the airport. Plus, JD is in a job bind, the head of FEMA has a teleporting issue, and Trump showed utter depravity over the passing of Bob Mueller. Bill Kristol joins Tim Miller.

show notes

• Monday's "Morning Shots"
• "Bulwark on Sunday" with Bill and Catherine
• Tim's and Bill's 'Bulwark Take' on Trump's reaction to Mueller's death
• Yeats' poem, "To a Friend Whose Work Has Come to Nothing"
• The real "Baghdad Bob"

The U.S. is at war with the leading state sponsor of terror, and Donald Trump appointed Markwayne Mullin—a man with no counter-terrorism experience—to help defend the homeland. At the same time, Hegseth is a meathead, and the shoe designer at the top of the FBI is preoccupied with visiting all the places on his bucket list. This is the moment for Democrats to argue that Trump has made the country very vulnerable. Plus, the administration apparently did not consider worst case scenarios vis-à-vis Iran, the Iraq War planners look like pros in comparison, Denmark was seriously preparing for an American invasion of Greenland, and is Israel's conduct contributing to the growing antisemitism problem?

David Frum joins Tim Miller for the weekend pod.

show notes

• David's podcast
  
  
• David encouraging Dems to get to the right of Trump on the war
  
  
• Tim's playlist
  
  

For Talarico, it doesn't really matter whether Cornyn or Paxton wins their runoff battle. Either way, the Texas Democratic Senate candidate says he is running against the billionaire mega-donors and their corrupt system. To flip the Senate seat, he says he is speaking to the hearts of voters, avoiding media echo chambers, and campaigning on being both pro-immigrant and pro-border security. Plus, Trump's broken promises, Cornyn may be more corrupt than Paxton, Apostle Paul's thoughts on God's sausage, and a Shermanesque denial of the vegan accusations.

James Talarico joins Tim Miller before a live Bulwark audience.

POTUS is pretending the laws of supply and demand don't apply when it comes to the price of oil. And his long list of conflicting statements on the Strait of Hormuz is not providing any clarity on whether it will reopen to Western vessels anytime soon. But while Rep. Khanna successfully helped create the Epstein coalition, he says most of his Republican colleagues on the Hill are sticking with Trump's war narrative—though with a little less chest thumping. Plus, progressive Squad candidates came up short in Illinois, Joe Kent reportedly gave his resignation letter to Vance before Trump, conflating critiques of Israel with antisemitism is likely going to backfire politically, and why are three million Epstein files still being protected?

Rep. Ro Khanna joins Tim Miller.

show notes

• Only a few tickets left for our LIVE show in Austin on Thursday: TheBulwark.com/Events.

A former MAGA influencer who saw the underbelly of the immense power and wealth around this administration says never-Trumpers should show compassion for people who are now feeling betrayed by him—and who are starting to have second thoughts about the cult they joined. Ashley, who is the mother of one of Elon's kids, also tells Tim that an increasing number of MAGA women are waking up to the fact that they've been used as pawns in the movement. Plus, Ric Grenell's desperate effort to land a job with Trump, the role of AIPAC in Tuesday's Illinois Democratic primary, and a pending congressional resolution on the West Bank.

Cam Kasky and Ashley St. Clair join Tim Miller.

show notes

• FYPod on looksmaxxing in February 2025
  
  
• FYPod's interview with Kat Abughazaleh
  
  
• Tickets for our LIVE show in Austin on March 19: TheBulwark.com/Events.

• Exclusive $35-off Carver Mat at https://on.auraframes.com/BULWARK. Promo Code BULWARK

• Get 15% off OneSkin with the code BULWARK at https://www.oneskin.co/BULWARK #oneskinpod

As the Iran war enters its third week, the Trump administration looks like it doesn’t know what it’s doing: It did not bother to consult U.S. allies before the military operation began but it now wants their help to reopen the Strait of Hormuz; POTUS keeps talking about his great victory even with Marine Expeditionary Forces en route; and the disruption in the oil markets is likely to last for months. In the face of the neutered Republican leaders in Congress, the Dems must be a hard “No” on additional funding—unless it’s about helping our people to exit safely. Plus, FCC Chair Brendan Carr is threatening broadcasters for reporting the truth about the war, JD is hiding in the hedge, our enemies are less afraid of us, the "Donroe Doctrine" looks like a joke, and a major intra-right fight has broken out online.

Bill Kristol joins Tim Miller.

show notes

• Monday's "Morning Shots"
• Bill's "Bulwark on Sunday" with Bob Kagan
• Tickets for our LIVE show in Austin on March 19: TheBulwark.com/Events.
• Get $35 off your first box of wild-caught, sustainable seafood—delivered right to your door. Go to: https://www.wildalaskan.com/BULWARK.

The Trump administration is preparing to deploy a Marine expeditionary unit to the Middle East along with more warships. But that development was not Hegseth’s highest priority at his Pentagon briefing. His first order of business was attacking the media—even before mentioning the six fallen service members who were killed in a plane crash supporting the war in Iran. And while the administration may have finally narrowed down its reasons for launching the war alongside Israel, it hasn’t discussed the risks of the operation, or why it doesn’t seem to have an issue with Putin helping Iran in the fight. Plus, JD is skeptical about the war but won’t tell Trump to his face, oil prices are soaring while Russia cashes in, and don’t forget that the Department of Homeland Security is still down shut down while our country is at war.

Tom Nichols joins Tim Miller for the weekend pod.

show notes

• Tom on 'victory disease' in The Atlantic
• French news channel with a split screen of bombs and Trump dancing
• Tim's playlist
• Tickets for our LIVE show in Austin on March 19: TheBulwark.com/Event

We’re raining hellfire down on Iran and American soldiers have died, but that doesn’t stop Trump from hitting the links, doing a little dancing, or holding a revenge rally. His main preoccupation is his daily PR battle over the war—which currently involves arguing that higher gas prices are a good thing. And his ever dutiful backup chorus in Congress is happy to explain how “freedom isn’t free.” Meanwhile, the immigration system has been so undone that we now have a shortage of seasonal workers. Plus, the absurd shoe-related loyalty test at the White House, a major Trump donor is trying to buy a Senate seat in Oklahoma, at least one white Afrikaner refugee has seen enough and wants to go home, Sam and Tim have new Cabinet member rankings, and some justice for JVL and Bill after Wednesday's pod.

Sam Stein joins Tim Miller.

show notes

• JVL’s “Triad” on Iran from Wednesday and Thursday
• Bill on the "epic failure" of the Iran war in "Morning Shots"
• Adrian and Jared on Markwayne Mullin
• Sam's and Catherine's 'Bulwark Take' on higher gas prices
• Tim's and Sam's year-end ranking of Cabinet members
• "Odd Lots" podcast
• Tickets for our LIVE show in Austin on March 19: TheBulwark.com/Events.
• Get 20% off your DeleteMe plan when you go to joindeleteme.com/BULWARK and use promo code BULWARK at checkout.
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