Reckoning With Trump’s Iran Defeat. Plus: The Meaning of Memorial Day (w/ Michael Wood)

Tim Miller, Sarah Longwell, Sam Stein, Van Lathan, Brian Tyler Cohen, Jon Favreau, Jane Coaston and Erin Gloria Ryan appeared on stage LIVE in Los Angeles on May 21, 2026.The Bulwark hosted a live quiz pitting the two teams against each other on the most obscure—and embarrassing—chapters of recent political history. Plus: the DNC autopsy gets roasted, California goes on trial, and JD Vance receives the takedown he deserves.

Bill Kristol talks with Michael Wood about his military service and the debacle of Trump's Iran war.

Tim Miller, Sam Stein & Andrew Egger went live to cover what appears to be an imminent deal to end the war in Iran.

Tim Miller, Sam Stein, and Will Sommer descend into the strangest corners of MAGA internet culture: January 6 reparations, Hunter Biden teaming up with Candace Owens, Nick Fuentes feuding with Tucker Carlson, and the surreal “Beartaria” compound where the internet’s saddest men are trying to build a right-wing utopia. Plus: San Diego Republican drama, burglar twinks, and more deeply cursed political lore.

Join Catherine Rampell and JVL at 12:30pm ET as they go live to discuss the biggest political, financial and economic stories of the week.Ready to reach your goals? Visit https://hims.com/BULWARKTAKES to get a personalized, affordable plan that gets you.

Tim Miller and Andrew Egger are going live to give their takes on Tulsi Gabbard’s resignation from the Trump administration.Ready to reach your goals? Visit https://hims.com/BULWARKTAKES to get a personalized, affordable plan that gets you.

Catherine Rampell is joined by Thomas Florsheim Jr., whose company makes the president’s favorite shoe brand, to discuss what Trump’s tariff agenda has meant for his business. From skyrocketing import costs to supply-chain chaos to millions paid in tariffs, Thomas explains why reshoring production to the United States still doesn’t make economic sense. He describes the scramble to move manufacturing between countries, the hidden costs businesses face from constant policy uncertainty, and why his company ultimately sued the federal government over the tariffs.Get 20% off your first order, plus free shipping during the Memorial Day Sale at https://www.bollandbranch.com/bulwarktakes with code bulwarktakes.Read more from Catherine Rampell: https://www.thebulwark.com/s/receipts

Will Saletan gives his take on Todd Blanche’s embarrassing performance as Donald Trump’s acting Attorney General, and why his public defenses of the administration keep collapsing under scrutiny. From reviving debunked 2020 election claims to arguing that indictments themselves are proof of guilt, except when it comes to Trump, Blanche repeatedly finds himself trying to justify glaring double standards in real time. Will walks through Blanche’s interviews, the James Comey indictment, Trump’s public pressure on DOJ leadership, and how the Justice Department is shaped by loyalty to Trump rather than consistent legal principles.Get 20% off your first order, plus free shipping during the Memorial Day Sale at https://www.bollandbranch.com/bulwarktakes with code bulwarktakes.

Join Tim Miller, Sarah Longwell, and Sam Stein live on the Bulwark tour bus, as they head to Los Angeles.Get 20% off your first order, plus free shipping during the Memorial Day Sale at https://www.bollandbranch.com/bulwarktakes with code bulwarktakes.

Jonathan Cohn is joined by Dr. Craig Spencer to break down the growing Ebola outbreak in Central Africa, why global health officials are sounding the alarm, and how Trump-era cuts to public health infrastructure could affect the response. Spencer is an emergency medicine physician and Ebola survivor. During the historic 2014 outbreak, he treated patients and then contracted Ebola himself, became one of the most visible voices during that crisis. Dr. Spencer explains why this outbreak has experts more worried than past Ebola flare-ups, how Ebola actually spreads, and why it is very different from a respiratory virus like COVID.Read more from Jonathan Cohn: https://www.thebulwark.com/p/trump-decimated-our-global-health-network-then-ebola-hit-outbreakGet 20% off your first order, plus free shipping during the Memorial Day Sale at https://www.bollandbranch.com/bulwarktakes with code bulwarktakes.