Even This Former Trump Supporter HATES the War (w/ Brandon Weichert)

Andrew Egger is joined by Maryland Gov. Wes Moore to give his take on Maryland’s new AI regulations, the rapid growth of data centers, and the need for guardrails around increasingly powerful AI models. Moore explains why he believes AI is moving faster than government safeguards, criticizes the White House’s approach, and raises concerns about Trump’s personal financial stake in the AI boom.They also discuss AI safety, potential benefits in government and healthcare, and whether the U.S. should cooperate with China on regulating increasingly powerful AI systems.Upgrade your sleep with Boll & Branch. Get 15% off your first order plus free shipping at https://www.BollAndBranch.com/bulwarktakes with code bulwarktakes. Exclusions apply.

Tim Miller steps outside the bubble for a conversation with Brandon Weichert, a former Trump supporter and American Greatness writer who has become deeply disillusioned with the administration. They take on Trump’s Iran war, his growing foreign-policy mess, the GOP’s increasingly dangerous midterm map, and what could happen if Democrats take back Congress.Watch more on Mario Nawfal’s YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/c/marionawfalLooking for a different way to unwind? Soul’s Mood Gummies pair precise dosing and clean ingredients with formulas designed for different moods, whether you want to feel uplifted, mellow, or somewhere in between. Get 30% off your entire order at https://getsoul.com with promo code BULWARKTAKES.

JVL and Lawfare's Benjamin Wittes take on the strange legal fight over Trump’s ballroom and proposed triumphal arch, including why standing may be the biggest obstacle to stopping them and what John Roberts’ dissent could be signaling to future challengers. They also dig into a bigger question: whether Congress, the courts, and the power of the purse can actually constrain a president determined to push ahead anyway.Looking for a different way to unwind? Soul’s Mood Gummies pair precise dosing and clean ingredients with formulas designed for different moods, whether you want to feel uplifted, mellow, or somewhere in between. Get 30% off your entire order at https://getsoul.com with promo code BULWARKTAKES.A quick note: Look, there probably aren’t many media outlets willing to spend 45 minutes going extremely deep on the finer points of standing, appropriations law, and Trump’s ballroom. We are that kind of outlet. If you’re the kind of person who appreciates that, become a paid Bulwark member and help us keep doing this.

Ben Parker and Lt. Gen. Mark Hertling (Ret.) break down President Trump’s extraordinary comments at the United Nations about Venezuela, including his claim that “to the victor belong the spoils.” Hertling explains why that language raises serious questions under international law and walks through the laws and treaties that prohibit pillage and establish a nation’s sovereignty over its natural resources.They also discuss the growing power of the Houthis in Yemen, Saudi Arabia’s complicated relationship with the United States, and what Riyadh could do if it can no longer rely on American support. Hertling also weighs in on Secretary Pete Hegseth’s new system for evaluating senior military officers and the history Hegseth is invoking to defend it.

Rep. Jim Himes, ranking member of the House Intelligence Committee, joins Marc Polymeropoulos and Michael Weiss for his take on the major national security risks surrounding the Trump administration.Himes explains the counterintelligence concerns surrounding the reported Russian financing of Donald Trump Jr.’s wedding and why the access to Trump’s inner circle at the event could have created an unusually soft target for Russian intelligence. They also discuss the intelligence community’s warnings about war with Iran, and the possibility of another Middle East conflict.Plus, Russia’s war in Ukraine, Trump’s negotiations with Vladimir Putin, John Ratcliffe’s role in the talks, and the ongoing investigation into Havana syndrome and anomalous health incidents.Weight Loss by Hims offers access to personalized weight loss treatment, including FDA-approved GLP-1 medications. Learn more and get started at https://www.hims.com/bulwarktakes

Andrew Egger and Bill Kristol went live to react to Trump’s address to the United Nations, breaking down his claims about Iran, Russia and Ukraine, Venezuela, Greenland, the economy and America’s role in the world.Trump made wild comments about Russia’s war against Ukraine, including a grotesque false equivalence between Ukrainian children abducted into Russia and his claim that Russian children were also abducted into Ukraine. They also examine Trump’s claims about Iran, including his repeated insistence that he had no choice but to launch the war, his promises that a deal is still just around the corner, and the widening gap between his self-image as a president who ends wars and the reality of a conflict he chose to start.Plus, Trump’s vision for artificial intelligence includes renaming it “super intelligence,” and insisting that the United States must stay ahead of China while resisting international efforts to regulate the technology.Weight Loss by Hims offers access to personalized weight loss treatment, including FDA-approved GLP-1 medications. Learn more and get started at https://www.hims.com/bulwarktakes

Ready to be seen? Check that appointment off your to-do list with Zocdoc:https://zocdoc.com/ bulwarktakes #sponsoredTim Miller and David Pakman take on Trump’s plummeting poll numbers, the White House putting Pakman on its official “Media Offenders” list, and the creators who Pakman says are now afraid to interview him because they fear becoming targets themselves. They also discuss how algorithms reward outrage and misinformation, the coming flood of synthetic political content, and Pakman’s new book, Pay Attention, about what the attention economy is doing to our politics and our brains.David Pakman’s new book, Pay Attention: How the Algorithms and Media Wars Are Suppressing Truth and Rewiring Your Brain:https://davidpakman.com/davids-books/The David Pakman Show:https://davidpakman.com/

Ready to be seen? Check that appointment off your to-do list with Zocdoc:https://zocdoc.com/bulwarktakes #sponsoredThe White House is trying to defend Donald Trump’s decision to ban major news organizations from covering the White House and the policy is already producing some pretty absurd results.JVL and Will Sommer discuss Trump’s crackdown on the press, including a Newsmax broadcast where viewers couldn’t hear the president because the press pool wasn’t there to provide audio. They also examine the upcoming court fight over White House press access, the administration’s new White House app, and the question of whether Democrats should respond by restricting access for outlets like Fox News and Newsmax.Plus, JVL and Will debate the broader problem facing the press: Trump’s escalating efforts to favor friendly media, punish outlets he dislikes, and blur the line between journalism and political propaganda.

Ready to be seen? Check that appointment off your to-do list with Zocdoc ✅ : https://zocdoc.com/ bulwarktakes #sponsoredWill Sommer and Sonny Bunch take on Trump’s escalating war on the press, the TV networks pushing back on his White House ban, and the growing signs that even some longtime allies are getting sick of the chaos. Plus: Trump’s plan to put snipers in his giant D.C. arch, the bizarre MAGA fight over Indian Americans, Turning Point’s James Fishback problem, and the very questionable Lauren Boebert allegations.

Sam Stein and Will Saletan take a look at Donald Trump’s latest architectural fever dream: a 250-foot triumphal arch near Arlington Cemetery that Trump says will double as a “top grade Military Complex,” complete with drones and snipers. They dig into the bizarre location, the questionable military rationale and Trump’s claim that the project came at the “strong request” of the military. As Sam and Will point out, this is an enormous armed monument sitting near Reagan National Airport, the Pentagon and Arlington Cemetery. What could possibly go wrong?Then they turn to Trump’s escalating crackdown on the press. CNN, MS NOW and Politico lost White House credentials after Trump objected to their coverage, and Republicans defended the move. And if you think the press should simply accept this as the new normal, Sam has a story from the Obama years that offers a different lesson.