We Asked GOP Lawmakers About Their Own Nominee. They Ran Away!

Join Lt. Gen. Mark Hertling (Ret.) and Ben Parker as they cover the Pentagon lowering the count of US service members killed in the Iran War.Make today a good day, and get yourself some Soul gummies. Right now, Soul is offering 30% off your entire order! Go to https://GetSoul.com and use the code BULWARKTAKES.

Join JVL and special guest Paul Krugman (filling in for Catherine) as they cover the week's biggest stories from the world of economics and finance.Make today a good day, and get yourself some Soul gummies. Right now, Soul is offering 30% off your entire order! Go to https://GetSoul.com and use the code BULWARKTAKES.For more on Catherine's original reporting, check out her latest Receipts newsletter on how the Trump administration is conspiring to exclude millions of immigrants from the 2030 census: https://www.thebulwark.com/p/inside-trumps-stealth-trick-to-rig-census-and-congress

Sam Stein and Ben Parker give their takes on why the DOJ abruptly withdrew its subpoenas against three New York Times reporters and their family members over reporting on security flaws in Trump’s Qatari-gifted Air Force One. But the losses in court don't stop there, the administration also quietly dropped its demand for a list of Jewish faculty and students at UPenn, and a Trump-appointed judge just blocked the White House from obtaining Kentucky’s voter rolls. Plus, in a scene straight out of Pyongyang: Trump finishes a speech, and the applause just… doesn’t stop. A full uncomfortable minute of a room too scared to be the first one to sit down.

Sam Stein and Will Sommer break down the double standard at the heart of the GOP right now: Democrats forced Graham Platner off the ballot over disturbing allegations, while Republicans stand by candidates and members with far more documented records. Texas gun-YouTuber Brandon Herrera made disgusting comments about women and children. Arizona's Mark Lamb is facing sexual misconduct allegations. Sitting Congressmen Cory Mills and Max Miller continue to face domestic abuse allegations. So what does Mike Johnson say when he's asked directly about it? He dodges. 

Sam Stein and Andrew Egger give their takes on Trump's new threats of war crimes to Iran, the new polling showing MAGA support for the war cratering, and the new U.S.-Saudi civilian nuclear agreement. Plus, they dig into the White House's ever-expanding gold decor of oversized frames, mystery bells, and speculation about Trump's late-night decorating habits.This episode is sponsored by The New York Times.

Will Saletan breaks down how Donald Trump’s empty threats, reckless boasts, and shifting stories turned his Iran deal into a deadly fiasco—and exposed just how little he understands the war he started.This video is sponsored by The New York Times.

Lt. Gen. Mark Hertling (Ret.) and Ben Parker are joined by Senator Elissa Slotkin (D-MI) for her take on the state of the Iran war, U.S. military strategy, and the health of American democracy heading into the midterms. Slotkin, a former CIA analyst with three tours in Iraq, pushes back on Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth's testimony that the U.S. has neutralized Iran's naval threat in the Strait of Hormuz, arguing Iran retains "veto power" over the critical waterway through drones, mines, and fast boats. Plus, Sen. Slotkin explains how her "Protect Our Polls Act" is designed to block the military from being deployed to polling sites during the midterms without congressional approval.This episode is sponsored by The New York Times.

Christopher Nolan's The Odyssey just pulled in $124.5 million over its opening weekend, the biggest domestic opening for a live-action film this year. So why has MAGA Twitter spent the weekend insisting it's a woke disaster, a box office fraud, and a betrayal of Homer himself?Sam Stein, Sonny Bunch, and Will Sommer give their takes on the right's bizarre backlash: the fake Achilles/Elliot Page casting controversy, the Emily Wilson translation discourse, the conspiracy theories about Rotten Tomatoes being "rigged," and the very online split between guys like Matt Walsh and Elon Musk (furious) and Ben Shapiro and Dave Rubin (actually kind of into it).Your health matters and taking care of yourself shouldn’t be complicated. Find and book the right doctor with Zocdoc. Head to https://Zocdoc.com/BULWARKTAKES to get started and check that appointment off your to-do list!

Sam Stein and HuffPost's Arthur Delany went live to cover the brewing dissatisfaction with Trump's nominee for Attorney General, Todd Blanche.Your health matters and taking care of yourself shouldn’t be complicated. Find and book the right doctor with Zocdoc. Head to https://Zocdoc.com/BULWARKTAKES to get started and check that appointment off your to-do list!

Bill Kristol and Andrew Egger went live to cover CNN's reporting that Trump and Elon Musk's cuts through DOGE to the CDC and USAID slowed the response to the cyclosporiasis outbreak, the Pentagon withholding the number of U.S. military injuries from the war with Iran, and why Trump's strategy appears trapped between military escalation and political retreat.Your health matters and taking care of yourself shouldn’t be complicated. Find and book the right doctor with Zocdoc. Head to https://Zocdoc.com/BULWARKTAKES to get started and check that appointment off your to-do list!