Trump was so embarrassed by Canada using Reagan’s warnings about tariffs that he had a little hissy fit and decided to punish Americans for buying Canadian goods. And by the way, stuffed shirt Scott Bessent: Real American soybean farmers are being hurt by tariffs while you bail out Argentina and pretend that your dainty hands are tilling the soil on the farmland you bought as an investment. Meanwhile, the White House isn’t even pretending that it’s going after corrupt moneyed interests, as the Trump family rolls in dough from the most entrenched swampy types in DC. Plus, Dems get pressure on the shutdown and Trump weighs in on the VP gimmick for 2028.
Bill Kristol joins Tim Miller.
show notes
Scott Bessent saying he's a soybean farmer
Monday's "Morning Shots"
For a limited time only, get 60% off your first order, plus free shipping, when you head to Smalls.com/THEBULWARK.
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51:14
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51:14
Ryan Holiday: Life Is Too Short to Be a Bootlicker
Members of the administration, like Stephen Miller, who spend hours every day kissing Trump’s ass look so pathetic—but since the time of the ancients, courtiers have gone to great lengths to degrade themselves before the vain and vindictive. And one lesson for the ages is to not compromise with an extortionist: it will only lead to more extortion and more pressure because the extortionist wants everything. Meanwhile, Elon’s brain is broken, Peter Thiel spends too much time at dinner parties, Trump’s media diet allows no time for presidential reflection, and authoritarians can be seductive. Plus, Tim sees the redistricting fight looking better for Democrats, and argues that the best way to shut down the talk of a decrepit Trump running in ‘28 is to make sure the Dems win the House in 2026.
Ryan Holiday joins Tim Miller for the weekend pod.
show notes
Ryan's new book, "Wisdom Takes Work"
Ryan's book, "Conspiracy: Peter Thiel, Hulk Hogan, Gawker, and the Anatomy of Intrigue"
Tim and JVL's interview with Ryan about being a dad
The Daily Stoic Podcast
Tim's playlist
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1:07:48
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1:07:48
Ben Wittes and Anna Bower: Trump's Reparations Demand
The convicted felon was legitimately prosecuted for hoarding classified docs at Mar-a-Lago. And he was justifiably investigated over the numerous contacts he and his associates had with Russian nationals during 2016. But Trump feels he has endured so much pain and suffering from all the probing that he's owed a quarter of a billion dollars in damages from hard-working American taxpayers. Meanwhile, his hired tool of revenge, Lindsey Halligan, is hard at work pursuing really weak cases against Comey and Tish James when she's not sending mean girl texts.
Lawfare's Anna Bower and Ben Wittes join Tim Miller.
show notes
Anna on her Signal chat with Lindsey Halligan
Lawfare's Molly Roberts on the weak case against James
Ben's Substack
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46:28
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46:28
Jon Favreau: Foundational Freedoms
One of the promises of this country has been the freedom to walk down the street without being harassed by the government. But even being an American citizen isn't stopping ICE agents from grabbing people with passports or IDs—and detaining them for hours. At the same time, many of the thugs and sadists who want to do the grabbing and snatching are pathetically failing basic physical fitness tests. Plus, JD is painfully unfunny, Republicans calling Democrats 'terrorists' has real world consequences, and Dems need more normal people running for office—but they should save the wild card candidates for long shot races.
Jon Favreau joins Tim Miller.
show notes
Pod Save America interview with Graham Platner
The Atlantic on "ICE’s ‘Athletically Allergic’ Recruits"
Tickets for Crooked Con in DC in November
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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1:06:48
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1:06:48
Michael Weiss and Karine Jean-Pierre: Low Energy Trump
Putin’s friend in the White House may be back in his safe space with his kindred spirit in Moscow, but Trump is finding that he has limited leverage on Ukraine to end the war on Putin’s terms. He wants so badly to be crowned the ‘Prince of Peace,’ but he has no vim and vigor to get there—and Zelensky actually said “No” to Trump. Meanwhile, the Gaza ceasefire looks precarious. Plus, former press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre on stepping away from the two-party system, the lingering anger over how Trump was allowed to win, and the fallout from emphasizing Biden’s legacy at the expense of Kamala’s ‘24 campaign.
Karine Jean-Pierre and Michael Weiss join Tim Miller.
show notes
Michael’s Substack “Foreign Office”
Story from “The Insider,” “Our people poisoned Navalny”
WSJ article on Havana Syndrome
Karine Jean-Pierre's book
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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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