Tim Miller interviews political insiders on Trump's Iran war and executive power.
The Bulwark Podcast treats politics as an urgent daily argument, not a distant civics lesson. Its conversations move from Trump, Iran, Ukraine, Hungary, tariffs, and MAGA fights into quick jokes, live-show chatter, and pointed moral stakes.
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The Bulwark Podcast is produced by The Bulwark, a subscriber-funded outlet founded by former Republican operatives who oppose Donald Trump. Tim Miller hosts most episodes in a one-on-one interview or small-panel format, typically running 55 to 70 minutes, usually built around a single extended conversation with a guest. Sarah Longwell, the outlet's publisher, occasionally sits in as host, and Amanda Carpenter appears both as a guest and as a rotating co-host on news-focused episodes. Recurring subject matter includes the Trump administration's military operation against Iran, contradictory public statements from officials such as Pete Hegseth and Trump himself, and the erosion of internal checks once provided by figures like Mike Pence and Mark Esper during the first Trump term. The show brings in foreign policy and military specialists, including Ben Rhodes and retired general Mark Hertling, to assess unfolding diplomatic and military decisions. Domestic coverage spans ICE enforcement practices, Democratic primary races and messaging strategy, and media industry consolidation involving outlets like CNN and CBS. International segments, such as coverage of Viktor Orban's defeat in Hungary, are framed as lessons for US opposition politics. Guests are drawn largely from national security, journalism, and political strategy backgrounds, often with direct government or campaign experience. The show suits listeners who follow daily US political news from a center-right-turned-anti-Trump viewpoint and want process-level analysis rather than short-form commentary. The tone mixes substantive policy discussion with informal asides, personal anecdotes, and jokes between host and guest.
Made for: Politically engaged listeners with an anti-Trump or center-right-turned-independent orientation who want detailed daily analysis of US foreign policy, executive power, and Democratic strategy.
What sets it apart: Hosted by former Republican operatives whose Never-Trump background shapes its analysis of GOP foreign policy hawks and conservative media, distinguishing it from general political talk shows.
Based on 6 episodes we listened to · September 2026
Tim Miller combines pointed interviews and irreverent conversation to test the political logic behind policy, campaigns, and shifts in allegiance.
The Bulwark Podcast turns current political disputes into fast, argumentative conversation, with Tim Miller pressing guests on the assumptions behind their positions.
Tim Miller makes cabinet rankings and Iran-war analysis feel like the group chat you actually trust.
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Short reviews from the PlayNext desk, based on the episodes we processed.
A blunt foreign-policy conversation about Iran, Israel, and the gap between damage and real strategic outcome.
This episode puts Ben Rhodes and Tim Miller in a conversation about what military damage can and cannot buy. The point stays simple: pressure on Iran may weaken capacity, but it does not settle the larger question, and the region can still get more dangerous from there.
A sharp news and politics conversation that turns big policy fights into concrete costs.
The episode opens with sponsor copy and event housekeeping, including the Southern California dates and pre-sale access, before it gets to tariffs, costs, leverage, oil, Iran, China, and the fight over executive overreach.
A sharp British political conversation about negotiation, agency, and the danger of calling victory too soon.
Alistair Campbell gives this episode a distinctly British political charge, turning a discussion of power and negotiation into a sharper question about what happens after someone thinks they have won.
A busy opening gives way to a sharp, skeptical Iran discussion.
The Bullard Podcast starts in a cluttered place, with housekeeping and a Trump detour crowding the frame before the foreign-policy thread fully takes over. Once it settles on Iran, the IRGC, and the question of succession around Khamenei, the episode finds its footing.
A brisk read on Orban, Trump, and how momentum and permission structures can shift.
Bill Kristol and Sarah Longwell frame Orban's defeat in Hungary as a useful way to think about Trump and the point at which momentum begins to change.
A breezy political hangout that still lands real points about Trump, Tucker, and MAGA loyalty.
Tim Miller and Jane Coaston keep this vacation episode loose, and the conversation has a nice bounce to it. They spend most of the time on Trump-world hypocrisy and the odd place Tucker Carlson occupies inside it, with both hosts saying the obvious part out loud: Trump is right…
A Hungary campaign discussion widens into a stark argument about what is really at stake in Ukraine.
Anne Applebaum brings recent Hungary campaign reporting into a conversation that quickly opens onto the larger stakes of Russia's war against Ukraine.
Sharp Iran discussion, then a practical turn to oversight and Virginia politics.
This episode opens with Tim Miller on Iran, with David French offering a steady, skeptical read of what the moment means. The conversation stays on the narrow question of whether military success matched the claims around it, then broadens to Israel, the press conference spin,…
Sharp political debate with policy detail and real disagreement.
Matt Gurney and Jen Gerson debate Canadian politics, from Alberta separatism to Ottawa's bureaucracy.
Robert Evans, Katie Stoll, and Cody Johnston build fake conspiracies and mock right-wing media.
Steve Hayes and Dispatch panelists argue through the week's Iran, DOJ, and Supreme Court news.
Jonah Goldberg's solo political rants and author interviews on conservatism, courts, and current events.
John Donvan moderates two-sided debates on AI, bioethics, feminism, and film's future.
Tim Miller talks with Ben Rhodes, the former deputy national security advisor under Barack Obama and co-host of Pod Save the World, about Trump’s reported Iran deal and the JCPOA.
Oil does not care about flags.
First, housekeeping.
Tim Miller opens with housekeeping, live-show plugs, and a quick Trump rant before the conversation turns to Iran, the IRGC, succession, and whether killing senior figures has sped up a military takeover that was already underway.
Sarah Longwell borrows Tim Miller's chair and brings Bill Kristol into a conversation that starts with hat jokes, then snaps to Viktor Orban's defeat and Trump's slide from nearly 50 percent in 2024 to around 39 or 40.
Vacation mode, but nobody is coasting.
Tim Miller starts with car ads, vacation chatter, and Anne Applebaum back on the show.
Wow, then the pin drops.
Tim Miller veers into AI politics after a live show plug and an Iran war aside.
Tim Miller and Bill Kristol discuss President Trump's threat to attack Iran's power plants and bridges.
Tim Miller and Bob Kagan discuss Trump's foreign policy, specifically the bombing of Iranian nuclear facilities and the dangers of neoconservative adventurism.
After the Capital.com ad and a bit of housekeeping, Tim Miller turns to Trump's speech and digs through friendly reactions from Mark Levin and Rich Lowry, trying to find a real explanation for the Iran posture.
Political commentary show discussing Trump's address and interviewing political figures.
A comedic podcast discussing political news and pop culture with a satirical tone.
Host Tim Miller and Bill Kristol discuss the No Kings rallies and political activism over the weekend.
Tim Miller and Michael Steele satirically discuss their continued opposition to Trump despite his perceived successes.
First, the ads.
Tim Miller hosts a political podcast featuring an interview with a comedian and a foreign policy discussion with Kamala Harris's national security advisor.
Tim Miller interviews Jeffrey Goldberg about the economics of the Iran war and other political topics.
Tim Miller and Bill Kristol discuss Trump's on-again, off-again military threats against Iran and the latest developments in US-Iran tensions.
Tim Miller interviews David Frum about political news, including Chuck Norris's death and their previous discussion on political alliances.
Tim Miller interviews Texas Senate candidate James Talarico about his campaign and reacts to news of Trump escalating military presence in the Middle East.
Congressman Ro Khanna discusses building bipartisan coalitions with MAGA voters on issues like the Epstein-Falz case and the war in Iran, highlighting shifting political dynamics.
A messy doubleheader opens with political breakups.
Host Tim Miller interviews Bill Kristol about ending the war, with lighthearted banter about Oscar snubs for Timothee Chalamet.
Host Tim Miller interviews Tom Nichols about recent developments in the war, including the crash of a U.S.
Thursday, March the 12th starts with comfort food.
Tim Miller introduces a new guest for a political interview, discussing the challenge of finding honest MAGA advocates.
Tim Miller hosts a political commentary podcast with segments on foreign policy, AI, and tech, plus a preview of a new live streaming Q&A show.
The host interviews Sarah Longwell about her upcoming book on voter behavior and political strategy.
Tim Miller interviews Neera Tanden about the political challenges facing the Trump administration and the implications for Democrats.
Tim Miller opens with a boomer correction, then Derek Thompson comes in for a fast argument about government power, AI regulation, and federal pressure on a private company.
Tim Miller opens with sponsor reads and then brings on Morris Katz.
Tim Miller opens with a live-results plug and a book pre-order push before turning to the Trump-Iran war news.
Tim Miller opens the Monday conversation with Bill Kristol by taking stock of the war with Iran.
Tim Miller welcomes Amanda Carpenter back for a Friday conversation that starts with media life and Trump-world baggage.
Tim Miller interviews journalist Ta-Nehisi Coates about his Vanity Fair column on blood-and-soil nationalism and the concept of homeland.
Host Tim Miller interviews Adam Sarwar about his reporting on Minnesotans resisting federal actions and discusses Democratic challenges with Hispanic voters.
Host Tim Miller interviews Minnesota Governor Tim Walz about the ongoing situation in Minnesota, described as an assault, and discusses organized nonviolent resistance.
Hosts Tim Miller and Bill Kristol express outrage over the killing of Alex Preddy by ICE and CBP agents, discussing the emotional impact and political implications.