Bulwark Takes

Tim Miller was all over MS NOW, talking about Trump’s $400 million “gold ballroom” obsession as his poll numbers slide and voters feel squeezed. He breaks down why the GOP’s usual message machine—coordinated distractions, echo chamber spin, and nonstop attacks—is suddenly falling flat, with backlash over Iran, rising gas prices, and broken promises piling up.
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Watch All In with Chris Hayes on MS NOW: https://www.ms.now/all
Watch Deadline: White House with Nicolle Wallace on MS NOW: https://www.ms.now/deadline-white-house

Tim Miller unloads on the wave of “false flag” theories spreading after the White House Correspondents’ Dinner incident, calling out how quickly people abandon basic facts when politics takes over.
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Sam Stein and Will Saletan give their takes on Pete Hegseth’s heated appearance on Capitol Hill, where questions about the $25 billion war with Iran quickly turned into personal attacks and repeated deflections. Hegseth spent much of his time avoiding accountability, focusing instead on blaming Democrats, raising questions about how he is approaching one of the most consequential national security roles in the world.
For a limited time, listeners can get an exclusive $25 off AuraFrame's best-selling Carver Matframe at https://on.auraframes.com/BULWARKTAKES with code BULWARKTAKES.
Tickets for our Bulwark Live shows in San Diego and Los Angeles in May: https://thebulwark.com/events

Conor Kilgore and Rachel Janfaza discuss why Noah Kahan has become a defining voice for Gen Z—and what his music reveals about a generation shaped by COVID, social media overload, and constant comparison. They get into the mental health themes, the push to log off and reconnect with real life, and why so many young people feel nostalgic for a world they never actually lived in.
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The Pentagon is under fire after the Jacqueline Smith, ombudsman for Stars and Stripes, says she was dismissed for raising concerns about Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. What does this mean for press independence inside the military?
Read more from Jacqueline's op-ed: https://www.stripes.com/opinion/2026-04-23/stripes-former-ombudsman-pentagon-trying-to-silence-21465037.html
For a limited time, listeners can get an exclusive $25 off AuraFrame's best-selling Carver Matframe at https://on.auraframes.com/BULWARKTAKES with code BULWARKTAKES.
Tickets for our Bulwark Live shows in San Diego and Los Angeles in May: https://thebulwark.com/events