Bulwark Takes

Tim Miller gives his take on the heated CNBC Squawk Box exchange between Pete Buttigieg and Joe Kernen over Trump’s economy, gas prices, and the war in Iran. Kernen tries to argue with weak MAGA talking points about Biden-era inflation and partisan blame, but Buttigieg pushes back so well that Kernen's co-host literally laughs at him. Tim breaks down why Buttigieg’s approach is resonating and how bad it is for the state of pro-Trump economic defenses.
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Catherine Rampell and JVL are going live to talk about the the week's financial news.
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Sam Stein and Will Sommer dive into the latest MAGA meltdown: a rumored DOJ probe into conservative influencers allegedly taking foreign money. From imagined arrests to twisted punishments, MAGA figures from Benny Johnson and Catturd to Laura Loomer are eating their own, accusing each other while ignoring the real ideological splits.

Andrew Egger and Will Sommer break down Melania Trump’s bizarre and unexpected White House statement on Jeffrey Epstein. After speaking and not answering any questions, Melania forcefully denied any involvement with Epstein, while also calling past email exchanges with Ghislaine Maxwell as “casual” and “trivial.” We dig into the timing, the messaging, and what could be driving this sudden need to get ahead of the Epstein story inside Trump world.

JVL talks with Ed Condon of The Pillar about the escalating clash between the Vatican and the Trump administration after Pope Leo’s comments on the Iran war. They unpack the shocking report that a Vatican ambassador was confronted by the Pentagon, JD Vance’s awkward response, and why the American pope likely won’t be visiting the U.S. anytime soon.
Read more from JVL: https://www.thebulwark.com/p/the-department-of-war-vs-the-pope
Read more from Ed Condon: https://www.pillarcatholic.com/p/when-will-leo-come-home