Bulwark Takes

Andrew Egger talks with JVL about a 2028 scenario that sounds ridiculous at first… until you actually walk through the logic. A surprise contender is polling near the top of the GOP field and could have a clearer path to the nomination than anyone wants to admit. They break down why the Republican primary may be effectively frozen for 2028, how the MAGA base shapes the field, and why some of the most obvious candidates could be boxed out before the race even begins.
Read more from JVL's Triad: https://www.thebulwark.com/p/the-second-coming

Will Saletan takes on Trump's threats to destroy Iran’s infrastructure—and the chilling defense from top officials who say “all options” includes targets that blur into civilian life. As the language shifts from bridges to hospitals and schools, the question isn’t just strategy—it’s how far the U.S. is willing to go.
Sign up for your one-dollar-per-month trial today at https://shopify.com/bulwarktakes.

Sam Stein and Will Sommer went live to discuss the week's biggest developments in the right-wing fever swamp.
Sign up for your one-dollar-per-month trial today at https://shopify.com/bulwarktakes.
The Bulwark is headed to Southern California! Go to https://thebulwark.com/events to get your tickets for our LA and San Diego live shows.

Eric welcomes Eliot back from his sojourn in Spain to break down the latest jackassery from the administration. They discuss the current state of the Iran war, including the somehow simultaneously open and closed Strait of Hormuz, the ongoing negotiations, and how China factors into the conflict. Turning to Europe, they assess Viktor Orban's electoral defeat in Hungary and the blow it strikes against Trump, Vance, MAGA, and the European right writ large. The conversation also covers the U.S.'s diminishing support for Ukraine and the battlefield situation amidst Russia's spring offensive. They wrap up with thoughts about the broader European reaction to Trump's continued threat to withdraw from NATO and Trump's architectural plans for the nation's capital. 
Shield of the Republic is a Bulwark podcast co-sponsored by the Miller Center of Public Affairs at the University of Virginia.

Sam Stein and Sarah Longwell take on why two Democrats are breaking through, and what the rest of the party is still getting wrong. They look at standout appearances from Jon Ossoff and Pete Buttigieg, focusing on message discipline, authenticity, and why showing up in tough places matters more than chasing the latest podcast trend.