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The Next Level

The Bulwark

Sarah Longwell, Tim Miller, and Jonathan V. Last bring their signature political insight and banter to the masses in The Next Level podcast. Tune in to hear them discuss the news of the week, break down campaigns and elections, and wade into pop culture feuds. www.thebulwark.com

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#1116
Friday · 11 min
1116: Secret Podcast: We’re Living in an Insane Asylum
Sarah and JVL are together again and JVL is raging. The president of the United States accused the Democratic party plotting to assassinate him and . . . everyone just pretends it didn’t happen. Diesel prices are going to the moon. Trump wants to demolish the Kennedy Center. Joe Manchin came back from the grave to endorse Susan Collins. And there’s a 90 percent chance that AI doesn’t kill everyone alive. It’s a short show, but a great show. Also: Sarah talks about the book tour and what it’s like to feel the love you guys have shown her. Be careful; it gets a little dusty. Want that Woke Bill Kristol tee? Get it at The Bulwark Store.
#1115
September 15 · 1 hr 10 min
1115: JVL Has an Idea for How Democrats Can Make MAGA’s Life Hell
JVL's on the west coast for Sarah's book event, and he, Tim, and Andrew Egger discuss Mitch McConnell's triumphant (?) return to the Senate, Donald Trump casually floating conspiracy theories over the Butler, PA assassination attempt, and Thomas Massie's articles of impeachment against Pete Hegseth. Then, they turn their attention to a New York Times poll with some GREAT news for Democrats in the midterms (with the exception of one issue: AI). They discuss the developments from the world of AI in the last week and how our political leaders should respond. Then: Is Gavin Newsom really thinking about NOT running for president? There's a really, really, REALLY racist Republican running for Texas Railroad Commission, and Tim debriefs on a rather contentious interview he did on The Bulwark Daily. Show links: Read JVL’s Monday and Tuesday Triads on the AI race, and how our political leaders can respond. Get your tickets for our September 25 show in Dayton, Ohio to benefit the Springfield, OH Haitian community. Get your copy of How to Eat an Elephant, Sarah’s first book! Get free shipping and 365 day returns with Quince at https://Quince.com/THENEXTLEVEL. Go to https://zbiotics.com/nextlevel and use NEXTLEVEL at checkout for 15% off any first time orders of ZBiotics probiotics. Make laundry day the best day of the week! Get 20% off your entire order @LaundrySauce with code THENEXTLEVEL at https://laundrysauce.com/THENEXTLEVEL #laundrysaucepod
#1114
September 11 · 16 min
1114: Secret Podcast: Trump's 2026 Message: Everything's Fine!
The Secret Podcast is a special bonus just for paid members of The Bulwark. If you like this preview, become a member at thebulwark.com, on YouTube, or through Apple Podcasts. JVL and Bill Kristol look at the increasingly messy fight to succeed Trump, from JD Vance and Don Jr. to Tucker Carlson, as Trump keeps the possibility of a third term hanging over the party. Plus, the war with Iran is getting worse, Pete Hegseth’s damage to the military is becoming harder to ignore, and 25 years after 9/11, they consider the unsettling question of what terrorism can set in motion long after an attack is over. Sarah, Tim, Sam and JVL are coming to South Carolina, North Carolina, and Atlanta in October for Bulwark LIVE. We’re bringing lots of friends. Tickets are on sale now: https://thebulwark.com/events
#1113
September 8 · 50 min
1113: Trump’s Imaginary Presidency Is Going Just Great
Tim, Sarah, and JVL discuss Trump's Labor Day Weekend with his favorite person, Corey Lewandowski's possible ‘light extortion,’ and whether Trumpworld will circle the wagons around him. Plus: why the GOP's midterm convention shows Trump losing his fastball, ABC News's bizarre framing of Rudy Giuliani's Islamophobic comments about Zohran Mamdani, and John Fetterman's total lack of interest in doing the job of a U.S. senator. Visit https://Wildgrain.com/THENEXTLEVEL to get $30 off your first box, plus free croissants for life. Go to https://GetSoul.com and use the code THENEXTLEVEL for 30% off your order. Head to https://3DayBlinds.com/THENEXTLEVEL for a buy one get one 50% off deal on custom blinds, shades, and drapery. Get your tickets for The Bulwark's Good Fight Tour this October, coming to Charlotte, Columbia, and Atlanta, with special guest Pete Buttigieg joining us in Charlotte.
#1112
September 4 · 21 min
1112: Secret Podcast: The Senators Who Suck
Today Sarah and JVL try to figure out who’s worse: John Fetterman or Susan Collins. (Give us your answer in the comments.) Also, the Big Orange Arch is coming. And we chew over Doug Sosnik’s recommendations for the Democratic party. It’s a big show. Weight Loss by Hims offers access to affordable FDA-approved GLP-1 medications, including the Wegovy® pill and Wegovy® pen, with personalized treatment plans and ongoing support. Get started at https://www.hims.com/thenextlevel Plus: it’s almost Book Week! Don’t let Teddy Cancun and High Life Clarence win. Order a copy of Sarah’s book now. (If you haven’t already, I mean.) How to Eat an Elephant drops on Tuesday and the Best Friends really want to get it to #1 on the NYT best seller list. To do that, we have to unseat... a biography of Clarence Thomas by Ted Effing Cruz. Buy it on Bookshop.org: https://bookshop.org/p/books/how-to-eat-an-elephant-one-voter-at-a-time-sarah-longwell/6a0996cb43d2ef5b?ean=9781250464170&bkshp-astro=t Buy it on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/How-Eat-Elephant-Voter-Time/dp/125046417X Become a Bulwark member to keep watching the full conversation, plus get access to all our members-only shows and segments. Show notes: See Bill Kristol and Doug Sosnik’s conversation: https://conversationswithbillkristol.org/conversation/doug-sosnik-on-two-very-different-elections-2026-and-2028/
#1111
September 1 · 57 min
1111: Ken Paxton Is Running One of the Worst Campaigns in America
Tim, Sarah, and JVL discuss the U.S. Supreme Court letting Trump’s ballroom go ahead (for now), why JVL thinks John Roberts is the Susan Collins of the Supreme Court, and whether Sarah is warming up to tearing down the ballroom in 2029. Plus: Trump says Kristen Welker should be punished for pointing out that his endorsed candidates are losing more often, and JVL wonders whether Republicans will have to be an anti-Canada party now. Later: The gang discusses Bari Weiss’s kinda racist headline about Abdul El-Sayed’s past tweets, why elected Republicans around the country (but especially Ken Paxton) are feeling depressed about their midterm prospects, and an absolutely wild story about a Florida congressional candidates in today’s Morning Shots. Right now, save up to 30% on mattresses and up to 35% on everything else when you go to https://Casper.com. Make today a good day, and get yourself some Soul gummies. Go to https://GetSoul.com and use the code THENEXTLEVEL. If you want more of Tim, Sarah, and JVL doing what they do here—looking past the daily Trump spectacle to figure out what survives him, where Democrats have openings, and what the next political era might actually look like—become a Bulwark member and support The Next Level. Show links: Read JVL’s Triad (https://www.thebulwark.com/p/lake-america-and-the-dogma-of-trumpism) Read Andrew Egger’s Morning Shots (https://www.thebulwark.com/p/we-found-her-the-most-absurd-general-election-candidate-te-brown-illinois-florida-congress-fraud-primary-election-putin-whale-orca-polar-bear-russia-ukraine)
#1110
August 28 · 30 min
1110: Secret Podcast: Mark Cuban Thinks He Could Run as a Republican. Tim Has Some Bad News.
Full episodes of The Secret Podcast are a special perk just for paid members of the Bulwark. We put almost every video out for free, because we don't think you can save the country from behind a paywall. This is one of the rare things we do reserve just for members. Come ride with us. - Full episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/py-SBnizZ3U - Full episode on Substack: https://www.thebulwark.com/p/mark-cuban-thinks-he-could-run-as JVL is out this week, so Tim and Sarah discuss Mark Cuban’s comments that he could run for president as a Republican (and why Tim isn’t buying it), and Sarah’s conversation with the New York Times discussing her book, and what Democratic voters REALLY want right now. They also discuss the race Rob Sand is running for governor in Iowa. Behind the paywall: Kamala Harris’s 2028 strategy, Hasan Piker discourse, and a fun mailbag segment. Show notes: Read Sarah's conversation with the New York Times: https://www.nytimes.com/2026/08/28/opinion/democrats-fighters-trump-republicans.html Come hang with the gang—Sarah, Tim, JVL, Sam and friends—during our Bulwark LIVE: Good Fight Tour this October. Tickets are on sale now at: https://thebulwark.com/Events Let's be together.
#1109
August 25 · 1 hr 15 min
1109: All MAGA Media Can Talk About Now is Trans Sports
Tim, Sarah, and JVL are back together for a JAM-PACKED show. They discuss: -Dolly Parton's passing and her legacy. -America's war (not the Iran war, our trade war with Canada), and why the rest of the world can't count on American anymore--even if Democrats win in 2028. -Sarah's Focus Group Podcast episode from Georgia--which Tim found pleasant (for once). -The South Carolina primary runoff, and whether having Donald Trump's endorsement is enough to put a political novice in the Senate. -The first U.S. measles deaths of the year in Pennsylvania. -Does the Trump administration want to demolish the Kennedy Center? Do WE want them to? -Why MAGA media is talking about the WNBA and trans issues so much. -Finally: They discuss JVL's Monday Triad about Trump's completely crazy relationship with Natalie Harp. Read JVL's Triad Get your tickets for The Bulwark's Good Fight Tour this October, coming to Charlotte, Columbia, and Atlanta. Go to https://zbiotics.com/nextlevel and use NEXTLEVEL at checkout for 15% off any first time orders of ZBiotics probiotics. For a limited time, get 60% off your order from Tempo at https://TempoMeals.com/THENEXTLEVEL.
#1108
August 22 · 23 min
1108: Secret Podcast: Is Jon Ossoff the One We’ve Been Waiting For?
The Secret Podcast with JVL and Sarah is exclusively for paid members of the Bulwark on YouTube, Substack and Apple Podcasts. --- Sarah and JVL did a BIG show today. Sample awesome: Sen. Darlene Graham says that voters in South Carolina don’t care about Taiwan—they care about boys playing girls sports. Spoiler: There are exactly zero (0) boys in South Carolina playing girls sports. Top CIA analyst Julia Curlee served Trump, Biden, and then Trump again honorably. Then she was fired because some MAGA influencers discovered she was trans. What duty do civil servants owe the country which elected Trump for the second time? Is Jon Ossoff the one we’ve been waiting for? Sarah has him in her Big Four. And you’ll never guess who the other three are. People hate Data Centers. So where is the juice for Democrats? JVL can’t stop/won’t stop beating on tankies and greens. And the birth of a new feature: Pickleball talk! We want to hear from you about any/all of this. Let’s ride. Sarah, Tim, Sam and JVL are coming to South Carolina, North Carolina, and Atlanta in October for Bulwark LIVE. We’re bringing lots of friends. Tickets are on sale now: https://thebulwark.com/events Our shows have a habit of selling out. Don’t wait to grab your seats.
#1107
August 18 · 1 hr 7 min
1107: Melania May Be Behind MAGA’s Natalie Harp Freakout
Tim, JVL, and Andrew Egger discuss: -(Yet another) story of a former Trump voter seeing a loved one run into the immigration policies he voted for. -The faux outrage from MAGA-world at Sen. Jon Ossoff pointing out that Donald Trump and Natalie Harp travel together a lot. -Karoline Leavitt leaving the White House, and who might come next. -The Florida primary, and how Trump's hand-picked candidate MIGHT fumble the state away this fall. -Pete Hegseth traveling to Iowa. Is HE running? -Andrew breaks down the latest weird trend on right wing twitter: Postpartum Depression truthers. -Tim welcomes Nancy Mace to the YouTube content game. For Bulwark+ Subscribers: The pre-sale for this fall’s Good Fight tour is ON. We’re heading to Charlotte, Columbia, and Atlanta in October. Get your tickets HERE, or first, become a subscriber HERE. Make laundry day the best day of the week! Get 20% off your entire order @LaundrySauce with code THENEXTLEVEL at https://laundrysauce.com/THENEXTLEVEL #laundrysaucepod Sleep cooler this summer with Boll & Branch. Get 15% off your first order plus free shipping at https://BollandBranch.com/NEXTLEVEL with code nextlevel.
#1106
August 15 · 17 min
1106: Secret Podcast: American Stasi
Full episodes of The Secret Podcast are available only to paid members of The Bulwark. You can join on Substack, YouTube or Apple Podcasts! Lots of stuff this week. (1) There are still balcony seats left for the Best Friends Show in NYC on September 8. Come sell out the 92nd Street Y with us! You can get tickets here. If we sell this show out, JVL will do something nuts. (2) Sarah, Tim, Sam and I are coming to South Carolina, North Carolina, and Atlanta in October. We’re bringing friends. Tickets go on sale August 21, but Bulwark+ members get access to an exclusive presale on August 18—so join! (3) Then there’s the news: Trump is trying to put his name on the Kennedy Center again. Grandpa is so thirsty. Karoline Leavitt is taking her talent for baldfaced lying to the private sector. Who will be the lucky news organization to buy the privilege of having her lie to its audience? And what lucky liar will inherit her spot behind the podium? JVL loses his mind over the revelation that after DHS agents murdered Alex Pretti, the federal government launched far-reaching investigations against . . . liberal activist groups in Minnesota. This story will take your hate-fire to 11. Sarah was always right about the Wisconsin Democratic primary. Why don’t progressives say a little prayer of thanksgiving for winning a big race in Minnesota with Peggy Flanagan while not having to defend Francesca Hong? Take the W. Also: JVL has some nice things to say about Bernie while Sarah is totally getting there on AOC. (4) And then there’s the feelings talk. JVL has a lot of them. About Flash and mortality and his gratitude to all of you guys. (Also: (5) We have news about Rebecca taking us home.) This isn’t an Instant Classic level show, but it’s a good one. Top quintile for sure.
#1105
August 12 · 1 hr 10 min
1105: Tucker Carlson Learned the Most Dangerous Lesson From Donald Trump
Tim, Sarah, and JVL are BACK TOGETHER after a month apart. They discuss: -Bill Cassidy’s pathetic, weepy floor speech before casting the deciding vote to confirm Todd Blanche as Attorney General. -What Tucker Carlson is up to these days…from interviewing Hunter Biden, to a monologue that sounds a LOT like the prelude to a presidential campaign. -DSA-aligned Wisconsin gubernatorial candidate Francesca Hong, and the stakes of experimenting with a DSA-aligned candidate in a swing state like Wisconsin. -Democrats like AOC saying that ‘Woke 1 was crazy,’ and how much of an ‘apology’ Democrats owe for ‘Woke 1.’ -Sarah is raring to talk about the WNBA and its growing role in America’s culture wars. Read JVL's criminally neglected Triad newsletter. Ready to reach your goals? Visit https://Hims.com/THENEXTLEVEL to get a personalized, affordable plan that gets you. Make today a good day, and get yourself some Soul gummies. Go to https://GetSoul.com and use the code THENEXTLEVEL. Get free shipping and 365 day returns with Quince at https://Quince.com/THENEXTLEVEL.
#1104
August 7 · 19 min
1104: Secret Podcast: The GOAT Episode
Full episodes of The Secret Podcast are available exclusively to paid members of The Bulwark. Join on Substack, Apple Podcast or YouTube! JVL and Tim did a GIANT show this week. Uncanny Callista Gingrich. Thom Tillis publishes his burn book. Tucker’s running for president. Burrito discourse. And more! Seriously: Instant classic. This one goes in the vault. Read JVL’s Triad newsletter: https://www.thebulwark.com/s/thetriad Get $30 off your first order and free croissants for life at https://Wildgrain.com/THENEXTLEVEL.
#1103
August 5 · 1 hr 29 min
1103: Michigan Senate Primary Becomes a Late-Night Nail-Biter
Sam joins Tim and JVL to discuss: -Live results from the (unexpectedly close) Michigan Senate primary, and discuss what an Abdul El-Sayed or Haley Stevens win would mean for November. -The horrifying child abuse allegations against Rep. Max Miller, and his disastrous CNN interview. -Trump's anger at Jeanine Pirro after she dropped vandalism charges related to the reflecting pool. -Todd Blanche advancing out of the Senate Judiciary Committee -Finally, they discuss JVL's triad about democratic socialists (meh) versus social democrats (better), and how Democrats can stop letting Republicans set the narrative of this election. The day always ends well with Casper. Right now save up to 20% on mattresses and up to 25% on everything else when you go to https://Casper.com. Get quality window treatments that fit your budget with 3 Day Blinds. Head to https://3dayblinds.com/THENEXTLEVEL for their buy one get one 50% off deal on custom blinds, shades, and drapery.
#1102
July 31 · 23 min
1102: Secret Podcast: You Can See the Bush Line from Your House
Sarah and JVL have a It’s a super-sized, instant classic: The Trump administration is using ChatGPT for everything. Why are Cornyn and Tillis even bothering with their fake protest of Todd Blanche? The Dem Senate map is looking . . . possible? Trump has raised $800 million from “donors” since coming back to office. And JVL finally explains why he’s obsessed with 60 Minutes investigative reporter Ross Douthat. Plus: Emo JVL needs your advice in the comments! Ready to reach your goals? Visit https://hims.com/thenextlevel to get a personalized, affordable plan that gets you. Full episodes of the Secret Podcast are available to paid members of the Bulwark through Substack, YouTube or Apple Podcasts. Come ride with us!
#1101
July 28 · 1 hr 8 min
1101: The WHCD Walked Straight Into Trump’s Trap
Sarah, JVL, and Catherine Rampell discuss: - Mitch McConnell's SECOND proof of life photo, and what's really going on with him. - The White House Correspondents' Dinner do-over, Trump's comments about Kaitlan Collins, why anyone goes to it anymore, and how the whole thing seems to be playing into Trump's hands. - The drama inside the Democratic National Committee, and how (and whether) having a strong national party committee matters anymore. - The proposed new primary calendar for the 2028 Democratic primaries. - The final stretch of the Michigan Senate primary.
#1100
July 24 · 18 min
1100: Secret Podcast: The Second Iran War?
Paid members of the Bulwark get access to FULL episodes of the Secret Podcast. You can join via Apple Podcasts, Substack and YouTube. Big show today: It’s the dawn of Streamer JVL? Plus: Some questions for Tom Homan about shooting January 6 insurrectionists; Haley Stevens and authenticity; and the Mitch McConnell conspiracy theory. Also, a conversation about raising good men. But the big topic is the Department of Defense suddenly removing the names of four dead soldiers from the Iran war casualty list because they were killed after Trump declared a ceasefire in April—because there are now apparently two distinct Iran wars. Even though neither of them is, for legal purposes, a “war.” This episode is sponsored by The New York Times.
#1099
July 21 · 1 hr 2 min
1099: This Deranged New Campaign Ad Creeped Us Out!
Sarah, JVL, and Will Sommer (sitting in for Tim) discuss: Whether Laura Loomer is one of the adults in MAGA-land? I'm Ron Burgundy? The state of the Iran War. The ridiculous AI advertisement being run by a Ted Cruz-aligned outside group in Florida (and the whacky candidates in the ad). The unfolding special Republican primary for Senate in South Carolina The Michigan Senate race...and how all of the online conventional wisdom stacks up with reality. Get 30% off your entire order with Soul at https://GetSoul.com and use promo code THENEXTLEVEL. Get 15% off your order with Boll and Branch at https://BollandBranch.com/NEXTLEVEL.
#1098
July 17 · 27 min
1098: Secret Podcast: Trump Voters Say JD Vance Gives Them the Willies
Sarah Longwell and Sam Stein (filling in for JVL) discuss Trump’s tedious (and still scary!) election speech, the documents that undercut his election claims, JD Vance’s cringe appearance on Joe Rogan, Trump voters’ brutal reactions to Vance, and Democrats’ missed opportunities at the Todd Blanche hearing. Finally: There are more tickets to see Sarah and JVL on September 8 in NYC! We are about to sell out the orchestra section—but we want to sell out the balcony, too. It’s a point of pride. Come hang with us. Tickets are here: https://www.92ny.org/event/sarah-longwell-how-to-eat-an-elephant
#1097
July 15 · 1 hr 5 min
1097: Sarah’s Latest Focus Group Almost Broke JVL’s Brain
The whole gang is back together, for the last time until August. Tim, Sarah, and JVL discuss: - Two more killings by ICE officers. JVL asks whether we're getting numb to this. No one on this show is numb. - Trump's aborted plan to toll the Strait of Hormuz--and whether it was an act of war. - Sarah lets Todd Blanche (and Republican senators) have it. - After JVL's wifi goes bad, Tim and Sarah discuss Tim's interview with Pete Buttigieg, and why Tim is glad Josh Shapiro isn't wading into intra-Democratic turf wars. Make laundry day the best day of the week! Get 20% off your entire order @LaundrySauce with code THENEXTLEVEL at https://laundrysauce.com/THENEXTLEVEL #laundrysaucepod Make your summer wardrobe feel easier. Go to https://Quince.com/THENEXTLEVEL for free shipping on your order and 365-day returns.

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