Bulwark Takes

Tim Miller reacts to a jaw-dropping article in The Atlantic which alleges that FBI Director Kash Patel was repeatedly unreachable on the job—including an incident where security considered breaching a locked door to wake him. From a bizarre meltdown over a computer login to allegations of heavy drinking, missed briefings, and weekends in Vegas, Tim takes on this shocking report.
Read Sarah Fitzpatrick’s article in The Atlantic: https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/2026/04/kash-patel-fbi-director-drinking-absences/686839/

Tim Miller joined Katy Tur on MS Now to walk through the growing gap between what Trump is claiming and what Iran is actually saying—highlighting major sticking points like enriched uranium and the fragile status of the Strait of Hormuz. Is this a real breakthrough… or just another rushed attempt to declare victory. Plus, Tim and Jonathan Cohn dig into new signs the White House may be quietly backing away from RFK Jr. as the politics and public health consequences become harder to ignore.
Watch Katy Tur Reports on MS NOW: https://www.ms.now/katy-tur-reports

JVL and Catherine Rampell are going live to cover Trump's announcement that the Strait of Hormuz is open, the potential $20B Iran could get from the U.S., and Catherine's latest reporting on the White House blaming corporate greed for their economic woes.
Read more from Catherine's newsletter here: https://www.thebulwark.com/p/when-all-else-fails-just-blame-corporate-greed-greedflation
Read more from JVL's Triad here: https://www.thebulwark.com/p/a-trump-madman-theory-of-the-stock-market

Tim Miller gives his take to Nicolle Wallace on MS Now about Donald Trump’s escalating feud with Pope Leo. Tim breaks down president's lie that the pontiff said Iran should be allowed to have a nuclear weapon, JD Vance’s public posture on Catholicism, and the White House's easily debunked talking points to justify its Iran messaging. In between his fight with the pope, Trump also spent time trying to downplay sky-high gas prices and try to claim his ballroom is a national security concern.
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Sarah Longwell gives her take on the state of race in the early contours of the 2026 midterm landscape. Democratic candidates are posting eye-popping Q1 fundraising numbers, dramatically outraising Republican opponents across key Senate and House contests. But the picture is more complicated than candidate fundraising alone—while Democrats are surging at the individual race level, Republicans maintain a substantial edge in party committees and aligned super PACs.
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