Bulwark Takes

Andrew Egger and Bill Kristol are going live to cover the week's biggest news.
Ready to reach your goals? Visit https://hims.com/bulwarktakes to get a personalized, affordable plan that gets you.

Sam Stein and POLITICO’s Chris Cadelago take on reports that the Trump Justice Department is investigating Gavin Newsom and his wife, Jennifer Siebel Newsom. They discuss what's actually known about the probe, the long-running Trump-Newsom rivalry, and whether the investigation is a legitimate corruption case or the latest example of Trump targeting his political opponents.
Sleep cooler this summer with Boll & Branch during their Annual Summer Event. For a limited time, get 20% off sitewide at https://BollAndBranch.com/bulwarktakes with code bulwarktakes. Exclusions apply.

Tim Miller is joined by journalist and YouTuber Caolan Robertson, reporting from Kyiv after one of Russia's most devastating attacks on Ukraine in months. Caolan witnessed the aftermath firsthand as Russian missiles and drones struck the Dormition Cathedral, a historic monastery and church complex more than 1,000 years old and one of the most significant sites in Christian history. They discuss Putin's escalating campaign against Ukrainian civilians, the hypocrisy of Russia's self-proclaimed defense of "Christian values," and what life is like in Ukraine as Russia intensifies its terror attacks despite mounting setbacks on the battlefield. Caolan also shares his reporting from Ireland, where critical materials continue flowing into Russia's war machine despite public support for Ukraine.
Watch more from Caolan: https://www.youtube.com/@CaolanReports
Sleep cooler this summer with Boll & Branch during their Annual Summer Event. For a limited time, get 20% off sitewide at https://BollAndBranch.com/bulwarktakes with code bulwarktakes. Exclusions apply.

Will Sommer and Sam Stein went live to unpack last night's gross UFC fight at the White House, Eric Trump's alleged betting scandal, MAGA allies unhappy about a proposed Iran deal, James Fishback calling his opponent Byron Donalds a "slave," and Spencer Pratt now becoming the Joker after losing the LA mayor's race.
Sleep cooler this summer with Boll & Branch during their Annual Summer Event. For a limited time, get 20% off sitewide at BollAndBranch.com/bulwarktakes with code bulwarktakes. Exclusions apply.

With Eric on vacation, Eliot welcomes Kenneth Pollack, VP for Policy at the Middle East Institute, to the show. Ken outlines MEI's mission before providing analysis on the current state of the Iran war. They discuss the difficulty of ending a conflict when both sides believe they are winning, and whether we are on the cusp of significant concessions or escalation. They explore whether the war was a good idea badly executed or a bad idea badly executed. The pair also speculate about what a successfully prosecuted war effort would have looked like before turning to the likely trajectory of the Iranian regime in the future. Ken explains the broader implications of the war for the Gulf States, Israel, China, Russia, and Turkey before closing with a conversation about why the United States cares about the region and why it presents such an enduring challenge.
Shield of the Republic is a Bulwark podcast co-sponsored by the Miller Center of Public Affairs at the University of Virginia.