Bulwark Takes

Ben Parker and Lt. Gen. Mark Hertling (Ret.) give their takes on the rapidly expanding Iran war, from attacks on U.S. military installations and disruptions to oil supplies to the growing conflict with the Houthis and the strain on American forces across the Middle East. They discuss the potential economic consequences, including the estimated $38 billion already spent on the war and the billions more it could cost each month.
Plus, they examine Rep. Thomas Massie’s impeachment articles against Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, what the move could mean inside the Pentagon, and the military’s relationship with Congress.
Read more from Mark: https://www.thebulwark.com/p/the-iran-war-is-moving-too-fast-for-washington-trump-houthis-yemen-saudi-arabia-pipeline-bab-mandab-hormuz-oil-iraq
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Sam Stein is joined by Chris Whipple, who wrote for Vanity Fair about the remarkable political transformation of J.D. Vance, from a young Trump critic at Yale Law School to Trump’s vice president and a potential MAGA successor. They dig into Vance’s behind-the-scenes efforts in 2016 to help Hillary Clinton defeat Trump and examine what drove his dramatic reversal. Was Vance always destined for MAGA, or did something change along the way?
Plus, Chris shares what Susie Wiles told him about Vance’s evolution and why she viewed his transformation differently from other Republican politicians.
Read more: https://www.vanityfair.com/story/jd-vance-yale-law
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Trump is raging at the Supreme Court after his own appointees helped block his administration’s mail-ballot rules, and George Conway joins Sam Stein to discuss the ruling, Trump’s extraordinary attack on the justices he picked, and what could come next as the midterms approach. Then things take a sharp turn as they watch Kash Patel try to explain one of the strangest—and grossest—FBI controversies you’re ever likely to hear discussed in a Senate hearing.
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Republicans spent their midterm convention warning that communists are coming for America. Will Saletan runs their own definition of “communism” against Donald Trump’s promises of $5,000 checks, government stakes in private companies, admiration for China, and even his jokes about being “the greatest communist in history”—and finds the GOP’s argument collapsing under its own weight.
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Bill Kristol and guest host Ben Parker break down the latest New York Times/Siena polling showing Democrats with a significant advantage on the generic congressional ballot heading into the midterms. They discuss why Democrats are now leading Republicans on the economy, cost of living, immigration, and foreign wars. They also examine the growing political problem Republicans face on artificial intelligence, with voters overwhelmingly opposed to new AI data centers in their communities. Bill explains why Democrats could use Trump’s aggressive stance on AI to put Republicans on the defensive.
Plus, the conversation turns to Kash Patel’s bizarre Senate hearing, including questions about the FBI’s hiring rules involving bestiality, and why the absurd exchange distracts from much more serious questions about the FBI. Ben and Bill also discuss Patel’s handling of the Epstein files and why the administration’s refusal to provide meaningful transparency could become a bigger issue in the midterm elections.
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