Bulwark Takes

Sam Stein and Michael Weiss take on Steve Witkoff’s groveling meeting with Vladimir Putin, the growing power struggle inside Trump’s administration over Russia, and why CIA Director John Ratcliffe is emerging as a counterweight to Witkoff’s approach. Plus, Weiss explains why the reality on the battlefield may be considerably worse for Putin than the conventional wisdom suggests.
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Related Links:
Financial Times — US spy chief prepares for greater role in Russia-Ukraine talks
https://www.ft.com/content/d0557d25-78b5-45d8-bb33-d655e859d803
The Wall Street Journal — How Putin Got His Preferred U.S. Envoy: Come Alone, No CIA
https://www.wsj.com/world/putin-witkoff-russia-envoy-04da229d

Ben Parker and Lt. Gen. Mark Hertling (Ret.) look back at 9/11, Trump’s bizarre remarks at a commemoration, and the lessons Hertling wishes America had learned over the last 25 years. Then they turn to the escalating Iran war, attacks on Saudi oil infrastructure, Pete Hegseth’s sidelining of Gen. Christopher Donahue, and the Pentagon’s effort to identify and remove transgender service members through their medical records.
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Links:
Mark Hertling: “A Letter to Myself on 9/11”
https://www.thebulwark.com/p/a-letter-to-myself-on-911-september-11-world-trade-center-pentagon-al-qaeda-afghanistan-iraq-anniversary-war-terror
The New York Times: “Inside the Battle to Save One Pioneering General From Hegseth’s Purge”
 https://www.nytimes.com/2026/09/06/us/politics/hegseth-army-general-donahue.html
Federal News Network: “Pentagon searching medical records to identify transgender troops”
 https://federalnewsnetwork.com/defense-main/2026/09/pentagon-searching-medical-records-to-identify-transgender-troops/
Military.com: “Pentagon Moves Out on Transgender Ban After Supreme Court Ruling”
 https://www.military.com/daily-news/2025/05/09/about-1000-troops-slated-immediate-separation-under-reinstated-transgender-ban.html

Sam Stein and Will Sommer preview Trump’s strangely low-energy midterm convention, where Republicans are skipping town, lawmakers are being asked to cough up $25,000, and even the convention website has become an embarrassment. Plus, they discuss the increasingly bizarre campaign attacks coming from Elon Musk’s PAC and Ken Paxton—and what they say about the GOP’s plan for 2026.
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The Bulwark will be watching the convention so you don’t have to—including live coverage when Vance and Trump take the stage. Join us as a member to support more of the reporting, analysis, and ridicule that goes into making sense of this stuff.

Andrew Egger and Bill Kristol discuss Donald Trump’s increasingly erratic social media posts, his proposed triumphal arch near Arlington National Cemetery, and the GOP’s Trump-centered midterm convention in Dallas as the elections draw closer. They also consider the expanding Senate battlefield, looming Supreme Court decisions affecting voting, and what a possible wave election could mean for Republicans.
Find your next fall favorites at Quince. Download the Quince app for app-exclusive offers, or go to https://www.quince.com/BULWARKTAKES. Get free shipping on your order and 365-day returns. Now available in Canada and the UK, too.
Plus, we have huge news about the Bulwark’s Fall tour: Pete Buttigieg will be joining the gang for the Sunday, October 18 show in Charlotte, NC! Get your tickets at https://thebulwark.com/events.
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Catherine Rampell and Joe Perticone discuss the growing signs that Republicans see Trump as a midterm liability, from candidates scrubbing his photos and endorsements from their websites to vulnerable members finding excuses to skip his big convention. They also look at the collapse of the MAGA merch business, Trump’s post about renaming New Mexico, and Kash Patel’s embarrassing AI-generated FBI propaganda.
Joe Perticone, The Bulwark — “Sorry, Mr. President. I Have a Thing.”
https://www.thebulwark.com/p/sorry-mr-president-i-have-a-thing-republican-midterm-convention-trumpapalooza-dallas-gop
New York Times — "As Midterms Approach, Republicans Find There Is No Escape From Trump" https://www.nytimes.com/2026/09/06/us/politics/trump-miderm-elections-republicans.html
Axios — “‘We’re stuck’: GOP accepts Trump’s all-about-me midterms”
https://www.axios.com/2026/09/05/republicans-stuck-trump-midterms
The Wall Street Journal — “In Trump’s Second Term, the MAGA Merchandise Boom Is Going Bust”
https://www.wsj.com/politics/in-trumps-second-term-the-maga-merchandise-boom-is-going-bust-725bc43a
CBS News — “At the FBI, a history of hiring prostitutes or stealing from employer may no longer be a barrier to being hired”
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/fbi-candidates-prostitutes-theft/