Bulwark Takes

Sarah Longwell and Andrew Egger give their takes on the surprisingly competitive political race in Iowa, where Democratic nominee Rob Sand is trying to build a new kind of populist message: less culture-war confrontation, more competence, accountability, and structural reform. Andrew went to Iowa to attend Sand’s campaign events in rural Iowa, where Rob is blending local concerns like affordability, school funding, abortion restrictions, and agricultural policy into a broader pitch against one-party Republican control. Despite Iowa’s recent GOP dominance, new polling suggests a closer-than-expected race, raising questions about whether Sand’s “nonpartisan populism” can break through in a state that has been trending right for years.
Read more from Andrew's reporting: https://www.thebulwark.com/p/iowa-rob-sand-democratic-governor-nominee-campaign-report-auditor-populism

Tim Miller recaps his appearance with Katy Tur: Trump's vow to give a "really long" July 4th speech in extreme heat, the "threesome" medal moment in North Dakota, and Tim's theory of why Trump has stopped trying to win the midterms—he's chasing statues, arches, and grotesque wealth instead. Plus, an ugly June jobs report.

Tim Miller is joined Jared Poland and Brendan Hartnett after they spent time at Trump's "Great American State Fair" on the National Mall. What was billed as a patriotic celebration to celebrate America's 250th anniversary felt more like an underwhelming county fair, complete with sparse crowds, overpriced food, empty podcast tapings, Michael Knowles debating the Salem witch trials and a lumberjack competition.
This episode is sponsored by The New York Times.

Sam Stein and Will Sommer take on the lewd "Uncle Sam" court battle to get back on the National Mall, Stephen Miller's deranged pregnancy-test proposal for women entering the country, Scott Presler getting blocked from the South Dakota GOP convention, Trump's $700 million Qatari Air Force One, James Fishback's residency lawsuit and his cringeworthy iShowSpeed stream-snipe, MAGA's blackmail-debate meltdown, and JD Vance bombing in front of the troops.
This episode is sponsored by The New York Times.

The Supreme Court left birthright citizenship intact, but the bigger story may be everything else it handed the Trump administration. Ben Parker and Adrian Carrasquillo are joined by the American Immigration Council's Michelle LaPointe and Todd Schulte from FWD.us to break down the Court's immigration rulings, what they mean for Temporary Protected Status asylum, and Trump's mass deportation agenda. They also react to Stephen Miller's explosive response to the birthright citizenship decision, the far-right rhetoric surrounding immigration, and explain why hundreds of thousands of immigrants could soon lose legal protections.
Read more from Adrian: https://www.thebulwark.com/s/huddled-masses
This week, The Bulwark is running our July 4th sale—a full year of membership for our email newsletters, articles, and everything else that we offer on our website for $86. Because this holiday, this flag, this country—it belongs to all of us. Not one party. Not one person. Come join us: https://thebulwark.com/july4