The Next Level

Donald Trump posts an overtly racist video, Republicans briefly squirm, and the usual defenses start to crack. JVL and Sarah Longwell explain why this moment exposed GOP cowardice, how Trump’s vanity and distractions are starting to cost him politically, and what billionaire media self-destruction says about power, accountability, and the institutions being hollowed out.
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JVL, Sarah Longwell, and Tim Miller talk about the new Epstein file releases and what they reveal about elite weakness, Peter Attia’s emails, the effort to rehabilitate Epstein after prison, and why this isn’t “cancel culture.” They also discuss what the FBI's raid of an election center in Georgia and Donald Trump's talk about nationalizing elections means for the midterms and beyond.
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JVL and Sarah came in hottt today, angry about . . . all of it? Journalists are now being arrested. Masked DHS agents are still terrorizing Minneapolis. The worst “free speech” people you know are building a state media ecosystem. And the Melania movie is here.
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Sarah, Tim and JVL join to talk about the fallout in Minnesota after Trump pulls Greg Bovino and installs Tom Homan, how voters are reacting, global blowback on Greenland, and what's next.
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JVL and Sarah Longwell discuss the latest—from Trump's sinking poll numbers and the Greenland spectacle to escalating ICE actions and local resistance. They also talk about new focus-group findings showing Gen Z Trump voters cooling on JD Vance (and warming to Marco Rubio), react to the White House’s use of AI imagery in political messaging, and critique Jared Kushner’s glossy “Dubai for Gaza” redevelopment pitch, with a look at how Michigan protest politics is landing now.
Full episodes of the The Secret Podcast are available to paid supporters of the Bulwark on Substack, YouTube and Apple Podcasts.