The Next Level

The full episode is available exclusively to paid members of The Bulwark. You can join on Apple Podcasts, Substack or YouTube. Sarah and JVL had a big show planned for you. Lots of different subjects. Important news...

Sarah Longwell, Tim Miller and Sam Stein (filling in for JVL) discuss the Trump administration’s assertion that the effort to protect ships in the Strait of Hormuz is "separate and distinct" from the larger war effort...

Full episodes of the Secret Podcast are available to paid members of the Bulwark on Substack, YouTube, and Apple Podcasts. JVL and Sarah Longwell discuss the signs that voters are starting to regret their Trump vote—and...

Sarah Longwell, Tim Miller and JVL are going LIVE to cover yet another indictment of Jim Comey by the Trump administration. NOTE: If you're getting this late—we apologize! Something went wrong and some of you may not...

JVL and Sarah Longwell talk about the firing of the Navy secretary mid-conflict and the bizarre “Trump-class battleship” saga, exposing a pattern of impossible promises and chaotic leadership. Plus: the Spirit Airlines...

Sarah Longwell, Tim Miller and JVL celebrate JVL’s Webby win (sort of), and cover Tucker Carlson’s sudden “regret” turn and what it means about MAGA, Donald Trump Jr. as a 2028 front-runner, and the continued disaster...

JVL and Sarah Longwell discuss a bizarre week where markets surge amid global chaos, Trump feuds with his own allies, and confusion over Iran keeps escalating. They also break down a blowout Democratic win, surging...

Sarah Longwell, Tim Miller and JVL cover a rough week for Trump, from failed talks with Iran that turned into a naval blockade, to strong signs of real cracks inside his coalition as allies and right-wing media begin to...

JVL and Sarah discuss the failed ceasefire, Melania’s bizarre Epstein pre-denial, and the growing rift between Trump and "America First" heavyweights like Tucker, Megyn, Candace, and Alex Jones. Is this just another...

Sarah, Tim and JVL g to cover Trump's Iran ultimatum and other news. Make today a good day, and get yourself some Soul gummies. Right now, Soul is offering 30% off your entire order! Go to and use the code THENEXTLEVEL...

JVL and Sarah discuss Trump’s rambling, unfocused address that failed to clarify any of the war’s goals, even as evidence mounts that the situation is getting worse. They also talk about the Bondi firing, why it may...

Sarah Longwell, Tim Miller, and JVL get into the wild new scandal involving Kristi Noem’s husband—and why the story isn’t what people think it is. They also discuss Trump’s chaotic handling of the Iran conflict, the...

JVL and Bill Kristol—filling in for Sarah—discuss escalating Iran conflict, the risky push toward a wider war, and why the real damage may outlast the fighting. They also get into the global fallout—from threats to the...

Tim Miller, JVL and Sam Stein (filling in for Sarah) discuss Trump’s shambolic approach to the Iran war—no clear objective, mixed signals, and rising economic fallout. As gas prices climb and markets wobble, they ask...

Tim Miller, Sarah Longwell, and JVL were live in Austin talking about Trump’s Iran war, the cascading economic fallout, and growing global instability. As gas prices spike and allies react, the conversation turns...

Paid members of The Bulwark can watch the FULL episode of The Secret Podcast. JVL and Sarah Longwell discuss the Trump administration’s stumble into an Iranian conflict that betrays its "no more wars" promise. They...

Sarah Longwell and JVL talk about what happens if Trump doesn't TACO and pull the plug on the Iran war excursion after things go from messy to bad. Not great! Also: What happens if we know how to reform the system, but...

Sarah, Tim and JVL are going LIVE to talk about the escalating air war with Iran and the chaos and dishonesty of Trump’s shifting explanations for it. Wildgrain is offering our listeners $30 off your first box - PLUS...

JVL and Sarah Longwell discuss the chaotic firing of Kristi Noem after a disastrous hearing, the MAGA infighting that may have taken her down, and what it says about how Trump runs his administration. They also talk...

Sarah Longwell, JVL, and Tim Miller are going live to talk about the shifting mood around the Iran strikes—how casualties could change the politics, whether 2026 is starting to feel like 2006, and if Trump’s “just do...

To get the full episode, become a paid member of the Bulwark on Substack, YouTube or Apple Podcasts. The U.S. government is ordering employees out of Israel and Iraq, the latest signal that war with Iran is approaching...

Sarah Longwell, Tim Miller, and JVL run through a packed episode: explosive new questions about the Epstein files and whether Trump’s DOJ is shielding him, the Supreme Court’s tariff ruling (and the three justices who...

JVL, Sarah Longwell, Tim Miller and Sam Stein team up, live in Minneapolis, to dish on how Donald Trump kicked off his new Board of Peace by threatening to go to war with Iran and why other countries are holding people...

Sarah and JVL discuss the Wall Street Journal exposé on Kristi Noem, Corey Lewandowski, and the internal fight over whether ICE raids should be loud and viral or quiet and deniable. They talk about why humiliation has...

JVL, Sarah Longwell, and Tim Miller relish Trump’s losing streak—from +6 approval to –14—and why slipping GOP support could signal a Bush-style collapse. They also get into inflation backlash, the White House’s “Don’t...