Bulwark Takes: "Bulwark's Big Toronto Hangover Matinee!"

Podcast: Bulwark Takes
Host/Team: Sam Stein, Sarah Longwell, Tim Miller
Date: October 2, 2025

Episode Overview

This energetic matinee episode, recorded live in Toronto, captures the Bulwark team's unfiltered reactions to the latest breakneck news cycle in American politics. The panel—Sam Stein, Sarah Longwell, and Tim Miller—riff on overnight Trump administration controversies, dive into strategies for opposition, and take audience questions, all laced with their trademark wit, candor, and American anxiety. Canada gets shout-outs, laughs, and the show's raucous vibe is heightened by stories of sold-out events and a collective hangover.

Key Topics and Discussion Points

1. The Toronto Live Show Experience

• The team recaps their whirlwind two nights in Toronto, marveling at the unexpected volume of enthusiastic Canadian followers.
• Quote: “Toronto, Not Toronto. Toronto, I was told. So I'm going to pronounce it that way from now on.”
  — Sam Stein (00:00)
• The sense of international community is palpable. Sam, Sarah, and Tim express gratitude and joke about moving north if American politics get any worse.

2. Opening with Humor and “O Canada”

• Tim Miller, in a Jamal Murray jersey, delivers an offbeat rendition of “O Canada,” blending reverence and irreverence:
  • Quote: “O Canada we stand on guard for the. Let's do the show. No change of outfit tonight.”
    — Tim Miller (04:40)
  • Ends with a tongue-in-cheek, “Fuck you, Trump” after “God keep our land / Glorious and free...” (Approx. 04:30)

3. Overnight Trump Escalations: “Another Set of Crimes”

• The panel rushes into the latest headline: Trump’s firing spree and militarization of American cities.
  • Trump fired a U.S. attorney in Sacramento for instructing ICE on proper protocols.
  • 20 FBI agents fired for kneeling during George Floyd protests.
  • Announcement of “full force” military deployment in Portland to suppress ICE facility protests.
• Quote: “I'm going to quote our own Bill Kristol... ‘Portland as a war zone is horseshit and deploying federal troops is horseshit.’”
  — Sam Stein (07:07)

4. Deconstructing Trump’s Authoritarian Escalation

• Sarah: Breaks down Trump’s Truth Social statement, mocking the elevation of Kristi Noem to Homeland Security and the switch to “Secretary of War.”
  • Quote: “We are now... the Department of War, not the Department of Defense, but war.”
    — Sarah Longwell (08:03)
• Tim: Compares the administration’s impulse to escalate with “muscle car” overcompensation and points out the performative, calculated nature of these legal and military moves.
• Panel agrees this is not about de-escalation or public safety, but about optics—"war theater"—to create visuals of chaos for electoral support.

5. Misinformation and Perception Management

• Sarah: Observes that many Americans, especially outside DC, have skewed perceptions—believing cities like DC are “war-ravaged” zones based on misleading narratives.
• The team discusses how the National Guard in DC mostly handles mundane tasks, not riots, contrasting public perception with reality.
  • Quote (Sam): “Like, I hate those ice cream trucks.” (13:40, typical wry Bulwark tone)

6. How Should Democrats (and the Opposition) Respond?

• Tim: Discusses struggle between fighting Trumpism “fire with fire” versus avoiding counterproductive aggression.
  • Shares his own aim to reach new audiences by appearing on right-leaning or centrist shows, including Barstool, to bring sanity and warn against creeping authoritarianism.
  • Quote: “I just think that there are a lot of regular people out there that are actually, like, not on board with a Christian nationalist crackdown on speech... But I just wanted to go on there and try to, like, inject that into the conversation...”
    — Tim Miller (17:28)

7. Social Cohesion vs. Social Rupture

• The question: "Do Americans want social rupture or sanity?"
  • Sarah: Reports from focus groups reveal most people, including young MAGA voters, are not thirsting for civil war—they react to perceived social attacks more than seek conflict.
  • The echo chamber is noted: right-wing media and tech oligarchs distort the info stream, making it hard for moderates or non-extremes to be heard.
  • Quote: “Normal people are just regular, everyday people... they’re just a function of the garbage that’s being pumped into them.”
    — Sarah Longwell (22:30)

8. Media, Messaging, and the Grapple for Narrative Dominance

• Sarah: Reiterates that control over information channels (e.g., TikTok, CNN, Meta) is key, and laments the Democratic Party’s lack of creativity and investment in media infrastructure.
• Tim: Encourages a “try everything” approach—left populists, centrists, celebrities, etc.—to find what resonates, rather than sticking to one path.
  • Quote: “I want them to try a bunch of different shit, and I want them to see what works and try different, like, media strategies.”
    — Tim Miller (29:59)

9. The American Appetite: Exhaustion and Desire for Stability

• Sam theorizes that most voters just “want off this ride”—less chaos, more sanity, quoting Bill Clinton’s old “new choice” rhetoric.
  • Quote: “I want off this ride. Things have gotten crazy...”
    — Sam Stein (30:02)
• Sarah: Pushes back, noting that Trumpism permanently elevated expectations for direct, constant communication from political leaders; voters now expect more engagement from presidents.

10. Where Is Trump Vulnerable?

• Sarah: Demographic weakness with Hispanic voters (many regret their Trump votes) and a lack of bench strength on the right.
• Voter turnout is higher than ever, but not a sign of democratic health—many Americans just want to opt out.
• Quote: “In America, we've got a big swath of people that, like, just hanging out is fine for you. That's an upgrade.”
  — Tim Miller (33:45)

11. Policy and Messaging for the Opposition

• Sarah: Democrats must get serious on border and crime issues (“people...can not just let borders be open. You cannot let cities...be crime-ridden”), while simultaneously being more economically populist.
• Tim: Urges Dems to differentiate themselves on foreign policy—be the true anti-war party, as Trump has misleadingly claimed that ground.
  • Quote: “Donald Trump somehow became the anti-war candidate...the perception was that Kamala was part of the military establishment...”
    — Tim Miller (36:08)

12. Humor, Trump Quote Game, and Canadian Vibes

• The episode closes with a playful “Trump Quote Game,” comedic banter about Canadian pronunciations (“Toronto!”) and warm appreciation for the smart, engaged Toronto audience.

Notable Quotes & Moments

• Bill Kristol (as quoted by Sam Stein):
  “Portland as a war zone is horseshit and deploying federal troops is horseshit.” (07:07)
• Tim Miller (O Canada performance):
  “Fuck you, Trump.” (04:30)
• Sarah Longwell:
  “Normal people are just regular, everyday people... they’re just a function of the garbage that’s being pumped into them.” (22:30)
• Tim Miller:
  “I want them to try a bunch of different shit, and I want them to see what works...” (29:59)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• 00:00-04:07 — Podcast intro, Toronto audience love, elevator story, setup for the matinee energy
• 04:07-05:51 — Tim Miller’s irreverent rendition of “O Canada”
• 06:09-10:05 — Recap of overnight Trump administration escalations: firings, military deployments, commentary
• 10:05-15:37 — Deeper analysis: Portland and New Orleans as targets, the theater of “domestic war,” manipulating perception
• 16:00-20:03 — How to fight back: tactics for opposition, Tim’s viral TV appearance and outreach
• 20:31-24:39 — Focus group findings: do Americans want conflict or peace? Right-wing media dominance, tech’s role
• 25:40-29:59 — Narrative power, Democratic messaging strategy problems, innovation needed
• 29:59-32:51 — American exhaustion, historical cycles, what voters really want
• 32:51-37:24 — Trump’s vulnerabilities, turnout, policy adjustments (crime, border, foreign policy)
• 37:47-end — Playful Trump Quote Game, audience engagement, reminders to join Bulwark Plus for more content

Tonal Highlights

• The episode is fast-paced, unscripted, and self-aware—full of zingers, candid attacks on authoritarian drift, and concern for the state of American democracy.
• Multiple moments of meta-humor ("elevator story," self-correction on Canadian pronunciations) establish a warm, participatory environment.
• Undercurrent throughout: a plea for vigilance, adaptability, and creative engagement in politics—tempered by exhaustion but not resignation.

Final Thoughts

"Bulwark's Big Toronto Hangover Matinee!" is a lively, politically in-tune installment that blends urgent analysis of dangerous trends in American government with the hopeful camaraderie of a politically engaged crowd—even across national borders. For listeners, it’s both a dispatch from the frontlines and a call to creative, persistent opposition—with jokes and a little Canadian admiration on the side.