The Most Important Research Project in American Political Journalism

Summary

Bulwark Takes — “The Most Important Research Project in American Political Journalism”

Date: June 6, 2026
Host: The Bulwark team (Sam Stein, Brendan Harnett)

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Episode Overview

This episode focuses on what the hosts describe tongue-in-cheek as the “most important research project in American political journalism”: cataloging Donald Trump’s extensive history of publicly complimenting men’s looks. Using data-driven research, the Bulwark team examines how frequently Trump makes these comments, how their frequency has increased over time, and the contrast between his personal behavior and political positions. The episode blends astute media critique with humor, offering unique insight into both Trump’s persona and media coverage choices.

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Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Introduction and Context ([01:40])

• Sam Stein and Brendan Harnett introduce the segment by referencing a recent video clip where Trump makes compliments about Coast Guard cadets’ attractiveness during a commencement speech.
• Context: They observe this isn’t a one-off; Trump’s penchant for commenting on men’s looks is a recurring theme.

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2. The Research Project ([02:00])

• Brendan Harnett: Describes the methodology for compiling Trump’s public comments:
  • Utilized tools like Roll Call, Factba.se, and AI assistant Claude.
  • Found over 100 public instances of Trump “thirsting” over men at rallies and in interviews.

“We were able to find over 100 instances where Trump was thirsting over men in public rallies and in interviews. One thing I will say is that it's become way more common as he's grown older.”
— Brendan Harnett [02:08]

• Insight:
  • Early on, such remarks were largely confined to Trump’s Howard Stern appearances.
  • More recently, Trump makes these comments openly and more frequently at public events.

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3. Editorial Stance and Hypocrisy ([02:34])

• Sam Stein: Clarifies the Bulwark’s editorial philosophy:
  • They jokingly assure that there’s no “kink-shaming.”
  • Point out the irony of Trump publicly expressing affection for men, while his administration and allies continue aggressive attacks on LGBTQ rights.

“We are totally fine with all of that. Donald Trump can do what he wants, say what he wants, observe what he wants. ... I will say this, this administration has been aggressive in attacking LG DQ rights. And this video that you are about to watch comes amid Prime Month. It's just so notable that we have a president who loves musical theater, is obsessed with show tunes, seems committed to building a big beautiful ballroom, can't stop dancing when YMCA comes on, and as Brendan has documented, really can't stop complimenting the looks of the men around him.”
— Sam Stein [02:34]

• Insight:
  • The commentary highlights the disconnect between personal behavior and political positions, especially in the context of Pride Month.

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4. Supercut of Trump’s Compliments ([03:25–11:15])

• The centerpiece of the episode is a rapid-fire montage of Trump’s various public statements about men’s attractiveness, charisma, physique, and “central casting” looks.

• Illustrative Quotes (selected excerpts):

  • “Look at that guy, how handsome. I’d love to kiss you. This is a very powerful man. I’ll kiss him.” [03:26]
  • “Look at him, handsome guy, looks great. He’s got the whole package.” [03:32]
  • “That tall handsome quarterback, huh?” [04:02]
  • “Look at a beautiful head of hair on that guy. What are you wearing a hat for your beautiful head of hair?” [04:10]
  • “If I had a face like that, I would have been president 10 years earlier.” [04:17]
  • “They look like male models with a brain, you know? They're male models with a big beautiful brain.” [05:12]
  • “President Xi is like central casting. There's nobody in Hollywood that can play the role of President Xi. The look, the strength, the voice.” [06:07]
  • “Arnold Palmer was all man. ... this guy, this guy, this is a guy that was all man. ... when he took showers with the other pros, ... they said, oh, my God, that's unbelievable. I wish I looked just like Jackson. Is he a male model or what?” [07:30]
  • “David Muir, you know, pretty boy.” [08:30]
  • “Stand up, Mike Pompeo. Stand up, Mike. He looks so handsome.” [08:40]
  • “Saquon Barkley. Where's Saquon?” [09:10]
  • “Jackson gets harassed a little bit. He's also loved more.” [10:00]

• Notable Refrain:

  • “Central casting” — used repeatedly to describe men who fit Hollywood’s image of the classic leading man.

• Tone:

  • Alternates between admiration, humor, and the performance of traditional masculinity.
  • Sometimes explicitly references feeling jealous or excluded.

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5. Underlying Implications ([Throughout the Episode])

• Media Critique:
  • The episode humorously calls attention to patterns that mainstream media either ignores or doesn’t analyze.
• Sociopolitical Commentary:
  • Raises questions about the incongruity between Trump's performance of masculinity and his administration’s social stances.
• Humor and Satire:
  • The “research project” framing and delighted astonishment at the data serve to both amuse and provoke thought about public political personas.

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Trump’s Broadcasting Style:

  “He used to really only be saying this on Howard Stern show... But now he's saying it all the time and he's really letting his true color shine.”
  — Brendan Harnett [02:12]

• Editorial Philosophy:

  “We at the Bulwark as an editorial philosophy, do not kink shame.”
  — Sam Stein [02:37]

• On Contradictions:

  “It’s just so notable that we have a president who loves musical theater, is obsessed with show tunes...”
  — Sam Stein [02:46]

• On Research Output:

  “I can't think of a better way to celebrate [America turning 250] than... documenting Donald Trump's comments about men at public events.”
  — Sam Stein [implied at open]

• Trump’s Quotes (Supercut):

  “He's a good looking guy. Where's Tom?” [05:45]
  “Sidney Poitier. I thought he was very handsome, right?” [08:20]
  “I'm looking pretty good, too.” [06:50]

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Timestamps for Important Segments

• Introduction and Setup — [01:40]
• Discussion of Research Findings — [02:00–02:34]
• Editorial and Social Commentary — [02:34–03:25]
• Trump Compliment Supercut — [03:25–11:15]
  • Contains dozens of individual examples
• Closing/Call to Action (Content resumes in outro/ad) — [11:15]

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Tone and Style

• Voice: Conversational, wry, and irreverent, with moments of deadpan journalistic seriousness
• Purpose: To highlight a quirky but revealing pattern in political communication while poking fun both at Trump and journalistic practices

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Conclusion

This episode stands out for its blend of original research, sharp wit, and underlying commentary about hypocrisy and performance in politics. By documenting a phenomenon often left unexamined—Trump’s persistent public admiration of men’s looks—the Bulwark team manages to provide both entertainment and a subtle, pointed political critique. For listeners interested in media analysis or political culture, this is a clever deep dive—not just into Trump’s rhetorical quirks, but into how we report and interpret the American political spectacle.

Transcript

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[Announcer]

Thomas, get up here please. Wanna see? I wanna check him out.

[Sam Stein]

Hey everybody, I'm Sam Stein, this is Brendan Harnett of the Bulwark and we are here to talk about clips like the one you just saw. That was Donald Trump at a Coast Guard commencement speech where he just happened to talk about how handsome some of the cadets are. Now look, this isn't an isolated incident. Donald Trump has been talking about how hand around him for quite some time now. So much so that we decided we wanted to research to see if there was a pattern here. So, Brendan, you did it. You're part of our crack research team. What did you find?

[Brendan Harnett]

Yeah, so using roll calls, fact base and the help of Claude, we were able to find over 100 instances where Trump was thirsting over men in public rallies and in interviews. One thing I will say is that it's become way more common as he's grown older. He used to really only be saying this on Howard Stern show, usually about Howard or himself or his brother. But now he's saying it all the time and he's really letting his true color shine.

[Sam Stein]

Yeah, we looked into it and it's pretty remarkable how often this compliment comes out of his mouth at speeches, rallies, White House events, and so on and so forth. Now let me just say this before anyone gets mad. We are totally fine with all of that. Donald Trump can do what he wants, say what he wants, observe what he wants. We at the Bullock as an editorial philosophy, do not kink shame. I will say this, this administration has been aggressive in attacking LG DQ rights. And this video that you are about to watch comes amid Prime Month. It's just so notable that we have a president who loves musical theater, is obsessed with show tunes, seems committed to building a big beautiful ballroom, can't stop dancing when YMCA comes on, and as Brendan has documented, really can't stop complimenting the looks of the men around him. Look, if you support this journalism, subscribe to the Bulwark. We have great content just like this. And now enjoy the show.

[Announcer]

I could come down and start kissing everybody. I'll kiss every guy. Man and woman, man and woman. Look at that guy, how handsome. I'd love to kiss you. This is a very powerful man. I'll kiss him. I don't like young, handsome men. I hate good looking men. I don't like good looking men at all. Believe me, men know how to have any interest. Where are you, Leonard? Where are you going? Look at him, handsome guy, looks great. He's got the whole package. Well, you never look better. You're handsome. Handsome men. I wouldn't say he's exactly small, but that's a lot of weight. I hurt my head. It's like hitting a rock. That's a good looking group behind me and they're big. And he came and he came to the White House. A very handsome man. It's usually not my thing, but he is a good looking sucker. Look at him. Wow. Hi, Michael. Wow, you look good. I'm not messing with you, Michael. Wow. Wow, man. I'm gonna ask him, how the hel did he do that? That's good. You're a good looking man. Wow, he's a handsome dude. Boy, oh boy. These are good looking guys. You hate standing here with all this, this power behind you. Look at him. Two handsome gentlemen, extremely different types. Also with us is a young, very young, frankly, handsome man that I just met. 15 year old. Now I'm looking at the legs there. He's this beautiful guy. He's got legs like tree trunks. That tall Handsome quarterback, huh? Six and Gino. Look at him. Look how skinny he is. Nice, tall, handsome guy. Look at a beautiful head of hair on that guy. What are you wearing? A hat for your beautiful head of hair. You have a good looking head of hair. I'm jealous. That face was good looking. I have to say you look good to me. Very handsome. If I had a face like that, I would have been president 10 years earlier. You're looking good, Adam. Handsome guy. That face, right? Go look at that handsome beard. Look at the beard on that guy. That mustache. I'm not sure he looks so. He's such a handsome guy. I love your face too. He's a handsome guy. So I love it. You're young, you're smart, you're attractive, you're handsome. All these things. Let's see what happens. I wish girls told me when they say hi. Hello, Mr. President. Good looking guy. The fact that he's handsome should have nothing to do with it. But he is a handsome guy. Stand up, will you? I'm just looking. Looking at this handso. This handsome guy. Another man. Great, great talent. Young, handsome. Where are you? Handsome devil. It's incredible. You've gone through a lot, you know. Look it. Look. He's looking handsome to me, I'll tell you. Pastor. Is that the pastor? You're good looking. Where's the pastor? Well, I want to see this guy. Oh, he's good. Law enforcement. Look at all these handsome cops here. Hi. Good looking guy. Thank you. Giacomo Brancato, 18 years old. He looks like a movie star. But we had this young, handsome. Really a good. It looked like a male model. The perfect looking like a male model. Everything perfect. These are great guys. They look like male models with a brain, you know? They're male models with a big beautiful brain. Look like all a bunch of male models. I can't stand it. Beautiful looking people. Thank you. Like central. I could put you in a movie right this second and the three of you and I think we'd have a top. A top grossing movie. You don't have people like you in Hollywood. Hello. Good. But he's a good looking people make a movie with these guys. A real guy. And he is central casting. Do we agree? Central casting? Has anyone looked at him? Central casting. He's like central casting. Young, handsome. Central casting. Strong young, pretty young. And I think he's gonna do a good. I mean he was the central casting guy. I just want to ask you a question. Central casting. I'm looking at him. I mean Treasury. He might not be so good for war. I don't know. I'm looking pretty good, too. I'm looking at this guy. He's central castings. Even the glasses are perfect. That's not good. This guy's central casting. Dan, we need a couple of guys that look like that. President Xi is like central Cassidy. There's nobody in Hollywood that can play the role of President Xi. The look, the strength, the voice. I like Rick Saccoe. I think he's handsome. I think one of the hottest politicians in the United States of America and has become a friend of mine. Lieutenant Governor Mark Robinson. Ted Nugent. Where's Ted Nugent? Where's Ted, huh? Look at you. You doing well. You are a handsome devil. Thank you. And he is a handsome sucker. Where's Madison? Madison, where is. Do you know Cary Grant? He was this very handsome guy, Mason Rudolph. And I think he's going to get a big shot. He's tall, he's handsome. Tom Cruise, Tom Selleck, Matt Gates, Osama bin Laden. But I saw this man, tall, handsome, very charismatic. And then I also wanted Hamza Bin Laden because he's a young man, around 30, looks just like his father. Tall, very handsome. He's a good looking guy. Where's Tom? Tom McClintock, Secretary Perdue, who happens to be right next to me. Handsome man. Hello. John James. I see you. Handsome. Lieutenant Governor Dan Forrest, everybody. Thank you very much. Great job. Handsome guy, handsome. The great Tom Homan. Has anyone looked at him? Central casting. I'm going to put it more in this. Sidney Poitier. I thought he was very handsome, right? David Muir, you know, pretty boy. Look at our Mike. Look at him. He lost all that weight. He looks so handsome. Stand up, Mike Pompeo. Stand up, Mike. He looks so handsome. Van Jones, right, right. So he came in and I was impressed with him, you know, good looking guy. He's a handsome guy, but I wouldn't want to tackle him. Saquon Barkley. Where's Saquon? But Arnold Palmer was all man. And I say that in all due respect to women, and I love women, but this guy, this guy, this is a guy that was all man. This man was strong and tough. And I refused to say it, but when he took showers with the other pros, they came out of there, they said, oh, my God, that's unbelievable. I wish I looked just like Jackson. I said, is he a male model or what? He's a handsome guy, like a beautiful guy and, you know, conservative guy. He said, I love you, sir. So when Jackson gets harassed a little bit. He's also loved more. Congratulations to Thomas Rhodes. Thomas, get up here, please. Want to see? I want to check him out. Thank you, Harrod. You're looking good. Guys look good. I don't know. They go through all that. They come out, they look better than all of us. I don't know, something about the war, something about brave people. Right. I do that, but I probably couldn't get voted. We're all in love. Every place I go, it's a love fest.

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