Podcast Summary: Bulwark Takes – Fox News Tough Guy Will Cain Loses It Over a Chair
Podcast: Bulwark Takes
Host: Tim Miller (of The Bulwark)
Episode Date: October 23, 2025
Overview
In this lively episode, Tim Miller of The Bulwark shares his experience watching right-wing media, specifically The Will Cain Show on Fox News, during a recent flight. Miller dissects a few notable segments, highlighting Fox’s selective coverage, the hardline stance on immigration, and a comedic exchange involving Will Cain’s on-set chair—culminating in Cain responding on air to Miller’s tweet. The episode blends sharp media critique with playful banter, providing both substantive insights and humorous moments.
Key Discussion Points & Insights
1. Fox News’ Selective Coverage
- Omissions in Fox’s News Agenda:
- Miller observes that Fox omits significant stories, including:
- The FBI-pardoned January 6th offender allegedly planning to assassinate the minority leader.
- Cases of abuse or wrongful treatment by ICE.
- George Reddes and the El Salvador gulag incident.
- U.S. trade of MS-13 informants to El Salvador.
- Miller: “A bunch of stuff they're just not covering at all.” [01:43]
- Miller observes that Fox omits significant stories, including:
- How Criticisms Are Framed:
- Trump is only gently critiqued over Ukraine.
- Broader criticisms are framed as mocking liberals for overreacting (“pearl clutching”).
- Miller: “The only way that critiques of him do get brought in besides Ukraine is like make fun of liberals for being too dramatic.” [02:44]
2. Hardline Stance on Immigration
- Will Cain’s Rhetoric:
- Cain and guest Rep. Brandon Gill push the narrative that Democrats are “rigging” elections via the census and immigration.
- Brandon Gill: “They get more congressional representation, more members of Congress from those blue states because of the illegal aliens who are there.” [03:39]
- Will Cain: “Deportations, no matter what kind of freakout we see in the streets, that should just be the start.” [04:26]
- Miller notes that Cain pushes the topic beyond illegal immigration, hinting at a review of legal immigration and referencing European “bad migrant” stories.
- Miller critically observes Cain’s disregard for public protests and civil rights:
- Miller: “Will King doesn't care about that. He doesn't care about their protests. He doesn't care about the rights of Americans who are expressing their displeasure with this government.” [04:39]
- Cain and guest Rep. Brandon Gill push the narrative that Democrats are “rigging” elections via the census and immigration.
3. Ukraine Discourse: Criticisms, Contradictions, and “Fake News”
- Media Positioning & Messaging:
- Fox attempts to praise Trump regarding the Ukraine conflict, referencing a (faulty) WSJ report that Trump enabled Ukraine to attack deeper into Russia.
- Will Cain: “It's nice to see someone use leverage on the international stage, not suffering, offering of Americans as leverage during a government shutdown.” [06:33]
- Trump’s Denial:
- Trump appears to contradict the Fox/WSJ story publicly.
- Trump: “No, it said that I gave Ukraine permission to shoot missiles deep into Russia. I didn't do that.... And it was a fake story. Wall Street Journal does a lot of fake stories.” [07:36]
- Trump appears to contradict the Fox/WSJ story publicly.
- Miller’s Take:
- Miller points out the “oopsie doops” moment and how this undercuts Fox’s praise of Trump, showing an internal contradiction.
- Miller: “Trump is not doing anything more to help the Ukrainians. He's still doing what Big Vlad wants.” [08:02]
4. The Chair Incident: Social Media Needling & On-Air Meltdown
- Miller’s Tweet:
- Tim posts a cheeky screenshot of Will Cain seated in a chair that looks awkward and diminutive on set.
- Miller: “He just looks like a little birdie. ...This is kind of like little guy in a high chair.” [08:34]
- Tim posts a cheeky screenshot of Will Cain seated in a chair that looks awkward and diminutive on set.
- Will Cain’s On-Air Response:
- Cain reads Miller’s tweet on-air and responds with mock self-deprecation:
- Will Cain: “You're right. This chair ain't working for me.... There's no manly way to sit. There's no place to put your feet. Look at this thing. It's very, very, very narrow. We gotta work on this.” [09:07]
- Miller notes Fox quickly edited the broadcast shot to crop out the most awkward parts, implying they were sensitive to the “unmanly” look.
- Miller: “In their picture, they cut that off so he looked a little more macho.” [10:44]
- Cain reads Miller’s tweet on-air and responds with mock self-deprecation:
- Escalation (“End of Show Meltdown”):
- Cain revisits the criticism at the end of the episode, leaning into the “effeminate” slight:
- Will Cain: “We need to see the picture of me sitting effeminate in that chair. The five.” [11:04]
- Miller: “That's like a meltdown. That's the end of the show. That was literally the end of the show. Him just being like, yes, I guess I'm effeminate next to five. Whoa, buddy.” [11:19]
- Cain revisits the criticism at the end of the episode, leaning into the “effeminate” slight:
Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments
- On Fox’s Editorial Choices:
- “A bunch of stuff they're just not covering at all.” — Tim Miller [01:43]
- On Will Cain’s Immigration Rhetoric:
- “Deportations, no matter what kind of freakout we see in the streets, that should just be the start.” — Will Cain [04:26]
- On the Ukraine Segment & Fake News:
- “No, it said that I gave Ukraine permission to shoot missiles deep into Russia. I didn't do that…. And it was a fake story. Wall Street Journal does a lot of fake stories.” — Donald Trump [07:36]
- Social Media Needling:
- “He just looks like a little birdie. …This is kind of like little guy in a high chair.” — Tim Miller [08:34]
- Will Cain’s On-Air Reaction:
- “You're right. This chair ain't working for me… There's no manly way to sit. There's no place to put your feet… We gotta work on this.” — Will Cain [09:07]
- End-of-Episode Meltdown:
- “We need to see the picture of me sitting effeminate in that chair. The five.” — Will Cain [11:04]
- “That's like a meltdown. That's the end of the show.” — Tim Miller [11:19]
Timestamps for Key Segments
- Fox News’ selective coverage: [01:43–03:07]
- Will Cain & Brandon Gill Immigration Segment: [03:39–04:39]
- Discussion of legal vs. illegal immigration: [04:28–04:39]
- Ukraine/Trump segment: [05:51–08:02]
- Tim Miller’s chair tweet & Cain’s response: [08:25–09:56]
- Show-end meltdown about the chair: [11:04–11:32]
Tone & Conclusion
The episode maintains The Bulwark’s trademark mix of shrewd analysis and sly wit. Tim Miller deftly critiques Fox News’ editorial slant while also engaging in lighthearted trolling, culminating with a genuinely funny “macho chair” episode that pulls back the curtain on cable news sensitivities. For listeners, the episode not only exposes the mechanics of Fox News’ narratives but also provides a rare, personal look at how these exchanges can spill from social media into live TV, sometimes prompting humorous on-air “meltdowns.”