Bulwark Takes – "GOP Senators Call Out Trump on the Shutdown"

Podcast: Bulwark Takes
Hosts: Sam Stein, Will Salatin
Date: October 26, 2025

Overview

In this episode, Sam Stein and Will Salatin break down the political turmoil surrounding the ongoing government shutdown under President Trump, with a focus on the Sunday political shows. The conversation touches on the Trump administration’s trade tensions with Canada, Scott Bessant’s (the Treasury Secretary) media blitz and questionable 'soybean farmer' credentials, and, most significantly, a wave of Republican senators publicly telling Trump to engage — or at least take some responsibility in ending the second-longest government shutdown in US history.

The hosts also highlight rare Republican criticism of Trump from figures like Rand Paul and Lisa Murkowski, and discuss the baffling lack of urgency or leadership from both the White House and Congressional leadership.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Scott Bessant: Treasury Secretary & "Soybean Farmer"

• Mocking Bessant's "Farmer" Persona:
  • The hosts poke fun at Treasury Secretary Scott Bessant’s claim of being a struggling soybean farmer.
  • Sam Stein: “There’s no way he’s out there plowing the fields … I’m sure there’s some hedge fund investment he has in some sort of like Monsanto-type agriculture company that has some soybean product out there. And so he’s now a soybean farmer.” [01:27]
  • Will Salatin: “He’s a landowner, first of all, but he’s not even a direct landowner. He probably never sees this stuff.” [01:50]
  • They riff on the internet insult “soy boy,” joking that Bessant is trying to claim “soy cred” to sound relatable.

2. Tariffs, Trade, and Trump’s Childish Trade Policy

• Trump’s Kneejerk Tariffs:

  • Trump imposed a 10% tariff on Canadian goods in retaliation for an Ontario government ad featuring Ronald Reagan speaking out against tariffs.
  • Sam Stein: “You literally are going to raise tariffs on an entire country because you saw an ad, you didn't like it. I mean, this is just the most childish crap.” [03:35]
  • Will Salatin: “This is Canada. … It’s not like the Russian propaganda that was run in America to help Donald Trump that masqueraded as American. … They just show Reagan saying stuff about tariffs. Tariffs are bad.” [03:53]
  • Notable Quote:
    Rand Paul (clip of Reagan in the ad):
    “The way to prosperity for all nations is rejecting protectionist legislation and promoting fair and free competition.” [04:35]

• Reagan Foundation’s Awkward Response:

  • The Reagan Foundation issued a statement clarifying they did not authorize the ad, which the hosts criticize as unnecessary capitulation to Trump.
  • Sam Stein: “Just defend Ronald Reagan. … You don’t need to kiss Trump’s ass.” [04:52]

3. The Bizarre, Static Government Shutdown

• Apathy and Lack of Urgency:

  • The hosts note an unnerving political lethargy: the shutdown is causing real harm (federal workers in food lines) but there’s “no real motivation or desire” among leaders to resolve it.
  • Trump is traveling in Asia, House Speaker Mike Johnson hasn’t brought Congress back in weeks, and administration spokespeople insist it’s not Trump’s responsibility to fix.
  • Will Salatin: “Here’s the President who’s literally, they say he’s making peace … in the Middle East, and then meanwhile, the Democrats are shutting down our government. … But he literally will not talk to the Democrats, to his own domestic opposition party. A thing which every previous president has done to resolve a shutdown.” [05:57]

• Trump’s Past vs. Present Stance:

  • The irony is highlighted: when President Obama faced a shutdown, Trump (as a private citizen) loudly insisted that “real leadership” meant the president brings people together. Now, he is detached and absent.
  • Rand Paul (clip): “If there is a shutdown … it would be a tremendously negative mark on the President of the United States. He's the one that has to get people together.” [07:15]

4. Republican Senators Break Ranks – Rare Public Frustration

• Rand Paul’s Overt Criticism:

  • Paul is critical of Trump for actions like bombing alleged drug boats based on scant evidence, labeling them “extrajudicial killings” akin to authoritarian regimes.
    • Rand Paul: “At this point, I would call them extrajudicial killings. … They summarily execute people without presenting evidence to the public. So it’s wrong.” [07:42]
  • On the shutdown, he floats a face-saving compromise:
    • Rand Paul: “I suggest that President Trump come forward and name three Republicans and three Democrats in the Senate to an official commission to figure this out over a one month period and come back with a solution. … In exchange, Democrats need to open the government for a month, and then we need to pay the workers, pay our soldiers, and then I think we could come to a solution.” [08:03]
    • Will Salatin: “What Rand Paul just did there was he put the two together exactly the way the Democrats want. That is a concession. That is the, you know, the wall collapsing.” [09:04]

• Lisa Murkowski Voices Discontent:

  • Lisa Murkowski: “I don’t think we’ve ever had one where the president was not engaged at the end. And so I think that that would certainly help.” [08:41]
  • Salatin calls this “trashing” the official Republican position.

5. The "Split Screen" and the Impasse

• Republican Messaging:

  • The “split screen” theme pushed by Speaker Mike Johnson highlights Trump’s supposed international leadership while blaming Democrats solely for the shutdown. Hosts ridicule the contradiction and lack of logic in this stance.

• The Crux – Who Will Negotiate?

  • Paul and Murkowski publicly urge Trump to actually sit down and lead discussions, as every other president has during shutdowns.
  • Sam Stein: “The Republican position was we will negotiate with you after you open the government, not before. … But Rand Paul is saying simultaneous, we're going to, as part of reopening the government. That is a major line.” [10:32]
  • Will Salatin: “Once the Republicans will cross that line, Sam, the government will reopen.” [10:49]

• Democratic Skepticism:

  • Stein notes Democrats hesitate to trust Republicans after past instances of reneging on agreements (e.g., rescissions, impounding funds).

6. Scott Bessant Grilled on Meet the Press

• Bessant’s Dodgy Defense:

  • Kristen Welker: “When will President Trump meet with Democrats to try to bring this shutdown to a close and get federal workers their paychecks back again?” [12:34]

  • Scott Bessant: “I’m going to have to reject the premise of your question. Why did President Trump have to meet with Democrats? Democrats just need to go into the Senate and vote to end the shutdown.” [12:50]

  • Kristen Welker (follow-up): “The president has to lead. You have to get people into a room. You have to get a deal. When’s he going to do that?” [13:07]

  • Bessant: “He is leading, and there’s no deal to do with Chuck Schumer. Chuck Schumer is trading off his polls.” [13:19]

• Host Commentary:

  • The hosts lampoon Bessant’s verbal contortions and highlight the cognitive dissonance between Trump’s projected “strongman” image and his unwillingness to lead domestically.
    • Will Salatin: “He’s been left…to explain why Trump is doing nothing on this, …there is no good answer because the Republican line about Trump, the whole shtick about Trump is he’s a strong man, he’s a leader.” [13:41]

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Sam Stein: “You literally are going to raise tariffs on an entire country because you saw an ad you didn't like. I mean, this is just the most childish crap.” [03:35]
• Rand Paul: “At this point, I would call them extrajudicial killings. And this is akin to what China does to Iran does with drug dealers. They summarily execute people without presenting evidence to the public.” [07:42]
• Lisa Murkowski: “I don't think we've ever had one where the president was not engaged at the end. And so I think that that would certainly help.” [08:41]
• Will Salatin: “Meanwhile, in America, we're like, could you try making peace here? That's the whole beef, you know, that Marjorie Taylor Greene and the other Republicans have, how about helping out here?” [13:41]
• Sam Stein (on Bessant): “Very brave of Scott Bessant to do that.” [15:09]

Timestamps – Important Segments

• 00:57–02:17: Discussion of Scott Bessant’s credentials as a “soybean farmer”
• 02:43–04:52: Trump's Canada tariff based on a TV ad; reality vs. "propaganda"
• 05:57–07:00: Republican narrative — Trump absent on the shutdown, contrast to past shutdowns
• 07:13–07:21: Throwback to Trump’s past: “The president has to get people together."
• 07:42–08:24: Rand Paul’s criticism of Trump on extrajudicial actions and shutdown compromise
• 08:41–08:57: Murkowski's rare public push for presidential involvement in the shutdown
• 10:32–10:49: Explicit Republican shift signals possible deal, per the hosts
• 12:34–13:26: Bessant dodges on Meet the Press when asked about Trump’s leadership
• 13:41–14:28: Hosts mock the Republican “split screen” and failed leadership themes

Final Thoughts

This rapid-fire episode exposes cracks within the GOP as prominent senators publicly demand Trump lead on the shutdown. The hosts’ tone is irreverent and biting, skewering the administration’s evasions, the odd state of political inertia, and the surreal notion of a “soybean farmer” at the Treasury helm. If you missed the Sunday shows, this episode distills the core drama and intra-party tension in the Republican camp over the shutdown’s duration and President Trump’s role — or glaring lack thereof.