Bulwark Takes – “Is This the Sickest MAGA Scandal Yet?”

Podcast: Bulwark Takes
Date: March 14, 2026
Host: Sam Stein, with Tim Miller and Will Sommer

Episode Overview

This episode zeroes in on what the hosts dub possibly “the sickest MAGA scandal yet”: the rapid and ugly downfall of Jake Lang, an openly racist January 6th participant who gets embroiled in an online pedophile sting. Along the way, the trio dissects the bizarre, cannibalistic infighting within MAGA’s far-right subcultures, especially the world of self-proclaimed “predator hunters.” They close by mocking the week’s “right-wing soap opera” – a spat between Megyn Kelly and Ben Shapiro – and Trump’s latest shoe-based Cabinet solidarity, all while highlighting the movement’s deepening extremism.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. The Jake Lang Saga: Hate, Absurdity, and Collapse

[01:51–15:14]

• Jake Lang’s Background

  • Described as “a rising up and coming hate monger in America” and “a J6 rioter” (C, 01:51).
  • Known for “whipping up hate against Jews, Muslims” and staging grotesque stunts at rallies, such as bringing animals for offensive “jokes.”
    • “This time he brought a live goat … trying to make a point about, you know, some vile thing about sex with goats.” (C, 02:51)

• The Pedophile Sting

  • Lang was caught in a To Catch a Predator-style sting by an online figure called “Zerg,” who posed as a 15-year-old girl.
  • Detailed how Lang’s supposed hesitation (“Unless you are under 18, I don’t care”) instantly shifted (“When do you turn 16?”) when he learned the target was 15. (B, 06:20)
    • “Poor negotiator. Didn’t even try.” (A, 07:06)
  • Zerg is part of a growing universe of self-styled “pedophile hunters” online, not always allies of the traditional right, often targeting figures as much for clout as for their stated missions.

• Turning on Their Own

  • Discuss why a right-wing “pedophile hunter” would target another far-right figure. Will explains that intra-far-right beef (e.g., being considered an odd, “optics” problem, or “part Jewish”) fuels these stings.
    • “Nick Fuentes and the Gripers hate Jake Lang … they see him as an optical— he’s putting a bad face on their ideology, or they say he’s a federal plant.” (C, 08:27)

• Lang’s Attempts at Defence (and Collapse)

  • Lang tried to defend himself by messaging another predator-hunter, Alex Rosen (“I Fight For Kids Online”) claiming it was all a misunderstanding for a “bikinis and burkas” protest.
    • “I was just recruiting girls for a bikinis and burkas protest … once I found out she was 15, I said, like, don’t do it.” (C, 12:02)
    • The hosts mock this explanation as a transparent deflection.

• Community Response and Fallout

  • Americans Against Islamification (Lang’s own front group) posted a hilariously low-rent video “disavowing” him— though still expressing hope to “welcome him back.”
    • “His own front group has disavowed him.” (A, 16:26)
    • “They still love Jake and he’s only temporarily suspended.” (C, 19:01)

Notable Quotes

• “He makes a lot of the guys we talk about look like … real wokies.” (C, 01:51)
• “If you’re the anti-Semite … I don’t know if you should go to a Jewish predator hunter.” (A, 11:23)
• “I’m shocked by the integrity of Americans Against Islamification … they’re showing more integrity than the Republican senators did when Donald Trump admitted to grabbing women by the pussy.” (A, 18:18)

2. MAGA Infighting: Megyn Kelly vs. Ben Shapiro Feud

[19:13–27:41]

• Feud Genesis

  • Megyn Kelly and Ben Shapiro, two major right-wing media figures, are locked in an increasingly petty feud, initially sparked by Shapiro calling Piers Morgan “the Jerry Springer of politics.”
  • Feud is performative, with fake “friendship” invoked for rhetorical purposes.
    • “The idea that Megyn Kelly and Ben Shapiro are actually friends is complete nonsense. They’re obviously not friends.” (A, 24:23)

• Ideological Splits

  • The feud has deeper roots in the shifting, radicalizing right— Megyn Kelly increasingly aligns herself with the most conspiratorial MAGA circles (Tucker Carlson, Candace Owens, Nick Fuentes).
    • “She’s chosen to throw her entire reputation in with Tucker and Candace and like the more conspiratorial wing of MAGA.” (A, 20:23)
    • “It’s telling that she thinks the wind is pointing towards Tucker, Nick Fuentes, and Candace, not towards Ben.” (A, 27:18)
  • Ben Shapiro, increasingly isolated, is drawing a hard line on open antisemitism.

• Media Self-Parody & Ageing Out

  • The hosts gently roast the pettiness of the feud, suggesting it’s beneath Kelly (age 55) to “still be feuding online.”
    • “She’s ten years from Social Security … At some point, you just don’t need to care about [these feuds].” (B, 25:56)

Notable Quotes

• “She decided she wanted to, like, be a shit. An online shit.” (A, 27:16)
• “She streams, and she gets into imaginary online feuds, and pretends like she’s friends with people to the extent they’re useful.” (A, 26:11)

3. Miscellany: Trump, Cabinet Shoes, and Eugenics Talk

[27:41–31:10]

• Trump’s Cabinet Shoe Uniform

  • Reports surfaced of Trump making Cabinet members wear matching Florsheim dress shoes.
  • Trump, asked about this on Fox, claimed innocence but confirmed gifting shoes to “spiffy up” the Cabinet.
    • “I never like cabinet members walking in on sneakers … So I’ll get them a pair of shoes.” (A, 28:08)

• Incidental Eugenics

  • Trump, on Brian Kilmeade’s show, veered into eugenicist language:
    • “Their genetics are not your genetics. … it’s a terrible thing.” (A, 29:00)
  • Hosts point out this is nothing new for Trump, referencing past reporting on his habit of quietly racializing people's traits.

• Cultural Downward Spiral

  • The episode ends with the trio reflecting on the throughline: from Lang’s grotesque prejudices and crimes to Trump’s enduring, open bigotry.
    • “There’s a through line to this trio episode. We start with Jake Lang talking about, you know, anti Muslims, anti Jews, and then we end with Donald Trump talking about eugenics. Great times.” (B, 31:01)

Memorable Moments and Notable Exchanges

• Zerg’s Entrapment Style ([09:01])

  • The hosts play a clip of Zerg dramatically recapping his sting, heavily mocking both the style (“a lot of flair, that guy”) and the content.

• Mocking the Disavowal Video ([16:43])

  • Hilarious breakdown and speculation on the makeshift aesthetics of the “Americans Against Islamification” video:
    • “Is that actually on the flag? Did they deface…?” (A, 17:54)
  • The group laughs over the wood paneling, podium, and the mysterious absence of the speaker’s legs.

• Metacommentary on Right-wing Infighting ([24:23], [25:00])

  • The hosts roast the artificiality of “friendship drama” between major right pundits as pure performance for clicks.

Timestamps for Key Segments

• 01:51–03:06: Jake Lang’s hate group antics, goat incident at rally.
• 05:27–07:19: Breakdown of the “predator hunter” sting text exchange.
• 11:17–13:21: Lang’s failed defense and bizarre “bikinis and burkas” excuse.
• 14:59–16:35: Americans Against Islamification disavows Lang; hosts mock the disavowal video’s quality.
• 19:13–27:41: Megyn Kelly vs. Ben Shapiro feud; media dynamics and ideological splits.
• 28:08–29:49: Trump and the cabinet shoe uniform, plus eugenics rhetoric.
• 31:01: The episode’s through line—bigotry as an animating force across MAGA scandals.

Tone and Language

The episode is fast-paced, irreverent, and darkly comic—delivering sharp political commentary mixed with peer-group ribbing:

• “Poor negotiator, didn’t even try.” (A, 07:06)
• “It makes you wonder whether she has any actual friends, actually.” (A, 24:57)
• “She decided she wanted to, like, be a shit. An online shit.” (A, 27:16)
• “There’s a through line to this trio episode. We start with Jake Lang … and then we end with Donald Trump talking about eugenics. Great times.” (B, 31:01)

Summary

For those who haven’t listened:
This episode dissects a stomach-turning scandal of MAGA-world backstabbing and moral bankruptcy. Jake Lang, already infamous for racism and bigotry, is exposed in a pedophile sting and quickly ditched by even his own comically inept affiliates. The hosts use his case to lampoon the bizarre self-regulation and cannibalism of far-right grifters and their would-be vigilantes. The show then pivots to the performative feuds of right-wing media stars, highlighting how today’s “mainstream” conservative voices are increasingly aligning with their most toxic, conspiratorial brethren. All this is capped by Trump’s cartoonish Cabinet shoe rules and offhand eugenics talk, painting a bleak but darkly funny portrait of MAGA’s continuing freefall.