Bulwark Takes: LIVE REACTION – Epstein Files Released, Elise Stefanik Quits

Date: December 19, 2025
Host(s): John, Sarah Longwell, Gillian
Special segment: LIVE team reaction to breaking news

Main Theme & Episode Overview

This episode of Bulwark Takes is a spontaneous, fast-paced roundtable reacting in real-time to two breaking stories:

• The Trump administration’s long-awaited, highly redacted release of the Epstein files
• The shock announcement that Elise Stefanik is suspending her campaign for New York governor and will not seek re-election to Congress

The mood oscillates between holiday giddiness, political schadenfreude, and serious concern over transparency and the future direction of the GOP.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Epstein Files Release: Redactions & Reactions

[02:12 – 07:39]

• Initial Reactions:

  • The panel opens by acknowledging the heavily redacted Epstein files, with John calling them “illuminating” in jest due to how little unredacted material is visible.
  • Sarah highlights skepticism about the transparency of the Trump administration:

    "Not committed to transparency from the Trump administration is what you're telling me." (03:19 – Sarah)

  • Gillian offers a blend of sarcasm and genuine concern about the possibility of ongoing cover-ups.

• Frustration Over Redactions:

  • Sarah: “It does not shock me that they have redacted everything. Like this was their goal... They went to work redacting everything that they could. And so I think…it's going to take a while to work through their redactions.” (04:04)
  • John openly questions the motives:

    “The degree to which this stuff is, is redacted is preposterous.” (06:37)

  • Discussion of Trump’s well-worn delay and obfuscation tactics—“The classic Trump strategy.” (07:03 – John & Gillian).

• Sarah’s Zeal for Full Release:

  • Sarah proclaims:

    “We will never stop fighting for the release of all the Epstein files.” (07:13)

  • A playful moment ensues about Sarah becoming the “point person” for Epstein file transparency—a “zeal of the convert.”

2. Elise Stefanik: The Fall of a Trump Loyalist

[07:39 – 24:30]

• Breaking News Read-Aloud:

  • John reads Stefanik’s statement on suspending her campaign for governor and not seeking re-election. Panelists react with a mix of glee and disappointment—they were looking forward to watching her struggle in the race.
  • Notable moment:

    "Her pain was going to bring me joy. And then I read the second sentence—‘and I will also not seek reelection to Congress.’" (08:08 – John)

• Commentary on Stefanik’s Loyalty and Downfall:

  • Sarah on the arc of Stefanik’s ambitions and failures:

    “She did everything but suck on Donald Trump's toes. Maybe she did. I don't know exactly what happened on Air Force One, but she did everything.” (08:20 – John, with Sarah and Gillian riffing)

  • There's strong emphasis on the futility of “selling your soul” to Trump:

    “What we want is for people unable to navigate what it looks like to be in the post Trump world to find themselves having to tap out because they sold their souls and they got nothing in return.” (09:33 – Sarah)

  • Sarah adds:

    “Donald Trump has only one good quality, only one. And it is that when people sell their souls for him ... he does not care. And he will happily humiliate them in the process.” (10:24 – Sarah)

• Juxtaposition with JD Vance & GOP Grievance Ecologies:

  • Gillian: “JD Vance and Elise Stefanik are extremely similar creatures... And then they turned on a dime and went for Trump. He gets to be vice president. She gets nothing.” (15:05)
  • John cynically links Trump’s preferences to superficialities:

    “Let’s be honest, if Elise was hotter, she might have been the vp. Really... Like, she and JD are the same. They did the same stuff.” (17:43 – John)

  • Sarah pivots to the changing GOP base:

    “They're starting to realize that their base is not a fan, actually, of defending Israel. And so they need more of J.D. Vance, who can say, actually, I need to welcome the groypers in. Somebody who has made their bones on ‘I'm gonna stand with Israel’—not as good for this version of the Republican Party.” (19:24)

  • John affirms: “JD's willingness to play along with the anti-Semite crowd is a key part of his sustainability.” (20:10)

• Republican Party Factions:

  • Sarah frames the split as “MAGA establishment versus the America First world,” suggesting Stefanik is on the losing, outmoded side.
  • Gillian points out Stefanik’s intrinsic disadvantage for being from New York, a state less receptive to far-right “groypers” than the national party.
  • John reveals personal connections to Stefanik's operations and underscores her transformation:

    “She threw out all her old consultants and had like a 24 year old intern who is a MAGA intern named Alex DeGrasse … She trafficked in the worst disgusting elements of MAGA to win over.” (22:37)

  • Sarah: “All the gross stuff she was willing to do, it is not enough to stay in the good graces of the America first types that are taking over now.” (24:10)

3. The GOP's “Reward” System and Gendered Power

[13:12 – 18:49]

• Notable Quotes:

  • Gillian: “Check all the boxes, brown all the noses … what she got was her ass run out of town, bupkis.” (14:34)
  • John: “She completely sold every iota of dignity that she had—for literally nothing.” (15:29)

• Discussion on Whether “Selling Out” Pays:

  • They list figures like JD Vance and Tulsi Gabbard who did similar political pivots but were rewarded, contrasting sharply with Stefanik’s fate.

4. Predictions and Stefanik’s Future

[24:53 – 25:41]

• What Comes Next for Elise Stefanik?

  • Sarah predicts Stefanik will join the “establishment” rather than the insurgent America First wing.
  • Gillian: “Doesn't she get the Paul Ryan Memorial chair at Fox News's board?” (25:09)
  • John: “She’ll live in, you know, either Alexandria or in Manhattan ... she'll come.” (25:17)

• Factional Prognosis:

  • John expects the “America first side wins,” believing that’s “where the mojo is.”

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Elise Stefanik’s Political Demise:

  • “Her pain was going to bring me joy.” (08:08 – John)
  • “She did everything but suck on Donald Trump’s toes.” (08:20 – John)
  • “Donald Trump has only one good quality … he will happily humiliate them in the process.” (10:24 – Sarah)
  • “She got her ass run out of town, bupkis.” (14:34 – Gillian)

• On the GOP’s Changing Coalition:

  • “They're starting to realize that their base is not a fan, actually, of defending Israel. And so they need more of J.D. Vance...” (19:24 – Sarah)
  • “JD's willingness to play along with the anti-Semite crowd is a key part of his sustainability.” (20:10 – John)
  • “All the gross stuff she was willing to do ... it is not enough to stay in the good graces of the America first types...” (24:10 – Sarah)

• On Epstein File Transparency:

  • “We will never stop fighting for the release of all the Epstein files.” (07:13 – Sarah)

Timestamps for Important Segments

• Epstein files overview: [02:12 – 07:39]
• Stefanik's resignation announcement, initial hot takes: [07:39 – 11:05]
• Humorously recapping MAGA loyalty and gender-political dynamics: [13:12 – 14:34]
• Juxtaposing JD Vance and Stefanik's strategies/outcomes: [15:05 – 19:24]
• Changing winds inside the GOP & generational/ideological divides: [19:24 – 22:37]
• Elise Stefanik’s personal transformation and operatives: [22:37 – 24:10]
• What’s next for Stefanik/panel predictions: [24:53 – 25:41]

Summary Table

| Segment | Highlights | Key Quotes | |------------------------|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|-------------------------------------------| | Epstein Files Release | Heavy redaction, Trump team tactics, transparency doubts | “The degree to which this stuff is, is redacted is preposterous.” (06:37 – John)| | Stefanik Quits | Schadenfreude, GOP intra-party battles, reflection on career debasement | “She did everything but suck on Trump’s toes” (08:20 – John) | | GOP Gendered Dynamics | JD Vance vs. Stefanik, “reward” structure for loyalty, base’s changing ideology | “Check all the boxes ... she got bupkis.” (14:34 – Gillian) | | Future of GOP | MAGA establishment vs. America First, predictions for Stefanik and party trajectory | “I think America first side wins…that’s where the mojo is.” (25:50 – John) |

Tone & Style

Rich with the panel’s trademark sarcasm, rapid-fire repartee, and inside-baseball references, the episode is both cathartic and cutting. Panelists do not hold back in their schadenfreude over Stefanik’s fall, nor in their cynicism about the state of Trumpism, media incentives, and GOP power dynamics.

Takeaway for Listeners

Even as the news breaks, Bulwark panelists synthesize the layers of both stories: the superficiality and brutality of Trump-world loyalty, the ongoing struggle for transparency on dark chapters of America’s past, and a party in generational and ideological flux. Their humor and candor provide both clarity and a jolt of holiday mischief.