Bulwark Takes: “Meet America’s Worst Governor”
Podcast: Bulwark Takes
Host: Tim Ohr (of The Bulwark)
Date: October 30, 2025
Episode Focus: A blistering, personal critique of Governor Jeff Landry of Louisiana—mockingly dubbed “Janky Jeff”—for his governance, political stunts, and meddling in state affairs, especially college football.
Episode Overview
This episode sees Tim Ohr venting his frustration about Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry’s recent decisions, antics, and public statements. Framed as a cathartic “rant” for himself and his fellow Louisianans, Ohr argues that Landry exemplifies the worst tendencies in political leadership—from sycophantic behavior toward Donald Trump to micromanaging issues far outside the governor’s lane. The tone is biting, energetic, irreverent, and often profane.
Key Discussion Points and Insights
1. Introduction: “Janky Jeff’s” Latest Offenses
[00:00-02:07]
- Tim Ohr frames the episode as a personal plea, urging listeners to bear with his deep dive into Governor Landry’s “embarrassing” week.
- Lists Landry’s recent controversies:
- Proposing a statue of Charlie Kirk on LSU’s campus.
- Interfering in a private Jesuit university’s club policy.
- Bragging about letting Trump deploy the National Guard in Louisiana.
- Most offensively to Ohr: Trying to micromanage the LSU Tigers football coaching search.
- Ohr’s thesis: Landry's actions combine Louisiana’s traditional political quirks with a distinct lack of charisma and an embarrassing loyalty to Donald Trump.
Notable Quote:
- "He has all that, but with no swag, no Riz. I mean, he just is just like sort of taking his little tongue and just coddling Donald Trump's tiny sack. It's just so shameful and embarrassing." — Tim Ohr (01:00)
2. Meddling with LSU Football
[02:07-03:49]
- Ohr plays and reacts to Landry’s press conference, where the governor suggests Trump should help pick the new LSU football coach.
- Ohr is incensed, describing Landry's behavior as “beta male” and pathetic—particularly the attempt to impress Trump.
Notable Landry Quote:
-
"Maybe we'll let President Trump pick [the coach.] He loves winners." — Gov. Landry (02:29)
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Ohr explains the background: LSU recently fired a disastrous head coach, raising the stakes of the search.
-
Ohr rails against Landry for disparaging agents involved in college sports and for possibly sabotaging the coaching hire out of ego or ignorance.
Notable Ohr Quote:
- “The only thing you're supposed to do when it comes to sports if you're a governor is cheer on your team...Not, like, try to micromanage this and seem like you're going to be involved. No, shut up. Shut up.” — Tim Ohr (04:05)
3. Political Stunts: The Charlie Kirk Statue Proposal
[05:18-05:48]
- Plays a clip of Landry at LSU proposing a statue for Charlie Kirk, recently deceased, lauding him as a free speech hero.
Notable Landry Quote:
-
“We're here on campus next to Mike the Tiger and we're going to put a challenge out to LSU Board of Supervisors to find a place to put a statue of Charlie Kirk to defend the freedom of speech on college campuses. Come on, ladies and gentlemen, let's see if we can be the first campus to do it.” — Gov. Landry (05:26)
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Ohr’s retort: The idea is “fucking insane”—Kirk was a college dropout with no ties to LSU or Louisiana.
Notable Ohr Quote:
- “The idea that he deserves a statue on LSU's campus is fucking insane. Okay? Chuck is a college dropout, all right?.. There is no reason to honor him.” — Tim Ohr (05:49)
4. Meddling at Loyola and Academic Freedom
[08:22-09:25]
- Ohr slams Landry for trying to dictate club policy at private Loyola University, following its rejection of a Turning Point USA chapter.
- Ohr’s larger point: It’s not the governor’s business—universities have autonomy, America is a pluralistic society, and gubernatorial interference is authoritarian.
Notable Quote:
- “The governor of the state should not be interfering in a private university and forcing them to have a club, okay? That is not how things work in a free society.” — Tim Ohr (08:50)
5. “Fiddling While Rome Burns”: Louisiana’s Dire Metrics
[09:25-12:50]
- Ohr runs through a litany of grim stats:
- WalletHub: LA ranks 49th for economy and 50th for job security.
- US News rankings: LA is 50th overall, and near the bottom in crime, economy, education, health care, and infrastructure.
- Ohr’s argument: Instead of addressing real issues—jobs, crime, insurance—Landry is chasing headlines and indulging in culture war stunts.
- Ohr revisits football as a benchmark: Even on “trivial” matters like LSU football, Landry performs poorly compared to his predecessor.
Notable Ohr Quote:
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“If you are overseeing this state where there is a crisis in the insurance market, where your crime is the worst in the country, where the economy is the worst in the country...then you should be spending all of your time dialing in on how to make life in the state better for people, rather than distracting them with the shiny little object...” — Tim Ohr (10:45)
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Ohr references the last LSU football championship (in 2019 under a Democratic governor) as symbolic of Landry’s failures.
6. Dangerous Political Grandstanding: Crime and National Guard
[12:50-14:45]
- Ohr critiques Landry’s support for National Guard deployment to address crime—framing it as performative “fascist cosplay” that does little to address underlying issues.
- Ohr is withering toward Landry’s prioritization of political theater over genuine investment in schools, police, and community programs.
Notable Ohr Quote:
- “So instead of actually, like, investing in our communities...what we're gonna do is have, like, guys in military costumes standing around the French Quarter having, like, depending on what their political persuasion is, people take drunk selfies with them or people drunkenly, like, moon themselves. Like, that's what's gonna be happening right now.” — Tim Ohr (13:53)
7. Closing Reflections: “The People Deserve Better”
[15:20-end]
- Ohr pauses his rant to praise the people of Louisiana, his neighbors, and community.
- He reiterates his belief that the state’s residents, particularly the most vulnerable, deserve better than Landry’s leadership.
- Ends with a plea for accountability, but clarifies he’s “not running for anything.”
Notable Ohr Quote:
- “The people here are so great. The people deserve better. The people deserve better because it's the people that are not as blessed as me who are suffering because of the bad leadership of this governor...they especially deserve better than Janky Jeff Landry.” — Tim Ohr (15:50)
Memorable Moments & Quotes (by Timestamp)
- (01:00) Tim Ohr: “He has all that, but with no swag, no Riz...shameful and embarrassing.”
- (02:29) Gov. Jeff Landry: “Maybe we'll let President Trump pick it. He loves winners.”
- (05:26) Gov. Landry: “Let’s see if we can be the first campus to do it [build a Charlie Kirk statue].”
- (05:49) Tim Ohr: “Chuck is a college dropout, all right?...no reason to honor him.”
- (08:50) Tim Ohr: “The governor...should not be interfering in a private university and forcing them to have a club...”
- (10:45) Tim Ohr: “You should be spending all of your time dialing in on how to make life in the state better...”
- (13:53) Tim Ohr: “...guys in military costumes standing around the French Quarter...drunk selfies...drunkenly, like, moon themselves...”
- (15:50) Tim Ohr: “The people deserve better...because it's the people not as blessed as me who are suffering because of the bad leadership of this governor...”
Conclusion
Tim Ohr’s takedown of Governor “Janky Jeff” Landry is an excoriating tour through the many ways, both petty and profound, that the governor fails the people of Louisiana. Ohr cross-cuts between sarcasm, outrage, and deadpan analysis, calling out performative MAGA politics, executive overreach in sports and academia, and the neglect of real issues plaguing the state. His central theme: Louisiana’s residents deserve leadership focused on economic opportunity, public safety, and genuine community investment—not national Republican theatrics or Trump sycophancy.