Bulwark Takes: “Pam Bondi’s Revenge Tour Is a Total Bust”

Date: March 5, 2026
Host: Tim Miller (The Bulwark)

Episode Overview

In this sharp, rapid-fire episode, Tim Miller takes listeners through the latest round of failures by the Trump administration’s Justice Department, specifically under Attorney General Pam Bondi, in its attempts to prosecute political adversaries. With a focus on the now-defunct pursuit of Joe Biden’s so-called “auto pen crimes,” Miller catalogs a list of high-profile political figures who have evaded prosecution despite much bluster and threat. The underlying theme: For all the threats, resources, and noise, the Justice Department under Bondi has spectacularly failed at achieving retribution against Trump's enemies.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

Another DOJ Defeat: The Auto Pen Saga (00:59)

• Latest Failure: The Justice Department could not build a criminal case against Biden and aides over his use of an auto pen to sign documents—even after Trump demanded investigations.
  • “Another big loss for the Trump Justice Department in their Keystone Cop effort to go after their political foes.” — Tim Miller (00:59)
• Absurdity of Charges: The basis for the accusation was the claim that if Biden wasn’t mentally fit and a staffer used the auto pen, it somehow constituted a crime.
• Backstory: Miller refreshes memories by quoting Judge Jeanine Pirro, who called the use of auto pen a national crisis:
  • “They ran the country with an auto pen. And I hope that law enforcement’s looking at that very seriously. That’s like a takeover of our country in a certain way.” — Jeanine Pirro (03:41)
• Outcome: The case was quietly dropped months ago; The Times recently reported on DOJ’s inability to proceed.

The DOJ’s Track Record: List of “L’s” (05:03)

• Miller delivers a rundown of all the political targets DOJ has failed to prosecute:
  • Joe Biden / Auto Pen: “That’s an L.”
  • Barack Obama: Once touted as facing “treason” and “wire-tapping” charges—still free.
  • Six Democrats: Kelly, Slotkin, Crow, Goodlander, D'Aluzio, Houlihan—all walks, no indictments.
  • James Comey: Targeted for “leaks,” yet “free as a bird.”
  • Letitia James: Attempts to get her on mortgage-related offenses—unsuccessful.
  • The “Sandwich Guy”: Became a fan mascot; he too remains untouched (“Shout out to the Bulwark fan who gave me a crocheted sandwich in honor of the sandwich guy...” — Tim Miller (06:36)).
  • Protesters and Citizens: Numerous efforts to indict activists for protest activities—rejected by grand juries.
• Pattern: Each attempt at “political revenge” has led to nothing: “Pam Bondi, the biggest loser. Joe Biden and the auto pen, another failure for her and the Trump Justice Department.” — Tim Miller (07:45)

On Political Abuse and Incompetence (01:38)

• Miller makes a distinction between what could have been worst-case authoritarian repercussions (people jailed for dissent) and the current reality: frequent intimidation paired with professional incompetence.
  • “For all of the awful fascist advances… the one thing that continues to bring us joy is just the utter incompetence and failure in their effort to weaponize the Justice Department to get revenge against their political foes.” — Tim Miller (01:07)
• He notes that while some less-publicized cases have involved harassment (e.g., activists and protesters), the major DOJ efforts against political rivals never stuck.

Notable Quotes & Moments

• On the overall DOJ performance:
  “They've used our tax dollars, they've used actual government resources to look into all of the following people in an attempt to get political revenge and try to put them in jail. And they have utterly failed in each case.” — Tim Miller (05:17)

• On the broader implication:
  “So there it is. Pam Bondi, the biggest loser. Joe Biden and the auto pen, another failure for her and the Trump Justice Department. And he joins Barack Obama, Mark Kelly, Jim Comey and many others who just are going to be able to continue to exist and walk the streets despite Donald Trump's best efforts.” — Tim Miller (07:45)

• Callback to fan culture:
  “Shout out to the Bulwark fan who gave me a crocheted sandwich in honor of the sandwich guy. I saw my child, she was sleeping with that the other night. Just kind of cuddling with it. That's freedom fighting.” — Tim Miller (06:36)

Timestamps of Important Segments

• 00:59 — Tim Miller introduces the NYT story and sets up the DOJ’s latest defeat
• 03:41 — Jeanine Pirro’s auto pen quote played for context
• 05:03 — Start of DOJ “L” scoreboard; list of failed political prosecutions
• 06:36 — Reference to the “Sandwich Guy,” a recurring inside joke
• 07:45 — Summary of the Bondi DOJ’s futility and closing remarks

Takeaways

• The Trump/Bondi Justice Department’s efforts to prosecute political enemies have been spectacularly ineffective, often bordering on the farcical.
• Most high-profile attempts at “political revenge” have ended in failure or quiet abandonment.
• For all the threats, the only thing keeping the public safe from these abuses, Miller argues, is the administration’s own incompetence.
• The show mixes serious commentary with insider references and humor, keeping a brisk, irreverent tone.

“Every once in a while we bring you the good news. You got to do that, you know, keep a little skip in your step.”
— Tim Miller (08:35)