Summary of "The New Trump Lie That Everyone’s Repeating"
Podcast Information:
- Title: Bulwark Takes
- Host/Author: The Bulwark
- Episode: The New Trump Lie That Everyone’s Repeating
- Release Date: July 28, 2025
In the episode titled "The New Trump Lie That Everyone’s Repeating," hosted by Andrew Egger, The Bulwark delves deep into the evolving narrative surrounding former President Donald Trump and the persistent allegations of a "Russia hoax" that originally gained prominence during the 2016 and 2017 election cycles. The discussion primarily centers on how Trump and his allies are strategically redirecting attention from recent scandals, such as the Epstein investigation, by reviving and distorting past intelligence assessments and official statements to undermine the legitimacy of the investigations into Russian interference.
Introduction: Redirecting the Narrative
[00:00] Andrew Egger opens the episode by highlighting Trump's efforts to shift the public conversation away from the Epstein investigation. Instead, Trump is revisiting the "Russia, Russia, Russia" narrative, accusing former President Barack Obama and his administration of engineering a coup to undermine him as he assumed office. Egger introduces Will Salitan, a senior writer for The Bulwark, who specializes in historical analysis to shed light on current political maneuvers.
Re-examining Past Intelligence Assessments
[00:46] Will Salitan emphasizes the necessity of revisiting past events to counteract ongoing misinformation. He critiques Republicans who are resurrecting the Trump narrative by misrepresenting intelligence documents released by Tulsi Gabbard. According to Salitan, these documents do not substantiate claims that Obama stated there was no evidence of Russian interference, directly contradicting statements made by figures like Senator Lindsey Graham.
Notable Quote:
“Tulsi Gabbard herself mischaracterizes the documents that she put out... counting on people not to look at the actual documents.”
— Will Salitan [06:08]
Misrepresentation by Republican Figures
[01:36] Kristen Welker, during her interview with Graham, presents clips where he asserts that Russia interfered to benefit Trump and harm Clinton. Salitan points out that Graham and others are distorting the content of Gabbard's documents, which actually support the original intelligence findings of Russian interference, thereby perpetuating a false narrative.
Notable Quote:
“They are trying to scour the entire database of the entire White House to find Democrats acting suspicious.”
— Andrew Egger [08:14]
The Role of Key Republican Figures
The episode discusses the involvement of John Ratcliffe, the CIA Director, and Devin Nunes, former chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, in propagating the revised narrative. Ratcliffe accuses Hillary Clinton of orchestrating the Russia hoax to discredit Trump, while Nunes further complicates the narrative by suggesting that Hillary Clinton was actually soft on Russia, which supposedly motivated Putin to prefer her over Trump.
Notable Quote:
“This is connected. Is there any basis for this at all?... I mean, who believes this? Or does it even, does the truth even matter anymore?”
— Will Salitan [19:51]
Linking Unrelated Events to the Russia Narrative
Egger and Salitan explore how recent events, such as the Mar-a-Lago raid, are being intertwined with the Russia hoax narrative without substantial evidence. Nunes claims that the raid was an attempt to retrieve intelligence documents related to the Russia investigation, further muddying the waters between unrelated scandals and the established facts of the 2016 election interference.
Notable Quote:
“This is the work of months by folks like Tulsi Gabbard and John Ratcliffe, which is now going out to these other Republicans.”
— Andrew Egger [22:02]
The Strategy Behind the Narrative Shift
Salitan describes the strategy as fostering "epistemological anxiety" among the public, where conflicting and unfounded narratives create widespread doubt about the truth. This tactic undermines trust in factual information and consolidates partisan cynicism, making it easier for Trump's allies to discredit genuine investigations and reports.
Notable Quote:
“Stuff that was like, I mean, everything you just laid out about, like, here's this meeting with Don Jr. Like, this isn't. There's not a lot of debate about this. There's document, there's all the emails.”
— Will Salitan [20:16]
The Decline of Truth in Public Discourse
The conversation culminates in expressing concern over the erosion of truth and the rise of denialism within Republican circles. Egger and Salitan worry that such strategies could lead to a political environment where factual accuracy is sidelined in favor of maintaining a consistent anti-Democrat narrative, reminiscent of authoritarian regimes where dissenting facts are dismissed.
Notable Quote:
“This is kind of the work of months by folks like Tulsi Gabbard and John Ratcliffe, which is now going out to these other Republicans.”
— Andrew Egger [22:02]
Conclusion: The Future of Political Narratives
As the episode wraps up, Egger and Salitan emphasize the ongoing efforts to reshape public perception by leveraging past narratives and distorting established facts. They highlight the importance of vigilance in the face of such misinformation campaigns and commit to continuing their analysis and reporting to counteract these falsehoods.
Final Quote:
“I'm just flummoxed. I mean, who believes this? Or does it even, does the truth even matter anymore?”
— Will Salitan [20:16]
Overall, this episode of Bulwark Takes provides a critical examination of how Donald Trump and his allies are manipulating historical narratives to undermine investigations that originally painted him in a negative light. By dissecting interviews and statements from key Republican figures, the hosts illustrate a concerted effort to distort facts, foster public skepticism, and maintain a persistent narrative that serves their political interests.