Podcast Summary: The Strange World of Sen. Mike Lee’s Twitter Feed

Podcast: Bulwark Takes
Date: September 2, 2025
Host: Sam Stein
Guest: Joe Perdicone

Episode Overview

This episode dives into the peculiar and prolific Twitter habits of Senator Mike Lee, focusing on his intense burst of activity over Labor Day weekend 2025. Host Sam Stein engages with Joe Perdicone (author of Press Pass) to dissect not just the sheer volume but also the odd content—ranging from AI-generated images to amplifying misleading stories—on Lee's Twitter feed. The discussion explores the implications of this behavior, Lee’s reputation among Senate colleagues, and the blurring line between political messaging and internet chaos.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Numbers: A “Categorically Deranged” Holiday Binge

• Volume:
  • Mike Lee posted over 70 tweets and retweets during Labor Day weekend, including self-retweets.
  • He replied to well over 200 accounts across the weekend.
  • "Mike Lee did what he knows best, which was tweet. So he did about 70. More than 70 tweets. Retweets. Retweets of himself. And then he replied well over 200 times to various accounts like any normal person would on a holiday weekend..."
    — Joe (00:57)

2. Content Breakdown: From NATO to AI Ice Cream

• Foreign Policy Rants:
  • Lee advocated for the U.S. to leave NATO, stating "America should leave NATO or they'll regret it"—standard but unusual coming from a Senate Foreign Relations member (01:48).
• AI-Generated Images:
  • Lee created and posted several AI images, including of King Charles and a Scottish girl wielding weapons, referencing a misleading local incident.
  • "He started creating AI images of King Charles. And he's been very critical of the UK Government. That's, like, putting it nicely..."
    — Joe (02:10)
• Amplifying Misinformation:
  • Lee latched onto a story about a 12-year-old Scottish girl allegedly arming herself against migrants, despite key facts being debunked.
  • He ignored Scottish officials’ requests to stop amplifying misleading info:
    "Mike Lee said, no, I'm gonna amplify the hell out of it."
    — Joe (03:36)
• Obscure Online References:
  • Lee tweeted, “Do you think Scotland girl Maya Summers is to 2025 what Peanut the Squirrel was to 2024?” (04:01)
• Bizarre AI Memes:
  • Produced surreal or grotesque imagery, like an "anthropomorphic ice cream cone that's like vomiting up ice cream," intended as a jab at the political left (05:59).

3. Memorable Quotes & Notable Moments

• On Lee’s Deep “Onlineness”:

  • “You have to be... how online do you have to be to like even understand that? Peanut the squirrel.”
    — Joe (04:01)

• On the Ice Cream Meme:

  • "The radical left is one gigantic self licking ice cream cone."
    — Sam reading Lee (05:42)
  • “An anthropomorphic ice cream cone that's like vomiting up ice cream.”
    — Joe (05:59)
  • “A monstrous Tony Soprano hybrid of an ice cream cone that seems to be melting in the middle of Brooklyn.”
    — Sam (06:26)

4. Past Twitter Incidents & Colleagues’ Concerns

• Senate Fallout:

  • After previous controversial tweets during a mass-shooting incident, Senator Tina Smith intervened, confronting Lee in a closed-door meeting and urging him to remove insensitive content (07:04).
  • Lee complied, but the hosts note no lasting behavioral change.
  • "She went in and yanked him out, gave him a dressing down..."
    — Joe (07:04)

• Fake AI Letters:

  • Lee posted an AI-generated fake resignation letter from Jerome Powell (Fed chairman), failing to notice obvious telltale errors.
  • “Any person who looked at this for more than a fraction of a second could see like the letters of the Federal Reserve seal were not even letters. They were just like garbled nonsense.”
    — Joe (07:53)

5. Why Does Lee Do This?

• Possible Reasons:
  • Speculation: boredom, loneliness in D.C., or simply addicted to "blue light."
  • The hosts note that even when home in Utah for recess, Lee remained tethered to his phone.
  • “I always thought that he, this made sense if he was stuck in D.C... Maybe he's just kind of like alone."
    — Sam (08:15)

6. Verification and Platform Use

• It’s Definitely Him:
  • Lee’s “based Mike Lee” account is confirmed as his and now verified. He has fully endorsed his extremely online persona.
  • Hosts point out the dangers of senators—particularly those dabbling in AI—spreading misinformation, intentional or not.
  • “He was just like, whoops. And then he said afterwards, like, oh, I deleted it out of an abundance of caution. It’s like, yes, very cautious man.”
    — Joe (09:27)

Timeline of Important Segments

| Timestamp | Segment Description | |-----------|-----------------------------| | 00:57 | Lee’s Twitter activity numbers for the weekend | | 01:48 | Foreign policy tweets and AI image discussion | | 02:10 | Amplifying the Scottish knife incident and AI usage | | 03:36 | Lee’s response to misinformation requests | | 04:01 | "Peanut the Squirrel" meme reference | | 05:37 | King Charles/parliament dissolution tweet | | 05:59 | “Self-licking ice cream cone” meme | | 07:04 | Colleagues admonish Lee for previous tweets | | 07:47 | Posting of fake Jerome Powell resignation letter | | 08:44 | Discussion about Lee’s motivations | | 09:27 | Confirmation “based Mike Lee” is authentic | | 10:19 | Final reflections on Lee’s fixation with Twitter |

Tone and Takeaways

The discussion is irreverent, bemused, and at times incredulous at Senator Lee’s “extremely online” conduct. Both hosts emphasize the oddity and potential risks of a sitting senator using his platform in such an unfiltered and error-prone way—especially when playing with AI and misinformation. They close with wry commentary on Joe’s somewhat compulsive chronicling of Lee’s behavior, encouraging listeners to stay informed but perhaps keep some perspective (and better hobbies).

Quotable closing exchange:

• “No, I appreciate it. Everyone should read the newsletter. It’s really fun stuff. Everyone should follow Joe on Twitter and on Substack and here on YouTube. Subscribe to the feed. Talk to you soon.”
  — Sam (10:19)

For further reading:
Check out Joe Perdicone’s "Press Pass" for detailed Capitol Hill coverage—with a side of Twitter drama.