Podcast Summary: Bulwark Takes

Episode: "They Stopped Fighting. Now Trump Thinks He's Untouchable."

Date: October 14, 2025
Hosts: Sam Stein & Sarah Longwell

Episode Overview

This episode delves into the sense of capitulation in Congress and the business community under Donald Trump's renewed presidency. Stein and Longwell analyze recent reporting that highlights Trump's increasingly unchecked power, the implications for American democracy, and the cultural forces driving leaders—both corporate and political—to avoid challenging the President. The discussion is candid, nuanced, and occasionally darkly humorous, as the hosts grapple with what it means for the country when opposition wanes and systems of accountability weaken.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Total Capitulation to Trump (00:52–03:56)

• Referencing a Wall Street Journal article by Josh Dawsey, the hosts explore how Trump has "made Congress his":
  • Sarah Longwell: “It's about the complete and total capitulation of the business community of Congress...Trump basically sitting there being like, I can't believe it. They fought me last time. They gave me such a hard time. Now everything's easy.” (01:41)
  • The sense that no one—Congress, corporate leaders, or the business community—wants to stand up to Trump in his second term, especially after winning the popular vote.

2. Changing Incentives for Corporate America (03:07–05:14)

• Comparison of 2017 vs. 2025:
  • In 2017, visible public backlash discouraged alignment with Trump; in 2025, CEOs are more cautious, fearing Trump’s vindictiveness and the power of his supporters to “take down” brands.
  • Sarah Longwell: “Republican influencers on social media...have been feeling themselves and they have got everybody running scared that they have the power to take them down.” (04:38)
• The culture has shifted—the “socially conscious” approach is no longer seen as key to consumer loyalty.

3. Inadequate and Sporadic Pushback (06:16–09:42)

• Instances of corporate and Republican pushback are rare and often ineffectual.
  • Anecdote from the WSJ: Tech CEOs disgruntled by Trump’s worker visa policies couldn’t bring themselves to speak up in a meeting.
  • Sarah Longwell: “They have been weighed, they have been measured, they have been found wanting when it comes to courage. Right? Like they are enormous cowards.” (06:27)
• Even mild resistance (“the Jimmy Kimmel thing,” a tepid defense from Ted Cruz) quickly fades; everyone is risk-averse.

4. The Danger of Trump Feeling Unchecked (07:14–09:13)

• Trump perceives no boundaries—"everything he pressure tests, there's nobody [to stop him]."
  • Sarah Longwell: “As soon as people do [push back], they do back off…Pushback really does matter.” (07:58)
  • Longwell expresses hope for a groundswell of opposition, like the prospective “No Kings” protest.

5. Culture of No Accountability and the Need for Oversight (10:13–12:52)

• When admonishments occur, they’re often transactional—less about right and wrong, more about fear of Democratic retaliation.
• Longwell argues Democrats must win the House in 2026 to restore meaningful oversight:
  • Sarah Longwell: “If Republicans think there is no world in which there is accountability for their actions, they are acting entirely like there is no accountability...” (11:56)
• Reining in executive power is highlighted as the essential, if difficult, reform.

6. Dark Humor in Trump’s New Administration (12:52–13:51)

• Stein shares a “perverse” humorous anecdote from the Dawsey article:
  • Trump, now more extreme than even Robert F. Kennedy Jr. on vaccines, ignores his HHS secretary's advice and pushes for radical changes:
    • Sam Stein: “He’s too crazy even for Robert F. Kennedy Jr. on vaccines.” (13:51)

7. Resisting the Narrative that Trump Deserves Credit (13:51–15:53)

• Longwell pushes back on narratives praising Trump for foreign policy wins, such as the recent Middle East ceasefire:
  • Context matters—these are not purely Trump’s achievements and should not distract from his abuses of power:
    • Sarah Longwell: “I just think we should be circumspect before we give him too much credit personally for these things.” (15:53)
• Stein recounts an interview with Dan Shapiro (former ambassador to Israel), emphasizing the complexity of Middle Eastern diplomacy.

8. Congress Abandoning Its Role (17:01–19:49)

• The conversation moves to a Washington Post article on Congress losing control over the power of the purse:
  • Sarah Longwell: “Our system is literally built on the idea that the ambition of each of the branches of government...will counteract the ambition of the others.” (17:23)
  • When Congress "lies down," checks and balances collapse, eroding liberal democracy.
• Stein argues that, absent the power to control appropriations, Congress becomes irrelevant:
  • Sam Stein: “If you can't protect your institution on this very basic ground, then your institution will have no authority, zip.” (19:45)
• Both lament lawmakers’ lack of institutional pride or motivation to fight for Congressional prerogatives.

Notable Quotes & Moments (with Timestamps)

• “They have been weighed, they have been measured, they have been found wanting when it comes to courage.”
  — Sarah Longwell (06:27)

• “He’s so crazy, he’s too crazy even for Robert F. Kennedy Jr. on vaccines.”
  — Sam Stein (13:51)

• “Our checks and balances rely on having a Congress that is obsessed with its own power, that is protective of its own power.”
  — Sarah Longwell (17:23)

• “If you can't protect your institution on this very basic ground, then your institution will have no authority, zip.”
  — Sam Stein (19:45)

Tone and Language

The dialogue is frank, occasionally sardonic, and grounded in both humor and earnest concern about democratic backsliding. The hosts' rapport combines light teasing ("You never ask, Sam") with moments of real gravity about the health of American institutions.

Important Timestamps

• 00:52 — Transition from banter to main topic
• 01:41 — Longwell on the "total capitulation" dynamic
• 04:38 — The culture shift in corporate America
• 07:14 — The danger of unchecked power for Trump
• 10:13 — Accountability and the need for oversight
• 12:52 — Sam's "perverse" humorous anecdote
• 17:23 — Longwell on checks and balances
• 19:45 — Stein's warning about Congress becoming irrelevant

Takeaway

The episode paints a bracing picture: With leaders across the spectrum declining to oppose Trump—or even defend core institutional prerogatives—the safeguards of American democracy are eroding. While flashes of pushback exist, they're isolated and insufficient. The hosts argue that without a more robust opposition and a reinvigorated Congress, the country's system of checks and balances faces a dire threat.