Bulwark Takes Podcast Summary

Episode: Tim Miller: People Don't Like This Insanity
Date: January 12, 2026
Host: The Bulwark Team (including Mark Lamont Hill, Tim Miller)
Theme: The public's reaction to recent government and law enforcement actions, specifically in response to the killing of Renee Goode, and its political repercussions.

Main Theme & Purpose

This episode centers on the fallout from the widely publicized killing of Renee Goode by federal agents. The hosts dissect the country’s response to the incident, the calculated politics of the administration, and the broader implications for the November elections. The episode explores the divide between the government’s increasingly aggressive actions and the mainstream public’s discomfort and outrage, suggesting that the moment could be a political tipping point.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. The Power of Public Response and Protest

• Mark Lamont Hill opens with a reflection on conversations with Nicole Wallace about “who is acting and not acting” in response to recent events.
• He highlights the importance of everyday people getting involved, and not just career activists.
• Quote (Mark Lamont Hill, 01:37):

  "People do not want this insanity. Regular people don't, okay? FOX drones do. Fucking people at the MAGA rallies. People that just hate. Lesbians do. Right? ... But eventually there comes a breaking point."

• The emotional toll of the past week’s “insanity” is noted as traumatizing and a catalyst for action.

2. The Killing of Renee Goode and the Country’s Mood

• Powerful imagery from the shooting is resonating with people beyond the usual activist circles.
• Hill notes anecdotal evidence, sharing how regular, non-political parents were upset and talking about it at a kids’ basketball tryout.
  • Quote (Mark Lamont Hill, 04:18):

    "This is not people that are the protesting type. ... They're just saying to me, look, this is crazy. This is wrong."

• The hosts emphasize that most Americans are disturbed by images of “masked thugs in fatigues” menacing innocent women, describing the public outcry as crossing political divides.

3. The Administration’s Miscalculated Response

• Discussion on ICE releasing video evidence they perceived as exculpatory, but which actually horrified many viewers.
• Quote (Tim Miller, 05:55):

  "Chris Hayes said to me…it's sort of amazing and newsworthy in and of itself that they viewed it as exculpatory to release the video."

• The hosts argue that the administration and their allies are insulated by their own echo chambers, unable to understand the broader American reaction.
• Quote (Mark Lamont Hill, 06:32):

  "It creates an insight into their worldview that they thought that video would be...exculpatory. ... They are in this bubble where they think, as Donald Trump said yesterday on the plane, that anybody who disturbs the police...deserves what's coming to them.”

4. Political Implications and Opportunities

• The hosts agree that the administration’s harsh, militarized tactics are broadly unpopular—even among some Trump supporters.
• Quote (Mark Lamont Hill, 04:48):

  “They might have been for a closed border...but they're not for masked thugs harassing women who are nonviolent and non-threatening in the street. And certainly they're not for executing women…”

• Tim Miller points to the upcoming elections: The far-right’s policies may provoke more opposition than support, giving Democrats a potential opening.
• Quote (Tim Miller, 08:24):

  “Their policies related to immigration are extremely unpopular... What they're doing, menacing people in the streets...is not popular broadly. And I think that it's a political opportunity for Democrats to...push back and win elections in November.”

• The conversation expresses both cautious optimism and vigilance, noting that political victories are not guaranteed, and the administration is likely to continue attempts to manipulate or undermine the process.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On public exhaustion and action:

  "The insanity and the craziness of the last week is really traumatizing and a lot of people are down... But there's a hint of truth in [Rahm Emanuel’s ‘Every crisis is an opportunity’]... By continuing to be out in the streets...you make sure people are awake to the fact that, like, they just killed a woman in the street in broad daylight and lied about it..."
  — Mark Lamont Hill (01:45)

• On the misjudgment of ICE and right-wing media:

  "It's sort of amazing...that they viewed it as exculpatory to release the video."
  — Tim Miller (05:55)

• On polarization and the hope for political consequence:

  "If they just focused on the border and shutting down the border, that would be a bad issue for Democrats. But right now...this is not popular broadly. And I think that it's a political opportunity for Democrats..."
  — Tim Miller (08:24)

Timestamps for Important Segments

• 01:06 – 03:09: Mark Lamont Hill on public response, disagreement with Mark Elias, and the need to keep up pressure
• 03:33 – 04:58: Tim Miller and Mark Lamont Hill on the impact of imagery and everyday outrage over the Goode killing
• 05:55 – 06:32: Release of the video and administration's bubble, discussion of ICE’s mindset
• 08:03 – 08:53: Political implications, unpopularity of current administration policies, and Democratic opportunities

Tone and Style

The episode is candid, emotional, and urgent, blending frustration at government cruelty with a cautious sense of opportunity for political change. The language is unfiltered, with moments of passionate cursing and dark humor balanced by substantive political analysis.

Summary

This episode frames the killing of Renee Goode as a potential inflection point, arguing that the administration’s extreme actions have alienated much of the public—even stretching across partisan lines. The hosts see a political opportunity emerging from this widespread disgust, urging listeners to stay active, vigilant, and vocal as election season looms.