Tim Miller: They Want This To Happen

Summary

Bulwark Takes: Tim Miller – "They Want This To Happen"

Release Date: June 11, 2025
Host: The Bulwark
Episode: Tim Miller: They Want This To Happen

Overview

In this episode of Bulwark Takes, Tim Miller delves into the current political landscape, focusing on President Trump's strategies, the handling of state versus federal authority, immigration policies, and recent controversies surrounding Public Health leadership. The discussion is candid, incisive, and rich with insights into the motivations and implications of Republican actions in today's political climate.

Trump's Strategy and Impact on Rural America

Tim Miller begins by addressing the political maneuvers of President Trump and the broader Republican Party, particularly their approach to rural communities and the consequences thereof.

Betrayal of Rural Voters

Miller criticizes Trump's administration for winning rural votes but subsequently neglecting these communities. He states:

"Trump and the Republicans won rural votes, then turned their backs on us."
(01:00)

This betrayal is highlighted as a central issue, reflecting a disconnect between electoral promises and governmental actions.

Escalation Over Collaboration

Miller argues that Trump's failure to collaborate with Governor Newsom of California demonstrates a preference for escalation rather than problem-solving:

"What they want is an escalation of it. If they're trying to solve it, they would be working with Governor Newsom."
(02:30)

He emphasizes that true leadership would involve cooperation with local authorities to address unrest, rather than imposing federal intervention.

State vs. Federal Authority: The California Clash

A significant portion of the discussion centers on the constitutional conflict between state rights and federal authority, especially in the context of President Trump's actions in California.

Federal Intervention in California

Miller draws parallels between current federal actions and historical events, noting the unprecedented nature of sending troops into a state against gubernatorial opposition:

"This is the first time since the 1960s, since the Civil rights uprisings, that a president has sent in troops over the head of a governor."
(02:50)

He contends that such moves are extreme and undermine the balance of power, leading to further instability.

Potential Risks of Overstepping

While acknowledging that Trump’s base supports strong measures, Miller warns of the dangers of overstepping:

"They are not trying to solve it meaningfully. What they want is an escalation of it."
(03:00)

He reflects on past incidents, such as the 2020 events in Lafayette Square, where Trump's actions may have backfired, illustrating the fragile nature of public support.

Immigration Policy and Its Political Ramifications

The conversation shifts to immigration, a cornerstone of Trump's agenda, and its broader implications on social order and Republican strategy.

Social Disorder as a Political Tool

Referencing Matthew Continetti's analysis, Miller agrees that social disorder benefits the right-wing agenda:

"There's something to be said for being truthful, for speaking truth, being clear-eyed, and I think it speaks to Trump's intentions."
(04:00)

He acknowledges that while Trump has utilized immigration to galvanize support, his approaches, such as the Muslim ban and child separation policies, have sometimes resulted in backlash and policy reversals.

Mixed Success in Immigration Policies

Miller provides a nuanced view of Trump's immigration policies, noting both successes and significant missteps:

"So it's not as if Trump has like a Superman vest where he wins every immigration fight, but I do think it's stronger ground for him than other issues."
(04:30)

He underscores the complexity of immigration as an issue, balancing political advantage with policy effectiveness and public perception.

RFK Jr. and the Vaccine Policy Controversy

A critical segment of the episode examines Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s recent actions regarding vaccine policy, highlighting a breach of trust with Republican senators.

Breaking Promises and Its Fallout

Miller discusses RFK Jr.'s decision to disband the CDC's Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP), despite assurances to Senator Bill Cassidy:

"Senator now says he will continue to talk with the Health Secretary to ensure that ACIP will not be filled with vaccine skeptics."
(06:20)

He criticizes the lack of accountability and transparency, pointing out that this is part of a broader pattern of broken promises to Republican senators.

Calls for Oversight and Accountability

Miller suggests that Republican senators, including Bill Cassidy, should take a firmer stance through oversight and collaboration with Democrats to hold the administration accountable:

"Republican senators are on these committees, could do oversight. They could work with their Democratic colleagues and do oversight and put pressure on HHS."
(07:00)

He emphasizes the need for bipartisan efforts to address and rectify the administration's failures in maintaining promised oversight bodies.

Conclusion

Tim Miller's analysis in this episode of Bulwark Takes presents a critical examination of President Trump's strategies, particularly his handling of rural America, federal versus state authority, and immigration policies. Additionally, the episode sheds light on the concerning developments in vaccine policy under RFK Jr., highlighting the erosion of trust between Republican senators and the administration. Miller calls for greater oversight and accountability to address these pressing issues, advocating for bipartisan cooperation to restore effective governance and uphold democratic principles.

Notable Quotes:

• "Trump and the Republicans won rural votes, then turned their backs on us." (01:00)
• "What they want is an escalation of it. If they're trying to solve it, they would be working with Governor Newsom." (02:30)
• "This is the first time since the 1960s... a president has sent in troops over the head of a governor." (02:50)
• "There's something to be said for being truthful, for speaking truth, being clear-eyed, and I think it speaks to Trump's intentions." (04:00)
• "Republican senators are on these committees, could do oversight. They could work with their Democratic colleagues and do oversight and put pressure on HHS." (07:00)

This comprehensive discussion offers listeners valuable insights into the current political dynamics and underscores the importance of accountability and collaborative governance in addressing national challenges.

Transcript

[Unknown Speaker 1]

Rural communities are being squeezed from every side, from rising health care costs to crumbling hospitals, from attacks on public schools to the fight for paid family and medical leave. Farmers and small businesses are reeling from the trade war. And now Project 2025 is back with a plan to finish what Elon Musk started. Trump and the Republicans won rural votes, then turned their backs on us. Join the One Country Project for the rural progress summit, July 8th through the 10th. This free virtual event brings together leaders like Senator Heidi Heikamp, Secretary Pete Buttigieg, Governor Andy Beshear, and others for real talk and real solutions. Together, we'll tackle the most urgent issues facing rural America. Register today or learn [e-mail].

[Tim Miller]

Hey, guys. I was on MSNBC for almost a full hour with Alex Witt talking about all of the political implications about what's going on in LA and the RFK moves at the CDC and the way that he has lied to Bill Cassidy, my senator from here in Louisiana, with his promise to, you know, have oversight over and protect these vaccine implementation committees, and he has failed to do so. So shocking. Woo. Who could have seen that coming? Anyway, stick around for me. Chatting about a bunch of shit.

[Unknown Speaker 2]

Tim, is there any risk of Trump or Republicans in general losing support among the base or independent voters by attacking an American city?

[Tim Miller]

No, not really, I guess. Who knows how far things could go? I mean, we did see in 2020 that Trump over in various ways in Lafayette Square and ways that backfired against him before the election. So it is possible for him to overstep. But, no, this is what his voters want. They know it's a political fight they want. And I just think the fact that he hasn't talked to Newsom betrays the fact that they're not trying to solve the problem. I don't think that we're projecting too much into the minds of Trump and Vance and Miller and Homan and all them to say that they are happy that there is unrest in la. Like, they want this to happen. They're not trying to solve it meaningfully. What they want is an escalation of it. If they're trying to solve it, they would be working with Governor Newsom. This is the first time since the 1960s, since the Civil rights uprisings, that a president has sent in troops over the head of a governor. I don't think any rational person could look at this and say this is equivalent to what was happening in Alabama in the early 1960s. And these are some skirmishes. Obviously the rioting is bad. Obviously Some law enforcement is needed for sure. Maybe some support is needed, but that's not what they're doing here. Like they're sending in troops over the opposition of the governor, not working with the local law enforcement to try to solve the problem.

[Unknown Speaker 2]

Donald Trump's vocal support of states rights have reached their limits in California. Now the president is forcefully asserting his federal authority. These clashes have surfaced yet another constitutional conflict pitting states against the executive branch. Matthew Continetti, conservative author and columnist at the Free Press, writes that these conflicts are dangerous because, quote, illegal immigration is the focal point of outrage and it has the potential to break the nation apart. Trump is positioned to win these debates and public opinion supports him. Outrage at illegal immigration fueled his rise to power twice. Immigration is his strongest issue. Social disorder benefits the right. First of all, Tim, is Matthew Continetti right?

[Tim Miller]

He is. I guess kudos to him for just saying it so bluntly, that social disorder benefits the right. I don't know that that'd be something I'd be really bragging about if I was in the pages of the Free Press, but I think that the observation is correct. So there's something to be said for being truth, for speaking truth, being clear eyed, and I think it speaks to Trump's intentions. So maybe Continenti wouldn't say that. I think, again, as we said in the last segment, there's value in disorder. They're not really trying to bring order. As far as the immigration debate, broadly, I don't, I don't know. I think that Trump has certainly benefited from immigration in the past. It's been a key issue of his and it's been one that he's won on. I think at times, though, he's overstepped. His numbers really tanked around child separation, for example, during the first term. The Muslim ban was a disaster that he had to roll back, for example, these deportate, these kidnappings really, to El Salvador, to that prison. They had to, they did one round of three planes, which was horrible, but they're planning on sending more. They had to stop because the outrage and the legal pushback. So he. So it's not as if Trump has like a Superman vest where he wins every immigration fight, but I do think it's stronger ground for him than other issues, of course.

[Unknown Speaker 2]

But let me ask you finally, Tim, with Speaker Johnson having weighed in on the calls to arrest the duly elected governor of California. Take a listen to this.

[Tim Miller]

I'm not going to give you legal analysis on whether Gavin Newsom should be arrested, but he ought to be tarred and feathered. I'll say that. I mean, look, he's standing in the way of, of the, the administration and the carrying out of federal law.

[Unknown Speaker 2]

What's your thoughts on that?

[Tim Miller]

It's just childish and dumb. This is very serious. And I think that this is Mike Johnson trying to cosplay being a Trump type MAGA person that says this kind of stuff. It works for Trump. It doesn't work for these other guys really, because it obviously seems fake. But again, I think that the whole premise here, you know, is that this. Look, I agree with Governor Kasich about the fact that Democrats and everybody should be in favor of cracking down on rioters and people that are violently protesting. But like the premise that Johnson and Trump are saying is that it was so bad that they needed to send in the troops over Newsom's head and that maybe Newsom should be arrested and that maybe should be tarred and feathered. And that is insane. We were not anywhere near that. This was not the LA riots of 1992. The feds surely could have come in and support what was happening in the state from a law enforcement. But it's ridiculous to suggest that it was at all sensible for the federal government to send in the military over the objection of local officials. Based on what we'd seen over the last couple of days.

[Unknown Speaker 2]

Medical experts are worried about an aggressive move by HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. That could completely reshape the country's vaccine policy. The Secretary, writing in a Wall Street Journal op ed, announced that he's removing all 17 members of the CDC's Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices. That is an independent panel which consists medical and public health experts who make recommendations to the CDC about who should get certain vaccines and when, including childhood vaccinations. So Tim RFK Jr made a commitment to Louisiana Senator Bill Cassidy. It was back in February. It was during his confirmation hearing that he would maintain ACIP without changes. So clearly he has failed to live up to his word. He's done precisely what he said he would not do. The Senator now says he will continue to talk with the Health Secretary to ensure that ACIP will not be filled with vaccine skeptics, which would potentially reflect RFK Jr. S own personal theories. Is there anything Republicans could do or be willing to do about this?

[Tim Miller]

Well, sure. I mean, you could go back in time and they could have stood up to rfk, which many people were asking Bill Cassidy to do, which Bill Cassidy acted like he was considering deeply. This is my home state, Senator There was a lot of discussion about this down here in Louisiana. He's a doctor. He's a longtime advocate for vaccines, and he got this supposed commitment from rfk, and then RFK pulled the rug out from under him. And so you would think that at some point, these senators, these Republican senators, would have some dignity. And this is not the only case of this. Pete Hegseth, you might remember, promised to Joni Ernst that there would be a kind of a sexual assault czar at the Department of Defense. Maybe that's happened under the radar. We did some reporting at the Bulwark looking at this, and there's no evidence of that has happened. And yet, so there's several of these different cases where these guys told Republican senators something, promised them something in order to get their confirmation, and then they haven't followed through. So look, and Republican senators are on these committees, could do oversight. They could work with their Democratic colleagues and do oversight and put pressure on hhs. And you would hope that Bill Cassidy, having been lied to about this, might be willing to work with some of his Democratic colleagues to be more aggressive in doing oversight over the administration, particularly the vaccine issue.