Bulwark Takes – "Trump Botched the Army–Navy Coin Flip"
Date: December 15, 2025
Hosts: Tim Miller & Sam Stein (and guest audio from Barry Weiss)
Episode Overview
This episode of Bulwark Takes features Tim Miller and Sam Stein tackling a variety of current-news oddities and political potpourri, with a signature dose of humor and irreverence. The show’s jumping-off point is Donald Trump's awkward coin flip at the Army–Navy football game, which spirals into broader conversations about political theater, defense contractor advertising, viral Twitter outrage, pundit discourse around high-profile interviews, and even a bit of pop-culture celebrity beef. The hosts riff on these topics in rapid-fire, appetizer-style segments, keeping a tone that is conversational, satirical, and self-aware.
Key Discussion Points and Insights
1. Trump’s Coin Flip Flop at the Army–Navy Game
[01:51–03:24]
- Main Event: The episode opens with Tim and Sam humorously dissecting Donald Trump’s failed attempt to flip the coin at the Army–Navy football game.
- Trump simply lets the coin drop with almost no rotation, drawing lighthearted mockery from both hosts.
- Quote:
- Tim: "It's right there in the name. It's flip. It's a coin flip. You're supposed to flip the coin." [02:31]
- Sam: "He’s just really gentle with the fingering." [03:04]
- They riff on how a "normal person that doesn’t live in his own hotel" would know how to flip a coin.
2. Capitalism at Military Academy Events: The Palantir Ad
[03:46–05:14]
- Observation: Tim highlights discomfort at seeing a large Palantir (defense contractor/spyware company) advertisement at the Army–Navy game.
- Points out Peter Thiel’s political involvement and the awkwardness of spyware ads at military institutions.
- Quote:
- Tim: "It felt like it was out of a creepy dystopian movie... feels like that we should have some safe spaces from capitalism in the country. Like a military academy football game." [04:43]
- Sam agrees, contextualizing this among an onslaught of sports betting ads, questioning what’s worse as a commercial presence.
3. Viral Right-wing Twitter Moments & Outrage Discourse
[05:39–07:30]
- The duo discusses a viral tweet from right-wing youth influencer Bryland Hollyhand ("I’d rather watch President Trump mass deport illegal aliens than the Super Bowl!") and his bid to usurp Charlie Kirk’s role.
- Tim and Sam mock the try-hard nature and age of these influencers.
- Quote:
- Sam: "It's the equivalent of, like, some lib being like, you know what I really want during the Super Bowl halftime show? A Hamilton reenactment. It's like, oh, God, no. Just watch the fucking game." [06:35]
4. Sam’s “Bad Tweet” and Blue-State Redistricting Morality
[07:43–09:45]
- Tim calls out Sam for a "loser mentality" tweet suggesting Illinois Dems should take the "high road" in redistricting if Indiana Republicans do.
- Sam clarifies the reasoning: coordinated gerrymandering avoidance yields a net Democratic gain, makes policy sense, and prevents further escalation.
- Meta-commentary: Both acknowledge the performative outrage and pile-ons that happen on Twitter, with Sam noting it's grounding to receive online hate.
- Quote:
- Sam: "It keeps you sane. It keeps you grounded. I'm happy to take it." [09:11]
5. Bari Weiss and the Erica Kirk CBS Town Hall
[09:45–15:12]
- Discourse: Discussion of CBS’s airing of the Erica Kirk town hall (widow of Rep. Tom Oman) moderated by Bari Weiss, which flooded their For You feeds on X.
- Sam disagrees with personal attacks on Kirk: "People grieve in different ways... let her do her thing." [11:04]
- Tim is critical more of Weiss, seeing her post-interview commentary as self-aggrandizing and the content as remarkably unoriginal (“most anodyne take in the world”).
- Quote:
- Tim: "It's praiseworthy that she did it, but, like, this notion that, like, what we saw was something that nobody could possibly behold... like Barry Weiss was navigating the Amazon and found this remote culture of Christians... here's what the Christians do out there in the woods. They forgive people. It's like, okay." [14:00]
6. The Algorithm, The “For You” Page, and Social Media Outrage
[15:23–16:38]
- Both hosts lament how X's For You page now relentlessly surfaces outrage, tragedy, violence, and contentious discourse.
- Sam calls it the “wild west” and warns: "People need to get... off the For You page." [16:14]
7. Gun Violence as a Perpetual Topic & Newsworthiness
[16:38–17:46]
- Referring to repeated school shootings, hosts express frustration that the issue is now met with shrugs—even as young adults are victims multiple times.
- Tim notes debate fatigue, but insists “maybe we should talk about it a little bit.” [17:25]
- Sam is exasperated with the reflexive “gun-free zone” talking points and pleads for actual research-driven debate.
8. New York Young Republicans Gala—MAGA Youth Culture and Factional Brawls
[18:03–21:40]
- Tim describes the New York Young Republican Club as a key, performative MAGA youth institution: the first to re-endorse Trump after Jan. 6, “MAGA youth group on cocaine.”
- Outside the gala, left-wing protesters (in Nazi costumes) and internal MAGA factional infighting (Groypers vs anti-Groypers) culminate in a slap.
- Quote:
- Tim: "I chuckled in bed this morning watching... these people are so... it's like, tough to know who to root for sometimes. But in this one, I'm rooting for the slapper." [21:14]
9. TMZ Headline Decoder: Tekashi 69 and Social Media Noise
[22:04–22:44]
- The duo is stumped and amused by a convoluted TMZ headline about Tekashi 69 and 21 Savage, using it as an example of online noise and clickbait.
- Sam: "I have no idea what any of that means. Like, that just completely went over my head." [22:04]
10. Closing Banter & Meta-Commentary
[22:44–23:17]
- Brief, light-hearted close — nods to parenting, football, and the value of the “appetizer” podcast format.
Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments
-
On Army-Navy Coin Flip
- Tim: "It's right there in the name. It's flip. It's a coin flip." [02:31]
- Sam: "He let it fall. He looked on fall." [02:37]
-
On Military-Capitalism Infiltration
- Tim: "It felt like it was out of a creepy dystopian movie... should have some safe spaces from capitalism." [04:43]
-
On Bryland Hollyhand and Twitter Outrage:
- Sam: "It's the equivalent of... I really want during the Super Bowl halftime show? A Hamilton reenactment." [06:35]
-
On Twitter Pile-ons:
- Sam: "It's always good to be flooded with hate online every once in a while. It keeps you... grounded." [09:11]
-
On Bari Weiss’s Meta-Analysis:
- Tim: "...like Barry Weiss was navigating the Amazon and found this remote culture of Christians... It's like, okay." [14:00]
Timestamps for Key Segments
- Trump’s Army–Navy Coin Flip — [01:51–03:24]
- Palantir’s Ad at Army–Navy Game — [03:46–05:14]
- Bryland Hollyhand Tweet & Young Right-Wing Influencers — [05:39–07:30]
- Sam's "Bad Tweet" & Gerrymandering Morality — [07:43–09:45]
- Bari Weiss Town Hall Meta-Commentary — [09:45–15:12]
- Social Media “For You Page” Critique — [15:23–16:38]
- Gun Violence Debate Fatigue — [16:38–17:46]
- NY Young Republicans Gala & MAGA Youth Brawl — [18:03–21:40]
- Tekashi 69 TMZ Headline Confusion — [22:04–22:44]
Tone and Takeaway
Tim and Sam’s take is unmistakably Bulwark: equal parts political snark, earnest outrage at real-world issues, mainstream skepticism of both left and right tribalism, and a recurring theme of "can you believe we’re living through this?" High-velocity cultural analysis mingles with personal anecdotes and Twitter meta-commentary, giving the episode an informed yet casual vibe that’s accessible to regular listeners, deeply online politicos, and newcomers alike.