Bulwark Takes: Trump Completely Loses the Plot During a Press Conference

Episode Date: December 16, 2025
Featuring: Tim Moore (host), Bulwark team, various co-commentators

Episode Overview

This episode provides a brisk, incisive breakdown of Donald Trump's latest press conference, in which the former president allegedly made sweeping, illogical, and inflammatory statements regarding the drug war in the Caribbean, the designation of fentanyl as a "weapon of mass destruction," the case of Tina Peters in Colorado, and his widely criticized reaction to the murders of Rob Reiner and Michelle Reiner. Bulwark's Tim Moore and co-hosts analyze key moments, highlighting both the legal and rhetorical absurdities at play—delivering classic Bulwark candor and sharpness.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Fentanyl as a "Weapon of Mass Destruction"

[02:33 – 06:44]

• Trump announced an executive order to formally classify fentanyl as a weapon of mass destruction (WMD).
  • Trump (quoted): "No bomb does what this is doing. 200 to 300,000 people die every year that we know of. So we're formally classifying fentanyl as a weapon of mass destruction." (02:33)
• Commentary:
  • Tim Moore and his co-host dismiss the logic, noting fentanyl's legitimate medical uses and questioning the legal or strategic purpose of such a declaration.
    • "Fentanyl is used in hospitals. So are hospitals now using a weapon of mass destruction?" (03:07, Tim Moore)
    • "Like, it is not an atom bomb or sarin gas." (03:30, Co-host)
  • They speculate this rhetoric is designed to create a pretext for expanding military actions in the region, even though fentanyl isn’t primarily trafficked from Venezuela as implied.
    • "Assuming the land that they want to strike there is Venezuela and not Mexico, the fentanyl... is not coming from Venezuela." (05:57, Tim Moore, Co-host)
  • Overall, this is derided as legal and logical flimflam, echoing abuses of the term "emergency" for policy gains.
    • "It's kind of hard to get into their head... they don't have public support for this war. They don't really have clear rationale for it." (06:21, Tim Moore)

2. Conspiracy Framing: Drug Cartels and ISIS

[07:00 – 07:34]

• Trump’s team tries to link Central and South American cartels to ISIS and African terror groups.
  • This, it’s argued, is another attempt to justify using broad military powers drawn from anti-terrorism legislation.
    • "They're making that claim in order to... create this legal rationale or justification for treating the drug cartels the same way they would treat terrorists under the 2001 AUMF." (07:11, Co-host)
  • The hosts call out the preposterousness of these links.

3. Tina Peters, "Election Fraud," and Trump’s Narrative

[09:08 – 11:45]

• Trump rails against Colorado’s governor and defends Tina Peters, jailed for breaching election security to supposedly prove voting machine fraud.
  • Trump (quoted): "She caught people cheating on an election and... they put her in jail for nine years." (09:17)
• Clarifications:
  • Moore delivers factual counterpoints:
    • Tina Peters broke the law; her efforts were to support Trump’s electoral claims, not to expose genuine fraud.
      • "She was like trying to create a rationale for him and his stop the steal rhetoric... so he could stay in power." (11:18, Co-host)
    • The pardon issue is taken off the table (state crime).

4. Brown University Shooting and FBI’s Response

[11:45 – 14:38]

• Press questions Trump about the shooting at Brown University and erratic FBI communications.
• Trump tries to shift blame to the university and shows ongoing defense for Cash Patel, the embattled bureau chief, despite missteps.
  • "Cash has taken a lot of heat from the inside for [incorrect comments about suspects]... not great behavior for the head of the bureau." (12:48, Tim Moore)
• Tim Moore floats that Trump prioritizes loyalty over competence, as seen in his top appointments.

5. Trump’s Callous Reaction to Rob and Michelle Reiner’s Murder

[14:38 – 16:48]

• Trump, when pressed about his coarse Truth Social comment on the Reiners’ murder, doubles down:
  • Trump (quoted): "I wasn't a fan of his at all. He was a deranged person as far as Trump is concerned... I thought he was very bad for our country." (15:15)
• Moore and co-hosts hammer the point—such behavior is singularly indecent for a president:
  • "It's impossible to imagine another president saying this... it's hard to imagine like somebody in your life, like what if you're the coach of your kid's team posted like that?" (15:45-16:11, Tim Moore; Co-host)
  • "You don't really want a person who has that poor judgment and that lack of a soul to be... in a position of responsibility. And yet... the President of the United States." (16:28, Co-host)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Trump declaring fentanyl a WMD:
  • "If it was easier to hit on the land, why weren't we hitting on the land from the start? You know, I mean, besides the fact that this is an illegal war, it's just not logical." (04:57, Tim Moore)
• On Trump's inflammatory rhetoric following tragedy:
  • "It's impossible to imagine another president saying this, like, you know, talking about an actor who had been murdered and saying that they were bad for the country just because they oppose them politically." (15:53, Co-host)
• On the state of White House loyalty:
  • "Does he just want incompetent sycophants who will do whatever he wants in charge? In which case... he wants to keep his option open for giving them illegal orders down the line? That's the worst case scenario..." (13:34, Tim Moore)
• On Trump’s overall performance:
  • "It's pretty depressing stuff. But you know, when you get a Trump press conference rundown, it's not going to be all laughs and giggles over here, is it?" (16:48, Tim Moore)

Key Timestamps

• 01:41 – Start of episode content; Trump’s "deranged press conference" opens
• 02:33 – Trump’s statement declaring fentanyl a WMD
• 03:07 – Hosts’ skepticism and legal critique about WMD claim
• 04:18 – Trump on military action against drug traffickers "by land"
• 07:01 – Linking cartels to ISIS; manufacturing a terror justification
• 09:17 – Trump’s defense of Tina Peters and Colorado election claims
• 10:27 – Fact-check: Co-hosts set the record straight on Tina Peters
• 11:52 – Brown University shooting; Trump and the FBI’s Cash Patel
• 13:22 – White House internal loyalty vs. competence discussion
• 14:49 – Rob Reiner murder reaction; Trump’s callous statement
• 15:53 – Hosts reflect on the unprecedented indecency
• 16:48 – Moore’s final take: "Pretty depressing stuff..."

Tone & Style

The podcast maintains Bulwark’s trademark: brisk, candid, slightly irreverent, and heavily fact-focused. Moore and the team mix biting sarcasm with sobering commentary, balancing dark humor with alarm over the administration’s behavior.

For Listeners Who Missed the Episode

• The episode unpacks Trump’s increasingly bombastic, fact-challenged, and graceless public performance.
• The Bulwark crew deconstructs legal and political rationales behind administration declarations and exposes their logical/factual holes.
• The show reserves special outrage for Trump’s callous response to tragedy and his continued elevation of loyal but incompetent officials.
• The overall verdict is a combination of disbelief, dark humor, and concerned warning about the direction of Trump-era governance—even compared to previous standards.