Bulwark Takes

Episode: Trump Exploits Chaos and Violence on Fox and Friends
Date: September 12, 2025
Hosts: JVL, Sarah Longwell, Tim Miller

Episode Overview

In this episode, the Bulwark team—JVL, Sarah Longwell, and Tim Miller—analyze Donald Trump's latest appearance on Fox and Friends, where he responds to a recent attack, offers shifting details in real time, and spins narratives about political violence and protest. The hosts unpack Trump’s stream-of-consciousness delivery, his reflex to blame left-wing groups, and the dangerous normalization of political violence, all while critiquing how right-wing media amplifies chaos and misinformation.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Trump's "Streamer" Approach: Spreading Unverified Information

• Real-Time Rumor-Mongering
  Trump’s Fox interview is described as haphazard, with Trump relaying breaking news he’s only just heard, lacking confirmation and context.
  • [02:32] Sarah Longwell: “We're in this world where Trump is like a streamer, you know, and he's just like on the couch, he's like, guys, I don't, you know, we don't actually know yet, but I'm hearing good things. It might have been the minister, might have been the dad, might have been the guy. We don't know, we don't know...And we've got the f---ing President of the United States just like live-posting, you know, what is happening?”
• Translation Problem
  • [03:29] Sarah Longwell: Points out the confusion in translating Trump’s account—was it a minister, the father, or someone else who turned in the suspect? Illustrates the danger of “live-bleating” during an active investigation.

2. Weaponizing Chaos: Trump’s Narrative on Protests and Agitators

• Soros and RICO Fantasies
  • [04:51] Donald Trump: “They have professional agitators ... They're professional from Soros and other people. And we're going to look into Soros because I think it's a RICO case against him...This is riots on the street and we're going to look into it.”
• Host Pushback
  • [05:19] JVL: “So I guess we’re not free speech absolutists anymore.”
• Sarah Longwell [05:23]: Warns that Trump’s rhetoric hints at a desire to use these incidents as means to “chill funders” and target dissenting organizations.

3. Double Standards: Differentiating Right vs. Left Radicals

• Excusing Right-Wing Radicalization
  • [08:50] Donald Trump: “The radicals on the right oftentimes are radical because they don't want to see crime...The radicals on the left are the problem, and they're vicious and they're horrible...The worst thing that happened to this country...I've solved just about every problem.”
  • [09:40] Tim Miller: “He is just saying very clearly radicalization on the right, not a problem because it's justified.”
• Contrasting Realities
  • [10:27] Sarah Longwell: Cites examples of right-wing violence, debunking Trump's implication that it’s solely a left-wing phenomenon.

4. Historical Context: Trump’s Tolerance for Political Violence

• January 6th Reference
  • [11:54] JVL: “Everything you need to know about Donald Trump political violence is actually on display in the January 6th Committee...Donald Trump wanted them to take the magnetometers down and let his people in because as he said, they're not here to hurt me.”
  • [12:23] Tim Miller: “He is at this moment, and he was at that moment hoping to foment increased political violence.”

5. The Media’s Response: Trump’s Expectations vs. Reality

• Trump’s Surprise at Restraint
  • [13:51] Donald Trump: “Even the left is having a hard time. They fired this guy Dowd from Ms. Dnc ... Radical left networks and cable channels, horrible channels ... but even they have been giving it sort of like, this can't be allowed to happen...”
  • [14:32] Sarah Longwell: “I just love that Trump kind of. Trump betrays little surprise, right? That he's like, they aren't like us. Actually, they aren't behaving like us.”
  • [15:41] JVL / Sarah: Trump interprets the media’s restraint as “weakness,” expecting them to behave as his allies would by immediately spinning or exploiting the tragedy.

Memorable Quotes & Moments (with Timestamps)

• On Trump’s Shifting Story:
  • [02:32] Sarah Longwell: “We're in this world where Trump is like a streamer ... just live-posting, you know, what is happening?”
• On Fox and Friends Gossip:
  • [04:36] Sarah Longwell jokes about Trump's awareness of Fox personalities’ drama, underlining Trump’s fixation on ratings and in-group dynamics.
• On Excusing the Radical Right:
  • [08:50] Donald Trump: “The radicals on the right...are radical because they don't want to see crime.”
  • [09:40] Tim Miller: “He is just saying very clearly radicalization on the right, not a problem because it's justified.”
• On January 6th and Political Violence:
  • [11:54] JVL: “Everything you need to know about Donald Trump political violence is actually on display in the January 6th Committee ... they're not here to hurt me.”
• On Trump’s Media Critique:
  • [13:51] Donald Trump: “Even the left is having a hard time... they're all terrible and unfair. But even they have been giving it, sort of like, this can't be allowed to happen.”
  • [14:32] Sarah Longwell: “He expects the rest of the media outlet stack like him and his people would ... I call it a false flag. Trump did it or something.”

Segment Timestamps

• [00:32-02:32] Trump’s “stream-of-consciousness” live update on suspect apprehension
• [02:32-04:36] Hosts dissect Trump’s rumor-sharing and confusion about who turned in the suspect
• [04:51-06:48] Trump blames “professional agitators,” invokes Soros, RICO; hosts discuss implications for free speech and civil liberties
• [08:35-10:27] Discussion of Trump’s justifications for right-wing radicals, contrast with violence on the left
• [11:54-12:35] January 6th Committee and Trump’s attitude toward armed supporters
• [13:51-15:43] Trump’s expectations for media response; hosts highlight his surprise at mainstream media restraint

Tone & Takeaways

• The episode maintains a mix of incredulity and dark humor, with jargon and language typical of political podcasts (“live-bleating,” “stooge,” “douchetastic”).
• The hosts stress the dangerous normalization of political violence, Trump’s appetite for chaos and division, and the ways right-wing media elevates conspiracy over fact.
• They highlight Trump’s indifference to truth and habit of weaponizing every news event for partisan advantage—foreshadowing further unrest as the cycle continues:
  • [12:35] Tim Miller: “He is trying to use this tragedy to turn us against each other, to create a back and forth of violence so that he has more pretextual opportunities to clamp down on people ... The magnitude of what is happening is very high.”

End Note:
The Bulwark crew promises further coverage as the story develops, closing with their trademark blend of political urgency and gallows humor.