Bulwark Takes: "Trump Thinks He’s Going to Heaven"

Date: March 29, 2026
Host: Tim Miller (The Bulwark)

Episode Overview

This episode, hosted by Tim Miller, delivers a brisk, acerbic rundown of the current news chaos emanating from the White House, focusing mainly on Donald Trump’s recent social media activity. Miller dissects Trump’s posts about the ongoing war with Iran, unpacks evangelical support (notably a blunt message from Franklin Graham assuring Trump of his place in heaven), and analyzes reactions to the nationwide “No Kings” rallies protesting Trump’s growing authoritarianism. The episode maintains a signature Bulwark blend of sharp political insight, wry humor, and palpable concern over the administration’s actions.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Trump’s Transparent Internal Monologue on Social Media

• (02:00-03:30)
  Tim Miller highlights the unprecedented visibility into Trump’s thought process thanks to his social media use (“we get to understand his internal monologue at all times”). Trump’s public embrace of commentary pieces defending his foreign policy offers clues to his current mindset.

2. The Iran War and the ‘Mark’ Echo Chamber

• (03:30-07:00)
  Trump has recently boosted columns and commentary from Mark Levin and Marc Thiessen, both championing his perceived “nerve” with Iran. Thiessen’s Washington Post piece, curiously introduced with Kipling’s “If—”, is interpreted as thinly-veiled reassurance (or, Miller jibes, “treating him like a child”).
• Important Quote:

  “If you can wait and not be tired by waiting, you will get a reward. You’ll get a toy at the end. And that strategy seems to have worked because Trump read the article and was like, yes, I am a great man.”
  — Tim Miller (04:51)

• Troop deployments are mentioned: over 2,500 Marines have been deployed to the Middle East, and Trump is publicly aligning himself with the war hawk perspective.

3. Mark Levin’s Vision for Iran: A ‘National Treasure’ Plot

• (05:32-07:00)
  Miller plays a Mark Levin soundbite, where Levin asserts the need for specialized ground troops to “secure enriched uranium” in Iran—a fantastical mission Miller parodies as a “Nicolas Cage-style” movie plot.

• Important Quote:

  “We are in good hands. No, not with Allstate, but with President Trump because he’s a man with enormous intelligence, enormous common sense.”
  — Mark Levin (06:44)

• Miller’s Reaction:
  He lampoons the impracticality and risk of sending American troops into Iran to “exfil the vats of uranium”—suggesting even the premise is absurd, bordering on cosplay.

4. Escalating Consequences: Rising Costs and Global Disruption

• (11:21-12:45)
  Miller highlights increasing economic fallout as the Strait of Hormuz remains closed, affecting supply chains globally—he notes, for instance, how even butter chicken in India is being impacted. Military losses, including notably expensive equipment destroyed in Iranian attacks, are cited as mounting evidence of the escalating conflict.

5. Trump’s Path to Heaven: Franklin Graham’s Letter

• (12:50-13:55)
  On Palm Sunday, Trump posts a letter from Franklin Graham, which straightforwardly lays out the evangelical formula for salvation and assures Trump (and followers) that faith in Jesus alone is the “ticket to heaven.”

• Letter Excerpt Read Aloud:

  “The only way to heaven is through the shed blood of Jesus Christ... If you accept that by faith and invite him to come into your heart, you are heaven bound, I promise you.”
  — Franklin Graham (13:20)

• Miller notes the not-so-subtle message this sends to non-Christian Americans and questions the propriety of the President and Speaker of the House, Mike Johnson, essentially declaring non-Christians can’t enter heaven.

• Miller’s Sardonic Take:

  “Trump, I think, posted it just because he’s like, hell, yeah, I’m going to heaven, bitches. Franklin Graham, he’s a holy guy over here, says, I’m going to heaven.” (13:55)

6. Franklin Graham’s CPAC Shoutout and ‘Trump the Theocrat’

• (14:08-14:37; 14:37-15:47)
  Miller plays a CPAC clip of Graham passionately supporting Trump, then scathingly doubts both the sincerity and the constitutionality of pushing Trump as some kind of national theocrat.

• Graham’s Remark:

  “But I love that guy. I love him. And we’ll only have one chance at this. We’ll never get another president like Donald Trump.”
  — Franklin Graham (14:17)

• Miller ridicules the idea of Trump as a genuine Christian or eternal autocrat, framing the whole spectacle as “kayfabe”—political performance—and questions the consequences for democracy.

7. ‘No Kings’ Rallies: Grassroots Pushback

• (15:47-17:50)
  Miller reflects on his attendance at the “No Kings” rally in New Orleans and praises the American tradition of grassroots dissent spanning from small towns to big cities. He notes the shift in right-wing response: less direct pushback this time, more embarrassing attempts at ridicule.

• Notable Moment:
  Republican social media’s “No Queens” insult aimed at Minnesota Governor Tim Walz (16:44)—Miller mocks the childishness and lack of meaningful message:

  “That’s the best you can do, calling Tim Walz a homosexual? Oh, that’s so funny. [...] The person gotten us into this stupid war might be gay. But anyway, it’s pathetic, it’s sad and it shows you where this is heading.”
  — Tim Miller (16:54)

8. Republicans’ Floundering Narrative

• Miller concludes the right lacks any compelling positive pitch for a second Trump term and is left with “childish insults and trying to delegitimize those who are challenging their lawless and inept administration.”

  “They have no message […] They don't really have a positive message about the second Trump administration right now. They've got no positive story to tell.” (17:38)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “Trump, I think, posted it just because he’s like, hell, yeah, I’m going to heaven, bitches.”
  — Tim Miller (13:55), satirically distilling Trump’s egotistical response to Franklin Graham’s letter.

• “This is like a national treasure, Nicolas Cage style mission that Mark Levin is pushing on American troops, pushing on Donald Trump, who’s obviously watching the show.”
  — Tim Miller (07:06), mocking the Iran uranium exfiltration scenario.

• “No, not with Allstate, but with President Trump because he’s a man with enormous intelligence, enormous common sense.”
  — Mark Levin (06:44)

• “We’ll never get another president like Donald Trump. Never. And that’s why it’s important that we do everything that we can to… try to get him reelected.”
  — Franklin Graham (14:17)

• “No queens. Oh, such a good one. So embarrassing. So embarrassing. That gets through the approval chain. Chairman of the RNC is like, yeah, let’s do that.”
  — Tim Miller (17:07)

Timestamps for Major Segments

• 02:00 — Miller sets up the Trump social media theme and the Iran war narrative
• 05:32 — Mark Levin’s ‘uranium raid’ plan soundbite
• 07:06 — “National Treasure” parody, military risk analysis
• 12:50 — Trump posts Franklin Graham’s letter on salvation; Miller examines implications
• 14:08 — Franklin Graham’s CPAC endorsement of Trump
• 15:47 — “No Kings” rally recap and observations
• 16:44 — Republican “No Queens” meme, Miller’s critique
• 17:38 — Closing thoughts on GOP's lack of positive message

Takeaways

• Trump’s unfiltered online commentary provides a window into his mindset and priorities, especially on Iran.
• Evangelical leaders like Franklin Graham are doubling down on both religious and political validation for Trump, sometimes in ways that starkly underline religious exclusion.
• The grassroots “No Kings” movements are growing, while the Trump team and GOP response is veering into childish territory, underscoring a deficit in positive vision.
• The war in Iran is escalating, with real economic and military tolls mounting—much of which is being downplayed or spun by administration allies.
• Miller’s tone is incisive, mocking, and concerned—a voice for pro-democracy resistance inside a fraught news environment.

For those who haven’t listened:
This episode offers a sharp, sometimes darkly funny, and highly readable breakdown of the latest Trump saga—how social media, war, and evangelical fervor are colliding inside today’s White House, all while a new protest movement builds steam across the country.