Bulwark Takes — Under Pressure, Trump Retreats on Iran and DHS | Morning Chaser

Date: March 24, 2026
Host(s): Andrew Egger, Bill Kristol
Podcast: Bulwark Takes

Episode Overview

This episode of Morning Chaser dives deep into two high-stakes political dramas: the negotiations over Department of Homeland Security (DHS) funding and the continuing conflict with Iran. Hosts Andrew Egger and Bill Kristol discuss Donald Trump’s evolving—often contradictory—role in these events, examining how his unpredictable approach, personal style, and influence on the GOP are shaping American governance and policy. The episode also explores the “flattening” of the executive decision-making process and the disquieting culture of sycophancy surrounding the president.

Key Discussion Points

1. The DHS Shutdown Standoff and Trump’s Retreat

Context: Ongoing chaos due to the shutdown of DHS, specifically impacting TSA agent pay and airport operations.
Emergent Deal: Trump, who initially opposed a funding deal unless it included ICE and provisions from the GOP’s SAVE act (focused on voter ID), appears to back down after pressure and agrees to let a partial deal move forward—with ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) to be addressed separately through budget reconciliation (requiring fewer votes).
Notable Dynamics:
- Democrats manage to stay unified and resist GOP blame tactics.
- Even staunch Trump allies like Senator Kennedy and Senator Cruz are openly discussing Trump as the main roadblock to a deal.
- There’s increasing public recognition of the limits of Trump’s party control as primary filing deadlines pass, lessening his ability to threaten dissenters.

Notable Quotes

Bill Kristol (04:08):

“They may not have been succeeded in blaming Trump entirely for what's happening at the airports, but I think they succeeded in not being blamed… At any rate, the Republican senators seem to be feeling the heat more than the Democratic senators.”
Andrew Egger (09:03):

“He is very explicitly making the case there, there should be no deal that does not just continue to hold Democrats feet to the fire… And just a few hours before, apparently, he was willing to completely go back on that.”

2. The Trump Disconnect: Words vs. Deeds

Trump’s statements, especially at a recent Memphis event, were uncompromising, urging no deal without sweeping GOP priorities.
Yet, within hours, he allows a deal he’d previously denounced—prompting questions about his negotiation style and consistency.

Notable Quotes

Bill Kristol (10:01):

“I don't want to credit him with playing four dimensional chess or anything silly like that. A lot of it is bluster… He's not like a normal human being who thinks that you are somewhat constrained by what you said a week ago or a day ago or five hours ago. And I mean this seriously. It's part of his narcissism and almost, you know, sociopathy or something.”

3. Erosion of Trump’s Grip on GOP

With primary season crested, Trump is losing some leverage; more Republicans can afford to break with him without fear of reprisal.
Ted Kennedy and others publicly attribute shutdown deals’ failures to Trump— something virtually unheard of in previous cycles.

Notable Quotes

Bill Kristol (15:37):

“If Massie can win and if Cassidy can win [their primaries]… that would, I think, weaken Trump. If, obviously, if Trump beats them, there'll still be some threat hanging over people's heads.”

4. ICE at the Airports: Chaos by Talk Radio

Over the preceding weekend, Trump orders ICE agents to supplement TSA staff at airports—an idea that appears to have originated from a conservative radio caller (“Linda from Arizona”) and quickly echoed on Fox News before becoming White House policy (21:19-22:47).
The plan is chaotic and poorly implemented, with even ICE agents visibly unsure about their roles and the legality of their assignments.

Notable Quotes

Bill Kristol (22:47):

“It's an idiotic idea. No one suggested it. ICE doesn't want to be doing it. They're not trained to do it. If you want to add people to TSA… ICE would not be your first choice.”
Andrew Egger (27:00):

“All the policy of the United States of America is choked off at the bottleneck of getting Donald Trump's attention span and finding some way to kind of move through the tortured neurons of his brain to get the ‘yeah, okay, I guess’ sort of.”

5. The Dangers of a Flattened Decision-Making Process

Both hosts reflect on the collapse of normal policy vetting within the administration, with near-total reliance on Trump’s whims and media influence over actual governance.
Only the military and external market forces (“gas prices and things like that”) seem to act as institutional brakes.

Notable Quotes

Bill Kristol (30:30):

“I just feel like…that was not the case in the first term where there were all these people saying, no, sir, and you can't do this… The only breaks now are the military internally, the markets kind of externally…”

6. The Trump Sycophancy and Political Dysfunction

Egger and Kristol spotlight the “tongue baths” Trump receives from advisers like Stephen Miller and Kash Patel, and the corrosive effect of constant flattery and lack of dissent.
U.S. political culture’s typical irreverence replaced by a quasi-monarchical adulation around the president.

Notable Quotes

Andrew Egger (34:14):

“I mean, Stephen Miller talked for about three minutes on that topic of just the dark age that came before and the miraculous sort of rebirth and renewal of America under Donald Trump… and they’re in public, out on a stage. God knows how much more obsequious it is behind closed doors.”
Bill Kristol (35:07):

“It’s kind of sickening as an American… the great advantage democracies have is you don’t have this kind of stuff that we just saw… the leader only being surrounded by sycophants and never getting a dose of reality.”

7. Comic Relief and Closing Moments

Trump’s visit to Graceland (Elvis’s mansion) after the Memphis event provides a comical and surreal close, with Trump proclaiming, “And now it’s safe again.” (38:47)
Egger and Kristol riff on Graceland, Elvis nostalgia, and the weirdness of the moment, bringing some levity amid the alarm.

Memorable Moments & Timestamps

[08:04] – Trump’s slurred, uncompromising rhetoric on DHS: “We’re not going to let them out of this trap… You should vote together. Because the public has not liked what they've done at the airports…"
[13:13] – Senator Kennedy and Cruz openly discuss working around Trump
[19:56-20:18] – Bystander confrontation with ICE at San Francisco airport: “Can I see your badge number, sir? What is your name?”
[22:47-27:00] – Discussion of how a single radio call becomes national policy
[33:27-34:14] – Miller and Patel’s sycophantic praise for Trump onstage:
- Miller: “What President Trump has done on border security and public safety is a national miracle that will be studied not only for generations, but for centuries to come.”
- Trump: “Thank you, President Trump. Thank you, Steve. So, Cash, see if you can top that."
[38:47] – Trump at Graceland:
- Trump: “Yep. And now it’s safe again.”

Tone and Style

The conversation is brisk, insightful, and laced with dark humor and exasperation, reflecting both hosts’ frustration with the state of politics and the surrealness of daily governance. There’s a continual undercurrent of alarm over the collapse of process and rise of cult-like loyalty.

Summary Takeaway

This episode captures a government “under pressure” in multiple senses: Congress straining to govern around Trump’s unpredictability, Republican lawmakers testing the limits of his control, and a presidency increasingly adrift from institutional norms. Through changing positions, rash decisions sourced from talk radio, and an ever-thickening bubble of sycophancy, the Trump administration’s second term is shown as a time of instability and an ongoing stress test for American democracy.

For Listeners Looking for Details:

DHS Negotiations: Why and how Trump reversed himself, what the Politico deal means, and the now-questioned effectiveness of his grip on the GOP.
Institutional Norms Under Threat: Argument that normal White House processes and realities are overwhelmed by flattery, impulsiveness, and a lack of meaningful internal checks.
Cultural and Political Shifts: From ICE’s misapplied airport duties to the performative spectacle at Trump rallies, the episode draws attention to an America where memes and media clips can shape federal policy literally overnight.

For those keeping an eye on policymaking in the Trump era, this episode is both a primer on the real mechanics of Washington dysfunction and a cautionary snapshot of what happens when “the man in the chair” is the only process that matters.

Bulwark Takes — Under Pressure, Trump Retreats on Iran and DHS | Morning Chaser

Date: March 24, 2026
Host(s): Andrew Egger, Bill Kristol
Podcast: Bulwark Takes

Episode Overview

Key Discussion Points

1. The DHS Shutdown Standoff and Trump’s Retreat

Context: Ongoing chaos due to the shutdown of DHS, specifically impacting TSA agent pay and airport operations.
Emergent Deal: Trump, who initially opposed a funding deal unless it included ICE and provisions from the GOP’s SAVE act (focused on voter ID), appears to back down after pressure and agrees to let a partial deal move forward—with ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) to be addressed separately through budget reconciliation (requiring fewer votes).
Notable Dynamics:
- Democrats manage to stay unified and resist GOP blame tactics.
- Even staunch Trump allies like Senator Kennedy and Senator Cruz are openly discussing Trump as the main roadblock to a deal.
- There’s increasing public recognition of the limits of Trump’s party control as primary filing deadlines pass, lessening his ability to threaten dissenters.

Notable Quotes

Bill Kristol (04:08):

“They may not have been succeeded in blaming Trump entirely for what's happening at the airports, but I think they succeeded in not being blamed… At any rate, the Republican senators seem to be feeling the heat more than the Democratic senators.”
Andrew Egger (09:03):

“He is very explicitly making the case there, there should be no deal that does not just continue to hold Democrats feet to the fire… And just a few hours before, apparently, he was willing to completely go back on that.”

2. The Trump Disconnect: Words vs. Deeds

Trump’s statements, especially at a recent Memphis event, were uncompromising, urging no deal without sweeping GOP priorities.
Yet, within hours, he allows a deal he’d previously denounced—prompting questions about his negotiation style and consistency.

Notable Quotes

Bill Kristol (10:01):

“I don't want to credit him with playing four dimensional chess or anything silly like that. A lot of it is bluster… He's not like a normal human being who thinks that you are somewhat constrained by what you said a week ago or a day ago or five hours ago. And I mean this seriously. It's part of his narcissism and almost, you know, sociopathy or something.”

3. Erosion of Trump’s Grip on GOP

With primary season crested, Trump is losing some leverage; more Republicans can afford to break with him without fear of reprisal.
Ted Kennedy and others publicly attribute shutdown deals’ failures to Trump— something virtually unheard of in previous cycles.

Notable Quotes

Bill Kristol (15:37):

“If Massie can win and if Cassidy can win [their primaries]… that would, I think, weaken Trump. If, obviously, if Trump beats them, there'll still be some threat hanging over people's heads.”

4. ICE at the Airports: Chaos by Talk Radio

Over the preceding weekend, Trump orders ICE agents to supplement TSA staff at airports—an idea that appears to have originated from a conservative radio caller (“Linda from Arizona”) and quickly echoed on Fox News before becoming White House policy (21:19-22:47).
The plan is chaotic and poorly implemented, with even ICE agents visibly unsure about their roles and the legality of their assignments.

Notable Quotes

Bill Kristol (22:47):

“It's an idiotic idea. No one suggested it. ICE doesn't want to be doing it. They're not trained to do it. If you want to add people to TSA… ICE would not be your first choice.”
Andrew Egger (27:00):

“All the policy of the United States of America is choked off at the bottleneck of getting Donald Trump's attention span and finding some way to kind of move through the tortured neurons of his brain to get the ‘yeah, okay, I guess’ sort of.”

5. The Dangers of a Flattened Decision-Making Process

Both hosts reflect on the collapse of normal policy vetting within the administration, with near-total reliance on Trump’s whims and media influence over actual governance.
Only the military and external market forces (“gas prices and things like that”) seem to act as institutional brakes.

Notable Quotes

Bill Kristol (30:30):

“I just feel like…that was not the case in the first term where there were all these people saying, no, sir, and you can't do this… The only breaks now are the military internally, the markets kind of externally…”

6. The Trump Sycophancy and Political Dysfunction

Egger and Kristol spotlight the “tongue baths” Trump receives from advisers like Stephen Miller and Kash Patel, and the corrosive effect of constant flattery and lack of dissent.
U.S. political culture’s typical irreverence replaced by a quasi-monarchical adulation around the president.

Notable Quotes

Andrew Egger (34:14):

“I mean, Stephen Miller talked for about three minutes on that topic of just the dark age that came before and the miraculous sort of rebirth and renewal of America under Donald Trump… and they’re in public, out on a stage. God knows how much more obsequious it is behind closed doors.”
Bill Kristol (35:07):

“It’s kind of sickening as an American… the great advantage democracies have is you don’t have this kind of stuff that we just saw… the leader only being surrounded by sycophants and never getting a dose of reality.”

7. Comic Relief and Closing Moments

Trump’s visit to Graceland (Elvis’s mansion) after the Memphis event provides a comical and surreal close, with Trump proclaiming, “And now it’s safe again.” (38:47)
Egger and Kristol riff on Graceland, Elvis nostalgia, and the weirdness of the moment, bringing some levity amid the alarm.

Memorable Moments & Timestamps

[08:04] – Trump’s slurred, uncompromising rhetoric on DHS: “We’re not going to let them out of this trap… You should vote together. Because the public has not liked what they've done at the airports…"
[13:13] – Senator Kennedy and Cruz openly discuss working around Trump
[19:56-20:18] – Bystander confrontation with ICE at San Francisco airport: “Can I see your badge number, sir? What is your name?”
[22:47-27:00] – Discussion of how a single radio call becomes national policy
[33:27-34:14] – Miller and Patel’s sycophantic praise for Trump onstage:
- Miller: “What President Trump has done on border security and public safety is a national miracle that will be studied not only for generations, but for centuries to come.”
- Trump: “Thank you, President Trump. Thank you, Steve. So, Cash, see if you can top that."
[38:47] – Trump at Graceland:
- Trump: “Yep. And now it’s safe again.”

Tone and Style

Summary Takeaway

For Listeners Looking for Details:

DHS Negotiations: Why and how Trump reversed himself, what the Politico deal means, and the now-questioned effectiveness of his grip on the GOP.
Institutional Norms Under Threat: Argument that normal White House processes and realities are overwhelmed by flattery, impulsiveness, and a lack of meaningful internal checks.
Cultural and Political Shifts: From ICE’s misapplied airport duties to the performative spectacle at Trump rallies, the episode draws attention to an America where memes and media clips can shape federal policy literally overnight.