Bulwark Takes – Episode Summary

Episode: WOW: Trump’s Stupid NYT Suit Gets a Legal SWIRLY

Date: September 20, 2025
Hosts: Tim Miller & Sam Stein (The Bulwark)

Overview

In this lively installment of Bulwark Takes, hosts Tim Miller and Sam Stein dive into the latest legal debacle surrounding Donald Trump: his much-hyped and swiftly-dismissed lawsuit against The New York Times. The conversation is a whip-smart blend of legal analysis, pop culture references, and concerned discussion about the broader state of media, free speech, and the chilling effects of Trump-aligned legal maneuvers. Despite the ridiculousness of the lawsuit itself, Tim and Sam highlight the real-world consequences of such actions for media organizations and free speech in America.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Trump’s NYT Lawsuit Smacked Down

• Tim Miller recaps: Trump’s lawsuit accused The New York Times of being "too mean," underplaying his fame, success, and even omitting his cameo in Home Alone 2. The judge, Stephen Merryday, was having none of it.
  • Quote: “It was 85 pages of knob slobbing. And he had other business to attend to that day.” (Tim, 03:09)
• Favorite Lines from Judge Merryday’s Dismissal:
  • The judge mocked the legal filing’s “desperate need to defame with a partisan spear” and lengthy, excessive praise for Trump.
  • Quote: “A complaint is not a megaphone for public relations or a podium for a passionate oration at a political rally or the functional equivalent of the Hyde Park speakers' corner.” (Sam reading Merryday, 03:32)

2. Jokey Legal Banter

• Both hosts riff on the judge’s colorful vocabulary and speculate about whether federal judges are now competing to pen the most dramatic bench slaps.
  • The “Hyde Park Speakers’ Corner” reference sends them down a tangent about historical free-speech venues.
  • Quote: “So you get this coming across your desk and, you know, you’re like, ‘I’m going to have a little fun with these clowns. All right? I’m going to give them a swirly.’” (Tim, 05:31)

3. The Chilling Impact of Political Lawsuits on Journalism

• Sam underscores that, while the slapdown is satisfying, these lawsuits drain resources and are genuinely troubling for media organizations—even when dismissed.
  • Quote: “The Times doesn’t want to have to deal with this, obviously. It takes attention away from their work and it takes resources away from the paper.” (Sam, 07:14)
• Broader Media Landscape: The hosts discuss a rise in “silent censorship” and describe how journalists and pundits are tiptoeing around topics for fear of online mobs or political retribution.
  • Sam references the upcoming Charlie Kirk memorial service, noting the anxiety it’s causing among media professionals.
  • Quote: “There is a silent censorship happening…everyone is going around being like, ah, you know, they don't want to tick off the administration.” (Sam, 08:34)

4. Notable Quotes and Memorable Moments

• Tim wryly notes the “vituperative swirly” administered by the judge, poking fun at the absurdity of the case and the language used in the ruling.
  • Quote: “…a vituperative swirly using…what I have at my disposal, which is a pen. You know, in a legal ruling.” (Tim, 05:31)
• Discussion of conservative voices rebuking Trump’s tactics—mention of Ted Cruz and Bill Simmons standing up for free speech, offering rare bipartisan relief.
  • Quote: “I’m pleasantly…the last 12 to 24 hours have been pleasantly surprising to see some voices speak out….People need to, like, just speak out. Like, that’s all we have.” (Sam, 08:02)

5. Trump’s Latest Free Speech Hypocrisy

• The hosts play a clip of Trump conflating negative coverage with illegality, exposing his ongoing misunderstanding of First Amendment protections.
  • Trump: “See, I think that’s really illegal personally.” (10:22)
• Sam’s commentary: Trump’s “thin skin” could warp the country’s sense of free speech.
  • Quote: “He’s going to make it totally acceptable for a huge chunk of this country to absolutely abandon any semblance of free speech principles.” (Sam, 11:56)

Timestamps for Important Segments

| Time | Segment/Quote | |-----------|--------------------------------------------------------------------| | 01:00 | Start of main conversation—Intro to Trump NYT lawsuit | | 02:12 | Tim and Sam read and mock the judge’s decision | | 03:23 | “[A] complaint is not a megaphone for public relations…” | | 04:00 | Hyde Park Speakers’ Corner explanation and jokey tangent | | 05:31 | “I’m going to give them a swirly…”—Tim on judge’s bench slap | | 07:14 | Sam: The real impact of these lawsuits on journalism | | 08:33 | Silent censorship and the anxiety in newsrooms | | 10:26 | Trump Clip: On free speech and negative coverage | | 11:45 | Sam: Trump’s thin skin and free speech |

Notable Quotes

• On the lawsuit’s absurdity:
  “It was 85 pages of knob slobbing. And he had other business to attend to that day.”
  — Tim Miller (03:09)

• On legal complaints as performance art:
  “A complaint is not a megaphone for public relations or a podium for a passionate oration at a political rally or the functional equivalent of the Hyde Park speakers' corner.”
  — Judge Merryday, read by Sam Stein (03:32)

• On media intimidation:
  “There is a silent censorship happening…everyone is going around being like, ah, you know, they don't want to tick off the administration.”
  — Sam Stein (08:34)

• On Trump’s misunderstanding of free speech:
  “He’s going to make it totally acceptable for a huge chunk of this country to absolutely abandon any semblance of free speech principles.”
  — Sam Stein (11:56)

• On enduring the circus:
  “And we'll continue to mock him and his little tiny fingers.”
  — Tim Miller (12:37)

Tone & Style

• Language & banter: Spirited, sarcastic, and irreverent—punctuated by genuine concern for American democracy and journalistic norms.
• Feel: The hosts juggle the comically pathetic aspects of the Trump lawsuit with the sobering reality of media intimidation.

Takeaway

While Trump’s New York Times lawsuit offered ample fodder for mockery—both legal and linguistic—the Bulwark hosts highlight a serious undercurrent: the growing tendency of political figures to use the courts as tools of intimidation, and the subtler, ongoing threats to free speech in American public life.

End of Summary