The Bulwark Podcast Summary

Episode: Bill Kristol: MAGA’s Grievance Culture
Date: February 9, 2026
Hosts: Tim Miller, Bill Kristol

Episode Overview

This episode, hosted by Tim Miller with regular guest Bill Kristol, delves into the intersection of pop culture and politics, with special emphasis on the rise of MAGA grievance culture, political controversy over Super Bowl halftime shows, athletes’ public criticisms of the U.S., the ongoing debate about DHS/ICE funding, and strategic messaging for Democrats going into the 2026 elections.

Miller and Kristol cut through partisan talking points to highlight the underlying patterns of right-wing political culture, analyze Democratic opportunities on immigration and working-class appeal, and offer pointed commentary on recent election results and messaging strategies.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Super Bowl Halftime Show Culture Wars

• Super Bowl Recap: Both hosts agree the game was boring but diverge on the halftime performance, with discussion quickly pivoting to political criticism from conservatives of Bad Bunny and the prominence of non-English cultural moments.

• MAGA Reactionary Culture:

  • MAGA figures, including Trump and Clay Travis, criticized the performance as “un-American” for being in Spanish, representing a broader grievance against multiculturalism.
  • Kristol notes, "Some conservative friends, including back when I was in that world, they've been upset about super bowl halftime shows for like, 30 years… expecting it to be the imminent decline of America, and it didn’t seem to have much effect." (05:34)

• American Music Irony: Participants highlight the irony of conservatives longing for “true American music,” which historically draws heavily from immigrant and Black traditions.

  • Miller quips, "They just want true American music, you know, like Paul McCartney... Oh, wait. All the British brands that stole the blues music..." (06:06)
  • Kristol expands, "What would American music be like if it actually were only written by … ‘heritage Americans’? Would there be any American music?" (06:37)

2. Olympians Criticizing America and MAGA Grievance

• Athletes’ Voices: Miller plays clips of U.S. Olympians expressing discomfort in representing America due to current political policies and expressing a desire to represent love and respect.

• Right-Wing Backlash: MAGA world responds with outrage, demanding conformity and patriotism.

  • Miller: "They want to force everybody to stand in line and abide by their speech codes, the MAGA patriotic speech codes. And if they don't do it, then they're...trying to denaturalize and deport you. And it’s totally insane." (11:45)

• First Amendment Irony:

  • Kristol: "You might think that that is what it means to be an American and that to say the opposite is actually what's un-American. You can't criticize Dear Leader." (12:18)

• Patriotic Correctness: Miller frames MAGA as the new “patriotic correctness,” mirroring the left’s “political correctness” they so often derided.

• Quote:

  • Miller: "They're doing all this shit that I hated about PC culture and that they claim to have hated with the patriotic correctness." (11:45)

3. DHS/ICE Funding Debate

• Strategy for Democrats:

  • Miller explains Kristol's recent newsletter idea pushing Democrats to separate “good” DHS funding (like FEMA) from ICE and Border Patrol, forcing Republicans to vote directly on controversial elements.

• Kristol’s Position:

  • Kristol: "The less funding for ICE and Border Patrol, the better. That's my simple minded view. They're doing bad things to immigrants, obviously. They're doing bad things to Americans. They're intimidating citizens. They're part of the election...interference plan." (16:23)

• Debate Over Restrictions vs. Funding:

  • Miller discusses the internal Dem debate—should they take small wins via increased oversight/restrictions, or push harder to cut funding entirely?
  • Kristol: "Fight the funding." (16:23)

• Political Opportunity:

  • Kristol and Miller stress the political value in Democrats “staying on offense” and publicly challenging Republicans on the specifics of ICE and CBP funding.
  • Kristol: "They need to just hammer these people and say, are you against the warrants? Why are you for the masks?" (20:09)

4. Federal Corruption Revelations

• FBI/ICE Political Interference: Miller flags recent reporting confirming direct political interference from Trump allies like Kash Patel in federal investigation processes, specifically referencing suspected cover-ups.
• Quote:
  • Miller: "We're getting back to Hoover days where… the head of the FBI is saying no, we need to cover this up because it's going to make the president look bad." (22:46)
• Implications:
  • Kristol urges explicit demands for independent oversight and investigations in any future ICE funding bills.

5. Democratic Political Momentum & Special Elections

• Louisiana House Special Election:
  • Miller reports on Chasity Martinez's win as a Democrat in a deep Trump district—a local but significant Democratic victory.
  • Kristol: "The pattern's gotten pretty convincing...It's so important for Democrats to make some dents in the white working class vote, especially the white working class women...I think they have a real shot certainly at the House...and the Senate." (26:08–27:22)
• 2026 Candidate Recruitment:
  • The hosts push for late recruitment of quality Democratic challengers in red state Senate and House races, emphasizing that there’s still time to capitalize on anti-Trump trends.

6. Messaging for Democrats: Economic Populism

• Ossoff Speech as a Model:

  • Miller plays excerpts from Jon Ossoff’s recent speech targeting MAGA hypocrisy and appealing to working-class voters.
  • Ossoff quote:
    • "This is a government of, by and for the ultra rich. It is the wealthiest cabinet ever. This is the Epstein class ruling our country. They are the elites they pretend to hate...Trump was supposed to fight for the working class. Instead, he's literally closing rural clinics and hospitals to cut taxes for George Soros and Elon Musk..." (32:58)

• Effective Framing:

  • Miller: "Framing the whole thing as, like, MAGA has betrayed working class voters, is good...The Epstein class is good. Getting rid of rural hospitals for tax breaks for Soros and Musk, just throwing a little Soros dig in there, I like..." (34:27)

• Key Takeaways:

  • The need for Dems to offer a clear, targeted, working-class-friendly economic message, and tie Republican actions directly to real harms.
  • Kristol: "The moderates who still want to sound like Bill Clinton on economics are just wrong. You got to sound more like Franklin Roosevelt... He attacked the economic royalists..." (36:28)

• Specificity Matters:

  • Kristol: "Tying it to the particular, reasonably...specific policies of Trump and the particular votes of Republicans in Congress...gives you the real oomph." (39:09)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On MAGA Grievance Culture:

  • Kristol: "The grievance culture, it is really insane, right? I mean they just want to be offended by stuff." (09:34)

• On Dems Needing to Stay Aggressive:

  • Kristol: "The key honestly is to stay on offense…They need to just hammer these people." (20:09)
  • Miller: "That is what America is. You're able to love the country and criticize the leaders… These folks don't really seem to get that or don't care." (11:45)

• On Populist Messaging:

  • Ossoff: "This is a government of, by and for the ultra rich. It is the wealthiest cabinet ever. This is the Epstein class ruling our country." (32:58)
  • Kristol: "...the Epstein class thing is very important, I think. And it also shows that Epstein is actually a big issue. Political class seems to keep wanting it to go away, but then it seems like the public's quite interested, you know." (36:28)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• Super Bowl Halftime Show / MAGA Cultural Grievance: 02:42 – 06:46
• Olympians Criticize America, MAGA Backlash, Patriotic Correctness: 07:07 – 12:39
• DHS/ICE Funding Bill Debate: 13:53 – 20:09
• FBI/ICE Political Interference and Cover-Up: 21:59 – 24:18
• Special Elections, Dem Momentum, Candidate Recruitment: 24:18 – 29:28
• Dem Messaging and the Ossoff Speech: 29:28 – 37:32
• Corruption, Trump, and the Epstein Class: 42:48 – end

Final Thoughts

The episode delivers a sharp, entertaining diagnosis of right-wing grievance and the pitfalls of “patriotic correctness,” with actionable advice for Democrats: stay on the offensive, make the opposition publicly defend unpopular policies, and adopt clear, working-class-oriented messaging that capitalizes on Republican hypocrisy and corruption. Ossoff’s speech is singled out as a model for connecting with disaffected voters across the spectrum.

"They're doing all this shit that I hated about PC culture and that they claim to have hated with the patriotic correctness. That's what they want. And it is a direct affront to like the good part of America. That's what America is. You're able to love the country and criticize the leaders, like, that's great."
—Tim Miller (11:45)

"The less funding for ICE and Border Patrol, the better. That's my simple minded view. They're doing bad things to immigrants, obviously. They're doing bad things to Americans. They're intimidating citizens. They're part of the election...interference plan."
—Bill Kristol (16:23)

For listeners hoping to understand the roots of the MAGA reactionary impulse, its consequences for U.S. politics, and the roadmap for an effective Democratic fightback, this episode is essential listening.