The Next Level Ep. 1057: "Trump Wants to Be King of the World" (Live from Minneapolis)

Date: February 21, 2026
Hosts: Sarah Longwell, Tim Miller, Jonathan V. Last (JVL), with guests Bill Kristol and Sam Stein

Overview

This live episode of The Next Level brings together Sarah Longwell, Tim Miller, JVL, Sam Stein, and Bill Kristol for a spirited and frequently hilarious discussion of post-2024 politics, Donald Trump’s latest international escapades, the state of American democracy, and Democratic party prospects. The hosts, known for their sharp analysis and signature banter, tackle the absurdities of the week’s news, focusing on Trump’s "Board of Peace," looming threats of war, the collapse of rule of law, and the prospects for 2028.

Key Themes & Segments

1. Trump’s "Board of Peace" and the Quest for Global Power

[03:05–09:19]

• The "Donald J. Trump Board of Peace":
  Sarah introduces the surreal spectacle of Trump founding a so-called Board of Peace, a murky international body into which the US has allegedly funneled $10 billion. No one can say who actually runs it or where the money truly goes.
• Financial Shenanigans:
  Sarah jokes about JP Morgan wanting to be the "private banker for this august institution," lampooning the incredible lack of transparency and accountability.
• Dictator’s Club:
  The board is stacked with non-democracies and dictatorships. Tim Miller likens it to a "Sopranos"-style protection racket: "This is like a gang thing. This is like a Sopranos type situation..." [08:03]
• JVL's Theory:
  JVL pushes the pod’s main thesis: "I think he wants to be king of the world. And I think that the Board of Peace is the way that he takes billions of dollars out of America..." [06:25]
• Concerns About Governance:
  There’s dark laughter as the hosts reflect on the Board’s rules: "Do you know how do you remove the head of the Board of Peace?" Tim asks. "They die." [07:17]

Notable Quote:

"He wants to be king of the world. And I think that the Board of Peace is the way that he takes billions of dollars out of America, puts it in this Board... and he's over there running the entire globe with a bunch of dictators, with all of our taxpayer dollars."
— JVL [06:25]

2. Foreign Policy Dangers: The Iran Threat

[09:51–14:36]

• Trump’s Warmongering:
  Trump, while presiding supposedly over "peace," threatens war with Iran, promising "bad things will happen" if they don’t strike a nuclear deal. Sam Stein wryly observes, "He did fall asleep at the Board of Peace, so..." [09:39]
• Youthful Voters Duped:
  Tim highlights the contradiction: Trump positioned himself as the peace candidate, appealing especially to young men who didn’t want to be drafted, but now "all of the ships are currently going to Iran" [11:51].
• Democratic Passivity:
  There’s palpable frustration that Democrats aren’t sounding the alarm. Tim: "I feel like the Democrats should be a little bit more hair on fire about this... No war with Iran run by a former drunk weekend talk show co host. No. It’s a no." [13:08]

Notable Quote:

"No war with Iran run by a former drunk weekend talk show co-host. No. It’s a no."
— Tim Miller [13:08]

3. Rule of Law vs. Corruption: Epstein Files & U.S. Justice

[22:07–31:25]

• International Accountability vs. U.S. Impunity:
  The team discusses Prince Andrew's arrest in Europe following the Epstein files' release and contrasts that with total American inaction. Sarah: "It seems like the rule of law can function in Latvia, but not in America. Is anybody else concerned about this?" [22:31]
• Epstein & the Trump Administration:
  JVL: "The only person who's really suffered professional consequences is like that lady lawyer who was then at Goldman Sachs... the rest of them are literally in the Trump administration..." [24:15]
• The Collapse of Accountability:
  Tim goes full alarm: "Our country's legal system is indistinguishable from an authoritarian third world banana republic... the rule of law in our country is indistinguishable from like a Gaddafi, Libya style rule of law." [27:16, 28:13]
• Selective Justice:
  With chilling examples, the crew illustrates how those close to power (or on the Epstein list) enjoy impunity, while ordinary Americans bear the brunt of a warped system (e.g., ICE detentions).

Notable Quote:

"The rule of law in our country is indistinguishable from like a Gaddafi, Libya style rule of law. Like, we're not even fucking close to Latvia. Latvia is running circles around us."
— Tim Miller [28:13]

4. Why Aren’t Americans More Outraged?

[31:09–35:21]

• Historical Context:
  Sarah contrasts the U.S. with other democracies that have imprisoned coup leaders, while America has "made the motherfucker president again." [31:54]
• Overwhelm & Denial:
  JVL and Tim theorize that both political and public lack of urgency stem from being overwhelmed, failure of imagination, or cowardice. JVL: "Our political class seems unable to... It's not 10 things. It's one thing. Every one of these stories is a story you could tell quickly: they are scamming you." [33:44]
• Need for Outrage:
  The team laments Democratic timidity and lack of fire, noting that righteous anger—not just policy plans—should animate opposition.

5. Democratic Bench: The Tim Walz Debrief and 2028 Speculation

[40:47–56:21]

• Tim Walz’s Performance:
  The hosts reflect on their dinner with Gov. Walz, Harris’ VP pick, noting he was "much larger and spryer than I thought." [41:25] Ultimately, the consensus is that while Walz is a good and empathetic man, he may be too nice and not ruthless enough for this political moment: "We need people... with an edge of ruthlessness... the ability to go fight really hard." [48:19]
• 2028 Democratic Field:
  They riff on a new New Hampshire poll:
  • Mayor Pete: 20%
  • AOC: 15%
  • Gavin Newsom: 10%
  • Kamala Harris: 10%
  • Mark Kelly: 10%
  • Others: below 5% [53:15] Discussion notes the public appetite for candidates who “fight back” and authentically "talk like themselves" on social media.

Notable Quotes:

"Fight them, kick them in the balls, spit on them, tell them that they're losers. That's what the people want and that's what the moment requires."
— Tim Miller [54:38]

"We need people... with an edge of ruthlessness... the ability to go fight really hard and understand you have to see your enemy clearly."
— JVL [48:19]

6. The Case for AOC – And Cautions

[58:44–60:56]

• AOC’s Appeal:
  Sarah and others acknowledge AOC’s popularity in the poll and her excitement factor: "She belongs to the actual present and not the past."
• Potential Pitfalls:
  Tim cautions that AOC’s “peak woke” online history could haunt her: "My one AOC thing is she was very online during peak woke. If I put together a sizzle reel of the weirdest shit she said about Latinx in 2019, people would look at that and be like, woof..." [60:18]
• Brand Separation:
  Tim highlights that AOC (and Pete Buttigieg) succeed at least in "talking like themselves" on social media, not through sanitized, consultant-managed accounts.

Memorable Moments & Quotes

• JVL’s Grand Theory:
  "He wants to be king of the world..." [06:25]
• The Board of Peace’s Dictator Roster:
  Sarah: “El Salvador, Hungary, Indonesia, Israel, Pakistan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Albania, Belarus, Egypt, Vietnam. I don’t think any of those are democracies. Israel is it, though?” Tim: “Vietnam A little. Is it?... We’re not doing the democracy thing anymore, though. That’s not the deal.” [08:15]
• On U.S. Justice:
  "If you're a friend of the president... you don't get prosecuted... If you're just a rich guy doing a crypto scam, you don't get prosecuted anymore... It's a pardon palooza in there."
  — Tim Miller [27:16, 28:13]
• Rule of Law Dystopia:
  “It is like a Gaddafi, Libya style rule of law.” — Tim Miller [28:13]
• On Democratic Timidity:
  "We need people... with an edge of ruthlessness... the ability to go fight really hard..." — JVL [48:19]
• 2028 Field Social Media Advice:
  "If you’re going to run for president in 2028, your social media feed should not be run by a bisexual with long Covid. I'm sorry." — Tim Miller [56:21]

Timestamps for Key Segments

| Segment | Timestamp | |------------------------------------------------|--------------| | Trump Board of Peace Introduction | 03:05–09:19 | | Iran & War Threats, Dems inaction | 09:51–14:36 | | Rule of Law/Epstein/Corruption | 22:07–31:25 | | Why No Outrage? Comparisons with other democracies | 31:09–35:21 | | Tim Walz Debrief & Dems' Need for Fighters | 40:47–48:19 | | 2028 Dem Field poll & AOC/Buttigieg Analysis | 53:01–60:56 |

Summary for New Listeners

Essentially, this episode deploys sharp, often dark humor (“Just blowing shit up... America, fuck yeah!” [19:48]) to skewer the Trumpified political landscape and despair over the normalization of corruption, autocracy, and Democratic passivity. The “Board of Peace” becomes a running metaphor for the empty, leaderless, money-soaked international order under Trump, and the co-hosts paint a bleak picture of accountability and justice in the United States.

Even as despair flashes through, the episode remains raucously entertaining, with frequent digressions, friendly jabs, and punchy, meme-ready lines. Through it all is a call—for Democrats to find both their voice and their anger, and for voters to demand more than performative “niceness” or endless focus group-tested caution from would-be leaders.

For more episodes and full transcripts, visit thebulwark.com.