Podcast
The Secret Podcast
Hosted by The Bulwark · EN
Each Friday, best friends Sarah Longwell and JVL go off-leash and uncensored in this intimate podcast.
Only for Bulwark+ members.
www.thebulwark.com
www.thebulwark.com
27episodes
Episodes
Newest firstAll episodes
Trump Voters Say JD Vance Gives Them the Willies
3d ago00:27:30Tap to summarizeThis is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.thebulwark.comSarah Longwell and Sam Stein (filling in for JVL) discuss Trump’s tedious (and still scary!) election speech, the documents that undercut his election claims, JD Vance’s cringe appearance on Joe Rogan, Trump voters’ brutal reactions to Vance, and Democrats’ missed opportunities at the Todd Blanche hearing.Finally: There are more tickets to see Sarah and JVL on September 8 in NYC! We are about to sell out the orchestra section—but we want to sell out the balcony, too. It’s a point of pride. Come hang with us. Tickets are here.Show notes:The Secret Podcast with JVL and Sarah is exclusively for members of Bulwark+. To watch or listen to future episodes and join the Secret community in the comments become a Bulwark+ member today. The only way through is together.
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Trump Did What? (Evergreen Tweet.)
1w ago00:25:31Tap to summarizeThis is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.thebulwark.comSarah and JVL are back together, looking at Trump’s NATO disgrace, wondering if Mitch McConnell is really talking to people on the phone about detailed policy questions, and analyzing the factional fight in the Democratic party between the people trying to elect Democrats and the insurgents focused on displacing the establishment.Short version: What if Morris Katz is just the left’s Steve Bannon?Also, there’s some personal stuff at the end.Finally: There are more tickets to see Sarah and JVL on September 8 in NYC! We are about to sell out the orchestra section—but we want to sell out the balcony, too. It’s a point of pride. Come hang with us. Tickets are here.Show notes:* JVL’s Triad: “Progressives Are Mad at the Wrong People”* Sarah is Wyatt Earp; JVL is Doc Holliday, explained.The Secret Podcast with JVL and Sarah is exclusively for members of Bulwark+. To watch or listen to future episodes and join the Secret community in the comments become a Bulwark+ member today. The only way through is together.
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It's 100x Worse Than Watergate—and Republicans Still Won't Quit
2w ago00:14:41Tap to summarizeThis is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.thebulwark.comSarah Longwell and Bill Kristol (filling in for JVL) take on America’s 250th birthday under Trump—and how far the GOP has fallen from Reagan’s “you can become an American” to 2,000 ICE arrests a day. They break down the right-wing meltdown over the birthright citizenship ruling, Megyn Kelly’s race to the bottom, why the “socialist takeover” panic misses what Democratic voters actually want, and who’s really rising in the 2028 field. Read Sarah’s Triad newsletter.Also: There are more tickets to see Sarah and JVL on September 8 in NYC. We’ve moved to a bigger room at the 92nd Y and we need to sell it out. So come hang with us. Tickets are here. Also, also: If you want JVL to host the Seattle show instead of Tim on September 15, let us know in the comments. The Secret Podcast with JVL and Sarah is exclusively for members of Bulwark+. To watch or listen to future episodes and join the Secret community in the comments become a Bulwark+ member today. The only way through is together.
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The Last Temptation of Sarah Longwell
3w ago00:27:43Tap to summarizeThis is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.thebulwark.comIt’s a special show this week where JVL gives Sarah a series of impossible choices. Will she choose institutionalism, or Secretary Mayor Pete? Will she endorse the political analysis of [REDACTED]? What will she do when Cletus says that he doesn’t like democracy and wants minority rule?Come find out!Also: There are more tickets to see Sarah and JVL on September 8 in NYC. We’ve moved to a bigger room at the 92nd Y and we need to sell it out. So come hang with us. Tickets are here. Also, also: If you want JVL to host the Seattle show instead of Tim on September 15, let us know in the comments. show notes:Catherine Rampell: The Americans Trump Would Rather Not SeeJVL’s Traid: What Was Cletus Thinks About DemocracyJim Swift: Haitians Prepare for DisasterAgora Institute StudyThe Secret Podcast with JVL and Sarah is exclusively for members of Bulwark+. To watch or listen to future episodes and join the Secret community in the comments become a Bulwark+ member today. The only way through is together.
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JD Vance. Ross Douthat. 'Nuff Said.
Jun 1900:20:10Tap to summarizeThis is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.thebulwark.comThe Iran war deal is falling apart (already). Israel is turning on Trump. And the two most insipid trad-Cath poasters in America are podcasting together again.Plus: JVL (finally) explains his disdain for the NYT’s DEI Trump apologist.Hit the like button ❤️ and come to the comments so JVL doesn’t get all needy.show notes:The Secret Podcast with JVL and Sarah is exclusively for members of Bulwark+. To watch or listen to future episodes and join the Secret community in the comments become a Bulwark+ member today. The only way through is together.
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We've Got a Situation
Jun 1200:16:17Tap to summarizeThis is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.thebulwark.comA super-sized Secret this week:* Sarah and JVL are coming to the legendary 92nd Street Y in New York on September 8. Come and hang out with them in JVL’s back yard! It’s possible he’ll have the championship belt! (Tickets on sale here.)* JVL actually thinks the Iran deal might be real this time. He’s got a theory.* Sarah has a theory of her own about who leaked to Maggie Haberman and Jonathan Swan about the Trump administration’s big Situation Room summit on how to handle the Epstein files?* JVL makes progress on his continuing quest to bring Sarah around on “the free market” and court expansion. Is this the week the dam breaks?It’s a good show, long show. Hit the like button ❤️ and come to the comments so JVL doesn’t get all needy. Again.The Secret Podcast with JVL and Sarah is exclusively for members of Bulwark+. To watch or listen to future episodes and join the Secret community in the comments become a Bulwark+ member today. The only way through is together.
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Sam Stein Wrote a Hit Piece on Sarah?!
Jun 500:03:21Tap to summarizeThis is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.thebulwark.comSarah and Sam take on the Graham Platner mess. Plus: is Susan Collins a fraud? The GOP's slush fund cave explained. And Sarah's past as a Republican operative gets dug up—and she's ready for it.The Secret Podcast with JVL and Sarah is exclusively for members of Bulwark+. To watch or listen to future episodes and join the Secret community in the comments become a Bulwark+ member today. The only way through is together.
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A Cage Fight for America
May 2900:44:07Tap to summarizeSarah and JVL talk about the ongoing meltdown of Trump’s Freedom 250 event; the inappropriateness of putting a UFC cage fight on the White House lawn; John Cornyn’s sudden understanding of what Trump is; and Bari Weiss’s murder of 60 Minutes. It’s a good show / short show because we’re both playing hurt today, so forgive us if we’re not at our most dazzling.Read JVL’s Triad newsletter about 60 Minutes here.The Secret Podcast with JVL and Sarah is exclusively for members of Bulwark+. To watch or listen to future episodes and join the Secret community in the comments become a Bulwark+ member today. The only way through is together. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.thebulwark.com/subscribe
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The Walls Are Closing In
May 2300:12:41Tap to summarizeThis is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.thebulwark.comSarah is in the City of Angels; JVL is in the Big Apple;) and they have A LOT to catch up on. Gas is at $4.65. Trump is at -22 in the latest Fox poll. The Senate said no to the billi for his ballroom. Oh, and maybe we’re going to do regime change in Cuba soon?Plus: They recap the California live shows and go deep on Tina Peters.show notesRead JVL’s Triad newsletter: here. The Secret Podcast with JVL and Sarah is exclusively for members of Bulwark+. To watch or listen to future episodes and join the Secret community in the comments become a Bulwark+ member today. The only way through is together.
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Trump's $1.7b Friends and Family Fund
May 1500:20:17Tap to summarizeThis is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.thebulwark.comLast night news broke that President Trump would drop his $10b lawsuit against the IRS if the people who work for him at the Justice Department would create a $1.7b fund out of taxpayer dollars and allow him to appoint five commissioners to run this fund and they would award money to anyone they deemed fit.Oh, and that the list of people given money would be secret. And Trump could replace the commissioners any time he wanted, for no reason.The Trump administration is positioning this as a “truth and reconciliation commission.” Which is amazing.For a decade JVL (and to a lesser extent Sarah) have wanted a truth and reconciliation commission to document accounts of what people did during the Trump era. And now the monkey’s paw has granted their wish.We get a truth and reconciliation commission designed to help the people who did the Trump era.As you can imagine, Sarah and JVL have a lot to say about this. Strap in.show notesICYMI: The gang did a bonus episode this week in meat space. Read JVL’s Triad newsletter: here. ON SALE NOW: Bulwark Live is coming to San Diego on May 20 and Los Angeles on May 21. Just announced! We’re adding some chatty friends to the lineups for both shows. Grab your seats now to join Sarah, Tim and Sam for an evening of politics among friends and keep an eye on TheBulwark.com/Events for more announcements. The Secret Podcast with JVL and Sarah is exclusively for members of Bulwark+. To watch or listen to future episodes and join the Secret community in the comments become a Bulwark+ member today. The only way through is together.
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