
Show Notes
Mark the summer of 2026 as the moment when an unlikely supermajority of Americans came together on one issue: their opposition to data centers. This new, big, messy coalition spans the political spectrum and is rooted in a fear that the sociopaths of Silicon Valley will determine the future of our lives, our communities, and our economic prospects. And (most) politicians have noticed which way the wind is blowing. Plus: Carbon emissions are getting better but the planet is still getting warmer, the coming El Niño may be the strongest ever, and ICE arrests are dramatically up because Stephen Miller is siccing agents on immigrants who are following the rules. The New York Times' David Wallace-Wells joins Tim Miller. show notes:
David's recent newsletter on keeping the world safe from AI
David on Trump's deportation machine ramping up
Derek Thompson's recent "Plain English" pod on AI that Tim referenced
Bulwark LIVE: GOOD FIGHT TOUR with Tim, Sarah, Sam and JVL is coming to the Southeast in October. Tickets go on sale August 21. Bulwark+ members get early access via our presale NOW. Head to TheBulwark.com/Events for details and to get your tickets.
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Elon Musk is the largest single donor in American political history. He's also the world's most prominent booster of white supremacy. While Democrat after Democrat gets asked about Hasan Piker, most reporters don't seem to ask Republicans about the views of the man who's pumped nearly a half billion dollars into their Senate campaigns. Nor do they ask about the destruction he rained down on our government under DOGE. Plus: Trump is trying to build a city-size mausoleum for himself, his targeting of Ilhan Omar is also an attack on Congress, MBS is finding out he bribed the wrong family, the gang of jackals around Trump has no loyalty to the U.S., and is JD such an a-hole because deep down he hates his mother...and himself? Jamelle Bouie joins Tim Miller for the weekend pod. show notes:
Democrats on the House Oversight Committee are already divvying up how to investigate Musk, the one-time shadow president who's still making foreign policy decisions about the war in Ukraine. Also on tap for hearings is the impeachable Hegseth, who ironically broke the iconic globe used by Eisenhower—a man who actually knew how to fight a war. And of course there's self-enriching Jared Kushner, who pretends to do diplomacy with his Putin-worshipping sidekick, Steve Witkoff. Plus: Vance's support of Vivek's ad suggests that he has deep psychological problems, Marco keeps flailing on the Starlink debacle, the crypto industry is spending $55 million to buy Ohio Senator Jon Husted, Mike Rogers's wife has won some very large government contracts, and Kinzinger feels a real energy behind Talarico in Texas. Adam Kinzinger joins Tim Miller. show notes:
Could there be a bigger sign of Ramaswamy's depravity and desperation than using a mother from hell to sell your message? His campaign for governor of Ohio against Amy Acton has been a nightmare from the beginning. Meanwhile, Murphy senses kryptonite in the water around Trump as well, particularly with the farm belt in revolt over tariffs and the price of diesel. But in Michigan, El-Sayed has got to cool it on the cocky bro stuff in the final days of his campaign. Plus: From our live show in Atlanta Tuesday evening, Gen. Hertling joined Tim to discuss the continuing blame game between Musk and the administration over the crippling of Ukraine's military communications, the lack of leadership at the Pentagon, and the failure to protect our troops. Mike Murphy and Lt. Gen. Mark Hertling join Tim Miller. show notes:
Though they deny any involvement, the Trump administration and Elon Musk are apparently helping Putin escalate his campaign of terror against Ukraine. Civilian casualties across Ukraine are rising—including women and children—but Trump said Monday that Russia "has been fine on Ukraine." At the same time, Team Trump looks to be lining up business deals with Russian energy companies. And Marco's whitewashing of it all is sickening. Plus: Zelensky is tired of Trump's games, China is playing a curious role on both sides of the war, and JD has another whopper to add to his stack of lies. Former Amb. Michael McFaul joins Tim Miller. show notes:
The vice president had the gall to suggest he didn't know anything about what millions of Americans know: that Trump is using his office to enrich himself and that the administration made major mistakes in executing the war in Iran. But the polls strongly suggest a rebuke of Putin's biggest fan is coming because of the conflict in the Middle East. Plus: The obsession at Fox over Abdul El-Sayed is getting embarrassing, Mike Rogers is a POS, Tim and Bill share their new round of long shots (in North Carolina and Mississippi), and the tech oligarchs will be among the last to break with Trump. Bill Kristol joins Tim Miller. show notes: