1027: Trump Starts the Dumbest International Incident… Ever?

The Next Level

The Bulwark

Politics, News, News Commentary

4.8 • 3.2K Ratings

🗓️ 25 October 2025

⏱️ 30 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

Trump’s obsession with tearing up the East Wing turns into a fight over symbolism, willpower, and what it really takes to undo his damage. JVL and Sarah Longwell go back and forth over what matters, what’s just noise, and why elites still won’t stand up to him. Plus: Trump’s love for dictators, Reagan on tariffs, and Canada making him mad again.

Transcript

Click on a timestamp to play from that location

0:00.0	Building a coffee business?
0:01.9	Serving the best Americano in town is up to you.
0:22.6	But winning back time and growing your business, leave that to sum-up. Take orders and payments anywhere with the new SumUp terminal. Turn occasional customers into regulars with a free loyalty program. And with the SumUp point-of-sale system, you'll always know when you're running low on your best-selling blends. Visit sumup.com.com. To learn more. Hey guys, it's JVL and Sarah.
0:22.6	What's up, guys? your bestselling blends. Visit sumup.co.uk to learn more. Hey guys. It's JVL and Sarah.
0:28.8	What's up, guys? Got a big show for you today. Big secret show, a Tim Free Secret show.
0:33.2	We're talking about all sorts of great things. You know, it's been a good week for America,
0:38.5	and we finally get to do a happy show with good news that's going to fit.
0:42.1	Just, it's going to be like a, like a, taking a warm bath in the sunshine.
0:42.7	Right, Sarah?
0:51.2	I mean, I do have a bunch of polling to go over that shows some bad news for Trump, but that's something.
0:53.1	It's pretty bleak.
1:10.9	Can't wait to get to it. Guys, if you like this, come and do the whole episode with us. Join, join Bulwark Plus. Get the full secret pod. That's where all the good stuff is. Hello, everyone. This is JVL here with my best friend, Sarah Longwell, publisher of the bulwark. Hey, Sarah.
1:11.5	What's up, JVL?
1:13.0	Yeah, I'm doing great.
1:14.3	I'm doing great.
1:15.0	I woke up this morning to see a substack writer call me deranged.
1:19.4	Substack writer who has appeared on several bulwark podcasts over the years.
1:24.0	He sub-tweeted me over the East Wing of the White House thing.
1:27.9	It is no big deal. The president is totally within his authority.
1:32.3	Presidents make alterations to the White House all the time.
1:35.6	This is the smallest thing in the world.
1:38.0	This is not what you should spend political capital on.
	...

Please login to see the full transcript.

Previous episode | Next episode

Disclaimer: The podcast and artwork embedded on this page are from The Bulwark, and are the property of its owner and not affiliated with or endorsed by Tapesearch.

Generated transcripts are the property of The Bulwark and are distributed freely under the Fair Use doctrine. Transcripts generated by Tapesearch are not guaranteed to be accurate.