Ask JVL: On AI, Iran War, Populism and Should Sarah Run for the Senate?
Bulwark Takes
The Bulwark
4.7 • 1.2K Ratings
🗓️ 25 May 2026
⏱️ 20 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
Jasmine poses Triad readers’ questions to JVL: How can we stop Trump's slush fund? Will AI discourse dominate the 2028 campaign? Why does Trump keep turning down Iran's proposals to end the war? What is the true definition of populism? All that and more (like whether JVL thinks his best friend, Sarah Longwell, should run for Senate in Pennsylvania) in this week’s mailbag.
Paid members of the Bulwark can get the full episode on Apple Podcasts, YouTube or Substack.
Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | Hello, everyone. This is JVL here with my real life friend and colleague at the bulwark, Jasmine Green. |
| 0:07.4 | Jasmine and I have now met in Meetspace together. It was amazing. She is a tall person and as lovely as the day is long. |
| 0:18.7 | Jasmine, it's good to see you. It's nice to see you too. |
| 0:22.7 | Let's ask you to other some questions. Yes, let's do it. The top question this week is from |
| 0:27.9 | Sue G who asks, is there anything that can be done to stop Trump and the DOJ from setting up |
| 0:34.4 | the $1.776 billion dollar slush fund to benefit his criminal plans. Now, you just wrote a great triad on this, and this question was asked before the triad. |
| 0:46.4 | So the short answer is I don't think so. We're going to find out. We have some people who have filed attempts to stop the, the process. |
| 0:56.0 | But I think it's unlikely to work. |
| 0:58.0 | I don't think there's any judicial relief available. |
| 1:00.5 | And once the money is gone, I mean, this is a little bit like in a movie where somebody is moving dollars from one Swiss account to another. |
| 1:10.7 | And, you know, like they push the button on their phone, |
| 1:13.0 | and you see transfer, transfer, transfer. |
| 1:15.3 | Once you get to 100% and it's transferred, it's gone. |
| 1:18.6 | The American government doesn't have control the money anymore. |
| 1:21.2 | And so I think it is highly unlikely that this can be stopped. |
| 1:26.5 | Sorry. |
| 1:28.1 | Oh, my goodness. |
| 1:30.0 | It's all, it's all very bad. |
| 1:32.4 | Well, some of the comments were suggested that the bulwarkers should flood whatever, whatever website they use for filing the claims. |
| 1:43.2 | Yes. |
| 1:43.8 | What if we just inundate it with like absolute garbage? |
| 1:47.2 | Will that maybe slow things down a bit? |
... |
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