The Next Level

4.8 (3.2K)
Politics
Updated Weekly

Sarah Longwell, Tim Miller, and Jonathan V. Last bring their signature political insight and banter to the masses in The Next Level podcast. Tune in to hear them discuss the news of the week, break down campaigns and elections, and wade into pop culture feuds. www.thebulwark.com

18h ago

JVL Has an Idea for How Democrats Can Make MAGA’s Life Hell

JVL's on the west coast for Sarah's book event, and he, Tim, and Andrew Egger discuss Mitch McConnell's triumphant (?) return to the Senate, Donald Trump casually floating conspiracy theories over the Butler, PA assassination attempt, and Thomas Massie's articles of impeachment against Pete Hegseth. Then, they turn their attention to a New York Times poll with some GREAT news for Democrats in the midterms (with the exception of one issue: AI). They discuss the developments from the world of AI in the last week and how our political leaders should respond. Then: Is Gavin Newsom really thinking about NOT running for president? There's a really, really, REALLY racist Republican running for Texas Railroad Commission, and Tim debriefs on a rather contentious interview he did on The Bulwark Daily. Show links: Read JVL’s Monday and Tuesday Triads on the AI race, and how our political leaders can respond. Get your tickets for our September 25 show in Dayton, Ohio to benefit the Springfield, OH Haitian community. Get your copy of How to Eat an Elephant, Sarah’s first book! Get free shipping and 365 day returns with Quince at https://Quince.com/THENEXTLEVEL. Go to https://zbiotics.com/nextlevel anduse NEXTLEVEL at checkout for 15% off any first time orders of ZBiotics probiotics. Make laundry day the best day of the week! Get 20% off your entire order @LaundrySauce with code THENEXTLEVEL at https://laundrysauce.com/THENEXTLEVEL #laundrysaucepod
4d ago

Secret Podcast: Trump's 2026 Message: Everything's Fine!

The Secret Podcast is a special bonus just for paid members of The Bulwark. If you like this preview, become a member at thebulwark.com, on YouTube, or through Apple Podcasts. JVL and Bill Kristol look at the increasingly messy fight to succeed Trump, from JD Vance and Don Jr. to Tucker Carlson, as Trump keeps the possibility of a third term hanging over the party. Plus, the war with Iran is getting worse, Pete Hegseth’s damage to the military is becoming harder to ignore, and 25 years after 9/11, they consider the unsettling question of what terrorism can set in motion long after an attack is over. Sarah, Tim, Sam and JVL are coming to South Carolina, North Carolina, and Atlanta in October for Bulwark LIVE. We’re bringing lots of friends. Tickets are on sale now: https://thebulwark.com/events
Sep 8

Trump’s Imaginary Presidency Is Going Just Great

Tim, Sarah, and JVL discuss Trump's Labor Day Weekend with his favorite person, Corey Lewandowski's possible ‘light extortion,’ and whether Trumpworld will circle the wagons around him. Plus: why the GOP's midterm convention shows Trump losing his fastball, ABC News's bizarre framing of Rudy Giuliani's Islamophobic comments about Zohran Mamdani, and John Fetterman's total lack of interest in doing the job of a U.S. senator. Visit https://Wildgrain.com/THENEXTLEVEL to get $30 off your first box, plus free croissants for life. Go to https://GetSoul.com and use the code THENEXTLEVEL for 30% off your order. Head to https://3DayBlinds.com/THENEXTLEVEL for a buy one get one 50% off deal on custom blinds, shades, and drapery.Get your tickets for The Bulwark's Good Fight Tour this October, coming to Charlotte, Columbia, and Atlanta, with special guest Pete Buttigieg joining us in Charlotte.
Sep 4

Secret Podcast: The Senators Who Suck

Today Sarah and JVL try to figure out who’s worse: John Fetterman or Susan Collins. (Give us your answer in the comments.) Also, the Big Orange Arch is coming. And we chew over Doug Sosnik’s recommendations for the Democratic party. It’s a big show. Weight Loss by Hims offers access to affordable FDA-approved GLP-1 medications, including the Wegovy® pill and Wegovy® pen, with personalized treatment plans and ongoing support. Get started at https://www.hims.com/thenextlevel Plus: it’s almost Book Week! Don’t let Teddy Cancun and High Life Clarence win. Order a copy of Sarah’s book now. (If you haven’t already, I mean.) How to Eat an Elephant drops on Tuesday and the Best Friends really want to get it to #1 on the NYT best seller list. To do that, we have to unseat... a biography of Clarence Thomas by Ted Effing Cruz. Buy it on Bookshop.org: https://bookshop.org/p/books/how-to-eat-an-elephant-one-voter-at-a-time-sarah-longwell/6a0996cb43d2ef5b?ean=9781250464170&bkshp-astro=t Buy it on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/How-Eat-Elephant-Voter-Time/dp/125046417X Become a Bulwark member to keep watching the full conversation, plus get access to all our members-only shows and segments. Show notes: See Bill Kristol and Doug Sosnik’s conversation: https://conversationswithbillkristol.org/conversation/doug-sosnik-on-two-very-different-elections-2026-and-2028/
Sep 1

Ken Paxton Is Running One of the Worst Campaigns in America

Tim, Sarah, and JVL discuss the U.S. Supreme Court letting Trump’s ballroom go ahead (for now), why JVL thinks John Roberts is the Susan Collins of the Supreme Court, and whether Sarah is warming up to tearing down the ballroom in 2029. Plus: Trump says Kristen Welker should be punished for pointing out that his endorsed candidates are losing more often, and JVL wonders whether Republicans will have to be an anti-Canada party now. Later: The gang discusses Bari Weiss’s kinda racist headline about Abdul El-Sayed’s past tweets, why elected Republicans around the country (but especially Ken Paxton) are feeling depressed about their midterm prospects, and an absolutely wild story about a Florida congressional candidates in today’s Morning Shots. Right now, save up to 30% on mattresses and up to 35% on everything else when you go to https://Casper.com. Make today a good day, and get yourself some Soul gummies. Go to https://GetSoul.com and use the code THENEXTLEVEL. If you want more of Tim, Sarah, and JVL doing what they do here—looking past the daily Trump spectacle to figure out what survives him, where Democrats have openings, and what the next political era might actually look like—become a Bulwark member and support The Next Level. Show links: Read JVL’s Triad (https://www.thebulwark.com/p/lake-america-and-the-dogma-of-trumpism) Read Andrew Egger’s Morning Shots (https://www.thebulwark.com/p/we-found-her-the-most-absurd-general-election-candidate-te-brown-illinois-florida-congress-fraud-primary-election-putin-whale-orca-polar-bear-russia-ukraine)
Aug 28

Secret Podcast: Mark Cuban Thinks He Could Run as a Republican. Tim Has Some Bad News.

Full episodes of The Secret Podcast are a special perk just for paid members of the Bulwark. We put almost every video out for free, because we don't think you can save the country from behind a paywall. This is one of the rare things we do reserve just for members. Come ride with us. - Full episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/py-SBnizZ3U- Full episode on Substack: https://www.thebulwark.com/p/mark-cuban-thinks-he-could-run-as JVL is out this week, so Tim and Sarah discuss Mark Cuban’s comments that he could run for president as a Republican (and why Tim isn’t buying it), and Sarah’s conversation with the New York Times discussing her book, and what Democratic voters REALLY want right now. They also discuss the race Rob Sand is running for governor in Iowa. Behind the paywall: Kamala Harris’s 2028 strategy, Hasan Piker discourse, and a fun mailbag segment. Show notes: Read Sarah's conversation with the New York Times:https://www.nytimes.com/2026/08/28/opinion/democrats-fighters-trump-republicans.html Come hang with the gang—Sarah, Tim, JVL, Sam and friends—during our Bulwark LIVE: Good Fight Tour this October. Tickets are on sale now at: https://thebulwark.com/Events Let's be together.
Aug 25

All MAGA Media Can Talk About Now is Trans Sports

Tim, Sarah, and JVL are back together for a JAM-PACKED show. They discuss: -Dolly Parton's passing and her legacy.-America's war (not the Iran war, our trade war with Canada), and why the rest of the world can't count on American anymore--even if Democrats win in 2028.-Sarah's Focus Group Podcast episode from Georgia--which Tim found pleasant (for once).-The South Carolina primary runoff, and whether having Donald Trump's endorsement is enough to put a political novice in the Senate.-The first U.S. measles deaths of the year in Pennsylvania.-Does the Trump administration want to demolish the Kennedy Center? Do WE want them to?-Why MAGA media is talking about the WNBA and trans issues so much.-Finally: They discuss JVL's Monday Triad about Trump's completely crazy relationship with Natalie Harp. Read JVL's Triad Get your tickets for The Bulwark's Good Fight Tour this October, coming to Charlotte, Columbia, and Atlanta. Go to https://zbiotics.com/nextlevel and use NEXTLEVEL at checkout for 15% off any first time orders of ZBiotics probiotics. For a limited time, get 60% off your order from Tempo at https://TempoMeals.com/THENEXTLEVEL.
Aug 22

Secret Podcast: Is Jon Ossoff the One We’ve Been Waiting For?

The Secret Podcast with JVL and Sarah is exclusively for paid members of the Bulwark on YouTube, Substack and Apple Podcasts. --- Sarah and JVL did a BIG show today. Sample awesome: Sen. Darlene Graham says that voters in South Carolina don’t care about Taiwan—they care about boys playing girls sports. Spoiler: There are exactly zero (0) boys in South Carolina playing girls sports. Top CIA analyst Julia Curlee served Trump, Biden, and then Trump again honorably. Then she was fired because some MAGA influencers discovered she was trans. What duty do civil servants owe the country which elected Trump for the second time? Is Jon Ossoff the one we’ve been waiting for? Sarah has him in her Big Four. And you’ll never guess who the other three are. People hate Data Centers. So where is the juice for Democrats? JVL can’t stop/won’t stop beating on tankies and greens. And the birth of a new feature: Pickleball talk! We want to hear from you about any/all of this. Let’s ride.Sarah, Tim, Sam and JVL are coming to South Carolina, North Carolina, and Atlanta in October for Bulwark LIVE. We’re bringing lots of friends.Tickets are on sale now: https://thebulwark.com/eventsOur shows have a habit of selling out. Don’t wait to grab your seats.

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Tim Miller and guests discuss the latest political news for the flagship podcast of the Never Trump movement and the reality-based community. Every weekday we provide insightful analysis, political hot-takes, an unabashed defense of liberal democracy and long-form interviews that cut through the "both-sides" BS. Plus a few laughs to help you wash down the crazy. Bulwark+ members can get a totally ad-free version of the show delivered right to their favorite podcast player.

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Jonathan V. Last

Host
Sarah Longwell

Guest
Tim Miller

Host
Andrew Egger

Guest
Willy Sommers

Guest

4.8

out of 5

3,162 Ratings

👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽

Sep 6

jaclynfre

Thanks for keeping the eye on what’s most important which is treating people with respect and taking action against injustice (examples: detention and deportations; listening to understand even those with the most disturbing stances, etc). Just heard Sarah on The New Yorker Radio Hour and am applauding as I do very often each time I listen to the bulwark podcasts)!
Blue Maga

Sep 4

Ruffian 54

I love you guys so much! I am a liberal Democrat, and I so appreciate your effort behind making sure Trump never gets elected again. I completely understand your concerns about Joe Biden, I feel the same. Sorry, there are haters because you have legitimate concerns about Biden winning and his competency since the debate and even before that. Hang in there and keep up the great work, there are plenty of us out there that really appreciate you. You always cheer me up, all three of you.😁 Susan Collins is a way worse senator and person than John Fetterman because John does have brain damage. Susan Collins has full faculties and knows what she’s doing with 100% awareness, she is crossing her moral compass if she has one, but probably not.
For Dark JVL

Aug 17

Prometheus---

Trump, MAGA and the SCOTUS have made the office of POTUS so powerful, that of a King, that there is no way the likes of MAGA will in the future turnover that power to the Dems without a bloodbath. To peacefully turnover that kind of power would give the Dems the same power, which runs counter to MAGA's fascist ideology and tactics, as well as past experiences. . The notion that the Dems will inherit this newly found power is the height of childish naivety, and only a Dem’s mind could entertain it. In other words, Trump, MAGA and the SCOTUS made the Presidency too powerful to turnover to one's opponent. "Systems could be built, and rules could be made –if we could only get rid of consciousness. What makes mankind tragic is not that they are victims of nature, it is that they are conscious of it. To be part of the animal kingdom under the conditions of the earth is very well –but as soon as you know of your slavery, the pain, the anger, the strife –the tragedy begins.” Joseph Conrad
So I subscribed

Aug 15

NBerault

$80 and everything. BUT I am still listening to commercial. This also years ago with. Slate. Please fix this. I am the one who listens to every word. JVL said “ You’re still here!? Come Come. I am ride or die with you and here I am trying to get past the pay wall. GUYS! PLEASE!!1!

Sarah Longwell, Tim Miller, and Jonathan V. Last bring their signature political insight and banter to the masses in The Next Level podcast. Tune in to hear them discuss the news of the week, break down campaigns and elections, and wade into pop culture feuds. www.thebulwark.com