Episodes

  • S2 Ep78: When He Swore an Oath, It Wasn’t to a Political Party. (w/ Seth Bodnar)

    S2 Ep78: When He Swore an Oath, It Wasn’t to a Political Party. (w/ Seth Bodnar)
    Jun 7 2026
    John Avlon sits down with Seth Bodnar, independent candidate for U.S. Senate from Montana, to talk about why a Green Beret veteran and former university president is betting that the two-party system has finally broken down enough to make a third path viable. They cover the Iran war, the rigged ballot access game, dark money flooding Montana's Democratic primary, China buying American farmland, the healthcare cost crisis, and what one independent senator could actually do with the right leverage in a 50-50 chamber.
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    41 mins
  • S2 Ep77: Will Trumpism Die With Trump? (w/ Margaret Hoover)

    S2 Ep77: Will Trumpism Die With Trump? (w/ Margaret Hoover)
    May 31 2026
    John Avlon welcomes his wife Margaret Hoover—host of Firing Line and great-granddaughter of President Herbert Hoover—to discuss what Paxton’s annihilation of Cornyn reveals about today’s GOP, Trump’s Iran gamble, the case for ranked-choice voting, and what this political era has done to two journalists who started on opposite sides of the aisle.
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    51 mins
  • S2 Ep76: Sen. Andy Kim Exposes Congress’ Dirty Secret

    S2 Ep76: Sen. Andy Kim Exposes Congress’ Dirty Secret
    May 24 2026
    Senator Andy Kim joins John Avlon to break down the avalanche of corruption hitting Washington—Trump's 3,600 stock trades in a single quarter, the $1.8 billion DOJ slush fund being funneled to January 6 rioters, and the IRS granting the Trump family permanent immunity from tax investigations. Kim explains why his Restoring Trust in Public Service Act is the fix, and what Democrats are doing right now to build the evidence trail before 2029.
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    28 mins
  • S2 Ep75: From Bunker Hill to Normandy, JD Vance Is Wrong About America (w/ Rep. Auchincloss)

    S2 Ep75: From Bunker Hill to Normandy, JD Vance Is Wrong About America (w/ Rep. Auchincloss)
    May 17 2026
    Congressman Jake Auchincloss joins John Avlon to lay out a new “patriotic center” for Democrats—from taxing social media companies to fund education, to rebuilding America, fixing housing, confronting China, regulating AI deepfakes, and reclaiming patriotism from Trumpism. They also debate school closures, social media addiction, AI’s impact on democracy, and why Democrats need a more aggressive economic message heading into 2028.
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    33 mins
  • S2 Ep74: Seth Moulton Torches the Democratic Establishment | How to Fix It

    S2 Ep74: Seth Moulton Torches the Democratic Establishment | How to Fix It
    May 10 2026

    John Avlon speaks with Rep. Seth Moulton about his insurgent Senate campaign against incumbent Ed Markey, the Democratic Party’s leadership crisis, and why he believes Democrats need a forward-looking agenda instead of running solely against Trump. Moulton weighs in on the Iran war, Pete Hegseth, China, immigration, affordability, health care, high-speed rail, and why he says Democrats must reclaim credibility on national security and the economy.

    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 https://TheBulwark.com/Events for more announcements.
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    45 mins
  • S2 Ep73: Tech Broke Democracy With Social Media. AI Is Next. (w/ Josh Tyrangiel)

    S2 Ep73: Tech Broke Democracy With Social Media. AI Is Next. (w/ Josh Tyrangiel)
    May 3 2026

    John Avlon talks with Josh Tyrangiel about what AI actually looks like outside Silicon Valley hype. From Operation Warp Speed to quiet upgrades inside the IRS, they walk through real examples where AI improved government—plus why those wins are so rare, how bureaucracy blocks progress, and what a smarter, more effective approach could look like.

    Tickets for our Bulwark Live shows in San Diego and Los Angeles in May: https://thebulwark.com/events

    Pre-order Josh’s book, ‘AI for Good’: https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/AI-for-Good/Josh-Tyrangiel/9781668082508
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    41 mins
  • S2 Ep72: AI Is About to Eat Your Job (w/ Alanna McCargo) | How to Fix It

    S2 Ep72: AI Is About to Eat Your Job (w/ Alanna McCargo) | How to Fix It
    Apr 26 2026
    John Avlon speaks with Alanna McCargo, Senior Fellow for Inclusive Capitalism at the Clinton Foundation, to explore a surprisingly old idea that could fix a very modern problem: what if workers actually owned a piece of what they build?
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    41 mins
  • S2 Ep71: Europe Is Preparing for Life Without America (w/ Richard Stengel)

    S2 Ep71: Europe Is Preparing for Life Without America (w/ Richard Stengel)
    Apr 19 2026

    John Avlon talks with Rick Stengel about the global fallout from Trump’s war with Iran, how it’s damaging America’s reputation, and why allies are starting to move on without us. They discuss the collapse of U.S. soft power, the risks of going it alone, and the stunning election in Hungary that shows how voters can still push back against authoritarianism.

    I was the US soft power czar. Our reputation may never recover from this
    https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/ng-
    interactive/2026/apr/05/american-soft-power-iran-war

    Podcast - Mandela: The Lost Tapes
    https://embed.podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/mandela-the-lost-tapes/id1719807119

    Nelson Mandela Leadership Fellowship
    https://colinpowellschool.ccny.cuny.edu/fellowships/nelson-mandela-leadership-fellowship/
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    47 mins