Applebaum: The Free World Has No Leader | The Bulwark Podcast

The U.S. has been a model for other aspiring democracies since 1776. At the same time, the idea of America as the leader of the democratic world has also had a unifying effect at home. It's what has kept this diverse country of many faiths and ethnicities together, and it has been our national identity. But with Trump actively undermining those ideals, what will we be unified around? Plus, the potential new whites-favored refugee policy, Trump's psychological comfort to the Russian war effort, Hegseth got himself a state media press room at the Pentagon, JD is totally cool with lots of Nazi talk—and could the administration be trying to start a war in Venezuela so it can expand its militaristic crackdown on the streets here? Anne Applebaum joins Tim Miller. show notes Anne's new piece, "The Beacon of Democracy Goes Dark" https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2025/11/america-democracy-autocracy/684335/?gift=AO0MhSsTDaHgiP_RxFGfB3xr12s8wvgFIcO5LiiZQ3w&utm_source=copy-link&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=share Anne on the Nobel Peace Prize winner https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2025/10/maria-machado-nobel-peace-prize/684510/?gift=AO0MhSsTDaHgiP_RxFGfB9NNR6bVqPOK-DlOUyyGFDs&utm_source=copy-link&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=share "Ukraine’s Plan to Starve the Russian War Machine," by Anne https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2025/09/ukraines-strategy-to-win-the-war/684356/?gift=AO0MhSsTDaHgiP_RxFGfB54JPRgt4XU1FvyxV3GHdiw&utm_source=copy-link&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=share Ian McEwan's "What We Know" — second recommendation this week! https://bookshop.org/p/books/what-we-can-know-a-novel-ian-mcewan/8905bce470e366f1 Get started free, plus get 20% off of your first 6 months at https://Quo.com/THEBULWARK F*%k your khakis and get The Perfect Jean 15% off with the code BULWARK15 at https://theperfectjean.nyc/BULWARK15 #theperfectjeanpod Become a Bulwark Youtube Plus Member here - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCG4Hp1KbGw4e02N7FpPXDgQ/join Become a Bulwark Youtube Plus Member here - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCG4Hp1KbGw4e02N7FpPXDgQ/join