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Trump’s Cabinet Naps Tell a Bigger Story (w/ Jonathan Lemire) | The Bulwark Podcast

2025-12-03 News & Politics
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The Bulwark
The Bulwark
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Trump's Isolation, Changing Media Strategy, and Electoral Wake-Up Call

Discover the political consequences of President Trump abandoning signature rallies for closed-door meetings and how a surprising special election result offers Democrats a blueprint for future success.

Short Summary

  • Allies worry that stopping rallies has left Donald Trump losing touch with his base and his political antenna.
  • The White House has gained tighter control over information flow by largely "hijacking" the official press pool to exclude critical journalists.
  • Trump is increasingly prioritizing meetings with wealthy donors and foreign policy pursuits, including chasing a Nobel Peace Prize, over domestic engagement.
  • Democrats gained significant ground in the Tennessee special election, indicating how national trends could impact midterm races if mobilized effectively, despite structural issues like gerrymandering. This discussion with Jonathan Lemire unpacks the structural changes surrounding Trump’s current political operations—from his media environment on Truth Social to perceived fatigue—and contrasts this with tangible evidence of Democratic enthusiasm shown in the Tennessee 7th district race. Understanding these dynamics is crucial for interpreting the 2024 electoral landscape.

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Description

Trump’s rallies have been his signature event, but since he returned to the White House, he has stopped doing them. And his allies are worried he’s losing touch with voters, as well as his political antenna. Instead of traveling the country, he’s dining with billionaires, playing golf, and going abroad in search of his elusive peace prize. Meanwhile, he can’t stay awake in own Cabinet meetings. Plus, the heat is on Hegseth, the ex-Honduran president Trump pardoned bragged about stuffing drugs up the noses of Americans, and the results of the Tennessee special election are a good sign for Democrats—and a reminder for the party to go all-in on the gerrymandering war. Jonathan Lemire joins Tim Miller. Show Notes: - Jonathan's piece on Trump not doing rallies: https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/2025/12/trump-white-house-travel-rallies-isolated/685073/?gift=AO0MhSsTDaHgiP_RxFGfB9r_bEjXHKFtafhU0u13mPo&utm_source=copy-link&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=share - The Atlantic on Germany permanently stationing troops beyond its borders: https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/2025/12/trump-white-house-travel-rallies-isolated/685073/?gift=AO0MhSsTDaHgiP_RxFGfB9r_bEjXHKFtafhU0u13mPo&utm_source=copy-link&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=share Get 20% off your DeleteMe plan when you go to https://joindeleteme.com/BULWARK and use promo code BULWARK at checkout. Go to https://trymiracle.com/THEBULWARK and use the code THEBULWARK to claim your FREE 3 PIECE TOWEL SET and SAVE over 40% OFF Become a Bulwark Youtube Plus Member here - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCG4Hp1KbGw4e02N7FpPXDgQ/join

Top Comments (10)

@jpt9328 2025-12-03

He doesn't need his base anymore. No more votes to massage. Now he's got coffers to fill.

329 13 replies
@kristinyannone8326 2025-12-03

He isn’t pretending to be interested in anything other than making money for himself and his family.

246 1 replies
@souffle3134 2025-12-03

How can you get a Nobel peace prize you just let a horrific drug dealer out of prison

203 11 replies
@dmt4941 2025-12-03

Stop blaming everything Trump does or says on dementia. He's been that mean and ugly all his life, even before dementia.

156 6 replies
@FR2024-er8ku 2025-12-03

He has dementia. Phonemic paraphasias are not a sign of normal ageing.

153 5 replies
@fts_space_shark 2025-12-03

He doesn’t care what the people think anymore because he got all the votes he needed to launch his second attempt at becoming a dictator.

153 2 replies
@wabisabibing 2025-12-03

North Korea cabinet meeting. where is the pink dress lady? people are complaining that Trump falls asleep a lot I would like to complain that he continues to wake up

138 5 replies
@bradhombre6912 2025-12-03

Trump was falling asleep last year during his own trial and during his own nomination at the RNC.

93 2 replies
@AmericanProgressReport 2025-12-03

Does Jake Tapper have his next book ready? Sleepy Don?

50 2 replies
@tlcmeans 2025-12-03

Dementia people also flip their sleep schedule

27

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