America Is Flirting With Mob Rule…Again (w/ Wright Thompson) | The Bulwark Podcast

Official Mississippi doesn't really want to talk about the murder of Emmett Till—or teach about the murder of Emmett Till. Almost 71 years later, the intentional attempt to erase the crime lives on. On this MLK Day weekend, Wright joins Tim to discuss the role of history and black history in our public consciousness. Meanwhile, Trump and MAGA are busy trying to rewrite the history of modern-day political violence, including the thuggery of ICE agents. Plus, a ranking of the best SEC college towns, a tribute to Bob Weir, the impact of tariffs on farmers—and this year's Mardi Gras— and even the White House is starting to get concerned about the optics of Trump's deportation operation. ESPN's Wright Thompson joins Tim Miller for the holiday weekend pod. show notes Wright's book, "The Barn: The Secret History of a Murder in Mississippi" https://bookshop.org/p/books/the-barn-the-secret-history-of-a-murder-in-mississippi-wright-thompson/4f9cfe8d3308936b JVL on Trump stashing America's money in Qatar https://open.substack.com/pub/thebulwark/p/how-trump-turned-a-foreign-country-into-piggybank-venezuela-qatar-rubio-cuba?utm_campaign=post-expanded-share&utm_medium=web Wright's documentary he did with Mickey Hart, "Rhythm Masters" https://www.espn.com/watch/catalog/45dc0f6d-c56b-4aa3-90b2-9ba762abbdeb/rhythm-masters-a-mickey-hart-experience Marc Caputo on White House concerns about the optics of deportation https://www.axios.com/2026/01/16/trump-polling-immigration-approval-rating-ice-noem?utm_medium=referral Tim's playlist https://open.spotify.com/playlist/0dApY6YT48kTh6j9xFDQch Text BULWARK to 64000 to get 20% off all IQBAR products, plus FREE shipping. Message and data rates may apply. For their buy 1 get 1 50% off deal, head to 3DayBlinds.com/THEBULWARK. Become a Bulwark Youtube Plus Member here - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCG4Hp1KbGw4e02N7FpPXDgQ/join Chapters: 00:00:00 Intro 00:02:09 Ole Miss, James Meredith, and the “riot” 00:07:38 “The Barn” concept: Mississippi history in 36 square miles 00:12:01 Silence, erasure, and why Till’s story wasn’t taught 00:21:44 Ad break: IQBAR 00:23:54 Wright’s mom on speaking up vs staying silent 00:27:00 How institutions erased the Till case (and what’s taught today) 00:31:18 Ad break: Three Day Blinds 00:32:43 Present day echoes: political violence and rewriting history 00:44:42 Tariffs and the existential threat to farmers 00:48:06 SEC college towns power ranking + Oxford food picks 00:50:49 Remembering Bob Weir and the Grateful Dead family