JVL Goes Nuclear on “Make-A-Wish Kash Patel” | The Bulwark Podcast

With a shooting at Mar-a-Lago and some real counterterrorism issues associated with Trump's threat of war on Iran, Kash Patel probably had more important matters to attend to than shotgunning beer with the U.S. hockey team. And the team itself might have remembered that Patel himself is standing in the way of investigating the murders of Alex Pretti and Renee Good. But too many people at the top don't give a crap, and others are taking their cue. And that includes the larger media, which has moved on from Minnesota, even though women are having to resort to giving birth at home out of fear that federal agents will snatch family members in the labor & delivery ward. Meanwhile Trump is aggressively promoting regime change in Iran, and Sam Altman sounds like he thinks Neo was the bad guy in "The Matrix." Plus, does Netanyahu's role in helping get Trump back into power—and perhaps pushing him to war— open up a political opportunity for Dems to put pressure on Israel. JVL joins Tim Miller. Get 20% off your DeleteMe plan when you go to join https://www.deleteme.com/BULWARK and use promo code BULWARK at checkout Upgrade your wallet today! Get 10% Off @Ridge with code THEBULWARK at https://www.Ridge.com/THEBULWARK #Ridgepod Show notes: Tim plays the guest on Bill's "Bulwark on Sunday": https://youtube.com/live/0YEWlt-eCnk?feature=share Sonny and Tim assess the aesthetics of Trump's performance at his press conference: https://youtu.be/ZzhYa4DyBb8 JVL's "Triad" about what he saw in Minnesota: https://open.substack.com/pub/thebulwark/p/what-i-saw-minnesota-ice-war?utm_campaign=post-expanded-share&utm_medium=web The Wright Thompson Bulwark pod interview that Tim referenced: https://youtu.be/ZAsElygZ2SU The Atlantic on the other aid programs being cut: https://www.theatlantic.com/health/2026/02/trump-state-department-ending-aid-seven-african-countries/686106/?gift=AO0MhSsTDaHgiP_RxFGfB0QuKx3cDq8dPjMkjtbQgoo&utm_source=copy-link&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=share Chapters: 00:00:00 Cold Open 00:00:29 Opening and Minnesota Recap Setup 00:02:29 Kash Patel in the Locker Room 00:06:59 FBI, Accountability, and American Embarrassment 00:11:35 Ad Break - Ridge Wallet 00:11:44 Iran, Regime Change, and Trump’s Signals 00:19:09 What MAGA Actually Wants From War 00:22:31 Ad Break – Delete Me 00:26:00 Israel, Netanyahu, and Democratic Dilemmas 00:33:40 Foreign Aid and American Decadence 00:40:20 Tariffs, Chaos, and Governing by Vibes 00:47:00 When the Guardrails Fail 00:52:40 AI, Sam Altman, and the Value of Human Life 00:57:15 Minnesota as Occupation, Not Metaphor Become a Bulwark Youtube Plus Member here - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCG4Hp1KbGw4e02N7FpPXDgQ/join