Michael Weiss and Marc Polymeropoulos discuss Trump’s “economic D-Day” against Iran, the risks of secondary sanctions and a prolonged blockade, and why Tehran may retaliate rather than simply give in. They also examine the bizarre influence and security concerns surrounding Natalie Harp and the dysfunction inside the White House. Plus, Michael and Marc discuss Ukraine’s evolving role as a military technology powerhouse, America’s intelligence support for Kyiv, and Russia’s growing threat to Europe.

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For the next Bulwark Book Club, Mona Charen and Sonny Bunch will talk all things the Odyssey after the epic poem had quite the summer at the box office.

Mona and Sonny will be reading Emily Wilson’s translation of Homer’s ancient Greek text. It’s the first English translation by a woman, and Wilson herself has had much critical feedback on Christopher Nolan’s film adaption.

See the film, read the translation or do both!

Mona and Sonny would love to hear from you, so please send your questions and thoughts to them on the Odyssey in the comments section of this post.

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Look for Emily Wilson’s translation of the Odyssey at local libraries or through major retailers including Amazon, Barnes & Noble and BookShop.org.

If you’re not yet a member, join today and join us for this discussion of the ancient classic turned summer box office phenomenon.

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This October the gang is hitting the road again—bringing the good fight to South Carolina, North Carolina, and Georgia.

Join Sarah, Tim, JVL, Sam, and surprise guests for The Good Fight Tour:

• Columbia, SC on October 16

• Charlotte, NC on October 18

• Atlanta, GA on October 20

Come hang with the gang!

Tickets go on sale August 21, but Bulwark+ members get access to an exclusive presale on August 18. Get your tickets at TheBulwark.com/Events.

Membership has its benefits, and one of them is early access to Bulwark LIVE events. Join Bulwark+ today to get early access, and on Tuesday we’ll email you the pre-sale code.

Bulwark Founders and Best Friends are invited to a pre-show meet and greet with the Bulwark gang and fellow founding members. Learn more about becoming a founding member here and watch your inbox for details.

Join now

Let’s be together!

Donald Trump was secretly smuggled out of Turkey last month after U.S. intelligence reportedly warned of a possible Iranian assassination plot, but the journalists and White House staff traveling on Air Force One were left in the dark. Michael Weiss and former CIA officer Marc Polymeropoulos give their takes on the extraordinary Secret Service operation…

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Hey, y’all! JVL and I are back with another installment of the Triad Mailbag. As always, thank you for your excellent queries!

In this episode we cover:

• From Dave Y.: DSA candidates have gotten a lot of publicity lately. What is your take on them? (starting around 0:28)

• From Judy B.: What can be done to protect the 2030 census? (starting around 8:09)

• From JennyB: What do you think about Ross Douthat joining ‘60 minutes’?(starting around 9:21)

• From Stephen R.: Do you agree with the theory that Republican voters want authoritarianism because they believe that left-wing authoritarianism is out to destroy them? (starting around 15:12)

• From In The Age of Now: In the Secret Pod, you said “We’re going to lose, but you have to go down fighting.” This reminded me of Tolkien’s idea of “the long defeat” in the fight against evil. Does Tolkien’s idea resonate with you? (starting around 18:15)

• From Kate B.: Why aren’t you a fan of Ezra Klein? (starting around 22:16)

• From tupper: What problems was the website’s redesign trying to solve? (starting around 27:25)

• From SJ: Could you take a minute and gush about another member of The Bulwark? (starting around 31:18)

• From Alejandro M.: What World Cup jerseys have you been sporting? (starting around 34:10)

• From E.J. Joseph: Have you considered writing another book? (starting around 35:20)

• From Jessica E.: Do you play any instruments? Does anyone in your family? (starting around 35:58)

• Also from Jessica E.: Who are your favorite musicians/bands? (starting around 36:54)

• From MCM: What are your favorite comic book series? (starting around 37:15)

• From Smike: What is something in arts/culture that you hate and everyone else seems to love, or you love it and everyone else seems to hate it? (starting around 39:20)

Triad Mailbags are posted in the member-only Bulwark Takes feed for our audiophiles and include a transcript, edited for clarity and concision, here.

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