Tim Miller joins Nicolle Wallace on MSNBC's Deadline: White House to take on Donald Trump’s attempted firing of Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook, the rise of Bill Pulte as a MAGA enforcer inside government, Trump’s mounting autocratic incentives, the hypocrisy of GOP leaders on election control, and new revelations around Alex Acosta and the Epstein files.
Why is it that when I was a kid, I yearned to use CliffsNotes (but didn’t dare, even once I had my own spending money and a way to get to and from the bookstore, lest my parents catch me), but today, any clip video (excepting Trump!) immediately makes me want to watch the whole thing, and any juicy excerpt makes me want to read the whole thing?
I swear, I have no idea how you folks who have to keep up with this stuff for a living do it while also making that living.
(That said, I used to be worse — I used to default to 1x speed and only go faster on a case-by-case basis. Now, unless it’s music, it’s 1.5x.)
Make Bill Pulte pay a price for being a MAGA enforcer. His family made a fortune building crappy homes around the country. He is an inviting target; go after him. A ten minute search will generate a list of hundreds of seriously pissed homeowners who bought homes from him. Shine a spotlight on his business.
Look at what happened to Elon Musk's business. If rich guys want to play junior gestapo enforcer in the administration, hit them where it hurts.
Government employees rarely, if ever, talk politics internally. I think the civil servants still left need to get together and start pushing back, internally
First, great analysis as always. A quibble but an important one: you mention that Ms. Cook had listed two 'primary' residences on her mortgage application. I believe she listed two 'principle' residences. Former might be an issue, but latter would mean she could, e.g., have a home on the beach in the summer, while living elsewhere at other times of the year. But I could be confused here too. Too much s*** flooding the zone ... and my brain!
Tim, Thanks for your representation of the Bulwark on Nicole's show. You did yourself proud. One of your quotes really amplified what kind of people are now inhabiting our halls of Congress, people incapable of humiliation. Indeed they have sold their souls. What I don't understand is what for? What's their payoff? Case in point, what does Mitch McConnell need? He's retiring. He has said DJT is a disgusting person. Trump attacked his wife. McConnell has already etched his legacy such as it is. Why doesn't he go out with his principles intact? You would think a person who sees himself as a shrewd operator would oppose this impending Dictatorship with all the muster he could rather than be seen as complicit in the betrayal of his country.There are numerous more like examples. It makes me so sick when I think of the ramifications of these people's egotistical decisions and there catastrophic effect on our once proud country.
Mitch McConnell is one of the main reasons we are here. Stacking the Supreme court, not voting to convict impeachment. If there is a hell, I hope there is a special place for him. McConnell's principles are betrayal of our country.
Sure it is. Get them to stay home and get the ones who didn’t vote out. I don’t understand why this isn’t the strategy, given that non-voters overwhelmingly would vote for Harris in a do-over. And here we are wasting our energy trying to convert a cult. It makes no sense.
Look at Iowa state Senate election results this week , and in Georgia prelims (its in HCR 8/26 newsletter) . Special election , low turnout and all that but some cultists very likely changed their votes .Remember it's Iowa where the R primary is the election . It may mean the pollster that t***p sued was on to something . Iowa has good secondary education. and I think will eventually go back to purple .
This Bill Pulte, who is head of the Federal Housing and Financing Agency, was a major part of PulteGroup, which acquired Del Webb. Del Webb built enormous housing projects. We lived in one in California.
What I remember about the Pulte acquisition of Del Webb was a reduction in quality.
Yes! PulteGroup has been investigated for shoddy construction in 3 states, and paid millions in settlements. Just wish the media would report on that. Yet another sycophant/crook in Trumps circle.
I saw the bit on the Retrumplican MAGAts who were all praising the states' ability to safely run elections free of fraud for years ... I also became hopeful they found their spines and balls, only to be disappointed they were clips from 2021. My hope was dashed. 😔 Thanks, Nicole Wallace. Way to harsh my mellow.
So Tim, this probably isn’t apropos of this podcast, but I just wanted to bring it to your attention (and pass it along to Sarah, she might know some of these people), this NYT article on the Gay republicans serving in the Trump administration and living it up in DC. I couldn’t believe what I was reading. I’d love to hear you and Sarah discuss this, because I am totally baffled by the amount of reality distortion that must be going on in these human brains. Here it is (gift link):
“ Donald Trump’s Big Gay Government - On the town with the A-Gays of Washington, who have never been happier to be out, proud and Republican.”
The reason I thought Sarah might know some of these guys is this: “…In 2019, Mr. Moran took over Log Cabin Republicans, the gay Republican group, aligning it fully with the MAGA movement and increasing its ranks…”
Ghislaine’s ignored nugget of truth: She told Todd Blanche that men who were serviced by Epstein’s trafficked girls are “in your cabinet.”
EDIT: In addition to sitting cabinet members, Epstein’s honeypot attracted MAGA-adjacent billionaires like nominal Democrat Glenn Dubin. He had sex with Virginia Roberts, arranged by Ghislaine, as did Tom Pritzker, JB’s cousin.
Ghislaine’s remark to Todd is in the transcripts. Dubin, Pritzker, and Andrew number among the names of men whom Ghislaine forced Virginia Roberts to accommodate, she said. Innumerable relationships connect that crowd. Epstein paid for his girlfriend Eva Andersson’s medical education at UCLA before the breast specialist married Dubin.
Thanks. I just checked and cannot find it. Your link is the main webpage. There are no links to the interview transcript, and the search function doesn’t turn it up either. If you just search Ghislaine Maxwell, all you get are the various court proceedings that resulted in, or result from, her conviction. They all predate 2025.
Do you have a link to the exact page with the transcript?
Why is it that when I was a kid, I yearned to use CliffsNotes (but didn’t dare, even once I had my own spending money and a way to get to and from the bookstore, lest my parents catch me), but today, any clip video (excepting Trump!) immediately makes me want to watch the whole thing, and any juicy excerpt makes me want to read the whole thing?
I swear, I have no idea how you folks who have to keep up with this stuff for a living do it while also making that living.
(That said, I used to be worse — I used to default to 1x speed and only go faster on a case-by-case basis. Now, unless it’s music, it’s 1.5x.)
How do wr get to the Heritage Foundation now! 🦅🇺🇸🦅
Make Bill Pulte pay a price for being a MAGA enforcer. His family made a fortune building crappy homes around the country. He is an inviting target; go after him. A ten minute search will generate a list of hundreds of seriously pissed homeowners who bought homes from him. Shine a spotlight on his business.
Look at what happened to Elon Musk's business. If rich guys want to play junior gestapo enforcer in the administration, hit them where it hurts.
Government employees rarely, if ever, talk politics internally. I think the civil servants still left need to get together and start pushing back, internally
#we’renotdistracted
First, great analysis as always. A quibble but an important one: you mention that Ms. Cook had listed two 'primary' residences on her mortgage application. I believe she listed two 'principle' residences. Former might be an issue, but latter would mean she could, e.g., have a home on the beach in the summer, while living elsewhere at other times of the year. But I could be confused here too. Too much s*** flooding the zone ... and my brain!
Tim, Thanks for your representation of the Bulwark on Nicole's show. You did yourself proud. One of your quotes really amplified what kind of people are now inhabiting our halls of Congress, people incapable of humiliation. Indeed they have sold their souls. What I don't understand is what for? What's their payoff? Case in point, what does Mitch McConnell need? He's retiring. He has said DJT is a disgusting person. Trump attacked his wife. McConnell has already etched his legacy such as it is. Why doesn't he go out with his principles intact? You would think a person who sees himself as a shrewd operator would oppose this impending Dictatorship with all the muster he could rather than be seen as complicit in the betrayal of his country.There are numerous more like examples. It makes me so sick when I think of the ramifications of these people's egotistical decisions and there catastrophic effect on our once proud country.
Mitch McConnell is one of the main reasons we are here. Stacking the Supreme court, not voting to convict impeachment. If there is a hell, I hope there is a special place for him. McConnell's principles are betrayal of our country.
Just because voters hate t***p doesn't mean they will vote for a D
Really, I just want them to stay home.
I hope thats enough. but I think its not
Sure it is. Get them to stay home and get the ones who didn’t vote out. I don’t understand why this isn’t the strategy, given that non-voters overwhelmingly would vote for Harris in a do-over. And here we are wasting our energy trying to convert a cult. It makes no sense.
Look at Iowa state Senate election results this week , and in Georgia prelims (its in HCR 8/26 newsletter) . Special election , low turnout and all that but some cultists very likely changed their votes .Remember it's Iowa where the R primary is the election . It may mean the pollster that t***p sued was on to something . Iowa has good secondary education. and I think will eventually go back to purple .
This Bill Pulte, who is head of the Federal Housing and Financing Agency, was a major part of PulteGroup, which acquired Del Webb. Del Webb built enormous housing projects. We lived in one in California.
What I remember about the Pulte acquisition of Del Webb was a reduction in quality.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bill_Pulte
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PulteGroup
Yes! PulteGroup has been investigated for shoddy construction in 3 states, and paid millions in settlements. Just wish the media would report on that. Yet another sycophant/crook in Trumps circle.
The MAGA brain worms have destroyed the ability of republicans to speak. The only thing the zombies can do now is repeat.
Love to use the adjective MORONIC when speaking to trumps competency.
I saw the bit on the Retrumplican MAGAts who were all praising the states' ability to safely run elections free of fraud for years ... I also became hopeful they found their spines and balls, only to be disappointed they were clips from 2021. My hope was dashed. 😔 Thanks, Nicole Wallace. Way to harsh my mellow.
So Tim, this probably isn’t apropos of this podcast, but I just wanted to bring it to your attention (and pass it along to Sarah, she might know some of these people), this NYT article on the Gay republicans serving in the Trump administration and living it up in DC. I couldn’t believe what I was reading. I’d love to hear you and Sarah discuss this, because I am totally baffled by the amount of reality distortion that must be going on in these human brains. Here it is (gift link):
“ Donald Trump’s Big Gay Government - On the town with the A-Gays of Washington, who have never been happier to be out, proud and Republican.”
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/08/26/style/gay-men-trump-administration-republicans.html?unlocked_article_code=1.hU8.DL6c.sv8yth1saYYj&smid=nytcore-ios-share&referringSource=articleShare
The reason I thought Sarah might know some of these guys is this: “…In 2019, Mr. Moran took over Log Cabin Republicans, the gay Republican group, aligning it fully with the MAGA movement and increasing its ranks…”
Addendum:
Tim, I posted this comment before I watched your “take” with Sam and Will, where the NYT article was mentioned briefly by Sam. Sorry about that.
Ghislaine’s ignored nugget of truth: She told Todd Blanche that men who were serviced by Epstein’s trafficked girls are “in your cabinet.”
EDIT: In addition to sitting cabinet members, Epstein’s honeypot attracted MAGA-adjacent billionaires like nominal Democrat Glenn Dubin. He had sex with Virginia Roberts, arranged by Ghislaine, as did Tom Pritzker, JB’s cousin.
Where was this quoted? I haven’t seen that little nugget anywhere.
Ghislaine’s remark to Todd is in the transcripts. Dubin, Pritzker, and Andrew number among the names of men whom Ghislaine forced Virginia Roberts to accommodate, she said. Innumerable relationships connect that crowd. Epstein paid for his girlfriend Eva Andersson’s medical education at UCLA before the breast specialist married Dubin.
Where can you read the transcripts?
The written transcript and tapes are at www.justice.gov. I just checked.
Never mind. I found it.
https://www.justice.gov/maxwell-interview
Thanks. I just checked and cannot find it. Your link is the main webpage. There are no links to the interview transcript, and the search function doesn’t turn it up either. If you just search Ghislaine Maxwell, all you get are the various court proceedings that resulted in, or result from, her conviction. They all predate 2025.
Do you have a link to the exact page with the transcript?
Sorry, I messed up. Thanks for helping us all out.