Bulwark On Sunday is one of my fav Bulwark pods. Great job as always, Bill, and Ryan is such a good interlocutor. Always come away from the pod better informed.
Fantastic conversation I almost didn’t listen to it and I thought it would be too depressing. But I learned so much so appreciate Bill kristol inability to dig deep on someone many issues
Tried to listen to this, especially between these two. But as happens almost always, Bill Kristol speaks too fast and mushes together too many words to the point where I have no idea what he just said. Goodman speaks quickly sometimes, but he articulates each word, respecting the spaces between the words. Kristol, on the other hand, is incorrigible. Almost always. He needs to listen to these recordings and make an effort to articular one word at a time. Please.
Ryan Goodman is a fantastic communicator…very clear. His comment toward the end about surveillance was chilling but you can see it coming. The concept of public hearings to shed light on the boat murders and the regime’s intentions re Venezuela won’t be taken up by Congress I’m afraid, but we can only hope.
Bill, this is an excellent conversation that I hope will help convince the Administration to cease their unprovoked attacks in and around Venezuela or convince Congress to act decisively to stop this madness.
One thing -- you are so articulate and knowledgeable, but I sometimes have trouble hearing you. Maybe having your microphone closer to you would help? I want to hear every thoughtful word you say!
I agree with you. It's not the microphone; it's that he speaks so quickly and just mushes together clusters of words to the point of being incomprehensible.
While I totally agree that we need to have Congressional hearings on these boat strikes, Hegseth has just issued an order to prevent that very thing from happening. I would really like Ryan Goodman to address this because it strikes me as being highly illegal. I always thought that a Congressional Committee could force you to testify or be questioned, even if they have to issue a subpoena to get you there.
“Hegseth bars military officials from discussing drug boat strikes with Congress without prior approval”, by Natasha Bertrand, CNN, 11/2/25, https://apple.news/A5so8LitKQtmyPUh9oeJsUQ
“….The list of topics that now “require prior coordination” with Hegseth’s office before engaging with Congress includes:
DoW [Department of War] sensitive military operations
DoW Maritime activities in the SOUTHCOM [Southern Command] AoR [area of responsibility] (to include enhanced counternarcotics operations)
Golden Dome/Homeland Missile Defense
Acquisition Reform
Critical Munitions
National Defense Strategy
Other topics include budget and reconciliation spending plans; critical minerals; Foreign Military Sales reform; AUKUS, a trilateral security partnership between Australia, the United Kingdom, and the United States; anomalous health incidents also known as “Havana Syndrome”; and Spectrum, which refers to the electromagnetic spectrum that underpins military operations and other key US government functions…”
Bulwark On Sunday is one of my fav Bulwark pods. Great job as always, Bill, and Ryan is such a good interlocutor. Always come away from the pod better informed.
Love hearing what Ryan Goodman has to say on these important issues - thank you!
Appreciate this discussion for bringing multiple threads together.
Point of clarification: George H.W. Bush was president in 1991, not Bill Clinton.
Is it a distraction from Jeffery Epstein? Or simply a distraction in general?
Thank you, gentlemen, for informing us on this murky situation.
Really great and thoughtful conversation. I always appreciate your super honest, profound and important words, Bill, especially in these times.
Why is this not an impeachable offense? If there were proof that these people were actually drug smugglers, and evidence, it should be shared!!
And who, exactly, is ordering these strikes?? Hegseth? Trump??
Fantastic conversation I almost didn’t listen to it and I thought it would be too depressing. But I learned so much so appreciate Bill kristol inability to dig deep on someone many issues
Tried to listen to this, especially between these two. But as happens almost always, Bill Kristol speaks too fast and mushes together too many words to the point where I have no idea what he just said. Goodman speaks quickly sometimes, but he articulates each word, respecting the spaces between the words. Kristol, on the other hand, is incorrigible. Almost always. He needs to listen to these recordings and make an effort to articular one word at a time. Please.
Why did the Wagner Group just fly in through the back door into Venezuela?
Ryan Goodman is a fantastic communicator…very clear. His comment toward the end about surveillance was chilling but you can see it coming. The concept of public hearings to shed light on the boat murders and the regime’s intentions re Venezuela won’t be taken up by Congress I’m afraid, but we can only hope.
My question is, is it now legal to murder people without due process if we believe they are doing something illegal?
When there is discussion such as in this conversation, how does Trump's SCOTUS awarding of a presidential "Get out of jail free card" factor in this.
I firmly expect Trump to blow off Congress pretty soon.
Part of that will be Bondi and Noem not letting anyone come to hearings in front of Congress. Then What??
Bill, this is an excellent conversation that I hope will help convince the Administration to cease their unprovoked attacks in and around Venezuela or convince Congress to act decisively to stop this madness.
One thing -- you are so articulate and knowledgeable, but I sometimes have trouble hearing you. Maybe having your microphone closer to you would help? I want to hear every thoughtful word you say!
Thank you so much. Chuck Redman, NYU Law, '77.
I agree with you. It's not the microphone; it's that he speaks so quickly and just mushes together clusters of words to the point of being incomprehensible.
It's not just Venezuela where Trump is planning to start an illegal war.
He's also threatening to start another unauthorized & illegal war with Nigeria:
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/11/01/world/africa/trump-nigeria-military.html?unlocked_article_code=1.yE8.xssB.PN_v-a7xvX3R&smid=url-share
While I totally agree that we need to have Congressional hearings on these boat strikes, Hegseth has just issued an order to prevent that very thing from happening. I would really like Ryan Goodman to address this because it strikes me as being highly illegal. I always thought that a Congressional Committee could force you to testify or be questioned, even if they have to issue a subpoena to get you there.
“Hegseth bars military officials from discussing drug boat strikes with Congress without prior approval”, by Natasha Bertrand, CNN, 11/2/25, https://apple.news/A5so8LitKQtmyPUh9oeJsUQ
“….The list of topics that now “require prior coordination” with Hegseth’s office before engaging with Congress includes:
DoW [Department of War] sensitive military operations
DoW Maritime activities in the SOUTHCOM [Southern Command] AoR [area of responsibility] (to include enhanced counternarcotics operations)
Golden Dome/Homeland Missile Defense
Acquisition Reform
Critical Munitions
National Defense Strategy
Other topics include budget and reconciliation spending plans; critical minerals; Foreign Military Sales reform; AUKUS, a trilateral security partnership between Australia, the United Kingdom, and the United States; anomalous health incidents also known as “Havana Syndrome”; and Spectrum, which refers to the electromagnetic spectrum that underpins military operations and other key US government functions…”