Episodes

  • S6 Ep35: Trump Voters Say 'Nope' to the Pope (with Jonathan V. Last)

    S6 Ep35: Trump Voters Say 'Nope' to the Pope (with Jonathan V. Last)
    Apr 18 2026

    Donald Trump and Pope Leo XIV are probably the two most prominent Americans in the world right now, and they're fighting. So we asked American Catholics (including those who voted for Trump) what they thought of their feud, and about Trump's Truth Social Post depicting himself as Jesus. JVL returns to the show with some choice words for some of his fellow Catholics, and discusses the role the Catholic Church has played in American politics more broadly.

    Get tickets to The Bulwark's May live shows in San Diego and Los Angeles!

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    1 hr and 12 mins
  • S6 Ep34: Why Women Don’t Need Men Anymore—In Their Own Words (w/ Sami Sage)

    S6 Ep34: Why Women Don’t Need Men Anymore—In Their Own Words (w/ Sami Sage)
    Apr 17 2026

    On this bonus episode of The Focus Group, Rachel and guest Sami Sage of Betches Media wonder whether millennials are truly still ‘cringe.’ They also discuss the Gen Z gender gap, and how some politically moderate young women are navigating that political divide in their personal lives.

    By Sami Sage:

    In Paperback on April 28: Democracy in Retrograde: How to Make Changes Big and Small in Our Country and in Our Lives (https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Democracy-in-Retrograde/Sami-Sage/9781668053492)

    Check out 'The Context', from the Charles F. Kettering Foundation: https://kettering.org/thecontext/
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    46 mins
  • S6 Ep33: The Sad, Mad GOP Base (with Amy Walter)

    S6 Ep33: The Sad, Mad GOP Base (with Amy Walter)
    Apr 11 2026
    If there's a blue wave in the 2026 elections, it'll be either because new people start voting for Democrats, or the current Republican base gets sad and stays home. So we convened a focus group of 2020 and 2024 Trump voters who are unhappy with his administration to give you a sample of the kind of despair that could keep Republicans home in November. Amy Walter, editor-in-chief of the Cook Political Report, returns to the show to break down the midterm landscape.
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    55 mins
  • S6 Ep32: It's "Messing With Me Mentally" (with Ashley Parker)

    S6 Ep32: It's "Messing With Me Mentally" (with Ashley Parker)
    Apr 4 2026

    The Iran War has been going on for a month, and it’s deeply, DEEPLY unpopular. Plus, we get reactions from swing voters on the characters inside the Trump administration who they like (like Marco Rubio), or REALLY dislike (listen to find out). Atlantic staff writer Ashley Parker returns to the show.

    By Ashley Parker:
    The Wrath of Stephen Miller

    Pre-order Sarah’s book, How to Eat an Elephant, coming in September!
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    52 mins
  • S6 Ep31: PSA: AI is NOT Your Boyfriend!! (with Megan McArdle)

    S6 Ep31: PSA: AI is NOT Your Boyfriend!! (with Megan McArdle)
    Mar 28 2026

    Artificial intelligence is such a big change to human civilization that our political class is struggling to keep up. The voters in our focus groups are struggling, too. The Washington Post's Megan McArdle joins the show to discuss how everyday Americans are using (and misusing!) AI, its impact on the political process and information environment, and how public policy can adapt to this brave new world.

    Megan McArdle's Washington Post Podcast, Reasonably Optimistic

    Make laundry day the best day of the week! Get 20% off your entire order @LaundrySauce with code THEFOCUSGROUP at https://laundrysauce.com/THEFOCUSGROUP #laundrysaucepod

    Get 60% off your first box with Tempo Meals at https://TempoMeals.com/THEFOCUSGROUP.
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    1 hr and 4 mins
  • S6 Ep30: ‘All of You Could Be Democrats’ (with Anderson Clayton)

    S6 Ep30: ‘All of You Could Be Democrats’ (with Anderson Clayton)
    Mar 21 2026
    A lot of the young people we’ve been talking to recently in our focus groups are relatively apolitical, and many of them don’t vote. But what DO these young people care about? And what could mobilize them in the future? Rachel Janfaza discusses with Anderson Clayton, the youngest state party chair in the U.S. and chair of the North Carolina Democratic Party.
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    45 mins
  • S6 Ep29: Illinois Senate Race: Daaaa Dems (with David Axelrod)

    S6 Ep29: Illinois Senate Race: Daaaa Dems (with David Axelrod)
    Mar 14 2026
    The Democratic primary for US Senate in Illinois is a bit quiet, according to our guest. But underneath the surface, one candidate has a VERY interesting way of getting attention...and voters are starting to notice. David Axelrod, former adviser to President Obama, joins the show to discuss this Chicago-style Senate race.
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    52 mins
  • S6 Ep28: BONUS POD: Iran Fears &...Focus Groups Love The Bulwark?

    S6 Ep28: BONUS POD: Iran Fears &...Focus Groups Love The Bulwark?
    Mar 12 2026

    Sarah was out last week, and felt she had to bring you some timely focus group reactions to the War in Iran. We also check in on their feelings about the Trump administration (especially their handling of the Epstein Files), and talk about a growing strain of conspiracy theorizing tied to Israel (Jeffrey Epstein and Charlie Kirk are BOTH involved!)

    Finally, we’ve recently seen members of the Bulwark community pop up in the wild in our focus groups. Hear what drew THEM to The Bulwark. Sarah and Bill Kristol sift through it all.

    Pre-order Sarah’s book, How to Eat an Elephant, coming in September!
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    58 mins