Tim Miller, JVL and Sam Stein (filling in for Sarah) discuss Trump’s shambolic approach to the Iran war—no clear objective, mixed signals, and rising economic fallout. As gas prices climb and markets wobble, they ask whether the political damage has already begun, even if the polls haven’t fully caught up.

Plus: signs of a potential MAGA fracture, ICE at airports, a look inside the grift behind Project 2025, and a disturbing interview with Greg Bovino.

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Tim Miller, Sarah Longwell, and JVL were live in Austin talking about Trump’s Iran war, the cascading economic fallout, and growing global instability. As gas prices spike and allies react, the conversation turns darker: how bad could this get—and what it says about America right now.

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JVL and Sarah Longwell discuss the Trump administration’s stumble into an Iranian conflict that betrays its "no more wars" promise. They analyze the sudden resignation of Joe Kent over foreign wars, Tulsi Gabbard’s surreal FBI testimony regarding Fulton County ballots, and the looming "bloodbath" within a fracturing Republican coalition.

Pre-order Sarah’s book, How to Eat an Elephant, coming in September: https://static.macmillan.com/static/smp/how-to-eat-an-elephant-9781250464170/

Sarah Longwell and JVL talk about what happens if Trump doesn't TACO and pull the plug on the Iran war excursion after things go from messy to bad. Not great!

Also: What happens if we know how to reform the system, but the system is so ossified that it can't be reformed? And are The People, in fact, the worst?

Pre-order Sarah's book, How to Eat an Elephant, coming in September
https://static.macmillan.com/static/smp/how-to-eat-an-elephant-9781250464170/

Sarah, Tim and JVL are going LIVE to talk about the escalating air war with Iran and the chaos and dishonesty of Trump’s shifting explanations for it.

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Sarah Longwell, JVL, and Tim Miller are going live to talk about the shifting mood around the Iran strikes—how casualties could change the politics, whether 2026 is starting to feel like 2006, and if Trump’s “just do stuff” approach has hit a wall (with JD already hedging). Also: the latest Democratic freakout over Graham Platner’s campaign.

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The U.S. government is ordering employees out of Israel and Iraq, the latest signal that war with Iran is approaching. Larry and David Ellison just bought Warner-Discovery and CNN.

Sarah and JVL also talk about the new John Fetterman in Maine and the primary in Texas. As well as the Kansas law targeting trans people.

Finally, they go deep on DHS, depraved indifference, and accountability. (See the piece JVL talks about here.)

Bonus: Pinball discourse.