Bulwark Takes - Panicked Republicans Are Trying to Rewrite Their Iran Record

Episode Date: September 25, 2026

Tim Miller gives his take on the Republican candidates who are suddenly calling for an end to the Iran war after repeatedly supporting it. John James, Mike Rogers, Tom Tiffany and Ashley Hinson are all trying to distance themselves from the war, but Tim asks the obvious question: What is their actual plan to end it? They don't have one.Plus, Tim also looks at Roger Marshall’s attempt to distance himself from the Trump administration’s ICE policies.Upgrade your sleep with Boll & Branch. Get 15% off your first order plus free shipping at https://www.BollAndBranch.com/bulwarktakes with code bulwarktakes. Exclusions apply.Springfield Benefit: https://www.thebulwark.com/events?event_id=event-hQcBaHvoEZ

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Hey, everybody. It's Tim Miller from the Bullwork. Republican Senate and governor candidates are starting to try to back away from the Iran war a little bit now. They're doing so in the cheapest and most pathetic and most enraging way imaginable. They're trying to like pay the lip service idiot, like, ah, it's probably time to wind it down without actually doing anything that would reverse the disastrous policy that they all support it. And we had this vote that just ended right before I started recording where, again, the Democrats gave the Republican, the Senate another chance to vote to end the war. And it went down. My senator in Louisiana, Bill Cassidy, once again, the deciding vote.

He got lobbied by Republican leadership. So it went down 49 to 50. But all of the big Republican Senate candidates, with the exception of Collins in Maine, voted to keep the war going, including some of the people that we're going to run through some clips of right now. So, you know, they want to try to, like, show some distance. without doing anything that would cause pain because that's what happens when you start a war

and you try to get out of it. It's painful. It's painful no matter how quickly you want to do it or how long. Look at Joe Biden in Afghanistan. It's hard. So these guys aren't willing to make hard choices because they're all a bunch of cowards, inquisps, and wusses. So here we go.

I want to run through that. We're going to run through some of the worst examples. At the end, I have a bonus when it comes to ICE because there's one Senate candidate that's trying to do the same thing. on ice. I think what you told you a lot about the state of his center race. So I want to start, though, running through these clips with John James. He's running for Michigan governor against Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson. Here he was on Stephen A. Smith podcast earlier this week. And they are counting on the American people to buckle. And so right now,

I hate war. I hate war. We need you everything that we can to get out of it quickly. But we have to make sure that we do it in a manner that leaves us better off than what we entered. How would that work? What do you mean? It's too late for that. We're definitely not going to get out of here better than how we entered. We're clearly worse off than how we entered now. I don't need to remind the viewers of this show that the Strait of Hormuz was open before

this war started, that our military bases in the Middle East were all intact before this war started, this war of choice. So I'm sorry the ship has. sailed on getting out better than where we entered. If we're not allowed to get out until we get out at a time where the situation is better than when we entered the war, well, it's another forever war. Maybe that'll happen in 2046 when the AI robot drones figure out a plan that's better than Pete Hegsuff.

I guess we probably don't need artificial intelligence. Excuse me, supreme intelligence to figure out a plan better than what Pete Higsuff came up with. But it's not any time soon. We've suffered significant damage to our military, economically, geopolitically, already in the 200-some odd days we've been at this war. So, like, what is John James' plan for getting out better? Doesn't I have one? It's just like, that sounds nice, right?

It's like, I hate war, but we can't quit until we win. It's okay, well, what's your plan for winning? Okay. Anyway, let's stay in Michigan. this one really tickled me. This is Mike Rogers. People who don't really know Mike Rogers' backstory, at this point you probably know him as the candidate running against Abdul Al-Said of Michigan.

But he was always like from the military hawk neocon wing, okay? Really strong national defense Republican. And so for him to try this gambit, when running against Abdul al-Sahed, who said what you want about him, has been unbelievably principled and clear-eyed on American Adventurism in the Middle East. It's just who's going to buy this? But let's take a watch. This is the most recent ad.

In Michigan families are struggling with the price of everyday life. Groceries cost too much. We have to bring prices down. The war with Iran needs to end and end quickly. When it does, energy costs will plummet. But Michigan families can't afford to wait for that to happen. We need to do something now. A lot to laugh out there.

The idea that my garage is grocery shops for himself and picks out his own produce is ridiculous. I mean, he moved to Florida. I didn't even live in Michigan. He has a house in Florida and that's his wife there, like kind of looking at him. I'm like, this is usually my job. I mean, like, let's just be real about what's happening in that house. He looks deeply uncomfortable picking out the lettuce. But on top of that, the last line of that ad, Michigan families can't afford to wait.

We need to do something now. I love that. We have to do something to end the war. What? Question mark. Come back for the next ad. Maybe I'll have some answers. That's Mike Rogers.

He's like, we need to do something. something to end the war. Okay. What? Do you have an idea? Are we going to end the blockade? Are we going to just give Iran the straight? Are we going to concede to their demands that they've been making in negotiations? We're going to do what Donald Trump wants to end the war? He suggested one time, we end the Iranian civilization. Like, what do you mean? We have to do something now. And then energy costs will plummet. This message is brought to you by bowl and branch. Improving your sleep can feel like this huge project. Suddenly you're looking at a new

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Code Bull-Wark Takes to unlock 15% off. Exclusions apply. He has no idea. He doesn't have any idea. He doesn't have any plans. They have no exit strategy. He just knows it's popular to say we should end the war soon. So he's like, here, I guess I'll do it.

Neocon Mike is going to do an ad that's like, we're going to end the war now. End it soon. prices are coming down magically. It's the underpants and omes meme. You know? Gather underpants, question mark, profit. It's like, that's, that's, that's my garage's ad right here. It's like, okay.

Say we're going to end the war. How? Question mark, question mark, question mark. Answer, profit. Energy prices down for everybody. The whole thing is, is absurd. I don't, do they think they can get away with it? I don't know, but I do think it's important to point out to people.

people, the ridiculousness of their position on this. And as they go into debates over the next 40 days, for those that have the courage to debate or when they get questions from journalists, like my question from my garage is what is the something? Like, what is your plan to end the war? Are you for ending the blockade? Okay. That's a different policy than Trump.

You're for ending the blockade and Iran? No. Which part of the MOU that, of Iran's demands? Are you ready to give them? Are we going to move all of our troops out of the region? That's one of Iran's demands. We're going to move our bases out of the region. Does Mike Rogers want to do that?

Of course not. Of course not. He doesn't want to do any of the things that one could do to end the war. So all he can do is say, I want to end the war and do something. Something. Something. We're going to do something to fix that problem. I'm trying to work that up my marriage sometimes when we have a dispute with my husband.

He's like, we want to do something differently. What? I don't know something. No plans to do anything differently. Here's Rogers back in May, by the way. You cannot allow Iran to get a nuclear weapon. Remember, they're already threatening to run the Straits of Hermuz, which would mean, my God, if they had the chance to do that,

our gasoline would be $8 a gallon. Can't let them do that. I'd like a quick solution to this. And as I said, I think all the politicians who are screaming and thumping their chest and running around saying, this is the whole cause of all your misery, this is the time to take out those structural things that have been put in place for the last,

Well, 32 years if you're in the U.S. Senate and eight years if you're in Lansing to get your costs down. Start bringing, we want to unleash American energy. I love that. This was the time to do something. Yeah, you're right, Mike. That was the time to stop the war. That was, May was the time to stop this. Turned around March, or February, before you got in, it was time to stop this.

Mike's like, oh, no, like there are people with their hair on fire saying these are all your problems. And if we don't get, if we don't fix it now, there'll be $8 gas. Well, here we are, $8 diesel. It was like Mike Rogers was in May, poo-pooing the people that had those concerns, saying we had to gain control of the state of hormones. Well, did we do that? No. Do you have a plan for doing that now?

Not really. We're going to do something. It's just, it's been an utterly, shockingly failed policy. It is plain for everybody to see. And Mike Rogers was on board every step of the way. And now it was like, let's try some different. Okay. What? Waiting for that answer.

Here's Tom Tiffany. He's running against David Crowley for governor of Wisconsin. He's still in the House of Representatives. So he's been voting on the war. He's voted against all of the war powers resolutions that have been brought up in the House that would limit the presidents and the president's power to engage in this war. Let's watch. The president has final say in regards to this. But I just believe that we should be exiting Iran, that it's time.

to move on. We've degraded their nuclear facilities. We degraded their military. Most of their ships are on the bottom of the ocean. Time to come home. Take care of business here in America. So here it is again. He's trying to do the America First rhetoric. That's what it's supposed to be, right? We should bring our guys home. We should focus on what's happening in America. It's time to come back. It's trying to focus on here, right? That's what America first was supposed to be. But there's no policy to back that up. like the policies are the opposite and again just like my garage is Tom Tiffany doesn't have any details to offer

here is let's just go to that quote one more time I believe that we should be exiting Iran we're not in Iran we're not in Iran we don't have any troops on the ground in Iran we have a blockade at the sea where we're block blockading their oil exports does he want to end that maybe it's hard to tell

from that. That's something worth exploring. That would be a big policy difference from President Trump. So it'd be a news item. If he wants to end the blockades, that Iran's economy can start to recover. I mean, that's a legitimate policy idea, but he doesn't say that.

He says, we should be exiting Iran. We're not in Iran. We're in the region, and Iran is an asymmetric war where they're attacking our bases and our allies and other parts of the region, as are the Houthi's now. And they're closing the strait.

So like exiting that is nothing. It's time to move on, he says. Okay, time to come home. Okay, time to come home is an interesting sentence again. Because one of the points that Iran is asking for during the negotiations is they want U.S. troops out of the region. Are you like an isolationist, MAGA first where you don't think we should have bases in the region anymore? Is that what you mean? Time to come home?

Like we shut down our Bahrain facility, you know, we have troops stationed all over the region. Saudi, you know, Kuwait. That's what, that's what Iran's asking for. Is that what Tom Tiffany wants? I don't know. No, right? He just wants to say it.

He wants the slogan of bring the boys home, but no actual policy different. He wants the difference. He wants to just, Tom Tiffany's basically like, I want to see America first, and I want to, I just, I don't want me to be blamed for the gas prices.

It's like, sorry, bro, you're for the war. You've had multiple chances to vote. against it. You didn't. Here we are. Ashley Hinson, down in Iowa. She did a tweet. I ranted about this earlier this week about how Iowans are being squeezed and shouldn't have to foot the bill at the pump. The war needs to be brought to a successful and immediate end. I love that. Oh, great, successful and immediate. We hadn't thought of that one before, Ashley. Trump hadn't considered that successful and immediate was an option. It's like, what does that

look like. It's successful and immediate end. I can't even fath them. I can't even offer a vision for what's successful and immediate. I could come up with failure in immediate. I could come up with tucking tail and running in immediate. Successful and immediate? I don't know.

Ashley's been worried about this for a while, it seems like, but has been stalwart with Mr. Trump. Continued to be. Has voted every time with him on the war. Here was her an leaked audio back in June. It's awful. It's awful. Actually, you're in the next couple of weeks. I hope we can get this done by the next couple of weeks. That was, I was important. Right. I know. That's the banked four funeral since September. It's awful. It is awful, actually. You're in it. You did it. I hope we can get this done by the next couple weeks. That was what? Three months ago. Didn't happen the next couple weeks. What'd you do? You had multiple chances. Congress was in session during that time. Senate was in session during that time. You could have. You could have. used the power of the purse to block Donald Trump and Pete Higgsout for continuing

to find this reckless war. You didn't do anything. It's like, these people, like, act like they have no agency. Like, Ashley Henson, you're up there. You're in Washington. Do something about it. Don't be like, oh, it's tough. It's awful.

I was like, you guys did it. So clean it up. No, they don't have the courage to do that. You know, it's just like, what they want to do is they want to have their cake and eat it too, right? It's awful. And also, we should be successful. So great.

Life doesn't work like that. I did get a kick out of Deb Fisher. She's in Nebraska. She's not up this time. This is a little bonus one just for me. She told Punchball this week, we all want to see the war end, but I want to make sure that we meet our objectives. Like, what are the objectives? What objectives?

What objectives? We have no objectives. I mean, the stated objective I guess is that Iran never gets a nuclear weapon. So good luck. We'll be there forever. Keep them getting a nuclear weapon. Like, what's the objective? There is no objective. It's just a fucking calamity.

And there were ruddle us. And there's no plan. There's no strategy. There's no objective. There's no exit. And by the way, everyone that was clear-eyed saw this day one, minute one. And I say this a lot. Like I had Bob Kagan, Godfather of the Neocons, Dick Cheney's pal.

on my podcast when like right when the war was starting and he's like this is going to be a total he predicted everything it's going to be a total claimant it was very obvious they did it deb fisher did it ashley hinson did it tom tiffany did it mike rogers did it they all did it and now they're like sitting in their own bed of filth with eight dollar diesel and they're going well so let's just let's just walk away it's like no you got to clean it up that's going to be hard Good luck. Roger Marshall, my pal, Roger Marshall, running for Senate in Kansas.

That would be the delicious. If you want to see a happy Tim on November, whatever it is, Wednesday, November 4th, Roger Marshall losing would be the way to have a happy Tim. Here's what he tweeted yesterday. We're moving on to the ice topic. Roger Marshall voted also for the war. He's been pretty stalwart for the war.

I mean, he's been out there being like, guys. You know, it's worth it. All these high gas prices is worth it to keep us safe, to keep Dot Tola from getting a nuke. Points for honesty, I guess. You think that it's worth it? He's not the smartest guy, but you can understand why he'd buy in on that.

Here he was on ice, though. He's tried to get some distance to the president on another issue, which shows, boy, he's in a close race. If he wasn't in a close race with Adam Hamilton, he would not be doing this. When ICE operates in Kansas, it needs to coordinate with our local law enforcement, our sheriffs and police know these communities better than anyone, and working together keeps officers and residents safe.

I'm closely following what's happening in South of Kansas and then been in direct contact with Secretary Mullen as ICE executes warrants in order to keep Kansas safe. So, I mean, barely a critique there. But I find this really funny. And part I find it funny because Roger Marshall actually probably can help Secretary Mullen in this as far as coordinating with local law enforcement.

Because when he was a doctor, he was coordinating with local law enforcement very closely on making sure that his patients that didn't pay him for, that didn't pay him for emergency natal care, got jailed. He was working very closely with the local police officers to make sure there was debtor's prison for people that owed him like $134 bucks on their hysterectomy. So he does know a little bit about coordinating with local law enforcement,

but it's like, and this is just not the situation, like this isn't solving any of the situations. I guess probably the local law enforcement in Kansas is less likely to shoot people in the street than ice. So if he could say that bluntly that he's like, he just wants the local law enforcement to handle the traffic stops. Like that would be a substantive change rather than coordinating. Coordinating can mean anything. But meanwhile, it's just like, what is this? I mean, this is the story I've been getting to this week since here in Louisiana.

36-year-old Costa Rican is now the third detainee to die in an ice facility here in six months. His family said he'd been complaining about missing insulin shots. they needed to manage his diabetes. ICE is killing people on the streets and their facilities. And like the idea that like to solve for that, that there's some like middle ground where like Roger Marshall can be like, hey, if you work with the, I know this guy.

All right. I know this guy in Reno County, Kansas. He's a sheriff. And I got his number from back when I was looking for debtor's prison for people. It's like, what? Like that's not going to be it. That's not it. So anyway, but it's a little delicious.

cities that this is where he's trying to get some distance. I think it should be assigned to Democrats, by the way, that this is a winning issue they can lean in on. And if you made it to the song in the video, you'll know that we're leaning in on it here at the bulwark. We're going to Springfield because we're trying to keep this issue at the forefront. And if you want to support the Haitian community there in the Haitian Support Center, I'll put a link in the show notes. That's where all the funds are going to for our live event in Dayton on Friday night. So appreciate you guys all very much. We'll see you all soon.