AI Summary
5 min read"Cowards Are Running This Country"
In a double-header episode of The Bulwark Daily, host Tim Miller speaks with two guests about the state of American politics in 2025. The first conversation, with journalist Errin Haines, covers Democratic primary results in Florida, the shifting political landscape across the South, and what it will take for Democrats to compete in the region. The second, with former CIA officer Julia Curlee, tells the story of her service across three administrations and her firing from the second Trump administration for being transgender. The throughline connecting both segments is a question about who gets to serve, who gets to vote, and who gets to be heard in American democracy right now.
Democratic Primaries and the Fight for the South
Errin Haines, editor-at-large at The 19th and co-host of the new podcast Long Play, joins Miller to discuss the Florida primary results from the night before. In House races, establishment candidates Jared Moskowitz and Debbie Wasserman Schultz both defeated DSA challengers. But in the Senate primary, state Representative Angie Nixon — a Black woman, DSA member, and vocal critic of Israel's actions in Gaza — pulled off a surprise victory over Alex Vindman, the former National Security Council official who testified during Trump's first impeachment.
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What you'll learn
- 1 (00:03) **Episode Introduction & Personal Favor** - Tim Miller opens with a request for listeners to contact Senator Katie Britt’s office on behalf of a Venezuelan family being detained after trying to self-deport.
- 2 (05:33) **Florida Primary Results & Democratic Factionalism** - Tim Miller and Errin Haines analyze the mixed results from Florida’s primaries, noting both establishment and DSA wins.
- 3 (11:25) **Democrats' Prospects in the South** - The conversation shifts to the “Long Play” project, focusing on the South as a critical battleground for democracy and Democratic strategy.
- 4 (20:35) **The Ossoff Coalition & South Carolina Senate Race** - The discussion focuses on Senator Jon Ossoff’s strategy and the chaotic GOP primary to replace the late Lindsey Graham.
- 5 (33:41) **The "Woke One" Discourse** - Miller asks Haines for her perspective on AOC’s recent comments distancing herself from the “woke” label.
- 6 (38:39) **Julia Curlee: Introduction & The Decision to Stay** - Tim Miller introduces Julia Curlee, a former CIA analyst and VP Pence’s briefer, who was fired for being transgender.
- 7 (45:04) **The Chaos of the Transition** - Curlee details her critical role as the senior intelligence official in the White House and the immediate chaos caused by the new administration’s purge.
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Show Notes
When Trump came back into power, his administration leaned heavily on former CIA analyst Julia Curlee to help safeguard our national security. The first CIA officer to transition openly, Curlee had worked at the highest levels in the White House for years. But once her gender identity became public through a witch hunt, she was hounded out. Curlee talks with Tim about the chaos of Trump’s slash-and-burn firings, the administration’s demonizing of trans people, and how Mike Pence treated her with dignity and respect when she was his personal briefer. Plus: The 19th’s Errin Haines joins to discuss the Florida primaries, the Dems’ prospects in the South, the real backlash against the Callais decision, and AOC’s Woke 1 comments. And Tim asks The Bulwark community to help Venezuelan detainees Freddys Revilla and Edgarianny Gervis.
Julia Curlee and Errin Haines join Tim Miller.
show notes:
- Katie Britt’s office: 202-224-5744
- Britt’s chief of staff: [email protected] and her subcommittee clerk: [email protected]
- Britt’s Twitter: @SenKatieBritt
- Where Tim shared the letter and drawing that were sent to Britt
- Curlee's Atlantic piece, "The Wrong Kind of American"
- Mona's podcast, where Curlee will also be a guest later this week
- Errin's newsletter, "The Amendment"
- Tim's 'Take' on the detained Venezuelan family
Bulwark LIVE: GOOD FIGHT TOUR with Tim, Sarah, Sam and JVL is coming to the Southeast in October. Tickets go on sale August 21. Bulwark+ members get early access via our presale NOW. Head to TheBulwark.com/Events for details and to get your tickets.
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