The Bulwark Podcast

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Susan Glasser: Our Money-Grubbing President

Explore episode Jul 2, 2026
News
The America 250 Celebration That Became a MAGA Rally in 107-Degree Heat

Susan Glasser: Our Money-Grubbing President · Jul 2, 2026 News

Trump plans a major July 4th speech on the National Mall in 104-to-107-degree heat with no chairs and possibly no water allowed. Susan Glasser predicts low turnout and a pre-written crowd-size grievance Truth Social post to follow. Tim Miller notes the festivities have been so sparse that a man in an Uncle Sam costume got arrested mid-livestream.

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Russia's 1.4 Million Casualties and the Question of Putin's Stability

At 45:20 · chapter starts 42:40

Tim Miller flags two signals of potential instability in Russia: a multimillion-dollar Polymarket bet that Putin will be removed from power this year, and the suspicious death of former defense minister Sergey Ivanov, one of Putin's closest allies. Susan Glasser provides the historical framing: Ivanov was initially seen as Putin's potential successor, and the world might have been very different had Putin chosen him over Dmitry Medvedev as placeholder. She then delivers the episode's most striking data point: Russia has suffered approximately 1.4 million casualties in Ukraine, surpassing the Napoleonic Wars and making this Russia's deadliest conflict since WWII. The human capital catastrophe carries inherent political instability — but Glasser cautions that hardliners who believe Putin isn't being aggressive enough might be even worse for the world than Putin himself. The scenarios on the table for Russia, she says, are 'bad to worse.'

News
Russia Has Suffered 1.4 Million Casualties in Ukraine

Susan Glasser: Our Money-Grubbing President · Jul 2, 2026 News

Russia has suffered an estimated 1.4 million casualties in Ukraine — deaths and serious injuries combined. This surpasses the Napoleonic Wars and is Russia's deadliest conflict since WWII. Susan Glasser argues this level of human destruction carries inherent instability, but warns that hardline successors to Putin could be even worse.

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