Bulwark Takes Tim Miller: GOP’s Strategy Is To Make You Miserable
Oct 3, 2025
Tim Miller, a Republican strategist and political commentator, joins the hosts to tackle provocative issues facing America today. They discuss the unsettling military presence in cities and how this is used as a form of intimidation. Miller warns about the narrative framing citizens as enemies, potentially justifying harsh measures against them. Additionally, he highlights the troubling trend of testing policies on immigrants before applying them to citizens. The conversation also touches on the political motivations behind the government shutdown, emphasizing its impact on everyday Americans.
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Military Deployments As Recruitment Theater
- Tim Miller warns the military deployments are recruitment and intimidation theater aimed at unleashing forces against an “enemy within.”
- He argues labeling citizens as unseen enemies lays groundwork for abuse and violence by new recruits.
Rhetoric Mirrors Historical Repression
- Michael Steele connects Trump's rhetoric and actions to historical efforts to criminalize dissent, like the Wilson era.
- He warns that calling citizens "the enemy within" mirrors past abuses and is already being operationalized.
Border Phone Searches As A Testing Ground
- Tim Miller describes border screening of visitors' phones as a testing ground for broader surveillance.
- He recounts advice from lawyers to turn off phones to avoid social-media searches at borders.