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The Longwell Game

Since the early days of Trump 1.0, The Bulwark has evolved into a hysteria-free, self-sustaining home planet for conservatives-in-exile, where the ethos, according to publisher Sarah Longwell, holds that democracy cannot be saved “from behind a paywall.” Now, she’s contemplating a Free Press-level exit, too.

Sarah Longwell
"We view ourselves now, firmly, as a pro-democracy publication that has a politically diverse audience, as well as a pretty politically diverse staff. But the one thing we won’t compromise on is that we’re not going to normalize Trump," says The Bulwark publisher Sarah Longwell. Photo: Bre Johnson/BFA.com
Dylan Byers
October 24, 2025

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Seven years ago, political strategist Sarah Longwell led a band of like-minded Never Trump conservatives to launch The Bulwark from the ashes of its forebearer, The Weekly Standard. At the time, the Substack-based outlet was viewed as a small but growing pillar of the so-called #resistance media. Now, in Trump’s second term, as much of the news industry has taken a less combative, or at least more nuanced, approach to his administration, The Bulwark has become the veritable home base for defenders of liberal democracy who’ve found themselves politically homeless.