On Wednesday, July 15, The Bulwark’s Will Sommer and Sarah Longwell, joined BigTentUSA to discuss Longwell’s new book, “How to Eat An Elephant.”
Longwell, a former member of the Republican Party, and now a leading voice in the Anti-MAGA movement, discussed the importance of engaging with voters of any party to develop a reform plan that goes across ideological party lines, while also recognizing that change won’t happen overnight.
Drawing on insights from thousands of voter focus groups, Longwell explored why certain political issues resonate with the public while others fail to break through, emphasizing the importance of clear messaging and compelling storytelling. The conversation also covered the state of the MAGA coalition, voter reactions to recent political controversies, the evolving political landscape, and themes from Longwell’s forthcoming book.
As we head closer to the 2026 midterms, Longwell provided viewers with a deeper understanding of the priorities driving today’s voters and the communication strategies she believes are essential for building a broad, winning coalition.
ABOUT THE SPEAKERS:
Sarah Longwell is the publisher of The Bulwark, which she co-founded in 2019, and host of the podcast “The Focus Group“, now in its sixth season. The Bulwark is one of the fastest-growing independent digital media companies and a home for honest, pro-democracy news and analysis.
A recognized expert in qualitative research, Sarah has hosted hundreds of focus groups and spoken with thousands of voters nationwide. Her work digs into what motivates voters and how they view major political issues, with a focus on persuadable swing voters, including current and former Trump voters. Her insights have been featured on PBS NewsHour, CNN, MSNBC, and elsewhere.
Will Sommer is a senior reporter at The Bulwark, where he writes the “False Flag” newsletter on right-wing media and online beliefs. Sommer’s work focuses on how conspiracy theories and disinformation shape our politics and country, often spilling over from the internet into the real world. He previously worked for The Washington Post and The Daily Beast. Sommer is the author of “Trust the Plan: The Rise of QAnon and the Conspiracy That Unhinged America.”
