The Bulwark Podcast Adam Serwer: Now, This Is Rigged
59 snips
May 8, 2026 
Adam Serwer, Atlantic writer on race, democracy, and politics, explains how recent court rulings enabled Tennessee to redraw Black districts out of existence. He traces the rise of colorblind rhetoric, links judicial shifts to partisan advantage, discusses retaliatory gerrymandering, and examines the cultural forces driving political rage and online radicalization.
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Court Views Liberty To Discriminate As Real
- The Supreme Court treats the liberty to discriminate as a real constitutional liberty while minimizing the liberty not to be discriminated against.
- Adam Serwer ties this to a doctrine of reactionary colorblindness exemplified by figures like James Jackson Kilpatrick and Justice Roberts' Parents Involved reasoning.
Trump Made Overt Racism Politically Cheaper
- Trump lowered the political cost of overt racism, which emboldened judges and officials to dismantle voting protections like the VRA.
- Serwer contrasts Bush-era Republican restraint with the post-Trump willingness to openly pursue racialized policies.
Tennessee Slices Memphis To Eliminate Black District
- Tennessee Republicans sliced Shelby County (Memphis) into thirds to dilute Black voting power and effectively eliminate a Black-majority district.
- Tim Miller plays the exchange where a representative asks if Memphis is predominantly African-American and the majority leader pretends not to know.
