The Former GOP Operative Running a News Site for the ‘Politically Homeless’

Sarah Longwell’s profitable startup, the Bulwark, approaches the news with a raw candor subscribers crave

Sarah Longwell recently screened a tape of a focus group of Catholic participants discussing President Trump’s criticism of Pope Leo XIV, rewatching key interactions like a sports coach reviewing tapes.

On any given week, Longwell’s political strategy and communications firm Longwell Partners facilitates multiple focus-group discussions. Sometimes, Longwell will observe a live feed and suggest questions to the moderator in real-time.

The strategist, who is also the founder of digital-news upstart the Bulwark, is collecting clues: A raised eyebrow or a look of deep boredom are as revealing as a participant’s stated opinions, in her experience. These little tells provide insight into how the politics of the country might be shifting, an obsession that has become core to Longwell’s success.