Being an American right now is a wild ride. Every day brings a new controversy, with breathless media narratives and the same loud voices rushing in to score political points. Then another Truth Social post drops and the circus moves on. But all that noise is drowning out the actual story. On her new podcast Runaway Country, veteran journalist Alex Wagner talks to the voices at the center of the headlines: from the fringes of the resistance, to the marrow of MAGA, to the many people who’ve found themselves smack-dab in the crosshairs of a fight they never asked for. Because if you want to understand our unreal times, you’ve got to talk to the very real people who are experiencing it all first-hand. Join Alex as she brings together the stories of everyday Americans trapped in our national car with no brakes, alongside conversations with some of the smartest thinkers in politics. Buckle up, this road could lead anywhere. New episodes every Thursday wherever you get your podcasts, and @RunawayCountryWithAlexWagner on YouTube. Friends of the Pod subscribers can access ad-free episodes of Runaway Country by subscribing through Apple Podcasts, Supercast, Crooked Media on Substack, or the Pod Save America YouTube channel.
Donald Trump just got one step closer to stealing the next election. The Senate confirms a new head of National Intelligence: former US Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Jay Clayton — a man who won't say who won the 2020 election. This week, Alex looks into whether or not Trump will try to steal the midterms. She's first joined by Errin Haines, an Atlanta native, editor at large at The 19th , author of the Amendment newsletter, and co-host of Crooked’s newest show, Long Play , to talk about Georgia: the state Trump has focused his most intense efforts of election interference. Then Alex speaks with Joy Reid, host of The Joy Reid Show , to try and get a handle on Trump's latest efforts to subvert the election and figure out how prepared we really are. Hate listening to ads? Become a Friends of the Pod subscriber for ad-free episodes of Pod Save America, Pod Save the World, Lovett or Leave It, Runaway Country, Offline with Jon Favreau, and more—plus exclusive content, including bonus episodes of Pod Save America. Subscribe now at crooked.com/friends , on Apple Podcasts, or through the Pod Save America YouTube channel. To watch this episode with subtitles, click here and turn on closed captions (CC). You can also request a transcript by emailing transcripts@crooked.com . Include the podcast name, episode title, and air date. Please allow 48–72 hours for delivery.
Pete Hegseth wants a $1.5 trillion bump in Pentagon spending, and won’t say what it’s for. War in Iran reignites, and the Trump administration hides the number of injured American troops. Innocent people are killed by ICE, and the FBI is no longer allowed to investigate. Whenever there is conflict or scandal—whenever the facts threaten Donald Trump’s political agenda—the White House’s strategy is to keep the country in the dark. Alex is joined by two veterans, Paul Riekhoff, host of the Independent Americans podcast, and Rebecca Roberts from About Face: Veterans Against the War, to talk about how the senselessness and secrecy around the Iran War is sitting with members of the military. Then, she puts all the cover-ups into context with New York Times White House Correspondent Maggie Haberman, coauthor of Regime Change: Inside the Imperial Presidency of Donald Trump. For a transcription of this show, email transcripts@crooked.com
ICE agents have killed two men in the last 10 days. Lorenzo Salgado Araujo was fatally shot in Houston, Texas on July 7th, as was Joan Sebastian Guerrero on July 13th in Biddeford, Maine. On this week’s show, Alex looks at the lawless and race based nature of the Trump administration’s immigration policies, and how Americans are reacting to them. She’s first joined by Juan Proaño, CEO of the League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC), to talk about the Araujo family’s tragic loss and how Latino communities across the country are feeling. Then Alex speaks to Sarah Longwell, publisher of The Bulwark, who gives insight into where voters stand on ICE’s campaign of terror. For a transcript of this episode , please email transcripts@crooked.com .
The Maine Senate race has been thrown into complete disarray after serious allegations of sexual assault emerged against Graham Platner. This week Alex speaks to Dan Kleban, U.S. Senate candidate and co-founder of the Maine Beer Company, about how Democratic voters in Maine are feeling in the wake of Platner’s campaign implosion, and why they don’t want Washington meddling in their elections. Then she’s joined by democratic strategist Adam Jentleson to talk about what comes next, how this scandal impacts Democrats’ chances to take over the Senate, and how to read into wins by both Democratic Socialist candidates and moderates. For a transcript of this episode , please email transcripts@crooked.com .
This week we bring you an episode from Assembly Required with Stacey Abrams . Stacey Abrams has committed her career to bold political advocacy and voting rights. In this episode, Stacey opens the show by answering audience questions about the Supreme Court’s recent ruling on the Voting Rights Act, and what it means for our democracy. Then she’s joined by Jane Fonda, who explains why she’s revived the Committee for the First Amendment, a group originally supported by her father in the 1940’s. Stacey and Jane also talk about the Trump administration’s attacks against Jimmy Kimmel, why the Warner Bros. and Paramount merger is so dangerous, and what Jane has learned after decades of activism, including her actions during the Vietnam War. Catch Assembly Required with Stacey Abrams , every Tuesday, on YouTube or wherever you listen to podcasts. For a transcript of this episode , please email transcripts@crooked.com .
Take one poll with a grain of salt, but what about a TON of polls? From white middle class voters, to rural Americans, and even Evangelicals, the numbers show that Trump is losing his most ardent supporters. This week Alex speaks to “The Clean Clothing Chick” Hannah Dunning, who explains why MAHA is disappointed with the president. Then she’s joined by the Bulwark’s Jonathan V. Last to find out what we can take away from Trump’s flailing public support, losing Iran deal, and stalled agenda.
Is there anything that Vice President JD Vance hasn’t messed up? From political messaging, to lecturing the Pope about theology, Vance’s public appearances are often cringe inducing. But this week, Alex digs into the pernicious actions he’s taking behind the scenes. First she’s joined by California Attorney General Rob Bonta who reveals how much damage Vance’s anti-fraud task force is doing to legitimate businesses, and impacting those who need their services like hospice care. Then Alex speaks to Majority Report host Sam Seder about what it means to have a dishonest and bad actor like Vance waiting in the wings to be the next President.
The levels of corruption Americans are witnessing are both historic and astounding. This week, Alex speaks to ProPublica reporter Robert Faturechi, who broke the story that the Department of Defense gave a $620,000,000 loan to a company affiliated with Donald Trump Jr. Then she’s joined by Pod Save the World host Ben Rhodes to talk about how everything from the UFC cage match on the White House lawn, to Ivanka Trump’s island development in Albania are indicative of the unprecedented grift, and limitless appetite for self enrichment of the Trump family. Be sure to pick up a copy of Ben’s new book, All We Say: The Battle for American Identity: A History of the United States in 15 Speeches .
A new chapter of ICE terror has begun, but instead of taking place on the street—where agents are held accountable by protesters and their phones—mistreatment and coercion is now happening behind the closed doors of ICE detention facilities. These private prisons are operated by a company with close ties to the Trump administration, and have such abominable conditions that detainees at several facilities are waging hunger strikes. To get an idea of the mistreatment immigrants are facing, Alex speaks with Melissa Shepard, an attorney with Immigration Defenders Law Center, whose clients are given dirty water and spoiled food, retaliated against for participating in hunger strikes, and endlessly pressured to self deport. Then, she puts it all into context with Caitlin Dickerson, an immigration reporter at The Atlantic who recently embedded in Honduras to interview deportees from the U.S.
Could reality TV star Spencer Pratt become Mayor of Los Angeles? And could Trump’s endorsement of Ken Paxton cause Texas to go blue? This week, Alex dives into all things primaries to see if we can read the tea leaves for what awaits both Republicans and Democrats in the future. She’s joined by Nikki Laurenzo, anchor and political reporter for FOX40 in Sacramento, to break down the chaotic and still very undecided races shaping California politics. Then she speaks to Crooked Media’s Dan Pfeiffer, co-host of Pod Save America and author of the Message Box newsletter, to get a read on the consequences of Senator John Cornyn’s loss to Ken Paxton, and why a crowded gubernatorial primary in California could be a warning for Democratic presidential hopefuls in 2028.
This week, Alex digs into the nearly unfathomable corruption of President Trump’s settlement with the Department of Justice, including the $1.776 billion “Anti-weaponization Fund”. She speaks to Michael Fanone, a former DC Metropolitan police officer who was at the Capitol on January 6th to see how he feels about his taxpayer money potentially going to the insurrectionists who attacked him. Then Alex is joined by Andrew Weissman, attorney and author of the new book, Liar’s Kingdom . They talk about the lawsuit against the IRS that started this, and whether Trump actually has the legal immunity the settlement promises.
Redistricting battles are spreading like wildfire in both red and blue states, and increasingly the fate of America’s electoral system is at the mercy of the courts. This week, Alex speaks to Virginia Representative Suhas Subramanyam about how Democrats in the state are planning to fight fire with fire after a major setback for their efforts to redraw voting lines, and she hears from New York State Senator Mike Gianaris about the risks of diluting minority and progressive votes. Then Alex speaks to Stacey Abrams, host of Crooked Media’s Assembly Required , about the Supreme Court’s gutting of the Voting Rights Act and why Democrats can’t abandon their values to pursue Congressional seats.
Has Trump corrupted our justice system beyond repair? The latest indictment of former FBI Director James Comey is just the tip of the iceberg in terms of damage that this administration has done. This week, Alex speaks to former US Attorney Mike Gordon about the purging of staff who investigated Trump or January 6th and the appointment of unqualified attorneys at every level. Then she speaks to Strict Scrutiny host Kate Shaw about the seashell indictment, the huge number of pardons already issued by Trump, and what steps will have to be taken to revive American justice.
This week, the President AND the press came under attack. After an attempted shooting at the White House Correspondents Dinner, the Trump administration was quick to blame the media and threaten ABC over a joke that hurt their feelings. On this episode, Alex speaks to Brian Stelter, CNN’s Chief Media Analyst, about the chaos in the Washington Hilton and the FCC’s unprecedented threats against networks. Then Alex speaks to Simon Ostrovsky, a special correspondent for PBS NewsHour, who recounts his harrowing capture in Ukraine in 2014 while reporting and talks about the need for the press to push back against Trump’s insults. Finally, Alex is joined by Clayton Weimers, Executive Director of Reporters Without Borders, USA, to talk through the release of the World Press Freedom Index which shows that journalism is under threat globally.
Instead of pumping the brakes on the Iran war, President Trump is breaking the pumps. This week Alex looks at how high gas prices are impacting Americans, and why they’ve long been considered an existential political threat. First, she speaks to an Uber driver and a gas station owner to get first hand accounts of the financial toll of the war. Then Alex is joined by Derek Thompson, writer and host of the Plain English podcast, to break down the other ways financial strain is going to spread across industries and wallets, and why it feels like one crisis after another has made it impossible to afford life in America.
President Trump has a God problem. After criticizing the Pope and posting an image of himself as Jesus online, Trump has caused an uproar among his Christian base. This week, Alex speaks to Pastor Doug Pegitt about the crisis of conscience many faith leaders and parishioners are facing as their political leanings and moral beliefs collide. Then, she’s joined by Jennifer Palmieri, former White House Communications Director under President Obama and Senior Advisor to the Clinton and Harris campaigns, to talk about the power of the Catholic swing vote and how Democrats could win over religious voters.
The President of the United States has officially gone mad. That can be the only conclusion after Trump’s genocidal threats this week to destroy the entire country of Iran, before announcing a two week ceasefire. This week Alex looks at the consequences of the mad king’s actions both abroad and at home. First, she speaks to Mohamed Arrachedi, the Arab world and Iran network coordinator for the International Transport Workers’ Federation, to hear about the dire conditions thousands of seafarers are living in while they remain trapped on ships because of the closure of the Strait of Hormuz. Then she speaks to Brian Tyler Cohen, host of the No Lie podcast, to talk through the growing chorus of MAGA voices turning against Trump, and the movement to use the 25th amendment to unseat him.
How can we make sense of America’s senseless war with Iran? This week, Alex asks if President Trump’s web of corruption extends to his foreign policy. First she speaks to Sarah Leah Whitson, the former Executive Director of DAWN (Democracy for the Arab World Now), to see how much sway Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman holds over Trump. Then, PSA co-host Jon Lovett joins the pod to talk about how America will claw its way back once this administration is done extracting from it for profit.
Leave it to travel delays during Spring Break to turn America’s focus to immigration again. This week, as Congress debates over funding and reforms to ICE, and Markwayne Mullin is sworn in as new Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, Alex brings our attention back to the ongoing tactics the Trump administration is using to target immigrants and tear families apart. First she speaks to Stephanie Villarreal, whose husband has been detained despite being a DACA recipient. Then Alex speaks to Jonathan V. Last, editor of The Bulwark, about how to keep a spotlight on immigration, especially when they employ bureaucratic tactics to change someone's status, and why Trump is trying to force a voting rights bill into the debate. To support Stephanie and her family: https://www.gofundme.com/f/help-keep-baby-and-father-together
With the war against Iran now in its third week, it has become devastatingly clear that President Trump and his administration have no strategy for the conflict. This week, Alex speaks to Retired Master Sgt. Wes Bryant, a former senior advisor in the Pentagon’s Civilian Protection Center of Excellence, about how Secretary of War Pete Hegseth gutted the team responsible for limiting civilian deaths prior to the attacks on Iran. Then Alex speaks to former Senator and MS Now analyst Claire McCaskill about the political ramifications of the war. From rising gas prices and MAGA revolt, to the rejection by international allies to help secure the Strait of Hormuz….none of this is looking good for Trump.
