Home Podcasts Runaway Country with Alex Wagner
Runaway Country with Alex Wagner

Runaway Country with Alex Wagner

Runaway Country with Alex Wagner 71 Episodes Oct 8, 2026

Being an American right now is a wild ride. Every day brings a new controversy, 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.

Episodes

Will the Midterms Be a Red Riptide?
Will the Midterms Be a Red Riptide? Oct 8, 2026 4052 Polls show Democratic candidates are leading or tied in several deep red states—places the left never thought they could win. So how optimistic should Democrats be that the midterms won’t just deliver a blue wave, but a full-on red collapse? To understand how bad all this actually looks for Republicans (and whether we can really trust the polls), Alex speaks to Charlie Cook, founder of the Cook P
Trump's Crisis of Dignity
Trump's Crisis of Dignity Oct 1, 2026 4117 As the electoral landscape is turning blue, Donald Trump is seeing red. To sooth his wounded ego, the White House is running pro-Trump ads during NFL games, illegally rescinding hundreds of millions of dollars from federal agencies, and threatening the Kennedy Performing Arts Center with demolition for not adding Trump’s name to the facade. To understand the cost of the president's flailing narci
The Press Strikes Back
The Press Strikes Back Sep 24, 2026 4021 President Trump’s acrimonious relationship with the press reached new heights after he banned MS NOW, Politico, and CNN from the White House — and other media organizations banded together to suspend the White House press pool. This week Alex speaks to April Ryan, the longest serving Black White House correspondent and author of “Notes On A Blacklash: When A Black Woman Goes Viral”, about her own
SCOTUS Foils Trump’s Midterm Steal…For Now
SCOTUS Foils Trump’s Midterm Steal…For Now Sep 17, 2026 3171 Less than two months before the midterms, the Supreme Court made a shockingly good decision and rejected a Trump rule that would have restricted mail-in ballots and possibly disenfranchised millions of voters. But Trump and Republicans are not done messing with the integrity of America’s elections. This week, Alex is joined by Janai Nelson, President and Director-Counsel of the Legal Defense Fund
Still Counting: Trump vs. The BLUE WAVE: A Midterm Extravaganza
Still Counting: Trump vs. The BLUE WAVE: A Midterm Extravaganza Sep 11, 2026 1404 Nate Silver, Clare Malone, and Galen Druke discuss the most competitive Senate races heading into the midterms in this excerpt from their new podcast, Still Counting. To hear the rest, head over to Still Counting and subscribe! New episodes drop every Wednesday evening.You can request a transcript by emailing transcripts@crooked.com. Include the podcast name, episode title, and air date. Please a
Measles Outbreak: The RFK Effect
Measles Outbreak: The RFK Effect Sep 10, 2026 4310 Usually parents breathe a sigh of relief when kids go back to school, but with over 3,000 confirmed cases of Measles spreading across the US, the consequences of the Trump administration’s disinformation and vaccine skepticism are becoming clear. This week Alex speaks to two pediatricians dealing with concerned and questioning parents, Dr. Deborah Greenhouse in South Carolina and Dr. Nathan Kelle
Trump’s Red State Sabotage
Trump’s Red State Sabotage Sep 3, 2026 3446 Has Trump created Farmageddon? Rising fuel and fertilizer costs due to the war with Iran, tariffs on goods because of the trade war with Canada, and a Farm Bill stuck in Congress have created a perfect storm of pain for American farmers. This week Alex speaks to 5th generation Iowa farmer Joshua Manske, to get a real accounting of how the President’s red state agricultural base is feeling. Then s
Will Data Centers Cost Republicans the Midterms?
Will Data Centers Cost Republicans the Midterms? Aug 27, 2026 4758 President Trump has embarked on a pro-AI data center kick, causing a world of hurt for his own party. The gigantic, energy-guzzling factories are literally and figuratively steamrolling small rural communities—the very same voters Republicans need to clinch the midterms. Politicians on both sides of the aisle are doing an about face on the issue, but will it be too little, too late? Alex speaks t
North Carolina: "Tar Heel Flip"
North Carolina: "Tar Heel Flip" Aug 20, 2026 1547 North Carolina is one of the most closely divided states in the country. But when it comes to political power, the story is much more complicated.Jen, Mitch, and Errin explore the growing power of unaffiliated voters, the aftermath of Hurricane Helene's devastation, the fight over who controls state government, and why elections here are so often decided on the margins.Guests: Jason Isbell, Forme
Chaos in the Big Tent: Is America Third Party Curious?
Chaos in the Big Tent: Is America Third Party Curious? Aug 13, 2026 4425 Democratic Socialists are racking up wins in primaries across the country, Tucker Carlson is conspiring with other exiled MAGA stars to form a third party, and polling shows that American voters are open to a system with more choices. This week Alex speaks to four-time presidential candidate Ralph Nader about the threat the current political mood poses to both establishment Democrats and Republic
Trump Tries to Bleach the Country
Trump Tries to Bleach the Country Aug 6, 2026 4189 Up to 350,000 Haitians have now lost their Temporary Protected Status in the United States, and they are only one ethnic group among the more than 1.3 million people that the Trump administration wants out. This week Alex speaks to a woman in Florida named Harlaine, who has worked on the frontlines as a COVID nurse, lived in the US since she was just a child, and now faces the dangerous reality o
Stopping the Steal (Again)
Stopping the Steal (Again) Jul 30, 2026 3985 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

Recommended