Runaway Country with Alex Wagner
Runaway Country with Alex Wagner
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.
New episodes every Thursday wherever you get your podcasts, and @RunawayCountryWithAlexWagner on YouTube.
If you have a story to share, send us an email or one-minute voice note at runawaycountry@crooked.com.
New episodes every Thursday wherever you get your podcasts, and @RunawayCountryWithAlexWagner on YouTube.
If you have a story to share, send us an email or one-minute voice note at runawaycountry@crooked.com.
Episodes
Mentioned books
20 snips
Mar 26, 2026 • 1h 6min
ICE Goons at the Airport and DACA Detentions (w/ Jonathan V. Last)
Jonathan V. Last, political analyst at The Bulwark, offers perspective on immigration policy and bureaucratic tactics. Stephanie Villarreal, immigrant rights advocate, shares her husband’s DACA detention and family impact. They discuss ICE at airports, hidden administrative maneuvers that change legal status, the politics around DHS funding, and how public outrage might—or might not—drive lasting reform.
43 snips
Mar 19, 2026 • 1h 18min
Trump's Plan for Iran....Is No Plan
Claire McCaskill, former U.S. senator turned political analyst, weighs in on the political fallout and electoral math. Wes Bryant, retired Master Sergeant and Pentagon civilian-protection advisor, recounts how dismantling civilian-harm safeguards shaped the conflict. They discuss misidentified strikes, moral and military consequences, rising gas prices, allied reluctance, and calls for congressional oversight.
59 snips
Mar 12, 2026 • 1h 16min
Trump’s War of Choice Against Iran (w/ Rachel Maddow)
Adam Schiff, U.S. Senator focused on national security and oversight. Rachel Maddow, TV host and political commentator known for deep national security analysis. They tackle Congress reclaiming war powers. They debate public hearings and accountability. They unpack presidential missteps, administration chaos, moral costs of strikes, and how global reputations shift amid the conflict.
27 snips
Mar 5, 2026 • 1h 21min
The Other MAGA War….At Home
Erin Ryan, Crooked Media’s Hysteria host and political commentator, breaks down conservative plans like the Heritage Foundation’s family proposals. Sharon Johnson, former trad wife and Wake Her Up podcaster, shares leaving the LDS world and finding choice as a mother of six. They discuss the trad wife trend, political incentives pushing domestic roles, social-media aesthetics, and historical harms tied to pronatalist policy.
41 snips
Feb 26, 2026 • 1h 17min
Trump, Tucker, and the Death of Legacy News
Jason Zengerle, author and political journalist who wrote a biography of Tucker Carlson, digs into how Carlson moved fringe ideas into primetime. They discuss media consolidation, billionaire influence, and the collapse of trust in legacy news. Conversations cover Carlson’s rise, audience capture, and his sway over conservative politics.
31 snips
Feb 19, 2026 • 1h 4min
Trump Gives DC Architecture A MAGA Facelift (with Heather Cox Richardson)
Neil Flanagan, an architect and D.C. public historian, warns about technical and preservation risks to the capital’s buildings. Heather Cox Richardson, historian and Substack author, explores how monumental architecture becomes political storytelling. They discuss proposed arches, renamings, symbolic remakes of the Mall, and why authoritarian leaders favor grand classical gestures.
53 snips
Feb 12, 2026 • 1h 3min
The Epstein Administration
Sarah Longwell, political strategist and publisher at The Bulwark, weighs in on whether the Epstein files could produce political consequences for the Trump administration. Kurt Andersen, journalist and cultural chronicler, maps Epstein’s reach through Manhattan’s elite and status rituals. They explore how elite networks, documented contradictions, and messaging might reshape political and social fallout.
18 snips
Feb 5, 2026 • 1h 11min
Trump Is Getting Scared About the Midterms
Faiz Shakir, political strategist and founder of More Perfect Union, analyzes electoral trends and Democratic strategy. Marvin Arrington, Fulton County commissioner and attorney, gives a first-hand legal account of the FBI seizure of local election materials. They discuss the Fulton County raid, chain-of-custody and warrant concerns, a surprising Texas flip and what these signs mean for midterm and future election dynamics.
42 snips
Jan 29, 2026 • 1h 25min
On the Ground in Minnesota
Reverend Dan Johnson, pastor who turned his church into an emergency shelter and trauma resource. Libby, a local parent-organizer who coordinated rides, patrols, and mutual aid for teachers and children. Keith Ellison, Minnesota attorney general leading legal responses to federal enforcement. They discuss community mutual aid, trauma care, legal fights over federal overreach, and grassroots protection efforts.
26 snips
Jan 22, 2026 • 1h 16min
ICE Arrests Are Only the Beginning
David Wilson, an immigration attorney from Minneapolis, sheds light on the harrowing treatment of detainees, revealing a surge in habeas filings and inadequate medical care amid chaotic processing. Jacob Soboroff, a national reporter, shares his on-the-ground insights into community protests against aggressive ICE tactics, likening current policies to those of the previous administration while detailing the psychological toll on families. Together, they discuss how these enforcement actions ripple through neighborhoods, impacting schools and overall community stability.
