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PODCAST

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

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All Episodes

69:27

The Gas Prices Are Too Damn High

Runaway Country with Alex Wagner ·

2026/04/23

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

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66:30

Trump’s Unholy War Against the Church

Runaway Country with Alex Wagner ·

2026/04/16

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,

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62:16

MAGA Turns on The Mad King

Runaway Country with Alex Wagner ·

2026/04/09

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

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77:23

Will Trump Profit from War with Iran?

Runaway Country with Alex Wagner ·

2026/04/02

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.

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65:53

ICE Goons at the Airport and DACA Detentions (w/...

Runaway Country with Alex Wagner ·

2026/03/26

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

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78:24

Trump's Plan for Iran....Is No Plan

Runaway Country with Alex Wagner ·

2026/03/19

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

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76:24

Trump’s War of Choice Against Iran (w/ Rachel Maddow)

Runaway Country with Alex Wagner ·

2026/03/12

Over a week into the war with Iran, the casualties, global economic fallout, and incoherence of the Trump administration are all growing. This week Alex speaks to Senator Adam Schiff about Democrats’ attempts to put Congress back into the decision maker’s seat and how to bring transparency to a conflict costing American lives. Then, she speaks to Rachel Maddow, NYT Bestselling author and host at MS Now, about what a political and moral catastrophe the war is, how we got here, and why the only winner

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80:33

The Other MAGA War….At Home

Runaway Country with Alex Wagner ·

2026/03/05

While the Trump administration wages war against Iran and broadens their military scope in the northern hemisphere, there are more subtle campaigns being pushed here at home – like the one to convince women to do nothing more than have babies and stay at home. This week, Alex speaks to former trad wife and host of “The Wake Her Up Podcast”, Sharon Johnson, about her upbringing in the Mormon Church, what it was like to discover she could have agency and choice in her late thirties, and how she feels

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76:47

16: Trump, Tucker, and the Death of Legacy News

Runaway Country with Alex Wagner ·

2026/02/26

Rightwing billionaire takeovers, journalists getting arrested, and endless misinformation. Welcome to the current state of American journalism. This week, Alex speaks to former CNN correspondent Jim Acosta about how legacy news organizations caved to President Trump and the critical role of independent media.She’s also joined by Jason Zengerle, author of “Hated By All the Right People: Tucker Carlson and the Unraveling of the Conservative Mind”, to analyze how Carlson brought fringe ideas into

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64:07

15: Trump Gives DC Architecture A MAGA Facelift (with...

Runaway Country with Alex Wagner ·

2026/02/19

President Trump has torn down the East Wing of the White House, re-named the Kennedy Center, and proposed an “Independence Arch”. This week, Alex speaks to architect Neil Flanagan about the damage being done to Washington’s historic buildings, as well as the feasibility of his future projects. Then, she’s joined by Heather Cox Richardson, historian and author of the Substack, “Letters from an American” to analyze how the remaking of America’s capitol lines up with the tried and true methods of

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63:27

14: The Epstein Administration

Runaway Country with Alex Wagner ·

2026/02/12

The latest release of more than three million Epstein files has exposed the vast network of powerful and ultra-rich elites who were part of Jeffrey Epstein’s social and business circle. This week, Alex speaks to journalist Kurt Andersen about the way people at the highest echelons of politics, business, academia, and beyond co-mingle. Then, she’s joined by The Bulwark’s Sarah Longwell to discuss whether or not this issue might finally bring about some political consequences for President Trump and

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71:23

13: Trump Is Getting Scared About the Midterms

Runaway Country with Alex Wagner ·

2026/02/05

From a raid on an election office in Fulton County, Georgia, to a call to nationalize federal elections…President Trump is making it clear that his next target is our Democracy itself. This week, Alex speaks to Fulton County Commissioner Marvin Arrington about why he’s challenging the FBI’s seizure of voting records. Then, she’s joined by Faiz Shakir, founder of More Perfect Union, to break down the significance of a flipped seat in Texas, and what the Democrats’ prospects are in this fall’s midterm

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01:24:50

On the Ground in Minnesota

Runaway Country with Alex Wagner ·

2026/01/29

This week Alex travels to Minneapolis to see first hand how the community is responding to the terrorizing presence of ICE and the killing of ICU nurse Alex Pretti. She shines a light on the grassroots efforts of mothers mobilizing to help both students and teachers who fear being targeted, and speaks to Reverend Dan Johnson about how his congregation has been impacted as well the very un-Christian nature of this administration’s tactics. Then Alex sits down with Minnesota Attorney General Keith

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01:15:43

ICE Arrests Are Only the Beginning

Runaway Country with Alex Wagner ·

2026/01/22

Even police chiefs in Minnesota are calling out ICE tactics as race-based and out of line. This week, Alex focuses on what comes next — from conditions at ICE detention centers, to the long-term impacts this lawless use of force will have on communities. First Alex speaks to David Wilson, an immigration attorney in Minneapolis about the horrible treatment and lack of medical care his clients are facing. Then she’s joined by MS NOW Political and National Correspondent, Jacob Soboroff, to talk about

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01:06:07

Trump and MAGA Justify Renee Good’s Death

Runaway Country with Alex Wagner ·

2026/01/15

Since an ICE agent shot and killed Renee Good in Minneapolis, President Trump and MAGA have labeled her a “domestic terrorist” and come up with one reason after another to justify her death. This week Alex interviews Michel Moore, the former Chief of Police for the Los Angeles Police Department, to hear how law enforcement is interpreting the event. Then she speaks to The Bulwark’s Tim Miller to question the parallel realities Americans seem to be living in, despite ample video footage, and even in

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01:02:56

Trump’s Terrifying Imperial Fantasies

Runaway Country with Alex Wagner ·

2026/01/08

2026 has started off with strikes on Venezuela, the kidnapping of President Nicolas Maduro, and a brazen slew of threats from President Trump against Greenland, Colombia, Cuba, Mexico, and Iran. This week, Alex speaks to Venezuelans about what their hopes and fears are for the future of their country. Then she's joined by Pod Save America's Jon Favreau and Pod Save the World's Ben Rhodes to break down the absolute insanity of Trump’s imperial ambitions. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See

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01:18:50

Will the Supreme Court Finally Stand Up to Trump in...

Runaway Country with Alex Wagner ·

2025/12/18

Are President Trump’s tariffs illegal? Will the independence of federal agencies be a thing of the past? Is birthright citizenship about to be taken away? These are just a few of the consequential questions before a Supreme Court that's hell-bent on destroying obstacles to President Trump's executive power. Alex talks to two plaintiffs at the center of of these cases, Toymaker Rick Woldenberg and former FTC Commissioner Rebecca Slaughter. Then, she sits down with NYU Professor and Strict Scrutiny

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01:11:43

What the Hell is Happening at the Pentagon? (with...

Runaway Country with Alex Wagner ·

2025/12/11

Under the leadership of Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, the Pentagon is in disarray. From a lack of transparency on extrajudicial strikes in the Caribbean, to the Signalgate scandal, to kicking out the Pentagon press corp – this administration has put a leader at the helm who is both embarrassing and a threat to national security. This week, Alex hears from The Atlantic’s Nancy Youssef about what it’s like covering the defense beat without access to the Pentagon. She also speaks to Senator Elissa

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00:47:23

Making America White Again (with Joy Reid)

Runaway Country with Alex Wagner ·

2025/12/04

The Trump administration is using the tragic shooting of two National Guard members by an Afghan national as justification to close the door on immigration, refugees, and asylum seekers trying to enter the US. This week, Alex speaks to an Afghan aid worker who now fears for his family's safety, and then is joined by Joy Reid to talk about how this is all part of a larger MAGA plot to Make America White Again. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our

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00:53:02

Trump Cracks on Epstein Files

Runaway Country with Alex Wagner ·

2025/11/20

This week, the House and Senate voted nearly unanimously to release all of the files related to the investigation into sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein, after President Trump pulled a complete 180 and signaled his support. So how and why did things change? Alex speaks to Marina Lacerda, a survivor of Epstein’s abuse, about why the release is so important for both a sense of justice and her personal healing. Then, Alex is joined by attorney and political commentator George Conway to talk about what the

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