Runaway Country with Alex Wagner cover art

Runaway Country with Alex Wagner

Runaway Country with Alex Wagner

By: Runaway Country with Alex Wagner
Listen for free

This Season's Biggest Deal | $0.99/mo for 3 months + $20 Audible bonus

Auto-renews at $8.99/mo. after 3 months - terms apply.
Summary

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.

© Crooked Media. All Rights Reserved.
Political Science Politics & Government Social Sciences
Episodes
  • How the Hell Did Democrats Win In Mississippi?
    Nov 12 2026

    Mississippi just elected a Democrat to the US Senate for the first time since 1982—their first Black senator since Reconstruction. How did Scott Colom win such an underfunded and under-discussed race in one of the reddest states in the country? His meaty media strategy played a big role. Alex sits down with the creator of Colom’s viral “Pick Another Protein” ad, Ryan Sayles, to get the backstory on how the video came to be, why he thinks it’s a national sensation, and why Colom is barely in it. Then she’s joined by some of the most powerful communicators in the game—influencer Carlos Eduardo Espina, No Lie’s Brian Tyler Cohen, Fox News’s Jessica Tarlov, and I’ve Had It host Jennifer Welch—to get into the myriad ways that Democrats broke through the noise this cycle and convinced voters to make a change.

    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.

    You can request a transcript by emailing transcripts@crooked.com. Include the podcast name, episode title, and air date. Please allow 48 hours for delivery.

    Show More Show Less
    1 hr and 24 mins
  • Blue Crush
    Nov 5 2026

    The midterm elections brought historic victories, jaw dropping flips from red to blue, and a resounding rejection of Trumpism. This week Alex speaks to Jamie Ager, the first Democrat to win in North Carolina’s 11th congressional district in 15 years. Then, she talks to Brian Tyler Cohen about the energy a new set of leaders could bring to the Democratic party, and the importance of embracing the big tent and broad range of views they represent. Finally, she hears from Senator Bernie Sanders on what message American voters sent to Washington on November 3rd, and what Democrats can realistically achieve with a majority in Congress while lame duck Trump is still in office.

    Order Alex's new book, The Steal: Four Right-Wing Hard-Liners, One Republican Presidency, and The Raid On America's Courts and subscribe to her Substack here.

    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.

    You can request a transcript by emailing transcripts@crooked.com. Include the podcast name, episode title, and air date. Please allow 48 hours for delivery.

    Show More Show Less
    1 hr and 14 mins
  • What to Expect When You're Expecting Election Interference
    Oct 29 2026

    As ballots start coming in, an increasingly desperate president is already meddling in the vote count. Alex sits down with Chris Hayes, host of MS NOW’s “All In,” to talk about the Alaska fiasco, how the media should be covering threats to democracy, and what might be waiting for us on the other side of Election Day. But first, how are state election officials responding to threats from the federal government? Journalist and author Barton Gellman has been reporting from the frontlines, and he comes on the show to share what, specifically, elections officials are worried about…and how they’re preparing for Tuesday.

    Order Alex's new book, The Steal: Four Right-Wing Hard-Liners, One Republican Presidency, and The Raid On America's Courts and subscribe to her Substack here.

    Become a subscriber to Crooked Media! It’s the best way to directly support us as we build an independent, pro-democracy media company. Subscribers get exclusive benefits, like bonus podcasts, newsletters and more.

    Subscribe now at crooked.com/friends or wherever you listen to podcasts.

    You can request a transcript by emailing transcripts@crooked.com. Include the podcast name, episode title, and air date. Please allow 48 hours for delivery.

    Show More Show Less
    1 hr and 18 mins
No reviews yet
In the spirit of reconciliation, Audible acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of country throughout Australia and their connections to land, sea and community. We pay our respect to their elders past and present and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples today.