Stopping the Steal (Again)

Stopping the Steal (Again)

Author: Runaway Country with Alex Wagner July 30, 2026 Duration: 1:06:25

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.


In a landscape saturated with political talk, Runaway Country with Alex Wagner offers a different kind of conversation. This podcast moves beyond the day-to-day noise of headlines to explore the deeper forces shaping American life. Alex Wagner guides listeners through complex intersections of power, identity, and belief, examining how cultural shifts and government policies resonate in communities across the nation. Each episode is built on thoughtful discussion that connects the dots between news events and their human consequences, asking what current political realities reveal about our society's trajectory. The focus is on understanding the undercurrents-the cultural narratives and historical contexts-that define this moment. You'll hear analysis that prioritizes depth over instant reaction, considering how issues of governance and politics are lived and felt far from the capital's corridors. It’s a space for considering the American story from multiple angles, making sense of a rapidly changing world. For anyone seeking a more nuanced perspective on the forces driving the country, this podcast provides essential listening.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 50

Runaway Country with Alex Wagner
Podcast Episodes
“They’re Hunting Latino Men” [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:11:15
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…
Where Do Democrats Go After Graham Platner? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:04:10
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 Ma…
Trump Loses His Base [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:17:38
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 Al…
Shady JD (Vance) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:16:25
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 per…
Grifter in Chief [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:06:16
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 l…
What Actually Happens in ICE Detention [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:13:17
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…
Election Chaos: Texas Republicans vs California Dems [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:17:12
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 fo…
The Emperor’s New Slush Fund [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:15:24
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…
GOP Gerrymanders Are Burning Down the House [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:05:23
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 Suha…