Will Data Centers Cost Republicans the Midterms?

Will Data Centers Cost Republicans the Midterms?

Author: Runaway Country with Alex Wagner August 27, 2026 Duration: 1:19:18

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 to Suzanne Bellsnyder, author of the Texas Rural Reporter substack, about what it’s like when your home becomes ground zero for data center development.

Then, she puts it all into context with Galaxy Brain’s Charlie Warzel, who writes about AI and technology at The Atlantic.

Pre-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.


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
Trump, Tucker, and the Death of Legacy News [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:08:32
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 lega…
The Epstein Administration [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 51:51
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 journali…
Trump Is Getting Scared About the Midterms [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:11:23
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 Co…
On the Ground in Minnesota [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:24:50
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…
ICE Arrests Are Only the Beginning [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:15:42
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…
Trump and MAGA Justify Renee Good’s Death [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:06:07
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 Mic…
Trump’s Terrifying Imperial Fantasies [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:02:56
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…