Trumpland with Alex Wagner - podcast cover

Trumpland with Alex Wagner

Alex Wagner, MSNBCwww.nbcnews.com
On “Trumpland with Alex Wagner,” Alex travels the country talking with the people on the frontlines of Trump’s policies and promises. For the first 100 days of the new administration, she’s taking a break from the anchor’s chair to get out into the field to bring you conversations you can't always find on TV. You’ll get a 360 degree-view of what’s happening both at home and abroad now that Donald Trump is once again president of the United States. Subscribe to MSNBC Premium on Apple Podcasts to listen ad-free.

Episodes

The MAGA-fication of the Military

This week, the Senate held its confirmation hearing for Lt. Gen. Dan “Razin” Caine, President Trump’s relatively obscure nominee for chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Caine’s nomination comes amidst questions of his perceived loyalty to Trump and the blowback of last week’s Signal leak involving several high-level Trump administration officials, including Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth. Not to mention, the administration’s continued attack on DEI and so-called “wokeness” in the military....

Apr 03, 202532 minEp. 250328

How Columbia Got Trumped

Under threat of losing millions of dollars in federal funding, Columbia University has caved to demands from the Trump administration, leaving students and faculty fearing the loss of academic freedom. Adding to those fears, ICE has made multiple arrests of international students at several schools, as well as recent graduates, like Mahmoud Khalil. This week, Alex Wagner speaks with students and professors at Columbia to discuss the dangerous precedent being set, not just for college campuses as...

Mar 27, 202536 minEp. 250327

Death, Equity, and Inclusion

Trump’s strikes on environmental regulations are now crossing paths with his attacks on DEI. Citing compliance with Trump’s DEI mandates, the Justice Department dropped its lawsuit against a petrochemical plant in Reserve, Louisiana, in an area known as ‘Cancer Alley.’ This week, Alex travels to Louisiana and speaks to the life-long residents directly in harm’s way. Then, a conversation with former EPA administrator Heather McTeer Toney on the larger implications of Trump’s environmental policy....

Mar 13, 202536 minEp. 250313

Hold the Line

Numerous lawsuits are underway as efforts ramp up to fight against the Trump administration’s agenda, with the charge led by a select group of attorneys general. On this episode, Alex Wagner heads to Phoenix, Arizona where Democratic state attorneys general organized a town hall for citizens impacted by Trump’s executive orders and DOGE’s targeting of the federal government. Alex speaks directly with some of the AGs behind these legal efforts, including Kwame Raoul of Illinois, William Tong of C...

Mar 06, 202532 minEp. 250306

Trump's Lies, Ukraine's Truth

It’s been three years since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine and while President Donald Trump's spreading of disinformation aims to rewrite history, Ukrainians on the frontline of the war refuse to forget the truth. On this week’s episode, we see how Ukrainians in the U.S. are marking the anniversary and honoring those fallen back home. Plus, a conversation with national security expert and Pod Save the World host Ben Rhodes on what’s at stake as the Trump administration continues to cozy...

Feb 27, 202527 minEp. 250227

The War on Yolk

Donald Trump's promise to reduce grocery prices was a keystone of last year’s campaign. Now in office, President Trump faces significant challenges with surging egg prices amidst an avian flu crisis. On this week’s episode, Alex Wagner speaks to farmers and experts in Pennsylvania about the severe impact of the bird flu, its effect on poultry farms, and the controversial strategies Trump proposes to address the issue. Then, Alex catches up with MSNBC colleague Chris Hayes to reflect on Trump's e...

Feb 20, 202537 minEp. 250220

Diversity Fire

The Trump administration continues to further its anti-woke agenda with executive orders targeting Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility (DEIA) initiatives, resulting in a memo placing federal employees with ties to DEIA training or roles on administrative leave. Listen as Alex Wagner interviews affected employees from the Department of Education and discusses the implications with civil rights attorney Subodh Chandra. Plus, a look at what more we can expect with one of the early archi...

Feb 13, 202541 minEp. 250213

The Purge

The Trump administration has focused its latest attacks on federal workers and foreign aid. At the forefront of that battle is advisor Elon Musk and the Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE. MSNBC’s Alex Wagner heads back to Washington D.C. amidst protests from federal workers and a looming deadline for workers to accept a government buyout. Listen as Alex speaks with Kristina Drye, a former USAID employee, as well as former Inspector General for the Department of the Interior, Mark Gree...

Feb 06, 202532 minEp. 250125

The Raids… and the Resistance

On “Trumpland with Alex Wagner,” MSNBC’s Alex Wagner travels the country talking with the people on the frontlines of Trump’s policies and promises. It’s been one week since Trump was sworn into office, and he is already making good on his campaign promise to crack down on immigration, whatever the cost. On this episode, Alex heads to New Jersey’s largest city, Newark, where one of the most public and controversial ICE raids has just occurred. The raid is raising questions that no American can—o...

Jan 30, 202528 minEp. 250124

Pardon the Insurrection

On “Trumpland with Alex Wagner,” MSNBC’s Alex Wagner travels the country talking with the people on the frontlines of Trump’s policies and promises. On this very first episode, Alex travels to DC—but not for the inauguration. Hours after President Trump was sworn into office for the second time, he began issuing a series of presidential pardons for the January 6th insurrection. Listen along as Alex speaks to the inmates, their families, and the police officers who survived one of the most violen...

Jan 24, 202533 minEp. 250123

Introducing “Trumpland with Alex Wagner”

President Trump has an ambitious agenda, with plans that could reshape the country. And MSNBC’s Alex Wagner will be covering it all from the frontlines. On “Trumpland with Alex Wagner,” you can join her as she travels the country for the first 100 days of the Trump presidency, talking to the people at the center of the president’s policies and promises. Get new episodes of “Trumpland with Alex Wagner” on Thursday evenings during Trump’s first 100 days. And sign up for MSNBC Premium on Apple Podc...

Jan 23, 202547 sec

Trump team's bad faith changes political calculus

Rachel Maddow remarks on the qualitative difference in the type of people Donald Trump is staffing his new administration with compared to his first administration and the fact that their deliberate antagonism and abuse of power means many political norms are not applicable.

Jan 18, 202542 minEp. 250117

Reality is tougher than Senate confirmation in Bondi's aim to do Trump's bidding

Pam Bondi appears likely to become the kind of attorney general Donald Trump wished for through his entire first term: absolute fealty and commitment to his avenging his petty grievances. But while her spirit is willing, the lack of a factual basis for many of Trump's vendettas is likely to put her at risk of leaving Trump disappointed and unfulfilled. David Rohde, NBC News national security editor, discusses with Alex Wagner.

Jan 16, 202542 minEp. 250115

Hegseth squirms as Democrats hammer poor character, weak qualifications to be defense secretary

Though clearly prepared in advance with techniques to avoid addressing the many concerns raised about his qualifications to be secretary of defense, Pete Hegseth still struggled as Democrats unloaded questions about his serial infidelities, sexual assault accusations, drinking problem, lack of leadership experience and other shortcomings at his confirmation hearing. Senator Tim Kaine talks with Alex Wagner about why Donald Trump has made a mistake in choosing Fox News personality Hegseth....

Jan 15, 202542 minEp. 250114

The truth about why fire hydrants lost pressure and ran dry during the Los Angeles fires

Martin Adams, former general manager of the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power, blows up some right-wing myths about the water supply in Pacific Palisades, and talks with Alex Wagner about the realities of municipal water systems and ideas for adapting a system built for occasional residential fires to deal with a large scale, community-wide fire.

Jan 11, 202541 minEp. 250110

Insurance companies can't afford to deny climate change; coverage scarce in most-affected areas

The increasing risk and destruction from climate-related disasters is so plain that in some states where climate-driven fires and storms are especially devastating, some insurers are withdrawing coverage for flooding and fires. Jeff Goodell, climate journalist and author of "The Heat Will Kill You First," talks with Alex Wagner about how climate-driven disasters are forcing a change in how we live.

Jan 10, 202542 minEp. 250109

'Felon president'?: Judge won't let Trump skate on guilty verdict; sets sentencing date

Judge Juan Merchan denied Donald Trump's motion to dismiss his hush money case in New York and scheduled a sentencing for January 10th, which could mean that Donald Trump will officially be a felon when he is sworn in as president. Lisa Rubin, MSNBC legal correspondent, and Kristy Greenberg, former federal prosecutor, explain what options Trump has left and what is likely to happen.

Jan 04, 202542 minEp. 250103

'The find out phase': Rep. Crockett spares no sympathy for Johnson facing GOP chaos

Rep. Jasmine Crockett talks with Ali Velshi about the Republican chaos threatening to entangle House Speaker Mike Johnson in a familiar, embarrassing fight to retain the speakership into the new Congress with a tiny majority and having squandered the good will of his colleagues across the aisle who might otherwise save him.

Jan 03, 202541 minEp. 250102

House Speaker Musk?!? Republicans fall in line as Elon trumps Trump

Republicans are mired in chaos and infighting as they humiliate themselves on the national stage again without being able to pass a spending bill to keep the federal government open. Elon Musk is only making matters worse, but that hasn't deterred a faction of the Republican Party from wanting to give him a more formal leadership role. Musk, meanwhile, is only a portion of the corporate feeding frenzy taking advantage of Donald Trump's weaknesses.

Dec 20, 202442 minEp. 241219

Democrats watch as 'Co-president' Musk leads Trump in destroying Johnson on spending bill

After Elon Musk expressed his opposition to a new spending bill, Donald Trump and his MAGA supporters followed suit, undermining House Speaker Mike Johnson and steering the U.S. toward a federal government shutdown. Meanwhile, Democrats are stepping away from the Republican chaos, leaving the GOP stuck in its own inability to govern.

Dec 19, 202442 minEp. 241218

Trump exposes his real motivation with ill-considered lawsuit against newspaper

Donald Trump is pressing his grievances with the media through lawsuits, but his case against the Des Moines Register over poll results he didn't like is so poorly conceived from a legal standpoint that his real goal of using the court system as an intimidation weapon is hard to miss.

Dec 18, 202443 minEp. 241217

Trump already walking back core campaign promise on prices, inflation

Despite making a promise of lowering prices an inflation a central part of his presidential campaign, and admitting that that promise was key to his being elected, Donald Trump is now waffling on whether that's even possible. Michelle Goldberg, columnist for the New York Times, and Faiz Shakir, founder and executive director of More Perfect Union, talk with Alex Wagner about Trump's walk back and what his post-election rhetoric suggests about his actual economic priorities.

Dec 13, 202440 minEp. 241212

Trump's FBI pick to bring 'deep state' paranoia to organization he holds in contempt

Alex Wagner reports on Donald Trump's pick to lead the FBI, Kash Patel, who espouses conspiracy theories about the "deep state" and describes the organization he is potentially about to lead as essentially corrupt. Plus, the shifting of voters within the groups that make up the Democratic Party coalition in the 2024 election are prompting a new consideration of how to understand voting blocs like Latino voters and Black voters and women voters and whether those groupings are as relevant as they ...

Dec 12, 202442 minEp. 241211

Court ruling sends jolt through the core of U.S. conservatives, Fox News 'Trump staffing agency'

A move by Rupert Murdoch to secure the conservative editorial leadership of his media empire, including Fox News, the New York Post, and the Wall Street Journal in the U.S., in the hands of his son Lachlan, was dealt a blow by a judge who accused the Murdochs of acting in bad faith. Angelo Carusone, president and CEO of Media Matters discusses with Alex Wagner the significance of the ruling to the future of conservatism and MAGAism in the U.S.

Dec 11, 202442 minEp. 241210