Alex Wagner (Extended)

Summary

Podcast Summary: The Late Show Pod Show with Stephen Colbert

Episode: Alex Wagner (Extended)
Date: October 27, 2025

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Overview

This episode features a dynamic and insightful conversation between Stephen Colbert and acclaimed journalist Alex Wagner, now a senior political analyst at MSNBC and host of the new podcast Runaway Country. Together, they discuss life under Trump’s second term, the resilience (and challenges) of the Democratic Party, the importance of staying emotionally engaged amid political chaos, and Wagner’s personal and professional pursuits. The episode is marked by humor, candor, and sharp political commentary.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Alex Wagner’s Distractions: TV & Art Heists

• [04:29 - 05:17] Stephen opens by asking Alex what’s capturing her attention outside of politics.
  • Alex is watching The Diplomat with Keri Russell (“she’s a better diplomat than Jared Kushner”).
  • She’s fascinated by art and jewelry heists, particularly recent museum break-ins.
  • The allure of art capers is discussed humorously: “You give me a good art heist and I’m all in. I don’t know what that says about my character, but it’s…” (Alex Wagner, 04:53)
  • Stephen playfully imagines the robbers in catsuits: “You gotta imagine they’re all wearing the Groove... hot as hell.” (Stephen Colbert, 05:07)

2. Halloween & Parenting

• [05:22 – 06:16] Conversation turns to Halloween, with Wagner describing the annual costume shuffle with her children.
  • She recounts ending up with her child’s unwanted Jack Sparrow wig: “My 6 year old tried it on and was like, I want nothing to do with this. You wear it, Mom.” (Alex Wagner, 05:54)

3. Enduring Trump’s Second Term

• [06:20 – 07:56] This segment dives into the political climate nine months into Trump’s second term.
  • Stephen asks how Alex copes: “Have you built up your immunity?” (Stephen Colbert, 06:33)
  • Alex discusses the importance of staying awake, not numb:

    “It begins to blend together into this dark, churning gray cloud… as a journalist, it’s our job to stay awake, to keep our front lights on.”
    (Alex Wagner, 06:59)

  • She emphasizes the heightened competency and impact of Trump’s current administration:

    “They’re executing on Project 2025… People are doing things to reinvent the American social compact and destroy institutions. And it’s, I think, longer lasting the damage that’s being done this round than in the first round.”
    (Alex Wagner, 07:20)

4. The White House “Extreme Makeover”

• [08:00 – 09:25] Reflecting on the physical and symbolic transformation of the White House:
  • Alex jokes: “Even Mussolini was better at fascist architecture than Trump.” (Alex Wagner, 08:27)
  • Discussion of the planned 90,000 square foot addition (“corporate event space”), which would “dwarf the actual White House.” (Alex Wagner, 09:03)
  • Playful speculation about its use for multiple simultaneous weddings.

5. State of the Democratic Party & Political Resistance

• [09:46 – 12:41]
  • Stephen notes voter frustration with the Democratic Party’s perceived lack of fight. Alex responds:

    “When you have a march that is the largest public protest in 55 years, that is a win for democracy… people still care.”
    (Alex Wagner, 10:18)

  • She champions the principle-driven unity in Congress:

    “You are seeing a Democratic Party that is united in principle in a really serious showdown… shutting down the government because they care about Americans having access to health care… a set of cajones I did not know congressional Democrats had.”
    (Alex Wagner, 11:07)

  • She admires Democrats’ new willingness to combat GOP tactics, citing Gavin Newsom’s tactics in California and referencing Trump’s “memes.”

6. The Power of Joy and Levity in Dark Times

• [12:25 – 12:41]
  • Alex underscores the strategy of “joyful warrior” resistance:

    “The stakes are so high. The moment is so dark. But if you can be a joyful warrior, if you can use levity and humor and weaponize it against the forces amassing on the dark horizon, that’s how you win the war.”
    (Alex Wagner, 12:25)

7. Launching 'Runaway Country': Rehumanizing the News

• [12:41 – 14:00]
  • Wagner previews her new podcast:
    • Focuses on storytelling featuring people at the heart of major headlines: “whether it’s an ICE agent, a red state farmer… or an undocumented migrant.”
    • Goal is to reconnect listeners emotionally and move beyond abstraction.

    “Part of the way we've kind of all gotten numb to this is by forgetting that there are actual people involved. And so the sort of principal goal here is to have people reattach emotionally to what’s going on.”
    (Alex Wagner, 13:13)

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Notable Quotes & Moments

• On coping with political chaos

  “I just try and, you know, emotionally bruise myself every day.”
  (Alex Wagner, 07:09)

• On White House changes

  “The new addition, AKA the corporate event space that he’s building… is gonna be 90,000 square feet. The actual White House itself is only 55,000…”
  (Alex Wagner, 08:42)

• On activism

  “Take that moment and put it in your pocket and remember that people still care.”
  (Alex Wagner, 10:47)

• On the necessity for hope and humor

  “If you can be a joyful warrior… that’s how you win the war.”
  (Alex Wagner, 12:25)

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Important Timestamps

• 04:29 – Alex discusses The Diplomat and art heist obsessions
• 05:54 – Halloween costume debates in her household
• 07:20 – Project 2025 and the lasting impact of Trump’s second term
• 08:27 – Critique of White House architectural ‘remodeling’
• 10:18 – Largest protest in 55 years as a democratic win
• 11:07 – Congressional Democrats’ new boldness
• 12:25 – Weaponizing levity and being a “joyful warrior”
• 13:13 – “Runaway Country” podcast details

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Tone & Language

The episode is characterized by witty banter, political urgency, and not-so-subtle gallows humor, with Alex Wagner and Stephen Colbert exchanging sharp, insightful, and often playful observations about the current state of American politics and culture.

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Conclusion

This conversation blends stark political realities with moments of levity, ultimately advocating that emotional engagement, collective action, and storytelling are vital tools for surviving—and maybe even overcoming—tumultuous times. Wagner’s new podcast, Runaway Country, launches with the ambition to put human stories front and center, restoring empathy in a world numbed by relentless headlines.

Transcript

[A]

Hey, everybody.

[B]

Stephen Colbert here about to read the copy for our sponsor. This is from our friends at Wonderful Pistachios. And I was the wonderful pistachio spokesman for years. Yeah, I have a real close association with nut meat. Okay. You know what they say when they reach for a snack? Don't hold back. And that's exactly the approach with Wonderful Pistachios. The don't hold back snack. These little wonders are so tasty, it feels like getting away with something. But surprise. Each serving has 6 grams of protein and 0 grams of regret. That's right. No guilt. Just glory, glory in our nuts. Whether it's a satisfying crack of in shell pistachios, and that's capitalized in shell, or the smooth, instant gratification of no shells. No judgment. That's just it. Just eat. No judgment. I take issue with one thing. It's instant gratification. It's super tasty smooth.

[C]

It's a hard nut smooth.

[B]

Exactly. I mean, even out of the shell, it's still a nut.

[C]

We can't disparage the nuts.

[D]

You.

[A]

I'm not disparaging the nut.

[B]

I'm describing the nut.

[C]

Don't disparage any flavors.

[B]

I'm not. I am celebrating the pistachio right now. I'm on board. I love pistachios.

[D]

I love.

[B]

I love crushed pistachio. Like a pistachio crusted trout. Oh, unbelievable. Instead of a trout amandine, a trout pistachio. Fantastic. Enough butter? Who cares?

[C]

Very good.

[B]

And I love pistachio ice cream.

[C]

Have you had the sea salt and vinegar? Wonderful pistachio. It's delicious. I get em.

[B]

I didn't even know I get them.

[C]

Before the softball games.

[B]

But that's. You see, it's been a while since I've been the spokesman for wonderful pistachios. I didn't realize we'd achieved new pistachio technology.

[C]

Yeah. Yeah.

[B]

Wow. Wonderful pistachios has every snack style covered. Right now. There's an obsession with jalapeno lime. There is an obsession session. It's almost a disorder. It's spicy, it's zesty. It's basically a flavor roller coaster in a nut. Snacking on the go. Grab a bag of no shells. Feeling contemplative and want to work for it a little. So earning it, they're saying if you want to earn your nut, crack open those in shell beauties. Either way, it's snacking like a champ. So the next time hunger strikes, don't hold back. Unless it's a hunger strike. And then it's important that you do, because whatever you're doing that for, I'm sure it's a worthwhile cause. Snack like you mean it with wonderful pistachios. Visit wonderfulpistachios.com to learn more.

[C]

That was a wonderful.

[B]

I wonder what more there is to learn. We just told them so much. We just told them so much about pistachios. But evidently there's a whole other world. There's an unexplored vista.

[C]

They got a bunch of flavors. They got dill pickle, jalapeno lime, as we learned, smoky barbecue. There's a lot of different flavors.

[B]

Wow. And I would not disparage any of them.

[C]

No, no, no.

[B]

Bring it on.

[C]

Nothing bad to say.

[B]

Nut me, nut, nut me with nut meat.

[C]

We're nut.

[B]

No, we got nothing but nut. Nutty, nutty, nutty, nutty. Talk about, talk about, talk about, talk about nutty. Good.

[E]

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[C]

It's the late show pod show with Stephen Colbert.

[B]

Folks.

[A]

My next guest is a senior political analyst at MSNBC and a contributor to Pod Save America. And tomorrow she launches her new podcast, Runaway country with Alex Wagner. Please welcome back to the Late Show, Alex Wagner. All right, I want to get into the politics in a second, okay? But let's just start with the new what's got your attention? A sorbet.

[D]

Yes, I like it.

[A]

What's got your attention these days, other than politics? What are you watching and or listening to?

[D]

Well, I'm watching the Diplomat on Netflix because it's. I love Keri Russell and she's a better diplomat than Jared Kushner. So that's a break from reality. You can always find me reading about an art heist or an art heist.

[A]

You must have loved the Louvre. I did the jewelry heist.

[D]

I was like, wait, what kind of motorized truck ladder did they use to break into the Apollo Galleries? And what were the cutters? And the cutters? And just 9:30 on a Sunday Morning. You give me a good art heist and I'm all in. I don't know what that says about my character, but it's.

[A]

You know, a jewelry heist, particularly from a museum, is like, it's sexy, it's. You gotta imagine they're all wearing the groove, they're all wearing catsuits. You gotta imagine. And just hot as hell.

[D]

And escaped on motorbikes. And I'm sure Charlize Theron was somewhere in the vicinity.

[A]

You should definitely check her phone. Halloween's coming up. You've got kids. Do you dress up like at the.

[B]

Door to answer the door?

[D]

Well, Steven, I like to think of myself as a kind of Salvation army for my children's unwanted and unused costumes. Like in mid September, they'll come up with big ideas about what they want to be. And then by mid October, they've decided they want to be something completely different. This year we bought, I think, actually the perfect child's Jack Sparrow wig. Jack Sparrow, the Johnny Depp character in Pirates of the Caribbean.

[A]

Sure, sure.

[D]

Has long dreadlocks a la Keith Richards with chopsticks in them. Amulets. I mean, it's a fantastic hairstyle. My 6 year old tried it on and was like, I want nothing to do with this. You wear it, Mom. So this Halloween, if you see me trick or treating, I will be in a child sized Jack Sparrow wig.

[A]

Oh, drunken pirate.

[D]

And slowly getting inebriated as we go house to house begging for candy.

[A]

Perfect.

[B]

Now.

[A]

Last time you joined us, we different president. This was back in August of 24. We're nine months into Trump's second term. Have you built up your immunity, Alice, over your heart? Immunity? Do you have immunity yet? Do you have or are you still a fresh shock every day? How are you handling the second time around?

[D]

I mean, there is alcohol, but I will say, Stephen, I try not to get numb to it because I think actually one of the things that set in a little bit and it's understandable, there's so much chaos, there's so much disruption, there's so many appalling things. It begins to blend together into this dark, churning gray cloud that you can get that can become pretty abstract.

[A]

I think that's actually part of the strategy which is just to swamp everybody's boat.

[D]

Absolutely. And I think as a journalist, it's our job to stay awake, to keep our front lights on, you know, and that's nice. So I just try and, you know, emotionally bruise myself every day.

[A]

Sure. Is that harder to do this time or easier to do?

[D]

Absolutely harder. I mean, let's just be clear. Like, it was bad the first time. Nobody was asking for a worse go the second time. But, you know, they're executing on Project 2025. They have a playbook that they are running. They have lackeys, allies, and stooges that are quite competent in terms of unwinding democracy and pushing the country rightward. Whether that's Russ vote or whether that's Stephen Miller. I mean, people are doing things to reinvent the American social compact and destroy institutions. And it's, I think, longer lasting the damage that's being done this round than in the first round. And that should disturb and alarm everyone.

[B]

Yeah, he's.

[A]

He's tearing down institutions both metaphorically and literally.

[C]

Literally.

[A]

And I bring that up because you.

[D]

Oh, my God.

[A]

An art card. White House reporter.

[B]

You have an art card. There you are.

[D]

There you are. I made it.

[B]

There you are.

[A]

Here you are on your first day in the old White House press conference.

[D]

Right there. Yeah. Look at that wide eye.

[A]

Dodgy.

[D]

Just the ease, you know. My soul was not trampled yet.

[A]

So what do you make of the new White House? As somebody who spent a lot of time there, are you enjoying extreme makeover? Autocratic.

[D]

Listen, I think. I think even Mussolini was better at fascist architecture than Trump.

[E]

And.

[D]

Yeah, I try. The bar is high. The new addition, AKA the corporate event space that he's building on the grounds of the East Wing is gonna be 90,000 square feet. The actual White House itself is only 55,000 square feet. I mean, this thing is a monstrosity.

[A]

It's gonna dwarf the actual White House.

[D]

It's gonna dwarf the actual White House. Yeah, you could, I guess, have hockey games in there. I don't know what the purpose of having something so you're like, okay, fine, I'm on board.

[A]

A bar mitzvah, a wedding, all at the same time. All that money would be in ren.

[D]

Up those fake walls and just have multiple weddings in there at the same time. Wife's 4, 5, 6, and 7 all in one go.

[A]

Tag in. Why not all at once? We have to take a quick break. We'll be right back with more Alex Wagner. Everybody.

[B]

Stick around.

[A]

Many, many voters and even politicians have been with what they perceive as a lack of fight in the Democratic Party this time around, some people have left the party. What do you make of the state of the Democratic Party right now, do you think? Did no Kings have significant meaning to you? That wasn't organized by the Democrats. No, it was organized by the no Kings, which is the people who don't.

[D]

Want, you know, a kingdom and monarchy.

[A]

That wasn't really a left right thing. No, it was an autocrat, non autocrat thing.

[D]

But we gotta take the wins when we get them. And when you have a march that is the largest public protest in 55 years, that is a win for democracy. That is. That is a citizen. That is a citizenry that is alive and awake and engaged, and that is foundational to American democracy as much as anything else is. So that is. Is a big deal. And I honestly, I get it. It happened five days ago, and, like, democracy has been further shredded since then. But, like, take that moment and put it in your pocket and remember that people still care.

[A]

Right. And you're not alone.

[D]

And you're not alone.

[A]

The fascists want you to think that you're alone.

[B]

Exactly.

[A]

And you're the only one who's upset.

[D]

Exactly.

[A]

And pardon my point.

[D]

And the other piece is, I think you are seeing, perhaps a little bit too late for a lot of people, but nonetheless, you are seeing a Democratic Party that is united in principle in a really serious showdown with this Republican administration shutting down the government because they care about Americans having access to health care. They care that the sickest and the weakest among us do not have the very safety net that keeps them alive shredded. And I think that that is so admirable, and it is a set of cajones. I did not know congressional Democrats had so, like, kudos to that. And, like, you know, Gavin Newsom is to fight the redistricting fire with fire out in California, and that is a major change for the Democratic Party.

[A]

Trump is fighting fire with memes, too.

[D]

With maybe some of the greatest.

[B]

This is.

[A]

I mean, all of his. This is wonderful. What's better than, this is so lovely. It's such a message of hope.

[D]

It's so good.

[A]

This is so lovely.

[D]

Like, this is what we need. Also, Kid Rock was so mad about it. It's so good on so many levels. It's so good.

[A]

Oh, no. Kid Rock got mad about something, but.

[D]

The stakes are so high. The moment is so dark. But if you can be a joyful warrior, if you can use levity and humor and weaponize it against the forces amassing on the dark horizon, that's how you win the war. And I think you have to fight on all fronts. And so stuff like that, as inconsequential as it may seem, is important.

[A]

Well, you're hosting a new podcast. You're hosting a new podcast that comes out tomorrow, Runaway country with Alex Wagner, who are you going to be talking to? What's going to be the focus of this podcast?

[D]

So much has become abstract. We've lost the sort of human face in all these headlines. And I think one of the things we all need to do to reconnect to these stories is, is to have characters to understand who is behind the trauma or even the aggression. So what this podcast is, is we're gonna talk to people at the center of the headlines, whether it's an ICE agent or an immigration judge, whether it's a red state farmer that's getting screwed by tariffs, or whether it's an anti vaxxer in Texas or an undocumented migrant who is caught in an immigration dragnet. Part of the way we've kind of all gotten numb to this is by forgetting that there are actual people involved. And so the sort of principal goal here is to have people re attach emotionally to what's going on. And I think the best way you do that is through storytelling. So that's the beginning of every episode and hopefully it'll give us something. You know, the first way you re engage is by caring. And I think we just gotta, we gotta kinda find our heart again a little bit in all this.

[A]

Well, Alex, thank you so much for being here.

[D]

Thank you.

[A]

Such a pleasure. Runaway country premieres tomorrow. Wherever you get your podcasts, it's Alex Wagner, everybody. Thank you for listening to the Late Show Pod show with Stephen Colbert. Just one more thing. If you want to see more of me, come to The Late Show YouTube.

[B]

Channel for more clips and exclusives.