Alex Wagner on Her Time in Trumpland: ‘Unlike Anything in My Lifetime’

We’re only 10 days into President Donald Trump‘s second administration, and the flurry of activity within the White House has set the country on its ear. Which is exactly why Alex Wagner is ready to listen. The MSNBC anchor is spending Trump’s first 100 days back in the Oval Office criss-crossing the U.S. to uncover how his policies are impacting Americans on the ground.

Some of Trump’s actions were predicted prior to his return, including a crackdown on immigration and an Elon Musk-assisted attempt to reshape the federal workforce. Other orders have even caught the administration’s allies off guard, such as stripping past officials—including his former national security advisor John Bolton—of their security clearances.

But don’t ask Wagner to predict what Trump might do tomorrow—let alone the next 90 days. “No journalist in their right mind would predict anything about Donald Trump,” she tells TVNewser from the road. “We’re only two weeks in, and it’s been unlike anything in my lifetime.”

Here’s what you can bank on, though: every Thursday, Wagner will be covering whatever emerges from Trumpland next on her new weekly podcast, Trumpland with Alex Wagner. The first episode debuted on Jan. 23 and took her to Washington, D.C., where she covered Trump’s controversial pardons of Jan. 6 rioters from the perspective of their relatives, the police and the inmates themselves.

For Episode 2, Wagner traveled up the northeast corridor to New Jersey, where she listened in as undocumented migrants discussed the future of their communities under a second Trump administration. And while she’s on the road, Rachel Maddow is holding down the primetime fort back at MSNBC HQ. The Rachel Maddow Show is airing five nights a week during Trump’s first 100 days, with Alex Wagner Tonight expected to return to the 9 p.m. hour on May 1.

TVNewser caught up with Wagner during her travels for a firsthand account of what life is like in Trumpland.

Trump’s numerous executive orders have already upended the status quo in Washington, D.C. How are those orders being felt on the ground based on what you’ve seen?

I started out on January 20th outside of the DC Jail, where former January 6 defendants and inmates were being held. I’ve never seen anything quite like that scene: family members of the J6ers gathered outside and hearing the news that President Trump was effectively letting everyone go. Their sense of vindication was profound, but the legal, cultural and ethical implications of Trump’s decision here… are vast.

And then the following week, I was with undocumented migrants who are living in fear of deportation raids, at any time and in any place. It was a study in contrasts: convicted criminals who believe this president has their best interests at heart, and marginalized communities who feel literally hunted under the new administration. 

The Trump administration has taken a combative tone with legacy media outlets like MSNBC. Have you found that his supporters are more willing to talk with you? If not, how do you convince them to open up?

One of the great things about field reporting is that when you meet people face to face, they tend to see you as an individual, rather than a representative of a larger institution. Throughout my career, I’ve talked to folks across the political spectrum; whether I was working for The Atlantic or Showtime or CBS or MSNBC, people have been generally willing to talk to me, I think because they feel like I’m really listening—regardless whether I agree with them. The larger issue with Trump’s war against the fourth estate is that he’s poisoned so many people against a free press that he’s fundamentally rewiring the way Americans consume information. 

Your interviews with relatives of Jan. 6 rioters revealed how fervently they support the president. Were there moments where you felt you had to push back or were you consciously remaining in “listening” mode? Is there anything Trump could do that might shake their faith in him? 

I definitely challenged the J6ers on Trump’s decision to free them: whether it was the right one, and one that would be good for the whole country. And whether anything criminal happened on January 6th! But one thing I’ve noticed is that Trump supporters are usually pretty resolute in their beliefs. It’s not my job to try and convince them otherwise, it’s my job to understand why they think what they think. 

Immigration is often thought of as a southern border issue. How does the conversation differ in a northeastern state like New Jersey? 

Trump’s focus on raids in blue cities has upended the traditional “immigration” map. Migrant communities across the country are now living in the shadows, terrified for their children, afraid to go to work or the grocery store. This isn’t a conversation about the border anymore, it’s a question about what it means to be an American: who belongs here, who doesn’t. Who we count as “us,” and who will forever remain “them.”

You wrote a book about your mother’s immigrant experience from Burma. How does your personal story inform your reporting? 

Perhaps because I come from a family of immigrants, I’m naturally inclined towards covering stories about identity: how we define ourselves, what it means to leave one place and become a part of another. Immigration is a story about borders and policy, but it’s also the most human story of them all. 

Prior to Trumpland, you hosted the Six Feet Apart podcast. What are your favorite aspects of this particular medium? Was there a learning curve to telling stories in audio form?

I love podcasting, and not only because you get to wear less makeup! The latitude of the audio format is so incredible for telling stories, and exploring themes in deep and unusual ways. Honestly, the hardest part is figuring out what to cut: if I had my way, the podcast would probably be 3 hours long! (I see you, Joe Rogan!)