WIRED Politics Lab

It’s the election homestretch, and today on the show, we spoke with Stacey Abrams. Abrams has fought voter suppression for more than a decade — and she’s still fighting it. She joins Leah from Kamala Harris’s campaign trail to talk about election conspiracies, Elon Musk's influence, ballot box fires, Joe Rogan, and whether a Democratic candidate can win Georgia.

Leah Feiger is @LeahFeiger. Write to us at [email protected]. Be sure to subscribe to the WIRED Politics Lab newsletter here.

Mentioned this week:

US Intel Says Insider Threats Are 'Likely' During the Election by Tess Owen and Dell Cameron

Election Fraud Conspiracy Theories Are Already Thriving Online by David Gilbert

Russian Propaganda Unit Appears to Be Behind Spread of False Tim Walz Sexual Abuse Claims by David Gilbert

Elon Musk's PAC Is Buying Ads for Donald Trump on Elon Musk's X by Vittoria Elliott

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It sounds like something out of the Old West, but this year, Constitutional Sheriffs — law enforcement officers who believe they’re above state and federal oversight — have rounded up posses and set their sights on election security. WIRED’s Tim Marchman talks with reporter David Gilbert about how the Constitutional Sheriffs hitched their wagons to the big guns in the election denial movement, and how just one rogue county sheriff could call the entire presidential race into question. 

 Tim Marchman is @timmarchman. David Gilbert is @DaithaiGilbert. Write to us at [email protected]. Be sure to subscribe to the WIRED Politics Lab newsletter here.

Mentioned this week:

'Take Back the States': The Far-Right Sheriffs Ready to Disrupt the Election by David Gilbert

Far-Right Sheriffs Want a Citizen Army to Stop ‘Illegal Immigrant’ Voters by David Gilbert

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On Wednesday, a WIRED exclusive revealed that one of J.D. Vance’s financial policy advisers has posted a lot on Reddit about illicit substances. Given Vance’s hard stance on drugs, WIRED’s Tim Marchman and Makena Kelly join Leah to discuss why it matters that a member of his staff seems to have been using them.

Leah Feiger is @LeahFeiger. Makena Kelly is @kellymakena. Tim Marchman is @timmarchman. Write to us at [email protected]. Be sure to subscribe to the WIRED Politics Lab newsletter here.

Mentioned this week:
JD Vance Adviser Posted on Reddit for Years About Use of Cocaine, ‘Gas Station Heroin,’ Other Drugs by Makena Kelly

You might know him from Tesla and SpaceX, but now Elon Musk spends a lot of his time campaigning for former president Donald Trump. WIRED’s David Gilbert and Vittoria Elliott join Leah to talk about what Musk gets from going all in on Trump — and whether he’ll win Trump the White House. 

Leah Feiger is @LeahFeiger.  David Gilbert is @DaithaiGilbert. Vittoria Elliott is @telliotter. Write to us at [email protected]. Be sure to subscribe to the WIRED Politics Lab newsletter here.

Mentioned this week:
Elon Musk Spoke at a Trump Rally, Referenced ‘Dark MAGA,’ and Urged Supporters to Vote by Vittoria Elliott and Tess Owen
Right-Wing Influencers Claim ‘They’ Defeated Physics, Geoengineered Hurricane Milton by Tess Owen

Vice Presidential candidates Gov. Tim Walz and Sen. J.D. Vance faced off last night in their first and only debate. Will Vance’s repackaging of Trump’s record on issues like abortion and January 6 land with independents and swing state voters? Where was the fiery Walz who won social media by calling Republicans “weird?” And will any of this really matter on election day? WIRED’s Tim Marchman and Makena Kelly join Leah to discuss. 

Leah Feiger is @LeahFeiger. Makena Kelly is @kellymakena. Tim Marchman is @timmarchman. Write to us at [email protected]. Be sure to subscribe to the WIRED Politics Lab newsletter here.

Mentioned this week:

No, Tim Walz Is Not Friends with School Shooters by David Gilbert

Get Your VP Debate Bingo Card Right Here by Makena Kelly

Gen Z is over it. The youngest generation of adults is inheriting a climate crisis, the ongoing fallout from a global pandemic, a polarized political landscape, and a tenuous economic reality.  And many Gen Z members, a generation more likely to identify as progressive than conservative, are ready for something to give.

Enter: Gen Z for Change — a youth-led non-profit that brands itself as, "the place where the creator economy and progressive politics intersect on social media." The group leverages a hundreds-deep network of social media creators to spread calls to action over TikTok. They've also pulled on the programming expertise within their team to develop a caché of semi-automatic tools that take the guesswork out of engaging with their political agenda.

Their latest tool, "Ceasefire Now!!" takes these efforts one step further — resulting in, by Gen Z for Change's count, two million emails calling for a ceasefire in Gaza hitting the inboxes of elected representatives in Washington every day.

From political fundraisers to the presidential debate to a September 11 commemoration, far-right influencer Laura Loomer has become a staple in former president Donald Trump’s political entourage. WIRED’s David Gilbert and Tim Marchman join Leah to discuss Loomer’s history of conspiracies, Islamophobia, and how she ended up in Trump’s orbit.

Leah Feiger is @LeahFeiger.  David Gilbert is @DaithaiGilbert. Tim Marchman is @timmarchman. Write to us at [email protected]. Be sure to subscribe to the WIRED Politics Lab newsletter here.

Mentioned this week: 

Laura Loomer Is MAGA at Its Most Extreme—and She’s Closer to Donald Trump Than Ever by David Gilbert

WIRED’s Makena Kelly and Tim Marchman join Leah to discuss the memorable moments, the policies and, of course, the conspiracies that came up in Tuesday’s presidential debate. 

Leah Feiger is @LeahFeiger. Makena Kelly is @kellymakena. Tim Marchman is @timmarchman. Write to us at [email protected]. Be sure to subscribe to the WIRED Politics Lab newsletter here.

A few months ago, everyone seemed worried about how AI would impact the 2024 election. Lately, it seems like some of the panic has dissipated, but political deepfakes — including pornographic images and video —  are still everywhere. Today on the show, WIRED reporters Vittoria Elliott and Will Knight on what has changed with AI and what we should worry about.

Leah Feiger is @LeahFeiger. Vittoria Elliott is @telliotter. Will Knight is @willknight to us at [email protected]. Be sure to subscribe to the WIRED Politics Lab newsletter here.

Mentioned this week:

OpenAI Is Testing Its Powers of Persuasion by Will Knight

AI-Fakes Detection Is Failing Voters in the Global South by Vittoria Elliott

2024 Is the Year of the Generative AI Election by Vittoria Elliott

The Democratic National Convention organizers really rolled out the blue carpet for influencers this year. Today on the show, WIRED senior reporter Makena Kelly joins from Chicago to talk about the Democrats’ strategy of favoring creators over journalists, and whether it will help them win votes. Plus, behind the scenes at the influencer after-parties. 

Leah Feiger is @LeahFeiger. Makena Kelly is @kellymakena.  Write to us at [email protected]. Be sure to subscribe to the WIRED Politics Lab newsletter here.

Mentioned this week: 

The DNC Is Officially the Influencer Convention by Makena Kelly

A Visual Guide to the Influencers Shaping the 2024 Election by Makena Kelly