WIRED Politics Lab

Donald Trump’s presidency will be unpredictable, but in our final show, we make some guesses about what’ll happen anyway. WIRED’s Tim Marchman sits down with reporters David Gilbert and Makena Kelly to talk about what could go wrong between Trump and Musk, if Christian nationalists will get their porn ban, the rise of human brain organoids and whether the new administration will finally declassify those UFO files.  Tim Marchman is @timmarchman [https://twitter.com/timmarchman]. David Gilbert is @DaithaiGilbert [https://twitter.com/daithaigilbert]. Makena Kelly is @kellymakena [https://twitter.com/kellymakena?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor]. Be sure to subscribe to the WIRED Politics Lab newsletter here [https://www.wired.com/newsletter/politics-lab?sourceCode=PodcastPromo]. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices [https://dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices]

Donald Trump has threatened to go after a lot of people — journalists, political rivals and undocumented immigrants to name a few—and starting next year, he’ll have the entire national security apparatus at his disposal. What’s the best way to keep your personal information secure from surveillance, not just by the government, but also data brokers, tech companies, and online scammers? Leah talks with WIRED business editor Louise Matsakis and security editor Andrew Couts about what to expect and practical tips for your phone, computer, and life. Leah Feiger is @LeahFeiger [https://twitter.com/leahfeiger?lang=en]. Andrew Couts is @couts.bsky.com [https://staging.bsky.app/profile/couts.bsky.social]. Louise Matsakis is @lmatsakis [https://x.com/lmatsakis]. Write to us at politicslab@WIRED.com. Be sure to subscribe to the WIRED Politics Lab newsletter here [https://www.wired.com/newsletter/politics-lab?sourceCode=PodcastPromo]. Mentioned this week:  The WIRED Guide to Protecting Yourself From Government Surveillance [https://www.wired.com/story/the-wired-guide-to-protecting-yourself-from-government-surveillance/] by Andy Greenberg and Lily Hay Newman Anyone Can Buy Data Tracking US Soldiers and Spies to Nuclear Vaults and Brothels in Germany [https://www.wired.com/story/phone-data-us-soldiers-spies-nuclear-germany/] by Dhruv Mehrotra and Dell Cameron A New Phone Scanner That Detects Spyware Has Already Found 7 Pegasus Infections [https://www.wired.com/story/iverify-spyware-detection-tool-nso-group-pegasus/] by Lily Hay Newman Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices [https://dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices]

Since the election, a number of organizations, journalists, and left-leaning X users have announced their intentions to leave the town square formerly known as Twitter and move over to Threads or Bluesky. Leah talks with WIRED reporters David Gilbert and Vittoria Elliott about what these X-pats will find on the newer platforms, what happens to X when there are no more libs to troll, and just how fragmented online communities are now. Leah Feiger is @LeahFeiger [https://twitter.com/leahfeiger?lang=en].  David Gilbert is @DaithaiGilbert [https://twitter.com/daithaigilbert]. Vittoria Elliott is @telliotter [https://twitter.com/telliotter]. Write to us at politicslab@WIRED.com. Be sure to subscribe to the WIRED Politics Lab newsletter here [https://www.wired.com/newsletter/politics-lab?sourceCode=PodcastPromo]. Mentioned this week: Donald Trump Taps Elon Musk, Vivek Ramaswamy to Lead Nonexistent Department of Government Efficiency [https://www.wired.com/story/donald-trump-elon-musk-department-of-government-efficiency/] by Vittoria Elliott As Trump Takes a Victory Lap, the Crypto Faithful Kiss the Ring [https://www.wired.com/story/trump-crypto-support/]by Joel Khalili Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices [https://dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices]

Today on the show, WIRED’s global editorial director Katie Drummond joins Leah to talk about how the internet and online communities contributed to Donald Trump's victory. Plus, one last look at Brat summer, the perils of the Trump-Elon Musk alliance and digital security under the next Trump administration. Leah Feiger is @LeahFeiger [https://twitter.com/leahfeiger?lang=en]. Katie Drummond is @katie-drummond.bsky.social [https://bsky.app/profile/katie-drummond.bsky.social/twitter.com/telliotter]. Write to us at politicslab@WIRED.com. Be sure to subscribe to the WIRED Politics Lab newsletter here [https://www.wired.com/newsletter/politics-lab?sourceCode=PodcastPromo]. Mentioned this week: The WIRED Guide to Digital Security [https://www.wired.com/2017/12/digital-security-guide/] Editor’s Note: What’s Next for WIRED [https://www.wired.com/story/editors-note-election-whats-next-for-wired/] by Katie Drummond It’s Election Week. Brace Yourselves [https://www.wired.com/story/election-week-brace-yourselves/] by Katie Drummond Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices [https://dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices]

The election is over and Donald Trump has won a second term in the White House. The next several months—and maybe years—will be spent analyzing what actually tipped this election, but we at WIRED Politics Lab have a theory: Elon Musk. Throughout the election season, and especially in the homestretch, Musk has used his influence and platform to try to shape the results. Today, Leah sits down with Vittoria Elliott and Timothy Marchman to discuss if it worked. Leah Feiger is @LeahFeiger [https://twitter.com/leahfeiger?lang=en]. Vittoria Elliott is @telliotter [https://twitter.com/telliotter]. Tim Marchman is @timmarchman [https://twitter.com/timmarchman]. Write to us at politicslab@WIRED.com. Be sure to subscribe to the WIRED Politics Lab newsletter here [https://www.wired.com/newsletter/politics-lab?sourceCode=PodcastPromo]. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices [https://dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices]