WIRED Investigates: The JD Vance Adviser Secretly Posting About Using Drugs

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. Andrew Couts is @couts.bsky.com. Louise Matsakis is @lmatsakis. Write to us at [email protected]. Be sure to subscribe to the WIRED Politics Lab newsletter here.Mentioned this week: The WIRED Guide to Protecting Yourself From Government Surveillance by Andy Greenberg and Lily Hay NewmanAnyone Can Buy Data Tracking US Soldiers and Spies to Nuclear Vaults and Brothels in Germany by Dhruv Mehrotra and Dell CameronA New Phone Scanner That Detects Spyware Has Already Found 7 Pegasus Infections by Lily Hay Newman Learn about your ad choices: 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.  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:Donald Trump Taps Elon Musk, Vivek Ramaswamy to Lead Nonexistent Department of Government Efficiency by Vittoria ElliottAs Trump Takes a Victory Lap, the Crypto Faithful Kiss the Ring by Joel Khalili Learn about your ad choices: 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. Katie Drummond is @katie-drummond.bsky.social. Write to us at [email protected]. Be sure to subscribe to the WIRED Politics Lab newsletter here.Mentioned this week:The WIRED Guide to Digital SecurityEditor’s Note: What’s Next for WIRED by Katie DrummondIt’s Election Week. Brace Yourselves by Katie Drummond Learn about your ad choices: 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. Vittoria Elliott is @telliotter. Tim Marchman is @timmarchman. Write to us at [email protected]. Be sure to subscribe to the WIRED Politics Lab newsletter here. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

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 CameronElection Fraud Conspiracy Theories Are Already Thriving Online by David GilbertRussian Propaganda Unit Appears to Be Behind Spread of False Tim Walz Sexual Abuse Claims by David GilbertElon Musk's PAC Is Buying Ads for Donald Trump on Elon Musk's X by Vittoria Elliott Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

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 GilbertFar-Right Sheriffs Want a Citizen Army to Stop ‘Illegal Immigrant’ Voters by David Gilbert Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

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 Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

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 OwenRight-Wing Influencers Claim ‘They’ Defeated Physics, Geoengineered Hurricane Milton by Tess Owen Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

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 GilbertGet Your VP Debate Bingo Card Right Here by Makena Kelly Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

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. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices