Will Elon Musk Tip the Election for Trump?

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. David Gilbert is @DaithaiGilbert. Makena Kelly is @kellymakena. Be sure to subscribe to the WIRED Politics Lab newsletter here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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 Newman Anyone Can Buy Data Tracking US Soldiers and Spies to Nuclear Vaults and Brothels in Germany by Dhruv Mehrotra and Dell Cameron A New Phone Scanner That Detects Spyware Has Already Found 7 Pegasus Infections by Lily Hay Newman Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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 Elliott As Trump Takes a Victory Lap, the Crypto Faithful Kiss the Ring by Joel Khalili Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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 Security Editor’s Note: What’s Next for WIRED by Katie Drummond It’s Election Week. Brace Yourselves by Katie Drummond Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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 more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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 more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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 more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices