Assembly Required with Stacey Abrams

A blue tsunami swept across the country in the 2026 midterm elections, delivering a major rebuke to Trump and the Republican regime at every level and reshaping the political landscape. Stacey is joined by writer and historian Heather Cox Richardson to break down the election results and the moments that surprised the country. Together, they explore why this moment feels different in the arc of American history, how a diverse electorate helped drive victories across the country, what fueled Democrats’ sweeping gains, and what’s happening in the Mississippi and Alaska races, where votes are still being counted. Then, they turn to the question on everyone’s mind: What now? What can Democrats do with their newfound power, and how can we keep fighting against authoritarianism?
Learn & Do More: 

BE CURIOUS: Visit Heather Cox Richardson’s Substack, Letters from an American, and sign up for her newsletter atheathercoxrichardson.substack.com.

SOLVE PROBLEMS: As of this taping, the Mississippi Senate race remains extremely close, thanks in large part to organizers on the ground. Consider supporting Working Together Mississippi, Mississippi Center for Justice, and theSouthern Rural Black Women’s Initiative so they can continue their vital work.

DO GOOD: While voters delivered a stunning rebuke to the Trump administration, in part because of its aggressive immigration enforcement policies, vulnerable communities still need our help. Visit Immigrant Defenders Law Centerand consider donating to support its free legal aid for people impacted by the immigration system. Each Step Homealso offers opportunities to donate to the commissary fund for immigrant families who remain imprisoned at Dilley Detention Center.

You can request a transcript by emailing transcripts@crooked.com. Include the podcast name, episode title, and air date. Please allow 48 hours for delivery.

It’s officially Election Day, and voters (yes, you!) are bound to make mistakes. Stacey opens the show by talking about the very normal, very human errors that can happen when casting a ballot, whether it’s showing up at the wrong precinct or returning a mail-in ballot too close to the deadline. Donald Trump and Republicans want voters to believe that even a small mistake could invalidate their vote or, worse, land them in legal trouble. But there’s no need to panic: most voting mistakes can be fixed. Stacey walks through common errors, potential solutions, and a state-by-state guide to making sure your vote counts.
Then, Stacey sits down with Dan Pfeiffer, Pod Save America host and author of Message Box, to discuss polling misses, Democratic messaging in Michigan, and unexpected opportunities for Democrats across the country. The two dig into the possibility of a blue wave in the South and what voters should be thinking about on November 4, once the midterm election sugar high wears off.
Learn & Do More:
1. BE CURIOUS: For more sharp political insight, subscribe to Dan’s newsletter focused on political strategy, Message Box.
2. SOLVE PROBLEMS: The nonpartisan Election Protection Coalition works year-round to ensure that every voter has an equal opportunity to cast their ballot and have it counted. If you or someone you know experiences voting machine issues, long lines at polling places, intimidation or harassment, or needs help understanding how to cast a provisional ballot, call 866-OUR-VOTE for assistance in English.
1. (888) VE-Y-VOTA for assistance in Spanish and English.
2. (844) YALLA-US for help in Arabic and English.
3. (888) API-VOTE for help in English, Mandarin, Cantonese, Korean, Vietnamese, Tagalog, Urdu, Hindi, Bengali, and Punjabi.
4. American Sign Language video call: 301-818-VOTE (301-818-8683)
You can also text MYVOTE to (866) 687-8683 to get voting help from a trained volunteer. Learn more or share these resources at PROTECTTHEVOTE.NET.
3. DO GOOD: November 3rd is Election Day, but that doesn’t mean our work is done. New Voters is an organization dedicated to ensuring that every high school student registers to vote before graduating. Visit NEW-VOTERS.ORG (New Dash Voters Dot Org) to learn more and volunteer to run a voter registration drive in your community.
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You can request a transcript by emailing transcripts@crooked.com. Include the podcast name, episode title, and air date. Please allow 48 hours for delivery.

This week, Stacey opens the show cautioning Americans to watch and learn from Brazil’s election results, where Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva surprised everyone with a victory, and his right wing opponent Flavio Bolsonaro called for the election to be annulled. As we brace for our own midterm elections in just one week, she gets into how the Justice Department is weaponizing power and practicing voter suppression against Americans from the bottom up, most recently attacking voters in California. So, what does free and fair voting require? Stacey talks to Jen Psaki, host of MSNOW’s The Briefing with Jen Psaki and former White House press secretary, about the larger motives behind what Republicans are chasing ahead of the midterms, how Democrats can remain hopeful but strategic in their messaging, and what to expect on and ahead of November 3rd.
Learn & Do More: 

BE CURIOUS: For more insightful analysis of the political moment we’re in, check out Jen Psaki’s show on MSNOW, The Briefing with Jen Psaki and her weekly Q&A on MS NOW Membership. 

SOLVE PROBLEMS: We’re days away from the midterms, and every little thing you do can still help. Think about your legislative candidates, candidates for Senate, House or Governor, and donate or sign up to volunteer. Organizations like EMILY’s List at emilyslist.org, Run For Something at runforsomething.net, and the Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee at dlcc.org are great places to look for ways to help. You can also look up who is running in your area to give directly and get involved. 

DO GOOD: Defeating authoritarianism takes thousands of small actions, and a lot of them start in somebody’s living room. Autocrats rely on confusion, apathy and fear. We rely on each other. That starts with building trust with a few neighbors on your block. Download Plurality, a free app that helps you organize in your neighborhood and connect with people nearby. The 10 Steps Campaign has ready-to-use event blueprints on Plurality designed to make civic organizing as easy as hosting a dinner party. Pick one, post your event on Plurality and tag @10StepsCampaign on social media so your neighbors can find it.

Become a subscriber to Crooked Media! It’s the best way to directly support us as we build an independent, pro-democracy media company. Subscribers get exclusive benefits, like bonus podcasts, newsletters and more. 
Subscribe now at crooked.com/friends or wherever you listen to podcasts.
You can request a transcript by emailing transcripts@crooked.com. Include the podcast name, episode title, and air date. Please allow 48 hours for delivery.

How are affordability and corruption connected? Professor and former U.S. Secretary of Labor Robert Reich joins Stacey to unpack rising gas prices and the cost of living, why he sees Trump’s White House as a symptom  of a much deeper culture of government corruption, and what’s at stake in the upcoming midterm elections.
Then, they discuss how 2026 is shaping up to resemble a new “Gilded Age,” marked by extreme wealth inequality and a government struggling to address the consequences. Stacey also sits down with Sheila Nix, CEO of the Mobile Voting Project, to discuss voter suppression, expanding access to the ballot, and how bringing mobile voting to all 50 states could help increase voter turnout.
Learn & Do More: 

BE CURIOUS: For more sharp insight into the economy and how corruption affects us all, follow Robert Reich on Substack and check out his course on wealth and inequality. Also, check out his new book Coming Up Short and his new film The Work in Progress.

SOLVE PROBLEMS: State and local elected officials play critical roles in protecting our democracy. School board members, city council members, county commissioners, state legislators, and judges are the officials closest to our communities. Right now, they’re some of the most targeted, especially women. Threats, harassment, doxxing, even political prosecution. Too many elected women spend their first year in office shocked by how bad it is, and most of them face it alone. Women’s Democracy Lab is changing that. They build safety and support infrastructure for women in state and local office, because when you make it safe for the most targeted, you make it safe for everyone. We work hard to elect bold leaders. Join them in making sure those leaders can stay.
Give: Help fund rapid-response support for a woman under threat. Go to womensdemocracylab.org.

Share it with an elected official you know: If she’s facing threats, she can reach WDL at safety@womensdemocracylab.org for direct support.

Show up for your local elected officials: Go to the meeting. Show your support. Report harassment when you see it.

Stay connected: Sign up for WDL’s updates and follow their work at hello@womensdemocracylab.org.

DO GOOD: As prices continue to soar, food insecurity remains an urgent problem. Ten Steps partner 901 Community Fridges is committed to fighting food insecurity in Memphis by partnering with neighborhoods to place fridges stocked with food and sundries in the areas where they’re needed most. If you’re in the Memphis region, check outhttps://10stepscampaign.org/partners to learn more and get involved. You can also look for opportunities in your local community to address hunger by supporting.

Become a subscriber to Crooked Media! It’s the best way to directly support us as we build an independent, pro-democracy media company. Subscribers get exclusive benefits, like bonus podcasts, newsletters and more. 
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You can request a transcript by emailing transcripts@crooked.com. Include the podcast name, episode title, and air date. Please allow 48 hours for delivery.

Fascism has gotten a facelift, and we’ve got tech oligarchs, religious extremists, and ethnonationalists to thank. Naomi Klein and Astra Taylor, co-authors of End Times Fascism: And the Fight for the Living World, sit down with Stacey to unpack how certain groups of fascists believe the end times of our society are not only inevitable, but are invested in precipitating our collapse while ensuring they are the elite few destined to survive. They also discuss the “wealth-rapture,” how extreme economic inequality has created fertile ground for fascists to thrive, and how this new brand of fascism can be stopped if we fight for empathy, equality, and universal rights during this administration and beyond.
Learn & Do More: 

Be Curious: Pick up a copy of Naomi and Astra’s book, End Times Fascism and the Fight for the Living World. 

Solve Problems: On October 17th, No Kings, Common Cause, and other 10 Steps campaign partners are taking part in a national day of action, mobilizing their communities to vote early in the midterm elections. Visitnokings.org or protectthevote.net to make a plan to vote or find and host an event near you. Even if early voting hasn’t yet started in your state, there are plenty of ways to get involved and make sure everyone shows up for these elections.

Do Good: The horrors of capital punishment have recently made headlines. Whether you support ending the practice, as I do, or believe it needs reform, there is more we can do to make a difference. Visit the Equal Justice Initiative to support their important work to end mass incarceration and excessive punishment and challenge racial and economic injustice. The ACLU has a list of reputable organizations working to reform the death penalty, and we’ll link to it in the show notes.

You can request a transcript by emailing transcripts@crooked.com. Include the podcast name, episode title, and air date. Please allow 48 hours for delivery.