What Is America Beyond Trump? (w/ Astead Herndon)

Assembly Required with Stacey Abrams

Society & Culture

4.6 • 1.8K Ratings

🗓️ 21 April 2026

⏱️ 52 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

Do you want the government spying on you, or do you want it to catch bad guys? This week, Stacey opens the show by pointing out the false binary Americans are being presented with as Congress debates renewing Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act. Then she speaks to reporter Astead Herndon, host of “America, Actually” at Vox Media. They break down how to talk about and report on America without focusing exclusively on Trump, why both parties should consider non-systems candidates in 2028, and the big realignments among groups like voters of color and faith-based voters.

For a closed-captioned version of this episode, click here. For a transcript of this episode, please email transcripts@crooked.com and include the name of the podcast.

Learn & Do More:

Be Curious: Check out Astead’s new podcast America, Actually and his reporting for Vox.
Solve Problems: American reporter Ahmed Shihab-Eldin has been detained in Kuwait for the past six weeks. Visit the Committee to Protect Journalists to learn more about his unjust detention and sign the petition demanding his release.
Do Good: As Trump’s war in the Middle East continues, the needs of members of our military, military families, and veterans are often overlooked. Check out organizations like Operation Homefront, which provides relief and recurring family support for members of our military and helps members transition to civilian life. Visit operationhomefront.org to find ways to donate and get involved.

Transcript

Click on a timestamp to play from that location

0:00.0	Assembly required with Stacey Abrams is brought to you by Zbiotics pre-alcohol.
0:05.9	We all like a fun night out from time to time, and for my friends who enjoy a few cocktails,
0:11.6	Z-biotics pre-alcohol has been a great way to keep their social life and wellness goals aligned.
0:18.1	Z-biotics pre-alcohol probiotic drink is the world's first genetically engineered
0:24.2	probiotic. It was invented by PhD scientists to tackle rough mornings after drinking. Here's how it
0:30.8	works. When you drink, alcohol gets converted into a toxic byproduct in the gut. It's buildup of
0:37.4	this byproduct, not dehydration.
0:40.1	That's to blame for rough days after drinking. Pre-alcohol produces an enzyme to break this
0:46.7	byproduct down. Just remember to make pre-alcohol your first drink of the night, drink
0:52.6	responsibly, and you'll feel your best tomorrow.
0:56.6	Friends who have Zbiotics pre-alcohol before drinks notice the difference. They could plan
1:01.8	for a big event without worrying about being on top of their game the next morning. From festivals
1:07.2	to fairways, April is a sprint of outdoor celebrations. Don't let a rough next day
1:13.9	keep you on the sidelines. Drink pre-alcohol to stay ahead of the game and make the most of
1:19.7	every sunny Saturday. Go to zbiotics.com slash assembly to learn more and get 15% off your first
1:27.2	order when you use assembly at checkout.
1:30.6	Zbiotics is backed with a 100% money back guarantee, so if you're unsatisfied for any reason,
1:36.4	they'll refund your money, no questions asked.
1:39.5	Remember to head to zbiotics.com slash assembly and use the code assembly at checkout for 15% off.
1:50.6	Welcome to Assembly Required with Stacey Abrams from Crooked Media. I'm your host, Stacey Abrams.
2:02.8	This past weekend, I spoke at the LA Times Festival of Books about my latest novel, Coded Justice.
2:10.0	It's an AI whodunit set against a blockbuster IPO, led by a tech bro with mixed motives. This is my third installment in the
	...

Please login to see the full transcript.

Previous episode | Next episode

Disclaimer: The podcast and artwork embedded on this page are from Assembly Required with Stacey Abrams, and are the property of its owner and not affiliated with or endorsed by Tapesearch.

Generated transcripts are the property of Assembly Required with Stacey Abrams and are distributed freely under the Fair Use doctrine. Transcripts generated by Tapesearch are not guaranteed to be accurate.