Elections Distorted

Elections Distorted

From Autocracy in America by The Atlantic

February 6, 2026 · 33 min · Season 3 · Episode 5

About this episode

The episode explores the Trump administration's attempts to change election rules through various means, featuring insights from guests Dawn Baldwin Gibson and Stacey Abrams.

The Trump White House is changing the rules of our political system through intimidation, the distortion of information, financial corruption, and the dismantling of government offices. In the final episode of this season, we examine whether the administration is also trying to change the rules of our elections. Dawn Baldwin Gibson, a North Carolina pastor, tells us about how, in 2024, her vote was challenged for reasons that still aren’t clear to her. Host Anne Applebaum interviews Stacey Abrams, who has spent years fighting voter-suppression tactics. Abrams argues that Gibson’s story is one of many attempts to change how people vote and how their votes are counted. Get more from your favorite Atlantic voices when you subscribe. You’ll enjoy unlimited access to Pulitzer-winning journalism, from clear-eyed analysis and insight on breaking news to fascinating explorations of our world. Atlantic subscribers also get access to exclusive subscriber audio in Apple Podcasts. Subscribe today at TheAtlantic.com/Listener. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

People in this episode

Host: Anne Applebaum

Guests: Dawn Baldwin Gibson, Stacey Abrams

Topics covered

  • elections
  • voter suppression
  • political corruption
  • intimidation
  • information distortion

Keywords

  • Trump White House
  • voter suppression
  • election integrity
  • political intimidation
  • Dawn Baldwin Gibson
  • Stacey Abrams

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: The Atlantic, Trump White House

More episodes of Autocracy in America

Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the Autocracy in America podcast page.