Red Counties, White Sheriffs: How They Are Reshaping the US Political Landscape

  America’s sheriffs, often seen as small-town peacekeepers, are becoming a major threat to democracy.  My latest WhoWhatWhy Podcast examines what’s happening. In a country where 80 percent of counties are red, and 90 percent of sheriffs are white, a shadowy world exists where these elected officials wield unchecked power, often aligning with far-right militias and potentially influencing the 2024 presidential election. Jessica Pishko, journalist, legal expert, and author of The Highest Law in the Land: How the Unchecked Power of Sheriffs Threatens Democracy, talks to me about the sheriffs group that believes their authority supersedes federal and state laws. It’s a movement gaining traction across rural America.