Chuck Todd unpacks a night of significant Democratic wins — starting with Virginia voters passing the controversial redistricting measure, a result that hands Democrats a meaningful victory but at what Chuck argues is a steep cost. He questions whether Democrats are trading their most valuable brand asset, being seen as "the rule followers," for a short-term partisan gain they may not need: if Democrats narrowly win the House majority thanks to redistricting, then the gamble worked — but independents, who were already souring on partisan games, aren't likely to give Democrats the benefit of the doubt going forward. He warns that Abigail Spanberger, who wanted to govern from the center but was forced into the role of a partisan warrior to get this done, may not recover politically from the episode. He then turns to Iran, where Trump has unilaterally extended the ceasefire indefinitely because he can't actually land a deal — Iran won the second round of negotiations simply by not showing up, the Chinese will eventually have to step in to pressure Tehran, and Trump is now visibly signaling desperation, meaning he'll be lucky to walk away with terms similar to what Obama negotiated years ago. He calls the war a strategic disaster worse than Iraq that will permanently taint the presidential prospects of both Marco Rubio and JD Vance, and closes with the big political picture: overall it was a terrible night for Republicans, new polling shows Democrats suddenly competitive in rural Midwestern states, all the data points to Democratic momentum heading into the midterms, the economy will be deeply unpopular by Election Day, and the only real advantage Republicans have left is money — a boon he argues is consistently overstated when the political environment is this bad for the party in power.

Finally Chuck reveals his ToddCast Top 5 most overlooked races for the midterm elections and answers questions in the “Ask Chuck” segment.

Thank you Wildgrain for sponsoring. Visit http://wildgrain.com/TODDCAST and use the code "TODDCAST" at checkout to receive $30 off your first box PLUS free Croissants for life!

Protect your family with life insurance from Ethos. Get up to $3 million in coverage in as little as 10 minutes at https://ethos.com/chuck. Application times may vary. Rates may vary.

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Timeline:

(Timestamps may vary based on advertisements)

00:00 Chuck Todd’s introduction

01:15 Virginia voters pass redistricting measure, a big win for Democrats

03:00 Strength of Democratic party was being viewed as the “rule followers”

03:45 Democrats won’t get the benefit of the doubt with independents

04:45 There was a path to 8-3 for Dems with the original map

06:15 If Dems narrowly win the house majority, then redistricting worked

07:00 Dems are closer to winning now, but at what cost?

08:30 Spanberger wants to govern from center, but had to be a partisan warrior

10:30 Filing deadline for Virginia is FRIDAY, will we see GOP retirements?

11:00 Court case could disqualify the referendum

12:30 Florida likely to redistrict in response to Virginia

14:00 Florida redistricting makes a lot of light red districts that are vulnerable

15:30 These partisan acts will increase appetite for a third party

17:15 Abigail Spanberger may not recover politically from this

18:15 Trump can’t get Iran deal, unilaterally extends ceasefire indefinitely 

19:00 Iran has won the second round of negotiations by not showing up

19:45 At some point the Chinese will put pressure on Iran to end this

20:30 Trump started a war he wasn’t prepared to finish

21:15 This war has been a strategic disaster, even worse than Iraq

22:00 Trump will be lucky to get terms similar to what Obama got

22:45 Trump is signaling to Iran that he’s desperate for a deal

24:30 The war will taint presidential chances for Rubio & Vance

25:15 Overall, it’s been a disastrous night for Republicans

26:00 We will have a very unpopular economy when the midterms arrive

26:30 New polling shows Democrats are competitive in rural midwest states

27:45 All the data shows Democratic momentum going into the midterms

28:15 The only advantage Republicans have is money

29:30 Tuesday was a really good day for team blue, and bad for team red

35:00 ToddCast Top 5 overlooked races this election cycle

36:00 #5 Florida governor

41:00 #4 Oregon governor

44:00 #3 Alabama governor

47:00 #2 Texas governor

51:30 #1 Minnesota senate

55:30 Ask Chuck

55:45 Would it be worse for Spanberger politically to lose redistricting fight?

58:15 Who in Trump’s orbit would be willing to invoke the 25th amendment?

1:02:15 Thoughts on Vance & importance of “political athleticism” for GOP in ‘28?

1:08:30 What are the long term impacts if Trump pulls out of NATO?

1:11:45 Which piece of legislation does the opposite party most misunderstand?

1:18:15 Do our elected officials actually understand China?

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Chuck Todd unpacks a night of significant Democratic wins — starting with Virginia voters passing the controversial redistricting measure, a result that hands Democrats a meaningful victory but at what Chuck argues is a steep cost. He questions whether Democrats are trading their most valuable brand asset, being seen as "the rule followers," for a short-term partisan gain they may not need: if Democrats narrowly win the House majority thanks to redistricting, then the gamble worked — but independents, who were already souring on partisan games, aren't likely to give Democrats the benefit of the doubt going forward. He warns that Abigail Spanberger, who wanted to govern from the center but was forced into the role of a partisan warrior to get this done, may not recover politically from the episode. He then turns to Iran, where Trump has unilaterally extended the ceasefire indefinitely because he can't actually land a deal — Iran won the second round of negotiations simply by not showing up, the Chinese will eventually have to step in to pressure Tehran, and Trump is now visibly signaling desperation, meaning he'll be lucky to walk away with terms similar to what Obama negotiated years ago. He calls the war a strategic disaster worse than Iraq that will permanently taint the presidential prospects of both Marco Rubio and JD Vance, and closes with the big political picture: overall it was a terrible night for Republicans, new polling shows Democrats suddenly competitive in rural Midwestern states, all the data points to Democratic momentum heading into the midterms, the economy will be deeply unpopular by Election Day, and the only real advantage Republicans have left is money — a boon he argues is consistently overstated when the political environment is this bad for the party in power.

Then, Doug Sosnik — the veteran Democratic strategist, former Clinton White House political director, and one of the sharpest big-picture thinkers in American politics — joins the Chuck Toddcast for a sweeping conversation about where the country is headed and whether either party is prepared to meet the moment. Sosnik argues that every election cycle has a defining event that sets the political weather, and for 2026 it's unambiguously the Iran war — but with early voting expanding the calendar, the window for Republicans to fix their problems is razor thin. He breaks the American electorate into three buckets and notes that the critical 15% of swing voters who tend to align culturally with Trump have now turned against him, that the Republican brand actually outperforms both the Democratic brand and the MAGA brand in polling, and that the Democratic brand stubbornly refuses to improve despite Trump's failures — meaning the 2028 nominee, not the party label, will determine who wins. They identify a potential 60% majority that's fed up with the system itself, arguing that America has moved away from meritocracy toward family wealth in ways that demand creating a new ladder to middle-class life for non-college voters, and delivers a blunt generational verdict: real change won't happen until the boomers exit the stage, and 2028 will be like 1960 — the election that defines post-Trump America.

The conversation turns to the future of both parties, and Sosnik's analysis is bracingly unsentimental. He notes that more Republicans now identify with the GOP brand than with MAGA, that Vance lacks the charisma to inherit Trump's movement, and that the Trump family has been testing Don Jr.'s name in polling. They warn that the country doesn't want to vote Republican in 2028 but lacks confidence in Democrats, and point to the UK where both major parties are in danger of being replaced by insurgent movements. He closes with a candid assessment of the 2028 Democratic field — the weakest since 2004, with Rahm Emmanuel as the only candidate putting out real policy.The winner in 2028, Sosnik predicts, will be on the side of breaking things rather than defending the status quo, because the animating force in American politics on both the left and the right is now unmistakably populist.

Finally Chuck reveals his ToddCast Top 5 most overlooked races for the midterm elections and answers questions in the “Ask Chuck” segment.

Thank you Wildgrain for sponsoring. Visit http://wildgrain.com/TODDCAST and use the code "TODDCAST" at checkout to receive $30 off your first box PLUS free Croissants for life!

Protect your family with life insurance from Ethos. Get up to $3 million in coverage in as little as 10 minutes at https://ethos.com/chuck. Application times may vary. Rates may vary.

Link in bio or go to https://getsoul.com & enter code TODDCAST for 30% off your first order.

Timeline:

(Timestamps may vary based on advertisements)

00:00 Chuck Todd’s introduction

01:15 Virginia voters pass redistricting measure, a big win for Democrats

03:00 Strength of Democratic party was being viewed as the “rule followers”

03:45 Democrats won’t get the benefit of the doubt with independents

04:45 There was a path to 8-3 for Dems with the original map

06:15 If Dems narrowly win the house majority, then redistricting worked

07:00 Dems are closer to winning now, but at what cost?

08:30 Spanberger wants to govern from center, but had to be a partisan warrior

10:30 Filing deadline for Virginia is FRIDAY, will we see GOP retirements?

11:00 Court case could disqualify the referendum

12:30 Florida likely to redistrict in response to Virginia

14:00 Florida redistricting makes a lot of light red districts that are vulnerable

15:30 These partisan acts will increase appetite for a third party

17:15 Abigail Spanberger may not recover politically from this

18:15 Trump can’t get Iran deal, unilaterally extends ceasefire indefinitely 

19:00 Iran has won the second round of negotiations by not showing up

19:45 At some point the Chinese will put pressure on Iran to end this

20:30 Trump started a war he wasn’t prepared to finish

21:15 This war has been a strategic disaster, even worse than Iraq

22:00 Trump will be lucky to get terms similar to what Obama got

22:45 Trump is signaling to Iran that he’s desperate for a deal

24:30 The war will taint presidential chances for Rubio & Vance

25:15 Overall, it’s been a disastrous night for Republicans

26:00 We will have a very unpopular economy when the midterms arrive

26:30 New polling shows Democrats are competitive in rural midwest states

27:45 All the data shows Democratic momentum going into the midterms

28:15 The only advantage Republicans have is money

29:30 Tuesday was a really good day for team blue, and bad for team red

36:15 Doug Sosnik joins The Chuck ToddCast
38:45 How much can the political environment change by midterms?
39:30 Every election cycle has a moment that sets the political weather
40:15 Iran war will be the defining event heading into midterms
41:30 With early voting, the window for Republicans to fix things is small
42:15 There used to be a correlation between economic numbers & mood
42:45 Average economic numbers are good, the mean numbers aren’t
44:15 We’ve moved away from meritocracy to family wealth
45:15 We have to create a ladder to middle class life for non-college voters
46:00 There’s a 60% majority to be had that’s fed up with the system itself
47:15 Politics is a lagging, not a leading indicator for voters’ concerns
48:00 The three buckets of American voters
48:30 The 15% swing voters align more with Trump, vote against incumbents
49:15 Trump has lost the swing voting third group
50:45 Progressives want their own presidency
51:30 Real change won’t happen until the boomers exit the stage
52:30 The 2028 election will be like 1960, define future of America post-Trump
54:45 More Republicans identifying with GOP than with MAGA
55:30 Republican party outperforms Dems & MAGA in polling
56:00 Democratic brand isn’t improving despite Trump’s failings
56:30 The 2028 Democratic nominee will determine who wins the election
57:15 3 recent campaigns became movements, Reagan, Obama & Trump
59:30 Vance doesn’t have the charisma to pick up Trump’s movement

1:00:15 Trumps have been testing Don Jr’s name in polling
1:02:30 Country doesn’t want to vote GOP in ‘28 but lack confidence in dems
1:03:45 Two major parties in the UK are in danger of being replaced
1:04:45 If independents win ‘26 will there be real appetite for one in ‘28?
1:06:45 Both parties are likely to go by the wayside, like other institutions
1:07:15 Lessons from Hungary?
1:08:30 Trump has become toxic to far-right parties around the world
1:10:30 For the last half century, both parties have been pragmatic about nominees
1:11:15 Progressives have gotten their agenda but not their candidates
1:13:00 The 2026 political environment is highly favorable for Dems
1:14:30 400 house seats aren’t even considered competitive
1:15:30 Senate map is tough for Democrats despite the political climate
1:16:00 If Democrats win in Iowa, that’s a sign of a wave election
1:17:15 No state has been more impacted by war & tariffs than Iowa
1:18:30 There are 25 rural states that Dems aren’t competitive in
1:19:15 Can’t be a majority party if you only win college educated voters
1:20:00 Republicans nationally have a massive money advantage
1:21:15 Money is an overstated advantage
1:21:45 Trump’s base hasn’t turned out to vote when he isn’t on the ballot
1:23:30 How can Democrats court cranky swing state independent voters?
1:25:00 The problem is with incentives, candidates more likely to lose a primary
1:26:15 Working class voters felt culturally more connected to Trump than to Biden
1:27:00 If Biden had a Republican senate, would Dems have a better brand today?
1:28:00 Biden didn’t truly have a political base, ran presidency to satisfy interest groups
1:28:45 Without Covid, Biden doesn’t win in 2020
1:30:45 ‘28 candidates must articulate why they are running & find their voice
1:31:45 Dems have their weakest field since 2004
1:32:15 Rahm Emmanuel is the only ‘28 hopeful putting out real policy
1:33:45 Newsom is more substantive than he gets credit for, but he’s also performative
1:35:15 Last time Dems lost popular vote was nominating San Francisco & Boston dems
1:36:45 Winner will be on the side of breaking things rather than defending status quo
1:37:45 Animating force in American politics is the populist left & right

1:40:00 We know the Democrats will win in midterms, the question by how much

1:41:00 ToddCast Top 5 overlooked races this election cycle

1:42:00 #5 Florida governor

1:47:00 #4 Oregon governor

1:50:00 #3 Alabama governor

1:53:00 #2 Texas governor

1:57:30 #1 Minnesota senate

2:01:30 Ask Chuck

2:01:45 Would it be worse for Spanberger politically to lose redistricting fight?

2:04:15 Who in Trump’s orbit would be willing to invoke the 25th amendment?

2:08:15 Thoughts on Vance & importance of “political athleticism” for GOP in ‘28?

2:14:30 What are the long term impacts if Trump pulls out of NATO?

2:17:45 Which piece of legislation does the opposite party most misunderstand?

2:24:15 Do our elected officials actually understand China?

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Chuck Todd opens on Tax Day — which the Trump team had planned as a political celebration showcasing bigger refunds, but which has instead become what he dubs the "One Big Beautiful BUST," with any gains from the tax cut completely eaten up by Trump's tariffs and the Iran war. Todd argues the economy isn't in recession but isn't good either, that voters simply won't feel the effects of Trump's tax cut, and that America now faces the genuine prospect of 1970s-style stagflation. H predicts we'll ultimately end up with an Iran deal that looks remarkably similar to the Obama deal Trump once ripped up, and notes that Trump's Jesus meme played terribly even with his own base — forcing him to backpedal with weak excuses — because when things are going well that kind of provocation gets a pass, but Trump is now squarely in the "bad gets worse" stage of his presidency where the coalition hasn't collapsed but the cracks are visibly widening. 

He pivots to Viktor Orbán's decisive defeat in Hungary after 16 years in power, an election that featured massive voter turnout and was won by opposition leader Péter Magyar — an insider who gave Orbán's own voters a "permission slip" to leave by connecting democratic erosion directly to the bad economy. He argues America used to set the weather for democracy worldwide but hasn't been the leading model in 15 years, points to the mainstream party vote share in the UK falling below 40% as evidence of a broader cultural conservative backlash happening across democracies, and closes with a historically grounded warning: Hungary proves that political breakthroughs come from defectors within the system rather than outsiders challenging it, and history suggests real change rarely comes from merely tweaking the machinery — it comes from someone giving voters permission to abandon a failing project.

Then, Zach Wahls — the Iowa state senator, former minority leader, and U.S. Senate candidate who first went viral as a 19-year-old in 2011 for his moving speech defending his two moms before the Iowa legislature — joins the Chuck Toddcast to make the case that Democrats have a real shot at flipping statewide races in Iowa this cycle. Wahls explains how he realized at 13 that the GOP was targeting his own family, how he still considers marriage equality to be genuinely under threat today, and pushes back on the narrative that Iowa has abandoned its famous libertarian streak — noting that the vast majority of Iowans remain pro-choice and supportive of marriage equality even as the state has drifted red. He argues that Obama-Trump voters are plentiful in Iowa and that rural Iowa communities feel forgotten by the establishment — a dynamic Trump spoke to effectively in 2016 when the state was in a regional recession. Wahls points to the party's post-New Deal legacy of fighting for workers' rights, but he also reveals he wouldn't support Chuck Schumer for Senate leadership — a position that's apparently cost him, as Schumer-linked super PACs are now spending millions against him in the primary.

The conversation turns to what Wahls sees as the defining issue of his campaign: the obscene influence of dark money in American politics. He reveals that a bipartisan Iowa bill to get money out of state politics was killed by lobbyists and GOP opposition, that he's received small-dollar donations from all 99 Iowa counties while refusing corporate PAC money, and that his anti-corruption message is genuinely resonating with voters who are exhausted by the current system. Wahls says he'll co-sponsor a constitutional amendment to overturn Citizens United, discusses his openness to banning private equity from owning residential homes and responds to being labeled a "Sanders/Warren" candidate. Wahls pledges to lead by example on anti-corruption by serving only two terms if elected, shares concerns about state reliance on gambling revenue as a signal of voter economic anxiety, and closes with a deeply relatable observation every young parent will recognize: with a two-year-old at home, his monthly childcare bill now costs as much as his mortgage.

Finally, Chuck provides a spin on the ToddCast Top 5 and instead lists the senate seats he ranks as 6th-10th most likely to flip and answers listeners’ questions in the “Ask Chuck” segment

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Timeline:

(Timestamps may vary based on advertisements)

00:00 Chuck Todd’s introduction

02:00 It’s Tax Day and Trump’s team planned on it being a boon 

03:00 Bigger tax refunds eaten by Trump’s tariffs and Iran war

03:45 Tax day instead will be the One Big Beautiful BUST

04:30 Economy isn’t in recession, but it’s not good

05:15 If Trump didn’t impose tariffs & start war, today would be good for him

06:00 Facing the potential of stagflation for a decade like in the 70s

07:00 Voters won’t feel the effects of Trump’s tax cut

08:15 Economic conditions could go off a cliff if war doesn’t end

09:15 This period of Trump’s presidency will be viewed as when it ended

10:00 It’s clear we’ll get a deal with the Iranians similar to Obama’s deal

11:30 Trump’s jesus meme played terribly, even with his base

12:30 Trump backpedaled and came up with bad excuses for meme

13:45 Everybody has a line that Trump will eventually cross

15:00 If things were going well, the meme wouldn’t get the same backlash

16:15 Trump is in the “bad gets worse” stage of his presidency

18:15 Trump’s coalition hasn’t collapsed, but cracks are getting wider

18:45 Viktor Orban trounced in Hungarian elections after 16 years of rule

20:00 We assumed that America democracy set the weather for democracies

20:45 In the last 15 years, America’s democracy isn’t the leading model

22:00 Cultural conservative backlash happening in many democracies

23:00 Mainstream party vote share in UK has dropped below 40%

24:00 Center-left and center-right UK parties would lose to far left/right

24:45 Hungary’s election was decisive with mass voter turnout

25:30 Magyar was an insider, gave Orban voters permission slip to leave

26:15 Magyar connected democratic erosion to the bad economy

26:45 Vance tried to rescue Orban and that backfired horribly

27:15 How much Hungarian money didn’t American influencers receive?

28:30 America’s political system just vacillates and feels stuck

29:00 Hungary showed the breakthrough comes from defectors, not outsiders

30:15 History suggests that change doesn’t come from tweaking the system

36:00 Zach Wahls joins the Chuck ToddCast

38:00 Democrats have a real chance at flipping statewide Iowa races

40:00 Did you always know you were going to be in politics?

41:45 Realized at 13 years old the GOP was targeting his own family

42:45 Going viral in 2011 for speech defending his two moms

44:00 Gay marriage rights are still under threat today

45:30 Does Iowa’s famous libertarian streak still exist today?

46:45 Vast majority of Iowans are pro-choice and support marriage equality

48:00 There are a lot of Obama/Trump voters in Iowa

49:30 Union leadership in Iowa leans Dem, rank & file lean GOP

51:15 Rural Iowa communities feel forgotten by the establishment

52:00 Iowa was in a regional recession in 2016, Trump spoke to that

53:30 Why run as a Democrat vs. as an independent?

54:30 Since the New Deal, Democrats have fought for workers rights

55:00 Wouldn’t support Chuck Schumer for senate leadership

55:45 Schumer-linked Super PAC spending millions against him

57:00 How do you avoid being painted as focused on identity & not economics?

59:00 The impact of dark money has tainted American & Iowa politics

1:00:30 Bipartisan bill to get money out of politics in Iowa spiked by lobbyists & GOP

1:01:45 The money in politics has gotten obscene quickly in recent years

1:03:00 What would a campaign finance constitutional amendment look like?

1:04:30 Republican aligned PACs set to spend huge money in Iowa in the fall

1:05:15 Received small dollar donations from all 99 counties, no corporate PAC $

1:06:15 Anti-corruption message is resonating with voters

1:07:30 Can you unilaterally disarm in the face of huge Republican spending?

1:08:30 Will co-sponsor amendment to overturn Citizen’s United

1:09:45 What did you learn from your stint in leadership in the legislature?

1:12:00 There was no clear strategic plan for Democrats to take back majority

1:13:00 There were basic organizational issues for Iowa Dems that needed to be fixed

1:13:45 Needed to rebuild relationships with organized labor

1:16:00 Stint in leadership doesn’t make him have more sympathy for Schumer

1:16:45 Democrats didn’t know what they were asking for during shutdown

1:17:30 If Democrats get the majority…do you work with Trump?

1:18:45 Have a responsibility to work across the aisle if it helps people

1:19:30 Open to banning private equity from owning homes, anti monopoly in meat

1:20:45 Price of fire trucks has tripled due to private equity buying up the manufacturing

1:22:30 Is the description of being the “Sanders/Warren” candidate a fair description?

1:25:00 Part-time legislatures don’t have the institutional knowledge of the lobbyists

1:26:30 Must lead by example on anti-corruption, will only serve two terms if elected

1:27:30 Thoughts on “vice taxes” & gambling to help state generate revenue?

1:30:30 High interest in gambling speaks to fear for economic future in voters

1:32:45 How has having a two year old affected your life & job?

1:33:30 Childcare costs as much as his mortgage with one child

1:37:30 ToddCast Not Top 5 - The next 5 senate seats most likely to flip

1:38:30 Political environment is highly favorable for Democrats

1:40:00 Top 5, NC, ME, OH, AK, NE

1:41:45 #6 Texas

1:42:30 #7 Michigan

1:45:30 #8 Georgia

1:46:00 #9 Iowa

1:47:45 #10 Montana

1:50:15 Ask Chuck

1:50:30 Are Republicans more in danger of fracturing than Democrats?

1:57:00 Was there a backroom deal for resignation of Swalwell & Gonzales?

1:58:30 Rubio’s shoes are the most “Veep” thing in Trump administration

2:02:00 How can CA Dems win over rural GOP voters in the state?

2:07:30 Best national and international news sources to stay informed?

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Former White House Chief of Staff & Mayor of Chicago, Rahm Emanuel joins the Chuck ToddCast for a wide-ranging conversation on the forces shaping America’s political and economic future. He discusses why the 2028 election will be about what’s ahead—not what’s behind—and argues that understanding AI, energy, and the changing nature of work is now essential for anyone seeking leadership. Emanuel makes the case that education and vocational training remain the clearest pathway to the middle class, warns about declining reading proficiency, and examines what schools must do to prepare students for a rapidly evolving world. He also explores how both parties lost their way on education, why fundamentals matter, and what voters are really demanding from the system.

The discussion then turns sharply to politics, power, and the health of American institutions. Emanuel weighs in on Trump-era controversies, Congress’s weakened role, and concerns about election integrity and the post-election environment. He outlines how Democrats can rebuild a winning coalition by welcoming independents and former Republicans, focusing on economic fairness, and preparing for a potential 2026 wave election. The episode closes with a global lens—covering U.S.–Israel dynamics, political polarization, wealth inequality, and whether national service could help reunite a fractured country—framing a central question: if the midterms fail to reset the trajectory, what comes next for American democracy?

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Thank you Wildgrain for sponsoring. Visit http://wildgrain.com/TODDCAST and use the code "TODDCAST" at checkout to receive $30 off your first box PLUS free Croissants for life!

Link in bio or go to https://getsoul.com & enter code TODDCAST for 30% off your first order.

Timeline:

(Timestamps may vary based on advertisements)

00:00 Rahm Emmanuel joins the Chuck ToddCast

01:30 What does the average week look like for Rahm Emmanuel?

02:30 Trying to get a good understanding of AI & energy distribution

03:30 Candidates better understand AI because it’s driving economy

04:00 2028 election will be about the future not the past

05:30 Education and vocational training are the ticket to middle class

07:00 Coding used to be the most sought after skill, now it’s irrelevant

08:00 How to prepare students for a rapidly changing world?

09:30 AI won’t eliminate vocational professionals

11:15 Students are at a 30 year low in reading proficiency

12:00 Education is a highly motivating issue for voters

12:30 Vouchers don’t help rural communities

13:30 GOP has abandoned public ed, Dems abandoned accountability

14:45 Governors used to compete to be the “education governor”

15:30 Lotteries became the popular way to fund public education

16:15 Mississippi found a successful education model & it was copied

18:45 If schools focus on the fundamentals, scores go up

20:15 Trump’s UAE corruption scandal the worst in history

21:45 Trump is supposed to work for the voters checkbook, not his own

22:30 Trump’s pardons are almost exclusively for white collar crime

24:15 Congress has completely abdicated their responsibility

25:45 Founders were very worried about a corrupt executive

27:15 Major international shakeups and DNI is at Georgia election office

28:45 There are certain features of elections Trump can’t screw with

30:30 Rahm is more worried about the post election environment

31:15 The institutions have failed, but the people will protect this country

32:00 Worried that Mike Johnson may screw with the seating of new congress

33:00 Mike Johnson doesn’t have Mike Pence’s courage

35:30 What issues should Democrats should prioritize to win elections

36:30 2026 will be a wave election, presents chance to win local/state races

38:00 Tax refunds won’t be the electoral boon Republicans think they will

38:45 There’s no upside to being a long-term planner in American politics

40:00 What states should Dems target outside the 7 battlegrounds?

40:45 Never Trump Republicans finding more affinity with Democratic party

41:45 Democrats need to welcome former Republicans & independents

43:00 Unaffiliated voters are where you get your electoral majority

44:30 Progressive vs. Moderate viability for Democrats

47:00 Democratic electorate is always looking for someone new

48:00 The future will be on the ballot in 2028

50:15 Biden promised to unite the country & only united his party. It’s why he failed

51:45 Mandatory national service could help reunite the country 

55:00 Entire tax code is built around wealth preservation, not creating wealth

57:00 People are tired by the ultra rich playing by their own set of rules

58:00 WaPo is an institution, and Bezos is gutting it against public interest

1:00:30 How welcome will a Jewish candidate be in a Democratic primary?

1:02:00 Separating the Jewish people/religion from Bibi’s government

1:03:45 Bibi’s governance has made Israel more vulnerable and isolated

1:04:45 Did we export our politics to Israel or are we emulating them?

1:05:45 If Democrats fail to win the midterms… then what?

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode of the Chuck ToddCast, Chuck digs into the stunning implosion of The Washington Post after Jeff Bezos ordered layoffs of nearly a third of its staff—breaking a decade-old promise to provide the paper with long-term financial runway. The conversation explores how Bezos treated the Post less like a civic institution and more like a trophy asset, useful for currying favor, protecting government contracts, and advancing Amazon and Blue Origin, but never truly prioritized for success. As newsroom cuts gut coverage across the board and the Post retreats from its role as D.C.’s essential local authority, the episode argues this isn’t just a media story—it’s a case study in billionaire power, tech hubris, and how America’s wealthiest figures play by a different set of rules, even as blue-collar and white-collar anger begin to converge.

Finally, Chuck previews the Super Bowl between the Seahawks & Patriots and answers listeners’ questions in the “Ask Chuck” segment.

Protect your family with life insurance from Ethos. Get up to $3 million in coverage in as little as 10 minutes at https://ethos.com/chuck. Application times may vary. Rates may vary.

Thank you Wildgrain for sponsoring. Visit http://wildgrain.com/TODDCAST and use the code "TODDCAST" at checkout to receive $30 off your first box PLUS free Croissants for life!

Link in bio or go to https://getsoul.com & enter code TODDCAST for 30% off your first order.

Timeline:

(Timestamps may vary based on advertisements)

00:00 Chuck Todd’s introduction

01:00 Washington Post lays off 1/3rd of its staff on orders from Bezos

02:45 Bezos told Woodward in 2013 he’d provide financial runway to the Post

03:30 Bezos just did the opposite of what he said he’d do

04:45 Matt Murray, editor of the post, isn’t in charge of business strategy

06:15 Cuts will affect all areas of the Post’s coverage

08:15 Structural issues at the Post have existed for years

09:30 The NYT diversified and it worked brilliantly

10:15 DC is an educated affluent market, comfortable paying for news

11:00 Bezos needed a leg up for Blue Origin in the space race

12:45 So why did 2013 Bezos buy the Post? Government contracts.

13:45 Amazon held almost an American Idol style bid process for HQ

14:30 Wish Amazon would have chosen St. Louis for HQ

17:45 Buying the Post was a way to curry favor for Amazon

18:30 Bezos saw the Post as a trophy that would help his other businesses

19:45 Trump cancelled a Bezos contract over unfavorable Post coverage

21:00 Bezos wasn’t interested in the success of the Post

23:15 Why not sell the Post? Trump would blame him for negative coverage

25:30 Whether the Post fails doesn’t matter to Bezos, his other businesses do

27:00 Bezos has only done one thing well: Building Amazon

28:00 High net worth doesn’t mean high IQ

30:00 WaPo was the regional and local authority in DC & is giving that up

32:00 Post wants to retreat and become just offer political coverage

33:15 Bezos is behaving like the metaphorical rich guy villain

34:15 Rich people play by their own rules and get away with everything

36:45 Blue collar anger is about to be coupled with white collar anger

37:30 The tech titans don’t know how to read the room

39:00 Biggest trade for Washington Wizards in years not covered by the Post

40:30 The Post won’t recover from this

46:45 Super Bowl preview

52:15 Ask Chuck

52:30 What incentives allow congress to just fall in line behind the president?

56:30 Why aren’t we seeing bigger protests in the streets?

57:45 Is the divide between MAGA & liberal America unbridgeable?

1:05:00 Could Trump legally get a third term via the line of succession?

1:10:00 How concerned should we be with the FBI raid at Fulton county election office?

1:13:00 Is it unusual for the out party to get a bill through congress?

1:17:00 If the Senate ends up split, how is majority control determined?

1:19:45 If Talarico wins his primary, could he catch fire all the way to the White House?

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode of the Chuck ToddCast, Chuck digs into the stunning implosion of The Washington Post after Jeff Bezos ordered layoffs of nearly a third of its staff—breaking a decade-old promise to provide the paper with long-term financial runway. The conversation explores how Bezos treated the Post less like a civic institution and more like a trophy asset, useful for currying favor, protecting government contracts, and advancing Amazon and Blue Origin, but never truly prioritized for success. As newsroom cuts gut coverage across the board and the Post retreats from its role as D.C.’s essential local authority, the episode argues this isn’t just a media story—it’s a case study in billionaire power, tech hubris, and how America’s wealthiest figures play by a different set of rules, even as blue-collar and white-collar anger begin to converge.

Then, author and Washington Post contributor Danny Funt joins the Chuck ToddCast to discuss his new book “Everybody Loses”, and for a sobering, wide-ranging conversation about how the rapid legalization of sports betting quietly reshaped American sports—and not in the ways fans were promised. What began as a state-by-state experiment after a 2018 Supreme Court ruling has exploded into a highly profitable, lightly regulated industry where sportsbooks are household names, leagues are financial stakeholders, and media companies are financially dependent on gambling ads. Funt explains how gambling turbocharged media rights deals, hooked viewers more deeply into games, and became politically untouchable as companies like FanDuel and DraftKings poured money into lobbying to block even modest regulation.

The discussion digs into the darker consequences that followed: inadequate funding for gambling addiction support, normalization of conspiracy talk about “rigged” games, threats and violence directed at athletes, and growing concerns about corruption—especially in individual sports and lower-profile leagues. Funt draws chilling parallels between today’s sportsbook advertising blitz and the early days of Big Tobacco, explores why American regulators ignored European guardrails, and explains how mobile betting and prediction markets have made gambling more potent and pervasive than ever. The result, he argues, is a system designed for maximum profit with minimal friction—one that has fundamentally altered how sports are watched, covered, and policed.

Finally, Chuck previews the Super Bowl between the Seahawks & Patriots and answers listeners’ questions in the “Ask Chuck” segment.

Protect your family with life insurance from Ethos. Get up to $3 million in coverage in as little as 10 minutes at https://ethos.com/chuck. Application times may vary. Rates may vary.

Thank you Wildgrain for sponsoring. Visit http://wildgrain.com/TODDCAST and use the code "TODDCAST" at checkout to receive $30 off your first box PLUS free Croissants for life!

Link in bio or go to https://getsoul.com & enter code TODDCAST for 30% off your first order.

Timeline:

(Timestamps may vary based on advertisements)

00:00 Chuck Todd’s introduction

04:30 Washington Post lays off 1/3rd of its staff on orders from Bezos

06:15 Bezos told Woodward in 2013 he’d provide financial runway to the Post

07:00 Bezos just did the opposite of what he said he’d do

08:15 Matt Murray, editor of the post, isn’t in charge of business strategy

09:45 Cuts will affect all areas of the Post’s coverage

11:45 Structural issues at the Post have existed for years

13:00 The NYT diversified and it worked brilliantly 

13:45 DC is an educated affluent market, comfortable paying for news

14:30 Bezos needed a leg up for Blue Origin in the space race

16:15 So why did 2013 Bezos buy the Post? Government contracts.

17:15 Amazon held almost an American Idol style bid process for HQ

18:00 Wish Amazon would have chosen St. Louis for HQ 

21:15 Buying the Post was a way to curry favor for Amazon

22:00 Bezos saw the Post as a trophy that would help his other businesses

23:15 Trump cancelled a Bezos contract over unfavorable Post coverage

24:30 Bezos wasn’t interested in the success of the Post

26:45 Why not sell the Post? Trump would blame him for negative coverage

29:00 Whether the Post fails doesn’t matter to Bezos, his other businesses do

30:30 Bezos has only done one thing well: Building Amazon

31:30 High net worth doesn’t mean high IQ

33:30 WaPo was the regional and local authority in DC & is giving that up

35:30 Post wants to retreat and become just offer political coverage

36:45 Bezos is behaving like the metaphorical rich guy villain

37:45 Rich people play by their own rules and get away with everything

40:15 Blue collar anger is about to be coupled with white collar anger

41:00 The tech titans don’t know how to read the room 

42:30 Biggest trade for Washington Wizards in years not covered by the Post

44:00 The Post won’t recover from this

50:15 Danny Funt joins the Chuck ToddCast

50:45 Rapid legalization of sports betting had unintended consequences

52:15 What made you want to cover the topic of sports betting?

52:45 Leagues took a hard pivot from anti to pro gambling

54:45 Major sportsbooks are household names, but very secretive

56:15 SCOTUS paved the way for state by state gambling with 2018 ruling

57:00 Courts provided gambling legislation due to inaction by congress

58:30 Gambling creating a massive increase in value for media rights

1:00:00 Adding gambling was a way to further hook viewers to sports

1:01:30 It’s hard to add new taxes, but vice taxes are able to pass

1:02:45 Legal betting is far more potent than betting through a bookie

1:04:15 Fanduel & Draftkings throwing money into politics to avoid regulation

1:05:45 Even modest regulation is rigorously opposed by gambling industry

1:07:15 Funding for support with gambling addiction is completely inadequate

1:08:30 Why wasn’t there a larger debate before rolling out mobile gambling?

1:09:15 Mobile gambling makes so much more money than physical books

1:10:30 Individual sports are more corruptible than team sports

1:11:15 Online betting is incredibly well geofenced

1:12:15 Putting “friction points” into the process helps with user safety

1:13:45 Gambling leads to rage & violent behavior & risks player safety

1:15:30 Gamblers have been arrested for threats to athletes over lost bets

1:16:15 Fans talking about games being “rigged” has been normalized

1:17:15 Individual players can collaborate on bets, trying to help friends

1:18:00 “Fixing” doesn’t necessarily mean “failing”

1:18:45 Prominent people in sports are alarmed & speaking out

1:19:45 Media won’t speak against it due to huge ad revenue from sportsbooks

1:22:15 NFL strongarmed reporters over concussions, gambling will be worse

1:25:45 Will we start regulating sports to make sure gambling is honest?

1:27:00 Referees in smaller, less visible conferences will be harder to police

1:27:30 Technology is being adopted to avoid corruptability of officials

1:29:00 Did writing this book change the way you watch sports?

1:30:45 Who controls Fanduel and Draftkings?

1:31:30 The leagues have equity stakes in the major sportsbooks

1:32:45 Major advertising similarities between tobacco and sportsbooks

1:33:45 What are the available gambling helpline resources/counseling like?

1:35:15 Stronger gambling culture in Europe, do they regulate it better?

1:36:15 American regulation completely ignored European precedent

1:37:15 Prediction markets are indistinguishable from betting markets

1:39:45 Legalization basically laid a trap for stupid people

1:42:00 Chuck’s thoughts on interview with Danny Funt

1:43:30 Super Bowl preview

1:49:00 Ask Chuck

1:49:15 What incentives allow congress to just fall in line behind the president?

1:53:15 Why aren’t we seeing bigger protests in the streets?

1:54:30 Is the divide between MAGA & liberal America unbridgeable?

2:01:45 Could Trump legally get a third term via the line of succession?

2:06:45 How concerned should we be with the FBI raid at Fulton county election office?

2:09:45 Is it unusual for the out party to get a bill through congress?

2:13:45 If the Senate ends up split, how is majority control determined?

2:16:30 If Talarico wins his primary, could he catch fire all the way to the White House?

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Author and Washington Post contributor Danny Funt joins the Chuck ToddCast to discuss his new book “Everybody Loses”, and for a sobering, wide-ranging conversation about how the rapid legalization of sports betting quietly reshaped American sports—and not in the ways fans were promised. What began as a state-by-state experiment after a 2018 Supreme Court ruling has exploded into a highly profitable, lightly regulated industry where sportsbooks are household names, leagues are financial stakeholders, and media companies are financially dependent on gambling ads. Funt explains how gambling turbocharged media rights deals, hooked viewers more deeply into games, and became politically untouchable as companies like FanDuel and DraftKings poured money into lobbying to block even modest regulation.

The discussion digs into the darker consequences that followed: inadequate funding for gambling addiction support, normalization of conspiracy talk about “rigged” games, threats and violence directed at athletes, and growing concerns about corruption—especially in individual sports and lower-profile leagues. Funt draws chilling parallels between today’s sportsbook advertising blitz and the early days of Big Tobacco, explores why American regulators ignored European guardrails, and explains how mobile betting and prediction markets have made gambling more potent and pervasive than ever. The result, he argues, is a system designed for maximum profit with minimal friction—one that has fundamentally altered how sports are watched, covered, and policed.

Protect your family with life insurance from Ethos. Get up to $3 million in coverage in as little as 10 minutes at https://ethos.com/chuck. Application times may vary. Rates may vary.

Thank you Wildgrain for sponsoring. Visit http://wildgrain.com/TODDCAST and use the code "TODDCAST" at checkout to receive $30 off your first box PLUS free Croissants for life!

Link in bio or go to https://getsoul.com & enter code TODDCAST for 30% off your first order.

Timeline:

(Timestamps may vary based on advertisements)

00:00 Danny Funt joins the Chuck ToddCast

00:30 Rapid legalization of sports betting had unintended consequences

02:00 What made you want to cover the topic of sports betting?

02:30 Leagues took a hard pivot from anti to pro gambling

04:30 Major sportsbooks are household names, but very secretive

06:00 SCOTUS paved the way for state by state gambling with 2018 ruling

06:45 Courts provided gambling legislation due to inaction by congress

08:15 Gambling creating a massive increase in value for media rights

09:45 Adding gambling was a way to further hook viewers to sports

11:15 It’s hard to add new taxes, but vice taxes are able to pass

12:30 Legal betting is far more potent than betting through a bookie

14:00 Fanduel & Draftkings throwing money into politics to avoid regulation

15:30 Even modest regulation is rigorously opposed by gambling industry

17:00 Funding for support with gambling addiction is completely inadequate

18:15 Why wasn’t there a larger debate before rolling out mobile gambling?

19:00 Mobile gambling makes so much more money than physical books

20:15 Individual sports are more corruptible than team sports

21:00 Online betting is incredibly well geofenced

22:00 Putting “friction points” into the process helps with user safety

23:30 Gambling leads to rage & violent behavior & risks player safety

25:15 Gamblers have been arrested for threats to athletes over lost bets

26:00 Fans talking about games being “rigged” has been normalized
27:00 Individual players can collaborate on bets, trying to help friends

27:45 “Fixing” doesn’t necessarily mean “failing”

28:30 Prominent people in sports are alarmed & speaking out

29:30 Media won’t speak against it due to huge ad revenue from sportsbooks

32:00 NFL strongarmed reporters over concussions, gambling will be worse

35:30 Will we start regulating sports to make sure gambling is honest?

36:45 Referees in smaller, less visible conferences will be harder to police

37:15 Technology is being adopted to avoid corruptability of officials

38:45 Did writing this book change the way you watch sports?

40:30 Who controls Fanduel and Draftkings?

41:15 The leagues have equity stakes in the major sportsbooks

42:30 Major advertising similarities between tobacco and sportsbooks

43:30 What are the available gambling helpline resources/counseling like?

45:00 Stronger gambling culture in Europe, do they regulate it better?

46:00 American regulation completely ignored European precedent

47:00 Prediction markets are indistinguishable from betting markets

49:30 Legalization basically laid a trap for stupid people

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode of the Chuck ToddCast, Chuck unpacks what may be the most brazen presidential corruption scandal in modern history—Donald Trump allegedly selling U.S. foreign policy to the UAE for personal gain—barely registered in the public conversation, drowned out by louder, more sensational distractions. The discussion explores why Trump’s election-interference rhetoric breaks through while substantive corruption stories vanish, how media incentives favor spectacle over consequence, and why Trump responds selectively to political, market, and institutional pressure. Chuck argues that while some democratic guardrails still hold, the deeper danger isn’t a dramatic coup but the slow erosion of norms—one where kleptocracy becomes normalized, foreign policy is treated as a personal asset, and Congress, not voters, remains the only institution capable of stopping it before the damage becomes irreversible.

Finally, Chuck gives his ToddCast Top 5 states Democrats need to target prior to 2032, when census reapportionment will greatly change the electoral college math needed to win the presidency and answers listeners’ questions in the “Ask Chuck” segment. 

Protect your family with life insurance from Ethos. Get up to $3 million in coverage in as little as 10 minutes at https://ethos.com/chuck. Application times may vary. Rates may vary.

Thank you Wildgrain for sponsoring. Visit http://wildgrain.com/TODDCAST and use the code "TODDCAST" at checkout to receive $30 off your first box PLUS free Croissants for life!

Link in bio or go to https://getsoul.com & enter code TODDCAST for 30% off your first order.

Timeline:

(Timestamps may vary based on advertisements)

00:00 Chuck Todd’s introduction

0:30 Worst presidential corruption scandal ever couldn’t break through

1:45 Trump sold American foreign policy to UAE for personal gain

2:45 Story was jaw dropping, but was completely overshadowed

4:00 Trump’s threat to federalize elections broke through over corruption

5:00 Should you worry about what Trump is saying, or what he’s doing?

6:00 Trump is desperate to sell the lie that he won in 2020

6:45 Election inference rhetoric can be as powerful as election interference

8:00 Trump shutdown Kennedy Center because he was being humiliated

9:15 Trump was losing control of Kennedy Center narrative, made a spectacle

10:15 Trump has turned America into a kleptocracy, THAT should be the story

11:45 The corruption story disappeared from news cycle after a couple days

12:30 Editors lean on stories that get more traction rather than importance

13:30 Some of the guardrails still work, some of the time

14:15 After two deaths in Minneapolis, Trump backed down a bit

15:00 Trump does respond to political pain in polling

15:30 Trump didn’t pick a sycophant for Fed Chair, cares about markets

16:15 Trump responds to three types of pressure

18:00 Worried less about Trump’s election rhetoric than his foreign policy

18:30 Trump doesn’t have the power to override state elections

19:15 Trump’s election threats supercharge opposition turnout

20:00 Voters won’t be the check on corruption, congress has to be

21:00 Democracies don’t fall from coups, they erode

21:45 The scariest stories get attention, the most consequential get ignored

26:00 Democrats will lose seats & electoral votes after 2030 census

28:30 Parties can work for realignment & flipping states

29:15 House of Representatives needs to be doubled in size

30:45 Base voters expect immediate results, leaders need to think long-term

31:15 Democrats need a Project 2032 and invest to win 5-10 new states

32:00 ToddCast Top 5 states Democrats should be targeting NOW

33:00 #1 North Carolina

35:30 #2 Texas

37:15 #3 Kansas

39:15 #4 Georgia

40:15 #5 Arizona

40:45 Honorable mentions

42:00 Democrats should use “first in the nation” primary status to advantage

42:45 Democrats had 12 states submit for first in the nation status

44:45 Tennessee as first in the nation would be interesting

46:45 Tennessee’s electorate seems gettable for Democrats eventually

49:00 Democrats have a major problem come 2032 if they don’t address it now

49:45 Ask Chuck

50:00 Thoughts on moving from network to independent journalist?

54:15 How to avoid being fatigued by the news and keeping hope alive?

54:45 Trump threatening troops to protect Iranians while attacking Minnesota?

59:30 What’s your take on NIL & transfer portal in college football?

1:04:00 Basis for your confidence in Jon Ossoff & thoughts on Auburn coach?

1:08:30 What issues will be top of mind for voters leading into midterms?

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode of the Chuck ToddCast, Chuck unpacks what may be the most brazen presidential corruption scandal in modern history—Donald Trump allegedly selling U.S. foreign policy to the UAE for personal gain—barely registered in the public conversation, drowned out by louder, more sensational distractions. The discussion explores why Trump’s election-interference rhetoric breaks through while substantive corruption stories vanish, how media incentives favor spectacle over consequence, and why Trump responds selectively to political, market, and institutional pressure. Chuck argues that while some democratic guardrails still hold, the deeper danger isn’t a dramatic coup but the slow erosion of norms—one where kleptocracy becomes normalized, foreign policy is treated as a personal asset, and Congress, not voters, remains the only institution capable of stopping it before the damage becomes irreversible.

Then, Historian David S. Brown joins Chuck to unpack why Theodore Roosevelt remains a gravitational force for understanding American power—and why his era echoes so loudly today. Drawing from his book In the Arena, Brown explores what pulled him to Roosevelt, how TR reshaped the presidency, and the surprising parallels (and sharp limits) between Roosevelt and Donald Trump. From narcissism and disruption to populism, primaries, and the rise of the imperial presidency, the conversation digs into how Roosevelt’s wealth, ambition, and genuine concern for the working class produced a uniquely transactional style of politics at home and abroad.

The episode also zooms out to ask what Roosevelt might make of modern challenges like AI, extreme wealth concentration, and great-power competition—and whether he’d thrive or flounder in the television age. Brown traces Roosevelt’s foreign policy legacy in Latin America, the roots of American global policing, and how early 20th-century realignments mirror today’s fractured coalitions. The discussion closes with a hard look at the political center, the future of the Trump coalition, under-studied presidents, and how Americans should think about their country as it approaches its 250th anniversary.

Finally, Chuck gives his ToddCast Top 5 states Democrats need to target prior to 2032, when census reapportionment will greatly change the electoral college math needed to win the presidency and answers listeners’ questions in the “Ask Chuck” segment. 

Protect your family with life insurance from Ethos. Get up to $3 million in coverage in as little as 10 minutes at https://ethos.com/chuck. Application times may vary. Rates may vary.

Thank you Wildgrain for sponsoring. Visit http://wildgrain.com/TODDCAST and use the code "TODDCAST" at checkout to receive $30 off your first box PLUS free Croissants for life!

Link in bio or go to https://getsoul.com & enter code TODDCAST for 30% off your first order.

Timeline:

(Timestamps may vary based on advertisements)

00:00 Chuck Todd’s introduction

02:00 Worst presidential corruption scandal ever couldn’t break through

03:15 Trump sold American foreign policy to UAE for personal gain

04:15 Story was jaw dropping, but was completely overshadowed

05:30 Trump’s threat to federalize elections broke through over corruption

06:30 Should you worry about what Trump is saying, or what he’s doing?

07:30 Trump is desperate to sell the lie that he won in 2020

08:15 Election inference rhetoric can be as powerful as election interference

09:30 Trump shutdown Kennedy Center because he was being humiliated

10:45 Trump was losing control of Kennedy Center narrative, made a spectacle

11:45 Trump has turned America into a kleptocracy, THAT should be the story

13:15 The corruption story disappeared from news cycle after a couple days

14:00 Editors lean on stories that get more traction rather than importance

15:00 Some of the guardrails still work, some of the time

15:45 After two deaths in Minneapolis, Trump backed down a bit

16:30 Trump does respond to political pain in polling

17:00 Trump didn’t pick a sycophant for Fed Chair, cares about markets

17:45 Trump responds to three types of pressure

19:30 Worried less about Trump’s election rhetoric than his foreign policy

20:00 Trump doesn’t have the power to override state elections

20:45 Trump’s election threats supercharge opposition turnout

21:30 Voters won’t be the check on corruption, congress has to be

22:30 Democracies don’t fall from coups, they erode

23:15 The scariest stories get attention, the most consequential get ignored

27:45 David S. Brown joins the Chuck ToddCast

29:45 Teddy Roosevelt is a magnet for historians

31:00 Research process for writing “In The Arena”

32:15 What drew you to Teddy Roosevelt as a book subject?

35:00 Large number of similarities between Roosevelt and Trump

36:00 Both Trump & Roosevelt are narcissists

37:00 Trump doesn’t have the crossover appeal of Roosevelt

38:15 Presidential primaries started under Roosevelt

39:30 Roosevelt was the rich guy who went after rich guys

41:45 Roosevelt never called himself a populist

42:15 Roosevelt wanted to do right by the working class

43:45 How would Roosevelt handle AI & concentration of wealth?

45:00 Roosevelt was very transactional in foreign affairs

45:30 He manufactured a separatist movement in Colombia

47:45 America didn’t have power to enforce Monroe Doctrine until 1900

49:00 Roosevelt wanted to police governments in western hemisphere

50:30 Goal was to indebt Latin American countries to the U.S.

51:15 He was always considered a disrupter despite wealthy connections

53:30 Roosevelt became a regular politician in 1884

54:00 Roosevelt was not a fan of William Jennings Bryan

55:30 Roosevelt was jealous of Bryan’s oratory skill

56:30 Would Roosevelt struggle in the TV era?

58:30 The imperial presidency originated under Roosevelt

1:01:00 Wilson & Roosevelt lamented not leading during seminal event

1:02:15 A Roosevelt government likely enters WW1 earlier

1:03:15 Roosevelt might have started the U.N. framework sooner

1:05:15 Political realignment was happening under Roosevelt

1:06:00 Parallels between now & Roosevelt era?

1:07:45 Roosevelt & Trump are mavericks not embraced by old guard

1:09:45 Multiple variables will affect the future of the “Trump coalition”

1:11:45 How do you define “the center” in American politics?

1:13:15 There are more base Republicans than Democrats, Dems need moderates

1:14:45 How much of the electorate resides in the political center?

1:16:00 The parties themselves are basically multi-party coalitions

1:18:00 Which president do we not have enough scholarship on?

1:21:45 How should citizens celebrate the 250th anniversary of America?

1:25:00 Chuck’s thoughts on the interview with David S. Brown

1:25:30 Democrats will lose seats after 2030 census

1:28:00 Parties can work for realignment & flipping states

1:28:45 House of Representatives needs to be doubled in size

1:30:15 Base voters expect immediate results, leaders need to think long-term

1:30:45 Democrats need a Project 2032 and invest to win 5–10 new states

1:31:30 ToddCast Top 5 states Democrats should be targeting NOW

1:32:30 #1 North Carolina

1:35:00 #2 Texas

1:36:45 #3 Kansas

1:38:45 #4 Georgia

1:39:45 #5 Arizona

1:40:15 Honorable mentions

1:41:30 Democrats should use “first in the nation” primary status to advantage

1:42:15 Democrats had 12 states submit for first in the nation status

1:44:15 Tennessee as first in the nation would be interesting

1:46:15 Tennessee’s electorate seems gettable for Democrats eventually

1:48:30 Democrats have a major problem come 2032 if they don’t address it now

1:49:15 Ask Chuck

1:49:30 Thoughts on moving from network to independent journalist?

1:53:45 How to avoid being fatigued by the news and keeping hope alive?

1:54:15 Trump threatening troops to protect Iranians while attacking Minnesota?

1:59:00 What’s your take on NIL & transfer portal in college football?

2:03:30 Basis for your confidence in Jon Ossoff & thoughts on Auburn coach?

2:08:00 What issues will be top of mind for voters leading into midterms?

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Historian David S. Brown joins the Chuck ToddCast to unpack why Theodore Roosevelt remains a gravitational force for understanding American power—and why his era echoes so loudly today. Drawing from his book In the Arena, Brown explores what pulled him to Roosevelt, how TR reshaped the presidency, and the surprising parallels (and sharp limits) between Roosevelt and Donald Trump. From narcissism and disruption to populism, primaries, and the rise of the imperial presidency, the conversation digs into how Roosevelt’s wealth, ambition, and genuine concern for the working class produced a uniquely transactional style of politics at home and abroad.

The episode also zooms out to ask what Roosevelt might make of modern challenges like AI, extreme wealth concentration, and great-power competition—and whether he’d thrive or flounder in the television age. Brown traces Roosevelt’s foreign policy legacy in Latin America, the roots of American global policing, and how early 20th-century realignments mirror today’s fractured coalitions. The discussion closes with a hard look at the political center, the future of the Trump coalition, under-studied presidents, and how Americans should think about their country as it approaches its 250th anniversary.

Protect your family with life insurance from Ethos. Get up to $3 million in coverage in as little as 10 minutes at https://ethos.com/chuck. Application times may vary. Rates may vary.

Thank you Wildgrain for sponsoring. Visit http://wildgrain.com/TODDCAST and use the code "TODDCAST" at checkout to receive $30 off your first box PLUS free Croissants for life!

Link in bio or go to https://getsoul.com & enter code TODDCAST for 30% off your first order.

Timeline:

(Timestamps may vary based on advertisements)

00:00 David S. Brown joins the Chuck ToddCast

02:00 Teddy Roosevelt is a magnet for historians

03:15 Research process for writing “In The Arena”

04:30 What drew you to Teddy Roosevelt as a book subject?

07:15 Large number of similarities between Roosevelt and Trump

08:15 Both Trump & Roosevelt are narcissists 

09:15 Trump doesn’t have the crossover appeal of Roosevelt

10:30 Presidential primaries started under Roosevelt

11:45 Roosevelt was the rich guy who went after rich guys

14:00 Roosevelt never called himself a populist

14:30 Roosevelt wanted to do right by the working class

16:00 How would Roosevelt handle AI & concentration of wealth?

17:15 Roosevelt was very transactional in foreign affairs

17:45 He manufactured a separatist movement in Colombia

20:00 America didn’t have power to enforce Monroe Doctrine until 1900

21:15 Roosevelt wanted to police governments in western hemisphere

22:45 Goal was to indebt Latin American countries to the U.S.

23:30 He was always considered a disrupter despite wealthy connections

25:45 Roosevelt became a regular politician in 1884

26:15 Roosevelt was not a fan of William Jennings Bryan

27:45 Roosevelt was jealous of Bryan’s oratory skill

28:45 Would Roosevelt struggle in the TV era?

30:45 The imperial presidency originated under Roosevelt

33:15 Wilson & Roosevelt lamented not leading during seminal event

34:30 A Roosevelt government likely enters WW1 earlier

35:30 Roosevelt might have started the U.N. framework sooner

37:30 Political realignment was happening under Roosevelt

38:15 Parallels between now & Roosevelt era?

40:00 Roosevelt & Trump are mavericks not embraced by old guard

42:00 Multiple variables will affect the future of the “Trump coalition”

44:00 How do you define “the center” in American politics?

45:30 There are more base Republicans than Democrats, Dems need moderates

47:00 How much of the electorate resides in the political center?

48:15 The parties themselves are basically multi-party coalitions

50:15 Which president do we not have enough scholarship on?

54:00 How should citizens celebrate the 250th anniversary of America

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It feels like Groundhog Day in Washington, but with far higher stakes: Chuck Todd unpacks how the constant churn of déjà vu political scandals has morphed from quirky repetition into full-blown national exhaustion. This episode dives into a rapidly growing blue-wave electorate colliding with what may be the most consequential corruption story of our time—allegations that Trump-era public policy was effectively put up for sale. From a $500 million UAE investment in a Trump-linked company to the approval of advanced AI chip sales, lucrative pardons, and billions in defense contracts tied to the Trump family orbit, Chuck argues this isn’t a one-off scandal but a systemic pattern that dwarfs Watergate. As Congress looks away and enforcement agencies stay silent, the question becomes existential: when foreign money shapes national security decisions, is American policy still being made for the country—or for the first family?

Dr. Annie Andrews, a pediatrician and Democratic candidate challenging Lindsey Graham for U.S. Senate in South Carolina, joins the Chuck ToddCast to discuss why healthcare providers must lead the fight for reform in an era of collapsing trust in federal institutions. Andrews explains that pediatricians should be at the forefront because Medicaid—the largest insurer of children—has been gutted, and doctors are now disputing dangerous government vaccine policies from an administration where medical information can no longer be trusted. She argues the healthcare system is fundamentally broken, rewarding providers for delivering more treatment rather than better outcomes while facing what she describes as a coordinated attack on healthcare. As a physician countering "Dr. Internet" disinformation, Andrews discusses running as a Democrat despite the challenges, emphasizing that Democrats have a severe geographic disconnect with rural voters, particularly rural Black voters in South Carolina for whom nothing has improved.

Andrews takes direct aim at Lindsey Graham, calling him a follower rather than a leader who simply follows Trump and supports unconstitutional actions while thinking he's politically invulnerable. She expresses disappointment that Nikki Haley and Nancy Mace couldn't stand up to Trump, noting both have "devolved in recent years." Drawing inspiration from the Jon Ossoff and Raphael Warnock blueprint for Democrats in the South, Andrews insists that if Democrats win the midterms they must be bold, hold Trump accountable, and not take impeachment off the table. Reflecting on her pandemic experience—a period she believes Americans still don't understand—Andrews criticizes D.C. politicians for being disconnected from the real world and argues that on issues like AI regulation, profits cannot be prioritized over common sense safety solutions.

Finally, Chuck hops into the ToddCast Time Machine to revisit the meeting at Yalta following World War 2 and why the “spheres of influence” world order prioritizes short-term stability over long-term legitimacy. He also answers listeners’ questions in the “Ask Chuck” segment. 

Protect your family with life insurance from Ethos. Get up to $3 million in coverage in as little as 10 minutes at https://ethos.com/chuck. Application times may vary. Rates may vary.

Thank you Wildgrain for sponsoring. Visit http://wildgrain.com/TODDCAST and use the code "TODDCAST" at checkout to receive $30 off your first box PLUS free Croissants for life!

Link in bio or go to https://getsoul.com & enter code TODDCAST for 30% off your first order.

Timeline:

(Timestamps may vary based on advertisements)

00:00 Chuck Todd’s introduction

01:00 It feels like “Groundhog Day” in Washington D.C.

03:00 Movie changed meaning from a quirky holiday to exhaustion

04:15 Political headlines just keep repeating themselves

05:00 Huge “blue wave” is building in the electorate

06:30 Trump bribery scandal should be seismic, likely gets ignored again

07:45 At what point does a policy decision become a product for sale?

09:00 Wall Street Journal stories are legally airtight

10:45 Every piece of public policy is for sale under Trump

12:30 UAE exec bought 49% stake in Trump company for $500m

13:15 Steve Witkoff also made millions from the deal

15:30 This scandal makes Watergate look like a third rate burglary

17:00 After deal, government agreed to sell 500k advanced AI chips to UAE

18:30 Whoever controls reserves of World Liberty Financial controls the yields

20:15 Shortly after deal, Trump pardons the co-founder of Binance

21:15 This isn’t an isolated incident, it’s part of a much larger pattern

22:15 Company linked to Donald Trump Jr received billions in defense contracts

23:00 The founders obsessed over corruption and foreign influence

25:00 Is American policy being made for first family, not the country

26:00 Republicans obsessed over Hunter Biden selling paintings

27:15 If AI race is existential, then Trump signed our death warrant for money

28:30 If Congress won’t investigate, FBI should… but they won’t

29:15 Deals like this undermine U.S. sovereignty, everything is for sale

36:15 Dr. Annie Andrews joins the Chuck ToddCast

37:30 When did you first want to enter politics?

39:45 Did you learn about the healthcare business in med school?

42:15 Pediatricians should be leading the way on healthcare reform

43:00 Medicaid is largest insurer of children & has been gutted

43:45 Pediatricians dispute government vaccine policy for kids

45:15 We can’t trust medical info from the federal government

46:15 Has any RFK proclamation or policy actually made sense?

47:30 How do you deal with “Dr. Internet”?

48:30 Doctors need an online presence to counter disinformation

50:15 Why is it more profitable to run a non-profit over for-profit hospital?

51:00 Healthcare system is rewarded for proving more treatment, not better

52:30 We’re seeing a coordinated attack on our healthcare system

53:15 Jaime Harrison’s campaign in SC was a disaster

54:30 Easiest way to run in the south is to erase the D by your name

55:15 Many challenges to running as an independent

56:45 Democrats have a geographic disconnect with rural voters

57:45 Nothing has gotten better for rural black voters in SC

59:45 The pandemic was a huge reason for Harrison’s bad loss

1:00:30 How do you win over a voter that supported Trump?

1:01:30 Lindsey Graham is supporting unconstitutional actions

1:02:15 Graham isn’t a leader, he’s a follower & he follows Trump

1:03:15 Disappointing Nikki Haley couldn’t stand up to Trump more

1:05:15 South Carolinians says they want outsiders, then vote for insiders

1:06:00 Graham thinks he’s politically invulnerable

1:07:15 People will have their lives negatively impacted by GOP policy

1:08:30 What do you make of Nancy Mace’s political saliency?

1:09:30 Nancy Mace has devolved in recent years

1:10:45 Thoughts on Chuck Schumer as Dem leader in senate?

1:12:00 Jon Ossoff & Raphael Warnock provide blueprint for Dems in south

1:13:45 Trump & the administration must be held accountable

1:15:00 Dems must be bold in their agenda if they win the midterms

1:15:45 Impeachment shouldn’t be off the table

1:17:45 Can you be both a fighter and a uniter as a candidate?

1:19:00 Too many D.C. politicians are disconnected from the real world

1:20:15 How should congress regulate AI?

1:22:00 Profits can’t be the priority over common sense safety solutions

1:23:00 Best TV doctor show that gets it right? E.R. & The Pitt

1:24:15 Americans don’t understand what hospitals were like during Covid

1:25:15 What’s your campaigning rhythm as a candidate?

1:26:30 Clemson or South Carolina?

1:27:30 This Trump bribery scandal needs a sharp name for it to stand up

1:28:30 The bribery story is too complex to explain in a few minutes

1:30:00 ToddCast Time Machine – February 4th 1945

1:30:30 Stalin, Roosevelt & Churchill meet in Yalta

1:31:00 Yalta legitimized “spheres of influence”

1:32:00 Why Yalta was a mistake

1:32:45 Eastern Europe traded rule by Nazis to rule by the Soviets

1:33:45 Could Yalta have been avoided?

1:35:15 Roosevelt gambled Stalin could be restrained

1:36:00 Yalta traded long term legitimacy for short term stability

1:37:30 Yalta avoided immediate catastrophe, planted seeds for future tumult

1:40:00 Ask Chuck

1:40:15 Would you consider having Ralph Nader on as a guest?

1:43:30 Any meaningful parallels between Minneapolis and Kent State?

1:46:00 Will there be an election or will Trump declare an emergency to stop it?

1:48:30 Will future president focus more on domestic issues if filibuster is removed?

1:53:00 Is it normal for a president to have so many cognitive exams?

1:56:00 Differences between charter schools and magnet schools?

1:59:00 College basketball thoughts

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Dr. Annie Andrews, a pediatrician and Democratic candidate challenging Lindsey Graham for U.S. Senate in South Carolina, joins the Chuck ToddCast to discuss why healthcare providers must lead the fight for reform in an era of collapsing trust in federal institutions. Andrews explains that pediatricians should be at the forefront because Medicaid—the largest insurer of children—has been gutted, and doctors are now disputing dangerous government vaccine policies from an administration where medical information can no longer be trusted. She argues the healthcare system is fundamentally broken, rewarding providers for delivering more treatment rather than better outcomes while facing what she describes as a coordinated attack on healthcare. As a physician countering "Dr. Internet" disinformation, Andrews discusses running as a Democrat despite the challenges, emphasizing that Democrats have a severe geographic disconnect with rural voters, particularly rural Black voters in South Carolina for whom nothing has improved.

Andrews takes direct aim at Lindsey Graham, calling him a follower rather than a leader who simply follows Trump and supports unconstitutional actions while thinking he's politically invulnerable. She expresses disappointment that Nikki Haley and Nancy Mace couldn't stand up to Trump, noting both have "devolved in recent years." Drawing inspiration from the Jon Ossoff and Raphael Warnock blueprint for Democrats in the South, Andrews insists that if Democrats win the midterms they must be bold, hold Trump accountable, and not take impeachment off the table. Reflecting on her pandemic experience—a period she believes Americans still don't understand—Andrews criticizes D.C. politicians for being disconnected from the real world and argues that on issues like AI regulation, profits cannot be prioritized over common sense safety solutions.

Protect your family with life insurance from Ethos. Get up to $3 million in coverage in as little as 10 minutes at https://ethos.com/chuck. Application times may vary. Rates may vary.

Thank you Wildgrain for sponsoring. Visit http://wildgrain.com/TODDCAST and use the code "TODDCAST" at checkout to receive $30 off your first box PLUS free Croissants for life!

Link in bio or go to https://getsoul.com & enter code TODDCAST for 30% off your first order.

Timeline:

(Timestamps may vary based on advertisements)

00:00 Dr. Annie Andrews joins the Chuck ToddCast

01:15 When did you first want to enter politics?

03:30 Did you learn about the healthcare business in med school?

06:00 Pediatricians should be leading the way on healthcare reform

06:45 Medicaid is largest insurer of children & has been gutted

07:30 Pediatricians dispute government vaccine policy for kids

09:00 We can’t trust medical info from the federal government

10:00 Has any RFK proclamation or policy actually made sense?

11:15 How do you deal with “Dr. Internet”?

12:15 Doctors need an online presence to counter disinformation

14:00 Why is it more profitable to run a non-profit over for-profit hospital?

14:45 Healthcare system is rewarded for proving more treatment, not better

16:15 We’re seeing a coordinated attack on our healthcare system

17:00 Jaime Harrison’s campaign in SC was a disaster

18:15 Easiest way to run in the south is to erase the D by your name

19:00 Many challenges to running as an independent

20:30 Democrats have a geographic disconnect with rural voters

21:30 Nothing has gotten better for rural black voters in SC

23:30 The pandemic was a huge reason for Harrison’s bad loss

24:15 How do you win over a voter that supported Trump?

25:15 Lindsey Graham is supporting unconstitutional actions

26:00 Graham isn’t a leader, he’s a follower & he follows Trump

27:00 Disappointing Nikki Haley couldn’t stand up to Trump more

29:00 South Carolinians says they want outsiders, then vote for insiders

29:45 Graham thinks he’s politically invulnerable

31:00 People will have their lives negatively impacted by GOP policy

32:15 What do you make of Nancy Mace’s political saliency?

33:15 Nancy Mace has devolved in recent years

34:30 Thoughts on Chuck Schumer as Dem leader in senate?

35:45 Jon Ossoff & Raphael Warnock provide blueprint for Dems in south

37:30 Trump & the administration must be held accountable

38:45 Dems must be bold in their agenda if they win the midterms

39:30 Impeachment shouldn’t be off the table

41:30 Can you be both a fighter and a uniter as a candidate?

42:45 Too many D.C. politicians are disconnected from the real world

44:00 How should congress regulate AI?

45:45 Profits can’t be the priority over common sense safety solutions

46:45 Best TV doctor show that gets it right? E.R. & The Pitt

48:00 Americans don’t understand what hospitals were like during Covid

49:00 What’s your campaigning rhythm as a candidate?

50:15 Clemson or South Carolina?

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Chuck Todd reacts to the news of independent journalist and former CNN host Don Lemon being arrested and charged by Trump’s Department of Justice over the Minnesota church protest and calls it chilling. He argues this is a direct assault on the First Amendment right to freedom of the press, but believes Lemon will beat the charges. He believes the arrest is Trump’s way of trying to distract from a terrible month for the president.

Timeline:

(Timestamps may vary based on advertisements)

00:00 Don Lemon’s arrest is pretty chilling

01:00 The 1st amendment is meant to protect speech you do & don’t like

02:15 This is a chilling moment for independent media

03:00 This feels like a desperate distraction from the administration

04:00 Journalists working for corporate media get some legal protection

05:15 One person’s journalist is another person’s activist

05:45 There’s a reason free speech and press is the FIRST amendment

06:45 If Lemon is somehow convicted, it’s an erosion of what America is

08:00 Trump had a terrible month & Republicans starting to break with him

09:45 Constitutional rights are for people we don’t like or agree with too

10:30 We’re going to find out who the “free speech” hypocrites are

11:45 White House is celebrating the government violating 1st amendment

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Zach Wahls — the Iowa state senator, former minority leader, and U.S. Senate candidate who first went viral as a 19-year-old in 2011 for his moving speech defending his two moms before the Iowa legislature — joins the Chuck Toddcast to make the case that Democrats have a real shot at flipping statewide races in Iowa this cycle. Wahls explains how he realized at 13 that the GOP was targeting his own family, how he still considers marriage equality to be genuinely under threat today, and pushes back on the narrative that Iowa has abandoned its famous libertarian streak — noting that the vast majority of Iowans remain pro-choice and supportive of marriage equality even as the state has drifted red. He argues that Obama-Trump voters are plentiful in Iowa and that rural Iowa communities feel forgotten by the establishment — a dynamic Trump spoke to effectively in 2016 when the state was in a regional recession. Wahls points to the party's post-New Deal legacy of fighting for workers' rights, but he also reveals he wouldn't support Chuck Schumer for Senate leadership — a position that's apparently cost him, as Schumer-linked super PACs are now spending millions against him in the primary.

The conversation turns to what Wahls sees as the defining issue of his campaign: the obscene influence of dark money in American politics. He reveals that a bipartisan Iowa bill to get money out of state politics was killed by lobbyists and GOP opposition, that he's received small-dollar donations from all 99 Iowa counties while refusing corporate PAC money, and that his anti-corruption message is genuinely resonating with voters who are exhausted by the current system. Wahls says he'll co-sponsor a constitutional amendment to overturn Citizens United, discusses his openness to banning private equity from owning residential homes and responds to being labeled a "Sanders/Warren" candidate. Wahls pledges to lead by example on anti-corruption by serving only two terms if elected, shares concerns about state reliance on gambling revenue as a signal of voter economic anxiety, and closes with a deeply relatable observation every young parent will recognize: with a two-year-old at home, his monthly childcare bill now costs as much as his mortgage.

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Timeline:

(Timestamps may vary based on advertisements)

00:00 Zach Wahls joins the Chuck ToddCast

02:00 Democrats have a real chance at flipping statewide Iowa races

04:00 Did you always know you were going to be in politics?

05:45 Realized at 13 years old the GOP was targeting his own family

06:45 Going viral in 2011 for speech defending his two moms

08:00 Gay marriage rights are still under threat today

09:30 Does Iowa’s famous libertarian streak still exist today?

10:45 Vast majority of Iowans are pro-choice and support marriage equality

12:00 There are a lot of Obama/Trump voters in Iowa

13:30 Union leadership in Iowa leans Dem, rank & file lean GOP

15:15 Rural Iowa communities feel forgotten by the establishment

16:00 Iowa was in a regional recession in 2016, Trump spoke to that

17:30 Why run as a Democrat vs. as an independent?

18:30 Since the New Deal, Democrats have fought for workers rights

19:00 Wouldn’t support Chuck Schumer for senate leadership

19:45 Schumer-linked Super PAC spending millions against him

21:00 How do you avoid being painted as focused on identity & not economics?

23:00 The impact of dark money has tainted American & Iowa politics

24:30 Bipartisan bill to get money out of politics in Iowa spiked by lobbyists & GOP

25:45 The money in politics has gotten obscene quickly in recent years

27:00 What would a campaign finance constitutional amendment look like?

28:30 Republican aligned PACs set to spend huge money in Iowa in the fall

29:15 Received small dollar donations from all 99 counties, no corporate PAC $

30:15 Anti-corruption message is resonating with voters

31:30 Can you unilaterally disarm in the face of huge Republican spending?

32:30 Will co-sponsor amendment to overturn Citizen’s United

33:45 What did you learn from your stint in leadership in the legislature?

36:00 There was no clear strategic plan for Democrats to take back majority

37:00 There were basic organizational issues for Iowa Dems that needed to be fixed

37:45 Needed to rebuild relationships with organized labor

40:00 Stint in leadership doesn’t make him have more sympathy for Schumer

40:45 Democrats didn’t know what they were asking for during shutdown

41:30 If Democrats get the majority…do you work with Trump?

42:45 Have a responsibility to work across the aisle if it helps people

43:30 Open to banning private equity from owning homes, anti monopoly in meat

44:45 Price of fire trucks has tripled due to private equity buying up the manufacturing

46:30 Is the description of being the “Sanders/Warren” candidate a fair description?

49:00 Part-time legislatures don’t have the institutional knowledge of the lobbyists

50:30 Must lead by example on anti-corruption, will only serve two terms if elected

51:30 Thoughts on “vice taxes” & gambling to help state generate revenue?

54:30 High interest in gambling speaks to fear for economic future in voters

56:45 How has having a two year old affected your life & job?

57:30 Childcare costs as much as his mortgage with one child

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode of the Chuck ToddCast, Chuck digs into the political fallout surrounding Kristi Noem, Stephen Miller, and a Trump White House that remains intensely reactive to public opinion. While Noem keeps her job—for now—new polling paints a bleak picture for both her and the administration, with Trump’s economic numbers underwater, disapproval near all-time highs, and even his own base increasingly uneasy with ICE’s aggressive tactics. Chuck unpacks why Noem’s performative politics may make her expendable, why Miller is untouchable as Trump’s “bizarro Dick Cheney,” and how Trump’s inner circle is once again showing signs of instability as voters question whether the president is focused on the issues that actually matter.

The conversation then zooms out to a broader diagnosis of America’s democratic dysfunction, drawing on Chuck’s recent campus speech about why this moment feels uniquely unstable. From razor-thin modern elections and the collapse of congressional responsibility to unsettling parallels with 19th-century politics, Chuck argues that the presidency has become overly powerful because Congress has failed to govern. Fixing what’s broken, he warns, won’t come from political elites—it will require engaged citizens, serious institutional reform, and possibly constitutional amendments to rebuild a government voters have been loudly signaling they no longer trust.

Finally, Chuck answers listeners’ questions in the “Ask Chuck” segment and expands on his Hall of Fame rant in light of Bill Belichick not getting in on the first ballot.

Protect your family with life insurance from Ethos. Get up to $3 million in coverage in as little as 10 minutes at https://ethos.com/chuck. Application times may vary. Rates may vary.

Thank you Wildgrain for sponsoring. Visit http://wildgrain.com/TODDCAST and use the code "TODDCAST" at checkout to receive $30 off your first box PLUS free Croissants for life!

Link in bio or go to https://getsoul.com & enter code TODDCAST for 30% off your first order.

Timeline:

00:00 Chuck Todd’s introduction

03:00 Kristi Noem still has her job, but Trump is reactive to public opinion

04:15 Noem’s profile feels like someone Trump is willing to dump

05:15 Trump will never fire Stephen Miller

06:00 Miller understands how to work government like a bizarro Dick Cheney

07:30 Does Miller have a conservative vision, or is he just a reactionary?

09:00 Trump may use Kristi Noem as a heat shield

10:00 Noem’s theatrics have created terrible optics

12:15 New Fox News poll has terrible numbers for Trump

14:15 Numbers in the poll could spell doom for Kristi Noem

15:15 Only 61% of Republicans say country is better off today

16:00 Trump’s numbers on the economy are underwater

17:45 Trump’s disapproval near all-time highs

18:45 Voters don’t think Trump is spending enough time on the economy

20:30 Trump’s job rating higher than almost all the individual issues

21:45 59% think ICE has been too aggressive

24:00 Even parts of Trump’s base think ICE has been too aggressive

25:00 Support for abolishing ICE has doubled since 2018

26:00 Trump’s inner circle never stays around for long

27:00 If Fox runs the poll extensively on air, Noem is in trouble

28:45 Chuck’s campus speech on where we are now & how to get out of it

29:45 We may have grown up in a more stable outlier era of American history

31:30 The cold war kept both parties sober & more mainstream

32:45 Six of our 21st century presidential elections decided by 5pts or less

33:15 Politics today is more similar to the 19th century

34:00 We’re too occupied with the presidency due to congress failing

35:00 Congress is more occupied with keeping power than legislating

36:30 We aren’t getting out of this until congress becomes functional

37:00 We will need constitutional amendments to fix the democracy

38:30 The citizens will need to fix this, can’t depend on congress

39:15 Voters gave a primal scream that they wanted a better government

46:30 Ask Chuck

46:45 Who in real life is Veep’s Mike McClintock based on?

49:30 Impact of Native American voters on elections?

52:45 What signs will the GOP show if they think they’ll lose the senate?

56:00 The viral blue/yellow dress feels like a metaphor for politics

58:15 Any connection between income inequality and growing isolationism?

1:04:00 Why is Nathan’s Famous allowed to be bought by a Chinese company?

1:06:30 Hall of Fame rant

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode of the Chuck ToddCast, Chuck digs into the political fallout surrounding Kristi Noem, Stephen Miller, and a Trump White House that remains intensely reactive to public opinion. While Noem keeps her job—for now—new polling paints a bleak picture for both her and the administration, with Trump’s economic numbers underwater, disapproval near all-time highs, and even his own base increasingly uneasy with ICE’s aggressive tactics. Chuck unpacks why Noem’s performative politics may make her expendable, why Miller is untouchable as Trump’s “bizarro Dick Cheney,” and how Trump’s inner circle is once again showing signs of instability as voters question whether the president is focused on the issues that actually matter.

The conversation then zooms out to a broader diagnosis of America’s democratic dysfunction, drawing on Chuck’s recent campus speech about why this moment feels uniquely unstable. From razor-thin modern elections and the collapse of congressional responsibility to unsettling parallels with 19th-century politics, Chuck argues that the presidency has become overly powerful because Congress has failed to govern. Fixing what’s broken, he warns, won’t come from political elites—it will require engaged citizens, serious institutional reform, and possibly constitutional amendments to rebuild a government voters have been loudly signaling they no longer trust.

Then, author and writer for The New Yorker, Jason Zengerle joins the Chuck ToddCast for a deep dive into his book “Hated By All The Right People” about Tucker Carlson’s rise—and why he’s become the clearest avatar for the unraveling of modern American conservatism. The conversation traces how Carlson’s personal history, elite upbringing paired with outsider grievance, and long-running resentments toward figures like Bill Kristol helped shape a worldview centered on anger, masculinity, and cultural backlash. Though he styles himself as anti-establishment, Tucker remains very much a Washington insider, increasingly influential even after leaving Fox News and emerging as the true heir to Rush Limbaugh, with real political impact on figures like J.D. Vance.

Chuck and Zengerle also explore how Trump subsumed conservatism, why Tucker may be the figure best positioned to keep Trumpism alive after Trump, and how white male grievance now sits at the core of conservative cultural politics. From the Iraq War’s role in Carlson’s ideological shift to his calculated positioning on Israel, media, and elite power, the episode asks what “real America” conservatism even means anymore—and whether there’s any path back for Never Trumpers, institutional Republicans, or business leaders who’ve bent the knee to a movement that no longer resembles the party they once knew.

Finally, Chuck answers listeners’ questions in the “Ask Chuck” segment and expands on his Hall of Fame rant in light of Bill Belichick not getting in on the first ballot.

Protect your family with life insurance from Ethos. Get up to $3 million in coverage in as little as 10 minutes at https://ethos.com/chuck. Application times may vary. Rates may vary.

Thank you Wildgrain for sponsoring. Visit http://wildgrain.com/TODDCAST and use the code "TODDCAST" at checkout to receive $30 off your first box PLUS free Croissants for life!

Link in bio or go to https://getsoul.com & enter code TODDCAST for 30% off your first order.

Timeline:

(Timestamps may vary based on advertisements)

00:00 Chuck Todd’s introduction

07:00 Kristi Noem still has her job, but Trump is reactive to public opinion

08:15 Noem’s profile feels like someone Trump is willing to dump

09:15 Trump will never fire Stephen Miller

10:00 Miller understands how to work government like a bizarro Dick Cheney

11:30 Does Miller have a conservative vision, or is he just a reactionary?

13:00 Trump may use Kristi Noem as a heat shield

14:00 Noem’s theatrics have created terrible optics

16:15 New Fox News poll has terrible numbers for Trump

18:15 Numbers in the poll could spell doom for Kristi Noem

19:15 Only 61% of Republicans say country is better off today

20:00 Trump’s numbers on the economy are underwater

21:45 Trump’s disapproval near all-time highs

22:45 Voters don’t think Trump is spending enough time on the economy

24:30 Trump’s job rating higher than almost all the individual issues

25:45 59% think ICE has been too aggressive

28:00 Even parts of Trump’s base think ICE has been too aggressive

29:00 Support for abolishing ICE has doubled since 2018

30:00 Trump’s inner circle never stays around for long

31:00 If Fox runs the poll extensively on air, Noem is in trouble

32:45 Chuck’s campus speech on where we are now & how to get out of it

33:45 We may have grown up in a more stable outlier era of American history

35:30 The cold war kept both parties sober & more mainstream

36:45 Six of our 21st century presidential elections decided by 5pts or less

37:15 Politics today is more similar to the 19th century

38:00 We’re too occupied with the presidency due to congress failing

39:00 Congress is more occupied with keeping power than legislating

40:30 We aren’t getting out of this until congress becomes functional

41:00 We will need constitutional amendments to fix the democracy

42:30 The citizens will need to fix this, can’t depend on congress

43:15 Voters gave a primal scream that they wanted a better government

50:30 Jason Zengerle joins the Chuck ToddCast

52:00 Why Tucker Carlson is the avatar for unraveling of conservatism

53:30 Tucker was abandoned by his mother, how did that affect his journey?

54:15 That abandonment shaped his worldview about women

55:30 Tucker’s anger at Bill Kristol is a big part of his evolution

57:30 Kristol has become the stand in for media elites in Tucker’s mind

58:30 Tucker tried to be a younger, cooler version of George Will

59:30 Carlson is very much a DC insider, but portrays himself as outsider

1:01:00 Tucker wasn’t a rich kid, but was raised like one

1:03:00 Tucker & Trump similarly hung with the elite, but felt like outsiders

1:03:45 Tucker trashed Trump in texts while praising him on the air

1:04:30 Tucker was more willing to criticize Trump than other Fox hosts

1:06:00 Tucker wasn’t viewed as a top-tier personality at Fox for years

1:06:45 Fox News is bigger than the on-air personalities

1:07:45 Leaving Fox didn’t diminish Tucker’s standing, more influential now

1:09:30 Tucker is the true heir to Rush Limbaugh

1:10:15 Tucker was influential in getting J.D. Vance elected in Ohio

1:11:15 Vance & Tucker are very ideologically aligned

1:12:30 White male grievance is central to conservative cultural politics

1:14:15 Tucker believes what he says & has a larger project for America

1:15:15 Tucker is more Pat Buchanan than Rush Limbaugh

1:16:00 Iraq war was very influential in changing Tucker’s ideology

1:17:15 Tucker needled Jewish Neocon Republicans by criticizing Israel

1:19:00 Tuckers sees party energy is anti-Israel & getting ahead of it

1:20:45 What is the definition of conservatism in “real America”?

1:21:45 Conservatism has been subsumed by Trump

1:23:00 Will conservatism snap back to its prior form after Trump is gone?

1:25:30 Tucker seems like the figure that could keep Trump’s politics alive

1:27:15 Tucker says he’s not mad at the Murdochs but he is

1:28:30 Tucker didn’t agree to be interviewed for the book, why?

1:31:15 Tucker likes to bash the media, but he’s one of their favorite sources

1:32:30 Tucker left D.C. after protestors showed up to his house

1:33:45 Who are the “camps” that will fight for control after Trump?

1:34:45 Ted Cruz & Rand Paul are the only two non “blood & soil” prominent R’s

1:36:00 Trump is the least “MAGA” person in the MAGA movement

1:37:45 Where do the Nikki Haley, John Kasich type voters go?

1:38:45 Business leaders have bent the knee to Trump

1:39:45 Who in conservative media world was most willing to talk?

1:41:00 Tucker doesn’t spend much time talking to people he disagrees with

1:42:30 Tucker wants to go back to a male & white dominated society

1:43:45 The Never Trumpers won’t be taking back the party

1:45:00 What Jason is working on at The New Yorker

1:48:00 Marco Rubio’s evolution has been fascinating

1:53:00 Chuck’s thoughts on interview with Jason Zengerle

1:53:30 Ask Chuck

1:53:45 Who in real life is Veep’s Mike McClintock based on?

1:56:30 Impact of Native American voters on elections?

1:59:45 What signs will the GOP show if they think they’ll lose the senate?

2:03:00 The viral blue/yellow dress feels like a metaphor for politics

2:05:15 Any connection between income inequality and growing isolationism?

2:11:00 Why is Nathan’s Famous allowed to be bought by a Chinese company?

2:13:30 Hall of Fame rant

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Author and writer for The New Yorker, Jason Zengerle joins the Chuck ToddCast for a deep dive into his book “Hated By All The Right People” about Tucker Carlson’s rise—and why he’s become the clearest avatar for the unraveling of modern American conservatism. The conversation traces how Carlson’s personal history, elite upbringing paired with outsider grievance, and long-running resentments toward figures like Bill Kristol helped shape a worldview centered on anger, masculinity, and cultural backlash. Though he styles himself as anti-establishment, Tucker remains very much a Washington insider, increasingly influential even after leaving Fox News and emerging as the true heir to Rush Limbaugh, with real political impact on figures like J.D. Vance.

Chuck and Zengerle also explore how Trump subsumed conservatism, why Tucker may be the figure best positioned to keep Trumpism alive after Trump, and how white male grievance now sits at the core of conservative cultural politics. From the Iraq War’s role in Carlson’s ideological shift to his calculated positioning on Israel, media, and elite power, the episode asks what “real America” conservatism even means anymore—and whether there’s any path back for Never Trumpers, institutional Republicans, or business leaders who’ve bent the knee to a movement that no longer resembles the party they once knew.

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Protect your family with life insurance from Ethos. Get up to $3 million in coverage in as little as 10 minutes at https://ethos.com/chuck. Application times may vary. Rates may vary.

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Link in bio or go to https://getsoul.com & enter code TODDCAST for 30% off your first order.

Timeline:

(Timestamps may vary based on advertisements)

00:00 Jason Zengerle joins the Chuck ToddCast

01:30 Why Tucker Carlson is the avatar for unraveling of conservatism

03:00 Tucker was abandoned by his mother, how did that affect his journey?

03:45 That abandonment shaped his worldview about women

05:00 Tucker’s anger at Bill Kristol is a big part of his evolution

07:00 Kristol has become the stand in for media elites in Tucker’s mind

08:00 Tucker tried to be a younger, cooler version of George Will 

09:00 Carlson is very much a DC insider, but portrays himself as outsider

10:30 Tucker wasn’t a rich kid, but was raised like one

12:30 Tucker & Trump similarly hung with the elite, but felt like outsiders

13:15 Tucker trashed Trump in texts while praising him on the air

14:00 Tucker was more willing to criticize Trump than other Fox hosts

15:30 Tucker wasn’t viewed as a top-tier personality at Fox for years

16:15 Fox News is bigger than the on-air personalities

17:15 Leaving Fox didn’t diminish Tucker’s standing, more influential now

19:00 Tucker is the true heir to Rush Limbaugh

19:45 Tucker was influential in getting J.D. Vance elected in Ohio

20:45 Vance & Tucker are very ideologically aligned

22:00 White male grievance is central to conservative cultural politics

23:45 Tucker believes what he says & has a larger project for America

24:45 Tucker is more Pat Buchanon than Rush Limbaugh

25:30 Iraq war was very influential in changing Tucker’s ideology

26:45 Tucker needled Jewish Neocon Republicans by criticizing Israel

28:30 Tuckers sees party energy is anti-Israel & getting ahead of it

30:15 What is the definition of conservatism in “real America”?

31:15 Conservatism has been subsumed by Trump

32:30 Will conservatism snap back to its prior form after Trump is gone?

35:00 Tucker seems like the figure that could keep Trump’s politics alive

36:45 Tucker says he’s not mad at the Murdochs but he is

38:00 Tucker didn’t agree to be interviewed for the book, why?

40:45 Tucker likes to bash the media, but he’s one of their favorite sources

42:00 Tucker left D.C. after protestors showed up to his house

43:15 Who are the “camps” that will fight for control after Trump?

44:15 Ted Cruz & Rand Paul are the only two non “blood & soil” prominent R’s

45:30 Trump is the least “MAGA” person in the MAGA movement

47:15 Where do the Nikki Haley, John Kasich type voters go?

48:15 Business leaders have bent the knee to Trump

49:15 Who in conservative media world was most willing to talk?

50:30 Tucker doesn’t spend much time talking to people his disagrees with

52:00 Tucker wants to go back to a male & white dominated society

53:15 The Never Trumpers won’t be taking back the party

54:30 What Jason is working on at The New Yorker

57:30 Marco Rubio’s evolution has been fascinating

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode of the Chuck ToddCast, Chuck breaks down the mounting political fallout from a string of fatal and controversial shootings by federal immigration agents in Minneapolis, including the killing of ICU nurse Alex Pretti—an incident that has sparked protests, outrage, and deep questions about federal law-enforcement use of force. Bystander video and independent analysis have sharply contradicted official claims that Pretti posed a threat, amplifying criticism from local officials and national figures alike while the Trump administration has scrambled to contain the damage by removing the Border Patrol commander and sending veteran immigration official Tom Homan to Minneapolis to calm tensions.

As Republicans in Congress publicly wrestle with how to respond—and some distance themselves from the administration’s actions—Chuck explores how Trump’s repeated emphasis on which voters supported him personally, rather than addressing the substance of the crisis, is complicating the situation politically. With Minneapolis emerging as a political disaster for Trump, the episode also looks at how Trump’s handling of Kristi Noem and broader GOP infighting could create openings for Democrats, especially as concern grows over civil liberties, federal overreach, and the credibility of government narratives in the face of widespread skepticism and media scrutiny. 

Finally, Chuck updates his ToddCast Top 5 governor’s seats most likely to flip in 2026, weighs in on the massive looming cuts to the staff at the Washington Post and answers listeners’ questions in the “Ask Chuck” segment.

Get your wardrobe sorted and your gift list handled with Quince. Don't wait! Go to https://Quince.com/CHUCK for free shipping on your order and 365-day returns. Now available in Canada, too!

Protect your family with life insurance from Ethos. Get up to $3 million in coverage in as little as 10 minutes at https://ethos.com/chuck. Application times may vary. Rates may vary.

Thank you Wildgrain for sponsoring. Visit http://wildgrain.com/TODDCAST and use the code "TODDCAST" at checkout to receive $30 off your first box PLUS free Croissants for life!

Timeline:

(Timestamps may vary based on advertisements)

00:00 Chuck Todd’s introduction

01:00 Trump attends Iowa event with “affordability message”

01:45 Trump begins to try to walk back from chaos in Minneapolis

02:30 Greg Bovino removed from border patrol role in Minneapolis

03:15 Trump keeps highlighting that Renee Good’s parents voted for him

04:15 Trump sent Tom Homan to Minneapolis to try & calm things down

05:30 Republicans in congress speak out after killing of Alex Pretti

06:30 Trump signals support for Kristi Noem, but could change his mind

07:30 Resentment from Senate R’s over some cabinet secretaries

09:15 Political infighting could become contagious but Trump will back Miller

11:00 Trump is playing political cleanup, but not firing Noem is a mistake

13:00 Not firing Noem would be a political gift for Democrats

14:00 Trump’s trade policy is creating trade deals for other countries, not us

14:45 Minneapolis creates permission slip for Republicans to distance themselves 

15:15 Trump’s stop in Iowa was supposed to be a pivot

16:15 Consumer confidence shows the public behaving like it’s a recession

17:00 Consumer confidence lowest since 2014, worse than during pandemic

18:00 Public doubts the job market & job security

20:00 Trump claims inflation is over, that’s not what the public is feeling

21:15 Iowa ranks 50th in nation for economic growth, worst since the 80’s

22:00 Tariffs have devastated Iowa farmers

23:30 If Iowa goes blue, Democrats will win the house and senate

24:15 Trump’s policies have hurt Iowa more than other states

25:00 Trump’s economic message isn’t resonating

26:00 Trump really messed up his gun politics 

27:30 Trump will throw anybody under the bus to protect himself

34:45 ToddCast Top 5 governor’s seats most likely to flip

36:00 #1 Kansas

37:45 #2 Iowa

40:00 #3 Michigan

42:15 #4 Arizona #5 Nevada

44:30 The Washington Post announces major cuts to staff

45:15 Hard to understand what Bezos’s vision is for the Post

47:00 How can you be a local paper & not cover the community?

48:15 Post is losing $100m/year but Bezos’s burns tons of cash

48:45 Amazon set $75 million on fire for the Melania documentary

50:30 If Bezos wanted the Post to succeed he could have invested in it

52:45 Bezos should sell the Post rather than gutting it

54:45 The Post editorial page has been diminished under Bezos

56:30 Hopefully Bezos changes course

57:30 Ask Chuck

57:45 How long will this dark period of American history last?

1:04:00 At what point does a blatant lie from a politician qualify as fraud?

1:06:30 Chance that an Ossoff win could catapult him to nomination?

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode of the Chuck ToddCast, Chuck breaks down the mounting political fallout from a string of fatal and controversial shootings by federal immigration agents in Minneapolis, including the killing of ICU nurse Alex Pretti—an incident that has sparked protests, outrage, and deep questions about federal law-enforcement use of force. Bystander video and independent analysis have sharply contradicted official claims that Pretti posed a threat, amplifying criticism from local officials and national figures alike while the Trump administration has scrambled to contain the damage by removing the Border Patrol commander and sending veteran immigration official Tom Homan to Minneapolis to calm tensions.

As Republicans in Congress publicly wrestle with how to respond—and some distance themselves from the administration’s actions—Chuck explores how Trump’s repeated emphasis on which voters supported him personally, rather than addressing the substance of the crisis, is complicating the situation politically. With Minneapolis emerging as a political disaster for Trump, the episode also looks at how Trump’s handling of Kristi Noem and broader GOP infighting could create openings for Democrats, especially as concern grows over civil liberties, federal overreach, and the credibility of government narratives in the face of widespread skepticism and media scrutiny. 

Then, historian Heather Ann Thompson discusses her new book “Fear and Fury: The Reagan Eighties, the Bernie Goetz Shootings and the Rebirth” that revisits the 1984 Bernie Goetz subway shooting and explains why it remains a chilling precursor to the racialized fear and political rage shaping America today. Thompson walks through who Goetz was, how he shot four unarmed Black teenagers, and how—without video evidence—the media constructed a vigilante narrative that erased the victims and fueled public support for Goetz despite his own recorded confession. She situates the case in a New York City gripped by crime, austerity, and racial anxiety, arguing that fear was real but deliberately misdirected by sensationalist media, tabloid culture, and political leaders who framed young Black men as the threat while stripping away public resources.

The conversation traces how Reagan-era policies, talk radio, and the tabloidification of news helped turn crime into profitable outrage, laying the groundwork for stop-and-frisk, the Central Park Five, and ultimately the politics Donald Trump would later master. Thompson connects the Goetz case to today’s wealth inequality, media groupthink, and deep political divides over racialized violence, showing how these stories are not aberrations but part of a long continuum. The episode is a sobering examination of how fear, race, and media narratives can warp justice—and how understanding that history is essential to understanding where America is now.

Finally, Chuck updates his ToddCast Top 5 governor’s seats most likely to flip in 2026, weighs in on the massive looming cuts to the staff at the Washington Post and answers listeners’ questions in the “Ask Chuck” segment.

Get your wardrobe sorted and your gift list handled with Quince. Don't wait! Go to https://Quince.com/CHUCK for free shipping on your order and 365-day returns. Now available in Canada, too!

Protect your family with life insurance from Ethos. Get up to $3 million in coverage in as little as 10 minutes at https://ethos.com/chuck. Application times may vary. Rates may vary.

Thank you Wildgrain for sponsoring. Visit http://wildgrain.com/TODDCAST and use the code "TODDCAST" at checkout to receive $30 off your first box PLUS free Croissants for life!

Timeline:

(Timestamps may vary based on advertisements)

00:00 Chuck Todd’s introduction

01:00 Trump attends Iowa event with “affordability message”

01:45 Trump begins to try to walk back from chaos in Minneapolis

02:30 Greg Bovino removed from border patrol role in Minneapolis

03:15 Trump keeps highlighting that Renee Good’s parents voted for him

04:15 Trump sent Tom Homan to Minneapolis to try & calm things down

05:30 Republicans in congress speak out after killing of Alex Pretti

06:30 Trump signals support for Kristi Noem, but could change his mind

07:30 Resentment from Senate R’s over some cabinet secretaries

09:15 Political infighting could become contagious but Trump will back Miller

11:00 Trump is playing political cleanup, but not firing Noem is a mistake

13:00 Not firing Noem would be a political gift for Democrats

14:00 Trump’s trade policy is creating trade deals for other countries, not us

14:45 Minneapolis creates permission slip for Republicans to distance themselves 

15:15 Trump’s stop in Iowa was supposed to be a pivot

16:15 Consumer confidence shows the public behaving like it’s a recession

17:00 Consumer confidence lowest since 2014, worse than during pandemic

18:00 Public doubts the job market & job security

20:00 Trump claims inflation is over, that’s not what the public is feeling

21:15 Iowa ranks 50th in nation for economic growth, worst since the 80’s

22:00 Tariffs have devastated Iowa farmers

23:30 If Iowa goes blue, Democrats will win the house and senate

24:15 Trump’s policies have hurt Iowa more than other states

25:00 Trump’s economic message isn’t resonating

26:00 Trump really messed up his gun politics 

27:30 Trump will throw anybody under the bus to protect himself

37:00 Heather Ann Thompson joins the Chuck ToddCast

38:30 Bernie Goetz was an early analog for the white rage we see today

39:30 Who was Bernie Goetz & what is the history of the story?

40:00 NYC felt like a city in crisis during the 80’s

41:00 Goetz shoots four unarmed black teenagers

42:00 There was no footage of the shooting & media shaped the event

43:00 Goetz was celebrated by white New Yorkers as a vigilante

43:45 Goetz gave lengthy video confession & still acquitted on most chargers

45:00 The victims have been completely written out of the story

46:00 Victims were denied compensation by the city’s crime victim fund

47:00 The shooting destroyed the victim’s lives even though they survived

48:45 New York felt like a city on the brink in the 1980’s

49:30 New Yorkers were living in fear of many parts of the city due to crime

50:45 Media clearly made the “threat” young black men

51:30 By 1984, trash was piling up and areas of NYC were underpoliced

52:30 The fear was warranted, but was misdirected by Rupert Murdoch, others

54:30 The Reagan administration doubled down on austerity

55:45 Eventually NYC experienced a renaissance, the “Guiliani miracle”

56:45 Austerity was sold on the idea of the “underserving” & criminal underbelly

57:45 Stop & frisk and other policies pushed underclass further away from Manhattan

58:30 Trump was a beneficiary of these politics & rode them to the White House

59:15 Trump is a creature of the 80’s since that era was best for him

1:00:30 Trump understood the power of television, fear & race baiting

1:01:15 Trump sells what the Reagan revolution sold, targeted working class whites

1:02:00 Impact of the Goetz story on the Central Park 5 story

1:03:30 The tabloidification of the national media was born out of 80’s NYC

1:04:30 Talk radio was central in turning crime into high rating media content

1:05:15 Subway shootings were rare, but everyone feared them

1:06:30 Reagan’s policies stripped away resources that led to working class crises

1:07:15 Reagan gutted multiple public programs

1:08:15 Under Reagan, the tax burden was shifted away from the wealthy

1:09:00 Similarities between the early 1900’s and early 2000’s

1:10:15 America is in a wealth inequality crisis & target of misinformation campaign

1:11:30 Media groupthink was a contributing factor to Bernie Goetz’s acquittal

1:12:15 Goetz case peeled back the veneer hiding overt racism

1:13:15 Media sands the edges of stories to avoid controversy over coverage

1:14:00 Sensationalist, conservative media has become very successful

1:15:30 Alternative press covered the Goetz story much differently

1:16:15 Bronx jury awarded one of the victims $43 million

1:17:00 Goetz shooting was an unhinged story, but shows how we got here

1:19:00 There are political dividing lines over racialized shootings

1:20:15 Society meant to aspire to wealth, but live with suspicion & fear on streets

1:21:00 What’s the thread between the urban stories that you’ve told?

1:22:00 There was a massive cover up at Attica

1:22:45 If it wasn’t Goetz, it would have been another similar incident

1:24:00 How long after an event do you think is the sweet spot for telling story?

1:26:15 As a society, we don’t have patience for context

1:26:45 Checking personal bias when reporting a historical event

1:29:30 What Heather is working on next

1:34:30 Chuck’s thoughts on interview with Heather Ann Thompson

1:35:15 ToddCast Top 5 governor’s seats most likely to flip

1:36:30 #1 Kansas

1:38:15 #2 Iowa

1:40:30 #3 Michigan

1:42:45 #4 Arizona #5 Nevada

1:45:00 The Washington Post announces major cuts to staff

1:45:45 Hard to understand what Bezos’s vision is for the Post

1:47:30 How can you be a local paper & not cover the community?

1:48:45 Post is losing $100m/year but Bezos’s burns tons of cash

1:49:15 Amazon set $75 million on fire for the Melania documentary

1:51:00 If Bezos wanted the Post to succeed he could have invested in it

1:53:15 Bezos should sell the Post rather than gutting it

1:55:15 The Post editorial page has been diminished under Bezos

1:57:00 Hopefully Bezos changes course

1:58:00 Ask Chuck

1:58:15 How long will this dark period of American history last?

2:04:30 At what point does a blatant lie from a politician qualify as fraud?

2:07:00 Chance that an Ossoff win could catapult him to nomination?

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode of the Chuck ToddCast, historian Heather Ann Thompson discusses her new book “Fear and Fury: The Reagan Eighties, the Bernie Goetz Shootings and the Rebirth” that revisits the 1984 Bernie Goetz subway shooting and explains why it remains a chilling precursor to the racialized fear and political rage shaping America today. Thompson walks through who Goetz was, how he shot four unarmed Black teenagers, and how—without video evidence—the media constructed a vigilante narrative that erased the victims and fueled public support for Goetz despite his own recorded confession. She situates the case in a New York City gripped by crime, austerity, and racial anxiety, arguing that fear was real but deliberately misdirected by sensationalist media, tabloid culture, and political leaders who framed young Black men as the threat while stripping away public resources.

The conversation traces how Reagan-era policies, talk radio, and the tabloidification of news helped turn crime into profitable outrage, laying the groundwork for stop-and-frisk, the Central Park Five, and ultimately the politics Donald Trump would later master. Thompson connects the Goetz case to today’s wealth inequality, media groupthink, and deep political divides over racialized violence, showing how these stories are not aberrations but part of a long continuum. The episode is a sobering examination of how fear, race, and media narratives can warp justice—and how understanding that history is essential to understanding where America is now.

Get your wardrobe sorted and your gift list handled with Quince. Don't wait! Go to https://Quince.com/CHUCK for free shipping on your order and 365-day returns. Now available in Canada, too!

Protect your family with life insurance from Ethos. Get up to $3 million in coverage in as little as 10 minutes at https://ethos.com/chuck. Application times may vary. Rates may vary.

Thank you Wildgrain for sponsoring. Visit http://wildgrain.com/TODDCAST and use the code "TODDCAST" at checkout to receive $30 off your first box PLUS free Croissants for life!

Timeline:

(Timestamps may vary based on advertisements)

00:00 Heather Ann Thompson joins the Chuck ToddCast

01:30 Bernie Goetz was an early analog for the white rage we see today

02:30 Who was Bernie Goetz & what is the history of the story?

03:00 NYC felt like a city in crisis during the 80’s

04:00 Goetz shoots four unarmed black teenagers

05:00 There was no footage of the shooting & media shaped the event

06:00 Goetz was celebrated by white New Yorkers as a vigilante

06:45 Goetz gave lengthy video confession & still acquitted on most chargers

08:00 The victims have been completely written out of the story

09:00 Victims were denied compensation by the city’s crime victim fund

10:00 The shooting destroyed the victim’s lives even though they survived

11:45 New York felt like a city on the brink in the 1980’s

12:30 New Yorkers were living in fear of many parts of the city due to crime

13:45 Media clearly made the “threat” young black men

14:30 By 1984, trash was piling up and areas of NYC were underpoliced

15:30 The fear was warranted, but was misdirected by Rupert Murdoch, others

17:30 The Reagan administration doubled down on austerity

18:45 Eventually NYC experienced a renaissance, the “Guiliani miracle”

19:45 Austerity was sold on the idea of the “underserving” & criminal underbelly

20:45 Stop & frisk and other policies pushed underclass further away from Manhattan

21:30 Trump was a beneficiary of these politics & rode them to the White House

22:15 Trump is a creature of the 80’s since that era was best for him

23:30 Trump understood the power of television, fear & race baiting

24:15 Trump sells what the Reagan revolution sold, targeted working class whites

25:00 Impact of the Goetz story on the Central Park 5 story

26:30 The tabloidification of the national media was born out of 80’s NYC

27:30 Talk radio was central in turning crime into high rating media content

28:15 Subway shootings were rare, but everyone feared them

29:30 Reagan’s policies stripped away resources that led to working class crises

30:15 Reagan gutted multiple public programs

31:15 Under Reagan, the tax burden was shifted away from the wealthy

32:00 Similarities between the early 1900’s and early 2000’s 

33:15 America is in a wealth inequality crisis & target of misinformation campaign

34:30 Media groupthink was a contributing factor to Bernie Goetz’s acquittal

35:15 Goetz case peeled back the veneer hiding overt racism

36:15 Media sands the edges of stories to avoid controversy over coverage

37:00 Sensationalist, conservative media has become very successful

38:30 Alternative press covered the Goetz story much differently

39:15 Bronx jury awarded one of the victims $43 million

40:00 Goetz shooting was an unhinged story, but shows how we got here

42:00 There are political dividing lines over racialized shootings

43:15 Society meant to aspire to wealth, but live with suspicion & fear on streets

44:00 What’s the thread between the urban stories that you’ve told?

45:00 There was a massive cover up at Attica

45:45 If it wasn’t Goetz, it would have been another similar incident

47:00 How long after an event do you think is the sweet spot for telling story?

49:15 As a society, we don’t have patience for context

49:45 Checking personal bias when reporting a historical event

52:30 What Heather is working on next

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this urgent and unsettling episode of the Chuck ToddCast, Chuck argues that America is in the midst of a historic “Great Unraveling,” marked by the collapse of trust, consent, and the basic social contract that has held the country together for generations. He examines a chilling series of events in Minneapolis—two fatal shootings by federal agents in three weeks, including the killing of Alex Pretti, who was legally carrying a firearm—raising profound questions about accountability, constitutional rights, and whether the federal government can still be trusted to tell the truth when video evidence directly contradicts official accounts. As administration officials stumble through indefensible explanations, Chuck connects the domestic breakdown to a broader global rupture: allies like Canada openly describing relations with the U.S. as “ruptured,” the post–World War II rules-based order splintering, science and public health consensus eroding, and political power being wielded through favoritism and fear. The episode paints a stark picture of a country growing weaker, more isolated, and more vulnerable—not because of fate, but because unraveling is a process, and it’s happening in real time.

Finally, Chuck weighs in on the political disaster that is unfolding for Republicans, hops into the ToddCast Time Machine to draw parallels between modern America and Bloody Sunday in Northern Ireland in the 70’s and answers listeners’ question in the “Ask Chuck” segment.

Get your wardrobe sorted and your gift list handled with Quince. Don't wait! Go to https://Quince.com/CHUCK for free shipping on your order and 365-day returns. Now available in Canada, too!

Protect your family with life insurance from Ethos. Get up to $3 million in coverage in as little as 10 minutes at https://ethos.com/chuck. Application times may vary. Rates may vary.

Thank you Wildgrain for sponsoring. Visit http://wildgrain.com/TODDCAST and use the code "TODDCAST" at checkout to receive $30 off your first box PLUS free Croissants for life!

Timeline:

(Timestamps may vary based on advertisements)

00:00 Chuck Todd’s introduction

01:45 America is going through a “Great Unraveling”

03:30 January 2026 has been a horrendous month in American history

04:30 We’re watching the collapse of consent

05:00 Federal agents involved in 2 fatal shootings in 3 week in Minneapolis

05:45 Alex Pretti was shot 10 times, this was an assassination

06:15 No consequences for agent that shot Renee Good sent a message

07:00 The federal government won’t uphold the law or constitutional rights

08:15 Administration officials make fools of themselves defending this

09:00 Alex Pretti was legally carrying his firearm

09:30 January 6th protestors were also armed

10:30 The federal government is behaving like fascists

11:30 What remains of the social contract?

12:00 Trump’s leadership is destroying everything we knew about America

12:45 Canada’s PM Mark Carney describes relations with U.S. as “ruptured”

13:30 The rules based order in splintering

14:00 TikTok deal was purely favoritism & media alignment for Trump allies

15:00 CDC now discarding science, openly questioning the polio vaccine

15:45 Government shutdown is coming later this week

16:45 100 years of consensus is shattering

17:45 Alex Pretti was carrying, not brandishing his weapon

18:30 Alex Pretti was killed in cold blood

19:15 Thank god there was video, you can’t trust the federal government

19:45 Bystander video contradicts federal government account

20:30 Patel and Noem have no credibility outside of Trump’s base

21:30 Federal agents violated half the bill of rights in one incident

23:15 Middle powers can’t assume alignment with US gives stability

24:15 Canada’s response to Trump is seismic & entirely rational

25:15 The post WW2 order was held together by trust, & that’s been shattered

27:00 Trump’s appointees are making us vulnerable to eradicated diseases

28:15 TikTok will be used by Trump allies for political alignment

29:30 Unraveling isn’t destiny… it’s process

30:15 Trump is making us weaker, more vulnerable and poorer

31:30 We’re losing our country… literally

32:15 We can’t believe anything the federal government says

36:30 Elected Republicans trying to distance from Trump’s DHS

38:00 Marjorie Taylor-Greene argues the small c conservative position

39:00 MTG uses hypothetical shooting of a MAGA by Biden’s DOJ

41:00 Trump’s defenders try to blame Trump’s advisors rather than Trump

42:00 The administration is trampling the Bill of Rights

43:00 Minneapolis is a political disaster for Trump

44:00 Conservative pundits are pitching a Minneapolis off-ramp

45:45 Greg Bovino is trying invoke violence in the way he dresses

47:00 Trump’s coalition is breaking apart

48:45 ToddCast Time Machine

49:30 January 30th, 1972 — Bloody Sunday in Northern Ireland

50:45 British army turned into an occupying force

51:30 Unarmed civilians were shot by soldiers

52:00 Bloody Sunday ended the belief that the government could be neutral

53:00 When the state lies about violence, radicalism ensues

54:30 U2’s anthem about Bloody Sunday is expression of moral fatigue

55:30 Trump is the only person that can de-escalate and he refuses to

57:00 States tell themselves they are restoring order, consequences are permanent

57:45 Trust collapsed in Northern Island & happening now in Minneapolis

58:45 Ask Chuck

59:15 Agents involved in shootings weren’t new recruits?

1:05:00 How naive were we to think “it can’t happen here” How do we navigate it?

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this urgent and unsettling episode of the Chuck ToddCast, Chuck argues that America is in the midst of a historic “Great Unraveling,” marked by the collapse of trust, consent, and the basic social contract that has held the country together for generations. He examines a chilling series of events in Minneapolis—two fatal shootings by federal agents in three weeks, including the killing of Alex Pretti, who was legally carrying a firearm—raising profound questions about accountability, constitutional rights, and whether the federal government can still be trusted to tell the truth when video evidence directly contradicts official accounts. As administration officials stumble through indefensible explanations, Chuck connects the domestic breakdown to a broader global rupture: allies like Canada openly describing relations with the U.S. as “ruptured,” the post–World War II rules-based order splintering, science and public health consensus eroding, and political power being wielded through favoritism and fear. The episode paints a stark picture of a country growing weaker, more isolated, and more vulnerable—not because of fate, but because unraveling is a process, and it’s happening in real time.

Then, documentary filmmaker Adam Bhala Lough joins the Chuck ToddCast for a provocative, darkly funny, and unsettling conversation about AI, power, and the people building the future faster than anyone can regulate it. Lough unpacks the thinking behind his documentary Deepfaking Sam Altman, exploring why artificial intelligence inspires both awe and terror, how tech elites quietly prepare for social backlash, and why many of the skills we once told young people to master—like coding—may soon be obsolete. From Silicon Valley’s obsession with immortality and bunker-building to the fear that any job done on a computer could disappear within a few years, the discussion confronts what happens when innovation outruns accountability.

The episode also dives deep into Sam Altman’s mystique, Silicon Valley’s moral blind spots, and how fear—of China, regulation, or losing dominance—is used to shape public debate around AI. Lough explains how deepfakes are made, why AI-driven scams are about to explode, and what lawmakers fundamentally misunderstand about regulating rapidly evolving technology. Ultimately, this conversation argues that the antidote to AI anxiety isn’t panic or denial—but transparency, literacy, and a serious public reckoning with who controls the tools reshaping human society.

Finally, Chuck weighs in on the political disaster that is unfolding for Republicans, hops into the ToddCast Time Machine to draw parallels between modern America and Bloody Sunday in Northern Ireland in the 70’s and answers listeners’ question in the “Ask Chuck” segment.

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Timeline:

(Timestamps may vary based on advertisements)

00:00 Chuck Todd’s introduction

01:45 America is going through a “Great Unraveling”

04:45 January 2026 has been a horrendous month in American history

05:45 We’re watching the collapse of consent

06:15 Federal agents involved in 2 fatal shootings in 3 week in Minneapolis

07:00 Alex Pretti was shot 10 times, this was an assassination

07:30 No consequences for agent that shot Renee Good sent a message

08:15 The federal government won’t uphold the law or constitutional rights

09:30 Administration officials make fools of themselves defending this

10:15 Alex Pretti was legally carrying his firearm

10:45 January 6th protestors were also armed

11:45 The federal government is behaving like fascists

12:45 What remains of the social contract?

13:15 Trump’s leadership is destroying everything we knew about America

14:00 Canada’s PM Mark Carney describes relations with U.S. as “ruptured”

14:45 The rules based order in splintering

15:15 TikTok deal was purely favoritism & media alignment for Trump allies

16:15 CDC now discarding science, openly questioning the polio vaccine

17:00 Government shutdown is coming later this week

18:00 100 years of consensus is shattering

19:00 Alex Pretti was carrying, not brandishing his weapon

19:45 Alex Pretti was killed in cold blood  

20:30 Thank god there was video, you can’t trust the federal government

21:00 Bystander video contradicts federal government account

21:45 Patel and Noem have no credibility outside of Trump’s base

22:45 Federal agents violated half the bill of rights in one incident

24:30 Middle powers can’t assume alignment with US gives stability

25:30 Canada’s response to Trump is seismic & entirely rational

26:30 The post WW2 order was held together by trust, & that’s been shattered

28:15 Trump’s appointees are making us vulnerable to eradicated diseases

29:30 TikTok will be used by Trump allies for political alignment

30:45 Unraveling isn’t destiny… it’s process

31:30 Trump is making us weaker, more vulnerable and poorer

32:45 We’re losing our country… literally

33:30 We can’t believe anything the federal government says

40:00 Adam Bhala Lough joins the Chuck ToddCast

42:30 Tech titans know the pitchforks are coming & are building bunkers

43:15 Did you create “Deepfaking Sam Altman” assuming the worst about AI?

45:00 The phrase Artificial Intelligence is great branding, but creates fear

46:15 How did you find funding for the documentary?

46:45 AI was one of the reasons the writer’s guild was protesting

47:30 Kids who grew up learning to code won’t have a job due to AI

48:15 Coding is now a useless skill when it was THE skill to have 10 years ago

50:15 Any job done on a computer could be gone within 3 years

50:45 Teaching critical thinking skills when a machine can do it for you?

53:00 Humans won’t be ok with robots replacing, but may not have a choice

53:30 If AI destroys humanity, it wouldn’t be deliberate

54:15 There’s a theory that AI would keep us around & find a use for us

55:00 Sam Altman has a giant collection of guns & weapons, like a prepper

55:45 Wealth creates a “prepper” mentality

57:00 There’s an obsession Silicon Valley with living forever

57:45 Was trying to interview Sam Altman always the premise of the doc?

58:45 Thought getting an interview with Sam Altman would be easy

59:15 Still haven’t heard from Altman in light of the documentary

1:00:45 What made you so threatening that Altman avoided you?

1:02:30 Other tech companies were more open to talking than OpenAI

1:03:15 Altman uses AI to read and summarize his emails, he doesn’t read them

1:04:00 Tech CEO’s tend to be antisocial, created platforms to compensate?

1:04:45 Many created products the world didn’t need just to get rich

1:06:00 Social media causes problems, but also have positives like Arab Spring

1:06:45 Totalitarian regimes found a way to weaponize social media

1:07:45 Chinese documentarian used AI to avoid government crackdown

1:09:15 Altman uses fear of China’s use of AI to avoid regulation & get investment

1:10:15 Sam Altman is a Marvel level super villain

1:10:45 Elon Musk is even more of a villain than Altman

1:11:15 Altman doesn’t have a personality, Elon has a crazy one

1:12:00 Google’s Gemini has caught up and surpassed ChatGPT

1:12:45 Altman could be a flash in the pan, or the next Steve Jobs

1:14:30 Steve Jobs and Sam Altman share a similar drive

1:15:45 Apple wouldn’t have been as successful under Wozniak, he’s too nice

1:17:00 You don’t have to be an asshole to be a successful tech CEO

1:18:30 Political leaders have given business leaders permission to be awful

1:19:00 What do you want people to take away from the documentary?

1:19:45 The best way to cure AI anxiety is to create a conversation about it

1:20:45 Concerned about legal exposure from the documentary?

1:21:15 The documentary shows how the deepfake was made

1:22:30 AI image & video generators should be forced to include a logo

1:23:15 What should politicians understand about AI regulation?

1:24:30 AI slop is getting harder than ever to identify as fake

1:26:15 AI will be an incredible tool for scamming people

1:27:00 People should have a safeword to avoid deepfake scams

1:29:15 AI will be very useful in creating archival footage

1:31:00 AI gets dystopian when you put it into weapons

1:32:30 What topics are you interested in covering next?

1:35:00 Terms & conditions that force arbitration is very coercive

1:37:15 Deepfaking Sam Altman took 18 months to create

1:41:30 Chuck’s thoughts on interview with Adam Bhala Lough

1:43:30 Elected Republicans trying to distance from Trump’s DHS

1:45:00 Marjorie Taylor-Greene argues the small c conservative position

1:46:00 MTG uses hypothetical shooting of a MAGA by Biden’s DOJ

1:48:00 Trump’s defenders try to blame Trump’s advisors rather than Trump

1:49:00 The administration is trampling the Bill of Rights

1:50:00 Minneapolis is a political disaster for Trump

1:51:00 Conservative pundits are pitching a Minneapolis off-ramp

1:52:45 Greg Bovino is trying invoke violence in the way he dresses

1:54:00 Trump’s coalition is breaking apart

1:55:45 ToddCast Time Machine

1:56:30 January 30th, 1972 - Bloody Sunday in Northern Ireland

1:57:45 British army turned into an occupying force

1:58:30 Unarmed civilians were shot by soldiers

1:59:00 Bloody Sunday ended the belief that the government could be neutral

2:00:00 When the state lies about violence, radicalism ensues

2:01:30 U2’s anthem about Bloody Sunday is expression of moral fatigue

2:02:30 Trump is the only person that can de-escalate and he refuses to

2:04:00 States tell themselves they are restoring order, consequences are permanent

2:04:45 Trust collapsed in Northern Island & happening now in Minneapolis

2:05:45 Ask Chuck

2:06:15 Agents involved in shootings weren’t new recruits?

2:11:00 How naive were we to think “it can’t happen here” How do we navigate it?

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Documentary filmmaker Adam Bhala Lough joins the Chuck ToddCast for a provocative, darkly funny, and unsettling conversation about AI, power, and the people building the future faster than anyone can regulate it. Lough unpacks the thinking behind his documentary Deepfaking Sam Altman, exploring why artificial intelligence inspires both awe and terror, how tech elites quietly prepare for social backlash, and why many of the skills we once told young people to master—like coding—may soon be obsolete. From Silicon Valley’s obsession with immortality and bunker-building to the fear that any job done on a computer could disappear within a few years, the discussion confronts what happens when innovation outruns accountability.

The episode also dives deep into Sam Altman’s mystique, Silicon Valley’s moral blind spots, and how fear—of China, regulation, or losing dominance—is used to shape public debate around AI. Lough explains how deepfakes are made, why AI-driven scams are about to explode, and what lawmakers fundamentally misunderstand about regulating rapidly evolving technology. Ultimately, this conversation argues that the antidote to AI anxiety isn’t panic or denial—but transparency, literacy, and a serious public reckoning with who controls the tools reshaping human society.

Timeline:

00:00 Adam Bhala Lough joins the Chuck ToddCast

02:30 Tech titans know the pitchforks are coming & are building bunkers

03:15 Did you create “Deepfaking Sam Altman” assuming the worst about AI?

05:00 The phrase Artificial Intelligence is great branding, but creates fear

06:15 How did you find funding for the documentary?

06:45 AI was one of the reasons the writer’s guild was protesting

07:30 Kids who grew up learning to code won’t have a job due to AI

08:15 Coding is now a useless skill when it was THE skill to have 10 years ago

10:15 Any job done on a computer could be gone within 3 years

10:45 Teaching critical thinking skills when a machine can do it for you?

13:00 Humans won’t be ok with robots replacing, but may not have a choice

13:30 If AI destroys humanity, it wouldn’t be deliberate

14:15 There’s a theory that AI would keep us around & find a use for us

15:00 Sam Altman has a giant collection of guns & weapons, like a prepper

15:45 Wealth creates a “prepper” mentality

17:00 There’s an obsession Silicon Valley with living forever

17:45 Was trying to interview Sam Altman always the premise of the doc?

18:45 Thought getting an interview with Sam Altman would be easy

19:15 Still haven’t heard from Altman in light of the documentary

20:45 What made you so threatening that Altman avoided you?

22:30 Other tech companies were more open to talking than OpenAI

23:15 Altman uses AI to read and summarize his emails, he doesn’t read them

24:00 Tech CEO’s tend to be antisocial, created platforms to compensate?

24:45 Many created products the world didn’t need just to get rich

26:00 Social media causes problems, but also have positives like Arab Spring

26:45 Totalitarian regimes found a way to weaponize social media

27:45 Chinese documentarian used AI to avoid government crackdown

29:15 Altman uses fear of China’s use of AI to avoid regulation & get investment

30:15 Sam Altman is a Marvel level super villain

30:45 Elon Musk is even more of a villain than Altman

31:15 Altman doesn’t have a personality, Elon has a crazy one

32:00 Google’s Gemini has caught up and surpassed ChatGPT

32:45 Altman could be a flash in the pan, or the next Steve Jobs

34:30 Steve Jobs and Sam Altman share a similar drive

35:45 Apple wouldn’t have been as successful under Wozniak, he’s too nice

37:00 You don’t have to be an asshole to be a successful tech CEO

38:30 Political leaders have given business leaders permission to be awful

39:00 What do you want people to take away from the documentary?

39:45 The best way to cure AI anxiety is to create a conversation about it

40:45 Concerned about legal exposure from the documentary?

41:15 The documentary shows how the deepfake was made

42:30 AI image & video generators should be forced to include a logo

43:15 What should politicians understand about AI regulation?

44:30 AI slop is getting harder than ever to identify as fake

46:15 AI will be an incredible tool for scamming people

47:00 People should have a safeword to avoid deepfake scams

49:15 AI will be very useful in creating archival footage

51:00 AI gets dystopian when you put it into weapons

52:30 What topics are you interested in covering next?

55:00 Terms & conditions that force arbitration is very coercive

57:15 Deepfaking Sam Altman took 18 months to create

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this special episode of the Chuck ToddCast, Chuck addresses the latest fatal shooting by federal immigration agents in Minneapolis, the third such incident in recent weeks amid the Trump administration’s intensified enforcement operations. A man was shot and killed by federal officers during an ICE-linked operation, reigniting outrage and controversy over the use of force by federal law enforcement and further eroding trust in the Department of Homeland Security’s narrative after Minneapolis residents and officials disputed the official account and demanded transparency.

Chuck unpacks why video and witness accounts have raised serious questions about the necessity and proportionality of deadly force, why many critics call for a neutral, third-party investigation rather than relying on the federal government’s account, and how this incident compounds public concerns about aggressive policing tactics and civil liberties in enforcement operations. He also explores how the recurring confrontations between federal agents and Minneapolis residents are fueling broader political backlash, deepening tensions between local and federal authorities, and challenging Americans’ confidence in how federal agencies conduct operations on U.S. soil.

Timeline:

00:00 Chuck Todd’s introduction

00:30 Another Minneapolis resident shot dead by federal agents

01:15 Video is disturbing. Man looked to be subdued before being shot

01:45 DHS says man was armed, didn’t say he was brandishing it

02:15 Conceal carry & open carry are allowed in Minnesota with permit

03:15 DHS has very low credibility with the press & the public

04:30 Why did agents back away and shoot rather than cuff the suspect

05:15 We need a neutral investigation into the shooting

06:00 We can’t trust the story from the federal government

07:00 The grotesque policing by ICE is incredibly unpopular

07:30 DHS used bloodthirsty rhetoric in recruiting videos

09:00 The administration has deliberately put Minneapolis in harm’s way

10:30 ICE are untrained thugs attacking Americans

11:30 Trump donors that employ undocumented workers aren’t targeted

12:30 It feels like ICE is looking for a fight

13:45 American wants law enforcement to follow the law

14:30 The federal government & their agents are on a power trip

16:00 How DHS words their statements is very telling

16:45 Need a third party investigation since DHS can’t be trusted

18:00 The reputation of every law enforcement agency has been tarnished

18:45 Kristi Noem is the obvious scapegoat if Trump wants an offramp

19:30 Where are all the libertarians and small government conservatives?

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Chuck Todd opens with the unraveling of Trump's Iran peace talks and the president's threat of a naval blockade, breaking down why the administration has far less leverage than it's letting on, why Iran's control of the Strait of Hormuz puts Trump in a corner with only two real choices—escalate or capitulate—and why markets have been dangerously complacent as the economic hit accelerates and consumer confidence sinks below COVID-era lows. From there, Chuck digs into the collapse of Eric Swalwell's career amid sexual abuse allegations and the bipartisan push to expel him along with three other members of Congress, the wide-open and underwhelming California governor's race left behind by a weak Democratic field and Tom Steyer's charmless self-promotion, the curious Roger Stone–Tulsi Gabbard connection and their shared Russia sympathies, and Trump's promise of preemptive pardons for White House staff—making the case for why Congress urgently needs a commission on the pardon power.

Finally, Chuck hops into the ToddCast Time Machine to revisit the Bay of Pigs debacle under John F. Kennedy and why that event still reverberates today, and answers listeners’ questions in the “Ask Chuck” segment. 

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Timeline:

(Timestamps may vary based on advertisements)

00:00 Chuck Todd’s introduction

04:00 Trump threatens naval blockade after Iran peace talks fall apart

05:00 Trump admin has less leverage in talks than they’re letting on

05:30 Trump’s stupid rhetoric is not harmless

06:00 Control over the Strait is biggest piece of leverage & Iran has it

07:00 Will Trump send in ground troops if he can’t get what he wants?

08:30 Trump only has two choices: Escalate or capitulate

09:30 If Trump’s lucky he can get the Obama nuclear deal, but that’s unlikely

10:45 Markets will likely panic, they’ve been too complacent so far

12:15 Trump is begging for deal to save face and the Iranians know it

13:15 Trump keeps declaring victory despite reality being the opposite

15:00 Trump doesn’t understand regime, thinks they’re transactional like him

16:00 Iran looking like past failed military operations like Vietnam & Iraq

18:00 Iran saw Libya give up nuclear ambitions & regime was toppled

20:00 Economic hit is happening, consumer confidence lower than COVID

21:30 As Iran talks fell apart, Trump & Rubio were attending UFC fight

23:00 Rubio knows better, but has fallen in line anyway

24:30 Eric Swalwell’s campaign falls apart after allegations of sexual abuse

25:30 Rumors of Swalwell’s behavior existed for years

27:00 Swalwell is only denying criminal behavior, not all the allegations

28:45 Swalwell is trying hard to say he’s not Bill Cosby… he’s Bill Clinton

29:30 Push to expel Swalwell & possibly 3 other members of congress

31:00 It’s politically convenient for leadership to agree to boot them all

33:00 Will congress hold their members to a higher standard than the POTUS?

35:00 It’s likely all four members will get expelled 

35:45 California dems had been reluctantly rallying around Swalwell 

37:00 Major Democrats passed on running for CA gov, leaving weak field

38:15 Hard to blame Newsom for not setting up an “heir apparent”

39:00 Tom Steyer has spent an insane amount of money to promote himself

40:00 You need to have charm in politics, and Steyer doesn’t have it

41:30 Should prominent California dems all endorse the same person?

43:30 Schiff, Padilla, Harris & Newsom may need to play kingmaker

45:00 Likely there will be two weak candidates heading into November

46:30 Stories coming out that Roger Stone saved Tulsi Gabbard

47:15 Both Stone & Gabbard have been pro-Russia… coincidence?

47:45 Trump promises preemptive pardons for WH staff

48:45 We need a congressional commission on pardons

53:45 ToddCast Time Machine - Too many huge historical events to choose from

55:45 April 1961 - Bay of Pigs

56:30 Nixon meets with Castro after Eisenhower refused to

58:00 There a back and forth over whether to embrace or shun Castro

58:30 Cold War tensions were very high when the Bay of Pigs happens

59:15 Bay of Pigs was a presidential approved operation before JFK took office

1:01:00 Kennedy’s hands were tied by his predecessor

1:01:45 The plan required air superiority, but Castro’s air force had survived

1:02:45 Castro arrests more than 100,000 suspected dissidents

1:04:30 Most of the participants are captured

1:05:00 Kennedy promised a free Havana that never transpired

1:05:45 Cuban Americans became reliable Republican voters under Reagan

1:07:15 Ask Chuck

1:07:30 Will congress ever vote against rebuilding military after president launches war?

1:12:00 Why is the market not really reacting to the Iran war?

1:14:30 As norms become tested, will congress every reassert its role?

1:20:45 Outside of your Top 5 senate flips, what are your 6-10?

1:25:45 Suggestions to fix the NBA

1:28:45 Does anyone use Camp David since Trump doesn’t?

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this “TACO Trump Thursday” episode of the Chuck ToddCast, Chuck breaks down how market pressure forced Donald Trump to abruptly back off his Greenland threats and announce a face-saving deal—one that looks suspiciously like what already existed—underscoring how easily Trump can be manipulated and how desperate he is to cement a sense of historical relevance. Even as Republicans in Congress continue to appease him, the damage to America’s relationships with Canada and Europe is already done, and Trump’s indifference to NATO and unilateral approach ensures lasting consequences well beyond any short-term retreat. The conversation then turns to the political fallout at home: the perilous midterm landscape for Democrats, a messy Minnesota Senate race, why conventional Republicans still can’t win blue-leaning states without a net-positive environment, and how figures like Bill Cassidy may have no path forward inside today’s GOP. Chuck also digs into the Democratic Party’s looming 2028 calendar fight, arguing the DNC should rethink its early-state strategy by looking hard at Iowa, Kansas, and Nebraska—and remembering that winning rural America, not just big cities, is the only way to build a durable majority.

Finally, Chuck answers listeners’ questions and explains a gripe he has with the baseball Hall of Fame.

Get your wardrobe sorted and your gift list handled with Quince. Don't wait! Go to https://Quince.com/CHUCK for free shipping on your order and 365-day returns. Now available in Canada, too!

Protect your family with life insurance from Ethos. Get up to $3 million in coverage in as little as 10 minutes at https://ethos.com/chuck. Application times may vary. Rates may vary.

Thank you Wildgrain for sponsoring. Visit http://wildgrain.com/TODDCAST and use the code "TODDCAST" at checkout to receive $30 off your first box PLUS free Croissants for life!

Timeline:

(Timestamps may vary based on advertisements)

00:00 Chuck Todd’s introduction - Welcome to TACO Thursday

00:30 Trump backs off Greenland threats & announces deal after markets tank

02:30 Mark Carney’s speech to Davos resonated & he won’t back off it

04:00 Trump is an easy mark, and a frustrating mark

04:30 They’re likely copy+pasting the same deal we had, but Trump signs it

05:30 Republicans in congress know they have to appease Trump

06:30 Trump is desperate to be historically relevant & will be

07:15 Trump did terrible damage to American relationship with Canada & Europe

08:15 Trump doesn’t care if NATO survives or will abide by the treaty

10:00 Trump backing down won’t change the trajectory of how other countries act

10:45 Trump’s unilateral actions will have consequences

12:15 Feels like a time the out party wins everything, but it’s a tough path for Dems

13:30 Democrats need to be careful with candidate selection to win midterms

14:15 Michelle Tafoya announces senate bid in Minnesota

15:00 Tafoya hasn’t announced much policy, mostly just anti-woke rhetoric

16:30 The Democratic senate primary in Minnesota has been messy

18:15 Conventional conservative Republican doesn’t win in Minnesota

19:30 Republicans would need to be in a net-positive environment to win Minnesota

21:15 If Susan Collins doesn’t run, Maine is off the board for Republicans

22:15 Julia Letlow announces race, promises to be rubber stamp for Trump

23:45 GOP establishment won’t get involved in helping Bill Cassidy

24:30 Cassidy’s only path to winning seat is to run as Independent

26:45 Paul Finnebaum will struggle to run in Alabama after Trump endorsement

28:30 Twelve states applied to be first in the nation for Democrats in 2028

29:30 Iowa should be the first in the nation Dem state

30:45 Iowa has been good to the Democratic party, just not the Clintons

32:45 Just winning Des Moines isn’t enough, you have to win rural areas

34:30 Big Super PAC money can overwhelm in the bigger states

37:15 DNC should look at Iowa, Kansas and Nebraska

45:00 Ask Chuck

45:45 Why are so many senators unwilling to challenge Trump on foreign policy?

51:15 Do political teams consult psychologists when dealing with Trump?

55:30 Why hasn’t Trump’s lack of student loan repayment program gotten attention?

58:45 Is it crazy to think that California could become a swing state?

1:02:45 Chances of Mike Johnson refusing to certify and seat a Democratic congress?

1:07:30 Baseball Hall of Fame has made itself irrelevant

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this “TACO Trump Thursday” episode of the Chuck ToddCast, Chuck breaks down how market pressure forced Donald Trump to abruptly back off his Greenland threats and announce a face-saving deal—one that looks suspiciously like what already existed—underscoring how easily Trump can be manipulated and how desperate he is to cement a sense of historical relevance. Even as Republicans in Congress continue to appease him, the damage to America’s relationships with Canada and Europe is already done, and Trump’s indifference to NATO and unilateral approach ensures lasting consequences well beyond any short-term retreat. The conversation then turns to the political fallout at home: the perilous midterm landscape for Democrats, a messy Minnesota Senate race, why conventional Republicans still can’t win blue-leaning states without a net-positive environment, and how figures like Bill Cassidy may have no path forward inside today’s GOP. Chuck also digs into the Democratic Party’s looming 2028 calendar fight, arguing the DNC should rethink its early-state strategy by looking hard at Iowa, Kansas, and Nebraska—and remembering that winning rural America, not just big cities, is the only way to build a durable majority.

Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey joins the Chuck ToddCast to discuss the unprecedented federal immigration enforcement crisis unfolding in his city as masked ICE and DHS agents have effectively occupied Minneapolis in what appears to be an operation designed more for political retribution than public safety. Frey explains the complex dynamics between city, state, and federal authority, noting that Minneapolis maintains a policy of not coordinating with federal immigration enforcement because police officers should focus on keeping communities safe rather than targeting immigrants. He reveals alarming constitutional violations, including non-white off-duty Minneapolis police officers being racially profiled and harassed by ICE agents and residents being stopped and asked for ID based on their accents. With Minneapolis already critically understaffed on police officers per capita, the massive imbalance between local law enforcement and ICE agents has created a tenuous situation where police are forced to respond to citizens being harassed while protesters exercise their First Amendment rights.

The crisis has been compounded by what Frey describes as a weaponized Department of Justice that can't be trusted, evidenced by his office receiving a subpoena.The mayor emphasizes that much of the federal action stems from a fraud issue that had nothing to do with illegal immigration, yet racist attacks on the Somali community followed—despite the fact that Somalis in Minneapolis came legally as refugees and most are U.S. citizens. Frey has held discussions with Governor Tim Walz about potentially deploying the Minnesota National Guard and worries about his ability to conduct a real investigation into the shooting of Renee Good by ICE. Frey contends the operation is designed to whip the public into a frenzy rather than address genuine immigration concerns.

Finally, Chuck answers listeners’ questions and explains a gripe he has with the baseball Hall of Fame.

Get your wardrobe sorted and your gift list handled with Quince. Don't wait! Go to https://Quince.com/CHUCK for free shipping on your order and 365-day returns. Now available in Canada, too!

Protect your family with life insurance from Ethos. Get up to $3 million in coverage in as little as 10 minutes at https://ethos.com/chuck. Application times may vary. Rates may vary.

Thank you Wildgrain for sponsoring. Visit http://wildgrain.com/TODDCAST and use the code "TODDCAST" at checkout to receive $30 off your first box PLUS free Croissants for life!

Timeline:

(Timestamps may vary based on advertisements)

00:00 Chuck Todd’s introduction - Welcome to TACO Thursday

00:30 Trump backs off Greenland threats & announces deal after markets tank

02:30 Mark Carney’s speech to Davos resonated & he won’t back off it

04:00 Trump is an easy mark, and a frustrating mark

04:30 They’re likely copy+pasting the same deal we had, but Trump signs it

05:30 Republicans in congress know they have to appease Trump

06:30 Trump is desperate to be historically relevant & will be

07:15 Trump did terrible damage to American relationship with Canada & Europe

08:15 Trump doesn’t care if NATO survives or will abide by the treaty

10:00 Trump backing down won’t change the trajectory of how other countries act

12:30 Trump’s unilateral actions will have consequences

14:00 Feels like a time the out party wins everything, but it’s a tough path for Dems

15:15 Democrats need to be careful with candidate selection to win midterms

16:00 Michelle Tafoya announces senate bid in Minnesota

16:45 Tafoya hasn’t announced much policy, mostly just anti-woke rhetoric

18:15 The Democratic senate primary in Minnesota has been messy

20:00 Conventional conservative Republican doesn’t win in Minnesota

21:15 Republicans would need to be in a net-positive environment to win Minnesota

23:00 If Susan Collins doesn’t run, Maine is off the board for Republicans

24:00 Julia Letlow announces race, promises to be rubber stamp for Trump

25:30 GOP establishment won’t get involved in helping Bill Cassidy

26:15 Cassidy’s only path to winning seat is to run as Independent

28:30 Paul Finnebaum will struggle to run in Alabama after Trump endorsement

30:15 Twelve states applied to be first in the nation for Democrats in 2028

31:15 Iowa should be the first in the nation Dem state

32:30 Iowa has been good to the Democratic party, just not the Clintons

34:30 Just winning Des Moines isn’t enough, you have to win rural areas

36:15 Big Super PAC money can overwhelm in the bigger states

39:00 DNC should look at Iowa, Kansas and Nebraska

47:15 Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey joins the Chuck ToddCast

47:45 Structure of Minneapolis law enforcement & the mayor’s powers

49:00 What is the line between city & state, and federal vs. state/city authority?

49:45 Minneapolis officials don’t coordinate with feds on immigration

50:45 Police officers should keep community safe, not target immigrants

51:45 Would you release a proven criminal into ICE custody?

53:15 Escalation with ICE & DHS went from 0-100 in Minneapolis

54:00 OMB sent a letter threatening to cut all fed funds over DEI

55:00 DHS seems intent on political retribution, not safety or immigration

56:45 There was a real issue with fraud, & racist attacks on Somalis followed

57:30 Somalis in Minneapolis came legally as refugees, most are citizens

58:15 Fraud issue had nothing to do with illegal immigrants

59:30 Is ICE responsible for longer 911 wait times?

1:00:00 Minneapolis is very low on police officers per capita

1:00:30 There’s a massive imbalance between police officers & ICE agents

1:01:00 What are the police supposed to do if citizens are harassed by ICE?

1:02:15 Police are forced into a difficult & tenuous situation dealing with ICE

1:03:15 Do you believe the ICE operations are designed to provoke a response?

1:03:45 ICE are trying to whip the public into a frenzy

1:04:30 Is there a legal avenue for you to push back against DHS/ICE?

1:05:30 There have been unimaginable constitutional violations by ICE

1:06:30 Non-white off duty Minneapolis officers have been harassed by ICE

1:07:45 People are being racially profiled and asked for their ID

1:08:45 ICE needs to be better trained and have a moral compass

1:09:30 Police received a call from a 5 year old whose parents were taken

1:10:15 Worried that residents could take matters into their own hands?

1:11:15 Has the “No ICE on city property” policy worked?

1:12:15 There have been talks with Tim Walz over deploying MN national guard

1:13:30 What’s behind the subpoena received by the mayor’s office?

1:14:00 DOJ is being weaponized to target leaders that disagree with Trump

1:15:00 The current Department of Justice can’t be trusted

1:16:30 There’s so much value to having career civil servants over political loyalists

1:18:30 There’s been a failure to believe that Trump will do what he says he’ll do

1:19:15 Any end in sight to the ICE occupation of Minneapolis?

1:20:00 Will you be able to do a real investigation into the shooting of Renee Good?

1:22:00 Ask Chuck

1:22:45 Why are so many senators unwilling to challenge Trump on foreign policy?

1:28:15 Do political teams consult psychologists when dealing with Trump?

1:32:30 Why hasn’t Trump’s lack of student loan repayment program gotten attention?

1:35:45 Is it crazy to think that California could become a swing state?

1:39:45 Chances of Mike Johnson refusing to certify and seat a Democratic congress?

1:44:30 Baseball Hall of Fame has made itself irrelevant

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey joins the Chuck ToddCast to discuss the unprecedented federal immigration enforcement crisis unfolding in his city as masked ICE and DHS agents have effectively occupied Minneapolis in what appears to be an operation designed more for political retribution than public safety. Frey explains the complex dynamics between city, state, and federal authority, noting that Minneapolis maintains a policy of not coordinating with federal immigration enforcement because police officers should focus on keeping communities safe rather than targeting immigrants. He reveals alarming constitutional violations, including non-white off-duty Minneapolis police officers being racially profiled and harassed by ICE agents and residents being stopped and asked for ID based on their accents. With Minneapolis already critically understaffed on police officers per capita, the massive imbalance between local law enforcement and ICE agents has created a tenuous situation where police are forced to respond to citizens being harassed while protesters exercise their First Amendment rights.

The crisis has been compounded by what Frey describes as a weaponized Department of Justice that can't be trusted, evidenced by his office receiving a subpoena. The mayor emphasizes that much of the federal action stems from a fraud issue that had nothing to do with illegal immigration, yet racist attacks on the Somali community followed—despite the fact that Somalis in Minneapolis came legally as refugees and most are U.S. citizens. Frey has held discussions with Governor Tim Walz about potentially deploying the Minnesota National Guard and worries about his ability to conduct a real investigation into the shooting of Renee Good by ICE. Frey contends the operation is designed to whip the public into a frenzy rather than address genuine immigration concerns.

Get your wardrobe sorted and your gift list handled with Quince. Don't wait! Go to https://Quince.com/CHUCK for free shipping on your order and 365-day returns. Now available in Canada, too!

Protect your family with life insurance from Ethos. Get up to $3 million in coverage in as little as 10 minutes at https://ethos.com/chuck. Application times may vary. Rates may vary.

Thank you Wildgrain for sponsoring. Visit http://wildgrain.com/TODDCAST and use the code "TODDCAST" at checkout to receive $30 off your first box PLUS free Croissants for life!

Timeline:

(Timestamps may vary based on advertisements)

00:00 Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey joins the Chuck ToddCast

00:30 Structure of Minneapolis law enforcement & the mayor’s powers

01:45 What is the line between city & state, and federal vs. state/city authority?

02:30 Minneapolis officials don’t coordinate with feds on immigration

03:30 Police officers should keep community safe, not target immigrants

04:30 Would you release a proven criminal into ICE custody?

06:00 Escalation with ICE & DHS went from 0-100 in Minneapolis

06:45 OMB sent a letter threatening to cut all fed funds over DEI

07:45 DHS seems intent on political retribution, not safety or immigration

09:30 There was a real issue with fraud, & racist attacks on Somalis followed

10:15 Somalis in Minneapolis came legally as refugees, most are citizens

11:00 Fraud issue had nothing to do with illegal immigrants

12:15 Is ICE responsible for longer 911 wait times?

12:45 Minneapolis is very low on police officers per capita

13:15 There’s a massive imbalance between police officers & ICE agents

13:45 What are the police supposed to do if citizens are harassed by ICE?

15:00 Police are forced into a difficult & tenuous situation dealing with ICE

16:00 Do you believe the ICE operations are designed to provoke a response?

16:30 ICE are trying to whip the public into a frenzy

17:15 Is there a legal avenue for you to push back against DHS/ICE?

18:15 There have been unimaginable constitutional violations by ICE

19:15 Non-white off duty Minneapolis officers have been harassed by ICE

20:30 People are being racially profiled and asked for their ID

21:30 ICE needs to be better trained and have a moral compass

22:15 Police received a call from a 5 year old whose parents were taken

23:00 Worried that residents could take matters into their own hands?

24:00 Has the “No ICE on city property” policy worked?

25:00 There have been talks with Tim Walz over deploying MN national guard

26:15 What’s behind the subpoena received by the mayor’s office?

26:45 DOJ is being weaponized to target leaders that disagree with Trump

27:45 The current Department of Justice can’t be trusted

29:15 There’s so much value to having career civil servants over political loyalists

31:15 There’s been a failure to believe that Trump will do what he says he’ll do

32:00 Any end in sight to the ICE occupation of Minneapolis?

32:45 Will you be able to do a real investigation into the shooting of Renee Good?

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode of the Chuck ToddCast, Chuck delivers a blunt warning about how Donald Trump’s erratic, ahistorical tariff strategy is pushing the United States toward a self-inflicted crisis—one that could even stumble into war. With none of the usual political penalties applying to Trump, elected Republicans have opted for fearful silence, becoming complicit as tariffs punish American taxpayers and U.S. credibility abroad rapidly erodes. Americans, worn down by “Trump Exhaustion Syndrome” and the lack of consequences after January 6th, are watching as the last real guardrail—the economy—buckles under market turmoil, while Congress and the Supreme Court delay or abdicate their responsibility to act. 

The episode underscores the extraordinary global fallout: Canada openly questioning whether it can rely on the U.S., wargaming invasion scenarios, pursuing “strategic autonomy,” and calling for new middle-power alliances even as it reaffirms commitment to NATO. As isolationism spreads and the rules-based order America once led begins to fracture, Chuck argues that only a congressional reckoning—or a midterm revolt—can halt the damage and preserve the country’s democratic institutions.

Finally, Chuck updates his ToddCast Top 5 senate seats Democrats are most likely to flip in the midterms, answers listeners’ questions in the “Ask Chuck” segment and recaps his experience at the college football national championship game… and the insane prices being charged to attend. 

Get your wardrobe sorted and your gift list handled with Quince. Don't wait! Go to https://Quince.com/CHUCK for free shipping on your order and 365-day returns. Now available in Canada, too!

Protect your family with life insurance from Ethos. Get up to $3 million in coverage in as little as 10 minutes at https://ethos.com/chuck. Application times may vary. Rates may vary.

Thank you Wildgrain for sponsoring. Visit http://wildgrain.com/TODDCAST and use the code "TODDCAST" at checkout to receive $30 off your first box PLUS free Croissants for life! 

Timeline:

(Timestamps may vary based on advertisements)

00:00 Chuck Todd’s introduction

02:00 Trump is potentially stumbling into a war over tariffs

03:00 Trump’s strategy is erratic & detached from historical norms

03:45 None of the usual political penalties apply to Trump

04:15 Canada is preparing & worrying that U.S. could invade

04:45 Trump’s tariffs punish the American taxpayer

05:30 Elected Republicans are afraid of voicing dissent

06:45 Republicans choose silence & makes them complicit

08:00 Americans are numb, suffering from “Trump Exhaustion Syndrome”

09:00 Lack of consequences for January 6th emboldened Trump

10:45 Trump has weakened American credibility abroad

12:00 There’s little check left in the GOP to prevent damage

12:30 The only guardrail left is the economy and markets, which cratered

14:15 Isolationism is terrible politics and terrible for the country

15:15 Congress is the only institution that can stop Trump & is abdicating

16:15 SCOTUS delays ruling on tariffs, making them hard to unwind

17:15 It’s possible the midterms become a revolt & sober up the GOP

17:45 Trump is affected by the “political YOLO virus”

18:30 Mitch McConnell could have changed the course of history, and didn’t

19:30 Trump has made America most vulnerable & isolated in decades

21:00 Canadian PM gives Davos speech pleading with Americans

22:00 When America chooses isolationism, so will everyone else

23:00 Canada has shifted toward “strategic autonomy”

24:15 Carney is saying Canada can’t rely on the United States

25:00 Canada is wargaming for an invasion from the south

25:45 Canada proposes a middle power trading bloc

27:15 Carney says Canada stands committed to NATO’s Article 5

27:45 Canada looking for new partners to confront an aggressive U.S.

28:30 America has thrived atop the rules based order, and is risking everything

30:45 25th Amendment intended for true incapacitation

31:30 Congress has to do its job to preserve the America we love

38:30 Chuck’s thoughts on interview with Gina Hinojosa

40:00 ToddCast Top 5 seats Democrats can win & flip senate

42:45 #1 North Carolina & #2 Maine

46:30 #3 Michigan

49:45 #4 Ohio

51:15 #5 Alaska

54:30 Ask Chuck

55:15 Which presidency would be more dangerous… Trump or Vance?

59:30 If most Americans are center left or right, why can’t we elect centrists?

1:04:15 Would military action against a treaty ally be considered an illegal order?

1:07:45 How should the country resolve insider trading on the prediction markets?

1:09:15 Reaction to Indiana winning National Championship over Miami

1:19:30 The prices at the National Championship were highway robbery

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode of the Chuck ToddCast, Chuck delivers a blunt warning about how Donald Trump’s erratic, ahistorical tariff strategy is pushing the United States toward a self-inflicted crisis—one that could even stumble into war. With none of the usual political penalties applying to Trump, elected Republicans have opted for fearful silence, becoming complicit as tariffs punish American taxpayers and U.S. credibility abroad rapidly erodes. Americans, worn down by “Trump Exhaustion Syndrome” and the lack of consequences after January 6th, are watching as the last real guardrail—the economy—buckles under market turmoil, while Congress and the Supreme Court delay or abdicate their responsibility to act. The episode underscores the extraordinary global fallout: Canada openly questioning whether it can rely on the U.S., wargaming invasion scenarios, pursuing “strategic autonomy,” and calling for new middle-power alliances even as it reaffirms commitment to NATO. As isolationism spreads and the rules-based order America once led begins to fracture, Chuck argues that only a congressional reckoning—or a midterm revolt—can halt the damage and preserve the country’s democratic institutions.

Gina Hinojosa, a Texas state representative and Democratic candidate for governor, joins Chuck to discuss how the school choice debate has created unexpected opportunities for Democrats in traditionally red states. Hinojosa, who entered politics through school board advocacy to save her son's school, argues that corruption—not ideology—is the biggest driver of Texas politics. She accuses Governor Greg Abbott of holding school funding hostage to push through a voucher program, forcing closures across the state while Texas ranks in the bottom three nationally for education funding. Hinojosa contends that vouchers lack transparency and accountability, and notes that even Trump-voting Texas women have joined the fight against them. She criticizes charter schools for cherry-picking students while taking public resources, and highlights how special education funding has been systematically cut, leaving expensive and crucial services unmet.

Beyond education, Hinojosa paints a broader picture of dysfunction in Texas, claiming Abbott has awarded $1 billion in no-bid contracts to donors—what she calls the "Greg Abbott corruption tax"—and pointing to failures in the state's deregulated electric grid, border policy, and treatment of vulnerable communities. She argues that Texas operates as a three-party state, with two Republican wings and Democrats, and describes how Abbott used millions to primary moderate "Bush Republicans," successfully defeating nine incumbents who wouldn't toe the line. While acknowledging challenges like the border security issue that flipped the Rio Grande Valley toward Trump and ICE enforcement she describes as "terrorizing communities," Hinojosa sees opportunities in growing business community frustration over tariffs and deportations. She emphasizes that despite Texas's economic power and population growth—which will add 4-5 congressional districts—ordinary Texans aren't benefiting, with small business owners earning less than the national average and electric bills skyrocketing due to data center demand and grid mismanagement.

Finally, Chuck updates his ToddCast Top 5 senate seats Democrats are most likely to flip in the midterms, answers listeners’ questions in the “Ask Chuck” segment and recaps his experience at the college football national championship game… and the insane prices being charged to attend. 

Get your wardrobe sorted and your gift list handled with Quince. Don't wait! Go to https://Quince.com/CHUCK for free shipping on your order and 365-day returns. Now available in Canada, too!

Protect your family with life insurance from Ethos. Get up to $3 million in coverage in as little as 10 minutes at https://ethos.com/chuck. Application times may vary. Rates may vary.

Thank you Wildgrain for sponsoring. Visit http://wildgrain.com/TODDCAST and use the code "TODDCAST" at checkout to receive $30 off your first box PLUS free Croissants for life! 

Timeline:

(Timestamps may vary based on advertisements)

00:00 Chuck Todd’s introduction

06:00 Trump is potentially stumbling into a war over tariffs

07:00 Trump’s strategy is erratic & detached from historical norms

07:45 None of the usual political penalties apply to Trump

08:15 Canada is preparing & worrying that U.S. could invade

08:45 Trump’s tariffs punish the American taxpayer

09:30 Elected Republicans are afraid of voicing dissent

10:45 Republicans choose silence & makes them complicit

12:00 Americans are numb, suffering from “Trump Exhaustion Syndrome”

13:00 Lack of consequences for January 6th emboldened Trump

14:45 Trump has weakened American credibility abroad

16:00 There’s little check left in the GOP to prevent damage

16:30 The only guardrail left is the economy and markets, which crated

18:15 Isolationism is terrible politics and terrible for the country

19:15 Congress is the only institution that can stop Trump & is abdicating

20:15 SCOTUS delays ruling on tariffs, making them hard to unwind

21:15 It’s possible the midterms become a revolt & sober up the GOP

21:45 Trump is affected by the “political YOLO virus”

22:30 Mitch McConnell could have changed the course of history, and didn’t

23:30 Trump has made America most vulnerable & isolated in decades

25:00 Canadian PM gives Davos speech pleading with Americans

26:00 When America chooses isolationism, so will everyone else

27:00 Canada has shifted toward “strategic autonomy”

28:15 Carney is saying Canada can’t rely on the United States

29:00 Canada is wargaming for an invasion from the south

29:45 Canada proposes a middle power trading bloc

31:15 Carney says Canada stands committed to NATO’s Article 5

31:45 Canada looking for new partners to confront an aggressive U.S.

32:30 America has thrived atop the rules based order, and is risking everything

34:45 25th Amendment intended for true incapacitation

35:30 Congress has to do its job to preserve the America we love

42:45 Gina Hinojosa joins the Chuck ToddCast

43:45 School choice issue has opened the door for Dems in red states

45:15 Gina’s background in education & school board politics

46:45 Ran for school board to save her son’s school

47:15 Greg Abbott is reallocating money, forcing school closures

48:00 Corruption is biggest driver of politics in Texas

48:45 Consultants & vendors use part time legislators to make money

49:30 Schools closing all over Texas due to budget cuts & vouchers

50:45 Abbott held school funding hostage trying to pass voucher program

51:15 Texas is bottom 3 in the country for school funding

52:45 Texas women who voted Trump joined fight against vouchers

54:00 Vouchers have no transparency or accountability

55:15 The school funding model hasn’t changed since industrial age

56:30 Do you support Texas’s “recapture” funding model?

57:45 The recaptured money is being wasted

59:15 Student testing and NAEP scores are decreasing overall

1:00:30 Teachers deserve to be treated and paid like professional

1:01:15 Special needs students can attend private school funded by state

1:02:15 Special education is very expensive & requests go unmet

1:03:30 State cut corners to avoid paying for special ed students

1:05:00 Charter schools take public resources but not all kids

1:06:00 Charter schools deny admission to kids with disciplinary records

1:07:30 Education paid for by Texas property taxes which have skyrocketed

1:08:00 Texans pay the “Greg Abbott corruption tax”

1:08:45 Abbott has given $1 billion dollars in no-bid contracts to donors

1:10:30 The corruption issue is ripe but the electorate is cynical on both sides

1:12:00 Abbott’s corruption is the #1 talking point in the Republican primary

1:13:15 Gas companies let Texans freeze until prices spiked high enough

1:15:15 Border security issue led to Rio Grande valley voting for Trump

1:16:45 Biden was able to fix border issues, just took too long to do it

1:17:15 Deportations flipped political sentiment in Rio Grande valley

1:18:45 ICE is terrorizing communities

1:19:30 Masked law enforcement should be illegal

1:20:30 Texas is a three party state: Two GOP wings & Democrats

1:21:15 How can you grow the Democratic party in Texas?

1:22:30 The “Bush Republicans” in TX can’t vote their districts or conscience

1:23:00 Abbott used millions to primary Bush Republicans & 9 lost their race

1:24:15 Is the GOP nationalizing the race your biggest challenge?

1:25:15 Texas will gain 4-5 congressional districts due to growth

1:27:30 The business community in TX is mad at tariffs & deportations

1:28:15 People of Texas aren’t benefiting from their economic power

1:30:00 Small business owners make less than average nationally

1:30:30 Texas’s electric grid is a ticking time bomb

1:31:00 Deregulation & corruption have exacerbated issues with grid

1:31:45 Electric bills skyrocketing due to data centers

1:33:15 Thoughts on nuclear energy to address energy problems?

1:34:45 Favorite food on the campaign trail?

1:37:30 Chuck’s thoughts on interview with Gina Hinojosa

1:39:00 ToddCast Top 5 seats Democrats can win & flip senate

1:41:45 #1 North Carolina & #2 Maine

1:45:30 #3 Michigan

1:48:45 #4 Ohio

1:50:15 #5 Alaska

1:53:30 Ask Chuck

1:54:15 Which presidency would be more dangerous… Trump or Vance?

1:58:30 If most Americans are center left or right, why can’t we elect centrists?

2:03:15 Would military action against a treaty ally be considered an illegal order?

2:06:45 How should the country resolve insider trading on the prediction markets?

2:08:15 Reaction to Indiana winning National Championship over Miami

2:18:30 The prices at the National Championship were highway robbery

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Gina Hinojosa, a Texas state representative and Democratic candidate for governor, joins the Chuck ToddCast to discuss how the school choice debate has created unexpected opportunities for Democrats in traditionally red states. Hinojosa, who entered politics through school board advocacy to save her son's school, argues that corruption—not ideology—is the biggest driver of Texas politics. She accuses Governor Greg Abbott of holding school funding hostage to push through a voucher program, forcing closures across the state while Texas ranks in the bottom three nationally for education funding. Hinojosa contends that vouchers lack transparency and accountability, and notes that even Trump-voting Texas women have joined the fight against them. She criticizes charter schools for cherry-picking students while taking public resources, and highlights how special education funding has been systematically cut, leaving expensive and crucial services unmet.

Beyond education, Hinojosa paints a broader picture of dysfunction in Texas, claiming Abbott has awarded $1 billion in no-bid contracts to donors—what she calls the "Greg Abbott corruption tax"—and pointing to failures in the state's deregulated electric grid, border policy, and treatment of vulnerable communities. She argues that Texas operates as a three-party state, with two Republican wings and Democrats, and describes how Abbott used millions to primary moderate "Bush Republicans," successfully defeating nine incumbents who wouldn't toe the line. While acknowledging challenges like the border security issue that flipped the Rio Grande Valley toward Trump and ICE enforcement she describes as "terrorizing communities," Hinojosa sees opportunities in growing business community frustration over tariffs and deportations. She emphasizes that despite Texas's economic power and population growth—which will add 4-5 congressional districts—ordinary Texans aren't benefiting, with small business owners earning less than the national average and electric bills skyrocketing due to data center demand and grid mismanagement.

Get your wardrobe sorted and your gift list handled with Quince. Don't wait! Go to https://Quince.com/CHUCK for free shipping on your order and 365-day returns. Now available in Canada, too!

Protect your family with life insurance from Ethos. Get up to $3 million in coverage in as little as 10 minutes at https://ethos.com/chuck. Application times may vary. Rates may vary.

Thank you Wildgrain for sponsoring. Visit http://wildgrain.com/TODDCAST and use the code "TODDCAST" at checkout to receive $30 off your first box PLUS free Croissants for life! 

Timeline:

(Timestamps may vary based on advertisements)

00:00 Gina Hinojosa joins the Chuck ToddCast

01:00 School choice issue has opened the door for Dems in red states

02:30 Gina’s background in education & school board politics

04:00 Ran for school board to save her son’s school

04:30 Greg Abbott is reallocating money, forcing school closures

05:15 Corruption is biggest driver of politics in Texas

06:00 Consultants & vendors use part time legislators to make money

06:45 Schools closing all over Texas due to budget cuts & vouchers

08:00 Abbott held school funding hostage trying to pass voucher program

08:30 Texas is bottom 3 in the country for school funding

10:00 Texas women who voted Trump joined fight against vouchers

11:15 Vouchers have no transparency or accountability

12:30 The school funding model hasn’t changed since industrial age

13:45 Do you support Texas’s “recapture” funding model?

15:00 The recaptured money is being wasted 

16:30 Student testing and NAEP scores are decreasing overall

17:45 Teachers deserve to be treated and paid like professional

18:30 Special needs students can attend private school funded by state

19:30 Special education is very expensive & requests go unmet

20:45 State cut corners to avoid paying for special ed students

22:15 Charter schools take public resources but not all kids

23:15 Charter schools deny admission to kids with disciplinary records

24:45 Education paid for by Texas property taxes which have skyrocketed

25:15 Texans pay the “Greg Abbott corruption tax”

26:00 Abbott has given $1 billion dollars in no-bid contracts to donors

27:45 The corruption issue is ripe but the electorate is cynical on both sides

29:15 Abbott’s corruption is the #1 talking point in the Republican primary

30:30 Gas companies let Texans freeze until prices spiked high enough

32:30 Border security issue led to Rio Grande valley voting for Trump

34:00 Biden was able to fix border issues, just took too long to do it

34:30 Deportations flipped political sentiment in Rio Grande valley 

36:00 ICE is terrorizing communities

36:45 Masked law enforcement should be illegal

37:45 Texas is a three party state: Two GOP wings & Democrats

38:30 How can you grow the Democratic party in Texas?

39:45 The “Bush Republicans” in TX can’t vote their districts or conscience

40:15 Abbott used millions to primary Bush Republicans & 9 lost their race

41:30 Is the GOP nationalizing the race your biggest challenge?

42:30 Texas will gain 4-5 congressional districts due to growth

44:45 The business community in TX is mad at tariffs & deportations

45:30 People of Texas aren’t benefiting from their economic power

47:15 Small business owners make less than average nationally

47:45 Texas’s electric grid is a ticking time bomb

48:15 Deregulation & corruption have exacerbated issues with grid

49:00 Electric bills skyrocketing due to data centers

50:30 Thoughts on nuclear to address energy problems?

52:00 Favorite food on the campaign trail?

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Chuck Todd sounds the alarm on how Trump’s aggressive use of tariffs and economic coercion could unintentionally push the U.S. and the world toward open conflict, drawing stark parallels to the Smoot-Hawley tariffs and the dangerous bloc-based thinking that preceded World War II. As Trump threatens NATO unity, wages economic war with Europe, and even uses tariffs as leverage in a pressure campaign over Greenland, the result isn’t strength but instability—risking retaliation, potentially weakening the dollar’s reserve status, and handing strategic advantages to China and Russia. Chuck argues that while Trump may not be trying to start a war, his isolationist instincts, economic bullying, and disregard for democratic norms are dismantling the postwar order America built and benefited from, creating a far more dangerous world. The episode also turns inward, examining Trump’s endorsement politics and fixation on retribution, even at the cost of GOP viability, as Senate Republicans quietly weigh whether stopping this madness—or walking away—is their last remaining option.

Finally, Chuck hops into the ToddCast Time Machine to revisit the evolving public perception of Muhammed Ali, answers listeners’ questions in the Ask Chuck segment and preview the college football national championship between Indiana and his beloved Miami Hurricanes.

Get your wardrobe sorted and your gift list handled with Quince. Don't wait! Go to https://Quince.com/CHUCK for free shipping on your order and 365-day returns. Now available in Canada, too!

Protect your family with life insurance from Ethos. Get up to $3 million in coverage in as little as 10 minutes at https://ethos.com/chuck. Application times may vary. Rates may vary.

Thank you Wildgrain for sponsoring. Visit http://wildgrain.com/TODDCAST and use the code

Timeline:

(Timestamps may vary based on advertisements)

00:00 Chuck Todd’s introduction

02:30 Could Trump’s tariffs accidentally stumble the U.S. into a war?

03:45 Bad economic policy could drive the world into war

04:30 Destroying NATO & economic war w/ Europe will create GOP defections

05:15 What Trump is doing is incredibly alarming

05:45 When tariffs are used as leverage, they can create security problems

06:15 Smoot-Hawley tariffs created lasting damage

07:30 Retaliation followed after the Smoot-Hawley tariffs

08:00 Smoot-Hawley didn’t cause WW2, but had a huge impact in creating it

09:00 When the world starts thinking in blocs, wars become more likely

10:00 In blocs, countries start prioritizing resource security

10:30 Trump is using tariffs as leverage for economic bullying to acquire Greenland

11:15 Macron calls for EU use of an anti-coercion law against the U.S.

12:15 Trump’s Greenland posture threatens trade with Europe

12:45 Republicans in the senate need to stop this madness

13:30 We’re risking the dollar as the world’s reserve currency

14:30 Canada has struck trade agreements with China in response to Trump

15:15 China will gain increased leverage in North America

16:30 Trade disputes risk becoming security grievances

17:15 Trump is risking stumbling the U.S. into a war

18:00 The world is more dangerous now than any time since WW2

19:00 Americans are taking a safe and stable world for granted

19:30 Trump has created the dream scenario for the Chinese & Russians

20:15 The world order America built & benefitted from is being dismantled

20:45 Trump’s actions, if not stopped…could set us back generations

22:00 Trump has proven he doesn’t care about democracy in Venezuela

23:30 When the biggest country goes isolationist, everyone else does too

24:15 Trump isn’t trying to get us into war, but his actions are taking us closer to one

27:30 Trump endorses against Bill Cassidy despite Cassidy’s deference

29:00 Cassidy may consider retirement after reviewing polling in Louisiana

30:30 Cassidy could have a shot at winning as an independent

33:30 Trump cares about retribution more than viability of the GOP

37:30 ToddCast Time Machine - January 22nd, 1964

38:00 Cassius Clay announces conversion to Islam & name change

39:00 Heavyweight champion of the world carried huge symbolic weight

39:45 Muhammed Ali challenged the power structures

40:30 Ali exposed unspoken rule - You have to be deferential & assimilate

41:15 Press treated Ali as a problem to be managed

42:00 Ali refusing to be drafted turned him into a villain

42:45 Over time, Ali became vindicated by the public

43:45 Ali carried conviction at great personal cost

44:45 America changed its view of Ali, & speaks to America’s evolution

45:45 Ask Chuck

46:00 Thanks for the book recommendation for “The Barn”

47:00 Could any Republicans defect to hand over control of the House?

52:00 Packers/Bears rivalry goes way beyond football

53:30 Indiana vs. Miami National Championship thoughts

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Chuck Todd sounds the alarm on how Trump’s aggressive use of tariffs and economic coercion could unintentionally push the U.S. and the world toward open conflict, drawing stark parallels to the Smoot-Hawley tariffs and the dangerous bloc-based thinking that preceded World War II. As Trump threatens NATO unity, wages economic war with Europe, and even uses tariffs as leverage in a pressure campaign over Greenland, the result isn’t strength but instability—risking retaliation, potentially weakening the dollar’s reserve status, and handing strategic advantages to China and Russia. Chuck argues that while Trump may not be trying to start a war, his isolationist instincts, economic bullying, and disregard for democratic norms are dismantling the postwar order America built and benefited from, creating a far more dangerous world. The episode also turns inward, examining Trump’s endorsement politics and fixation on retribution, even at the cost of GOP viability, as Senate Republicans quietly weigh whether stopping this madness—or walking away—is their last remaining option.

Mechele Dickerson, professor at the University of Texas School of Law & author of the new book “The Middle Class New Deal” joins Chuck Todd to make the case that rebuilding the American middle class requires something bold and familiar. Drawing on history, Dickerson explains how the original New Deal didn’t just regulate markets but actively created the first stable American middle class, a reminder that free markets alone don’t guarantee broad prosperity. As today’s economy shifts risk onto workers through independent contracting, weakened unions, and employer-based benefits that no longer fit modern labor markets, she argues that financial security—not wealth—is what most Americans are actually chasing, and it’s essential for economic and democratic stability.

The conversation digs into healthcare, education, and labor power as the pillars of a functioning middle class, from why employer-based health insurance is a historical accident to how government-guaranteed healthcare could actually relieve businesses, and why underused public schools and outdated calendars are weakening the future workforce. Dickerson warns that the erosion of unions, the weaponization of cultural divisions, and rising economic nihilism—especially among younger Americans—mirror dangerous Gilded Age dynamics, where extreme inequality hollowed out democracy. The takeaway is stark but hopeful: upward mobility is deeply American, but without intentional policy choices that put workers and families first, an eroding middle class can become fertile ground for political instability and authoritarianism.

Finally, Chuck hops into the ToddCast Time Machine to revisit the evolving public perception of Muhammed Ali, answers listeners’ questions in the Ask Chuck segment and preview the college football national championship between Indiana and his beloved Miami Hurricanes.

Get your wardrobe sorted and your gift list handled with Quince. Don't wait! Go to https://Quince.com/CHUCK for free shipping on your order and 365-day returns. Now available in Canada, too!

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Timeline:

(Timestamps may vary based on advertisements)

00:00 Chuck Todd’s introduction

02:30 Could Trump’s tariffs accidentally stumble the U.S. into a war?

03:45 Bad economic policy could drive the world into war

04:30 Destroying NATO & economic war w/ Europe will create GOP defections

05:15 What Trump is doing is incredibly alarming

05:45 When tariffs are used as leverage, they can create security problems

06:15 Smoot-Hawley tariffs created lasting damage

07:30 Retaliation followed after the Smoot-Hawley tariffs

08:00 Smoot-Hawley didn’t cause WW2, but had a huge impact in creating it

09:00 When the world starts thinking in blocs, wars become more likely

10:00 In blocs, countries start prioritizing resource security

10:30 Trump is using tariffs as leverage for economic bullying to acquire Greenland

11:15 Macron calls for EU use of an anti-coercion law against the U.S.

12:15 Trump’s Greenland posture threatens trade with Europe

12:45 Republicans in the senate need to stop this madness

13:30 We’re risking the dollar as the world’s reserve currency

14:30 Canada has struck trade agreements with China in response to Trump

15:15 China will gain increased leverage in North America

16:30 Trade disputes risk becoming security grievances

17:15 Trump is risking stumbling the U.S. into a war

18:00 The world is more dangerous now than any time since WW2

19:00 Americans are taking a safe and stable world for granted

19:30 Trump has created the dream scenario for the Chinese & Russians

20:15 The world order America built & benefitted from is being dismantled

20:45 Trump’s actions, if not stopped…could set us back generations

22:00 Trump has proven he doesn’t care about democracy in Venezuela

23:30 When the biggest country goes isolationist, everyone else does too

24:15 Trump isn’t trying to get us into war, but his actions are taking us closer to one

27:30 Trump endorses against Bill Cassidy despite Cassidy’s deference

29:00 Cassidy may consider retirement after reviewing polling in Louisiana

30:30 Cassidy could have a shot at winning as an independent

33:30 Trump cares about retribution more than viability of the GOP

41:15 Mechele Dickerson joins the Chuck ToddCast

42:45 Both the left & right can learn from “The Middle Class New Deal”

44:15 What motivated you to put these ideas under a “New Deal” framework

45:15 The New Deal created the first American middle class

46:15 Free market economies don’t automatically create a middle class

47:45 Socialism & interfering with free markets created the middle class

48:15 A stable middle class is critical for stability

49:00 The uber wealthy can only consume so much & don’t drive spending

50:15 People struggling don’t want to be wealthy, just financially secure

52:00 Independent contractors don’t get same benefits as employees

53:30 Retirement security has been shifted from employers to employees

55:00 Big companies with lots of contractors have a ton of political leverage

56:15 Amazon’s delivery providers aren’t set up to have employees

58:15 CEO’s of big companies hate the cost of healthcare

59:45 Business could support a system where they aren’t responsible for healthcare

1:01:00 Employer based healthcare was born out of World War 2 wage controls

1:02:15 Government guaranteed health insurance has many upsides

1:04:30 The debate around government guaranteed education has stalled

1:05:15 What steps could be taken to make progress in public education?

1:06:30 In rural areas there is no “school choice”, just home school

1:07:15 Public school facilities are underutilized

1:07:45 Public school calendar revolves around an agrarian calendar

1:09:00 Without good public education, we’ll have a poor labor force

1:11:00 Schools should add a voluntary summer trimester

1:12:45 Workers will only get equal treatment through collective bargaining

1:13:15 How do you bring back labor unions?

1:14:30 Middle & lower class have suffered since labor unions were gutted

1:15:15 Union culture is merged with corporate culture in Europe

1:16:30 Race & ethnicity have been used as wedges to advance a class argument

1:18:30 The entire middle class is suffering economically

1:20:15 How do you prioritize anti-poverty programs to revive the middle class?

1:21:15 Upward mobility is wired into the DNA of Americans

1:22:45 Billionaires aren’t incentivized to create a healthy middle class

1:23:45 There are parallels between the current moment & the Gilded Age

1:24:45 Should corporations build communities the way Hershey did?

1:26:45 Politicians have to help constituents be ok, not just tell them they’re ok

1:27:15 2016 election of Trump was the white middle class primal scream

1:28:15 An eroding middle class can drive societies into autocracy

1:29:15 Trump administration keeps having “let them eat cake” moments

1:30:15 Middle class support tax cuts for rich, thinking they’ll become rich

1:31:00 Younger Americans suffer from a sense of economic nihilism

1:31:45 Bill Clinton’s strength was understanding middle class, he came from it

1:32:30 Chuck’s thoughts on interview with Mechele Dickerson
1:33:15 ToddCast Time Machine - January 22nd, 1964
1:33:45 Cassius Clay announces conversion to Islam & name change
1:34:45 Heavyweight champion of the world carried huge symbolic weight
1:35:30 Muhammed Ali challenged the power structures
1:36:15 Ali exposed unspoken rule - You have to be deferential & assimilate
1:37:00 Press treated Ali as a problem to be managed
1:37:45 Ali refusing to be drafted turned him into a villain
1:38:30 Over time, Ali became vindicated by the public
1:39:30 Ali carried conviction at great personal cost
1:40:30 America changed its view of Ali, & speaks to America’s evolution
1:41:30 Ask Chuck
1:41:45 Thanks for the book recommendation for “The Barn”
1:42:45 Could any Republicans defect to hand over control of the House?
1:47:45 Packers/Bears rivalry goes way beyond football
1:49:15 Indiana vs. Miami National Championship thoughts

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Mechele Dickerson, professor at the University of Texas School of Law & author of the new book “The Middle Class New Deal” joins Chuck Todd to make the case that rebuilding the American middle class requires something bold and familiar. Drawing on history, Dickerson explains how the original New Deal didn’t just regulate markets but actively created the first stable American middle class, a reminder that free markets alone don’t guarantee broad prosperity. As today’s economy shifts risk onto workers through independent contracting, weakened unions, and employer-based benefits that no longer fit modern labor markets, she argues that financial security—not wealth—is what most Americans are actually chasing, and it’s essential for economic and democratic stability.

The conversation digs into healthcare, education, and labor power as the pillars of a functioning middle class, from why employer-based health insurance is a historical accident to how government-guaranteed healthcare could actually relieve businesses, and why underused public schools and outdated calendars are weakening the future workforce. Dickerson warns that the erosion of unions, the weaponization of cultural divisions, and rising economic nihilism—especially among younger Americans—mirror dangerous Gilded Age dynamics, where extreme inequality hollowed out democracy. The takeaway is stark but hopeful: upward mobility is deeply American, but without intentional policy choices that put workers and families first, an eroding middle class can become fertile ground for political instability and authoritarianism.

Get your wardrobe sorted and your gift list handled with Quince. Don't wait! Go to https://Quince.com/CHUCK for free shipping on your order and 365-day returns. Now available in Canada, too!

Protect your family with life insurance from Ethos. Get up to $3 million in coverage in as little as 10 minutes at https://ethos.com/chuck. Application times may vary. Rates may vary.

Thank you Wildgrain for sponsoring. Visit http://wildgrain.com/TODDCAST and use the code

Timeline:

00:00 Mechele Dickerson joins the Chuck ToddCast

01:30 Both the left & right can learn from “The Middle Class New Deal”

03:00 What motivated you to put these ideas under a “New Deal” framework

04:00 The New Deal created the first American middle class

05:00 Free market economies don’t automatically create a middle class

06:30 Socialism & interfering with free markets created the middle class

07:00 A stable middle class is critical for stability

07:45 The uber wealthy can only consume so much & don’t drive spending

09:00 People struggling don’t want to be wealthy, just financially secure

10:45 Independent contractors don’t get same benefits as employees

12:15 Retirement security has been shifted from employers to employees

13:45 Big companies with lots of contractors have a ton of political leverage

15:00 Amazon’s delivery providers aren’t set up to have employees

17:00 CEO’s of big companies hate the cost of healthcare

18:30 Business could support a system where they aren’t responsible for healthcare

19:45 Employer based healthcare was born out of World War 2 wage controls

21:00 Government guaranteed health insurance has many upsides

23:15 The debate around government guaranteed education has stalled

24:00 What steps could be taken to make progress in public education?

25:15 In rural areas there is no “school choice”, just home school 

26:00 Public school facilities are underutilized

26:30 Public school calendar revolves around an agrarian calendar

27:45 Without good public education, we’ll have a poor labor force

29:45 Schools should add a voluntary summer trimester 

31:30 Workers will only get equal treatment through collective bargaining

32:00 How do you bring back labor unions?

33:15 Middle & lower class have suffered since labor unions were gutted

34:00 Union culture is merged with corporate culture in Europe

35:15 Race & ethnicity have been used as wedges to advance a class argument

37:15 The entire middle class is suffering economically

39:00 How do you prioritize anti-poverty programs to revive the middle class?

40:00 Upward mobility is wired into the DNA of Americans

41:30 Billionaires aren’t incentivized to create a healthy middle class

42:30 There are parallels between the current moment & the Gilded Age

43:30 Should corporations build communities the way Hershey did?

45:30 Politicians have to help constituents be ok, not just tell them they’re ok

46:00 2016 election of Trump was the white middle class primal scream

47:00 An eroding middle class can drive societies into autocracy
48:00 Trump administration keeps having “let them eat cake” moments

49:00 Middle class support tax cuts for rich, thinking they’ll become rich

49:45 Younger Americans suffer from a sense of economic nihilism

50:30 Bill Clinton’s strength was understanding middle class, he came from it

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Chuck Todd unpacks a moment of foreign-policy whiplash as Donald Trump appears to ease off threats against Iran while simultaneously escalating his pressure campaign on Greenland—doubling down after meetings with Danish officials and even floating the idea of holding NATO hostage to get his way. The episode examines why Trump is unlikely to move militarily against Greenland, why Greenlanders are growing more defiant, and how this approach risks a serious rupture with Europe. From there, the conversation widens to a bigger question: what is America’s role in the world now that consensus has collapsed? With China as a peer competitor, alliances under strain, free trade weaponized at home, and isolationism creating dangerous vacuums, the U.S. is operating without a coherent grand strategy even as allies quietly hedge their bets.

The second half turns inward, focusing on immigration and the politics of ICE. Drawing lessons from past messaging failures like “defund the police,” Chuck argues Democrats shouldn’t fall into the “abolish ICE” trap but instead run on reform—rethinking leadership, recruiting, and training that’s been slashed from months to weeks. The takeaway is blunt: ICE isn’t going away, the agency will remain a political wedge, and the real question for both parties is who’s in charge of it—and what kind of power they’re willing to wield at home and abroad.

Finally, he answers listeners’ questions in the “Ask Chuck” segment and gets a few sports rants off his chest. 

Get your wardrobe sorted and your gift list handled with Quince. Don't wait! Go to https://Quince.com/CHUCK for free shipping on your order and 365-day returns. Now available in Canada, too!

Protect your family with life insurance from Ethos. Get up to $3 million in coverage in as little as 10 minutes at https://ethos.com/chuck. Application times may vary. Rates may vary.

Thank you Wildgrain for sponsoring. Visit http://wildgrain.com/TODDCAST and use the cod

Timeline:

00:00 Chuck Todd’s introduction

01:00 Trump seemingly backing off threats to strike Iran

02:00 Trump meets with Danish & Greenland officials, then doubles down

03:30 Trump threatens to hold NATO hostage in exchange for Greenland

05:00 Greenlanders are more defiant in the face of Trump’s threats

05:30 Trump’s threats could risk severing U.S. ties with Europe

06:15 Unlikely Trump will take Greenland militarily

06:45 Everything Trump is doing now is bad politics

08:15 Latin American exiles in south Florida create a feedback loop for Trump

09:00 What should be America’s role in the world?

10:45 Trump is not and has never been a multilateralist

11:30 Trump doesn’t care about NATO or see Russia as a threat

12:15 Consensus on America’s role in the world has collapsed

13:15 Free trade has been weaponized domestically in America

14:15 Domestic exhaustion in America with leadership rule

15:30 America is operating without a grand foreign policy strategy

16:30 The “primacy” strategy doesn’t apply now that China is a peer competitor

17:30 The rules based order hasn’t tamed China, Russia or Iran

18:15 Isolationism creates security vacuums that rarely stay empty

19:00 Nationalism assumes you can separate from the rest of the world

19:15 Trumpism is a mix of all of the above, but up to Trump’s whims

21:15 China is a competitor & nothing the U.S. does can change that

22:15 Trump wants to remake Venezuelan, Iranian and Cuban society

23:15 U.S. still most powerful country and China couldn’t create global alliance

25:45 Free trade, security & innovation trump protectionism

27:45 The Indo-Pacific will be the theatre of great power competition

28:30 America doesn’t get to choose whether it shapes the world

29:15 U.S. allies are hedging

30:00 Presidential candidates need to lay out strategy for US role in the world

33:00 Memo argues Democrats shouldn't fall for the “Abolish ICE” messaging

34:30 ICE training has been reduced from 5 months to 6 weeks

35:15 Dems should run on plan to reform and retrain ICE

36:30 Democrats need to learn from the “defund the police” mistake

38:30 The issue isn’t ICE, it’s who’s in charge of it & their recruiting

40:00 If you get rid of ICE you’ll need a similar agency to replace it

40:45 ICE will become a wedge issue in primary elections

46:30 Iran clears airspace, U.S. attack imminent?

48:00 Ask Chuck

48:15 Why do you think Mississippi could become politically competitive?

51:45 ICE’s actions in Minnesota don’t feel like training issues?

54:15 If Dems win both chambers what are the chances of martial law?

1:01:15 If Europe put a blockade around Greenland, would we still attack?

1:05:30 Why do Americans find the far-left more repugnant than the far-right?

1:10:00 Concerned the market shrugged at threats to Fed independence?

1:15:00 Sports update

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Chuck Todd opens with the unraveling of Trump's Iran peace talks and the president's threat of a naval blockade, breaking down why the administration has far less leverage than it's letting on, why Iran's control of the Strait of Hormuz puts Trump in a corner with only two real choices—escalate or capitulate—and why markets have been dangerously complacent as the economic hit accelerates and consumer confidence sinks below COVID-era lows. From there, Chuck digs into the collapse of Eric Swalwell's career amid sexual abuse allegations and the bipartisan push to expel him along with three other members of Congress, the wide-open and underwhelming California governor's race left behind by a weak Democratic field and Tom Steyer's charmless self-promotion, the curious Roger Stone–Tulsi Gabbard connection and their shared Russia sympathies, and Trump's promise of preemptive pardons for White House staff—making the case for why Congress urgently needs a commission on the pardon power.

Then, conservative talk radio host and Georgia political commentator Martha Zoller joins the Chuck ToddCast for a wide-ranging conversation about the state of politics in the Peach State and beyond. Martha and Chuck dig into why non-MAGA Republicans remain viable in Georgia, how Trump's influence has reshaped the GOP (and arguably handed Democrats two Senate seats), David Perdue's identity crisis between the Trump and Romney wings of the party, and the current landscape of Georgia's gubernatorial and Senate primaries—including why the governor's race may be Mike Collins' to lose and how Rick Jackson's entry has shaken things up.

The conversation then broadens to the deeper fault lines running through American politics: the cultural divide between traditional and progressive family values, why millennials feel left behind, neither party's failure to address affordability, and how media saturation and the collapse of bipartisan relationships in Congress have made compromise feel like treason. Martha and Chuck also explore whether Brian Kemp has presidential ambitions, why it's still harder for Republican women to break through, Jon Ossoff's political strengths, and whether figures like Obama and Trump are really two sides of the same disruption-hungry coin.

Finally, Chuck hops into the ToddCast Time Machine to revisit the Bay of Pigs debacle under John F. Kennedy and why that event still reverberates today, and answers listeners’ questions in the “Ask Chuck” segment. 

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Protect your family with life insurance from Ethos. Get up to $3 million in coverage in as little as 10 minutes at https://ethos.com/chuck. Application times may vary. Rates may vary.

 Refresh your wardrobe with Quince. Go to https://Quince.com/chuck for free shipping on your order and 365-day returns. 

Timeline:

(Timestamps may vary based on advertisements)

00:00 Chuck Todd’s introduction

04:00 Trump threatens naval blockade after Iran peace talks fall apart

05:00 Trump admin has less leverage in talks than they’re letting on

05:30 Trump’s stupid rhetoric is not harmless

06:00 Control over the Strait is biggest piece of leverage & Iran has it

07:00 Will Trump send in ground troops if he can’t get what he wants?

08:30 Trump only has two choices: Escalate or capitulate

09:30 If Trump’s lucky he can get the Obama nuclear deal, but that’s unlikely

10:45 Markets will likely panic, they’ve been too complacent so far

12:15 Trump is begging for deal to save face and the Iranians know it

13:15 Trump keeps declaring victory despite reality being the opposite

15:00 Trump doesn’t understand regime, thinks they’re transactional like him

16:00 Iran looking like past failed military operations like Vietnam & Iraq

18:00 Iran saw Libya give up nuclear ambitions & regime was toppled

20:00 Economic hit is happening, consumer confidence lower than COVID

21:30 As Iran talks fell apart, Trump & Rubio were attending UFC fight

23:00 Rubio knows better, but has fallen in line anyway

24:30 Eric Swalwell’s campaign falls apart after allegations of sexual abuse

25:30 Rumors of Swalwell’s behavior existed for years

27:00 Swalwell is only denying criminal behavior, not all the allegations

28:45 Swalwell is trying hard to say he’s not Bill Cosby… he’s Bill Clinton

29:30 Push to expel Swalwell & possibly 3 other members of congress

31:00 It’s politically convenient for leadership to agree to boot them all

33:00 Will congress hold their members to a higher standard than the POTUS?

35:00 It’s likely all four members will get expelled 

35:45 California dems had been reluctantly rallying around Swalwell 

37:00 Major Democrats passed on running for CA gov, leaving weak field

38:15 Hard to blame Newsom for not setting up an “heir apparent”

39:00 Tom Steyer has spent an insane amount of money to promote himself

40:00 You need to have charm in politics, and Steyer doesn’t have it

41:30 Should prominent California dems all endorse the same person?

43:30 Schiff, Padilla, Harris & Newsom may need to play kingmaker

45:00 Likely there will be two weak candidates heading into November

46:30 Stories coming out that Roger Stone saved Tulsi Gabbard

47:15 Both Stone & Gabbard have been pro-Russia… coincidence?

47:45 Trump promises preemptive pardons for WH staff

48:45 We need a congressional commission on pardons

55:30 Martha Zoller joins the Chuck ToddCast
57:30 There’s a lot of diversity under the umbrellas of the two parties
58:15 Non-MAGA Republicans are still viable in Georgia
59:45 Georgia Democrats used a legal, mail-in voting loophole
1:00:45 Trump is the reason there are two Democratic GA senators
1:01:45 Thoughts on David Perdue trying to primary Brian Kemp?
1:03:45 Perdue lost identity being caught between Trump & Romney wings
1:05:00 Trump has been an MRI for Republican politics
1:06:15 Trump wasn’t loyal to David Perdue
1:07:15 Margins in statewide Georgia races are close
1:09:00 With Roe gone, has it made it harder to court Republican voters?
1:10:15 Abortion pills are most common method, have 7% complication rate
1:12:30 What is the one major dividing line in American politics?
1:13:45 Independents are disaffected by both parties
1:14:30 Dividing line is traditional family values vs progressive ones
1:15:45 Millennials aren’t having kids and feel like life has passed them by
1:16:15 Neither party is offering affordability solutions
1:17:30 Shutdown fights are stupid and wasteful
1:19:15 People view people in the other party as a caricature
1:20:00 Compromise with the other party is treated as treason
1:21:30 Congress doesn’t stay in DC & build bipartisan relationships
1:23:30 Media exposure makes it harder to campaign for office
1:25:45 Many Republicans learned how to run from Newt Gingrich tapes
1:27:00 Jon Ossoff’s youth & good looks are a political asset
1:28:15 Ossoff is not as progressive as his consultants make him sound
1:29:30 State of the Georgia Republican primary?
1:31:00 Race is Mike Collins race to lose
1:32:45 Rick Jackson’s entry has upended the governor's race
1:34:15 Kemp is focused on getting Derek Dooley across the finish line
1:35:15 Former governors hate working in the senate
1:38:00 The case for state legislatures electing senators
1:40:00 State legislators engage in the most corruption due to lack of coverage
1:41:15 Kelly Loeffler lost her political identity quickly after taking office
1:42:15 Is Brian Kemp going to run for president?
1:44:30 MTG says Republican party doesn’t make it easier for women to run
1:46:15 It’s harder for women to get traction in politics, easier for Dems
1:48:30 Have we crossed a line in how ugly our politics has become?
1:50:00 Voters wanted disruption, Obama & Trump two sides of same coin
1:52:00 Obama moderated in order to fit in
1:54:45 Trump couldn’t fake grace over deaths of Rob Reiner or Robert Mueller
1:57:30 Polling is less reliable than ever

2:02:45 ToddCast Time Machine - Too many huge historical events to choose from
2:04:45 April 1961 - Bay of Pigs
2:05:30 Nixon meets with Castro after Eisenhower refused to
2:07:00 There a back and forth over whether to embrace or shun Castro
2:07:30 Cold War tensions were very high when the Bay of Pigs happens
2:08:15 Bay of Pigs was a presidential approved operation before JFK took office
2:10:00 Kennedy’s hands were tied by his predecessor
2:10:45 The plan required air superiority, but Castro’s air force had survived
2:11:45 Castro arrests more than 100,000 suspected dissidents
2:13:30 Most of the participants are captured
2:14:00 Kennedy promised a free Havana that never transpired
2:14:45 Cuban Americans became reliable Republican voters under Reagan
2:16:15 Ask Chuck
2:16:30 Will congress ever vote against rebuilding military after president launches war?
2:21:00 Why is the market not really reacting to the Iran war?
2:23:30 As norms become tested, will congress every reassert its role?
2:29:45 Outside of your Top 5 senate flips, what are your 6-10?
2:34:45 Suggestions to fix the NBA
2:37:45 Does anyone use Camp David since Trump doesn’t?

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Chuck Todd unpacks a moment of foreign-policy whiplash as Donald Trump appears to ease off threats against Iran while simultaneously escalating his pressure campaign on Greenland—doubling down after meetings with Danish officials and even floating the idea of holding NATO hostage to get his way. The episode examines why Trump is unlikely to move militarily against Greenland, why Greenlanders are growing more defiant, and how this approach risks a serious rupture with Europe. From there, the conversation widens to a bigger question: what is America’s role in the world now that consensus has collapsed? With China as a peer competitor, alliances under strain, free trade weaponized at home, and isolationism creating dangerous vacuums, the U.S. is operating without a coherent grand strategy even as allies quietly hedge their bets.

The second half turns inward, focusing on immigration and the politics of ICE. Drawing lessons from past messaging failures like “defund the police,” Chuck argues Democrats shouldn’t fall into the “abolish ICE” trap but instead run on reform—rethinking leadership, recruiting, and training that’s been slashed from months to weeks. The takeaway is blunt: ICE isn’t going away, the agency will remain a political wedge, and the real question for both parties is who’s in charge of it—and what kind of power they’re willing to wield at home and abroad.

Then, geopolitical expert and president of The Eurasia Group, Ian Bremmer joins Chuck Todd for a wide-ranging, clear-eyed look at a world entering genuinely uncharted territory—where old rules no longer apply and the United States itself has become a central source of global instability. From Venezuela and Mexico to Europe and Greenland, Bremmer explains how Trump’s transactional, coercive approach is reshaping alliances, undermining collective security, and forcing other countries to adapt fast. The conversation explores why regime change remains elusive in places like Venezuela, Cuba, and Haiti; how Latin American elections are increasingly driven by domestic security; and why Europe, shaken by Trump’s unpredictability, is funding Ukraine and rethinking its own defense posture.

The discussion then turns to the Middle East and beyond: the durability of the Iranian regime, the limits of U.S. military power, Saudi Arabia’s rapid modernization, and what comes next for Israel once Netanyahu exits the stage. Bremmer also assesses Trump’s surprising effectiveness in Middle East dealmaking, the long-term damage to Israel’s global standing, Russia’s tightening economic squeeze amid continued political repression, and rising far-right momentum in Europe. The episode closes with a sobering look at China, Taiwan, and whether the next few years bring deterrence—or a historic rupture.

Finally, he answers listeners’ questions in the “Ask Chuck” segment and gets a few sports rants off his chest. 

Get your wardrobe sorted and your gift list handled with Quince. Don't wait! Go to https://Quince.com/CHUCK for free shipping on your order and 365-day returns. Now available in Canada, too!

Protect your family with life insurance from Ethos. Get up to $3 million in coverage in as little as 10 minutes at https://ethos.com/chuck. Application times may vary. Rates may vary.

Thank you Wildgrain for sponsoring. Visit http://wildgrain.com/TODDCAST and use the cod

Timeline:

(Timestamps may vary based on advertisements)

00:00 Chuck Todd’s introduction

01:00 Trump seemingly backing off threats to strike Iran

02:00 Trump meets with Danish & Greenland officials, then doubles down

03:30 Trump threatens to hold NATO hostage in exchange for Greenland

05:00 Greenlanders are more defiant in the face of Trump’s threats

05:30 Trump’s threats could risk severing U.S. ties with Europe

06:15 Unlikely Trump will take Greenland militarily

06:45 Everything Trump is doing now is bad politics

08:15 Latin American exiles in south Florida create a feedback loop for Trump

09:00 What should be America’s role in the world?

10:45 Trump is not and has never been a multilateralist

11:30 Trump doesn’t care about NATO or see Russia as a threat

12:15 Consensus on America’s role in the world has collapsed

13:15 Free trade has been weaponized domestically in America

14:15 Domestic exhaustion in America with leadership rule

15:30 America is operating without a grand foreign policy strategy

16:30 The “primacy” strategy doesn’t apply now that China is a peer competitor

17:30 The rules based order hasn’t tamed China, Russia or Iran

18:15 Isolationism creates security vacuums that rarely stay empty

19:00 Nationalism assumes you can separate from the rest of the world

19:15 Trumpism is a mix of all of the above, but up to Trump’s whims

21:15 China is a competitor & nothing the U.S. does can change that

22:15 Trump wants to remake Venezuelan, Iranian and Cuban society

23:15 U.S. still most powerful country and China couldn’t create global alliance

25:45 Free trade, security & innovation trump protectionism

27:45 The Indo-Pacific will be the theatre of great power competition

28:30 America doesn’t get to choose whether it shapes the world

29:15 U.S. allies are hedging

30:00 Presidential candidates need to lay out strategy for US role in the world

33:00 Memo argues Democrats shouldn't fall for the “Abolish ICE” messaging

34:30 ICE training has been reduced from 5 months to 6 weeks

35:15 Dems should run on plan to reform and retrain ICE

36:30 Democrats need to learn from the “defund the police” mistake

38:30 The issue isn’t ICE, it’s who’s in charge of it & their recruiting

40:00 If you get rid of ICE you’ll need a similar agency to replace it

40:45 ICE will become a wedge issue in primary elections

47:45 Ian Bremmer joins the Chuck ToddCast

49:00 Where we’re going… there are no roads

50:00 The middle east could be heading towards a better place

50:45 Trump gave a wake up call to Europe & others

51:30 America is the top risk to the world & center of instability

52:45 There hasn’t been regime change in Venezuela

54:00 The Venezuelan regime will behave while threatened

55:00 The Venezuelan regime has no interest in sharing power

56:30 National elections could be held in Venezuela in a year

58:00 How much will anti-Americanism affect Latin American elections?

59:15 Domestic security is the #1 voting issue in Latin America

1:02:45 Brazil’s election will be very close

1:04:15 Claudia Scheinbaum has been deft in dealing with Trump

1:05:15 Mexico has been cooperating effectively, negating potential strikes

1:06:15 Talk of strikes in Mexico has ramped up post-Venezuela

1:08:00 There’s been a huge number of political assassinations in Mexico

1:08:45 Trade relations would take a huge hit if America strikes militarily

1:09:45 There’s less urgency from Trump admin for regime change in Cuba

01:10:30 Venezuela and Mexico have been propping up the Cuban regime

1:13:00 Why haven’t we pushed harder for changes in Haiti?

1:14:15 Almost zero chance there are elections in Haiti this year

1:15:00 Chance of military invasion of Greenland is extremely low

1:15:45 A coercion campaign towards Greenland is much more likely

1:17:00 Denmark very open to negotiations addressing American concerns

1:18:15 It’d be very easy to ramp up military operation in Greenland

1:19:00 Trump is undermining the concept of collective security

1:19:45 Greenland is a legacy play for Trump

1:20:15 Trump is causing permanent damage to relationship with Europe

1:21:45 Will the Iranian regime survive the calendar year?

1:23:00 Iranian regime has large capacity to repress the population

1:23:45 Looks like the US military will target Iranian police & paramilitary

1:24:30 Nobody has ever targeted the Iranian judges that send people to die

1:25:15 Collapse of regime doesn’t feel imminent, but likely within a few years

1:26:45 Is the US military stretched thin right now?

1:27:15 What collapse of Iranian regime would mean for the region

1:28:45 Saudi Arabia is speed running a modernization & reform process

1:29:45 Any chance Bibi Netanyahu is out in Israel soon?

1:30:45 Normalization with Saudi Arabia is on the table once Bibi is out

1:31:45 The Israel/Gaza ceasefire was improbable win for Trump

1:32:15 Trump’s transactional negotiating works well in the middle east

1:34:15 Settlements expanding in west bank, that won’t be unwound

1:36:00 Nobody has done more damage to Israel’s reputation than Bibi

1:36:45 Russians giving Trump nothing in negotiations over Ukraine

1:37:15 Europeans are funding Ukraine after Trump cut them off

1:38:15 Europeans bought a veto over Trump selling out Ukraine

1:39:30 Still very little meaningful dissent inside Russia over the war

1:40:30 Russian economy is starting to take more of a hit

1:41:30 Giorgia Meloni is probably most secure leader in western Europe

1:42:45 Far right in Germany will do well in elections

1:43:15 Does China take Taiwan in 2027 & does Trump stand in the way?

1:46:15 Iran clears airspace, U.S. attack imminent?

1:47:45 Ask Chuck

1:48:00 Why do you think Mississippi could become politically competitive?

1:51:00 ICE’s actions in Minnesota don’t feel like training issues?

1:54:00 If Dems win both chambers what are the chances of martial law?

2:01:00 If Europe put a blockade around Greenland, would we still attack?

2:05:15 Why do Americans find the far-left more repugnant than the far-right?

2:09:45 Concerned the market shrugged at threats to Fed independence?

2:14:45 Sports update

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Geopolitical expert and president of The Eurasia Group, Ian Bremmer joins Chuck Todd for a wide-ranging, clear-eyed look at a world entering genuinely uncharted territory—where old rules no longer apply and the United States itself has become a central source of global instability. From Venezuela and Mexico to Europe and Greenland, Bremmer explains how Trump’s transactional, coercive approach is reshaping alliances, undermining collective security, and forcing other countries to adapt fast. The conversation explores why regime change remains elusive in places like Venezuela, Cuba, and Haiti; how Latin American elections are increasingly driven by domestic security; and why Europe, shaken by Trump’s unpredictability, is funding Ukraine and rethinking its own defense posture.

The discussion then turns to the Middle East and beyond: the durability of the Iranian regime, the limits of U.S. military power, Saudi Arabia’s rapid modernization, and what comes next for Israel once Netanyahu exits the stage. Bremmer also assesses Trump’s surprising effectiveness in Middle East dealmaking, the long-term damage to Israel’s global standing, Russia’s tightening economic squeeze amid continued political repression, and rising far-right momentum in Europe. The episode closes with a sobering look at China, Taiwan, and whether the next few years bring deterrence—or a historic rupture.

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Timeline:

(Timestamps may vary based on advertisements)

00:00 Ian Bremmer joins the Chuck ToddCast

01:15 Where we’re going… there are no roads

02:15 The middle east could be heading towards a better place

03:00 Trump gave a wake up call to Europe & others

03:45 America is the top risk to the world & center of instability

05:00 There hasn’t been regime change in Venezuela

06:15 The Venezuelan regime will behave while threatened

07:15 The Venezuelan regime has no interest in sharing power

08:45 National elections could be held in Venezuela in a year

10:15 How much will anti-Americanism affect Latin American elections?

11:30 Domestic security is the #1 voting issue in Latin America

15:00 Brazil’s election will be very close

16:30 Claudia Scheinbaum has been deft in dealing with Trump

17:30 Mexico has been cooperating effectively, negating potential strikes

18:30 Talk of strikes in Mexico has ramped up post-Venezuela

20:15 There’s been a huge number of political assassinations in Mexico

21:00 Trade relations would take a huge hit if America strikes militarily

22:00 There’s less urgency from Trump admin for regime change in Cuba

22:45 Venezuela and Mexico have been propping up the Cuban regime

25:15 Why haven’t we pushed harder for changes in Haiti?

26:30 Almost zero chance there are elections in Haiti this year

27:15 Chance of military invasion of Greenland is extremely low

28:00 A coercion campaign towards Greenland is much more likely

29:15 Denmark very open to negotiations addressing American concerns

30:30 It’d be very easy to ramp up military operation in Greenland

31:15 Trump is undermining the concept of collective security

32:00 Greenland is a legacy play for Trump

32:30 Trump is causing permanent damage to relationship with Europe

34:00 Will the Iranian regime survive the calendar year?

35:15 Iranian regime has large capacity to repress the population

36:00 Looks like the US military will target Iranian police & paramilitary

36:45 Nobody has ever targeted the Iranian judges that send people to die

37:30 Collapse of regime doesn’t feel imminent, but likely within a few years

39:00 Is the US military stretched thin right now?

39:30 What collapse of Iranian regime would mean for the region

41:00 Saudi Arabia is speed running a modernization & reform process

42:00 Any chance Bibi Netanyahu is out in Israel soon?

43:00 Normalization with Saudi Arabia is on the table once Bibi is out

44:00 The Israel/Gaza ceasefire was improbable win for Trump

44:30 Trump’s transactional negotiating works well in the middle east

46:30 Settlements expanding in west bank, that won’t be unwound

48:15 Nobody has done more damage to Israel’s reputation than Bibi

49:00 Russians giving Trump nothing in negotiations over Ukraine

49:30 Europeans are funding Ukraine after Trump cut them off

50:30 Europeans bought a veto over Trump selling out Ukraine

51:45 Still very little meaningful dissent inside Russia over the war

52:45 Russian economy is starting to take more of a hit

53:45 Giorgia Meloni is probably most secure leader in western Europe

55:00 Far right in Germany will do well in elections

55:30 Does China take Taiwan in 2027 & does Trump stand in the way?

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As the country hurtles toward the 2026 midterms, Chuck Todd breaks down why winning in this moment may be more about margins than movements—and why messaging is about to get brutally hard. With a fragmented, exhausted electorate and a president acting emboldened despite weak political standing, Democrats face a defining choice: run as resistance to Donald Trump or position themselves as problem-solvers ready to turn the page. History suggests forward-looking messages work best, especially with independents who vote in self-interest and are tired of constant political warfare, even as Trump continues to dominate GOP primaries and sideline Congress.

The conversation also looks at why Republicans’ razor-thin majority leaves them unable to govern, how Trump’s grip on the party could backfire in a general election, and why Democrats are increasingly optimistic about putting the Senate in play—with strong recruiting wins and favorable midterm math. New polling on the Renee Good shooting and ICE shows Trump-aligned tactics playing poorly outside the MAGA base, particularly with independents and women, underscoring just how volatile—and opportunity-rich—the political landscape could be heading into 2026.

Finally, Chuck gives his ToddCast Top 5 championship winning Miami Hurricanes football teams & answers listeners’ questions in the “Ask Chuck” segment. 

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Thank you Wildgrain for sponsoring. Visit http://wildgrain.com/TODDCAST and use the code "TODDCAST" at checkout to receive $30 off your first box PLUS free Croissants for life! 

Timeline:

(Timestamps may vary based on advertisements)

00:00 Chuck Todd’s introduction

1:30 Messaging will be incredibly difficult in this political environment

2:00 If Dems only win house, it will be considered a partial rebuke of Trump

3:00 Trump is weak politically but acting like he has a ton of capital

3:45 Trump feels emboldened to play “Risk” with the world

4:30 Administration will likely back off investigation into Jay Powell

5:45 Talking to a fragmented and exhausted electorate will be tough

7:00 Elections are always won on the margins, not just by the base

8:15 Analysts project their preferences onto the electorate & swing voters

9:15 What is the most effective way to win elections in 2026?

10:15 Democrats will have to balance accountability vs. forward facing

12:00 “Would you work with Donald Trump?” a defining question for Dems

14:00 Dems have to decide whether they are resistance or problem solvers

15:45 History suggests forward looking messages are more effective

16:45 Most voters vote in self-interest, not for the greater good

17:30 After 10 years of Trump, the public is exhausted by politics

18:30 “Turn the page” messaging may appeal to independents

20:15 GOP primaries will be all about Trump, but cause problem in general

21:45 Trump can break ideological rules other Republicans can’t

22:45 GOP majority is so narrow they can’t really govern

23:30 Trump is increasingly uninterested in working with congress

25:00 “Vote GOP to stop impeachment” isn’t enough to woo swing voters

25:45 Growing number of R’s uncomfortable with Trump’s actions

26:30 Dems got a huge recruiting victory in Alaska with Mary Peltola

28:15 Peltola puts Alaska in play, making senate control more possible

29:30 Sherrod Brown has won in midterm years in Ohio

31:00 Democrats much further along in putting senate in play

32:15 Historically the party out of power picks up 4 seats, Dems need 4

34:15 Majority of Americans say Renee Good shooting not justified

35:00 Majority of independents & women say it was unjustified

36:00 82% of respondents were aware of the Renee Good shooting

37:00 57% disapprove of ICE

38:15 ICE + Minneapolis not playing well outside MAGA base

39:15 Kristi Noem is an easy scapegoat, could get dumped

47:00 ToddCast Top 5 Miami Hurricanes football teams if 25’ team wins title

49:45 #1 2001

51:45 #2 1987

53:15 #3 1993

54:45 #4 1983

55:45 #5 2025

59:15 Ask Chuck

59:30 In today’s climate would it benefit a candidate to avoid negative ads?

1:03:00 Are traditional Republicans missing a chance to push back on Trump?

1:10:00 Did Biden cater too much to the far left & hurt appeal with swing voters?

1:12:00 How is public media likely to continue on?

1:14:30 Can Democrats make Mississippi competitive?

1:20:15 Are we still capable of recognizing normalization of democratic collapse?

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As the country hurtles toward the 2026 midterms, Chuck Todd breaks down why winning in this moment may be more about margins than movements—and why messaging is about to get brutally hard. With a fragmented, exhausted electorate and a president acting emboldened despite weak political standing, Democrats face a defining choice: run as resistance to Donald Trump or position themselves as problem-solvers ready to turn the page. History suggests forward-looking messages work best, especially with independents who vote in self-interest and are tired of constant political warfare, even as Trump continues to dominate GOP primaries and sideline Congress.

The conversation also looks at why Republicans’ razor-thin majority leaves them unable to govern, how Trump’s grip on the party could backfire in a general election, and why Democrats are increasingly optimistic about putting the Senate in play—with strong recruiting wins and favorable midterm math. New polling on the Renee Good shooting and ICE shows Trump-aligned tactics playing poorly outside the MAGA base, particularly with independents and women, underscoring just how volatile—and opportunity-rich—the political landscape could be heading into 2026.

Then, Jon Slavet, a tech entrepreneur and Republican candidate for California governor, joins the Chuck ToddCast to discuss why he's entering one of the nation's most challenging political races. Slavet argues that while national politics dominates headlines, state and local governance has far more impact on people's daily lives—yet California's local politics receives inadequate attention despite intense interest from outsiders. He advocates for radical transparency in government, criticizing the use of NDAs in taxpayer-funded projects and calling out the influence of union spending. Addressing his controversial pursuit of Trump's endorsement despite never voting for him, Slavet positions himself as someone who sees Trump as an effective disrupter but not a builder, and he aligns with the administration on housing policy, particularly prioritizing temporary shelter over California's $1 million-per-unit permanent housing approach.

Running as a Republican in deep-blue California, Slavet believes the state's pleasant weather has masked serious problems affecting middle and lower-income residents while the wealthy thrive. He proposes declaring an "affordability emergency" on day one, scrapping the high-speed rail project, and using AI to root out the billions lost to waste and fraud in California's healthcare system. Slavet defends his decision to run as a Republican rather than an independent, arguing that party identification remains essential for effectiveness despite his moderate positions on social issues like same-sex marriage and abortion. He contends that polls show half of Californians would support the "right kind" of Republican, and he's betting his business success and willingness to challenge both parties' orthodoxies will resonate with voters frustrated by the state's affordability crisis and regulatory burdens on small businesses.

Finally, Chuck gives his ToddCast Top 5 championship winning Miami Hurricanes football teams & answers listeners’ questions in the “Ask Chuck” segment. 

Get your wardrobe sorted and your gift list handled with Quince. Don't wait! Go to https://Quince.com/CHUCK for free shipping on your order and 365-day returns. Now available in Canada, too!

Protect your family with life insurance from Ethos. Get up to $3 million in coverage in as little as 10 minutes at https://ethos.com/chuck. Application times may vary. Rates may vary.

Thank you Wildgrain for sponsoring. Visit http://wildgrain.com/TODDCAST and use the code "TODDCAST" at checkout to receive $30 off your first box PLUS free Croissants for life! 

Timeline:

(Timestamps may vary based on advertisements)

00:00 Chuck Todd’s introduction

03:45 Messaging will be incredibly difficult in this political environment

04:15 If Dems only win house, it will be considered a partial rebuke of Trump

05:15 Trump is weak politically but acting like he has a ton of capital

06:00 Trump feels emboldened to play “Risk” with the world

06:45 Administration will likely back off investigation into Jay Powell

08:00 Talking to a fragmented and exhausted electorate will be tough

09:15 Elections are always won on the margins, not just by the base

10:30 Analysts project their preferences onto the electorate & swing voters

11:30 What is the most effective way to win elections in 2026?

12:30 Democrats will have to balance accountability vs. forward facing

14:15 “Would you work with Donald Trump?” a defining question for Dems

16:15 Dems have to decide whether they are resistance or problem solvers

18:00 History suggests forward looking messages are more effective

19:00 Most voters vote in self-interest, not for the greater good

19:45 After 10 years of Trump, the public is exhausted by politics

20:45 "Turn the page” messaging may appeal to independents

22:30 GOP primaries will be all about Trump, but cause problem in general

24:00 Trump can break ideological rules other Republicans can’t

25:00 GOP majority is so narrow they can’t really govern

25:45 Trump is increasingly uninterested in working with congress

27:15 “Vote GOP to stop impeachment” isn’t enough to woo swing voters

28:00 Growing number of R’s uncomfortable with Trump’s actions

28:45 Dems got a huge recruiting victory in Alaska with Mary Peltola

30:30 Peltola puts Alaska in play, making senate control more possible

31:45 Sherrod Brown has won in midterm years in Ohio

33:15 Democrats much further along in putting senate in play

34:30 Historically the party out of power picks up 4 seats, Dems need 4

36:30 Majority of Americans say Renee Good shooting not justified

37:15 Majority of independents & women say it was unjustified

38:15 82% of respondents were aware of the Renee Good shooting

39:15 57% disapprove of ICE

40:30 ICE + Minneapolis not playing well outside MAGA base

41:30 Kristi Noem is an easy scapegoat, could get dumped

49:00 Jon Slavet joins the Chuck ToddCast

50:45 Why enter politics and run for governor of California?

52:30 It’s fraught & dangerous to run for office in this political climate

53:15 National politics get attention, state & local more impactful

54:45 Serious lack of attention to local politics in California

56:00 There’s a ton of interest in California from people outside it

57:15 NDA’s should not be allowed in taxpayer funded projects

58:45 Major government discussions need more transparency in CA

59:15 Unions raise $1B in CA and spend $300 on political donations

1:00:00 Why seek Trump’s endorsement after not voting for him 3x?

1:01:15 Trump is good as a disrupter but not as a builder

1:02:00 Where do you agree with Trump on policy?

1:02:30 HUD’s new policy prioritizes temporary, not permanent housing

1:03:30 Permanent housing for homeless costs $1M per unit in CA

1:05:00 The priority should be getting homeless into temp housing ASAP

1:06:00 Could you have been as successful in a state other than CA?

1:07:15 California’s great weather masks many of its problems

1:08:30 Tech doesn’t suffer from regulatory issues like other industries

1:09:15 Middle & lower income Californians are suffering, rich doing great

1:11:30 Half of California’s work for small businesses that are overtaxed

1:14:00 Where will you find the money to fund your proposals?

1:14:30 California should scrap the high speed rail to nowhere

1:15:30 Jon would declare an affordability emergency on day 1

1:17:00 California’s healthcare costs $160B, Medicare fraud is 10–15%

1:18:30 AI can be used to root out waste, fraud and abuse in state budget

1:20:00 Californians pay huge taxes on fuel & energy

1:21:30 Why run as a Republican and not an independent?

1:23:00 We should be way beyond the same-sex marriage debate

1:24:00 Abortion is settled law in California

1:25:30 Why Jon was against Prop 50 in California

1:26:30 Gerrymandering is terrible for democracy

1:28:15 Running as independent isn’t effective, people identify w/ parties

1:29:45 The race will be a Trump referendum, how does a Republican win?

1:31:30 Polls show half of CA will vote for the “right kind” of Republican

1:32:45 CA has had plenty of billionaires run & fail to win elections

1:35:00 Has Silicon Valley been regulated enough?

1:36:15 AI boom has been critical for San Francisco’s comeback

1:37:45 Would you ban social media for kids under 16?

1:39:30 Would you ban phones in schools?

1:40:15 How do you convince CA voters the wealth tax is a bad idea?

1:42:15 How would you work in a bipartisan manner with Dem state house?

1:45:00 Chuck’s thoughts on interview with Jon Slavet

1:45:30 There’s a lack of star power in CA governor race

1:46:15 ToddCast Top 5 Miami Hurricanes football teams if ’25 team wins title

1:49:00 #1 2001

1:51:00 #2 1987

1:52:30 #3 1993

1:54:00 #4 1983

1:55:00 #5 2025

1:58:30 Ask Chuck

1:58:45 In today’s climate would it benefit a candidate to avoid negative ads?

2:02:15 Are traditional Republicans missing a chance to push back on Trump?

2:09:15 Did Biden cater too much to the far left & hurt appeal with swing voters?

2:11:15 How is public media likely to continue on?

2:13:45 Can Democrats make Mississippi competitive?

2:19:30 Are we still capable of recognizing normalization of democratic collapse?

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jon Slavet, a tech entrepreneur and Republican candidate for California governor, joins the Chuck ToddCast to discuss why he's entering one of the nation's most challenging political races. Slavet argues that while national politics dominates headlines, state and local governance has far more impact on people's daily lives—yet California's local politics receives inadequate attention despite intense interest from outsiders. He advocates for radical transparency in government, criticizing the use of NDAs in taxpayer-funded projects and calling out the influence of union spending. Addressing his controversial pursuit of Trump's endorsement despite never voting for him, Slavet positions himself as someone who sees Trump as an effective disrupter but not a builder, and he aligns with the administration on housing policy, particularly prioritizing temporary shelter over California's $1 million-per-unit permanent housing approach.

Running as a Republican in deep-blue California, Slavet believes the state's pleasant weather has masked serious problems affecting middle and lower-income residents while the wealthy thrive. He proposes declaring an "affordability emergency" on day one, scrapping the high-speed rail project, and using AI to root out the billions lost to waste and fraud in California's healthcare system. Slavet defends his decision to run as a Republican rather than an independent, arguing that party identification remains essential for effectiveness despite his moderate positions on social issues like same-sex marriage and abortion. He contends that polls show half of Californians would support the "right kind" of Republican, and he's betting his business success and willingness to challenge both parties' orthodoxies will resonate with voters frustrated by the state's affordability crisis and regulatory burdens on small businesses.

Get your wardrobe sorted and your gift list handled with Quince. Don't wait! Go to https://Quince.com/CHUCK for free shipping on your order and 365-day returns. Now available in Canada, too!

Protect your family with life insurance from Ethos. Get up to $3 million in coverage in as little as 10 minutes at https://ethos.com/chuck. Application times may vary. Rates may vary.

Thank you Wildgrain for sponsoring. Visit http://wildgrain.com/TODDCAST and use the code "TODDCAST" at checkout to receive $30 off your first box PLUS free Croissants for life! 

Timeline:

(Timestamps may vary based on advertisements)

00:00 Jon Slavet joins the Chuck ToddCast

01:45 Why enter politics and run for governor of California?

03:30 It’s fraught & dangerous to run for office in this political climate

04:15 National politics get attention, state & local more impactful

05:45 Serious lack of attention to local politics in California

07:00 There’s a ton of interest in California from people outside it

08:15 NDA’s should not be allowed in taxpayer funded projects

09:45 Major government discussions need more transparency in CA

10:15 Unions raise $1B in CA and spend $300 on political donations

11:00 Why seek Trump’s endorsement after not voting for him 3x?

12:15 Trump is good as a disrupter but not as a builder

13:00 Where do you agree with Trump on policy?

13:30 HUD’s new policy prioritizes temporary, not permanent housing

14:30 Permanent housing for homeless costs $1M per unit in CA

16:00 The priority should be getting homeless into temp housing ASAP

17:00 Could you have been as successful in a state other than CA?

18:15 California’s great weather masks many of its problems 

19:30 Tech doesn’t suffer from regulatory issues like other industries

20:15 Middle & lower income California’s are suffering, rich doing great

22:30 Half of California’s work for small businesses that are overtaxed

25:00 Where will you find the money to fund your proposals?

25:30 California should scrap the high speed rail to nowhere

26:30 Jon would declare an affordability emergency on day 1

28:00 California’s healthcare costs $160B, Medicare fraud is 10-15%

29:30 AI can be used to root out waste, fraud and abuse in state budget

31:00 Californians pay huge taxes on fuel & energy

32:30 Why run as a Republican and not an independent?

34:00 We should be way beyond the same-sex marriage debate

35:00 Abortion is settled law in California 

36:30 Why Jon was against Prop 50 in California

37:30 Gerrymandering is terrible for democracy

39:15 Running as independent isn’t effective, people identify w/parties

40:45 The race will be a Trump referendum, how does a Republican win?

42:30 Polls show half of CA will vote for the “right kind” of Republican

43:45 CA has had plenty of billionaires run & fail to win elections

46:00 Has Silicon Valley been regulated enough?

47:15 AI boom has been critical for San Francisco’s comeback

48:45 Would you ban social media for kids under 16?

50:30 Would you ban phones in schools?

51:15 How do you convince CA voters the wealth tax is a bad idea?

53:15 How would you work in a bipartisan manner with Dem state house?

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode of The Chuck ToddCast, Chuck Todd digs into a growing sense of unease shared across the political spectrum, as 2026 looms as a “year of living dangerously” at home and abroad. From mass migration, rising nationalism, and AI-driven economic fear to flashpoints in Venezuela, Iran, and beyond, the conversation explores why so many global and domestic headlines feel like potential tipping points. Chuck argues the world is less stable—and America more divided—under Donald Trump, whose administration he says views chaos and division as sources of power rather than problems to solve. The episode draws stark parallels between the Minneapolis ICE shooting and the Ruby Ridge standoff, examining how the rush to control narratives, the politicization of law enforcement, and the erosion of civil liberties can fracture public trust. The warning is sobering: America may ultimately be okay, but right now it’s a tinderbox—and a country that fails to protect the rights of its own citizens risks losing its moral authority everywhere else.

Finally, Chuck hops into the ToddCast Time Machine to revisit Woodrow Wilson’s “Fourteen Points” speech that laid out the vision for the 20th century world order & warns that retreating from it could be devastating for both the United State & the world. He also answers listeners’ questions in the Ask Chuck segment & previews the national championship between Indiana & Miami.

Get your wardrobe sorted and your gift list handled with Quince. Don't wait! Go to https://Quince.com/CHUCK for free shipping on your order and 365-day returns. Now available in Canada, too!

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Timeline:

(Timestamps may vary based on advertisements)

00:00 Chuck Todd’s introduction

05:30 People on both sides of the aisle worried if we’ll be ok

07:00 2026 will be the “year of living dangerously”

07:45 We are in uncharted waters and don’t know where it’s headed

09:30 Mass migration has led to rising nationalism in USA & Europe

10:00 Globalization caused a sense of displacement

11:00 AI will create even more fear than globalization

12:15 The political response to economic anxiety has failed

14:00 We still don’t know what will happen with Venezuela

14:30 Iranian regime likely will fall in 2026

15:45 It’s clear Trump has no plan for Venezuela

17:30 Latin America is deeply skeptical of American power

19:00 Every headline feels like a tipping point

20:00 Trump could take military action against many countries

20:30 The world is less safe because Donald Trump is president

21:45 Trump admin believes division bolsters their power

23:00 On social media, it feels like America is on the brink of civil war

24:00 America feels like a tinderbox

25:45 ICE is being trained to treat citizens as threats, not constituents

27:30 Law enforcement is supposed to be a deescalator 

30:15 We’ve been living through a “vote against” political roller coaster

32:00 Voters don’t like chaos, & Trump is neither calm or stable

33:00 Elements of the American right have given up on democracy

34:15 America will eventually be ok, but is not ok in this moment

34:45 The sparks of military clash are burning around the world

37:00 Parallels between Ruby Ridge standoff & Minneapolis ICE shooting

39:15 A confrontation occurred between Weaver’s son & law enforcement

40:00 FBI sniper shot Weaver’s wife while holding her baby

40:30 Unlike Minneapolis, government held investigations after Ruby Ridge

41:30 Ruby Ridge led to militia formations & deep state conspiracies

42:15 Administration tried to solidify narrative before facts in Minneapolis

44:00 The left sees Renee Good as a victim, the right sees justification

45:00 The Trump administration has politicized the rule of law

46:00 If U.S. doesn’t respect rights of its citizens, it can’t take moral high ground

52:45 ToddCast Time Machine – January 8th, 1918

53:30 Woodrow Wilson lays out blueprint for 20th century world order

54:15 America tried to shape the world with ideas, not empire

55:30 Wilson’s Fourteen Points speech rejected premise that caused WW1

57:00 Wilson advances transparency, diplomacy & idealistic foreign policy

58:00 Wilson calls for economic interdependence & free trade

59:00 Wilson proposes self-determination over empires

1:00:15 Some American conservatives have rejected Wilsonianism for 100 years

1:01:45 Wilson wanted America’s role to be an arbiter, not a conqueror

1:02:45 In 1919, Wilson’s vision was confronted by power politics

1:03:30 The U.S. proposes the League of Nations but doesn’t join it

1:04:15 Every global geopolitical debate traces back to Wilson’s speech

1:05:30 The post WW2 world order benefitted America, & it’s falling apart

1:07:00 Ask Chuck

1:07:45 Reaction to the ICE shooting in Minneapolis?

1:09:15 Why hasn’t the US taken action to remove the leader of Haiti?

1:13:45 Could Rahm Emmanuel beat Gavin Newsom for Dem nomination?

1:17:00 Would an attack on Colombia be a mistake for the Trump administration?

1:23:00 Miami vs Indiana national championship preview

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode of The Chuck ToddCast, Chuck Todd digs into a growing sense of unease shared across the political spectrum, as 2026 looms as a “year of living dangerously” at home and abroad. From mass migration, rising nationalism, and AI-driven economic fear to flashpoints in Venezuela, Iran, and beyond, the conversation explores why so many global and domestic headlines feel like potential tipping points. Chuck argues the world is less stable—and America more divided—under Donald Trump, whose administration he says views chaos and division as sources of power rather than problems to solve. The episode draws stark parallels between the Minneapolis ICE shooting and the Ruby Ridge standoff, examining how the rush to control narratives, the politicization of law enforcement, and the erosion of civil liberties can fracture public trust. The warning is sobering: America may ultimately be okay, but right now it’s a tinderbox—and a country that fails to protect the rights of its own citizens risks losing its moral authority everywhere else.

Moody’s Analytics chief economist Mark Zandi joins Chuck Todd to break down what the numbers actually say about the U.S. economy—and why the headline optimism may be masking deeper problems. Zandi explains how upcoming tax refunds and delayed tax cuts will temporarily juice growth, even as that stimulus is entirely deficit-financed. Interest rate cuts are likely coming, but cautiously, and while AI stocks are soaring, the broader market is barely treading water. Beneath the surface, job creation has stalled, manufacturing jobs are shrinking under tariffs, and deportations aren’t translating into more employment for native-born workers as many expected.

The conversation widens to a fragile global outlook, with Trump-era protectionism accelerating deglobalization and reshaping trade, housing, and labor markets. Zandi details why college-educated workers are now seeing the sharpest rise in unemployment, how AI skills will define the next generation of jobs, and why renting often makes more sense than buying right now. Looking ahead to 2026, he warns of elevated geopolitical and financial-system risks, an AI-driven stock market that could be vulnerable to a correction, GDP growth likely under 3%, and a job market that may struggle to grow at all.

Finally, Chuck hops into the ToddCast Time Machine to revisit Woodrow Wilson’s “Fourteen Points” speech that laid out the vision for the 20th century world order & warns that retreating from it could be devastating for both the United State & the world. He also answers listeners’ questions in the Ask Chuck segment & previews the national championship between Indiana & Miami.

Get your wardrobe sorted and your gift list handled with Quince. Don't wait! Go to https://Quince.com/CHUCK for free shipping on your order and 365-day returns. Now available in Canada, too!

Got injured in an accident? You could be one click away from a claim worth millions. Just visit https://www.forthepeople.com/TODDCAST to start your claim now with Morgan & Morgan without leaving your couch. Remember, it's free unless you win!

Protect your family with life insurance from Ethos. Get up to $3 million in coverage in as little as 10 minutes at https://ethos.com/chuck. Application times may vary. Rates may vary.

Timeline:

(Timestamps may vary based on advertisements)

00:00 Chuck Todd’s introduction

05:30 People on both sides of the aisle worried if we’ll be ok

07:00 2026 will be the “year of living dangerously”

07:45 We are in uncharted waters and don’t know where it’s headed

09:30 Mass migration has led to rising nationalism in USA & Europe

10:00 Globalization caused a sense of displacement

11:00 AI will create even more fear than globalization

12:15 The political response to economic anxiety has failed

14:00 We still don’t know what will happen with Venezuela

14:30 Iranian regime likely will fall in 2026

15:45 It’s clear Trump has no plan for Venezuela

17:30 Latin America is deeply skeptical of American power

19:00 Every headline feels like a tipping point

20:00 Trump could take military action against many countries

20:30 The world is less safe because Donald Trump is president

21:45 Trump admin believes division bolsters their power

23:00 On social media, it feels like America is on the brink of civil war

24:00 America feels like a tinderbox

25:45 ICE is being trained to treat citizens as threats, not constituents

27:30 Law enforcement is supposed to be a deescalator 

30:15 We’ve been living through a “vote against” political roller coaster

32:00 Voters don’t like chaos, & Trump is neither calm or stable

33:00 Elements of the American right have given up on democracy

34:15 America will eventually be ok, but is not ok in this moment

34:45 The sparks of military clash are burning around the world

37:00 Parallels between Ruby Ridge standoff & Minneapolis ICE shooting

39:15 A confrontation occurred between Weaver’s son & law enforcement

40:00 FBI sniper shot Weaver’s wife while holding her baby

40:30 Unlike Minneapolis, government held investigations after Ruby Ridge

41:30 Ruby Ridge led to militia formations & deep state conspiracies

42:15 Administration tried to solidify narrative before facts in Minneapolis

44:00 The left sees Renee Good as a victim, the right sees justification

45:00 The Trump administration has politicized the rule of law

46:00 If U.S. doesn’t respect rights of its citizens, it can’t take moral high ground

53:15 Mark Zandi joins the Chuck ToddCast

54:30 What do the numbers say about the state of the economy?

55:15 Big Beautiful Bill tax cuts about to start showing up

56:00 Tax refunds will add juice to the economy

56:45 All the “juice” is deficit financed and will only be temporary

57:45 Interest rates cuts likely to be cautious but will continue

59:00 AI stocks on fire, rest of the stocks are just up slightly

1:00:45 The economy isn’t creating any jobs despite investment

1:01:30 Job creation flatlined after “Liberation Day”

1:02:45 Manufacturing has been losing jobs due to tariffs

1:04:00 Are deportations creating more jobs for native born workers?

1:04:45 Jobs normally taken by foreign born workers aren’t being filled

1:06:00 Companies aren’t laying off, they’re just not hiring new employees

1:07:15 Trade deficit reportedly down, but is that actually a good thing?

1:08:00 Imports of pharmaceuticals have collapsed due to tariffs

1:08:45 Tariffs haven’t actually addressed the trade deficit

1:10:15 Tariff revenue shows the stated tariff rates aren’t holding true

1:11:30 Will the K-shaped economy continue through 2026?

1:13:00 Economy is affecting different income groups wildly different

1:14:15 Partisans believe economy is better depending on who is president

1:15:30 How do you price in Trump taking Greenland & ending NATO?

1:16:15 Economies around the world are in a similar, fragile place like the U.S.

1:17:15 The U.S. is rapidly pulling away from the rest of the world

1:18:15 Trump’s protectionism has been contagious to other countries

1:19:30 The world is preparing for a deglobalization

1:21:30 China hasn’t really taken advantage of U.S. global retreat

1:22:15 Countries that embrace immigration are the most successful

1:23:15 No country benefited more from globalization than China

1:25:00 USMCA has to be renegotiated, will probably remain status quo

1:27:15 Job market for new college graduates is very tough

1:28:00 Rise in unemployment is almost exclusively college educated

1:29:00 Proficiency in AI will be critical in future jobs

1:30:00 Classical higher education could make a comeback

1:32:00 Home ownership is unaffordable for many Americans

1:32:45 It’s better to rent than to buy in this market

1:33:45 There’s not a lot of buyers for prospective home sellers

1:34:30 Raising the capital gains exclusion could generate more sellers

1:37:00 There’s a chance the GOP could lose house majority before November

1:37:30 What risks that could upend the economy that concern you the most?

1:38:15 Geopolitical risk is very elevated

1:38:45 Stock market being buoyed by AI, could be ripe for correction

1:40:15 If there’s a major problem it will be in the financial system

1:40:45 If an AI company defaults, it could change the psychology of lenders

1:43:00 GDP growth will be under 3% in 2026

1:44:00 Will be tough to imagine positive job growth in 2026

1:46:15 Chuck’s thoughts on interview with Mark Zandi

1:47:00 ToddCast Time Machine – January 8th, 1918

1:47:45 Woodrow Wilson lays out blueprint for 20th century world order

1:48:30 America tried to shape the world with ideas, not empire

1:49:45 Wilson’s Fourteen Points speech rejected premise that caused WW1

1:51:15 Wilson advances transparency, diplomacy & idealistic foreign policy

1:52:15 Wilson calls for economic interdependence & free trade

1:53:15 Wilson proposes self-determination over empires

1:54:30 Some American conservatives have rejected Wilsonianism for 100 years

1:56:00 Wilson wanted America’s role to be an arbiter, not a conqueror

1:57:00 In 1919, Wilson’s vision was confronted by power politics

1:57:45 The U.S. proposes the League of Nations but doesn’t join it

1:58:30 Every global geopolitical debate traces back to Wilson’s speech

1:59:45 The post-WW2 world order benefitted America, & it’s falling apart

2:01:15 Ask Chuck

2:02:00 Reaction to the ICE shooting in Minneapolis?

2:03:30 Why hasn’t the US taken action to remove the leader of Haiti?

2:08:00 Could Rahm Emanuel beat Gavin Newsom for Dem nomination?

2:11:15 Would an attack on Colombia be a mistake for the Trump administration?

2:17:15 Miami vs Indiana national championship preview

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Moody’s Analytics chief economist Mark Zandi joins Chuck Todd to break down what the numbers actually say about the U.S. economy—and why the headline optimism may be masking deeper problems. Zandi explains how upcoming tax refunds and delayed tax cuts will temporarily juice growth, even as that stimulus is entirely deficit-financed. Interest rate cuts are likely coming, but cautiously, and while AI stocks are soaring, the broader market is barely treading water. Beneath the surface, job creation has stalled, manufacturing jobs are shrinking under tariffs, and deportations aren’t translating into more employment for native-born workers as many expected.

The conversation widens to a fragile global outlook, with Trump-era protectionism accelerating deglobalization and reshaping trade, housing, and labor markets. Zandi details why college-educated workers are now seeing the sharpest rise in unemployment, how AI skills will define the next generation of jobs, and why renting often makes more sense than buying right now. Looking ahead to 2026, he warns of elevated geopolitical and financial-system risks, an AI-driven stock market that could be vulnerable to a correction, GDP growth likely under 3%, and a job market that may struggle to grow at all.

Get your wardrobe sorted and your gift list handled with Quince. Don't wait! Go to https://Quince.com/CHUCK for free shipping on your order and 365-day returns. Now available in Canada, too!

Got injured in an accident? You could be one click away from a claim worth millions. Just visit https://www.forthepeople.com/TODDCAST to start your claim now with Morgan & Morgan without leaving your couch. Remember, it's free unless you win!

Protect your family with life insurance from Ethos. Get up to $3 million in coverage in as little as 10 minutes at https://ethos.com/chuck. Application times may vary. Rates may vary.

Timeline:

(Timestamps may vary based on advertisements)

00:00 Mark Zandi joins the Chuck ToddCast

01:15 What do the numbers say about the state of the economy?

02:00 Big Beautiful Bill tax cuts about to start showing up

02:45 Tax refunds will add juice to the economy

03:30 All the “juice” is deficit financed and will only be temporary

04:30 Interest rates cuts likely to be cautious but will continue

05:45 AI stocks on fire, rest of the stocks are just up slightly

07:30 The economy isn’t creating any jobs despite investment

08:15 Job creation flatlined after “Liberation Day”

09:30 Manufacturing has been losing jobs due to tariffs

10:45 Are deportations creating more jobs for native born workers?

11:30 Jobs normally taken by foreign born workers aren’t being filled

12:45 Companies aren’t laying off, they’re just not hiring new employees

14:00 Trade deficit reportedly down, but is that actually a good thing?

14:45 Imports of pharmaceuticals have collapsed due to tariffs

15:30 Tariffs haven’t actually addressed the trade deficit

17:00 Tariff revenue shows the stated tariff rates aren’t holding true

18:15 Will the K-shaped economy continue through 2026?

19:45 Economy is affecting different income groups wildly different

21:00 Partisans believe economy is better depending on who is president

22:15 How do you price in Trump taking Greenland & ending NATO?

23:00 Economies around the world are in a similar, fragile place like the U.S.

24:00 The U.S. is rapidly pulling away from the rest of the world

25:00 Trump’s protectionism has been contagious to other countries

26:15 The world is preparing for a deglobalization

28:15 China hasn’t really taken advantage of U.S. global retreat

29:00 Countries that embrace immigration are the most successful

30:00 No country benefited more from globalization than China

31:45 USMCA has to be renegotiated, will probably remain status quo

34:00 Job market for new college graduates is very tough

34:45 Rise in unemployment is almost exclusively college educated

35:45 Proficiency in AI will be critical in future jobs

36:45 Classical higher education could make a comeback

38:45 Home ownership is unaffordable for many Americans

39:30 It’s better to rent than to buy in this market

40:30 There’s not a lot of buyers for prospective home sellers

41:15 Raising the capital gains exclusion could generate more sellers

43:45 There’s a chance the GOP could lose house majority before November

44:15 What risks that could upend the economy that concern you the most?

45:00 Geopolitical risk is very elevated

45:30 Stock market being buoyed by AI, could be ripe for correction

47:00 If there’s a major problem it will be in the financial system

47:30 If an AI company defaults, it could change the psychology of lenders

49:45 GDP growth will be under 3% in 2026

50:45 Will be tough to imagine positive job growth in 2026

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode of the Chuck ToddCast, Chuck examines the deadly ICE shooting in Minneapolis and the political, moral, and institutional failures surrounding it. As the administration rushes to rationalize the killing rather than investigate it—despite video evidence and eyewitness accounts that contradict its narrative—Chuck unpacks how DHS rhetoric, recruitment tactics, and targeted ICE deployments appear designed to provoke confrontation and fuel fear. The conversation moves beyond partisan lines to ask what accountability should look like when federal power is used this way, why affected communities are unlikely to trust the investigation, and how the tragedy is being exploited as propaganda. Ultimately, Chuck argues this moment reveals both the fragility and resilience of American democracy, the political danger facing Republicans, and why “whataboutism” has become one of the most corrosive forces in our national discourse.

Thank you Wildgrain for sponsoring. Visit http://wildgrain.com/TODDCAST and use the code "TODDCAST" at checkout to receive $30 off your first box PLUS free Croissants for life!

Get your wardrobe sorted and your gift list handled with Quince. Don't wait! Go to https://Quince.com/CHUCK for free shipping on your order and 365-day returns. Now available in Canada, too!

Timeline:

(Timestamps may vary based on advertisements)

00:00 Chuck Todd’s introduction on ICE shooting in Minneapolis

01:00 Nobody in administration wants to investigate ICE shooting

02:15 J.D. Vance just idly speculated that ICE was in the right

04:15 DHS recruiting has a militaristic undertone

06:00 DHS has used propaganda to fuel rage in ICE recruits

07:15 Administration is rationalizing the death rather than lamenting it

08:30 There’s an intentionality to which cities are targeted by ICE

09:45 Administration is trying to create confrontation in order to crack down

10:30 This isn’t about left vs. right, it’s about right vs. wrong

11:30 Video contradicts Kristi Noem’s version of events, Tom Homan backtracks

12:15 Police forces don’t normally jump to conclusions

14:15 Campaign to demonize Somalis in Minneapolis led to ICE deployment

15:30 Deployments are meant to maximize, not minimize exposure for raids

16:30 Feds taking control of investigation, community won’t believe outcome

18:00 Administration is using woman’s death as a piece of propaganda

19:00 Trump is acting like his time is running out & he can do what he wants

20:15 No eyewitness accounts match story admin is telling

22:15 Republicans are in huge trouble politically

23:15 American democracy is both fragile and strong

25:00 Admin doesn’t have credibility to provide trustworthy investigation

27:30 ICE needs new leadership and a better code of conduct

29:15 Government is looking to exploit the difficulty in trying to find truth

30:30 Public is supportive of some of Trump’s goals, but appalled by tactics

32:30 Trump doesn’t tolerate any disagreement from within the GOP

35:00 The worst virus in American politics is “Whataboutism”

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Chuck Todd is on vacation but the fresh content keeps coming! Chuck empties the 2025 mailbag and answers a variety of listeners’ questions regarding media, politics, history and sports.

If you’d like to ask Chuck a question, shoot us an email at AskChuck@thechucktoddcast.com

Thank you Wildgrain for sponsoring. Visit http://wildgrain.com/TODDCAST and use the code "TODDCAST" at checkout to receive $30 off your first box PLUS free Croissants for life!

Get your wardrobe sorted and your gift list handled with Quince. Don't wait! Go to https://Quince.com/CHUCK for free shipping on your order and 365-day returns. Now available in Canada, too!

Timeline:

00:00 Chuck Todd’s introduction

01:45 As a network on public airwaves, shouldn’t CBS News be neutral?

09:00 How should public figures react to being the targets of satire?

15:00 Why is there a mass exodus of staff from the Heritage Foundation?

18:30 Thoughts on the infusion of prediction markets with political coverage?

23:15 How long does it take for a presidential term to become irrelevant?

30:30 What if Biden stuck with 1 term promise and reformed the presidency?

35:15 What if Russia never sold Alaska to the United States?

38:00 Was the country really united in grief over Garfield’s passing?

42:30 Thoughts on LeBron episode? Magic Johnson should be in GOAT debate

45:15 What one word would you use to describe the year ahead?

49:15 Why don’t we see monopoly concerns over the trading card market?

53:30 Any book recommendations to help understand Roy Cohn?

57:00 Miami’s connection to the cold war portrayed in “Covert City”?

58:30 How does it feel to be an independent journalist after years with NBC?

59:30 Are more people “seeing the light” as MAGA’s coalition cracks?

1:00:45 What are your takeaways from interviewing Andy Beshear?

1:06:00 How did you become a Packers fan after growing up in Miami?

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Conservative talk radio host and Georgia political commentator Martha Zoller joins the Chuck ToddCast for a wide-ranging conversation about the state of politics in the Peach State and beyond. Martha and Chuck dig into why non-MAGA Republicans remain viable in Georgia, how Trump's influence has reshaped the GOP (and arguably handed Democrats two Senate seats), David Perdue's identity crisis between the Trump and Romney wings of the party, and the current landscape of Georgia's gubernatorial and Senate primaries—including why the governor's race may be Mike Collins' to lose and how Rick Jackson's entry has shaken things up.

The conversation then broadens to the deeper fault lines running through American politics: the cultural divide between traditional and progressive family values, why millennials feel left behind, neither party's failure to address affordability, and how media saturation and the collapse of bipartisan relationships in Congress have made compromise feel like treason. Martha and Chuck also explore whether Brian Kemp has presidential ambitions, why it's still harder for Republican women to break through, Jon Ossoff's political strengths, and whether figures like Obama and Trump are really two sides of the same disruption-hungry coin.

Thank you Wildgrain for sponsoring. Visit http://wildgrain.com/TODDCAST and use the code "TODDCAST" at checkout to receive $30 off your first box PLUS free Croissants for life!

Protect your family with life insurance from Ethos. Get up to $3 million in coverage in as little as 10 minutes at https://ethos.com/chuck. Application times may vary. Rates may vary.

 Refresh your wardrobe with Quince. Go to https://Quince.com/chuck for free shipping on your order and 365-day returns. 

Timeline:

(Timestamps may vary based on advertisements)

00:00 Martha Zoller joins the Chuck ToddCast

02:00 There’s a lot of diversity under the umbrellas of the two parties

02:45 Non-MAGA Republicans are still viable in Georgia

04:15 Georgia Democrats used a legal, mail-in voting loophole

05:15 Trump is the reason there are two Democratic GA senators

06:15 Thoughts on David Perdue trying to primary Brian Kemp?

08:15 Perdue lost identity being caught between Trump & Romney wings

09:30 Trump has been an MRI for Republican politics

10:45 Trump wasn’t loyal to David Perdue

11:45 Margins in statewide Georgia races are close

13:30 With Roe gone, has it made it harder to court Republican voters?

14:45 Abortion pills are most common method, have 7% complication rate

17:00 What is the one major dividing line in American politics?

18:15 Independents are disaffected by both parties

19:00 Dividing line is traditional family values vs progressive ones

20:15 Millennials aren’t having kids and feel like life has passed them by

20:45 Neither party is offering affordability solutions

22:00 Shutdown fights are stupid and wasteful

23:45 People view people in the other party as a caricature

24:30 Compromise with the other party is treated as treason

26:00 Congress doesn’t stay in DC & build bipartisan relationships

28:00 Media exposure makes it harder to campaign for office

30:15 Many Republicans learned how to run from Newt Gingrich tapes

31:30 Jon Ossoff’s youth & good looks are a political asset

32:45 Ossoff is not as progressive as his consultants make him sound

34:00 State of the Georgia Republican primary?

35:30 Race is Mike Collins race to lose

37:15 Rick Jackson’s entry has upended the governor's race

38:45 Kemp is focused on getting Derek Dooley across the finish line

39:45 Former governors hate working in the senate

42:30 The case for state legislatures electing senators

44:30 State legislators engage in the most corruption due to lack of coverage

45:45 Kelly Loeffler lost her political identity quickly after taking office

46:45 Is Brian Kemp going to run for president?

49:00 MTG says Republican party doesn’t make it easier for women to run

50:45 It’s harder for women to get traction in politics, easier for Dems

53:00 Have we crossed a line in how ugly our politics has become?

54:30 Voters wanted disruption, Obama & Trump two sides of same coin

56:30 Obama moderated in order to fit in

59:15 Trump couldn’t fake grace over deaths of Rob Reiner or Robert Mueller

1:02:00 Polling is less reliable than ever

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Chuck Todd is on vacation but the fresh content keeps coming! Chuck empties the 2025 mailbag and answers a variety of listeners’ questions focused on politics & policy, the future of Trump & MAGA, and naturally… one on his beloved Green Bay Packers.

If you’d like to ask Chuck a question, shoot us an email at AskChuck@thechucktoddcast.com

Thank you Wildgrain for sponsoring. Visit http://wildgrain.com/TODDCAST and use the code "TODDCAST" at checkout to receive $30 off your first box PLUS free Croissants for life!

Get your wardrobe sorted and your gift list handled with Quince. Don't wait! Go to https://Quince.com/CHUCK for free shipping on your order and 365-day returns. Now available in Canada, too!

Timeline:

(Timestamps may vary based on advertisements)

00:00 Chuck Todd’s introduction

01:30 The need for real fiscal reform to try to tackle the national debt?

06:15 Anyone in MAGA that could reunite the two wings of the GOP?

13:30 Would the ACA receive the same blowback if Romney was president?

18:00 Sources to track the Talarico vs. Crockett race in Texas?

22:30 Will Republicans make trans rights a central issue in 2026?

26:30 Will flawed AI content moderation become a bigger issue?

32:15 How could the Trump administration try to rig the 2026 election?

36:30 Thoughts on proposed constitutional amendments?

44:00 Is it a zero-sum game between legacy & independent media?

52:30 Concerns with the Packers?

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode of the Chuck ToddCast, Chuck tackles one of the most consequential counterfactuals in modern history: what if 9/11 never happened? He explores how the attacks fundamentally altered the American psyche, shattered a post–Cold War sense of security, and transformed how Americans consume news, driving the demand for instant information and accelerating the technologies that now dominate our lives. The conversation examines how U.S. politics, foreign policy, and polarization might have evolved without the War on Terror—no Patriot Act, no Department of Homeland Security, no Iraq War—and whether the political forces that produced figures like Trump and Obama would have emerged at all. From global relationships with Russia and China to the delayed reckoning over economic inequality and partisan division, this episode traces the ripple effects of an event that reshaped everything, and asks what might have filled the vacuum if it had never occurred.

Finally, Chuck reacts to his Miami Hurricanes upsetting Ohio State in the college football playoff and makes his predictions for the upcoming games.

Thank you Wildgrain for sponsoring. Visit http://wildgrain.com/TODDCAST and use the code "TODDCAST" at checkout to receive $30 off your first box PLUS free Croissants for life! 

Timeline:

(Timestamps may vary based on advertisements)

00:00 Chuck Todd’s introduction

03:00 “What if” 9/11 never happened?

03:45 9/11 changed how Americans consumed information

04:30 9/11 was the first true “hit” on the homeland

05:30 9/11 create a new sense of vulnerability in America

06:45 The trauma from 9/11 changed the American psyche

08:45 Prior to 9/11, America was living in a post cold-war calm

09:30 In 2000, the west was trying to court Russia into joining them

10:15 Both parties will bullish on integrating China into the world

11:45 Bush would have been more western hemisphere focused

12:45 Without 9/11, Washington would have been more polarized

13:45 The Bush presidency essentially began on 9/11

15:30 9/11 triggered a “need” for immediate information

16:30 Social media is created to provide immediate info

17:15 There’s no Patriot Act, Iraq war, War on Terror without 9/11

18:30 There would be no Department of Homeland Security

19:45 Homeland Security eventually became an immigration agency

21:45 The isolationist strain of MAGA may not materialize

23:15 Some of the responses to 9/11 led to rise of MAGA politics

25:00 9/11 created a new sense of urgency for following the news

26:15 9/11 sped up the adoption of new information technologies

28:15 Do we not have Trump or Obama without hyper-engaged politics?

29:00 John Kerry probably isn’t the nominee in 2004 without 9/11

30:30 What replaces 9/11 if it never happened?

30:45 Financial crisis still happens anyways

31:45 9/11 delayed the “uniparty reckoning”

32:45 Occupy Wall Street would supplant Tea Party as driving force in 2010

34:00 Without Iraq War, there’s less distinction between Clinton & Obama

35:30 9/11 delayed polarization, economic issues by a few years

37:30 “If 9/11 never happened” final conclusions

40:30 “What Ifs” left on the cutting room floor

49:15 Chuck’s college football playoff reaction

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode of the Chuck ToddCast, Chuck tackles one of the most consequential counterfactuals in modern history: what if 9/11 never happened? He explores how the attacks fundamentally altered the American psyche, shattered a post–Cold War sense of security, and transformed how Americans consume news, driving the demand for instant information and accelerating the technologies that now dominate our lives. The conversation examines how U.S. politics, foreign policy, and polarization might have evolved without the War on Terror—no Patriot Act, no Department of Homeland Security, no Iraq War—and whether the political forces that produced figures like Trump and Obama would have emerged at all. From global relationships with Russia and China to the delayed reckoning over economic inequality and partisan division, this episode traces the ripple effects of an event that reshaped everything, and asks what might have filled the vacuum if it had never occurred.

Then, Jonathan Martin, the politics bureau chief and senior political columnist at POLITICO joins the Chuck ToddCast to walk through his bold predictions for the political landscape heading into 2026, starting with the idea that Donald Trump’s second term is less about governing and more about validation, legacy, and self-mythmaking. The conversation explores Trump as a pop-culture figure obsessed with monuments, family dynasty, and loyalty—rather than policy—along with why the country proved vulnerable to a political huckster in the first place. Martin breaks down why a Supreme Court vacancy could reshape the cycle, why GOP turnout may sag without Trump on the ballot, and which Senate races—from Nebraska to Florida to Ohio—could unexpectedly come into play.

The episode also looks ahead to the fault lines inside both parties: potential Trump family bids, early jockeying for the post-Trump GOP, and Democratic candidates who may help—or hurt—their own chances. Martin weighs in on foreign policy flashpoints that could define the next two years, from Iran to Venezuela to Trump’s transactional approach with China, as well as internal administration instability and cabinet shakeups. Plus, sharp takes on approval ratings, California’s unsettled political bench, why political dynasties still matter, and—because it wouldn’t be a Chuck Todd conversation without it—a few college football predictions to close things out.

Thank you Wildgrain for sponsoring. Visit http://wildgrain.com/TODDCAST and use the code "TODDCAST" at checkout to receive $30 off your first box PLUS free Croissants for life! 

Timeline:

(Timestamps may vary based on advertisements)

00:00 Chuck Todd’s introduction

03:00 “What if” 9/11 never happened?

03:45 9/11 changed how Americans consumed information

04:30 9/11 was the first true “hit” on the homeland

05:30 9/11 create a new sense of vulnerability in America

06:45 The trauma from 9/11 changed the American psyche

08:45 Prior to 9/11, America was living in a post cold-war calm

09:30 In 2000, the west was trying to court Russia into joining them

10:15 Both parties will bullish on integrating China into the world

11:45 Bush would have been more western hemisphere focused

12:45 Without 9/11, Washington would have been more polarized

13:45 The Bush presidency essentially began on 9/11

15:30 9/11 triggered a “need” for immediate information

16:30 Social media is created to provide immediate info

17:15 There’s no Patriot Act, Iraq war, War on Terror without 9/11

18:30 There would be no Department of Homeland Security

19:45 Homeland Security eventually became an immigration agency

21:45 The isolationist strain of MAGA may not materialize

23:15 Some of the responses to 9/11 led to rise of MAGA politics

25:00 9/11 created a new sense of urgency for following the news

26:15 9/11 sped up the adoption of new information technologies

28:15 Do we not have Trump or Obama without hyper-engaged politics?

29:00 John Kerry probably isn’t the nominee in 2004 without 9/11

30:30 What replaces 9/11 if it never happened?

30:45 Financial crisis still happens anyways

31:45 9/11 delayed the “uniparty reckoning”

32:45 Occupy Wall Street would supplant Tea Party as driving force in 2010

34:00 Without Iraq War, there’s less distinction between Clinton & Obama

35:30 9/11 delayed polarization, economic issues by a few years

37:30 “If 9/11 never happened” final conclusions

40:30 “What Ifs” left on the cutting room floor

49:00 Jonathan Martin joins the Chuck ToddCast

51:15 Of his 16 predictions for 2026, which ones stood out the most?

52:00 Trump’s second term is a victory lap, more about validation

53:00 Trump is obsessed with building monuments to himself

54:30 Trump doesn’t take the job seriously

56:30 Trump will likely slap his name on the memorial bridge

57:00 Trump is most like Teddy Roosevelt

58:15 Trump is more a pop culture archetype than a political one

59:00 The country turned out to be vulnerable to a huckster

59:30 Prediction of a Supreme Court seat coming open in 2026

1:00:30 Alito more likely to retire than Thomas

1:01:45 By October, it will be clear that senate is in play

1:03:00 Nebraska Dems cleared field for Dan Osborne

1:04:00 Trump not being on ballot could really suppress GOP turnout

1:05:30 Rumors that Don Jr. could run in Wyoming?

1:07:30 Folks in Jackson Hole with money always exploring political runs

1:08:15 Potential SCOTUS nominees if there’s a retirement?

1:09:45 The senate appointees from FL & OH get no traction

1:11:00 Paxton vs. Crockett would be a fascinating race in TX

1:11:45 Dems have a much better shot of winning in OH than TX

1:14:00 Biden could have cut deals with McConnell if government was split

1:15:15 Predictions on next country Trump hits with air strikes?

1:15:45 Regime in Iran could collapse in 2026

1:17:30 Netanyahu could be seen as most unstable force in middle east

1:18:30 Venezuela could become a huge political problem for Trump

1:20:30 In 1st term, leaks were about Trump, now they’re about cabinet

1:21:15 Kash Patel, Kristi Noem most likely to get booted from administration

1:23:30 GOP has political liabilities in Florida, senate race could be interesting

1:25:45 Could Jared Moskowitz be the wild card in the FL senate race?

1:26:30 Trump could be at 30% approval by Labor Day

1:27:15 Dem candidates that could hurt their chances by writing a book?

1:28:00 Without Covid, Buttigieg is likely the nominee in 2020

1:29:30 Newsom is easy to create a caricature of

1:30:30 Buttigieg is too smart to win in electoral politics

1:31:30 CA governor’s race field still doesn’t feel set

1:34:15 Swalwell can raise money, has backing from Pelosi

1:36:15 "Former mayor of SF” is a title that will sink you nationally

1:37:45 Ro Khanna avoids being associated with California

1:38:30 Which Republicans are most likely to challenge Vance?

1:39:45 A Trump will be a candidate, Donald obsessed with family name in politics

1:41:00 Trump won’t just hand off his coalition to Vance

1:42:15 Trump wants to create a political dynasty

1:44:30 Trump will get cozy with China, then claim he averted WW3

1:45:30 College football predictions

1:59:00 Chuck’s college football playoff reaction

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