The Chuck ToddCast

Epizody

• Chuck’s Commentary - Character Is Destiny In Politics + Iran Has Turned Into A Costly Stalemate 01.06.2026 1h 49min

  Chuck Todd opens with the latest from the Iran war's increasingly costly stalemate, arguing Trump doesn't actually want a deal — he wants the ability to declare an accomplishment without ever looking like he capitulated, the same trick he ran with NAFTA and the JCPOA where he ripped up agreements only to sign nearly identical ones under new names. June, Chuck warns, is when the energy shock will start showing up in domestic prices, every day Hormuz stays closed exponentially increases the damage, consumers may begin behaving irrationally and hoarding, and a single bad natural disaster on top of all this could trigger a genuine crisis. But the heart of the episode is Chuck’s meditation on a single phrase: character is destiny in politics. It's not whether character flaws exist — everyone has them — but when those flaws become public and start affecting the people you were elected to serve. Trump's character problems were on display long before he ever became president, but his defenders now include the exact same Rubios and Grahams who used to blast him as morally unfit. And the most uncomfortable part of Chuck argument for the Democratic base: the same progressives who mocked Trump supporters for excusing his behavior are now using essentially identical defenses for Maine's Graham Platner — who has been accused of sexting in 2023, behavior that isn't youthful indiscretion and isn't going away. Chuck argues political parties used to function as imperfect but real vetting organizations, that once voters become emotionally invested in a candidate they will defend literally anything, that running for office sometimes becomes a substitute for therapy rather than a vehicle for service, and that democracy itself depends on elected officials being able to separate their personal motivations from their public obligations — something Biden failed at when his family obligations led to those preemptive pardons. He notes the Bidens were genuinely beloved before the election but Biden's ambition did real harm to his party, his family, and his own legacy. Todd points to Pope Leo as a potential moral leader Americans seem desperate for at exactly the moment when neither party seems remotely interested in finding the best possible actors. He observes that Platner vs. Collins is starting to feel like a rerun of Trump vs. Clinton in 2016 — two candidates voters genuinely don't want to choose between — and closes with quick hits on Jill Biden's forthcoming memoir, the California gubernatorial primary (where Xavier Becerra and Tom Steyer could finish in the top two), and the increasingly strange Los Angeles mayoral race in which Karen Bass appears to be deliberately ignoring Spencer Pratt because she would much rather face him in a general election than the genuinely formidable Nithya Raman. Finally, Chuck hops into the ToddCast Time Machine to revisit two stories that occurred on the same day… the Tiananmen square massacre, and Poland’s first post-soviet elections. He also answers listeners’ questions in the “Ask Chuck” segment. Predict the action all the way through the finals. Sign up now for your twenty-five dollar bonus on https://fanduel.com/predicts   Link in bio or go to https://getsoul.com & enter code TODDCAST for 30% off your first order. 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 05:30 Iran war/ceasefire has settled into a costly stalemate 06:45 Trump doesn’t want a deal, just ability to declare an accomplishment 07:30 Trump doesn’t want to look like he capitulated 08:00 Trump ripped up other deals, then got same deals with new names 09:15 June will be when the impacts of energy shock show up domestically 10:30 Every day Hormuz remains closed exponentially increases the damage 11:30 Consumers may begin to behave irrationally, start hoarding 12:30 If a natural disaster hits during energy shock, it could be major crisis 13:45 Pulling out of WHO has exacerbated Ebola outbreak 15:00 We can’t foresee all negative impacts, we just know they’re coming 16:15 Character is always destiny in politics, it’s a matter of when people see it 18:00 Everybody has their own motivation for voting, character isn’t always important 18:45 People defending character flaws are a huge part of the problem 20:00 Rubio & Graham used to blast Trump’s character, now defend it 20:30 People criticizing Trump’s behavior are now defending Graham Platner’s 22:00 People run for office for a variety of reasons, and sometimes not good ones 23:15 Sometimes entering politics become a substitute for therapy 24:30 Character matters because it’s predictive 25:30 Trump’s character flaws did not stay private, they became public 26:30 Biden ran for office when his kids were in crisis 27:30 Biden’s family obligations competed with public ones, gave preemptive pardons 28:15 Democracy depends on elected officials separating personal & public 29:15 Political parties used to be vetting organizations, even if imperfect 30:00 Once people become emotionally invested in a candidate, they defend them 30:45 Character flaws don’t just disappear, they show up… and affect us all 33:00 Democrats in a difficult spot having to defend Graham Platner 33:45 Plater accused of sexting in 2023, these aren’t youthful indiscretions 34:45 Eric Swalwell’s indiscretions were ignored until they became too much to ignore 37:15 Platner can still win, Susan Collins has worn out her welcome 38:00 Progressives may have put blinders on for Platner 38:45 People who mocked support for Trump using same defenses for Platner 40:00 At some point credibility will matter to a majority of voters 42:30 Trump’s bad behavior has alienated 1/3rd of Republican voters 44:30 Trump is politicizing celebrating America 250…making it hard to celebrate 45:45 Trump’s character flaws were on display well before he became president 46:30 The Pope may become the moral leader Americans are desperate for 48:30 Parties don’t seem to be worried about finding the best possible actors 49:30 Platner vs. Collins feels like a rerun of Trump vs. Clinton in 2016 51:15 Jill Biden to release new memoir - Bidens seem insulated from public opinion 52:15 Before election, the Biden family was fairly beloved by most 52:45 Biden’s ambition did real harm to the party, family and their legacy 53:30 The Bidens are good people and people were willing to overlook their flaws 54:30 Xavier Becerra & Tom Steyer could finish in Top 2 spots in CA gov primary 56:30 Karen Bass has mostly ignored Spencer Pratt in LA mayoral race 57:00 Bass wants to face Pratt rather than Nithya Raman 1:05:00 ToddCast Time Machine - June 4th, 1989 - Tiananmen Square massacre 1:05:30 The image of a man standing in front of a tank is iconic 1:06:30 On the same day, Polish citizens were casting ballots in a post soviet election 1:07:00 One communist system responded with elections, another responded with force 1:08:00 The Chinese students protesting were easy to empathize with 1:08:45 At the time it felt like freedom was advancing and communism was retreating 1:09:45 The elections in Poland humiliated the communist government 1:10:30 Chinese leaders closely watched events in Europe 1:11:15 Protest movement in China was one of the largest in their history 1:12:45 Chinese government cracked down on reformers and protest movement 1:13:30 Martial law was declared and troops moved into Beijing 1:14:15 We don’t have an accounting of the total death toll of protestors 1:14:45 The image we all remember is “tank man” 1:15:15 The incorrect assumption was that China’s middle class would demand rights 1:16:30 China proved that their model could survive and remain durable 1:18:30 Tiananmen ultimately was the birth of the current bipolar world 1:19:30 Poland chose the ballot box, China chose the tank 1:20:00 Ask Chuck 1:20:15 Would you ever consider running for president? Colbert as a running mate? 1:23:30 Do you think Paxton heads into the general overconfident? 1:30:15 Could the “Wyoming Rule” be a more realistic step than expanding house? 1:33:15 Any lesser known founding fathers that deserve more credit? 1:38:15 Thoughts on the Catholic church as a source of moral authority? 1:42:15 Any advice for people needing to step back from news while staying informed?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
• Full Episode - Character Is Destiny In Politics + The Independent Mayor Making The Case For Post-Partisan Politics 01.06.2026 2h 34min

  Chuck Todd opens with the latest from the Iran war's increasingly costly stalemate, arguing Trump doesn't actually want a deal — he wants the ability to declare an accomplishment without ever looking like he capitulated, the same trick he ran with NAFTA and the JCPOA where he ripped up agreements only to sign nearly identical ones under new names. June, Chuck warns, is when the energy shock will start showing up in domestic prices, every day Hormuz stays closed exponentially increases the damage, consumers may begin behaving irrationally and hoarding, and a single bad natural disaster on top of all this could trigger a genuine crisis. But the heart of the episode is Chuck’s meditation on a single phrase: character is destiny in politics. It's not whether character flaws exist — everyone has them — but when those flaws become public and start affecting the people you were elected to serve. Trump's character problems were on display long before he ever became president, but his defenders now include the exact same Rubios and Grahams who used to blast him as morally unfit. And the most uncomfortable part of Chuck argument for the Democratic base: the same progressives who mocked Trump supporters for excusing his behavior are now using essentially identical defenses for Maine's Graham Platner — who has been accused of sexting in 2023, behavior that isn't youthful indiscretion and isn't going away. Chuck argues political parties used to function as imperfect but real vetting organizations, that once voters become emotionally invested in a candidate they will defend literally anything, that running for office sometimes becomes a substitute for therapy rather than a vehicle for service, and that democracy itself depends on elected officials being able to separate their personal motivations from their public obligations — something Biden failed at when his family obligations led to those preemptive pardons. He notes the Bidens were genuinely beloved before the election but Biden's ambition did real harm to his party, his family, and his own legacy. Todd points to Pope Leo as a potential moral leader Americans seem desperate for at exactly the moment when neither party seems remotely interested in finding the best possible actors. He observes that Platner vs. Collins is starting to feel like a rerun of Trump vs. Clinton in 2016 — two candidates voters genuinely don't want to choose between — and closes with quick hits on Jill Biden's forthcoming memoir, the California gubernatorial primary (where Xavier Becerra and Tom Steyer could finish in the top two), and the increasingly strange Los Angeles mayoral race in which Karen Bass appears to be deliberately ignoring Spencer Pratt because she would much rather face him in a general election than the genuinely formidable Nithya Raman. Then, Colorado Springs Mayor Yemi Mobolade — the independent who won a culturally conservative city by running as a true centrist who refuses to be boxed into either party — joins the Chuck Toddcast to make the case that quality-of-life governance still beats partisanship when voters are actually given the chance to choose it. Mobolade, who adapted his governing principles from Abraham Lincoln, argues that there's a genuine and growing appetite for leadership that isn't red or blue — but warns that working for unity is incredibly hard and tiring work that few politicians want to do anymore. He walks through Colorado Springs' fight to retain Space Command after Trump and Biden moved the headquarters back and forth between Colorado Springs and Huntsville, Alabama, and explains why he ultimately chose not to sue over the relocation (the decision was within the president's purview, and burning that bridge would have cost the city more than it gained). Mobolade describes hiring his own mayoral opponent Wayne Williams after the campaign — a move he calls part of his "radical collaboration" approach — and argues that mayors don't have the luxury of partisan posturing because their job is fundamentally about producing deliverables for actual residents who want safer streets, better services, and a higher quality of life. The conversation moves into the practical challenges facing every American mayor in 2026, with data centers emerging as the political pain point in nearly every community across the country. Mobolade describes calling an emergency meeting to develop a data center strategy for Colorado Springs, walks through the balanced-but-responsible-growth framework his team has settled on, and explains the tradeoffs honestly: residents are worried about quality-of-life impacts, but the tax revenue from data centers is exactly what cities need to fund essential services. Larger data centers in his city are now forced to pay impact fees to offset their costs, some are being placed on military bases for security purposes, and Mobolade is candid with residents that they cannot have the services they demand without the revenue base to pay for them. The conversation turns to Colorado Springs' housing shortage — the city has been named one of the best places for young people, but only if young people can actually afford to live there — and Mobolade discusses his work with HUD to expand supply, his belief that the country needs genuine innovation in finding cheaper ways to build, and his frustration with a Colorado political landscape that he says no longer has room for center-left and center-right voices the way it used to. His closing argument is the one that ties the whole episode together: the country needs more independent leadership, not because partisanship is bad in theory, but because the current version of it is incapable of delivering the basics that voters actually care about. Finally, Chuck hops into the ToddCast Time Machine to revisit two stories that occurred on the same day… the Tiananmen square massacre, and Poland’s first post-soviet elections. He also answers listeners’ questions in the “Ask Chuck” segment. Predict the action all the way through the finals. Sign up now for your twenty-five dollar bonus on https://fanduel.com/predicts   Link in bio or go to https://getsoul.com & enter code TODDCAST for 30% off your first order. 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 05:30 Iran war/ceasefire has settled into a costly stalemate 06:45 Trump doesn’t want a deal, just ability to declare an accomplishment 07:30 Trump doesn’t want to look like he capitulated 08:00 Trump ripped up other deals, then got same deals with new names 09:15 June will be when the impacts of energy shock show up domestically 10:30 Every day Hormuz remains closed exponentially increases the damage 11:30 Consumers may begin to behave irrationally, start hoarding 12:30 If a natural disaster hits during energy shock, it could be major crisis 13:45 Pulling out of WHO has exacerbated Ebola outbreak 15:00 We can’t foresee all negative impacts, we just know they’re coming 16:15 Character is always destiny in politics, it’s a matter of when people see it 18:00 Everybody has their own motivation for voting, character isn’t always important 18:45 People defending character flaws are a huge part of the problem 20:00 Rubio & Graham used to blast Trump’s character, now defend it 20:30 People criticizing Trump’s behavior are now defending Graham Platner’s 22:00 People run for office for a variety of reasons, and sometimes not good ones 23:15 Sometimes entering politics become a substitute for therapy 24:30 Character matters because it’s predictive 25:30 Trump’s character flaws did not stay private, they became public 26:30 Biden ran for office when his kids were in crisis 27:30 Biden’s family obligations competed with public ones, gave preemptive pardons 28:15 Democracy depends on elected officials separating personal & public 29:15 Political parties used to be vetting organizations, even if imperfect 30:00 Once people become emotionally invested in a candidate, they defend them 30:45 Character flaws don’t just disappear, they show up… and affect us all 33:00 Democrats in a difficult spot having to defend Graham Platner 33:45 Plater accused of sexting in 2023, these aren’t youthful indiscretions 34:45 Eric Swalwell’s indiscretions were ignored until they became too much to ignore 37:15 Platner can still win, Susan Collins has worn out her welcome 38:00 Progressives may have put blinders on for Platner 38:45 People who mocked support for Trump using same defenses for Platner 40:00 At some point credibility will matter to a majority of voters 42:30 Trump’s bad behavior has alienated 1/3rd of Republican voters 44:30 Trump is politicizing celebrating America 250…making it hard to celebrate 45:45 Trump’s character flaws were on display well before he became president 46:30 The Pope may become the moral leader Americans are desperate for 48:30 Parties don’t seem to be worried about finding the best possible actors 49:30 Platner vs. Collins feels like a rerun of Trump vs. Clinton in 2016 51:15 Jill Biden to release new memoir - Bidens seem insulated from public opinion 52:15 Before election, the Biden family was fairly beloved by most 52:45 Biden’s ambition did real harm to the party, family and their legacy 53:30 The Bidens are good people and people were willing to overlook their flaws 54:30 Xavier Becerra & Tom Steyer could finish in Top 2 spots in CA gov primary 56:30 Karen Bass has mostly ignored Spencer Pratt in LA mayoral race 57:00 Bass wants to face Pratt rather than Nithya Raman 1:07:00 Mayor Yemi Mobolade joins the Chuck ToddCast 1:08:30 The people care more about quality of life than partisanship 1:09:45 Adapted governing principles from Abraham Lincoln 1:10:45 Colorado Springs is culturally conservative, yet elected an independent 1:12:30 Ran as a true centrist, hard to box in his politics 1:13:45 There’s an appetite for leadership that isn’t red or blue 1:14:30 Trump & Biden moved space command back and forth from Co. Springs 1:15:45 The city fought hard to keep space command 1:16:30 Worked with the mayor of Huntsville to ensure smooth transition 1:17:30 Why did you decide not to sue over relocation of space command? 1:18:15 The decision was within the president’s purview 1:19:30 The city is safer now than when he took office 1:20:45 A mayor’s job is to produce deliverables for the people 1:22:45 There’s a lack of competition of ideas in Colorado politics 1:23:45 Have a good relationship with the governor and statehouse 1:24:30 People get too stuck in their partisan lanes 1:25:00 Working for unity is incredibly hard and tiring 1:27:15 There used to be room for center-left and center-right in Colorado 1:28:15 Hired his mayoral opponent Wayne Williams 1:28:45 Wayne ran a more traditional campaign, Yemi ran on different leadership 1:30:00 The goal was radical collaboration and the community embraced it 1:30:45 Data centers are a political pain point of every local community 1:31:30 Called an emergency meeting to discuss data center strategy 1:32:15 The sweet spot of data center policy is balanced but responsible growth 1:33:00 Residents are worried data centers will lower their quality of life 1:34:30 Data centers being placed on military bases for security 1:36:30 Larger data centers are forced to pay a fee to offset impact 1:40:00 Data centers bring in much needed tax dollars 1:41:00 The city budget needs the revenue to provide essential services 1:41:30 Residents want services but no data centers… can’t have it both ways 1:43:30 Colorado Springs also struggling with a housing shortage 1:45:30 Working with HUD to try to increase housing supply 1:46:15 Colorado Springs named one of the best cities for young people 1:47:45 Need innovation in housing construction, find cheaper ways to build 1:49:30 The country needs more independent leadership  1:50:30 ToddCast Time Machine - June 4th, 1989 - Tiananmen Square massacre 1:51:00 The image of a man standing in front of a tank is iconic 1:52:00 On the same day, Polish citizens were casting ballots in a post soviet election 1:52:30 One communist system responded with elections, another responded with force 1:53:30 The Chinese students protesting were easy to empathize with 1:54:15 At the time it felt like freedom was advancing and communism was retreating 1:55:15 The elections in Poland humiliated the communist government 1:56:00 Chinese leaders closely watched events in Europe 1:56:45 Protest movement in China was one of the largest in their history 1:58:15 Chinese government cracked down on reformers and protest movement 1:59:00 Martial law was declared and troops moved into Beijing 1:59:45 We don’t have an accounting of the total death toll of protestors 2:00:15 The image we all remember is “tank man” 2:00:45 The incorrect assumption was that China’s middle class would demand rights 2:02:00 China proved that their model could survive and remain durable 2:04:00 Tiananmen ultimately was the birth of the current bipolar world 2:05:00 Poland chose the ballot box, China chose the tank 2:05:30 Ask Chuck 2:05:45 Would you ever consider running for president? Colbert as a running mate? 2:09:00 Do you think Paxton heads into the general overconfident? 2:15:45 Could the “Wyoming Rule” be a more realistic step than expanding house? 2:18:45 Any lesser known founding fathers that deserve more credit? 2:23:45 Thoughts on the Catholic church as a source of moral authority? 2:27:45 Any advice for people needing to step back from news while staying informed?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
• Interview Only w/ Mayor Yemi Mobolade - The Independent Mayor Making The Case For Post-Partisan Politics 01.06.2026 48min

  Colorado Springs Mayor Yemi Mobolade — the independent who won a culturally conservative city by running as a true centrist who refuses to be boxed into either party — joins the Chuck Toddcast to make the case that quality-of-life governance still beats partisanship when voters are actually given the chance to choose it. Mobolade, who adapted his governing principles from Abraham Lincoln, argues that there's a genuine and growing appetite for leadership that isn't red or blue — but warns that working for unity is incredibly hard and tiring work that few politicians want to do anymore. He walks through Colorado Springs' fight to retain Space Command after Trump and Biden moved the headquarters back and forth between Colorado Springs and Huntsville, Alabama, and explains why he ultimately chose not to sue over the relocation (the decision was within the president's purview, and burning that bridge would have cost the city more than it gained). Mobolade describes hiring his own mayoral opponent Wayne Williams after the campaign — a move he calls part of his "radical collaboration" approach — and argues that mayors don't have the luxury of partisan posturing because their job is fundamentally about producing deliverables for actual residents who want safer streets, better services, and a higher quality of life. The conversation moves into the practical challenges facing every American mayor in 2026, with data centers emerging as the political pain point in nearly every community across the country. Mobolade describes calling an emergency meeting to develop a data center strategy for Colorado Springs, walks through the balanced-but-responsible-growth framework his team has settled on, and explains the tradeoffs honestly: residents are worried about quality-of-life impacts, but the tax revenue from data centers is exactly what cities need to fund essential services. Larger data centers in his city are now forced to pay impact fees to offset their costs, some are being placed on military bases for security purposes, and Mobolade is candid with residents that they cannot have the services they demand without the revenue base to pay for them. The conversation turns to Colorado Springs' housing shortage — the city has been named one of the best places for young people, but only if young people can actually afford to live there — and Mobolade discusses his work with HUD to expand supply, his belief that the country needs genuine innovation in finding cheaper ways to build, and his frustration with a Colorado political landscape that he says no longer has room for center-left and center-right voices the way it used to. His closing argument is the one that ties the whole episode together: the country needs more independent leadership, not because partisanship is bad in theory, but because the current version of it is incapable of delivering the basics that voters actually care about. Link in bio or go to https://getsoul.com & enter code TODDCAST for 30% off your first order. 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 Mayor Yemi Mobolade joins the Chuck ToddCast 01:30 The people care more about quality of life than partisanship 02:45 Adapted governing principles from Abraham Lincoln 03:45 Colorado Springs is culturally conservative, yet elected an independent 05:30 Ran as a true centrist, hard to box in his politics 06:45 There’s an appetite for leadership that isn’t red or blue 7:30 Trump & Biden moved space command back and forth from Co. Springs 08:45 The city fought hard to keep space command  09:30 Worked with the mayor of Huntsville to ensure smooth transition 10:30 Why did you decide not to sue over relocation of space command? 11:15 The decision was within the president’s purview 12:30 The city is safer now than when he took office 13:45 A mayor’s job is to produce deliverables for the people 15:45 There’s a lack of competition of ideas in Colorado politics 16:45 Have a good relationship with the governor and statehouse 17:30 People get too stuck in their partisan lanes 18:00 Working for unity is incredibly hard and tiring 20:15 There used to be room for center-left and center-right in Colorado 21:15 Hired his mayoral opponent Wayne Williams 21:45 Wayne ran a more traditional campaign, Yemi ran on different leadership 23:00 The goal was radical collaboration and the community embraced it 23:45 Data centers are a political pain point of every local community 24:30 Called an emergency meeting to discuss data center strategy 25:15 The sweet spot of data center policy is balanced but responsible growth 26:00 Residents are worried data centers will lower their quality of life 27:30 Data centers being placed on military bases for security 29:30 Larger data centers are forced to pay a fee to offset impact 33:00 Data centers bring in much needed tax dollars 34:00 The city budget needs the revenue to provide essential services 34:30 Residents want services but no data centers… can’t have it both ways 36:30 Colorado Springs also struggling with a housing shortage 38:30 Working with HUD to try to increase housing supply 39:15 Colorado Springs named one of the best cities for young people 40:45 Need innovation in housing construction, find cheaper ways to build 42:30 The country needs more independent leadershipSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
• Chuck’s Commentary - Why The Sun Belt Could Realign American Politics + Dems Have A Path To The Majority… If They’re Willing To Take It 28.05.2026 1h 16min

  Chuck Todd uses the fallout from the Texas runoff to identify a much bigger pattern emerging across the Sun Belt — and argues we may be watching a generational realignment of American politics in real time. For decades, Southern states moved steadily from blue to red, with the Sun Belt providing the demographic engine of every Republican majority and Democrats traditionally finding their path to power through the upper Midwest. But Trump's GOP has now moved so far right that it's quietly opening the door for Democrats across the South — the blue shift we've seen in Georgia over the past decade is starting to happen in Texas, and the Trump brand has badly complicated things for the centrist voters who used to keep these states reliably Republican. Chuck argues that successful Southern Republican governors of the past spent enormous energy doing coalition management — keeping their activist wing at bay while delivering for swing voters — but Republicans misread their recent electoral dominance and started catering exclusively to their base instead.The data is clear: election deniers consistently lose in Georgia, and when every single issue becomes a loyalty test, you bleed exactly the kind of voters you need to actually win.  But Chuck’s larger argument is that Democrats are blowing the opportunity. He argues the Democratic path back to power is genuinely simple — economic inequality and the concentration of corporate power are causing virtually all of America's ills, and there's a coherent coalition waiting to be built around those issues — but progressives behave like they've already won the intellectual argument and refuse to do the actual work of persuasion. There's no "pure" way to win, Chuck says: winning coalitions are inherently messy, both party bases want movement politics, but the actual electorate consistently rewards coalition politics. Americans increasingly dislike both parties for very different reasons — moderate voters think Democrats are weak and Republicans are too extreme — and what they're actually hungry for is a coalition that is stable and visibly capable of governing.  Finally, he answers listeners' questions in the "Ask Chuck" segment.  Predict the action all the way through the finals. Sign up now for your twenty-five dollar bonus on https://fanduel.com/predicts   Link in bio or go to https://getsoul.com & enter code TODDCAST for 30% off your first order. 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 0:15 Fallout from Texas runoff - We’re seeing a pattern in the Sun Belt 1:00 For decades, southern states have been transitioning from blue to red 2:00 Sun belt states have powered the Republican majority 3:15 Democrats path to power used to be the midwest, now is moving south 4:00 Republicans move to the right has created Dem opportunities in Sun Belt 5:30 The shift to blue we’ve seen in Georgia is starting to happen in Texas 6:30 The Trump brand has complicated things for centrist voters in the south 7:15 Will Ken Paxton be the Mark Robinson of Texas? 8:15 Southern governors were able to keep their activist wing at bay 9:45 GOP leaders in the south had to perform coalition management 11:00 Republicans misunderstood election dominance, then catered to base 12:00 Florida GOP has purged most of its institutional wing 13:15 Loudest activists have set the tone for the Republican party 14:00 Arizona GOP went way too far to the right, less competitive now 16:00 Election deniers have consistently lost in Georgia 17:00 When every issue becomes a loyalty test, you bleed voters 18:15 Texas election will test if the Texas GOP went too far right 20:15 Dems path to power is simple, but have to be willing to take it 22:00 Economic inequality & concentration of power are causing all of our ills 22:30 Progressives behave like they’ve won the intellectual argument 23:15 It’s hard to convince most dedicated supporters what the winning path is 24:15 Republicans are losing due to Trump’s purging of the party 26:30 There’s no “pure” way to win, winning coalitions are messy 27:45 Both bases want movement politics, electorate rewards coalition politics 29:15 Americans increasingly dislike both parties for different reasons 31:15 Base Democrats are taking the wrong lessons from Trump 32:00 Moderate voters think Dems are weak, and GOP is too extreme 33:15 Voters want a coalition that’s stable and capable of governing 35:30 Biden governed differently than he campaign and voters punished him  41:30 Ask Chuck 41:45 Taking the high road in politics doesn’t always work, worth the trade off? 47:15 How do you see election results in 2026 shaping the gerrymandering fight? 50:15 Are presidential approval polls too limited or not comprehensive enough? 54:30 Do you see a path forward for people who believe in healing our politics? 1:01:15 Would it make sense to draw districts without humans involved using metrics? 1:08:45 Is expanding the house realistic considering politics & public perception?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
• Full Episode - Why The Sun Belt Could Realign American Politics + Imagining the Worst to Prevent It From Happening 28.05.2026 1h 56min

  Chuck Todd uses the fallout from the Texas runoff to identify a much bigger pattern emerging across the Sun Belt — and argues we may be watching a generational realignment of American politics in real time. For decades, Southern states moved steadily from blue to red, with the Sun Belt providing the demographic engine of every Republican majority and Democrats traditionally finding their path to power through the upper Midwest. But Trump's GOP has now moved so far right that it's quietly opening the door for Democrats across the South — the blue shift we've seen in Georgia over the past decade is starting to happen in Texas, and the Trump brand has badly complicated things for the centrist voters who used to keep these states reliably Republican. Chuck argues that successful Southern Republican governors of the past spent enormous energy doing coalition management — keeping their activist wing at bay while delivering for swing voters — but Republicans misread their recent electoral dominance and started catering exclusively to their base instead.The data is clear: election deniers consistently lose in Georgia, and when every single issue becomes a loyalty test, you bleed exactly the kind of voters you need to actually win.  But Chuck’s larger argument is that Democrats are blowing the opportunity. He argues the Democratic path back to power is genuinely simple — economic inequality and the concentration of corporate power are causing virtually all of America's ills, and there's a coherent coalition waiting to be built around those issues — but progressives behave like they've already won the intellectual argument and refuse to do the actual work of persuasion. There's no "pure" way to win, Chuck says: winning coalitions are inherently messy, both party bases want movement politics, but the actual electorate consistently rewards coalition politics. Americans increasingly dislike both parties for very different reasons — moderate voters think Democrats are weak and Republicans are too extreme — and what they're actually hungry for is a coalition that is stable and visibly capable of governing.  Then, novelist Elliot Ackerman and retired Admiral James Stavridis — the former NATO Supreme Allied Commander — join the Chuck Toddcast to discuss their new novel 2084 and to deliver some deeply uncomfortable warnings about where war, technology, and great-power competition are actually headed. The duo, whose previous collaboration 2034 imagined a U.S.-China war, are quick to clarify that their work isn't predictive fiction — it's cautionary fiction, written from the conviction that major disasters almost always stem from a failure of imagination, and that the only way to prevent the worst-case scenarios is to seriously imagine them first. Ackerman and Stavridis argue that war has fundamentally changed, that superpowers are now uniquely vulnerable to asymmetric warfare, and that victors are made or unmade by their willingness to adapt to new technologies — pointing to the Ukraine war as a real-time revolution in drone combat and AI-driven battlefield decision-making. They raise the hardest moral question facing modern militaries: do you always need a human in the loop of the kill chain, and if not, who is morally responsible when something goes wrong? Different countries are answering that question in different ways, with profoundly different ethical and strategic consequences. The conversation broadens into the deeper structural concerns animating 2084. Ackerman and Stavridis warn that one of the gravest threats to the international order is the rise of corporations whose power is beginning to rival that of nation-states — and they argue the defining feature of a nation-state has always been its monopoly on violence, meaning governments will eventually be forced to ensure corporations can't apply violence at scale (a fight that has already begun in subtle ways). They flag Trump's recent summit with Xi Jinping as a massive win for China, with Xi clearly presenting himself as the senior partner while Trump walked away with very little — and the meeting was particularly catastrophic for Taiwan, whose strategic standing has now been visibly weakened. The authors discuss whether democracy will remain the defining feature of America going forward, whether the country can overcome its current internal divisions, and how human patterns of warfare repeat themselves across centuries even as the technology evolves. They make the case that the 1983 film War Games was prescient and overdue for a reboot, that military action against Cuba would be nothing like Venezuela — politically much tougher given the engaged Cuban-American community in Florida, and economically far more expensive on the reconstruction side — and that Venezuela itself has the natural resources to one day become "the Dubai of the Caribbean" if its politics ever stabilize. Their bottom-line warning is the one most worth sitting with: the war between the United States and China is the one we all hope to avoid, and the only way to make sure it never happens is to take seriously the possibility that it could. Finally, he answers listeners' questions in the "Ask Chuck" segment. Predict the action all the way through the finals. Sign up now for your twenty-five dollar bonus on https://fanduel.com/predicts   Link in bio or go to https://getsoul.com & enter code TODDCAST for 30% off your first order. 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 Fallout from Texas runoff - We’re seeing a pattern in the Sun Belt 03:45 For decades,southern states have been transitioning from blue to red 04:45 Sun belt states have powered the Republican majority 06:00 Democrats path to power used to be the midwest, now is moving south 06:45 Republicans move to the right has created Dem opportunities in Sun Belt 08:15 The shift to blue we’ve seen in Georgia is starting to happen in Texas 09:15 The Trump brand has complicated things for centrist voters in the south 10:00 Will Ken Paxton be the Mark Robinson of Texas? 11:00 Southern governors were able to keep their activist wing at bay 12:30 GOP leaders in the south had to perform coalition management 13:45 Republicans misunderstood election dominance, then catered to base 14:45 Florida GOP has purged most of its institutional wing 16:00 Loudest activists have set the tone for the Republican party 16:45 Arizona GOP went way too far to the right, less competitive now 18:45 Election deniers have consistently lost in Georgia 19:45 When every issue becomes a loyalty test, you bleed voters 21:00 Texas election will test if the Texas GOP went too far right 23:00 Dems path to power is simple, but have to be willing to take it 24:45 Economic inequality & concentration of power are causing all of our ills 25:15 Progressives behave like they’ve won the intellectual argument 26:00 It’s hard to convince most dedicated supporters what the winning path is 27:00 Republicans are losing due to Trump’s purging of the party 29:15 There’s no “pure” way to win, winning coalitions are messy 30:30 Both bases want movement politics, electorate rewards coalition politics 32:00 Americans increasingly dislike both parties for different reasons 34:00 Base Democrats are taking the wrong lessons from Trump 34:45 Moderate voters think Dems are weak, and GOP is too extreme 36:00 Voters want a coalition that’s stable and capable of governing 38:15 Biden governed differently than he campaign and voters punished him 44:30 Elliot Ackerman & Admiral James Stavridis join the Chuck ToddCast 45:30 2084 is not predictive fiction, it’s cautionary fiction 46:30 Major disasters come from a failure of imagination 47:45 Planned the arc of multiple books in advance 49:00 You can’t be too dystopian or too pollyannish 50:00 War has changed and superpowers are vulnerable to asymmetric war 50:45 Victors are made by adapting to new technologies 51:15 Ukraine war has revolutionized fighting with drones and AI 52:00 War is terrible and drones risk “gamifying” it 53:30 Questions surround whether humans must be involved in “kill chain” 55:15 Always having a human in the loop may not always be best option 56:15 AI tools have moral questions that countries answer differently 57:30 The risk of corporations being more powerful than nation states 58:45 Nation states will ensure that corporations can’t apply violence at scale 59:45 Defining feature of a nation state is a monopoly on violence 1:02:30 Book predicts that Greenland will be growing wine due to climate change 1:03:00 War between U.S. and China is the one we all hope to avoid 1:03:30 Trump’s summit with Xi was a massive with for Xi and China 1:04:00 Xi seemed like the senior partner, Trump got very little\ 1:04:45 The summit was terrible for Taiwan 1:06:00 2034 started with the thesis of the U.S. and China going to war 1:08:15 Will democracy remain the defining feature of America? 1:08:45 Can America overcome the big divisions in the nation? 1:10:15 War is something humans have engaged in & you can see patterns emerge 1:12:30 Other war books served as cautionary fiction & inspiration for the book 1:14:45 The movie “War Games” needs a reboot, it was prescient 1:16:00 Military action against Cuba won’t be like Venezuela, will be much tougher 1:17:00 The Cuban American community in Florida would be very engaged 1:18:15 Venezuela has the resources to be Dubai on the Caribbean 1:18:45 Reconstruction of Cuba would be wildly expensive 1:19:30 What is your next project? 1:20:00 Don’t need to read the earlier books to read 2084, they stand on their own  1:22:15 Ask Chuck 1:22:30 Taking the high road in politics doesn’t always work, worth the trade off? 1:28:00 How do you see election results in 2026 shaping the gerrymandering fight? 1:31:00 Are presidential approval polls too limited or not comprehensive enough? 1:35:15 Do you see a path forward for people who believe in healing our politics? 1:42:00 Would it make sense to draw districts without humans involved using metrics? 1:49:30 Is expanding the house realistic considering politics & public perception?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
• Interview Only w/ Elliot Ackerman & James Stavridis - Imagining the Worst to Prevent It From Happening 28.05.2026 40min

  Novelist Elliot Ackerman and retired Admiral James Stavridis — the former NATO Supreme Allied Commander — join the Chuck Toddcast to discuss their new novel 2084 and to deliver some deeply uncomfortable warnings about where war, technology, and great-power competition are actually headed. The duo, whose previous collaboration 2034 imagined a U.S.-China war, are quick to clarify that their work isn't predictive fiction — it's cautionary fiction, written from the conviction that major disasters almost always stem from a failure of imagination, and that the only way to prevent the worst-case scenarios is to seriously imagine them first. Ackerman and Stavridis argue that war has fundamentally changed, that superpowers are now uniquely vulnerable to asymmetric warfare, and that victors are made or unmade by their willingness to adapt to new technologies — pointing to the Ukraine war as a real-time revolution in drone combat and AI-driven battlefield decision-making. They raise the hardest moral question facing modern militaries: do you always need a human in the loop of the kill chain, and if not, who is morally responsible when something goes wrong? Different countries are answering that question in different ways, with profoundly different ethical and strategic consequences. The conversation broadens into the deeper structural concerns animating 2084. Ackerman and Stavridis warn that one of the gravest threats to the international order is the rise of corporations whose power is beginning to rival that of nation-states — and they argue the defining feature of a nation-state has always been its monopoly on violence, meaning governments will eventually be forced to ensure corporations can't apply violence at scale (a fight that has already begun in subtle ways). They flag Trump's recent summit with Xi Jinping as a massive win for China, with Xi clearly presenting himself as the senior partner while Trump walked away with very little — and the meeting was particularly catastrophic for Taiwan, whose strategic standing has now been visibly weakened. The authors discuss whether democracy will remain the defining feature of America going forward, whether the country can overcome its current internal divisions, and how human patterns of warfare repeat themselves across centuries even as the technology evolves. They make the case that the 1983 film War Games was prescient and overdue for a reboot, that military action against Cuba would be nothing like Venezuela — politically much tougher given the engaged Cuban-American community in Florida, and economically far more expensive on the reconstruction side — and that Venezuela itself has the natural resources to one day become "the Dubai of the Caribbean" if its politics ever stabilize. Their bottom-line warning is the one most worth sitting with: the war between the United States and China is the one we all hope to avoid, and the only way to make sure it never happens is to take seriously the possibility that it could. Link in bio or go to https://getsoul.com & enter code TODDCAST for 30% off your first order. 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 Elliot Ackerman & Admiral James Stavridis join the Chuck ToddCast 01:00 2084 is not predictive fiction, it’s cautionary fiction 02:00 Major disasters come from a failure of imagination 03:15 Planned the arc of multiple books in advance 04:30 You can’t be too dystopian or too pollyannish  05:30 War has changed and superpowers are vulnerable to asymmetric war 06:15 Victors are made by adapting to new technologies 06:45 Ukraine war has revolutionized fighting with drones and AI 07:30 War is terrible and drones risk “gamifying” it 09:00 Questions surround whether humans must be involved in “kill chain” 10:45 Always having a human in the loop may not always be best option 11:45 AI tools have moral questions that countries answer differently 13:00 The risk of corporations being more powerful than nation states 14:15 Nation states will ensure that corporations can’t apply violence at scale 15:15 Defining feature of a nation state is a monopoly on violence 18:00 Book predicts that Greenland will be growing wine due to climate change 18:30 War between U.S. and China is the one we all hope to avoid 19:00 Trump’s summit with Xi was a massive with for Xi and China 19:30 Xi seemed like the senior partner, Trump got very little\ 20:15 The summit was terrible for Taiwan 21:30 2034 started with the thesis of the U.S. and China going to war 23:45 Will democracy remain the defining feature of America? 24:15 Can America overcome the big divisions in the nation? 25:45 War is something humans have engaged in & you can see patterns emerge 28:00 Other war books served as cautionary fiction & inspiration for the book 30:15 The movie “War Games” needs a reboot, it was prescient  31:30 Military action against Cuba won’t be like Venezuela, will be much tougher 32:30 The Cuban American community in Florida would be very engaged 33:45 Venezuela has the resources to be Dubai on the Caribbean 34:15 Reconstruction of Cuba would be wildly expensive 35:00 What is your next project? 35:30 Don’t need to read the earlier books to read 2084, they stand on their ownSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
• Full Episode - Ken Paxton’s Victory Gives Dems An Opportunity In Texas - Tackling Trump’s Rampant Corruption & Pay To Play Politics 27.05.2026 2h 30min

  Chuck Todd opens with Ken Paxton's runoff blowout over John Cornyn — a result that confirms Texas Republicans remain the base of what eventually grew into MAGA nationally, that the insurgent wing of the GOP consistently wins in the state, and that Paxton is somehow simultaneously the least electable nominee Republicans could have picked and still electable enough to make this a real fight. He argues Texas is slowly moving toward swing state status the way Georgia did over the past decade — the ingredients are there for a Democrat to finally break through, the question is whether James Talarico can move his 45% number higher and prove he's the political athlete this moment requires. The downstream consequences for Republicans are brutal: the GOP will have to drop a $500 million anvil on Talarico that can't be deployed in other races, and Democrats' path to a Senate majority just got measurably wider.  But the more fascinating story Chuck unpacks is Pope Leo's stunning new document on AI, automated weapons, and concentrated power — a text Chuck argues is essentially an indictment of American military dominance dressed in the language of moral theology. The Pope explicitly compares AI-driven targeting systems to slavery, arguing both reduce human beings to data points and dehumanize their victims, and apologizes for the church's historic slowness on slavery while warning Catholics that they cannot afford the same slowness on artificial intelligence. He declares the centuries-old "just war" framework outdated, argues that no algorithm can ever make war morally acceptable, and pushes back forcefully on the entire concept of nuclear deterrence — drawing a direct line back to Pope Leo XIII's 1891 intervention on industrial capitalism. He argues the document, while never naming the United States, is speaking directly to American politicians: it's framed as a call for a moral framework around AI that can live above the political discourse, an explicit argument that technological capital must be regulated, and a warning that AI is not morally neutral no matter how much Silicon Valley wishes it were. The larger message is unmistakable — the Pope, who Chuck notes is now arguably the most formidable global moral voice that even secular Americans look to for clarity, has just put concentrated technological power on notice in a way no head of state has been willing to. Then, Virginia Kase Solomon — president of Common Cause, one of the country's oldest and most respected pro-democracy organizations — joins the Chuck Toddcast to deliver a clear-eyed assessment of just how broken American self-government has become, and what it might actually take to fix it. Kase Solomon argues that Trump's corruption has gone so far beyond anything in modern history that it makes Watergate look quaint by comparison — she points to Trump stealing roughly $1.8 billion from American taxpayers as a single staggering example — but warns that the most dangerous development isn't the corruption itself, it's that young voters are growing up normalized to it, with no living memory of an administration where this kind of behavior carried consequences. She makes a striking comparison to Hungary, where it took genuinely staggering levels of corruption before Orbán could be toppled, and where the opposition only succeeded once it tied that corruption directly to degrading quality of life for ordinary people — a lesson she says American Democrats badly need to learn. They note that there are real bipartisan calls to address money in politics, that a congressional stock trading ban enjoys overwhelming public support, that Amy Klobuchar's Disclose Act keeps getting reintroduced and ignored, and that forced disclosure of large-dollar donors alone would significantly reduce political giving — but the country is on a runaway train, with big tech money flowing to whoever holds power and Trump openly running the country like a corporation. The conversation broadens into Kase Solomon's structural diagnosis of why American democracy isn't working. She argues that the way the founders designed the country no longer functions in the modern era — but that the founders also gave us the tools to fix what's broken if we choose to use them. Congress is too small to genuinely represent the public, the Senate is horribly malapportioned, the Supreme Court has offered no real solution to the gerrymandering crisis, and we've completely lost the "statesmen" in Congress who once voted their conscience because there's no longer any incentive to compromise or work across the aisle. She is deeply concerned about the regulatory vacuum around AI — deepfakes have terrifying implications for elections and civil litigation is currently the only meaningful path to push back — and she warns that the election of judges has corrupted the rule of law in ways America needs a movement to address. Despite all of this, she  is genuinely hopeful: Common Cause is litigating against the corruption, organizing a million conversations between activists and ordinary Americans, and operating from the conviction that the public isn't stupid and still loves this country. Her closing argument is the most American one possible: the United States has always emerged from its darkest periods better than it went in — but only because people refused to accept the broken system as permanent, and that work has to start now. Finally, Chuck reveals his ToddCast Top 5 list of Democrats who could be vaulted into 2028 contender status for the presidency if they perform well in the midterms. He highlights two midwestern gubernatorial candidates, two upstart senate bids and one name that stands above the rest… Jon Ossoff of Georgia. He also answers listeners’ questions in the “Ask Chuck” segment.   Predict the action all the way through the finals. Sign up now for your twenty-five dollar bonus on https://fanduel.com/predicts   Link in bio or go to https://getsoul.com & enter code TODDCAST for 30% off your first order.  Refresh your wardrobe with Quince. Go to https://Quince.com/chuck for free shipping on your order and 365-day returns.  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 03:30 Ken Paxton trounces John Cornyn in runoff election  05:00 Texas Republicans are the base for what grew into MAGA nationally 07:15 The insurgent wing of the GOP consistently wins in Texas 09:00 Paxton is the least electable nominee, but he’s still electable 10:30 Is 45% Talarico’s ceiling, or can he move that number higher? 11:30 Texas is slowly moving towards swing state status like Georgia did 13:00 Ingredients are there for a Democrat to finally break through in TX 15:30 Senate Republicans won’t be happy having to serve with Paxton 16:00 Texas is more winnable than other races for GOP, will have to spend in TX 16:30 Republicans will have to spend big to drop the anvil on Talarico 17:30 We’ll find out how talented of a political athlete Talarico is 19:30 This will be the magnet race that national reporters will focus on 21:30 Race will cost the GOP $500m that can’t be deployed elsewhere 23:15 Democrats now have a better chance of winning the senate 24:00 The Pope speaks to more than Catholics, seculars look to him for moral clarity 25:00 The Pope is formidable influencer in America 26:15 The Pope speaks out about AI, concentrated power & the “just war” theory 26:45 He compared automated weapons to slavery 28:00 The Pope spoke out similarly in 1891 during the Industrial Revolution 29:00 The Pope’s document says AI is not morally neutral 30:15 Document argues that technological capital needs to be regulated 30:45 The church has had a “just war” framework for hundreds of years 31:15 Pope Leo says “just war” framework is outdated 32:15 Document argues no algorithm can make war morally acceptable 33:15 Document argues against the concept of nuclear deterrence 33:45 Pope apologizes for church’s role in slavery 34:30 Document says AI systems reduce human beings into targeting data 35:00 Pope argues the dehumanization of AI targeting is similar to slavery 36:00 While not saying it directly, the document is speaking about the United States 37:00 The document is an indictment of American military dominance 38:30 Document does have a carve-out for self defence 40:15 The document was speaking directly to American politicians 41:30 A call for a moral framework for AI can live above the political discourse 42:30 Pope argues church was too slow on slavery, can’t be slow on AI 49:00 Virginia Kase Solomon (Common Cause) joins the Chuck ToddCast 50:30 Common Cause works to hold the government accountable to the people 51:30 Corporate lobbies have disproportionate power compared to people 52:15 Many people threw their hands up after Citizen’s United 53:30 States are working to change campaign finance rules 55:15 States can ban companies in their state from making political donations 57:00 Rules changes but money always seems to find a way around them 59:00 Parties stopped becoming the epicenter of political donations 1:00:30 There are bipartisan calls to do something about money in politics 1:02:00 More GOP support for reform at the state level than national level 1:02:45 We’re on a runaway train for money in politics 1:03:30 Big tech money goes to whoever is in power 1:04:00 The country is being run like a corporation 1:04:45 Jamie Raskin has started an anti-corruption task force 1:05:15 A congressional stock trading ban has massive public support 1:06:15 Trump is obviously corrupt, but people fear him too much to act 1:07:30 Forced disclosure of large dollar donors would reduce donations 1:08:30 Amy Klobuchar has put forward the Disclose Act in almost every congress 1:11:00 The Trump administration’s corruption is beyond egregious 1:11:45 Trump stealing $1.8 billion from taxpayers, makes Watergate look quaint 1:13:15 Young voters have grown up being normalized to this corruption 1:13:45 There will be a backlash to the corruption at some point 1:14:45 America’s long term global standing has been severely damaged 1:15:30 Common Cause is involved in litigation trying to prevent the corruption 1:17:30 Striving to have a million conversations between organizers & normal people 1:18:45 People are struggling and feeling fatigued 1:20:30 It took staggering levels of corruption in Hungary before Orban was toppled 1:21:30 Opposition in Hungary tied corruption to degrading quality of life 1:23:30 A fairness criteria was implemented in the California redistricting 1:24:30 CA and VA put redistricting before the voters, but still a race to the bottom 1:25:00 The Supreme Court hasn’t offered any solution to gerrymandering problem 1:26:00 Congress is too small to effectively represent the public 1:26:45 The senate is horribly malapportioned 1:28:30 The way the founders designed the country doesn’t work anymore 1:29:00 The founders gave us the tools to fix the democracy 1:31:15 There’s no incentive to work in a bipartisan manner or compromise 1:32:45 We’ve lost the “statesmen” in congress who vote their conscience 1:33:30 Politics has become a zero sum game 1:34:45 Politics has always been dirty, but we’ve hit an all-time low 1:36:00 Government seems completely unequipped to regulate AI 1:38:45 Deepfakes impact on elections are very concerning 1:40:00 Civil litigation is the only current path to push back on AI 1:41:30 Status of “sunshine laws” in the country? Could they be rolled back? 1:43:45 Need a movement against the election of the judiciary 1:46:45 The reason for optimism… is that people aren’t stupid and love the country 1:47:30 Our country has always emerged better after dark times  1:49:30 Chuck’s thoughts on interview with Virginia Kase Solomon 1:50:30 ToddCast Top 5 2028 contenders depending on their 2026 performance 1:54:00 #5 Amy Acton 1:56:15 #4 Rob Sand 1:57:45 #3 Graham Platner 2:01:15 #2 James Talarico 2:03:45 #1 Jon Ossoff 2:07:15 Ask Chuck 2:07:30 Why are people rounding up Trump’s 1.776B slush fund to $1.8b? 2:09:30 Supporting candidates you oppose just for judicial confirmations? 2:16:30 New Parallel AI model that prioritizes original writing and journalism? 2:20:15 How are candidates allowed to deploy financial resources during campaigns? 2:24:30 Pattern of Dems fixing the economy and GOP making it worse?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
• Interview Only w/ Virginia Kase Solomon - Tackling Trump’s Rampant Corruption & Pay To Play Politics 27.05.2026 1h 5min

  Virginia Kase Solomon — president of Common Cause, one of the country's oldest and most respected pro-democracy organizations — joins the Chuck Toddcast to deliver a clear-eyed assessment of just how broken American self-government has become, and what it might actually take to fix it. Kase Solomon argues that Trump's corruption has gone so far beyond anything in modern history that it makes Watergate look quaint by comparison — she points to Trump stealing roughly $1.8 billion from American taxpayers as a single staggering example — but warns that the most dangerous development isn't the corruption itself, it's that young voters are growing up normalized to it, with no living memory of an administration where this kind of behavior carried consequences. She makes a striking comparison to Hungary, where it took genuinely staggering levels of corruption before Orbán could be toppled, and where the opposition only succeeded once it tied that corruption directly to degrading quality of life for ordinary people — a lesson she says American Democrats badly need to learn. They note that there are real bipartisan calls to address money in politics, that a congressional stock trading ban enjoys overwhelming public support, that Amy Klobuchar's Disclose Act keeps getting reintroduced and ignored, and that forced disclosure of large-dollar donors alone would significantly reduce political giving — but the country is on a runaway train, with big tech money flowing to whoever holds power and Trump openly running the country like a corporation. The conversation broadens into Kase Solomon's structural diagnosis of why American democracy isn't working. She argues that the way the founders designed the country no longer functions in the modern era — but that the founders also gave us the tools to fix what's broken if we choose to use them. Congress is too small to genuinely represent the public, the Senate is horribly malapportioned, the Supreme Court has offered no real solution to the gerrymandering crisis, and we've completely lost the "statesmen" in Congress who once voted their conscience because there's no longer any incentive to compromise or work across the aisle. She is deeply concerned about the regulatory vacuum around AI — deepfakes have terrifying implications for elections and civil litigation is currently the only meaningful path to push back — and she warns that the election of judges has corrupted the rule of law in ways America needs a movement to address. Despite all of this, she  is genuinely hopeful: Common Cause is litigating against the corruption, organizing a million conversations between activists and ordinary Americans, and operating from the conviction that the public isn't stupid and still loves this country. Her closing argument is the most American one possible: the United States has always emerged from its darkest periods better than it went in — but only because people refused to accept the broken system as permanent, and that work has to start now.   Link in bio or go to https://getsoul.com & enter code TODDCAST for 30% off your first order.  Refresh your wardrobe with Quince. Go to https://Quince.com/chuck for free shipping on your order and 365-day returns.  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 Virginia Kase Solomon (Common Cause) joins the Chuck ToddCast 01:30 Common Cause works to hold the government accountable to the people 02:30 Corporate lobbies have disproportionate power compared to people 03:15 Many people threw their hands up after Citizen’s United 04:30 States are working to change campaign finance rules 06:15 States can ban companies in their state from making political donations 08:00 Rules changes but money always seems to find a way around them 10:00 Parties stopped becoming the epicenter of political donations 11:30 There are bipartisan calls to do something about money in politics 13:00 More GOP support for reform at the state level than national level 13:45 We’re on a runaway train for money in politics 14:30 Big tech money goes to whoever is in power 15:00 The country is being run like a corporation 15:45 Jamie Raskin has started an anti-corruption task force 16:15 A congressional stock trading ban has massive public support 17:15 Trump is obviously corrupt, but people fear him too much to act 18:30 Forced disclosure of large dollar donors would reduce donations 19:30 Amy Klobuchar has put forward the Disclose Act in almost every congress 22:00 The Trump administration’s corruption is beyond egregious 22:45 Trump stealing $1.8 billion from taxpayers, makes Watergate look quaint 24:15 Young voters have grown up being normalized to this corruption 24:45 There will be a backlash to the corruption at some point 25:45 America’s long term global standing has been severely damaged 26:30 Common Cause is involved in litigation trying to prevent the corruption 28:30 Striving to have a million conversations between organizers & normal people 29:45 People are struggling and feeling fatigued 31:30 It took staggering levels of corruption in Hungary before Orban was toppled 32:30 Opposition in Hungary tied corruption to degrading quality of life 34:30 A fairness criteria was implemented in the California redistricting 35:30 CA and VA put redistricting before the voters, but still a race to the bottom 36:00 The Supreme Court hasn’t offered any solution to gerrymandering problem 37:00 Congress is too small to effectively represent the public 37:45 The senate is horribly malapportioned 39:30 The way the founders designed the country doesn’t work anymore 40:00 The founders gave us the tools to fix the democracy 42:15 There’s no incentive to work in a bipartisan manner or compromise 43:45 We’ve lost the “statesmen” in congress who vote their conscience 44:30 Politics has become a zero sum game 45:45 Politics has always been dirty, but we’ve hit an all-time low 47:00 Government seems completely unequipped to regulate AI 49:45 Deepfakes impact on elections are very concerning 51:00 Civil litigation is the only current path to push back on AI 52:30 Status of “sunshine laws” in the country? Could they be rolled back? 54:45 Need a movement against the election of the judiciary 57:45 The reason for optimism… is that people aren’t stupid and love the country 58:30 Our country has always emerged better after dark timesSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
• Full Episode - Trump’s Iran Deal Is Worse Than The Deal He Tore Up + A Marine Sniper’s Message on Service, Sacrifice, and Country 25.05.2026 2h 58min

  Chuck Todd opens with a brutal verdict on the emerging Iran "deal": it's just a worse version of the Obama agreement Trump once tore up, Iran has effectively avoided every stated goal Trump and Israel set out to achieve, and Tehran retains control of the Strait of Hormuz — meaning this is unambiguously a loss for the United States, no matter how the administration tries to spin it. He argues Trump bit off far more than he could chew, that Bibi Netanyahu put his faith into Donald Trump (which never ends well), and that America's standing has been diminished in ways that will reverberate for years. Iran's regime won't be able to repress its own people forever, He notes, but the window to actually topple it during the protests was missed — and Gulf state allies will now be dealing with the Iranians for much longer than they bargained for, having quietly hoped the U.S. and Israel would do their dirty work for them. The political damage at home is just as severe. He cites the Wall Street Journal christening the past seven days as "the week that broke Trump's hold on Congress," with the president now underwater on every single issue, consumer confidence unlikely to recover before the midterms, the Senate unable to fund DHS through reconciliation because Trump makes bipartisan solutions impossible, and his January 6th slush fund producing a backlash that won't go away — with Republican senators visibly wavering. Chuck's verdict on the lame duck arriving early: this is a failed first two years of the Trump presidency, and the stronger his grip on the party, the weaker that party becomes in general elections. He blasts Todd Blanche for turning the DOJ into Trump's personal legal team (Blanche should be impeached, Todd argues, and nothing coming out of this DOJ can be trusted), tears into the long-awaited DNC autopsy of the 2024 loss as paralyzed, tone-deaf, and poorly thought-out — naming Ken Martin as the wrong person to lead the DNC and noting that the simple truth Democrats can't bring themselves to face is that the party is perceived as too liberal in a country with more conservatives than progressives. He flags Mike Duggan dropping out of the Michigan governor's race after his hoped-for contentious Democratic primary never materialized, and Tulsi Gabbard's resignation as DNI proving that the position itself was never really necessary Then, former Marine sniper AJ Pasciuti — author of the new book Dark Horse and host of the Combat Story podcast — joins the Chuck Toddcast for one of the most riveting and clear-eyed conversations about military service, leadership, and the realities of modern war. Pasciuti was 16 years old on September 11th, enlisted at 17, and eventually became the Marine who led the team that killed "Juba" — the notorious Iraqi sniper who uploaded videos of his American kills to the internet to taunt the U.S. military. He walks listeners through the entire hunt: how Marines studied Juba's uploaded footage to identify his patterns, how the team set a trap, how Pasciuti spotted Juba in his hide by catching the glint off the lens of a Sony Handycam, and how he knew within minutes that they'd gotten him — while emphasizing that he may have pulled the trigger but it was an entire team that brought Juba down. Pasciuti reflects on the strange experience of fighting enemies who saw themselves as freedom fighters rather than terrorists, why attention to detail is the trait that weeds out most sniper candidates, and how snipers are ultimately meant to combat the enemy emotionally as much as physically. The conversation broadens into a sweeping meditation on what military service teaches you about America — and where Pasciuti worries the country is heading. He calls the military one of the last bastions of the American dream, where opportunity is real but has to be earned, and argues that a culture promoting service to the greater good over the accumulation of wealth would make America measurably healthier.. Pasciuti is openly worried about political leadership infecting the values of the military, makes the case that empathy must be viewed as a strength rather than a weakness in military leadership, and insists his book is political but not partisan — it's about values. He offers a vital warning that the Taliban proved asymmetrical warfare can defeat a stronger foe, that drone warfare is dangerously dehumanizing combat by reducing casualties to dollars and cents, and that the most important thing any soldier carries home is their soul intact — something he says becomes harder every year as the social contract between America and its veterans erodes. Pasciuti describes seeing fear rather than hatred in the eyes of a dying enemy combatant, a moment that has stayed with him, and explains why he can't support any politician who describes a political opponent as an enemy. He shares his experience running for city council and personally knocking on thousands of doors, his frustration with the financial barriers to entry in modern politics, and his belief that current discourse simply doesn't allow for real dialogue. He closes with the most powerful observation of the episode, made for Memorial Day: the holiday isn't about those who came home — it's about those who didn't — and anyone calling for war should be required to first sit down and have a conversation with a Gold Star family. Finally, Chuck hops into the ToddCast Time Machine for a thoughtful Memorial Day reflection on how countries honor their war dead — and how the rituals they choose reveal who they understand themselves to be. He traces Memorial Day back to its actual origins in the Civil War and its 600,000 American dead, including the powerful and often-forgotten story of formerly enslaved people who reburied Union soldiers from a mass grave to give them the dignified resting place their country had failed to provide. He explains that the date was chosen not because of a specific battle but because of when flowers bloom, that Southern states kept parallel remembrance traditions for the Confederacy, and that Memorial Day's secondary role as the unofficial start of summer has always made it a uniquely American hybrid of grief and gathering — which, Chuck argues, is actually one of its virtues, because coming together is how communities find common ground. He surveys how other nations approach the same task: WWI created a uniquely Canadian identity around remembrance, Russia centers its V-Day celebrations on WWII triumph as the foundation of national identity, Germany approaches its war dead cautiously and somberly with a deep awareness of historical responsibility, and Japan frames remembrance through loss, peace, and explicit anti-war reflection. His larger argument is that the story and tone of a country's remembrance day reveals exactly how it understands itself — what it celebrates, what it confronts, and what it would rather not look at. He closes with the smallest but most important reminder of the day: you don't say "Happy Memorial Day." He also answers listeners’ questions in the “Ask Chuck” segment. Predict the action all the way through the finals. Sign up now for your twenty-five dollar bonus on https://fanduel.com/predicts  Link in bio or go to https://getsoul.com & enter code TODDCAST for 30% off your first order.  Refresh your wardrobe with Quince. Go to https://Quince.com/chuck for free shipping on your order and 365-day returns.  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 04:00 Pending Iran deal looks like a worse version of Obama’s deal 04:45 Iran looks to have avoided all of Trump + Israel’s stated goals 05:15 Iran retains control of Strait, that means this is a loss for Trump 06:15 Trump is capitulating, and this diminishes America’s standing 07:15 Administration hoping to sweep Iran under the rug in time for the midterms 08:00 Normally, America would be leading Ebola response. Trump destroyed USAID 08:45 Helping with disease outbreaks was about protecting us at home 10:00 Unlikely the Iranian regime will be able to repress their people forever 11:00 Trump bit off more than he could chew and needs an offramp 11:45 Bibi put his faith into Donald Trump, which never goes well 13:00 Trump hires flawed people that could only work for him. Makes them loyal 14:15 Politics infects every decision Trump makes 15:45 Gulf state allies will have to deal with Iran for much longer now 16:30 Missed the window to topple the regime during the protests 18:00 Gulf states were hoping U.S. and Israel would do their dirty work 18:30 Trump was worst possible commander in chief for this moment 19:30 It’s a big loss for Trump, but he had no choice but to end the war 22:00 New polling shows Trump approval tanking, huge generic Dem advantage 23:45 WSJ dubs the past week, “The week the broke Trump’s hold on Congress” 25:00 Trump is underwater on every issue 26:00 It’s highly unlikely consumer confidence will rise before the midterms 27:00 Trump is directly responsible for higher inflation and cost of living 28:00 Senate cannot find way to fund DHS through reconciliation 29:30 Trump makes any bipartisan solution impossible 30:15 Todd Banche is making DOJ Trump’s personal attorneys 31:45 Can’t trust anything this DOJ says. Blanche should be impeached* 33:15 Trump’s J6 slush fund is likely illegal and has GOP senators wavering 34:15 Backlash to slush fund isn’t going away 35:45 The stronger Trump grips the party, the weaker it is in general elections 36:30 The lame duck is here. This a failed first two years of Trump’s presidency 37:15 DNC finally releases autopsy of 2024 election loss 37:45 Ken Martin is the wrong person for the DNC chair. In over his head 38:15 The simple fact of the matter is the party is perceived as too liberal 40:45 There are more conservatives than progressives, need to win the moderates 42:00 Autopsy offering gubernatorial wins as a counterpoint is tone deaf 43:45 Trump’s electoral strength doesn’t translate when he isn’t on ballot 44:30 DNC was in a no-win situation with the autopsy 45:15 Seems like the autopsy was just going through motions, poorly thought out 46:30 DNC is paralyzed, in need of new leadership 48:30 Mike Duggan drops out as independent in MI governor’s race 50:00 Duggan counted on contentious primary & that didn’t happen 52:00 Duggan didn’t want a Republican elected and dropped out 52:30 Tulsi Gabbard resigns. DNI post shown to not be necessary 53:00 The CIA has won the “turf battle” amongst intel agencies 54:30 Gabbard isn’t the first DNI that’s been marginalized. 55:15 It’s easy to eye roll Don Jr & Hunter Biden… Their fathers screwed them up 1:03:30 AJ Pasciuti (Dark Horse) joins the Chuck ToddCast 1:05:30 If you wrote the book 10 years ago, how would it have been different? 1:07:00 You gain extra perspective about “why” when more time has passed 1:07:45 Leadership is currently in very short supply 1:09:45 The book is a love letter and thank you to people who shaped AJ’s life 1:11:45 The military is one of the last bastions of the American dream 1:12:45 Was 16 years old on 9/11 and the attack inspired AJ to enlist at 17 1:13:45 How did you identify that you had the skills to be a sniper? 1:15:15 Gunnery Sgt. Jackson helped set AJ on his trajectory 1:16:00 What is training for a sniper like? 1:17:00 Attention to details is the trait that weeds out most sniper candidates 1:17:45 Snipers have to be self-dependent, must rely on yourself for survival 1:19:00 Snipers are meant to combat the enemy emotionally, scare them 1:19:45 “Juba” may not have been just one enemy sniper & hunted Americans 1:20:15 Juba uploaded videos of sniper kills of Americans to the internet 1:21:00 Watching the videos allowed marines to understand Juba’s patterns 1:21:30 Set up a trap for Juba and Juba fell into it 1:22:30 AJ knew they had killed Juba within minutes 1:23:30 Caught a glint of the lens of a Sony handycam to spot Juba 1:24:45 AJ may have pulled the trigger, but it was an entire team that got him 1:26:15 Marines were shocked that people would fight for a tyrant like Saddam 1:27:00 We viewed the enemies as terrorists, they viewed themselves as freedom fighters 1:28:45 Does the message to the troops today seem different than when you served? 1:29:45 When we send Americans into conflict, it must be for a just cause 1:30:15 There’s a responsibility that comes with having the greatest military in history 1:31:15 Are you worried political leadership is infecting the values of the military? 1:32:15 Leadership needs to project values people are inspired to defend 1:34:00 Military leadership needs to view empathy as a strength, not a weakness 1:35:00 The book is political but not partisan. It’s about values 1:36:45 A culture that promotes services to the greater good is healthier 1:38:30 If the culture promotes service over wealth, we’d be better off 1:39:00 Mandatory service in Israel has helped to bond their society 1:41:30 Service strips away the illusion that we succeed alone 1:42:45 Veterans aren’t easily categorized in their politics 1:43:30 Military provides an opportunity, but you have to earn it 1:45:30 Competitive advantage for the military is to think, adapt & react quicker 1:46:45 Marine culture should create soldiers that are problem solvers 1:47:45 Taliban found that asymmetrical warfare could defeat a stronger foe 1:50:00 We have to better prepare for asymmetrical warfare 1:50:45 The American Revolution was fought with asymmetrical warfare 1:51:30 Drone warfare dehumanizes war. Casualties counted in dollars and cents 1:52:45 War is a chess game, and modern tech has leveled the playing field 1:54:45 Have to avoid being dehumanized by war 1:55:30 Saw an enemy combatant dying, saw fear in his eyes, not hatred 1:56:15 Wrote the book not to glorify war, but to tell the realities of it 1:57:45 The hardest part of coming home was doing so with your soul intact 1:59:00 The social contract with our soldiers must be protected 2:00:15 How are you able to publicly express your experience when many can’t? 2:02:30 Can’t support someone that says a political opponent is an enemy 2:03:30 Tell us about your podcast “Combat Story” 2:05:00 Ran for city council, personally knocked on thousands of doors 2:06:30 Our current politics doesn’t allow for dialogue 2:08:45 There’s a financial barrier to entry into politics 2:11:30 Memorial Day is tough, it’s about those who didn’t come home 2:12:00 Anyone calling for war should have a conversation with a gold star family  2:15:15 Chuck’s thoughts on interview with AJ Pasciuti 2:16:00 ToddCast Time Machine 2:16:30 Every country honors war dead, but don’t do it the same way 2:17:15 Memorial Day was borne out of the civil war and 600k Americans dead 2:18:00 Formally enslaved people reburied union soldiers from mass grave 2:18:45 Holiday is also about who gets remembered in our national story 2:19:15 Date was chosen due to flowers blooming & not a specific battle 2:20:30 Southern states kept remembrance traditions for the confederacy 2:21:15 Memorial Day also marks the unofficial start of summer 2:21:45 Gathering together is an important way to find common ground 2:22:45 Different memorial traditions & rituals in other countries 2:23:30 WW1 created a unique identity in Canada 2:24:00 Russia celebrates V-Day, triumph in WW2 central to identity 2:24:45 Germany remembers war cautiously and somberly 2:25:30 Japan remembers war through loss, peace and anti-war reflection 2:26:15 Other memorial rituals around the world 2:27:45 Story and tone of remembrance days are how countries view themselves 2:28:45 You don’t say “Happy Memorial Day” 2:30:00 Ask Chuck 2:30:15 Isn’t it odd that we know so little about attempted Trump assassins? 2:37:00 Why didn’t Dems lean into “Trump Lie Trackers” more in campaigns? 2:41:00 Does the “Epstein Class” framing feel stronger than the “1%”? 2:45:00 Did “No Child Left Behind” do real damage to civics education? 2:51:15 Does the 2.5 swing in presidential elections show most voters are locked in?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
• Interview Only w/ AJ Pasciuti - A Marine Sniper’s Message on Service, Sacrifice, and Country 25.05.2026 1h 16min

  Former Marine sniper AJ Pasciuti — author of the new book Dark Horse and host of the Combat Story podcast — joins the Chuck Toddcast for one of the most riveting and clear-eyed conversations about military service, leadership, and the realities of modern war. Pasciuti was 16 years old on September 11th, enlisted at 17, and eventually became the Marine who led the team that killed "Juba" — the notorious Iraqi sniper who uploaded videos of his American kills to the internet to taunt the U.S. military. He walks listeners through the entire hunt: how Marines studied Juba's uploaded footage to identify his patterns, how the team set a trap, how Pasciuti spotted Juba in his hide by catching the glint off the lens of a Sony Handycam, and how he knew within minutes that they'd gotten him — while emphasizing that he may have pulled the trigger but it was an entire team that brought Juba down. Pasciuti reflects on the strange experience of fighting enemies who saw themselves as freedom fighters rather than terrorists, why attention to detail is the trait that weeds out most sniper candidates, and how snipers are ultimately meant to combat the enemy emotionally as much as physically. The conversation broadens into a sweeping meditation on what military service teaches you about America — and where Pasciuti worries the country is heading. He calls the military one of the last bastions of the American dream, where opportunity is real but has to be earned, and argues that a culture promoting service to the greater good over the accumulation of wealth would make America measurably healthier.. Pasciuti is openly worried about political leadership infecting the values of the military, makes the case that empathy must be viewed as a strength rather than a weakness in military leadership, and insists his book is political but not partisan — it's about values. He offers a vital warning that the Taliban proved asymmetrical warfare can defeat a stronger foe, that drone warfare is dangerously dehumanizing combat by reducing casualties to dollars and cents, and that the most important thing any soldier carries home is their soul intact — something he says becomes harder every year as the social contract between America and its veterans erodes. Pasciuti describes seeing fear rather than hatred in the eyes of a dying enemy combatant, a moment that has stayed with him, and explains why he can't support any politician who describes a political opponent as an enemy. He shares his experience running for city council and personally knocking on thousands of doors, his frustration with the financial barriers to entry in modern politics, and his belief that current discourse simply doesn't allow for real dialogue. He closes with the most powerful observation of the episode, made for Memorial Day: the holiday isn't about those who came home — it's about those who didn't — and anyone calling for war should be required to first sit down and have a conversation with a Gold Star family. Link in bio or go to https://getsoul.com & enter code TODDCAST for 30% off your first order.  Refresh your wardrobe with Quince. Go to https://Quince.com/chuck for free shipping on your order and 365-day returns.  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 AJ Pasciuti (Dark Horse) joins the Chuck ToddCast 02:00 If you wrote the book 10 years ago, how would it have been different? 03:30 You gain extra perspective about “why” when more time has passed 04:15 Leadership is currently in very short supply 06:15 The book is a love letter and thank you to people who shaped AJ’s life 08:15 The military is one of the last bastions of the American dream 09:15 Was 16 years old on 9/11 and the attack inspired AJ to enlist at 17 10:15 How did you identify that you had the skills to be a sniper? 11:45 Gunnery Sgt. Jackson helped set AJ on his trajectory 12:30 What is training for a sniper like? 13:30 Attention to details is the trait that weeds out most sniper candidates 14:15 Snipers have to be self-dependent, must rely on yourself for survival 15:30 Snipers are meant to combat the enemy emotionally, scare them 16:15 “Juba” may not have been just one enemy sniper & hunted Americans 16:45 Juba uploaded videos of sniper kills of Americans to the internet 17:30 Watching the videos allowed marines to understand Juba’s patterns 18:00 Set up a trap for Juba and Juba fell into it 19:00 AJ knew they had killed Juba within minutes 20:00 Caught a glint of the lens of a Sony handycam to spot Juba 21:15 AJ may have pulled the trigger, but it was an entire team that got him 22:45 Marines were shocked that people would fight for a tyrant like Saddam 23:30 We viewed the enemies as terrorists, they viewed themselves as freedom fighters 25:15 Does the message to the troops today seem different than when you served? 26:15 When we send Americans into conflict, it must be for a just cause 26:45 There’s a responsibility that comes with having the greatest military in history 27:45 Are you worried political leadership is infecting the values of the military? 28:45 Leadership needs to project values people are inspired to defend 30:30 Military leadership needs to view empathy as a strength, not a weakness 31:30 The book is political but not partisan. It’s about values 33:15 A culture that promotes services to the greater good is healthier 35:00 If the culture promotes service over wealth, we’d be better off 35:30 Mandatory service in Israel has helped to bond their society 38:00 Service strips away the illusion that we succeed alone 39:15 Veterans aren’t easily categorized in their politics 40:00 Military provides an opportunity, but you have to earn it 42:00 Competitive advantage for the military is to think, adapt & react quicker 43:15 Marine culture should create  soldiers that are problem solvers 44:15 Taliban found that asymmetrical warfare could defeat a stronger foe 46:30 We have to better prepare for asymmetrical warfare 47:15 The American Revolution was fought with asymmetrical warfare 48:00 Drone warfare dehumanizes war. Casualties counted in dollars and cents 49:15 War is a chess game, and modern tech has leveled the playing field 51:15 Have to avoid being dehumanized by war 52:00 Saw an enemy combatant dying, saw fear in his eyes, not hatred 52:45 Wrote the book not to glorify war, but to tell the realities of it 54:15 The hardest part of coming home was doing so with your soul intact 55:30 The social contract with our soldiers must be protected 56:45 How are you able to publicly express your experience when many can’t? 59:00 Can’t support someone that says a political opponent is an enemy 1:00:00 Tell us about your podcast “Combat Story” 1:01:30 Ran for city council, personally knocked on thousands of doors 1:03:00 Our current politics doesn’t allow for dialogue 1:05:15 There’s a financial barrier to entry into politics 1:08:00 Memorial Day is tough, it’s about those who didn’t come home 1:08:30 Anyone calling for war should have a conversation with a gold star familySee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
• Chuck’s Commentary - Trump Made The Midterms MUCH Harder For Republicans + Rest In Peace, Barney Frank 21.05.2026 1h 9min

  Chuck Todd walks through a primary night that should make every elected Republican break out in a cold sweat — Democrats outvoted Republicans by 100,000 votes in Georgia. He argues we now have a fully formed "woke right" — and Trump is leading it. The man who built his political brand on refusing to conform to anyone's mindset has become the most aggressive cancel culture warrior in American politics, ending the careers of Republicans who cross him. The downstream consequences are catastrophic for the GOP: Republicans will now have to dump enormous money into Texas to defend a seat that was supposed to be safe, and Texas joins North Carolina and Ohio as an expensive trio Republicans will struggle to defend. Trump appears either clueless or in denial that he's systematically setting his own party up for massive failure, but Chuck notes a "YOLO caucus" is quietly emerging among Senate Republicans who know they're toast and may act more independently. He closes with a moving tribute to Barney Frank, who died at 86 after 32 years in Congress — the architect of Dodd-Frank, the first openly gay member of Congress, who came out in 1987 at the height of the AIDS crisis and endured Gingrich-era homophobia that he felt punished him beyond what any straight politician would have faced. Frank's parting message to today's Democrats sits at the center of Todd's episode and arguably explains why the party keeps losing winnable elections: "Don't litmus test yourselves into oblivion."  Finally, he answers listeners’ questions in the “Ask Chuck” segment. Predict the action all the way through the finals. Sign up now for your twenty-five dollar bonus on https://fanduel.com/predicts     Link in bio or go to https://getsoul.com & enter code TODDCAST for 30% off your first order.    Refresh your wardrobe with Quince. Go to https://Quince.com/chuck for free shipping on your order and 365-day returns.    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: 00:00 Chuck Todd’s introduction 02:30 Georgia Republican senate race headed to runoff 04:00 Democrats outvoted Republicans by 100k votes in Georgia 05:30 Breakdown of primary results from Idaho 06:00 An independent has a better chance to win in Idaho than a Dem 06:30 Brad Little was able to stand up to Trump & survive 07:00 You can’t oppose Trump and be a Republican in good standing 08:00 We now have a “woke right” that Trump is leading 08:45 Trump’s initial appeal was not having to conform to a certain mindset 09:30 Cancel culture is now Trump targeting any Republican who crosses him 10:45 Republicans can’t oppose taxpayer funding for Trump’s ballroom 11:30 Trump is as defensive about Epstein as he was about Russia 12:45 There’s a lot of circumstantial evidence with Trump/Epstein 13:15 Trump angry that Lauren Boebert won’t drop Epstein 14:00 Ken Paxton’s election denialism is what won him Trump’s support 15:15 Cassidy and Cornyn supported 90% of Trump’s agenda…wasn’t enough 15:45 Elected Republicans know that Trump can end their career in a primary 17:00 It’s Trump’s party but he’s setting it up for massive failure 17:45 GOP senators relieved they don’t have to vote for ballroom funding 18:15 There’s a growing YOLO caucus in the Republican senate 19:15 Republicans will have to spend way more money in Texas now 20:00 Cornyn has raised $400m for Republicans 22:15 Trump seems clueless or in denial that the GOP is set up to fail in the fall 23:45 Paxton is so corrupt he belongs nowhere near political power 24:15 Talarico can beat Paxton, but it will be close 25:00 Trump doesn’t usually spend money that doesn’t help Trump 26:30 Republicans are now playing defense…do they concede NC? 28:30 Texas, NC and Ohio become an expensive trio for GOP to defend 29:00 Several other potential Democratic senate pickups 35:00 Barney Frank passes away at 86, served in congress 32 years 37:15 Dodd-Frank has stood the test of time 37:45 Frank was a barrier breaker as first openly gay member of congress 38:15 Frank came out in 1987 at the height of the AIDS crisis 39:30 Republicans led by Gingrich used Frank’s sexuality as a cudgel 40:45 Frank felt overly punished because he was a gay man 43:00 Frank had to work in a place where homophobia was rampant 44:00 Frank’s closing message to Dems - “Don’t litmus test yourselves into oblivion” 45:30 Frank was a larger public figure than he gets credit for 46:30 Ask Chuck 46:45 Is it possible the U.S. ever defaults on the national debt? 51:00 Is there a scenario where states coordinate gerrymandering reforms? 54:30 Are Dems in a no win scenario when it comes to redistricting? 59:45 Any chance senators like Cornyn or Cassidy could break ranks? 1:04:30 How can you say don’t fight fire with fire to people whose rights are threatened?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
• Full Episode - Trump Made The Midterms MUCH Harder For Republicans + A Statesman's Warning About Where American Politics Is Headed 21.05.2026 2h 16min

  Chuck Todd walks through a primary night that should make every elected Republican break out in a cold sweat — Democrats outvoted Republicans by 100,000 votes in Georgia. He argues we now have a fully formed "woke right" — and Trump is leading it. The man who built his political brand on refusing to conform to anyone's mindset has become the most aggressive cancel culture warrior in American politics, ending the careers of Republicans who cross him. The downstream consequences are catastrophic for the GOP: Republicans will now have to dump enormous money into Texas to defend a seat that was supposed to be safe, and Texas joins North Carolina and Ohio as an expensive trio Republicans will struggle to defend. Trump appears either clueless or in denial that he's systematically setting his own party up for massive failure, but Chuck notes a "YOLO caucus" is quietly emerging among Senate Republicans who know they're toast and may act more independently. He closes with a moving tribute to Barney Frank, who died at 86 after 32 years in Congress — the architect of Dodd-Frank, the first openly gay member of Congress, who came out in 1987 at the height of the AIDS crisis and endured Gingrich-era homophobia that he felt punished him beyond what any straight politician would have faced. Frank's parting message to today's Democrats sits at the center of Todd's episode and arguably explains why the party keeps losing winnable elections: "Don't litmus test yourselves into oblivion."  Then. former Senator, Tennessee Governor, and Education Secretary Lamar Alexander joins the Chuck Toddcast to discuss his new memoir The Education of a Senator and an offer his extraordinary perspective on American politics shaped by five decades in public life — including the surreal experience of being sworn in as governor under emergency circumstances because his predecessor was openly selling pardons for cash and eventually went to prison for selling whiskey licenses. (For listeners absorbing the news of Trump's modern pardon market, the historical echoes are impossible to miss.) Alexander shares stories that capture an entirely different era: how he had to govern in a bipartisan manner from day one to handle the scandal he inherited, how an inquiry surfaced about springing MLK's killer from prison, and how Southern governors of his generation had to drag their states out of the 1950s and into something resembling modernity. Alexander argues that style matters enormously in politics — and reveals that he predicted Trump's presidency years before it happened, because he saw clearly that American politics was being consumed by money and media in ways that disincentivized actual legislating. He walks through his theory of education reform, defends "No Child Left Behind"'s standards-based approach, and offers the wonkish but fascinating idea he once pitched to Reagan: have states and the federal government swap administration of Medicaid and K-12 education. The conversation broadens into Alexander's diagnosis of what's gone wrong with American politics and the path back. He argues that partisan primaries have created more ideologically extreme candidates than the system can absorb, and that people will always find ways around campaign finance limits — meaning the real fix has to be structural. Alexander offers a remarkable assessment of recent presidents: governor is the best preparation for the presidency, Carter didn't understand Washington when he arrived but Clinton did, and George W. Bush was the most "normal guy" of the modern era. He reflects on his famous healthcare debates with Obama (both gave each other notes afterwards rather than playing for spectacle), shares his concerns about state budgets becoming dangerously reliant on vice taxes, and asks the question no Republican can answer honestly anymore: could you propose raising the gas tax in today's GOP? Alexander is candid about Trump's mixed legacy — the party had become ossified and Trump did break it open, but pardoning the January 6th rioters was a profound error because the peaceful transfer of power is the single most important element of American democracy. He warns that we lack genuine two-party competition right now, that the next Republican nominee needs a fundamentally different temperament than Trump, and that the lack of character and morality in modern politics may be dissuading exactly the kind of people we most need to run.  Finally, he answers listeners’ questions in the “Ask Chuck” segment. Predict the action all the way through the finals. Sign up now for your twenty-five dollar bonus on https://fanduel.com/predicts   Link in bio or go to https://getsoul.com & enter code TODDCAST for 30% off your first order.  Refresh your wardrobe with Quince. Go to https://Quince.com/chuck for free shipping on your order and 365-day returns.  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 02:30 Georgia Republican senate race headed to runoff 04:00 Democrats outvoted Republicans by 100k votes in Georgia 05:30 Breakdown of primary results from Idaho 06:00 An independent has a better chance to win in Idaho than a Dem 06:30 Brad Little was able to stand up to Trump & survive 07:00 You can’t oppose Trump and be a Republican in good standing 08:00 We now have a “woke right” that Trump is leading 08:45 Trump’s initial appeal was not having to conform to a certain mindset 09:30 Cancel culture is now Trump targeting any Republican who crosses him 10:45 Republicans can’t oppose taxpayer funding for Trump’s ballroom 11:30 Trump is as defensive about Epstein as he was about Russia 12:45 There’s a lot of circumstantial evidence with Trump/Epstein 13:15 Trump angry that Lauren Boebert won’t drop Epstein 14:00 Ken Paxton’s election denialism is what won him Trump’s support 15:15 Cassidy and Cornyn supported 90% of Trump’s agenda…wasn’t enough 15:45 Elected Republicans know that Trump can end their career in a primary 17:00 It’s Trump’s party but he’s setting it up for massive failure 17:45 GOP senators relieved they don’t have to vote for ballroom funding 18:15 There’s a growing YOLO caucus in the Republican senate 19:15 Republicans will have to spend way more money in Texas now 20:00 Cornyn has raised $400m for Republicans 22:15 Trump seems clueless or in denial that the GOP is set up to fail in the fall 23:45 Paxton is so corrupt he belongs nowhere near political power 24:15 Talarico can beat Paxton, but it will be close 25:00 Trump doesn’t usually spend money that doesn’t help Trump 26:30 Republicans are now playing defense…do they concede NC? 28:30 Texas, NC and Ohio become an expensive trio for GOP to defend 29:00 Several other potential Democratic senate pickups 35:00 Barney Frank passes away at 86, served in congress 32 years 37:15 Dodd-Frank has stood the test of time 37:45 Frank was a barrier breaker as first openly gay member of congress 38:15 Frank came out in 1987 at the height of the AIDS crisis 39:30 Republicans led by Gingrich used Frank’s sexuality as a cudgel 40:45 Frank felt overly punished because he was a gay man 43:00 Frank had to work in a place where homophobia was rampant 44:00 Frank’s closing message to Dems - “Don’t litmus test yourselves into oblivion” 45:30 Frank was a larger public figure than he gets credit for 49:00 Sen. Lamar Alexander joins The Chuck ToddCast 50:30 Being a senator vs. being a governor 51:30 There are always 8-10 senators that are better than the rest 52:15 Ted Kennedy was an incredibly effective senator 53:45 The governor he succeeded was selling pardons for cash 55:30 The prior governor eventually went to jail for selling whiskey licenses 57:15 There was an inquiry about springing MLK Jr.’s killer from prison 58:30 Had to work in a bipartisan manner on day 1 to handle the scandal 59:30 Southern governors had to bring southern states out of the 50’s 1:01:45 How would you update & modernize public education? 1:03:15 Mississippi has had great success emphasizing phonics 1:04:00 Schools are best governed community by community 1:04:30 Don’t need a Dept. of Education for higher ed 1:05:00 Federal money should allow money to follow low income students 1:05:45 You need advocacy but not management from Washington 1:06:30 Hard to argue with standards created by “No Child Left Behind” 1:08:00 If you’re entering politics it should be to accomplish something 1:09:00 Goal isn’t necessarily bipartisanship, it’s to get a result 1:10:00 Style matters in politics 1:11:15 Politics has become all money and media - Predicted Trump as president 1:12:00 The digital democracy doesn’t provide incentive for legislating 1:13:30 Money has consumed our politics, how do we fix it? 1:14:45 NC senate race could be the first billion dollar senate race 1:15:15 People always find a way around campaign finance limits 1:17:00 John Kerry was first pres. candidate to spend huge sums of personal $ 1:18:45 Why couldn’t John Baker get traction but George Bush did? 1:20:00 Governor is the best job to prepare you for the presidency 1:21:00 Carter didn’t understand D.C. when he got there, Clinton did 1:21:45 George W. Bush was the most “normal guy” out of recent presidents 1:23:30 Debate with Obama over healthcare gave both sides a platform for their views 1:24:45 Didn’t want to over debate Obama for spectacle, give him notes afterwards 1:25:30 Proposed states swapping Medicaid admin for K-12 admin to Reagan 1:26:45 Medicaid was cramping states ability to effectively manage public ed 1:27:15 Vice taxes have been relied on as a way to pad state government budgets 1:28:30 Are we too reliant on vices to fund state budgets? 1:29:45 Could you propose a raise to gas tax in today’s GOP? 1:31:15 Where is the Republican party headed in the post-Trump era? 1:32:00 Partisan primaries created more ideologically extreme candidates 1:34:15 Most national politicians from Tennessee came from eastern TN 1:34:45 Elements of Trumpism were emerging in early 2000’s GOP politics 1:36:45 GOP needs to nominate someone with a different temperament than Trump 1:37:30 Lack of character and morality in modern politics 1:38:30 Politics has caused ruptures in families, might dissuade good people from running 1:40:00 Trump has been both good & bad for the GOP - The party had become ossified 1:41:00 Trump made a major error in pardoning the J6 rioters 1:41:45 The peaceful transfer of power is the most important element of democracy 1:43:00 Washington shouldn’t operate on a pay to play basis 1:44:45 When did you first connect with Doug Bailey? 1:46:45 What advice did you get from Bailey when you were governor? 1:49:00 Purpose of memoir was to explain the goals he had as a public servant 1:50:15 The republic will survive, but we have work to do to make it survive 1:51:30 We suffer from a lack of two party competition  1:53:15 Ask Chuck 1:53:30 Is it possible the U.S. ever defaults on the national debt? 1:57:45 Is there a scenario where states coordinate gerrymandering reforms? 2:01:15 Are Dems in a no win scenario when it comes to redistricting? 2:06:30 Any chance senators like Cornyn or Cassidy could break ranks? 2:11:15 How can you say don’t fight fire with fire to people whose rights are threatened?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
• Interview Only w/ Lamar Alexander - A Statesman's Warning About Where American Politics Is Headed 21.05.2026 1h 9min

  Former Senator, Tennessee Governor, and Education Secretary Lamar Alexander joins the Chuck Toddcast to discuss his new memoir The Education of a Senator and an offer his extraordinary perspective on American politics shaped by five decades in public life — including the surreal experience of being sworn in as governor under emergency circumstances because his predecessor was openly selling pardons for cash and eventually went to prison for selling whiskey licenses. (For listeners absorbing the news of Trump's modern pardon market, the historical echoes are impossible to miss.) Alexander shares stories that capture an entirely different era: how he had to govern in a bipartisan manner from day one to handle the scandal he inherited, how an inquiry surfaced about springing MLK's killer from prison, and how Southern governors of his generation had to drag their states out of the 1950s and into something resembling modernity. Alexander argues that style matters enormously in politics — and reveals that he predicted Trump's presidency years before it happened, because he saw clearly that American politics was being consumed by money and media in ways that disincentivized actual legislating. He walks through his theory of education reform, defends "No Child Left Behind"'s standards-based approach, and offers the wonkish but fascinating idea he once pitched to Reagan: have states and the federal government swap administration of Medicaid and K-12 education. The conversation broadens into Alexander's diagnosis of what's gone wrong with American politics and the path back. He argues that partisan primaries have created more ideologically extreme candidates than the system can absorb, and that people will always find ways around campaign finance limits — meaning the real fix has to be structural. Alexander offers a remarkable assessment of recent presidents: governor is the best preparation for the presidency, Carter didn't understand Washington when he arrived but Clinton did, and George W. Bush was the most "normal guy" of the modern era. He reflects on his famous healthcare debates with Obama (both gave each other notes afterwards rather than playing for spectacle), shares his concerns about state budgets becoming dangerously reliant on vice taxes, and asks the question no Republican can answer honestly anymore: could you propose raising the gas tax in today's GOP? Alexander is candid about Trump's mixed legacy — the party had become ossified and Trump did break it open, but pardoning the January 6th rioters was a profound error because the peaceful transfer of power is the single most important element of American democracy. He warns that we lack genuine two-party competition right now, that the next Republican nominee needs a fundamentally different temperament than Trump, and that the lack of character and morality in modern politics may be dissuading exactly the kind of people we most need to run.    Link in bio or go to https://getsoul.com & enter code TODDCAST for 30% off your first order.    Refresh your wardrobe with Quince. Go to https://Quince.com/chuck for free shipping on your order and 365-day returns.    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 Sen. Lamar Alexander joins The Chuck ToddCast 01:30 Being a senator vs. being a governor 02:30 There are always 8-10 senators that are better than the rest 03:15 Ted Kennedy was an incredibly effective senator 04:45 The governor he succeeded was selling pardons for cash 06:30 The prior governor eventually went to jail for selling whiskey licenses 08:15 There was an inquiry about springing MLK Jr.’s killer from prison 09:30 Had to work in a bipartisan manner on day 1 to handle the scandal 10:30 Southern governors had to bring southern states out of the 50’s 12:45 How would you update & modernize public education? 14:15 Mississippi has had great success emphasizing phonics 15:00 Schools are best governed community by community 15:30 Don’t need a Dept. of Education for higher ed 16:00 Federal money should allow money to follow low income students 16:45 You need advocacy but not management from Washington 17:30 Hard to argue with standards created by “No Child Left Behind” 19:00 If you’re entering politics it should be to accomplish something 20:00 Goal isn’t necessarily bipartisanship, it’s to get a result 21:00 Style matters in politics 22:15 Politics has become all money and media - Predicted Trump as president 23:00 The digital democracy doesn’t provide incentive for legislating 24:30 Money has consumed our politics, how do we fix it? 25:45 NC senate race could be the first billion dollar senate race 26:15 People always find a way around campaign finance limits 28:00 John Kerry was first pres. candidate to spend huge sums of personal $ 29:45 Why couldn’t John Baker get traction but George Bush did? 31:00 Governor is the best job to prepare you for the presidency 32:00 Carter didn’t understand D.C. when he got there, Clinton did 32:45 George W. Bush was the most “normal guy” out of recent presidents 34:30 Debate with Obama over healthcare gave both sides a platform for their views 35:45 Didn’t want to over debate Obama for spectacle, give him notes afterwards 36:30 Proposed states swapping Medicaid admin for K-12 admin to Reagan 37;45 Medicaid was cramping states ability to effectively manage public ed 38:15 Vice taxes have been relied on as a way to pad state government budgets 39:30 Are we too reliant on vices to fund state budgets? 40:45 Could you propose a raise to gas tax in today’s GOP? 42:15 Where is the Republican party headed in the post-Trump era? 43:00 Partisan primaries created more ideologically extreme candidates 45:15 Most national politicians from Tennessee came from eastern TN 45:45 Elements of Trumpism were emerging in early 2000’s GOP politics 47:45 GOP needs to nominate someone with a different temperament than Trump 48:30 Lack of character and morality in modern politics 49:30 Politics has caused ruptures in families, might dissuade good people from running 51:00 Trump has been both good & bad for the GOP - The party had become ossified 52:00 Trump made a major error in pardoning the J6 rioters 52:45 The peaceful transfer of power is the most important element of democracy 54:00 Washington shouldn’t operate on a pay to play basis 55:45 When did you first connect with Doug Bailey? 57:45 What advice did you get from Bailey when you were governor? 1:00:00 Purpose of memoir was to explain the goals he had as a public servant 1:01:15 The republic will survive, but we have work to do to make it survive 1:02:30 We suffer from a lack of two party competitionSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
• Dynastic - Chuck Todd & J.A. Adande interview Steelers legend Rocky Bleier about his INCREDIBLE life 20.05.2026 1h 18min

  Chuck Todd and J.A. Adande legendary Steelers running back and fullback Rocky Bleier, as Dynastic goes deeper into the Pittsburgh Steelers dynasty. From winning a national championship at University of Notre Dame… to being drafted into both the NFL and the Vietnam War… to fighting his way back from devastating injuries to become a 4-time Super Bowl champion, Rocky’s story is one of the most unbelievable journeys in football history. There are also some incredible behind-the-scenes stories involving Franco Harris, Joe Biden, the Steelers locker room culture, and the leadership principles that helped build one of the greatest dynasties in sports history.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
• Chuck’s Commentary - Trump’s Corruption Is A Threat To The Republic + Trump Keeps Purging The Republican Party 20.05.2026 1h 36min

  Chuck Todd opens with a wave of primary night results that all point the same direction: Thomas Massie has lost his reelection bid, Trump's grip on the GOP base is as strong as ever, and the president just endorsed Ken Paxton in Texas — a move that's great for Trump personally and disastrous for the Republican Party, which will now have to pour enormous money into a Senate seat that was supposed to be safe. Democrats outvoted Republicans in Georgia, with African-American turnout spiking in the aftermath of the Supreme Court gutting the Voting Rights Act — exactly the kind of backlash dynamic that could reshape the entire midterm map. The night's verdict: good for Trump, bad for the GOP. But he argues the deeper, more dangerous story isn't electoral — it's the systematic normalization of corruption that Trump is engineering in plain sight. He's turning the Republican Party into a kleptocracy, selling pardons that erase prison sentences and massive financial penalties, raising prices for ordinary Americans while amassing a personal fortune, and just secured a DOJ get-out-of-jail-free card for his family on tax evasion. The genius of Trump's strategy, Chuck argues, is that he understands corruption can be absorbed into the culture if it carries no meaningful penalty. He reminds listeners that Bill Clinton survived his scandals only because the economy was booming; corruption becomes a voting issue when people's lives get worse, and Trump's policies are now unraveling the American economy at exactly the wrong moment for him. The real warning sits in the structural pattern: once corruption becomes politically survivable, it becomes politically reproducible. Finally, Chuck presents his ToddCast Top 5 list of primary elections that will have the biggest impact on the general election in November, and answers listeners’ questions in the “Ask Chuck” segment.  Predict the action all the way through the finals. Sign up now for your twenty-five dollar bonus on https://fanduel.com/predicts   Link in bio or go to https://getsoul.com & enter code TODDCAST for 30% off your first order.  Refresh your wardrobe with Quince. Go to https://Quince.com/chuck for free shipping on your order and 365-day returns.  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 introduction01:00 Thomas Massie loses re-elect. Trump still has grip over GOP 02:00 Trump endorsing Ken Paxton is good for him, bad for the GOP 03:15 Republicans will have to dump a ton of money into Texas 04:00 Endorsement is a gut punch for Cornyn, who had momentum 06:30 Georgia Republican governor & senate races headed to runoff 07:45 Rick Jackson has bragged about writing a million dollar check to Trump 08:15 Will Trump co-endorse in the GA governor’s race? 08:45 Democrats had higher turnout than GOP in Georgia 09:30 African-American turnout higher after gutting of Voting Rights Act 11:45 Trump’s endorsement really matters in a GOP primary 14:15 Election deniers turn off general election voters in swing states 15:30 Trump is not making decisions that are in the best interest of the GOP 18:00 Overall, a good night for Trump, a bad night for the Republican party 19:00 Corruption only becomes a voting issue when voters’ lives get worse 19:30 Clinton survived scandal because the economy was booming 20:00 Trump is normalizing corruption & selling of the presidency 20:45 Trump is stealing from taxpayers to create a slush fund 21:15 DOJ gives the Trumps a get-out-of-jail free card for tax evasion 22:00 Trump’s survival has come from convincing voters all politicians are corrupt 22:45 Trump’s policies are unraveling the American economy 23:30 Trump understands corruption can be absorbed into the culture 24:45 The danger is that corruption carries no meaningful penalty anymore 26:00 Trump is purging anyone who isn’t blindly loyal from the GOP 27:00 Trump is turning the GOP into a kleptocracy 28:30 This isn’t secretive corruption, it’s all out in the open 29:00 Trump sells pardons that erase jail + massive financial penalties 30:00 Trump has increased prices for everyone while amassing a personal fortune 31:30 Trump is weaponizing cynicism with both parties 33:00 Eventually the ruling class sees the public as something to extract from 33:45 Once something becomes politically survivable, it becomes reproducible 35:30 Republics decay once voters become accustomed to corruption  41:30 ToddCast Top 5 primaries that will have most impact on general election 42:15 #5 Wisconsin Democratic governor 45:45 #4 Michigan Democratic senate 49:45 #3 California gubernatatorial primary 52:15 #2 Arizona Republican gubernatorial 55:00 #1 Texas Republican senate 1:00:00 Ask Chuck 1:00:15 Why didn’t Virginia’s Supreme Court step in sooner on redistricting? 1:02:45 Any recommendations for road trips or places worth exploring? 1:05:45 Are we closer than ever to a viable 3rd party or are the barriers too high? 1:10:15 What will Trump be like once he leaves office? Will media move on? 1:15:30 What if 2028 did a listening tour at every state’s geographical center? 1:19:15 Could Bernie or Pete win without major improvement with black voters? 1:22:30 Credible worries that personal considerations are shaping middle east policy? 1:26:30 Will Trump’s endorsements of weak nominees eventually backfire? 1:28:45 Wemby is going to be transformational for the NBASee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
• Full Episode - Trump’s Corruption Is A Threat To The Republic + What's Really Driving the American Political Crisis & Polarization? 20.05.2026 2h 44min

  Chuck Todd opens with a wave of primary night results that all point the same direction: Thomas Massie has lost his reelection bid, Trump's grip on the GOP base is as strong as ever, and the president just endorsed Ken Paxton in Texas — a move that's great for Trump personally and disastrous for the Republican Party, which will now have to pour enormous money into a Senate seat that was supposed to be safe. Democrats outvoted Republicans in Georgia, with African-American turnout spiking in the aftermath of the Supreme Court gutting the Voting Rights Act — exactly the kind of backlash dynamic that could reshape the entire midterm map. The night's verdict: good for Trump, bad for the GOP. But he argues the deeper, more dangerous story isn't electoral — it's the systematic normalization of corruption that Trump is engineering in plain sight. He's turning the Republican Party into a kleptocracy, selling pardons that erase prison sentences and massive financial penalties, raising prices for ordinary Americans while amassing a personal fortune, and just secured a DOJ get-out-of-jail-free card for his family on tax evasion. The genius of Trump's strategy, Chuck argues, is that he understands corruption can be absorbed into the culture if it carries no meaningful penalty. He reminds listeners that Bill Clinton survived his scandals only because the economy was booming; corruption becomes a voting issue when people's lives get worse, and Trump's policies are now unraveling the American economy at exactly the wrong moment for him. The real warning sits in the structural pattern: once corruption becomes politically survivable, it becomes politically reproducible. Then, Dartmouth political scientist Sean Westwood — director of the Polarization Lab and one of the leading researchers studying why American politics has become so toxic — joins the Chuck Toddcast with a counterintuitive opening argument: America has actually been more polarized in the past than it is now, and polarization itself is a normal feature of democracy. What changed is that the Cold War spent four decades artificially suppressing American polarization by giving the country a unifying external adversary; once the Soviet Union collapsed, the Pat Buchanan wing of the GOP emerged from hibernation and the country returned to its more natural fractious state. The real threat, Westwood argues, isn't disagreement — it's the structural changes that have allowed disagreement to metastasize into something all-consuming. He walks through the menu of possible reforms — ranked choice voting, all-party primaries, stronger party control over nominations — and is refreshingly candid about the tradeoffs: every fix comes with its own problems, moving from a two-party to a multi-party system would be enormously difficult (most multi-party democracies still end up with two dominant parties anyway), and the most realistic reform is simply restoring stronger party control, though Congress will never vote for anything that threatens its own members.  The conversation broadens into a sweeping diagnosis of what's actually broken. Westwood argues we're creating a world where if you don't opt-in to politics, you simply won't encounter it — meaning voters increasingly lack the basic information needed to hold elected officials accountable. He warns that any election denialism from one side gives the other side a permission slip to do the same, that America is experiencing more democratic backsliding than most observers want to admit, and that AI-powered microtargeting is about to make the information environment dramatically more disruptive than anything we've seen so far. Westwood identifies the Senate's malapportionment as the single most destructive feature of American politics, and observes that interracial marriage used to be the great cultural wedge before being replaced by raw partisanship — meaning partisan identity has now absorbed every other source of social division. He notes that Democrats have created litmus tests that will never win in rural America and that many modern legislators simply don't have governing skills but are very good at getting attention because humans are predisposed to focus on threat and conflict. Westwood's most haunting closing observation: telling voters they no longer live in a democracy can become a self-fulfilling prophecy, and that's a risk both sides need to take far more seriously than they currently do. Finally, Chuck presents his ToddCast Top 5 list of primary elections that will have the biggest impact on the general election in November, and answers listeners’ questions in the “Ask Chuck” segment.  Predict the action all the way through the finals. Sign up now for your twenty-five dollar bonus on https://fanduel.com/predicts   Link in bio or go to https://getsoul.com & enter code TODDCASTfor 30% off your first order.  Refresh your wardrobe with Quince. Go to https://Quince.com/chuck for free shipping on your order and 365-day returns.  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 introduction01:00 Thomas Massie loses re-elect. Trump still has grip over GOP 02:00 Trump endorsing Ken Paxton is good for him, bad for the GOP 03:15 Republicans will have to dump a ton of money into Texas 04:00 Endorsement is a gut punch for Cornyn, who had momentum 06:30 Georgia Republican governor & senate races headed to runoff 07:45 Rick Jackson has bragged about writing a million dollar check to Trump 08:15 Will Trump co-endorse in the GA governor’s race? 08:45 Democrats had higher turnout than GOP in Georgia 09:30 African-American turnout higher after gutting of Voting Rights Act 11:45 Trump’s endorsement really matters in a GOP primary 14:15 Election deniers turn off general election voters in swing states 15:30 Trump is not making decisions that are in the best interest of the GOP 18:00 Overall, a good night for Trump, a bad night for the Republican party 20:30 Corruption only becomes a voting issue when voters’ lives get worse 21:00 Clinton survived scandal because the economy was booming 21:30 Trump is normalizing corruption & selling of the presidency 22:15 Trump is stealing from taxpayers to create a slush fund 22:45 DOJ gives the Trumps a get-out-of-jail free card for tax evasion 23:30 Trump’s survival has come from convincing voters all politicians are corrupt 24:15 Trump’s policies are unraveling the American economy 25:00 Trump understands corruption can be absorbed into the culture 26:15 The danger is that corruption carries no meaningful penalty anymore 27:30 Trump is purging anyone who isn’t blindly loyal from the GOP 28:30 Trump is turning the GOP into a kleptocracy 30:00 This isn’t secretive corruption, it’s all out in the open 30:30 Trump sells pardons that erase jail + massive financial penalties 31:30 Trump has increased prices for everyone while amassing a personal fortune 33:00 Trump is weaponizing cynicism with both parties 34:30 Eventually the ruling class sees the public as something to extract from 35:15 Once something becomes politically survivable, it becomes reproducible 37:00 Republics decay once voters become accustomed to corruption 43:00 Sean Westwood joins the Chuck ToddCast 44:15 The origin of the Polarization Lab? 45:45 Partisanship is the area where negativity is rewarded 46:30 America has been more polarized in the past than it is now 48:15 The Cold War suppressed polarization 49:00 Once the Cold War ended, the Pat Buchanon wing of GOP emerged 50:00 Polarization is normal in a democracy 50:45 Structural changes that led to polarization are the threat 51:30 Potential “relief valves” to ease polarization 52:30 Structural changes come with both improvements & negatives 53:15 Ranked choice voting can lead to district in election outcomes 54:30 Stronger party control is the easiest and most realistic fix 55:15 Moving from two parties to multi party would be incredibly difficult 55:45 Congress won’t vote on reforms that threaten their own power 56:30 Even in multi party systems there’s generally two strong parties 57:30 Members don’t just dislike the other party, they dislike their own party 58:30 American third parties struggle to leverage their position 59:00 Ross Perot’s candidacy sobered up the two major parties 1:00:45 Mark Cuban is the only person who could run successfully as an I 1:02:00 Places with electoral reforms typically had overwhelming one party control 1:03:15 In California & Texas you aren’t running “typical” candidates 1:04:30 All party primaries can help to alleviate some polarization 1:05:45 Redistricting muddies election data, makes it harder to form conclusions 1:07:30 It’s important to disagree, but disagreement can’t become all consuming 1:09:00 Many Trump voters who don’t love Trump but want to “own the libs” 1:10:15 We’re creating a world where if you don’t opt-in to politics, you won’t see it 1:11:00 Americans won’t have the info to hold elected officials accountable 1:12:00 Newspaper delivery used to correlate with likelihood of voting 1:14:00 Local info can be easily accessed online, but still needs journalists 1:15:15 Public media is seen as a mouthpiece of the left in America 1:16:45 We’ve been reversing all the progress on fairer districts 1:17:30 Any election denialism gives a permission slip to the other side 1:18:15 Voters see democratic pullback from one side & want their party to do the same 1:19:15 We’re experiencing more democratic backsliding than we’d like to admit 1:20:45 The impact of big data and microtargeting 1:21:30 AI will make microtargeting far more impactful and disruptive 1:22:45 Partisans have become self-sorting geographically, but it’s incidental 1:24:15 Partisanship can become contagious 1:25:30 American politics urban/rural divide mirrors politics in Germany 1:27:15 Democrats created litmus tests that will never win in rural America 1:28:00 Dems would do well to make social issues determined by local governments 1:29:30 The malapportionment of the senate is most destructive to our politics 1:32:30 If you truly object to what your rep is doing, you have to take action 1:34:15 Haven’t had a consequential update to the democracy since before FDR 1:36:00 Interracial marriage used to be cultural wedge, replaced by partisanship 1:38:30 Many legislators don’t have governing skills, but good at getting attention 1:40:00 Humans are predisposed to focus on threat and conflict 1:41:30 Our information ecosystem is built to inflame, not moderate 1:43:45 Telling voters you aren’t in a democracy can be self-fulfilling  1:46:00 Chuck’s thoughts on the interview with Sean Westwood 1:47:30 Competitiveness of an election doesn’t correlate with hyperpartisanship 1:49:15 ToddCast Top 5 primaries that will have most impact on general election 1:50:00 #5 Wisconsin Democratic governor 1:53:30 #4 Michigan Democratic senate 1:57:30 #3 California gubernatatorial primary 2:00:00 #2 Arizona Republican gubernatorial 2:02:45 #1 Texas Republican senate 2:07:45 Ask Chuck 2:08:00 Why didn’t Virginia’s Supreme Court step in sooner on redistricting? 2:10:30 Any recommendations for road trips or places worth exploring? 2:13:30 Are we closer than ever to a viable 3rd party or are the barriers too high? 2:18:00 What will Trump be like once he leaves office? Will media move on? 2:23:15 What if 2028 did a listening tour at every state’s geographical center? 2:27:00 Could Bernie or Pete win without major improvement with black voters? 2:30:15 Credible worries that personal considerations are shaping middle east policy? 2:34:15 Will Trump’s endorsements of weak nominees eventually backfire? 2:36:30 Wemby is going to be transformational for the NBASee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
• Interview Only w/ Sean Westwood - What's Really Driving the American Political Crisis & Polarization? 20.05.2026 1h 7min

  Dartmouth political scientist Sean Westwood — director of the Polarization Lab and one of the leading researchers studying why American politics has become so toxic — joins the Chuck Toddcast with a counterintuitive opening argument: America has actually been more polarized in the past than it is now, and polarization itself is a normal feature of democracy. What changed is that the Cold War spent four decades artificially suppressing American polarization by giving the country a unifying external adversary; once the Soviet Union collapsed, the Pat Buchanan wing of the GOP emerged from hibernation and the country returned to its more natural fractious state. The real threat, Westwood argues, isn't disagreement — it's the structural changes that have allowed disagreement to metastasize into something all-consuming. He walks through the menu of possible reforms — ranked choice voting, all-party primaries, stronger party control over nominations — and is refreshingly candid about the tradeoffs: every fix comes with its own problems, moving from a two-party to a multi-party system would be enormously difficult (most multi-party democracies still end up with two dominant parties anyway), and the most realistic reform is simply restoring stronger party control, though Congress will never vote for anything that threatens its own members.  The conversation broadens into a sweeping diagnosis of what's actually broken. Westwood argues we're creating a world where if you don't opt-in to politics, you simply won't encounter it — meaning voters increasingly lack the basic information needed to hold elected officials accountable. He warns that any election denialism from one side gives the other side a permission slip to do the same, that America is experiencing more democratic backsliding than most observers want to admit, and that AI-powered microtargeting is about to make the information environment dramatically more disruptive than anything we've seen so far. Westwood identifies the Senate's malapportionment as the single most destructive feature of American politics, and observes that interracial marriage used to be the great cultural wedge before being replaced by raw partisanship — meaning partisan identity has now absorbed every other source of social division. He notes that Democrats have created litmus tests that will never win in rural America and that many modern legislators simply don't have governing skills but are very good at getting attention because humans are predisposed to focus on threat and conflict. Westwood's most haunting closing observation: telling voters they no longer live in a democracy can become a self-fulfilling prophecy, and that's a risk both sides need to take far more seriously than they currently do. Link in bio or go to https://getsoul.com & enter code TODDCAST for 30% off your first order.  Refresh your wardrobe with Quince. Go to https://Quince.com/chuck for free shipping on your order and 365-day returns.  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 Sean Westwood joins the Chuck ToddCast 01:15 The origin of the Polarization Lab? 02:45 Partisanship is the area where negativity is rewarded 03:30 America has been more polarized in the past than it is now 05:15 The Cold War suppressed polarization 06:00 Once the Cold War ended, the Pat Buchanon wing of GOP emerged 07:00 Polarization is normal in a democracy 07:45 Structural changes that led to polarization are the threat 08:30 Potential “relief valves” to ease polarization 09:30 Structural changes come with both improvements & negatives 10:15 Ranked choice voting can lead to district in election outcomes 11:30 Stronger party control is the easiest and most realistic fix 12:15 Moving from two parties to multi party would be incredibly difficult 12:45 Congress won’t vote on reforms that threaten their own power 13:30 Even in multi party systems there’s generally two strong parties 14:30 Members don’t just dislike the other party, they dislike their own party 15:30 American third parties struggle to leverage their position 16:00 Ross Perot’s candidacy sobered up the two major parties 17:45 Mark Cuban is the only person who could run successfully as an I 19:00 Places with electoral reforms typically had overwhelming one party control 20:15 In California & Texas you aren’t running “typical” candidates 21:30 All party primaries can help to alleviate some polarization 22:45 Redistricting muddies election data, makes it harder to form conclusions 24:30 It’s important to disagree, but disagreement can’t become all consuming 26:00 Many Trump voters who don’t love Trump but want to “own the libs” 27:15 We’re creating a world where if you don’t opt-in to politics, you won’t see it 28:00 Americans won’t have the info to hold elected officials accountable 29:00 Newspaper delivery used to correlate with likelihood of voting 31:00 Local info can be easily accessed online, but still needs journalists 32:15 Public media is seen as a mouthpiece of the left in America 33:45 We’ve been reversing all the progress on fairer districts 34:30 Any election denialism gives a permission slip to the other side 35:15 Voters see democratic pullback from one side & want their party to do the same 36:15 We’re experiencing more democratic backsliding than we’d like to admit 37:45 The impact of big data and microtargeting 38:30 AI will make microtargeting far more impactful and disruptive 39:45 Partisans have become self-sorting geographically, but it’s incidental 41:15 Partisanship can become contagious  42:30 American politics urban/rural divide mirrors politics in Germany 44:15 Democrats created litmus tests that will never win in rural America 45:00 Dems would do well to make social issues determined by local governments 46:30 The malapportionment of the senate is most destructive to our politics 49:30 If you truly object to what your rep is doing, you have to take action 51:15 Haven’t had a consequential update to the democracy since before FDR 53:00 Interracial marriage used to be cultural wedge, replaced by partisanship  55:30 Many legislators don’t have governing skills, but good at getting attention 57:00 Humans are predisposed to focus on threat and conflict 58:30 Our information ecosystem is built to inflame, not moderate 1:00:45 Telling voters you aren’t in a democracy can be self-fulfillingSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
• Full Episode - Trump’s China Trip Was A Disaster For Democracy + Bill Cassidy’s Political Career Is Over 18.05.2026 1h 59min

  Chuck Todd opens with the political obituary of Bill Cassidy, the Louisiana senator whose primary defeat is the latest and clearest evidence that there is simply no room left in the Republican Party for anyone who ever had qualms about Donald Trump. He argues Cassidy's downfall was as much self-inflicted as Trump-driven: he had the spine to vote to convict in the second impeachment trial but never the spine to actually defend the vote, owning it while constantly running from it on the trail. Cassidy could have run as an independent and didn't, gave up the last shreds of his credibility by voting to confirm RFK Jr., and put himself in the worst possible position to defend the toughest vote of his career. He uses the moment to make a broader argument: the Republican Party no longer believes in morals, ethics, or character, the leaders of both parties are damaging their own institutions in pursuit of raw power, and the country desperately needs more independents and third parties to break the duopoly. Trump, Chuck reminds listeners, is the scorpion of the fable — he will sting you every time, regardless of what you've done for him. The bigger story, though, is Trump's stunning 180 on China — a complete reversal that has produced near-total silence from the GOP's once-deafening chorus of China hawks. He argues Trump has gone from confrontation to pure transaction with Beijing, that he appears willing to sell out Taiwan as leverage, and that he's effectively treating American arms sales to Taipei as bargaining chips in a trade negotiation. The contrast with Nixon's trip to China is glaring: Nixon went with a coherent strategy, Trump went without one. For decades America positioned itself as the defender of democracy worldwide, but that role is now genuinely in question — Pacific allies are nervous about Chinese aggression, rightfully so if America is prepared to trade away Taiwan, and Trump is signaling to the world that you simply cannot count on the United States anymore. He argues that the most damning indictment of the modern GOP is the fact that Trump is visibly screwing up on the world stage and not a single Republican will say so. He closes with a more hopeful note from his commencement address at John Carroll University, praising the school's political journalism program for teaching students morality and empathy, and reflecting that this graduating generation has been forced to adapt and develop resilience in ways no class before them ever had to. Finally, Chuck hops into the ToddCast Time Machine to revisit the fraught opening of the Brooklyn bridge and the campaign to overcome the public’s fear about a new technology. He also answers listeners’ questions in an extended edition of “Ask Chuck”. Predict the action all the way through the finals. Sign up now for your twenty-five dollar bonus on https://fanduel.com/predicts   Link in bio or go to https://getsoul.com & enter code TODDCAST for 30% off your first order.  Refresh your wardrobe with Quince. Go to https://Quince.com/chuck for free shipping on your order and 365-day returns.  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 Bill Cassidy’s vote to convict Trump cost him his senate seat 04:45 Closed GOP primary will favor Trump endorsed candidates 06:30 Only 3 Republicans left in congress who voted to impeach 09:00 Cassidy was 2nd worst performing of all GOP who voted to convict 09:30 Cassidy never defended his vote during the campaign 11:45 Cassidy could have run as an independent, but chose not to 13:00 More senators would have voted to convict on a secret ballot 14:30 Cassidy owned his vote, but always ran away from it 16:00 Cassidy gave up his credibility by voting to confirm RFK Jr. 16:45 There is no room in the GOP for people who have qualms with Trump 19:00 The Republican party doesn’t believe in morals, ethics or character 20:30 Cassidy put himself in worst possible position to defend a tough vote 22:15 Leaders of both parties are damaging their parties trying to win power 23:45 We need more independents & third parties to threaten the duopoly 24:45 Cassidy had the spine to vote to convict, but never explained the vote 26:00 Donald Trump is the “scorpion” of lore and will sting you every time 28:00 Louisiana primary vote total barely favored Republicans 29:00 Gutting of Voting Rights Act looks like it will juice black voter turnout 30:00 Presidential level turnout of black voters is possible in the south 31:00 Trump has pulled a complete 180 on China 32:00 Trump seems willing to completely sell out Taiwan 33:00 Trump has gone in the opposite direction of his “tough on China” position 34:15 Trump has gone from confrontation to transaction with China 35:30 Trump seems to be treating Taiwan as leverage 37:00 What happens to GOP hawkishness on China if Trump reverses his position? 37:30 GOP China hawks have been conspicuously silent 39:15 Trump is treating arms to Taiwan as a bargaining chip for China 40:00 For decades, America was the defender of democracy. That’s in question now 41:00 Pacific allies are nervous about China, rightfully so if U.S. sells out Taiwan 41:45 Trump is telling the world you can’t count on America 42:30 Trump is more worried about his political standing than American strength 43:45 Trump’s policies have made things more expensive & the economy worse 46:45 Nixon’s trip to China came with a coherent strategy, Trump’s didn’t 47:45 Trump can’t bomb his way into a solution with Iran 48:30 If the U.S. isn’t the defender of democracy worldwide… who is? 50:00 Trump is screwing up and nobody in his party will say so 54:00 Chuck gave commencement address at John Carroll University 55:00 JCU has a great program for political journalism 55:45 Program’s goal is to instill students with morality and empathy 57:00 This graduating generation has been forced to adapt and be resilient 1:03:00 ToddCast Time Machine - May 1883 1:03:30 New York opens the largest suspension bridge ever built, the Brooklyn bridge 1:04:00 The idea of a suspension bridge from Booklyn to Manhattan seemed impossible 1:05:45 Project seemed cursed after the designer of the bridge died 1:07:00 Emily Roebling effectively becomes the project manager for the bridge 1:08:00 May 24th, 1883 - The Brooklyn bridge finally opens 1:08:30 The bridge changed Brooklyn permanently, turns into a borough of NYC 1:09:45 Rumors start spreading that the bridge is collapsing 1:10:15 Twelve people died in stampede over fears of bridge collapsing 1:11:00 P.T. Barnum helps to calm public fear about the bridge 1:11:45 Elephants were paraded over the bridge to show it was stable 1:12:45 The public has to trust new technologies enough in order to use them 1:14:15 Ask Chuck 1:14:30 How should Democrats approach the issue of transgender rights? 1:20:30 Why do so many Americans believe major political events are “staged”? 1:24:45 Should Democrats stick with incrementalism or take a confrontational approach? 1:31:15 If MLB realigns, how would you restructure it? 1:40:00 Could Liz Cheney or Adam Kinziger become viable independent candidates? 1:43:15 Why doesn’t the press pool push back when attacked by Trump? 1:48:00 Who would have to leave the Democratic party to initiate its collapse? 1:51:00 What do you see happening with Trump’s tariff regime after SCOTUS ruling? 1:56:00 Nats off to a surprisingly good startSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
• Full Episode - Trump Goes Hat In Hand To China + Trump’s Policies Have Been Disastrous For The American Economy 14.05.2026 1h 43min

  Chuck Todd opens by previewing Mark Zandi's sobering economic forecast from this episode and arrives at a simple, devastating conclusion: every single policy decision Trump has made has made the economy worse, tax refunds have already been gobbled up by inflation, and the math guarantees voters will feel even worse by the midterms — meaning Republicans on the ballot should be furious with the president, and those in swing districts have no choice but to start distancing themselves from his policies now. But the real heat in this episode comes from his analysis of Trump's trip to Beijing to meet Xi Jinping, which he frames as the diplomatic equivalent of going hat in hand. He argues there's simply no winning a trade war with China, that scrapping the TPP and the JCPOA will go down as two of the most colossal strategic mistakes of the modern era, and that Trump's combined Iran and China policies have somehow managed to strengthen both adversaries simultaneously — to the point that his foreign policy decisions are starting to make him look, in Chuck’s words, like a Manchurian candidate. The world is now beginning to view the United States itself as the global boogeyman, and Trump's presidency is doing damage to America's long-term standing that will take a generation to repair. The brutal irony, he notes, is that Trump now needs more from China than China needs from America: China is the only country with real leverage over Iran, defenders of Taiwanese independence are quietly terrified that Trump could trade them away for an economic off-ramp, and Xi gets to sit across the table from a desperate American president whose negotiating position keeps eroding by the day.    Then, Mark Zandi — chief economist at Moody's Analytics and one of the most quoted forecasters in America — joins the Chuck Toddcast to deliver a remarkably sobering verdict on where the economy actually stands: without the $700 billion currently being poured into AI investment, the United States would already be in or close to recession. The latest CPI and PPI reports came back ugly and uglier, oil shocks from the Iran war will keep prices elevated through 2027 even if the war ended tomorrow (Zandi says don't expect $3 gas again until then), real disposable income has been flat or falling for a year, FHA mortgage delinquencies are at their highest level since the Great Recession, and the bottom 40% of earners are living genuinely paycheck to paycheck. Zandi pushes back on lazy comparisons to the 1970s — conditions were objectively worse then, with a self-reinforcing wage-price loop that took a brutal recession to break — but warns that nominating Kevin Warsh as Fed chair specifically to cut rates would risk replaying exactly that movie, and that a policy of low rates at any cost would be catastrophic.   The deeper diagnosis is brutal: employment was growing steadily and inflation was easing until Liberation Day, when both reversed simultaneously — meaning Trump's tariffs are the most obvious thing to cut, and the question of who actually benefits from them gets harder to answer every month. The mass deportation policy is costing the country roughly 0.5-0.7% of GDP growth that normal immigration would have provided, with agriculture, construction, hospitality and services taking direct hits. Zandi sees economic weakness most pronounced in the South and West, healthcare-anchored cities like Philadelphia outperforming Florida and Texas, and a national debt now exceeding GDP that's setting the conditions for a potential bond market sell-off — with global investors already being advised to diversify away from the dollar as America deglobalizes and the world quietly pulls away. His most striking observation: the fixes are all sitting on the shelf. America doesn't need new ideas to solve any of this — it needs the political will to use the ones we already have, and that will probably won't materialize until a genuine crisis forces it. By the midterms, voters will be feeling the worst of it, and while partisan media can try to spin the numbers all it wants — reality is much harder to spin.  Finally, Chuck answers listeners’ questions in the “Ask Chuck” segment. Try ShipStation free for 60 days with full access to all features, No credit card needed! Go to https://ShipStation.com and use code TODDCAST for 60 days for free! 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 Mark Zandi paints a sobering picture about state of the economy 02:30 Every Trump policy decision has made has made the economy worse 03:45 Tax refunds have been gobbled up by inflation 04:15 The economy will only feel worse to people by midterm elections 06:30 Republicans on the ballot should be furious with Trump 07:15 Republicans in swing areas have to distance from Trump policies 08:15 Trump in China to meet with Xi Jinping 09:00 There’s no winning a trade war with China 10:30 Getting rid of the TPP & JCPOA were colossal mistakes 11:30 Trump is losing the Iran war and strengthened Iran & China  12:00 Trump’s policies make him look like a Manchurian candidate 12:30 The world is now starting to view the US as the boogeyman 13:15 Trump’s presidency has been terribly damaging long term to the US 14:30 We need more from China than they need from us 15:00 China is the only country that could lean on Iran 15:45 Defenders of Taiwan independence worried Trump could cave 16:45 Trump is desperate for Xi’s help 21:00 Mark Zandi joins the Chuck ToddCast 21:45 CPI inflation and PPI inflation reports came back ugly & uglier 23:00 The through lines are ugly and going to get worse due to oil prices 23:45 Even if the war ended today, higher prices would last all year 24:15 Inflation has been accelerating under Trump, was on track under Biden 25:15 Inflation was worse during Covid combined with start of Ukraine war 28:00 Economy and stagflation were much worse in the 70s than now 28:45 Conditions different from 70s, there was a self-reinforcing loop in 70s 29:30 The only way out of 70s stagflation was a very severe recession 30:15 Kevin Warsh nominated for Fed chair to lower interest rates 31:00 If Warsh cuts interest rates, we risk a repeat of the 70s 31:45 A policy of low rates at any cost would be catastrophic 32:15 Rate cuts won’t happen since they are set by a board 32:45 Economy won’t have time to recover in time for the midterm elections 34:00 Partisan media can try to spin the economy, but reality is hard to spin 35:15 We won’t be back to $3/gallon gas until 2027 most likely 35:45 Last 3 months, the economy got a boost due to tax refunds that are fading 37:00 Real disposable income has fallen or stayed stagnant the past year 37:45 Bottom 40% earners are struggling badly, living paycheck to paycheck 38:45 FHA mortgage delinquency rates are rising, highest since great recession 40:00 Things will feel worse economically by the midterm election 41:30 Without $700B in AI investment, we’d be close to, or in a recession 43:45 Last two jobs reports better than expected, tax cuts acted as stimulus 44:30 The job market is still very weak 45:30 With normal immigration we’d grow GDP by 0.5-0.7%, and lost that 46:30 Data shows immigrants don’t take jobs native born workers have 47:30 Lack of immigrants will hit state & local government budgets hard 48:15 Agriculture, construction, hospitality and services hit hard by deportations 50:00 Air travel hasn’t fallen off due to economic conditions… yet 50:45 High end consumer spending on recreation hasn’t fallen off at all 51:45 Is the proposal to cap credit card interest rate at 10% a good idea? 52:30 Companies won’t offer credit lines to consumers without great credit scores 53:15 Trump cutting the tariffs is the most obvious solution to higher prices 54:00 Employment was increasing regularly until Liberation Day tariffs 54:30 Inflation also took off on Liberation Day 55:15 Who actually benefits from Trump’s tariffs? 56:30 Suspending gas tax would result in .10-.15c lower prices at pump 58:30 Cutting the gas tax likely won’t result in any political benefit 1:00:00 Economic weakness most pronounced in the south & the west 1:02:00 Cities with big healthcare industries having most job growth, Philly leading 1:03:45 Pennsylvania economy rowing faster than Florida or Texas 1:04:15 America’s national debt exceeds GDP, how concerned should we be? 1:06:30 Indicators show we having a massive debt and deficit problem 1:08:00 The conditions for a sell off in the bond market are in place 1:08:30 It’s going to take a crisis to generate political will to act on the debt 1:09:45 America is deglobalizing, and world pulling away from us 1:10:15 Investors being advised to diversify away from the dollar 1:11:30 The fixes to the economy are all sitting on the shelf. Don’t need new ideas 1:13:00 AI job displacement hasn’t hit hard yet, but could be coming soon  1:16:15 Need a stiff drink after the interview with Mark Zandi 1:16:45 Ask Chuck 1:17:00 Alternative idea for formula to expand the house of representatives? 1:21:45 Will there be any impact from Susan Collins disclosing her tremors? 1:25:30 Thanks for interview with lawyers suing big tech, screen time is down 1:26:45 Could you argue that SCOTUS striking down New Deal policy was most impactful? 1:28:45 Is Dems gerrymandering more about deterrence and not pure hypocrisy? 1:33:15 If a justice steps down, who would Trump nominate. What would impacts be? 1:37:45 Thanks for the pod. It’s helped me get through long dialysis sessions 1:39:15 NBA playoffs reactionSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
• Interview Only w/ Mark Zandi - Trump’s Policies Have Been Disastrous For The American Economy 14.05.2026 58min

  Mark Zandi — chief economist at Moody's Analytics and one of the most quoted forecasters in America — joins the Chuck Toddcast to deliver a remarkably sobering verdict on where the economy actually stands: without the $700 billion currently being poured into AI investment, the United States would already be in or close to recession. The latest CPI and PPI reports came back ugly and uglier, oil shocks from the Iran war will keep prices elevated through 2027 even if the war ended tomorrow (Zandi says don't expect $3 gas again until then), real disposable income has been flat or falling for a year, FHA mortgage delinquencies are at their highest level since the Great Recession, and the bottom 40% of earners are living genuinely paycheck to paycheck. Zandi pushes back on lazy comparisons to the 1970s — conditions were objectively worse then, with a self-reinforcing wage-price loop that took a brutal recession to break — but warns that nominating Kevin Warsh as Fed chair specifically to cut rates would risk replaying exactly that movie, and that a policy of low rates at any cost would be catastrophic.   The deeper diagnosis is brutal: employment was growing steadily and inflation was easing until Liberation Day, when both reversed simultaneously — meaning Trump's tariffs are the most obvious thing to cut, and the question of who actually benefits from them gets harder to answer every month. The mass deportation policy is costing the country roughly 0.5-0.7% of GDP growth that normal immigration would have provided, with agriculture, construction, hospitality and services taking direct hits. Zandi sees economic weakness most pronounced in the South and West, healthcare-anchored cities like Philadelphia outperforming Florida and Texas, and a national debt now exceeding GDP that's setting the conditions for a potential bond market sell-off — with global investors already being advised to diversify away from the dollar as America deglobalizes and the world quietly pulls away. His most striking observation: the fixes are all sitting on the shelf. America doesn't need new ideas to solve any of this — it needs the political will to use the ones we already have, and that will probably won't materialize until a genuine crisis forces it. By the midterms, voters will be feeling the worst of it, and while partisan media can try to spin the numbers all it wants — reality is much harder to spin.  Timeline: (Timestamps may vary based on advertisements) 00:00 Mark Zandi joins the Chuck ToddCast 00:45 CPI inflation and PPI inflation reports came back ugly & uglier 02:00 The through lines are ugly and going to get worse due to oil prices 02:45 Even if the war ended today, higher prices would last all year 03:15 Inflation has been accelerating under Trump, was on track under Biden 04:15 Inflation was worse during Covid combined with start of Ukraine war 07:00 Economy and stagflation were much worse in the 70s than now 07:45 Conditions different from 70s, there was a self-reinforcing loop in 70s 08:30 The only way out of 70s stagflation was a very severe recession 09:15 Kevin Warsh nominated for Fed chair to lower interest rates 10:00 If Warsh cuts interest rates, we risk a repeat of the 70s 10:45 A policy of low rates at any cost would be catastrophic 11:15 Rate cuts won’t happen since they are set by a board 11:45 Economy won’t have time to recover in time for the midterm elections 13:00 Partisan media can try to spin the economy, but reality is hard to spin 14:15 We won’t be back to $3/gallon gas until 2027 most likely 14:45 Last 3 months, the economy got a boost due to tax refunds that are fading 16:00 Real disposable income has fallen or stayed stagnant the past year 16:45 Bottom 40% earners are struggling badly, living paycheck to paycheck 17:45 FHA mortgage delinquency rates are rising, highest since great recession 19:00 Things will feel worse economically by the midterm election 20:30 Without $700B in AI investment, we’d be close to, or in a recession 22:45 Last two jobs reports better than expected, tax cuts acted as stimulus 23:30 The job market is still very weak 24:30 With normal immigration we’d grow GDP by 0.5-0.7%, and lost that 25:30 Data shows immigrants don’t take jobs native born workers have 26:30 Lack of immigrants will hit state & local government budgets hard 27:15 Agriculture, construction, hospitality and services hit hard by deportations 29:00 Air travel hasn’t fallen off due to economic conditions… yet 29:45 High end consumer spending on recreation hasn’t fallen off at all 30:45 Is the proposal to cap credit card interest rate at 10% a good idea? 31:30 Companies won’t offer credit lines to consumers without great credit scores 32:15 Trump cutting the tariffs is the most obvious solution to higher prices 33:00 Employment was increasing regularly until Liberation Day tariffs 33:30 Inflation also took off on Liberation Day 34:15 Who actually benefits from Trump’s tariffs? 35:30 Suspending gas tax would result in .10-.15c lower prices at pump 37:30 Cutting the gas tax likely won’t result in any political benefit 39:00 Economic weakness most pronounced in the south & the west 41:00 Cities with big healthcare industries having most job growth, Philly leading 42:45 Pennsylvania economy rowing faster than Florida or Texas 43:15 America’s national debt exceeds GDP, how concerned should we be? 45:30 Indicators show we having a massive debt and deficit problem 47:00 The conditions for a sell off in the bond market are in place 47:30 It’s going to take a crisis to generate political will to act on the debt 48:45 America is deglobalizing, and world pulling away from us 49:15 Investors being advised to diversify away from the dollar 50:30 The fixes to the economy are all sitting on the shelf. Don’t need new ideas 52:00 AI job displacement hasn’t hit hard yet, but could be coming soonSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.