The Chuck ToddCast

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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 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.

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.

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.

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 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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Chuck Todd opens with Trump getting visibly defensive with reporters over a brutal new inflation report — and argues the bad economy is in worse shape directly because of Trump's policies, with the president himself having zero answers for the data. He notes that AI investment is essentially the only thing propping up the economy, and that we are at least weeks away from the end of the Iran war. He warns we're only at the beginning of the inflation problem and that Democrats can simply point to Trump's broken promises of lower costs and no wars — they don't even need to make a "for" case, just a sustained "against" case — but cautions that despite all of this, Democrats still have a serious brand problem that no economic data alone will fix. He argues the failed Virginia redistricting effort exposed the deeper issue: Democrats talk like the resistance but are viewed as institutionalists, while Republicans still behave like raw partisans, and the rise of independent voters represents a fundamental protest against both available parties — something that should worry Democrats more than Republicans because the GOP has already shown a willingness to blow up the system. He makes a sweeping argument that until the last decade, Democrats were a reform-focused party, but the Trump era has pushed them into becoming defenders of institutions at exactly the moment when public trust in institutions had collapsed. He closes with observations from the Musk-Altman trial, which he says has been revealing about the personalities actually building AI — with OpenAI employees testifying to Altman's lying and the internal chaos, and so much tech ego on display that the public, already feeling burned by big tech, is only going to grow more skeptical.  Finally Chuck reveals his bonus TWO ToddCast Top 5 lists, the top 5 2028 Democratic hopefuls who have run for president before, and the top who haven’t. He also 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 01:30 Trump gets defensive with reporters over bad inflation report 03:00 Economy is in worse shape directly because of Trump’s policies 03:45 Trump has zero answers for the bad state of the economy 04:45 Dow still hasn’t gotten back over 50k since Bondi’s viral moment 05:45 AI investment is the only thing propping up the economy 06:30 We are weeks away from the end of the Iran war… at minimum 07:45 Despite the bad economy, Democrats still have a brand problem 08:30 We are only at the beginning of the inflation problem 09:15 Dems can point to Trump breaking promise of lower costs & no wars 10:00 Dems don’t even have to make a “for” case, just an “against” case  11:00 Another variable is what the political maps look like by the midterms 12:15 The issue for the Dems is what the party stands for… what’s its identity? 13:00 Dems ‘28 hopefuls need to, and will jump in early 13:45 Dems failed redistricting in VA exposed a problem with the party 15:45 Dems talk like resistance but are viewed as institutionalists 16:30 GOP still behaves more like raw partisans 17:15 South Carolina would have risked disaster by carving up Clyburn’s seat 18:45 Backlash to SCOTUS gutting Voting Rights Act could juice Dem turnout 19:45 Why do both parties seem against reforming the system overall? 21:15 Politics has become completely nationalized and it’s a problem 21:45 Until the last decade, the Democrats were a reform focused party 23:00 The Trump era has pushed Dems into becoming defenders of institutions 23:45 Biden ran on preservation when trust in institutions had collapsed 25:15 The rise of independent voters shows protest for the two available parties 26:30 Rise of independents should worry Dems more than Republicans 27:45 Real reforms to the system would help rebuild trust with the public 29:30 Dems risk becoming custodians of a system people don’t trust 31:45 Dems took their eye off the ball, haven’t acted as reformers 35:30 The Musk/Altman trial has been revealing of the personalities building AI 36:00 OpenAI’s employees testified to Altman lying and chaos internally 37:15 So much tech ego on display at the trial 38:00 The public already feels burned by big tech 40:00 TWO ToddCast Top 5 lists today42:45 Winning Democratic presidential candidates are usually first time candidates46:45 Top 5 2028 Democratic candidates who have never run for president47:00 2026 results will dictate who will eventually have best prospects in 202850:00 #5 2026 TBD, could be Rob Sand, Mallory McMorrow…Colbert?50:30 #4 Josh Shapiro51:30 #3 Gavin Newsom52:45 #2 Wes Moore53:45 #1 AOC 55:45 Top 5 2028 Dem candidates who HAVE run for president56:00 #5 Amy Klobuchar57:00 #4 Cory Booker58:30 #3 Pete Buttigieg1:00:00 #2 Bernie Sanders1:01:00 #1 Kamala Harris1:02:30 Ask Chuck1:02:45 Modern equivalent of the “good government” groups of the 20th century?1:07:30 When should Dems make strategic adjustments vs compromising values?1:10:30 Is a socially conservative, fiscally liberal platform viable?1:13:00 Could co-op’s be a viable solution to modern economic challenges?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Chuck Todd opens with Trump getting visibly defensive with reporters over a brutal new inflation report — and argues the bad economy is in worse shape directly because of Trump's policies, with the president himself having zero answers for the data. He notes that AI investment is essentially the only thing propping up the economy, and that we are at least weeks away from the end of the Iran war. He warns we're only at the beginning of the inflation problem and that Democrats can simply point to Trump's broken promises of lower costs and no wars — they don't even need to make a "for" case, just a sustained "against" case — but cautions that despite all of this, Democrats still have a serious brand problem that no economic data alone will fix. He argues the failed Virginia redistricting effort exposed the deeper issue: Democrats talk like the resistance but are viewed as institutionalists, while Republicans still behave like raw partisans, and the rise of independent voters represents a fundamental protest against both available parties — something that should worry Democrats more than Republicans because the GOP has already shown a willingness to blow up the system. He makes a sweeping argument that until the last decade, Democrats were a reform-focused party, but the Trump era has pushed them into becoming defenders of institutions at exactly the moment when public trust in institutions had collapsed. He closes with observations from the Musk-Altman trial, which he says has been revealing about the personalities actually building AI — with OpenAI employees testifying to Altman's lying and the internal chaos, and so much tech ego on display that the public, already feeling burned by big tech, is only going to grow more skeptical.  This episode of the Chuck Toddcast features a deep dive into the AI governance crisis with two of the leading experts in the field. First, Miriam Vogel — president and CEO of EqualAI — joins the show to explain her organization's mission of establishing meaningful AI guardrails at a moment when American consumers are deeply skeptical of big tech and less than 1% of companies have anything resembling strong AI governance policies. Vogel argues that good governance means corporate leadership must take direct responsibility for AI deployment, walks through her five best practices for responsible AI adoption, and pushes back on the idea that federal preemption should override state-level regulation — noting that companies are pushing hard against state regulation precisely because they know most of the actual rules will be written in court cases over the next few years. She warns that we're seeing tremendous investment in AI without commensurate ROI so far, that gender and regional gaps in AI adoption are already emerging, and that the public urgently needs to be empowered with real knowledge about AI's upsides as well as its risks. Vogel asks the question that should keep every executive up at night: are we actually ready for AI to make decisions without humans in the loop? And she argues that transparency — letting employees and consumers see how AI errors play out — will be absolutely essential to safe deployment. Then former Deputy National Security Advisor Anne Neuberger joins to discuss what global AI governance should look like between superpowers, and whether the arms race framing between the U.S. and China is actually helpful or harmful. Neuberger argues AI is fundamentally different from nuclear regulation because it's being developed by the private sector rather than by governments, and questions whether it was a mistake to let the private sector spearhead this technology in the first place. Drawing on her cybersecurity background, she walks through how governments learned to combat ransomware: extending existing rules for fiat currencies to cover cryptocurrencies (which had helped criminals evade detection), disincentivizing ransom payments, and helping companies recover without paying — a template she argues could apply to AI regulation. Neuberger says AI drug development should be an international win-win rather than a zero-sum arms race, but acknowledges the national security applications make competition unavoidable, with advantages now measured in months rather than years and dangerously inadequate military-to-military communication between the U.S. and China. They debate whether an "FDA for AI models" might be necessary, that existing regulations can be updated to cover AI without requiring new legislation, and that AI will ultimately transform defensive cybersecurity by allowing companies to double-check their infrastructure at scale. Her bottom line: laws always trail technology, but governments have key roles to play in identifying cyber risks, helping companies patch their infrastructure, and ensuring America's defenders aren't left behind as Chinese models close the six-month gap. Finally Chuck reveals his bonus TWO ToddCast Top 5 lists, the top 5 2028 Democratic hopefuls who have run for president before, and the top who haven’t. He also 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 01:30 Trump gets defensive with reporters over bad inflation report 03:00 Economy is in worse shape directly because of Trump’s policies 03:45 Trump has zero answers for the bad state of the economy 04:45 Dow still hasn’t gotten back over 50k since Bondi’s viral moment 05:45 AI investment is the only thing propping up the economy 06:30 We are weeks away from the end of the Iran war… at minimum 07:45 Despite the bad economy, Democrats still have a brand problem 08:30 We are only at the beginning of the inflation problem 09:15 Dems can point to Trump breaking promise of lower costs & no wars 10:00 Dems don’t even have to make a “for” case, just an “against” case  11:00 Another variable is what the political maps look like by the midterms 12:15 The issue for the Dems is what the party stands for… what’s its identity? 13:00 Dems ‘28 hopefuls need to, and will jump in early 13:45 Dems failed redistricting in VA exposed a problem with the party 15:45 Dems talk like resistance but are viewed as institutionalists 16:30 GOP still behaves more like raw partisans 17:15 South Carolina would have risked disaster by carving up Clyburn’s seat 18:45 Backlash to SCOTUS gutting Voting Rights Act could juice Dem turnout 19:45 Why do both parties seem against reforming the system overall? 21:15 Politics has become completely nationalized and it’s a problem 21:45 Until the last decade, the Democrats were a reform focused party 23:00 The Trump era has pushed Dems into becoming defenders of institutions 23:45 Biden ran on preservation when trust in institutions had collapsed 25:15 The rise of independent voters shows protest for the two available parties 26:30 Rise of independents should worry Dems more than Republicans 27:45 Real reforms to the system would help rebuild trust with the public 29:30 Dems risk becoming custodians of a system people don’t trust 31:45 Dems took their eye off the ball, haven’t acted as reformers 33:30 The Musk/Altman trial has been revealing of the personalities building AI 34:00 OpenAI’s employees testified to Altman lying and chaos internally 35:15 So much tech ego on display at the trial 36:00 The public already feels burned by big tech 43:30 Chuck Todd’s introduction 46:15 Miriam Vogel joins the Chuck ToddCast 46:30 Equal AI’s mission is to establish AI guardrails 47:45 American consumers are extremely skeptical of big tech 48:30 Tech companies need to address users’ concerns & questions 50:30 Less than 1% of companies have strong AI governance policies 52:00 Some companies are working hard towards AI best practices 53:00 State vs. federal regulation for tech companies & AI 53:45 Why are companies pushing back against state level regulation? 55:45 Most of AI regulation will come down to the courts 57:30 We need more certainty of expectations from AI companies 59:45 AI is a disruptor, we can’t pretend it won’t be everywhere 1:01:00 Are we ready for AI to make decisions without humans in the loop? 1:01:45 Good governance means leadership must take responsibility for AI 1:02:45 If agentic AI without a human was outlawed, how would companies respond? 1:04:00 We’re seeing tremendous investment without the ROI so far 1:05:00 AI will scale at an exponential rate 1:05:45 We’re seeing gender and regional gaps in AI adoption 1:06:30 The public needs to be empowered with knowledge of AI’s upside 1:07:45 The five best practices for AI adoption 1:09:30 Employees and consumers will see how AI errors play out 1:10:45 Transparency will be key to safe AI deployment 1:12:15 Anne Neuberger joins the Chuck ToddCast 1:12:45 What should AI global governance look like between superpowers? 1:14:00 AI is different than nuclear regulation because it’s developed privately 1:14:45 Was it a mistake to let the private sector spearhead AI development? 1:16:00 Cybersecurity concerns and risks 1:17:15 Cryptocurrency helped criminals evade detection & enforcement 1:18:00 Every ransom payment encourages more cyber attacks & ransomware 1:19:15 Cyber threat intel was shared across governments 1:20:15 Governments extended rules for fiat currencies to cryptocurrencies 1:21:00 Governments had to disincentivize ransom payments 1:22:00 Goal was to help companies recover without paying a ransom 1:22:45 Both companies & government should share burden of security 1:24:15 AI is being framed as an arms race between U.S. and China 1:25:00 AI drug development should be an international win-win 1:26:00 The arms race framing applies to national security applications 1:27:45 The speed of innovation is so fast, a race feels unwinnable 1:29:00 Advantages in AI race will be measured in months, not years 1:29:45 There’s no good military to military comms between U.S. & China 1:32:00 Does government have any chance to effectively regulate AI? 1:32:45 It took a major cyberattack for government to figure out cybersecurity 1:33:30 Government took existing regulations and updated them for digital age 1:35:30 Existing regulations can also be updated to regulate AI without legislation 1:36:30 Should there be an FDA for AI models? 1:37:45 There needs to be a balance between innovation and regulation 1:38:45 Laws trail tech. Need to find regulation that protects the public 1:40:15 AI will transform defensive cybersecurity 1:41:00 AI can double check defensive cyber infrastructure at scale 1:42:45 We need to prepare our defenders, China’s models are 6 months behind 1:43:45 Companies will need help to patch and update their infrastructure 1:44:45 The government has a very key role to play in AI cybersecurity 1:45:45 Government has to clearly identify where the cyber risks are  1:47:30 Thought the AI conversation was important, didn’t want it behind a paywall1:48:30 The most difficult part of AI regulation will be the carrot & stick approach1:49:30 TWO ToddCast Top 5 lists today1:52:15 Winning Democratic presidential candidates are usually first time candidates1:56:15 Top 5 2028 Democratic candidates who have never run for president1:56:30 2026 results will dictate who will eventually have best prospects in 20281:59:30 #5 2026 TBD, could be Rob Sand, Mallory McMorrow…Colbert?2:00:00 #4 Josh Shapiro2:01:00 #3 Gavin Newsom2:02:15 #2 Wes Moore2:03:15 #1 AOC 2:05:15 Top 5 2028 Dem candidates who HAVE run for president2:05:30 #5 Amy Klobuchar2:06:30 #4 Cory Booker2:08:00 #3 Pete Buttigieg2:09:30 #2 Bernie Sanders2:10:30 #1 Kamala Harris2:12:00 Ask Chuck2:12:15 Modern equivalent of the “good government” groups of the 20th century?2:17:00 When should Dems make strategic adjustments vs compromising values?2:20:00 Is a socially conservative, fiscally liberal platform viable?2:22:30 Could co-op’s be a viable solution to modern economic challenges?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This episode of the Chuck Toddcast features a deep dive into the AI governance crisis with two of the leading experts in the field. First, Miriam Vogel — president and CEO of EqualAI — joins the show to explain her organization's mission of establishing meaningful AI guardrails at a moment when American consumers are deeply skeptical of big tech and less than 1% of companies have anything resembling strong AI governance policies. Vogel argues that good governance means corporate leadership must take direct responsibility for AI deployment, walks through her five best practices for responsible AI adoption, and pushes back on the idea that federal preemption should override state-level regulation — noting that companies are pushing hard against state regulation precisely because they know most of the actual rules will be written in court cases over the next few years. She warns that we're seeing tremendous investment in AI without commensurate ROI so far, that gender and regional gaps in AI adoption are already emerging, and that the public urgently needs to be empowered with real knowledge about AI's upsides as well as its risks. Vogel asks the question that should keep every executive up at night: are we actually ready for AI to make decisions without humans in the loop? And she argues that transparency — letting employees and consumers see how AI errors play out — will be absolutely essential to safe deployment. Then former Deputy National Security Advisor Anne Neuberger joins to discuss what global AI governance should look like between superpowers, and whether the arms race framing between the U.S. and China is actually helpful or harmful. Neuberger argues AI is fundamentally different from nuclear regulation because it's being developed by the private sector rather than by governments, and questions whether it was a mistake to let the private sector spearhead this technology in the first place. Drawing on her cybersecurity background, she walks through how governments learned to combat ransomware: extending existing rules for fiat currencies to cover cryptocurrencies (which had helped criminals evade detection), disincentivizing ransom payments, and helping companies recover without paying — a template she argues could apply to AI regulation. Neuberger says AI drug development should be an international win-win rather than a zero-sum arms race, but acknowledges the national security applications make competition unavoidable, with advantages now measured in months rather than years and dangerously inadequate military-to-military communication between the U.S. and China. They debate whether an "FDA for AI models" might be necessary, that existing regulations can be updated to cover AI without requiring new legislation, and that AI will ultimately transform defensive cybersecurity by allowing companies to double-check their infrastructure at scale. Her bottom line: laws always trail technology, but governments have key roles to play in identifying cyber risks, helping companies patch their infrastructure, and ensuring America's defenders aren't left behind as Chinese models close the six-month gap. 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 02:45 Miriam Vogel joins the Chuck ToddCast 03:00 Equal AI’s mission is to establish AI guardrails 04:15 American consumers are extremely skeptical of big tech 05:00 Tech companies need to address users’ concerns & questions 07:00 Less than 1% of companies have strong AI governance policies 08:30 Some companies are working hard towards AI best practices 09:30 State vs. federal regulation for tech companies & AI 10:15 Why are companies pushing back against state level regulation? 12:15 Most of AI regulation will come down to the courts 14:00 We need more certainty of expectations from AI companies 16:15 AI is a disruptor, we can’t pretend it won’t be everywhere 17:30 Are we ready for AI to make decisions without humans in the loop? 18:15 Good governance means leadership must take responsibility for AI 19:15 If agentic AI without a human was outlawed, how would companies respond? 20:30 We’re seeing tremendous investment without the ROI so far 21:30 AI will scale at an exponential rate 22:15 We’re seeing gender and regional gaps in AI adoption 23:00 The public needs to be empowered with knowledge of AI’s upside  24:15 The five best practices for AI adoption 26:00 Employees and consumers will see how AI errors play out 27:15 Transparency will be key to safe AI deployment 28:45 Anne Neuberger joins the Chuck ToddCast 29:15 What should AI global governance look like between superpowers? 30:30 AI is different than nuclear regulation because it’s developed privately 31:15 Was it a mistake to let the private sector spearhead AI development? 32:30 Cybersecurity concerns and risks  33:45 Cryptocurrency helped criminals evade detection & enforcement 34:30 Every ransom payment encourages more cyber attacks & ransomware 35:45 Cyber threat intel was shared across governments 36:45 Governments extended rules for fiat currencies to cryptocurrencies 37:30 Governments had to disincentivize ransom payments 38:30 Goal was to help companies recover without paying a ransom 39:15 Both companies & government should share burden of security 40:45 AI is being framed as an arms race between U.S. and China 41:30 AI drug development should be an international win-win 42:30 The arms race framing applies to national security applications 44:15 The speed of innovation is so fast, a race feels unwinnable 45:30 Advantages in AI race will be measured in months, not years 46:15 There’s no good military to military comms between U.S. & China 48:30 Does government have any chance to effectively regulate AI? 49:15 It took a major cyberattack for government to figure out cybersecurity 50:00 Government took existing regulations and updated them for digital age 52:00 Existing regulations can also be updated to regulate AI without legislation 53:00 Should there be an FDA for AI models? 54:15 There needs to be a balance between innovation and regulation 55:15 Laws trail tech. Need to find regulation that protects the public 56:45 AI will transform defensive cybersecurity 57:30 AI can double check defensive cyber infrastructure at scale 59:15 We need to prepare our defenders, China’s models are 6 months behind 1:00:15 Companies will need help to patch and update their infrastructure 1:01:15 The government has a very key role to play in AI cybersecurity 1:02:15 Government has to clearly identify where the cyber risks areSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Chuck Todd delivers an analysis of the Virginia Supreme Court's decision tossing out the Democratic redistricting map — arguing Democrats pissed away enormous political capital for absolutely nothing and that the reaction on the left has been wildly out of proportion, treating the ruling like an election loss when it was actually a predictable consequence of trying to fight fire with fire. He notes that Democrats passed the Virginia map without ever bothering to figure out how the courts would rule, and that both Obama and Governor Spanberger spent serious political capital pushing a referendum that was always legally vulnerable. He pushes back hard on left-wing commentary framing the ruling as partisan: the Virginia Supreme Court isn't full of partisans — they're technocrats, and Democrats just spent years arguing for norms and process and then ignored norms and process. His central argument is that Democrats will never win a race to the bottom with Trump's GOP, that the "fight fire with fire" mentality is a huge strategic mistake, and that Democrats can absolutely win in newly created swing districts with the right candidates if they go back to persuading voters and building coalitions rather than treating voters as the problem. He argues that Democrats are still likely to win both the House and Senate in the midterms — proof that Trump has done nothing to improve the GOP's image and that the path back to a winning Democratic coalition is still wide open if the party chooses to take it.  Finally, Chuck hops into the ToddCast Time Machine to revisit the Supreme Court’s Brown vs. Board of Education decision and explains that the courts have been forced to rule on major structural changes to American society when congress refuses to legislate. He also 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 01:45 Democrats pissed away political capital in VA, then map was tossed 05:30 Reaction on the left to Virginia ruling has been like an election loss 07:00 It’s understandable that Democrats wanted to fight fire with fire 07:45 Democrats passed VA map without knowing how the courts would rule 08:30 Obama and Spanberger wasted political capital for nothing 09:45 Dems have argued for norms + process that court said they didn’t follow 10:30 Electing the judiciary is terrible for the rule of law 11:15 The VA Supreme Court aren’t partisans, they’re technocrats 12:30 Left wing commentary assumes it was a partisan decision… it wasn’t 14:00 Dem leadership in VA misled the party & the public on referendum 15:45 We still don’t know what the maps will look like in the south after redistricting 16:30 GOP has the redistricting advantage now, but courts may intervene 17:30 VA court may give courage to other courts to stop the gerrymandering 18:45 Democrats will never win a race to the bottom with Trump’s GOP 20:15 Democrats can win in newly created swing districts with right candidates 22:00 The “fight fire with fire” mentality is a huge mistake by the Dems 23:00 Democracy is eroded when both parties play scorched earth politics 24:15 Dems should be trying to persuade and coalition build 26:00 Republicans treat voters as the problem, Dems shouldn’t do the same 27:15 Dems want to be held to a higher standard, but don’t like it when they are 28:30 Dems did real damage to their credibility with Virginia redistricting 30:00 Trump has done nothing to improve the GOP’s image, Dems can still win 31:45 Democrats know what they’re against, but not what they’re for 33:30 Spanberger was put in an impossible position by her party 35:00 Spanberger knew that swing voters didn’t like the redistricting chaos 36:15 Dems practiced politics of addition under Obama, now in survival mode 37:45 Voters viewed the Democratic party as more principled, VA jeopardizes that 38:30 Dems still more likely to win both house and senate despite the ruling 42:15 ToddCast Time Machine - May 17th, 195443:00 Brown vs. Board was the court pushing back against a legal fiction43:30 Plessy vs. Ferguson was the foundation for segregation44:15 Segregation had to end via the courts, congress refused to end it45:30 Southern Democrats held enormous power in the 50s46:00 The system challenged by Brown had too much power in congress46:45 The NAACP was chipping away at segregation one case at a time47:30 The court needed a unanimous decision for Brown to have legitimacy48:30 The US was championing freedom abroad while segregated at home49:00 Without the cold war, we don’t desegregate or pass the Voting Rights Act49:30 Court rules 9-0 on Brown, didn’t end segregation but delegitimized it50:30 Southern politicians organized massive resistance51:00 Federal troops sent into Little Rock to escort black students into school51:45 Brown changed how Americans thought about the power of the court52:30 Courts became more like political actors in decades after Brown53:45 The ruling in Brown was definitive, its implementation was not54:30 Ask Chuck54:45 How much could voter suppression affect juiced Democratic turnout?1:01:00 What if Trump never becomes a lame duck president?1:05:30 Is gerrymandering creating better chances for moderates?1:12:00 What are the most realistic options for scaling back entitlements?1:17:15 Predictions for the political futures of Nikki Haley & Ron DeSantis?1:23:15 Is there a scenario for a bipartisan impeachment to avoid bad pardons?1:28:00 Greg Olsen was commencement speaker at Chuck’s daughters graduation1:29:30 Thoughts on the NBA playoffs & NCAA tournament expansionSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Chuck Todd delivers an analysis of the Virginia Supreme Court's decision tossing out the Democratic redistricting map — arguing Democrats pissed away enormous political capital for absolutely nothing and that the reaction on the left has been wildly out of proportion, treating the ruling like an election loss when it was actually a predictable consequence of trying to fight fire with fire. He notes that Democrats passed the Virginia map without ever bothering to figure out how the courts would rule, and that both Obama and Governor Spanberger spent serious political capital pushing a referendum that was always legally vulnerable. He pushes back hard on left-wing commentary framing the ruling as partisan: the Virginia Supreme Court isn't full of partisans — they're technocrats, and Democrats just spent years arguing for norms and process and then ignored norms and process. His central argument is that Democrats will never win a race to the bottom with Trump's GOP, that the "fight fire with fire" mentality is a huge strategic mistake, and that Democrats can absolutely win in newly created swing districts with the right candidates if they go back to persuading voters and building coalitions rather than treating voters as the problem. He argues that Democrats are still likely to win both the House and Senate in the midterms — proof that Trump has done nothing to improve the GOP's image and that the path back to a winning Democratic coalition is still wide open if the party chooses to take it.  Then, acclaimed music biographer Bob Spitz — author of definitive biographies of The Beatles and Led Zeppelin and now The Rolling Stones: The Biography, his five-year deep dive into the world's greatest rock and roll band — joins the Chuck Toddcast for a deeply enjoyable conversation about why the Stones have endured for over six decades and what their longevity says about the state of music itself. Spitz argues that the Stones gave us the foundation of the rock and roll sound and that, in many ways, there is no rock and roll today — modern musicians are producers more than performers, and now in their 80s the Stones are essentially one of the last bands keeping the form alive. He explains why their decision to flirt with politics in the 60s and then back off actually helped them endure, traces their close friendship with The Beatles , and describes Mick and Keith's strange but enduring marriage as the central engine of the band — held together by their shared love of playing live. The conversation digs into the surprising musical and cultural backstory of how the Stones became the Stones — including the fascinating history of how white British kids embraced the blues more than American kids did. Spitz pays beautiful tribute to drummer Charlie Watts as the heart and soul of the group — a jazz lover who only played rock because it paid the bills and who, along with Ian Stewart, kept the band in line for decades — and discusses the profound effect of losing him on the band's chemistry. He explains why the Stones keep playing well into their 80s, why great guitarists are now a rare commodity with no real innovators emerging, and why Mick has stayed in such great shape. Spitz offers his verdict on the Stones' place in music history — they've come to understand themselves as the greatest rock band, and he agrees — and reveals what's next for him: a book about John Lennon's second act. He closes with a fascinating thought experiment posed by Chuck: if Mick Jagger had been killed and John Lennon had lived, would the trajectories of the two bands have completely switched? Finally, Chuck hops into the ToddCast Time Machine to revisit the Supreme Court’s Brown vs. Board of Education decision and explains that the courts have been forced to rule on major structural changes to American society when congress refuses to legislate. He also 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 01:45 Democrats pissed away political capital in VA, then map was tossed 05:30 Reaction on the left to Virginia ruling has been like an election loss 07:00 It’s understandable that Democrats wanted to fight fire with fire 07:45 Democrats passed VA map without knowing how the courts would rule 08:30 Obama and Spanberger wasted political capital for nothing 09:45 Dems have argued for norms + process that court said they didn’t follow 10:30 Electing the judiciary is terrible for the rule of law 11:15 The VA Supreme Court aren’t partisans, they’re technocrats 12:30 Left wing commentary assumes it was a partisan decision… it wasn’t 14:00 Dem leadership in VA misled the party & the public on referendum 15:45 We still don’t know what the maps will look like in the south after redistricting 16:30 GOP has the redistricting advantage now, but courts may intervene 17:30 VA court may give courage to other courts to stop the gerrymandering 18:45 Democrats will never win a race to the bottom with Trump’s GOP 20:15 Democrats can win in newly created swing districts with right candidates 22:00 The “fight fire with fire” mentality is a huge mistake by the Dems 23:00 Democracy is eroded when both parties play scorched earth politics 24:15 Dems should be trying to persuade and coalition build 26:00 Republicans treat voters as the problem, Dems shouldn’t do the same 27:15 Dems want to be held to a higher standard, but don’t like it when they are 28:30 Dems did real damage to their credibility with Virginia redistricting 30:00 Trump has done nothing to improve the GOP’s image, Dems can still win 31:45 Democrats know what they’re against, but not what they’re for 33:30 Spanberger was put in an impossible position by her party 35:00 Spanberger knew that swing voters didn’t like the redistricting chaos 36:15 Dems practiced politics of addition under Obama, now in survival mode 37:45 Voters viewed the Democratic party as more principled, VA jeopardizes that 38:30 Dems still more likely to win both house and senate despite the ruling 46:00 Bob Spitz (Rolling Stones Biographer) joins the Chuck ToddCast 48:00 How long have you been thinking about writing this biography? 49:15 Keith Richards biography was a phenomenal book, but only Keith’s view 50:30 The Stones longevity as a group makes them more compelling 52:00 The Stones gave us the foundation of the rock and roll sound 53:15 There is no rock and roll today, musicians are producers now 55:15 In their 80’s, the Stones are still keeping rock and roll alive 56:30 The Stones flirted with being political, then backed off 57:15 Their lack of taking a stand actually helped them endure 58:45 The Stones became great friends with the Beatles 1:00:00 Mick Jagger & Paul McCartney explored joint business ventures 1:01:30 Without Paul or Mick, both bands may not have been financially viable 1:02:15 Mick & Keith seemed like a strange marriage, but they made it work 1:04:15 The music kept the band together, they love to play and perform 1:05:30 You have to see the Stones in concert to truly appreciate them 1:06:45 They’ve had countless “Farewell Tours” and always come back 1:08:00 Mick has kept in great shape, his father was a fitness celebrity 1:09:30 Fans pitted the Beatles vs. The Stones, but the bands never did 1:11:30 How did white British kids embrace the blues more than American kids? 1:12:15 American GI’s left their blues records behind in the UK 1:13:45 Chuck Berry was a massive influence on the Stones becoming rock 1:14:30 Charlie Watts was the heart and soul of the band 1:16:00 Charlie loved jazz, only played rock because it paid the bills 1:17:30 Charlie and Ian Stewart kept the band in line 1:18:45 The effect of losing Charlie Watts on the Stones 1:20:45 They keep playing because it sustains them as humans, not for the money 1:22:15 Does it bother Keith that everyone sits down when Jagger isn’t performing? 1:23:30 Great guitarists are a rare commodity these days, no innovators 1:24:30 Modern music doesn’t emphasize live instrumental performance 1:26:45 What is the Stones' place in the music universe? 1:27:15 They’ve come to understand themselves as the greatest rock band 1:28:15 Secret to the Stones longevity? 1:30:00 The Stones wouldn’t participate in an extended “Dead & Company” style 1:30:45 Mick is about to have great grandkids, and has a 30 year old girlfriend 1:31:15 Next project is a book about John Lennon’s second act 1:32:30 Beatles had an aversion to talking to the press 1:33:30 If Jagger had been killed & Lennon lived, would the bands switch trajectories?  1:38:15 ToddCast Time Machine - May 17th, 1954 1:39:00 Brown vs. Board was the court pushing back against a legal fiction 1:39:30 Plessy vs. Ferguson was the foundation for segregation 1:40:15 Segregation had to end via the courts, congress refused to end it 1:41:30 Southern Democrats held enormous power in the 50s 1:42:00 The system challenged by Brown had too much power in congress 1:42:45 The NAACP was chipping away at segregation one case at a time 1:43:30 The court needed a unanimous decision for Brown to have legitimacy 1:44:30 The US was championing freedom abroad while segregated at home 1:45:00 Without the cold war, we don’t desegregate or pass the Voting Rights Act 1:45:30 Court rules 9-0 on Brown, didn’t end segregation but delegitimized it 1:46:30 Southern politicians organized massive resistance 1:47:00 Federal troops sent into Little Rock to escort black students into school 1:47:45 Brown changed how Americans thought about the power of the court 1:48:30 Courts became more like political actors in decades after Brown 1:49:45 The ruling in Brown was definitive, its implementation was not 1:50:30 Ask Chuck 1:50:45 How much could voter suppression affect juiced Democratic turnout? 1:57:00 What if Trump never becomes a lame duck president? 2:01:30 Is gerrymandering creating better chances for moderates? 2:08:00 What are the most realistic options for scaling back entitlements? 2:13:15 Predictions for the political futures of Nikki Haley & Ron DeSantis? 2:19:15 Is there a scenario for a bipartisan impeachment to avoid bad pardons? 2:24:00 Greg Olsen was commencement speaker at Chuck’s daughters graduation 2:25:30 Thoughts on the NBA playoffs & NCAA tournament expansionSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Acclaimed music biographer Bob Spitz — author of definitive biographies of The Beatles and Led Zeppelin and now The Rolling Stones: The Biography, his five-year deep dive into the world's greatest rock and roll band — joins the Chuck Toddcast for a deeply enjoyable conversation about why the Stones have endured for over six decades and what their longevity says about the state of music itself. Spitz argues that the Stones gave us the foundation of the rock and roll sound and that, in many ways, there is no rock and roll today — modern musicians are producers more than performers, and now in their 80s the Stones are essentially one of the last bands keeping the form alive. He explains why their decision to flirt with politics in the 60s and then back off actually helped them endure, traces their close friendship with The Beatles , and describes Mick and Keith's strange but enduring marriage as the central engine of the band — held together by their shared love of playing live. The conversation digs into the surprising musical and cultural backstory of how the Stones became the Stones — including the fascinating history of how white British kids embraced the blues more than American kids did. Spitz pays beautiful tribute to drummer Charlie Watts as the heart and soul of the group — a jazz lover who only played rock because it paid the bills and who, along with Ian Stewart, kept the band in line for decades — and discusses the profound effect of losing him on the band's chemistry. He explains why the Stones keep playing well into their 80s, why great guitarists are now a rare commodity with no real innovators emerging, and why Mick has stayed in such great shape. Spitz offers his verdict on the Stones' place in music history — they've come to understand themselves as the greatest rock band, and he agrees — and reveals what's next for him: a book about John Lennon's second act. He closes with a fascinating thought experiment posed by Chuck: if Mick Jagger had been killed and John Lennon had lived, would the trajectories of the two bands have completely switched? 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 Bob Spitz (Rolling Stones Biographer) joins the Chuck ToddCast 02:00 How long have you been thinking about writing this biography? 03:15 Keith Richards biography was a phenomenal book, but only Keith’s view 04:30 The Stones longevity as a group makes them more compelling 06:00 The Stones gave us the foundation of the rock and roll sound 07:15 There is no rock and roll today, musicians are producers now 09:15 In their 80’s, the Stones are still keeping rock and roll alive 10:30 The Stones flirted with being political, then backed off 11:15 Their lack of taking a stand actually helped them endure 12:45 The Stones became great friends with the Beatles 14:00 Mick Jagger & Paul McCartney explored joint business ventures 15:30 Without Paul or Mick, both bands may not have been financially viable 16:15 Mick & Keith seemed like a strange marriage, but they made it work 18:15 The music kept the band together, they love to play and perform 19:30 You have to see the Stones in concert to truly appreciate them 20:45 They’ve had countless “Farewell Tours” and always come back 22:00 Mick has kept in great shape, his father was a fitness celebrity 23:30 Fans pitted the Beatles vs. The Stones, but the bands never did 25:30 How did white British kids embrace the blues more than American kids? 26:15 American GI’s left their blues records behind in the UK 27:45 Chuck Berry was a massive influence on the Stones becoming rock 28:30 Charlie Watts was the heart and soul of the band 30:00 Charlie loved jazz, only played rock because it paid the bills 31:30 Charlie and Ian Stewart kept the band in line 32:45 The effect of losing Charlie Watts on the Stones 34:45 They keep playing because it sustains them as humans, not for the money 36:15 Does it bother Keith that everyone sits down when Jagger isn’t performing? 37:30 Great guitarists are a rare commodity these days, no innovators 38:30 Modern music doesn’t emphasize live instrumental performance 40:45 What is the Stones' place in the music universe? 41:15 They’ve come to understand themselves as the greatest rock band 42:15 Secret to the Stones longevity? 44:00 The Stones wouldn’t participate in an extended “Dead & Company” style 44:45 Mick is about to have great grandkids, and has a 30 year old girlfriend 45:15 Next project is a book about John Lennon’s second act 46:30 Beatles had an aversion to talking to the press 47:30 If Jagger had been killed & Lennon lived, would the bands switch trajectories?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Chuck Todd opens with the latest from the Iran war: the Saudis have now denied the U.S. military access to strikes from their bases and airspace, the U.S. cannot claim any net positive from this conflict, and Trump's best realistic outcome is some version of the Obama nuclear deal 2.0. He notes that both sides are being squeezed — Iran can't keep this going forever either — but warns that beyond the immediate political damage to Trump, the war has handed China tremendous long-term leverage, AI spending is the only reason the U.S. economy hasn't already tanked, and asymmetric warfare has once again proven it can beat superpower militaries. He argues Trump's request for $1 billion in taxpayer funds for a White House ballroom is political suicide — if Obama had made the same ask, the media firestorm would have been deafening — and that Congress approving the money would be handing Democrats an enormous political gift. He flags the FBI's new investigation into Virginia Democrat Louise Lucas, warns that nothing coming from Trump's DOJ can be trusted at face value, and argues the trumped-up charges against James Comey create reasonable doubt about every other case the administration brings. He warns the administration is actively poking the bear with African American voters in ways that could supercharge Black turnout and reshape the midterm calculus, flags the FBI investigation related to The Atlantic's story on Kash Patel's drinking (the bureau denies investigating the reporter, but the careful language suggests a leak investigation exists. He closes with a beautiful and personal commencement-style address to the graduating class of 2026 as his daughter prepares to walk. Finally, he 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! Protect your family with life insurance from Ethos. Get up to $3 million in coverage in as little as 10 minutes at https://ethos.com/chuck. Application times may vary. Rates may vary. Link in bio or go to https://getsoul.com & enter code TODDCAST for 30% off your first order. Timeline: (Timestamps may vary based on advertisements) 00:00 Chuck Todd’s introduction 04:30 Saudis have denied U.S. military access to bases & airspace 06:00 Trump is only going to get the nuclear deal 2.0 at best 07:30 Iran can’t keep this going as well, both sides being squeezed 08:30 U.S. can’t claim any net positive from this war 09:30 This is bad for Trump politically, but it’s bad for the US long-term 10:15 Trump has handed China tremendous leverage 11:00 AI spending is the only reason the U.S. economy hasn’t tanked 12:30 Asymmetric warfare beats superpower militaries 14:15 Greenlighting $1B in taxpayer funds for ballroom is political suicide 15:15 If Obama made the same ask, there would be a media firestorm 16:00 Congress giving Dems a huge political gift by approving funds 17:15 FBI launches investigation into Virginia dem Louise Lucas 18:30 You can’t trust the narratives from Trump’s DOJ 20:00 Trumped up charges against Comey create doubt in other cases 20:45 Administration is poking the bear with African Americans voters 22:00 Supercharged black turnout would change midterm election calculus 23:00 FBI investigation into Atlantic story about Kash Patel’s drinking 23:45 FBI denies investigating the reporter who broke the story 24:30 Denial language suggests a leak investigation exists 26:00 Worried about the future and for this graduating class 28:30 Chuck’s advice for the graduating class of 2026 29:15 Graduates are heading into a very uncertain future 29:45 Adulthood is not a race, don’t always need to hurry 31:00 The first job you take isn’t your forever job 32:00 Don’t confuse a setback with failure 32:45 Respect your elders and respect experience 35:00 Don’t be embarrassed by your struggles or disregard someone else’s 36:00 Life happens. Don’t wait for the perfect time for something 37:15 Road trips are the best way to learn about America 38:15 Don’t be a “Yeah, but” person 40:00 Life is not a competition with your friends’ lives 40:45 It takes a lot of hard work to get lucky 42:00 Sorry that we’ve brought grads into a very angry America 42:30 Talk to people who disagree with you 43:30 If you only experience America through an algorithm, you’ll misunderstand it 47:45 Ask Chuck 48:00 How would you approach teaching, more depth or more breadth? 52:30 Should we pay members of congress more? 56:15 What can make local law enforcement a more enticing job? 1:01:45 How does Trump’s drift towards lame-duck status play out? 1:06:15 Why do you think redistricting would create an electoral backlash?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Chuck Todd opens with the latest from the Iran war: the Saudis have now denied the U.S. military access to strikes from their bases and airspace, the U.S. cannot claim any net positive from this conflict, and Trump's best realistic outcome is some version of the Obama nuclear deal 2.0. He notes that both sides are being squeezed — Iran can't keep this going forever either — but warns that beyond the immediate political damage to Trump, the war has handed China tremendous long-term leverage, AI spending is the only reason the U.S. economy hasn't already tanked, and asymmetric warfare has once again proven it can beat superpower militaries. He argues Trump's request for $1 billion in taxpayer funds for a White House ballroom is political suicide — if Obama had made the same ask, the media firestorm would have been deafening — and that Congress approving the money would be handing Democrats an enormous political gift. He flags the FBI's new investigation into Virginia Democrat Louise Lucas, warns that nothing coming from Trump's DOJ can be trusted at face value, and argues the trumped-up charges against James Comey create reasonable doubt about every other case the administration brings. He warns the administration is actively poking the bear with African American voters in ways that could supercharge Black turnout and reshape the midterm calculus, flags the FBI investigation related to The Atlantic's story on Kash Patel's drinking (the bureau denies investigating the reporter, but the careful language suggests a leak investigation exists. He closes with a beautiful and personal commencement-style address to the graduating class of 2026 as his daughter prepares to walk. Then, conservative writer Kevin Williamson — National Correspondent for The Dispatch and one of the sharpest voices on the right — joins the Chuck Toddcast for a wide-ranging and characteristically blunt conversation about Trump's Iran disaster, the collapse of the political parties, and what kind of country America is becoming. Williamson argues Trump made a colossal mistake getting into the Iran war and there's now no way out without national humiliation: the goals of the conflict have constantly been changing, and Trump effectively told the Iranians where his political weaknesses were and they called his bluff. He notes the absurdity of America blockading the Strait specifically because we're mad that it's been blockaded, observes that the firing hasn't actually ceased despite the supposed ceasefire, and offers a withering verdict on the president himself: "Trump is just not a smart guy, he's an insult artist," surrounded by people who don't have the nation's interests in mind. They explore whether China could end up being the country Trump needs to bail him out in Iran, whether a nuclear Iran could benefit Putin (would he actually sell them one?), and notes the Gulf states are tired of this. He warns that securing the Strait of Hormuz requires ground troops Trump is too afraid to commit, that the Iranian regime is nothing like Venezuela's and won't fold, and that Trump never prepared the country for pain at the pump. The conversation broadens into Williamson's structural diagnosis of American politics, and his unsentimental view of where this is all headed. He argues that politics has become like religion, especially for the most religious, which is why Trump's coalition won't fracture even when farmers are being destroyed by Trump's own policies and still vote for him. He says Trump's declining popularity isn't restraining his decision-making at all, that Republicans are already assuming a midterm wipeout, and that Trump will be impeached if Democrats take the House — and should be — though he acknowledges it may not be the smartest political move. They dig into whether both American parties are at genuine risk of collapse, arguing their decline has been a huge loss for the country: celebrity and social media have filled the vacuum, with communication ability now mattering more than actual governing competence. He half-jokes that Taylor Swift could be president if she wanted to be, dismisses the idea that Stephen Colbert could carry a progressive banner, and closes with a genuinely dark prediction: America is losing its identity, may simply be too rich for its own good, and is heading for a low so bad that most Americans aren't prepared for it. Finally, he 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! Protect your family with life insurance from Ethos. Get up to $3 million in coverage in as little as 10 minutes at https://ethos.com/chuck. Application times may vary. Rates may vary. Link in bio or go to https://getsoul.com & enter code TODDCAST for 30% off your first order. Timeline: (Timestamps may vary based on advertisements) 00:00 Chuck Todd’s introduction 04:30 Saudis have denied U.S. military access to bases & airspace 06:00 Trump is only going to get the nuclear deal 2.0 at best 07:30 Iran can’t keep this going as well, both sides being squeezed 08:30 U.S. can’t claim any net positive from this war 09:30 This is bad for Trump politically, but it’s bad for the US long-term 10:15 Trump has handed China tremendous leverage 11:00 AI spending is the only reason the U.S. economy hasn’t tanked 12:30 Asymmetric warfare beats superpower militaries 14:15 Greenlighting $1B in taxpayer funds for ballroom is political suicide 15:15 If Obama made the same ask, there would be a media firestorm 16:00 Congress giving Dems a huge political gift by approving funds 17:15 FBI launches investigation into Virginia dem Louise Lucas 18:30 You can’t trust the narratives from Trump’s DOJ 20:00 Trumped up charges against Comey create doubt in other cases 20:45 Administration is poking the bear with African Americans voters 22:00 Supercharged black turnout would change midterm election calculus 23:00 FBI investigation into Atlantic story about Kash Patel’s drinking 23:45 FBI denies investigating the reporter who broke the story 24:30 Denial language suggests a leak investigation exists 26:00 Worried about the future and for this graduating class 28:30 Chuck’s advice for the graduating class of 2026 29:15 Graduates are heading into a very uncertain future 29:45 Adulthood is not a race, don’t always need to hurry 31:00 The first job you take isn’t your forever job 32:00 Don’t confuse a setback with failure 32:45 Respect your elders and respect experience 35:00 Don’t be embarrassed by your struggles or disregard someone else’s 36:00 Life happens. Don’t wait for the perfect time for something 37:15 Road trips are the best way to learn about America 38:15 Don’t be a “Yeah, but” person 40:00 Life is not a competition with your friends’ lives 40:45 It takes a lot of hard work to get lucky 42:00 Sorry that we’ve brought grads into a very angry America 42:30 Talk to people who disagree with you 43:30 If you only experience America through an algorithm, you’ll misunderstand it 47:45 Kevin Williamson (The Dispatch) joins The Chuck ToddCast 49:00 Trump made a colossal mistake with Iran war 49:30 We can’t get out of Iran war without being humiliated 50:45 The goals of the war have constantly been changing 52:15 Iran can’t win a battle with the U.S. but its sphere of influence is bigger 53:45 Trump told the Iranians what his weaknesses are, they called his bluff 54:45 The firing has not ceased, there’s no actual ceasefire 55:15 We’re blockading a Strait because we’re mad it’s blockaded… 56:15 Trump is just not a smart guy, he’s an insult artist 57:00 The people around Trump don’t have the nation's interests in mind 57:45 Rubio looks good because the people around Trump are so bad 59:45 Will China be the country Trump needs to bail him out in Iran? 1:00:45 Iran having a nuke could benefit Putin, would he sell them one? 1:02:15 Trump didn’t prepare the country for pain at the pump 1:03:30 We could really use our European allies that we spurned 1:04:15 Unclear if Iran would accept a JCPOA style deal now 1:07:15 50 years after the revolution, Iranian regime hasn’t changed priorities 1:08:45 The gulf states have influence over Trump and they’re tired of this 1:11:00 Gulf states probably assumed Trump would go for regime change 1:12:15 The Iranian regime is nothing like the regime in Venezuela 1:13:45 The rural vs urban divide leads to failed democratic states 1:15:30 Trump’s declining popularity isn’t restraining his decision making 1:16:30 Republicans are already assuming a wipeout in the midterms 1:17:00 Trump will be impeached with a Dem majority in the house, and should be 1:17:45 Impeaching Trump may not be best option politically, but the right thing to do 1:20:15 Securing the Strait requires ground troops, which is terrible politics 1:21:00 Trump is a coward, and afraid of the risk of using ground troops 1:22:45 Trump doesn’t want to get into an open ended occupation of Iran 1:23:15 Unlikely that Trump’s coalition fractures, it’s a personality cult 1:24:30 Farmers are being destroyed by Trump, yet many still support him 1:25:45 Politics has become like religion, especially to the most religious 1:27:00 Kevin quit the GOP over Arlen Spector, which now seems quaint 1:28:45 What kind of conservative do you consider yourself to be? 1:33:15 Are both American parties at risk of collapse? Could another party emerge? 1:34:00 The parties matter less now than before Trump was elected 1:34:45 The decline of the parties has been a huge loss 1:35:45 Celebrity & social media has filled the gap left by the parties 1:37:00 Stephen Colbert is unlikely to be the celebrity to carry the progressive banner 1:38:15 Taylor Swift could be president if she wanted to 1:39:15 Communication is the winning trait of politicians now, not ability 1:42:15 We’re losing our American identity, maybe too rich for our own good 1:43:45 We’re going to hit a low that’s so bad, Americans aren’t prepared for it 1:45:30 The next election is not going to solve our problems  1:47:15 Ask Chuck 1:47:30 How would you approach teaching, more depth or more breadth? 1:52:00 Should we pay members of congress more? 1:55:45 What can make local law enforcement a more enticing job? 2:01:15 How does Trump’s drift towards lame-duck status play out? 2:05:45 Why do you think redistricting would create an electoral backlash? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Conservative writer Kevin Williamson — National Correspondent for The Dispatch and one of the sharpest voices on the right — joins the Chuck Toddcast for a wide-ranging and characteristically blunt conversation about Trump's Iran disaster, the collapse of the political parties, and what kind of country America is becoming. Williamson argues Trump made a colossal mistake getting into the Iran war and there's now no way out without national humiliation: the goals of the conflict have constantly been changing, and Trump effectively told the Iranians where his political weaknesses were and they called his bluff. He notes the absurdity of America blockading the Strait specifically because we're mad that it's been blockaded, observes that the firing hasn't actually ceased despite the supposed ceasefire, and offers a withering verdict on the president himself: "Trump is just not a smart guy, he's an insult artist," surrounded by people who don't have the nation's interests in mind. They explore whether China could end up being the country Trump needs to bail him out in Iran, whether a nuclear Iran could benefit Putin (would he actually sell them one?), and notes the Gulf states are tired of this. He warns that securing the Strait of Hormuz requires ground troops Trump is too afraid to commit, that the Iranian regime is nothing like Venezuela's and won't fold, and that Trump never prepared the country for pain at the pump. The conversation broadens into Williamson's structural diagnosis of American politics, and his unsentimental view of where this is all headed. He argues that politics has become like religion, especially for the most religious, which is why Trump's coalition won't fracture even when farmers are being destroyed by Trump's own policies and still vote for him. He says Trump's declining popularity isn't restraining his decision-making at all, that Republicans are already assuming a midterm wipeout, and that Trump will be impeached if Democrats take the House — and should be — though he acknowledges it may not be the smartest political move. They dig into whether both American parties are at genuine risk of collapse, arguing their decline has been a huge loss for the country: celebrity and social media have filled the vacuum, with communication ability now mattering more than actual governing competence. He half-jokes that Taylor Swift could be president if she wanted to be, dismisses the idea that Stephen Colbert could carry a progressive banner, and closes with a genuinely dark prediction: America is losing its identity, may simply be too rich for its own good, and is heading for a low so bad that most Americans aren't prepared for it. Finally, he 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! Protect your family with life insurance from Ethos. Get up to $3 million in coverage in as little as 10 minutes at https://ethos.com/chuck. Application times may vary. Rates may vary. Link in bio or go to https://getsoul.com & enter code TODDCAST for 30% off your first order. Timeline: (Timestamps may vary based on advertisements) 00:00 Kevin Williamson (The Dispatch) joins the Chuck ToddCast 01:15 Trump made a colossal mistake with Iran war 01:45 We can’t get out of Iran war without being humiliated 03:00 The goals of the war have constantly been changing 04:30 Iran can’t win a battle with the U.S. but its45 sphere of influence is bigger 06:00 Trump told the Iranians what his weaknesses are, they called his bluff 07:00 The firing has not ceased, there’s no actual ceasefire 07:30 We’re blockading a Strait because we’re mad it’s blockaded… 08:30 Trump is just not a smart guy, he’s an insult artist 09:15 The people around Trump don’t have the nation's interests in mind 10:00 Rubio looks good because the people around Trump are so bad 12:00 Will China be the country Trump needs to bail him out in Iran? 13:00 Iran having a nuke could benefit Putin, would he sell them one? 14:30 Trump didn’t prepare the country for pain at the pump 15:45 We could really use our European allies that we spurned 16:30 Unclear if Iran would accept a JCPOA style deal now 19:30 50 years after the revolution, Iranian regime hasn’t changed priorities 21:00 The gulf states have influence over Trump and they’re tired of this 23:15 Gulf states probably assumed Trump would go for regime change 24:30 The Iranian regime is nothing like the regime in Venezuela 26:00 The rural vs urban divide leads to failed democratic states  27:45 Trump’s declining popularity isn’t restraining his decision making 28:45 Republicans are already assuming a wipeout in the midterms 29:15 Trump will be impeached with a Dem majority in the house, and should be 30:00 Impeaching Trump may not be best option politically, but the right thing to do 32:30 Securing the Strait requires ground troops, which is terrible politics 33:15 Trump is a coward, and afraid of the risk of using ground troops 35:00 Trump doesn’t want to get into an open ended occupation of Iran 35:30 Unlikely that Trump’s coalition fractures, it’s a personality cult 36:45 Farmers are being destroyed by Trump, yet many still support him 38:00 Politics has become like religion, especially to the most religious 39:15 Kevin quit the GOP over Arlen Spector, which now seems quaint  41:00 What kind of conservative do you consider yourself to be? 45:30 Are both American parties at risk of collapse? Could another party emerge? 46:15 The parties matter less now than before Trump was elected 47:00 The decline of the parties has been a huge loss 48:00 Celebrity & social media has filled the gap left by the parties 49:15 Stephen Colbert is unlikely to be the celebrity to carry the progressive banner 50:30 Taylor Swift could be president if she wanted to 51:30 Communication is the winning trait of politicians now, not ability 54:30 We’re losing our American identity, maybe too rich for our own good 56:00 We’re going to hit a low that’s so bad, Americans aren’t prepared for it 57:45 The next election is not going to solve our problemsSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Chuck Todd opens with the morning-after analysis of Indiana's primary results, which he says show Trump still has plenty of juice with his own party — roughly $13 million was spent to influence about 100,000 voters, and the results have created new urgency for Republican-led states across the South to redistrict before the midterms. He notes that being on the wrong side of Trump remains a career-ending move in the GOP, that Thomas Massie's upcoming primary will be a critical test of Trump's intra-party strength, and that Trump has effectively postponed the perception that he's a lame duck — even as the Iran war continues to crater his standing with the broader public. He flags Ohio as setting up to look like a real swing state in 2026, with Vivek Ramaswamy's polarizing style creating an opening for highly-regarded former Ohio Health Director Amy Acton, and notes that Iowa and Ohio could both move back toward genuine battleground status. He then walks through his fascinating recent participation in a political crisis simulation premised on the idea that January 6th wasn't an anomaly — three teams (Institutionalists, Nationalists, and Capitalists) competed for power, and the entire exercise revolved around who could get the capitalists on their side, since their core interest was simply enrichment and instability. The most revealing detail: in the simulation, Congress barely existed and had no measurable impact on outcomes, which Chuck argues mirrors reality and exposes the deeper problem facing American democracy. His blunt verdict: America doesn't actually have a polarization problem — it has a Congress problem, because weak legislatures inevitably create strong executives, Trump simply filled the vacuum a broken Congress created, and the looming gerrymandering wars (with at least eight states set to redraw their maps before 2028) will make Congress even less functional and more purely partisan than it already is.  Finally, Chuck presents his ToddCast Top 5 gubernatorial one-party droughts that are most likely to end in 2026, and 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 01:15 Indiana primaries show that Trump still has juice with his party 02:15 $13 million was spent to influence around 100k voters 04:15 Trump has created new urgency to redistrict in the south 05:30 Being on the wrong side of Trump will end your career in the GOP 06:15 Thomas Massie’s primary will be telling about Trump’s strength 08:15 Trump has postponed the perception that he’s a lame duck in his party 09:15 Iran is not going to get better for Trump, and the polling is brutal 11:30 Indiana showed that Trump hasn’t lost his fastball with the GOP 12:30 Ohio is setting up to look like a swing state in 2026 14:30 Vivek Ramaswamy is polarizing and has said some politically dumb things 16:30 Amy Acton is highly regarded for her leadership during Covid 18:30 It’s possible that Iowa and Ohio move back toward battleground status 19:00 Chuck participated in a political crisis simulation  21:15 Premise of simulation was January 6th wasn’t an anomaly 21:45 Three teams: Institutionalists, Nationalists and Capitalists 23:00 Entire simulation revolved around who could get capitalists on their side  24:30 Capitalists want enrichment & instability 25:15 In the simulation, congress barely existed, had no impact 26:15 Stress tests begin with the assumption congress is ineffective 26:45 Congress is supposed to be the strongest branch, but is now weakest 28:15 America doesn’t have a polarization problem, we have a congress problem 29:30 Weak legislatures create strong executives 30:45 We’ve suffered from a failure of imagination in the Trump era 31:30 Trump filled the vacuum that was created by a broken congress 33:30 The gerrymandering wars will make congress even less functional 34:00 At least 8 states will remap between now and 2028 36:00 Congress will be nothing but partisanship after all the gerrymandering 37:30 Don’t just assume that Democrats will pass a gerrymandering ban 39:00 Democracy feels vulnerable because congress doesn’t work 44:15 ToddCast Top 5 gubernatorial droughts likely to end in 2026 48:15 #5 Texas 51:15 #4 Alabama 54:45 #3 Georgia 57:15 #2 Ohio 1:01:30 #1 Iowa 1:02:15 Ask Chuck 1:02:30 With the national debt 100% of GDP, what are the risks if this continues? 1:11:00 Could a SCOTUS confirmation fight improve GOP chances in midterms? 1:16:15 Can the WHCD assailant plead insanity via Trump Derangement Syndrome? 1:19:45 Impact if Texas moved to closed primaries? 1:22:15 Is there any appetite in congress for uncapping the house?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Chuck Todd opens with the morning-after analysis of Indiana's primary results, which he says show Trump still has plenty of juice with his own party — roughly $13 million was spent to influence about 100,000 voters, and the results have created new urgency for Republican-led states across the South to redistrict before the midterms. He notes that being on the wrong side of Trump remains a career-ending move in the GOP, that Thomas Massie's upcoming primary will be a critical test of Trump's intra-party strength, and that Trump has effectively postponed the perception that he's a lame duck — even as the Iran war continues to crater his standing with the broader public. He flags Ohio as setting up to look like a real swing state in 2026, with Vivek Ramaswamy's polarizing style creating an opening for highly-regarded former Ohio Health Director Amy Acton, and notes that Iowa and Ohio could both move back toward genuine battleground status. Hethen walks through his fascinating recent participation in a political crisis simulation premised on the idea that January 6th wasn't an anomaly — three teams (Institutionalists, Nationalists, and Capitalists) competed for power, and the entire exercise revolved around who could get the capitalists on their side, since their core interest was simply enrichment and instability. The most revealing detail: in the simulation, Congress barely existed and had no measurable impact on outcomes, which Chuck argues mirrors reality and exposes the deeper problem facing American democracy. His blunt verdict: America doesn't actually have a polarization problem — it has a Congress problem, because weak legislatures inevitably create strong executives, Trump simply filled the vacuum a broken Congress created, and the looming gerrymandering wars (with at least eight states set to redraw their maps before 2028) will make Congress even less functional and more purely partisan than it already is.  Then, Ashley Trice and Rob Holbert — co-publishers of Lagniappe, the alt-weekly turned investigative newspaper covering Mobile and Alabama's Gulf Coast — join the Chuck Toddcast to share the origin story of how their independent publication has grown into the region's premier investigative voice. They explain how Lagniappe started as a free paper and has now transitioned to a subscription model behind a paywall, why most newspapers won't even print these days unless they're certain it won't cost them money (and the surprising fact that there's a national shortage of available printers), and how the paper has built its reputation by covering everything from Mobile's local government to scandals in the wealthy parts of town and irresistible animal stories — both of which they say reliably grow audience faster than anything else. Trice and Holbert preview the upcoming Tuberville-Jones gubernatorial race, which they expect to be surprisingly close, and offer a withering assessment of outgoing Governor Kay Ivey's "very inactive" tenure. They walk through the political divide in Alabama where coastal Mobile often feels left out of the conversation, the surprising audience appeal of youth and high school sports coverage, and the looming threat of the Nexstar-Tegna merger gutting even more local newsrooms across the country. The conversation broadens into the practical realities of running a sustainable local newsroom in 2026. Trice and Holbert explain that the public has been trained to expect news for free, that reaching younger audiences now requires aggressive use of social media platforms and video content, and that live events have become an increasingly important revenue stream for papers like theirs. Trice and Holbert observe that small businesses are still reaching out about advertising — proof that print journalism continues to have a market — and close with a fascinating observation about how coastal Southern cities like Mobile tend to be less polarized than the rest of the South, with a genuine sense of community that gets lost in the national conversation about red-state politics. Finally, Chuck presents his ToddCast Top 5 gubernatorial one-party droughts that are most likely to end in 2026, and 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 01:15 Indiana primaries show that Trump still has juice with his party 02:15 $13 million was spent to influence around 100k voters 04:15 Trump has created new urgency to redistrict in the south 05:30 Being on the wrong side of Trump will end your career in the GOP 06:15 Thomas Massie’s primary will be telling about Trump’s strength 08:15 Trump has postponed the perception that he’s a lame duck in his party 09:15 Iran is not going to get better for Trump, and the polling is brutal 11:30 Indiana showed that Trump hasn’t lost his fastball with the GOP 12:30 Ohio is setting up to look like a swing state in 2026 14:30 Vivek Ramaswamy is polarizing and has said some politically dumb things 16:30 Amy Acton is highly regarded for her leadership during Covid 18:30 It’s possible that Iowa and Ohio move back toward battleground status 19:00 Chuck participated in a political crisis simulation  21:15 Premise of simulation was January 6th wasn’t an anomaly 21:45 Three teams: Institutionalists, Nationalists and Capitalists 23:00 Entire simulation revolved around who could get capitalists on their side  24:30 Capitalists want enrichment & instability 25:15 In the simulation, congress barely existed, had no impact 26:15 Stress tests begin with the assumption congress is ineffective 26:45 Congress is supposed to be the strongest branch, but is now weakest 28:15 America doesn’t have a polarization problem, we have a congress problem 29:30 Weak legislatures create strong executives 30:45 We’ve suffered from a failure of imagination in the Trump era 31:30 Trump filled the vacuum that was created by a broken congress 33:30 The gerrymandering wars will make congress even less functional 34:00 At least 8 states will remap between now and 2028 36:00 Congress will be nothing but partisanship after all the gerrymandering 37:30 Don’t just assume that Democrats will pass a gerrymandering ban 39:00 Democracy feels vulnerable because congress doesn’t work 45:00 Ashley Trice & Rob Holbert (Lagniappe) join the Chuck ToddCast 46:30 Origin story of Lagniappe 48:45 The paper started off free, now is a subscription model behind paywall 50:30 Most papers wait to print unless they know it won’t cost them money 52:00 There’s a shortage of printers available for publications 54:15 Striving to be Alabama’s best investigative newspaper 56:15 Governor’s race between Tuberville & Jones will be close 58:00 Kay Ivey has been a very inactive governor 59:30 When did local governments understand you were going to cover them? 1:03:00 There’s a big political divide in Alabama, and Mobile feels left out 1:04:00 Is youth & high school sports an audience builder? 1:05:00 Scandals in the rich part of town & animal stories really grow audience 1:06:00 Nexstar & Tegna merger will gut more local newsrooms 1:07:45 People have been trained that they don’t have to pay for news 1:08:15 Have to use social media platforms & video to reach younger audience 1:10:00 What do you do in the live event space and are those money makers? 1:12:30 It takes more reporters for coverage that creates dedicated subscribers 1:14:30 Airbus & shipbuilding have been big economic growth drivers in Mobile 1:16:00 The “commuter schools” have really grown in recent years in Alabama 1:18:30 Are there formalized local news networks regionally that could help you? 1:20:00 No time to create networks, in a constant state of “news triage” 1:20:30 Small businesses still reach out about advertising 1:22:30 Print journalism still has a market 1:25:00 Coastal southern cities tend to be less polarized 1:25:45 There’s a real sense of community in southern coastal cities 1:27:00 Where can people find your work?  1:28:00 Alternative weekly’s have been able to become local papers of note 1:29:15 ToddCast Top 5 gubernatorial droughts likely to end in 2026 1:33:15 #5 Texas 1:36:15 #4 Alabama 1:39:45 #3 Georgia 1:42:15 #2 Ohio 1:46:30 #1 Iowa 1:47:15 Ask Chuck 1:47:30 With the national debt 100% of GDP, what are the risks if this continues? 1:56:00 Could a SCOTUS confirmation fight improve GOP chances in midterms? 2:01:15 Can the WHCD assailant plead insanity via Trump Derangement Syndrome? 2:04:45 Impact if Texas moved to closed primaries? 2:07:15 Is there any appetite in congress for uncapping the house?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Ashley Trice and Rob Holbert — co-publishers of Lagniappe, the alt-weekly turned investigative newspaper covering Mobile and Alabama's Gulf Coast — join the Chuck Toddcast to share the origin story of how their independent publication has grown into the region's premier investigative voice. They explain how Lagniappe started as a free paper and has now transitioned to a subscription model behind a paywall, why most newspapers won't even print these days unless they're certain it won't cost them money (and the surprising fact that there's a national shortage of available printers), and how the paper has built its reputation by covering everything from Mobile's local government to scandals in the wealthy parts of town and irresistible animal stories — both of which they say reliably grow audience faster than anything else. Trice and Holbert preview the upcoming Tuberville-Jones gubernatorial race, which they expect to be surprisingly close, and offer a withering assessment of outgoing Governor Kay Ivey's "very inactive" tenure. They walk through the political divide in Alabama where coastal Mobile often feels left out of the conversation, the surprising audience appeal of youth and high school sports coverage, and the looming threat of the Nexstar-Tegna merger gutting even more local newsrooms across the country. The conversation broadens into the practical realities of running a sustainable local newsroom in 2026. Trice and Holbert explain that the public has been trained to expect news for free, that reaching younger audiences now requires aggressive use of social media platforms and video content, and that live events have become an increasingly important revenue stream for papers like theirs. Trice and Holbert observe that small businesses are still reaching out about advertising — proof that print journalism continues to have a market — and close with a fascinating observation about how coastal Southern cities like Mobile tend to be less polarized than the rest of the South, with a genuine sense of community that gets lost in the national conversation about red-state politics. 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 Ashley Trice & Rob Holbert (Lagniappe) join the Chuck ToddCast 01:30 Origin story of Lagniappe  03:45 The paper started off free, now is a subscription model behind paywall 05:30 Most papers wait to print unless they know it won’t cost them money 07:00 There’s a shortage of printers available for publications 09:15 Striving to be Alabama’s best investigative newspaper 11:15 Governor’s race between Tuberville & Jones will be close 13:00 Kay Ivey has been a very inactive governor  14:30 When did local governments understand you were going to cover them? 18:00 There’s a big political divide in Alabama, and Mobile feels left out 19:00 Is youth & high school sports an audience builder? 20:00 Scandals in the rich part of town & animal stories really grow audience 21:00 Nexstar & Tegna merger will gut more local newsrooms 22:45 People have been trained that they don’t have to pay for news 23:15 Have to use social media platforms & video to reach younger audience 25:00 What do you do in the live event space and are those money makers? 27:30 It takes more reporters for coverage that creates dedicated subscribers 29:30 Airbus & shipbuilding have been big economic growth drivers in Mobile 31:00 The “commuter schools” have really grown in recent years in Alabama 33:30 Are there formalized local news networks regionally that could help you? 35:00 No time to create networks, in a constant state of “news triage” 35:30 Small businesses still reach out about advertising 37:30 Print journalism still has a market 40:00 Coastal southern cities tend to be less polarized 40:45 There’s a real sense of community in southern coastal cities 42:00 Where can people find your work?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Chuck Todd unpacks a wave of devastating new polling that shows Americans have lost confidence in Trump across nearly every metric, with his approval cratering among independents and only his hardcore base still standing by him. He notes Trump is underwater on virtually every issue except taxes, immigration, and the border — that his trustworthiness is lower than any past president, that even 22% of his own 2024 voters don't believe he's kept his promises, and that his approval has collapsed with younger voters even as it holds up with the elderly. In a particularly striking finding, only 1 in 10 Americans approve of Trump naming things after himself, and even the "own the libs" voters can't get behind that particular vanity. Todd warns this is a political disaster in the making for Republicans: the enthusiasm gap is now massive in the Democrats' favor, and the Iran war is polling more unpopular than the worst polling ever recorded for Iraq or Vietnam. Yet despite all this, neither party's brand has actually improved with swing voters — both parties still carry almost identical unfavorability ratings, voters of both parties don't even want their leaders to work across the aisle anymore, and the political incentives are now firmly aligned with confrontation rather than compromise — creating an enormous opportunity for independent candidates that neither major party seems prepared to address. On Iran, he says there is no political room for Trump to escalate militarily — his only real escalation option would be ground troops, which would risk total political collapse — and predicts the eventual deal will look like whatever framework the Iranians put forward. He flags a striking recent Tucker Carlson interview in which Carlson was forced to face hard facts, observing that Tucker increasingly looks like a combination of Pat Buchanan and Roger Ailes who is genuinely trying to build a political movement of his own. He returns to the case for expanding the House of Representatives as the fix for the Supreme Court's Voting Rights Act ruling, warns that Republicans could pay a serious political price if Southern voters perceive the GOP as actively trying to disenfranchise Black voters and closes with the news that Janet Mills has dropped out of the Maine Senate race — leaving Democrats now trying to coalesce around Graham Platner, in what Chuck says feels increasingly like a mirror image of the 2016 presidential campaign.  Finally, Chuck hops into the ToddCast Time Machine to revisit the Hindenburg disaster and how it was the origin of “breaking news”, and also 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 08:30 New polling shows Americans have no confidence in Trump 09:15 Trump’s approval has cratered with independent voters 10:00 Trump is only above his approval rating on taxes, immigration and border 10:45 The only people that approve of Trump are his base 12:45 The polling shows a massive repudiation of Trump 14:15 Trump’s trustworthiness is lower than any past president 16:45 Only 78% of Trump voters believe he’s kept his promises 18:15 Trump’s highest approval is with older voters, collapsed with younger voters 20:00 Only 1 in 10 Americans approve of Trump naming things after himself 21:00 Even the “own the libs” voters don’t like Trump naming things after himself 24:30 Republicans expected ethics in government to improve & they haven’t 25:45 Both parties still have almost identical unfavorability ratings 26:15 The Democratic brand hasn’t improved amongst swing voters 28:15 Voters of both parties don’t want leaders to work across the aisle 29:15 Neither side is incentivized to compromise 31:15 Voters are rewarding confrontation 33:45 Dems more trusted on healthcare, Republicans trusted on crime 34:15 Almost every other issue is up for grabs for both parties 34:45 Neither party has trust on dealing with AI 36:15 There’s a huge opportunity for independents in this political climate 36:45 There’s a huge enthusiasm gap favoring the Democrats 38:00 This is a political disaster in the making for Republicans 38:30 Iran war is more unpopular than worst polling for Iraq & Vietnam 40:15 Trump’s only escalation option in Iran is to send in ground troops 41:15 If Trump wants to escalate he better have a plan 41:45 Far more damage to American military assets than we were told 42:30 The Iranian framework for a deal will likely be the one agreed to 43:30 There is no political room for Trump to escalate militarily 44:00 Trump risks total political collapse if he escalates in Iran 45:00 Tucker Carlson forced to face facts in recent interview 46:00 Tucker is a combination of Pat Buchanon and Roger Ailes 47:45 Carlson feels like someone who is trying to build a movement 49:00 Expanding congress would fix SCOTUS Voting Rights Act ruling 50:30 There will be angry voters in the south after this ruling 52:00 Republicans could pay a political price due to backlash from SCOTUS 53:45 If Republicans try to disenfranchise black voters, they could juice turnout 54:45 Trump is more focused on targeting disloyal Republicans than Democrats 56:00 Janet Mills drops out, Dems trying to come around on Graham Platner 56:45 Platner race feels like mirror image of 2016 campaign for president 1:02:15 ToddCast Time Machine - May 6th 1937 - The Hindenburg Disaster 1:03:15 Crowds arrived to watch the Hindenburg  1:04:30 Commercial zeppelin travel had existed for 30 years already 1:05:15 The Hindenburg carried the symbols of Nazi Germany 1:06:00 In 34 seconds the entire airship was destroyed 1:06:45 “Oh The Humanity” becomes an iconic term from broadcasting 1:07:15 The recording wasn’t broadcast live, but was presented as breaking news 1:08:30 Airships fell out of fashion and airplanes made them uncompetitive 1:09:15 The Hindenburg didn’t just fail technically, it failed publicly 1:10:15 Ask Chuck 1:10:30 Have you fallen into the normalization trap? Trump has impeachable offenses 1:16:00 Thoughts on Adam Hamilton running as a Dem in Kansas? 1:19:30 Has any president been as intentionally divisive as Trump? 1:21:45 Take on the expansion of March Madness tournament? 1:26:15 How much impact could the Forward Party have? 1:31:45 Thoughts on the weekend in sportsSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Chuck Todd unpacks a wave of devastating new polling that shows Americans have lost confidence in Trump across nearly every metric, with his approval cratering among independents and only his hardcore base still standing by him. He notes Trump is underwater on virtually every issue except taxes, immigration, and the border — that his trustworthiness is lower than any past president, that even 22% of his own 2024 voters don't believe he's kept his promises, and that his approval has collapsed with younger voters even as it holds up with the elderly. In a particularly striking finding, only 1 in 10 Americans approve of Trump naming things after himself, and even the "own the libs" voters can't get behind that particular vanity. Todd warns this is a political disaster in the making for Republicans: the enthusiasm gap is now massive in the Democrats' favor, and the Iran war is polling more unpopular than the worst polling ever recorded for Iraq or Vietnam. Yet despite all this, neither party's brand has actually improved with swing voters — both parties still carry almost identical unfavorability ratings, voters of both parties don't even want their leaders to work across the aisle anymore, and the political incentives are now firmly aligned with confrontation rather than compromise — creating an enormous opportunity for independent candidates that neither major party seems prepared to address. On Iran, he says there is no political room for Trump to escalate militarily — his only real escalation option would be ground troops, which would risk total political collapse — and predicts the eventual deal will look like whatever framework the Iranians put forward. He flags a striking recent Tucker Carlson interview in which Carlson was forced to face hard facts, observing that Tucker increasingly looks like a combination of Pat Buchanan and Roger Ailes who is genuinely trying to build a political movement of his own. He returns to the case for expanding the House of Representatives as the fix for the Supreme Court's Voting Rights Act ruling, warns that Republicans could pay a serious political price if Southern voters perceive the GOP as actively trying to disenfranchise Black voters and closes with the news that Janet Mills has dropped out of the Maine Senate race — leaving Democrats now trying to coalesce around Graham Platner, in what Chuck says feels increasingly like a mirror image of the 2016 presidential campaign.  Then, Yale political scientist Ian Shapiro — author of the new book After the Fall — joins the Chuck Toddcast for a wide-ranging conversation about the missed opportunities of the post-Cold War era and what it would take to actually fix what's broken in the global political economy. Shapiro argues America fundamentally squandered its chance to integrate Russia into the West after the Soviet collapse — there should have been a Marshall Plan for Russia along the lines of what was done for Germany and Japan after World War II, and both Yeltsin and Putin (in his early years) actively lobbied to join the Western order. Clinton was hesitant to help Russia economically, the 1994 midterm results pushed him away from foreign policy ambition entirely, and the eventual pivot toward NATO expansion in Eastern Europe — rather than transforming NATO into something genuinely inclusive — froze Russia out and is exactly when Putin's worldview hardened into the revanchism we're dealing with today. Shapiro extends this analysis to 2008, calling the financial crisis another massive missed opportunity: Obama had to bail out the banks, but his failure to insist on a parallel bailout for Main Street allowed the elites to rescue themselves while imposing austerity on everyone else, which directly fueled the right-wing populism now reshaping politics across the West. The conversation pivots to what comes next. Shapiro is clear that the good policies of the 2030s won't be a rehash of the New Deal — they need to address modern realities. He argues governments need to help workers be flexible rather than redistributing wealth through politically toxic taxation, advocating instead for portable health insurance and portable child care that follows the worker. Shapiro makes a forceful case for immigration as the only realistic answer to America's demographic challenges, noting that Spain and Poland are economically outperforming much of Europe specifically because they've embraced immigration to support aging populations. He warns that we're living in a world disturbingly similar to the 1930s — if ordinary people don't benefit from economic growth, they will not continue supporting the existing order — and notes that right-wing populists don't actually have answers; they just attack the elites. Shapiro argues Trump is inadvertently benefiting China enormously, but cautions that authoritarian governments are fundamentally bad at managing complex economies, so it's still unlikely China's model wins the 21st century. Shapiro closes by warning that the anti-Trump coalition has become too big to govern, but that if Zohran Mamdani succeeds in New York, it could meaningfully energize progressive politics nationally — proof that the road forward requires real ideas about power, not just opposition to Trumpism. Finally, Chuck hops into the ToddCast Time Machine to revisit the Hindenburg disaster and how it was the origin of “breaking news”, and also 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 08:30 New polling shows Americans have no confidence in Trump 09:15 Trump’s approval has cratered with independent voters 10:00 Trump is only above his approval rating on taxes, immigration and border 10:45 The only people that approve of Trump are his base 12:45 The polling shows a massive repudiation of Trump 14:15 Trump’s trustworthiness is lower than any past president 16:45 Only 78% of Trump voters believe he’s kept his promises 18:15 Trump’s highest approval is with older voters, collapsed with younger voters 20:00 Only 1 in 10 Americans approve of Trump naming things after himself 21:00 Even the “own the libs” voters don’t like Trump naming things after himself 24:30 Republicans expected ethics in government to improve & they haven’t 25:45 Both parties still have almost identical unfavorability ratings 26:15 The Democratic brand hasn’t improved amongst swing voters 28:15 Voters of both parties don’t want leaders to work across the aisle 29:15 Neither side is incentivized to compromise 31:15 Voters are rewarding confrontation 33:45 Dems more trusted on healthcare, Republicans trusted on crime 34:15 Almost every other issue is up for grabs for both parties 34:45 Neither party has trust on dealing with AI 36:15 There’s a huge opportunity for independents in this political climate 36:45 There’s a huge enthusiasm gap favoring the Democrats 38:00 This is a political disaster in the making for Republicans 38:30 Iran war is more unpopular than worst polling for Iraq & Vietnam 40:15 Trump’s only escalation option in Iran is to send in ground troops 41:15 If Trump wants to escalate he better have a plan 41:45 Far more damage to American military assets than we were told 42:30 The Iranian framework for a deal will likely be the one agreed to 43:30 There is no political room for Trump to escalate militarily 44:00 Trump risks total political collapse if he escalates in Iran 45:00 Tucker Carlson forced to face facts in recent interview 46:00 Tucker is a combination of Pat Buchanon and Roger Ailes 47:45 Carlson feels like someone who is trying to build a movement 49:00 Expanding congress would fix SCOTUS Voting Rights Act ruling 50:30 There will be angry voters in the south after this ruling 52:00 Republicans could pay a political price due to backlash from SCOTUS 53:45 If Republicans try to disenfranchise black voters, they could juice turnout 54:45 Trump is more focused on targeting disloyal Republicans than Democrats 56:00 Janet Mills drops out, Dems trying to come around on Graham Platner 56:45 Platner race feels like mirror image of 2016 campaign for president 1:03:45 Ian Shapiro (After the Fall) joins The Chuck ToddCast 1:05:15 How long did you work on the book? 1:07:00 The lack of a Marshall Plan for Russia was a missed opportunity 1:07:45 Russia should have been dealt with like Germany & Japan after WW2 1:08:45 Yeltsin & Putin lobbied to join the west & we blew that opportunity 1:10:00 Clinton was hesitant to help Russia economically 1:11:15 ‘94 midterm results dissuaded Clinton from focusing on foreign policy 1:12:45 Clinton pivoted from rapprochement NATO expansion in eastern Europe 1:13:45 There were opportunities to transform NATO into something else 1:15:15 NATO feels necessary again, we’re back in another cold war 1:16:15 What if we had brought Ukraine into NATO in the 90s? 1:17:00 When Russia was frozen out of the west, that’s when Putin changed 1:17:30 Eastern Europeans have a deep distrust of the Russians 1:18:45 The rise of right wing populism is driven by economics 1:19:30 2008 financial crisis was a missed opportunity for Obama 1:21:15 Elites bailed themselves out in 2008 & imposed austerity on everyone else 1:22:45 Obama had to bail out banks, but didn’t force a bail out of main street too 1:24:30 How do you begin to undo protectionism and nationalism? 1:25:15 Good policies of the 2030s won’t be a rehash of the New Deal 1:26:15 Gina Riamondo has smart policies for transforming the labor force 1:27:45 Government needs to aid the modern worker to help them be flexible 1:29:00 Taxation and redistribution is politically toxic. Better to incentivize business 1:30:00 Portable health insurance and child care would give workers flexibility 1:31:15 Domestic immigration is incredibly difficult and cost prohibitive 1:32:00 Every state needs immigration in order to fix demographic challenges 1:33:15 Spain & Poland’s economies are performing well because of immigration 1:34:00 We need immigrants in order to support services for an aging population 1:34:45 In some ways, we’re living in a world similar to the 1930s 1:36:00 If people don’t benefit from growth, they won’t support the existing order 1:36:45 Right wing populists don’t have answers, they just attack the elites 1:37:15 Spain is one of the few western countries that is getting it right 1:39:15 The west hasn’t dealt well with the rise of China 1:39:45 Everything Trump is doing has benefitted China enormously 1:41:15 Unlikely that China’s model wins the 21st century 1:42:30 Authoritarian governments aren’t good for managing a complex economy 1:43:30 India is even further down the nationalist road than the U.S. 1:44:45 UK’s two major parties are facing the potential of collapse 1:45:45 Could either of the two major two parties in America collapse? 1:46:45 Both parties pushing the same policies & benefits go to the top 1:48:45 Do globally integrated economies make world war less likely? 1:50:15 Major war results in mutually assured economic destruction 1:51:15 The calamities of the 30s and 40s led to massive, inclusive economic growth 1:52:15 Massive, stateless companies are accruing more power than states 1:53:45 The global oligarchs are still reliant on markets and consumers 1:54:30 Governments will need to coordinate to put guardrails on the oligarchs 1:55:15 If business isn’t part of the solution, they will be part of the problem 1:56:45 The Trump administration is cratering & left is reveling in the schaudenfreude 1:58:15 The anti-Trump coalition is too big to govern 1:59:00 If Mamdani succeeds, could that energize progressive politics nationally? 2:01:00 Where can people find your work? 2:02:15 Chuck’s thoughts on interview with Ian Shapiro2:02:30 ToddCast Time Machine - May 6th 1937 - The Hindenburg Disaster2:03:30 Crowds arrived to watch the Hindenburg arrive2:04:45 Commercial zeppelin travel had existed for 30 years already2:05:30 The Hindenburg carried the symbols of Nazi Germany2:06:15 In 34 seconds the entire airship was destroyed2:07:00 “Oh The Humanity” becomes an iconic term from broadcasting2:07:30 The recording wasn’t broadcast live, but was presented as breaking news2:08:45 Airships fell out of fashion and airplanes made them uncompetitive2:09:30 The Hindenburg didn’t just fail technically, it failed publicly2:10:30 Ask Chuck2:10:45 Have you fallen into the normalization trap? Trump has impeachable offenses2:16:15 Thoughts on Adam Hamilton running as a Dem in Kansas?2:19:45 Has any president been as intentionally divisive as Trump?2:22:00 Take on the expansion of March Madness tournament?2:26:30 How much impact could the Forward Party have?2:32:00 Thoughts on the weekend in sportsSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Yale political scientist Ian Shapiro — author of the new book After the Fall — joins the Chuck Toddcast for a wide-ranging conversation about the missed opportunities of the post-Cold War era and what it would take to actually fix what's broken in the global political economy. Shapiro argues America fundamentally squandered its chance to integrate Russia into the West after the Soviet collapse — there should have been a Marshall Plan for Russia along the lines of what was done for Germany and Japan after World War II, and both Yeltsin and Putin (in his early years) actively lobbied to join the Western order. Clinton was hesitant to help Russia economically, the 1994 midterm results pushed him away from foreign policy ambition entirely, and the eventual pivot toward NATO expansion in Eastern Europe — rather than transforming NATO into something genuinely inclusive — froze Russia out and is exactly when Putin's worldview hardened into the revanchism we're dealing with today. Shapiro extends this analysis to 2008, calling the financial crisis another massive missed opportunity: Obama had to bail out the banks, but his failure to insist on a parallel bailout for Main Street allowed the elites to rescue themselves while imposing austerity on everyone else, which directly fueled the right-wing populism now reshaping politics across the West. The conversation pivots to what comes next. Shapiro is clear that the good policies of the 2030s won't be a rehash of the New Deal — they need to address modern realities. He argues governments need to help workers be flexible rather than redistributing wealth through politically toxic taxation, advocating instead for portable health insurance and portable child care that follows the worker. Shapiro makes a forceful case for immigration as the only realistic answer to America's demographic challenges, noting that Spain and Poland are economically outperforming much of Europe specifically because they've embraced immigration to support aging populations. He warns that we're living in a world disturbingly similar to the 1930s — if ordinary people don't benefit from economic growth, they will not continue supporting the existing order — and notes that right-wing populists don't actually have answers; they just attack the elites. Shapiro argues Trump is inadvertently benefiting China enormously, but cautions that authoritarian governments are fundamentally bad at managing complex economies, so it's still unlikely China's model wins the 21st century. Shapiro closes by warning that the anti-Trump coalition has become too big to govern, but that if Zohran Mamdani succeeds in New York, it could meaningfully energize progressive politics nationally — proof that the road forward requires real ideas about power, not just opposition to Trumpism. 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 Ian Shapiro (After the Fall) joins The Chuck ToddCast 01:30 How long did you work on the book? 03:15 The lack of a Marshall Plan for Russia was a missed opportunity 04:00 Russia should have been dealt with like Germany & Japan after WW2 05:00 Yeltsin & Putin lobbied to join the west & we blew that opportunity 06:15 Clinton was hesitant to help Russia economically 07:30 ‘94 midterm results dissuaded Clinton from focusing on foreign policy 09:00 Clinton pivoted from rapprochement NATO expansion in eastern Europe 10:00 There were opportunities to transform NATO into something else 11:30 NATO feels necessary again, we’re back in another cold war 12:30 What if we had brought Ukraine into NATO in the 90s? 13:15 When Russia was frozen out of the west, that’s when Putin changed 13:45 Eastern Europeans have a deep distrust of the Russians 15:00 The rise of right wing populism is driven by economics 15:45 2008 financial crisis was a missed opportunity for Obama 17:30 Elites bailed themselves out in 2008 & imposed austerity on everyone else 19:00 Obama had to bail out banks, but didn’t force a bail out of main street too 20:45 How do you begin to undo protectionism and nationalism? 21:30 Good policies of the 2030s won’t be a rehash of the New Deal 22:30 Gina Riamondo has smart policies for transforming the labor force 24:00 Government needs to aid the modern worker to help them be flexible 25:15 Taxation and redistribution is politically toxic. Better to incentivize business 26:15 Portable health insurance and child care would give workers flexibility 27:30 Domestic immigration is incredibly difficult and cost prohibitive 28:15 Every state needs immigration in order to fix demographic challenges 29:30 Spain & Poland’s economies are performing well because of immigration 30:15 We need immigrants in order to support services for an aging population 31:00 In some ways, we’re living in a world similar to the 1930s 32:15 If people don’t benefit from growth, they won’t support the existing order 33:00 Right wing populists don’t have answers, they just attack the elites 33:30 Spain is one of the few western countries that is getting it right 35:30 The west hasn’t dealt well with the rise of China 36:00 Everything Trump is doing has benefitted China enormously 37:30 Unlikely that China’s model wins the 21st century 38:45 Authoritarian governments aren’t good for managing a complex economy 39:45 India is even further down the nationalist road than the U.S. 41:00 UK’s two major parties are facing the potential of collapse 42:00 Could either of the two major two parties in America collapse? 43:00 Both parties pushing the same policies & benefits go to the top 45:00 Do globally integrated economies make world war less likely? 46:30 Major war results in mutually assured economic destruction 47:30 The calamities of the 30s and 40s led to massive, inclusive economic growth 48:30 Massive, stateless companies are accruing more power than states 50:00 The global oligarchs are still reliant on markets and consumers 50:45 Governments will need to coordinate to put guardrails on the oligarchs 51:30 If business isn’t part of the solution, they will be part of the problem 53:00 The Trump administration is cratering & left is reveling in the schaudenfreude 54:30 The anti-Trump coalition is too big to govern 55:15 If Mamdani succeeds, could that energize progressive politics nationally? 57:15 Where can people find your work?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Chuck Todd dives into the Supreme Court's latest ruling further hollowing out the Voting Rights Act and walks through what it actually means in practice — including the very real possibility that several Southern states will now try to redistrict, creating a messy political landscape that won't necessarily benefit Republicans in the way they hope. He traces the history back to the 1990s Georgia reapportionment that led to major GOP pickups by packing Black Democratic voters into fewer districts, but warns this round of Southern redistricting will create more swing districts. He uses the moment to make the case for what he sees as the real structural fix to America's representation crisis: uncapping the House of Representatives to allow it to grow with population the way the founders originally intended, with Madison himself arguing the chamber would always need to expand. He argues that a bigger House would lower the barrier for third parties, minimize the outsized impact of the Electoral College, dramatically reduce the incentive to gerrymander — and crucially, this change wouldn't exclusively benefit either party. His framing is simple: stop fighting over the chairs at the table and increase the size of the table itself. He then pivots to what he calls the rise of the "woke right" — citing the second Comey indictment as exhibit A, noting that the right has now embraced exactly the kind of oversensitivity they once accused the left of engaging in, and pointing out it's no accident that Pam Bondi wouldn't bring the Comey case but Todd Blanche will. He flags that the FCC's attacks on Jimmy Kimmel will badly backfire, dismisses the Hegseth congressional hearing as a useless exercise where everyone was just chasing viral moments, and argues that Hegseth himself is suffering from a bad case of "internet brain" — actively politicizing the military while failing to make a coherent case for why the Iran war was ever necessary. He closes with a pointed observation about the entire administration: nobody around Trump believes any criticism of him is ever valid, and they appear to genuinely think voters are stupid enough to never notice.  Finally, he answers listeners’ questions in the “Ask Chuck” segment, weighs in on the DNC choosing NOT to release their 2024 autopsy, and reacts to the expansion on the NCAA basketball tournament.  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! Protect your family with life insurance from Ethos. Get up to $3 million in coverage in as little as 10 minutes at https://ethos.com/chuck. Application times may vary. Rates may vary. Link in bio or go to https://getsoul.com & enter code TODDCAST for 30% off your first order.   Timeline: 00:00 Chuck Todd’s introduction 01:30 Supreme Court further hollows out the Voting Rights Act 03:00 You may see several states in the south try to redistrict 06:00 We have a serious representation issue in congress 07:30 In the 90’s Georgia reapportionment led to major GOP pickups 09:00 Led to more black Dems in congress, but less Dems in congress 10:00 Redistricting won’t be clean for GOP in this political climate 10:30 Redistricting will create more swing districts in the south 12:15 You may see racially charged Dem primaries in new districts 13:45 Uncapping the House of Representatives could solve this issue 14:15 House expanded based on population growth 16:15 Right now the house is not representative of the people 17:45 Multi-member districts also provide better representation 19:00 Bigger house would create less need for gerrymandering 20:00 Expanding house would minimize the impact of electoral college 21:30 Expanded house would lower barrier to entry for third parties 23:00 The house was always meant to be a bit messy 23:30 Madison argued the house was always going to have to expand 25:00 This change wouldn’t exclusively benefit one party 26:00 Don’t fight over the chairs, increase the size of the table 28:00 The “woke right” has emerged, evidenced by Comey indictment 29:30 Right accused the left of the oversensitivity they’re engaged in now 31:00 Attacks by the FCC on Kimmel will backfire and look terrible 33:15 Not an accident that Bondi wouldn’t bring Comey case & Blanche will 34:15 Hegseth’s hearing was useless, everyone wanted a viral moment 35:30 Hegseth is suffering from a bad case of “internet brain” 36:30 Hegseth is doing everything he can to politicize the military 37:15 Hegseth failed to make the case for why the war was necessary 39:00 Nobody in the administration believes that any criticism is valid 40:15 Do they really think the voters are all stupid?  45:15 Ask Chuck45:30 Experienced wildfires, in bad conditions there’s nothing you can do46:45 What do you make of Hegseth purging so many top generals?48:45 Props for “Dynastic” podcast50:45 How do you see the US/Israel dynamic play out post-Trump?54:15 Do you see a path forward for statehood for D.C. & Puerto Rico?58:00 Why don’t interviewers press Lindsey Graham on his post J6 remarks?1:00:45 Should Democrats be more forceful rhetorically or does that do more harm?1:05:00 Ken Martin appears on Pod Save to explain why they won’t release ‘24 autopsy1:06:15 Autopsy could have offended a particular set of donors or supporters1:07:30 How do you learn lessons from the loss if you don’t share those lessons?1:08:15 NCAA expanding basketball tournamentSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Chuck Todd dives into the Supreme Court's latest ruling further hollowing out the Voting Rights Act and walks through what it actually means in practice — including the very real possibility that several Southern states will now try to redistrict, creating a messy political landscape that won't necessarily benefit Republicans in the way they hope. He traces the history back to the 1990s Georgia reapportionment that led to major GOP pickups by packing Black Democratic voters into fewer districts, but warns this round of Southern redistricting will create more swing districts. He uses the moment to make the case for what he sees as the real structural fix to America's representation crisis: uncapping the House of Representatives to allow it to grow with population the way the founders originally intended, with Madison himself arguing the chamber would always need to expand. He argues that a bigger House would lower the barrier for third parties, minimize the outsized impact of the Electoral College, dramatically reduce the incentive to gerrymander — and crucially, this change wouldn't exclusively benefit either party. His framing is simple: stop fighting over the chairs at the table and increase the size of the table itself. He then pivots to what he calls the rise of the "woke right" — citing the second Comey indictment as exhibit A, noting that the right has now embraced exactly the kind of oversensitivity they once accused the left of engaging in, and pointing out it's no accident that Pam Bondi wouldn't bring the Comey case but Todd Blanche will. He flags that the FCC's attacks on Jimmy Kimmel will badly backfire, dismisses the Hegseth congressional hearing as a useless exercise where everyone was just chasing viral moments, and argues that Hegseth himself is suffering from a bad case of "internet brain" — actively politicizing the military while failing to make a coherent case for why the Iran war was ever necessary. He closes with a pointed observation about the entire administration: nobody around Trump believes any criticism of him is ever valid, and they appear to genuinely think voters are stupid enough to never notice.  Then, Adam Green — co-founder of the Progressive Change Campaign Committee — joins the Chuck Toddcast to make the case that pragmatic economic populism is the Democratic Party's path back to a durable majority, and to push back hard on the conventional wisdom that "moderate" means "centrist." Green argues the public has lost faith in both political and economic systems and is hungry for candidates who tell a clear story about power — pointing to Maine's Graham Platner, Texas's James Talarico, and New York's Zohran Mamdani as examples of progressives who project authentic energy and pragmatic problem-solving rather than ideological purity. He contends that both major parties have already collapsed reputationally even if they haven't yet collapsed structurally, that Democrats could have passed a $12 minimum wage years ago if they'd been willing to compromise, and that recruiting 77-year-old Janet Mills against Platner is symbolic of everything wrong with Chuck Schumer's approach to the Senate. Green is blunt: if Democrats sweep the midterms but leadership remains unchanged, it actually hurts them in 2028 — a Democratic Senate majority should not be read as a validation of Schumer. They discuss why he Democratic brand is so damaged in red and rural states that independent candidates may be the best path to power in places like Montana and Nebraska, and that having someone like Platner in Senate leadership would dramatically improve Democratic performance in rural America. The conversation digs into the deeper strategic and policy questions facing the party. Green argues Democrats should lead with economic alignment over cultural alignment and that Dems should not put reproductive rights forward as their headline issue if they want to rebuild trust in the heartland. He pushes for progressive lawmakers to assert real leverage against their own leadership, advocates lowering the threshold for discharge petition, and makes the case that getting rid of the filibuster would help Democrats rebuild trust with voters who are tired of seeing nothing get done. Green is open to limited cooperation with Trump if Democrats win both chambers but warns the party shouldn't trim its sails just to get a signature. He explains why the PCC backed Talarico over Crockett , names UAW president Shawn Fain as a potential dark-horse candidate, and floats Stephen Colbert as a genuinely intriguing possibility because performance matters in a media-saturated era. Green argues Talarico, Platner, and Abdul El-Sayed all tell a coherent story about power that voters are hungry to hear, but ultimately, the candidate who runs as a genuine disruptor is the one most likely to win, because the current system is so visibly failing the public. Finally, he answers listeners’ questions in the “Ask Chuck” segment, weighs in on the DNC choosing NOT to release their 2024 autopsy, and reacts to the expansion on the NCAA basketball tournament.  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! Protect your family with life insurance from Ethos. Get up to $3 million in coverage in as little as 10 minutes at https://ethos.com/chuck. Application times may vary. Rates may vary. Link in bio or go to https://getsoul.com & enter code TODDCAST for 30% off your first order. Timeline: (Timestamps may vary based on advertisements) 00:00 Chuck Todd’s introduction 01:30 Supreme Court further hollows out the Voting Rights Act 03:00 You may see several states in the south try to redistrict 06:00 We have a serious representation issue in congress 07:30 In the 90’s Georgia reapportionment led to major GOP pickups 09:00 Led to more black Dems in congress, but less Dems in congress 10:00 Redistricting won’t be clean for GOP in this political climate 10:30 Redistricting will create more swing districts in the south 12:15 You may see racially charged Dem primaries in new districts 13:45 Uncapping the House of Representatives could solve this issue 14:15 House expanded based on population growth 16:15 Right now the house is not representative of the people 17:45 Multi-member districts also provide better representation 19:00 Bigger house would create less need for gerrymandering 20:00 Expanding house would minimize the impact of electoral college 21:30 Expanded house would lower barrier to entry for third parties 23:00 The house was always meant to be a bit messy 23:30 Madison argued the house was always going to have to expand 25:00 This change wouldn’t exclusively benefit one party 26:00 Don’t fight over the chairs, increase the size of the table 28:00 The “woke right” has emerged, evidenced by Comey indictment 29:30 Right accused the left of the oversensitivity they’re engaged in now 31:00 Attacks by the FCC on Kimmel will backfire and look terrible 33:15 Not an accident that Bondi wouldn’t bring Comey case & Blanche will 34:15 Hegseth’s hearing was useless, everyone wanted a viral moment 35:30 Hegseth is suffering from a bad case of “internet brain” 36:30 Hegseth is doing everything he can to politicize the military 37:15 Hegseth failed to make the case for why the war was necessary 39:00 Nobody in the administration believes that any criticism is valid 40:15 Do they really think the voters are all stupid?  46:30 Adam Green (Progressive Change Committee) joins The Chuck ToddCast 49:00 What does it mean to be a pragmatic progressive? 50:15 The mission is to show economic populism can win in swing races 51:30 Graham Platner is a great storyteller, not a policy wonk 53:00 Several progressive candidates project strong masculine energy 54:30 Balancing incrementalism vs. progress 55:15 Mamdani is showing that you can be both progressive & pragmatic 56:15 Misconception is that “moderate” means centrist 57:00 The progressives are demanding a rebalancing of the power dynamics 57:30 Public doesn’t trust the political and economic system, wants change 58:15 How vulnerable are both parties to collapse at some point? 59:00 Both parties have collapsed reputationally, just not structurally 1:00:45 Dems could have passed $12 minimum wage if they compromised 1:03:00 If Dems sweep midterms but leaders stay the same, it’s bad for 2028 1:03:45 If Dems win the senate, it’s not a validation of Schumer 1:05:00 If Dems elect the non Schumer candidates, he has to go 1:05:45 Schumer was a really good leader… until he wasn’t 1:06:30 Recruiting 77 year old Janet Mills is symbolic of Schumer’s strategy 1:07:15 Sherrod Brown is probably the best Dems can do in Ohio 1:07:45 Iowa is overindexed as a swing state 1:09:30 Michigan having El-Sayed & Slokin would show multiple ways to win 1:10:30 If El-Sayed loses, does that set the progressive movement back? 1:12:00 Are independents the best route to power in Montana & Nebraska? 1:13:00 The Democratic brand is shot in most red & rural states 1:14:15 If Platner was in leadership, Dems would do better in rural states 1:15:30 What matters more to the PCC, economic or cultural alignment? 1:17:15 Democrats shouldn’t put out reproductive rights as their banner issue 1:18:00 Big Dem wins in the past came from economic, not cultural alignment 1:20:15 Jared Golden able to vote against trans sports bill, focused on economics 1:22:30 Want to see progressives assert leverage against their leadership 1:23:30 Proposal to lower the threshold for discharge petitions 1:24:15 Discharge petitions would actually liberate the leadership a bit 1:25:30 When too many items are stuffed into a bill, you don’t get credit for them 1:26:30 Getting rid of the filibuster would help Democrats rebuild trust 1:27:30 Both parties only like the filibuster when they’re out of power 1:29:00 Getting rid of stock trading isn’t as simple as it sounds 1:30:45 Spouses need to be included in stock trading ban 1:31:30 If Dems win both houses, where should they work with Trump? 1:32:45 Dems will be elected to be a check on Trump, but need his signature 1:35:45 Working with Trump requires abandoning the ideas you ran on 1:37:00 Dems shouldn’t trim their sails in order to work with Trump 1:39:30 PCC supported Talarico over Crockett for his bold economic vision 1:42:00 AOC may need to run for president soon, before her “sell by” date 1:42:45 Stephen Colbert could be an intriguing candidate, performance matters 1:44:00 Mamdani takes time every day to tell a story on social media 1:45:15 Shawn Fain could also make a strong candidate 1:46:30 If Talarico wins in Texas, it could put him on the presidential map 1:48:15 Talarico as VP to get his sea legs could be a potential route 1:49:00 McMorrow positioning herself as the “goldilocks” candidate 1:49:45 Being the shake up the system candidate is the way to go 1:50:30 Talarico, Platner & El-Sayed tell a story about power 1:51:15 The current system is failing the public 1:53:15 Preference between Steyer or Porter in California? 1:54:30 AOC raises the most money because people trust her  1:57:30 Ask Chuck 1:57:45 Experienced wildfires, in bad conditions there’s nothing you can do 1:59:00 What do you make of Hegseth purging so many top generals? 2:01:00 Props for “Dynastic” podcast 2:03:00 How do you see the US/Israel dynamic play out post-Trump? 2:06:30 Do you see a path forward for statehood for D.C. & Puerto Rico? 2:10:15 Why don’t interviewers press Lindsey Graham on his post J6 remarks? 2:13:00 Should Democrats be more forceful rhetorically or does that do more harm? 2:17:15 Ken Martin appears on Pod Save to explain why they won’t release ‘24 autopsy 2:18:30 Autopsy could have offended a particular set of donors or supporters 2:19:45 How do you learn lessons from the loss if you don’t share those lessons? 2:20:30 NCAA expanding basketball tournamentSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Adam Green — co-founder of the Progressive Change Campaign Committee — joins the Chuck Toddcast to make the case that pragmatic economic populism is the Democratic Party's path back to a durable majority, and to push back hard on the conventional wisdom that "moderate" means "centrist." Green argues the public has lost faith in both political and economic systems and is hungry for candidates who tell a clear story about power — pointing to Maine's Graham Platner, Texas's James Talarico, and New York's Zohran Mamdani as examples of progressives who project authentic energy and pragmatic problem-solving rather than ideological purity. He contends that both major parties have already collapsed reputationally even if they haven't yet collapsed structurally, that Democrats could have passed a $12 minimum wage years ago if they'd been willing to compromise, and that recruiting 77-year-old Janet Mills against Platner is symbolic of everything wrong with Chuck Schumer's approach to the Senate. Green is blunt: if Democrats sweep the midterms but leadership remains unchanged, it actually hurts them in 2028 — a Democratic Senate majority should not be read as a validation of Schumer. They discuss why he Democratic brand is so damaged in red and rural states that independent candidates may be the best path to power in places like Montana and Nebraska, and that having someone like Platner in Senate leadership would dramatically improve Democratic performance in rural America. The conversation digs into the deeper strategic and policy questions facing the party. Green argues Democrats should lead with economic alignment over cultural alignment and that Dems should not put reproductive rights forward as their headline issue if they want to rebuild trust in the heartland. He pushes for progressive lawmakers to assert real leverage against their own leadership, advocates lowering the threshold for discharge petition, and makes the case that getting rid of the filibuster would help Democrats rebuild trust with voters who are tired of seeing nothing get done. Green is open to limited cooperation with Trump if Democrats win both chambers but warns the party shouldn't trim its sails just to get a signature. He explains why the PCC backed Talarico over Crockett , names UAW president Shawn Fain as a potential dark-horse candidate, and floats Stephen Colbert as a genuinely intriguing possibility because performance matters in a media-saturated era. Green argues Talarico, Platner, and Abdul El-Sayed all tell a coherent story about power that voters are hungry to hear, but ultimately, the candidate who runs as a genuine disruptor is the one most likely to win, because the current system is so visibly failing the public. Thank you Wildgrain for sponsoring. Visit http://wildgrain.com/TODDCAST and use the code "TODDCAST" at checkout to receive $30 off your first box PLUS free Croissants for life! Protect your family with life insurance from Ethos. Get up to $3 million in coverage in as little as 10 minutes at https://ethos.com/chuck. Application times may vary. Rates may vary. Link in bio or go to https://getsoul.com & enter code TODDCAST for 30% off your first order. Timeline: (Timestamps may vary based on advertisements) 00:00 Adam Green (Progressive Change Committee) joins The Chuck ToddCast 02:30 What does it mean to be a pragmatic progressive? 03:45 The mission is to show economic populism can win in swing races 05:00 Graham Platner is a great storyteller, not a policy wonk 06:30 Several progressive candidates project strong masculine energy 08:00 Balancing incrementalism vs. progress 08:45 Mamdani is showing that you can be both progressive & pragmatic 09:45 Misconception is that “moderate” means centrist 10:30 The progressives are demanding a rebalancing of the power dynamics 11:00 Public doesn’t trust the political and economic system, wants change 11:45 How vulnerable are both parties to collapse at some point? 12:30 Both parties have collapsed reputationally, just not structurally 14:15 Dems could have passed $12 minimum wage if they compromised 16:30 If Dems sweep midterms but leaders stay the same, it’s bad for 2028 17:15 If Dems win the senate, it’s not a validation of Schumer 18:30 If Dems elect the non Schumer candidates, he has to go 19:15 Schumer was a really good leader… until he wasn’t 20:00 Recruiting 77 year old Janet Mills is symbolic of Schumer’s strategy 20:45 Sherrod Brown is probably the best Dems can do in Ohio 21:15 Iowa is overindexed as a swing state 23:00 Michigan having El-Sayed & Slokin would show multiple ways to win 24:00 If El-Sayed loses, does that set the progressive movement back? 25:30 Are independents the best route to power in Montana & Nebraska? 26:30 The Democratic brand is shot in most red & rural states 27:45 If Platner was in leadership, Dems would do better in rural states 29:00 What matters more to the PCC, economic or cultural alignment? 30:45 Democrats shouldn’t put out reproductive rights as their banner issue 31:30 Big Dem wins in the past came from economic, not cultural alignment 33:45 Jared Golden able to vote against trans sports bill, focused on economics 36:00 Want to see progressives assert leverage against their leadership 37:00 Proposal to lower the threshold for discharge petitions 37:45 Discharge petitions would actually liberate the leadership a bit 39:00 When too many items are stuffed into a bill, you don’t get credit for them 40:00 Getting rid of the filibuster would help Democrats rebuild trust 41:00 Both parties only like the filibuster when they’re out of power 42:30 Getting rid of stock trading isn’t as simple as it sounds 44:15 Spouses need to be included in stock trading ban 45:00 If Dems win both houses, where should they work with Trump? 46:15 Dems will be elected to be a check on Trump, but need his signature 49:15 Working with Trump requires abandoning the ideas you ran on 50:30 Dems shouldn’t trim their sails in order to work with Trump 53:00 PCC supported Talarico over Crockett for his bold economic vision 55:30 AOC may need to run for president soon, before her “sell by” date 56:15 Stephen Colbert could be an intriguing candidate, performance matters 57:30 Mamdani takes time every day to tell a story on social media 58:45 Shawn Fain could also make a strong candidate 1:00:00 If Talarico wins in Texas, it could put him on the presidential map 1:01:45 Talarico as VP to get his sea legs could be a potential route 1:02:30 McMorrow positioning herself as the “goldilocks” candidate 1:03:15 Being the shake up the system candidate is the way to go 1:04:00 Talarico, Platner & El-Sayed tell a story about power 1:04:45 The current system is failing the public 1:06:45 Preference between Steyer or Porter in California? 1:08:00 AOC raises the most money because people trust herSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Pittsburgh Steelers became one of the most successful and enduring franchises in sports history. But their dynasty wasn’t built the way most people think. Chuck Todd and J.A. Adande tell the Steelers history like it has never been told. It starts with a moment everyone knows—the Immaculate Reception—but the real story begins long before that. For decades, the Steelers were one of the worst-run teams in football. They ignored the draft, missed on generational talent, and lacked any clear identity. Then everything changed. At the center of it all was Chuck Noll, a coach who completely reset the organization’s philosophy. Paired with cornerstone players like Mean Joe Greene and a front office that found talent in places other teams ignored, the Steelers quietly assembled one of the greatest draft runs in sports history. This episode dives into the hidden advantages that fueled their rise—from overlooked talent pipelines to cultural cohesion inside the locker room—and why their success wasn’t just about stars, but about structure, discipline, and long-term thinking.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Chuck Todd opens with a sobering analysis of the post-Correspondents' Dinner shooting political climate, arguing that both sides are now busy blaming each other for violent rhetoric while past presidents from both parties always understood their job was to lower the temperature, not raise it. He argues that while Democratic rhetoric has gotten harsher in recent years, Trump is the one who fundamentally changed what was acceptable to say out loud — his January 6th pardons effectively created a permission slip for political violence, and the public barely batted an eye when he celebrated Robert Mueller's death — and warns it only takes one unstable person to take the wrong cue from this environment. He says American politics has become genuinely brutal and violent, that the "cold civil war" is warming up, and that two wrongs don't make a right: just because Trump started this race to the bottom doesn't mean everyone has to engage in it. He then pivots to the Iran war, where he says the U.S. and Iran are measuring the conflict in fundamentally different ways — for the regime, victory is simply surviving — and argues that Iranian control of the Strait of Hormuz has to be addressed before any nuclear threat. He closes with the proposed Florida redistricting map (which looks great for the GOP in a presidential year but terrible in a midterm), a new Texas poll showing Talarico leading both potential GOP nominees, and Susan Collins going negative on Graham Platner before the Maine primary. Finally, he gives his ToddCast Top 5 list of Republican races that could signal trouble for Donald Trump and answers listeners’ questions in the “Ask Chuck” segment. Thank you Wildgrain for sponsoring. Visit http://wildgrain.com/TODDCAST and use the code "TODDCAST" at checkout to receive $30 off your first box PLUS free Croissants for life! Protect your family with life insurance from Ethos. Get up to $3 million in coverage in as little as 10 minutes at https://ethos.com/chuck. Application times may vary. Rates may vary. Link in bio or go to https://getsoul.com & enter code TODDCAST for 30% off your first order. Timeline: (Timestamps may vary based on advertisements) 00:00 Chuck Todd’s introduction 02:45 Both sides blaming each other for “violent rhetoric” 03:15 Past presidents always tried to lower the temperature 04:30 Both sides confident they are right & other side is wrong 05:30 We’ve produced a new political environment that is scary 06:45 Trump changed what was acceptable to say out loud 07:45 Democratic rhetoric has also gotten harsher, but Trump took us here 08:30 Two wrongs don’t make a right* 09:15 Trump’s J6 pardons created a permission slip for political violence 10:30 Public barely batted an eye when Trump celebrated death of Mueller 11:15 One unstable person will take the wrong cue from this environment 13:15 American politics is now brutal and violent. Cold civil war is warming up 14:15 Both sides are racing to the bottom, and nobody wins 15:30 Just because Trump started it doesn’t mean everyone should engage in it 16:45 American leadership is not meeting the moment 18:00 You can’t “secure” your way out of a volatile political climate 19:30 At the ballot box, character and temperament need to matter 20:15 James Comey indicted again by Trump’s DOJ 21:00 Administration is weaponizing the Comey case  22:30 If Dems immediately go for impeachment in 27’, the cycle will continue 23:45 Jimmy Kimmel should apologize, but government shouldn’t target him 25:00 You can be a deescalator or an accelerant in this moment 26:30 The U.S. and Iran are measuring the war in different ways 27:00 Victory for the regime is simply surviving 28:30 Iranian control of the Strait has to be dealt with before nuclear threat 29:30 The Iranians understand us better than we understand them 30:30 Florida releases proposed redistricting map 31:15 The map is great for GOP in presidential year, bad in a midterm election 32:00 Map targets Jared Moskowitz & Debbie Wasserman Schultz 33:30 Analysis of how the new districts will look politically 37:30 Republicans might only break even, or only pick up 1-2 seats in ‘26 38:45 Poll out of Texas shows Talarico with a lead over both GOP candidates 39:45 Susan Collins has gone negative on Platner before the primary 40:15 Move shows that Collins would rather face Mills over Platner 41:00 Platner is in a strong position to win the senate seat 45:30 ToddCast Top 5 Republican races that could signal trouble for Trump 47:30 We’ll find out in May if Trump’s grip on the party is slipping 48:15 #5 North Carolina senate 50:30 #4 Louisiana senate primary 52:15 #3 Texas senate primary 53:45 #2 Georgia governor 56:00 #1 Kentucky 4th district & Thomas Massie 58:00 Ask Chuck 58:15 Did Ohio Democrats make a mistake by backing Sherrod Brown? 1:03:30 Is Trump liable for violating contracts by cancelling offshore wind projects?* 1:07:15 If Trump had bought the Bills would it have kept him from running in ‘16? 1:12:30 Navigating the reverence for founders when proposing amendments? 1:18:00 How do we move beyond violence to remove a tyrant?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Chuck Todd opens with a sobering analysis of the post-Correspondents' Dinner shooting political climate, arguing that both sides are now busy blaming each other for violent rhetoric while past presidents from both parties always understood their job was to lower the temperature, not raise it. He argues that while Democratic rhetoric has gotten harsher in recent years, Trump is the one who fundamentally changed what was acceptable to say out loud — his January 6th pardons effectively created a permission slip for political violence, and the public barely batted an eye when he celebrated Robert Mueller's death — and warns it only takes one unstable person to take the wrong cue from this environment. He says American politics has become genuinely brutal and violent, that the "cold civil war" is warming up, and that two wrongs don't make a right: just because Trump started this race to the bottom doesn't mean everyone has to engage in it. He then pivots to the Iran war, where he says the U.S. and Iran are measuring the conflict in fundamentally different ways — for the regime, victory is simply surviving — and argues that Iranian control of the Strait of Hormuz has to be addressed before any nuclear threat. He closes with the proposed Florida redistricting map (which looks great for the GOP in a presidential year but terrible in a midterm), a new Texas poll showing Talarico leading both potential GOP nominees, and Susan Collins going negative on Graham Platner before the Maine primary. Atima Omara — Democratic political strategist, longtime activist, and author of the new book The Instigators — joins the Chuck Toddcast for a wide-ranging conversation about who actually decides American elections, why Democrats keep losing despite favorable demographics, and what a winning coalition looks like in 2028. Omara opens by dismantling the conventional wisdom that white moderate swing voters are the deciding force in elections, arguing that the 2024 contest was lost on mobilization rather than persuasion — Trump won at the margins, not in a landslide, and many blue states were won by surprisingly thin margins. She points out that Kamala Harris was behind before she even started because she had to succeed an unpopular Biden, but they credit Harris with saving three to four Senate seats that Biden would have lost outright. Omara walks through the political leverage Black women in Virginia exercised after the Ralph Northam blackface scandal — pushing for real legislative change rather than just symbolic accountability — and uses that as a case study in how activist coalitions can wield power smartly.  The conversation turns to the structural challenges facing the Democratic coalition and what comes next. Omara makes the case that Republican advocacy is a constant, year-round operation while Democrats only mobilize during election years — a fundamental asymmetry that has allowed Republican messaging to dominate the cultural spaces and media ecosystem. She argues the left needs to get dramatically better at cultural messaging, that the activist class has helped Democrats make progress but has also made the party more rigid in ways that hurt it electorally, and that organizations like the Working Families Party are doing important work trying to push the Democratic Party from within. They both reflect on whether the two-party duopoly can survive — Americans clearly want the flexibility of a multiparty system but are stuck with this one. She offers a fascinating cultural analysis of why one-third of the electorate effectively grew up in a non-multiracial democracy, why events like the Tulsa massacre still aren't taught in most public schools, and why the South disproportionately sets the tone for American (and especially Republican) politics. They close by handicapping the 2028 Democratic field. Finally, he gives his ToddCast Top 5 list of Republican races that could signal trouble for Donald Trump and answers listeners’ questions in the “Ask Chuck” segment. Thank you Wildgrain for sponsoring. Visit http://wildgrain.com/TODDCAST and use the code "TODDCAST" at checkout to receive $30 off your first box PLUS free Croissants for life! Protect your family with life insurance from Ethos. Get up to $3 million in coverage in as little as 10 minutes at https://ethos.com/chuck. Application times may vary. Rates may vary. Link in bio or go to https://getsoul.com & enter code TODDCAST for 30% off your first order. Timeline: (Timestamps may vary based on advertisements) 00:00 Chuck Todd’s introduction 02:45 Both sides blaming each other for “violent rhetoric” 03:15 Past presidents always tried to lower the temperature 04:30 Both sides confident they are right & other side is wrong 05:30 We’ve produced a new political environment that is scary 06:45 Trump changed what was acceptable to say out loud 07:45 Democratic rhetoric has also gotten harsher, but Trump took us here 08:30 Two wrongs don’t make a right* 09:15 Trump’s J6 pardons created a permission slip for political violence 10:30 Public barely batted an eye when Trump celebrated death of Mueller 11:15 One unstable person will take the wrong cue from this environment 13:15 American politics is now brutal and violent. Cold civil war is warming up 14:15 Both sides are racing to the bottom, and nobody wins 15:30 Just because Trump started it doesn’t mean everyone should engage in it 16:45 American leadership is not meeting the moment 18:00 You can’t “secure” your way out of a volatile political climate 19:30 At the ballot box, character and temperament need to matter 20:15 James Comey indicted again by Trump’s DOJ 21:00 Administration is weaponizing the Comey case  22:30 If Dems immediately go for impeachment in 27’, the cycle will continue 23:45 Jimmy Kimmel should apologize, but government shouldn’t target him 25:00 You can be a deescalator or an accelerant in this moment 26:30 The U.S. and Iran are measuring the war in different ways 27:00 Victory for the regime is simply surviving 28:30 Iranian control of the Strait has to be dealt with before nuclear threat 29:30 The Iranians understand us better than we understand them 30:30 Florida releases proposed redistricting map 31:15 The map is great for GOP in presidential year, bad in a midterm election 32:00 Map targets Jared Moskowitz & Debbie Wasserman Schultz 33:30 Analysis of how the new districts will look politically 37:30 Republicans might only break even, or only pick up 1-2 seats in ‘26 38:45 Poll out of Texas shows Talarico with a lead over both GOP candidates 39:45 Susan Collins has gone negative on Platner before the primary 40:15 Move shows that Collins would rather face Mills over Platner 41:00 Platner is in a strong position to win the senate seat 47:00 Atima Omara (The Instigators) joins The Chuck ToddCast 48:30 Misconception that white moderate swing voters decide elections 50:15 Black women pushed for legislation after Ralph Northam blackface scandal 53:15 Activists were smart in using their political leverage in Virginia 55:15 Democrats can try to find some common cause with Trump voters 56:30 2024 election was lost on mobilization, not persuasion 57:45 Trump won on the margins, it wasn’t a resounding win 59:00 Lots of blue states were won with small margins in ‘24 1:00:00 It was hard for Harris to succeed a very unpopular Biden 1:01:00 Harris was behind before she started 1:01:30 Harris saved 3-4 senate seats that Biden would have lost 1:02:45 What ideological arguments work & don’t work with black women? 1:04:30 Messaging around criminal & environmental justice needs to capture humanity 1:06:15 Activists don’t see politicians putting together even piecemeal reform 1:07:15 Even with full control, Democrats couldn’t pass voting rights legislation 1:09:15 LBJ had to play hardball with senators to pass the Voting Rights Act 1:11:00 Most major legislation gets passed through sheer force of will 1:11:45 How can advocacy get more leverage in the face of huge money 1:13:00 Republican advocacy is constant, Dems focus on election years 1:14:00 Republican messaging has dominated the media ecosystem 1:16:00 The left needs to get better at messaging in the cultural spaces 1:17:30 Will the current two party duopoly be able to sustain itself? 1:19:30 Activists have caused Dems to progress, but also become rigid 1:20:30 The Working Families Party works to change the Democratic party 1:22:00 Americans want the flexibility of a multiparty system, stuck with duopoly 1:22:30 There hasn’t been enough energy to force changes to electoral college 1:23:30 Fear of AI job displacement could galvanize energy for structural change 1:24:00 What does a winning Democratic coalition look like in 2028? 1:27:30 Older generation of Democratic strategists have aged out 1:30:00 1/3rd of the electorate lived in a non multiracial democracy 1:31:15 We don’t have a shared public education or shared memory 1:33:30 Events like the Tulsa massacre aren’t taught in many public schools 1:34:45 The south sets the tone for American & especially Republican politics 1:37:30 Obama benefitted from being from a midwestern state 1:38:45 Most of the pushback to progress comes from the south & midwest 1:41:30 Obama’s superpower was being able to talk to everyone 1:42:15 4 people most likely to be the 2028 Democratic nominee? 1:44:30 Harris would be more free to run her own campaign in ‘28 1:45:30 It’s hard to know what Gavin Newsom is FOR 1:47:00 Starting to see more black women break through & win statewide  1:50:00 Thoughts on interview with Atima Omara 1:51:00 ToddCast Top 5 Republican races that could signal trouble for Trump 1:53:00 We’ll find out in May if Trump’s grip on the party is slipping 1:53:45 #5 North Carolina senate 1:56:00 #4 Louisiana senate primary 1:57:45 #3 Texas senate primary 1:59:15 #2 Georgia governor 2:01:30 #1 Kentucky 4th district & Thomas Massie 2:03:30 Ask Chuck 2:03:45 Did Ohio Democrats make a mistake by backing Sherrod Brown? 2:09:00 Is Trump liable for violating contracts by cancelling offshore wind projects?* 2:12:45 If Trump had bought the Bills would it have kept him from running in ‘16? 2:18:00 Navigating the reverence for founders when proposing amendments? 2:23:30 How do we move beyond violence to remove a tyrant?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Atima Omara — Democratic political strategist, longtime activist, and author of the new book The Instigators — joins the Chuck Toddcast for a wide-ranging conversation about who actually decides American elections, why Democrats keep losing despite favorable demographics, and what a winning coalition looks like in 2028. Omara opens by dismantling the conventional wisdom that white moderate swing voters are the deciding force in elections, arguing that the 2024 contest was lost on mobilization rather than persuasion — Trump won at the margins, not in a landslide, and many blue states were won by surprisingly thin margins. She points out that Kamala Harris was behind before she even started because she had to succeed an unpopular Biden, but they credit Harris with saving three to four Senate seats that Biden would have lost outright. Omara walks through the political leverage Black women in Virginia exercised after the Ralph Northam blackface scandal — pushing for real legislative change rather than just symbolic accountability — and uses that as a case study in how activist coalitions can wield power smartly.  The conversation turns to the structural challenges facing the Democratic coalition and what comes next. Omara makes the case that Republican advocacy is a constant, year-round operation while Democrats only mobilize during election years — a fundamental asymmetry that has allowed Republican messaging to dominate the cultural spaces and media ecosystem. She argues the left needs to get dramatically better at cultural messaging, that the activist class has helped Democrats make progress but has also made the party more rigid in ways that hurt it electorally, and that organizations like the Working Families Party are doing important work trying to push the Democratic Party from within. They both reflect on whether the two-party duopoly can survive — Americans clearly want the flexibility of a multiparty system but are stuck with this one. She offers a fascinating cultural analysis of why one-third of the electorate effectively grew up in a non-multiracial democracy, why events like the Tulsa massacre still aren't taught in most public schools, and why the South disproportionately sets the tone for American (and especially Republican) politics. They close by handicapping the 2028 Democratic field. Thank you Wildgrain for sponsoring. Visit http://wildgrain.com/TODDCAST and use the code "TODDCAST" at checkout to receive $30 off your first box PLUS free Croissants for life! Protect your family with life insurance from Ethos. Get up to $3 million in coverage in as little as 10 minutes at https://ethos.com/chuck. Application times may vary. Rates may vary. Link in bio or go to https://getsoul.com & enter code TODDCAST for 30% off your first order. Timeline: (Timestamps may vary based on advertisements) 00:00 Atima Omara (The Instigators) joins The Chuck ToddCast 01:30 Misconception that white moderate swing voters decide elections 03:15 Black women pushed for legislation after Ralph Northam blackface scandal 06:15 Activists were smart in using their political leverage in Virginia 08:15 Democrats can try to find some common cause with Trump voters 09:30 2024 election was lost on mobilization, not persuasion 10:45 Trump won on the margins, it wasn’t a resounding win 12:00 Lots of blue states were won with small margins in ‘24 13:00 It was hard for Harris to succeed a very unpopular Biden 14:00 Harris was behind before she started 14:30 Harris saved 3-4 senate seats that Biden would have lost 15:45 What ideological arguments work & don’t work with black women? 17:30 Messaging around criminal & environmental justice needs to capture humanity 19:15 Activists don’t see politicians putting together even piecemeal reform 20:15 Even with full control, Democrats couldn’t pass voting rights legislation 22:15 LBJ had to play hardball with senators to pass the Voting Rights Act 24:00 Most major legislation gets passed through sheer force of will 24:45 How can advocacy get more leverage in the face of huge money 26:00 Republican advocacy is constant, Dems focus on election years 27:00 Republican messaging has dominated the media ecosystem 29:00 The left needs to get better at messaging in the cultural spaces 30:30 Will the current two party duopoly be able to sustain itself? 32:30 Activists have caused Dems to progress, but also become rigid 33:30 The Working Families Party works to change the Democratic party 35:00 Americans want the flexibility of a multiparty system, stuck with duopoly 35:30 There hasn’t been enough energy to force changes to electoral college 36:30 Fear of AI job displacement could galvanize energy for structural change 37:00 What does a winning Democratic coalition look like in 2028? 40:30 Older generation of Democratic strategists have aged out 43:00 1/3rd of the electorate lived in a non multiracial democracy 44:15 We don’t have a shared public education or shared memory 46:30 Events like the Tulsa massacre aren’t taught in many public schools 47:45 The south sets the tone for American & especially Republican politics 50:30 Obama benefitted from being from a midwestern state 51:45 Most of the pushback to progress comes from the south & midwest 54:30 Obama’s superpower was being able to talk to everyone 55:15 4 people most likely to be the 2028 Democratic nominee? 57:30 Harris would be more free to run her own campaign in ‘28 58:30 It’s hard to know what Gavin Newsom is FOR 1:00:00 Starting to see more black women break through & win statewideSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Chuck Todd delivers a deeply personal, harrowing account of being inside the Washington Hilton when a gunman charged through security at the White House Correspondents' Dinner — and uses the experience to issue a sobering warning about the political tinderbox America has become. He walks listeners through the night minute by minute: arriving through the back entrance to avoid protests, passing through magnetometers, the moment about a minute after the waitstaff emerged when gunfire erupted two floors above the ballroom and everyone immediately dropped to the ground, the realization that the shots weren't inside the room itself, the lockdown, senior leadership being escorted out, and journalists in the room immediately going to work to find out what happened. He recounts exiting through the kitchen and out a back door, running into the Fettermans on the street, and eventually finding an Uber home — a night he says he will never forget. He then steps back and argues that high-profile shootings have become weirdly normal but are not isolated incidents — they are the predictable culmination of rhetoric and events in an era where Americans are growing dangerously comfortable with political violence. He insists that "did Trump cause this?" is the wrong question, but argues that presidents don't just govern, they set the tone for the country — and Trump has publicly celebrated the deaths of political enemies, used existential language that frames everything through grievance, and views being targeted as personal validation. He warns that escalation invites escalation; that when everything becomes existential, anything becomes justifiable; and that previous leaders knew how to turn the temperature down while Trump deliberately pits Americans against each other. On the security questions, he dentifies two specific loopholes the shooter exploited — the lack of security on Amtrak (which he took from California) and his ability to stay at the Hilton as a regular hotel guest — but emphasizes that this was not a security failure: the screening worked exactly as intended, the gunman never made it down the stairs to the ballroom, and there's no such thing as 100% security against a determined lone wolf actor. He closes by flatly rejecting Trump's attempt to use the incident to justify his planned White House ballroom project, calling it what it is: a vanity play that has nothing to do with security and everything to do with ego, in a moment when the country desperately needs leadership willing to lower the temperature rather than turn it up. Finally, Chuck hops into the ToddCast Time Machine to revisit an event that further eroded Americans’ trust in their government… a U2 spy plane being shot down by the Soviet Union and the government lying directly to the public about the nature of the mission. He also answers listeners’ questions in the “Ask Chuck” segment” and weighs in on the NFL Draft. Thank you Wildgrain for sponsoring. Visit http://wildgrain.com/TODDCAST and use the code "TODDCAST" at checkout to receive $30 off your first box PLUS free Croissants for life! Protect your family with life insurance from Ethos. Get up to $3 million in coverage in as little as 10 minutes at https://ethos.com/chuck. Application times may vary. Rates may vary. Link in bio or go to https://getsoul.com & enter code TODDCAST for 30% off your first order. Timeline: (Timestamps may vary based on advertisements) 00:00 Chuck Todd’s introduction 03:00 Chuck’s experience at the White House Correspondent’s Dinner 04:15 Had trepidation about attending the event beforehand 05:45 It’s not the president’s event, it belongs to the press corp 07:30 Went through the back way to avoid the protests outside 09:15 The ballroom section can be secured from rest of the building 11:00 Guests must pass through magnetometers before entering ballroom 12:00 The gunman never made it down the stairs to the ballroom 14:00 About a minute after the waitstaff came out was when gunfire erupted 15:15 Everybody dropped to the ground immediately 16:00 Didn’t take long to realize shots didn’t occur in the ballroom 16:45 There was security personnel everywhere 17:15 Senior leadership was escorted out, then room went into lockdown 18:15 Attendees immediately went to work trying to find out what happened 19:15 Gunshots were behind closed doors, two floors up from the ballroom 20:15 Will never forget that night at the correspondent’s dinner 21:30 Chuck exited through the kitchen and out a back door 22:30 Even if program resumed, wasn’t going back to the event 23:00 Ran into the Fettermans on the street outside 24:15 Eventually found an Uber and went home 25:15 We’re living in a political tinderbox 25:45 High profile shootings are weirdly normal now, but not isolated 26:15 We’re growing more comfortable with & normalizing political violence 27:30 The Trump era ushered in a new environment of division & violence 28:30 “Did Trump cause this?” is the wrong question 29:30 Presidents don’t just govern, they set the tone for the country 30:45 Trump has publicly celebrated the deaths of political enemies 31:30 Trump uses existential language, sets a terrible tone 32:00 Everything is now framed through political grievance 32:45 Trump views being targeted as validation for his presidency 33:45 If Trump thinks he’s going to be martyred, he’ll take extra risks 34:45 Trump thrives on division, and escalation invites escalation 36:00 When everything is existential, anything becomes justifiable  36:30 Previous leaders knew how to turn temperature down, Trump doesn’t 37:30 Trump is pitting Americans against each other on purpose 39:45 We don’t have the leadership we need to meet the moment 40:45 We’re not doing anything to make political violence less likely 42:30 This era has been led by someone who supports violent rhetoric 43:30 This was not an isolated incident, it was a culmination of rhetoric & events 44:00 Two security vulnerabilities the shooter exploited 44:30 Loophole #1 was lack of security on Amtrak 45:30 Loophole #2 was shooter staying at the Hilton as a hotel guest 46:45 This wasn’t a security failure, it worked as intended 47:45 This incident had nothing to do with building the ballroom 48:45 There’s no such thing as 100% security against a lone wolf actor 49:30 The ballroom isn’t about security, it’s a vanity project 55:30 ToddCast Time Machine May 1, 1960 56:45 Cold War tensions were rising, but felt manageable 57:15 U2 spy planes flew high above Soviet Union 57:45 U2 shot down over USSR, pilot parachuted to safety & was captured 58:30 US denied spy mission and called it a “weather monitoring plane” 59:00 Kruschev let the US lie to the world before revealing the truth 59:45 The issue wasn’t the spying, it was the lying to the public 1:00:15 Within a year we had the Bay of Pigs, American credibility takes a hit 1:01:00 Trust was already stretched after the McCarthy era 1:02:15 People stopped believing the government’s version of events 1:02:45 Ask Chuck 1:03:30 What advice would you give amateur podcasters? 1:08:15 How does a nation apologize to the world? 1:11:00 Could a Supreme Court vacancy increase GOP chances in midterms? 1:15:00 How can Democrats regain a foothold in Missouri? 1:20:15 Will Trump provoke strong polarized reactions long after his presidency? 1:24:00 How likely is it that Republicans can push back on Trump successfully? 1:26:15 Is there a scenario where Vance tries to distance himself from Trump?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Chuck Todd delivers a deeply personal, harrowing account of being inside the Washington Hilton when a gunman charged through security at the White House Correspondents' Dinner — and uses the experience to issue a sobering warning about the political tinderbox America has become. He walks listeners through the night minute by minute: arriving through the back entrance to avoid protests, passing through magnetometers, the moment about a minute after the waitstaff emerged when gunfire erupted two floors above the ballroom and everyone immediately dropped to the ground, the realization that the shots weren't inside the room itself, the lockdown, senior leadership being escorted out, and journalists in the room immediately going to work to find out what happened. He recounts exiting through the kitchen and out a back door, running into the Fettermans on the street, and eventually finding an Uber home — a night he says he will never forget. He then steps back and argues that high-profile shootings have become weirdly normal but are not isolated incidents — they are the predictable culmination of rhetoric and events in an era where Americans are growing dangerously comfortable with political violence. He insists that "did Trump cause this?" is the wrong question, but argues that presidents don't just govern, they set the tone for the country — and Trump has publicly celebrated the deaths of political enemies, used existential language that frames everything through grievance, and views being targeted as personal validation. He warns that escalation invites escalation; that when everything becomes existential, anything becomes justifiable; and that previous leaders knew how to turn the temperature down while Trump deliberately pits Americans against each other. On the security questions, he dentifies two specific loopholes the shooter exploited — the lack of security on Amtrak (which he took from California) and his ability to stay at the Hilton as a regular hotel guest — but emphasizes that this was not a security failure: the screening worked exactly as intended, the gunman never made it down the stairs to the ballroom, and there's no such thing as 100% security against a determined lone wolf actor. He closes by flatly rejecting Trump's attempt to use the incident to justify his planned White House ballroom project, calling it what it is: a vanity play that has nothing to do with security and everything to do with ego, in a moment when the country desperately needs leadership willing to lower the temperature rather than turn it up. Then, Pete Curran — meteorologist for Watch Duty, the nonprofit fire alert app that became indispensable for Californians during the devastating LA fires earlier this year — joins the Chuck Toddcast to discuss why fire season in the West is now effectively a 12-month phenomenon and what every American needs to know to prepare. Curran explains that Watch Duty has revolutionized real-time fire information by providing constant updates, replacing a system where the public previously got just twice-daily official updates that were dangerously inadequate during fast-moving emergencies. The conditions heading into 2026 are alarming: the West had a wet winter but very little snow, California recorded its hottest March ever, a Category 5 cyclone hit the Pacific in April, fuels are drying out at a record rate, and there were already massive fires in Nebraska and Kansas in mid-March that should serve as a wake-up call to a country that still thinks of wildfires as a California problem. Curran walks through what people can actually do to protect their homes, why they should consider non-combustible roofing, which he notes was the single biggest factor in determining which LA homes survived this year's fires. He explains that water pressure typically collapses during major fires (so hosing your house only helps so much), that firefighters now actively triage which homes have been "hardened" before deciding what to defend, and that California utilities are finally getting serious about burying power lines — though vulnerable communities will likely bear the cost. The conversation broadens into how meteorology and firefighting have become deeply integrated, and what's keeping experts up at night. Curran explains that weather is the single most important thing firefighters must prepare for to stay safe, and reveals that major firefighter organizations now employ staff meteorologists and fire behavior analysts on every incident. He flags serious concerns about firefighter staffing shortages, the fact that federal firefighting resources have been cut and reorganized under the Trump administration, and the biggest nightmare scenario: multiple major fires breaking out simultaneously across regions, leaving no resources to redeploy. His ultimate message is hopeful but urgent: we have better data than ever before, but data alone isn't enough — it requires the resources, attention, and personal preparation to actually save lives. Finally, Chuck hops into the ToddCast Time Machine to revisit an event that further eroded Americans’ trust in their government… a U2 spy plane being shot down by the Soviet Union and the government lying directly to the public about the nature of the mission. He also answers listeners’ questions in the “Ask Chuck” segment” and weighs in on the NFL Draft. Thank you Wildgrain for sponsoring. Visit http://wildgrain.com/TODDCAST and use the code "TODDCAST" at checkout to receive $30 off your first box PLUS free Croissants for life! Protect your family with life insurance from Ethos. Get up to $3 million in coverage in as little as 10 minutes at https://ethos.com/chuck. Application times may vary. Rates may vary. Link in bio or go to https://getsoul.com & enter code TODDCAST for 30% off your first order. Timeline: (Timestamps may vary based on advertisements) 00:00 Chuck Todd’s introduction 03:00 Chuck’s experience at the White House Correspondent’s Dinner 04:15 Had trepidation about attending the event beforehand 05:45 It’s not the president’s event, it belongs to the press corp 07:30 Went through the back way to avoid the protests outside 09:15 The ballroom section can be secured from rest of the building 11:00 Guests must pass through magnetometers before entering ballroom 12:00 The gunman never made it down the stairs to the ballroom 14:00 About a minute after the waitstaff came out was when gunfire erupted 15:15 Everybody dropped to the ground immediately 16:00 Didn’t take long to realize shots didn’t occur in the ballroom 16:45 There was security personnel everywhere 17:15 Senior leadership was escorted out, then room went into lockdown 18:15 Attendees immediately went to work trying to find out what happened 19:15 Gunshots were behind closed doors, two floors up from the ballroom 20:15 Will never forget that night at the correspondent’s dinner 21:30 Chuck exited through the kitchen and out a back door 22:30 Even if program resumed, wasn’t going back to the event 23:00 Ran into the Fettermans on the street outside 24:15 Eventually found an Uber and went home 25:15 We’re living in a political tinderbox 25:45 High profile shootings are weirdly normal now, but not isolated 26:15 We’re growing more comfortable with & normalizing political violence 27:30 The Trump era ushered in a new environment of division & violence 28:30 “Did Trump cause this?” is the wrong question 29:30 Presidents don’t just govern, they set the tone for the country 30:45 Trump has publicly celebrated the deaths of political enemies 31:30 Trump uses existential language, sets a terrible tone 32:00 Everything is now framed through political grievance 32:45 Trump views being targeted as validation for his presidency 33:45 If Trump thinks he’s going to be martyred, he’ll take extra risks 34:45 Trump thrives on division, and escalation invites escalation 36:00 When everything is existential, anything becomes justifiable  36:30 Previous leaders knew how to turn temperature down, Trump doesn’t 37:30 Trump is pitting Americans against each other on purpose 39:45 We don’t have the leadership we need to meet the moment 40:45 We’re not doing anything to make political violence less likely 42:30 This era has been led by someone who supports violent rhetoric 43:30 This was not an isolated incident, it was a culmination of rhetoric & events 44:00 Two security vulnerabilities the shooter exploited 44:30 Loophole #1 was lack of security on Amtrak 45:30 Loophole #2 was shooter staying at the Hilton as a hotel guest 46:45 This wasn’t a security failure, it worked as intended 47:45 This incident had nothing to do with building the ballroom 48:45 There’s no such thing as 100% security against a lone wolf actor 49:30 The ballroom isn’t about security, it’s a vanity project 58:00 Pete Curran (Watch Duty) joins the Chuck ToddCast 59:30 Fire season in California is basically all twelve months now 1:00:45 Fire season used to only last a few months 1:01:30 Watch Duty became the must-have app during LA fires 1:02:00 What was the information flow to the public before Watch Duty? 1:02:45 Watch Duty updates fire information in real time 1:03:45 Previous to watch duty, official updates were only twice daily 1:05:15 The west had a wet winter, but not much snow. Bad for fire season 1:06:10 There were massive fires in Nebraska and Kansas in mid-March 1:06:45 California had its hottest March ever, Cat 5 cyclone in Pacific in April 1:07:15 It’s going to be a very significant fire season 1:08:15 Fuels are drying out this year at a record rate 1:09:30 Tropical storms on the west coast bring lightning that start fires 1:10:45 Humans are procrastinators, how do you advise them to prepare? 1:11:30 People should clear their properties of anything combustible 1:12:15 Does hosing the house and yard actually help? 1:13:00 In a big fire, water pressure becomes a massive problem 1:14:00 How can people build differently to adapt to fire threat? 1:14:45 New homes with non combustible roofs survived the LA fires 1:15:30 Firefighters assess which homes have been hardened during a fire 1:16:15 Wooden fences bring fire to the house 1:17:15 What’s the status of California utilities burying power lines? 1:18:30 Power companies have been proactive about fire danger 1:19:30 At some point burying lines won’t be a choice 1:20:15 Vulnerable communities will likely have to bear cost of burying lines 1:21:30 What fire conditions cause you to lose sleep? 1:23:15 Elevated danger conditions will begin around June 1:24:00 Experience of working for the fire service prior to becoming a meteorologist 1:25:30 Weather is the most important thing for firefighters to prepare for to stay safe 1:26:15 Firefighter organizations have a staff meteorologist & fire behavior analyst 1:27:15 Best practices now that meteorology has been infused with firefighting? 1:28:45 Every year we see new fire behavior that’s unprecedented 1:30:30 Remote, solar powered stations provide updated data once an hour 1:32:00 The more data meteorologists have… the better 1:32:30 Nobody in climate science denies that there’s global warming 1:33:00 Every year now becomes “the hottest year ever” 1:34:30 Fire seasons are getting worse globally, not just in western U.S. 1:35:30 There aren’t enough candidates to fill all the firefighting roles 1:37:30 Federal firefighting resources get moved seasonally 1:38:15 The biggest risk is fires breaking out everywhere at once 1:38:45 Federal resources have been cut & changed under Trump administration 1:39:45 The wake up call for this year was the massive fire in Nebraska in March 1:40:30 Colorado has been under red flag warnings 30 times already this year 1:41:00 The public gets “warning fatigue” leading them to not prepare 1:41:45 Watch Duty isn’t just in California, it serves the entire nation 1:42:15 Watch Duty will be adding flood warnings in the future 1:44:00 We have better data than ever, just need the resources & attention 1:45:00 If you live in an area prone to wildfires, download Watch Duty 1:45:45 ToddCast Time Machine May 1, 1960 1:47:00 Cold War tensions were rising, but felt manageable 1:47:30 U2 spy planes flew high above Soviet Union 1:48:00 U2 shot down over USSR, pilot parachuted to safety & was captured 1:48:45 US denied spy mission and called it a “weather monitoring plane” 1:49:15 Kruschev let the US lie to the world before revealing the truth 1:50:00 The issue wasn’t the spying, it was the lying to the public 1:50:30 Within a year we had the Bay of Pigs, American credibility takes a hit 1:51:15 Trust was already stretched after the McCarthy era 1:52:30 People stopped believing the government’s version of events 1:53:00 Ask Chuck 1:53:45 What advice would you give amateur podcasters? 1:58:30 How does a nation apologize to the world? 2:01:15 Could a Supreme Court vacancy increase GOP chances in midterms? 2:05:15 How can Democrats regain a foothold in Missouri? 2:10:30 Will Trump provoke strong polarized reactions long after his presidency? 2:14:15 How likely is it that Republicans can push back on Trump successfully? 2:16:30 Is there a scenario where Vance tries to distance himself from Trump? 2:20:30 NFL Draft reactionSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Pete Curran — meteorologist for Watch Duty, the nonprofit fire alert app that became indispensable for Californians during the devastating LA fires earlier this year — joins the Chuck Toddcast to discuss why fire season in the West is now effectively a 12-month phenomenon and what every American needs to know to prepare. Curran explains that Watch Duty has revolutionized real-time fire information by providing constant updates, replacing a system where the public previously got just twice-daily official updates that were dangerously inadequate during fast-moving emergencies. The conditions heading into 2026 are alarming: the West had a wet winter but very little snow, California recorded its hottest March ever, a Category 5 cyclone hit the Pacific in April, fuels are drying out at a record rate, and there were already massive fires in Nebraska and Kansas in mid-March that should serve as a wake-up call to a country that still thinks of wildfires as a California problem. Curran walks through what people can actually do to protect their homes, why they should consider non-combustible roofing, which he notes was the single biggest factor in determining which LA homes survived this year's fires. He explains that water pressure typically collapses during major fires (so hosing your house only helps so much), that firefighters now actively triage which homes have been "hardened" before deciding what to defend, and that California utilities are finally getting serious about burying power lines — though vulnerable communities will likely bear the cost. The conversation broadens into how meteorology and firefighting have become deeply integrated, and what's keeping experts up at night. Curran explains that weather is the single most important thing firefighters must prepare for to stay safe, and reveals that major firefighter organizations now employ staff meteorologists and fire behavior analysts on every incident. He flags serious concerns about firefighter staffing shortages, the fact that federal firefighting resources have been cut and reorganized under the Trump administration, and the biggest nightmare scenario: multiple major fires breaking out simultaneously across regions, leaving no resources to redeploy. His ultimate message is hopeful but urgent: we have better data than ever before, but data alone isn't enough — it requires the resources, attention, and personal preparation to actually save lives. Thank you Wildgrain for sponsoring. Visit http://wildgrain.com/TODDCAST and use the code "TODDCAST" at checkout to receive $30 off your first box PLUS free Croissants for life! Protect your family with life insurance from Ethos. Get up to $3 million in coverage in as little as 10 minutes at https://ethos.com/chuck. Application times may vary. Rates may vary. Link in bio or go to https://getsoul.com & enter code TODDCAST for 30% off your first order. Timeline: (Timestamps may vary based on advertisements) 00:00 Pete Curran (Watch Duty) joins the Chuck ToddCast 01:30 Fire season in California is basically all twelve months now 02:45 Fire season used to only last a few months 03:30 Watch Duty became the must-have app during LA fires 04:00 What was the information flow to the public before Watch Duty? 04:45 Watch Duty updates fire information in real time 05:45 Previous to watch duty, official updates were only twice daily 07:15 The west had a wet winter, but not much snow. Bad for fire season 08:10 There were massive fires in Nebraska and Kansas in mid-March 08:45 California had its hottest March ever, Cat 5 cyclone in Pacific in April 09:15 It’s going to be a very significant fire season 10:15 Fuels are drying out this year at a record rate 11:30 Tropical storms on the west coast bring lightning that start fires 12:45 Humans are procrastinators, how do you advise them to prepare? 13:30 People should clear their properties of anything combustible 14:15 Does hosing the house and yard actually help? 15:00 In a big fire, water pressure becomes a massive problem 16:00 How can people build differently to adapt to fire threat? 16:45 New homes with non combustible roofs survived the LA fires 17:30 Firefighters assess which homes have been hardened during a fire 18:15 Wooden fences bring fire to the house 19:15 What’s the status of California utilities burying power lines? 20:30 Power companies have been proactive about fire danger 21:30 At some point burying lines won’t be a choice 22:15 Vulnerable communities will likely have to bear cost of burying lines 23:30 What fire conditions cause you to lose sleep? 25:15 Elevated danger conditions will begin around June 26:00 Experience of working for the fire service prior to becoming a meteorologist 27:30 Weather is the most important thing for firefighters to prepare for to stay safe 28:15 Firefighter organizations have a staff meteoroligist & fire behavior analyst 29:15 Best practices now that meteorology has been infused with firefighting? 30:45 Every year we see new fire behavior that’s unprecedented 32:30 Remote, solar powered stations provide updated data once an hour 34:00 The more data meteorologists have… the better 34:30 Nobody in climate science denies that there’s global warming 35:00 Every year now becomes “the hottest year ever” 36:30 Fire seasons are getting worse globally, not just in western U.S. 37:30 There aren’t enough candidates to fill all the firefighting roles 39:30 Federal firefighting resources get moved seasonally 40:15 The biggest risk is fires breaking out everywhere at once 40:45 Federal resources have been cut & changed under Trump administration 41:45 The wake up call for this year was the massive fire in Nebraska in March 42:30 Colorado has been under red flag warnings 30 times already this year 43:00 The public gets “warning fatigue” leading them to not prepare 43:45 Watch Duty isn’t just in California, it serves the entire nation 44:15 Watch Duty will be adding flood warnings in the future 46:00 We have better data than ever, just need the resources & attentionSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Chuck Todd digs into the aftermath of the Virginia redistricting vote and finds plenty of blame to spread around — Democrats are gloating, Republicans are upset, and the whole episode confirms that partisan redistricting has become a race to the bottom with no one coming out clean. Henotes the "no" campaign in Virginia performed about as well as it realistically could, argues that not a single Republican had the guts to call out Texas's initial redistricting as wrong — meaning he has zero sympathy for the ones now complaining that Democrats responded in kind — and warns that gerrymandering is ultimately an insult to the founding fathers no matter who's doing it, even as he gives Democrats partial credit for at least putting the question to voters. He argues Trump's approval numbers portend a catastrophic midterm for the GOP, that Democrats' ceiling is around 40 House seats, and that incumbent Republicans will soon be desperate to distance themselves from Trump — though very few can credibly do so. On Iran, he says the Wall Street Journal editorial board unloaded on Trump, declaring that Tehran now thinks Trump is a sucker, and argues the president made everything worse by starting a war he doesn't have the guts to finish. He closes with a fascinating read on Tucker Carlson's public break with Trump, noting Trump has burned virtually every professional relationship he's ever had — but cautioning that it's genuinely hard to know what Carlson actually believes, that this could be a fake "heel turn," or that Tucker may be positioning himself for his own presidential run as the face of an anti-Trump MAGA movement. Finally, he answers listeners’ questions in the “Ask Chuck” segment and explains why he has reservations about NBA star Kevin Durant. Thank you Wildgrain for sponsoring. Visit http://wildgrain.com/TODDCAST and use the code "TODDCAST" at checkout to receive $30 off your first box PLUS free Croissants for life! Protect your family with life insurance from Ethos. Get up to $3 million in coverage in as little as 10 minutes at https://ethos.com/chuck. Application times may vary. Rates may vary. Link in bio or go to https://getsoul.com & enter code TODDCAST for 30% off your first order. Timeline: (Timestamps may vary based on advertisements) 00:00 Chuck Todd’s introduction 02:45 Democrats gloating and Republicans upset after Virginia referendum 03:45 Redistricting has become a race to the bottom 04:15 The “no” vote in Virginia did about as good as it could have 05:15 No Republican had the guts to say Texas redistricting was wrong 06:00 No sympathy for Republicans who don’t acknowledge Trump started this 06:30 Trump getting involved didn’t help the “No” campaign 07:30 Republicans need Trump’s base and can’t repudiate him 08:15 Trump’s approval numbers portend a catastrophic midterm for GOP 08:45 Democrats ceiling is around 40 seats in the house 09:45 Yes campaign required Obama to clarify his position on gerrymandering 11:30 Voters in northern Virginia have felt personally attacked by Trump 12:15 DOGE put a lot of people in northern Virginia out of work 13:00 More resources & attention wouldn’t have helped the “no” campaign 14:15 Incumbent Republicans will be desperate to distance from Trump 16:15 Not many Republicans can credibly distance themselves from Trump 17:45 We need to fix the infrastructure of democracy & have better incentives 19:15 Are Dems going to jam things down the voters’ throats like GOP does* 19:45 Emulating Trump’s tactics is bad for America 20:45 Gerrymandering is an insult to the founding fathers 21:45 Democrats get credit for at least going to the voters on redistricting 22:15 Florida’s state constitution bars partisan & racial gerrymandering 24:15 Florida gerrymander would look like “strips of bacon”, against constitution 25:15 Trump may bully Florida legislature into gerrymandering 26:45 The best Trump can hope for now is a deal similar to Obama’s nuclear deal 27:15 WSJ editorial board unloaded on Trump, said Iran thinks Trump is a sucker 28:15 Trump made everything worse with Iran 29:15 Trump doesn’t have the guys to finish the job, because it requires ground troops 30:15 The louder Trump squeals, the more you know the criticism is correct 31:45 Trump knows he made a massive mistake 33:00 It’s clear Trump doesn’t understand Iran & didn’t have a strategy 34:15 What to make of Tucker Carlson’s break with Trump? 35:00 Trump has burned every professional relationship he’s ever had 36:15 It’s hard to know what Carlson’s true motivations and beliefs are 37:30 There’s a real chance this is a fake “heel turn” by Carlson 39:15 Maybe Tucker believes he could be president as anti-Trump MAGA 45:45 Ask Chuck46:00 Joke about Trump being a lame duck46:45 Do you have a great story about Tim Russert?51:45 What is your project to get independents elected?55:15 Is there a meaningful distinction between MAGA & Republican?1:01:00 If a third party emerges, what do you think they’ll call themselves?1:04:00 How would the midterms be affected if Alito or Thomas retire in October?1:06:15 Is there any way Dems can reach the “own the libs” part of the electorate?1:10:15 Is there any way to stop gerrymandering? Your NFL draft strategy?1:18:00 Kevin Durant rantSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Chuck Todd digs into the aftermath of the Virginia redistricting vote and finds plenty of blame to spread around — Democrats are gloating, Republicans are upset, and the whole episode confirms that partisan redistricting has become a race to the bottom with no one coming out clean. Henotes the "no" campaign in Virginia performed about as well as it realistically could, argues that not a single Republican had the guts to call out Texas's initial redistricting as wrong — meaning he has zero sympathy for the ones now complaining that Democrats responded in kind — and warns that gerrymandering is ultimately an insult to the founding fathers no matter who's doing it, even as he gives Democrats partial credit for at least putting the question to voters. He argues Trump's approval numbers portend a catastrophic midterm for the GOP, that Democrats' ceiling is around 40 House seats, and that incumbent Republicans will soon be desperate to distance themselves from Trump — though very few can credibly do so. On Iran, he says the Wall Street Journal editorial board unloaded on Trump, declaring that Tehran now thinks Trump is a sucker, and argues the president made everything worse by starting a war he doesn't have the guts to finish. He closes with a fascinating read on Tucker Carlson's public break with Trump, noting Trump has burned virtually every professional relationship he's ever had — but cautioning that it's genuinely hard to know what Carlson actually believes, that this could be a fake "heel turn," or that Tucker may be positioning himself for his own presidential run as the face of an anti-Trump MAGA movement. Then, veteran trial lawyers Mark Lanier and Rahul Ravipudi — the legal team that just won a landmark bellwether verdict against Meta and YouTube — join the Chuck Toddcast to explain how civil litigation is doing more to rein in big tech than the federal government has managed in a decade. They walk through how they persuaded a jury that these platforms engaged in negligent and punitive conduct toward children, systematically dismantling the "it's on the parents" defense by showing that parents simply aren't equipped to manage what amounts to engineered addiction — and that when that addiction takes hold in children, it causes irreparable harm by literally rewiring developing brains. They reveal that Meta's own internal research documents were devastating at trial, that former tech employees took the stand to call out the companies' safety practices, and that these platforms behaved exactly like Big Tobacco did — knowing the harm was real and burying the evidence. They break down how they proved addiction by design: endless scroll, autoplay, slot-machine psychology, and deliberately hidden safety features all created to maximize "time spent," a corporate metric fundamentally at odds with user wellbeing.  The conversation gets into the nuts and bolts of the legal strategy and what comes next. Lanier and Ravipudi describe cross-examining Mark Zuckerberg, who they say couldn't handle basic questions about protecting kids, and explain why YouTube's defense — that it's a streaming service like Netflix rather than social media — collapsed once its own internal documents consistently referred to the platform as "social media." They explain that this is a bellwether case, meaning the judge used nine representative cases to establish facts and conditions that will now apply to roughly 3,000 other pending cases, with eight more trials coming and a settlement fund likely in the companies' future. The attorneys discuss whether tech companies are simply pricing these verdicts in as a cost of doing business (they argue settling would actually be a PR boon for the platforms), draw parallels and distinctions between big tech and tobacco, and offer concrete policy recommendations: a meaningful minimum age requirement, scrapping Section 230, nighttime curfews for minors, and removing the endless scroll. Their bottom line: tech companies won't do the right thing unless they're forced to, and the legal system is finally catching up to what regulators refused to address. Finally, he answers listeners’ questions in the “Ask Chuck” segment and explains why he has reservations about NBA star Kevin Durant. Thank you Wildgrain for sponsoring. Visit http://wildgrain.com/TODDCAST and use the code "TODDCAST" at checkout to receive $30 off your first box PLUS free Croissants for life! Protect your family with life insurance from Ethos. Get up to $3 million in coverage in as little as 10 minutes at https://ethos.com/chuck. Application times may vary. Rates may vary. Link in bio or go to https://getsoul.com & enter code TODDCAST for 30% off your first order. Timeline: (Timestamps may vary based on advertisements) 00:00 Chuck Todd’s introduction 05:30 Democrats gloating and Republicans upset after Virginia referendum 06:30 Redistricting has become a race to the bottom 07:00 The “no” vote in Virginia did about as good as it could have 08:00 No Republican had the guts to say Texas redistricting was wrong 08:45 No sympathy for Republicans who don’t acknowledge Trump started this 09:15 Trump getting involved didn’t help the “No” campaign 10:15 Republicans need Trump’s base and can’t repudiate him 11:00 Trump’s approval numbers portend a catastrophic midterm for GOP 11:30 Democrats ceiling is around 40 seats in the house 12:30 Yes campaign required Obama to clarify his position on gerrymandering 14:15 Voters in northern Virginia have felt personally attacked by Trump 15:00 DOGE put a lot of people in northern Virginia out of work 15:45 More resources & attention wouldn’t have helped the “no” campaign 17:00 Incumbent Republicans will be desperate to distance from Trump 19:00 Not many Republicans can credibly distance themselves from Trump 20:30 We need to fix the infrastructure of democracy & have better incentives 22:00 Are Dems going to jam things down the voters’ throats like GOP does* 22:30 Emulating Trump’s tactics is bad for America 23:30 Gerrymandering is an insult to the founding fathers 24:30 Democrats get credit for at least going to the voters on redistricting 25:00 Florida’s state constitution bars partisan & racial gerrymandering 27:00 Florida gerrymander would look like “strips of bacon”, against constitution 28:00 Trump may bully Florida legislature into gerrymandering 29:30 The best Trump can hope for now is a deal similar to Obama’s nuclear deal 30:00 WSJ editorial board unloaded on Trump, said Iran thinks Trump is a sucker 31:00 Trump made everything worse with Iran 32:00 Trump doesn’t have the guys to finish the job, because it requires ground troops 33:00 The louder Trump squeals, the more you know the criticism is correct 34:30 Trump knows he made a massive mistake 35:45 It’s clear Trump doesn’t understand Iran & didn’t have a strategy 37:00 What to make of Tucker Carlson’s break with Trump? 37:45 Trump has burned every professional relationship he’s ever had 39:00 It’s hard to know what Carlson’s true motivations and beliefs are 40:15 There’s a real chance this is a fake “heel turn” by Carlson 42:00 Maybe Tucker believes he could be president as anti-Trump MAGA 49:45 Mark Lanier & Rahul Ravipudi join the Chuck ToddCast 52:15 Civil litigation is doing more to rein in big tech than government 52:45 You can’t fight big tech without an army of lawyers 53:45 Meta & Youtube found liable by jury of negligence & punitive conduct 55:15 How did you push back on the narrative of “parental challenges”? 56:15 Parents aren’t equipped to control kids social media addiction/use 57:00 Addiction in children is an irreparable harm, brain is rewired 58:00 Meta’s own internal research documents were damning 59:15 Without guardrails, tech companies race to the bottom for engagement 1:00:15 Tech companies behaved just like big tobacco, knew harm was real 1:01:45 Former tech employees called out safety practices at trial 1:02:45 How did you prove addiction at trial? 1:04:00 Proved the companies deliberately made products more addictive 1:04:45 Endless scroll, autoplay and slot machine science used to trap you 1:06:15 Platforms make it hard to access or find safety features 1:07:15 Goal of “increasing time spent” is at odds with users well-being 1:09:30 Architect for Youtube algorithm was forced to take the stand 1:10:15 Architect proposed changing algorithm for kids, didn’t happen 1:11:15 TikTok & Snapchat settled, did that clear the way to win in court? 1:13:15 Plaintiffs had finished discovery before any settlements 1:14:15 Youtube’s lawyer argued it’s a streaming platform and not social media 1:16:00 Despite their protests, Youtube is not like Netflix because of features 1:17:45 Exhaustive internal documents refer to Youtube as “social media” 1:19:15 How was the experience of cross-examining Mark Zuckerberg? 1:20:45 Zuckerberg couldn’t handle some very basic questions about kids 1:22:45 What makes this case a “bellwether case”? 1:24:15 Judge used 9 cases to determine facts & conditions for other 3,000 1:26:15 8 more trials are upcoming 1:27:45 Companies will likely need to create a settlement fund 1:28:15 Similarities and differences between big tech & tobacco companies 1:30:15 Companies achieved a critical mass of kids using the product 1:31:45 Are companies pricing in penalties/settlements as “cost of doing business”? 1:33:00 Settling these cases would be a PR boon for these companies 1:34:30 Preview of the upcoming trials against the tech companies 1:36:45 What are some good guardrails congress can put on the tech companies? 1:38:30 An age limit of would do good, as would scrapping Section 230 1:40:15 A nighttime curfew and removing the endless scroll also has benefits 1:41:30 There’s no law mandating 25 years of age to rent car, industry imposed it 1:42:15 Companies might self-regulate after losing lawsuits 1:43:30 These companies won’t do the right thing unless forced to do so 1:44:00 Expectations for the appeals process? 1:45:45 What year do you expect all of these cases to be fully resolved? 1:47:15 A recommendation algorithm should make a platform a publisher 1:49:15 It will likely take years before we see big tech make serious changes 1:50:15 Ask Chuck 1:50:30 Joke about Trump being a lame duck 1:51:15 Do you have a great story about Tim Russert? 1:56:15 What is your project to get independents elected? 1:59:45 Is there a meaningful distinction between MAGA & Republican? 2:05:30 If a third party emerges, what do you think they’ll call themselves? 2:08:30 How would the midterms be affected if Alito or Thomas retire in October? 2:10:45 Is there any way Dems can reach the “own the libs” part of the electorate? 2:14:45 Is there any way to stop gerrymandering? Your NFL draft strategy? 2:22:30 Kevin Durant rantSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Veteran trial lawyers Mark Lanier and Rahul Ravipudi — the legal team that just won a landmark bellwether verdict against Meta and YouTube — join the Chuck Toddcast to explain how civil litigation is doing more to rein in big tech than the federal government has managed in a decade. They walk through how they persuaded a jury that these platforms engaged in negligent and punitive conduct toward children, systematically dismantling the "it's on the parents" defense by showing that parents simply aren't equipped to manage what amounts to engineered addiction — and that when that addiction takes hold in children, it causes irreparable harm by literally rewiring developing brains. They reveal that Meta's own internal research documents were devastating at trial, that former tech employees took the stand to call out the companies' safety practices, and that these platforms behaved exactly like Big Tobacco did — knowing the harm was real and burying the evidence. They break down how they proved addiction by design: endless scroll, autoplay, slot-machine psychology, and deliberately hidden safety features all created to maximize "time spent," a corporate metric fundamentally at odds with user wellbeing.  The conversation gets into the nuts and bolts of the legal strategy and what comes next. Lanier and Ravipudi describe cross-examining Mark Zuckerberg, who they say couldn't handle basic questions about protecting kids, and explain why YouTube's defense — that it's a streaming service like Netflix rather than social media — collapsed once its own internal documents consistently referred to the platform as "social media." They explain that this is a bellwether case, meaning the judge used nine representative cases to establish facts and conditions that will now apply to roughly 3,000 other pending cases, with eight more trials coming and a settlement fund likely in the companies' future. The attorneys discuss whether tech companies are simply pricing these verdicts in as a cost of doing business (they argue settling would actually be a PR boon for the platforms), draw parallels and distinctions between big tech and tobacco, and offer concrete policy recommendations: a meaningful minimum age requirement, scrapping Section 230, nighttime curfews for minors, and removing the endless scroll. Their bottom line: tech companies won't do the right thing unless they're forced to, and the legal system is finally catching up to what regulators refused to address. Thank you Wildgrain for sponsoring. Visit http://wildgrain.com/TODDCAST and use the code "TODDCAST" at checkout to receive $30 off your first box PLUS free Croissants for life! Protect your family with life insurance from Ethos. Get up to $3 million in coverage in as little as 10 minutes at https://ethos.com/chuck. Application times may vary. Rates may vary. Link in bio or go to https://getsoul.com & enter code TODDCAST for 30% off your first order. Timeline: (Timestamps may vary based on advertisements) 00:00 Mark Lanier & Rahul Ravipudi join the Chuck ToddCast 02:30 Civil litigation is doing more to rein in big tech than government 03:00 You can’t fight big tech without an army of lawyers 04:00 Meta & Youtube found liable by jury of negligence & punitive conduct 05:30 How did you push back on the narrative of “parental challenges”? 06:30 Parents aren’t equipped to control kids social media addiction/use 07:15 Addiction in children is an irreparable harm, brain is rewired 08:15 Meta’s own internal research documents were damning 09:30 Without guardrails, tech companies race to the bottom for engagement 10:30 Tech companies behaved just like big tobacco, knew harm was real 12:00 Former tech employees called out safety practices at trial 13:00 How did you prove addiction at trial? 14:15 Proved the companies deliberately made products more addictive 15:00 Endless scroll, autoplay and slot machine science used to trap you 16:30 Platforms make it hard to access or find safety features 17:30 Goal of “increasing time spent” is at odds with users well-being 19:45 Architect for Youtube algorithm was forced to take the stand 20:30 Architect proposed changing algorithm for kids, didn’t happen 21:30 TikTok & Snapchat settled, did that clear the way to win in court? 23:30 Plaintiffs had finished discovery before any settlements 24:30 Youtube’s lawyer argued it’s a streaming platform and not social media 26:15 Despite their protests, Youtube is not like Netflix because of features 28:00 Exhaustive internal documents refer to Youtube as “social media” 29:30 How was the experience of cross-examining Mark Zuckerberg? 31:00 Zuckerberg couldn’t handle some very basic questions about kids 33:00 What makes this case a “bellwether case”? 34:30 Judge used 9 cases to determine facts & conditions for other 3,000 36:30 8 more trials are upcoming 38:00 Companies will likely need to create a settlement fund 38:30 Similarities and differences between big tech & tobacco companies 40:30 Companies achieved a critical mass of kids using the product 42:00 Are companies pricing in penalties/settlements as “cost of doing business”? 43:15 Settling these cases would be a PR boon for these companies 44:45 Preview of the upcoming trials against the tech companies 47:00 What are some good guardrails congress can put on the tech companies? 48:45 An age limit of would do good, as would scrapping Section 230 50:30 A nighttime curfew and removing the endless scroll also has benefits 51:45 There’s no law mandating 25 years of age to rent car, industry imposed it 52:30 Companies might self-regulate after losing lawsuits 53:45 These companies won’t do the right thing unless forced to do so 54:15 Expectations for the appeals process? 56:00 What year do you expect all of these cases to be fully resolved? 57:30 A recommendation algorithm should make a platform a publisherSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Chuck Todd unpacks a night of significant Democratic wins — starting with Virginia voters passing the controversial redistricting measure, a result that hands Democrats a meaningful victory but at what Chuck argues is a steep cost. He questions whether Democrats are trading their most valuable brand asset, being seen as "the rule followers," for a short-term partisan gain they may not need: if Democrats narrowly win the House majority thanks to redistricting, then the gamble worked — but independents, who were already souring on partisan games, aren't likely to give Democrats the benefit of the doubt going forward. He warns that Abigail Spanberger, who wanted to govern from the center but was forced into the role of a partisan warrior to get this done, may not recover politically from the episode. He then turns to Iran, where Trump has unilaterally extended the ceasefire indefinitely because he can't actually land a deal — Iran won the second round of negotiations simply by not showing up, the Chinese will eventually have to step in to pressure Tehran, and Trump is now visibly signaling desperation, meaning he'll be lucky to walk away with terms similar to what Obama negotiated years ago. He calls the war a strategic disaster worse than Iraq that will permanently taint the presidential prospects of both Marco Rubio and JD Vance, and closes with the big political picture: overall it was a terrible night for Republicans, new polling shows Democrats suddenly competitive in rural Midwestern states, all the data points to Democratic momentum heading into the midterms, the economy will be deeply unpopular by Election Day, and the only real advantage Republicans have left is money — a boon he argues is consistently overstated when the political environment is this bad for the party in power. Finally Chuck reveals his ToddCast Top 5 most overlooked races for the midterm elections and answers questions in the “Ask Chuck” segment. Thank you Wildgrain for sponsoring. Visit http://wildgrain.com/TODDCAST and use the code "TODDCAST" at checkout to receive $30 off your first box PLUS free Croissants for life! Protect your family with life insurance from Ethos. Get up to $3 million in coverage in as little as 10 minutes at https://ethos.com/chuck. Application times may vary. Rates may vary. Link in bio or go to https://getsoul.com & enter code TODDCAST for 30% off your first order. Timeline: (Timestamps may vary based on advertisements) 00:00 Chuck Todd’s introduction 01:15 Virginia voters pass redistricting measure, a big win for Democrats 03:00 Strength of Democratic party was being viewed as the “rule followers” 03:45 Democrats won’t get the benefit of the doubt with independents 04:45 There was a path to 8-3 for Dems with the original map 06:15 If Dems narrowly win the house majority, then redistricting worked 07:00 Dems are closer to winning now, but at what cost? 08:30 Spanberger wants to govern from center, but had to be a partisan warrior 10:30 Filing deadline for Virginia is FRIDAY, will we see GOP retirements? 11:00 Court case could disqualify the referendum 12:30 Florida likely to redistrict in response to Virginia 14:00 Florida redistricting makes a lot of light red districts that are vulnerable 15:30 These partisan acts will increase appetite for a third party 17:15 Abigail Spanberger may not recover politically from this 18:15 Trump can’t get Iran deal, unilaterally extends ceasefire indefinitely  19:00 Iran has won the second round of negotiations by not showing up 19:45 At some point the Chinese will put pressure on Iran to end this 20:30 Trump started a war he wasn’t prepared to finish 21:15 This war has been a strategic disaster, even worse than Iraq 22:00 Trump will be lucky to get terms similar to what Obama got 22:45 Trump is signaling to Iran that he’s desperate for a deal 24:30 The war will taint presidential chances for Rubio & Vance 25:15 Overall, it’s been a disastrous night for Republicans 26:00 We will have a very unpopular economy when the midterms arrive 26:30 New polling shows Democrats are competitive in rural midwest states 27:45 All the data shows Democratic momentum going into the midterms 28:15 The only advantage Republicans have is money 29:30 Tuesday was a really good day for team blue, and bad for team red 35:00 ToddCast Top 5 overlooked races this election cycle 36:00 #5 Florida governor 41:00 #4 Oregon governor 44:00 #3 Alabama governor 47:00 #2 Texas governor 51:30 #1 Minnesota senate 55:30 Ask Chuck 55:45 Would it be worse for Spanberger politically to lose redistricting fight? 58:15 Who in Trump’s orbit would be willing to invoke the 25th amendment? 1:02:15 Thoughts on Vance & importance of “political athleticism” for GOP in ‘28? 1:08:30 What are the long term impacts if Trump pulls out of NATO? 1:11:45 Which piece of legislation does the opposite party most misunderstand? 1:18:15 Do our elected officials actually understand China?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Chuck Todd unpacks a night of significant Democratic wins — starting with Virginia voters passing the controversial redistricting measure, a result that hands Democrats a meaningful victory but at what Chuck argues is a steep cost. He questions whether Democrats are trading their most valuable brand asset, being seen as "the rule followers," for a short-term partisan gain they may not need: if Democrats narrowly win the House majority thanks to redistricting, then the gamble worked — but independents, who were already souring on partisan games, aren't likely to give Democrats the benefit of the doubt going forward. He warns that Abigail Spanberger, who wanted to govern from the center but was forced into the role of a partisan warrior to get this done, may not recover politically from the episode. He then turns to Iran, where Trump has unilaterally extended the ceasefire indefinitely because he can't actually land a deal — Iran won the second round of negotiations simply by not showing up, the Chinese will eventually have to step in to pressure Tehran, and Trump is now visibly signaling desperation, meaning he'll be lucky to walk away with terms similar to what Obama negotiated years ago. He calls the war a strategic disaster worse than Iraq that will permanently taint the presidential prospects of both Marco Rubio and JD Vance, and closes with the big political picture: overall it was a terrible night for Republicans, new polling shows Democrats suddenly competitive in rural Midwestern states, all the data points to Democratic momentum heading into the midterms, the economy will be deeply unpopular by Election Day, and the only real advantage Republicans have left is money — a boon he argues is consistently overstated when the political environment is this bad for the party in power. Then, Doug Sosnik — the veteran Democratic strategist, former Clinton White House political director, and one of the sharpest big-picture thinkers in American politics — joins the Chuck Toddcast for a sweeping conversation about where the country is headed and whether either party is prepared to meet the moment. Sosnik argues that every election cycle has a defining event that sets the political weather, and for 2026 it's unambiguously the Iran war — but with early voting expanding the calendar, the window for Republicans to fix their problems is razor thin. He breaks the American electorate into three buckets and notes that the critical 15% of swing voters who tend to align culturally with Trump have now turned against him, that the Republican brand actually outperforms both the Democratic brand and the MAGA brand in polling, and that the Democratic brand stubbornly refuses to improve despite Trump's failures — meaning the 2028 nominee, not the party label, will determine who wins. They identify a potential 60% majority that's fed up with the system itself, arguing that America has moved away from meritocracy toward family wealth in ways that demand creating a new ladder to middle-class life for non-college voters, and delivers a blunt generational verdict: real change won't happen until the boomers exit the stage, and 2028 will be like 1960 — the election that defines post-Trump America. The conversation turns to the future of both parties, and Sosnik's analysis is bracingly unsentimental. He notes that more Republicans now identify with the GOP brand than with MAGA, that Vance lacks the charisma to inherit Trump's movement, and that the Trump family has been testing Don Jr.'s name in polling. They warn that the country doesn't want to vote Republican in 2028 but lacks confidence in Democrats, and point to the UK where both major parties are in danger of being replaced by insurgent movements. He closes with a candid assessment of the 2028 Democratic field — the weakest since 2004, with Rahm Emmanuel as the only candidate putting out real policy.The winner in 2028, Sosnik predicts, will be on the side of breaking things rather than defending the status quo, because the animating force in American politics on both the left and the right is now unmistakably populist. Finally Chuck reveals his ToddCast Top 5 most overlooked races for the midterm elections and answers questions in the “Ask Chuck” segment. Thank you Wildgrain for sponsoring. Visit http://wildgrain.com/TODDCAST and use the code "TODDCAST" at checkout to receive $30 off your first box PLUS free Croissants for life! Protect your family with life insurance from Ethos. Get up to $3 million in coverage in as little as 10 minutes at https://ethos.com/chuck. Application times may vary. Rates may vary. Link in bio or go to https://getsoul.com & enter code TODDCAST for 30% off your first order. Timeline: (Timestamps may vary based on advertisements) 00:00 Chuck Todd’s introduction 01:15 Virginia voters pass redistricting measure, a big win for Democrats 03:00 Strength of Democratic party was being viewed as the “rule followers” 03:45 Democrats won’t get the benefit of the doubt with independents 04:45 There was a path to 8-3 for Dems with the original map 06:15 If Dems narrowly win the house majority, then redistricting worked 07:00 Dems are closer to winning now, but at what cost? 08:30 Spanberger wants to govern from center, but had to be a partisan warrior 10:30 Filing deadline for Virginia is FRIDAY, will we see GOP retirements? 11:00 Court case could disqualify the referendum 12:30 Florida likely to redistrict in response to Virginia 14:00 Florida redistricting makes a lot of light red districts that are vulnerable 15:30 These partisan acts will increase appetite for a third party 17:15 Abigail Spanberger may not recover politically from this 18:15 Trump can’t get Iran deal, unilaterally extends ceasefire indefinitely  19:00 Iran has won the second round of negotiations by not showing up 19:45 At some point the Chinese will put pressure on Iran to end this 20:30 Trump started a war he wasn’t prepared to finish 21:15 This war has been a strategic disaster, even worse than Iraq 22:00 Trump will be lucky to get terms similar to what Obama got 22:45 Trump is signaling to Iran that he’s desperate for a deal 24:30 The war will taint presidential chances for Rubio & Vance 25:15 Overall, it’s been a disastrous night for Republicans 26:00 We will have a very unpopular economy when the midterms arrive 26:30 New polling shows Democrats are competitive in rural midwest states 27:45 All the data shows Democratic momentum going into the midterms 28:15 The only advantage Republicans have is money 29:30 Tuesday was a really good day for team blue, and bad for team red 36:15 Doug Sosnik joins The Chuck ToddCast38:45 How much can the political environment change by midterms?39:30 Every election cycle has a moment that sets the political weather40:15 Iran war will be the defining event heading into midterms41:30 With early voting, the window for Republicans to fix things is small42:15 There used to be a correlation between economic numbers & mood42:45 Average economic numbers are good, the mean numbers aren’t44:15 We’ve moved away from meritocracy to family wealth45:15 We have to create a ladder to middle class life for non-college voters46:00 There’s a 60% majority to be had that’s fed up with the system itself47:15 Politics is a lagging, not a leading indicator for voters’ concerns48:00 The three buckets of American voters48:30 The 15% swing voters align more with Trump, vote against incumbents49:15 Trump has lost the swing voting third group50:45 Progressives want their own presidency51:30 Real change won’t happen until the boomers exit the stage52:30 The 2028 election will be like 1960, define future of America post-Trump54:45 More Republicans identifying with GOP than with MAGA55:30 Republican party outperforms Dems & MAGA in polling56:00 Democratic brand isn’t improving despite Trump’s failings56:30 The 2028 Democratic nominee will determine who wins the election57:15 3 recent campaigns became movements, Reagan, Obama & Trump59:30 Vance doesn’t have the charisma to pick up Trump’s movement 1:00:15 Trumps have been testing Don Jr’s name in polling1:02:30 Country doesn’t want to vote GOP in ‘28 but lack confidence in dems1:03:45 Two major parties in the UK are in danger of being replaced1:04:45 If independents win ‘26 will there be real appetite for one in ‘28?1:06:45 Both parties are likely to go by the wayside, like other institutions1:07:15 Lessons from Hungary?1:08:30 Trump has become toxic to far-right parties around the world1:10:30 For the last half century, both parties have been pragmatic about nominees1:11:15 Progressives have gotten their agenda but not their candidates1:13:00 The 2026 political environment is highly favorable for Dems1:14:30 400 house seats aren’t even considered competitive1:15:30 Senate map is tough for Democrats despite the political climate1:16:00 If Democrats win in Iowa, that’s a sign of a wave election1:17:15 No state has been more impacted by war & tariffs than Iowa1:18:30 There are 25 rural states that Dems aren’t competitive in1:19:15 Can’t be a majority party if you only win college educated voters1:20:00 Republicans nationally have a massive money advantage1:21:15 Money is an overstated advantage1:21:45 Trump’s base hasn’t turned out to vote when he isn’t on the ballot1:23:30 How can Democrats court cranky swing state independent voters?1:25:00 The problem is with incentives, candidates more likely to lose a primary1:26:15 Working class voters felt culturally more connected to Trump than to Biden1:27:00 If Biden had a Republican senate, would Dems have a better brand today?1:28:00 Biden didn’t truly have a political base, ran presidency to satisfy interest groups1:28:45 Without Covid, Biden doesn’t win in 20201:30:45 ‘28 candidates must articulate why they are running & find their voice1:31:45 Dems have their weakest field since 20041:32:15 Rahm Emmanuel is the only ‘28 hopeful putting out real policy1:33:45 Newsom is more substantive than he gets credit for, but he’s also performative1:35:15 Last time Dems lost popular vote was nominating San Francisco & Boston dems1:36:45 Winner will be on the side of breaking things rather than defending status quo1:37:45 Animating force in American politics is the populist left & right 1:40:00 We know the Democrats will win in midterms, the question by how much 1:41:00 ToddCast Top 5 overlooked races this election cycle 1:42:00 #5 Florida governor 1:47:00 #4 Oregon governor 1:50:00 #3 Alabama governor 1:53:00 #2 Texas governor 1:57:30 #1 Minnesota senate 2:01:30 Ask Chuck 2:01:45 Would it be worse for Spanberger politically to lose redistricting fight? 2:04:15 Who in Trump’s orbit would be willing to invoke the 25th amendment? 2:08:15 Thoughts on Vance & importance of “political athleticism” for GOP in ‘28? 2:14:30 What are the long term impacts if Trump pulls out of NATO? 2:17:45 Which piece of legislation does the opposite party most misunderstand? 2:24:15 Do our elected officials actually understand China?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Doug Sosnik — the veteran Democratic strategist, former Clinton White House political director, and one of the sharpest big-picture thinkers in American politics — joins the Chuck Toddcast for a sweeping conversation about where the country is headed and whether either party is prepared to meet the moment. Sosnik argues that every election cycle has a defining event that sets the political weather, and for 2026 it's unambiguously the Iran war — but with early voting expanding the calendar, the window for Republicans to fix their problems is razor thin. He breaks the American electorate into three buckets and notes that the critical 15% of swing voters who tend to align culturally with Trump have now turned against him, that the Republican brand actually outperforms both the Democratic brand and the MAGA brand in polling, and that the Democratic brand stubbornly refuses to improve despite Trump's failures — meaning the 2028 nominee, not the party label, will determine who wins. They identify a potential 60% majority that's fed up with the system itself, arguing that America has moved away from meritocracy toward family wealth in ways that demand creating a new ladder to middle-class life for non-college voters, and delivers a blunt generational verdict: real change won't happen until the boomers exit the stage, and 2028 will be like 1960 — the election that defines post-Trump America. The conversation turns to the future of both parties, and Sosnik's analysis is bracingly unsentimental. He notes that more Republicans now identify with the GOP brand than with MAGA, that Vance lacks the charisma to inherit Trump's movement, and that the Trump family has been testing Don Jr.'s name in polling. They warn that the country doesn't want to vote Republican in 2028 but lacks confidence in Democrats, and point to the UK where both major parties are in danger of being replaced by insurgent movements. He closes with a candid assessment of the 2028 Democratic field — the weakest since 2004, with Rahm Emmanuel as the only candidate putting out real policy.The winner in 2028, Sosnik predicts, will be on the side of breaking things rather than defending the status quo, because the animating force in American politics on both the left and the right is now unmistakably populist. Thank you Wildgrain for sponsoring. Visit http://wildgrain.com/TODDCAST and use the code "TODDCAST" at checkout to receive $30 off your first box PLUS free Croissants for life! Protect your family with life insurance from Ethos. Get up to $3 million in coverage in as little as 10 minutes at https://ethos.com/chuck. Application times may vary. Rates may vary. Link in bio or go to https://getsoul.com & enter code TODDCAST for 30% off your first order. Timeline: (Timestamps may vary based on advertisements) 00:00 Doug Sosnik joins The Chuck ToddCast 02:30 How much can the political environment change by midterms? 03:15 Every election cycle has a moment that sets the political weather 04:00 Iran war will be the defining event heading into midterms 05:15 With early voting, the window for Republicans to fix things is small 06:00 There used to be a correlation between economic numbers & mood 06:30 Average economic numbers are good, the mean numbers aren’t  08:00 We’ve moved away from meritocracy to family wealth 09:00 We have to create a ladder to middle class life for non-college voters 09:45 There’s a 60% majority to be had that’s fed up with the system itself 11:00 Politics is a lagging, not a leading indicator for voters’ concerns 11:45 The three buckets of American voters 12:15 The 15% swing voters align more with Trump, vote against incumbents 13:00 Trump has lost the swing voting third group 14:30 Progressives want their own presidency 15:15 Real change won’t happen until the boomers exit the stage 16:15 The 2028 election will be like 1960, define future of America post-Trump 18:30 More Republicans identifying with GOP than with MAGA 19:15 Republican party outperforms Dems & MAGA in polling 19:45 Democratic brand isn’t improving despite Trump’s failings 20:15 The 2028 Democratic nominee will determine who wins the election 21:00 3 recent campaigns became movements, Reagan, Obama & Trump 23:15 Vance doesn’t have the charisma to pick up Trump’s movement 24:00 Trumps have been testing Don Jr’s name in polling 26:15 Country doesn’t want to vote GOP in ‘28 but lack confidence in dems 27:30 Two major parties in the UK are in danger of being replaced 28:30 If independents win ‘26 will there be real appetite for one in ‘28? 30:30 Both parties are likely to go by the wayside, like other institutions 31:00 Lessons from Hungary? 32:15 Trump has become toxic to far-right parties around the world 34:15 For the last half century, both parties have been pragmatic about nominees 35:00 Progressives have gotten their agenda but not their candidates 36:45 The 2026 political environment is highly favorable for Dems 38:15 400 house seats aren’t even considered competitive 39:15 Senate map is tough for Democrats despite the political climate 39:45 If Democrats win in Iowa, that’s a sign of a wave election 41:00 No state has been more impacted by war & tariffs than Iowa 42:15 There are 25 rural states that Dems aren’t competitive in  43:00 Can’t be a majority party if you only win college educated voters 43:45 Republicans nationally have a massive money advantage 45:00 Money is an overstated advantage 45:30 Trump’s base hasn’t turned out to vote when he isn’t on the ballot 47:15 How can Democrats court cranky swing state independent voters? 48:45 The problem is with incentives, candidates more likely to lose a primary 50:00 Working class voters felt culturally more connected to Trump than to Biden 50:45 If Biden had a Republican senate, would Dems have a better brand today? 51:45 Biden didn’t truly have a political base, ran presidency to satisfy interest groups 52:30 Without Covid, Biden doesn’t win in 2020 54:30 ‘28 candidates must articulate why they are running & find their voice 55:30 Dems have their weakest field since 2004 56:00 Rahm Emmanuel is the only ‘28 hopeful putting out real policy 57:30 Newsom is more substantive than he gets credit for, but he’s also performative 59:00 Last time Dems lost popular vote was nominating San Francisco & Boston dems 1:00:30 Winner will be on the side of breaking things rather than defending status quo 1:01:30 Animating force in American politics is the populist left & rightSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Chuck Todd surveys a dire geopolitical landscape where the Strait of Hormuz remains closed, fuel rationing has begun in many places around the globe, and the Trump administration is scrambling to extend a fragile ceasefire with Iran — sending JD Vance back to Pakistan for another round of talks, a move Chuck says signals genuine desperation to end a war that has become a generational foreign policy disaster. Heargues that Iran's control of the strait is now a greater deterrent than nuclear weapons ever were, that the Iranians know Trump is on the clock and that time is firmly on Tehran's side — meaning the best Trump can realistically hope for is a deal that looks remarkably like the Obama nuclear agreement he once shredded. Oil and stock markets appear divorced from reality while energy markets are in major distress, China's position has been strengthened enormously and Netanyahu has effectively suckered Trump into a mess that will define American foreign policy for a generation. He then unpacks a bombshell Atlantic report painting FBI Director Kash Patel as absent, unreliable, and allegedly drunk on the job — noting that just because it's a "hit piece" doesn't mean it's not true, that rank-and-file intelligence professionals don't trust the people leading their agencies, and that Patel himself believes he's about to be fired because Trump personally despises anecdotes about drinking. He closes with Virginia's redistricting referendum, which ends Tuesday and looks likely to pass, but he questions whether Democrats are making a smart investment — blowing enormous political capital and damaging Governor Abigail Spanberger's brand to pick up only two House seats, a tradeoff that may not be worth the cost. Finally, Chuck hops into the ToddCast Time Machine to revisit America’s first war of choice: The Spanish American War. He also answers listeners’ questions in the “Ask Chuck” segment.  Thank you Wildgrain for sponsoring. Visit http://wildgrain.com/TODDCAST and use the code "TODDCAST" at checkout to receive $30 off your first box PLUS free Croissants for life! Protect your family with life insurance from Ethos. Get up to $3 million in coverage in as little as 10 minutes at https://ethos.com/chuck. Application times may vary. Rates may vary. Link in bio or go to https://getsoul.com & enter code TODDCAST for 30% off your first order.   Timeline: (Timestamps may vary based on advertisements) 00:00 Chuck Todd’s introduction 02:30 We’re in a precious position. Strait of Hormuz closed & fuel rationing is coming03:30 Expect some sort of extension of the current ceasefire agreement04:15 JD Vance headed back to Pakistan for another round of talks05:00 Sending Vance shows they’re serious about trying to end war05:45 Trump is desperate to get out of the war06:30 Control of Strait of Hormuz is a greater deterrent than nukes07:30 Oil & stock markets seem divorced from reality08:15 Energy markets are is major distress09:15 Trump’s approval has slipped, public knows the war is going badly10:00 Trump is talking tough, but his actions are cautious11:00 Iranians know Trump is desperate and Iranians have serious leverage12:30 Iranians know Trump is on the clock, and they have time on their side13:00 China’s position has been strengthened by Iran war14:15 U.S. is stretched too thin currently to defend Taiwan15:30 Energy shock increases demand for clean energy, where China leads16:45 Bibi suckered Trump into a generational foreign policy disaster17:45 We’re likely stuck without a resolution to the war for awhile18:45 Best Trump can hope for is redoing the Obama nuclear deal20:00 Time is running out on the 60 day war powers resolution deadline21:15 Trump has 5 weeks to get a deal before congress is forced to step in22:00 Atlantic publishes story about Kash Patel being MIA & drunk23:00 Patel denied everything, hoping for White House backup24:00 Just because it’s a “hit piece” doesn’t mean it’s not true24:45 People working at the FBI don’t trust the guy leading it26:30 Atlantic paints a portrait of an FBI leader that’s completely unreliable27:30 Patel’s ineptitude creates a national security threat to the U.S.29:00 Rank & file intel professionals don’t trust the people in charge30:15 Trump hates anecdotes about drinking, Patel’s days are numbered31:00 Patel believes he’s going to be fired32:30 Balloting for Virginia redistricting ends on Tuesday, looks like it will pass33:00 Democrats expending political capital to only pick up two house seats34:00 Redistricting fight has been terrible politically for Abigail Spanberger36:30 New map will trim two very blue districts and export voters to swing districts39:00 Blowing all this political capital for two seats doesn’t seem worth it40:45 Livestream on Tuesday evening breaking down the results from VA 46:00 ToddCast Time Machine April 20th, 1898 - Spanish American War 47:30 U.S.S. Maine exploded in Havana harbor, conclusion was Spain did it 48:00 The facts didn’t lead to the conclusion, the conclusion came first 48:45 Hearst & Pulitzer were locked in a publishing war, competing for readers 49:30 William McKinley didn’t want war, but pressure kept building 50:30 It was a War of Choice, and the press pushed leaders into war 51:00 Congress demanded that Spain leave Cuba 52:00 U.S. begins blockage of Cuba, basically kicking off the war 52:45 Congress backdated their declaration of war 53:30 Teddy Roosevelt’s rise scared establishment Republicans 54:00 The war produced Roosevelt’s presidency 55:00 It was a war of choice, until it felt like there was no other option 55:30 Wars of choice never end well 56:00 Ask Chuck 56:15 As Trump’s support erodes, any chance the 25th amendment gets invoked? 1:00:00 Does Federalist 10 still hold up? Is there a case for a constitutional convention? 1:06:30 A Top 5 list of races where you think the election projections are off? 1:13:00 Did I hear a dog in the background in your Wednesday episode? 1:15:15 Can you bring on a late night host like Colbert, Oliver or Maher? 1:18:00 What can and can’t be done with the huge fundraising hauls Dems are getting? 1:25:00 Thoughts on the NBA playoffsSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Chuck Todd surveys a dire geopolitical landscape where the Strait of Hormuz remains closed, fuel rationing has begun in many places around the globe, and the Trump administration is scrambling to extend a fragile ceasefire with Iran — sending JD Vance back to Pakistan for another round of talks, a move Chuck says signals genuine desperation to end a war that has become a generational foreign policy disaster. Heargues that Iran's control of the strait is now a greater deterrent than nuclear weapons ever were, that the Iranians know Trump is on the clock and that time is firmly on Tehran's side — meaning the best Trump can realistically hope for is a deal that looks remarkably like the Obama nuclear agreement he once shredded. Oil and stock markets appear divorced from reality while energy markets are in major distress, China's position has been strengthened enormously and Netanyahu has effectively suckered Trump into a mess that will define American foreign policy for a generation. He then unpacks a bombshell Atlantic report painting FBI Director Kash Patel as absent, unreliable, and allegedly drunk on the job — noting that just because it's a "hit piece" doesn't mean it's not true, that rank-and-file intelligence professionals don't trust the people leading their agencies, and that Patel himself believes he's about to be fired because Trump personally despises anecdotes about drinking. He closes with Virginia's redistricting referendum, which ends Tuesday and looks likely to pass, but he questions whether Democrats are making a smart investment — blowing enormous political capital and damaging Governor Abigail Spanberger's brand to pick up only two House seats, a tradeoff that may not be worth the cost. Then, Sarah Isgur — legal commentator, former DOJ spokesperson, and author of Last Branch Standing — joins the Chuck Toddcast for a comprehensive deep dive into the Supreme Court that challenges virtually everything the public thinks it knows about how the institution actually works. Isgur argues that the court's politics don't map neatly onto the current left-right spectrum, and that the court isn't really 6-3 but rather 3-3-3 — with a bloc of doctrinaire conservatives, a liberal minority, and a pragmatic center that includes Kavanaugh and Chief Justice Roberts. She reveals that Elena Kagan plays a major behind-the-scenes role that the public rarely sees, and that over the past 20 years more than 90% of rulings have had a liberal justice in the majority (undermining the narrative of a runaway conservative court)  The conversation turns to deeper structural concerns about the judiciary that Isgur argues are undermining the rule of law itself. She notes that today's justices all have eerily uniform résumés — a problem created by a system that essentially identifies future Supreme Court candidates by the time they're 18 and forces them to lead incredibly sheltered lives for both career and safety reasons — making them detached from the real world in ways that earlier, more varied courts were not. She is sharply critical of Congress for making the court the arbiter of fundamental rights, which has turned every confirmation into an existential battle — the refusal to take on issues like Roe legislatively forced them to the court, and now there's no real dialogue between the branches. They close by debating a provocative proposal: the confirmation threshold for justices should be raised to 60 or even 75 votes to force presidents to nominate consensus candidates, breaking the cycle of partisan warfare that has made the Federalist Society effectively a prerequisite for any aspiring conservative judge and turned the nomination process into something that is actively bad for both the court and the rule of law. Finally, Chuck hops into the ToddCast Time Machine to revisit America’s first war of choice: The Spanish American War. He also answers listeners’ questions in the “Ask Chuck” segment.  Thank you Wildgrain for sponsoring. Visit http://wildgrain.com/TODDCAST and use the code "TODDCAST" at checkout to receive $30 off your first box PLUS free Croissants for life! Protect your family with life insurance from Ethos. Get up to $3 million in coverage in as little as 10 minutes at https://ethos.com/chuck. Application times may vary. Rates may vary. Link in bio or go to https://getsoul.com & enter code TODDCAST for 30% off your first order. Timeline: (Timestamps may vary based on advertisements) 00:00 Chuck Todd’s introduction 04:00 We’re in a precious position. Strait of Hormuz closed & fuel rationing is coming 05:00 Expect some sort of extension of the current ceasefire agreement 05:45 JD Vance headed back to Pakistan for another round of talks 06:30 Sending Vance shows they’re serious about trying to end war 07:15 Trump is desperate to get out of the war 08:00 Control of Strait of Hormuz is a greater deterrent than nukes  09:00 Oil & stock markets seem divorced from reality 09:45 Energy markets are is major distress 10:45 Trump’s approval has slipped, public knows the war is going badly 11:30 Trump is talking tough, but his actions are cautious 12:30 Iranians know Trump is desperate and Iranians have serious leverage 14:00 Iranians know Trump is on the clock, and they have time on their side 14:30 China’s position has been strengthened by Iran war 15:45 U.S. is stretched too thin currently to defend Taiwan  17:00 Energy shock increases demand for clean energy, where China leads 18:15 Bibi suckered Trump into a generational foreign policy disaster 19:15 We’re likely stuck without a resolution to the war for awhile 20:15 Best Trump can hope for is redoing the Obama nuclear deal 21:30 Time is running out on the 60 day war powers resolution deadline 22:45 Trump has 5 weeks to get a deal before congress is forced to step in 23:30 Atlantic publishes story about Kash Patel being MIA & drunk 24:30 Patel denied everything, hoping for White House backup 25:30 Just because it’s a “hit piece” doesn’t mean it’s not true 26:15 People working at the FBI don’t trust the guy leading it 28:00 Atlantic paints a portrait of an FBI leader that’s completely unreliable 29:00 Patel’s ineptitude creates a national security threat to the U.S. 30:30 Rank & file intel professionals don’t trust the people in charge 31:45 Trump hates anecdotes about drinking, Patel’s days are numbered 32:30 Patel believes he’s going to be fired 34:00 Balloting for Virginia redistricting ends on Tuesday, looks like it will pass 34:30 Democrats expending political capital to only pick up two house seats 35:30 Redistricting fight has been terrible politically for Abigail Spanberger 38:00 New map will trim two very blue districts and export voters to swing districts 40:30 Blowing all this political capital for two seats doesn’t seem worth it 42:15 Livestream on Tuesday evening breaking down the results from VA 48:30 Sarah Isgur (Last Branch Standing) joins the Chuck ToddCast 50:15 The Supreme Court’s politics don’t map neatly to current left/right 51:30 Bono called Chuck a “radical centrist” 52:15 Brett Kavanaugh’s biggest regret was not getting selfie with Bono 54:00 Songs that best comment on American political culture 57:00 Incrimentalism more important than liberal/conservative 58:00 Kavanaugh & Kagan most similar to Chuck in philosophy 59:30 Kagan plays a major role on the court behind the scenes 1:00:30 The reputation of the solicitor general has changed under Trump 1:01:15 Earlier justices didn’t have the uniform resume of the current justices 1:03:00 Current justices are detached from the real world 1:04:15 Alito likely retiring this summer or next as Dems senate chances increase 1:05:15 White House is eager to get a Supreme Court opening 1:06:00 Trump may have his hands tied, Alito will want to approve successor 1:08:00 Alito will want someone like him to replace him 1:08:30 Unlikely Ted Cruz or Mike Lee will be nominated for the court 1:09:30 We’ve narrowed down who can be justices by the time candidates are 18 1:10:15 Justices have to lead an incredibly sheltered life for safety 1:12:15 The court isn’t really 6-3, it’s 3-3-3 1:14:15 Which justices are the most overtly political for their side? 1:15:30 Gorsuch had best opinion of the year on Trump’s tariffs 1:16:15 Congress has abdicated their duty, forced the court to legislate 1:17:15 There’s no dialogue between congress & court. Court gets final word 1:18:30 Congress didn’t have the guts to take on Roe, forced it to the court 1:20:15 Court has become the arbiter of rights, making confirmations existential 1:21:45 Rights of criminal defendants are compromised by an elected judiciary 1:22:45 Elections for judges create perverse incentive structures 1:24:15 Jackson & Kavanaugh share view of their role on the court 1:25:15 In past 20 years, over 90% of rulings had a liberal in the majority 1:27:00 Justice Thomas has been remarkably consistent in his rulings 1:29:00 Gorsuch consistently relies on the text and applies it 1:29:45 Thomas is a hardcore originalist 1:31:30 Chief Justice Roberts has eschewed any type of label 1:33:30 Kagan tries to keep the court out of issues unless they must intervene 1:34:45 Justices are taking fewer cases and writing more opinions than ever 1:35:45 The court speaks in too many voices now 1:37:30 Justice Alito’s favorite movie is “Being There” 1:38:45 Breyer was a 2nd backup choice for the court 1:40:30 The value of moderation vs. abstention 1:42:15 Should the confirmation threshold for justices be raised to 60 or 75? 1:45:00 Requirement to join the Federalist Society if you want to be a judge 1:46:00 Proposal for how to fix the confirmation wars 1:48:30 Current nomination process is bad for the court & rule of law 1:53:30 Court is last branch standing for now, haven’t seen result of 50 vote confirmation 1:56:30 Thoughts on Sarah Isgur’s proposal on SCOTUS confirmations 1:57:30 ToddCast Time Machine April 20th, 1898 - Spanish American War 1:59:00 U.S.S. Maine exploded in Havana harbor, conclusion was Spain did it 1:59:30 The facts didn’t lead to the conclusion, the conclusion came first 2:00:15 Hearst & Pulitzer were locked in a publishing war, competing for readers 2:01:00 William McKinley didn’t want war, but pressure kept building 2:02:00 It was a War of Choice, and the press pushed leaders into war 2:02:30 Congress demanded that Spain leave Cuba 2:03:30 U.S. begins blockage of Cuba, basically kicking off the war 2:04:15 Congress backdated their declaration of war 2:05:00 Teddy Roosevelt’s rise scared establishment Republicans 2:05:30 The war produced Roosevelt’s presidency 2:06:30 It was a war of choice, until it felt like there was no other option 2:07:00 Wars of choice never end well 2:07:30 Ask Chuck 2:07:45 As Trump’s support erodes, any chance the 25th amendment gets invoked? 2:11:30 Does Federalist 10 still hold up? Is there a case for a constitutional convention? 2:18:00 A Top 5 list of races where you think the election projections are off? 2:24:30 Did I hear a dog in the background in your Wednesday episode? 2:26:45 Can you bring on a late night host like Colbert, Oliver or Maher? 2:29:30 What can and can’t be done with the huge fundraising hauls Dems are getting? 2:36:30 Thoughts on the NBA playoffsSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.