The Chuck ToddCast

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The Chuck ToddCast is back! If you're looking for smart, no-nonsense political conversation, you've come to the right place. The Chuck ToddCast goes beyond the headlines, featuring conversations with top reporters, insiders, and newsmakers from D.C. to the heartland. No scripts, no spin—just real discussions about what’s shaping our politics and why it matters.

  1. Chuck’s Commentary - Trump’s Polling Numbers Should Terrify The GOP + Trump Has No Good Options For Iran War

    1 DAY AGO

    Chuck’s Commentary - Trump’s Polling Numbers Should Terrify The GOP + Trump Has No Good Options For Iran War

    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 sports See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    1hr 36min
  2. Full Episode - Trump’s Polling Numbers Should Terrify The GOP + Why The West Is Living In A 1930s-Style Crisis Again

    1 DAY AGO

    Full Episode - Trump’s Polling Numbers Should Terrify The GOP + Why The West Is Living In A 1930s-Style Crisis Again

    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 polic

    2h 36m
  3. Interview Only w/ Ian Shapiro - Why The West Is Living In A 1930s-Style Crisis Again

    1 DAY AGO

    Interview Only w/ Ian Shapiro - Why The West Is Living In A 1930s-Style Crisis Again

    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.

    1hr 4min
  4. Chuck’s Commentary - SCOTUS Guts The Voting Rights Act… Uncapping The House Would Fix It + The “Woke Right” Has Emerged

    5 DAYS AGO

    Chuck’s Commentary - SCOTUS Guts The Voting Rights Act… Uncapping The House Would Fix It + The “Woke Right” Has Emerged

    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 tournament See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    1hr 15min
  5. Full Episode - SCOTUS Guts The Voting Rights Act… Uncapping The House Would Fix It + Will Progressives Reshape The Democratic Party?

    5 DAYS AGO

    Full Episode - SCOTUS Guts The Voting Rights Act… Uncapping The House Would Fix It + Will Progressives Reshape The Democratic Party?

    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 leade

    2h 25m
  6. Interview Only w/ Adam Green - Will Progressives Reshape The Democratic Party?

    5 DAYS AGO

    Interview Only w/ Adam Green - Will Progressives Reshape The Democratic Party?

    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 her See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    1hr 14min
  7. Dynastic - Chuck Todd & J.A. Adande tell the incredible story behind the Pittsburgh Steelers

    6 DAYS AGO

    Dynastic - Chuck Todd & J.A. Adande tell the incredible story behind the Pittsburgh Steelers

    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.

    3h 7m
  8. Chuck’s Commentary - Both Parties Point Fingers… And Fix Nothing + Top 5 GOP Races That Could Signal Trouble For Trump

    6 DAYS AGO

    Chuck’s Commentary - Both Parties Point Fingers… And Fix Nothing + Top 5 GOP Races That Could Signal Trouble For Trump

    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.

    1hr 22min
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The Chuck ToddCast is back! If you're looking for smart, no-nonsense political conversation, you've come to the right place. The Chuck ToddCast goes beyond the headlines, featuring conversations with top reporters, insiders, and newsmakers from D.C. to the heartland. No scripts, no spin—just real discussions about what’s shaping our politics and why it matters.

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  • Creator
    iHeartPodcasts
  • Years Active
    2016 - 2026
  • Episodes
    402
  • Rating
    Explicit
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    2026 iHeartMedia, Inc. © Any use of this intellectual property for text and data mining or computational analysis including as training material for artificial intelligence systems is strictly prohibited without express written consent from iHeartMedia
  • Show Website
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