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 - Hegseth’s Purges At The Pentagon Are A Five-Alarm Fire + Trump Is Making Governing Impossible For Republicans

    1d ago

    Chuck’s Commentary - Hegseth’s Purges At The Pentagon Are A Five-Alarm Fire + Trump Is Making Governing Impossible For Republicans

    Chuck Todd opens with a programming note—the ToddCast moves to a Monday/Thursday schedule for July and August—before digging into the fallout from Zohran Mamdani-endorsed candidates sweeping New York's primaries. Chuck unpacks who powered the wins (younger, white progressives), argues that Mamdani's affordability focus rather than his endorsements was the real galvanizing force, and examines how Israel has become a litmus test on a left that, like MAGA, increasingly has little patience for the pluralism Chuck calls the heart of the American experiment—warning that when every issue becomes a litmus test, disagreement turns into something punishable. He weighs whether this is a singular New York moment or a broader realignment in which two uncompromising factions come to dominate both parties, with Abdul El-Sayed's Michigan Senate bid shaping up as the next big test. From there, Chuck turns to Trump blowing a chance to show voters he cares about affordability by refusing to sign a housing bill that already has veto-proof majorities—and how the president keeps making it nearly impossible for the GOP to govern heading into a brutal midterm stretch he's brought on himself. Finally, an alarming look at Pete Hegseth's overt politicization of the military: the firing of respected leaders like Chris Donahue, purges that appear to target officers for their race, gender, what they know, or their willingness to push back on illegal orders, the removal of the JAGs and the Pentagon press corps, and why Chuck argues that whoever Hegseth wants out may be exactly who the country needs leading it next.  Finally, he answers listeners’ questions in the “Ask Chuck” segment.  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! From the opening whistle to the final kick. Bet on a match and get bonus bets for every goal scored at Fanduel.com  Timeline: (Timestamps may vary based on advertisements) 00:00 Chuck Todd’s introduction 00:15 Programming Note: July & August the ToddCast will be on M/TH only 03:30 Fallout from Mamdani endorsed candidates sweeping NYC primaries 04:30 Younger, white progressives powered Mamdani’s candidates 05:00 Mamdani was smart about where he spent his political capital 06:15 Unlikely there’s a wider swath of voters open to socialism 08:30 Mamdani’s affordability focus was galvanizing, not his endorsees 09:15 Israel has become a litmus test for some on the left 09:45 MAGA, and increasingly the progressive left don’t appreciate pluralism 10:15 Pluralism IS the American experiment 11:00 When every issue is a litmus test, disagreement becomes punishable 14:00 Many Jewish Americans felt very unsettled by the results 16:00 Is this New York’s moment, or a broader ideological realignment? 17:30 Two factions not interested in compromise could dominate both parties 19:00 Both parties used to move to the center to win elections, less so lately 19:45 The DSA could create discomfort with centrist voters like MAGA does 21:30 The next test will be with the candidacy of Abdul El-Sayed in MI 23:45 Mamdani is an incredibly smart and calculating leader of DSA movement 26:15 Despite better organization, DSA has less chance of taking over the party 29:00 It’s still early, but it feels like the left is on the march 29:30 Trump meets with senate GOP after refusing to sign housing bill 30:30 Trump blew a chance to show voters he cares about affordability 31:00 Trump turned meeting into an airing of grievances 31:45 The bill has veto proof majorities even if Trump doesn’t sign it 33:00 Trump is hurting the Republicans politically ahead of the midterms 33:45 Trump makes it almost impossible for the GOP to govern 34:45 It’s going to be a miserable 2 years for Trump, has only himself to blame 36:00 Pete Hegseth is overtly trying to politicize the military 36:30 Military leadership wants to stay out of the political fray 37:30 One of these generals they force out could become next POTUS 39:00 Chris Donahue is quintessential military leader, fired by Hegseth 40:00 Donahue was viewed as a future chairman of the joint chiefs 41:15 Confirming Hegseth is biggest black eye on the record of Tom Thillis 42:00 All military leaders make personnel changes, this is different 42:30 Hegseth is removing leaders simply for being black or women 44:00 Hegseth is firing people for what they know or what they’ve seen 45:00 He also fires officers for when they push back on illegal orders 45:45 Hegseth removed the JAGS to avoid “legal roadblocks” 47:45 Hegseth is trying to force his religious beliefs on the entire military 49:15 We’ve never had a comparable purge in our military 50:45 The Pentagon removed to the press corp to avoid difficult questions 51:30 This should be extraordinarily alarming to Americans 52:15 Whoever Pete Hegseth wants out… should be our next set of leaders 53:00 We can’t risk the military being turned into a political force 53:45 Damage at DOJ and Pentagon will be hard to repair 59:45 Ask Chuck 01:00:00 How much have outlets like Fox News shaped the outlooks of boomers? 01:07:45 Is there a future where large PAC spending burns out due to voter backlash? 01:12:45 Could you talk about Keir Starmer and labours struggles.. Lessons for Dems? 01:20:00 What would you consider the Top 5 presidential actions that worked? 01:25:45 What characteristics define a “Trumpy” voter? 01:28:30 Can the establishment mend fences with the progressives? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    1h 40m
  2. Full Episode - Hegseth’s Purges At The Pentagon Are A Five-Alarm Fire + Will The Progressives Or The Center-Left Define The Democrats?

    1d ago

    Full Episode - Hegseth’s Purges At The Pentagon Are A Five-Alarm Fire + Will The Progressives Or The Center-Left Define The Democrats?

    Chuck Todd opens with a programming note—the ToddCast moves to a Monday/Thursday schedule for July and August—before digging into the fallout from Zohran Mamdani-endorsed candidates sweeping New York's primaries. Chuck unpacks who powered the wins (younger, white progressives), argues that Mamdani's affordability focus rather than his endorsements was the real galvanizing force, and examines how Israel has become a litmus test on a left that, like MAGA, increasingly has little patience for the pluralism Chuck calls the heart of the American experiment—warning that when every issue becomes a litmus test, disagreement turns into something punishable. He weighs whether this is a singular New York moment or a broader realignment in which two uncompromising factions come to dominate both parties, with Abdul El-Sayed's Michigan Senate bid shaping up as the next big test. From there, Chuck turns to Trump blowing a chance to show voters he cares about affordability by refusing to sign a housing bill that already has veto-proof majorities—and how the president keeps making it nearly impossible for the GOP to govern heading into a brutal midterm stretch he's brought on himself. Finally, an alarming look at Pete Hegseth's overt politicization of the military: the firing of respected leaders like Chris Donahue, purges that appear to target officers for their race, gender, what they know, or their willingness to push back on illegal orders, the removal of the JAGs and the Pentagon press corps, and why Chuck argues that whoever Hegseth wants out may be exactly who the country needs leading it next.  Then, Matt Bennett — co-founder and executive vice president of the center-left think tank Third Way — joins the Chuck Toddcast to offer a pragmatist's anxious assessment of what the Mamdani-led DSA surge in New York actually means for the future of the Democratic Party. Bennett's central worry is whether the New York primaries represent a genuine "Tea Party moment" for the left — which he frankly admits would be scary for Democrats — though he takes some comfort in the fact that the three districts Mamdani candidates won are extraordinarily deep blue, and argues the national Democratic electorate simply isn't as extreme as the Republican base, making the party much harder to hijack than the GOP was. Bennett draws a crucial distinction in how these races were actually won: Mamdani himself won on affordability, but many of his endorsees won on Israel, where anti-Israel sentiment has become the number-one voting issue for New York progressives. He's careful but direct on the antisemitism question — not all of the far-left are antisemites, he says, but they are increasingly making common cause with them, pointing to the antisemitic abuse Dan Goldman faced during his campaign — and argues that while antisemitism won't ultimately eat the Democratic Party, it absolutely needs to be contained. Bennett is sharply critical of the self-inflicted wounds of progressive governance (decriminalizing shoplifting was a disaster, he says), and argues the broader problem is that left-coded "performative nonsense" fundamentally changed how voters see the party — that the country rejected both Biden's progressive overreach and the left's woke cultural politics, and that Biden's real mistake was bragging he was the most progressive president since FDR. The conversation broadens into a rich strategic discussion about 2028 and the soul of the party. Bennett argues that parties are ultimately defined by their nominee, so Democrats will be fine if they simply get that choice right, and frames the Michigan Senate primary — where he's skeptical Abdul El-Sayed can beat Mike Rogers — as a fascinating case study in the tension between charisma and electability. He makes the case that charisma genuinely matters (Mamdani and El-Sayed have it), that "boring doesn't work" in modern politics, and that the biggest open question for 2028 is whether a center-left candidate can successfully run as a genuine change agent — because the status quo is extremely broken, and no one can win by running to preserve it. Bennett offers some encouraging signs for his wing of the party: Iowa is drifting back toward Democrats, James Talarico is a genuinely strong candidate in Texas, and candidate quality still matters enormously. He and Chuck dig into why Palestine became the defining progressive cause rather than the plight of the Uighurs, how social media and the collapse of civics education have sealed people into ideological bubbles, and why the word "socialism" means Norway to some voters and Cuba to others. Bennett argues that Netanyahu has personally turned off a generation of young Americans to Israel — and that if Israelis remove him, it could serve as a genuine relief valve for Democrats — and closes with a series of pointed predictions: Schumer should make clear soon that he won't run for leader again, Warren and Murphy are too far-left-coded to unify the party, both wings could actually rally around Brian Schatz as leader, and the Mamdani story, for all the panic it's generated, is ultimately a minor earthquake rather than a major fracture. Finally, he answers listeners’ questions in the “Ask Chuck” segment.    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!   From the opening whistle to the final kick. Bet on a match and get bonus bets for every goal scored at Fanduel.com  Timeline: (Timestamps may vary based on advertisements) 00:00 Chuck Todd’s introduction 00:15 Programming Note: July & August the ToddCast will be on M/TH only 03:30 Fallout from Mamdani endorsed candidates sweeping NYC primaries 04:30 Younger, white progressives powered Mamdani’s candidates 05:00 Mamdani was smart about where he spent his political capital 06:15 Unlikely there’s a wider swath of voters open to socialism 08:30 Mamdani’s affordability focus was galvanizing, not his endorsees 09:15 Israel has become a litmus test for some on the left 09:45 MAGA, and increasingly the progressive left don’t appreciate pluralism 10:15 Pluralism IS the American experiment 11:00 When every issue is a litmus test, disagreement becomes punishable 14:00 Many Jewish Americans felt very unsettled by the results 16:00 Is this New York’s moment, or a broader ideological realignment? 17:30 Two factions not interested in compromise could dominate both parties 19:00 Both parties used to move to the center to win elections, less so lately 19:45 The DSA could create discomfort with centrist voters like MAGA does 21:30 The next test will be with the candidacy of Abdul El-Sayed in MI 23:45 Mamdani is an incredibly smart and calculating leader of DSA movement 26:15 Despite better organization, DSA has less chance of taking over the party 29:00 It’s still early, but it feels like the left is on the march 29:30 Trump meets with senate GOP after refusing to sign housing bill 30:30 Trump blew a chance to show voters he cares about affordability 31:00 Trump turned meeting into an airing of grievances 31:45 The bill has veto proof majorities even if Trump doesn’t sign it 33:00 Trump is hurting the Republicans politically ahead of the midterms 33:45 Trump makes it almost impossible for the GOP to govern 34:45 It’s going to be a miserable 2 years for Trump, has only himself to blame 36:00 Pete Hegseth is overtly trying to politicize the military 36:30 Military leadership wants to stay out of the political fray 37:30 One of these generals they force out could become next POTUS 39:00 Chris Donahue is quintessential military leader, fired by Hegseth 40:00 Donahue was viewed as a future chairman of the joint chiefs 41:15 Confirming Hegseth is biggest black eye on the record of Tom Thillis 42:00 All military leaders make personnel changes, this is different 42:30 Hegseth is removing leaders simply for being black or women 44:00 Hegseth is firing people for what they know or what they’ve seen 45:00 He also fires officers for when they push back on illegal orders 45:45 Hegseth removed the JAGS to avoid “legal roadblocks” 47:45 Hegseth is trying to force his religious beliefs on the entire military 49:15 We’ve never had a comparable purge in our military 50:45 The Pentagon removed to the press corp to avoid difficult questions 51:30 This should be extraordinarily alarming to Americans 52:15 Whoever Pete Hegseth wants out… should be our next set of leaders 53:00 We can’t risk the military being turned into a political force 53:45 Damage at DOJ and Pentagon will be hard to repair 01:00:30 Matt Bennett (The Third Way) joins the Chuck ToddCast 01:01:30 Third Way believes themselves to be center-left pragmatists 01:02:45 If NY primaries are a “Tea Party moment” for left, that’s scary for Dems 01:04:00 3 districts Mamdani candidates won are very deep blue 01:04:30 Worried about MI senate primary if Abdul El-Sayed wins 01:06:15 The far left could become a disruptive force inside the Dem party 01:08:30 Mamdani won on affordability, his endorsees won on Israel 01:10:00 Not all far-left are antisemites, but they’re making common cause with them 01:10:30 Dan Goldman faced antisemetic abuse during the campaign 01:11:45 Antisemitism won’t eat the Dem party, but needs to be contained 01:14:15 Progressive politicians decriminalizing shoplifting was a disaster 01:16:15 The national Dem electorate not as extreme as the GOP’s 01:18:00 It will be harder to hijack the Democratic electorate 01:20:00 Democrats suffered from a lack of charismatic leaders in the 80s 01:21:15 Parties are defined by their nominee, Dems will be fine if they get it right 01:2

    2h 44m
  3. Interview Only w/ Matt Bennett - Will The Progressives Or The Center-Left Define The Democrats?

    1d ago

    Interview Only w/ Matt Bennett - Will The Progressives Or The Center-Left Define The Democrats?

    Matt Bennett — co-founder and executive vice president of the center-left think tank Third Way — joins the Chuck Toddcast to offer a pragmatist's anxious assessment of what the Mamdani-led DSA surge in New York actually means for the future of the Democratic Party. Bennett's central worry is whether the New York primaries represent a genuine "Tea Party moment" for the left — which he frankly admits would be scary for Democrats — though he takes some comfort in the fact that the three districts Mamdani candidates won are extraordinarily deep blue, and argues the national Democratic electorate simply isn't as extreme as the Republican base, making the party much harder to hijack than the GOP was. Bennett draws a crucial distinction in how these races were actually won: Mamdani himself won on affordability, but many of his endorsees won on Israel, where anti-Israel sentiment has become the number-one voting issue for New York progressives. He's careful but direct on the antisemitism question — not all of the far-left are antisemites, he says, but they are increasingly making common cause with them, pointing to the antisemitic abuse Dan Goldman faced during his campaign — and argues that while antisemitism won't ultimately eat the Democratic Party, it absolutely needs to be contained. Bennett is sharply critical of the self-inflicted wounds of progressive governance (decriminalizing shoplifting was a disaster, he says), and argues the broader problem is that left-coded "performative nonsense" fundamentally changed how voters see the party — that the country rejected both Biden's progressive overreach and the left's woke cultural politics, and that Biden's real mistake was bragging he was the most progressive president since FDR. The conversation broadens into a rich strategic discussion about 2028 and the soul of the party. Bennett argues that parties are ultimately defined by their nominee, so Democrats will be fine if they simply get that choice right, and frames the Michigan Senate primary — where he's skeptical Abdul El-Sayed can beat Mike Rogers — as a fascinating case study in the tension between charisma and electability. He makes the case that charisma genuinely matters (Mamdani and El-Sayed have it), that "boring doesn't work" in modern politics, and that the biggest open question for 2028 is whether a center-left candidate can successfully run as a genuine change agent — because the status quo is extremely broken, and no one can win by running to preserve it. Bennett offers some encouraging signs for his wing of the party: Iowa is drifting back toward Democrats, James Talarico is a genuinely strong candidate in Texas, and candidate quality still matters enormously. He and Chuck dig into why Palestine became the defining progressive cause rather than the plight of the Uighurs, how social media and the collapse of civics education have sealed people into ideological bubbles, and why the word "socialism" means Norway to some voters and Cuba to others. Bennett argues that Netanyahu has personally turned off a generation of young Americans to Israel — and that if Israelis remove him, it could serve as a genuine relief valve for Democrats — and closes with a series of pointed predictions: Schumer should make clear soon that he won't run for leader again, Warren and Murphy are too far-left-coded to unify the party, both wings could actually rally around Brian Schatz as leader, and the Mamdani story, for all the panic it's generated, is ultimately a minor earthquake rather than a major fracture.  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! From the opening whistle to the final kick. Bet on a match and get bonus bets for every goal scored at Fanduel.com  Timeline: (Timestamps may vary based on advertisements) 00:00 Matt Bennett (The Third Way) joins the Chuck ToddCast 01:00 Third Way believes themselves to be center-left pragmatists 02:15 If NY primaries are a “Tea Party moment” for left, that’s scary for Dems 03:30 3 districts Mamdani candidates won are very deep blue 04:00 Worried about MI senate primary if Abdul El-Sayed wins 05:45 The far left could become a disruptive force inside the Dem party 08:00 Mamdani won on affordability, his endorsees won on Israel 09:30 Not all far-left are antisemites, but they’re making common cause with them 10:00 Dan Goldman faced antisemetic abuse during the campaign 11:15 Antisemitism won’t eat the Dem party, but needs to be contained 13:45 Progressive politicians decriminalizing shoplifting was a disaster 15:45 The national Dem electorate not as extreme as the GOP’s 17:30 It will be harder to hijack the Democratic electorate 19:30 Democrats suffered from a lack of charismatic leaders in the 80s 20:45 Parties are defined by their nominee, Dems will be fine if they get it right 21:30 Anti-Israel has become the #1 voting issue for New York progressives 22:45 Why has Palestine become the cause and not the Uighurs? 26:45 Social media and a lack of civics education has put people in bubbles 27:30 You have to be able to talk to people you disagree with 29:00 Socialism means Norway to some people and Cuba to others 32:00 Biden’s mistake was bragging he was most progressive president since FDR 32:45 The country rejected Biden’s progressive change & left’s “woke” culture 35:00 The left coded performative nonsense changed the view of the party 36:15 Al Gore lost as a VP to a popular president, Harris had impossible task 39:30 Could the Democratic base reject someone center-left in 2028? 40:45 The Michigan primary is a fascinating case study in Dem politics 42:00 Being charismatic like Mamdani or El-Sayed matters in politics 42:30 Democratic candidates have to get through the wall in South Carolina 44:15 Big question for 2028… can a center-left candidate run as a change agent? 46:30 Bibi Netanyahu has turned off a generation of Americans to Israel 48:45 If Israelis get rid of Netanyahu, that could be a relief valve for Dems 49:15 What can the establishment learn from the DSA? 49:45 The status quo is extremely broken, can’t run on preserving it 50:45 Iowa is coming back to the Democratic party 51:45 Candidate quality matter and Talarico is a good candidate 53:00 Boring doesn’t work in modern politics 55:30 What does success look like for the center left in the 2026 midterms? 56:15 Skeptical that El-Sayed can beat Mike Rogers in Michigan 57:15 Schumer should make clear he won’t run in 2028 and announce it soon 58:00 Warren and Murphy are too far left and far left coded 58:30 Both wings of the party can agree on Brian Schatz as leader 59:00 Mamdani story is a minor earthquake not a major fracture See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    1h 5m
  4. Chuck’s Commentary - Mamdani Wins The New York Primaries + RIP Alan Greenspan

    2d ago

    Chuck’s Commentary - Mamdani Wins The New York Primaries + RIP Alan Greenspan

    Chuck Todd breaks down a seismic primary night in New York, where Mamdani-backed Democratic Socialist candidates swept their races — and argues the DSA may be on the verge of becoming the far-left equivalent of the Freedom Caucus, a small but disciplined faction capable of making the establishment's life genuinely miserable. The most stunning data point: Chuck argues Chuck Schumer likely couldn't win a Democratic primary anywhere in New York right now, that Dan Goldman lost his primary handily, and that while Schumer clearly shouldn't run again, politicians rarely walk away on their own. It was also a quietly bad night for Hakeem Jeffries, and Chuck raises the genuinely open question of whether Jeffries would even survive a primary challenge — and whether he still has a clear path to the speakership if Democrats take the House. The strategic lesson the left has internalized, Chuck argues, is that the smaller the Democratic majority, the more leverage a committed progressive bloc can apply, which means Democrats may have to govern in a fundamentally different way than their leadership wants. But Chuck repeatedly returns to the central tension: this brand of far-left politics plays beautifully in coastal cities but the socialist label simply doesn't travel well elsewhere, the rise of far-left politics has become uncomfortably intertwined with rising antisemitism, pro-Israel Democrats may soon find themselves politically homeless, and the real test will be whether progressives can win anywhere outside their urban strongholds. It all amounts, Chuck says, to a genuine fight for the heart and soul of the Democratic Party. He closes with a heartfelt remembrance of former Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan, who passed away at 100 — recalling a man who always grounded his opinions in data, and what a personal treat it was to have known him. Finally, skip the reflecting pool… Chuck presents his ToddCast Top 5 list of his favorite Washington D.C. monuments & answers listeners’ questions in the Ask Chuck segment. Link in bio or go to https://getsoul.com & enter code TODDCAST for 30% off your first order. Protect your family with life insurance from Ethos. Get up to $3 million in coverage in as little as 10 minutes at https://ethos.com/chuck. Application times may vary. Rates may vary.  Refresh your wardrobe with Quince. Go to https://Quince.com/chuck for free shipping on your order and 365-day returns.  Take your personal data back with Incogni! Use code CHUCKTODDCAST at the link below and get 60% off an annual plan: https://incogni.com/chucktoddcast  Timeline: (Timestamps may vary based on advertisements) 00:00 Chuck Todd’s introduction 04:00 Mamdani backed DSA candidates sweep in NY primaries 06:00 Democratic socialists could become the far left equivalent of Freedom Caucus? 06:45 Chuck Schumer likely couldn’t win any Democratic primary in New York 07:30 Dan Goldman lost his primary handily 09:45 Schumer shouldn’t run again, but politicians rarely walk away 10:30 It was a bad night for Hakeem Jeffries, would he survive a primary? 13:30 The left has learned that you can make life miserable for the establishment 15:00 The smaller the Dems majority, the more pressure the left can apply in Congress 15:45 Hakeem Jeffries may not have a clear path to the speakership 17:00 Democrats will have to govern differently if the majority is narrow 19:00 The far left politics play on the coasts, but can it win elsewhere? 21:45 The socialist label doesn’t travel well outside the left leaning cities 23:30 Far-left politics has become intertwined with rise of antisemitism 24:45 Pro-Israel Democrats could become politically homeless 25:45 Big test will be if progressive can win elsewhere 27:45 There’s a real fight for the heart and soul of the Democratic party29:00 Alan Greenspan passes away at the age of 100 30:30 Greenspan always grounded his opinions in data 33:15 It was a treat to know Alan Greenspan personally 38:15 Chuck’s thoughts on the interview with Mayor David Holt 40:30 ToddCast Top 5 list 42:00 Top 5 historical attractions in Washington DC 44:15 Honorable Mention - Mount Vernon 45:45 #5 The World War I Memorial 47:15 #4 Albert Einstein Memorial 49:00 #3 Arlington National Cemetery 51:30 #2 Korean War Memorial 52:45 #1 Vietnam Veterans Memorial 55:45 Ask Chuck 56:00 Thoughts on the predictions Trump might not finish his term? 01:04:45 Do leaders rise due to the political moment, or do they make the history? 01:11:30 Does George W Bush’s “go shopping” mindset say something about boomers? 01:17:45 Where would you rank the Iran war amongst top presidential blunders? 01:27:15 Why can’t the country ever deal with long term crises in advance? 01:31:45 How do you manage to juggle your busy schedule? 01:35:45 Does Trump’s leadership style hurt the ability to make peace? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    1h 40m
  5. Full Episode - Mamdani Wins The New York Primaries + Defending Pluralism At A Time Of Polarization

    2d ago

    Full Episode - Mamdani Wins The New York Primaries + Defending Pluralism At A Time Of Polarization

    Chuck Todd breaks down a seismic primary night in New York, where Mamdani-backed Democratic Socialist candidates swept their races — and argues the DSA may be on the verge of becoming the far-left equivalent of the Freedom Caucus, a small but disciplined faction capable of making the establishment's life genuinely miserable. The most stunning data point: Chuck argues Chuck Schumer likely couldn't win a Democratic primary anywhere in New York right now, that Dan Goldman lost his primary handily, and that while Schumer clearly shouldn't run again, politicians rarely walk away on their own. It was also a quietly bad night for Hakeem Jeffries, and Chuck raises the genuinely open question of whether Jeffries would even survive a primary challenge — and whether he still has a clear path to the speakership if Democrats take the House. The strategic lesson the left has internalized, Chuck argues, is that the smaller the Democratic majority, the more leverage a committed progressive bloc can apply, which means Democrats may have to govern in a fundamentally different way than their leadership wants. But Chuck repeatedly returns to the central tension: this brand of far-left politics plays beautifully in coastal cities but the socialist label simply doesn't travel well elsewhere, the rise of far-left politics has become uncomfortably intertwined with rising antisemitism, pro-Israel Democrats may soon find themselves politically homeless, and the real test will be whether progressives can win anywhere outside their urban strongholds. It all amounts, Chuck says, to a genuine fight for the heart and soul of the Democratic Party. He closes with a heartfelt remembrance of former Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan, who passed away at 100 — recalling a man who always grounded his opinions in data, and what a personal treat it was to have known him. Oklahoma City Mayor David Holt — the popular Republican who has won all three of his mayoral elections with at least 60% of the vote — joins the Chuck Toddcast to make an impassioned and deeply substantive case for pluralism as the foundation of the entire American experiment. Holt, who recently gave a notable speech on the subject, argues that the American system was fundamentally built on the acceptance of pluralism and the idea that compromise should produce something "good enough" rather than perfect for any single faction — and that the founders gave us a pretty good system specifically designed to channel disagreement away from political violence. The problem, Holt argues, is that the system is now actively making compromise harder. He points to closed partisan primaries as a central culprit: because he faces all voters rather than a narrow partisan base, he's incentivized to build consensus, but most candidates today are forced to pass bizarre litmus tests with base voters and campaign on culture-war messaging rather than the bread-and-butter issues people actually care about.  The conversation broadens into the structural and cultural threats Holt sees to a pluralistic society. He argues this era has revealed the long-ignored flaws in American democracy — that we've all taken the system for granted — and makes the case that getting rid of closed partisan primaries, sometimes through ballot initiatives, is one of the most important reforms available, provided it's done in a way that doesn't simply flip parties or states for partisan advantage but instead empowers minority-party voters to act as genuine swing votes. Holt is sharp on education's role in all of this: he worries that the voucherization of schools and the explosion of private schools risk teaching kids in ideological monocultures, and laments the erosion of civics education over the past two decades, noting that public schools deliberately deemphasized social studies after No Child Left Behind. He and Chuck dig into whether pluralism can even be taught or whether it has to be lived in a genuinely diverse place, the difficulty of having a nuanced public conversation about AI data centers, and the housing crisis that Holt argues is not getting nearly enough attention from either the national media or Washington — closing with a concrete look at what a federal housing bill would actually mean for a fast-growing city like Oklahoma City. Finally, skip the reflecting pool… Chuck presents his ToddCast Top 5 list of his favorite Washington D.C. monuments & answers listeners’ questions in the Ask Chuck segment. Link in bio or go to https://getsoul.com & enter code TODDCAST for 30% off your first order. Protect your family with life insurance from Ethos. Get up to $3 million in coverage in as little as 10 minutes at https://ethos.com/chuck. Application times may vary. Rates may vary.  Refresh your wardrobe with Quince. Go to https://Quince.com/chuck for free shipping on your order and 365-day returns.  Take your personal data back with Incogni! Use code CHUCKTODDCAST at the link below and get 60% off an annual plan: https://incogni.com/chucktoddcast  Timeline: (Timestamps may vary based on advertisements) 00:00 Chuck Todd’s introduction 04:00 Mamdani backed DSA candidates sweep in NY primaries 06:00 Democratic socialists could become the far left equivalent of Freedom Caucus? 06:45 Chuck Schumer likely couldn’t win any Democratic primary in New York 07:30 Dan Goldman lost his primary handily 09:45 Schumer shouldn’t run again, but politicians rarely walk away 10:30 It was a bad night for Hakeem Jeffries, would he survive a primary? 13:30 The left has learned that you can make life miserable for the establishment 15:00 The smaller the Dems majority, the more pressure the left can apply in Congress 15:45 Hakeem Jeffries may not have a clear path to the speakership 17:00 Democrats will have to govern differently if the majority is narrow 19:00 The far left politics play on the coasts, but can it win elsewhere? 21:45 The socialist label doesn’t travel well outside the left leaning cities 23:30 Far-left politics has become intertwined with rise of antisemitism 24:45 Pro-Israel Democrats could become politically homeless 25:45 Big test will be if progressive can win elsewhere 27:45 There’s a real fight for the heart and soul of the Democratic party29:00 Alan Greenspan passes away at the age of 100 30:30 Greenspan always grounded his opinions in data 33:15 It was a treat to know Alan Greenspan personally 41:45 Mayor David Holt joins the Chuck ToddCast 42:30 Was the city in mourning after the OKC Thunder lost? 44:15 Are San Antonio and OKC set to become rival cities? 46:15 The mayor gave a speech about the importance of pluralism 47:00 The American experiment is based on the acceptance of pluralism 47:45 Compromise should result in “good enough”, not perfect for anybody 49:15 The founders gave us a pretty good system to avoid political violence 51:30 Nowadays, the system is making compromise harder 52:15 OKC’s politics mirror the country, went 49-48 for Trump in ‘24 53:45 Won all three mayoral elections with at least 60% of the vote 54:30 Mayor faces all voters rather than closed partisan primaries 55:45 Electoral system needs to incentivize consensus building 57:30 Candidates used to campaign on their ability to work across the aisle 59:00 Messaging from gubernatorial candidates are not bread & butter issues 01:00:15 Candidates are forced to pass bizarre litmus tests with base voters 01:02:15 Can you teach pluralism, or do you have to live in a diverse place? 01:04:00 There are always opposing views that exist even in highly red/blue areas 01:06:15 This era has revealed the flaws/weaknesses of our democracy 01:07:15 We’ve all taken our system for granted 01:07:45 We have to get away from closed partisan primaries 01:09:45 How do you convince parties in power to open up primaries to more voters? 01:10:45 Some states can get rid of partisan primaries via ballot initiatives 01:12:30 The process shouldn’t flip parties or states 01:14:15 Voters in the minority should act as swing votes 01:16:30 Voucherization of schools can lead kids to learning in a monoculture 01:18:00 There’s been explosion in the creation of private schools 01:19:45 There’s been an erosion in civics education the past two decades 01:21:15 Public schools deemphasized social studies after No Child Left Behind 01:23:30 Can the electorate have a nuanced conversation around AI data centers? 01:25:15 Hard for elected officials to go against the NIMBY crowd 01:25:45 Politicians have to argue for the positive trade offs 01:27:00 Bringing in tech and investment used to be good politics, it’s not with data centers 01:27:30 Housing is the issue that’s not getting enough attention from media & DC 01:28:30 What would the housing bill do for you in OKC?  01:29:45 Chuck’s thoughts on the interview with Mayor David Holt 01:32:00 ToddCast Top 5 list 01:33:30 Top 5 historical attractions in Washington DC 01:35:45 Honorable Mention - Mount Vernon 01:37:15 #5 The World War I Memorial 01:38:45 #4 Albert Einstein Memorial 01:40:30 #3 Arlington National Cemetery 01:43:00 #2 Korean War Memorial 01:44:15 #1 Vietnam Veterans Memorial 01:47:15 Ask Chuck 01:47:30 Thoughts on the predictions Trump might not finish his term? 01:56:15 Do leaders rise due to the political moment, or do they make the history? 02:03:00 Does George W Bush’s “go shopping” mindset say something about boomers? 02:09:15 Where would you rank the Iran war amongst top presidential blunders? 02:18:45 Why can’t the country ever deal with long term crises in advance? 02:23:15 How do you manage to juggle your busy schedule? 02:27:15 Does Trump’s leadership style hurt the ability to make peace? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    2h 34m
  6. Interview Only w/ Mayor David Holt - Defending Pluralism At A Time Of Polarization

    2d ago

    Interview Only w/ Mayor David Holt - Defending Pluralism At A Time Of Polarization

    Oklahoma City Mayor David Holt — the popular Republican who has won all three of his mayoral elections with at least 60% of the vote — joins the Chuck Toddcast to make an impassioned and deeply substantive case for pluralism as the foundation of the entire American experiment. Holt, who recently gave a notable speech on the subject, argues that the American system was fundamentally built on the acceptance of pluralism and the idea that compromise should produce something "good enough" rather than perfect for any single faction — and that the founders gave us a pretty good system specifically designed to channel disagreement away from political violence. The problem, Holt argues, is that the system is now actively making compromise harder. He points to closed partisan primaries as a central culprit: because he faces all voters rather than a narrow partisan base, he's incentivized to build consensus, but most candidates today are forced to pass bizarre litmus tests with base voters and campaign on culture-war messaging rather than the bread-and-butter issues people actually care about.  The conversation broadens into the structural and cultural threats Holt sees to a pluralistic society. He argues this era has revealed the long-ignored flaws in American democracy — that we've all taken the system for granted — and makes the case that getting rid of closed partisan primaries, sometimes through ballot initiatives, is one of the most important reforms available, provided it's done in a way that doesn't simply flip parties or states for partisan advantage but instead empowers minority-party voters to act as genuine swing votes. Holt is sharp on education's role in all of this: he worries that the voucherization of schools and the explosion of private schools risk teaching kids in ideological monocultures, and laments the erosion of civics education over the past two decades, noting that public schools deliberately deemphasized social studies after No Child Left Behind. He and Chuck dig into whether pluralism can even be taught or whether it has to be lived in a genuinely diverse place, the difficulty of having a nuanced public conversation about AI data centers, and the housing crisis that Holt argues is not getting nearly enough attention from either the national media or Washington — closing with a concrete look at what a federal housing bill would actually mean for a fast-growing city like Oklahoma City. Link in bio or go to https://getsoul.com & enter code TODDCAST for 30% off your first order.   Protect your family with life insurance from Ethos. Get up to $3 million in coverage in as little as 10 minutes at https://ethos.com/chuck. Application times may vary. Rates may vary.  Refresh your wardrobe with Quince. Go to https://Quince.com/chuck for free shipping on your order and 365-day returns.  Take your personal data back with Incogni! Use code CHUCKTODDCAST at the link below and get 60% off an annual plan: https://incogni.com/chucktoddcast  Timeline: (Timestamps may vary based on advertisements) 00:00 Mayor David Holt joins the Chuck ToddCast 00:45 Was the city in mourning after the OKC Thunder lost? 02:30 Are San Antonio and OKC set to become rival cities? 04:30 The mayor gave a speech about the importance of pluralism 05:15 The American experiment is based on the acceptance of pluralism 06:00 Compromise should result in “good enough”, not perfect for anybody 07:30 The founders gave us a pretty good system to avoid political violence 09:45 Nowadays, the system is making compromise harder 10:30 OKC’s politics mirror the country, went 49-48 for Trump in ‘24 12:00 Won all three mayoral elections with at least 60% of the vote 12:45 Mayor faces all voters rather than closed partisan primaries 14:00 Electoral system needs to incentivize consensus building 15:45 Candidates used to campaign on their ability to work across the aisle 17:15 Messaging from gubernatorial candidates are not bread & butter issues 18:30 Candidates are forced to pass bizarre litmus tests with base voters 20:30 Can you teach pluralism, or do you have to live in a diverse place? 22:15 There are always opposing views that exist even in highly red/blue areas 24:30 This era has revealed the flaws/weaknesses of our democracy 25:30 We’ve all taken our system for granted 26:00 We have to get away from closed partisan primaries 28:00 How do you convince parties in power to open up primaries to more voters? 29:00 Some states can get rid of partisan primaries via ballot initiatives 30:45 The process shouldn’t flip parties or states 32:30 Voters in the minority should act as swing votes 34:45 Voucherization of schools can lead kids to learning in a monoculture 36:15 There’s been explosion in the creation of private schools 38:00 There’s been an erosion in civics education the past two decades 39:30 Public schools deemphasized social studies after No Child Left Behind 41:45 Can the electorate have a nuanced conversation around AI data centers? 43:30 Hard for elected officials to go against the NIMBY crowd 44:00 Politicians have to argue for the positive trade offs 45:15 Bringing in tech and investment used to be good politics, it’s not with data centers 45:45 Housing is the issue that’s not getting enough attention from media & DC 46:45 What would the housing bill do for you in OKC? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    57 min
  7. Chuck’s Commentary - Trump Is The Worst Role Model President Ever + The Sharp Contrast Between Trump & Obama

    4d ago

    Chuck’s Commentary - Trump Is The Worst Role Model President Ever + The Sharp Contrast Between Trump & Obama

    Chuck Todd focuses this episode around a single, almost too-perfect metaphor: the reflecting pool Trump remade, where the paint is now visibly peeling off the concrete and the president is blaming vandals rather than his own shoddy work — a fitting symbol, Chuck argues, for a presidency defined by grandiose self-promotion and an inability to take responsibility for anything. He opens on the Iran fallout, where JD Vance is attending the latest round of negotiations while Marco Rubio is conspicuously MIA, MAGA is openly fracturing over the war and over support for Israel, and Trump's defenders are stuck trying to explain away an obvious capitulation.He warns that the Iranians have now learned to manipulate the markets the same way Trump does — opening and closing the Strait of Hormuz whenever they need cash — and that there will be no positives to come out of this war. From there Chuck pivots into one of his sharpest character indictments yet, arguing Trump is the worst role-model president in American history — a man who behaves like an elementary-school playground bully, and who constantly tries to steal other people's achievements.The contrast crystallized, Chuck says, in the split-screen of Obama's library dedication against Trump's UFC spectacle — the Obamas embodying the story of American meritocracy while Trump embodies inherited advantage squandered. That comparison leads Chuck into a genuinely nuanced reassessment of Obama's legacy: a successful president by traditional measures whose party nonetheless weakened badly on his watch, in part because there was no accountability for the financial crisis, no real effort to set up an heir apparent, and because Obama built a movement around himself rather than the party.He closes on Tuesday's pivotal New York primaries, where he argues the Democratic Socialists of America — led by Zohran Mamdani and AOC — are attempting a genuine takeover of New York Democratic politics, where the long-convenient "progressive" label is about to be torn apart to reveal the socialist faction underneath, and where the central question facing the entire party will be forced into the open: the socialist brand isn't automatically fatal, but it terrifies suburban voters, and a committed faction of supporters is all it takes to hijack a political party.  Finally, Chuck hops into the ToddCast Time Machine to revisit the Korean War and its lasting legacy on both American culture and geopolitics. He also answers listeners’ questions in the “Ask Chuck” segment. Link in bio or go to https://getsoul.com & enter code TODDCAST for 30% off your first order.   Protect your family with life insurance from Ethos. Get up to $3 million in coverage in as little as 10 minutes at https://ethos.com/chuck. Application times may vary. Rates may vary.    Refresh your wardrobe with Quince. Go to https://Quince.com/chuck for free shipping on your order and 365-day returns.    Take your personal data back with Incogni! Use code CHUCKTODDCAST at the link below and get 60% off an annual plan: https://incogni.com/chucktoddcast  Timeline: (Timestamps may vary based on advertisements) 00:00 Chuck Todd’s introduction 01:30 The reflecting pool has become a metaphor for Trump’s presidency 05:30 JD Vance attending latest round of Iran negotiations, Rubio MIA 07:30 MAGA is divided over the Iran war and support for Israel 08:45 Trump’s defenders stuck trying to explain away capitulation to Iran 09:30 Administration threatening to purge any critics of the Iran deal 10:30 Much of the administration is more populist, less pro-Israel 13:00 Growing movement of isolationism in both parties 14:30 Iranians have learned from Trump how to manipulate the markets 15:15 Iran will open and close the Strait whenever they need money 16:00 There will be no positives coming out of the Iran war 17:15 Will Republicans pretend Trump won, or will they start to speak out? 18:30 Trump has been a terrible role model for young American boys/men 19:30 Trump is the worst role model president we’ve ever had 20:15 Trump’s behavior is like an elementary school bully 21:15 Crypto.com bribed Trump to get out of legal trouble 21:45 UAE bribed Trump get export controls for chips dropped 22:45 Trump pardoned J6 rioters, then tried to reward them with slush fund 24:00 At least 40 pardoned J6ers have reoffended & been arrested again 25:00 Trump sent troops into cities to intimidate them like a playground bully 26:00 Trump, like a kid, tries to steal other people’s achievements 27:00 Trump’s remake of the reflecting pool has been a disaster 27:45 Paint is peeling off the concrete from the pool, Trump blames vandals 29:00 It’s clear Trump wasn’t parented at all, not given character tests 29:45 Trump gets a pass for behavior we wouldn’t tolerate from a child 30:30 How do we assess Obama’s legacy when Trump was elected after him? 31:15 Obama library ceremony reminded us about what he did best 31:45 Obama library vs Trump’s UFC showed sharp contrast between the two 32:45 The Obamas embodied the story of American meritocracy 33:15 Trump was born on 3rd base, and always trying to steal home 33:45 Both Obama and Trump’s stories are American stories 35:00 As time passes it becomes harder to separate Obama from Trump 35:45 By traditional measures, Obama was a successful president 36:30 The Democratic party weakened during Obama’s presidency 37:00 Three things Obama could have done to strengthen his party 37:30 Public was upset there was no accountability for financial crisis 38:00 Obama didn’t help identify and set up an heir apparent for success 39:00 22nd amendment a mistake? Would the country be better with 3 Obama terms? 39:30 Obama built a movement around himself, leaving party weaker 40:30 New York holds its primary on Tuesday with major implications  41:30 The Democratic Socialists of America trying to shift the party left 42:00 The Democratic party is splitting into 3 camps 42:45 “Progressive” used to cover both progressives and socialists 43:15 Tuesday’s primaries will tear the cover off the socialism facade 44:15 Mamdani believes he’s leading a movement, challenging establishment 44:45 Mamdani and AOC trying to lead DSA takeover of NY Democratic politics 45:45 Mamdani trying to remake the Democratic party in his image 46:30 Can the DSA brand work in the suburbs and outside the 5 boroughs? 47:15 Dem leadership treated Mamdani like a liability, socialism only sells in cities 48:15 The socialist label isn’t automatically fatal, but it scares suburban voters 49:00 Tuesday will force Democratic candidates to fit into one of the boxes 49:45 A faction of supporters is enough to hijack a political party 57:30 Chuck’s thoughts on interview with Paul Taylor 57:45 ToddCast Time Machine - June 25th, 1950 58:00 The Korean War never ended 58:45 The Korean War has a strange place in American history 59:15 The Korean War memorial in DC is haunting 01:00:30 The Korean War produced a world we’re still living in 01:01:00 America’s approach to foreign intervention began in Korea 01:01:45 Before the war, South Korea was third world and impoverished 01:02:45 North Korea has become a repressive military regime, more dangerous 01:03:45 The fighting ended in an armistice, not a peace treaty 01:04:15 The DNZ is one of the most heavily fortified borders on earth 01:04:45 The first fighting between US and China was in Korea 01:05:15 Truman didn’t rely on congress for a formal declaration of war 01:06:15 Korea was really America’s first true “forever war” 01:07:15 Korea taught America to live with a problem rather than fix it 01:08:00 Korea was not a clear victory or a clear defeat 01:09:00 Ask Chuck 01:09:15 Where’s the best place to go for civics education for kids? 01:12:15 Have you thought about creating an “election manifesto”? 01:16:15 Are there guardrails around presidential interference in elections? 01:20:30 If you could warn the founders about one blind spot, what would it be? 01:23:45 What happens behind the scenes during a TV news anchor walk-off? 01:27:00 What has actually changed on the ground in Venezuela post-Maduro? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    1h 31m
  8. Full Episode - Trump Is The Worst Role Model President Ever + Did The Boomers Really Ruin Everything?

    4d ago

    Full Episode - Trump Is The Worst Role Model President Ever + Did The Boomers Really Ruin Everything?

    Chuck Todd focuses this episode around a single, almost too-perfect metaphor: the reflecting pool Trump remade, where the paint is now visibly peeling off the concrete and the president is blaming vandals rather than his own shoddy work — a fitting symbol, Chuck argues, for a presidency defined by grandiose self-promotion and an inability to take responsibility for anything. He opens on the Iran fallout, where JD Vance is attending the latest round of negotiations while Marco Rubio is conspicuously MIA, MAGA is openly fracturing over the war and over support for Israel, and Trump's defenders are stuck trying to explain away an obvious capitulation.He warns that the Iranians have now learned to manipulate the markets the same way Trump does — opening and closing the Strait of Hormuz whenever they need cash — and that there will be no positives to come out of this war. From there Chuck pivots into one of his sharpest character indictments yet, arguing Trump is the worst role-model president in American history — a man who behaves like an elementary-school playground bully, and who constantly tries to steal other people's achievements.The contrast crystallized, Chuck says, in the split-screen of Obama's library dedication against Trump's UFC spectacle — the Obamas embodying the story of American meritocracy while Trump embodies inherited advantage squandered. That comparison leads Chuck into a genuinely nuanced reassessment of Obama's legacy: a successful president by traditional measures whose party nonetheless weakened badly on his watch, in part because there was no accountability for the financial crisis, no real effort to set up an heir apparent, and because Obama built a movement around himself rather than the party.He closes on Tuesday's pivotal New York primaries, where he argues the Democratic Socialists of America — led by Zohran Mamdani and AOC — are attempting a genuine takeover of New York Democratic politics, where the long-convenient "progressive" label is about to be torn apart to reveal the socialist faction underneath, and where the central question facing the entire party will be forced into the open: the socialist brand isn't automatically fatal, but it terrifies suburban voters, and a committed faction of supporters is all it takes to hijack a political party.  Then, Paul Taylor — former executive vice president of the Pew Research Center and author of This Is Getting Old — joins the Chuck Toddcast for a sweeping, data-rich conversation about the generation that has dominated American political life longer than any other: the Baby Boomers. Taylor's framing is striking — voters keep electing presidents born in 1946, and no generation in American history has enjoyed the kind of political hegemony Boomers have held since becoming the largest voting bloc in the 1980s. He argues this dominance has had real consequences as America approaches its 250th birthday in a genuinely dark place: CEO pay has ballooned from a 20-to-1 ratio to 300-to-1 on the Boomers' watch, their decisions have fueled the very populist backlash now reshaping both parties, and — in a deep irony — they spent decades undermining public confidence in the very institutions that benefited them most, helping imprint Trump's "everything is rigged" worldview onto the broader public. Taylor offers a wealth of arresting data points: Jimmy Carter is the only Democrat to win a majority of the Boomer vote in the last 14 elections, and the United States is the only country on earth where a majority of citizens believe their fellow citizens are morally bad — a stunning measure of how thoroughly Americans have turned on one another. The conversation broadens into questions of national identity, demographics, and where the country goes from here. Taylor argues that America is fundamentally a creedal nation rather than a "blood and soil" one, that it has accepted far more immigrants than any other country (though he's candid that too much immigration too fast tends to produce political and cultural backlash, and that the shift toward majority non-white immigration over the past 60 years has been a profound change), and that today's young generation celebrates difference — but a mosaic, he cautions, still needs glue to hold it together. Boomers, he notes, are the last living generation to experience America as something close to a monoculture, and the last to remember segregated America firsthand, which shapes their politics in ways younger generations struggle to understand. Taylor doesn't shy away from the harder verdicts: the generalization that Boomers are a narcissistic generation, he says, is fair. He and Todd explore the demographic time bomb of declining birth rates and an inverting age pyramid (and whether AI and robotics might paradoxically reduce the need for a baby boom), and trace a fascinating through-line from Gary Hart to Graham Platner on how the television era forced politicians to perform their character for the public — and how both Platner and Trump ultimately channel the same anger at a broken system. Taylor closes on a cautiously hopeful note that the next wave of American politics could be a backlash against the current divisiveness, even as he braces for the possibility that his fellow Boomers may not love what they read in his book. Finally, Chuck hops into the ToddCast Time Machine to revisit the Korean War and its lasting legacy on both American culture and geopolitics. He also answers listeners’ questions in the “Ask Chuck” segment. Link in bio or go to https://getsoul.com & enter code TODDCAST for 30% off your first order.   Protect your family with life insurance from Ethos. Get up to $3 million in coverage in as little as 10 minutes at https://ethos.com/chuck. Application times may vary. Rates may vary.    Refresh your wardrobe with Quince. Go to https://Quince.com/chuck for free shipping on your order and 365-day returns.    Take your personal data back with Incogni! Use code CHUCKTODDCAST at the link below and get 60% off an annual plan: https://incogni.com/chucktoddcast  Timeline: (Timestamps may vary based on advertisements) 00:00 Chuck Todd’s introduction 01:30 The reflecting pool has become a metaphor for Trump’s presidency 05:30 JD Vance attending latest round of Iran negotiations, Rubio MIA 07:30 MAGA is divided over the Iran war and support for Israel 08:45 Trump’s defenders stuck trying to explain away capitulation to Iran 09:30 Administration threatening to purge any critics of the Iran deal 10:30 Much of the administration is more populist, less pro-Israel 13:00 Growing movement of isolationism in both parties 14:30 Iranians have learned from Trump how to manipulate the markets 15:15 Iran will open and close the Strait whenever they need money 16:00 There will be no positives coming out of the Iran war 17:15 Will Republicans pretend Trump won, or will they start to speak out? 18:30 Trump has been a terrible role model for young American boys/men 19:30 Trump is the worst role model president we’ve ever had 20:15 Trump’s behavior is like an elementary school bully 21:15 Crypto.com bribed Trump to get out of legal trouble 21:45 UAE bribed Trump get export controls for chips dropped 22:45 Trump pardoned J6 rioters, then tried to reward them with slush fund 24:00 At least 40 pardoned J6ers have reoffended & been arrested again 25:00 Trump sent troops into cities to intimidate them like a playground bully 26:00 Trump, like a kid, tries to steal other people’s achievements 27:00 Trump’s remake of the reflecting pool has been a disaster 27:45 Paint is peeling off the concrete from the pool, Trump blames vandals 29:00 It’s clear Trump wasn’t parented at all, not given character tests 29:45 Trump gets a pass for behavior we wouldn’t tolerate from a child 30:30 How do we assess Obama’s legacy when Trump was elected after him? 31:15 Obama library ceremony reminded us about what he did best 31:45 Obama library vs Trump’s UFC showed sharp contrast between the two 32:45 The Obamas embodied the story of American meritocracy 33:15 Trump was born on 3rd base, and always trying to steal home 33:45 Both Obama and Trump’s stories are American stories 35:00 As time passes it becomes harder to separate Obama from Trump 35:45 By traditional measures, Obama was a successful president 36:30 The Democratic party weakened during Obama’s presidency 37:00 Three things Obama could have done to strengthen his party 37:30 Public was upset there was no accountability for financial crisis 38:00 Obama didn’t help identify and set up an heir apparent for success 39:00 22nd amendment a mistake? Would the country be better with 3 Obama terms? 39:30 Obama built a movement around himself, leaving party weaker 40:30 New York holds its primary on Tuesday with major implications  41:30 The Democratic Socialists of America trying to shift the party left 42:00 The Democratic party is splitting into 3 camps 42:45 “Progressive” used to cover both progressives and socialists 43:15 Tuesday’s primaries will tear the cover off the socialism facade 44:15 Mamdani believes he’s leading a movement, challenging establishment 44:45 Mamdani and AOC trying to lead DSA takeover of NY Democratic politics 45:45 Mamdani trying to remake the Democratic party in his image 46:30 Can the DSA brand work in the suburbs and outside the 5 boroughs? 47:15 Dem leadership treated Mamdani like a liability, socialism only sells in cities 48:15 The socialist label isn’t automatically fatal, but it scares suburban voters 49:00 Tuesday will force Democratic candidates to fit into one of the boxes 49:45 A faction of supporters is enough to hijack a political party 58:45 Paul Taylor (This Is Getting Old) joins the Chuck ToddCast 59:45 Voters keep electing presidents born in 1946 01:00:30 No generation has had political hegemony li

    2h 25m
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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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    iHeartPodcasts
  • Years Active
    2016 - 2026
  • Episodes
    470
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    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
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