Podcast appearances and mentions of Nikki Haley

Nikki Haley, Trump's ambassador to the UN in his first term, discuss the latest in the Middle East. She said the Trump should stop negotiating with Iran and urged him to "go finish what you started." She speaks with Bloomberg's Joe Mathieu and Kailey Leinz. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Today Richard's guest is Russell Levenson, author and retired Episcopal minister. Russ shares:The longer I live, I've found I'm still kind of turning things over to the Lordship of Christ. And that is tough. And that requires humility. What am I doing with my time? How am I interacting with others? Does my relationship with others speak of one who walks in Christ?Prayer is the central avenue God uses to transform us. The primary purpose of prayer is to bring us into a life of communion with the Father. That by the power of the Holy Spirit, we are increasingly conformed into the image of the Son. Deep down in every human heart, there's a knowledge of God. And deep down in every human heart, there's a desire to communicate with God. Prayer is the main way in which we develop a relationship with our father in heaven. >>Watch on YouTubeRuss Levenson, Jr. was born and raised in Birmingham, Alabama before a call to ministry in the Episcopal Church. After over 30 years of full-time service in congregations in Virginia, Tennessee, Alabama, Louisiana, Florida and Texas, Russ retired in June of 2024. His last post was Rector of St. Martin's Episcopal Church in Houston, Texas. With over 10,000 members, St. Martin's is the largest Anglican/Episcopal Church in the western hemisphere.Russ attributes his pastoral style and traditional evangelical theology to several mentors over the years including Bishop Furman Stough, The Reverends John Claypool, Massey Gentry, Fleming Rutledge, Paul Zahl and his long time friend and mentor, The Late Rev. Dr. John R.W. Stott.Russ is the author of several books including Witness to Dignity: The Life and Faith of George H.W. And Barbara Bush, with a Foreword by Jeb Bush, In God's Grip: What Golf Can Teach us About The Gospel, with a Foreword by Jim Nantz, Witness to Belief: Conversations on Faith and Meaning, which includes personal interviews with Denzel Washington, Amy Grant, Condi Rice, Sam Waterston, Nikki Haley, Jane Goodall and others, and was named a "top ten read in religion and spirituality" for 2025 by Publisher's Weekly.His forthcoming novel, "The Seal," (Sunstone) a spiritually-themed thriller deemed "not for the faint of heart," is scheduled for release in the late summer of 2026. He and his wife, Laura, of over 40 years have returned to Birmingham and three adult children and two grandchildren. >>Check out Russell's books

DESCRIPTION Congressman Ralph Norman joins Tara for an exclusive interview on his gubernatorial campaign, promising to expose government spending, challenge entrenched political insiders, and bring the same anti-establishment fight that helped topple Kevin McCarthy to Columbia. From budget transparency to Republican infighting, today's show focused on the future of conservative leadership in South Carolina. PODCAST SUMMARY Today's show featured an in-depth interview with South Carolina Congressman Ralph Norman as he made his case for governor ahead of the Republican primary. The conversation began with a look back at the congressional battle that led to the removal of former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy. Tara praised Norman's willingness to challenge Republican leadership when he believed conservative principles were being abandoned, describing the effort as one of the most consequential acts of political courage in recent Republican history. Norman argued that South Carolina faces a similar challenge, claiming that Republican leaders campaign as conservatives but often govern differently once elected. He pledged to bring greater transparency to state government through forensic audits of agencies and a detailed accounting of how taxpayer money is spent. A major focus of the interview centered on the state's budget process. Norman criticized what he described as a lack of accountability and oversight, promising to expose spending decisions and make government finances more accessible to taxpayers. The discussion also touched on South Carolina's infrastructure challenges, education system, judicial appointments, utility costs, and insurance rates. Norman argued that despite overwhelming Republican majorities in the legislature, many longstanding problems remain unresolved. Tara questioned Norman about criticism surrounding his endorsement of Nikki Haley during the 2024 presidential primary. Norman explained that the endorsement was based on personal loyalty and longstanding friendship while emphasizing his continued support for President Trump's America First agenda. Closing the interview, Norman contrasted his record with those of his opponents, arguing that his years in Congress and involvement with the House Freedom Caucus provide voters with a proven record of conservative governance rather than campaign promises alone. KEY TAKEAWAYS Ralph Norman pledged to bring greater government transparency to South Carolina. He promised forensic audits of state agencies and spending programs. The interview revisited the effort to remove former Speaker Kevin McCarthy. Norman criticized what he described as establishment politics in Columbia. Questions about infrastructure, education, utility costs, and judicial reform were discussed. Norman defended his endorsement of Nikki Haley while reaffirming support for President Trump. The gubernatorial race is shaping up as a battle over the future direction of South Carolina conservatism. QUOTE OF THE DAY "We're going to bring it to Columbia on steroids." SEGMENT HIGHLIGHTS The Fight That Removed Kevin McCarthy Norman reflected on the historic effort to challenge House Republican leadership and what it taught him about political reform. Follow the Money The candidate pledged forensic audits and increased transparency for taxpayer-funded programs. Government Accountability Norman argued that South Carolina's budget process lacks sufficient public scrutiny. Nikki Haley Questions The congressman explained why he endorsed Haley during the presidential primary despite Trump's popularity. Final Pitch to Voters Norman emphasized his record, conservative credentials, and plans to reform state government. SOCIAL MEDIA POST

Chuck Todd opens with what he calls the unmistakable arrival of a "YOLO caucus" in the Senate — a growing number of congressional Republicans who are simply done capitulating to Trump, evidenced by John Thune publicly declaring there's no need to "weaponize" the DNI position and by the broader sense that the non-Trump part of the GOP is openly preparing to move on. He argues Trump is doing everything possible to accelerate his own lame duck status: he's politicizing America's 250th anniversary in ways that genuinely alarm vulnerable Republicans, he failed to engage any of the former presidents in the 250th planning, and he's creating Marie Antoinette-style "let them eat cake" optics by celebrating himself at a moment of real economic pain for ordinary Americans. Trump's treatment of CNN's Kaitlan Collins was outrageous, his cranky behavior with the press is a tell that things aren't going well, and his decision to formally nominate Todd Blanche for Attorney General has essentially zero chance of confirmation — Blanche has burned his bridges in the Senate and the doomed January 6th weaponization fund was reportedly his idea in the first place. It's almost as if Trump is begging to put a neon "I'm a lame duck" sign on the White House. Chuck then turns to California, where ballots are still being counted at a pace that he says is actively eroding public trust in the democratic process itself — the state desperately needs to find a way to count faster — and notes that CA-06 was drawn as a safe Democratic seat but the top two finishers right now are both Republicans, while Spencer Pratt looks safer in the LA mayoral race than Steve Hilton does in the governor's race. He closes with a fascinating analysis of the Graham Platner situation in Maine, where Janet Mills' decision to leave her name on the ballot has created a Nikki Haley-style protest vote opportunity for nervous Democrats — Mills didn't bow out in disgrace so her floor is high, and if she pulls 25% or more in the primary, Chuck predicts very real conversations about replacing Platner will begin. The number to watch is ME-02: if Platner underperforms there, it's the clearest red flag that a candidate Democrats once viewed as a slam-dunk pickup is now in serious trouble. Then, Todd Ricketts — Chicago Cubs co-owner and founder of Freespoke, the search engine that labels news sources with media bias ratings — joins the Chuck Toddcast for a wide-ranging conversation that bridges the increasingly intertwined worlds of media, technology, and professional sports. Ricketts makes the case that when people are given genuinely good information from across the ideological spectrum, they tend to arrive at good answers — and that Freespoke's mission is to present all sides and then get out of the way, rather than letting ad sales determine what news you see. He pushes back on the idea that the market alone can solve the data privacy crisis, arguing data may eventually need to be regulated like a utility but that nothing changes until there's a major "event" that creates real public groundswell. Ricketts is candid about Freespoke's challenges — paywalls remain a real obstacle, the left/right labeling is imperfect and done by outside groups, and the political landscape itself is shifting in ways that scramble the traditional categories . He observes that podcasts have become a primary news source because people clearly hunger for long-form content with nuance, that politicians are now visibly afraid of giving long answers because they might get clipped, and that legacy media still doesn't seem to understand why its audience has migrated elsewhere. The second half pivots into the business of running a baseball team, and Ricketts brings the same straight-talking pragmatism to MLB's looming economic crisis. He argues you cannot sell a salary cap to MLB owners without genuine revenue sharing, because if the league itself isn't competitive then everyone eventually loses — including the owners writing the biggest checks. Players currently take roughly 48% of revenue, a number he expects to climb to around 52% in the next deal, and Ricketts is honest that half of MLB's franchises are still essentially mom-and-pop operations even as private equity money is rapidly entering the sport. He talks about the difficulty of running any sports team in 2026 because fans genuinely feel like they own the franchise, why ownership groups are increasingly building entire entertainment districts around their ballparks to control the fan experience end-to-end, and the painful broadcast rights question every team is wrestling with: fans have cut the cord, the old TV economics no longer work, and ownership has to be flexible with new broadcast partners even as they ask themselves whether season ticket holders should be entitled to free access to every game. Ricketts closes by laying out what would qualify as a disappointing season for the Cubs — a sober assessment from an owner who has watched the economics of his sport, and the media landscape his business depends on, both transform at the same time. Finally, Chuck answers listeners’ questions in the “Ask Chuck” segment and spends a few minutes reflecting on the life of his grandmother who passed away this week. Predict the action all the way through the finals. Sign up now for your twenty-five dollar bonus on https://fanduel.com/predicts Link in bio or go to https://getsoul.com & enter code TODDCAST for 30% off your first order. Thank you Wildgrain for sponsoring. Visit http://wildgrain.com/TODDCAST and use the code "TODDCAST" at checkout to receive $30 off your first box PLUS free Croissants for life! Timeline: (Timestamps may vary based on advertisements) 00:00 Chuck Todd’s introduction 06:45 Increasing # of congressional Republicans done capitulating to Trump 07:30 John Thune said we don’t need “weaponization” of DNI position 08:30 There’s a growing “YOLO caucus” in the senate 09:30 The non-Trump part of the GOP is ready to move on from Trump 10:00 Trump’s treatment of Kaitlin Collins is outrageous 11:45 Trump gets cranky with the press when things aren’t going well 12:30 Trump is a terrible negotiator 13:00 Trump is creating huge political risk politicizing America 250 13:45 Trump should have put the UFC on the national mall, not WH 15:00 Trump is celebrating himself for 250, terrible move politically 16:15 Trump didn’t engage with the former presidents for 250 17:00 Trump is creating Marie Antoinette “let them eat cake” optics 18:30 Vulnerable Republicans may fear attending Trump’s 250 events 19:00 Trump is looking to formally nominate Todd Blanche for AG 19:30 There is zero chance Todd Blanche can get confirmed 20:15 Blanche hasn’t made friends. Weaponization fund was his idea 22:15 Trump may be done listening to any rational advice 23:30 It’s like Trump wants to put a neon “I’m a lame duck” sign on WH 24:15 California ballots are still being counted. Can Steyer and Raman catch up? 26:15 Pratt seems to have a more comfortable lead than Hilton 27:30 CA-06 was drawn to be Democratic, top two so far are Republican 29:45 California desperately needs to find a way to count ballots faster 30:30 Slow count erodes trust is democracy and counting process 33:15 Graham Platner visit to D.C. went ok, but there’s trepidation 35:30 Platner wants to drive the narrative he’s still ahead of Collins 36:30 Polling has shown Platner with a massive lead over Collins for weeks 38:15 Platner’s recent scandals have him in trouble, can’t take much more 39:30 New polling shows Platner took a hit, but it’s recoverable 40:00 Janet Mills chose to keep her name on the ballot for uneasy Dems 41:00 Maine is one of the easier states to replace a candidate 42:30 How votes for Mills should be read 44:15 Mills didn’t bow out in disgrace, her floor is higher 45:30 Mills could become a protest vote for Platner, similar to Nikki Haley 47:00 If Maine voters are nervous about Platner, they can vote for Mills 49:00 If Mills gets 25% or more, then there will be talks of replacing Platner 51:15 If Platner underperforms in ME-02, that’s a red flag 59:45 Todd Ricketts joins the Chuck ToddCast 1:00:30 Providing media bias ratings for online news sources 1:03:00 When people are given good info, they come up with good answers 1:03:30 Goal is to present all sides, then let people make up their mind 1:04:45 You don’t want ad sales for search to determine your information 1:07:00 Can the market fix data sales, or does the government need to regulate? 1:08:45 Should data be regulated like a utility? 1:09:15 There will need to be an “event” to cause groundswell over data privacy 1:10:15 Does Freespoke labeling news left/right cause users to seek their preferred source? 1:13:15 Politics are shifting and what used to be a “left” issue is now a right issue etc 1:14:00 Protectionism has become right and free trade has become left 1:15:45 How would someone like George Will be labled? 1:17:15 Labeling is done by outside groups and the labeling isn’t perfect 1:17:45 The company is for-profit, sells ads and has subscription model 1:18:30 All the search is AI curated, but people curate the current events page 1:19:15 Bing and Google are the direct competitors 1:20:00 The Freespoke algorithm tries to strip out bias 1:21:30 Some topics get a ton of content from one side & none from the other 1:23:00 People are informing themselves via podcasts instead of legacy news 1:23:45 Legacy media needs to understand why audience is going elsewhere 1:25:30 Popularity of podcasts show people like long form content 1:26:45 Politicians are afraid of long answers & nuance in case they get clipped 1:27:15 Paywalls are a challenge for Freespoke, but sources are still included 1:28:15 Why are there left/right labels on sports coverage? 1:29:45 What is Freespoke’s position on mis and disinformation? 1:30:30 What does Freespoke 2.0 look like? 1:31:45 AI is only as good as the people & information that train it 1:32:45 Will you get into the newsletter business? 1:34:30 Can you sell a salary cap to MLB owners without total revenue sharing? 1:35:45 If the league isn’t competitive, then everyone will eventually lose 1:37:00 Players currently get 48% of revenue, may move up to about 52% 1:38:15 Running a sports team is hard because fans feel like they own the team 1:40:15 What have you learned from running the Cubs? 1:41:45 Half the teams are still mom & pop operations, but PE is coming in 1:43:00 Ownership wants to control fan experience, building entertainment districts 1:44:00 Should teams always be available on free TV? 1:44:30 Fans have cut the cord, have to be flexible with broadcast partners 1:46:15 Should season ticket holders be able to get all game broadcasts for free? 1:47:00 What would qualify this season as disappointing for the Cubs? 1:49:45 Chuck’s thoughts on interview with Todd Ricketts 1:51:15 Salary cap proposal for MLB revealed 1:52:30 Salary cap could be much higher than expected to buy time 1:53:45 Willingness to pool local revenue is a big deal 1:54:00 Ask Chuck 1:54:15 Is voting for a candidate an indictment of the character of the voter? 2:13:15 How would the logistics work for expanding the house? 2:17:15 How much should a candidate’s private behavior affect their electability? 2:25:00 How does a state with no income tax like Florida fund services? 2:29:45 With government agreeing to large settlements, won’t future admins do the same? 2:38:30 Chuck’s eulogy for his grandmotherSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Chuck Todd opens with what he calls the unmistakable arrival of a "YOLO caucus" in the Senate — a growing number of congressional Republicans who are simply done capitulating to Trump, evidenced by John Thune publicly declaring there's no need to "weaponize" the DNI position and by the broader sense that the non-Trump part of the GOP is openly preparing to move on. He argues Trump is doing everything possible to accelerate his own lame duck status: he's politicizing America's 250th anniversary in ways that genuinely alarm vulnerable Republicans, he failed to engage any of the former presidents in the 250th planning, and he's creating Marie Antoinette-style "let them eat cake" optics by celebrating himself at a moment of real economic pain for ordinary Americans. Trump's treatment of CNN's Kaitlan Collins was outrageous, his cranky behavior with the press is a tell that things aren't going well, and his decision to formally nominate Todd Blanche for Attorney General has essentially zero chance of confirmation — Blanche has burned his bridges in the Senate and the doomed January 6th weaponization fund was reportedly his idea in the first place. It's almost as if Trump is begging to put a neon "I'm a lame duck" sign on the White House. Chuck then turns to California, where ballots are still being counted at a pace that he says is actively eroding public trust in the democratic process itself — the state desperately needs to find a way to count faster — and notes that CA-06 was drawn as a safe Democratic seat but the top two finishers right now are both Republicans, while Spencer Pratt looks safer in the LA mayoral race than Steve Hilton does in the governor's race. He closes with a fascinating analysis of the Graham Platner situation in Maine, where Janet Mills' decision to leave her name on the ballot has created a Nikki Haley-style protest vote opportunity for nervous Democrats — Mills didn't bow out in disgrace so her floor is high, and if she pulls 25% or more in the primary, Chuck predicts very real conversations about replacing Platner will begin. The number to watch is ME-02: if Platner underperforms there, it's the clearest red flag that a candidate Democrats once viewed as a slam-dunk pickup is now in serious trouble. Finally, Chuck answers listeners’ questions in the “Ask Chuck” segment and spends a few minutes reflecting on the life of his grandmother who passed away this week. Predict the action all the way through the finals. Sign up now for your twenty-five dollar bonus on https://fanduel.com/predicts Link in bio or go to https://getsoul.com & enter code TODDCAST for 30% off your first order. Thank you Wildgrain for sponsoring. Visit http://wildgrain.com/TODDCAST and use the code "TODDCAST" at checkout to receive $30 off your first box PLUS free Croissants for life! Timeline: (Timestamps may vary based on advertisements) 00:00 Chuck Todd’s introduction 06:45 Increasing # of congressional Republicans done capitulating to Trump 07:30 John Thune said we don’t need “weaponization” of DNI position 08:30 There’s a growing “YOLO caucus” in the senate 09:30 The non-Trump part of the GOP is ready to move on from Trump 10:00 Trump’s treatment of Kaitlin Collins is outrageous 11:45 Trump gets cranky with the press when things aren’t going well 12:30 Trump is a terrible negotiator 13:00 Trump is creating huge political risk politicizing America 250 13:45 Trump should have put the UFC on the national mall, not WH 15:00 Trump is celebrating himself for 250, terrible move politically 16:15 Trump didn’t engage with the former presidents for 250 17:00 Trump is creating Marie Antoinette “let them eat cake” optics 18:30 Vulnerable Republicans may fear attending Trump’s 250 events 19:00 Trump is looking to formally nominate Todd Blanche for AG 19:30 There is zero chance Todd Blanche can get confirmed 20:15 Blanche hasn’t made friends. Weaponization fund was his idea 22:15 Trump may be done listening to any rational advice 23:30 It’s like Trump wants to put a neon “I’m a lame duck” sign on WH 24:15 California ballots are still being counted. Can Steyer and Raman catch up? 26:15 Pratt seems to have a more comfortable lead than Hilton 27:30 CA-06 was drawn to be Democratic, top two so far are Republican 29:45 California desperately needs to find a way to count ballots faster 30:30 Slow count erodes trust is democracy and counting process 33:15 Graham Platner visit to D.C. went ok, but there’s trepidation 35:30 Platner wants to drive the narrative he’s still ahead of Collins 36:30 Polling has shown Platner with a massive lead over Collins for weeks 38:15 Platner’s recent scandals have him in trouble, can’t take much more 39:30 New polling shows Platner took a hit, but it’s recoverable 40:00 Janet Mills chose to keep her name on the ballot for uneasy Dems 41:00 Maine is one of the easier states to replace a candidate 42:30 How votes for Mills should be read 44:15 Mills didn’t bow out in disgrace, her floor is higher 45:30 Mills could become a protest vote for Platner, similar to Nikki Haley 47:00 If Maine voters are nervous about Platner, they can vote for Mills 49:00 If Mills gets 25% or more, then there will be talks of replacing Platner 51:15 If Platner underperforms in ME-02, that’s a red flag 55:45 Chuck’s thoughts on interview with Todd Ricketts 57:15 Salary cap proposal for MLB revealed 58:30 Salary cap could be much higher than expected to buy time 59:45 Willingness to pool local revenue is a big deal 1:00:00 Ask Chuck 1:00:15 Is voting for a candidate an indictment of the character of the voter? 1:19:15 How would the logistics work for expanding the house? 1:23:15 How much should a candidate’s private behavior affect their electability? 1:31:00 How does a state with no income tax like Florida fund services? 1:35:45 With government agreeing to large settlements, won’t future admins do the same? 1:44:30 Chuck’s eulogy for his grandmotherSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

DESCRIPTION Tara breaks down the political earthquake in Texas after Ken Paxton's landslide victory over John Cornyn — a race she says symbolized the final collapse of the Bush-era globalist machine inside the Republican Party. From open borders and the SAVE Act to Lindsey Graham, Karl Rove, and South Carolina's GOP establishment, Tara argues conservatives are finally taking their party back. PODCAST SUMMARY On today's AMPERWAVE DAILY, Tara celebrates what she describes as the political death of the Bush machine after Ken Paxton delivered a devastating defeat to Senator John Cornyn in Texas. Tara argues the race was never just about one Senate seat, but about whether the Bush-era globalist wing of the Republican Party could survive. The episode details the massive financial effort behind Cornyn's campaign, with establishment Republican donors and leadership PACs reportedly pouring over $100 million into the race to stop Paxton. Tara says the result represents a full-scale rejection of open-border policies, globalist trade agreements, and establishment Republican compromises with Democrats. Tara revisits the Bush political legacy in Texas, arguing that George W. Bush's governorship helped normalize open-border policies and international governance ideas that later evolved into broader globalist movements inside both parties. She credits Donald Trump with disrupting that agenda and says Paxton's victory marks the final collapse of the Bush political infrastructure in Texas. The show also dives into the SAVE Act battle, with Tara praising Paxton for challenging Senate Republicans to pass voter integrity legislation in exchange for ending his campaign. Tara argues Republican voters in Texas were outraged by Senate resistance to election reform and believes the issue became a turning point in the race. Attention then shifts to South Carolina, where Tara claims remnants of the Bush political network still dominate Republican politics through open primaries and establishment leadership. Lindsey Graham, Henry McMaster, Nikki Haley, Tim Scott, and other GOP figures are accused of protecting establishment interests while blocking conservative reforms. The episode closes with Tara arguing that establishment Republican influence is rapidly collapsing nationwide, though South Carolina remains one of the final strongholds of what she calls the “Bush cabal.” KEY TOPICS Ken Paxton vs. John Cornyn Bush machine collapse Republican globalism debate SAVE Act controversy Election integrity politics Karl Rove and GOP establishment Donald Trump influence South Carolina Republican politics Lindsey Graham criticism Open primaries debate Texas political realignment GOP donor influence SEGMENTS Segment 1: “Texas Is Free” Tara reacts to Ken Paxton's overwhelming victory and calls it the end of the Bush political machine. Segment 2: The $100 Million Battle Discussion centers on establishment Republican donors and leadership PACs spending heavily to protect John Cornyn. Segment 3: The SAVE Act Showdown Tara explains why Paxton's push for election integrity legislation became a rallying point for conservative voters. Segment 4: South Carolina: The Last Bush Stronghold? Tara argues the Bush-era Republican network still controls South Carolina politics through open primaries and establishment alliances. Segment 5: Globalism's Final Collapse? The show closes with a broader discussion about the future of the Republican Party after the decline of establishment globalist influence. QUOTE OF THE DAY “Texas is free this morning. The Bush machine is dead.” SEO KEYWORDS Ken Paxton, John Cornyn, Bush machine, Tara Servatius, SAVE Act, Donald Trump, Lindsey Graham, Karl Rove, South Carolina politics, GOP establishment, globalism, election integrity, Texas politics, conservative talk radio, AMPERWAVE DAILY

San Antonio mayor seeks protocol changes after alleged leak of her security detail, Nikki Haley on Iran, guy in Hill Country faces 74 charges for killing deer with crossbow and dumping the carcasses in neighbors yard, and Trey remembers Kyle Busch.

DESCRIPTION South Carolina gubernatorial candidate Ram Ready joins the show to directly respond to accusations made earlier this week by guest host Adam Morgan. Ready denies claims he's a political “plant,” blasts longtime Republican insiders, calls out alleged anti-Trump figures in the GOP, and lays out his outsider campaign message focused on taxes, spending, and government reform. The interview turns fiery as Ready defends his conservative credentials and positions himself as the businessman ready to shake up Columbia politics. PODCAST SUMMARY Republican gubernatorial candidate Ram Ready appeared on The Tara Show to push back against accusations made earlier in the week that he was acting as a political “plant” for South Carolina House Speaker Murrell Smith. Ready strongly denied the allegation, arguing it makes no logical sense for him to self-fund his campaign while allegedly working on behalf of another political figure. Throughout the interview, he criticized longtime Republican officeholders, accused Congressman Ralph Norman of previously backing Nikki Haley over Donald Trump, and framed himself as a true outsider candidate fighting establishment politics in Columbia. The conversation also touched on South Carolina's rising government spending, taxes, infrastructure, and education performance. Ready defended his past donations to Governor Henry McMaster while explaining that he supports Republican candidates over Democrats in general elections, even when he disagrees with their records. Ready also discussed his AI-powered campaign website, his policy platform, and his promise to bring private-sector accountability to state government. The interview closed with a sharp critique of political insiders, campaign operatives, and what Ready described as a lack of transparency in South Carolina politics. SEGMENT HIGHLIGHTS Ram Ready Responds to “Plant” Allegation Denies claims he is working for House Speaker Murrell Smith Says accusations are politically motivated attacks Defends self-funding campaign as proof of independence Clash Over Ralph Norman & Nikki Haley Ready accuses Norman allies of misleading voters Criticizes Norman's past support for Nikki Haley during Trump campaign Frames himself as a stronger Trump-aligned candidate Government Spending & South Carolina Politics Critiques rising state and local spending Calls South Carolina's Republican leadership ineffective Discusses taxes, roads, education, and economic performance Outsider Campaign Message Promotes himself as a citizen candidate, not a career politician Says voters are frustrated with establishment politics Promises private-sector accountability and reform AI Campaign Website & Policy Rollout Highlights detailed online policy platform Discusses use of AI tools to answer voter questions Encourages voters to read full campaign newspaper and proposals KEY QUOTES “You'd have to be pretty stupid to be a plant if you're spending your own money.” “When you vote for me, it's like throwing a grenade in the swamp.” “A bad Republican is still better than any Democrat.” “People are fed up with these career politicians and insider games.” SEO KEYWORDS Ram Ready governor campaign, South Carolina governor race, Tara Show interview, Ralph Norman criticism, South Carolina politics, Republican primary SC, Murrell Smith controversy, Nikki Haley Trump support, conservative podcast, South Carolina taxes, Columbia politics, outsider candidate, GOP primary battle, South Carolina government spending, Ram Ready interview HASHTAGS #SouthCarolina #SCPolitics #GovernorRace #RamReady #Republicans #Trump #Conservative #Politics #SouthCarolinaPolitics #GOP #Election2026 #TheTaraShow #PoliticalPodcast #AmpersandWave #BreakingNews

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

Chuck Todd delivers an analysis of the Virginia Supreme Court's decision tossing out the Democratic redistricting map — arguing Democrats pissed away enormous political capital for absolutely nothing and that the reaction on the left has been wildly out of proportion, treating the ruling like an election loss when it was actually a predictable consequence of trying to fight fire with fire. He notes that Democrats passed the Virginia map without ever bothering to figure out how the courts would rule, and that both Obama and Governor Spanberger spent serious political capital pushing a referendum that was always legally vulnerable. He pushes back hard on left-wing commentary framing the ruling as partisan: the Virginia Supreme Court isn't full of partisans — they're technocrats, and Democrats just spent years arguing for norms and process and then ignored norms and process. His central argument is that Democrats will never win a race to the bottom with Trump's GOP, that the "fight fire with fire" mentality is a huge strategic mistake, and that Democrats can absolutely win in newly created swing districts with the right candidates if they go back to persuading voters and building coalitions rather than treating voters as the problem. He argues that Democrats are still likely to win both the House and Senate in the midterms — proof that Trump has done nothing to improve the GOP's image and that the path back to a winning Democratic coalition is still wide open if the party chooses to take it. Finally, Chuck hops into the ToddCast Time Machine to revisit the Supreme Court’s Brown vs. Board of Education decision and explains that the courts have been forced to rule on major structural changes to American society when congress refuses to legislate. He also answers listeners’ questions in the “Ask Chuck” segment. Try ShipStation free for 60 days with full access to all features, No credit card needed! Go to https://ShipStation.com and use code TODDCAST for 60 days for free! Thank you Wildgrain for sponsoring. Visit http://wildgrain.com/TODDCAST and use the code "TODDCAST" at checkout to receive $30 off your first box PLUS free Croissants for life! Link in bio or go to https://getsoul.com & enter code TODDCAST for 30% off your first order. Timeline: (Timestamps may vary based on advertisements) 00:00 Chuck Todd’s introduction 01:45 Democrats pissed away political capital in VA, then map was tossed 05:30 Reaction on the left to Virginia ruling has been like an election loss 07:00 It’s understandable that Democrats wanted to fight fire with fire 07:45 Democrats passed VA map without knowing how the courts would rule 08:30 Obama and Spanberger wasted political capital for nothing 09:45 Dems have argued for norms + process that court said they didn’t follow 10:30 Electing the judiciary is terrible for the rule of law 11:15 The VA Supreme Court aren’t partisans, they’re technocrats 12:30 Left wing commentary assumes it was a partisan decision… it wasn’t 14:00 Dem leadership in VA misled the party & the public on referendum 15:45 We still don’t know what the maps will look like in the south after redistricting 16:30 GOP has the redistricting advantage now, but courts may intervene 17:30 VA court may give courage to other courts to stop the gerrymandering 18:45 Democrats will never win a race to the bottom with Trump’s GOP 20:15 Democrats can win in newly created swing districts with right candidates 22:00 The “fight fire with fire” mentality is a huge mistake by the Dems 23:00 Democracy is eroded when both parties play scorched earth politics 24:15 Dems should be trying to persuade and coalition build 26:00 Republicans treat voters as the problem, Dems shouldn’t do the same 27:15 Dems want to be held to a higher standard, but don’t like it when they are 28:30 Dems did real damage to their credibility with Virginia redistricting 30:00 Trump has done nothing to improve the GOP’s image, Dems can still win 31:45 Democrats know what they’re against, but not what they’re for 33:30 Spanberger was put in an impossible position by her party 35:00 Spanberger knew that swing voters didn’t like the redistricting chaos 36:15 Dems practiced politics of addition under Obama, now in survival mode 37:45 Voters viewed the Democratic party as more principled, VA jeopardizes that 38:30 Dems still more likely to win both house and senate despite the ruling 42:15 ToddCast Time Machine - May 17th, 195443:00 Brown vs. Board was the court pushing back against a legal fiction43:30 Plessy vs. Ferguson was the foundation for segregation44:15 Segregation had to end via the courts, congress refused to end it45:30 Southern Democrats held enormous power in the 50s46:00 The system challenged by Brown had too much power in congress46:45 The NAACP was chipping away at segregation one case at a time47:30 The court needed a unanimous decision for Brown to have legitimacy48:30 The US was championing freedom abroad while segregated at home49:00 Without the cold war, we don’t desegregate or pass the Voting Rights Act49:30 Court rules 9-0 on Brown, didn’t end segregation but delegitimized it50:30 Southern politicians organized massive resistance51:00 Federal troops sent into Little Rock to escort black students into school51:45 Brown changed how Americans thought about the power of the court52:30 Courts became more like political actors in decades after Brown53:45 The ruling in Brown was definitive, its implementation was not54:30 Ask Chuck54:45 How much could voter suppression affect juiced Democratic turnout?1:01:00 What if Trump never becomes a lame duck president?1:05:30 Is gerrymandering creating better chances for moderates?1:12:00 What are the most realistic options for scaling back entitlements?1:17:15 Predictions for the political futures of Nikki Haley & Ron DeSantis?1:23:15 Is there a scenario for a bipartisan impeachment to avoid bad pardons?1:28:00 Greg Olsen was commencement speaker at Chuck’s daughters graduation1:29:30 Thoughts on the NBA playoffs & NCAA tournament expansionSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Thursday, May 9th, 2024 Marjorie Taylor Greene is beginning her effort to remove Speaker Johnson; the Georgia court of appeals has granted Trump's motion to reconsider the removal of DA Fani Willis; Judge Aileen Cannon indefinitely postpones the Trump espionage case; Nikki Haley nets 22% of the vote in the Indiana Republican primary; Biden takes aim at Trump for failed Foxconn project with a visit to Microsoft's new site in Wisconsin; the Pentagon confirms that the Biden administration stopped a shipment of bombs to Israel; Kevin McCarthy is escalating his war against Matt Gaetz; RFK Jr has literal brain worms; plus Allison and Dana deliver your Good News. Our Guest Jena Friedman: Not Funny by Jena Friedman https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Not-Funny/Jena-Friedman/9781982178291 Twitter https://twitter.com/JenaFriedman Instagram https://www.instagram.com/jenafriedman TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@jenafriedman Soft Focus with Jena Friedman | Adult Swim (Youtube) Haley won 1 in 5 Indiana Republican voters in the presidential primary. She left the race in March (AP News) Court of Appeals to consider DA Fani Willis removal in Trump Georgia election case (AJC) McCarthy vs. Gaetz: The GOP's never-ending feud (Politico) Biden takes aim at Trump for failed Foxconn project with visit to Microsoft's new site in Wisconsin (CNN) Reminder - you can see the pod pics if you become a Patron. The good news pics are at the bottom of the show notes of each Patreon episode! That's just one of the perks of subscribing! patreon.com/muellershewrote Listener Survey:http://survey.podtrac.com/start-survey.aspx?pubid=BffJOlI7qQcF&ver=shortFollow the Podcast on Apple:https://apple.co/3XNx7ckWant to support the show and get it ad-free and early?https://patreon.com/thedailybeanshttps://dailybeans.supercast.com/https://apple.co/3UKzKt0 Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Explosive claims, controversial court decisions, and political firestorms collide in today's episode. From allegations involving the Southern Poverty Law Center to questions about judicial appointments and local crime cases, this episode digs into the intersection of money, power, and accountability. We also break down the Greenville weapons arrest case, bond outrage, and how political influence may shape outcomes in the justice system. Plus—questions surrounding financial disclosures from Ilhan Omar and broader concerns about transparency in Washington. Buckle up—this one covers a lot of ground.

Stuart in South Carolina called in to share his thoughts on Nikki Haley, describing her behavior during her time in South Carolina as particularly outrageous and underhanded. Chris in Manhattan, NY, called in to debate Mark on President Trump's actions regarding Iran and the Strait of Hormuz.

Stuart in South Carolina called in to share his thoughts on Nikki Haley, describing her behavior during her time in South Carolina as particularly outrageous and underhanded. Chris in Manhattan, NY, called in to debate Mark on President Trump's actions regarding Iran and the Strait of Hormuz.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On CNN's State of the Union, former US Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley joins Dana Bash to react to President Trump's announcement that the US will impose a blockade on the Strait of Hormuz after US-Iran talks failed to reach a deal. Haley tells Bash that Trump is “calling Iran's bluff” and also says he needs to confront China over its support for Iran. After, Senate Intelligence Committee Vice Chair Mark Warner joins Dana to discuss what happens next after US-Iran talks failed to reach a deal to end the war. After, Democratic Rep. Eugene Vindman and CNN Political Commentators Jamal Simmons, David Urban, and Kristen Soltis Anderson discuss the sexual assault allegations against Democratic Rep. Eric Swalwell, as well as early moves by potential 2028 presidential candidates. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

O6 Afterschool is celebrating 10 years of impact, helping public school students across South Carolina build confidence and succeed through hands-on, engaging academic support. Founded by former South Carolina Governor and U.S. Ambassador Nikki Haley, the Original Six Foundation has grown the program from a small pilot to a statewide initiative reaching more than 1,000 students. The milestone will be marked May 8 at the Columbia Museum of Art, bringing together students, educators, and community leaders to reflect on a decade of opening doors.

Chuck Todd unleashes a fierce indictment of Trump's Iran war, walking through a series of devastating prophetic quotes from Trump's own 2016 Republican rivals, now supporters — Lindsey Graham calling his foreign policy "gibberish," Marco Rubio warning that turning the nuclear codes over to an erratic individual "wouldn't end well," Ted Cruz suggesting Trump could "nuke Denmark," and Nikki Haley raising alarms about his "irresponsible behavior" — all of which now look less like campaign rhetoric and more like haunting predictions of exactly the moment America finds itself in. He argues that whether you're a hawk or a dove on Iran, Donald Trump has failed you: he's pissed away American prestige and trust around the world, the Strait of Hormuz is now effectively in Iranian hands, the United States doesn't even know who it's negotiating with given uncertainty about the Ayatollah's status, and Trump is so desperate to escape the war he started that he was bizarrely celebrating a "ceasefire and joint venture with Iran" — a phrase that captures just how thoroughly this is turning into a massive humiliation for the United States. He notes that Netanyahu spent years trying to drag America into a war with Iran and finally found his sucker in Trump, that no advisor had the guts to challenge him before the strikes began, and that Obama's old foreign policy doctrine of "don't do stupid shit" has been violated in spectacular fashion. He flags an absurd new development — Trumpworld is now threatening the Vatican because the Pope spoke against the war, a politically idiotic move given how many Catholics live in swing states — and reiterates that success in the conflict would require ground troops Trump refuses to commit, meaning the damage is done and markets will take a long time to recover. Todd argues that the United States has become an erratic and unreliable ally to every country in the world, that the only nation benefiting from Trump's presidency is Russia. He closes on a political note: Democrats massively overperformed again in recent elections, including a shocking blowout in Wisconsin, the war is accelerating the GOP's problems heading into the midterms, and Republicans who distance themselves from Trump now will be very glad they did by 2028 — because the current political climate is pointing toward a massive blue wave. Finally, he 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. 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. Timeline: (Timestamps may vary based on advertisements) 00:00 Chuck Todd’s introduction 00:30 Trump was celebrating the ceasefire & joint venture with Iran?? 01:00 This is turning into a massive humiliation for the United States 02:00 Trump’s biggest GOP supporters sounded the alarm on him in 2016 02:45 We have pissed away American prestige and trust around the world 04:00 In May 2016, Lindsey Graham said Trump’s foreign policy is jibberish 05:15 March 2016, Rubio said Trump was the opposite of what America stands for 05:45 Rubio warned about turning over nuclear codes to an erratic individual 06:30 Rubio warned that electing Trump “wouldn’t end well” 07:30 If you’re a hawk or dove on Iran, Donald Trump has failed you* 08:00 In 2016, Ted Cruz warned that Trump could “nuke Denmark” 09:30 In 2016, Nikki Haley also warned about Trump’s “irresponsible behavior” 10:30 Netanyahu tried to drag U.S. into war for years, found a sucker in Trump 11:15 No Trump advisor had the guts to challenge Trump on Iran before war 11:45 Obama’s strategy was “Don’t do stupid shit” - This war is “stupid shit” 12:30 Trump is desperate to get out of war, willing to take any deal 15:00 The Strait is now in the hands of the Iranians 15:30 We don’t know the state of the Ayatollah…who are we negotiating with? 16:30 The Pope spoke against the war, now Trumpworld threatening the Vatican 17:15 There are a lot of Catholics in swing states, picking fight w/pope is idiotic 18:30 Success requires ground troops & Trump doesn’t want to do that 20:00 The damage has been done, it will take time for markets to recover 21:15 The U.S. has become an erratic and unreliable ally 22:15 Trump gravitates toward being sold the best possible outcome 24:00 The word of the United States used to mean something 25:00 Trump has made our relationship with every country worse 26:30 The mistake people make is thinking they can control Trump 27:30 The next president will have to fix or apologize for things Trump did 29:30 Only one country is benefitting from Trump’s presidency…Russia 30:45 Rubio’s quote “this won’t end well” will live in infamy 31:15 Democrats massively overperformed again in recent elections 32:00 Wisconsin election was a shocking blowout for the Democrats 32:30 War is accelerating GOP’s problems heading into midterms 33:15 Republicans that distance from Trump will be glad they did by 2028 34:45 Current political climate portends a massive blue wave 40:00 Ask Chuck 40:15 What is being missed that will bite us in the future? 46:00 What’s the most “Veep” thing you’ve seen in DC? 49:30 Why haven’t Democrats tapped into talk radio like Republicans have? 55:00 Didn’t mention Washington state in one party drought Top 5 list? 58:30 If the war ends, can Republicans run on the economy in 2026? 1:01:30 Forcing ownership changes if sports teams underperform?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Chuck Todd unleashes a fierce indictment of Trump's Iran war, walking through a series of devastating prophetic quotes from Trump's own 2016 Republican rivals, now supporters — Lindsey Graham calling his foreign policy "gibberish," Marco Rubio warning that turning the nuclear codes over to an erratic individual "wouldn't end well," Ted Cruz suggesting Trump could "nuke Denmark," and Nikki Haley raising alarms about his "irresponsible behavior" — all of which now look less like campaign rhetoric and more like haunting predictions of exactly the moment America finds itself in. He argues that whether you're a hawk or a dove on Iran, Donald Trump has failed you: he's pissed away American prestige and trust around the world, the Strait of Hormuz is now effectively in Iranian hands, the United States doesn't even know who it's negotiating with given uncertainty about the Ayatollah's status, and Trump is so desperate to escape the war he started that he was bizarrely celebrating a "ceasefire and joint venture with Iran" — a phrase that captures just how thoroughly this is turning into a massive humiliation for the United States. He notes that Netanyahu spent years trying to drag America into a war with Iran and finally found his sucker in Trump, that no advisor had the guts to challenge him before the strikes began, and that Obama's old foreign policy doctrine of "don't do stupid shit" has been violated in spectacular fashion. He flags an absurd new development — Trumpworld is now threatening the Vatican because the Pope spoke against the war, a politically idiotic move given how many Catholics live in swing states — and reiterates that success in the conflict would require ground troops Trump refuses to commit, meaning the damage is done and markets will take a long time to recover. Todd argues that the United States has become an erratic and unreliable ally to every country in the world, that the only nation benefiting from Trump's presidency is Russia. He closes on a political note: Democrats massively overperformed again in recent elections, including a shocking blowout in Wisconsin, the war is accelerating the GOP's problems heading into the midterms, and Republicans who distance themselves from Trump now will be very glad they did by 2028 — because the current political climate is pointing toward a massive blue wave. Pulitzer Prize finalist and historian Megan Kate Nelson — author of the new book The Westerners: Mythmaking and Belonging on the American Frontier — joins the Chuck Toddcast for a fascinating conversation about how the story of the American West we all grew up with is largely a myth, and what the real history reveals about who actually built the country. Nelson explains that the dominant narrative was essentially invented by historian Frederick Jackson Turner in 1893, who argued the American creed was rooted in conquest and expansion — a framing that conveniently allowed white Americans to rally around westward expansion as a unifying project while papering over the uncomfortable realities of slavery and the brutal treatment of indigenous peoples. She walks through her seven central characters whose stories reclaim that history: Sacagawea (who wasn't actually famous until the 20th century), biracial fur trader Jim Beckwourth, Hispana saloon owner María Gertrudis Barceló (whose Santa Fe establishment inspired the modern Vegas casino), gold miner and newspaperman Ovando Hollister (who believed in human equality and later moved to Salt Lake City to agitate against the Mormons), Northern Cheyenne chief Little Wolf, Canadian immigrant rancher Ella Watson, and Chinese immigrant Polly Bemis. Nelson reveals the most surprising research findings — including how digitized old Colorado newspapers helped her discover stories that had been lost for generations — and discusses how Hollywood created and popularized the caricatures of the West that still dominate pop culture today. Finally, he 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. 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. Timeline: (Timestamps may vary based on advertisements) 00:00 Chuck Todd’s introduction 00:30 Trump was celebrating the ceasefire & joint venture with Iran?? 01:00 This is turning into a massive humiliation for the United States 02:00 Trump’s biggest GOP supporters sounded the alarm on him in 2016 02:45 We have pissed away American prestige and trust around the world 04:00 In May 2016, Lindsey Graham said Trump’s foreign policy is jibberish 05:15 March 2016, Rubio said Trump was the opposite of what America stands for 05:45 Rubio warned about turning over nuclear codes to an erratic individual 06:30 Rubio warned that electing Trump “wouldn’t end well” 07:30 If you’re a hawk or dove on Iran, Donald Trump has failed you* 08:00 In 2016, Ted Cruz warned that Trump could “nuke Denmark” 09:30 In 2016, Nikki Haley also warned about Trump’s “irresponsible behavior” 10:30 Netanyahu tried to drag U.S. into war for years, found a sucker in Trump 11:15 No Trump advisor had the guts to challenge Trump on Iran before war 11:45 Obama’s strategy was “Don’t do stupid shit” - This war is “stupid shit” 12:30 Trump is desperate to get out of war, willing to take any deal 15:00 The Strait is now in the hands of the Iranians 15:30 We don’t know the state of the Ayatollah…who are we negotiating with? 16:30 The Pope spoke against the war, now Trumpworld threatening the Vatican 17:15 There are a lot of Catholics in swing states, picking fight w/pope is idiotic 18:30 Success requires ground troops & Trump doesn’t want to do that 20:00 The damage has been done, it will take time for markets to recover 21:15 The U.S. has become an erratic and unreliable ally 22:15 Trump gravitates toward being sold the best possible outcome 24:00 The word of the United States used to mean something 25:00 Trump has made our relationship with every country worse 26:30 The mistake people make is thinking they can control Trump 27:30 The next president will have to fix or apologize for things Trump did 29:30 Only one country is benefitting from Trump’s presidency…Russia 30:45 Rubio’s quote “this won’t end well” will live in infamy 31:15 Democrats massively overperformed again in recent elections 32:00 Wisconsin election was a shocking blowout for the Democrats 32:30 War is accelerating GOP’s problems heading into midterms 33:15 Republicans that distance from Trump will be glad they did by 2028 34:45 Current political climate portends a massive blue wave 41:45 Megan Kate Nelson joins the Chuck ToddCast 43:15 What got you interested in the topic for The Westerners? 45:30 People still have a very entrenched idea of what the west is 46:45 The portrayal of the west has been improved in pop culture 48:30 Frederick Jackson Turner created the “myth” of the west 50:00 Turner argued the American creed was based on conquest & expansion 51:45 Turner’s narrative became the standard telling of American history 52:45 Western expansion papered over uncomfortable 19th century history 53:30 White Americans could rally around the west & avoid slavery 54:45 How did you get your research on the subjects of The Westerners? 55:30 Sacagawea wasn’t famous until the 20th century 56:15 Lewis & Clark was a core piece of context for the book 57:30 Most unique source material you found that filled in gaps? 1:00:45 Old local newspapers from Colorado were digitized, allowing discovery 1:02:00 Hollywood created and popularized caricatures of the west 1:03:00 Fears and hopes for the new “Little House on the Prairie" reboot? 1:04:45 How much did Laura Ingalls Wilder book create their own mythology? 1:05:45 White settlers received a great deal of help from the federal government 1:06:45 Transcontinental railroad enables the explosion of the cattle industry 1:07:15 Military deployed to protect white settlers, annihilate the indigenous 1:08:30 Expansion wasn’t just an east-west story, it was also a north-south story 1:11:45 Vegas casinos inspired by Maria Barcelo’s Santa Fe saloon 1:14:15 The story of southern migration from Canada 1:16:15 Timeline of the book is most of the 19th century 1:17:00 Role of Chinese workers/immigrants in the story of the west 1:18:45 Chinese workers came on a false promise, were trapped in their labor 1:22:15 Impact of the Chinese Exclusion Act 1:23:45 The story of Ovando Hollister 1:25:45 Hollister believed in the equality of all people. Went from military to newspapers 1:27:30 Hollister moved to Salt Lake City & agitated against the Mormons 1:28:15 Stories of the Native Americans are finally being depicted better 1:29:00 The story of Little Wolf 1:30:45 Little Wolf was a great military strategist and leader for his people 1:33:45 Histories of the west were heavily shaded by original bias 1:34:45 Balancing objectivity with your personal bias when writing history 1:36:15 Connecting individual stories in history to larger movements & moments 1:37:15 How would improve school curriculum to honestly depict the west? 1:41:30 The west was fairly violent before law enforcement became normalized 1:42:30 Next project is the story of a Kiowa and Comanche raid on ranching town 1:45:00 Ask Chuck 1:45:15 What is being missed that will bite us in the future? 1:51:00 What’s the most “Veep” thing you’ve seen in DC? 1:54:30 Why haven’t Democrats tapped into talk radio like Republicans have? 2:00:00 Didn’t mention Washington state in one party drought Top 5 list? 2:03:30 If the war ends, can Republicans run on the economy in 2026? 2:06:30 Forcing ownership changes if sports teams underperform?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Friday, March 8th, 2024 Judge Kaplan denies Trump's last minute bid to stay his payment to E. Jean Carroll; the Navy stripped Ronny Jackson of his rank before he left the military; Jack Smith has filed his opposition to Trump's motion to dismiss the espionage and obstruction charges against him; Dean Phillips and Nikki Haley have dropped out of the presidential race; Trump is ordered to pay legal fees after a failed lawsuit against Christopher Steele; Jared Kushner has been subpoenaed by an ex-Trump staffer in a lawsuit. Plus, Allison delivers your good news. Dana is out and about.  Our Guest: John Fugelsang https://www.johnfugelsang.com/tme https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-john-fugelsang-podcast/id1464094232 Sexy Liberal Live Tour https://sexyliberal.com/tour Judge won't let Trump delay E. Jean Carroll penalties, leaving him with days to cover $83M judgment https://abcnews.go.com/US/judge-trump-delay-jean-carroll-penalties-leaving-days/story?id=107885701 Trump is ordered to pay legal fees after failed lawsuit over the Steele dossier https://apnews.com/article/trump-steele-dossier-uk-lawsuit-russia-55427915a83f33a8ead484109b8a89f6 Jared Kushner subpoenaed by ex-Trump staffer in pregnancy discrimination case https://www.rawstory.com/jason-miller-jared-kushner-aj-delgado Kentucky senate passes bill granting right to collect child support for fetuses https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2024/mar/06/kentucky-senate-child-support-unborn-children   Ex-Twitter executives sue Elon Musk for $128m in unpaid severance https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2024/mar/04/former-twitter-execs-sue-elon-musk-severance Reminder - you can see the pod pics if you become a Patron. The good news pics are at the bottom of the show notes of each Patreon episode! That's just one of the perks of subscribing! patreon.com/muellershewrote Listener Survey:http://survey.podtrac.com/start-survey.aspx?pubid=BffJOlI7qQcF&ver=shortFollow the Podcast on Apple:https://apple.co/3XNx7ckWant to support the show and get it ad-free and early?https://patreon.com/thedailybeanshttps://dailybeans.supercast.com/https://apple.co/3UKzKt0 Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Tuesday, February 27th, 2024 Ken Chesebro concealed secret Twitter account communications from Michigan prosecutors; Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg has asked for a gag order in the upcoming election interference hush money trial of Donald Trump; Russia tied hackers issue a ransom for Fulton County trial documents; GOP Rep Ken Buck has issued a 25th Amendment resolution for President Joe Biden; Fani Willis and Nathan Wade had to change their phone numbers after they were published on social media; a hazmat team is spotted at Don Jr's home after he opened an envelope that contained a white powder; the Koch Network says it will stop funding Nikki Haley's campaign after her South Carolina primary loss; Justice Clarence Thomas has hired a racist law clerk; students at Nex Benedict's school stage a walkout to protest bullying policies. Plus, Allison and Dana deliver your good news. Russia-tied hackers threaten to leak Georgia Trump trial docs if ransom isn't paid: reporthttps://www.rawstory.com/trump-trial-docs Koch network says it will stop funding Nikki Haley's presidential bidhttps://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2024-election/koch-network-stop-funding-nikki-haley-americans-for-prosperity-rcna140425 Georgia prosecutors received deluge of harassing calls after cell phone records leaked, sources sayhttps://www.cnn.com/2024/02/26/politics/georgia-prosecutors-harassing-calls/index.html Exclusive: Key figure in fake electors plot concealed damning posts on secret Twitter account from investigatorshttps://www.cnn.com/2024/02/26/politics/kenneth-chesebro-secret-twitter-account-kfile/index.html Clarence Thomas Hires Clerk Who Allegedly Wrote Racist Textshttps://www.thedailybeast.com/clarence-thomas-hires-clerk-crystal-clanton-who-allegedly-wrote-racist-texts Oklahoma students walk out after trans student's death to protest bullying policieshttps://www.nbcnews.com/nbc-out/out-news/nex-benedict-death-protest-bullying-owasso-oklahoma-rcna140501 Letter With White Powder Mailed to Donald Trump Jr.'s Florida Home: Sourceshttps://www.thedailybeast.com/hazmat-teams-spotted-at-don-jrs-florida-home-after-white-powder-discovered Subscribe to Lawyers, Guns, And Money Ad-free premium feed:https://lawyersgunsandmoney.supercast.com Subscribe for free everywhere else:https://lawyersgunsandmoney.simplecast.com/episodes/1-miami-1985 From The Good News Clumber Spanielhttps://dogtime.com/dog-breeds/clumber-spaniel Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF)https://studentaid.gov/manage-loans/forgiveness-cancellation/public-service Reminder - you can see the pod pics if you become a Patron. The good news pics are at the bottom of the show notes of each Patreon episode! That's just one of the perks of subscribing! patreon.com/muellershewrote Listener Survey:http://survey.podtrac.com/start-survey.aspx?pubid=BffJOlI7qQcF&ver=shortFollow the Podcast on Apple:https://apple.co/3XNx7ckWant to support the show and get it ad-free and early?https://patreon.com/thedailybeanshttps://dailybeans.supercast.com/https://apple.co/3UKzKt0 Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Mike Switzer interviews Nikki Haley, founder and board member of the Original Six Foundation, which this year is celebrating the 10th anniversary of its flagship initiative, the O6 Afterschool program.

Mark Simone claimed the top spot for midday news talk radio in 2025, as reported by Barrett Media. In the Savannah Guthrie case, authorities are looking at a delivery driver as the possible intended suspect. Border Czar Tom Homan announced that ICE will be pulling out of Minnesota. Mark interviews economist Steve Moore. He explains that the government sector shrinking is actually positive for the overall economy. Ford's CEO released a statement noting that EV sales have significantly underperformed expectations. NFL players are reportedly losing thousands of dollars because of California's Jock Tax. What changes does the Big Beautiful Bill bring when it comes to filing your taxes this year? With many seats currently up for grabs in the upcoming Midterms, it's a crucial time for the RNC and the GOP. Nikki Haley was allegedly not offered a role in Trump's administration due to concerns about her attitude. During Trump's first term, CNN experienced a “Trump bump” that boosted its ratings. Mark interviews WOR Weeknight host Jimmy Failla. What's the latest discussion surrounding Voter ID requirements at the polls? Did former President Obama use voter fraud tactics to push Obamacare? Jimmy Failla's name appears in the Epstein files, though not for any wrongdoing, while the Clintons' situation is viewed differently. Plus, some Valentine's Day advice for your significant other.

With many seats currently up for grabs in the upcoming Midterms, it's a crucial time for the RNC and the GOP. Nikki Haley was allegedly not offered a role in Trump's administration due to concerns about her attitude. During Trump's first term, CNN experienced a “Trump bump” that boosted its ratings. Mark takes your calls! Mark interviews WOR Weeknight host Jimmy Failla. What's the latest discussion surrounding Voter ID requirements at the polls? Did former President Obama use voter fraud tactics to push Obamacare? Jimmy Failla's name appears in the Epstein files, though not for any wrongdoing, while the Clintons' situation is viewed differently. Plus, some Valentine's Day advice for your significant other.

With many seats currently up for grabs in the upcoming Midterms, it's a crucial time for the RNC and the GOP. Nikki Haley was allegedly not offered a role in Trump's administration due to concerns about her attitude. During Trump's first term, CNN experienced a “Trump bump” that boosted its ratings.

Mark Simone claimed the top spot for midday news talk radio in 2025, as reported by Barrett Media. In the Savannah Guthrie case, authorities are looking at a delivery driver as the possible intended suspect. Border Czar Tom Homan announced that ICE will be pulling out of Minnesota. Mark interviews economist Steve Moore. He explains that the government sector shrinking is actually positive for the overall economy. Ford's CEO released a statement noting that EV sales have significantly underperformed expectations. NFL players are reportedly losing thousands of dollars because of California's Jock Tax. What changes does the Big Beautiful Bill bring when it comes to filing your taxes this year? With many seats currently up for grabs in the upcoming Midterms, it's a crucial time for the RNC and the GOP. Nikki Haley was allegedly not offered a role in Trump's administration due to concerns about her attitude. During Trump's first term, CNN experienced a “Trump bump” that boosted its ratings. Mark interviews WOR Weeknight host Jimmy Failla. What's the latest discussion surrounding Voter ID requirements at the polls? Did former President Obama use voter fraud tactics to push Obamacare? Jimmy Failla's name appears in the Epstein files, though not for any wrongdoing, while the Clintons' situation is viewed differently. Plus, some Valentine's Day advice for your significant other.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

With many seats currently up for grabs in the upcoming Midterms, it's a crucial time for the RNC and the GOP. Nikki Haley was allegedly not offered a role in Trump's administration due to concerns about her attitude. During Trump's first term, CNN experienced a “Trump bump” that boosted its ratings.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

With many seats currently up for grabs in the upcoming Midterms, it's a crucial time for the RNC and the GOP. Nikki Haley was allegedly not offered a role in Trump's administration due to concerns about her attitude. During Trump's first term, CNN experienced a “Trump bump” that boosted its ratings. Mark takes your calls! Mark interviews WOR Weeknight host Jimmy Failla. What's the latest discussion surrounding Voter ID requirements at the polls? Did former President Obama use voter fraud tactics to push Obamacare? Jimmy Failla's name appears in the Epstein files, though not for any wrongdoing, while the Clintons' situation is viewed differently. Plus, some Valentine's Day advice for your significant other.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As negotiations between the U.S. and Iran enter a critical second week, a substantial U.S. naval buildup in the region has signaled concerns about another potential conflict. Former UN Ambassador and South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley joined Bret on Tuesday to unpack the current state of the negotiations, explaining what these talks mean for both the future of the Iranian people and the legacy of President Trump.  Later, Nikki weighs in on the upcoming midterm elections, delivering a dire warning to Republicans over their lack of economic messaging. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

MSNow was forced to admit it: this was a red-hot jobs report. Despite months of doom and gloom, the latest numbers crushed expectations—130,000 jobs added, unemployment down to 4.3%, wages rising, and private sector growth surging. Watch the awkward reaction as MSNow tries to downplay undeniably strong economic data under President Trump. We break down the media spin, the Nikki Haley pivot, and why this booming economy is bad news for Democrats heading into the midterms. SHOP OUR MERCH: https://store.townhallmedia.com/ BUY A LARRY MUG: https://store.townhallmedia.com/products/larry-mug Watch LARRY with Larry O'Connor LIVE — Monday-Thursday at 12PM Eastern on YouTube, Facebook, & Rumble! Find LARRY with Larry O'Connor wherever you get your podcasts! SPOTIFY: https://open.spotify.com/show/7i8F7K4fqIDmqZSIHJNhMh?si=814ce2f8478944c0&nd=1&dlsi=e799ca22e81b456f APPLE: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/larry/id1730596733 Become a Townhall VIP Member today and use promo code LARRY for 50% off: https://townhall.com/subscribe?tpcc=poddescription https://townhall.com/ https://rumble.com/c/c-5769468 https://www.facebook.com/townhallcom/ https://www.instagram.com/townhallmedia/ https://twitter.com/townhallcomBecome a Townhall VIP member with promo code "LARRY": https://townhall.com/subscribeSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Seattle over New England in boring Super Bowl, Snoop Dog ruins the Olympics, more Epstein Files, Luigi Mangione's outburst, a Michael Jackson hit piece, Brooklyn Beckham's new nepo-baby, and another ex-Angel speaks out on Corey Feldman. Congrats to the Super Bowl Champion Seattle Seahawks. Eli Zaret drops by to recap a pretty boring Big Game, Bad Bunny's Halftime Show vs. Kid Rock's Halftime Show, Donald Trump's thoughts on the game, discuss the SB commercials, Floyd Mayweather's lawsuits, Michigan basketball over OSU, transfer portal chaos, the Detroit Tigers sign Framber Valdez, Tarik Skubal's record-setting arbitration, Reese Olson's latest injury, the Pistons trade for Kevin Huerter, Lindsey Vonn's latest crash at the Winter Olympics, Darron Lee's crimes, James Pearce's crimes, and much more. RIP the lead singer of 3 Doors Down. RIP that guy from Cake. Corey Feldman is being harassed in Rochester, NY. Jim and Them interviewed ex-Angel, Margot Lane. Olympic Coverage: Snoop Dogg is annoying everyone. JD Vance was booed at the Opening Ceremony. Some US Olympians are popping off politically. Mariah Carey lip-sync'd her performance. Epstein Files: More files dropped and Woody Allen is all over them. His wife/daughter penned a letter to Jeffrey Epstein. Steve Bannon praised Epstein in a released interview. Most of the criminal info seems to be redacted. If you're not in the Epstein files… you're a loser. Donald Trump is in those files over and over. Did Trump get a BJ from Madeleine Westerhout and Nikki Haley? Peter Attia has not come off too well. Luigi Mangione had an outburst in court. Mark Anderson tried busting Luigi out of the slammer… with a pizza cutter. Ted Bundy knocked a chick up while on death row. Pretty impressive. Guthrie Kidnapping: Some chud was busted trying to scam the Guthrie family. Savannah Guthrie will pay the $6M ransom. Reddit believes daughter Annie is to blame. How DARE the Arizona Sheriff go to a college basketball game when Nancy Guthrie is missing! The UK is airing a hit piece on Michael Jackson. The Jackson biopic is coming out soon. Brooklyn Beckham and Nicola Peltz are adopting a baby. Brooklyn had some tattoo work done. DJ Fat Tony is still making the rounds. Amy Schumer defends posting all her thirst traps. Meghan Markle sells the worst products. Cheere Denise is piling on. Markle totally ripped off the ‘As Ever' brand from Princess Diana.AI Piers Morgan slams the fake royal. Meghan can't stop making public appearances. Gisele Bündchen flashed a ring given to her by karate guy. Tom Brady nailed Alix Earle again. Bianca Censori did an interview with Vanity Fair. North West got some new jewelry. Ray J is dying ASAP due to a ‘Black Heart'. He's heading to Haiti for treatment. Jennifer Aniston is living in fear as her stalker hits the streets. Catherine Herridge tried, but couldn't publish dirt on Hunter Biden. The EV challenge has failed for Stellantis, Ford & GM. Chicago's Brandon Johnson vs ICE. Zohran Mamdani is getting crap for taking a criminal's side. Merch can still be purchased. Click here to see what we have to offer for a limited time. If you'd like to help support the show… consider subscribing to our YouTube Channel, Facebook, Instagram and Twitter (Drew Lane, Marc Fellhauer, Trudi Daniels, Jim Bentley and BranDon)

It feels like Groundhog Day in Washington, but with far higher stakes: Chuck Todd unpacks how the constant churn of déjà vu political scandals has morphed from quirky repetition into full-blown national exhaustion. This episode dives into a rapidly growing blue-wave electorate colliding with what may be the most consequential corruption story of our time—allegations that Trump-era public policy was effectively put up for sale. From a $500 million UAE investment in a Trump-linked company to the approval of advanced AI chip sales, lucrative pardons, and billions in defense contracts tied to the Trump family orbit, Chuck argues this isn’t a one-off scandal but a systemic pattern that dwarfs Watergate. As Congress looks away and enforcement agencies stay silent, the question becomes existential: when foreign money shapes national security decisions, is American policy still being made for the country—or for the first family? Dr. Annie Andrews, a pediatrician and Democratic candidate challenging Lindsey Graham for U.S. Senate in South Carolina, joins the Chuck ToddCast to discuss why healthcare providers must lead the fight for reform in an era of collapsing trust in federal institutions. Andrews explains that pediatricians should be at the forefront because Medicaid—the largest insurer of children—has been gutted, and doctors are now disputing dangerous government vaccine policies from an administration where medical information can no longer be trusted. She argues the healthcare system is fundamentally broken, rewarding providers for delivering more treatment rather than better outcomes while facing what she describes as a coordinated attack on healthcare. As a physician countering "Dr. Internet" disinformation, Andrews discusses running as a Democrat despite the challenges, emphasizing that Democrats have a severe geographic disconnect with rural voters, particularly rural Black voters in South Carolina for whom nothing has improved. Andrews takes direct aim at Lindsey Graham, calling him a follower rather than a leader who simply follows Trump and supports unconstitutional actions while thinking he's politically invulnerable. She expresses disappointment that Nikki Haley and Nancy Mace couldn't stand up to Trump, noting both have "devolved in recent years." Drawing inspiration from the Jon Ossoff and Raphael Warnock blueprint for Democrats in the South, Andrews insists that if Democrats win the midterms they must be bold, hold Trump accountable, and not take impeachment off the table. Reflecting on her pandemic experience—a period she believes Americans still don't understand—Andrews criticizes D.C. politicians for being disconnected from the real world and argues that on issues like AI regulation, profits cannot be prioritized over common sense safety solutions. Finally, Chuck hops into the ToddCast Time Machine to revisit the meeting at Yalta following World War 2 and why the “spheres of influence” world order prioritizes short-term stability over long-term legitimacy. He also answers listeners’ questions in the “Ask Chuck” segment. Protect your family with life insurance from Ethos. Get up to $3 million in coverage in as little as 10 minutes at https://ethos.com/chuck. Application times may vary. Rates may vary. Thank you Wildgrain for sponsoring. Visit http://wildgrain.com/TODDCAST and use the code "TODDCAST" at checkout to receive $30 off your first box PLUS free Croissants for life! Link in bio or go to https://getsoul.com & enter code TODDCAST for 30% off your first order. Timeline: (Timestamps may vary based on advertisements) 00:00 Chuck Todd’s introduction 01:00 It feels like “Groundhog Day” in Washington D.C. 03:00 Movie changed meaning from a quirky holiday to exhaustion 04:15 Political headlines just keep repeating themselves 05:00 Huge “blue wave” is building in the electorate 06:30 Trump bribery scandal should be seismic, likely gets ignored again 07:45 At what point does a policy decision become a product for sale? 09:00 Wall Street Journal stories are legally airtight 10:45 Every piece of public policy is for sale under Trump 12:30 UAE exec bought 49% stake in Trump company for $500m 13:15 Steve Witkoff also made millions from the deal 15:30 This scandal makes Watergate look like a third rate burglary 17:00 After deal, government agreed to sell 500k advanced AI chips to UAE 18:30 Whoever controls reserves of World Liberty Financial controls the yields 20:15 Shortly after deal, Trump pardons the co-founder of Binance 21:15 This isn’t an isolated incident, it’s part of a much larger pattern 22:15 Company linked to Donald Trump Jr received billions in defense contracts 23:00 The founders obsessed over corruption and foreign influence 25:00 Is American policy being made for first family, not the country 26:00 Republicans obsessed over Hunter Biden selling paintings 27:15 If AI race is existential, then Trump signed our death warrant for money 28:30 If Congress won’t investigate, FBI should… but they won’t 29:15 Deals like this undermine U.S. sovereignty, everything is for sale 36:15 Dr. Annie Andrews joins the Chuck ToddCast 37:30 When did you first want to enter politics? 39:45 Did you learn about the healthcare business in med school? 42:15 Pediatricians should be leading the way on healthcare reform 43:00 Medicaid is largest insurer of children & has been gutted 43:45 Pediatricians dispute government vaccine policy for kids 45:15 We can’t trust medical info from the federal government 46:15 Has any RFK proclamation or policy actually made sense? 47:30 How do you deal with “Dr. Internet”? 48:30 Doctors need an online presence to counter disinformation 50:15 Why is it more profitable to run a non-profit over for-profit hospital? 51:00 Healthcare system is rewarded for proving more treatment, not better 52:30 We’re seeing a coordinated attack on our healthcare system 53:15 Jaime Harrison’s campaign in SC was a disaster 54:30 Easiest way to run in the south is to erase the D by your name 55:15 Many challenges to running as an independent 56:45 Democrats have a geographic disconnect with rural voters 57:45 Nothing has gotten better for rural black voters in SC 59:45 The pandemic was a huge reason for Harrison’s bad loss 1:00:30 How do you win over a voter that supported Trump? 1:01:30 Lindsey Graham is supporting unconstitutional actions 1:02:15 Graham isn’t a leader, he’s a follower & he follows Trump 1:03:15 Disappointing Nikki Haley couldn’t stand up to Trump more 1:05:15 South Carolinians says they want outsiders, then vote for insiders 1:06:00 Graham thinks he’s politically invulnerable 1:07:15 People will have their lives negatively impacted by GOP policy 1:08:30 What do you make of Nancy Mace’s political saliency? 1:09:30 Nancy Mace has devolved in recent years 1:10:45 Thoughts on Chuck Schumer as Dem leader in senate? 1:12:00 Jon Ossoff & Raphael Warnock provide blueprint for Dems in south 1:13:45 Trump & the administration must be held accountable 1:15:00 Dems must be bold in their agenda if they win the midterms 1:15:45 Impeachment shouldn’t be off the table 1:17:45 Can you be both a fighter and a uniter as a candidate? 1:19:00 Too many D.C. politicians are disconnected from the real world 1:20:15 How should congress regulate AI? 1:22:00 Profits can’t be the priority over common sense safety solutions 1:23:00 Best TV doctor show that gets it right? E.R. & The Pitt 1:24:15 Americans don’t understand what hospitals were like during Covid 1:25:15 What’s your campaigning rhythm as a candidate? 1:26:30 Clemson or South Carolina? 1:27:30 This Trump bribery scandal needs a sharp name for it to stand up 1:28:30 The bribery story is too complex to explain in a few minutes 1:30:00 ToddCast Time Machine – February 4th 1945 1:30:30 Stalin, Roosevelt & Churchill meet in Yalta 1:31:00 Yalta legitimized “spheres of influence” 1:32:00 Why Yalta was a mistake 1:32:45 Eastern Europe traded rule by Nazis to rule by the Soviets 1:33:45 Could Yalta have been avoided? 1:35:15 Roosevelt gambled Stalin could be restrained 1:36:00 Yalta traded long term legitimacy for short term stability 1:37:30 Yalta avoided immediate catastrophe, planted seeds for future tumult 1:40:00 Ask Chuck 1:40:15 Would you consider having Ralph Nader on as a guest? 1:43:30 Any meaningful parallels between Minneapolis and Kent State? 1:46:00 Will there be an election or will Trump declare an emergency to stop it? 1:48:30 Will future president focus more on domestic issues if filibuster is removed? 1:53:00 Is it normal for a president to have so many cognitive exams? 1:56:00 Differences between charter schools and magnet schools? 1:59:00 College basketball thoughtsSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Dr. Annie Andrews, a pediatrician and Democratic candidate challenging Lindsey Graham for U.S. Senate in South Carolina, joins the Chuck ToddCast to discuss why healthcare providers must lead the fight for reform in an era of collapsing trust in federal institutions. Andrews explains that pediatricians should be at the forefront because Medicaid—the largest insurer of children—has been gutted, and doctors are now disputing dangerous government vaccine policies from an administration where medical information can no longer be trusted. She argues the healthcare system is fundamentally broken, rewarding providers for delivering more treatment rather than better outcomes while facing what she describes as a coordinated attack on healthcare. As a physician countering "Dr. Internet" disinformation, Andrews discusses running as a Democrat despite the challenges, emphasizing that Democrats have a severe geographic disconnect with rural voters, particularly rural Black voters in South Carolina for whom nothing has improved. Andrews takes direct aim at Lindsey Graham, calling him a follower rather than a leader who simply follows Trump and supports unconstitutional actions while thinking he's politically invulnerable. She expresses disappointment that Nikki Haley and Nancy Mace couldn't stand up to Trump, noting both have "devolved in recent years." Drawing inspiration from the Jon Ossoff and Raphael Warnock blueprint for Democrats in the South, Andrews insists that if Democrats win the midterms they must be bold, hold Trump accountable, and not take impeachment off the table. Reflecting on her pandemic experience—a period she believes Americans still don't understand—Andrews criticizes D.C. politicians for being disconnected from the real world and argues that on issues like AI regulation, profits cannot be prioritized over common sense safety solutions. Protect your family with life insurance from Ethos. Get up to $3 million in coverage in as little as 10 minutes at https://ethos.com/chuck. Application times may vary. Rates may vary. Thank you Wildgrain for sponsoring. Visit http://wildgrain.com/TODDCAST and use the code "TODDCAST" at checkout to receive $30 off your first box PLUS free Croissants for life! Link in bio or go to https://getsoul.com & enter code TODDCAST for 30% off your first order. Timeline: (Timestamps may vary based on advertisements) 00:00 Dr. Annie Andrews joins the Chuck ToddCast 01:15 When did you first want to enter politics? 03:30 Did you learn about the healthcare business in med school? 06:00 Pediatricians should be leading the way on healthcare reform 06:45 Medicaid is largest insurer of children & has been gutted 07:30 Pediatricians dispute government vaccine policy for kids 09:00 We can’t trust medical info from the federal government 10:00 Has any RFK proclamation or policy actually made sense? 11:15 How do you deal with “Dr. Internet”? 12:15 Doctors need an online presence to counter disinformation 14:00 Why is it more profitable to run a non-profit over for-profit hospital? 14:45 Healthcare system is rewarded for proving more treatment, not better 16:15 We’re seeing a coordinated attack on our healthcare system 17:00 Jaime Harrison’s campaign in SC was a disaster 18:15 Easiest way to run in the south is to erase the D by your name 19:00 Many challenges to running as an independent 20:30 Democrats have a geographic disconnect with rural voters 21:30 Nothing has gotten better for rural black voters in SC 23:30 The pandemic was a huge reason for Harrison’s bad loss 24:15 How do you win over a voter that supported Trump? 25:15 Lindsey Graham is supporting unconstitutional actions 26:00 Graham isn’t a leader, he’s a follower & he follows Trump 27:00 Disappointing Nikki Haley couldn’t stand up to Trump more 29:00 South Carolinians says they want outsiders, then vote for insiders 29:45 Graham thinks he’s politically invulnerable 31:00 People will have their lives negatively impacted by GOP policy 32:15 What do you make of Nancy Mace’s political saliency? 33:15 Nancy Mace has devolved in recent years 34:30 Thoughts on Chuck Schumer as Dem leader in senate? 35:45 Jon Ossoff & Raphael Warnock provide blueprint for Dems in south 37:30 Trump & the administration must be held accountable 38:45 Dems must be bold in their agenda if they win the midterms 39:30 Impeachment shouldn’t be off the table 41:30 Can you be both a fighter and a uniter as a candidate? 42:45 Too many D.C. politicians are disconnected from the real world 44:00 How should congress regulate AI? 45:45 Profits can’t be the priority over common sense safety solutions 46:45 Best TV doctor show that gets it right? E.R. & The Pitt 48:00 Americans don’t understand what hospitals were like during Covid 49:00 What’s your campaigning rhythm as a candidate? 50:15 Clemson or South Carolina?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Author and writer for The New Yorker, Jason Zengerle joins the Chuck ToddCast for a deep dive into his book “Hated By All The Right People” about Tucker Carlson’s rise—and why he’s become the clearest avatar for the unraveling of modern American conservatism. The conversation traces how Carlson’s personal history, elite upbringing paired with outsider grievance, and long-running resentments toward figures like Bill Kristol helped shape a worldview centered on anger, masculinity, and cultural backlash. Though he styles himself as anti-establishment, Tucker remains very much a Washington insider, increasingly influential even after leaving Fox News and emerging as the true heir to Rush Limbaugh, with real political impact on figures like J.D. Vance. Chuck and Zengerle also explore how Trump subsumed conservatism, why Tucker may be the figure best positioned to keep Trumpism alive after Trump, and how white male grievance now sits at the core of conservative cultural politics. From the Iraq War’s role in Carlson’s ideological shift to his calculated positioning on Israel, media, and elite power, the episode asks what “real America” conservatism even means anymore—and whether there’s any path back for Never Trumpers, institutional Republicans, or business leaders who’ve bent the knee to a movement that no longer resembles the party they once knew. Get your wardrobe sorted and your gift list handled with Quince. Don't wait! Go to https://Quince.com/CHUCK for free shipping on your order and 365-day returns. Now available in Canada, too! Protect your family with life insurance from Ethos. Get up to $3 million in coverage in as little as 10 minutes at https://ethos.com/chuck. Application times may vary. Rates may vary. Thank you Wildgrain for sponsoring. Visit http://wildgrain.com/TODDCAST and use the code "TODDCAST" at checkout to receive $30 off your first box PLUS free Croissants for life! Link in bio or go to https://getsoul.com & enter code TODDCAST for 30% off your first order. Timeline: (Timestamps may vary based on advertisements) 00:00 Jason Zengerle joins the Chuck ToddCast 01:30 Why Tucker Carlson is the avatar for unraveling of conservatism 03:00 Tucker was abandoned by his mother, how did that affect his journey? 03:45 That abandonment shaped his worldview about women 05:00 Tucker’s anger at Bill Kristol is a big part of his evolution 07:00 Kristol has become the stand in for media elites in Tucker’s mind 08:00 Tucker tried to be a younger, cooler version of George Will 09:00 Carlson is very much a DC insider, but portrays himself as outsider 10:30 Tucker wasn’t a rich kid, but was raised like one 12:30 Tucker & Trump similarly hung with the elite, but felt like outsiders 13:15 Tucker trashed Trump in texts while praising him on the air 14:00 Tucker was more willing to criticize Trump than other Fox hosts 15:30 Tucker wasn’t viewed as a top-tier personality at Fox for years 16:15 Fox News is bigger than the on-air personalities 17:15 Leaving Fox didn’t diminish Tucker’s standing, more influential now 19:00 Tucker is the true heir to Rush Limbaugh 19:45 Tucker was influential in getting J.D. Vance elected in Ohio 20:45 Vance & Tucker are very ideologically aligned 22:00 White male grievance is central to conservative cultural politics 23:45 Tucker believes what he says & has a larger project for America 24:45 Tucker is more Pat Buchanon than Rush Limbaugh 25:30 Iraq war was very influential in changing Tucker’s ideology 26:45 Tucker needled Jewish Neocon Republicans by criticizing Israel 28:30 Tuckers sees party energy is anti-Israel & getting ahead of it 30:15 What is the definition of conservatism in “real America”? 31:15 Conservatism has been subsumed by Trump 32:30 Will conservatism snap back to its prior form after Trump is gone? 35:00 Tucker seems like the figure that could keep Trump’s politics alive 36:45 Tucker says he’s not mad at the Murdochs but he is 38:00 Tucker didn’t agree to be interviewed for the book, why? 40:45 Tucker likes to bash the media, but he’s one of their favorite sources 42:00 Tucker left D.C. after protestors showed up to his house 43:15 Who are the “camps” that will fight for control after Trump? 44:15 Ted Cruz & Rand Paul are the only two non “blood & soil” prominent R’s 45:30 Trump is the least “MAGA” person in the MAGA movement 47:15 Where do the Nikki Haley, John Kasich type voters go? 48:15 Business leaders have bent the knee to Trump 49:15 Who in conservative media world was most willing to talk? 50:30 Tucker doesn’t spend much time talking to people his disagrees with 52:00 Tucker wants to go back to a male & white dominated society 53:15 The Never Trumpers won’t be taking back the party 54:30 What Jason is working on at The New Yorker 57:30 Marco Rubio’s evolution has been fascinatingSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode of the Chuck ToddCast, Chuck digs into the political fallout surrounding Kristi Noem, Stephen Miller, and a Trump White House that remains intensely reactive to public opinion. While Noem keeps her job—for now—new polling paints a bleak picture for both her and the administration, with Trump’s economic numbers underwater, disapproval near all-time highs, and even his own base increasingly uneasy with ICE’s aggressive tactics. Chuck unpacks why Noem’s performative politics may make her expendable, why Miller is untouchable as Trump’s “bizarro Dick Cheney,” and how Trump’s inner circle is once again showing signs of instability as voters question whether the president is focused on the issues that actually matter. The conversation then zooms out to a broader diagnosis of America’s democratic dysfunction, drawing on Chuck’s recent campus speech about why this moment feels uniquely unstable. From razor-thin modern elections and the collapse of congressional responsibility to unsettling parallels with 19th-century politics, Chuck argues that the presidency has become overly powerful because Congress has failed to govern. Fixing what’s broken, he warns, won’t come from political elites—it will require engaged citizens, serious institutional reform, and possibly constitutional amendments to rebuild a government voters have been loudly signaling they no longer trust. Then, author and writer for The New Yorker, Jason Zengerle joins the Chuck ToddCast for a deep dive into his book “Hated By All The Right People” about Tucker Carlson’s rise—and why he’s become the clearest avatar for the unraveling of modern American conservatism. The conversation traces how Carlson’s personal history, elite upbringing paired with outsider grievance, and long-running resentments toward figures like Bill Kristol helped shape a worldview centered on anger, masculinity, and cultural backlash. Though he styles himself as anti-establishment, Tucker remains very much a Washington insider, increasingly influential even after leaving Fox News and emerging as the true heir to Rush Limbaugh, with real political impact on figures like J.D. Vance. Chuck and Zengerle also explore how Trump subsumed conservatism, why Tucker may be the figure best positioned to keep Trumpism alive after Trump, and how white male grievance now sits at the core of conservative cultural politics. From the Iraq War’s role in Carlson’s ideological shift to his calculated positioning on Israel, media, and elite power, the episode asks what “real America” conservatism even means anymore—and whether there’s any path back for Never Trumpers, institutional Republicans, or business leaders who’ve bent the knee to a movement that no longer resembles the party they once knew. Finally, Chuck answers listeners’ questions in the “Ask Chuck” segment and expands on his Hall of Fame rant in light of Bill Belichick not getting in on the first ballot. Protect your family with life insurance from Ethos. Get up to $3 million in coverage in as little as 10 minutes at https://ethos.com/chuck. Application times may vary. Rates may vary. Thank you Wildgrain for sponsoring. Visit http://wildgrain.com/TODDCAST and use the code "TODDCAST" at checkout to receive $30 off your first box PLUS free Croissants for life! Link in bio or go to https://getsoul.com & enter code TODDCAST for 30% off your first order. Timeline: (Timestamps may vary based on advertisements) 00:00 Chuck Todd’s introduction 07:00 Kristi Noem still has her job, but Trump is reactive to public opinion 08:15 Noem’s profile feels like someone Trump is willing to dump 09:15 Trump will never fire Stephen Miller 10:00 Miller understands how to work government like a bizarro Dick Cheney 11:30 Does Miller have a conservative vision, or is he just a reactionary? 13:00 Trump may use Kristi Noem as a heat shield 14:00 Noem’s theatrics have created terrible optics 16:15 New Fox News poll has terrible numbers for Trump 18:15 Numbers in the poll could spell doom for Kristi Noem 19:15 Only 61% of Republicans say country is better off today 20:00 Trump’s numbers on the economy are underwater 21:45 Trump’s disapproval near all-time highs 22:45 Voters don’t think Trump is spending enough time on the economy 24:30 Trump’s job rating higher than almost all the individual issues 25:45 59% think ICE has been too aggressive 28:00 Even parts of Trump’s base think ICE has been too aggressive 29:00 Support for abolishing ICE has doubled since 2018 30:00 Trump’s inner circle never stays around for long 31:00 If Fox runs the poll extensively on air, Noem is in trouble 32:45 Chuck’s campus speech on where we are now & how to get out of it 33:45 We may have grown up in a more stable outlier era of American history 35:30 The cold war kept both parties sober & more mainstream 36:45 Six of our 21st century presidential elections decided by 5pts or less 37:15 Politics today is more similar to the 19th century 38:00 We’re too occupied with the presidency due to congress failing 39:00 Congress is more occupied with keeping power than legislating 40:30 We aren’t getting out of this until congress becomes functional 41:00 We will need constitutional amendments to fix the democracy 42:30 The citizens will need to fix this, can’t depend on congress 43:15 Voters gave a primal scream that they wanted a better government 50:30 Jason Zengerle joins the Chuck ToddCast 52:00 Why Tucker Carlson is the avatar for unraveling of conservatism 53:30 Tucker was abandoned by his mother, how did that affect his journey? 54:15 That abandonment shaped his worldview about women 55:30 Tucker’s anger at Bill Kristol is a big part of his evolution 57:30 Kristol has become the stand in for media elites in Tucker’s mind 58:30 Tucker tried to be a younger, cooler version of George Will 59:30 Carlson is very much a DC insider, but portrays himself as outsider 1:01:00 Tucker wasn’t a rich kid, but was raised like one 1:03:00 Tucker & Trump similarly hung with the elite, but felt like outsiders 1:03:45 Tucker trashed Trump in texts while praising him on the air 1:04:30 Tucker was more willing to criticize Trump than other Fox hosts 1:06:00 Tucker wasn’t viewed as a top-tier personality at Fox for years 1:06:45 Fox News is bigger than the on-air personalities 1:07:45 Leaving Fox didn’t diminish Tucker’s standing, more influential now 1:09:30 Tucker is the true heir to Rush Limbaugh 1:10:15 Tucker was influential in getting J.D. Vance elected in Ohio 1:11:15 Vance & Tucker are very ideologically aligned 1:12:30 White male grievance is central to conservative cultural politics 1:14:15 Tucker believes what he says & has a larger project for America 1:15:15 Tucker is more Pat Buchanan than Rush Limbaugh 1:16:00 Iraq war was very influential in changing Tucker’s ideology 1:17:15 Tucker needled Jewish Neocon Republicans by criticizing Israel 1:19:00 Tuckers sees party energy is anti-Israel & getting ahead of it 1:20:45 What is the definition of conservatism in “real America”? 1:21:45 Conservatism has been subsumed by Trump 1:23:00 Will conservatism snap back to its prior form after Trump is gone? 1:25:30 Tucker seems like the figure that could keep Trump’s politics alive 1:27:15 Tucker says he’s not mad at the Murdochs but he is 1:28:30 Tucker didn’t agree to be interviewed for the book, why? 1:31:15 Tucker likes to bash the media, but he’s one of their favorite sources 1:32:30 Tucker left D.C. after protestors showed up to his house 1:33:45 Who are the “camps” that will fight for control after Trump? 1:34:45 Ted Cruz & Rand Paul are the only two non “blood & soil” prominent R’s 1:36:00 Trump is the least “MAGA” person in the MAGA movement 1:37:45 Where do the Nikki Haley, John Kasich type voters go? 1:38:45 Business leaders have bent the knee to Trump 1:39:45 Who in conservative media world was most willing to talk? 1:41:00 Tucker doesn’t spend much time talking to people he disagrees with 1:42:30 Tucker wants to go back to a male & white dominated society 1:43:45 The Never Trumpers won’t be taking back the party 1:45:00 What Jason is working on at The New Yorker 1:48:00 Marco Rubio’s evolution has been fascinating 1:53:00 Chuck’s thoughts on interview with Jason Zengerle 1:53:30 Ask Chuck 1:53:45 Who in real life is Veep’s Mike McClintock based on? 1:56:30 Impact of Native American voters on elections? 1:59:45 What signs will the GOP show if they think they’ll lose the senate? 2:03:00 The viral blue/yellow dress feels like a metaphor for politics 2:05:15 Any connection between income inequality and growing isolationism? 2:11:00 Why is Nathan’s Famous allowed to be bought by a Chinese company? 2:13:30 Hall of Fame rantSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

20 janvier, un an après son retour au pouvoir avec les droits de douane et l'immigration, Donald Trump a fait de la politique étrangère un marqueur de son deuxième mandat. Négociations agressives sur Gaza et l'Ukraine, frappes en Iran, intervention musclée au Venezuela… Douze mois plus tard, comment la diplomatie Trump résonne-t-elle auprès des électeurs républicains ? Tour de table avec Vincent Souriau à Charleston, la capitale de l'État de Virginie-Occidentale. De notre envoyé spécial à Charleston,  Son coup d'éclat, c'est le Venezuela avec l'enlèvement de Nicolas Maduro. Ces électeurs qui ont voté Donald Trump à la présidentielle soutiennent sa décision et reprennent l'argument avancé par la Maison Blanche, celui de la lutte contre le trafic de drogue. « J'aime bien ce qu'il a fait au Venezuela. Je pense que c'est ce qu'on doit faire parfois : montrer les muscles. Ce type faisait entrer de la drogue chez nous et dans d'autres pays. Et quand vous portez atteinte aux intérêts des États-Unis, il faut y aller. On y va », lâche un électeur. « Le Venezuela faisait circuler plein de drogues qui tuaient des Américains. Je pense qu'il a bien fait. On a toujours eu l'audace d'être forts et on a toujours eu cette puissance. Mais ces quatre dernières années, on s'est affaibli à cause d'un dirigeant faible. Aujourd'hui, on a un président fort qui utilise tout le savoir-faire américain, qui valorise notre armée, nos militaires et c'est très bien comme ça », détaille un autre citoyen favorable à la politique de Donald Trump. À lire aussiIntervention américaine au Venezuela: «Une rupture totale avec la promesse de Trump de son premier mandat» « On devrait s'occuper de nos affaires » Beaucoup plus circonspecte, cette électrice républicaine a voté Trump, elle aussi. Mais ce n'était pas son premier choix. Elle a adoré, dit-elle, les deux présidents Bush. En 2024, elle aurait préféré élire Nikki Haley, l'ancienne ambassadrice américaine à l'ONU. Et elle ne comprend pas du tout le positionnement de la Maison Blanche. « Je suis une républicaine convaincue, mais sur le fond, essayer d'acheter d'autres pays ou ce genre de choses, je ne vois pas pourquoi on aurait besoin de ça. Il ne nous appartient pas d'acheter le Groenland. Et le Venezuela, je ne pense pas que ça soit notre place. Les États-Unis devraient rester dans leur couloir. On devrait s'occuper de nos affaires. J'imagine que c'est pour avoir de meilleurs prix sur le pétrole. Mais pourquoi on irait le prendre chez les autres ? Pourquoi on pense qu'on pourrait s'emparer d'un autre pays ? » Attention, prévient quant à lui cet électeur indépendant qui a voté Trump en 2016, mais pas en 2024. À force de provocations, le président américain, dit-il, est en train de provoquer l'isolement des États-Unis. « Au début, je pensais que ce serait un président focalisé sur l'économie qui mettrait sa connaissance du commerce au service des intérêts des États-Unis. Maintenant, je trouve qu'il essaie de contrôler des choses au-delà de ce qui devrait être sa sphère d'influence. Ma plus grande inquiétude, c'est qu'il nous fasse sortir de l'Otan. Un grand pays comme le nôtre doit conserver de bonnes relations avec les membres de l'Otan. » Le seul dénominateur commun chez l'ensemble de nos interlocuteurs : des doutes à propos des manières de Donald Trump à qui ils reprochent de manquer de tact et d'empathie. À lire aussiUn an après la deuxième élection de Donald Trump, la politique étrangère américaine redéfinie

What actually determines whether a healthcare business compounds, or quietly stalls? In this episode of Bright Spots in Healthcare, Eric Glazer sits down with Scott Becker, Founder and Publisher of Becker's Healthcare and host of the Becker Private Equity & Business Podcast, for a candid, experience-driven conversation about building businesses that scale with confidence. Scott has spent decades building, advising, and investing in companies across healthcare, media, law, and private equity. Rather than walking through a framework or checklist, this conversation focuses on the real decisions founders and operators are facing right now, especially in a market defined by long sales cycles, regulated buyers, capital pressure, and increasing scrutiny on value. Using Scott's new book, Building Great Businesses, as a backbone, the discussion explores how leaders can cut through noise and false urgency to focus on what actually matters. In this episode, we cover: The difference between motion and real momentum in healthcare go-to-market Why founders often mistake pilots, logos, or activity for traction What healthcare leaders tend to over-optimize early, and under-invest in What true product-market fit looks like when buyers are risk-averse Why niche focus and reference customers matter more in healthcare than in other sectors How and when outside capital helps—and when it quietly distorts focus Why the right people matter more than the right idea when building enduring businesses This episode is designed for founders, operators, and senior leaders who are already in the arena, and want clearer thinking about the few decisions that truly determine long-term success. About Scott: Scott Becker is a distinguished entrepreneur, investor, and legal professional who has built a remarkable career at the intersection of healthcare, media, and law. As the founder and publisher of Becker's Healthcare, a leading healthcare media company, and a longtime partner at McGuireWoods, a top AmLaw firm, Scott has established himself as an authority in his field. With a mission to provide valuable insights and strategies for entrepreneurs and business leaders, Scott draws upon his extensive experience to help others navigate the complexities of building and scaling successful ventures. His expertise spans across various industries, including healthcare, private equity, and venture capital, where he has made significant investments and contributes as an active investor. Scott is also a prolific author, having written several books, including Health Care Law: A Practical Guide, The Physician's Managed Care Success Manual, The ASC Handbook, and The Entrepreneur's Edge. He hosts two highly ranked podcasts, Becker's Healthcare Podcast and Becker Private Equity and Business Podcast, where he shares his knowledge. He has interviewed prominent figures such as George and Laura Bush, Bill and Hillary Clinton, Nikki Haley, and Michael Strahan via Becker's Healthcare conferences. Scott currently resides in the Chicago suburbs, Palm Beach Gardens, and Deer Valley. When he's not working on his business endeavors, he can be found pursuing his passions for golf, tennis, fitness, skiing, writing, and speaking.   Pre-Order Scott's book, Building Great Businesses: Create Momentum, Overcome Setbacks, and Scale with Confidence - https://a.co/d/3gDAz7B   Notes: Book Recommendations Measure What Matters — John Doerr Profit from the Core: A Return to Growth in Turbulent Times — Chris Zook & James Allen The ONE Thing — Gary Keller 10x Is Easier Than 2x — Dan Sullivan & Dr. Benjamin Hardy Who Not How — Dan Sullivan & Dr. Benjamin Hardy Unreasonable Hospitality — Will Guidara Podcast Recommendation Becker Private Equity & Business Podcast — hosted by Scott Becker Partner with Bright Spots Ventures: If you are interested in speaking with the Bright Spots Ventures team to brainstorm how we can help you grow your business via content and relationships, email hkrish@brightspotsventures.com. About Bright Spots Ventures: Bright Spots Ventures is a healthcare strategy and engagement company that creates content, communities, and connections to accelerate innovation. We help healthcare leaders discover what's working, and how to scale it. By bringing together health plan, hospital, and solution leaders, we facilitate the exchange of ideas that lead to measurable impact. Through our podcast, executive councils, private events, and go-to-market strategy work, we surface and amplify the "bright spots" in healthcare—proven innovations others can learn from and replicate. At our core, we exist to create trusted relationships that make real progress possible. Visit our website at www.brightspotsinhealthcare.com. Visit our website:  www.brightspotsinhealthcare.com. Follow Bright Spots in Healthcare: https://www.linkedin.com/company/shared-purpose-connect/

What’s Trending: Democrats are now coming after your ammunition, people don't like it when doors fall off of planes and Cliff Mass on whether or not it’ll snow this week -- and where. // Reporters caught laughing about Trump assassination joke would be up in arms if roles were reversed and Nikki Haley makes a good anti-Trump argument. // Huskies run out of gas in the national championship game. 

On this episode of America at Night with McGraw Milhaven, McGraw is joined by former MLB umpire Dave Phillips, who revisits one of baseball's most controversial moments—the legendary pine tar game between the Yankees and Royals—and offers behind-the-scenes insight into how that historic call unfolded. The conversation then shifts gears as Bill Clevlen, founder of billontheroad.com, checks in with the show's travel segment, sharing insights on travel trends and life on the road. Later, John P. Walters, president of the Hudson Institute and former White House drug czar, weighs in on his recent op-ed co-written with Nikki Haley, discussing its implications for national policy and leadership. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

BROWN PEOPLE ARE EMBARRASSING US! Zarna Garg & Daughter come out as Trumpers!Akaash Singh is surprised his misogynist racist fans are being mean to his wife!Nikki Haley's son has an insane take!Also...pull ups at the fucking airport?!!?!?

This Day in Legal History: Oliver Wendell Holmes, Sr's Kid Sworn in as JusticeOn December 8, 1902, Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr. was sworn in as an Associate Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court, beginning one of the most storied judicial careers in American history. Appointed by President Theodore Roosevelt, Holmes brought not just legal brilliance but a fierce sense of independence to the bench—qualities that would define his nearly 30-year tenure. He would become known as “The Great Dissenter,” not because he loved conflict, but because he saw the Constitution as a living document that demanded humility, skepticism of dogma, and above all, respect for democratic governance.Holmes shaped modern constitutional law, particularly in his groundbreaking First Amendment opinions. In Schenck v. United States (1919), he famously coined the “clear and present danger” test, establishing a foundational limit on government power to suppress speech. Though that decision upheld a conviction, Holmes's dissent later that year in Abrams v. United States marked his turn toward a much broader vision of free expression—one that laid the groundwork for modern civil liberties jurisprudence.A Civil War veteran wounded at Antietam, Holmes served with the Massachusetts Volunteers and carried shrapnel in his body for the rest of his life. His long memory gave him historical depth: legend holds he met both Abraham Lincoln and John F. Kennedy—Lincoln as a young Union officer in Washington, and JFK decades later when the future president visited the aged Holmes on his 90th birthday. While the Lincoln meeting is plausible and widely accepted, the Kennedy encounter is well documented—photos exist of JFK visiting Holmes in 1932, shortly before the justice's death.Holmes's legal philosophy emphasized restraint, often reminding fellow jurists that the Constitution “is made for people of fundamentally differing views.” He resisted turning the judiciary into a super-legislature, warning against confusing personal preference with constitutional mandate. His opinions, dissents, and aphorisms—“taxes are what we pay for civilized society,” among them—still echo in courtrooms and classrooms today.By the time he retired in 1932 at age 90, Holmes had become an icon: not just a jurist, but a symbol of intellectual honesty and constitutional humility. His December 8 appointment wasn't just another judicial swearing-in—it was the beginning of a philosophical legacy that still defines the boundaries of American legal thought.Amit Agarwal, a former clerk to Justices Alito and Kavanaugh, will soon find himself arguing against the very ideology he once clerked under—defending limits on presidential power in a case that could gut a nearly century-old precedent, Humphrey's Executor v. United States (1935). He'll be representing former FTC Commissioner Rebecca Slaughter, who sued after President Trump gave her the boot, and whose case now tees up a potentially seismic shift in how presidents control independent agencies.At issue is whether the president can remove members of independent commissions—like the FTC—at will, or whether statutory “for cause” protections, created by Congress and upheld since the New Deal, still mean anything. If the Supreme Court overturns Humphrey's Executor, it would blow a hole in the legal framework that has shielded multi-member agencies from raw political interference since Roosevelt tried—and failed—to remake the FTC in his own image.Let's pause here: Humphrey's Executor isn't just some dusty New Deal relic. It drew a sharp line between executive officers who serve the president directly and independent regulators who are supposed to be immune from daily political whims. The Court in 1935 said: no, FDR, you can't just fire an FTC commissioner because he's not singing from your hymnbook. That ruling became the backbone of modern agency independence—from the Fed to the SEC to the NLRB. Without it, the next president could dismiss any regulatory head who doesn't toe the party line. You want crypto rules to mean something? Food safety? Banking supervision? Say goodbye to all that if we pretend these agencies are just White House interns with better titles.But here's where it gets interesting: Agarwal is making the conservative case for restraint. Now working at Protect Democracy, he's arguing that letting presidents fire independent commissioners at will isn't a win for constitutional governance—it's a power grab that warps the original design. He's invoked Burkean conservatism—the idea that practical experience should trump theoretical purity—and warns that blind devotion to the “unitary executive theory” threatens institutional integrity more than it protects separation of powers.And Agarwal isn't alone. A collection of conservative legal scholars, former judges, and ex-White House lawyers—some with deep Federalist Society credentials—have filed briefs supporting his position. Their argument? That Humphrey's Executor is an “originalist” decision, faithful to the Founders' ambivalence about concentrated executive power, especially in domestic administration.Still, let's be honest: the Court is unlikely to be swayed by this internal dissent. The Roberts Court has already chipped away at agency independence in decisions like Seila Law (2020) and Loper Bright (2024), where it let Trump fire the CFPB director and overturned Chevron deference respectively. With a solid conservative majority, and multiple justices openly embracing a muscular vision of presidential control, the writing may already be on the wall.Which is precisely what makes Agarwal's stand so notable. This isn't some progressive legal activist parachuting in from the ACLU (though his wife did work there). This is someone who backed Kavanaugh publicly, donated to Nikki Haley, and spent years rising through the conservative legal pipeline—only to conclude that this version of executive power isn't conservative at all. It's reactionary.So what happens if Humphrey's goes down? Beyond the short-term question of whether Slaughter gets her job back, the bigger issue is how much power presidents will wield over what were supposed to be politically insulated regulatory bodies. Will a ruling in Trump's favor mean future presidents can purge the Fed board? Fire NLRB members mid-term? Flatten the independence of enforcement agencies? The Court may claim it's just restoring “constitutional structure,” but don't be surprised if that structure starts to look a lot like one-man rule.Agarwal, to his credit, is saying: not so fast. Sometimes conserving means preserving. And sometimes defending the Constitution means restraining the people who claim to speak for it the loudest.Ex-Alito, Kavanaugh Clerk Defends Limits on Trump's Firing PowerFight over Trump's power to fire FTC member heads to US Supreme Court | ReutersA federal judge has temporarily barred the Justice Department from using evidence seized from Daniel Richman, a former legal adviser to ex-FBI Director James Comey, in any future attempts to revive criminal charges against Comey. The move comes just weeks after the original case was dismissed due to the lead prosecutor's unlawful appointment.At issue is whether federal prosecutors violated Richman's Fourth Amendment rights by searching his personal computer without a warrant during earlier investigations into media leaks tied to Comey's 2020 congressional testimony. U.S. District Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly sided with Richman—for now—saying he's likely to succeed on the merits and ordering the government to isolate and secure the data until at least December 12.The contested materials had been used to support now-dropped charges that Comey made false statements and obstructed Congress regarding FBI leaks about the Clinton and Trump investigations. But Richman, once a special FBI employee himself, argues the search was illegal and wants the files deleted or returned.The Justice Department, undeterred, is reportedly considering a second indictment of Comey. But between shaky prosecutorial appointments and constitutional challenges like this one, their case is rapidly sliding into legally questionable territory.US federal judge temporarily blocks evidence use in dismissed Comey case | ReutersThe U.S. Supreme Court has declined to review a controversial book removal case out of Llano County, Texas, effectively allowing local officials to keep 17 books off public library shelves—titles that deal with race, LGBTQ+ identity, puberty, and even flatulence.The justices let stand a divided 5th Circuit ruling that found no First Amendment violation in the county's decision to pull the books. That decision reversed a lower court order requiring the books be returned and rejected the plaintiffs' argument that library patrons have a constitutional “right to receive information.” The 5th Circuit held that libraries have wide discretion to curate collections, and that removing titles doesn't equate to banning them altogether—people can still buy them online, the court reasoned.The dispute began in 2021 when local officials responded to complaints by residents, ultimately purging books including Maurice Sendak's In the Night Kitchen (due to nude illustrations), as well as works on slavery and gender identity. Opponents of the removal sued, citing free speech violations. But the case now stands as a significant blow to that theory—at least in the 5th Circuit, which covers Texas, Louisiana, and Mississippi.The Supreme Court's refusal to intervene leaves unresolved a key question: does the First Amendment protect not just the right to speak, but the right to access certain information in public institutions? For now, in parts of the South, the answer appears to be no.US Supreme Court turns away appeal of Texas library book ban | Reuters This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.minimumcomp.com/subscribe

In this week’s episode, Jennifer welcomes her daughter, Georgia Brucato, a senior at Elon University majoring in Strategic Communications. Georgia joins the show for a thought-provoking discussion as part of her final class project, bringing her perspective as a young woman aiming to enter politics. As the daughter of a single mother, of Syrian descent and Christian background, Georgia offers a compelling intersection of identities navigating today’s political landscape. Jennifer and Georgia explore the unique challenges faced by women, especially women of color and conservative women, in American politics. The conversation takes on controversial and timely topics including stigmas surrounding political alignment, expectations placed on women based on gender, race, and religion, and the backlash conservative women often endure. Jennifer shares personal stories about being labeled for her political beliefs, discusses misconceptions about Republican women, and highlights prominent Republican women of color such as Nikki Haley and Condoleezza Rice. Georgia reflects on her experiences with shame and guilt around her views, the pressures of campus life, and the need for open dialogue and respect across ideologies. The episode emphasizes the importance of allowing diverse identities to define their own political engagement, challenges oversimplification of identity, and calls for mutual respect as foundational to democracy. “The goal should be to allow people, especially women of color, the freedom to shape their political identities. Without being boxed in.” ~Georgia Brucato This week on Political Contessa: Guilt and stigma faced by conservative women, especially on college campuses Intersectional challenges of women of color in conservative politics Personal experiences of being labeled and misunderstood for political beliefs Notable Republican women of color: Nikki Haley, Candace Owens, Susana Martinez, Condoleezza Rice Differences between New England Republicans and national party positions Roles of religion and immigrant heritage in political identity Importance of mutual respect across political, racial, and religious lines Need for open dialogue and the dangers of polarization in American democracy Awaken Your Inner Political Contessa Thanks for tuning into this week’s episode of Political Contessa. If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe and leave a review wherever you get your podcasts. Spotify I Stitcher I Apple Podcasts I iHeart Radio I TuneIn I Google Podcasts Be sure to share your favorite episodes on social media. And if you’ve ever considered running for office – or know a woman who should – head over to politicalcontessa.com to grab my quick guide, Secrets from the Campaign Trail. It will show you five signs to tell you you’re ready to enter the political arena. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Ted Cruz keeps screeching about Nick Fuentes and his Nazi followers. But who created them? People like Ted Cruz. Nikki Haley's son Nalin explains. Paid partnerships with: Audien Hearing: Visit https://HearTucker.com or call 1-800-453-2916 to learn more about how Audien can help you or someone you love hear better. Poncho Outdoors: Go to https://PonchoOutdoors.com/Tucker and enter your email for $10 off your first order. Preborn: To donate please dial #250 and say keyword "BABY" or visit https://preborn.com/TUCKER Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

America at a Crossroads presents:“Courts in the Crosshairs: What's Next for Justice in America”Mark Joseph Stern with Larry Mantle

It's a Matt-jority Report Thursday on the Majority Report. On today's program Matt Lech is in the chair for Emma who normally would be in the chair for Sam. Over 1,000 unionized Starbucks employees are striking today at 65 stores across more than 40 cities. The strike organized by Starbucks Worker's United, is taking place on Red Cup Day, one of the company's busiest sales days of the year. In a pretaped interview, Emma talks to Fabian Holt, author of Organize or Burn and Lawrence Wang organizer for NY Public Power about the DSA's role in the fight for climate survival. In the Fun Half: We are joined by Brandon Sutton and Matt Binder Matt, Matt and Brandon discuss the updates on the Epstein files. Nikki Haley's son, Nalin Haley debuts as a Gen-Z pundit on Fox News discussing why Gen-Z is so conservative. Spoiler alert he blames immigrants and poor people as he barks for his food. Eric Trump goes on Fox Business to boast about the upsides of crypto. "You can transfer $500 million dollars on a Sunday night while having a glass of wine with your wife and virtually no fees!" Palantir CEO Alex Karp says that the Democratic party completely neglects males and that they don't resonate with him as a high testosterone male. In another interview, Alex exhibits his manliness to a female reporter by showing off his sword thrusts. All that and more The Congress switchboard number is (202) 224-3121. You can use this number to connect with either the U.S. Senate or the House of Representatives. Follow us on TikTok here: https://www.tiktok.com/@majorityreportfm Check us out on Twitch here: https://www.twitch.tv/themajorityreport Find our Rumble stream here: https://rumble.com/user/majorityreport Check out our alt YouTube channel here: https://www.youtube.com/majorityreportlive Gift a Majority Report subscription here: https://fans.fm/majority/gift Subscribe to the AMQuickie newsletter here: https://am-quickie.ghost.io/ Join the Majority Report Discord! https://majoritydiscord.com/ Get all your MR merch at our store: https://shop.majorityreportradio.com/ Get the free Majority Report App!: https://majority.fm/app Go to https://JustCoffee.coop and use coupon code majority to get 10% off your purchase Check out today's sponsors: PROLON: ProlonLife.com/majority Get 15% off sitewide plus a $40 bonus gift when you subscribe to their 5-Day Nutrition Program TUSHY: Get 10% off TUSHY with the code TMR at https://hellotushy.com/TMR SUNSET LAKE:  Head to SunsetLakeCBD.com and use coupon code "Left Is Best" (all one word) for 20% off of your entire order  Follow the Majority Report crew on Twitter: @SamSeder @EmmaVigeland @MattLech On Instagram: @MrBryanVokey Check out Matt's show, Left Reckoning, on YouTube, and subscribe on Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/leftreckoning Check out Matt Binder's YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/mattbinder Subscribe to Brandon's show The Discourse on Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/ExpandTheDiscourse Check out Ava Raiza's music here! https://avaraiza.bandcamp.com

National security expert Steven A. Cash joins journalist Larry Mantle for a critical conversation about the growing threat of authoritarianism in the United States. Drawing on decades of experience across intelligence, homeland security, diplomacy, and defense, Cash offers a rare insider's view of how democratic institutions are being tested—and what former national security professionals believe must be done to safeguard them.Steven A. Cash is the Executive Director of The Steady State, an advocacy organization composed of former senior national security officials. He most recently served in the Department of Homeland Security's Office of Intelligence & Analysis as Senior Advisor to the Under Secretary. Cash previously served as Deputy Chief Intelligence Officer and Acting Executive Director of the Intelligence Enterprise Program Office, overseeing the department-wide intelligence program.Larry Mantle is the longtime host of AirTalk on NPR-member station KPCC (89.3 FM), the longest-running daily talk show in Southern California. Known for his insightful interviews and deep reporting, Mantle is one of the region's most trusted voices in public affairs.This event is part of the America at a Crossroads virtual series, founded by Jews United for Democracy & Justice, bringing leading voices together to address the most urgent issues facing American democracy.

A South Carolina political firestorm takes center stage as Congresswoman Nancy Mace faces explosive allegations from her ex-fiancé — accusations of hacking, blackmail, and revenge gone viral. Tara dives deep into the lawsuit drama, the blurred lines between legal protection and political manipulation, and why South Carolina's political scene continues to shock — even by its own colorful standards. Politics, power, and personal chaos — South Carolina style. Nancy Mace scandal, South Carolina politics, political lawsuits, congressional controversy, media law, defamation, campaign drama, Tara Show, political accountability, legal loopholes In this episode, Tara unpacks the explosive legal feud between Congresswoman Nancy Mace and her ex-fiancé, Patrick Bryant. A new lawsuit accuses Mace of hacking, false accusations, and blackmail tied to multimillion-dollar properties — all while leveraging congressional speech immunity. The discussion explores how politicians weaponize lawsuits and the media, drawing eerie parallels to past South Carolina political scandals, including Nikki Haley's. As the chaos unfolds, Tara and Lee reflect on the Palmetto State's flair for producing headline-grabbing figures, its forgiving voters, and what this latest controversy could mean for Mace's future.

In this episode, we sit down with Russell J. Levenson, Jr. to dig into his latest work, Witness to Belief: Conversations on Faith and Meaning. Together, we explore the heart behind the book, how it came to be, what compelled him to write it, and how his pastoral journey shaped each conversation within.We discuss:The origin of Witness to Belief and what sparked Russ's decision to interview twelve public figures on faith. Over the Mountain Journal+2PublishersWeekly.com+2His approach to these conversations: as a pastor, not merely an interviewer. Over the Mountain JournalHow he selected subjects (from Denzel Washington to Nikki Haley, Jim Nantz to Jane Goodall) and the diversity of spiritual paths represented. Memorable stories from the book: • Denzel Washington asking to begin and end the interview with prayer. • Amy Grant sharing how, after a brain injury, she now sings scripture instead of reciting it. • Brit Hume's reflections on loss and faith, Jim Nantz's journey with his father's Alzheimer's PublishersWeekly.com • Admiral McRaven wrestling with the tension between military duty and Christian moral imperatives.Behind-the-scenes of writing: how Russ prepared, how he built trust, and how he balanced theological depth with accessibility.What it meant to him personally, how these conversations shaped his own faith and pastoral perspective.How readers can approach the book: what to look for, how to engage with the stories, and what impact he hopes it might have.If you've ever wondered how faith lives out in public life, or how deeply personal belief intersects with leadership, this is an episode you won't want to miss.Book Links & ReferencesWitness to Belief: Conversations on Faith and Meaning — Morehouse Publishing page ChurchPublishing.org+1Witness to Belief on Amazon Amazon+1Witness to Belief on Target TargetAnnouncements / profile of the book from Over the Mountain Journal Over the Mountain JournalPublisher's Weekly review of Witness to Belief PublishersWeekly.com

In this episode of Personally Speaking Msgr. Jim Lisante is joined again by Reverend Russell Levenson. Reverend Levenson has been an ordained Episcopal priest for over thirty years. He officiated and preached at the state funeral for President George H.W. Bush and he also officiated and preached at the funeral for First Lady Barbara Bush. His latest book is titled, “Witness to Belief: Conversations on Faith and Meaning” which includes interviews with twelve renowned people of various Christian faiths including, Secretary Condoleezza Rice, Ambassador Nikki Haley, actor Denzel Washington and Dr. Jane Goodall.Support the show

“Personnel is policy” is an old truism in the conservative movement. After President Donald Trump won the 2024 election, one of the big question marks as he headed into his second term was whether or not those tasked with setting up his administration had fully appreciated that time-tested wisdom. In his first term, Trump saw his agenda undermined by deep state and Republican Party apparatchiks alike. That problem most clearly manifested at the top of the administration, with figures such as former National Security Advisor John Bolton, former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, and former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley playing outsized roles. But the American Right's personnel problem runs far deeper than the Cabinet. At every level, Trump was facing a shortage of staffers who believed in the president's vision and were willing to enact it.  Nick Solheim co-founded American Moment with Saurabh Sharma and Jake Mercier in 2021 to solve this problem beyond just a second Trump term. Solheim, now the organization's CEO, joined “The Signal Sitdown” to take viewers inside the conservative movement's changing personnel pipeline. Keep Up With The Daily Signal   Sign up for our email newsletters:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ https://www.dailysignal.com/email⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠     Subscribe to our other shows:    The Tony Kinnett Cast: ⁠https://megaphone.link/THEDAILYSIGNAL2284199939⁠ The Signal Sitdown: ⁠https://megaphone.link/THEDAILYSIGNAL2026390376⁠   Problematic Women:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠https://megaphone.link/THEDAILYSIGNAL7765680741⁠   Victor Davis Hanson: ⁠https://megaphone.link/THEDAILYSIGNAL9809784327⁠     Follow The Daily Signal:    X:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠https://x.com/intent/user?screen_name=DailySignal⁠ Instagram:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ https://www.instagram.com/thedailysignal/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠  Facebook:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ https://www.facebook.com/TheDailySignalNews/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠  Truth Social:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ https://truthsocial.com/@DailySignal⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠  YouTube:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/dailysignal?sub_confirmation=1⁠    Subscribe on your favorite podcast platform and never miss an episode. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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