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On this special “New Voices” episode of the Chuck ToddCast, political strategist Lucy Caldwell joins Chuck to reflect on her journey from running Joe Walsh’s anti-Trump Republican campaign to registering as a Democrat. She discusses the fractures within the conservative movement, the erosion of space for moderates, and why independent efforts like the Forward Party struggle to gain traction. Lucy and Chuck explore how partisan incentives discourage compromise, why the best candidates often emerge from nonpartisan races, and how her personal battle with cancer reshaped her perspective on healthcare policy. It’s a candid look at what it means to be politically homeless in today’s polarized landscape. 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: 00:00 Lucy Caldwell joins the Chuck Toddcast 00:45 Experience of running Joe Walsh’s campaign 02:00 Walsh’s campaign was meant to be a “path back” for Republicans 02:45 Trump is not a small government conservative 04:15 Feeling politically homeless on the right 06:00 There are many fractures within the Never Trump Republicans 08:00 There used to be at least some common cause across the aisle 10:00 The incentive structures don’t reward moderates or compromise 12:00 The threat of MAGA is so great Lucy registered as a Democrat 14:00 Why independent movements struggle to get off the ground 15:00 Independents struggle to build general excitement 16:00 Independent candidates can vary wildly in their politics 17:30 The Forward Party struggles to find an identity & platform 19:00 Rob Sand ran as a Democrat because it’s only viable option 20:45 Races without partisan primaries produce better candidates 21:45 Executives need different skill sets than legislators 22:30 Which past president would you clone and bring back? 23:45 Our great presidents still have complicated legacies 24:45 Any interest in running for office? 25:30 There has to be something wrong with you to run for office 27:15 The draw of running for office? 29:30 Lucy’s cancer battle informed her views on healthcare policy 31:30 MAHA embraces messaging they priorly rejectedSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this episode of the Chuck ToddCast, Chuck unpacks a tumultuous week for Donald Trump as newly released Epstein emails reignite old scandals — and this time, they may stick. With Speaker Mike Johnson appearing to serve Trump’s interests over his own members, and a worsening economy eroding public patience, Chuck explores whether we’re witnessing the beginning of Trump’s “lame duck” moment. He draws parallels between Trump’s endless stream of controversies, his history of corrupt pardons, and how even “teflon” presidents eventually turn “velcro” when conditions shift. As the cost of living rises and swing voters tune out partisan noise, scandals like Epstein’s are cutting through both sides’ information bubbles — forcing Republicans to reckon with Trump’s baggage. Chuck argues that if Democrats manage a midterm sweep, historians might look back on this very week as the turning point when Trump’s political luck finally began to run out. Finally, he answers listeners’ questions in the “Ask Chuck” segment and breaks down the latest in college football. 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! Got injured in an accident? You could be one click away from a claim worth millions. Just visit https://www.forthepeople.com/TODDCAST to start your claim now with Morgan & Morgan without leaving your couch. Remember, it's free unless you win! Timeline: (Timestamps may vary based on advertisements) 00:00 Chuck Todd’s introduction 00:30 New Epstein emails released referencing Trump 01:30 Mike Johnson’s actions are in service to WH, not his members 03:15 Trump has a laundry list of scandals & corrupt pardons, none stuck 05:30 Presidents can go from teflon to velcro 07:00 The bad economy could make Trump less resilient to scandals 08:30 JD Vance tweet demanding Epstein transparency has aged horribly 09:15 Trump’s involvement with Epstein has been baked into public opinion 10:30 High prices and bad economy mean less public patience for Trump 11:15 Every presidency hits their lame duck point, this could be the start 12:30 Winning the midterms for the Democrats means winning the senate 13:45 Trump has treated the party like his casinos, leveraged for his benefit 14:45 Trump is only worried about Trump, not the party or the voters* 16:00 Epstein is one of the only stories that breaks through both sides’ bubble 18:15 You can’t information silo your grocery bill, or the Epstein story 19:30 If Dems sweep midterms, we’ll point to this week as start of lame duck 20:30 By going soft on Ghislaine Maxwell, it just increases suspicion 23:00 Trump would have been better off playing “he said, she said” w/Maxwell 24:15 Stock market booming, but most of the economy is not succeeding 25:30 Trump doesn’t seem well, has aged quite a bit in past six months 27:30 A steady drip of Epstein stories/files will cause R’s to distance 29:00 Trump isn’t doing what he was elected to do, makes him vulnerable 34:00 Ask Chuck 34:15 Thought’s on Netflix’s Death By Lightning? 41:45 Can anything be done in the short term about electricity costs? 49:00 What is Trump’s motivation for intervening in Venezuela? 54:30 Did NYC Mayoral race show Dems issue with non college voters? 1:00:30 College football committee needs to go 1:07:15 College football previewSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this episode of the Chuck ToddCast, Chuck sits down with Adam Jentleson, executive director of the new Searchlight Institute, to talk about how Democrats can build a broader, more durable governing coalition. Jentleson explains why Searchlight is designed to promote ideological diversity within the Democratic Party — and why policies that blend progressive and moderate ideas tend to last longer and win in more places. He warns that Democrats’ electoral path to the presidency and a 60-seat Senate majority is narrowing and argues the party’s best hope lies in economic populism — the same force that powered Trump’s rise but could be reclaimed with a focus on kitchen-table issues and fairness for working Americans. The conversation dives deep into the party’s messaging struggles during the government shutdown, the growing divide between “fight Trump” and “look past Trump” factions, and the need for Democrats to recruit candidates who can win in red and purple states — even if they don’t align perfectly on social issues. Jentleson also offers sharp insights on the filibuster’s evolution from a necessary safeguard to a legislative dead end, and why Democrats need to get more strategic — not louder — if they want to govern effectively and outlast Republican populism. 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! Got injured in an accident? You could be one click away from a claim worth millions. Just visit https://www.forthepeople.com/TODDCAST to start your claim now with Morgan & Morgan without leaving your couch. Remember, it's free unless you win! Timeline: (Timestamps may vary based on advertisements) 00:00 Adam Jentleson joins the Chuck ToddCast 01:30 Why choose the name “Searchlight Institute? 02:30 How is Searchlight different from the Center for American Progress? 06:00 Ideologically diverse policies tend to be more durable 08:00 Democrats must embrace ideological diversity to win in red states 11:00 Democrats have to make trade offs to win in more places 12:00 Democrats electoral path to presidency gets more narrow in ‘32 12:45 What does Democrats’ path to 60 senate seats look like? 13:45 Economic populism is a powerful force, it’s why Trump won 15:00 Economic populism beat out Republican orthodoxy 16:15 Populism hasn’t been transferable from Trump, but it’s durable 17:15 This economy is ok if you have money and horrid if not 19:00 The Kerry/Edwards economic policies are what are popular today 19:45 When Democrats succeed it’s on economic ideas 20:15 Is an economic downturn the only path for Dems to win presidency? 22:15 Democrats give Republicans ammo on cultural issues 23:15 Mamdani won by relentlessly focusing on kitchen table issues 24:30 Why weren’t Democrats able to sell their decision to reopen govt 26:15 Congressional leadership & communication are different skills 27:15 No side demanding a major concession in a shutdown got it 28:00 Dems succeeded in driving a message about healthcare 30:30 Divide on left is “look past Trump” or “fight Trump” 32:00 Democrats need to find issues they can run on in every state 33:45 The litmus test for Dems should be can they take back the senate 34:45 The path for Dems to take back the senate 36:15 Dems will have to embrace candidates with different social views 37:00 Gavin Newsom has been winning lately on tactics not policy 38:00 Dem candidates need to be fighters with broadly palatable policy 39:45 Any worries about an insurgent third party? 42:15 A third party candidate could certainly cause Dems to lose 43:45 The filibuster has become a pocket veto 45:45 The filibuster should require work and not be used passively 47:15 The filibuster started as needed reform, now is a problem 49:00 The origin of budget reconciliation 51:45 The judiciary was designed to be non-partisan 53:00 Vote threshold for judges should be higher to avoid partisans 55:30 If you raise the threshold too high there will be judicial backlogs 57:45 Do you see Searchlight as an incubator for policy, tactics or both? 59:00 What does Graham Platner’s staying power say about him? 1:01:00 Democratic aligned groups need to be smarter about their asksSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this episode of the Chuck ToddCast, Chuck unpacks a tumultuous week for Donald Trump as newly released Epstein emails reignite old scandals — and this time, they may stick. With Speaker Mike Johnson appearing to serve Trump’s interests over his own members, and a worsening economy eroding public patience, Chuck explores whether we’re witnessing the beginning of Trump’s “lame duck” moment. He draws parallels between Trump’s endless stream of controversies, his history of corrupt pardons, and how even “teflon” presidents eventually turn “velcro” when conditions shift. As the cost of living rises and swing voters tune out partisan noise, scandals like Epstein’s are cutting through both sides’ information bubbles — forcing Republicans to reckon with Trump’s baggage. Chuck argues that if Democrats manage a midterm sweep, historians might look back on this very week as the turning point when Trump’s political luck finally began to run out. Then, Chuck sits down with Adam Jentleson, executive director of the new Searchlight Institute, to talk about how Democrats can build a broader, more durable governing coalition. Jentleson explains why Searchlight is designed to promote ideological diversity within the Democratic Party — and why policies that blend progressive and moderate ideas tend to last longer and win in more places. He warns that Democrats’ electoral path to the presidency and a 60-seat Senate majority is narrowing and argues the party’s best hope lies in economic populism — the same force that powered Trump’s rise but could be reclaimed with a focus on kitchen-table issues and fairness for working Americans. The conversation dives deep into the party’s messaging struggles during the government shutdown, the growing divide between “fight Trump” and “look past Trump” factions, and the need for Democrats to recruit candidates who can win in red and purple states — even if they don’t align perfectly on social issues. Jentleson also offers sharp insights on the filibuster’s evolution from a necessary safeguard to a legislative dead end, and why Democrats need to get more strategic — not louder — if they want to govern effectively and outlast Republican populism. Finally, he answers listeners’ questions in the “Ask Chuck” segment and breaks down the latest in college football. 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. Got injured in an accident? You could be one click away from a claim worth millions. Just visit https://www.forthepeople.com/TODDCAST to start your claim now with Morgan & Morgan without leaving your couch. Remember, it's free unless you win! Timeline: (Timestamps may vary based on advertisements) 00:00 Chuck Todd’s introduction 02:00 New Epstein emails released referencing Trump 03:00 Mike Johnson’s actions are in service to WH, not his members 04:45 Trump has a laundry list of scandals & corrupt pardons, none stuck 07:00 Presidents can go from teflon to velcro 08:30 The bad economy could make Trump less resilient to scandals 10:00 JD Vance tweet demanding Epstein transparency has aged horribly 10:45 Trump’s involvement with Epstein has been baked into public opinion 12:00 High prices and bad economy mean less public patience for Trump 12:45 Every presidency hits their lame duck point, this could be the start 14:00 Winning the midterms for the Democrats means winning the senate 15:15 Trump has treated the party like his casinos, leveraged for his benefit 16:15 Trump is only worried about Trump, not the party or the voters* 17:30 Epstein is one of the only stories that breaks through both sides’ bubble 19:45 You can’t information silo your grocery bill, or the Epstein story 21:00 If Dems sweep midterms, we’ll point to this week as start of lame duck 22:00 By going soft on Ghislaine Maxwell, it just increases suspicion 24:30 Trump would have been better off playing “he said, she said” w/Maxwell 25:45 Stock market booming, but most of the economy is not succeeding 27:00 Trump doesn’t seem well, has aged quite a bit in past six months 29:00 A steady drip of Epstein stories/files will cause R’s to distance 30:30 Trump isn’t doing what he was elected to do, makes him vulnerable 35:45 Adam Jentleson joins the Chuck ToddCast 37:15 Why choose the name “Searchlight Institute? 38:15 How is Searchlight different from the Center for American Progress? 41:45 Ideologically diverse policies tend to be more durable 43:45 Democrats must embrace ideological diversity to win in red states 46:45 Democrats have to make trade offs to win in more places 47:45 Democrats electoral path to presidency gets more narrow in ‘32 48:30 What does Democrats’ path to 60 senate seats look like? 49:30 Economic populism is a powerful force, it’s why Trump won 50:45 Economic populism beat out Republican orthodoxy 52:00 Populism hasn’t been transferable from Trump, but it’s durable 53:00 This economy is ok if you have money and horrid if not 54:45 The Kerry/Edwards economic policies are what are popular today 55:30 When Democrats succeed it’s on economic ideas 56:00 Is an economic downturn the only path for Dems to win presidency? 58:00 Democrats give Republicans ammo on cultural issues 59:00 Mamdani won by relentlessly focusing on kitchen table issues 1:00:15 Why weren’t Democrats able to sell their decision to reopen govt 1:02:00 Congressional leadership & communication are different skills 1:03:00 No side demanding a major concession in a shutdown got it 1:03:45 Dems succeeded in driving a message about healthcare 1:06:15 Divide on left is “look past Trump” or “fight Trump” 1:07:45 Democrats need to find issues they can run on in every state 1:09:30 The litmus test for Dems should be can they take back the senate 1:10:30 The path for Dems to take back the senate 1:12:00 Dems will have to embrace candidates with different social views 1:12:45 Gavin Newsom has been winning lately on tactics not policy 1:13:45 Dem candidates need to be fighters with broadly palatable policy 1:15:30 Any worries about an insurgent third party? 1:18:00 A third party candidate could certainly cause Dems to lose 1:19:30 The filibuster has become a pocket veto 1:21:30 The filibuster should require work and not be used passively 1:23:00 The filibuster started as needed reform, now is a problem 1:24:45 The origin of budget reconciliation 1:27:30 The judiciary was designed to be non-partisan 1:28:45 Vote threshold for judges should be higher to avoid partisans 1:31:15 If you raise the threshold too high there will be judicial backlogs 1:33:30 Do you see Searchlight as an incubator for policy, tactics or both? 1:34:45 What does Graham Platner’s staying power say about him? 1:36:45 Democratic aligned groups need to be smarter about their asks 1:44:45 Chuck’s thoughts on interview with Adam Jentleson 1:45:45 Ask Chuck 1:46:00 Thought’s on Netflix’s Death By Lightning? 1:53:30 Can anything be done in the short term about electricity costs? 2:00:45 What is Trump’s motivation for intervening in Venezuela? 2:06:15 Did NYC Mayoral race show Dems issue with non college voters? 2:12:15 College football committee needs to go 2:19:00 College football previewSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this episode of the Chuck ToddCast, Chuck breaks down the political fallout from the ending of the longest government shutdown in history— and what it revealed about both parties’ internal divides. He also answers listeners’ questions regarding the shutdown. Finally, he gives his update ToddCast Top 5 Senate seats most likely to flip parties, and answers more non-shutdown related questions in “Ask Chuck” 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. Got injured in an accident? You could be one click away from a claim worth millions. Just visit https://www.forthepeople.com/TODDCAST to start your claim now with Morgan & Morgan without leaving your couch. Remember, it's free unless you win! Timeline: (Timestamps may vary based on advertisements) 00:00 Chuck Todd’s introduction 01:00 Shutdown fight wasn’t only about healthcare, Dems wanted a fight 02:45 Shutdown was impacting people who don’t follow politics & risky 03:30 Democrats are fighting over tactics, not policy 05:15 Democrats need a leadership change, but may not happen right away 06:15 There’s a growing divide amongst Republicans in congress 07:15 The trickle down economy isn’t working for most Americans 08:15 Voters will want more guardrails on economy to help inequality 09:15 Q&A - Shutdown related questions 09:30 Republicans control government, why aren’t they getting more blame? 10:45 Media mistakenly believes the public understands government 13:00 Johnson kept the house adjourned to avoid optics issues 15:00 Journalists need to explain politics in a way that’s accessible 16:00 How do you win a shutdown fight? Is it possible to win one? 17:45 Congress should find a way to make shutdowns impossible 19:15 Shutdowns are purely for partisan actors 22:15 Is a tough vote the only thing Democrats extracted from shutdown? 25:45 Schumer is a terrible communicator and can’t communicate the win 27:15 Why was the legislative process so dysfunctional? 31:30 We need a congressional leader to make the committee process work 36:00 ToddCast Top 5 Senate seats most likely to flip parties 37:15 #1 North Carolina 41:30 #2 Maine 43:30 #3 Georgia 45:15 #4 Michigan 47:30 #5 Ohio 49:30 Democrats can absolutely win the majority in the senate 50:30 Ask Chuck 50:45 How different would America be if we hadn’t ended the draft? 53:45 Which college football head coaching jobs are most attractive? 57:15 Viability of female presidential candidates?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this episode of the Chuck ToddCast, Chuck breaks down the political fallout from the ending of the longest government shutdown in history— and what it revealed about both parties’ internal divides. He also answers listeners’ questions regarding the shutdown. Then, former intelligence officer and Democratic senate candidate from Kentucky Joel Willett joins Chuck Todd for a wide-ranging and deeply personal conversation — from his post-9/11 path into military service to the experiences that pushed him toward the Democratic Party. They highlight the parallels between his own story and JD Vance’s, offering candid thoughts on Hillbilly Elegy and how addiction, inequality, and disillusionment shape modern politics. He argues that the fentanyl crisis can’t be solved by policing supply alone — the real solution lies in investing in treatment, healthcare access, and rebuilding opportunity in communities like his home state of Kentucky. The conversation turns sharp as Willett critiques senate Democrats’ handling of the recent shutdown deal, calling it a “betrayal of the public,” and weighs in on the Democrats’ leadership struggles, the GOP’s subservience to Trump, and the erosion of national security norms. From the dangers of AI-era inequality to the growing politicization of the intelligence community, Willett warns that without courage and reform, even the institutions built to protect democracy could falter. Finally, he gives his update ToddCast Top 5 Senate seats most likely to flip parties, and answers more non-shutdown related questions in “Ask Chuck” 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. Got injured in an accident? You could be one click away from a claim worth millions. Just visit https://www.forthepeople.com/TODDCAST to start your claim now with Morgan & Morgan without leaving your couch. Remember, it's free unless you win! Timeline: (Timestamps may vary based on advertisements) 00:00 Chuck Todd’s introduction 03:15 Shutdown fight wasn’t only about healthcare, Dems wanted a fight 05:00 Shutdown was impacting people who don’t follow politics & risky 05:45 Democrats are fighting over tactics, not policy 07:30 Democrats need a leadership change, but may not happen right away 08:30 There’s a growing divide amongst Republicans in congress 09:30 The trickle down economy isn’t working for most Americans 10:30 Voters will want more guardrails on economy to help inequality 11:30 Q&A - Shutdown related questions 11:45 Republicans control government, why aren’t they getting more blame? 13:00 Media mistakenly believes the public understands government 15:15 Johnson kept the house adjourned to avoid optics issues 17:15 Journalists need to explain politics in a way that’s accessible 18:15 How do you win a shutdown fight? Is it possible to win one? 20:00 Congress should find a way to make shutdowns impossible 21:30 Shutdowns are purely for partisan actors 24:30 Is a tough vote the only thing Democrats extracted from shutdown? 28:00 Schumer is a terrible communicator and can’t communicate the win 29:30 Why was the legislative process so dysfunctional? 33:45 We need a congressional leader to make the committee process work 39:00 Joel Willett joins the Chuck ToddCast 41:00 Joel’s origin story 42:15 9/11 was what led Joel to join the armed services 44:00 Experiences in the military led him to join the Democratic party 46:00 Parallels between Joel’s origin story and JD Vance’s 47:00 Thoughts on Hillbilly Elegy? 48:45 It’s hard to square the JD Vance of 2016 vs Vance now 49:30 Politicians haven’t been able to address the fentanyl crisis 50:45 The conversation is only focused on supply side of overdose crisis 52:45 Investment needs to be made in treatment, not incarceration 54:45 It’s too tough to get access to quality rehab resources 56:30 You never get over the loss of a parent 57:15 Kentucky needs more healthcare facilities writ large 58:15 Administration has shown they don’t care about healthcare access 1:00:30 How should the government be thinking about future jobs in AI era? 1:02:30 AI is not the panacea that many think it is 1:04:15 Fascism grows in the fertile fields of inequality 1:05:30 Tax policy needs to address historic inequality 1:06:30 Capital gains should be taxed at least at the same rate as labor 1:08:45 Most people receiving benefits work or want to work 1:10:00 The system has been bought and paid for by entrenched interests 1:11:45 Why did Andy Beshear win and Amy McGrath lose? 1:13:30 Andy Beshear willing to speak his truth and show up 1:14:00 How would Joel try to win over Trump voters? 1:17:00 Shutdown deal struck by Democrats was a betrayal of the public 1:19:00 The shutdown fight isn’t technically over 1:20:45 8 Democrats who voted yes aren’t running for reelection in ‘26 1:21:30 ACA subsidies may actually get Republican votes in January 1:22:15 Republicans will do whatever Trump says to 1:23:45 Without a healthcare deal, Dems should shutdown govt in January 1:25:00 Should Chuck Schumer resign as senate minority leader? 1:26:15 Thoughts on Rand Paul and his distancing himself from Trumpworld? 1:28:00 Republicans aren’t governing for the entire country 1:30:15 Threats are being made to a free and fair election in ‘26 1:32:00 The state of the American intelligence community? 1:34:00 Joel’s security clearance revoked for saying mean things about Trump 1:34:45 Right wing Twitter is influencing the intelligence community 1:36:45 The military isn’t going to save America from authoritarianism 1:37:45 Resignation of head of southern command is a big deal 1:42:00 ToddCast Top 5 Senate seats most likely to flip parties 1:43:15 #1 North Carolina 1:47:30 #2 Maine 1:49:30 #3 Georgia 1:51:15 #4 Michigan 1:53:30 #5 Ohio 1:55:30 Democrats can absolutely win the majority in the senate 1:56:30 Ask Chuck 1:56:45 How different would America be if we hadn’t ended the draft? 1:59:45 Which college football head coaching jobs are most attractive? 2:03:15 Viability of female presidential candidates?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Former intelligence officer and Democratic senate candidate from Kentucky Joel Willett joins Chuck Todd for a wide-ranging and deeply personal conversation — from his post-9/11 path into military service to the experiences that pushed him toward the Democratic Party. They highlight the parallels between his own story and JD Vance’s, offering candid thoughts on Hillbilly Elegy and how addiction, inequality, and disillusionment shape modern politics. He argues that the fentanyl crisis can’t be solved by policing supply alone — the real solution lies in investing in treatment, healthcare access, and rebuilding opportunity in communities like his home state of Kentucky. The conversation turns sharp as Willett critiques senate Democrats’ handling of the recent shutdown deal, calling it a “betrayal of the public,” and weighs in on the Democrats’ leadership struggles, the GOP’s subservience to Trump, and the erosion of national security norms. From the dangers of AI-era inequality to the growing politicization of the intelligence community, Willett warns that without courage and reform, even the institutions built to protect democracy could falter. 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. Got injured in an accident? You could be one click away from a claim worth millions. Just visit https://www.forthepeople.com/TODDCAST to start your claim now with Morgan & Morgan without leaving your couch. Remember, it's free unless you win! Timeline: (Timestamps may vary based on advertisements) 00:00 Joel Willett joins the Chuck ToddCast 02:00 Joel’s origin story 03:15 9/11 was what led Joel to join the armed services 05:00 Experiences in the military led him to join the Democratic party 07:00 Parallels between Joel’s origin story and JD Vance’s 08:00 Thoughts on Hillbilly Elegy? 09:45 It’s hard to square the JD Vance of 2016 vs Vance now 10:30 Politicians haven’t been able to address the fentanyl crisis 11:45 The conversation is only focused on supply side of overdose crisis 13:45 Investment needs to be made in treatment, not incarceration 15:45 It’s too tough to get access to quality rehab resources 17:30 You never get over the loss of a parent 18:15 Kentucky needs more healthcare facilities writ large 19:15 Administration has shown they don’t care about healthcare access 21:30 How should the government be thinking about future jobs in AI era? 23:30 AI is not the panacea that many think it is 25:15 Fascism grows in the fertile fields of inequality 26:30 Tax policy needs to address historic inequality 27:30 Capital gains should be taxed at least at the same rate as labor 29:45 Most people receiving benefits work or want to work 31:00 The system has been bought and paid for by entrenched interests 32:45 Why did Andy Beshear win and Amy McGrath lose? 34:30 Andy Beshear willing to speak his truth and show up 35:00 How would Joel try to win over Trump voters? 38:00 Shutdown deal struck by Democrats was a betrayal of the public 40:00 The shutdown fight isn’t technically over 41:45 8 Democrats who voted yes aren’t running for reelection in ‘26 42:30 ACA subsidies may actually get Republican votes in January 43:15 Republicans will do whatever Trump says to 44:45 Without a healthcare deal, Dems should shutdown govt in January 46:00 Should Chuck Schumer resign as senate minority leader? 47:15 Thoughts on Rand Paul and his distancing himself from Trumpworld? 49:00 Republicans aren’t governing for the entire country 51:15 Threats are being made to a free and fair election in ‘26 53:00 The state of the American intelligence community? 55:00 Joel’s security clearance revoked for saying mean things about Trump 55:45 Right wing Twitter is influencing the intelligence community 57:45 The military isn’t going to save America from authoritarian takeover 58:45 Resignation of head of southern command is a big dealSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We're finally back after a two month hiatus, and we threw out the format of the show to see where the conversation took us. The discussion veers from drying off after a shower to AI cats to what g-force actually is, to our final hero of the week: the teacher fired for using fart spray. Enjoy!

On this episode of the Chuck ToddCast, Chuck breaks down the latest in Washington as the government shutdown nears its end—and the political fallout begins. Democrats have shown more backbone than expected, while Donald Trump’s strategy has Republicans quietly questioning his grip on power. From his push to cut SNAP benefits for his own voters to his increasingly distorted view of the economy, Trump’s disconnect from reality is starting to cost him. Chuck also looks at the Democrats’ strong showing in the recent elections, what it says about voter sentiment heading into 2026, and whether we’re witnessing the beginning of Trump’s lame duck era. Plus, the ripple effects of Trump’s policies—from affordability to the upcoming World Cup—and what Mike Johnson’s loyalty to Trump means for the GOP’s future. Then, Chuck sits down with journalist and historian Garrett Graff, host of The Long Shadow, to unpack how America’s political scandals—from Watergate to Trump—have shaped the presidency and public trust. Graff reflects on the slow process of uncovering the truth about Nixon’s 1968 interference and how those lessons apply to Trump’s open defiance of the Presidential Records Act. The two dive into why history takes decades to judge leaders, how government secrecy really works, and why even the most shocking revelations—like Iran-Contra or January 6th—take years to fully understand. Graff also discusses the ripple effects of past scandals, from Monica Lewinsky’s mistreatment to the rise of political figures forged during the Clinton impeachment, and how the legacy of Trump may take a generation to contextualize. The conversation ends on the future of media itself—how O.J. Simpson changed television forever, how algorithms broke the internet, and what it means for truth in an age where everyone’s chasing clicks. Finally, Chuck hops into the ToddCast Time Machine to revisit the surrender of the Ottoman Empire after World War 1 and the lasting implications for peace in the middle east, answers listeners’ questions in the “Ask Chuck” segment and breaks down the weekend in college football. 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. Got injured in an accident? You could be one click away from a claim worth millions. Just visit https://www.forthepeople.com/TODDCAST to start your claim now with Morgan & Morgan without leaving your couch. Remember, it's free unless you win! Timeline: (Timestamps may vary based on advertisements) 00:00 Chuck Todd’s introduction 00:30 End of the government shutdown seems imminent 02:15 Democrats have had a stiffer spine than expected 03:00 Surprising that Trump fought to cut SNAP, many were his voters 04:30 Trump ran on protecting benefits, has done the opposite during shutdown 05:15 Trump keeps claiming the economy is better than it is 06:00 Is Trump in an information bubble that’s not giving him reality? 07:00 Trump being out of touch is making Republicans start to distance from them 08:45 Mamdani’s election was not “the most important” result 09:45 New Jersey governor result was more revealing than Mamdani’s 10:30 Democrats win in Nov 4th election showed it was a referendum on Trump 12:00 Democrats should take the win and cut a deal to end shutdown 13:00 Are we entering the lame duck period of Donald Trump’s presidency? 14:45 Trump’s handling of the shutdown has been terrible politics for Republicans 16:15 The affordability message penetrated, culture war didn’t at all 17:30 Trump’s policies are creating a mess ahead of the 2026 World Cup 19:00 Trump is more focused on his image rather than affordability 19:45 Some Republicans are realizing they’ll have to break with Trump 22:15 Mike Johnson has basically become Donald Trump’s puppet 23:30 Trump is either losing his grip on reality, or trying to remake it 25:00 Trump falling asleep in meetings is a big deal 35:15 Garrett Graff joins the Chuck ToddCast 37:15 Getting started with The Long Shadow podcast 38:15 The importance of going back and covering recent history 41:00 Looking at pivotal, fork in the road moments in history 44:30 It took 50 years to answer two central questions about Watergate 47:15 Extent of Nixon's treachery in '68 wasn't exposed until recently 48:30 Watergate led to destruction of White House taping system 50:15 Trump is actively skirting the Presidential Records Act 52:45 Mike Johnson excuses Trump's corruption because it's in the open 54:15 Thoughts on looking back into Iran Contra? 56:45 CIA afraid that copping to Oswald could unravel other bad actions? 58:30 History says that meddling in Venezuela will go extremely poorly 59:45 Government conspiracies presuppose limited competence 1:00:30 Government can keep big secrets briefly or small secrets a long time 1:03:15 Is there more to be covered on Monica Lewinsky & impeachment? 1:04:45 No greater victim in a scandal than Lewinsky, Clinton's never apologized 1:07:15 Much of the Supreme Court got their start with Clinton impeachment 1:08:15 The view of presidents changes greatly over the decades 1:10:15 Judging past presidents relative to poor recent leaders 1:12:15 The politics of the author color presidential biographies 1:14:45 The historical telling of January 6th won't be ripe until Trump dies 1:15:45 There are so many January 6th villains whose stories must be told 1:16:45 Chuck's "Love/Hate" relationship with Roger Stone 1:17:45 The best way to interview a serial liar 1:19:15 The only good sources around Trump always remain anonymous 1:21:15 How worried are you about the future of American democracy? 1:22:00 We're underestimating how bad things are 9 months into Trump 1:23:45 We'll never be the country we were before Trump, but still reason for hope 1:24:45 Trump has a strong grip on a weak hand 1:26:30 Don't know whether we're in the beginning, middle or end of Trump story 1:27:45 Trump is too lazy to build a lasting movement 1:29:30 Democrats won't admit that Trump voters aren't wrong about some things 1:30:45 Democrats put asterisks next to elections they lost to Trump 1:33:45 Any interest in covering anything outside of politics? 1:34:45 OJ Simpson fundamentally changed the TV news business 1:37:30 Chasing ratings made the audience the editor for TV news 1:38:15 What Garrett is working on - Why algorithms broke the internet 1:46:15 Chuck's thoughts on interview with Garrett Graff 1:47:15 November 11th, 1918 World War 1 ends 1:48:00 Surrender of Ottoman Empire is largely forgotten, hugely consequential 1:49:00 Terms of surrender were incredibly harsh 1:49:45 European powers began carving up the middle east 1:50:30 Europe stopped fighting, the middle east didn't 1:52:00 In the US, World War 1 is only taught as a prequel to WW2 1:53:00 WW1 is the reason the middle east is still a mess today 1:55:00 We need to improve how we teach the history of World War 1 1:56:00 Ask Chuck 1:56:15 Can you explain why the senate has 60 vs. 50 vote thresholds? 2:01:30 Should the Virgin islands join with other islands to become a state? 2:02:30 Love for the election night livestream 2:03:45 Why haven't the 2026 federal appropriations been approved? 2:06:15 Chuck's experience at Vets for Tech event 2:15:30 College football reactionSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Chuck Todd sits down with journalist and historian Garrett Graff, host of The Long Shadow, to unpack how America’s political scandals—from Watergate to Trump—have shaped the presidency and public trust. Graff reflects on the slow process of uncovering the truth about Nixon’s 1968 interference and how those lessons apply to Trump’s open defiance of the Presidential Records Act. The two dive into why history takes decades to judge leaders, how government secrecy really works, and why even the most shocking revelations—like Iran-Contra or January 6th—take years to fully understand. Graff also discusses the ripple effects of past scandals, from Monica Lewinsky’s mistreatment to the rise of political figures forged during the Clinton impeachment, and how the legacy of Trump may take a generation to contextualize. The conversation ends on the future of media itself—how O.J. Simpson changed television forever, how algorithms broke the internet, and what it means for truth in an age where everyone’s chasing clicks. 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. Got injured in an accident? You could be one click away from a claim worth millions. Just visit https://www.forthepeople.com/TODDCAST to start your claim now with Morgan & Morgan without leaving your couch. Remember, it's free unless you win! Timeline: (Timestamps may vary based on advertisements) 00:00 Garrett Graff joins the Chuck ToddCast 02:00 Getting started with The Long Shadow podcast 03:00 The importance of going back and covering recent history 05:45 Looking at pivotal, fork in the road moments in history 09:15 It took 50 years to answer two central questions about Watergate 12:00 Extent of Nixon’s treachery in ‘68 wasn’t exposed until recently 13:15 Watergate led to destruction of White House taping system 15:00 Trump is actively skirting the Presidential Records Act 17:30 Mike Johnson excuses Trump’s corruption because it’s in the open 19:00 Thoughts on looking back into Iran Contra? 21:30 CIA afraid that copping to Oswald could unravel other bad actions? 23:15 History says that meddling in Venezuela will go extremely poorly 24:30 Government conspiracies presuppose limited competence 25:15 Government can keep big secrets briefly or small secrets a long time 28:00 Is there more to be covered on Monica Lewinsky & impeachment? 29:30 No greater victim in a scandal than Lewinsky, Clinton’s never apologized 32:00 Much of the Supreme Court got their start with Clinton impeachment 33:00 The view of presidents changes greatly over the decades 35:00 Judging past presidents relative to poor recent leaders 37:00 The politics of the author color presidential biographies 39:30 The historical telling of January 6th won’t be ripe until Trump dies 40:30 There are so many January 6th villains whose stories must be told 41:30 Chuck’s “Love/Hate” relationship with Roger Stone 42:30 The best way to interview a serial liar 44:00 The only good sources around Trump always remain anonymous 46:00 How worried are you about the future of American democracy? 46:45 We’re underestimating how bad things are 9 months into Trump 48:30 We’ll never be the country we were before Trump, but still reason for hope 49:30 Trump has a strong grip on a weak hand 51:15 Don’t know whether we’re in the beginning, middle or end of Trump story 52:30 Trump is too lazy to build a lasting movement 54:15 Democrats won’t admit that Trump voters aren’t wrong about some things 55:30 Democrats put asterisks next to elections they lost to Trump 58:30 Any interest in covering anything outside of politics? 59:30 OJ Simpson fundamentally changed the TV news business 1:02:15 Chasing ratings made the audience the editor for TV news 1:03:00 What Garrett is working on - Why algorithms broke the internetSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this episode of the Chuck ToddCast, Chuck breaks down the latest in Washington as the government shutdown nears its end—and the political fallout begins. Democrats have shown more backbone than expected, while Donald Trump’s strategy has Republicans quietly questioning his grip on power. From his push to cut SNAP benefits for his own voters to his increasingly distorted view of the economy, Trump’s disconnect from reality is starting to cost him. Chuck also looks at the Democrats’ strong showing in the recent elections, what it says about voter sentiment heading into 2026, and whether we’re witnessing the beginning of Trump’s lame duck era. Plus, the ripple effects of Trump’s policies—from affordability to the upcoming World Cup—and what Mike Johnson’s loyalty to Trump means for the GOP’s future. Finally, Chuck hops into the ToddCast Time Machine to revisit the surrender of the Ottoman Empire after World War 1 and the lasting implications for peace in the middle east, answers listeners’ questions in the “Ask Chuck” segment and breaks down the weekend in college football. 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. Got injured in an accident? You could be one click away from a claim worth millions. Just visit https://www.forthepeople.com/TODDCAST to start your claim now with Morgan & Morgan without leaving your couch. Remember, it's free unless you win! Timeline: (Timestamps may vary based on advertisements) 00:00 Chuck Todd’s introduction 00:30 End of the government shutdown seems imminent 02:15 Democrats have had a stiffer spine than expected 03:00 Surprising that Trump fought to cut SNAP, many were his voters 04:30 Trump ran on protecting benefits, has done the opposite during shutdown 05:15 Trump keeps claiming the economy is better than it is 06:00 Is Trump in an information bubble that’s not giving him reality? 07:00 Trump being out of touch is making Republicans start to distance from them 08:45 Mamdani’s election was not “the most important” result 09:45 New Jersey governor result was more revealing than Mamdani’s 10:30 Democrats win in Nov 4th election showed it was a referendum on Trump 12:00 Democrats should take the win and cut a deal to end shutdown 13:00 Are we entering the lame duck period of Donald Trump’s presidency? 14:45 Trump’s handling of the shutdown has been terrible politics for Republicans 16:15 The affordability message penetrated, culture war didn’t at all 17:30 Trump’s policies are creating a mess ahead of the 2026 World Cup 19:00 Trump is more focused on his image rather than affordability 19:45 Some Republicans are realizing they’ll have to break with Trump 22:15 Mike Johnson has basically become Donald Trump’s puppet 23:30 Trump is either losing his grip on reality, or trying to remake it 25:00 Trump falling asleep in meetings is a big deal 31:30 November 11th, 1918 World War 1 ends 32:15 Surrender of Ottoman Empire is largely forgotten, hugely consequential 33:15 Terms of surrender were incredibly harsh 34:00 European powers began carving up the middle east 34:45 Europe stopped fighting, the middle east didn't 36:15 In the US, World War 1 is only taught as a prequel to WW2 37:15 WW1 is the reason the middle east is still a mess today 39:15 We need to improve how we teach the history of World War 1 40:15 Ask Chuck 40:30 Can you explain why the senate has 60 vs. 50 vote thresholds? 45:45 Should the Virgin islands join with other islands to become a state? 46:45 Love for the election night livestream 48:00 Why haven't the 2026 federal appropriations been approved? 50:30 Chuck's experience at Vets for Tech event 59:45 College football reactionSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

D.C. representative Oye Owolewa and Executive Director for Puerto Rico 51st George Laws Garcia join Chuck Todd for a deep dive into one of America’s most overlooked democratic debates — the fight for statehood for Washington, D.C. and Puerto Rico. With over 3 million Americans lacking full representation in Congress, Chuck explores the political, constitutional, and cultural hurdles standing in the way. From Puerto Rico’s 58% support for statehood to the District’s struggle under federal oversight, the episode unpacks how history, partisanship, and outdated systems continue to stall progress. The conversation dives into whether D.C. and Puerto Rico would need to enter as a political “duo”, why half measures like expanded autonomy wouldn’t hold up, and how the economic and tax inequalities faced by both territories have real-world consequences. With bipartisan murmurs of support and the next generation of lawmakers pushing the issue, Chuck asks: is America finally ready to welcome its 51st — and maybe 52nd — states? 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. Got injured in an accident? You could be one click away from a claim worth millions. Just visit https://www.forthepeople.com/TODDCAST to start your claim now with Morgan & Morgan without leaving your couch. Remember, it's free unless you win! Timeline: (Timestamps may vary based on advertisements) 00:00 Rep. Oye Owolewa and George Laws Garcia join the Chuck ToddCast 02:00 Over 3 million Americans don’t have representation 04:15 The status of Puerto Rico’s fight for statehood 06:30 Public split in Puerto Rico over its status 08:45 DC can pass local laws governing DC and Puerto Rico 09:30 Puerto Rico’s residents have 58% support for statehood 11:45 Should DC be holding more referendums on this issue? 12:45 The importance of lobbying people in other states 14:15 Muriel Bowser has been boxed in by the administration 15:30 DC and neighboring states don’t want to integrate 16:30 Should Virgin Islands join the fight for statehood? 19:30 DC would be solidly Democratic, Puerto Rico is more up in the air 20:15 Would DC & Puerto Rico have to both get statehood at the same time? 22:00 A new constitutional amendment may need to be passed 23:00 States are only added as duos due to political considerations 24:00 The GOP won’t add DC as a state without a Republican counterpart 26:15 Puerto Rico’s politics would be a huge question mark if admitted 27:45 How would the four congressional seats in PR split politically? 29:15 Is there a middle ground that would grant rights without statehood? 31:30 Why half measures wouldn’t work, Congress could claw things back 33:00 Statehood admission much easier to pass than an amendment 35:30 There is some bipartisan support for statehood 38:00 Could the PR statehood push get a boost from NY and FL? 39:00 DC lost out on huge amounts of Covid money by not being a state 41:30 Puerto Rico receives massively unequal funding relative to states 44:15 Puerto Rico pays more in federal taxes than at least 3 states 46:15 Tax base in DC would be stronger with statehood 47:00 Business are hesitant to operate in DC without statehood status 49:00 Puerto Rico had a huge manufacturing base that has diminished 51:00 Statehood wouldn’t harm people living in other states 53:00 States were added in 19th century where English wasn’t primary languageSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this episode of the Chuck ToddCast, Chuck reacts to Democrats outperforming expectations across the board in Tuesday’s elections — from New Jersey to Georgia — signaling a sharp political rebuke of Donald Trump and his influence over the GOP. He breaks down why the results were more than just a good night for Democrats, how high electric bills and cost-of-living concerns shaped key races, and why even Republican strongholds are starting to shift. With Trump’s tariffs facing likely Supreme Court scrutiny and voters blaming Republicans for the government shutdown, this week’s results could reshape not just the midterm landscape but the future of both parties. D.C. representative Oye Owolewa and Executive Director for Puerto Rico 51st George Laws Garcia join Chuck Todd for a deep dive into one of America’s most overlooked democratic debates — the fight for statehood for Washington, D.C. and Puerto Rico. With over 3 million Americans lacking full representation in Congress, Chuck explores the political, constitutional, and cultural hurdles standing in the way. From Puerto Rico’s 58% support for statehood to the District’s struggle under federal oversight, the episode unpacks how history, partisanship, and outdated systems continue to stall progress. The conversation dives into whether D.C. and Puerto Rico would need to enter as a political “duo”, why half measures like expanded autonomy wouldn’t hold up, and how the economic and tax inequalities faced by both territories have real-world consequences. With bipartisan murmurs of support and the next generation of lawmakers pushing the issue, Chuck asks: is America finally ready to welcome its 51st — and maybe 52nd — states? Finally, he answers listeners’ questions in the “Ask Chuck” segment and previews the upcoming weekend in college football. 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. Got injured in an accident? You could be one click away from a claim worth millions. Just visit https://www.forthepeople.com/TODDCAST to start your claim now with Morgan & Morgan without leaving your couch. Remember, it's free unless you win! Timeline: (Timestamps may vary based on advertisements) 00:00 Chuck Todd’s introduction 07:30 Tuesday’s elections went even better than expected for Democrats 09:00 Ciaterreli hit all his targets from 2021 and still got blown out 12:00 High electric bills could have resulted in Dem wins in Georgia 15:00 Election results were a repudiation of Donald Trump 16:45 Donald Trump creates the political weather, and voters don’t like it 17:15 Trump blamed the shutdown for the losses, giving Dems more leverage 19:00 Voters blame R’s over D’s for the shutdown by 10 point margin 21:45 We could see more Republican retirements from congress 23:15 Likely the Supreme Court rules against Trump’s tariffs 25:00 Election results could reshape the redistricting fight 26:00 When dust settles, redistricting may not swing advantage to either side 27:30 Cost of living is going to be the defining issue in the midterms 29:15 Democrats mistake with Latinos was appealing to identity, not class 30:00 It wasn’t a good night for Democrats, it was a GREAT night 31:30 Republican candidates will start to distance themselves from Trump 34:15 Democrats now have a reasonable shot at winning the senate 38:00 Rep. Oye Owolewa and George Laws Garcia join the Chuck ToddCast 40:00 Over 3 million Americans don't have representation 42:15 The status of Puerto Rico's fight for statehood 44:30 Public split in Puerto Rico over its status 46:45 DC can pass local laws governing DC and Puerto Rico 47:30 Puerto Rico's residents have 58% support for statehood 49:45 Should DC be holding more referendums on this issue? 50:45 The importance of lobbying people in other states 52:15 Muriel Bowser has been boxed in by the administration 53:30 DC and neighboring states don't want to integrate 54:30 Should Virgin Islands join the fight for statehood? 57:30 DC would be solidly Democratic, Puerto Rico is more up in the air 58:15 Would DC & Puerto Rico have to both get statehood at the same time? 1:00:00 A new constitutional amendment may need to be passed 1:01:00 States are only added as duos due to political considerations 1:02:00 The GOP won't add DC as a state without a Republican counterpart 1:04:15 Puerto Rico's politics would be a huge question mark if admitted 1:05:45 How would the four congressional seats in PR split politically? 1:07:15 Is there a middle ground that would grant rights without statehood? 1:09:30 Why half measures wouldn't work, Congress could claw things back 1:11:00 Statehood admission much easier to pass than an amendment 1:13:30 There is some bipartisan support for statehood 1:16:00 Could the PR statehood push get a boost from NY and FL? 1:17:00 DC lost out on huge amounts of Covid money by not being a state 1:19:30 Puerto Rico receives massively unequal funding relative to states 1:22:15 Puerto Rico pays more in federal taxes than at least 3 states 1:24:15 Tax base in DC would be stronger with statehood 1:25:00 Business are hesitant to operate in DC without statehood status 1:27:00 Puerto Rico had a huge manufacturing base that has diminished 1:29:00 Statehood wouldn't harm people living in other states 1:31:00 States were added in 19th century where English wasn't primary language 1:33:30 Chuck's thoughts on the interview with Rep Oye and George Laws Garcia 1:34:30 Ask Chuck 1:35:00 Was Mamdani's political skill the difference vs other progressives who lost? 1:45:45 Thoughts on Elise Stefanik running for governor of New York? 1:50:45 How will Biden's presidency be viewed in 30-40 years? 1:56:30 What would Ronald Reagan think about Trump? 2:05:00 College football previewSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this episode of the Chuck ToddCast, Chuck reacts to Democrats outperforming expectations across the board in Tuesday’s elections — from New Jersey to Georgia — signaling a sharp political rebuke of Donald Trump and his influence over the GOP. He breaks down why the results were more than just a good night for Democrats, how high electric bills and cost-of-living concerns shaped key races, and why even Republican strongholds are starting to shift. With Trump’s tariffs facing likely Supreme Court scrutiny and voters blaming Republicans for the government shutdown, this week’s results could reshape not just the midterm landscape but the future of both parties. Finally, he answers listeners’ questions in the “Ask Chuck” segment and previews the upcoming weekend in college football. 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. Got injured in an accident? You could be one click away from a claim worth millions. Just visit https://www.forthepeople.com/TODDCAST to start your claim now with Morgan & Morgan without leaving your couch. Remember, it's free unless you win! Timeline: (Timestamps may vary based on advertisements) 00:00 Chuck Todd’s introduction 03:30 Tuesday's elections went even better than expected for Democrats 05:00 Ciaterreli hit all his targets from 2021 and still got blown out 08:00 High electric bills could have resulted in Dem wins in Georgia 11:00 Election results were a repudiation of Donald Trump 12:45 Donald Trump creates the political weather, and voters don't like it 13:15 Trump blamed the shutdown for the losses, giving Dems more leverage 15:00 Voters blame R's over D's for the shutdown by 10 point margin 17:45 We could see more Republican retirements from congress 19:15 Likely the Supreme Court rules against Trump's tariffs 21:00 Election results could reshape the redistricting fight 22:00 When dust settles, redistricting may not swing advantage to either side 23:30 Cost of living is going to be the defining issue in the midterms 25:15 Democrats mistake with Latinos was appealing to identity, not class 26:00 It wasn't a good night for Democrats, it was a GREAT night 27:30 Republican candidates will start to distance themselves from Trump 30:15 Democrats now have a reasonable shot at winning the senate 33:30 Ask Chuck 34:00 Was Mamdani's political skill the difference vs other progressives who lost? 44:45 Thoughts on Elise Stefanik running for governor of New York? 49:45 How will Biden's presidency be viewed in 30-40 years? 55:30 What would Ronald Reagan think about Trump? 1:04:00 College football previewSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Rich Thau, moderator of the Swing Voter Project joins Chuck Todd to dig into what America’s elusive swing voters are really thinking heading into 2028. Thau, known for his in-depth focus group research, explains how his team identifies true persuadable voters and what he’s hearing from them behind closed doors — from deep economic anxiety to their conflicted feelings about both Trump and Harris. He shares why many voters still give Trump credit for “doing something,” why Biden’s messaging never landed, and how gender and race remain stubborn barriers for Democratic candidates. Chuck and Rich also explore how social media has replaced traditional news, why most swing voters can’t name a single Biden accomplishment, and how reform ideas like limiting presidential pardons or setting age caps for candidates could reshape American politics. It’s an eye-opening look at how frustrated, distracted, and disillusioned voters might once again decide the direction of the country. Got injured in an accident? You could be one click away from a claim worth millions. Just visit https://www.forthepeople.com/TODDCAST to start your claim now with Morgan & Morgan without leaving your couch. Remember, it's free unless you win! Timeline: (Timestamps may vary based on advertisements) 00:00 Rich Thau joins the Chuck ToddCast 02:00 The value of focus groups in understanding voter opinions 03:15 The pandemic made it easier to conduct focus groups remotely 04:30 The challenges of remote focus groups 05:30 How to prevent one loud person from hijacking a focus group 07:30 Can you be an effective moderator if people know who you are? 09:30 Do you check voter files to ensure people are swing voters? 10:30 The screening process for focus group participants 13:15 Voters express anti-Trump comments but wouldn’t change vote to Harris 17:30 Voters will twist themselves into pretzels for why they couldn’t vote Harris 18:00 Many voters wouldn’t vote Harris due to her race and gender 19:00 Gender was a disqualifier for Clinton & Harris 22:15 Voters are following tariff news very closely 22:45 Nearly half of voters couldn’t name a Biden achievement 23:15 Only Biden achievement voters were aware of was student debt relief 24:00 Voters think that Trump is at least doing something 26:00 Biden wasn’t built for the modern media, couldn’t message his wins 27:00 Trump has mastered the attention economy 27:45 Candidates can’t rely on the media to communicate for them 31:15 Voters thought Obama & Biden overreached as much as Trump 32:45 Trump’s consolidation of power doesn’t seem unusual to swing voters 34:15 Many voters are getting their news exclusively from social media 36:45 Swing voters completely miss the process part of government 38:15 If voters could ask Trump anything, Epstein question most common 40:15 Swing voters bake in the worst things about Trump and vote for him anyway 41:00 Biggest concern of swing voters is the economy and cost of living 43:15 Swing voters viewed both Harris and Trump as unpleasant choices 44:00 No Democrats are breaking through positively to swing voters 44:45 Swing voters didn’t like Gavin Newsom’s trolling social posts 47:15 Are swing voters skeptical of big tech and consolidated power 48:15 Swing voters are easily dissatisfied and looking for someone new 50:15 Most swing voters don’t know the people in Trump’s cabinet 51:30 Swing voters aren’t pining for a third party alternative 52:45 Setting age limits for presidents would be popular 48:30 Biden & Trump pardons have enraged swing voters 56:15 Voters could be looking for another major change in 2028 56:45 Voters could be open to several new constitutional amendments 58:45 Pardon power could be shifted from president to a board 59:45 Reform and corruption could be a powerful message 1:01:00 Candidates will need a good answer for AI 1:02:15 Regional trends in swing voters? 1:05:15 Where to find Rich’s workSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Chuck Todd breaks down the latest NBC News poll, which paints a grim picture for both parties — and especially for Donald Trump’s second term. With only 37% of Americans believing the country is on the right track and financial pessimism at record highs, the public seems to have made up its mind: Trump 2.0 isn’t winning new fans. Chuck examines how Republicans are holding stronger favorability than Trump himself, why immigration remains his only issue advantage, and what Democrats can learn from the midterm mood. As two-thirds of voters say they’re falling behind, Chuck argues that the path to victory this cycle may depend on who runs against Washington — not just who runs it. Then, Rich Thau, moderator of the Swing Voter Project joins Chuck Todd to dig into what America’s elusive swing voters are really thinking heading into 2028. Thau, known for his in-depth focus group research, explains how his team identifies true persuadable voters and what he’s hearing from them behind closed doors — from deep economic anxiety to their conflicted feelings about both Trump and Harris. He shares why many voters still give Trump credit for “doing something,” why Biden’s messaging never landed, and how gender and race remain stubborn barriers for Democratic candidates. Chuck and Rich also explore how social media has replaced traditional news, why most swing voters can’t name a single Biden accomplishment, and how reform ideas like limiting presidential pardons or setting age caps for candidates could reshape American politics. It’s an eye-opening look at how frustrated, distracted, and disillusioned voters might once again decide the direction of the country. Finally, Chuck hops into the ToddCast Time Machine to examine America’s role in creating the country of Panama and why it’s left a lasting sense of suspicion of the United States in Latin America. He answers listeners’ questions in the “Ask Chuck” segment and unloads on his Miami Hurricanes after their loss to SMU. Got injured in an accident? You could be one click away from a claim worth millions. Just visit https://www.forthepeople.com/TODDCAST to start your claim now with Morgan & Morgan without leaving your couch. Remember, it's free unless you win! Timeline: (Timestamps may vary based on advertisements) 00:00 Chuck Todd’s introduction 02:00 New NBC poll 03:15 The ToddCast will be live on election night! 07:00 First year report card for Donald Trump 07:30 Only 37% of the public believes country is headed in right direction 09:15 Wrong track polling nearly at an all-time high 10:15 The country has made up its mind about Donald Trump, low poll variance 13:00 40% of the country feels positively about Trump 15:30 Republican party has a higher positive rating than the Democrats 17:45 Some voters feel more favorably about the GOP than Trump 20:00 Voters thought they were getting Trump 1.0, Trump 2.0 is not popular 20:45 Top issues voters are worried about aren’t favorable to Trump 23:00 Border security/immigration is the only issue where Trump is above water 25:00 R’s know Trump’s Venezuela actions are unconstitutional and roll over 27:00 More than half of voters think Trump is undermining the constitution 27:45 2/3rds of the country says they are falling behind financially 29:00 Midterm atmosphere is ripe for the Democrats 31:00 Trump’s high floor is enough to protect him 33:15 Winning Democrats will need to run against Washington 36:30 Rich Thau joins the Chuck ToddCast 38:30 The value of focus groups in understanding voter opinions 39:45 The pandemic made it easier to conduct focus groups remotely 41:00 The challenges of remote focus groups 42:00 How to prevent one loud person from hijacking a focus group 44:00 Can you be an effective moderator if people know who you are? 46:00 Do you check voter files to ensure people are swing voters? 47:00 The screening process for focus group participants 49:45 Voters express anti-Trump comments but wouldn't change vote to Harris 54:00 Voters will twist themselves into pretzels for why they couldn't vote Harris 54:30 Many voters wouldn't vote Harris due to her race and gender 55:30 Gender was a disqualifier for Clinton & Harris 58:45 Voters are following tariff news very closely 59:15 Nearly half of voters couldn't name a Biden achievement 59:45 Only Biden achievement voters were aware of was student debt relief 1:00:30 Voters think that Trump is at least doing something 1:02:30 Biden wasn't built for the modern media, couldn't message his wins 1:03:30 Trump has mastered the attention economy 1:04:15 Candidates can't rely on the media to communicate for them 1:07:45 Voters thought Obama & Biden overreached as much as Trump 1:09:15 Trump's consolidation of power doesn't seem unusual to swing voters 1:10:45 Many voters are getting their news exclusively from social media 1:13:15 Swing voters completely miss the process part of government 1:14:45 If voters could ask Trump anything, Epstein question most common 1:16:45 Swing voters bake in the worst things about Trump and vote for him anyway 1:17:30 Biggest concern of swing voters is the economy and cost of living 1:19:45 Swing voters viewed both Harris and Trump as unpleasant choices 1:20:30 No Democrats are breaking through positively to swing voters 1:21:15 Swing voters didn't like Gavin Newsom's trolling social posts 1:23:45 Are swing voters skeptical of big tech and consolidated power 1:24:45 Swing voters are easily dissatisfied and looking for someone new 1:26:45 Most swing voters don't know the people in Trump's cabinet 1:28:00 Swing voters aren't pining for a third party alternative 1:29:15 Setting age limits for presidents would be popular 1:32:45 Voters could be looking for another major change in 2028 1:33:15 Voters could be open to several new constitutional amendments 1:35:15 Pardon power could be shifted from president to a board 1:36:15 Reform and corruption could be a powerful message 1:37:30 Candidates will need a good answer for AI 1:38:45 Regional trends in swing voters? 1:41:45 Where to find Rich's work 1:44:30 ToddCast Time Machine 1:45:00 This week in 1903 - The US helped create the country of Panama 1:45:45 America built nations in Latin America to serve its own interests 1:46:30 Winning Spanish-American war turned the U.S. into an empire 1:48:00 Roosevelt didn't like Colombia's offer for the canal 1:48:45 US warships backed up Colombian separatists 1:50:00 Panama Canal opens in 1914 1:50:30 Origin of the term "banana republic" 1:51:15 Panama was built to serve American commerce 1:53:15 It's clear the Trump administration wants to remove Maduro 1:54:00 Latin America doesn't trust America's self serving behavior 1:56:15 Ask Chuck 1:56:45 Are some Republicans finally starting to find their spine? 2:02:45 Has anyone been polling independent voters? 2:04:15 Why don't Dems agree to open the government for a week or two? 2:09:15 Thoughts on Oversight committee members being selected by other party? 2:11:45 As a father, do you fear for the future and what gives you hope? 2:16:30 College football recapSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Chuck Todd breaks down the latest NBC News poll, which paints a grim picture for both parties — and especially for Donald Trump’s second term. With only 37% of Americans believing the country is on the right track and financial pessimism at record highs, the public seems to have made up its mind: Trump 2.0 isn’t winning new fans. Chuck examines how Republicans are holding stronger favorability than Trump himself, why immigration remains his only issue advantage, and what Democrats can learn from the midterm mood. As two-thirds of voters say they’re falling behind, Chuck argues that the path to victory this cycle may depend on who runs against Washington — not just who runs it. Finally, Chuck hops into the ToddCast Time Machine to examine America’s role in creating the country of Panama and why it’s left a lasting sense of suspicion of the United States in Latin America. He answers listeners’ questions in the “Ask Chuck” segment and unloads on his Miami Hurricanes after their loss to SMU. Got injured in an accident? You could be one click away from a claim worth millions. Just visit https://www.forthepeople.com/TODDCAST to start your claim now with Morgan & Morgan without leaving your couch. Remember, it's free unless you win! Timeline: (Timestamps may vary based on advertisements) 00:00 Chuck Todd’s introduction 02:00 New NBC poll 03:15 The ToddCast will be live on election night! 07:00 First year report card for Donald Trump 07:30 Only 37% of the public believes country is headed in right direction 09:15 Wrong track polling nearly at an all-time high 10:15 The country has made up its mind about Donald Trump, low poll variance 13:00 40% of the country feels positively about Trump 15:30 Republican party has a higher positive rating than the Democrats 17:45 Some voters feel more favorably about the GOP than Trump 20:00 Voters thought they were getting Trump 1.0, Trump 2.0 is not popular 20:45 Top issues voters are worried about aren’t favorable to Trump 23:00 Border security/immigration is the only issue where Trump is above water 25:00 R’s know Trump’s Venezuela actions are unconstitutional and roll over 27:00 More than half of voters think Trump is undermining the constitution 27:45 2/3rds of the country says they are falling behind financially 29:00 Midterm atmosphere is ripe for the Democrats 31:00 Trump’s high floor is enough to protect him 33:15 Winning Democrats will need to run against Washington 34:30 ToddCast Time Machine 35:00 This week in 1903 - The US helped create the country of Panama 35:45 America built nations in Latin America to serve its own interests 36:30 Winning Spanish-American war turned the U.S. into an empire 38:00 Roosevelt didn't like Colombia's offer for the canal 38:45 US warships backed up Colombian separatists 40:00 Panama Canal opens in 1914 40:30 Origin of the term "banana republic" 41:15 Panama was built to serve American commerce 43:15 It's clear the Trump administration wants to remove Maduro 44:00 Latin America doesn't trust America's self serving behavior 46:15 Ask Chuck 46:45 Are some Republicans finally starting to find their spine? 52:45 Has anyone been polling independent voters? 54:15 Why don't Dems agree to open the government for a week or two? 59:15 Thoughts on Oversight committee members being selected by other party? 1:01:45 As a father, do you fear for the future and what gives you hope? 1:06:30 College football recapSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this episode of the Chuck ToddCast, Chuck breaks down why Washington feels paralyzed — and how Trump’s gravitational pull still dictates everything from congressional gridlock to campaign strategy. From Mike Johnson’s dependence on Trump to Democrats’ internal tug-of-war between moderates and progressives, Chuck explores how both parties are struggling to govern in a fractured information ecosystem. He also looks at growing calls among policy thinkers for constitutional reform — from term limits and age caps to rethinking the incentives that drive political behavior. Despite the chaos, Chuck makes the case for cautious optimism: America’s democracy may be clogged, but it’s not beyond repair. Finally, he answers listeners’ questions in the “Ask Chuck” segment and looks ahead to the weekend in college football. Got injured in an accident? You could be one click away from a claim worth millions. Just visit https://www.forthepeople.com/TODDCAST to start your claim now with Morgan & Morgan without leaving your couch. Remember, it's free unless you win! Timeline: (Timestamps may vary based on advertisements) 00:00 Chuck Todd’s introduction 02:15 When Trump is overseas, the news cycle feels slower & less urgent 03:15 The American government is clogged like a toilet 04:00 Mike Johnson can’t do anything without Trump 05:15 There are not enough empowered moderates in congress 07:00 Republicans haven’t created an ACA alternative for 10 years 08:30 Democrats could pay a price for SNAP benefit cut 10:00 Democrats can extend funding for 3 weeks, and keep their leverage 12:30 The political elite in DC has self segregated in Trump 2.0 13:45 There’s no security for companies holding government contracts 15:00 Grifters have flooded to DC 15:45 Some progressives feel they can take over the Democratic party 16:30 Moderate Dems trying to find a way to grow the coalition 17:15 Large group of policy analysts worried about information ecosystem 18:45 DC gatherings being held to discuss preventing another Trump 21:00 America desperately needs to update the constitution 22:30 We shouldn’t be afraid to ask voters to make big changes 23:15 Strong argument for a 75 year old age limit for office 25:00 Trump is too lazy to pursue the worst course of history 26:45 The case for optimism during a dark political moment 27:30 Reforming the constitution is an 80/20 issue 28:15 Case for reform needs to tied to voters day to day lives 30:30 A bull in the China shop personality cult can’t run a country 31:30 We need to update the blueprint of the democracy 33:15 We desperately need better incentive structures for leaders 35:15 A leader needs to make the case for reform that isn’t about themselves or Trump 37:45 Ask Chuck 38:30 Would Dems impeach with control of both houses of Congress in '27? 43:00 Should we be paying congress more to attract better candidates? 48:00 If possible, would you make the US a parliamentary system? 53:30 Is 60 Minutes devolving into a FOX style program that lobs softballs? 59:30 Violent and dangerous rhetoric not equal on both sides? 1:03:15 World series reactionSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Filmmaker Billy Corben joins Chuck Todd to talk about his new documentary Men of War—a wild true story that Corben calls “Florida Man with international implications.” The film follows a group of would-be mercenaries and ex-soldiers who tried to stage a coup in Venezuela, exposing how Miami’s shadowy underworld collides with global politics. Corben and Todd dive into the cocaine-fueled chaos of Miami in the ’80s and ’90s, the psychological toll of endless war, and how one ex-Green Beret accidentally stumbled into Trump’s orbit while plotting regime change. From Marco Rubio’s precarious foreign policy balancing act to the ongoing collapse of the Democratic Party in Florida, Chuck and Billy explore how Latin American politics, disinformation, and corruption all intertwine in the Sunshine State. Plus, they discuss Miami’s misunderstood identity, Trump’s rumored presidential library, and whether the city’s mayoral race signals what’s next for Florida’s political future. Got injured in an accident? You could be one click away from a claim worth millions. Just visit https://www.forthepeople.com/TODDCAST to start your claim now with Morgan & Morgan without leaving your couch. Remember, it's free unless you win! Timeline: (Timestamps may vary based on advertisements) 00:00 Billy Corben joins the Chuck ToddCast 02:00 Men of War is basically “Bay of Pigs” for Venezuela 02:45 Men of War is perfectly timed for today’s news cycle 03:45 Cocaine boom was huge in Miami in the 80’s & 90’s 05:00 Men of War is “Florida Man w/ international implications” 07:00 The psychological damage of multiple tour deployments 09:00 The main character Jordan is a “post-modern” version of a soldier 13:15 Protagonist accidentally entered Trump’s high end orbit 17:30 Jordan needed to put together a trailer to find financiers for his coup 19:30 Shady international characters are common to find in Miami 20:15 Reception from the Venezuelan community for the doc? 22:15 Everybody in Miami wants to be president of a free Cuba 23:30 1950s cars are the only private possessions in Cuba 26:00 Chuck’s grandfather worked in Cuba, had to display photos of Castro 28:30 Miami is misunderstood as a melting pot when it isn’t 29:15 Miami has self segregated its neighborhoods 30:00 60% of Florida Venezuelans voted for Trump, now leaving the state 31:30 If ICE targets south Florida, there could be a massive political shift 32:45 Marco Rubio = Anakin Skywalker? Preventing the very worst of Trump 33:30 Rubio will be the fall guy for any major foreign policy failure 34:30 Administration is playing with fire in Venezuela 36:00 Congress has no idea what the administration is doing in Venezuela 37:30 The failed Venezuelan coup was memory holed because of Covid 39:30 Feels like we’re redoing Latin American policy of the 80’s 40:15 How has Jordan Goudreau not gotten a pardon from Trump? 42:30 American intervention in Latin America never goes well 44:00 End of USAID is creating vacuum in poor countries being filled by China 45:30 What does a “free Venezuela” look like in the Trump 2.0 era? 47:00 Jordan Goudreau feels betrayed by the American government 48:00 Algorithms have ruined social media 49:00 Is Miami-Dade red, blue, purple or something else politically? 52:30 Trump’s future presidential library slated for Miami 53:45 Miami is still a firm red county 56:00 Nothing is going well in Florida for the Democratic party 56:45 Trump is less popular in Florida than he was a year ago 58:00 Who wins the mayor’s race in Miami? 59:45 Mayor’s race will head to a December runoff 1:02:00 There’s historically been brazen corruption in Miami mayoral races 1:03:30 Trump thinks “asylum” means mental institution 1:06:00 Thoughts on Mario Cristobal 1:08:30 Miami can survive 1 loss and make the playoff, but not 2 1:12:00 Reuben Bain feels like a vintage Miami playerSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this episode of the Chuck ToddCast, Chuck breaks down why Washington feels paralyzed — and how Trump’s gravitational pull still dictates everything from congressional gridlock to campaign strategy. From Mike Johnson’s dependence on Trump to Democrats’ internal tug-of-war between moderates and progressives, Chuck explores how both parties are struggling to govern in a fractured information ecosystem. He also looks at growing calls among policy thinkers for constitutional reform — from term limits and age caps to rethinking the incentives that drive political behavior. Despite the chaos, Chuck makes the case for cautious optimism: America’s democracy may be clogged, but it’s not beyond repair. Then, filmmaker Billy Corben joins Chuck Todd to talk about his new documentary Men of War—a wild true story that Corben calls “Florida Man with international implications.” The film follows a group of would-be mercenaries and ex-soldiers who tried to stage a coup in Venezuela, exposing how Miami’s shadowy underworld collides with global politics. Corben and Todd dive into the cocaine-fueled chaos of Miami in the ’80s and ’90s, the psychological toll of endless war, and how one ex-Green Beret accidentally stumbled into Trump’s orbit while plotting regime change. From Marco Rubio’s precarious foreign policy balancing act to the ongoing collapse of the Democratic Party in Florida, Chuck and Billy explore how Latin American politics, disinformation, and corruption all intertwine in the Sunshine State. Plus, they discuss Miami’s misunderstood identity, Trump’s rumored presidential library, and whether the city’s mayoral race signals what’s next for Florida’s political future. Finally, he answers listeners’ questions in the “Ask Chuck” segment and looks ahead to the weekend in college football. Got injured in an accident? You could be one click away from a claim worth millions. Just visit https://www.forthepeople.com/TODDCAST to start your claim now with Morgan & Morgan without leaving your couch. Remember, it's free unless you win! Timeline: 00:00 Chuck Todd’s introduction 02:15 When Trump is overseas, the news cycle feels slower & less urgent 03:15 The American government is clogged like a toilet 04:00 Mike Johnson can’t do anything without Trump 05:15 There are not enough empowered moderates in congress 07:00 Republicans haven’t created an ACA alternative for 10 years 08:30 Democrats could pay a price for SNAP benefit cut 10:00 Democrats can extend funding for 3 weeks, and keep their leverage 12:30 The political elite in DC has self segregated in Trump 2.0 13:45 There’s no security for companies holding government contracts 15:00 Grifters have flooded to DC 15:45 Some progressives feel they can take over the Democratic party 16:30 Moderate Dems trying to find a way to grow the coalition 17:15 Large group of policy analysts worried about information ecosystem 18:45 DC gatherings being held to discuss preventing another Trump 21:00 America desperately needs to update the constitution 22:30 We shouldn’t be afraid to ask voters to make big changes 23:15 Strong argument for a 75 year old age limit for office 25:00 Trump is too lazy to pursue the worst course of history 26:45 The case for optimism during a dark political moment 27:30 Reforming the constitution is an 80/20 issue 28:15 Case for reform needs to tied to voters day to day lives 30:30 A bull in the China shop personality cult can’t run a country 31:30 We need to update the blueprint of the democracy 33:15 We desperately need better incentive structures for leaders 35:15 A leader needs to make the case for reform that isn’t about themselves or Trump 40:30 Billy Corben joins the Chuck ToddCast 42:30 Men of War is basically "Bay of Pigs" for Venezuela 43:15 Men of War is perfectly timed for today's news cycle 44:15 Cocaine boom was huge in Miami in the 80's & 90's 45:30 Men of War is "Florida Man w/ international implications" 47:30 The psychological damage of multiple tour deployments 49:30 The main character Jordan is a "post-modern" version of a soldier 53:45 Protagonist accidentally entered Trump's high end orbit 58:00 Jordan needed to put together a trailer to find financiers for his coup 1:00:00 Shady international characters are common in Miami 1:00:45 Reception from the Venezuelan community for the doc? 1:02:45 Everybody in Miami wants to be president of a free Cuba 1:04:00 1950s cars are the only private possessions in Cuba 1:06:30 Chuck's grandfather worked in Cuba, had to display photos of Castro 1:09:00 Miami is misunderstood as a melting pot when it isn't 1:09:45 Miami has self segregated its neighborhoods 1:10:30 60% of Florida Venezuelans voted for Trump, now leaving the state 1:12:00 If ICE targets south Florida, there could be a massive political shift 1:13:15 Marco Rubio = Anakin Skywalker? Preventing the very worst of Trump 1:14:00 Rubio will be the fall guy for any major foreign policy failure 1:15:00 Administration is playing with fire in Venezuela 1:16:30 Congress has no idea what the administration is doing in Venezuela 1:18:00 The failed Venezuelan coup was memory holed because of Covid 1:20:00 Feels like we're redoing Latin American policy of the 80's 1:20:45 How has Jordan Goudreau not gotten a pardon from Trump? 1:23:00 American intervention in Latin America never goes well 1:24:30 End of USAID is creating vacuum in poor countries being filled by China 1:26:00 What does a "free Venezuela" look like in the Trump 2.0 era? 1:27:30 Jordan Goudreau feels betrayed by the American government 1:28:30 Algorithms have ruined social media 1:29:30 Is Miami-Dade red, blue, purple or something else politically? 1:33:00 Trump's future presidential library slated for Miami 1:34:15 Miami is still a firm red county 1:36:30 Nothing is going well in Florida for the Democratic party 1:37:15 Trump is less popular in Florida than he was a year ago 1:38:30 Who wins the mayor's race in Miami? 1:40:15 Mayor's race will head to a December runoff 1:42:30 There's historically been brazen corruption in Miami mayoral races 1:44:00 Trump thinks "asylum" means mental institution 1:46:30 Thoughts on Mario Cristobal 1:49:00 Miami can survive 1 loss and make the playoff, but not 2 1:52:30 Reuben Bain feels like a vintage Miami player 1:58:00 Chuck's thoughts on interview with Billy Corben 1:58:30 Ask Chuck 1:59:15 Would Dems impeach with control of both houses of Congress in '27? 2:03:45 Should we be paying congress more to attract better candidates? 2:08:45 If possible, would you make the US a parliamentary system? 2:14:15 Is 60 Minutes devolving into a FOX style program that lobs softballs? 2:20:15 Violent and dangerous rhetoric not equal on both sides? 2:24:00 World series reaction 2:28:00 College football previewSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Veteran Nevada journalist and author of the upcoming book “The Game Changer”, Jon Ralston joins Chuck Todd to break down how the Silver State became America’s ultimate political bellwether — and what that means heading into 2026. They explore how the state’s service-based economy, booming Hispanic population, and explosion of non-affiliated voters have reshaped Nevada politics, plus how “No Tax on Tips” gave Trump an unexpected foothold. Ralston explains why Vegas’ tourism slump could upend the next governor’s race and how corporatization has changed the city’s character. They also dig into the state of local journalism — from the challenges of nonprofit reporting to competing against hedge fund-owned outlets — and reflect on the late Harry Reid’s political legacy. From power-hungry governors to the fight for Nevada’s “first-in-the-nation” status, this episode reveals why what happens in Vegas won’t be staying there in 2026. Got injured in an accident? You could be one click away from a claim worth millions. Just visit https://www.forthepeople.com/TODDCAST to start your claim now with Morgan & Morgan without leaving your couch. Remember, it's free unless you win! Timeline: 00:00 Jon Ralston joins the Chuck ToddCast 02:00 Adapting to the breakneck speed of the news cycle 04:00 Nevada has become the preeminent swing state in America 06:45 The service industry & growing hispanic population define Vegas 07:30 Nevada is a bellwether for the Democratic party 09:15 Nevada continuing to lobby for first in the nation status 10:45 Las Vegas natives are a rarity, Vegas is a destination 12:30 Trump was able to connect with NV voters via “No Tax on Tips” 13:30 NV voters felt Democratic party took them for granted 14:30 Nevada’s governor has a lot of power 17:00 There’s been an explosion of non affiliated voters in Nevada 18:30 Is either major party making a strong case to non affiliated voters? 20:00 How competitive will the Nevada governor’s race be? 22:30 Does Joe Lombardo have ambition outside the state of Nevada? 23:30 Lombardo’s strategy could look similar to Glenn Youngkin’s 25:30 What’s behind the drop in tourism to Vegas? 26:30 Canada, immigration policy and lack of value proposition hurting Vegas 27:30 Corporatization of casinos & high prices have driven away tourists 28:30 Tourism drop could greatly impact the governor’s race 29:00 Any progress on diversifying the Nevada economy? 30:15 Making Vegas “Hollywood East” comes with huge challenges 31:45 Would energy be the best way to diversify the Vegas economy? 32:30 Warren Buffet has monopoly on NV utilities, preventing new investment 33:30 Nonprofit vs for profit journalism 35:00 Dealing with big moneyed interests as a nonprofit journalists 37:00 Local journalism in Nevada has mostly been hollowed out 37:45 Dealing with “donor fatigue” as a nonprofit journalist 39:15 Journalism skills translate well to uncomfortable fundraising asks 41:00 Challenges in the advertising space for journalism 43:00 Why have advertising dollars been harder to get for news orgs? 45:30 Hedge funds acquired newspapers for their real estate 47:30 Journalism has to be done in-person and in the field 48:15 What would Harry Reid’s advice be for the Dem party of today? 49:45 Reid died early on into the process of Jon writing “The Game Changer” 50:45 Reid wouldn’t be happy with what Chuck Schumer is doing 53:00 Reid and McConnell collectively delegitimized the judicial branch 55:00 How would Reid have handled confrontation with Trump? 59:15 How are you feeling about your Buffalo Bills?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Chuck Todd breaks down why this year’s elections may be local—but their impact will be national. From Virginia’s bellwether governor’s race to key contests in New Jersey and New York City, these results will offer a preview of the political mood heading into the 2026 midterms. Chuck dives into Abigail Spanberger’s cautious campaign strategy, Winsome Earle-Sears’ grievance-fueled messaging, and why Virginia voters rarely reward extremes. Plus, a look at how third-party candidates could shake up the New Jersey race and why Zohran Mamdani’s performance in NYC will signal the direction of the progressive movement. Veteran Nevada journalist and author of the upcoming book “The Game Changer”, Jon Ralston joins to break down how the Silver State became America’s ultimate political bellwether — and what that means heading into 2026. They explore how the state’s service-based economy, booming Hispanic population, and explosion of non-affiliated voters have reshaped Nevada politics, plus how “No Tax on Tips” gave Trump an unexpected foothold. Ralston explains why Vegas’ tourism slump could upend the next governor’s race and how corporatization has changed the city’s character. They also dig into the state of local journalism — from the challenges of nonprofit reporting to competing against hedge fund-owned outlets — and reflect on the late Harry Reid’s political legacy. From power-hungry governors to the fight for Nevada’s “first-in-the-nation” status, this episode reveals why what happens in Vegas won’t be staying there in 2026. Finally, Chuck reveals his ToddCast Top 5 list of American political scions running in upcoming election and answers listeners’ questions in the “Ask Chuck” segment. Got injured in an accident? You could be one click away from a claim worth millions. Just visit https://www.forthepeople.com/TODDCAST to start your claim now with Morgan & Morgan without leaving your couch. Remember, it's free unless you win! Timeline: (Timestamps may vary based on advertisements) 00:00 Chuck Todd’s introduction 02:45 Chuck will be LIVE on Youtube & X on election night! 06:15 The 2025 elections are local, but will have national impact 07:00 Virginia is a fairly good bellwether state for national politics 07:45 Virginia is purple but is not MAGA 08:15 Party controlling White House almost always loses VA governor race 09:30 Spanberger has run a very cautious campaign 10:30 Winsome Earle-Sears has been throwing things at the wall 11:30 Virginia voters don’t reward grievance politics 13:00 Virginia hasn’t split ticket amongst big three races since 2005 15:00 Spanberger has kept Jay Jones at arms length 17:45 Virginia will give us preview of which way field is tilting for midterms 18:15 2018 class of Democrats has produced some high profile candidates 19:30 Mikie Sherill has run a more contested race than Spanberger 20:30 Ciaterreli outperformed polls in 2021, could happen again 22:30 Third party candidates could swing the NJ governor race 22:45 Mamdani will win in NYC, it’s a matter of whether he clears 50% 24:45 Mamdani needs a big margin in order to have a mandate 26:00 What the results will tell us about the 2026 midterm landscape 30:15 Jon Ralston joins the Chuck ToddCast 32:15 Adapting to the breakneck speed of the news cycle 34:15 Nevada has become the preeminent swing state in America 37:00 The service industry & growing hispanic population define Vegas 37:45 Nevada is a bellwether for the Democratic party 39:30 Nevada continuing to lobby for first in the nation status 41:00 Las Vegas natives are a rarity, Vegas is a destination 42:45 Trump was able to connect with NV voters via "No Tax on Tips" 43:45 NV voters felt Democratic party took them for granted 44:45 Nevada's governor has a lot of power 47:15 There's been an explosion of non affiliated voters in Nevada 48:45 Is either major party making a strong case to non affiliated voters? 50:15 How competitive will the Nevada governor's race be? 52:45 Does Joe Lombardo have ambition outside the state of Nevada? 53:45 Lombardo's strategy could look similar to Glenn Youngkin's 55:45 What's behind the drop in tourism to Vegas? 56:45 Canada, immigration policy and lack of value proposition hurting Vegas 57:45 Corporatization of casinos & high prices have driven away tourists 58:45 Tourism drop could greatly impact the governor's race 59:15 Any progress on diversifying the Nevada economy? 1:00:30 Making Vegas "Hollywood East" comes with huge challenges 1:02:00 Would energy be the best way to diversify the Vegas economy? 1:02:45 Warren Buffet has monopoly on NV utilities, preventing new investment 1:03:45 Nonprofit vs for profit journalism 1:05:15 Dealing with big moneyed interests as a nonprofit journalists 1:07:15 Local journalism in Nevada has mostly been hollowed out 1:08:00 Dealing with "donor fatigue" as a nonprofit journalist 1:09:30 Journalism skills translate well to uncomfortable fundraising asks 1:11:15 Challenges in the advertising space for journalism 1:13:15 Why have advertising dollars been harder to get for news orgs? 1:15:45 Hedge funds acquired newspapers for their real estate 1:17:45 Journalism has to be done in-person and in the field 1:18:30 What would Harry Reid's advice be for the Dem party of today? 1:20:00 Reid died early on into the process of Jon writing "The Game Changer" 1:21:00 Reid wouldn't be happy with what Chuck Schumer is doing 1:23:15 Reid and McConnell collectively delegitimized the judicial branch 1:25:15 How would Reid have handled confrontation with Trump? 1:29:30 How are you feeling about your Buffalo Bills? 1:35:00 Chuck's thoughts on interview with Jon Ralston 1:35:30 ToddCast Top 5 - Top 5 American Political Scions 1:37:15 It's been a bad run lately for run for political scions 1:38:00 #1 Maine governor race features 3 political scions 1:40:00 #2 Georgia governor race features 2 political scions 1:41:15 #3 Beau Bayh 1:42:30 #4 Jack Schlossberg 1:44:15 #5 Chip Keating 1:45:15 Honorable mention - Andrew White 1:46:15 Ask Chuck 1:46:30 What if we had public debates where only verified facts are allowed? 1:50:00 Would state level Democratic parties create a separate platform from DNC 1:53:30 How do you define "short term" and "long term" when describing politics? 1:57:00 Will markets dip in Trump's second year like it does historically? 2:02:45 Who are three modern political thinkers best suited to express our ideals? 2:06:30 How can Trump try to disrupt the election and how effective will he be? 2:10:00 Is it more likely that Kirk's shooter was part of Trump's community?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Chuck Todd breaks down why this year’s elections may be local—but their impact will be national. From Virginia’s bellwether governor’s race to key contests in New Jersey and New York City, these results will offer a preview of the political mood heading into the 2026 midterms. Chuck dives into Abigail Spanberger’s cautious campaign strategy, Winsome Earle-Sears’ grievance-fueled messaging, and why Virginia voters rarely reward extremes. Plus, a look at how third-party candidates could shake up the New Jersey race and why Zohran Mamdani’s performance in NYC will signal the direction of the progressive movement. Finally, Chuck reveals his ToddCast Top 5 list of American political scions running in upcoming election and answers listeners’ questions in the “Ask Chuck” segment. Got injured in an accident? You could be one click away from a claim worth millions. Just visit https://www.forthepeople.com/TODDCAST to start your claim now with Morgan & Morgan without leaving your couch. Remember, it's free unless you win! Timeline: (Timestamps may vary based on advertisements) 00:00 Chuck Todd’s introduction 02:00 Chuck will be LIVE on Youtube & X on election night! 05:30 The 2025 elections are local, but will have national impact 06:15 Virginia is a fairly good bellwether state for national politics 07:00 Virginia is purple but is not MAGA 07:30 Party controlling White House almost always loses VA governor race 08:45 Spanberger has run a very cautious campaign 09:45 Winsome Earle-Sears has been throwing things at the wall 10:45 Virginia voters don't reward grievance politics 12:15 Virginia hasn't split ticket amongst big three races since 2005 14:15 Spanberger has kept Jay Jones at arms length 17:00 Virginia will give us preview of which way field is tilting for midterms 17:30 2018 class of Democrats has produced some high profile candidates 18:45 Mikie Sherill has run a more contested race than Spanberger 19:45 Ciaterreli outperformed polls in 2021, could happen again 21:45 Third party candidates could swing the NJ governor race 22:00 Mamdani will win in NYC, it's a matter of whether he clears 50% 24:00 Mamdani needs a big margin in order to have a mandate 25:15 What the results will tell us about the 2026 midterm landscape 29:00 ToddCast Top 5 - Top 5 American Political Scions 30:45 It's been a bad run lately for run for political scions 31:30 #1 Maine governor race features 3 political scions 33:30 #2 Georgia governor race features 2 political scions 34:45 #3 Beau Bayh 36:00 #4 Jack Schlossberg 37:45 #5 Chip Keating 38:45 Honorable mention - Andrew White 39:45 Ask Chuck 40:00 What if we had public debates where only verified facts are allowed? 43:30 Would state level Democratic parties create a separate platform from DNC 47:00 How do you define "short term" and "long term" when describing politics? 50:30 Will markets dip in Trump's second year like it does historically? 56:15 Who are three modern political thinkers best suited to express our ideals?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Chuck Todd breaks down the ongoing government shutdown and the deep dysfunction gripping Washington. With the shutdown dragging into late October, Trump is reportedly tapping private donors to pay the military, while Speaker Mike Johnson keeps the House out of session — a move Chuck calls a major political blunder. As Trump consolidates control over both the presidency and Congress, Republicans appear more focused on shielding him than exercising oversight. Meanwhile, the Oversight Committee under James Comer has devolved into partisan theater, investigating the Bidens while ignoring blatant corruption in Trump’s orbit. Chuck argues that without real congressional checks, America risks drifting toward the kind of pre-revolutionary rot the Founders warned about — where power, privilege, and impunity rule unchecked. Then, filmmaker Raoul Peck joins Chuck to discuss his powerful new documentary Orwell: 2+2=5 — an exploration of truth, propaganda, and power in the age of Trump. Peck, whose work often examines systems of control and colonialism, draws from Orwell’s life and letters to reveal how 1984 was never just a warning about the future — it was a reflection of the present. He and Chuck unpack how doublespeak, “alternative facts,” and the rewriting of history have crept into modern democracies, from the U.S. to Russia, and what Orwell’s insights reveal about the fragility of truth today. Peck also reflects on his own Haitian roots and how the legacy of colonialism still shapes global politics, from America’s interference in Haiti to its uneasy role as an arbiter of democracy abroad. The conversation turns to the media’s complicity in enabling authoritarian narratives, the dangers of AI-driven misinformation, and why reclaiming truth — and teaching future generations to defend it — may be the defining struggle of our time. Finally, he hops in the ToddCast Time Machine to revisit the publication of the Federalist Papers and why their lessons are extremely pertinent in the Trump era, answers questions in the “Ask Chuck” segment and gives his college football recap. Got injured in an accident? You could be one click away from a claim worth millions. Just visit https://www.forthepeople.com/TODDCAST to start your claim now with Morgan & Morgan without leaving your couch. Remember, it's free unless you win! Timeline: (Timestamps may vary based on advertisements) 00:00 Chuck Todd’s introduction 06:00 The government shutdown continues into the end of October 06:45 Trump tapping private donor to pay the military 07:45 Democrats have earned the leverage to reopen the government 08:15 Mike Johnson making a huge mistake by keeping House out of session 10:00 Voters want Congress to serve as a check on an unpopular president 11:45 House Republicans look like they’re out to lunch & on vacation 12:45 Trump says he’s both the speaker and the president 15:30 Sen. Lankford admits R’s would be furious if Biden was doing what Trump is 16:30 Everything now is viewed or ignored through a partisan lens 18:45 Without congressional oversight, we lose our founding framework 19:30 Qatari jet gift was the type of bribe our founders warned about 20:30 Republicans in charge of oversight ignoring plane bribe 21:30 Trump using coin scheme to build international bribery racket, R’s ignore it 23:00 The oversight committee under Comer has become a partisan weapon 23:45 Trump is ordering the DOJ to compensate his own business 25:15 Trump is using his power to direct money to his companies 26:00 The double standard from Republicans is insulting to the American people 28:45 Trump’s orbit is giving pre-revolutionary France vibes 29:30 Oversight is still investigating the Biden family 30:15 Democrats aren’t on moral high ground after Biden’s family pardons 31:15 If the Bidens were doing anything Trump was doing, R’s would impeach 32:00 Oversight has become partisan entertainment 32:45 Democrats weren’t interested in Epstein until it entangled Trump 33:30 Trump’s desperation to hold the house is to avoid oversight 34:15 Trump could stonewall oversight, but private companies can’t 35:00 Private companies can’t go to law enforcement when extorted 35:45 Mike Johnson is the weakest speaker in the modern era 37:45 Raoul Peck joins the Chuck ToddCast 39:15 How did you end up directing Orwell 2+2=5? 41:15 Coming from Haiti, you have a real understanding of abuse of power 42:45 Working with legendary documentarian Alex Gibney on the project 44:15 Would the film have been released if Kamala Harris had one? 45:45 Americans are becoming familiar with "doublespeak" under Trump 46:45 The contradiction of leading democracies being colonial 47:30 Orwell grew up in India, saw colonialism firsthand 48:45 Orwell joined Imperial Police Force in Burma 50:00 Orwell's letters revealed his inspiration and thought process 51:00 Orwell struggled to finish 1984 while very sick 52:00 Using historical media to create the documentary, no re-enactments 54:30 Why not tell this story in a movie? Does 1984 need to be re-made? 55:45 1984 was only a portion of the story 56:45 Orwell was writing about the present and warning about the future 58:30 US story starting with lies about the Iraq War using propaganda 1:00:00 Americans think authoritarianism only comes from "the other side" 1:00:45 Language sets the stage for the erosion of democracy 1:01:30 Authoritarians seek to remake and revise history 1:02:30 Russian citizens have basically given up on truth, don't believe anything 1:03:15 Trump's use of "alternative facts" is incredibly Orwellian 1:04:15 Trump accuses any negative coverage of being "fake news" 1:05:00 U.S. government purging certain words from their websites 1:07:00 Authoritarian takeovers can move very quickly 1:07:45 Journalism and discourse are controlled by a few tech companies 1:08:30 Trouble distributing the documentary in the current political climate? 1:10:00 Documentary breaking records…. But what does that say? 1:11:30 Too many people are tuning out during Trump's second term 1:12:00 People take democracy and their freedoms for granted 1:13:15 Mike Pence saved democracy… temporarily 1:14:15 AI generated videos will make people questions everything 1:15:15 Most of the press is captive to a few billionaires 1:16:15 The technology isn't the problem, lack of regulation is 1:17:45 Humans will want interpersonal contact in AI era 1:19:45 There is no such thing as neutrality in politics 1:21:15 Beating authoritarianism will take a generation in America 1:23:00 Why have Haiti and the Dominican Republic gone so differently? 1:24:45 The slave rebellion caused the U.S. to treat Haiti as a pariah 1:26:15 Haiti suffered from "cannon diplomacy" from colonial powers 1:27:00 The U.S. meddling in Haiti has always caused problems 1:29:15 U.S. has always asserted control in the western hemisphere 1:30:45 Next project is doc about assasination of Haiti's president 1:31:45 Using AI as a tool in creating films? 1:33:45 Government has performed almost no oversight of AI 1:36:00 ToddCast Time Machine 1:36:45 This week, in 1787 was the initial publication of the Federalist Papers 1:37:30 The papers were America's first political blog 1:38:30 Hamilton began by debating whether reason or rage would win out 1:39:45 Federalist #51 argued ambition must be made to counteract ambition 1:41:00 America's biggest problem now is an extraordinarily weak congress 1:41:45 Hamilton warned of political parties & can't limit it to one or two 1:42:45 Federalist #70 warned against an overly powerful executive 1:43:45 Federalist #65 worried that impeachment would become a partisan exercise 1:45:45 Federalist #78 argued that judges should never be elected 1:47:00 Madison argued in favor of slow deliberation 1:48:30 Founders warned that too few representatives breeds corruption 1:50:00 Hamilton argued that rights are only guaranteed by people enforcing them 1:52:00 Ask Chuck 1:52:15 Should Democrats flip the script and use "America First" messaging? 1:54:45 Should Democrats reign in ActBlue for advertising? 1:58:45 Why are there no consequences for cabinet members lying to congress? 2:00:45 Will Trump governing only for supporters backfire in the midterms? 2:04:15 College football updateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode of the Chuck ToddCast, filmmaker Raoul Peck joins Chuck to discuss his powerful new documentary Orwell: 2+2=5 — an exploration of truth, propaganda, and power in the age of Trump. Peck, whose work often examines systems of control and colonialism, draws from Orwell’s life and letters to reveal how 1984 was never just a warning about the future — it was a reflection of the present. He and Chuck unpack how doublespeak, “alternative facts,” and the rewriting of history have crept into modern democracies, from the U.S. to Russia, and what Orwell’s insights reveal about the fragility of truth today. Peck also reflects on his own Haitian roots and how the legacy of colonialism still shapes global politics, from America’s interference in Haiti to its uneasy role as an arbiter of democracy abroad. The conversation turns to the media’s complicity in enabling authoritarian narratives, the dangers of AI-driven misinformation, and why reclaiming truth — and teaching future generations to defend it — may be the defining struggle of our time. Got injured in an accident? You could be one click away from a claim worth millions. Just visit https://www.forthepeople.com/TODDCAST to start your claim now with Morgan & Morgan without leaving your couch. Remember, it's free unless you win! Timeline: (Timestamps may vary based on advertisements) 00:00 Raoul Peck joins the Chuck ToddCast 01:30 How did you end up directing Orwell 2+2=5? 03:30 Coming from Haiti, you have a real understanding of abuse of power 05:00 Working with legendary documentarian Alex Gibney on the project 06:30 Would the film have been released if Kamala Harris had one? 08:00 Americans are becoming familiar with “doublespeak” under Trump 09:00 The contradiction of leading democracies being colonial 09:45 Orwell grew up in India, saw colonialism firsthand 11:00 Orwell joined Imperial Police Force in Burma 12:15 Orwell’s letters revealed his inspiration and thought process 13:15 Orwell struggled to finish 1984 while very sick 14:15 Using historical media to create the documentary, no re-enactments 16:45 Why not tell this story in a movie? Does 1984 need to be re-made? 18:00 1984 was only a portion of the story 19:00 Orwell was writing about the present and warning about the future 20:45 US story starting with lies about the Iraq War using propaganda 22:15 Americans think authoritarianism only comes from “the other side” 23:00 Language sets the stage for the erosion of democracy 23:45 Authoritarians seek to remake and revise history 24:45 Russian citizens have basically given up on truth, don’t believe anything 25:30 Trump’s use of “alternative facts” is incredibly Orwellian 26:30 Trump accuses any negative coverage of being “fake news” 27:15 U.S. government purging certain words from their websites 29:15 Authoritarian takeovers can move very quickly 30:00 Journalism and discourse are controlled by a few tech companies 30:45 Trouble distributing the documentary in the current political climate? 32:15 Documentary breaking records…. But what does that say? 33:45 Too many people are tuning out during Trump’s second term 34:15 People take democracy and their freedoms for granted 35:30 Mike Pence saved democracy… temporarily 36:30 AI generated videos will make people questions everything 37:30 Most of the press is captive to a few billionaires 38:30 The technology isn’t the problem, lack of regulation is 40:00 Humans will want interpersonal contact in AI era 42:00 There is no such thing as neutrality in politics 43:30 Beating authoritarianism will take a generation in America 45:15 Why have Haiti and the Dominican Republic gone so differently? 47:00 The slave rebellion caused the U.S. to treat Haiti as a pariah 48:30 Haiti suffered from “cannon diplomacy” from colonial powers 49:15 The U.S. meddling in Haiti has always caused problems 51:30 U.S. has always asserted control in the western hemisphere 53:00 Next project is doc about assasination of Haiti’s president 54:00 Using AI as a tool in creating films? 56:00 Government has performed almost no oversight of AISee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Chuck Todd breaks down the ongoing government shutdown and the deep dysfunction gripping Washington. With the shutdown dragging into late October, Trump is reportedly tapping private donors to pay the military, while Speaker Mike Johnson keeps the House out of session — a move Chuck calls a major political blunder. As Trump consolidates control over both the presidency and Congress, Republicans appear more focused on shielding him than exercising oversight. Meanwhile, the Oversight Committee under James Comer has devolved into partisan theater, investigating the Bidens while ignoring blatant corruption in Trump’s orbit. Chuck argues that without real congressional checks, America risks drifting toward the kind of pre-revolutionary rot the Founders warned about — where power, privilege, and impunity rule unchecked. Finally, he hops in the ToddCast Time Machine to revisit the publication of the Federalist Papers and why their lessons are extremely pertinent in the Trump era, answers questions in the “Ask Chuck” segment and gives his college football recap. Got injured in an accident? You could be one click away from a claim worth millions. Just visit https://www.forthepeople.com/TODDCAST to start your claim now with Morgan & Morgan without leaving your couch. Remember, it's free unless you win! Timeline: (Timestamps may vary based on advertisements) 00:00 Chuck Todd’s introduction 02:00 The government shutdown continues into the end of October 02:45 Trump tapping private donor to pay the military 03:45 Democrats have earned the leverage to reopen the government 04:15 Mike Johnson making a huge mistake by keeping House out of session 06:00 Voters want Congress to serve as a check on an unpopular president 07:45 House Republicans look like they're out to lunch & on vacation 08:45 Trump says he's both the speaker and the president 11:30 Sen. Lankford admits R's would be furious if Biden was doing what Trump is 12:30 Everything now is viewed or ignored through a partisan lens 14:45 Without congressional oversight, we lose our founding framework 15:30 Qatari jet gift was the type of bribe our founders warned about 16:30 Republicans in charge of oversight ignoring plane bribe 17:30 Trump using coin scheme to build international bribery racket, R's ignore it 19:00 The oversight committee under Comer has become a partisan weapon 19:45 Trump is ordering the DOJ to compensate his own business 21:15 Trump is using his power to direct money to his companies 22:00 The double standard from Republicans is insulting to the American people 24:45 Trump's orbit is giving pre-revolutionary France vibes 25:30 Oversight is still investigating the Biden family 26:15 Democrats aren't on moral high ground after Biden's family pardons 27:15 If the Bidens were doing anything Trump was doing, R's would impeach 28:00 Oversight has become partisan entertainment 28:45 Democrats weren't interested in Epstein until it entangled Trump 29:30 Trump's desperation to hold the house is to avoid oversight 30:15 Trump could stonewall oversight, but private companies can't 31:00 Private companies can't go to law enforcement when extorted 31:45 Mike Johnson is the weakest speaker in the modern era 34:00 ToddCast Time Machine 34:45 This week, in 1787 was the initial publication of the Federalist Papers 35:30 The papers were America's first political blog 36:30 Hamilton began by debating whether reason or rage would win out 37:45 Federalist #51 argued ambition must be made to counteract ambition 39:00 America's biggest problem now is an extraordinarily weak congress 39:45 Hamilton warned of political parties & can't limit it to one or two 40:45 Federalist #70 warned against an overly powerful executive 41:45 Federalist #65 worried that impeachment would become a partisan exercise 43:45 Federalist #78 argued that judges should never be elected 45:00 Madison argued in favor of slow deliberation 46:30 Founders warned that too few representatives breeds corruption 48:00 Hamilton argued that rights are only guaranteed by people enforcing them 50:00 Ask Chuck 50:15 Should Democrats flip the script and use "America First" messaging? 52:45 Should Democrats reign in ActBlue for advertising? 56:45 Why are there no consequences for cabinet members lying to congress? 58:45 Will Trump governing only for supporters backfire in the midterms? 1:02:15 College football updateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this episode of the Chuck ToddCast, Chuck dives into the chaotic new reality of Trump’s second term — one defined by self-interest, spectacle, and staggering corruption. As the president literally tears down the East Wing of the White House to build a grander event space, Chuck explores how the optics reflect a leader consumed by vanity rather than governance. From meme coin millions and Gulf state real estate deals to the blatant abuse of the pardon power, the episode unpacks how Trump has turned the presidency into a personal profit machine. With billions made, laws bent, and supporters still loyal, the question looms: is there any line Trump can cross that will finally cost him his base? Finally, he answers listener’s questions in the “Ask Chuck” segment, and gives his weekend college football preview. Got injured in an accident? You could be one click away from a claim worth millions. Just visit https://www.forthepeople.com/TODDCAST to start your claim now with Morgan & Morgan without leaving your couch. Remember, it's free unless you win! Timeline: (Timestamps may vary based on advertisements) 00:00 Chuck Todd’s introduction 01:00 Trump is tearing down the entire east wing of the White House 01:45 Optics of the White House demolition are extremely jarring 03:00 Trump more consumed with himself and his image than voters 04:45 Over time, Trump always manages to wear out his welcome 06:00 Trump is not putting America first 07:15 Trump shaking down his own DOJ for over $200 million 09:00 WH needed a bigger event space, but not without permission 10:00 Trump has entered "Let them eat cake" territory 11:30 Trump family has made billions on meme coin 13:00 Meme coin purchases could be straight up bribery 14:30 Trump has made millions from settlements 15:45 Trump family has made multiple real estate deals with gulf states 17:00 Trump's personal fortune is now between 5-6 billion dollars 17:30 Trump's abuse of the pardon power has undone the rule of law 18:30 Pardoned J6'ers have gone on to commit crimes 20:00 Trump has pardoned scores of Republican politicians 21:45 Claiming "political persecution" earns you a pardon from Trump 23:15 Trump has traded America foreign policy for personal gain 25:15 Trump is testing the premise he can do anything and not lose support 29:00 Ask Chuck 30:00 Why aren't we mandating watermarks on every piece of AI content? 34:00 Where was the No Kings energy on election day? 38:45 How can you have meaningful debate when you can't agree on facts? 45:30 Why have Hegseth, Bondi and RFK Jr. been able to cement their roles? 49:15 Why not do a "Where Chuck was right/wrong" segment similar to Cowherd? 53:30 How can Democrats uphold core values without sounding preachy? 58:00 College football previewSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this episode of the Chuck ToddCast, Chuck dives into the chaotic new reality of Trump’s second term — one defined by self-interest, spectacle, and staggering corruption. As the president literally tears down the East Wing of the White House to build a grander event space, Chuck explores how the optics reflect a leader consumed by vanity rather than governance. From meme coin millions and Gulf state real estate deals to the blatant abuse of the pardon power, the episode unpacks how Trump has turned the presidency into a personal profit machine. With billions made, laws bent, and supporters still loyal, the question looms: is there any line Trump can cross that will finally cost him his base? Then, sports journalist and professor J.A. Adande joins Chuck Todd for a wide-ranging conversation on how money, media, and power are reshaping the world of sports. From the Big Ten’s potential $2 billion private equity deal to the rise of The Athletic and the collapse of local sports coverage, Adande explains how financial literacy has become essential for sports reporters — and why sports journalism remains one of the few thriving corners of the media industry. They dig into how gambling, influencer culture, and social media are transforming how fans consume sports — and how shows like Around the Horn and PTI paved the way for today’s single-voice, personality-driven debate model. Adande also reflects on the increased diversity in sports media, the tension between advocacy and escapism, and why issues like Latino discrimination and trans inclusion in sports are becoming defining cultural flashpoints. He also explains why the sports world has gotten out of the social justice advocacy business… and likely won’t be coming back. It’s a candid look at how sports coverage mirrors — and sometimes predicts — the shifts happening across American journalism. Finally, he answers listener’s questions in the “Ask Chuck” segment, and gives his weekend college football preview. Got injured in an accident? You could be one click away from a claim worth millions. Just visit https://www.forthepeople.com/TODDCAST to start your claim now with Morgan & Morgan without leaving your couch. Remember, it's free unless you win! Timeline: (Timestamps may vary based on advertisements) 00:00 Chuck Todd’s introduction 03:30 Trump is tearing down the entire east wing of the White House 04:15 Optics of the White House demolition are extremely jarring 05:30 Trump more consumed with himself and his image than voters 07:15 Over time, Trump always manages to wear out his welcome 08:30 Trump is not putting America first 09:45 Trump shaking down his own DOJ for over $200 million 11:30 WH needed a bigger event space, but not without permission 12:30 Trump has entered “Let them eat cake” territory 14:00 Trump family has made billions on meme coin 15:30 Meme coin purchases could be straight up bribery 17:00 Trump has made millions from settlements 18:15 Trump family has made multiple real estate deals with gulf states 19:30 Trump’s personal fortune is now between 5-6 billion dollars 20:00 Trump’s abuse of the pardon power has undone the rule of law 21:00 Pardoned J6’ers have gone on to commit crimes 22:30 Trump has pardoned scores of Republican politicians 24:15 Claiming “political persecution” earns you a pardon from Trump 25:45 Trump has traded America foreign policy for personal gain 27:45 Trump is testing the premise he can do anything and not lose support 31:30 J.A. Adande joins the Chuck ToddCast 32:30 Big Ten seeking $2 billion dollar private equity infusion 33:45 Money would keep current Big Ten setup for 2 decades 35:00 Knowledge of finance & business is a must for sports reporters 37:30 Sports journalism is one of the only growth areas in journalism 40:00 Why ESPN was a better option for J.A. than Sports Illustrated 40:45 The Athletic is the final destination for sportswriting 42:00 The role of sports journalism in rebuilding local news/media 43:30 The Athletic is evolving into a national sports outlet 45:00 Local sports reporting doesn't scale 46:00 Where do sports fans go to now for localized coverage? 47:00 It's more efficient for teams to leak stories to one national reporter 48:00 There is plenty of localized sports discussion, but not breaking news 50:00 There's no FOIA in sports coverage, reporters aren't entitled to access 51:30 Teams can shut out journalists and still get word out to the public 53:30 The impact of the pandemic on journalism and in-person access 54:30 Sports is one of the last places where people are debating the facts 55:30 Sports talk has become formulaic and like pro wrestling 56:45 The template for PTI was Siskel & Ebert 58:30 Around the Horn premised on winning a subjective argument 1:00:30 There's a huge audience for fake, manufactured competition 1:01:30 Sports talk moving to the singular influencer model 1:02:15 Cutting production costs is reason for centering shows on one talent 1:03:30 News will likely move to the sports talk, licensing model 1:05:15 Streamers haven't moved to pick up sports debate shows 1:06:00 Podcasts are a more intimate experience for the audience 1:07:45 The impact of the infusion of sports gambling into sports journalism 1:08:45 Journalists have to be more precise with gambling coverage 1:10:30 Newspapers would discourage gambling & still publish lines 1:12:30 Sports gambling journalism is a form of service journalism 1:13:45 Far more gender diversity now in sports journalism schools 1:15:45 There's never been a better time to be a woman in sports media 1:18:15 There's been a retreat from social commentary in sports media 1:19:45 Trans women in sports debate is dividing women 1:21:00 Baseball should be leading the fight against latino discrimination 1:23:00 Latino integration or expulsion will be a defining fight of our time 1:26:30 Sports will not be at the forefront of fighting for social justice 1:28:45 Sports as a source for escape vs a source of advocacy 1:30:30 Chuck's thoughts on interview with J.A. Adande 1:31:15 Ask Chuck 1:32:15 Why aren't we mandating watermarks on every piece of AI content? 1:36:15 Where was the No Kings energy on election day? 1:41:00 How can you have meaningful debate when you can't agree on facts? 1:47:45 Why have Hegseth, Bondi and RFK Jr. been able to cement their roles? 1:51:30 Why not do a "Where Chuck was right/wrong" segment similar to Cowherd? 1:55:45 How can Democrats uphold core values without sounding preachy? 2:00:15 College football previewSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Sports journalist and professor J.A. Adande joins Chuck Todd for a wide-ranging conversation on how money, media, and power are reshaping the world of sports. From the Big Ten’s potential $2 billion private equity deal to the rise of The Athletic and the collapse of local sports coverage, Adande explains how financial literacy has become essential for sports reporters — and why sports journalism remains one of the few thriving corners of the media industry. They dig into how gambling, influencer culture, and social media are transforming how fans consume sports — and how shows like Around the Horn and PTI paved the way for today’s single-voice, personality-driven debate model. Adande also reflects on the increased diversity in sports media, the tension between advocacy and escapism, and why issues like Latino discrimination and trans inclusion in sports are becoming defining cultural flashpoints. He also explains why the sports world has gotten out of the social justice advocacy business… and likely won’t be coming back. It’s a candid look at how sports coverage mirrors — and sometimes predicts — the shifts happening across American journalism. Got injured in an accident? You could be one click away from a claim worth millions. Just visit https://www.forthepeople.com/TODDCAST to start your claim now with Morgan & Morgan without leaving your couch. Remember, it's free unless you win! Timeline: 00:00 J.A. Adande joins the Chuck ToddCast 01:00 Big Ten seeking $2 billion dollar private equity infusion 02:15 Money would keep current Big Ten setup for 2 decades 03:30 Knowledge of finance & business is a must for sports reporters 06:00 Sports journalism is one of the only growth areas in journalism 08:30 Why ESPN was a better option for J.A. than Sports Illustrated 09:15 The Athletic is the final destination for sportswriting 10:30 The role of sports journalism in rebuilding local news/media 12:00 The Athletic is evolving into a national sports outlet 13:30 Local sports reporting doesn’t scale 14:30 Where do sports fans go to now for localized coverage? 15:30 It’s more efficient for teams to leak stories to one national reporter 16:30 There is plenty of localized sports discussion, but not breaking news 18:30 There’s no FOIA in sports coverage, reporters aren’t entitled to access 20:00 Teams can shut out journalists and still get word out to the public 22:00 The impact of the pandemic on journalism and in-person access 23:00 Sports is one of the last places where people are debating the facts 24:00 Sports talk has become formulaic and like pro wrestling 25:15 The template for PTI was Siskel & Ebert 27:00 Around the Horn premised on winning a subjective argument 29:00 There’s a huge audience for fake, manufactured competition 30:00 Sports talk moving to the singular influencer model 30:45 Cutting production costs is reason for centering shows on one talent 32:00 News will likely move to the sports talk, licensing model 33:45 Streamers haven’t moved to pick up sports debate shows 34:30 Podcasts are a more intimate experience for the audience 36:15 The impact of the infusion of sports gambling into sports journalism 37:15 Journalists have to be more precise with gambling coverage 39:00 Newspapers would discourage gambling & still publish lines 41:00 Sports gambling journalism is a form of service journalism 42:15 Far more gender diversity now in sports journalism schools 44:15 There’s never been a better time to be a woman in sports media 46:45 There’s been a retreat from social commentary in sports media 48:15 Trans women in sports debate is dividing women 49:30 Baseball should be leading the fight against latino discrimination 51:30 Latino integration or expulsion will be a defining fight of our time 55:00 Sports will not be at the forefront of fighting for social justice 57:15 Sports as a source for escape vs a source of advocacySee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Chuck Todd breaks down how Donald Trump’s presidency has become more about global showmanship than governing at home. From pushing Argentinian beef over American ranchers to a fragile Israel-Hamas peace deal and secretive efforts at regime change in Venezuela, Todd argues the administration is setting a dangerous precedent—one where the president wields unchecked power. He exposes how the Department of Homeland Security has morphed into a political PR arm, spending millions on self-promotional ads and luxury jets for Kristi Noem, all while ignoring real crises. Then, the conversation shifts to the next major political flashpoint: artificial intelligence. As fear of AI grows, politicians like Florida’s Hector Mujica are making it a centerpiece issue. Todd explores how AI could fuel a new populist revolt, with both parties scrambling to offer answers to voters’ unease. From vanity projects to vanishing trust in technology, this Chuck paints a picture of a government distracted by power plays while the ground shifts beneath it. Finally, Chuck gives his ToddCast Top 5 political TV shows of the past decade and answers listeners’ questions in the “Ask Chuck” segment. Got injured in an accident? You could be one click away from a claim worth millions. Just visit https://www.forthepeople.com/TODDCAST to start your claim now with Morgan & Morgan without leaving your couch. Remember, it's free unless you win! Timeline: (Timestamps may vary based on advertisements) 00:00 Chuck Todd’s introduction 00:30 Trump ignoring domestic issues in favor of international ones 01:45 Trump suggests buying Argentinian beef, hurting American ranchers 03:15 Trump's peace deal between Israel & Hamas may fall apart 04:30 Administration wants regime change in Venezuela, lying about it 06:15 Ecuador released survivor of navy attack in Caribbean, not a criminal 07:45 The precedent being set is the president has all the power 09:30 Dems painted Bush as caring more about other nations, can do same w/Trump 11:00 Trump administration spending huge money on themselves, not the public 11:45 DHS has spent $51m on direct to camera ads featuring Kristi Noem 13:30 DHS bought two Gulfstream private jets for Kristi Noem's use 15:30 When something goes wrong with DHS, Kristi Noem will get the blame 16:30 DHS has gotten lucky with an incredibly light hurricane season 17:45 Administration is using taxpayer dollars to promote a future presidential run 18:45 Republicans will be stuck defending Trump's vanity projects 20:00 There's a coming political & cultural war over AI 20:45 Companies already getting scrutiny for using AI avatars in ads 22:00 Florida Democrat Hector Mujica makes AI center of his campaign 23:00 Fear of AI could be strong political motivator for voters 24:00 Politicians will need a good answer to AI anxiety 25:00 The globalization "soft landing" never materialized, AI could be similar 26:15 Trump shaking down DOJ for 200 million over his indictments 27:30 Sora 2 is the exclamation point of tech ruining the information ecosystem 28:45 Tech companies failed on social media, need supervision on AI 29:45 AI will increase the value of human to human interaction 33:30 Humans won't be willing to marginalize themselves as a species 34:30 AI could create a massive populist revolt from across the spectrum 38:00 ToddCast Top 5 Political TV shows from the past 10 years 38:15 West Wing is incredibly unrealistic 39:45 #1 The Diplomat 42:45 #2 For All Mankind 45:00 #3 Veep 47:00 #4 Succession 48:30 #5 The Walking Dead 51:45 Ask Chuck 52:15 Thoughts on Trump's face on a coin or the "Arc De Trump"? 58:00 What will make Arkansas football great again? 1:00:30 Does message or experience matter more for a presidential candidate? 1:04:00 Has privatizing air traffic controllers been considered? 1:08:00 Thoughts on a local journalist breaking swastika flag story?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Chuck Todd breaks down how Donald Trump’s presidency has become more about global showmanship than governing at home. From pushing Argentinian beef over American ranchers to a fragile Israel-Hamas peace deal and secretive efforts at regime change in Venezuela, Todd argues the administration is setting a dangerous precedent—one where the president wields unchecked power. He exposes how the Department of Homeland Security has morphed into a political PR arm, spending millions on self-promotional ads and luxury jets for Kristi Noem, all while ignoring real crises. Then, the conversation shifts to the next major political flashpoint: artificial intelligence. As fear of AI grows, politicians like Florida’s Hector Mujica are making it a centerpiece issue. Todd explores how AI could fuel a new populist revolt, with both parties scrambling to offer answers to voters’ unease. From vanity projects to vanishing trust in technology, this Chuck paints a picture of a government distracted by power plays while the ground shifts beneath it. Then, he sits down with Iowa Democratic Party Chair Rita Hart to talk farming, politics, and the fight to keep Iowa relevant on the national stage. From corn and soybeans to caucuses and campaigns, Hart shares what it’s really like for farmers caught in the middle of tariffs, trade wars, and shrinking rural economies — and how Washington’s decisions have reshaped Iowa’s way of life. They discuss the state’s economic struggles, rural healthcare crisis, and the outsized impact of right-wing media, as well as the challenge of rebuilding trust in the Democratic brand across small towns that once went from Obama to Trump. Hart also dives into the future of Iowa’s political identity — why she thinks a rural state must remain among the first in the presidential primary calendar, how Democrats can connect urban and rural voters around shared values, and what success will look like for Iowa Democrats heading into 2026. It’s a candid, grounded look at where agriculture meets democracy, and how one state’s renewal could hold lessons for the entire country. Finally, Chuck gives his ToddCast Top 5 political TV shows of the past decade and answers listeners’ questions in the “Ask Chuck” segment. Got injured in an accident? You could be one click away from a claim worth millions. Just visit https://www.forthepeople.com/TODDCAST to start your claim now with Morgan & Morgan without leaving your couch. Remember, it's free unless you win! Timeline: (Timestamps may vary based on advertisements) 00:00 Chuck Todd’s introduction 03:00 Trump ignoring domestic issues in favor of international ones 04:15 Trump suggests buying Argentinian beef, hurting American ranchers 05:45 Trump’s peace deal between Israel & Hamas may fall apart 07:00 Administration wants regime change in Venezuela, lying about it 08:45 Ecuador released survivor of navy attack in Caribbean, not a criminal 10:15 The precedent being set is the president has all the power 12:00 Dems painted Bush as caring more about other nations, can do same w/Trump 13:30 Trump administration spending huge money on themselves, not the public 14:15 DHS has spent $51m on direct to camera ads featuring Kristi Noem 16:00 DHS bought two Gulfstream private jets for Kristi Noem’s use 18:00 When something goes wrong with DHS, Kristi Noem will get the blame 19:00 DHS has gotten lucky with an incredibly light hurricane season 20:15 Administration is using taxpayer dollars to promote a future presidential run 21:15 Republicans will be stuck defending Trump’s vanity projects 22:30 There’s a coming political & cultural war over AI 23:15 Companies already getting scrutiny for using AI avatars in ads 24:30 Florida Democrat Hector Mujica makes AI center of his campaign 25:30 Fear of AI could be strong political motivator for voters 26:30 Politicians will need a good answer to AI anxiety 27:30 The globalization “soft landing” never materialized, AI could be similar 28:45 Trump shaking down DOJ for 200 million over his indictments 30:00 Sora 2 is the exclamation point of tech ruining the information ecosystem 31:15 Tech companies failed on social media, need supervision on AI 32:15 AI will increase the value of human to human interaction 36:00 Humans won’t be willing to marginalize themselves as a species 37:00 AI could create a massive populist revolt from across the spectrum 40:45 Rita Hart joins the Chuck ToddCast 41:45 Experience of working as farmers in Iowa 42:45 How much of your corn is for human consumption? 44:30 What can farmers do with soybeans if they can't find a buyer? 45:30 Tariffs & trade war can have dire consequences for farmers 47:00 What did government intervention look like last time & how does it work? 48:00 The trade war allowed foreign markets to take US ag customers 49:45 Targeted tariffs work for manufacturing but not for agriculture 51:30 Iowa's place in rebuilding the Democratic party in the midwest 52:25 The national brand has stained the Iowa brand 53:30 Iowa is nearly last in the nation for economic and income growth 54:15 Iowa's healthcare & childcare are increasingly unaffordable 55:15 Rural healthcare access is extremely limited in rural Iowa 56:15 Iowa has the most Obama to Trump voting counties in America 57:30 Iowa's local news has diminished, voters focused on national news 58:45 FOX News & right wing media have huge influence in Iowa 1:01:00 The national Democratic Party is in a state of transition 1:02:45 Iowa Democrats have been activated and engaged 1:03:45 Iowa has good primary candidates, DSCC should stay out of it 1:05:30 Rob Sand emphasized party credentials rather than go independent 1:07:30 What issues should Iowa Dems lean in, and lean out on? 1:09:45 Can't divide issues that affect everyone into "us vs. them" 1:12:15 How should Democrats talk about immigration 1:14:15 Need a sensible way for hard-working immigrants to get citizenship 1:16:15 Why has the DNC moved away from Iowa as first in the nation status 1:17:30 Iowa is a great testing ground for Democratic campaigns 1:19:30 Balancing targeting the urban centers vs the rural vote in campaigns 1:20:15 Why rural Iowa matters to a future presidential candidate 1:21:45 A rural state needs to be in the first four primary states 1:23:15 Will Iowa GOP work with Iowa Dems to keep first in nation status? 1:24:30 Iowa Democrats should get to choose between a caucus or a primary 1:27:15 Improving the caucus process to increase participation 1:28:30 What does success look like for Iowa Democrats in 2026? 1:30:30 There's a reason both Kim Reynolds and Joni Ernst dropped out 1:31:15 What is the job of a state party chair? 1:34:45 Avoiding burnout during the constant state of fundraising 1:37:45 Chuck's thoughts on interview with Rita Hart 1:40:15 ToddCast Top 5 Political TV shows from the past 10 years 1:40:30 West Wing is incredibly unrealistic 1:42:00 #1 The Diplomat 1:45:00 #2 For All Mankind 1:47:15 #3 Veep 1:49:15 #4 Succession 1:50:45 #5 The Walking Dead 1:54:00 Ask Chuck 1:54:30 Thoughts on Trump's face on a coin or the "Arc De Trump"? 2:00:15 What will make Arkansas football great again? 2:02:45 Does message or experience matter more for a presidential candidate? 2:06:15 Has privatizing air traffic controllers been considered? 2:10:15 Thoughts on a local journalist breaking the swastika flag story?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Chuck Todd sits down with Iowa Democratic Party Chair Rita Hart to talk farming, politics, and the fight to keep Iowa relevant on the national stage. From corn and soybeans to caucuses and campaigns, Hart shares what it’s really like for farmers caught in the middle of tariffs, trade wars, and shrinking rural economies — and how Washington’s decisions have reshaped Iowa’s way of life. They discuss the state’s economic struggles, rural healthcare crisis, and the outsized impact of right-wing media, as well as the challenge of rebuilding trust in the Democratic brand across small towns that once went from Obama to Trump. Hart also dives into the future of Iowa’s political identity — why she thinks a rural state must remain among the first in the presidential primary calendar, how Democrats can connect urban and rural voters around shared values, and what success will look like for Iowa Democrats heading into 2026. It’s a candid, grounded look at where agriculture meets democracy, and how one state’s renewal could hold lessons for the entire country. Got injured in an accident? You could be one click away from a claim worth millions. Just visit https://www.forthepeople.com/TODDCAST to start your claim now with Morgan & Morgan without leaving your couch. Remember, it's free unless you win! Timeline: (Timestamps may vary based on advertisements) 00:00 Rita Hart joins the Chuck ToddCast 01:00 Experience of working as farmers in Iowa 02:00 How much of your corn is for human consumption? 03:45 What can farmers do with soybeans if they can’t find a buyer? 04:45 Tariffs & trade war can have dire consequences for farmers 06:15 What did government intervention look like last time & how does it work? 07:15 The trade war allowed foreign markets to take US ag customers 09:00 Targeted tariffs work for manufacturing but not for agriculture 10:45 Iowa’s place in rebuilding the Democratic party in the midwest 11:40 The national brand has stained the Iowa brand 12:45 Iowa is nearly last in the nation for economic and income growth 13:30 Iowa’s healthcare & childcare are increasingly unaffordable 14:30 Rural healthcare access is extremely limited in rural Iowa 15:30 Iowa has the most Obama to Trump voting counties in America 16:45 Iowa’s local news has diminished, voters focused on national news 18:00 FOX News & right wing media have huge influence in Iowa 20:15 The national Democratic Party is in a state of transition 22:00 Iowa Democrats have been activated and engaged 23:00 Iowa has good primary candidates, DSCC should stay out of it 24:45 Rob Sand emphasized party credentials rather than go independent 26:45 What issues should Iowa Dems lean in, and lean out on? 29:00 Can’t divide issues that affect everyone into “us vs. them” 31:30 How should Democrats talk about immigration 33:30 Need a sensible way for hard-working immigrants to get citizenship 35:30 Why has the DNC moved away from Iowa as first in the nation status 36:45 Iowa is a great testing ground for Democratic campaigns 38:45 Balancing targeting the urban centers vs the rural vote in campaigns 39:30 Why rural Iowa matters to a future presidential candidate 41:00 A rural state needs to be in the first four primary states 42:30 Will Iowa GOP work with Iowa Dems to keep first in nation status? 43:45 Iowa Democrats should get to choose between a caucus or a primary 46:30 Improving the caucus process to increase participation 47:45 What does success look like for Iowa Democrats in 2026? 49:45 There’s a reason both Kim Reynolds and Joni Ernst dropped out 50:30 What is the job of a state party chair? 54:00 Avoiding burnout during the constant state of fundraisingSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Massive “No Kings” protests swept across the country this weekend — peaceful, organized, and impossible to ignore. Chuck Todd breaks down what the demonstrations say about growing frustration with Trump’s leadership as his administration faces a government shutdown, soaring insurance costs, and a controversial new military campaign in the Caribbean. As Trump retweets crude AI videos and governs for only half the country, Congress remains silent on legally dubious strikes against Venezuela, an operation critics say has more to do with ousting Maduro than fighting drugs. Todd examines how America’s history of self-interest in Latin America and declining democratic norms at home have converged to create a moment of moral and political reckoning — and why ignoring it might come at a cost. Then, Ars Technica space journalist Eric Berger joins Chuck Todd to unpack the new global race to the moon — and why it’s about power as much as science. With China poised to beat the U.S. back to the lunar surface, NASA’s Artemis program faces both technological and geopolitical pressure. Berger and Todd explore how space has become the next great stage for competition, where the first shots of a future war could be fired — not on Earth, but in orbit. From SpaceX’s dominance and Elon Musk’s influence, to Blue Origin’s lagging efforts and Boeing’s uncertain role, the conversation digs into who will actually shape humanity’s future beyond Earth. They also discuss the growing role of private companies in both space exploration and weather forecasting, how AI is reshaping meteorology, and whether we’ll ever see space-based energy or asteroid mining become viable. It’s a sweeping look at how politics, technology, and ambition are colliding — in a sky that’s getting more crowded by the day. Finally, Chuck Todd hops in the ToddCast Time Machine to recap the history of the Teapot Dome scandal and how it closely mirrors the corruption of the Trump administration, answers listeners’ questions in the “Ask Chuck” segment, and recaps the weekend in college football. Got injured in an accident? You could be one click away from a claim worth millions. Just visit https://www.forthepeople.com/TODDCAST to start your claim now with Morgan & Morgan without leaving your couch. Remember, it's free unless you win! Timeline: (Timestamps may vary based on advertisements) 00:00 Chuck Todd’s introduction 01:30 No Kings protests held around the country 02:15 Protests were timed deliberately in advance of elections 04:30 Huge turnout numbers at the protests 08:30 No incidents at protests that led to confrontations with police 09:45 Trump retweets AI video of himself flying plane and dropping poop 10:45 Trump has the mentality of a 13 year old boy 12:00 Trump has no lifelong friends 13:15 Trump isn’t traveling the country to sell his agenda, unlike first term 14:15 Remarkable that so many people are willing to protest on a Saturday 16:00 Republicans would be wise not to dismiss the protests 16:30 Controversy grows around Trump’s military strikes in Caribbean 17:45 Congress is failing to provide any oversight of the executive 19:00 Insurance notices indicating massive premium spikes coming soon 20:00 Shocking there’s less outrage Trump governs for only half the country 20:45 Government shutdown has turned into a giant mess 22:15 Trump’s administration hints they aren’t sure boat strikes are legal 23:45 Venezuela story would get more attention if it was anywhere else 24:30 Administration refuses to call the strikes “war” 25:15 Repatriating captives helps administration avoid legal questions 26:45 Legality of strikes will be eventually be determined in US courts 28:00 Claiming cartels are “terrorists” doesn’t meet legal definition 28:45 Venezuela isn’t part of the fentanyl drug trade 29:30 Trump & Rubio’s obsession is actually about getting rid of Nicolas Maduro 31:00 The U.S. military has never gone after narcoterrorists before 32:00 Congress has not authorized use of military force in Caribbean 33:30 Members of congress not convinced by rationale for strikes 35:00 Trump is greenlighting killings without making case for it 37:30 If overdose deaths are the rationale, the problem is with Mexico 39:00 Trump hasn’t ruled out striking the Venezuelan mainland 41:00 The US had never designated a cartel as terrorists until this year 44:30 America’s history in Latin America is atrocious and self-interested 48:15 Eric Berger joins the Chuck ToddCast 49:15 China is on track to beat the U.S. back to the moon 50:45 NASA is still pursuing the Artemis program 52:00 Both the U.S. and China are targeting the moon's south pole 54:15 If you want to be a superpower, needs a presence on the moon 54:45 SpaceX's Starship is best equipped for Mars mission 55:30 Best methods of propulsion for long distance space missions 56:45 The biggest reason for lunar landing is geopolitics/flexing 57:30 Treaty says that no country can claim ownership of the moon 58:30 How would a private company stake a resource claim on the moon? 1:00:00 Has low earth orbit gotten too crowded with man made satellites? 1:01:00 In the next big war, the first shots will likely be fired into space 1:02:45 Cooperation in space has diminished, become more nationalistic 1:04:45 Most countries forced to rely on US, Russia and China for space launches 1:05:45 UAE is developing space capabilities with NASA's help 1:06:30 NASA can't get to space without private contractors/SpaceX 1:07:00 Elon Musk is the most important person to spacefight globally 1:08:30 Blue Origin is far behind SpaceX in capabilities for lunar lander 1:09:15 Will Boeing's space program ever deliver? 1:10:15 Will the first space hotel be in orbit or on the moon? 1:11:15 There's very little demand for orbital tourism, very expensive 1:12:45 Mars missions are incredibly different, will likely be one-way to start 1:14:15 There are no resources on Mars worth the cost of mining and shipping back 1:15:00 The only reason to go to Mars is to make humans a space-faring species 1:16:00 Robots are far superior to humans for scientific research missions 1:17:15 There's more water on Europa than Earth, life could be there 1:18:45 Best places in solar system for humans to possibly create bases 1:20:30 Is Bezos's idea of heavy manufacturing on the moon a pipe dream? 1:21:45 Mining asteroids could provide all the metals we'd ever need 1:22:30 SpaceX's Falcon9 rocket made cost of accessing space far lower 1:23:45 Are energy production advances the best way to sell space costs to taxpayers? 1:25:30 Space based energy production is far from being commercially viable 1:26:45 The Europeans surpassed the U.S. at meteorology 1:27:45 Can AI tools help fill the gaps after U.S. cut funding for NOAA? 1:28:30 AI hurricane modeling seems to be just as good as physics based models 1:29:30 Private sector still relies on the government for weather forecasting 1:30:45 We need better data collection for our weather forecasting 1:33:00 Private companies are hiring their own meteorologists 1:35:45 Microforecasting has gotten much better due to the internet 1:36:53 What does Ars Technica cover and what is its mission? 1:39:00 Do we know more about the solar system or the oceans? 1:43:15 Chuck's thoughts on the interview with Eric Berger 1:43:30 ToddCast Time Machine 1:43:45 October 25th, 1929 - Jury convicts the first cabinet secretary to prison 1:45:15 Teapot Dome scandal 1:46:30 Harding signed executive order transferring oil fields, leased to oil barons 1:47:45 Fall received $7 million dollars in exchange for oil leases 1:49:15 Harding's death spawned conspiracy theories about corruption 1:49:45 Albert Fall convicted of bribery 1:50:30 Comparing teapot dome to Trump's modern day corruption 1:51:45 The "out" party should always be the one in charge of oversight 1:53:00 Watergate isn't the parallel to Trump's corruption, Teapot Dome is 1:53:15 Ask Chuck 1:53:30 Will the No Kings protests have any real effect on politics? 1:56:00 How can Democrats regain control of the political narrative? 2:01:00 College football updateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Massive “No Kings” protests swept across the country this weekend — peaceful, organized, and impossible to ignore. Chuck Todd breaks down what the demonstrations say about growing frustration with Trump’s leadership as his administration faces a government shutdown, soaring insurance costs, and a controversial new military campaign in the Caribbean. As Trump retweets crude AI videos and governs for only half the country, Congress remains silent on legally dubious strikes against Venezuela, an operation critics say has more to do with ousting Maduro than fighting drugs. Todd examines how America’s history of self-interest in Latin America and declining democratic norms at home have converged to create a moment of moral and political reckoning — and why ignoring it might come at a cost. Finally, Chuck Todd hops in the ToddCast Time Machine to recap the history of the Teapot Dome scandal and how it closely mirrors the corruption of the Trump administration, answers listeners’ questions in the “Ask Chuck” segment, and recaps the weekend in college football. Got injured in an accident? You could be one click away from a claim worth millions. Just visit https://www.forthepeople.com/TODDCAST to start your claim now with Morgan & Morgan without leaving your couch. Remember, it's free unless you win! Timeline: (Timestamps may vary based on advertisements) 00:00 Chuck Todd’s introduction 01:30 No Kings protests held around the country 02:15 Protests were timed deliberately in advance of elections 04:30 Huge turnout numbers at the protests 08:30 No incidents at protests that led to confrontations with police 09:45 Trump retweets AI video of himself flying plane and dropping poop 10:45 Trump has the mentality of a 13 year old boy 12:00 Trump has no lifelong friends 13:15 Trump isn’t traveling the country to sell his agenda, unlike first term 14:15 Remarkable that so many people are willing to protest on a Saturday 16:00 Republicans would be wise not to dismiss the protests 16:30 Controversy grows around Trump’s military strikes in Caribbean 17:45 Congress is failing to provide any oversight of the executive 19:00 Insurance notices indicating massive premium spikes coming soon 20:00 Shocking there’s less outrage Trump governs for only half the country 20:45 Government shutdown has turned into a giant mess 22:15 Trump’s administration hints they aren’t sure boat strikes are legal 23:45 Venezuela story would get more attention if it was anywhere else 24:30 Administration refuses to call the strikes “war” 25:15 Repatriating captives helps administration avoid legal questions 26:45 Legality of strikes will be eventually be determined in US courts 28:00 Claiming cartels are “terrorists” doesn’t meet legal definition 28:45 Venezuela isn’t part of the fentanyl drug trade 29:30 Trump & Rubio’s obsession is actually about getting rid of Nicolas Maduro 31:00 The U.S. military has never gone after narcoterrorists before 32:00 Congress has not authorized use of military force in Caribbean 33:30 Members of congress not convinced by rationale for strikes 35:00 Trump is greenlighting killings without making case for it 37:30 If overdose deaths are the rationale, the problem is with Mexico 39:00 Trump hasn’t ruled out striking the Venezuelan mainland 41:00 The US had never designated a cartel as terrorists until this year 44:30 America’s history in Latin America is atrocious and self-interested 47:00 ToddCast Time Machine 47:15 October 25th, 1929 - Jury convicts the first cabinet secretary to prison 48:45 Teapot Dome scandal 50:00 Harding signed executive order transferring oil fields, leased to oil barons 51:15 Fall received $7 million dollars in exchange for oil leases 52:45 Harding's death spawned conspiracy theories about corruption 53:15 Albert Fall convicted of bribery 54:00 Comparing teapot dome to Trump's modern day corruption 55:15 The "out" party should always be the one in charge of oversight 56:30 Watergate isn't the parallel to Trump's corruption, Teapot Dome is 56:45 Ask Chuck 57:00 Will the No Kings protests have any real effect on politics? 59:30 How can Democrats regain control of the political narrative? 1:04:30 College football updateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this episode of the Chuck ToddCast, Chuck breaks down a week that feels like a case study in America’s democratic backslide. With the government shutdown dragging on and Donald Trump disengaged from any real effort to end it, Republicans in Congress are paralyzed — and Democrats risk losing ground the longer it continues. Chuck examines how Trump’s brand of politics has reshaped the culture, from congressional dysfunction to GOP leaders dodging accountability on everything from Epstein files to free speech hypocrisy. Later, he dives into the Supreme Court’s looming decision on the Voting Rights Act, the ripple effects of potential gerrymandering shifts in the Sun Belt, and the latest shake-ups in Democratic primaries — from Janet Mills’ funding alliances to Florida’s Hector Mujica making AI a centerpiece of his campaign. It’s a snapshot of a democracy under strain — and a politics struggling to evolve. Then, former U.S. Ambassador to Russia Michael McFaul joins Chuck Todd for a sweeping conversation about whether the world is slipping back into a pre–World War II world order marked by isolationism, power struggles, and a fading commitment to democracy. McFaul argues we’ve entered a new era of great power competition, with China offering an alternative world order and America retreating from its role as the global stabilizer. The two discuss how Trump’s “strong vs. weak” worldview reshapes alliances, why autocracy is gaining ideological ground inside the U.S., and what happens when America stops believing in exporting democracy. From the growing unity of the European Union post-Ukraine to Taiwan’s fears of being sold out to Beijing, Todd and McFaul explore whether it will take another crisis to “sober up” American politics. They also debate Trump’s paradoxical legacy — destabilizing allies while showing skill in Middle East negotiations — and what kind of leadership it will take to rebuild collective security and moral credibility in an increasingly unstable world. Finally, Chuck answers listeners’ questions in the “Ask Chuck” segment and previews the upcoming weekend in college football. Got injured in an accident? You could be one click away from a claim worth millions. Just visit https://www.forthepeople.com/TODDCAST to start your claim now with Morgan & Morgan without leaving your couch. Remember, it's free unless you win! Timeline: (Timestamps may vary based on advertisements) 00:00 Chuck Todd’s introduction 03:15 It’s strange having an American president that’s not pro-democracy 04:15 The government shutdown non-update update 05:00 Trump is not engaged at all in trying to end the government shutdown 06:45 Prior presidents didn’t engage in foreign trips during shutdowns 08:15 Republicans in congress can’t negotiate without Trump 09:45 The longer the shutdown goes, the more Dems lose what they gained 11:00 Trump received more votes in LA county than 15 states he carried 12:00 Trump is punishing his own voters in blue states/cities 14:30 Mike Johnson’s refusal to convene house gives Epstein theory credence 15:45 Johnson doesn’t want members to have to take vote on Epstein files 17:15 Republicans trying to brand No Kings protests as a “Hate America” rally 17:45 Saying protestors “hate america”…is un-American 19:45 Donald Trump has culturally changed America for the worse 20:30 Release of abhorrent group chat from young Republican leaders 21:30 MAGA argues for “no speech police”, but only for themselves 22:45 Speech should always be free, but speech does carry consequences 24:45 SCOTUS hearing case that could potentially end the Voting Rights Act 25:30 Fears over gerrymandering from SCOTUS ruling may be overblow 26:45 Gerrymandering could create many more swing seats in sun belt 29:15 We don’t yet know whether the ruling will disenfranchise black voters 30:00 DSCC set up joint fundraising committee with Janet Mills in Maine 31:15 UAW has already endorsed Platner over Mills 31:30 Seth Moulton mounts primary challenge against Ed Markey 32:45 Generational vs. Ideological change in Democratic primaries? 33:30 New ads running for VA DA race addressing Jay Jones texts 34:30 Ad highlights Spanberger’s refusal to endorse Jones 37:00 Democrat Hector Mujica enters Florida senate race 38:15 Mujica highlights federal job cuts and AI job displacement in ad 40:15 Mujica is the first candidate to really centralize AI in their pitch 41:45 AI advances might remind people of importance of human connectivity 44:00 Michael McFaul joins the Chuck ToddCast 45:00 Are we in a similar set of conditions to pre-WW2? 46:00 We've entered a new era of great power competition 47:15 In some ways we're in a cold war, in some way we're not 48:00 Our economy is highly intertwined with China's 48:45 America's isolationism similar to 1930's 51:00 Was the cold war an outlier period for American & world history? 52:30 Everyone understood the USSR as an adversary during cold war 53:15 America was the great power during cold war, underestimated ourselves 54:15 The "law of the jungle" is returning as the US retreats from the world 56:00 No unity around "small d" Democracy in America, can't export it 57:15 Trump defines the world by "strong leaders vs. weak leaders" 58:15 Trump's style of diplomacy works in middle east, not with allies 59:30 China is another hegemon, and offering a different world order 1:00:30 Autocrats vs Democrats fight is between countries & domestic 1:01:45 Many Americans now closer to Putin ideologically than Democrats 1:03:15 Venezuelan activist wins Nobel, her message to Trump was brilliant 1:04:15 We should have done more to help democracy in Venezuela 1:07:00 Trump shut down NGOs that promote democracy on world stage 1:07:45 America needs to run a better pro-democracy campaign worldwide 1:08:30 America's security arrangement w/Europe was working well 1:09:45 Something bad will have to happen to sober up American politics 1:12:30 There's a fear of debate in American politics & on campuses 1:14:15 The importance of debate on college campuses 1:16:45 The EU has gathered collective strength as America retreats 1:17:45 Russia invasion of Ukraine + Reelection of Trump recalibrated Europe 1:19:45 Europe has gained unity and clarity 1:21:15 Trump deserves credit for trying to end the Russia/Ukraine war 1:23:00 How will the great power conflict play out in Asia 1:24:30 We need more alliances and collective security in Asia to counter China 1:25:15 Taiwan is nervous the US will sell them out to China 1:26:00 Invasion of Taiwan might be the event to wake up the west 1:26:45 Trump's skill set is uniquely suited to negotiations in middle east 1:28:30 Chuck's thoughts on interview with Michael McFaul 1:29:00 Ask Chuck 1:29:15 How closely does "The Morning Show" reflect an actual newsroom? 1:35:15 Do FCS and Div 2 & 3 programs more accurately rep college football? 1:39:30 Is Greg Abbot sending troops to Chicago to build a national profile? 1:45:00 What podcasts do you regularly listen to? 1:48:15 Why are conservatives attacking Bad Bunny's citizenship when he's American? 1:53:15 College football previewSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this episode of the Chuck ToddCast, Chuck breaks down a week that feels like a case study in America’s democratic backslide. With the government shutdown dragging on and Donald Trump disengaged from any real effort to end it, Republicans in Congress are paralyzed — and Democrats risk losing ground the longer it continues. Chuck examines how Trump’s brand of politics has reshaped the culture, from congressional dysfunction to GOP leaders dodging accountability on everything from Epstein files to free speech hypocrisy. Later, he dives into the Supreme Court’s looming decision on the Voting Rights Act, the ripple effects of potential gerrymandering shifts in the Sun Belt, and the latest shake-ups in Democratic primaries — from Janet Mills’ funding alliances to Florida’s Hector Mujica making AI a centerpiece of his campaign. It’s a snapshot of a democracy under strain — and a politics struggling to evolve. Finally, Chuck answers listeners’ questions in the “Ask Chuck” segment and previews the upcoming weekend in college football. Got injured in an accident? You could be one click away from a claim worth millions. Just visit https://www.forthepeople.com/TODDCAST to start your claim now with Morgan & Morgan without leaving your couch. Remember, it's free unless you win! Timeline: (Timestamps may vary based on advertisements) 00:00 Chuck Todd’s introduction 00:45 The government shutdown non-update update 01:30 Trump is not engaged at all in trying to end the government shutdown 03:15 Prior presidents didn't engage in foreign trips during shutdowns 04:45 Republicans in congress can't negotiate without Trump 06:15 The longer the shutdown goes, the more Dems lose what they gained 07:30 Trump received more votes in LA county than 15 states he carried 08:30 Trump is punishing his own voters in blue states/cities 11:00 Mike Johnson's refusal to convene house gives Epstein theory credence 12:15 Johnson doesn't want members to have to take vote on Epstein files 13:45 Republicans trying to brand No Kings protests as a "Hate America" rally 14:15 Saying protestors "hate america"…is un-American 16:15 Donald Trump has culturally changed America for the worse 17:00 Release of abhorrent group chat from young Republican leaders 18:00 MAGA argues for "no speech police", but only for themselves 19:15 Speech should always be free, but speech does carry consequences 21:15 SCOTUS hearing case that could potentially end the Voting Rights Act 22:00 Fears over gerrymandering from SCOTUS ruling may be overblow 23:15 Gerrymandering could create many more swing seats in sun belt 25:45 We don't yet know whether the ruling will disenfranchise black voters 26:30 DSCC set up joint fundraising committee with Janet Mills in Maine 27:45 UAW has already endorsed Platner over Mills 28:00 Seth Moulton mounts primary challenge against Ed Markey 29:15 Generational vs. Ideological change in Democratic primaries? 30:00 New ads running for VA DA race addressing Jay Jones texts 31:00 Ad highlights Spanberger's refusal to endorse Jones 33:30 Democrat Hector Mujica enters Florida senate race 34:45 Mujica highlights federal job cuts and AI job displacement in ad 36:45 Mujica is the first candidate to really centralize AI in their pitch 38:15 AI advances might remind people of importance of human connectivity 40:15 Chuck's thoughts on interview with Michael McFaul 40:45 Ask Chuck 41:00 How closely does "The Morning Show" reflect an actual newsroom? 47:00 Do FCS and Div 2 & 3 programs more accurately rep college football? 51:15 Is Greg Abbot sending troops to Chicago to build a national profile? 56:45 What podcasts do you regularly listen to? 1:00:00 Why are conservatives attacking Bad Bunny's citizenship when he's American? 1:05:00 College football previewSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Chuck Todd sits down with veteran Democratic strategist and data expert Tom Bonier to unpack one of the biggest political mysteries of the Trump era: why Democrats are losing voter registrations—and how the GOP got so good at winning them. From the fallout of the Bernie-Clinton primary to the brand erosion under Biden, Bonier traces how Democrats’ messaging, outsourcing, and demographic targeting have backfired while Republicans quietly built lasting grassroots infrastructure, particularly among younger and working-class voters. The conversation dives deep into the changing dynamics of party loyalty and political identity—why Gen Z and Latino voters are shifting, how Trump reactivated the “missing white vote,” and why college campuses have become unlikely conservative battlegrounds. Todd and Bonier also explore the Democrats’ shrinking Senate map, the Midwest’s populist tilt, and how data-driven strategies like “mixed mode” polling could determine which party defines the next generation of American politics. Got injured in an accident? You could be one click away from a claim worth millions. Just visit https://www.forthepeople.com/TODDCAST to start your claim now with Morgan & Morgan without leaving your couch. Remember, it's free unless you win! Timeline: (Timestamps may vary based on advertisements) 00:00 Tom Bonier joins the Chuck Toddcast 01:45 Where did trend of Democrats shedding voter registrations begin? 02:45 Bernie/Clinton primary was when Dem brand took initial hit 04:00 Downturn in Dem brand came during Biden’s four years 05:45 Democrats outsource their registration efforts more than GOP 07:00 Registration efforts targeted friendly demographics 08:00 Registered partisan turnout between 20’ and 24’ was 1 point 09:00 What can Dems learn from Republicans registration tactics? 10:00 The 2012 GOP autopsy was right, but didn’t foresee Trump 10:45 Obama’s campaign targeted younger voters & won 11:30 GOP created a consistent presence on college campuses 12:15 For Gen Z, their first interaction with government was Covid 13:00 Gender gap amongst younger voters was 25+ points 14:00 Trump won big with voters who don’t consume much news 15:30 Why Gen X became the generation that most supports Trump 16:30 When someone registers for a party, that tends to stick 18:30 Trump brought out the “missing white vote” 19:30 Dems dominating with higher educated, higher propensity voters 21:15 Younger white men are overwhelmingly registering Republican 23:00 Younger voters are generally registering as unaffiliated 24:15 Are Dems counting on Trump voters only showing up for Trump? 25:00 Climate looks similar to 17’ except Dems are more unpopular 26:00 What is causing the Democrats “brand problem”? 26:45 Voters didn’t know about Biden’s accomplishments 28:00 The importance of branding your agenda 29:00 Are there a “hard 7” number of swing states, or could others join? 30:30 Texas trending more blue, Florida trending more red 31:15 Migration patterns have made Florida tough for Democrats 32:00 Democrats have almost no margin for error to win the senate 32:45 What 4-6 states should Dems target to expand senate map? 35:00 Is the midwest out of reach for Dems for a generation? 36:15 Midwest voters are populist more than D or R 37:30 How and where can Dems stem losses in blue states? 39:15 Voter mobilization is easier to fix than persuasion 40:00 Why have Georgia and Arizona become more friendly to Dems? 41:15 API voters swung toward Trump in 24’ but are swinging back 42:00 Latino voters are economically sensitive and more swingy 43:30 What’s happening with the “Chamber of Commerce” GOP voter? 45:00 Preferred methodology for public opinion polling? 47:00 What is “mixed mode” polling? 48:30 What are the three polls you always make sure to analyze?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Chuck Todd examines the mounting political and institutional strain as the government shutdown drags on — and why Democrats may need to declare a partial victory just to move forward. The episode explores how Trump’s rise has exposed deep vulnerabilities in the American system, from unchecked profiteering and politicized justice to the growing entanglement of big tech, big money, and government power. Todd breaks down the Democrats’ limited leverage, the GOP’s dependence on Trump’s engagement, and the urgent need for new constitutional and institutional guardrails. Plus, he looks at the emerging generational clash in the Democratic Party senate primary in Maine, as Janet Mills and Graham Platner become avatars for an “old vs. new” fight that could reshape the party’s future. Then, Chuck sits down with veteran Democratic strategist and data expert Tom Bonier to unpack one of the biggest political mysteries of the Trump era: why Democrats are losing voter registrations—and how the GOP got so good at winning them. From the fallout of the Bernie-Clinton primary to the brand erosion under Biden, Bonier traces how Democrats’ messaging, outsourcing, and demographic targeting have backfired while Republicans quietly built lasting grassroots infrastructure, particularly among younger and working-class voters. The conversation dives deep into the changing dynamics of party loyalty and political identity—why Gen Z and Latino voters are shifting, how Trump reactivated the “missing white vote,” and why college campuses have become unlikely conservative battlegrounds. Todd and Bonier also explore the Democrats’ shrinking Senate map, the Midwest’s populist tilt, and how data-driven strategies like “mixed mode” polling could determine which party defines the next generation of American politics. Finally, he gives his ToddCast Top 5 list of potential political comebacks where politicians could win their old seat back, then answers listeners’ questions in the “Ask Chuck” segment. Got injured in an accident? You could be one click away from a claim worth millions. Just visit https://www.forthepeople.com/TODDCAST to start your claim now with Morgan & Morgan without leaving your couch. Remember, it's free unless you win! Timeline: (Timestamps may vary based on advertisements) 00:00 Chuck Todd’s introduction 06:15 Democrats need to find a way to declare victory and end shutdown 07:30 Democrats drew attention to healthcare, but will see diminishing returns 08:15 Trump’s rise has exposed tremendous vulnerabilities in our system 09:45 There’s nobody in Trump’s feedback loop that will expose him to bad info 11:00 Democrats need how to learn to embrace small victories 13:30 Democrats only have the power to win the argument 15:15 Republicans won’t move without Trump engaging on shutdown 16:30 Trump takes victory lap on Israel, hard part is making agreement stick 17:30 If profiting off the presidency goes unchecked, we risk more in the future 18:45 Emoluments clause is not enough, need a constitutional amendment 19:30 Big tech, big money and the government have all become intertwined 22:00 Two big reforms that could help fix the democracy 24:00 We need to reform the Justice Department to prevent politicization 25:30 Companies that capitulated to Trump had the law on their side 27:00 The country needs to build new guardrails 28:00 Janet Mills vs Graham Platner will become avatars for “old vs new” 29:45 The older generation of Democratic leaders refuses to retire 31:30 If Mills wins, she’ll be the oldest freshman senator of all time 32:15 Graham Platner already has released attack ad against Mills 33:30 Platner vs. Mills will become a headache and money sink for Democrats 36:30 Tom Bonier joins the Chuck Toddcast 38:15 Where did trend of Democrats shedding voter registrations begin? 39:15 Bernie/Clinton primary was when Dem brand took initial hit 40:30 Downturn in Dem brand came during Biden's four years 42:15 Democrats outsource their registration efforts more than GOP 43:30 Registration efforts targeted friendly demographics 44:30 Registered partisan turnout between 20' and 24' was 1 point 45:30 What can Dems learn from Republicans registration tactics? 46:30 The 2012 GOP autopsy was right, but didn't foresee Trump 47:15 Obama's campaign targeted younger voters & won 48:00 GOP created a consistent presence on college campuses 48:45 For Gen Z, their first interaction with government was Covid 49:30 Gender gap amongst younger voters was 25+ points 50:30 Trump won big with voters who don't consume much news 52:00 Why Gen X became the generation that most supports Trump 53:00 When someone registers for a party, that tends to stick 55:00 Trump brought out the "missing white vote" 56:00 Dems dominating with higher educated, higher propensity voters 57:45 Younger white men are overwhelmingly registering Republican 59:30 Younger voters are generally registering as unaffiliated 1:00:45 Are Dems counting on Trump voters only showing up for Trump? 1:01:30 Climate looks similar to 17' except Dems are more unpopular 1:02:30 What is causing the Democrats "brand problem"? 1:03:15 Voters didn't know about Biden's accomplishments 1:04:30 The importance of branding your agenda 1:05:30 Are there a "hard 7" number of swing states, or could others join? 1:07:00 Texas trending more blue, Florida trending more red 1:07:45 Migration patterns have made Florida tough for Democrats 1:08:30 Democrats have almost no margin for error to win the senate 1:09:15 What 4-6 states should Dems target to expand senate map? 1:11:30 Is the midwest out of reach for Dems for a generation? 1:12:45 Midwest voters are populist more than D or R 1:14:00 How and where can Dems stem losses in blue states? 1:15:45 Voter mobilization is easier to fix than persuasion 1:16:30 Why have Georgia and Arizona become more friendly to Dems? 1:17:45 API voters swung toward Trump in 24' but are swinging back 1:18:30 Latino voters are economically sensitive and more swingySee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Chuck Todd examines the mounting political and institutional strain as the government shutdown drags on — and why Democrats may need to declare a partial victory just to move forward. The episode explores how Trump’s rise has exposed deep vulnerabilities in the American system, from unchecked profiteering and politicized justice to the growing entanglement of big tech, big money, and government power. Todd breaks down the Democrats’ limited leverage, the GOP’s dependence on Trump’s engagement, and the urgent need for new constitutional and institutional guardrails. Plus, he looks at the emerging generational clash in the Democratic Party senate primary in Maine, as Janet Mills and Graham Platner become avatars for an “old vs. new” fight that could reshape the party’s future. Finally, he gives his ToddCast Top 5 list of potential political comebacks where politicians could win their old seat back, then answers listeners’ questions in the “Ask Chuck” segment. Got injured in an accident? You could be one click away from a claim worth millions. Just visit https://www.forthepeople.com/TODDCAST to start your claim now with Morgan & Morgan without leaving your couch. Remember, it's free unless you win! Timeline: (Timestamps may vary based on advertisements) 00:00 Chuck Todd’s introduction 02:15 Democrats need to find a way to declare victory and end shutdown 03:30 Democrats drew attention to healthcare, but will see diminishing returns 04:15 Trump's rise has exposed tremendous vulnerabilities in our system 05:45 There's nobody in Trump's feedback loop that will expose him to bad info 07:00 Democrats need how to learn to embrace small victories 09:30 Democrats only have the power to win the argument 11:15 Republicans won't move without Trump engaging on shutdown 12:30 Trump takes victory lap on Israel, hard part is making agreement stick 13:30 If profiting off the presidency goes unchecked, we risk more in the future 14:45 Emoluments clause is not enough, need a constitutional amendment 15:30 Big tech, big money and the government have all become intertwined 18:00 Two big reforms that could help fix the democracy 20:00 We need to reform the Justice Department to prevent politicization 21:30 Companies that capitulated to Trump had the law on their side 23:00 The country needs to build new guardrails 24:00 Janet Mills vs Graham Platner will become avatars for "old vs new" 25:45 The older generation of Democratic leaders refuses to retire 27:30 If Mills wins, she'll be the oldest freshman senator of all time 28:15 Graham Platner already has released attack ad against Mills 29:30 Platner vs. Mills will become a headache and money sink for Democrats 32:30 Chuck's thoughts on interview with Tom Bonier 33:30 ToddCast Top 5 - Most Likely Political Comebacks 35:00 #1 Jesse Jackson Jr. 37:00 #2 Cori Bush 38:15 #3 John E. Sununu 41:15 #4 Sherrod Brown 42:15 Honorable mentions 43:00 #5 Javier Suarez 49:15 Ask Chuck 49:30 Why aren't presidential debates moderated as vigorously as local debates? 53:45 What are legal repercussions for violations of the HATCH Act? 59:00 Appreciation for interview with Paul Glastris on higher education 1:01:30 What is likely for Universal Basic Income as AI takes jobs?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Moody’s chief economist Mark Zandi joins Chuck Todd to assess an economy that looks strong on paper—but feels weak for most Americans. While the top third of earners are doing well, lower-income households are tightening their belts as consumer spending slows and job creation stagnates. Zandi warns of a 30–40% chance of a recession by 2026, citing the drag from federal job cuts, the drying up of COVID relief funds, and the destabilizing effects of rising tariffs and electricity costs. They also dig into the booming—but risky—AI sector, where soaring valuations and limited job growth may be setting up the next market correction. Gold prices are surging, commercial real estate is slumping, and housing shortages are widening for middle-class renters. With Americans increasingly unable to move for better opportunities and faith in Washington deteriorating, Zandi and Todd explore whether the U.S. economy can remain the world’s “safe haven” — or if 2026 could be the year that confidence finally cracks. Got injured in an accident? You could be one click away from a claim worth millions. Just visit https://www.forthepeople.com/TODDCAST to start your claim now with Morgan & Morgan without leaving your couch. Remember, it's free unless you win! Timeline: (Timestamps may vary based on advertisements) 00:00 Mark Zandi joins the Chuck ToddCast 01:00 The economy is only good for the top 1/3rd of earners 02:00 Lower income earners are struggling 03:30 Signs of a consumer pullback are starting to show up 05:00 The economy isn’t creating many jobs 05:30 Chance of a recession is forecast at 30-40% in 2026 07:15 The economic impact of the cuts to federal workforce 09:00 Loss of 100k+ federal jobs will be a drag on the economy 10:00 Covid money is drying up in state and local government budgets 10:30 AI is starting to have impact on the job force 13:00 Data center investment creates wealth but not jobs 14:30 Are the AI stocks creating a bubble? 15:30 Investors may be a bit over their skis with AI 16:45 Stock market could be headed for a massive correction 18:00 Stock price to earnings ratios are at historic high 19:30 Tariff impacts starting to show up, AI providing a tailwind for economy 21:00 Economy is very vulnerable to unforeseen shocks 21:45 Price of gold at all time high, a warning sign? 23:30 Uncertainty around American economy driving up gold price 24:45 Risk of American economy not being considered a “Safe Haven” 26:00 Loss of safe haven status means higher interest rates 26:30 Impact of rising electricity prices on the economy 28:30 Oil and gas prices have stayed relatively low 29:30 Why haven’t investors flocked to real estate as an investment? 30:30 The price of commercial real estate is down substantially 31:45 High interest rates have cooled demand for residential real estate 33:15 The high end rental market is oversupplied 34:00 Workforce/middle income housing is in short supply 35:30 Housing issues vary by city and region, hard to address nationally 36:45 How much would the economy benefit from domestic migration? 38:30 Aging population a big factor in lack of domestic migration 39:00 Most Americans can’t afford to move 40:15 Impact of America’s broken politics on the economy 42:00 Will issues with China’s economy affect the globe? 43:00 Level of risk going into 2026?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Chuck Todd breaks down the latest political and global chaos as the government shutdown drags on with no resolution in sight—because, as he puts it, “nothing moves without Trump.” From Trump’s trade threats against China and his transactional diplomacy in the Middle East to Netanyahu’s political freefall in Israel, the episode examines how American and global politics are increasingly driven by short-term leverage over long-term stability. Todd also exposes how Trump’s team has weaponized government institutions—from Russ Vought’s reckless layoffs to Pam Bondi’s politicized DOJ—and how Trump’s online behavior, including an embarrassing Truth Social blunder, raises national security concerns. With the rule of law eroding and America’s moral authority slipping away, Chuck warns that the U.S. may be entering an era where power, not principle, defines governance. Then, Moody’s chief economist Mark Zandi joins Chuck to assess an economy that looks strong on paper—but feels weak for most Americans. While the top third of earners are doing well, lower-income households are tightening their belts as consumer spending slows and job creation stagnates. Zandi warns of a 30–40% chance of a recession by 2026, citing the drag from federal job cuts, the drying up of COVID relief funds, and the destabilizing effects of rising tariffs and electricity costs. They also dig into the booming—but risky—AI sector, where soaring valuations and limited job growth may be setting up the next market correction. Gold prices are surging, commercial real estate is slumping, and housing shortages are widening for middle-class renters. With Americans increasingly unable to move for better opportunities and faith in Washington deteriorating, Zandi and Todd explore whether the U.S. economy can remain the world’s “safe haven” — or if 2026 could be the year that confidence finally cracks. Finally, Chuck goes back to the 1987 market crash in the ToddCast Time Machine to compare the conditions then to current market conditions, answers listeners’ questions in the “Ask Chuck” segment, and gives his college football update. Got injured in an accident? You could be one click away from a claim worth millions. Just visit https://www.forthepeople.com/TODDCAST to start your claim now with Morgan & Morgan without leaving your couch. Remember, it's free unless you win! Timeline: (Timestamps may vary based on advertisements) 00:00 Chuck Todd’s introduction - New addition to the Todd household 03:45 Trump/China threaten trade retaliation, just posturing? 04:45 Government remains shutdown, no resolution without Trump 06:00 Trump sensitive to tariff price hikes on pharmaceuticals 07:00 Trump’s transactional diplomacy works well in the middle east 09:15 Can Netanyahu survive politically without an active war? 10:15 2/3rds of Israeli voters want Netanyahu to resign 11:15 Many of Israel’s threats are gone, but is now very isolated 12:45 Trump’s government has weaponized/politicized everything 14:00 Russ Vought’s mass layoffs were sloppy, overfired at CDC 16:00 Pam Bondi has overtly weaponized the Justice Department 18:15 DOJ indicting Trump enemies he named in social media post 19:45 Trump was DMing Bondi on Truth Social, mistakenly posted publicly 21:30 Trump’s communications far more insecure than Hilary’s emails 24:15 The current Republican congress just rolls over for Trump 25:15 Trump is destroying the rule of law & reputation of the GOP 26:30 If roles were reversed Republicans would be apoplectic 27:45 US has lost moral authority & credibility on the world stage 29:15 Most military leaders would resign quietly if given illegal orders 30:45 Presidents used to respect their predecessors… not Trump 31:45 Trump’s supposed to govern for the entire country, refuses to 34:15 Trump believes two wrongs make a right 35:15 Trump started a trade war with China, and nobody wins a trade war 36:45 United States is far too reliant on China for rare earth metals 40:00 Mark Zandi joins the Chuck ToddCast 41:00 The economy is only good for the top 1/3rd of earners 42:00 Lower income earners are struggling 43:30 Signs of a consumer pullback are starting to show up 45:00 The economy isn't creating many jobs 45:30 Chance of a recession is forecast at 30-40% in 2026 47:15 The economic impact of the cuts to federal workforce 49:00 Loss of 100k+ federal jobs will be a drag on the economy 50:00 Covid money is drying up in state and local government budgets 50:30 AI is starting to have impact on the job force 53:00 Data center investment creates wealth but not jobs 54:30 Are the AI stocks creating a bubble? 55:30 Investors may be a bit over their skis with AI 56:45 Stock market could be headed for a massive correction 58:00 Stock price to earnings ratios are at historic high 59:30 Tariff impacts starting to show up, AI providing a tailwind for economy 1:01:00 Economy is very vulnerable to unforeseen shocks 1:01:45 Price of gold at all time high, a warning sign? 1:03:30 Uncertainty around American economy driving up gold price 1:04:45 Risk of American economy not being considered a "Safe Haven" 1:06:00 Loss of safe haven status means higher interest rates 1:06:30 Impact of rising electricity prices on the economy 1:08:30 Oil and gas prices have stayed relatively low 1:09:30 Why haven't investors flocked to real estate as an investment? 1:10:30 The price of commercial real estate is down substantially 1:11:45 High interest rates have cooled demand for residential real estate 1:13:15 The high end rental market is oversupplied 1:14:00 Workforce/middle income housing is in short supply 1:15:30 Housing issues vary by city and region, hard to address nationally 1:16:45 How much would the economy benefit from domestic migration? 1:18:30 Aging population a big factor in lack of domestic migration 1:19:00 Most Americans can't afford to move 1:20:15 Impact of America's broken politics on the economy 1:22:00 Will issues with China's economy affect the globe? 1:23:00 Level of risk going into 2026? 1:24:30 ToddCast Time Machine 1:25:15 October 19th, 1987 - U.S. stock market crash 1:26:00 Crash resulted in added financial regulation and safeguards 1:27:45 In week leading up to crash, markets had seen sharp declines 1:28:15 Computerized trades contributed to crashed 1:29:45 Crash wasn't rooted in one singular event/issue 1:30:45 Crash didn't result in wider problems like banking crisis 1:31:30 Lesson learned was "Don't Panic", market came back 1:32:45 Current market is dominated by algorithmic trading, creates risks 1:33:45 Market is highly concentrated in tech 1:34:45 Why 1987 isn't a corollary for 2025 1:36:45 Market will always have volatility 1:37:15 Ask Chuck 1:37:30 Should more candidates not run under the D or R label? 1:42:00 What practices would you suggest to reform ballot access? 1:45:30 Is the risk of China owning Tiktok any worse than Trump allies? 1:49:45 Were Biden's infrastructure projects halted by Big Beautiful Bill? 1:52:45 College football updateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Chuck Todd breaks down the latest political and global chaos as the government shutdown drags on with no resolution in sight—because, as he puts it, “nothing moves without Trump.” From Trump’s trade threats against China and his transactional diplomacy in the Middle East to Netanyahu’s political freefall in Israel, the episode examines how American and global politics are increasingly driven by short-term leverage over long-term stability. Todd also exposes how Trump’s team has weaponized government institutions—from Russ Vought’s reckless layoffs to Pam Bondi’s politicized DOJ—and how Trump’s online behavior, including an embarrassing Truth Social blunder, raises national security concerns. With the rule of law eroding and America’s moral authority slipping away, Chuck warns that the U.S. may be entering an era where power, not principle, defines governance. Finally, Chuck goes back to the 1987 market crash in the ToddCast Time Machine to compare the conditions then to current market conditions, answers listeners’ questions in the “Ask Chuck” segment, and gives his college football update. Got injured in an accident? You could be one click away from a claim worth millions. Just visit https://www.forthepeople.com/TODDCAST to start your claim now with Morgan & Morgan without leaving your couch. Remember, it's free unless you win! Timeline: (Timestamps may vary based on advertisements) 00:00 Chuck Todd’s introduction - New addition to the Todd household 02:45 Trump/China threaten trade retaliation, just posturing? 03:45 Government remains shutdown, no resolution without Trump 05:00 Trump sensitive to tariff price hikes on pharmaceuticals 06:00 Trump's transactional diplomacy works well in the middle east 08:15 Can Netanyahu survive politically without an active war? 09:15 2/3rds of Israeli voters want Netanyahu to resign 10:15 Many of Israel's threats are gone, but is now very isolated 11:45 Trump's government has weaponized/politicized everything 13:00 Russ Vought's mass layoffs were sloppy, overfired at CDC 15:00 Pam Bondi has overtly weaponized the Justice Department 17:15 DOJ indicting Trump enemies he named in social media post 18:45 Trump was DMing Bondi on Truth Social, mistakenly posted publicly 20:30 Trump's communications far more insecure than Hilary's emails 23:15 The current Republican congress just rolls over for Trump 24:15 Trump is destroying the rule of law & reputation of the GOP 25:30 If roles were reversed Republicans would be apoplectic 26:45 US has lost moral authority & credibility on the world stage 28:15 Most military leaders would resign quietly if given illegal orders 29:45 Presidents used to respect their predecessors… not Trump 30:45 Trump's supposed to govern for the entire country, refuses to 33:15 Trump believes two wrongs make a right 34:15 Trump started a trade war with China, and nobody wins a trade war 35:45 United States is far too reliant on China for rare earth metals 38:30 ToddCast Time Machine 39:15 October 19th, 1987 - U.S. stock market crash 40:00 Crash resulted in added financial regulation and safeguards 41:45 In week leading up to crash, markets had seen sharp declines 42:15 Computerized trades contributed to crashed 43:45 Crash wasn't rooted in one singular event/issue 44:45 Crash didn't result in wider problems like banking crisis 45:30 Lesson learned was "Don't Panic", market came back 46:45 Current market is dominated by algorithmic trading, creates risks 47:45 Market is highly concentrated in tech 48:45 Why 1987 isn't a corollary for 2025 50:45 Market will always have volatility 51:15 Ask Chuck 51:30 Should more candidates not run under the D or R label? 56:00 What practices would you suggest to reform ballot access? 59:30 Is the risk of China owning Tiktok any worse than Trump allies? 1:03:45 Were Biden's infrastructure projects halted by Big Beautiful Bill? 1:06:45 College football updateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This episode is official a "Toddcast" not a podcast. Championship level coach Adam Todd of SUNY Canton joins us in studio. We discuss leadership and life lessons from the coach whom my award-winning book Seeds of Success was based on... Coach Randy Mills or "Coach Morgan Randall" as he is referred to in the book.You'll hear some never before told stories, backstories and things one can only file under "You can't make this $h!t up".To learn more about Adam, his university and lacrosse program go to: https://rooathletics.com/staff-directory/adam-todd/105If you're a prospective student-athlete interested in SUNY Canton Lacrosse, here's recruiting information for you: https://rooathletics.com/sb_output.aspx?form=3 If you want to get a signed copy Seeds of Success, here's the link: https://www.coachbru.com/shop/p/seeds-of-success-a-leader-his-legacy-the-life-lessons-learned*Audiobook available here: https://www.audible.com/pd/Seeds-of-Success-Audiobook/B07B452VH6

As the government shutdown stretches on, Chuck Todd breaks down how both parties are calculating the political costs — and why Democrats may have already achieved what they wanted. With air travel disruptions mounting and healthcare debates pulling in new Republican attention, the public's patience is wearing thin. Meanwhile, tensions between Trump and Illinois leaders have escalated, raising questions about the politicization of the military and fairness in immigration enforcement.He also examines Democrats' deeper strategic struggles heading into 2026 and beyond — from misreading voters' frustration with cost of living to failing to invest early in registration and outreach. Inside the party, Virginia rallies around Jay Jones, while figures like Elissa Slotkin and Gavin Newsom position for future national influence. But viral missteps, like Katie Porter's interview fallout, reveal how Democrats are still struggling to master modern media and messaging in an increasingly short-form political world.Then, he sits down with Washington Monthly editor-in-chief Paul Glastris to unpack how America's college ranking system went off the rails—and how it's warping higher education itself. Glastris argues that U.S. News & World Report rewards wealth, not value, pushing schools to chase prestige over affordability and teaching quality. He highlights Berea College as a model for what higher ed could be: a well-endowed school that actually invests in its students rather than its brand.The two also explore how higher ed's obsession with research grants and graduate programs has left undergrads behind, and why community and regional universities—where most Americans actually study—deserve more attention and funding. From the decline of community colleges to the disappearance of local journalism, Glastris and Todd make the case for a “New Deal for Higher Education” that values mobility, access, and public service over profit and rankings.Finally, he answers listeners' questions in the “Ask Chuck” segment and previews the upcoming weekend in college football.Got injured in an accident? You could be one click away from a claim worth millions. Just visit https://www.forthepeople.com/TODDCAST to start your claim now with Morgan & Morgan without leaving your couch. Remember, it's free unless you win!Timeline:(Timestamps may vary based on advertisements)00:00 Introduction03:00 Government shutdown lingers on, Dems accomplished what they wanted04:15 Air travel starting to be impacted by shutdown05:30 The healthcare issue has gotten the attention of Republicans06:30 General public only cares about issues that directly impact them07:30 Either party could end the shutdown now09:45 Showdown between Trump & leaders in Chicago escalates10:45 Using Texas national guard in Illinois is a bridge too far11:45 Too many leaders on both sides are way too online13:00 ICE found by judge to be making warrantless arrests15:15 Trump and Stephen Miller overplaying threat to the public16:00 Public doesn't support deployments, wants apolitical military17:15 Majority of voters think deportation process hasn't been fair18:45 Politics getting personal between Trump & Illinois leaders20:45 There are political risks for both sides21:45 DNC believes they didn't spend early & enough to engage voters in 24'24:15 Democrats takeaways are wrong. Biden was the biggest issue25:30 Biden team misread the room, voters were upset at cost of living26:45 DNC has put enough effort into voter registration27:30 Appears party leaders in VA will rally around Jay Jones29:15 Democrats willing to engage in GOP style “whataboutism”30:30 There's still a vast chunk of America that cares about ethics32:00 Elisa Slotkin headlining dinner in NH, eyeing run for president?33:00 Looking like Gavin Newsom will win redistricting referendum35:00 If California votes yes, it looks like R's will only pick up 3-4 seats in 26'35:45 Katie Porter crashes out in viral interview clip, both parties pile on37:30 Has Porter spent too much time in friendly interview spaces?39:00 Porter's response to losing senate primary to Schiff was revealing40:30 Former Bernie strategist says Dems struggling with short form video44:00 Paul Glastris joins the Chuck ToddCast 45:00 Best colleges for the buck? 47:15 US News ranks colleges in a horrific way 48:30 Schools prioritize wealth when doing admissions 51:30 Upward mobility matters more when ranking colleges 53:15 Schools freak out when they lose ranking status 54:45 Berea College is best bang for the buck school in America 56:45 Berea has a massive endowment, but it's used for education 59:30 Schools focus on post-grad programs rather than undergrad 1:01:00 Research institutions should be put in their own category 1:01:30 Trump administration is going after schools with research grants 1:03:00 We've never seen an administration target college research 1:04:15 It costs a ton of money to send kids to college now 1:05:30 Do colleges prioritize hiring researchers or teachers? 1:08:15 We overproduce academic talent in America 1:10:15 Smaller schools face massive financial challenges 1:12:30 Many schools border on predatory 1:14:00 We need a "new deal" for higher education 1:16:30 Most people get their BA's at local & regional universities 1:18:00 America didn't get to making 2 years of college free 1:19:15 The state of the community college system 1:20:45 Florida never built a good state system, has no prestige schools 1:21:45 Florida standardized passing courses counting at every school 1:23:45 There's a wide disparity of outcomes between community colleges 1:24:15 Community colleges offer community building activities 1:26:45 College rankings are an important example of service journalism 1:28:45 Local journalism was the foundational piece of the profession 1:30:00 The economic underpinnings of local journalism have been wiped out 1:32:30 Government and philanthropy can underwrite local journalism 1:34:30 National opinion journalism undermined local journalism 1:36:00 Small towns can't afford good journalism1:43:45 Chuck's thoughts on interview with Paul Glastris 1:44:30 Ask Chuck 1:44:45 Should we offer a tax credit for voting to incentivize participation? 1:48:45 Thoughts on an "American Unity" platform? What would you include? 1:55:30 Trump modeling terrible behavior & character for young people? 2:03:15 Military pay during government shutdown? 2:05:45 College football previewSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As the government shutdown stretches on, Chuck Todd breaks down how both parties are calculating the political costs — and why Democrats may have already achieved what they wanted. With air travel disruptions mounting and healthcare debates pulling in new Republican attention, the public's patience is wearing thin. Meanwhile, tensions between Trump and Illinois leaders have escalated, raising questions about the politicization of the military and fairness in immigration enforcement.He also examines Democrats' deeper strategic struggles heading into 2026 and beyond — from misreading voters' frustration with cost of living to failing to invest early in registration and outreach. Inside the party, Virginia rallies around Jay Jones, while figures like Elissa Slotkin and Gavin Newsom position for future national influence. But viral missteps, like Katie Porter's interview fallout, reveal how Democrats are still struggling to master modern media and messaging in an increasingly short-form political world.Finally, he answers listeners' questions in the “Ask Chuck” segment and previews the upcoming weekend in college football.Got injured in an accident? You could be one click away from a claim worth millions. Just visit https://www.forthepeople.com/TODDCAST to start your claim now with Morgan & Morgan without leaving your couch. Remember, it's free unless you win!Timeline:(Timestamps may vary based on advertisements)00:00 Introduction00:30 Government shutdown lingers on, Dems accomplished what they wanted 01:45 Air travel starting to be impacted by shutdown 03:00 The healthcare issue has gotten the attention of Republicans 04:00 General public only cares about issues that directly impact them 05:00 Either party could end the shutdown now 07:15 Showdown between Trump & leaders in Chicago escalates 08:15 Using Texas national guard in Illinois is a bridge too far 09:15 Too many leaders on both sides are way too online 10:30 ICE found by judge to be making warrantless arrests 12:45 Trump and Stephen Miller overplaying threat to the public 13:30 Public doesn't support deployments, wants apolitical military 14:45 Majority of voters think deportation process hasn't been fair 16:15 Politics getting personal between Trump & Illinois leaders 18:15 There are political risks for both sides 19:15 DNC believes they didn't spend early & enough to engage voters in 24' 21:45 Democrats takeaways are wrong. Biden was the biggest issue 23:00 Biden team misread the room, voters were upset at cost of living 24:15 DNC has put enough effort into voter registration 25:00 Appears party leaders in VA will rally around Jay Jones 26:45 Democrats willing to engage in GOP style "whataboutism" 28:00 There's still a vast chunk of America that cares about ethics 29:30 Elisa Slotkin headlining dinner in NH, eyeing run for president? 30:30 Looking like Gavin Newsom will win redistricting referendum 32:30 If California votes yes, it looks like R's will only pick up 3-4 seats in 26' 33:15 Katie Porter crashes out in viral interview clip, both parties pile on 35:00 Has Porter spent too much time in friendly interview spaces? 36:30 Porter's response to losing senate primary to Schiff was revealing38:00 Former Bernie strategist says Dems struggling with short form video41:00 Ask Chuck 41:15 Should we offer a tax credit for voting to incentivize participation? 45:15 Thoughts on an "American Unity" platform? What would you include? 52:00 Trump modeling terrible behavior & character for young people? 59:45 Military pay during government shutdown? 1:02:15 College football previewSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Chuck Todd sits down with Washington Monthly editor-in-chief Paul Glastris to unpack how America's college ranking system went off the rails—and how it's warping higher education itself. Glastris argues that U.S. News & World Report rewards wealth, not value, pushing schools to chase prestige over affordability and teaching quality. He highlights Berea College as a model for what higher ed could be: a well-endowed school that actually invests in its students rather than its brand.The two also explore how higher ed's obsession with research grants and graduate programs has left undergrads behind, and why community and regional universities—where most Americans actually study—deserve more attention and funding. From the decline of community colleges to the disappearance of local journalism, Glastris and Todd make the case for a “New Deal for Higher Education” that values mobility, access, and public service over profit and rankings.Got injured in an accident? You could be one click away from a claim worth millions. Just visit https://www.forthepeople.com/TODDCAST to start your claim now with Morgan & Morgan without leaving your couch. Remember, it's free unless you win!Timeline:(Timestamps may vary based on advertisements)00:00 Paul Glastris joins the Chuck ToddCast01:00 Best colleges for the buck?03:15 US News ranks colleges in a horrific way04:30 Schools prioritize wealth when doing admissions07:30 Upward mobility matters more when ranking colleges09:15 Schools freak out when they lose ranking status10:45 Berea College is best bang for the buck school in America12:45 Berea has a massive endowment, but it's used for education15:30 Schools focus on post-grad programs rather than undergrad17:00 Research institutions should be put in their own category17:30 Trump administration is going after schools with research grants19:00 We've never seen an administration target college research20:15 It costs a ton of money to send kids to college now21:30 Do colleges prioritize hiring researchers or teachers?24:15 We overproduce academic talent in America26:15 Smaller schools face massive financial challenges28:30 Many schools border on predatory30:00 We need a “new deal” for higher education32:30 Most people get their BA's at local & regional universities34:00 America didn't get to making 2 years of college free35:15 The state of the community college system36:45 Florida never built a good state system, has no prestige schools37:45 Florida standardized passing courses counting at every school39:45 There's a wide disparity of outcomes between community colleges40:15 Community colleges offer community building activities42:45 College rankings are an important example of service journalism44:45 Local journalism was the foundational piece of the profession46:00 The economic underpinnings of local journalism have been wiped out48:30 Government and philanthropy can underwrite local journalism50:30 National opinion journalism undermined local journalism52:00 Small towns can't afford good journalismSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Chuck Todd breaks down the political fallout as the government shutdown begins disrupting air travel—and both parties claim they're “winning.” He argues that when politicians are upending people's lives, no one is really winning. The conversation turns to Israel, where Prime Minister Netanyahu faces deepening domestic backlash and a loss of international allies. With 66% of Israelis wanting the war in Gaza to end and growing calls for Bibi's ouster, Israel's reliance on the U.S. has never been greater—or more politically divisive.Chuck also examines how the Israel issue is surfacing in U.S. campaign politics, from Democratic primaries to GOP power plays. With Republicans clearing primary fields and Democrats facing scandals like Jay Jones' in Virginia, both parties are wrestling with internal fractures—and the risks of clinging to power at any cost.Finally, Chuck gives his ToddCast Top 5 governor's seats most likely to flip parties, and answers listeners' questions in the “Ask Chuck” segment.Got injured in an accident? You could be one click away from a claim worth millions. Just visit https://www.forthepeople.com/TODDCAST to start your claim now with Morgan & Morgan without leaving your couch. Remember, it's free unless you win!Timeline:(Timestamps may vary based on advertisements)00:00 Introduction02:30 Government shutdown begins affecting air travel 04:15 Both sides think they are winning the shutdown 05:30 Congress created the conditions for regular shutdowns 06:30 When you're disrupting people's lives, you aren't "winning" 07:30 Israel's public support is eroding in the United States 08:30 Under Bibi, Israel has never been more powerful and alone 09:30 Israel alienated allies, incredibly reliant on the United States 11:15 Partisan split between R's and D's over support for Israel 12:15 Growing skepticism for Israel's actions in Gaza 14:00 66% of Israelis want to end the war in Gaza 15:30 Majority of Israelis want Netayahu gone after war is over 17:00 Most Israelis goal is the getting hostages home, not eliminating Hamas 18:15 Bibi is clinging to power to avoid accountability 19:15 New ad in New Hampshire targeting Andy Beshear over support for Israel 20:45 Tough to know how salient Israel issue will be in a Democratic primary 22:45 Republicans are clearing primary fields across the country 23:30 If Ken Paxton is nominee in Texas, the senate could flip 25:30 Susan Collins is the only Republican that can win in Maine 27:15 Dem voters tired of establishment that isn't winning 28:30 MAGA gave Republicans most power they've had in decades 29:30 If Jay Jones allegations in VA surfaced a month ago, he'd be replaced 31:00 If elected, Jay Jones should resign and let assembly choose replacement 34:00 Democrats playing with political fire with Jay Jones36:15 Chuck's thoughts on interview with Adam Bonica 38:00 Toddcast Top 5 - Governor's seats most likely to flip parties 38:30 #1 Virginia 41:00 #2 Kansas 42:45 #3 Wisconsin, #4 Michigan 45:00 #5 Iowa 49:00 Ask Chuck 49:15 Will there ever be amendments to prevent corruption in government? 52:00 Does Trump think the public will believe misinformation about the economy? 57:00 Should Democrats offer a "Project 2029" to offer a clear vision for change? 59:30 How would you handle bad faith Republican arguments over shutdown?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode of the Chuck ToddCast, Chuck sits down with Stanford political scientist Adam Bonica to unpack the dark underbelly of political fundraising. Bonica reveals how the Democratic consulting firm Mothership Strategies helped shape modern campaign fundraising — and how their tactics, often resembling internet scams, have extracted hundreds of millions from small-dollar donors, many of whom are elderly or unaware they've been opted into recurring donations. Together, they explore how much of that money never reaches campaigns at all, instead being funneled into consultant fees and internal operations that border on money laundering.The conversation broadens into the systemic corruption of campaign finance: both parties' use of apocalyptic fear-mongering, the rise of Super PACs with minimal voter impact, and how America's extreme wealth inequality has distorted democratic accountability. Bonica explains why the public now views the very need to raise money as inherently corrupt — and how anti-corruption could be the strongest defense against authoritarian drift. As billions pour into elections with diminishing effect, Chuck and Adam question whether the next era of U.S. politics can ever be disentangled from the cash that drives it.Got injured in an accident? You could be one click away from a claim worth millions. Just visit https://www.forthepeople.com/TODDCAST to start your claim now with Morgan & Morgan without leaving your couch. Remember, it's free unless you win!Timeline:(Timestamps may vary based on advertisements)00:00 Adam Bonica joins the Chuck ToddCast03:00 Fundraising tactics are beyond bizarre05:30 Mothership strategies behind much of the Dem advertising08:00 Democratic candidates were enamored by Mothership's strategy10:15 Many donors had been suffering from cognitive decline11:30 PAC's were basically money laundering13:35 Most fundraising dollars were spent internally on consultants15:00 Both parties use apocalyptic language when fundraising17:00 Campaign fundraising using the same tactics as scammers18:30 Political fundraisers prey on older people20:30 Donors have to actively uncheck recurring donations21:15 ActBlue adopted new rules after Adam's reporting24:00 Mothership has raised hundreds of millions of dollars28:00 Mothership claims their fight is a “necessary evil”31:00 The public is very concerned about corruption31:45 Anti-corruption is the #1 anti-authoritarian strategy33:15 Public sees the need to raise money as a form of corruption34:45 There is so much corruptibility on the fundraising side of politics35:30 Money spent by Super PACs has almost no effect on public opinion36:45 Trump was outspent and still won37:30 Democrats have fundraising advantage they are squandering38:15 Most Republican donor money came from $1M+ earners39:00 Democrats dominating donations from young professionals42:00 Democrats would gain credibility advantage disavowing dark money44:30 American wealth inequality is reaching extreme territory46:15 Billionaires aren't aligned with root Democratic party politics49:15 Will we see $5B presidential elections in 2028?50:45 There is more money per swing voter than ever52:30 $500m will be spent on CA redistricting55:00 Mainstream journalism rarely audits where money goesSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Chuck Todd breaks down the political fallout as the government shutdown begins disrupting air travel—and both parties claim they're “winning.” He argues that when politicians are upending people's lives, no one is really winning. The conversation turns to Israel, where Prime Minister Netanyahu faces deepening domestic backlash and a loss of international allies. With 66% of Israelis wanting the war in Gaza to end and growing calls for Bibi's ouster, Israel's reliance on the U.S. has never been greater—or more politically divisive.Chuck also examines how the Israel issue is surfacing in U.S. campaign politics, from Democratic primaries to GOP power plays. With Republicans clearing primary fields and Democrats facing scandals like Jay Jones' in Virginia, both parties are wrestling with internal fractures—and the risks of clinging to power at any cost.Then, Chuck sits down with Stanford political scientist Adam Bonica to unpack the dark underbelly of political fundraising. Bonica reveals how the Democratic consulting firm Mothership Strategies helped shape modern campaign fundraising — and how their tactics, often resembling internet scams, have extracted hundreds of millions from small-dollar donors, many of whom are elderly or unaware they've been opted into recurring donations. Together, they explore how much of that money never reaches campaigns at all, instead being funneled into consultant fees and internal operations that border on money laundering.The conversation broadens into the systemic corruption of campaign finance: both parties' use of apocalyptic fear-mongering, the rise of Super PACs with minimal voter impact, and how America's extreme wealth inequality has distorted democratic accountability. Bonica explains why the public now views the very need to raise money as inherently corrupt — and how anti-corruption could be the strongest defense against authoritarian drift. As billions pour into elections with diminishing effect, Chuck and Adam question whether the next era of U.S. politics can ever be disentangled from the cash that drives it.Finally, Chuck gives his ToddCast Top 5 governor's seats most likely to flip parties, and answers listeners' questions in the “Ask Chuck” segment.Got injured in an accident? You could be one click away from a claim worth millions. Just visit https://www.forthepeople.com/TODDCAST to start your claim now with Morgan & Morgan without leaving your couch. Remember, it's free unless you win!Timeline:(Timestamps may vary based on advertisements)00:00 Introduction04:30 Government shutdown begins affecting air travel06:15 Both sides think they are winning the shutdown07:30 Congress created the conditions for regular shutdowns08:30 When you're disrupting people's lives, you aren't “winning”09:30 Israel's public support is eroding in the United States10:30 Under Bibi, Israel has never been more powerful and alone11:30 Israel alienated allies, incredibly reliant on the United States13:15 Partisan split between R's and D's over support for Israel14:15 Growing skepticism for Israel's actions in Gaza16:00 66% of Israelis want to end the war in Gaza17:30 Majority of Israelis want Netayahu gone after war is over19:00 Most Israelis goal is the getting hostages home, not eliminating Hamas20:15 Bibi is clinging to power to avoid accountability21:15 New ad in New Hampshire targeting Andy Beshear over support for Israel22:45 Tough to know how salient Israel issue will be in a Democratic primary24:45 Republicans are clearing primary fields across the country25:30 If Ken Paxton is nominee in Texas, the senate could flip27:30 Susan Collins is the only Republican that can win in Maine29:15 Dem voters tired of establishment that isn't winning30:30 MAGA gave Republicans most power they've had in decades31:30 If Jay Jones allegations in VA surfaced a month ago, he'd be replaced33:00 If elected, Jay Jones should resign and let assembly choose replacement36:00 Democrats playing with political fire with Jay Jones38:30 Adam Bonica joins the Chuck ToddCast 41:30 Fundraising tactics are beyond bizarre 44:00 Mothership strategies behind much of the Dem advertising 46:30 Democratic candidates were enamored by Mothership's strategy 48:45 Many donors had been suffering from cognitive decline 50:00 PAC's were basically money laundering 52:05 Most fundraising dollars were spent internally on consultants 53:30 Both parties use apocalyptic language when fundraising 55:30 Campaign fundraising using the same tactics as scammers 57:00 Political fundraisers prey on older people 59:00 Donors have to actively uncheck recurring donations 59:45 ActBlue adopted new rules after Adam's reporting 1:02:30 Mothership has raised hundreds of millions of dollars 1:06:30 Mothership claims their fight is a "necessary evil" 1:09:30 The public is very concerned about corruption 1:10:15 Anti-corruption is the #1 anti-authoritarian strategy 1:11:45 Public sees the need to raise money as a form of corruption 1:13:15 There is so much corruptibility on the fundraising side of politics 1:14:00 Money spent by Super PACs has almost no effect on public opinion 1:15:15 Trump was outspent and still won 1:16:00 Democrats have fundraising advantage they are squandering 1:16:45 Most Republican donor money came from $1M+ earners 1:17:30 Democrats dominating donations from young professionals 1:20:30 Democrats would gain credibility advantage disavowing dark money 1:23:00 American wealth inequality is reaching extreme territory 1:24:45 Billionaires aren't aligned with root Democratic party politics 1:27:45 Will we see $5B presidential elections in 2028? 1:29:15 There is more money per swing voter than ever 1:31:00 $500m will be spent on CA redistricting 1:33:30 Mainstream journalism rarely audits where money goes1:37:30 Chuck's thoughts on interview with Adam Bonica 1:39:15 Toddcast Top 5 - Governor's seats most likely to flip parties 1:39:45 #1 Virginia 1:42:15 #2 Kansas 1:44:00 #3 Wisconsin, #4 Michigan 1:46:15 #5 Iowa 1:50:15 Ask Chuck 1:50:30 Will there ever be amendments to prevent corruption in government? 1:53:15 Does Trump think the public will believe misinformation about the economy? 1:58:15 Should Democrats offer a "Project 2029" to offer a clear vision for change? 2:00:45 How would you handle bad faith Republican arguments over shutdown?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this episode of the Chuck ToddCast, Oklahoma City Mayor David Holt joins Chuck to talk about why mayors often stand apart from the hyper-polarized world of national politics. With no partisan primaries to cater to, Holt argues that mayors are forced to be pragmatic and bipartisan—because when city leaders fail, the public notices quickly. He describes how Oklahoma City reflects the political and demographic balance of the country, why federal dollars matter more than federal agents when it comes to public safety, and how cities are tackling challenges from police recruitment to affordable housing.The conversation also touches on the unique role sports and culture play in a city's identity, from Oklahoma City's investment in a new arena for the Thunder to preparing for Olympic events. Holt warns of the risks of growing too fast, as seen in places like Austin and Nashville, and reflects on how the decline of local news has made it harder to communicate with residents. From social media outreach to funding journalism, Holt lays out the modern challenges and opportunities for cities trying to govern effectively while Washington remains gridlocked.Got injured in an accident? You could be one click away from a claim worth millions. Just visit https://www.forthepeople.com/TODDCAST to start your claim now with Morgan & Morgan without leaving your couch. Remember, it's free unless you win!Timeline:(Timestamps may vary based on advertisements)00:00 Mayor David Holt joins the Chuck ToddCast00:45 What is the conference of mayors?01:45 Mayors are uniquely bipartisan in this political environment02:45 How has polarization not made its way into mayor's offices03:15 Mayor have to get things done04:15 When mayors screw up the public notices05:00 Mayors don't face partisan primaries06:30 The lack of primaries makes mayors govern in a bipartisan way08:30 Primaries are the “source of all evil” in American politics10:00 Does bipartisan nature of the conference put you at disadvantage w/Trump11:30 Mayors can't govern & cater only to their base13:00 Oklahoma City is a political & demographic microcosm of the country 15:00 Many cities are struggling to hire more police officers16:45 Trump sending troops into cities for law enforcement isn't helpful17:30 Crime doesn't really happen “in the streets”18:30 Hiring incentives for ICE is hurting police recruiting19:45 Cities are having to offer much higher salaries for police officers21:00 Federal dollars are better than federal agents for local enforcement22:00 Youth programs are important to preventing crime23:30 Local governments need federal help to reduce housing costs26:45 How do you control housing costs in a free market system?28:30 Government subsidies incentivize construction of low cost housing30:30 Ways to incentivize landlords not to raise rents too quickly32:45 Will cities run into a budget crisis now that covid money has dried up?34:00 OKC didn't use federal covid money for ongoing expenses36:00 OKC used taxpayer money to get the Thunder a new arena37:45 A major sports team is one of the best things a city can have39:00 Concerned about OKC growing too fast?40:30 Austin & Nashville grew too fast & caused quality of life issues41:45 OKC hosting several Olympic events43:30 Difficulties communicating to public with the decline of local news44:45 Even when local news covers stories, the public doesn't read it45:45 Using social media to communicate with constituents47:30 Funding local news & journalism49:30 Is Oklahoma State out after Oklahoma move to SEC?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.