The Chuck ToddCast

Chuck Todd begins with Donald Trump receiving criticism and backlash from his own base after essentially declaring “case closed” on the Epstein files and why it’s a “reap what you sow” situation after several members of the administration stoked Epstein conspiracies for years. He also provides Elon Musk with a roadmap for his “America Party” and highlights states where third party candidates would be viable as trust erodes in the t...

Chuck Todd begins with the flooding disaster in Texas and why America’s toxic political landscape makes preparing for extreme weather events unlikely, if not impossible. He also reacts to Elon Musk launching the “America Party” and expresses doubts about Musk’s motives, while applauding the idea of launching a viable third party. Finally, he blasts Florida governor Ron DeSantis for vetoing funding for a veterans program over a pers...

Chuck Todd begins by reacting to Paramount agreeing to settle Trump’s bogus 60 Minutes lawsuit and explains why it’s demoralizing for journalists and delegitimizing for corporate owned media. He also dives into the news that Trump has cut off weapons shipments to Ukraine despite a large majority of Americans supporting Ukraine and why it makes strategic sense to do so.

Then, Chuck is joined by Florida gubernatorial candidate David J...

Chuck Todd begins by reacting to the senate passing Trump’s signature piece of legislation: “The Big Beautiful Bill.” He reviews the excuses and rationales given by the senators who had expressed issues with the bill but still voted for it, and explains why the fear of Donald Trump’s wrath is enough to get lawmakers to fall in line and explains why the bill’s passage is emblematic of the broken state of Congress.

Then, Chuck is join...

Chuck Todd reacts to the news that North Carolina senator Thom Tillis won’t seek reelection, why harassment from the Trump team led to his decision, and why his decision gives Democrats another opportunity to pick up a senate seat in the 2026 midterm elections. He also highlights the path for Democrats to win the senate in 26’ and cautions Republicans about the potential of a Democratic president abusing their power in a similar wa...

Chuck Todd examines Zohran Mamdani's stunning primary victory as a seismic shift for the Democratic Party, analyzing how the young progressive candidate's win represents a broader rejection of establishment politics and legacy candidates. The discussion explores the Democratic establishment's lukewarm response to Mamdani's victory, their history of imposing flawed candidates on voters, and the growing disconnect between party leade...

Chuck Todd begins with Zohran Mamdani’s stunning victory over Andrew Cuomo in the New York City Democratic mayoral primary. He points to Mamdani’s cost of living messaging and youth as major factors in the victory, but cautions the party against embracing the “socialist” label, and wonders whether the party establishment will embrace or shun Mamdani.

Then, Chuck is joined by Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Jose Antonio Vargas, who...

Chuck Todd begins by reacting to President Donald Trump’s decision to order airstrikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities. He explains that diplomacy was still on the table, that Israel backed him into a corner, and why he believes that Kamala Harris would have made the same decision if she was president. He highlights the potential ways Iran could strike back, and debates whether this move actually will make the world safer. He also exa...

Chuck Todd is joined by former North Carolina Governor Pat McCrory for a wide-ranging conversation about the state of American politics and governance. McCrory, who describes himself as a Reagan conservative, discusses how modern politics has become trapped in rigid left/right binary thinking and reflects on his experience managing civil unrest during the 2016 Charlotte riots. The conversation explores the breakdown of civil discou...

Chuck Todd begins by reflecting on the 10th anniversary of Trump descending his golden escalator and the profound impact he’s had on both our politics and culture since. He argues that Trump has had the greatest impact of any president since FDR, why Trump’s “fake it til you make it” persona appeals to voters and believes the negative impacts Trump has had on society will last for decades. He also highlights the anniversaries of th...

Chuck Todd reacts to the bizarre limbo President Donald Trump has put the country and world into as he weighs bringing the United States military into the conflict between Israel and Iran. Chuck weighs the benefits and risks of such a move, explains why Israel can’t end Iran’s nuclear program without the U.S. and why Trump is treating foreign policy like reality TV.

He provides some updates and analysis on several primaries and spec...

Chuck Todd begins with a solemn observation… that the world and country are both in a very unstable and combustible moment and needs President Donald Trump to offer stable leadership to help turn the temperature down… but is likely incapable of, or unwilling of doing so. He also reflects on Trump’s role in creating an environment ripe for political violence and why he believes we’re living in an Orwellian moment where it’s hard to ...

Chuck Todd criticizes the controversial military birthday parade planned by Trump in Washington, D.C., which marks both the U.S. Army’s 250th anniversary and Trump’s 79th birthday. He calls out the event as a politicization of the military, a costly spectacle ($25–$45 million) that could have been spent addressing critical social needs such as homeless veterans, Medicaid funding, or infrastructure repair. He takes particular issue ...

Chuck Todd reflects on his recent conversation with Steve Bannon and proposes his theory for what Donald Trump and his MAGA movement's populism is really tapping into not just in America, but as a global phenomenon. Chuck says that the Democrats have an opportunity to position themselves as an opposition party that taps into the American populace's skepticism of concentrated power, and that if the current Democratic leadership isn'...

Chuck Todd reacts to Donald Trump’s escalating conflict with the state of California and Governor Gavin Newsom over the ICE raids and protests. Chuck warns that if Trump makes good on his threats to arrest Newsom, he could make him a powerful martyr. He also weighs in Barack Obama’s lack of presence for the Democrats while they struggle with a leadership vacuum.

Then Chuck sits down with Jamie Shor and Sky Sitney, the co-founders of...

Chuck Todd begins with the apparent de-escalation of the feud between Donald Trump and Elon and why the power imbalance between the two meant that Elon would be forced to back down. Then, he explains why Trump is deliberately manufacturing a crisis by federalizing the National Guard and sending them to LA to deal with protests over ICE raids. He calls it a “political trap” set by Stephen Miller and that the administration has chose...

Chuck Todd reacts to the escalating feud brewing between Donald Trump and Elon Musk after Elon’s departure from the administration. He warns the audience… NOBODY can predict where this will go from here.

Timeline:

00:00 Trump and Elon attack each other on social media

01:00 Trump threatens to terminate Elon’s government contracts

01:20 Elon accuses Trump of being in the Epstein files

02:30 Trump and Elon think they’ve bought each other'...

Chuck Todd begins by trying to make sense of the Elon Musk vs. Donald Trump public feud and why Trump will likely be muted in his criticism. Chuck also weighs in on the NYC mayoral race, why Andrew Cuomo shouldn’t be allowed to run this soon after resigning in disgrace and why voters were deprived of closure in the Cuomo scandal.

Then, Chuck sits down with Lindsey Williams Drath, CEO of the Forward Party, to explore the challenges a...

Chuck Todd begins by analyzing whether Donald Trump or Joe Biden will be a bigger political liability for their respective parties in the 2026 midterms. He also examines the trend of urban vs rural voters happening worldwide and reacts to some newsworthy quotes from American politics

Then, he welcomes Jane Coaston to the podcast for a wide-ranging conversation that spans college football, media, and politics. They dive deep into how...