Chuck Todd begins with analysis of the current travel chaos and President Trump's controversial comments on Alcatraz and movie tariffs. He highlights former Washington Governor Jay Inslee's successful tenure and discusses the evolving political landscape, including key Republican figures declining Senate runs and potential competitive races across the country that could reshape the balance of power. Then, former Washington Governor Jay Inslee joins the podcast, where he discusses his climate pol...
May 07, 2025•1 hr 36 min•Ep. 19
Chuck begins with analysis of the Trump administration's tariff implementation and personnel changes, including Mike Waltz's removal as national security advisor and Marco Rubio's expanding role within the administration. Then, he’s joined by Oren Cass, a leading conservative economic thinker, on America's trade policy and the challenges of reindustrialization. Cass argues that while tariffs and reindustrialization may be sound concepts, the Trump administration's implementation has been complet...
May 05, 2025•1 hr 29 min•Ep. 18
Chuck Todd begins with a critical assessment of the Democratic Party's first 100 days under the Trump administration, noting widespread discontent among Democratic voters with party leadership. He examines the positioning of potential 2028 contenders, with AOC emerging as Bernie Sanders' heir apparent, Buttigieg and Pritzker carefully laying groundwork, and Gavin Newsom attempting to distance himself from his progressive reputation. He highlights Arizona's Ruben Gallego as a potential breakthrou...
May 01, 2025•1 hr 34 min•Ep. 17
Chuck Todd begins the show with a candid assessment of President Trump's troubled first 100 days, suggesting that Trump's authoritarian tendencies may stem more from laziness than deliberate strategy. He questions what it would take for Trump to improve his approval ratings, noting that someone truly interested in maintaining power would be working harder to communicate with non-supporters. Then he’s joined by Dr. Jodi Vittori, an expert on kleptocracy – rule by thieves. Dr. Vittori explains why...
Apr 30, 2025•1 hr 20 min•Ep. 16
In this packed episode, Chuck opens with a sobering assessment of President Trump's plummeting approval ratings and questions about his administration's credibility before diving into critical structural concerns about the Department of Justice's independence and the need to expand the House of Representatives. He shifts to Florida politics, where a brewing corruption scandal threatens the governor's race and Republicans are increasingly willing to challenge Ron DeSantis's weakened political sta...
Apr 28, 2025•2 hr 5 min•Ep. 15
Chuck Todd speaks with legendary documentary filmmaker Alex Gibney about his newest project The Dark Money Game on HBO and the influence of legalized bribery in American politics. First, Chuck gives his own thoughts on the corrupting influence of money in politics, why Donald Trump’s memecoin is a bribery scheme in plain sight and why money has fueled distrust in politics from both sides of the aisle Then, Chuck and Alex dive into the Ohio scandal at the center of The Dark Money Game , exploring...
Apr 25, 2025•1 hr 15 min•Ep. 14
Chuck begins by weighing in on a new Pew Research poll showing a significant drop in President Donald Trump’s approval rating since his inauguration. He highlights the erosion of support among non-voters as a potential warning sign for the president. Chuck also shares his concerns about the administration’s apparent deference to Russia in the latest Ukraine peace agreement. Next, he’s joined by Jon Tester and Maritsa Georgiou to discuss their new podcast, the underrepresentation of middle Americ...
Apr 24, 2025•1 hr 24 min•Ep. 13
Chuck Todd is joined by Mark Zandi, chief economist at Moody’s Analytics, to discuss the damaging effects of President Donald Trump’s tariffs and trade war on the U.S. economy. Chuck opens the episode by framing the nation’s economic struggles as entirely self-inflicted, warning against political pressure on the Federal Reserve, and explaining why the consequences of current policy decisions could take years to reverse. Mark Zandi then joins to share his economic risk assessment, explore why mar...
Apr 23, 2025•1 hr 9 min•Ep. 12
Chuck Todd is joined by Benjamin Wittes, editor-in-chief of Lawfare , to break down the widespread legal violations committed by the Trump administration during Donald Trump’s first three months in office. Chuck opens the episode by underscoring the gravity of the moment and why Trump appears to show little respect for the law or the authority of the courts. Ben Wittes then joins the conversation to discuss the constitutional amendments the administration may have violated, whether Trump is defy...
Apr 21, 2025•1 hr 22 min•Ep. 11
Chuck Todd takes a deep dive into the JFK assassination conspiracy and the latest document release with Jeff Morley, founder of JFK Facts . He opens the episode by exploring how the government’s lack of transparency and honesty has fueled public distrust—and why that environment often breeds conspiratorial thinking. Chuck and Jeff then examine the government's decades-long effort to keep a tight lid on records related to President John F. Kennedy’s assassination, and how skepticism from high-ran...
Apr 17, 2025•1 hr 26 min•Ep. 10
Chuck Todd is joined by geopolitical expert and Eurasia Group founder Ian Bremmer to unpack the global implications of President Donald Trump’s efforts to reshape the international order. Chuck opens the episode by examining how Trump’s use of tariffs and his zero-sum approach to foreign policy are dismantling decades of established U.S. trade and diplomatic norms. Ian then joins the conversation to assess the ripple effects of Trump’s tariffs on global trade, how key U.S. allies and rivals are ...
Apr 16, 2025•1 hr 22 min•Ep. 9
First, Chuck reacts to President Trump’s announcement that smartphones, computers, and other electronics will be exempt from tariffs. He also previews what we can expect this week in political news, and breaks down what all these developments mean for our democracy as a whole. Then, Chuck is joined by The Atlantic staff writer McKay Coppins to discuss his latest story, “Growing Up Murdoch,” which delves into the Succession-style drama surrounding Rupert Murdoch, his children, and the future of t...
Apr 14, 2025•1 hr 6 min•Ep. 8
On this episode of The Chuck ToddCast , Chuck Todd is joined by Marc Caputo, Senior White House Reporter for Axios. Chuck begins by breaking down how the personnel guardrails that existed during Donald Trump’s first term are now gone—and why a potential second Trump administration would look dramatically different from the first. He and Marc then explore which Trump official is most likely to take the blame for the administration’s disastrous tariff rollout, and outline three key factors that le...
Apr 11, 2025•55 min•Ep. 7
On this episode of The Chuck ToddCast , Chuck reacts to President Donald Trump’s decision to pause his sweeping tariff regime — and explains why it reveals his continued responsiveness to the wealthy political donor class. He also reflects on how the O.J. Simpson trial forever changed the news media landscape, incentivizing networks to prioritize profits and ratings over journalistic value. Finally, Chuck answers listener questions in another edition of Ask Chuck . 0:00 Trump rescinds the tariff...
Apr 10, 2025•36 min•Ep. 6
On this episode of The Chuck ToddCast, Chuck dives into the new waters he’s swimming in—the world of independent media and journalism. He shares his concerns about attacks on the free press by the Donald Trump administration and the lack of a unified pushback from the media. He explains how the erosion of local news sowed the seeds of public distrust, and he expresses his goal to help rebuild media from the ground up. Later, he’s joined by independent journalist Tara Palmeri to dissect the new m...
Apr 09, 2025•1 hr 17 min•Ep. 5
On this episode of The Chuck ToddCast , Chuck explores why America is undergoing a major political realignment, and why President Donald Trump’s approval rating may never recover following the disastrous rollout of sweeping tariffs. Later, Republican Rep. Don Bacon (NE-02) joins the show to discuss the impact of those tariffs on his constituents in Omaha and whether Congress could move to limit the president’s tariff powers. They also talk about the need for moral clarity from the U.S. in the Ru...
Apr 07, 2025•1 hr 4 min•Ep. 4
Chuck Todd analyzes the sweeping tariffs imposed by President Donald Trump, discussing their historic impact. He argues that free trade has made America safer and more prosperous and predicts significant political backlash for Trump and Republicans. He outlines key political developments to watch in the coming months, highlighting an opportunity for Democrats to regain control in Washington. He also examines how Trump’s promised tax cuts are now at risk, and why his presidency will be even more ...
Apr 04, 2025•24 min•Ep. 3
On episode 2 of the brand-new Chuck Toddcast , Chuck is joined by Jake Sherman, founder of Punchbowl News and one of the most well-connected reporters on Capitol Hill. But first, Chuck reflects on the results of the special elections in Florida and the Wisconsin Supreme Court race, which showed that the base of the out-of-power party is fired up. He explains why this suggests voters are more inclined to vote against a party rather than for one. He also discusses why the party in question is in d...
Apr 03, 2025•1 hr 2 min•Ep. 2
On the debut episode of the newly relaunched Chuck ToddCast , Chuck sits down with Pennsylvania Senator John Fetterman. But first, Chuck reacts to the special election results for US Congress in Florida that saw Republicans Jimmy Patronis and Randy Fine beat out Democrats Gay Valimont and Josh Weil for the seats vacated by Matt Gaetz and Mike Waltz. He also discusses the hotly contested Wisconsin Supreme Court race, where liberal judge Susan Crawford won her race against Brad Schimel, who had mi...
Apr 02, 2025•1 hr 6 min•Ep. 1
The Chuck Toddcast is back! If you’re looking for smart, no-nonsense political conversations, you’ve come to the right place. The Chuck Toddcast goes beyond the headlines—talking with top reporters, insiders, and newsmakers from D.C. to the heartland. No scripts, no spin—just real conversations about what’s shaping our politics and why it matters. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Mar 31, 2025•44 sec
