The Chuck ToddCast

Chuck Todd unpacks a wave of devastating new polling that shows Americans have lost confidence in Trump across nearly every metric, with his approval cratering among independents and only his hardcore base still standing by him. He notes Trump is underwater on virtually every issue except taxes, immigration, and the border — that his trustworthiness is lower than any past president, that even 22% of his own 2024 voters don't believe he's kept his promises, and that his approval has collapsed with younger voters even as it holds up with the elderly. In a particularly striking finding, only 1 in 10 Americans approve of Trump naming things after himself, and even the "own the libs" voters can't get behind that particular vanity. Todd warns this is a political disaster in the making for Republicans: the enthusiasm gap is now massive in the Democrats' favor, and the Iran war is polling more unpopular than the worst polling ever recorded for Iraq or Vietnam. Yet despite all this, neither party's brand has actually improved with swing voters — both parties still carry almost identical unfavorability ratings, voters of both parties don't even want their leaders to work across the aisle anymore, and the political incentives are now firmly aligned with confrontation rather than compromise — creating an enormous opportunity for independent candidates that neither major party seems prepared to address. On Iran, he says there is no political room for Trump to escalate militarily — his only real escalation option would be ground troops, which would risk total political collapse — and predicts the eventual deal will look like whatever framework the Iranians put forward. He flags a striking recent Tucker Carlson interview in which Carlson was forced to face hard facts, observing that Tucker increasingly looks like a combination of Pat Buchanan and Roger Ailes who is genuinely trying to build a political movement of his own. He returns to the case for expanding the House of Representatives as the fix for the Supreme Court's Voting Rights Act ruling, warns that Republicans could pay a serious political price if Southern voters perceive the GOP as actively trying to disenfranchise Black voters and closes with the news that Janet Mills has dropped out of the Maine Senate race — leaving Democrats now trying to coalesce around Graham Platner, in what Chuck says feels increasingly like a mirror image of the 2016 presidential campaign.
Then, Yale political scientist Ian Shapiro — author of the new book After the Fall — joins the Chuck Toddcast for a wide-ranging conversation about the missed opportunities of the post-Cold War era and what it would take to actually fix what's broken in the global political economy. Shapiro argues America fundamentally squandered its chance to integrate Russia into the West after the Soviet collapse — there should have been a Marshall Plan for Russia along the lines of what was done for Germany and Japan after World War II, and both Yeltsin and Putin (in his early years) actively lobbied to join the Western order. Clinton was hesitant to help Russia economically, the 1994 midterm results pushed him away from foreign policy ambition entirely, and the eventual pivot toward NATO expansion in Eastern Europe — rather than transforming NATO into something genuinely inclusive — froze Russia out and is exactly when Putin's worldview hardened into the revanchism we're dealing with today. Shapiro extends this analysis to 2008, calling the financial crisis another massive missed opportunity: Obama had to bail out the banks, but his failure to insist on a parallel bailout for Main Street allowed the elites to rescue themselves while imposing austerity on everyone else, which directly fueled the right-wing populism now reshaping politics across the West.
The conversation pivots to what comes next. Shapiro is clear that the good policies of the 2030s won't be a rehash of the New Deal — they need to address modern realities. He argues governments need to help workers be flexible rather than redistributing wealth through politically toxic taxation, advocating instead for portable health insurance and portable child care that follows the worker. Shapiro makes a forceful case for immigration as the only realistic answer to America's demographic challenges, noting that Spain and Poland are economically outperforming much of Europe specifically because they've embraced immigration to support aging populations. He warns that we're living in a world disturbingly similar to the 1930s — if ordinary people don't benefit from economic growth, they will not continue supporting the existing order — and notes that right-wing populists don't actually have answers; they just attack the elites. Shapiro argues Trump is inadvertently benefiting China enormously, but cautions that authoritarian governments are fundamentally bad at managing complex economies, so it's still unlikely China's model wins the 21st century. Shapiro closes by warning that the anti-Trump coalition has become too big to govern, but that if Zohran Mamdani succeeds in New York, it could meaningfully energize progressive politics nationally — proof that the road forward requires real ideas about power, not just opposition to Trumpism.
Finally, Chuck hops into the ToddCast Time Machine to revisit the Hindenburg disaster and how it was the origin of “breaking news”, and also answers listeners’ questions in the “Ask Chuck” segment.
Try ShipStation free for 60 days with full access to all features, No credit card needed! Go to https://ShipStation.com and use code TODDCAST for 60 days for free!
Thank you Wildgrain for sponsoring. Visit http://wildgrain.com/TODDCAST and use the code "TODDCAST" at checkout to receive $30 off your first box PLUS free Croissants for life!
Link in bio or go to https://getsoul.com & enter code TODDCAST for 30% off your first order.
Timeline:
(Timestamps may vary based on advertisements)
00:00 Chuck Todd’s introduction
08:30 New polling shows Americans have no confidence in Trump
09:15 Trump’s approval has cratered with independent voters
10:00 Trump is only above his approval rating on taxes, immigration and border
10:45 The only people that approve of Trump are his base
12:45 The polling shows a massive repudiation of Trump
14:15 Trump’s trustworthiness is lower than any past president
16:45 Only 78% of Trump voters believe he’s kept his promises
18:15 Trump’s highest approval is with older voters, collapsed with younger voters
20:00 Only 1 in 10 Americans approve of Trump naming things after himself
21:00 Even the “own the libs” voters don’t like Trump naming things after himself
24:30 Republicans expected ethics in government to improve & they haven’t
25:45 Both parties still have almost identical unfavorability ratings
26:15 The Democratic brand hasn’t improved amongst swing voters
28:15 Voters of both parties don’t want leaders to work across the aisle
29:15 Neither side is incentivized to compromise
31:15 Voters are rewarding confrontation
33:45 Dems more trusted on healthcare, Republicans trusted on crime
34:15 Almost every other issue is up for grabs for both parties
34:45 Neither party has trust on dealing with AI
36:15 There’s a huge opportunity for independents in this political climate
36:45 There’s a huge enthusiasm gap favoring the Democrats
38:00 This is a political disaster in the making for Republicans
38:30 Iran war is more unpopular than worst polling for Iraq & Vietnam
40:15 Trump’s only escalation option in Iran is to send in ground troops
41:15 If Trump wants to escalate he better have a plan
41:45 Far more damage to American military assets than we were told
42:30 The Iranian framework for a deal will likely be the one agreed to
43:30 There is no political room for Trump to escalate militarily
44:00 Trump risks total political collapse if he escalates in Iran
45:00 Tucker Carlson forced to face facts in recent interview
46:00 Tucker is a combination of Pat Buchanon and Roger Ailes
47:45 Carlson feels like someone who is trying to build a movement
49:00 Expanding congress would fix SCOTUS Voting Rights Act ruling
50:30 There will be angry voters in the south after this ruling
52:00 Republicans could pay a political price due to backlash from SCOTUS
53:45 If Republicans try to disenfranchise black voters, they could juice turnout
54:45 Trump is more focused on targeting disloyal Republicans than Democrats
56:00 Janet Mills drops out, Dems trying to come around on Graham Platner
56:45 Platner race feels like mirror image of 2016 campaign for president
1:03:45 Ian Shapiro (After the Fall) joins The Chuck ToddCast
1:05:15 How long did you work on the book?
1:07:00 The lack of a Marshall Plan for Russia was a missed opportunity
1:07:45 Russia should have been dealt with like Germany & Japan after WW2
1:08:45 Yeltsin & Putin lobbied to join the west & we blew that opportunity
1:10:00 Clinton was hesitant to help Russia economically
1:11:15 ‘94 midterm results dissuaded Clinton from focusing on foreign policy
1:12:45 Clinton pivoted from rapprochement NATO expansion in eastern Europe
1:13:45 There were opportunities to transform NATO into something else
1:15:15 NATO feels necessary again, we’re back in another cold war
1:16:15 What if we had brought Ukraine into NATO in the 90s?
1:17:00 When Russia was frozen out of the west, that’s when Putin changed
1:17:30 Eastern Europeans have a deep distrust of the Russians
1:18:45 The rise of right wing populism is driven by economics
1:19:30 2008 financial crisis was a missed opportunity for Obama
1:21:15 Elites bailed themselves out in 2008 & imposed austerity on everyone else
1:22:45 Obama had to bail out banks, but didn’t force a bail out of main street too
1:24:30 How do you begin to undo protectionism and nationalism?
1:25:15 Good policies of the 2030s won’t be a rehash of the New Deal
1:26:15 Gina Riamondo has smart policies for transforming the labor force
1:27:45 Government needs to aid the modern worker to help them be flexible
1:29:00 Taxation and redistribution is politically toxic. Better to incentivize business
1:30:00 Portable health insurance and child care would give workers flexibility
1:31:15 Domestic immigration is incredibly difficult and cost prohibitive
1:32:00 Every state needs immigration in order to fix demographic challenges
1:33:15 Spain & Poland’s economies are performing well because of immigration
1:34:00 We need immigrants in order to support services for an aging population
1:34:45 In some ways, we’re living in a world similar to the 1930s
1:36:00 If people don’t benefit from growth, they won’t support the existing order
1:36:45 Right wing populists don’t have answers, they just attack the elites
1:37:15 Spain is one of the few western countries that is getting it right
1:39:15 The west hasn’t dealt well with the rise of China
1:39:45 Everything Trump is doing has benefitted China enormously
1:41:15 Unlikely that China’s model wins the 21st century
1:42:30 Authoritarian governments aren’t good for managing a complex economy
1:43:30 India is even further down the nationalist road than the U.S.
1:44:45 UK’s two major parties are facing the potential of collapse
1:45:45 Could either of the two major two parties in America collapse?
1:46:45 Both parties pushing the same policies & benefits go to the top
1:48:45 Do globally integrated economies make world war less likely?
1:50:15 Major war results in mutually assured economic destruction
1:51:15 The calamities of the 30s and 40s led to massive, inclusive economic growth
1:52:15 Massive, stateless companies are accruing more power than states
1:53:45 The global oligarchs are still reliant on markets and consumers
1:54:30 Governments will need to coordinate to put guardrails on the oligarchs
1:55:15 If business isn’t part of the solution, they will be part of the problem
1:56:45 The Trump administration is cratering & left is reveling in the schaudenfreude
1:58:15 The anti-Trump coalition is too big to govern
1:59:00 If Mamdani succeeds, could that energize progressive politics nationally?
2:01:00 Where can people find your work?
2:02:15 Chuck’s thoughts on interview with Ian Shapiro
2:02:30 ToddCast Time Machine - May 6th 1937 - The Hindenburg Disaster
2:03:30 Crowds arrived to watch the Hindenburg arrive
2:04:45 Commercial zeppelin travel had existed for 30 years already
2:05:30 The Hindenburg carried the symbols of Nazi Germany
2:06:15 In 34 seconds the entire airship was destroyed
2:07:00 “Oh The Humanity” becomes an iconic term from broadcasting
2:07:30 The recording wasn’t broadcast live, but was presented as breaking news
2:08:45 Airships fell out of fashion and airplanes made them uncompetitive
2:09:30 The Hindenburg didn’t just fail technically, it failed publicly
2:10:30 Ask Chuck
2:10:45 Have you fallen into the normalization trap? Trump has impeachable offenses
2:16:15 Thoughts on Adam Hamilton running as a Dem in Kansas?
2:19:45 Has any president been as intentionally divisive as Trump?
2:22:00 Take on the expansion of March Madness tournament?
2:26:30 How much impact could the Forward Party have?
2:32:00 Thoughts on the weekend in sports
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Chuck Todd unpacks a wave of devastating new polling that shows Americans have lost confidence in Trump across nearly every metric, with his approval cratering among independents and only his hardcore base still standing by him. He notes Trump is underwater on virtually every issue except taxes, immigration, and the border — that his trustworthiness is lower than any past president, that even 22% of his own 2024 voters don't believe he's kept his promises, and that his approval has collapsed with younger voters even as it holds up with the elderly. In a particularly striking finding, only 1 in 10 Americans approve of Trump naming things after himself, and even the "own the libs" voters can't get behind that particular vanity. Todd warns this is a political disaster in the making for Republicans: the enthusiasm gap is now massive in the Democrats' favor, and the Iran war is polling more unpopular than the worst polling ever recorded for Iraq or Vietnam. Yet despite all this, neither party's brand has actually improved with swing voters — both parties still carry almost identical unfavorability ratings, voters of both parties don't even want their leaders to work across the aisle anymore, and the political incentives are now firmly aligned with confrontation rather than compromise — creating an enormous opportunity for independent candidates that neither major party seems prepared to address. On Iran, he says there is no political room for Trump to escalate militarily — his only real escalation option would be ground troops, which would risk total political collapse — and predicts the eventual deal will look like whatever framework the Iranians put forward. He flags a striking recent Tucker Carlson interview in which Carlson was forced to face hard facts, observing that Tucker increasingly looks like a combination of Pat Buchanan and Roger Ailes who is genuinely trying to build a political movement of his own. He returns to the case for expanding the House of Representatives as the fix for the Supreme Court's Voting Rights Act ruling, warns that Republicans could pay a serious political price if Southern voters perceive the GOP as actively trying to disenfranchise Black voters and closes with the news that Janet Mills has dropped out of the Maine Senate race — leaving Democrats now trying to coalesce around Graham Platner, in what Chuck says feels increasingly like a mirror image of the 2016 presidential campaign.
Finally, Chuck hops into the ToddCast Time Machine to revisit the Hindenburg disaster and how it was the origin of “breaking news”, and also answers listeners’ questions in the “Ask Chuck” segment.
Try ShipStation free for 60 days with full access to all features, No credit card needed! Go to https://ShipStation.com and use code TODDCAST for 60 days for free!
Thank you Wildgrain for sponsoring. Visit http://wildgrain.com/TODDCAST and use the code "TODDCAST" at checkout to receive $30 off your first box PLUS free Croissants for life!
Link in bio or go to https://getsoul.com & enter code TODDCAST for 30% off your first order.
Timeline:
(Timestamps may vary based on advertisements)
00:00 Chuck Todd’s introduction
08:30 New polling shows Americans have no confidence in Trump
09:15 Trump’s approval has cratered with independent voters
10:00 Trump is only above his approval rating on taxes, immigration and border
10:45 The only people that approve of Trump are his base
12:45 The polling shows a massive repudiation of Trump
14:15 Trump’s trustworthiness is lower than any past president
16:45 Only 78% of Trump voters believe he’s kept his promises
18:15 Trump’s highest approval is with older voters, collapsed with younger voters
20:00 Only 1 in 10 Americans approve of Trump naming things after himself
21:00 Even the “own the libs” voters don’t like Trump naming things after himself
24:30 Republicans expected ethics in government to improve & they haven’t
25:45 Both parties still have almost identical unfavorability ratings
26:15 The Democratic brand hasn’t improved amongst swing voters
28:15 Voters of both parties don’t want leaders to work across the aisle
29:15 Neither side is incentivized to compromise
31:15 Voters are rewarding confrontation
33:45 Dems more trusted on healthcare, Republicans trusted on crime
34:15 Almost every other issue is up for grabs for both parties
34:45 Neither party has trust on dealing with AI
36:15 There’s a huge opportunity for independents in this political climate
36:45 There’s a huge enthusiasm gap favoring the Democrats
38:00 This is a political disaster in the making for Republicans
38:30 Iran war is more unpopular than worst polling for Iraq & Vietnam
40:15 Trump’s only escalation option in Iran is to send in ground troops
41:15 If Trump wants to escalate he better have a plan
41:45 Far more damage to American military assets than we were told
42:30 The Iranian framework for a deal will likely be the one agreed to
43:30 There is no political room for Trump to escalate militarily
44:00 Trump risks total political collapse if he escalates in Iran
45:00 Tucker Carlson forced to face facts in recent interview
46:00 Tucker is a combination of Pat Buchanon and Roger Ailes
47:45 Carlson feels like someone who is trying to build a movement
49:00 Expanding congress would fix SCOTUS Voting Rights Act ruling
50:30 There will be angry voters in the south after this ruling
52:00 Republicans could pay a political price due to backlash from SCOTUS
53:45 If Republicans try to disenfranchise black voters, they could juice turnout
54:45 Trump is more focused on targeting disloyal Republicans than Democrats
56:00 Janet Mills drops out, Dems trying to come around on Graham Platner
56:45 Platner race feels like mirror image of 2016 campaign for president
1:02:15 ToddCast Time Machine - May 6th 1937 - The Hindenburg Disaster
1:03:15 Crowds arrived to watch the Hindenburg
1:04:30 Commercial zeppelin travel had existed for 30 years already
1:05:15 The Hindenburg carried the symbols of Nazi Germany
1:06:00 In 34 seconds the entire airship was destroyed
1:06:45 “Oh The Humanity” becomes an iconic term from broadcasting
1:07:15 The recording wasn’t broadcast live, but was presented as breaking news
1:08:30 Airships fell out of fashion and airplanes made them uncompetitive
1:09:15 The Hindenburg didn’t just fail technically, it failed publicly
1:10:15 Ask Chuck
1:10:30 Have you fallen into the normalization trap? Trump has impeachable offenses
1:16:00 Thoughts on Adam Hamilton running as a Dem in Kansas?
1:19:30 Has any president been as intentionally divisive as Trump?
1:21:45 Take on the expansion of March Madness tournament?
1:26:15 How much impact could the Forward Party have?
1:31:45 Thoughts on the weekend in sports
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Yale political scientist Ian Shapiro — author of the new book After the Fall — joins the Chuck Toddcast for a wide-ranging conversation about the missed opportunities of the post-Cold War era and what it would take to actually fix what's broken in the global political economy. Shapiro argues America fundamentally squandered its chance to integrate Russia into the West after the Soviet collapse — there should have been a Marshall Plan for Russia along the lines of what was done for Germany and Japan after World War II, and both Yeltsin and Putin (in his early years) actively lobbied to join the Western order. Clinton was hesitant to help Russia economically, the 1994 midterm results pushed him away from foreign policy ambition entirely, and the eventual pivot toward NATO expansion in Eastern Europe — rather than transforming NATO into something genuinely inclusive — froze Russia out and is exactly when Putin's worldview hardened into the revanchism we're dealing with today. Shapiro extends this analysis to 2008, calling the financial crisis another massive missed opportunity: Obama had to bail out the banks, but his failure to insist on a parallel bailout for Main Street allowed the elites to rescue themselves while imposing austerity on everyone else, which directly fueled the right-wing populism now reshaping politics across the West.
The conversation pivots to what comes next. Shapiro is clear that the good policies of the 2030s won't be a rehash of the New Deal — they need to address modern realities. He argues governments need to help workers be flexible rather than redistributing wealth through politically toxic taxation, advocating instead for portable health insurance and portable child care that follows the worker. Shapiro makes a forceful case for immigration as the only realistic answer to America's demographic challenges, noting that Spain and Poland are economically outperforming much of Europe specifically because they've embraced immigration to support aging populations. He warns that we're living in a world disturbingly similar to the 1930s — if ordinary people don't benefit from economic growth, they will not continue supporting the existing order — and notes that right-wing populists don't actually have answers; they just attack the elites. Shapiro argues Trump is inadvertently benefiting China enormously, but cautions that authoritarian governments are fundamentally bad at managing complex economies, so it's still unlikely China's model wins the 21st century. Shapiro closes by warning that the anti-Trump coalition has become too big to govern, but that if Zohran Mamdani succeeds in New York, it could meaningfully energize progressive politics nationally — proof that the road forward requires real ideas about power, not just opposition to Trumpism.
Try ShipStation free for 60 days with full access to all features, No credit card needed! Go to https://ShipStation.com and use code TODDCAST for 60 days for free!
Thank you Wildgrain for sponsoring. Visit http://wildgrain.com/TODDCAST and use the code "TODDCAST" at checkout to receive $30 off your first box PLUS free Croissants for life!
Link in bio or go to https://getsoul.com & enter code TODDCAST for 30% off your first order.
Timeline:
(Timestamps may vary based on advertisements)
00:00 Ian Shapiro (After the Fall) joins The Chuck ToddCast
01:30 How long did you work on the book?
03:15 The lack of a Marshall Plan for Russia was a missed opportunity
04:00 Russia should have been dealt with like Germany & Japan after WW2
05:00 Yeltsin & Putin lobbied to join the west & we blew that opportunity
06:15 Clinton was hesitant to help Russia economically
07:30 ‘94 midterm results dissuaded Clinton from focusing on foreign policy
09:00 Clinton pivoted from rapprochement NATO expansion in eastern Europe
10:00 There were opportunities to transform NATO into something else
11:30 NATO feels necessary again, we’re back in another cold war
12:30 What if we had brought Ukraine into NATO in the 90s?
13:15 When Russia was frozen out of the west, that’s when Putin changed
13:45 Eastern Europeans have a deep distrust of the Russians
15:00 The rise of right wing populism is driven by economics
15:45 2008 financial crisis was a missed opportunity for Obama
17:30 Elites bailed themselves out in 2008 & imposed austerity on everyone else
19:00 Obama had to bail out banks, but didn’t force a bail out of main street too
20:45 How do you begin to undo protectionism and nationalism?
21:30 Good policies of the 2030s won’t be a rehash of the New Deal
22:30 Gina Riamondo has smart policies for transforming the labor force
24:00 Government needs to aid the modern worker to help them be flexible
25:15 Taxation and redistribution is politically toxic. Better to incentivize business
26:15 Portable health insurance and child care would give workers flexibility
27:30 Domestic immigration is incredibly difficult and cost prohibitive
28:15 Every state needs immigration in order to fix demographic challenges
29:30 Spain & Poland’s economies are performing well because of immigration
30:15 We need immigrants in order to support services for an aging population
31:00 In some ways, we’re living in a world similar to the 1930s
32:15 If people don’t benefit from growth, they won’t support the existing order
33:00 Right wing populists don’t have answers, they just attack the elites
33:30 Spain is one of the few western countries that is getting it right
35:30 The west hasn’t dealt well with the rise of China
36:00 Everything Trump is doing has benefitted China enormously
37:30 Unlikely that China’s model wins the 21st century
38:45 Authoritarian governments aren’t good for managing a complex economy
39:45 India is even further down the nationalist road than the U.S.
41:00 UK’s two major parties are facing the potential of collapse
42:00 Could either of the two major two parties in America collapse?
43:00 Both parties pushing the same policies & benefits go to the top
45:00 Do globally integrated economies make world war less likely?
46:30 Major war results in mutually assured economic destruction
47:30 The calamities of the 30s and 40s led to massive, inclusive economic growth
48:30 Massive, stateless companies are accruing more power than states
50:00 The global oligarchs are still reliant on markets and consumers
50:45 Governments will need to coordinate to put guardrails on the oligarchs
51:30 If business isn’t part of the solution, they will be part of the problem
53:00 The Trump administration is cratering & left is reveling in the schaudenfreude
54:30 The anti-Trump coalition is too big to govern
55:15 If Mamdani succeeds, could that energize progressive politics nationally?
57:15 Where can people find your work?
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Chuck Todd dives into the Supreme Court's latest ruling further hollowing out the Voting Rights Act and walks through what it actually means in practice — including the very real possibility that several Southern states will now try to redistrict, creating a messy political landscape that won't necessarily benefit Republicans in the way they hope. He traces the history back to the 1990s Georgia reapportionment that led to major GOP pickups by packing Black Democratic voters into fewer districts, but warns this round of Southern redistricting will create more swing districts. He uses the moment to make the case for what he sees as the real structural fix to America's representation crisis: uncapping the House of Representatives to allow it to grow with population the way the founders originally intended, with Madison himself arguing the chamber would always need to expand. He argues that a bigger House would lower the barrier for third parties, minimize the outsized impact of the Electoral College, dramatically reduce the incentive to gerrymander — and crucially, this change wouldn't exclusively benefit either party. His framing is simple: stop fighting over the chairs at the table and increase the size of the table itself. He then pivots to what he calls the rise of the "woke right" — citing the second Comey indictment as exhibit A, noting that the right has now embraced exactly the kind of oversensitivity they once accused the left of engaging in, and pointing out it's no accident that Pam Bondi wouldn't bring the Comey case but Todd Blanche will. He flags that the FCC's attacks on Jimmy Kimmel will badly backfire, dismisses the Hegseth congressional hearing as a useless exercise where everyone was just chasing viral moments, and argues that Hegseth himself is suffering from a bad case of "internet brain" — actively politicizing the military while failing to make a coherent case for why the Iran war was ever necessary. He closes with a pointed observation about the entire administration: nobody around Trump believes any criticism of him is ever valid, and they appear to genuinely think voters are stupid enough to never notice.
Finally, he answers listeners’ questions in the “Ask Chuck” segment, weighs in on the DNC choosing NOT to release their 2024 autopsy, and reacts to the expansion on the NCAA basketball tournament.
Try ShipStation free for 60 days with full access to all features, No credit card needed! Go to https://ShipStation.com and use code TODDCAST for 60 days for free!
Thank you Wildgrain for sponsoring. Visit http://wildgrain.com/TODDCAST and use the code "TODDCAST" at checkout to receive $30 off your first box PLUS free Croissants for life!
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.
Link in bio or go to https://getsoul.com & enter code TODDCAST for 30% off your first order.

Timeline:
00:00 Chuck Todd’s introduction
01:30 Supreme Court further hollows out the Voting Rights Act
03:00 You may see several states in the south try to redistrict
06:00 We have a serious representation issue in congress
07:30 In the 90’s Georgia reapportionment led to major GOP pickups
09:00 Led to more black Dems in congress, but less Dems in congress
10:00 Redistricting won’t be clean for GOP in this political climate
10:30 Redistricting will create more swing districts in the south
12:15 You may see racially charged Dem primaries in new districts
13:45 Uncapping the House of Representatives could solve this issue
14:15 House expanded based on population growth
16:15 Right now the house is not representative of the people
17:45 Multi-member districts also provide better representation
19:00 Bigger house would create less need for gerrymandering
20:00 Expanding house would minimize the impact of electoral college
21:30 Expanded house would lower barrier to entry for third parties
23:00 The house was always meant to be a bit messy
23:30 Madison argued the house was always going to have to expand
25:00 This change wouldn’t exclusively benefit one party
26:00 Don’t fight over the chairs, increase the size of the table
28:00 The “woke right” has emerged, evidenced by Comey indictment
29:30 Right accused the left of the oversensitivity they’re engaged in now
31:00 Attacks by the FCC on Kimmel will backfire and look terrible
33:15 Not an accident that Bondi wouldn’t bring Comey case & Blanche will
34:15 Hegseth’s hearing was useless, everyone wanted a viral moment
35:30 Hegseth is suffering from a bad case of “internet brain”
36:30 Hegseth is doing everything he can to politicize the military
37:15 Hegseth failed to make the case for why the war was necessary
39:00 Nobody in the administration believes that any criticism is valid
40:15 Do they really think the voters are all stupid?
45:15 Ask Chuck
45:30 Experienced wildfires, in bad conditions there’s nothing you can do
46:45 What do you make of Hegseth purging so many top generals?
48:45 Props for “Dynastic” podcast
50:45 How do you see the US/Israel dynamic play out post-Trump?
54:15 Do you see a path forward for statehood for D.C. & Puerto Rico?
58:00 Why don’t interviewers press Lindsey Graham on his post J6 remarks?
1:00:45 Should Democrats be more forceful rhetorically or does that do more harm?
1:05:00 Ken Martin appears on Pod Save to explain why they won’t release ‘24 autopsy
1:06:15 Autopsy could have offended a particular set of donors or supporters
1:07:30 How do you learn lessons from the loss if you don’t share those lessons?
1:08:15 NCAA expanding basketball tournament
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Chuck Todd dives into the Supreme Court's latest ruling further hollowing out the Voting Rights Act and walks through what it actually means in practice — including the very real possibility that several Southern states will now try to redistrict, creating a messy political landscape that won't necessarily benefit Republicans in the way they hope. He traces the history back to the 1990s Georgia reapportionment that led to major GOP pickups by packing Black Democratic voters into fewer districts, but warns this round of Southern redistricting will create more swing districts. He uses the moment to make the case for what he sees as the real structural fix to America's representation crisis: uncapping the House of Representatives to allow it to grow with population the way the founders originally intended, with Madison himself arguing the chamber would always need to expand. He argues that a bigger House would lower the barrier for third parties, minimize the outsized impact of the Electoral College, dramatically reduce the incentive to gerrymander — and crucially, this change wouldn't exclusively benefit either party. His framing is simple: stop fighting over the chairs at the table and increase the size of the table itself. He then pivots to what he calls the rise of the "woke right" — citing the second Comey indictment as exhibit A, noting that the right has now embraced exactly the kind of oversensitivity they once accused the left of engaging in, and pointing out it's no accident that Pam Bondi wouldn't bring the Comey case but Todd Blanche will. He flags that the FCC's attacks on Jimmy Kimmel will badly backfire, dismisses the Hegseth congressional hearing as a useless exercise where everyone was just chasing viral moments, and argues that Hegseth himself is suffering from a bad case of "internet brain" — actively politicizing the military while failing to make a coherent case for why the Iran war was ever necessary. He closes with a pointed observation about the entire administration: nobody around Trump believes any criticism of him is ever valid, and they appear to genuinely think voters are stupid enough to never notice.
Then, Adam Green — co-founder of the Progressive Change Campaign Committee — joins the Chuck Toddcast to make the case that pragmatic economic populism is the Democratic Party's path back to a durable majority, and to push back hard on the conventional wisdom that "moderate" means "centrist." Green argues the public has lost faith in both political and economic systems and is hungry for candidates who tell a clear story about power — pointing to Maine's Graham Platner, Texas's James Talarico, and New York's Zohran Mamdani as examples of progressives who project authentic energy and pragmatic problem-solving rather than ideological purity. He contends that both major parties have already collapsed reputationally even if they haven't yet collapsed structurally, that Democrats could have passed a $12 minimum wage years ago if they'd been willing to compromise, and that recruiting 77-year-old Janet Mills against Platner is symbolic of everything wrong with Chuck Schumer's approach to the Senate. Green is blunt: if Democrats sweep the midterms but leadership remains unchanged, it actually hurts them in 2028 — a Democratic Senate majority should not be read as a validation of Schumer. They discuss why he Democratic brand is so damaged in red and rural states that independent candidates may be the best path to power in places like Montana and Nebraska, and that having someone like Platner in Senate leadership would dramatically improve Democratic performance in rural America.
The conversation digs into the deeper strategic and policy questions facing the party. Green argues Democrats should lead with economic alignment over cultural alignment and that Dems should not put reproductive rights forward as their headline issue if they want to rebuild trust in the heartland. He pushes for progressive lawmakers to assert real leverage against their own leadership, advocates lowering the threshold for discharge petition, and makes the case that getting rid of the filibuster would help Democrats rebuild trust with voters who are tired of seeing nothing get done. Green is open to limited cooperation with Trump if Democrats win both chambers but warns the party shouldn't trim its sails just to get a signature. He explains why the PCC backed Talarico over Crockett , names UAW president Shawn Fain as a potential dark-horse candidate, and floats Stephen Colbert as a genuinely intriguing possibility because performance matters in a media-saturated era. Green argues Talarico, Platner, and Abdul El-Sayed all tell a coherent story about power that voters are hungry to hear, but ultimately, the candidate who runs as a genuine disruptor is the one most likely to win, because the current system is so visibly failing the public.
Finally, he answers listeners’ questions in the “Ask Chuck” segment, weighs in on the DNC choosing NOT to release their 2024 autopsy, and reacts to the expansion on the NCAA basketball tournament.
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Timeline:
(Timestamps may vary based on advertisements)
00:00 Chuck Todd’s introduction
01:30 Supreme Court further hollows out the Voting Rights Act
03:00 You may see several states in the south try to redistrict
06:00 We have a serious representation issue in congress
07:30 In the 90’s Georgia reapportionment led to major GOP pickups
09:00 Led to more black Dems in congress, but less Dems in congress
10:00 Redistricting won’t be clean for GOP in this political climate
10:30 Redistricting will create more swing districts in the south
12:15 You may see racially charged Dem primaries in new districts
13:45 Uncapping the House of Representatives could solve this issue
14:15 House expanded based on population growth
16:15 Right now the house is not representative of the people
17:45 Multi-member districts also provide better representation
19:00 Bigger house would create less need for gerrymandering
20:00 Expanding house would minimize the impact of electoral college
21:30 Expanded house would lower barrier to entry for third parties
23:00 The house was always meant to be a bit messy
23:30 Madison argued the house was always going to have to expand
25:00 This change wouldn’t exclusively benefit one party
26:00 Don’t fight over the chairs, increase the size of the table
28:00 The “woke right” has emerged, evidenced by Comey indictment
29:30 Right accused the left of the oversensitivity they’re engaged in now
31:00 Attacks by the FCC on Kimmel will backfire and look terrible
33:15 Not an accident that Bondi wouldn’t bring Comey case & Blanche will
34:15 Hegseth’s hearing was useless, everyone wanted a viral moment
35:30 Hegseth is suffering from a bad case of “internet brain”
36:30 Hegseth is doing everything he can to politicize the military
37:15 Hegseth failed to make the case for why the war was necessary
39:00 Nobody in the administration believes that any criticism is valid
40:15 Do they really think the voters are all stupid?
46:30 Adam Green (Progressive Change Committee) joins The Chuck ToddCast
49:00 What does it mean to be a pragmatic progressive?
50:15 The mission is to show economic populism can win in swing races
51:30 Graham Platner is a great storyteller, not a policy wonk
53:00 Several progressive candidates project strong masculine energy
54:30 Balancing incrementalism vs. progress
55:15 Mamdani is showing that you can be both progressive & pragmatic
56:15 Misconception is that “moderate” means centrist
57:00 The progressives are demanding a rebalancing of the power dynamics
57:30 Public doesn’t trust the political and economic system, wants change
58:15 How vulnerable are both parties to collapse at some point?
59:00 Both parties have collapsed reputationally, just not structurally
1:00:45 Dems could have passed $12 minimum wage if they compromised
1:03:00 If Dems sweep midterms but leaders stay the same, it’s bad for 2028
1:03:45 If Dems win the senate, it’s not a validation of Schumer
1:05:00 If Dems elect the non Schumer candidates, he has to go
1:05:45 Schumer was a really good leader… until he wasn’t
1:06:30 Recruiting 77 year old Janet Mills is symbolic of Schumer’s strategy
1:07:15 Sherrod Brown is probably the best Dems can do in Ohio
1:07:45 Iowa is overindexed as a swing state
1:09:30 Michigan having El-Sayed & Slokin would show multiple ways to win
1:10:30 If El-Sayed loses, does that set the progressive movement back?
1:12:00 Are independents the best route to power in Montana & Nebraska?
1:13:00 The Democratic brand is shot in most red & rural states
1:14:15 If Platner was in leadership, Dems would do better in rural states
1:15:30 What matters more to the PCC, economic or cultural alignment?
1:17:15 Democrats shouldn’t put out reproductive rights as their banner issue
1:18:00 Big Dem wins in the past came from economic, not cultural alignment
1:20:15 Jared Golden able to vote against trans sports bill, focused on economics
1:22:30 Want to see progressives assert leverage against their leadership
1:23:30 Proposal to lower the threshold for discharge petitions
1:24:15 Discharge petitions would actually liberate the leadership a bit
1:25:30 When too many items are stuffed into a bill, you don’t get credit for them
1:26:30 Getting rid of the filibuster would help Democrats rebuild trust
1:27:30 Both parties only like the filibuster when they’re out of power
1:29:00 Getting rid of stock trading isn’t as simple as it sounds
1:30:45 Spouses need to be included in stock trading ban
1:31:30 If Dems win both houses, where should they work with Trump?
1:32:45 Dems will be elected to be a check on Trump, but need his signature
1:35:45 Working with Trump requires abandoning the ideas you ran on
1:37:00 Dems shouldn’t trim their sails in order to work with Trump
1:39:30 PCC supported Talarico over Crockett for his bold economic vision
1:42:00 AOC may need to run for president soon, before her “sell by” date
1:42:45 Stephen Colbert could be an intriguing candidate, performance matters
1:44:00 Mamdani takes time every day to tell a story on social media
1:45:15 Shawn Fain could also make a strong candidate
1:46:30 If Talarico wins in Texas, it could put him on the presidential map
1:48:15 Talarico as VP to get his sea legs could be a potential route
1:49:00 McMorrow positioning herself as the “goldilocks” candidate
1:49:45 Being the shake up the system candidate is the way to go
1:50:30 Talarico, Platner & El-Sayed tell a story about power
1:51:15 The current system is failing the public
1:53:15 Preference between Steyer or Porter in California?
1:54:30 AOC raises the most money because people trust her
1:57:30 Ask Chuck
1:57:45 Experienced wildfires, in bad conditions there’s nothing you can do
1:59:00 What do you make of Hegseth purging so many top generals?
2:01:00 Props for “Dynastic” podcast
2:03:00 How do you see the US/Israel dynamic play out post-Trump?
2:06:30 Do you see a path forward for statehood for D.C. & Puerto Rico?
2:10:15 Why don’t interviewers press Lindsey Graham on his post J6 remarks?
2:13:00 Should Democrats be more forceful rhetorically or does that do more harm?
2:17:15 Ken Martin appears on Pod Save to explain why they won’t release ‘24 autopsy
2:18:30 Autopsy could have offended a particular set of donors or supporters
2:19:45 How do you learn lessons from the loss if you don’t share those lessons?
2:20:30 NCAA expanding basketball tournament
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