The Chuck ToddCast

Debbie Cox Bultan — CEO of the NewDEAL, a network of center-left state and local elected officials focused on delivering results rather than fighting culture wars — joins the Chuck Toddcast to make the case for the unglamorous, often-overlooked pragmatic wing of the Democratic Party. Bultan argues that the center-left's defining challenge is structural and almost temperamental: moderates and pragmatists are, by their very nature, not the loud part of the coalition, which means they get drowned out. She rejects the premise that "fighting the other side" has to mean yelling, argues that governing effectively is still the best way for talented officials to rise through the ranks. Bultan notes a crucial asymmetry that gives her hope: the left has not actually dominated Democratic primaries the way the right has captured GOP primaries, in part because the perception of electability matters far more to base Democratic voters than it does to the Republican base — and she points to how even Mamdani's focus on affordability carried genuine cross-party appeal as evidence that pragmatic, results-oriented messaging still works.
The conversation digs into the deeper tensions facing the party heading into a favorable 2026 and a wide-open 2028. Bultan introduces the concept of "pragmatic disruption" — the idea that the people who genuinely want to disrupt a broken system actually need government to work to do it. Bultan argues the leadership of key left-leaning interest groups has drifted much further left than the actual Democratic electorate, advises candidates to stop answering interest-group questionnaires that force them into litmus-test corners, and warns that base voters can become obsessed with issues only 1% of the electorate actually cares about. She frames this moment — with Trump as a uniquely norm-breaking figure and the country's 250th anniversary approaching — as the perfect opening for a serious conversation about democracy reform.
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.
Refresh your wardrobe with Quince. Go to https://Quince.com/chuck for free shipping on your order and 365-day returns.
Timeline:
(Timestamps may vary based on advertisements
00:00 Debbie Cox Bultan (New Deal Leaders) joins the Chuck ToddCast
02:00 What is the best way to describe the center-left?
03:30 New Deal is a group of center-left officials trying to deliver results
04:45 What’s different between New Deal and the DLCC?
05:15 Need to modernize progressive politics for the 21st century
06:45 Members don’t have to declare which part of coalition they are in
07:15 Governing effectively is the best way to rise up the ranks
08:30 The democratic pipeline for talent has proven to be effective
09:00 Want to support talented candidates once they get elected
10:15 By nature, the moderates/centrists aren’t a loud part of the coalition
11:15 Some voters treat bipartisan compromise as treason
12:00 Reject the idea that “fighting the other side” means yelling
12:45 20% of Democratic voters post the vast majority of online content
14:15 The political conflict isn’t just online, it’s starting to be everywhere
16:45 The institutionalists are now between the center left and right
17:30 State & local officials are the bright spots in American politics
18:45 Primary season heightens partisanship
19:30 The left hasn’t dominated Democratic primary elections
20:15 Perception of electability matters more to base Dems than base GOP
21:00 Mamdani’s focus on affordability has had cross party appeal to voters
22:15 Is there such a thing as “pragmatic disruption”?
23:15 People who want to be disrupters need government to work
27:45 Do Democrats need to diversify the backgrounds of their office holders?
28:30 More veterans are now running as Democrats
31:15 Trump is a uniquely troubling and norm-breaking person
32:00 Feels like beginning of the 20th century, need major reforms
33:15 The 250th anniversary is a great time to talk about democracy reform
34:15 Democrats are going to have a great election in ‘26
34:45 If Dems win both chambers, how do they govern with Trump?
36:30 What do you say to progressives who have never had the presidency?
38:45 The word socialism has a different meaning to different voters
39:30 Can center-left Dems get behind a DSA nominee?
41:30 Do progressives really want to risk someone like RFK running healthcare?
42:00 Progressives can’t rebrand the world socialism
44:15 Leadership of key interest groups on left are much further left now
44:45 Candidates shouldn’t answer questionnaires from interest groups
45:45 Base voters can obsess over issues 1% of electorate cares about
47:00 The donors are part of the problem, but that’s starting to change
48:00 Democrats need to do a lot more listening
48:30 What could you provide a local official that wants to run for higher office?
49:30 Helping candidates with pragmatic governing and skill development
52:45 Civic engagement and national service could help the country heal
54:45 People need to understand “with rights come responsibilities”
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Chuck Todd delivers a genuinely heartfelt lament that America's 250th anniversary — a moment that should have been enormous — has been shrunk, cheapened, and ultimately ruined by a president who turned the country's birthday into his own political rally. He argues the American experiment is a remarkable achievement worth celebrating in full, that "a more perfect union" is the single greatest phrase in the founding documents precisely because it acknowledges the country is a perpetual work in progress, and that the 250th should have been a moment to celebrate American progress rather than run from American history — to recognize that America is fundamentally an idea rather than an ethnicity. Instead, Trump has made the nation's birthday about Donald Trump: he created his own version of the celebration, turned "The Great American Fair" into a dud, and once again demonstrated his belief that everyone and everything must accommodate him. He says he feels genuinely betrayed watching the brand of America get sullied and cheapened this way, and argues the country desperately needs a president capable of rising above himself — something Trump has proven, again and again, he simply cannot do. He finds a silver lining in the Supreme Court blocking Trump's attempt to end birthright citizenship, arguing it proves this is a conservative court but not purely a Trump court — though he's sharply critical of the Court's campaign finance ruling, which he frames as a straightforward bailout of the Republican Party.. He closes by looking ahead: the Colorado primaries raised the question of whether the DSA movement has truly broken through.
Then, Debbie Cox Bultan — CEO of the NewDEAL, a network of center-left state and local elected officials focused on delivering results rather than fighting culture wars — joins the Chuck Toddcast to make the case for the unglamorous, often-overlooked pragmatic wing of the Democratic Party. Bultan argues that the center-left's defining challenge is structural and almost temperamental: moderates and pragmatists are, by their very nature, not the loud part of the coalition, which means they get drowned out. She rejects the premise that "fighting the other side" has to mean yelling, argues that governing effectively is still the best way for talented officials to rise through the ranks. Bultan notes a crucial asymmetry that gives her hope: the left has not actually dominated Democratic primaries the way the right has captured GOP primaries, in part because the perception of electability matters far more to base Democratic voters than it does to the Republican base — and she points to how even Mamdani's focus on affordability carried genuine cross-party appeal as evidence that pragmatic, results-oriented messaging still works.
The conversation digs into the deeper tensions facing the party heading into a favorable 2026 and a wide-open 2028. Bultan introduces the concept of "pragmatic disruption" — the idea that the people who genuinely want to disrupt a broken system actually need government to work to do it. Bultan argues the leadership of key left-leaning interest groups has drifted much further left than the actual Democratic electorate, advises candidates to stop answering interest-group questionnaires that force them into litmus-test corners, and warns that base voters can become obsessed with issues only 1% of the electorate actually cares about. She frames this moment — with Trump as a uniquely norm-breaking figure and the country's 250th anniversary approaching — as the perfect opening for a serious conversation about democracy reform.
Finally, he presents his ToddCast Top 5 list of the best fictional presidents seen on TV & movies and answers listeners’ questions in the “Ask Chuck” segment.

From the opening whistle to the final kick. Bet on a match and get bonus bets for every goal scored at Fanduel.com

Refresh your wardrobe with Quince. Go to https://Quince.com/chuck for free shipping on your order and 365-day returns.

For free and unbiased Medicare help, dial (980) 734-3985 to speak with my trusted partner, Chapter, or go to askchapter.org/chuck /*Paid Partnership

Chapter and its affiliates are not connected with or endorsed by any government entity or the federal Medicare program. Chapter Advisory, LLC represents Medicare Advantage HMO, PPO, and PFFS organizations and stand alone prescription drug plans that have a Medicare contract. Enrollment depends on the plan’s contract renewal. While we have a database of every Medicare plan nationwide and can help you to search among all plans, we have contracts with many but not all plans. As a result, we do not offer every plan available in your area. Currently we represent 50 organizations which offer 18,160 products nationwide. We search and recommend all plans, even those we don’t directly offer. You can contact a licensed Chapter agent to find out the number of products available in your specific area. Please contact Medicare.gov, 1-800-Medicare, or your local State Health Insurance Program (SHIP) to get information on all of your options.
Timeline:
(Timestamps may vary based on advertisements)
00:00 Chuck Todd’s introduction
03:30 The American 250 celebration sucks… Trump ruined it
04:00 America 250 should be much bigger, and keeps feeling smaller
05:45 The American experiment is a remarkable achievement
07:00 Modern American democracy didn’t start until the 1960s
07:30 “More Perfect Union” is greatest phrase in founding documents
08:15 250 should be celebrating our progress, not afraid of our history
09:00 SCOTUS blocking Trump’s ban on birthright citizenship was important
09:30 America is an idea, not an ethnicity
10:30 This was a moment to celebrate and also understand our history
11:00 Donald Trump has made the country’s birthday about Donald Trump*
12:15 Trump created his own version of the celebration
13:00 He turned the country’s birthday into his own political rally
14:45 Trump thinks everyone should accommodate him. Insult to Americans
15:30 The country needs a president that can rise above himself. Trump can’t
16:30 The Great American Fair could have been amazing. Instead it’s a dud
18:15 The big anniversaries force us to look at ourselves, not like what we see
19:45 Love the American story BECAUSE it’s complicated
21:00 Trump is showing us who he is by stealing this anniversary from us
22:00 Trump has sullied the brand of America, doesn’t have to be at 275
22:45 Feel betrayed as an American by this, resent seeing it cheapened
24:00 SCOTUS showed it’s a conservative court, but not a Trump court
25:15 There are partisans on the court, but the court itself isn’t purely partisan
26:15 Campaign finance ruling is a bail out of the Republican party
26:45 Campaigns can buy TV ads at a lower rate, outside groups can’t
28:00 Republicans have more big $ donors, Dems have more small $ donors
30:15 Court shows deference to congress if they are explicit in what they want
31:45 There will still be an effort to block birthright citizenship
32:30 Did Colorado primaries show the DSA movement has broken through?
33:15 Michigan will be the real test for the DSA
36:15 Let this be a lesson to anyone coming from Bidenworld
38:00 If Dems win both chambers, smooth path for Jeffries to speakership
38:45 Failure to win the senate will cause lots of finger pointing
46:30 Debbie Cox Bultan (New Deal Leaders) joins the Chuck ToddCast
48:30 What is the best way to describe the center-left?
50:00 New Deal is a group of center-left officials trying to deliver results
51:15 What’s different between New Deal and the DLCC?
51:45 Need to modernize progressive politics for the 21st century
53:15 Members don’t have to declare which part of coalition they are in
53:45 Governing effectively is the best way to rise up the ranks
55:00 The democratic pipeline for talent has proven to be effective
55:30 Want to support talented candidates once they get elected
56:45 By nature, the moderates/centrists aren’t a loud part of the coalition
57:45 Some voters treat bipartisan compromise as treason
58:30 Reject the idea that “fighting the other side” means yelling
59:15 20% of Democratic voters post the vast majority of online content
1:00:45 The political conflict isn’t just online, it’s starting to be everywhere
1:03:15 The institutionalists are now between the center left and right
1:04:00 State & local officials are the bright spots in American politics
1:05:15 Primary season heightens partisanship
1:06:00 The left hasn’t dominated Democratic primary elections
1:06:45 Perception of electability matters more to base Dems than base GOP
1:07:30 Mamdani’s focus on affordability has had cross party appeal to voters
1:08:45 Is there such a thing as “pragmatic disruption”?
1:09:45 People who want to be disrupters need government to work
1:14:15 Do Democrats need to diversify the backgrounds of their office holders?
1:15:00 More veterans are now running as Democrats
1:17:45 Trump is a uniquely troubling and norm-breaking person
1:18:30 Feels like beginning of the 20th century, need major reforms
1:19:45 The 250th anniversary is a great time to talk about democracy reform
1:20:45 Democrats are going to have a great election in ‘26
1:21:15 If Dems win both chambers, how do they govern with Trump?
1:23:00 What do you say to progressives who have never had the presidency?
1:25:15 The word socialism has a different meaning to different voters
1:26:00 Can center-left Dems get behind a DSA nominee?
1:28:00 Do progressives really want to risk someone like RFK running healthcare?
1:28:30 Progressives can’t rebrand the world socialism
1:30:45 Leadership of key interest groups on left are much further left now
1:31:15 Candidates shouldn’t answer questionnaires from interest groups
1:32:15 Base voters can obsess over issues 1% of electorate cares about
1:33:30 The donors are part of the problem, but that’s starting to change
1:34:30 Democrats need to do a lot more listening
1:35:00 What could you provide a local official that wants to run for higher office?
1:36:00 Helping candidates with pragmatic governing and skill development
1:39:15 Civic engagement and national service could help the country heal
1:42:30 ToddCast Top 5 Fictional Presidents
1:43:30 #5 David Palmer (Dennis Haysbert) from 24
1:44:30 #4 Selina Meyer (Julia Louis-Dreyfus) from Veep
1:46:00 #3 James Marshall (Harrison Ford) from Air Force One
1:47:45 #2 Thomas Whitmore (Bill Pullman) from Independence Day
1:48:45 #1 Dwayne Elizondo Mountain Dew Herbert Camacho (Terry Crews) from Idiocracy
1:51:00 Ask Chuck
1:51:15 What’s the point of voting down ballot when politicians vote on party lines?
1:59:00 Issue with Mamdani’s comments on Israel and religious/ethno states?
2:03:15 Expanding vote by mail?
2:05:00 Could Trump legally mount a write-in campaign?
2:10:00 Is America still not ready to elect a woman president?
2:13:30 What’s your take on the NPR retraction on Alito retirement?
2:20:45 How will Rubio/Vance dynamic play out in ‘28?
2:25:15 What’s the latest a SCOTUS justice can retire & get confirmed?
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Chuck Todd delivers a genuinely heartfelt lament that America's 250th anniversary — a moment that should have been enormous — has been shrunk, cheapened, and ultimately ruined by a president who turned the country's birthday into his own political rally. He argues the American experiment is a remarkable achievement worth celebrating in full, that "a more perfect union" is the single greatest phrase in the founding documents precisely because it acknowledges the country is a perpetual work in progress, and that the 250th should have been a moment to celebrate American progress rather than run from American history — to recognize that America is fundamentally an idea rather than an ethnicity. Instead, Trump has made the nation's birthday about Donald Trump: he created his own version of the celebration, turned "The Great American Fair" into a dud, and once again demonstrated his belief that everyone and everything must accommodate him. He says he feels genuinely betrayed watching the brand of America get sullied and cheapened this way, and argues the country desperately needs a president capable of rising above himself — something Trump has proven, again and again, he simply cannot do. He finds a silver lining in the Supreme Court blocking Trump's attempt to end birthright citizenship, arguing it proves this is a conservative court but not purely a Trump court — though he's sharply critical of the Court's campaign finance ruling, which he frames as a straightforward bailout of the Republican Party.. He closes by looking ahead: the Colorado primaries raised the question of whether the DSA movement has truly broken through.
Finally, he presents his ToddCast Top 5 list of the best fictional presidents seen on TV & movies and answers listeners’ questions in the “Ask Chuck” segment.
From the opening whistle to the final kick. Bet on a match and get bonus bets for every goal scored at Fanduel.com

Refresh your wardrobe with Quince. Go to https://Quince.com/chuck for free shipping on your order and 365-day returns.

For free and unbiased Medicare help, dial (980) 734-3985 to speak with my trusted partner, Chapter, or go to askchapter.org/chuck /*Paid Partnership

Chapter and its affiliates are not connected with or endorsed by any government entity or the federal Medicare program. Chapter Advisory, LLC represents Medicare Advantage HMO, PPO, and PFFS organizations and stand alone prescription drug plans that have a Medicare contract. Enrollment depends on the plan’s contract renewal. While we have a database of every Medicare plan nationwide and can help you to search among all plans, we have contracts with many but not all plans. As a result, we do not offer every plan available in your area. Currently we represent 50 organizations which offer 18,160 products nationwide. We search and recommend all plans, even those we don’t directly offer. You can contact a licensed Chapter agent to find out the number of products available in your specific area. Please contact Medicare.gov, 1-800-Medicare, or your local State Health Insurance Program (SHIP) to get information on all of your options.
Timeline:
(Timestamps may vary based on advertisements)
00:00 Chuck Todd’s introduction
03:30 The American 250 celebration sucks… Trump ruined it
04:00 America 250 should be much bigger, and keeps feeling smaller
05:45 The American experiment is a remarkable achievement
07:00 Modern American democracy didn’t start until the 1960s
07:30 “More Perfect Union” is greatest phrase in founding documents
08:15 250 should be celebrating our progress, not afraid of our history
09:00 SCOTUS blocking Trump’s ban on birthright citizenship was important
09:30 America is an idea, not an ethnicity
10:30 This was a moment to celebrate and also understand our history
11:00 Donald Trump has made the country’s birthday about Donald Trump*
12:15 Trump created his own version of the celebration
13:00 He turned the country’s birthday into his own political rally
14:45 Trump thinks everyone should accommodate him. Insult to Americans
15:30 The country needs a president that can rise above himself. Trump can’t
16:30 The Great American Fair could have been amazing. Instead it’s a dud
18:15 The big anniversaries force us to look at ourselves, not like what we see
19:45 Love the American story BECAUSE it’s complicated
21:00 Trump is showing us who he is by stealing this anniversary from us
22:00 Trump has sullied the brand of America, doesn’t have to be at 275
22:45 Feel betrayed as an American by this, resent seeing it cheapened
24:00 SCOTUS showed it’s a conservative court, but not a Trump court
25:15 There are partisans on the court, but the court itself isn’t purely partisan
26:15 Campaign finance ruling is a bail out of the Republican party
26:45 Campaigns can buy TV ads at a lower rate, outside groups can’t
28:00 Republicans have more big $ donors, Dems have more small $ donors
30:15 Court shows deference to congress if they are explicit in what they want
31:45 There will still be an effort to block birthright citizenship
32:30 Did Colorado primaries show the DSA movement has broken through?
33:15 Michigan will be the real test for the DSA
36:15 Let this be a lesson to anyone coming from Bidenworld
38:00 If Dems win both chambers, smooth path for Jeffries to speakership
38:45 Failure to win the senate will cause lots of finger pointing
45:00 ToddCast Top 5 Fictional Presidents
46:00 #5 David Palmer (Dennis Haysbert) from 24
47:00 #4 Selina Meyer (Julia Louis-Dreyfus) from Veep
48:30 #3 James Marshall (Harrison Ford) from Air Force One
50:15 #2 Thomas Whitmore (Bill Pullman) from Independence Day
51:15 #1 Dwayne Elizondo Mountain Dew Herbert Camacho (Terry Crews) from Idiocracy
53:30 Ask Chuck
53:45 What’s the point of voting down ballot when politicians vote on party lines?
1:01:30 Issue with Mamdani’s comments on Israel and religious/ethno states?
1:05:45 Expanding vote by mail?
1:07:30 Could Trump legally mount a write-in campaign?
1:12:30 Is America still not ready to elect a woman president?
1:16:00 What’s your take on the NPR retraction on Alito retirement?
1:23:15 How will Rubio/Vance dynamic play out in ‘28?
1:27:45 What’s the latest a SCOTUS justice can retire & get confirmed?
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Chuck Todd opens with the Iran ceasefire collapsing as the U.S. and Iran trade strikes again — but the real story, he argues, is that the U.S. military just inadvertently revealed Trump was lying about the war all along. The targets American forces hit in this latest round were the very targets Trump claimed weeks ago had already been destroyed; either Iran somehow reconstituted its entire military in a single week, or the president lied to the country, and CENTCOM's own report makes clear which it was. He warns that lying about war is historically not a small thing for a president to survive, no matter how badly Trump wants to memory-hole the entire episode. He then turns to the escalating Democratic fight over taxing billionaires, taking a characteristically nuanced position: billionaires are genuinely undertaxed, but "tax the rich" doesn't work as actual policy the way it works as a slogan, the loopholes built into the code exist to avoid unintended consequences, and the changes to the inheritance "death tax" are responsible for an enormous share of current inequality. He assesses Zohran Mamdani taking a victory lap as the new face of the DSA (and increasingly comfortable as a face of the Democratic Party), praising him as a genuinely compelling performer and possible heir to the Bernie movement while questioning whether his story can travel beyond New York City. He closes with one of his favorite structural arguments — that the far-left and far-right are now feeding off each other's fear, that a faction doesn't need to capture the whole country, just one congressional caucus, and that the founders' actual protection against factions was supposed to be a multitude of them — which is exactly why the House was meant to scale with the population and why Congress's choice to freeze its size needs to be reversed. He also looks ahead at fascinating Colorado primaries.
Finally, he hops into the ToddCast Time Machine to explain the origin of the name of the bikini swimsuit, and why America’s relationship with nuclear technology changed over time. He also answers listeners’ questions in the “Asl Chuck” segment.
From the opening whistle to the final kick. Bet on a match and get bonus bets for every goal scored at Fanduel.com
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.
Refresh your wardrobe with Quince. Go to https://Quince.com/chuck for free shipping on your order and 365-day returns.
Timeline:
(Timestamps may vary based on advertisements)
00:00 Chuck Todd’s introduction
05:15 U.S. and Iran trade strikes again, ceasefire not holding
06:15 The U.S. military basically revealed Trump was lying about the war
06:45 Historically, voters don’t accept lies from presidents about war
07:30 The targets the U.S. hit were targets Trump said were already destroyed
08:30 Three weeks ago Trump said Iran had nothing… clearly it wasn’t true
09:15 Making the case that Trump is full of shit isn’t hard*
10:30 Either Iran reconstituted its military in a week, or Trump lied.
11:15 CENTCOM’s report shows that Trump lied to the country
13:15 Trump announced on his birthday that he had ended the war
14:00 Handing Iran billions of dollars is hardly the “surrender” Trump proclaimed
15:45 Lying about war is not a small thing for a president to do
17:15 Trump thought he could memory-hole the Iran war, Iran won’t let him
17:45 There’s a right way to tax billionaires, but it’s not currently being proposed
19:00 Billionaires are undertaxed, but tax policy doesn’t work as a slogan
19:45 Loopholes are built into the tax code to avoid unintended consequences
20:30 Reforms to the inheritance tax allow the wealthy to avoid taxation
21:45 Closing other loopholes could raise hundreds of billions
23:00 Taxing billionaires is fine, but you can’t mess up tax code in the process
24:30 The Newsom vs. Khanna fight - Both are making good points
25:00 A state level wealth tax could create a shortfall in the long term
25:45 The “death tax” change is responsible for much of the current inequality
26:30 “Fair share” polls well, but requires major changes to the tax code
27:30 Tax reform isn’t simple or quick, requires real work from congress
28:15 Mamdani takes a victory lap, wants to be face of the DSA movement
29:30 Mamdani is fine with being the face of the Democratic party
31:00 Mamdani is telling a compelling story, but can it go beyond NYC?
33:00 Mamdani had a weak defense of the Dan Goldman coffee incident
34:00 Mamdani is very good as a performer, could be heir to Bernie movement
35:45 The far-left and the far-right are feeding off of each other
36:30 Trump ramps up rhetoric against DSA, calls them “godless communists”
37:30 The DSA and Trump both working off the fear of each other
38:45 A faction doesn’t need to capture the country, just one caucus
39:30 The founders’ protection from factions, was a multitude of factions
41:30 The House of Representatives was supposed to scale with the country
43:15 Congress chose to stop letting the House grow, needs to change
46:45 The Colorado primaries will be fascinating
48:15 Michael Bennett has to carry the banner of being a D.C. creature
48:45 John Hickenlooper facing a viable challenge from the left
50:30 The DSA candidate for congress is ahead in the polls
55:15 ToddCast Time Machine
56:15 July 1946 The bikini swimsuit named after atomic bomb test
58:45 Both fear and optimism rose about nuclear technology
59:30 We didn’t have an enemy yet with an atomic bomb
1:00:15 The atom wasn’t viewed just as a weapon, but as the future
1:01:45 We were exporting the atomic age and that seemed cool
1:02:15 The people on bikini atoll were being told to leave their homes
1:03:15 The vibe changed once the Soviets detonated their first bomb
1:04:15 Very few people know why the bikini swimsuit carries its name
1:05:45 Ask Chuck
1:06:00 Do you see somebody jumping into ‘28 presidential race prior to midterms?
1:11:15 What do you think happened in the meeting between Trump & senators?
1:19:15 Thoughts on college athletics eligibility changes?
1:22:15 Thoughts on straight-ticket voting?
1:24:15 Is the premise that moderate Democrats are more “electable” overstated?
1:31:45 Would reforms that redistribute power meaningfully improve our system?
1:33:45 Any go-to books on civics and the constitution?
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Alvaro Bedoya — the former FTC Commissioner whom Trump fired in an unprecedented break with a century of agency-independence norms — joins the Chuck Toddcast to explain why his firing matters far beyond his own career, and what it reveals about the collision between corporate power and consumer protection in the Trump era. Bedoya makes the legal case plainly: removal "for cause" is clearly written into the law, Congress needs to codify FTC independence, and while he's skeptical this Supreme Court will rule in favor of agency independence, the circumstances of his dismissal are damning — he believes he was fired specifically for suing companies that happened to be Trump donors. The Amazon case is his exhibit A: the FTC was actively pursuing Amazon until Trump intervened, and after Amazon funneled millions to Trump, the investigations simply evaporated — proof, Bedoya argues, that existing laws against bribery and corruption clearly aren't working. He walks through the sprawling, well-funded lobbying effort against meaningful privacy legislation, and offers vivid examples of how unchecked data collection harms ordinary people. His prescription is structural: America needs genuine restrictions on what data can be collected and how it can be used, paired with serious antitrust enforcement — but the agencies tasked with that work have been starved of the resources they need.
The conversation opens up into a fascinating, wide-ranging debate about monopoly power and consolidation across the American economy. Bedoya argues that streaming bills were already climbing even before the proposed Paramount-Warner Bros. Discovery merger — a deal he believes there's a clear consumer case to block. He notes that Thomas Jefferson once argued for an anti-monopoly amendment in the Bill of Rights, that consolidation has hammered workers across countless industries, and that America is now suffering a genuine "drought of creativity" because of relentless media mergers — pointing out that there are only three serious buyers of documentary films left, and that half of America's TV news archive is about to be owned by a single family. Bedoya is honest about the nuances (Costco throws its weight around but has genuinely been good for consumers; vertically integrated health insurers are universally loathed), wrestles with whether unilateral Democratic executive action is even the answer, and warns that in this environment it's dangerously easy for regulators to simply get overwhelmed.
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.
Refresh your wardrobe with Quince. Go to https://Quince.com/chuck for free shipping on your order and 365-day returns.
Timeline:
(Timestamps may vary based on advertisements)
00:00 Alvaro Bedoya joins the Chuck ToddCast
02:00 Trump broke a long standing norm to fire Alvaro from the FTC
02:30 Congress needs to codify FTC independence
03:30 Firing “for cause” is very clearly written into the law
05:30 This Supreme Court unlikely to rule for agency independence
06:00 Was likely fired for suing companies that were Trump donors
06:45 You want consumers to be protected from political donors
08:30 FTC was pursuing case against Amazon until Trump intervened
10:00 Amazon funneled millions to Trump, investigations went away
10:30 Laws against bribery & corruption clearly aren’t working
12:30 How should government tackle consumer privacy protections?
13:15 There is a massive lobbying effort against privacy laws
14:30 Background actors were being scanned rather than being paid
15:30 Privacy can sometimes be an abstract concept to people
16:00 Labor unions are the group actually winning in this space
18:15 Need protections around privacy, data collection and antitrust
19:00 Need restrictions on collecting certain data and how it is used
20:30 Against law to use SEC database to solicit donations, not enforced
21:00 Agencies have been starved of resources needed for enforcement
23:15 Meta has grown massive and Zuckerberg retains total control
25:30 The debate about whether to break up the biggest companies
26:15 Breaking up AT&T benefitted consumers, ended long distance rates
27:00 T-Mobile merger should not have been allowed
28:00 Streaming bills going up even before Paramount WB merger
31:30 Jefferson argued for an amendment against monopolies in Bill of Rights
34:00 Consolidation has hurt workers in a variety of industries
34:45 Has there been a consolidation that’s been good for consumers?
37:15 Costco throws its weight around, but has been good for consumers
38:15 Health insurers are vertically integrated, and consumers loathe them
39:30 Iheart’s merger was allowed as an effort to preserve a “dying industry”
41:00 Paramount/WB only shot of catching Netflix/Disney is to merge?
42:15 Loading up the company with $80B in debt won’t produce a healthy firm
43:00 There are only 3 buyers of serious documentary films
44:15 Half of America’s TV news archive is about to be owned by one family
45:30 There are clear consumer cases for preventing the Paramount/WB merger
48:30 There’s been a cycle of innovation, then consolidation
50:00 We are suffering a drought of creativity due to mergers
52:15 There are antitrust exceptions for co-ops, can FTC encourage them?
54:15 Is unilateral Democratic executive branch action the answer here?
55:30 In this environment, it’s easy for regulators to get overwhelmed
56:15 The White House UFC fight was corrupt
59:00 Making the UFC event private at the WH was made it feel dirty
1:01:45 Favorite potential 2028 candidates?
1:03:45 Popular movements are effective pushing back against corporate power
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