The Chuck ToddCast

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 tariffs 0:45 Trump blinked 2:15 First term personnel guardrails are gone 4:00 Congress feeling heat from donor class 6:15 Trump still cares what rich people think 8:45 Trump should have passed tax cuts before tariffs 10:15 If tariffs come back, they’ll be more methodical 11:30 Business leaders are preparing for worst case scenarios 12:45 The OJ trial changed the media 15:00 CNN chased ratings and changed TV journalism 19:30 Trump tariffs could fracture GOP 20:00 Colin Allred could beat Ken Paxton in Texas, Senate in play? 22:12 Ask Chuck 22:45 What can news consumers do to be the solution to partisanship? 25:40 Did Obama not going after banks in 2008 lead to Trump? 27:40 Do you think Bernie would have beaten Trump? 30:30 Have voters shown they won’t elect a woman for president? (Timestamps may vary based on advertisements)

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 media landscape. Tara describes her journey into independent media and why authenticity resonates more than polish with digital news consumers. They discuss bias in journalism, why the WHCA made a mistake in selecting comedian Amber Ruffin to host the Correspondents’ Dinner, and why the Trump administration’s adversarial stance toward the media is a façade. Finally, Chuck explains his theories behind the “SignalGate” scandal, asks Tara how her relatives in Poland are processing the threat of the Ukraine war on their border, and discusses why both of them find the American right's embrace of Russia deeply disturbing. Timeline: 0:00 Introduction 1:45 Kicking AP out of press briefings is unconstitutional 4:00 Traditional media has capitulated, lost trust 7:00 Appeal of independent media 11:00 OJ trial + Craigslist changed everything 12:00 Loss of local news broke trust 16:15 Local media was a character reference for national media 19:00 Need to rebuild local media 21:57 Tara Palmeri joins the show 22:57 Going independent as a journalist 27:56 Lack of trust in mainstream media 30:52 Authenticity resonates on social media 34:32 All journalism is affected by bias 37:17 Is mainstream media pulling punches? 41:36 Mistake picking Amber Ruffin for WH correspondents dinner 45:26 Trump administration officials court the media 50:07 Anchors were drinking before reporting Bin Laden was killed 52:15 Where Tara gets her news 57:11 Is there more to “SignalGate” 59:25 Trump DOESN’T like to fire people 1:02:41 Tara’s Polish citizenship/How are Poles feeling about the Ukraine war? 1:08:30 American right’s embrace of Russia 1:10:47 Where to find Tara’s work 1:13:16 Chuck’s closing thoughts (Timestamps may vary based on advertisements)

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 Russia-Ukraine war and why abandoning the global order that has benefited America for the past 80 years is a mistake. Rep. Bacon shares his deep concerns about the recent firing of top military and intelligence officials, and they debate whether one—or both—of America's political parties could be headed for a split. Finally, in the “Ask Chuck” segment, Chuck responds to a listener question about Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez outpolling Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer in New York—and whether Democrats should rethink their strategy as a result. Timeline: 0:00 Introduction 3:15 We’re in the middle of a political realignment 6:00 What if America was a 4 party system? 10:30 Tariffs are Trump’s Afghanistan withdrawal - He won’t recover from it* 16:15 Could the turbulence from the tariff destruction fracture the R party? 17:04 Rep. Don Bacon joins the show! 19:42 How will tariffs negatively impact 21:38 Did the White House notify congress before imposing the tariffs? 22:45 What is the goal of the tariffs? 26:11 Will congress take its tariff power back from Trump? 31:42 We need moral clarity in the Russia/Ukraine war 34:11 Does Trump have a mobster mentality when it comes to geopolitics? 36:27 The last 80 years have been great for America. Why do people think otherwise? 38:30 Lack of official US government response to the crisis of democracy in Turkey 41:28 Does Rep. Bacon consult with his wealthiest constituent, Warren Buffet? 44:02 Concern about firing top military leaders and Laura Loomer’s influence 48:59 Could we see a fracture in one or both political parties? 55:00 Chuck’s thoughts on interview with Rep. Bacon and potential cracks in both of America’s political parties 57:30 “Ask Chuck” - Does the latest poll showing AOC beating Chuck Schumer by 19 points could cause a change in direction or strategy for the Democrats? (Timestamps may vary based on advertisements)

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 challenging. Timeline: 0:00 Introduction 3:20 America has benefitted massively from global trade 4:20 The last time we had a similar tariff regime, it led to WW2 5:48 What political fallout will come from the tariffs? 6:32 Could congress take tariff authority back? 8:25 What to watch for the next 3-6 months 9:18 Trump faces huge blowback from older voters 10:18 The tariffs will tank Trump’s approval rating 11:52 Elected Republicans will be vulnerable 13:36 Trump has no guardrails 15:13 Alienating allies and partners will be incredibly damaging 16:39 The Republican party is courting disaster 19:46 Trump’s tax cuts are in jeopardy 21:05 Getting rid of the tariffs won’t solve the problem 21:50 If Democrats win the house, congress will take the tariffs keys away from the mad king

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 desperate need of soul-searching and possible realignment to build a winning coalition. Then, Jake Sherman joins the conversation to discuss the latest from D.C. They begin by examining Speaker Mike Johnson’s decision to send the House home for the week after a dispute over proxy voting for members of Congress—and why Johnson’s power is tied directly to President Donald Trump. They also explore the revenge-driven mindset that has shaped decision-making on Capitol Hill and the lack of Republican pushback against Trump’s sweeping tariffs. They dive into how the dynamics of the current Congress differ from those of years past and why some Republicans might view their loss in the Wisconsin Supreme Court race through rose-colored glasses—thanks in part to Elon Musk. They wrap up by discussing whether Democrats could see a shake-up in leadership and the timeline for passing a tax cut and a debt ceiling extension. Finally, Chuck wraps up with a listener question in the “Ask Chuck” segment by giving his take on whether the debate around a Trump third term was a smokescreen to knock “Signalgate” out of the news cycle. Timeline: 0:00 Introduction 2:00 Voters are telling us what they DON’T like 5:00 Democrats need to do some soul searching 9:45 Democrats can’t just be “anti-Trump” 11:17 Jake Sherman joins the show 15:50 Mike Johnson sends the house home 20:30 Is Johnson powerless without Trump? 23:10 Revenge is the mindset of Republicans 25:50 Any appetite in Congress to take back authority from the executive branch? 28:15 Will economic downturn/tariffs scare elected Republicans 31:20 Lack of experience in Trump’s cabinet 38:00 Could we see a deluge of Republican retirements from Congress 41:25 Members of Congress are different now 43:28 Republicans secretly happy they can blame Elon Musk for the Wisconsin loss? 46:28 Would Chuck Schumer win a leadership vote in the Senate? 49:05 Timeline for passing tax cuts/debt ceiling extension? 56:05 Ask Chuck: Was the “Trump third term” debate a smokescreen to knock “Signalgate” out of the news” (Timestamps may vary based on advertisements)

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 millions of dollars of support from Elon Musk. Then, he and Sen. Fetterman discuss a wide range of important issues, beginning with his message to Democrats who are alarmed by the actions of Donald Trump’s administration. He shares his reaction to the “Signalgate” scandal and his assessment of what went wrong for Democrats in the 2024 election. Fetterman gives his take on Elon Musk and Doge performing massive cuts across the federal government, as well as the looming tariffs that President Trump is threatening to impose on America’s top trading partners. They also try to make sense of the administration’s 180-degree turn on longstanding U.S. foreign policy and the president’s fixation on Greenland. Finally, they discuss the current lack of a true leader for the Democratic Party, the role of billionaires in politics, and whether Senator Fetterman is considering a run for president in 2028. Timeline: 0:00 Introduction 2:30 Special elections in Florida 8:42 Wisconsin Supreme Court race 14:48 Start of John Fetterman interview 18:00 Aaron Rodgers to the Steelers? 19:00 Message to Democrats that are freaking out 23:44 Reaction to “Signalgate” 27:10 What happened in 2024? 30:44 Elon Musk and DOGE 35:22 America’s 180-degree turn on foreign policy 40:38 President Trump’s fixation on Greenland 44:28 Fetterman’s Mar-A-Lago visit 46:45 Who’s the leader of the Democratic party? 51:04 Influence of billionaires in politics 54:08 Will Fetterman run for president in 2028? 56:09 Do Democrats need to move to the center? 1:01:09 Chuck’s final thoughts on the interview with John Fetterman

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.