The Chuck ToddCast

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Interview Only w/ AJ Pasciuti - A Marine Sniper’s Message on Service, Sacrifice, and Country May 25, 2026

Show notes

Former Marine sniper AJ Pasciuti — author of the new book Dark Horse and host of the Combat Story podcast — joins the Chuck Toddcast for one of the most riveting and clear-eyed conversations about military service, leadership, and the realities of modern war. Pasciuti was 16 years old on September 11th, enlisted at 17, and eventually became the Marine who led the team that killed "Juba" — the notorious Iraqi sniper who uploaded videos of his American kills to the internet to taunt the U.S. military. He walks listeners through the entire hunt: how Marines studied Juba's uploaded footage to identify his patterns, how the team set a trap, how Pasciuti spotted Juba in his hide by catching the glint off the lens of a Sony Handycam, and how he knew within minutes that they'd gotten him — while emphasizing that he may have pulled the trigger but it was an entire team that brought Juba down. Pasciuti reflects on the strange experience of fighting enemies who saw themselves as freedom fighters rather than terrorists, why attention to detail is the trait that weeds out most sniper candidates, and how snipers are ultimately meant to combat the enemy emotionally as much as physically.

The conversation broadens into a sweeping meditation on what military service teaches you about America — and where Pasciuti worries the country is heading. He calls the military one of the last bastions of the American dream, where opportunity is real but has to be earned, and argues that a culture promoting service to the greater good over the accumulation of wealth would make America measurably healthier.. Pasciuti is openly worried about political leadership infecting the values of the military, makes the case that empathy must be viewed as a strength rather than a weakness in military leadership, and insists his book is political but not partisan — it's about values. He offers a vital warning that the Taliban proved asymmetrical warfare can defeat a stronger foe, that drone warfare is dangerously dehumanizing combat by reducing casualties to dollars and cents, and that the most important thing any soldier carries home is their soul intact — something he says becomes harder every year as the social contract between America and its veterans erodes. Pasciuti describes seeing fear rather than hatred in the eyes of a dying enemy combatant, a moment that has stayed with him, and explains why he can't support any politician who describes a political opponent as an enemy. He shares his experience running for city council and personally knocking on thousands of doors, his frustration with the financial barriers to entry in modern politics, and his belief that current discourse simply doesn't allow for real dialogue. He closes with the most powerful observation of the episode, made for Memorial Day: the holiday isn't about those who came home — it's about those who didn't — and anyone calling for war should be required to first sit down and have a conversation with a Gold Star family.

Link in bio or go to https://getsoul.com & enter code TODDCAST for 30% off your first order.

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

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!

Timeline:

(Timestamps may vary based on advertisements)

00:00 AJ Pasciuti (Dark Horse) joins the Chuck ToddCast

02:00 If you wrote the book 10 years ago, how would it have been different?

03:30 You gain extra perspective about “why” when more time has passed

04:15 Leadership is currently in very short supply

06:15 The book is a love letter and thank you to people who shaped AJ’s life

08:15 The military is one of the last bastions of the American dream

09:15 Was 16 years old on 9/11 and the attack inspired AJ to enlist at 17

10:15 How did you identify that you had the skills to be a sniper?

11:45 Gunnery Sgt. Jackson helped set AJ on his trajectory

12:30 What is training for a sniper like?

13:30 Attention to details is the trait that weeds out most sniper candidates

14:15 Snipers have to be self-dependent, must rely on yourself for survival

15:30 Snipers are meant to combat the enemy emotionally, scare them

16:15 “Juba” may not have been just one enemy sniper & hunted Americans

16:45 Juba uploaded videos of sniper kills of Americans to the internet

17:30 Watching the videos allowed marines to understand Juba’s patterns

18:00 Set up a trap for Juba and Juba fell into it

19:00 AJ knew they had killed Juba within minutes

20:00 Caught a glint of the lens of a Sony handycam to spot Juba

21:15 AJ may have pulled the trigger, but it was an entire team that got him

22:45 Marines were shocked that people would fight for a tyrant like Saddam

23:30 We viewed the enemies as terrorists, they viewed themselves as freedom fighters

25:15 Does the message to the troops today seem different than when you served?

26:15 When we send Americans into conflict, it must be for a just cause

26:45 There’s a responsibility that comes with having the greatest military in history

27:45 Are you worried political leadership is infecting the values of the military?

28:45 Leadership needs to project values people are inspired to defend

30:30 Military leadership needs to view empathy as a strength, not a weakness

31:30 The book is political but not partisan. It’s about values

33:15 A culture that promotes services to the greater good is healthier

35:00 If the culture promotes service over wealth, we’d be better off

35:30 Mandatory service in Israel has helped to bond their society

38:00 Service strips away the illusion that we succeed alone

39:15 Veterans aren’t easily categorized in their politics

40:00 Military provides an opportunity, but you have to earn it

42:00 Competitive advantage for the military is to think, adapt & react quicker

43:15 Marine culture should create soldiers that are problem solvers

44:15 Taliban found that asymmetrical warfare could defeat a stronger foe

46:30 We have to better prepare for asymmetrical warfare

47:15 The American Revolution was fought with asymmetrical warfare

48:00 Drone warfare dehumanizes war. Casualties counted in dollars and cents

49:15 War is a chess game, and modern tech has leveled the playing field

51:15 Have to avoid being dehumanized by war

52:00 Saw an enemy combatant dying, saw fear in his eyes, not hatred

52:45 Wrote the book not to glorify war, but to tell the realities of it

54:15 The hardest part of coming home was doing so with your soul intact

55:30 The social contract with our soldiers must be protected

56:45 How are you able to publicly express your experience when many can’t?

59:00 Can’t support someone that says a political opponent is an enemy

1:00:00 Tell us about your podcast “Combat Story”

1:01:30 Ran for city council, personally knocked on thousands of doors

1:03:00 Our current politics doesn’t allow for dialogue

1:05:15 There’s a financial barrier to entry into politics

1:08:00 Memorial Day is tough, it’s about those who didn’t come home

1:08:30 Anyone calling for war should have a conversation with a gold star family

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Full Episode - Trump’s Iran Deal Is Worse Than The Deal He Tore Up + A Marine Sniper’s Message on Service, Sacrifice, and Country May 25, 2026

Show notes

Chuck Todd opens with a brutal verdict on the emerging Iran "deal": it's just a worse version of the Obama agreement Trump once tore up, Iran has effectively avoided every stated goal Trump and Israel set out to achieve, and Tehran retains control of the Strait of Hormuz — meaning this is unambiguously a loss for the United States, no matter how the administration tries to spin it. He argues Trump bit off far more than he could chew, that Bibi Netanyahu put his faith into Donald Trump (which never ends well), and that America's standing has been diminished in ways that will reverberate for years. Iran's regime won't be able to repress its own people forever, He notes, but the window to actually topple it during the protests was missed — and Gulf state allies will now be dealing with the Iranians for much longer than they bargained for, having quietly hoped the U.S. and Israel would do their dirty work for them. The political damage at home is just as severe. He cites the Wall Street Journal christening the past seven days as "the week that broke Trump's hold on Congress," with the president now underwater on every single issue, consumer confidence unlikely to recover before the midterms, the Senate unable to fund DHS through reconciliation because Trump makes bipartisan solutions impossible, and his January 6th slush fund producing a backlash that won't go away — with Republican senators visibly wavering. Chuck's verdict on the lame duck arriving early: this is a failed first two years of the Trump presidency, and the stronger his grip on the party, the weaker that party becomes in general elections. He blasts Todd Blanche for turning the DOJ into Trump's personal legal team (Blanche should be impeached, Todd argues, and nothing coming out of this DOJ can be trusted), tears into the long-awaited DNC autopsy of the 2024 loss as paralyzed, tone-deaf, and poorly thought-out — naming Ken Martin as the wrong person to lead the DNC and noting that the simple truth Democrats can't bring themselves to face is that the party is perceived as too liberal in a country with more conservatives than progressives. He flags Mike Duggan dropping out of the Michigan governor's race after his hoped-for contentious Democratic primary never materialized, and Tulsi Gabbard's resignation as DNI proving that the position itself was never really necessary Then, former Marine sniper AJ Pasciuti — author of the new book Dark Horse and host of the Combat Story podcast — joins the Chuck Toddcast for one of the most riveting and clear-eyed conversations about military service, leadership, and the realities of modern war. Pasciuti was 16 years old on September 11th, enlisted at 17, and eventually became the Marine who led the team that killed "Juba" — the notorious Iraqi sniper who uploaded videos of his American kills to the internet to taunt the U.S. military. He walks listeners through the entire hunt: how Marines studied Juba's uploaded footage to identify his patterns, how the team set a trap, how Pasciuti spotted Juba in his hide by catching the glint off the lens of a Sony Handycam, and how he knew within minutes that they'd gotten him — while emphasizing that he may have pulled the trigger but it was an entire team that brought Juba down. Pasciuti reflects on the strange experience of fighting enemies who saw themselves as freedom fighters rather than terrorists, why attention to detail is the trait that weeds out most sniper candidates, and how snipers are ultimately meant to combat the enemy emotionally as much as physically. The conversation broadens into a sweeping meditation on what military service teaches you about America — and where Pasciuti worries the country is heading. He calls the military one of the last bastions of the American dream, where opportunity is real but has to be earned, and argues that a culture promoting service to the greater good over the accumulation of wealth would make America measurably healthier.. Pasciuti is openly worried about political leadership infecting the values of the military, makes the case that empathy must be viewed as a strength rather than a weakness in military leadership, and insists his book is political but not partisan — it's about values. He offers a vital warning that the Taliban proved asymmetrical warfare can defeat a stronger foe, that drone warfare is dangerously dehumanizing combat by reducing casualties to dollars and cents, and that the most important thing any soldier carries home is their soul intact — something he says becomes harder every year as the social contract between America and its veterans erodes. Pasciuti describes seeing fear rather than hatred in the eyes of a dying enemy combatant, a moment that has stayed with him, and explains why he can't support any politician who describes a political opponent as an enemy. He shares his experience running for city council and personally knocking on thousands of doors, his frustration with the financial barriers to entry in modern politics, and his belief that current discourse simply doesn't allow for real dialogue. He closes with the most powerful observation of the episode, made for Memorial Day: the holiday isn't about those who came home — it's about those who didn't — and anyone calling for war should be required to first sit down and have a conversation with a Gold Star family. Finally, Chuck hops into the ToddCast Time Machine for a thoughtful Memorial Day reflection on how countries honor their war dead — and how the rituals they choose reveal who they understand themselves to be. He traces Memorial Day back to its actual origins in the Civil War and its 600,000 American dead, including the powerful and often-forgotten story of formerly enslaved people who reburied Union soldiers from a mass grave to give them the dignified resting place their country had failed to provide. He explains that the date was chosen not because of a specific battle but because of when flowers bloom, that Southern states kept parallel remembrance traditions for the Confederacy, and that Memorial Day's secondary role as the unofficial start of summer has always made it a uniquely American hybrid of grief and gathering — which, Chuck argues, is actually one of its virtues, because coming together is how communities find common ground. He surveys how other nations approach the same task: WWI created a uniquely Canadian identity around remembrance, Russia centers its V-Day celebrations on WWII triumph as the foundation of national identity, Germany approaches its war dead cautiously and somberly with a deep awareness of historical responsibility, and Japan frames remembrance through loss, peace, and explicit anti-war reflection. His larger argument is that the story and tone of a country's remembrance day reveals exactly how it understands itself — what it celebrates, what it confronts, and what it would rather not look at. He closes with the smallest but most important reminder of the day: you don't say "Happy Memorial Day." He also answers listeners’ questions in the “Ask Chuck” segment. Predict the action all the way through the finals. Sign up now for your twenty-five dollar bonus on https://fanduel.com/predicts Link in bio or go to https://getsoul.com & enter code TODDCAST for 30% off your first order. Refresh your wardrobe with Quince. Go to https://Quince.com/chuck for free shipping on your order and 365-day returns. 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! Timeline: (Timestamps may vary based on advertisements) 00:00 Chuck Todd’s introduction 04:00 Pending Iran deal looks like a worse version of Obama’s deal 04:45 Iran looks to have avoided all of Trump + Israel’s stated goals 05:15 Iran retains control of Strait, that means this is a loss for Trump 06:15 Trump is capitulating, and this diminishes America’s standing 07:15 Administration hoping to sweep Iran under the rug in time for the midterms 08:00 Normally, America would be leading Ebola response. Trump destroyed USAID 08:45 Helping with disease outbreaks was about protecting us at home 10:00 Unlikely the Iranian regime will be able to repress their people forever 11:00 Trump bit off more than he could chew and needs an offramp 11:45 Bibi put his faith into Donald Trump, which never goes well 13:00 Trump hires flawed people that could only work for him. Makes them loyal 14:15 Politics infects every decision Trump makes 15:45 Gulf state allies will have to deal with Iran for much longer now 16:30 Missed the window to topple the regime during the protests 18:00 Gulf states were hoping U.S. and Israel would do their dirty work 18:30 Trump was worst possible commander in chief for this moment 19:30 It’s a big loss for Trump, but he had no choice but to end the war 22:00 New polling shows Trump approval tanking, huge generic Dem advantage 23:45 WSJ dubs the past week, “The week the broke Trump’s hold on Congress” 25:00 Trump is underwater on every issue 26:00 It’s highly unlikely consumer confidence will rise before the midterms 27:00 Trump is directly responsible for higher inflation and cost of living 28:00 Senate cannot find way to fund DHS through reconciliation 29:30 Trump makes any bipartisan solution impossible 30:15 Todd Banche is making DOJ Trump’s personal attorneys 31:45 Can’t trust anything this DOJ says. Blanche should be impeached* 33:15 Trump’s J6 slush fund is likely illegal and has GOP senators wavering 34:15 Backlash to slush fund isn’t going away 35:45 The stronger Trump grips the party, the weaker it is in general elections 36:30 The lame duck is here. This a failed first two years of Trump’s presidency 37:15 DNC finally releases autopsy of 2024 election loss 37:45 Ken Martin is the wrong person for the DNC chair. In over his head 38:15 The simple fact of the matter is the party is perceived as too liberal 40:45 There are more conservatives than progressives, need to win the moderates 42:00 Autopsy offering gubernatorial wins as a counterpoint is tone deaf 43:45 Trump’s electoral strength doesn’t translate when he isn’t on ballot 44:30 DNC was in a no-win situation with the autopsy 45:15 Seems like the autopsy was just going through motions, poorly thought out 46:30 DNC is paralyzed, in need of new leadership 48:30 Mike Duggan drops out as independent in MI governor’s race 50:00 Duggan counted on contentious primary & that didn’t happen 52:00 Duggan didn’t want a Republican elected and dropped out 52:30 Tulsi Gabbard resigns. DNI post shown to not be necessary 53:00 The CIA has won the “turf battle” amongst intel agencies 54:30 Gabbard isn’t the first DNI that’s been marginalized. 55:15 It’s easy to eye roll Don Jr & Hunter Biden… Their fathers screwed them up 1:03:30 AJ Pasciuti (Dark Horse) joins the Chuck ToddCast 1:05:30 If you wrote the book 10 years ago, how would it have been different? 1:07:00 You gain extra perspective about “why” when more time has passed 1:07:45 Leadership is currently in very short supply 1:09:45 The book is a love letter and thank you to people who shaped AJ’s life 1:11:45 The military is one of the last bastions of the American dream 1:12:45 Was 16 years old on 9/11 and the attack inspired AJ to enlist at 17 1:13:45 How did you identify that you had the skills to be a sniper? 1:15:15 Gunnery Sgt. Jackson helped set AJ on his trajectory 1:16:00 What is training for a sniper like? 1:17:00 Attention to details is the trait that weeds out most sniper candidates 1:17:45 Snipers have to be self-dependent, must rely on yourself for survival 1:19:00 Snipers are meant to combat the enemy emotionally, scare them 1:19:45 “Juba” may not have been just one enemy sniper & hunted Americans 1:20:15 Juba uploaded videos of sniper kills of Americans to the internet 1:21:00 Watching the videos allowed marines to understand Juba’s patterns 1:21:30 Set up a trap for Juba and Juba fell into it 1:22:30 AJ knew they had killed Juba within minutes 1:23:30 Caught a glint of the lens of a Sony handycam to spot Juba 1:24:45 AJ may have pulled the trigger, but it was an entire team that got him 1:26:15 Marines were shocked that people would fight for a tyrant like Saddam 1:27:00 We viewed the enemies as terrorists, they viewed themselves as freedom fighters 1:28:45 Does the message to the troops today seem different than when you served? 1:29:45 When we send Americans into conflict, it must be for a just cause 1:30:15 There’s a responsibility that comes with having the greatest military in history 1:31:15 Are you worried political leadership is infecting the values of the military? 1:32:15 Leadership needs to project values people are inspired to defend 1:34:00 Military leadership needs to view empathy as a strength, not a weakness 1:35:00 The book is political but not partisan. It’s about values 1:36:45 A culture that promotes services to the greater good is healthier 1:38:30 If the culture promotes service over wealth, we’d be better off 1:39:00 Mandatory service in Israel has helped to bond their society 1:41:30 Service strips away the illusion that we succeed alone 1:42:45 Veterans aren’t easily categorized in their politics 1:43:30 Military provides an opportunity, but you have to earn it 1:45:30 Competitive advantage for the military is to think, adapt & react quicker 1:46:45 Marine culture should create soldiers that are problem solvers 1:47:45 Taliban found that asymmetrical warfare could defeat a stronger foe 1:50:00 We have to better prepare for asymmetrical warfare 1:50:45 The American Revolution was fought with asymmetrical warfare 1:51:30 Drone warfare dehumanizes war. Casualties counted in dollars and cents 1:52:45 War is a chess game, and modern tech has leveled the playing field 1:54:45 Have to avoid being dehumanized by war 1:55:30 Saw an enemy combatant dying, saw fear in his eyes, not hatred 1:56:15 Wrote the book not to glorify war, but to tell the realities of it 1:57:45 The hardest part of coming home was doing so with your soul intact 1:59:00 The social contract with our soldiers must be protected 2:00:15 How are you able to publicly express your experience when many can’t? 2:02:30 Can’t support someone that says a political opponent is an enemy 2:03:30 Tell us about your podcast “Combat Story” 2:05:00 Ran for city council, personally knocked on thousands of doors 2:06:30 Our current politics doesn’t allow for dialogue 2:08:45 There’s a financial barrier to entry into politics 2:11:30 Memorial Day is tough, it’s about those who didn’t come home 2:12:00 Anyone calling for war should have a conversation with a gold star family 2:15:15 Chuck’s thoughts on interview with AJ Pasciuti 2:16:00 ToddCast Time Machine 2:16:30 Every country honors war dead, but don’t do it the same way 2:17:15 Memorial Day was borne out of the civil war and 600k Americans dead 2:18:00 Formally enslaved people reburied union soldiers from mass grave 2:18:45 Holiday is also about who gets remembered in our national story 2:19:15 Date was chosen due to flowers blooming & not a specific battle 2:20:30 Southern states kept remembrance traditions for the confederacy 2:21:15 Memorial Day also marks the unofficial start of summer 2:21:45 Gathering together is an important way to find common ground 2:22:45 Different memorial traditions & rituals in other countries 2:23:30 WW1 created a unique identity in Canada 2:24:00 Russia celebrates V-Day, triumph in WW2 central to identity 2:24:45 Germany remembers war cautiously and somberly 2:25:30 Japan remembers war through loss, peace and anti-war reflection 2:26:15 Other memorial rituals around the world 2:27:45 Story and tone of remembrance days are how countries view themselves 2:28:45…

Full show notes at the publisher

Interview Only w/ Lamar Alexander - A Statesman's Warning About Where American Politics Is Headed May 21, 2026

Show notes

Former Senator, Tennessee Governor, and Education Secretary Lamar Alexander joins the Chuck Toddcast to discuss his new memoir The Education of a Senator and an offer his extraordinary perspective on American politics shaped by five decades in public life — including the surreal experience of being sworn in as governor under emergency circumstances because his predecessor was openly selling pardons for cash and eventually went to prison for selling whiskey licenses. (For listeners absorbing the news of Trump's modern pardon market, the historical echoes are impossible to miss.) Alexander shares stories that capture an entirely different era: how he had to govern in a bipartisan manner from day one to handle the scandal he inherited, how an inquiry surfaced about springing MLK's killer from prison, and how Southern governors of his generation had to drag their states out of the 1950s and into something resembling modernity. Alexander argues that style matters enormously in politics — and reveals that he predicted Trump's presidency years before it happened, because he saw clearly that American politics was being consumed by money and media in ways that disincentivized actual legislating. He walks through his theory of education reform, defends "No Child Left Behind"'s standards-based approach, and offers the wonkish but fascinating idea he once pitched to Reagan: have states and the federal government swap administration of Medicaid and K-12 education.

The conversation broadens into Alexander's diagnosis of what's gone wrong with American politics and the path back. He argues that partisan primaries have created more ideologically extreme candidates than the system can absorb, and that people will always find ways around campaign finance limits — meaning the real fix has to be structural. Alexander offers a remarkable assessment of recent presidents: governor is the best preparation for the presidency, Carter didn't understand Washington when he arrived but Clinton did, and George W. Bush was the most "normal guy" of the modern era. He reflects on his famous healthcare debates with Obama (both gave each other notes afterwards rather than playing for spectacle), shares his concerns about state budgets becoming dangerously reliant on vice taxes, and asks the question no Republican can answer honestly anymore: could you propose raising the gas tax in today's GOP? Alexander is candid about Trump's mixed legacy — the party had become ossified and Trump did break it open, but pardoning the January 6th rioters was a profound error because the peaceful transfer of power is the single most important element of American democracy. He warns that we lack genuine two-party competition right now, that the next Republican nominee needs a fundamentally different temperament than Trump, and that the lack of character and morality in modern politics may be dissuading exactly the kind of people we most need to run.

Link in bio or go to https://getsoul.com & enter code TODDCAST

for 30% off your first order.

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

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!

Timeline:

(Timestamps may vary based on advertisements)

00:00 Sen. Lamar Alexander joins The Chuck ToddCast

01:30 Being a senator vs. being a governor

02:30 There are always 8-10 senators that are better than the rest

03:15 Ted Kennedy was an incredibly effective senator

04:45 The governor he succeeded was selling pardons for cash

06:30 The prior governor eventually went to jail for selling whiskey licenses

08:15 There was an inquiry about springing MLK Jr.’s killer from prison

09:30 Had to work in a bipartisan manner on day 1 to handle the scandal

10:30 Southern governors had to bring southern states out of the 50’s

12:45 How would you update & modernize public education?

14:15 Mississippi has had great success emphasizing phonics

15:00 Schools are best governed community by community

15:30 Don’t need a Dept. of Education for higher ed

16:00 Federal money should allow money to follow low income students

16:45 You need advocacy but not management from Washington

17:30 Hard to argue with standards created by “No Child Left Behind”

19:00 If you’re entering politics it should be to accomplish something

20:00 Goal isn’t necessarily bipartisanship, it’s to get a result

21:00 Style matters in politics

22:15 Politics has become all money and media - Predicted Trump as president

23:00 The digital democracy doesn’t provide incentive for legislating

24:30 Money has consumed our politics, how do we fix it?

25:45 NC senate race could be the first billion dollar senate race

26:15 People always find a way around campaign finance limits

28:00 John Kerry was first pres. candidate to spend huge sums of personal $

29:45 Why couldn’t John Baker get traction but George Bush did?

31:00 Governor is the best job to prepare you for the presidency

32:00 Carter didn’t understand D.C. when he got there, Clinton did

32:45 George W. Bush was the most “normal guy” out of recent presidents

34:30 Debate with Obama over healthcare gave both sides a platform for their views

35:45 Didn’t want to over debate Obama for spectacle, give him notes afterwards

36:30 Proposed states swapping Medicaid admin for K-12 admin to Reagan

37;45 Medicaid was cramping states ability to effectively manage public ed

38:15 Vice taxes have been relied on as a way to pad state government budgets

39:30 Are we too reliant on vices to fund state budgets?

40:45 Could you propose a raise to gas tax in today’s GOP?

42:15 Where is the Republican party headed in the post-Trump era?

43:00 Partisan primaries created more ideologically extreme candidates

45:15 Most national politicians from Tennessee came from eastern TN

45:45 Elements of Trumpism were emerging in early 2000’s GOP politics

47:45 GOP needs to nominate someone with a different temperament than Trump

48:30 Lack of character and morality in modern politics

49:30 Politics has caused ruptures in families, might dissuade good people from running

51:00 Trump has been both good & bad for the GOP - The party had become ossified

52:00 Trump made a major error in pardoning the J6 rioters

52:45 The peaceful transfer of power is the most important element of democracy

54:00 Washington shouldn’t operate on a pay to play basis

55:45 When did you first connect with Doug Bailey?

57:45 What advice did you get from Bailey when you were governor?

1:00:00 Purpose of memoir was to explain the goals he had as a public servant

1:01:15 The republic will survive, but we have work to do to make it survive

1:02:30 We suffer from a lack of two party competition

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Full Episode - Trump Made The Midterms MUCH Harder For Republicans + A Statesman's Warning About Where American Politics Is Headed May 21, 2026

Show notes

Chuck Todd walks through a primary night that should make every elected Republican break out in a cold sweat — Democrats outvoted Republicans by 100,000 votes in Georgia. He argues we now have a fully formed "woke right" — and Trump is leading it. The man who built his political brand on refusing to conform to anyone's mindset has become the most aggressive cancel culture warrior in American politics, ending the careers of Republicans who cross him. The downstream consequences are catastrophic for the GOP: Republicans will now have to dump enormous money into Texas to defend a seat that was supposed to be safe, and Texas joins North Carolina and Ohio as an expensive trio Republicans will struggle to defend. Trump appears either clueless or in denial that he's systematically setting his own party up for massive failure, but Chuck notes a "YOLO caucus" is quietly emerging among Senate Republicans who know they're toast and may act more independently. He closes with a moving tribute to Barney Frank, who died at 86 after 32 years in Congress — the architect of Dodd-Frank, the first openly gay member of Congress, who came out in 1987 at the height of the AIDS crisis and endured Gingrich-era homophobia that he felt punished him beyond what any straight politician would have faced. Frank's parting message to today's Democrats sits at the center of Todd's episode and arguably explains why the party keeps losing winnable elections: "Don't litmus test yourselves into oblivion."

Then. former Senator, Tennessee Governor, and Education Secretary Lamar Alexander joins the Chuck Toddcast to discuss his new memoir The Education of a Senator and an offer his extraordinary perspective on American politics shaped by five decades in public life — including the surreal experience of being sworn in as governor under emergency circumstances because his predecessor was openly selling pardons for cash and eventually went to prison for selling whiskey licenses. (For listeners absorbing the news of Trump's modern pardon market, the historical echoes are impossible to miss.) Alexander shares stories that capture an entirely different era: how he had to govern in a bipartisan manner from day one to handle the scandal he inherited, how an inquiry surfaced about springing MLK's killer from prison, and how Southern governors of his generation had to drag their states out of the 1950s and into something resembling modernity. Alexander argues that style matters enormously in politics — and reveals that he predicted Trump's presidency years before it happened, because he saw clearly that American politics was being consumed by money and media in ways that disincentivized actual legislating. He walks through his theory of education reform, defends "No Child Left Behind"'s standards-based approach, and offers the wonkish but fascinating idea he once pitched to Reagan: have states and the federal government swap administration of Medicaid and K-12 education.

Finally, he answers listeners’ questions in the “Ask Chuck” segment.

Predict the action all the way through the finals. Sign up now for your twenty-five dollar bonus on https://fanduel.com/predicts

Link in bio or go to https://getsoul.com & enter code TODDCAST

for 30% off your first order.

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

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!

Timeline:

(Timestamps may vary based on advertisements)

00:00 Chuck Todd’s introduction

02:30 Georgia Republican senate race headed to runoff

04:00 Democrats outvoted Republicans by 100k votes in Georgia

05:30 Breakdown of primary results from Idaho

06:00 An independent has a better chance to win in Idaho than a Dem

06:30 Brad Little was able to stand up to Trump & survive

07:00 You can’t oppose Trump and be a Republican in good standing

08:00 We now have a “woke right” that Trump is leading

08:45 Trump’s initial appeal was not having to conform to a certain mindset

09:30 Cancel culture is now Trump targeting any Republican who crosses him

10:45 Republicans can’t oppose taxpayer funding for Trump’s ballroom

11:30 Trump is as defensive about Epstein as he was about Russia

12:45 There’s a lot of circumstantial evidence with Trump/Epstein

13:15 Trump angry that Lauren Boebert won’t drop Epstein

14:00 Ken Paxton’s election denialism is what won him Trump’s support

15:15 Cassidy and Cornyn supported 90% of Trump’s agenda…wasn’t enough

15:45 Elected Republicans know that Trump can end their career in a primary

17:00 It’s Trump’s party but he’s setting it up for massive failure

17:45 GOP senators relieved they don’t have to vote for ballroom funding

18:15 There’s a growing YOLO caucus in the Republican senate

19:15 Republicans will have to spend way more money in Texas now

20:00 Cornyn has raised $400m for Republicans

22:15 Trump seems clueless or in denial that the GOP is set up to fail in the fall

23:45 Paxton is so corrupt he belongs nowhere near political power

24:15 Talarico can beat Paxton, but it will be close

25:00 Trump doesn’t usually spend money that doesn’t help Trump

26:30 Republicans are now playing defense…do they concede NC?

28:30 Texas, NC and Ohio become an expensive trio for GOP to defend

29:00 Several other potential Democratic senate pickups

35:00 Barney Frank passes away at 86, served in congress 32 years

37:15 Dodd-Frank has stood the test of time

37:45 Frank was a barrier breaker as first openly gay member of congress

38:15 Frank came out in 1987 at the height of the AIDS crisis

39:30 Republicans led by Gingrich used Frank’s sexuality as a cudgel

40:45 Frank felt overly punished because he was a gay man

43:00 Frank had to work in a place where homophobia was rampant

44:00 Frank’s closing message to Dems - “Don’t litmus test yourselves into oblivion”

45:30 Frank was a larger public figure than he gets credit for

49:00 Sen. Lamar Alexander joins The Chuck ToddCast

50:30 Being a senator vs. being a governor

51:30 There are always 8-10 senators that are better than the rest

52:15 Ted Kennedy was an incredibly effective senator

53:45 The governor he succeeded was selling pardons for cash

55:30 The prior governor eventually went to jail for selling whiskey licenses

57:15 There was an inquiry about springing MLK Jr.’s killer from prison

58:30 Had to work in a bipartisan manner on day 1 to handle the scandal

59:30 Southern governors had to bring southern states out of the 50’s

1:01:45 How would you update & modernize public education?

1:03:15 Mississippi has had great success emphasizing phonics

1:04:00 Schools are best governed community by community

1:04:30 Don’t need a Dept. of Education for higher ed

1:05:00 Federal money should allow money to follow low income students

1:05:45 You need advocacy but not management from Washington

1:06:30 Hard to argue with standards created by “No Child Left Behind”

1:08:00 If you’re entering politics it should be to accomplish something

1:09:00 Goal isn’t necessarily bipartisanship, it’s to get a result

1:10:00 Style matters in politics

1:11:15 Politics has become all money and media - Predicted Trump as president

1:12:00 The digital democracy doesn’t provide incentive for legislating

1:13:30 Money has consumed our politics, how do we fix it?

1:14:45 NC senate race could be the first billion dollar senate race

1:15:15 People always find a way around campaign finance limits

1:17:00 John Kerry was first pres. candidate to spend huge sums of personal $

1:18:45 Why couldn’t John Baker get traction but George Bush did?

1:20:00 Governor is the best job to prepare you for the presidency

1:21:00 Carter didn’t understand D.C. when he got there, Clinton did

1:21:45 George W. Bush was the most “normal guy” out of recent presidents

1:23:30 Debate with Obama over healthcare gave both sides a platform for their views

1:24:45 Didn’t want to over debate Obama for spectacle, give him notes afterwards

1:25:30 Proposed states swapping Medicaid admin for K-12 admin to Reagan

1:26:45 Medicaid was cramping states ability to effectively manage public ed

1:27:15 Vice taxes have been relied on as a way to pad state government budgets

1:28:30 Are we too reliant on vices to fund state budgets?

1:29:45 Could you propose a raise to gas tax in today’s GOP?

1:31:15 Where is the Republican party headed in the post-Trump era?

1:32:00 Partisan primaries created more ideologically extreme candidates

1:34:15 Most national politicians from Tennessee came from eastern TN

1:34:45 Elements of Trumpism were emerging in early 2000’s GOP politics

1:36:45 GOP needs to nominate someone with a different temperament than Trump

1:37:30 Lack of character and morality in modern politics

1:38:30 Politics has caused ruptures in families, might dissuade good people from running

1:40:00 Trump has been both good & bad for the GOP - The party had become ossified

1:41:00 Trump made a major error in pardoning the J6 rioters

1:41:45 The peaceful transfer of power is the most important element of democracy

1:43:00 Washington shouldn’t operate on a pay to play basis

1:44:45 When did you first connect with Doug Bailey?

1:46:45 What advice did you get from Bailey when you were governor?

1:49:00 Purpose of memoir was to explain the goals he had as a public servant

1:50:15 The republic will survive, but we have work to do to make it survive

1:51:30 We suffer from a lack of two party competition

1:53:15 Ask Chuck

1:53:30 Is it possible the U.S. ever defaults on the national debt?

1:57:45 Is there a scenario where states coordinate gerrymandering reforms?

2:01:15 Are Dems in a no win scenario when it comes to redistricting?

2:06:30 Any chance senators like Cornyn or Cassidy could break ranks?

2:11:15 How can you say don’t fight fire with fire to people whose rights are threatened?

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Chuck’s Commentary - Trump Made The Midterms MUCH Harder For Republicans + Rest In Peace, Barney Frank May 21, 2026

Show notes

Finally, he answers listeners’ questions in the “Ask Chuck” segment.

Predict the action all the way through the finals. Sign up now for your twenty-five dollar bonus on https://fanduel.com/predicts

Link in bio or go to https://getsoul.com & enter code TODDCAST

for 30% off your first order.

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

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!

Timeline:

00:00 Chuck Todd’s introduction

02:30 Georgia Republican senate race headed to runoff

04:00 Democrats outvoted Republicans by 100k votes in Georgia

05:30 Breakdown of primary results from Idaho

06:00 An independent has a better chance to win in Idaho than a Dem

06:30 Brad Little was able to stand up to Trump & survive

07:00 You can’t oppose Trump and be a Republican in good standing

08:00 We now have a “woke right” that Trump is leading

08:45 Trump’s initial appeal was not having to conform to a certain mindset

09:30 Cancel culture is now Trump targeting any Republican who crosses him

10:45 Republicans can’t oppose taxpayer funding for Trump’s ballroom

11:30 Trump is as defensive about Epstein as he was about Russia

12:45 There’s a lot of circumstantial evidence with Trump/Epstein

13:15 Trump angry that Lauren Boebert won’t drop Epstein

14:00 Ken Paxton’s election denialism is what won him Trump’s support

15:15 Cassidy and Cornyn supported 90% of Trump’s agenda…wasn’t enough

15:45 Elected Republicans know that Trump can end their career in a primary

17:00 It’s Trump’s party but he’s setting it up for massive failure

17:45 GOP senators relieved they don’t have to vote for ballroom funding

18:15 There’s a growing YOLO caucus in the Republican senate

19:15 Republicans will have to spend way more money in Texas now

20:00 Cornyn has raised $400m for Republicans

22:15 Trump seems clueless or in denial that the GOP is set up to fail in the fall

23:45 Paxton is so corrupt he belongs nowhere near political power

24:15 Talarico can beat Paxton, but it will be close

25:00 Trump doesn’t usually spend money that doesn’t help Trump

26:30 Republicans are now playing defense…do they concede NC?

28:30 Texas, NC and Ohio become an expensive trio for GOP to defend

29:00 Several other potential Democratic senate pickups

35:00 Barney Frank passes away at 86, served in congress 32 years

37:15 Dodd-Frank has stood the test of time

37:45 Frank was a barrier breaker as first openly gay member of congress

38:15 Frank came out in 1987 at the height of the AIDS crisis

39:30 Republicans led by Gingrich used Frank’s sexuality as a cudgel

40:45 Frank felt overly punished because he was a gay man

43:00 Frank had to work in a place where homophobia was rampant

44:00 Frank’s closing message to Dems - “Don’t litmus test yourselves into oblivion”

45:30 Frank was a larger public figure than he gets credit for

46:30 Ask Chuck

46:45 Is it possible the U.S. ever defaults on the national debt?

51:00 Is there a scenario where states coordinate gerrymandering reforms?

54:30 Are Dems in a no win scenario when it comes to redistricting?

59:45 Any chance senators like Cornyn or Cassidy could break ranks?

1:04:30 How can you say don’t fight fire with fire to people whose rights are threatened?

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Dynastic - Chuck Todd & J.A. Adande interview Steelers legend Rocky Bleier about his INCREDIBLE life May 20, 2026

Show notes

Chuck Todd and J.A. Adande legendary Steelers running back and fullback Rocky Bleier, as Dynastic goes deeper into the Pittsburgh Steelers dynasty.

From winning a national championship at University of Notre Dame… to being drafted into both the NFL and the Vietnam War… to fighting his way back from devastating injuries to become a 4-time Super Bowl champion, Rocky’s story is one of the most unbelievable journeys in football history.

There are also some incredible behind-the-scenes stories involving Franco Harris, Joe Biden, the Steelers locker room culture, and the leadership principles that helped build one of the greatest dynasties in sports history.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Chuck’s Commentary - Trump’s Corruption Is A Threat To The Republic + Trump Keeps Purging The Republican Party May 20, 2026

Show notes

Chuck Todd opens with a wave of primary night results that all point the same direction: Thomas Massie has lost his reelection bid, Trump's grip on the GOP base is as strong as ever, and the president just endorsed Ken Paxton in Texas — a move that's great for Trump personally and disastrous for the Republican Party, which will now have to pour enormous money into a Senate seat that was supposed to be safe. Democrats outvoted Republicans in Georgia, with African-American turnout spiking in the aftermath of the Supreme Court gutting the Voting Rights Act — exactly the kind of backlash dynamic that could reshape the entire midterm map. The night's verdict: good for Trump, bad for the GOP.

But he argues the deeper, more dangerous story isn't electoral — it's the systematic normalization of corruption that Trump is engineering in plain sight. He's turning the Republican Party into a kleptocracy, selling pardons that erase prison sentences and massive financial penalties, raising prices for ordinary Americans while amassing a personal fortune, and just secured a DOJ get-out-of-jail-free card for his family on tax evasion. The genius of Trump's strategy, Chuck argues, is that he understands corruption can be absorbed into the culture if it carries no meaningful penalty. He reminds listeners that Bill Clinton survived his scandals only because the economy was booming; corruption becomes a voting issue when people's lives get worse, and Trump's policies are now unraveling the American economy at exactly the wrong moment for him. The real warning sits in the structural pattern: once corruption becomes politically survivable, it becomes politically reproducible.

Finally, Chuck presents his ToddCast Top 5 list of primary elections that will have the biggest impact on the general election in November, and answers listeners’ questions in the “Ask Chuck” segment.

Predict the action all the way through the finals. Sign up now for your twenty-five dollar bonus on https://fanduel.com/predicts

Link in bio or go to https://getsoul.com & enter code TODDCAST

for 30% off your first order.

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

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!

Timeline:

(Timestamps may vary based on advertisements)

00:00 Chuck Todd’s introduction
01:00 Thomas Massie loses re-elect. Trump still has grip over GOP

02:00 Trump endorsing Ken Paxton is good for him, bad for the GOP

03:15 Republicans will have to dump a ton of money into Texas

04:00 Endorsement is a gut punch for Cornyn, who had momentum

06:30 Georgia Republican governor & senate races headed to runoff

07:45 Rick Jackson has bragged about writing a million dollar check to Trump

08:15 Will Trump co-endorse in the GA governor’s race?

08:45 Democrats had higher turnout than GOP in Georgia

09:30 African-American turnout higher after gutting of Voting Rights Act

11:45 Trump’s endorsement really matters in a GOP primary

14:15 Election deniers turn off general election voters in swing states

15:30 Trump is not making decisions that are in the best interest of the GOP

18:00 Overall, a good night for Trump, a bad night for the Republican party

19:00 Corruption only becomes a voting issue when voters’ lives get worse

19:30 Clinton survived scandal because the economy was booming

20:00 Trump is normalizing corruption & selling of the presidency

20:45 Trump is stealing from taxpayers to create a slush fund

21:15 DOJ gives the Trumps a get-out-of-jail free card for tax evasion

22:00 Trump’s survival has come from convincing voters all politicians are corrupt

22:45 Trump’s policies are unraveling the American economy

23:30 Trump understands corruption can be absorbed into the culture

24:45 The danger is that corruption carries no meaningful penalty anymore

26:00 Trump is purging anyone who isn’t blindly loyal from the GOP

27:00 Trump is turning the GOP into a kleptocracy

28:30 This isn’t secretive corruption, it’s all out in the open

29:00 Trump sells pardons that erase jail + massive financial penalties

30:00 Trump has increased prices for everyone while amassing a personal fortune

31:30 Trump is weaponizing cynicism with both parties

33:00 Eventually the ruling class sees the public as something to extract from

33:45 Once something becomes politically survivable, it becomes reproducible

35:30 Republics decay once voters become accustomed to corruption

41:30 ToddCast Top 5 primaries that will have most impact on general election

42:15 #5 Wisconsin Democratic governor

45:45 #4 Michigan Democratic senate

49:45 #3 California gubernatatorial primary

52:15 #2 Arizona Republican gubernatorial

55:00 #1 Texas Republican senate

1:00:00 Ask Chuck

1:00:15 Why didn’t Virginia’s Supreme Court step in sooner on redistricting?

1:02:45 Any recommendations for road trips or places worth exploring?

1:05:45 Are we closer than ever to a viable 3rd party or are the barriers too high?

1:10:15 What will Trump be like once he leaves office? Will media move on?

1:15:30 What if 2028 did a listening tour at every state’s geographical center?

1:19:15 Could Bernie or Pete win without major improvement with black voters?

1:22:30 Credible worries that personal considerations are shaping middle east policy?

1:26:30 Will Trump’s endorsements of weak nominees eventually backfire?

1:28:45 Wemby is going to be transformational for the NBA

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Full Episode - Trump’s Corruption Is A Threat To The Republic + What's Really Driving the American Political Crisis & Polarization? May 20, 2026

Show notes

Then, Dartmouth political scientist Sean Westwood — director of the Polarization Lab and one of the leading researchers studying why American politics has become so toxic — joins the Chuck Toddcast with a counterintuitive opening argument: America has actually been more polarized in the past than it is now, and polarization itself is a normal feature of democracy. What changed is that the Cold War spent four decades artificially suppressing American polarization by giving the country a unifying external adversary; once the Soviet Union collapsed, the Pat Buchanan wing of the GOP emerged from hibernation and the country returned to its more natural fractious state. The real threat, Westwood argues, isn't disagreement — it's the structural changes that have allowed disagreement to metastasize into something all-consuming. He walks through the menu of possible reforms — ranked choice voting, all-party primaries, stronger party control over nominations — and is refreshingly candid about the tradeoffs: every fix comes with its own problems, moving from a two-party to a multi-party system would be enormously difficult (most multi-party democracies still end up with two dominant parties anyway), and the most realistic reform is simply restoring stronger party control, though Congress will never vote for anything that threatens its own members.

The conversation broadens into a sweeping diagnosis of what's actually broken. Westwood argues we're creating a world where if you don't opt-in to politics, you simply won't encounter it — meaning voters increasingly lack the basic information needed to hold elected officials accountable. He warns that any election denialism from one side gives the other side a permission slip to do the same, that America is experiencing more democratic backsliding than most observers want to admit, and that AI-powered microtargeting is about to make the information environment dramatically more disruptive than anything we've seen so far. Westwood identifies the Senate's malapportionment as the single most destructive feature of American politics, and observes that interracial marriage used to be the great cultural wedge before being replaced by raw partisanship — meaning partisan identity has now absorbed every other source of social division. He notes that Democrats have created litmus tests that will never win in rural America and that many modern legislators simply don't have governing skills but are very good at getting attention because humans are predisposed to focus on threat and conflict. Westwood's most haunting closing observation: telling voters they no longer live in a democracy can become a self-fulfilling prophecy, and that's a risk both sides need to take far more seriously than they currently do.

Predict the action all the way through the finals. Sign up now for your twenty-five dollar bonus on https://fanduel.com/predicts

Link in bio or go to https://getsoul.com & enter code TODDCASTfor 30% off your first order.

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

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!

Timeline:

(Timestamps may vary based on advertisements)

00:00 Chuck Todd’s introduction
01:00 Thomas Massie loses re-elect. Trump still has grip over GOP

02:00 Trump endorsing Ken Paxton is good for him, bad for the GOP

03:15 Republicans will have to dump a ton of money into Texas

04:00 Endorsement is a gut punch for Cornyn, who had momentum

06:30 Georgia Republican governor & senate races headed to runoff

07:45 Rick Jackson has bragged about writing a million dollar check to Trump

08:15 Will Trump co-endorse in the GA governor’s race?

08:45 Democrats had higher turnout than GOP in Georgia

09:30 African-American turnout higher after gutting of Voting Rights Act

11:45 Trump’s endorsement really matters in a GOP primary

14:15 Election deniers turn off general election voters in swing states

15:30 Trump is not making decisions that are in the best interest of the GOP

18:00 Overall, a good night for Trump, a bad night for the Republican party

20:30 Corruption only becomes a voting issue when voters’ lives get worse

21:00 Clinton survived scandal because the economy was booming

21:30 Trump is normalizing corruption & selling of the presidency

22:15 Trump is stealing from taxpayers to create a slush fund

22:45 DOJ gives the Trumps a get-out-of-jail free card for tax evasion

23:30 Trump’s survival has come from convincing voters all politicians are corrupt

24:15 Trump’s policies are unraveling the American economy

25:00 Trump understands corruption can be absorbed into the culture

26:15 The danger is that corruption carries no meaningful penalty anymore

27:30 Trump is purging anyone who isn’t blindly loyal from the GOP

28:30 Trump is turning the GOP into a kleptocracy

30:00 This isn’t secretive corruption, it’s all out in the open

30:30 Trump sells pardons that erase jail + massive financial penalties

31:30 Trump has increased prices for everyone while amassing a personal fortune

33:00 Trump is weaponizing cynicism with both parties

34:30 Eventually the ruling class sees the public as something to extract from

35:15 Once something becomes politically survivable, it becomes reproducible

37:00 Republics decay once voters become accustomed to corruption

43:00 Sean Westwood joins the Chuck ToddCast

44:15 The origin of the Polarization Lab?

45:45 Partisanship is the area where negativity is rewarded

46:30 America has been more polarized in the past than it is now

48:15 The Cold War suppressed polarization

49:00 Once the Cold War ended, the Pat Buchanon wing of GOP emerged

50:00 Polarization is normal in a democracy

50:45 Structural changes that led to polarization are the threat

51:30 Potential “relief valves” to ease polarization

52:30 Structural changes come with both improvements & negatives

53:15 Ranked choice voting can lead to district in election outcomes

54:30 Stronger party control is the easiest and most realistic fix

55:15 Moving from two parties to multi party would be incredibly difficult

55:45 Congress won’t vote on reforms that threaten their own power

56:30 Even in multi party systems there’s generally two strong parties

57:30 Members don’t just dislike the other party, they dislike their own party

58:30 American third parties struggle to leverage their position

59:00 Ross Perot’s candidacy sobered up the two major parties

1:00:45 Mark Cuban is the only person who could run successfully as an I

1:02:00 Places with electoral reforms typically had overwhelming one party control

1:03:15 In California & Texas you aren’t running “typical” candidates

1:04:30 All party primaries can help to alleviate some polarization

1:05:45 Redistricting muddies election data, makes it harder to form conclusions

1:07:30 It’s important to disagree, but disagreement can’t become all consuming

1:09:00 Many Trump voters who don’t love Trump but want to “own the libs”

1:10:15 We’re creating a world where if you don’t opt-in to politics, you won’t see it

1:11:00 Americans won’t have the info to hold elected officials accountable

1:12:00 Newspaper delivery used to correlate with likelihood of voting

1:14:00 Local info can be easily accessed online, but still needs journalists

1:15:15 Public media is seen as a mouthpiece of the left in America

1:16:45 We’ve been reversing all the progress on fairer districts

1:17:30 Any election denialism gives a permission slip to the other side

1:18:15 Voters see democratic pullback from one side & want their party to do the same

1:19:15 We’re experiencing more democratic backsliding than we’d like to admit

1:20:45 The impact of big data and microtargeting

1:21:30 AI will make microtargeting far more impactful and disruptive

1:22:45 Partisans have become self-sorting geographically, but it’s incidental

1:24:15 Partisanship can become contagious

1:25:30 American politics urban/rural divide mirrors politics in Germany

1:27:15 Democrats created litmus tests that will never win in rural America

1:28:00 Dems would do well to make social issues determined by local governments

1:29:30 The malapportionment of the senate is most destructive to our politics

1:32:30 If you truly object to what your rep is doing, you have to take action

1:34:15 Haven’t had a consequential update to the democracy since before FDR

1:36:00 Interracial marriage used to be cultural wedge, replaced by partisanship

1:38:30 Many legislators don’t have governing skills, but good at getting attention

1:40:00 Humans are predisposed to focus on threat and conflict

1:41:30 Our information ecosystem is built to inflame, not moderate

1:43:45 Telling voters you aren’t in a democracy can be self-fulfilling

1:46:00 Chuck’s thoughts on the interview with Sean Westwood

1:47:30 Competitiveness of an election doesn’t correlate with hyperpartisanship

1:49:15 ToddCast Top 5 primaries that will have most impact on general election

1:50:00 #5 Wisconsin Democratic governor

1:53:30 #4 Michigan Democratic senate

1:57:30 #3 California gubernatatorial primary

2:00:00 #2 Arizona Republican gubernatorial

2:02:45 #1 Texas Republican senate

2:07:45 Ask Chuck

2:08:00 Why didn’t Virginia’s Supreme Court step in sooner on redistricting?

2:10:30 Any recommendations for road trips or places worth exploring?

2:13:30 Are we closer than ever to a viable 3rd party or are the barriers too high?

2:18:00 What will Trump be like once he leaves office? Will media move on?

2:23:15 What if 2028 did a listening tour at every state’s geographical center?

2:27:00 Could Bernie or Pete win without major improvement with black voters?

2:30:15 Credible worries that personal considerations are shaping middle east policy?

2:34:15 Will Trump’s endorsements of weak nominees eventually backfire?

2:36:30 Wemby is going to be transformational for the NBA

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Interview Only w/ Sean Westwood - What's Really Driving the American Political Crisis & Polarization? May 20, 2026

Show notes

Dartmouth political scientist Sean Westwood — director of the Polarization Lab and one of the leading researchers studying why American politics has become so toxic — joins the Chuck Toddcast with a counterintuitive opening argument: America has actually been more polarized in the past than it is now, and polarization itself is a normal feature of democracy. What changed is that the Cold War spent four decades artificially suppressing American polarization by giving the country a unifying external adversary; once the Soviet Union collapsed, the Pat Buchanan wing of the GOP emerged from hibernation and the country returned to its more natural fractious state. The real threat, Westwood argues, isn't disagreement — it's the structural changes that have allowed disagreement to metastasize into something all-consuming. He walks through the menu of possible reforms — ranked choice voting, all-party primaries, stronger party control over nominations — and is refreshingly candid about the tradeoffs: every fix comes with its own problems, moving from a two-party to a multi-party system would be enormously difficult (most multi-party democracies still end up with two dominant parties anyway), and the most realistic reform is simply restoring stronger party control, though Congress will never vote for anything that threatens its own members.

Link in bio or go to https://getsoul.com & enter code TODDCAST

for 30% off your first order.

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

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!

Timeline:

(Timestamps may vary based on advertisements)

00:00 Sean Westwood joins the Chuck ToddCast

01:15 The origin of the Polarization Lab?

02:45 Partisanship is the area where negativity is rewarded

03:30 America has been more polarized in the past than it is now

05:15 The Cold War suppressed polarization

06:00 Once the Cold War ended, the Pat Buchanon wing of GOP emerged

07:00 Polarization is normal in a democracy

07:45 Structural changes that led to polarization are the threat

08:30 Potential “relief valves” to ease polarization

09:30 Structural changes come with both improvements & negatives

10:15 Ranked choice voting can lead to district in election outcomes

11:30 Stronger party control is the easiest and most realistic fix

12:15 Moving from two parties to multi party would be incredibly difficult

12:45 Congress won’t vote on reforms that threaten their own power

13:30 Even in multi party systems there’s generally two strong parties

14:30 Members don’t just dislike the other party, they dislike their own party

15:30 American third parties struggle to leverage their position

16:00 Ross Perot’s candidacy sobered up the two major parties

17:45 Mark Cuban is the only person who could run successfully as an I

19:00 Places with electoral reforms typically had overwhelming one party control

20:15 In California & Texas you aren’t running “typical” candidates

21:30 All party primaries can help to alleviate some polarization

22:45 Redistricting muddies election data, makes it harder to form conclusions

24:30 It’s important to disagree, but disagreement can’t become all consuming

26:00 Many Trump voters who don’t love Trump but want to “own the libs”

27:15 We’re creating a world where if you don’t opt-in to politics, you won’t see it

28:00 Americans won’t have the info to hold elected officials accountable

29:00 Newspaper delivery used to correlate with likelihood of voting

31:00 Local info can be easily accessed online, but still needs journalists

32:15 Public media is seen as a mouthpiece of the left in America

33:45 We’ve been reversing all the progress on fairer districts

34:30 Any election denialism gives a permission slip to the other side

35:15 Voters see democratic pullback from one side & want their party to do the same

36:15 We’re experiencing more democratic backsliding than we’d like to admit

37:45 The impact of big data and microtargeting

38:30 AI will make microtargeting far more impactful and disruptive

39:45 Partisans have become self-sorting geographically, but it’s incidental

41:15 Partisanship can become contagious

42:30 American politics urban/rural divide mirrors politics in Germany

44:15 Democrats created litmus tests that will never win in rural America

45:00 Dems would do well to make social issues determined by local governments

46:30 The malapportionment of the senate is most destructive to our politics

49:30 If you truly object to what your rep is doing, you have to take action

51:15 Haven’t had a consequential update to the democracy since before FDR

53:00 Interracial marriage used to be cultural wedge, replaced by partisanship

55:30 Many legislators don’t have governing skills, but good at getting attention

57:00 Humans are predisposed to focus on threat and conflict

58:30 Our information ecosystem is built to inflame, not moderate

1:00:45 Telling voters you aren’t in a democracy can be self-fulfilling

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Full Episode - Trump’s China Trip Was A Disaster For Democracy + Bill Cassidy’s Political Career Is Over May 18, 2026

Show notes

Chuck Todd opens with the political obituary of Bill Cassidy, the Louisiana senator whose primary defeat is the latest and clearest evidence that there is simply no room left in the Republican Party for anyone who ever had qualms about Donald Trump. He argues Cassidy's downfall was as much self-inflicted as Trump-driven: he had the spine to vote to convict in the second impeachment trial but never the spine to actually defend the vote, owning it while constantly running from it on the trail. Cassidy could have run as an independent and didn't, gave up the last shreds of his credibility by voting to confirm RFK Jr., and put himself in the worst possible position to defend the toughest vote of his career. He uses the moment to make a broader argument: the Republican Party no longer believes in morals, ethics, or character, the leaders of both parties are damaging their own institutions in pursuit of raw power, and the country desperately needs more independents and third parties to break the duopoly. Trump, Chuck reminds listeners, is the scorpion of the fable — he will sting you every time, regardless of what you've done for him.

The bigger story, though, is Trump's stunning 180 on China — a complete reversal that has produced near-total silence from the GOP's once-deafening chorus of China hawks. He argues Trump has gone from confrontation to pure transaction with Beijing, that he appears willing to sell out Taiwan as leverage, and that he's effectively treating American arms sales to Taipei as bargaining chips in a trade negotiation. The contrast with Nixon's trip to China is glaring: Nixon went with a coherent strategy, Trump went without one. For decades America positioned itself as the defender of democracy worldwide, but that role is now genuinely in question — Pacific allies are nervous about Chinese aggression, rightfully so if America is prepared to trade away Taiwan, and Trump is signaling to the world that you simply cannot count on the United States anymore. He argues that the most damning indictment of the modern GOP is the fact that Trump is visibly screwing up on the world stage and not a single Republican will say so. He closes with a more hopeful note from his commencement address at John Carroll University, praising the school's political journalism program for teaching students morality and empathy, and reflecting that this graduating generation has been forced to adapt and develop resilience in ways no class before them ever had to.

Finally, Chuck hops into the ToddCast Time Machine to revisit the fraught opening of the Brooklyn bridge and the campaign to overcome the public’s fear about a new technology. He also answers listeners’ questions in an extended edition of “Ask Chuck”.

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Timeline:

(Timestamps may vary based on advertisements)

00:00 Chuck Todd’s introduction

03:45 Bill Cassidy’s vote to convict Trump cost him his senate seat

04:45 Closed GOP primary will favor Trump endorsed candidates

06:30 Only 3 Republicans left in congress who voted to impeach

09:00 Cassidy was 2nd worst performing of all GOP who voted to convict

09:30 Cassidy never defended his vote during the campaign

11:45 Cassidy could have run as an independent, but chose not to

13:00 More senators would have voted to convict on a secret ballot

14:30 Cassidy owned his vote, but always ran away from it

16:00 Cassidy gave up his credibility by voting to confirm RFK Jr.

16:45 There is no room in the GOP for people who have qualms with Trump

19:00 The Republican party doesn’t believe in morals, ethics or character

20:30 Cassidy put himself in worst possible position to defend a tough vote

22:15 Leaders of both parties are damaging their parties trying to win power

23:45 We need more independents & third parties to threaten the duopoly

24:45 Cassidy had the spine to vote to convict, but never explained the vote

26:00 Donald Trump is the “scorpion” of lore and will sting you every time

28:00 Louisiana primary vote total barely favored Republicans

29:00 Gutting of Voting Rights Act looks like it will juice black voter turnout

30:00 Presidential level turnout of black voters is possible in the south

31:00 Trump has pulled a complete 180 on China

32:00 Trump seems willing to completely sell out Taiwan

33:00 Trump has gone in the opposite direction of his “tough on China” position

34:15 Trump has gone from confrontation to transaction with China

35:30 Trump seems to be treating Taiwan as leverage

37:00 What happens to GOP hawkishness on China if Trump reverses his position?

37:30 GOP China hawks have been conspicuously silent

39:15 Trump is treating arms to Taiwan as a bargaining chip for China

40:00 For decades, America was the defender of democracy. That’s in question now

41:00 Pacific allies are nervous about China, rightfully so if U.S. sells out Taiwan

41:45 Trump is telling the world you can’t count on America

42:30 Trump is more worried about his political standing than American strength

43:45 Trump’s policies have made things more expensive & the economy worse

46:45 Nixon’s trip to China came with a coherent strategy, Trump’s didn’t

47:45 Trump can’t bomb his way into a solution with Iran

48:30 If the U.S. isn’t the defender of democracy worldwide… who is?

50:00 Trump is screwing up and nobody in his party will say so

54:00 Chuck gave commencement address at John Carroll University

55:00 JCU has a great program for political journalism

55:45 Program’s goal is to instill students with morality and empathy

57:00 This graduating generation has been forced to adapt and be resilient

1:03:00 ToddCast Time Machine - May 1883

1:03:30 New York opens the largest suspension bridge ever built, the Brooklyn bridge

1:04:00 The idea of a suspension bridge from Booklyn to Manhattan seemed impossible

1:05:45 Project seemed cursed after the designer of the bridge died

1:07:00 Emily Roebling effectively becomes the project manager for the bridge

1:08:00 May 24th, 1883 - The Brooklyn bridge finally opens

1:08:30 The bridge changed Brooklyn permanently, turns into a borough of NYC

1:09:45 Rumors start spreading that the bridge is collapsing

1:10:15 Twelve people died in stampede over fears of bridge collapsing

1:11:00 P.T. Barnum helps to calm public fear about the bridge

1:11:45 Elephants were paraded over the bridge to show it was stable

1:12:45 The public has to trust new technologies enough in order to use them

1:14:15 Ask Chuck

1:14:30 How should Democrats approach the issue of transgender rights?

1:20:30 Why do so many Americans believe major political events are “staged”?

1:24:45 Should Democrats stick with incrementalism or take a confrontational approach?

1:31:15 If MLB realigns, how would you restructure it?

1:40:00 Could Liz Cheney or Adam Kinziger become viable independent candidates?

1:43:15 Why doesn’t the press pool push back when attacked by Trump?

1:48:00 Who would have to leave the Democratic party to initiate its collapse?

1:51:00 What do you see happening with Trump’s tariff regime after SCOTUS ruling?

1:56:00 Nats off to a surprisingly good start

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