The Chuck ToddCast

Zach Wahls — the Iowa state senator, former minority leader, and U.S. Senate candidate who first went viral as a 19-year-old in 2011 for his moving speech defending his two moms before the Iowa legislature — joins the Chuck Toddcast to make the case that Democrats have a real shot at flipping statewide races in Iowa this cycle. Wahls explains how he realized at 13 that the GOP was targeting his own family, how he still considers marriage equality to be genuinely under threat today, and pushes back on the narrative that Iowa has abandoned its famous libertarian streak — noting that the vast majority of Iowans remain pro-choice and supportive of marriage equality even as the state has drifted red. He argues that Obama-Trump voters are plentiful in Iowa and that rural Iowa communities feel forgotten by the establishment — a dynamic Trump spoke to effectively in 2016 when the state was in a regional recession. Wahls points to the party's post-New Deal legacy of fighting for workers' rights, but he also reveals he wouldn't support Chuck Schumer for Senate leadership — a position that's apparently cost him, as Schumer-linked super PACs are now spending millions against him in the primary.
The conversation turns to what Wahls sees as the defining issue of his campaign: the obscene influence of dark money in American politics. He reveals that a bipartisan Iowa bill to get money out of state politics was killed by lobbyists and GOP opposition, that he's received small-dollar donations from all 99 Iowa counties while refusing corporate PAC money, and that his anti-corruption message is genuinely resonating with voters who are exhausted by the current system. Wahls says he'll co-sponsor a constitutional amendment to overturn Citizens United, discusses his openness to banning private equity from owning residential homes and responds to being labeled a "Sanders/Warren" candidate. Wahls pledges to lead by example on anti-corruption by serving only two terms if elected, shares concerns about state reliance on gambling revenue as a signal of voter economic anxiety, and closes with a deeply relatable observation every young parent will recognize: with a two-year-old at home, his monthly childcare bill now costs as much as his mortgage.
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.
Link in bio or go to https://getsoul.com & enter code TODDCAST for 30% off your first order.
Timeline:
(Timestamps may vary based on advertisements)
00:00 Zach Wahls joins the Chuck ToddCast
02:00 Democrats have a real chance at flipping statewide Iowa races
04:00 Did you always know you were going to be in politics?
05:45 Realized at 13 years old the GOP was targeting his own family
06:45 Going viral in 2011 for speech defending his two moms
08:00 Gay marriage rights are still under threat today
09:30 Does Iowa’s famous libertarian streak still exist today?
10:45 Vast majority of Iowans are pro-choice and support marriage equality
12:00 There are a lot of Obama/Trump voters in Iowa
13:30 Union leadership in Iowa leans Dem, rank & file lean GOP
15:15 Rural Iowa communities feel forgotten by the establishment
16:00 Iowa was in a regional recession in 2016, Trump spoke to that
17:30 Why run as a Democrat vs. as an independent?
18:30 Since the New Deal, Democrats have fought for workers rights
19:00 Wouldn’t support Chuck Schumer for senate leadership
19:45 Schumer-linked Super PAC spending millions against him
21:00 How do you avoid being painted as focused on identity & not economics?
23:00 The impact of dark money has tainted American & Iowa politics
24:30 Bipartisan bill to get money out of politics in Iowa spiked by lobbyists & GOP
25:45 The money in politics has gotten obscene quickly in recent years
27:00 What would a campaign finance constitutional amendment look like?
28:30 Republican aligned PACs set to spend huge money in Iowa in the fall
29:15 Received small dollar donations from all 99 counties, no corporate PAC $
30:15 Anti-corruption message is resonating with voters
31:30 Can you unilaterally disarm in the face of huge Republican spending?
32:30 Will co-sponsor amendment to overturn Citizen’s United
33:45 What did you learn from your stint in leadership in the legislature?
36:00 There was no clear strategic plan for Democrats to take back majority
37:00 There were basic organizational issues for Iowa Dems that needed to be fixed
37:45 Needed to rebuild relationships with organized labor
40:00 Stint in leadership doesn’t make him have more sympathy for Schumer
40:45 Democrats didn’t know what they were asking for during shutdown
41:30 If Democrats get the majority…do you work with Trump?
42:45 Have a responsibility to work across the aisle if it helps people
43:30 Open to banning private equity from owning homes, anti monopoly in meat
44:45 Price of fire trucks has tripled due to private equity buying up the manufacturing
46:30 Is the description of being the “Sanders/Warren” candidate a fair description?
49:00 Part-time legislatures don’t have the institutional knowledge of the lobbyists
50:30 Must lead by example on anti-corruption, will only serve two terms if elected
51:30 Thoughts on “vice taxes” & gambling to help state generate revenue?
54:30 High interest in gambling speaks to fear for economic future in voters
56:45 How has having a two year old affected your life & job?
57:30 Childcare costs as much as his mortgage with one child
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Chuck Todd opens on Tax Day — which the Trump team had planned as a political celebration showcasing bigger refunds, but which has instead become what he dubs the "One Big Beautiful BUST," with any gains from the tax cut completely eaten up by Trump's tariffs and the Iran war. Todd argues the economy isn't in recession but isn't good either, that voters simply won't feel the effects of Trump's tax cut, and that America now faces the genuine prospect of 1970s-style stagflation. H predicts we'll ultimately end up with an Iran deal that looks remarkably similar to the Obama deal Trump once ripped up, and notes that Trump's Jesus meme played terribly even with his own base — forcing him to backpedal with weak excuses — because when things are going well that kind of provocation gets a pass, but Trump is now squarely in the "bad gets worse" stage of his presidency where the coalition hasn't collapsed but the cracks are visibly widening.
He pivots to Viktor Orbán's decisive defeat in Hungary after 16 years in power, an election that featured massive voter turnout and was won by opposition leader Péter Magyar — an insider who gave Orbán's own voters a "permission slip" to leave by connecting democratic erosion directly to the bad economy. He argues America used to set the weather for democracy worldwide but hasn't been the leading model in 15 years, points to the mainstream party vote share in the UK falling below 40% as evidence of a broader cultural conservative backlash happening across democracies, and closes with a historically grounded warning: Hungary proves that political breakthroughs come from defectors within the system rather than outsiders challenging it, and history suggests real change rarely comes from merely tweaking the machinery — it comes from someone giving voters permission to abandon a failing project.
Then, Zach Wahls — the Iowa state senator, former minority leader, and U.S. Senate candidate who first went viral as a 19-year-old in 2011 for his moving speech defending his two moms before the Iowa legislature — joins the Chuck Toddcast to make the case that Democrats have a real shot at flipping statewide races in Iowa this cycle. Wahls explains how he realized at 13 that the GOP was targeting his own family, how he still considers marriage equality to be genuinely under threat today, and pushes back on the narrative that Iowa has abandoned its famous libertarian streak — noting that the vast majority of Iowans remain pro-choice and supportive of marriage equality even as the state has drifted red. He argues that Obama-Trump voters are plentiful in Iowa and that rural Iowa communities feel forgotten by the establishment — a dynamic Trump spoke to effectively in 2016 when the state was in a regional recession. Wahls points to the party's post-New Deal legacy of fighting for workers' rights, but he also reveals he wouldn't support Chuck Schumer for Senate leadership — a position that's apparently cost him, as Schumer-linked super PACs are now spending millions against him in the primary.
The conversation turns to what Wahls sees as the defining issue of his campaign: the obscene influence of dark money in American politics. He reveals that a bipartisan Iowa bill to get money out of state politics was killed by lobbyists and GOP opposition, that he's received small-dollar donations from all 99 Iowa counties while refusing corporate PAC money, and that his anti-corruption message is genuinely resonating with voters who are exhausted by the current system. Wahls says he'll co-sponsor a constitutional amendment to overturn Citizens United, discusses his openness to banning private equity from owning residential homes and responds to being labeled a "Sanders/Warren" candidate. Wahls pledges to lead by example on anti-corruption by serving only two terms if elected, shares concerns about state reliance on gambling revenue as a signal of voter economic anxiety, and closes with a deeply relatable observation every young parent will recognize: with a two-year-old at home, his monthly childcare bill now costs as much as his mortgage.
Finally, Chuck provides a spin on the ToddCast Top 5 and instead lists the senate seats he ranks as 6th-10th most likely to flip and answers listeners’ questions in the “Ask Chuck” segment
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.
Link in bio or go to https://getsoul.com & enter code TODDCAST for 30% off your first order.

Timeline:
(Timestamps may vary based on advertisements)
00:00 Chuck Todd’s introduction
02:00 It’s Tax Day and Trump’s team planned on it being a boon
03:00 Bigger tax refunds eaten by Trump’s tariffs and Iran war
03:45 Tax day instead will be the One Big Beautiful BUST
04:30 Economy isn’t in recession, but it’s not good
05:15 If Trump didn’t impose tariffs & start war, today would be good for him
06:00 Facing the potential of stagflation for a decade like in the 70s
07:00 Voters won’t feel the effects of Trump’s tax cut
08:15 Economic conditions could go off a cliff if war doesn’t end
09:15 This period of Trump’s presidency will be viewed as when it ended
10:00 It’s clear we’ll get a deal with the Iranians similar to Obama’s deal
11:30 Trump’s jesus meme played terribly, even with his base
12:30 Trump backpedaled and came up with bad excuses for meme
13:45 Everybody has a line that Trump will eventually cross
15:00 If things were going well, the meme wouldn’t get the same backlash
16:15 Trump is in the “bad gets worse” stage of his presidency
18:15 Trump’s coalition hasn’t collapsed, but cracks are getting wider
18:45 Viktor Orban trounced in Hungarian elections after 16 years of rule
20:00 We assumed that America democracy set the weather for democracies
20:45 In the last 15 years, America’s democracy isn’t the leading model
22:00 Cultural conservative backlash happening in many democracies
23:00 Mainstream party vote share in UK has dropped below 40%
24:00 Center-left and center-right UK parties would lose to far left/right
24:45 Hungary’s election was decisive with mass voter turnout
25:30 Magyar was an insider, gave Orban voters permission slip to leave
26:15 Magyar connected democratic erosion to the bad economy
26:45 Vance tried to rescue Orban and that backfired horribly
27:15 How much Hungarian money didn’t American influencers receive?
28:30 America’s political system just vacillates and feels stuck
29:00 Hungary showed the breakthrough comes from defectors, not outsiders
30:15 History suggests that change doesn’t come from tweaking the system
36:00 Zach Wahls joins the Chuck ToddCast
38:00 Democrats have a real chance at flipping statewide Iowa races
40:00 Did you always know you were going to be in politics?
41:45 Realized at 13 years old the GOP was targeting his own family
42:45 Going viral in 2011 for speech defending his two moms
44:00 Gay marriage rights are still under threat today
45:30 Does Iowa’s famous libertarian streak still exist today?
46:45 Vast majority of Iowans are pro-choice and support marriage equality
48:00 There are a lot of Obama/Trump voters in Iowa
49:30 Union leadership in Iowa leans Dem, rank & file lean GOP
51:15 Rural Iowa communities feel forgotten by the establishment
52:00 Iowa was in a regional recession in 2016, Trump spoke to that
53:30 Why run as a Democrat vs. as an independent?
54:30 Since the New Deal, Democrats have fought for workers rights
55:00 Wouldn’t support Chuck Schumer for senate leadership
55:45 Schumer-linked Super PAC spending millions against him
57:00 How do you avoid being painted as focused on identity & not economics?
59:00 The impact of dark money has tainted American & Iowa politics
1:00:30 Bipartisan bill to get money out of politics in Iowa spiked by lobbyists & GOP
1:01:45 The money in politics has gotten obscene quickly in recent years
1:03:00 What would a campaign finance constitutional amendment look like?
1:04:30 Republican aligned PACs set to spend huge money in Iowa in the fall
1:05:15 Received small dollar donations from all 99 counties, no corporate PAC $
1:06:15 Anti-corruption message is resonating with voters
1:07:30 Can you unilaterally disarm in the face of huge Republican spending?
1:08:30 Will co-sponsor amendment to overturn Citizen’s United
1:09:45 What did you learn from your stint in leadership in the legislature?
1:12:00 There was no clear strategic plan for Democrats to take back majority
1:13:00 There were basic organizational issues for Iowa Dems that needed to be fixed
1:13:45 Needed to rebuild relationships with organized labor
1:16:00 Stint in leadership doesn’t make him have more sympathy for Schumer
1:16:45 Democrats didn’t know what they were asking for during shutdown
1:17:30 If Democrats get the majority…do you work with Trump?
1:18:45 Have a responsibility to work across the aisle if it helps people
1:19:30 Open to banning private equity from owning homes, anti monopoly in meat
1:20:45 Price of fire trucks has tripled due to private equity buying up the manufacturing
1:22:30 Is the description of being the “Sanders/Warren” candidate a fair description?
1:25:00 Part-time legislatures don’t have the institutional knowledge of the lobbyists
1:26:30 Must lead by example on anti-corruption, will only serve two terms if elected
1:27:30 Thoughts on “vice taxes” & gambling to help state generate revenue?
1:30:30 High interest in gambling speaks to fear for economic future in voters
1:32:45 How has having a two year old affected your life & job?
1:33:30 Childcare costs as much as his mortgage with one child
1:37:30 ToddCast Not Top 5 - The next 5 senate seats most likely to flip
1:38:30 Political environment is highly favorable for Democrats
1:40:00 Top 5, NC, ME, OH, AK, NE
1:41:45 #6 Texas
1:42:30 #7 Michigan
1:45:30 #8 Georgia
1:46:00 #9 Iowa
1:47:45 #10 Montana
1:50:15 Ask Chuck
1:50:30 Are Republicans more in danger of fracturing than Democrats?
1:57:00 Was there a backroom deal for resignation of Swalwell & Gonzales?
1:58:30 Rubio’s shoes are the most “Veep” thing in Trump administration
2:02:00 How can CA Dems win over rural GOP voters in the state?
2:07:30 Best national and international news sources to stay informed?
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Chuck Todd opens on Tax Day — which the Trump team had planned as a political celebration showcasing bigger refunds, but which has instead become what he dubs the "One Big Beautiful BUST," with any gains from the tax cut completely eaten up by Trump's tariffs and the Iran war. Todd argues the economy isn't in recession but isn't good either, that voters simply won't feel the effects of Trump's tax cut, and that America now faces the genuine prospect of 1970s-style stagflation. H predicts we'll ultimately end up with an Iran deal that looks remarkably similar to the Obama deal Trump once ripped up, and notes that Trump's Jesus meme played terribly even with his own base — forcing him to backpedal with weak excuses — because when things are going well that kind of provocation gets a pass, but Trump is now squarely in the "bad gets worse" stage of his presidency where the coalition hasn't collapsed but the cracks are visibly widening.
He pivots to Viktor Orbán's decisive defeat in Hungary after 16 years in power, an election that featured massive voter turnout and was won by opposition leader Péter Magyar — an insider who gave Orbán's own voters a "permission slip" to leave by connecting democratic erosion directly to the bad economy. He argues America used to set the weather for democracy worldwide but hasn't been the leading model in 15 years, points to the mainstream party vote share in the UK falling below 40% as evidence of a broader cultural conservative backlash happening across democracies, and closes with a historically grounded warning: Hungary proves that political breakthroughs come from defectors within the system rather than outsiders challenging it, and history suggests real change rarely comes from merely tweaking the machinery — it comes from someone giving voters permission to abandon a failing project.
Finally, Chuck provides a spin on the ToddCast Top 5 and instead lists the senate seats he ranks as 6th-10th most likely to flip and answers listeners’ questions in the “Ask Chuck” segment
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.
Link in bio or go to https://getsoul.com & enter code TODDCAST for 30% off your first order.

Timeline:
00:00 Chuck Todd’s introduction
02:00 It’s Tax Day and Trump’s team planned on it being a boon
03:00 Bigger tax refunds eaten by Trump’s tariffs and Iran war
03:45 Tax day instead will be the One Big Beautiful BUST
04:30 Economy isn’t in recession, but it’s not good
05:15 If Trump didn’t impose tariffs & start war, today would be good for him
06:00 Facing the potential of stagflation for a decade like in the 70s
07:00 Voters won’t feel the effects of Trump’s tax cut
08:15 Economic conditions could go off a cliff if war doesn’t end
09:15 This period of Trump’s presidency will be viewed as when it ended
10:00 It’s clear we’ll get a deal with the Iranians similar to Obama’s deal
11:30 Trump’s jesus meme played terribly, even with his base
12:30 Trump backpedaled and came up with bad excuses for meme
13:45 Everybody has a line that Trump will eventually cross
15:00 If things were going well, the meme wouldn’t get the same backlash
16:15 Trump is in the “bad gets worse” stage of his presidency
18:15 Trump’s coalition hasn’t collapsed, but cracks are getting wider
18:45 Viktor Orban trounced in Hungarian elections after 16 years of rule
20:00 We assumed that America democracy set the weather for democracies
20:45 In the last 15 years, America’s democracy isn’t the leading model
22:00 Cultural conservative backlash happening in many democracies
23:00 Mainstream party vote share in UK has dropped below 40%
24:00 Center-left and center-right UK parties would lose to far left/right
24:45 Hungary’s election was decisive with mass voter turnout
25:30 Magyar was an insider, gave Orban voters permission slip to leave
26:15 Magyar connected democratic erosion to the bad economy
26:45 Vance tried to rescue Orban and that backfired horribly
27:15 How much Hungarian money didn’t American influencers receive?
28:30 America’s political system just vacillates and feels stuck
29:00 Hungary showed the breakthrough comes from defectors, not outsiders
30:15 History suggests that change doesn’t come from tweaking the system
35:30 ToddCast Not Top 5 - The next 5 senate seats most likely to flip
36:30 Political environment is highly favorable for Democrats
38:00 Top 5, NC, ME, OH, AK, NE
39:45 #6 Texas
40:30 #7 Michigan
43:30 #8 Georgia
44:00 #9 Iowa
45:45 #10 Montana
48:15 Ask Chuck
48:30 Are Republicans more in danger of fracturing than Democrats?
55:00 Was there a backroom deal for resignation of Swalwell & Gonzales?
56:30 Rubio’s shoes are the most “Veep” thing in Trump administration
1:00:00 How can CA Dems win over rural GOP voters in the state?
1:05:30 Best national and international news sources to stay informed?
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Chuck Todd opens with the unraveling of Trump's Iran peace talks and the president's threat of a naval blockade, breaking down why the administration has far less leverage than it's letting on, why Iran's control of the Strait of Hormuz puts Trump in a corner with only two real choices—escalate or capitulate—and why markets have been dangerously complacent as the economic hit accelerates and consumer confidence sinks below COVID-era lows. From there, Chuck digs into the collapse of Eric Swalwell's career amid sexual abuse allegations and the bipartisan push to expel him along with three other members of Congress, the wide-open and underwhelming California governor's race left behind by a weak Democratic field and Tom Steyer's charmless self-promotion, the curious Roger Stone–Tulsi Gabbard connection and their shared Russia sympathies, and Trump's promise of preemptive pardons for White House staff—making the case for why Congress urgently needs a commission on the pardon power.
Then, conservative talk radio host and Georgia political commentator Martha Zoller joins the Chuck ToddCast for a wide-ranging conversation about the state of politics in the Peach State and beyond. Martha and Chuck dig into why non-MAGA Republicans remain viable in Georgia, how Trump's influence has reshaped the GOP (and arguably handed Democrats two Senate seats), David Perdue's identity crisis between the Trump and Romney wings of the party, and the current landscape of Georgia's gubernatorial and Senate primaries—including why the governor's race may be Mike Collins' to lose and how Rick Jackson's entry has shaken things up.
The conversation then broadens to the deeper fault lines running through American politics: the cultural divide between traditional and progressive family values, why millennials feel left behind, neither party's failure to address affordability, and how media saturation and the collapse of bipartisan relationships in Congress have made compromise feel like treason. Martha and Chuck also explore whether Brian Kemp has presidential ambitions, why it's still harder for Republican women to break through, Jon Ossoff's political strengths, and whether figures like Obama and Trump are really two sides of the same disruption-hungry coin.
Finally, Chuck hops into the ToddCast Time Machine to revisit the Bay of Pigs debacle under John F. Kennedy and why that event still reverberates today, and answers listeners’ questions in the “Ask Chuck” segment.
Thank you Wildgrain for sponsoring. Visit http://wildgrain.com/TODDCAST and use the code "TODDCAST" at checkout to receive $30 off your first box PLUS free Croissants for life!
Protect your family with life insurance from Ethos. Get up to $3 million in coverage in as little as 10 minutes at https://ethos.com/chuck. Application times may vary. Rates may vary.
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
04:00 Trump threatens naval blockade after Iran peace talks fall apart
05:00 Trump admin has less leverage in talks than they’re letting on
05:30 Trump’s stupid rhetoric is not harmless
06:00 Control over the Strait is biggest piece of leverage & Iran has it
07:00 Will Trump send in ground troops if he can’t get what he wants?
08:30 Trump only has two choices: Escalate or capitulate
09:30 If Trump’s lucky he can get the Obama nuclear deal, but that’s unlikely
10:45 Markets will likely panic, they’ve been too complacent so far
12:15 Trump is begging for deal to save face and the Iranians know it
13:15 Trump keeps declaring victory despite reality being the opposite
15:00 Trump doesn’t understand regime, thinks they’re transactional like him
16:00 Iran looking like past failed military operations like Vietnam & Iraq
18:00 Iran saw Libya give up nuclear ambitions & regime was toppled
20:00 Economic hit is happening, consumer confidence lower than COVID
21:30 As Iran talks fell apart, Trump & Rubio were attending UFC fight
23:00 Rubio knows better, but has fallen in line anyway
24:30 Eric Swalwell’s campaign falls apart after allegations of sexual abuse
25:30 Rumors of Swalwell’s behavior existed for years
27:00 Swalwell is only denying criminal behavior, not all the allegations
28:45 Swalwell is trying hard to say he’s not Bill Cosby… he’s Bill Clinton
29:30 Push to expel Swalwell & possibly 3 other members of congress
31:00 It’s politically convenient for leadership to agree to boot them all
33:00 Will congress hold their members to a higher standard than the POTUS?
35:00 It’s likely all four members will get expelled
35:45 California dems had been reluctantly rallying around Swalwell
37:00 Major Democrats passed on running for CA gov, leaving weak field
38:15 Hard to blame Newsom for not setting up an “heir apparent”
39:00 Tom Steyer has spent an insane amount of money to promote himself
40:00 You need to have charm in politics, and Steyer doesn’t have it
41:30 Should prominent California dems all endorse the same person?
43:30 Schiff, Padilla, Harris & Newsom may need to play kingmaker
45:00 Likely there will be two weak candidates heading into November
46:30 Stories coming out that Roger Stone saved Tulsi Gabbard
47:15 Both Stone & Gabbard have been pro-Russia… coincidence?
47:45 Trump promises preemptive pardons for WH staff
48:45 We need a congressional commission on pardons
55:30 Martha Zoller joins the Chuck ToddCast
57:30 There’s a lot of diversity under the umbrellas of the two parties
58:15 Non-MAGA Republicans are still viable in Georgia
59:45 Georgia Democrats used a legal, mail-in voting loophole
1:00:45 Trump is the reason there are two Democratic GA senators
1:01:45 Thoughts on David Perdue trying to primary Brian Kemp?
1:03:45 Perdue lost identity being caught between Trump & Romney wings
1:05:00 Trump has been an MRI for Republican politics
1:06:15 Trump wasn’t loyal to David Perdue
1:07:15 Margins in statewide Georgia races are close
1:09:00 With Roe gone, has it made it harder to court Republican voters?
1:10:15 Abortion pills are most common method, have 7% complication rate
1:12:30 What is the one major dividing line in American politics?
1:13:45 Independents are disaffected by both parties
1:14:30 Dividing line is traditional family values vs progressive ones
1:15:45 Millennials aren’t having kids and feel like life has passed them by
1:16:15 Neither party is offering affordability solutions
1:17:30 Shutdown fights are stupid and wasteful
1:19:15 People view people in the other party as a caricature
1:20:00 Compromise with the other party is treated as treason
1:21:30 Congress doesn’t stay in DC & build bipartisan relationships
1:23:30 Media exposure makes it harder to campaign for office
1:25:45 Many Republicans learned how to run from Newt Gingrich tapes
1:27:00 Jon Ossoff’s youth & good looks are a political asset
1:28:15 Ossoff is not as progressive as his consultants make him sound
1:29:30 State of the Georgia Republican primary?
1:31:00 Race is Mike Collins race to lose
1:32:45 Rick Jackson’s entry has upended the governor's race
1:34:15 Kemp is focused on getting Derek Dooley across the finish line
1:35:15 Former governors hate working in the senate
1:38:00 The case for state legislatures electing senators
1:40:00 State legislators engage in the most corruption due to lack of coverage
1:41:15 Kelly Loeffler lost her political identity quickly after taking office
1:42:15 Is Brian Kemp going to run for president?
1:44:30 MTG says Republican party doesn’t make it easier for women to run
1:46:15 It’s harder for women to get traction in politics, easier for Dems
1:48:30 Have we crossed a line in how ugly our politics has become?
1:50:00 Voters wanted disruption, Obama & Trump two sides of same coin
1:52:00 Obama moderated in order to fit in
1:54:45 Trump couldn’t fake grace over deaths of Rob Reiner or Robert Mueller
1:57:30 Polling is less reliable than ever
2:02:45 ToddCast Time Machine - Too many huge historical events to choose from
2:04:45 April 1961 - Bay of Pigs
2:05:30 Nixon meets with Castro after Eisenhower refused to
2:07:00 There a back and forth over whether to embrace or shun Castro
2:07:30 Cold War tensions were very high when the Bay of Pigs happens
2:08:15 Bay of Pigs was a presidential approved operation before JFK took office
2:10:00 Kennedy’s hands were tied by his predecessor
2:10:45 The plan required air superiority, but Castro’s air force had survived
2:11:45 Castro arrests more than 100,000 suspected dissidents
2:13:30 Most of the participants are captured
2:14:00 Kennedy promised a free Havana that never transpired
2:14:45 Cuban Americans became reliable Republican voters under Reagan
2:16:15 Ask Chuck
2:16:30 Will congress ever vote against rebuilding military after president launches war?
2:21:00 Why is the market not really reacting to the Iran war?
2:23:30 As norms become tested, will congress every reassert its role?
2:29:45 Outside of your Top 5 senate flips, what are your 6-10?
2:34:45 Suggestions to fix the NBA
2:37:45 Does anyone use Camp David since Trump doesn’t?
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Chuck Todd opens with the unraveling of Trump's Iran peace talks and the president's threat of a naval blockade, breaking down why the administration has far less leverage than it's letting on, why Iran's control of the Strait of Hormuz puts Trump in a corner with only two real choices—escalate or capitulate—and why markets have been dangerously complacent as the economic hit accelerates and consumer confidence sinks below COVID-era lows. From there, Chuck digs into the collapse of Eric Swalwell's career amid sexual abuse allegations and the bipartisan push to expel him along with three other members of Congress, the wide-open and underwhelming California governor's race left behind by a weak Democratic field and Tom Steyer's charmless self-promotion, the curious Roger Stone–Tulsi Gabbard connection and their shared Russia sympathies, and Trump's promise of preemptive pardons for White House staff—making the case for why Congress urgently needs a commission on the pardon power.
Finally, Chuck hops into the ToddCast Time Machine to revisit the Bay of Pigs debacle under John F. Kennedy and why that event still reverberates today, and answers listeners’ questions in the “Ask Chuck” segment.
Thank you Wildgrain for sponsoring. Visit http://wildgrain.com/TODDCAST and use the code "TODDCAST" at checkout to receive $30 off your first box PLUS free Croissants for life!
Protect your family with life insurance from Ethos. Get up to $3 million in coverage in as little as 10 minutes at https://ethos.com/chuck. Application times may vary. Rates may vary.
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
04:00 Trump threatens naval blockade after Iran peace talks fall apart
05:00 Trump admin has less leverage in talks than they’re letting on
05:30 Trump’s stupid rhetoric is not harmless
06:00 Control over the Strait is biggest piece of leverage & Iran has it
07:00 Will Trump send in ground troops if he can’t get what he wants?
08:30 Trump only has two choices: Escalate or capitulate
09:30 If Trump’s lucky he can get the Obama nuclear deal, but that’s unlikely
10:45 Markets will likely panic, they’ve been too complacent so far
12:15 Trump is begging for deal to save face and the Iranians know it
13:15 Trump keeps declaring victory despite reality being the opposite
15:00 Trump doesn’t understand regime, thinks they’re transactional like him
16:00 Iran looking like past failed military operations like Vietnam & Iraq
18:00 Iran saw Libya give up nuclear ambitions & regime was toppled
20:00 Economic hit is happening, consumer confidence lower than COVID
21:30 As Iran talks fell apart, Trump & Rubio were attending UFC fight
23:00 Rubio knows better, but has fallen in line anyway
24:30 Eric Swalwell’s campaign falls apart after allegations of sexual abuse
25:30 Rumors of Swalwell’s behavior existed for years
27:00 Swalwell is only denying criminal behavior, not all the allegations
28:45 Swalwell is trying hard to say he’s not Bill Cosby… he’s Bill Clinton
29:30 Push to expel Swalwell & possibly 3 other members of congress
31:00 It’s politically convenient for leadership to agree to boot them all
33:00 Will congress hold their members to a higher standard than the POTUS?
35:00 It’s likely all four members will get expelled
35:45 California dems had been reluctantly rallying around Swalwell
37:00 Major Democrats passed on running for CA gov, leaving weak field
38:15 Hard to blame Newsom for not setting up an “heir apparent”
39:00 Tom Steyer has spent an insane amount of money to promote himself
40:00 You need to have charm in politics, and Steyer doesn’t have it
41:30 Should prominent California dems all endorse the same person?
43:30 Schiff, Padilla, Harris & Newsom may need to play kingmaker
45:00 Likely there will be two weak candidates heading into November
46:30 Stories coming out that Roger Stone saved Tulsi Gabbard
47:15 Both Stone & Gabbard have been pro-Russia… coincidence?
47:45 Trump promises preemptive pardons for WH staff
48:45 We need a congressional commission on pardons
53:45 ToddCast Time Machine - Too many huge historical events to choose from
55:45 April 1961 - Bay of Pigs
56:30 Nixon meets with Castro after Eisenhower refused to
58:00 There a back and forth over whether to embrace or shun Castro
58:30 Cold War tensions were very high when the Bay of Pigs happens
59:15 Bay of Pigs was a presidential approved operation before JFK took office
1:01:00 Kennedy’s hands were tied by his predecessor
1:01:45 The plan required air superiority, but Castro’s air force had survived
1:02:45 Castro arrests more than 100,000 suspected dissidents
1:04:30 Most of the participants are captured
1:05:00 Kennedy promised a free Havana that never transpired
1:05:45 Cuban Americans became reliable Republican voters under Reagan
1:07:15 Ask Chuck
1:07:30 Will congress ever vote against rebuilding military after president launches war?
1:12:00 Why is the market not really reacting to the Iran war?
1:14:30 As norms become tested, will congress every reassert its role?
1:20:45 Outside of your Top 5 senate flips, what are your 6-10?
1:25:45 Suggestions to fix the NBA
1:28:45 Does anyone use Camp David since Trump doesn’t?
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.