The Chuck ToddCast

Chuck Todd argues corruption may be the Democrats’ best closing argument, drawing the 2006 parallel: the Mark Foley scandal gave Republican voters permission to vote against their own party, and tying the cost of living to a kleptocracy could do the same thing now. He’s bullish on the Senate, puts a blue tsunami at 15-20%, and points to Péter Magyar’s Hungary campaign as proof the corruption argument works. The Musk-Starshield reporting sharpens it — the richest man in the world appears to be shaping American foreign policy while funding Ken Paxton after every other donor walked away. Then Ohio: a video featuring Amy Acton’s estranged mother calling her a liar, from a woman who stayed married to the man Acton says raped her at twelve. Acton’s brother called it a despicable low; Ramaswamy’s campaign didn’t deny it and kept attacking her credibility. 

Finally, he updates his ToddCast Top 10 list of senate seats most likely to flip parties and answers listeners’ questions in the “Ask Chuck” segment.

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

Chapter and its affiliates are not connected with or endorsed by any government entity or the federal Medicare program. Chapter Advisory, LLC represents Medicare Advantage HMO, PPO, and PFFS organizations and stand alone prescription drug plans that have a Medicare contract. Enrollment depends on the plan’s contract renewal. While we have a database of every Medicare plan nationwide and can help you to search among all plans, we have contracts with many but not all plans. As a result, we do not offer every plan available in your area. Currently we represent 50 organizations which offer 18,160 products nationwide. We search and recommend all plans, even those we don’t directly offer. You can contact a licensed Chapter agent to find out the number of products available in your specific area. 

Get your wardrobe sorted and your gift list handled with Quince. Don't wait! Go to https://Quince.com/CHUCK for free shipping on your order and 365-day returns. Now available in Canada, too! 

Timeline:

00:00 Chuck Todd’s introduction

04:00 Corruption as the Democrats’ closing argument

06:00 The 2006 parallel and permission to vote against your own party

10:00 Bullish on the Senate, and the odds of a tsunami

12:15 What Magyar proved in Hungary

14:15 Musk, Starshield, and buying American foreign policy

15:30 Why Musk is the only one funding Paxton

18:45 Congress needs to investigate

27:30 Can voters connect their struggles to the corruption?

32:00 The Ramaswamy ad featuring Acton’s estranged mother

38:00 What we know and don’t about who produced it

43:45 Could it take down the entire Ohio GOP ticket?

47:45 Character and corruption in the Trump era — until now? 

0:54:15 ToddCast Top 10 Senate seats most likely to flip

0:54:30 #1 North Carolina

0:55:15 #2 Ohio

0:56:30 #3 Texas

0:57:45 #4 Alaska

0:58:15 #5 Maine

0:59:30 #6 Kansas

1:00:45 #7 Michigan

1:02:15 #8 Iowa, #9 South Carolina #10 Nebraska

1:07:15 Ask Chuck

1:07:30 Why not eliminate political parties entirely?

1:13:30 What do prediction market bettors know that pollsters don’t?

1:17:30 Why is Elon Musk exempt from ban on donations from defense contractors?

1:19:45 Could Starshield decision be a war crime?

1:22:45 Are voters starting to grow tired of Trump even if base remains loyal?

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Chuck Todd argues corruption may be the Democrats’ best closing argument, drawing the 2006 parallel: the Mark Foley scandal gave Republican voters permission to vote against their own party, and tying the cost of living to a kleptocracy could do the same thing now. He’s bullish on the Senate, puts a blue tsunami at 15-20%, and points to Péter Magyar’s Hungary campaign as proof the corruption argument works. The Musk-Starshield reporting sharpens it — the richest man in the world appears to be shaping American foreign policy while funding Ken Paxton after every other donor walked away. Then Ohio: a video featuring Amy Acton’s estranged mother calling her a liar, from a woman who stayed married to the man Acton says raped her at twelve. Acton’s brother called it a despicable low; Ramaswamy’s campaign didn’t deny it and kept attacking her credibility. 

Then, Stateline executive editor Scott Greenberger joins the Chuck ToddCast to argue for a founder most Americans have never heard of. In The Forsaken Founder, Greenberger makes the case that Gouverneur Morris has as strong a claim to writing the Constitution as Madison does — he was the best writer among the founders, the one who drafted the final text, and the one who stood up most forcefully against slavery, calling the three-fifths clause a fatal flaw and warning the country could not remain half slave and half free. So why is he forgotten? Partly because he never sought the presidency, partly because he rubbed people the wrong way, and partly because the Virginians who won the presidency wrote the history. Greenberger also wrote a biography of Chester A. Arthur, and he and Chuck get into the forgotten eras of American politics, the Garfield counterfactual, and why you never know you’re living through a political era until it’s over. 

Finally, he updates his ToddCast Top 10 list of senate seats most likely to flip parties and answers listeners’ questions in the “Ask Chuck” segment.

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

Chapter and its affiliates are not connected with or endorsed by any government entity or the federal Medicare program. Chapter Advisory, LLC represents Medicare Advantage HMO, PPO, and PFFS organizations and stand alone prescription drug plans that have a Medicare contract. Enrollment depends on the plan’s contract renewal. While we have a database of every Medicare plan nationwide and can help you to search among all plans, we have contracts with many but not all plans. As a result, we do not offer every plan available in your area. Currently we represent 50 organizations which offer 18,160 products nationwide. We search and recommend all plans, even those we don’t directly offer. You can contact a licensed Chapter agent to find out the number of products available in your specific area. 

Get your wardrobe sorted and your gift list handled with Quince. Don't wait! Go to https://Quince.com/CHUCK for free shipping on your order and 365-day returns. Now available in Canada, too! 

Timeline:

00:00 Chuck Todd’s introduction

04:00 Corruption as the Democrats’ closing argument

06:00 The 2006 parallel and permission to vote against your own party

10:00 Bullish on the Senate, and the odds of a tsunami

12:15 What Magyar proved in Hungary

14:15 Musk, Starshield, and buying American foreign policy

15:30 Why Musk is the only one funding Paxton

18:45 Congress needs to investigate

27:30 Can voters connect their struggles to the corruption?

32:00 The Ramaswamy ad featuring Acton’s estranged mother

38:00 What we know and don’t about who produced it

43:45 Could it take down the entire Ohio GOP ticket?

47:45 Character and corruption in the Trump era — until now? 

56:45 Scott Greenberger joins The Chuck ToddCast

58:15 Why resurface Gouverneur Morris

1:00:45 As strong a claim to writing the Constitution as Madison

1:04:15 Why he rubbed people the wrong way — and was forgotten

1:08:30 “Half slavery and half free” and the three-fifths flaw

1:11:45 The Bronx estate, the voting franchise, and a man who never sought office

1:20:15 Morris in France, the king, and the Reign of Terror

1:24:15 Feuding with Madison over the War of 1812

1:28:00 Laying out the city of New York

1:31:00 Garfield, Arthur, and the eras history forgets

1:39:15 The what-ifs, and where Trump may land historically

1:44:15 Stateline, the death of local news, and AI in the newsroom

1:52:00 ToddCast Top 10 Senate seats most likely to flip

1:52:15 #1 North Carolina

1:53:00 #2 Ohio

1:54:15 #3 Texas

1:55:30 #4 Alaska

1:56:00 #5 Maine

1:57:15 #6 Kansas

1:58:30 #7 Michigan

2:00:00 #8 Iowa, #9 South Carolina #10 Nebraska

2:05:00 Ask Chuck

2:05:15 Why not eliminate political parties entirely?

2:11:15 What do prediction market bettors know that pollsters don’t?

2:15:15 Why is Elon Musk exempt from ban on donations from defense contractors?

2:17:30 Could Starshield decision be a war crime?

2:20:30 Are voters starting to grow tired of Trump even if base remains loyal?

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Stateline executive editor Scott Greenberger joins the Chuck ToddCast to argue for a founder most Americans have never heard of. In The Forsaken Founder, Greenberger makes the case that Gouverneur Morris has as strong a claim to writing the Constitution as Madison does — he was the best writer among the founders, the one who drafted the final text, and the one who stood up most forcefully against slavery, calling the three-fifths clause a fatal flaw and warning the country could not remain half slave and half free. So why is he forgotten? Partly because he never sought the presidency, partly because he rubbed people the wrong way, and partly because the Virginians who won the presidency wrote the history. Greenberger also wrote a biography of Chester A. Arthur, and he and Todd get into the forgotten eras of American politics, the Garfield counterfactual, and why you never know you’re living through a political era until it’s over. 

Timeline:

00:00 Scott Greenberger joins The Chuck ToddCast

01:30 Why resurface Gouverneur Morris

04:00 As strong a claim to writing the Constitution as Madison

07:30 Why he rubbed people the wrong way — and was forgotten

11:45 “Half slavery and half free” and the three-fifths flaw

15:00 The Bronx estate, the voting franchise, and a man who never sought office

23:30 Morris in France, the king, and the Reign of Terror

27:30 Feuding with Madison over the War of 1812

31:15 Laying out the city of New York

34:15 Garfield, Arthur, and the eras history forgets

42:30 The what-ifs, and where Trump may land historically

47:30 Stateline, the death of local news, and AI in the newsroom

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

With 14 days left, Chuck Todd & Chris Cillizza make the argument that should scare Republicans most: corruption has climbed to the number two or three issue, and unlike any other message, it hands a lifelong conservative permission to punish his own party without admitting he was ever wrong. The evidence is already in the ad buys — Trump appeared in 47% of Republican broadcast airings in May and 1% in October — even as he opens a nine-stop closing tour in Wichita and calls the polls rigged. Chuck and Chris dig into why his Senate coattails are a myth Republicans keep believing, read the Kalshi market where an Abbott-plus-Talarico split is the likeliest Texas outcome, and unpack the five-day implosion of press secretary Katie Zacharia. Then the hardest question either of them gets: if Democrats actually sweep, what does December look like? Chuck’s answer is paralysis inside both parties, a Schumer who won’t walk away, and a president who’s less a partisan than a dealmaker. Plus Ann Hornaday, Miami at No. 1, and the cheapest World Series ticket in years. 

18+ only. Restrictions and eligibility requirements apply. Event contract trading involves significant risk and is not appropriate for everyone. Please carefully consider if it is appropriate for you in light of your personal financial circumstances. Kalshi products are not available in all jurisdictions. See kalshi.com/regulatory for more information. Sign up today to get $25 in bonuses when you trade $25: SUPERTUESDAYS

http://kalshi.com/r/SUPERTUESDAYS

Timeline:

00:00 Fourteen days out and Trump’s closing tour

08:00 Corruption, the permission slip, and ad data that gives the game away

15:00 What Trump says versus what he’d actually do after polls close

21:00 Kalshi: the Texas two-race market, vouchers, and the Beshear fight

29:00 The five-day press secretary and a West Wing built to keep Trump busy

35:00 What December actually looks like if Democrats sweep

43:00 DC statehood, the scorpion and the frog, and the race to replace him

49:00 Election-night tea leaves, and whether Schumer walks away

55:00 Miami–Florida State: the double-overtime finish and No. 1 since 2002

1:01:00 A 12-team playoff, Mensah, and the Arch Manning question

1:07:00 Rays–Brewers, and an election-night announcement coming

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Chuck Todd argues the environment hasn’t moved an inch and the only real question is whether this is a Category 1 blue wave or a Category 5 tsunami — with Trump already running the blame game, pre-blaming Cornyn and Karl Rove for a Paxton loss. Democratic small-dollar fundraising is enormous, early voting shows higher Black and Latino engagement, and Todd sets the benchmark: 245 House seats is a governing majority, 220-225 isn’t. But the story he keeps circling is Starshield. Reporting indicates Musk pitched throttling Ukraine’s satellite system directly to Trump, who “agreed” — though Trump denies it, Musk points at the government, and two senior officials told CNN the order didn’t come from the president. Todd’s question is the one nobody’s answering: how much control does Elon Musk have over American foreign policy? 

Finally, he hops into the ToddCast Time Machine to revisit the stock market meltdown on Black Monday, how automation made the problem worse, and what lessons we can draw as we enter the age of AI. He also answers listeners’ questions in the Ask Chuck segment and recaps the weekend in college football.

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

Chapter and its affiliates are not connected with or endorsed by any government entity or the federal Medicare program. Chapter Advisory, LLC represents Medicare Advantage HMO, PPO, and PFFS organizations and stand alone prescription drug plans that have a Medicare contract. Enrollment depends on the plan’s contract renewal. While we have a database of every Medicare plan nationwide and can help you to search among all plans, we have contracts with many but not all plans. As a result, we do not offer every plan available in your area. Currently we represent 50 organizations which offer 18,160 products nationwide. We search and recommend all plans, even those we don’t directly offer. You can contact a licensed Chapter agent to find out the number of products available in your specific area. 

Get your wardrobe sorted and your gift list handled with Quince. Don't wait! Go to https://Quince.com/CHUCK for free shipping on your order and 365-day returns. Now available in Canada, too! 

Timeline:

00:00 Chuck Todd’s introduction

03:00 Category 1 wave or Category 5 tsunami?

06:15 Trump gets a head start on the blame game

07:30 Democratic fundraising vs. the GOP’s billionaire money

14:30 What early voting is telling us

19:15 What a real governing majority looks like

24:00 The Senate map, Collins vs. Jackson, and AOC’s million-dollar play

34:15 Nebraska oppo and Bodnar’s internal poll

38:15 Susie Wiles, Katie Zacharia’s five-day tenure, and Trump’s bubble

45:45 How much distance can GOP candidates find?

51:30 Corruption starts to resonate — and Guilfoyle’s burn book

56:00 Trump sides with Putin again, and the diesel deal

1:03:00 The Starshield throttling and who actually ordered it

1:11:30 Republicans struggle to defend it 

1:19:30 ToddCast Time Machine - October 19th, 1987  Black Monday

1:21:00 Wall Street finding out the risks of automating decisions

1:24:00 Automation compounded the sell off 

1:26:30 Monday arrives and a massive sell off occurs

1:29:00 The underlying economy wouldn’t have dictated a crash

1:30:45 Fed announces it will provide liquidity to keep markets functioning

1:37:00 Market started assuming fed would save them from their stupidity

1:38:45 Similarities with how AI is being regulated today

1:42:15 Ask Chuck

1:42:30 What if Miami had joined the SEC?

1:45:45 What happens to anti-Trump Republicans a decade from now?

1:47:00 How will congress govern & how will Trump respond after a massive wave?

1:51:00 College football recap

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Chuck Todd argues the environment hasn’t moved an inch and the only real question is whether this is a Category 1 blue wave or a Category 5 tsunami — with Trump already running the blame game, pre-blaming Cornyn and Karl Rove for a Paxton loss. Democratic small-dollar fundraising is enormous, early voting shows higher Black and Latino engagement, and Todd sets the benchmark: 245 House seats is a governing majority, 220-225 isn’t. But the story he keeps circling is Starshield. Reporting indicates Musk pitched throttling Ukraine’s satellite system directly to Trump, who “agreed” — though Trump denies it, Musk points at the government, and two senior officials told CNN the order didn’t come from the president. Todd’s question is the one nobody’s answering: how much control does Elon Musk have over American foreign policy? 

Then, Andy Lack — the former NBC News and MSNBC chairman who founded Mississippi Today and Deep South Today, and has now committed $12 million to nonprofit journalism — joins the Chuck ToddCast to explain why he went from running the most-watched news division in the world to building newsrooms in the Deep South. He argues Democrats simply don’t know how to talk to rural voters, white or Black, and describes a Mississippi that has made real gains in early education while still fighting brain drain and a sense of being stuck. On the business, Lack is clear-eyed: trust is the whole formula, video is essential, and the concentration of media ownership among billionaires and tech executives is a genuine threat. Plus what happens to medium-sized markets when the affiliate structure collapses, and why state and local government desperately needs watchdogs again. 

Finally, he hops into the ToddCast Time Machine to revisit the stock market meltdown on Black Monday, how automation made the problem worse, and what lessons we can draw as we enter the age of AI. He also answers listeners’ questions in the Ask Chuck segment and recaps the weekend in college football.

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

Chapter and its affiliates are not connected with or endorsed by any government entity or the federal Medicare program. Chapter Advisory, LLC represents Medicare Advantage HMO, PPO, and PFFS organizations and stand alone prescription drug plans that have a Medicare contract. Enrollment depends on the plan’s contract renewal. While we have a database of every Medicare plan nationwide and can help you to search among all plans, we have contracts with many but not all plans. As a result, we do not offer every plan available in your area. Currently we represent 50 organizations which offer 18,160 products nationwide. We search and recommend all plans, even those we don’t directly offer. You can contact a licensed Chapter agent to find out the number of products available in your specific area. 

Get your wardrobe sorted and your gift list handled with Quince. Don't wait! Go to https://Quince.com/CHUCK for free shipping on your order and 365-day returns. Now available in Canada, too! 

Timeline:

00:00 Chuck Todd’s introduction

03:00 Category 1 wave or Category 5 tsunami?

06:15 Trump gets a head start on the blame game

07:30 Democratic fundraising vs. the GOP’s billionaire money

14:30 What early voting is telling us

19:15 What a real governing majority looks like

24:00 The Senate map, Collins vs. Jackson, and AOC’s million-dollar play

34:15 Nebraska oppo and Bodnar’s internal poll

38:15 Susie Wiles, Katie Zacharia’s five-day tenure, and Trump’s bubble

45:45 How much distance can GOP candidates find?

51:30 Corruption starts to resonate — and Guilfoyle’s burn book

56:00 Trump sides with Putin again, and the diesel deal

1:03:00 The Starshield throttling and who actually ordered it

1:11:30 Republicans struggle to defend it 

1:20:30 Andy Lack joins the Chuck ToddCast

1:22:00 Why he founded Deep South Today

1:24:15 Mississippi’s politics, and the openings Democrats miss

1:26:45 Early education gains, brain drain, and a state stuck in the past

1:30:45 The model: pairing capital cities with smaller ones

1:33:00 Local news in a fragmented media era

1:34:45 The formula for success — video, and trust above all

1:45:30 Tech billionaires owning the media ecosystem

1:49:45 What happens when the affiliate structure collapses

2:00:00 Streaming, legacy brands, and journalism in the age of AI

2:05:45 Data centers and how tech engages communities

2:10:15 Expanding into news deserts and why watchdogs matter

2:14:00 ToddCast Time Machine - October 19th, 1987  Black Monday

2:15:30 Wall Street finding out the risks of automating decisions

2:18:30 Automation compounded the sell off 

2:21:00 Monday arrives and a massive sell off occurs

2:23:30 The underlying economy wouldn’t have dictated a crash

2:25:15 Fed announces it will provide liquidity to keep markets functioning

2:31:30 Market started assuming fed would save them from their stupidity

2:33:15 Similarities with how AI is being regulated today

2:36:45 Ask Chuck

2:37:00 What if Miami had joined the SEC?

2:40:15 What happens to anti-Trump Republicans a decade from now?

2:41:30 How will congress govern & how will Trump respond after a massive wave?

2:45:30 College football recap

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Andy Lack — the former NBC News and MSNBC chairman who founded Mississippi Today and Deep South Today, and has now committed $12 million to nonprofit journalism — joins the Chuck ToddCast to explain why he went from running the most-watched news division in the world to building newsrooms in the Deep South. He argues Democrats simply don’t know how to talk to rural voters, white or Black, and describes a Mississippi that has made real gains in early education while still fighting brain drain and a sense of being stuck. On the business, Lack is clear-eyed: trust is the whole formula, video is essential, and the concentration of media ownership among billionaires and tech executives is a genuine threat. Plus what happens to medium-sized markets when the affiliate structure collapses, and why state and local government desperately needs watchdogs again. 

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

Chapter and its affiliates are not connected with or endorsed by any government entity or the federal Medicare program. Chapter Advisory, LLC represents Medicare Advantage HMO, PPO, and PFFS organizations and stand alone prescription drug plans that have a Medicare contract. Enrollment depends on the plan’s contract renewal. While we have a database of every Medicare plan nationwide and can help you to search among all plans, we have contracts with many but not all plans. As a result, we do not offer every plan available in your area. Currently we represent 50 organizations which offer 18,160 products nationwide. We search and recommend all plans, even those we don’t directly offer. You can contact a licensed Chapter agent to find out the number of products available in your specific area. 

Get your wardrobe sorted and your gift list handled with Quince. Don't wait! Go to https://Quince.com/CHUCK for free shipping on your order and 365-day returns. Now available in Canada, too! 

Timeline:

00:00 Andy Lack joins the Chuck ToddCast

01:30 Why he founded Deep South Today

03:45 Mississippi’s politics, and the openings Democrats miss

06:15 Early education gains, brain drain, and a state stuck in the past

10:15 The model: pairing capital cities with smaller ones

12:30 Local news in a fragmented media era

14:15 The formula for success — video, and trust above all

25:00 Tech billionaires owning the media ecosystem

29:15 What happens when the affiliate structure collapses

39:30 Streaming, legacy brands, and journalism in the age of AI

45:15 Data centers and how tech engages communities

49:45 Expanding into news deserts and why watchdogs matter

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Kevin Harlan joins Chuck Todd and J.A. Adande for the final chapter of Dynastic's Green Bay Packers series.

Growing up in Green Bay as the son of longtime Packers president Bob Harlan, Kevin witnessed the franchise's transformation firsthand. From the fading glory of Vince Lombardi's dynasty to the resurgence under Brett Favre and Aaron Rodgers, Harlan offers a behind-the-scenes perspective on one of the most remarkable organizations in professional sports.

Kevin shares untold stories about the Packers' financial struggles, the signing of Reggie White, the transformation of Lambeau Field, and the decisions that helped secure the franchise's future. He also reflects on the legendary Ice Bowl, the origins of the Lambeau Leap, and what makes Green Bay unlike any other NFL city.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Chuck Todd opens with Saturday’s fourth No Kings rally and the question of whether protest energy converts to turnout — noting the movement may now be more credible with voters than the Democratic Party itself. Then the story out of Pensacola Beach: ICE confronted four roofers repairing Hurricane Isaias damage at the Grand Marlin, and the men refused to come down until agents left, sending their paperwork down instead. Todd calls targeting hurricane recovery workers egregious and terrible politics with Hispanic voters, especially with families afraid to use storm shelters. The back half turns philosophical — Bill Kristol’s four leaders who’ve emerged as defenders of the world order (Zelenskyy, Magyar, Carney, Pope Leo) and Todd’s argument that America is perfectly capable of producing someone similar, if Democrats don’t mistake a midterm win for a mandate. 

Finally, he answers listeners’ questions in the Ask Chuck segment and previews a huge upcoming weekend in college football.

Timeline:

00:00 Chuck Todd’s introduction

02:45 No Kings and converting protest energy into turnout

07:45 ICE confronts hurricane recovery workers in Pensacola

14:45 Why this is terrible politics with Hispanic voters

15:45 Roger Marshall’s desperation ad

19:15 Accelerating inflation and a bleaker environment for the GOP

21:15 Ossoff rules out 2028, Wes Moore keeps the door open

24:00 Raskin’s Smithsonian proposal and the problem with negative ads

31:00 Could a viable independent stop the GOP in swing states?

38:30 Kristol’s four defenders of the world order

47:00 Could America produce a leader like that?

50:45 What the GOP does after a repudiation

54:15 The wrong lesson Democrats could learn from winning

58:30 The next president inherits a mess 

1:11:00 Ask Chuck

1:11:15 Is Trump truly this out of touch about the struggle of everyday Americans?

1:15:00 Could a wave produce massive gains for Dems at state level in Iowa

1:18:45 How much can media bias and coverage skew narratives?

1:24:30 Could a gas tax holiday meaningfully change perception of economy?

1:26:00 Where would a livestream execution actually be platformed?

1:29:45 College football preview

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

Chapter and its affiliates are not connected with or endorsed by any government entity or the federal Medicare program. Chapter Advisory, LLC represents Medicare Advantage HMO, PPO, and PFFS organizations and stand alone prescription drug plans that have a Medicare contract. Enrollment depends on the plan’s contract renewal. While we have a database of every Medicare plan nationwide and can help you to search among all plans, we have contracts with many but not all plans. As a result, we do not offer every plan available in your area. Currently we represent 50 organizations which offer 18,160 products nationwide. We search and recommend all plans, even those we don’t directly offer. You can contact a licensed Chapter agent to find out the number of products available in your specific area. 

Get your wardrobe sorted and your gift list handled with Quince. Don't wait! Go to https://Quince.com/CHUCK for free shipping on your order and 365-day returns. Now available in Canada, too! 

18+ only. Restrictions and eligibility requirements apply. Event contract trading involves significant risk and is not appropriate for everyone. Please carefully consider if it is appropriate for you in light of your personal financial circumstances. Kalshi products are not available in all jurisdictions. See kalshi.com/regulatory for more information. Sign up today to get $25 in bonuses when you trade $25: CHUCKTODD

http://kalshi.com/r/CHUCKTODD

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Chuck Todd opens with Saturday’s fourth No Kings rally and the question of whether protest energy converts to turnout — noting the movement may now be more credible with voters than the Democratic Party itself. Then the story out of Pensacola Beach: ICE confronted four roofers repairing Hurricane Isaias damage at the Grand Marlin, and the men refused to come down until agents left, sending their paperwork down instead. Todd calls targeting hurricane recovery workers egregious and terrible politics with Hispanic voters, especially with families afraid to use storm shelters. The back half turns philosophical — Bill Kristol’s four leaders who’ve emerged as defenders of the world order (Zelenskyy, Magyar, Carney, Pope Leo) and Todd’s argument that America is perfectly capable of producing someone similar, if Democrats don’t mistake a midterm win for a mandate. 

Then, Dr. Ayanna Howard — the former NASA JPL roboticist who became Spelman College’s 12th president in August — joins the Chuck ToddCast to argue America needs a dedicated federal agency to oversee AI, regulated by specialty rather than treated as one monolithic technology. Her warning is pragmatic: without guardrails, the backlash after an inevitable bad event will be enormous. She explains why there is no such thing as general AI, why the technology is simultaneously oversold and improving fast, and why models trained on history risk writing marginalized groups out of it. On education, Howard argues critical thinking and basic learning skills matter more than ever, that COVID lockdowns damaged study and social skills in ways schools still haven’t addressed, and that the demographic cliff will force some universities to close. Plus: why America still hasn’t built a moon base. 

Finally, he answers listeners’ questions in the Ask Chuck segment and previews a huge upcoming weekend in college football.

Timeline:

00:00 Chuck Todd’s introduction

02:45 No Kings and converting protest energy into turnout

07:45 ICE confronts hurricane recovery workers in Pensacola

14:45 Why this is terrible politics with Hispanic voters

15:45 Roger Marshall’s desperation ad

19:15 Accelerating inflation and a bleaker environment for the GOP

21:15 Ossoff rules out 2028, Wes Moore keeps the door open

24:00 Raskin’s Smithsonian proposal and the problem with negative ads

31:00 Could a viable independent stop the GOP in swing states?

38:30 Kristol’s four defenders of the world order

47:00 Could America produce a leader like that?

50:45 What the GOP does after a repudiation

54:15 The wrong lesson Democrats could learn from winning

58:30 The next president inherits a mess 

1:12:00 Dr. Ayanna Howard joins The Chuck ToddCast

1:14:30 From NASA to academia

1:17:15 The case for a new federal AI agency

1:20:45 Guardrails, backlash, and regulating by specialty

1:23:45 What people fundamentally misunderstand about AI

1:29:45 The risk of AI training on an incomplete history

1:33:00 Teaching math and critical thinking in the AI era

1:41:30 The demographic cliff and universities that won’t survive

1:44:00 Spelman’s focus, trade schools, and classical education

1:48:45 Reforming K-12 and the lingering damage from lockdowns

1:56:00 Equity in AI development and the case

2:10:15 Ask Chuck

2:10:30 Is Trump truly this out of touch about the struggle of everyday Americans?

2:14:15 Could a wave produce massive gains for Dems at state level in Iowa

2:18:00 How much can media bias and coverage skew narratives?

2:23:45 Could a gas tax holiday meaningfully change perception of economy?

2:25:15 Where would a livestream execution actually be platformed?

2:29:00 College football preview

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

Chapter and its affiliates are not connected with or endorsed by any government entity or the federal Medicare program. Chapter Advisory, LLC represents Medicare Advantage HMO, PPO, and PFFS organizations and stand alone prescription drug plans that have a Medicare contract. Enrollment depends on the plan’s contract renewal. While we have a database of every Medicare plan nationwide and can help you to search among all plans, we have contracts with many but not all plans. As a result, we do not offer every plan available in your area. Currently we represent 50 organizations which offer 18,160 products nationwide. We search and recommend all plans, even those we don’t directly offer. You can contact a licensed Chapter agent to find out the number of products available in your specific area. 

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18+ only. Restrictions and eligibility requirements apply. Event contract trading involves significant risk and is not appropriate for everyone. Please carefully consider if it is appropriate for you in light of your personal financial circumstances. Kalshi products are not available in all jurisdictions. See kalshi.com/regulatory for more information. Sign up today to get $25 in bonuses when you trade $25: CHUCKTODD

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