Young Russian men are fleeing their country, as Russian President Vladimir Putin makes a surprise announcement drafting additional troops into his invasion of Ukraine. Former U.S. Ambassador to Russia Michael McFaul joins Chuck to analyze Putin's fluctuating strategy, as his originally planned swift incursion meets the stronger-than-expected shield of the Ukrainian defense.
 

As the list of individuals donating millions and billions of dollars grows, so do concerns that political campaigns are being controlled by this rich donor class, made up of individuals who have an outsized influence on who wins elections and who runs the country.

Chuck is joined by Russ Feingold, former Democratic senator from Wisconsin and co-author of a new book, “The Constitution in Jeopardy: An unprecedented effort to rewrite our fundamental law and what we can do about it.”

The generic ballot is dead even at 46-46 between Democrats and Republicans, according to the latest NBC News poll, with Senate candidates on either side duking it out on on a diverse set of priorities from one state to the next. NBC News Senior Political Editor Mark Murray and Jessica Taylor, the Senate and Governors editor for the Cook Political Report with Amy Walter, join Chuck to break down the races to watch, just about six weeks out from the midterms.

An Idaho town grapples with questions about the role that religion should play in the public square.

Long gone his days of public-opinion highs, former New York City mayor Rudy Giuliani is nowadays best known as a fixer for former president President Trump's alleged crimes. Andrew Kirztman, author of “Giuliani: The Rise and Tragic Fall of America’s Mayor," joins Chuck to detail the fall from grace of Trump's highest-profile attorney.

It's full throttle onto November with all primaries now in the rearview mirror, which means pollsters are putting out their data in early hints of where both parties will stand at the outcome of the elections. Nate Cohn, chief political analyst for the New York Times, joins Chuck to detail the science behind the tracking of public opinion... and why not all polls are created equal.

As both parties seem to entrench themselves deeper into their respective sides, some independent voters tell "Meet the Press" they feel disenfranchised by a political offer that does not reflect their views. Matt Gorman, former NRCC communications director, joins Chuck to zoom in the American center. Plus, what effect will Queen Elizabeth's passing have on the UK royal family's mystique viewed from abroad?

What stands out about Arizona this cycle – beyond all of its competitive statewide contests and its status as a presidential battleground – is that the entire slate of GOP candidates are 2020 election-deniers.

Chuck speaks with Al Bell, a Navy veteran who was a registered Republican for 52 years until he recently switched to an independent. He’s joined by Amy Jensen, a speech pathologist who was a Republican until 2020 when she switched to an independent. And Karilyn Van Oosten, who has registered as an independent since she was 21 but voted Democratic in recent elections.

As the last few primaries make way for general elections to come, Republican voters in Arizona will find an entire slate of 2020 election deniers. Jim Sharpe, host of Arizona's Morning News on KTAR, joins Chuck with his insight on the Copper State's politics in 2022.