Novelist Elliot Ackerman and retired Admiral James Stavridis — the former NATO Supreme Allied Commander — join the Chuck Toddcast to discuss their new novel 2084 and to deliver some deeply uncomfortable warnings about where war, technology, and great-power competition are actually headed. The duo, whose previous collaboration 2034 imagined a U.S.-China war, are quick to clarify that their work isn't predictive fiction — it's cautionary fiction, written from the conviction that major disasters almost always stem from a failure of imagination, and that the only way to prevent the worst-case scenarios is to seriously imagine them first. Ackerman and Stavridis argue that war has fundamentally changed, that superpowers are now uniquely vulnerable to asymmetric warfare, and that victors are made or unmade by their willingness to adapt to new technologies — pointing to the Ukraine war as a real-time revolution in drone combat and AI-driven battlefield decision-making. They raise the hardest moral question facing modern militaries: do you always need a human in the loop of the kill chain, and if not, who is morally responsible when something goes wrong? Different countries are answering that question in different ways, with profoundly different ethical and strategic consequences.

The conversation broadens into the deeper structural concerns animating 2084. Ackerman and Stavridis warn that one of the gravest threats to the international order is the rise of corporations whose power is beginning to rival that of nation-states — and they argue the defining feature of a nation-state has always been its monopoly on violence, meaning governments will eventually be forced to ensure corporations can't apply violence at scale (a fight that has already begun in subtle ways). They flag Trump's recent summit with Xi Jinping as a massive win for China, with Xi clearly presenting himself as the senior partner while Trump walked away with very little — and the meeting was particularly catastrophic for Taiwan, whose strategic standing has now been visibly weakened. The authors discuss whether democracy will remain the defining feature of America going forward, whether the country can overcome its current internal divisions, and how human patterns of warfare repeat themselves across centuries even as the technology evolves. They make the case that the 1983 film War Games was prescient and overdue for a reboot, that military action against Cuba would be nothing like Venezuela — politically much tougher given the engaged Cuban-American community in Florida, and economically far more expensive on the reconstruction side — and that Venezuela itself has the natural resources to one day become "the Dubai of the Caribbean" if its politics ever stabilize. Their bottom-line warning is the one most worth sitting with: the war between the United States and China is the one we all hope to avoid, and the only way to make sure it never happens is to take seriously the possibility that it could.

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

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 Elliot Ackerman & Admiral James Stavridis join the Chuck ToddCast

01:00 2084 is not predictive fiction, it’s cautionary fiction

02:00 Major disasters come from a failure of imagination

03:15 Planned the arc of multiple books in advance

04:30 You can’t be too dystopian or too pollyannish 

05:30 War has changed and superpowers are vulnerable to asymmetric war

06:15 Victors are made by adapting to new technologies

06:45 Ukraine war has revolutionized fighting with drones and AI

07:30 War is terrible and drones risk “gamifying” it

09:00 Questions surround whether humans must be involved in “kill chain”

10:45 Always having a human in the loop may not always be best option

11:45 AI tools have moral questions that countries answer differently

13:00 The risk of corporations being more powerful than nation states

14:15 Nation states will ensure that corporations can’t apply violence at scale

15:15 Defining feature of a nation state is a monopoly on violence

18:00 Book predicts that Greenland will be growing wine due to climate change

18:30 War between U.S. and China is the one we all hope to avoid

19:00 Trump’s summit with Xi was a massive with for Xi and China

19:30 Xi seemed like the senior partner, Trump got very little\

20:15 The summit was terrible for Taiwan

21:30 2034 started with the thesis of the U.S. and China going to war

23:45 Will democracy remain the defining feature of America?

24:15 Can America overcome the big divisions in the nation?

25:45 War is something humans have engaged in & you can see patterns emerge

28:00 Other war books served as cautionary fiction & inspiration for the book

30:15 The movie “War Games” needs a reboot, it was prescient 

31:30 Military action against Cuba won’t be like Venezuela, will be much tougher

32:30 The Cuban American community in Florida would be very engaged

33:45 Venezuela has the resources to be Dubai on the Caribbean

34:15 Reconstruction of Cuba would be wildly expensive

35:00 What is your next project?

35:30 Don’t need to read the earlier books to read 2084, they stand on their own

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Chuck Todd uses the fallout from the Texas runoff to identify a much bigger pattern emerging across the Sun Belt — and argues we may be watching a generational realignment of American politics in real time. For decades, Southern states moved steadily from blue to red, with the Sun Belt providing the demographic engine of every Republican majority and Democrats traditionally finding their path to power through the upper Midwest. But Trump's GOP has now moved so far right that it's quietly opening the door for Democrats across the South — the blue shift we've seen in Georgia over the past decade is starting to happen in Texas, and the Trump brand has badly complicated things for the centrist voters who used to keep these states reliably Republican. Chuck argues that successful Southern Republican governors of the past spent enormous energy doing coalition management — keeping their activist wing at bay while delivering for swing voters — but Republicans misread their recent electoral dominance and started catering exclusively to their base instead.The data is clear: election deniers consistently lose in Georgia, and when every single issue becomes a loyalty test, you bleed exactly the kind of voters you need to actually win. 

But Chuck’s larger argument is that Democrats are blowing the opportunity. He argues the Democratic path back to power is genuinely simple — economic inequality and the concentration of corporate power are causing virtually all of America's ills, and there's a coherent coalition waiting to be built around those issues — but progressives behave like they've already won the intellectual argument and refuse to do the actual work of persuasion. There's no "pure" way to win, Chuck says: winning coalitions are inherently messy, both party bases want movement politics, but the actual electorate consistently rewards coalition politics. Americans increasingly dislike both parties for very different reasons — moderate voters think Democrats are weak and Republicans are too extreme — and what they're actually hungry for is a coalition that is stable and visibly capable of governing. 

Then, novelist Elliot Ackerman and retired Admiral James Stavridis — the former NATO Supreme Allied Commander — join the Chuck Toddcast to discuss their new novel 2084 and to deliver some deeply uncomfortable warnings about where war, technology, and great-power competition are actually headed. The duo, whose previous collaboration 2034 imagined a U.S.-China war, are quick to clarify that their work isn't predictive fiction — it's cautionary fiction, written from the conviction that major disasters almost always stem from a failure of imagination, and that the only way to prevent the worst-case scenarios is to seriously imagine them first. Ackerman and Stavridis argue that war has fundamentally changed, that superpowers are now uniquely vulnerable to asymmetric warfare, and that victors are made or unmade by their willingness to adapt to new technologies — pointing to the Ukraine war as a real-time revolution in drone combat and AI-driven battlefield decision-making. They raise the hardest moral question facing modern militaries: do you always need a human in the loop of the kill chain, and if not, who is morally responsible when something goes wrong? Different countries are answering that question in different ways, with profoundly different ethical and strategic consequences.

The conversation broadens into the deeper structural concerns animating 2084. Ackerman and Stavridis warn that one of the gravest threats to the international order is the rise of corporations whose power is beginning to rival that of nation-states — and they argue the defining feature of a nation-state has always been its monopoly on violence, meaning governments will eventually be forced to ensure corporations can't apply violence at scale (a fight that has already begun in subtle ways). They flag Trump's recent summit with Xi Jinping as a massive win for China, with Xi clearly presenting himself as the senior partner while Trump walked away with very little — and the meeting was particularly catastrophic for Taiwan, whose strategic standing has now been visibly weakened. The authors discuss whether democracy will remain the defining feature of America going forward, whether the country can overcome its current internal divisions, and how human patterns of warfare repeat themselves across centuries even as the technology evolves. They make the case that the 1983 film War Games was prescient and overdue for a reboot, that military action against Cuba would be nothing like Venezuela — politically much tougher given the engaged Cuban-American community in Florida, and economically far more expensive on the reconstruction side — and that Venezuela itself has the natural resources to one day become "the Dubai of the Caribbean" if its politics ever stabilize. Their bottom-line warning is the one most worth sitting with: the war between the United States and China is the one we all hope to avoid, and the only way to make sure it never happens is to take seriously the possibility that it could.

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.

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

03:00 Fallout from Texas runoff - We’re seeing a pattern in the Sun Belt

03:45 For decades,southern states have been transitioning from blue to red

04:45 Sun belt states have powered the Republican majority

06:00 Democrats path to power used to be the midwest, now is moving south

06:45 Republicans move to the right has created Dem opportunities in Sun Belt

08:15 The shift to blue we’ve seen in Georgia is starting to happen in Texas

09:15 The Trump brand has complicated things for centrist voters in the south

10:00 Will Ken Paxton be the Mark Robinson of Texas?

11:00 Southern governors were able to keep their activist wing at bay

12:30 GOP leaders in the south had to perform coalition management

13:45 Republicans misunderstood election dominance, then catered to base

14:45 Florida GOP has purged most of its institutional wing

16:00 Loudest activists have set the tone for the Republican party

16:45 Arizona GOP went way too far to the right, less competitive now

18:45 Election deniers have consistently lost in Georgia

19:45 When every issue becomes a loyalty test, you bleed voters

21:00 Texas election will test if the Texas GOP went too far right

23:00 Dems path to power is simple, but have to be willing to take it

24:45 Economic inequality & concentration of power are causing all of our ills

25:15 Progressives behave like they’ve won the intellectual argument

26:00 It’s hard to convince most dedicated supporters what the winning path is

27:00 Republicans are losing due to Trump’s purging of the party

29:15 There’s no “pure” way to win, winning coalitions are messy

30:30 Both bases want movement politics, electorate rewards coalition politics

32:00 Americans increasingly dislike both parties for different reasons

34:00 Base Democrats are taking the wrong lessons from Trump

34:45 Moderate voters think Dems are weak, and GOP is too extreme

36:00 Voters want a coalition that’s stable and capable of governing

38:15 Biden governed differently than he campaign and voters punished him

44:30 Elliot Ackerman & Admiral James Stavridis join the Chuck ToddCast

45:30 2084 is not predictive fiction, it’s cautionary fiction

46:30 Major disasters come from a failure of imagination

47:45 Planned the arc of multiple books in advance

49:00 You can’t be too dystopian or too pollyannish

50:00 War has changed and superpowers are vulnerable to asymmetric war

50:45 Victors are made by adapting to new technologies

51:15 Ukraine war has revolutionized fighting with drones and AI

52:00 War is terrible and drones risk “gamifying” it

53:30 Questions surround whether humans must be involved in “kill chain”

55:15 Always having a human in the loop may not always be best option

56:15 AI tools have moral questions that countries answer differently

57:30 The risk of corporations being more powerful than nation states

58:45 Nation states will ensure that corporations can’t apply violence at scale

59:45 Defining feature of a nation state is a monopoly on violence

1:02:30 Book predicts that Greenland will be growing wine due to climate change

1:03:00 War between U.S. and China is the one we all hope to avoid

1:03:30 Trump’s summit with Xi was a massive with for Xi and China

1:04:00 Xi seemed like the senior partner, Trump got very little\

1:04:45 The summit was terrible for Taiwan

1:06:00 2034 started with the thesis of the U.S. and China going to war

1:08:15 Will democracy remain the defining feature of America?

1:08:45 Can America overcome the big divisions in the nation?

1:10:15 War is something humans have engaged in & you can see patterns emerge

1:12:30 Other war books served as cautionary fiction & inspiration for the book

1:14:45 The movie “War Games” needs a reboot, it was prescient

1:16:00 Military action against Cuba won’t be like Venezuela, will be much tougher

1:17:00 The Cuban American community in Florida would be very engaged

1:18:15 Venezuela has the resources to be Dubai on the Caribbean

1:18:45 Reconstruction of Cuba would be wildly expensive

1:19:30 What is your next project?

1:20:00 Don’t need to read the earlier books to read 2084, they stand on their own 

1:22:15 Ask Chuck

1:22:30 Taking the high road in politics doesn’t always work, worth the trade off?

1:28:00 How do you see election results in 2026 shaping the gerrymandering fight?

1:31:00 Are presidential approval polls too limited or not comprehensive enough?

1:35:15 Do you see a path forward for people who believe in healing our politics?

1:42:00 Would it make sense to draw districts without humans involved using metrics?

1:49:30 Is expanding the house realistic considering politics & public perception?

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Chuck Todd uses the fallout from the Texas runoff to identify a much bigger pattern emerging across the Sun Belt — and argues we may be watching a generational realignment of American politics in real time. For decades, Southern states moved steadily from blue to red, with the Sun Belt providing the demographic engine of every Republican majority and Democrats traditionally finding their path to power through the upper Midwest. But Trump's GOP has now moved so far right that it's quietly opening the door for Democrats across the South — the blue shift we've seen in Georgia over the past decade is starting to happen in Texas, and the Trump brand has badly complicated things for the centrist voters who used to keep these states reliably Republican. Chuck argues that successful Southern Republican governors of the past spent enormous energy doing coalition management — keeping their activist wing at bay while delivering for swing voters — but Republicans misread their recent electoral dominance and started catering exclusively to their base instead.The data is clear: election deniers consistently lose in Georgia, and when every single issue becomes a loyalty test, you bleed exactly the kind of voters you need to actually win. 

But Chuck’s larger argument is that Democrats are blowing the opportunity. He argues the Democratic path back to power is genuinely simple — economic inequality and the concentration of corporate power are causing virtually all of America's ills, and there's a coherent coalition waiting to be built around those issues — but progressives behave like they've already won the intellectual argument and refuse to do the actual work of persuasion. There's no "pure" way to win, Chuck says: winning coalitions are inherently messy, both party bases want movement politics, but the actual electorate consistently rewards coalition politics. Americans increasingly dislike both parties for very different reasons — moderate voters think Democrats are weak and Republicans are too extreme — and what they're actually hungry for is a coalition that is stable and visibly capable of governing. 

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.

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

0:15 Fallout from Texas runoff - We’re seeing a pattern in the Sun Belt

1:00 For decades, southern states have been transitioning from blue to red

2:00 Sun belt states have powered the Republican majority

3:15 Democrats path to power used to be the midwest, now is moving south

4:00 Republicans move to the right has created Dem opportunities in Sun Belt

5:30 The shift to blue we’ve seen in Georgia is starting to happen in Texas

6:30 The Trump brand has complicated things for centrist voters in the south

7:15 Will Ken Paxton be the Mark Robinson of Texas?

8:15 Southern governors were able to keep their activist wing at bay

9:45 GOP leaders in the south had to perform coalition management

11:00 Republicans misunderstood election dominance, then catered to base

12:00 Florida GOP has purged most of its institutional wing

13:15 Loudest activists have set the tone for the Republican party

14:00 Arizona GOP went way too far to the right, less competitive now

16:00 Election deniers have consistently lost in Georgia

17:00 When every issue becomes a loyalty test, you bleed voters

18:15 Texas election will test if the Texas GOP went too far right

20:15 Dems path to power is simple, but have to be willing to take it

22:00 Economic inequality & concentration of power are causing all of our ills

22:30 Progressives behave like they’ve won the intellectual argument

23:15 It’s hard to convince most dedicated supporters what the winning path is

24:15 Republicans are losing due to Trump’s purging of the party

26:30 There’s no “pure” way to win, winning coalitions are messy

27:45 Both bases want movement politics, electorate rewards coalition politics

29:15 Americans increasingly dislike both parties for different reasons

31:15 Base Democrats are taking the wrong lessons from Trump

32:00 Moderate voters think Dems are weak, and GOP is too extreme

33:15 Voters want a coalition that’s stable and capable of governing

35:30 Biden governed differently than he campaign and voters punished him 

41:30 Ask Chuck

41:45 Taking the high road in politics doesn’t always work, worth the trade off?

47:15 How do you see election results in 2026 shaping the gerrymandering fight?

50:15 Are presidential approval polls too limited or not comprehensive enough?

54:30 Do you see a path forward for people who believe in healing our politics?

1:01:15 Would it make sense to draw districts without humans involved using metrics?

1:08:45 Is expanding the house realistic considering politics & public perception?

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Chuck Todd opens with Ken Paxton's runoff blowout over John Cornyn — a result that confirms Texas Republicans remain the base of what eventually grew into MAGA nationally, that the insurgent wing of the GOP consistently wins in the state, and that Paxton is somehow simultaneously the least electable nominee Republicans could have picked and still electable enough to make this a real fight. He argues Texas is slowly moving toward swing state status the way Georgia did over the past decade — the ingredients are there for a Democrat to finally break through, the question is whether James Talarico can move his 45% number higher and prove he's the political athlete this moment requires. The downstream consequences for Republicans are brutal: the GOP will have to drop a $500 million anvil on Talarico that can't be deployed in other races, and Democrats' path to a Senate majority just got measurably wider. 

But the more fascinating story Chuck unpacks is Pope Leo's stunning new document on AI, automated weapons, and concentrated power — a text Chuck argues is essentially an indictment of American military dominance dressed in the language of moral theology. The Pope explicitly compares AI-driven targeting systems to slavery, arguing both reduce human beings to data points and dehumanize their victims, and apologizes for the church's historic slowness on slavery while warning Catholics that they cannot afford the same slowness on artificial intelligence. He declares the centuries-old "just war" framework outdated, argues that no algorithm can ever make war morally acceptable, and pushes back forcefully on the entire concept of nuclear deterrence — drawing a direct line back to Pope Leo XIII's 1891 intervention on industrial capitalism. He argues the document, while never naming the United States, is speaking directly to American politicians: it's framed as a call for a moral framework around AI that can live above the political discourse, an explicit argument that technological capital must be regulated, and a warning that AI is not morally neutral no matter how much Silicon Valley wishes it were. The larger message is unmistakable — the Pope, who Chuck notes is now arguably the most formidable global moral voice that even secular Americans look to for clarity, has just put concentrated technological power on notice in a way no head of state has been willing to.

Then, Virginia Kase Solomon — president of Common Cause, one of the country's oldest and most respected pro-democracy organizations — joins the Chuck Toddcast to deliver a clear-eyed assessment of just how broken American self-government has become, and what it might actually take to fix it. Kase Solomon argues that Trump's corruption has gone so far beyond anything in modern history that it makes Watergate look quaint by comparison — she points to Trump stealing roughly $1.8 billion from American taxpayers as a single staggering example — but warns that the most dangerous development isn't the corruption itself, it's that young voters are growing up normalized to it, with no living memory of an administration where this kind of behavior carried consequences. She makes a striking comparison to Hungary, where it took genuinely staggering levels of corruption before Orbán could be toppled, and where the opposition only succeeded once it tied that corruption directly to degrading quality of life for ordinary people — a lesson she says American Democrats badly need to learn. They note that there are real bipartisan calls to address money in politics, that a congressional stock trading ban enjoys overwhelming public support, that Amy Klobuchar's Disclose Act keeps getting reintroduced and ignored, and that forced disclosure of large-dollar donors alone would significantly reduce political giving — but the country is on a runaway train, with big tech money flowing to whoever holds power and Trump openly running the country like a corporation.

The conversation broadens into Kase Solomon's structural diagnosis of why American democracy isn't working. She argues that the way the founders designed the country no longer functions in the modern era — but that the founders also gave us the tools to fix what's broken if we choose to use them. Congress is too small to genuinely represent the public, the Senate is horribly malapportioned, the Supreme Court has offered no real solution to the gerrymandering crisis, and we've completely lost the "statesmen" in Congress who once voted their conscience because there's no longer any incentive to compromise or work across the aisle. She is deeply concerned about the regulatory vacuum around AI — deepfakes have terrifying implications for elections and civil litigation is currently the only meaningful path to push back — and she warns that the election of judges has corrupted the rule of law in ways America needs a movement to address. Despite all of this, she  is genuinely hopeful: Common Cause is litigating against the corruption, organizing a million conversations between activists and ordinary Americans, and operating from the conviction that the public isn't stupid and still loves this country. Her closing argument is the most American one possible: the United States has always emerged from its darkest periods better than it went in — but only because people refused to accept the broken system as permanent, and that work has to start now.

Finally, Chuck reveals his ToddCast Top 5 list of Democrats who could be vaulted into 2028 contender status for the presidency if they perform well in the midterms. He highlights two midwestern gubernatorial candidates, two upstart senate bids and one name that stands above the rest… Jon Ossoff of Georgia. 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

03:30 Ken Paxton trounces John Cornyn in runoff election 

05:00 Texas Republicans are the base for what grew into MAGA nationally

07:15 The insurgent wing of the GOP consistently wins in Texas

09:00 Paxton is the least electable nominee, but he’s still electable

10:30 Is 45% Talarico’s ceiling, or can he move that number higher?

11:30 Texas is slowly moving towards swing state status like Georgia did

13:00 Ingredients are there for a Democrat to finally break through in TX

15:30 Senate Republicans won’t be happy having to serve with Paxton

16:00 Texas is more winnable than other races for GOP, will have to spend in TX

16:30 Republicans will have to spend big to drop the anvil on Talarico

17:30 We’ll find out how talented of a political athlete Talarico is

19:30 This will be the magnet race that national reporters will focus on

21:30 Race will cost the GOP $500m that can’t be deployed elsewhere

23:15 Democrats now have a better chance of winning the senate

24:00 The Pope speaks to more than Catholics, seculars look to him for moral clarity

25:00 The Pope is formidable influencer in America

26:15 The Pope speaks out about AI, concentrated power & the “just war” theory

26:45 He compared automated weapons to slavery

28:00 The Pope spoke out similarly in 1891 during the Industrial Revolution

29:00 The Pope’s document says AI is not morally neutral

30:15 Document argues that technological capital needs to be regulated

30:45 The church has had a “just war” framework for hundreds of years

31:15 Pope Leo says “just war” framework is outdated

32:15 Document argues no algorithm can make war morally acceptable

33:15 Document argues against the concept of nuclear deterrence

33:45 Pope apologizes for church’s role in slavery

34:30 Document says AI systems reduce human beings into targeting data

35:00 Pope argues the dehumanization of AI targeting is similar to slavery

36:00 While not saying it directly, the document is speaking about the United States

37:00 The document is an indictment of American military dominance

38:30 Document does have a carve-out for self defence

40:15 The document was speaking directly to American politicians

41:30 A call for a moral framework for AI can live above the political discourse

42:30 Pope argues church was too slow on slavery, can’t be slow on AI

49:00 Virginia Kase Solomon (Common Cause) joins the Chuck ToddCast

50:30 Common Cause works to hold the government accountable to the people

51:30 Corporate lobbies have disproportionate power compared to people

52:15 Many people threw their hands up after Citizen’s United

53:30 States are working to change campaign finance rules

55:15 States can ban companies in their state from making political donations

57:00 Rules changes but money always seems to find a way around them

59:00 Parties stopped becoming the epicenter of political donations

1:00:30 There are bipartisan calls to do something about money in politics

1:02:00 More GOP support for reform at the state level than national level

1:02:45 We’re on a runaway train for money in politics

1:03:30 Big tech money goes to whoever is in power

1:04:00 The country is being run like a corporation

1:04:45 Jamie Raskin has started an anti-corruption task force

1:05:15 A congressional stock trading ban has massive public support

1:06:15 Trump is obviously corrupt, but people fear him too much to act

1:07:30 Forced disclosure of large dollar donors would reduce donations

1:08:30 Amy Klobuchar has put forward the Disclose Act in almost every congress

1:11:00 The Trump administration’s corruption is beyond egregious

1:11:45 Trump stealing $1.8 billion from taxpayers, makes Watergate look quaint

1:13:15 Young voters have grown up being normalized to this corruption

1:13:45 There will be a backlash to the corruption at some point

1:14:45 America’s long term global standing has been severely damaged

1:15:30 Common Cause is involved in litigation trying to prevent the corruption

1:17:30 Striving to have a million conversations between organizers & normal people

1:18:45 People are struggling and feeling fatigued

1:20:30 It took staggering levels of corruption in Hungary before Orban was toppled

1:21:30 Opposition in Hungary tied corruption to degrading quality of life

1:23:30 A fairness criteria was implemented in the California redistricting

1:24:30 CA and VA put redistricting before the voters, but still a race to the bottom

1:25:00 The Supreme Court hasn’t offered any solution to gerrymandering problem

1:26:00 Congress is too small to effectively represent the public

1:26:45 The senate is horribly malapportioned

1:28:30 The way the founders designed the country doesn’t work anymore

1:29:00 The founders gave us the tools to fix the democracy

1:31:15 There’s no incentive to work in a bipartisan manner or compromise

1:32:45 We’ve lost the “statesmen” in congress who vote their conscience

1:33:30 Politics has become a zero sum game

1:34:45 Politics has always been dirty, but we’ve hit an all-time low

1:36:00 Government seems completely unequipped to regulate AI

1:38:45 Deepfakes impact on elections are very concerning

1:40:00 Civil litigation is the only current path to push back on AI

1:41:30 Status of “sunshine laws” in the country? Could they be rolled back?

1:43:45 Need a movement against the election of the judiciary

1:46:45 The reason for optimism… is that people aren’t stupid and love the country

1:47:30 Our country has always emerged better after dark times 

1:49:30 Chuck’s thoughts on interview with Virginia Kase Solomon

1:50:30 ToddCast Top 5 2028 contenders depending on their 2026 performance

1:54:00 #5 Amy Acton

1:56:15 #4 Rob Sand

1:57:45 #3 Graham Platner

2:01:15 #2 James Talarico

2:03:45 #1 Jon Ossoff

2:07:15 Ask Chuck

2:07:30 Why are people rounding up Trump’s 1.776B slush fund to $1.8b?

2:09:30 Supporting candidates you oppose just for judicial confirmations?

2:16:30 New Parallel AI model that prioritizes original writing and journalism?

2:20:15 How are candidates allowed to deploy financial resources during campaigns?

2:24:30 Pattern of Dems fixing the economy and GOP making it worse?

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Virginia Kase Solomon — president of Common Cause, one of the country's oldest and most respected pro-democracy organizations — joins the Chuck Toddcast to deliver a clear-eyed assessment of just how broken American self-government has become, and what it might actually take to fix it. Kase Solomon argues that Trump's corruption has gone so far beyond anything in modern history that it makes Watergate look quaint by comparison — she points to Trump stealing roughly $1.8 billion from American taxpayers as a single staggering example — but warns that the most dangerous development isn't the corruption itself, it's that young voters are growing up normalized to it, with no living memory of an administration where this kind of behavior carried consequences. She makes a striking comparison to Hungary, where it took genuinely staggering levels of corruption before Orbán could be toppled, and where the opposition only succeeded once it tied that corruption directly to degrading quality of life for ordinary people — a lesson she says American Democrats badly need to learn. They note that there are real bipartisan calls to address money in politics, that a congressional stock trading ban enjoys overwhelming public support, that Amy Klobuchar's Disclose Act keeps getting reintroduced and ignored, and that forced disclosure of large-dollar donors alone would significantly reduce political giving — but the country is on a runaway train, with big tech money flowing to whoever holds power and Trump openly running the country like a corporation.

The conversation broadens into Kase Solomon's structural diagnosis of why American democracy isn't working. She argues that the way the founders designed the country no longer functions in the modern era — but that the founders also gave us the tools to fix what's broken if we choose to use them. Congress is too small to genuinely represent the public, the Senate is horribly malapportioned, the Supreme Court has offered no real solution to the gerrymandering crisis, and we've completely lost the "statesmen" in Congress who once voted their conscience because there's no longer any incentive to compromise or work across the aisle. She is deeply concerned about the regulatory vacuum around AI — deepfakes have terrifying implications for elections and civil litigation is currently the only meaningful path to push back — and she warns that the election of judges has corrupted the rule of law in ways America needs a movement to address. Despite all of this, she  is genuinely hopeful: Common Cause is litigating against the corruption, organizing a million conversations between activists and ordinary Americans, and operating from the conviction that the public isn't stupid and still loves this country. Her closing argument is the most American one possible: the United States has always emerged from its darkest periods better than it went in — but only because people refused to accept the broken system as permanent, and that work has to start now.

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 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 Virginia Kase Solomon (Common Cause) joins the Chuck ToddCast

01:30 Common Cause works to hold the government accountable to the people

02:30 Corporate lobbies have disproportionate power compared to people

03:15 Many people threw their hands up after Citizen’s United

04:30 States are working to change campaign finance rules

06:15 States can ban companies in their state from making political donations

08:00 Rules changes but money always seems to find a way around them

10:00 Parties stopped becoming the epicenter of political donations

11:30 There are bipartisan calls to do something about money in politics

13:00 More GOP support for reform at the state level than national level

13:45 We’re on a runaway train for money in politics

14:30 Big tech money goes to whoever is in power

15:00 The country is being run like a corporation

15:45 Jamie Raskin has started an anti-corruption task force

16:15 A congressional stock trading ban has massive public support

17:15 Trump is obviously corrupt, but people fear him too much to act

18:30 Forced disclosure of large dollar donors would reduce donations

19:30 Amy Klobuchar has put forward the Disclose Act in almost every congress

22:00 The Trump administration’s corruption is beyond egregious

22:45 Trump stealing $1.8 billion from taxpayers, makes Watergate look quaint

24:15 Young voters have grown up being normalized to this corruption

24:45 There will be a backlash to the corruption at some point

25:45 America’s long term global standing has been severely damaged

26:30 Common Cause is involved in litigation trying to prevent the corruption

28:30 Striving to have a million conversations between organizers & normal people

29:45 People are struggling and feeling fatigued

31:30 It took staggering levels of corruption in Hungary before Orban was toppled

32:30 Opposition in Hungary tied corruption to degrading quality of life

34:30 A fairness criteria was implemented in the California redistricting

35:30 CA and VA put redistricting before the voters, but still a race to the bottom

36:00 The Supreme Court hasn’t offered any solution to gerrymandering problem

37:00 Congress is too small to effectively represent the public

37:45 The senate is horribly malapportioned

39:30 The way the founders designed the country doesn’t work anymore

40:00 The founders gave us the tools to fix the democracy

42:15 There’s no incentive to work in a bipartisan manner or compromise

43:45 We’ve lost the “statesmen” in congress who vote their conscience

44:30 Politics has become a zero sum game

45:45 Politics has always been dirty, but we’ve hit an all-time low

47:00 Government seems completely unequipped to regulate AI

49:45 Deepfakes impact on elections are very concerning

51:00 Civil litigation is the only current path to push back on AI

52:30 Status of “sunshine laws” in the country? Could they be rolled back?

54:45 Need a movement against the election of the judiciary

57:45 The reason for optimism… is that people aren’t stupid and love the country

58:30 Our country has always emerged better after dark times

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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.

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.

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 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 You don’t say “Happy Memorial Day”

2:30:00 Ask Chuck

2:30:15 Isn’t it odd that we know so little about attempted Trump assassins?

2:37:00 Why didn’t Dems lean into “Trump Lie Trackers” more in campaigns?

2:41:00 Does the “Epstein Class” framing feel stronger than the “1%”?

2:45:00 Did “No Child Left Behind” do real damage to civics education?

2:51:15 Does the 2.5 swing in presidential elections show most voters are locked in?

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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.

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.

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. 

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

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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 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." 

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.

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.