Episodes
Charlie Cook, founder of the Cook Political Report, joins Chuck as Vice President Harris gains ground in key states where President Biden was struggling.
Published 08/30/24
Marsha E. Barrett, author of "Nelson Rockefeller's Dilemma" joins Chuck to talk about the role Rockefeller played in the evolution of the Republican Party.
Published 08/28/24
Kamala Harris wrapped up a high-energy Democratic National Convention unlike any we’ve seen since the 1950s. Chuck sits down with former Gov. Terry McAuliffe, who ran the Democratic National Committee and the 2000 DNC in Los Angeles, to reflect on the week that was.
Published 08/23/24
Recording from Chicago, Chuck talks with Adam Green, the co-founder of the Progressive Change Campaign Committee, a grassroots organization that claims a million members working on economics and democracy.
Published 08/21/24
Ambassador John Sullivan was the Biden administration’s first ambassador to Russia, serving from 2020 to 2022. He was also Donald Trump’s last ambassador to Russia — he’s one of those rare people who can work in both a Republican and Democratic administration. Amb. Sullivan talks with Chuck about his new memoir, “Midnight in Moscow: A Memoir from the Front Lines of Russia's War Against the West.”
Published 08/16/24
Bruce Mehlman, a Washington strategist who served in the George W. Bush administration, joins Chuck to talk about the 2024 campaign reset, Mitch McConnell’s view of Donald Trump and the race to define Kamala Harris.
Published 08/14/24
It only took 40 days for the 2024 presidential campaign to transform. NBC News Washington Correspondent Yamiche Alcindor joins Chuck to share her reporting about how Vice President Kamala Harris navigated the historic transition from the bottom to the top of the ticket.
Published 08/09/24
After Vice President Kamala Harris chose Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz as her running mate, Chris Cillizza, author of “So What,” joins Chuck to discuss the implications it will have on the race.
Published 08/07/24
It’s been a busy few weeks in politics — an attempted assassination, the Republican convention, President Biden’s decision to drop out of the race. But lost in all of those dramatic changes was this piece of news:
Sunday, July 21st was the hottest day ever recorded on earth. It was an alarming piece of history, with heat waves sweeping across Europe, the Western United States and extreme weather around the world. It was one of those landmark moments that makes some people stop and focus on...
Published 07/26/24
After President Biden’s decision to withdraw from the 2024 presidential campaign, NBC News White House correspondent Mike Memoli and longtime Biden-reporter describes the many twists and turns that the Biden epic took.
Published 07/24/24
Former President Trump delivered a historically long acceptance speech on Thursday night, and Chuck Todd asks if his energy shift is a sign of things to come. Plus, author and scholar Elaine Karmack explains the byzantine rules and options that a political party has for replacing a candidate, as calls for Joe Biden to step aside as the 2024 Democratic nominee grow louder.
Published 07/19/24
Stephen Hayes, CEO and editor of The Dispatch, joins the ToddCast from the site of the Republican National Convention as former President Trump is officially tapped as the party’s presidential nominee and picks Sen. JD Vance (R-Ohio) as his running mate.
Published 07/17/24
President Biden answers questions at a press conference, but leaves Democrats without a clear path forward. Marc Short, former chief of staff to Vice President Mike Pence, joins Chuck to talk veepstakes as former President Donald Trump weighs his decision on a running mate with the start of the Republican National Convention just days away.
Published 07/12/24
After almost two weeks of turmoil, President Biden has a chance to put concerns about his vitality to rest, with a major NATO summit and upcoming press conference. But at the same time, his performance could reignite concerns. Jonathan Martin, senior political columnist for Politico, joins Chuck to discuss.
Published 07/10/24
Chuck moderates a debate between Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.) and Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-La.) as part of the fifth installment of the Edward M. Kennedy Institute and Orrin G. Hatch Foundation's joint "Senate Project." They debate climate change, how to view China, health care and more.
Published 07/03/24
After President Biden and former President Trump squared off in their first general election debate of 2024, Chuck talks about the consequences of President Biden’s performance. Plus, former Indiana Governor Mitch Daniels discusses his experience as the president of Purdue University and why the historic path to the Senate for former governors has started to fade away.
Published 06/28/24
Oklahoma City Mayor David Holt (R) and Columbus Mayor Andrew Ginther (D) join Chuck to talk about the role of elected officials closest to the people in showing the federal government how bipartisanship works, and why there's "hardly any better job in American politics" than mayor of a city.
Published 06/26/24
Sophie Pedder, Paris bureau chief for The Economist, joins Chuck to talk about French President Emmanuel Macron's decision to call snap legislative elections following his party's shellacking by the far right in the E.U. elections.
Published 06/21/24
Erik Wemple, media critic for the Washington Post, joins Chuck to talk about the scandal unfolding at his newspaper over the conduct of the Post's publisher and CEO. Plus, they analyze the downsizing of media outlets, as big tech, disinformation and a deeply divisive election put additional strain on those who report the news.
Published 06/19/24
Carlos Orta, author of, “From Havana to DC: The Rise of Cuban Americans in Florida Politics,” talks about his “love letter” to the Latino trailblazers who shaped U.S. politics. Plus, Chuck’s thoughts on how international affairs affect how U.S. elections on the heels of far-right gains in European elections.
Published 06/14/24
Chuck talks with Lakshya Jain and Harrison Lavelle, political scientists at Split Ticket, a new organization that presents electoral data in simple, easy-to-understand maps and graphs.
Published 06/12/24
Rep. Jake LaTurner (R-Kansas) joins Chuck to talk about his decision not to seek a third term in Congress, and discusses the "sadness" and "burden" that lawmakers carry with them.
Published 06/07/24
Steven Brill, author of "The Death of Truth," joins Chuck to talk about the spread of misinformation and disinformation and what his company NewsGuard is trying to do to restore trust in media.
Published 06/05/24
Former President Trump is guilty, but how will the campaigns handle it? And Chuck speaks with John Ellis, the author of a simple but elegant newsletter on Substack called Political News Items, to talk about the data that matters from across economic and political indicators, both foreign and domestic.
Published 05/31/24
Reid Wilson, founder and editor of Pluribus News, focuses on statehouses across the country as local leaders reckon with AI, abortion and marijuana legalization.
Published 05/29/24