The Chuck ToddCast

• Full Episode - American Democracy Is Clogged, But Not Beyond Repair + Florida Man Goes to War: The Coup That Failed in Venezuela

  On this episode of the Chuck ToddCast, Chuck breaks down why Washington feels paralyzed — and how Trump’s gravitational pull still dictates everything from congressional gridlock to campaign strategy. From Mike Johnson’s dependence on Trump to Democrats’ internal tug-of-war between moderates and progressives, Chuck explores how both parties are struggling to govern in a fractured information ecosystem. He also looks at growing calls among policy thinkers for constitutional reform — from term limits and age caps to rethinking the incentives that drive political behavior. Despite the chaos, Chuck makes the case for cautious optimism: America’s democracy may be clogged, but it’s not beyond repair. Then, filmmaker Billy Corben joins Chuck Todd to talk about his new documentary Men of War—a wild true story that Corben calls “Florida Man with international implications.” The film follows a group of would-be mercenaries and ex-soldiers who tried to stage a coup in Venezuela, exposing how Miami’s shadowy underworld collides with global politics. Corben and Todd dive into the cocaine-fueled chaos of Miami in the ’80s and ’90s, the psychological toll of endless war, and how one ex-Green Beret accidentally stumbled into Trump’s orbit while plotting regime change. From Marco Rubio’s precarious foreign policy balancing act to the ongoing collapse of the Democratic Party in Florida, Chuck and Billy explore how Latin American politics, disinformation, and corruption all intertwine in the Sunshine State. Plus, they discuss Miami’s misunderstood identity, Trump’s rumored presidential library, and whether the city’s mayoral race signals what’s next for Florida’s political future. Finally, he answers listeners’ questions in the “Ask Chuck” segment and looks ahead to the weekend in college football. Got injured in an accident? You could be one click away from a claim worth millions. Just visit https://www.forthepeople.com/TODDCAST to start your claim now with Morgan & Morgan without leaving your couch. Remember, it's free unless you win! Timeline: 00:00 Chuck Todd’s introduction 02:15 When Trump is overseas, the news cycle feels slower & less urgent 03:15 The American government is clogged like a toilet 04:00 Mike Johnson can’t do anything without Trump 05:15 There are not enough empowered moderates in congress 07:00 Republicans haven’t created an ACA alternative for 10 years 08:30 Democrats could pay a price for SNAP benefit cut 10:00 Democrats can extend funding for 3 weeks, and keep their leverage 12:30 The political elite in DC has self segregated in Trump 2.0 13:45 There’s no security for companies holding government contracts 15:00 Grifters have flooded to DC 15:45 Some progressives feel they can take over the Democratic party 16:30 Moderate Dems trying to find a way to grow the coalition 17:15 Large group of policy analysts worried about information ecosystem 18:45 DC gatherings being held to discuss preventing another Trump 21:00 America desperately needs to update the constitution 22:30 We shouldn’t be afraid to ask voters to make big changes 23:15 Strong argument for a 75 year old age limit for office 25:00 Trump is too lazy to pursue the worst course of history 26:45 The case for optimism during a dark political moment 27:30 Reforming the constitution is an 80/20 issue 28:15 Case for reform needs to tied to voters day to day lives 30:30 A bull in the China shop personality cult can’t run a country 31:30 We need to update the blueprint of the democracy 33:15 We desperately need better incentive structures for leaders 35:15 A leader needs to make the case for reform that isn’t about themselves or Trump 40:30 Billy Corben joins the Chuck ToddCast 42:30 Men of War is basically "Bay of Pigs" for Venezuela 43:15 Men of War is perfectly timed for today's news cycle 44:15 Cocaine boom was huge in Miami in the 80's & 90's 45:30 Men of War is "Florida Man w/ international implications" 47:30 The psychological damage of multiple tour deployments 49:30 The main character Jordan is a "post-modern" version of a soldier 53:45 Protagonist accidentally entered Trump's high end orbit 58:00 Jordan needed to put together a trailer to find financiers for his coup 1:00:00 Shady international characters are common in Miami 1:00:45 Reception from the Venezuelan community for the doc? 1:02:45 Everybody in Miami wants to be president of a free Cuba 1:04:00 1950s cars are the only private possessions in Cuba 1:06:30 Chuck's grandfather worked in Cuba, had to display photos of Castro 1:09:00 Miami is misunderstood as a melting pot when it isn't 1:09:45 Miami has self segregated its neighborhoods 1:10:30 60% of Florida Venezuelans voted for Trump, now leaving the state 1:12:00 If ICE targets south Florida, there could be a massive political shift 1:13:15 Marco Rubio = Anakin Skywalker? Preventing the very worst of Trump 1:14:00 Rubio will be the fall guy for any major foreign policy failure 1:15:00 Administration is playing with fire in Venezuela 1:16:30 Congress has no idea what the administration is doing in Venezuela 1:18:00 The failed Venezuelan coup was memory holed because of Covid 1:20:00 Feels like we're redoing Latin American policy of the 80's 1:20:45 How has Jordan Goudreau not gotten a pardon from Trump? 1:23:00 American intervention in Latin America never goes well 1:24:30 End of USAID is creating vacuum in poor countries being filled by China 1:26:00 What does a "free Venezuela" look like in the Trump 2.0 era? 1:27:30 Jordan Goudreau feels betrayed by the American government 1:28:30 Algorithms have ruined social media 1:29:30 Is Miami-Dade red, blue, purple or something else politically? 1:33:00 Trump's future presidential library slated for Miami 1:34:15 Miami is still a firm red county 1:36:30 Nothing is going well in Florida for the Democratic party 1:37:15 Trump is less popular in Florida than he was a year ago 1:38:30 Who wins the mayor's race in Miami? 1:40:15 Mayor's race will head to a December runoff 1:42:30 There's historically been brazen corruption in Miami mayoral races 1:44:00 Trump thinks "asylum" means mental institution 1:46:30 Thoughts on Mario Cristobal 1:49:00 Miami can survive 1 loss and make the playoff, but not 2 1:52:30 Reuben Bain feels like a vintage Miami player 1:58:00 Chuck's thoughts on interview with Billy Corben 1:58:30 Ask Chuck 1:59:15 Would Dems impeach with control of both houses of Congress in '27? 2:03:45 Should we be paying congress more to attract better candidates? 2:08:45 If possible, would you make the US a parliamentary system? 2:14:15 Is 60 Minutes devolving into a FOX style program that lobs softballs? 2:20:15 Violent and dangerous rhetoric not equal on both sides? 2:24:00 World series reaction 2:28:00 College football previewSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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• Chuck’s Commentary - American Democracy Is Clogged, But Not Beyond Repair + The Constitution Needs An Update

  On this episode of the Chuck ToddCast, Chuck breaks down why Washington feels paralyzed — and how Trump’s gravitational pull still dictates everything from congressional gridlock to campaign strategy. From Mike Johnson’s dependence on Trump to Democrats’ internal tug-of-war between moderates and progressives, Chuck explores how both parties are struggling to govern in a fractured information ecosystem. He also looks at growing calls among policy thinkers for constitutional reform — from term limits and age caps to rethinking the incentives that drive political behavior. Despite the chaos, Chuck makes the case for cautious optimism: America’s democracy may be clogged, but it’s not beyond repair. Finally, he answers listeners’ questions in the “Ask Chuck” segment and looks ahead to the weekend in college football. Got injured in an accident? You could be one click away from a claim worth millions. Just visit https://www.forthepeople.com/TODDCAST to start your claim now with Morgan & Morgan without leaving your couch. Remember, it's free unless you win! Timeline: (Timestamps may vary based on advertisements) 00:00 Chuck Todd’s introduction 02:15 When Trump is overseas, the news cycle feels slower & less urgent 03:15 The American government is clogged like a toilet 04:00 Mike Johnson can’t do anything without Trump 05:15 There are not enough empowered moderates in congress 07:00 Republicans haven’t created an ACA alternative for 10 years 08:30 Democrats could pay a price for SNAP benefit cut 10:00 Democrats can extend funding for 3 weeks, and keep their leverage 12:30 The political elite in DC has self segregated in Trump 2.0 13:45 There’s no security for companies holding government contracts 15:00 Grifters have flooded to DC 15:45 Some progressives feel they can take over the Democratic party 16:30 Moderate Dems trying to find a way to grow the coalition 17:15 Large group of policy analysts worried about information ecosystem 18:45 DC gatherings being held to discuss preventing another Trump 21:00 America desperately needs to update the constitution 22:30 We shouldn’t be afraid to ask voters to make big changes 23:15 Strong argument for a 75 year old age limit for office 25:00 Trump is too lazy to pursue the worst course of history 26:45 The case for optimism during a dark political moment 27:30 Reforming the constitution is an 80/20 issue 28:15 Case for reform needs to tied to voters day to day lives 30:30 A bull in the China shop personality cult can’t run a country 31:30 We need to update the blueprint of the democracy 33:15 We desperately need better incentive structures for leaders 35:15 A leader needs to make the case for reform that isn’t about themselves or Trump 37:45 Ask Chuck 38:30 Would Dems impeach with control of both houses of Congress in '27? 43:00 Should we be paying congress more to attract better candidates? 48:00 If possible, would you make the US a parliamentary system? 53:30 Is 60 Minutes devolving into a FOX style program that lobs softballs? 59:30 Violent and dangerous rhetoric not equal on both sides? 1:03:15 World series reactionSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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  1:15:56
• Interview Only w/ Billy Corben - Florida Man Goes to War: The Coup That Failed in Venezuela

  Filmmaker Billy Corben joins Chuck Todd to talk about his new documentary Men of War—a wild true story that Corben calls “Florida Man with international implications.” The film follows a group of would-be mercenaries and ex-soldiers who tried to stage a coup in Venezuela, exposing how Miami’s shadowy underworld collides with global politics. Corben and Todd dive into the cocaine-fueled chaos of Miami in the ’80s and ’90s, the psychological toll of endless war, and how one ex-Green Beret accidentally stumbled into Trump’s orbit while plotting regime change. From Marco Rubio’s precarious foreign policy balancing act to the ongoing collapse of the Democratic Party in Florida, Chuck and Billy explore how Latin American politics, disinformation, and corruption all intertwine in the Sunshine State. Plus, they discuss Miami’s misunderstood identity, Trump’s rumored presidential library, and whether the city’s mayoral race signals what’s next for Florida’s political future. Got injured in an accident? You could be one click away from a claim worth millions. Just visit https://www.forthepeople.com/TODDCAST to start your claim now with Morgan & Morgan without leaving your couch. Remember, it's free unless you win! Timeline: (Timestamps may vary based on advertisements) 00:00 Billy Corben joins the Chuck ToddCast 02:00 Men of War is basically “Bay of Pigs” for Venezuela 02:45 Men of War is perfectly timed for today’s news cycle 03:45 Cocaine boom was huge in Miami in the 80’s & 90’s 05:00 Men of War is “Florida Man w/ international implications” 07:00 The psychological damage of multiple tour deployments 09:00 The main character Jordan is a “post-modern” version of a soldier 13:15 Protagonist accidentally entered Trump’s high end orbit 17:30 Jordan needed to put together a trailer to find financiers for his coup 19:30 Shady international characters are common to find in Miami 20:15 Reception from the Venezuelan community for the doc? 22:15 Everybody in Miami wants to be president of a free Cuba 23:30 1950s cars are the only private possessions in Cuba 26:00 Chuck’s grandfather worked in Cuba, had to display photos of Castro 28:30 Miami is misunderstood as a melting pot when it isn’t 29:15 Miami has self segregated its neighborhoods 30:00 60% of Florida Venezuelans voted for Trump, now leaving the state 31:30 If ICE targets south Florida, there could be a massive political shift 32:45 Marco Rubio = Anakin Skywalker? Preventing the very worst of Trump 33:30 Rubio will be the fall guy for any major foreign policy failure 34:30 Administration is playing with fire in Venezuela 36:00 Congress has no idea what the administration is doing in Venezuela 37:30 The failed Venezuelan coup was memory holed because of Covid 39:30 Feels like we’re redoing Latin American policy of the 80’s 40:15 How has Jordan Goudreau not gotten a pardon from Trump? 42:30 American intervention in Latin America never goes well 44:00 End of USAID is creating vacuum in poor countries being filled by China 45:30 What does a “free Venezuela” look like in the Trump 2.0 era? 47:00 Jordan Goudreau feels betrayed by the American government 48:00 Algorithms have ruined social media 49:00 Is Miami-Dade red, blue, purple or something else politically? 52:30 Trump’s future presidential library slated for Miami 53:45 Miami is still a firm red county 56:00 Nothing is going well in Florida for the Democratic party 56:45 Trump is less popular in Florida than he was a year ago 58:00 Who wins the mayor’s race in Miami? 59:45 Mayor’s race will head to a December runoff 1:02:00 There’s historically been brazen corruption in Miami mayoral races 1:03:30 Trump thinks “asylum” means mental institution 1:06:00 Thoughts on Mario Cristobal 1:08:30 Miami can survive 1 loss and make the playoff, but not 2 1:12:00 Reuben Bain feels like a vintage Miami playerSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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• Full Episode - 2025 Election Preview + Viva Las Voters: Why Nevada Has Become America’s Ultimate Political Bellwether

  Chuck Todd breaks down why this year’s elections may be local—but their impact will be national. From Virginia’s bellwether governor’s race to key contests in New Jersey and New York City, these results will offer a preview of the political mood heading into the 2026 midterms. Chuck dives into Abigail Spanberger’s cautious campaign strategy, Winsome Earle-Sears’ grievance-fueled messaging, and why Virginia voters rarely reward extremes. Plus, a look at how third-party candidates could shake up the New Jersey race and why Zohran Mamdani’s performance in NYC will signal the direction of the progressive movement. Veteran Nevada journalist and author of the upcoming book “The Game Changer”, Jon Ralston joins to break down how the Silver State became America’s ultimate political bellwether — and what that means heading into 2026. They explore how the state’s service-based economy, booming Hispanic population, and explosion of non-affiliated voters have reshaped Nevada politics, plus how “No Tax on Tips” gave Trump an unexpected foothold. Ralston explains why Vegas’ tourism slump could upend the next governor’s race and how corporatization has changed the city’s character. They also dig into the state of local journalism — from the challenges of nonprofit reporting to competing against hedge fund-owned outlets — and reflect on the late Harry Reid’s political legacy. From power-hungry governors to the fight for Nevada’s “first-in-the-nation” status, this episode reveals why what happens in Vegas won’t be staying there in 2026. Finally, Chuck reveals his ToddCast Top 5 list of American political scions running in upcoming election and answers listeners’ questions in the “Ask Chuck” segment. Got injured in an accident? You could be one click away from a claim worth millions. Just visit https://www.forthepeople.com/TODDCAST to start your claim now with Morgan & Morgan without leaving your couch. Remember, it's free unless you win! Timeline: (Timestamps may vary based on advertisements) 00:00 Chuck Todd’s introduction 02:45 Chuck will be LIVE on Youtube & X on election night! 06:15 The 2025 elections are local, but will have national impact 07:00 Virginia is a fairly good bellwether state for national politics 07:45 Virginia is purple but is not MAGA 08:15 Party controlling White House almost always loses VA governor race 09:30 Spanberger has run a very cautious campaign 10:30 Winsome Earle-Sears has been throwing things at the wall 11:30 Virginia voters don’t reward grievance politics 13:00 Virginia hasn’t split ticket amongst big three races since 2005 15:00 Spanberger has kept Jay Jones at arms length 17:45 Virginia will give us preview of which way field is tilting for midterms 18:15 2018 class of Democrats has produced some high profile candidates 19:30 Mikie Sherill has run a more contested race than Spanberger 20:30 Ciaterreli outperformed polls in 2021, could happen again 22:30 Third party candidates could swing the NJ governor race 22:45 Mamdani will win in NYC, it’s a matter of whether he clears 50% 24:45 Mamdani needs a big margin in order to have a mandate 26:00 What the results will tell us about the 2026 midterm landscape 30:15 Jon Ralston joins the Chuck ToddCast 32:15 Adapting to the breakneck speed of the news cycle 34:15 Nevada has become the preeminent swing state in America 37:00 The service industry & growing hispanic population define Vegas 37:45 Nevada is a bellwether for the Democratic party 39:30 Nevada continuing to lobby for first in the nation status 41:00 Las Vegas natives are a rarity, Vegas is a destination 42:45 Trump was able to connect with NV voters via "No Tax on Tips" 43:45 NV voters felt Democratic party took them for granted 44:45 Nevada's governor has a lot of power 47:15 There's been an explosion of non affiliated voters in Nevada 48:45 Is either major party making a strong case to non affiliated voters? 50:15 How competitive will the Nevada governor's race be? 52:45 Does Joe Lombardo have ambition outside the state of Nevada? 53:45 Lombardo's strategy could look similar to Glenn Youngkin's 55:45 What's behind the drop in tourism to Vegas? 56:45 Canada, immigration policy and lack of value proposition hurting Vegas 57:45 Corporatization of casinos & high prices have driven away tourists 58:45 Tourism drop could greatly impact the governor's race 59:15 Any progress on diversifying the Nevada economy? 1:00:30 Making Vegas "Hollywood East" comes with huge challenges 1:02:00 Would energy be the best way to diversify the Vegas economy? 1:02:45 Warren Buffet has monopoly on NV utilities, preventing new investment 1:03:45 Nonprofit vs for profit journalism 1:05:15 Dealing with big moneyed interests as a nonprofit journalists 1:07:15 Local journalism in Nevada has mostly been hollowed out 1:08:00 Dealing with "donor fatigue" as a nonprofit journalist 1:09:30 Journalism skills translate well to uncomfortable fundraising asks 1:11:15 Challenges in the advertising space for journalism 1:13:15 Why have advertising dollars been harder to get for news orgs? 1:15:45 Hedge funds acquired newspapers for their real estate 1:17:45 Journalism has to be done in-person and in the field 1:18:30 What would Harry Reid's advice be for the Dem party of today? 1:20:00 Reid died early on into the process of Jon writing "The Game Changer" 1:21:00 Reid wouldn't be happy with what Chuck Schumer is doing 1:23:15 Reid and McConnell collectively delegitimized the judicial branch 1:25:15 How would Reid have handled confrontation with Trump? 1:29:30 How are you feeling about your Buffalo Bills? 1:35:00 Chuck's thoughts on interview with Jon Ralston 1:35:30 ToddCast Top 5 - Top 5 American Political Scions 1:37:15 It's been a bad run lately for run for political scions 1:38:00 #1 Maine governor race features 3 political scions 1:40:00 #2 Georgia governor race features 2 political scions 1:41:15 #3 Beau Bayh 1:42:30 #4 Jack Schlossberg 1:44:15 #5 Chip Keating 1:45:15 Honorable mention - Andrew White 1:46:15 Ask Chuck 1:46:30 What if we had public debates where only verified facts are allowed? 1:50:00 Would state level Democratic parties create a separate platform from DNC 1:53:30 How do you define "short term" and "long term" when describing politics? 1:57:00 Will markets dip in Trump's second year like it does historically? 2:02:45 Who are three modern political thinkers best suited to express our ideals? 2:06:30 How can Trump try to disrupt the election and how effective will he be? 2:10:00 Is it more likely that Kirk's shooter was part of Trump's community?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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  2:15:18

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  2:15:18
• Chuck’s Commentary - 2025 Election Preview + Top 5 Political Scions In Upcoming Elections

  Chuck Todd breaks down why this year’s elections may be local—but their impact will be national. From Virginia’s bellwether governor’s race to key contests in New Jersey and New York City, these results will offer a preview of the political mood heading into the 2026 midterms. Chuck dives into Abigail Spanberger’s cautious campaign strategy, Winsome Earle-Sears’ grievance-fueled messaging, and why Virginia voters rarely reward extremes. Plus, a look at how third-party candidates could shake up the New Jersey race and why Zohran Mamdani’s performance in NYC will signal the direction of the progressive movement. Finally, Chuck reveals his ToddCast Top 5 list of American political scions running in upcoming election and answers listeners’ questions in the “Ask Chuck” segment. Got injured in an accident? You could be one click away from a claim worth millions. Just visit https://www.forthepeople.com/TODDCAST to start your claim now with Morgan & Morgan without leaving your couch. Remember, it's free unless you win! Timeline: (Timestamps may vary based on advertisements) 00:00 Chuck Todd’s introduction 02:00 Chuck will be LIVE on Youtube & X on election night! 05:30 The 2025 elections are local, but will have national impact 06:15 Virginia is a fairly good bellwether state for national politics 07:00 Virginia is purple but is not MAGA 07:30 Party controlling White House almost always loses VA governor race 08:45 Spanberger has run a very cautious campaign 09:45 Winsome Earle-Sears has been throwing things at the wall 10:45 Virginia voters don't reward grievance politics 12:15 Virginia hasn't split ticket amongst big three races since 2005 14:15 Spanberger has kept Jay Jones at arms length 17:00 Virginia will give us preview of which way field is tilting for midterms 17:30 2018 class of Democrats has produced some high profile candidates 18:45 Mikie Sherill has run a more contested race than Spanberger 19:45 Ciaterreli outperformed polls in 2021, could happen again 21:45 Third party candidates could swing the NJ governor race 22:00 Mamdani will win in NYC, it's a matter of whether he clears 50% 24:00 Mamdani needs a big margin in order to have a mandate 25:15 What the results will tell us about the 2026 midterm landscape 29:00 ToddCast Top 5 - Top 5 American Political Scions 30:45 It's been a bad run lately for run for political scions 31:30 #1 Maine governor race features 3 political scions 33:30 #2 Georgia governor race features 2 political scions 34:45 #3 Beau Bayh 36:00 #4 Jack Schlossberg 37:45 #5 Chip Keating 38:45 Honorable mention - Andrew White 39:45 Ask Chuck 40:00 What if we had public debates where only verified facts are allowed? 43:30 Would state level Democratic parties create a separate platform from DNC 47:00 How do you define "short term" and "long term" when describing politics? 50:30 Will markets dip in Trump's second year like it does historically? 56:15 Who are three modern political thinkers best suited to express our ideals?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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