The Chuck ToddCast

Chuck Todd sounds the alarm on how Trump’s aggressive use of tariffs and economic coercion could unintentionally push the U.S. and the world toward open conflict, drawing stark parallels to the Smoot-Hawley tariffs and the dangerous bloc-based thinking that preceded World War II. As Trump threatens NATO unity, wages economic war with Europe, and even uses tariffs as leverage in a pressure campaign over Greenland, the result isn’t strength but instability—risking retaliation, potentially weakening the dollar’s reserve status, and handing strategic advantages to China and Russia. Chuck argues that while Trump may not be trying to start a war, his isolationist instincts, economic bullying, and disregard for democratic norms are dismantling the postwar order America built and benefited from, creating a far more dangerous world. The episode also turns inward, examining Trump’s endorsement politics and fixation on retribution, even at the cost of GOP viability, as Senate Republicans quietly weigh whether stopping this madness—or walking away—is their last remaining option.
Mechele Dickerson, professor at the University of Texas School of Law & author of the new book “The Middle Class New Deal” joins Chuck Todd to make the case that rebuilding the American middle class requires something bold and familiar. Drawing on history, Dickerson explains how the original New Deal didn’t just regulate markets but actively created the first stable American middle class, a reminder that free markets alone don’t guarantee broad prosperity. As today’s economy shifts risk onto workers through independent contracting, weakened unions, and employer-based benefits that no longer fit modern labor markets, she argues that financial security—not wealth—is what most Americans are actually chasing, and it’s essential for economic and democratic stability.
The conversation digs into healthcare, education, and labor power as the pillars of a functioning middle class, from why employer-based health insurance is a historical accident to how government-guaranteed healthcare could actually relieve businesses, and why underused public schools and outdated calendars are weakening the future workforce. Dickerson warns that the erosion of unions, the weaponization of cultural divisions, and rising economic nihilism—especially among younger Americans—mirror dangerous Gilded Age dynamics, where extreme inequality hollowed out democracy. The takeaway is stark but hopeful: upward mobility is deeply American, but without intentional policy choices that put workers and families first, an eroding middle class can become fertile ground for political instability and authoritarianism.
Finally, Chuck hops into the ToddCast Time Machine to revisit the evolving public perception of Muhammed Ali, answers listeners’ questions in the Ask Chuck segment and preview the college football national championship between Indiana and his beloved Miami Hurricanes.
Get your wardrobe sorted and your gift list handled with Quince. Don't wait! Go to https://Quince.com/CHUCK for free shipping on your order and 365-day returns. Now available in Canada, too!
Protect your family with life insurance from Ethos. Get up to $3 million in coverage in as little as 10 minutes at https://ethos.com/chuck. Application times may vary. Rates may vary.
Thank you Wildgrain for sponsoring. Visit http://wildgrain.com/TODDCAST and use the code
Timeline:
(Timestamps may vary based on advertisements)
00:00 Chuck Todd’s introduction
02:30 Could Trump’s tariffs accidentally stumble the U.S. into a war?
03:45 Bad economic policy could drive the world into war
04:30 Destroying NATO & economic war w/ Europe will create GOP defections
05:15 What Trump is doing is incredibly alarming
05:45 When tariffs are used as leverage, they can create security problems
06:15 Smoot-Hawley tariffs created lasting damage
07:30 Retaliation followed after the Smoot-Hawley tariffs
08:00 Smoot-Hawley didn’t cause WW2, but had a huge impact in creating it
09:00 When the world starts thinking in blocs, wars become more likely
10:00 In blocs, countries start prioritizing resource security
10:30 Trump is using tariffs as leverage for economic bullying to acquire Greenland
11:15 Macron calls for EU use of an anti-coercion law against the U.S.
12:15 Trump’s Greenland posture threatens trade with Europe
12:45 Republicans in the senate need to stop this madness
13:30 We’re risking the dollar as the world’s reserve currency
14:30 Canada has struck trade agreements with China in response to Trump
15:15 China will gain increased leverage in North America
16:30 Trade disputes risk becoming security grievances
17:15 Trump is risking stumbling the U.S. into a war
18:00 The world is more dangerous now than any time since WW2
19:00 Americans are taking a safe and stable world for granted
19:30 Trump has created the dream scenario for the Chinese & Russians
20:15 The world order America built & benefitted from is being dismantled
20:45 Trump’s actions, if not stopped…could set us back generations
22:00 Trump has proven he doesn’t care about democracy in Venezuela
23:30 When the biggest country goes isolationist, everyone else does too
24:15 Trump isn’t trying to get us into war, but his actions are taking us closer to one
27:30 Trump endorses against Bill Cassidy despite Cassidy’s deference
29:00 Cassidy may consider retirement after reviewing polling in Louisiana
30:30 Cassidy could have a shot at winning as an independent
33:30 Trump cares about retribution more than viability of the GOP
41:15 Mechele Dickerson joins the Chuck ToddCast
42:45 Both the left & right can learn from “The Middle Class New Deal”
44:15 What motivated you to put these ideas under a “New Deal” framework
45:15 The New Deal created the first American middle class
46:15 Free market economies don’t automatically create a middle class
47:45 Socialism & interfering with free markets created the middle class
48:15 A stable middle class is critical for stability
49:00 The uber wealthy can only consume so much & don’t drive spending
50:15 People struggling don’t want to be wealthy, just financially secure
52:00 Independent contractors don’t get same benefits as employees
53:30 Retirement security has been shifted from employers to employees
55:00 Big companies with lots of contractors have a ton of political leverage
56:15 Amazon’s delivery providers aren’t set up to have employees
58:15 CEO’s of big companies hate the cost of healthcare
59:45 Business could support a system where they aren’t responsible for healthcare
1:01:00 Employer based healthcare was born out of World War 2 wage controls
1:02:15 Government guaranteed health insurance has many upsides
1:04:30 The debate around government guaranteed education has stalled
1:05:15 What steps could be taken to make progress in public education?
1:06:30 In rural areas there is no “school choice”, just home school
1:07:15 Public school facilities are underutilized
1:07:45 Public school calendar revolves around an agrarian calendar
1:09:00 Without good public education, we’ll have a poor labor force
1:11:00 Schools should add a voluntary summer trimester
1:12:45 Workers will only get equal treatment through collective bargaining
1:13:15 How do you bring back labor unions?
1:14:30 Middle & lower class have suffered since labor unions were gutted
1:15:15 Union culture is merged with corporate culture in Europe
1:16:30 Race & ethnicity have been used as wedges to advance a class argument
1:18:30 The entire middle class is suffering economically
1:20:15 How do you prioritize anti-poverty programs to revive the middle class?
1:21:15 Upward mobility is wired into the DNA of Americans
1:22:45 Billionaires aren’t incentivized to create a healthy middle class
1:23:45 There are parallels between the current moment & the Gilded Age
1:24:45 Should corporations build communities the way Hershey did?
1:26:45 Politicians have to help constituents be ok, not just tell them they’re ok
1:27:15 2016 election of Trump was the white middle class primal scream
1:28:15 An eroding middle class can drive societies into autocracy
1:29:15 Trump administration keeps having “let them eat cake” moments
1:30:15 Middle class support tax cuts for rich, thinking they’ll become rich
1:31:00 Younger Americans suffer from a sense of economic nihilism
1:31:45 Bill Clinton’s strength was understanding middle class, he came from it
1:32:30 Chuck’s thoughts on interview with Mechele Dickerson
1:33:15 ToddCast Time Machine - January 22nd, 1964
1:33:45 Cassius Clay announces conversion to Islam & name change
1:34:45 Heavyweight champion of the world carried huge symbolic weight
1:35:30 Muhammed Ali challenged the power structures
1:36:15 Ali exposed unspoken rule - You have to be deferential & assimilate
1:37:00 Press treated Ali as a problem to be managed
1:37:45 Ali refusing to be drafted turned him into a villain
1:38:30 Over time, Ali became vindicated by the public
1:39:30 Ali carried conviction at great personal cost
1:40:30 America changed its view of Ali, & speaks to America’s evolution
1:41:30 Ask Chuck
1:41:45 Thanks for the book recommendation for “The Barn”
1:42:45 Could any Republicans defect to hand over control of the House?
1:47:45 Packers/Bears rivalry goes way beyond football
1:49:15 Indiana vs. Miami National Championship thoughts
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Chuck Todd sounds the alarm on how Trump’s aggressive use of tariffs and economic coercion could unintentionally push the U.S. and the world toward open conflict, drawing stark parallels to the Smoot-Hawley tariffs and the dangerous bloc-based thinking that preceded World War II. As Trump threatens NATO unity, wages economic war with Europe, and even uses tariffs as leverage in a pressure campaign over Greenland, the result isn’t strength but instability—risking retaliation, potentially weakening the dollar’s reserve status, and handing strategic advantages to China and Russia. Chuck argues that while Trump may not be trying to start a war, his isolationist instincts, economic bullying, and disregard for democratic norms are dismantling the postwar order America built and benefited from, creating a far more dangerous world. The episode also turns inward, examining Trump’s endorsement politics and fixation on retribution, even at the cost of GOP viability, as Senate Republicans quietly weigh whether stopping this madness—or walking away—is their last remaining option.
Finally, Chuck hops into the ToddCast Time Machine to revisit the evolving public perception of Muhammed Ali, answers listeners’ questions in the Ask Chuck segment and preview the college football national championship between Indiana and his beloved Miami Hurricanes.
Get your wardrobe sorted and your gift list handled with Quince. Don't wait! Go to https://Quince.com/CHUCK for free shipping on your order and 365-day returns. Now available in Canada, too!
Protect your family with life insurance from Ethos. Get up to $3 million in coverage in as little as 10 minutes at https://ethos.com/chuck. Application times may vary. Rates may vary.
Thank you Wildgrain for sponsoring. Visit http://wildgrain.com/TODDCAST and use the code
Timeline:
(Timestamps may vary based on advertisements)
00:00 Chuck Todd’s introduction
02:30 Could Trump’s tariffs accidentally stumble the U.S. into a war?
03:45 Bad economic policy could drive the world into war
04:30 Destroying NATO & economic war w/ Europe will create GOP defections
05:15 What Trump is doing is incredibly alarming
05:45 When tariffs are used as leverage, they can create security problems
06:15 Smoot-Hawley tariffs created lasting damage
07:30 Retaliation followed after the Smoot-Hawley tariffs
08:00 Smoot-Hawley didn’t cause WW2, but had a huge impact in creating it
09:00 When the world starts thinking in blocs, wars become more likely
10:00 In blocs, countries start prioritizing resource security
10:30 Trump is using tariffs as leverage for economic bullying to acquire Greenland
11:15 Macron calls for EU use of an anti-coercion law against the U.S.
12:15 Trump’s Greenland posture threatens trade with Europe
12:45 Republicans in the senate need to stop this madness
13:30 We’re risking the dollar as the world’s reserve currency
14:30 Canada has struck trade agreements with China in response to Trump
15:15 China will gain increased leverage in North America
16:30 Trade disputes risk becoming security grievances
17:15 Trump is risking stumbling the U.S. into a war
18:00 The world is more dangerous now than any time since WW2
19:00 Americans are taking a safe and stable world for granted
19:30 Trump has created the dream scenario for the Chinese & Russians
20:15 The world order America built & benefitted from is being dismantled
20:45 Trump’s actions, if not stopped…could set us back generations
22:00 Trump has proven he doesn’t care about democracy in Venezuela
23:30 When the biggest country goes isolationist, everyone else does too
24:15 Trump isn’t trying to get us into war, but his actions are taking us closer to one
27:30 Trump endorses against Bill Cassidy despite Cassidy’s deference
29:00 Cassidy may consider retirement after reviewing polling in Louisiana
30:30 Cassidy could have a shot at winning as an independent
33:30 Trump cares about retribution more than viability of the GOP
37:30 ToddCast Time Machine - January 22nd, 1964
38:00 Cassius Clay announces conversion to Islam & name change
39:00 Heavyweight champion of the world carried huge symbolic weight
39:45 Muhammed Ali challenged the power structures
40:30 Ali exposed unspoken rule - You have to be deferential & assimilate
41:15 Press treated Ali as a problem to be managed
42:00 Ali refusing to be drafted turned him into a villain
42:45 Over time, Ali became vindicated by the public
43:45 Ali carried conviction at great personal cost
44:45 America changed its view of Ali, & speaks to America’s evolution
45:45 Ask Chuck
46:00 Thanks for the book recommendation for “The Barn”
47:00 Could any Republicans defect to hand over control of the House?
52:00 Packers/Bears rivalry goes way beyond football
53:30 Indiana vs. Miami National Championship thoughts
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Mechele Dickerson, professor at the University of Texas School of Law & author of the new book “The Middle Class New Deal” joins Chuck Todd to make the case that rebuilding the American middle class requires something bold and familiar. Drawing on history, Dickerson explains how the original New Deal didn’t just regulate markets but actively created the first stable American middle class, a reminder that free markets alone don’t guarantee broad prosperity. As today’s economy shifts risk onto workers through independent contracting, weakened unions, and employer-based benefits that no longer fit modern labor markets, she argues that financial security—not wealth—is what most Americans are actually chasing, and it’s essential for economic and democratic stability.
The conversation digs into healthcare, education, and labor power as the pillars of a functioning middle class, from why employer-based health insurance is a historical accident to how government-guaranteed healthcare could actually relieve businesses, and why underused public schools and outdated calendars are weakening the future workforce. Dickerson warns that the erosion of unions, the weaponization of cultural divisions, and rising economic nihilism—especially among younger Americans—mirror dangerous Gilded Age dynamics, where extreme inequality hollowed out democracy. The takeaway is stark but hopeful: upward mobility is deeply American, but without intentional policy choices that put workers and families first, an eroding middle class can become fertile ground for political instability and authoritarianism.
Get your wardrobe sorted and your gift list handled with Quince. Don't wait! Go to https://Quince.com/CHUCK for free shipping on your order and 365-day returns. Now available in Canada, too!
Protect your family with life insurance from Ethos. Get up to $3 million in coverage in as little as 10 minutes at https://ethos.com/chuck. Application times may vary. Rates may vary.
Thank you Wildgrain for sponsoring. Visit http://wildgrain.com/TODDCAST and use the code
Timeline:
00:00 Mechele Dickerson joins the Chuck ToddCast
01:30 Both the left & right can learn from “The Middle Class New Deal”
03:00 What motivated you to put these ideas under a “New Deal” framework
04:00 The New Deal created the first American middle class
05:00 Free market economies don’t automatically create a middle class
06:30 Socialism & interfering with free markets created the middle class
07:00 A stable middle class is critical for stability
07:45 The uber wealthy can only consume so much & don’t drive spending
09:00 People struggling don’t want to be wealthy, just financially secure
10:45 Independent contractors don’t get same benefits as employees
12:15 Retirement security has been shifted from employers to employees
13:45 Big companies with lots of contractors have a ton of political leverage
15:00 Amazon’s delivery providers aren’t set up to have employees
17:00 CEO’s of big companies hate the cost of healthcare
18:30 Business could support a system where they aren’t responsible for healthcare
19:45 Employer based healthcare was born out of World War 2 wage controls
21:00 Government guaranteed health insurance has many upsides
23:15 The debate around government guaranteed education has stalled
24:00 What steps could be taken to make progress in public education?
25:15 In rural areas there is no “school choice”, just home school
26:00 Public school facilities are underutilized
26:30 Public school calendar revolves around an agrarian calendar
27:45 Without good public education, we’ll have a poor labor force
29:45 Schools should add a voluntary summer trimester
31:30 Workers will only get equal treatment through collective bargaining
32:00 How do you bring back labor unions?
33:15 Middle & lower class have suffered since labor unions were gutted
34:00 Union culture is merged with corporate culture in Europe
35:15 Race & ethnicity have been used as wedges to advance a class argument
37:15 The entire middle class is suffering economically
39:00 How do you prioritize anti-poverty programs to revive the middle class?
40:00 Upward mobility is wired into the DNA of Americans
41:30 Billionaires aren’t incentivized to create a healthy middle class
42:30 There are parallels between the current moment & the Gilded Age
43:30 Should corporations build communities the way Hershey did?
45:30 Politicians have to help constituents be ok, not just tell them they’re ok
46:00 2016 election of Trump was the white middle class primal scream
47:00 An eroding middle class can drive societies into autocracy
48:00 Trump administration keeps having “let them eat cake” moments
49:00 Middle class support tax cuts for rich, thinking they’ll become rich
49:45 Younger Americans suffer from a sense of economic nihilism
50:30 Bill Clinton’s strength was understanding middle class, he came from it
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Chuck Todd unpacks a moment of foreign-policy whiplash as Donald Trump appears to ease off threats against Iran while simultaneously escalating his pressure campaign on Greenland—doubling down after meetings with Danish officials and even floating the idea of holding NATO hostage to get his way. The episode examines why Trump is unlikely to move militarily against Greenland, why Greenlanders are growing more defiant, and how this approach risks a serious rupture with Europe. From there, the conversation widens to a bigger question: what is America’s role in the world now that consensus has collapsed? With China as a peer competitor, alliances under strain, free trade weaponized at home, and isolationism creating dangerous vacuums, the U.S. is operating without a coherent grand strategy even as allies quietly hedge their bets.
The second half turns inward, focusing on immigration and the politics of ICE. Drawing lessons from past messaging failures like “defund the police,” Chuck argues Democrats shouldn’t fall into the “abolish ICE” trap but instead run on reform—rethinking leadership, recruiting, and training that’s been slashed from months to weeks. The takeaway is blunt: ICE isn’t going away, the agency will remain a political wedge, and the real question for both parties is who’s in charge of it—and what kind of power they’re willing to wield at home and abroad.
Then, geopolitical expert and president of The Eurasia Group, Ian Bremmer joins Chuck Todd for a wide-ranging, clear-eyed look at a world entering genuinely uncharted territory—where old rules no longer apply and the United States itself has become a central source of global instability. From Venezuela and Mexico to Europe and Greenland, Bremmer explains how Trump’s transactional, coercive approach is reshaping alliances, undermining collective security, and forcing other countries to adapt fast. The conversation explores why regime change remains elusive in places like Venezuela, Cuba, and Haiti; how Latin American elections are increasingly driven by domestic security; and why Europe, shaken by Trump’s unpredictability, is funding Ukraine and rethinking its own defense posture.
The discussion then turns to the Middle East and beyond: the durability of the Iranian regime, the limits of U.S. military power, Saudi Arabia’s rapid modernization, and what comes next for Israel once Netanyahu exits the stage. Bremmer also assesses Trump’s surprising effectiveness in Middle East dealmaking, the long-term damage to Israel’s global standing, Russia’s tightening economic squeeze amid continued political repression, and rising far-right momentum in Europe. The episode closes with a sobering look at China, Taiwan, and whether the next few years bring deterrence—or a historic rupture.
Finally, he answers listeners’ questions in the “Ask Chuck” segment and gets a few sports rants off his chest.
Get your wardrobe sorted and your gift list handled with Quince. Don't wait! Go to https://Quince.com/CHUCK for free shipping on your order and 365-day returns. Now available in Canada, too!
Protect your family with life insurance from Ethos. Get up to $3 million in coverage in as little as 10 minutes at https://ethos.com/chuck. Application times may vary. Rates may vary.
Thank you Wildgrain for sponsoring. Visit http://wildgrain.com/TODDCAST and use the cod
Timeline:
(Timestamps may vary based on advertisements)
00:00 Chuck Todd’s introduction
01:00 Trump seemingly backing off threats to strike Iran
02:00 Trump meets with Danish & Greenland officials, then doubles down
03:30 Trump threatens to hold NATO hostage in exchange for Greenland
05:00 Greenlanders are more defiant in the face of Trump’s threats
05:30 Trump’s threats could risk severing U.S. ties with Europe
06:15 Unlikely Trump will take Greenland militarily
06:45 Everything Trump is doing now is bad politics
08:15 Latin American exiles in south Florida create a feedback loop for Trump
09:00 What should be America’s role in the world?
10:45 Trump is not and has never been a multilateralist
11:30 Trump doesn’t care about NATO or see Russia as a threat
12:15 Consensus on America’s role in the world has collapsed
13:15 Free trade has been weaponized domestically in America
14:15 Domestic exhaustion in America with leadership rule
15:30 America is operating without a grand foreign policy strategy
16:30 The “primacy” strategy doesn’t apply now that China is a peer competitor
17:30 The rules based order hasn’t tamed China, Russia or Iran
18:15 Isolationism creates security vacuums that rarely stay empty
19:00 Nationalism assumes you can separate from the rest of the world
19:15 Trumpism is a mix of all of the above, but up to Trump’s whims
21:15 China is a competitor & nothing the U.S. does can change that
22:15 Trump wants to remake Venezuelan, Iranian and Cuban society
23:15 U.S. still most powerful country and China couldn’t create global alliance
25:45 Free trade, security & innovation trump protectionism
27:45 The Indo-Pacific will be the theatre of great power competition
28:30 America doesn’t get to choose whether it shapes the world
29:15 U.S. allies are hedging
30:00 Presidential candidates need to lay out strategy for US role in the world
33:00 Memo argues Democrats shouldn't fall for the “Abolish ICE” messaging
34:30 ICE training has been reduced from 5 months to 6 weeks
35:15 Dems should run on plan to reform and retrain ICE
36:30 Democrats need to learn from the “defund the police” mistake
38:30 The issue isn’t ICE, it’s who’s in charge of it & their recruiting
40:00 If you get rid of ICE you’ll need a similar agency to replace it
40:45 ICE will become a wedge issue in primary elections
47:45 Ian Bremmer joins the Chuck ToddCast
49:00 Where we’re going… there are no roads
50:00 The middle east could be heading towards a better place
50:45 Trump gave a wake up call to Europe & others
51:30 America is the top risk to the world & center of instability
52:45 There hasn’t been regime change in Venezuela
54:00 The Venezuelan regime will behave while threatened
55:00 The Venezuelan regime has no interest in sharing power
56:30 National elections could be held in Venezuela in a year
58:00 How much will anti-Americanism affect Latin American elections?
59:15 Domestic security is the #1 voting issue in Latin America
1:02:45 Brazil’s election will be very close
1:04:15 Claudia Scheinbaum has been deft in dealing with Trump
1:05:15 Mexico has been cooperating effectively, negating potential strikes
1:06:15 Talk of strikes in Mexico has ramped up post-Venezuela
1:08:00 There’s been a huge number of political assassinations in Mexico
1:08:45 Trade relations would take a huge hit if America strikes militarily
1:09:45 There’s less urgency from Trump admin for regime change in Cuba
01:10:30 Venezuela and Mexico have been propping up the Cuban regime
1:13:00 Why haven’t we pushed harder for changes in Haiti?
1:14:15 Almost zero chance there are elections in Haiti this year
1:15:00 Chance of military invasion of Greenland is extremely low
1:15:45 A coercion campaign towards Greenland is much more likely
1:17:00 Denmark very open to negotiations addressing American concerns
1:18:15 It’d be very easy to ramp up military operation in Greenland
1:19:00 Trump is undermining the concept of collective security
1:19:45 Greenland is a legacy play for Trump
1:20:15 Trump is causing permanent damage to relationship with Europe
1:21:45 Will the Iranian regime survive the calendar year?
1:23:00 Iranian regime has large capacity to repress the population
1:23:45 Looks like the US military will target Iranian police & paramilitary
1:24:30 Nobody has ever targeted the Iranian judges that send people to die
1:25:15 Collapse of regime doesn’t feel imminent, but likely within a few years
1:26:45 Is the US military stretched thin right now?
1:27:15 What collapse of Iranian regime would mean for the region
1:28:45 Saudi Arabia is speed running a modernization & reform process
1:29:45 Any chance Bibi Netanyahu is out in Israel soon?
1:30:45 Normalization with Saudi Arabia is on the table once Bibi is out
1:31:45 The Israel/Gaza ceasefire was improbable win for Trump
1:32:15 Trump’s transactional negotiating works well in the middle east
1:34:15 Settlements expanding in west bank, that won’t be unwound
1:36:00 Nobody has done more damage to Israel’s reputation than Bibi
1:36:45 Russians giving Trump nothing in negotiations over Ukraine
1:37:15 Europeans are funding Ukraine after Trump cut them off
1:38:15 Europeans bought a veto over Trump selling out Ukraine
1:39:30 Still very little meaningful dissent inside Russia over the war
1:40:30 Russian economy is starting to take more of a hit
1:41:30 Giorgia Meloni is probably most secure leader in western Europe
1:42:45 Far right in Germany will do well in elections
1:43:15 Does China take Taiwan in 2027 & does Trump stand in the way?
1:46:15 Iran clears airspace, U.S. attack imminent?
1:47:45 Ask Chuck
1:48:00 Why do you think Mississippi could become politically competitive?
1:51:00 ICE’s actions in Minnesota don’t feel like training issues?
1:54:00 If Dems win both chambers what are the chances of martial law?
2:01:00 If Europe put a blockade around Greenland, would we still attack?
2:05:15 Why do Americans find the far-left more repugnant than the far-right?
2:09:45 Concerned the market shrugged at threats to Fed independence?
2:14:45 Sports update
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Chuck Todd unpacks a moment of foreign-policy whiplash as Donald Trump appears to ease off threats against Iran while simultaneously escalating his pressure campaign on Greenland—doubling down after meetings with Danish officials and even floating the idea of holding NATO hostage to get his way. The episode examines why Trump is unlikely to move militarily against Greenland, why Greenlanders are growing more defiant, and how this approach risks a serious rupture with Europe. From there, the conversation widens to a bigger question: what is America’s role in the world now that consensus has collapsed? With China as a peer competitor, alliances under strain, free trade weaponized at home, and isolationism creating dangerous vacuums, the U.S. is operating without a coherent grand strategy even as allies quietly hedge their bets.
The second half turns inward, focusing on immigration and the politics of ICE. Drawing lessons from past messaging failures like “defund the police,” Chuck argues Democrats shouldn’t fall into the “abolish ICE” trap but instead run on reform—rethinking leadership, recruiting, and training that’s been slashed from months to weeks. The takeaway is blunt: ICE isn’t going away, the agency will remain a political wedge, and the real question for both parties is who’s in charge of it—and what kind of power they’re willing to wield at home and abroad.
Finally, he answers listeners’ questions in the “Ask Chuck” segment and gets a few sports rants off his chest.
Get your wardrobe sorted and your gift list handled with Quince. Don't wait! Go to https://Quince.com/CHUCK for free shipping on your order and 365-day returns. Now available in Canada, too!
Protect your family with life insurance from Ethos. Get up to $3 million in coverage in as little as 10 minutes at https://ethos.com/chuck. Application times may vary. Rates may vary.
Thank you Wildgrain for sponsoring. Visit http://wildgrain.com/TODDCAST and use the cod

Timeline:
00:00 Chuck Todd’s introduction
01:00 Trump seemingly backing off threats to strike Iran
02:00 Trump meets with Danish & Greenland officials, then doubles down
03:30 Trump threatens to hold NATO hostage in exchange for Greenland
05:00 Greenlanders are more defiant in the face of Trump’s threats
05:30 Trump’s threats could risk severing U.S. ties with Europe
06:15 Unlikely Trump will take Greenland militarily
06:45 Everything Trump is doing now is bad politics
08:15 Latin American exiles in south Florida create a feedback loop for Trump
09:00 What should be America’s role in the world?
10:45 Trump is not and has never been a multilateralist
11:30 Trump doesn’t care about NATO or see Russia as a threat
12:15 Consensus on America’s role in the world has collapsed
13:15 Free trade has been weaponized domestically in America
14:15 Domestic exhaustion in America with leadership rule
15:30 America is operating without a grand foreign policy strategy
16:30 The “primacy” strategy doesn’t apply now that China is a peer competitor
17:30 The rules based order hasn’t tamed China, Russia or Iran
18:15 Isolationism creates security vacuums that rarely stay empty
19:00 Nationalism assumes you can separate from the rest of the world
19:15 Trumpism is a mix of all of the above, but up to Trump’s whims
21:15 China is a competitor & nothing the U.S. does can change that
22:15 Trump wants to remake Venezuelan, Iranian and Cuban society
23:15 U.S. still most powerful country and China couldn’t create global alliance
25:45 Free trade, security & innovation trump protectionism
27:45 The Indo-Pacific will be the theatre of great power competition
28:30 America doesn’t get to choose whether it shapes the world
29:15 U.S. allies are hedging
30:00 Presidential candidates need to lay out strategy for US role in the world
33:00 Memo argues Democrats shouldn't fall for the “Abolish ICE” messaging
34:30 ICE training has been reduced from 5 months to 6 weeks
35:15 Dems should run on plan to reform and retrain ICE
36:30 Democrats need to learn from the “defund the police” mistake
38:30 The issue isn’t ICE, it’s who’s in charge of it & their recruiting
40:00 If you get rid of ICE you’ll need a similar agency to replace it
40:45 ICE will become a wedge issue in primary elections
46:30 Iran clears airspace, U.S. attack imminent?
48:00 Ask Chuck
48:15 Why do you think Mississippi could become politically competitive?
51:45 ICE’s actions in Minnesota don’t feel like training issues?
54:15 If Dems win both chambers what are the chances of martial law?
1:01:15 If Europe put a blockade around Greenland, would we still attack?
1:05:30 Why do Americans find the far-left more repugnant than the far-right?
1:10:00 Concerned the market shrugged at threats to Fed independence?
1:15:00 Sports update
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