The Chuck ToddCast

Faiz Shakir, chief political adviser to Senator Bernie Sanders, and the founder and executive director of “A More Perfect Union” joins Chuck to talk about the future of the Democratic Party.

Chuck talks to Charlie Cook, founder of the Cook Political Report with Amy Walter and Kevin P. Reilly Sr. Endowed Chair in Political Communication at the Manship School of Mass Communication at LSU. In his latest column for National Journal, Charlie writes about President-elect Trump’s power play to force Republican senators into compliance over his cabinet choices.

Former Vermont Gov. and DNC Chairman Howard Dean talks with Chuck about how Democrats can make gains in the future, after widespread losses on Election Day.

As a Trump campaign reporter, Garrett Haake saw the final days of the Trump campaign up close. As a NBC News Senior Capitol Hill Correspondent, his reporting on the Trump transition shows how far the incoming administration's choices will ripple across Washington.

Dante Chinni, director of the American Communities Project, joins Chuck to take a closer look at election turnout and explore what the shifts mean for the future of campaigning.

It’s Wednesday November 6th. Kamala Harris has conceded to Donald Trump and we are all in a state of delirium about the election night -- mostly because nobody has slept much in the last 48 hours. Chuck is joined by Doug Sosnik, former political director for Bill Clinton and co-author of “Applebee’s America” and Jessica Taylor, the Senate and Governors Editor for The Cook Political Report with Amy Walter.

Polls, surveys and statistics. The NBC News Political Unit looks at the final numbers before the vote comes in on Election Day. Chuck talks with Mark Murray, senior political editor, and national political reporters Bridget Bowman.

NBC News National Political Correspondent Steve Kornacki joins Chuck to break down former President Trump’s and Vice President Harris’ respective paths to winning the Electoral College.

Jon Ralston, CEO and Editor of the Nevada Independent, joins Chuck to talk about the challenges of polling in the Silver State.

Nate Silver, author of, "On the Edge: The Art of Risking Everything," joins Chuck to talk about the world of "professional risk-takers" and how it informed his journey to founding the presidential election forecasting model FiveThirtyEight.

Democratic strategist James Carville joins Chuck around the release of a new documentary on his life, “Carville: Winning Is Everything, Stupid,” to talk about why he thinks Vice President Kamala Harris is poised to win the 2024 election.

With two weeks to go, Amy Walter, publisher and editor-in-chief of the Cook Political Report … with Amy Walter, and the host of “The Odd Years” podcast, joins Chuck to explore the map.

Symone Sanders-Townsend, the former chief spokesperson for Kamala Harris, joins Chuck to assess the vice president’s home-stretch campaign, as she launches a media blitz and pitches her message across the aisle.

Chuck explores how Vice President Kamala Harris' statements about President Biden hurt her campaign message. Plus, Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger talks about his state's historic early vote totals.

Gabriel Sherman, special correspondent at Vanity Fair, joins Chuck to talk about “The Apprentice,” a new film he wrote that details Donald Trump’s early career in real estate.

Entrepreneur Mark Cuban joins Chuck Todd to talk about his new venture, the Cost Plus Drugs Company. He also shares his views on cryptocurrency, sports business, and why he got involved in the 2024 campaign.

Scott Lincicome, vice president of general economics at the Cato Institute, joins Chuck to analyze the stances of former President Trump and Vice President Harris on tariff policy, as trade and import taxes take center stage in the campaign dialogue.

Gov. Tim Walz and Sen. JD Vance agreed to disagree at the Vice Presidential debate. Matt Grossmann, author of “Polarized by Degrees” talks about how the Democratic and Republican parties have been reshaped by divides over education.

Kurt Volker, former U.S. special envoy for Ukraine negotiations and former NATO ambassador, joins Chuck as Presidents Zelenskyy and Biden meet in Washington.

Nathan Gonzales, the Editor & Publisher of Inside Elections, joins Chuck to talk about the long tail effects of Democrats' candidate swap.

David Rohde, NBC News senior executive editor for national security, joins Chuck to talk about the ways in which the Justice Department has been transformed by Donald Trump’s presidency — and how Merrick Garland dealt with the difficult task of investigating a former president running for re-election.

Chuck is joined by Dante Chinni, the director of the American Communities Project, which uses data to track how trends in politics, culture and economics for local communities across the country.

Marc Short, former chief of staff to Vice President Mike Pence, joins Chuck with his takeaways on Donald Trump’s debate performance and previews the campaign ahead.

Chuck Todd analyzes the first Harris-Trump debate. Assistant Attorney General Jonathan Kanter, head of the DOJ's antitrust division, joins Chuck to talk about the administration's push to break up corporate power in the U.S.

In February, Mark Murray, Bridget Bowman and Ben Kamisar joined Chuck to pick their top prospects from the 2024 Senate races. Now they’re back to see which picks stand up for the general election, and which races have changed.

Melissa Deckman, the CEO of the Public Religion Research Institute and author of a new book, “The Politics of Gen Z,” joins Chuck to talk about young voters and their impact on the election.

Charlie Cook, founder of the Cook Political Report, joins Chuck as Vice President Harris gains ground in key states where President Biden was struggling.

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.

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.

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.

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.”

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.

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.

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.

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 climate change. And then those very records were broken 24 hours later, when global average temperatures went even higher on Monday, July 22nd. Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks, a Republican from Iowa and the chair of the Conservative Climate Caucus, joins Chuck to discuss.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Reid Wilson, founder and editor of Pluribus News, focuses on statehouses across the country as local leaders reckon with AI, abortion and marijuana legalization.

Washington Wizards and Capitals owner Ted Leonsis joins Chuck to talk about the intersection of sports, business and politics ... and how he miscalculated on his plan to move the teams to Virginia.

Doris Kearns Goodwin, historian and author of "An Unfinished Love Story: A Personal History of the 1960s" joins Chuck to talk about what she learned working on a biography of someone unusually close to her life — her husband, Dick.

Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-Wash.), chair of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, joins Chuck for an exit interview on what she’s learned during her decades in Congress, and her ongoing fight to regulate Big Tech.

As regulators and election workers try to catch up to a technology evolving at a break-neck speed, one group is trying to give campaigns a list of do’s and don’ts when it comes to the responsible use of AI. Chuck talks with Ben Resnick and Matt Hodges of Zinc Labs, a Democratic group at the intersection of tech and politics.

Jonah Goldberg, co-founder and editor-in-chief of The Dispatch, joins Chuck to talk about an extremely weird week in politics and news.

Stan Greenberg, a Democratic pollster and strategist who’s advised candidates from former President Bill Clinton, to former British Prime Minister Tony Blair, joins Chuck to talk about his firm’s latest report, which he says shows a path for a Biden victory in November.

How did lobbying evolve from influence peddling to a power center where “corporate lobbyists are the only ones with their thumb on the scale”? Brody and Luke Mullins join Chuck to talk about their new book, “The Wolves of K Street.”

With former President Trump's ongoing trial in Manhattan, last week's hearing in front of the Supreme Court on presidential immunity, plus federal cases in Florida and Washington, DC, we're getting a glimpse at the edges of how the justice system works. NBC News Senior Legal Correspondent Laura Jarrett and NBC News Supreme Court reporter Lawrence Hurley join Chuck to discuss.

Doug Sosnik, former senior adviser to President Bill Clinton, joins Chuck to explore how President Biden may have a narrower path to the presidency than former President Trump (edited)

Senior Political Editor Mark Murray joins Chuck to talk through the findings in the April 2024 NBC News poll, as former President Trump’s hush money trial begins in Manhattan.

Layne Eskridge, executive producer of "Manhunt," joins Chuck as the Apple TV+ miniseries wraps its seven-episode run on the 12-day search for the killer behind America's first presidential assassination.

Los Angeles Clippers owner and former Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer joins Chuck to talk about USAFacts, his civic initiative to make government data more accessible to Americans.

Ken Block, author of "Disproven," tells Chuck how he was brought on by a lawyer with former President Trump's 2020 campaign to validate claims of widespread voter fraud in the election — and instead found far fewer fraudulent votes than were needed to impact the results in any state.

NBC News Chief International Correspondent Richard Engel talks with Chuck about the challenges facing peace in Israel, Ukraine and across the globe.

Produced in collaboration with The George Washington University, Chuck moderates a panel on the topic of sports washing, featuring Professor William Youmans, Professor Kelsey Nelson and a student and women’s soccer player named Avril Silva.

Chuck talks with Nathan Gonzales, the Editor & Publisher of Inside Elections, about the difficulty in using recent presidential elections as a guide for 2024.

In their new docuseries, "American Conspiracy: The Octopus Murders," Christian Hansen and Zachary Treitz set out to uncover the mystery behind the 1991 death of journalist Danny Casolaro while he was investigating a shadowy conspiracy. They join Chuck to detail what they've learned.

"For All Mankind" co-creators and showrunners Matt Wolpert and Ben Nedivi join Chuck to talk through an alternative history where the Soviet Union beats the United States in the space race to the moon. This episode contains spoilers through Season 4 of the show. Read the For All Mankind timeline: https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Timeline/ForAllMankind

Democratic pollster Cornell Belcher and Republican strategist Brad Todd join Chuck to debate the races in the election year ahead, and discuss how much we should read into early 2024 polling.

Sasha Issenberg, author of, “The Lie Detectives: In Search of a Playbook for Winning Elections in the Disinformation Age,” talks to Chuck about the wave of artificially generated video, audio and photos that are upending how candidates campaign for office.

Rep. Maxwell Frost (D-Fla.) joins Chuck for a wide-ranging interview on his proposed reforms for Congress, talks about how young voters are approaching President Biden's handling of the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, and weighs in on the plan to ban TikTok in the U.S.

Jeff Nussbaum, former Senior Speechwriter and Special Assistant to President Biden, joins Chuck to analyze his former boss's State of the Union address delivered Thursday night.

Amy Walter, editor-in-chief and publisher of the Cook Political Report joins Chuck to talk through the Super Tuesday results and look ahead to the general election.

Nick Troiano, author of “The Primary Solution: Rescuing our Democracy from the Fringes," joins Chuck to argue that partisan primaries have created "a broken system with broken incentives and bad outcomes," and abolishing them would make government more representative of its constituents and more accountable to them.

Chuck asks whether Republicans can win an election without finding a position on abortion. Plus, Katherine Mangu-Ward, editor-in-chief of Reason, talks about the Libertarian view on elections and why third-party candidates seeking ballot access like to embrace them.

Tom Schaller and Paul Waldman, authors of "White Rural Rage: The Threat to American Democracy," join Chuck to discuss how former President Trump became hailed as the "god-king of heartland, rural America" and wielded their anti-elite resentment despite his background as a billionaire businessman from Queens.

The amount of intra-party infighting might be the most revealing metric when looking ahead to any election. Plus, Mike McFaul, former ambassador to Russia, joins Chuck to talk about the death of Alexei Navalny and what it means for the future of Vladimir Putin’s regime.

Chuck sits down with Mark Murray, Bridget Bowman and Ben Kamisar to talk about who has an edge among the 2024 Senate races. Plus, the new NBC News Politics newsletter goes live this week. Sign up here: https://link.nbcnews.com/join/5cj/nbc-news-politics-signup

Rep. Debbie Dingell (D-Mich.) has known President Biden for years. She sits down with Chuck and shares her views on what the president needs to do to win in November, how the war in Gaza is impacting her voters, and what she thinks about special counsel Hur’s report on classified documents.

Former National Security Adviser John Bolton joins Chuck to detail the effort of officials appointed to former President Trump's first term in office who want to prevent him from being re-elected to a second. Bolton also delivers his perspective on President Biden's foreign policy as the U.S. launches retaliatory drone strikes on Iran-backed militia groups.

Jon Ralston, founder, CEO, and editor of The Nevada Independent, joins Chuck to discuss the Nevada primary/caucus divide and why the results might mislead outside observers ahead of the November election.

Sen. Michael Bennet (D-Colo.), a member of the original bipartisan “Gang of Eight” working group on immigration, joins Chuck to detail the path forward on border reform as Senate Republicans clash over a potential deal. Bennet also looks back to how the debate has changed over the past decade, as a pathway to citizenship is unlikely to be included in the final package.

Chuck sits down with Rick Hasen, professor of law and political science at UCLA and the author of a new book coming out in February, “A Real Right to Vote: How a Constitutional Amendment Can Safeguard American Democracy.”

Jonathan Martin, senior political columnist for Politico, joins Chuck on the heels of New Hampshire's primary elections to examine former Gov. Nikki Haley's (R-S.C.) political prospects as the Republican nominating contests continue, and discusses whether President Biden can improve his standing as the general-election campaign takes shape.

NBC News Campaign Embeds Sarah Dean, Emma Barnett and Greg Hyatt join Chuck to preview the New Hampshire primaries, as Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-Fla.) shifts his resources away from the state and former Gov. Nikki Haley (R-S.C.) — fresh off a third-place finish in Iowa — seeks to portray the contest as a two-person race.

Longshot Democratic presidential candidate Rep. Dean Phillips (D-Minn.) talks to Chuck about his campaign in New Hampshire and what the results in Iowa say about November 2024.

With days to go until the Iowa Caucus, Chuck talks with Matt Dixon, senior national politics reporter for NBC News, and author of a new book, "Swamp Monsters: Trump vs. DeSantis―the Greatest Show on Earth (or at Least in Florida)," about the most consequential rivalry in the 2024 campaign.

Ian Bremmer, founder and president of the Eurasia Group, discusses his organization’s 2024 “Top Risks” report, with a focus on three dominant conflicts: the U.S. versus Russia, Israel versus Hamas, and the U.S. versus … itself.

Iowa Republican Strategist David Kochel joins Chuck with just over a week to go until the first GOP contest of 2024 to detail former President Trump's firm hold on the Hawkeye State — and his rivals' determination to pull an upset.

What if John Lennon survived the assassination attempt? Are we living in the worst timeline possible with Russia? What if Sandra Day O'Connor had been made Supreme Court chief justice? Chuck Todd sits down with Fordham professor (and big alt history fan!) Paul Levinson for an extravaganza of topics, on the last ToddCast of 2023.

Former Rep. Fred Upton (R-Mich.) joins Chuck to game out what could have happened in a world where Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell voted to convict former President Trump in his second impeachment trial relating to the insurrection.

Chuck introduces his latest series of Alternative Histories and speaks with NCAA President Charlie Baker about paying college athletes.

Bringing the band back together — NBC News Chief Political Analyst Chuck Todd sits down with the political unit’s Mark Murray, Bridget Bowman and Alexandra Marquez to discuss their top predictions for each quarter of 2024.

Ruy Texeira, author of "Where Have All the Democrats Gone? The Soul of the Party in the Age of Extremes," joins Chuck to detail the Democratic Party's recent leftward shift and argues it has abandoned its core principles.

Author and filmmaker Greg Mitchell joins Chuck to talk about his latest film, "Atomic Cover-up," and the resurgence of anti-nuclear proliferation after the summer release of "Oppenheimer."

Former Defense Secretary Leon Panetta joins Chuck to analyze the path forward for lasting peace in the Middle East, and offers his thoughts on the legacy of former Sec. Henry Kissinger, who passed away Wednesday.

Self-described “rebel corporate” Andrew Yang, co-chair of the Forward Party and former Democratic presidential candidate, joins Chuck Todd for a candid conversation about the 2024 election.

Alternative history is back with a special Thanksgiving episode. Turn the clocks back to 1978 and ask, what would air travel be like today if deregulation never took place? Ganesh Staraman, the author of a new book called “Why Flying is Miserable: And how to fix it,” joins Chuck to explain how airline deregulation rules screwed things up for air travel.