Chuck's Commentary - Trump’s Authoritarian Tactics Ramp Up + Top 5 Democrats Who’ve Had A Great 2025 + Ask Chuck

Chuck Todd dives into the shifting political and cultural landscape—from Trump’s transformation of the information ecosystem and the  “civics lesson” his presidency has provided to the American public.  He weighs in on the administration’s use of militarized “law and order” tactics and Trump’s constant economic brinkmanship. The conversation ranges from Trump’s similarities to Turkey’s president Erdogan and his clashes with the Fed.. Chuck also introduces the new “ToddCast Top 5,” spotlighting rising Democratic contenders for 2028—from Gavin Newsom’s leadership and Ruben Gallego’s surge, to James Talarico’s Buttigieg-style buzz and the ongoing question of when Bernie Sanders will pass the torch to AOC.  Finally, he answers listeners’ questions in the “Ask Chuck” segment. Timeline: (Timestamps may vary based on advertisements) 00:00 Introduction 01:15 Miami vs Notre Dame rivalry 04:30 Trump has changed the information ecosystem and expectations 05:30 Trump is giving the public a long overdue civics lesson 06:30 Turkey & Erdogan are the model for Trump 08:15 Trump backs off when the market reacts negatively 09:30 Trump’s firing of member of Fed board of governors heads to court 11:30 If the economy was booming, the Fed wouldn’t cut interest rates 13:30 Administration will ramp up “law and order” tactics in blue cities 14:45 National guard deployment is more about optics than crime 15:45 The issue of crime in cities divides the Democratic party 17:30 Trump is creating different standards between red and blue states 18:45 Politicizing the economy will only go badly 19:45 Trump will own the bad economy 20:30 Trump inserts himself into the Roger Clemons Hall of Fame debate 21:30 Trump sides with people who are caught cheating 23:45 Clemons belongs in the Hall of Fame 25:45 Will someone drop out of the NYC Mayoral race to stop Mamdani? 27:30 The rise of, and reaction to Mamdani is similar to rise of Trump 29:15 Howard University president resigns… hire Kamala Harris? 31:00 Introducing the “ToddCast Top 5” 31:30 Which Democrat has had the best 2025 to position presidential run? 32:15 Gavin Newsom has become the leader of the Democratic party 33:45 If Newsom loses referendum it will be a huge blow to his prospects 34:30 Ruben Gallego has greatly increased his standing 35:30 3 archetypes of Democratic presidential candidates 37:45 James Talarico buzz reminiscent of Pete Buttigieg in 2017 40:00 Andy Beshear & Wes Moore have made waves 41:30 Bernie Sanders hasn’t officially passed the torch to AOC 44:00 The Democratic base wants a fighter, the middle wants a uniter 46:30 Ask Chuck  46:45 Potential reform to remove political bias from DOJ?  53:45 Would a congressionally drafted amendment be better than a convention?  57:00 Thoughts on a non-binding constitutional convention?