The Chuck ToddCast

Orange County Mayor Jerry Demings — the former Orlando police chief turned local executive who is now running for governor of Florida — joins the Chuck Toddcast for a candid conversation about the challenges of being a Democrat in modern Florida and the lessons his unusual career path (accountant, then cop, then mayor) brings to executive leadership. Demings reveals that Governor Ron DeSantis personally threatened to remove him from office over his opposition to ICE operations in Orange County, and uses that experience as the entry point to a broader discussion about what's gone wrong with American law enforcement. He argues you cannot solve police shortages by lowering recruiting standards — exactly what he says ICE did when it ramped up so quickly that screening and training went out the window, with the predictable consequence that ICE has now begun poaching trained officers from state and local departments. Demings makes the case that we have to get criminals off the streets but it has to be done lawfully, that state law enforcement should not be doing immigration work, and that being elected sheriff as a partisan position creates real tensions because the actual responsibilities of the job aren't partisan at all. He pushes back on the idea that he's running to be a "performance politician" and frames his candidacy as wanting to bring competent local-government experience to a state level that he says is suffering from leaders chasing viral moments rather than delivering services.
The conversation turns to the structural challenges facing Florida and the deeper question of why Democrats can't win statewide in a state that's growing more diverse by the year. Demings argues Florida's underpaid state legislators simply don't attract quality talent, that many longtime Florida Democrats have left the party out of pure frustration, and that the party's central task is to restore basic public belief in government's capacity to function. He's willing to give DeSantis credit for diversifying and growing Florida's economy, but argues the state needs to find efficiencies rather than continually burdening local governments with expenses it should be covering itself — and points to slashed state mental health funding as a direct driver of the violent crime he sees in his community. Demings is sharp on Florida's climate exposure, arguing the state is building in places it absolutely should not be building, and that hurricane-hardened construction standards need a major overhaul, He flags the NAACP's call for athletes to avoid schools in remapping states as the kind of extreme response that extreme government actions inevitably provoke, and warns that the politics of division are starting to genuinely threaten Florida's tourism economy — meaning the state's longtime economic engine may finally be running into the consequences of the culture wars its leaders have spent the past decade fueling.
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Link in bio or go to https://getsoul.com & enter code TODDCAST for 30% off your first order.
Thank you Wildgrain for sponsoring. Visit http://wildgrain.com/TODDCAST and use the code "TODDCAST" at checkout to receive $30 off your first box PLUS free Croissants for life!
Timeline:
(Timestamps may vary based on advertisements)
00:00 Jerry Demings joins the Chuck ToddCast
01:00 How did you go from accountant to police to mayor?
02:15 Accounting background helped with managing the city budget
03:30 How has Orlando changed since the time you were a police officer in the 80s?
05:00 Working on police reform both locally and nationally
06:15 Should the focus for police be better recruiting or better training?
07:00 Lowering recruiting standards can’t be the answer to police shortages
07:45 ICE was forced to ramp up so fast they didn’t screen or train recruits properly
09:15 We have to get criminals off the street, but it has be done lawfully
10:00 What were the unintended consequences of ICE’s questionable recruitment?
11:15 ICE began poaching state and local police officers
13:15 Should county sheriff be an elected position?
14:30 Political considerations do enter the equation when you’re elected
16:00 Size of jurisdiction does matter when it comes to appointed vs. elected
17:00 Sheriff is elected as a partisan position, but the responsibilities aren’t partisan
18:00 Why did you want to run for governor?
20:30 Want to take experience at local level government to a larger level
21:15 Ron DeSantis threatened to remove him over opposition to ICE
24:00 How would you work with the Republican dominated legislature?
26:00 Republicans have a large voter registration advantage in Florida
27:15 Not interested in being a performance politician
28:30 Why have Democrats been unable to elect a governor in Florida?
29:00 Florida’s legislators are underpaid, don’t attract quality talent
30:45 Many Florida Democrats left the party due to their frustration
32:30 Democrats need to restore belief in government
34:00 What has Ron DeSantis done right? Diversified & grown the economy
36:15 Does Florida need more tax revenue and how do you acquire it?
38:00 Government should always look to find inefficiencies & fix them
39:00 The state keeps burdening local governments with expenses
40:30 State has slashed funding for mental health, leading to violent crime
43:30 There is a lot of fraudulent claims made in Florida, state bad at investigating
44:30 State law enforcement shouldn’t be doing immigration enforcement
45:15 Florida is building in places they shouldn’t be, not factoring climate change
46:15 Florida should be hardening their building and infrastructure
47:30 Should Florida ban manufactured housing?
48:45 Florida needs housing construction standards that make sense
50:00 NAACP calling on athletes to not attend schools in remapping states
51:00 Extreme actions by the government elicit extreme responses
53:00 Tourism in Florida is being threatened by politics
55:15 Politics is dividing people by racial lines
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Chuck Todd walks through a primary night that was, in his words, a really good night for Democrats — and one that may have just answered whether 2026 is shaping up as a genuine blue wave. The night's biggest single story came out of Iowa, where Zach Lahn pulled off a stunning upset of Randy Feenstra in what Chuck characterizes as a "MAHA vs. MAGA" race — Trump endorsed the establishment Feenstra and lost, which Chuck predicts will drive the president absolutely nuts. Iowa Democrats also got a substantial ticket boost when Josh Turek blew out Zach Wahls in the Senate primary, and combined with the surprisingly strong gubernatorial candidacy of Rob Sand, Iowa is now the cleanest test case in the country for whether the political wind has truly shifted — a right-leaning state where the politics are visibly in flux. Chuck flags that Lahn can probably be painted as too far right in a general, that having "congressman" as your first name has become a real disadvantage in 2026, and that the night was an unambiguous positive for Democrats nationally. He also walks through results elsewhere: New Jersey's seventh district will see Tom Keane (still mysteriously MIA from his own campaign) face Rebecca Bennett; South Dakota's gubernatorial race is headed to its first-ever runoff after four candidates each cleared 20%, and Deb Haaland is on track to become the first Native American woman governor in U.S. history.
The conversation then turns to California, where Chuck warns it will be days before we have full primary results but where turnout is already on pace to exceed 2022. He cautions viewers about the inevitable early "red mirage" from the mail-vote curve, predicts Hilton has enough of a lead over Steyer that he likely survives, and argues Xavier Becerra would much rather face Hilton than Steyer in a general — though a potential scandal is looming over Becerra that could reshape the whole race. Chuck argues a Becerra-Hilton race would be a conventional Democrat-versus-Republican contest, that Steyer has spent $500 million across his last two campaigns and still has a low ceiling because he's created a genuine sense of voter exhaustion, and that the single most fascinating race in the state right now is CA-06 and Kevin Kiley. The Los Angeles mayoral picture is clarifying too: Karen Bass and Spencer Pratt appear set to advance, which Todd argues is exactly what Bass wanted — it will be far easier to turn Pratt into a Trump acolyte in a general election than to face the formidable Nithya Raman. He notes that Matt Mahan became known as "big tech's candidate" in ways that genuinely hurt him, and closes with one to watch in Montana, where independent Seth Bodner is quietly hoping the Democratic candidate eventually bows out so he can consolidate the anti-incumbent vote into a real challenge.
Then, Orange County Mayor Jerry Demings — the former Orlando police chief turned local executive who is now running for governor of Florida — joins the Chuck Toddcast for a candid conversation about the challenges of being a Democrat in modern Florida and the lessons his unusual career path (accountant, then cop, then mayor) brings to executive leadership. Demings reveals that Governor Ron DeSantis personally threatened to remove him from office over his opposition to ICE operations in Orange County, and uses that experience as the entry point to a broader discussion about what's gone wrong with American law enforcement. He argues you cannot solve police shortages by lowering recruiting standards — exactly what he says ICE did when it ramped up so quickly that screening and training went out the window, with the predictable consequence that ICE has now begun poaching trained officers from state and local departments. Demings makes the case that we have to get criminals off the streets but it has to be done lawfully, that state law enforcement should not be doing immigration work, and that being elected sheriff as a partisan position creates real tensions because the actual responsibilities of the job aren't partisan at all. He pushes back on the idea that he's running to be a "performance politician" and frames his candidacy as wanting to bring competent local-government experience to a state level that he says is suffering from leaders chasing viral moments rather than delivering services.
The conversation turns to the structural challenges facing Florida and the deeper question of why Democrats can't win statewide in a state that's growing more diverse by the year. Demings argues Florida's underpaid state legislators simply don't attract quality talent, that many longtime Florida Democrats have left the party out of pure frustration, and that the party's central task is to restore basic public belief in government's capacity to function. He's willing to give DeSantis credit for diversifying and growing Florida's economy, but argues the state needs to find efficiencies rather than continually burdening local governments with expenses it should be covering itself — and points to slashed state mental health funding as a direct driver of the violent crime he sees in his community. Demings is sharp on Florida's climate exposure, arguing the state is building in places it absolutely should not be building, and that hurricane-hardened construction standards need a major overhaul, He flags the NAACP's call for athletes to avoid schools in remapping states as the kind of extreme response that extreme government actions inevitably provoke, and warns that the politics of division are starting to genuinely threaten Florida's tourism economy — meaning the state's longtime economic engine may finally be running into the consequences of the culture wars its leaders have spent the past decade fueling.
Finally, Chuck presents his ToddCast Top 5 list of instances that Republicans have rebuked Donald Trump in his second term, and answers listeners’ questions in the “Ask Chuck” segment.
Predict the action all the way through the finals. Sign up now for your twenty-five dollar bonus on https://fanduel.com/predicts

Link in bio or go to https://getsoul.com & enter code TODDCAST for 30% off your first order.

Thank you Wildgrain for sponsoring. Visit http://wildgrain.com/TODDCAST and use the code "TODDCAST" at checkout to receive $30 off your first box PLUS free Croissants for life!

Timeline:
00:00 Chuck Todd’s introduction
01:00 Tuesday was a REALLY good night for Democrats nationally
01:30 Tom Keane still MIA, will face Rebecca Bennett in NJ-07
04:00 Iowa results made Democratic ticket substantially stronger
04:30 Josh Turek blew out Zach Wahls in Iowa
05:30 Biggest upset of the night was Zach Lahn beating Randy Feenstra
08:15 Lahn vs. Feenstra was a MAHA vs. MAGA race
08:45 Iowa is a right leaning state, but the state’s politics are in flux
09:45 Having a first name of “congressman” is a major disadvantage
11:30 Rob Sand is a very strong Democratic candidate for governor in Iowa
13:15 It’s possible Lahn can be painted as too far to the right
14:15 Iowa will be the test of whether 2026 is a blue wave election
15:30 Iowa was a huge positive development for team blue
16:45 Trump endorsing Feenstra then losing will drive Trump nuts
19:00 South Dakota governor’s race headed to runoff for first time
20:45 Four candidates in SD gubernatorial race received 20% of vote
23:00 Voters keep rewarding political bomb throwers
24:00 Trump endorsed the least Trump-like candidate, voters chose the Trumpy one
25:00 Deb Haaland on track to be the first Native American woman governor
25:30 It will be days before we know the full results of California primaries
27:30 California turnout will exceed turnout in 2022
28:30 Early on there will be a red mirage in California due to early vote
31:00 Hilton has enough of a lead over Steyer that he likely hangs on
32:15 Becerra would rather run against Hilton than Steyer
32:45 Steyer has created a sense of exhaustion
33:45 A Becerra v Hilton race would be a conventional D vs. R race
34:15 Potential scandal looms over Becerra
35:45 Most fascinating race is CA-06 and Kevin Kiley
38:15 It looks like Karen Bass & Spencer Pratt will move on in LA mayoral
40:30 It will be easier for Bass to turn Pratt into a Trump acolyte than face Raman
41:45 Steyer has a low ceiling, and has spent $500M in last two campaigns
43:30 Matt Mahan became known as “big tech’s candidate” and that hurt him
46:00 Independent Seth Bodner hoping Democratic candidate bows out in Montana
54:30 Jerry Demings joins the Chuck ToddCast
55:30 How did you go from accountant to police to mayor?
56:45 Accounting background helped with managing the city budget
58:00 How has Orlando changed since the time you were a police officer in the 80s?
59:30 Working on police reform both locally and nationally
1:00:45 Should the focus for police be better recruiting or better training?
1:01:30 Lowering recruiting standards can’t be the answer to police shortages
1:02:15 ICE was forced to ramp up so fast they didn’t screen or train recruits properly
1:03:45 We have to get criminals off the street, but it has be done lawfully
1:04:30 What were the unintended consequences of ICE’s questionable recruitment?
1:05:45 ICE began poaching state and local police officers
1:07:45 Should county sheriff be an elected position?
1:09:00 Political considerations do enter the equation when you’re elected
1:10:30 Size of jurisdiction does matter when it comes to appointed vs. elected
1:11:30 Sheriff is elected as a partisan position, but the responsibilities aren’t partisan
1:12:30 Why did you want to run for governor?
1:15:00 Want to take experience at local level government to a larger level
1:15:45 Ron DeSantis threatened to remove him over opposition to ICE
1:18:30 How would you work with the Republican dominated legislature?
1:20:30 Republicans have a large voter registration advantage in Florida
1:21:45 Not interested in being a performance politician
1:23:00 Why have Democrats been unable to elect a governor in Florida?
1:23:30 Florida’s legislators are underpaid, don’t attract quality talent
1:25:15 Many Florida Democrats left the party due to their frustration
1:27:00 Democrats need to restore belief in government
1:28:30 What has Ron DeSantis done right? Diversified & grown the economy
1:30:45 Does Florida need more tax revenue and how do you acquire it?
1:32:30 Government should always look to find inefficiencies & fix them
1:33:30 The state keeps burdening local governments with expenses
1:35:00 State has slashed funding for mental health, leading to violent crime
1:38:00 There is a lot of fraudulent claims made in Florida, state bad at investigating
1:39:00 State law enforcement shouldn’t be doing immigration enforcement
1:39:45 Florida is building in places they shouldn’t be, not factoring climate change
1:40:45 Florida should be hardening their building and infrastructure
1:42:00 Should Florida ban manufactured housing?
1:43:15 Florida needs housing construction standards that make sense
1:44:30 NAACP calling on athletes to not attend schools in remapping states
1:45:30 Extreme actions by the government elicit extreme responses
1:47:30 Tourism in Florida is being threatened by politics
1:49:45 Politics is dividing people by racial lines
1:51:45 Chuck’s thoughts on interview with Jerry Demings
1:53:45 DeSantis trying to ram through property tax cut before November
1:55:45 Trump replacing Tulsi Gabbard with Bill Pulte for DNI
1:56:45 Republicans immediately starting pushing back on Pulte as nominee
1:58:15 No need for NDI. CIA has won the intel agency turf battle
1:59:00 Bill Pulte makes Tulsi Gabbard look qualified for DNI role
2:01:15 ToddCast Top 5 instances Republicans successfully rebuked Trump
2:01:30 #5 The Epstein files
2:03:00 #4 Trump’s threat to take over Greenland
2:04:00 #3 Fed chair Jay Powell
2:05:15 #2 Matt Gaetz nomination for AG
2:07:15 #1 Death of Trump’s anti-weaponization slush fund
2:13:00 Ask Chuck
2:13:15 Thoughts on potential reforms, how realistic are they?
2:20:30 Why do you call Democrats the party that’s held to a higher standard?
2:24:15 Do you see Wes Moore as a top Democratic contender in ‘28?
2:29:15 Is Mike Johnson’s speakership at risk? Would he be the minority leader?
2:31:30 Can Keir Starmer survive as PM? Will Nigel Farage be PM?
2:36:30 Do you think a more virtual governance model rather than in-person would work?

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Chuck Todd walks through a primary night that was, in his words, a really good night for Democrats — and one that may have just answered whether 2026 is shaping up as a genuine blue wave. The night's biggest single story came out of Iowa, where Zach Lahn pulled off a stunning upset of Randy Feenstra in what Chuck characterizes as a "MAHA vs. MAGA" race — Trump endorsed the establishment Feenstra and lost, which Chuck predicts will drive the president absolutely nuts. Iowa Democrats also got a substantial ticket boost when Josh Turek blew out Zach Wahls in the Senate primary, and combined with the surprisingly strong gubernatorial candidacy of Rob Sand, Iowa is now the cleanest test case in the country for whether the political wind has truly shifted — a right-leaning state where the politics are visibly in flux. Chuck flags that Lahn can probably be painted as too far right in a general, that having "congressman" as your first name has become a real disadvantage in 2026, and that the night was an unambiguous positive for Democrats nationally. He also walks through results elsewhere: New Jersey's seventh district will see Tom Keane (still mysteriously MIA from his own campaign) face Rebecca Bennett; South Dakota's gubernatorial race is headed to its first-ever runoff after four candidates each cleared 20%, and Deb Haaland is on track to become the first Native American woman governor in U.S. history.
The conversation then turns to California, where Chuck warns it will be days before we have full primary results but where turnout is already on pace to exceed 2022. He cautions viewers about the inevitable early "red mirage" from the mail-vote curve, predicts Hilton has enough of a lead over Steyer that he likely survives, and argues Xavier Becerra would much rather face Hilton than Steyer in a general — though a potential scandal is looming over Becerra that could reshape the whole race. Chuck argues a Becerra-Hilton race would be a conventional Democrat-versus-Republican contest, that Steyer has spent $500 million across his last two campaigns and still has a low ceiling because he's created a genuine sense of voter exhaustion, and that the single most fascinating race in the state right now is CA-06 and Kevin Kiley. The Los Angeles mayoral picture is clarifying too: Karen Bass and Spencer Pratt appear set to advance, which Todd argues is exactly what Bass wanted — it will be far easier to turn Pratt into a Trump acolyte in a general election than to face the formidable Nithya Raman. He notes that Matt Mahan became known as "big tech's candidate" in ways that genuinely hurt him, and closes with one to watch in Montana, where independent Seth Bodner is quietly hoping the Democratic candidate eventually bows out so he can consolidate the anti-incumbent vote into a real challenge.
Finally, Chuck presents his ToddCast Top 5 list of instances that Republicans have rebuked Donald Trump in his second term, and answers listeners’ questions in the “Ask Chuck” segment.
Predict the action all the way through the finals. Sign up now for your twenty-five dollar bonus on https://fanduel.com/predicts
Link in bio or go to https://getsoul.com & enter code TODDCAST for 30% off your first order.
Thank you Wildgrain for sponsoring. Visit http://wildgrain.com/TODDCAST and use the code "TODDCAST" at checkout to receive $30 off your first box PLUS free Croissants for life!
Timeline:
(Timestamps may vary based on advertisements)
00:00 Chuck Todd’s introduction
01:00 Tuesday was a REALLY good night for Democrats nationally
01:30 Tom Keane still MIA, will face Rebecca Bennett in NJ-07
04:00 Iowa results made Democratic ticket substantially stronger
04:30 Josh Turek blew out Zach Wahls in Iowa
05:30 Biggest upset of the night was Zach Lahn beating Randy Feenstra
08:15 Lahn vs. Feenstra was a MAHA vs. MAGA race
08:45 Iowa is a right leaning state, but the state’s politics are in flux
09:45 Having a first name of “congressman” is a major disadvantage
11:30 Rob Sand is a very strong Democratic candidate for governor in Iowa
13:15 It’s possible Lahn can be painted as too far to the right
14:15 Iowa will be the test of whether 2026 is a blue wave election
15:30 Iowa was a huge positive development for team blue
16:45 Trump endorsing Feenstra then losing will drive Trump nuts
19:00 South Dakota governor’s race headed to runoff for first time
20:45 Four candidates in SD gubernatorial race received 20% of vote
23:00 Voters keep rewarding political bomb throwers
24:00 Trump endorsed the least Trump-like candidate, voters chose the Trumpy one
25:00 Deb Haaland on track to be the first Native American woman governor
25:30 It will be days before we know the full results of California primaries
27:30 California turnout will exceed turnout in 2022
28:30 Early on there will be a red mirage in California due to early vote
31:00 Hilton has enough of a lead over Steyer that he likely hangs on
32:15 Becerra would rather run against Hilton than Steyer
32:45 Steyer has created a sense of exhaustion
33:45 A Becerra v Hilton race would be a conventional D vs. R race
34:15 Potential scandal looms over Becerra
35:45 Most fascinating race is CA-06 and Kevin Kiley
38:15 It looks like Karen Bass & Spencer Pratt will move on in LA mayoral
40:30 It will be easier for Bass to turn Pratt into a Trump acolyte than face Raman
41:45 Steyer has a low ceiling, and has spent $500M in last two campaigns
43:30 Matt Mahan became known as “big tech’s candidate” and that hurt him
46:00 Independent Seth Bodner hoping Democratic candidate bows out in Montana
54:15 Trump replacing Tulsi Gabbard with Bill Pulte for DNI
55:15 Republicans immediately starting pushing back on Pulte as nominee
56:45 No need for NDI. CIA has won the intel agency turf battle
57:30 Bill Pulte makes Tulsi Gabbard look qualified for DNI role
59:45 ToddCast Top 5 instances Republicans successfully rebuked Trump
1:00:00 #5 The Epstein files
1:01:30 #4 Trump’s threat to take over Greenland
1:02:30 #3 Fed chair Jay Powell
1:03:45 #2 Matt Gaetz nomination for AG
1:05:45 #1 Death of Trump’s anti-weaponization slush fund
1:11:30 Ask Chuck
1:11:45 Thoughts on potential reforms, how realistic are they?
1:19:00 Why do you call Democrats the party that’s held to a higher standard?
1:22:45 Do you see Wes Moore as a top Democratic contender in ‘28?
1:27:45 Is Mike Johnson’s speakership at risk? Would he be the minority leader?
1:30:00 Can Keir Starmer survive as PM? Will Nigel Farage be PM?
1:35:00 Do you think a more virtual governance model rather than in-person would work?
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Chuck Todd opens with the latest from the Iran war's increasingly costly stalemate, arguing Trump doesn't actually want a deal — he wants the ability to declare an accomplishment without ever looking like he capitulated, the same trick he ran with NAFTA and the JCPOA where he ripped up agreements only to sign nearly identical ones under new names. June, Chuck warns, is when the energy shock will start showing up in domestic prices, every day Hormuz stays closed exponentially increases the damage, consumers may begin behaving irrationally and hoarding, and a single bad natural disaster on top of all this could trigger a genuine crisis. But the heart of the episode is Chuck’s meditation on a single phrase: character is destiny in politics. It's not whether character flaws exist — everyone has them — but when those flaws become public and start affecting the people you were elected to serve. Trump's character problems were on display long before he ever became president, but his defenders now include the exact same Rubios and Grahams who used to blast him as morally unfit. And the most uncomfortable part of Chuck argument for the Democratic base: the same progressives who mocked Trump supporters for excusing his behavior are now using essentially identical defenses for Maine's Graham Platner — who has been accused of sexting in 2023, behavior that isn't youthful indiscretion and isn't going away.
Chuck argues political parties used to function as imperfect but real vetting organizations, that once voters become emotionally invested in a candidate they will defend literally anything, that running for office sometimes becomes a substitute for therapy rather than a vehicle for service, and that democracy itself depends on elected officials being able to separate their personal motivations from their public obligations — something Biden failed at when his family obligations led to those preemptive pardons. He notes the Bidens were genuinely beloved before the election but Biden's ambition did real harm to his party, his family, and his own legacy. Todd points to Pope Leo as a potential moral leader Americans seem desperate for at exactly the moment when neither party seems remotely interested in finding the best possible actors. He observes that Platner vs. Collins is starting to feel like a rerun of Trump vs. Clinton in 2016 — two candidates voters genuinely don't want to choose between — and closes with quick hits on Jill Biden's forthcoming memoir, the California gubernatorial primary (where Xavier Becerra and Tom Steyer could finish in the top two), and the increasingly strange Los Angeles mayoral race in which Karen Bass appears to be deliberately ignoring Spencer Pratt because she would much rather face him in a general election than the genuinely formidable Nithya Raman.
Then, Colorado Springs Mayor Yemi Mobolade — the independent who won a culturally conservative city by running as a true centrist who refuses to be boxed into either party — joins the Chuck Toddcast to make the case that quality-of-life governance still beats partisanship when voters are actually given the chance to choose it. Mobolade, who adapted his governing principles from Abraham Lincoln, argues that there's a genuine and growing appetite for leadership that isn't red or blue — but warns that working for unity is incredibly hard and tiring work that few politicians want to do anymore. He walks through Colorado Springs' fight to retain Space Command after Trump and Biden moved the headquarters back and forth between Colorado Springs and Huntsville, Alabama, and explains why he ultimately chose not to sue over the relocation (the decision was within the president's purview, and burning that bridge would have cost the city more than it gained). Mobolade describes hiring his own mayoral opponent Wayne Williams after the campaign — a move he calls part of his "radical collaboration" approach — and argues that mayors don't have the luxury of partisan posturing because their job is fundamentally about producing deliverables for actual residents who want safer streets, better services, and a higher quality of life.
The conversation moves into the practical challenges facing every American mayor in 2026, with data centers emerging as the political pain point in nearly every community across the country. Mobolade describes calling an emergency meeting to develop a data center strategy for Colorado Springs, walks through the balanced-but-responsible-growth framework his team has settled on, and explains the tradeoffs honestly: residents are worried about quality-of-life impacts, but the tax revenue from data centers is exactly what cities need to fund essential services. Larger data centers in his city are now forced to pay impact fees to offset their costs, some are being placed on military bases for security purposes, and Mobolade is candid with residents that they cannot have the services they demand without the revenue base to pay for them. The conversation turns to Colorado Springs' housing shortage — the city has been named one of the best places for young people, but only if young people can actually afford to live there — and Mobolade discusses his work with HUD to expand supply, his belief that the country needs genuine innovation in finding cheaper ways to build, and his frustration with a Colorado political landscape that he says no longer has room for center-left and center-right voices the way it used to. His closing argument is the one that ties the whole episode together: the country needs more independent leadership, not because partisanship is bad in theory, but because the current version of it is incapable of delivering the basics that voters actually care about.
Finally, Chuck hops into the ToddCast Time Machine to revisit two stories that occurred on the same day… the Tiananmen square massacre, and Poland’s first post-soviet elections. He also answers listeners’ questions in the “Ask Chuck” segment.
Predict the action all the way through the finals. Sign up now for your twenty-five dollar bonus on https://fanduel.com/predicts
Link in bio or go to https://getsoul.com & enter code TODDCAST for 30% off your first order.
Thank you Wildgrain for sponsoring. Visit http://wildgrain.com/TODDCAST and use the code "TODDCAST" at checkout to receive $30 off your first box PLUS free Croissants for life!
Timeline:
(Timestamps may vary based on advertisements)
00:00 Chuck Todd’s introduction
05:30 Iran war/ceasefire has settled into a costly stalemate
06:45 Trump doesn’t want a deal, just ability to declare an accomplishment
07:30 Trump doesn’t want to look like he capitulated
08:00 Trump ripped up other deals, then got same deals with new names
09:15 June will be when the impacts of energy shock show up domestically
10:30 Every day Hormuz remains closed exponentially increases the damage
11:30 Consumers may begin to behave irrationally, start hoarding
12:30 If a natural disaster hits during energy shock, it could be major crisis
13:45 Pulling out of WHO has exacerbated Ebola outbreak
15:00 We can’t foresee all negative impacts, we just know they’re coming
16:15 Character is always destiny in politics, it’s a matter of when people see it
18:00 Everybody has their own motivation for voting, character isn’t always important
18:45 People defending character flaws are a huge part of the problem
20:00 Rubio & Graham used to blast Trump’s character, now defend it
20:30 People criticizing Trump’s behavior are now defending Graham Platner’s
22:00 People run for office for a variety of reasons, and sometimes not good ones
23:15 Sometimes entering politics become a substitute for therapy
24:30 Character matters because it’s predictive
25:30 Trump’s character flaws did not stay private, they became public
26:30 Biden ran for office when his kids were in crisis
27:30 Biden’s family obligations competed with public ones, gave preemptive pardons
28:15 Democracy depends on elected officials separating personal & public
29:15 Political parties used to be vetting organizations, even if imperfect
30:00 Once people become emotionally invested in a candidate, they defend them
30:45 Character flaws don’t just disappear, they show up… and affect us all
33:00 Democrats in a difficult spot having to defend Graham Platner
33:45 Plater accused of sexting in 2023, these aren’t youthful indiscretions
34:45 Eric Swalwell’s indiscretions were ignored until they became too much to ignore
37:15 Platner can still win, Susan Collins has worn out her welcome
38:00 Progressives may have put blinders on for Platner
38:45 People who mocked support for Trump using same defenses for Platner
40:00 At some point credibility will matter to a majority of voters
42:30 Trump’s bad behavior has alienated 1/3rd of Republican voters
44:30 Trump is politicizing celebrating America 250…making it hard to celebrate
45:45 Trump’s character flaws were on display well before he became president
46:30 The Pope may become the moral leader Americans are desperate for
48:30 Parties don’t seem to be worried about finding the best possible actors
49:30 Platner vs. Collins feels like a rerun of Trump vs. Clinton in 2016
51:15 Jill Biden to release new memoir - Bidens seem insulated from public opinion
52:15 Before election, the Biden family was fairly beloved by most
52:45 Biden’s ambition did real harm to the party, family and their legacy
53:30 The Bidens are good people and people were willing to overlook their flaws
54:30 Xavier Becerra & Tom Steyer could finish in Top 2 spots in CA gov primary
56:30 Karen Bass has mostly ignored Spencer Pratt in LA mayoral race
57:00 Bass wants to face Pratt rather than Nithya Raman
1:07:00 Mayor Yemi Mobolade joins the Chuck ToddCast
1:08:30 The people care more about quality of life than partisanship
1:09:45 Adapted governing principles from Abraham Lincoln
1:10:45 Colorado Springs is culturally conservative, yet elected an independent
1:12:30 Ran as a true centrist, hard to box in his politics
1:13:45 There’s an appetite for leadership that isn’t red or blue
1:14:30 Trump & Biden moved space command back and forth from Co. Springs
1:15:45 The city fought hard to keep space command
1:16:30 Worked with the mayor of Huntsville to ensure smooth transition
1:17:30 Why did you decide not to sue over relocation of space command?
1:18:15 The decision was within the president’s purview
1:19:30 The city is safer now than when he took office
1:20:45 A mayor’s job is to produce deliverables for the people
1:22:45 There’s a lack of competition of ideas in Colorado politics
1:23:45 Have a good relationship with the governor and statehouse
1:24:30 People get too stuck in their partisan lanes
1:25:00 Working for unity is incredibly hard and tiring
1:27:15 There used to be room for center-left and center-right in Colorado
1:28:15 Hired his mayoral opponent Wayne Williams
1:28:45 Wayne ran a more traditional campaign, Yemi ran on different leadership
1:30:00 The goal was radical collaboration and the community embraced it
1:30:45 Data centers are a political pain point of every local community
1:31:30 Called an emergency meeting to discuss data center strategy
1:32:15 The sweet spot of data center policy is balanced but responsible growth
1:33:00 Residents are worried data centers will lower their quality of life
1:34:30 Data centers being placed on military bases for security
1:36:30 Larger data centers are forced to pay a fee to offset impact
1:40:00 Data centers bring in much needed tax dollars
1:41:00 The city budget needs the revenue to provide essential services
1:41:30 Residents want services but no data centers… can’t have it both ways
1:43:30 Colorado Springs also struggling with a housing shortage
1:45:30 Working with HUD to try to increase housing supply
1:46:15 Colorado Springs named one of the best cities for young people
1:47:45 Need innovation in housing construction, find cheaper ways to build
1:49:30 The country needs more independent leadership
1:50:30 ToddCast Time Machine - June 4th, 1989 - Tiananmen Square massacre
1:51:00 The image of a man standing in front of a tank is iconic
1:52:00 On the same day, Polish citizens were casting ballots in a post soviet election
1:52:30 One communist system responded with elections, another responded with force
1:53:30 The Chinese students protesting were easy to empathize with
1:54:15 At the time it felt like freedom was advancing and communism was retreating
1:55:15 The elections in Poland humiliated the communist government
1:56:00 Chinese leaders closely watched events in Europe
1:56:45 Protest movement in China was one of the largest in their history
1:58:15 Chinese government cracked down on reformers and protest movement
1:59:00 Martial law was declared and troops moved into Beijing
1:59:45 We don’t have an accounting of the total death toll of protestors
2:00:15 The image we all remember is “tank man”
2:00:45 The incorrect assumption was that China’s middle class would demand rights
2:02:00 China proved that their model could survive and remain durable
2:04:00 Tiananmen ultimately was the birth of the current bipolar world
2:05:00 Poland chose the ballot box, China chose the tank
2:05:30 Ask Chuck
2:05:45 Would you ever consider running for president? Colbert as a running mate?
2:09:00 Do you think Paxton heads into the general overconfident?
2:15:45 Could the “Wyoming Rule” be a more realistic step than expanding house?
2:18:45 Any lesser known founding fathers that deserve more credit?
2:23:45 Thoughts on the Catholic church as a source of moral authority?
2:27:45 Any advice for people needing to step back from news while staying informed?
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Chuck Todd opens with the latest from the Iran war's increasingly costly stalemate, arguing Trump doesn't actually want a deal — he wants the ability to declare an accomplishment without ever looking like he capitulated, the same trick he ran with NAFTA and the JCPOA where he ripped up agreements only to sign nearly identical ones under new names. June, Chuck warns, is when the energy shock will start showing up in domestic prices, every day Hormuz stays closed exponentially increases the damage, consumers may begin behaving irrationally and hoarding, and a single bad natural disaster on top of all this could trigger a genuine crisis. But the heart of the episode is Chuck’s meditation on a single phrase: character is destiny in politics. It's not whether character flaws exist — everyone has them — but when those flaws become public and start affecting the people you were elected to serve. Trump's character problems were on display long before he ever became president, but his defenders now include the exact same Rubios and Grahams who used to blast him as morally unfit. And the most uncomfortable part of Chuck argument for the Democratic base: the same progressives who mocked Trump supporters for excusing his behavior are now using essentially identical defenses for Maine's Graham Platner — who has been accused of sexting in 2023, behavior that isn't youthful indiscretion and isn't going away.
Chuck argues political parties used to function as imperfect but real vetting organizations, that once voters become emotionally invested in a candidate they will defend literally anything, that running for office sometimes becomes a substitute for therapy rather than a vehicle for service, and that democracy itself depends on elected officials being able to separate their personal motivations from their public obligations — something Biden failed at when his family obligations led to those preemptive pardons. He notes the Bidens were genuinely beloved before the election but Biden's ambition did real harm to his party, his family, and his own legacy. Todd points to Pope Leo as a potential moral leader Americans seem desperate for at exactly the moment when neither party seems remotely interested in finding the best possible actors. He observes that Platner vs. Collins is starting to feel like a rerun of Trump vs. Clinton in 2016 — two candidates voters genuinely don't want to choose between — and closes with quick hits on Jill Biden's forthcoming memoir, the California gubernatorial primary (where Xavier Becerra and Tom Steyer could finish in the top two), and the increasingly strange Los Angeles mayoral race in which Karen Bass appears to be deliberately ignoring Spencer Pratt because she would much rather face him in a general election than the genuinely formidable Nithya Raman.
Finally, Chuck hops into the ToddCast Time Machine to revisit two stories that occurred on the same day… the Tiananmen square massacre, and Poland’s first post-soviet elections. He also answers listeners’ questions in the “Ask Chuck” segment.
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Timeline:
(Timestamps may vary based on advertisements)
00:00 Chuck Todd’s introduction
05:30 Iran war/ceasefire has settled into a costly stalemate
06:45 Trump doesn’t want a deal, just ability to declare an accomplishment
07:30 Trump doesn’t want to look like he capitulated
08:00 Trump ripped up other deals, then got same deals with new names
09:15 June will be when the impacts of energy shock show up domestically
10:30 Every day Hormuz remains closed exponentially increases the damage
11:30 Consumers may begin to behave irrationally, start hoarding
12:30 If a natural disaster hits during energy shock, it could be major crisis
13:45 Pulling out of WHO has exacerbated Ebola outbreak
15:00 We can’t foresee all negative impacts, we just know they’re coming
16:15 Character is always destiny in politics, it’s a matter of when people see it
18:00 Everybody has their own motivation for voting, character isn’t always important
18:45 People defending character flaws are a huge part of the problem
20:00 Rubio & Graham used to blast Trump’s character, now defend it
20:30 People criticizing Trump’s behavior are now defending Graham Platner’s
22:00 People run for office for a variety of reasons, and sometimes not good ones
23:15 Sometimes entering politics become a substitute for therapy
24:30 Character matters because it’s predictive
25:30 Trump’s character flaws did not stay private, they became public
26:30 Biden ran for office when his kids were in crisis
27:30 Biden’s family obligations competed with public ones, gave preemptive pardons
28:15 Democracy depends on elected officials separating personal & public
29:15 Political parties used to be vetting organizations, even if imperfect
30:00 Once people become emotionally invested in a candidate, they defend them
30:45 Character flaws don’t just disappear, they show up… and affect us all
33:00 Democrats in a difficult spot having to defend Graham Platner
33:45 Plater accused of sexting in 2023, these aren’t youthful indiscretions
34:45 Eric Swalwell’s indiscretions were ignored until they became too much to ignore
37:15 Platner can still win, Susan Collins has worn out her welcome
38:00 Progressives may have put blinders on for Platner
38:45 People who mocked support for Trump using same defenses for Platner
40:00 At some point credibility will matter to a majority of voters
42:30 Trump’s bad behavior has alienated 1/3rd of Republican voters
44:30 Trump is politicizing celebrating America 250…making it hard to celebrate
45:45 Trump’s character flaws were on display well before he became president
46:30 The Pope may become the moral leader Americans are desperate for
48:30 Parties don’t seem to be worried about finding the best possible actors
49:30 Platner vs. Collins feels like a rerun of Trump vs. Clinton in 2016
51:15 Jill Biden to release new memoir - Bidens seem insulated from public opinion
52:15 Before election, the Biden family was fairly beloved by most
52:45 Biden’s ambition did real harm to the party, family and their legacy
53:30 The Bidens are good people and people were willing to overlook their flaws
54:30 Xavier Becerra & Tom Steyer could finish in Top 2 spots in CA gov primary
56:30 Karen Bass has mostly ignored Spencer Pratt in LA mayoral race
57:00 Bass wants to face Pratt rather than Nithya Raman
1:05:00 ToddCast Time Machine - June 4th, 1989 - Tiananmen Square massacre
1:05:30 The image of a man standing in front of a tank is iconic
1:06:30 On the same day, Polish citizens were casting ballots in a post soviet election
1:07:00 One communist system responded with elections, another responded with force
1:08:00 The Chinese students protesting were easy to empathize with
1:08:45 At the time it felt like freedom was advancing and communism was retreating
1:09:45 The elections in Poland humiliated the communist government
1:10:30 Chinese leaders closely watched events in Europe
1:11:15 Protest movement in China was one of the largest in their history
1:12:45 Chinese government cracked down on reformers and protest movement
1:13:30 Martial law was declared and troops moved into Beijing
1:14:15 We don’t have an accounting of the total death toll of protestors
1:14:45 The image we all remember is “tank man”
1:15:15 The incorrect assumption was that China’s middle class would demand rights
1:16:30 China proved that their model could survive and remain durable
1:18:30 Tiananmen ultimately was the birth of the current bipolar world
1:19:30 Poland chose the ballot box, China chose the tank
1:20:00 Ask Chuck
1:20:15 Would you ever consider running for president? Colbert as a running mate?
1:23:30 Do you think Paxton heads into the general overconfident?
1:30:15 Could the “Wyoming Rule” be a more realistic step than expanding house?
1:33:15 Any lesser known founding fathers that deserve more credit?
1:38:15 Thoughts on the Catholic church as a source of moral authority?
1:42:15 Any advice for people needing to step back from news while staying informed?
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.