On this episode of the Chuck ToddCast, veteran journalist for The Economist, James Bennet joins Chuck to break down Donald Trump’s scathing U.N. speech and what it reveals about his worldview: not isolationist, but relentlessly self-centered, with his personal interest framed as national interest. Bennet warns that Trump’s grip on power is existential for him and his administration, and if institutions like the Supreme Court allow unchecked presidential firings, the rule of law itself could unravel. From the Cold War’s stabilizing influence to the fractures of today’s four-party system crammed into two, Bennet and Chuck explore whether America can navigate its political turmoil without mass violence, and how drone warfare, refugee flows, and the collapse of the international rules-based order are reshaping global politics.
The conversation also turns inward, examining how journalism has struggled to adapt in the Trump era. Bennet reflects on writing for international audiences, the dangers of catering to niche media bubbles, and why legacy outlets must rediscover local reporting. He argues that deplatforming Trump was a massive mistake that accelerated the collapse of resistance, while public pressure against platforming controversial voices continues to erode open debate. From Biden’s misunderstood mandate to the Senate’s paralysis and the rise of cult-of-personality politics, this episode considers what reforms will be necessary both in government and in journalism.
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Timeline:
(Timestamps may vary based on advertisements)
00:00 James Bennet joins the Chuck ToddCast
01:30 Trump scolds other nations in scathing U.N. speech
02:30 Trump behaved like Hugo Chavez in U.N. speech
03:45 Trump is not an isolationist, but it’s all centered around him
04:30 Trump sees his interest as the national interest
06:15 How alarmed should we be?
07:15 Things have gotten pretty dark in the past two weeks
08:00 Staying in power is existential for Trump & his administration
09:30 If you lose the rule of law, you lose the country
10:15 If SCOTUS allows fed firing, there’s no going back
11:00 John Roberts desperate to avoid constitutional showdown
12:30 Government will require major reform after Trump
15:00 The cold war was a stabilizing force in American politics
17:00 America is a four party system crammed into two parties
19:00 Public sentiment has been pessimistic the entire 21st century
20:45 Can we get through this without mass violence?
22:30 It’s hard to imagine a productive modern constitutional convention
24:00 The last “protectionist race” led to a world war
25:15 We’re no longer living in the international rules based order
26:30 Drones are massively changing the dynamics of warfare
28:00 Refugee flows are causing political instability worldwide
28:30 Trump has no interest in leading internationally
30:00 Trump is constantly campaigning and only for his base
32:00 Did we export our politics to Israel, or the other way around?
33:45 Only Obama had a majority of the vote in the 21st century
34:45 Governors are the only politicians that campaign beyond their base
37:00 Biden misunderstood his 2020 mandate and overreached
38:30 Who is the Economist reader?
40:30 Writing about American politics for an international audience
42:30 If you had more resources, what would you focus on covering?
43:30 Legacy media needs to give more attention beyond D.C. and NYC
45:00 Need to find a new model in order to bring back local journalism
47:45 There’s too many journalists in D.C. and not enough in America
49:30 Journalism now caters to niche audiences
51:15 Deplatforming Trump was a massive mistake
52:00 Once ABC caved in lawsuit, resistance to Trump collapsed
54:00 Public pressures journalists to not platform people they disagree with
55:00 Michael Bennet was consensus candidate to replace Schumer
56:45 Nothing gets done in the senate, many senators leaving
1:00:15 In the TV era, successful presidents have had cults of personality
1:01:15 Newsom having success emulating Trump’s style
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