On today’s episode of The Chuck ToddCast, Chuck breaks down how Donald Trump is being consumed by the growing Epstein feeding frenzy — from his inexplicable softness toward Ghislaine Maxwell to signs he may be genuinely afraid of what she knows. As Trump lashes out at Thomas Massie and Marjorie Taylor Greene with the same fury he once reserved for impeachment-backers, his grip on the GOP shows early signs of slipping, even as the DOJ considers whether reopening the Epstein investigation could delay the release of sensitive files. With the economy struggling, tariffs quietly being dropped, and ACA subsidies suddenly in play, Trump’s visible panic comes at a politically vulnerable moment. Chuck also recaps conversations from the Texas Tribune Festival, where potential Democratic contenders like Wes Moore and Tim Walz signaled a return to mainstream, service-rooted politics — and where Moore’s centrist lane and military background set him apart as 2028 speculation slowly heats up.
Finally, Chuck hops in the ToddCast Time Machine to revisit several pivotal moments in the history of American conspiracy theories that all fell on the same calendar week, plus he recaps the weekend in college football!
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Timeline:
(Timestamps may vary based on advertisements)
00:00 Chuck Todd’s introduction
00:45 Trump is being consumed by the Epstein feeding frenzy
02:15 Trump’s leniency towards Ghislaine Maxwell is perplexing
03:00 Trump seems to fear Maxwell…but why?
04:15 There’s something Maxwell knows about Trump that scares him
05:45 Trump goes to war with Thomas Massie and Marjorie Taylor-Greene
07:00 He’s as mad at Massie and Greene as he was with R’s who voted to impeach
08:45 DOJ can avoid releasing the Epstein files by reopening investigation
10:15 Trump is rattled at a time when the economy is struggling
11:45 Administration dropping tariffs, know they’ve raised costs
12:15 It looks like ACA subsidies will actually have a chance to pass
13:45 Offering cash payouts to pay for premiums is a strange solution
15:15 Trump is letting America “see him sweat” over Epstein
17:00 Trump’s influence over the GOP is starting to wane
17:30 If Massie wins his primary, it will be a major rebuke of Trump
18:15 Trump only punishes Republicans who don’t go along with his lies
20:00 We are witnessing the lame duck period beginning for Trump
21:00 Chuck’s experience at Texas Tribune fest, multiple Dem ‘28 hopefuls
21:45 Wes Moore fully embraced the centrist lane during interview with Chuck
23:00 Wes Moore didn’t join the military to “check a political box”
24:45 Tim Walz & Wes Moore agree Trump’s penchant for action is a strong trait
28:00 Wes Moore will run more as a mainstream Dem, not a progressive
32:30 ToddCast Time Machine
33:00 Jonestown, JFK assassination, gap in Nixon tapes same calendar week
34:15 Jonestown shows a closed information system can destroy judgement
35:15 Jonestown shows the consequences of conspiratorial thinking
36:00 JFK conspiracy shows what happens when gov’t can’t convince public
37:00 JFK’s death caused boomers to mistrust the government
38:00 Nixon tape gap reinforced public’s mistrust in government
39:30 The public never received justice for Watergate
40:30 Americans now process events through lens of government coverup
42:45 Public is correct to believe they aren’t getting the entire story
44:45 College football recap
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