The Chuck ToddCast
Chuck’s Commentary - Massive “No Kings” Protests + Trump’s Illegal War In The Caribbean
20 Oct 2025
Massive “No Kings” protests swept across the country this weekend — peaceful, organized, and impossible to ignore. Chuck Todd breaks down what the demonstrations say about growing frustration with Trump’s leadership as his administration faces a government shutdown, soaring insurance costs, and a controversial new military campaign in the Caribbean. As Trump retweets crude AI videos and governs for only half the country, Congress remains silent on legally dubious strikes against Venezuela, an operation critics say has more to do with ousting Maduro than fighting drugs. Todd examines how America’s history of self-interest in Latin America and declining democratic norms at home have converged to create a moment of moral and political reckoning — and why ignoring it might come at a cost. Finally, Chuck Todd hops in the ToddCast Time Machine to recap the history of the Teapot Dome scandal and how it closely mirrors the corruption of the Trump administration, answers listeners’ questions in the “Ask Chuck” segment, and recaps the weekend in college football. Got injured in an accident? You could be one click away from a claim worth millions. Just visit https://www.forthepeople.com/TODDCAST to start your claim now with Morgan & Morgan without leaving your couch. Remember, it's free unless you win! Timeline: (Timestamps may vary based on advertisements) 00:00 Chuck Todd’s introduction 01:30 No Kings protests held around the country 02:15 Protests were timed deliberately in advance of elections 04:30 Huge turnout numbers at the protests 08:30 No incidents at protests that led to confrontations with police 09:45 Trump retweets AI video of himself flying plane and dropping poop 10:45 Trump has the mentality of a 13 year old boy 12:00 Trump has no lifelong friends 13:15 Trump isn’t traveling the country to sell his agenda, unlike first term 14:15 Remarkable that so many people are willing to protest on a Saturday 16:00 Republicans would be wise not to dismiss the protests 16:30 Controversy grows around Trump’s military strikes in Caribbean 17:45 Congress is failing to provide any oversight of the executive 19:00 Insurance notices indicating massive premium spikes coming soon 20:00 Shocking there’s less outrage Trump governs for only half the country 20:45 Government shutdown has turned into a giant mess 22:15 Trump’s administration hints they aren’t sure boat strikes are legal 23:45 Venezuela story would get more attention if it was anywhere else 24:30 Administration refuses to call the strikes “war” 25:15 Repatriating captives helps administration avoid legal questions 26:45 Legality of strikes will be eventually be determined in US courts 28:00 Claiming cartels are “terrorists” doesn’t meet legal definition 28:45 Venezuela isn’t part of the fentanyl drug trade 29:30 Trump & Rubio’s obsession is actually about getting rid of Nicolas Maduro 31:00 The U.S. military has never gone after narcoterrorists before 32:00 Congress has not authorized use of military force in Caribbean 33:30 Members of congress not convinced by rationale for strikes 35:00 Trump is greenlighting killings without making case for it 37:30 If overdose deaths are the rationale, the problem is with Mexico 39:00 Trump hasn’t ruled out striking the Venezuelan mainland 41:00 The US had never designated a cartel as terrorists until this year 44:30 America’s history in Latin America is atrocious and self-interested 47:00 ToddCast Time Machine 47:15 October 25th, 1929 - Jury convicts the first cabinet secretary to prison 48:45 Teapot Dome scandal 50:00 Harding signed executive order transferring oil fields, leased to oil barons 51:15 Fall received $7 million dollars in exchange for oil leases 52:45 Harding's death spawned conspiracy theories about corruption 53:15 Albert Fall convicted of bribery 54:00 Comparing teapot dome to Trump's modern day corruption 55:15 The "out" party should always be the one in charge of oversight 56:30 Watergate isn't the parallel to Trump's corruption, Teapot Dome is 56:45 Ask Chuck 57:00 Will the No Kings protests have any real effect on politics? 59:30 How can Democrats regain control of the political narrative? 1:04:30 College football updateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
No persons identified in this episode.
This episode hasn't been transcribed yet
Help us prioritize this episode for transcription by upvoting it.
Popular episodes get transcribed faster
Other episodes from The Chuck ToddCast
Transcribed and ready to explore now
‘The Diplomat’ Reaction: The Inside Story Of Netflix’s Political Thriller
28 May 2025
The Chuck ToddCast
How Can Democrats Get Their Mojo Back?
26 May 2025
The Chuck ToddCast
Is American Pop Culture The WORST It’s Ever Been?
22 May 2025
The Chuck ToddCast
Trump Is "POISONING The Well" In Congress + Devastating Medicaid Cuts w/Ritchie Torres
19 May 2025
The Chuck ToddCast
Why Vietnam Still HAUNTS American Politics: Inside Netflix’s 'Turning Point' | Chuck Todd
16 May 2025
The Chuck ToddCast
Ro Khanna On Biden's Big Failure, Trump Damaging America's Reputation, Democrats Leadership Crisis
15 May 2025
The Chuck ToddCast