Trump, Putin, and the Politics of Influence

Chuck Todd breaks down the Trump–Putin Alaska summit and the uncomfortable reality it revealed: Trump siding with Moscow while European leaders rallied behind Zelenskyy. From Putin’s effortless manipulation to Trump’s worldview that could leave Ukraine out in the cold, the conversation exposes how America’s message to the world has shifted away from defending democracy. He also unpacks how today’s GOP—reshaped by MAGA, not conservatism—has abandoned Reagan-era principles, embraced government expansion and authoritarianism, and morphed into a party unrecognizable from its past. 

Then, legendary sports analyst and Radio Hall of Fame inductee Colin Cowherd joins Chuck  for a wide-ranging conversation that goes far beyond game scores. From the craft of storytelling to the evolution of “edginess” in sports media, Cowherd reflects on his path from radio guy to national voice, why podcasting feels like “radio with a cocktail,” and how he balances audience feedback with staying true to himself. Along the way, he and Chuck dig into the overlap of sports and politics, the state of modern media, and why Gen X may have lost its leadership moment.

The conversation also veers into college football’s money-fueled future, Major League Baseball’s challenges, and the broader question of where traditional networks fit in a fractured media landscape. Whether it’s the shifting power of the Big Ten and SEC, the relevance of Johnny Carson, or how podcasting creates a uniquely intimate experience, Cowherd makes clear that for him, it’s always been about the joy of preparation, the art of storytelling, and the thrill of connecting with an audience.

Finally, Chuck unloads takes on several stories from the world of sports and answers listeners’ questions in the “Ask Chuck” segment.

Timeline:

(Timestamps may vary based on advertisements)

00:00 Introduction

02:00 Putin owned the show at the Trump/Putin Alaska summit

03:00 European leaders physically joining Zelenskyy to back him up

04:00 Trump is more generous to Russia than Europe/Ukraine

05:30 Trump’s worldview leads him to back Putin

07:00 Trump doesn’t view Zelenskyy as an ally

08:00 Putin tells Trump what he wants to hear

09:15 Putin is playing Trump like a fiddle 

10:15 Trump’s administration is divided over Russia

12:30 Trump sent a message that America doesn’t defend democracy

13:45 Today’s Republican party is NOT the “party of Reagan”

17:30 The Republican party has MAGA in its DNA, not conservatism

18:30 Trump is expanding government power, not shrinking it

20:30 If Trump rebranded the party as MAGA, the GOP would go along

22:15 The GOP has been changed for a generation

24:15 Other than the name, the Republican party is gone

25:30 Steve Witkoff is in over his head

28:00 Colin Cowherd joins the Chuck ToddCast! 

29:30 Commenting on sports and politics without sensationalizing 

30:45 The importance of educating your audience 

32:00 Loving the process and preparation 

33:30 Colin always thought of himself as a radio guy 

35:15 Did you want to be a play by play guy? 

36:30 Colin's journey to a national platform 

37:45 Regardless of the medium, storytelling is what matters 

39:15 The evolution of "edginess" in sports broadcasting 

40:30 Podcasting is radio with a cocktail, is looser 

41:45 When did you get over caring what the public thought of you? 

42:45 Critics and audience feedback matter 

44:30 Favorite books - Johnny Carson 

47:30 Relevance of major networks in new media landscape 

49:15 FOX has been a perfect fit for Colin 

50:15 Colin's corporate partners have let him be himself 

51:45 Will Roger Goodell make sure over the air TV gets NFL rights? 

53:15 Linear TV viewers are boomers 

54:30 Do you consider yourself Gen X or boomer? 

55:30 Gen X lost the leadership fight 

56:30 Sportscasters like Stephen A. venturing into politics 

57:45 The joy has been sucked out of modern politics 

59:45 The media has gotten more neurotic as it's gotten younger 

1:00:30 When people say "the media" who are they referring to? 

1:03:00 Traditional media had more guardrails than new media 

1:04:45 COVID dinged traditional media's credibility in Colin's eyes 

1:06:30 The siloing of information in the modern ecosystem 

1:09:00 Colin's first sports love was college football 

1:11:30 Miami won with many coaches, 2000/2001 teams were insane 

1:13:15 Miami, USC and Texas are the glamour teams in college football 

1:14:00 Non-profit hospital systems fund many of the best football programs 

1:15:30 Big Ten schools are massive and flush with cash 

1:16:15 What does college football look like in 5 years? 

1:18:00 The Big Ten and SEC are diminishing the rest of the schools 

1:19:30 College football was lacking in great games before realignment 

1:21:00 Chances there's no baseball season in 2027? 

1:22:30 The disparity in money between team owners 

1:24:45 MLB's star players are in the right cities 

1:25:30 Does the MLB need to contract and have fewer teams? 

1:26:45 The playoffs are the equalizer in baseball 

1:28:30 Baseball needs some level of a salary cap 

1:29:15 Any advice on getting into a radio mindset for podcasting? 

1:31:15 Podcasts are a more intimate experience for the audience

1:32:45 Chuck's thoughts on interview with Colin Cowherd 

1:33:15 Spike Lee's comments on the LeBron/MJ GOAT debate 

1:36:00 Player prop bets shouldn't be legal 

1:39:45 Big Ten's new college football playoff plan is great 

1:45:00 Nats split with Phillies, giving fans hope 

1:46:30 Ask Chuck 

1:46:45 A pathway for older people to get into local journalism? 

1:50:15 Could the Republicans postpone elections? 

1:53:45 Would there be more criticism if America didn't use nukes in WW2?