Why the US Keeps Saudi Arabia Close

In this episode, Chuck Todd breaks down an extraordinary week in politics marked by a near-unanimous House vote to release the Epstein files and growing signs that Donald Trump’s decade-long grip on American politics may finally be loosening. He examines the cracks emerging in Trump’s coalition, the administration’s tariff pullbacks amid rising food costs, and the mounting Trump fatigue driving Republicans to quietly distance themselves. Chuck also tackles Trump’s escalating attacks on female reporters, his contradictory dealings with Gulf states, and the likelihood that the DOJ may cite an “open investigation” to keep the Epstein files sealed. Beyond the Trump saga, Chuck dissects the troubling implications of the Olivia Nuzzi scandal, the shameful rhetoric surrounding Epstein’s victims, and the broader damage to journalism. He wraps with a preview of the TN-07 special election, the legal upheaval over Texas’s redistricting maps, and why today’s partisan map fights echo battles not seen since the 1840s.

Finally, Chuck gives his updated ToddCast Top 5 governor’s seats most likely to flip in 2026 and 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

00:30 Near unanimous decision in the house vote to release Epstein files

01:15 It feels like Trump’s lame duck period has begun, but impossible to know

02:15 Trump’s coalition is starting to crack

04:00 Trump’s ten year run of dominating politics is starting to end

05:00 Administration is pulling back tariffs to lower costs of food

06:45 Republicans will distance themselves as Trump fatigue sets in

07:45 Trump’s attacks on female reporters are shameful

09:15 Trump’s deals with gulf states undermines his America First agenda

11:00 DOJ might withhold files under guise of “open investigation”

12:30 Neither Biden or Trump leaned on Saudis over Khashoggi’s murder

13:30 Middle east monarchies are dictatorships with different titles

15:00 We’re past the point of holding Saudis accountable for Khashoggi

16:30 Presidents have to deal with less than ideal allies

17:30 Trump’s attacks on the press are abhorrent & dictatorlike

19:00 Olivia Nuzzi sleeping with a source compromises her journalism

21:15 The Nuzzi scandal feels like watching a car wreck

22:00 The scandal brings shame upon the journalism world

23:30 Megyn Kelly trying to differentiate Epstein’s victims is shameful

25:00 Hiring a reporter that sleeps with sources is beyond the pale

25:30 Preview of special election in TN-07 

26:45 If TN-07 is within 5 points, it’s a very favorable environment for Dems

28:00 Texas’s new redistricting maps have been thrown out in court

28:45 If CA maps stay but TX is thrown out, it’s a karma moment for Trump

30:45 Last time partisan redistricting happened like this… was the 1840’s

36:00 Toddcast Top 5 - Governor seats most likely to flip parties

37:45 Katie Hobbs is the most vulnerable incumbent governor

39:00 #1 Kansas

40:30 #2 Michigan

42:15 #3 Georgia

44:30 #4 Wisconsin

45:30 #5 Iowa

47:30 Honorable mentions

48:30 Ask Chuck

49:30 Can we trust the Epstein files will be complete if they’re released?

51:15 Are you aware of the Montana vs Montana State football rivalry?

54:15 Has your view on CA redistricting changed after the election result?

56:30 How can you reach people stuck in the Fox News bubble?

01:00:30 Does Amy Acton or Tim Ryan have a better shot at winning OH governor?

01:04:30 Suggestion to make a conspiracy theory documentary

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