Political Frustrations and Cultural Diversity in Congress

Chuck Todd welcomes Congressman Ritchie Torres for a wide-ranging conversation that begins with a tour of New York's 15th district and the unique challenges of representing one of America's most diverse urban areas. Torres offers candid insights on governance, highlighting how term limits disadvantage legislators compared to lobbyists. The conversation shifts to the current political landscape, with Torres expressing deep concerns about President Trump's approach to his second term, arguing that Trump is "poisoning the well" for bipartisanship despite Biden's successful record of cross-party legislation. Torres delivers a stark warning that America is "planting the seed of its own decline" and characterizes the consequences of proposed GOP Medicaid cuts as "barbaric," particularly in light of the brewing long-term care crisis.

They weigh the merits of pragmatism versus idealism in American foreign policy and scrutinize Qatar's growing financial influence in American politics. Torres argues that "Republicans would impeach Joe Biden if he had accepted a plane" while addressing whether Democrats should adopt Trump's aggressive approach to wielding power. Torres acknowledges that Democrats "should have spoken out sooner about Biden's decline" and offers his vision for how the party can project strength moving forward.

They conclude with Torres addressing his political future—including speculation about mayoral and gubernatorial ambitions—before outlining his solutions for New York's housing crisis, crime concerns, and utility costs. 

Timeline:

00:00 Introduction

00:50 Joe Biden diagnosed with aggressive form of cancer

02:00 Was Biden’s decline covered up, or just willful ignorance?

03:00 Robert Hur recording has supercharged the Biden story

06:45 Joe Biden couldn’t assure voters he was up to the job

08:30 Chris Murphy says it’s the Democrats fault that Trump was re-elected

11:45 Democrats need to do soul searching like they did with Bill Clinton

13:30 Clinton had to run against the party and its prior leadership

15:00 Democrats misread the 2020 election result

18:00 Democrats will take some blame for problems Trump causes

19:00 Democrats need to reinvent themselves

21:00 Trump released the Hur tapes as a distraction 

23:00 Democrats should be angrier about Biden than Republicans

25:00 Mike Johnson needs Trump to pressure members of congress

26:00 Ritchie Torres joins the Chuck ToddCast 

26:30 Tour of the NY-15 district 

28:30 The enormity of the New York city council 

30:00 Would he support expanding the size of the house? 

32:00 Term limits disadvantage legislators compared to lobbyists 

33:00 Can any bipartisan agreement be reached with Trump 

34:30 Biden had multiple pieces of bipartisan legislation 

35:30 Trump is poisoning the well in his second term 

37:30 America is planting the seed of its own decline 

38:00 Medicaid cuts will be devastating 

40:00 Will the Medicaid cuts be delayed where a future congress could fix it? 

41:30 Medicaid work requirements don't work 

42:45 The consequences of the GOP budget will be barbaric 

44:45 How do we address the long-term care crisis? 

47:00 Should America's foreign policy be pragmatic or idealistic? 

49:45 How should we view Qatar's infusion of money into American politics? 

51:30 Republicans would impeach Joe Biden if he had accepted a plane 

54:15 Should Democrats wield power like Trump when they're in charge? 

55:50 Democrats should have spoken out sooner about Biden's decline 

1:00:00 How can the Democrats project strength as a party? 

1:01:15 Democrats need to let the cream rise to the top 

1:02:30 Campaigning makes candidates sharper 

1:03:30 Why aren't you running for NYC mayor? 

1:05:30 Andrew Cuomo is a great "builder" 

1:07:30 Will you run for governor in 2026? 

1:08:00 How would you address the housing crisis in New York? 

1:10:30 Addressing crime in New York 

1:13:00 New York's budget has increased, the quality of services hasn't 

1:14:45 Public ownership of utilities would lower costs for New Yorkers 

1:16:30 Progressives have overprioritized ideological purity over results

1:19:15 Chuck's thoughts on interview with Ritchie Torres 

1:20:00 If Torres faces Hochul 1 on 1 he could beat her 

1:21:00 Rumors that Kamala Harris could run for governor of California 

1:21:45 CA governor race will be tough for Harris 

1:25:15 If Harris loses governor race, her political career is over

(Timestamps may vary based on advertisements)