Populism and the Erosion of Trust in Political Institutions

On this episode of the Chuck ToddCast, Chuck unpacks a whirlwind of economic, geopolitical, and political developments shaping America’s future. From Trump’s tariffs likely surviving a fast-tracked Supreme Court review to rising fears of stagflation fueled by deportations and trade headwinds, the economic outlook is looking grim. Abroad, Russia escalates the war by sending drones into Polish airspace, while Israel’s strike on Hamas in Qatar risks leaving it more isolated on the world stage. Back home, Trump once again rewrites reality, denying ties to Jeffrey Epstein as his allies echo the talking points — raising fresh parallels to Orwell’s 1984.

Chuck also looks ahead to the Democratic Party’s long-term challenges: how can they remain competitive nationally by 2032, when the current path to 270 electoral votes is likely gone? With Georgia and North Carolina emerging as decisive swing states, Democrats will need to expand their map and rethink their message — particularly as the “socialism” label remains toxic to southern voters.

Then, political strategist and K-Street veteran Bruce Mehlman joins Chuck to unpack how politics, media, and business have collided in the Trump era and beyond. From the days when three television networks shaped a shared national narrative to today’s fractured landscape of Substack newsletters, podcasts, and hyper-partisan social feeds, Mehlman and Chuck explore how the internet broke traditional politics.  They dive into how Washington has become a magnet for American business titans, the sky-high costs of lobbying access to President Trump, and whether bipartisan firms can even survive in the current climate.

The conversation then widens to the global stage, connecting the 2008 financial crisis to the populist revolts of Brexit and Trump, and questioning whether the public underestimates just how much globalization has improved daily life. From Trump’s reliance on tariffs to the reality-versus-perception debate over crime, immigration, and the economy, Mehlman outlines the policy flashpoints that will shape 2024 and beyond. Plus: what the redistricting wars could mean for democracy, and why some argue the House of Representatives needs to grow in size to reflect America’s population.

Finally, Chuck gives his ToddCast Top 5 states each party should target in order to make them battlegrounds by 2032, and answers listeners’ questions in the “Ask Chuck” segment.

Timeline:

(Timestamps may vary based on advertisements)

00:00 Introduction

01:00 Trump’s tariffs likely to stay in place despite expedited court ruling

02:15 Trump’s team pushed SCOTUS to rule quickly

04:00 John Roberts is always hesitant to upset those in power

06:00 The bad vibes surrounding the economy look to be right

07:15 Economy was facing headwinds, tariffs & deportations make it worse

09:30 The conditions for stagflation are forming

11:30 Incursion of Russian attack drones into Polish airspace

12:15 Putin has escalated the war since Alaska summit with Trump

13:45 Israel makes brazen strike on Hamas political wing in Qatar

15:45 There’s no chance Trump would have approved strike in advance

16:45 Strike could further isolate Israel

18:00 Israel is a wedge issue amongst the American electorate

20:00 Trump goes full George Orwell, denies letter to Epstein

21:15 Trump staffers have been willing to double down on behalf of Trump

22:30 We’re living through Orwell’s 1984

24:30 Democrats can weaponize Epstein to highlight Trump’s dishonesty

26:30 How can Democrats become a competitive national party in 2032?

27:30 By 2032, the current path to 270 won’t be there for Democrats

29:15 Georgia and North Carolina will become the most important swing states

30:30 Democrats need to figure out how to expand their path to 270

32:30 The word socialism is toxic to voters in the south

34:30 Democrats will have to rebrand and back off the socialism label

39:00 Bruce Mehlman joins the Chuck ToddCast 

41:30 Traditional media is forced to "sand the edges"due to political climate 

42:15 The internet broke politics and media 

43:15 When there were 3 networks, news catered to the entire country 

44:45 The energy in media is in the podcast/substack space 

45:45 The importance of a varied media diet 

47:00 Twitter/X has become incredibly right-wing 

48:00 Washington D.C. has become a tent-pole for business titans 

49:15 Can bipartisan firms succeed in DC these days? 

52:30 How is the "Trump purge" affecting K-Street? 

54:15 Lobbying firms with access are charging astronomical rates 

55:15 Congress isn't passing legislation, it's all executive orders 

56:30 Does Mike Johnson have a go-to shop on K-Street? 

58:00 Was Brexit the event that caused this era of global instability? 

58:45 Brexit and Trump were downstream of the 2008 financial crisis 

1:00:15 The populist revolt was inevitable after the financial crisis 

1:02:30 The public takes for granted the benefits of globalisation 

1:05:15 Successful western countries haven't compensated for globalisation 

1:07:15 The public suffers from recency bias, things are better now 

1:09:00 The perception of the economy is the economic reality 

1:11:15 People who predict doom are perceived as right and smarter 

1:12:45 If SCOTUS takes away Trump's tariff power, will congress restore it? 

1:13:45 Trump views tariffs as the solution to every problem 

1:16:00 If Trump loses in court on tariffs, he'll just use another law 

1:17:15 There's no incentive for Dems to cut a deal due to recissions 

1:19:00 If Republicans agree to no recissions, they could find a deal 

1:20:15 If legislation passes one chamber, it should force a vote in the other 

1:21:15 Fallout from the raid on South Korean workers at the Hyundai plant? 

1:23:30 There's support for the "why" of Trump's immigration policy, not the "how" 

1:27:15 What pushback to Trump's deployment of troops to cities is most effective? 

1:29:30 The perception of crime in cities vs the reality 

1:30:45 Downplaying crime is a political loser 

1:31:30 Democrats' support for capitalism is falling and socialism is rising 

1:33:15 The most important electoral states will be GA, NC and AZ 

1:36:15 Socialism is least popular in the states Democrats need in the south 

1:38:00 Higher embrace of socialism in cities and amongst younger voters 

1:39:45 Thoughts on the redistricting wars? 

1:42:00 The size of the house needs to grow with the population

1:44:30 Chuck's thoughts on the interview with Bruce Mehlman 

1:45:15 The Toddcast Top 5 - States each party should target as battlegrounds 

1:46:30 Top 5 states Democrats should target 

1:53:00 Top 5 states Republicans should target 

1:57:30 Ask Chuck 

1:57:45 Why be in congress if you have no interest in exercising power? 

2:04:15 Potential democracy reforms that the U.S. could pass? 

2:08:30 Was the eugenics movement similar to the current anti-vax movement?

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