Full Episode - The MAGA Movement May Be Hitting Its Expiration Date + Clay Travis On Politics, Playoffs & The Future Of Sports Media
On today’s Chuck ToddCast, Chuck breaks down why Marjorie Taylor Greene’s resignation is less an isolated drama and more a warning sign that Trump’s once-tight MAGA coalition is splintering. From Speaker Mike Johnson taking cues directly from Trump to a wave of looming GOP retirements, Chuck explains why Republicans may face a bleak 2026. He also digs into Trump’s mixed economic record, his unexpected openness to extending ACA subsidies, and the widening rift between Republicans over Ukraine, where a new peace proposal appears to reflect more of Kyiv’s asks than Moscow’s. With Europe carrying most of the burden and Trump seen abroad as a lame duck, Chuck argues that MAGA may be reaching the end of its political shelf life as fractures emerge across every major wing of the coalition. Sports & political commentator Clay Travis joins Chuck Todd for a candid conversation that spans the worlds of politics, sports, and media. They explore the shifting boundaries between culture and athletics, the pressure of serving a politically-charged audience, and what Clay learned from stepping into Rush Limbaugh’s former timeslot. Clay discusses the importance of distinguishing fact from opinion, the challenges of modern political incentives, and how law school shaped his worldview. The two also talk about the realities of online hostility, audience expectations, and Clay’s belief that influence in media can outweigh influence in elected office. The episode also digs deep into college football: conference realignment, the CFP committee’s biases, southern schools’ growing appeal, and how cultural and political trends—from Gaza protests to regional identity—shape the sport’s landscape. Clay and Chuck debate how to fix the playoff system, what makes college football uniquely personal for fans, and which major sports league Nashville could attract next. Clay closes by sharing the presidential contenders he wishes would run in 2028 and why treating political opponents like rival sports fans could be a healthier way forward. Finally, Chuck gives his ToddCast Top 5 Thanksgiving Dishes, previews a pivotal weekend in college football and answers listeners’ questions in the “Ask Chuck” segment. Go to https://getsoul.com & enter code TODDCAST for 30% off your first order. Thank you Wildgrain for sponsoring. Visit http://wildgrain.com/TODDCAST and use the code "TODDCAST" at checkout to receive $30 off your first box PLUS free Croissants for life! 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! Protect your family with life insurance from Ethos. Get up to $3 million in coverage in as little as 10 minutes at https://ethos.com/chuck. 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Timeline: (Timestamps may vary based on advertisements) 00:00 Chuck Todd’s introduction 03:30 MTG’s resignation a sign of Trump’s coalition fracturing 04:15 MAGA is more likely to continue fracturing rather than galvanize 05:00 Republicans probably hoping for impeachment if Dems take house 06:15 Johnson keeping the house out of session was a huge mistake 07:45 Mike Johnson isn’t operating on his own, Trump dictates to him 09:15 Trump’s agenda has made the economy worse 11:00 Other Republican lawmakers signaling they may resign early 12:15 Holidays are the season of early retirement decisions 13:00 Likely we see 10 or more Republican retirements by end of January 14:45 Donald Trump signals willingness to extend ACA subsidies 17:00 Lame duck president and Dem majority will discourage GOP reelect bids 18:30 Congress has been cut out of governing, makes the job suck 20:00 Ukraine peace plan details have been all over the map 20:45 New peace deal contains more of Ukraine’s considerations 21:15 Trump just wants a deal, doesn’t care about the details 22:30 To his credit, Trump has people on his team supporting Ukraine 25:00 Skeptical that new deal will be well received by the Russians 26:00 Putin knows Trump is a lame duck and will play the long game 27:30 Europe provides most support to Ukraine, Trump has less leverage 29:15 Split between Rubio & Vance wings over Russia and Ukraine 30:30 We are seeing fractures throughout Trump’s coalition 31:30 MAGA may be approaching the end of its shelf life 36:30 Clay Travis joins the Chuck ToddCast 38:00 GW’s near win over the Fab Five 40:00 Thoughts on McAfee interviewing Trump on ESPN? 40:45 If the president wants to do your show, you do it 42:00 Are you a sports guy that does politics or a politics guy that does sports 42:45 Taking over Rush Limbaugh’s timeslot for Premiere Radio 44:00 Balancing sports content vs. politics content 45:30 Sports used to be separate from culture, now they’re intertwined 47:15 Having the audience you want vs. the one that you have 48:00 Clay’s audience is people who voted Trump, love football, hated Covid masks 49:00 Not letting your audience be your editor 51:30 Learning not to care too much what people think about you 52:45 Everybody is mean on the internet, you have to have thick skin 54:30 Going to law school was the best decision Clay ever made 57:00 We need better distinction between fact & opinion in politics 57:45 Politics doesn’t attract the best & brightest due to low pay 58:30 Too many people in politics just want to be famous 59:45 Nick Saban could have been great at anything, including politics 01:02:00 Non SEC & Big Ten schools get no notice from the CFP committee 01:04:30 It’ll be interesting to see which big conference ACC programs try to join 01:06:00 Southern schools have become a huge draw for northern students 01:07:00 Gaza protests have affected student recruitment at some schools 01:08:30 Lane Kiffin will be the hottest name in the college coaching market 01:09:45 CFP committee cherry picking results, not acknowledging ACC 01:10:45 College football is the sport we’re always arguing about 01:11:30 Playoff selections need to be non subjective, needs a new system 01:12:45 Dems focus on what America did wrong, R’s focus on what went right 01:14:30 Quality wins should matter more than quality losses 01:15:15 People feel a closer personal connection to college football compared to NFL 01:16:00 Best way to reconfigure the college football playoff? 01:17:45 College football should start in August prior to NFL kicking off 01:19:30 What’s the next major sport coming to Nashville? MLB 01:20:30 There are more NHL, NBA and NFL teams in SEC footprint than MLB 01:22:00 Sports is unique in that the competition IS the business 01:24:00 Four people Clay would like to see run for president in 2028 01:26:30 Pitchforks are coming for corporate America & business candidates 01:28:15 Any interest in running for office? 01:29:15 Can have more influence and impact in media than in politics 01:30:15 Paul Finnebaum mulling run for office 01:31:45 We’d be better off if we treated political opponents like opposing fans 01:34:00 Nashville is always viewed as the “new _____” 01:36:00 Chuck’s thoughts on interview with Clay Travis 01:36:45 Thanksgiving is where we try to be the best version of ourselves 01:37:45 ToddCast Top 5 Dishes For Thanksgiving Dinner 01:38:00 #1 A meat that is an alternative to roasted turkey 01:38:45 #2 Macaroni and cheese casserole, not out of the box 01:39:30 #3 Sweet potato casserole with marshmallows 01:40:30 #4 Green bean mushroom casserole 01:41:30 #5 Leftover pumpkin pie w/coffee the next morning 01:43:00 College football preview 01:55:15 Ask Chuck 01:55:30 Will AI take CEO jobs? Does it present a threat to capitalism? 01:59:30 Has Trump given license to racists & misogynists to be more overt? 02:03:00 Is it possible that teams will play down against Notre Dame? 02:06:30 Thoughts on Qatari air force facility being built in Idaho 02:08:00 Paradox between presidential immunity vs “take care” clause?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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