Episode Details

Full Episode - Trump Is Exhibiting 25th Amendment Behavior + How To Get Money Out Of Politics For Good

Chuck Todd takes a hard look at Donald Trump’s increasingly egregious behavior and the growing questions surrounding his cognitive fitness for the presidency, sparked by a recent post that crossed a line even for many on the right. He asks what would happen if any other public figure behaved this way, why similar concerns about Biden’s decline were openly discussed while Trump’s are often brushed aside, and whether the country is getting a straight story about the former president’s health. With no clear guardrails, no apparent filters, and staff either unable or unwilling to intervene, the episode raises uncomfortable but urgent questions about judgment, accountability, and risk.

Then, Jeff Clements, CEO of American Promise joins Chuck for a deep dive into one of the most consequential—and misunderstood—threats to American democracy: money in politics. Clements argues that today’s campaign finance dysfunction isn’t a failure of legislation but a court-created crisis, tracing how Supreme Court rulings turned money into speech, opened massive loopholes, and shifted lawmaking power from Congress to the judiciary. From McCain-Feingold to super PACs, the conversation unpacks why courts have repeatedly blocked reform efforts and why the problem isn’t free speech itself, but the unchecked amplification that allows wealth to drown out everyone else.

The discussion turns to whether a constitutional amendment is the only viable path forward, how such an amendment could reclaim authority from the courts, and what it would take to build support across 38 states. Drawing parallels to the Gilded Age and the founders’ obsession with corruption, Clements explains why Americans broadly understand the system is broken—even if it’s hard to make campaign finance a voting issue. In a moment of democratic crisis, he makes the case that meaningful reform is still possible, and that restoring political equality could become a rare point of unity in a deeply polarized era.

Finally, Chuck gives his ToddCast Top 5 book recommendations for political junkies 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

02:45 Money in politics has gotten out of control

03:45 North Carolina senate race will likely cost a billion dollars

04:30 One outside group can spend more than both campaigns combined

05:00 An amendment is the only way get campaign finance past judiciary

05:45 The judiciary has legislated campaign finance from the bench

07:30 Does the latest outrage over Trump’s Reiner tweet mean anything?

08:30 Trump’s post was a bridge too far for even some on the right

09:00 If any of us posted that, it would cost us jobs, relationships & more

10:30 At what point is Trump’s behavior 25th amendment type alarming?

11:15 Either his staff said something & he igno