Congress is the only working guardrail

In this episode of the Chuck ToddCast, Chuck delivers a blunt warning about how Donald Trump’s erratic, ahistorical tariff strategy is pushing the United States toward a self-inflicted crisis—one that could even stumble into war. With none of the usual political penalties applying to Trump, elected Republicans have opted for fearful silence, becoming complicit as tariffs punish American taxpayers and U.S. credibility abroad rapidly erodes. Americans, worn down by “Trump Exhaustion Syndrome” and the lack of consequences after January 6th, are watching as the last real guardrail—the economy—buckles under market turmoil, while Congress and the Supreme Court delay or abdicate their responsibility to act. The episode underscores the extraordinary global fallout: Canada openly questioning whether it can rely on the U.S., wargaming invasion scenarios, pursuing “strategic autonomy,” and calling for new middle-power alliances even as it reaffirms commitment to NATO. As isolationism spreads and the rules-based order America once led begins to fracture, Chuck argues that only a congressional reckoning—or a midterm revolt—can halt the damage and preserve the country’s democratic institutions.

Gina Hinojosa, a Texas state representative and Democratic candidate for governor, joins Chuck to discuss how the school choice debate has created unexpected opportunities for Democrats in traditionally red states. Hinojosa, who entered politics through school board advocacy to save her son's school, argues that corruption—not ideology—is the biggest driver of Texas politics. She accuses Governor Greg Abbott of holding school funding hostage to push through a voucher program, forcing closures across the state while Texas ranks in the bottom three nationally for education funding. Hinojosa contends that vouchers lack transparency and accountability, and notes that even Trump-voting Texas women have joined the fight against them. She criticizes charter schools for cherry-picking students while taking public resources, and highlights how special education funding has been systematically cut, leaving expensive and crucial services unmet.

Beyond education, Hinojosa paints a broader picture of dysfunction in Texas, claiming Abbott has awarded $1 billion in no-bid contracts to donors—what she calls the "Greg Abbott corruption tax"—and pointing to failures in the state's deregulated electric grid, border policy, and treatment of vulnerable communities. She argues that Texas operates as a three-party state, with two Republican wings and Democrats, and describes how Abbott used millions to primary moderate "Bush Republicans," successfully defeating nine incumbents who wouldn't toe the line. While acknowledging challenges like the border security issue that flipped the Rio Grande Valley toward Trump and ICE enforcement she describes as "terrorizing communities," Hinojosa sees opportunities in growing business community frustration over tariffs and deportations. She emphasizes that despite Texas's economic power and population growth—which will add 4-5 congressional districts—ordinary Texans aren't benefiting, with small business owners earning less than the national average and electric bills skyrocketing due to data center demand and grid mismanagement.

Finally, Chuck updates his ToddCast Top 5 senate seats Democrats are most likely to flip in the midterms, answers listeners’ questions in the “Ask Chuck” segment and recaps his experience at the college football national championship game… and the insane prices being charged to attend. 

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Timeline:

(Timestamps may vary based on advertisements)

00:00 Chuck Todd’s introduction

06:00 Trump is potentially stumbling into a war over tariffs

07:00 Trump’s strategy is erratic & detached from historical norms

07:45 None of the usual political penalties apply to Trump

08:15 Canada is preparing & worrying that U.S. could invade

08:45 Trump’s tariffs punish the American taxpayer

09:30 Elected Republicans are afraid of voicing dissent

10:45 Republicans choose silence & makes them complicit

12:00 Americans are numb, suffering from “Trump Exhaustion Syndrome”

13:00 Lack of consequences for January 6th emboldened Trump

14:45 Trump has weakened American credibility abroad

16:00 There’s little check left in the GOP to prevent damage

16:30 The only guardrail left is the economy and markets, which crated

18:15 Isolationism is terrible politics and terrible for the country

19:15 Congress is the only institution that can stop Trump & is abdicating

20:15 SCOTUS delays ruling on tariffs, making them hard to unwind

21:15 It’s possible the midterms become a revolt & sober up the GOP

21:45 Trump is affected by the “political YOLO virus”

22:30 Mitch McConnell could have changed the course of history, and didn’t

23:30 Trump has made America most vulnerable & isolated in decades

25:00 Canadian PM gives Davos speech pleading with Americans

26:00 When America chooses isolationism, so will everyone else

27:00 Canada has shifted toward “strategic autonomy”

28:15 Carney is saying Canada can’t rely on the United States

29:00 Canada is wargaming for an invasion from the south

29:45 Canada proposes a middle power trading bloc

31:15 Carney says Canada stands committed to NATO’s Article 5

31:45 Canada looking for new partners to confront an aggressive U.S.

32:30 America has thrived atop the rules based order, and is risking everything

34:45 25th Amendment intended for true incapacitation

35:30 Congress has to do its job to preserve the America we love

42:45 Gina Hinojosa joins the Chuck ToddCast

43:45 School choice issue has opened the door for Dems in red states

45:15 Gina’s background in education & school board politics

46:45 Ran for school board to save her son’s school

47:15 Greg Abbott is reallocating money, forcing school closures

48:00 Corruption is biggest driver of politics in Texas

48:45 Consultants & vendors use part time legislators to make money

49:30 Schools closing all over Texas due to budget cuts & vouchers

50:45 Abbott held school funding hostage trying to pass voucher program

51:15 Texas is bottom 3 in the country for school funding

52:45 Texas women who voted Trump joined fight against vouchers

54:00 Vouchers have no transparency or accountability

55:15 The school funding model hasn’t changed since industrial age

56:30 Do you support Texas’s “recapture” funding model?

57:45 The recaptured money is being wasted

59:15 Student testing and NAEP scores are decreasing overall

1:00:30 Teachers deserve to be treated and paid like professional

1:01:15 Special needs students can attend private school funded by state

1:02:15 Special education is very expensive & requests go unmet

1:03:30 State cut corners to avoid paying for special ed students

1:05:00 Charter schools take public resources but not all kids

1:06:00 Charter schools deny admission to kids with disciplinary records

1:07:30 Education paid for by Texas property taxes which have skyrocketed

1:08:00 Texans pay the “Greg Abbott corruption tax”

1:08:45 Abbott has given $1 billion dollars in no-bid contracts to donors

1:10:30 The corruption issue is ripe but the electorate is cynical on both sides

1:12:00 Abbott’s corruption is the #1 talking point in the Republican primary

1:13:15 Gas companies let Texans freeze until prices spiked high enough

1:15:15 Border security issue led to Rio Grande valley voting for Trump

1:16:45 Biden was able to fix border issues, just took too long to do it

1:17:15 Deportations flipped political sentiment in Rio Grande valley

1:18:45 ICE is terrorizing communities

1:19:30 Masked law enforcement should be illegal

1:20:30 Texas is a three party state: Two GOP wings & Democrats

1:21:15 How can you grow the Democratic party in Texas?

1:22:30 The “Bush Republicans” in TX can’t vote their districts or conscience

1:23:00 Abbott used millions to primary Bush Republicans & 9 lost their race

1:24:15 Is the GOP nationalizing the race your biggest challenge?

1:25:15 Texas will gain 4-5 congressional districts due to growth

1:27:30 The business community in TX is mad at tariffs & deportations

1:28:15 People of Texas aren’t benefiting from their economic power

1:30:00 Small business owners make less than average nationally

1:30:30 Texas’s electric grid is a ticking time bomb

1:31:00 Deregulation & corruption have exacerbated issues with grid

1:31:45 Electric bills skyrocketing due to data centers

1:33:15 Thoughts on nuclear energy to address energy problems?

1:34:45 Favorite food on the campaign trail?

1:37:30 Chuck’s thoughts on interview with Gina Hinojosa

1:39:00 ToddCast Top 5 seats Democrats can win & flip senate

1:41:45 #1 North Carolina & #2 Maine

1:45:30 #3 Michigan

1:48:45 #4 Ohio

1:50:15 #5 Alaska

1:53:30 Ask Chuck

1:54:15 Which presidency would be more dangerous… Trump or Vance?

1:58:30 If most Americans are center left or right, why can’t we elect centrists?

2:03:15 Would military action against a treaty ally be considered an illegal order?

2:06:45 How should the country resolve insider trading on the prediction markets?

2:08:15 Reaction to Indiana winning National Championship over Miami

2:18:30 The prices at the National Championship were highway robbery

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