With all of the media talking about President Trump’s latest threats directed towards Iran’s bridges and power plants, former Meet the Press anchor Chuck Todd joined former CNN reporter and the eponymous host of the So What with Chris Cillizza podcast on Tuesday to suggest that while Americans are worried about Iran getting nuclear weapons, they should be more concerned with the fact that Trump currently does.
While talking about an Axios article that featured a “U.S. administration official” calling Trump the most “the most bloodthirsty, like a mad dog” member of the administration and that he makes Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth and Secretary of State Marco Rubio look live doves by comparison, Cillizza declared, “Donald Trump as a bloodthirsty mad dog is not one that I mean, I wouldn't say this about— I don't want any of my presidents to be described as a bloodthirsty mad dog when you do have the nuclear arsenal, when you do have the military might that he reminds us we do have so often.”
“You got to ask the question, we’re worried about a radical in Iran getting their hands on a nuclear weapon. What about what’s going on in our country?” – @ChuckTodd on @ChrisCillizza’s So What podcast posted Tuesday on Substack and YouTube. “I can see him [Trump] talking himself… pic.twitter.com/8S5TYSu38n
— Brent Baker 🇺🇲🇺🇦 🇮🇱 (@BrentHBaker) April 7, 2026
Also alluding to Trump’s “a whole civilization will die tonight” comments, Todd tried to have it both ways. On one hand, Todd appeared to believe that Trump was just being hyperbolic, but on the other, he started his suggestion that Trump might actually nuke Iran, “Yeah, you know, I mean, it's a reminder you got asked the question we're worried about a radical in Iran getting their hands on a nuclear weapon. What about what's going on in our country? I mean, the guy is—it—again, we're all sort of numb.”
Cillizza concurred, “He’s probably bullshitting. I mean, that's the— I think that's what most people’s reaction is.”
Todd then resumed, “He’s got the worst—this is, like, the worst form of Main Character Syndrome in the history of Main Character Syndrome” and after Cillizza agreed again, continued, “Right? It’s like— it's like he's just obsessed with everything revolves around him. He's the sun.”
Returning to the idea that Trump might actually use nuclear weapons, Todd declared, “I mean, look, understanding the way he thinks, like I think I do, I can see him talking himself into the ultimate weapon here in his head. I do. I could see him being that crazy because he could wrap—he would rationalize it by saying, you know, Harry Truman did it. And they love Harry Truman and Japan's one of our best friends now.”
He further claimed Trump is “a very simple-minded person," and he could think, “Everything is just, ‘Oh, Harry Truman did it. People like Harry Truman, Japan is our ally. There's no, it's not a big deal.’”
If Todd and Cillizza want to argue that Trump’s rhetoric is unhelpful or just posturing, they are free to do so, but to interpret it as opening the door to the use of nuclear weapons stretches the imagination to the breaking point. Meanwhile, it is a simple truth that Iran with nuclear weapons is more dangerous than Trump with nuclear weapons.
Here is a transcript for the April 7 show:
So What with Chris Cillizza
4/7/2026
CHRIS CILLIZZA: Donald Trump as a bloodthirsty mad dog is not one that I mean, I wouldn't say this about— I don't want any of my presidents to be described as a bloodthirsty mad dog when you do have the nuclear arsenal, when you do have the military might that he reminds us we do have so often.
CHUCK TODD: Yeah, you know, I mean, it's a reminder you got asked the question we're worried about a radical in Iran getting their hands on a nuclear weapon. What about what's going on in our country? I mean, the guy is—it—again, we're all sort of numb.
CILLIZZA: Yes. No question.
TODD: And I think we know he's—
CILLIZZA: He’s probably bullshitting. I mean, that's the—
TODD: Right.
CILLIZZA: I think that's what most people’s reaction is.
TODD: He’s got the worst—this is, like, the worst form of Main Character Syndrome in the history of Main Character Syndrome.
CILLIZZA: It’s so true. He’s always had it, but—
TODD: Right? It’s like— it's like he's just obsessed with everything revolves around him. He's the sun.
CILLIZZA: Right.
TODD: I mean, look, understanding the way he thinks, like I think I do, I can see him talking himself into the ultimate weapon here in his head. I do. I could see him being that crazy because he could wrap—he would rationalize it by saying, you know, Harry Truman did it. And they love Harry Truman—
CILLIZZA: Yeah.
TODD: —and Japan's one of our best friends now.
CILLIZZA: They say it wouldn’t work.
TODD: You know what I mean?
CILLIZZA: Right.
TODD: Like, you know, he's a very simple-minded person.
CILLIZZA: A hundred percent.
TODD: Right? Everything is just, “Oh, Harry Truman did it. People like Harry Truman, Japan is our ally. There's no, it's not a big deal.”
CILLIZZA: They didn't bomb us.
