Former NBC News host Chuck Todd delivered a scathing assessment of former President Joe Biden’s legacy, placing blame squarely on Biden for President Donald Trump’s return to the White House. In his Friday “Chuck ToddCast” episode, Todd argued that Biden’s presidency failed to provide the leadership necessary to permanently move the country past the Trump era.
Todd noted that collective pushback during Trump’s first presidency indicated Americans believed his leadership style harmed the long-term image of the United States, which contributed to Biden’s 2020 electoral victory. However, Todd contended that Biden’s presidency ultimately failed to capitalize on this opportunity for national renewal.
The former “Meet the Press” moderator emphasized that Biden lacked the leadership qualities needed to help America move forward. Todd argued that effective leadership requires helping the country turn the page on divisive periods, noting that America rarely moves backward historically.
Todd questioned how ineffective a presidency must be to encourage the country to reverse course, characterizing public perception of the Biden administration as weak and ineffective. While acknowledging that some of Biden’s legislative accomplishments might prove successful long-term, Todd maintained that these potential successes are overshadowed by a more significant failure.
“His legacy is Donald Trump came back,” Todd stated, directly attributing responsibility to the former president. This assessment represents a particularly harsh judgment from a veteran journalist who covered Biden’s political career for decades.
Todd’s criticism extends beyond Biden’s presidential performance to questions about his fundamental character narrative. In previous commentary, Todd has challenged the long-standing portrayal of Biden as a devoted family man, suggesting this image may have been misleading throughout his four-decade political career.
The journalist has expressed particular concern about Biden’s decision to run for president in 2020 while his family faced significant crises, including his son Hunter’s well-documented struggles with addiction. Todd has argued that Biden should never have pursued the presidency given these circumstances, viewing this as evidence that political ambition took precedence over family welfare.
Regarding Trump’s second term, Todd observed that the president has demonstrated a particular skill in convincing others that traditional rules and norms do not apply. Todd characterized Trump’s approach as bullying people into believing that politics consists only of winners and losers, rather than operating within established democratic constraints.
Todd’s assessment of Trump’s historical impact has evolved significantly over time. In June 2025, he acknowledged Trump as an unprecedented historical figure, arguing that his influence on American politics and society exceeds that of recent presidents including Barack Obama, Bill Clinton, and even Ronald Reagan. Todd suggested comparisons to Franklin Delano Roosevelt might be more appropriate given Trump’s fundamental reshaping of both the presidency and national political culture.
The former NBC anchor has also expressed concerns about broader threats to American democratic institutions. In August 2025, Todd warned that ongoing redistricting battles in states like Texas and California represent symptoms of what he termed a “cold civil war” developing across the country.
Todd has been critical of both major political parties’ approaches to these challenges. While condemning Republican efforts to manipulate electoral districts, he has also criticized Democrats for abandoning their previous support for independent redistricting commissions in favor of what he sees as fighting fire with fire.
Since leaving NBC News, Todd has launched his independent podcast and expressed interest in developing local news ventures focused on youth sports coverage. He has criticized traditional media companies for treating news divisions as problems rather than opportunities, arguing that parent companies lack interest in innovative solutions to journalism’s business challenges.
Todd’s harsh assessment of Biden’s legacy reflects broader concerns about American political leadership and institutional stability. His argument that Biden bears responsibility for Trump’s return represents a significant departure from typical post-presidency commentary, directly challenging the notion that external factors primarily drove the 2024 electoral outcome.
