Independent Americans with Paul Rieckhoff

Election Day is almost here. And America is divided. America is scared. America is angry.  But independent Americans are in a unique position to make an impact. We will decide the election in so many races all across the country. And at least one of us, Evan McMullin in Utah, could be elected Senator.  America is on edge, but we can help bring them down off that edge. Help them see over it. Help t...

The stupid is all over the place this season like candy corn in the bottom of your halloween bag. Everyone hands it out, some people say they love it, but they don’t. It’s an outdated and disgusting relic from a time long past. And it just will NOT go away.  And it’s the scary season. Not just in America, but around the world. There are real goons and monsters and goblins doing dastardly and frigh...

Aaron Judge is hitting bombs. And in this episode, we’re gonna continue to hit content bombs. With our reigning home run champion of national security and modern warfare. A six time returning champion.  He’s our lead off batter, our clean up slugger, our ace pitcher, and our play by play AND our color guy. He’s the clutch hitter, the utility infielder, and most of all, especially when it comes to...

Hurricane Ian is slamming the US right now. And more storms are likely to follow. The hurricane is rocking Florida’s Gulf Coast and is causing massive damage. Meanwhile, weeks after Hurricane Fiona, much of Puerto Rico still doesn’t have power. All of Cuba is without power.  And in Ukraine and Russia, the storms are also building. Massive storm clouds of war. And the threat, again, of nukes. And t...

Fall is here. And it’s crazier by the day. Trump drama, Ukraine war news, natural disasters, political dysfunction, election campaign warfare. It’s something new and terrible every day. But there’s one important issue you’re not seeing in the news. Important enough that it has dedicated citizens sleeping outside the US Capitol in Washington tonight. It’s called the “firewatch”.  And Matt Zeller (...

Silly season is here. It’s less than two months until the midterms elections. And it’s on. Politicians are doing all kinds of crazy things. And the stakes have never been higher. Republican Senator and Sellout-in-Chief Lindsay Graham introduced a national abortion ban bill this week. Texas Governor Greg Abbot shipped busloads of undocumented migrants into so called “sanctuary cities” like New York...

9/11 is the single most influential moment of the 21st century. It was terrible and tragic and it was a moment that will remain etched in our country’s history forever. It was a moment that redefined the trajectory of the entire world and will continue to shape the future for decades to come. 9/11 was a moment that changed everything for the entire world. And it’s a moment that is engrained in the...

Democrat Pat Ryan ( @PatRyanUC ) just won a special Congressional election in upstate New York that has the entire political world talking. Few picked him to win in the traditionally Republican-leaning area. But against the odds, the combat veteran pulled it off. And inspired people of all backgrounds nationwide. And now, analysts and strategists nationwide are rushing to understand how he did it....

One year ago this week, the great American betrayal of Afghanistan culminated with a total debacle of a withdrawal that ended in death and carnage.  On Aug. 26, 2021, 13 US troops and 170 Afghans were killed when a bomb ripped through the crowd at the Abbey Gate. The blast took only seconds, but the devastation will live on for decades.  And in this pod, we’ll go deep into it with new reporting fr...

After her defeat this week, Congresswoman Liz Cheney said Tuesday's primary is "certainly the beginning of a battle that is going to continue to go on. And as a country, we're facing a moment where our democracy really is under attack and under threat." The battle is on. It’s actually been on for years. We’ve covered it on this show. It’s the battle for the soul of America. But now, that battle is...

Just when you think things in America can’t get any dicier, they do. And now is definitely a time to stay vigilant. And in this episode especially, we’ve got you covered.  Unless you’ve been sleeping on the beach for the last week, you know that the Feds delivered a search warrant at the Mar-a-Lago residence of former President Trump. And what you may not know, is that Trump supporters of all kind...

Sometimes, the good guys and gals win. Sometimes, the bad guys lose. This is one of those times. The historic SFC Heath Robinson PACT Act for veterans passed the Senate by a vote of 86-11 .  But it was wild, it was emotional, it was dramatic, it was infuriating, and it was inspiring. It showed what is still possible in America if a group of concerned citizens are united, focused and motivated. And...

Summer is supposed to be a time to chill, relax and enjoy life. And we’re all trying to do that. But the threats and challenges and wars and insurrectionists and viruses don't take summers off. As our host, Paul Rieckhoff @PaulRieckhoff ) just found out the hard way. After two years of dodging it like Neo from The Matrix, COVID finally got him.  He shares what that’s been like, flies through the p...

This is a time for stars to shine. And the biggest stars of all, are also the helpers.  The helpers continue to emerge. After Uvalde. After Highland Park. After every Jan 6 hearing. The helpers are out there. And we’ve had some big stars of our own on this show. Sarah Jessica Parker . Steven Colbert . John Bernthal .  And three in particular that are at the top of their game on three of the bigges...

Over the years we’ve brought you some of the best voices on the biggest subjects. From Stephen Colbert to Pete Buttigieg to Rachel Maddow the guests have been important voices to hear from at critical times for our country. And this year we’ve taken some time away from the usual dumpster fire of partisan news to focus on the issue that is nearest and dearest to our hearts. The stick that stirs our...

As the summer heats up and we all plummet headlong into the danger zone, we’ve got the real Top Gun. The real Maverick (actually, call sign Krusty). The fighter pilot that went head-to-head with al Qaeda and the Taliban, and then came home to go head-to-head with Mitch McConnell. Marine Corps fighter pilot Amy McGrath ( @AmyMcGrathKY ) flew 89 combat missions. And ran one of the most-watched 2020...

On this Independence Day 2022, everything is different now. It’s a very dark moment in American history. And Friday, June 24, 2022 was a very dark day. So this July 4th, after the overturning of Roe vs Wade, hundreds of millions of Americans aren’t feeling like they have much independence right now.  In this episode, we’re gonna talk about Roe from an angle you won’t get anywhere else. How will th...

This is a fiery episode. Veterans lungs are on fire. America’s forests are on fire. Our conversations are on fire. Children and black people and LGBTQ people are UNDER FIRE. The United States is on fire. Our country is burning… in ways big and small. And the country is dying, literally, for leaders who can run into the fires, put them out with solutions, and help us find a path through the damage...

The battle on January 6th, 2021 was one that the good guys and gals won. Thankfully. Heroes like Officer Caroline Edwards sacrificed their bodies, their futures, and their lives, to win that battle. They successfully defended The US Capitol that day. They defended our country. And after the first few hearings held by the bi-partisan January 6th Committee, we can all see the truth now. It was a bru...

“There is no constitutional barrier to gun responsibility. Keeping firearms out of the hands of dangerous people is not only the responsible thing to do, it is the best way to protect the Second Amendment. We can do both.” That’s from legendary actor Matthew McConaughey. Born in Uvalde, Texas. Speaking for America. And finally, a powerful, reasonable, likable voice for responsible gun owners. This...

After the recent mass shooting at an elementary school in Texas, and seeing Fred Guttenberg share his heartbreak and outrage on TV over and over again, our host Paul Rieckhoff ( @PaulRieckhoff ) asked an important question: “How many more times are we going to do this to Fred?” And sure enough, it happened again. And again. And again–with multiple shootings occurring the same day as this recording...

"They f***ing failed our kids again."  How many more times? How many more times? That’s our friend and a conscience for America, Fred Guttenberg.  His 14-year-old daughter Jaime was murdered in the Stoneman Douglas High School shooting on February 14, 2018.  Fred is again a conscience for America, a hero, a helper. But he shouldn’t have to keep doing this. It’s just not fair. To our children, to o...

Huge primaries happened this week in Pennsylvania, North Carolina, Oregon and Kentucky. And millions of independent voters (the fastest growing segment of the electorate) were shut out completely. Just like they’re shut out of primaries in dozens of states across America. And will be shut out of the Presidential primaries in 2024. Democrats and Republicans are squabbling and battling and our child...

Witnesses are calling the Avostal plant in Mariupol a living hell. There are reports that the massive complex has been bombarded 34 times in just the past 24 hours. The Russians continue to attempt to storm the plant. But the Ukrainians aren’t backing down. 100 civilians, more than a thousand soldiers, and 500 wounded remain at the Azovstal plant. The city and plant were supposed to fall weeks ago...

Right now in America, there’s a war being fought. A war on women. And right now, we’re losing. And losing sucks. So maybe the Democrats could learn a thing or two from the Ukrainians. The Ukrainians that are fighting — and winning — against overwhelming odds. And maybe we could all learn something from them. Something important. Something we all need to be reminded of. The value of freedom. The va...