Independent Americans with Paul Rieckhoff

This Thanksgiving, Independent Americans is bringing you a special holiday treat of new content. Paul has a few things to say (he always does) and then introduces you to the powerful and inspiring new podcast from Righteous Media: The Firefighters Podcast with Rob Serra, FDNY (Ret.) . We’re extremely excited about this new show and we think you will be too.  Welcome to the first ever episode of th...

Now is still a time to stay vigilant. Especially when it comes to national security. Ukraine says that Russia has amassed 100,000 troops near their border. Along with tanks, armored personnel vehicles and artillery. NATO has issued a warning. America has issued a warning. And Russia is denying they plan to invade Ukraine. War is very possible.  And you were probably focused instead on Green Bay Pa...

Senator Max Cleland was a true American hero. One of the finest, most selfless leaders of our time. He was a titan. And his tremendous impact was second only to his huge heart. Even in these last few difficult months before he died, he was a fighter—and a happy warrior. And Max’s passing comes the week of Veterans Day. Max defined what it means to be an American veteran. And what it means for vete...

This Election Day was just the latest painful reminder of how badly the two major parties are failing the American people. But it also underscored the growing importance (and number) of independents in America. And Rieckhoff is digging into all of it--from Virginia to New Jersey, and from Joe Manchin to Andrew Yang and his new “Forward” party. And 11 months ago, a group of traitors, fools and dome...

Everyone who has seen a Halloween movie knows you can’t run from Michael Myers. The only way to defeat the terror of Michael Myers is to fight him--to take him head on. And the same is true about the horror show that is Afghanistan. If you run from the truth, it will chase you down, it will drag you down, it will cut you into little pieces, and it will come for your friends, and just keep coming....

HBO’s Succession is a global phenomenon. And a reflection and exploration of our tumultuous times. And Arian Moayed ( @ArianMoayed ) is in the center of all of it. He is an actor, activist and American success story. A powerful creative force, a voice for the voiceless, and a key piece of the best show on television.  Arian Moayed is the Iranian-born, award-winning actor and co-founder and Board C...

Fall is here, the leaves are changing, Halloween is just a few weeks away, it’s been 10 months since domestic terrorists tried to overthrow our government, and now is still a time to stay vigilant. Because while the world was focused on William Shatner and his trip to space, and on Jon Gruden’s inexcusable words that got him fired as head coach of the Las Vegas Raiders, or on Dave Chappelle’s new...

Milo Ventimiglia ( @MiloVentimiglia ) is an actor, director and producer. And one of the hottest stars in America. He’s also a really nice, hard-working and fascinating guy. And a guy with very strong opinions about everything from Afghanistan, to Senator Joe Manchin’s obstructionism, to a strike in Hollywood by the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE) union. Milo is a figh...

From The West Wing , to Get Out , to Transparent , to The Handmaid’s Tale . For a generation, Bradley Whitford ( @BradleyWhitford ) has shaped the world’s understanding of politics--through the lens of entertainment.  But Bradley doesn’t just play politics. He lives it. At this precarious time in American history, art and politics are merging and colliding in powerful ways. He’s deeply involved in...

With Afghanistan now firmly in the hands of the Taliban, a full-scale war on women is underway inside that country. Women are being forcibly married, hunted, beaten and killed. Our President and many in Congress want to turn the page. But Zainab Salbi is on the front lines of the fight—and refuses to allow it.  We continue the Independent Americans deep dive into Afghanistan and all the ways it’s...

The 20th anniversary of 9/11 has now passed. Afghanistan remains a mess. The delta variant is ripping through thousands of unvaccinated lives. And there is new, looming domestic terrorism threat facing our Capitol this week.  It’s all a painful reminder that our fun, vaccinated summer of 2021 is almost over. Fall is coming in fast. And it’s definitely a time to stay vigilant. There have been 46 Pr...

Never forget is the mantra of 9/11. It was on bumper stickers, repeated by Presidents, and hashtagged for two decades now. Twenty years later, has America forgotten?  Have we forgotten the lessons of 9/11? Have we forgotten what happened that day? Have we forgotten all that happened after? Have we forgotten about the public officials who said the air was clear at Ground Zero, the islamophobic atta...

After 20 years, all US troops are now out of Afghanistan. Is that a good thing? Is the war really over? What happens now to our Afghan allies left behind? Will there be any accountability for failure in Washington? After gripping episodes with Matt Zeller , Jane Horton and Kristen Rouse , the newest episode is keeping our focus squarely on Afghanistan. The military pieces, media coverage, politica...

We’ve all seen the disturbing images of thousands of people scrambling to get out of the Karzai Airport in Afghanistan. Who will live? Who will die? Who is making it onto American planes? And who is not? What the hell is really happening on the ground?   Independent Americans continues our unique focus on the collapse of Afghanistan with an urgent new conversation with an inspiring American leader...

As Afghanistan continues to spiral into a humanitarian disaster, Americans have been riveted by the events unfolding, US troops are going back in, and the President has finally appeared in public to address the chaos. It’s all getting worse fast. There are many questions. And many voices. But there is one vital group that you probably haven’t heard from. Until now.  How would you feel right now if...

As American troops pull out of Afghanistan, the Taliban is advancing. Quickly. Violence is widespread. And tens of thousands of men and women who helped US efforts there are facing imminent danger. The numbers are shocking. 20,000 of our allies and thousands more of their family members are facing slaughter. It’s a terrible and disgraceful betrayal of our allies. And the ramifications will impact...

It’s August and it’s hot. And getting hotter. Things are heating up everywhere. From the Delta virus spreading like a wildfire, to the real wildfires burning down the West, to all firefights across a crumbling Afghanistan, to the Olympics burning up our screens as World Records are torched daily. It’s as hot as it gets right now. And of course we can’t forget the dumpster fire that burns perpetual...

As the dream of a “Hot Vax Summer” starts to look more and more like a Delta nightmare, Rieckhoff breaks down the historic, infuriating January 6th Congressional hearings. And, he rips into the haters attacking Olympic great Simon Biles’ toughness and patriotism.  And we’re taking a look back to the very first days of the pandemic. It’s a fan favorite and one of ours too. We flash back to March 5,...

As summer continues, we’re sharing some of the best moments and guests from over two years of inspiring shows. Ambassador Susan Rice, General Barry McCaffrey, General Mark Hertling, Admiral James Stavridis, and former Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel. This best of episode takes a look back with some of our country’s top leaders to explore the lessons they learned while serving at the highest level...

As America emerges from the pandemic and summer begins, we’re sharing some of the best from our archives. It’s a look back to before the pandemic. And it is a fun one. Samantha Bee joined Paul back on October 17, 2019 for one of our most popular episodes ever. If you’ve never heard this episode, you’re in for a treat. And if you’re a long time listener, you’ll enjoy hearing this gem again.  From O...

As America emerges from the pandemic and summer begins, we’re sharing some of the best from our archives. Former NBA star and current Twitter megastar Rex Chapman joined Paul at the height of the pandemic on August 6, 2020 in Episode 66. If you’ve never heard this episode, you’re in for a treat. And if you’re a long time listener, you’ll enjoy hearing this gem again.  From August 6, 2020: Former N...

As America emerges from the pandemic and summer begins, we’re sharing some of the best from our archives. MSNBC’s Willie Geist joined Paul at the height of the pandemic on July 3, 2020 in Episode 66. If you’ve never heard this episode, you’re in for a treat. And if you’re a long time listener, you’ll enjoy hearing this gem again.  From July 3, 2020: Willie Geist ( @WillieGeist ) is one of the most...

As America emerges from the pandemic and summer begins, we’re sharing some of the best from our archives. The iconic actress Rosie Perez joined Paul fresh off the Weinstein verdict on February 27, 2020 in Episode 48. If you’ve never heard this episode, you’re in for a treat. And if you’re a long time listener, you’ll enjoy hearing this gem again.  From February 27, 2020 - Episode 48: Legendary act...

As America emerges from the pandemic and summer begins, we’re sharing some of the best from our archives. Wes Moore recently declared his candidacy for Governor of Maryland, and this one is more relevant than ever. If you’ve never heard this episode, you’re in for a treat. And if you’re a long time listener, you’ll enjoy hearing this gem again.  Wes Moore ( @iamWesMoore ) is an inspiring force for...

As America emerges from the pandemic, we’re taking a little break. But never fear, we’ve got a lot of good stuff in the archive. And if you’ve never heard this episode you’re in for a treat. And if you’re a long time listener, we think you’ll enjoy hearing this gem again.  From Episode 78 - Sept. 25, 2020: “Fear is the mind killer. If you’re laughing you’re not afraid.” Wise words in this groundbr...