Independent Americans with Paul Rieckhoff

Independent Americans host and Army veteran Paul Rieckhoff joins Connell McShane on NewsNation Now for a rapid-fire breakdown of Trump’s shocking threats to “blow up” Iran, his escalation over Greenland, and what it all means for America’s security and standing in the world. From NATO nearly considering Article 5 over a possible U.S. attack on Greenland, to protests in Greenland against America, t...

Snowpocalypse is Coming. Explaining White Nationalism. ICE is Now Snatching Cops & Vets. MLK’s Hidden Message. JD Vance is Having a Baby. Fallout (The Show) & How We Save America. Trump’s “America First” has become Trump against the world—and the stakes for democracy, justice, and basic decency have never been higher. In Episode 420 of Independent Americans, Paul Rieckhoff sits down with P...

Dow Drops 700. Don’t Protest Inside a Church. Oil From Venezuela Ships. Chris Pratt or Lindsey Vonn for MN Gov? Impeach Trump. Indiana an Example for America. Measles Is Back. ICE Crosses Another Line. Independent Americans host Paul Rieckhoff returns with an unfiltered conversation cutting through the turmoil of Trump’s America, a Greenland crisis, and a shaken NATO to focus on a pivotal politica...

More Shameful Attacks by Trump on Greenland. Protests at ICE-Leaders’ Church. DOJ Puts Don Lemon “On Notice”. MLK’s Example. President Mayhem Politicizes Army Navy Football. CFB Championship Tonight.  Paul Rieckhoff rips through the biggest stories in America and around the world in this hard-hitting solo episode of Independent Americans. From President Mayhem’s threats to seize Greenland and trol...

Explaining Posse Comitatus and Martial Law. Will He Do it on MLK Day? Trump’s New Nobel Prize: Yuck. Friday Football Playoffs. Kyle Tucker, Kyrsten Sinema and Why The Dodgers Are Like Trump.  Independent Americans host Paul Rieckhoff breaks down the most urgent threats to our democracy with returning champion Asha Rangappa, former FBI Special Agent and Yale national security law expert, in an all–...

Independent Americans host, Army veteran and 9/11 first responder Paul Rieckhoff joins Katy Tur Reports to dig into the human and political fallout of America’s broken immigration and border system. From front-line agents to families and communities, he explains how putting ICE in an impossible position is “harming our national security” and eroding trust at home and abroad.​ Rieckhoff calls this...

A Top Cop Breaks Down the Minneapolis Murder. And Another ICE Shooting. 500 Pushups a Day. Iran, Greenland, Ukraine, Venezuela. Verizon Fails. Harbaughs for the Win. Here it is. A defining moment for America. For the world. And for history. As America stares down the possibility of Donald Trump invoking the Insurrection Act to send federal troops into Minneapolis—and maybe Detroit next—Genesee Cou...

Plus a Stupid Milk Press Conference, America’s Role, and Harbaugh to the Giants—Paul Rieckhoff with Connell McShane.  What’s really happening on the streets of Iran? Is the regime conducting executions or not? Reports say yes. Trump says no. During a crazy press conference at the White House about changing the rules for milk in schools. Will Trump hit Iran again? Will Congress do anything?? What d...

How Dems Rig the System. Chicago the Next Minneapolis? Non-binary is About Freedom. Trump Sics FBI on Wash Post. US Troops to Iran? RIP John Forte. Independent Americans host Paul Rieckhoff has an exclusive first media interview with Lindsay Church—Minority Veterans of America founder, disabled post‑9/11 veteran, queer non-binary parent, and now independent candidate for Congress in Illinois’ 4th...

What City Will Trump, ICE, Noem Target Next? Trump is an Authoritarian Strongman. Is Martial Law & The Insurrection Act Coming Soon? Senator Kelly Sues Hegseth. Poll: New High of 45% in US Identify as Political Independents. Bye, Aaron Rodgers!   In this all-new episode of Independent Americans with Paul Rieckhoff, host Paul Rieckhoff sits down with NYU historian and author Ruth Ben-Ghiat for...

Put Him on Trial. Put ICE on Trial. Put Noem on Trial. Uprising in Iran. Trump’s Latest Outrageous Weekend Post. Jerome Powell Punches Back. Pour One Out for Kittle.  Independent Americans host Paul Rieckhoff returns for a raw, solo “Manosphere Monday” to break down the most urgent story in America: the killing of Minneapolis activist and mother Renee Good  by ICE officer Jonathan Ross, who was ca...

Burn it Down vs the Beautiful People. We Need Cinema Now. Independent Governor Jesse Ventura Unloads. Football Friday Playoff Edition. Ron Perlman is back. The man, the myth, the legend joins Independent Americans host Paul Rieckhoff on Paul’s birthday for a wild, unfiltered and deeply hopeful conversation that only these two could have, from Venezuela to Hollywood, Trump to Teamsters, the Nurembe...

In this all–new “quick response pod,” Paul checks in from a cold New York City and connects the chill in the air to the brutally cold reality on the ground in Ukraine after a new wave of Russian attacks on civilians and infrastructure. On his birthday, he reflects on sacrifice, leadership, and the inspiration he draws from people fighting for freedom in Ukraine, Iran, across America, and around th...

ICE Murder in Minneapolis. Trump, Venezuela, and the Global Fight for Democracy from Kyiv. Never Trust a Chickenhawk. Iran Protests Continue to Grow and Spread. Knicks Bounce Back, America Can Too. In this all-new Independent Americans , Paul Rieckhoff takes you from the streets of Minneapolis to the freezing front lines of Kyiv with fearless war correspondent Tim Mak. Together they connect Trump’...

Quick Response Pod. US Citizen Killed by ICE Agents. America Reaches a Critical Tipping Point.    A 37‑year‑old American woman has been shot and killed by ICE in Minneapolis. This is an emergency. In this all‑new Quick Reaction Pod edition of Independent Americans, host Paul Rieckhoff checks in from a flash studio at MSNBC to break down what happened, why everyone saw it coming, and what could unf...

Independent Americans host Paul Rieckhoff returns with an all-new bonus pod, sharing his urgent conversation with longtime friend Rachel Maddow from MS NOW’s The Rachel Maddow Show. Rachel takes listeners into the “way, way back machine” to Paul’s early days in politics and media, his time in Iraq, and why the unfolding crisis in Venezuela feels like Iraq all over again—only worse. Together they b...

Pardons, Pipe Bombs and the Campaign to Make You Forget. Stephen Miller: “Greenland Should be Part of the US” What About the War Crimes? Maduro Arraigned. Trump’s Runaway Train Effect. Congrats, Montana St.  On the fifth anniversary of January 6th, Independent Americans host Paul Rieckhoff broadcasts from a dark, gloomy New York City morning that looks and feels like the day the Capitol was attack...

Donald Trump isn't just looking to transform America anymore; he’s looking to dominate the Western Hemisphere. In this urgent debrief, Paul Rieckhoff breaks down why the recent moves in Venezuela are not a distraction from the Epstein files or cabinet scandals—they are the next phase of a disciplined, high-speed plan to consolidate power before time runs out. From the takeover of federal instituti...

He Strikes Venezuela & Snatches Maduro.  Blows Past Congress and the American People. Welcome to 2026.  In this special QRP (Quick Response Pod), Independent Americans host Paul Rieckhoff rips into Trump’s New Year’s strike on Venezuela, the snatching of Maduro, and the dawn of America’s Forever War 2.0. He breaks down how Trump blew past Congress, flaunted his power, and opened a new and dang...

In this special holiday "stocking stuffer" episode, the legendary Jason Alexander (Seinfeld, Pretty Woman) joins Paul Rieckhoff to deliver a unique Christmas gift to the Independent Americans community. Moving from a classic "you weren't there" military jab to a sharp, sophisticated joke about the perils of radical honesty in the corporate world, Alexander brings the perfect bl...

It’s time for our Annual Festivus episode with the great, powerful, and wise Jason Alexander! Jason returns again to Independent Americans to help us air our grievances, navigate a truly turbulent holiday season and find some joy worth spreading. From the tragic origins of the Festivus holiday to the "despicable" and "amoral" nature of the Seinfeld characters that the world sti...

It’s Episode 400. A milestone. And while the rest of the world is checking out for the holidays, the machinery of war is heating up. Host Paul Rieckhoff breaks down a chaotic weekend where the "Peace President" launched strikes in Syria, threatened Venezuela with a new "Golden Fleet," and suspended offshore wind farms—all while Congress has left town. This isn't a silent night;...

Independent Veteran candidate, retired Army Lieutenant Colonel, PhD, ultra-marathon champion, and living kidney donor Matt Cavanaugh is a damn impressive leader. And he joins Independent Americans host Paul Rieckhoff from Colorado’s 5th district for an unfiltered, high-energy conversation on why “America is not okay” and why he believes voters are trapped in another “Alien vs. Predator” election w...

Paul welcomes back CBS News national security coordinating producer (and Marine infantry veteran) James LaPorta, one of the most tenacious and respected reporters in the national security and veterans’ space. From the CBS bureau in Washington, LaPorta brings exclusive reporting, deep sourcing and hard-won combat perspective as Paul rips through a wild 48 hours: Trump’s lie-filled prime-time addres...

In this moving and important episode, Paul Rieckhoff sits down with his old friend, acclaimed and courageous director Craig Renaud to discuss his HBO documentary, Armed Only with a Camera: The Life and Death of Brent Renaud , which honors his brother Brent, a brave and renowned journalist killed in Ukraine in 2022. Reflecting on two decades of shared history covering global conflicts, they explore...