Episodes

  • Xi flexes vs Trump on Taiwan. The no-BS briefing on Iran, Ukraine & China with Preston Stewart.

    Xi flexes vs Trump on Taiwan. The no-BS briefing on Iran, Ukraine & China with Preston Stewart.
    May 14 2026
    The Breakout YouTube National Security Star on How Do We Know What’s True? The Drone War is War Now. Independent Media and War Coverage. Air Force Saves 11 After Plane Crash. Who can we believe on national security? That's the question driving this conversation. Paul sits down with Preston Stewart — West Point grad, two-tour Afghanistan combat veteran, field artillery officer, and the independent national security analyst who has built a million-plus YouTube following by cutting through the spin. They open with Iran, where the ceasefire is buying time but solving nothing, where Iran's missile and drone capacity is far less degraded than the White House claims, and where the Strait of Hormuz remains a loaded gun aimed at the global economy. Then they widen the aperture to Xi Jinping flexing on Taiwan, a Chinese regime that plays a hundred-year game while Washington burns through munitions in months. From there it's Ukraine — where, for the first time since 2022, Kyiv has the momentum, hammering Russian air defense, oil refineries, and logistics deep behind the lines with homegrown long-range drones. Preston breaks down the kinetic sanctions strategy, the magazine-depth problem haunting the Pentagon, the terrorism threat we've quietly back-burnered, and the domestic deployments Trump is telegraphing for the World Cup summer. It's a no-BS conversation about what's actually happening on the modern battlefield, why independent veteran voices are filling the vacuum corporate media left behind, and why staying focused — on Iran, on Ukraine, on Taiwan — is now an act of citizenship. -WATCH full video of this episode here. -Join IVA and stand up to Trump’s Forever Wars. -Learn more about Paul’s work to elect a new generation of independent leaders with Independent Veterans of America. -Learn more about American Veterans for Ukraine here. -Remember Independent is an Attitude. -Learn more about The Headstrong Project for Veterans, Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors (TAPS), and Department of Veterans Affairs resources in your area. Seeking support is not a sign of weakness. It’s a show of strength. If you or a loved one are in immediate crisis, dial 988 and press 1, or text 838255. Connect with Independent Americans: Subscribe on YouTube, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and all podcast platformsRead more at SubstackSupport ad-free episodes at Patreon Connect: Instagram • X/Twitter • BlueSky • Facebook Follow on social: @PaulRieckhoff on X, Instagram, Threads, and Bluesky -Join the movement. Hook into our exclusive Patreon community of Independent Americans. Get extra content, connect with guests, meet other Independent Americans, attend events, get merch discounts, and support this show that speaks truth to power. -And get cool IA and Righteous hats, t-shirts and other merch now in time for the new year. Independent Americans is powered by veteran-owned and led Righteous Media. And now part of the BLEAV network! Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
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    47 mins
  • Hurricane Trump Hits China. Intel Shows Iran Still Has Lots of Missiles w/ Brian Bengs - Independent Candidate for US Senate - South Dakota..

    Hurricane Trump Hits China. Intel Shows Iran Still Has Lots of Missiles w/ Brian Bengs - Independent Candidate for US Senate - South Dakota..
    May 13 2026
    Army Cuts Training - Short Billions of Dollars From Iran and Border. Producer Prices Jump 6%. Dem Wins Nebraska Senate Primary-Will Drop Out to Support Independent Dan Osborn. Jason Collins, RIP. China is having a very good week. Trump landed in Beijing after a True Social tirade calling Barack Obama "the most demonic force in American politics," the Pentagon is asking for $1.5 trillion with no accountability, and new classified intel shows Iran has regained operational access to 30 of 33 missile sites around the Strait of Hormuz. The forever-war machine that was supposed to be "fast and easy" is now a sucking chest wound — bleeding the Army of $4-6 billion in training dollars, driving diesel up 13%, and handing Xi Jinping leverage he didn't have to earn. Paul Rieckhoff lays out the morning briefing with no-BS clarity, then rides into a conversation with the kind of leader the angry middle has been waiting for. Our Meet the Independent Candidates Series continues as Brian Bengs returns — the Navy and Air Force veteran, former Air Force Academy law professor, and independent candidate for U.S. Senate in South Dakota — joins from the trailer outside the house he's still trying to finish. He talks about the cowboy code, the Bushido code, and why every public servant needs a creed. He breaks down why Mike Rounds' refusal to do his constitutional job on the Iran war is a systemic failure, why 98% of Rounds' money comes from corporate PACs while Bengs runs on small-dollar donors, and why the path is suddenly clearer for independent veterans like Dan Osborn in Nebraska and Bengs in South Dakota. This is what the rising independent veteran cavalry actually looks like — boots on the ground, talking to neighbors at the gas pump, riding for the brand of regular Americans. -WATCH full video of this episode here. -Check out Brian’s campaign and support him here. -Join IVA and stand up to Trump’s Forever Wars. -Learn more about Paul’s work to elect a new generation of independent leaders with Independent Veterans of America. -Learn more about American Veterans for Ukraine here. -Remember Independent is an Attitude. -Learn more about The Headstrong Project for Veterans, Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors (TAPS), and Department of Veterans Affairs resources in your area. Seeking support is not a sign of weakness. It’s a show of strength. If you or a loved one are in immediate crisis, dial 988 and press 1, or text 838255. Connect with Independent Americans: Subscribe on YouTube, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and all podcast platformsRead more at SubstackSupport ad-free episodes at Patreon Connect: Instagram • X/Twitter • BlueSky • Facebook Follow on social: @PaulRieckhoff on X, Instagram, Threads, and Bluesky -Join the movement. Hook into our exclusive Patreon community of Independent Americans. Get extra content, connect with guests, meet other Independent Americans, attend events, get merch discounts, and support this show that speaks truth to power. -And get cool IA and Righteous hats, t-shirts and other merch now in time for the new year. Independent Americans is powered by veteran-owned and led Righteous Media. And now part of the BLEAV network! Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
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    1 hr and 1 min
  • Hegseth & Caine Testify for $1.5 TRILLION for More Forever War. Kash/Crash Patel Testifies Too.

    Hegseth & Caine Testify for $1.5 TRILLION for More Forever War. Kash/Crash Patel Testifies Too.
    May 13 2026
    Inflation Jumps 3.8%. Trump Disapproval on Economy Hits 70%! Senator McConnell is Not Well. Osborn Leads Ricketts in Nebraska. Mendoza Gives Trump the Stiff-arm. Kari Lake Appointed Ambassador to Jamaica!? It's Testimony Tuesday and the corruption is on full display. Hegseth and Joint Chiefs Chairman Dan Caine are on the Hill asking Congress for $1.5 trillion more for the Pentagon — a Christmas tree budget designed to bankroll the unauthorized Iran war and whatever comes next, whether that's Venezuela, Greenland, Mexico, or Cuba. Buried in the same hearing: the Pentagon's own CFO admitting the Iran tab is now $29 billion and counting, $4 billion more than Americans were told. Gas is up, beef is up, tomatoes are up 40%, inflation just hit a five-year high, and 70% of the country disapproves of Trump on the economy. The pigs are at the trough and the rest of us are getting screwed. Paul breaks down why the December defense vote is the real fight, why Hegseth's open defiance of Congress on Ukraine aid is impeachment-grade, and why FBI Director Crash Patel spending his testimony defending his sobriety is not a sign of a healthy republic. He hits the Mitch McConnell mid-hearing meltdown — fitness, not age, is the metric — calls out Kari Lake being shipped to Jamaica, flags Dan Osborn pulling ahead of Pete Ricketts in Nebraska, and closes with the people stepping up to be the vaccine: nurses on International Nurses Day, Ukrainian medics under shellfire, and the new Astronauts for America. Righteous anger, patriotic hope, no BS. -WATCH full video of this episode here. -Join IVA and stand up to Trump’s Forever Wars. -Learn more about Paul’s work to elect a new generation of independent leaders with Independent Veterans of America. -Learn more about American Veterans for Ukraine here. -Remember Independent is an Attitude. -Learn more about The Headstrong Project for Veterans, Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors (TAPS), and Department of Veterans Affairs resources in your area. Seeking support is not a sign of weakness. It’s a show of strength. If you or a loved one are in immediate crisis, dial 988 and press 1, or text 838255. Connect with Independent Americans: Subscribe on YouTube, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and all podcast platformsRead more at SubstackSupport ad-free episodes at Patreon Connect: Instagram • X/Twitter • BlueSky • Facebook Follow on social: @PaulRieckhoff on X, Instagram, Threads, and Bluesky -Join the movement. Hook into our exclusive Patreon community of Independent Americans. Get extra content, connect with guests, meet other Independent Americans, attend events, get merch discounts, and support this show that speaks truth to power. -And get cool IA and Righteous hats, t-shirts and other merch now in time for the new year. Independent Americans is powered by veteran-owned and led Righteous Media. And now part of the BLEAV network! Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
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    37 mins
  • Iran Peace Deal Crumbles Again. Trump Heads to China. ICE Runs Rampant.

    Iran Peace Deal Crumbles Again. Trump Heads to China. ICE Runs Rampant.
    May 11 2026
    RFK JR on Hantavirus: We’re not worried about it. American Passengers Exposed Land in U.S. Body of an American soldier missing in Morocco recovered. Iran is the worst ceasefire in history — announced, broken, and now on “life support” — and two-thirds of the country wants no part of this forever war. Paul Rieckhoff opens Episode 519 with a no-BS read on what happens when an administration runs all gas, no brakes into a third month of bombing: gas prices stay punishingly high, the Strait of Hormuz stays closed, and the Chinese sit back and smile as 41% of our Navy is tied down outside Iran. Now Trump is heading to Beijing for a trade fight with Xi, with Tim Cook and possibly Elon Musk in tow, while Taiwan quietly slides onto the table. From there it's a quick-fire briefing across the stories the cable nets are letting fall below the radar — ICE pulling a gun on a New York City teenager and dumping him bloodied across town, another lethal kinetic strike on an alleged drug boat off Venezuela with no accounting for the survivor, the loss of First Lieutenant Lamont Key Jr. during the African Lion exercise off Morocco, hantavirus quarantines at the only federally funded unit we have left, and a Russian Victory Day parade visibly hollowed out by Ukrainian drone pressure. Paul closes with Manosphere Monday's artist of the week — Ice-T, Army veteran and free-speech warrior — a Mother's Day salute to NYPD ESU officers who pulled a woman back from a Brooklyn ledge, and a reminder that the independent movement is the oxygen of this democracy. -WATCH full video of this episode here. -Check out Paul on Piers Morgan Uncensored. -Join IVA and stand up to Trump’s Forever Wars. -Learn more about Paul’s work to elect a new generation of independent leaders with Independent Veterans of America. -Learn more about American Veterans for Ukraine here. -Remember Independent is an Attitude. -Learn more about The Headstrong Project for Veterans, Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors (TAPS), and Department of Veterans Affairs resources in your area. Seeking support is not a sign of weakness. It’s a show of strength. If you or a loved one are in immediate crisis, dial 988 and press 1, or text 838255. Connect with Independent Americans: Subscribe on YouTube, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and all podcast platformsRead more at SubstackSupport ad-free episodes at Patreon Connect: Instagram • X/Twitter • BlueSky • Facebook Follow on social: @PaulRieckhoff on X, Instagram, Threads, and Bluesky -Join the movement. Hook into our exclusive Patreon community of Independent Americans. Get extra content, connect with guests, meet other Independent Americans, attend events, get merch discounts, and support this show that speaks truth to power. -And get cool IA and Righteous hats, t-shirts and other merch now in time for the new year. Independent Americans is powered by veteran-owned and led Righteous Media. And now part of the BLEAV network! Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
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    34 mins
  • Trump Has Become the Establishment Trump Takes On the Indiana Primaries, Thomas Massie and Mark Kelly

    Trump Has Become the Establishment Trump Takes On the Indiana Primaries, Thomas Massie and Mark Kelly
    May 11 2026
    Trump ran as the anti-establishment wrecking ball. Two years back in Washington, he is the establishment — and Indiana voters know it. In this episode, Paul Rieckhoff breaks down the first real battle in the war for the soul of the Republican Party: Trump-backed challengers eating incumbents in a state Mike Pence used to own, while libertarian-leaning Hoosiers tell canvassers they don't want Washington's thumb on the scale, no matter whose thumb it is. The bigger story sits just outside the frame: 40% of Indiana is independent, locked out of a closed primary, and that's where the real action is for 2026 and 2028. From there, Paul looks two weeks down the road at Thomas Massie — the Kentucky congressman Trump is spending extraordinary political capital trying to destroy over Epstein files, deficit hawkishness, and opposition to a new Iran war. Is there still a place for a Massie or a Don Bacon inside the GOP, or does the independent lane finally crack open? Then Paul takes the case of Senator Mark Kelly to MSNBC: a decorated Navy combat veteran, astronaut, and Armed Services Committee member that Pete Hegseth is trying to demote for reminding troops they can refuse illegal orders. It's a direct attack on free speech for two million military retirees and a chilling signal to every active-duty service member watching. This is what the angry middle is up against — and why staying vigilant isn't optional. -WATCH full video of this episode here. -Join IVA and stand up to Trump’s Forever Wars. -Learn more about Paul’s work to elect a new generation of independent leaders with Independent Veterans of America. -Learn more about American Veterans for Ukraine here. -Remember Independent is an Attitude. -Learn more about The Headstrong Project for Veterans, Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors (TAPS), and Department of Veterans Affairs resources in your area. Seeking support is not a sign of weakness. It’s a show of strength. If you or a loved one are in immediate crisis, dial 988 and press 1, or text 838255. Connect with Independent Americans: Subscribe on YouTube, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and all podcast platformsRead more at SubstackSupport ad-free episodes at Patreon Connect: Instagram • X/Twitter • BlueSky • Facebook Follow on social: @PaulRieckhoff on X, Instagram, Threads, and Bluesky -Join the movement. Hook into our exclusive Patreon community of Independent Americans. Get extra content, connect with guests, meet other Independent Americans, attend events, get merch discounts, and support this show that speaks truth to power. -And get cool IA and Righteous hats, t-shirts and other merch now in time for the new year. Independent Americans is powered by veteran-owned and led Righteous Media. And now part of the BLEAV network! Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
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    9 mins
  • "It Looks Like He's Folding" — Paul Rieckhoff on Trump's Iran Peace Memo

    "It Looks Like He's Folding" — Paul Rieckhoff on Trump's Iran Peace Memo
    May 10 2026

    The White House wants you to believe the Iran war is winding down. A one-page memo. A ceasefire. A market bump. But missiles are still flying on both sides, an Apache just lit up six speedboats, and the regime that murdered tens of thousands of its own people — and 13 Americans — is still very much in charge. Paul Rieckhoff sits down for a no-BS solo briefing on Trump's Iran framework, the four goals the administration set on day one, and why only one of them — eliminating Iran's Navy — looks anything like accomplished.

    This is the analysis the cable shows won't give you: where is the enriched uranium, who actually wins if sanctions get lifted and U.S. forces pull back, and why the Iranian regime is openly betting it can wait Trump out the way insurgents waited out America in Vietnam, Iraq, and Afghanistan. Paul lays out the strategic picture, the political incentives behind spiking the ball early, and the one barometer that will actually tell us whether this ended in a win — the Iranian people themselves. If you're in the Angry Middle and tired of being sold easy answers about forever wars, this one is for you.

    -WATCH full video of this episode here.

    -Join IVA and stand up to Trump’s Forever Wars.

    -Learn more about Paul’s work to elect a new generation of independent leaders with Independent Veterans of America.

    -Learn more about American Veterans for Ukraine here.

    -Remember Independent is an Attitude.

    -Learn more about The Headstrong Project for Veterans, Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors (TAPS), and Department of Veterans Affairs resources in your area. Seeking support is not a sign of weakness. It’s a show of strength. If you or a loved one are in immediate crisis, dial 988 and press 1, or text 838255.

    Connect with Independent Americans:

    • Subscribe on YouTube, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and all podcast platforms
    • Read more at Substack
    • Support ad-free episodes at Patreon
    • Connect: Instagram • X/Twitter • BlueSky • Facebook
    Follow on social: @PaulRieckhoff on X, Instagram, Threads, and Bluesky

    -Join the movement. Hook into our exclusive Patreon community of Independent Americans. Get extra content, connect with guests, meet other Independent Americans, attend events, get merch discounts, and support this show that speaks truth to power.

    -And get cool IA and Righteous hats, t-shirts and other merch now in time for the new year.

    Independent Americans is powered by veteran-owned and led Righteous Media.

    And now part of the BLEAV network!


    Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
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    8 mins
  • Worst Truce Ever. U.S. Fires on Tankers. Trump Tries to Silence Sen Kelly.

    Worst Truce Ever. U.S. Fires on Tankers. Trump Tries to Silence Sen Kelly.
    May 9 2026
    Deal Team Six?? Pentagon Releases UFO/UAP Files. Antisemitic Firebomber Gets Life. Stupid Tariffs Ruled Illegal. Dems Slammed in VA. Charlemagne vs Dana White. Bigfoot in Ohio. WNBA Season Begins. Happy Mother’s Day! The truce isn't a truce. The U.S. Navy is firing on Iranian-flagged oil tankers in the Strait of Hormuz, gas is climbing toward five bucks a gallon in Ohio, and Trump is on record saying he's fine with $200-a-barrel oil — as long as the war grinds on. Meanwhile, the administration is hauling Senator Mark Kelly back into court to silence a decorated Navy combat veteran and astronaut, sending a clear message to two million military retirees and every troop in uniform: shut up and fall in line. Paul Rieckhoff delivers a solo Friday briefing on what the MAGA machine is actually doing while you're trying to plan Mother's Day brunch. From the Pentagon's convenient new tranche of UFO files dropping the same week the Epstein files pressure builds, to Don Jr. and Eric landing Air Force drone contracts through their American Venture firm, to a Virginia court torching the Democrats' redistricting gambit — this episode lays out how the rigged two-party system keeps failing the angry middle. Paul also gets into Dana White's bogus apolitical act, Olivia Pichardo making NCAA D1 baseball history, and why the spirit of America's mothers — perseverance, humility, and the golden rule — is exactly the operating system this country needs right now. -WATCH full video of this episode here. -Check out Tracy Bonham and Steady Buckets for Something Good. -Join IVA and stand up to Trump’s Forever Wars. -Learn more about Paul’s work to elect a new generation of independent leaders with Independent Veterans of America. -Learn more about American Veterans for Ukraine here. -Remember Independent is an Attitude. -Learn more about The Headstrong Project for Veterans, Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors (TAPS), and Department of Veterans Affairs resources in your area. Seeking support is not a sign of weakness. It’s a show of strength. If you or a loved one are in immediate crisis, dial 988 and press 1, or text 838255. Connect with Independent Americans: Subscribe on YouTube, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and all podcast platformsRead more at SubstackSupport ad-free episodes at Patreon Connect: Instagram • X/Twitter • BlueSky • Facebook Follow on social: @PaulRieckhoff on X, Instagram, Threads, and Bluesky -Join the movement. Hook into our exclusive Patreon community of Independent Americans. Get extra content, connect with guests, meet other Independent Americans, attend events, get merch discounts, and support this show that speaks truth to power. -And get cool IA and Righteous hats, t-shirts and other merch now in time for the new year. Independent Americans is powered by veteran-owned and led Righteous Media. And now part of the BLEAV network! Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
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    36 mins
  • Trump Deal or No Deal on Iran? New Names Same War.

    Trump Deal or No Deal on Iran? New Names Same War.
    May 7 2026
    Kamikaze Dolphins. They’re Still Hitting “Drug Boats”. Trump Wins Payback in Indiana. DJT’s Workout Schedule. FDA Blocked Release of Research Finding Covid & Shingles Vax Were Safe. Colbert 2028? Ted Turner, RIP. Bye, Spirit! They're playing name games to dodge accountability. Operation Epic Fury became Project Freedom overnight — and Congress still hasn't authorized a damn thing. In episode 515, Paul Rieckhoff delivers a solo briefing on Trump's Iran proposal, the unsecured Strait of Hormuz, the enriched uranium still sitting in Tehran, and a regime that's still very much in place. New name, same war. Same forever war. And the most powerful military the world has ever seen is being driven all gas, no brakes by one man with no one stopping him. From there Paul rips through the stories most cable shows are too scared or too distracted to cover: 180-plus people killed in extrajudicial boat strikes, a national debt now bigger than the entire U.S. economy, a $1.5 trillion defense budget request, the FDA suppressing vaccine safety data, kamikaze dolphin questions at the Pentagon, Russian strikes on a kindergarten in Sumi, and the fight for the soul of the GOP playing out in Indiana and Kentucky. He closes with a case for recruiting more independent celebrity candidates, a sendoff for Ted Turner and the cable news era he built, and a reminder that 45% of Americans are now politically homeless — and that's not a problem, that's the movement. -WATCH full video of this episode here. -Join IVA and stand up to Trump’s Forever Wars. -Learn more about Paul’s work to elect a new generation of independent leaders with Independent Veterans of America. -Learn more about American Veterans for Ukraine here. -Remember Independent is an Attitude. -Learn more about The Headstrong Project for Veterans, Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors (TAPS), and Department of Veterans Affairs resources in your area. Seeking support is not a sign of weakness. It’s a show of strength. If you or a loved one are in immediate crisis, dial 988 and press 1, or text 838255. Connect with Independent Americans: Subscribe on YouTube, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and all podcast platformsRead more at SubstackSupport ad-free episodes at Patreon Connect: Instagram • X/Twitter • BlueSky • Facebook Follow on social: @PaulRieckhoff on X, Instagram, Threads, and Bluesky -Join the movement. Hook into our exclusive Patreon community of Independent Americans. Get extra content, connect with guests, meet other Independent Americans, attend events, get merch discounts, and support this show that speaks truth to power. -And get cool IA and Righteous hats, t-shirts and other merch now in time for the new year. Independent Americans is powered by veteran-owned and led Righteous Media. And now part of the BLEAV network! Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
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    26 mins