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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 Everyone hands it out, some people say they love it, but they don’t. It’s an outdated and disgusting relic from a time long past.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 frightening things. But there are also real life superheroes. Helpers who are rising to the moment. In Iran. In Ukraine. In America. They’re not scared of the monsters.  Meanwhile, too many of our politicians in the US are the monsters. And they are not scared of consequences from voters. You see that in the arrogance of politicians like Florida Senator Marco Rubio, and Texas Governor Greg Abbot, and Herschel Walker. And it’s scary to imagine them in power next year. That’s what you have to fear this Halloween. Not drug dealers putting fentanyl in your kids’ candy.  Some of these monsters will stay in power. Some will gain power. And in two weeks, we’ll see which ones. Until then, there is reason to be vigilant. And reason to be scared.  Halloween is almost here. But nothing’s scarier than the political freak show unfolding before our eyes. And we’re digging into all of it from what’s next for the Jan 6 committee, to the election final stretch, to Putin’s long game on Ukraine. And our guest is a leader in the middle of all of it. And he’s wearing no masks. But he is one of the fellas.  He’s a 43-year-old Illinois Republican Congressman, Air Force combat veteran, political maverick, and fighter of the good fight. And a man of this moment in American politics. He’s catapulted to the forefront of America’s consciousness in the last few months as one of only two republicans on the Select Committee to Investigate the January 6th Attack on the United States Capitol. He’s taking shots from all sides–and he’s fighting back. Per usual.  And he’s wearing no masks. But he is one of the fellas. And he is ready to help us through the scary season. He’s our favorite about to no longer be a Republican. He’s Congressman Adam Kinzinger (@AdamKinzinger).  He first joined us back Episode 149 in January. And again for a special Ukraine War report on Episode 159 in March. And he’s back again now to break it down. Fresh off sending a subpoena to Donald Trump. And you definitely wanna hear what he’s got to share. Every episode of Independent Americans hosted by Paul Rieckhoff is the truth beyond the headlines–and light to contrast the heat of other politics and news shows. It’s content for the 42% of Americans that proudly call themselves independent. And delivers the Righteous Media 5 Is: independence, integrity, information, inspiration and impact. Always with a unique focus on national security, foreign affairs and military and veterans issues. This is another pod to help you stay vigilant. Because vigilance is the price of democracy. In these trying times especially, Independent Americans will continue to be your trusted place for independent news, politics, inspiration and hope.  – Watch the Zoom Discussion “Declaration of Independents: Veterans Sound Off on Repealing Closed Primaries” with our Paul Rieckhoff and Open Primaries. –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.  – WATCH video of Paul and Congressman Kinzinger’s conversation here. -Check the hashtag #LookForTheHelpers. And share yours.  -Find us on social media or www.IndependentAmericans.us. And get cool IA and Righteous hats, t-shirts and other merch.  -Check out other Righteous podcasts like The Firefighters Podcast with Rob Serra, Uncle Montel – The OG of Weed and B Dorm.  Independent Americans is powered by veteran-owned and led Righteous Media. America’s next great independent media company. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

October is the time when the real stars shine. In baseball—and in politics.  Whether it’s Reggie Jackson or Barack Obama. October is the time when victory is determined. The time when the stars shine. Welcome to playoff season. Welcome to the playoffs of politics. And Michael Steele is ready to play ball. In a smart and fun conversation that we recorded on his birthday. Michael served in all levels of elected and government office. The Former Chairman of the Republican National Committee, Former Lt. Gov. Maryland and Political Analyst for MSNBC is also the host of his own influential political podcast. He ran for the Maryland Senate seat in 2016 and is often suggested as a candidate for President. He’s worked in the minors, the majors and all the way up to World Series levels of politics. And he’s joining us in the booth now to make some predictions before the final clashes next month.  Other shows focus on what’s happening. On this pod, we always focus on what’s happening next. And we’re gonna run down every big race in this election season–and predict winners and losers. We also find out whether or not he’ll leave the GOP. And whether or not he’ll run for office again. This pod will go around the horn with more quickness than the Yankees disposing of the Guardians in Game 5. It’s a conversation that will help you get smarter, predict better, and of course, stay vigilant. Every episode of Independent Americans hosted by Paul Rieckhoff is the truth beyond the headlines–and light to contrast the heat of other politics and news shows. It’s content for the 42% of Americans that proudly call themselves independent. And delivers the Righteous Media 5 Is: independence, integrity, information, inspiration and impact. Always with a unique focus on national security, foreign affairs and military and veterans issues. This is another pod to help you stay vigilant. Because vigilance is the price of democracy. In these trying times especially, Independent Americans will continue to be your trusted place for independent news, politics, inspiration and hope.  – Join Friday’s free Zoom Discussion “Declaration of Independents: Veterans Sound Off on Repealing Closed Primaries” with our Paul Rieckhoff and Open Primaries. –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.  – WATCH video of Paul and Michael’s conversation here. -Check the hashtag #LookForTheHelpers on Twitter. And share yours.  -Find us on social media or www.IndependentAmericans.us. And get cool IA and Righteous hats, t-shirts and other merch.  -Check out other Righteous podcasts like The Firefighters Podcast with Rob Serra, Uncle Montel – The OG of Weed and B Dorm.  Independent Americans is powered by Righteous Media. America’s next great independent media company. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Baseball playoffs are here, Halloween is a few weeks away, Election Day is about a month out, and Elon Musk is buying Twitter. And, now is a time to stay vigilant. One of the richest guys in the world is continuing to stick his nose in politics. And along the way, launching rockets into space, while doing weird stuff like launching a new perfume called “Burnt Hair.” Yes, really. It’s a new bottled fragrance available via Musk’s’ Boring Company website. And it’s already sold 10,000 bottles and made over $1M. This is our world, people.  We are living in confusing times. Chaotic times. Stressful times. Bloody times. Overwhelming times. And confusing times. It’s not just America, the entire world is disrupted, disjointed and downright confusing. Yes, these are confusing times. Maybe the most confusing of times. But there is a chance that it all may be the storm before the calm. The fire before the regrowth. The dark before the light.  And we’re gonna get deep into that with our guest in this episode. He’s a man that makes sense of the confusion. Cuts through the chaos with clarity. Understands the depth of the sh$t, but still has hope for the future.  There’s a war being fought. Sometimes you see it. Other times you don’t. But it’s there. Simmering under the surface. Filling the air with hate. Filling the world with conflict. From Ukraine to Syria to North Korea. The world is at war. Even when we say we are finally not at war. If we weren’t at war would we need to spend $817 billion on the military budget for next year? And if we weren’t at war at home would we need another January 6th hearing? If we weren’t at war with each other would we be this fragmented?  The two parties are failing the people. And the people know it. The people always know it before the politicians. But the politicians—at least some of them—are waking up to that reality. And jumping ship, freaking out, starting new shit, eating their own. But the alliances and unity we saw coalesce around 2022 is gone. And the great fragmentation of our politics has really begun.   The wars are raging everywhere, and the consequences are only starting to be felt at home. The COVID pandemic pushed the markets to the brink and now we face a recession which will only help to destabilize the world further. And so as the fires burn, we’ve got the perfect guest. A master of marketing, business, media and politics. He’s the great Prof G, Scott Galloway (@ProfGalloway), and he’s here to break down what the next few months will look like and why the market’s cause for concern might be a reason for you to be optimistic. If every crisis creates opportunity, there should be a hell of a lot of opportunities available. Every episode of Independent Americans hosted by Paul Rieckhoff is the truth beyond the headlines–and light to contrast the heat of other politics and news shows. It’s content for the 42% of Americans that proudly call themselves independent. And delivers the Righteous Media 5 Is: independence, integrity, information, inspiration and impact. Always with a unique focus on national security, foreign affairs and military and veterans issues. This is another pod to help you stay vigilant. Because vigilance is the price of democracy. In these trying times especially, Independent Americans will continue to be your trusted place for independent news, politics, inspiration and hope.  -Get extra content, connect with guests, attend events, get merch discounts and support this show that speaks truth to power by joining us on Patreon.  – WATCH video of Paul and Scott’s conversation here.  -Check the hashtag #LookForTheHelpers on Twitter. And share yours.  -Find us on social media or www.IndependentAmericans.us. And get cool IA and Righteous hats, t-shirts and other merch.  -Check out other Righteous podcasts like The Firefighters Podcast with Rob Serra, Uncle Montel – The OG of Weed and B Dorm.  Independent Americans is powered by Righteous Media. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 the war in Ukraine, he’s our MVP. He’s America’s favorite terrorism expert, a decorated military veteran, an astute analyst, a truth teller, TV terrorism analyst and NY Times bestselling author. He’s the one and only, Malcolm Nance (@MalcolmNance). And he’s back to drop bombs. He’s joined us many times before:  Episode 158 – March, 2022 Episode 104 – March, 2021 Episode 94 – Jan, 2021 Episode 81 – Oct, 2020 Episode 13 – June, 2019  Many of you have been asking when he’d be back. And after spending most of the last 6 months on the battlefields of Ukraine, he’s here, in an exclusive conversation, recorded from a secure site inside Ukraine. Fresh off the front lines of the battlefield with the International Legion of Ukraine–the group of military veterans that Ukrainian President Zelensky created–made up of foreigners from around the world who have joined the fight. It’s an insight into war, politics, media and WTF is NAFO and why it involves memes of dogs. It’s a fascinating and fast-paced conversation that you’ll want to share. Every episode of Independent Americans hosted by Paul Rieckhoff is the truth beyond the headlines–and light to contrast the heat of other politics and news shows. It’s content for the 42% of Americans that proudly call themselves independent. And delivers the Righteous Media 5 Is: independence, integrity, information, inspiration and impact. Always with a unique focus on national security, foreign affairs and military and veterans issues. This is another pod to help you stay vigilant. Because vigilance is the price of democracy. In these trying times especially, Independent Americans will continue to be your trusted place for independent news, politics, inspiration and hope.  -Get extra content, connect with guests, attend events, get merch discounts and support this show that speaks truth to power by joining us on Patreon.  – WATCH video of Paul and Malcolm’s conversation here. –As mentioned in the pod, you can learn more about how to donate to support Malcolm’s unit in Ukraine via the website here.  -Check the hashtag #LookForTheHelpers on Twitter. And share yours.  -Find us on social media or www.IndependentAmericans.us. And get cool IA and Righteous hats, t-shirts and other merch.  -Check out other Righteous podcasts like The Firefighters Podcast with Rob Serra, Uncle Montel – The OG of Weed and B Dorm.  Independent Americans is powered by Righteous Media. America’s next great independent media company. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

  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 the scariest kind of storm of all. The Russian invasion of Ukraine has stalled out. And we were among the first shows to state that the Russians could lose, that the Bear had no teeth. And that message was echoed by all of our expert guests throughout our coverage of the conflict. From Malcolm Nance to Congressman Adam Kinzinger to Matt Gallagher. From Quan Nguyen to Nolan Peterson. The message was clear. And consistent. Ukraine can win this. But Russia will not go quietly this fall.  And for the Russians that means one thing and one thing only. Winter is coming. And the threat of Putin using nukes is growing. Like your host Paul Rieckhoff (@PaulRieckhoff) has said since the beginning, this doesn’t end until Putin is gone. And Putin won’t go easy. So as his mobilization effort pushes his country to the brink of revolution, we have to revisit the greatest threat this situation presents. The nukes. And when it comes to all things nukes, there’s only one guy you want to hear from. Joe Cirincione (@Cirincione) is back. He worked on nuclear weapons policy in Washington for more than 35 years and is one of the top experts in the field. He was the Director for Non-Proliferation at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace and author of Deadly Arsenals: Nuclear, Biological and Chemical Threats, and co-author of Universal Compliance: A Strategy for Nuclear Security. He was the president of Ploughshares Fund, a global security foundation. Taught at the Georgetown University Graduate School of Foreign Service. He’s one of America’s best known weapons experts, appearing frequently in print and on FOX News, MSNBC, CNN, ABC, NBC, PBS, NPR and occasionally on Comedy Central. After joining us for   Episode 141 – Nov. 18, 2021 and Episode 163 – March 28, 2022, Professor Joe is back to drop knowledge bombs about nukes. In an episode you don’t want to miss. Every episode of Independent Americans hosted by Paul Rieckhoff is the truth beyond the headlines–and light to contrast the heat of other politics and news shows. It’s content for the 42% of Americans that proudly call themselves independent. And delivers the Righteous Media 5 Is: independence, integrity, information, inspiration and impact. Always with a unique focus on national security, foreign affairs and military and veterans issues. This is another pod to help you stay vigilant. Because vigilance is the price of democracy. In these trying times especially, Independent Americans will continue to be your trusted place for independent news, politics, inspiration and hope.  -Get extra content, connect with guests, attend events, get merch discounts and support this show that speaks truth to power by joining us on Patreon.  -Read Joe’s latest column in the Washington Post. – WATCH video of Paul and Joe’s conversation here.  -Check the hashtag #LookForTheHelpers on Twitter. And share yours.  -Find us on social media or www.IndependentAmericans.us. And get great IA and Righteous merch.  -Check out other Righteous podcasts like The Firefighters Podcast with Rob Serra, Uncle Montel – The OG of Weed and B Dorm.  Independent Americans is powered by Righteous Media. America’s next great independent media company.

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 (@MattCZeller) is leading it. Matt has been a regular on this show. He’s an activist, an author and a conscience for America. He is one of the leading advocates for veterans, for Afghan allies, and for America. A combat veteran and Army Major that made it out of Afghanistan alive only because of the courage of his Afghan interpreter, Matt’s been paying it forward ever since. He’s the courageous Co-Founder of No One Left Behind, a Truman National Security Fellow, the author of Watches Without Time: An American Soldier in Afghanistan, and a top leader on the powerhouse team at Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America (IAVA).
Matt first joined us to predict the collapse of Afghanistan after the US pullout for Episode 127 in August, 2021. Then again for Episode 138 in October, 2021. He came back a year later in August for Episode 182 in August, 2022 to update us on how bad it’s gotten in Afghanistan. And to take us inside the historic PACT Act fight with Jon Stewart. And to preview the action that needed to be taken for our Afghan allies. 
Now, that action is underway. Last week, along with leaders from the Afghan American, humanitarian and veterans community, Matt started a new firewatch. That means he started a campaign of activists sleeping 24/7 outside the capital until the Afghan Adjustment Act is passed. 
This is democracy at work. This is democracy evolving. This is good trouble. This is the opposite of January 6th. If you were disgusted by that. You’ll be inspired by this. This is hope. And as we say all the time, hope is the oxygen of democracy. And it’s time for a big dose of it. This is a pod that will leave you inspired–and hopeful. 
Every episode of Independent Americans hosted by Paul Rieckhoff @PaulRieckhoff) breaks down the most important news stories–and offers light to contrast the heat of other politics and news shows. It’s independent content for independent Americans. Always with a unique focus on national security, foreign affairs and military and veterans issues. In these trying times especially, Independent Americans is your trusted place for independent news, politics, inspiration and hope. Stay vigilant, America. 
-Get extra content, connect with guests, attend exclusive events, get merch discounts and support this critical show that speaks truth to power by joining our IA community on Patreon. 
-Watch video of Paul Rieckhoff and Matt Zeller’s conversation here.
-Find us on social media or www.IndependentAmericans.us. 
-Represent for the show with some very cool Independent Americans merchandise. 
-Check out the incredible music of Marcus King (featured in the show). 
-Check the hashtag #LookForTheHelpers on Twitter. And share yours. 
-Wanna advertise on the pod? Hit us up. 
-Also check out new episodes of other Righteous Media podcasts including the B Dorm Podcast, The Firefighters Podcast with Rob Serra and Uncle Montel – The OG of Weed. 
Independent Americans is powered by Righteous Media. Righteous is an independent, American, Veteran-owned and led content company. 

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, Chicago, and DC. And just when you thought things couldn’t get dumber, this week, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, looking to out Trump Greg Abbot, sent two planes of undocumented migrants to Martha’s Vineyard. Because that’s what we need right now.  The stupid is back in full force this fall. It’s more contagious than COVID, monkeypox, the flu, and the cooties combined. And it’s everywhere. It’s like the worst reality show on TV. Only it’s real. And you can’t change the channel. Meanwhile, the best reality TV show in the world is the reality of the Ukraine war. And Ukraine is on the march. Reminding America (and the world) what fighting for freedom really looks like. And what the stakes are if you fail.   Other shows cover what’s happening. We cover what’s next.   And we’ll do that again in this episode with our guest, a returning champion, and a leader who wants you, as an independent American, to join her, Andrew Yang, David Jolly and other former partisans in their new venture: The Forward Party. Forward Party Co-Founder and former New Jersey Governor Christine Todd Whitman (@GovCTW) is our guest. The Forward Party is the controversial topic surrounding independent politics that has all of America talking. And we’ll dig into it with one of the top leaders behind it. What does it stand for? Can it work? Why should anyone trust it?  Every episode of Independent Americans with Paul Rieckhoff breaks down the most important news stories–and offers light to contrast the heat of other politics and news shows. It’s independent content for independent Americans. In these trying times especially, Independent Americans is your trusted place for independent news, politics, inspiration and hope. The podcast that helps you stay ahead of the curve–and stay vigilant.  -Watch video of Paul and Christine’s conversation here. –Learn more about the Tunnel 2 Towers run in NYC mentioned on the show. -Get extra content, connect with guests, attend exclusive events, get merch discounts and support this critical show that speaks truth to power by joining our IA community on Patreon.  -Find us on social media and www.IndependentAmericans.us. Where you can also get IA merch.  -Wanna advertise on the pod and reach the most coveted voters in America? Hit us up.  -Also check out new episodes of other Righteous Media podcasts including the B Dorm Podcast, The Firefighters Podcast with Rob Serra and Uncle Montel – The OG of Weed.  Independent Americans is powered by Righteous Media. Righteous is an independent, American, Veteran-owned and led content company.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

 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 DNA of Righteous Media. Host and founder Paul Rieckhoff (@PaulRieckhoff) was there at Ground Zero on 9/11. The Firefighters Podcast with Rob Serra host Rob Serra (@SerraRob) was there at Ground Zero on 9/11. They saw the horror first hand. They were there to witness it in person. The scale. The depth. The scope of it all. And while the rest of us watched in shock on TV, they were there, helping, scrambling through the wreckage trying to find survivors. Trying to find anything. It was as horrible as things can be and no one should ever have to endure what they saw that day. But we can never forget. And part of that never forgetting is the requirement we all have to not look away from the ugliness. To not look away from the horror. If we hope to truly honor the sacrifice of those we lost, and those we continue to lose, we can not ignore the horror. We must truly never forget. So at least here — at Independent Americans and all of the shows produced by Righteous Media — we will never look away. We will never forget. We will honor those sacrifices and we will share the stories of the heroes that survived and the heroes that didn’t. Never forget is more than just a hashtag at Righteous Media. It’s what we do. It’s who we are. Join us. Every episode of Independent Americans with Paul Rieckhoff (@PaulRieckhoff) breaks down the most important news stories–and offers light to contrast the heat of other politics and news shows. It’s independent content for independent Americans. In these trying times especially, Independent Americans is your trusted place for independent news, politics, inspiration and hope. The podcast that helps you stay ahead of the curve–and stay vigilant. Go Deeper: Hear Paul’s full conversation with Rob Serra from Episode 2 of Independent Americans. Hear Rob’s full conversation with Richard Naviasky from Episode 1 of The Firefighters Podcast with Rob Serra, FDNY (Ret.). Hear Rob’s full conversation with Joseph Cammarata from Episode 2 of The Firefighters Podcast with Rob Serra, FDNY (Ret.). Hear Rob’s full conversation with Al Barry from Episode 15 of The Firefighters Podcast with Rob Serra, FDNY (Ret.). Hear Rob’s full conversation with Lila Nordstrom from Episode 14 of The Firefighters Podcast with Rob Serra, FDNY (Ret.). -Get extra content, connect with guests, attend exclusive events, get merch discounts and support this critical show that speaks truth to power by joining our IA community on Patreon. -Find us on social media and www.IndependentAmericans.us. Where you can also get IA merch. -Wanna advertise on the pod and reach the most coveted voters in America? Hit us up. -Also check out new episodes of other Righteous Media podcasts including the B Dorm Podcast, The Firefighters Podcast with Rob Serra and Uncle Montel – The OG of Weed. Independent Americans is powered by Righteous Media. Righteous is an independent, American, Veteran-owned and led content company. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices