NEW EPISODE · JULY 2, 2026 · EP 565
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Vol. V · No. 565Friday Edition
Righteous MediaSince 1776. Est. 2019

Episode 434

Is Trump Softening on ICE

  The news is flying. And we’re keeping you ahead of it.

The Brief

→ Four things from today’s episode
01

Ken Burns on why the founders would be shocked not by a stro. Ken Burns on why the founders would be shocked not by a strongman but by a Congress that abdicated Article I

02

The Wounded Knee medals reversal and what Burns calls "obvio. The Wounded Knee medals reversal and what Burns calls "obvious racist editing" of American history

03

Renaming forts back to Confederate generals. traitors, in Burns' words — and the cost of that message

04

Baseball as a barometer of America. immigration, Jackie Robinson, and why every player wears 42 on April 15




 

The news is flying. And we’re keeping you ahead of it. And focused on what matters most. Paul is joined by the venerable Chuck Todd—host of the Chuck Toddcast and former moderator of NBC’s Meet the Press and more— for a raw, candid, often funny kitchen-table conversation America needs right now that takes you behind the curtain on media, news and politics. They break down ICE agents leaving “death cards” with white supremacist history, detaining citizens, and now, local cops; Jeff Bezos’s gutting of the Washington Post and layoffs hitting reporters in war zones; and how billionaire power—from Bezos and Musk to Trump—is hollowing out the Fourth Estate and putting our democracy, national security, and truth itself up for sale. They also unpack the TV show Fallout’s dystopian world of bunkered elites and abandoned wastelands, and what it reveals about America’s rapidly-growing anti-corporate mood cutting across all political lines. 

Together, Paul and Chuck go hard at the rise of independent voters and candidates, the promise of open primaries and mayors, and the pivotal role veterans and independent leaders will play in the next political realignment. They talk Jesse Ventura, Ross Perot, Bill McRaven, The Rock, Mark Cuban, Matthew McConaughey, Dan Osborne, Todd Achilles, and the real possibility that a celebrity or billionaire like Elon Musk or Jeff Bezos could hijack—or turbocharge—the independent movement. If you’re furious at ICE, worried about the attacks on the press, disgusted with both parties, and hungry for independent, patriotic analysis that refuses to bow to the Democratic Party, the Republican Party, Trump, Bezos, Musk or any corporate overlord, this episode is for you—and a call to declare your independence, stay vigilant, and choose country over party, people over politics, and light over heat.

Because 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 this episode on YouTube now.