NEW EPISODE · JUNE 18, 2026 · EP 554
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Vol. V · No. 554Thursday Edition
Righteous MediaSince 1776. Est. 2019

The Michael Smerconish Program: Paul Rieckhoff on 3rd Party Candidates After New Hampshire

The Brief

→ Four things from today’s episode
01

Live from the Canyon of Heroes. two million people, FDNY Ladder 10, and fans from Sydney for the Knicks parade

02

Why Paul calls Trump's Iran framework a 'losing deal'. and why Pence and Haley are saying it too

03

'Fair to your enemies'. the curious phrase that gave the whole deal away

04

Operation Midnight Hammer and the gap between 'we obliterate. Operation Midnight Hammer and the gap between 'we obliterated it' and what's actually still standing

Independent voters, like the two of us, played a powerful role in the New Hampshire primary, driving support for Nikki Haley and Dean Phillips. Neither won. But both overperformed and showed the challenges both Trump and Biden will face this November if they are indeed the Democratic and Republican nominees.

Could 2024–finally–be the year in which independent voters get some respect? Or will they continue to suffer the same fate as Rodney Dangerfield in a political culture driven by partisan actors with unlimited budgets and powerful algorithms?

Read the rest of Paul Rieckhoff’s exclusive Op-Ed on Smerconish.com, “Will Anyone Listen to Independents After New Hampshire?” The Michael Smerconish Program, 02/05/24.