NEW EPISODE · AUGUST 11, 2026 · EP 597
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Vol. V · No. 597Wednesday Edition
Righteous MediaSince 1776. Est. 2019

Episode 460

Will Trump Call for a Draft

Trump’s Iran war is escalating, American troops and civilians are dying, and the truth is already becoming the first casualty—again.

The Brief

→ Four things from today’s episode
01

Why the primary is the election. 95% of U.S. House races across Connecticut, Minnesota, Vermont, and Wisconsin are uncompetitive in November

02

The hard number. 935,892 unaffiliated Connecticut voters — 41.5% of the state — locked out of today's closed primary

03

Connecticut's real registration breakdown. independents 935K, Democrats 792K, Republicans 489K — independents are first

04

129,563 Connecticut veterans caught in the lockout, with an. 129,563 Connecticut veterans caught in the lockout, with an estimated 63,000 identifying as independent



Trump’s Iran war is escalating, American troops and civilians are dying, and the truth is already becoming the first casualty—again. In this all-new solo episode 460 of Independent Americans, Paul Rieckhoff breaks down why the conflict feels like Vietnam all over again, what U.S. intelligence is really saying about regime change, and why American flag-draped caskets coming home must never be normalized. From a horrific school bombing in Iran to drone terror in Ukraine and rising ISIS-inspired threats in New York City, he connects the front lines overseas to the streets where you live, while calling out chicken hawks, failed leadership, and the propaganda pouring out of Trump’s White House.​

Paul also spotlights the leaders and movements actually rising to the moment—from retired Admiral Mike Mullen and independent journalist Scott MacFarlane to emerging independent candidates like veteran Seth Bodnar in Montana. He honors anti-war legend Country Joe McDonald, amplifies NFL great Ed Reed’s rejection of White House war hype, and previews his appearance with Stephen Colbert—inviting new listeners into a growing, hopeful independent movement that puts country over party, people over politics, and light over heat.