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Paul Rieckhoff breaks down the longest State of the Union in American history — what Trump said, what he buried, and why the war drums on Iran demand your full attention. From a 100-year-old Korean War hero finally receiving his Medal of Honor to Army vet George Redis sitting in the chamber after being unlawfully detained by ICE, Paul finds the stories that cut through the pageantry. Plus: breaking news from Cuba, the Epstein accountability gap, ICE lawlessness, and something good to get you through the week.

Former three-term Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan left the Democratic Party and is now running for governor of Michigan as an independent — and the latest polls have him tied for the lead. Paul Rieckhoff sits down with Duggan for a candid conversation on why he broke ranks, how he’s building a coalition without party infrastructure, and where he stands on tariffs, ICE, and the State of the Union. This is what the independent movement looks like when it’s actually winning.

A solo Monday dispatch from Tampa: Paul Rieckhoff breaks down the post-Olympics glow, calls out Kash Patel’s $75K taxpayer-funded locker room photo-op, and issues an urgent warning — 40–50% of U.S. deployable air power is now massed near Iran, and nothing is stopping Trump from using it. Plus a major veterans WIN on VA disability benefits, ICE violence in Santa Barbara, and a preview of tomorrow’s interview with independent Michigan governor candidate Mike Duggan.

Union fire captain and independent congressional candidate Mike Thurow joins Paul Rieckhoff to talk about why Wisconsin’s 6th District is “on fire” — and why a firefighter might be exactly what Congress needs. They break down ICE accountability, Trump’s threats to strike Iran without congressional approval, tariffs hurting Wisconsin farmers, and what it takes to run and win as an independent in a deeply red district. Country over party. People over politics. This is Independent Americans.

Paul Rieckhoff goes solo on Episode 445 to sound the alarm: Trump may strike Iran within days, with no vote from Congress and no accountability to the American people. He also breaks down Kristi Noem’s dangerous leadership at DHS, Pete Hegseth’s Pentagon culture war, heartbreaking ICE stories, and why 60% of Danes now see the U.S. as an adversary. Country over party, people over politics — stay vigilant.

Army Ranger, combat vet, and author Adrian Bonenberger just declared his candidacy for Governor of Connecticut as an independent — and he’s bringing a bold, historically-rooted idea to restore citizen-soldier democracy from the ground up.

Four independent veterans are running for US Senate in 2026 with a plan to break the two-party stranglehold on Congress. Todd Achilles in Idaho and Ty Pinkins in Mississippi join Paul Rieckhoff and Open Primaries founder John Updike to discuss how they’re turning the “spoiler” myth on its head and building an independent fulcrum that could reshape American politics.

In this special episode, Paul Rieckhoff reads an op-ed he co-authored with John Opdycke that challenges the narrative that independent voters don’t matter. Despite new Gallup polling showing independents now represent 45% of all American voters—the highest number recorded in modern history—the political establishment continues to dismiss them as “leaners” who are really just partisans in disguise, or “spoilers” who siphon votes from legitimate candidates.

From Paul: “Chuck gave me the time and space to really lay it all out. From Trump’s plans for ICE and the Pentagon, to the legacy of Vietnam in politics, to what I’m building for independent vet candidates with IVA and in independent media with my show. And, we talk football, morning routines, FallOut, and if I’ll ever run for office. It’s smart, fast and fun. And if you dig my show, I think you’ll enjoy and appreciate it. Happy weekend people!”

In the midst of chaos and political turmoil, our children are facing unprecedented challenges—from ICE enforcement creating fear in schools to the dismantling of public education and lingering COVID trauma. Award-winning journalist Anya Kamenetz joins Paul Rieckhoff to expose the secret war being waged on America’s kids and offer pathways to hope, resilience, and collective action.