{"id":5816,"date":"2025-11-26T00:56:00","date_gmt":"2025-11-26T00:56:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.righteous-media.com\/IndependentAmericans\/381-paul-rieckhoff-if-they-do-it-to-sen-mark-kelly-they-can-do-it-to-you-the-threat-to-2m-military-retirees-the-fbi-pentagon-trumps-new-dual-political-attack-ukraine-on-the-edge\/"},"modified":"2025-11-26T00:56:00","modified_gmt":"2025-11-26T00:56:00","slug":"381-paul-rieckhoff-if-they-do-it-to-sen-mark-kelly-they-can-do-it-to-you-the-threat-to-2m-military-retirees-the-fbi-pentagon-trumps-new-dual-political-attack-ukraine-on-the-edge","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.righteous-media.com\/IndependentAmericans\/381-paul-rieckhoff-if-they-do-it-to-sen-mark-kelly-they-can-do-it-to-you-the-threat-to-2m-military-retirees-the-fbi-pentagon-trumps-new-dual-political-attack-ukraine-on-the-edge\/","title":{"rendered":"381. Paul Rieckhoff. If They Do It to Sen Mark Kelly, They Can Do It to You: The Threat to 2M Military Retirees. The FBI &amp; Pentagon: Trump\u2019s New Dual Political Attack. Ukraine on the Edge. 68 Boxes of 9\/11 Info. Chiefs v Cowboys. Duffle Blog For The Win."},"content":{"rendered":"<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/playlist.megaphone.fm\/?e=ANA9259107899\" width=\"100%\" height=\"210\" frameborder=\"0\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>Independent Americans host Paul Rieckhoff (<a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/PaulRieckhoff\"><u>@PaulRieckhoff<\/u><\/a>) rips through one of the most urgent, dangerous stories in American politics right now: Donald Trump and Pete Hegseth\u2019s unprecedented weaponization of the Department of Defense and FBI against Senator Mark Kelly and five other members of Congress, and millions of military retirees\u2014just days before Thanksgiving.\u00a0 Coming to you from the new MS Now (formerly MSNBC) headquarters in Times Square, and after a whirlwind of speaking out, Paul connects the dots between Trump\u2019s escalating attacks, Ukraine\u2019s ongoing fight, 9\/11 first responder revelations, and why this moment demands maximum vigilance from you\u2014and every independent American.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Paul explains how Trump and his \u201cActing\u201d Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth are targeting Senator Mark Kelly and six other members of Congress\u2014sending a chilling message to over two million military retirees\u2014who now fear being dragged back under the Uniform Code of Military Justice for what they post or say.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>This is bigger than Democrat vs. Republican\u2014it is about right vs. wrong, and about whether America is still a place where free speech is protected from government retaliation.<\/p>\n<p>He analyzes Senator Slotkin\u2019s warning about a new FBI counterterrorism inquiry into her after a Trump-criticizing video, and how combining DOD and FBI power into a dual intimidation strike looks less like a democracy and more like the behavior of despots in Russia, North Korea, or Saddam\u2019s Iraq.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>In classic Independent Americans fashion, Paul also hits rapid headlines that everyone should be tracking heading into Thanksgiving: fresh Russian missile and drone attacks on Ukraine, the simmering risk of U.S. strikes on Venezuela, the underreported stakes for National Guard and Reserve members serving in Congress, and new revelations about long-buried documents on the toxic dust that has killed more 9\/11 first responders than were lost on the day itself. He connects it all back to accountability, vigilance, and the open seats at Thanksgiving tables that still remind families of the lasting costs of 9\/11.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>And because this show always brings light, Paul closes with \u201csomething good\u201d: a shout-out to The Duffel Blog\u2014the \u201cOnion for the military\u201d\u2014whose brutal satire of Trump\u2019s \u201cwoke\u201d rhetoric, ICE raids, and Pentagon absurdity offers a sharp, much-needed laugh for vets and civilians alike.<\/p>\n<p>Because every episode of Independent Americans with Paul Rieckhoff breaks down the most important news stories&#8211;and offers light to contrast the heat of other politics and news shows. It\u2019s 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&#8211;and stay vigilant.<\/p>\n<p>&#8211;<a href=\"https:\/\/youtu.be\/oCZhhDiiDPA\"><u>WATCH video of this episode on YouTube now.<\/u><\/a><\/p>\n<p>-Learn more about Paul\u2019s work to elect a new generation of independent leaders with <a href=\"https:\/\/independentveteransofamerica.org\/\"><u>Independent Veterans of America<\/u><\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>&#8211;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.patreon.com\/independentamericans\/posts\"><u>Join the movement. Hook into our exclusive Patreon community<\/u><\/a> 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.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>-Check the hashtag <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/search?q=%23LookForTheHelpers&amp;src=typed_query\"><u>#LookForTheHelpers<\/u><\/a>. And share yours.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>-Find us on social media or <a href=\"http:\/\/www.independentamericans.us\"><u><a href=\"http:\/\/www.IndependentAmericans.us\" rel=\"nofollow\">http:\/\/www.IndependentAmericans.us<\/a><\/u><\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>&#8211;<a href=\"https:\/\/independentamericans.us\/merch\/\"><u>And get cool IA and Righteous hats, t-shirts and other merch<\/u><\/a> now in time for the holidays.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>-Check out other Righteous podcasts like <a href=\"https:\/\/thefirefighters.us\/\"><u>The Firefighters Podcast with Rob Serra<\/u><\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/unclemontel.us\/\"><u>Uncle Montel &#8211; The OG of Weed<\/u><\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/bdorm.us\/\"><u>B Dorm<\/u><\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Independent Americans is powered by veteran-owned and led <a href=\"https:\/\/righteous.us\/\"><u>Righteous Media<\/u><\/a>.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/open.spotify.com\/show\/0F1lzdRbTB0XYen8kyEqXe\"><strong>Spotify<\/strong><\/a> \u2022 <a href=\"https:\/\/podcasts.apple.com\/us\/podcast\/independent-americans-with-paul-rieckhoff\/id1457899667\"><strong>Apple Podcasts<\/strong><\/a><strong> \u2022 <\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/music.amazon.com\/podcasts\/49a684c3-68e1-4a85-8d93-d95027a8ec64\/independent-americans-with-paul-rieckhoff\"><strong>Amazon Podcasts<\/strong><\/a><strong>\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Ways to watch:<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/@independentamericans\"><strong>YouTube<\/strong><\/a><strong> \u2022 <\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/IndependentAmericansUS\/\"><strong>Instagram<\/strong><\/a><strong>\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/indy_americans\"><strong>X\/Twitter<\/strong><\/a> \u2022 <a href=\"https:\/\/bsky.app\/profile\/indyamericans.bsky.social\"><strong>BlueSky<\/strong><\/a> \u2022 <a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/IndependentAmericansUS\/\"><strong>Facebook<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p><strong>Ways to listen:Social channels:<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/p>\n<p>Learn more about your ad choices. Visit <a href=\"https:\/\/megaphone.fm\/adchoices\">megaphone.fm\/adchoices<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Independent Americans host Paul Rieckhoff (@PaulRieckhoff) rips through one of the most urgent, dangerous stories in American politics right now: Donald Trump and Pete Hegseth\u2019s unprecedented weaponization of the Department of Defense and FBI against Senator Mark Kelly and five other members of Congress, and millions of military retirees\u2014just days before Thanksgiving.\u00a0 Coming to you&hellip; <a class=\"more-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.righteous-media.com\/IndependentAmericans\/381-paul-rieckhoff-if-they-do-it-to-sen-mark-kelly-they-can-do-it-to-you-the-threat-to-2m-military-retirees-the-fbi-pentagon-trumps-new-dual-political-attack-ukraine-on-the-edge\/\">Continue reading <span class=\"screen-reader-text\">381. Paul Rieckhoff. If They Do It to Sen Mark Kelly, They Can Do It to You: The Threat to 2M Military Retirees. The FBI &amp; Pentagon: Trump\u2019s New Dual Political Attack. Ukraine on the Edge. 68 Boxes of 9\/11 Info. Chiefs v Cowboys. Duffle Blog For The Win.<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":5817,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-5816","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-episodes","entry"],"rttpg_featured_image_url":{"full":["https:\/\/www.righteous-media.com\/IndependentAmericans\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/230b120f4690606d38ca1eac5a5d05cb.jpg",800,800,false],"landscape":["https:\/\/www.righteous-media.com\/IndependentAmericans\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/230b120f4690606d38ca1eac5a5d05cb.jpg",800,800,false],"portraits":["https:\/\/www.righteous-media.com\/IndependentAmericans\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/230b120f4690606d38ca1eac5a5d05cb.jpg",800,800,false],"thumbnail":["https:\/\/www.righteous-media.com\/IndependentAmericans\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/230b120f4690606d38ca1eac5a5d05cb-150x150.jpg",150,150,true],"medium":["https:\/\/www.righteous-media.com\/IndependentAmericans\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/230b120f4690606d38ca1eac5a5d05cb-300x300.jpg",300,300,true],"large":["https:\/\/www.righteous-media.com\/IndependentAmericans\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/230b120f4690606d38ca1eac5a5d05cb.jpg",750,750,false],"1536x1536":["https:\/\/www.righteous-media.com\/IndependentAmericans\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/230b120f4690606d38ca1eac5a5d05cb.jpg",800,800,false],"2048x2048":["https:\/\/www.righteous-media.com\/IndependentAmericans\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/230b120f4690606d38ca1eac5a5d05cb.jpg",800,800,false],"post-thumbnail":["https:\/\/www.righteous-media.com\/IndependentAmericans\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/230b120f4690606d38ca1eac5a5d05cb.jpg",800,800,false]},"rttpg_author":{"display_name":"admin","author_link":"https:\/\/www.righteous-media.com\/IndependentAmericans\/author\/admin\/"},"rttpg_comment":0,"rttpg_category":"<a href=\"https:\/\/www.righteous-media.com\/IndependentAmericans\/category\/episodes\/\" rel=\"category tag\">Episodes<\/a>","rttpg_excerpt":"Independent Americans host Paul Rieckhoff (@PaulRieckhoff) rips through one of the most urgent, dangerous stories in American politics right now: Donald Trump and Pete Hegseth\u2019s unprecedented weaponization of the Department of Defense and FBI against Senator Mark Kelly and five other members of Congress, and millions of military retirees\u2014just days before Thanksgiving.\u00a0 Coming to you&hellip;&hellip;","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.righteous-media.com\/IndependentAmericans\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5816","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.righteous-media.com\/IndependentAmericans\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.righteous-media.com\/IndependentAmericans\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.righteous-media.com\/IndependentAmericans\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.righteous-media.com\/IndependentAmericans\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=5816"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.righteous-media.com\/IndependentAmericans\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5816\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.righteous-media.com\/IndependentAmericans\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/5817"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.righteous-media.com\/IndependentAmericans\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5816"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.righteous-media.com\/IndependentAmericans\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=5816"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.righteous-media.com\/IndependentAmericans\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=5816"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}