{"id":5988,"date":"2026-02-26T19:52:00","date_gmt":"2026-02-26T19:52:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.righteous-media.com\/IndependentAmericans\/trumps-iran-gamble-ukraines-betrayal-mamdanis-spineless-statement-rieckhoff-sounds-off-w-connell-mcshane\/"},"modified":"2026-02-26T19:52:00","modified_gmt":"2026-02-26T19:52:00","slug":"trumps-iran-gamble-ukraines-betrayal-mamdanis-spineless-statement-rieckhoff-sounds-off-w-connell-mcshane","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.righteous-media.com\/IndependentAmericans\/trumps-iran-gamble-ukraines-betrayal-mamdanis-spineless-statement-rieckhoff-sounds-off-w-connell-mcshane\/","title":{"rendered":"Trump&#8217;s Iran Gamble. Ukraine\u2019s Betrayal. Mamdani\u2019s Spineless Statement. Rieckhoff Sounds Off w\/ Connell McShane."},"content":{"rendered":"<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/playlist.megaphone.fm\/?e=\" width=\"100%\" height=\"210\" frameborder=\"0\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p><span>Paul Rieckhoff is stuck in Florida \u2014 airports shut down, snowstorm paralyzing the Northeast \u2014 but he&#8217;s not going quiet. In this special episode, Paul breaks down Trump&#8217;s State of the Union address in real time, delivering the sharpest analysis you won&#8217;t hear anywhere else. The speech clocked in as the longest State of the Union ever delivered. Trump spent exactly three minutes on Iran \u2014 roughly 90 minutes in. Paul calls it what it is: a missed opportunity, a half-made case, and a failure of presidential responsibility.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>The core issue isn&#8217;t whether military action against Iran is on the table \u2014 it clearly is. The pieces are in place. The forces are arrayed. Paul knows what that looks like firsthand; he was in Iraq when the U.S. went to war in 2003. What&#8217;s missing from Trump&#8217;s address is the one thing every commander-in-chief owes the American people before pulling the trigger: an honest accounting of the cost. No mention of consulting Congress. No coalition of allies. No preparation for what a long conflict \u2014 with real American casualties \u2014 could mean. Trump&#8217;s approval rating among independents sits at 26%, down ten points from last year. That number tells the story.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>Then there&#8217;s Ukraine. The United States just abstained from a United Nations vote affirming support for Ukraine \u2014 standing alongside Saudi Arabia. On the four-year anniversary of Russia&#8217;s invasion. Paul, who founded American Veterans for Ukraine, doesn&#8217;t mince words: it&#8217;s a black mark on America&#8217;s record, a moment that demanded moral clarity, and a president who chose silence instead.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>Finally, New York City. Paul weighs in on the viral NYPD snowball incident \u2014 where officers were pelted with ice by a mob \u2014 and the new mayor&#8217;s stunning failure to stand with his police department. Paul breaks down why this moment matters far beyond one incident, and what it signals about a mayor who came into office with the lowest trust from the NYPD in recent memory. This is Independent Americans: straight talk, no party loyalty, and the five I&#8217;s to keep you connected. Stay vigilant.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>-WATCH <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/youtu.be\/UnGEzMKl06w\"><span>full video of this episode here<\/span><\/a><span>.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>-Learn more about Paul\u2019s work to elect a new generation of independent leaders with <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/independentveteransofamerica.org\/\"><span>Independent Veterans of America<\/span><\/a><span>.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>-Learn more about <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/americanveteransforukraine.org\/\"><span>American Veterans for Ukraine here<\/span><\/a><span>.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Connect with Independent Americans:<\/b><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><span>Subscribe on <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/@independentamericans\"><span>YouTube<\/span><\/a><span>, <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/open.spotify.com\/show\/0F1lzdRbTB0XYen8kyEqXe\"><span>Spotify<\/span><\/a><span>, <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/podcasts.apple.com\/us\/podcast\/independent-americans-with-paul-rieckhoff\/id1457899667\"><span>Apple Podcasts<\/span><\/a><span>, and all podcast platforms<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span>Read more at<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/independentamericans.substack.com\"> <span>Substack<\/span><\/a><\/li>\n<li><span>Support ad-free episodes at<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.patreon.com\/independentamericans\"> <span>Patreon<\/span><\/a><span>\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span>Connect: <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/IndependentAmericansUS\/\"><span>Instagram<\/span><\/a><span>\u00a0 \u2022 <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/indy_americans\"><span>X\/Twitter<\/span><\/a><span> \u2022 <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/bsky.app\/profile\/indyamericans.bsky.social\"><span>BlueSky<\/span><\/a><span> \u2022 <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/IndependentAmericansUS\/\"><span>Facebook<\/span><\/a><span>\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span>Follow on social: @PaulRieckhoff on <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/PaulRieckhoff\"><span>X<\/span><\/a><span>, <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/paulrieckhoff\/\"><span>Instagram<\/span><\/a><span>, <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.threads.com\/@paulrieckhoff\"><span>Threads<\/span><\/a><span>, and <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/bsky.app\/profile\/rieckhoff.bsky.social\"><span>Bluesky<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n<p><span>&#8211;<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.patreon.com\/independentamericans\/posts\"><span>Join the movement. Hook into our exclusive Patreon community<\/span><\/a><span> 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<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>&#8211;<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/independentamericans.us\/merch\/\"><span>And get cool IA and Righteous hats, t-shirts and other merch<\/span><\/a><span> now in time for the new year.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>Independent Americans is powered by veteran-owned and led <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/righteous.us\/\"><span>Righteous Media<\/span><\/a><span>.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>And now part of <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/bleav.com\/shows\/independent-americans-with-paul-rieckhoff\/\"><span>the BLEAV network<\/span><\/a><span>!\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<\/p>\n<p>Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See <a href=\"https:\/\/pcm.adswizz.com\">pcm.adswizz.com<\/a> for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Paul Rieckhoff delivers unfiltered analysis from Florida in this special episode \u2014 breaking down Trump&#8217;s State of the Union, the looming threat of military action against Iran, America&#8217;s shameful abstention on Ukraine at the UN, and what NYC&#8217;s new mayor got dangerously wrong with the NYPD. No spin. Just the straight talk independent Americans deserve.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":5989,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-5988","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\/2026\/02\/ia-promo-square-ep450.jpg",1400,1400,false],"landscape":["https:\/\/www.righteous-media.com\/IndependentAmericans\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/ia-promo-square-ep450.jpg",1400,1400,false],"portraits":["https:\/\/www.righteous-media.com\/IndependentAmericans\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/ia-promo-square-ep450.jpg",1400,1400,false],"thumbnail":["https:\/\/www.righteous-media.com\/IndependentAmericans\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/ia-promo-square-ep450-150x150.jpg",150,150,true],"medium":["https:\/\/www.righteous-media.com\/IndependentAmericans\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/ia-promo-square-ep450-300x300.jpg",300,300,true],"large":["https:\/\/www.righteous-media.com\/IndependentAmericans\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/ia-promo-square-ep450-1024x1024.jpg",750,750,true],"1536x1536":["https:\/\/www.righteous-media.com\/IndependentAmericans\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/ia-promo-square-ep450.jpg",1400,1400,false],"2048x2048":["https:\/\/www.righteous-media.com\/IndependentAmericans\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/ia-promo-square-ep450.jpg",1400,1400,false],"post-thumbnail":["https:\/\/www.righteous-media.com\/IndependentAmericans\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/ia-promo-square-ep450.jpg",1400,1400,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":"Paul Rieckhoff delivers unfiltered analysis from Florida in this special episode \u2014 breaking down Trump's State of the Union, the looming threat of military action against Iran, America's shameful abstention on Ukraine at the UN, and what NYC's new mayor got dangerously wrong with the NYPD. No spin. Just the straight talk independent Americans deserve.","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.righteous-media.com\/IndependentAmericans\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5988","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=5988"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.righteous-media.com\/IndependentAmericans\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5988\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.righteous-media.com\/IndependentAmericans\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/5989"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.righteous-media.com\/IndependentAmericans\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5988"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.righteous-media.com\/IndependentAmericans\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=5988"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.righteous-media.com\/IndependentAmericans\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=5988"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}