About this episode
Independent Americans with Paul Rieckhoff is back with a special bonus pod featuring Paul’s full appearance on MSNBC’s Nightcap with Stephanie Ruhle’s 11th Hour, bringing an independent, patriotic, candid, action-focused perspective into the cable news crossfire. Drawing on his experience as founder of Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America and host of this show, Paul explains why “we are no longer the good guys” in the eyes of many around the world and how Trump’s behavior is shredding decades of trust with allies who fought and bled alongside us in places like Afghanistan and Iraq, including furious NATO partners such as Denmark and Norway. He breaks down how the scheme to “take” Greenland could have triggered NATO’s Article 5 against the United States and why veterans across the globe are speaking out.
Paul warns that Trump is “all gas, no brakes,” charting a plan to dominate America in 2025 and the Western Hemisphere in 2026 while Congress and traditional guardrails fail to stop him. He details the real risk of abusing the Insurrection Act, deploying federal forces against Americans at home, and turning law enforcement into a political weapon against citizens, veterans, cops, and kids—arguing that if it can happen to them, it can happen to you. He also dives into Trump’s war on the media and the truth itself, drawing a direct line from attacks on NPR, the Washington Post, CNN, and Stars and Stripes to efforts to twist TikTok and X into the most powerful propaganda machines on the planet, with TikTok’s ownership split between Trump allies and Chinese interests creating both a national security crisis and an information warfare nightmare.
Amid looming snowstorms at home, Paul contrasts Trump’s dishonorable conduct with the courage of President Zelensky and the resilience of the Ukrainian people, who endure a daily storm of drones, missiles, and freezing conditions in the name of freedom. He argues that Zelensky is showing the kind of leadership America once modeled—and that we can and must learn from that example right now.
Because every episode of Independent Americans with Paul Rieckhoff breaks down the most important news stories--and offers light to contrast the heat of other politics and news shows. It’s 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--and stay vigilant.
-WATCH video of this episode on YouTube now.
-Learn more about Paul’s work to elect a new generation of independent leaders with Independent Veterans of America.
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