← Independent Americans with Paul Rieckhoff
Independent Americans with Paul Rieckhoff
309. Thanksgiving 2024 Special. Matt Gaetz Goes Down. The Salt Typhoon Hack. Women in Combat is a No Brainer. Senator Redneck vs Ukraine. Rogan vs Klitschko. Twitter vs Bluesky. More Independent Veteran Candidate Results.
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A
Power by Righteous Media. We want to talk right down to earth in a language that everybody here can easily understand.
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B
Look in my eyes.
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What do you see? Welcome to Independent Americans. Welcome to episode 309, a pre Thanksgiving special. I'm your host, Paul Rykoff. Yes, Thanksgiving is finally here, and we all need a bit of a break after that election madness. But even during Thanksgiving, now is still a time to stay vigilant.
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I just want to say I think it's okay for people to disagree. As long as there's compassion and kindness in everybody's heart and you meet the middle, that's okay. But for anybody that's pretty down right now and maybe doesn't know how to deal with the anxiety day to day that they find themselves accepting. I just want to tell you something that I believe.
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A
Believe.
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C
I think that. I don't think I know because I've seen it. I think that this toxic patriarchal energy that we are experiencing right now, this is an age coming to an end. And what you're seeing is that energy clinging and clawing for its survival because it knows it's dying. And we are headed towards something very beautiful. And we just got to go through some dark first to get there.
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Okay?
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Love everybody around you. Don't accept anything other than that. And up. That's all.
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A
Now, that's Sturgill Simpson at a live show in Boston. He's one of my favorite musicians on the planet. I've told you about him and played his music on this show before. And that's a good message for all of us as we head into the Thanksgiving break. And here is an early show for you. A bit of my appetizer, if you will, before the main course. That will be the flurry before inauguration on January 20. But let this be your amuse bouche. Let this be your mini franks before you watch a football game, whatever it is, let this be a little dose of independence before you head into your Thanksgiving break. Maybe something to listen to on your drive or on your flight or on your way to work, if you're stuck working. But the message from Sturgill Simpson is one that I hope we can all spread this holiday season. Don't be an asshole. Try to be respectful. Try to be honorable. Try to be truthful. And try not to fight with everybody. Yes, there are important fights to be had, but they don't have to be had in the wrong way. We can still be civil. We can still be nice. We can still be respectful. Now, I'm not asking you to respect fascists or racists or Nazis. I'm just saying don't get in a fight with everybody at Thanksgiving or in the freaking gas line on your way there. We all need to keep the temperature down because a real storm is coming in the next couple of months. And we all have an obligation to remember that our enemies are celebrating every time we fight amongst ourselves. And most of all, especially around the holidays, our kids are watching. So this Thanksgiving, while you're sitting on your couch watching the dismal Dallas Cowboys take on my even more dismal New York Giants, a team that might actually be worse than the cabinet that Trump is putting together, remember that this is a time for reflection. This is a time for rest. This is a time for rejuvenation. And even if Trump decides on Thanksgiving Morning to name Dr. Phil to head NASA, try to stay frosty, try to stay calm. And most of all, remember that even this Thanksgiving, steaks is high. Yeah. Stakes is going to be high in these next couple of months, and we're going to need lots of food, and we're going to need as much civility as we can find, and we're going to need lots of sports and music, all the things that can be a good distraction. So keep taking walks. Keep. Try to keep yourself frosty. And remember that there are things worth celebrating. And remember, none of this is normal, none of this is acceptable, and none of this is inevitable, as we saw this week with a total and complete flameout of Matt Gaetz for Attorney General. So there it is. Matt Gaetz is out, which is a win for America, a win for justice, and a win for basic decency. Like most of the other radical and ridiculous Trump nominees, Gaetz was not normal, he was not acceptable, and he was not inevitable. So there are fights to be won, and there is a very, very important role for independents to continue to call for moderation, because Trump is putting up ridiculous people who aren't qualified, and he's also putting up people who are very, very far from moderate or independent, because we're going to have to continue to hold the line and pay attention to all the other things that are happening, especially the things related to our national security, because there are some very big things happening while everyone else is watching football and basketball and not paying attention. Should I pay more attention? I should be paying more attention. Attention to you. I should be paying more attention to you. I should be paying more attention to you. I should be paying more attention to you. So have you heard about something called Salt Typhoon? If you follow the news religiously Maybe you saw it, but you probably didn't. Salt Typhoon has been called the worst telecom hack in our nation's history. It was a Chinese breach of our telecommunications network that happened over the last couple of weeks. And the hackers targeted the phones also of Donald Trump and his running mate, J.D. vance of Ohio, as well as people working on the campaigns of Vice President Harris and many State Department officials. It's a Chinese government espionage campaign that penetrated more than a dozen US Telecom companies. And the hackers are part of a group called Celt Typhoon. And they've been able to actually listen in on audio calls in real time and have some cases move from one telecom network to another. The Washington Post and many others covered this, and Senator Mark Warner of Virginia is the head of the Intelligence Committee and has been ringing the alarm. Now, here's the most alarming part. According to Warner, the networks are still compromised, and kicking the hackers out could involve physically replacing literally thousands and thousands of pieces of equipment across the country. So have no doubt that while America remains divided and outraged by Trump's latest nominations, our enemies are celebrating. Our enemies are also celebrating the slew of attacks and disruptions that are hitting our Pentagon right now. Because in addition to Trump nominating the radical and unqualified Pete Hegsett for the Department of Defense, he's also opened up entirely new debates that we thought were long since settled. Like Hegseth, for example, advocating for women to be removed from combat roles in the military, despite the fact that they've been serving nobly in combat roles for decades, and they're serving in combat roles right now. I've been out on CNN and lots of other media talking about this, but in case you've missed it, they're dragging us backward into a debate that was settled a generation ago, a debate that has our enemies celebrating and has our allies scratching their heads. Check this out.
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After 39 years of career as a combat arms officer and risking my life in many operations across the world, I can't believe that in 2024, we still have to justify the contribution of women to their defense and to their service in their country. And all the women sitting here in uniform, stepping in and deciding to get into harm's way and fight for their country need to be recognized for doing so. So again. And that, folks, is the distraction, not the women themselves. So, again, just wanted to be clear.
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That's Canada's top military commander, Jenny Kerrigan, calling out Trump and the GOP for questioning women in combat. She's a combat arms officer and has been risking her life for 39 years, and still we have to now justify women in combat. It is some uniquely backwards shit. Because as an independent especially, I want to remind people of one thing. Women in combat is about equality. It's about recognizing that all men and women in this country are created equal, not just in their voting and in their taxes, but in their ability to serve and die for their country, just like everybody else. Because if you're against women in combat, you are against equality, you are against freedom, and you are against the very foundation of what this country was built on. Women have served in combat in the United States military for decades and alongside men in just about every allied Western nation, including those engaged in combat right now, like Israel. And maybe most urgently, most spectacularly and most importantly of all, in Ukraine. Support for Ukraine is in the crosshairs like never before. Trump has said he'll pull the plug. Vance has been openly against Ukraine from the start. And Pete Hagseth would complete the trifecta of Trump administration officials who stand against Ukraine and. And with Putin. And we've covered this for years on this show in underscoring that it is not all Americans and even all Republicans who stand with Trump on this. There are Republicans who hold the line, who understand that Ukraine's security is about our security, and it's about a fight for freedom, a freedom on the front lines and against tyranny. And there are voices out there that you don't hear too often because you hear too much of Joe Rogan or Elon Musk. Here is Republican Senator from South Dakota, Mike Rounds.
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Now, as I listen to what's happening in Ukraine, and this is my opinion, it's not the opinion of the administration, it's not the opinion of the next administration coming in, but for those folks in Ukraine that are fighting against a Russian aggression that we can all see, I just feel so frustrated that we have not been able to provide them all of the equipment that they need and all of the weapons systems that they need in order to respond to absolute tyranny coming from Russia, a neighbor who has absolutely, unjustly invaded their country. And it's been done after a time in which Russia was one of the guaranteers of their safety, from 1994, when they gave up the nuclear weapons that they had. And they did it because they thought that all of us would defend them in that decision. And now here we are, this many years later with Putin the aggressor, looking at us as literally hundreds of thousands of his own people die on the front line, as cannon fodder and as he inflicts huge, huge amounts of damage and destruction in a neighbor, an innocent neighbor who wanted peace. And I wonder why we haven't done more and more quickly than what we have, all of us. The United States has put in.
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Over.
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$46 billion in direct aid to Ukraine already. But what we have offered is our treasure, not our blood. Ukraine has offered not just everything they have and to have this fight on their own homeland, but they have offered the blood of their own kids. And in fact, if you take a look at what's happened, they have had the older men going.
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So that the.
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Younger ones can have a life. It's not easy to be logical when the emotions are that strong that I think all of us feel in the defense of freedom, of a democracy against a tyrant.
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Mike Rounds gets it. Most of the world gets it. Most of the country gets it. But there are, of course, exceptions and maybe no finer contrast than our old friend, Senator Redneck coach Tommy Tuberville, the senator from Alabama, who is back in the news again this week for this tweet. He said, quote, the United States has sent over 211 billion of your tax dollars to Ukraine, four times as much as the rest of the world combined. Now, Twitter is pretty much a wasteland. More on that in a second. But there still are some folks worth following. And one of my favorite is a guy called War on Dumb, also known as Kyle Whitmire. He's a columnist for AL.com which covers all things Alabama. And he smartly noted that Javelin missiles are manufactured in, wait for it, Troy, Alabama. Yes, we are making Javelin missiles, spending US Tax dollars and creating American jobs in Alabama. Even on Thanksgiving, maybe especially on Thanksgiving, you can always count on Senator Redneck to be the dumbest member of Congress. And unfortunately, he's not the only one who's always or often wrong on Ukraine. And Twitter especially, is full of them. And there's none finer than Joe Rogan. Like so many people, Joe Rogan used to be much more reasonable and now has kind of lost his mind. Just like Tulsi Gabbard, who I've known for years, who once appeared on this show, and Pete Hegseth, who, as I've discussed before, I've known for a long time and has definitely gotten more radical and an alliance with Trump. And here's Joe Rogan on his very, very popular podcast talking about Ukraine, the.
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World we're living in now. And that's la and that's New York, and that's A lot of places that got fucked up by incompetent people.
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I don't know. I just feel safer knowing, like, police might go for. I feel safer knowing that Trump is in office. I do, too. I, like, feel great about it. Like, I just, like, what I don't.
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Feel safer is right now, they're launching missiles into Russia.
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Yeah. How do you.
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How are you allowed to do that.
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When you're on the way out?
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Like, the people don't want you be there anymore. This should be like, some sort of a. Like, a pause for, like, significant actions that could potentially start World War iii. Maybe that would be a good thing that we would like to avoid from a. A dying former president.
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It's.
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The whole thing is nuts.
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I mean, look, I don't know shit about politics.
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Zelensky says Putin is terrified. Fuck you, man. Fuck you people. You fucking people are about to start World War Three.
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Fuck these people. This is what he has to say about a nation of brave people who are enduring attack after attack for over a thousand days. This is what he has to say about kids who are spending Thanksgiving in a bunker, women who have been raped, and civilians who have been under constant attack by a tyrant who wants to invade and occupy their country. Fuck these people. Rogan has an audience of over 11 million people. And when he says statements like that, I can't help but think he's just another fake tough guy. But he got called out by a real tough guy, Vladimir Klitschko, arguably one of the greatest heavyweights of all time. He was definitely the longest reigning heavyweight boxing champion in history. He also served in the Ukrainian military and has been a powerful, smart, and fantastic voice for the Ukrainian people and for freedom. And this is how Klitschko responded to Joe Rogan.
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I listen to your latest podcast. I'm sending you this video to let you know that I disagree. You talk about these American weapons being sent to Ukraine, which you believe will lead to the Third World War. So let me tell you that you're repeating Russian propaganda. Putin's Russia is in trouble, so they want to scare you and people like you. His war was supposed to last three days. It has lasted three years, thanks to the heroism and sacrifice of us Ukrainians. So you're using the only weapon that Putin really intends to use, propaganda. And this weapon really weakens our democracies. Putin's Russia wants to destroy Ukraine quietly. They want America to stay quiet. Not great, but quiet. A great America is not an America that abandons countries that defend freedom with their lives. In short, you see, I have quite a few points of difference. If you invite me on your podcast, we could discuss them like free men.
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Now, Jake Paul versus Mike Tyson was a dud, but I promise you, if Joe Rogan and Klitschko clashed, it would not be a dud. There would be some fireworks, and one man would remain standing and one man would be down. But this is the kind of verbal and social media combat that's happening constantly around the globe right now, as some are fighting against the forces of freedom and some are fighting in favor. And a lot of it still happens on Twitter. And if you're still on Twitter, you've seen it. I was a very early adopter Twitter, and I'm not calling it X because it's free speech. Right, Elon? And I can speak out however I want, and I don't want to call it X. It's still Twitter to me in the same way. It'll always be Giant Stadium and Shea Stadium to me because I'm like that and because I refuse to sell out. But Twitter has sold out, and it's become a machine for propaganda and just a nasty place like so many other places in the media. And Twitter's not the only front line in the war of ideas. The great sports and culture commentator Carrie Champion was on, of all places, cnn, and opposite of all people, Scott Jennings.
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To lay it out that there's still a litmus test of journalism that you have to pass. You can't just make on things, make up things, and say things. That happens on X. Please don't give me the eyebrow furrow as if you don't know what I'm talking about. It happens often on X. I can go and say the color is blue, and I will be met with so many disrespectful remarks. No one's regulating the N word. No one's regulating the criticism. No one is regulating how people are treated.
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How much government regulation of the First Amendment are you for?
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Let me tell you something. If I came on here and I just started calling you all kind of names, do you think the bosses would let me continue to do that?
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I mean, it happens to me occasionally.
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I don't know if it was happen to you, but it doesn't happen for me. And I know that I wouldn't be able to do that. There's a level of professionalism and what we do here because we are journalists and we adhere to something, at least morally. And there is no moral compass on this thing called.
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You're also having a. That there's Still, Carrie Champion is right. Twitter or X has become a welcoming, respectful and fun place only for bots, propagandists and foes, as I'll call them friends of Elon. As for Jennings, Scott Jennings, the guy on cnn, we all know his shtick. But in contrast, at least so far, Blue sky has emerged as the first potentially viable social media alternative to Twitter that I've seen yet. Now, if you haven't heard, Blue sky is gaining about a million new members a day. And I do encourage you to check it out, because the only thing American innovation is better at than inventing is improving on someone else's invention. And Blue sky is doing that. It's working most of all because it's more like Twitter in terms of functionality and user experience than any other competitor so far. And it's actually a nice place to visit. So I'm rooting for bluesky. I encourage you to check it out and I hope that it will also maybe possibly push Twitter back closer toward what it used to be. But whether it's Twitter or bluesky or cnn, we're going to have to continue to fight for freedom and democracy and push forward ideas. And to contrast the misinformation, the propaganda and the hate. And after the recent election, there is maybe no group of people in a better position to do that than independent Americans. The strongest and most effective opposition to everything from Putin to authoritarianism to Trump's radical agenda is definitely not going to be the Democratic Party and the liberal left. We all know that for sure. Now. The most effective, the most reasonable, the most powerful and the most patriotic opposition to all the radical and hateful things that could be coming in the next couple of months are going to come from one group of people, most of all independent Americans. And they will be led by independent veterans. And I've got an update for you.
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I was raised by the wolves. I was raised by the wolves. I was raised by the wolves.
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And as we headed to Thanksgiving, I'm thankful to share with you an update on on our Independent Veterans of America candidates, brave men and women who ran this fall all across the country to try to bring some sensibility, some strength and some moderation to our political environment. And as you've heard in the past, overall, four of our 11 candidates have been called as winners and a few that lost came very close. And you heard Dan Osborne on this show just two weeks ago. If you haven't heard it, go back and check it out. It's good for your Thanksgiving and holiday listening. But as of last week, we still had two that were undecided. And we have an update. 5, 4, 3, 2, 1. Liftoff. We have a liftoff. In Nebraska, army veteran Nick Batter was running for state legislature and put up a hell of a fight, but unfortunately has come up short. He lost to Democrat Ashley spivey by just 148 votes. That's with over 14,000 votes cast. So he came very, very close and I think it's important to understand the context. Nick Batter spent a fraction of what his Democratic machine opponent Ashley Spivey spent and he almost pulled it off. It's a hell of an effort and he ran an honorable and noble campaign. And I don't think we've heard the last of Nick Batter. So stay tuned for that. And if you missed our conversation with Nick, go back and check it out. It was one of my favorite from our Meet the Independent Candidate series this fall. And there is still one IVA race that is yet to be called. Believe it or not, we're going into Thanksgiving and into December and we might be headed into Christmas. Without knowing whether or not Navy vet Eric Faulkner has won for council City District 2 in Temecula City Council, California. I checked in with Eric this week and he sent me an update. It's also available online if you go to Independent Veterans of America. But as of this recording on Tuesday, Eric Faulkner is down by less than 100 votes. Right now his opponent has 4,127 votes and he has 4,029 votes and they are still counting. The last count will be on the 5th of December and they will certify the election on the 13th of December. And if the margin is less than 100, he will probably get a recount. So with over 8,000 votes cast, independent veteran Eric Faulkner is down by less than 100. And whether he wins or loses, I think we should all be thankful for the effort, for the inspiration and for the leadership shown this fall by Eric and all of our independent candidates. This Thanksgiving we have a lot to be thankful for. But to these leaders, especially for jump starting a movement, this Thanksgiving especially, we have lots to be thankful for. And I want to encourage you to continue to look for the helpers. Always look for the helpers. There will always be helpers. You know, even just on the sidelines, if you look for the helpers, you'll know that there's hope. If you see them out there, use the hashtag look for the helpers. Send me a message on social media or go to our website and give me a shout and Let me know about the helpers that you see this holiday season who are stepping up to meet the moment. Be sure to check out IndependentAmericans US and join our Patreon Community Special Shout out to our Patreon members. You got lots of extra content in the last couple of weeks from Dan Osborne and Barbara Starr. If you haven't heard that episode from last week, please go check it out. The great Barbara Starr, the venerable Pentagon reporter dropped some knowledge and took us to school. And if you're looking for a little extra content on that drive or flight or overtime shift, check it out. And be sure to check us out on YouTube. YouTube is becoming a growing part of our effort. It's free and you can follow us there and watch all of our episodes, including Barbara Starr, Dan Osborne and all the way back to Rosie Perez, Sarah Jessica Parker, Mick Foley and many more. Find us on YouTube and while you're on IndependentAmericans us, you can also get some gear. We've got some great merch, some great swag and you can buy now for the holidays and have it in time for your favorite independent American. And as I told you in the last episode, we now have a phone line set up and some of you have used it. Thank you for reaching out this Thanksgiving. I am thankful for all of you who've supported this show over the last five years. I heard from my old friend Justin Kronk. What's up Kronk? Great to hear from you buddy. And I heard from others. You can leave me a Message anytime at 317-721-1718. That's 317721 1718. Be sure to leave your name and your hometown and I will try to give you a shout out or maybe play your message on this show. Like this one for my old friend, army vet and star of the Green Zone with Matt Damon, Ed Gluck, who lives out in Oregon. Check this message out from my old friend Ed Gluck. The first one bites dust. Fuck. That guy wins. Baby wins. Ed is not holding back and you shouldn't either. So leave us a message anytime 317-721-1718 and let me know who you'd like to hear as a guest. The holidays are coming and whether you are elated, you are stressed or you are despondent, we are going to have content to lift you up, to add light to contrast to heat. And a special heads up, Sebastian Younger will be back next month. Yes, one of our favorite guests, the great author and insightful conscience for America. Sebastian Younger will be back. And maybe most exciting of all, if you're a longtime listener of this show, Jason Alexander will be back next month for our annual Festivus episode. Every year, Jason Alexander of Seinfeld fame comes to join us for a special conversation about the holidays, about family, about the state of America. And I promise you, you will leave with your heart full. This Thanksgiving is a difficult time for so many people, especially for our friends in Ukraine and for many here in America. But it's a time that I remind my little boys to be especially thankful. And there's a lot to be thankful for this Thanksgiving. I'm thankful for the courage of the IVA candidates who showed their grit and determination and so many of them that joined us on this show. I'm grateful and thankful for the momentum of our independent movement. I'm always thankful for our troops that are serving overseas right now because despite what the president or anyone else might tell you, they are still in combat and they are still in harm's way. And there will be many dinner tables, as there always are, with a seat left for our men and women serving abroad. I'm thankful for our teachers and our coaches, especially who've helped our kids through these hard times. And to all the first responders who will be working on Thanksgiving when so many are not. Our first responders, our national security professionals, our police and fire, everybody who's out there working hard so we can enjoy a day off or a day with our families. I'm of course thankful for my family, especially this time of year. And I'm thankful for you. Because America might be more divided than ever this Thanksgiving, but at independent Americans and righteous media, we're working to change it, to add light to contrast the heat of all the other political shows. And if you're among the majority of Americans who are independent, this is your show. And if you're a Republican or a Democrat and you're not a die hard partisan and you're especially independent curious after this election. This is your show and this is your movement. We're here for concerned Americans who care about the future of our country and our world. All are welcome at this giant Thanksgiving table of change and independence. Especially if you're down this holiday, know that our independent movement is some hope for the future. Country over party, people over politics, light over heat, busting up the status quo and fueling a new movement that is growing by the day and spanning all across our country. I hope you enjoyed this episode and all our previous episodes. If you did share them far and wide. Share them at your Thanksgiving table. Share them at your Thanksgiving break. Share them as an advanced holiday gift for your friends and family. And invite others to declare their independence. And stay vigilant, my friends, especially this Thanksgiving, because eternal vigilance is the price of freedom and hope is the oxygen and democracy. It's that big, gigantic Thanksgiving turkey in the center of all of it. And it'll help you stay vigilant. And no, you're not alone in your vigilance. We're all vigilant and we're all in this together, especially in the next couple weeks to come. I'm your host, Paul Rykoff. Thank you for listening. Thank you for continuing to support this movement, and thank you for spreading some positivity and independence this Thanksgiving. Down with Hamas. Down with Putin. Slava, Ukraine. Stay vigilant, America. And happy Thanksgiving.
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B
Turkey for me, turkey for you. Let's eat the turkey in my big brown shoe. Love to eat the turkey at the table. I once saw a movie with Betty Grable Eat that turkey all night long. 50 million Elvis fans, which can't be wrong Turkey lurkey do and turkey lurky dap I eat that turkey then I take a nap. Thanksgiving is a special night. Jimmy Walker used to say Dino mine that's right, Turkey with gravy and cranberry. Can't believe the Mets traded Daryl Strawberry. Turkey for you and turkey for me. Can't believe Tyson gave that girl VD. White meat, dark meat, you just can't.
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A
Lose power by Righteous Media. Sa.