← Independent Americans with Paul Rieckhoff
Independent Americans with Paul Rieckhoff
Gabbard is Out. Before Memorial Day: Trump Downplays KIAs in Iran.
00:29:25
It's Memorial Day weekend, and Paul Rieckhoff is in no mood to soft-pedal. Tulsi Gabbard has resigned as Director of National Intelligence — the second Trump appointee to defect over Iran in months — and the administration is already telegraphing its next war. The Justice Department just charged Raul Castro with murder. The USS Nimitz arrived in the Caribbean the same day. Stephen Miller is on Fox doing the warm-up act. Meanwhile, the president is downplaying the 13 American service members killed in Iran, pausing a $14 billion arms sale to Taiwan, ignoring Ukraine, and telling a Coast Guard Academy audience he won't be leaving in 2028. This is a solo briefing for the angry middle, delivered with the urgency the moment demands.
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- [00:00]
Paul Rykoff
If all those other plans fail, you want to stop the election? You want to stop the steal, you want to stand up with President Trump? Go hit the election booths, everybody. And don't worry, you'll be pardoned and you'll get paid out. Welcome to independent Americans. Welcome to episode 530. I am your host, Paul Rykoff. And it is Friday, May 22nd. Hooray for Friday. It is the day after the Knicks went up to nothing. More on that in a second. And it is the start of Memorial Day weekend in America. Much more on that coming up. I'm coming to you today from New York City, usa, and the weather is really nice, just lovely. And we need it because the weekend looks like it could be rainy and shit. But we're going to enjoy the good days when we get them. That's a message from Memorial Day. Enjoy the days you have because you never know how fleeting they can be. And today's artist is going to build on that. The artist of the day. Every day I share with my little boys a new artist. And today's artist seizes the day, promotes joy, is all about happiness and energy. And it is the great Missy Elliott. The icon, also known as Ms. Demina. She was born Melissa Arnett, Missy Elliott, July 1, 1971, as the child of a power company dispatcher named Patricia and a former Marine named Ronnie. And I picked her because it was in the year 2026, back in 1997 that she talked about the future. She posted this this week, the rain Superfly, super duper fly was 29 years ago, May 20, 1997. That's when it dropped. But Missy Elliott has been making waves ever since. One step, two step, get your freak on, lose control. Of course, with Sierra and Fat Man Scoop. Work it, which is this classic fly girl back and forth, so much more. The great Missy Elliott. We're going to need that kind of energy because the five eyes are going to take you through it alongside Missy Elliott into Memorial Day weekend with a lot of really important news to cover very quickly. But I will bring you the five eyes as we head into this long weekend. Independence, integrity, information, inspiration and of course, impact. No guest, just me and you to take you into Memorial Day weekend when especially for the veterans community, it can be a little difficult because a lot of folks are at the beach and a lot of our folks are at the cemetery. We're going to be somewhere in between. We're going to cover all our bases. We're going to remember, we're going to reflect. We're going to celebrate and we will stay vigilant. All right. Top topic, top topic for this Memorial Day weekend is this is Memorial Day weekend and we're going to need more memorials because we have much more war coming. Regime change. Wars are now all the wars and forever war is rolling on. And we have some breaking news related to all of this. Tulsi Gabbard is out. Play the clip, Chris. FOX News has just learned Tulsi Gabbard is resigning from her post as director of national Intelligence. All right. Let's get right to David Spunt. He's got the news for us. David. Well, Sandra, we are told that Tulsi Gabbard is resigning effective June 30 because of her husband's recent diagnosis of an aggressive form of bone cancer. Our thoughts, of course, are with Ms. Gabbard and her family, Director Gabbard and her husband Abraham. She said that Abraham has been her rock since they've been married. And she submitted her resignation letter to the president and two members of the senior staff announcing that her last day would be June 30th because of this diagnosis of her husband's bone cancer. Yes, Tulsi Gabbard has notified Trump that she is resigning from her post as director of national intelligence. She says she's going to support her husband Abraham through his battle with an extremely rare form of bone cancer. Now, this is not surprising at all that she's leaving. Now, the reason, of course, is surprising and we should all wish her and her husband the very best. But the big question now is, will she go out quietly or will she finally speak out against Trump and his regime change wars that are in direct contrast with her longstanding positions and stated values? She ran for president as a Democrat against regime change wars. She often said regime change wars more than any other politician I can think of. So is that why she's leaving? Will she speak out or is this just all personal reasons, or is it the latest Trump defection on Iran after Joe Kent just a couple months ago? I'm going to be on Ms. Now's deadline White House with Nicole Wallace later today. This May Post after that. I'm going to continue to respond to this breaking news. But this builds on our top topic, which is that war with Cuba is coming soon, going into a weekend when many will be at war memorials. Trump wants more war. And Memorial Day is just the start of summer movie season. Well, here's the preview to Trump's biggest summer movie blockbuster. They've now charged Cuban President Raul Castro with murder. Here it comes. It's the latest phase of Trump building his case for war against now Cuba. They've told you it's coming and it is. I've told you it's coming and it is. This is the latest sign. They're telegraphing their punches. They always do. And this is a big one. And you'll know it's coming for real when you, when radical Stephen Miller starts pushing it on Fox like he did here. Play the clip, please, Chris. Many Americans may not realize this history. You had American planes, civilian planes, unarmed running humanitarian missions in international waters. And Raul Castro and the Cuban communist military ordered them shot from the sky, murdering our American brothers. And, and now today, finally, accountability is coming for Castro. They're also moving the military pieces into place this Memorial Day weekend, just like they did on Venezuela, just like they did on Iran. The Nimitz aircraft carrier is now in the Caribbean as Trump continues to pressure Cuba. The carrier arrived in the southern Caribbean the same day that the Justice Department announced charges against Raul Castro. Now, if it hasn't happened yet, the next phase of this push for war will be a full throated endorsement by right wing radio host Mark Levine. When that comes, then you'll know it's eminent. The most important story in the world is still that Donald Trump can do anything he wants with the most powerful military the world has ever seen. And nothing is stopping him. Remember, he hit Iran without anything stopping him. He hit Venezuela without anything stopping him. He hit Nigeria this week. Did you know that happened? But he's continuing to roll on forward. And Congress is not even a speed bump. Congress won't do a War Powers act until probably after he hits Cuba. But as we go into Memorial Day weekend and we remember the fallen, we know one thing is for sure that Cuba is likely next. So let's all stay vigilant. All right? Meanwhile, Trump continues to abandon allies, allies who need us most. And there was some news that happened this week regarding national security that was probably below your radar. Acting Secretary of the Navy Hong Kao said on Thursday that the U.S. is pausing a $14 billion arms sale to, to Taiwan because of the Trump administration's war with Iran. So now Trump has a reason to pull support from Taiwan just after his very, very weak position, conversations with China and as Iran continues to become a sucking chess wound. And the rationale is that we have to leave Taiwan hanging like we've left Ukraine hanging because of Iran. The growingly unpopular war, the growingly expensive war, the war that has already caused 13American service members lives and potentially more Iran this Memorial Day is a geopolitical, military and economic sucking chest wound. And our enemies, this Memorial Day especially, are celebrating. Our enemies are celebrating.
- [09:33]
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- [11:03]
Paul Rykoff
Now Speaking of Memorial Day, this is a time when we reflect and we honor all those who've died from all generations in service of this country. Want to hear the worst pre Memorial Day message ever? Yep, I got it for you. Play the clip please, Chris. Longer than you expected it would to
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Guest or Caller
make a deal with Iran.
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Guest or Co-host
Well, let's put it this way. You were in Vietnam 19 years, right? You were in Afghanistan and these other places 10 years you were in Iraq. How long were you in Iraq? 12. 12 years. You were in Korea for seven years. World War II is different. That was four years. I'm in for three months. And much of it's been ceasefire. So. And you know what? You lost hundreds of thousands of soldiers in these various wars. In two wars, Venezuela, where we lost nobody and here we lost 13 people. Now 13 people is 13 too much. But we lost 13 people. In other wars. You lost hundreds of thousands of people.
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Paul Rykoff
So he says he gets a kick when someone looks on TV and says he's lost 13 people. Dan Lamoth, our friend at The Washington Post noted that while the President is downplaying the numbers here, it's also inaccurate that hundreds of thousands of people have been killed in each U.S. conflict. He cites Panama, for example, where 23 troops were killed in a 43 day operation. But yep, this is Memorial Day and this is Memorial Day with Donald Trump as president. It is a time to remember all those who've fallen. It's not Veterans Day. I always have to remind people and educate people. Veterans Day, November 11th happens in the fall. That's a time when we honor all generations of living veterans. But Memorial Day is a time to remember, reflect and be inspired by the tremendous sacrifices of so many people of all generations. I'll remember my friends who died in combat and in the after effects of combat, people who've died in accidents, people who've died to suicide. They will be remembered. They will never be forgotten. And we will honor their memory and we will live on in their name. And especially this weekend, we will stay vigilant. Back to Trump for a second because we have to react to the crazy stuff that he says and does. As I've said many times, he's not leaving in 2028. Steve Bannett has said the same and he said that before. He said he wouldn't leave last time he was, he lost an election. Now he has to get out because of term limits. And he said he won't leave. And he followed through on January 6th. Sorry, he followed through in the last election and we got January 6th. And he's saying it again now. He was at the Coast Guard commencement this week, the Coast Guard Academy's commencement. And there he said he wouldn't leave. He said that before a military audience. He's saying it again now and we should believe him. Play the clip please, Chris.
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Guest or Co-host
Come on. When's the first one coming? They said in 28. I said I'm going to be here in 28. Maybe I'll be here in 32, 2. I don't know, maybe I will. But I'm going to be here in 28.
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Paul Rykoff
And I'll tell you, he says what he thinks. That's for sure. For better and mostly for worse. And while many folks will gather with family this weekend in Memorial Day either to reflect or just to have a much deserved break off. Not Trump. Nope. Trump is family first. Never. Except when it makes him money. That even includes his son's wedding, apparently. Play the clip please, Chris.
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Guest or Co-host
He'd like me to go, but it's going to be just a small little private affair and I'm going to try and make it. I'm in the midst. I said, you know, this is not good timing for me. I have a thing called Iran and other things. That's one I can't win on. If I do attend, I get killed. If I don't attend, I get killed. By the fake news. Of course I'm talking about. No, but he's got a very person who I've known for a long time and hopefully they're gonna have a great marriage.
- [15:17]
Paul Rykoff
Nah, he may or may not go to his son's wedding because he's busy. But here's the bottom line. It's all about him. It's always all about him. It's not even about his family. And Memorial Day is about him, too. And it's always about memorials to himself. And now a federal panel has approved his plans for a 250 foot arch in Washington. The universally unpopular arch that will also, by the way, block the view of Arlington cemetery from Washington, D.C. has now been approved. Nobody wants it. He doesn't care. But finally, Republicans are pushing back. Shit. Took them long enough. But it's happening. There has been some pushback. It's being called the GOP Mutiny. Play the clip, please, Chris. These people don't deserve restitution. Many of them deserve to be in prison.
- [16:04]
Guest or Co-host
But this is.
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Paul Rykoff
I mean, this is just stupid on stilts. Do you think you have colleagues that share the same concerns that you're experiencing? Yeah, they do. And they need to speak up. I mean, this is beyond the pale. This is not good for my colleagues. There's no one positive thing that could be said spun out of this between now and November. This is bad policy, it's bad timing and it's bad politics. So they are pushing back. I've been commenting about this all week. Yesterday I pulled the hat trick and I was on News Nation, Mississippi now, and then CNN reacting to this news. I think it's especially noteworthy that Senator Cassidy from Louisiana, who Trump just primaried, now has no reelection prospects. So he's free to do things like vote against the war in Iran and hopefully push back on this slush fund. 1.5. Sorry? $1.8 billion for domestic terrorists who attack the government. Is it a turning point for Republicans? I hope so. It is definitely, overwhelmingly unpopular. And here's why. It actually might be a turning point, because it seems to be the first thing they've actually tried to stop him on. They haven't stopped him on Iran. They haven't stopped him on the tariffs. They haven't stopped him on ice, but they're standing up here, and I don't think we should assume that there will be free and fair elections. I talked about this recently in interviews, but I think this green light to insurrectionists is what I would call Plan C. He wants to disrupt and interrupt and stop the midterm elections because he knows it's a circuit breaker that will hold him accountable. So plan A would be call in the military, invoke the Insurrection act that we've talked about a lot on this show. Plan B would be to use ICE. So Steve Bannon said ICE at the airports is a warm up for checking IDs at election sites. Imagine him sending ICE to every election site to check IDs. Well, this, this is plan C. If all those other plans fail, you want to stop the election, you want to stop the steal, you want to stand up with President Trump? Go hit the election booths, everybody. And don't worry, you'll be pardoned and you'll get paid out. It's terrible. It's bad for our national security. It has our enemies celebrating. And it's another reason we all need to stay vigilant. All right, we had a section called Where's Tulsi? We now know she will no longer be at least in the inner job in Washington. We'll watch that space. But meanwhile, this Memorial Day, Trump is waging war against the free press, against your health. He's still trying to take over the Western hemisphere. He's still ignoring Ukraine. And our politics continue to unfold. I will continue to highlight independent candidates from all backgrounds all across this country. If you didn't hear my conversation this week with Karen Matthews in California, I'm getting a lot of great feedback on that one. Thank you to all of you who've watched and listened. But it's a good one for the car, It's a good one for your train ride or your plane ride. Go catch up on all our independent veterans that I've introduced you to, because we're not just moving the needle, we are the needle. And I will continue to talk about independent politics and I will continue to talk, to talk about certain states. We've talked a lot about Nebraska and Idaho and Montana, and we've talked a lot about Maine. It's the only state that has an independent senator. Frequent guest on this show, Senator Angus King. He's the only senator that used to be an independent governor. And now there's a guy working to become the next independent governor, a guy who was on this show, Rick Bennett, has now qualified for the November ballot. There's breaking news that Rick Bennett has made the ballot. The press release says voters from all corners of the state have joined together to send Rick Bennett to the ballot in November. I met Rick Bennett for the first time in person this week in New York as the Forward Party pulled together many independent candidates. And we at Independent Veterans America pulled together our veterans. Over a dozen of them met with me in New York. We will be doing other events online coming soon and in Los Angeles on June 16 and in other parts around the country. But Bennett for governor submitted 5,300 signatures for Maine voters to the secretary of state. The office verified 4,517 of the signatures, significantly more than the 4,000 he needed to require to get ballot access. Bennett said today's petition filing is a major milestone for our campaign would not have been possible without volunteers from across the state who stepped up to help. Here's the bottom line. Here's the real problem. That's great news. Great that he's on the ballot, but 4,000 signatures? Karen Matthews in California, where they have open primaries, I think she needed like 60. The barriers to entry for independence are too high and they're higher than they are for Republicans and Democrats. That's wrong. It's a reflection of how broken our system is. And we hear consistently, ballot access is one of the biggest problems facing independence. It's a glaring example of how the deck is stacked against independence nationwide. So if you want to help independent candidates, volunteer for their campaigns from the ones you've heard here or the ones you haven't. Often what they need is your help getting signatures so they can just get on the ballot. Because once they get on the ballot, then they've got a fighting chance and a fighting chance to represent the 45% of Americans who are not Democrats and Republicans. It's another way we can all get involved. Step up and stay vigilant. All right, let's talk sports for a second. The other night. I didn't do a full show yesterday. The Spurs, a loss to okc. Alexander was awesome. Stephen Castle's also been awesome for San Antonio. They will battle again tonight. That series is tied at 1:1, but that's been a fantastic slugfest. SGA is so smooth. And Hartenstein, the old New York Knick on Wemby, was great. The defense was strong, and I think the spurs really need Fox back. But the clash of the titans will continue tonight in San Antonio and throughout the holiday weekend. Also, The Avalanche lost two to four to the Golden Knights. That series is 1 0. There'll be another one tonight. And last night, the Canadiens blew out the Hurricanes 6 to 2 to take a one point lead there. And you may have heard the New York Knicks throttled The Cleveland Cavaliers 109 to 93. New York City is buzzing, people. People are very excited about the Knicks and Josh Hart shined. And that's what it's all about. Heart. We've called him the beating heart of the New York Knicks. But leaders can be the beating heart and show heart that will inspire others, especially on Memorial Day. And that's what really Memorial Day is all about. It's about remembering those who gave their hearts and gave their lives in service of others. And that takes me to today's something good. Memorial Day is something hard, but it's also something good. It's a time where we all come together, where we all should put our partisan differences aside and just reflect and remember the fallen. If you know somebody who's died, especially recently, you know how hard this time can be for you and your family and especially for the kids. I encourage you to support TAPS Tragedy Assistance Program for survivors. Our friend Bonnie Carroll and her team this week will be bringing together thousands of surviving families in Washington, D.C. to come together to mourn, to support, to love, to create community, and to celebrate the lives of those we've lost and to build on their sacrifice in driving us all forward. And it is something good. The good Greek camps are something special, something very, very important and very good. So support TAPS this weekend and remember that Memorial Day is about the fallen. At 3 o' clock East coast time, my old organization, Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans America, encourages everyone to take one minute to go silent. Something good you can do this weekend, wherever you are, on Memorial Day, around 3 o' clock or whenever you can, just bring your crew together, bring your family together, maybe call a friend, call a buddy and go silent for one minute together just to recognize all those that have lost. It's another way we can stay vigilant. Stay vigilant. All right. I want to just say something else. That's really something good. Last night was the final show for Stephen Colbert. Speaking of heart, he is a person who's always shown tremendous heart. I've known him for almost two decades now. I've been on his shows. I was on the Colbert Report and then on the Late show just a couple weeks ago. And he's been kind enough to come on my show during COVID from his home. I'll link to it in the show notes if you never saw that one. But here's what you need to know most. Stephen Colbert is one of the nicest guys anywhere. He's kind, he's generous, he's humble. And so are all his teams because that's the kind of leadership climate that he creates. They're warm, supportive, and truly special. He is a rare leader that people will follow anywhere because his heart is true. Now, I want people to know, especially, that he's done a ton of good for troops and veterans over the years, often below the radar. He took his entire show to Iraq where nobody else would. He let a general shave his head. And he told our stories. And he knows tremendous loss if you don't know members of his family were killed in a plane crash when he was a child. And he has a deep empathy that allows him to connect with others who've experienced that kind of pain, the kind of pain we feel profoundly around Memorial Day, from Medal of Honor recipients to homeless vets. He has an open heart. And I've seen it when there are no cameras, when nobody's watching. And this is especially relevant with Memorial Day weekend. And we honored him years ago when I was the head of IABA with our 2011 civilian service award. And Chris, please play a clip from
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Guest or Caller
that we've heard a lot about. I am the 99%. I am the 99%. I am one of the 99% of Americans who have not served in the military, have not served in our two wars. And I don't necessarily know the life of the military. I don't know the life of a veteran. But we can call on Paul or other members of the military and say, does this joke work? Does this mean anything to you? And they've given us some insight into what your life has been like overseas while you're sacrificing for us, and some idea of what it's like to be back over here and to be thanked. And we do thank you for your service, but often that's all we do is thank you for your service. And we ask you to sacrifice when you're away from us at war. And we ask you to sacrifice again when you're back here after you're no longer at war, after you're no longer in the military, when you're veterans.
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Paul Rykoff
But I want you to know, no matter what the haters say, no matter what Trump says, no matter what CBS did, Stephen Colbert is a true patriot and a conscience for America. He's always had our back, and we will always have his. And I did my best to thank him when I was on the air and I challenged him at the end. I still hope that he will run for Senate back home in South Carolina against Lindsey Graham. And don't underestimate what this guy can do for the world. Just ask Zelensky, who used to be just a comedian, but Stephen is a great American, a leader of courage and vision. He's meeting the moment. And thankfully for all of us, I don't think he's going away. He called his show the Great Big Joy Machine, and it was. It was also a hope machine. And as you know, on this show, hope is the oxygen of democracy, and we'll need it and him now more than ever. So onward and upward, Stephen. We wish you the best and can't wait to see what you do next. Onward and upward to all of us. That's how you respond to tragedy. That's what we know from Memorial Day. We mourn their passing, but we celebrate their lives. And we move onward. And that's how we all. Stay vigilant.
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Guest or Co-host
Stay. Stay vigilant. Vigilant. Vigilant. Vigilant.
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Paul Rykoff
Stay vigilant. All right. Please stay vigilant this weekend. Especially. Be careful out there on the roads when you're paying $19 for gas if you live in Calif. But also look out for each other. It's a time when Americans can be mixing with folks they don't normally mix with. So be kind, be supportive, recognize that we're all just trying to have a long holiday break and hopefully remember the fallen. And on this show, be sure to subscribe. If you haven't already subscribe, hit that subscribe button. Check out our merch. Go to our Patreon community, look for the morning Independent every single morning. And be sure to leave me some notes and a rating. Rate us. Tell us what you think because we are going to continue to push forward over the weekend. I'll have a special media episode for you on Monday. I will replay my favorite conversation with Bonnie Carroll, a special for Memorial Day. We may have some more replays next week and then all new shows coming up. I've been in touch with Henry Rollins. He's coming back. We've got a lot of other great guests that will continue to bring light, the contrast, the heat, and continue to inspire. We're going to need that because if you're among the 45% of independent Americans, this is your show. And we're growing by the day, especially after this last week of crazy shit. Our independent movement is hope for the future, country over party People over politics, light over heat. And our movement is growing and we are bringing the hope that is the oxygen of democracy. If you enjoyed this episode and all these episodes over the last couple weeks, please do me a solid over this long weekend. Share them far and wide and invite others to understand the true meaning of Memorial Day and to declare their independence. And stay vigilant, my friends, because eternal vigilance is the price of freedom. A price that men and women of all generations have paid in defense of this country. Something we can never forget. And know that they were not alone in their vigilance. And you are not alone. And yours were all vigilant. We're all in this together. When they bury folks in Arlington, they don't bury them by a Republican or by Democrat. They bury them all together. Because we fight together, we serve together, and we often die together. But now, especially in this time, we can rise together and we can live together. I'm your host, Paul Rykoff. Thank you for tuning in to independent Americans. I will see you next week. Have a good Memorial Day. Remember the fallen, move forward and celebrate and honor and inspire in their name and in their memory. And enjoy the weekend that we all really need. And stay vigilant, America. Stay visual.
- [30:09]
Guest or Co-host
He tells me the left and right Our dreams for those without a clue and when you wait it's time to
- [30:16]
Paul Rykoff
grow and it's not cool to believe in school but if I can say
- [30:20]
Guest or Co-host
one thing I've seen the children of the revolution and the good trouble they can bring he says the red and blue I. An island in the sea of rhetoric and I can rather go he tells me the left and right Our dreams
- [30:35]
Paul Rykoff
for those without a clue and when you wait it's time to grow Power by Righteous Media.