Independent Americans with Paul Rieckhoff | Episode Summary
Episode Title: He Called Renee Good a F**king Bitch and Murdered Her.
Release Date: January 12, 2026
Host: Paul Rieckhoff

Episode Overview

In this gripping solo episode, Paul Rieckhoff confronts a critical flashpoint in America’s ongoing battle over democracy, law enforcement, and authoritarianism: the killing of Renee Goode by ICE Officer Jonathan Ross. Rieckhoff delivers raw reaction and incisive analysis on the fatal shooting, the wider implications for ICE, militarization of domestic policing, Trump’s unchecked power, and the existential threats facing American democracy. He weaves sports, global affairs, media, and culture into a lucid, urgent call for vigilance, accountability, and unity among the “angry middle.”

Key Themes and Topics

1. The Murder of Renee Goode and ICE Impunity

• The Incident: On video, ICE officer Jonathan Ross fatally shoots Renee Goode in Minneapolis after calling her a “fucking bitch” ([11:00]).
  • Rieckhoff describes, “We all saw the video circulating of the incident... She puts the car in reverse, turns the steering wheel, someone yelling out... She pulls forward, officer filming can be heard yelling, ‘Oh.’ As several shots are fired. And he says, ‘fucking bitch’ as the car drives off and crashes down the block.” ([12:30])
• Systemic Failures:
  • ICE’s culture, accountability, and leadership are condemned.
    • “The systems at ICE, the leadership at ICE, the discipline at ICE is failing... It was a system that allowed him to be there that failed.” ([14:10])
  • Calls for Jonathan Ross, ICE, and Gov. Kristi Noem to stand trial.
• Personal Perspective:
  • Drawing on his military experience, Rieckhoff stresses this wasn’t war and was unforgivable even by the standards of armed conflict:
    • “Even on the battlefields of Iraq, we would never leave a person to bleed out and die … we wouldn’t even leave an enemy to bleed out and die — because it’s against the laws of war.” ([13:10])

2. Militarization, Authoritarianism, and Trump’s Expanding Power

• Unchecked Executive Power:
  • Trump’s unrestrained use of military force globally, bypassing Congress:
    • “Trump can do anything he wants with the most powerful military the world has ever seen, and nothing is stopping him.” ([03:40])
  • Extensive summary of recent strikes in Syria and potential new action in Iran, Venezuela, and beyond ([04:00]–[07:00]).
• ICE as Extension of Military Power:
  • ICE portrayed as a “reckless, dangerous, undisciplined machine ... being supersized.”
  • “ICE is an extension of [Trump's] power and an extension of the military... but it just isn’t accountable to the same rules or to our families like our military is.” ([29:00])
• Recruitment and Erosion of Standards:
  • ICE’s rapid hiring, targeted recruitment of veterans, and reduction of training from 13 to 6 weeks.
  • “You cannot cut corners when it comes to employing people who have guns standing across from civilians.” ([18:25])
• The Plan and Calculated Authoritarianism:
  • Trump’s actions framed as part of a “plan”:
    • “What Trump’s doing is dangerous, outrageous, extreme, violent, but it’s not crazy. It’s calculated. It is a plan. And this whole engagement in Minneapolis is the latest phase of that plan.” ([22:10])

3. The Attempt to Silence, Discredit, and Label Dissent

• Weaponizing Labels:
  • Protesters and even victims like Renee Goode are labeled “domestic terrorists” to justify state violence.
    • “They can kill you and justify it by labeling you as a domestic terrorist. Think about that. This is not America and we should all be saying, hell fucking no.” ([00:30])
  • Use of such designations to target dissenters and political opponents, referencing campaigns against politicians like Mark Kelly and Gretchen Whitmer.
• Media Control and Propaganda:
  • Dismantling of mainstream, independent journalism in favor of pro-Trump propaganda.
  • “PBS is out. Laura Loomer is in. CBS gets ripped down and brought back in zombie form... the plan is working.” ([28:00])
  • “The Corporation for Public Broadcasting and the Pittsburgh Gazette are the latest heads on a spike for Trump, the latest casualties in the fight for the soul of America.” ([30:00])

4. The Response: Accountability, Resistance, and the Role of Veterans

• Calls to Action:
  • Demands for trials for Jonathan Ross, ICE, and Kristi Noem.
    • “Put him on trial. Put ICE on trial. Put Kristi Noem on trial because Renee Goode was clearly murdered.” ([12:00], repeated throughout)
• Becca Goode’s Statement:
  • Moving quote from Renee’s widow Becca:
    • “Renee leaves behind three extraordinary children. The youngest is just six years old and already lost his father. I am now left to raise our son and to continue teaching him as Renee believed, that there are people building a better world for him, that the people who did this had fear and anger in their hearts and we need to show them a better way.” ([16:20])
  • Rieckhoff: “That is what right sounds like. ICE is what wrong looks like.” ([17:45])
• Veterans as a Line of Resistance:
  • ICE’s veteran-heavy ranks can either hold to higher standards or be misused as tools of repression.
  • “We veterans can push for higher standards. ICE employs over 7,500 veterans… ICE is targeted to appeal to a broad swath of military reservists and veterans.” ([18:45])
    • Urges veterans and others inside the system to refuse unlawful orders, referencing January 6th and escalation of state violence.
• The Importance of Documentation and Truth:
  • Rieckhoff urges:
    • “Show the videos. Show them to others who need to understand, continue to shoot more videos. If you’re out there, every time they are operating, shoot video, document it for the country to see and for the world to see, because the world is watching.” ([33:00])

5. The State of the Union: Division, Distraction, and Hope

• Constant Crisis and Distraction:
  • Interjections about sports and culture serve as both contrast and underlining America’s fractured, tense state.
  • Recap of sports scores and their metaphorical significance for leadership.
• Message to Independents and Unity:
  • “If you’re among the 50% of Americans who are independent, unaffiliated, especially, this is your show. But all are welcome here because what we’re talking about here is the hope for the future.” ([35:00])
  • The legacy of Renee Goode is positioned as an inspiration for the “oxygen of democracy”—hope, vigilance, and resistance to authoritarianism.

Notable Quotes & Timestamps

• On the central issue:
  • “He called Renee Goode a fucking bitch and murdered her. Put him on trial. Put ICE on trial. Put Kristi Noem on trial.” ([12:00]; echoed throughout episode)
  • “This is not America and we should all be saying, hell fucking no.” ([00:30])
• On the incident’s context:
  • “I’ve run checkpoints, I’ve had a weapon in my hand. This did not have to happen. And it’s a terrible tipping point that Trump has sent us careening toward months ago, and now our country has hit it, and he, as the commander in chief, most of all, is responsible.” ([14:40])
• On the propaganda and media:
  • “PBS is out. Laura Loomer is in. CBS gets ripped down and brought back in zombie form, just like how Twitter became X, not overnight but piece by piece.” ([28:00])
• On the bigger picture:
  • “The most important story in the world is Trump can do whatever he wants with the most powerful military the world has ever seen.” ([30:55])
• On resistance:
  • “So take their budget, peacefully, protest them, shame them, make it embarrassing for people and their families to be associated with ICE.” ([33:50])
  • “Stay focused and stay frosty. And always, and especially now, stay vigilant.” ([35:10])
• On hope and the future:
  • “The hope that can be the oxygen of democracy. That’s what her legacy should be.” ([35:20])

Important Segments & Timestamps

• [00:30] – Opening salvo: On labeling dissenters as terrorists; introduction to episode and underlying urgency
• [02:15 – 07:30] – Global/military dangers: Syria, Iran, Venezuela, Trump’s unchecked power
• [11:00 – 20:00] – In-depth summary and analysis of the Renee Goode shooting and ICE practices
• [16:20] – Becca Goode’s statement read and interpreted
• [18:45 – 21:00] – ICE’s recruitment and militarization; veterans’ role
• [22:10 – 28:40] – Authoritarian “plan,” media strategy, attacking democracy and journalism
• [30:20 – 33:00] – Public broadcasting cuts, democracy “dying by slices”
• [33:00 – 36:00] – Strategies for resistance: documentation, protest, focusing the movement
• [35:00 – end] – Call to vigilance, unity among independents, hope as resistance

Tone and Language

Rieckhoff’s tone is candid, urgent, and angry yet hopeful—mixing sharp analysis, personal experience, raw outrage, and a consistent call to conscience and community. The language is unfiltered when quoting or describing the ICE incident, reflecting both the gravity and the authenticity of the moment.

Summary

This is a pivotal episode steeped in outrage and urgency over the killing of Renee Goode by ICE, contextualized as part of a broader, dangerous drift into authoritarianism under Trump. Rieckhoff marshals facts, personal reflection, and emotional appeals to demand accountability, emphasize the critical role of veterans in holding the line, and summon all Americans—especially the independent, angry, and awake—to resist further erosion of democracy. The legacy of Renee Goode, the perils facing the nation, and the hope for a better, more just America are interwoven throughout this gripping solo episode.