Iran War Has Cost $25 Billion So Far. Pentagon Wants $1.5T More.  Independent Vet Todd Achilles For Senate From Idaho.

Summary

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Podcast Summary: Independent Americans with Paul Rieckhoff

Episode: "Iran War Has Cost $25 Billion So Far. Pentagon Wants $1.5T More.  Independent Vet Todd Achilles For Senate From Idaho."

Date: April 29, 2026

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Episode Overview

Host Paul Rieckhoff delivers a fiery, urgent episode centered on the ballooning costs of America’s “forever wars,” particularly in Iran, holding the Pentagon and policymakers to account for military spending, dereliction of duty, and lack of leadership. The episode's highlight is a candid interview with Army veteran and independent Idaho Senate candidate Todd Achilles, exploring the fractured state of American politics, the promise of independent candidates, Idaho’s unique political landscape, and the intersection of government spending, national security, and accountability.

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Key Topics & Discussion Points

1. Pentagon Spending & The Iran War

• Explosive costs: The Pentagon places the current cost of the Iran war at $25 billion, with a staggering $1.5 trillion requested for wartime footing—nearly $500 billion earmarked for Iran alone.
  • "[The Pentagon] has put the cost of the Iran war at $25 billion already... Now, another point... the Pentagon is also submitting a larger budget request for $1.5 trillion dollars." — Paul Rieckhoff [08:14–09:07]
• Perspective on priorities: Rieckhoff repeatedly contrasts military spending with possible domestic uses (feeding children, lowering gas prices), calling the sum “outrageous.”
• Public accountability: Both General Kaine (Chairman of the Joint Chiefs) and "acting Secretary of Culture, War Pete Hegseth" face congressional scrutiny over the spiraling price tag and lack of oversight.
• Naming controversy: The Pentagon proposal to legally rename the Department of Defense as the War Department, at an estimated cost of $125 million, is called “unnecessary and a step back” [13:43–14:25].

2. Leadership & Accountability

• King Charles' model: Rieckhoff highlights King Charles' address to Congress as an example of empathetic, unifying leadership—contrasted with what he calls America’s “wannabe king” President Trump [06:22–07:27].
• Firing military leaders: Pete Hegseth grilled by Rep. Seth Moulton for firing General George and over remarks that appear to advocate war crimes:
  • "You have no way of explaining why you fired one of the most decorated and remarkable men..." — Rep. Seth Moulton [16:07–16:13]
  • "In a press conference, you said, 'We will give them no quarter. No mercy.' ... that is a war crime under the Geneva Conventions." — Rep. Seth Moulton [17:22–17:38]
• Rule of law: Rieckhoff strongly condemns illegal orders, urging military leaders to speak out for the sake of “our democracy.” [18:19–19:09]

3. Hate Crimes & Social Tension

• Ongoing violence: Brief coverage of a terror attack in North London targeting Jewish residents, reflecting a broader wave of hate crimes against multiple communities. Rieckhoff calls for unity and lowering the nation’s social temperature [19:26–20:48].

4. America’s Foreign Focus & Ukraine Aid

• Regime change hypocrisy: Critique of U.S. politicians’ focus on regime change in countries like Iran and Cuba, while not addressing Russia’s threats or internal issues [21:15–24:29].
• Innovation in Ukraine: Description of how Scotland supplies recycled fishing nets to Ukraine as anti-drone barriers [21:41–22:34].

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Interview: Todd Achilles, Independent Senate Candidate (Idaho)

[Starts at 28:48]

About Todd Achilles

• Farm kid, former Army tank commander, tech executive, and Idaho legislator.
• Running as an independent against incumbent Jim Risch, one of the oldest and richest senators.

Key Themes & Insights

Idaho’s Independent Spirit

• Idahoans largely unaffiliated with either party (~70% before primaries were closed).
  • "Idaho's a really independent state ... there are still twice as many unaffiliated as there are Democrats." — Todd Achilles [37:01–38:35]
• Achilles: “If your rig’s stuck in the mud, nobody’s going to ask your party... that’s the kind of people we are here.” [32:13]

Disaffection With the Status Quo

• Achilles details widespread frustration: working families can’t afford healthcare, small business owners feel squeezed, working people “are right on the edge.”
  • “We shouldn’t have to live this way... I hear that again and again and again.” — Todd Achilles [34:46–34:55]
• Rieckhoff: "It feels like everybody’s getting screwed except for a small number of people." [35:03]

Disparities & Grievances

• High gas and diesel prices (no in-state refineries); tariffs and inflation hit Idaho hard. [35:16–35:56]

The Idaho Senate Race: A Winnable Independent Battle

• Achilles polling ahead among informed voters, arguing Jim Risch is universally disliked:
  • "Nobody in two decades... has come even close to where we are right now... Republicans don't like Risch, Independents don't like him, Dems sure as hell don't like him." — Todd Achilles [37:01–38:32]
• Focus on building a “volunteer army” and knocking on a third of all doors in Idaho (~250,000).
• Achilles: “This is absolutely a winnable race.” [39:34]

What It Means to Be Independent

• Rieckhoff: “Both parties do is impeach the character of independence... But when people have a third option, they often pick none of the above.” [39:45–39:54]
• Achilles notes strong independent traditions in Idaho, invoking statesmen Dirk Kempthorne and Democrats like Cease, who prioritized policy over partisanship. [41:17–42:08]

Foreign Policy, Veterans, and Congressional Duty

• Risch criticized for failing his Senate Foreign Relations Committee duties—“hasn’t held squat.”
• “If he may agree 100% with the Iran war... hold a goddamn hearing, man… You can’t just go quiet on this thing.” — Todd Achilles [44:20–45:23]
• Risch opposed the PACT Act (veteran toxin exposure care), prompting Achilles’ anger:
  • “Frickin’ voted against the PACT Act because they said it was too expensive, but had no problem voting to send you and your generation off to Iraq and Afghanistan.” — Todd Achilles [45:24–45:57]

Achilles on Being a True Representative

• “When you’re thinking about these issues, the first thing that comes to mind is standing in front of your troops and explaining what the hell you’re doing, and does your chain of command have a damn plan...” [47:21–48:04]
• Calls for policy built from open public hearings and expert collaboration, not White House rubber-stamping [48:04].

Campaign Challenges & What’s Needed

• Achilles frames his campaign as like a “venture capital bet” with modest resources but high potential, needing both money and volunteers.
• Describes knocking on doors as transformational: “When you’re running as an independent, it’s a fundamentally different conversation.” [49:18–51:00]
• Emphasis on face-to-face conversations with voters: “I like you already” is the response when people learn he’s independent.

Notable, Memorable Quotes

• Achilles on Idaho politics:
  "Idaho's a good conscience for America." — Todd Achilles [32:43]
• On the CHIPS Act and partisanship:
  “Risch voted against the Chips Act just because it came out of the Goddamn Biden administration.” [42:08]
• On the stakes:
  Rieckhoff: "If you’re not angry, you’re not paying attention."
  Achilles: "At the end of the day, there’s kind of three big pillars to the campaign, Paul... Nobody likes [Risch]... You’ve got this big wave that’s particularly strong in Idaho that we’re going to lean into.” [37:01–38:35]

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Notable Moments & Section Timestamps

• [04:14] — Rieckhoff’s “Five I’s” — Independence, integrity, information, inspiration, impact
• [06:22–07:27] — King Charles’ memorial address contrasted with U.S. leadership
• [08:14–09:13] — Pentagon spending and hearing bombshells
• [13:43–14:25] — “War Department” name change controversy
• [15:14–17:17] — Congressional grilling of Pete Hegseth over personnel and war crimes
• [28:48–55:11] — Main Todd Achilles interview
• [37:01–39:34] — Achilles details path to victory and voter breakdown
• [44:20–45:57] — Achilles on Risch’s dereliction regarding Forever Wars and veterans issues
• [49:18] — Achilles on campaign strategy, needs, and the independent “fundamentally different conversation”
• [55:11–57:17] — “Something Good” — IBA’s official endorsement of Achilles; campaign HQ opening; salute to Jonathan the Turtle (oldest living land animal)

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Memorable Quotes

• "This is what Idahoans want to see." — Todd Achilles [49:18]
• "If you’re not motivated now, I don’t know what will motivate you... We’re just fighting to save the future of our country." — Paul Rieckhoff [54:43]
• "When people get our message, they like it." — Todd Achilles [49:18]
• "Country over party, people over politics, light over heat. Challenging the status quo like Todd Achilles is doing. He is David versus the Goliath and many of us are too." — Paul Rieckhoff [61:40–61:54]

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Final Takeaways & Tone

Language & Tone:

• Rieckhoff and Achilles are direct, often irreverent and combative, blending military grit with heartfelt disillusionment and hope.
• The tone is urgent, encouraging activism: “If you’re not angry, you’re not paying attention.”
• They champion independent candidates and urge listeners to join a growing movement rejecting both traditional parties and “forever war.”

Call to Action:

• Volunteer, donate, and share Achilles’ story—especially for listeners tired of entrenched partisanship and interested in independent, veteran-led solutions.
• Stay vigilant; democracy is a team sport, “bigger than basketball or politics.”

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For Listeners Who’ve Missed It

This episode spotlights the urgent problem of government spending on endless wars, the vacuum of real leadership in Congress, and the rise of independent candidates like Todd Achilles who promise accountability, practical solutions, and a break from toxic polarization. Achilles’ campaign is previewed as both a bellwether and blueprint for a new kind of politics—independent, veteran-led, and deeply rooted in community. Listeners are rallied to join and spread word—because, as Rieckhoff closes:
“Democracy is the ultimate team sport, and we’re all in this together.”

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Transcript

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[Todd Achilles]

The guy never served right? And he voted against the PACT Act. On top of we got 160,000 vets in our state. 6% or the sixth highest on a per capita in the country. Freaking voted against the PACT act because they said it was too expensive but had no problem voting to send, you know, you and your generation off to Iraq and Afghanistan. I mean this is. This is the kind of stuff that Idaho and see it and they're fired up.

[Paul Rykoff]

Welcome to independent Americans. Welcome to episode five zero seven.

I am your host Paul Rykoff.

It is Wednesday, April 29th. We are almost through April. I can't believe it. And since it's Wednesday that that means it's what the fuck Wednesday. Whiskey Tango Foxtrot Wednesday is here and I'm coming To you, of course, from

New York City, usa And the weather

is very nice, very nice to welcome the King and the Queen here today. More on that in a minute. And and today's Artist of the day,

the artist I share with my little

boys every morning to introduce them to new music is the Average White Band. Because I was in a coffee shop

this morning, my local coffee shop, and

they were playing Pick up the Pieces,

just such a great, groovy, important kind of song.

And the title seemed appropriate for what

we're dealing with right now because we're all picking up the pieces.

The Average White Band was a Scottish

funk and R and B band, had

a series of hits between 74 and 80.

They were best known for their multi million selling instrumental track Pick up the Pieces, which I encourage you to go check out. They got their breakthrough, interestingly, in a support slot on Eric Clapton's comeback concert in 1973. Some other tracks, a Love of your own, if I ever lose this heaven, Queen of my soul, let's go around again, which feels like every day in America with Donald Trump and of course, Pick up the pieces. And today on this Wednesday, we're going to pick up the pieces, we're going

to put them together and we're going

to bring you the five eyes that I bring you in every single show.

Independence, integrity, information, inspiration and impact.

And our guest today is bringing all that and then some.

He is a returning champion, a brave,

inspiring, unifying independent leader, army veteran candidate

for Senate from Idaho. Hot Achilles is back.

He is getting after it, folks. He's running neck and neck with the very rich, very old incumbent senator from Idaho, Jim Risch. And he is going to give us an update. We're going to talk about his new headquarters, his innovative new campaign to punch back and the contrast between him and the incumbent on everything from tariffs to the war in Iran to what might come next in Cuba. And we have a big announcement from Independent Veterans of America. So we, we'll get to that. But let's pick up the pieces, let's pick up the pace and let's stay vigilant. All right. Their king is better than our wannabe king, maybe because long ago King Charles actually served in uniform. So did his children and so did a lot of people across their society. But their king actually served in uniforms in support of the Falkland wars in the UK he has been a voice of and yesterday he spoke to our Congress and delivered an important message. Chris, please play that clip.

[King Charles (clip)]

This year, of course, also marks the 25th anniversary of 911 this atrocity was a defining moment for America and your pain and shock were felt around the whole world. During my visit to New York, my wife and I will again pay our respects to the victims, the families and the bravery shown in the face of terrible loss. We stood with you then and we stand with you now in solemn remembrance of a day that shall never be forgotten.

[Paul Rykoff]

So their king understands NATO and Ukraine and 911 and today, just a few blocks from here, he is ensuring that

the world never forgets.

He'll be at ground zero where I was 25 years ago this fall. His message there and to our Congress is strong, true and necessary. And it's what our president and wannabe king should sound like, especially with regard to NATO and Ukraine. But it's not. And it's again showing an alternative example of what positive, free, democratic, empathetic, visionary leadership should sound like. I don't believe that any country should have a king, but I think it's an important contrast to see what is a real king next to our wannabe king. And despite all the pomp and circumstance, the message and the policy is really what matters. And that's where King Charles, my hat is off to you today and especially for coming to Ground zero to remind people about that unifying moment for America and the world.

It's the kind of unity we need

now and especially as we dive into our top topic. All right, here's our top topic for today.

And we're going to get into this with Todd Achilles.

More coming up.

Forever war.

Trump's never ending, unauthorized, forever war is expensive as hell. I got tongue tied saying it because it's so incredibly expensive, it's almost mind boggling. Now, today the Pentagon has got General Kaine, the chairman of Joint Chiefs of Staff and acting Secretary of Culture, War Pete Hegsedd. They're both testifying. And there's fireworks. We're going to get into that.

But here's what you need to know.

The headline from today's fireworks, in addition to all the political fighting and Hegseth doing Hegsethian things, is that the Pentagon has put the cost of the Iran

war at $25 billion already. $25 billion.

Now, to put that in perspective, the new ballroom that Trump wants to build and that Lindsey Graham thinks is so Wonderful, will cost $400 million. So think about how many ballrooms you could build with $25 billion. Think about how many kids you could feed with $25 billion. Think about how you could lower gas prices nationwide with $25 billion. $25 billion.

And it's just so far, there's a

running tab on this sucker. It just keeps going up. Now, another point of what they're testifying on today that is even more shocking. The Pentagon is also submitting a larger budget request for $1.5 trillion. Dollars.

Trillion dollars. That's trillion with a T. I can't

even wrap my head around that. But that's how much they're asking for,

including a roughly 40% increase, which is

the subject of the hearing, and almost 500 billion of that they want for Iran alone. Now, the Pentagon is saying that this is necessary to put the Pentagon's industrial base on wartime footing. Yeah, because that's what forever war would cost and then some. Not to mention all the contractors and children of Trump who will get rich. But right now, as you're struggling to pay for groceries, as you're struggling to figure out childcare, how to take care of an elderly parent, they want to spend $1.5 trillion on forever war that most Americans don't support, that Congress hasn't authorized and has no end in sight.

This is outrageous, folks.

This is something that I think will also unify America. Building on the low popularity of Trump, the low popular of the Iran war. Now they want to spend $1.5 trillion on a forever war, a regime change war, more war that they promised, especially the Republican base, that they would not do. The lies are stacking up and it's becoming a problem. And we all, especially right now, especially around the money and how expensive forever wars are. We all.

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[Paul Rykoff]

Need to stay vigilant.

All right, man, I still can't 1.5 trillion.

All right.

Meanwhile, let's talk about some more money related to Mr. Hegseth. Hegseth is doing Hegsethian things.

Oh, especially today.

And they just keep spending and wasting our money. Let me give you another example.

The Pentagon is asking Congress to codify

the name the War Department.

Remember, it used to be the Department of Defense.

Well, it technically still is. And a Defense Department legislative proposal sent

to Capitol Hill this month according to Stars and Stripes, by the way, which always deserves your attention and your support and is under attack from Hegseth.

But it's going to cost about $50 million already.

The name change has already cost $50 million just to change the name from the Department of Defense to the Department for signs and things like that. $50 million. But the CBO estimated the change could cost as much as $125 million. $125 million

for a name change?

That's really unnecessary and a step back culturally in the way we think about defense and peace. This is another example of how they're wasting your money. And Hegseth had to defend it today or try to defend it, and he was doing Heg Sithian things. I'm gonna play that song just because I like it, and I think it's really good. It's also on our YouTube page. But, Chris, play the Hegset song exit.

All right.

Hegseth today is having a rough day. I mean, he likes it when he only answers questions from the propaganda Pentagon press Corps with the MyPillow guy and the Daily Caller. But today, he had to answer some really tough questions, and it did not go well. Play this clip, please, Chris.

[Congressman Seth Moulton]

General George, let's talk about a guy who's a patriot, somebody who every single person here in this dais and down there in that audience and out there in this world has huge admiration for. Why did he get fired?

[Pete Hegseth]

Well, as with any moves we make with general officers, first of all, I thank them for their service.

[Congressman Seth Moulton]

And ultimately, my impression is you thanked him by a text or a phone call. You didn't even do it to his face.

[Pete Hegseth]

Out of respect for these officers, we never talk about the nature of their removal, but every one of them, including myself, knows that they serve with pleasure of the president. Ultimately, out of respect to these officers, we don't reveal it. However, I will note it's very difficult to change the culture of a department that was been destroyed by the wrong perspectives.

[Congressman Seth Moulton]

So you, General George, destroyed a culture.

[Pete Hegseth]

There are many.

[Paul Rykoff]

We've.

[Pete Hegseth]

We've gotten rid of many general officers in this administration because we need new leadership.

[Congressman Seth Moulton]

You have no way of explaining why you fired one of the most decorated and remarkable men who's.

[Pete Hegseth]

We needed new leadership. That's right.

[Congressman Seth Moulton]

And so your answer is a very immature way of responding to my. My request.

[Paul Rykoff]

So he's finally having to answer questions about why he purged people like. Like 21 generals, including Army General George, who was very popular, popular with the army secretary, popular with the troops, popular with Republicans and Democrats. And Hegseth doesn't even have the integrity to say why he fired him. We know why he fired him.

Because of politics, because he didn't agree

with him, or because he wouldn't Fall in line.

And Hegseth wouldn't answer the question today.

But again, I will appeal to General George. Please, sir, speak out and tell us your side of the story.

Yeah, they might try to come after

your retirement, but they're coming after our military and they're coming after our democracy. We need you to speak out. I welcome you, of course, on this show or go to any show.

But, General George, we need you to

offer your side of the story. Now, I said for Hegseth, it did not go well. I mean, there's so many clips, I could fill a whole show with them. But here's another example, an important one, of where Pete Hegseth is being questioned by a Massachusetts congressman, a guy who's been on this show before, Marine Corps veteran Seth Moulton. Play that clip, please, Chris.

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Now, quickly, on March 13, in a press conference, you said, we will give them no quarter. No mercy in order for no quarter or no survivors is a war crime under the Geneva Conventions. You understand that's murder. Do you stand by that statement?

[Pete Hegseth]

The Department of War fights to win, and we ensure that our warfighters have the rules of engagement necessary to be as effective as humanly clear.

[Shell V Power Nitro Plus Narrator]

You call Democratic members of Congress to be tried for sedition, for reminding our troops to follow law, but when you tell them to commit a war crime, you stand by yourself for insinuating the

[Paul Rykoff]

laws that we're giving them are so

he is facing the music. He is being called out, and our troops are watching. They need this kind of clarity.

They need to know why the secretary of War, defense, culture, war, whatever we call them, is giving them illegal orders

like no quarter, no mercy.

That is an illegal order. It is a war crime. And they need to know that they

won't get hanged by it because of

an order that he gave.

It's another example of why his popularity is continuing to fall. Trump loves when his secretaries do well on tv. He doesn't like it when they do poorly.

So the accountability may be coming not

from Congress, not from an election, but from Trump. And if Hegseth goes down politically from his office, that is a good thing for our democracy. It's a good thing for our troops. It's a good thing for our politics. We need someone who's more reasonable, who's more trusted, who's more respectful, who's more honest. And until we do, our enemies are celebrating. Our enemies are celebrating.

All right. There's a lot happening around the world

on this what the Wednesday. That entire segment is a what the. Because it's Just too unfathomable almost to believe. But we got to stay focused. And if you're not angry, you're not paying attention. There is a lot happening around the

world, including we've seen a spike of

hate crimes, of hate attacks against all kinds of people, against LGBTQ people, against Jewish people, against Muslim people, against people of all different backgrounds.

And today there's breaking news that there

was a stabbing in a Jewish area in North London. It's being treated as a terrorist incident. Two men were stabbed in Golders Green on Wednesday. They're in stable condition. One man was arrested on suspicion of attempted murder. One guy was in his late 70s, one guy was in his 30s. They were taken to a hospital. And a 45 year old man was arrested under suspicion of attempted murder and counterterrorism. Police are leading the investigation. But this comes at a time of

heightened anxiety for Jewish communities across the

world and across Europe. And here in America, of course, lots of anti Semitic, Semitic attacks. In October, on Yom Kippur, the holiest day in the Jewish calendar, a man who said, police, police said, had pledged allegiance to the Islamic State attacked the synagogue in Manchester in northern England. Our Jewish friends around the world and here in America have been under unique and heightened attack. It's another example of why we need to come together to support our Jewish Americans, to support our Muslim Americans, to support all Americans, to bring the temperature down, to bring the unity up. Help us all come together and face hate with one voice, one American voice and stay vigilant.

All right.

Trump is not slowing down. All gas, no brakes. You know the deal. Yesterday we talked about how Cuba is again in their crosshairs. They continue to bang the drums about war in Cuba. No talk about the price tag and what that might cost. But imagine there'll be a lot more money needed if they want to overthrow the regime in Cuba after saying there would be no regime change war. So they talk about regime change in Iran, they talk about regime change in Cuba. We need regime change here in America.

But they don't talk a lot about

regime change in Russia, which is where we probably need it the most. Ukraine faces their 15 18th day of Russia's full scale invasion, which happens every single day. And I want to pull out an example of how countries around the world are helping Ukraine in smart, innovative ways. Scotland has stepped up. Our friends in Scotland have delivered hundreds of tons of recycled fishing nets to Ukraine. You know why they need them? Hundreds of tons of recycled fishing nets. They use them as anti drone tunnels across cities and on the front lines. There are entire towns that are covered in fishing nets to stop drones from zooming in and killing people. This is what is needed. In February, the Scottish government announced the delivery of 280 tons of used fishing nets to help build anti drone tunnels, protect roads and critical infrastructure. This is their reality. This is another example of how Ukraine continues to hold the line for freedom and innovate against what is our new normal. Drone warfare is not just the future, it is the now. And this is their reality. And it's another reason we need to say down with Putin.

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[Paul Rykoff]

I hear people talking about removing the regime in Iran, which would be good, and in Cuba, which would be good if it didn't involve the full scale American invasion. But how about removing the regime in Russia? It's another example of where we need to stay vigilant.

All right.

Veterans are leading the way. I've talked about that here in America, around the world. I think having King Charles here is an example, someone who served in uniform. It's a contrast to President Bone spurs who avoided the draft. But veterans of all backgrounds, Republicans and Democrats are coming together, especially around the examination of Hegseth, the hard questions about Iran. But Republicans in my view, are bankrupt and gone and corrupt. Their popularity is at an all time low. Democrats also low. The only thing less popular than Trump in America is the Democratic Party and they are not going to save us. But independent candidates are stepping up. Independent people are stepping up.

And in a minute you're gonna hear

from another one, Todd Achilles, as I continue our Meet the Candidate series.

He's a good one, he's an inspiring

one and he's a winning one. More on that in a second.

All right, let's go to sports where

there is some good winning happening, especially for my Knicks last night.

I mean, a really big win for

the Knicks at home. Madison Square Garden. New York City is buzzing. They won 12697 over the Hawks. And I just want to talk about the importance of picking up the pieces. They took some tough losses to the Hawks.

They had a really tough maybe bottoming

out, losing a heartbreaker.

But they have leadership.

Jalen Brunson especially brought them together and rebounded. And that is what this team is capable of. If they play great defense, if they pass the ball, if Karl Anthony Towns plays big and tough, they can beat anybody. And we have Jalen Brunson, maybe the most clutch player I've seen since Kobe. 39 points for Brunson. They take a 32 series in the series lead and the Knicks are rolling. And New York City is an especially fun place when the Knicks are winning in the playoffs. I hope that King Charles gets to

feel a little bit of that.

But a shout out to NBC, please stop giving us Reggie Miller for Knicks games, the Pacers legend. I just don't want to hear Reggie Miller calling any Knicks games and neither do Knicks fans. He's not independent, he's not impartial and maybe Trump's FCC can do something useful for a change and change that. What do you say, FCC chair Carr do something productive for a change. All right. Also, the Celtics lost to the Sixers. Joel Embiid was back. Boston's got a 32 lead there. I hope that they punch each other out and get tired before the Knicks spurs cleaned up the Blazers, another example of leadership. Victor Webayama was strong again. San Antonio wins that series over in

hockey, a real thriller.

Bruins beat the sabres in Buffalo 2 1. Buffalo leads that series 3 2. The Wild beat the Stars 4 2. Minnesota leads that series 3 2. And the Oilers won big over the Ducks 4 to 1. Anaheim leads that series 3 2. And one thing else I want, I want to say just about basketball as an example of how too many things are getting too out of touch for working people. The cheapest ticket to the Knicks game last night at Madison Square Garden was $376. That was just to stand. That's why my sons and I haven't been to a single game all year. It's $376 to stand up courtside seats. Brace yourself. $46,555, which is madness. You have to be, I don't know, a defense contractor to be able to afford that because Knicks tickets are almost as expensive as our forever war. And that sucks. But what we saw on the floor last night for Jalen Brunson and from other leaders across the NBA is that leaders can pick up the pieces. That's what Jalen Brunson did, that's what Victor Webayama did, and that's what Todd Achilles is doing. He's one of many independent veterans that are stepping up to meet the moment, to give us hope, to give us inspiration, to give us unity, to pick up the pieces and even on a what the fuck Wednesday, bring us forward to a better future. My conversation with Todd Achilles is next, and it's another reminder of why we

all need to stay optimistic, stay positive,

stay focused and stay vigilant.

Independent Americans around the country and around the world. I am going to continue to bring you inspiring leaders who are meeting the moment. I am going to continue to introduce you to independent candidates and especially independent veterans who are meeting this moment as a part of our Meet the Independent Candidate series. And today's guest is a returning champion. If you're a regular listener or viewer of the show, this is not a new introduction to this person. But you will be happy to hear

about how much he's been doing.

Todd Achilles story starts very far from the political spotlight. He was a farm kid growing up. He's a former tank commander. He worked in the technology business and he's got a blue collar grit and boardroom savvy. He has always wanted to serve his community and he's always served his community. He served in the Idaho Legislature and

has brought people together from the moment

he first started representing people across the state. The great state of Idaho. He, he said once I'm, I'm really not interested in the party politics. We got serious stuff to get done.

And all good policy is bipartisan.

He is a leader that's meeting the moment. He's a source of hope. He's a very cool guy. I'm very happy to bring back, being back on the show, the great and powerful Todd Achilles. Welcome back, my friend.

[Todd Achilles]

Hey, Paul, how you doing, man?

[Paul Rykoff]

I am good. I'm like, I say I'm better than our democracy, but talking to you gives me hope if I didn't say it. He's running for Senate against Jim Risch, who is one of the oldest and one of the richest members of the Senate. We'll get into that in a second, but it's good to see you, man. I don't know if anybody has been grinding harder than you over the course

of this year, man.

I just want to start with that

and give you respect.

[Todd Achilles]

No, I appreciate it. We're, what are we over 10 months into this campaign? We've done all 44 Idaho counties, over 100 town halls and meet and greets. But I tell you, man, I mean, it's, it's how you do this, right? Because if you don't understand what's going on in the state, you can't, you can't represent the people here.

[Paul Rykoff]

Yeah. So I'm going to dig into that. And we were very excited to have

General Sarah Zabalon last week.

I'm trying to do this every Wednesday if I can introduce folks. And it was great to introduce her to the world. She's covering a lot of geography across the state of Idaho, but so are you. But let me ask you, you know, where are you today, man? And how are you?

[Todd Achilles]

Yeah, yeah. So I'm, I'm back in beautiful Boise and we're doing good. You know, we, we, we kicked off a little billboard campaign to celebrate the 83rd birthday of my opponent, Jim Rich. And like you were saying, he's, he's the fourth oldest and seventh richest in the Senate, which is already an old rich club. So outperforming on that metric is not really good. So we're getting a ton of positive feedback about it that this guy's turning 80. Everybody agrees that it's just, that's too damn old to represent the state.

[Paul Rykoff]

Well, and you also, you know, you're, you're kind of a happy warrior. I mean, I said this to Sarah But I'll say it to you. I mean, your Instagram is like. I don't know. It's like. It's like panoramic porn. It's like. I don't know if there's more beautiful places in the world than the places that you pop up in Idaho. So folks don't follow you on Instagram, especially. They should, because, you know, you've got a love for your state. And also, you're introducing your state. You're a great cheerleader for your state in such an important way, man. Let me just ask you, what's something you love about Idaho for folks who aren't from Idaho? Maybe never been to Idaho. What's something you really love about Idaho?

[Todd Achilles]

I mean, the. You know, the land here, the mountains, the rivers, I mean, it's just. It's absolutely stunning. And it's. It's three distinct states. I mean, up north is totally different from Down. And, you know, in the high desert down here in Boise, Eastern Idaho's kind of got its whole thing going on. But, you know, it's just. It's good people, right? It's just full of good people. It's this incredible mix. And, you know, if your rig's stuck in the mud, nobody's going to ask you what your party is. They just. They lean in, they help out. That's the kind of people we are here.

[Paul Rykoff]

I think, you know, Idaho is a good conscience for America. Your campaign, I think, has been a

good conscience for America at a time

when we really need it. So, you know, let's get into what I think is our top topic. Then we'll go below the radar, talk about your campaign, and end with something good. But, you know, I think this folds well into where you are. I mean, I say to folks, if you're not angry, you're not paying attention. And I feel like this week is really important because the King of England is here, and he's representing, I think, England in a very good way. He's a veteran himself. His son's a veteran, right? He served his country, and he's benevolent. He's talking about unity. He's talking about supporting NATO, talking about bringing people together. And then we got the guy who thinks he's king, who I think has got an apex of corruption, of selfishness, of division. That's kind of reflective of where I think our politics are, too. Like, it feels like the corruption, especially, has really got people across this country pissed off, but also unified. And we saw that in places like Hungary. But now I'm Seeing it across this country, and I feel like people across all backgrounds are just pissed off and have had enough. Can you talk about how you see that in this moment right now?

[Todd Achilles]

Yeah, yeah, absolutely, Paul. And you know, in Idaho, President Trump won with 67% of the vote. Right. So overwhelmingly, you know, Idahoans wanted what President Trump was selling in 24, because honestly, I think he was listening to the pains of Americans better than anybody else. But where we are now in 26 is folks didn't sign up for this. I just had a house party a couple days ago with this great group of kind of 30 somethings. They all had young kids and one of them, they run a small business. They can't afford healthcare. They had to drop healthcare. They got two young girls, they're trying to run their business. They got this 3% tax from the credit card companies right off of the top on everything they do. And they're like, todd, we just want to run our business.

[Paul Rykoff]

Right.

[Todd Achilles]

We shouldn't have to live this way. We're like right on the edge. And it's just, I hear that again and again and again all across the state.

[Paul Rykoff]

It feels like everybody's getting screwed except for a small number of people. And I've said, you know, there's this kind of eat the rich mentality right now, but I think people just want

to see a change in leadership.

But let me ask you to take us maybe to the ground truth where gas prices, I think yesterday the national average is 4, 18 a gallon. You're in a place where the price

of fertilizer matters, the price of diesel matters.

So you got the Iran war, you've got tariffs, you've got inflation, and they're all probably hitting people across the country hard, but maybe hitting folks in Idaho especially hard.

[Todd Achilles]

Yeah. And the fuel, fuel's a big thing because we don't have any refineries in the state. So we're dependent on, you know, the guys to the west and the east of us. So, you know, diesel's up in the, in the high fives, gases in the mid fours. And listen, it's a big state, so you, you burn a lot just getting around here. And then of course, farmers are burning a ton just getting their fuels ready. So this hits and everybody feels it.

[Paul Rykoff]

All right, so let's, let's get into the trench fight that you're in for the future and soul of our democracy and I think some of the soul of Idaho as well. Let's go below the radar. Every time I talk to independent candidates and now Especially folks that we've talked to before. I really want to get an update on where you are strategically, tactically. But you've been, you know, a battlefield commander. You've led military units, you've led businesses. You're up against the machine here. I mean, you got a billionaire who is, you know, a very rich guy. I don't know if he's a billionaire. 83 years old, one of the richest, one of the oldest, one of the most entrenched. He's very partisan. You're the renegade, you know, you're the insurgent. You're, I think, the man of the people. And we talk a lot about how independents aren't just moving the needle, they are the needle. I think you represent a tip of the spear for our independent movement and independent vets in particular. You launched this campaign this week, which I thought was really smart and creative, where you said, happy birthday to Rich with these billboards all across the state. But talk to me about where you think you are in this battle strategically, and what the next couple of weeks you think are going to look like

and what's going to be key.

[Todd Achilles]

Yeah, I mean, we're doing really well on this. You know, among informed voters. When they know my background, I'm leading Rish by three points. Nobody in two decades in Idaho has come even close to where we are right now. Now there's a hell of a lot of work ahead of us, and we've got to continue to build name id and folks know me, but, you know, at the end of the day, there's kind of three big pillars to the campaign, Paul. One is, you know, Rish has been in Idaho politics since 1970, man, when I was 2 years old. And nobody likes him. So his approval is underwater. You know, based on what we see, he and Susan Collins are the two senators running for reelection with the lowest approval. Republicans don't like Rich, Independents don't like him. Dem sure as hell don't like him in the state. So we're running against a really vulnerable guy. And so that's. That's a great. If you're going to run, man, run against somebody with horrible numbers, number one. And number two, Idaho's a really independent state. You know, when we, we closed our primaries in 2012, we've had conversations about how damaging closed primaries are. But before that, 70% of Idahoans were unaffiliated with the party. 70%, it was the highest in the country. Now, that's because everybody's had to pick sides. That's kind of, you Know, that's down to about 25, 30%, something like that. But there's still twice as many independents registered unaffiliated voters in the state as there are Democrats. And you know, and so that's a

[Paul Rykoff]

big population to hopefully make a donation.

[Todd Achilles]

There's one I want to, it's my wife. Call me. She's out and she's on the road. But so, so we're going to really remind Idahoans that they're independent. So Boise State does this annual survey last, you know, last year, basically 60% of Idahoans identified as I'm independent or I'm a Republican, but I lean independent. So and then, you know, you've talked about this all the time, right, this big national wave around independence. 45% of Americans are independent, 55 for millennial and Gen Z. So you've got this big wave that's particularly strong in Idaho that we're going to lean into. And then listen, and folks like my background, right, growing up on a farm, serving on active duty, 20 years in the tech sector, running billion dollar global businesses, and then serving in the legislature. And when you give people my background and everything else, right, I'm leading this race by three. So this is absolutely winnable. We got a ton of work to do. We got to build up our volunteer army, but this is absolutely winnable race.

[Paul Rykoff]

I think that's really important because we have to break the understanding and some

of the misconception around what independents are.

And one of the first things that both parties do is, is, is kind

of impeach the character of independence by

saying a, you're not really independent. You know, you just lean one way or the other. And my counter is always, well, that's

because you don't have an option, right?

If you don't have a third option, you have to pick one or the other. But when people have a third option, they also, they often pick none of the above. And then, you know, there's the spoiler rap. You're going to be the spoiler. But I think it's really important for folks to know that in a state

like Idaho, in a state like Montana, in a state like Nebraska, the Democrats

are the spoiler, it's not the independent. There are fewer Democrats than there are anybody else. And if anybody's a spoiler, it's a Democrat and in some states it's a Republican. And at the end of the day, I think both parties are spoiling our democracy. And when people have a third option or none of the above option, they take it so can you talk about Idaho's special? We had General Zabel on last week. We're gonna have other folks on from Idaho. I've talked in the past about how Nebraska was really special last time. I think we're gonna see the same in Montana, maybe in Maine, other places, but where the independent spirit is especially strong. And let's use Maine as an example where they've elected independents before. We've had Senator Angus King on here. He was an independent governor as well. Once you show it's possible, then people can wrap their head around it. But can you talk about how this intersection of the rise of independence, which isn't maybe a blue rave or a red wave, I think with veterans, maybe

it's a camouflage wave, right?

But that rise of independence, O D Green wave. Green wave. Okay, great. And just like the heart and character of what it means to be from Idaho, right, Which is, you know, has an independent spirit. That's that those two pieces are coming together around your campaign, you know.

[Todd Achilles]

And on this we, we just had, you know, one of Idaho's great statement. Statesman Dirk Kempthorne. He passed last week from, from cancer at 34. He was the mayor of Boise, then elected to the Senate. And then he came back to, to serve as governor of Idaho. And then George Bush picked, President Bush picked him up to be Secretary of the interior from 06 09. Listen, Republican through and through, right? But he was all about democracy. He was all about good policy. He never let partisanship come before policy. And all he, you know, all the things he did when he was out of office was about breaking down this partisanship, this just artificial division and getting the country working again. I mean, he was a phenomenal example. And you know, you look at Kim Thorne, who was Republican through and through, the longest serving governor in the state.

[Paul Rykoff]

This.

[Todd Achilles]

Democrats Cease, Anders and Cease was the same thing, right? I mean, if there's a Venn diagram of overlap, Cease and, and Dirk just sat right in that middle and they, they worked across the, you know, the, the aisle. They did what they needed to do to do the right thing for the, for the people of Idaho. I mean, that's the model that we need, right? As opposed to my opponent who's like, listen, the CHIPS act is, is one example, right? That invested in semiconductor. We've got Micron, one of the biggest memory companies in the world, founded in Boise and building the first new memory fab in the country like over 30 years. And Rish voted against the Chips act just because it came out of the Goddamn Biden administration. I mean, what the hell? 15,000 jobs. Incredibly important from a national security standpoint. The guy still shows up with a golden shovel on groundbreaking day, but he can't vote for something as critically important to not only our national security, but also the people of Idaho as the CHIPS Act. I mean, that's just this sort of toxic partisanship we can't tolerate anymore, man.

[Paul Rykoff]

Can we talk about the division between you and him on Forever wars and

on Iran in particular?

There's a lot of veterans in Idaho, very high percentage of the overall population when casualties are suffered. You know, Idaho bears a larger load. I think, you know, this is one of those issues that's unified people of all backgrounds. And I think if you're a real Republican, you should be voting for Todd Achilles. If you're a pissed off Democrat, you should be voting for Todd Achilles. And if you're an Independent is a no brainer. Todd Achilles is your guy. But I think this issue in particular, and not just Iran, but never ending war, where they're pumping billions of dollars into Iran to drive up our gas prices and they don't have money for the health care that your people need or the infrastructure investments that we need or protecting our lands. But talk about specifically, I don't know, I assume he voted against the War Powers Act. I assume he's okay with the President just having never ending war wherever he wants without any accountability. Because I think that cuts to the corruption and just the spinelessness of the Senate. I don't care if you're a Democrat or Republican. I think most people want to see a president at least advise Congress and check with Congress before he goes to war in multiple countries. But talk to us about the difference between the two of you on that.

[Todd Achilles]

Yeah, yeah, no, that's super important, Paul, because. So Jim Risch is chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

[Paul Rykoff]

Right.

[Todd Achilles]

Incredibly important role. He has appeared to the Secretary of State on, on all things foreign affairs. Right. And how many hearings does he help? He hasn't hold squat. Right. He just, he, he's rubber stamping what's ever coming out of the White House. You know, it's funny, Little Idaho, we've had two other chairs of Senate Foreign Relations Committee. You had Frank Church, Democrat in the, in the 70s and the 80s, and you had William Bora before that in the, in the 20s and the 30s. I mean, those two guys are rolling in their grave right now to see an Idaho Senator who is not standing up for his constitutional duties to be that check on the White House. And listen, you know, if he may just, he may agree 100% with the Iran war, right? Fine. He may have some justification for it, but hold a goddamn hearing, man. If you think the White House is doing the right thing, then you need to use the Senate and the Foreign Relations Committee to communicate that to the public. You can't just go quiet on this thing.

[Paul Rykoff]

And it's this.

[Todd Achilles]

Oh, it's just this dereliction of duty that I mean he's, he consistently takes the politically easy out over the, the hard right, the, the policy right. What's right for the country. The guy never served, right? And he voted against the PACT act on top of we got 160000 vets in our state, 6% or the sixth highest on a per capita in the country. Frickin voted against the PACT act because they said it was too expensive, but had no problem voting to send, you know, you and your generation off to Iraq and Afghanistan. I mean, this is, this is the kind of stuff that Idaho and see it and they're fired up.

[Paul Rykoff]

I think it's really important that we put that on people and say, look, this guy's a rich old guy who has never served. This guy has been in the state. He's got roots there. You know, he's been working hard and he's served. This is a moment where people need to understand the difference between somebody who served in uniform and somebody who has on all these issues. Right. I mean, you mentioned the PACT Act. That has to do with toxin exposures for every generation of vets all the

way back to Vietnam vets.

So if you don't know, you can Google the PACT Act. We did a lot of work on this show about it, but that's a really, really important one. You vote against the PACT act, which means you're voting against care for Agent Orange for Vietnam veterans, toxin exposures for Iraq and Afghanistan.

I don't know how you even justify that.

But now no check on Iran. The blockade is still kind of unfolding. But now you've got Hegseth in the crosshairs. He's under attack now, including from Republicans because of the way he's mismanaged things and just I think the way he acts, that's overtly political, just disrespectful. I can't imagine people in Idaho look at Pete Hegstep and say that's a guy we're proud of. I mean, just not the kind of person we can be proud of. But then there's also Cuba. They're talking About Cuba. They're talking about other places. Can you just drill down on that? In particular, if you're elected on day one, Idaho's got a veteran who can check Hegset, who can check war with Cuba, can check any other number of places, because by the time you get there, he might have hit two or three more countries.

[Todd Achilles]

Yeah, yeah. And, Paul, you get it, right? When you're thinking about these issues, the first thing that comes to mind is, you know, standing in front of your troops. Right. And explaining to your troops what the hell you're doing, and does your chain of command have a damn plan for what's going on? And if you haven't had that experience, then you don't understand. You can't appreciate what's being asked of the folks on active duty. And again, Rish is in this incredibly important role as chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. He should be holding hearings on Cuba. Right. If we could bring democracy to Cuba, that'd be phenomenal. That's exactly what we need to do. It's so long overdue there.

[Paul Rykoff]

But.

[Todd Achilles]

So what's the plan? Right. How are they going to do it? Let's talk through this thing. Let's bring the Republicans and the Democrats together with the experts, and let's come up with really good policy. Not this like, I'm just going to go silent and whatever the hell Stephen Miller and Hegseth want to do, I'm on board. I mean, that's. People are going to get hurt. Right. And it's going to cost the country, and it's on risk.

[Paul Rykoff]

Yep. I think that's really important. Let me ask you to go into where you are right now. I mean, you are. You're fighting this battle uphill. You got to be innovative and creative. Jesse Ventura, Governor, Navy seal, has been on the show, and he said for independents to win, they need celebrity or money. You don't have celebrity, you don't have money, but you do have your veteran status. You're working your ass off. And we're all working to change the dynamic where you don't have to be a billionaire, you don't have to be a professional wrestler. I think you, Seth Bodner, bang, so many others are in a good position to break that and show that this is viable now. But talk about what you need for folks who are like, all right, I'm all in. I want to help you, Todd Achilles, I want to help you knock out Rish, whether I'm in Idaho or not, what do you need? We got. I say, all the Time. We got the fighters, we need the fuel. What do you need to win?

[Todd Achilles]

Yeah, listen, I mean, Senate races are expensive races. Fortunately, Idaho is a pretty low cost state. So we can, we can bootstrap this thing and we're doing pretty well. But yeah, I mean, we, we need to raise more money to, to have, to have the funds in the bank to be able to get the message out. Because when people get our message, they like it. This is what Idahoans want to see, number one. Number two, you know, we're building up a volunteer army. We've already got more than a thousand volunteers all across the state. We want to get to 3,000 by the summer because we want to knock on one third of the doors in the state of Idaho. That's about a quarter million doors. And I tell you, man, that that face to face conversation is still where it's at. And what's really cool about this, Paul, is, you know, I, I served as a, as a Democrat in the Idaho House. And you know, even in my, in my district in Boise, it's only 25% Dem, and I won with 60% of the vote. Right. I had the reputation as being one of the most bipartisan legislature legislators in, in the Capitol. But when you're running as an independent, it's a fundamentally different conversation. And I'll tell you, here's what happens when you're at the door, like, hey, I'm Todd Achilles. You know, I'm running for the US Senate against Jim Rush and like, oh, finally, so what are you running as a Democrat or you run as a Republican? Like, well, neither, man. I'm running as an Independent. And invariably the response is, I like you already. Right? Because people are just, the defenses come down. They're tired of this vitriol, of this just toxic partisanship. They know we're better than this thing and they're looking for a new way. And so that's why just knocking on doors and having these conversations is just incredibly important to our campaign and how we're going to win.

[Paul Rykoff]

I think that we've been building toward this year for years. You and I are friends. We've been in touch.

We're part of this broader movement and

this is like the breakout year where we can show that they can when they haven't seen the wins of Travis Endicott in Ridgecrest, California, or Yemi Mobilotti for mayor in Colorado. Most of the country hasn't seen that. But this is a year where we could win multiple seats in the Senate and show that this is Possible, which I think is so exciting to change the entire dynamic, because then that pulls people out of the Republican Party to independent. Pulls people out of the Democratic Party and into independent. Right. I mean, Trump and the Republican Party have a very low approval rating. The Democratic Party is even lower. I mean, everybody's sick of all of it, and they don't know about the other options. So having you as, as a, as a case study, I think is so important and I think people are catching on. I, I saw James Carville, who, you know, I disagree with on a lot of things, but he's been good at predicting. And he said on his show recently with Al Hunt, who I've known for a long time and, and respect, they said Idaho's in play. They said Idaho's in play. And they're talking about you. So I'm hoping that this conversation and all the hard work you've been doing brings people's attention to the fact that you're a good return on investment, too, for people who are dumping money in races for Democrats or Republicans that are either locked up or unwinnable. You, you, you, you can win this thing, man.

[Todd Achilles]

Yeah, yeah. Listen, I, you know, I come out of the tech industry. We're kind of a venture capital bet, but not a lot of money. You know, potential for, for massive breakthrough. And we're just, we're hustling, right? I mean, we're, I'm in the van, we're traveling the state. We're, we got bigger and bigger crowds showing up. You know, we're filling rooms in eastern Idaho, we're filling rooms up north. Folks are really excited, and we got a good mix of people showing up. You know, as I like to say, Paul, we got red hats, hard hats, truckers hats, cowboy hats coming out, right? Because people are just tired of it and they know we're better than this as a country. And, and this is not. They're not proud of where we are as a country right now. Right? Everybody viscerally believes that we are still that shining city on the hill. And they're looking for people that have that commitment to put the country first, rather than the party first. And I think that's what Idahoans are looking for. That's what Idahoans want.

[Paul Rykoff]

Somebody told me once, when you think about a person, a man or friend, ask yourself if you'd be okay with

leaving them with your kids and with your wallet, right?

And I think it's really important that we put that on people because you're the kind of guy I would be okay with, you know, leaving my kids with you and leave my tax dollars with you and leave my wallet with you. Because I feel like you're a responsible, thoughtful role model. And that's really important too. I just want to say that on your behalf, that you're, you're a positive role model for our kids and for our country. When our reputation's in the shitter and we gotta project to the world some positive American leadership, especially around 250, right? I mean, Trump and Hag said they're gonna do their shit and cash. Patel's gonna be chugging beers and screwing up. But we need to show hey, there's some great American superheroes here that are meeting the moment. And I just wanna thank you for that. Cause it's hard to do the right thing all the time and keep yourself wrapped tight. But you're setting the example, man. I think that's a really important part of what you're doing in this race.

[Todd Achilles]

Yeah, well, listen, Paul, I appreciate all the work you're doing, right? I mean, you're, you're busting through the no noise. And Americans are learning more and more about what, what I'm up to, what Seth's up to, and Dan and Brian and Ty and the rest of them. That's what, that's what we need, right? And, and your channel and your news. I mean, in this incredibly fragmented news environment we're in, you're, you're, you're doing the hard work, man. You're showing up everywhere. I don't know how you're doing it all.

[Paul Rykoff]

Not a lot of sleep, man. Not a lot of sleep. I got a good partner in Chris. I got an awesome wife, and the kids keep me motivated. And dude, honestly, it's the passion of the urgency of the moment. We're just fighting to save the future of our country. So if you're not motivated now, I don't know what's going to motivate you people. Get in the game. We need you on the field. I'm playing like it's the fourth quarter and there's no overtime, man. We got to win this. And I think you're out in front. So that takes me to end the show with what we always do. Something good.

Something good. And I'm going to go first and

then I'm going to come over to you. And I got two things. Number one, folks who follow this show and follow independent Veterans America know that we are going to be doing endorsements. We have a goal of 100 candidates that we want to endorse this year. We've got folks like Sebastian Younger and Admiral Mike Mullen and so many others

on our advisory crew.

This is going to be our third year and today we are launching our 2026 cohort of endorsements. And the first person we're endorsing is Todd Achilles. Todd, you're fantastic. You're going to be the first of many. We're going to try to do endorsements every two or three days for the next couple of months until we reach 100. But you're the tip of the spear man. That's why I wanted to have you on the show today to announce that to the world. You know, the information will be going out from IBA folks. If you're not signed up, check their website and look for the social media and everything else. But, but you're the tip of the spear man and you're something good, and I'm very happy to share that. And the other, I got another something good that's kind of perfect. If folks didn't see yesterday the, or this week, the oldest living land animal, Jonathan the turtle died. Okay? He died on St. Helena island earlier this month. He was 193 or 194 years old.

They're not sure exactly how old he was.

He was alive before the telephone, two world wars, dozens of presidents. He had the Guinness Book of World Record for the oldest living land animal and the oldest chelonian, which is, I think, the tortoise turtle, terrapin ever documented. He was beloved and he has died and we salute him. But I think it's a reflection of a changing of the tide that we need in the Senate as well. I'm not wishing ill will against Jim Rush, but it's time for him to step aside. Okay? It's time for all these guys who have had their chance to save our democracy. You did your best, you tried, you're out. It's time for a change. So I'm going to say saluting Jonathan the Turtle, the almost 200 year old turtle is something good. That's what I got, man. I did a two for today, building on your campaign. What do you got, my friend? What's something good? All right.

[Todd Achilles]

Well, we just opened up our first campaign office headquarters down here in Poise. And we're just getting people showing up, just hanging out, coming from, from all over the state and, and it's just awesome conversations and it's. We got this big space, it's an old restaurant, so we got like booths and everything else and people are just Hanging out, talking about what they could do to. To get this. To get this thing, take our campaign to the next level. So, you know, it's. It's just fun to hang out with people that all have the same objective, like, how do we get our country back on track? So. So that's my. That's my good for the week.

[Paul Rykoff]

You know, I saw the photos and videos. It looks cool. And I think it looks different, which is what I liked. I mean, it looked like a restaurant, looked like a community gathering place, like a diner or bar. Right? And. And I think that's the other part of what you're building that's really special, is you're building community. And if people come out and volunteer for your campaign or for any independent veteran or any independent, I think you're going to find people that you can relate to, that you can connect with and share your values and are, you know, kind of cut from the same cloth, people who don't want to be on the sidelines. So I think it's really special and it shows how you're doing things differently, but you're also building community that is built to last. Right? That's what we're going to need no matter what happens in November and before November. So I want to salute you and your team and your family on that, man. You're inspiring the hell out of us. For folks that want to find out more about Todd and his campaign, it'll be linked in the show notes. Todd, anything else you want to add before we wrap up today, man?

[Todd Achilles]

I just want to thank you again, Paul, for all the good work you're doing for lifting all of us independents around the country and standing up for vets. Right? We need. We need more folks like you, man. I appreciate it.

[Paul Rykoff]

Well, I'm proud to be on the same team with you and with so many folks who are listening and watching, we need your help, folks. We got the fighters. We need the fuel. So volunteer to support Todd. Donate to support Todd, share his story. Because he doesn't have a billionaire behind him that owns a social media platform. So you sharing his story will be very, very important. Look for the endorsement from Independent Veterans America. And if you want some hope, if you're feeling pissed off or you're feeling disenfranchised, Todd Achilles is out there leading the way for Idaho and for America. So check them out. Hope you'll come back soon again, man, and give us an update. Until then, keep after him.

[Todd Achilles]

All right, thanks, Paul. Good to see you, buddy.

[Paul Rykoff]

Thank you, brother. All right, Huge thanks to my friend Todd Achilles. He's kicking ass out there. If you're in Idaho, volunteer, donate, Spread the word anywhere in America. Volunteer, donate, Spread the word. Check out his campaign. It's linked in the show notes. And go to Independent Veterans of America where today you will see our feature on Todd Achilles. And stay tuned.

We are going to have endorsements coming up one after another for the next couple of weeks. It's getting really exciting. Later today I will be with Connell McShane on News Nation television at 3:00pm and then at 5:30 or so, 5:00', clock, maybe 4:30.

I don't know.

It bounces around a lot of Ms. Now with Nicole Wallace and others. Tomorrow I should be back on Ms. Now with Katie Turr. I'll be on TV from time to time.

Check out our YouTube page where all

those interviews are posted and give us your feedback. Tell me what you're thinking, tell me

what questions you want me to hit on.

I think I'll do an ask me

anything coming up in the next couple of days or weeks.

So look forward to that.

Also on Friday, a reminder, we've got

Eugene Mirman coming up. We're gonna break the gridlock of politics and news and have some fun with Eugene Mirman. Fantastic, brilliant comedian. Also really soulful, thoughtful guy that I've known for man almost 30 years now. But Eugene Mirman's coming up on Friday. We will have other great guests coming soon.

We are daily. We hit number 15 on the charts a couple weeks ago.

Help us keep that going. Follow on YouTube, follow on Spotify, follow on Apple podcasts, anywhere. You can listen and watch and you can get our Independent Americans merch shirts, hats, these cool cups and join our Patreon community where you can chip in a couple dollars and help me bring the voices of independence like Todd Achilles and others to the masses. America's divided, but we are coming together and here at Independent Americans, we are making that happen. Adding light to contrast the heat of all the other political and news shows. If you're now among the 45% of

Americans who are independent, whether you're in

Idaho, Florida, California, Alaska or even if

you're overseas, this is your show.

Our independent movement is bringing hope for the future and leadership that this country is looking for to pick up the

pieces and figure out a way forward.

Country over party, people over politics, light over heat. Challenging the status quo like Todd Achilles is doing. He is David versus the Goliath and

many of us are too.

And we can win because we're fueling a new movement that's spanning all across our society.

And that movement is growing, brick by

brick, piece by piece, show by show, and hope we're bringing it. It's the oxygen of democracy.

If you enjoyed this episode with Todd Achilles, please share it far and wide.

Share it with five friends for the starting five of your favorite basketball team and the starting five for our democracy. I will have more independent veteran candidates coming up in the days and weeks to come, so share it far and wide and invite others to declare their independence from the Republican Party, from the Democratic Party, from the traditional corporate, corrupt, partisan news media. You can't trust it. We're going to keep it real. Invite others to declare their independence and join us and help them. Stay vigilant, my friends, because eternal vigilance is the price of freedom. I know you're not alone in your vigilance. I hope you see that it's growing. It's changing. We're all vigilant and we're all in this together because ultimately, democracy is the ultimate team sport. It's much bigger than basketball or politics. Our democracy, our country, is a team sport and we're all in this together. I'm your host, Paul Rykoff. Thank you for tuning in to independent Americans. I will see you tomorrow. Happy hump day. Happy. What the. Wednesday and stay vigilant, America. Stay vigilant.

Go get them, Todd.

Wednesday.

[Todd Achilles]

What.

[Paul Rykoff]

Power by righteous media.