← Independent Americans with Paul Rieckhoff
Independent Americans with Paul Rieckhoff
Is Trump Coming For Your Guns? His Name was Alex Pretti w/ Dr Vin Gupta.
01:18:43
In this urgent all–new episode of Independent Americans, host Paul Rieckhoff is joined by returning champion Dr. Vin Gupta — Harvard–trained pulmonologist, Air Force Reserve officer, VA ICU doctor and one of America’s most trusted medical voices — to break down Trump’s escalating war on public health, the VA, and even gun owners themselves. They dig into the murder of Minneapolis VA ICU nurse and veteran caregiver Alex Pretti, what his life and final act of courage mean for nurses, veterans and families nationwide, and how the White House’s propaganda machine tried to smear him as a “domestic terrorist” before the truth came out.
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Granger for the ones who get it done. But they've always told you the Democrats were going to take your guns. It's not the Democrats, it's the fascists. And they're saying it out loud. They're saying that you can't have guns. You can't have guns when you're allowed to have guns. This is what Trump is saying. No doubt this will wake up millions who haven't been activated until now. All those Second Amendment advocates. If this doesn't wake you up, then you have no integrity. This is happening, America. To all of America, including, and now focused on gun owners. Welcome to independent Americans. Welcome to episode 426. I am your host, Paul Rykoff, and I'm coming to you from New York City, usa, where there is a lot to get into. It is Tuesday, January 27th. Yesterday was Manosphere Monday. I gave you a special episode because I was coming back from Los Angeles and stuck in an airport like millions of other Americans because the snowstorm had hit most of the east coast, which shut down schools here in New York City and all across America. My kids were home from school. I was stuck at an airport. But I am here. I am back and I'm ready to dig out with you and get after it. One thing on schools being closed before we get to the heavier stuff, remote learning on snow days is stupid. Okay? Yesterday my kids had school clothes. Mom, Donnie made the right decision. Closed schools and then said they need to go remote. I think this is stupid, especially given the burden it puts on teachers. Imagine being a teacher with three little kids and you've got them on remote school. They all want to go out and enjoy a rare snow day. And you've got to try to broadcast over zoom. I think it's a bad move. So, Mom, Donnie, good job closing down the city. Bad move pushing this remote learning on snow day. Shit, let's let kids have snow days. They need it now more than ever. And we need this show and we need you now more than ever. The weather is cold, the snow is deep. But we are digging out and I'm gonna help you Dig out with the five eyes that I bring you in every show. Independence, integrity, information, inspiration, and impact. And our guest today is gonna bring that. Dr. Vin Gupta is a really awesome doctor, service member, veteran, a thoughtful voice. He's a Harvard trained pulmonologist. You may know him from NBC and Ms. Now, and he's worked inside VA hospitals. I worked especially at the Boston VA and the Puget Sound VA in Washington. And we're going to react to the murder of Alex Preddy. We're going to tell you what this means to the health care community, why nurses around the country are rallying, and why what Alex Preddy did as a VA ICU nurse is especially honorable, especially hard. We're going to celebrate that part of his service and his memory and give special support to everyone who does that job because there is a ton happening here in America and. And around the world. Snowpocalypse 2023 has hit us. Winter Storm Fern has buried much of America, but so has the murder of Alex Pretty. And now is definitely a time to stay vigilant. Do not believe the government. Believe your own eyes. Because President Mayhem is trying to trick you into believing that you didn't see what you really saw. And what you saw is the American government kill another American. An American who spent his life in service to this country. He's now been identified, and you know who he is. Alex Preddy, 37 years old. A kind, thoughtful, honorable man who spent his life dedicated to helping veterans in some of their hardest final days. And tributes from him continue to pour out while the White House continues to try to ruin his good name. Never forget over the next couple of days that when this news broke on Saturday morning that they called Alex Preddy a domestic terrorist, they said he was there to assassinate people. And I want to take you back a couple days to the post that they posted. Trump posted this, and it was echoed by the White House because this is what they do. They will shoot you and call you a domestic terrorist, just like they did to Renee Goode. Trump posted a picture of the man's gun, which is very, very important as news continues to develop. He said, this is the man's gun loaded with two additional full magazines, ready to go. What's that all about? Where are the local police? He posted a picture of the weapon and labeled him a domestic terrorist. Attacked local law enforcement, said that Alex Preddy was there to hurt people. When. Now, we know that is not true, but that was a real statement from Trump and. And pushed by the official White House account that was dangerous tension increasing propaganda that made all of America less safe. And in that, I want to pull out an important point that not enough folks are focused on. In his initial tweet or post, Trump said, quote, the mayor and governor are inciting insurrection. He said that while the 11th Airborne Division in Alaska was still on alert to deploy to Minneapolis. I continue to remind you that Trump wants to invoke the Insurrection act, always had and still can at any moment. And we should never have a failure of imagination, especially as tensions continue to spiral across this country in Minneapolis and probably soon in other cities. Don't have a failure of imagination. Remember that Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Dan Kaine may be the only thing stopping Trump right now from invoking the Insurrection Act. Trump would do it. You need to understand the magnitude of what that means. If you haven't already, go back and listen to my special episode recently with Asha Rangapa, FBI agent, Yale professor, military law expert, and with Ruth Ben Gia, an expert on authoritarianism. We talk about the Insurrection act, martial law, how they're different to help you be prepared for what could come next. Because that could include Trump's new war on gun owners. This happened in just the last couple of minutes. I'm recording this around 2:30 on Tuesday, but around 2:00 Eastern, Trump was recorded saying this. We're going to play the clip while he was getting into, into, into, into his helicopter. Check this. All right, here's what Trump said. If you didn't hear it, he said, quote, with that being said, you can't have guns. You can't walk in with guns. You just can't. You can't walk in with guns. You can't do that. That's what he said out loud. Remember, Alex Priddy had a legally carried firearm and he never pulled it. It was in his waistband. They pulled the firearm, then they put 10 rounds in him. But he was a gun owner who was legally allowed to have a gun and he didn't even pull it out. He was a responsible gun owner and they labeled him a domestic terrorist. And now Trump says this, this is another circuit breaker moment for America. Not just because of the way they violated Alex Pretty's First Amendment, because of the way they violated his Second Amendment and his 14th Amendment and many others. But they've always told you the Democrats were going to take your guns. It's not the Democrats, it's the fascists. And they're saying it out loud. They're saying that you can't have guns, you can't have Guns, when you're allowed to have guns. This is what Trump is saying. No doubt this will wake up millions who haven't been activated until now, all those Second Amendment advocates. If this doesn't wake you up, then you have no integrity. This is happening America, to all of America, including and now focused on gun owners. And now especially, we need to stay vigilant as ICE continues to run rampant across America, especially in Minneapolis and now in Maine. I want to talk about Maine because they have names for this shit that they think are smart or cute. And if you haven't heard, they're calling the Department of Homeland Security's operation in Maine Operation Catch of the Day. That's what they've called it. And every day there's more disturbing videos and more disturbing news and more expansion, undisciplined, unprofessional, un American and unacceptable. I've said it. The culture of ICE is rotten to the core. They are bad at what they do, and nobody knows that more than the cops. And check out this clip here from a cop from Maine. We've all seen the three minute video and I've heard some people say, oh, it's, it's hard to watch. What was hard is, is that there were five to seven ICE agents there. In my world, my colleagues, we've arrested some dangerous people on the back roads of Cumberland county with three or less deputies. Yet this was a show of force, a show of whatever they were trying to do with seven people. What's even more disturbing is the comment made by the witness that videotaped this encounter who said that in the three minutes they got out, they pulled a guy from the car, handcuffed him, put him in the car. They all took off, leaving his car with the windows down, the lights on, unsecure and unoccupied. They left it right on the side of the street, folks. That's bush league policing.
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Again.
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In my world, you wait for a wrecker. You wait for somebody to come pick it up that the individual wants, or you get permission to drive the vehicle into a public parking spot and you lock it up and you give the person their car keys. You don't leave their personal belongings unsecure along the streets of the city of Portland. It's not fair to the guy that owns the car. It's surely not fair to the Portland police. And it's what my understanding is is going on. I'll end with this. We're being told one story which is totally different than what's occurring or what occurred last night. That's Cumberland County Sheriff Kevin Joyce with some harsh words for ICE about detaining one of his corrections recruits. He described the agent's actions as bush league policing. Don't believe the government, believe your eyes. And especially believe law enforcement officials who are bravely speaking out. Another piece of breaking news. Greg Bavino, who has been the target of fierce criticism, the head of Border Patrol has been removed from Minneapolis and a lot of folks are celebrating this news. He looks like a fascist, he looks like a Nazi, he talks like a Nazi, he acts like a Nazi and he's leaving Minneapolis. But don't celebrate this too much because he's probably headed to Portland. You can only celebrate when he's fired or removed and when ICE is defunded and dismantled because ICE is detaining citizens and cops and veterans and kids. And this is where we are right now. If they can do it to Renee Goode and they can do it to Chung Lee Scott and they can do it to Combat Vet, will you Liam Vermey and they can do it to five year old Liam Ramos and they can do it to Alex Preddy, they can do it to anyone and they can do it to you. Because if you're not angry, you're not paying attention. They are ripping and tearing this country apart every day, more and more by the day. ICE needs to be on trial and ICE needs to be shut down. And do not let them ruin Alex Preddy's good name. His family is pushing back and there's a long statement that's been put out that's really, really powerful from the family of Alex Preddy. His parents are speaking out. They say they're heartbroken but also very angry. Alex was a kind hearted soul who cared deeply for his family and friends and also the American veterans he cared for as an ICU nurse at the Minneapolis VA Hospital. Alex wanted to make a difference in this world. Unfortunately, he will not be with us to see his impact. I do not throw around the term hero lightly. However, his last thought and act was to protect a woman. The sickening lies told about our son by the administration are reprehensible and disgusting. Alex is clearly not holding a gun when attacked by Trump's murdering and cowardly ICE thugs. He had a phone in his right hand and his empty left hand is raised above his head while trying to protect the woman ICE just pushed down, all while being pepper sprayed. Please get the truth out about our son. He was a good man. Thank you. We must get the truth out about Alex Preddy. I am going to get the truth out. You must get the truth out. Imagine if your loved one had to write something like that to defend your honor in the face of tyranny. If they can do this to Alex Preddy, they can do it to you. And lots of folks are pushing back. They're celebrating the life and the legacy and the inspiration of Alex Preddy, of Mr. Preddy. And it included a post from a guy named Mac Randolph that showed that Alex Preddy was a dedicated nurse. They showed a video of him inside a hospital paying tribute to Mac Randolph's dad, Terrence Lee Randolph, who was born on March 30, 1947, and died on December 10, 2024. And I want you to hear what Mack Rudolph wrote on Facebook. Rest in peace, Alex Brady. He was my dad's ICU nurse. He read my dad's final salute at the VA after he passed away. Never wanted to share this video, but his speech is very on point. Also, my father's final words to me was, continue to fight the good fight. He would be honored in Alex's sacrifice and ashamed of this current administration. In my dad's words, I encourage you all to fight the good fight. That's what the message should be today. Do not let them ruin Alex Preddy's good name. And really, really important, that maybe was a bit below the radar. Radical, politically extreme Trump loyalist and culture warrior, VA Secretary Doug Collins was notably silent for hours and days after the murder, as should be expected. And I posted, that'll be until he echoes the propaganda from Nome and the White house about Honorable VA Nurse Alex Predding. Now, remember, over 450,000 people work and serve at the VA. And I asked, what, if anything, will we hear from him? And I told you to watch this space. And then on January 25th at 2:12, Doug Collins did post something, and it was terrible. I'm going to talk more about it coming up with VA Dr. ICU Dr. Vin Gupta. But here's what VA Secretary Doug Collins posted. I'm going to read it to you. We can confirm Alex Preddy was a nurse at the Minneapolis VA Medical Center. As President Trump has said, nobody wants to see chaos and death in American cities. And we send our condolences to the Preddy family. And check out this part. Such tragedies are unfortunately happening in Minnesota because of state and local officials refusal to cooperate with the federal government to enforce the law and report dangerous, illegal criminals. That's it. So finally, the hack, politically extreme Trump loyalist and culture warrior makes a statement about the murder of Alex Pretty. But he does nothing to honor Pretty. He only confirmed that he was an employee. And of course, the Post was overtly political, totally partisan, attacks Democrats, pushes propaganda, and carries water for Trump. Disgraceful. Collins is one that a lot of Americans don't know about. I call him the thunder and lightning to Pete Hegseth at the Pentagon. They're both culture warriors. Hegseth is focused on the Pentagon. Collins has been quietly focused on the va. And he cares more and deeply, he cares much more deeply about loyalty to Trump than his loyalty to veterans. And everyone can see what this is and what Collins is, especially veterans. And folks are calling him out across all political backgrounds. Alex Preddy and Veterans of America deserve so much better than that hack VA Secretary. Alex Preddy was a VA nurse. He took care of veterans. He took care of all of us. And that's what he dedicated his life to. And they murdered him. Now, I want to tell you something that a lot of folks don't know. Roughly one third of ICE agents are veterans, and I'm going to speak to them directly. It's time for every one of you to stand up and be counted in whatever way you can. I'm not asking you to do anything radical other than to honor your oath, honor what you stand for, and push back against what's wrong. Because is the murder of Alex Preddy what you stand for? If you say nothing and do nothing, silence is complicity, and it's past time to stop this. And I believe the one third of ICE agents will be critical in whatever way you can to pull things in the right direction. Be more professional, be more disciplined, hold your leaders accountable, organize in whatever way you can. But you, the veterans of ice, can lead the way from the inside. You can be the circuit breaker America needs. Now just a few of you can bravely speak out, break the seal, and meet this moment. Others will follow. Many others will follow. And America and the world will stand with you. This is the time. Truly patriotic veterans can push back and lead the way and show and honor the values that Alex Preddy stood for and died for. Veterans can lead the way. And I want to show you a contrasting example. There's video of Minnesota National Guard in Road Guard vests, in reflective vests, green reflective vests. A Minnesota National Guardsman was asked why they're handing out coffee to donuts and hot chocolate. And he says they're there to help. What, are you guys giving out donuts.
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Hot chocolate, here with the Minnesota National Guard?
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Yeah, we are. Yes, we are. Why was this important?
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For you guys to do today.
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It's a demonstration of safety and security. We're here to help.
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Awesome.
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Thank you. This is what right looks like and what America and especially military and law enforcement is supposed to look and sound like. ICE is what wrong looks like. I want to give props to Governor Tim Walsh for this strategy and this tome. As a former National Guard soldier himself who served in uniform, unlike Noem and Trump and many others, I think that Tim Walsh gets it all. Governors should follow his lead in the way he's deploying his National Guard and the visibility he's giving them, differentiating them from ice, making sure people understand it. These are your National Guard troops. They are from your communities. They are from your state. They are not ice. The best of our military and veterans can be the stabilizing force that America needs right now, because we know what right looks like. We know how to embody and defend the Constitution and true American values. So to all my brothers and sister, vets, law enforcement and military, now is the is the time to show it. Now is the time to show it. We are the leaders America wants and needs right now. We are the helpers, and we can meet this moment together. Trump is still trying to take over the Western hemisphere. I'm still trying to fight a sore throat, but our allies are pushing back on the outrageous comments that Trump made. I addressed it in a special podcast this weekend, but I want to continue to underscore that Trump's insulting, shameful comments about our allies from Australia to UK are reverberating around the world, and it's dominating international news. Hearing veterans and Gold Star family members push back. And Trump has disgustingly insulted and infuriating most of the free world and most of its veterans. It's a dark, dark time for America, but it's especially dark outside of our shores. So I want to play a quick video for you. Check this out. So tracking some comments made that NATO troops stayed a little off the front lines in Afghanistan and that the US has. Has never necessarily needed us. Well, it's a real shame to hear that. The only time NATO has ever enacted Article 5 was after the 911 terrorist attacks, when the United States and the world rallied to the support of the U.S. our agencies, our forces, our politicians, we all stood together shoulder to shoulder and responded on Afghanistan. Frankly, this is utterly ridiculous. Many courageous and honorable service personnel from many nations fought on the front line. Many fought way beyond it. I'd served five tours in Afghanistan, many alongside my American colleagues. We shed blood, sweat, and tears together, not Everybody came home. These are bonds, I think, forged in fire, protecting U.S. or shared interests, but actually protecting democracy overall. And I'd suggest whoever believes these comments, come have a whiskey with me. My colleagues, their families, and importantly the families of the those that have made the ultimate sacrifice for both of our nations. It's also worth reminding everyone here In World War II, more British troops landed on D Day than any other nation. It was an Allied response and united we conquer. Now, some advice for anyone who may be listening. There are two great sayings worth remembering. Number one, there's only one worse thing than working with allies, that is working without them. And we. And when you do, always remember, never above, never below, always side by side. That's Al Karnes. He's a Labor Member of Parliament for Birmingham. He's also the Minister of State for the Armed Forces. I think it's powerful and important perspective and a history lesson from one of our UK brothers. And I want to thank Al for his voice, his service, his sacrifice, his friendship and all of our other allies. I want to reiterate it after 911 and always. I say that as a 911 first responder. I say that as a New Yorker. I say that as an American veteran and just as an American. And I want to remind people that Trump does not speak for most of us on these issues of our allies, especially, and especially not for most American combat vets who appreciate and salute our allies and the sacrifices of the Gold Star families around the world. As Alistair says, never above, never below. Always side by side. Try Angel Soft for your tushy. It's made by angels soft and strong.
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Soft and strong. Simple side. Always side by side. And that pushback has continued from European leaders and diplomats from all across the world. Jasper Bowler Sorensen of Denmark said, After 9 11, the US called Denmark answered. Thousands of Danish troops served in Hemlin on the front line in Afghanistan. We lost more soldiers per capita than even the United States. That was solidarity. We stood with America then and we still do. I witnessed our brave men and women during my 1.5 years in Afghanistan. This is the kind of reaction we're hearing from allies around the world. And I want to underscore what an utter and total national and international embarrassment. Trump is only a man who's never served, who's had none of his kids serve after 911 would say such insulting, appalling, dishonorable things to our brave and trusted allies who fought and died alongside American troops like Me, Trump does not speak for most Americans and definitely not for most veterans. Never above, never below, always side by side. Those statements continue to pour out. Follow me on social media for more. And we're going to talk to Dr. Bin Gupta about how Trump continues to dishonor our country and especially our men and women in uniform and our allies around the world. Trump is definitely going all gas, no brakes. You see that with his comments and gun ownership. And the people around the world are responding. And of course, Putin is celebrating. Putin is celebrating every single day that Trump continues to destroy our alliances. And meanwhile, Trump is still waging another war below the radar against the free press. And I want to remind you that last Friday there was again, no Pentagon press corps briefing. Dan Lamoth every Friday notes this. And I want to remind everybody he said so concludes another week with no routine press briefing at the Pentagon. The last on camera briefing was held for the new right wing propaganda press Corps nearly two months ago on December 2nd. December 2nd. That was the last time that they did any kind of a briefing. The attacks on our democracy are coming at the press and also on our public health. We're going to get into that much more with Dr. Ven Gupta because it's breaking news that after rejecting decades of science, the chair of the federal panel that recommends vaccines for Americans said that shots against polio and measles and perhaps all diseases should be optional. Yes. While we have a measles outbreak, he's saying that they should be optional. Attacking and undermining our national health is also a part of our national security and our enemies are celebrating. We're going to Talk more with Dr. Gupta about that coming up. All right, don't forget about Venezuela, because over the weekend, guess what? There was another boat strike. Yep. January 23rd, at the direction of Pete Hegseth. Another lethal kinetic strike on a vessel operated by what they call designated terrorist organizations. Looks like they're back at it with the boat strikes still, of course, without any approval or involvement from Congress. And there was a survivor. And I want to ask the question, who is the survivor? What country is he or she? From what intel has been gathered, we will likely never know because it's all gas and no brakes. And I'm going to remind you that the most important story in the world is still that Trump can do anything he wants with the most powerful military the world has ever seen. And nothing is stopping him. All right, moving over to the Middle east, something I do want to make a focus on regards to Gaza and Israel. The remains of the last captive in Gaza have been retrieved over the weekend, closing an awful chapter for Israel. The recovery of Master Sergeant Ron Gibli's body has been returned to Israel. And the good news here is maybe that this paves the way for the next stage of some kind of a Gaza ceasefire plan. The path forward is unclear and it's an important reminder because today is Holocaust Remembrance Day. And the Auschwitz Memorial account posted something that I want to share. They wrote that Auschwitz was at the end of a long process. We must remember that it did not start from gas chambers. This hatred was gradually developed by humans from ideas, words, stereotypes and prejudice through legal exclusion, dehumanization and escalating violence. The systematic and industrial murder. Auschwitz took time. I haven't been to Auschwitz, but I've been to Dachau. And I can tell you I will never forget what that experience was like, how it burns into your soul, the memories and the emotions and the stories of the people who were murdered. And we must, especially on this Holocaust Remembrance Day, remember the hatred and the bigotry that drove it. We have to continue to fight that, fight antisemitism, fight racism and all forms of hatred. As Martin Luther King III posted today that Auschwitz was liberated on this day. And it's a stark reminder of the depths of hatred and the human cost of bigotry. On this Holocaust Remembrance Day, we must all push back and push back across America and across the world in defense of freedom, as our friends in Ukraine continue to do. Yeah, this is a longer show, but it needs to be because this is a week where a lot is happening and we can never lose the focus on Ukraine. It's day 1434 of Russia's full scale invasion of Ukraine and the situation over there remains very, very difficult. Emergency services are operating at full capacity. Shout out to our friends at St. Javelin who continue to keep us updated. More than 90 state emergency service heating points are operating just across Key. And meanwhile, Russia has attacked one of the holiest sites in Ukraine, the first time since the Second World War. Since the Second World War. An air attack on January 24th damaged Kiev's Parskur Lavra, a holy site in Ethern in Eastern Orthodoxy and a UNESCO heritage location. It's the first time since the Second World War that this has been targeted. And I don't think you're going to HEAR Anything from J.D. vance about that attack on a religious site. But it happened because Putin continues to attack and try to remove the spirit of the Ukrainian people. But still they fight on. And if you think it's cold and snowy and hard here in America on the East Coast. Remember, it is harder in Ukraine and they continue to fight on as we must as well. All right. Speaking of fighting on, independent candidates and our independent movement continues to move on. This weekend I was out in California standing with Senator Mark Kelly, who is not an independent, but it sounds like one and I think brings an independent spirit, an independent spirit we continue to see from more and more candidates, including folks who are running for Senate. There are at least five independent Senate candidates who are veterans who are running this year and I've had a number of them on the show. I'll continue to have more and I hope later this week, maybe Friday, we will have maybe the most high profile one, Dan Osborne. And there is some news out of the Osborne campaign. There is new polling that has Pete Ricketts at 48%, Dan Osborne at 47%. They are basically neck and neck. This is important because it shows that independent candidates can fight and they can win. We talked about Jesse Ventura as an example, but Dan Osborne represents the tip of an iceberg. We're pushing to have 100 independent candidates running this fall. More on that in the days to come. And we'll hear from Dan Osborne. But if you want to see how independents can meet this moment, Navy veteran independent Senate candidate Dan Osborne is neck and neck with Pete Ricketts, a billionaire who represents the institutions. He represents the party and he represents all that's wrong in politics. And politics continues to be wrong. So wrong that a GOP candidate for governor has dropped out. This made a lot of news over the weekend. GOP candidate Chris Madle, the lawyer who represented Jonathan Ross, the ICE agent who shot and murdered Renee Goode, is dropping out of the Minnesota governor's race. He said, I can't look my daughters in the eye and say I'm running as a Republican when they're pulling over Hispanics and Asians because of the color of their skin, what they look like. He said, I did not sign up for that. I think this is important. I think more and more people should encourage people to leave the Republican Party. Break ranks now. This is an urgent moment to show where you stand. I would tell you to leave the Democratic Party as well, but you don't have to leave the Republican Party and become a Democrat. You can declare your independence like 45% of us. I want to encourage you and tell you you can leave this party. Don't let them run on your good name because your good name is more important than what this party wants to push. And your children and your grandchildren will be looking at you. So declare your independence. Come on out here. The water's warm and getting warmer. All right, some other good news in politics. An American hero, Alex Vindman, the colonel who's been on this show, announced this morning he is running for Senate from the state of Florida. He's been a guest on my show a number of times, and every time he has, I've encouraged him to run. And now he finally is. I was wish. I wish he was running as an independent. But I'm inspired by the news nonetheless because of who he is. He's a brave and thoughtful, courageous leader, and I hope he'll join me on Independent American soon to share more. I'm sure he will. But America, our vets, Florida, Ukraine and freedom need this brave and patriotic man in the Senate. So go get him. Mr. Vindman, I hope you'll come back here and share more, and I hope you'll continue to inspire other veterans to step forward. All right, we're rounding the bed and heading for home. In culture, something I want to shout out. Great composer Philip Glass announced today he is withdrawing from the Kennedy Center. Has the symphony vows to play on. But Philip Glass, one of the most influential musical voices, has said that his values are in direct conflict with the message of the symphony, and he is out. This is really, really important. People need to continue to speak out and stand however they can. Attendance is down 50% compared with last season before Trump took over the Kennedy center and ran it into the ground. But Philip Glass is bravely speaking out, like so many folks in culture and in sports. I'll have more on that later in the week. But I also want to shout out folks like Carl Anthony Towns, Tyrese Halliburton. We, even though he plays for the Pacers, stepped forward and said something courageous about the killings in Minnesota. We need to celebrate them. All right. Speaking of sports, what a weekend it was. We needed a break, and sports is our break. Sometimes it's joy. And joy is a form of rebellion. Joy is a form of resistance. Joy is a form of strength. And we need to continue to preserve our joy. And that includes some great football games. I didn't go undefeated like I did two weeks ago. I went one for two. But it started out with, as I predicted, New England beating Denver 10 to 7 in a slugfest in the snow. Drake May was the difference. He delivered, and the defense was amazing. Coach Fabrill made it happen. Jared Stidham, the guy who started his first playoff game, in his life didn't get it done. He had a huge fumble and a big interception because that is often what happens. It is not the quarterback who makes the big play, it's the quarterback who makes the big mistake. And that happened all right. In the other game, I was wrong about Sam Darnold. He stepped up and the Seahawks pulled off a magnificent display and beat the Rams in a shootout. Matthew Stafford was also awesome. It was a fantastic game. But Seattle, hold on. Held on. They held a four down a goal line stand to stop Stafford in the end zone and now have inspired all of Seattle. We're going to talk to Ben Gupta about that. And we will have football Friday coming up, a special super bowl episode coming up this Friday and next Friday we might do too. All right. And finally in sports, because we haven't pissed off enough of the world already. ICE will accompany the U.S. delegation to the Winter Olympics in Italy next month. Yes, the Department of Homeland Security confirmed this, stoking a backlash from Italians and pretty much most of the world. Vice President J.D. vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio are expected to attend the start of the Games on February 6th. And 232American athletes are set to compete. And J.D. vance and Marco Rubio are going to try to fuck that up by rolling through Italy with ICE agents. I mean, if we hadn't pissed off enough of the world, now they're going to do this. So on this Tuesday, you might be feeling sick about things, about the news, about the weather, about the drama, but some good news. We got a doctor in the house. Information and vigilance is the vaccine against the stupid and against this torrent and this snowstorm of nonsense and madness and extremism. So we do have a doctor in the house to give us some informational medicine, some hope and a good dose of inspiration because now, in this winter, Tuesday is most definitely a time to stay very, very vigilant. All right, folks, helping us stay vigilant is a returning champion, a man that I think is a really thoughtful and important and courageous leader to help us meet this moment and whatever comes back comes next. He has been a doctor at the Boston VA and the Puget Sound va. He's worked as a doctor in the Air Force Reserve and continues to do so. He's a Harvard trained pulmonologist and medical analyst on what is now Ms. Now the managing director of Health Innovation at manit, Chief Medical Officer at Pharmacy and New Health at Amazon. For 15 years, he's been in military medicine and the broader medicine healthcare policy. He's also a parent. He's now doing some stuff with Midas Health and also the American Lung Association Board of Directors. And an awesome guy. The great and powerful Dr. Vin Gupta is back on Independent Americans. Welcome back, Doc.
- [37:52]
B
Thanks, my friend. Really good to be with you again.
- [37:55]
A
Our democracy is sick. I'm still fighting a flu or whatever the fuck I have. And I think now we need some of your knowledge, medicine man.
- [38:05]
B
Yeah, yeah. No, you know, it's a lot of stuff going on, especially in healthcare. I know it's been, you know, even bigger issues happening as you referenced with our democracy, but, you know, we should dive into it. And, and I know there's a lot of people hurting in healthcare right now, given the events of the weekend.
- [38:24]
A
There really are. And I'm glad you're here for that, especially to talk for and with and at that community. But let me ground us where I always do. Where are you, Doc? And how are you doing? How are you doing?
- [38:36]
B
Okay. You know, I'm a little outside Seattle, thankful for my wife's pediatrician, so I'm a pulmonologist for those that may not know me. And so we see different spectrums of, of human health and, you know, these are obviously really challenging times, but we're grateful, you know, we got two young boys and, and we have a lot to be thankful for. So I'm doing great. How are you doing?
- [39:03]
A
I'm all right. I'm all right. I'm just back from a 24 hour trip to LA. I gotta ask you, because we had General McCaffrey on last week, you gotta be excited about the Seahawks. I mean, that must be giving people some much needed joy. And I keep saying joy is a form of resistance. But what a game this weekend. And your Seahawks are rocking.
- [39:23]
B
Oh, man, they're. You know, the best part, it was, I think it was unexpected. I think the Niners and, and the Ram. I mean, NFC west is brutal. And I think there's a superiority complex on the Niners and the Rams last few years, especially where they would look down on the Seahawks. I don't think anybody was expecting that the Seahawks would be this good. My wife and I actually both grew up in Ohio. She went to the Ohio State University for a lot of her training. So it was really, it's. It was especially awesome. We were actually. The NFC Championship game. It was awesome to see JSN and just do his thing. And it reminded me actually of the. I don't know if you remember the game. It was Georgia, Ohio State in 2020. Two came down to a final field goal that the Bucks missed, but JSN couldn't play because he had tried to come back from an injury. Marvin Harrison got targeted. They didn't call it a targeting hit, and Bucks were up by 17 at that point and then lost the game. So, you know, there's what ifs if JSN could have played and, oh, God, maybe there's another national championship. But no, it's. It's incredible. City's excited. I think we're going to win it, but, you know, I don't want to. I don't want to jinx us, but hopefully, you know, I saw Lemire post the picture of. Of the. The Pats intercepting that, like, final infamous play when Russell, instead of passing it to Marshawn or letting Marshawn drive it in, he passed and they got intercepted. They lost super bowl, the Super bowl in 2014. And saw the mirror post moments after the Seahawks won that picture of the interception. So I'm hoping that we can. We can pay it back and I can give him back.
- [41:01]
A
You know, it's fun to see people rise to the moment. I gotta, you know, eat some crow. I bet against Sam Darnold. I didn't expect him to have that kind of game, but he had the game of his life. And I feel like we needed a lot of leaders to have the game in their life to meet this moment. I want to ask you something before we get into the top topic. Doc, you asked me how I'm doing, actually. I've been like, sick on and off for like, two weeks, and I feel like so is half of New York City and half of America. I got the flu shot, but I'm dealing with kind of the sniffles and all of that, and I think a lot of America is, too. But can I just check in with you on the status of flu season in America and what a lot of us seem to be dealing with across this country right now.
- [41:39]
B
Yeah, Paul, thank you. It's not good. And I would say that it's not clear whether or not this is going to be the worst in the last X number of years. I think we thought it was headed that way. And things of things are at a pretty steady state in terms of high flu cases, a lot of hospitalizations. We have not seen flu vaccine rates this low since before the pandemic. So we are baked to have a. We're very vulnerable. There's a lot of vulnerability baked into society, really, across zip codes at a time when hospitals are struggling and it's really hard. I mean I just came off clinical service in the ICU. It's very difficult. Right now our ICU is 30 beds fully packed. Lots of sort of transfers in from community ICUs. So there is little slack in the system, Paul.
- [42:30]
A
Right.
- [42:31]
B
At a time in which I think we're going to see weather get even colder. We're seeing that play out in places like New York City and vulnerability really high. So we're not out of it. We still have about six weeks, six to eight weeks left of deep cold weather. And so I'm worried about what this means. I mean just actionable tips, not just to share worry. Because I don't think that helps people. If you're on the age, on the, on the spectrum of age, if you're on the extreme. So very young. So parents out there, if you have young kids, if you're older and you're. And you have flu like symptoms, get tested. Really critical to get tested, Paul, because there's an effective treatment that can really keep you out of the hospital. So that's the most important thing beyond prevention and vaccination.
- [43:15]
A
Right on. We need good medicine, we need the helpers. And I also, you know, another element that we've covered on the show is the nurses strike that's happening in New York City and just the overwhelming pressure that's been on our healthcare system. And I think that takes us to what I really want to talk to you about today as our top topic. Alex Preddy was an ICU nurse at the va. A true helper, a hero, the kind of people that we need in this country. We rely on this country, we have for generations and all through Covid, the kind of person who continues to step up. My mother is a nurse, my sister in law is a nurse. I grew up around folks who worked at the fire department and in healthcare. And you know, I think this has been especially traumatic for our country because of what he did and who, what he stood for. And especially traumatic for the healthcare industry. Right. This is a guy that even in his final moment was helping someone, was trying to protect someone. But you've worked, you know, you continue to work in an ICU with a lot of people who are brave like Alex Brady. Can I ask you to just, you know, I'm going to throw you the mic and just respond to what is a horrific murder of someone who is the best of what you and your industry and your and your calling represent.
- [44:35]
B
Yeah, Paul, thank you for that. I want to do just like you want to do And I know so many people out there want to do justice to his legacy and his memory. It's sad that we have this, obviously beyond sad that we have to even have this conversation that he should still be here with us. I, you know, for those that may not have stepped foot in a VA icu, this is a little different from a traditional ICU in the sense that, you know, these are places that veterans that have fought in, in the contemporary contemporaneous times. Rather, usually we're talking about Korean War vets, in some cases World War II, although that's somewhat now passing US Vietnam era vets as well. I mean, these are, these are people that are coming in, in some cases have very hard lives, coming in with medical critical illness. And we, and I've worked very closely with the very best VA ICU nurses to help and, you know, and to the greatest extent possible, try to tend to these individuals who've given so much of their life and their body to our country. And, you know, I think we've lost sight of that because so much of our news cycle is focused on one person and all the things that that one person is doing and the politicization of the military and all these things that, you know, just, I think beyond cringe, I think these are things we never expected to see and that you've done. You've talked so eloquently about the way the military is being abused and misused. But I see it on the medical side. I actively see it as a reservist on the critical care side for the Reserves and the Air Force. I mean, the people that serve are the best of us. I'm lucky to be able to serve with folks like yourself and others. But then the people that care for those that have served, you could even say, are answering a greater calling. PAUL and it's double service. They're serving somebody that's critically ill. This case of Alex. And they're serving their country by serving veterans who are in need of care. You know, we know the VA has struggled. It's doing better. But providing care in a VA is a public service, and even more so than providing care in a traditional icu, I'd say because you're doing it for population that has done so much for the United States. And so, you know, I saw, and I'm sure you've seen the video of him giving tribute to, to a veteran that had passed away in his icu. I mean, that is what happens in these places. For those that do not spend time, I figure a Lot of folks may not have had the, I think, privilege of being spending time in the VA where you see veterans getting care. You know, it's. It's actually excellent care. The VA gets knocked a lot, but. And it has its struggles just like any health system, but it does a lot of amazing work because of the people that it employs. There's a lot of good people, a lot of highly skilled people that do amazing work on behalf of our vets. And Alex, you know, very clearly all of it was authentic. It was all genuine. It tracks with what all of us who've been in a VA setting see and remember. And this notion, you know, that. And I'm glad we're talking about this because his parents wanted us to get the good word out about his let their son. And that's what we're trying to do, all of us. But it's sad to see that the immediate response from our nation's highest officials were to besmirch him and especially that legacy. They should be trying to protect it. And hopefully I see that in some cases they're trying to do a U turn here a bit, but I think it's a little too little too late. And he deserved far better. Obviously he should be with us, but given what happened, their immediate reflex should have been to pause, understand what happened, and then to recognize that the person that died has given so much to our country and it's a really special thing that he dedicated his life to.
- [48:40]
A
It's so important to get your perspective on that. I mean, and also remind people, they called him a domestic terrorist. They said he was there to assassinate people. That's what Kirste Noem said. And I think that alone is an impeachable offense. I mean, it's more reason to, in my view, defund ice. But let me ask you if you're able to comment. One of the worst parts of it, I think, was that the whole country, especially in the veterans community, was looking to the Secretary of Veterans Affairs. What's he gonna say, right? You got 400,000 plus employees at the VA. This person is an employee of the VA, someone who, you know what he does. He can pull his performance reviews. He knows where this guy served. And he was quiet for a long time. And when he finally posted something, he just acknowledged that he worked at the VA and then blamed it on local law enforcement and a hyper politicized response. And I think one of the most extreme and political and kind of corrupt statements I've ever seen from any VA secretary from Doug Collins who I think is a radical political culture warrior. I don't know if you're able to talk about that, but I would ask you if you're comfortable responding to that. And then Also, you know, va ICUs probably, I don't know if they have a higher death rate, but I feel like they might because so many people come in, in such bad shape. You deal with a lot of older vets, and it's their last rights, it's their last push, and the families are there to kind of salute someone who just, you know, this was the end for them after what could have been a very tough life. And I think there's a, there's a really important sacredness to that that people don't understand unless you've been around the VA and you've been around older bets. If you can talk to those two points, Doc, I'd appreciate it.
- [50:18]
B
Absolutely. I mean, well, I, I, I'll speak bluntly and, you know, with no fear of retribution here, that given my service, that I was disgusted by what the VA secretary had said. You know, he has a responsibility to all of us, not some of us. That's one. As does the secretary of Defense, as do sort of the entire chain of command here. It is black and white, and they're not beholden to just some elements of the military that agree with their political ideology, recognizing that they shouldn't be politicizing the military in the first place. But they've unearthed something that, you know, I've seen it now in my recent service that these conversations now happen pretty openly in units. And I'm sure you have your own take on the. But what they've done here is really destructive to the unity of their, of the joint force. One, and then two, the statement that was put out was ridiculous and was disgusting and he should be ashamed of himself. And I think they've lost a lot of, I don't think they understand the amount of credibility that they've lost amongst the rank and file and just the disrespect that they've shown the uniform and the armed forces by their behavior. And then what that now reflects back and how we feel, I'd say majority feel about their leadership style. It's not appropriate. This is not patriotism. And so I was deeply disappointed by that. To your point, on what a VA ICU looks like, you know, I don't have the numbers fingertip you, Paul, but I agree with you. You know, we're talking about individuals in many cases. We know that vets live a very heterogeneous lives once they come out of the service. In many cases, these are individuals that struggle with basic access to healthcare, recognizing the VA is improving and going through some reforms, although you wonder how much improvement it can happen in this current sort of era of fiscal nonsense, especially when it comes to healthcare. I don't know what's gonna happen to VA healthcare. And things were improving and now suddenly, who knows? But these are individuals that have led very difficult lives, have been exposed to any number of environmental hazards during their service especially. And so they don't. They have a different risk profile once they enter their later years of life. And in many cases, they're younger. In many cases, they have multiple comorbidities, you know, chronic diseases. And it's a lot harder if they come down with something severe like a pneumonia or, or sepsis that we're going to be able to help them pull through. And so it is very difficult. And meaning then also Alex Preddy's work is even that much more special because, you know, he and his peers are committed to doing something for the veteran community that I think very few people raise their hands and sign up to do. And, and that should be acknowledged.
- [53:15]
A
It's so important, especially on this show, since we talk to so many veterans, first responders, you know, firefighters, cops, EMTs, active duty military. You know, I want folks to understand how noble and honorable the work that Alex Priddy did is. And I know, you know, knowing people like him, that they would want this to be an opportunity. He would want this to be an opportunity to elevate his service and the service of so many others who are doing this unrecognized. And did it through Covid, do it through all this political drama, do it through mass firings from Doge, right, Where so many of my friends who work at VA told me every day they're waiting to see if the email is going to come from Doug Collins. And Doug Collins kept saying, you know, stop attacking my veterans talking to cnn, when the reality is that most of the veterans I knew who worked at the VA were afraid of him, were afraid of him firing them indiscriminately, which happened across this organization. So I think it's a really important opportunity to focus on that and focus on what it means to be a VA ICU nurse. But let's also, since we.
- [54:16]
B
I know we're gonna head to the next topic, just something you said there, Paul, really resonates, and I think we should put a fine point on it. VA nurses, much like much of the VA Staff, much like most of healthcare workers across the country, you know, you and I have platforms, and I think we're utilizing it. We always utilize it for the benefit and the greater good, for the benefit of society and the greater good. But to your point, a lot of these individuals do quiet work. It's not heralded, and they don't get pats on the back often. And so it's critical that we're doing this and having this conversation. I'm hoping that this continues and that more folks with platforms continue to do that and continue to elevate, especially this community.
- [55:03]
A
There's a symbolism around VA hospitals, and they're often named after people, and I'm just going to throw it out there into the universe. I mean, the VA hospital that Alex Preddy worked at should be named after him. I mean, there should be an honoring of his legacy. They should build a statue to him, in my view, because he will, I think, inspire a new generation of people to serve in different ways. And he is a hero that should be emulated and followed for generations to come. So I'm going to throw that out there and recommend that somebody in Congress, you know, move to name that VA hospital after him. But let's go below the radar. We gotta have you focus on these issues since you're here. You know, Trump's got a war on our health. RFK Jr. Is the head of HHS, which is lunacy, in my view, extremely radical. We've got outbreaks of measles. I wanna remind people that Dr. Oz is also in the administration and is the administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. And I looked it up. They've got a $1.7 trillion budget. But you've got extremely, in my view, politically radical people who are at war with science, at war with basic health. And now it's come to a head where we've got measles outbreaks like we've never seen. You've got flu season. And I also want to underscore that it's a national security issue. I mean, this is another way to weaken America, to flood our hospitals, to cripple our ability to respond. And that's not to mention what could happen if you have a terrorist attack or you have some other kind of incident. We've now got terrible weather. I just want to ask you to address, you know, the damage that's already been done, often below the radar, because people are focused on Venezuela or focused on Minneapolis, as they should be. But meanwhile, RFK is ripping through our nation's health like a cancer?
- [56:50]
B
Yeah, I mean, you know, a few things, Paul, because we've been at this for a while now. I can't believe it's only been a year. But I would say that let's focus on patients. What does this mean for patients? Means that especially if you're a patient with a high risk condition, underlying condition, whatever it may be, you live wherever you are in the country, generally you are now at greater risk because of the decisions that are being made at the top and because that's probably impacting what your neighbor, what your community, what maybe the parents in your child's school, if you're a parent, may or may not be doing vis a vis their children and potentially increasing to vulnerability of a school like setting and therefore your own household. The domino effects here are obvious. Whether it's infectious diseases, whether it's telling us to eat more saturated fat and whole milk and more steak, you know, completely throwing the concept of moderation out when it comes to even something like alcohol, uh, none of it makes sense. You know, it just doesn't pass a basic common sense test. Regardless of your politics, Paul, you know, when you hear some of these things that they say, the question is, does that even make sense? You know, is that, does that sound rational? If you're just somebody that is into healthy living, healthy eating and you want to stay away from doctors is what they're saying, does it, does it pass the smell test? I don't think so. And I don't think based on polling, 80 plus percent of Americans want any of this based on what they're doing to the childhood vaccine schedule. I mean, this is polled as being something that, you know, they're really responding to a small minority of people that believe in the Maha agenda, which now clearly I think is an agenda that's marketing and it's not substance, but the impact to patients. There's this domino effect, the impact of providers and researchers. Paul, I'm hearing this because, you know, I talked to the next generation of providers or future pre med students who are thinking about, you know, do they want to go into medicine or nursing or whatever it is the future NIH researcher who's saying, you know what, screw this, I'm going to go to Europe or to China and get a funded PhD and do my work there. Why would anybody want to entertain a world where you don't know if you're going to have a job, you don't know if your clinical expertise is going to be respected? Because the HHS secretary in say Four to eight years might be undermining you at every turn. My wife's a pediatrician. I talk to pediatricians all the time. Close with the aap, American Academy of Pediatrics. It's lunacy that these provider groups are having to face these headwinds. What I think is ironic really, just zooming out to what providers and researchers are experiencing is this sort of double speak. I don't think there's a single person, whether they are adherence to MAHA or whatever it is, who wouldn't want, Paul, a trained trauma surgeon, somebody that knows what they're doing, an ICU doc that knows what they're. They are doing, credentialed by the leading institutions in the country to provide them care if, God forbid, they needed it because they were in a car accident, had to go get shipped to a hospital, they would want the very best, credentialed by the most legitimate medical institutions to care for them or their loved one. And yet here we are saying in an a la carte way, when it comes to my vaccine recommendations or how I should be eating, I'm going to give a middle finger to all those institutions and to those doctors with all the right credentials. I will get their help when I need surgery or critical care, but I'm not going to take their advice when it comes to prevention. Longevity. It doesn't make any sense. This is not an a la carte menu where you choose expertise in some instances, but you neglect that expertise or say no thank you in other instances. It's odd that we've arrived at this place. So that's the impact of providers, of patients. And then lastly, I'll just say, you know, I'm a lung doctor. I work closely with the American Lung association. And we've seen what's happened, this insane paradox that continues to happen that I, you know, I'm hoping more and more people draw in this core, this link. But you know, I find it, it's tragic. It's almost comical though that RFK talks so much about him being an environmental lawyer. And then you see what the EPA is doing and they're not. They're basically gutting the Clean Air act, the greatest public health achievement, Paul, we've, this country may have ever seen. Over the last 50 years, our eras equality has improved by 80%. We no longer have acid rain, 80% improvements in air quality. Right at a time that we now know air pollution is the fourth or fifth leading risk factor for death and disability worldwide. Based on the estimate that you look at, this guy is saying that he wants to make, make America healthy again. He talks about his environmental lawyer roots and the EPA basically no longer exists. How does that make any sense? How does that make any sense? That's just one example of the double speed. We could talk about what they're doing to nih. We could talk about what they're doing to foundational research. We could talk about the fact that they've embraced weight loss drugs and glp, these weight loss drugs, this new class of weight loss drugs that frankly, Paul, have so much more unknown about them when it comes to long term side effects and indications of use than vaccines. But they've decided to embrace fully one Pharmaco, this therapeutic, this new therapeutic category that frankly, I think is vastly less understood than vaccines. And they've said no thank you to vaccines. So it's pure ideology. There's a lot of paradox and, but then I look at exactly what RFK has done with the, with the marketing of Maha, especially right now, when you look at the context of what's happening with EPA and you know, it's all, I mean it's all marketing because if you, if he looks right across the interagency, his own EPA is undermining.
- [62:51]
A
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- [63:22]
B
Supposedly what Maha is trying to do, and so I hope people look at the finer details here because it doesn't take, you don't have to dig too deep anymore. It's pretty much right underneath the surface, if not at the surface.
- [63:33]
A
It's, it's the Marlboro cigarettes health policy. I mean, they're literally telling you, you know, smoke cigarettes, don't drink water, eat McDonald's and do as I say, not as I do. I mean, if you want to look like Donald Trump, follow their health plan. And the only exception is going to be somebody like Kennedy, who I continue to say on the show, I'd love to see a blood or piss test of that guy because I doubt he's abiding by his own recommendations. But there's a war on our health and we've seen it. I think it's frightening to many People, we see the outbreaks of measles. Let me ask you a final question and then we'll get to something good. In the midst of this attack on our healthcare system where people are seeing, you know, the Clean Air act under attack, nursing shortages and outbreaks of measles, what can people listening do to protect themselves and their family?
- [64:22]
B
You know, I think about this statistic Paul, that I shocks me and what I would say is I'm going to speak to a certain sub segment of.
- [64:34]
A
Other than of course like reject basically everything they say 100%.
- [64:39]
B
Well, you know what's interesting is and I know this isn't probably reach everybody in the country and but I'm going to give targeted advice. Most adult 50% of adult Americans between 25 and about 59 years of age, working age, adult Americans over 50% roughly never make an appointment with a primary care doctor. Not once. Not once. And their employer covers it. And these are aggregate statistics. Employers, we can debate whether or not that's a good model. It's not. But a lot of American healthcare is provided by American employers and 50% of American adults get free access to healthcare. At a time where we're talking about access being constrained and they don't make a basic appointment. I'd encourage people that are listening, that might fall into that category to realize that high blood pressure, we start to see signs of that at 18 now we're seeing colorectal cancer rates actually now spike in those under 50. There are some things that I think RFK, I would agree with that he's talking about but by the way, aren't new. Like we have too much ultra processed foods probably causing colorectal cancer rates. I think we have to acknowledge some things that they're really good at marketing and media manipulation, but they're really good at marketing. They talk a lot about ultra processed foods. There's a clear impact when it comes to our health. I think we're seeing that with colorectal cancer screening rates. So I want to give them their due where it's appropriate. But the good they do in no way outweighs the bad that they do. So then there's that. But for everybody here that has employer sponsored health insurance, recognizing that the Trump administration is really screwing it up when it comes to Medicare and Medicaid and government subsidized healthcare, you know, who knows what that's gonna look like. But employer sponsored healthcare largely remains resilient. Take advantage of it. It's free. And get yourself screened for high blood pressure. Get a cholesterol panel, do some basic cancer screenings. Way too many people. We may talk about it, you and I and others. Way too many people do not do it much to their, you know, ill health and frankly their longevity. I mean, the sooner you can detect this stuff, the better. And there's a lot of undetected high blood pressure, high cholesterol and frankly, early stage cancers.
- [67:00]
A
And for the folks that are uninsured, what's your recommendation? I mean, and I want to echo that, go see the doctor. You know, I'm also, I talk about it openly. I'm in the 911 health registry, you know, because of my toxin exposures. You know, I go there registered at the va, I try to access it. You know, I got a colonoscopy, recommend folks, you know, follow their doctor's recommendations on those things. But what about the folks that don't have health insurance and can't see a doctor? Think they can't see a doctor. Also want to recommend all the veterans who are listening go to the va, register for the va. You know, you can get care there. And especially if you've been exposed to toxins, go register for the toxin exposure registry. But doc, what about everybody else who can't go see you?
- [67:41]
B
It's, it's not easy. There's not one size fits all here. Unfortunately, I would recommend everybody that's uninsured or has lost insurance because it's too unaffordable given the premium hikes to see if they now are eligible for Medicaid. And so you have a 60 day window after you decide not to say re sign up for health insurance on a, on an Affordable Care act exchange. You have 60 days. If you say, you know what, I'm not going to do it, you have 60 days, one to either change your mind or you have the entire year to sign up for Medicaid. You actually might, because income levels change for qualifications every single year for you know, what qualifies for Medicaid, what doesn't. You have 60 days either to say, I'm going to sign up for healthcare. Take me from a, instead of a gold plan, I'll go to a silver plan. Instead of a silver plan, I'll go to a bronze plan. So you have 60 days to either change and there's different premiums on that, or you can sign up for Medicaid at any point in the year and you might newly qualify if you've been kicked off the rolls or if frankly just the premiums are too high by the fact that the premiums increase it actually might newly qualify a family for Medicaid. That's 1, 2. I would recommend anybody that's struggling to pay for medical bills go and potentially look at a federally qualified health center fqhc, Paul, in their neighborhood. Just Google FQHC and your city. There should be one there. And what's great about these amazing places, Paul, is that they actually provide care based on somebody's ability to pay, which is fantastic. And so it's, it's appropriately regressive and it's a way out of pocket. If you don't have good insurance or you don't have insurance at all to affordably cover basic primary care hospital care becomes challenging. And there's different ways to look at getting subsidies for hospital level care, Paul, like charity care. There's other. This is where a social worker at a hospital becomes really important based at the state level. And then I always recommend folks that are on chronic dis, on medications for chronic diseases, inhalers, diabetes medications, you name it, to talk to their doctor about going from 30 days to 90 days on their pills, seeing if they can go to a generic inhaler, if they're on an inhaler, from branded to generic. And you know, look at cost plus drugs from Mark Cuban. Look at some of these digital pharmacies online, a lot cheaper in terms of the prices that you can find. Go to GoodRx different ways to actually save money on your medications. You know, these are not ideal, obviously, these, these sort of hacks here, but there are something that you can do to save money.
- [70:30]
A
No, this is really helpful and useful and I think exactly what a lot of folks need right now. I mean, we're going all the way up and all the way down, right? And that's what I think we need to be thinking about holistically in regard to our health and to our democracy. And of course, everybody should be sure to follow you on all your social medias and everything you're doing. Before I let you go, we got to go to something good.
- [70:51]
B
Something good.
- [70:56]
A
And I think everything you're doing is something good. The example of your service, you know, in the military, in public health, in your community is such a great example. And we need sources of inspiration. I'm going to talk about something that is sort of, well, you're not a veterinarian and you're not an obgyn, but there is good news. Bald eagles, Jackie and Shadow, excuse me, out in Big Bear Valley, have laid more eggs this week. There are these social media celebrities, Bald eagles, Jackie and Shadow, are expectant parents. Once again, Jackie has laid her first eggs of 2026 in their nest in the San Bernardino National Forest of Southern California. There's a group called Friends of Big Bear. They've got a video uplink where you can see the bald eagles. And they practice delayed incubation. So, you know, they, they don't know how long it's going to go before they come. And they had a great line to ABC News where they said, we are excited for Jackie and Shadow. We can't predict what happens next, but they've laid three eggs. There are more bald eagles on the way. And I think the resurgence of bald eagles in America is a great testament to good policy, good community action, good vigilance. And if there was ever a time that we need more bald eagles, it's obviously my favorite animal for a number of reasons. But something good today there are more bald eagles. And this is a source of inspiration. Is something good on a cold and wintry Tuesday. Doc, over to you. What do you got to something good?
- [72:20]
B
Yeah, I mean, I guess two things. This is probably related to what we just chatted about more so than yours is very, so pleasant and sort of different imagery here. I'm going to bring us back to a few things we just chatted about. One, something good when it came to topic one. And Alex, I did love that. I do think pressure campaigns and advocacy and speaking up and the outrage that many people express with one voice sort of across the spectrum that so many red lines have been crossed, but this felt deep red, that that did seem to have an impact on the White House and they are reversing course to some degree. So I thought that was something good that, you know, we ultimately are who they are accountable to and we have agency and we have power. And it's easy sometimes to forget that the other was and with respect to all the nonsense that's happening, all the whitewashing you mentioned Oz and kind of this cast of characters they have. I can't tell you how many people I respect in, in medicine, public health who sort of bend themselves into pretzels trying to curry favor with these people now because they're in power and almost. And forget the nonsense that characterized their careers prior to this. And it's just like it's so that's not good. But something good is. I did love that California joined the WHO and as an observer and they're going to be participating in data sharing on pathogens, on flu rates and all the things. And I, I think I love what I'M seeing out of California and the governor and just taken. Not. Not taking the fight to an administration that is doing all the wrong things and 99% of cases when it comes to healthcare policy, obviously, even more broadly. But I loved that. I loved the symbolism of that. I love seeing Governor Newsom in Davos and pushing back. I know a lot of people, you know, have their own opinions, but I think that's what we need. We need. We need fighters. We need somebody to go and be the leader of the opposition. And I think that's good for our democracy.
- [74:46]
A
I love that. For folks who don't know the U.S. pulled out of the World Health Organization, WHO. But Gavin Newsom said California is going to try to get in. Right. I mean, and this could be an example for other states in America when our country and our president is doing such stupid shit. They're trying to create an alternative narrative, too. Right? To let people know that there are leaders in America who care about world health, who care about being a part of that community, who care about doing the right thing. Doc, you're always doing the right thing. You're always something good. Your life is an example, an inspiring, great American story. You continue to serve and you use your platform for good, you and your wife. I just want to thank you for all your leadership and your continued service. You represent the best of what this country is all about. In a time when we need those examples to each other and to the world, you represent also how folks can use their platform to go beyond their industry. You started in medicine and now you touch so many people. So you're something good, man. I appreciate you and I'm excited for you and your Seahawks. Keep bringing that positivity, Doc.
- [75:48]
B
Thanks, my friend.
- [75:50]
A
All right, there he is, folks. The great and powerful Dr. Vin Gupta. All right, folks, there you have it. The great Dr. Vin Gupta, a guy who serves in so many ways, is a great example for all of us and especially for our kids. When I say look for the helpers, I mean doctors like Dr. Vin Gupta, who embodies the spirit of Alex Pretty and so many others who work across the VA and military medical system. Dr. Ven Gupta is rising to the moment, and I want to thank him for joining us. Follow him and share that information with folks who might need it. We're going to continue to bring light, the contrast, the heat, and bring you inspiring, iconic, patriotic voices who come from all different backgrounds. All right, if you didn't see it, I was on TV on Friday on Ms. Now's nightcap with Stephanie Rule completing a full circle week. Eddie Glaud was also on me. If you didn't see my episode last week with Eddie Cloud, go back and check it out. But I did drop a special recap episode of that yesterday on Monday where you can listen to my appearance on Stephanie Rule. My thanks to Steph for having me on for that really important conversation. It was the night before the murder of Alex Pretty, but we talked about the national security issues. Go back and check that out. We got a big week ahead. I will do more TV and we will continue to bring you daily episodes. I hope to bring you Jesse Ventura, the great governor, former governor of Minnesota and ultimate independent American and independent veteran. We'll have Jesse Ventura at some point. I hope this week coming up. And it looks like we just confirmed Dan Osborne for Friday, so look out for that. We are daily now. We hit number 36 on the top 40 charts. Please share the news and share this information far and wide. Subscribe go to our website and get some merch. You can help support the show. And if you believe in this mission, if you believe in what we're putting out there, if you believe in hearing from people like Dr. Vin Gupta, join our Patreon community, chip in a couple bucks and help us keep this coming. And I will continue to bring you more surprises and more quick response pods. So hit refresh in the mornings and the evenings. We'll continue to try to drop these for your ride home from work, usually every evening on a weekday with some special quick response pods as well. So should be sure to subscribe, especially on YouTube. Hit that subscribe button. Leave a Comment subscribe and rate us on Apple Podcasts. Subscribe on Spotify. America is deeply under snow and under pressure and under adversity. But at independent Americans, I'm trying to be like a flamethrower through the snow to add light to warm up some of that cold and bring you a contrast. If you're among especially the 45% of Americans who are independent, a number that is increasing by the day. This is your show because our independent patriotic movement is hope for the Future. You hear that every time I bring you a new show. Country over party, people over politics, Light over heat. Like an icebreaker crashing through the frozen tundra and the frozen water. We are pushing forward. We are an icebreaker in this time of need and our movement is growing. We're bringing hope that is the oxygen of democracy. If you enjoyed this episode with Dr. Vin Gupta, please do share it far and wide. Do us a solid and invite others to declare their independence, especially from the corporate media and from the propaganda. Don't believe your government. Believe your eyes and stay vigilant, my friends, because eternal vigilance is the price of freedom, especially right now. And you are not alone in your vigilance. You see that more and more every day. From the protesters in Minneapolis to the people of Portland, to gun owners, a lot of whom are waking up today, we're all vigilant and we're all in this together. I'm your host, Paul Rykoff. Thank you for tuning into Independent Americans. Happy Tuesday. Happy snow day and stay strong. Move forward in the memory of Alex Preddy and stay vigilant, America. Stay vigilant. And it's not cool to believe in school, but if I can say one thing, I've seen the children of the the revolution and the good trouble they can bring. He says the red and blue Identity.
- [79:50]
B
Dependent is an attitude.
- [79:59]
A
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