← Independent Americans with Paul Rieckhoff
Independent Americans with Paul Rieckhoff
Oil Hits $120/Barrel. Gas Hits $4.30! Hegseth Gets Lit Up.
00:24:26
The rain has cleared and we can see what the Iran war actually cost. In this solo episode, Paul Rieckhoff breaks down the brutal arithmetic: $25 billion spent. 13 American soldiers killed. Hundreds wounded. Oil at $125 a barrel and gas at $4.30 a gallon — up 27 cents in a week. The Strait of Hormuz still not secured. The Iranian regime still in power. The enriched uranium still unaccounted for. After yesterday's testimony from Secretary Hegseth and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs Caine, the spin is gone — and the Pentagon wants $1.5 trillion more. Paul lays out why working Americans are paying the price for a war their leaders can't honestly defend.
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- [00:00]
A
It was really like a who's who of the grifters, the appeasers, the sycophants. Not a single Democrat. I mean, come on, at least invite one or two to try to build some bridges. But that's not how Trump is doing things. He's rewarding his friends. The corruption is rampant. The billionaire CEOs are there, and none of them are worried about gas prices. But you are. Foreign. Welcome to Independent Americans. Welcome to episode 508. I'm your host, Paul Rykoff, and it is Thursday, April 30th. Welcome to the last day of April. And I'm coming to you from New York City, usa, where typically the weather is again, gloomy and kind of overcast, because that's what April and 2026 has been like. But we're going to try to get you through it, bring some light to contrast the gloom. And today's artist is going to do that. It is the great Jimmy Cliff. Because I can see clearly now the rain is gone. Almost right. We hope that's April. If you don't know. Jimmy Cliff's real name was James Chambers, the Jamaican ska, rocksteady reggae soul legend. One of the most celebrated Jamaican musicians. He popularized reggae music, he popped internationally around the world. And at the time of his death, he was only the fourth reggae musician to hold the Order of Merit, the highest honor granted by the Jamaican government for achievements in arts and sciences. He also was nominated seven times for Grammys. He won twice. In addition to I Can See clearly now, he also did. You can get. You can get it if you really want. Wild World and Vietnam, where he writes and sings Vietnam, Vietnam, Vietnam, Vietnam, Vietnam, Vietnam. Somebody please stop that war now. Which is how I think a lot of us feel about Iran right now, as history is repeating itself. And I'm going to try to bring you some light to bust up the end of April, Take us into May and help you see clearly now that the rain may be clearing and bring you the five eyes. I bring you in every single show, independence, integrity, information, inspiration and impact. No guest today, just me to help bring the light and help you see clearly to end April. So let's stay vigilant. Topic. We can see clearly now the rain is gone. The war was not worth it. The war is not worth it. I know it's incomplete. It's ongoing. But so far we now know that Trump and Hegseth and the others have spent $25 billion on Iran and counting. We lost 13American soldiers, hundreds wounded. We have not secured the Strait of Hormuz we have not removed the regime or he. They have not removed the regime. They have not secured the enriched uranium. They have not destroyed the entirety of their military. So what did we get for $25 billion? We got record high oil prices that have now hit $125 a barrel. That means in US. In the US the new average is $4.30 a gallon for gas. That's up 27 cents in a week. Unless you don't own a car and you sold it to get a bicycle because you can't afford gas anymore. You know this. It is a real problem in America, especially for working people in America, especially. Diesel prices also up. Fertilizer also up. The price of everything is up. And that's what we got for a $25 billion war. And they want 1.5 trillion more. So today's top topic is we can see clearly, especially after the testimony yesterday by Hegseth and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Kaine. We can see clearly now. The spin is gone, and this shit was not worth it. Stay vigilant, people. All right? We can also see something else now that the rain is clearing. Corruption is everywhere. If you haven't heard, Don Jr. Has a $25 million contract with the Pentagon. We know that Trump has been rewarding his friends, and corruption is everywhere. And we saw it maybe most visibly at Trump's state dinner for the King of England. There were about 10American billionaires there, six Fox News hosts, assorted presidential pals, not a single Democrat and not even too many British people. Definitely no notable British leaders. But it was really like a who's who of the grifters, the appeasers, the sycophants. Not a single Democrat. I mean, come on, at least invite one or two to try to build some bridges. But that's not how Trump is doing things. He's rewarding his friends. The corruption is rampant. The billionaire CEOs are there, and none of them are worried about gas prices. But you are. And it's another reason we all need to stay vigilant. All right? Very few people are standing up to say fuck you to Trump. Very few. But Jerome Powell is. Jerome Powell is the Fed chair. He says he's going to stay on after his term ends. He says he's citing lingering legal threats against him and explaining his decision to remain at the central bank. He's holding steady. He's not afraid of Trump. We'll see if they fauci him or they try to character assassinate him, but he's holding steady. Holding strong. And we need someone like him who is truly an independent American. But so many are still kissing Trump's ass, and they find new and uniquely gross ways to do it every day. Check this clip out from Senator Kennedy of Louisiana. Play it, please, Chris, that President Trump has oranges the size of beach balls. He truly is tough as a pine knot. And it's clear to me that in defense of America, he will eat your liver with some fava beans and a nice shiante. The whole world knows now that America will fight and everybody's paying attention, including our enemies and especially Iran. This is not cute. This is not funny. It's not working with the base. It's not working in the South. It's not working in Louisiana where people are sending troops from Fort Polk to the Middle east and facing gas prices at $4.30 a gallon. This is not cute. The shine is off of all this shit, especially the war in Iran, Especially on Hegsep, especially on Bondi, especially on Kristi Noemi. The American public is awake now. They're not stupid. Sometimes they're slow, but they're not stupid. And they know that Trump has been lying about no new wars, about no regime change wars, about no forever wars, and about bringing your prices down. They know it's bullshit and they know we're not safer. And Hegseth this week in these terrible testimonies where he's getting the crap beaten out of him is showing us that not only is he clueless, not only is he feckless, not only is he an extreme extremist, he's also not making us safer. Check out this very strong piece from combat veteran guest on this show and my old friend Pat Ryan, who is a moderate Democrat in Congress from upstate New York and himself a West Point graduate. He represents West Point. I hope he'll come back on the show again soon. But, Chris, please play that clip.
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B
One of our surviving soldiers told cbs quote, painting a picture that one squeak through is a falsehood. Another said the unit was, quote, unprepared to provide any defense for itself. It was not a fortified position. Another survivor said the building's protection was about as weak as one gets. Secretary Hegseth, that is obviously in direct contradiction to what you said from the Pentagon podium the next day. So are you saying that these soldiers, our soldiers who survived this horrific attack are lying?
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A
What I'm saying is before the commencement of the conflict, we put in maximum defensive posture. We could direct. We moved seven. They said in this, in this directing. Can I speak or you Just got to monologue falsehoods all over the place.
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B
It's not a falsehood.
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A
We moved 7,500 troops claiming my intel.
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B
Stop. Based on the reclaiming my time.
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A
Because you yell doesn't make you right.
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B
Just because you yell doesn't make you right. My time. On behalf of these survivors, you just said what they said is a falsehood.
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A
All right? This is what the world can see. Hegseth, Angry, uncomposed, unprofessional, lashing out. And beyond the fact that maybe some Democrats are celebrating this, I don't know if you should be celebrating this kind of incompetence or this weakness. Our enemies are definitely celebrating. And don't forget, there's still a shutdown. Yes. Did you forget about that? A lot of folks did. It might be below the radar, but the Coast Guard is a part of it. Check this out. Play the clip, please, Chris.
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C
In the last few days, station, Channel Islands, California, had the power cut off. A station in Michigan, Port Huron had services cut off. Our air station at Barber's Point, Hawaii, had natural gas service cut off. We were able to restore all of it, but we're seeing the number increase, and I expect that number is going to continue to go up.
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A
These are Coast Guard stations that are standing by to respond to search and rescue missions. And the lights are shutting off.
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C
That's exactly right. These are stations where our crews are standing by to respond at a moment's notice to any mariner in distress or any threat to the nation. And they launch 24, 7, 365. And suddenly the lights go out or they don't have water.
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A
Admiral, I think a lot of Americans would be pissed to hear this is happening.
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C
Furious. That's exactly right.
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A
Yes. Our Coast Guard has bases that are losing power, water and gas. And don't forget, they also have to pay for gas, which is at $4.30 a gallon. They might get the government rate, but it's still expensive. And the bottom line is, most important is we're not safer. And we can all see that clearly now. And so can our enemies who are celebrating. Our enemies are celebrating. All right. In politics, a lot of division around election reform and gerrymandering and the battle over the grids and. And the way people vote. And yesterday, a big Supreme Court ruling yesterday weakening the Voting Rights act, which is inciting political scramble. The court's conservative majority did not strike down the provision in question known as Section 2. This is from the New York Times. And the liberal judges argued a decision effectively hollowed out when One of the most important civil rights laws in American history. Leaders and activists said the ruling has the potential to unravel decades of work toward giving black Americans fair representation. Nick Mariel, president of the National Urban League, said, to be honest, it feels like a betrayal. The Trump administration has celebrated the decision. Abigail Jackson, a spokesperson, called the decision a complete and total victory for American voters. Here's what I'll tell you. The courts should not be ruling on our elections anymore, I would argue. I think there's been. The Voting Rights act is very important and much of it must remain. But there's also simultaneously gerrymandering happening where the partisan leaders are deciding the elections, which are turning to be more partisan by redrawing the maps. The players should not be the umpires. We need independent, nonpartisan, non political people redrawing our congressional maps to make them fair. That's going to be especially necessary after this ruling. We also need open primaries. We all need to keep track on this because it's much bigger than just the Democrats and Republicans. Often you don't hear about how it impacts independents, who are 60% of young people and rising 45% of people nationwide. And we are all, especially us, staying vigilant. All right, let's move over to Ukraine, where vigilance is always required. Day 1518 of Russia's full scale invasion of Ukraine. And, and Trump is calling, had a call yesterday with Putin, which is bizarre, but kind of the status quo for days like this. He thinks Putin's going to be the peacemaker. And apparently Trump is mixing up Ukraine and Iran or maybe he's not. I don't know what to make of this. Play the clip, Chris. Well, I have a question. Which war do you think ends first? That's an interesting question, you know, coming from you, that's very interesting. Which war would end first? I don't know. Maybe they're on a similar timetable. I think Ukraine, militarily, they're defeated. Okay. You wouldn't know that by reading the fake news. He says militarily, they're defeated. You wouldn't know that by reading the fake news. Well, that's not true. Ukraine is not defeated. Ukraine is surging and we need some of that momentum in leadership and innovation. And the president would be smart to echo King Charles in understanding that and appreciating it. When it comes to freedom, either you're with freedom or you're against it. And too often Trump, Hegseth Vance, are on the wrong side of that fight and the wrong side of history and the world can see it. And the world is calling them out. I talked about Macron on an earlier episode, and now Zelensky is just putting it out there. Brave, noble, heroic. Zelensky is calling it like it is. Play that clip, Chris.
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D
Cold war, hot war, God bless, no war. But they are not allies.
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A
And if vice president is proud that
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D
he proud that he's not helping us, it's when that he's helping Russians, I'm not sure it's. It's strengthening. I'm not sure that it's transferring United States.
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A
This is how it goes, guys. Either you're helping the Russians or you're helping America. You can't do both. Either you're with us or against us. And Ronald Reagan is somewhere rolling over in his conservative grave to hear the way they are trying to negotiate, appease and comply with Putin. The Ukrainians are the good guys. The Russians are the bad guys. We must stand with the good guys against the bad guys, always. There's no quibbling. There's no middle ground. There's no being neutral on this moving train. We are with the Ukrainians. We are with freedom. We are with democracy, even. And especially if our president, vice president, and Secretary of defense are not. So stay vigilant. All right. We've been talking a lot about politics. We always do partisan politics and nonpartisan politics. If you didn't see my episode yesterday with Todd Achilles running for Senate in Idaho against Jim Risch, the oldest and. And one of. One of the oldest and one of the richest guys in the Senate. You want to see clearly now, talk to Todd and see that interview and that conversation. Listen to that conversation. Support his campaign. You can see that there is an alternative to the bankrupt Republicans and the weak Democrats, and that is independents. But there is big news that will impact lots of independents in a very independent state. In Maine, we've had independent Senator Angus King on the show and others. Janet Mills, Maine's governor. Maine is suspending her Senate campaign. She had been running for the Democratic nomination against Graham Platner, the veteran upstart grassroots candidate who's come under some controversy for his tattoos and past statements. But he's leading in the polls by double digits and Janet Mills is dropping out. Maybe the Democrats have their shit together this time. Platner was leading big. And another case, I think that underscores the power of veteran candidates. He doesn't sound like a politician. He doesn't talk like a politician. But Platner is not an independent. But he sounds like one. And I still think that he'd be even more popular and electable if he actually was an independent. But watch this. Watch this space. Watch this race. I've invited Graham Plettner to be on the show a number of times. I haven't heard back, but the invite remains open because independents are meeting this moment and they want to hear how independent he's going to be. And even if he's not going to be independent, they want to hear from veterans who can push back. Susan Collins is not a veteran. Susan Collins has been there a long time. But the question is, can Graham Pletner overcome what is a toxic brand for the Democrats? Democrats are actually less popular than Donald Trump, and independence in Maine especially, will be key. So I invite Susan Collins and Graham Pletner. Both of you, welcome to this show. Let's have a conversation and let's help the people of Maine, especially the fighting people of Maine, the independent people of Maine. Stand firm, ye boys and girls from Maine, and stay vigilant. Stay vigilant. All right. Speaking of staying vigilant, if you're not watching the NBA playoffs, you're missing out. Last night was another amazing one. Pistons beat the Magic. Orlando now takes a 32 lead. Cleveland won at home, beat the Raptors, take a 32 lead. The Lakers lost to the Rockets 99, 93. That series goes to 3 to 2. Hockey's also been amazing. The Canadiens beat the Lightning to take a 3 to 2 lead. The Flyers beat the Penguins to close out that series in overtime. And my favorite matchup, the Golden Knights against the Mammoth in double overtime. Vegas won five to four there and now lead the series three to two tonight, a big one. My Knicks are in Atlanta for the Hawks. Hopefully they can clean them up and knock them out and get some rest. The Celtics will play the Sixers, leading three to two in Philly. And the other great series at Timberwolves at home will take on the Nuggets. Minnesota has a chance to close that one out, too. If, if these series go to even, I think we could have three game sevens on Saturday and two or three game sevens on Sunday, which will be exciting. And finally, to end this fierce and weird Thursday, the last day of April, let's get to something that will give us hope and reason to see clearly. Something good.
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D
Something good.
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A
All right. I got some reason to be hopeful about the future. It's a new month next month. I want you to be hopeful. I want you to be optimistic. And I got something good to help you do it. And it's Steelers first, Steelers Pittsburgh, Steelers draft Pick Eli Heenreich. Sorry, Henrik. He's an amazing young man. He's a Naval Academy cadet, soon to be a Naval Academy graduate and a Marine Corps officer. But check out this clip because I think he is an extraordinary young leader and he is definitely something good.
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D
This town is gritty and tough. I've been a Steelers fan literally my entire life. To be able to be drafted here in Pittsburgh. It's pretty storybook and I'm excited to get to work. Eli, my man, look at where you are today. You are representing something bigger than yourself. It takes a special kind of kid to go the path that you went to get here. Quickly close with a letter from your mother. Being your mom is one of my greatest accomplishments in life. Over the course of these past 22 years, you have evolved from a sweet baby into an energetic and smiling and very often sweaty child and ultimately into a thoughtful young man. Is extraordinary. To consider that within a four week span, you will graduate from college with a degree from the United States Naval Academy. You will commission as an officer in the United States Marine Corps. And you have been selected in the NFL draft to play this great game that you love so much. Dad and I and your whole family are always here for, for you, and we are excited to be alongside you as you enter this new chapter of your life. I love you guys. He's someone that pushed me to get there, and he really is, you know, one of the few people on this earth that knows how hard I work to get to this position. When you flip over to Navy, we're not getting any nil. You know, what you're getting is just culture and physical football and a love for one another. Coming a Marine officer is not something take.
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A
All right. I think this is one of the best stories of the draft. Those clips show you why. They show you the power of community, the power of discipline, the power of family. And I think it's the best story of this draft and of any recent draft. I'm going to be rooting for Heiden Reich, number 44. If he keeps that number. Love that number always. But I so appreciate the role model that he is for my boys and for boys and girls nationwide. He is the kind of leader that's coming. He gives us hope for the future. I hope he goes into politics one day. In the meantime, Steelers, you got a good one. And he's a guy that we're all going to be rooting for. And I think that these young men and women are truly America's team. And we've got their back. We can see clearly now. There are leaders coming. And that gives us even more reason to stay vigilant. All right, it's been a big week. Again. We're going into Friday. Yesterday, Todd Akiles, amazing Army veteran from Idaho. If you didn't hear it or see it, go check it out tomorrow. The great comedian Eugene Mirman is here. I can't wait. Eugene and I went to college together. He went to Hampshire. I went to Amherst. And he used to have a radio show that I used to call into. And I used to have a radio show that he called into. We're going to have some good stories. He's an awesome guy. He's going to bring us some levity and some perspective. We're going to be daily now, every single day. So check us out. We hit number 15 on the charts. Be sure to subscribe wherever you're listening or watching, especially on YouTube. Leave me some comments, let me know what you thought of my conversation with Todd Achilles. And if you have questions for Eugene Mirman, let me know. We're going to try to bring in different kinds of voices from all backgrounds and bring people together because America is more divided than ever before. But here at Independent Americans, we are working to change that, help people see clearly as the rain clears. To contrast the heat of all the other shows. And if you're among the 45% and growing of independent Americans out there, this is your place. This is your show. This is, this is the future. Our independent movement is showing that, especially in places like Maine, Idaho and so many others. Country over party, people over politics, light over heat. Challenging the status quo and fueling a new movement that is growing. You're hearing from more and more candidates and you will continue to do that. Go to independentveteransofamerica.org if you want to run or support those who are running. Because our movement is growing and it is hope that is the oxygen of our democracy. If you enjoyed this episode, share it far and wide. Share it with four people in honor of Heidenreich who wore number 44 and invite others to declare their independence. Especially now. You gotta be sick of the shit from the Republicans and the Democrats and stay vigilant, my friends, because eternal vigilance is the price of freedom. And no, you're not alone in your vigilance. We're all vigilant 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 for a big Friday to end the week and start off a new month. We enter May tomorrow, so be optimistic. There is hope coming and I'm going to bring it to you. Until then, Happy Thursday. Good luck to my Knicks. And it's May tomorrow, so maybe April showers will bring May flowers. Stay vigilant, American Stay vigilant Tells me the left and right are dreams for those without a clue and when you wait, it's time to grow and it's not cool to believe in school but if I can say one thing I've seen the children of the revolution and the good trouble they can bring. He says the red and blue are dead and independent is an attitude and ling in the sea of rhetoric and right Our dreams for those without a clue and when you wait, it's time to grow. Power by Righteous Media.