Rep Ilhan Omar Attacked. Who Shot Alex Pretti?

Summary

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Podcast Summary

Podcast: Independent Americans with Paul Rieckhoff
Episode: Rep Ilhan Omar Attacked. Who Shot Alex Pretti?
Date: January 28, 2026
Host: Paul Rieckhoff

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Episode Overview

This solo episode of Independent Americans is hosted by Paul Rieckhoff, who dives into some of the week’s most urgent issues: the escalating violence and government overreach surrounding ICE raids, the high-profile killing of VA nurse Alex Preddy, and the concerning rise in political violence—including the recent attack on Rep. Ilhan Omar. Rieckhoff delivers impassioned, independent commentary on American democracy, national security, and public outrage, tying it all together with insights from veterans and prominent figures.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Dangerous Rise in Political Violence

(Starts at 02:01)

• Rep. Ilhan Omar was attacked during a town hall, sprayed with a substance (possibly vinegar). She recovered and even attempted to retaliate, making a strong public statement:

  “We are Minnesota strong, and we stay resilient in the face of whatever they might throw at us.”
  [02:17] – Rep. Ilhan Omar (as quoted by Rieckhoff)

• Rieckhoff underscores that threats and actual violence against elected officials are at “sky high” levels:
  • Capitol Hill Police estimated 14,000 threat assessment cases for 2025.
  • Recent attack against Rep. Frost at Sundance.
• He insists this is a “national security threat, not just a political issue,” stressing Congress' collective failure to provide a plan to protect elected leaders.

2. The Killing of Alex Preddy and ICE Accountability

(Begins ~ 04:18)

• Focus on ongoing fallout from Alex Preddy's death; Preddy, a VA nurse, was shot by ICE agents during a protest.
• Two agents involved have been put on administrative leave—information only now public.
• Rieckhoff repeatedly insists:

  "Do not believe the government. Believe your eyes and believe your ears."
  [01:04]

• Criticizes the obfuscation and lack of transparency—names of the agents not released; no body camera footage.
• ICE described as “reckless, unencumbered, unaccountable, and unconstitutional.”
• Audio and video evidence played of ICE misconduct:
  • Tear gas deployed outside a preschool in Minneapolis.
    • Protesters shout, “There are kids here. What the fuck are you doing?” [Approx. 08:30]
  • Threatening language from ICE agent to civilian:

    “You raise your voice, I erase your voice.”
    [09:42] – ICE agent in Minnesota, highlighted by Rieckhoff

  • Drive-by pepper spray incident in Phoenix—peaceful protesters maced from ICE vehicle.
    [10:30–11:00]

3. Escalation & Political Enabling of ICE

(11:45)

• ICE appears to be shifting deployments in response to public reaction—potential for new crackdowns in cities like Phoenix or Portland.
• Rieckhoff:

  “ICE is detaining citizens and shooting citizens and cops and veterans and kids. This is where we are, America. And I'm going to say it as often as I need to. If they can do it to Renée Goode ... to nurse Alex Preddy, they can do it to anyone—and they can do it to you.”
  [11:55]

• Argues ICE should be “defunded and disbanded.”
• Calls for veterans (a third of ICE agents are veterans) to step up and push back in peaceful, legal ways.

4. Alarming Support for Insurrection Act

(13:35)

• House Freedom Caucus now openly backing Trump’s potential invocation of the Insurrection Act, in writing:

  “Use all tools necessary, including the Insurrection Act … to maintain order in the face of unlawful obstructions and assemblages…”
  [12:54] – Rieckhoff, reading from the letter

• Rieckhoff:

  "Trump wants it, and now the House Freedom Caucus is openly backing him. One step closer to invoking the Insurrection Act. Wake up, America."
  [13:55]

• 11th Airborne Corps in Alaska is reportedly on standby for Minneapolis.

5. Deteriorating U.S. Alliances and Global Perception

(15:40–17:40)

• Rieckhoff discusses Trump’s apparent intent to extend autocratic influence into Cuba, and further not-so-subtle signals to international partners.
  • “Trump always telegraphs his punches. Believe him.”
• Example of damaged alliances: U.S. Embassy in Copenhagen removed honorary Danish flags for fallen soldiers, leading to public embarrassment and further strategic alienation.
• ICE presence at upcoming Italy Winter Olympics with controversial figures (J.D. Vance, Marco Rubio) has drawn European ire.

6. Continuing International Crises

(18:45–20:40)

• Iran: Washington Post exposes regime violence—dozens gunned down during protests in Rasht.
• Russia-Ukraine: 2 million casualties now officially reported; Rieckhoff reminds listeners to “keep focused on Ukraine.”

7. Sports and Resistance: Culture Responds

(23:04+)

• Leading athletes speak out against Preddy’s killing, including Steph Curry, Steve Kerr, Tyrese Haliburton, Karl Anthony Towns, the Knicks, and especially Victor Wembanyama.
• Victor Wembanyama’s quote on fear and injustice:

  “Every day I wake up and see the news and I'm horrified. I think it's crazy that some people might make it seem like or make it sound like it's acceptable, like the murder of civilians is acceptable...”
  [24:05] – Victor Wembanyama
  “Is that kind of a big factor in this, that people have that fear that if they speak openly about an injustice, there can be repercussions? Oh, for sure. I mean, it's terrible. You know, I know, I know. I'm a foreigner. You know, I live in this country. I am concerned, for sure.”
  [24:40] – Victor Wembanyama

• Rieckhoff hails the courage of these athletes:

  "I want to celebrate Wemby, of course, as a player, but more importantly as an activist in the spirit of Muhammad Ali and Kareem Abdul Jabbar and so many others."
  [25:12]

8. Notable Quick Hits

(21:39–22:59)

• Bill Belichick denied first-ballot Hall of Fame status despite unparalleled record.
• Jesse Ventura and Rachel Maddow are upcoming guests for “Football Friday.”
• Call to action: Share the podcast and independent movement, especially with young men—a demographic targeted by extremist groups and in need of alternative role models.

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Memorable Quotes

• “Don't believe the government. Believe your eyes and believe your ears.” – Paul Rieckhoff [01:04]
• “ICE is detaining citizens and shooting citizens and cops and veterans and kids. This is where we are...” – Paul Rieckhoff [11:55]
• “You raise your voice, I erase your voice.” – ICE agent, cited by Rieckhoff [09:42]
• “If they can do it to Renée Goode ... to nurse Alex Preddy, they can do it to anyone—and they can do it to you.” – Paul Rieckhoff [11:55]
• “Trump wants it, and now the House Freedom Caucus is openly backing him. One step closer to invoking the Insurrection Act. Wake up, America.” – Paul Rieckhoff [13:55]
• “Every day I wake up and see the news and I'm horrified. I think it's crazy that some people might make it seem like or make it sound like it's acceptable, like the murder of civilians is acceptable.” – Victor Wembanyama [24:05]

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Important Timestamps

• 01:00–02:01 – Setting the stage: overview of current storms (literal and political) and Rieckhoff's “five I's.”
• 02:01–04:18 – Ilhan Omar’s attack; American political violence overview.
• 04:18–12:00 – Alex Preddy case; ICE's lack of accountability, audio/video examples of ICE misconduct.
• 11:45–13:35 – ICE expansion and political maneuvering.
• 13:35–16:03 – Insurrection Act, military standby, House Freedom Caucus letter.
• 16:03–18:45 – International relations: Cuba, US-UK and NATO alliances, European outrage.
• 18:45–20:40 – Iran crackdown, Ukraine war casualties.
• 23:04–26:00 – Athlete activism, Victor Wembanyama interview.
• 26:00–28:00 – Looking ahead: guest announcements, call to join/support the movement.

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Tone & Style

Rieckhoff’s delivery is urgent, passionate, independent, and occasionally raw, mixing policy critique with direct appeals:
“If you’re not angry, you’re not paying attention.”
He uses plain, forceful language and invites listeners from across the political spectrum to join a constructive, alternative community.

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Conclusion

This episode is a powerful, wide-ranging critique and call to action on some of America’s most pressing dangers—rising political violence, unchecked federal force, eroding democratic norms, and the struggle for accountable government—as well as a celebration of brave voices in and out of the spotlight. Rieckhoff closes with a challenge to the audience: mobilize, stay informed, and support the independent movement in these unstable times.

Transcript

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[Paul Rykoff]

People continue to come forward who know Alex Preddy and they share the stories of his service, his character and his heroism. And when it comes to the spin around Alex Pretty, do not believe the government. Believe your eyes and believe your ear. Welcome to Independent Americans. Welcome to episode 427. I'm your host Paul Reikoff and I am coming to you from New York City, USA. It is Wednesday, January 28th and the weather is cold. Damn cold. It's like 11 degrees here as it is across much of the country right now. But we are dug out, we're digging out, we're enduring the storm and we know it's much colder in Minneapolis, it's much colder in Portland, Maine, it's much colder in Ukraine and we're getting ready for the next storm. There's another storm supposedly coming in this weekend in Northeastern and that's a good plan for the rest of America. We should all be ready for the next storm because Minneapolis was just the first city hit with an ice storm and Portland, Maine was next. And maybe Phoenix, Arizona might be next. More on that coming up. But now that America has dug out, it is time to get ready for the next storm. And that's what I want to do on this show. Get you ready for the next storm. And when you stay ready, you don't have to get ready. And I'm going to bring you the five eyes that I bring you in every single episode. Independence, integrity, information, inspiration and impact. And I'm doing that with no guest today. It's just me and you because I'm going to help you Breeze through it quickly and stay vigilant. All right. On this Wednesday, on this hump day, there is a lot happening and a lot that you need to focus on, a lot that if you're not angry about, you're not paying attention. And let's start with our top topics. All right. The unfolding and escalating situation around Minneapolis and ICE nationwide continues to be our number one story. And there was breaking news last night that Representative Ilhan Omar, Democrat from Minnesota, was assaulted during a town hall meeting. She was giving a speech at a town hall and a man ran up and sprayed her with something we now hear maybe some kind of vinegar, but she was okay. And she actually went back and almost tried to swing at him. And she said, here's the reality that people like this ugly man don't understand. We are Minnesota strong, and we stay resilient in the face of whatever they might throw at us. Look, thankfully and most importantly, she's okay. But this is a dangerous reminder that the threat of political violence in America is sky high and rising by the day from threats domestic and foreign. Don't forget, there are plenty of other enemies around the world who want to kill our elected leaders. And this comes after an attack that may not have gotten enough attention. Representative Frost of Florida was at Sundance this weekend when a guy hit him in the face. Now, Capitol Hill police told NPR last year that its agents were on track to work through roughly 14,000 threat assessment cases by the end of 2025. 14,000. And those are just the ones that are recorded. Here's the thing I want us to think about. It's much bigger than politics, as I've recommended for many months. This should be a national security priority, not just a political issue. But it's not. Now, not only is Trump stoking the fire daily, he and all of Congress are also failing to provide a strategy and resources to meet with what is a national security threat. We need a national plan to protect all electeds and judges from violence as we push deeper into a perilous new normal. It should be a priority element for our national defense plan. And until we have one, our electeds of all parties and no party, everyone near them, our politics, our democracy, and all Americans will be less safe and our enemies will be celebrating. That is front and center. But so is the ongoing developments around the murder of VA nurse Alex Preddy. I went deeper yesterday with Dr. Vin Gupta. If you didn't check out that episode, please do. We did a tribute to Alex Pretty and all the people who do the work that he does. We defended his good name while it continued to be under attack. People continue to come forward who know Alex Preddy and they share the stories of his service, his character, and his heroism. And when it comes to the spin around Alex, do not believe the government. Believe your eyes and believe your ears. And believe yesterday what you heard from Trump who threatened gun owners. Remember, Alex Preddy had a gun legally. He was exercising his Second Amendment right. He was exercising his First Amendment right in speaking out, and he was exercising his constitutional rights to protest. But despite that, ICE continues to run rampant across America, especially in Minneapolis, in. In Maine and in Phoenix every day. More disturbing videos and more disturbing news. More on that in a second. But there is breaking news. Two federal agents who shot and murdered Alex Preddy in Minneapolis have now been placed on leave. It was just announced within the last few hours. It was disclosed by administration official. As more Republicans continue to break with the White House on the handling of the shooting, as outrage continues to grow all around the world. Now, of course, the police, Capitol Hill police are also investigating the attack on Ilhan Omar. And on Sunday, Bevino, who is overseeing Trump's Border Patrol operations, said the agents involved in the shooting had been moved to other cities and, quote, more than likely would be on administrative duty. Now, he and others continue to defend the killing, though falsely describing Preddy as a terrorist, as an assassin, and as an aggressor. None of that was true. And interestingly, also, Stephen Miller, top aide to Trump and diabolical planner, suggested that the agents who killed Preddy after he was restrained, quote, may not have been following protocol, you think? But the fact that Miller even admitted that is a walk back on some levels. I want to underscore something. We do not know the names of the agents that shot Preddy. We don't know who they are. We don't know their names. If this was any other kind of police shooting, we would know their names. They would be put on administrative leave, and then we would have a full, thorough investigation. Of course, there's no body cam footage, as all agents should have, as something I've called for before. All ICE agents should immediately have body camera footage, but they do not. And let me underscore something. ICE agents are not Delta operators. They are not Navy SEALs. They are not entitled to have their identities protected like our special operators are. Law enforcement should be public. They should be named. They should not be masked in their interest as well. So I want to follow this issue. In particular, why is it taking so long to release the names of the people who killed, who murdered Alex Preddy. ICE continues to be reckless, unencumbered, unaccountable, and unconstitutional. And I want to continue to bring you examples that underscore it. Because every day we get new examples. Check this out. Now that's video and audio, if you're listening. That shows ICE agents deploying tear gas outside a Minneapolis preschool. This has nothing to do with law enforcement. This has nothing to do with keeping us safer. People are yelling. You can hear them say, this is a preschool. There are kids here. What the fuck are you doing? That's the question that more and more Americans are asking all across the country. What the fuck are you doing? And stop doing it because. Because it's un American and it's unconstitutional. Here's another clip I want to show you that I think is also important. Check this out. I will tell you this, brother, what you know, I will tell you this. You raise your voice, I raise your voice. If I raise my voice, you'll erase my voice.

[Poet/Guest Contributor]

Exactly.

[Paul Rykoff]

Yeah. Yeah. Are you serious? You said, if I raise my voice, you'll erase my voice. So in that video, an ICE agent threatened. An ICE agent, threatened someone in Minnesota. He says, quote, you raise your voice, I erase your voice. That's what he's saying. That agent needs to be identified. That agent needs to be disciplined. That agent needs to be fired. And a message needs to be sent that that is absolutely unacceptable. And let me give you one more example. Don't believe your government. Believe your eyes and your ears. And watch this exceptionally outrageous video from Phoenix I mentioned. Phoenix is going to be a new battle line in the fight against ice. Here it is. Check this out.

[Protester]

Oh, my God. Oh, my God.

[Paul Rykoff]

Oh, my God. Oh, my God. Hillary. Hillary.

[Protester]

Oh, my God. Oh, my God. Oh, my God. Oh, my God.

[Paul Rykoff]

Is anybody going to tell me.

[Poet/Guest Contributor]

Oh.

[Paul Rykoff]

Oh, my God. Oh, my God. Oh, my God.

[Poet/Guest Contributor]

God.

[Protester]

Oh, my God.

[Paul Rykoff]

Now, if you're listening, this was from an ICE raid in Phoenix, on 32nd in Shea. It shows protesters on a sidewalk impeding no one getting drive by. Maced by an ICE agent in a truck as it rolls down the road. He rolls by and drive by maces them, look same as the other ones. Arrest them, fire them. ICE agents who did this must be held accountable for incidents like this. There needs to be an example made, because every day there are more and more examples of the runaway menace that is ice. And the public trust will never be restored. That's why ICE needs to be defunded and disbanded, because there continues to be more expansion. I think that Trump will, will continue to toggle. They may be pulling back a little bit on Minneapolis, but they always pull back when there's friction and that gives them an opportunity, just like on a battlefield to push in another place. If the enemy gives you a strong defense, you push somewhere else. So I would expect them to push into other cities. Now, they may pull back on Minneapolis temporarily, but they will probably push harder somewhere else. Could be Phoenix, could be Portland, could be where you live. Watch this space because ICE is detaining citizens and shooting citizens and cops and veterans and kids. This is where we are, America. And I'm going to say it as often as I need to. If they can do it to Renee Goode and they can do it to Chong Li, Scott Tao, and they can do it to combat vet William Burmey and they can do it to five year old Liam Ramos and they can do it to nurse Alex Pretty, they can do it to anyone and they can do it to you. And if you're not angry, you are not paying attention because ICE is ripping our country apart. Put them on trial, shut them down and don't let them ruin the good name of Renee Goode, Alex Preddy or anyone else. Now, as I underscored yesterday, I think veterans can lead the way. I shared yesterday, one third of ICE agents are veterans and veterans are often recruited by ice. I think that veterans can push back in whatever way, legally, responsibly, peacefully that you can. Because there's another thing that still looms overhead where veterans, and in particular the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Dan Kaine, will be critical. This is not our top topic. This is one that's below the radar. Now, most folks didn't see this yesterday, but the House Freedom Caucus endorsed Trump invoking the Insurrection Act. Most people didn't see it, but they wrote a letter to Donald Trump. And in that letter they said they stand behind the men and women of ICE and the CPB and carrying out their duty. And I'll share the letter. It'll be linked in the show notes. But they said to that end we encourage you. And number one, they say maintain necessary law enforcement, including ICE in Minneapolis and all of the locations necessary to carry out removals of dangerous aliens and maintain order and safety for all Americans. They go through a list and here's number two from the House Freedom Caucus board of directors. Number two, use all tools necessary, including the Insurrection act under 10 U.S. code 252, to maintain order in the face of unlawful obstructions and assemblages that prevent the enforcement of the laws of the United States. They say, we will support you if you use the Insurrection Act. How is this not bigger news everywhere? I've said it for weeks and months, I think even years. Trump wants it, and now the House Freedom Caucus is openly backing him. One step closer to invoking the Insurrection Act. Wake up, America. And don't forget, the 11th Airborne Corps in Alaska is still on standby for deployment into Minneapolis. And don't expect a Pentagon briefing. Don't worry, though. Laura Loomer and Matt gaetz and the MyPillow Guys TV network are all over it. Watch this space and stay vigilant. All right, as you can hear and see, my voice is still a little bit rough because I continue to coach basketball multiple days a week and because I have to do podcasts and media to keep up with the crazy amount of shit that Donald Trump is inflicting on the world. And that includes his efforts to continue to try to take over the Western hemisphere. As I've warned, Cuba could be next. We've talked about it on this show with Ruth Ben Guyot. Go back and check out that episode with Asha Rangapa, where we also talked about the Insurrection Act. But I have predicted that he wants to take over the Western Hemisphere and Cuba could be next. Trump always telegraphs his punches. Listen to this.

[Unknown Commentator]

Well, we're going to see what happens with Cuba. I don't know anybody interested in Cuba in this room. Not too many people. This is not a Cuba room. But that's all right. There are plenty of them around, especially in Miami. And Cuba will be failing pretty soon. Cuba is really a nation that's very close to failing. You know, they got their money from Venezuela. They got the oil from Venezuela. They're not getting that anymore.

[Paul Rykoff]

All right, Believe him. He's been telegraphing this punch on Cuba over and over again, and we should believe him. And meanwhile, our allies are still pushing back and wondering what the fuck, as he has continued to insult and infuriate all most of the free world and most of its veterans. As I said before, I want to continue to send a message to our allies that Trump does not speak for most Americans and he does not speak for most veterans. As Alistair said yesterday on the quote that I gave you from the pm from the UK we care for our allies. We stand with our allies. Never above, never below, always side by side. Always side by side. Despite what President Trump may do or what other leaders in this government may do, including another embarrassing episode. It was reported that the US Embassy removed flags with the names of Danish soldiers. There were some flags, about 44 flags decorated with the names of Danish soldiers that were emplaced outside the embassy. The US Embassy in Copenhagen. Unidentified activists put up the flags, and they were removed the same day by an embassy security guard. Now, you could argue that the security guard was just trying to do the right thing, but here's the problem. It looks terrible and he shouldn't have done it. And it looks like now the US Embassy is pulling down Danish flags because people don't trust America. They don't trust Trump. He just shit on all their veterans and all their Gold Star families. And then the next day, some guy pulls the Danish flags out. This also comes on the heels of the announcement that ICE will be joining JD Vance and Marco Rubio on their trip to Italy for the Winter Olympics next month. Something that has all of Europe outraged and the Italian government pushing back on. Remember, it continues to divide our allies, and Putin loves it. He's sending Trump little gold notes and thank yous and whatever else he sends Trump that we'll never know about. But every night, Putin is thanking Trump for continuing to divide our allies and continuing to weaken NATO. And Trump, meanwhile, all gas, no breaks. Nothing is slowing him down. He continues to wage war on the free press against our public health. And if you didn't hear my episode yesterday with Dr. Vin Gupta, check that out. We talk about his war on the measles vaccine, how he's making us all less healthy and less safe, and also how you can make yourself a little bit safer and not have a voice that sounds like mine as flu season continues. But I'm gonna 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. From Cuba to Venezuela, where there were no new strikes today so far, no seizures of oil tankers so far, all the way across the Middle east and including to Iran, where the horrible truth continues to trickle out. We're finding out more and more. And we're finding out that Iranian security forces gunned down dozens of protesters trying to escape a devastating blaze in the Caspian Sea city of Rasht during an uprising earlier this month. Four witness accounts provided their testimony to the Washington Post. And the Washington Post that continues to do good reporting, analyzed more than 40 photos and videos, collected six witness and resident testimonies to put together a detailed reconstruction of what happened during this crackdown. About 200 miles northwest of Tehran is where Raj is located. And this is just a slice of what we're beginning to understand about how the regime brutally ruthlessly murdered and killed people all across Iran. We will continue to keep focused on Iran. We will continue to tell the stories of those brave protesters and we will continue to stay vigilant. Okay. In Ukraine, it is day 1435 of Russia's full scale invasion. Continues to be brutally cold, continues to be really difficult for people there and, and especially for children. And there is breaking news that the number of Russian and Ukrainian troops wounded, killed or missing during the four year war has reached nearly 2 million, 2 million casualties since this war has begun. And there's no sign that it's stopping. We must continue to keep focused on Ukraine. We must continue to support the fight and continue to understand that the brave Ukrainians are standing on the lines of freedom. They are standing up in ways our president is not. But whether you're a Republican, a Democrat or an independent, I hope you understand the importance of standing with Ukraine. I have news to share. Breaking news in an exclusive conversation. The former governor of Minnesota, Navy Seal Jesse Ventura will join me exclusively on Independent Americans on Friday. Stay tuned for that, folks. And he could be running again. I'll ask him about that and more coming up on Friday. Stay vigilant. All right. And finally, a different kind of outrage is brewing around sports. Bill Belichick will not be a first ballot hall of Famer. This is kind of crazy. He's won eight Super Bowls and he's not a first ballot hall of Famer. He, just to give this some context, six Super Bowls, which is number one all time. Nine conference championships, number one all time. 31 playoff wins, number one all time. 302 regular season wins, third all time. And 333 total wins, second all time. That doesn't even include his two Super Bowls with the New York Giants. As a defensive coordinator, which I am always and forever grateful for, but damn. Some surprising news for Pat's fans and all football fans. After a surprisingly good season that's taken them all the way to the Super Bowl, a guy that took him to all those Super Bowls isn't getting in the Hall.

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[Paul Rykoff]

Fame. At least not yet. I think Belichick's getting screwed, and I say that as a Giants fan, but I think he will come back around and a storm might be brewing. And the super bowl is coming. But just like another storm is coming, the super bowl is also coming Friday. This Friday, Jazzy Ventura will be here for Football Friday. And some more breaking news next Friday. Rachel Maddow will join us for Football Friday. If you're a liberal, a conservative independent, I don't care who you are. I think you have to respect Rachel Maddow's intelligence, her kindness, and you will soon find out her deep and extensive knowledge of the New England Patriots. We'll also talk about my bet. All right. That will be something good. Jesse will be something good. And to end today's show, I'm not going to leave you without sharing something good.

[Poet/Guest Contributor]

Something good.

[Paul Rykoff]

All right. Let's celebrate. People speaking out. There are a lot of people who are speaking out and a lot of people who don't often speak out. Breaking the seal, stepping forward, actors, people from music, and especially a brave and important and extremely influential group of athletes over the last few days. Steph Curry, the Hall of Famer from the warriors, the great coach Steve Kerr, Tyrese Halliburton, Karl Anthony Towns and the Knicks, they all spoke out in opposition to the horrific murder of Alex Preddy. And yesterday, maybe the bravest one, because he was not born here. He is here dominating the NBA, inspiring the world. But himself was not born here. Himself fears ice. And the brave, young and dynamic Victor Webeyama spoke out powerfully with some words that have reverberated across America and around the world. Check it out.

[Victor Wembanyama]

I know. I mean, every day I wake up and see the news and I'm horrified. I think it's crazy that some people might make it seem like or make it sound like it's acceptable, like the murder of civilians is acceptable. You know, every day, I mean, I read the news and I'm sometimes I'm asking very deep questions about my own life. But, you know, I'm conscious also that saying everything that's on my mind would have a cost that's too great for me right now. So I'd rather not get into too many details. Is that kind of a big factor in this, that people have that fear that if they speak openly about an injustice, justice they see there can be repercussions? Oh, for sure. I mean, it's terrible. It's, you know, you know, I know, I know. I'm a foreigner. You know, I live in this country. I am concerned for sure.

[Paul Rykoff]

Is that part of your hesitance, being a foreigner? Does that play into your.

[Victor Wembanyama]

Oh, for sure, for sure. I mean, it's. Yeah.

[Paul Rykoff]

Wemby is an incredible player and I think going to be a really influential leader on the world stage. He's a kind man. He's a thoughtful man. He's a global man. And I think he's going to meet this moment like so many others. But even he was careful. He said, every day I wake up and see the news and I'm horrified. I think it's crazy that some people might make it seem like or make it sound like the murder of civilians is acceptable. I want to celebrate Wemby, of course, as a player, but more importantly as an activist in the spirit of Muhammad Ali and Kareem Abdul Jabbar and so many others. We need these voices, just like Bill Walton and so many others. We need them to rise to this moment. They will inspire others. They will get people to pay attention who have not been paying attention, people beyond politics, people in sports and beyond. And that's something good and something worth celebrating. All right, folks, thank you for tuning in and continuing to support the show. We will continue to be daily and I will continue to to bring you the source of light to contrast the heat anywhere that I can, including TV. Later today in the 3pm hour, I will be on News Nation with Connell McShane. Tonight at 7, I will be on CNN with Aaron Burnett and a big week will continue. I think we might have Joe Walsh coming up. I mentioned Jesse Ventura will be here for a Friday exclusive. Next week we'll have Rachel Maddow and we will have others. Lots of independent candidates have reached out, Democrats and Republicans. They will all be here. So follow, subscribe and share. Be sure to check us out on Patreon and subscribe on every single platform, especially on Apple podcasts where you can leave a review now. And on YouTube. Hit that subscribe button. Let me ask you for a special appeal. ICE and Radicals and the Oath Keepers. The far right and the far left have uniquely been focused on young men, men in their twenties, men of all backgrounds who are often isolated, sometimes lost and maybe don't know where they need to go in a moment like this. I want to be a voice for them. I want to be a voice that brings them other voices that they can connect with. I want this show to be an alternative. I want it to be an alternative to Ben Shapiro. I want it to be an alternative to Joe Rogan and I want it to be an alternative to the Oath Keepers in the far right and to joining ice. So if you want to join a positive community, a community that's making a difference, if you want to be informed, inspired and connected, share this show with a young man or two in your life. Send it with five young men in your life and invite them to join this community. Because we need them. We need them now more than ever. We're going to keep bringing light to contrast the heat. And if you are among the 45% of Americans who are independent, man, woman, doesn't matter. This is your show. Our independent movement is hope for the future. Country over party, people over politics, light over heat. And our movement is growing day by day by day and we're going to continue to bring hope. That's the oxygen of democracy. If you enjoyed this episode, share far and wide and invite others, especially now, to declare their independence. Not just from the parties, but from the corporate media especially. And stay vigilant, my friends, because eternal vigilance is the price of freedom. I know you're not alone in your vigilance. We're all vigilant and we're all in this together. From Steph Curry to Victor Webeyama, I'm your host, Paul Rykoff. Thank you for tuning into Independent Americans. I will be back tomorrow with an all new episode, Jesse Ventura on Friday. Happy hump day and stay vigilant America.

[Poet/Guest Contributor]

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 the trouble they can bring he says the red and blue are dead and independent is an attitude an island in the sea of rhetoric and right our dreams without a clue and when you wait, it's time to grow.

[Paul Rykoff]

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