← Independent Americans with Paul Rieckhoff
Independent Americans with Paul Rieckhoff
Trump: I’ll Take Cuba. The Geopolitical Rapist.
00:48:09
On a wild and weird St. Patrick’s Day, Paul Rieckhoff breaks down Trump’s expanding war in Iran and his shocking talk about “taking Cuba,” and explains why once you kick a hornet’s nest, the hornets—not Trump—decide when it’s over. From 50,000 U.S. troops in harm’s way, growing drone threats, and a widening conflict across the Middle East, to MAGA insiders breaking ranks like Joe Kent and an unraveling Pete Hegseth, Paul calls out dangerous weakness at the top, a feckless Congress, and the newest inductees into the 2026 Chickenhawk Club. No guest, no spin—just Paul, like your political pint of Guinness, giving you the independence, information and integrity you won’t get anywhere else.
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My name is Mackenzie and I started a GoFundMe for the adoptive mother of a nonverbal autistic child. The mother had lost her job because she wasn't able to find adequate care for this autistic child. So she really needed some help with living expenses, paying some back bills. So I launched a GoFundMe to help support them during this crisis. And we raised about $10,000 within just a couple of months. I think that the surprising thing was by telling a clear story and just like really being very clear about what we needed, we had some really generous donations from people who were really moved by the situation that this family was struggling with.
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Paul Rykoff (Host of Independent Americans)
GoFundMe is the world's number one fundraising platform, trusted by over 200 million people.
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Start.
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Paul Rykoff (Host of Independent Americans)
Start your GoFundMe today at gofundme.com that's gofundme.com, gofundme.com this podcast is supported by GoFundMe.
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- [01:50]
Paul Rykoff (Host of Independent Americans)
Now we see him starting to come undone a bit. But don't celebrate this. I see lots of folks, especially on the left, celebrating his rattled state. But don't celebrate it because our troops especially need stability at the helm. And our enemies are celebrating what this is because it doesn't only smell like desperation, it looks like weakness. Welcome to Independent Americans. Welcome to episode 467. I am your host, Paul Rykoff, and It is Tuesday, March 17th. Happy St. Patrick's Day, everybody. Happy St. Patrick's Day. And a special toast to all our law enforcement and first responders nationwide. Keeping folks safe, especially in times like these. I hope you have a string of good luck after today. Lord knows our country needs it. I am coming to you today from New York City, USA, where we have an amazing St. Patrick's Day parade every year. And the weather is cold again. Damn cold like winter cold.
- [03:14]
Donald Trump
Grr.
- [03:15]
Paul Rykoff (Host of Independent Americans)
I am not at the parade today, but my warmth and support to all of you who are not just in New York, but around the country and around the world. And today's artist of the day that I share with my boys is Dropkick Murphy's. Who else? Because it's St. Patrick's Day. Who else will we choose? Maybe House of Pain. Well, not today. Today it is Dropkick Murphy's. If you don't know him, they do. I'm shipping up to Boston, which is a classic. You'll hear it everywhere in BOSTON, Everywhere on St. Patty's Day at every Red Sox game. They also do great tracks like the State of Massachusetts, the Fields of Ernie, the Boys on the Docks, Captain Kelly's Kitchen. They are a great band. They also do a lot to fight back, fight for democracy and have been long time supporters of us in the veterans community. And Ken Casey, the lead singer, will hopefully be on the show soon, maybe as early as this week. So we're going to drop kick the news today and bring some luck of the Irish and the five eyes that we bring on every single show. Independence, integrity, information, inspiration and impact. No guests today, just me. I'm going to be like your lucky leprechaun, your perfect pint of Guinness or your pot of political content gold. And on this St. Patrick's Day, which is wild and weird, March Madness is in full effect. I'm going to help you stay vigilant. All right, let's get after it as I hope the luck does spread across this country and I hope the luck goes to the World Baseball Classic USA team tonight. More on that coming up. There is one top topic above all others that is full of a lot of bad things and bad luck but must require our focus.
- [05:03]
Donald Trump
Foreign.
- [05:14]
Paul Rykoff (Host of Independent Americans)
Topic today is the hornet's nest that is Trump's war in Iran. There's a great quote that's flying around right now that says when you kick a hornet's nest, it's the hornets that decide which when it's over. This is a really important reminder to think about what's happening in Iran where Trump says, ah, maybe it'll be over in a couple weeks or a couple months. Now it is beyond his control. It will continue to overflow into other countries, into other areas, into other combat zones potentially. But the overflow is happening and the hornet's nest is disrupted. It's also disrupting a hornet's nest politically, but more on that in a second. But it's the hornets that decide when it's over, and that's going to be true here. If you listen to this show, you are not going to be surprised that Trump wants to upset hornet's nest, not just in Iran, but around the country. And if you listen to the show, you're not surprised that Trump is also now focused on Cuba. I told you this was coming. I warned you this is coming. And here it is. And in typical, disgusting Trump fashion, he's talking about it in a really terrible, awful way. Play the clip, Chris.
- [06:29]
Donald Trump
You know, all my life I've been hearing about the United States and Cuba. When will the United States do it? I do believe I'll be the honor of having the honor of taking Cuba. That'd be good. That's a big honor.
- [06:44]
Paul Rykoff (Host of Independent Americans)
Taking Cuba.
- [06:45]
Donald Trump
Taking Cuba in some form. Yeah, taking Cuba. I mean, whether I free it. Take it. I think I could do anything I want with it. You want to know the truth? They're a very weakened nation.
- [06:57]
Paul Rykoff (Host of Independent Americans)
So he says he's taking Cuba. Taking Cuba. Look, Cuba is not a trophy or a beach resort to be taken. And the language from Trump, as per usual, deeply wrong, dangerous, and un American. He's making us more hated by the day, by the minute, and he's making us all less safe because he's pissing off the world. And for generations, the only thing that America would ask for after supporting liberation was a place to bury our dead. But he thinks that anything that can be taken should be taken. And he doesn't believe that no means no. Like every other rapist, he thinks that everything is his to be taken. No doesn't mean no in geopolitics or in his personal life. As is well established, he is a geopolitical rapist and an actual one, as was proven in the E. Jean Carroll case and by alleged multiple brave survivors. This is who he is. And he's disgracing himself. That's long established and more and more by the day, he's disgracing all Americans yet again. So keep your eyes on Cuba. The lights have gone out. There's a blockade in effect, stopping oil, and there's no telling what's next. But he said he will use our military if he thinks it's necessary. But have no doubt that he probably will And a reminder, there's been no War Powers act by Congress on Cuba. Maybe they'll do one a week or so after the war starts or the military operations start, like they did in Iran. You may remember he started the war in Iran on a Saturday. Congress, the failure that is. Congress didn't even vote on it until Thursday. And most voted to let him do whatever he wants because he's all gas, no brakes. And Congress, as I've said many times this week, is not even a mall cop of our democracy. They're less than that. Now I got to figure out what's less than a mic, than a mall cop. But he's going full speed deeper into Iran, potentially into Cuba. He's talked about striking Mexico and who knows what's next? But also, by the way, he also said something else stupid. He said that he's taken Cuba and said it's not in a hurricane zone, which is nice for a change. You know, this is what he said. He said they won't be asking us for money for hurricanes every week. For those who don't know, Cuba was hit by Hurricane Melissa, then Category 3 storm just four months ago. It was also hit by Hurricane Rafael in 2024, Irma in 2027, Matthew in 2026, sorry, 2016, and Sandy in 2012. Irma was a Category 5 storm, and Trump is a Category 5 storm of chaos and mayhem hitting the world. Let's go deeper on the wreckage and the hornet's nest that is. There was a new update from Admiral Cooper, who's been putting out updates from Central Command that are actually pretty well done, specific, no politics. He highlights that there have been new strikes on Iranian facilities, including a drone storage depot in the Strait of Hormuz, which continues to be choked off, disrupted and altering gas prices and oil prices around the world. He says that more than 100 Iranian vessels have been destroyed and again says 50,000 US troops are involved in the mission. This is, I think, the most important part to consider. 50,000 troops are on or near harm's way. 50,000 of America's sons and daughters. And Congress did not vote to approve a war involving 50,000American sons and daughters. The American people don't support a war in Iran with 50,000 sons and daughters. And they definitely don't support more sons and daughters going into Iran with boots on the ground. And more on what that means in a second. Meanwhile, as the Hornet next continues to overflow. Check this out. There's a great reporter at the Washington Post named Mustafa Salim who is in Baghdad who is posting videos just last night. One good reason to be on X is to check out some of the videos coming out of the zone and follow Mustafa Saleem, who I hope will join us on the show. But that's video and audio of another drone attack targeting the US Embassy in Baghdad. There's also a video of an Iranian backed militia successfully using likely a fiber optic FPV drone to carry out a reconnaissance mission through the US Embassy in Baghdad. OSINT Technical One of the open source accounts on X posted this where you can see a drone flying unchallenged through the entire embassy complex for like two minutes.
- [12:11]
Donald Trump
Our enemies are celebrating.
- [12:37]
Paul Rykoff (Host of Independent Americans)
And then it looks like it hit something that could be a barracks, but a drone flew around the US Embassy, an Iranian drone or a proxy drone for two minutes unchallenged. We are not ready. Trump and Hegseth are not ready, especially for the drone threat to our forces in the region and to our assets. We saw an airstrip hit in Saudi with five American planes that got taken out. We talked about this on a really important episode with Nolan Peterson. If you're new here, check it out, go back. It's in the archives on our YouTube page. But Trump and Hegseth are not ready. They're not ready for what is coming. With regard to drones. There are many people speaking out about it and I will continue to focus on it because, because it is the number one threat of this new kind of warfare. Now you can't count on Trump to tell the truth about anything. He's a liar always, especially in war. And he's been asked recently about whether he expected this overflow, this hornet's nest. Prior to the start of the airstrikes, Trump was briefed on intelligence reports and now it is being reported by Reuters and others that he was briefed that Iran could retaliate and attack US Gulf allies around the region. Now, Steve Doocy at Fox said they hit Qatar, Saudi Arabia, uae, Bahrain, Kuwait. Nobody expected that. We were shocked. Are you surprised that nobody briefed you ahead of time that there might be retaliation? He said nobody, Nobody, no, no. The greatest experts, nobody thought that this would happen. Play the clip and listen to this.
- [14:13]
Steve Doocy
Thank you. You were talking about Iran a couple times today and what they did after epic fury began. He said they hit Qatar, Saudi Arabia, uae, Bahrain, Kuwait. Nobody expected that. We were shocked. Are you, you surprised that nobody briefed you ahead of time that that might be their retaliation?
- [14:30]
Donald Trump
Nobody, Nobody. No, no, no, no. The greatest experts, nobody thought they were going to hit. They were. I wouldn't say friendly countries. They were like neutral. They were, they lived with them for years. Peter they were going to take over the Middle East. They were going to knock out Israel with their nuclear weapon. But after we knocked out their nuclear potential, their nuclear potential weapon, they started building, building missiles, thousands and thousands of missiles. And they were going to do it with missiles while they developed. These are sick people. While they developed nuclear, somehow they were going to start at a different site because that site was, you saw the site, the mountain. They were going to go into a certain area which we know exactly where it is, and they were going to do that. And it's incredible what we've done.
- [15:16]
Paul Rykoff (Host of Independent Americans)
I tell you now, many have had enough. Many across Maga and among his supporters are now against his war in Iran. From Marjorie Taylor Greene to Joe Rogan to Megyn Kelly, even Steve Bannon, his longtime trusted strategist, has spoken out. And I've said before, I'm going to keep saying this could be a turning point or a breaking point. The dam is busting holes. And today there's a big one. The first important high profile Trump administration resignation. And it's from his director of National Counterterrorism Center, Green Beret and Gold Star veteran Joe Kent, who answers directly to Tulsi Gabbard, who you may remember is not a big fan of regime change wars, at least she wasn't until a few weeks ago. But here's Kent's statement. After much reflection, he posted this on X directly at the President. After much reflection, I have decided to resign my position as director of the National Counterterrorism center effective today. I cannot in good conscience support the ongoing war in Iran. Now listen to this. Iran posed no imminent threat to our nation and it is clear that we started this war due to pressure from Israel and its powerful American lobby. He goes on to say, it's been an honor serving under POTUS and DNI Gabbard and leading the professionals at the nctc. May God bless America. There's a longer letter that you should read that's everywhere. But also important to note, Kent is out. He is answering directly to DNI Tulsi Gabbard. It's kind of breaking a seal. I don't know if he'll speak out publicly, but in it, he blames Israel. Now, it's important to note he's had a very questionable history of association with far right groups and promoting racial and Islamic bigotry and conspiracy theories. But this is a very high profile member of his national security team. That's out in a very public way over Iran. American wars don't get more popular over time, and this one is historically low and dropping like a rock with all political groups, and especially in Trump's base. The question is, does it matter? Does he even care? Unlikely, because I think he's all gas, no brakes, not slowing down for anyone or anything. But this could be the first of others and the start of a new wave of shakeups inside Trump's team. I'm sure he's doing a loyalty test right now, and it will see who stays, who goes, and if any others come out and continue to follow Joe Kent's lead. But as we do that, we continue to get less safe by the day. And it's definitely time to ask again, where is Tulsi? Where is Tulsi Gabber, the person that I met when she was first elected to Congress, a person that I knew personally and professionally? We're not in touch anymore. We used to be in touch quite regularly, and she ran for president on a platform that was really focused on no more regime change wars. We've had at least two since she's been dni. So where is Tulsi Gabbard? Tulsi, if you listen to my show or watch my show, you've been on my show. You were on my show in the first year. I'll ask you, what do you got to say? You okay with this? Where is Tulsi? I think we need to get some music, some where is Tulsi Music, Chris. Maybe we'll have to work on that. But the person who ran for president opposing regime change wars, will she be the next one to resign and try to get off this sinking ship and maybe save her political skin? We shall see. But the pressure is rising, and we all, especially now, need to stay vigilant. All right? As the pressure continues to rise, something else is happening. Hegseth is kind of losing it. We might need a song for that, too, Chris. But Pete Hegseth is really shaken, rattled, and coming after the media and just about everybody. I mean, it's going up a couple notches. Check this out.
- [19:33]
Pete Hegseth
Because you, and, I mean, specifically you, the press, specifically you, the press corps, because you cheer against Trump so hard, it's like in your DNA and in your blood to cheer against Trump because you want him not to be successful so bad. You have to cheer against the efficacy of these strikes. You have to hope maybe they weren't effective. Maybe the way the Trump administration is representing them isn't true. So let's take half truths, spun information, leaked information, and then spin it, spin it in every way we can to try to cause doubt and manipulate the mind, the public mind, over whether or not our brave pilots were successful.
- [20:19]
Paul Rykoff (Host of Independent Americans)
Smell that smells like desperation. And it looks like someone who's a little scared and definitely rattled. And that is troubling because he's clearly coming apart under the pressure and under the pressure of the increasingly real prospect of being fired by Trump, just like Kristi Noem a couple weeks ago, and being blamed by Trump for the failures that would leave Hegseth without his protections to face enormous consequences which have included, among other things, allegations of approving war crimes and supporting war crimes. Now, with Hegseth and the state of Hegseth, this was all predictable. He never should have been confirmed for this job in the first place. I believe he was not only unqualified, but he should have been disqualified. But now we see him starting to come undone a bit. But don't celebrate this. I see lots of folks, especially on the left, celebrating his, his rattled state. But don't celebrate it because our troops especially need stability at the helm and our enemies are celebrating what this is because it doesn't only smell like desperation, it looks like weakness. And our enemies are celebrating this weakness. These are dangerous times and getting more and more dangerous by the day.
- [21:47]
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Megan McArdle
The IRS said I filed my return, but I haven't.
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Megan McArdle
What do I do?
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Paul Rykoff (Host of Independent Americans)
My refund though.
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Megan McArdle
I'm freaking out.
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Megan McArdle
I'm so relieved.
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Megan McArdle
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- [22:34]
Paul Rykoff (Host of Independent Americans)
It does seem to me that there is some awakening of a desire to
- [22:38]
Donald Trump
act together to solve problems where they are.
- [22:40]
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- [22:43]
Megan McArdle
Join me Wednesdays on YouTube or wherever you get your podcasts.
- [22:47]
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- [23:17]
Paul Rykoff (Host of Independent Americans)
And it's another reason we all need to, of course, stay vigilant. All right, now, below the radar. There are politicians out there making the case. And it's something you need to track on because there is still plenty of ridiculousness and ridiculous people promoting this war. And I got one that you definitely got to see and hear. Check this shit out.
- [23:41]
Megan McArdle
Iran. The President is moving about 2,500 Marines to the region. Are you okay with putting those two troops on the ground?
- [23:52]
Steve Doocy
I actually spoke to some media last night, and I indicated that I believe that what these 2,500 Marines of the Marine Expeditionary Force would be would be this. Probably secure the island. The island is not, in my opinion, boots on the ground in combat circumstances.
- [24:14]
Megan McArdle
It is a territory.
- [24:16]
Steve Doocy
It is Iran facility. Well, I'm not going to argue that point. As a matter of fact, you're right. But what I would say is the President has chosen not to. To obliterate the. The ability that. To get oil. And I think he wants to go secure that to make sure the Iranians don't do themselves in. So I think it's probably wisdom. Is that boots on the ground? No, not. Not like inside Iran where they're in the cities.
- [24:47]
Paul Rykoff (Host of Independent Americans)
Okay, this is asinine. That is Republican Representative Pete Sessions of Texas. Maybe you'd understand if you'd served, Mr. Sessions. Maybe you'd understand if you've had your boots on the ground, but of course you have not. And now you say this ridiculous shit. So I'd like to tell you on this St. Patrick's Day, congratulations. Congratulations, Mr. Congressman. You are the newest member of the 2026 Chicken Hawk Club. You join Fetterman and Lindsey Graham and many others. A growing list. I mean, this is a very popular club. Apparently increasingly popular. Tommy Tuberville is like the ringleader of it. But the 2026 Chicken Hawk Club has a new member, and that club continues to grow. And I will continue to focus on them, let you know about them, and I hope that you can help me make them famous. Chris, we're going to need some Chicken Hawk music, too. We're going to Need a lot of kinds of music to deal with this absurdity, but it's another area where you need to, of course, stay vigilant. All right, let's talk about something incredibly serious. The fact that the wounded are piling up and happening across the region. There continues to be information pulling, falling out, leaking out, coming out about the number of U.S. troops who've been wounded, and now it exceeds 200 across seven countries. Officials are saying 200 wounded service members in seven different countries. This is the most detailed accounting yet of how many personnel have been in harm's way. Our friend Dan Lamoth at the Washington Post has been posting about this. I'll have him back on the show soon. He was on, I think, last week. But according to Dan, US Troops have been wounded or injured in Ready Bahrain, Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates. There's also more information that the number of US troops considered seriously wounded has been revised up from 8 to 10 after additional assessments of those wounded in the opening days of the war in Iran. So that means they could die and we could lose more than the 13 we've already lost. And really importantly now, as we digest and process the human cost of war, we're hearing from the families of the troops killed in action. And there's one you need to hear from in particular. It's Cheryl Simmons. She is the mother of Tech Sergeant Tyler Simmons, who's being remembered as a hero to his family. And anytime the mother of a fallen service member speaks out, you should hear her words and absorb what she says. Check this out.
- [27:23]
Cheryl Simmons (Mother of Fallen Service Member)
Hear the knock on the door. You're hoping that it's not a knock that, you know, you just don't want. And when they knocked on the door and Milo answered the door, I heard him say, oh, no. And I knew. I knew. And it was, you know, from there on, life would never, ever, ever be the same. It will never be the same. He was our only child, you know, grandchildren. We won't have him being married. And, you know, he wanted to be married. He wanted to have children. You know, everything stopped. The whole. It just stopped.
- [28:09]
Paul Rykoff (Host of Independent Americans)
I mean, if that doesn't hit you, you don't have a heart. And it's hitting more and more Americans. And you're going to hear from more and more of these families. I hope that the casualties will stop. I hope that the killed in action will stop. But it's unlikely because the hornet's nest has been unleashed. And as always, I want to remind you, if you want to help support families like The Simmons family. Check out Taft's tragedy assistance program for survivors. Bonnie Carroll was on our show Friday. It's been a very popular episode. If you haven't seen that or heard that, please go check it out. It's like a civic duty. Hear from Bonnie Carroll, Medal of Honor, a Medal of Freedom recipient, the highest civilian honor, and just a true hero. She can tell you what's happening to these families and how you can help them. After the cameras are gone, after the news is gone, after the politicians are gone, taps will be there. And it's another way you can be a helper. You can step in and help when others are going in the other direction. We need to look out for our fallen service members especially. It's another way you can stay vigilant. All right. Of course, lots happening across the country. ICE continues to run rampant across America. We will continue to focus on that. We will continue to focus on how nothing is slowing Trump down. There's always the prospect of the Insurrection Act. Trump continues to wage war against the free press. Kennedy, if you haven't heard, got rotator cuff surgery. Yeah, I mean, no surprise. I mean, he's freuded out with jeans on, trying to max out every day for TikTok and Instagram. And now he's getting shoulder surgery. And I wonder if he's going to take any painkillers or are you just going to chew on a rock. I don't know. But we're going to continue to watch him. And keep your eyes on other parts of the world and always on Ukraine. On Ukraine, where It is day 1484 of Russia's full scale invasion of Ukraine. And the insults from Trump in particular continues to fly at Ukraine almost every single day. He says he doesn't need their help. He doesn't need Zelensky's help. He's treated Zelensky like, we've dropped military support by almost 90% to Ukraine. But the terrible insults to Ukraine from America continue. The Kyiv Independent is now reporting that a U.S. general overseeing Ukraine's security assistance left classified maps on a train after he suffered an alcohol related concussion. Yes, the US General overseeing Ukraine guy trunk hit his head and left classified maps on a train in Europe and he was concussed after, quote, overindulgence in alcohol during a dinner in Ukraine. I mean, we're sorry again, Ukraine. I mean, the insults continue and the ridiculousness continues. But I will remind everybody in Ukraine and everybody who's listening that Donald Trump does not speak for most Americans when it comes to Ukraine. Most Americans understand appreciate and respect the people of Ukraine and will until this is over, until victory, which I still think will only happen over the dead body of Vladimir Putin. Trump talks about taking out all kinds of people, but never talks about taking out Putin. And this war won't be over until he's out of office in whatever way that comes. And it's one area where we must not only stay vigilant, but stay vocal and let the world know that Donald Trump does not speak for most honorable, freedom loving Americans when it comes to Ukraine. Stay vigilant. All right, Just a quick mention of something that usually only gets no mention, but I will give a quick mention. Afghanistan. When we had troops there for decades, I often called it Forgotistan. And that is true now because there's a war going on between Pakistan and Afghanistan. And Afghan officials are now saying hundreds are dead in a Paki Pakistani airstrike in Kabul. Afghanistan continues to suffer tremendously. The people of Afghanistan continue to suffer tremendously. We've left so many of our allies behind to die. They've been treated terribly by ice. And I just ask you, and I will tell you that we will keep a focus on Afghanistan even though the troops are gone, even though Trump has already put it in his rearview mirror, we will never, at least in the veterans community, let Afghanistan become Forgotistan. We will keep an eye on it. We will send what support we can, and we will stay vigilant. All right, we got to stay vigilant around politics. There's a lot happening, but today is a primary day in Illinois, which is pretty important. Democrat Governor J.B. pritzker is running for reelection with a new running mate after Lieutenant Governor Julius Stratton entered the Senate race. His front runner is a Republican. The front runner for his Republican challenger is Darren Bailey, with Aaron Delmar setting up a rematch of the 2022 election. If you haven't heard, Dick Durbin, the Democrat, is retiring from the Senate, the seat he's had since 1997. And three Democrats are running for that seat. Lt. Gov. Julian Stratton, U.S. reps. Robin Kelly and Raja Krishnamoorthy are the leading Democrats. There are a total of 10 Democrats and six Republicans on the ballot. You know what? There's not a demo, an independent. I can't. I got screwed up saying it because it's just so usual. There are no independents on the ballot because the primary system is broken. Republicans are bankrupt and mean and Democrats suck and will not save you. But they're both corrupt and neither one of them wants to allow independence because independence are almost the majority. We are the plurality. We are 45%. Democrats and Republicans are only 27% each. But I want to bring your attention to an op ed that I'll link to in the show Notes by our friend Todd Connor at Veterans for All Voters. Great group. Shout out to Todd Connor and Yinka and Eric Brauner and everybody at Veterans for All Voters. They do great work educating people about how to empower independent unaffiliated veterans in particular. And Todd's piece is headlined A Model to Fix Illinois's Broken Primary System. He writes, we've accepted a system where the primary is the only election that matters, yet it's the one where fewest people have a voice. And it's a better way. There's a better way. And I'm just going to read to you a highlight. On Tuesday, a small number of people in Illinois will head to the polls to determine the party's nominee for November's general election. And if history and current projections or any guide will looking at a turnout that would be considered a crisis in any other healthy democracy. Yet in Illinois, they call it primary day. Millions of dollars are flooding the airwaves. If you're there, you know what it's like. It's just a barrage of advertising. But only 19% of Illinois's registered voters went to the poll for the 2024 primary. If that holds nationally, 21% of eligible voters will participate in the 22 primary. So call it 20% max of people will vote in the primary. Now tons of money to reliable voters, Democrat voters, knowing that whoever wins Tuesday in this blue state, it will win the main election, which is really just a rubber stamp. The main election is not really an election because there's something else that's not on the ballot. An independent candidate. But he offers an alternative that I want to get Todd on to talk about at some point. Because in November 2024, 87% of seats in the House of Representatives were decided in the primary. 87%. That means it's game over before you ever even get to November. And they were considered safe in the general election. Now he offers a better way. In 2020, Alaska moved to a nonpartisan top four primary. There are no separate Democrat and Republican ballots. Alaska is an example of what right looks like. Every candidate, regardless of party, gets on a single ballot available to every voter. The top four finishers move on to the general election, where voters use ranked choice voting to ensure the winner has true majority support. And the results, according to Todd, have been a revelation. In Alaska, they've got wider participation because folks aren't forced to join a party just to have their say in their first cycle. Under this model, Alaska saw a massive increase in meaningful votes. That means ballots cast in truly competitive elections. They elected more women, created a bipartisan governing coalition, and had the most productive legislative session in recent memory. That's according to the United America Institute, another group you should check out. They had reduced polarization. When you need to be one of the top four and eventually need second choice votes to win, you can't afford to alienate half the electorate. So negative campaigning largely goes away. Candidates appeal to voters on issue and coalitions begin to form. Serious people get elevated, performative politicians cap out and they appeal to the majority with an absurd amount of money being spent. Now, a nonpartisan primary forces capital to compete for a broader, more representative audience, including 41% of Illinois voters who identify as Democrat as independents. That's versus 39% for Democrats, 20% Republicans nationally. If you're new here and you don't know, the number of voters identifying as independent is higher among military veterans, which is 55% of all veterans are independents and younger voters, 56%. We're sleepwalking through a process that degrades our democracy by exclusion. That's what Todd says. Very smart. We've accepted a system where the primary is the only election that matters, yet it's the one where the fewest people have a voice. Illinois doesn't have to stay stuck in this cycle of expensive apathy. By adopting the Alaska model, we can move forward to a system where every vote is a meaningful one, where our representatives are accountable to the many, not the few. This isn't sexy stuff, but it's very, very important to fight to reclaim and open our democracy. Todd Connor is the founder of Veterans for All Voters, a grassroots organization advocating for political reforms to depolarize politics and expand the Democratic participation. He founded Bunker Labs and the Collective Academy and teaches social impact at University of Chicago, Booth School of Science. Check out Veterans for All Voters. I will link to them in the show notes and I will link to this piece. We will continue this important conversation especially on primary days when most of us don't even get a say. We are the people's champions. We're not just moving the needle. We are the needle. And as a reminder, there is an independent option in Illinois. In Chicago, veteran Lindsay Church. Independent veteran Lindsay Church, who's been on the show, they are running in the 4th congressional district. If you didn't hear my conversation with Lindsey, check it out. But Lindsey is trying to get on the ballot and needs your help because Lindsey doesn't have a big primary machine, doesn't have billionaire and corporate donors. Lindsey is fighting for the people, not the party. And Lindsey and all the other independent veterans need your vote, your support and your time. And if you're an independent veteran that wants to run like Lindsay and like so many others, go to independentveteransamerica.org we are recruiting. Your country needs you. Hit me up. Stay vigilant. All right, finally, let's talk about culture. There's been some Oscar fallout. Now, I criticize Sean Penn for missing a huge opportunity on the night of the Oscars where he won his third Oscar to talk about these issues. I thought it was a huge platform where Sean Penn could have talked about Trump, he could have talked about Ukraine. Well, it turns out he missed it in part because he was traveling to Ukraine as he was receiving his award, as he was ceremonially receiving his award for best supporting actor for his role. He was in one battle after another. He was in Kyiv where he met with President Zelensky and where President Zelenskyy said to Sean Penn, sean, thanks to you, we know what a true friend of Ukraine is. You have stood with Ukraine since the first days of the full scale war. And we know that you will continue to stand with our country and our people. If you don't know, Sean Pence been to Ukraine multiple times. He was in the country on the first day of the invasion and he did a documentary, superpower, about the war and Zelenskyy's leadership. It premiered at the Berlin Film Festival. You should check it out. But this is a really, really important conversation. I wish that Sean Penn maybe had brought Zelenskyy with him to the Oscars because most folks aren't going to learn this, but we're going to focus on it. And I, of course, welcome President Zelensky on the show anytime, but Sean Penn as well. But this is an important example of how many people are speaking out and they are doing something. And Sean Penn is on the ground showing what support looks like. And I think more celebrities, more folks with platforms need to do the same. All right. Also in culture, I just got to focus on one thing. The Madison is out. If you're a fan of Yellowstone and 1883 and 1923 and all the other fantastic shows by Tyler Sheraton, the Madison is out starring Michelle Pfeiffer who was on the Stephen Colbert show like two days or a day after me and the great Kurt Russell. And I gotta tell you, it had a little bit of a slow start, but then it started feeling like a Tyler Sheraton show again. And I'm all in. I only watched episode one, which was great, but it was fantastic. And there is more to come. So check out the Madison. Let me know what you think. Sound off in the show notes. And if you got something else in culture and politics you think I should highlight, hit me up. All right. Finally, let's talk sports. It is a big time for sports, especially the intersection of of sports and politics. If you didn't see it last night, Venezuela took out the darling, the Cinderella of the World Baseball Classic, Italy winning a fantastic game. Four to do to two. First off, an incredibly inspiring run by Italy. Just absolutely fantastic. As I've said before, my grandmother is Italian American. A whole bunch of my family is. We will always root for Italy. And they were the ultimate underdog, went undefeated until that final game. But now the stage is set Tonight in Miami, 8pm Eastern. The USA plays Venezuela. Think about that. The USA is playing Venezuela. Ironic. I don't know. Very wild on a geopolitical level. The US Is playing for the championship against a country we just attacked before. We attacked the last one in Iran. And Trump is threatening to attack another. Of course, it's on Fox. But this is the matchup tonight, the US vs. Venezuela. By the time we host the World cup this summer, who knows how many countries that we might play that Trump will have attacked or have plans to attack. This is a very strange and challenging time for our country and the world. But nevertheless, I am rooting for Team usa. I'm rooting for Venezuela on some level, but not to beat the usa. It's going to be fantastic. Even if you're not a baseball fan. It's going to be like a World Series game. It'll give you a chance to root for your country and to root for good sportsmanship. And it's another reason tonight on this St. Patrick's Day for us all to stay vigilant.
- [43:32]
Donald Trump
Something good.
- [43:35]
Paul Rykoff (Host of Independent Americans)
Something sweet. Feel the fire.
- [43:37]
Donald Trump
Feel the heat.
- [43:39]
Paul Rykoff (Host of Independent Americans)
All right. Finally, I got something good. Always got something good. Something good. I want to pull out because I talked to my kids about it last night and it's a topic we've talked about on this show before. Fantastic. Oregon quarterback Dante Moore announced that he's seeking support for mental health services. Quarterback Dante Moore, as ESPN Report, has revealed that he struggled with mental health issues associated with the pressures of major college football. And Moore shared with the Oregonian a story published Monday in a letter he wrote to governor Tina Kotick this month in which he disclosed his struggles with depression. In the letter, he asked the Oregon governor for support for mental health services in the state, and Moore wrote, early in my college career, I found myself struggling deeply. I was depressed. The pressure and expectations that come with playing quarterback at a high level felt overwhelming at 18 years old. the same time my mother was diagnosed with cancer. It was heavy in ways that are difficult to put into words, he said. In my life, what made the difference was support. Support from my friends, love for my family, access to the resources I needed to get better. As a young black man and athlete, reaching out for help can also often feel like climbing an uphill battle. It required vulnerability and trust and I was fortunate to get the care I needed, he said. He recently challenged his teammates to lead beyond the field and use their platform to support people who feel voiceless. This is really important. I read this to my kids yesterday. Leadership is not just about what we do on Saturdays. It's about what we stand up for every day. As a quarterback, I'm expected to lead, stay composed and carry responsibility for my team. Learning how to care for my own mental health made me a better leader, teammate, student. I know what it felt like to struggle in silence. I also know what it feels like to be supported and come back stronger. That support saved me. Bravo, young man. It is very, very important, especially to young people in this country, that they know that reaching out for support is not a sign of weakness, it's a sign of strength. And I talk to my boys all the time. We say strong of heart, strong of body, strong of mind. You've got to take care of your mind just like you do your muscles and your limbs. Total body fitness, total body care and support is key to everybody's health. Whether you're an NFL prospect quarterback or you're a 7 year old or you're an 80 year old. Mental health, especially in times like this, is something we all need to focus on, we all need to share. And if you're struggling, reach out. There's always links in my show notes and reach out to anyone in this community. You can even reach out to me personally. I've been there. It's hard. But together, by answering with strength and vulnerability and resources, we can meet the moment and we can all be stronger together. All right, that's it for today. A couple of quick notes before we end. We've got more guests coming up. It is St Patrick's Day and as I've told you. Ken Casey, head of the singer of the Drop Kick Murphy's will be joining us maybe Friday, but if not someday soon. We're doing some scheduling. General Mark Hertling, who's been on the show before and has a fantastic and important and timely new book about the human cost of war, will be here next week. Excuse me. Seth Bodnar, the candidate for Montana Senate Independent candidate, will be here on April 1st. Tim Mack, our friend from the Countermen, will be back. Sebastian Younger will be back. I am working on Jesse Ventura to be back. Jeffrey Wright, the great actor, will be back. And if you've got a guest suggestion, please send it our way. Tomorrow I will be on News Nation at three o' clock with Connell McShane. I will be on Ms. Now either four or five with Nicole Wallace. I will be on CNN with Aaron Burnett at 7 and then I will be resting, I hope. And also I joined my fellow veteran and defender of democracy Ken Harbaugh for a talk on Iran, all things related and what's next on his Midas Touch show that gets huge reach on YouTube. If you're seeing or hearing us for the first time because of the Midas Touch Network, welcome. We welcome you. This is the day after Brett and Ben from Midas and the Midas team got the best news podcast at the 2026 iHeartRadio Podcast Awards yesterday in south by Southwest. And I want to just mention this because what Midas has built as an independent media model, especially on YouTube, is really groundbreaking and incredibly impressive. Millions and millions of people consume their content, independent content. And as cable news continues to die, this is what the future of news media looks like. Our full conversation will be linked in the bio. And if you're not already watching us on YouTube, please do us a solid. Go over there now, hit subscribe. You'll help us bring this message to more people and connect with folks who are looking for an alternative to corporate, partisan traditional media. We're daily now and you can follow us everywhere on TikTok, on Instagram, on all social media subscribe and you can get IA merch if you go to IndependentAmericans US where you can also join our Patreon community. And I've got a special St. Patty's Day surprise for our wonderful, fantastic, vigilant Patreon community. Independent Attitude is a song you hear at the end of the show. We've been playing it for a couple of months or weeks now. Created by the brilliant creative Chris Rosenthal, who is a producer, the producer of this show and Our creative director, the visionary behind a lot of what you hear and especially these new songs. But our Patreon members, you're gonna get it. It's gonna be in your inbox. Chris is gonna send you. Independent is an attitude. I encourage you to enjoy it, to play it, to have it give you some inspiration. Share it far and wide like a lucky leprechaun on St. Patrick's Day. And be sure to subscribe. Join us on Patreon everywhere else, because independent is an attitude. America's more divided than ever before. But here at Independent Americans, we're working to change that. Adding light to contrast the heat. If you're among the now 45% of independents, this is your show. Especially if you're in Illinois where you got shut out of a government funded primary that was private you couldn't get into. Because our independent movement is almost the majority in this country. We are definitely the hope for the future. Country over party, people over politics, light over heat. Challenging the status quo in politics, in media, in, in culture, in foreign policy, and fueling a new movement that spans all across our society. And as you can see today and from our numbers, the movement is growing. And it's the hope that is the oxygen of our democracy. If you enjoyed this episode, share it far and wide. Invite others to declare their independence on every platform from substack to YouTube. And stay vigilant, my friends, because eternal vigilance is the price of freedom. And know you're not alone in your vigilance. We're all vigilant and we're all in this together. Even on St. Patrick's Day. Especially on St. Patrick's Day. So spread a little bit of that Irish cheer. Spread a little bit of that Irish luck because we're going to need it. I'm your host, Paul Rykoff. Thank you for tuning in into Independent Americans. Watch the World Baseball Classic tonight. Take a break from all the politics because it will be about joy. And joy is a form of resistance. I will see you tomorrow. Happy St. Patrick's Day and stay vigilant, America.
- [50:53]
Donald Trump
Stay Vigilant tells me the left and right are dreams for those without a clue and when you wait it's time
- [51:01]
Paul Rykoff (Host of Independent Americans)
to grow and it's not cool to
- [51:04]
Donald Trump
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 an island in the sea of rhetoric and tells me the left and right Our dreams for those without a clue and when you wait it's
- [51:24]
Paul Rykoff (Host of Independent Americans)
time to grow Powered by Righteous Media.