Trump, Iran, And The Draft: Independent Veterans, Young Voters, And The Cost Of Another Middle East War.​

Summary

Episode Summary

Podcast: Independent Americans with Paul Rieckhoff
Episode: Trump, Iran, And The Draft: Independent Veterans, Young Voters, And The Cost Of Another Middle East War
Date: March 23, 2026
Host: Paul Rieckhoff (with unnamed Show Host/Interviewer, and contributions from Political Commentator 1 and a Poet/Spoken Word Artist)

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Overview

This episode dives deep into America’s escalating military entanglements in the Middle East, focusing on the Trump administration’s actions regarding Iran and the renewed specter of the military draft. Paul Rieckhoff explores the generational impact of ongoing wars, the role of independent veterans and young voters, and exposes the political calculations behind Trump’s and other politicians’ public positions. The discussion also scrutinizes the rationale behind recent military actions, the effectiveness and ethics of U.S. responses, and the unfolding political fallout at home.

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Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Younger Generations, War, and Political Disillusionment

• Generational Trauma: Today’s youth matured under the shadow of Iraq and Afghanistan. That history of mismanaged conflict and loss shapes a deep skepticism toward new wars.
  • “Every generation at some point kind of feels like they've been duped by a ridiculous war and this is their turn.” — Paul Rieckhoff [02:20]
• Trump’s War Rhetoric: Trump's claims of being anti-war on the campaign trail contrast with the reality of escalating conflicts under his administration.
  • “He saw him campaign on never starting a foreign war and not being like these other dummies out there. So when they say they feel duped, I mean, they have a point, don't they?” — Political Commentator 1 [01:04 & 01:38]
• Draft Anxiety: Renewed discussion of a draft—even as a political possibility—hits young voters hard.
  • “Maybe buying what Trump was pushing. And now he's actually saying draft. It may not be probable, but it's possible. Right? I mean, at least it's out there.” — Paul Rieckhoff [02:20]

2. Economic Pressures Compound War Weariness

• Financial Strain on Youth: Young Americans are squeezed by high gas prices, job difficulties, and housing costs, while witnessing massive government war expenditures.
  • “That same demographic can't afford gas, is having a hard time finding a job, can't afford a house, and they see a billion dollars a day being spent in Iraq.” — Paul Rieckhoff [03:01]
• Fairness and Accountability: Stark contrast highlighted between the children of leaders and those asked to fight.
  • “Trump's kid's not going. He's of age. You know, he's in that demographic. And instead of playing video games in dad's White House, he could be signing up to go if the family was so committed to this effort. Stay vigilant.” — Paul Rieckhoff [03:36]

3. Political Shifts and Accountability in Washington

• Tulsi Gabbard’s Flip-Flop: Formerly anti-regime change, Gabbard now appears to support Trump’s war efforts ambiguously, sparking accusations of “talking out both sides of her mouth.”
  • “Not a good performance by Gabbard. I think it sounded like most people like she's talking out both sides of her mouth.” — Paul Rieckhoff [04:02]
  • “She always ran and stood on no regime change wars. She's pulled a complete 180.” — Paul Rieckhoff [04:33]
• Rising MAGA Tensions: Trump, watching key allies and rising figures, is reportedly dissatisfied with wavering loyalty amid an increasingly fractured MAGA base.

4. Military Escalation and Strategic Ambiguity

• New Weapons and Operations: The U.S. has deployed GBU-72 bunker buster bombs in the Strait of Hormuz at great expense. Recent actions, such as strikes on the South Pars gas field, reveal coordination gaps between the U.S. and Israel.
  • “Kelly's reporting that just came in, that the United States and Israel may not have been on the same page... Israel hits it. United States may not have approved or known about that as much as some first thought.” — Show Host [06:00]
• Losing Control of Outcomes: Rieckhoff likens the situation to “upsetting a hornet’s nest”—predicting prolonged regional instability and increasing domestic blowback (especially via surging gas prices).
  • “When you upset a hornet's nest, the hornets decide when it's over. That's what's happening now. This is overflowing into the region...” — Paul Rieckhoff [06:17]

5. The Aftermath: Who’s Securing Iran?

• Military Success ≠ Lasting Peace: Despite overwhelming airstrikes and leadership decapitations, Rieckhoff warns that “eliminating targets” is the easy part; stabilizing a post-strike Iran (pop. 90+ million) is a much bigger, unanswered challenge.
  • “After we wipe it out. That's kind of the easy part. The question is, what comes next? Who is in power? Who is in control? Who secures a population of 90 million people?” — Paul Rieckhoff [07:21]
• Unanswered Questions: Possibilities for stability include American occupation, NATO, Israeli, or a “Free Iranian Army”—but no leader, including the president, has outlined a clear plan.
  • “That's why the president has to answer. It's going to be some kind of new Free Iranian Army? Is it going to be a NATO force? ...He's left it all on the table.” — Paul Rieckhoff [08:35]

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

Disillusionment of Young Voters

• “Welcome to politics, bro. Like, welcome to America. Every generation at some point kind of feels like they’ve been duped by a ridiculous war and this is their turn.” — Paul Rieckhoff [02:20]

Trump and the Draft

• “Maybe buying what Trump was pushing. And now he's actually saying draft. It may not be probable, but it’s possible. Right? I mean, at least it's out there.” — Paul Rieckhoff [02:20]

Critique of Political Double-Speak

• “Not a good performance by Gabbard. I think it sounded like most people like she’s talking out both sides of her mouth. She’s dancing around the issues.” — Paul Rieckhoff [04:02]

Strategic Unknowns

• “After we wipe it out. That's kind of the easy part. The question is, what comes next? Who is in power? Who is in control? Who secures a population of 90 million people?” — Paul Rieckhoff [07:21]

Historical Parallels & Security Vacuum

• “This is reminding me of like post 9/11, when they killed the new Al Qaeda Leda every week... You have to figure out how to dismantle the entire regime but also decide who’s gonna handle security.” — Paul Rieckhoff [08:06]

Poetic Reflection on Independence

• “He tells me the left and right are dreams for those without a clue, and when you wake, it's time to grow... I get an independent is an attitude, an island in a sea of rhetoric.” — Poet/Spoken Word Artist [09:07]

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Important Timestamps

• 01:04–03:42: Generational feelings of disillusionment with war, Trump’s anti-war rhetoric vs. current actions, young voters’ anxieties over the draft
• 04:02–05:03: Analysis of Tulsi Gabbard’s position, MAGA infighting, and criticism of political equivocation
• 06:00–07:14: Recent military operations, new weapons, U.S.-Israel coordination, and regional destabilization
• 07:14–08:55: The challenge of post-war stabilization and unanswered political questions about Iran’s fate
• 09:07: Poetic outro reflecting the episode’s core independent ethos

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Tone and Takeaway

Paul Rieckhoff and guests maintain a sharp, candid tone, blending frustration, dark humor, and urgency. The episode highlights the cyclical nature of American entanglement in Middle Eastern conflicts, the disconnect between political rhetoric and reality, and the unique pressures facing a new generation of independent and skeptical young Americans and veterans. The overarching call is for vigilance, transparency, and an independent mindset—reminding listeners that, as the wars go on, the burden and the questions only deepen.

Transcript

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[Alex Canceroitz]

Hi, this is Alex Canceroitz. I'm the host of Big Technology Podcast, a longtime reporter and an on air contributor to cnbc. And if you're like me, you're trying to figure out how artificial intelligence is changing the business world and our lives. So each week on Big Technology, I bring on key actors from companies building AI tech and outsiders trying to influence it, asking where this is all going. They come from places like Nvidia, Microsoft, Amazon, and plenty more. So if you want to be smart with your wallet, your career choices, in meetings with your colleagues and at dinner parties, listen to Big Technology Podcast wherever you get your podcasts.

[Political Commentator 1]

They saw Donald Trump come out and say he was always against it, even though he wasn't. He saw him campaign on never starting a foreign war and not being like these other dummies out there. So when they say they feel duped, I mean, they have a point, don't they?

[Paul Rykoff]

Yeah. Welcome to politics, bro.

[Political Commentator 1]

Well, talk to me about. I mean, we started off with this. This generation grew up in the shadow of what you had to do in Iraq and Afghanistan, what folks like you had to do. The war was a mess. It was a mess. It costs a lot of American lives. It costs a lot of local lives. It costs a whole lot of money. And it did a bad number on our reputation. They saw this. They were raised on it. They saw Donald Trump come out and say he was always against it, even though he wasn't. He saw him campaign on never starting a foreign war and not being like these other dummies out there. So when they say they feel duped, I mean, they have a point, don't they?

[Paul Rykoff]

Yeah, welcome to politics, bro. Like, welcome to America. Every generation at some point kind of feels like they've been duped by a ridiculous war and this is their turn. I think it's important to note that today is the anniversary of the Iraq War. And we got the Iraq. We got the Iraq war a present for its birthday, a whole new war. And now we've got a generation of young people who understand maybe a bit more that it's not a video game, that it's real. They've been in their mom's basement playing Call of Duty and maybe not tracking on politics or maybe buying what Trump was pushing. And now he's actually saying draft. It may not be probable, but it's possible. Right? I mean, at least it's out there. It's not something an American president would ever talk about.

[Political Commentator 1]

They're not dismissing it.

[Paul Rykoff]

Right, Right. And I think that's hitting hard with people, while at the same time, that same demographic can't afford gas, is having a hard time finding a job, can't afford a house, and they see a billion dollars a day being spent in Iraq. So I think it's becoming more real for them. It's not yet personal because there's not a specter of a draft. Most of their friends haven't been killed or wounded yet, but they know people who serve. They know people in the National Guard. And I think as long as this goes on, it's going to come more and more personal. And a reminder, Trump's kid's not going. He's of age. You know, he's in that demographic. And instead of playing video games in dad's White House, he could be signing up to go if the family was so committed to this effort. Stay vigilant.

[Show Host / Interviewer]

Solid, solid reporting on all of that. Kelly gives us a lot to talk about with Paul Rykoff, who's here in Studio New York, host of the Independent Americans podcast. Good to see you, my friend. Again. I think, you know, Kelly talked about two things that I want to spend time talking to you about, but let's start with Tulsi Gabbard on this whole idea of imminent threat and whose responsibility it is to assess an imminent threat. Your thoughts on what you just heard today?

[Paul Rykoff]

Not a good performance by Gabbard. I think it sounded like most people like she's talking out both sides of her mouth. She's dancing around the issues. And I don't think it's a good performance. And I think, frankly, Trump is watching and he's watching her. He's watching Hegseth. He watched Kristi Noem. He's watching some people that I think are underqualified, potentially disqualified, really struggling under the most intense spotlight of a war that is dropping in popularity by the minute.

[Show Host / Interviewer]

But is it the read that, you know, her top deputy resigns and says there was no imminent threat, that maybe she feels that way and just feels like she can't say it? Is that the.

[Paul Rykoff]

Yeah, it feels like she's not telling the truth. And we know that she's been against regime change wars for decades. I've known Tulsi Gabbard for decades. We worked closely together on veterans issues. She always ran and stood on no regime change wars. She's pulled a complete 180. So people are wondering how she really feels. She's hiding, I think, her emotions. She's maybe hiding how she truly feels. And I don't think she's also defending Trump vicerously enough. I mean, he may not like what he's hearing here. And I think all these folks are on pretty thin ice as the MAGA base continues to splinter and Joe Kent is going on Tucker Carlson.

[Show Host / Interviewer]

I saw that.

[Paul Rykoff]

So this front is gonna open up and they're gonna be under more pressure, especially now as gas prices continue to go up and people back home feel it more and more.

[Show Host / Interviewer]

Well, the idea of imminent threat, I mean, I had John Bolton on at this time yesterday, who sees the world completely different than Tulsi Gabbard. In fact, he thinks she should quit or resign or be fired or something like that, because he can make the argument, you may agree or disagree, that whether there was an imminent threat is still justified. He makes that argument. So he disagrees with her on that. Now, speaking of the war, a couple of things. First of all, this new weapon introduced today, GBU72's Big Bunker Buster Bomb. Okay, so the US is trying to do something in the Strait of Hormuz. You see, they cost like 300 grand each, but the idea is to hit these missile sites along the strait. And then what Robert was talking about in this gas field, if we go to the Telestrator South Pars, this gas field that is shared here, you see it in here between Qatar and Iran, that gets hit. Kelly's reporting that just came in, that the United States and Israel may not have been on the same page. In other words, Israel hits it. United States may not have approved or known about that as much as some first thought. Your thoughts?

[Paul Rykoff]

It doesn't surprise me. It also could be part of the administration distinct, distancing themselves from things that will inevitably drive up gas prices. They're feeling that back home. You saw JD Vance try to address it before. There's also a Marine Corps unit on their way to that region. They've talked about trying to figure out how to secure. They have to secure the Strait of Hormuz or gas prices are going to keep going up. That is the focal point here. And they clearly have underestimated the disruption here. You Know, there's an old saying, when you upset a hornet's nest, the hornets decide when it's over. That's what's happening now. This is overflowing into the region. It's overflowing into other countries and the lid is blown off. And we have, I think, in many ways, already started to lose control around many things, but most of all, the flow through the Strait of Hormuz and gas prices.

[Show Host / Interviewer]

Right. Because like, through traditional military metrics, I don't think there's any argument that the United States military and their performance has been exemplary. Right. Like they've been in target after target. And Israel, you know, you could argue whether the targets are hit or the right target, but each country's hitting like 7,000 plus targets. I mean, just decimating, to use the president's term, Iran. But that can be true, and so can be these issues with how you're gonna get the strait open. You know, what's gonna happen domestically, how long you can keep this going for. Like, it's all true at once to me.

[Paul Rykoff]

Yeah, it is. I mean, and it's all kind of going sideways. Right. And the military is doing a tremendous job of eliminating targets. Thousands every day. But the overflow continues. Missiles are still spewing out. Drones have started to fly out. Subordinate countries in are being hit. And that is going to continue because after we wipe it out. That's kind of the easy part. The question is, what comes next? Who is in power? Who is in control? Who secures a population of 90 million people? Well, give me one argument in Iraq. That's gonna be a really hard challenge.

[Show Host / Interviewer]

Sure. I'll give you one argument for it. Go back. We have these leaders eliminated on the telestrated. I can pop those up. One after one, Israel eliminates, you know, assassinates leader after leader. Right. So the argument. We'll talk about this more in our next segment, I believe. But the argument is like, all right, leaderless regime. At some point, so this internal uprising of the Iranian people becomes more likely to take place and maybe more likely to succeed that that strategy by Israel might lead to actual regime change. It might work.

[Paul Rykoff]

Might it Maybe. Right. And I think this kind of is reminding me of like post 911 when they killed the new Al Qaeda Leda every week. Right. We feel like there's another regime.

[Show Host / Interviewer]

That's right. You never wanted to be the number two guy, Right?

[Paul Rykoff]

Exactly. And you have to figure out how to dismantle the entire regime but also decide who's gonna handle security. This is a question I don't think the president has answered. Gabbard has answered. Is it gonna be the regime? Is it gonna be, I mean, inside Iran? Inside Iran, who's gonna be the going to handle security in the streets and keep people safe?

[Show Host / Interviewer]

You think it's going to be Americans?

[Paul Rykoff]

We don't know that's on the table. Right. And that's why the president has to answer. It's going to be some kind of new Free Iranian Army? Is it going to be a NATO force? Is it going to be Israelis? Is it going to be Marines? He's left it all on the table. And I think right now he has to communicate what happens when the bombs do stop, who's going to secure the population and ensure that that doesn't overflow into the entire region like we saw with Iraq and we saw with al Qaeda.

[Show Host / Interviewer]

All right, Paul, as always, thank you. We'll see you again next week.

[Poet / Spoken Word Artist]

Aro he tells me the left and right are dreams for those without a clue and when you wake it's time

[Paul Rykoff]

to grow and it's not cool to

[Poet / Spoken Word Artist]

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 I get an independent is an attitude an island in the sea of rhetoric and I can probably go he tells me the left and right Our dreams for those without a clue and when you wait, it's time to grow.

[Paul Rykoff]

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[Alex Canceroitz]

Hi, this is Alex Canceroitz. I'm the host of Big Technology Podcast, a longtime reporter and an on air contributor to cnbc. And if you're like me, you're trying to figure out how artificial intelligence is changing the business world and our lives. So each week on Big Technology, I bring on key actors from companies building AI tech and outsiders trying to influence it, asking where this is all going. They come from places like Nvidia, Microsoft, Amazon, and plenty more. So if you want to be smart with your wallet, your career choices in meetings with your colleagues and at dinner parties. Listen to Big Technology Podcast wherever you get your podcasts.

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[Paul Rykoff]

Thank you for listening.

[Poet / Spoken Word Artist]

It.