Trump Threatens Insurrection Act w/ Sheriff Chris Swanson. Candidate for Gov of Michigan.

Summary

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Podcast Summary: Independent Americans with Paul Rieckhoff

Episode: Trump Threatens Insurrection Act w/ Sheriff Chris Swanson. Candidate for Gov of Michigan.
Date: January 15, 2026
Host: Paul Rieckhoff
Guest: Sheriff Chris Swanson (Genesee County, MI; Democratic candidate for governor)

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Episode Overview

This episode tackles the escalating political and social crisis in America, focusing on President Trump’s threats to invoke the Insurrection Act in response to unrest in Minneapolis and broad, aggressive ICE enforcement. Host Paul Rieckhoff discusses deep concerns about federal overreach, the deteriorating trust in law enforcement, and political division. Sheriff Chris Swanson—Genesee County, MI sheriff and Democratic candidate for governor—joins to provide perspective on law enforcement, leadership, and the challenges facing America’s democracy and political system.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. State of the Nation: Political & Social Unrest

• Paul opens with a critical rundown of recent news: threats of using the Insurrection Act, ICE raids with disturbing violence in Minneapolis, and deteriorating U.S. alliances (notably, tensions with Denmark and NATO over Greenland).
• He warns about Trump "telegraphing" authoritarian moves and the risk of normalizing undemocratic actions.

“President Trump has now threatened to invoke the Insurrection Act... He’s got a plan... looking for an opportunity. Minneapolis could be that spark.” — Paul Rieckhoff [04:03]

Other Notable Points

• ICE’s tactics called “demented, unprofessional, widespread and consistent... The culture of ICE is rotten to the core.” — Paul Rieckhoff [06:02]
• U.S. is risking international relationships; Denmark and NATO are openly preparing against U.S. aggression regarding Greenland [07:21].
• Division, fear, and anxiety are reaching historic levels.

“If you’re not angry, you’re not paying attention. Even Joe Rogan saw it yesterday and is angry.” — Paul Rieckhoff [07:39]

2. Sheriff Chris Swanson: Leadership and Optimism in Crisis

• Sheriff Swanson is introduced as a multi-talented, frontline leader: cop, firefighter, paramedic, bodybuilder, business owner, professor, and now political candidate [05:22].
• Swanson’s optimism and focus on inspiration, discipline, and determination as keys for leadership and public service.

“I choose to be optimistic. I choose to pour energy... inspirational leadership breathes life into people.” — Sheriff Swanson [14:12]

On Fitness & Discipline

• Swanson shares his daily regimen to maintain energy and resilience:
  • Gratitude upon waking (“name the things I’m grateful for”)
  • Strict multivitamin and mostly vegan diet
  • Intermittent fasting (“Monday through Friday, I don’t eat till 10 o'clock”)
  • Rigorous exercise (bodybuilding, hot works, Ironman events)
  • The mind-body connection: “When your body says no, your mind’s got to say go.” [17:06–18:12]

3. Insurrection Act & ICE Enforcement — Local vs. Federal Power

• Paul challenges Swanson: If Trump invokes the Insurrection Act, how will local law enforcement respond?

“Trump is now floating the idea of the Insurrection act sending federal troops into Minneapolis. Unprecedented.” — Paul Rieckhoff [19:44]

“We are way better than this. The whole world is watching us.” — Sheriff Swanson [20:26]

• Swanson is clear on what makes local policing different from federal/militarized agents:
  • Local police are visible, accountable, and imbedded in the community.
  • Federal officers, especially ICE, often operate masked, unmarked, and detached, causing fear and eroding trust.
  • Integration of outside military/federal forces is operationally dangerous and damaging to community safety and trust.

“Law enforcement is a public profession. There’s no hiding behind it. We wear bright uniforms and marked cars... So when that happens and people see law enforcement, they become almost militarized.” — Sheriff Swanson [24:36]

4. Militarization of Law Enforcement: Deep Concerns

• Paul and Swanson discuss the way ICE raids and federal tactics damage the reputation and legitimacy of all law enforcement.

“ICE is damaging the good name of law enforcement everywhere... They're cannibalizing law enforcement...” — Paul Rieckhoff [27:10]

• Federal agencies offer financial incentives (e.g., $50k signing bonuses) to lure local cops, undermining local integrity/training [28:40].
• Swanson warns that public trust in law enforcement is fragile:
  • "Public trust is extremely hard to build and easy to lose because one bad interaction... paints the picture of the entire profession.” [29:21]
• Echoes the need for accountability, de-escalation, and de-militarization.

5. Advice to Officers & the Public

• Swanson speaks directly to officers under stress from political attacks and a lack of support from both political left and right.

“We picked this profession because it picked us... We stand as the surface tension between order and chaos... Stay the course, do your job. Law enforcement's a profession. We're not above the law.” — Sheriff Swanson [32:24]

6. Michigan Politics: Why Run as a Democrat?

• Swanson explains his decision to run as a Democrat despite the party’s low approval in Michigan; emphasizes desire to restore the party as a “party of the people,” bring working class back, and lead with authenticity [35:17].
• Swanson: “I have no plan B. I’m not doing this to see if this happens. I'm running to the front line because I need somebody like me.” [36:46]
• Paul asks about the potential for an independent run and the importance of independent voters in Michigan [38:08].

7. Swanson’s Campaign vs. Jocelyn Benson

• Swanson frames the primary as about options, not enemies, and emphasizes transformational leadership, crisis experience, crossover appeal (claims 30% Republican crossover in past elections), and ability to galvanize all Michiganders—not just party loyalists [39:10–40:38].
• Swanson’s growing name recognition and campaign reach discussed [41:25].

8. Leadership, Sports & Community

• Both host and guest emphasize sports as a metaphor for optimism, unity, and leadership at all levels.
• Ends with “something good” segment: Rieckhoff highlights the power of community youth sports as a vital, unifying American experience [43:04]; Swanson delivers a pep talk on grit, the need to “compete for what matters,” and finding support/inspiration even in tough moments.

“Find someone or something to sharpen your sword... compete for the things that mean the most to you... shake the dust off, live another day and lead your life. When you lead, others will follow.” — Sheriff Swanson [44:04]

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Notable Quotes by Timestamp

• On Trump’s moves & danger to democracy:
  “He’s all gas, no brakes... If you’re not angry, you’re not paying attention.” — Paul Rieckhoff [06:36–07:39]

• On the uniqueness of local law enforcement:
  “We know our people, we know the community... That’s how you handle things.” — Sheriff Swanson [22:11]

• On militarization and ICE:
  “Being pulled over... your anxiety goes up... To have law enforcement that's masked up with no markings, that looks like the military, increases that anxiety 10x.” — Sheriff Swanson [24:36]

• On leadership and positivity:
  “If you don’t watch this on YouTube, this is a good one because you got to see where he's pointing... You’re bringing energy and discipline and positivity.” — Paul Rieckhoff [18:12]

• On hope for the future:
  “Moments with momentum create movement... bet on this horse and you won’t go wrong.” — Sheriff Swanson [45:39]

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Timestamps for Important Segments

• 04:03 — Rieckhoff explains the gravity of Trump’s Insurrection Act threat
• 12:21 — Sheriff Swanson joins the conversation
• 14:12 — Swanson’s take on optimism, inspiration, and leading after trauma
• 17:06 — Swanson’s health & discipline routine
• 19:44 — Deep dive into federal overreach—ICE and Insurrection Act threats
• 20:26 — Swanson: "We are way better than this."
• 24:36 — Dangers and realities of militarized enforcement
• 27:10 — Erosion of trust and cannibalizing of law enforcement by ICE
• 32:24 — Counsel to good cops in a precarious moment
• 35:17 — Swanson on why he’s a Democrat
• 39:10 — Primary challenge and campaign contrast with Jocelyn Benson
• 43:04 — “Something Good”: Basketball/youth sports as a unifying force
• 44:04 — Swanson’s closing inspiration: find your fight, sharpen your sword

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Tone and Takeaways

• Tone: Candid, urgent, energetic, and solutions-focused; a passionate plea for vigilance, community connection, and leadership renewal.
• Key Themes: Political vigilance, the dangers of federal overreach, the distinct and vital role of community law enforcement, leadership under duress, optimism amidst crisis, reimagining political identity, and the redemptive power of sports and community.

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For New Listeners

This episode is a must-listen for anyone concerned about American democracy, policing, or the future of political leadership—and for those looking for optimism and practical advice amid tense, unpredictable times. Sheriff Swanson stands out as a robust, glass-half-full type of leader, while Paul Rieckhoff’s “angry middle” positioning helps frame the stakes and urgency of this moment.

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Listen for:

• Real talk on the difference between federal and local policing.
• How political infighting and authoritarian overreach threaten communities.
• Candid advice to officers and citizens alike.
• The need for energy, accountability, and transformative leadership.

Action Item:
Stay vigilant, get involved—locally and nationally, in politics, and in your community.

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Transcript

[A]

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[B]

I'm a sheriff of a big county. I'm not the governor yet, and I'm certainly not the federal office. But as somebody who, just like you and your audience is listening and watching this unfold, what have we come to? We are way better than this. The whole world is watching us. And how can you look at, you know, the upheaval in other countries and not pay attention that it's happening right here?

[C]

Welcome to Independent Americans. Welcome to episode 41 5. I'm your host, Paul Reikoff. It is Thursday, January 15th. I am coming to you again from New York City, usa, where it started gloomy and cold and it's getting warmer and sunnier, which is what we need more of in America right now. I think I am on the backside of this damn flu that has hit most of this city, most of America and our democracy. But I am pushing forward and got some chicken soup and we're ready to hit it hard. Today. We're going to continue to bring you the five eyes of every show. Independence, information, inspiration, inspiration and impact. And our guest coming up is going to bring that a lot of positive energy, a lot of strong leadership, a lot of good thinking. Sheriff Chris Swanson is a real tough guy, a real leader who's meeting the moment and perfect to talk to today. He's a cop, a firefighter. I saw a paramedic, a business owner, professor. He's the sheriff of Genesee county in Michigan and now a candidate for governor of Michigan as a Democrat, which I might try to talk him out of. But nevertheless, he's here and he's a guy. When you see him, he looks like he could be getting one of the opening jobs in the NFL for a head coach. But more on that coming up. I got to rip through today's news because there is a lot happening. America is very tense. Minneapolis continues to be at the crosshairs. And as we have long predicted, as we have long warned, President Trump has now threatened to invoke the Insurrection Act. He's using Minneapolis as the place to drive those threats. And we have long warned that he could do this. He's got a plan that's been delivered to him by Acting Secretary of Culture War Pete Hegseth and by Tulsi Gabbard and others. It's been on the shelf and. And I've always said he's looking for an opportunity to potentially invoke the Insurrection Act. Minneapolis could be that spark. We went much deeper on this with Ruth Ben Gayat. We've talked about it with Ashurangapa. And I think many folks in this country have a failure of imagination. And this is an example. But he's telegraphing a punch again. He's saying out loud, We've been warning it for years. We will continue to cover it and try to give you the insight that you need to have. ICE continues to run rampant all across America, especially in Minneapolis. Every day, more disturbing videos. Every day, more disturbing news. Yesterday, federal agents shot an immigrant in Minneapolis. They shot somebody they said was resisting arrest. That comes, of course, after the murder of Renee Goode. Earlier. More videos keep coming out. The AP had a video of a Liberian man who they said was a Liberian man arrested. ICE kicks in the door, and I don't think I can play the video, but it's just really bad tactics. It's really bad professionalism. There are kids in the house. It seems totally unnecessary. And as a former infantry guy, as a guy who's been trained as a military police officer, I think the way they do things in this video in particular, it's demented, it's sloppy, it's outrageous, it's unprofessional, it's undisciplined, and it's widespread and consistent. It's happening in America. And I think every law enforcement pro and military veteran worth their salt and would be ashamed to be in a unit that operated like that. We're going to talk about this coming up with the sheriff because I think the culture of ICE is rotten to the core. We've talked about it, and it has to stop. If you're not angry, you're not paying attention. But they're out of control, deeply un American and unacceptable. And more and more Americans are understanding that by the day. If you're not angry, you're not paying attention. Even Joe Rogan saw it yesterday and is angry. Also, as Trump continues to ratchet up the heat, the US has altered immigrant immigrant visa processing for 75 nations because he continues to push people away. He continues to divide this country. He's all gas and no brakes. We talked about how he Continues to attack the press. Yesterday, the FBI searching the home of Washington Post journalism. As his war on the press continues and so does his attempt to try to take over the Western Hemisphere. Greenland is of course in focus. Yesterday, Danish and US officials met at the White House and. And they said Trump remains unmoved. Denmark's foreign minister left, saying that the country has a fundamental disagreement with Trump. And several NATO countries have now sent troops to Greenland. The Danish military is mobilizing to protect themselves against America. The Danes have now deployed aircraft, ships and soldiers. And of course they are. Wouldn't you, I mean, any other nation would do the same. And it illustrates how far and quickly our integrity is dropping and how we are now threatening NATO. This could rip the country and our alliances apart. And as we've continued to reiterate, Putin loves it and the enemies around the world are celebrating. An interesting polling came out of CNN. Should be no surprise. 75% of Americas oppose the US taking control of Greenland. But that doesn't stop him. He's all gas, no brakes. He's not talking to Congress, he's not getting approval from the American people. He didn't do it on Venezuela, he didn't do it on Iran, and he won't do it on Greenland. Speaking of Venezuela, no new boat strikes so far, but there was a new seizure of an oil tanker, the sixth that happened on Thursday in an early morning operation. They continue to use US Special forces, Marines and Joint Task Force Southern Spear. We have assets, remember, in the Caribbean now instead of in Iran. We moved a carrier strike group away from Iran, down to Caribbean, the Caribbean. As Trump continues to to divert our resources toward Venezuela in other parts of the world. We gotta continue to stay focused on Iran, where the protests continue. Iranians continue to be slaughtered and executed. And Trump said yesterday he doesn't think there will be executions. I dug into that Yesterday with Connell McShane on News Nation. But why should we believe the regime? Why should we believe Trump? Believe your eyes. We see what happens in Iran and what has happened. Now. They continue to slaughter brave protesters and Trump continues to threaten strikes without advising Congress, without talking to the American people. All gas, no breaks. And doesn't support Ukraine much right now, which needs the support now more than ever. It's day 1422 of Russia's full scale invasion of Ukraine. This has got to stay front and center. In the midst of all of it, President Zelenskyy has now declared a state of emergency in the energy sector, particularly for Kyiv, which is still reeling. No power, no heat. It's subzero temperatures. Water pipes are freezing. And it's very, very severe and significant. Russia's trying to strangle and humble Ukraine, but they continue to punch back. And yesterday there was some news that shows how hard Ukraine is punching back. It looks like Russia is losing 25,000 soldiers a month, according to NATO's top official. They're saying the carnage is unsustainable for Moscow. That's why we need to continue to stand with Ukraine, continue to stand with NATO. If you want to stop Russia from going into Greenland, fight them in Ukraine. Let Ukrainians fight them in Ukraine without American lives. We have an incredible opportunity here and a return on investment that Ronald Reagan would have loved. We went deeper with Tim Mack last week. Check out that episode in politics and society, a big thing yesterday in the news, over 175,000 Verizon customers lost services. The outage hit places like New York and Philadelphia hit my phone. I was still able to do texting, thankfully, and still able to get online. But hundreds of thousands of folks continue to be disrupted. And a lot of folks are conspiracy theories. A lot of folks are saying that this could be what could come ahead if we continue to stress our system. But I'll say this, it's frustrating, but it's nothing compared to what the courageous people of Iran are facing now, where the lights have been turned off, the Internet's been turned off. And I think it can help us in the US Better appreciate what could happen if the government shut off our lights and systems here like Trump did in Caracas. This is no longer outside the realm of possibility. So don't let your imagination fail you. Finally rounding the bend on politics, independent candidates continue to surge. We talked yesterday, the new high of 45% of Americans identify themselves as political independents. They're coming here first. Independents aren't moving the needle. We are the needle. It's a great line that Chris Rosenthal shared with me that I'm going to continue to share with you because I think it's true. You heard it yesterday with Lindsey Church, who exclusively announced here she's running for Congress in Chicago's 4th district. I am hearing from other candidates that want to declare soon. I can't share it publicly now, but this show may be one of the first places you hear about it. And independent candidates are punching back. Todd Achilles in Idaho, Brian Bangs in South Dakota. Both running for Senate have been pushing back, especially on Trump's recklessness with our military, his overextension of our forces, his saber rattling on Iran and so many others. So watch those guys. It's really important.

[B]

All right.

[C]

In culture, shifting gears. There's a new Tomb Raider movie coming. Yes. Prime Video has a new live action series, Tomb Raider, starring Sophie Turner as video game icon Lara Croft. I'll say that because we're going to need some more superheroes to root for. We're going to need more Lara Crofts here to defend our democracy. And in sports, some shocking news. Oregon QB Dante Moore is not coming out for the NFL draft. He probably would have been the number two pick overall. Surprising news. My son river is shocked and thrilled that his quarterback is coming back to to Oregon. I think Dante Moore's family is probably thrilled that they won't end up in the Jets. But the playoffs are set for Saturday. We will have Friday football tomorrow. And there's, of course, big news around my Giants. It looks like the Giants may be finalizing agreement, an agreement with John Harbaugh, the Ravens coach, to become our next head coach. Now, I'm kind of mixed on this one. I'll be honest with you. We really need a new gm. We need a GM most of all. Anyone who saw Hard Knocks knows that. But if the Giants can't get Steve Spagnola and they can't get Bill Cower, I think Harbaugh's our best option. We need a true leader who can meet this moment like America needs nationwide. So I'm rooting for him to bring culture and discipline, the kind of stuff we don't see at ice, and to protect our fantastic QB Jackson Dart and bring out the best of this exciting young team full of promise. This fan base expects it and deserves it. So welcome to New York, coach. Let's go, Big Blue. It shows why leadership matters, especially in hard times. Whether you're a football coach, you're a sheriff, or the president, or you're somebody listening right now who wants to do more. So on this show every day, we're going to continue to bring you the five eyes and we're going to continue to help you stay vigilant. All right, folks, helping us stay vigilant. A guy who I think if you saw him on the street, you might think he could be the next head coach of an NFL team. He has had a history of public service, working in emergency medicine, education. He's a multi sport leader. He was elected as sheriff in Genesee county in 2020, reelected in 2024. It's the fifth largest sheriff's office in Michigan. I'll tell you candidly, I don't love the idea of elected Sheriffs. But this guy has been out there in front. The people have supported him. He's running as a Democrat, but he's not your typical Democrat. He's not a fake tough guy. He's a real tough guy. He is finally joining us on on Independent Americans, the great and powerful Sheriff Chris Swanson is here. Welcome to Independent American Sheriff.

[B]

Thank you, brother. Thank you, Lieutenant. I appreciate you. Thank you for your service. And before we get in, I want to tell you, I'm great friends with Jim Harbaugh, John's brother. And so that's big blue and we're go blue behind me, Ford Field. If you can land a Harbaugh in New York, man, you've got a good head start, brother. They're a good family.

[C]

You know, I think that's really important, you know, the culture of the family, the tradition of the family. It's a brand you can count on, right? I mean, leadership brand. I think that's what America needs right now. But, yo, you're at Ford Field. I root for your Lions, man. My kid, he's running a Madden season and he's. He's doing it as the Lions, man. What a heartbreaking season for you guys, man. It. It did not end well.

[B]

Hey, listen, you know, sports can drum up so much emotion from anybody and it's a common unifier, but I tell you, die hard, Lions fans knows that that next year is going to be the best year. So we're on to next year, bro.

[C]

You know, that's the kind of optimism we need. You got, you know, Aiden Hutchinson, you got a great squad. They're really fun to watch. But I also think it shows, you know, the way the Lions have galvanized Detroit, galvanized Michigan, brought fans in from all over, you know, the world. I think you guys, you had the best Thanksgiving halftime show I've ever seen with Jack White. I mean, that was. That was. Might have been maybe Prince, right? But for a non super bowl game, was that the best playoff halftime show you've ever seen?

[B]

Listen, anytime you have them involved or a Kid Rock or anything like from Detroit, I mean, it just, it brings everybody together. I'm telling you, bro, it's the common, but not the common bond is sports. You cheer from a place that you don't normally tap into when it comes to cheering for your home team.

[C]

Well, I think that's what this moment is about, right? Cheering for your home team and celebrating local leaders and elevating and amplifying and protecting local leaders. You're one of them I want to talk about your race. I want to talk about ice. I want to talk about a lot of stuff. But let me ask you a question. I ask everyone. Where are you and how are you?

[B]

Well, physically, I'm in the city of Detroit. I just had a great meeting, and I literally, like I said, I'm parked right behind Ford Field. You got Comerica park over here, the Red Wings plate to my right. But, man, I'm doing great. Honestly, I'm a perpetual optimist. I've seen so much death and violence in 33 years working in the city of Flint. I choose to be optimistic. I choose to pour energy. You know, I love the eye that you talk about inspiration and. And I've been a medic since I was 20 years old. I'm still a licensed medic. When I had a patient who had asthma or copd, and they couldn't breathe, man, and I'd walk up and. And I could breathe for them, and you could see their whole life come back. I mean, that's what I love about leadership. Inspirational leadership breathes life into people.

[C]

You know, yesterday, Lindsay Church said, it's time to choose your fighter. Right. And from the moment you open your mouth, from the moment people see you, they know you're a fighter.

[B]

Yes, sir.

[C]

You know, if you were my high school football coach or you were my platoon leader or you were my governor, you're a guy whose energy is contagious. It's something that I think folks are really lacking right now. How have people responded just to your energy, that positive attitude at a time when folks are feeling down and feeling lost and feeling distracted or divided?

[B]

Yeah, it's medicinal, man. I mean, if you look at the greatest leaders of all time, even. Even against all odds, they charge the field, they set the tone. And I think we've lost that in politics. A lot of it is about power and influence and leverage, man. I want to follow somebody who's going to lead me where I want to go because I believe in where they're going. And, you know, I think the athletic background, bro, I was a late bloomer. I didn't play any high school sports. I got cut in ninth grade in baseball. And in 2000, I looked at myself in the mirror in January 1st. I'm like, what the heck? And so I did my first bodybuilding show in 2000. I did four more, and I did my first Ironman in 07. I completed five Ironmans. I did my last one. I was 51 years old. That athletic mindset of, I finish or die trying. I think that's not only what I'm looking for, but it's what I try to example, whether it's a sheriff's office, whether it's the state of Michigan or social media, it's what you're doing, man. There's people that needed what you just said and how you just said it.

[C]

Today, you know, and I'm glad you touched on that because it's also about personal discipline, right? Being an athlete, being a bodybuilder, taking care of yourself. I told Chris before we hit go, you got to bear with me. I am doing some fasting in the morning. I am not eating anything until noon today. So I might be a little bit grumpy, I might be a little bit hangry. But especially now that I've hit 50, I'm really focused in on my health, not just for performance, but so I can keep going for my kids. You know, I got into taking cold showers in the morning. I'm trying to stretch and work out every day. But let me ask you, this is something that more and more folks are talking about. I think Wes Moore, who could be your tag team partner, has talked to us about his. What's your regiment like when you, when you get going in the morning? What do you do physically to help you bring that energy and be able to sustain what's a really demanding schedule?

[B]

Well, I'm going to tell you what, man, that first thing I do when I wake up is I. I just thank the Lord for just all the great things in my life. Honestly, I name them. I don't get out of bed, I don't check my phone. I'm just, I'm just grateful for what I've been given because I've seen people just like you that woke up in the morning and didn't lay their head down at night. So I am just perpetually grateful. Number two is I have a vitamin routine. I have my multivitamin, my cla, I have my vitamin D, I take my creatine and then I intermittent fast Monday through Friday, I don't eat till 10 o' clock and I'm like 98% vegan. I let that 2% for pizza and a Culver's burger. And I train six days a week and I either do either heavy bodybuilding or powerlifting or I'll do my max sets or high reps. I do a lot of hot works, which is, you know, infrared, 130 degrees in a hot box, 90 minutes on a bike. So I'm always active. You know, I'll do 500 pushups in a day if I can't get to the gym. But you are right, man, that command presence. This right here helps this and this helps this. And when your body says no, your mind's got to say go. So you got to train both of them.

[C]

If you don't watch this on YouTube, this is a good one because you got to see where he's pointing. You got to see him in the car. You know, you pulled out a couple things. One thing that I've recommended to folks that I'm going to recommend is when I wake up in the morning, one of the first things I try to do is get direct sunlight. I know Huberman and other folks talk about it, but it really does set your mindset right. It adjusts your circadian rhythms. I'm glad you mentioned creatine. I got back on creatine a couple months ago and it's really made a difference in my strength and my endurance, especially now that I'm lifting more. We don't have a creatine sponsor here. We could go on this for a long time, but I think you're bringing energy and discipline and positivity. We said that there should be a chin up contest with RFK Jr. We talked about having it at the Army Navy game. I think I'm going to put you in the ring on that one, man. I mean, if Trump and rfk, who, who I think has got to be on steroids, you know, if, if he wants to go out there and do a chin up contest, I think Westmore and now you, Sheriff, are going to be the best prospects for that, for your side. But let's shift. Let's go. Let's shift into what, what I think is our top topic. We got to hit this right now. You're the perfect guy to get to it. Let's get to our top topic, Sheriff. As we record this, Trump is now floating the idea of the Insurrection act sending federal troops into Minneapolis. Unprecedented. No American president in modern history has ever even considered it, ever floated it. This is one of the worst case scenarios that I have warned about, sending a American troops in against American civilians. It's also the worst mission that our men and women in uniform could probably get. He's got ICE in Minneapolis. He's got ICE threatening to go into Chicago. Detroit would likely be on the top of his list. Let me ask you straight up to respond to the threats of the Insurrection Act. Talk about the latest on ice and ask you, quite frankly, how are you Going to stop him? How are you going to be a part of slowing this down, especially if your election isn't until November? We may not have free and fair elections in November. He could invoke the Insurrection act by the weekend. Break that apart if you can start with the Insurrection Act, ICE and what you would do.

[B]

Yeah, and I think the first thing is you got to know how to control your controllables and don't say things that you can't follow through with. So I'm speaking on behalf. I'm a sheriff of a big county. I'm not the governor yet and I'm certainly not the federal office. But as somebody who, just like you and your audience is listening and watching this unfold, what have we come to? We are way better than this. The whole world is watching us. And how can you look at, you know, the upheaval in other countries and not pay attention that it's happening right here? I've seen in 2020 when George Floyd was murdered in Minneapolis, Minnesota, how it divided the whole country. And I've seen what January 6th was. I spoke on it in front of 23 million people at the DNC. How did that happen? How did we attack our capitol in the whole nation sea and then when you have police officers that are being attacked and then you have 1500 pardons, now we're right back at it. We have a 37 year old female mother of three who's there protesting, looking out the side of her window, unarmed, surrounded by people who have whistles turned to the right, gets popped three times, two from the side window, no aid rendered. This is like a daily occurrence. And I was listening to your monologue and I'm thinking if you just beamed in for 30 seconds in your monologue, you would think one of the things that you said is enough to cause major concern. You've had a litany of things to say and. And I literally wonder, where is this gonna end? Because we're not even close to the end. So the answer to your question is yeah, I think everybody should be seriously concerned about an Insurrection act when you and I both know I've not been in the military, but I have been in law enforcement for 33 years. There are people that I've worked with that can go to a domestic scene and either fire everybody up or calm everybody down. You can have two different outcomes at the same scene. And that's what happened at the cities. You have ice being used as a weapon, not a tool. There's nobody out there who doesn't want A secure border. What happened during the Biden administration, they let everything open and caused this swing to the left. Now it swung to the right. Now, the people who wanted immigration reform, they said, I didn't sign up for this. The people that we arrest in our human trafficking operations that are undocumented, they're coming to have sex with the kids. They're gone. But what about the millions of people that have waited decades to get citizenship and that there's no process to do it? The people that you're arresting at Home Depot and at churches and hospitals, that's the category we should focus on to help become American citizens. But it's been used as a divisive topic. It's created concern law enforcement across the board. There's no profession that one thing that a cop does can be used as a paintbrush for the entire profession. And I've said before, federal law enforcement is so different than local law enforcement, state, county, city, and township that we have in Michigan. These cops, we know our people, we know the community. We answer 911 calls, we'd go to medical calls, we pick up their grandmothers, we put them into ambulances, we go to schools. That's how you handle things. Our sheriff's office, it's super busy. We've arrested thousands of people last year. If I had community members protesting everywhere we went, we may be doing our job. But I would ask my command staff, what are we doing wrong? How are they protesting us doing our job? It's gotta start from the top. And if it doesn't start from the top, resetting the whole thing instead of doubling down. This isn't the end of this conversation.

[C]

You are hitting on all the important points. That's why I've been eager to have you on this show. You're hitting on the important points, and you're doing it in a language that's sounds different to a lot of people. You're coming from a place of experience, and you're. You're in the field right now. You're running your area of operations. Let me ask you to drill down a little bit deeper, because I mentioned this as an example when I was in Iraq with an army unit, and all of a sudden, private contractors start rolling in. They use different radio signals, they have different uniforms, they wear masks. One of the things your guys don't and gals don't do is they don't wear masks. So they are accountable to each other, to the community, to the public. Can you talk about, just on an operational level, how difficult it is for you as a county sheriff, if tomorrow Trump rolls in a group of National Guard troops from Alabama or an active duty unit from the Aiken Airborne, and you've got your officers on the ground, talk about actually how difficult and dangerous that becomes, not just for the migrants and for people they want to arrest, but for your officers and for those troops. Yeah.

[B]

All right, first of all, I think I want everybody to remember when you got pulled over. You know, I'm a police officer. When I get pulled over, my anxiety goes up. Being pulled over. When you have law enforcement confront citizen, I don't care who you are. In America, it's the only profession that gives the right of that professional to take a human life, we have more authority. We could stop a Supreme Court justice on the road and pull their freedom for the time that we're there. It is a unbelievable high standard of authority and influence. So that's the first thing. But to have law enforcement that's masked up with no markings, that looks like the military increases that anxiety. 10x I do know this. We in law enforcement do not wear masks. We wear very clear markings. And when we have shootings, can I tell you, Paul, in you being in the military police, when there's a shooting, it's an automatic investigation. One of the first things to do besides secure the scene, protect the people, and is I photograph everybody who's involved to make sure there's not a single chance that they weren't mistaken by anything else other than law enforcement. When Breonna Taylor was killed in 2020, you know, she was killed in Louisville, Kentucky, because of a misidentification. They hit the wrong house. The guy in front of Brianna, her boyfriend shot out, they shot back, and she got killed. She's from Grand Rapids. I say that because law enforcement is a public profession. There's no hiding behind it. We wear bright uniforms and marked cars. We' undercover, unless you're in an undercover unit. So when that happens and people see law enforcement, they become almost militarized. It takes away from the good work that law enforcement's doing. And it's okay to be critical of law enforcement and still support the police. Okay for all the cops out there, thinking, how could you say something wrong about the cops when you are one? Because no party owns law enforcement. To defund the police was political malpractice. For the small group that said it, that got a big mouth on it. People love the cops, but it's our job to show them why every day. To your point about if law enforcement was confronted with Military, I'd bring those brothers and sisters in who are just following orders and saying, our bathrooms are here, if you need water, we're here for you to help. But I understand you're probably only here on orders, not because you want to be. And I would tell my guys that we are local law enforcement. We're going to continue to do our job. We have our duties, they have their duties. If anybody calls for help because someone's injured, that's a whole nother story. But I'm not going to do their job. I don't need them to do my job. They don't answer 911 calls, they don't write paperwork, they don't prosecute statewide. I mean, God forbid that happened. We don't need them. There's nobody that does it better than local law enforcement.

[C]

I want to ask you to address something I'm seeing that I think is really important. And you're in a unique position to address. You've started to hit it. But ICE is damaging the good name of law enforcement everywhere, right? And they're going to damage the trust that people have in the military because for some folks, they don't know the difference. And I can't tell the difference, right? I mean, I was in the army, I did all this shit. I still can't tell the difference between who's nypd, who's, who's law enforcement, who's, you know, they all. From a distance especially, it's difficult to discern who is who. You can tell by the culture, you can tell by the attitude. You can tell by, by the aggressiveness, right? I think that's a differentiator. But let me ask you, number one, to address how ICE is ruining the good name of so many officers around the country, but also how ICE is cannibalizing law enforcement. You and I both know that if you go in my feed or your feed, you're going to get micro targeted with Kristi Noem wearing the baseball cap looking kind of attractive here. Looking at, trying to target men, trying to target folks in law enforcement. $50,000 signing bonus, right? And here's the pitch. You can leave local law enforcement, you can get a $50,000 signing bonus. You don't have to deal with all those rules. And you can, you can run with the ball, right, like you've always wanted to do. So it taps into kind of the worst instincts, but on a very basic level, it's also providing financial incentives. So are you seeing an erosion? Are you seeing them eating away at your folks? Because they're saying, you know what, the money's attractive over there, and maybe I don't want to deal with all that paperwork. I'm going to go over to ice.

[B]

Yeah, you're spot on. And I thankfully have not lost anybody to hsi, and I've not lost anybody to ICE based on it, you know, commercialing. But that is a number that is many times more than what cops make in a year. So it was not picked by accident. And then you have police officers that are going to the federal agency that, again, have different standards, they have different immunities, they have different protections. And I think that the concern is, how big is this going to be? When something happens like in Minneapolis, the next day, they double down and saying, hey, time out. What we just saw, this is not who we are. We're here to get people who've committed rape and for assault with intent to murder. And this is a tragedy.

[C]

They didn't.

[B]

They didn't address the humanity of what the entire country saw. They doubled down by adding more troops that only inflames. And even people that may not be there when they see it, they get there, and then there's more protests, there's more division. It gets where we're at. So I think, just like you said, you have people that can't tell the difference between federal law enforcement and military. There's people that can't tell the difference between law enforcement, federal, state, county, township, city. It's just law enforcement. It's a profession. So public trust is extremely hard to build and easy to lose because one bad interaction from law enforcement, it paints, as I said, the picture of the entire profession. One cop in Butte, Montana, in five minutes can do something in an hour from now. I'm answering to my people that we're not going to do that or this is what happened. There's no profession that does that. And so when you see the rollout of ice, my question is, what's the end game now? I don't think we have the answer. I think those are discussed in private rooms. But as the local community, I gotta protect my people in Genesee county and keep them calm. There are people not only in this county, in the state and the country who are scared, and they're scared of law enforcement. During the 2020 George Floyd protests, we had police accountability as the number one, you know, request from the people. What are you gonna do to hold people accountable? What are you gonna do to keep from militarizing the police? What are you gonna do for training de escalation how to handle mental illness. We professionalized all of that. And now we're going backwards for something we cannot control.

[C]

You know, I think there's a point I want to underscore. Do you feel safer, America? Do you feel safer? Do you feel safer now that Denmark and NATO are deploying forces to stop us? Do you feel safer with Venezuela on the edge and all our carrier strike groups distributed across? Do you feel safer with ICE doing this and America feeling anxiety and fear? This is Osama bin Laden's dream. I mean, I'm just blocks away from ground zero where I was on 9 11. Osama bin Laden would love to have imagined an America in a situation like this. But let me ask you to go deeper on the militarization of this, right? The blurring of the lines where people feel scared of law enforcement. What is your counsel to the good law enforcement? Because there's a lot of them, right? And I do think we have to celebrate them. But they're getting paid in with that brush. You are going to be a really, really important voice for the voiceless, Right? When I was advocating for veterans, my father said to me once that vets are like cops and firefighters without a union, right? Like the military doesn't have a union. The vets and the VSOs are often there speaking on their behalf. A lot of cops can't talk right now. And they also fear the left wing right here in New York City. We, we've got Mamdani now as the mayor. You've got other very liberal mayors who have been who I think have been really perceived appropriately so by law enforcement that they don't have their back? So a lot of law enforcement folks feel like they're screwed either way. But what's your counsel to those folks that are trying to do their job and trying to hold the line like you've done for so many years of your career?

[B]

We picked this profession because it picked us. It's a noble profession. And not everybody's built to call 911. Some people are just 911 and sometimes you have to take out the trash. Sometimes you got to dig through the mud to get the snake. And we are the ones that allow people to sleep in peace at night. And we are the ones here in the United States that people still believe that they can trust when they call 91 1. That helps coming. So, yes, it is the most difficult time to be a police officer, and it's okay to disagree with police tactics and still love your profession. I would tell every cop out there Our job is not political. I may be a Democrat, but I love cops. And if somebody needs my help, I'm going to be there. But we're also going to celebrate the profession that we choose. And when we lose a brother or sister, we celebrate their life at the biggest funeral than anybody's ever seen because of what they stood for. We stand as the surface tension between order and chaos. And if not us, then who is it? And so I would tell those cops out there to. To stay the course, do your job. Every stop, every interaction, you're doing it for me. And every interaction that I have, I'm doing it for you and for the people out there. Law enforcement's a profession. We're not above the law. We're not separate. We just chose to be called when there's no other option.

[C]

That is a really, really important message that I hope reverberates far and wide, especially in this moment. All right. You know, you said before, you don't know what the end game is. I think the end game is powerful. I mean, Trump has been very clear, and I've said this before, 2025 was about dominating America. 2026 is about dominating the Western Hemisphere. He's going as far and as fast as he can. All gas, no brakes. And he's using ice, in part because it's a lot more malleable and a lot more flexible and a lot more movable than our military is. And now he may be getting to that crescendo, which is going to be really important. But politics is going to be key here. So let's go below the radar and talk about an issue that I think is very front and center with you, your campaign. Right. Your main opponents are going to be a Republican, Eric Nesbitt, who is a state senator. You got a Democrat, Jocelyn Benson, Secretary of state, you got an Independent, Mike Duggan, the mayor of Detroit, who I hope will come on this show. You're going to have a primary in the summer. Let me ask you just straight up, especially given what this show is. Why are you a Democrat? Why a Democrat? If, let's say you lose the primary, would you run as an independent? Because I think, you know, you're doing a good job of trying to counter what is a really toxic Democrat brand across this country. I think you've seen that. And some folks love Whitmer, some folks hate her. But I think the Democratic brand, especially in purple and red states, is toxic. We saw this week 45% of Americans are independent, only 27 are Republicans and Democrats. So let me ask you just straight up, why. Why are you a Democrat?

[B]

Well, there's a lot of meat on the bone of that question. So the first of all is you're right. The Democratic brand has a 26% favorability, 26% of the entire country. So how about going into a profession and aligning yourself with 26% opportunity to succeed and a 64% opportunity to fail. So I look at it as it's opportunities to influence. Democratic Party is truly positioned to be the best party of the people. We don't kiss the ring of a single leader. There's not one person who says, this is where we're going. On the Republican side, the Republican that you mentioned, people that are running for state halls, no matter what it is, they've got to get the anointing from Washington across the country. I've never seen that before in my life. The Democratic Party is set up to be truly the party of the people. That's what democracy is. And coming from the working class, we lost a lot of those people, those that gut it out every single day, that just want to live a life of affordability and have everything that they believe and protected and they are proud Americans. We lost that and they went away. I think there's no party better to bring it back by the people to say, listen, we want to be party of everybody. And if you don't have leaders that are willing to raise their hand and take the shots from the enemy in the chest and knives in the back from your friends and forge the field, then we're going to have the same conversation in 2028. I can tell you right now, I think we're poised to do great things. And as leaders, I have no interest in being a legislator. I have no interest in running again. Paul, I am burning the ships. I have no plan B. I'm not doing this to see if this happens. I'm running to the front line because I need somebody like me. And I think the people need somebody like me because I've been looking for somebody. I know there's a lot of singular pronouns in there that it's me, but it's because you have to have leaders that are willing to step out and say, we're go this way. During the George Floyd protest in 2020, you know, when we were about to riot and bloodshed was truly happening, and I said, we don't need to do this. And I said, what do you need us to do? And they said, walk. I said, let's walk. And we turn hate into hope instantaneously. So I look at it as leaders like you and Rogan who have influences. You use that as a tool. And people like me as a sheriff or as a governor, we use it as a tool. And so the more men and women who step up in executive leadership roles, whether it's private business, social media, politics, that's what's going to bring the H brace to the country. If you want to fix the problem, go back to the people who are right in the middle of it. They'll tell you the answer. If we want to get back to where we want to go, then reverse engineer on how we got here.

[C]

Look, I'm rooting for you despite the fact that you're a Democrat. But there is an independent in this race, too. Right. Which is. Which is going to be a factor. Right. He's been a mayor. He's got a political background. He's going to attract a lot of independents. There are a lot of independents in Michigan more and more by the day, especially young people.

[B]

But you know what an independent is, Paul? An independent is somebody who just literally says, I can vote this way or this way. They still vote for a party. They just don't get told who to vote for.

[C]

I'm going to chat. We're going to get into some area where we might disagree. Always when they have another option. The problem is, too often independents don't have another option. We don't have open primaries.

[B]

They have an option of a party that the independent says, now that's what I'm looking for. That's where I fall in. So Mike Duggan's. He's trying to fill the gap, but against me, I fill that gap as well with a Democratic base.

[C]

Well, that's why this is exciting. That's why this is exciting, because you guys are going to duke it out, but first you got to get through a primary. Right. So you're going to go up against Democrat Jocelyn Benson, Secretary of State. I don't know if other people might jump in, but you got to get through that primary first. So why should the Democrats who are voting. I don't think independents can vote in the Democratic primary. Correct me if I'm wrong. I think you will appeal to independence when you get to a general. But first you got to get through a primary. What's the contrast between you and Jocelyn Benson? For Democrats who are listening, why should they support you and not her?

[B]

Well, I said right out of the gate, even when I announced last year, you know, neither one of my. There was three opponents now there's only two. They're not. They're options. You know, people call them opponents, but they're options. I'm not. It's not my style to go attack somebody and say, this is how bad they are. Vote for me so you won't hear me say anything bad about Jocelyn. She's a friend. We work in the jail together. She helps me with driver IDs. She's got her path and I got my path. And what the voters need to think is, how do we win the general? Who has the best ability to turn this around? Who's got the bark on the tree? Who's lived through crisis, who's been able to live through protests, who's been able to live through very high, intense chaos and make order out of it, who's gone after human traffickers, who has businesses, who's been in the education world to help with education, who can help with literacy, who can bring the jelly roll crowd together. For the people that just want to have a country or a state they're proud of, I believe I have a path that people have been looking for. I'm a different Democrat. I'm a transformational Democrat. I bring energy and inspiration. I have the ability to lift many other Democrats up. We have been a void. We've not given people in the Democratic Party or any party the ability to say, I love what they're saying. I don't agree with everything because nobody checks everybody's box, but I agree with what they've done. That's why for those two elections you're talking about, I got a 30% crossover vote by the Republicans. So there's Republicans who did not like the commercial I did for Joe Biden in uniform, did not like my presence at the DNC on day four in uniform. But they do love what I do, and they're willing to say, I still like the. What he does, and I'm going to vote for him, not the party.

[C]

Is there any recent polling between you and Benson? Do you know how that's shaping up right now?

[B]

So it's too early to say. I mean, there was polls last year that were AI polls and, you know, propaganda polls. But what did come out just yesterday, the Detroit News put out a tweet and it said from Craig Mauger that it said, this may shop. It's on my phone. I'm with you. So this may be a surprising fact, but Sheriff Chris Swanson has a 30% name ID, which means that it's higher than the State Senator Mallory McMahon, who's running for Senate, but ironically it's a 500% increase from last September. 500. So we reach millions of people a month on social media. I message to people. I work my guts out driving all over the state. We reach about 2 to 4 million people a month on social media. The election's not today. We're in the second quarter. More is to come. Watch.

[C]

We're going to watch. And it's exciting, man. I think Michigan is really exciting. You got a Senate race there, too. That's one to watch. And I'm going to just say something I think is really important about you. America needs leaders that could snatch the mic that can command attention, that can, that can dominate or at least play on an attention economy. And you're doing that. Anybody who's heard the first couple minutes of this episode knows that. And I think that's really important. Beyond party, not just for Michigan, but for America. We need to have powerful voices that can show patriotic alternatives to Donald Trump, to places like Denmark, to places like Russia. We need to show what other Americans look like. And you're definitely one of the man. So I'm going to be rooting for you and it's going to be really fun to watch. I hope Duggan will come on the show. Happy to have Benson on here, too. But I think this is really going to be an important race because it's going to be about attitude, it's going to be about leadership. But the parties are still a factor there. You're much more positive on the Democratic Party than I am. Yeah, they don't have a leader, but sometimes they also eat their own and it's chaos. So we're going to see if you can help redefine the Democratic Party. I'm rooting for you to do that, but I hope you can stick around. Let's do something good if we can. Something good. Oh, something sweet. Feel the fire.

[B]

You got it, brother.

[C]

We're going to end with something. Something good. I'm going to come to the sheriff who's going to bring lots of energy. I can't wait to hear what he's going to say. And I'm going to share something that I think is really important. Basketball in person. Basketball. Last night I took my boys to our local elementary school where the junior high team, women's team and men's team both played. Women's team's undefeated men's team lost. A tough one. But sixth and seventh and eighth graders playing in a gym with our community rooting for our kids, us all Together in a shared experience. And in the fall and in the winter now especially, basketball is a really important part of American culture. Hockey is the same thing. Wrestling is the same thing. Gymnastics is the same thing. I see it in jiu jitsu. But youth sports, community sports is really something good right now and something vital. College basketball, too. Pro basketball, too. I've talked about football. But right now, community basketball and community sports, especially for young people, is a unifier. It's a unique shared experience. We don't share too many things as Americans anymore. And we can be in one gym rooting for the same team, rooting for our kids. And I think it's really important to try to reconnect, so get out in your community, especially if you've got kids, especially if you don't. And if you can coach, if you can volunteer, if you can ref, be a part of it. Sometimes they need people to just hand out the jerseys or run the lemonade stand. But right now, in America, especially basketball, youth sports is something good. All right, Sheriff, here's something good. I'm going to throw you the ball here, and I can't wait to see how you're going to spike it. Sheriff Chris Swanson, what's your something good?

[B]

Well, I'm going to tell you this, man. When you woke up today and you thought, I can't go on anymore. All you need to do is find something or someone to sharpen your sword. There's a lot of reasons that we could find to be negative, but you got to be inspired. And nobody's going to hand it to you. Nobody's going to give it to you. You got to work it out. That's why you have to compete for the things that mean the most to you and do what others want to get what others want. So wherever you are right now, shake the dust off the rust off. Don't worry about the people who don't like you. Focus on the people who love you. Even if it's one. Live another day and lead your life. When you lead, others will follow.

[C]

Let's go. Let's fucking go. I mean, you might have to put on the helmet and the shoulder pads and go play with the Lions like Wes Moore does with. With Maryland and the Ravens. Man, I don't know. I don't know if you've been out there running patterns with laporta or what, man, but I think you could probably hold your own. That would be fun to watch.

[B]

Listen, I tell you all the time we're talking about sports. It's about Command presence, you know, and there's people out there that used to be competitors when they were in middle school and in high school and then they lost away. Get back at competing in life, man. It doesn't matter if you're on the couch in a hospital bed. You're fighting for your life. Compete for what means the most to you. Just fight another day. Fight another day. The best stories are the ones who have been counted out. They win.

[C]

All right, America, Michigan, it's choose your fighter time. Lindsey Church talked about it. You have. Now many of you have been introduced to a new fighter. Sheriff Chris Winston, thank you for your service, your leadership, your sacrifice, your example, your energy. It's contagious. I am rooting for you. I hope you'll come back on this show again soon and keep after it. Man.

[B]

Paul, I can tell you this, moments with momentum create movement. So if you want to be part of this movement, Swanson from Michigan, you just bet on this horse and you won't go wrong. I promise you, brother.

[C]

All right, there it is. Let's go. Let's go. This is the kind of energy we want to continue to bring you. Thank you to Sheriff Chris Swanson for joining us from the car at Ford Field. Look, it's Thursday. I know it feels like it's Friday plus, but it's still only Thursday. I was on TV yesterday on News Nation with Connell McShane. I'll be on again at 3:00 clock on Ms. With Katie Turr. Basketball, full swing. My big guy's got a game tonight with his team, the Thunder. Tomorrow, the little guys, the spurs that I'm coaching tomorrow night.

[B]

We're going to finish.

[C]

It's strong. This show continues to go strong. We hit 36 on the top 40 charts last week. Help us keep doing that. Please share this far and wide. Subscribe and rate. Check out yesterday's episode with another fighter, Lindsey Church. Another one, Ruth Ben Gayat. We had Ron Perlman. We've had so many others. But subscribe. Get the merch. We got some good merch. Join our Patreon community and help us keep bringing this kind of positive leadership that this country needs. Tomorrow I will have football Friday TBD on who the guest will be. I'm cooking up something. I hope it will be good. I told you. We will have Willie Geist next week. Jesse Ventura I am working on and others, but be sure to subscribe. Stay tuned. Watch us on social media and keep spreading the word because America is divided, but we also can be united. You see that with the energy of Sheriff Chris Swanson. But here at Independent Americans, I'm working to change that, to contrast the heat and bring positive energy. If you're among the now 45% of Americans who are independent, this is your show in Michigan or anywhere else. Or if you're a Republican, you're Democrat, you're independent, curious. You give a shit about what's happening. This is your show. Our movement is hope for the Future. Country over party, people over politics, light over heat, challenging the status quo, just like the sheriff is. And our movement's growing and bringing hope. That is the oxygen of democracy. If you enjoyed this episode with Sheriff Chris Blanson, please share it far and wide. Invite others to declare their independence and join us. And stay vigilant, my friends, because eternal vigilance is the price of freedom. No, you're not alone in your vigilance. We're all vigilant and we're all in this together. You heard that from Sheriff Chris Swanson. You see that in the people of Detroit, the people of Michigan, and all those Lions fans. You bring it. We're all vigilant. We're all in this together. I'm your host, Paul Rykoff. Thank you for turning in tuning in to Independent Americans. I will see you tomorrow. Stay vigilant, America. Stay vigilant. Powered by righteous media.