Trump vs Greenland, Denmark, The World w/Ty Pinkins.

Summary

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Independent Americans with Paul Rieckhoff

Episode: Trump vs Greenland, Denmark, The World w/ Ty Pinkins

Date: January 20, 2026
Guest: Ty Pinkins (Independent U.S. Senate candidate, Mississippi, veteran, activist)

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Episode Overview

This episode of Independent Americans delves into the surging power of American independent voters and candidates amidst unprecedented global turbulence—specifically, Donald Trump’s provocative foreign policy moves, including escalations with Canada, Greenland, Venezuela, and broader NATO concerns.
Host Paul Rieckhoff welcomes back Ty Pinkins, a decorated Army veteran and independent Senate candidate in Mississippi, for an honest, urgent conversation about the collapsing credibility of the two-party system, the media’s neglect of independents, America’s role on the world stage, and the groundswell of citizen activism.

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Key Topics & Insights

1. A Fractured World and Trump’s Global Gambit

[05:00 – 14:00]

• Trump released a disturbingly imperialistic AI-generated image, placing the American flag over Greenland, Canada, Venezuela.
• He’s now openly discussing annexing parts of Canada and Venezuela, alarming U.S. allies; NATO ramps up military presence in Greenland; Denmark deploys combat troops.
• Rieckhoff: “Trump is literally pissing off the entire world... He is not insane. He is extremely calculated, he is extremely ambitious, and he is extremely serious. It is radical, it is infuriating, it is un-American, but he is not crazy. He knows what he's doing and it's working for him.” ([07:23])
• U.S. markets react negatively; alliances are imperiled; Vladimir Putin is likely “sending golden thank you notes to Trump every night.”
• ICE conducts unconstitutional raids, symbolizing larger breakdowns in rule of law and compassion.

2. The Media, the Military, and Who Can Stop the Madness

[10:00 – 15:00]

• Tom Nichols (The Atlantic): “It's not up to the military to put a stop to Trump's ghastly ideas of war against NATO. The United States is not run by the military, nor should it be. Americans and their elected representatives must take this burden away from the armed forces.” ([10:18])
• General Barry McCaffrey: "The generals are not going to save America. Voters, Congress, the federal courts, the media..."
• Both underscore desperate need for civilian political leadership and responsibility.
• The Democrats and Republicans are failing to act decisively—paralysis in Congress, absence of clear opposition.

3. The Rise of Independents: Data, Narrative, and Media Suppression

[15:00 – 26:00]

• Gallup Poll: 45% of Americans now identify as politically independent—a record high.
• Pinkins describes the generational trajectory: “Pandemics have been a majority of the population for a while... It’s growing: 43% last year, now 45%.” ([22:05])
• Media and major political parties ignore or actively suppress this surge; Associated Press refused a story about four veteran independent Senate candidates—Pinkins included.
• Pinkins: “The media is bought and sold. They're working against independents, just like the two major parties are.” ([24:16])
• Both Rieckhoff and Pinkins agree: Americans need “permission” to vote independent—a viable candidate they can trust—which Pinkins is striving to embody.

4. Independent Senate Campaign in Mississippi: On-the-Ground Challenges and Party Entrenchment

[29:00 – 40:30]

• Pinkins critiques both parties for “not using tools at their disposal,” referencing co-equal powers in government, such as impeachment.
• He cites French President Macron’s warning: The world is becoming “one without rules,” dominated by force over law. ([29:55])
• Blistering critique of Senate inaction: “You have constitutional responsibility to use the tools that the American people gave you when they elected you to go to office... to make difficult decisions when the American people are threatened.” ([32:01])
• Warns NATO’s Article 5 could—ironically—be invoked AGAINST the U.S. if Trump attacks Greenland, since it is a NATO member. This would be the second time Article 5 was activated; the first was post-9/11.
• On “splitting the vote” in Mississippi: Pinkins dismisses the spoiler argument, citing 44 years and 15 straight Senate losses for Mississippi Democrats. “Split the losing vote? That makes no sense... What really needs to happen is Black people in Mississippi, African Americans in Mississippi, need to look at the Democratic Party... and ask them: why are you telling me to invest my vote in a 44-year losing effort?” ([39:10])

5. The Broader Independent Movement and Cultural Parallels

[40:30 – 43:50]

• Rieckhoff: The struggle of insurgent independent candidates mirrors Indiana’s unlikely college football championship run, emblematic of the underdog’s triumph with integrity and innovation.
• Renewed call for a broader coalition: veterans, progressives, and moderate Republicans uniting for systemic government reform.

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Trump’s Calculated Moves:
  “He is not insane. He is extremely calculated, he is extremely ambitious, and he is extremely serious. It is radical, it is infuriating, it is un-American, but he is not crazy. He knows what he's doing and it's working for him.” – Paul Rieckhoff ([07:23])

• On Independent Suppression:
  “You mean to tell me that four veterans who fought for this country, bled for this country... are running to represent this country in the United States Senate in the time that we are in now? ...As an editor of the Associated Press, you're saying that 45% of Americans... don't deserve to know who these veterans are who are running for independence? The media is bought and sold.” – Ty Pinkins ([24:10])

• On Impeachment and Government Responsibility:
  “There is no rule in the Constitution that says you can't impeach a president more than once. The American people want you to do something.” – Ty Pinkins ([30:40])

  “To not talk about impeachment would be, I think, irresponsible—a dereliction of duty.” – Paul Rieckhoff ([33:43])

• On Mississippi and Spoiler Myths:
  “You’re meaning to tell me that you’ve lost 15 straight races in the party in a state, the poorest state in the country, the state with the highest percentage of African Americans ... and that's why I'm running as an independent.” – Ty Pinkins ([39:10])

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Timestamps for Important Segments

| Timestamp | Segment | |---------------|----------------------------------------------| | 05:00 | Trump’s AI image & global provocations | | 07:23 | Rieckhoff’s take on Trump’s motives | | 10:18 | Tom Nichols, Gen. McCaffrey: civilian action | | 15:00 | The surge of US independents; Gallup data | | 22:05 | Ty Pinkins: Generational indy trends | | 24:10 | Pinkins exposes media rejection (AP editor) | | 29:55 | Macron’s warning; Senate inaction | | 32:01 | Pinkins on the Senate’s constitutional duty | | 33:43 | Article 5/NATO: America as the threat | | 39:10 | Mississippi: Spoiler argument eviscerated | | 43:29 | “Something Good” – American resilience | | 45:23 | Final thanks & call to action |

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Tone & Style Notes

• The episode maintains Rieckhoff’s signature blend of righteous frustration, dark humor, and insistent optimism.
• Pinkins speaks with conviction and clarity—blunt, principled, relatable, especially about life in Mississippi and independent hope.

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“Something Good”: Signs of Hope

[43:29 – 45:23]

• Rieckhoff: Celebrates Indiana football’s championship and parallels with political underdogs overcoming systemic barriers via courage, unconventional thinking, and integrity.
• Pinkins: “The American people. Despite everything that's going on in our democracy ... the American people are standing up over and over ... [They] have heart. We love each other ... and we will stand up for [our neighbors].” ([43:29])

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Takeaways & Calls to Action

• The independent movement is at a critical mass; the major parties and media may try to ignore it, but change is afoot.
• Ty Pinkins is a compelling voice for independent and disenfranchised voters, offering a credible challenge in a seemingly unwinnable race.
• Listeners are urged to support independent leadership (via TyPinkins.com), challenge the status quo, and recognize their power to effect change—especially if they feel politically homeless.

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Listen If...

• You want an unvarnished but inspiring take on America’s political crossroads.
• You’re curious about the independent movement’s future or involved in third-party activism.
• You’re looking for hope amid intensifying political and global chaos.

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Selected Quote to Remember:
“You're not alone. We’re all vigilant and we’re all in this together.” – Paul Rieckhoff ([47:39])

Transcript

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[Ty Pinkins]

You mean to tell me that four veterans who fought for this country, bled for this country, carried the bodies of American soldiers who had fallen for this country and they are running to represent this country in the United States Senate in the time that we are in now? And as an editor of the Associated Press, you're saying that 45% of Americans who identify themselves as independents don't deserve to know who these veterans are who are running for independence? The media is bought and sold.

[Paul Rykoff]

Welcome to independent Americans. Welcome to episode four One Niner. I'm your host, Paul Rykoff. It is Tuesday, January 20th, and I am coming to you from New York City, usa, where it is cold, damn cold, painfully cold. With the wind. It feels like 12 degrees Fahrenheit outside, which is cold, but not as cold as Ukraine and actually not as cold as Indiana, where it was as low as 8 degrees this morning. But like the Indiana national championship football team, we are going to warm some hearts. We are going to break up the status quo and we're going to try to inspire the nation. We're going to bring you the five eyes that I bring you on every show. Independence, integrity, information, inspiration and impact. And our guest today is going to bring that. Coming up soon. Ty Pinkins is back on the show. Veteran independent candidate for U.S. senate from the great state of Mississippi. Get ready for an independent candidate surge. We've been talking about it on this show for years, and it's finally happening. Dan Osborne was just the tip of the iceberg. You heard from Ty last fall. He is back to give us an update on what's happening on the ground in Mississippi, his thoughts on Greenland and much more. But first, a lot happening today. It is cold and a bit dark all across America because of the news, because of President Mayhem, and because of what continues to unfold. The country is very tense, in part because Trump continues to fight with just about everyone in the world except Putin, and he continues to try to take over the Western Hemisphere. Yesterday, he shared an image which was pretty disturbing. It looks like it was made from AI that shows him sitting alongside a map that includes Greenland, Canada and Venezuela as he speaks with European leaders. And in the picture, it's an edited version of a photograph where the American flag spans all over the hemisphere. It spans into Canada, up into Greenland. And it is a disturbing vision. This is what he wants. And I think it's scaring the hell out of the entire world. And with good reason, because when Trump says something, he usually means it. That was true of Venezuela, and the world is assuming it's true now of Greenland. And since returning to office, he's repeatedly talked about annexing Canada as the 51st state. Earlier this month, he posted a social media picture. So a social media post with him as the acting president of Venezuela after the capture of Maduro. And just last week, Chinese leaders are meeting with our Canadian allies, our long Canadian allies, who are now understandably pissed off. This is what's happening, folks. Trump is literally pissing off the entire world. My friend DL Hughley posted something yesterday that I think is a good reminder. It said had a picture of Trump saying, trying to provoke both a world war And a civil war at the same time, while demanding a Nobel Peace Prize is a level of insanity I've never seen before. The quote is from C.C. akeke. I want to say something important. He's not crazy. He is not insane. He is extremely calculated, he is extremely ambitious, and he is extremely serious. It is radical, it is infuriating, it is un American, but he is not crazy. He knows what he's doing and it's working for him. It's not working for America or the rest of the world, but it's working for him. And in Greenland, the troops and the countries around NATO are responding. Danish combat troops have now arrived in Greenland. The Danish army chief was on board an aircraft that landed on Monday evening in Kangerlussag, Greenland. Folks all across Greenland continue to protest. NATO continues to be shook, and Putin continues to celebrate. He's loving this. He must be sending golden thank you notes to Trump every single night, because Trump is still all gas, no brakes. He is doing whatever he wants with the most powerful military the world has ever seen, and nothing is slowing him down. And talking about slowing him down is something I want to focus on in this show more often. Tom Nichols, the great author from the Atlantic and a great voice on national security, I hope he comes on this show, posted something yesterday that I think is an important reminder. Tom said it's not up to the military to put a stop to Trump's ghastly ideas of war against NATO. The United States is not run by the military, nor should it be. Americans and their elected representatives must take this burden away from the armed forces. Now, this is really, really important. And our friend General Barry McCaffrey, who's been a guest on this show, who I also hope comes back piled on top of that, he said, very important point. The generals are not going to save America. Voters, Congress, the federal courts, the media. Trump has lost his horizon. These events, Greenland, Venezuela and Canada are unlawful, stupid, and damaging. They are deeply, deeply damaging. But the Democrats are not going to save you, folks. The Republicans are definitely not going to save you. And we can't hold out for the active duty to resist what some people consider unlawful orders, because so far, no laws have been ruled unlawful. If Trump invokes the Insurrection act and the courts rule it as unlawful, then we have a crossroads. But for our troops, right now, they're still following the law, they're still doing their job. There might be isolated instances that we don't yet know about, but nothing that they are doing so far has been deemed unlawful. So Congress, what Say you. And for everybody who's sitting on the sidelines, this is a time to get involved because the damage is extending. The Dow tumbled 700 points because folks around the world are worried about these surges over Greenland and the, the stupid and damaging new tariffs that Trump put in place on our NATO allies. Meanwhile, ICE continues to run rampant across the United States, especially in Minneapolis. We can't lose focus there. Every day, more disturbing videos and more disturbing news. There's a new video that's gone viral. Yesterday, ICE raided a home on St. Paul's east side. Their target was Chung Le Scott Tao, an elderly Hmong American man. He is a US Citizen with no criminal record. And the ICE agents broke down his door without, without presenting a warrant. They pulled in with, with guns, draw drawn and they handcuffed him in front of his five year old grandson who's left crying and traumatized. Sub zero temperatures, wind chills near negative 30. And he has shorts on a blanket and Crocs and they're marching him through the snow like he's a mass murderer. Then they drove him around for an hour, questioned him, fingerprinted him, confirmed he wasn't a citizen and not the person they were looking for, and dropped him back at home. No apology, no explanation, no accountability. This is unacceptable. ICE is unacceptable. ICE must be put on trial. These incidents must be put on trial because they are not acceptable. And they continue to expand. If you're not angry, you're not paying attention. And ICE right now is, is ripping and tearing our country apart every day, more and more by the day. Put ICE on trial and shut them down. Trump is continuing to try to shut down the free press. We've been talking about his attacks, most recently on Stars and Stripes. Former CNN anchor Don Lemon remains in the spotlight. He's now arguing that he is a journalist and he deserves protection. Trump continues to keep the Department of Justice focused on Don Lemon. And I think they might make an example out of Don Lemon. This is the next phase for Trump. I want Don Lemon actually to come on this show because I do have some bones to pick with Don Lemon. I do think that he's not entirely a journalist. I don't call myself a journalist. I am an advocate. I am a media voice, I am an activist. But I don't claim to be an investigative journalist. I don't think that I am working in that same space. And I think there are a lot of people who are melding those two ideas. But nevertheless, the, the protesters who went inside the church over the last few Days I think were stupid. I think it was misguided. And I think there are many more effective ways to protest without busting into a church and busting up their services. So I hope folks will be more smart there, be more vigilant and continue to be vigilant around his attacks on the free press. All right. In Venezuela, no new strikes on boats. So far it looks like they haven't been doing those. No new seizures of oil tankers so far today. But the first shipment of Venezuelan oil has left the coast. A company called Vital has shipped the first shipment of Venezuelan oil. Now as as a briefing for those that don't know, the first deal went to a company called Vitol, the world's largest independent oil trader. The initial deal was reportedly worth $250 million. Here's the problem. A senior Vital trader has been involved in securing the WHO was involved in securing the contract, has pumped millions of dollars into into political action committees supporting Trump. He met with the President at the White House just days before this was announced. That senior oil trader is John Addison. He's one of Trump's most generous backers and according to Open secrets he gave $5 million in October 2024 to Maga Incorporated and more than a million dollars to two other Trump aligned political action committees. In total, over $6 million to Trump's reelection effort which would be a small investment if you're going to get a $250 million return in a contract in Venezuela. We will continue to stay track of this and you should as well. Moving over to Ukraine. It is day 1430 of Russia's full scale invasion of Ukraine. Overnight at least four people were killed, 35 injured in the latest Russian attacks. 18 ballistic missiles, 15 cruise missiles, 339 drones. That's every day in Ukraine folks. That's what continues to happen now. Ukrainian air defense did down 27 missiles and 315 drones. Another example of how Ukrainians technology and military innovation continues to lead the world. The Ukrainian Security Service has also captured a Russian soldier who allegedly shot and killed nine Ukrainian POWs in Oblast in October 2024. President Zelensky reported that he announced this stating that there will be accountability for murder. He said we will find every Russian murderer, every single one will be held accountable. To go deeper on Ukraine, check out our episode with Tim Mack from Kyiv from a couple weeks ago. All right, moving over to politics, there is plenty of stupid to go around. We've talked about Kennedy and catastrophic things he's doing at the Department of Health and Human Services. And we're seeing now the outcomes of that damage. The number of measles cases in South Carolina has now hit an astonishing 558 since the outbreak started in October. Now, for context, that's more cases in four months than the US had in the past 30 years. So more cases in the last four months than in the last 30 years. Because what else do we need to deal with right now other than measles? But that is what's happening as Kennedy continues to run ramshot across our health and human services systems. All right, talking about independents and independent candidates. We want to continue to focus on that. More with Ty coming up in just a second. I continue to say independents are like the people's champion and we're not moving the needle. We are the needle. One stat I wanted to pull from the recent Gallup poll. 56% of Gen Z adults are identifying as independence. That's compared with 47% of millennials in 2012 and 40% of Gen X adults in 1992. Which means the younger generation is increasingly independent and they are staying independent. That's what's driving our numbers to close to 50% nationally. And we'll continue to drive that. Ty Pickens is coming up with more on that. Let's talk about candidates with Tim Walsh. Out in the Minnesota race, there's a good article from the independent voter that asks, is Minnesota ripe for the next Jesse Ventura? Independent voter registration has grown. People are pissed off with partisanship now. History rarely repeats itself neatly and we probably won't see another Jesse Ventura run. But we might. I hope he'll join us and tell us. But there is a scenario that's opening up for an unconventional name. And the independent voter floats two in particular. Chris Pratt, the Guardians of the Galaxy star from northwestern Minnesota, has married into politics as the son in law of Arnold Schwarzenegger and Maria Shriver. He has an independent streak and a kind of plain spoken charisma that plays well across the partisan divide. So maybe Chris Pratt could be the next governor of Minnesota. I invite him, of course, to join us. Then they give another interesting example. Lindsey von, the St. Paul born, Olympic champion, national downhill champion, will be competing again in the Olympics coming up. Maybe she could be the kind of independent that could capture the imagination and win an election. These are the kinds of unconventional names that you should not dismiss. There were people who dismissed Jesse Ventura. There were people who dismissed Ronald Reagan. There were people who dismissed Al Franken. And all of them went on to win elected office. And we could see the same especially in the independent space. Mind you, last night during the national championship game, Mark Cuban was pretty visible and there have been reports that he's considering running for office in Texas or beyond. Watch that space. All right. In culture, Netflix has now upgraded their deal for Warner Brothers to all cash. They're offering $83 billion in cash for Warner Brothers. We're going to watch this space. It'll dramatically impact the media. And in music news, A$AP Rocky has announced he's got a new tour coming up called Don't Be Dumb, the Don't Be Dumb World Tour, launching on May 27, 42 dates. It's promoted by Live Nation. It's going to be across North America and Europe. And we need somebody reminding people, don't be dumb. So we're going to see how that unfolds. And maybe A$AP Rocky can join us on the show to share more. Finally, in sports, my Knicks have really been struggling and I want to give them some positive encouragement. They won the NBA Championship cup, but they've been in a free fall and they've lost nine of the last 11 games. I think they can turn it around and I'm rooting for them. Also in NBA news, the All Stars were announced for the All Star Game. Coming up, first time that LeBron James was not listed as the starters. But for the west, you've got Luka Doncic, you've got Jokic from the Nuggets, Oklahoma City Shaga Y Alexander, San Antonio spurs phenom Victor Webeyama and Golden State Warrior guard and hall of Famer Steph Curry. That's the West. And in the east, it's going to be Bucs forward Giannis Eke and Tampo, joined by the great New York Knicks guard Jalen Brunson, Sixers guard Tyrese Maxey, Pistons fantastic guard Kate Cunningham and Boston Celtics dynamo Jaylen Brown. This is going to be a fun All Star game to watch, and we're going to need it as a break, just like we did last night in what turned out to be a fantastic college football national championship game. Indiana prevailed, completing the undefeated season, knocking off Miami 27 to 21. And as so often is the case, quarterbacks drive the outcome. They're fantastic. Quarterback Fernando Mendoza with an electrifying fourth down play. And this team has just been an absolute machine. It's one of the most exciting turnaround stories, I think, in football history. And coach Kirch Signetti should not only be coach of the year, he should be coach of the century. More on that coming up. Later in the show. But Indiana has sent heat and positivity and good vibes all across this country. And even though it's cold as hell, we're going to try to keep doing the same. We're going to try to bring you some light to warm up these dog days of winter and help you stay vigilant. All right, folks, helping us stay vigilant. A returning champion, a veteran of the U.S. army from 1996 to 2017. He's been an activist. He's been a righteous organizer. He's been. He has been a voice of clarity. And he is running a very smart, honorable and important campaign for US Senate as an independent in the great state of Mississippi. Finally joining us back on Independent Americans for the first time in 2026, the great and powerful Ty Pinkens is back on Independent Americans. Welcome back, sir.

[Ty Pinkins]

Happy to be here, Paul. Happy New Year.

[Paul Rykoff]

Happy New Year to you. Did you catch the game last night?

[Ty Pinkins]

Oh, my goodness. Indiana did their thing last night. That coach is absolutely amazing. But more importantly, those, those players, you know, coming down to the last minute and the back and forth, punches thrown and Indiana putting it out in the end wasn't my first choice, I'll be honest with you. But it was an exciting game.

[Paul Rykoff]

Yeah, man, it was an exciting year of college football. And I love, you know, they show that a turnaround is possible and that the underdog can prevail. Right.

[Ty Pinkins]

I like the new format. I like the new college football format where they have the several teams competing for. I hope they expand it. I think they're kind, they're kind of taking a page out of the March Madness thing where they have 64 teams in it. They don't expand it to 64 teams, but expand it to more teams, give more teams, more kids an opportunity to play. Because the whole thing was exciting, the entire thing, not just the Indiana game, the Indiana Miami game, but all the games leading up to it in the playoffs was extremely exciting.

[Paul Rykoff]

And your home state of Ole Miss, a heck of a run by Ole.

[Ty Pinkins]

Miss man, Trinidad Chambliss, that dude is a champion. And it looks like we might be getting him back again next year. We still got the core in there, wonderful wide receivers, a backfield. I'm looking, I'm looking forward to seeing what happens in college football here in Mississippi next year. And plus, don't, don't knock Mississippi State. We have a quarterback over at Mississippi State that's going to shock some people next year. So bring it on.

[Paul Rykoff]

All right, there you have it. Make a mark. All Right. Ty, we haven't talked to you since the fall. Let me start by checking in. Where are you and how are you, my friend?

[Ty Pinkins]

Well, I'm in Vicksburg right now. I'm getting ready to get back on the trail, head up Highway 61 to go to a couple events, talk to some people in communities about my campaign for United States, and also to talk to people about this poll. And I know you're going to talk about it later. This Gallup poll that came out showing that 45% of Americans identify themselves as politically independent people, people that I've been talking to about that. Their eyes are opening. Their eyes are opening. And what I'm finding is that a lot of people consider themselves politically independent, but they need permission to vote independent. And that permission is seeing a viable candidate on the ballot. And I think people are seeing that this year.

[Paul Rykoff]

Let's stay on that for a minute if we can, because I really do think it's important. And a lot of folks know that I do this show. They know that I focus on this community. And. And I've gotten so many folks who saw that poll, it seems like it broke through. And I think it's important, too, because I think people feel seen by it. A lot of folks consider themselves independent, unaffiliated, and they didn't know there were so many of them. And maybe it was a slow Newsweek day or whenever that happened. I don't know if that's possible. But for some reason, this poll broke through and people saw 45%. And I think they felt like that meant that they weren't alone. But what. What's your reaction to the top lines of that poll and some of the other information we've seen?

[Ty Pinkins]

Well, my reaction to it is nothing new. Pandemics have been a majority of the population for a while now. Last year was 43%. The year before that was 41% is growing 45% this year. This is the highest it's ever been. But I think what people have to understand is that the reason it hasn't broken through is because you have the Democrats and the Republicans. They have this machine that refuses to. That refuses to allow it to break through, and you have a media apparatus that refuses to report on it. Think about this, Paul. Think about this. The Gallup poll just said 45% of Americans consider themselves politically independent. At the same time, this year you have four veterans who are running as independents in four rural states across this country. South Dakota, Nebraska, Idaho and Mississippi. So you have four veterans running as independents in this country for United States Senate with everything that's going on, and 45% of Americans are politically independent, and the media isn't all over this. Answer that riddle for me, Paul. For me, that means that you have two parties, a Democratic Party and a Republican Party that's trying their hardest to make sure that independent candidates don't get on the ballot nor on a debate stage. And you have a media apparatus that's playing right along with them and refusing to report it. Here's a. Here's an AP reporter. Journalist reached out to me the other day. Associated Press journalist reached out to me about that poll. She said, I'm gonna pitch this to my editor to do a story called the Rise of the Independence.

[Paul Rykoff]

Right.

[Ty Pinkins]

This might get me in trouble, but I'm gonna say it.

[Paul Rykoff]

You know me.

[Ty Pinkins]

And she pitched it to her editor, and she has the contact information for all of those independent candidates in the poll. The editor said, that's not worth talking about. You mean to tell me. You mean to tell me that four veterans who fought for this country, bled for this country, carried the bodies of American soldiers who had fallen for this country, and they are running to represent this country in the United States Senate in the time that we are in now? And as an editor of the Associated Press, you're saying that 45% of Americans who identify themselves as independents don't deserve to know who these veterans are who are running for independence. The media is bought and sold. They're working against independence, just like the two major parties are. But here's the bright spot. It spot. Americans are waking up. Mississippians are waking up. I have Democrats telling me, don't worry, Ty. I see what's going on. I got your back. I'm going to vote for you. I have Republicans that are saying, where can I send you money? Because I know it's hard to raise money now. Tell them, go to www.typeinkins.com. make a contribution. T y peasandpaul I n k I n s.com and they go right on and they do it. And then they invite me to their communities so I can talk to their community members. So something's happening, Paul. Something is really, really.

[Paul Rykoff]

You are right. Something very, very big is happening. It's, you know, it's kind of like Indiana, right? Like, nobody thought that it could happen until it starts to happen. And I remember even when Indiana went into Oregon and my son's an Oregon family, like, Indiana can't go into Oregon and win. And they knocked out Oregon and they just kept chugging along. And you know, you felt this culture change, this tectonic shift where the outsider all of a sudden becomes the leader. Right. And I think that's what's happening in our space as well. All those four veterans we've had on this show, Todd Achilles, Brian Bangs, you, Dan Osborne. And you know, as folks who listen to the show know, there are more coming. I've talked to them. They're getting ready to declare as soon as that is public, this will be.

[Ty Pinkins]

One of the first out of Massachusetts. Sorry, Morgan dewicki out of Massachusetts.

[Paul Rykoff]

Yep.

[Ty Pinkins]

The president of Maine University. University of Maine, I believe it is. I don't know what state it is, but there's a guy up there running as an and he's a veteran. So I think people are waking up, independents are waking up and I think something is about that.

[Paul Rykoff]

University of Montana, there is some reporting there. We will continue to stay on top of that.

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[Paul Rykoff]

And there is more to come, but we'll come back to this in a second. Let me go into what I think is today's top topic. We continue to focus on this space, but I always want to elevate positive, thoughtful, strong, reasonable American voices. You know, Trump right now is unfortunately America's image to the world where he is shitting on everyone from Canada to Greenland to Denmark. You are a veteran. You are in a rural state. You are running for U.S. senate at a time when the Senate is totally abdicating their responsibility. You know, he could literally put boots on the ground in Greenland. And I think the Senate won't even convene an emergency session of Congress until it's over. He's all gas, no brakes. Let me just ask you if you can. You want to be a US Senator? We are supportive of that. Run. How would you react in response to what Trump is doing right now to basically piss off the entire world and try to take over the Western hemisphere?

[Ty Pinkins]

I think you get at a really, really important point here. We have two parties. We have a Republican Party and a Democratic Party. We have a Republican in the Senate, we have Republicans and Democrats. And they are not using the tools at their disposal to keep this president under control and exercise their power as a co equal branch of government. They're not using those tools. So as an independent, and I think this is why it's so important that we get independence in the United States Senate. Use those tools. Use those tools. Emmanuel Macron, the French President, says something extremely interesting on Tuesday at the World Economic Forum. He warned that a shift towards a world we are in a shift towards a world without rules, where international law is trampled underfoot and the only rule that seems to matter is the rule of the strongest. And then he said Europe has very strong tools now, and we have to use them when we are not respected and when the rules of the games are not respected. Those are fighting words. Those are fighting words. And we have Republicans in the Senate and Democrats in the Senate not using the tools at their disposal to take care of this situation. One of them is Article 2, Section 4, impeachment proceedings. And we have people arguing, well, don't do it now. We're going to wait until we get a majority in the House. There is no rule in the Constitution that says you can't impeach a president more than once. The American people want you to do something. They want you to use those tools, use those resources to say, okay, you want to do stupid stuff like go kidnap the president of Venezuela, which is an impeachable offense, use it. Use it. And if Republicans say we're not going to convict him in the Senate, okay, we'll move on. But the American people know where their elected officials stand at. And I think that's the problem, Paul, where elected officials are comfortable not showing their hand to the American people and the American people are handcuffed because the two party system won't do their job.

[Paul Rykoff]

I think this is a really important point. I think this is a really important point, Todd, because, you know, outsider candidates also bring new ideas. You're not constrained by the parties or by convention. And there's been a real failure of imagination. I find it stunning that more members of the House are not pushing forward articles of impeachment. I find it stunning that there's not a single member of the Senate, and Paul included, who have not pushed forward articles of impeachment. The idea of articles of impeachment, if they do believe that what he's doing is unlawful, unconstitutional, then the natural extension of that would be to push forward articles of impeachment. There are now some candidates who are running with that as their number one priority. George Conway is running for Congress here in New York City. Ty, if you get elected, will you push forward articles of impeachment?

[Ty Pinkins]

Yes. You have constitutional responsibility to use the tools that the American people gave you when they voted and elected you to go to office. They didn't give you their vote, they loaned you their vote. They said, vote on my behalf. I need you to act on my behalf. And one of those tools that you have is to make difficult decisions when the American people are threatened. And when I say threatened, you're saying that you want to go and take Greenland. Greenland is a NATO. Greenland is in NATO. So you can't say, well, I'm worried that China is and Russia are sailing around in Greenland and they're going to take it. Greenland is already a member of NATO, which means that if China or Russia attack Greenland, they trigger Article 5, which says an attack on one is an attack on all. But here's the problem, Paul. When we have a president who threatens to attack Greenland or take Greenland, that also triggers Article 5. That also triggers Article 5. A 75 year old peace agreement between countries in Europe, the United States, all over the world. And the only time it's been activated was to come to our defense. Was to come to our defense. How ironic would it be if the only two times Article 5 was initiated was one to defend the United States and two, for our allies to come together to fight the United States. That is where we're at. And it's incredible that we have to say these things on camera while we have a Congress that's afraid to say, well, this is enough, this is too much, this is too much. We need to get this guy out of office so that the American people feel safe.

[Paul Rykoff]

I applaud your courage and your candor. I think it's an idea that frankly, more candidates are going to see how popular this is. I've called him President Mayhem. I think much of what he's doing is unconstitutional, but the question is, what are you going to do to slow him down? And the Senate, you know, trying to pass the War Powers act after he's already waged war against Venezuela is trying to put the round back in the chamber. So I'm encouraged to see your candor and your focus. You know, I think too many people view impeachment as extreme. What's extreme is everything that he's doing. Right. To not talk about impeachment would be, I think irresponsible, would be a dereliction of duty. I'm so glad you bring up the Article 5 component. You know, yes, it was activated in defense of the US after 9, 11, and now it could be activated against us here in 2026. You know, you said something important, Ty. Those are fighting words. And I think they are fighting words because they're responding to our president's fighting words. Exactly right. He's saying, I'm going to go take Greenland and Denmark is saying, that will be an act of war. So, you know, this is really careening toward a dangerous place. I think your voice is so critical in meeting this moment. Please go ahead.

[Ty Pinkins]

What he's doing, he's cornering countries who have constituents and those constituents feel pressure also. So take for instance, France and Germany and Denmark. They have constituents that they are responsible to. So when they start feeling the pressure economically, they have to do something. Whether that means that the European countries decide to implement tariffs on the United States tech industry, that would be an issue because now we're on this roller coaster going downhill at a high rate of speed where now the United States is forced to respond in kind. Congress is forced to respond in kind and then you trigger a conflict between us and our allies. And we think about how painful it is it is today. Imagine how painful it is it would be in the future when our children are fighting a war that was started because of things that the American people didn't agree with in the first place.

[Paul Rykoff]

So let's do a shift here, Ty, that's related, but let's go below the radar. You know, your campaign is really important for a number of reasons. You're uniting independence. You're in a rural state that the Democrats have kind of given up. You know, you're a voice of clarity on national security and defense issues. You're also running against an incumbent. So there's a real contrast here between you and Cindy Hyde Smith. Right. The Republican who was first put into office by the governor. Right. She was appointed to serve after Thad Cochran was out. Right. And then you've got a couple of Democrats who are running against each other. They're gonna have a primary, I think you told me March, mid March. But this is a real contrast and I think America needs to see contrast. I don't know what Sidney Hyde Smith's latest votes have been, but I assume she voted against the War Powers Act.

[Ty Pinkins]

She did indeed.

[Paul Rykoff]

Right. So she voted against restraining the president from invading foreign countries without support of Congress and against the will of an overwhelming majority of the people. Can I just ask you to talk about what's it like on the campaign trail? And there's something that I want you to talk about specifically. Some folks are concerned you're going to split the ticket. Right. This is always what we hear. The independents are going to be the spoilers. You're going to end up splitting the Democrats and then the independents. And let me just say this, a Democrat can't win in Mississippi. There's no way that Democrats can win. You are the only chance to knock off what I think is an extreme right wing MAGA supporting person who has abdicated their responsibility. But what's your take and what's the latest from on the ground in Mississippi.

[Ty Pinkins]

You know, happening across the state? I've traveled across all 82. Mississippi's a big state. All 82 counties in the state twice over the last three years. So this year will make my third time visiting every county in this state talking to Mississippians. And what I hear over and over again is they want something different. They want change, they want better option than the two options that they've been offered over and over and over again. And one of the things that I asked at a Town hall union meeting down in d', Iberville, Mississippi, about a week and a half ago, I was asking this simple question. Are you tired of hearing the same thing from the same two parties over and over again? They stand here and they tell you what they know you want, then you vote for them and you elect them and they go to Washington, dc, Fail to get you what they told you they know you want, then turn right around again in the next election and come back and do the same thing again. They do it all the time. And then someone asks me, well, Ty, what about, what if you split the vote and just hand Cindy Highsmith a win again? And I said, what do you mean? He said, you're running as an independent. You're a black man. In Mississippi, we have Democrats that are running, particularly Scott Colon that's running. He's an African American running in Mississippi. He's a lawyer also. So you might split the vote and weaken his chances of winning. I said, let me ask you a question. When is the last time a Democrat won a United States Senate seat in the state of Mississippi? Silence in the room. I said, I'll answer that question for you. 1982. 1982. That was 44 years ago. Nearly half a century. Since 1982, there have been 15 United States Senate races in the state of Mississippi. 15. The Republican candidate has won all 15. I'll give you one guess as to how many the Democratic candidate has won. Zero. So you're meaning to tell me that you've lost 15 straight races in the party in a state, the poorest state in the country, the state with the highest percentage of African Americans who live in the poorest part of the state. We have a party telling those same people to sacrifice their vote on the 16th try when they've lost 15 straight times. I said, that makes no sense at all. That's illogical. Especially when the Gallup poll came out just last week showing that 45% of Americans consider themselves politically independent. So the split the vote argument does. Split what vote? Split the losing vote. That's what you're splitting. So that makes no sense. What really needs to happen is black people in Mississippi, African Americans in Mississippi need to look at the Democratic Party leadership in this state and ask them, why is it that you are telling me to invest my vote in a 15 time, 44 year losing effort? And that's why I'm running as an independent. And that's why those, Those, that, that 45% Gallup poll really, really shined a light on what's going on.

[Paul Rykoff]

This is so important, man, because your race is. Is about so much more than just Mississippi. You know, Dan Osborne was the tip of the iceberg, but you're another tip of another iceberg. You know, the demographics are different. The racial dynamics are different, the political dynamics are different. But I think what you're saying is really, really important. Are you sick of extremism and are you sick of losing? If you are, here's a man with integrity and independence who knows this state, who comes from this state, who can represent you proudly. And I think that everybody who supports the independent movement needs to support you in this fight. This is a critical fight, I think, for the future and the soul of our democracy. And you are leading the way on that, Ty, and you're going to be welcome on this show anytime. I encourage everybody to support you, to donate, to volunteer. I have encouraged folks who want to run themselves. If you're independent and you're a veteran, we want to field 100 of them this fall with independent Veterans of America. So Ty Pickens, Dan Osborne, we want to make more of them. We want to invite other people to join this movement and be a part of this army of independence who are going to take our country back in Tai, you're going to be at the tip of that, man, and I applaud your courage. I'm going to take us into our final segment. Something good, because you are always something good. Something good. Energy is contagious. Your leadership is inspiring. I'm going to start, and then I'll throw it over to you, my friend. I'm going with Indiana. I mean, and. And also the two leaders of Indiana, I think, are really important to note. Fernando Mendoza, I mean, if you didn't see the game last night, this kid has got guts. He's got humility. He's always talking about his teammates. He's just an incredible young man. He's a really impressive young man. And anybody who's down on the future of America, look at somebody like Fernando Mendoza and look at how he. He salutes his family. His mom is in a wheelchair and can't get up to cheer, and his dad's up there next to her. He doesn't even stand up when his son scores because he wants to sit alongside his wife who can't stand up. But Fernando Mendoza, I hope this guy runs for Senate. Maybe one day he'll run for president. In the meantime, he's probably going to make things a lot more interesting in Las Vegas for the Raiders next year as the number one Pick and coach Kurt Signetti. This guy did things unconventionally. He believed in his kids. He believed that he could turn things around. And in just two years, he took the second most losing his program in college football history and made them national champions. He did things like shortening practice time. Everybody said, you have to have really long practice. He approached it unconventionally. He did what worked. He believed in his kids, and he had a vision for change that now he has become the manifestation of. So, Indiana, hats off to you, Coach Signetti, Fernando Mendoza, the Hoosier fan base. You all have showed us that the underdog can win and that even at the depths of challenges like we're facing in our democracy, you can turn it around quickly, especially if you have inspiring and contagious leadership with integrity, like we see with Fernando Mendoza and Coach Signetti. They're definitely something good. All right, over to you, my friend, Ty Pinkins. What do you got? There's something good.

[Ty Pinkins]

The American people. The American people. Something good. Despite everything that's going on right now in our democracy, despite an insane president, despite a Congress that's capitulated to that president, the American people are standing up over and over and over again and saying, no, no, no, no, no, no. I don't agree with this. I don't believe what you are doing is right for me. And they're coming out in the streets and they're chanting, they're rallying peacefully, Peacefully, which is a core concept to our democracy. They're doing it over and over and over again, and they've been doing it for over a year now. They have been doing it for over a year now, constantly coming out. And the gentleman that you mentioned earlier, who ICE drug out of his house in his underwear, the culmination of that was he was back in his house, and you had neighbors putting up his door for him that ICE had knocked down. The American people have heart. We love each other. We love our neighbors. We love our community members, and we will stand up for them. So for me, that's the good thing that I see in all this. Despite everything that's going on, the unfortunate situation that happened with Ms. Good, with somebody should be prosecuted. A lot of people should be prosecuted for that. But the American people saying, you know what? Not in my name.

[Paul Rykoff]

Leadership is contagious. And your strong and honorable leadership is always contagious, my friend. Folks, if you're listening or watching, don't just nod your head and say, oh, that was cool. Go. Go and do something. You know, take action. Donate to support Ty's campaign. He's fighting the PACs and the billionaires and the parties. He's up against huge odds and he's out there grinding away, spreading positivity and giving people hope. And that's worth investing. And stop investing in the New York jets who are just going to keep breaking your heart. Start investing in Indiana. And that's what Ty Pickens is. He is the future of, of not just politics in Mississippi, but in this country. And you're really an inspiration, sir. I thank you for your leadership, for your sacrifice, for your example. Give them hell out there and I hope you'll come back again soon.

[Ty Pinkins]

Paul, thank you so much for having me. Your audience can go to www.ty pinkens t y p as in Paul I n k I n s.com make a contribution. Help me move this thing forward.

[Paul Rykoff]

Do it, folks. Do it right now. Do it today. Start your year off right. Invest in Ty Pickens and the future of American leadership. If you want to run, if you want to support more people like Ty Pickens, go to independentveteransofamerica.org We've got about 30 candidates so far identified. We need to get about 70 more and they're coming in by the week and they will be on this show. You heard from Lindsay Church last week. Go back and check out that interview. If you didn't. Lindsay Church is running in Chicago for Congress and we will have many more to come. But my thanks to Ty Pickens for joining us again. As a reminder, tomorrow is Wednesday. I will be on News Nation and my normal 3 o' clock TV segment with Connell McShane. And I will also be on MSNBC or Ms. Now with with Deadline and Nicole Wallace. I might be on cnn and I will continue to do TV throughout the week. You can see all those interviews and all our past interviews, including my first conversation with Ty, where you can go deeper on his background from last fall. That's all on our YouTube page. We are daily now, every day I'm bringing you this kind of independent content. We hit number 36 in the top 40 Apple News charts. So please subscribe wherever you're listening right now. Rate us on Apple podcasts, follow us on Spotify, follow us on YouTube and keep spreading the word. Chip in if you can to help us keep this going and help us bring more Ty Pickens and more voices of inspiration to you every single day. It's a critical week. I'll have a new show coming in tomorrow on Friday. As a reminder, we will have Willie Geist, the great Willie Geist will be here. We'll have more surprises and quick response pods. America might be divided, but at Independent Americans I am working to change that and bringing you light to contrast the heat of all the other political and news shows and bringing you new independent creative voices like you heard today and saw today with Ty Pickens. If you're among the now 45% of Americans who are independent, we are almost at 50%. This is your show if you're independent. Curious if this is the first time you're hearing us join this movement because it's hope for the future like you heard from Ty. Country over party, people over politics, light over heat, challenging the status quo and scoring wins just like Indiana did. Win by win by win. That's what we're going to do this fall and in the years to come because our movement is growing and hope is the oxygen of democracy. If you enjoyed this episode with Ty Pickens, share it far and wide. Invite others to declare their independence and stay vigilant, my friends, because eternal vigilance is the price of freedom. And no, you're not alone in that vigilance. We're all vigilant and we're all in this together. You hear that from Ty and from all the other independent veterans, especially who are running for office. I'm your host, Paul Rykoff. Thank you for tuning in to Independent Americans. I will see you tomorrow. Stay warm out there. Congratulations to Indiana and stay vigilant America.

[Ty Pinkins]

Just.

[Paul Rykoff]

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