Willie Geist On ICE Raids, Scarring Kids and Trump Watching Morning Joe.

Summary

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Independent Americans with Paul Rieckhoff

Episode 423: Willie Geist On ICE Raids, Scarring Kids, and Trump Watching Morning Joe

Release Date: January 23, 2026
Host: Paul Rieckhoff
Guest: Willie Geist (Co-anchor, MSNBC's Morning Joe; Host, NBC's Sunday Today)

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Overview

In this Football Friday episode, Paul Rieckhoff welcomes back Willie Geist for a wide-ranging conversation that weaves together the urgency and outrage of ongoing ICE raids and child detentions, the deteriorating state of U.S. alliances, the pressure on independent journalism, civic responsibility in divisive times, and plenty of levity through football, music, and sports. Together, they offer listeners news analysis, personal reflections, and honest conversations about integrity, impact, and authenticity in American life.

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Key Discussion Points

1. Outrage Over ICE Raids and Child Detention

• ICE’s Human Rights Violations:
  • Rieckhoff opens with searing commentary about the current escalation of ICE raids, especially the highly publicized detention of 5-year-old Liam Ramos and reports of over 600 children detained in the previous year.
  • Gruesome new footage and indiscriminate enforcement highlight what Rieckhoff calls “rotten to the core” culture at ICE, now reaching new cities like Portland.
  • He points out the chilling example this sets: “If they can do it to 5 year old Lion Ramos and other kids, they can do it to anyone and they can do it to you.” (03:30)
• Impact on Protesters and Civil Rights:
  • Authorities have shifted their focus, arresting individuals involved in church-based protests rather than holding ICE agents accountable for abuses.
  • The DOJ’s rejected attempts to charge Don Lemon for church intrusion is covered, with Rieckhoff urging protesters to avoid tactics that play into the administration’s hands.

“Don’t protest in houses of worship for any reason. Don’t give them reason to try to twist this.”
— Paul Rieckhoff (07:15)

2. The Erosion of Accountability and American Institutions

• Media Under Attack:
  • Rieckhoff highlights the endangered status of Stars and Stripes and warns about the targeting of independent press—linking attacks on media to the wider, purposeful corrosion of democracy under Trump.
• Corruption and Conflicts of Interest:
  • Discussion of TikTok’s restructuring and backroom deals with U.S. investors close to Trump, illustrating normalization of conflicts of interest in government (“the White House is fully and shamefully open for business”).
• Global Instability:
  • Updates on Venezuela, ongoing war in Ukraine, Zelensky’s pleas for support, and the urgent need not to overlook Iran’s pro-democracy voices silenced by regimes.

3. The Power of Authenticity and Sports as Social Glue

• Willie Geist's Nashville Story:
  • Willie reflects on his recent interview and live event with country superstar Luke Combs—who embodies authenticity and the rewards of earnest, hard work over slick showbiz packaging.

“There is still a reward for just being really good at what you do and working really hard at it… There’s no glitz and no shine, and you know, no choreography... It actually, for me, affirms a lot.”
— Willie Geist (22:17)

• Reticence in Country Music to Address Politics:
  • Geist and Rieckhoff discuss why modern country stars, unlike Springsteen or Dylan, often avoid political commentary, likely due to concerns about audience backlash.
• Sports Fandom as a Unifier:
  • The hosts share reminiscences about NY Yankees, the Mattingly/Keith Hernandez era, football playoff hopes, and how shared sports moments can transcend partisan lines.

4. Journalism, Integrity, and Resilience in the Trump Era

• Targeting of Journalists:
  • Rieckhoff and Geist share candidly about the escalating risks faced by media professionals.
  • Geist acknowledges internal discussions at NBC/MSNBC about legal and operational preparedness for attacks from Trump-controlled DOJ, with an unwavering commitment to honest journalism.

“The point of the press is to see the truth and tell the truth as it is…I can’t, I couldn’t wake up in the morning and go, ‘Well, I better not say that, because what if he posts about it?’ … The more vigilant I have to be.”
— Willie Geist (39:02)

• The Role of Tone and Example:
  • Willie’s measured, non-flamethrowing approach is contrasted to more sensational figures—aiming to model steadiness and responsibility.

“To make things personal and to get emotional about things doesn’t serve the audience well…I try always to avoid that.”
— Willie Geist (42:48)

5. Friday Football: Predictions and Community

• NFL Playoff Picks:
  • Fun and friendly rivalry as the hosts predict the upcoming playoff games, dissecting quarterback matchups and team strategies.
  • Willie predicts a Patriots win over the Broncos, and takes the Seahawks over the Rams (though he admits he’s torn).
• Sports as an Antidote to Division:
  • Both hosts underscore that live sports and music are rare spaces where Americans of all backgrounds come together and drop political labels.

“Those are the things where we all get in a room together…I have no clue how you feel about what’s happening in the world or who you voted for, and it doesn’t matter in this room.”
— Willie Geist (51:19)

6. Closing Reflections: Positivity Amid Storms

• Finding Good in Hard Times:
  • Rieckhoff and Geist close with gratitude for simple joys—snowstorms forcing togetherness, football as common ground, and the deep need to rediscover empathy.

“I think we actually love each other a lot more than we let on. And I think a football game is an opportunity for us to show that.”
— Willie Geist (52:24)

• Public Service and Real Heroes:
  • Rieckhoff showers Geist with praise for his charitable work—including his visible support for veterans at the NYC Veterans Day parade, reinforcing the need for positive public examples.

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

On ICE Raids and Crossing a Moral Rubicon:

"I think people, there’s been this instinct in the last year…to just look away from the news…it bums me out too much…but when you have a story like what you just described—Liam Ramos… five years old… I think that’s where a lot of people have woken up."
— Willie Geist (32:52)

On Enduring Trump’s Attacks on Media:

"It’s the irony of them talking about the weaponization of government…all those things, actually using the government for his own ends…But I will say—it has not changed the way I do my job, because it can’t."
— Willie Geist (38:55)

On the Power of Authenticity in Art and Life:

"There is still a reward for just being really good at what you do and working really hard at it…"
— Willie Geist (22:17)

On the Unifying Power of Sports and Music:

"When you strip it down…we’re not yelling at each other…we have huge disagreements and big problems, but I think we actually love each other a lot more than we let on."
— Willie Geist (52:24)

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Timestamps for Key Segments

• 00:30 – Rieckhoff’s searing opener on ICE abuses and mood of the nation
• 06:00 – Arrests at Minneapolis church protests; message to peaceful protesters
• 10:50 – ICE detaining children, the Liam Ramos case shocks America
• 16:45 – Media under attack: Stars and Stripes, TikTok, and independent press
• 18:55 – Willie Geist joins; warmth, nostalgia, and current events
• 22:04 – Behind the scenes: interviewing Luke Combs, the value of authenticity
• 26:20 – Culture and politics in modern country music
• 27:01 – Yankees and Giants talk; Don Mattingly memories
• 32:42 – Gut punch of the week: detaining a 5-year-old, nationwide conscience shocked
• 38:55 – How Morning Joe and NBC grapple with Trump’s attacks on media
• 44:23 – Friday Football predictions and camaraderie
• 50:24 – Something good: embracing snow days and finding unity
• 51:19 – How live sports still bring us together
• 54:12 – Willie’s story: Congresswoman Mikie Sherrill at the Springsteen concert
• 55:51 – Closing gratitude and call for continued vigilance and service

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Tone and Style

True to form, the episode balances a passionate, almost crusading energy from Rieckhoff with Willie Geist’s affable, deliberate, and thoughtful presence. The conversation remains conversational and real—never shying away from anger at injustice, but also encouraging hope, humor, and neighborliness. There’s righteous indignation about abuses of power, honest reflection on challenges in journalism, and a grounding affection for sports, music, and American culture as foundations for unity.

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Summary

This episode is a potent reminder of what’s at stake in America: from the scarring of children under ICE’s hand to the corrosion of democracy and the need for independent journalism. Willie Geist’s return offers a steady, empathetic voice—encouraging vigilance, authenticity, and togetherness, especially amid swirling storms, both literal and figurative. The episode closes on hope: “Stay vigilant” and “find the good”—in snowdays, in football, in standing up for each other—because “eternal vigilance is the price of freedom.”

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Transcript

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[Paul Rykoff]

But this is where we are, America going into this weekend. If they can do it to Renee Goode and they could do it to Chung Li Tao and they could do it to William Vermeer, the combat veteran and they can do it to five year old Lion Ramos and other kids, they could do it to anyone and they can do it to you. Welcome to Independent Americans. Welcome to episode 423. I am your host Paul Rykoff coming to you from New York City, USA. And it is Friday, January 23rd, which means it is Football Friday. And Willie Geist is here for it. Snowpocalypse is coming, but so is Willie. It's notorious. BIG is coming, but so is Willie. And this storm has a name. It's Winter Storm Fern. But we've got our own winter storm of positivity and insight. And it is Willie Geist. So when you stay ready, you don't have to get ready. And we have been staying ready. Willie is here and I'm going to bring you to close out a big week. The five eyes that I bring you in every show, independence, integrity, information, inspiration and impact. And our guest is going to bring that the CO anchor of MSNBC's Morning Joe, anchor of Sunday Today with Willie Geist and the guy who was our very first guest on this show over 400 episodes ago, he is back, the great Willie Geist. But before we get to that, there is a ton happening today to close out a blizzard of a week. Yes, Snowpocalypse is coming and President Mayhem continues to send chills and storms all across the world as he continues to try to take over the the Western hemisphere. And we are still focused, of course, on Greenland after his ultimatum. Greenland talks now include sovereign US Bases, but no drilling for Russia. Negotiations continue to be going on. Trump says he's got this great deal. Europe is rattled and has their head spinning and our alliances are weakened. And of course, to end this wild week, Putin is loving it. Maybe he'll send Trump the Super bowl ring that he stole from Patriots owner Bob Kraft a while ago, because this has been a great week for Putin, a bad week for American alliances, a bad week for NATO, and a bad week for all of us, frankly. But Trump is all gas, no brakes, and nothing is slowing him down. Nothing is slowing down ICE either, especially in Minneapolis and now in Maine. Every day, more disturbing videos, more news, and more expansion. JD Vance was in Minneapolis and actually tried to bring the tone down, or it didn't turn it up, which was good. But it didn't really do a whole lot to quell the situation, because simultaneously, folks saw an image that has gone around the world of multiple ICE agents holding a protester to the ground and spraying what looks like some kind of pepper spray or mace directly in their face. They have this person under control, and at point blank range, they are firing mace into their face. It's disgusting, it's unnecessary, it's undisciplined, it's unprofessional, it's un American, and it's unacceptable. The culture of ICE is rotten to the core. And the Attorney General has now announced the arrest of two people not involved in abusing detainees, not involved in kicking indoors, not involved in shooting Renee Goode, but involved in the Minnesota church protest. They are following through on their threat to arrest two people who were involved in the church protest. A prominent civil rights attorney and at least one other person that was involved in disrupting a church service have been arrested. Pam Bondi said that there might be more arrests. This is important because they want to make an example out of protesters. Now, look, I will tell you, they might have broken the law. I don't know. And protesting at a church is definitely stupid, but they're going to show you that there is no margin of error. And there doesn't even have to be an error for them to try to prosecute people and call them domestic terrorists, just like they did with Renee Goode. Now, the judge has rejected the DOJ's attempt to charge Don Lemon over the Minnesota church storming. Pam Bondi is supposedly enraged. They were trying to make an example out of Don Lemon, the media figure he is calling for himself to be protected. As a journalist, I don't always agree with what Don Lemon does. I think he's very sensational. I think he's over the top. But I do think he should be protected. Now, I don't know if he broke the law and trespassed in that church, but the DOJ is not going to charge him. So it seems like there was no criminal activity there. But first of all, this was predictable. Protesting in a church, I've said before, is stupid. Now it might actually be illegal if they trespassed or something like that. But it was especially stupid because now it's being manipulated by the White House. Vance is calling it an attack on religion and the door is open for them to do it because these protests happen. So let me just send a really important message to protesters. So many of you, most of you, almost all of you, have been doing such an amazing job of keeping it peaceful, of keeping it strategic, of keeping it creative. Don't protest in houses of worship for any reason. Don't give them reason to try to twist this. Let's keep it real. Because Vance said that when they protested, they scared children. Maybe they did scare some children inside that church. But you know what's really scaring children? Ice, because they are detaining them. We now know they detained five year old Liam Ramos. I went off on that yesterday, but more and more of the country is going off on it now because they understand how up it is, how wrong it is to detain kids. Leon Ramos's picture is everywhere and I'm actually not going to show it because I want us to consider something. We don't want this kid to be known around the world the same way Leon Gonzalez was or other kids were. I try not to post pictures of my kid. This kid deserves some degree of privacy and now he's on blast for the whole world. But this case has outraged the entire world. We found out from ProPublica that ISIS detained at least 600 other children last year and we don't know how many they've done this year. But his rightfully, understandably, enraged the world because ICE is detaining citizens, ICE is detaining cops, ICE is detaining veterans, and ICE is detaining kids and scaring and scarring our kids. We went deeper on it yesterday and how you can actually talk to your kids about this. NAMI and other organizations are putting out important resources. But this is where we are, America, going into this weekend. If they can do it to Renee Goode and they could do it to Chung Litao and they could do it to William Vermeer, the combat veteran, and they can do it to five year old Lion Ramos and other kids, that they can do it to anyone and they can do it to you. If you're not angry, you're not paying attention. And as we go into this Friday, ICE is ripping more and more of our country apart every day, more and more by the day. And now in Portland, we will be talking about Portland. I know Portland. It's a small city and it's full of independent, righteous people who will push back on ice. And it might just be the first of many cities. Go back and see my episode with Ruth Ben Guiat or with Asha Rangapa. We talked about what cities could be next. We want to talk about not just what's happening, but what's happening next and continue to focus on how Trump is continuing to attack not just American citizens and allies like Denmark and Greenland. He's continuing to attack the free press. And I talked about it earlier this week. I want to bring the focus back to the Stars and Stripes, the latest independent media source now under attack by the Trump administration. And the Stars and Stripes is actually going so far as to reach out for help. Their ombudsman posted a piece yesterday saying, I'm going to read a bit of it. Your help is urgently needed to keep Stars and Stripes operating as an independent news source that adheres to journalistic practices, principles and ethics. Your help is needed for Stripes to continue to provide fair, accurate and unbiased news for those who are serving our country and its veterans. If you care about America, you've got to stand with Stars and Stripes. Now I've invited representatives from Stars and Stripes to join me here on this show. I'd like to talk about it because they are vital not just to our armed forces, not just to our veterans, but to the world. And having Stars and Stripes go down after the attacks on the Washington Post and the CFB and NPR and so many others is very, very important. We can't let Trump have another media head on a stake for him to continue his assault on our journalists and on our democracy. Now meanwhile, shady media deals and moves continued. There's big news that TikTok has striked a deal with a new US entity ending this long legal saga. The Chinese parent company for the hugely popular app has said they struck a deal with a group of non Chinese investors to create an American TikTok. They try to avoid the ban. It will include some American investors including software giant Oracle MGX and Emirati service investment firm and Silver Lake. They're going to own more than 80% of this now. Interestingly, some of the investors have ties to Trump. No surprise there. And many are concerned that this could be a conflict of interest or create more alignment with TikTok and the President's presidential views and political views. Just like X rather has developed into. We know that Larry Ellison, Oracle's billionaire founder, has a very close relationship With Trump has lobbied the president on behalf of Ellison's son's bid to buy Warner Brothers and Discovery. They've done business with the Trump family's crypto firm. Look, this is really important. Conflict of interest is apparently no longer a thing in Washington. And the White House is fully and shamefully open for business. And we should all be outraged. This isn't how it's supposed to be. The president and his minions and his family members and his friends are not supposed to profit off of the moves that he's making. And there's no finer example than Venezuela. Think about that. When many folks who have ties, political ties to Trump are gonna make a lot of money in Venezuela. No new boat strikes today. Looks like they've stopped doing those. But as a reminder, we still haven't had accountability on what could be war crimes. No new seizures of oil tankers today so far, but we will continue to watch this space. And now that oil shipments are leaving Venezuela, we should follow the money and see what happens in Iran. An important reminder. Iran is falling off the headlines. We can't let it do that. Now that the regime has brutally murdered and crushed protests all across Iran, voices continue to trickle out and I want to bring some of them here to you on the show if you the days to come. In the meantime, seek out information on Iran. Don't let the protesters of Iran have died in vain. And remember that we need a free Iran. This was close to a tipping point in Iran. And there are plenty of freedom fighters right now who have gone to ground who need American support if our president won't give it to him and he has to do more than just promising to bomb them into oblivion. All right, Meanwhile in Ukraine, they continue to be bombed every single day, hit with missile strikes every single day. Day 1433 of Russia's full scale invasion of Ukraine. Last night, a Russian drone hit a Dnipro apartment building. They continue to strike apartment buildings. A drone hit a high residential high rise, injuring seven people, including a 14 year old girl. Putin does this every day, every single day. Americans are understandably worried right now about a snowstorm. Ukrainians face a storm of missiles and drones every single night. And we must stand with Ukraine. Meanwhile, yesterday, Zelensky gave a very powerful speech criticizing Europe for not doing more. Not talking about the Russian missiles and Shahi drones that continue to hit every single night. And they target Ukraine. And he warned tomorrow it could be any NATO country. And here in Europe, we're advised not to mention Tomahawks. He said not to mention Tomahawks to Americans not to spoil their mood. And they're not supposed to bring up Taurus missiles. When the subject is Turkey, diplomats say don't offend Greece. When it's Greece, they say be careful with Turkey. In Europe, there are endless internal arguments and things left unsaid that stop Europe from uniting and speaking honestly to find real solutions. It was a brilliant speech and a wake up call from Zelensky where he said Ukraine can help protect Greenland. We have the expertise and the weapons. Russian ships will sink near Greenland just like they sunk near Crimea. We could act if we were asked if Ukraine were a member of NATO, but we are not in NATO, he reminded everybody. Ukraine is still not in NATO. A brilliant, powerful, necessary speech. And look, Ukraine should have been in NATO years ago. At this point, there is no more tested and proven military in the world than the Ukrainians. And NATO would be stronger the second Ukraine is added and Putin would be weaker. And we'll continue to follow this. All right. We continue to follow, of course, independent news and politics. We mentioned yesterday that more NFL players are independent than registered Republicans and Democrats. I told you about the high number of linebackers, the low number of punters. There's also information about the NBA, Major League Baseball, NHL and wnba. The NBA, despite its all star players leading Black Lives matter activism in 2020 is even more divided between registered Democrats and independents. The NFL is made up of 44% independents against 34% Democrats, 20% Republicans. But the average combined share of independents in the five leagues is 41%. So here's the bottom line. All sports are increasingly independent. We have covered it on this show and it's really, really important to understand that it's not just NFL players, it's not just politicians. It's all Americans who are increasingly independent. And we will continue to focus on it in this show and body body. We're going to talk Friday football coming up in just a minute with the great Willie Geist who is here. But before we get to Willie, where we will talk about culture in culture. News. Culture and politics continue to intersect. And yesterday Paris Hilton teamed up with Alexandria Ocasio Cortez on a major AI porn bill. Frankly, I can't think of any story that's going to get more clicks than something that has Paris Hilton, aoc, porn and Washington. But in an unlikely political alliance, Democrat Alexandria Ocasio Cortez was with Republican Representative Ana Paulina Luna and Nancy Mace. Some of the most controversial people were together with Paris Hilton in support of the disrupt explicit forged images and non Consensual Edits act or the Defiance Act. It would create a pathway for civil action against those who produce, receive or possess digitally altered pornography that uses the likeness of an individual without their permission. This is important, folks. The deep fakes are getting worse. This is incredibly damaging, not just to the people I mentioned, but to anyone. They could do this to children. They could do this to public figures. And it's something that I think should be bipartisan and we should all push back on. AI continues to threaten entertainment as well. Yesterday, Scarlett Johansson, Cate Blanchett, Joseph Gordon Levitt and others. We're among 700 industry backers of a new anti AI campaign called stealing. Our work is not innovation. Actors are deeply threatened by AI. All creatives are deeply threatened by AI And I will stand with them. I welcome Scarlett Johansson, Cate Blanchett, Joseph Gordon Levitt, who I met many years ago to join me on this show anytime because this intersection of culture and sports is very, very important. I want to give a shout out also to Barrett Media who mentioned independent Americans and the rise of our show and how we're meeting this moment. Check out Barrett Media's coverage of this show, a feature piece there. Thank you to them for seeing what we're cooking. We'll also link to it in the show notes. All right. And finally, before we get to Willie, who you will be worth, you will be happy you waited for. In sports, another leader that we've talked a lot about, Indiana's Fernando Mendoza has now entered the NFL draft. He has formally said that he is coming out in the draft and he will be likely the number one pick, which I think is good because the more that Mendoza is out there spreading positivity, the better. And as we go into the NFL playoffs this weekend, we understand how important quarterback leadership will be, how important honorable leadership will be to meet the storm of media and politics and chaos that are coming at us every day. And there is a real storm, a snowstorm about to hit America.

[Willie Geist]

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[Paul Rykoff]

We're going to punch back with our own kind of quiet storm. It is Friday. It is football Friday and Trump can't stop Friday and he can't stop football and he can't stop Willie Geist, who is coming up to help us stay Vigilant. All right, folks, I on this fantastic football Friday, helping us stay vigilant, the man who joined us on episode number one 423 episodes ago, he helped us stay vigilant from the beginning. He is the co anchor of Ms. Now's Morning Joe. He is the anchor of Sunday Today with Willie Geist. Winter Storm Fern is coming. But Willie Geist is here. Yes, They've got Winter Storm Fern. We've got Willie Geist. He is finally back. Welcome back. The great and powerful Willie Geist is back. Hooray.

[Willie Geist]

Hey, Paul, how you doing? I am bundled and ready for the winter storm. I can feel it in my bones. It's coming. You know, like you're in a rainstorm. Your knee starts to creak a little bit. I can feel. I can feel this storm coming. So I've got like the grandfather cardigan on. I'm ready, baby. Let's hold on.

[Paul Rykoff]

You look very Mr. Rogers. Like, you look very cozy.

[Willie Geist]

You know, I'm just home from work. It's the end of the week and I'm like, I can feel it coming. Let's just, let's get the firewood in. Let's get it all set up and let's just. We got some football this weekend. Let's just kind of. Let's shut it down for a couple days.

[Paul Rykoff]

I feel like with all this shit happening in the world, America needs to hang out with Willie Geist on his couch during this storm, man.

[Willie Geist]

I think all of us do. You know, when you said. You said I was on the first episode, it just in this moment reminded me of you. Remember that when you, you didn't even quite know where your studio was yet and you gave me the address and it was the address. It was the address to the Polish Consulate. And so I'm like, wow, this is a nice studio. And I opened the door and there were people in, like, you know, those taped off lines waiting to have their passports or their visas validated or something. I was like, I don't think this is Paul's podcast studio. I think we're off by a block or something.

[Paul Rykoff]

Simpler times, man, that was nice. That was back before our country pissed off Poland and everybody else on the continent.

[Willie Geist]

That's true. That's true.

[Paul Rykoff]

Now they might not even let us in. The Polish Consulate.

[Willie Geist]

Exactly.

[Paul Rykoff]

The last week of NATO and Davos, Right?

[Willie Geist]

No kidding. No kidding. Yeah. Just burn it all down and for no reason. That seems to be the strategy.

[Paul Rykoff]

Well, I want to get into that. I want to talk. We got you for football. Friday. I'm very excited about that. I want to talk about the latest in the world, but most importantly, on this Friday, where are you, my friend? And how are you?

[Willie Geist]

I am great. I am home getting ready for this storm on a Friday after a long week of work. I was in Nashville for the first couple days of the week. We had a big. For my Sunday show, a live event with Luke Combs, country music superstar, which is great. So I live professionally. I live in these two worlds where all day during the week, I'm doing Morning Joe and we're in the muck and the churn of what the news is and the latest development and what did the president say last night and how much credence should we give it? Should we spend time on it? And you're just living with the. The ice raids and all the things that kind of get people's stomachs in a knot. And then on the weekends on NBC, on Sunday Today, I get to do something different, which is Today show. So we give you the news at the top, but then it kind of becomes a magazine show. And so I do one of these big, long interviews. And this week, we did a live one with Luke Combs. So a long way of saying, I'm happy to be home at the end of a long week. It was a great week, and just kind of getting ready, getting ready for the storm. My son has a basketball game today. I got a friend coming in town to stay with us this weekend, and we're all of the same mindset. You know, get at the grocery store, get the firewood, lock it down, get ready for the storm.

[Paul Rykoff]

Luke Combs is amazing. I've been a big fan from the beginning, from, you know, the first track. I remember when it dropped, and I heard his voice, and I heard the power. How was that, man? How was hanging out with Luke Combs in Nashville?

[Willie Geist]

He's a great dude.

[Paul Rykoff]

He.

[Willie Geist]

He really. He. He's one of those Nashville stories where you feel like he's really earned it, and he's earned it with authenticity. Where he got to town, he's like. And he talks about this. He's like, look, I don't have, like, the Nashville package. I'm not slick, right? He's like. He's like, I'm not gonna get by on my clothes, my look, my dance moves. I don't have any of that. He's like, what I have is songwriting, my guitar and my voice. And I love. And I put Chris Stapleton in this category, too. Just guys who it actually, for me, Affirms a lot that, like, oh, there is still a reward for just being really good at what you do and working really hard at it with no glitz and no shine and, you know, no choreography and none of that stuff. And so he, Luke Combs, just, he sells out football stadiums. I mean, he's about to go out on a tour across the United States, all football stadiums. And then he goes to Paris and Amsterdam and Sweden and all these places where you go, really, Luke Combs. And then he finishes the tour this summer with three sold out shows at Wembley Stadium in London. And so that's a guy from like a little town in North Carolina who just, just, you know, it's talent, but it's also just Will, man. You know, it's like, and also just trusting the thing he has and believing in it. And so he carries that with him. And there's, you could just, I mean, you know, when you're around people, you experience this too. Just, just, he knows everybody's name. It's loose, the people around him. I've been in other situations where a big star, everyone's sort of like, okay, are we taking care of them? Are we, we shouldn't talk right now. He seems upset. It's just him hanging out with his buddies. He's got the same songwriters he's had since he got to Nashville, guys he trusts, and he just lives that way with, with total gratitude. And he, I think he even said in our conversation, I do have moments like, how did this happen to me? You know, he's like, there. I'm just a guy from North Carolina who didn't do anything except write songs and sing them, and now I'm singing them to football stadium. So I love that guy. I'm a huge fan to begin with professionally as a musician, but just personally too. He's one of the all time great dudes.

[Paul Rykoff]

I, I, I feel you on that. You know, it's the power of authenticity.

[Willie Geist]

Yes.

[Paul Rykoff]

I think Eddie, Eddie Glaud was on this week and said something about like the power of the genuine. And there's like him and you think about, you know, Jelly Roll maybe, right? And Chris Stapleton. These guys don't look like movie stars, right? And they just have the power and the authenticity and the realness. And also, you know, they're becoming voices to the world. And you know, same week where we got Springsteen speaking out against Ice, who, you know, they're kind of the evolution of Springsteen, right. As a voice of America. Do you get the sense that, does he talk about Politics. Does he talk about ice? Cause it feels like a lot of the guys, frankly, in the newer generation have stayed out of those issues. Where you got Bob Dylan and Springsteen and so many others that spoke out on issues they cared about.

[Willie Geist]

Yeah, no, we didn't really get into much of that. I think he's. I. I'm sure he has his views, but we didn't get into much of the politics of it. It's interesting. You're right. I think in country music, maybe especially, there's. Maybe. And I'm not saying this about Luke, but I'm saying it as a general thing that I picked up on. There's an unwillingness for most of them to go there, perhaps because of their audience, and they don't want to alienate people, which I understand, but that there are voices down there who speak out on both sides of it. I think, actually, a lot of the social commentary now has moved to, like, hip hop, basically, where you have artists who are not afraid to speak out and talk about what's going on in the news and in these communities right now. So, yeah, there's. I think we didn't get into it there, but I think private conversations. I think he has his views. I'll put it that way. I don't want to betray them publicly, but I think there is more concern among people, people generally, than maybe they're feel comfortable expressing, sometimes out loud.

[Paul Rykoff]

Yeah, I hope they'll. More of them will break the seal, and I think they'll find that it just. It confirms their authenticity and people will support them even more. I mean, you think about the Eddie Vetters and you think about so many other folks that have spoken out over the years on issues they care about. I think it definitely deepens the trust and the respect. Everybody might not agree with them, but I think they were. They respect where they're coming from. Hey, I can't go into culture and all this without asking you about the Giants. We got Harbaugh. We got Harbaugh as our head coach. Talk about somebody who's supposed to bring leadership and authenticity. You know, you. And I love the Yankees, too. They resigned. Bellinger, thank God.

[Willie Geist]

Had to have it. Yep, had to have it.

[Paul Rykoff]

But Harbaugh, man. What's your reaction to the Harbaugh sign.

[Willie Geist]

The minute he got fired? I mean, think about this. The guy misses the field goal at the end of the game that he probably should have made. Harbaugh's still the coach of the Ravens. If he makes it, misses it, we've got an opening. The Minute they fired him as a we. We, there's no choice but to get him. And they did, to their credit. Ownership went and got him. I just think he brings authority, experience, a guy with a Super bowl ring, respect among the players and all those things that we haven't maybe had enough of lately. It'll be interesting. So I'm happy he's here. I mean, it's what he does in the draft because he's kind of a defensive guy.

[Paul Rykoff]

Yep.

[Willie Geist]

So my thought was we're going wide receiver in the draft as a compliment to Malik Neighbors, but I think with him there, they're going to go defense. That's my prediction. Get like a Caleb Downs or one of those like, you know, sort of playmaking defensive players. So we'll see. But I mean, look, Jackson Dart's got a year under his belt. You getting Malik Neighbors back. He basically didn't have him last year after he blew out his knee. Scatter Boo comes back, see what he can do. Energize the team. Team get. Get Jackson. One other weapon, maybe in the later rounds, shore up the defense. I'm not saying they're going to the playoffs this next year, maybe two years, although I've been saying that for a long time. We're two years away.

[Paul Rykoff]

You and I have both been saying that for a lot. And I, you know, I hope they don't take a wide receiver. I feel like we've taken so many wide receivers and the risk is so high, especially with injury. I hope they take a Hall of Fame offensive lineman or a Hall of Fame defensive lineman that's super durable, he's going to be there for 15 years that can anchor and block for Scatter Boo, who is like the biggest sensation in this town since, I don't know, Jeremy Lynn, maybe. Right?

[Willie Geist]

Lynn Sanity.

[Paul Rykoff]

Scatter Boo is on another level. But. But it's. But it's been exciting to watch. And I just want you to know, in honor of you, I wore something else. I wore my Don Mattingly. Oh, Donnie. Baseball.

[Willie Geist]

Yes.

[Paul Rykoff]

For folks that are watching on YouTube, Willie and I talk a lot about the Yankees. I keep hoping that Mattingly will be our head coach, but in the meantime, he's a spirit animal out there around all of us that we root for. Right?

[Willie Geist]

I love that dude. I grew up in New Jersey, a Yankee fan, as you know, but just for your audience. And I played first base, Little league baseball out in Jersey. And it was. Remember, we had Mattingly and Keith Hernandez was there for the Mets, too. See, I'm not A Yankee fan who hates the Mets. I think that works the other way more. So Even in the 80s, when we were trudging through some lean years with the Yankees, Dave Winfield was always my number one, and I loved him and Mattingly, but it was hard not to be wrapped up and excited in the Mets, too, during those years. So I had Keith Hernandez and Don Mattingly as my role models because I was tall. So they put me at first base to catch all the wild throws, you know, from the kids. So he was Donny Baseball and Keith Hernandez, those were like, those are my guys. Yeah. I would love to see him back in the organization. It's such a smart move, too. Right. The fan base loves him, the nostalgia for it. So we'll see what happens down the road. But it'd be good to have him.

[Paul Rykoff]

And Steinbrenner's gone, so he can be himself. Right. And he can grow the mustache and the hairline. Right. It's.

[Willie Geist]

Get the stash going. Yeah.

[Paul Rykoff]

My. My. My brother's favorite player was Dave Winfield. My favorite player was Don Mattingly. And. And we definitely have that spirit and that aura of that time around us. And I. I'm glad you said this. I am of the opinion that Yankee fans do not need to hate on the Mets. It adds to the excitement. I will even root for the Buffalo Bills if everybody's out. It's for me. It's New York or nothing, Right?

[Willie Geist]

Sure.

[Paul Rykoff]

And I think, you know, we have enough division in this country. Yankees and Mets fans can come together and we can all root against the Red Sox and the Phillies.

[Willie Geist]

And I agree.

[Paul Rykoff]

I don't know.

[Willie Geist]

I agree because I think the. The little brother thing that always has existed with Mets fans makes them hate us as Yankee fans more than we hate them. We're like. I actually, I agree with you. The city's more fun when the teams are good with the back pages are good and the playoff races and who's better? Is it going to be a subway series? I root for that. So I'm not a Mets hater at all.

[Paul Rykoff]

I can't root for Juan Soto, but I will root for the Mets. I love Pete Alonso. Another great first.

[Willie Geist]

Yeah.

[Paul Rykoff]

The Orioles got such a steal with Pete Alonso.

[Willie Geist]

Totally.

[Paul Rykoff]

You know, unfortunately, I think the Mets kind of treated him the way the Giants treated Saquon and, you know, he walked and. And there. It would have been better off with him.

[Willie Geist]

But.

[Paul Rykoff]

All right, we got sports, man. And thankfully, that keeps us away from the rest of it. But I can't have you on here. Without talking about the news and what I think is our top topic, You know, you're a dad, you're a voice of reason, you're a trusted analyst. People look to you every morning on Morning Joe to help them make sense of it. And then they get that chaser with you on the weekend. I think that adds kind of chicken soup for the soul during a storm. I think we've got to talk about where ICE is right now and in particular how I feel like ICE crossed the line this week with the detainment of a kid. Right. The five year old kid. This is the moment that I think has been kind of a backbreaker. 5 year old Liam Ramos. And no matter what they say about him, I think ProPublica reported that I sent 600 kids to detention in shelters last year, which was a new record. We don't even know how many this year. But can I ask you to react to that moment where I think, I think it feels like a crescendo, it feels like a breaking point where now everybody has this image of this 5 year old boy with his Pokemon hat on and that juxtaposition with goons who are kicking indoors and now don't even think they need a warrant. But just. I'm going to give you the mic and let you riff, man. I mean, what do you think about all this?

[Willie Geist]

Yeah. I mean if, if the shooting death of a 37 year old mother, now we know from the autopsy in the face one of the shots wasn't enough to wake you up to what's going on, maybe this will be, which is. I agree. I think people, there's been this instinct in the last year or maybe more now of people that kind of look away from the news. Right. It's just, it's too much, it bumps, bums me out too much, it's too awful. I can't wake up with anxiety every day, all that. But when you have a story like what you just described, Liam Ramos, I'm glad you said his name, five years old, he comes home from school with his dad, who ICE is looking for. Dad takes off and they detain the 5 year old. The allegation is that they sent him up to the door to knock on the door of his own house, effectively used as bait to draw out other adults. And then when they catch his father, they send the boy, 5 years old and the father together to San Antonio. The kid lives in Minneapolis, Columbia Heights. So what is the argument for or the defense of that if his father is a violent criminal, you can Arrest him and bring him to press charges against him and bring him to trial. But what's the case for not letting the five year old boys stay with the adults in the house or to, to make sure he's safe and not to scoop him up and throw him onto a plane to Texas? I think that's where a lot of people have woken up. There was also a scene yesterday where someone was detained already on the ground, hands behind the back and sprayed in the face with an irritant to the eyes. So that's, that's not, that's not bringing someone under control who's a threat to you. That threat, such that it was, was neutralized already. And so then that's the, that's the stuff that's getting people right. Or the US Citizen who was paraded out of his house without being given the chance to put on a shirt, got shorts going, oh, you're U.S. citizen. Oh, we thought there was someone in there who turns out was already in jail. And I think these things do add up in combination, of course, with the, the death of Renee Good to wake up the conscience of maybe a little bit of a sleepy nation who is just not wanting to confront or deal with what's going on every day. And I think now you see activists continue to be in the streets in Minneapolis across Minnesota. Now there's this movement for businesses to close in protest. And the question is then what if you have a government, an administration and an organization in ICE that doesn't care about accountability? In fact, when Renee Good died, the investigation focused on her spouse. The investigation focused on the governor of Minnesota and the mayor of Minneapolis. Instead of saying this was terrible, we need to figure out how this happened, why, what procedures were not broke, were not held. So I think long way of saying I think this adds up. And it's a strange political calculation for this administration because people do not like what they're seeing. And don't take my word for it, you look at polling, you can listen to people who have supported Donald Trump, you can listen to Joe Rogan on his podcast say, whoa, if you were going to shut down the border and get the murderers and rapists as you said you were going to get out the worst of the worst, go for it, do your thing. That's what I voted for. But what I didn't vote for is the 5 year old kid being snatched out of his driveway or the US Citizen being paraded in his underwear outside the house or just smashing the windows of cars and dragging people around. This is not what even I would suggest most Trump voters voted for when they thought, yeah, we're going to vote for you because of immigration.

[Paul Rykoff]

Yeah, man. I mean, it's deeply, deeply fucked up. And I think everybody can see that now. And I've said, especially for those of us who are veterans, who've been in law enforcement, it's also unprofessional, it's unnecessary and it's unacceptable. You couldn't do that to a detainee on the battlefield. You shouldn't be able to do it to an American citizen. And I think we have to speak out loudly and say that, you know, it's also all gas and no brakes. As I talk about a lot now, they're going into Portland. It doesn't seem like anybody can stop them. They don't care about public opinion. So I do think maybe going back to where we started, it's going to be those people on the edge of culture. It might not be Luke Combs, but it's going to be more and more people who haven't been involved in politics who now step forward and, and say, this is wrong. Right. And I think it, I don't think it's going to necessarily slow them down either.

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[Willie Geist]

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[Paul Rykoff]

You know, we're gonna have to continue to have these clashes. There's a strike, I think today across Minneapolis, but Portland's next. And Portland could very quickly look like Minneapolis. A much smaller place, a place I know pretty well. And then it could be Chicago, it could be somewhere else. And I think it's really important for people to understand that they can come after Liam Ramos. They can come after you, Sure. I think a lot of people don't think they can come after you, but you've been having them on your show. You've been having those conversations. Let me take you to our next segment if I can, Willie, and go below the radar because actually I want to talk about where you sit and where you guys sit. Because Trump is coming after the press now, right? He turned Twitter into X. He came after the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, the Pentagon press Corps, the Washington Post, cnn. He's come after Morning Joe before Don Lemon, now this week. You know, I'm not a huge fan of Don Lemon, candidly. Right, but whatever. Like they're making an example out of Don Lemon with the doj. You could be next. Joe could be next. Anybody on your show can be next. Can you talk about your thoughts on that and how you're preparing for what could be a more full scale assault by the DOJ against people across the media and press?

[Willie Geist]

Yeah, because it's been done so willy nilly on the whims of the president. If he sees something, he sees a quote or he has Ms. Now on or whatever it is, that becomes the target of the moment. I mean, most times it's fleeting and he moves on to the next thing. But the fact of the matter is, there is a. It's the irony of them talking about the weaponization of the government in the previous administration. I mean, go down the line from the media to universities to law to private businesses, to going after President Trump's perceived enemies, to relitigating the 2020 election, all those things, actually using the government for his own ends. But in the case of the media, yeah, of course it's, you know, it's a concern. But I will say, and I say this sincerely, it has not changed the way I do my job, because it can't. Because the point of us, the point of the press is to see the truth and tell the truth as it is. And, you know, we have a lot of people on our show who provide analysis. I try to kind of ask the questions that I think viewers at home are wondering about. I try to provide context and history and information because we've got plenty of other flamethrowers on the show. That's not really my role. But, yeah, he's the, the president long has watched Morning Joe, we know that. And he sees things on Morning Joe that upset him and he'll post about them or yell about them. And I wouldn't say I'd be lying if I said from the time he was reelected, there weren't conversations about, okay, what does this mean? If he really, in a full throated way, comes after us, comes after NBC puts pressure on, well, it was Comcast, but, you know, now puts pressure on Ms. Now, you know, what does that look like? And so we would be ready for that in the legal sense, in those ways. But again, I can't, I couldn't wake up in the morning and go, well, I better not say that, because what if he posts about it or I better not criticize that decision. And I found for me personally the opposite, which is the more this escalates and the worse what I see in front of me becomes, the more vigilant I have to be. You know, that's the job. Otherwise, don't do this job. And so I understand that there's fear out there, but, you know, this is what we signed up for and this is what. This is what we've been doing, and this is what we'll continue to do. And I think people who watch our show, who watch Morning Joe, I hopefully can say with some confidence that we haven't changed who we are. You know, I think we've over the years been. Maybe we're. And we try to get more Republicans on our show. They don't like to come on the show, but we had a congressman on today, and I think that's part of us making sure that we're capturing this moment and capturing this story, but not to both sides things, but to, you know, perhaps challenge them on some of those things.

[Paul Rykoff]

I think people trust you, Willie, and I've long said that I think you're one of the most important voices in the country because of your tone, because of your integrity, because of your thoughtfulness, because of your example. Right. Like you're a dad and you're a guy who gives back tremendously. You and I met because of some of the work you do for veterans and Operation MEND and so many other causes. And I think that the country needs you now. They need you to rise to this moment and be who you are. Right. And you've been a very thoughtful, balanced kind of point guard running through all of this over the last couple of decades. And I think the country trusts you and is going to need you now more than ever, man. So we're rooting for you. And I'm grateful for what is a public service that you do. It really is a public service. And you get a lot of shit that, you know, you carry it well. You like a Keith Hernandez or like a Don Mattingly. You're steady man, and the country really needs you.

[Willie Geist]

Well, I appreciate that. And I think just my approach, not speaking for others or criticizing others, but to get overly. To make things personal and to get emotional about things doesn't serve the audience well. I don't think to make it about you in some way. I try always to avoid that. I don't think that's interesting. And I also think that when I hear people say things like, oh, I'm you know, I'm moving out of the country until Trump's gone. I think that's exactly the wrong approach, which is like, we're in this right now, all of us. And so this is the time to be here. This is the time to be on the front lines if you care about things, especially in my job. This is the time to wake up every morning, make sure you're as prepared as you can be, make sure you're as close to the truth as you can be. And so I wouldn't say I want our world to look the way it does right now or our country necessarily, but it is where we are and it is the country. It is. And it's in some ways heightens and makes more important what you do, what I do, what everybody's doing in some ways to check the government, because we've lost a lot of those checks in recent years.

[Paul Rykoff]

You're right. You're right. We've got to meet the moment. We've got to stay vigilant. I keep using the Mark Twain line, love my country always and my government when it deserves it. You've been great through all of it. And we still have football. So I got you here for Friday football. We're going to transition and go over to Friday football. Ready for this?

[Willie Geist]

Ready.

[Paul Rykoff]

Okay, so we got two games Sunday. Just so you know, two weeks ago with Ron Perlman, I was six for six.

[Willie Geist]

Wow.

[Paul Rykoff]

Okay. Ron Perlman was four for four. All right. Last weekend, I was three out of four. You know, I thought the Bills were going to pull it out.

[Willie Geist]

I did, too.

[Paul Rykoff]

But you're here for the big one, man. We got the conference championships. We're going to start out with the Broncos on Sunday, 3 o' clock at home against the Patriots. No, Bo. Knicks. Jared Stidham is going to be at quarterback, who went number 133 overall in the fourth round, actually was drafted by the Patriots. I think this is going to be a really interesting game, but I don't think that they can overcome Drake May. I think this Patriots team believes under variable. I think leadership matters. And at the end of the day, I'm always going to pick the quarterback that I think will not throw the big pick. It's not always about throwing touchdowns, but it's about not throwing the big pick. So I'm going with Drake May and the Patriots to beat the Broncos. Who you got? Willie.

[Willie Geist]

So my instinct was definitely that, which is Broncos. Great team. Lost their quarterback, though. Even though they're at home, I just don't see It. And then, you know, as you start to consider the possibilities, you go, what if this becomes that like storybook Jared Stidham, he hasn't thrown a pass in three years. He's only started four career games and he leads them to the super bowl and then wins the super bowl and it becomes one of these great all time American sports stories. But then I talk myself back out of that because he hasn't thrown a pass in a couple of years. I think the Patriots defense is really good. They look great last Sunday. And I think Drake May is so far beyond his years in terms of is his second year. Right. He's a second year player. Like, he plays like a veteran. He's so cool. He's one of these guys who's just right in here. So I too have taken the Patriots. Do we need scores or are we just taking the teams? I'm going.

[Paul Rykoff]

You can throw it out there if you want to go for it.

[Willie Geist]

All right, I'll go. Pat's 27 to 17. 27, 17. Yeah. So Pats.

[Paul Rykoff]

All right. I'm going to go. Pat's 35, Broncos 13.

[Willie Geist]

Ooh, a blowout.

[Paul Rykoff]

I think there's going to be a lot of turnovers. It's hard to that. That Patriots defense is ferocious.

[Willie Geist]

Yeah.

[Paul Rykoff]

Drake May's got 31 TDs and eight interceptions. This guy doesn't throw picks. Yeah. And you could argue he's the mvp. So that's what I'm going with here. All right. In the late game. This is also another great one. I mean, if you're a football fan, you can't not love this. The Seahawks at home, they're 14 and three. The Rams coming in at 12 and two. I've said this before. Leadership is the difference. Quarterbacks are the difference. It was true in the CFB championship. You know, you saw that when, when Mendoza didn't throw the pick and the Miami quarterback did. Right. You saw that in the Bears game when Caleb Williams threw the big pick after throwing the amazing touchdown. So at the end of the day, I'm picking the Rams and Matt Stafford. I love Puka Nkua. I just love saying his name. Yeah, right. But I'm picking Stafford because he's Stafford and the Seahawks, Sam Darnold's been great, but he's not Matt Stafford. So I'm picking the Seahawks. Sorry. Picking the Rams to beat the Seahawks. I'm going to say 27, 24. Seahawks. Rams. Sorry. Rams. Rams.

[Willie Geist]

Okay. That's a good pick. I. I tend to agree with you, but I Don't want to have the exact same pick. So Seattle, who. I'll be honest with you, I didn't watch. I watched almost none of this year, you know, and they just quietly. You looked up and you're like, oh, they're the number one seed in, you know, in the, in the NFC. It's wild. So I'm going with the 12th man. I'm going with the home game in Seattle. I'm going with that defense. I'm going to. I think Sam Darnold, game manager type game, does just enough, turns around and hands it off enough. Throws a couple of touchdowns. You know, it's one of those, like he's 12 for 18 for 186 yards and two touchdowns, no interceptions. So I'm going at home. Seattle, they win 23 to 21 in a thriller. 20 might be a late field goal. 23 to 21. I don't know if I believe what I just said because I love Stafford, but I'm going contrarian. So we don't have the same picks.

[Paul Rykoff]

I love it. I love it. Dude, Stafford's got 46 TDs.

[Willie Geist]

Oh, it's outrageous. Interceptions, outrageous.

[Paul Rykoff]

Fifteen more TDs than Drake may has. Right. I mean, Stafford has been so good. I don't know why. Maybe. Maybe because they're on the west coast, folks don't see them as much. But the Rams have been really good and really fun to watch and they've done it before, too. At the end of the day, you got experience. So I may. I'm gonna go with that. Right. When it comes down to it, you get those tough games.

[Willie Geist]

Yeah.

[Paul Rykoff]

Experience of your leadership matters.

[Willie Geist]

That's a fun. Also, if you think about the Super Bowl. The super bowl is on NBC. So I'm thinking about how are we going to market this thing? If I can have Stafford and May. Right. The probably one and two MVP candidates, but from different generations almost of the NFL. The young guy, the veteran. That's a good story to tell. So let me just say I hope you're right for NBC's sake.

[Paul Rykoff]

I'm going to have to hear it from Mattow, who has promised to come on the show again soon. I don't know if you know, we had a bet years ago when the Patriots played the Giants and the loser had to wear the winner's jersey on television. Some of you know that Rachel Maddow once did an entire episode in an Eli Manning jersey.

[Willie Geist]

No. Which super bowl was that? Was that the helmet catch Super Bowl?

[Paul Rykoff]

I think it was. I think it was the one in Indianapolis.

[Willie Geist]

I think Tyree. Yeah.

[Paul Rykoff]

Honored her bet, and she. I think she wore it the entire episode. You can find this online.

[Willie Geist]

That's incredible. Wow. Yeah. She's a woman of her words.

[Paul Rykoff]

She lost the bet to. She didn't say who she. But it was me. She lost the bet to me.

[Willie Geist]

That's. That's even weirder, though. She should have explained it a little bit. She just showed up in an Eli.

[Paul Rykoff]

Jersey, and I don't know if she explained it expl. Explicitly, but we'll have her back on and she'll talk about it. Really fun to have you doing this. All right. We're gonna close with something that is right up your alley, man. We're gonna close with something good.

[Willie Geist]

Something good.

[Paul Rykoff]

And I'll start, and then I'll throw it to you. I'm gonna say snowstorms are good. There aren't too many things that force us to pause and go home again. Like, I think Covid feels like a long time ago, but it can bring us back to basics. It can bring us back to family and to looking out for your neighbors and to sledding and being a kid again. And, you know, at a time when there's so much shit going on, my kids are excited, and I think, you know, kids all across the country are excited. A lot of people don't want to work on Monday are probably excited, but I think schools are going to be closed all across America on Monday, and maybe we can use it as a. As a national snow day to enjoy each other, respect each other, and look out for each other. My. Something good is winter Storm Fern. That I know will cause some destruction, but I hope we can use it to turn every crisis into an opportunity.

[Willie Geist]

I love that. That's such a good one. And I'm very much, as I said at the top, very much feeling that way. So I. I like that one. I'm going to go. Not to be repetitive, but something good is football. I've been thinking about this a lot in the last, I don't know, decade or so when we feel these divisions, and it's like, do I know my neighbor as well as I thought I did? And my uncle and all that stuff. To me, it's like sports, and you see it in the ratings and music. It's like, those are the things where we all get in a room together. I have no clue how you feel about what's happening in the world or who you voted for, and it doesn't matter in this room. And I think I remember, like, two years ago, I went to a Springsteen show in Newark, and I really was overwhelmed by that feeling of, like, I grew up in New Jersey. We didn't think this way that we think now. Like, I don't know if you voted for Reagan and you voted for Kennedy, what. Whoever. You voted for Carter. It was. There's something so unifying about live events, and it's. And it might be a concert, but it also might be a football game. I.

[Paul Rykoff]

The.

[Willie Geist]

The ratings, especially with a snowstorm, the ratings on Sunday for these championship games, even though they aren't the most marquee games, are going to be through the roof. And so I'm for anything right now in this moment. And you do a good job of this on this show. That just reminds us of why we love each other, why we're together, the things we share rather than the stuff that divides us. Because I do think that our division is overstated, and it's amplified by social media and TV shows and podcasts and all that stuff. When you strip it down and you stand on the sideline of your kid's soccer game or in the stands of your basketball game, we're not yelling at each other. I mean, we have huge disagreements and big problems, but I think we actually love each other a lot more than we let on. And I think a football game is an opportunity for us to show that. Put on your jersey and just hug some random guy next to you.

[Paul Rykoff]

Here, here. This is why we love you, man. You bring the insight and you bring the perspective and you bring the example. Hey, New Jersey's having kind of a good run right now. You know, you got two senators who are pretty amazing and inspirational. You got a new governor who was on this show.

[Willie Geist]

Yeah.

[Paul Rykoff]

And we got you. I mean, if you weren't. If you didn't have a new governor, there are a lot of folks that say, willie for governor. You're a great example. She said, you know, hey, from New Jersey to America, you're welcome. So on behalf of New Jersey America, you're welcome for Willie Geist. Willie. Willie, is you funny at that very.

[Willie Geist]

That Springsteen show I was just telling you about. This is a couple years ago. There's a crush of people just to get in the main entrance. I don't know what it was, but it was like it was. And everyone had their signs rolled up because you hold up a sign for the song you want to hear. So I'm. Shoulder to shoulder. We're trying to get it. And I look next to me and I Said Congresswoman. It was Mikey Sherrill.

[Paul Rykoff]

Was it?

[Willie Geist]

She was there with a sign rolled up, Jersey Girl. She went. I was like, oh, you're a real one. Like, that's real New Jersey. You didn't, like, waltz in some side entrance and don't really know. You only know a couple of the hits. You're only. No. Born in the usa. She was like, she's real Jersey. That showed it to me right there. She was in that mosh pit with her sign, hoping that he would notice her.

[Paul Rykoff]

She wasn't hanging out in Jerry Jones's box at a Cowboys game like Chris Christie, right?

[Willie Geist]

No, no, no. Far from it.

[Paul Rykoff]

Cowboys.

[Willie Geist]

No. She was in the trenches in Newark.

[Paul Rykoff]

That's real. The opposite of the authenticity that we were talking about earlier. Was Chris Christie in the. In the Cowboys box, rooting for the Cowboys. I don't know how the hell he got away with that for so long.

[Willie Geist]

But the Cowboys thing, still in the de Blasio, as a Red Sox fan, what are we. What is.

[Paul Rykoff]

What are we doing? That just shows you if.

[Willie Geist]

What are we doing?

[Paul Rykoff]

You can't trust him. You can't, you know, if you want to see if a politician's going to suck, see if they root for the. Not only like, not just the home team, but like, the opposite team.

[Willie Geist]

Right, right.

[Paul Rykoff]

Like, you can't trust him, man. All right. But America can trust you. Thank you, my friend, for your example, for your philanthropy, for always, especially having the backs of so many veterans and, you know, folks who don't know, every year at the Veterans Day parade, often, I think last couple years, it was cold as hell. You and your wife and your family are out there. When Mom Donnie didn't go, I will remind everybody, Mom Donnie wasn't there, but Willie Geist was there, and your amazing wife was there, and your family is there, and you're always there for so many folks who need it and setting a positive example and creating community and bringing so much light to contrast to heat, my friend. So thank you for all you and your wife do for so many and the great example that you set for our country.

[Willie Geist]

Thank you, Paul. That means a lot because we're kind of following your lead. When I met you with IAVA, I don't know, 15 years ago, more than that, probably almost 20 now, I watched your example and, like, this is how you lead. This is how you actually invest in veterans. This is actually how you take care of them. It's not lip service. Here's the real work to be done. So following your lead Brother. Thank you.

[Paul Rykoff]

Well, we're all following Aaron Menken, so maybe next time we can talk about draft Aaron Menken.

[Willie Geist]

Yes.

[Paul Rykoff]

I don't know if you know who once debated Sarah Huckabee Sanders in a high school debate. I didn't know that Aaron's been a guest on this show. I think we should recruit Aaron Menken to run as an independent veteran for governor of Arkansas. He is, he is one of our inspirations and a hero of both of ours. And we're following his lead.

[Willie Geist]

He I will follow him to the ends of the earth. Aaron Menken, look him up. If you don't know him, trust us.

[Paul Rykoff]

All right. Aaron Menken for president. Willie Geist for vice president. Thank you, my dear friend. Enjoy the games. Happy weekend and keep up the great work, man.

[Willie Geist]

Thanks, Paul. Great to talk to you. Always, man. See ya.

[Paul Rykoff]

All right, folks, there you have it. The great Willie Geist. Just one of my favorite people, one of the realest people. He and his amazing wife and family are really, really great Americans and great people. I encourage you to watch his show on Sundays, check him out on Morning Joe, follow him on social media and go hang out with him at his Springsteen show if you can. He'll also be at the Veterans Day parade every year. No matter how cold it is, no matter how unpopular it is. Willie Geiss and his entire family and his wife Christina are there with us. And I want to thank him for that, for always standing strong. All right, speaking of TV, it looks like tonight I will be on Ms. Out Ms. Now nightcap with Willie's colleague Stephanie Rule at 11 o' clock Eastern. We'll be talking about all the latest news and what's been a wild, wild week. As a reminder, we are daily now and we hit number 36 on the charts. Barrett Media did a profile talking about that. Let's keep it going. Keep this positive independent feedback coming far and wide. Follow us wherever you're listening right now. If it's on Apple podcasts, if it's on Spotify, any platforms and hit that. Subscribe on YouTube. Send us a comment. Subscribe. Check out our merch at IndependentAmericans US. Join our Patreon community. Give us a couple bucks to keep this going and we could keep it going even further. It was a cold week, but it was an important week. I want to thank all our amazing guests, Ty Pinkins, Eddie Glode, General Barry McCaffrey and of course, Willie Geist. Coming up next week, we will have more amazing guests and perspective. I've got Dr. Vin Gupta, who's gonna talk to us about the craziness around vaccines, what Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Is doing at HHS, and especially as we go deeper into flu season and more folks voices sound like mine, we're gonna need the good doctor to help us through it. And I think we're gonna get Jesse the Body Ventura. Next week we may have more surprises and quick response pods. Hit refresh. Every morning. I will send you bonus podcasts and I'll send you one on Saturday and maybe on Sunday. It'll be short, so be sure to subscribe because America is divided. But more than ever before, Independent Americans is working to change that. Bringing us together like a family in a snowstorm, like a community in a snowstorm and bringing a contrast to all the shows and knocking on the doors of the liberal shows like Pod Save America and the conservative shows like Ben Shapiro and Tucker Carlson. America wants an alternative and I'm trying to bring it. So if you're among the now 45% of professional athletes or Americans who are independent, this is your show. Independent Americans is the movement that is bringing the future of politics, news and culture. Country over party, people over politics, light over heat, challenging that status quo. And our movement is growing and bringing hope. That is the oxygen of democracy. I'm going to help you understand what's happening now and also what's happening next. I hope you felt that with Willie Geist if you did. Share it far and wide. Invite others to declare their independence over this snowstorm, period. It's a good time to check up on back episodes. You can even go all the way back and check out episode one with Willie when he tried to meet me at the Polish consulate before we pissed off Poland and the rest of the world. But invite others to declare their independence. And this summer is far away, but the winter is here and we can push through it because we are staying vigilant, just like Willie Geist, because eternal vigilance is the price of freedom. And no, you're not alone in your vigilance. We're all vigilant and we're all in this together. So help your neighbors out during this snowstorm, help your friends out, help somebody you don't know out, and we'll all be stronger together. I'm your host, Paul Rykoff. Getting ready for the snowstorm. The sleds are out. The kids are ready. Thank you for tuning in to Independent Americans. Happy Friday. Enjoy the playoffs and enjoy the snow. And most of all, stay vigilant.

[Willie Geist]

America tells me the left and right are dreams for those without a clue and when you wait it's time to.

[Paul Rykoff]

Grow and it's not cool to believe in school but if I can say.

[Willie Geist]

One thing I've seen the children of.

[Paul Rykoff]

The revolution and the good trouble they.

[Willie Geist]

Can bring he says the red and blue are dead and independent is an attitude an island in the sea of rhetoric and I can ra.