Paul Rieckhoff | Fossil Fools

Summary

Podcast Summary: The Late Show Pod Show with Stephen Colbert

Episode: Paul Rieckhoff | Fossil Fools

Date: March 10, 2026

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Overview

In this episode, Stephen Colbert delves into the ongoing Iran war, its mounting costs, and volatile political ramifications in the U.S., before sitting down for a revealing, wide-ranging conversation with national security analyst, veterans advocate, and podcaster Paul Rieckhoff. The pair discuss the blurred lines between war and politics, lack of clear leadership and goals, the need for Congressional oversight, and the hope offered by independent veteran candidates entering public office. The episode is marked by Colbert’s signature sharp humor, but also a sober exploration of the war’s impact on troops, national priorities, and democracy.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Monologue – War in Iran, Trump’s Leadership, and Rising Oil Prices

(00:10 – 13:00)

• Stephen Colbert opens with a comedic but pointed monologue about the Iran war, highlighting the lack of clear objectives, its skyrocketing cost ($6 billion in the first week), and President Trump’s inconsistent messaging.
  • “We now are on … day ten of the Iran war. And we're not any closer to finding out what the goal is. Is it regime change? Is it ending a nuclear program? ... Or is it changing the name to Donald Trump's Aron-a-Lago?” (00:18)
• Colbert skewers Trump's comments on Iran’s surrender and his intent to install new leadership:
  • "After Iran surrenders, Trump wants to pick their next leader ... When can we pick one of those?" (02:18)
• Lampoons the election of hardliner Mojtaba Khamenei, Ayatollah Khamenei’s son, as the new supreme leader, and Trump’s frustration at not getting his preferred candidate.
• Links the war’s escalation to spikes in oil prices, offering sarcastic “Late Show energy tips” about filling gas tanks with pizza grease (04:53).

2. Trump’s Disregard for Consequences

(05:16 – 11:30)

• Colbert highlights Trump’s flippant attitude to rising gas prices, war fatalities, and even U.S. soil retaliation risks:
  • Quoting Trump: “‘Some people will die. When you go to war, some people will die.’ It’s really not the most reassuring response you could get from a leader.” (07:38)
• Critiques Trump’s behavior during a dignified transfer of soldiers—keeping his branded golf hat on—which Colbert likens to “wearing a coconut bra to give a eulogy” (08:29).
• Exposes Fox News for running old footage to hide Trump’s hat faux pas.

3. Cuba, Latin America, and Trump’s ‘Shield of the Americas’

(10:20 – 12:28)

• Colbert riffs on Trump’s offhand claim that “Cuba’s gonna fall pretty soon … Unrelated. But Cuba is gonna fall, too” (09:25), mocking the randomness and lack of detail.
• Jokes that Marco Rubio is being assigned a host of jobs in Cuba, even joining the Buena Vista Social Club (10:28).
• Satirizes Trump’s announcement of the “Shield of the Americas” anti-drug initiative, poking fun at its vague mission statement: “It has to do with drugs. Largely powerful” (11:41).

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Interview with Paul Rieckhoff

(13:28 – 19:57)

4. What Troops Need from Leadership Before War

(13:31 – 14:25)

• Colbert: Asks Rieckhoff what the troops should hear from the Commander in Chief before any war.
• Rieckhoff: Delivers a passionate response on the need for both the troops and the nation to be given a clear, compelling case for war:
  • “There’s nothing more sacred, nothing more important that the commander in chief can do than send men and women into harm’s way, potentially to die. And before he even talks to the troops, he has to talk to the country. Because first you have to commit the country, then you have to commit the troops.” (14:06)

5. Congressional Apathy and Executive Overreach

(14:25 – 16:48)

• Colbert: Notes Congress’s constitutional war powers and how they’re being bypassed; lists countries recently engaged militarily by Trump, who campaigned on “no new wars.”
• Rieckhoff: Offers a stinging critique of Congress:
  • “Congress is completely failing ... When he went to war … they didn’t even come back into Congress. … They’re supposed to be a check. They’re supposed to be a guardrail. They’re not even a speed bump. … They’re like the mall cops of our democracy. They’re not even writing tickets. He is all gas, no brakes.” (15:39 – 16:45)

6. Unclear, Shifting Rationale for War

(16:48 – 17:39)

• Colbert: Observes that the war’s goals are vague and shifting.
• Rieckhoff: Draws parallels to Iraq, warning that shifting rationales help the administration avoid accountability:
  • “The strategy is to ensure that there are multiple rationales … But it also ensures they’re not held accountable ... I got sent to Iraq for yellowcake and weapons of mass destruction ... This ensures that they’re not accountable because they’re all gas, no brakes. They just keep going forward.” (17:35)

7. The Rise of Independent Veterans in Politics

(18:21 – 19:57)

• Colbert: Asks how veterans running for office could impact government and whether their experience would bring something new.
• Rieckhoff: Makes the case for independent-minded veterans as leaders with integrity who reflect the best of America:
  • “Most Americans are actually politically independent, unaffiliated. 45% of Americans are independent. ... The military itself ... they are a reflection of the best of America. ... Many of them want to answer the call right now, but they don’t want to pick a side ... What if we could create a way for them to run without having to pick a side—to run for America?” (19:13)
  • Announces an initiative: “We are recruiting 100 independent veterans to run from the Senate all the way down to school board to meet this moment and provide the leadership that this country is really looking for.” (19:54)

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Colbert, on Trump’s war rationale:
  “The rationale keeps changing, right? And that is by design.” (16:48)
• Rieckhoff, on Congressional oversight:
  “They’re like the mall cops of our democracy. They’re not even writing tickets. He is all gas, no brakes.” (16:45)
• Colbert, on Trump’s “Shield of the Americas”:
  “It has to do with drugs. Largely powerful. Reminds me of the Marines motto. It has to do with boats sometimes.” (11:41)
• Rieckhoff, on veterans and political independence:
  “You’re in the military, you’re putting country over party, people over politics. Then you get out and they tell you you gotta choose a side. Well, what if we could create a way for them to run without having to pick a side—to run for America?” (19:26)

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Timestamps for Important Segments

• 00:10 – Iran war monologue, Trump’s objectives and costs
• 05:16 – Trump’s casual attitude toward gas prices and casualties
• 08:29 – Trump’s dignified transfer golf hat scandal
• 09:25 – Cuba and “Shield of the Americas” segment
• 13:28 – Paul Rieckhoff introduction
• 14:06 – What troops (and the country) need to hear before war
• 15:39 – Congressional abdication and executive overreach
• 16:48 – The ever-shifting rationale for Iran
• 18:21 – Hope for democracy: veterans running as independents

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Tone & Style

The episode blends late-night satire and stinging political commentary with an earnest call for accountability and reform, especially in matters of war. Colbert maintains his trademark wit, even as the interview with Rieckhoff adopts a more serious, thoughtful pace focused on the consequences of war and the need for principled leadership.

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In summary:
This episode is a pointed, comedic, and sometimes sobering exploration of America’s latest war, internal political failures, and the paths toward restoring public trust through independent leadership. Rieckhoff’s insights offer both critique and hope, urging a new generation—particularly military veterans—to step forward in American public life.

Transcript

[Stephen Colbert]

Hey, Sal. Hank.

[Paul Rykoff]

What's going on?

[Stephen Colbert]

We haven't worked a case in years. I just bought my car at Carvana and it was so easy. Too easy.

[Paul Rykoff]

Think something's up?

[Stephen Colbert]

You tell me. They got thousands of options, found a great car at a great price, and it got delivered the next day. It sounds like Carvana just makes it easy to buy your car, Hank. Yeah, you're right. Case closed. Buy your car today on Carvana. Delivery fees may apply. Welcome, welcome one and all to the Late Show. I'm your host, Stephen Colbert. Ladies and gentlemen, we now. We now are on was this ten day ten of the Iran war. And we're not any closer to finding out what the goal is. Is it regime change? Is it ending a nuclear program? Is it changing the name to Donald Trump's Aron a Lago? But we are learning more about the cost because according to estimates, the first week of the war alone cost approximately $6 billion. Yeah. Yeah. It's surprising. Do you know what you could buy with $6 billion? 27 Kristi Noem horsey commercials. It's UNC. It's unclear how long the war will continue because this weekend Trump said the war will only stop after Iran's unconditional surrender. To which Iran replied, that's a dream America should take to their grave. Okay, that's spooky and metal as hell. Is there any more to that statement? Thank you. Cleric disturbed. After. After Iran surrenders, Trump wants to pick their next leader. As he said on Air Force One, we don't want to come back every five years or every 10 years and do this. So we want to pick a president that's not going to be leading their country into a war. When can we pick one of those? There are way ahead of me. They were way ahead of me. We were all jumping for that joke. At the same time, there are some candidates for the job we know Trump doesn't want. Last week, there were rumors that the new supreme leader would be the second son of the former supreme leader. But Trump said common a son is unacceptable to me. It can't be. Look, it cannot be. There's no way it can be Khamenei's second son. His mouth is all gums and he had to repeat kindergarten three times. No, wait, that's my son. That's my second son. So it was a real kick in the khakis for the president when this weekend, Iran elected their new supreme leader, Khamenei's son. Rude. Do they even consider Trump's preferred candidates? Iran, you could have had kid Rockatola. The son in question is hardliner Moshtaba Khamenei, seen here noticing that bitch Dariush is wearing the same clerical robe as him. This new guy isn't likely to be America friendly. As a top Iranian official said of the new leader, he will have no choice but to show an iron fist. Well, good luck. Iran's fist may be iron, but we have a fist made of blueberries you forgot at the back of the fridge. Just wash them off, just rinse them off, they'll be fine. A little mold. Yeah, exactly. The big news on Iran we got this is right before the taping we got was that Trump just told CBS News, I think the war is very complete. Pretty much, yes. Very complete. Pretty much. Just like that famous banner, mission accomplished in a manner of speaking. Let's just hope this war ends soon because today it pushed oil prices above $100 per barrel and analysts are expecting $4 and perhaps five dollar a gallon gas prices within weeks. Which brings me to tonight's Late show energy tips. Hi, penny pinchers. It's so simple. Here is a slice of pizza. Okay. This is a napkin. Okay? Now just squeeze this into your gas tank, ok? Available in leaded, unleaded and meat lovers.

[Paul Rykoff]

Thank you.

[Stephen Colbert]

Thank you very much. President seemed too concerned when he was asked about oil prices on Air Force One. Are you worried about gas prices right now? No, I'm not. This is a short excursion into something that should have been done for 47 years. We figured oil prices would go up, which they will. They'll also come down. They'll come down very fast. We have a plan. Replenishing our oil supply is very easy. We simply have to kill and crush up more dinosaurs. Therefore, I have ordered strikes on all the Jurassic Parks, including Isla Nublar, the Lost World, and the one from the third with Ti Leone. Why doesn't she work more? Wasn't she my secretary of state for a while? Was that her? Madam Secretary, The price of oil isn't the only thing Trump doesn't seem to give a damn about. Because on Thursday, Trump was asked if Americans needed to worry about Iran retaliating on US Soil. And he said, I guess. You guess? I guess isn't what you're supposed to say about a terrorist attack. It's what you say when someone asks, do you want to order the buffalo cauliflower? Trump went on, you know, we expect some things. Like I said, some people will die. When you go to war, some people will die. It's really not the Most reassuring response you could get from a leader. It reminds me of that scene from Braveheart. They may take our lives. Well, your lives. I'm out of here. Bye. Trump put his. Sure. We miss you, Mel Gibson. What happened to him? Oh, yeah. Trump put his disregard for human life on full display Saturday during the first dignified transfer of soldiers killed in the line of duty in his new war. Now, this is one of the most solemn things a commander in chief could do, which is why some people were shocked that Trump never took off his branded golf hat. Wearing a novelty golf hat to a dignified transfer is like wearing a coconut bra to give a eulogy. I think we're all going to miss Doug. I remember when we used to go horseback riding together, it sounded like this. If you thought the golf hat was inappropriate, you're not alone. So did Fox News, clearly, because instead of showing Trump in his stupid hat, they aired footage from last year when Trump went hatless. They just ran old footage. What are you doing, Fox News? You can't trick your audience. You've trained them for years to notice subtle differences. I mean, they're the only people who can tell that these are different women. When asked, sure, yeah, yeah, I got something. I lost something. When asked by CNN's Dana Bash how he would rate his new war, Trump said, I would say at 12, maybe 15 on a scale of 10, with 10 being the best. And I would give that answer two thumbs down. Bananas with 10 being. Makes sense. While he was telling Bash about Iran, he casually threw this in there. Cuba's gonna fall pretty soon, by the way. Unrelated. But Cuba is gonna fall, too. Unrelated. You just can't toss that in. Hey, champ. Mommy and I are getting divorced, by the way. Unrelated. You're adopted. That's why you're unrelated. Trump explained of Cuba. Trump explained of Cuba. I've been watching it for 50 years, and it's fallen right into my lap. Because of me, it's fallen. Cuba fell right into Trump's lap. Ooh, Cuba. Get out of there. You don't know where that lap has been. So what's Trump's. I want to say plan to. I want to say steal Cuba. Well, I'm going to put Marco over there and we'll see how that works out.

[Paul Rykoff]

What? No, no.

[Stephen Colbert]

Marco Rubio already has, like, six jobs. Marco is going to rob Cuba. He's going to be in charge of his cigar production, harvest the sugar cane, and I'm also going to put him in the trombone section of the Buena Vista Social Club. Work on your Embouchure. Trump's got plans for the rest of Latin America, too. On Saturday, the President held this big summit at his Doral Golf Club, which is somehow normal now. While there, he launched his new organization to fight drug trafficking, the Shield of the Americas. That's right. We're the new agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. i'm starting my own Avengers, folks, and it's led by me, White Panther, Wakankles forever. Remember back in the day, Shield of the Americas even has a. Apparently they use the same graphic designer as Paw Patrol. When asked what exactly the Shield of America's mission statement is, Trump said, it has to do with drugs. Largely powerful. Reminds me of the Marines motto. It has to do with boats sometimes. At the event, Trump gave a shout out to some of the assembled leaders, including El Salvador's president, whose name is pronounced Nayib Bukele. President of El Salvador. Another friend, Nayib Bukele. Oh, yeah. Oh, yeah. They're clearly, clearly great pals, just. Just like me and my band leader, Louis Kutubu. He answered the leaders of these Spanish speaking nations with the utmost respect. I'm not learning your damn language. I don't have time. Don't be offended.

[Paul Rykoff]

No, no.

[Stephen Colbert]

Do not be offended. Latin America. He also didn't have time to learn English. We got a great show for you tonight coming up. Paul Ryko. Welcome back, my friends. My next guest tonight is a national security analyst, podcast host, and founder of the group Independent Veterans of America. Please welcome to the Late Show, Paul Rykoff. Well, Paul, it's been a little while, but you haven't gotten any smaller. Thanks for being here. Okay. National security analyst, advocate for veterans, served in Iraq, host of the podcast Independent Americans. You advised us over at the Colbert Report when we took the show to Baghdad in 2009 for the USO and the troops, it was one of the greatest experiences of my life.

[Paul Rykoff]

And here we are again.

[Stephen Colbert]

And here we are again. That's what I keep thinking. We're now at war with Iran, even though they say it's not a war. But it is a war. But it's not a war. And as a former soldier, I'm just curious what you think the troops need to hear from a commander in chief before we go to war. And did that get delivered this time? Was that case made in a clear way to the people who have to fight and sacrifice for the goals, whatever they may be?

[Paul Rykoff]

There's nothing more sacred, nothing more important than the commander in chief can do than send men and women into harm's way, potentially to Die. And before he even talks to the troops, he has to talk to the country. Because first you have to commit the country, then you have to commit the troops.

[Stephen Colbert]

And it's one of the reasons why the Congress is supposed to declare war, because those people have to enter individual districts.

[Paul Rykoff]

We're going to get to that, I hope. Right? But anytime you get it backwards and you send the troops first and then try to convince the country, we get into trouble. And the challenge is that most of the country does not support this operation in Iran, does not support boots on the ground, does not support a lot of what he's doing right now. And that is a real problem because. Because not just the troops, but the country needs a clear objective. We need goals, we need a timeline. We need a real understanding of. Of what the cost of war can be. Not just financial, but especially human. Right? And then we need to know that it's absolutely and positively, vitally necessary that it's worth the cost of now seven American troops and probably more to come, tragically. But we need to know it's worth it. He's hit nine countries.

[Stephen Colbert]

I got him here so far in the last 14 months. Somalia, Iraq, Yemen, Iran, Caribbean, Syria, Nigeria, Venezuela, and Ecuador. And for a guy who ran very specifically on no new wars, what do you make of this change of heart?

[Paul Rykoff]

Well, he said no regime change. No regime change. Wars. No new wars. And now he's at 8 and counting. He's hit Iran twice. I think the most important story in the world is that Donald Trump can do anything he wants with the most powerful military the world has ever seen, and nothing is stopping him. Congress is completely failing. And I think Americans are outraged, with Republicans most of all, of course, but the Democrats, too, because they. When he went to war, when we started this war, and it is a war. Okay, don't believe the spin and the crap coming out of the White House. He did it on a Saturday. They didn't even come back into Congress. They didn't interrupt their weekend. The members of Congress were in their mansions and they're posting tweets. They couldn't even have an emergency session of Congress to discuss the new war. At least the UN Called the Security Council and had an emergency session. Our Congress didn't even get back together. They're supposed to be a check. They're supposed to be a guardrail. They're not even a speed bump. They're supposed to be the guardians of our democracy. They're like the mall cops of our democracy. They're not even writing tickets. He Is all gas, no brakes. Right. And he's blowing past them now.

[Stephen Colbert]

We heard, we heard, we heard. We heard freedom for the Iranian people. We heard regime change. We heard stopping their nuclear ambitions. We said stopping their attacks both regionally and eventually. And possible near term missiles against the United States. It got vague after a while. As far as regime change goes, as we were saying earlier, now there is a new Ayatollah, a new supreme leader. It's Mujtaba Khamenei, which is Ayatollah Khamenei's son. What's he like? Do we know?

[Paul Rykoff]

He's more bad.

[Stephen Colbert]

Yeah. And now he's got.

[Paul Rykoff]

And younger.

[Stephen Colbert]

He's got something. He's got a vendetta, I'm sure.

[Paul Rykoff]

Yeah, of course. I mean, look, the rationale keeps changing, right? And that is by design. Right. The strategy is to ensure that there are multiple rationales. Maybe they'll land on one that sticks. But it also ensures they're not held accountable. And we've seen this before. I got sent to Iraq for yellow cake and weapons of mass destruction and Saddam's a bad guy and all that stuff. But this ensures that they're not accountable because they're all gas, no brakes. They just keep going forward. And they want to hit Cuba too, as you mentioned, but they have not articulated what success looks like, not just for the American people, but for the Iranian people and for the region. Now we've got over a dozen countries that are being impacted. The lid is blown off. And by replacing the Ayatollah with his son, it's kind of like replacing Kristi Noem with Mark Wayne Mullen. Right. I mean, right.

[Stephen Colbert]

As I said, you worked with veterans groups that you've helped develop yourself, and now you work with veterans who want to run for office. What impact do you think? Politicians with a military background who have seen combat, what difference would they have in our government and our country?

[Paul Rykoff]

They have experience. I think it's important to underscore. I'm focused on independence. Right. Because most Americans understand that the Republicans are gone and they're corrupt. And the Republicans and the Democrats can't slow them down, Democrats can't stop them. Right. So most Americans are actually politically independent, unaffiliated. 45% of Americans are independent. Only 27% are Democrats and Republicans.

[Stephen Colbert]

And something I'd like to point out here is that the military itself, people think of it as a very conservative organization. And while there are rules and standards and all those things that we associate with the most conservative aspects of America, they're a broad cross section of America.

[Paul Rykoff]

Right? They are not a monolith, but they are a reflection of the best of America, and they want to continue to serve. And many of them want to answer the call right now, but they don't want to pick a side. Right? You're in the military, you're putting country over party, people over politics. Then you get out and they tell you you got to choose a side. Well, what if we could create a way for them to run without having to pick a side to run for America? Not for the Democrats, for the Republicans. That's what we believe is the opportunity that's presenting itself right now. And they are the hope that this country needs. They are strong. They have integrity. They have independence. But they need help to be able to make it viable for them to run. So we are recruiting 100 independent veterans to run from the Senate all the way down to school board to meet this moment and provide the leadership that this country is really looking for.

[Stephen Colbert]

I'm afraid that's all we have time for. New episodes of the podcast Independent Americans are available weekdays. Thank you for listening to the Late Show Pod show with Stephen Colbert. Just one more thing. If you want to see more of me, come to The Late Show YouTube channel for more clips and exclusives. It is my great honor to welcome you all to Starfleet Academy. There's never been a better time to enroll in Star Trek. It's our job to prepare you for the unimaginable. To the night Cadet. In high pressure situations, positive reinforcement is crucial to to one success. You're doing a great job.

[Paul Rykoff]

This is what we train for.

[Stephen Colbert]

These friends of mine, they all live for something bigger than themselves. Starfleet. Starfleet Academy. New series now streaming on Paramount. Me and my brother, we grew up off the grid.

[Paul Rykoff]

A new Paramount original documentary explores the wild true story of two brothers. They were dubbed the Wild Boys.

[Stephen Colbert]

There's no driving records, nothing tangible. What's their story?

[Paul Rykoff]

Who shook a small town after they emerged mysteriously from the Canadian wilderness?

[Stephen Colbert]

Are they criminals? Maybe they're in a cult. Who are these guys? Why are they here? It's not my job, to tell you the truth.

[Paul Rykoff]

Wild Boys Strangers in Town now streaming

[Stephen Colbert]

on Paramount I'm back. I'm really back.

[Paul Rykoff]

School spirits returns.

[Stephen Colbert]

Why am I here? Not dead, right? Disruption on this campus will not be tolerated. If I look crazy, it's because that's how I feel. I don't know how to live.

[Paul Rykoff]

In two worlds, secrets lurk.

[Stephen Colbert]

There are others beneath the surface. They're not like us. We need to get out of here now.

[Paul Rykoff]

School Spirit's new season now streaming only on Paramount plus.