Independent Americans with Paul Rieckhoff

Independent Americans with Paul Rieckhoff

Independent Americans is a weekly news show hosted by Paul Rieckhoff. He’s a fighter, a patriot, and an independent political and media force to be reckoned with. After serving as a soldier in Iraq in 2004, Rieckhoff emerged as one of the most dynamic political and social leaders in America. In every episode, he breaks down the most important issues facing our country. And he interviews the most influential and compelling people. He’s taking on Republicans, Democrats—and everyone in between. If you’re in the angry middle, Independent Americans reminds you that you’re not alone. We’re all in this together. Join the Independent Americans movement and subscribe now. Produced by Righteous Media.

Episodes

Summer is officially here and things are getting hot. Too hot. From the assassination of state legislators in Minnesota last week to a potential hot war with Iran to more and more troops deployed into American streets, this is one of the tensest times anyone can remember. And in tense times it’s good to get a little perspective. And we’ve got the perfect guest to dish it out. Sebastian Junger returns and he’s not holding anything ...
Mark as Played
We’re only six months into Trump 2.0 and things are getting bad fast. He was looking for a fight. And he found it. Unrest in Los Angeles has been met with a mobilization of troops that few predicted. But your host, Paul Rieckhoff, did.  For five years we’ve been sounding the alarm. Thinking the unthinkable—that has often come true. From COVID, to Trump refusing to leave office, to the January 6th insurrection, to armed violence an...
Mark as Played
America needs leaders. And leaders are in short supply. That seems to be the case in Washington at least. Whether it’s Pete Hegseth’s ongoing hateful attacks on the LGBTQ service members under his command or his self aggrandizing ad or the ongoing chaos at the Pentagon, none of it is efficient and none of it is making any of us any safer. America needs leaders. They’re out there. And more and more frequently they aren’t claiming ...
Mark as Played
Summer is almost officially here and things are already heating up. From the increasing pressure from Republicans to back Ukraine (a massive win for everyone) to Trump’s new half-baked “Golden Dome” defense system to another horrific antisemitic attack on two Israeli embassy staffers in DC, your fearless and always independent host Paul Rieckhoff has you covered. And as the onslaught of crazy news continues to drop, it’s easy to l...
Mark as Played
335. Bonnie Carroll. A Special Memorial Day Conversation with ‘Saint Bonnie’. It’s Memorial Day Every Day in Ukraine. Ben (Not Jerry) Manhandled in DC. Noem’s Immigration Hunger Games. Hegseth’s Afghanistan Witch Hunt. VA Sec Collins Continues to Spin.  It’s Fleet Week in New York City. The Knicks are in the Eastern Conference Finals for the first time in decades, the Yankees are in first in their division. It’s a good time to be ...
Mark as Played
There’s a spirit that’s sweeping across America. A growing desire for change. The system is broken. You know, we know it. And it’s kind of starting to feel like everybody knows it. So when the DOGE axe was going to come down on his group of rangers, he started planning. And even though he was later protected from being fired because he was a veteran, the fear and uncertainty didn’t sit with him. Retired Air Force Colonel Brian Ben...
Mark as Played
This show is dedicated to helping elevate the heroes and the helpers. And to identifying the people in our government and political arena that don’t live up to either of those descriptions. From the consistent cruelty of the Trump administration's attacks on our values and, now, our allies, to our national security being continually degraded by the gutting of the Pentagon ranks, the volume of outrageousness is increasing and the hi...
Mark as Played
We’ve got another great episode with a returning guest. And another big screw up by a returning screw up. That’s right, the Hegseth hits keep coming and at this point it’s a little hard to tell which one is the worst. From Signalgate to the briefing of Elon on our China war plans (remember that one?!) to a latest Signal chat group which includes his wife in briefings of the most top secret nature possible. It’s another day, another...
Mark as Played
We’ve got a great bonus pod for you to check out as Independent Americans host Paul Rieckhoff joined Charlie Sykes for a spirited, no-holds-barred deep dive into everything happening with Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, SignalGate and the danger we all face now with this inept leadership at the helm. They explore how a Fox News persona ended up with the nukes, what it means for U.S. national security, and why even Trumpworld is ...
Mark as Played
The chaos at the Pentagon is getting worse as more and more news stories about Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth continue to pour out. And now, the staffers he fired (that he also hired) for allegedly leaking are coming after him. They’re eating their own–and the mayhem is expanding quickly and overwhelming Hegseth and The Building. What happens next? Will Trump fire him? Who could replace him? Who’s watching our nukes?!?! It’s an...
Mark as Played
Another week, another walk. And this time it’s somewhere different. We sent your host Paul Rieckhoff west to get some rest and so far it isn’t in the cards. From Trump crashing the economy to breaking news that Pete Hegseth’s cronies were allegedly removed from the Pentagon for leaking word of Elon’s China briefing, there’s a lot to keep up with. Even when you’re “on vacation”. Paul checks in from the home of the Navy SEALS: Corona...
Mark as Played
It’s time for another walk. Through the chaos of the last couple of weeks and the signs of spring fighting to break through winter's icy grip. The markets on fire, the world is outraged and our enemies are celebrating. And with so many questions looming about the economy, Trump’s decisions and what’s next for Ukraine, there might not be a better guest to get a gauge of where things stand. He’s maybe the most reasonable Republican ...
Mark as Played
April is here. Spring is here. And some days you just need to go for a walk. To blow off steam. To get away from the office. You name it. There’s never a bad reason to go for a quick walk. But spring isn’t the only thing that’s here. President Mayhem is back. And he is not slowing down. From talking about invading Greenland and Panama and Canada to raising tariffs on all of our trade partners, to alienating our allies in NATO, Mayh...
Mark as Played
Spring is here and we’re two months in. Two months of crazy. Two months of furor. Two months of chaos. And two months of damage done to the fabric of the country we all love. And just two days after Independent Americans host Paul Rieckhoff went on CNN to sound the alarm bell and warn that the sloppiness would lead to much, much worse… worse happened. By now you’ve heard about Signalgate, the scandal that has rocked the Trump admi...
Mark as Played
From Steve Bannon stating that Trump will run again in 2028 (yes, really), to 60,000 more people fired at the Pentagon, to Trump’s horrible deal with Putin on Ukraine—a whole new kind of March madness is here. And if you’re not angry you’re not paying attention. It’s been another week of shocking new lows and political chaos. But we’re starting to see pushback—-and some signs of a resistance forming. But not from the Democrats. An...
Mark as Played
They’ve faced some of the most extreme challenges human beings have ever faced. They’ve gone through trainings that are specifically designed to make people fail–and they succeeded. They’ve watched the sun rise from the stratosphere and have spent more time in outer space than most people spend outside.  And now they’re being attacked by a deranged billionaire. For bravely visiting Ukraine to get a first hand assessment of the sit...
Mark as Played
This is the real March Madness. Donald Trump has continued to disgrace America—underscored most vividly by his White House meeting with Zelensky last week. And in the tumultuous days of betrayal that have followed. And it’s been one crazy hit after another from fights with Canada to the firing of veterans nationwide. While the Democrats continue to scramble and scatter. As your newsfeed overflows, and your stomach turns, we’re here...
Mark as Played
March isn’t even here yet and we have already had more madness than the country can handle. From DOGE’s cuts to government services to Trump’s random brain farts masking as ideas, to Kash Patel being sworn in as the head of the FBI, there is a lot to be angry about and there are a lot of villains to be angry at.  But there are also heroes that will arise. Heroes like the Kelly brothers, the famous astronaut twins who are now locked...
Mark as Played
It’s been one month of Trump 2.0.  One month of drama. One month of chaos. One month of pain. And Trump continues to roll unimpeded. The Democrats have put up little to no resistance and there are no saviors in sight. But we’ve got a glimmer of hope. A leader who could emerge as the one to take the helm and restore honor (and sanity) to the office. Maybe one day soon.  We’ve got Maryland Governor Wes Moore back on the show for the ...
Mark as Played
Happy Valentine’s Day, America. Tulsi Gabbard is confirmed, Elon Musk is ransacking our government, the FBI is being purged, Trump and Hegseth are abandoning Ukraine. And Putin is coming to visit America.  What a great time for our enemies. The doors are wide open for them everywhere. Putin must be smiling from ear to ear.  We really need that upside down American flag emoji right about now. And we also need truly patriotic, candid...
Mark as Played

Popular Podcasts

    Joyce Sapp, 76; Bryan Herrera, 16; and Laurance Webb, 32—three Miami residents whose lives were stolen in brutal, unsolved homicides.  Cold Case Files: Miami follows award‑winning radio host and City of Miami Police reserve officer  Enrique Santos as he partners with the department’s Cold Case Homicide Unit, determined family members, and the advocates who spend their lives fighting for justice for the victims who can no longer fight for themselves.

    Dateline NBC

    Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com

    Stuff You Should Know

    If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.

    24/7 News: The Latest

    The latest news in 4 minutes updated every hour, every day.

    The Clay Travis and Buck Sexton Show

    The Clay Travis and Buck Sexton Show. Clay Travis and Buck Sexton tackle the biggest stories in news, politics and current events with intelligence and humor. From the border crisis, to the madness of cancel culture and far-left missteps, Clay and Buck guide listeners through the latest headlines and hot topics with fun and entertaining conversations and opinions.

Advertise With Us
Music, radio and podcasts, all free. Listen online or download the iHeart App.

Connect

© 2025 iHeartMedia, Inc.