Pentagon In Chaos. Driscoll Out. Promotions Frozen. Hegseth Paying Trolls On X. Plus: Independent Senate Candidates Achilles, Bengs And Bodnar On The Rise. Media Blitz Pod

0:00This is Belie, one network, every topic, everywhere. Welcome to Independent Americans. I'm your host Paul Reikoff and welcome to the first few days of September. I'm not going to say goodbye to summer just yet. I am going to try to squeeze every hour, every sunset, every memory out of this summer because we deserve it. It was a crazy year already and we've got a wild fall coming up. So I am going to maximize the summer every moment that I can. I also just finished a workout. Unlike Pihak Seth, I'm not going to post it all over social media. I'm not going to challenge people to do push-ups. I'm not going to test your manhood and I'm not going to purge the entire military on an extremist agenda. But he's doing that.

1:06I flagged it for you years ago on this show. I used to debate Pihak Seth back on hardball in like 2004. I've known Pihak Seth a long time. There goes a pretty big helicopter too. Might be him because he's listening. But nevertheless, I've known Pihak Seth for a long time. And I've seen the culture warrior that he is morphed into. He is grown into. And his time at the Pentagon is the manifestation of that culture warrior ethos, that culture warrior status, that culture warrior character. I warned anybody who would listen or watch this show that he was going to wage culture war on the Pentagon. And now he has. And he's turned the Pentagon into an instrument of culture war. But there are some serious pushbacks, especially this week because Secretary of the Army, Dandriskel has finally resigned. We've known for a long time. It's been widely reported that he and Higgs Seth do not see eye to eye. We also know that he's a close ally of JD Vance because they went to school together a Yale. And now, Trisco is out.

2:18What comes next? Will he speak out like nobody else has? Is he in that helicopter above my head? Is he going to go to the media like none other than no other ones have. I've called on many of them. CQ Brown general Donahue. So many others. We've needed them to go public and talk about what they know what they believe and what they stand for. None of them have had the courage to break that class. Will Driscoll be the first. I hope that he is. But in the meantime, we will monitor the carnage. I will help you stay a vigilant. I will help you stay on top of not just what's happening now, but what's happening next week. Next week, we'll be back with a preview of the 25th anniversary of 9 11. I'll go deeper on that throughout the later part of next week and into the weeks to come. And I'll continue to replay episodes that are my favorites over the last couple of years. If you've never been to our website, go to independent Americans that you have never been to our YouTube page. Please go there, hit subscribe, check out our short videos, our long forms, our in person interviews from five years ago.

3:19Did you know I had Tulsi Gabbard on the show years ago? Yes. Her Ser Jessica Parker John Berncaw, WWE wrestler Mick Foley and many others. Sirens are all over New York today and sirens are all over America warning sirens about what's potentially to come this fall. And I'm going to continue to be that Paul Revere of our politics and national security to warn you about what's coming up so you can prepare and you can stay vigilant. In the meantime, I continue every Wednesday to join my friend column, McShane on news nation from my regular whiskey tango, Fox Trotter, what the fuck? Friday Wednesdays every single Wednesday. I'm on the three o'clock hour if you've never turned it to an into news nation, please do that. Check them out. They're on your local cable dial or they're online. You can find news nation anywhere. But every Wednesday I break down the latest in national security and politics. We had a great conversation this week about the carnage of what's happening around Pete Hegset what could be coming next if Trump is finally sick of his shit too.

4:25And I break down the Massachusetts primary that happened this week a big one were over 60% of the voters were independent and yet again they were shut out they had to choose a side and many of them chose to stay home. But we've also got a big two primaries coming up next week. I talked to Connell about that about how some of the Senate candidates are going and more. It's a quick fire media replay episode that I hope you enjoy hope you can share for and wide continue to subscribe support our sponsors and share and know that our independent movement is meeting this moment especially around issues of war. National security or military and our veterans. The USS Lincoln is stopped in Thailand right now and finally on their way home. They are going to be an insight into the carnage the destruction the betrayal. That will be the hallmark of Pete Hegset's time as Secretary of War. Culture war that's what I've always called him and even more now than ever before he is indeed the secretary of culture war and now more than any of the time before you have got to squeeze those last couple days out of summer and most of all.

5:33Stay vigil here it is my conversation with Colonel McShant. Stay vigil y'all and pull out those last couple minutes of summer. It's not over yet. This episode of independent Americans is sponsored by CalShi. We make predictions every single day we talk about it on the show politics pop culture the economy the biggest stories making headlines all across America and around the world. CalShi America's number one prediction market platform lets you trade those predictions in a live market. If you haven't checked it out now is the time especially around politics and the elections will will Trump by at least part of Greenland. If you think he'll do that before 2027 and you wage your $100 it'll pay out $2,019 and $24. If you think it's going to be before January 20 of 2029 it's 17% you can also pick whether or not you think the Republicans or the Democrats are going to win Congress.

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7:41All right we're back does the Pentagon you know have a crisis on his hands the Army Secretary Jan Driscoll in the news this week among the latest high level resignations there is an axioms report on a new reality from the United States. The U.S. Department for Defense Secretary Pete Heggset that he now has fewer leaders and fewer critical weapons six months into war with Iran so question does this put the United States in a vulnerable position we bring in our friend veterans advocate Paul Reichoff host of the independent Americans podcast yeah we hear right from the beginning of the Heggseth can of confirmation process we've talked about whether he was fit for the job whether he would last in the job and now a number of people who have been doing the job alongside him Dan Driscoll the latest or leaving the job we have this whole screen on the illustrator of high profile military departures and it's adding up so what's going on chaos is the normal under Heggset and the turnover is absolutely crazy I mean look at the level of scope and scale of people who are out and Driscoll is really really important because Driscoll quit Driscoll said I've had enough I've had enough of Heggseth he's been a voice of conscience and reason on the inside he's been an innovator he's been strong on Ukraine and drone defenses he's also a close ally of J.D. Vance they went to law school together and this is a breaking point this is somebody leaving because they've had enough of Heggset and I think it reveals a cleavage that exists inside the Pentagon that's getting worse by the moment he's also stifled a couple more promotions on some flag-grade officers and all that he is losing support and popularity by the day and I think including

9:07with President Trump Driscoll went in and resigned personally with Trump and voiced his concerns on the way out and we'll see if he speaks out once he's out yeah we talked there was a big article in the Atlantic about that Heggseth now to your point removing six army officers from the promotion list but Senator Tom Tillis I know he's on his way out as well he just called for Trump to replace him do you think he will I think it's closer now than ever before there's also a story about how he's been paying people inside the Pentagon to troll people on X and social media and Twitter some of them were actually serving in the government so nice uncharted territory and I think an expansion of his propaganda agenda he's also going to bring all senior leaders back to Washington for another culture war Ted Talk 2.0 which I don't think is going to be very popular I think he's on thin ice and the around war is going poorly right that's another factor here he's been a big advocate for the Iran war so I don't know if he'll do it before the midterm elections but I think Heggset's on thin ice this episode of independent Americans is sponsored by cozy earth if you haven't heard about them they're awesome especially in the summer you guys know I'm out with my boys I'm at baseball I'm at pools and beaches and just getting dirty and all over the place

10:13and I need really good towels and they've got awesome pool towels that you can use for the beach for the pool even if you're not a pool person they have really good bath towels that are amazing I feel like those really luxury towels you get when you come from a spa or a fancy hotel superplush absorbent they suck up everything my kids love them and it's cool because cozy earth stands behind everything they make with a 10 year warranty they're oversized ultra plush completely built for your best summer day so head to cozy earth calm use the code Americans for an exclusive 20% off that's code Americans for an exclusive 20% off and if you see post purchase survey mentioned that you heard about cozy earth right here unindependent Americans check out our friends at cozy earth it's probably more than anybody else in the cast speaking of the midterms I wanted to spend a couple of minutes with you on the midterms I think it's interesting comments on social media back to the tell straighter on this Massachusetts race the old guy won Ed Marquis 80 years of age each care Seth molten as Seth molten like you is a veteran and like you I think you said is a moderate

11:17right so what do you what do you make of this result then kind of the wider meaning with you were getting into it's another big win for the left of the democratic party within the democratic party yeah but I think it's another loss for them nationally I think the party continues to move to left set moans marine he's a moderate he's been strong on national security Marquis is old but he's definitely left of center and moves further left over the last couple weeks and the progressives have shown they can turn out the DSA can turn out yeah in a special election in primary elections and they continue to score wins but these are general election nightmares I mean Marquis would never win outside of Massachusetts so as they get into red states and purple states and national elections I think the democratic party's identity crisis is really catching up with them well moving further to the left the Republicans are moving further to the right and more and more moderate and independence are left homeless it does it matter it matters where it is right like on this map of progressives winning the congressional primaries many of these like Marquis will win because they won't face opposition but a guy like Elsaad and Michigan of course is and will it that's a race a lot of democrats seem to be to be worried about yeah and then that's the real test when you get into a state like Michigan

12:20it's not Manhattan it's not Massachusetts right you've got a lot of independence we've got more primaries coming up or independence will be very high and number important to note yeah in Massachusetts they have a high number of independence but they have to choose to vote in the democratic or republican primary and that's basically when it's over I mean the general election is done Marquis will be the senator and I think that underscores how we need more competitive general elections and we need more independence to be able to have a voice we'll see that in New Hampshire and Rhode Island let me talk about that you sent us some numbers on that on the illustrator here first we have polling about independent voters and the issues that matter to them do you support or oppose is it independent increasing taxes and corporations and billionaires 64% support government provided health care they seem six and ten in favor allowing fewer immigrants 40% reducing regulation 40% continuing military and economic support to Israel only 27% which is interesting now you mentioned those states Rhode Island here it is independence that's a big number of independence New Hampshire is another one large number of independent

13:21so you're saying the voice of your people this is what the future looks like the future looks like independent minded people who don't want to pick a party who don't like billionaires you don't like corruption you don't like forever wars but in a place like Rhode Island they are the majority they are more than 50% and in New Hampshire they outnumber the democrats and republicans they sounded a little left to center on that list of it it varies right I mean in this cycle I mean yeah I mean like you know they're going to be more liberal in Massachusetts they're going to be less liberal in Montana they're still a reflection of the culture of that state but we're seeing that they're mobilizing they're speaking out they're frustrated they don't have voice in these closed primaries they're pushing for open primaries and we still got at least five or six Senate races where you've got an independent Senate candidate who's also a veteran who's looking increasingly competitive we've talked about Tata killies in Idaho South Dakota Brian Banks is now more competitive you still got set Bodner in Montana these races are looking more and more competitive as we get further down the line alright Paul as always thank you Paul Reikoff with his each Wednesday on the show

14:36allusion and the good trouble they can break he says the red and blue are getting independent is an attitude and island in the sea are ready raking up the road to go he tells me the left and right are dreams for those without a clue and when you wait it's time to grow power out by righteous media so thank you for listening