Iran’s President in NYC. Xi in DC. AI Without Guardrails.

How one independent could  change everything in the senate. And the 45% of Americans nobody's talking about.  Media Blitz Pod Iran's president is on U.S. soil, giving a UN speech and taking shots at America — while Iran is actively trying to kill Americans in the region. Xi Jinping is inbound to Washington for meetings with President Trump. And at the same UN, the CEOs of OpenAI and Anthropic are warning the world that AI is racing ahead without guardrails. Paul Rieckhoff joins the show for his weekly hit and refuses to let any of it slide past as normal. Is there any precedent for allowing the leader of a country at war with us to hotel up in Midtown? What actually comes out of a Trump–Xi sit-down when the last three years of &quot;deals&quot; with Putin produced nothing? And why is the industry itself begging Washington for regulation the White House won't give? From there, Paul pivots to the underreported 2026 story: independent veterans running real Senate campaigns in Colorado, Nebraska, Idaho, Montana, and South Dakota. Angus King is the only true independent in the Senate today, and he still caucuses with Democrats. If even one of these new veteran independents wins — refusing to caucus with either party — they instantly become the most powerful member of the chamber. This is the rigged two-party system's worst nightmare, and it's coming into view faster than the pundits admit. Rigorous, urgent, and grounded in the ground-truth perspective this show is built on. -WATCH full video of this episode here. -Millions of American veterans are being locked out of primary elections in the country they served. See what we’re doing to change that. -Visit Kalshi and trade on anything. Use code INDEPENDENT to get $25 when you trade $25. -Head to cozyearth.com and use the code AMERICANS for an exclusive 20% off. -Join Noble Mobile today and get a $100 bonus when you use code PAUL and stay a member for 2 months! -Join IVA and help us get independent veterans elected to office. -Learn more about Paul’s work to elect a new generation of independent leaders with Independent Veterans of America. -Learn more about American Veterans for Ukraine here. -Remember Independent is an Attitude. -Learn more about The Headstrong Project for Veterans, Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors (TAPS), and Department of Veterans Affairs resources in your area. Seeking support is not a sign of weakness. It’s a show of strength. If you or a loved one are in immediate crisis, dial 988 and press 1, or text 838255. Connect with Independent Americans: Subscribe on YouTube, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and all podcast platforms Read more at Substack Support ad-free episodes at Patreon  Connect: Instagram  • X/Twitter • BlueSky • Facebook  Follow on social: @PaulRieckhoff on X, <a href="https://