Independent Americans with Paul Rieckhoff

WTF Wednesday: Trump’s unhinged Iran speech: “Let Them Take Out Los Angeles.” Shapiro backs open primaries in PA. Indy vets Bengs, Achilles Lead in SD and ID.

October 7, 2026·17 min
Episode Description from the Publisher

President Mayhem is off the rails, and he's getting more desperate by the day. On this WTF Wednesday edition of Independent Americans, Paul Rieckhoff breaks down Trump's unhinged Iran remarks — publicly suggesting it would be "a very small price to pay" to let Iran take out Los Angeles and San Diego — and why that kind of talk about American cities can never be normalized, no matter how numb we've become. This is what reckless, unchecked executive power sounds like out loud. From there, Paul pivots to the good news hiding below the radar. Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro just publicly backed HB 280 to open Pennsylvania's primaries to the state's unaffiliated voters — a huge win for the Let Vets Vote fight and open-primary allies who've been grinding on this for years. And the independent veteran wave is real: new Lake Research polling has Brian Bengs leading Mike Rounds in South Dakota, Todd Achilles up seven in Idaho, Dan Osborn within four in Nebraska, and Seth Bodnar still swinging in Montana. The two-party status quo said these races wouldn't be close. They are. The movement is on. -WATCH full video of this episode here. -Track the IVA candidates on our poll tracker. -Let Vets Vote: 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! -Learn more about American Veterans for Ukraine here. -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, Instagram, Threads, and Bluesky -Join the movement. Hook into our exclusive Patreon community of Independent Americans. Get extra content, connect with guests, meet other Independent Americans, attend events, get merch discounts, and support this show that speaks truth to power.  -And get cool IA and Righteous hats, t-shirts and other merch no

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