They wouldn't shut down the government. They wouldn't push for impeachment. But now, it's finally changed. Today, it's finally changed, and it has to. It must. Because it's not just his statement. It's not just 8 p.m. tonight and this deadline. And it's not just Iran. It's Cuba. It's Greenland. It's federal troops in U.S. cities, like New York and Chicago. It's more, more, more. And it's forever war. MUSIC Welcome to a special emergency, Independent Americans. Welcome to episode 487. I'm your host, Paul Reikoff. It is Tuesday, April 7th, and I'm coming to you from New York City, USA. And the weather is cold, sunny, intense, because the whole world is on edge. I'm reluctant to use the word emergency in a podcast. I know a lot of podcasters do it, but I think it's warranted today, because the stakes have never been higher. Today's artist of the day, I'm still gonna bring you an artist. And it is Europe. If you know Europe, you know why, because they're the band behind the final countdown. Yes, the Swedish band released it in 1986 at the height of the Cold War, which is kind of what this moment feels like again now. The music video has received over 1.4 billion views on YouTube. Betcha it's gonna be a lot more in the next couple of days. They also did Prisoners in Paradise, Wings of Tomorrow, and Farewell, all of which could have connections to what's happening right now. But as Trump's insane deadline approaches tonight at 8 p.m. Eastern, it is the final countdown. And I'm gonna bring you the five eyes I bring you in every single show no matter what happens, independence, integrity, information, inspiration, and impact. No guest today. Just me and you with a quick fire show to address the magnitude of this moment. One like we've never seen before. One that has generated a whole worldwide final countdown. And the need for us all, especially right now, to stay vigilant. All right, the top topic. There is only one. There is only one top topic that requires me to give you a special episode right now. And it's what Trump posted today at 8 a.m. this morning. Stepping on all the good news of the rescued 15 pilot and backseater, this morning at 8 a.m. Donald Trump posted the following. I'm gonna read it so you can absorb the magnitude of it. I'm sure you've read it, but let's hear it in its full. A whole civilization will die tonight. Never to be brought back again. I don't want that to happen, but it probably will. However, now that we have complete and total regime change, where different, smarter, less radicalized minds prevail, maybe something revolutionarily wonderful can happen. Caps, who knows? We will find out tonight. One of the most important moments in the long and complex history of the world. 47 years of extortion, corruption, and death will finally end. God bless the people of Iran. That's what Donald Trump posted this morning at 8 a.m. And shockwaves are obviously reverberating around the world. Everybody's walking with a little more tension today. Everybody's checking their phone a little more often. People are saying, yeah, I'll see you Friday. If there is a Friday, I'll meet you later this week. If the world doesn't blow up, people are joking. People are having some black humor, but people understand the magnitude of this moment. And it is so far past time to impeach and remove this man. This cannot be tolerated from any world leader and especially not an American president. There is no defending this shit. And any leader that doesn't speak out now is complicit and should themselves step down. So who in Washington will show the leadership we need and lead the way because this is the moment? For over a year, I have warned that 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. Today is what it took for many people in this country to realize that that is true. And for months, I've been calling on Democrats and independents and Republicans to do whatever they can to stop Trump. That must be the number one strategic priority for any American who cares about our democracy, our national security and our future as a nation. Everything else is secondary. And the midterms, the midterms will likely be too late. Outrage, anger, sadness is not a plan to stop him and protect our national security, our troops, our economy and the soul of our nation. And too many have been timid. Too many have been waiting and calculating. Too many have been keeping their political powder dry. Too many have had a failure of imagination. Too many have been silent. And obviously, too many have been complicit. They wouldn't stop military funding. They wouldn't push a war powers vote or vote for it. They wouldn't shut down the government. They wouldn't push for impeachment. But now it's finally changed. Today, it's finally changed and it has to, it must. Because it's not just his statement. It's not just 8 p.m. tonight and this deadline. And it's not just Iran. It's Cuba. It's Greenland. It's federal troops in U.S. cities like New York and Chicago. It's more, more, more. And it's forever war. Remember that term. Because I think it's starting to sink in. Forever war is what is happening. Forever war is what they want to normalize. And forever war will not end until Trump is removed and his minions. The country that needs regime change most of all is America. And the 25th Amendment is one tool to try to stop him. And therefore, it has my support. And it should have yours too. If the cabinet won't do it, Congress must. I think it's an appropriately extreme response to this extreme and very urgent situation. And it should be voted on immediately before 8 p.m. tonight. That's why I'm putting out this podcast now. I'm not gonna wait till 8 o'clock. Hopefully, there will be good news. Hopefully, there will be a de-escalation. But either way, there should be a vote because this cannot be allowed. And every day until the 25th Amendment passes, and as additional options to stop him are presented and emerge, we have to keep pressing forward. So every American must stand up now, right now, today, and be counted. Speak out and state your position as if there's no tomorrow. Because for millions, that might be true. Today, in this moment, is a time, more than any other time in my lifetime at least, where we, as Americans, as a people around the world, as parents, as people who care about the future, and especially as independent Americans, now, this moment, this day, is a time to stay vigilant. ["Vigilance Is Necessary"] Vigilance is required. Vigilance is necessary. Vigilance is the price of freedom because now, especially, our enemies are celebrating. So yeah, you're gonna get a back-to-back dose of some of our best music, because it's required. ["Vigilance Is Necessary"] But some are finally stepping up. Let's talk about who. Julian Androni is a Capitol Hill reporter at Dropsite News, and he has a list, a running list, of the members of Congress calling for the invocation of the 25th Amendment on a thread. I'll link to that thread in the show notes. But I also wanna tell you who they are. I wanna tell you who they are, because I wanna give them credit. Some of them, most of them are Democrats. There are others in there. But frankly, I think this is a moment that should transcend party. Some of the far-left Democrats may feel like they have more political cover. Some of the far-right Republicans may feel the same. Some in the middle may feel like this is a time to check the wind. But let's see who's actually stepping up and supporting the 25th Amendment. Representative Yasemin Azari, Democrat from Arizona. And I'm not gonna read all the statements you should do that. I'm just gonna tell you who they are. And if you don't hear your member, why don't you call them and ask them why? Even if they tell you no, hear their rationale. Representative Omar, Democrat from Minnesota. Representative Tlaib, Democrat, Michigan. Representative Senator Ed Markey, one of the few senators who've spoken out, Democrat from Massachusetts. Representative Shree Thanadar, Democrat from Michigan. Former Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene, Republican from Georgia. She wrote in caps, 25th Amendment. Now a single bomb has dropped on America. We cannot kill an entire civilization. This is evil and madness. Remember, he wrote, a whole civilization will die tonight. That's what he wrote. Representative Diana DeGette, Democrat from Colorado. Sydney Calamagra Dove, Democrat from California. Representative Pocon, Democrat from Wisconsin. Representative Summer Lee, Democrat from Pennsylvania. Saying this is sick and twisted from anyone. Much less the president of the United States. His genocidal language and indiscriminate warfare cannot be normalized or accepted. He should be removed from office. I ask you to take away the D or the R. Take away the name and just look at the statement and ask yourself if you agree with it. Because I do. I think many people do around the globe and especially in the Middle East right now. And of course, there are many in America more and more by the day. Representative DeLea Ramirez, Democrat from Illinois. Representative Sarah McBride, Democrat from Delaware. Representative Seth Molten, Marine Corps veteran, been a guest on this show. He's a Democrat from Massachusetts. He wrote, this is not normal. This is not just Trump being Trump. This is an insane man who is unfit for office and needs to be removed immediately. Representative Melanie Stansby, Democrat from New Mexico. Representative Ro Khanna, who has said we need to invoke the 25th Amendment and remove Trump. He says, threatening war crimes is a blatant violation of our constitution and the Geneva Conventions. If you haven't heard my conversation with Ro Khanna from last week, check it out. I don't know if he called for impeachment anywhere else first, but he did it on this show. And then he went on some of the Sunday morning talk shows and did the same and I give him credit for stepping up. Representative Maxwell Frost, one of the youngest members of Congress, maybe the youngest. Representative Ayanna Presley, Democrat from Massachusetts. Representative Johnny Alzwelski, Democrat from Maryland. Representative Julie Johnson, Democrat from Texas. Representative Sarah Jacobs, Democrat from California. Bonnie Watson Coleman, Democrat, New Jersey. These are all representatives, not senators. Very few senators have spoken out. I'll get to that in a second. Latifah Simon, Democrat from California. Robert Garcia, Democrat, California. This list is growing. These are as of two hours ago. Shelley Pingree, Democrat, Maine. Bob Menendez, Rob Menendez, Democrat from New Jersey. April McLean Delaney, Democrat, Maryland. Nakeemah Williams, Democrat, Georgia. Steve Cohen, Democrat, Tennessee. Joaquin Castro, Democrat, Texas. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, fairly big one, Democrat from New York. And I understand Senator Chris Murphy of Connecticut has also joined. There will be others. I will continue to hit refresh and see who they are as they come in. But here's the question. Does your member of Congress, your representative, and your senator, both of them, do they stand with our country, or do they stand with normalizing this insanity? The list is growing by the minute. This is a moment to stand up and be counted. And this is a moment for all of you in Washington especially to let us know where you stand and show us if you will stay vigilant. It can't just be Trump. Trump goes, we get Vance, and we get Johnson. I said Schumer and Jefferies need to go too. I think the regime change that needs to happen most is in America, and that is not just Republicans. It's also in the corrupt Democratic Party as well. And it includes, of course, Pete Hegseth, who I've called the Acting Secretary of Culture, war who continues to become more unhinged, more radical, more inappropriate. And I've said somebody needs to do something about this. It's about damn time somebody did. And that somebody is Representative Yasmeen Azari, Democrat from Arizona who says she will file for impeachment articles against Pete Hegseth. Play that clip please, Chris. As a chief enabler of this illegal war, Pete Hegseth is responsible for directing this insane military action against Iran, which has already killed thousands of civilians, led to the unnecessary deaths of American service members and displaced over a million people in the region. That's why I'm introducing articles of impeachment against Hegseth for repeatedly violating his oath of office and the Constitution, including the disregard of Congress and willful targeting of civilian infrastructure in Iran. She says she's introducing it, she explains why. And I think that she will see a strong response of support on this one in particular. And I think most of the Democrats and Republicans will see a strong showing of support on the impeachment call as well for Trump. I think that politicians are often behind the American people. And the American people have had enough of this shit. Republicans and Democrats are united in their opposition especially to an escalation in Iran to boots on the ground, to nukes, and then the other number of crazy things he can do, they are saying no. And it's another reason we need to stay vigilant. All right, summer's stepping up. You heard from Rokana, you've heard the list now, but the cowards, the cowards are many, including former guest on this show, Republican GOP congressman from my great state of New York, Representative Mike Lawler, check this out. Play this one, Chris. Okay, do you think Congress should have a vote if the United States is going to make a whole civilization die? Again, John, you are coursing here. The fact is we're talking about energy and civilian infrastructure. If you look at the role Congress has had, Congress has had a vote. So, he says that John, the John Vermin is parsing words. When he quoted, whole civilization die. This is a clarifying moment and a revealing moment for many so-called leaders in Washington. Remember who spoke out on this day? And remember who laid down? Remember who watched the tea leaves? Who checked the air? Who checked the polls? And who stood up and said what they believed? And remember who did the worst? QJD Vance, play this clip, Chris. The United States, the vice president of the United States and the American people, we admire you. And we want you to make a decision about your future with no outside forces pressuring you or telling you what to do. I'm not telling you exactly who to vote for, but what I am telling you is that the bureaucrats and Brussels, those people should not be listened to. Listen to your hearts, listen to your souls, and listen to the sovereignty of the Hungarian people. Yeah, it's a crap clip. It's a clip of a crap because J.D. Vance continues to be terrible. So when we need him, perhaps negotiating with Iran, you know where he is? He's standing with the right-wing version, Hungarian version of Trump, Viktor Orban. As the right-wingers, the extreme right-wingers, the authoritarians continue to seem to work together on a day where we need our vice president working for peace, especially as a combat veteran himself. J.D. Vance is doing what J.D. Vance does because he is a corrupted sellout, making America more hated worldwide by the day. Every time he opens his mouth, he makes America more hated. And this is the bullshit that makes us look like the bad guys to the world. And it's making all of us more hated. It's making our troops less safe. And it's making all Americans everywhere around the globe and here at home less safe. We've never been more isolated as a nation than right now, than today. Not just the people of Iran, not just the North Koreans, it's people in places like Denmark. It's people in places like Italy and Spain. It's our friends across NATO who are no longer thinking they can trust us. And on this day especially, with J.D. Vance and others echoing this ridiculous and radical and reckless rhetoric, our enemies are celebrating, especially today. Our enemies are celebrating. Yeah! Look, there was a lot of appropriate focus on the rescue mission, which now seems like ancient history. As I've said, Trump has a unique ability to step on his own headline. There was a quote from retired General Frank McKenzie when he was on Face to Nation. He said, He's right. That is the extraordinary tradition of the American military. And there is a tremendous level of respect for the American military. And it's falling by the second, because Trump is using them as an instrument for destruction. He's talking about pillaging countries and plundering oil supplies and using them as mercenaries. Every day he continues this, he's smashing the hallowed, esteemed, treasured reputation of the great American military and our entire country. It's taken 250 years to build this country. And in just one year, he's in a position to blow it all apart. In large part, because it's bigger than Iran. And as I've said, and as he said, Cuba is probably next. And Cuba is understandably not happy about that. Cuba's president has warned of a fight if the US takes military action, which should be no surprise. Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canal is escalating rhetoric amid tensions with the US. Newsweek had an exclusive. He's warning that Cuba would mount a guerrilla style resistance and that any military action would result in immense losses on both sides. The comments are pretty clear. That's terrible. That's what we should expect. That's what most countries would say if another country threatened to invade them. And increasingly, people are pushing back ahead of Trump's threats. He said Cuba's next. They didn't stop him on Iran. They didn't stop him on Ecuador. They didn't stop him on Venezuela. They didn't stop him from putting National Guard troops in DC. And they won't stop him from hitting Cuba. So how about we do a War Powers Act now instead of after he hits Cuba? Because it's another example of where we need to stay vigilant. All right, the attacks on our democracy are continuing. And our national security attacks continue at home as well. I want to stay focused on the big story, but this is a part of it that can't be pulled apart because it's all intertwined. It's an assault on our values. It's undermining our national security. And it's all part of a plan that is focused on their radical agenda rather than the best interests of our national security. ICE is a part of it. ICE continues to be incredibly unpopular and continues to run rampant across America every day, more bad shit. Don't believe the government. Believe your eyes. And believe this. ICE has arrested a newlywed wife of an army soldier at a military base. If you're not angry people, you're not paying attention. And I'll give you the story from ABC News. And ICE agents arrested the wife of a US Army staff sergeant at the military base where he stationed just days after the couple got married. On April 2nd, Sergeant Matthew Blank, 23, and his wife, Annie Ramos, were joined by relatives at Fort Polk, Louisiana, who were there to help register Ramos as a military spouse and get her moved in. This is what Blank's mother, Jen, told ABC News. But ICE agents entered the facility and detained Ramos. Quote, I never imagined that trying to do the right thing, registering my wife so she could receive her military ID, access to benefits she's entitled to as my spouse, and begin the process toward a green card, would lead to her being taken away from me. That's what Sergeant Blank said in a statement. Instead of preparing for our future, I'm now fighting for her freedom. Ramos was born in Honduras. She was 20 months old when she was issued an order of removal. Typically, undocumented immigrants are eligible for a green card, relatives of military members, may also be eligible for additional relief, and Annie Ramos is currently detained. This is what ICE said. Annie Ramos is currently detained for enforcement of a removal order issued in 2005 when she was just 20 months old. At any moment, that order may be executed, resulting in her deportation to a country she has never known. Annie's deportation would tragically, sorry, this is from a representative from the family, Annie's deportation would tragically separate her from her husband's staff, Sergeant Matthew Blank, who was preparing for the possibility of his third overseas deployment. Check it out, he's getting ready to deploy for the third time, and ICE is detaining his wife, who came here when she was 21-years-old. Here's a statement from Gabby Pacheco, President and CEO of the Dream USA. Detaining a 22-year-old biochemistry student who's lived here for two decades and is married to a US Army Staff Sergeant, preparing for deployment doesn't make us safer. It weakens the military. This family undermines our basic values and exposes how far we've fallen as a nation. Annie Ramos should be released from detention and returned to her family, and our country and our president should use this moment as a wake-up call. A Department of Homeland Security spokesperson said Ramos was arrested after she attempted to enter a military base. DHS continued, she has no legal status to be in this country and was issued a final order of removal by a judge. This administration is not going to ignore the rule of law. She illegally crossed the southern border and entered into the US in February of 2005. When she was 20-months-old, they didn't put that part. After she failed to show up for immigration hearings, she was issued a final order of removal by a judge on April 7th, 2005, when she was 20-months-old. And Ramos is currently detained at an ICE facility in Vazil, Louisiana, a government database is showing. Sergeant Blank says he'll continue to fight for his wife's reliefs. He says, I'm proud to serve my country. I'm proud to be her husband. And I will stand by her no matter what it takes. We should too. We should too. This is absolutely insane, absolutely diabolical, free and Ramos, free so many of the people who have been detained illegally and unconstitutionally and un-Americanly by ICE. Because ICE is detaining citizens and cops and vets and kids and kicking puppies. Remember that? We can't make this shit up. It's a culture of cruelty. And it's undermining our national security. And it's where we are. And don't forget, there's no justice for Renee Good, no justice for Alex Pretty. And if they can do it to them, they can do it to you. And if you're not angry, you're not paying attention. And we have to connect the dots, because they're ripping and tearing our country apart every day more and more by the day. And ICE is another reason we are less safe by the day. And our enemies are celebrating. All right. I don't want to end on a bad note. We're all going to be hitting refresh. We're all going to be watching what happens. If there's major breaking news, I may go live on YouTube or I may issue another emergency podcast. But I don't want to end my shows on a bad note. Because I've said this before, joy is a form of resistance. And I'm not going to let him take our joy. I still have my boys at basketball today on their spring break. The sun is still out. There's still flowers happening. There's still people who need help. There's still inspiring people that you can meet every day. And there's still sports. Last night, Michigan beat UConn 69 to 63. A juggernaut. Michigan's been a machine. It's a newly built machine with all transfers, but a dominant, big, and well-coached machine. Tremendous execution, all tournament. And last night, against a fun and gritty UConn team. It's hard to believe it's only Michigan's second national championship in basketball. But congrats to all the Wolverine fans worldwide. They're just sure are a lot of you. I know a lot of them. But it's also a reminder that basketball is awesome. And there are still things in America that can unify us and excite us and bring us joy. And there is no annual sports event in the world that's better than March Madness. But March is over. April is here. And we've got to try to ride that sense of unity and cohesion and togetherness and looking out for each other. Because that's what good teams do. That's what Michigan did all year. It's what they did last night. And basketball is an amazing team sport. But so is democracy. And I'm going to end, speaking of democracy, with something good. We need it today, right? We need it today. Something good. Oh, something sweet. Feel the fire. All right. Artemis, when you need something good, look up in the sky. Think about Artemis. Go to NASA's YouTube page. And know that if you haven't heard, Artemis II broke Apollo 13's distance record as humans traveled farther away from Earth than ever before. I've said this before. I wish that these astronauts would run for president. Imagine if they were our president right now instead of this guy. Imagine what the view looks like up there at what's happening down here. And look to them for a bit of moral guidance, a bit of inspirational guidance. After an emotional moment last night, I want to share with you a clip. The Artemis crew has been naming moon craters. And if you haven't heard about what happened yesterday, it was one of the most emotional moments. And I think something that was sobering and reflective and powerful. And if this doesn't bring a tear to your eye, you probably don't have a soul. But check out this clip. I hope we can play it, Chris, and find a way to allow it on YouTube and definitely on the audio. But here it is. Second one, and especially meaningful for this crew, is a number of years ago, we started this journey. And our close knit astronaut family, and we lost a loved one. And there's a feature in a really neat place on the moon. And it is on the near side, far side boundary. In fact, it's just on the near side of that boundary. And so at certain times of the moon's transit around Earth, you can, we will be able to see this from Earth. And so we lost a loved one. Our name was Carol, the spouse of Reed, the mother of Katie and Ellie. And if you want to find this one, you look at Glushko. And it's just to the northwest of that, at the same latitude as home. And it's a bright spot on the moon. And we would like to call it Carol. And you spell that C-A-R-R-O-L-L. If for some reason we couldn't play it, the Artemis crew chose to name a moon crater Carol, after commander Reed Wilson's wife, who died of cancer, in 2020. And what they said is, it's a bright spot on the moon. And we would like to call it Carol. It's a reminder that the inspiration is out there. There is community. We are a global family. We are a country that's united. And we can be inspired by these astronauts and by the memory of someone like Carol. So keep the faith. Stick together. And especially now, stay frosty. And most of all, stay vigilant. Stay vigilant. Stay vigilant. Stay vigilant. Stay vigilant. Stay vigilant. Stay vigilant. All right. That's the end of this quick fire emergency episode. A couple of pieces of housekeeping, especially if you're new here. Check us on YouTube. I am trying to give you an alternative to the same dull drums of cable news bullshit that's been on all day today. I just can't watch it. And if you're like me, you're probably looking for an alternative. So I hope this gives you that. Be sure to find us on YouTube. Subscribe and follow on all social media. We're on Blue Sky on Instagram, on X. I'm still over there on X. And you can subscribe at independentamericans.us. If you need hope, if you need perspective, I hope this show can bring it to you, shared far and wide, especially in moments like this. There aren't too many veterans hosting shows right now. I'm one of them. And I'm going to try to bring in as many folks who have experience around everything from NASA like we did last week with Commander Scott Kelly. If you haven't seen that, go back and check it out. To military leaders like Admiral James Struvites and others. Be sure to subscribe. Spread the word. I'm going to keep bringing it to you. If you can afford to pay on YouTube, please do. Help me keep bringing this forward. Join our sub-stack at independentamericans.us. Chip in anywhere you can. And join our Patreon community. Every little bit helps us continue to bring this forward. Because America is on edge. And here at Independent Americans, I am trying to bring light to contrast the heat of all the other political shows and to call it like it is. So if you're now among the 45% of Americans who are independent, this is your show. Our independent movement is going to bring hope, even in dark times. Country over party, people over politics, light over heat. Challenging the status quo and bringing forward a new movement all across our society. This is a moment for independence especially to speak out. But for Democrats, Republicans, this is a time where party affiliation or their lack of shouldn't matter. It's about what's best for our country and for our world and for our children. But our movement is growing. And we're bringing the hope that is the oxygen of democracy. So if you enjoyed this episode, this special emergency episode, please share it far and wide. Check us out on all platforms and invite other people to declare their independence, especially on a day like this. This is a day where a lot of people are fed up. And they want a place to put that anger into something constructive. Let it be this place and our network and our friends. And stay vigilant, my friends, because eternal vigilance is the price of freedom. And now you're not alone in your vigilance or in this moment. We're all vigilant. And we're all in this together in the next couple of hours, no matter what happens. That's especially true. I'm your host, Paul Reikoff. Thank you for tuning into this emergency episode of Independent Americans. I will see you tomorrow for sure with another evening episode, if not sooner. Stay frosty and especially in moments like this. Keep the faith. Look up to the sky and look for the helpers. And stay vigilant, America. Stay vigilant. Coppala, go he tells me the left and right are dreams for those without a clue. And when you wake, it's time to grow. And it's not cool to believe in school. But if I can say one thing, I've seen the children of the revolution and the good trouble they can bring. He says the red and blue are better than independent is an attitude. And island in the sea are rhetoric and archipelago, he tells me the left and right are dreams for those without a clue. And when you wake, it's time to grow. Powered by Righteous Media.
