Musk’s Starlink shutdown blindsides Kyiv. Bodnar, Osborn, Achilles, Bengs & the indy vets shaking up the Senate. Media Blitz Pod
Paul Rieckhoff joins Connell McShane on News Nation with retired Air Force Special Operations Commander Glenn Ignazio to call the Ukraine pivot what it is: a 180. Trump's envoy Steve Witkoff addressed Vladimir Putin as a "humanitarian" — a word for a man who has indiscriminately killed civilians from Odessa to Bucha and is still shipping lethal aid to Iran. Meanwhile, the Wall Street Journal reports Elon Musk himself ordered the Starlink/Starshield throttle that blindsided Ukrainian forces mid-fight, a precedent Glenn calls unprecedented and dangerous: a civilian defense contractor unilaterally shutting off a battlefield capability. Zelensky is signaling openness to freezing the front lines to get to a ceasefire — not to surrender territory — but only if Putin stops the bombing and shows up to the table.
Then Paul turns to the political front. Independents are now 45% of American voters, dwarfing registered Democrats, and a wave of independent veterans is making the 2026 Senate map real: Seth Bodnar surging in Montana, Dan Osborn neck-and-neck in Nebraska, Todd Achilles climbing in Idaho, Brian Bengs in South Dakota, Ty Pickens in Mississippi. Paul calls Matthew McConaughey's recent push the "McConaughey moment" — the breakout that cracks the rigged two-party system wide open. Whether you came up MAGA, Democrat, or neither, this one connects the dots between forever wars, gas prices at home, and why the parties don't want you to hear from the people actually running to fix it.
-WATCH full video of this episode here.
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-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.
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-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.
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