Best Kelly Cruz Podcasts (2025)

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Jason Alexander’s Christmas Surprise: Two Jokes and a Dose of Truth 3:04

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4d ago3:04

3:04

In this special holiday "stocking stuffer" episode, the legendary Jason Alexander (Seinfeld, Pretty Woman) joins Paul Rieckhoff to deliver a unique Christmas gift to the Independent Americans community. Moving from a classic "you weren't there" military jab to a sharp, sophisticated joke about the perils of radical honesty in the corporate world, A…

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Episode 748: Flowers & Ceramics, creating a floral enterprise that combines one artist’s passions, with Michelle Hartney 1:08:45

1d ago1:08:45

1:08:45

https://youtu.be/VminWzvUNIkIn 2018, we named Slow Pottery one of our ten floral insights of the year, and the interest in combining locally-grown flowers with curated pottery and vase collections has only continued to gain momentum. The demand for American-made pottery first caught our attention in a 2015 New York Times article titled “The Budding…

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Jason Alexander on Festivus, What George Costanza Would Think of Trump, Rob Reiner, and Hope for the Holidays 49:44

6d ago49:44

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It’s time for our Annual Festivus episode with the great, powerful, and wise Jason Alexander! Jason returns again to Independent Americans to help us air our grievances, navigate a truly turbulent holiday season and find some joy worth spreading. From the tragic origins of the Festivus holiday to the "despicable" and "amoral" nature of the Seinfeld…

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Brit Hume, Joe Scarborough, Megyn Kelly, Newt Gingrich: Memorable Guests of 2025 1:19:01

6d ago1:19:01

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A look back at some of the most memorable guest conversations of 2025 on "Next Up with Mark Halperin." Featuring Brit Hume, Joe Scarborough, Megyn Kelly, and Newt Gingrich on the stories, power dynamics, and political turning points that defined the year. https://hometitlelock.com/mark and use promo code MARK to get a FREE title history report and …

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A Christmas Message From Mick Foley. Standing Up to Trump & the WWE. War on Christmas (Literally). Trump Hits Syria. Another Venezuelan Tanker Seized. Jake Paul’s Reality Check. The Ted Cruz Curse Continues ... 14:58

7d ago14:58

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It’s Episode 400. A milestone. And while the rest of the world is checking out for the holidays, the machinery of war is heating up. Host Paul Rieckhoff breaks down a chaotic weekend where the "Peace President" launched strikes in Syria, threatened Venezuela with a new "Golden Fleet," and suspended offshore wind farms—all while Congress has left to…

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399. Matt Cavanaugh. Independent Vet for Congress in CO-5th. America’s Most Independent District. Party Politics is Alien vs Predator. Donating a Kidney. Colorado’s Buffalo is the Independent Spirit Animal ... 40:16

10d ago40:16

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Independent Veteran candidate, retired Army Lieutenant Colonel, PhD, ultra-marathon champion, and living kidney donor Matt Cavanaugh is a damn impressive leader. And he joins Independent Americans host Paul Rieckhoff from Colorado’s 5th district for an unfiltered, high-energy conversation on why “America is not okay” and why he believes voters are …

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398. James LaPorta. FOIA and Find Out. Why is a Marine Expeditionary Unit Off Venezuela? Laura Loomer Threatened to Sue Me. Trump’s Crazy Address & $1,776 “War Dividend”. 18 SEALs Disciplined for Racism ... 49:15

11d ago49:15

49:15

Paul welcomes back CBS News national security coordinating producer (and Marine infantry veteran) James LaPorta, one of the most tenacious and respected reporters in the national security and veterans’ space. From the CBS bureau in Washington, LaPorta brings exclusive reporting, deep sourcing and hard-won combat perspective as Paul rips through a w…

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Top Political Soundbites of 2025, Trump's Israel and Tucker Friendships, and Life After a Pardon 1:16:02

11d ago1:16:02

1:16:02

Mark Halperin opens the episode with his 2025 top political soundbites, revisiting the moments from politics and media that best captured the power shifts, internal party tensions, and national mood of the past year. From JD Vance’s viral confrontations, to Gavin Newsom’s rise, to Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s dominance of the attention economy, to Te…

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397. Craig Renaud. Heroic War Journalist & Director of Armed Only with a Camera: The Life and Death of Brent Renaud. Editing a Film About Your Brother’s Murder. Honoring Brent: The First American Killed ... 42:23

12d ago42:23

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In this moving and important episode, Paul Rieckhoff sits down with his old friend, acclaimed and courageous director Craig Renaud to discuss his HBO documentary, Armed Only with a Camera: The Life and Death of Brent Renaud, which honors his brother Brent, a brave and renowned journalist killed in Ukraine in 2022. Reflecting on two decades of share…

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Episode 747: Jennifer Gulizia of The Flowering Farmhouse on dahlia breeding, podcasting, filming a documentary and building a flower farm from the ground up 57:46

12d ago57:46

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https://youtu.be/iDXNEEP74dg?si=95xtQpkBIExFdBQdYou may be familiar with today’s guest, Jennifer Gulizia of The Flowering Farmhouse and The Backyard Bouquet Podcast. Like many of us, Jennifer’s story began in her own garden, as her flower-growing fascination naturally melded with her professional photography career. In 2019, she and her husband, T.…

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Best and Worst of 2025 Media, Rise of Antisemitism, and the Issues That Will Decide 2026 Midterms 1:26:56

13d ago1:26:56

1:26:56

Mark Halperin opens a new episode with his reported monologue featuring a “Next Up 2025 Media Review,” breaking down how the press changed over the past year and why those shifts matter for politics, public trust, and power. He examines the biggest winners and losers in media, identifies the most dangerous and hopeful trends shaping coverage headin…

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396. Senator Mark Kelly. His Face-to-Face With Hegseth Today in DC. His Plan to Combat Trump’s Courts Martial Ridiculousness. Why He Recorded the Video to the Troops. Will He Run for President? Can He ... 31:14

13d ago31:14

31:14

This is a huge and news-making show. Recorded just before Kelly’s pivotal meeting with Hegseth in Washington. When Donald Trump used the power of the presidency to call for Senator Mark Kelly’s execution, he crossed a dangerous new line—and sent a chilling message to millions of veterans and every American who dares to speak out. In this all–new ep…

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395. Baratunde Thurston. An Unimaginably Violent & Painful Weekend. How to Citizen in Chaos. Activating Multiplayer Mode for Democracy. Hegseth: Trying & Missing. AI is Not Taking Your Job. 2 KIA in Syria ... 45:31

14d ago45:31

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After a weekend of atrocities from the Hanukkah massacre in Sydney to another campus shooting at Brown University, new American combat deaths in Syria, Trump’s escalating boat strikes, looming conflict with Venezuela and brutal VA job cuts, Independent Americans host Paul Rieckhoff turns to someone who can help us breathe, process and fight forward…

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393. Scott MacFarlane. Who is the Jan. 5 Pipe Bomber? Can We Trust Patel/Bongino? Trump Seizes a Tanker. Are the Venezuela Strikes Legal? Adm. Bradley in the Crosshairs. CA National Guard & a Limit for ... 39:06

18d ago39:06

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CBS Justice Correspondent Scott MacFarlane joins Independent Americans for a hard-hitting breakdown of Trump’s risky Venezuelan tanker seizure, the secret DOJ legal memos behind recent strikes, and the unprecedented blanket pardons that wiped out the largest criminal investigation in American history. Host Paul Rieckhoff also unpacks a near-trillio…

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Inside "8 for '28” Dem Nominee Power Rankings, and Transforming Arkansas, with Gov. Huckabee Sanders 1:14:10

18d ago1:14:10

1:14:10

Mark Halperin kicks off today’s episode with the debut of his landmark new segment, “8 for ’28,” unveiling his deeply reported insider power rankings of the Democrats most likely to win their party’s 2028 presidential nomination. He walks through all of the top contenders — why Gavin Newsom sits at #1, what sets Josh Shapiro apart, and how Pete But…

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392. Stephanie Ruhle. Fed Rate Cut: Early Xmas Gift or Lump of Coal? Trump Can’t Lie About Your Grocery Bills. China Won 2025. Kind is the New Cool.The Broken Business of Youth Sports. Strangers, Diners ... 56:18

19d ago56:18

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MS Now’s Stephanie Ruhle is back on Independent Americans for the first time since March 2020, joining host Paul Rieckhoff to let it fly. She’s candid, uninterrupted and going deep on Trump’s unchecked power over the U.S. military, the runaway big business of youth sports, the affordability crisis, and why “kind is the new cool.” Paul opens with a …

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Episode 746: Slow Flowers in Sweden, with Eva Eliasson, chairwoman of Snittblomsodlare (Slow Flowers Sweden) 59:30

15d ago59:30

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https://youtu.be/D6ZrP98HNEg?si=xnsb-hjNywgQYrPrToday’s guest, Eva Eliasson, joins me from Stockholm, Sweden, where she is the chairwoman of Snittblomsodlare, the association of cut flower farmers in Sweden. We met virtually earlier this year when Eva reached out to introduce herself while on a family trip to the U.S. We scheduled time to chat furt…

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391. Governor Wes Moore. The Opposite of Trump. “I Have to be a Healer.” Can He Stop Trump’s Military Overreach? Focusing on Men & Boys. Hosting The Cabinet for Army Navy Sat. Pull-Up Challenges vs RFK ... 25:02

20d ago25:02

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Governor Wes Moore is back—and this time, the stakes are even higher. As Trump tests the limits of presidential power, perhaps the most exciting and inspiring Governor in America joins Paul Rieckhoff to explain how far the White House can really go in deploying the National Guard into American cities, what is and is not a “lawful order,” and how go…

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Political Fallout From Paramount-Netflix War Over Warner, Trump’s Ukraine Talks & Putin’s Endgame 1:10:58

20d ago1:10:58

1:10:58

Mark Halperin kicks off today’s episode with his signature reported monologue on the escalating Netflix–Paramount battle for Warner Bros. — and why it has politicians simultaneously looking for advantage and feeling increasingly uneasy. He explains why this goes well beyond a Hollywood corporate fight, with major implications for Donald Trump and f…

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390. Barbara Starr. Hegseth is SecDef Drama. “This is Someone Who is Afraid.” Trump’s New National Defense Strategy is Awesome…For Putin. Signalgate & the Pentagon Propaganda Corps. Pearl Harbor Lessons ... 28:38

21d ago28:38

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This episode goes straight to the heart of Trump’s chaotic Pentagon with one of the most respected national security reporters in America, Barbara Starr. In this all–new Manosphere Monday, Paul and Barbara dig into the debate around the boat strikes off Venezuela, war crime allegations, “Signalgate,” Trump’s new defense strategy and what happens wh…

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389. Todd Achilles - Independent Veteran for Senate. Everybody’s Pissed Off. The View from Idaho. Hegseth, SignalGate, Venezuela & ICE. Flags Lowered for Spec Sarah Beckstrom. The 2X2 Matrix. The Need ... 39:47

24d ago39:47

39:47

Independent U.S. Senate candidate from Idaho, Army veteran and telecom leader Todd Achilles returns to Independent Americans for a hard-charging Football Friday that cuts through the chaos. Todd and host Paul Rieckhoff break down Trump’s unauthorized boat strikes and the unfolding Signalgate scandal, why Secretary Hegseth is “fundamentally unfit,” …

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Ted Cruz Eyes 2028 Challenge to JD Vance, First Look at Mark Halperin’s “8 for 2028” Dem Rankings 1:10:16

25d ago1:10:16

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Mark kicks off today’s episode with his signature reported monologue, unveiling new details about the emerging 2028 Democratic field — why some early frontrunners may not be as secure as they look, how donor behavior and coalition math are already reshaping expectations, and why Gavin Newsom and Josh Shapiro currently dominate the invisible primary…

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388. Brigadier General (Ret) Shawn Harris. Can He Win MTG’s Old Seat? 1/6 Bomb Suspect Captured. Boat Strikes and Venezuela. SECDEF has Lost the Confidence of the Brass. Putin Sending Ukrainian Children ... 49:03

25d ago49:03

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Retired Brigadier General Shawn A. Harris is back on the front lines—this time in politics. From his grass-fed cattle farm in Rockmart, Georgia to the halls of the Pentagon, Harris joins Independent Americans host Paul Rieckhoff (@PaulRieckhoff) to break down SignalGate, the deadly US boat strikes, the War Powers fight and the growing danger of slo…

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387. Independent Senator Angus King. Does Hegseth Need to Go NOW? War Crimes Hearings When? Why Did ADM Holsey Resign? SignalGate Investigation Finally Done. Can The Senate Stop Trump on Venezuela? His ... 29:24

26d ago29:24

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In this urgent episode ripped from the top political and national security headlines, host Paul Rieckhoff talks with the only truly Independent Senator and member of the Senate Armed Services Committee: Maine’s Angus King. King returns to the show to answer tough questions, share the latest from inside the Senate, and break down Hegseth's "kill eve…

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Episode 745: Rachel Burgoon of Feathers & Flowers in Washington’s Wenatchee Valley 56:29

23d ago56:29

56:29

https://youtu.be/LBywkd_2XK8?si=ZHwpJ8cUm23yV4cSFeathers & Flowers is a small, family-run, flower farm growing seasonal, sustainable, and local flowers in Wenatchee, Washington. The farm’s cute logo includes an illustration of a KuneKune pig, a few chickens, and of course, a vase of flowers. I recently visited Feathers & Flowers as Rachel Burgoon’s…

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Katie Miller Fires Back at Media Attackers, Boat Strike Constitutional Crisis, Trump's Comeback Plan 1:24:35

27d ago1:24:35

1:24:35

Mark Halperin opens the show with his reported monologue on why some Democrats are suddenly, uncharacteristically serene in declaring Donald Trump politically finished — and why GOP insiders insist they’re getting the moment wrong again. Drawing on fresh conversations with Republican strategists, Mark breaks down the four-phase comeback plan they b…

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386. Jason Dempsey. Is Hegseth Going Down Over This? Why Double-Tapping is Wrong. Spotlight on Adm. Bradley. No Scapegoats. Afghani Experience: Trauma, Transition and Empty Promises. “Driscoll is Measuring ... 48:21

27d ago48:21

48:21

Paul Rieckhoff catches up with scholar-warrior Dr. Jason Dempsey, a veteran whose career spans deployments in Afghanistan, work inside the White House, and now powerful advocacy and research on the state of America’s military. The two dive into headline events—recent attacks, controversial military decisions, and the dangerous rise of performative …

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385. Dan Lamothe. Washington Post’s NATSEC Reporter Caught in the Crossfire. Who Gave the Double Tap Order? Is it a War Crime? Hegseth & Trump vs the Press. Laura Loomer & Deskgate. Are Venezuela Strikes ... 42:16

28d ago42:16

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In this must-hear breaking news episode, host Paul Rieckhoff and Washington Post Pentagon reporter and returning guest Dan Lamothe dig into the shocking September 2 “drug boat” strike that allegedly included a second “double tap” hit on survivors in the water—and why this may become the first real legal and political test of Trump’s controversial b…

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384. Jon Bernthal (Replay). The Iconic Actor Gets Real About America at a Crossroads. Defining Toughness, and Insurrectionist Using The Punisher Skull. George Floyd, Fatherhood, Sativa, DMX, Pitbulls ... 47:05

1M ago47:05

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In this classic April 2021 conversation, Independent Americans host Paul Rieckhoff sits down with actor Jon Bernthal for a raw, unfiltered look at America at a breaking point—through the eyes of a storyteller who has spent years playing warriors, cops and complicated men on the edge. They dig into service, violence, fatherhood, justice and what it …

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383. Paul Rieckhoff. Part Two: The 2025 IVA Winners Circle Town Hall. The Rise of Service-First Politics. From Mechanic to Movement Leader in the Heartland. Grassroots Veterans Challenge Big Money Politics ... 33:25

1M ago33:25

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This special Thanksgiving edition brings you part two of a dynamic Independent Veterans of America Winners Circle Town Hall featuring IVA 2026 Senate candidates Ty Pinkins of Mississippi and Dan Osborn of Nebraska—two independent veterans who are taking on entrenched incumbents, big money, and a broken two-party system. From New York City on Thank…

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382. Paul Rieckhoff. Part One: The 2025 IVA Winners Circle Town Hall. Independent Veteran Candidates Share Their Victories and Challenges. Open Primaries and Ranked Choice vs A Stacked Deck. How an Independent ... 33:09

1M ago33:09

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As we head into Thanksgiving we've got a special Veterans Day “Winners Circle” town hall that brings together Independent Veterans of America (IVA) candidates who are changing American politics from the ground up. Independent Americans host and IVA founder Paul Rieckhoff moderates a powerful, unfiltered conversation with two newly‑elected independe…