The Late Show Pod Show with Stephen Colbert Paul Rieckhoff | Fossil Fools
Mar 10, 2026
Paul Rieckhoff, national security analyst and veterans advocate, offers brisk analysis of U.S. military policy and Congress’s role. He critiques expanding presidential war powers and the lack of clear objectives for operations. He also discusses recruiting independent veterans to run for office and restore nonpartisan leadership.
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Advising The Colbert Report In Baghdad
- Paul Rieckhoff recounts advising Stephen Colbert's 2009 USO trip to Baghdad.
- He frames that experience when questioning whether current troops received clear messaging from the commander-in-chief before deployment.
Country Comes Before Combat
- A commander must first commit the country before committing troops.
- Paul Rieckhoff explains that leaders must give clear goals, timelines, and costs to the nation before sending service members into harm's way.
Congress Is Not Acting As A Brake
- Congress is failing to check presidential military action, enabling unchecked strikes.
- Rieckhoff calls Congress the 'mall cops of our democracy' and says members didn't reconvene after strikes, leaving no guardrails.