Governor Wes Moore. Elon Musk & DOGE fired 31k federal workers in Maryland.

The looming post-9/11 veteran showdown for president. Making every day Veterans Day.

Maryland Governor Wes Moore returns to Independent Americans for a Veterans Day conversation that refuses to let anyone spike the ball. Elon Musk's DOGE fired more than 31,000 federal workers in Maryland alone — one in four of them military veterans — and on January 1, up to 680,000 children could lose food assistance. Moore is blunt: the message from Tuesday's election wasn't that a party won, it was that the American people are losing. Trump still has two years, still has the power to deploy ICE into American cities, still has the power to start a new war. The job now is not to celebrate. The job is to get to work.

Paul and the Governor also look down the road at a looming post-9/11 veteran showdown for the presidency — Vance, Hegseth, DeSantis on one side; Moore, Buttigieg, Sherrill and others on the other — and what it means for the country when combat-tested independents and partisans finally face off for the top job. They close on what Veterans Day is actually supposed to mean: not a Hallmark holiday, not a day off, but a reminder that veterans are an investment, not a charity, and that the country still needs them in the fight. This is a conversation for every American who's done with cheerleaders in Congress and ready for leaders who remember who they're fighting for.

-WATCH full video of this episode here .

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-Check out the important work happening at  Independent Voter News at IVN.us .

-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 .

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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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