Episode Details

Dean was out today, so I brought in the experts who’ve been breaking this story wide open. Nick Paro and Melissa Corrigan joined me for what turned into one of the most significant FiveStack episodes we’ve done. Melissa broke news that changes everything about the Hegseth scandal, and what we learned suggests systematic criminality at the highest levels of the Pentagon. That wasn’t the only breaking news.

BREAKING NEWS: HEGSETH’S SECOND COVERUP

Melissa Corrigan broke this story this weekend on Blue Amp Media, and legacy press is ignoring it. In mid-October—about 47 days ago, a month after the September double-tap strike—there was another incident. Two survivors of a strike were brought onto the USS Iwo Jima. They were photographed per standard shipboard procedure. Then the order came down: delete that video. They deleted it. Two detainees were in US custody for over 24 hours with virtually no evidence of what happened. One was returned to Colombia on a ventilator, unconscious. The other went back to Ecuador. Both countries released them—no evidence of wrongdoing.

According to Corrigan, when Marines brought these detainees onboard, there was conflict between Marines and sailors about whether to take photos. Marines said the Commodore ordered no video. Melissa’s sources say the deletion order came from the admiral level, which means it likely came from Hegseth himself. This isn’t just one war crime—it’s a pattern with active coverup. As Nick Paro pointed out, you document everything in military detention precisely to protect service members legally and prevent diplomatic crises. Deleting evidence means Hegseth could lie to Congress and blame enlisted personnel with no footage to contradict him.

BREAKING NEWS: RUSSIA’S INFORMATION WARFARE

Russian state television released footage from last week’s Putin meeting with Trump’s negotiators—Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner. They waited five days to drop this, and what you see is pure stagecraft. The Americans walk in looking unsophisticated, wandering around admiring Kremlin interiors. “Visibly amazed by the grandeur,” according to Kremlin journalist Pavel Zarubin. But here’s the key frame: Putin’s aide Yuri Ushakov walks in with the American delegation, embedded in their group. This isn’t accidental. The message to Russian audiences is clear—we own these negotiations. While Russian state media celebrates American deference,

4️⃣ EUROPE BREAKS WITH TRUMP

While Kushner was in Moscow, Macron, Germany’s likely next chancellor Friedrich Merz, and UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer met with Zelensky in London. Macron’s message was direct: Europe and Ukraine have “a lot of cards in our hands”—a shot at Trump’s claim that Zelensky “doesn’t have the cards.” The transatlantic alliance is fracturing in real time. Nick noted that moving the entire Ford Strike Group out of the Mediterranean for the first time in 80 years to chase drug boats in the Caribbean is exactly what Putin wants—NATO presence withdrawn, allies isolated, American credibility shattered.

3️⃣ MTG GIVES PERMISSION TO LEAVE MAGA

Marjorie Taylor Greene told 60 Minutes that Republican colleagues are “terrified to step out of line and get a nasty Truth Social post.” When Leslie Stahl asked if they talk differently behind closed doors, MTG confirmed it. But here’s what matters: she kept saying “I’m America First” not MAGA. That’s not an accident. She’s positioning for what comes next—either a presidential run or leadership of a rebranded party. Melissa nailed it: “She’s giving permission for your average MAGA woman to step away from the MAGA movement.” And there are women looking for exactly that permission. Trump attacked 60 Minutes and Paramount on Truth Social minutes after the interview aired.

2️⃣ JARED KUSHNER AND JEFF ZUCKER ATTEMPT CNN TAKEOVER WITH SAUDI AND UAE MONEY