We weren’t supposed to have a show today.
Lawrence is out caring for his mom during her surgery — exactly where he should be — and we had planned to take the day off. But then, over the weekend, broke one of the most important stories we’ve ever covered, over on
. And with Lawrence’s blessing (“you have to do this”), jumped in as my co-host so we could give Melissa the space she deserved.Because what she uncovered isn’t a headline — it’s a warning flare.
Melissa received credible documentation that after one of Pete Hegseth’s boat strikes off the coast of Venezuela, two surviving detainees were brought aboard the USS Iwo Jima. Sailors and Marines began their standard protocol: filming the onboarding to protect both the detainees and the service members.
And then an order came down from the Admiral:
Delete the videos.
The enlisted sailors pushed back. They asked for clarification. They cited the code. They understood the stakes — diplomatic, legal, moral. And in the end, the order was repeated through JAG, and the footage was wiped.
One detainee was later returned to his home country on a ventilator.
There was no trial.
No evidence presented.
And the governments involved have refused to press charges — because there is no evidence.
Melissa held this documentation for 47 days — long enough for her source to secure legal counsel, long enough to ensure their safety, long enough to confirm every detail. She turned down bigger outlets because the source trusted her judgment, her military experience, and her ethics.
This story is about military protocol, yes.
It’s about the breakdown of chain-of-command.
It’s about dangerous political interference.
But more than anything, it’s about what happens when independent media does the work legacy media won’t — or can’t.
Melissa honored her source. She protected the people on that ship. She followed the story all the way to the people responsible for oversight. She risked personal and professional consequences to bring this to light.
And now it’s on all of us to amplify it.
Today’s show is centered entirely on Melissa — her reporting, her courage, her clarity, and the urgent questions she’s forcing the country to ask.
If you watch one episode this month, make it this one.
If you share one story this week, let it be hers.
Independent journalism matters.
Today proved why.
Thank you
, , , , , and many others for tuning in.We love you, mean it!
