5️⃣ TRUMP: "I NEED UKRAINE PEACE TO GET TO HEAVEN"

Donald Trump's Fox News confession linking Ukraine diplomacy to afterlife salvation wasn't just bizarre—it was revelatory. "I'm hearing I'm not doing well... I'm at the bottom of the totem pole," he admitted, before declaring peace negotiations his ticket to heaven. His press secretary confirmed he "wants to get to heaven," while medical experts see classic signs of late-stage congestive heart failure in his swollen ankles, cognitive decline, and wobbly gait. The theological bargaining of a man who knows his time is running out.

4️⃣ AMERICA IN FREEFALL: 1.5 MILLION FLEE AS REPUTATION CRASHES

Two devastating reports paint America's collapse in real-time. Ipsos shows Trump's America at just 46% positive global influence—barely above Iran and behind Canada's world-leading 79%. Meanwhile, Pew Research reveals 1.5 million immigrants fled in six months, the first negative migration in decades. The self-deportation app offers $1,000 cash and free flights home. Trump officials celebrate the exodus while economists warn of "generational repercussions" as America's workforce evaporates and its global standing craters below Germany, France, and virtually every democratic nation.

3️⃣ TRUMP'S $500M FRAUD VERDICT VOIDED—BUT FRAUD STANDS

New York's appeals court voided Trump's $500 million penalty while keeping the fraud conviction intact. The split five-judge panel couldn't even reach majority opinion, calling the penalty "excessive" but confirming the underlying crimes. Trump declared "TOTAL VICTORY" despite remaining barred from New York business operations. Meanwhile, the DOJ investigates NY Attorney General Letitia James for "weaponizing" her position—the same playbook of intimidation used against anyone who dares hold Trump accountable.

2️⃣ SANDWICH GUY FACES 8 YEARS FOR FOOTLONG RESISTANCE

DOJ employee Sean Dunn threw a salami sub at a federal agent and now faces felony charges carrying eight years in prison. U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro and AG Pam Bondi called it "Deep State resistance"—over a sandwich. The viral video spawned Banksy-style street art across D.C., protesters wielding Subway footlongs as resistance symbols, and t-shirts raising $4,300 for food banks. Twenty federal agents arrested him at his door. For throwing lunch.

1️⃣ U.S. MILITARY PREPS STRIKES ON MEXICAN CARTELS

Trump issued Top Secret orders for military strikes on Mexican cartels by mid-September—unilateral attacks without Mexico's approval. Northern Command leaked the plans, revealing "target packages" against Sinaloa and Jalisco cartels. This isn't about drugs; it's about Mexico's new trade deal with Canada bypassing America entirely, their new coast-to-coast infrastructure threatening U.S. economic dominance. Trump treating our neighbor like Afghanistan while his own son battles cocaine addiction—the irony writes itself.

From Trump's deathbed diplomacy to military strikes on Mexico, from sandwich felonies to mass exodus—this is America at Day 214. A dying president bargaining with heaven while building hell on earth.

The FiveStack is available as an audio podcast on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. Advertising inquiries email [email protected]. The FiveStack is a co-production of deanblundell.substack.com and narativ.org.

Thank you Ellie Leonard, Story Carrier, Pamela, Noble Blend, Leah Anderson, and many others for tuning into my live video with Dean Blundell! Join me for my next live video in the app.

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.narativ.org/subscribe

5️⃣ DOJ Building Trans Youth Registry with SSNs and Home Addresses

The Justice Department's unprecedented demand for hospitals to surrender everything about young transgender patients - Social Security numbers, home addresses, parents' information, doctors' texts, Zoom recordings, even billing codes - has already forced over a dozen hospitals to shut down their gender care programs entirely. Attorney General Pam Bondi's 20+ subpoenas target doctors for providing care that was completely legal in their states, demanding records dating back to 2020 before any state had banned such treatment.

This affects fewer than 3,000 adolescents nationwide who receive hormone treatments - a minuscule 0.7% of the population identifying as trans. Yet the Trump regime is building what amounts to a comprehensive database of vulnerable youth and their families. As Dean Blundell noted during today's show, this echoes the darkest chapters of authoritarian history - creating registries of "undesirables" that the Bible supposedly condemns. Parents are scrambling to find doctors before prescriptions run out, with one Midwestern physician saying, "Frankly, I'm looking over my shoulder driving home."

4️⃣ NSA's Top AI Expert Purged for Knowing About Russian Interference

The NSA's acting director desperately tried to save the agency's chief data scientist from Trump's political purge, but failed when Tulsi Gabbard revoked his security clearance along with 36 others. Vinh Nguyen - son of a South Vietnamese general who fought alongside Americans, recruited at 17 for his mathematical genius, and developer of crucial AI and quantum computing systems - was fired for his tangential connection to documenting 2016 Russian election interference.

Acting NSA Director William Hartman asked Gabbard for evidence of wrongdoing. She refused and fired him anyway. As Zev pointed out, these are the people defending America against Russia - cryptographers who can crack codes and counter Russian AI operations. Their removal aids and abets the enemy. Meanwhile, Gabbard went on a televised rant absolving Russia of any election interference, despite Putin, Lavrov, and Medvedev all publicly admitting they helped Trump win.

3️⃣ Trump Regime Offers $500M to Break Up Canada

Alberta separatists are bragging about a supposed half-billion dollar "transition loan" from Trump officials to help Alberta become independent, with promises of instant U.S. recognition and currency swaps at par. Dr. Dennis Modry - who lost his medical license after botched leg-lengthening surgery he got to marry a Filipino woman who wanted him taller - claims he met with "senior U.S. administrative officials just steps from the president" who pledged support.

The cast includes disbarred lawyers threatening murder, ex-MPs, and MAGA-funded groups running billboards calling Alberta the "51st state." While only 11% of Albertans support separation, this foreign interference campaign aims to destabilize Canada after Mark Carney's election victory blocked Trump's annexation dreams. If true, this constitutes sedition and treason - the Trump regime bribing Canadian officials to break their Constitution and deliver an energy-rich province to America.

2️⃣ Pentagon Pulls 500 Agents from Crime Cases to Guard Hegseth's Ex-Wives

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth's personal security requirements have ballooned to over 500 Army criminal investigators, pulling agents from fraud and violent crime investigations including the recent Fort Stewart mass shooting. The unprecedented arrangement includes protecting his ex-spouses' homes, accompanying children to school, and scrambling to cover a Nationals game where Hegseth bought regular seats instead of a suite, forcing agents to secure an entire exposed section of the ballpark.

One CID official said, "I've never seen this many security teams for one guy. Nobody has." Agents are being pulled from real investigations to "sit on luggage" and "sit in the cars on the driveway." The agency requested $253 million more but Trump's backing only $20 million of the $45 million needed. As Dean noted, "Nothing says alpha male like needing 500 dudes around you at all times because you're so afraid."

1️⃣ Trump Orders Smithsonian to Whitewash Slavery

Trump accused the Smithsonian of being "OUT OF CONTROL" for focusing on "how bad Slavery was" and ordered museums to revise exhibits within 120 days to show more "Brightness" and "Success" instead. His Truth Social rant declared: "Everything discussed is how horrible our Country is, how bad Slavery was... Nothing about Success, nothing about Brightness, nothing about the Future."

The president complained that museums - whose very purpose is documenting history - aren't focused enough on "the future." He's already had exhibits about his insurrection and impeachments removed. As Dean pointed out, this mirrors exactly what Hitler did in 1938 and Putin did 28 years ago - revising history, pulling out exhibits, attacking universities and professors who told accurate stories. Trump is literally calling America's Black history "too woke" to acknowledge, attempting to erase the Underground Railroad, Emmett Till, and centuries of documented atrocities because they make white supremacists uncomfortable.

These five stories reveal the accelerating architecture of American authoritarianism: building registries of vulnerable minorities, purging intelligence experts who defend against Russia, attempting to break up allied nations, turning the military into personal security forces, and literally rewriting history to erase inconvenient truths. From trans youth to Black history, from Canada to the NSA, every institution and ally is under assault by a regime that cannot tolerate reality itself.

The FiveStack is available as an audio podcast on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. Advertising inquiries email [email protected]. The FiveStack is a co-production of deanblundell.substack.com and narativ.org.

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.narativ.org/subscribe

5️⃣ FBI's Unprecedented Co-Deputy Drama Meets Epstein Files Deadline

The Trump administration created a position that has never existed in FBI history - co-deputy director - appointing Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey to share duties with Dan Bongino. This bizarre arrangement comes after Bongino's explosive confrontation with Attorney General Pam Bondi over unreleased Jeffrey Epstein files nearly cost him his job. Sources indicate Bongino hasn't been to work in weeks, disgusted by what he's seen in those files. Meanwhile, the House Oversight Committee announced the Justice Department missed today's subpoena deadline for Epstein documents but promises to begin releasing "some records" Friday. Former AG Bill Barr testified Monday he "didn't see anything" implicating Trump - carefully chosen words from the man who covered up Iran-Contra and whose father hired Epstein at the Dalton School.

4️⃣ Maine Senator Invites Canadian Officials to Commit Treason

State Senator Joseph Martin sent four-page manifestos to 900 elected officials across Western Canada, inviting British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba to abandon their country and join the United States. The letter promises "real freedom," expanded gun rights, and a "Christian moral order" - essentially asking Canadian politicians to violate their oaths of office. Martin demands provinces dismantle their governments, abandon Canadian law, and adopt American jurisprudence in full. This follows Ambassador Pete Hoekstra's similar divisive actions last week, part of what appears to be a coordinated disinformation campaign targeting Canada. The pitch targets a nation where 65% of citizens report no religious affiliation and gun violence rates are dramatically lower than even Maine, which recently experienced the Lewiston mass shooting.

3️⃣ Justice Department Investigates D.C. Police for "Fake Crime Numbers"

The Trump administration launched a criminal investigation into whether Washington D.C. police manipulated crime statistics, with Trump claiming the city provided "fake crime numbers" to create a "false illusion of safety." The probe extends beyond Commander Michael Pulliam to examine other officials, intensifying Trump's push for federal control of D.C. law enforcement. Metropolitan Police data shows violent crime down 27% and homicides down 11%, but the police union chairman calls the reported 35% decrease "preposterous." The investigation conveniently aligns with Trump's narrative that D.C. went from "the most unsafe city" to "perhaps the safest" in four days after his National Guard deployment.

2️⃣ Poilievre's Alberta "Comeback" After Historic National Defeat

Pierre Poilievre won a byelection in Alberta's Battle River-Crowfoot with 80.4% of the vote - a riding so safe for Conservatives that "a blue fur coat would win without lawn signs." The previous MP, Damien Kurek, mysteriously stepped aside weeks after winning, reportedly receiving a six-figure consulting deal. This "victory" comes after Poilievre lost his Ottawa seat to Liberal newcomer Bruce Fanjoy and watched his party's 25-point national lead evaporate under Mark Carney's leadership. National polls now show Conservatives trailing Liberals 44% to 33%. His wife posted about "working hard to get my husband's job back" while fundraising emails hit inboxes before the victory confetti settled, calling this gifted seat the "biggest win in Canadian election history."

1️⃣ Trump Abandons Ukraine Security Promise Within 12 Hours

President Trump definitively ruled out U.S. ground troops for Ukraine on Fox News this morning, less than 24 hours after hosting European leaders at the White House where security guarantees were the centerpiece. Trump now says European nations will provide ground forces while America offers air support "because there's nobody that has the kind of stuff we have." The walk-back came after he excused himself from yesterday's meeting to call Putin for 20 minutes, then returned to change the entire dynamic. He also blamed Ukraine for the war, saying Zelensky "should never start a war with a country ten times your size." The European leaders who flew emergency flights to support Ukraine weren't invited - they forced their way into the meeting to protect Zelensky from exactly this betrayal.

The FiveStack is available as an audio podcast on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. Advertising inquiries email [email protected]. The FiveStack is a co-production of deanblundell.substack.com and narativ.org.

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.narativ.org/subscribe

5️⃣ Ukraine's Orchestrated Surrender

Fresh off his humiliating Alaska summit where Putin ran the show, Trump dragged Zelensky to the White House today for what amounts to a surrender negotiation. The Ukrainian president arrived in a black suit instead of military fatigues—the optics alone signaling defeat. Behind closed doors, some sources claimed Trump offered Zelensky a Hollywood production deal and immunity from prosecution if he'd just give Putin 30% more Ukrainian territory than Russia currently occupies. We can’t verify that claim. It is possible European leaders are playing along, calling Trump's bluff while knowing Putin will never agree to any legitimate peace deal—he's broken 20 ceasefires since 2014.

4️⃣ Classified Documents Left in Hotel Printer

Eight pages of State Department documents about the Putin summit were discovered in an Anchorage hotel printer Friday, just hours after the meeting ended. The papers included exact locations at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, phone numbers of government employees, and Trump's ceremonial gift to Putin—an American Bald Eagle desk statue. They even revealed the canceled luncheon menu featuring filet mignon and crème brûlée, complete with phonetic pronunciations like "Mr. President POO-tihn." UCLA law professor Jon Michaels called it "further evidence of the sloppiness and incompetence of the administration." This follows ICE agents accidentally adding random people to law enforcement group chats and national security leaders mistakenly including journalists in military strike discussions.

3️⃣ NFL Male Cheerleaders Trigger Culture War Meltdown

The Minnesota Vikings introduced Blaize Shiek and Louie Conn as male cheerleaders, and MAGA world is losing its mind—not because men haven't been cheerleaders before (they've been on college teams for decades), but because these particular men are gay and flamboyant. The real issue? Some conservative fans are getting aroused by the male cheerleaders and can't handle it. Meanwhile, Trump claimed during today's Ukraine presser that Democrats will lose elections because of "men on women's sports teams," trying to gaslight America into voting Republican over manufactured outrage while he hands the country to Putin.

2️⃣ Epstein Files Finally Coming to Congress

The Justice Department will start releasing Jeffrey Epstein documents to Congress by Friday, after House Oversight Chairman James Comer subpoenaed them last week. The committee also demanded testimony from Bill and Hillary Clinton, plus multiple former attorneys general. Bill Barr testified today—the cover-up specialist himself. Trump spent the weekend creating maximum chaos with the Putin summit, Ukraine negotiations, and mail-in voting attacks, suggesting he's either desperately distracting from what's in those files or his name's been thoroughly scrubbed. Given that 1,000 FBI agents reportedly spent time redacting his name "for privacy reasons," we'll see which version of history Congress gets.

1️⃣ Trump's Unconstitutional War on Mail-In Voting

During today's Ukraine press conference, Trump announced he's signing an executive order to eliminate mail-in voting nationwide, claiming "you can never have a real democracy with mail-in ballots." The Constitution explicitly gives states—not presidents—control over elections, but Trump posted that states are "merely agents" of the federal government who must obey him. Here's the kicker: Trump himself votes by mail and encouraged supporters to do the same in 2024. The real story? On Hannity, Trump admitted Putin told him to eliminate mail-in voting because that's how Trump "really won" 2020. Putin is literally dictating American election policy through his puppet, and Trump's implementing it in real-time.

The pattern is unmistakable: Putin gives orders in Alaska, Trump implements them in Washington. Today we watched an American president negotiate Ukraine's surrender on Russia's behalf while simultaneously attacking the voting system that Putin told him to destroy. The cheerleaders and Epstein files are just noise compared to the main event—watching Vladimir Putin run American foreign and domestic policy through his installed asset.

When Fox News reporters are saying Putin "stole Trump's lunch money and slapped him in the face," you know the mask is completely off. America First has become Russia First, and the only question remaining is whether Americans will wake up in time for 2026—assuming we still have elections by then.

The FiveStack is available as an audio podcast on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. Advertising inquiries email [email protected]. The FiveStack is a co-production of deanblundell.substack.com and narativ.org.

Thank you Nick Paro, Noble Blend, Leah Anderson, P. J. Schuster, Stephanie Munoz, and many others for tuning into my live video with Dean Blundell! Join me for my next live video in the app.

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.narativ.org/subscribe

5️⃣ Alaska Washes Away Trump-Putin Summit

Expectations for the Putin Trump summit are being washed away with the worst Alaskan glacial floodson record this week as 17 billion gallons of water threatened 14,000 Juneau residents, creating a surreal backdrop for Trump's Friday summit with Putin at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson. The president, already downplaying the meeting as less important than a future three-way with Zelensky, chose to hold this "historic" summit at a military base—not because of the flooding that jumped water levels from 10.9 to 13.9 feet in 90 minutes, but because no venue in Alaska would host them. As one White House insider revealed, Alaskans ordered 12,000 Ukrainian flags to line any potential route the Russian president might travel. Putin, so paranoid he travels with someone to collect his bodily waste, will likely never leave his plane.

4️⃣ Europe's Desperate Ukraine Intervention

European leaders emerged from Wednesday's emergency call claiming victory while EU diplomat Kaja Kallas warned that initial US-Russia negotiations focused on "territory only." The reality is less dramatic than headlines suggest—European leaders weren't begging Trump but firmly stating they'll continue supporting Ukraine regardless of any deal he cuts. As Polish PM Donald Tusk noted with remarkable candor: "I guess everyone's afraid Putin will play Trump's ego again like he has in the past." The Europeans made their position clear: Ukraine decides its fate, not two strongmen hiding on an Air Force base.

3️⃣ The Kennedy Center's Casino Act

Trump unveiled his Kennedy Center Honors featuring Sylvester Stallone, Kiss's Gene Simmons (who once bragged about "deflowering 10,000 women"), and Gloria Gaynor—while announcing he'll host the ceremony himself and joking about giving himself an honor next year. He claimed to be "98 percent involved" in selecting recipients after rejecting "wokesters," though Kiss bassist Simmons previously said Trump "got all the cockroaches to rise to the top." Tom Cruise declined due to "scheduling conflicts," production company Done+Dusted pulled out, and subscriptions are down. Trump's promise to make DC "beautiful again" by replacing park grass with "the finest grasses—I know a lot about grass because I own golf courses"—captures the absurdity perfectly.

2️⃣ The Epstein Files Crack Trump's Base

More than one-third of Republicans disapprove of Trump's handling of the Jeffrey Epstein files according to new Quinnipiac polling—the first significant crack in his base support. While 90% maintain overall approval, the Epstein connection represents his greatest vulnerability. As Joe Rogan recently observed, every time Epstein surfaces in the news, there's suddenly a new national emergency—bombings, DC takeovers, Putin summits. Reports suggest victims and witnesses to Trump's involvement in Epstein-related activities are preparing to come forward, which explains the timing of Friday's hastily arranged Alaska summit.

1️⃣ America’s Historic Debt and DOGE’s Trillion Dollar Lie Exposed

America crossed the $37 trillion debt threshold on August 12th—five years ahead of pre-pandemic projections—while Politico revealed DOGE saved just $1.4 billion, less than 5% of Musk's claimed $52.8 billion. The agency used "faulty math" and ceiling levels to inflate savings that don't actually reduce the deficit since agencies are mandated to spend allocated funds. Meanwhile, July's deficit jumped 20% to $291 billion despite record tariff revenues of $28 billion. The administration is adding $1 trillion to the debt every five months while Trump spends on gold paneling, marble floors, a Qatari jet that can't land at US airports, and $15,000 signing bonuses for teenage ICE recruits. As Maya MacGuineas warned: "We hope this $37 trillion milestone will wake up policymakers."

The con artist's playbook remains consistent: promise everything, deliver nothing, and when caught, create a distraction. Friday's summit isn't diplomacy—it's theater designed to buy Putin more time while Americans foot the bill for an administration that's turned governance into a personal enrichment scheme. The flood in Alaska is real; everything else is just more water under a very expensive bridge.

The FiveStack is available as an audio podcast on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. Advertising inquiries email [email protected]. The FiveStack is a co-production of deanblundell.substack.com and narativ.org.

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.narativ.org/subscribe

The pattern is unmistakable. In just 72 hours, we've witnessed the systematic dismantling of truth, the military occupation of our capital, and the burial of the biggest intelligence scandal in history. But the most horrifying development? Trump is building concentration camps for homeless Americans. Europeans who've seen this movie before are waving their hands in warning.

5️⃣ Killing the Numbers That Matter

Trump's new Bureau of Labor Statistics nominee E.J. Antoni wants to suspend the monthly jobs reports that have guided American business decisions since 1915. When the data makes you look bad, kill the data. Without these reports, Wall Street and the Fed make trillion-dollar decisions blind while Trump's cronies hold the only compass. This is about keeping Americans ignorant of economic reality while the administration loots what's left.

4️⃣ The Alaska Summit: Carving Up the World

Trump and Putin meet Friday in Alaska, with Ukraine's fate on the table but Zelenskyy nowhere in sight. Russian state media tells their people Putin is marching to Alaska to reclaim it for Russia. The choice of Alaska – Russia's former territory sold for $7.2 million in 1867 – isn't random. While Putin's propaganda machine pumps out stories of children singing about Alaska's return, 84% of Ukrainians say they won't cede an inch after three years of bombardment. This summit is theater designed to normalize war crimes and territorial conquest.

3️⃣ The $3 Billion Epstein Empire Vanishes from Coverage

Media searches for Epstein plummeted 90% in three weeks, despite our exposing a $3 billion intelligence operation at Narativ.org. Epstein and Maxwell controlled Robert Maxwell's arms dealing empire from the 1980s – not the 1990s as claimed – with backdoor access to global banking through stolen PROMIS software. The handoff wasn't a romantic rescue but transfer of a criminal empire. Iran-Contra slush funds, Soviet collapse billions, banking system backdoors – all memory-holed while manufactured crises dominate headlines.

2️⃣ Criminalizing Homelessness: Fines or Jail for Being Poor

Press Secretary Leavitt announced the choice for D.C.'s homeless: accept shelter and services, or face fines and jail time. Think about that – fining people who eat from garbage cans, imprisoning people who sleep on grates. Trump called the city "disgusting" and wants these human beings disappeared before his motorcade passes.

But Trump's broader vision is even darker. He's repeatedly called for relocating homeless people to camps on "cheap land outside cities" with tents and "basic facilities" for "rehabilitation." He frames trauma survivors as "mentally unstable" to justify forced relocation. Not housing. Not healthcare. Not addressing the trauma that creates homelessness. Camps.

Trump literally can't stand seeing homeless people on his way to Andrews Air Force Base – the same disgust he showed at Arlington when he asked to have wounded veterans removed from his sight.

Eight hundred fifty federal agents and National Guard troops now patrol D.C. streets to round them up, despite violent crime hitting 30-year lows. The troops can't even figure out jurisdiction over a fender bender, but they're ready to disappear the poor.

1️⃣ The Dress Rehearsal for Nationwide Horror

This isn't about D.C. – it's the blueprint for every American city. They're normalizing federal takeover of local policing, practicing how to crush dissent before it starts. But more terrifying: they're normalizing concentration camps for "undesirables." Today it's the homeless. Tomorrow it's protesters. Next week it's anyone who makes Trump feel "disgusted."

The pattern connects everything: control the data so no one knows the truth, control the narrative by burying real scandals, control the streets with military occupation, control the "undesirables" with camps. This is how it started in 1935 Germany – not with death camps, but with "rehabilitation centers" for those deemed mentally unstable or socially unfit.

Dean Blundell returned from France with Germans explicitly warning: "We've been through this before. We know where it goes." They weren't being dramatic. They were recognizing the exact playbook Hitler used – purge the truth-tellers, occupy the cities, build camps for "undesirables."

While Trump builds concentration camps, Mark Carney is building actual housing communities with prefabricated homes for Canada's homeless. One leader solves problems; the other disappears the victims.

The homeless aren't "mentally unstable" – they're trauma survivors failed by society. They're veterans Trump calls "disgusting." They're human beings who sleep on grates in winter rather than submit to authority because trauma taught them authority means abuse. Trump's response? More trauma, more authority, more abuse.

When they start with society's most vulnerable – those without bank accounts to pay fines, without lawyers to fight detention, without homes to return to – they're testing how much horror Americans will tolerate. The answer so far? Too much.

The FiveStack is available as an audio podcast on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. Advertising inquiries email [email protected]. The FiveStack is a co-production of deanblundell.substack.com and narativ.org.

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.narativ.org/subscribe

The dry run ended today. What we witnessed in Washington D.C. wasn't about crime - it was the tightening grip of a totalitarian leader.

Donald Trump invoked Section 740 of the 1973 D.C. Home Rule Act, placing the Metropolitan Police Department under federal control and deploying 800 National Guard troops to a city where crime is at a three-year low, down 30% since 2023. He branded this federal seizure "Liberation Day" while Pam Bondi—an ambulance-chasing lawyer—now commands D.C.'s police force. The same force that would control any protests against his administration.

Here's what Trump said today that should chill every American: The police have been "restrained" from dealing with protesters, but now he'll let them do "whatever the hell they want" to quell dissent. This is the president of the United States promising police violence against citizens who dare to protest. The federal takeover of D.C. police isn't about crime—it's about having a force that answers directly to Pam Bondi when massive protests erupt as his approval ratings crater.

The targets Trump announced tell the real story: Chicago, New York, Portland, Oakland. These aren't random cities—Portland and Oakland are America's protest capitals, the cities that rise up when democracy is threatened. Not coincidentally, these are the exact cities where Texas Democrats fled to prevent redistricting schemes that would steal congressional seats. The federal takeover gives Trump's DOJ the legal framework to hunt down political opponents under the guise of law enforcement.

Lev Parnas, who's been in those rooms with these people, decoded Trump's press conference with chilling precision. That rambling story about Russian tanks getting stuck in mud? That came directly from Witkoff's briefing, regurgitating Putin's version of why the Ukraine invasion stalled. Trump's casual joke about the Russian general being "no longer around" drew smirks from Pete Hegseth—they find state-sanctioned murder amusing now.

The timing reveals everything. Three days ago, Lev broke the story about a secret White House meeting between Kash Patel, Todd Blanche, and Pam Bondi—a meeting about containing Dan Bongino, who's seen the actual Epstein files. Now suddenly we have a Putin summit scheduled for Friday in Alaska (Putin invited Trump, despite what they're saying), federal troops in D.C., and Ghislaine Maxwell declaring she saw Trump do "no wrongdoing."

What Parnas saw in Trump today should terrify everyone: not dementia, not decline, but the final transformation into what every dictator becomes when they believe they're untouchable. That glint in his eye, that casual discussion of swapping Ukrainian land like real estate deals, that promise to let police do "whatever the hell they want" to protesters—this is the God complex of unchecked power.

The infrastructure for stealing 2026 is being built right now. When those elections become threatened, expect a convenient "terrorist attack" or crisis that demands martial law. They're not trying to hide it anymore because they don't think they need to. Every blue city Trump threatens to federalize is strategic—control the police, control the protests, control the elections.

Here's the hard truth: most Americans will see headlines about "cleaning up D.C." and think it sounds reasonable. They won't read past the headline to understand that homeless people are being disappeared without any plan for where they're going. They won't connect the dots between federal police control and the prosecution lists being drawn up for Adam Schiff and other Democrats who work in D.C.

The resistance isn't just about information anymore—it's about connecting these dots before it's too late. Share this. Subscribe to independent voices like Lev Parnas and Zev Shalev who've been inside these rooms and understand these people. Build the community that sees through the headlines.

The dress rehearsal is over. The real show has begun.

Thank you Ellie Leonard, Cash Flow Collective, Oleksandr Bolbirer, Nick Paro, Cathy R. Payne, and many others for tuning into my live video with Dean Blundell and Lev Parnas! Join me for my next live video in the app.

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.narativ.org/subscribe

5️⃣ Trump Confesses to Epstein Trafficking Pipeline

In what can only be described as a moment of dementia-fueled clarity, Trump admitted on Air Force One that Jeffrey Epstein "stole" Virginia Giuffre and other underage girls from Mar-a-Lago's spa. The grotesque framing of teenage trafficking victims as business assets reveals the transactional mindset behind decades of complicity. Trump's shifting narratives—from real estate feuds to stolen employees—expose his desperation to control damage that keeps getting worse with every word. Even MAGA supporters are cracking, questioning why their leader would admit to knowingly allowing a pedophile to recruit from his property for years without reporting it.

4️⃣ Fed Tells Trump to Pound Sand

Jerome Powell delivered a masterclass in institutional independence, holding rates steady despite Trump's increasingly unhinged social media demands for immediate cuts. Two Fed governors dissented for the first time in 30 years, revealing deep divisions within the central bank as Trump's pressure campaign reaches unprecedented levels. The president's confusion about basic economics—expressing "surprise" that rates weren't cut today—underscores how his desperate need for cheap money to finance ballooning deficits collides with economic reality. Powell's measured response proves some institutions still resist authoritarian capture.

3️⃣ Texas Republicans Rig 2026 Before It Starts

The GOP unveiled their opening bid to steal the midterms, proposing congressional maps that would flip five Democratic seats into safe Republican territory at Trump's direct urging. The redistricting would give Republicans 30 of 38 Texas seats, with Trump having won all proposed districts by double digits. This isn't normal politics—it's mathematical election theft designed to provide a backstop when underwater Republicans face voters in 2026. Combined with electronic voting machine vulnerabilities and systematic voter suppression, free and fair elections are becoming impossible.

2️⃣ Harris Clears Path for Newsom 2028

Kamala Harris officially abandoned her California gubernatorial ambitions, keeping the door open for another presidential run while clearing the field for Gavin Newsom's national ambitions. Her decision came after months of half-hearted campaigning that included skipping major political events to attend Met Galas and Australian real estate conferences. The brutal reality remains that America's racist and sexist electorate isn't ready for a Black woman president, making her potential 2028 run a strategic mistake when democracy itself hangs in the balance.

1️⃣ AI Revolution Targets White-Collar Workers First

Microsoft's analysis of 200,000 real conversations revealed that interpreters, translators, writers, historians, and broadcasters top the AI vulnerability list—not blue-collar workers as previously assumed. The digital guillotine is coming for information processors and communicators while dredge operators and foundry workers remain safe in their physical domains. This reversal of expectations means college-educated professionals face immediate obsolescence while manual laborers inherit job security. The revolution isn't replacing muscle with machines—it's replacing minds with algorithms.

The connecting thread through all five stories is institutional collapse accelerating beyond repair. From Trump's trafficking confessions to rigged elections to economic manipulation, we're witnessing the systematic dismantling of democratic guardrails in real time. The only question remaining is whether Americans will recognize the threat before it's too late.

The FiveStack is available as an audio podcast on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. Advertising inquiries email [email protected]. The FiveStack is a co-production of deanblundell.substack.com and narativ.org.

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5️⃣ BREAKING: Maxwell Demands Immunity for Congressional Testimony

Ghislaine Maxwell will testify to Congress about the Epstein network—but only if lawmakers grant her immunity, provide questions in advance, and wait for her Supreme Court appeal. The convicted child sex trafficker's lawyer confirmed she answered questions about "100 different people" when Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche personally traveled to her Florida prison last week. House Oversight Chair James Comer rejected the immunity demand but maintains the August 11 subpoena. Maxwell's lawyer hinted she'd testify "openly and honestly" if Trump grants clemency, revealing the transactional nature of justice under this administration.

4️⃣ Christian Nationalist's Canadian Grift Tour Backfires

Sean Feucht's "worship" tour across Canada turned into a masterclass in MAGA victimhood theater. After six cities cancelled his events for lacking permits and promoting divisive messaging, the evangelical influencer staged a smoke bomb incident at a Montreal church to manufacture persecution content for fundraising appeals. Former ministry leaders accuse Feucht of embezzling millions in donations to build a personal real estate empire while earning an F transparency grade. His brand of Christianity isn't about faith—it's about dominion, division, and dollar signs wrapped in a Jesus flag.

3️⃣ Trump Caught Cheating at Golf on Camera

Video emerged of Trump having his caddy toss golf balls back into play after bad shots at his Scottish resort, adding another chapter to his legendary cheating career. Sports writer Rick Reilly documented decades of this behavior in "Commander in Cheat," noting Trump "cheats like a three-card Monte dealer." The timing matters—Trump was supposedly escaping the Epstein Files scandal, yet even a luxury golf course couldn't hide his compulsive dishonesty. As Reilly asked: "If you're willing to cheat at golf, what won't you cheat at?"

2️⃣ Pentagon Diverts Nuclear Funds for Trump's Qatar Jet

The Pentagon quietly transferred $934 million from America's struggling nuclear missile program to renovate Qatar's "gift" Boeing 747 for Trump's new Air Force One. The Sentinel nuclear modernization program, already 81% over budget at $140 billion, took the hit while Trump gets a luxury jet that transfers to his presidential library after his term ends. Senator Jeanne Shaheen called it "weakening our credibility to fund a vanity project," highlighting how national security gets sacrificed for personal gain.

1️⃣ The Blackstone Assassination: Professional Hit Disguised as Random Violence

Shane Tamura didn't drive 2,500 miles to randomly shoot NFL executives—he executed a professional hit on BREIT CEO Wesley LePatner, who controlled Blackstone's $53 billion real estate fund bleeding money through redemptions while maintaining fraudulent valuations. LePatner was shot in the lobby within seconds of Tamura's entry, not on the 33rd floor where he supposedly "ended up by mistake." The tactical execution—neutralize security, eliminate target, create diversion, suicide—follows professional protocol. LePatner had access to records exposing decades of money laundering through Trump-Russia-Epstein networks, making her elimination crucial for protecting the financial web that connects back to Reagan-era arms dealing.

Bottom Line: From Maxwell's immunity demands to professional assassinations, these stories reveal a system where corruption has become currency and violence the final argument. When convicted child traffickers negotiate congressional testimony while CEOs get eliminated for knowing too much, we're witnessing the complete breakdown of justice in America.

The FiveStack is available as an audio podcast on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. Advertising inquiries email [email protected]. The FiveStack is a co-production of deanblundell.substack.com and narativ.org.

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.narativ.org/subscribe

The mask is off. Today's FiveStack revealed the interconnected web of Trump's authoritarian desperation—from blocking Epstein investigations to literally kidnapping Canadians in sovereign territory. Here's how five major stories expose a regime in free fall.

5️⃣ Congress Breaks Epstein Cover-Up Despite Trump's Sabotage

In a stunning 8-2 vote, Congress forced the complete release of Jeffrey Epstein's unredacted DOJ files after Trump tried canceling the session early. Clay Higgins literally stormed out when three Republicans broke ranks, but not before attempting to declare "the noes have it" despite losing 8-2. The subpoena demands everything—investigative files, correspondence, restored redacted names—except victim identities. Trump's name appears "multiple times" in those files, which explains his panic. House Republicans now face an impossible choice: protect their pedophile president or satisfy their base demanding transparency. Either way, Trump loses.

4️⃣ Trump's DOJ Cuts Deals with Child Trafficker Maxwell

While Congress demands public testimony, Trump's Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche—his former personal criminal lawyer—is privately negotiating with Ghislaine Maxwell's defense team. These longtime podcast buddies are crafting a deal: Maxwell gets clemency, Trump gets protection. When asked about pardoning the convicted child sex trafficker, Trump said he "hadn't thought about that" then immediately added "I'm allowed to do it." Maxwell's lawyer confirmed she's "taking it one step at a time" based on what Trump offers. This isn't justice—it's a transaction between criminals trying to avoid accountability for decades of child abuse.

3️⃣ The Greatest Heist: The 50-Year Criminal Syndicate Behind Trump-Epstein Empire

New reporting from Narativ reveals the full scope of Russia's economic war against American capitalism, launched in 1982 through a dedicated KGB division designed to "infect" the system with corrupt money. They chose Jeffrey Epstein, Leon Black, and Donald Trump as their primary assets, flooding them with Russian capital to trigger market crashes and economic bailouts. From the 1987 Black Monday scheme that got Trump the Plaza Hotel to the 2008 collapse that netted Epstein $4 billion in taxpayer bailout money, this syndicate has systematically looted America for decades. The pedophile ring was just the tip of the iceberg—the real crime was crashing the economy repeatedly to steal trillions through government bailouts.

2️⃣ Trump's Border Goons Kidnap Canadian Fisherman in Sovereign Waters

A 60-year-old Quebec man fishing in Canadian waters was rammed by U.S. Coast Guard, nearly drowned when his boat capsized, then zip-tied and dragged to an American ICE detention facility. Edouard Lallemand was 15 kilometers north of the border when Coast Guard "pushed" his boat, caused it to overturn, then arrested him while soaking wet. The Coast Guard claims he hit them—imagine believing a man in a 10-foot fishing boat attacked armed federal agents. This is Trump testing how far he can violate Canadian sovereignty before Mark Carney fights back. It's the same playbook Putin used before invading Ukraine—green men crossing borders to terrorize civilians.

1️⃣ Trump Abandons Canada Trade Talks, Threatens Economic Warfare

Trump officially gave up on negotiations today, telling reporters "We haven't really had a lot of luck with Canada" while threatening 35% tariffs by August 1st. But here's what Trump won't admit: his regime has been desperately calling Team Canada, begging for deals that Mark Carney keeps rejecting. Every Trump proposal is an extortion scheme—from $250 visa fees to sector-specific tariffs that remain regardless of broader agreements. Carney won't sell out Canadian sovereignty to a criminal syndicate, which drives Trump insane. The truth? Trump is terrified because he can't beat, threaten, or intimidate Mark Carney. Meanwhile, Canada's new Mexico rail deal bypasses the U.S. entirely, costing America $120 billion while boosting both countries' economies.

The Bottom Line: Trump's authoritarian overreach spans from covering up child trafficking networks to violating Canadian sovereignty. His desperation shows in every failed negotiation, every Coast Guard raid, every attempt to silence victims. Mark Carney stands as the single leader refusing to capitulate to this criminal regime—and Trump's rage proves how effectively Canada is resisting his empire-building ambitions.

The FiveStack is available as an audio podcast on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. Advertising inquiries email [email protected]. The FiveStack is a co-production of deanblundell.substack.com and narativ.org.

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.narativ.org/subscribe