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The Duffel Brief · the free edition, Monday, Wednesday and Friday

Vol. 15 · No. 125 · Monday, 19 October 2026

Pentagon

US to livestream execution of Ukraine

White House promises largest pay-per-view military event in history

Iran condemns US plan to livestream execution as barbaric

Vetbro apparel company pivots from stupid shirts to aggressively homoerotic ones

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Vol. 15 · No. 125 · Deployed worldwide

Monday

19 October 2026

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Pentagon

US to livestream execution of Ukraine

White House promises largest pay-per-view military event in history

President Donald Trump and Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth announce plans for what officials described as the largest pay-per-view military event in American history. The administration said proceeds would support additional opportunities to abandon U.S. allies.

WASHINGTON — The Trump administration said it would livestream the execution of Ukraine, replacing a planned broadcast of convicted Fort Hood shooter Nidal Hasan's death with what officials are calling the largest pay-per-view event in American military history.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said the decision came after President Donald Trump canceled plans to televise Hasan’s execution following widespread criticism that broadcasting a man’s death would be barbaric.

“We heard the concerns of the American people,” Hegseth said. “Some people were uncomfortable watching a defenseless man get shot. So we’re going to show them 40 million defenseless people getting shot instead.”

The broadcast, tentatively titled UKRAINE: THE FINAL BETRAYAL, will feature live satellite feeds, commentary from administration officials, and a halftime performance by Kid Rock.

“Nobody does executions like us,” Trump told reporters. “Nobody. We’re talking about an entire country. Beautiful country. Very big. And we’re going to do it live. The ratings will be unbelievable.”

Trump said the event would begin with a ceremonial lifting of sanctions on Russia, followed by a military demonstration in which Elon Musk personally toggles Ukraine’s Starlink service on and off while Russian drones approach their targets.

“Elon has a button. Very powerful button," Trump said. "He can turn the internet off for an entire army. And the best part is, we don’t even have to fire a shot.”

Musk confirmed he would participate, saying Ukraine should be grateful he allowed it to have internet in the first place.

(Continued on Page 3, Col. 1) →

OpFor

Iran condemns US plan to livestream execution as barbaric

Tehran questions whether America has completely abandoned standards of human decency

TEHRAN, Iran — Iranian officials condemned the Pentagon's proposal to livestream the execution of convicted Fort Hood shooter Nidal Hasan, calling the plan a grotesque display of state violence that no civilized government should tolerate.

"Absolutely barbaric," said Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps spokesman Ebrahim Zolfaghari. "What kind of country turns an execution into a public spectacle? Have these people no shame?"

Zolfaghari made the remarks following Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth's announcement that Hasan, convicted of killing 13 people at Fort Hood in 2009, would be executed by firing squad in a ceremony broadcast to the public.

"We once executed a man's horse," Zolfaghari said. "Even we knew not to livestream it."

In an official statement, the Iranian government questioned whether the United States had abandoned the basic principles

(Continued on Page 2, Col. 3) →

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