Why is Trump Making John Kiriakou so ‘Frightened and Disturbed’?
A CIA whistleblower who went to prison for running afoul of the government says this attack on the Bill of Rights is unprecedented
Within just a year we have gone from government censorship of so-called disinformation, brought on by reactionary responses to COVID and Russia-gate, to foreign students literally being abducted off the streets and thrown into detention centers, without charge, for having the wrong attitudes (whether in op-eds, campus protests, or in the case of Badar Khan Suri, a father-in-law problem) about the Israeli government and the war in Gaza.
The Trump administration has called this a threat to “US foreign policy” and claims the right to throw these scholars and students out of the country under the Immigration and Nationality Act.
The Bill of Rights is being tested like nothing before in recent history. Critics wonder how far it will go until citizens, particularly those working in advocacy and media organizations that deal specifically in foreign policy and national security, are caught in the crosshairs.
My guest this week needs no introduction. John Kiriakou was a career CIA officer who ran afoul of the agency when he divulged its water boarding practices as “torture” during the Global War on Terror. He did time in prison for this, and rather than dissolve into the shadows after his nearly 3-year stint, came out more emboldened than ever to speak the truth and fight for others’ right to seek it. He has been an integral part of the whistleblower community, a podcaster and radio host, author, intelligence expert, and staunch defender of the U.S. Constitution.
We talked about the administration’s attack on free speech over the Israel issue, its attempts to deport Green Card and Student Visa holders, and what has happened to the once energized First Amendment movement on the Right. We also talked about President Trump’s moves to dismantle the Deep State, which John says is a good thing, and Trump’s seeming moves toward finding a diplomatic pathway, rather than war, with Iran.
More from John:
Gabbard Could Help Change US Foreign Policy
Don’t miss Kiriakou on his new podcast with Michelle Witte and Ted Rall, the DeProgram Show