Was Jeffrey Epstein a foreign spy? Why are Israeli intelligence agents not allowed inside the CIA buildings? And are foreign governments listening to Donald Trump’s personal phone calls?
Whistleblowers tend to live their lives looking over their shoulders, often on the run or in hiding. John Kiriakou is not that type of whistleblower. After a career in the CIA’s shadowy work across the world, his decision to blow the whistle on the CIA’s secret torture program led him first to the inside of prison, then to the bright lights of social media, and now, to the set of ‘Mehdi Unfiltered,’ in Washington DC, to answer some of the most controversial questions out there.
“I assume that there are things that you know that you still can’t say. How bad are they?” Mehdi asks Kiriakou. “It’s pretty ugly,” Kiriakou responded. Viewers will notice that this is not your typical ‘Mehdi Unfiltered’ episode or interview; that’s because when your guest recruited spies for a living, there is a lot to talk about - and discover. Their wide-ranging conversation includes:
Why Kiriakou thought the CIA was going to “pin” its Bush-era torture program on him, forcing him to go public.
Mehdi’s probing into Kiriakou’s conflicting statements regarding the effectiveness of torture as an interrogation technique.
Whether or not Jeffrey Epstein and his partner-in-crime Ghislaine Maxwell were Israeli spies.
How big a role Israel played in pushing the U.S. into war with Iran.
How much money Rudy Giuliani allegedly wanted as a fee for getting Kiriakou a pardon from Donald Trump.
Whether or not Kiriakou actually endorsed a racist far-right candidate in Florida’s Republican gubernatorial primary.
Why he chose to work for Russian state media after serving his prison sentence.
Plus: his take on Donald Trump’s not-so-personal calls on his cellphone. “It’s got to be a dozen different countries listening to these calls.”
Paid subscribers can watch the full video above to hear whether Kiriakou would advise anyone to still join the CIA today. Free subscribers can watch a 2-minute preview. Consider becoming a paid subscriber to unlock content like this and a lot more from Zeteo.
Note: This interview was taped prior to the resignation of U.S. Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard on May 22, 2026.
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