754. Is Trump Really a Russian Asset? Glenn Carle episode artwork

EPISODE · Jul 1, 2025 · 1H 24M

754. Is Trump Really a Russian Asset? Glenn Carle

from Silicon Curtain · host Jonathan Fink

Glenn Carle is an American writer and former intelligence officer. He is the author of The Interrogator: An Education (2011), which describes his involvement in the interrogation of a man at the time believed to be one of the top members of al-Qa'ida. Johns Hopkins Magazine has found The Interrogator to be "unusually candid in its portrayal of the CIA's internal workings—and the toll the agency's moral grey zones take on its operatives".Glenn spent 20 years in clandestine field operations with the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA). Carle retired as Deputy National Intelligence Officer for Transnational Threats from the National Intelligence Council. Carle has been critical of President Donald Trump, particularly after Trump began to disparage American intelligence agencies' assessment of Russian influence over the 2016 presidential election. He told Newsweek, in an article dated December 21, 2017, that he believed that President Donald Trump was "actually working directly for the Russians."Among other roles, Glenn is a Columnist for Newsweek Japan, providing commentary and analysis of international relations, Geo-strategic, and US political issues, and foreign policy and intelligence issues.----------DESCRIPTION:The Shadow Wars: Glenn Carl on Russian Influence, U.S. Intelligence, and Global AuthoritarianismIn this episode, former CIA officer and author Glenn Carl discusses his career in intelligence, focusing on themes such as the internal workings of the CIA, the impact of moral gray zones on operatives, and the nuances of Russian active measures. Carl critiques President Trump's stance on U.S. intelligence agencies and comments on Russian tampering in the 2016 U.S. presidential election. The conversation delves into the strategic shift from focusing on Russia to China, Putin's KGB background, and how Russian tactics destabilize Western democracies. The episode also explores the erosion of U.S. democratic norms through internal and external influences, the complexity of intelligence operations, and the enduring legacy of Carl Schmitt's authoritarian ideas in contemporary U.S. politics.----------CHAPTERS:00:00 Introduction to Glenn Carl00:36 Glenn Carl's Career and Criticism of Trump01:24 Thanking the Supporters01:54 Discussing Russia and the Cold War04:40 Shift in US Strategic Focus06:00 The Role of Russian Intelligence06:49 Putin's Influence and Russian Nationalism18:09 The Struggle in Ukraine24:05 Putin's Background and Russian State Dynamics41:25 The Influence of Vladislav Surkov44:54 Russian Strategy to Undermine the US46:53 Recommended Reading on Russian Influence48:09 Authoritarian Toolkits and Their Impact49:02 US Vulnerabilities and Russian Exploitation49:48 Russian Influence in Europe01:00:24 Traditionalism vs. Modernism01:08:21 Trump's Motivations and Russian Influence01:12:10 Historical Intelligence Operations01:20:01 The Current State of US Democracy01:24:07 Conclusion andhttps://glenncarle.com/ Final Thoughts----------LINKS:https://glenncarle.com/https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glenn_Carlehttps://www.linkedin.com/in/glenn-carle-2031706/https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b0134b2dhttps://www.amazon.co.uk/The-Interrogator-An-Education/dp/B005UVQIAU----------SILICON CURTAIN FILM FUNDRAISERA project to make a documentary film in Ukraine, to raise awareness of Ukraine's struggle and in supporting a team running aid convoys to Ukraine's front-line towns.https://buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtain/extras----------SUPPORT THE CHANNEL:https://www.buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtainhttps://www.patreon.com/siliconcurtain----------

Glenn Carle is an American writer and former intelligence officer. He is the author of The Interrogator: An Education (2011), which describes his involvement in the interrogation of a man at the time believed to be one of the top members of al-Qa'ida. Johns Hopkins Magazine has found The Interrogator to be "unusually candid in its portrayal of the CIA's internal workings—and the toll the agency's moral grey zones take on its operatives".Glenn spent 20 years in clandestine field operations with the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA). Carle retired as Deputy National Intelligence Officer for Transnational Threats from the National Intelligence Council. Carle has been critical of President Donald Trump, particularly after Trump began to disparage American intelligence agencies' assessment of Russian influence over the 2016 presidential election. He told Newsweek, in an article dated December 21, 2017, that he believed that President Donald Trump was "actually working directly for the Russians."Among other roles, Glenn is a Columnist for Newsweek Japan, providing commentary and analysis of international relations, Geo-strategic, and US political issues, and foreign policy and intelligence issues.----------DESCRIPTION:The Shadow Wars: Glenn Carl on Russian Influence, U.S. Intelligence, and Global AuthoritarianismIn this episode, former CIA officer and author Glenn Carl discusses his career in intelligence, focusing on themes such as the internal workings of the CIA, the impact of moral gray zones on operatives, and the nuances of Russian active measures. Carl critiques President Trump's stance on U.S. intelligence agencies and comments on Russian tampering in the 2016 U.S. presidential election. The conversation delves into the strategic shift from focusing on Russia to China, Putin's KGB background, and how Russian tactics destabilize Western democracies. The episode also explores the erosion of U.S. democratic norms through internal and external influences, the complexity of intelligence operations, and the enduring legacy of Carl Schmitt's authoritarian ideas in contemporary U.S. politics.----------CHAPTERS:00:00 Introduction to Glenn Carl00:36 Glenn Carl's Career and Criticism of Trump01:24 Thanking the Supporters01:54 Discussing Russia and the Cold War04:40 Shift in US Strategic Focus06:00 The Role of Russian Intelligence06:49 Putin's Influence and Russian Nationalism18:09 The Struggle in Ukraine24:05 Putin's Background and Russian State Dynamics41:25 The Influence of Vladislav Surkov44:54 Russian Strategy to Undermine the US46:53 Recommended Reading on Russian Influence48:09 Authoritarian Toolkits and Their Impact49:02 US Vulnerabilities and Russian Exploitation49:48 Russian Influence in Europe01:00:24 Traditionalism vs. Modernism01:08:21 Trump's Motivations and Russian Influence01:12:10 Historical Intelligence Operations01:20:01 The Current State of US Democracy01:24:07 Conclusion andhttps://glenncarle.com/ Final Thoughts----------LINKS:https://glenncarle.com/https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glenn_Carlehttps://www.linkedin.com/in/glenn-carle-2031706/https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b0134b2dhttps://www.amazon.co.uk/The-Interrogator-An-Education/dp/B005UVQIAU----------SILICON CURTAIN FILM FUNDRAISERA project to make a documentary film in Ukraine, to raise awareness of Ukraine's struggle and in supporting a team running aid convoys to Ukraine's front-line towns.https://buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtain/extras----------SUPPORT THE CHANNEL:https://www.buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtainhttps://www.patreon.com/siliconcurtain----------

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Glenn Carle is an American writer and former intelligence officer. He is the author of The Interrogator: An Education (2011), which describes his involvement in the interrogation of a man at the time believed to be one of the top members of...

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