Top Secrets: The CIA Torture Whistleblower John Kiriakou episode artwork

EPISODE · Apr 16, 2025 · 1H 6M

Top Secrets: The CIA Torture Whistleblower John Kiriakou

from The Dr. Phil Podcast

Would you risk it all to expose the truth? Discover the extraordinary story of John Kiriakou. Dr. Phil welcomes John Kiriakou, a former CIA counterterrorism officer and best-selling author, who sacrificed his freedom to expose one of the government's darkest secrets. Kiriakou played a pivotal role in counterterrorism after 9/11 but made headlines when he revealed the CIA's use of waterboarding, denouncing it as torture. This brave act led to his indictment under the Espionage Act—a law meant to punish spies—and landed him in prison for 23 months. In this thought-provoking episode, John shares his story, from his work in intelligence to his fight for transparency and ethical treatment of whistleblowers. As the recipient of the Joe A. Callaway Award for Civic Courage, Kiriakou reflects on the moral dilemmas of his career and the ongoing battle to champion human rights. With Dr. Phil, he explores the critical question: What happens when exposing the truth comes at the ultimate personal cost? Thank you to our sponsors! Jase Medical: Go to https://Jase.com/ and enter code PHIL at checkout FYSI: Visit https://FYSI.com/DRPHIL/ or call 800-877-4000 Preserve Gold: Visit: https://drphilgold.com/ Get a FREE precious metals guide that contains essential information on how to help protect your accounts. Text "DRPHIL" to 50505 to claim this exclusive offer from Preserve Gold today.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Would you risk it all to expose the truth? Discover the extraordinary story of John Kiriakou. Dr. Phil welcomes John Kiriakou, a former CIA counterterrorism officer and best-selling author, who sacrificed his freedom to expose one of the government's darkest secrets. Kiriakou played a pivotal role in counterterrorism after 9/11 but made headlines when he revealed the CIA's use of waterboarding, denouncing it as torture. This brave act led to his indictment under the Espionage Act—a law meant to punish spies—and landed him in prison for 23 months. In this thought-provoking episode, John shares his story, from his work in intelligence to his fight for transparency and ethical treatment of whistleblowers. As the recipient of the Joe A. Callaway Award for Civic Courage, Kiriakou reflects on the moral dilemmas of his career and the ongoing battle to champion human rights. With Dr. Phil, he explores the critical question: What happens when exposing the truth comes at the ultimate personal cost? Thank you to our sponsors! Jase Medical: Go to https://Jase.com/ and enter code PHIL at checkout FYSI: Visit https://FYSI.com/DRPHIL/ or call 800-877-4000 Preserve Gold: Visit: https://drphilgold.com/ Get a FREE precious metals guide that contains essential information on how to help protect your accounts. Text "DRPHIL" to 50505 to claim this exclusive offer from Preserve Gold today. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

NOW PLAYING

Top Secrets: The CIA Torture Whistleblower John Kiriakou

0:00 1:06:05

No transcript for this episode yet

We transcribe on demand. Request one and we'll notify you when it's ready — usually under 10 minutes.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long is this episode of The Dr. Phil Podcast?

This episode is 1 hour and 6 minutes long.

When was this The Dr. Phil Podcast episode published?

This episode was published on April 16, 2025.

What is this episode about?

Would you risk it all to expose the truth? Discover the extraordinary story of John Kiriakou. Dr. Phil welcomes John Kiriakou, a former CIA counterterrorism officer and best-selling author, who sacrificed his freedom to expose one of the...

Can I download this The Dr. Phil Podcast episode?

Yes, you can download this episode by clicking the download button on the episode player, or subscribe to the podcast in your preferred podcast app for automatic downloads.
URL copied to clipboard!