PODCAST · news
SpyTalk
by SpyTalk, Jeff Stein
SpyTalk lives at the intersection of intelligence operations, foreign policy, homeland security, and military strategy. Hosted by veteran national security journalists Jeff Stein, Michael Isikoff and Karen J. Greenberg, the podcast features exclusives by SpyTalk’s roster of longtime reporters, news and profiles of US and foreign spymasters, and interviews with policymakers and expert authors. There’s nothing quite like it—a place for experts and laypersons alike, who enjoy national security scoops and insights by SpyTalk's subject matter experts. For more SpyTalk go to: https://www.spytalk.co/
Episodes
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Patel's Partisan Politics Imperils Lives (feat. Brian Driscoll)
Brian Driscoll joins SpyTalk to discuss the circumstances of his dismissal from the FBI and how the Bureau’s current leadership is destroying the institution and making us less safe in the process. Driscoll was fired from the FBI shortly after he refused to fire agents based solely on their...
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Chinese Dupe or Spy?
CNBC’s Eamon Javers weaves a cautionary tale for US officials. More from Eamon Javers | https://www.cnbc.com/eamon-javers/ https://x.com/EamonJavers Follow Jeff Stein on Twitter | https://twitter.com/SpyTalker Follow Michael Isikoff on Twitter | https://twitter.com/isikoff Follow Karen Greenberg…
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An Assassination on Embassy Row
Investigative reporter John Dinges tells how Henry Kissinger failed to prevent Chile’s 1976 murder of Orlando Letelier in downtown D.C. More from John Dinges When Terrorists Struck in the Heart of Washington, D.C. | SpyTalk Books by author John Dinges Follow Jeff Stein on Twitter |...
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The Tech Bro Gods of War
Sharon Weinberger on how Big Tech is fueling the future of war. Sharon Weinberger talks about her latest book Valley of Death How Big Tech Is Fueling the Future of War. Follow Jeff Stein on Twitter | https://twitter.com/SpyTalker Follow Michael Isikoff on Twitter | https://twitter.com/isikoff...
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Terror’s New Faces
A greater array of better-armed threats confronts the US than on 9/11. Terrorism and insurgency expert Bruce Hoffman joins the podcast to discuss the current state of Al-Qaeda and its affiliates in the world More from Bruce Hoffman https://x.com/hoffman_bruce...
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25 Years of Counterterrorism
Peter Bergen on the triumphs and tragedies wrought by 9/11. More from our guest: https://www.peterbergen.com/ His latest book: All the Presidents' Wars Twenty-Five Years of America's War on Terror - Bookshop.org US Follow Jeff Stein on Twitter | https://twitter.com/SpyTalker Follow Michael…
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How to Recruit a Traitor
Former CIA operations officer and member of CIA's Senior Intelligence Service (SIS-3) turned author, Jim Lawler joins Micheal to discuss real world espionage, spy recruitment, and his latest spy novel. The Traitor’s Tale by Jim Lawler Follow Jeff Stein on Twitter | https://twitter.com/SpyTalker...
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U.S. Adversaries Exploit Intel Failures
Former CIA Chief Learning Officer Steve Hirsch tells how Russia, China, and Iran exploit the cracks in US intelligence. More From Stephen Hirsch | https://stephenhirsch.com/ Follow Jeff Stein on Twitter | https://twitter.com/SpyTalker Follow Michael Isikoff on Twitter |…
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The World's First Super-terrorist
Joby Warrick joined SpyTalk to talk about “The Jackal: The Rise and Fall of Carlos, the World’s First Super-Terrorist.” Check out the book: The Jackal The Rise and Fall of Carlos, the World's First More from Joby Warrick Follow Jeff Stein on Twitter | https://twitter.com/SpyTalker Follow Michael...
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Gunfight at the CIA Corral
Political pressure on the spy agency is forcing people out, says former senior analyst Julia Curlee. More From Julia Curlee at | https://www.lawfaremedia.org/contributors/jcurlee Follow Jeff Stein on Twitter | https://twitter.com/SpyTalker Follow Michael Isikoff on Twitter |...
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Kash Patel’s Strange Trips
Former FBI executive Lauren Anderson on the Director’s China, Russia outreaches. Lauren C. Anderson | https://www.linkedin.com/in/laurencandersonintl/ https://laurencanderson.substack.com/ Follow Jeff Stein on Twitter | https://twitter.com/SpyTalker Follow Michael Isikoff on Twitter |...
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The Nord Stream Conspiracy
Wall Street Journal reporter Bojan Pancevski unveils the astounding story of Ukraine’s sabotage of the Russian pipeline. Plus, Jeff and Michael discuss Jay Clayton, Todd Blanche, and more. Read Bojan’s book The Nord Stream Conspiracy Follow Jeff Stein on Twitter | https://twitter.com/SpyTalker...
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Who’s Running US Intelligence?
Atlantic staff writer Shane Harris drills down on the changes roiling the ODNI and CIA. Follow Jeff Stein on Twitter | https://twitter.com/SpyTalker Follow Michael Isikoff on Twitter | https://twitter.com/isikoff Follow Karen Greenberg on Twitter | https://x.com/KarenGreenberg3 Follow SpyTalk on...
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Trumpworld’s Dystopian World of Terror
Terrorism expert Colin Clarke fact-checks the administration’s claims on leftwing extremism and election security. More from our guest: Colin P. Clarke Follow Michael Isikoff on Twitter | https://twitter.com/isikoff Follow Karen Greenberg on Twitter | https://x.com/KarenGreenberg3 Follow Jeff…
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The Reporter and the China Trap
Tom LoBianco answered an ad for a writer and then things went south. Tom LoBianco is a veteran national politics reporter and editor of 24sight News, the independent news site on Substack. 24sight's scoops have been featured in The New York Times, CNN, ABC News, the Reddit front page, the…
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War-Ender Weapons
Seeing-eye bombs were supposed to limit civilian casualties. Jeffrey Stern, author of “The Warhead,” explains why they didn’t. Jeffrey Stern The Warhead https://www.jeffreyestern.com/books Follow Michael Isikoff | https://x.com/isikoff Follow Karen Greenberg on Twitter |...
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Trump's Hatchet Man Atop US Intelligence
New York Times Intelligence Reporter Julian Barnes on the Rise of Bill Pulte. More from Julian Julian E. Barnes Writes about the American intelligence community, including the Central Intelligence Agency, the Office of the Director of National Intelligence and other spy agencies, as well as…
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How Trump Broke the ODNI
Former senior CIA analyst David Kanin on the crises in US intelligence. David Kanin is a retired CIA senior analyst and member of the Senior Intelligence Service. https://commonsensecoalition.net/about-csc/ Follow Michael Isikoff | https://x.com/isikoff Follow Karen Greenberg |...
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How a Terror Case Fizzled
Former Gitmo prosecutor Michael Lebowitz takes us inside the nuclear plot that never was. Mike Lebowitz is one of America’s few war-crimes prosecutors with front-line counterterrorism experience. A former senior attorney at the Department of Justice’s National Security Division, he spent nearly a...
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Pod Save Our National Security with Tommy Vietor
Former Obama speechwriter Tommy Vietor talks about energizing Dems on vital US foreign policy issues. Tommy Vietor | https://x.com/TVietor08 | https://crooked.com/podcast-series/pod-save-the-world/ Follow Michael Isikoff on Twitter | https://x.com/isikoff Follow Karen Greenberg on Twitter |...
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Is Havana Up For Grabs?
Cuba intervention expert Peter Kornbluh joins SpyTalk to discuss Trump’s pressure campaign. Peter Kornbluh | National Security Archive Peter Kornbluh, Senior Analyst, has worked at the Archive since April 1986. He currently directs the Archive's Cuba and Chile Documentation Projects. He was...
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The Ultimate Intelligence Fiasco
Ex-CIA operative Jerry Watson and journalist Bob Drogin tell the disastrous story of Curveball and its relevance to today’s war against Iran. The US invaded Iraq after the based on bogus intel. Much of that intel was fabricated by Rafid Ahmed Alwan al-Janabi an Iraqi defector codenamed…
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Putin in Peril?
Former CIA Russia hand Sean Wiswesser assesses Putin’s grip on his security services amid rumors of coups. Sean Wiswesser is a Russian intelligence and espionage expert, retired CIA senior ops officer, and author. His latest book, Tradecraft, Tactics, and Dirty Tricks: Russian Intelligence and...
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JFK’s Fatal Mistake
Veteran journalist Jack Cheevers takes another look at President Kennedy’s ambivalent role in the overthrow and assassination of South Vietnamese President Ngo Dinh Diem. Check out Kennedy’ Coup by Jack Cheevers Subscribe to SpyTalk on Substack https://www.spytalk.co/ Follow Jeff Stein on Twitter...
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Deciphering the Iran War Talks
A former Pakistani ambassador to the US says the more Trump bashes Iran, the more it will dig in. Husain Haqqani joins SpyTalk to discuss the state of diplomacy between Iran and the US. Follow Michael Isikoff on Twitter https://twitter.com/isikoff Follow Karen Greenberg on Twitter...
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A Spy's Iran
Former CIA Iran spy recruiter Mark Fowler says the “peace deal” is not the end of the war. He shares his analysis of the recent peace talks based on his understanding of how Iranians negotiate. For more of Mark Fowler's analysis follow him on Substack | https://substack.com/@malfow5 Mark also...
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Stone Age Tactics
Former CENTCOM commander Gen. Joseph Votel says military leaders should refuse a Trump order to bomb Iran "back to the Stone Ages" Joseph Leonard Votel is a retired four-star general in the United States Army who was commander of United States Central Command from March 2016 to March 2019. Before...
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Scapegoats with Yossi Melman
Trump and Netanyahu finger others for Iran war problems. SpyTalk speaks with Yossi Melman, an investigative journalist with The Jerusalem Post about issues USA and Israel have with the methods and objectives of the war. More from Yossi Melman | Yossi Melman | The Jerusalem Post |...
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Eve of Destruction
Former CIA operative and Senior DOD Official Mick Mulroy Details Trump’s Bad Options on Iran. https://www.loboinstitute.org/ Follow Michael Isikoff on Twitter: https://twitter.com/isikoff Follow Karen Greenberg on Twitter: https://x.com/KarenGreenberg3 Follow Jeff Stein on Twitter:...
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Identity Crisis
Acclaimed Iranian American writer Hooman Majd talks about the likely future of the Islamic Republic. Hooman Majd is an Iranian-born American journalist, author, and political commentator focused on Iranian affairs. https://x.com/hmajd Minister without Portfolio: Memoir of a Reluctant Exile Follow...
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Ballistic Diplomacy in Iran
Ex-CIA op sees no end in sight for Iran conflict. "What you're now looking at is perpetual war," says Reuel Gerecht, former Iran target officer in SpyTalk interview. Follow Jeff Stein on Twitter | https://twitter.com/SpyTalker Follow Michael Isikoff on Twitter | https://twitter.com/isikoff Follow...
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Trump's Wars Raise Stakes For Taiwan
Former top intel operative David Shedd says it's now "50-50" Xi will invade next year. David Shedd The Great Heist China’s Epic Campaign to Steal America’s Secrets Follow Michael Isikoff on Twitter: https://twitter.com/isikoff Follow Karen Greenberg on Twitter https://x.com/KarenGreenberg3 Follow...
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War Fever
Trump, Iran at fateful crossroads, top Middle East expert Jon Alterman says on the SpyTalk podcast. Jon Alterman — https://www.csis.org/people/jon-b-alterman Follow Jeff Stein on Twitter: https://twitter.com/SpyTalker Follow Karen Greenberg on Twitter https://x.com/KarenGreenberg3 Follow Michael...
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Who Is on the DOJ's Secret "Domestic Terror" List
Congressmember Mary Gay Scanlon speaks with SpyTalk's Michael Isikoff about the secretive government list of “domestic terrorist groups” Attorney General all but confirmed the existence of in her recent trip to The Hill. Then Karen Greenberg and Michael Isikoff talk with writer and retired…
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What’s Going on with Tulsi Gabbard?
Former senior CIA official Larry Pfeiffer discusses the DNI’s strange behavior with SpyTalk hosts Jeff Stein, Michael Isikoff and Karen Greenberg. Larry Pfeiffer | https://www.linkedin.com/in/larrypfeiffer/ Follow Jeff Stein on Twitter | https://twitter.com/SpyTalker Follow Michael Isikoff on...
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The New Wizards of Espionage
How A.I. is revolutionizing the spies’—and spy catchers’—toolkits. With ex-CIA officer Aaron Brown. Aaron Brown | https://www.linkedin.com/in/aaron-brown-lumbra/ Follow Jeff Stein on Twitter | https://twitter.com/SpyTalker Follow Michael Isikoff on Twitter | https://twitter.com/isikoff Follow…
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Terror’s Comeback
ISIS and other Afghan-based terror groups are growing stronger, a new UN report says. Expert Colin Clarke explains why. Follow Jeff Stein on Twitter: https://twitter.com/SpyTalker Follow Karen Greenberg on Twitter https://x.com/KarenGreenberg3 Follow Michael Isikoff on Twitter:...
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Battlefield Greenland
Former senior Danish intelligence officer Jacob Kaarsbo talks about Trump’s murky designs on Greenland and NATO. https://jacobkaarsbo.substack.com/ Follow Jeff Stein on Twitter | https://twitter.com/SpyTalker Follow Michael Isikoff on Twitter | https://twitter.com/isikoff Follow Karen Greenberg…
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Will the Iranian Regime Survive?
Two prominent Iranian-American journalists, Jason Rezaian of the Washington Post and Hooman Majd of NBC News, say the regime may be losing its grip. Jason Rezaian https://www.washingtonpost.com/people/jason-rezaian/ Hooman Majd https://www.hoomanmajd.com/ Follow Jeff Stein on Twitter:...
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Gulp of America
CIA in Venezuela, Cuba and Beyond With Luis Rueda https://www.linkedin.com/in/luis-rueda-b060a217/ and Peter Eisner https://substack.com/@petereisner Follow Jeff Stein on Twitter: https://twitter.com/SpyTalker Follow Karen Greenberg on Twitter https://x.com/KarenGreenberg3 Follow Michael Isikoff…
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Her Grandfather Was a Nazi Spy
Christine Kuehn talks about her shocking discovery in “Family of Spies" Family of Spies https://us.macmillan.com/books/9781250344465/familyofspies/ Follow Jeff Stein on Twitter: https://twitter.com/SpyTalker Follow Karen Greenberg on Twitter https://x.com/KarenGreenberg3 Follow Michael Isikoff on...
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The House of Secrets
Tom Blanton talks about 40 years of unearthing CIA plots at the National Security Archive. https://nsarchive.gwu.edu/ Follow Jeff Stein on Twitter: https://twitter.com/SpyTalker Follow Karen Greenberg on Twitter https://x.com/KarenGreenberg3 Follow Michael Isikoff on Twitter:...
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Trump’s Antifa Fiction
Top former national security official Josh Geltzer separates fake from real threats. Follow Jeff Stein on Twitter: https://twitter.com/SpyTalker Follow Karen Greenberg on Twitter https://x.com/KarenGreenberg3 Follow Michael Isikoff on Twitter: https://twitter.com/isikoff Follow SpyTalk on…
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The Pipe Bomb Suspect—and More
Ace investigative reporter Carol Leonnig talks about her latest scoop and new book on Trump’s DoJ, “Injustice: How Politics and Fear Vanquished America's Justice Department.” Follow Jeff Stein on Twitter: https://twitter.com/SpyTalker Follow Karen Greenberg on Twitter…
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Sidelining the FBI's Spy Hunters
Investigative reporter Ron Kessler and retired former senior CIA officer John Sipher on the GOP plan to give Tulsi Gabbard control of neutralizing spies and terrorists. John Sipher https://www.thecipherbrief.com/ Risking a National Security Disaster by Ronald Kessler...
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Pushing Back on Lawless Venezuela Strikes
Top Democrat Sen. Jack Reed calls Trump threats “off the wall...” Follow Jeff Stein on Twitter: https://twitter.com/SpyTalker Follow Karen Greenberg on Twitter https://x.com/KarenGreenberg3 Follow Michael Isikoff on Twitter: https://twitter.com/isikoff Follow SpyTalk on Twitter:...
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Has Trump Authorized Assassinations?
Intelligence historians James Risen and Peter Kornbluh on Trump policies and Cold War excesses. More from James Risen https://www.theguardian.com/profile/james-risen More from Peter Kornbluh https://www.democracynow.org/2025/11/7/gunboat_diplomacy Follow Jeff Stein on Twitter:...
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What’s the Covert Action Plan for Venezuela?
Veteran war reporter and Latin America expert Doug Farah throws cold water on Trump’s campaign against Nicholas Maduro. Follow Jeff Stein on Twitter: https://twitter.com/SpyTalker Follow Karen Greenberg on Twitter https://x.com/KarenGreenberg3 Follow Michael Isikoff on Twitter:...
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The CIA's Contrarian
After spending years tracking Al Qaeda, former analyst Gina Bennett talks to SpyTalk about her storied career, her new spy novel and the rising threat of "politicized misogyny." Gina Bennett If Two of Them Are Dead Follow Jeff Stein on Twitter: https://twitter.com/SpyTalker Follow Karen Greenberg...
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The Shadow World of Foreign Policy Lobbyists
Ken Vogel talks about his new book, Devils’ Advocates: The Hidden Story of Rudy Giuliani, Hunter Biden, and the Washington Insiders on the Payrolls of Corrupt Foreign Interests. Follow Ken Vogel on Twitter https://x.com/kenvogel Follow Jeff Stein on Twitter: https://twitter.com/SpyTalker Follow...
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ABOUT THIS SHOW
SpyTalk lives at the intersection of intelligence operations, foreign policy, homeland security, and military strategy. Hosted by veteran national security journalists Jeff Stein, Michael Isikoff and Karen J. Greenberg, the podcast features exclusives by SpyTalk’s roster of longtime reporters, news and profiles of US and foreign spymasters, and interviews with policymakers and expert authors. There’s nothing quite like it—a place for experts and laypersons alike, who enjoy national security scoops and insights by SpyTalk's subject matter experts. For more SpyTalk go to: https://www.spytalk.co/
HOSTED BY
SpyTalk, Jeff Stein
CATEGORIES
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Frequently Asked Questions
How many episodes does SpyTalk have?
SpyTalk currently has 230 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.
What is SpyTalk about?
SpyTalk lives at the intersection of intelligence operations, foreign policy, homeland security, and military strategy. Hosted by veteran national security journalists Jeff Stein, Michael Isikoff and Karen J. Greenberg, the podcast features exclusives by SpyTalk’s roster of longtime reporters, news...
How often does SpyTalk release new episodes?
SpyTalk publishes regularly with 230 episodes available. Check the episode list for the typical release schedule.
Where can I listen to SpyTalk?
You can listen to SpyTalk on PodParley by clicking any episode. We provide an embedded audio player for direct listening, and you can also subscribe via your preferred podcast app using the RSS feed.
Who hosts SpyTalk?
SpyTalk is created and hosted by SpyTalk, Jeff Stein.
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