"Billions of dollars are spent [music] spying on Americans, whether it's NSA or CIA or FBI. And to make matters worse, we know that the CIA can take control remotely of a car's computer system in order..."

">> I can give you two answers. One, I'm proud to say that I blew the whistle on the CIA's torture program in a nationally televised interview with ABC News. The second reason is I blew the whistle a l..."

"before and I had never heard about your role in the CIA before and I was a 16-year-old >> Right. >> how would you explain to me what you did there, what your role was, and what the CIA is? >> Sure. Th..."

">> I have to ask you. >> Mhm. >> Take me on the journey of you being a young man in West Pennsylvania >> Right. >> to becoming a spy. What happened? Because I'll be I'll be honest, you know, I don't I..."

">> Do you think the CIA are have a strategy for podcasters and for podcasting? >> I think yes, now they do. It took them a little while to to get current, but just like they over time developed a stra..."

">> Sure. >> John, how did you come to be a CIA spy? >> When I was 9 years old, I told my parents that I wanted to be a spy when I grew up. It came time to apply for college and I only applied at one u..."

"training you were given in the variety of different roles that you had? Like, how did they train you guys by >> That's a good question. And the answer is vastly different depending on where you start ..."

">> Um it seems like there's transferables. I guess for some people it's family. I guess for some people it's something else. That that that hook that you're talking about, that thing that gets them. >..."

">> What's the extent of the things that the CIA can get as a incentive for someone to turn against the nation to give secrets? >> Quite literally anything you can imagine. >> Even if it's against the ..."

">> Just to close off on this point, are there any skills that the CIA taught you or trained you in that you think are transferable for business that we haven't talked about? >> They They trained us al..."

"the team? >> Yes. >> Have you ever taken one for the team? >> No. >> You I'm not sure you're telling the truth. >> Well, I it came close. >> When did it come close? >> So, I was overseas. I was a bran..."

"nature of the reality that we all live in that the average person really has no idea about? Do you know what I mean? >> Yeah. >> Because, you know, going back to what I said earlier, 3 years ago befor..."

"talked about the fact that it's possible for these these forces and not just the US, but other countries to be able to hack and crack your devices and see anything on your devices. I think we all go a..."

"I've heard you talk about sleeper agents before. >> Yes. >> What is the What is a sleeper agent? >> Yeah, the Russians are very good with sleeper agents. We Americans don't have No No other country th..."

"exact moment in time with someone who is involved in espionage, spying, the CIA, or some international equivalent? >> Probably not. Because they're mostly focused foreign intelligence officers are goi..."

"many spies do you think there are in the United States? If you think about >> Fo- foreign spies? >> Foreign spies, domestic spies, people that are basically undercover. >> Including Americans, you mea..."

"a job, the more I go, "Hm, conspiracy theorists are right more than I expected them to be." >> See, and that's an important point. I >> [sighs] >> I hate conspiracy theories that run amok. But you kno..."

"this is where counterintelligence is important. The Chinese told us in like 1951 that the Russians were using LSD to try to engineer it to be used as a mind control drug. That wasn't true. That was di..."

"the streets of Iran that are protesting the leadership there. And the CIA the CIA are often associated with some of the coups going back to the 1950s and other countries toppling elected leaders to pr..."

">> No, thank God. My children asked me that. And I told them very proudly that I have never taken any action that resulted in the death of another human being. There's one kind of half exception. And ..."

">> Really? >> Yeah. The Israelis have no rules. They'll kill anybody. Uh what was it? 3 years ago? This uh this pager operation? >> Oh, it was so fascinating. >> Good lord, it was it was a work of gen..."

">> Do you think Jeffrey Epstein was a spy? >> I believe very strongly he was a spy, yes. >> And who do you think he was working for? >> The Israelis. I'm confident it was the Israelis. >> Why? Jeffrey..."

"about it being Russia or >> I think it's China. >> Why? What is it that we don't realize about China and their agenda? >> Oh, wow. So much. The Chinese are so good at what they do. And the Chinese are..."

"Venezuela and Greenland, this is going to create cover for >> Oh, I was hoping you would ask me a question like that. I think that's very That's a very important issue that that the media really aren'..."

">> Well, >> [sighs and gasps] >> do they want to see the US fall? >> Yes. Sure. >> And are they actively doing things to encourage that? >> Yes, but not the things that that you would expect. Instead ..."

">> What are you most concerned about in the world at the moment? What What does actually keep you up at night? >> What frightens me the most is that the US government over the last Well, really over t..."

">> What's the most important thing that we didn't talk about that we should have talked about, John? >> Ooh, that's a good question. One of the most important things in my life, to tell you the truth,..."

">> Do you think you should be pardoned by President Trump? >> Have you written to him? >> I've >> [sighs and gasps] >> I've I have to be careful with my language here. I applied. My name is in the sys..."

"leaving it for. And the question left for you is what's something you stopped doing that improved your life more than anything you started? >> Feeling sorry for myself. I I'll be honest with you. I ha..."