Mission Implausible
Former CIA officers John Sipher and Jerry O'Shea investigate the truth behind the world's wildest conspiracy theories. They and their circle of experts determine where misinformation comes from, when we're being lied to, and when a conspiracy theory is an actual real conspiracy. New episodes every week.
Episodes
It Was Never About Oil: Iraq, Afghanistan and the Conspiracy Theories That Followed (Toby Harnden)
The former Royal Navy officer, war correspondent for the Telegraph and the Sunday Times, and author of the Orwell Prize-winning Dead Men Risen and First Casualty — joins to discuss his new book, his covering of Northern Ireland, and the recent history of America’s time in Afghanistan.Watch Mission Implausible on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@MissionImplausiblePod
Why Americans Are Such Suckers for Conspiracy Theories (with Jesse Walker)
The author of The United States of Paranoia and the editor of Reason sees the enemies within, outside, above and below. The true believers and the manipulators. Every religion and political affiliation in American is uniquely credulous. But maybe there’s good reason to be.Watch Mission Implausible on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@MissionImplausiblePod
Tulsi Gabbard and The Guru: Inside Her Cult (with Rebecca Saltzburg) - Part Two
Former Science of Identity Foundation insider Rebecca Saltzburg, a source for the Washington Post's investigation into Tulsi Gabbard, goes deeper into how its guru Chris Butler shaped Gabbard's political career. Then, as Director of National Intelligence, who was she working for? Why was the deal with her and Syria, China and Russia?Watch Mission Implausible on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@Mi
Tulsi Gabbard and The Guru: Inside Her Cult (with Rebecca Saltzburg) - Part One
Rebecca Saltzburg spent years living with Tulsi Gabbard’s family, inside the Science of Identity Foundation, and in the inner circle of Chris Butler, the leader of its Hawaiian sect, of which Tulsi and her parents were long-time members. Years after leaving, Saltzburg took here archives - emails, encrypted memoranda, internal communications - and gave more than 25,000 pages to the Washington Post,
Operation Sparrow: Three Americans Who Wanted to Be Captured by the Nazis (with Jason Bell)
In March 1944, three American OSS officers parachuted into Hungary on a mission to be taken prisoner. A story that was classified for decades, the team — a Dartmouth graduate, a World War I fighter pilot and a former New York Giants lineman who became an advertising executive — planned to get caught, tortured by The Gestapo, and “confess” to an Allied invasion that was a complete fiction. The OSS
When Did We Lose Faith in Our Institutions? (with Garrett Graff) - ENCORE
Our summer holiday is over. All new episodes coming soon.We didn't always assume the government was hiding aliens. The Manhattan Project was a crash course in how to run a secret program. Some secrets were real and necessary. Some were real and needing exposure - The Vietnam War, The Pentagon Papers, Watergate. So now people distrust everything the government tells us -- from UFO's to 9/11. Bestse
What the Steele Dossier Got Right—and Why It Still Matters (with Christopher Steele) - ENCORE
In 2016, former British intelligence officer Christopher Steele produced a series of intelligence memos that were leaked and widely called “The Steel Dossier” containing allegations about Russia's interference in the US election and links between Trumpworld and the Kremlin. In a highly unique conversation, Steele and John & Jerry look into the many hot-button conspiracy theories and real cons
The Five Eyes: Can It Survive (with Richard Kerbaj)
Investigative journalist and BAFTA-winning filmmaker Richard Kerbaj discusses The Defector, his book on Oleg Lyalin — the KGB officer who walked into a North London police station in 1971 and exposed over 200 Soviet spies in Britain, partly to escape his marriage. He and the hosts trace how MI5's decision to withhold him from the CIA broke James Angleton's decade of paranoia, then take apart the F
No More Secrets: AI and the Future of Espionage (with Adam Davidson)
Now that Adam Davidson is a national expert on AI, he worries about how it will change worldwide politics, military power and international economic structures. Not just the AI itself, but all its underlying physical infrastructure. When it comes to spycraft, it can help sort through the millions of pages of data collected every day, but it also makes it impossible to keep a secret. Watch Mission
The Corruption of American Intelligence (with Julia Curlee)
What's been done to American intelligence and what it costs: the 35 declassified documents that don't say what the president claims they say, analysts fired for accurate assessments, clearances stripped as punishment, rumored loyalty oaths, and the question of how any future administration cleans this up without another round of retribution. Looking outward — what Beijing is taking faway rom the I
The National Security Council Purge (with Julia Curlee)
Stephen Miller runs National Security now. Julia Curlee spent over 20 years as a CIA analyst, rising to being Acting Senior Director for Intelligence Programs at the NSC. When Trump 2 began, she stayed on, as is custom, to help transition. Her team was fired on Day 3, and Curlee on Day 69, leaving The White House woefully uninformed to this day. But maybe that was the point.“Vulnerability isn't re
CIA's Best-Kept Secret: It Was Fun (with Paul Kolbe & Doug Wise)
Two of John & Jerry’s old friends and agency colleagues swap war stories and tall tales, starting with their training at The Farm and including their time in Moscow. Some of the characters in their anecdotes: Nazi Bob, Steven Seagal and the CIA mermaids. Watch Mission Implausible on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@MissionImplausiblePodWatch Mission Implausible on YouTube: https://www.youtube
Trump’s Presidential Payday (with Adam Davidson)
More on Trump's $2 billion is new money in the past year -- Financial investigative journalist (and Mission Implausible producer) Adam Davidson illuminates Trump's business model: money-laundering, ass-kissing and rent-seeking. His zero-sum view of how things work doesn't just enrich himself, it damages overall world economic growth. He's more a post-Soviet oligarch than a Western capitalist. Watc
Did the CIA Poison the World’s Best Goalkeeper at the 1970 World Cup? (with Gabriel Gatehouse) - Part 2
- Journalist Gabriel Gatehouse returns to Mission Implausible with the strange premise behind his podcast Foul Play: the claim that the CIA poisoned England goalkeeper Gordon Banks before the 1970 World Cup quarter-final in Mexico in order to help the Brazil to support Brazil’s government. It turns out that international sporting events are hotbeds of attempted subterfuge and quasi-governmental
Did the CIA Poison the World’s Best Goalkeeper at the 1970 World Cup? (with Gabriel Gatehouse) - Part 1
Journalist Gabriel Gatehouse returns to Mission Implausible with the strange premise behind his podcast Foul Play: the claim that the CIA poisoned England goalkeeper Gordon Banks before the 1970 World Cup quarter-final in Mexico in order to help the Brazil to support Brazil’s government. It turns out that international sporting events are hotbeds of attempted subterfuge and quasi-governmental ma
Inside the Kremlin's Playbook: How Russia Really Works (with Michael Carpenter)
Former OSCE ambassador and Pentagon and NSC official Michael Carpenter argues Russia is weaker than it appears yet keeps being rescued by a West gripped by fear of escalation. And that the newly transactional, alliance-busting American foreign policy undermines the remarkable success of NATO. Watch Mission Implausible on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@MissionImplausiblePodWatch Mission Implausi
What the CIA Knows About Iran That Washington Keeps Getting Wrong (with Mark Fowler)
Former CIA Iran ops officer Mark Fowler joins Jerry and John to explain why Iran is one of the hardest targets on earth. From running agents and sources, Fowler has insight into the Iranian worldview: a persecuted Shia minority that sees walls behind every wall, craves American attention while calling us the Great Satan, and negotiates by treating signed contracts as opening bids. He separates the
Swinging at Curveball: When You Want It Bad, You Get It Bad (with Bob Drogin)
In 2003, a single Iraqi refugee — codenamed Curveball — fabricated stories about Iraqi weapons. The U.S. intelligence community, desperate for sources after 9/11, laundered his claims into a National Intelligence Estimate produced in under three weeks. Bob Drogin, the award-winning journalist who broke the story and wrote the definitive book on it, joins John & Jerry to examine how political w
How Everyone Else Sees America (with Gabriel Gatehouse) - ENCORE
ENCORE EPISODE - Gabriel Gatehouse is a journalist and broadcaster and author of “The Coming Storm” that looks at Q Anon and the January 6th conspiracies. And he’s British! Watch Mission Implausible on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@MissionImplausiblePodWatch Mission Implausible on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@MissionImplausiblePod
The Hawaiian Cult that raised Tulsi Gabbard (with Christine Gralow) - ENCORE
In light of this week's resignation of Tulsi Gabbard, we're re-running our recent very illuminating episode about her. Also, check out John Sipher's timely piece on her in The Bullwark on May 19. https://www.thebulwark.com/p/tulsi-gabbard-office-shouldnt-exist-director-national-intelligence-9-11 Our current Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard was born into The Science of Identity Found
Hunting Weapons of Mass Destruction (with Andy Weber)
Nuclear weapons-usable uranium, biolabs for biological warfare, secret chemical facilities -- In Operation Sapphire, Former Assistant Secretary of Defense Andy Weber found and disposed of them. Where are the current threats? What does Iran still have? Biological threats may ultimately prove even more dangerous than nuclear ones. How do we control them? https://thesteadystate.org Watch Mission Impl
How the CIA Decides What’s Legal (with James Petrila)
Former CIA and NSA attorney Jim Petrila explains the legal decisions about covert action, presidential power, and the legal guardrails surrounding America’s intelligence agencies. He argues that the Trump-era expansion of executive power, combined with the Supreme Court’s immunity ruling and the dismantling of institutional oversight, represents a fundamental threat to the rule of law. Watch Miss
Crypto: The Trump Family Business (with Zach Everson)
Forget hotel rooms and presidential merch, this time around, the Trumps are making untraceable billions with ventures like World Liberty Financial and a Trump-backed stablecoin. It’s a new world of buying influence and access. Watch Mission Implausible on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@MissionImplausiblePodWatch Mission Implausible on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@MissionImplausiblePod
Serving in the Middle East, then Writing About It (with Ilana Berry)
Award-winning author Ilana Berry explores the gap between how espionage is portrayed and how it actually works. Drawing on her experience in the CIA, the Department of Defense, and er firsthand view of the Arab Spring in Bahrain. She explains why secrecy fuels conspiracy theories, and why even insiders often struggle to separate truth from manipulation. Watch Mission Implausible on YouTube: https:
Modern Conspiracy Culture: How Real Scandals Fueled False Narratives (with Kathryn Olmsted)
Real government secrecy, intelligence failures, and historic scandals created the conditions for today’s conspiracy culture. Pearl Harbor, The Red Scare, JFK, 9/11, QAnon - a small truth can explode into a dangerous paranoid belief in hidden power and control. Genuine conspiracies often make it harder—not easier—to separate fact from fiction. How do democracies survive when citizens no longer agre
The Terrible Thing People Say When They Think No One Is Listening (with Ben Palmer)
Comedian Ben Palmer (Palmer Trolls) does sort-of-pranks that have evolved from satire to social experiment. Using aliases, fake websites and a “deportation hotline,” Palmer reveals how easily ordinary people are drawn into exposing their own bad behavior and unabashed racism (he would make a terrific CIA case officer). Watch his video about pretending to be the social media person for three months
Havana Syndrome Is Real - and They Tried to Bury It (with Michael Weiss) - Part Two
We continue to look at Havana Syndrome and Russian intelligence operations. Investigative journalist Michael Weiss expands on evidence suggesting that a covert unit within Russian military intelligence may have targeted Western operatives, particularly those involved in countering Russian activities in Ukraine and other strategic regions. We discuss geopolitical miscalculations, including U.S. res
Havana Syndrome Is Real - and They Tried to Bury It (with Michael Weiss) - Part One
Havana Syndrome wasn’t a mystery. It was a coverup. And it wasn’t just Havana. Investigative journalist Michael Weiss (The Insider) returns to the show to break down his explosive reporting on the unexplained brain injuries suffered by U.S. diplomats, CIA officers, and military personnel around the world. Weiss lays out compelling evidence linking these incidents to a covert Russian intelligence u
The CIA Analyst Who Knows Why Intelligence Fails (with David McCloskey)
Former CIA analyst and bestselling spy novelist David McCloskey (“The Rest Is Classified” podcast) explains how Israel manipulated Trump to get him to attack Iran and what Netanyahu’s real plan is. The new answers on Havana Syndrome and whether there was a CIA coverup. And the tragic events of Jordanian triple-agent Balawi. Watch Mission Implausible on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@MissionImp
The Singularity War and How to Hack Minds (w/ Anthony Vinci)
Former senior intelligence officer and author of The Fourth Intelligence Revolution explores how artificial intelligence, big data, and information warfare are fundamentally reshaping global intelligence. He forsees the coming “Singularity War” — a future of fully autonomous intelligence and warfare systems. Now AI enables small groups or even individuals to carry out attacks once reserved for nat
The Art of the Pardon: How The Dept. of Justice Became a Favor Bank (with Liz Oyer)
Former U.S. Pardon Attorney Liz Oyer was fired by Pam Bondi and Todd Blanche after she refused to recommend giving a domestic abuser back his gun. That criminal was Trump’s “Ambassador to Hollywood” Mel Gibson. Oyer explains how presidential pardons and clemency is supposed to work. With Trump’s Dept. of Justice, it’s been supercharged. Pardons seem to be driven by personal favors, political allia
The Midterm Power Grab (w/ Will Sommer)
Will Sommer (of The Bulwark) returns to unpack threats to federalize elections to renewed efforts to “prove” 2020 was stolen. We also diagnose the strange incentives and rivalries inside MAGA world — the influencers, grifters, true believers, and opportunists. Watch Mission Implausible on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@MissionImplausiblePodWatch Mission Implausible on YouTube: https://www.youtu
What Ghislaine Maxwell Knows and Why She’s Being Protected (with Tara Palmeri & Adam Davidson)
Tara breaks down what Ghislaine Maxwell’s current treatment, legal positioning, and pardon speculation actually signal. They describe the difference between the public narrative and the private reality journalists encounter inside the MAGA ecosystem. From pardon strategy to media pressure to the survival instincts of those closest to Trump, Tara and Adam connect the dots between Maxwell’s continue
Alex Jones and the Conspiracy Economy (with Jordan Holmes)
The co-host of the Knowledge Fight podcast knows too much about Alex Jones. How are conspiracy ecosystems built, monetized, and sustained? From cult psychology and propaganda laundering to Sandy Hook, supplement grifting, and political power, what are the conditions that keep figures like Jones alive and influential? Watch Mission Implausible on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@MissionImplausible
Eating Bugs, Shooting Bobby Kennedy, The Deadly Double: Conspiracy Theory Grey Areas (with Adam Tod Brown)
The host of CONSPIRACY! THE SHOW has insights on why people believe wild things and how grifters and media personalities turn paranoia into profit. With questions about his own conspiracy theories: - Was an ad in The New Yorker for a board game a tipoff about Pearl Harbor? - Did the CIA want to kill Reagan? - Why are there bans on lab-produced meat? - Is there proof of The October Surprise?
The Overlooked Radicalization Crisis: How Women Become Extremists (with Leah Sottile)
Investigative journalist Leah Sottile, author of Blazing Eye Sees All, draws on years of direct reporting on anti-government movements, Christian nationalism, New Age spirituality, death cults and online radicalization to explains how fringe belief systems gain power amongst women in America. It’s very different from the path that men take. Watch Mission Implausible on YouTube: https://www.youtube
From Hollywood to Human Rights: The Real Cost of Conspiracy Thinking (with Stephanie March)
Drawing on her leadership roles with Planned Parenthood Global and humanitarian organizations in Africa, actor & activist Stephanie March (ADA Alex Cabot on Law & Order: SVU) describes how ill-conceived policy decisions —particularly the dismantling of USAID programs — have immediate, devastating consequences. Plus, is there any actual nation-building happening in Venezuela, why CIA doesn’
Wellness to Weaponization: How Women Are Drawn into Conspiracy Extremism (with Noelle Cook)
From wellness culture and yoga influencers to QAnon forums and January 6, the pathways into conspiracy extremism aren’t always obvious — especially for women. Identity and meaning can quietly turn misinformation into ideology. Author and researcher Noelle Cook discuss did direct fieldwork with women involved in conspiracy movements and the Capitol attack. Extremism doesn’t always look extreme. Som
What Fresh Hell: 2025 in Conspiracy Theories and Disinformation
Our team gives their analysis of a disturbingly familiar year in power and politics, normalization and surprises. Much of it was predictable, some was worse, and some was worse that worse. Yet conspiratorial thinking cuts both ways, and 2025 illuminated some “theories” as being actual conspiracies. What trajectories might actually improve in 2026? Watch Mission Implausible on YouTube: https://www.
How We're Targets for Influence Operations (with Tamsin Shaw)
An expert on psychological manipulation and politics, including Nazi propaganda and Stassi, NYU professor Tamsin Shaw studies conspiracy theories and how they might be changing with the internet and A.I. Watch Mission Implausible on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@MissionImplausiblePodWatch Mission Implausible on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@MissionImplausiblePod
Human Organs and Wellness Scams (with Scott Carney)
Organ transplants, ice baths, Russian propaganda, RFK Jr.'s science denialism... Scott Carney has investigated in depth about where lies the truth and who is taking advantage of our ignorance. Watch Mission Implausible on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@MissionImplausiblePodWatch Mission Implausible on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@MissionImplausiblePod
How to Escape the Maga Cult (with Rich Logis & Erica Roach)
"Leaving MAGA" is a community for those who have left the movement, or have doubts and remorse about staying in MAGA but are afraid to leave. Rich Logis and Erica Roach tell their stories of falling into MAGA and then climbing out. Watch Mission Implausible on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@MissionImplausiblePodWatch Mission Implausible on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@MissionImplausiblePod
MKUltra: CIA’s Secret Mind Control Experiments (with Stephen Kinzer)
How CIA became the largest purveyor and owner of LSD in the world and, in the process, destroyed lives and introduced psychedelics to The Counterculture. Watch Mission Implausible on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@MissionImplausiblePodWatch Mission Implausible on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@MissionImplausiblePod
Epstein International (with Tara Palmeri & Adam Davidson)
" There are things we feel like we know that we we can't even say. It is even worse. worse. It is even more people." Journalist Tara Palmeri and our own Adam Davidson have been writing and podcasting about the Epstein case since 2019. There's so much new Epstein news that it's easy to overlook the overwhelming, depressing, terrifying amount of crime and coverup that involves so many people besides
Bigfoot and Bigfoot Erotica (with Laura Krantz)
Investigator Laura Krantz (the Wild Things podcast) knows about everything Bigfoot, including Bigfoot erotica, the CIA's supposed relationship with the cryptid, and how Bigfoot can be a gateway drug to other conspiracy theories. Watch Mission Implausible on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@MissionImplausiblePodWatch Mission Implausible on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@MissionImplausiblePod
How Are Comedians Such Threats to Authoritarians (with Trae Crowder)
Comedian Trae Crowder (aka The Liberal Redneck) is here to prove that not everyone from The South is MAGA, and tried to understand why so many are, despite the inherent contradictions with their prior attitudes and what's in their self-interest. Also, how comedians are the such a threat to authoritarians. Watch Mission Implausible on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@MissionImplausiblePodWatch Mis
The Abuse of the Department of Justice (with Ken Dilanian)
MSNBC & NBC justice and inteligence correspondence Ken Dilanian predicts how the Dept. of Justice will continue to be used under Trump, and reports on the experiences of the people still working there. Watch Mission Implausible on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@MissionImplausiblePodWatch Mission Implausible on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@MissionImplausiblePod
Artificial Intelligence: What Do We Want from It & What Does It Want from Us? (with Adam Davidson)
Adam is back and is now a bona fide expert on Artificial Intelligence. When it comes to conspiracy theories, it’s both our nemesis and our ally. Plus, a prediction for the upcoming misuse of The Insurrection Act. Watch Mission Implausible on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@MissionImplausiblePodWatch Mission Implausible on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@MissionImplausiblePod
Opus Dei: A Real Conspiracy (with Gareth Gore) - Part Two (ENCORE)
We continue with Gareth Gore, author of: Opus: The Cult of Dark Money, Human Trafficking and Right-Wing Conspiracy inside the Catholic Church. Opus Dei has worked behind the scenes for decades to build up political influence and power in the U.S., bankrolling many right-wing causes.Watch Mission Implausible on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@MissionImplausiblePod
Opus Dei: A Real Conspiracy (with Gareth Gore) - Part One (ENCORE)
Opus Dei is a secretive, ultra-conservative Catholic sect. Gareth Gore uncovered how it pushed its radical agenda within the Church and around the globe, using billions of dollars siphoned from one of the world’s largest banks. His book is: Opus: The Cult of Dark Money, Human Trafficking and Right-Wing Conspiracy inside the Catholic Church.Watch Mission Implausible on YouTube: https://www.youtube.
The Army of God (with Stephanie McCrummen) (ENCORE)
The New Apostolic Reformation is a growing anti-democratic religious movement that believes that God speaks through modern-day apostles and prophets. How did they become energetic allies of Trump? (ENCORE from Season 4)Watch Mission Implausible on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@MissionImplausiblePod
Did CIA Kill JFK? (with Gus Russo) (ENCORE)
Gus Russo’s research into the Kennedy Assassination is second only to The Warren Commission. He’s been to primary sources. He’s seen documents few ever have. And he’s ready to address the question of whether CIA was involved in the assassination. Here’s his answer: No. So why DO people still suspect CIA? And who else WAS involved? He’s got answers to that too. Also, why the government shouldn’t re
Can We Trust the Experts? (with Tom Nichols) (ENCORE)
Journalist Tom Nichols (The Atlantic) explains how discrediting expertise is used as a weapon in order to control (mis)information. (ENCORE from Season 3)Watch Mission Implausible on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@MissionImplausiblePod
Everyone Controls the Weather But Nobody Does Anything About It (ENCORE)
Jerry and John -- and Adam! -- think about the current hurricanes and the dangerous conspiracy theories that weaponize them. As always, they view the larger context of false weather beliefs.Watch Mission Implausible on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@MissionImplausiblePod
Trae Crowder, The Liberal Redneck (ENCORE)
Comedian Trae Crowder is from a tiny town in Tennessee, so he has a unique point of view on conservative, liberals, MAGA and especially J.D. Vance… what’s the deal with that guy?? Well, Trae knows a thing or two.Watch Mission Implausible on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@MissionImplausiblePod
Russian Interference in the 2016 Election (with Susan Miller)
Former CIA Head of Counterintelligence (and co-worker with John & Jerry) Susan Miller has recently been targeted by Tulsi Gabbard for her work on a classified report on Russia’s attempts to influence the 2016 election. How is she dealing with this "attention"? Also, now out of CIA, Susan and John and Jerry rehash some of the day-today moments of serving. Watch Mission Implausible on YouTube: h
Astroturf, Trolls and Misinformation (with Darren Linvill) - Part Two
Russia, China, MAGA — how social media is weaponized to promote misinformation and conspiracy theories, leading to nefarious calls-to-action.Watch Mission Implausible on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@MissionImplausiblePod
Astroturf, Trolls and Misinformation (with Darren Linvill)- Part One
The expert on how social media spreads disinformation — both unintentionally and by design — explains the power of “communities” and what the Russians are trying to accomplish.Watch Mission Implausible on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@MissionImplausiblePod
Texas Democratic Senate Candidate Terry Virts - Part One
Former astronaut and fighter pilot and current Senatorial candidate from Texas Terry Virts makes a very prescient prediction of the effects of Trump’s cuts to science (this was recorded two weeks ago). He also recounts his own call to service, his frustration with the current Democratic Party, the disaster of Trump’s immigration manipulations, and Texas’ place in the world.(www.terryvirts.com)Wat
America Is Attacking America (with Terry Virts) - Part One
He was a fighter pilot, then an astronaut, and now a Democratic candidate for U.S. Senator from Texas. Terry Virts saw Russia attack Ukraine while sitting alongside cosmonauts in the International Space Station. Now he sees the party in charge of America attacking... America. Terry Virts gives his first podcast interview after announcing his candidacy.(www.terryvirts.com)Watch Mission Implausible
From Spy to Spy Novelist (with David McCloskey)
More of our conversation with CIA analyst turned best-selling spy novelist David McCloskey. He and his old CIA associates, John & Jerry, look at CIA fact vs. fiction and how McCloskey brings their experiences to his stories. Also, some German stuff.Watch Mission Implausible on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@MissionImplausiblePod
Analysts vs. Operations in The Middle East (with David McCloskey)
CIA analyst turned best-selling spy novelist David McCloskey visits with old friends John & Jerry where they look at the CIA and their experiences in The Middle East before, during and after The Arab Spring. With a survey of what's happening in The Middle East currently.Watch Mission Implausible on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@MissionImplausiblePod
Extremist Groups (with more Will Sommer)
We continue our conversation with Will Sommer (The Bullwark, the Flase Flag newsletter) in which he details his experience covering extremist groups and the challenges of engaging with conspiracy believers. John & Jerry have a point of view on the conspiracy theories about CIA. Watch Mission Implausible on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@MissionImplausiblePod
The Conspiracy Business: What Do We Do Now? (with Will Sommer)
For four years, fringe right wing voices have accused the Democrats of all sorts of secret crimes, moaning that the truth is being supressed. Now on the inside, some as high as Cabinet positions, they are expected to provide fireworks. What’s happening now that they can’t deliver the goods? (with Will Sommer of the Bulwark)Watch Mission Implausible on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@MissionImpla
The South African Perspective - Part Two (with Robyn Curnow)
Former CNN Africa correspondent Robyn Curnow tries to explain America to the rest of the world.Watch Mission Implausible on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@MissionImplausiblePod
The South African Perspective - Part One (with Robyn Curnow)
Former CNN Africa correspondent Robyn Curnow tries to explain America to the rest of the world.Watch Mission Implausible on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@MissionImplausiblePod
Weapons of Mass Destruction (with Valerie Plame)
Former undercover CIA officer Valerie Plame was outed by The Bush Administration when her husband exposed the lie behind the claim of Weapons of Mass Destruction in Iraq that was used as justification for the U.S. to invade. - A REAL government conspiracyWatch Mission Implausible on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@MissionImplausiblePod
Get Ready for Martial Law (with Joe Walsh)
Former Tea Party Republican Congressman, and now hardcore Anti-Trumper, Joe Walsh has dire warnings for all of us. America's failure has been a failure of imagination -- unable to imagine what Trump would try to do. Prepare for the 2026 elections to be cancelled, for the military to go after civilian protesters, and anything else you thought was far-fetched. Walsh has an inside understanding of "t
Alpha Male Brent Terhune
Hoosier comedian Brent Terhune finds the inspiration behind his viral MAGA character.Watch Mission Implausible on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@MissionImplausiblePod
"Bad Astronomer" Phil Plait
In classic Mission Implausible style, astronomer Phil Plait comes on to debunk a litany of space conspiracy theories and other pseudo-science scams.Watch Mission Implausible on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@MissionImplausiblePod
Michael Ian Black Has the Answers
Michael Ian Black -- humorist, political blogger, comedian, team captain of CNN's "Have I Got News for You," and generational poker talent -- brings all his skills to making sense of Trump and those who enable (or take advantage of) him. He also has something to say about the establishment and lifting of tariffs this week... actually, during the actual recording of the episode. (with guest Michael
JFK Assassination Convert Phil Robinson
Last week’s dump of the remains of the JFK Assassination files were a complete dud (except for the sloppy non-redaction of social security numbers and the names of intelligence sources). Hollywood movie director Phil Robinson wasn’t surprised. For years, he’d grown up a JFK Assassination conspiracy theorist. But when he dug deep enough he found… nothing. Now he extols the sadly mundane truth — it
The First Two Months (with Mike Rothschild)
The first two months of Trump's term have been a tour de force of chaos, bizarre hires and indecipherable decisions. Conspiracy theories operate on both sides of the equation. They are attempts to find an underlying rationale for moves by Trump and Musk, often presuming nefarious motivations of self-interest. Conspiracy theories are also being used as a tool to justify actions that are unpopular o
Encore Presentation: The Deepest State (with Mark Zaid)
D.C. lawyer Mark Zaid is in the news this week, having been specifically targeted by Trump for representing a whistleblower involved with Trump's first impeachment. As such, we're revisiting this episode from last year in which Mark Zaid talks about the cases he's taken over the years and the fictional concept of The Deep State. As someone recently blueskyed, "If there really was a 'Deep State' it
The Cult of Trump (with Steven Hassan)
Steven Hassan was once sucked into The Moonies. He broke free and has devoted the subsequent 50 years to becoming and expert on mind control and cults and then using that knowledge to help others escape cults and rejoin their lives. Cults take many forms, but their tactics are very similar. Which brings us to MAGA. Does it fit the definition of a cult? If so, how are people indoctrinated and how c
How Easy Is It for Our Government to Pull off More Conspiracies? (with Tim Weiner)
Previously, we talked with Tim Weiner about an actual U.S. government conspiracy, The Iran Contra Affair, and a conspiracy theory, the Iranian hostages October Surprise. It was almost kept undetected, and plenty of people escaped accountability. In a continuation of that conversation, we look at the many routes to our executive branch pulling off similar actions in secrecy. Specifically, the INCOM
The JFK Assassination: A New Clue, Never Before Revealed (with David Reuben)
In our first live (sort of) episode, a former investigator for the Chicago District Attorney shares a connected story about Jack Ruby that has never been heard before. John & Jerry & Jon and their guest review the prevailing theories in the first of our occassional search for a conclusion to the biggest conspiracy theory of all time.Watch Mission Implausible on YouTube: https://www.youtub
Codes & Ciphers & Puzzles (with A.J. Jacobs)
A.J. Jacobs (host of The Puzzler podcast and author of The Puzzler book) swaps tales of secret messages in the world of spycraft. But A.J. is an expert on many things, and another one of those areas is The U.S. Constitution (he's the author of the new-ish books The Year of Living Constitutionally). What are the conspiracy theories behind and about The Constitution? He also wrote The Year of Living
More Religion and Conspiracy Theories (with Drew McCoy)
"Exvangelical" Drew McCoy (aka The Genetically Modified Skeptic) continue to explore how religion and conspiracies overlap. Are non-believers playing followers? What's Drew's personal journey to becoming the atheist and conspiracy buster he is now?Watch Mission Implausible on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@MissionImplausiblePod
Religion and Conspiracy Theories (with Drew McCoy) - Part 1
Drew McCoy, aka Genetically Modified Skeptic, is a fundamentalist Evangelical Christian turned agnostic/atheist. With John, Jerry and Adam, they explore the position of conspiracy theories throughout religion in general.Watch Mission Implausible on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@MissionImplausiblePod
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