John Kiriakou, a former CIA operative turned whistleblower, has made a startling revelation about the power dynamics within the U.S. government.
In a recent interview with Tucker Carlson, co-founder of the Daily Caller News Foundation, Kiriakou suggested that the CIA, rather than the President, holds the reins of power in Washington, D.C.
According to the Daily Caller, Kiriakou's assertions were made during a discussion about President Donald Trump's attempts to restructure agencies like the CIA and FBI. Kiriakou explained that the longevity of CIA agents' careers, often spanning decades, gives them an advantage over the relatively short tenures of U.S. Presidents.
"The President controls the CIA. But youre describing a situation where the CIA kind of controls the President, Carlson observed. Kiriakou responded, Presidents come and go every four years, every eight years. But these CIA people, theyre there for 25, 30, 35 years. They dont go anywhere. So if they dont like a President or if a President orders them to do something that they dont want to do, they just wait because they know they can wait him out."
This, Kiriakou suggests, allows the CIA to continue its "deep state" plans, regardless of the current administration's preferences. This term, "deep state," was frequently used by President Trump during his first term to describe what he perceived as a shadow government working against his agenda. Kiriakou defended the use of this term, stating, You dont have to call it the deep state. You can call it the federal bureaucracy. You can call it the state. But the truth is that it exists.
In his second term, Trump took steps to curb the influence of the federal bureaucracy, signing an executive order on his first day in office to end the weaponization of the federal government. This move was seen as a response to perceived abuses of power by federal law enforcement agencies and the intelligence community.
By May, changes were already being implemented within the intelligence community. CIA Director John Ratcliffe, appointed by Trump, pledged to eliminate the politicization and potential waste within the agency. Ratcliffe's appointment was met with resistance from some Democrat lawmakers, but he received strong support from Republican senators.
Kiriakou also shed light on the alleged dishonesty within the intelligence community, recalling an incident involving former chairwoman of the House Intelligence Committee Jane Harmon. Harmon had publicly denied knowledge of the CIAs torture program, a claim Kiriakou vehemently disputed. She was lying. I said, and I remember saying it to the New York Times. I said, she was in the room when it was briefed,'" Kiriakou stated.
Kiriakou's career with the CIA spanned from 1990 to 2004. He became a whistleblower in 2007, publicly disclosing the CIAs use of waterboarding. His actions led to a prison sentence under the Intelligence Identities Protection Act for disclosing a covert officers identity and other classified information.
The revelations by Kiriakou underscore the complex and often opaque power dynamics within the U.S. government. They highlight the potential for unelected officials to wield significant influence, raising questions about the balance of power in Washington, D.C. and the true extent of a President's control over the intelligence community.
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