Michael Isikoff

The Washington Post Runs Two Corrections on its CIA-JFK Story—And Still Doesn't Get it Right The capital’s paper of record only partially claws back a conspiracy monger’s baseless allegations of CIA "involvement" in the murder of President Kennedy.

"It was an astonishing, even bone-chilling cliam, one that certainly deserved such prominent placement and implicit endorsement by The Post- had it been true. But it was entirely false."
www.spytalk.co/p/the-washin...

Tulsi Gabbard, Missing in Action In a SpyTalk interview Gregory Treverton, former chair of the National Intelligence Council, questions why the DNI still has her job–and whether her office should be substantially reduced in size.

"I wonder why she's still there," Gregory Treverton, ex-chair of NIC, says about DNI Tulsi Gabbard. "She's plainly not part of the team & not trusted." Note: Story updated to reflect Senate intel chair Cotton's proposal to slash ODNI, exactly as Treverton suggested. www.spytalk.co/p/tulsi-gabb...

William F. Buckley, Jr., CIA Spy A new biography of the National Review founder explores his early role as an undercover CIA operative who later helped his one time agency boss Howard Hunt cover up Watergate

It turns out there was a whole other side to the host of Firing Line.
www.spytalk.co/p/william-f-...

Former Trump CIA Director’s ‘Top Secret’ Memo—for Campaign Cash Mike Pompeo’s pitch is just a glaring case of ex-intel officials getting involved in politics

Read all about it: Trump's former CIA Director Mike Pompeo sends me a "top secret" memo, strictly off the record, of course.
www.spytalk.co/p/former-tru...

Top House Intel Dem predicts Qatari plane gift to Trump is “not gonna fly” Rep. James Himes tells SpyTalk that the cost of de-bugging the 747 alone will be enough to stop the transfer.

Fascinating talk w/ @jahimes.bsky.social on the "flying white elephant" gift from Qatar, the distortions of intel by Gabbard and why her firing of the 2 top intel officials so chilling, reviving the ghost of the Iraqi WMD fiasco. @spytalker.bsky.social www.spytalk.co/p/top-house-...

Gabbard & Trump Lies on Venezuela Gang Exposed by Top Intelligence Report A declassified National Intelligence Council memo shows the DNI falsely linked ties between the Venezuelan government and Tren de Aragua in her Megyn Kelly interview

Last week, DNI Tulsi Gabbard went on the Megyn Kelly show and gave an account what a crucial "top secret" intel memo said about ties been the Maduro regime and Tren de Aragua. Then, the memo was declassified and released.
www.spytalk.co/p/gabbard-an...

YouTube video by MSW Media Tulsi & The Deep State "Rot"

Check out my new pod w/
@SpyTalker in which we dissect
DNI Tulsi Gabbard's interview w/megynkelly
and reveal how (11:30 in) she leaks selective details from what she describes as a "top secret classified" intel doc.
youtube.com/watch?v=fJR_...

On 1/20, Trump took the oath to "preserve, protect & defend" the Constitution. Today, this exchange:
“But even given those numbers that you’re talking about, don’t you need to uphold the Constitution of the United States as president?” Welker asked.
“I don’t know,” Trump replied.

EXCLUSIVE: World Court Weighs New War Crimes Charges Against Putin Over Child Abductions The ICC is reviewing a State Department funded report—based in part on satellite imagery from U.S. intelligence—documenting the mass abduction of Ukrainian children

"The prospect of new war crimes charges against Putin could, to say the least, complicate the peace talks that President Trump, and his special envoy, Steve Witkoff, are seeking to bring to fruition."
www.spytalk.co/p/exclusive-...

EXCLUSIVE: World Court Weighs New War Crimes Charges Against Putin Over Child Abductions The ICC is reviewing a State Department funded report—based in part on satellite imagery from U.S. intelligence—documenting the mass abduction of Ukrainian children

www.spytalk.co/p/exclusive-...

A Spy for All Reasons The CIA’s Frank Wisner was a master of the dark arts—until he became a burnt out case, an intriguing new biography shows

A Spy For All Reasons
www.spytalk.co/p/a-spy-for-...

YouTube video by Jeff Stein's SpyTalk "Laura Loomer is the new Rasputin"

www.youtube.com/watch?v=ok82...

"Laura Loomer is the new Rasputin" Jeff Stein and Mike Isikoff tackle the intelligence news of the day in our inaugural Spy Week in Review video podcast.

Laura Loomer is the new Rasputin in the court of Donald Trump www.spytalk.co/p/laura-loom...

Anna Luna's JFK Conspiracy Circus The Florida MAGA Congresswoman hosted a hearing of conspiracy zealots that was out of this world.

From the Kremlin to Capitol Hill: How JFK conspiracy theories have come full circle.
www.spytalk.co/p/anna-lunas...

#SpyTalk #MSWMedia

@spytalker.bsky.social @misikoff.bsky.social

www.youtube.com/watch?v=yjA3...

A useful reminder not to die on the weekend

CIA Ops Veteran Calls Signal Scandal “the tip of the iceberg” Luis Rueda says the astonishing security lapse may be much greater than anybody realizes

"I guarantee you, this is the tip of the iceberg," veteran CIA officer Luis Rueda tells me on the @spytalker.bsky.social podcast about the use of Signal to conduct government business, including classified matters, on cell phones vulnerable to commercial spyware.
www.spytalk.co/p/cia-ops-ve...

'We had found the smoking gun' Alexander Vindman, star player in Trump’s first impeachment, tells SpyTalk how he found politically explosive evidence in Ukraine and Washington

www.spytalk.co/p/we-had-fou...

Inside the US War Plans to Invade Canada A military blueprint to attack Canada has been on the books for almost a century now. Former Washington Post feature writer Peter Carlson recounts how he came across it 20 years ago.

This is hilarious, but alas, not a joke.
www.spytalk.co/p/inside-the...

Unsolved Mystery: The Bombing of Cuba’s Embassy in Washington, DC Despite video and other evidence, Secret Service investigators have yet to solve the case amid worries of Trump launching covert action against Cuba

Another unsolved DC crime.
www.spytalk.co/p/unsolved-m...

Conspiracy Theorist in Line to be Top Gabbard Deputy at ODNI Retired Army Lt. Col. Daniel Davis would have control over President’s Daily Brief

"It seems like a pretty bizarre pick," says one US intel official about Tulsi Gabbard's selection of controversial podcaster Daniel Davis to be deputy DNI in charge of PDBs for the Oval Offfice. www.spytalk.co/p/conspiracy...

Trump Revives the Ghost of Munich Past In a SpyTalk interview, former US envoy to NATO Lt. Gen. Doug Lute decries JD Vance insults of allies, Trump's Ukraine sellout, warns of more Putin threats

A sobering take from the former U.S. Ambassador to NATO in a @spytalker.bsky.social interview www.spytalk.co/p/trump-revi...

Danielle Sassoon and Other Officials Resign After Order to Drop Eric Adams Case The interim U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York and two officials with the federal public integrity unit all quit after the Justice Department ordered the charges against Mayor Eric Ad...

The Thursday afternoon massacre
www.nytimes.com/2025/02/13/n...

Top Former FBI Agent Calls Out DoJ Enforcer Bove’s “Betrayal” Counterterrorism unit boss Chris O’Leary describes how Emil Bove—who demanded list of agents who worked Jan. 6 cases—helped oversee those cases himself.

www.spytalk.co/p/top-former...

Tracking the Insidious Creep of Spyware An interview with The Citizens Lab’s Ronald Deibert on 'Chasing Shadows,' his penetrating account of spyware scandals rocking governments around the world

In fascinating interview with @spytalker.bsky.social @rondeibert.bsky.social tells how his @citizenlab.ca investigators connected the dots between high tech spyware and political repression around the globe, resulting in a spate of "Watergate-like" scandals. www.spytalk.co/p/tracking-t...

Trump’s Scuttling of House Intelligence Panel Leadership and 'Very, Very Scary’ Pardons Ranking Intel Member Jim Himes on Trump’s revenge tour, China and TikTok on the new SpyTalk podcast

Quite the informative (and at times surprising) interview with @jahimes.bsky.social, ranking D on House intel, on the SpyTalk podcast--on China & TikTok, on D mistakes in resisting Trump and the "really, really scary" Jan. 6 pardons. www.spytalk.co/p/trumps-scu...

RFK Jr. Admits He Didn’t Come Clean on Anti-Vax Fortune Kennedy’s disclosure of earnings from his anti-vaccine nonprofit comes as Senate aides are combing over the HHS nominee’s finances.

Oops. RFK Jr admits he failed to report more than $400k from anti-vax non-profit. Trump transition tells @thedailybeast.bsky.social it was “an oversight.” www.thedailybeast.com/rfk-jr-admit...

Spy Agencies Again Dismiss Foreign Role in Havana Syndrome Intel officials knock down ‘60 Minutes’ report on Russian role, but two spy agencies lodge mild dissents

And for the details on what the intel agencies are actually saying, see here my report for @spytalker.bsky.social www.spytalk.co/p/spy-agenci...

Biden Officials Say the Truth About Havana Syndrome Is Still Unknown The White House contradicts a new intelligence assessment on the mysterious ailments that diplomats and spies have reported for years.

Interesting point by @julianbarnes.bsky.social on #HavanaSyndrome. Critics used to decry the Trump Admin for not accepting the conclusions of its intel agencies. On its way out the door, the Biden White House is doing the same thing. www.nytimes.com/2025/01/10/u...

Spy Agencies Again Dismiss Foreign Role in Havana Syndrome Intel officials knock down ‘60 Minutes’ report on Russian role, but two spy agencies lodge mild dissents

A striking moment: In briefing for intel reporters, ODNI official disses Sixty Minutes reporting on Havana Syndrome, saying "it does not hold up to scrutiny" and "we have information that contradicts it." www.spytalk.co/p/spy-agenci...