Mission Implausible

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 conspiracy

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 "the MAGA cult" but he also has a gift for constructively engaging with them. Listen to find out more!

Hoosier comedian Brent Terhune finds the inspiration behind his viral MAGA character.

In classic Mission Implausible style, astronomer Phil Plait comes on to debunk a litany of space conspiracy theories and other pseudo-science scams.

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 Ian Black, if that wasn't clear)

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 was just Lee Harvey Oswald acting alone. How did he climb out of this, the most famous of rabbit holes?

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 or destructive. From USAID to Fort Knox to anything "deep state," are these false conspiracy theories deliberately fabricated as misinformation or are they the convictions of True Believers?

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 would have shut this s**t show down already!"

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 can they be supported in leaving?

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 INCOMING executive branch, which seems to be being designed for it. And if it’s that doable, there must be so many that remain undiscovered.

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.

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 Biblically, so there's stuff about that too. Long story short, it's a fascinating, multi-disciplinary adventure of an episode.

We often talk about government conspiracy THEORIES, but under Ronald Reagan, there was a bona-fide CONSPIRACY involving illegally selling arms to Iran in exchange for hostages, and then using that money to fund guerillas in South America. So… pretty complicated. If you don’t remember, the hearings captivated the country and almost got Reagan impeached. There’s also the theory that Reagan made a deal with Iran before his election to withold releasing the hostages to hurt Carter. Real Mission Implausible kind of stuff.

"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?

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.

ENCORE PRESENTATION -- Two Simpsons legends explore the theory that The Simpsons either predicts the future or causes the future, perhaps in cahoots with the CIA. Then they ask John & Jerry inside-CIA questions they always wanted to know. (with Bill Oakley & David Silverman)

Adam, John & Jerry look at what's happening right now in Syria in terms of journalism and intelligence. They also update us on the newest development with Havana Syndrome.

Jerry and John, with Adam, doommonger about the future of our national security if Tulsi Gabbard becomes the Director of National Intelligence and Kash Patel becomes the FBI Director. What happens when someone unqualified and inexperienced and unable to pass a background check get put in the leadership of an enormous department that they don’t trust?

Comedian and all-around expert Adam Conover (Adam Ruins Everything, Factually!) made a series about the government with Barack Obama called “T G Word.” How does he feel about its reliabilty? Why are people suspicious of it?

Forbes journalist Zach Everson spent much of Trump's previous presidency embedded in Trump Hotel in DC. John and Jerry learn more about The Emoluments Clause and all the ways that foreign power brokers were able to channel payments to Trump through his hotels... and could again.

Adam and John and Jerry do what everyone else in America is doing... try to game out what the election will mean. In this case, for the intelligence agencies, international cooperation and overall national security. So, like, not one of the super-light episodes. But still worth listening to!

How are the Russians getting Trump to do what they want? There are many theories, but we've reached our own conclusion.

The Lincoln Project is an American political action committee (PAC) founded in December 2019 by moderate conservatives and former Republican Party members who oppose U.S. President Donald Trump and Trumpism. In the midst of the 2024 election, having run over 700 different ads, co-founder Rick Wilson offers one-of-a-kind insight into the American electorate.

37 years ago, Trump returned from a trip to Moscow obsessed that America wasn’t getting paid enough for protecting its allies, that our leaders weren’t tough enough, and that America’s economy was destined to self-destruct within the next four years. And he never stopped. Why would a self-obsessed New York real estate developer suddenly care about America’s international politics?

Documentary filmmaker Nick Quested called up the leader of The Proud Boys and got an invite to tag along to The Insurrection with his cameras. Quested’s eye-witness footage was part of the Congressional January 6th Committee evidence and now part of Jack Smith’s case against Trump. Quested shares his insights and his predictions about what will go down this November.

Certain American are repeating Russian propaganda and might not even realize where it came from. Russia is pushing the narrative that America is a disaster, and Trump has picked up the thread. How does Russia feed their message into U.S. conversations and how do they benefit from it? It's the end of our trilogy of Michael Weiss' illuminating interview.

Would you take $100,000 per week to parrot Russian propaganda on your podcast? Well, some guys did, and are now indicted.

How did the Russians get so good at the disinformation game, how do they do it, and who's doing it for them?

Adam’s wife has a lot of personal CIA questions for John & Jerry.

If not the CIA, then maybe the FBI? How about both? Philip Mudd worked for both agencies and then resigned and he has the answers. Including whether RFK Jr.'s suspicions about Operation Mockingbird are valid.

Jerry and John reflect on how intelligence services employ honey traps — snaring assets using sex.

Are our brains wired to believe in conspiracy theories? Brain expert David Eagleman (“Inner Cosmos”) tells John & Jerry how, and how to break through.

Former Republican National Committee spokesman Tim Miller tells John & Jerry what it's like trying to meet the requirements of membership of today's Republican party.

The 1985 NBA Draft was one of the most controversial in NBA history. How did The New York Knicks land first pick and get Patrick Ewing? Was it rigged? Sports Illustrated writer Chris Ballard might know the answer.

Two Simpsons legends explore the theory that The Simpsons either predicts the future or causes the future, perhaps in cahoots with the CIA. Then they ask John & Jerry inside-CIA questions they always wanted to know.

Who are these “elites” that are running everything? And don’t we all aspire to be elite anyway?

Adam Davidson usurps the podcast with questions he always wanted to ask about the CIA, starting with Surveillance Detection Runs.

Brent Lee went deep down the rabbit hole of conspiracy theories then climbed himself out. Too much of it didn’t add up, especially the idea of crisis actors faking mass shootings and the election of Trump.

The school shootings in America have been real. We discuss how the concept of them being faked with crisis actors is completely impossible, but why some people spread the conspiracy theory and why others choose to believe it. And what's behind that politically.

Marjorie Taylor Greene thinks the Catholic Church is too nice, and also run by Satanists. A Florida deputy sheriff writes disinformation for Russia. Stalin - Never Stop Applauding. And Keep Zimbabwe Great Again. And a dig at Ted Cruz, because that always plays.

The laptop is back, thanks to the recent Hunter Biden court case. John and Jerry, two of The Dirty 51 (signers of a letter written by former intelligence officials warning of Russian elections interference via the laptop Giuliani was hawking) are joined by another signer, former CIA officer Doug Wise, and podcast legend Adam Davidson to catch up to all the misinformation and misdirection around this laptop.

Crazy claims of the week: Hunter Biden's prosecution was a red herring; Cheap Fakes; and Emmanuel Macron's wife is a man. Plus The Epoch Times and new congressional Republicans put on Intelligence Committee.

Routine military training exercises, in the eyes of paranoid extremists, were a pretense for Obama to have the U.S. take over Texas. Which... uh... does't it already have?

Some people believe Alaska and Hawaii belong to Russia. Mainly Russians believe that.

Part Two of our interview with the Russian-Israeli-American “businessman” who, when partnered with Rudy Giuiliani, tried and failed to come up with dirt on the Bidens for Trump. And he's got a long list of names of the others who were in on it.

A Russian-Israeli-American “businessman,” partnered with Rudy Giuiliani, tried and failed to come up with dirt on the Bidens for Trump. It was all Russian disinformation.

Are gold-painted street performers in Pakistan actually spying on its citizens? John & Jerry look at this trend in the context of Pakistan's history, and recall some of their own surveillance stories.

One time when the CIA got it very wrong (with John Sipher, Jerry O'Shea and Adam Davidson)

Were Margaret Trudeau's “borders” open to Cuba? (with Jon Lovett)

We’re ALL The Deep State. Whistleblowers, whistleblowees, and the people who defend them. (with Mark Zaid)