The Jack Hopkins Show Podcast

From Moscow to MAGA: National Security in the Age of Trump


Listen Later

What happens when you sit down with a former CIA station chief who spent 28 years in the shadows protecting America? In this riveting conversation with John Sipher, we pull back the curtain on the secretive world of intelligence operations and examine the fragile state of American democracy.

Seifer doesn't mince words about Vladimir Putin, describing him as a dangerous, manipulative former KGB officer who "is absolutely never above using lies, subversion, trickery, or manipulation to get what he wants." Having worked in Moscow under constant surveillance—where even his bathroom was monitored—Sipher provides a chilling firsthand account of Russian intelligence tactics and why Putin's relationship with Trump should concern every American.

But it's Sipher's perspective on our current political climate that proves most illuminating. Drawing parallels between Trump's exploitation of rural-urban divisions and tactics used by authoritarian leaders he witnessed overseas, Sipher explains how entertainment has overtaken substance in politics: "Entertainment wins the day. Donald Trump was a businessman slash entertainer. He's probably more of an entertainer now than he's ever been in his life."

Perhaps most moving is Sipher's recounting of foreign assets who risked everything—including carrying suicide pills to meetings—because they believed America represented something special. "These are foreigners in these countries essentially committing treason against their own country to help America. Those are heroes," he reflects, questioning whether America will maintain the moral standing that inspired such sacrifice.

For anyone concerned about the future of democracy, national security, or understanding the hidden forces shaping our world, this conversation offers rare expert insights from someone who operated at the highest levels of intelligence. Listen now to hear truths that rarely leave the classified briefing room.

https://thesteadystate.org/

https://spycraftentertainment.com/john-sipher

Subscribe to the podcast and join us as we continue bringing you conversations with remarkable individuals who help us make sense of our complex world.

Support the show

The Jack Hopkins Now Newsletter https://wwwJackHopkinsNow.com

...more
View all episodesView all episodes
Download on the App Store

The Jack Hopkins Show PodcastBy Jack Hopkins

  • 4.5
  • 4.5
  • 4.5
  • 4.5
  • 4.5

4.5

91 ratings


More shows like The Jack Hopkins Show Podcast

View all
The Rachel Maddow Show by Rachel Maddow, MSNBC

The Rachel Maddow Show

36,973 Listeners

Pod Save America by Crooked Media

Pod Save America

87,153 Listeners

Stay Tuned with Preet by Preet Bharara

Stay Tuned with Preet

32,355 Listeners

The Bulwark Podcast by The Bulwark

The Bulwark Podcast

12,191 Listeners

The Daily Beans by MSW Media

The Daily Beans

5,390 Listeners

The Daily Beast Podcast by The Daily Beast

The Daily Beast Podcast

8,252 Listeners

The MeidasTouch Podcast by MeidasTouch Network

The MeidasTouch Podcast

48,572 Listeners

The Lincoln Project by The Lincoln Project

The Lincoln Project

9,177 Listeners

The Weekly Show with Jon Stewart by Comedy Central

The Weekly Show with Jon Stewart

10,808 Listeners

Countdown with Keith Olbermann by iHeartPodcasts

Countdown with Keith Olbermann

5,492 Listeners

On with Kara Swisher by Vox Media

On with Kara Swisher

3,430 Listeners

The Next Level by The Bulwark

The Next Level

3,051 Listeners

Letters from an American by Heather Cox Richardson

Letters from an American

5,747 Listeners

This is Gavin Newsom by iHeartPodcasts

This is Gavin Newsom

7,032 Listeners

The Best People with Nicolle Wallace by MSNBC

The Best People with Nicolle Wallace

4,456 Listeners