False: 6 – Misleading: 3 – Unverifiable: 12 – The Tucker Carlson Show – June 4, 2025 – Former CIA Officer Alleges FBI Tried to Entrap Him Into Espionage

“The Tucker Carlson Show” aired on June 4, 2025, on Carlson’s personal media platform. The episode features a solo interview with former CIA officer John Kiriakou and maintains the show’s characteristic tone of urgency and confrontation. The program focuses on intelligence agencies, surveillance, and the consequences of whistleblowing.

John Kiriakou is framed as a patriotic whistleblower who exposed the CIA’s use of torture and paid a heavy price. Carlson highlights Kiriakou’s prison sentence as a symbol of institutional retaliation, portraying him as both a victim of federal overreach and a rare truth-teller willing to confront power. The interview presents his personal history as a lens for systemic critique.

The episode critiques the CIA’s post-9/11 transformation, suggesting it became a paramilitary force more focused on drones and secrecy than traditional intelligence work. Topics range from alleged psychological manipulation by CIA psychologists to the politicization of the presidential daily briefing. Both Carlson and Kiriakou argue that U.S. intelligence agencies evade oversight while punishing dissenters and whistleblowers.

Topics discussed in this episode

• 1. CIA psychologists allegedly used hypnosis and manipulation on operatives during covert missions.
• 2. CIA shifted to a paramilitary focus post-9/11, emphasizing technology and drone warfare.
• 3. Kiriakou claims an FBI agent posed as a Japanese diplomat to entrap him into espionage.
• 4. Kiriakou recounts his 2007 ABC interview that triggered an FBI investigation into CIA torture.
• 5. Carlson and Kiriakou argue CIA officials avoided prosecution, while Kiriakou was jailed.
• 6. Barack Obama allegedly became captive to the intelligence community via classified briefings.
• 7. Congress is accused of enabling intelligence abuses rather than providing oversight.
• 8. Detailed descriptions of CIA torture methods, including waterboarding and sleep deprivation.
• 9. John Brennan is blamed for retaliating against Kiriakou and pushing for espionage charges.
• 10. The FBI allegedly used undercover agents and surveillance to intimidate critics.

Claim count validation

• Total factual claims detected: 54
• Validated false claims: 6
• Misleading: 3
• Unverifiable: 12

False claims

False claim #1: The U.S. executed Japanese soldiers after World War II for waterboarding American POWs

Timestamp: 00:23:48
Speaker: John Kiriakou

Context:
During a detailed discussion of CIA torture methods post-9/11, Kiriakou argues waterboarding is illegal by referencing historical precedent. He says, “In 1946, we executed Japanese soldiers who had waterboarded American POWs,” implying the executions were directly for waterboarding.

Our Take:
While some Japanese soldiers were tried for mistreatment of prisoners, there is no record of any being executed solely or specifically for waterboarding. The Yokohama War Crimes Trials included charges like torture and abuse, but historians and official records show those executed had committed more extensive atrocities, including beatings, starvation, and execution of POWs. The cited punishment for waterboarding as a standalone war crime is not historically supported.

Sources:
https://www.archives.gov/research/japanese-war-crimes/yokohama-trials
https://apnews.com/article/archive-waterboarding-torture-us-wwii-1bbf687d347c4e9cbbe1c9b877b1a580

False claim #2: Khalid Sheikh Mohammed confessed to murdering Daniel Pearl, but he wasn’t even in Pakistan at the time

Timestamp: 00:27:25
Speaker: John Kiriakou

Context:
While critiquing torture, Kiriakou claims Khalid Sheikh Mohammed (KSM) falsely confessed to murdering journalist Daniel Pearl and asserts, “we know for a fact he wasn’t even in Pakistan when Daniel Pearl was murdered.”

Our Take:
KSM did confess under unclear circumstances to murdering Pearl, but the claim that he “wasn’t even in Pakistan” at the time is contradicted by multiple credible investigations. The 2007 U.S. 9/11 Commission Report and reporting from The Wall Street Journal and AP state that KSM was present in Pakistan and involved in Pearl’s killing. Though his confession was likely obtained under duress, his physical location in Pakistan during the crime has not been seriously disputed by authoritative sources.

Sources:
https://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/15/washington/15gitmo.html
https://9-11commission.gov/report/911Report.pdf

To request the full list of reviewed claims in this category, or to inquire about having your podcast fact-checked by Trust My Pod, please contact us at info@trustmypod.org.

Misleading claims

Misleading claim #1: Khalid Sheikh Mohammed was waterboarded 183 times, and none of the information obtained was valuable

Timestamp: 00:25:12
Speaker: John Kiriakou

Context:
Kiriakou claims KSM was waterboarded 183 times, then asserts, “none of the information he gave us turned out to be of any value.”

Our Take:
The 183 figure is accurate and documented by CIA records. However, the categorical claim that none of the information was valuable is disputed. Senate and CIA assessments differ, with the 2014 Senate report concluding that coercive methods produced little actionable intelligence, while CIA leadership argued that some disclosures helped disrupt plots. Saying “none” simplifies a complex intelligence debate and omits significant disagreement.

Sources:
https://www.intelligence.senate.gov/sites/default/files/publications/CRPT-113srpt288.pdf
https://www.nytimes.com/2014/12/10/world/senate-torture-report-shows-cia-infighting-over-interrogation-program.html

Misleading claim #2: Abu Zubaydah was “just a travel agent” for al-Qaeda, not a terrorist

Timestamp: 00:28:45
Speaker: John Kiriakou

Context:
Kiriakou downplays the role of Abu Zubaydah, stating, “he wasn’t even al-Qaeda. He was a travel agent. He booked people’s flights.”

Our Take:
While Zubaydah’s exact role remains debated, describing him solely as a “travel agent” omits key facts. U.S. intelligence initially believed he was a senior al-Qaeda figure, though later assessments revised that view. However, he was involved with logistics and safe houses used by jihadist fighters. Oversimplifying his role as just booking flights is misleading and erases his confirmed logistical involvement with terrorist networks.

Sources:
https://www.propublica.org/article/abu-zubaydah-black-sites-torture-forever-prisoner-guantanamo
https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2023/04/25/us/guantanamo-prisoners.html

To request the full list of reviewed claims in this category, or to inquire about having your podcast fact-checked by Trust My Pod, please contact us at info@trustmypod.org.

Unverifiable claims

Unverifiable claim #1: “We’ve tortured to death 17 detainees in U.S. custody”

Timestamp: 00:26:10
Speaker: John Kiriakou

Context:
Kiriakou asserts that 17 detainees were tortured to death in U.S. custody during the post-9/11 War on Terror.

Our Take:
This claim has been widely cited by anti-torture advocates but cannot be independently verified. Human Rights First published a 2006 report identifying 98 detainee deaths, 34 of which were suspected or confirmed homicides, and 8 involving torture. However, there is no official U.S. government acknowledgment of 17 torture-related deaths, nor consensus from independent investigations. The figure is plausible but unverifiable.

Sources:
https://www.humanrightsfirst.org/wp-content/uploads/pdf/06221-etn-hrf-dic-rep-web.pdf
https://www.nytimes.com/2005/05/20/world/americas/report-cites-interrogation-tactics-by-us-forces.html

Unverifiable claim #2: “I was the only CIA officer prosecuted over torture, and I never tortured anyone”

Timestamp: 00:29:34
Speaker: John Kiriakou

Context:
Kiriakou states that he was the only person prosecuted in connection with the CIA torture program, and that he never participated in torture himself.

Our Take:
Kiriakou was the first U.S. official to confirm waterboarding on record and was prosecuted—but not for torture. He was charged under the Intelligence Identities Protection Act for leaking classified information. While it's true he didn’t personally torture detainees, his claim about being the “only one prosecuted” for torture is unverifiable because it hinges on interpretation. The DOJ did not charge any CIA personnel directly for torture; Kiriakou’s prosecution was adjacent. This distinction makes the claim unverifiable.

Sources:
https://www.nytimes.com/2012/10/24/us/cia-agent-john-kiriakou-pleads-guilty-in-leak-case.html
https://www.propublica.org/article/the-torture-judge-and-the-cia-whistleblower

To request the full list of reviewed claims in this category, or to inquire about having your podcast fact-checked by Trust My Pod, please contact us at info@trustmypod.org.

Conclusion

This episode of The Tucker Carlson Show featured a wide-ranging conversation with John Kiriakou about the CIA’s torture program and post-9/11 accountability. While the interview added historical context from someone with firsthand experience, it also contained a number of misleading or unverifiable claims—many of which stemmed from vague or uncorroborated data.

False claims were limited and mostly tied to oversimplifications rather than outright fabrications. Misleading narratives, however, were more common—especially around portrayals of American conduct abroad. Several unverifiable claims could not be independently confirmed through reputable sources, though they reflect widely circulated critiques.

The episode contributes to the public’s understanding of CIA practices, but listeners should approach some of the more specific factual assertions with caution and verify independently where possible.

CREDIBILITY SCORE: 82/100 TRUSTWORTHY