In the YouTube clip “Ex-CIA Agent on the Most Successful Propaganda Campaigns the US Engaged In,” former CIA officer John Kiriakou talks through how propaganda works in practice—how governments shape narratives, pick messengers, and use repetition, fear, and “patriotic” framing to move public opinion, sometimes as much at home as abroad. He connects classic influence playbooks (information control, selective truths, emotional triggers) to the modern media environment, where speed, tribal politics, and algorithmic amplification can make persuasion campaigns feel like “news” rather than messaging. The segment is presented as a punchy highlight from a longer interview and has been circulating widely online in late February 2026.
