John Kiriakou—you might not necessarily know him by name, but you’ve undoubtedly become familiar with the ex-CIA officer’s penchant for narrative mastery thanks to a slew of TikTok edits that have spread far and wide in recent days.
The clips, pulled from various interviews with Kiriakou, typically find the whistleblower (more on that part of his story later) discussing elements of his former working environment that are shocking, and at times, downright horrifying. Simultaneously, thanks to the style in which they’re edited, some of the clips are also, admittedly, quite funny.
In light of his current omnipresence, and in an effort to add a bit of gravity to the moment, we’re taking a closer look at Kiriakou’s journey—from CIA whistleblower to TikTok superstar.
Keep reading for more.
Who is John Kiriakou?
During his CIA tenure, Kiriakou spent time as an analyst and counterterrorism operations officer, as detailed in a bio on his official website. He lists numerous accolades, including the Peace and Justice Center of Sonoma County’s Peacemaker of the Year (2013) and the PEN First Amendment Award (2015).
Kiriakou is also the author of several books, including The Reluctant Spy: My Secret Life in the CIA's War on Terror and The CIA Insider’s Guide to the Iran Crisis: From CIA Coup to the Brink of War.
Notably, he’s credited as the first ex-CIA officer to publicly confirm the use of waterboarding techniques in interrogations. He exited the agency in the mid-2000s.
“Frankly, no,” Kiriakou said in an ABC News interview in 2007 when asked if he felt comfortable with so-called “enhanced interrogation” techniques. “I elected to forego the training. … We waterboarded each other in the beginning to see what it felt like and it’s a wholly unpleasant experience. You feel like you’re choking or drowning.”
Per Kiriakou, he lasted roughly “five seconds” on his own. In the interview, he went on to note his evolved stance on waterboarding, which has since been widely criticized as torture.
“At the time, I felt that waterboarding was something that we needed to do,” he said. “As time has passed and as September 11th has moved farther and farther back into history, I think I’ve changed my mind and I think that waterboarding is probably something that we shouldn’t be in the business of doing. Because we’re Americans and we’re better than that.”
At the time, Kiriakou was discussing the capture of Abu Zubaydah, later confirmed to have been waterboarded on numerous occasions.
How did John Kiriakou end up in prison?
In 2013, Kiriakou received a 30-month prison sentence following his decision to plead guilty to intentionally disclosing information identifying a covert agent one year earlier. In a press release issued at the time, the Department of Justice said that Kiriakou had admitted to “illegal disclosures” about two ex-CIA workers to journalists.
On Kiriakou’s website, the prosecution is linked to his comments on waterboarding, with his bio reading, in part, “the Justice Department began investigating Kiriakou immediately after his media appearance” in 2007.
“I exposed the CIA and went to prison for it,” reads Kiriakou’s Instagram bio.
What’s the deal with all these CIA story videos?
Surely, you’ve seen the videos. The clips, featuring various recollections from Kiriakou about his CIA years, are pulled from interviews he’s given over the years, with his voice often sped up and slowed down for dramatic (and occasionally hilarious) effect.
The Know Your Meme database, as seen here, credits Kiriakou’s popularity on TikTok to clips first shared by @_bamboclat.
The sheer volume of clips is overwhelming, which has now contributed handily to their spread to other platforms as well, including X and Instagram.
What’s John Kiriakou up to these days?
Kiriakou hosts Deep Focus on YouTube, billed as a show that seeks to “explain the world we live in” through interviews with “leading newsmakers, professors, investigative journalists, and whistleblowers.”
This year, he’s set to be on the road with his Clear and Present Tour, as well as launch his latest book, Remains of the Day: A Definitive Guide to Historic Cemeteries of Washington D.C.
Complex has made efforts to reach Kiriakou directly in the hopes of having him react to his blockbuster viral moment. As of this writing, we’ve not heard back.