John Kiriakou is an American former Central Intelligence Agency officer, whistleblower, journalist, and author. He was an intelligence analyst and operations officer for the CIA’s Counterterrorism Center and a senior investigator for the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

04.29.2026

• John Kiriakou

The War on Terror Enabled Donald Trump’s Authoritarianism

Preemptive war without congressional approval and unchecked executive power were normalized during the “war on terror.” Trump is following the path set by Bush and Obama but pushing it to dangerous extremes, writes CIA whistleblower John Kiriakou.