John Kiriakou: DNC’s superdelegates manipulate nomination outcomes, the CIA shifted focus to targeted killings post-9/11, and the US lacks a long-term strategic mindset | This Past Weekend

Superdelegates' influence in the Democratic Party nomination process challenges the rise of insurgent candidates.

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Add us on Google by Editorial Team Jun. 5, 2026

Key takeaways

• The Democratic National Committee (DNC) has historically manipulated the nomination process to maintain control over candidates who challenge the establishment.
• Superdelegates were introduced by the DNC as a mechanism to ensure party insiders have significant control over the nomination process.
• The Democratic Party’s nomination process is heavily influenced by superdelegates, making it difficult for insurgent candidates to win.
• Insider influence in the Democratic Party prevents candidates like Jesse Jackson from securing the nomination despite popular support.
• Stalin exploited Roosevelt’s weakened state at the Yalta Conference to gain strategic advantages.
• The CIA’s focus shifted from intelligence collection to targeted killings after 9/11, reflecting a broader change in US intelligence policy.
• Executive Order 12333 established guidelines that prohibited extrajudicial killings by the CIA.
• The US lacks a long-term strategic mindset compared to other countries, impacting its foreign policy effectiveness.
• Trauma can shift societal perceptions and reactions to everyday events, influencing collective behavior.
• There was credible intelligence indicating an imminent large-scale attack by al-Qaeda prior to 9/11.
• The DNC’s manipulation of debate rules has been used to suppress candidates who threaten the party’s status quo.
• Superdelegates can override the popular vote, as seen in the cases of Bernie Sanders and Hillary Clinton.
• The introduction of superdelegates was a strategic move to maintain control over the nomination process.
• The CIA’s operational focus changed dramatically post-9/11, prioritizing targeted killings over intelligence gathering.
• The US approach to strategy is criticized for lacking respect for long-term planning.

Guest intro

John Kiriakou is a former CIA counterterrorism officer, author, and speaker. He is known for speaking out about the CIA’s torture program after serving in the agency, and his new book, The Ultimate Guide to CIA Skills, Tactics and Techniques, is set for release on August 4.

The DNC’s manipulation of the nomination process

• The DNC has been known to change debate rules to keep certain candidates out of reach. “Every time she would inch up in the polls the DNC would change the rules for participating in the next debate.” – John Kiriakou
• Superdelegates were introduced to ensure party insiders have control over the nomination process.

• As soon as he lost the race they instituted this thing called superdelegates.

  — John Kiriakou

• The superdelegate system allows party insiders to have significant influence over candidate selection.

• You end up with situations like West Virginia and Wyoming where Bernie Sanders beats Hillary Clinton in both states and Hillary Clinton wins literally every delegate from those states.

  — John Kiriakou

• The DNC’s tactics are aimed at suppressing candidates who challenge the party’s status quo.

• The insiders were not gonna let him have that nomination.

  — John Kiriakou

• The nomination process is heavily influenced by superdelegates, making it difficult for insurgent candidates to win.

• It’s less likely to happen in the Democratic Party much less likely to happen because of superdelegates.

  — John Kiriakou

Stalin’s strategy at the Yalta Conference

• Stalin exploited Roosevelt’s weakened state due to illness to gain strategic advantages.

• Stalin had a spy in the White House and the spy told him Roosevelt is sick.

  — John Kiriakou

• Roosevelt was exhausted and wanted to go to sleep, leading to concessions at the conference.

• Roosevelt gave up Poland just to be able to go to bed.

  — John Kiriakou

• The Yalta Conference was strategically chosen by Stalin to exploit Roosevelt’s condition.
• The dynamics between the leaders at Yalta were influenced by personal health and psychological tactics.
• Stalin’s strategy highlights the impact of personal health on major geopolitical decisions.
• Understanding the historical context of the Yalta Conference is crucial to analyzing its outcomes.

The CIA’s shift post-9/11

• The CIA fundamentally changed after 9/11, moving from intelligence collection to targeted killings.

• After nine eleven Bush is just like just kill everybody you want.

  — John Kiriakou

• The focus on targeted killings reflects a broader change in US intelligence policy.

• Nobody’s trying to collect intelligence anymore things changed overnight.

  — John Kiriakou

• Executive Order 12333 established guidelines that prohibited extrajudicial killings by the CIA.

• Executive order one two three three establishes the goals responsibilities and guidelines for the US intelligence community.

  — John Kiriakou

• The order aimed to provide a legal framework governing CIA operations.
• Understanding the historical context of CIA operations before and after 9/11 is crucial.

The US approach to strategy

• The US lacks a long-term strategic mindset compared to other countries.

• Other countries could have strategy against us… we’re like a country when everything now.

  — John Kiriakou

• The US approach is criticized for lacking respect for long-term planning.

• When you get something fast you don’t really have a ton of respect for it in some ways.

  — John Kiriakou

• The lack of a strategic mindset impacts US foreign policy effectiveness.
• Understanding the context of US foreign policy and societal behavior is important.
• The criticism reflects a broader viewpoint on the US approach to strategy.
• The insight highlights the need for a shift in US strategic planning.

The impact of trauma on societal perceptions

• Trauma can shift societal perceptions and reactions to everyday events.

• Suddenly that day everybody was like are these like are they demolishing something.

  — John Kiriakou

• The psychological impact of traumatic events influences collective behavior.

• There was a lot of fear around it… everything is scary.

  — John Kiriakou

• Understanding the psychological impact of trauma is crucial for analyzing societal reactions.
• The insight provides a deeper understanding of collective psychology post-9/11.
• Trauma can alter societal reactions, influencing behavior and perception.
• The impact of trauma on society is a critical area of study in psychology.

Intelligence assessments prior to 9/11

• There was credible intelligence indicating an imminent large-scale attack by al-Qaeda.

• Something terrible is going to happen we don’t know exactly when or exactly where.

  — John Kiriakou

• The intelligence community was aware of threats prior to 9/11.
• Understanding the context of pre-9/11 intelligence assessments is important.
• The statement reflects a significant insight into intelligence awareness before major events.
• The threat posed by al-Qaeda was recognized before the attacks.
• The insight highlights the challenges in predicting and preventing large-scale attacks.
• The intelligence assessments provide a critical perspective on pre-9/11 awareness.

The role of superdelegates in the Democratic Party

• Superdelegates were introduced to ensure party insiders have control over the nomination process.

• As soon as he lost the race they instituted this thing called superdelegates.

  — John Kiriakou

• The superdelegate system allows party insiders to have significant influence over candidate selection.

• You end up with situations like West Virginia and Wyoming where Bernie Sanders beats Hillary Clinton in both states and Hillary Clinton wins literally every delegate from those states.

  — John Kiriakou

• The nomination process is heavily influenced by superdelegates, making it difficult for insurgent candidates to win.

• It’s less likely to happen in the Democratic Party much less likely to happen because of superdelegates.

  — John Kiriakou

• The DNC’s tactics are aimed at suppressing candidates who challenge the party’s status quo.
• The introduction of superdelegates was a strategic move to maintain control over the nomination process.

Insider influence in the Democratic Party

• Insider influence prevents candidates like Jesse Jackson from securing the nomination despite popular support.

• He was never a Democratic Party insider… the insiders were not gonna let him have that nomination.

  — John Kiriakou

• The influence of party insiders affects candidate viability within the Democratic Party.
• Understanding the dynamics of party insider influence is crucial for analyzing political campaigns.
• The insight provides a perspective on the barriers faced by non-establishment candidates.
• The influence of insiders highlights the challenges in achieving democratic representation.
• The statement reflects a critical analysis of the Democratic Party’s nomination process.
• The impact of insider influence is a significant factor in candidate selection.

Disclosure: This article was edited by Editorial Team. For more information on how we create and review content, see our Editorial Policy.