Mark Levin Podcast

Episode: "Leaks, Lies, and Loyalty: Espionage in the Intelligence Community"

Date: March 18, 2026
Host: Mark Levin (Cumulus Podcast Network)
Guest/Co-hosts: Rich, Senator Rick Scott, Sebastian Lai

Overview

In this episode, Mark Levin examines a major scandal in the intelligence community: the resignation of Joe Kent, Deputy Director in the Office of National Intelligence, amid allegations of leaking classified materials, undermining the President’s agenda, and sowing division in wartime America. Levin interrogates Kent’s motives, the media’s response, the broader threat of internal subversion, and the intersection with contemporary anti-semitism and foreign influence. The episode also features a moving interview with Sebastian Lai about his imprisoned father, Hong Kong democracy activist Jimmy Lai, as well as a discussion with Senator Rick Scott about the SAVE America Act and voter integrity.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

The Joe Kent Crisis: Espionage, Loyalty, and Leaks

• Backdrop & Significance

  • Levin frames the resignation of Joe Kent as a litmus test for loyalty within the intelligence apparatus and a microcosm of broader internal threats to American security.
  • Kent, as the number two at the National Intelligence Director’s office, had enormous access and responsibility post-9/11 (02:47–03:42).

• Allegations Against Joe Kent

  • Levin suggests Kent was hostile to the President, leaked to friend and foe, and even to controversial figures, including what Levin calls "woke Reich neo-fascist podcasters." (04:11–04:31)
  • There's speculation Kent feared firing and resigned to pre-empt that, after being reported as a "serial leaker." (05:35–06:01)
  • While his military service is acknowledged, his post-resignation conduct is depicted as smearing and undermining U.S. national security. (08:14–09:00)

• Resignation Letter Analysis

  • Levin excoriates Kent’s resignation letter, alleging it was designed for media, Democrats, and enemies, giving "aid and comfort" to adversaries. (07:27–07:59)
  • The letter purportedly downplays the Iran threat and blames Jews and Israel for pressuring the President into war—a narrative Levin denounces as anti-Semitic and conspiratorial. (11:12–12:23)

The Espionage Act & Moral Boundaries

• Distinguishing Dissent from Betrayal

  • Levin: "It's one thing to be a conscientious objector. You resign and you leave. Took him an awful long time, did it not? Why now?" (11:02–11:12)
  • Explicit condemnation of leaking classified info: "If you leak classified information, we have a law called the Espionage Act..." (10:47–10:51)
  • Levin shares that Kent leaked details about a Trump-Iran meeting to Tucker Carlson (19:33–19:52).

• Critique of Kent’s Defenders

  • Levin ridicules the “you can’t criticize unless you’ve served” argument, affirming the right of every citizen to question and defend national interests (10:03–10:10).
  • Kent is embraced by certain right-wing influencers, whom Levin accuses of grifting, seeking fame, and attracting foreign audiences with anti-American rhetoric. (08:01–09:00, 24:29–24:43)

Broader Internal Threats: Podcasters, Media, & Foreign Influence

• Influencer Manipulation & Audience Deception

  • Levin and Rich discuss how far-right podcasters—Tucker Carlson, Megyn Kelly, Alex Jones, Nick Fuentes, Steve Bannon—allegedly draw audiences by fomenting controversy and recruiting foreign clicks. (26:08–26:40, 29:05–29:42)
  • Podcasters’ numbers are “fraudulent,” inflated by ads targeting overseas listeners to manipulate metrics for monetization, not genuine U.S. patriot audiences. (24:08–24:43, 89:09–90:16)
  • Quote: "Their audience isn’t red blooded Americans... When they are trashing Jews, they are not only speaking to Americans, they are speaking to Islamists in Pakistan, in Saudi Arabia, in Qatar, who love it." – Mark Levin (24:29–24:43)

• Political Horseshoe Theory

  • Levin positions constitutional conservatives at the “bottom” of the horseshoe, with far left and far right factions (“fascists, Nazis, Marxists, Islamists”) united by rejection of Americanism and constitutionalism (33:44–34:21).

Anti-Semitism, Patriotism, and the War Effort

• Condemnation of Anti-Semitic Tropes

  • Levin rages against Kent’s implication that “Jews and Israel” forced America into war: "Which Jew did this exactly? ... Is Marco Rubio Jewish? ... These loathsome, contemptible, disgusting, immoral Jew haters. It always turns out that they hate our own country, doesn't it?" (11:12–12:56)
  • Stresses that defending Israel and American values is not only patriotic but necessary for national security.

• The Real Threat Landscape

  • Levin references John Lott’s research, pushing back against mainstream narratives that minimize Islamist terrorism relative to white supremacists, and highlighting the prevalence of Islamist-linked mass shootings. (80:38–88:19)
  • Clarifies the important distinction between “Islamists” and Muslims, advocating vigilance against “populations... growing and growing... because of the importation practices of the Democrats.” (87:50–88:19)

Joe Kent’s Contradictory Record

• Kent’s Past Positions vs. Present Conduct
  • Levin reads Kent’s 2023–24 press releases, showing prior public support for Israel, “maximum pressure” on Iran, and condemnation of anti-Semitism. (40:48–48:31)
  • "America first for Congress... I am imminently familiar with the help that Israel has provided the United States during my military service in the Middle East..." (44:11–45:54)
  • In contrast, Kent’s resignation letter is branded “loathsome, bigoted, hateful, [and] undermining the president...” (48:31–49:15)

Historical Analogies: Benedict Arnold

• Comparisons to American Traitors
  • Levin likens Kent to Benedict Arnold: "Benedict Arnold was also a great military man during the Revolutionary War... People back then didn't say, yeah, but he was great... he's helping the enemy." (56:53–58:02)

Interview: Sebastian Lai on the Imprisonment of Democracy Advocate Jimmy Lai

Segment Timestamps: 60:34–75:43

• Jimmy Lai’s Ordeal
  • Sebastian Lai details his father’s brutal imprisonment in Hong Kong in a maximum-security prison, after championing democracy and freedom of the press.
  • “He's been kept in solid confinement... has spent a thousand nine hundred days in there. He now has heart issues. His nails fall off, his teeth are rotting. But... mentally and spiritually, he has still remained strong.” – Sebastian Lai (62:47–64:29)
• International Response & Hope
  • The global community, notably the U.S., has called for Jimmy Lai’s release, but China remains intransigent.
  • “They're torturing the goodness in all of us. And that is completely wrong.” – Sebastian Lai (70:42–70:58)
  • Jimmy’s sacrifice resonates as an act of meaningful resistance: "If I escaped, I could have lived very comfortably. But by staying, he has lived meaningfully." (67:26–68:49)
• Closing Tribute
  • Mark Levin: “No man should have to go through this, especially not him... I pray to God something positive comes out of this because no man should have to go through this, especially not him.” (72:54–75:20)

Election Integrity and the SAVE America Act

Segment: 96:35–105:25

• Senator Rick Scott Interview

  • Discusses legislative effort to pass the SAVE America Act (requiring voter ID, ensuring only citizens vote).
  • Bipartisan support among voters; Democrats’ opposition framed as support for fraud. (98:29–99:31)
  • “They're just liars, the Democrats. They want fraud. The only way to get the win. They are so crazy. The only way they can win is through fraud.” – Rick Scott (98:41–99:31)

• Challenges in the Senate

  • Filibuster rules, Democrat obstruction, the need for public pressure.
  • “Every place I go… the first thing everybody says to me is, you've got to pass the Save America Act and secure our election.” – Rick Scott (102:29–103:41)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• "You don't get to leak, if that's what you did. And if you leak classified information, we have a law called the Espionage Act." – Mark Levin (10:44–10:51)
• "It is a disgusting disgrace. He is a disgusting disgrace. Nobody's questioning his military background and the things he did... We're talking about what he's done now, what he's doing right this minute." – Rich (08:17–08:45)
• "When you serve directly the President of the United States, you do not conduct yourself that way. If you did it in the military, there's not a commander... who would put up with somebody undermining the mission and leaking to the media. There's no commander who would tolerate that..." – Mark Levin (15:59–16:05)
• "Which Jew did this exactly? ... These loathsome, contemptible, disgusting, immoral Jew haters. It always turns out that they hate our own country, doesn't it?" – Mark Levin (12:23–12:56)
• On podcast influencers: "These little bastards... weasel their way into government, use their little podcast platforms to undermine us, a majority Christian nation." – Rich (23:19–23:21)
• "You look at the horseshoe. We're at the bottom... We're constitutional conservatives. We are the core of why the nation was founded." – Mark Levin (33:44–34:21)
• "Benedict Arnold was also a great military man... Now they said, wait a minute, he's helping the enemy. And so now you get the phrase Benedict Arnold." – Mark Levin (56:53–58:02)
• "They're torturing the goodness in all of us. And that is completely wrong." – Sebastian Lai (70:42–70:58)

Timestamps for Important Segments

• Intro & Joe Kent Framing: 02:44–08:01
• Deep Dive into Kent’s Alleged Conduct: 08:01–15:59
• Media & Podcaster Critique: 23:19–29:42
• Levin Reads Kent’s Old Statements: 40:46–48:31
• Benedict Arnold Analogy: 56:53–58:02
• Sebastian Lai Interview: 60:34–75:43
• Senator Rick Scott Interview and Election Integrity: 96:35–105:25
• Muslim & Domestic Terror Threat Data: 80:38–86:14

Tone and Language

Levin’s tone throughout is combative, passionate, and unwaveringly patriotic, frequently punctuated by scorn for perceived traitors, apologias for classical American and Judeo-Christian values, and caustic dismissals of political and media adversaries. He deploys historical analogies, biting humor, and direct engagement with critics—“That’s right, I said it!” (56:53)—to energize and embolden his audience.

Conclusion

This episode articulates the dangers of leaks in the intelligence community as a symptom of broader disloyalty, media manipulation, and the threat posed by internal and external enemies. Levin draws direct lines from Kent's resignation to a crisis of patriotism, the importance of defending American and Israeli interests, and the urgent need for electoral integrity. The stories of Jimmy Lai and Senator Scott serve as both warnings and inspirations, underlining fidelity to principle and country amid tumultuous times.

Recommended for listeners who want an assertive, detailed, and uncompromising conservative perspective on the current crisis in American intelligence and national loyalty.