Pod Force One: Hans Mahncke – Exposing the Shocking Truth Behind the Russiagate Hoax
Host: Miranda Devine | Guest: Hans Mahncke | January 28, 2026

Episode Overview

In this compelling episode, Miranda Devine sits down with Hans Mahncke, lawyer, internet sleuth, and author of Swift Boating America, for an in-depth exposé on the origins, machinations, and fallout of the Russiagate affair. Mahncke, recognized for his tireless Twitter/X investigations and research collaborations, explains the roots of the so-called “Russia Hoax,” the failure of mainstream media to scrutinize its false premises, and the profound consequences for American politics and international relations.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Genesis of the “Russiagate Hoax”

• Political Smear Becomes National Scandal

  • The Clinton campaign, in early 2016, devised a plan to “cast Donald Trump as a Russian agent.” (01:22)
  • The plan escalated only due to Clinton’s loss in 2016, at which point, says Mahncke, “the government co-opted the hoax” to cripple Trump’s presidency. (02:37)

• From Opposition Research to Government Conspiracy

  • Intelligence and law enforcement leaders (CIA, DNI, FBI, Obama, Clapper, Brennan) met to create the Intelligence Community Assessment (ICA) designed to label Trump as Russia’s puppet. (03:47)
  • Devine summarizes: “Obama held a famous meeting in the Oval Office... to frame Donald Trump as a Russian agent.” (03:29)

2. Role of the Steele Dossier

• Fabrication and Propagation

  • Steele, a former British spy, was hired by the Clinton campaign to “write a dossier to allege Russia collusion.” (06:29)
  • Mahncke: “When you read it... as a joke, as if some 10th grader was in a Moscow hotel room.” (07:07)
  • Key details were inconsistent and lifted from Wikipedia, exposing “threadbare” fiction.

• Adoption by Government and Media

  • Despite internal skepticism, the dossier became the “center of the government effort to get Trump,” forming the basis for FISA warrants and the ICA. (07:41)
  • Notably, “Comey knew” the dossier was baseless and that its creation was a Clinton plot, yet the investigation persisted. (08:12)

3. Deep State and Legal Implications

• John Brennan’s Pivotal Role

  • Devine details how Brennan “sidelined” CIA Russia experts to insert the Steele dossier into the assessment, despite internal objections. (09:14)
  • Mahncke: “He [Brennan] is at the root of all evil.” (10:35). Brennan’s congressional testimony denying involvement is now “the source of his legal liabilities.” (11:56)

• Legal Barriers to Prosecution

  • Statutory limits and DOJ intransigence have hampered efforts to bring charges against Brennan, Comey, and others—an example of bureaucratic “sabotage.” (12:33; 13:30)

• Jurisdictional Hurdles

  • Prosecuting in D.C., where “94% Democrats” dominate juries, is “just not going to happen.” Cases may need to leverage incidents like the Mar-a-Lago raid to establish alternative venues (15:33; 15:57).

4. The Citizen Sleuthing Network

• Formation and Methodology
  • Mahncke describes connecting online with fellow researchers (e.g., Steve McIntyre) via Twitter to form a decentralized investigation team seeking overlooked facts, often ignored by media and authorities. (17:43–22:30)
  • “Crowdsourcing” information allowed these researchers to piece together identities and unravel redactions on pivotal documents, notably identifying Igor Danchenko as the Steele dossier’s primary “collector” (23:43–28:19).

5. Danchenko and the Dossier's Fabrication

• The “Collector” Exposed

  • Danchenko, far from being a Russian insider, was a D.C.-based think tanker whose friends “were just his childhood friends... Not even from Moscow.” (25:48)
  • The FBI concealed Danchenko’s identity “not to protect him as a source, but to protect their hoax.” (27:01)

• Methodical Unmasking

  • Through document analysis and pattern recognition, Mahncke’s group identified clues hidden in government redactions, exploiting formatting quirks. (28:04–30:23)

6. Wider Consequences of Russiagate

• Impact on U.S.-Russia Relations and the Ukraine War
  • Mahncke argues that “part of the reason they chose Russia was because Trump... wanted to normalize relations with Russia... The establishment did not want that at all.” (32:52; 33:19)
  • On the Ukraine War:
    • Mahncke: “There would have been no Ukraine war [without Russiagate].” (32:55)
    • The hoax “criminalized” diplomacy and forced Trump to adopt a harder stance toward Russia, unintentionally contributing to the conditions for Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and a tightening Russia-China alliance. (34:16)

7. Protecting the Narrative: Whistleblowers and Coverups

• Suppression Tactics

  • Whistleblowers (e.g., Andrii Telizhenko, Gal Luft, Alexander Smirnov) faced sanctions or prosecution, often for dubious process crimes, in what Mahncke calls the “same playbook” as used in Papadopoulos's case. (46:07–50:46)
  • Devine: “Another Russian, Russia, Russia, Russia lie.” (46:07)

• Biden’s Entanglement

  • Biden’s early involvement: Suggesting prosecution of Gen. Flynn (the “Logan Act”), implicated in targeting Trump officials (41:36).
  • Multiple links between the Biden family’s Ukraine connections and efforts to deflect attention via the Russia narrative. (43:16)

8. Media Complicity

• Failure to Scrutinize

  • The press not only failed to investigate, but actively parroted falsehoods:

    • “If the media had done its job, we wouldn’t be sitting here right now.” – Mahncke (01:22)
    • Devine: “They are selectively gullible... when some intelligence guy tells them something preposterous like the Steele dossier, they all just report it straight.” (66:49)

  • Orchestrated media briefings (Tabard Inn incident):

    • “From the beginning... the media... they were all there... and they knew this guy was being paid by Clinton.” (67:19–68:09)

9. Broader Effects: Public Trust and Future Investigations

• Lasting Damage
  • “It’s shocking when you think... most people don’t know about these proven stories.” – Mahncke on Trump and Biden coverage disparities (52:44–53:17)
  • “Collapse of trust in science and medicine” is paralleled in public distrust of media and government after COVID. (65:01)

10. Legacy, Motivation and Future Projects

• Personal Journey

  • Mahncke’s cosmopolitan background—born in Germany, raised in Iran, with family connections to Trump’s circle—shaped his curiosity and skepticism. (54:13–56:07)

• Current Investigations

  • Mahncke plans a new book on “20 days in March [2017]” when Russiagate’s governmental escalation peaked. (61:06–61:59)
  • Continues probing COVID-19 origins and Anthony Fauci’s coverup, drawing parallels to Russiagate and media complicity. (62:01–66:37)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On the media’s role:

  • “If the media had done its job, we wouldn’t be sitting here right now.” — Hans Mahncke (01:22)

• On the creation of the hoax:

  • “The Clinton campaign... hatched this plan that they were going to cast Donald Trump as a Russian agent. And that’s really all it was.” — Hans Mahncke (01:22)

• On John Brennan’s influence:

  • “John Brennan is really at the root of all evil.” — Miranda Devine (10:35)

• On the lack of legal accountability:

  • “We had something much better. But unfortunately, we can no longer pursue him... Now it’s more than five years ago and you can’t do anything about it.” — Hans Mahncke (13:30)

• On Danchenko and the FBI’s coverup:

  • “They weren’t keeping Danchenko secret to protect him as a source, but to protect their hoax.” — Miranda Devine (27:01)

• On the impact of Russiagate:

  • “There would have been no Ukraine war. Really.” — Hans Mahncke (32:52)
  • “Diplomacy was criminalized.” — Hans Mahncke (34:16)

• On whistleblowers facing retribution:

  • “Everything he said was correct. That to me is like, when you come forward that early, you’re not looking for something.” — Hans Mahncke on Andrii Telizhenko (47:14)

• On COVID parallels:

  • “Millions and millions died because of the lie.” — Hans Mahncke (63:08)

Timestamps for Important Segments

• Broad brushstrokes of Russiagate – (01:22–02:37)
• Government co-option and the ICA – (02:37–04:21)
• The Steele dossier’s absurdity – (06:22–07:41)
• John Brennan’s role and legal hurdles – (09:14–13:30)
• Difficulty prosecuting in D.C. – (15:33)
• How Mahncke’s citizen-sleuth network formed – (17:43–22:30)
• Unmasking Igor Danchenko – (23:43–30:23)
• Meddling’s effect on U.S.-Russia/Ukraine – (32:52–34:16)
• Suppressing whistleblowers (Telizhenko, Luft, Smirnov) – (46:07–50:46)
• Biden/Ukraine overlap – (41:11–44:37)
• Media complicity and briefings – (66:49; 67:19–68:09)
• Personal background and approach – (54:13–56:07)
• COVID-19 coverup parallels and future work – (62:01–66:37)

Conclusion

Hans Mahncke and Miranda Devine deliver a rapid-fire, evidence-heavy autopsy of the Russiagate saga, mapping its political, legal, and diplomatic fallout—and illustrating media and institutional failures that allowed fiction to shape reality. The episode becomes a call-to-arms for independent investigation and skepticism, underscoring that, in Mahncke’s words:

“There is absolutely no kernel of truth to any of it. It was all made up.” (53:57)