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Episode: Did The CIA Kill JFK?
Hosts: David McCloskey (A) & Gordon Corera (C)
Date: October 16, 2025

Episode Overview

In this special club-exclusive miniseries, David McCloskey and Gordon Corera dive into the enduring question: “Did the CIA kill JFK?” Building on their broader series about President John F. Kennedy’s complex relationship with the CIA—especially surrounding Cuba—this episode sets the stage for a deep exploration of the top theories about the assassination. While acknowledging the ocean of competing conspiracies, the hosts choose to focus the next episodes on three pillars: the CIA, the mob, and Castro. Rich with historical context, cultural reflection, and a dash of insider knowledge, the discussion both demystifies and reanimates the controversies still swirling around Kennedy’s death.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Exploring Public Suspicion and Conspiracy Culture

• Public Belief in Conspiracy:
  • The podcast opens by highlighting the widespread suspicion in the U.S. regarding JFK’s assassination:
    • “One in ten Americans believe that the Central Intelligence Agency killed a sitting US President.” — David McCloskey [00:03]
• Diversity of Theories:
  • There are “almost an infinite array of theories” about who may have killed JFK, ranging from plausible actors (CIA, mob, Castro) to globalist and even extraterrestrial conspiracies.
    • “I’ve seen George H.W. Bush implicated… in collaboration with Henry Kissinger. And aliens, I believe as well in some versions of that theory.” — David [05:27]

2. Setting the Context: Who Had Motive?

• Outline of Three Main Theories:
  • The hosts tee up the series by foreshadowing deep dives into three principal suspects:
    • CIA insiders
    • Mafia/mob connections
    • Cuban/Castro retribution
  • All are considered to have potential motives based on previous episodes covering failed operations against Cuba and tense inter-agency politics.
    • “I think you could argue that the CIA, the mob, and the Cubans all separately may have had motive to kill John F. Kennedy.” — David [06:38]
• Upcoming Guest Announcement:
  • The “mob episode” will feature Anthony Scaramucci as a special guest, lauded for his insider views but met with good-natured skepticism by David.

3. Dissecting the CIA Theory

• Official Denials vs. Disinformation:
  • A guest voice (B) forcefully dismisses the idea of CIA involvement as “massive disinformation,” pushing against conspiracy narratives.
    • “The CIA’s had nothing to do with that hit.” — B [00:23]
• Complex US Intelligence Failings:
  • It’s not about a direct agency plot, but possible intelligence lapses that failed to flag Lee Harvey Oswald as a risk.
    • “The CIA and FBI had information that would have put Lee Harvey Oswald onto the Secret Service’s watch list.” — David [00:27]
• Recounting Oliver Stone’s “Mr. X”:
  • Gordon channels “Mr. X” from Stone’s JFK to add color and skepticism about official narratives [01:30].
  • The segment underscores paranoia, the web of military-industrial interests, and financial motives, echoing Stone’s thesis of shadowy power structures.

4. Parsing the Event Details and “Official Version”

• The hosts agree to begin with the “official version” of JFK’s assassination before deconstructing alternate theories in the miniseries.
  • “It is a story that really matters because the conspiracy theories, or the theories, I should say, are still very prevalent and have played a huge, rich part in American culture right through to today.” — Gordon [05:33]
• Avoiding the Conspiracy Weeds:
  • The podcast promises not to get lost in technical minutiae (like ballistic “magic bullet” arguments) but rather to weigh the plausibility and implication of the big-picture theories.

5. Tone & Interplay

• The co-hosts keep a playful, self-aware tone as they trade barbs and highlight the theatrical, sometimes absurd, folklore around the JFK case.
  • “I know the CIA did it, so I kind of… That’s why I can be quite dismissive of this.” — Gordon (tongue-in-cheek) [07:24]

Memorable Quotes & Moments

• On Conspiracy Saturation:
  • “You can get lost in the ballistic details of the magic bullet and its exact trajectory and how possible it was to travel through JFK and Governor Connolly, you know, and you can get slightly lost in some of the kind of deep details of this story.” — Gordon [05:33]
• On The Legacy of JFK’s Assassination:
  • “It is a story that really matters because…theories...have played a huge, rich part in American culture right through to today.” — Gordon [05:33]
• Sarcastic Dismissal of Outlandish Claims:
  • “And aliens, I believe as well in that, in some versions of that theory… Even though we love our aliens. I think we’ve done UFOs so we’re not going to do them here.” — David & Gordon [05:27–05:33]
• Dark Humor About Historical Inevitability:
  • “If you haven’t listened to all six yet, we have spoiled the ending slightly by telling them that JFK gets assassinated. But they might have worked that one out already.” — Gordon [04:50]

Important Timestamps

• 00:03 — Opening statistic: 1 in 10 Americans believe the CIA killed JFK.
• 00:27 — Debate about whether CIA/FBI should have flagged Oswald.
• 01:30 — “Mr. X” monologue from Oliver Stone’s JFK; focus on military-industrial motives.
• 02:24 — Introduction of hosts and setup for miniseries spin-off discussion.
• 04:50 — Acknowledging the official history before exploring deeper theories.
• 05:33 — Explicit dismissal of getting lost in technical “magic bullet” details; focus on theory plausibility.
• 06:38 — Laying out the three main suspect groups (CIA, mob, Castro) and their motives.
• 07:14–07:24 — Announcement of Anthony Scaramucci as guest for mob theory episode; hosts’ playful skepticism.

Structure & Next Steps

• This episode serves as the introduction to a three-part miniseries:
  1. Did the CIA kill JFK?
  2. Did the Mob kill JFK? (with guest Anthony Scaramucci)
  3. Did Castro kill JFK?
• The hosts stress they will weigh motive, plausibility, and the enduring legacy of these different narratives, not just rehearse lurid details.
• Their approach is accessible but thoughtful, careful to challenge outlandish claims while probing the historical ambiguities.

Summary

This opening installment of the “Did The CIA Kill JFK?” miniseries sets the stage for an in-depth, good-humored, and critical look at the theories linking the CIA to the Kennedy assassination. Rather than deep-diving into fringe ideas or getting mired in technical forensics, McCloskey and Corera promise to focus on motive, culture, and the ongoing relevance of the debate—making the series essential listening for true crime fans, history buffs, and anyone fascinated by the shadowy world of espionage and conspiracy.