The CARLOS Podcast

About The CARLOS Podcast

The Carlos Watson Podcast is where big names meet better questions. Hosted by Carlos Watson, it's built for the conversations people avoid in public and replay in private. Presidents, rebels, icons, critics and original thinkers sit down for honest dialogue that doesn't flinch smart, soulful, sometimes spicy, always human. You know the names; here you get the stories. New episodes every Monday & Thursday.

Publisher

Carlos Watson

Category

society & culture

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

16 Jan 2026

Latest episode

13 Oct 2026

Latest episodes

25 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   13 Oct 2026

   A Bull Elephant Was Given 300,000 Micrograms Of LSD. The CIA Did It

   This episode is sponsored by Ethos. Get your free life insurance quote at https://ethos.com/carlos. Get up to $3 million in coverage in as little as 10 minutes. Application times may vary. Rates may vary. What does the CIA really know about global conflicts, presidential decisions, and the secrets that never make the headlines? Carlos sits down with David McCloskey, a former CIA analyst who helped write the President’s Daily Brief for George W. Bush and Barack Obama. David shares what surprised him most about working inside the intelligence community, from high-level surveillance operations to counterterrorism missions in Iraq. They also dive into Trump’s foreign policy, Russia’s influence operations, the war in Ukraine, and whether the CIA has become too political. David offers his perspective on the Kennedy assassination, the agency’s controversial history—including MKUltra—and the intelligence failures surrounding 9/11. Plus, why are so many senior CIA leaders Black women, and could a Black woman one day lead the agency? 👉 Which revelation surprised you most? Share your thoughts in the comments. Timestamps [00:00] David McCloskey on the CIA, Israel & Zelensky [00:31] Meet Emmy-Winning Journalist Carlos Watson [00:44] David’s Childhood & Early Influences [01:13] How David Got Into the CIA [02:28] Was the CIA Like Jason Bourne or James Bond? [03:45] Inside a Top-Secret Surveillance Program [04:35] Tracking Terrorist Networks in Iraq [05:33] Writing the President’s Daily Brief [06:14] David’s Take on the Last Five Presidents [07:21] Trump’s Foreign Policy Record [07:59] Is Trump Compromised by Russia? [08:34] Is the CIA Politically Biased? [09:32] Russia’s Strategy of “Active Measures” [10:40] Did the U.S. Use Its Own Disinformation Tactics? [11:34] CIA Covert Operations That Backfired [13:07] Would Trump Have Won Without Russian Help? [13:40] Ethos Sponsor Message [15:04] Did the CIA Know More About JFK’s Assassination? [16:06] Inside the CIA’s MKUltra Experiments [17:11] The Intelligence Failures Behind 9/11 [18:02] Accountability & Oversight of Intelligence Agencies [18:19] Why Are So Many CIA Leaders Black Women? [18:38] Could a Black Woman Become CIA Director? [18:56] Three Surprising Things About the CIA [19:28] David McCloskey on His Forthcoming Book

2. 

   5 Oct 2026

   David & Tamela Mann On 38 Years Of Marriage: 'It's Not Just Tolerating Each Other

   Big thanks to our partner, Dose. Try Dose today and get 35% off with code CARLOS. https://dosedaily.co/CARLOS This episode is also sponsored by the Black Business School. Get 35% off their Prime Course and take control of your financial future. https://b1stockoptions.com/watsons ______ "I'm yelling because I'm a soprano." That's how my guest fights with her husband of nearly 40 years. And honestly, it tells you everything about why this couple has lasted in an industry that eats marriages for breakfast. In this episode, I sit down with David and Tamela Mann, the award-winning gospel singers, actors, and comedians you've loved from "Meet the Browns" (150 episodes deep) and Tamela's anthem "You Deserve My Praise." We get into how they found their gifts. Tamela singing as a kid in church choirs, writing in her senior yearbook that her hope was "to travel and sing." David discovered in fourth grade that he could make a furious teacher laugh in spite of herself, and being bitten by the bug ever since. They open up about how they met as teenage singers in the same scene that produced Kirk Franklin and Daryl Blair, how their friendship turned into something neither of them quite saw coming, and the lessons they've actually learned over nearly four decades of marriage. The hard ones, like learning not to say "piercing" things you can't take back, and the funny ones, like the night an argument turned into a debate about her vocal range. We talk about why they're hitting the road with their Love and Relationship Tour to celebrate Black love in an industry known for divorce, and David's two mottos that have carried them through: "Don't panic, pivot," and "Nothing's the end of the world but the end of the world." We also get into the smartest money move they ever made, what discipline and parenting actually looked like in their house, and the quiet moment Tamela built David back up when she could have torn him down, and how that single choice shaped everything that came after. This one is funny, it's wise, and it's full of the kind of marriage advice you actually want to write down. Thanks for being here. I think you're going to love them as much as I did. Here’s what you can do: 👉 Join our membership community for early access, bonus episodes, and extra moments. 👉 Grab something from the online shop to represent the community wherever you are. 👉 If you’re already a member, thank you, share this post with one person who loves real conversations. Join the community: Shop Dose: https://dosedaily.co/CARLOS (code CARLOS for 35% off) Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/cw/TheCarlosPodcast Shop: https://thecarlospodcast.com/collections/the-carlos-podcast-merch IG: https://www.instagram.com/thecarlospodcast FB: https://www.facebook.com/thecarlospodcast TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@thecarlospodcast LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/thecarlospodcast X: https://x.com/carlospodcast 00:00 Welcome & Meet David and Tamela Mann 00:32 Their Favorite Roles: "Meet the Browns" & "You Deserve My Praise" 01:17 How They Found Their Gifts as Kids 02:32 Comedy, Singing & Why They Prefer Different Lanes 03:44 How They Met as Teenage Singers (and Married) 05:13 The Love & Relationship Tour: Celebrating Black Love 06:02 Marriage Lessons They Learned the Hard Way 07:06 New Love vs Old Love: David's Hilarious Take 07:37 Fighting Fair, Piercing Words & Forgiveness 08:45 Why Grace Beats Anger Every Time 11:00 What If They'd Never Met? 11:24 David's Wild Hair Salon Stories 12:10 Sponsor Break: Dose Supplement 14:17 Planning, Money & Investing in Yourself 15:04 Faith Foundations & Honest Doubts 16:30 Parenting, Boundaries & Discipline 17:13 The Moment She Built Him Up Instead 18:10 Closing Thanks

3. 

   14 Sept 2026

   There Was A Real Plot To Assassinate Nelson Mandela. He Helped Stop It

   🎙️ This Episode is Sponsored by Ethos — Protect your family with life insurance from Ethos. 👉 Get up to $3 million in coverage in as little as 10 minutes at https://ethos.com/carlos ✅ Application times may vary. Rates may vary. What happens when a young man is recruited into the secret world of apartheid-era South Africa and ultimately risks his life to help stop an assassination plot against Nelson Mandela? Carlos sits down with former spy and intelligence operative Bradley Steyn for an extraordinary conversation about violence, transformation, espionage, and the fight for a new South Africa. Bradley recounts witnessing a shocking act of violence as a teenager, joining the military, and eventually being recruited into an apartheid-era security operation. But everything changes when Bradley is involved in capturing an ANC operative who challenges his beliefs and forces him to confront the difference between right and wrong. He eventually becomes a double agent, infiltrating far-right extremists at a moment when South Africa is on the brink of civil war. Bradley reveals how he and others helped uncover a plot to assassinate Nelson Mandela during his inauguration, including a custom-made sniper rifle and an elaborate plan to derail South Africa's transition to democracy. He also shares what happened after his cover was threatened and how he ultimately escaped the country. 👉 What would you have done if you were in Bradley's position? Tell us what you think in the comments. Timestamps [00:00] The Plot to Assassinate Nelson Mandela [00:46] Meet Bradley Steyn [01:23] From Ballet to Special Forces [01:41] The Shooting That Changed His Life [03:47] “Kind Eyes” Saves Him [04:08] When His White Skin Saved His Life [05:13] Living With the Trauma [05:48] The Man He Thought Had Died Survived [06:07] Anger, Violence & Joining the Navy [06:45] Entering the World of Intelligence [07:34] Protecting a Trans Woman From Attack [09:02] “We Need That Guy on Our Side” [09:17] The Secret Security Operation [10:00] The Dirty Tricks of Apartheid-Era Intelligence [11:15] The Mission to Capture an ANC Operative [12:18] The Midnight Raid [13:02] How Lethal Was Bradley? [13:45] The Secret Safe House [14:00] The Freedom Charter Changes Everything [15:05] Bradley's “Come to Jesus” Moment [15:38] Realizing He Was on the Wrong Side [16:53] Becoming a Double Agent [17:17] The Risk of Being Discovered [18:32] Was the Capture a Setup? [21:30] The Road to Mandela's Presidency [21:46] The Assassination of Chris Hani [22:20] Infiltrating the Far Right [22:57] South Africa on the Brink of Civil War [23:05] Nelson Mandela Appears on a Hit List [23:47] The Plot to Kill Mandela [24:25] The Hidden Sniper Rifle [25:00] The Plan to Kill Mandela at His Inauguration [25:35] Did Mandela Know About the Plot? [26:20] How the Assassination Was Prevented [26:27] When Bradley's Cover Was Blown [27:18] The Attempt on Bradley's Life [27:38] Escaping South Africa [28:14] Living With PTSD [28:42] Protecting the Rich & Famous [29:22] Working Security for Julia Roberts [29:48] Bradley's CIA Connection

Reach and audience

Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.

Apple Podcasts (US)

4.7 / 5

13 ratings

Spotify

4.1 / 5

15 ratings

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