S9 Ep65: The Persuasion Game and How Influence Peddlers Target Democracy with Chad Lewis
Aug 23, 2025•1 hr 49 min•Season 9Ep. 65
Listen to this episode in Metacast mobile app
Don't just listen to podcasts. Learn from them with transcripts, summaries, and chapters for every episode. Skim, search, and bookmark insights. Learn more
Episode description
In this episode, Chris speaks with Chad Lewis, author of The Persuasion Game, about how foreign influence operations exploit Western political vulnerabilities. Chad discusses the rise of Kremlin-backed disinformation campaigns, the use of political operatives and lobbyists to bypass formal institutions using shadow diplomacy. The conversation explores how narratives are seeded, legitimized, and weaponized in US and UK politics, drawing on case studies involving Ukraine, authoritarian networks, and digital propaganda. Chad also reflects on how disinformation has reshaped public trust, democratic institutions, and international relations in the 21st century.
Subscribe and share to stay ahead in the world of intelligence, geopolitics, and current affairs.
Order The Persuasion Game: https://amplifypublishinggroup.com/product/bookstore/timely-politics-and-current-affairs/the-persuasion-game/
Find more about Chad and his work: https://chadlewis.net
Subscribe to Chad’s Substack: https://chadlewis11.substack.com
Follow Chad on Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/chad1ewis.bsky.social
Please share this episode using these linksAudio: https://pod.fo/e/31b229
YouTube: https://youtu.be/ep6Uv_Rgm6k
Join Chris on a one-day podcast coursePodcast Workshop Monday 22nd September 10am - 5pm @ The Guildford Institute:
https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/1477046087609
Support Secrets and SpiesBecome a “Friend of the Podcast” on Patreon for £3/$4: https://www.patreon.com/SecretsAndSpies
Buy merchandise from our shop: https://www.redbubble.com/shop/ap/60934996
Subscribe to our YouTube page: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCDVB23lrHr3KFeXq4VU36dg
For more information about the podcast, check out our website: https://secretsandspiespodcast.com
Connect with us on social mediaBluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/secretsandspies.bsky.social
Instagram: https://instagram.com/secretsandspies
Facebook: https://facebook.com/secretsandspies
Spoutible: https://spoutible.com/SecretsAndSpies
Follow Chris and Matt on Bluesky:
https://bsky.app/profile/chriscarrfilm.bsky.social
https://bsky.app/profile/mattfulton.net
Secrets and Spies is produced by F & P LTD.
Music by Andrew R. Bird
Photos by AP/Andrew Harnik & Jose Luis Magana
Secrets and Spies is a spy podcast that sits at the intersection of intelligence, covert action, real-world espionage, and broader geopolitics in a way that is digestible but serious. Hosted by filmmaker Chris Carr and writer Matt Fulton, each episode examines the very topics that real intelligence officers and analysts consider on a daily basis through the lens of global events and geopolitics, featuring expert insights from former spies, authors, and journalists.
Subscribe and share to stay ahead in the world of intelligence, geopolitics, and current affairs.
Order The Persuasion Game: https://amplifypublishinggroup.com/product/bookstore/timely-politics-and-current-affairs/the-persuasion-game/
Find more about Chad and his work: https://chadlewis.net
Subscribe to Chad’s Substack: https://chadlewis11.substack.com
Follow Chad on Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/chad1ewis.bsky.social
Please share this episode using these linksAudio: https://pod.fo/e/31b229
YouTube: https://youtu.be/ep6Uv_Rgm6k
Join Chris on a one-day podcast coursePodcast Workshop Monday 22nd September 10am - 5pm @ The Guildford Institute:
https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/1477046087609
Support Secrets and SpiesBecome a “Friend of the Podcast” on Patreon for £3/$4: https://www.patreon.com/SecretsAndSpies
Buy merchandise from our shop: https://www.redbubble.com/shop/ap/60934996
Subscribe to our YouTube page: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCDVB23lrHr3KFeXq4VU36dg
For more information about the podcast, check out our website: https://secretsandspiespodcast.com
Connect with us on social mediaBluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/secretsandspies.bsky.social
Instagram: https://instagram.com/secretsandspies
Facebook: https://facebook.com/secretsandspies
Spoutible: https://spoutible.com/SecretsAndSpies
Follow Chris and Matt on Bluesky:
https://bsky.app/profile/chriscarrfilm.bsky.social
https://bsky.app/profile/mattfulton.net
Secrets and Spies is produced by F & P LTD.
Music by Andrew R. Bird
Photos by AP/Andrew Harnik & Jose Luis Magana
Secrets and Spies is a spy podcast that sits at the intersection of intelligence, covert action, real-world espionage, and broader geopolitics in a way that is digestible but serious. Hosted by filmmaker Chris Carr and writer Matt Fulton, each episode examines the very topics that real intelligence officers and analysts consider on a daily basis through the lens of global events and geopolitics, featuring expert insights from former spies, authors, and journalists.
For the best experience, listen in Metacast app for iOS or Android