The Protege — "Possibly the Worst Intelligence Disaster in U.S. History"
Mon Feb 02 2026
Two FBI agents. One room. One of them is the most damaging spy in U.S. history.
Robert Hanssen told a lot of lies — including a really weird one about booking the Beach Boys for the FBI. That lie didn’t matter all that much, but the others did. For 22 years, Hanssen sold America’s deepest secrets while hunting moles inside the Bureau.
With retirement looming, the FBI set a trap: a fake department, a fake job, and a young agent named Eric O’Neill placed three feet from the suspected spy.
This episode is our conversation with Eric O’Neill — the man tasked with spying on the spy — about lies, tradecraft, psychological warfare, and the sting operation into what the DOJ later called “possibly the worst intelligence disaster in U.S. history.”
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Two FBI agents. One room. One of them is the most damaging spy in U.S. history. Robert Hanssen told a lot of lies — including a really weird one about booking the Beach Boys for the FBI. That lie didn’t matter all that much, but the others did. For 22 years, Hanssen sold America’s deepest secrets while hunting moles inside the Bureau. With retirement looming, the FBI set a trap: a fake department, a fake job, and a young agent named Eric O’Neill placed three feet from the suspected spy. This episode is our conversation with Eric O’Neill — the man tasked with spying on the spy — about lies, tradecraft, psychological warfare, and the sting operation into what the DOJ later called “possibly the worst intelligence disaster in U.S. history.” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices