--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I got a top-secret security clearance and…" description: "\"I got a top-secret security clearance and served in the CIA.\" — Todd Wilcox" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c84/todd-wilcox-21287_cia_i-got-a-top-secret-security-clearance-an_698499.jpg" --- # I got a top-secret security clearance and served in the CIA. ![“I got a top-secret security clearance and served in the CIA.” quote by Todd Wilcox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c84/todd-wilcox-21287_cia_i-got-a-top-secret-security-clearance-an_698499.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c84/todd-wilcox-21287_cia_i-got-a-top-secret-security-clearance-an_698499.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c84/todd-wilcox-21287_cia_i-got-a-top-secret-security-clearance-an_698499.jpg) > “I got a top-secret security clearance and served in the CIA.” [Todd Wilcox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/todd-wilcox/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The speaker claims a high-level security role in a secretive agency, implying authority or intrigue. **In simple terms:** He says he worked for the CIA with top clearance. Key Takeaway Question the credibility and motives behind such claims. Themes authority secrecy identity trust Mood skeptical curious Type anecdotal assertive When to use this quote - job interview - social media brag - personal narrative Key Concepts security clearance government service self‑presentation Questions to Reflect On - Why do people boast about secret jobs? - What impact does claimed authority have on listeners? A Different Perspective Such statements can be exaggerated or used to impress. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Cia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cia/) [Clearance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/clearance/) [Cybersecurity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cybersecurity/) [Security](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/security/) ## Related quotes > [I held top-secret security clearance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-ossoff/i-held-top-secret-security-clearance/) [Jon Ossoff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-ossoff/) > [ She \[Hillary Clinton\] was extremely careless with handling national security information.If she were just an ordinary person, she would be denied a top security… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rudy-giuliani/she-hillary-clinton-was-extremely-careless-with-handling-national/) [Rudy Giuliani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rudy-giuliani/) > [Under the old rules, Steve Bannon could never get a security clearance. But there could be a new rule, the Trump Rule.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-o-donnell/under-the-old-rules-steve-bannon-could-never-get-a-security-clearance/) [Lawrence O'Donnell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawrence-o-donnell/) > [The Daily Beast reports today that if Steve Bannon is denied a security clearance, the President could simply overrule that denial and order that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-o-donnell/the-daily-beast-reports-today-that-if-steve-bannon-is-denied-a/) [Lawrence O'Donnell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawrence-o-donnell/) > [As an intelligence officer, if you don't have a security clearance, you really don't have a job. My military position was, and has been,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paula-broadwell/as-an-intelligence-officer-if-you-don-t-have-a-security-clearance-you/) [Paula Broadwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paula-broadwell/) > [When I was in the military, I had a TS-SCI and Q security clearance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-mast/when-i-was-in-the-military-i-had-a-ts-sci-and-q-security-clearance/) [Brian Mast](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-mast/) > [If you depend on a secret for your security, what do you do when the secret is discovered? If it is easy to change,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/whitfield-diffie/if-you-depend-on-a-secret-for-your-security-what-do-you-do-when-the/) [Whitfield Diffie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/whitfield-diffie/) > [Secret, secret, I've got a secret,](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dennis-deyoung/secret-secret-i-ve-got-a-secret/) [Dennis DeYoung](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dennis-deyoung/) > [Nobody knows it, but you've got a secret smile and you use it only for me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/semisonic/nobody-knows-it-but-you-ve-got-a-secret-smile-and-you-use-it-only-for/) Semisonic > [Well everybody's got a secret, son, something that they just can't face. Some folks spend their whole lives trying to keep it, they carry…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-springsteen/well-everybody-s-got-a-secret-son-something-that-they-just-can-t-face/) [Bruce Springsteen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-springsteen/) > [I've got a secret weapon: AWESOMENESS!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/po-the-dragon-warrior/i-ve-got-a-secret-weapon-awesomeness/) Po - The Dragon Warrior > [“Penard's got a secret baby!' Fifteen-year-old Richard twisted his lips up at one end. 'Maybe he has a secret wife in the attic!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/olivia-newport/penard-s-got-a-secret-baby-fifteen-year-old-richard-twisted-his-lips/) [Olivia Newport](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/olivia-newport/) > [I've got a secret. It's on the tip of my tongue, it's on the back of my lungs. And I'm gonna keep it. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-ve-got-a-secret-it-s-on-the-tip-of-my-tongue-it-s-on-the-back-of-my/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [But I don't only get recognized for 'Friday the 13th.' I was on a TV show called' I've Got a Secret.' I was on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/betsy-palmer/but-i-don-t-only-get-recognized-for-friday-the-13th-i-was-on-a-tv/) Betsy Palmer > [Here's my problem: Hillary Clinton has been found grossly negligent of classified information. Period. She should not have any security clearance. That should be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-walsh/here-s-my-problem-hillary-clinton-has-been-found-grossly-negligent-of/) [Joe Walsh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-walsh/) ## More by Todd Wilcox > [The purpose of the military is to close with and destroy the enemy on behalf of our national security priorities.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/todd-wilcox/the-purpose-of-the-military-is-to-close-with-and-destroy-the-enemy-on/) [Todd Wilcox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/todd-wilcox/) > [For those who have served in combat, life is never the same. It puts the most stressful civilian situations into a whole different context.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/todd-wilcox/for-those-who-have-served-in-combat-life-is-never-the-same-it-puts/) [Todd Wilcox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/todd-wilcox/) > [Who better to help formulate and to lead debate on fighting ISIS and Islamic extremists than an Arabic-speaking former CIA case officer who has…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/todd-wilcox/who-better-to-help-formulate-and-to-lead-debate-on-fighting-isis-and/) [Todd Wilcox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/todd-wilcox/) > [The United States Senate is already chock full of career politicians and insiders who fall in line for political expediency and refuse to stand…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/todd-wilcox/the-united-states-senate-is-already-chock-full-of-career-politicians/) [Todd Wilcox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/todd-wilcox/) > [As a leader, I have always taught my team that changing course after devising a plan doesn't mean you give up on the mission;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/todd-wilcox/as-a-leader-i-have-always-taught-my-team-that-changing-course-after/) [Todd Wilcox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/todd-wilcox/) > [Senator Rubio and I don't agree on everything.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/todd-wilcox/senator-rubio-and-i-don-t-agree-on-everything/) [Todd Wilcox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/todd-wilcox/) > [People are fed up of career politicians that keep changing like chameleons.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/todd-wilcox/people-are-fed-up-of-career-politicians-that-keep-changing-like/) [Todd Wilcox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/todd-wilcox/) > [If you're a man, you're a man. If you're a woman, you're a woman. You use the bathroom of your gender. If you can't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/todd-wilcox/if-you-re-a-man-you-re-a-man-if-you-re-a-woman-you-re-a-woman-you-use/) [Todd Wilcox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/todd-wilcox/) > [We should use every pillar of American power to destroy ISIS.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/todd-wilcox/we-should-use-every-pillar-of-american-power-to-destroy-isis/) [Todd Wilcox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/todd-wilcox/) > [Why do we need a federal Department of Education? Curriculum should be driven at the local level anyway.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/todd-wilcox/why-do-we-need-a-federal-department-of-education-curriculum-should-be/) [Todd Wilcox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/todd-wilcox/) > [I refused to adopt civilian way of life and slowly influenced my civilian surroundings to do things the military way. My civilian career as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/todd-wilcox/i-refused-to-adopt-civilian-way-of-life-and-slowly-influenced-my/) [Todd Wilcox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/todd-wilcox/) > [We've got to get back to being the America we once were. The entrepreneurial spirit. The accountability. When a man was a man.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/todd-wilcox/we-ve-got-to-get-back-to-being-the-america-we-once-were-the/) [Todd Wilcox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/todd-wilcox/) > [I was fortunate to have served in leadership positions throughout my entire service in the Army. I was in my first unit for two…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/todd-wilcox/i-was-fortunate-to-have-served-in-leadership-positions-throughout-my/) [Todd Wilcox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/todd-wilcox/) > [There is no doubt that Republican control of the Senate is the only way to preserve the Constitutional integrity of our Supreme Court, realign…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/todd-wilcox/there-is-no-doubt-that-republican-control-of-the-senate-is-the-only/) [Todd Wilcox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/todd-wilcox/) > [We need people with real-world experience, especially in national security.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/todd-wilcox/we-need-people-with-real-world-experience-especially-in-national/) [Todd Wilcox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/todd-wilcox/) [Explore all 29 Todd Wilcox quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/todd-wilcox/) ## More Cia quotes > [The CIA has concluded in a secret assessment that Russia intervened in the 2016 election to help Donald Trump win the presidency rather than…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-maddow/the-cia-has-concluded-in-a-secret-assessment-that-russia-intervened/) [Rachel Maddow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-maddow/) > [Well look, CIA is an agency that has to collect intelligence, do operations. We have to take risks and it's important that we take…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leon-panetta/well-look-cia-is-an-agency-that-has-to-collect-intelligence-do/) [Leon Panetta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leon-panetta/) > [I find a difference in British spy fiction and American spy fiction. In the American version, it's more militaristic, partly because the CIA has…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-cumming/i-find-a-difference-in-british-spy-fiction-and-american-spy-fiction/) [Charles Cumming](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-cumming/) > [I spent close to a decade as an undercover officer in the CIA and have spent most of my adult life collecting intelligence and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/will-hurd/i-spent-close-to-a-decade-as-an-undercover-officer-in-the-cia-and/) [Will Hurd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/will-hurd/) > [People went out there and they wrote articles and went on television shows saying that I am an operative that the CIA who used…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bassem-youssef/people-went-out-there-and-they-wrote-articles-and-went-on-television/) [Bassem Youssef](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bassem-youssef/) > [“Havens turned again. Someone else passed between the trucks. That someone walked with less purpose than the other workers near the stalls. To Havens…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-t-patten/havens-turned-again-someone-else-passed-between-the-trucks-that/) J.T. Patten > [“Marcia Wilson was a good example of Omega’s core strategy for creating a New World Order. It involved placing their people, or moles, in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-morcan/marcia-wilson-was-a-good-example-of-omega-s-core-strategy-for/) [James Morcan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-morcan/) > [As a former undercover CIA officer, I've worked with my colleagues in the 114th Congress to approach the growing terrorist threat from a number…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/will-hurd/as-a-former-undercover-cia-officer-i-ve-worked-with-my-colleagues-in/) [Will Hurd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/will-hurd/) > [“On December 11, 1996 in a posting on the internet list WITCHNT@MITVMA.MIT.EDU, Dr Peter Freyd, husband of the Executive Directory of the False Memory…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colin-a-ross/on-december-11-1996-in-a-posting-on-the-internet-list-witchnt-mitvma/) [Colin A. Ross](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colin-a-ross/) > [The CIA has acknowledged that it has detained about 100 terrorists since 9/11, and about a third of them have been subjected to what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-o-brennan/the-cia-has-acknowledged-that-it-has-detained-about-100-terrorists/) [John O. Brennan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-o-brennan/) > [Scouting is like CIA work and investigative work. You create a lot of stuff and try a lot of stuff. Some works and some…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/masai-ujiri/scouting-is-like-cia-work-and-investigative-work-you-create-a-lot-of/) [Masai Ujiri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/masai-ujiri/) > [“The men were smashing windows and aiming their weapons through them. The driver had opened the door and was shouting for the women and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clark-zlotchew/the-men-were-smashing-windows-and-aiming-their-weapons-through-them/) [Clark Zlotchew](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clark-zlotchew/) > [The activities that went on at Camp King between 1946 and the late 1950s have never been fully accounted for by either the Department…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/annie-jacobsen/the-activities-that-went-on-at-camp-king-between-1946-and-the-late/) [Annie Jacobsen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/annie-jacobsen/) > [Bin Laden was, though, a product of a monumental miscalculation by western security agencies. Throughout the 80s he was armed by the CIA and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robin-cook/bin-laden-was-though-a-product-of-a-monumental-miscalculation-by/) [Robin Cook](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robin-cook/) > [Immediately after the September 11th attacks, I volunteered to go to Afghanistan in any capacity that the CIA wanted me. Four months passed before…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-kiriakou/immediately-after-the-september-11th-attacks-i-volunteered-to-go-to/) [John Kiriakou](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-kiriakou/) [Browse all 389 Cia quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cia/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I got a top-secret security clearance and served in the CIA.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Todd Wilcox" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/todd-wilcox/i-got-a-top-secret-security-clearance-and-served-in-the-cia/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Cia" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/todd-wilcox/i-got-a-top-secret-security-clearance-and-served-in-the-cia/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c84/todd-wilcox-21287_cia_i-got-a-top-secret-security-clearance-an_698499.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c84/todd-wilcox-21287_cia_i-got-a-top-secret-security-clearance-an_698499.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c84/todd-wilcox-21287_cia_i-got-a-top-secret-security-clearance-an_698499.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I got a top-secret security clearance and served in the CIA.” — Todd Wilcox", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Todd Wilcox", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/todd-wilcox/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "I got a top-secret security clearance...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/todd-wilcox/i-got-a-top-secret-security-clearance-and-served-in-the-cia/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/todd-wilcox/i-got-a-top-secret-security-clearance-and-served-in-the-cia/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```