you have the contradiction of lack of support for the US but wholesale belief in the CIA

This is way too common an occurrence for me to think otherwise. And again, all their jokes seemed quite in line for usual liberal nonsense. Even if sarcastic, he was still being anti-china the whole time. Any person can hate the US, many online leftists do, and then peddle the same CIA nonsense to the letter. Any person can acknowledge the bias of western media, but that doesn't mean much when they still buy into a similar narrative, I assume its lip service until proven otherwise. Many will still reflexively think of it as the only "reputable sources".

again, I have heard people defend views like this in real life, dig in their heels and assure of the CIA being "bad then, but really good now" and had to use it as the main source in schooling (college at least had less such idiocy).

The internet is riddled with such insane nonsense, I've seen people claim in essay long explanation that "fascism is the development stage of communism", Liberals thinking that the sputnik launch was faked, that one of the islands in hawaii was set on fire by the Chinese (I actually had one turn up in one of the local instas even after seeing it on hexbear), having to suffer in school during a 'history lesson' on why the PRC killed Muhhamed Ali, and people who consider themselves "left" expressing the opinion that even though the US is bad, the old socialists must all die, so we have to side with them (This was face-to-face, I never talked to them again).

But, that said, the evidence you have makes it more than likely that it is a joke, and that I am wrong. Its more a testament to how deranged people have gotten, or maybe always were, that this is entirely plausible to be something said unironically all the time in many circles. I'll put a disclaimer, the last thing I want to do is misinform my comrades. Thank you for taking the time to point this out, I mean that wholeheartedly.

Much love comrade 🫡