Welcome back to the Lincoln Project. I'm your host, Reed Gaelin. Today, I'm joined by

my co-founder of the Lincoln Project, host of LPTV's The Breakdown Back This Fall, an

author of everything Trump touches dies, Rick Wilson. Hey, Reed, how are you?

And also on the show today is retired United States Army Lieutenant Colonel Alexander

Venman. He was director of European Affairs for the National Security Council until he

was reassigned in February of 2020. Venman came to national attention in October 2019 when

he testified before Congress regarding the Trump Ukraine scandal. His testimony provided

evidence that resulted in Donald Trump's first impeachment. Colonel Venman served in the

Army for 21 years and is a purple heart recipient. He has just published his memoir called

Here, Right Matters, An American Story. Alex, welcome to the show. Thank you, Reed. Thank

you, Rick Wilson. Glad to be on the show. So this is really an honor. I think I'll speak

for Rick and me and for everybody on the team. You were the subject of one of the first

ads that we ever made. I think in Rick, what was it? February of, I think 2020. And it

was just in the context of you'd already testified and just looking at your uniform with

all of the various, you know, I think they call it fruit salad, all the different ribbons

you have, but all of the different things that you'd earned while in the military, the

demonstrated just how much service you have given to the United States. And so from your

perspective, as you leave the White House and you're sitting there before Congress, you

had to take several leaps. You had to tell yourself like, I know what's going to happen

generally, but here's what I know. I'm not going to work at the White House anymore.

And I may not be in the army much longer. So take us through a little bit of the thought

process about how you're sitting in your office at the National Security Council. You're

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