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

Strauk, former Deputy Assistant Director of the Counterintelligence Division of the FBI,

an author of the book Compromised, Counterintelligence and the Threat of Donald J. Trump. During his time

with the FBI, Pete led the investigation into Hillary Clinton's emails, led the investigation

into Russian interference in the 2016 elections and briefly worked on Robert Mueller's special

counsel investigation into any links or coordination between Donald Trump's campaign and the Russian

government. So Pete, thanks for joining me today.

Reed, it's great to be here.

So what I've started calling the orange albatross of America is Donald J. Trump. Former president,

if his threats are to be believed, potentially wants to be the future president. So given

your experience going back to 2017, what was it specifically or what was the specific thing

that concerned you? I mean, obviously, I think everybody knows the kind of person he is, the kind

of creature he is. But from your purchase, a counterintelligence specialist, as he started to come

into office, was there anything that you personally had a concern about based on things that you guys

were monitoring or available to see in 2016 and as he proceeded through office?

You know, what we saw prior to 17, certainly in 2016, when he was running in the primaries

and then became the nominee of the Republican Party, it was clear that he showed a variety of

counterintelligence vulnerabilities. And you know, the easiest way to think about that, there is no one

thing that motivates somebody that kind of opens them up to either coercion or just manipulation.

But when you look at Trump kind of across the board, money was an extraordinary motivator.

I mean, there was clearly grift going on, you know, not only with him and the family, but people

surrounding him that you saw trying to transfer their access and presence in the campaign into

...