I do solemnly swear that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic.

But I will bear true faith and allegiance to the sea that I take this obligation freely without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion and that I will will inflate the lead discharge.

The duties of the office on which I am about to enter.

So help me God, so help me God.

So help me God.

Welcome to the oath. I'm Chuck Rosenberg and I am honored to be your host for another compelling conversation with a fascinating person from the World of Public Service.

I guess this week is Fiona Hill, a highly respected expert on Russia and Eurasia and a former senior director on the National Security Council under President Trump.

Fiona was born and raised in Bishop Auckland in County Durham in the industrial northeast of England.

She comes from a long line of coal miners, uncles, cousins, families like hers that constantly struggled with poverty.

Fiona's father Alfred joined his own brother in the coal mines at the age of 14, her mother, June, who still lives in Bishop Auckland was a midwife.

And though money was tight, Fiona grew up in a loving and supportive family that strongly embraced her desire to go to college and ultimately to immigrate to the United States.

A country that her father loved and admired and always hoped one day might be his own home.

Guided by a series of dedicated mentors and teachers, Fiona graduated from the University of St Andrews in Scotland and then earned her PhD at Harvard.

Along that journey, she studied Russian history and culture and became fluent in its language.

In 2002, Fiona became a naturalized citizen of the United States, a country that gave her opportunities that she would not have enjoyed in the UK, where she believes her working class accent and upbringing would have held her back.

Fiona served at the highest levels within the U.S. government on both the National Intelligence Council under President Bush and Obama and ultimately on the National Security Council under President Trump.

Fiona is a brilliant scholar and her personal story is inspirational and compelling. Fiona, he'll welcome to the earth.

Thank you so much, Czech.

Well, thank you for spending some time with us. It's a real honor to have you on the show.

You grew up in Northeast England. Tell us a little bit about that and your family as well.

Yes, Czech. I grew up in a small town called Bishop Auckland, which is in a region called County Durham in the northeast of England.

It started off life as a rural market town, but during the industrial revolution and in the 19th century, the town grew because of an influx of workers coming into coal mines and iron works and there was a place to make wagons, close by for the railways.

...