You joined as a Presidential adviser to then-candidate Trump in 2016. Is that right?
A Correct.
Q How did you end up doing that?
A Well, I had reached a point in the business world that I had said maybe there's some other things I want to do. And I went to a gentleman by the name of Jack Keane, who was retired four-star general, who's, I think, on FOX News as chief strategy adviser, and sat with him at breakfast, and he said, "Have you ever wanted or thought about advising in the national security space a Presidential candidate?" Because a Presidential campaign had started.
And I said, "No, but it's kind of interesting." And he said, "Well, I know two, if you want to." He said, "I know Jeb Bush and I know Hillary Clinton. If you want, I'll go."
And I said, "I don't know either one of them. And the only one I'd prefer to work with is this new candidate, Donald Trump." And he said, "I don't know that" -- "know him."
So on my own I started reaching out through Jeff Sessions and through people in his organization, calling up to Trump Tower, to actually make contact with Donald J. Trump to see if I could help him out on the campaign. And eventually made contact with him and through Jeff Sessions was able to make contact with Donald J. Trump.
And he brought me up on his national security team. And I think the reason he did that, very simply, was when he asked how much it would cost him, I said it would cost him nothing, I'd do it pro bono. And as a businessman he probably said that's probably a pretty good deal and I'll do that.
So I ended up working with him as one of his first national security advisers.
Q Okay. And before we get to my next question, I just want to note for the
