August 20: Alex Vindman with Madeleine Brand

Alexander Vindman is a retired U.S. Army lieutenant colonel, national security expert, and prominent whistleblower who played a key role in the first impeachment of President Donald Trump. Born in Kyiv, Ukraine, Vindman immigrated to the United States as a child and went on to serve two decades in the military, including a combat tour in Iraq where he earned a Purple Heart. As Director for European Affairs at the National Security Council, he raised alarms about Trump’s 2019 phone call with Ukraine’s president, ultimately testifying before Congress. Following his military retirement in 2020, Vindman became a vocal advocate for democratic norms and a critic of U.S. policy toward Russia. He is the author of “Here, Right Matters: An American Story” and “The Folly of Realism,” both of which were NY Times bestsellers. He currently holds fellowships at Harvard, John Hopkins, and other institutions, continuing to shape debates on U.S. foreign policy and the defense of liberal democracy.