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WASHINGTON, D.C.

The last thing that Amanda Hamilton did before taking a seat at her desk in the Oval Office was to kiss Jason, her husband of twenty years. Last night, over a glass of wine, he had calmed her nerves. Americans are a forgiving people, he had said. When they saw her heart, they would like it as much as he always had.

Her press secretary had suggested that she stride down the red-carpeted Cross Hall, then stop at a podium in the stately East Room entryway and speak there, the way she had on other important occasions. She was good on her feet, and it would be a powerful visual. But that was exactly the point, she told him. This wasn’t about powerful visuals. This was about being humble and authentic with the American people.

And so, dressed in a blue suit with a credenza behind her featuring family pictures, flanked by the American flag and the presidential flag, President Amanda Hamilton took her seat and faced the cameras.

The cameraman in front of her started the countdown, and she folded her hands on the desk. She remembered her husband’s words from last night: tell the truth and trust the people. She swallowed hard and looked straight ahead.

The red light came on, and she envisioned Jason and her kids and her many friends listening with encouraging faces. This was not a proclamation; this would be a heart-to-heart with the American people. The entire speech was on her teleprompter, but she had to do far more than just read the words—she had to somehow connect.

“Good evening, my fellow Americans. I am here tonight to talk to you about some recent events in the Middle East and, in particular, my role in those events. I am here because I believe in transparency, and I trust your judgment. I am here because I believe that our American ideals should apply not just at home but in the way we conduct our business abroad.”

She paused for a second and tried hard to calm her nerves. Amanda Hamilton was a gifted public orator, but this was different. She felt vulnerable and exposed. Her heart was racing, though she would never show the nerves or even the fear.

“Five days ago, on Monday, October 1, I learned that a radical Muslim imam named Saleet Zafar had been killed by an American drone strike. His sermons and anti-American rhetoric had inspired many to violence and terrorism, including a man who tried to assassinate me. In addition, Zafar had verifiable ties to al Qaeda. His addition to America’s list of targeted enemies was certainly justified. However, I was also told that attorney Wyatt Jackson may have been with Zafar at the time of the strike and therefore may have been inadvertently killed as well.

“Thankfully, I would later learn that Mr. Jackson survived, but in the meantime I instructed Attorney General Seth Wachsmann to immediately begin a complete investigation into the circumstances that precipitated the strike. I have now had an opportunity to review his findings, as well as notes from an interview with Wyatt Jackson. In addition, I have personal knowledge about events surrounding the failed rescue operation known as Operation Exodus. Tonight, I want to share the results of Attorney General Wachsmann’s investigation and my own conclusions with you.”

Amanda knew that Wachsmann was one of the most respected politicians in the country. When she requested that he launch a full investigation within an hour of learning about the possible death of Wyatt Jackson as “collateral damage,” she knew there would be no turning back. She knew the investigation would lead to a moment like this—baring her soul to the American people.

“In order to understand why Operation Exodus and the recent death of Saleet Zafar are connected, you must first know the backstory about why we launched Operation Exodus in the first place. Several months ago, American journalist Cameron Holloman traveled to Yemen in order to catalog the suffering of the Yemeni people as a result of the civil war raging in that country. Though travel restrictions prevented him from legally entering Yemen, he found a way to cross Yemen’s border with Saudi Arabia and set up meetings with various persons, including a few leaders of the Houthi rebels. Without my knowledge, but with the full authorization of the director of the CIA, a small GPS unit and listening device were attached to Mr. Holloman’s computer. This was done without a warrant and without any prior court knowledge or approval.

“With the assistance of these devices, the CIA learned the location of several high-ranking Houthi leaders. Eight days after Mr. Holloman met with them, a drone strike was authorized by the director of the CIA that killed those leaders and several of their family members.

“As a result, the Houthis assumed that Mr. Holloman worked for the CIA. They captured him and scheduled him for execution along with a member of the Saudi royal family. It was only then, after the fact, that I was informed by my chief of staff about the illegal monitoring of Mr. Holloman’s computer.”

Amanda paused before continuing. This was the hardest part—getting it out in the open, her own role in the cover-up. She had made mistakes, costly ones. But tonight, she would own them and let the American people decide what the consequences should be.

“As commander in chief, I should have immediately asked Director Marcano to step down. My failure to act was a mistake in judgment—one I deeply regret. At the time, I was focused on extracting Mr. Holloman from captivity, and I believed that if the truth came out, his captors would view it as a cover story and it would confirm their suspicions that Mr. Holloman had indeed worked for the CIA. So instead, we attempted to negotiate Mr. Holloman’s release by using a Muslim imam as an intermediary. That imam was Saleet Zafar.

“Those negotiations were unsuccessful, and as you know, we ultimately sent a Special Forces team into Yemen in an attempt to free Mr. Holloman. In recent months, there have been a number of accusations associated with those events. I can assure you of this: I did not know that the mission was doomed to failure. I would never have sent those brave men on that mission if I knew our intelligence had been compromised.”

Amanda paused, emphasizing what she had just said. She felt the load lifting from her shoulders, the weight of secrets kept and the crushing burden of wondering what would happen if they were exposed. She knew that it would be hard for the American people to believe her, given the mistakes she was admitting in this speech. But she was telling the truth, and she hoped the world could see that.

“I have now learned that the director of the CIA knew, prior to the commencement of Operation Exodus, that the informant we were relying on had lost a family member to a drone strike two years earlier. This cast doubt on the veracity of that source because there was the possibility that he might be trying to double-cross us. That information was conveyed by Director Marcano to my chief of staff, Philip Kilpatrick. But Director Marcano and Mr. Kilpatrick kept that information from me. If I had known at the time, I would never have authorized the rescue mission that put our men at risk.”

Amanda could tell that even the camera operators were now hanging on her every word. This speech would be dissected and debated for months and would undoubtedly serve to define her presidency. She had to get it right, not just for her own sake but for the sake of America and its standing in the world.

“Earlier today, I asked for the resignations of both Mr. Kilpatrick and Director Marcano. Among other things, they withheld information from me and from the National Security Council that may have cost men their lives. By doing so, they have proven themselves unfit for the offices they hold.

“Now, there have been a lot of things said about my preparation of a speech that I gave to you, the American people, on the night that our servicemen died. Yes, I did spend more time personally editing the speech that would be given if the mission failed. But that was not because I was part of some grand conspiracy and anticipated the mission’s failure. It is relatively easy to announce a successful mission. But it is painstakingly difficult to find the words to describe the sorrow that accompanies a failed one.

“My second mistake was this: As a former attorney general committed to justice, I sat back and watched as my own chief of staff and the director of the CIA hid behind the state secrets defense in the lawsuit filed by the family of Troy Anderson. That defense allowed them to hide the fact that Holloman’s computer had been illegally monitored. This I also regret, and it is why I’m giving this speech now, as soon as possible after receiving Attorney General Wachsmann’s report. The plaintiffs still have an opportunity to petition the Supreme Court for a rehearing, and I did not want that window to close before this information was made public.”

With the hard part over, it was time for Amanda to outline her proposed action plan. She sat a little straighter in her chair and tried to appear as presidential as possible.

“In light of these events, I will be taking the following actions. First, I will reconstitute the panel that considers what targets should be added to the kill list of enemy combatants. I believe we did the right thing in adding Saleet Zafar to the list. And as it stands now, I make the final call. But America has recognized from its founding that human nature requires a balance of power. No one person should serve as judge, jury, and executioner. I will therefore be reconstituting the panel and asking that the Supreme Court appoint one of its justices to sit on the panel and that the House and Senate do the same. Nobody will be added to the target list unless there is unanimous agreement among the three branches of government.

“Second, I will work with a new CIA director to ensure that our elite Special Forces and our drones operate primarily under the command of the military, not the CIA. Our founders did not want the president to have the ability to wage undeclared shadow wars. We will continue to aggressively pursue terrorists at every turn. But I will ask for broad congressional approval to do so through the military chain of command in places like Pakistan and Yemen rather than rely on the fiction that we are not waging war just because the CIA is in charge.

“Third, I will ask Congress to consider the authorization of a special court to adjudicate with complete confidentiality any cases that might implicate state secrets. The judges for this court will have clearance for classified information at the highest level. There will be no juries and no public hearings. In this way high-level executives in our government will not be above the law simply because state secrets could be exposed.”

She was almost done now. She had listed the facts, told the truth. Now it was time to trust the people.

“As I have said, I have made my share of mistakes in this chapter of American history. I have already called Gazala Holloman and expressed my deepest apologies for what happened to her husband. At the conclusion of tonight’s address, I will call the families of each of our fallen servicemen and express my regrets to them. I believe I will be a better leader because of the things I’ve learned. But frankly, that is for you to decide.

“This is a critical juncture for our country. It is no time for protracted proceedings assessing blame for what has happened. I am therefore requesting that both the House and the Senate hold a vote of confidence within the next ten days on my ability to continue as this country’s leader. If a vote of no confidence is the result, I will step aside with no questions asked. Vice President Frazier is fully capable of leading this country at such a time as this. But if the House and Senate bring back a vote of confidence, despite my mistakes, I promise that I will give everything I have to uphold our American ideals both at home and abroad. This is the greatest country on the face of the earth. And it would be my privilege to continue leading it.”

She waited, swallowed, and realized that this might be the last thing she said to the public as president of the United States.

“God bless you, and God bless the United States of America.”