NewsNation contributor Ross Coulthart digs into stories the media is supposedly not meant to tell, taking a fact-based approach to tackle unidentified aerial phenomena and other mysteries often missing from the headlines. Watch Reality Check with Ross Coulthart.

(NewsNation) — On this episode of “Reality Check,” Ross Coulthart has an extensive conversation with Marik von Rennenkampff, opinion contributor for “The Hill” and former analyst at the Departments of State and Defense. But the episode begins with previously unaired comments by UFO whistleblower Lue Elizondo about his former colleague and fellow whistleblower David Grusch.

“David Grusch is a patriot … a damn fine human being,” Elizondo said of Grusch’s revelations last year regarding government work to retrieve and reverse engineer non-human technology.

As explosive as Grusch’s revelations were, Elizondo shared a preview of even more information in his upcoming book, “Imminent,” in a NewsNation interview last week.

Elizondo “made some enormous sacrifices to come forward,” von Rennenkampff said. “Now, he is driving the conversation, and … it would not be hyperbolic to say that he is one of the key catalysts behind some of the most extraordinary legislation we have seen in American history.”

Coulthart and von Rennenkampff were especially fascinated by Elizondo’s story about a doctor trying to remove some sort of entity from inside a soldier’s body, and the tiny being trying to avoid removal. Von Rennenkampff says it’s an example of an allegation that begs to be pursued.

“We need evidence. We need somebody to come forward, raise their hand in front of Congress and say, ‘Yes, I took that specimen out of service member X,’ go in front of Congress, do it under oath,” he said.

“Shining a light on these allegations, and reducing the stigma, and normalizing this conversation hopefully will result in a critical mass that will sustain itself with more individuals coming forward,” von Rennenkampff added.

Whatever the public reaction to Elizondo’s book, Coulthart said it will help “normalize” the UAP discussion among the public. Von Rennenkampff said the combination of Elizondo and Grusch coming forward adds credibility to the claims.

“We have never had multiple individuals that were so highly cleared into very sensitive programs and activities basically in lockstep with the core allegations. And this is all the more reason why we need to take this … seriously,” von Rennenkampff said.

He also took issue with the idea that Elizondo, who was a highly cleared, highly paid Defense Department intelligence officer, is doing this for personal gain.

“I think absurd to call these individuals ‘grifters.’ They gave up very well-paying jobs to speak what they believe is the truth. Lue’s living in an RV and digging his own toilet. He’s not enriching himself on this topic,” von Rennenkampff said.

Watch “Reality Check” break down Lue Elizondo’s revelations with Mark von Rennenkampff in the video above.

You can find “Reality Check with Ross Coulthart” on NewsNation’s YouTube channel each week. Click here to watch the latest episode.