While in search for that, I found this, about Jordan joining DT:
https://www.getreadytorock.com/rock_stars/jordan_rudess.htm"In 1999 you became a member of the Dream Theater family. I was about to ask you whether your participation in the Liquid Tension Experiment project was the thing that made them become interested in you, but I guess that you already named the reason that generated their interest in you.
Jordan: Yeah, yeah - well what happened is that when they originally asked me to join the group eleven years ago, I was also asked to join the Dixie Dregs, and I also had this job with the instrument company. Most importantly, my wife and I had just had our first child, and that's why I said no to them. Kevin Moore had just left the band, they had just finished the - Awake” album and they needed a new Keyboard player. I agreed to make one gig with them, a very important gig called the Foundations Forum. I did that gig and it was all cool, the vibe was great but I didn't want to do the job as a keyboard player in the band. Quite some time after that, I got the offer to participate in the - Liquid Tension Experiment” – that was a band with Mike Portnoy and John Petrucci from Dream Theater and Tony Levin, and I thought - wow, this is cool”. I mean I didn't get to join Dream Theater, but I was working with some of the main guys in the band anyway.
We ended up making two albums together as this, and even though it was a side project for them, believe me when I say that it was a very well-focused effort. After the second Liquid Tension Experiment album we had so much experience working together, composing music together, that we all saw something really brewing there. I saw Portnoy and Petrucci talking about stuff and I thought - Hm, something is happening here”. So then, they re-approached me and asked me again - you know, we've been working for some time together and we have a good vibe with you. What do you think if we asked you again, if you would become member of Dream Theater, would you join?” and I then said - Well, I think so, it's a very good time to join now” (laughs). So, we started a very good working relationship soon after Liquid Tension was over, I was in the studio with the next group which featured John Petrucci, Mike Portnoy and this other bass player who didn't look at all like Tony Levin, but was equally good, and also this quite long-haired singer who wasn't in the studio at the time but he eventually came to record his vocals for the album (laughs)."
Eddie Trunk really caught Mike off guard on that, so I truly believe he just blame "the band decision" for that, because he felt constrained by the question made, right in front of Derek.