Who?

Rep. Bennie Thompson (D-MS) — Ranking Member, Homeland Security Committee

LISTEN: Laslo & Thompson

Ask a Pol asks:

What do you make of what we’re seeing with Nolan Wells’ death in Mississippi on the Fourth of July?

Key Thompson:

“Given Mississippi’s history, it’s very suspicious — because we have history on these kind of things,” Rep. Bennie Thompson exclusively tells Ask a Pol Politics. “And for a young Black boy to basically be with all white kids who are friends of his and come up missing… it’s just not adding up.”

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ICYMI — Ask a Pol founder Matt Laslo’s latest feature

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Caught our ear:

“I think there are some concerns based on the second autopsy — some of the things that have been outlined were not outlined in the first autopsy, which creates additional suspicion,” Thompson tells us.

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TRANSCRIPT: Rep. Bennie Thompson (7-22-2026)

SCENE: Ahead of a vote on the floor of the US House of Representatives, Ask a Pol founder Matt Laslo catches Homeland Security Committee Ranking Member Bennie Thompson for his thoughts on the inconclusive second autopsy of Nolan Wells.

Matt Laslo: “What do you make of what we’re seeing with this kid in Mississippi, the one lost on 4th of July?”

Bennie Thompson: “Well, obviously there’s a tremendous concern on the part of a lot of people. Good kid, comes from a good family, no history of any irregular behavior or association. And he just left on an island by himself. And given Mississippi’s history, it’s very suspicious, because we have history on these kind of things, and for a young Black boy to basically be with all white kids who are friends of his and come up missing. And the fact that he was left on an island by the same people who went with him. And it’s just not adding up, and I feel sorry for the family. And we need to find out exactly what it is. I think there are some concerns based on the second autopsy — some of the things that have been outlined were not outlined in the first autopsy, which creates additional suspicion. I compliment Reverend Sharpton, the activists who stepped up in a financial way to help the family get relief, to be complimented. But the authorities need to release more information. My understanding is there have been conversations, but the family is not satisfied, nor has there been any public effort to collect information that I’m aware of.”

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Matt Laslo: “Do you trust local officials in Mississippi, or do we need the Feds as a part of this?”

Bennie Thompson: “Well, I would hope that the Feds have been called. They should be. That’s on the lips of just about everybody you talk to. And sometimes our local authorities don’t have the capacity to conduct those kinds of investigations. So if I were asked to do it, I’d recommend it. They need not just clarity on what happened, but I think this whole country deserves it, you know. This was not a traditional… this was somebody going to school and just out for a July 4th celebration and came up dead. So sad.”

Who?

Charles Dingman — Chair, Maine Democratic Party

LISTEN:

Where?

Bangor, Maine

When?

Saturday — July 25, 2026

What?

At Maine Democrats’ US Senate nominating convention to replace Graham Platner, state Democratic Party Chair Charles Dingman called for federal recognition of the Wabanaki Nations.*

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Caught our ear:

“We are meeting today in the unceded homeland of the Penobscot Nation. The Maine Democratic Party acknowledges that the Maliseet, Mi’kmaq, Passamaquoddy and Penobscot Tribal Nations have long been stewards of the places where most of us live and work,” Chair Dingman told convention delegates. “And that they are entitled to recognition as distinct sovereign entities.”

Extended applause.

“Maine Democrats look forward to working with the Wabanaki to ensure that they enjoy all the same rights, privileges, powers, duties and immunities as every other federally recognized tribe in this country!” Chair Dingman continued.

Extended applause.

“Thank you Democrats. Way to acknowledge,” Dingman said. “That’s fantastic!”

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BACKGROUND:

In Maine, Indian Country is classified as municipalities, not sovereign nations as is common with reservations, which Maine tribes have been fighting for decades.

Federal recognition hard, not impossible

Earlier this Congress, after waiting more than a century, North Carolina’s Lumbee Tribe secured federal recognition after a steady — and stout — yearslong lobbying effort by Lumbee tribal elders, the state’s two Republican US Senators and President Donald Trump.

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Ask a Pol’s history with Indian Country:

Ask a Pol founder Matt Laslo is proud to have counted NPR’s National Native News as one of his wire service (see: The LCB) clients for close to two decades.

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Who?

Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH) — Chair, House Judiciary Committee

LISTEN: Laslo & Jordan

Ask a Pol asks:

Some people are saying Jack Smith was talking about the phone calls, not the texts. What do you make of that?

Key Jordan:

“Well, we always say when we start these depositions, you got to give us all the truth. Half-truths is same as not giving us the truth,” Rep. Jim Jordan exclusively tells Ask a Pol.

“Plus, he’s not just Joe Bag of Donuts, first year out of law school. He’s, you know, Mr. Jack Smith — at The Hague, everything else. Come on. You’re considered the Mr. Super Prosecutor. Brought in specifically, picked by [fmr. Attorney General Merrick] Garland to go after President [Donald Trump]. Come on, you know what we’re talking about. Anyone with a brain can figure that out.”

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ICYMI — Jack Smith’s defense

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Caught our ear:

What do you make of critics’ accusations that you’re weaponizing the Judiciary Committee and targeting President Trump’s political “enemies”?

“Not at all,” Jordan tells us. “Not at all.”

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TRANSCRIPT: Rep. Jim Jordan (7-23-2026)

SCENE: Ask a Pol’s Matt Laslo catches Judiciary Chair Jim Jordan and a few aides as they’re walking in an underground tunnel from the Rayburn House Office Building to the US Capitol ahead of the last scheduled vote in the House of Representatives until September.

Matt Laslo: “Mr. Jordan. How are you?”

Jim Jordan: “Good. You?”

Matt Laslo: “Livin the dream.”

Jim Jordan: “Covering Congress is livin’ the dream?”

Laslo laughs.

Matt Laslo: “Hey, I’ve read the Constitution. You guys have the power.”

Jim Jordan: “You gotta dream bigger.”

Matt Laslo: “Fair, fair.”

Laslo laughs.

Matt Laslo: “How are you feeling about the Jack Smith stuff? Do you think DOJ — is there enough there?”

Jim Jordan: “I do, or we wouldn’t have sent it. I mean, come on, you can’t say we didn’t get contents of their communications when in fact you had contents of our communications. You’re supposed to filter that out. They didn’t do that. And the guy who got the information on Jack Smith’s team was [Thomas] Windom, a guy we’ve already referred, because he just wouldn’t give any answers, was trying to obstruct our investigation. We’ve already referred him, and, of course, we referred Mr. Smith too.”

Matt Laslo: “Some people are saying he was talking about the phone calls, not the texts. What do you make of that?”

Jim Jordan: “Well, we always say when we start these depositions, you got to give us all the truth. Half-truths is same as not giving us the truth.”

Matt Laslo: “Yeah?”

Jim Jordan: “Plus, he’s not just Joe Bag of Donuts, first year out of law school.”

Matt Laslo: “Yeah?”

Jim Jordan: “He’s, you know, Mr. Jack Smith — at The Hague, everything else, you know, come on. You’re considered the Mr. Super Prosecutor. Brought in specifically, picked by [fmr. Attorney General Merrick] Garland to go after the president. Come on, you know what we’re talking about. Anyone with a brain can figure that out.”

Matt Laslo: “Well, they’re saying you guys are weaponizing it now and going after him?”

Jim Jordan: “Not at all. Not at all.”

Jordan and his aides enter an elevator to the House floor.

Matt Laslo: “Thank you, sir.”

What should we ask Congress next?

Ask a Pol AI Disclosure:

Ask a Pol’s playing around with as many new AI tools as we can, so this small, unfunded startup can compete in today’s new media landscape. (generative) AI isn’t tomorrow’s tech — it’s yesterday’s…

Who?

Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-AL) — Alabama gubernatorial candidate

LISTEN: Laslo & Tuberville

Ask a Pol asks:

Who won the 2020 election?

Key Tuberville:

“Donald Trump,” Sen. Tommy Tuberville exclusively tells Ask a Pol.

Laslo laughs; then notices Tuberville isn’t laughing.

Are you joking or you for real?

“Well, he legitimately won it,” Tuberville continues. “You know, they cheated him.”

ICYMI — Find Ask a Pol on YouTube, TikTok or Instagram!

Caught our ear:

Too hot for a coat.

“Need to wear shorts and a tank top,” Tuberville says while carrying his suit coat through the US Capitol.

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TRANSCRIPT: Sen. Tommy Tuberville (7-15-2026)

SCENE: Ask a Pol founder Matt Laslo catches Sen. Tommy Tuberville as he’s boarding an underground US Senate tram while holding his suit jacket on a hot, sticky day at the US Capitol.

Matt Laslo: “Too hot for a coat.”

Sen. Tommy Tuberville: “Need to wear shorts and a tank top.”

Laslo: “Shoulda been here last week, it was nasty.”

Tuberville exits escalator and starts walking to Senate tram.

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Laslo: “Hey, who won the 2020 election?”

Tuberville: “Who? Who won it?”

Laslo: “Yeah.”

Tuberville: “Donald Trump.”

Laslo: “Donald Trump did?”

Laslo laughs.

Tuberville: “Yeah.”

Laslo notices Tuberville isn’t laughing.

Laslo: “Are you joking or you for real?”

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Tuberville: “Well, he legitimately won it. You know, they cheated him.”

Laslo: “Yeah?”

Tuberville: “That’s what I’m saying.”

Tuberville boards an underground Senate tram from the US Capitol to the Senate Office Buildings across the street.

AI Disclosure:
Ask a Pol’s playing around with as many new AI tools as we can, so this small, unfunded startup can compete in today’s new media landscape.

Who?

Rep. Chellie Pingree (D-ME)

LISTEN: Laslo & Pingree

Ask a Pol asks:

After backing Graham Platner’s US Senate bid in Maine, do you feel personally lied to or deceived by him after these sexual assault allegations surfaced?

Key Pingree:

“I spent time talking to him and said, “Should I expect anything else?” So I’m not the only person who asked that question,” Rep. Chellie Pingree exclusively tells Ask a Pol Politics. “At this point it doesn’t matter to me anymore.”

Did you ask him that?

“Yeah,” Pingree recounts. “And he said, “No.””

So does that make him a liar to you?

“I don’t know if he was a liar or if he was delusional,“ Pingree says. “We’re talking about men and how they interpret things here. I mean, did he think he didn’t do something wrong? I don’t know. I mean, at this point it doesn’t matter to me anymore.”

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PSA from a Maine progressive: Stay out!

“Like DC people and out-of-staters, could you just leave us alone for a while?” Pingree tells us. “Every consultant, every reporter, I mean, everybody’s been in our state … turning this into a very complicated race. And now they all want to weigh in on the next round of candidates. And I’m just sort of like, leave us the hell alone!”

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Caught our ear:

“I don’t think there’s anyone who underestimates how difficult this campaign is,” Pingree says. “The reverse of it is, you know, no one wants to be a Republican right now. No one wants to be tied to Trump.”

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TRANSCRIPT: Rep. Chellie Pingree (7-9-2026)

SCENE: With Congress out of session, Ask a Pol founder Matt Laslo called Maine Congresswoman Chellie Pingree to learn about her interactions with disgraced former Maine US Senate candidate Graham Platner who dropped his bid after a credible allegation of rape and sexual assault surfaced.

Matt Laslo: Hello. Hey, how are you, Congresswoman?

Rep. Chellie Pingree: I’m good. How are you?

Laslo: Livin’ the dream.

Pingree: There you go. That’s good.

Laslo: Usually it’s quiet when you guys are away, but this Maine Senate race kind of has the town buzzing.

Pingree: Messing with my recess week, I’ll just say.

Laslo: Right? I can’t see an endorsement from you, you didn’t endorse [Graham Platner] in [Maine’s Democratic] primary?

Pingree: I kind of make a practice of never endorsing in primaries. Just, you know, I have so many colleagues who run for office and, you know, been in primaries myself. They’re all friends of your friends, so.

Laslo: Yeah?

Pingree: Yeah, I did. I mean, once [Governor] Janet [Mills] dropped out of the race, um, I — you know, we had a big state convention after that. And, you know, I was a cheerleader for him. I did an event with him a few weeks ago. So, I mean, it wasn’t — yeah, I didn’t, I didn’t, I wasn’t not — yeah. You know, we’re a big tent and a small crowd in Maine. So we’re all on the same stage together and everything else.

Laslo: Well, no. Yeah. The whole nation for Democrats, the whole nation’s invested...

Pingree: Yeah. And it’s not like, you know, does Chris Murphy — did he endorse him or not? This is my state. We’re all Democrats and we were all in. So that’s sort of how it all came down.

Laslo: Do you feel personally lied to or deceived by him?

Pingree: Well, like, you know, like many other people who can say, you know, I mean, I spent time talking to him and said, “Should I expect anything else?” So I’m not the only person who asked that question.

Laslo: Did you ask him that?

Pingree: Yeah. And he said, “no.”

Laslo: So does that make him a liar to you?

Pingree: I don’t know if he was a liar or if he was delusional. If, you know, we’re talking about men and how they interpret things here. I mean, did he think he didn’t do something wrong? I don’t know.

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ICYMI — Ask a Pol founder Matt Laslo’s feature

Laslo: Yeah.

Pingree: I mean, at this point it doesn’t matter to me anymore. I feel like most of us had said for a while, look, if there’s sexual assault in here, if — you know, I mean, I think everyone tried to get through the, you know, sexting on his wife and all that. And it’s like, okay, that’s their marriage. People screw sh*t up. And obviously there was plenty of stuff. But, um, I think most of us, you could see it was pretty fast and furious when there was a credible allegation of rape and sexual assault. So it doesn’t matter, I think.

Laslo: Are you worried now, though, that — I guess it’s still early — but that the seat’s more at risk now?

Pingree: Yeah. Of course. I mean, you know, I mean we’ve got a good bench. And I think, you know, the people who become delegates to the convention will do a good job trying to pick somebody that they think can win. And obviously, Senator [Susan] Collins is vulnerable with her association with Donald Trump. But that said, you could be the best rock star on Earth and have you run a four-month campaign. It’s just not an easy thing. We all know that.

Laslo: Yeah.

Pingree: And starting from scratch, you know, on the first of August is just not going to be easy for anybody.

Laslo: And she’s a household name up there — for better and for worse these days.

Pingree: I mean, she’s been in office a very long time. The number of times that we have thought this is the year that the Democrats will win — I was her first opponent, so I’ve been there, done that.

Laslo: And so you know she’s formidable?

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Pingree: Yeah. She’s a tough person to beat. And, you know, she’s now the chair of Appropriations [Committee]. And if you were up here, you’d be watching ads all day long about the incredible number of earmarks — support to every small town in America.

Laslo: Every small town in Maine.

Pingree: Every small town in Maine that needed a fire station or a new water treatment plant or an addition to their school or something. So yeah, there’s — I don’t think there’s anyone who underestimates how difficult this campaign is. The reverse of it is, you know, no one wants to be a Republican right now. No one wants to be tied to Trump.

Laslo: Do you — so are you not going to be a delegate for the convention?

Pingree: No. We don’t have, like, a superdelegate system or anything like that. And literally to be a delegate to the convention, I would have to go to a county committee and run for delegate. And it’s not to say I couldn’t, but I don’t — I mean, I really trust, you know, Mainers are pretty smart, have good common sense.

Laslo: Yeah.

Pingree: There’ll be a lot of people who really want to engage in this. And I don’t — you know, I can go and watch if I want. But I don’t, you know, I don’t need to. I trust the kind of common wisdom here and that it’ll all work itself out for who’s the best candidate.

Laslo: See, I secretly want the Maine Beer Company guy to win.

Laslo laughs at his own joke.

Laslo: That’s my bias.

Pingree: Who doesn’t want a beer company guy? And I don’t know if you’ve ever been to Maine, but he has a pretty cool business. It’s a very — well, you know, you probably can drink it in DC. It’s everywhere.

Laslo: Yeah. That’s the one — 10 years ago, I had it with you on camera at your place.

ICYMI — Laslo & Pingree sip Maine craft brews (2014)

Pingree: That’s right. Of course. Yeah, yeah, yeah. You got history with Dan Kleban.

Laslo: Yeah.

Pingree: Yeah. He has a very cool — their primary site, they’ve got this giant whale skeleton that hangs in there. They’re good people.

Laslo: That’s cool.

Pingree: It’s a good business.

Laslo: You remember my family’s from Yarmouth? We still have old family farm there.

Pingree: Oh, totally forgot that. Totally forgot that. Oh, yeah. So you’re practically — or maybe you need to be a delegate to the convention. Although my number one pitch to people is just like, would you — I mean, and I’m sorry, I don’t mean to, you know, pick on you — but like DC people and out-of-staters, could you just leave us alone for a while? Because, you know, part of the problem is that this race attracted so much attention. And every consultant, every reporter — I mean, everybody’s been in our state, you know, turning this into a very complicated race. And now they all want to, you know, weigh in on the next round of candidates. And I’m just sort of like, leave us the hell alone!

Laslo: Do you hear complaints? I mean, that’s always what Mainers are saying, but especially now.

Pingree: Yeah. You know, if you have a family here. Yeah.

Laslo: Yeah. Do you — are you hearing complaints about [Senate Minority Leader Chuck] Schumer, or is it not that specific to the DC swamp?

Pingree: It’s just, you know, it’s funny because I mean outsiders tell us about Schumer and, you know, like, don’t let Schumer put his thumb on the scale and all that. But really what Mainers are more like is just like all the reporters and consultants annoy them.

Laslo: Yeah. Fair.

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Pingree: And the progressive — I mean, you know, even like Bernie [Sanders] and Ro [Khanna], I mean, like, we don’t need you guys. Like, I’m a progressive. You know, I’m fine. I like those guys. But it’s like, we don’t need you in Maine to, like, put your thumb on the scale here.

Laslo: Interesting. Are you worried that some of the progressives won’t come out because he’s so different than, it seems like, most of these other people running? They don’t seem to have that populist appeal that he did, which seemed to be exciting even non-voters again.

Pingree: I think that’s a perception from the outside. I think that if you ask many Democrats, you know, there’s going to be a lot of people who they like in this field. And again, you know, Graham Platner was unique in his kind of deep voice and he was a good speaker and a smart guy. But, you know, Shenna Bellows and Troy Jackson are, you know, very progressive. I don’t — and I don’t know who else will be in the race, but there’s not a Democrat who will be running in this who will be espousing some sort of conservative points of view. There just won’t be. It’s not where the Democratic Party is right now.

Laslo: Yeah.

Pingree: And I think, you know, I’ve been talking to a lot of people over the last few days and yeah, they’re disappointed about the end of Platner, but I think they are also — the next thing they say is, “Yeah, but I really want to win. I really want to win.”

Laslo: Interesting.

Pingree: It’s not an election people are going to sit on their hands.

Laslo: And that’s just because of Trump?

Pingree: Yeah…

The interview continues. A fully transcribed version is at Ask a Pol Politics YouTube channel.

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What should we ask Congress next?

Ask a Pol AI Disclosure: Ask a Pol’s playing around with as many new AI tools as we can, so this small, unfunded startup can compete in today’s new media landscape. (Generative) AI isn’t tomorrow’s tech — it’s yesterday’s…

Who?

Rep. Troy Nehls (R-TX)

LISTEN: Laslo & Nehls

Ask a Pol asks:

After the Supreme Court narrowly upheld birthright citizenship this week, President Donald Trump called on Congress to outlaw it. Do you think that’s possible?

Key Nehls:

“I don’t know if it’s possible. It’s the right thing to do,” Rep. Troy Nehls exclusively tells Ask a Pol Politics. “We need to put a bed sheet over the Statue of Liberty for 10 years. Just pause all immigration. Moratorium.”

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Caught our ear:

“The idea that women from China can come over, have a baby and now that little baby is an American citizen and affect our elections in the future — that’s what the Democrats want,” Nehls tells us.

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TRANSCRIPT: Rep. Troy Nehls (6-30-2026)

SCENE: After casting one of his last votes before Congress gave itself an extended American Independence Day vacation, Ask a Pol founder Matt Laslo walks with Rep. Troy Nehls as he makes his way through traffic from the US Capitol to the House Office Buildings across the street.

Matt Laslo: “What do you make of President Trump’s call to end of birthright citizenship?”

Rep. Troy Nehls: “I think it’s the right thing to do.”

Laslo: “Yeah?'“

Nehls: “Yeah.”

Laslo: “Do you think it’s possible?”

Nehls: “I don’t know if it’s possible. It’s the right thing to do. I actually believe that, you know, with what you’ve seen with immigration, and what you’ve seen with the open borders in the previous administration — millions, tens of millions of people coming across. We don’t know who they are. We don’t know where they are. The abuse that we have recognized and have seen and uncovered over the last 18 months with the visa process, the investigations. I tell you what we really need to do, we need to put a bed sheet over the Statue of Liberty for 10 years.”

Laslo: “Yeah?”

Nehls: “Ten years.”

Laslo: “Just pause all immigration?”

ICYMI — Ask a Pol’s Matt Laslo’s LCB wire service piece

Nehls: “Moratorium. Yup. Ten years until we can figure out what the hell is going on in this country. Who’s even here? How many are here? They are abusing the freedoms and liberties that we have. They come over here, they say they’re trying to escape oppression and all that other stuff, but then they come over here and a lot of them don’t even respect the culture. They don’t respect the President of the United States. You’ve even got some Democrats, a majority of Democrats say they’re not even proud to be an American. Then what the hell are you doing here? So the birthright citizenship…”

Laslo: “Yeah?”

Nehls: “…the idea that women from China can come over, have a baby and now that little baby is an American citizen and affect our elections in the future — that’s what the Democrats want.”

Laslo: “Yeah?”

Nehls: “That’s what the Democrats want. A 10-year moratorium on all immigration. Ten years and let’s double up the Attorney General’s office in the states and go after —and look, with a fine-tooth comb at all the people that are here on visas and how many of them have overstayed. If you’ve overstayed your visa, you’re out of here.”

Laslo: “Yeah?”

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Nehls: “You’re out of here.”

Laslo: “So you think — you agree with Trump that…?”

Nehls: “Absolutely.”

Laslo: “…that this is a win for China?”

Nehls: “It’s a win for anybody from any other country.”

Laslo: “Yeah?”

Nehls: “Buddy, I’ve been down to the border several times.”

Laslo: “Yeah?”

Nehls: “I went to Yuma, Arizona. And the number of people that come to the border and bring in women — when they come across the border, the NICU in Yuma, Arizona, the people that actually live there, that were born, raised and used there — they got to go to another city to have the baby because the NICU is full. Because of all the people coming over, and you know they’re not getting the nutritional care, you know, the trek across the southern border — the babies are probably having some issues because they’re not getting the nutrition, the stress. And they’re completely taking over these hospitals and these little NICU places, because the people that live in Yuma got to go someplace else. They can’t even go to their hometown hospital because it’s full. Does that make sense to you? A big bed sheet over the Statue of Liberty for 10 years.”

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Laslo: “There you go. Do you have a bill that would do that or…?”

Nehls is entering his House Office Building.

Nehls: “Maybe.”

Laslo: “Maybe?”

Laslo starts walking back to the Capitol.

Laslo: “I’ll be watching. Have a good one, sir.”

What should we ask Congress next?

Ask a Pol AI Disclosure:
Ask a Pol’s playing around with as many new AI tools as we can, so this small, unfunded startup can compete in today’s new media landscape. (generative) AI isn’t tomorrow’s tech — it’s yesterday’s…

Who?

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY)

LISTEN: Laslo & AOC

AOC asked:

What do you chalk up this week’s big wins for progressives in New York City to?

Key AOC:

“I think this is about ideas. This is about fighting for not just any change but actual substantive change that people are going to feel in their lives,” Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez told the congressional press corps this week. “Are they going to see us actually take these people on, or are they going to see us take their money and look the other way?”

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ICYMI — Ask a Pol founder Matt Laslo’s latest

Caught our ear:

“Are they going to see us actually take these people on or are they going to see us take their money and look the other way?” AOC said. “And I think that what we are seeing is people wanting us to take a vigorous approach in taking on Big Money.”

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TRANSCRIPT: Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (6-25-2026)

SCENE: In the wake of a big week for progressives in New York City, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez huddles with congressional reporters and games out the new direction for the Democratic Party.

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez: “I think this is about ideas. This is about fighting for not just any change, but actual substantive change that people are going to feel in their lives. And so, I think what people want to see is — while there may be personalities — I think what they want to see is policy.

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“They want to see, are we fighting to guarantee healthcare for every American? Are we trying to raise wages? Are we tackling on these huge corporations that are, you know, price gouging us, building out AI data centers and poisoning people’s water wells?

“Are they going to see us actually take these people on, or are they going to see us take their money and look the other way? And I think that what we are seeing is people wanting us to take a vigorous approach in taking on Big Money.”

What should we ask Congress next?

Ask a Pol AI Disclosure:
Ask a Pol’s playing around with as many new AI tools as we can, so this small, unfunded startup can compete in today’s new media landscape. (generative) AI isn’t tomorrow’s tech — it’s yesterday’s…

Secretary Markwayne Mullin — Department of Homeland Security

Where?

House Homeland Security Appropriations Subcommittee

LISTEN: Mullin before DHS Appropriations Subcommittee

Key Mullin:

“I’m not a soccer fan. I had never been to a soccer game before until LA and our opening day on the 12th of June. I loved it,” Secretary Markwayne Mullin testified at the Capitol this week. “It’s like becoming a NASCAR fan, watching it on TV isn’t as fun as being there in person, and being there in person was something to experience.”

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Caught our ear:

“Now I find myself watching it all the time in evenings. I’m even going back through and speeding through games and it’s pretty exciting,” Mullin tells us.

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TRANSCRIPT: Secretary Markwayne Mullin (6-25-2026)

SCENE: During a testy hearing before the House Homeland Security Appropriations — or spending — Subcommittee, DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin offered an unexpectedly candid confession about the World Cup his department is helping protect.

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Secretary Markwayne Mullin: “I’m not a soccer fan. I had never been to a soccer game before until LA and our opening day on the 12th of June. I loved it.

“It’s like becoming a NASCAR fan, watching it on TV isn’t as fun as being there in person, and being there in person was something to experience.

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“And so now I find myself watching it all the time in evenings. I’m even going back through and speeding through games, and it’s pretty exciting.”

Ask a Pol AI Disclosure:
Ask a Pol’s playing around with as many new AI tools as we can, so this small, unfunded startup can compete in today’s new media landscape. (generative) AI isn’t tomorrow’s tech — it’s yesterday’s…

Who?

Rep. Ayanna Pressley (D-MA) — Member, AOC’s progressive “Squad”

LISTEN: Laslo & Pressley

Ask a Pol asks:

What’s your message for Black Americans as the US marks its 250th anniversary?

Pressley replies:

“It’s a celebration, the anniversary of this country, and it’s important that we tell the accurate telling of our history and we acknowledge the harm that has been caused and that we plan for the next 250 to be better and different,” Rep. Ayanna Pressley exclusively told Ask a Pol Politics.

“And that includes the work of truth and reconciliation, and it means redress and reparative policies that acknowledge and undo — right the wrongs that have been done to Black Americans from the transatlantic slave trade, to chattel slavery, to Jim Crow, to redlining and those inequities persist.”

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Key Pressley:

“We have done reparatory compensation in this country for other groups. We’ve done it for survivors of Japanese internment camps. We’ve done it — as I said — for the coal miners living with black lung or Americans that experienced harms from where the nuclear bomb was being built. But we’ve not done it for Black Americans and it’s long overdue,” Pressley said. “Reparations now — this is not a plea for charity or benevolence. This is about reciprocity.”

ICYMI — our saga continues…

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Caught our ear:

“The fact that 1 million Black veterans were denied access to the GI Bill, that they were discriminated against after they fought for this country — and that GI Bill was foundational for so many families of white veterans to build generational wealth, to pursue education,” Pressley tells us.

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TRANSCRIPT: Rep. Ayanna Pressley (6-11-2026)

SCENE: On a brutally hot and humid summer day, Ask a Pol’s Matt Laslo catches Rep. Ayanna Pressley outside the US Capitol after her social justice press conference wrapped up.

Matt Laslo: What’s your message for Black Americans as the US marks its 250th anniversary?

Rep. Ayanna Pressley: “You know, we’re marking the 250th — it’s a celebration, the anniversary of this country, and it’s important that we tell the accurate telling of our history and we acknowledge the harm that has been caused and that we plan for the next 250 to be better and different. And that includes the work of truth and reconciliation, and it means redress and reparative policies that acknowledge and undo — right the wrongs that have been done to Black Americans from the transatlantic slave trade, to chattel slavery, to Jim Crow, to redlining and those inequities persist.”

Laslo: “Ahuh?”

Pressley: “I mean, the fact that 1 million Black veterans were denied access to the GI Bill, that they were discriminated against after they fought for this country — and that GI Bill was foundational for so many families of white veterans to build generational wealth, to pursue education — so that’s just one example.”

Laslo: “Hmm?”

Pressley: “We have done reparatory compensation in this country for other groups. We’ve done it for survivors of Japanese internment camps. We’ve done it — as I said — for the coal miners living with black lung or Americans that experienced harms from where the nuclear bomb was being built. But we’ve not done it for Black Americans and it’s long overdue. Reparations now — this is not a plea for charity or benevolence. This is about reciprocity.”

Laslo: “There you go. Get out of this heat, ma’am.”

The Congresswoman heads to her awaiting SUV.

Pressley: “Thank you.”

Laslo turns to the Congresswoman’s aides.

Laslo: “Preciate y’all!”

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I’ve now sent a personal letter to the Speaker, Minority Leader, Senate Leaders and each member of the Senate Rules Committee, begging them to intervene.

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My Bureau, The LCB, has provided clips, W-9s, proof of payments, etc. — yet nothing has been good enough to appease Senate Radio-TV Gallery Director Mike Mastrian and Executive Committee Chair Nate Reed of Scripps (a streaming service).

Please, someone, help!

- Laslo

PS - below find a link to some of what’s cited in the video.

ICYMI — something’s off at RTCA

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Rep. Hillary Scholten (D-MI)

LISTEN: Laslo & Scholten

Ask a Pol asks:

Why did House Speaker Mike Johnson pull the AUMF — or Authorization for Military Force — measure on the war against Iran from the floor Thursday?

Key Scholten:

“We had the votes for it today,” Rep. Hillary Scholten said on the Capitol steps Thursday just before Congress left town for its weeklong Memorial Day recess. “I’m not one to speculate, but I do believe that’s probably why he pulled it.”

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Caught our ear:

“I think we could have gotten it done today, and that’s unfortunate,” Scholten said. “It’s a disservice to the American people.”

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TRANSCRIPT: Rep. Hillary Scholten (5-21-2026)

SCENE: Ask a Pol’s Matt Laslo and a gaggle of reporters bounce questions off Rep. Hillary Scholten who left the US Capitol during the last House vote series ahead of Congress’s Memorial Day recess to vent.

Rep. Hillary Scholten: “We had the votes for it today, and I, you know, I’m not one to speculate, but I do believe that’s probably why he pulled it.

“Because I think we could have gotten it done today, and that’s unfortunate. It’s a disservice to the American people.”

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Who?

Sen. Mark Warner (D-VA) — Vice Chair, Senate Intelligence Committee

LISTEN: Laslo & Warner

Ask a Pol asks:

How much is Anthropic’s new Mythos AI model on your radar? Has full Intelligence Committee had any classified briefing on it?

Key Warner:

“A lot,” Sen. Mark Warner exclusively tells Ask a Pol Politics.

Have you guys had a briefing on it in the Senate Intel Committee?

Warner shakes head.

What’s your biggest fear? Like, are we ready for it?

“Thank goodness there was a company that was open,” Warner says. “I’m not sure every AI company would have been this responsible in terms of timing of release.”

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Caught our ear:

“We don’t even have a federal law on privacy,” Warner tells us. “We don’t even have a federal law on social media.”

“I know!” Ask a Pol founder — and longtime WIRED magazine technology correspondent — Matt Laslo replies. “My data privacy — Section 230 coverage — for WIRED, from like 2019 is quoted in like 30 law reviews:* Harvard, Cornell, etc. — just because no one else was f*cking covering it! And they still aren’t.”

• 25 law reviews quote Laslo, not 30. Apologies.

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TRANSCRIPT: Sen. Mark Warner (4-29-2026)

SCENE: Ask a Pol’s Matt Laslo corners Sen. Mark Warner about artificial intelligence as he awaits an underground Senate tram.

Matt Laslo: “How much is [Anthropic’s new] Mythos AI model on your radar?”

Mark Warner: “A lot.”

ML: “Have you guys had a hearing on it in Intel?”

Warner shakes head.

ML: “What’s your biggest fear? Like, are we ready for it?”

MW: “Thank goodness there was a, you know, a company that was open. I’m not sure every AI company would have been this responsible in terms of timing of release.”

ML: “Yeah?”

ICYMI — Ask a Pol founder Matt Laslo’s latest AI feature

MW: “For me, it raises a huge amount of questions about, you know, who can we rely on before this gets released into the wild? On a number of these issues.”

ML: “And yet here on the other side of the aisle, they're still talking preemption of state laws with a federal bill?”

MW: “Again, over a long-term basis, I've always said, you know, well, preemption makes sense, but only if you've got strong guardrails.”

ML: “Yeah? But I mean, we don’t even have a federal law yet.”

MW: “We don’t even have a federal law on privacy.”

ML: “I know!”

MW: “We don’t even have a federal law on social media.”

Warner’s about to enter a tram car.

ML: “My data privacy — Section 230 coverage — for WIRED, from like 2019 is quoted in like 30 law reviews: Harvard, Cornell, etc. — just because no one else was f*cking covering it! And they still aren’t.”

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Who?

Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-MD) — Ranking Member, House Judiciary Committee

LISTEN: Laslo & Raskin

Ask a Pol asks:

The emoluments clause — is Trump violating it?

Key Raskin:

“The Emoluments Clause, Article 1, Section 9, Clause 8 of the Constitution says that nobody in federal government, including the President, can receive a payment of any kind, an emolument, a present, an office or a title without the express consent of Congress,” Rep. Jamie Raskin said.

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Caught our ear:

“In the first administration, it was basically millions of dollars he was taking unconstitutionally. Now we’re Raskin told us.

TRANSCRIPT: Rep. Jamie Raskin (April 2026)

SCENE: After voting on the House floor, Rep. Jamie Raskin, the top Democrat on the Judiciary Committee, holds court on the steps of the US Capitol with the congressional press corps.

Rep. Jamie Raskin: “The Emoluments Clause, Article 1, Section 9, Clause 8 of the Constitution says that nobody in federal government, including the President, can receive a payment of any kind, an emolument, a present, an office or a title without the express consent of Congress.

“And he’s never come to Congress for all of the millions and millions of dollars that he’s collecting through the golf clubs, through the hotels and through these business ventures all over the world.

“And in the first administration, it was basically millions of dollars he was taking unconstitutionally. Now we’re getting up into the hundreds of millions of dollars.”

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Who?

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY)

LISTEN: Laslo & AOC

Ask a Pol asks:

What do you make of the Trump administration relaxing prohibitions around only “medicinal marijuana” — making it Schedule III — but doing nothing for incarcerees or “recreational” cannabis?

Key AOC:

“This has always been an issue kind of at the heart of our decriminalization, that many of the people who profited from the “war on drugs” will then double down on that profit from legalization,” Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez tells Ask a Pol Politics’ founder Matt Laslo.

“And then the folks who were criminalized and had their lives destroyed by the “war on drugs” never get to see justice or have that made right. So, I think that is a fundamental difference that we have here in the approach to that.”

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Caught our ear:

“Of course, I will always welcome a descheduling of marijuana from Schedule I,” Ocasio-Cortez tells Laslo. “I will be supportive of that, because it reduces that harm but it doesn’t quite make all of the wrongs right.”

TRANSCRIPT: Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (4-29-2026)

SCENE: On the steps of the US Capitol, Ask a Pol founder Matt Laslo asks Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez about President Donald Trump’s move to reschedule “medicinal marijuana.”

Matt Laslo: “What do you make of the [Trump] administration relaxing medicinal marijuana, making it Schedule III or whatever, but doing nothing for incarcerees or recreational?”

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez: “Well, you know, I think this is — this has always been an issue kind of at the heart of our decriminalization, is that many of the people who profited from the “war on drugs” will then profit also — double down on that profit from legalization.

ICYMI — Ask a Pol founder Matt Laslo sold this interview to Marijuana Moment via his regionally-focused national wire service, The LCB

“And then the folks who were criminalized and had their lives destroyed by the “war on drugs” never get to see justice or have that made right. So, I think that is a fundamental difference that we have here in the approach to that.

“Of course, I will always welcome a descheduling of marijuana from Schedule I. I will be supportive of that, because it it it reduces that harm but it doesn’t quite make all of the wrongs right.”

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Who?

Rep. Robert Garcia (D-CA) — Ranking Member, House Oversight Committee

LISTEN: Laslo & Garcia

Ask a Pol asks:

You were moving contempt charges against former Attorney General Pam Bondi, but now she says she’s going to testify before the Oversight Committee on May 29th and the DOJ is still run by her top deputy, is your contempt effort over?

Key Garcia:

“We filed civil contempt charges because obviously her own DOJ is not going to probably go after her,” Rep. Robert Garcia said on the Capitol steps earlier today.

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Timing?

“45 minutes after we announced the civil charges, [House Oversight Committee Chair James] Comer announces a date, and so I think that the timing is interesting,” Garcia said. “We had heard nothing from the DOJ, nothing from Pam Bondi’s counsel, it’s been two weeks since she missed her first actual deposition so we’re glad there’s finally a date. That’s all we wanted.”

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Caught our ear:

Do you think Bondi will show up?

“She didn’t show up for her first one, so we’ll wait and see,” Garcia said. “She needs to show up.”

TRANSCRIPT: Rep. Robert Garcia (4-29-2026)

SCENE: Ahead of a vote, House Oversight Committee Ranking Member Robert Garcia makes time for the TV cameras lined up at the base of the Capitol steps.

Do you think there’s any chance that former Attorney General Pam Bondi actually gets held in contempt? I mean, you’re trying to move those charges at this point, but the DOJ is still run by her top deputy.

Rep. Robert Garcia: “Well, I mean, look — first, I think that we filed civil contempt charges, because obviously her own DOJ is not going to probably go after her. But we believe through the courts there would be some success.

Garcia: “And look, they’ve actually set the date — 45 minutes after we announced the civil charges, [House Oversight Committee Chair James] Comer announces a date, and so I think that the timing is interesting.

“We had heard nothing from the DOJ, nothing from Pam Bondi’s counsel, it’s been two weeks since she missed her first actual deposition and so we’re glad there’s finally a date. That’s all we wanted. And so if she appears, we’re obviously not moving forward with contempt.”

Do you think she’ll show up?

Garcia: “She didn’t show up for her first one, so we’ll wait and see. She needs to show up.”

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Who?

Rep. Derrick Van Orden (R-WI)

LISTEN: Laslo & Van Orden

Ask a Pol asks:

According to a new Gallup survey, the 119th Congress is now tied for the lowest disapproval rating in history — should Republican Party leaders retool the GOP agenda ahead of the midterms?

Key Van Orden:

“The only thing that needs to be retooled is the legacy media that consistently and intentionally reports falsehoods about the Republican Party or ignores our wins. That’s what needs to be retooled,” Rep. Derrick Van Orden exclusively tells Ask a Pol Politics. “They’re terrible. Really.”

WATCH: Ask a Pol’s on YouTube, TikTok & Instagram!

Caught our ear:

“On average, the American public — individually and by family — got back thousands and thousands of dollars they never got back,” Van Orden tells us, defending the Republican tax bill. “You know why? Because of the One Big Beautiful Bill.”

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ICYMI — Matt Laslo’s feature for wire service client

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TRANSCRIPT: Rep. Derrick Van Orden (4-22-2026)

SCENE: Ask a Pol’s Matt Laslo walks with Rep. Derrick Van Orden down the steps of the US Capitol before the Congressman rides off on his Harley.

Matt Laslo: “With record low approval ratings — do you think you guys…?”

Derrick Van Orden: “Me?”

Laslo: “No. Just for Congress.”

Van Orden: “Oh, I don’t know.”

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Laslo: “But should you guys retool — should Republican leaders?”

Van Orden: “Should we what?”

Laslo: “Retool it all ahead of the midterms or…?”

Van Orden: “What’s that mean?”

Laslo: “Retool your focus? Retool the agenda?”

Van Orden: “The only thing that needs to be retooled is the legacy media that consistently and intentionally reports falsehoods about the Republican Party or ignores our wins. That’s what needs to be retooled. They’re terrible. Really.”

Laslo: “That umm…”

Van Orden: “You file your taxes?”

Laslo laughs.

Laslo: “Yeah.”

Van Orden: “Did you get money back?”

Laslo: “No.”

Van Orden: “Guess what? On average, the American public — individually and by family — got back thousands and thousands of dollars they never got back. You know why? Because of the One Big Beautiful Bill.”

Laslo: “Yeah?”

Van Orden: “There’s a $50 billion rural healthcare infrastructure fund. It’s the greatest expenditure on rural healthcare in the history of the country.”

Laslo: “Yeah?”

Van Orden: “89% of all seniors are going to pay zero taxes on their Social Security.”

Laslo: “But what about the farmers hurting? Yeah…”

Van Orden: “There’s a $15 million per person exclusion for federal taxes for the death tax to save family farms.”

Laslo: “Yeah?”

Van Orden: “That’s all there.”

Laslo: “Preciate ya.”

Van Orden hops on his motorcycle during a light drizzle.

Laslo: “Stay dry.”

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Who?

Rep. Pat Ryan (D-NY) — US Army veteran; West Point graduate

LISTEN: Laslo & Ryan

Ask a Pol asks:

What do you make of Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s latest firing of Secretary of the Navy John Phelan?

Key Ryan:

“It’s more Hegseth score-settling,” Rep. Pat Ryan exclusively tells Ask a Pol Politics. “The Hegseth revenge tour — in the middle of a war; in the middle of a naval blockade.”

Like, Hegseth’s kinda a lil b****, like the way he berates the press and stuff.*

“Hegseth, who pretends to be tough, has the thinnest skin and is weak sauce,” Ryan says.

*Prof. Laslo’s fine getting berated by public officials, but he’s protective of the next generation of journalists, especially when lectured and lied to by made-for-TV-men…

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ICYMI — Ask a Pol founder Matt Laslo 1st used this interview for his LCB wire service client, Raw Story

Caught our ear:

“I’m not just saying this, like every military officer and senior leader knows he’s a joke,” Ryan tells us. “He’s a performance artist. So they all do not take him seriously.

“A lot of it is his insecurity, but basically he felt like [the Navy Secretary] had too direct a line to the president, so he fired him.”

What should we ask Congress next?

TRANSCRIPT: Rep. Pat Ryan (4-23-2026)

SCENE: After voting on the floor of the House of Representatives, US Army veteran and West Point grad, Rep. Pat Ryan, is walking back to his office across the street when Ask a Pol’s Matt Laslo catches catches up to him for a candid conversation about recent upheaval at the Pentagon.

Matt Laslo: “Hey, Mr. Ryan. How are you?”

Rep. Pat Ryan: “Hey, what’s up?”

Laslo: “What do you make of this firing of the Secretary of the Navy?”

Ryan: “It’s more Hegseth score-settling.”

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Laslo: “Yeah.”

Ryan: “The Hegseth revenge tour — in the middle of a war; in the middle of a naval blockade.”

Laslo: “Like, he’s kinda a lil b****, like the way he berates the press and stuff.”*

*Prof. Laslo’s fine getting berated by public officials, but he’s protective of the next generation of journalists, especially when lectured and lied to by made-for-TV-men…

Ryan: “Hegseth, who pretends to be tough, has the thinnest skin and is weak sauce. He knows — and this is true…”

Laslo: “Yeah?”

Ryan: “I’m not just saying this, like every military officer and senior leader knows he’s a joke.”

Laslo: “Yeah?”

Ryan: “And he’s a performance artist.”

Laslo: “Yeah.”

Ryan: “So they all do not take him seriously.”

Laslo: “Especially after he dragged them all here out of the theater of war for nothing.”

Ryan: “And I think a lot of it is his insecurity, but basically he felt like [the Navy Secretary] had too direct a line to the president, so he fired him.”

Laslo: “Yeah?”

Ryan: “But now he fired the senior Army officer in the middle of the war, General George, the Navy Secretary in the middle of not only war, but naval blockade.”

Laslo: “Yeah.”

Ryan: “Meanwhile, they’re asking for basically half a trillion dollars to increase the Defense budget and they still haven’t passed an audit.”

Laslo: “Right?

Ryan: “So what are we doing?”

Laslo: “I was thinking about that the other day, like we don’t even know how much money they…”

Ryan: “And the people who are paying the price ultimately are our troops in theater.”

Laslo: “Yeah.”

Ryan: “And actually, like, literally every American at the gas pump. So, even for this administration, it’s stunning.”

Laslo: “Yeah? I wonder if Trump even was alerted.”

Ryan: “Well, he was. So Hegseth calls Phelan, tells him to resign or be fired.”

Laslo: “Yeah?”

Ryan: “Phelan doesn’t believe Hegseth, so goes — literally physically himself — goes to the White House.”

Laslo: “Really?”

Ryan: “…to say basically like, ‘mommy and Daddy is this true?’ And Trump’s like, ‘yeah, no it’s true.’“

Laslo: “Jeez. Right?”

Ryan: “It’s crazy.”

Laslo: “Oh my God. Have a good one.”

Ryan: “See ya.”

Ryan heads to his office while Laslo heads back to the Capitol.

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Who?

Joe Rogan — Oval Office, White House

ICYMI — Find the full Executive Order here

Key Rogan:

“We have a gigantic opiate problem in this country, obviously. In 2024, more than 80,000 people died of overdoses. It’s a horrible number. And there’s more than 5 million people that are addicted to opiates right now in this country,” Rogan said at the White House. “With one dose of ibogaine, more than 80% of people are free of that addiction. With two doses, it’s more than 90%.”

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WATCH: Rogan in the Oval Office

Caught our ear:

“These drugs are illegal not because they’re harmful — they’re illegal because of the 1970 Controlled Substances Act that was passed by the Richard Nixon administration,” Rogan tells us. “They did it to target the civil rights movement and the anti-war movement. It’s not because these drugs harm people.”

What should we ask federal policymakers next?

TRANSCRIPT: Joe Rogan at the White House (4-18-2026)

SCENE: On Saturday, Joe Rogan joined President Donald Trump and Health and Human Services Secretary RFK Jr. in the Oval Office to unveil the new, Accelerating Medical Treatments for Serious Mental Illness Executive Order, which encourages research into federally-illegal psychedelics.

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Joe Rogan: “I’ll tell everybody how this happened. I sent President Trump some information. We have a gigantic opiate problem in this country, obviously. In 2024, more than 80,000 people died of overdoses. It’s a horrible number. And there’s more than 5 million people that are addicted to opiates right now in this country.

Rogan cont’d: “With one dose of ibogaine, more than 80% of people are free of that addiction. With two doses, it’s more than 90%. I sent him that information. The text message that came back: ‘Sounds great. Do you want FDA approval? Let’s do it.’ Literally that quick.

Rogan cont’d: “These drugs are illegal not because they’re harmful — they’re illegal because of the 1970 Controlled Substances Act that was passed by the Richard Nixon administration. They did it to target the civil rights movement and the anti-war movement. It’s not because these drugs harm people.”

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Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY)

LISTEN: Laslo & AOC

Ask a Pol asks:

What do you make of this push to finally close Rikers?

Key AOC:

“We’ve been pushing to close Rikers for quite some time now,” Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez exclusively tells Ask a Pol Politics founder Matt Laslo.

“We’ve been leading also not just about closing Rikers, but what we turn it into. The community has long been drafting a renewable Rikers plan to make sure that we not just address the toxic injustice — criminal injustice and the environmental injustice on the island — but also turn it into a fountain of real change.”

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Caught our ear:

“We got a lot of things to work on as a city,” Ocasio-Cortez tells us. “But I know [NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s] on the right side.”

What should we ask Congress next?

TRANSCRIPT: Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (4-16-2026)

SCENE: As the last few minutes of a vote tick down on the floor of the US House of Representatives, Ask a Pol’s Matt Laslo spots Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and two aides walking up to the US Capitol.

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Laslo snags this exclusive before the rest of the congressional press corps notices AOC and pounces on Laslo’s exclusive.

Matt Laslo: “What do you make of this push to finally close Rikers?”

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez: “I mean, we’ve been pushing to close Rikers for quite some time now.”

Laslo: “Yeah.”

AOC: “And, you know, we’ve been leading also not just about closing Rikers, but what we turn it into.”

Laslo: “Yeah.”

AOC: “The community has long been drafting a renewable Rikers plan to make sure that we not just address the toxic injustice — criminal injustice and the environmental injustice on the island — but also turn it into a fountain of real change.”

Laslo: “Does the mayor get that?”

AOC: “Pardon?”

Laslo: “Is this high up on his agenda list?”

AOC: “Oh yeah. We got a lot of things to work on as a city.”

Laslo: “Fair.”

Laslo laughs.

AOC: “But I know he’s on the right…”

Fox News producer: “Miss Ocasio, what do you…?”

AOC: “…side.”

Laslo: “Thank you.”

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Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (R-FL)

LISTEN: Laslo & Luna

Ask a Pol asks:

What do you make of the first lady’s call to have public hearings with the Epstein survivors — and how do you broach that with GOP leaders?

Key Luna:

“I actually had been encouraging that,” Rep. Anna Paulina Luna tells Ask a Pol Politics.

But there are obstacles?

“The Department of Justice gave plea deals to people that they knew were trafficking people, and so there is no justice for the victims,” Luna says. “Ghislaine Maxwell should not be the only one sitting in prison.”

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Caught our ear:

“We have to do what we’ve promised to do. Sometimes that means calling out your own party,” Luna tells us. “I knew that when I brought the expulsion of [now-former Rep. Eric] Swalwell that it would set up a chain reaction event, and I frankly don’t care.”

What should we ask Congress next?

TRANSCRIPT: Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (4-16-2026)

SCENE: Ask a Pol’s Matt Laslo waits in the wings as the TV networks pepper Rep. Anna Paulina Luna with questions about all these competing sexual assault allegations hovering over Washington.

Once there’s a break, Laslo breaks in to Ask the Congresswoman’s thoughts on First Lady Melania Trump’s call for the House Oversight Committee to hold public hearings with the Epstein survivors…

Matt Laslo: “What do you make of the First Lady [Melanie Trump']’s call to have public hearings with the survivors? Have you broached that with GOP leaders?”

Rep. Anna Paulina Luna: “Yeah, I actually had been encouraging that. I mean, the fact is right now though is I think again a lot of people are scared about coming forward and naming people and there’s this also aspect of — you had settlements potentially being reached. So again, if you know there’s a settlement, people are then sometimes asked to sign NDAs and so they don’t talk.”

Luna: “But I do want to be really clear about something — the Department of Justice gave plea deals to people that they knew were trafficking people, and so there is no justice for the victims that were basically, you know, seeing these people get off. And Ghislaine Maxwell should not be the only one sitting in prison.”

Luna: “But going back to this whole climate — we have to do what we’ve promised to do, sometimes that means calling out your own party. I appreciate the members on both sides that have been doing that. And I knew that when I brought the expulsion of [now-former Rep. Eric] Swalwell that it would set up a chain reaction event and I, frankly, don’t care.”

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