Who?
Rep. Don Bacon (R-NE)
LISTEN: Laslo & Bacon
Ask a Pol asks:
How are you feeling about the new President Donald Trump-sponsored Jan. 6 committee?
Key Bacon:
“I personally think it’s old news,” Rep. Don Bacon exclusively tells Ask a Pol. “Why can’t we just say those who hurt cops, they were wrong? They deserve to be punished — 140 cops were injured. I don’t know why we can’t have just some honesty, that there were some bad apples in this whole crowd. They deserve to be punished.”
ICYMI — Laslo’s video escaping Capitol Jan 6, 2021…
*Laslo’s Jan. 6, 2021 experience has been featured in the LA Times, VICE News, Wyoming Public Radio, Committee to Protect Journalists, etc.
Caught our ear:
“I just feel like both sides lost their minds,” Bacon tells us.
Below find a rough transcript of Ask a Pol’s exclusive interview with Rep. Don Bacon (R-NE), slightly edited for clarity.
TRANSCRIPT: Rep. Don Bacon (9-17-2025)
SCENE: The sun’s setting over the Capitol after House members cast their last votes of the day. Ask a Pol’s Matt Laslo is rushing about interviewing a broad array of lawmakers when he spots Rep. Don Bacon (yes, embarrassingly, Laslo knows most all members’ of Congress by their silhouettes (and voices)) about to exit a security barrier.
Laslo rushes — stopping just short of a full run, as two well armed Capitol Police officers are already dubious of him rushing up so quickly behind an unsuspecting lawmaker — and when he’s about 25 or so yards away he shouts…
Matt Laslo: “Hey, Congressman!”
Congressman turns around.
Don Bacon: “Hey.”
ML: “How you doing?”
DB: “Alright. Just going to dinner plans.”
ML: “I can go with you.”*
*as in, walk in same direction — not inviting ourselves to dinner...
DB: “Okay. What’s up?”
ML: “How are you feeling about the new J6 committee?”
DB: “I personally think it’s old news.”
ICYMI — Laslo’s viral J6 video
ML: “Yeah? Doesn’t it keep it alive?”
DB: “Well, I just think we live in this world where one side’s saying everybody that was there on January 6 were criminal...”
ML: “Yeah.”
DB: “...and trespassers. A lot of people are out here protesting. They were doing their First Amendment rights?”
ML: “Yeah?”
DB: “Now, the people that went in the building — some of them the doors were open and they didn’t do anything...”
ML: “For some they moved the gates!”
DB: “Yeah, but some were violent. Okay. So you got some people saying they’re all criminal. You got other guys saying there’s no problem, they just walked through the door. Well, 140 cops were injured. I don’t know why we can’t have just some honesty that there were some bad apples in this whole crowd that deserve to be punished.”
ML: “Right?”
DB: “So these other guys were probably over prosecuted for doing — no damage or nothing — I just feel like both sides lost their minds.”
ML: “Right? Because having the debate again is kind of bad for the nation?”
DB: “Well, I think, you know, they’re trying to claim that the committee under Pelosi — that’s why I voted for the bipartisan committee...”
ML: “Yeah?”
DB: “...it would’ve been bipartisan. And it got very partisan under the Pelosi. And they kicked off guys that we had on there, which I warned our guys, it’s only gonna be bipartisan when she’s gonna hand pick our side too.”
ML: “Yeah?”
Psst: This Laslo exclusive was first published in Raw Story
DB: “Right? And call it bipartisan.”
ML: “So she did kind of kill it from the beginning?”
DB: “Yeah.”
ML: “It was just gonna be a partisan show?”
DB: “And they claim that some stuff was destroyed. I don’t know.”
ML: “Yeah?”
DB: “That could be useful to know, but I think it’s old news. Why can’t we just say those who hurt cops, those who — they were wrong. They deserve to be punished.”
ML: “Yeah.”
DB: “Other people that were just there but were doing nothing, they didn’t deserve to be over prosecuted...”
ML: “Yeah?”
DB: “...or, you know, overcharged.”
ML: “Yup.”
DB: “Like, it just happens. When you talk to the other side, man, they’re like, ‘it’s 100 to Zero.”
ML: “I know.”
DB: “Throw some 50s in here.”
Bacon laughs.
ML: “That’s Washington today.”
DB: “Yes.”
Bacon starts heading back towards restaurant.
ML: “Have a good one, sir. Preciate ya.”
Laslo walks back to Capitol.
