Who?
Sen. Cynthia Lummis (R-WY) — Member, Senate Banking Committee
LISTEN: Laslo & Lummis
Ask a Pol asks:
Has the “war on drugs” been successful?
Key Lummis:
“No, of course not,” Sen. Cynthia Lummis exclusively tells Ask a Pol Politics founder Matt Laslo.
Are we going to see different outcomes bringing the US military into it?
“I hope so,” the Senator replies.
Do you think so, though?
“I don’t know,” Lummis says.
Caught our ear:
“I myself have a nephew, I mean, this kid was salt of the earth. And now — he tried meth just once — and now he’s in prison, and it turned him into a totally different person,” Sen. Cynthia Lummis tells us. “He was the neatest kid, and he’s gone. That person is gone. And so I’m pretty hardcore about keeping it away from people, but I don’t know how to do it.”
Caught the Senator’s ear:
LASLO: “I’m a former homeless cokehead at 19,” Matt Laslo tells the Senator. “Pre-fentanyl era.”
“Oh, okay. So you know,” Lummis says. “You know, you as a survivor are maybe the exception.”
“But PRE-fentanyl era,” Laslo replies. “Fentanyl’s a loaded weapon that you don’t ask for…”
ICYMI — Laslo’s not shy about his past…
FULL TRANSCRIPT: Sen. Cynthia Lummis (12-15-2025)
SCENE: After a late-night Senate vote, Sen. Cynthia Lummis is exiting the Capitol when a coatless Matt Laslo — Ask a Pol’s founder — proceeds to join her...
LASLO: “I’m just…”
LUMMIS: “I don’t want you to freeze.”
LASLO: “I’m doing my annual poll of all 100 senators asking if the “war on drugs” has been successful?”
LUMMIS: “No, of course not.”
LASLO: “Are we going to see different outcomes bringing the Pentagon into it?”
LUMMIS: “I hope so.”
LASLO: “Do you think so, though?”
LUMMIS: “I don’t know.”
LASLO: “Why not?”
LUMMIS: “I think it will — it certainly will — with preventing the import of drugs coming in from Venezuela and perhaps other South American countries. So it’s going to prevent some of them from coming in.”
LASLO: “Yeah.”
LUMMIS: “Which to my way of thinking is extremely important, and I, honestly, don’t question the validity of taking these narco terrorists out.”
LASLO: “Yeah?”
LUMMIS: “I support it.”
LASLO: “It doesn’t seem like we’re having a full conversation on the other half, the demand side and getting kids not into it?”
LUMMIS: “Yeah. It’s the imponderable question.”
LASLO: “Yeah?”
LUMMIS: “I don’t know how you stop people. I myself have a nephew, I mean this kid was salt to the earth and now he tried meth just once and now he’s in prison and it turned him into a totally different person.”
LASLO: “Prison turns you into a different person…”
LUMMIS: “Yeah.”
LASLO: “…to survive.”
LUMMIS: “And so yeah, and you look at, you know, the Rob Reiner double murder. Yeah. It sounds like that was a drug-induced event. I mean, these drugs are…”
LASLO: “Yeah — I’m a former homeless cokehead.”
LUMMIS: “Oh.”
LASLO: “At 19.”
LUMMIS: “Oh, okay.”
LASLO: “Oh, I know.”
LUMMIS: “So you know.”
LASLO: “Yeah.”
LUMMIS: “You know, you know — you as a survivor are maybe…”
LASLO: “Pre-fentanyl era.”
LUMMIS: “…maybe the exception.”
LASLO: “But PRE-fentanyl era.”
LUMMIS: “Yeah.”
LASLO: “Fentanyl’s a loaded weapon that you don’t ask for.”
Let us know what to ask your lawmakers!
LUMMIS: “It is a loaded weapon. And so coke is one thing, meth is another and then fentanyl is another.”
LASLO: “Totally. Yeah.”
LUMMIS: “And I’ve seen what meth does and it just turns people into people you don’t even recognize…”
LASLO: “Yeah.”
LUMMIS: “…and that have out of control violent streaks. And I don’t know if that’s what was at work or at with the Reiner thing, but I know with my own nephew that — I mean, he was the neatest kid.”
LASLO: “Yeah.”
LUMMIS: “And he’s gone.”
LASLO: “Yeah?”
LUMMIS: “That person is gone. And so I’m pretty hardcore about keeping it away from people, but I don’t know how to do it.”
LASLO: “Right?”
LUMMIS: “When you ask about the other side of the equation, I don’t know.”
LASLO: “Fair. I don’t know.”
LUMMIS: “Well, if you don’t know and you’ve been there and come back from the hell.”
LASLO: “Yeah.”
LUMMIS: “I don’t know what you do?”
LASLO: “Yeah. I know.”
LUMMIS: “Thank you.”
LASLO: “Preciate you.”
LUMMIS: “You bet.”
Laslo cried later.
If you’re struggling kicking a substance, feel free and reach out to Prof. Laslo.
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