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.”
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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.”
Below find a rough transcript of Ask a Pol‘s exclusive interview with Rep. Derrick Van Orden (R-WI), slightly edited for clarity.
ICYMI — Matt Laslo’s feature for wire service client
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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