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  • Republican gets mad when asked about Trump Admin attacks on protestors' gun rights

    Republican gets mad when asked about Trump Admin attacks on protestors' gun rights
    Feb 21 2026

    Who?

    Rep. Tom McClintock (R-CA) — Member, House Judiciary Committee

    Ask a Pol asks:

    Are you worried the Second Amendment’s being attacked by members of the administration?

    Key McClintock:

    “I utterly reject the premise of your question,” Rep. Tom McClintock exclusively tells Ask a Pol Politics when asked if the Second Amendment is under attack from the administration. McClintock points to concealed carry laws in 29 states as evidence against that premise.

    Below find a rough transcript of Ask a Pol’s exclusive interview with Rep. Tom McClintock (R-CA), slightly edited for clarity.

    TRANSCRIPT: Rep. Tom McClintock (2-3-2026)

    SCENE: Ask a Pol’s Matt Laslo catches Rep. Tom McClintock walking through the basment of the US Capitol…

    Matt Laslo: “What do you make of — like you think your party needs to hold hearings on the Second Amendment?”

    The partially perplexed (partially pissed…) Congressman — who Laslo covered for Sacramento’s Capital Public Radio for a decade or so — shakes head.

    Laslo: “Are you worried that it’s being attacked by members of the administration?”

    Rep. Tom McClintock: “No, I don’t.”

    Laslo: “No?”

    McClintock: “I reject the premise of your question.”

    Laslo: “29 states have concealed carry! And they said that’s illegal?!”

    McClintock: “I utterly reject the premise of your question.”

    Laslo: “Yeah?”

    Laslo’s ears perked, so he does 180.

    Laslo: “So what do you think?”

    McClintock: “I just told you.”

    McClintock boards elevator.

    Laslo: “Alright, go ahead, sir.”

    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…

    About Ask a Pol: We give listeners a front row seat to Congress. Transparency matters, so come inside the Capitol with us! Politicians disappoint. Ask a Pol keeps em honest.

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    This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.askapolpolitics.com/subscribe
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    2 Min.
  • “The President wanting to hang me?” Sen. Mark Kelly, "I take a little bit of offense to it"

    “The President wanting to hang me?” Sen. Mark Kelly, "I take a little bit of offense to it"
    Feb 14 2026
    Who?Sen. Mark Kelly (D-AZ) — Senate Armed Services CommitteeAsk a Pol asks:What have you made of President Donald Trump and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth…?Key Kelly:“The president wanting to hang me?” Sen. Kelly exclusively tells Ask a Pol founder Matt Laslo. “Yeah, I take a little bit of offense to it, you know? And saying I should be prosecuted, executed, yeah, it’s outrageous. I mean, he’s the President.“The real thing that matters is there are over 2 million retired veterans whose First Amendment rights are on the line with this case, because if they can say that me, as somebody who left the military 15 years ago and is a retired service member, that I do not have freedom of speech rights — and I’m a US senator, right?“If they can take away my rank after 25 years and take away some of my retirement pension, they can do that to anybody. Much easier to do that to somebody else.”ICYMI — Find Ask a Pol on YouTube, TikTok or Instagram!Caught our ear:“This government doesn’t want us speaking out against them,” Kelly tells us. “Such a fundamental American right that we all have is to criticize the government. They don’t like criticism.”TRANSCRIPT: Sen. Mark Kelly (Feb. 2026)SCENE: Sen. Mark Kelly invites Ask a Pol’s Matt Laslo to ride the underground tram from the US Capitol to his office across the street.Matt Laslo: “What do you think about this, the President and the Pentagon…?”Mark Kelly: “The president wanting to hang me?”ML: “Yeah.”MK: “Yeah, I take a little bit of offense to it, you know? And saying I should be, you know, prosecuted, executed…”ML: “Yeah.”MK: “…yeah, it’s outrageous. I mean, he’s the President.”ICYMI — Ask a Pol founder Matt Laslo used this exclusive interview for his wireservice, The LCB, client Raw StoryML: “Yeah?”MK: “He should — every day he just says outrageous stuff.”ML: “Are you worried, though, seeing the Pentagon then carrying out his unconstitutional will?”MK: “There is a — am I worried? There’s a process.”ML: “Yeah.”MK: “This is part of the process. I filed a lawsuit against Pete Hegseth to, you know, stop that process.”ML: “Yeah?”MK: “But the real thing is…”Kelly and his aides already boarded the underground tram when Kelly invites Laslo aboard.MK: “Here, you want to hop in?”ML: “Yeah.”MK: “You know, the real thing that matters is there are over 2 million retired veterans whose First Amendment rights are on the line with this case, because if they can say that me, as somebody who left the military 15 years ago and is a retired service member, that I do not have freedom of speech rights — and I’m a US senator, right?”ML: “Yeah.”MK: “If they can take away my rank after 25 years and take away some of my retirement pension, they can do that to anybody. Much easier to do that to somebody else.”ML: “Yeah.”MK: “And, you know, this government doesn’t want us speaking out against them — and such a fundamental American right that we all have is to criticize the government. They don’t like criticism.”ML: “Do you — are you feeling good about your case?”MK: “The law and the Constitution are on our side here.”ML: “Yeah?”MK: “So yeah, I mean, anything can happen, but, yeah, I felt pretty good about it.”ML: “Seeing you on TV a lot because of it.”Laslo laughs; Kelly doesn’t.MK: “Yeah. I didn’t ask for this.”ML: “I know.”MK: “I mean, I was just trying to send a really very simple, basic message that I felt needed to be said.”ML: “Yeah?”MK: “And, you know, this is all Donald Trump and Pete Hegseth’s doing.”ML: “Yeah.”Let us know what to ask your US Senator next!About Ask a Pol: We give listeners a front row seat to Congress. Transparency matters, so come inside the Capitol with us! Politicians disappoint. Ask a Pol keeps em honest. Find us on social media:SubstackXSpotifyAppleDon’t miss our other Ask a Pol sites! Ask a Pol politics.Ask a Pol crypto. Ask a Pol drugs. Ask a Pol ai. Ask a Pol uaps. Find Ask a Pol founder @MattLaslo on social media. 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… This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.askapolpolitics.com/subscribe
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    3 Min.
  • Rep. Dean: "Republicans will be held to account" for enabling "the criminal, lawless behavior of this president"

    Rep. Dean: "Republicans will be held to account" for enabling "the criminal, lawless behavior of this president"
    Feb 7 2026
    Who?Rep. Madeleine Dean (D-PA)Key Dean:“We either uphold this Constitution and call out the criminal, lawless behavior of this president and his administration, or we could be doomed,” Rep. Madeleine Dean lectured congressional reporters from the steps of the Capitol.ICYMI — Ask a Pol’s on YouTube, TikTok & InstagramCaught our ear:“Americans are being shot and killed. Journalists like you are being arrested. This is in violation of our First Amendment guarantees,” Dean said.“They were put in there by the very first Congress to the United States, because some were worried that states didn’t have — and individuals didn’t have — enough protections within the Constitution. Are we going to walk away from the First Amendment to the Bill of Rights today?”Below find a rough transcript of Ask a Pol’s exclusive interview with Rep. Madeleine Dean (D-PA), slightly edited for clarity.TRANSCRIPT: Rep. Madeleine Dean (2-3-2026)SCENE: After voting on the floor of the US House of Representatives, Rep. Dean stops at the bottom of the US Capitol steps to answer questions from the press corps.Rep. Madeleine Dean: “This is a historic moment, folks. Americans are being shot and killed. Journalists like you are being arrested. This is in violation of our First Amendment guarantees.“They were put in there by the very first Congress to the United States, because some were worried that states didn’t have — and individuals didn’t have — enough protections within the Constitution. Are we going to walk away from the First Amendment to the Bill of Rights today?“This Congress will be held to account. Republicans will be held to account, as Americans are shot and killed in the street, little Liam is taken, fearful — our children in this country are fearful they are going to be taken by authorities in America.“We are at an incredibly historic time. We either uphold this Constitution and call out the criminal and lawless behavior of this president and his administration, or we could be doomed.”About Ask a Pol: We give listeners a front row seat to Congress. Transparency matters, so come inside the Capitol with us! Politicians disappoint. Ask a Pol keeps em honest. Find us on social media:SubstackXSpotifyAppleDon’t miss our other Ask a Pol sites! Ask a Pol politics.Ask a Pol crypto. Ask a Pol drugs. Ask a Pol ai. Ask a Pol uaps. Find Ask a Pol founder @MattLaslo on social media.What should we ask Congress this week? Let us know! This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.askapolpolitics.com/subscribe
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    2 Min.
  • Rep. Ilhan Omar: ICE agents responsible for bringing “pure terror” to Minnesota

    Rep. Ilhan Omar: ICE agents responsible for bringing “pure terror” to Minnesota
    Jan 26 2026

    Ask a Pol ~ interactive political journalism ~ what should we ask Congress next?

    Who?

    Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN)

    Ask a Pol asks:

    Is ICE escalating tactics in Minnesota?

    Key Omar:

    “They are. They are. I mean, “occupation,” I think, is a light word. It’s terror at this point,” Rep. Ilhan Omar exclusively told Ask a Pol Politics.

    Do you think it’s because of fmr. VP candidate, Gov. Tim Walz or is it the Somali community? Or both?

    “They have a desperate need to show that they are able to do something there,” Omar said. “Obviously, the Somalis are not in the crossfire of this, because nearly 60% of Somalis in Minnesota are US-born. Almost 99% of us are citizens, so when they couldn’t find Somalis, I think, they’re taking their anger out on the Latino and Asian community. And it is, like I said, it’s pure terror…”

    About Ask a Pol: We give listeners a front row seat to Congress. Transparency matters, so come inside the Capitol with us! Politicians disappoint. Ask a Pol keeps em honest.

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    This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.askapolpolitics.com/subscribe
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    6 Min.
  • "Contempt of the judge" — Republican dares Trump's DOJ to keep Epstein files secret

    "Contempt of the judge" — Republican dares Trump's DOJ to keep Epstein files secret
    Jan 18 2026
    Who?Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY) — lead Republican sponsor of Epstein file measure President Donald Trump signed into law**Massie and his Democratic partner, Ro Khanna, authored the “Epstein files“ discharge petition, which forced Speaker Mike Johnson and other GOP leaders to bring the Epstein measure to the House floor for a vote.LISTEN: Laslo & MassieThe measure sailed through after overcoming a fierce lobbying effort by President Donald Trump, Attorney General Pam Bondi and others who fought the documents’ release, and who, according to Massie and Khanna, have now failed to abide by the law by refusing to release all the Epstein files Congress overwhelmingly mandated be released publicly.Ask a Pol asks:Any update on the Epstein files the Justice Department has refused to release?Key Massie:“No,” Massie exclusively tells Ask a Pol Politics. “There’s a court angle now. I think there’s a path. We asked for a special master, and the judge says, ‘Alright, tell us what you’re thinking.’ And he asked the DOJ to tell them — to send something…”Caught our ear:Do you want to see a Contempt of Congress or is going through the courts better to get the outcome you want?“This is quicker and has more precedent,” Massie tells us.And you think they’ll listen to a judge a little more than Congress?“I think so,” Massie says. “That’s just the world they live in — courtrooms.”TRANSCRIPT: Rep. Thomas Massie (1-15-2026)SCENE: Ask a Pol’s Matt Laslo is showing the managing editor of one of his wire service clients around the Capitol during a vote on the floor of the House of Representatives.Rep. Thomas Massie leaves the House floor and starts peeking around the Speaker’s Lobby — a rare Members and Press Only area — so Laslo ditches his British guest in the hall to get this update on the Department of Justice slow-walking the release of the Epstein files, a rare successful legislative effort spearheaded by Massie and California Rep. Ro Khanna.Matt Laslo: “Mr. Massie.”**Laslo covered Congress for Kentucky Public Radio for years, so the two know each other.Rep. Thomas Massie: “Hey, how are you?”Massie’s on the Democratic side of the Speaker’s Lobby looking for someone…Laslo: “Any update on Epstein [files]?”Massie: “On the..?”Laslo: “Epstein and DOJ?”Massie: “No.”Massie stops looking around corners…Massie: “We’re working with the — there’s a court angle now.”Laslo: “Do you think — do you feel good about that or…?”Massie: “I think there’s a path.”Laslo: “Even with this DOJ?”Massie: “Well — no, with the court…”Laslo: “Yeah?”Massie: “…with the judges. We asked for a special master, and the judge says, ‘Alright, tell us what you’re thinking.’ And he asked the DOJ to tell them — to send something.”Laslo: “But in the end, if the judge rules in your guys’ favor, it would still be up to [Attorney General Pam] Bondi and the Trump administration to implement it. Do you think they would?”Massie: “Well, then she’s in contempt of the judge.”Laslo: “Yeah?”Massie: “Which is a little more clear-cut than…”Laslo: “…Contempt of Congress.”Massie: “…Contempt of Congress.”Laslo: “Yeah?”Massie: “Yes.”Laslo: “Interesting. Do you…?”Massie: “Judges, hit people every day for being in contempt.”Laslo: “Yeah?”Massie: “We haven’t done it 85 years.”Laslo: “Do you want to see a Contempt of Congress or this is better — to get the outcome you want?”Massie: “This is quicker and has more precedent.”Laslo: “And you think they’ll listen to a judge a little more than you all?”Massie: “I think so.”Laslo: “Yeah.”Massie: “I mean they’ve all — that’s just the world they live in…”Laslo: “Yeah?”Massie: “…courtrooms.”If you support our work, support our work! We’re on Venmo, PayPal, Cash App, etc.Or just buy the team a beer!Laslo: “Yeah. Interesting. We’ll see.”Massie: “We’ll see. Yup.”Massie turns away from Laslo’s mic as he starts looking around the Speaker’s Lobby again.Massie: “I’m looking for Ro Khanna.”Massie heads south and Laslo peeks around a north corner closer to the House floor.Laslo: “There he is.”Laslo politely rushes and catches up to Massie.Laslo: “Mr. Massie — he’s over here.”Massie: “Oh, is he?”While Laslo escorts Massie to Khanna, a throng of congressional reporters crowd around the Kentucky Republican.Laslo: “He’s sitting down…”Massie chats briefly with Khanna before doing an impromptu press conference with a dozen or so journalists in the Speaker’s Lobby.As the other reporters pepper Massie with questions, Laslo slides next to Khanna for an exclusive with the California Democrat on the Epstein files.What should we ask Congress next?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 ...
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    3 Min.
  • Sen. Lummis admits "war on drugs" failed but still backs drug boat strikes

    Sen. Lummis admits "war on drugs" failed but still backs drug boat strikes
    Dec 22 2025

    Ask a Pol ~ interactive political journalism ~ what should we ask Congress next?

    Who?

    Sen. Cynthia Lummis (R-WY) — Member, Senate Banking Committee

    Caught our ear:

    “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,” Sen. Cynthia Lummis tells us. “He was the neatest kid. Yeah. And he’s gone. Yeah. 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.”

    About Ask a Pol: We give listeners a front row seat to Congress. Transparency matters, so come inside the Capitol with us! Politicians disappoint. Ask a Pol keeps em honest.

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    4 Min.
  • Sen. Bernie Moreno: "Least desirable job in the Americas is driving a drug boat"

    Sen. Bernie Moreno: "Least desirable job in the Americas is driving a drug boat"
    Dec 20 2025

    Ask a Pol ~ interactive political journalism ~ what should we ask Congress next?

    Who?

    Sen. Bernie Moreno (R-OH) — Member, Banking, Housing & Urban Affairs

    Ask a Pol asks:

    Has the “war on drugs” worked?

    Key Moreno:

    “Well, we actually didn’t have a war on drugs until the operation that’s being done now [in Venezuela and the Caribbean],” Sen. Bernie Moreno exclusively tells Ask a Pol Drugs. “We had a conversation about drugs — but not a war on drugs. We’re actually conducting a war and that’s why you’re seeing the kind of seizures that we’re seeing.”

    Moreno’s now lead Republican on SAFER Banking Act

    President Donald Trump’s rescheduling of cannabis — how would that, maybe, affect your SAFER Banking Act?

    “Well, it changes the big time, right?” Moreno says. “Obviously.”

    Support Ask a Pol’s groundbreaking interactive political journalism today!

    Pity us Venmo, PayPal, Cash App — or just buy us a beer!

    About Ask a Pol: We give listeners a front row seat to Congress. Transparency matters, so come inside the Capitol with us! Politicians disappoint. Ask a Pol keeps em honest.

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    3 Min.
  • Pete Hegseth's "violating international laws," Sen. Duckworth says, "putting servicemembers in legal jeopardy”

    Pete Hegseth's "violating international laws," Sen. Duckworth says, "putting servicemembers in legal jeopardy”
    Dec 13 2025

    Ask a Pol ~ interactive political journalism ~ what should we ask Congress next?

    Who?

    Sen. Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) — Combat veteran; Armed Services & Veterans Affairs Committees

    Ask a Pol asks:

    Curious your thoughts on the latest Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth “scandal” — but more so the strikes that we’re seeing the US military do without congressional authorization against drug cartels?

    Key Duckworth:

    “We never had a debate on whether or not we’re even at war, right?” Duckworth exclusively tells Ask a Pol Politics. “The other aspect of this is, I worry about the servicemembers being put into jeopardy by this, right? We’re violating international laws of armed conflict. We are putting servicemembers in legal jeopardy.”

    Subscribe for FREE to get our latest first!

    About Ask a Pol: We give listeners a front row seat to Congress. Transparency matters, so come inside the Capitol with us! Politicians disappoint. Ask a Pol keeps em honest.

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    This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.askapolpolitics.com/subscribe
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    3 Min.