Ask a Pol politics

Who? Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-MI) — Founding member of AOC’s progressive Squad Ask a Pol asks: What are you doing back in Michigan to prepare for potential election interference ahead of November’s midterm elections? Key Tlaib: “[Elon Musk] should be arrested for putting misinformation out there about people voting,” Rep. Tlaib exclusively tells Ask a Pol . Find Ask a Pol on YouTube , TikTok or Insta...

Who? Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-MD) — Ranking Member, House Judiciary Committee LISTEN: Laslo & Raskin Ask a Pol asks: What do you make of some of these efforts by President Trump and his White House to kind of federalize this year’s midterm elections? Key Raskin: “This is an utter transgression against the Constitution,” Rep. Jamie Raskin tells Ask a Pol. Find Ask a Pol on YouTube , TikTok or Instagram...

Who? Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) Ask a Pol asks:Curious your thoughts on whether rescheduling of cannabis in Massachusetts has worked? Been successful? Whatever metric you want to use. Key Warren:“We can make improvements in the operations, but overall, legalizing cannabis is better than continuing an unregulated, underground market,” Sen. Elizabeth Warren exclusively tells Ask a Pol . Caught our...

Who? Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-AL) — leading Alabama gubernatorial candidate Transcript: Sen. Tommy Tuberville (9-23-2026) SCENE : Ask a Pol founder Matt Laslo’s been staking out the Capitol’s basement all morning on a slow day on Capitol Hill when he spots Sen. Tommy Tuberville and an aide walking toward a bank of elevators. ICYMI — Ask a Pol founder Matt Laslo’s write-up… After they greet each ot...

Who? Rep. Derrick Van Orden (R-WI) Ask a Pol asks: How do you feel about canceling the early session early? Key Van Orden: “I work. I will be here tomorrow,”* Rep. Derrick Van Orden exclusively tells Ask a Pol . *Interview was conducted Wednesday; Speaker Mike Johnson canceled the previously scheduled Thursday legislative session. Caught our ear: “I will f****** punch someone in the face for talki...

Who? Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY) Ask a Pol asks:Will your Epstein Files Transparency Act 2 have a tangible impact on the lives of these survivors? Key Massie:“It’s going to be hard to have more tangible impact than 3 million files,” Rep. Thomas Massie exclusively tells Ask a Pol . Caught our ear:“It will be a very tangible impact on the perpetrators, because one of the things it does is give the New...

Who? Rep. Tim Burchett (R-TN) Ask a Pol asks: Why are you skipping the first-ever Republican Party midterm convention in Dallas, Texas? Key Burchett: “Apparently, it’s like $25,000 they want from members of Congress,” Rep. Tim Burchett told Ask a Pol Politics . “But they said they’d work something out, but it was too late at that point. They should have told me that at the beginning.” Caught our e...

Sen. Rand Paul: Whether people take Ambien or hemp for sleep is “none of their damn business” Who? Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) Ask a Pol asks: With this hemp hang-up, what do you make of this last-minute wrangling? Key Paul: “I think the people that are so opposed to hemp need to realize that people take all kinds of prescription drugs to help them sleep, and they’re making a judgment that somehow takin...

WASHINGTON — The third poll in a row shows Democratic state Rep. James Talarico ahead of Republican Attorney General Ken Paxton in Texas’ U.S. Senate race. While it’s early, Texas lawmakers say it’s not an anomaly and Democrats have a real chance of winning a Texas Senate seat for the first time in more than three decades. “What do you make of all these polls coming out showing Paxton down?” Raw S...

Who? Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) — Founding member, “The Squad” Ask a Pol ask s: What do you make of psilocybin (ie, magic mushrooms) and other psychedelic measures focused on veterans with PTSD passing in this year’s National Defense Authorization Act or NDAA? Key Ocasio-Cortez: “ I’ve been introducing and supportive of psilocybin measures — and everything from allowing the study to de-s...

Who? Rep. Bennie Thompson (D-MS) — Ranking Member, Homeland Security Committee Ask a Pol asks: What do you make of what we’re seeing with this kid in Mississippi — the one lost on the 4th of July? Key Thompson: “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 an...

Who? Charles Dingman — Chair, Maine Democratic Party 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.* Caught our ear: “We are meeting today in the unceded homeland of the Penobscot Nation. The Maine Democratic...

Who? Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH) — Chair, House Judiciary Committee Ask a Pol asks: How are you feeling about the Jack Smith stuff — do you think DOJ has enough there? Key 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,”...

Who? Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-AL) Ask a Pol asks: Who won the 2020 election? Key Tuberville: “Donald Trump,” Sen. Tommy Tuberville exclusively told Ask a Pol when asked flat-out who won the 2020 presidential election. Donald Trump did? You joking or for real? “Well, legitimately won it,” Tuberville said. “Now they cheated, but — yeah. That’s what I’m saying.” Caught our ear: “Have you seen these n...

Who? Rep. Chellie Pingree (D-ME) Ask a Pol asks: After backing Graham Platner’s Senate bid, do you feel personally lied to or deceived by him? Key Pingree: “I don’t know if he was a liar or if he was delusional,” Rep. Chellie Pingree exclusively tells Ask a Pol Politics . “At this point it doesn’t matter to me anymore.” Caught our ear: “Like DC people and out-of-staters, could you just leave us al...

Who? Rep. Troy Nehls (R-TX) Ask a Pol asks: You’re calling for an end to birthright citizenship — 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 told Ask a Pol Politics. “We need to put a bed sheet over the Statue of Liberty for 10 years. Just pause all immigration. Moratorium.” Caught our ear: “The idea that women...

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Who? Secretary Markwayne Mullin — Department of Homeland Security Where? House Homeland Security 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...

Rep. Ayanna Pressley: reparations “not a plea for charity” — “this is about reciprocity” Ep. — Rep. Ayanna Pressley (6-2026) Who? Rep. Ayanna Pressley (D-MA) — Member, AOC’s progressive “Squad” LISTEN: Laslo & Pressley Ask a Pol asks: As the US marks its 250th anniversary, where do things stand on reparations for Black Americans? Key Pressley: “This is not a plea for charity or benevolence. This i...

The nation’s TV Networks are blocking me from training a summer intern for the first time since 2012. And they still won’t credential my 7 veteran team members . 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. My Bureau, The LCB , has provided clips, W-9s, proof of payments, etc. — yet nothing...

Who? Rep. Hillary Scholten (D-MI) Ask a Pol asks: Why did Speaker Johnson pull the AUMF from the floor? Key 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,” Rep. Hillary Scholten exclusively told Ask a Pol Politics . “It’s a disservice...

Who? Sen. Mark Warner (D-VA) — Vice Chair, Senate Intelligence Committee Ask a Pol asks: Is Anthropic’s new Mythos AI model on your radar? Has full Intelligence Committee had any classified briefing on it? Key Warner: “Preemption makes sense, but only if you’ve got strong guardrails,” Sen. Mark Warner exclusively tells Ask a Pol Politics . “But I mean, we don’t even have a federal law yet.” Find A...

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez tells Ask a Pol Politics founder Matt Laslo that while she supports descheduling marijuana because it reduces harm, it still leaves untouched the deeper injustice of people whose lives were damaged by the war on drugs. Her argument is that legalization should not just enrich the same people who profited before while leaving criminalized communities behind. About Ask a...

Podcast Show Notes: Visit Ask a Pol ~ asking your lawmakers your questions at your US Capitol ~ Let us know what to ask next! In our latest episode — Rep. Derrick Van Orden (R-WI) fires back at the premise that Republicans need to retool ahead of the midterms, telling Ask a Pol Politics the only thing needing a retool is the “legacy media” that “intentionally reports falsehoods.” He then touts GOP...

Visit Ask a Pol ~ asking your lawmakers your questions at your US Capitol ~ Let us know what to ask next! In this episode, House Judiciary Ranking Member Rep. Jamie Raskin decries Trump’s alleged violations of the emoluments clause from the Capitol steps, telling Ask a Pol Politics that Trump has never sought Congress’s consent for the millions he collected in his first term — and that the number...