Below find a slew of our interviews from this week with Congressional UAP Caucus members that usually wouldn’t make the cut, but that we’re posting cause we know you all are trying to find out source for our exclusive David Grusch in talks with UAP Caucus member about becoming congressional intel. aide
Who?
Rep. Tim Burchett (R-TN) — Co-Chair Congressional UAP Caucus
*BONUS RAW EXCLUSIVES BELOW*
Reps. Anna Paulina Luna, Eric Burlison, Andy Ogles, Matt Gaetz & Nancy Mace
Ask a Pol asks:
Were you surprised to see former AARO Director Dr. Sean Kirkpatrick put at Oak Ridge National Laboratory in Tennessee?
LISTEN: Laslo & Burchett (3-7-2024)
Key Burchett:
“I’m never surprised about anything up here,” Burchett tells Ask a Pol. “At Oak Ridge, they’re developing — they’re at the forefront of these small modular reactors.”
Caught our ear:
“Well, oddly enough, [my Chief of Staff] Michael and I met with the former head of Oak Ridge — I didn’t know it at the time but he was leaving — and we said, ‘Hey, there’s probably gonna be some research on UFOs,’ and he looked at us like we were aliens,” Burchett says.
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LISTEN: Laslo & Luna (3-7-2024)
ICYMI
*background for, “Well, you kinda blew up my feed…”
LISTEN: Laslo & Burlison (3-7-2024)*
*Juicy post: Rep. Burlison in talks with Speaker Johnson & Oversight Chair Comer for UAP subcommittee
LISTEN: Laslo & Ogles (3-7-2024)*
*Dud: on Thursday asked if he was part of group briefed on AARO report ahead of time; he was not
LISTEN: Laslo & Gaetz (3-7-2024)*
*Dud: ask if he knows about Grusch’s op-ed; “not something I’m familiar with”
LISTEN: Laslo & Mace*
*No news: interview focuses on House Intel Chair Mike Turner and Russia’s space program
Matt Laslo’s a veteran congressional correspondent, new media prof. & founder of Ask a Pol — a new, people-powered press corps.
Ask a Pol — asking your lawmakers your questions at your US Capitol.
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Below find a rough transcript of Ask a Pol’s exclusive interview with Rep. Tim Burchett (R-TN), slightly edited for clarity.
TRANSCRIPT: Rep. Tim Burchett
SCENE: Burchett and his chief of staff are strolling through the US Capitol ahead of the State of the Union address.
Matt Laslo: “You causing trouble?”
Tim Burchett: “Yes, I am!”
ML: “Hey, have you heard that David Grusch has an op-ed that he’s submitted for review that’s just sat there for a while?”
TB: “I think I heard that, I might have heard that.”
Burchett starts talking to a group of three Capitol Police officers standing outside the entrance to the floor of the US House of Representatives.
Burchett to officers: “Hello, man. Good to see ya. Appreciate you all.”
Officer: “What’s going on? Where’s your coat?”
ML: “That’s what I just said!”
TB: “It’s sunny out there, baby.”
Burchett and officers chat for a bit.
TB: “Alright, what you got, brother?”
ML: “But you know who the new — have you met with the new head of AARO yet?”
TB: “No, he’s in. Where is he, Michael, at? The old one [Sean Kirkpatrick] went to Oak Ridge.”
Chief of Staff, Michael: “The old one went there. I don’t know.”
ML: “Yeah, what do you think about that?”
TB: “Well, oddly enough, Michael and I met with the former head of Oak Ridge — I didn’t know it at the time but he was leaving — and we said, ‘Hey, there’s probably gonna be some research on UFOs,’ and he looked at us like we were aliens.”
ML: “Really?”
TB: “And now, you know, now it’s the — it’s kind of a hot button [issue], there’s some money out there, I think. That’s gonna be start floating towards the research of that — openly Before it was behind the scenes, of course.”
ML: “Oh, that’s interesting.”
TB: “No I haven’t. I don’t care to meet with bureaucrats.”
ML: “Yeah?”
TB: “They’re just all gonna tell you the same thing. They’re just told what they’re told.”
ML: “Were you surprised to see Kirkpatrick put at Oak Ridge?”
TB: “I’m never surprised about anything up here.”
ML: “But what do they do at Oak Ridge? I know it’s nuclear stuff.”
TB: “At Oak Ridge, they’re developing — they’re at the forefront of these small modular reactors. Isn’t that right, Michael?”
Michael: “They do raw material sciences over there.”
TB: “Material sciences, yeah. And they have Big Ed’s Pizza. You ever come to Oak Ridge, I’ll take you there.”
Laslo laughs.
TB: “Michael’s from Oak Ridge.”
ML: “Done. You know, I did my undergrad at Covenant College.”
Michael: “Really?”
ML: “So I used to roam around Oak Ridge every once in a while.”
TB: “Your undergrad? Did you go to graduate?”
ML: “I did my MA at Hopkins, where I teach.”
TB: “Oh, really? What do you teach?”
ML: “Government and Public Policy, so history of the media.”
TB: “Dude, if you ever need me to come speak to your class, I would love that.”
ML: “Oh…”
Michael: “In the Newseum building?”
ML: “Yeah. That’s our new building.”
ML: “…but — last member to volunteer was Mark Meadows.”
Laughs.
TB: “Look what happened to him.”
ML: “I know, right? So you, be wary. But no, I’d love that if you talked to my students.”
TB: “I don’t ever get invited into the White House, don’t worry about it.”
ML: “So you’re not — I’m curious if your path is gonna cross.”
TB: “You’re what?”
ML: “I’m curious if you’re gonna cross paths with Kirkpatrick at Oak Ridge.”
TB: “Oh I don’t care if I do or I don’t.”
ML: “But what have you thought of him going out and saying, ‘These whistleblowers are meaningless….’”
TB: “Well, like I said all along, most of these guys, I think, are telling the truth as far as they know it. And that just shows the limited scope, because what he’s saying is contradicting what we’ve had sworn testimony, literally, heroes. Best pilots we have in the world, and they’re very intelligent, they’re not just some hotdogs that they show on television. These guys have mathematics degrees, physics degrees and things like that and they’re incredibly intelligent. So I think that’s what — I think that’s what we’re looking at. I just think he’s probably just been misled his whole professional life.”
Burchett turns to his chief of staff.
TB: “What do you think of that?”
Michael: “I would agree.”
ML: “Umm. Any way you all can apply pressure to try to dislodge that Grusch op-ed or is this just the slow wheels of bureaucracy?”
TB: “I don’t know. Op-eds just…”
Michael: “Which publication?”
TB: “Yeah. What publication is it in?”
ML: “I’m not even sure I’ve even heard that. I’m just curious.”
They reach entrance to Longworth House Office Building and a crush of tourists so Laslo ducks out.
ML: “Good to meet ya. Have a good one.”
Before Kirkpatrick sent to Oak Ridge, Burchett told director: "probably gonna be some research on UFOs"