Context:
Last week Senate Intelligence and Armed Services Committee member Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand told Ask a Pol, “I’m very concerned about UAPs...constantly around our military sites."
Who?
Sen. Mark Warner (D-VA) — Chair of Senate Intelligence Committee
Ask a Pol asks:
“Have you seen that new AARO report that’s coming out tomorrow?”
Warner jokes.
Ask a Pol retorts:
“Hey — I was just talking to Gillibrand. She was out there with Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman — in Nevada — and with the Air Force, and she says, persistent problem of unidentified objects hovering over sensitive US military facilities. I don't know why other reporters aren’t asking about this. Like, do you feel our airspace is safe? Do we know everything in it?”
Key Warner:
“I don’t have anything,” Warner exclusively tells Ask a Pol.
Caught our ear:
“I feel our airspace is safe, and I do feel like we, umm, you know — for the first time since I’ve been here they’ve taken this challenge seriously,” Warner says. “I've seen no evidence. And, you know, if further evidence comes out, I’m going to pursue it, but I think…”
Content posted at AskaPol.com is copyrighted. Use our original content to move the story forward. And, please, link to us.
LISTEN: Laslo & Warner
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. @Ask_a_Pol or @askpols
SUBSCRIBER-ONLY CONTENT*
*Student? Lost your gig? Hard times? Been there. Got you. No questions asked. Just ping us.
Below find a rough transcript of Ask a Pol’s exclusive interview with Sen. Mark Warner (D-VA), slightly edited for clarity.
TRANSCRIPT: Sen. Mark Warner
SCENE: The State of the Union address just wrapped and Laslo’s rushing back from a smoke break (don’t smoke!) and first person he sees is Sen. Warner. Laslo knows Warner’s dismissive these days, so dispenses with all niceties…
Matt Laslo: “Have you seen that new AARO report that’s coming out tomorrow?”
Mark Warner: “Pardon me?”
ML: “Have you seen that new AARO report that’s coming out tomorrow?”
MW: “I’m glad you're back on the important thing.”
Laslo pretends to laugh.
MW: “Umm, I think — is this the one that just got declassified?”
ML: “Hey — I was just talking to Gillibrand. She was out there with Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman — in Nevada — and with the Air Force, and she says, persistent problem of unidentified objects hovering over sensitive US military facilities. I don't know why other reporters aren’t asking about this. Like, do you feel our airspace is safe? Do we know everything in it?”
MW: “I feel our airspace is safe, and I do feel like we, umm, you know — for the first time since I’ve been here…”
Laslo directs Warner to the correct down elevator that he’s desperately trying to flee to.
ML: “Yeah? This one, sir.”
MW: “…they’ve taken this challenge seriously, and I continue to be somebody's who has a tendency to accept the premise that — I've seen no evidence. And, you know, if further evidence comes out, I’m going to pursue it, but I think…”
ML: “Well, I’m not talking extraterrestrial: Do we know which countries are hovering over are installations?”
MW: “Yeah. Listen. I think, there are (inaudible?*)”
Does he say: “longtime foes”?
Warner motions to men’s room (State of the Union is a long affair on all our bladders, old, youngish and youthful alike…).
ML: “Yeah.”
Laslo’s waiting outside men’s room for more than a minute for Warner as Sen. Tommy Tuberville walks past.
ML: “How you Livin? What’d you think of that?”
Tommy Tuberville: “My head got to hurting.”
Prof. Laslo: ‘You guys didn’t even stand up at all — none of that was worth it?”
TB: “No. Hell no.”
ML: “No?”
TB: “Optics.”
Warner exits lavatory.
MW: “So…”
ML: “So you haven’t seen the AARO report that’s coming out — the declassified?”
MW: “I do not…I don’t have anything.”
ML: “Oh, I know.”
Laslo’s eyes roll on their own.
ML: “Have a good one.”
Intel. Chair Warner says US "safe," even w/ craft "constantly around our military sites," according to Gillibrand