Senate Intelligence Committee Chair Mark Warner and Vice-Chair Marco Rubio “recently” met with All-Domain Anomaly Resolution Office (AARO) Director Sean Kirkpatrick and, according to Warner, “reiterated our belief that this is a really serious topic and needs to be treated that way.”
Below find a rough transcript of Ask a Pol’s interview with Sen. Mark Warner, slightly edited for clarity.
Matt Laslo: “Fancy meeting you here.”
I saw Warner hop on an elevator on the 2nd floor so I hopped another one down to the Capitol’s basement and met him as his elevator door’s opened.
ML: “I’m curious. There's reporting out there that you are the one who's blocking all UAP hearings here in the Senate...”
Warner says nothing—my mic picks up audio from a reporter we walk past. Warner looks perplexed and bewildered, lips never moving, turns to a staffer, his face screaming: WTF?
ML: “I know.”
I say, my eyes embarrassed and begging forgiveness for asking a dumb, ill-informed question knowing that the Senate Intelligence Chair does not unilaterally have the power to squash other committee’s investigations.
ML: “What happened to the investigation after the inspector general report came over here?”
Mark Warner: “I know that staff sat down—let me get you a fulsome answer.”
ML: “I am curious, what's your guys' plan? Because the House Oversight…”
MW: “Every whistleblower, the committee’s treated with respect and fully heard out.”
ML: “Well, [Sen. Mike] Rounds said he met with the head of AARO, Kirkpatrick, and said he pushed him on the fact that whistleblowers don't feel protected.”
EXCLUSIVE: Sen. Rounds pushing AARO Director Kirkpatrick for better UAP whistleblower protections
Listen now (1 min) | At the end of July, the same week UFO whistleblower David Grusch testified before the House Oversight Committee, Sen. Mike Rounds (R-SD) had a classified briefing with All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office (AARO) Director Dr. Sean Kirkpatrick, which Rounds says he used to …
MW: “The vice-chairman [Marco Rubio] and I have met recently with Dr. Kirkpatrick and reiterated our belief that this is a really serious topic and needs to be treated that way. And it's the first time that the federal government has put the resources and the scientific heft behind this effort, and we are absolutely very closely monitoring it.”
ML: “Have you talked to Administrator Nelson at NASA about his new UAP venture?”
MW: “Not recently, but I do know that NASA—I thought NASA was it a folding into? Let me, I’ll talk to Bill.”
ML: “Yeah. I’ll follow back up. Preciate ya!”
Matt Laslo’s a veteran congressional correspondent, new media prof. and founder of Ask a Pol — the people-powered press corps.
Ask a Pol is a new, people-powered press corps, asking your lawmakers your questions at your US Capitol. Follow us on the socials @Ask_a_Pol (or @askpols on Insta).
Haha beautiful timing:) And what’s with ‘fulsome’ getting thrown around these days lol. That was in Monheims response to Burchette et al. Either way Warner seems quite uncomfortable finding the right words ...
The context you added in the transcription is great, thx for that, Matt.
Also, Sen Warner saying that this is the first time the fed gov has put this many resources behind this issue is kinda silly? I mean, Project Sign, Grudge, Bluebook etc. Did I miss something?
Great stuff, Matt! 🙏🤘
Thanks!
And, yeah, why these kids need the light of day shone on em!
He was speaking a word every two seconds haha. Like he had to think reaaaaally hard about what he wanted to say 😂
Welcome to my world. hahaha
Nice!
Make sure every senator/representative is aware of what could happen with the UAP measures in the NDAA!
Turner, who is behind the push to remove that legislation, has baselessly attacked former pilots and officials.
https://townhall.com/columnists/johnnantz/2023/09/26/government-weaponization-accountability-and-the-uap-question-n2628933
Great work. 💪
Any insight into whether he and Rubio are aligned in shutting down public Senate hearings?
See Gillibrand and Warner deny that to us? Was just a rumor. Warner doesn't have that power.
Now Schumer or Pentagon may...exploring that...