Who?
Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) — Armed Services & Intelligence Committees
LISTEN: Laslo & Gillibrand
Ask a Pol asks:
What do you make of the White House saying the FAA knew what all these were on the East Coast?
Key Gillibrand:
“We're not concerned about most of it. We're concerned about specific drone incursions over Langley and arsenals and other sensitive military sites,” Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand exclusively tells Ask a Pol UAPs. “It's very concerning, and so I think they just listened to the pablum that came from law enforcement to say we're not worried about most of the reports because most are of aircraft and other known objects. But it doesn't answer the question. They don't know…”
“We have adversaries flying drones over our bases to collect intelligence,
it's a huge intelligence failure” — Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand
Is SASC taking over Senate Intel’s fmr. UAP investigation?
“Because I asked about it in Armed Services, [SASC Chair] Roger Wicker said, ‘Did you have co-sponsors?’” Gillibrand says. “He said, ‘Let's try to look at it in this committee.’”
ICYMI — Wicker does 60 Minutes, not Ask a Pol — yet…
Caught our ear:
“We have adversaries flying drones over our bases to collect intelligence, it's a huge intelligence failure,” Gillibrand tells us. “And so there is no excuse for not bringing them down, assessing whose they are or following them to their place of launch.”
Enjoy this transcript of our exclusive interview with Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY).
TRANSCRIPT: Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand
SCENE: Ask a Pol’s Matt Laslo runs into Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand as her and an aide are making their way through the basement of the US Capitol — before hopping an elevator with Ask a Pol — to meet another one of her aide’s in the Senator’s Only dining room on the 1st floor.
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Matt Laslo: “How are you ma’am?”
Kristen Gillibrand: “Good. How are you?”
ML: “Livin the dream.”
Gillibrand laughs.
ML: “I heard that drones came up…”
KG: “I brought ‘em up!”
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ML: “I've been meaning to ask you, what do you make of the White House saying the FAA knew what all these were on the East Coast?”
KG: “I think they relied on the same statement that Biden administration relied on, that most of this is known aircraft and most of the sightings are known aircraft and known weather balloons and enthusiasts. I think they're relying on the overly broad statement that we know what most of this is.”
ML: “Yeah?”
ICYMI — (some) Republicans are pushing back too…
KG: “We're not concerned about most of it. We're concerned about specific drone incursions over Langley and arsenals and other sensitive military sites.”
ML: “Yeah? And that's what we saw in Jersey too…”
KG: “The arsenal.”
ML: “…it went over a munitions depot...”
KG: “Yes! The munitions depot. It's very concerning. And so I think they just listened to the pablum that came from law enforcement to say we're not worried about most of the reports because most are of aircraft and other known objects. But it doesn't answer the question. They don't know, and we've had hearings on it, so…”
ML: “How do you get them — because it seems like a lot of my colleagues in the media and then a lot of your colleagues are just fine with their initial statement. They're like, ‘see it was nothing.’”
KG: “Because they don’t — I sit on Intelligence and I sit on Armed Services, so I know the risk of spying.”
ML: “Yeah?”
KG: “We have adversaries flying drones over our bases to collect intelligence, it's a huge intelligence failure, and so there is no excuse for not bringing them down, assessing whose they are or following them to their place of launch.”
ML: “So have you introduced your measure yet?”
KG: “Uhh…”
Gillibrand looks to one of her aides for confirmation.
KG: “Yes. It's already introduced. We have a dozen Republicans and five Democrats on the bill already.”
ML: “Interesting. Do you think we might see it — or have hearings on it?”
KG: “Yeah. And because asked about it in Armed Services, [SASC Chair] Roger Wicker said, ‘Did you have co-sponsors?’ I told him afterwards, he said, ‘Let's try to look at it in this committee.’”
ML: “Thank you all!”
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