Who?
Sens. Andy Kim & Cory Booker — New Jersey, Demcorats
LISTEN: Laslo, Kim & Booker*
*Ask a Pol Twofer: As Sen. Andy Kim was entering the Senate chamber to vote New Jersey’s other Senator, Cory Booker, was leaving.
Ask a Pol asks:
Were you ever able to ask the FAA nominee about the New Jersey ‘drones’?*
*Ask a Pol caught both of New Jersey’s US Senators on Wednesday, just ahead of senators voting 53-43 — with both Kim and Booker opposed — to confirm Bryan Bedford as the Federal Aviation Administration’s 20th Administorator.
Key Kim:
“I did — well, I didn’t ask specifically what had happened,” Sen. Andy Kim exclusively told Ask a Pol. “But I asked, ‘can we work on this going forward in terms of how to better detect?’”
Key Booker:
“Let me [get] you what I can say and not say,” Sen. Cory Booker exclusively told Ask a Pol. “I need to be careful here, because some of this stuff was part of a briefing — a classified briefing.”
ICYMI — Even NJ Repubs dismissed White House claim
Caught our ear:
“Regardless of whether I trust them or not, I’m going to stay vigilant,” Booker told us.
Below find a rough transcript of Ask a Pol’s exclusive interview with Sens. Andy Kim (D-NJ) & Cory Booker (D-NJ), slightly edited for clarity.
TRANSCRIPT I — Sen. Andy Kim (7-9-2025)
SCENE: Sen. Andy Kim’s making his way through a sea of visitors, staffers and reporters crowding the basment of the US Capitol, when Ask a Pol’s Matt Laslo connects with him. The senator then ushers Laslo onto an open elevator.
Matt Laslo: “Senator Kim — were you ever able to ask the FAA nominee about the drones?”
Andy Kim: “I did. Well, I didn’t ask specifically what had happened.”
ML: “Yeah?”
Kim ushers Laslo onto a Senators Only elavator.
ICYMI —
AK: “Just jump in.”
They enter elavtoar.
AK: “But I asked, you know, ‘can we work on…?”
ML: “Yeah?”
AK: “...this going forward in terms of how to better detect?’”
ML: “Yeah?”
Kim and Laslo move back to make way for Sen. Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) as she expertly rolls onto the elevator.
What should we ask Congress next? Let us know!
AK: “Here watch out behind you.”
Tammy Duckworth: “Sorry, no I…”
ML: “Pardon me.”
TD: “No, no, I just don’t want to run over you.”
AK: “Yeah.”
TD: “Sorry.”
ML: “I’m a reporter — just run over me.”
Kim laughs out loud as Duckworth’s aide smiles and chuckles to herself in the corner of the cramped elavator.
AK: “But, you know, we need to be able to better identify…”
The elavator stops on the packed 2nd floor of the US Capitol, just outside the Senate chamber.
ML: “Yeah?”
Kim starts slowly traversing the throng of reporters, aides and Capitol Police officers.
AK: “...you know, just the fact that law enforcement and others had no idea what was going on one way or another.”
They move single file towards the Senate floor as a food cart pushes through the crowd.
AK: “So that’s what I did ask for.”
ML: “Great. Thank you.”
Kim passes Booker as he heads onto the Senate floor.
ML: “Hey — so from one 'Jerseyan' to the other.”
Booker smiles, as he, an aide and a New Jersey regional reporter quickly cut through the masses and hop an open eleavtor, with Laslo at their heels.
SUMMER INTERN FUND:
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TRANSCRIPT II — Sen. Cory Booker (7-9-2025)
Matt Laslo: “Have you ever followed up with the FAA nominee about drones over Jersey?”
Cory Booker: “Umm...”
ML: “About the administration said that they approved them all even though [fmr. Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro] Mayorkas didn’t tell y’all that.”
ICYMI — Booker ain’t buying what White House selling
CB: “Let me give* you what I can say and not say.”
*we’re 95% sure he meant “get” — as in, he’s gonna ask his staff to brief him on what he can and cannot say about the December 2024 classified briefing then-Sec. of Homeland Security gave the New Jersey delegation.
ML: “Yeah?”
CB: “Yeah, I need to be careful here. Because some of this stuff was part of a briefing.”
ML: “Yeah?”
CB: “A classified briefing.”
ML: “At the end of last year…”
CB: “Yeah.”
ML: “...or this year?”
CB: “At the end of last year.”
ICYMI — Ask a Pol broke news of 2024 classified briefing…
ML: “Yeah?”
CB: “End of last year, so I just want to be careful.”
ML: “Do you…?”
CB: “But this guy I promised I would talk to him.”
ML: “…but do you — this FAA nominee do you think — do they have your trust on this issue?”
CB: “I will always have concerns when it comes to New Jersey safety, and so this is an issue that regardless of — regardless of whether I trust them or not…”
ML: “Yeah?”
CB: “...I’m going to stay vigilant.”
Aide: “Can I get your name and number?”
Laslo twists around to aide.
ML: “Matt Laslo.”
Laslo turns back to senator, before pointing to his fellow regional reporter.
ML: “Leave you to my colleague.”
Spencer Newman contributed to this report.
