Who?
Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (R-FL) — Chair, Task Force on the Declassification of Federal Secrets; Co-chair, Congressional UAP Caucus
LISTEN: Laslo & Luna
Ask a Pol asks:
Have there been efforts by the administration to intimidate you or other Secrets Task Force members?
Key Luna:
“No, in fact, if anything, I think there's been actually open conversations with how I think this like, especially with like the base, what the American people are wanting and advocating for, there's been absolutely zero intimidation,” Secrets Task Force Chair Anna Paulina Luna explains to Ask a Pol.
So what's been the holdup?
“I don't think there's been a holdup,” Luna says. “They've done more in this administration specifically to the subject than even under the Biden administration. So I think people need to be asking, why did Biden do nothing?”
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Caught our ear per Tim Phillips’ firing:
“I did not know that,” Luna tells us. “I'll check into it, but I'm not a fan of AARO. I think that they need to be completely disbanded.”
Below find two rough transcripts of Ask a Pol’s interviews with Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (R-FL), slightly edited for clarity.
TRANSCRIPT: Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (7-23-2025)
SCENE: After casting her last vote of the summer, Rep. Anna Paulina Luna’s taking an assortment of reporter’s questions as she makes her way to an awaiting SUV with her new press aide.
Ask a Pol’s Matt Laslo maneuvers himself between Luna’s car and her press gaggles, and snags a quick exclusive as Secrets Chair Luna rushes — and herds her staff — to catch a flight back home to Florida.
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Anna Paulina Luna: “Get in the car.“
Luna’s motioning and whispering to her aide as she slides into the passenger seat.
Matt Laslo: “What do you make of the firing of Tim Phillips?”
APL: “Get in the car.“
ML: “Former — have you heard about this?”
Luna still corralling her staff.
APL: “Come in. Come in. Come in.”
ML: “At ODNI?”
APL: “No. What’d Timothy Phillips do?”
ML: “He was the former AARO director. Where he was just fired, we're not sure...”
APL: “I did not know that.”
ML: “You haven’t heard it?”
APL: “But you know my position on AARO. Hasn’t changed.”
ML: “Yeah. Well, Phillips has been the one dropping a lot of stuff in the news lately, so that’s where people are curious…”
APL: “I'll check into it, but I'm not a fan of AARO. I think that they need to be completely disbanded.”
ML: “What are we gonna…?”
Luna turns to aide still outside their car recording media questions.
APL: “Dave, you can hop in the car. Just hop in on this side.”
Luna motions to other side of car away from press corps…
ML: “What are we gonna see in September?”
APL: “We just have — we have about five names that we're going through on actual testimony now. So your article actually helped us...“
ML: “Yeah?”
APL: “…or your little thing — because people were getting squeamish.”
Joe Khalil: “Who’s your new like comms person?”
Luna points to staffer making his way into car.
APL: “David.”
Khalil: “David, hey!”
David’s passing out business cards.
APL: “That one right there.”
Khalil: “Thank you! I’m going to email you guys…”
APL: “Alright, one more and then I'm going to the airport, because I actually really like where I live.”
Luna and Laslo laugh.
Reporter: “What were you thinking for the timeline on the discharge petition for…?”
APL: “Oh, isn't that great after that happened so many people were concerned about it.”
Reporter: “I've done the lots of stuff. Lots.
APL: “Really?”
Reporter: “Yes. I've been covering it very closely…”
Editor’s Note: Transcript stops til more UAP questions at end.
ML: “Have you — last question…”
APL: “I’m gonna take off…”
ML: “Have there been efforts by the administration to intimidate you or other task force members?”
APL: “No, in fact, if anything, I think there's been actually open conversations with how I think this like, especially with like the base, what the American people are wanting and advocating for, there's been absolutely zero intimidation.”
ML: “So what's been the holdup?”
APL: “I don't think there's been a holdup. They've done more in this administration specifically to the subject than even under the Biden administration. So I think people need to be asking, why did Biden do nothing?”
ML: “Yeah?”
APL: “Thank you guys.”
Luna pulls her door shut.
ML: “Thank you ma’am. Have a good one.”
Candace Taggart contributed to this report.
