As a former governor, Sen. Tim Kaine (D-VA) knows there’s a lot of military activity off Virginia’s coast. He also knows there’s other activity off his state’s coast that the federal government can’t — publicly, at least — explain.
“They’re fast movers, not slow movers,” Kaine exclusively told Ask a Pol.
Florida, with its roughly 1,100 miles of coastline, is home to lots of sightings of UAPs (Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena, according to NASA, or UFOs), but you wouldn’t know that from the governor’s mansion.
During his 8 years as governor, Sen. Rick Scott (R-FL) tells Ask a Pol it was radio silence.
“We didn’t have any. As a state, never saw it,” Scott exclusively told Ask a Pol. “We have 21 military bases. They wouldn't report to me.”
Laslo points down Pennsylvania Ave.
“Because they report to that White House.”
“Yeah,” Scott said. “But it never came up.”
We interviewed both of these former governors in July, before UFO whistleblower David Grusch testified. Kaine we caught up with in early July, and while he hadn’t heard about Grusch’s allegations yet — the buzz was still building in some corners of the Capitol — Kaine was curious.
The former vice-presidential nominee serves on both the Senate Foreign Relations and Armed Services Committees (SASC).
Kaine says UAPs — as you’ll hear, it’s a new term Ask a Pol coaches him through… — are a serious national security issue.
“I’m aware of all the intel around it. We’ve been following it in Armed Services — some of it’s off the coast of Virginia — but I’m not aware of the whistleblower,” Kaine told Ask a Pol back on July 11th — two weeks before Grusch testified before the House Oversight Committee.
“And you’re pretty sure those are crafts the US can’t identify?”
“Yeah. They’re fast movers, not slow movers.”
Matt Laslo’s a veteran congressional correspondent, new media prof. & founder of Ask a Pol — a new, people-powered press corps, asking your questions at the Capitol. @Ask_a_Pol (or @askpols).
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).
LISTEN: Sen. Tim Kaine
LISTEN: Sen. Rick Scott
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Below find rough transcripts of Ask a Pol’s interviews with Sens. Tim Kaine and Rick Scott, slightly edited for clarity.
TRANSCRIPT I — Matt Laslo & Tim Kaine
Matt Laslo: “Question.”
Tim Kaine: “Yeah.”
ML: “Have you heard about this UAP or UFO whistleblower David Grusch?”
TK: “No.”
ML: “No?”
TK: “I mean — no.”
ML: “That’s interesting. They’re gonna do hearings on it in the House next week, and then Senator Rubio and others on Intel. are looking into it. Oh and Gillibrand on Armed Services…”
TK: “Yeah. We have been — I’m aware of a lot of the intel around these UFOs or whatever the new thing is.”
ML: “Yeah.”
TK: “U-A-P?”
ML: “U-A-P.”
TK: “UAP. I’m aware of all the intel around it. We’ve been following it in Armed Services — some of it’s off the coast of Virginia — but I’m not aware of the whistleblower.”
ML: “And you’re pretty sure those are crafts the US can’t identify?”
TK: “Yeah. They’re fast movers, not slow movers.”
ML: “Interesting. Preciate you.”
TRANSCRIPT II — Matt Laslo & Rick Scott
Matt Laslo: “I do have a random one for ya.”
Rick Scott: “You do? Oh, sorry.”
Scott comes towards me and bumps a reporter.
ML: “Oh, sorry, sorry sorry.”
Then I bump into someone.
ML: “And this is random, have you heard about this UAP — or UFO — whistleblower David Grusch?”
RS: “No. What’s he saying?”
ML: “Well so, interesting thing, Schumer, Rounds, Young and Gillibrand last week passed an amendment saying, like, ‘open the government’s books on UFOs,’ which Schumer’s doing because he’s like, ‘this stuff doesn’t exist.’ But…”
RS: “He said, ‘open the books’?”
ML: “Yeah. He says, ‘open em, because there’s nothing there.’”
RS: “I think they ought to open em.”
ML: “But then the whistleblower — who used to work in the intel. community…”
RS: “Oh, you know, I've heard about this.”
ML: “Yeah.”
RS: “You're right. I've heard about this stuff.”
ML: “But his claims — for one, there’s craft. But he claims the federal government is lying to Congress, and that's the one that I think awoke a lot of y'all up.”
RS: “I mean, I think so much of this stuff, just tell the public. Be honest. Be transparent.”
ML: “Right?”
RS: “It's easier, actually. When I was governor, it was actually helpful, because I had sunshine laws. So everything was public. It’s way easier.”
ML: “In Florida, your guy’s coast is so huge, you must have had UAPs — or stuff that initially wasn’t identifiable.”
RS: “We didn’t have any. As a state, never saw it.”
ML: “Interesting. Interesting. I would’ve thought...”
RS: “No. It’s just. So, you know, it wouldn't have come up that way, because — we have 21 military bases. They wouldn't report to me.”
Laslo points down Pennsylvania Ave.
ML: “Because they report to that White House.”
RS: “Yeah.”
ML: “Interesting.”
RS: “But it never came up.”
ML: “Never came up?”
RS: “No.”
ML: “Interesting.”
Scott’s new aide asks for my name.
ML: “Yeah. Matt Laslo.”
Aide: “Thank you.”
ML: “Thank you, sir.”
EXCLUSIVE — "They’re fast movers, not slow movers,” Tim Kaine — & Rick Scott — on UFO sightings off East Coast