Post-El Paso: "Laser tech is there”–fmr Interior Secretary on lasers, balloons & open US airspace

Who?Rep. Ryan Zinke (R-MT) — former US Interior Secretary; Armed Services CommitteeAsk a Pol asks:When you were Interior Secretary, did you ever see evidence of unidentified objects — and what do you make of the Pentagon’s laser operation over El Paso?Key Zinke:“I never saw any evidence of anything that was from not from Earth,” Rep. Zinke exclusively tells Ask a Pol.Caught our ear:“An administration lied. They said they immediately saw it and they didn’t,” Zinke tells us.Below find a rough transcript of Ask a Pol’s exclusive interview with Rep. Ryan Zinke (R-MT), slightly edited for clarity.TRANSCRIPT: Rep. Ryan ZinkeSCENE: (NEED! — Matt Laslo will fill in from his notes)Matt Laslo: Have you caught the stuff over El Paso?RZ: No. What’s going on in El Paso?ML: So, the FAA — they like, FAA announces, boom: airspace, 10-mile range, shut down for the next 10 days.RZ: Next 10 days?ML: Next 10 days.RZ: Is there a mechanical failure of…?ML: No. Well, so, turns out — this is what CNN’s now reporting — is Pentagon has a laser. So the administration is like, “Oh, it was cartel drones, blah blah blah.” Pentagon’s got this laser that they were using to shoot down unidentified something. Could be cartel drones, could be not.RZ: I have not heard that.ML: But yeah. You used to be in the cabinet. Do you know of any space lasers?RZ: Well, I was just over in Israel and they do have a laser for incoming missiles and/or drones, high powered. So I’ve seen it. It doesn’t work on every system.ML: Yeah. It doesn’t work on ICBMs because you have to have a concentrated time. But for drones and such things, it has proven to be effective.RZ: Is that — with it being Israel — that’s probably U.S. tech, or maybe we’re using their tech?ML: I think it’s their tech, but certainly we share.RZ: Yeah. And the Navy has developed a laser and they have tested it at sea.ML: Yeah.RZ: So I think the laser technology is there.ML: Our Navy, not theirs.RZ: Our Navy. But the system in Israel is operational. I’ve physically seen it.Consider chipping in to support our independent journalism — Venmo, PayPal, Cash App — or just buy us a beer!ML: Do you — like, when you were Interior Secretary, because there’s always like sightings of unknown objects. Some call them drones, some call them UAS or whatever.RZ: I never saw any evidence of anything that was from not from Earth.ML: Yeah. But did you see evidence that it was China? Because that’s a BFD according to Biden.RZ: The balloon was.ML: Right? It’s just something — like, how’s American airspace getting invaded by a balloon?RZ: Well, an administration lied. They said they immediately saw it and they didn’t. They said they didn’t down it because of collateral damage. It went across Petroleum County in Montana with 434 people — one less than one less than Congress for the—ML: Right.RZ: And then they said, well, to a degree, it went over four sites that are sensitive. And then they downed it off of Myrtle Beach — which was the higher probability of hitting somebody off Myrtle Beach. And then they said they recovered everything. That would be an impossibility off the coast of North Carolina.ML: See, if you know all that — have you asked those questions?RZ: I have.ML: You got any good answers?RZ: I got answers to know that the administration lied.ML: There you go. Have a good one, sir.Ask a Pol AI Disclosure:Ask a Pol’s playing around with as many new AI tools as we can, so this small, unfunded startup can compete in today’s new media landscape. (generative) AI isn’t tomorrow’s tech — it’s yesterday’PSA: Student? Unemployed? Underemployed?Ping us for a free VIP subscription. No questions asked. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.askapoluaps.com/subscribe