I try to speak plainly so that my constituents who don't follow the nuances of government like I do, because they're too busy earning a real living, can understand the issues before me. None of this stuff is brain surgery.

It's been my experience in politics that you can try and plan it out: 'I'm going to hit the three ball which will hit the eight ball.' You've just got to go run and try to do everything right. And then have a little luck.

A good lawyer is going to try to protect her client.

I think the FBI is the premier law enforcement agency in all of human history.

There is a group of people that I think in good faith honestly believe that further curtailing our Second Amendment rights will enhance public safety. But there's another group that just hates the Second Amendment.

The Iranians have shot down drones. They tried to destroy the Saudi oil fields. They tried to storm our embassy. So, when my Democratic friends say we need appeasement, well appeasement hasn't worked. And I think that we've learned, with respect to Iran, that weakness invites the wolves.

I think, under President Obama, who was a really bright guy - I didn't agree with a lot of his politics - but we got to the point internationally where our friends didn't trust us. They were confused. And our enemies didn't quite respect us.

Power does not change you, it unmasks you.

My mind doesn't work, my memories don't work like a computer file where I can just retrieve them and, boy, there it is. My mind is selective in terms of memories. When I try to think back to college or high school, there are gaps. I try to fill them in. But I can't tell you it's always the truth.

When you meet with someone and you try to assess whether they're telling you the truth or not, there's several things you can do. You judge demeanor and credibility. You look at corroboration.

Well, I have great respect for Senator Hirono.

Here's what I believe, I think the FBI is the premier law enforcement agency in the history of the world but i think there was some bad apples over there.

I like policy. It's why I decided to enter government. The other thing I like about government - you have good days, you have bad days, but you never have a boring day, and that's important to me.

Louisiana's spicy, colorful politics have saddled our state with a reputation for tolerating lax ethical standards in government.

You're morally tainted if you don't treat both the accuser and the accused with fairness and with respect, and with due process.

I do not believe we will have a war with Iran.

Part of the problem is there are people in Washington, D.C. in positions of power to whom the border is just a nuisance, and I think some of them believe that illegal immigration is a moral good. It is not. It undermines legal immigration.

If people lose faith in their government, the result is the same whether or not the loss of confidence is justified.

Everybody who makes any kind of policy needs to substitute teach. But you've got to be a real teacher. You can't just go to a couple of classes with the regular teacher there. It is an incredibly hard job.

Part of the problem is there are people in Washington, D.C. in positions of power to whom the border is just a nuisance, and I think some of them believe that illegal immigration is a moral good. It is not. It undermines legal immigration.

I believe that the primary role of the government is to protect people and not run their lives. You used to be able to believe that in the Democratic Party.