Courtroom and political broadcasts are institutional contexts in which activities and interactions are limited by specific coercion and are very adequate to explore the pragmatic functions of politicians’ question–answer sequences. This study aspires to: (a) examine potential differences between question-answer exchanges in TV interviews and courtroom examinations; (b) enhance comprehension of the pragmatic and functional aspects of question–answer links and how they are influenced by context. It is argued that multiple pragmatic effects are required for grasping political questioning and ambiguity.