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On this "Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan" broadcast, moderated by Margaret Brennan:
- Energy Secretary Chris Wright
- Anthony Salvanto, CBS News enforcement manager of quality and surveys
- Sen. Mark Kelly, Democrat of Arizona
- Zach Lahn, Iowa GOP nominee for governor
- Brett McGurk, who served arsenic a apical Middle East advisor to erstwhile President Joe Biden
Click here to browse afloat transcripts from 2026 of "Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan."
MARGARET BRENNAN: I'm Margaret Brennan successful Washington.
And this week connected Face the Nation: One period distant from midterms, and the unit connected the president to bash thing astir precocious prices is building.
With power of the House and Senate astatine stake, President Trump has been connected a reddish authorities roadworthy travel to get Republicans to the polls. He present concedes that his enactment mightiness person a messaging occupation erstwhile it comes to the economy.
(Begin VT)
DONALD TRUMP (President of the United States): We're doing a phenomenal job, but possibly we're doing a atrocious occupation successful selling it.
(End VT)
MARGARET BRENNAN: And our caller CBS canvass has troubling quality for the president's party, with 9 successful 10 voters saying they complaint the system connected the ground of prices. Seven successful 10 accidental that Trump's policies are making nutrient and market prices spell up. And 9 successful 10 accidental the struggle with Iran is making U.S. state and lipid prices either a batch oregon a small higher.
With aboriginal voting present nether way, is it excessively precocious for Trump to crook things around?
We volition speech with Energy Secretary Chris Wright astir caller efforts to get state prices down. Plus, we volition inquire Zach Lahn, the Republican moving for politician successful Iowa, and Arizona Democratic Senator Mark Kelly what they're uncovering retired connected the run trail.
All that and much is conscionable up connected Face the Nation.
Good morning, and invited to Face the Nation.
We statesman with 1 of the Trump medication officials tasked with moving to little those precocious state and lipid prices, Energy Secretary Chris Wright.
Good greeting to you.
CHRIS WRIGHT (U.S. Energy Secretary): Good morning, Margaret.
MARGARET BRENNAN: So, it's bully to person you here.
You said this past week that Americans tin expect little gasoline prices and diesel prices by Election Day. The Wall Street Journal editorial committee has a portion outlining that the run to compression Iran financially is working, but they tin inactive sound retired important Gulf vigor infrastructure.
They could beryllium readying an October astonishment earlier the U.S. midterms. We are inactive seeing Iranian attacks connected ships now. I mean, however tin you beryllium truthful assured prices are headed down?
SECRETARY CHRIS WRIGHT: Well, due to the fact that we've got expanding supplies coming retired of the Strait of Hormuz, and they've continued to emergence implicit the past months, implicit the past caller weeks.
We've got U.S. gasoline accumulation contiguous astatine grounds high. We person request for gasoline arsenic we travel retired of the summertime driving play starting to spell down. Similar stories with diesel. Diesel's mostly been impacted by the Russia- Ukraine warfare and besides by China's determination not to export diesel oregon gasoline into the marketplace.
And, of course, we're surviving with 2 refineries that were precocious closed, ample refineries successful California that Gavin Newsom forced the closure of, and, frankly, 15 years of Democrat policies that person been vigor subtraction, trying to adjacent ember plants, adjacent refineries, and shrink our capacity, which means, erstwhile you get successful crisis, we're conscionable little resilient than we should be.
MARGARET BRENNAN: But you inactive deliberation that, successful the adjacent 4 weeks, prices are going to spell down?
SECRETARY CHRIS WRIGHT: Absolutely. Diesel prices person been going down. Gasoline prices person been going down. I expect that to continue.
MARGARET BRENNAN: I privation to speech astir diesel successful a minute, but I – I was speechmaking that the U.S. was sending much antiaircraft instrumentality to the Gulf countries to support their lipid infrastructure.
I spot determination was a gathering of nationalist information advisers astatine Camp David connected Friday to speech astir Iran and the struggle successful Yemen. Can you stock immoderate result from that? I mean, is – is the U.S. astir to escalate? We did conscionable spot a 3rd bearer onslaught radical get sent to the region.
SECRETARY CHRIS WRIGHT: Look, the president has – has taken a beardown basal that Iran, the world's top violent authorities – regime, cannot and volition not person atomic weapons.
So, of course, we're looking astatine each avenue to execute that goal, economically, to beryllium prepared for what comes militarily. But we cannot walk to the adjacent medication an Iran equipped with atomic weapons. Not lone is that a menace to bid and stability.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Right.
SECRETARY CHRIS WRIGHT: That's a monolithic semipermanent menace to vigor prices.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Right, but he's besides said that they're not seeking a atomic weapon. He said that conscionable the different time that they mightiness person really already stopped.
But successful the contiguous consciousness of threats to our neighbors who person refinery and accumulation capacity, however bash you warrant that determination is nary October astonishment that sends those prices going the other direction?
SECRETARY CHRIS WRIGHT: Hey, well, there's nary guarantees. There's nary guarantees successful conflict. There's nary guarantees successful life.
But everything we're doing is to turn the proviso of diesel, to turn the proviso of gasoline, and, frankly, again, to reverse years of policies that person been directed precisely the opposite, to shrink our quality to produce, refine, and present hydrocarbons.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Can you accidental whether the president has decided helium volition escalate post-Election Day? That's erstwhile that 3rd bearer onslaught radical volition beryllium arriving, mid-November.
SECRETARY CHRIS WRIGHT: Oh, I'm decidedly not going to get successful beforehand of the president's plans oregon policies. But remember…
MARGARET BRENNAN: He's thrown that retired determination himself.
(CROSSTALK)
SECRETARY CHRIS WRIGHT: … he's – he's ever readying for contingencies and he's ever negotiating. How you communicate, what you – what you thin successful on, it sends a connection to the different side. He's been a master, a maestro astatine doing that.
MARGARET BRENNAN: So he's got some tracks inactive going, diplomatic and subject pressure?
SECRETARY CHRIS WRIGHT: Of course, of course, astatine each times.
MARGARET BRENNAN: OK, you talked astir diesel.
The world's wealthiest countries, the G7, this past week agreed to merchandise 100 cardinal barrels of substance implicit 4 months. They're going to front-load it with a batch of diesel successful the adjacent 20 days. I cognize you asked our friends and allies to see doing this. How important a terms interaction and for however long?
SECRETARY CHRIS WRIGHT: It's a large deal. It's a large deal.
Europe has precise ample diesel stores. They – you know, they don't refine capable diesel to proviso their ain economies, truthful people they store a batch of diesel. They're precise keen to spot American diesel proceed to travel to Europe. They've got a batch of diesel successful stores. Why not merchandise immoderate of that?
This is what you store diesel for, erstwhile each the Russian exports of diesel are unopen down, erstwhile the Chinese person said, we're not going to present immoderate much diesel, and you inactive person a simplification of diesel flows coming retired of the Gulf. But we're restoring those. But that takes time.
This is conscionable communal sense. This lowers diesel prices, not conscionable successful the United States, but it lowers them successful Europe and astir the world. But it volition thrust diesel prices down arsenic those releases come. It'll thrust diesel down done the wintertime successful the United States and astir the world.
And – and, by then, we'll beryllium successful different place. We'll person much refining capableness online. I – I fishy we'll proceed to spot diesel diminution arsenic we spell into adjacent outpouring arsenic well.
MARGARET BRENNAN: So, beneath six bucks, which is wherever it is?
SECRETARY CHRIS WRIGHT: Yes.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Yes, by post-midterms, oregon where…
(CROSSTALK)
SECRETARY CHRIS WRIGHT: Well, down.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Just down.
SECRETARY CHRIS WRIGHT: It's down a small implicit 20 cents truthful far.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Yes.
SECRETARY CHRIS WRIGHT: I deliberation you'll spot it proceed to spell down. Yes, you should spot it beneath $6 earlier excessively long. But precisely when, I surely don't cognize that.
MARGARET BRENNAN: So the allies did this aft President Trump said helium was considering a diesel export ban. You had truthful galore quotes wherever you were telling people, this is not a bully idea. Let's not bash a diesel export ban.
But the president kept saying it was a consideration. Has helium wholly ruled retired an export prohibition astatine this point?
SECRETARY CHRIS WRIGHT: Look, each day, he's throwing retired ideas. He's engaging with discussions with me, others successful the administration.
(CROSSTALK)
MARGARET BRENNAN: Even erstwhile you're saying it's not a bully idea?
SECRETARY CHRIS WRIGHT: Absolutely.
(LAUGHTER)
SECRETARY CHRIS WRIGHT: No, helium – helium – he's a thinker.
MARGARET BRENNAN: But you're the expert.
SECRETARY CHRIS WRIGHT: He says – good – well, but there's antithetic ways to portion this cat. There's antithetic ways to look astatine it.
He's ever looking, however bash I little vigor prices? How bash I little heating prices, energy prices, gasoline prices, diesel prices? In fact, I would accidental his changeless connection of that whitethorn person been rather adjuvant successful achieving – successful achieving the woody we conscionable struck.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Because radical thought helium mightiness really not perceive to you and spell up and bash it?
SECRETARY CHRIS WRIGHT: I…
MARGARET BRENNAN: That was the – the ploy, essentially?
SECRETARY CHRIS WRIGHT: It – it wasn't a ploy. It's conscionable a changeless dialog astir the galore levers we have. How tin we thrust down diesel prices and thrust down gasoline and – and different prices on with it?
MARGARET BRENNAN: So we checked, and it looks like, due to the fact that of this Lindsey Graham measure that gives the president much benignant of powers to punish the buyers of Russian fuel, helium has to marque a determination by October the 18th arsenic to whether he's going to enactment tariffs connected the biggest buyers. That would beryllium China, and that would beryllium India. Is helium going to bash that?
SECRETARY CHRIS WRIGHT: Look, helium – helium leaves each determination until the end. He'll measure the trade-offs. He has worked ceaselessly to effort to extremity this war.
Not lone would extremity – would ending this warfare extremity the sidesplitting of – of tens and of thousands of radical each month. It would dramatically little vigor prices. He's wanted to extremity that conflict, yes, since earlier helium was president.
So – and – and determination is constant, changeless dialogues with some sides successful that to effort to bring that warfare to an end.
MARGARET BRENNAN: But, astatine this point, like, what's the absorption here? You conscionable had this large authorities visit. Are we really successful a presumption wherever the U.S. mightiness enactment tariffs connected China for buying Russian oil? Are we really going to spot that? And what interaction would that have?
SECRETARY CHRIS WRIGHT: Again, I won't get successful beforehand of the president connected that. We're trying to person the champion relations we can.
MARGARET BRENNAN: I'm definite you've looked astatine the projections connected what it would bash for pricing.
SECRETARY CHRIS WRIGHT: Of people we're trying to person large relations with China and determination that shot forward. I deliberation things are going reasonably good there.
But past the flip broadside is, you've got to look astatine each leverage you've got to bring a murderous struggle to an end.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Mm-hmm. So, helium may? And you would promote him to?
SECRETARY CHRIS WRIGHT: I'm not going to say. I'm not going to accidental connected either 1 of those.
MARGARET BRENNAN: OK.
SECRETARY CHRIS WRIGHT: He's – he's looking to however to extremity that struggle and however to little prices for Americans each day.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Yes.
Well, the day conscionable stood out, you know, weeks earlier the midterms, doing thing that could arguably propulsion prices backmost up, and truthful if it's a nationalist information determination – determination versus a governmental one. Be funny to cognize your constituent of view.
SECRETARY CHRIS WRIGHT: Hey, if his decisions were political, helium would person conscionable kicked the tin down the roadworthy and delivered a nuclear-armed Iran to the adjacent president. You've got to respect that.
That's an unthinkable determination to thin successful and say, I'm not going to fto them go nuclear-armed. He knew it was going to elevate vigor prices successful the abbreviated run. He said, I'm going to instrumentality a deed there, but I got to bash the close thing.
MARGARET BRENNAN: You did archer him that, that determination would beryllium a immense vigor terms spike, erstwhile helium made this decision?
SECRETARY CHRIS WRIGHT: He – helium was good alert of – of the hazard to vigor flows that were coming retired of the Persian Gulf region. He said, I simply cannot – the satellite cannot prolong a nuclear-armed Iran, and I'm not going to bash it.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Secretary Wright, convey you for your clip today.
SECRETARY CHRIS WRIGHT: Thank you, Margaret.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Face Nation volition beryllium backmost successful a minute. Stay with us.
(ANNOUNCEMENTS)
MARGARET BRENNAN: Our caller CBS News Battleground Tracker canvass finds that, if the predetermination were held today, Democrats person a pb successful that conflict for power of the House. It would springiness them a 229-seat majority, with Republicans astatine 206 seats.
Anthony Salvanto is our enforcement manager of elections and surveys and joins maine now.
So, Anthony, erstwhile you look astatine this, the president's statement that helium has the champion economical numbers of immoderate president successful the past of the satellite don't look to beryllium persuading.
ANTHONY SALVANTO: It each comes backmost to prices, which is however radical measure the economy.
Number one, the Democrats are winning much of the votes of radical who accidental that they are hard-hit by prices. But this affects Republicans excessively successful this way. Republicans archer america they're little apt to crook retired than Democrats say.
And that's important. It's driving a batch of that pb that you conscionable described. But past you look astatine the Republicans who are saying that. The ones who springiness the president comparatively worse marks connected handling ostentation than they bash for different matters, the ones who were astir hard-hit themselves by prices, they're not needfully switching implicit and voting for Democrats.
They're conscionable saying they're going to beryllium this 1 out. And that's a large portion of this. It's also, erstwhile you propulsion backmost the lens and look wider astatine what the electorate wants, you spot absorption to a campaigner successful rule who supports tariffs. They don't privation a campaigner who supports information centers, due to the fact that they deliberation AI is going to instrumentality jobs, and they privation a campaigner who opposes the Iran conflict, due to the fact that they deliberation that's driving up state prices.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Hispanic voters were truthful pivotal successful 2024 for Republicans. Where are they now?
ANTHONY SALVANTO: Hispanic voters person moved much towards the Democrats than they were successful 2024. And what that means is that the Republicans volition not needfully get the gains retired of redistricting that they had hoped for if they can't support those Hispanic elector gains that they made successful 2024, Hispanic voters conscionable arsenic acrophobic astir the system and besides a small much acrophobic astir the president's absorption connected deportation.
MARGARET BRENNAN: And, adjacent with a majority, it's a constrictive one. That creates each sorts of governmental challenges.
Anthony, fascinating.
ANTHONY SALVANTO: Thanks.
MARGARET BRENNAN: We crook present to Arizona Senator Mark Kelly. He joins america from Charleston, South Carolina, wherever helium is campaigning for his chap Democrats.
Good greeting to you, Senator.
SENATOR MARK KELLY (D-Arizona): Good morning.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Our CBS polling shows that Democrats person crushed to beryllium optimistic astir taking the House, but however overmuch harder volition it beryllium successful the Senate?
SENATOR MARK KELLY: Well, Margaret, determination is simply a batch of vigor successful the states I person been to recently, whether it's Ohio oregon Iowa, Kansas, Georgia, present present successful South Carolina. I deliberation we person existent opportunities successful a batch of places.
But, also, I mean, this could be, you know, adjacent elections successful galore of these states. But I volition archer you this. People are frustrated and they're fed up with Washington D.C. close now, and they cognize that this president is not addressing, you know, immoderate of the needs that impact them and their families.
I mean, the outgo of surviving is mode excessively high. The terms of everything conscionable keeps going up.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Yes.
SENATOR MARK KELLY: And radical can't spend their lives.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Well, President Trump announced Friday he's going to nonstop $90 payments to 20 cardinal older Americans this month, Medicare Part B enrollees. That's successful summation to sending $500 successful presumption of checks to ACA refunds to a cardinal people.
Also said, if Republicans win, past he'll nonstop everyone 5,000 bucks. Do you enactment immoderate of that? And what precisely is the Democratic connection connected lowering costs for Americans?
SENATOR MARK KELLY: Well, certainly, trying to assistance immoderate working-class radical and seniors connected a fixed income.
But you got to retrieve this is simply a feline that gave a large taxation chopped to the wealthiest Americans, to billionaires and millionaires, and then, to partially wage for it, he's kicking radical disconnected of their wellness care, disconnected of Medicaid. He's taken nutrient benefits distant from radical that are having a hard clip affording food, adjacent children, successful bid to assistance retired his household and his friends.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Mm-hmm.
SENATOR MARK KELLY: So I deliberation radical should spot this for what it is, particularly this $5,000 outgo if Republicans support power of the House and the Senate. I mean, this is conscionable a – a payoff, and he's trying to bargain votes.
I mean, are you amazed with this president, who, successful my view, is the astir corrupt occupant of the Oval Office ever? I'm not surprised, but it's not right.
MARGARET BRENNAN: But what is the affirmative Democratic connection here, different than, we're not him?
SENATOR MARK KELLY: Well, we're going to little costs for the American people.
MARGARET BRENNAN: How?
SENATOR MARK KELLY: We've got to triumph the House and/or the Senate.
Well – well, however volition we bash this? I person authorities with – with Chris Van Hollen. We've got to get Republicans connected board. It raises taxes for radical who marque implicit a cardinal dollars a twelvemonth successful income, and it provides taxation cuts for people, individuals and adjacent couples up to – who marque up to astir $160,000 a year. That's immoderate relief.
Ending this warfare successful Iran that helium started without a – immoderate benignant of a strategical extremity oregon a program has jacked up prices for the American people. Ending that would help. Getting this tariff argumentation reversed, these ridiculous tariffs that person besides jacked up prices, the American radical wage this.
For immoderate reason, the president thinks that overseas countries are paying for these tariffs. That is not true.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Yes.
SENATOR MARK KELLY: So, determination are things, a batch of things, we tin and volition bash erstwhile we triumph backmost the House and/or the Senate.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Well, Republicans person pulled funding, arsenic I recognize it, from North Carolina's Senate race. They've redirected it retired to Kansas, not typically a spot a Republican would person to walk wealth to – to support an advantage.
But what seats specifically are you optimistic you tin crook blue?
SENATOR MARK KELLY: Well, determination are a batch of them.
I spent immoderate clip successful Kansas with Adam Hamilton. He's a pastor. He's – he's a large guy. He is the close idiosyncratic for Kansas. He understands what Kansans are dealing with. Josh Turek successful Iowa, akin benignant of situation, wherever that's a precise winnable race, Mary Peltola successful Alaska, Troy Jackson successful Maine, Sherrod Brown successful Ohio.
I'm going to bash an event, you know, present contiguous with Annie Andrews successful South Carolina. Yes, I recognize it's South Carolina, but she is simply a pediatrician. She's moving incredibly hard. She's raising the resources to beryllium successful.
And past determination are the House races. Admiral Nancy Lacore – I did an lawsuit with her yesterday present successful South Carolina – tin beryllium captious to Democrats winning backmost the House of Representatives. She's a – she's a three-star admiral, a Naval aviator, similar myself, who was fired by Pete Hegseth aboriginal successful this administration.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Well, a fig of Senate Republicans person expressed immoderate interest astir Secretary Hegseth's firing. He besides announced this past week he's going to chopped by 20 percent the fig of generals and admirals, helium says, successful bid to effort to alteration the culture. And what the media calls a purge, helium says is simply a substance of accountability.
Do you person immoderate penetration into who helium volition beryllium targeting successful these cuts? And, if Democrats instrumentality immoderate control, bash you person immoderate quality to halt it?
SENATOR MARK KELLY: Well, helium often fires radical due to the fact that of the colour of their tegument oregon due to the fact that they're women.
He besides seems to beryllium looking for…
MARGARET BRENNAN: He would contradict that.
SEN. MARK KELLY: … loyal – of people helium would contradict that. I deliberation anybody would contradict that.
But it's beauteous obvious. When you person a database of 7 radical who don't beforehand from one-star to two-star, and 5 of them are either achromatic oregon women, it's beauteous obvious. Also, close disconnected the bat, firing C.Q. Brown without giving immoderate reason, without immoderate peculiar crushed wherefore 1 of the astir qualified nonrecreational aviators, but a four-star general, main of unit of the Air Force, fired.
Lisa Franchetti…
MARGARET BRENNAN: Yes.
SENATOR MARK KELLY: … the main of Naval operations, fired. The commandant of the Coast Guard, besides a woman, was fired. The – the database goes on, Margaret.
This is simply a signifier with this caput of defense. And it's damaging our readiness. And erstwhile you wounded readiness, it means that each of us, everybody watching the show, you and your family, are little safe, due to the fact that we person the astir unqualified caput of defence we've ever had successful this country's history.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Well, helium gave a large code this past week. The caput said that each subject subdivision has deed its recruiting targets up of the extremity of the year. He besides argues subject intersexual assaults are connected the decline.
I cognize they person been connected the diminution for a fewer years now. But what is your effect to his statement that he's doing thing right?
SENATOR MARK KELLY: Well, he's doing precise small right.
Remember, Margaret, this is simply a feline that gets connected a signifier successful beforehand of the elder enactment of the U.S. subject and runs astir talking astir sidesplitting radical and lethality and that the rules of engagement – I'm going to paraphrase, but helium talks astir however helium wants to destruct oregon trim the rules of engagement.
And you spot the consequences of that successful Iran. And he…
MARGARET BRENNAN: Yes.
SENATOR MARK KELLY: His program is what we went into Iran with, and helium has bombed oregon attacked implicit 15,000 targets, depleting our munitions supply.
This happening has been a catastrophe due to the fact that the caput of defence has nary thought what he's doing.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Yes.
SEN. MARK KELLY: And, to immoderate extent, he's besides a yes – a yes-man for the president. Nobody seems to privation to propulsion backmost against this president, who…
MARGARET BRENNAN: Yes.
SEN. MARK KELLY: … who I – I deliberation is checked retired from adjacent trying to bash this job…
MARGARET BRENNAN: OK.
SEN. MARK KELLY: … got america into different warfare with – without – without a program and without explaining – explaining to the American people, what are we going to get retired of this?
MARGARET BRENNAN: Senator, I'm atrocious to chopped you off, but I'm retired of time. I person to permission it there. Thank you.
We'll beryllium close back.
(ANNOUNCEMENTS)
MARGARET BRENNAN: Tomorrow is the archetypal Monday successful October, which marks the commencement of a caller Supreme Court term.
Our Jan Crawford sat down with Justice Samuel Alito successful an interrogation for CBS News astir his caller book, "So Ordered." Here's a preview.
(Begin VT)
JAN CRAWFORD: When you person governmental leaders connected some sides talking astir the Supreme Court arsenic though justices are conscionable thing much than governmental actors trying to present triumph to their team, however damaging is that to the court?
SAMUEL ALITO (U.S. Supreme Court Associate Justice): I deliberation it's damaging. I deliberation it tin beryllium rather damaging.
There's been a large alteration successful what presidents person said astir the tribunal erstwhile they are unhappy astir our decisions. Traditionally, what presidents would accidental is, the Supreme Court, it's made its decision, I disagree with it, but we person to abide by it. And that was it.
That's what presidents said. That's what members of the Cabinet said. That has changed. And…
JAN CRAWFORD: Did Trump alteration that?
JUSTICE SAMUEL ALITO: It's been bipartisan. It's a bipartisan effort.
JAN CRAWFORD: But what's – successful presumption of presidents, I mean, the connection that we're proceeding from President Trump is different, surely with societal media.
JUSTICE SAMUEL ALITO: He has his ain mode of saying things.
But the disapproval of the tribunal – I mean, I privation to beryllium even-handed connected this. The disapproval of the tribunal by President Biden and justices by President Biden and his medication was precise harsh. And President Trump has been precise harsh.
JAN CRAWFORD: But erstwhile you – erstwhile you spot the president of the United States – and you're saying you're pursuing the instrumentality whichever mode it leads you.
But erstwhile you spot the president of the United States talking astir you and immoderate of your colleagues arsenic being portion of his governmental MAGA movement, that you're – you're trying to marque America large again, does that fuss you?
JUSTICE SAMUEL ALITO: Well, we are not portion of immoderate governmental movement. And we are not attempting to further immoderate governmental agenda. We are trying to construe the Constitution arsenic champion we tin and use it successful the cases that travel earlier us.
(End VT)
MARGARET BRENNAN: You tin spot much of Jan's interrogation Monday connected CBS Mornings and the CBS Evening News, and you tin work each astir it connected CBSNews.com aboriginal today. Her preview portion drops astatine 3:00 p.m. Eastern.
(ANNOUNCEMENTS)
MARGARET BRENNAN: We volition beryllium close backmost with an update connected that terrifying attempted hijacking of a Flydubai formation past week and an interrogation with Brett McGurk, the erstwhile nationalist information authoritative who worked to negociate the merchandise of the Israeli hostages and others being held by Hamas.
Stay with us.
(ANNOUNCEMENTS)
MARGARET BRENNAN: Welcome backmost to "FACE THE NATION."
We crook present to the Republican moving for politician of Iowa, Zach Lahn. He joins america from Bell Plain.
Good morning.
ZACH LAHN (Republican Candidate for Iowa Governor): Good morning, Margaret.
MARGARET BRENNAN: We look astatine diesel prices. They're northbound of six bucks. President Trump's commercialized warfare with Canada and China person made things costly for farmers. You cognize that good successful Iowa. Are the president's policies a headwind for your party?
ZACH LAHN: Well, I deliberation erstwhile you speech astir what's going connected with affordability for farmers – and, by the way, this is thing we launched our run connected successful the beginning. You person to instrumentality a measurement backmost and truly recognize what's been going connected for decades successful the agriculture industry, wherever we've seen consolidation aft consolidation of businesses taking prime and contention distant from farmers. We've reached monopoly stages there.
And present what we're seeing with immoderate of the accrued prices connected diesel, it's benignant of conscionable different 1 of these pieces that's adding up to that. And we've been focused, you know, successful the authorities connected however bash we chopped the state taxation and different priorities to assistance farmers person much affordable substance erstwhile they spell into harvest.
So, this has been a portion of our run since the precise beginning. And I truly deliberation farmers recognize that for a agelong clip they person been treated arsenic terms takers. And, really, the platform has been stacked against them. And present erstwhile you adhd successful the higher outgo of diesel, we truly person a problem.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Well, it – you conscionable mentioned there, large ag. You are campaigning with a committedness to interruption up large ag monopolies. You said you're going to taxation the heck retired of Wall Street hedge funds that ain farmland. Those dependable much typically similar progressive policies than blimpish ones. How bash you person Iowa Republicans?
ZACH LAHN: Well, I conscionable accidental that, you know, breaking up monopolies was archetypal done by Republicans. The Sherman Anti-Trust Law is Republican. Teddy Roosevelt broke up 2 of the biggest companies successful existence. Monopoly is simply a nonaccomplishment of the escaped market. I deliberation we forgot that successful ample portion and present we're paying the effect for it. So, my precedence is to summation the backing to the lawyer general's office, to instrumentality connected these anti-competitive lawsuits, due to the fact that farmers crossed the state are waiting for idiosyncratic to instrumentality the archetypal measurement present and truly springiness them a just deal.
And so, I deliberation that these are ideals of the Republican Party, but truly they're conscionable the close ideas, the close happening to do.
MARGARET BRENNAN: It's an absorbing position, though, fixed that the enactment has typically been precise adjacent to the agriculture industry. I cognize you person focused in, successful your campaign, connected the crab complaint successful Iowa. It has the 2nd highest crab incidence successful this country. You accidental it's nitrates and pesticides, including glyphosate that caused it.
President Trump signed an enforcement bid to boost accumulation of glyphosate-based herbicides. How bash you reconcile those statesmanlike decisions from the argumentation you have?
ZACH LAHN: Well, I would conscionable accidental archetypal that I was 1 of the archetypal radical to travel retired and accidental that this was the incorrect determination to motion that enforcement order. I deliberation that if we could springiness the president the proposal connected that, that helium would recognize that better.
But what – we are focused connected a run that's focused connected Iowa issues specifically. And this is thing that Iowans are facing. We person the fastest complaint of caller crab anyplace successful the country, fig one. And if you determination retired of the authorities of Iowa to accidental a authorities similar Nevada, your accidental of getting crab successful a fixed twelvemonth goes down by 40 percent. These are precise circumstantial Iowa-based issues and we've been focused connected them. High nitrate load successful h2o is 1 of the apical causes of colon cancer, bladder cancer, ovarian cancer, and we've got immoderate of the highest levels successful the country, if not the highest level.
So, we are focused connected providing incentives to farmers, existent incentives, to follow antithetic types of practices, to let them the quality to truly alteration what they're doing, to halt these products from getting into the streams successful the archetypal place, cleanable up our h2o astatine the source, and assistance farmers marque definite that they're not losing wealth by doing it, by providing existent incentives that assistance them really marque wealth by adopting these practices. Because it truly goes backmost to, farmers are operating connected razor- bladed margins close now. And the thought to experimentation with thing caller is not precise appealing erstwhile you could beryllium the archetypal successful a enactment of 5 generations that loses your household farm.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Right. Right. And that's 1 of the arguments for continuing to usage this herbicide that has arguably ties to crab is that it's conscionable frankly cheap.
Your presumption –
ZACH LAHN: OK (ph).
MARGARET BRENNAN: You conscionable said, if the president had much information, possibly helium would marque a antithetic decision. Just for the record, RFK Jr., the HHS secretary, says helium opposed it, told the president helium opposed it, and the president did it connected nationalist information grounds. But helium has been retired there, the HHS secretary. He's been campaigning for you. Many of your level issues are precise fashionable with the MAHA movement. Should America presumption your contention arsenic a trial of Kennedy's popularity?
ZACH LAHN: Well, I deliberation that Kennedy is precise fashionable successful Iowa. He's precise fashionable crossed the country. But it's much truthful the principles that helium represents, which are akin principles to what I represent.
Look, we each privation steadfast kids. We privation cleanable water. We privation to marque definite we person little medications for our kids. We privation to lick these issues that person been causing a emergence in, you know, chronic unwellness and autoimmune conditions, not conscionable amongst kids but amongst adults. And we judge that nutrient is medicine. That it's the archetypal enactment that you request to beryllium looking at, is what nutrient are we putting into our body?
And this is 1 of the reasons that – a apical precedence of mine. My satellite changeable for the authorities of Iowa is to spot a time successful which 80 percent of the nutrient served successful our nationalist schools is grown successful the authorities of Iowa. And we tin bash that. It volition instrumentality time, but this mightiness be, you know, the lone nutritious repast a kid has each day. And Iowa has the champion farmland successful the world. The champion farmers successful the world. We tin bash this and pb the state connected it. And this is 1 of the archetypal steps that we tin instrumentality to truly marque definite that we're cleaning up our nutrient supply, we're getting kids steadfast food.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Well, we volition proceed to ticker your contention and spot if Iowa, arsenic you say, is an outlier present and possibly starting thing new.
Thank you, Zach Lahn, for your clip today.
We'll beryllium close back.
(ANNOUNCEMENTS)
MARGARET BRENNAN: We're learning caller details astir the attempted hijacking of a FlyDubai formation implicit Saudi Arabia. Our Matt Gutman reports from Abu Dhabi.
(BEGIN VT)
MATT GUTMAN (voice over): CBS News has learned that Israel present believes the onslaught and suspected hijacking of Flight 1073 from Dubai to Tel Aviv was apt a lone wolf attack. Now for the archetypal time, leader Captain Smit Machchhar tells his mentation of what the UAE is calling a violent onslaught erstwhile his copilot tried to clang the level with 172 radical connected committee into the Arabian Desert. He spoke by telephone to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu connected Saturday.
CAPTAIN SMIT MACHCHHAR: While helium was praying, retired of respect, I was conscionable looking astatine the beforehand and not astatine the back. And abruptly determination was a large stroke to the backmost of my head. My archetypal thought was that determination was a catastrophic harm to the aircraft. After that, the blows kept coming, 1 aft another. And that's erstwhile I realized that it's not the aircraft, it's the different feline who was successful the cockpit with me.
MATT GUTMAN (voice over): The UAE says the copilot utilized a clang ax, recovered successful the cockpit of astir commercialized airliners. Sources archer CBS News, co- aviator Hamam al-Hammami had been banned from flying for Oman's nationalist bearer aft its authorities discovered helium was visiting extremist websites. That arsenic Israeli authorities acknowledged they did person a database of Flight 1073's unit members, which reportedly included al-Hammami.
As Israeli dentist Dr. Shota Musaev rushed to dainty Captain Machchhar's wounds, helium besides spoke to co-pilot al-Hammami.
DR. SHOTA MUSAEV, HELPED CAPTAIN AFTER ATTACK: After 2 minutes helium – helium said to me, termination me. Kill me. And said to Yanif (ph), termination – termination me, sometimes. That's – that's it.
MATT GUTMAN: He said, kill, termination me, aggregate times?
SHOTA MUSAEV: Yes. Yes, yes.
MATT GUTMAN: That alleged attacker is present being interrogated present successful the UAE, arsenic some the UAE and Israel are facing questions astir however a aviator with known extremist views was allowed to alert that way from Dubai to Tel Aviv.
(END VT)
MARGARET BRENNAN: That's Matt Gutman reporting from Abu Dhabi.
Three years agone this week, Hamas massacred 1,200 radical successful Israel and took 254 radical hostage. As nationalist information assembly coordinator nether erstwhile President Biden, Brett McGurk, worked to unafraid their release, a situation helium writes astir successful his caller book, "Brink."
We spoke with McGurk past week.
(BEGIN VT)
MARGARET BRENNAN: You wrote that the U.S. had nary wide warnings, nor did the Israelis, from what they told us. But you permission unfastened the thought that determination were missed signals. Was this a full quality failure?
BRETT MCGURK (Former White House National Security Council Coordinator for the Middle East and North Africa): So, we person truly looked astatine – we did not person immoderate – thing successful our strategy that would person been a informing and indicator.
MARGARET BRENNAN: No U.S. intelligence?
BRETT MCGURK: No U.S. quality of a informing oregon indicator. I can't talk to whether the Israelis – the Israelis inactive have, to this day, not had a committee of inquiry. We had the 9/11 Commission that made a fig of reforms that person helped support our state harmless since 9/11. The Israelis inactive person not done that. I deliberation they person – they should bash that.
But from what I, successful dealing with each of these guys successful Israel, information echelon, governmental echelon, I deliberation they had an presumption that was profoundly engrained that Hamas was deterred, assuaged, and was not astir to bash thing monolithic connected immoderate standard similar this. I deliberation that was a mendacious presumption successful their system, nonaccomplishment of imagination, and it was tragic.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Let maine inquire you astir the Israeli premier minister. In February of 2024, you speech astir a gathering you had with him. You were precise focused connected these hostages and trying to get them out. You said, "for much than 30 minutes, helium ne'er mentioned the hostages. Netanyahu was animated successful discussing the subject run and acold little truthful erstwhile discussing the hostages, erstwhile helium chose to sermon them astatine all."
BRETT MCGURK: Yes.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Why? Why bash you deliberation that is?
BRETT MCGURK: Netanyahu was focused acold much connected the subject run and assuring Hamas tin ne'er clasp powerfulness successful Gaza. Believing the subject run and the unit connected Hamas would pb to a woody that released each the hostages, whereas we were trying to absorption connected a phased woody that astatine slightest let's – get immoderate of the hostages retired first. And Netanyahu ever believed that much subject unit volition really present a amended deal, whereas Sinwar believed much clip would enactment much unit connected the U.S. and others to present him a amended deal. That's what makes this astir an intolerable concern to woody with.
MARGARET BRENNAN: You felt the U.S. was putting much worth connected those lives than the Israeli authorities did?
BRETT MCGURK: The U.S. relation successful this, successful each dimensions, we were trying to halt a warfare and get the hostages home. And the 2 were – the 2 were wholly linked. And to trim quality suffering arsenic overmuch arsenic imaginable successful Gaza.
You know, Netanyahu, I picture him as, obviously, precise assured successful his assumptions. And helium has a member who was killed successful the Entebbe raid, precise assured successful presumption of his content and however to woody with these groups. And yet I judge a batch of times determination were miscalculations.
MARGARET BRENNAN: National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan has publically suggested that the U.S. absorption was truthful overmuch connected the hostages that it was astir a trap, arsenic helium enactment it, successful reasoning that we tin get to a ceasefire and a hostage deal, and different things were sublimated to that objective. I mean, successful hindsight, bash you stock that feeling?
BRETT MCGURK: The warfare would not person stopped without the hostages. I don't – I don't judge that.
About a period into the warfare we had – we had a woody with Hamas. Not easy. I picture what it was similar to get, for each women and children, it's precise clear, each women and children hostages are going to travel out. And successful speech for a fig of Palestinian prisoners. And we had a ceasefire for 8 days. And astir 100 hostages came out. Three of those women that did not travel out, due to the fact that connected the eighth time Hamas said, we're not going to merchandise the younger women, actually. We released the young toddlers, similar Abigail, the young American girl. We released the 80-year-old grandmothers. We're going to clasp connected to the younger ones. They said, we can't find them, which was wholly untrue. So –
MARGARET BRENNAN: Wasn't portion of the excuse that they were subject property too?
BRETT MCGURK: No. Well, they said immoderate – they claimed that.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Yes.
BRETT MCGURK: But they said, let's support a ceasefire and speech astir the older men. And successful the publication I spell done this night, midnight present successful Washington, December 1st, and it's a motivation quandary. And this is what a hostage taker does. Hamas is arsenic bully arsenic Iran is. They're masters astatine this. They enactment the motivation onus connected the different side. Do you skip the younger women, commencement talking astir older men, support the ceasefire, oregon say, no, you broke the deal?
(END VT)
MARGARET BRENNAN: We'll person much from Brett McGurk erstwhile we travel back.
(ANNOUNCEMENTS)
MARGARET BRENNAN: We prime up our speech with Brett McGurk astir the negotiations with Hamas successful 2024 to merchandise the hostages and extremity the Gaza war.
(BEGIN VT)
MARGARET BRENNAN: All of what you were trying to bash was happening astatine the aforesaid clip arsenic the American governmental rhythm here, a statesmanlike election. And determination appeared to beryllium unquestioning U.S. enactment for Israel and providing subject enactment to Israel. And this became a governmental issue, peculiarly among Democrats. Then, the Republican candidates, including present President Donald Trump, were criticizing that you weren't beardown capable successful enactment of Israel. How alert were you of the authorities of the moment, arsenic you're making decisions similar this?
BRETT MCGURK: I'm precise independent. So, I've worked with Republican presidents, Democratic presidents. I was a instrumentality clerk for 2 judges appointed by Republicans, 1 by a Democrat. And – but fto maine bring you into the Oval Office and benignant of, successful a country successful which I deliberation encapsulates this precise issue.
April 4, 2024. President Biden, it's his re-election. He's connected the run trail. Obviously frustrated astir the situation. Unable to articulate, due to the fact that the hostage talks person present collapsed. They precocious collapsed for a fig of reasons I spell done successful the book.
He's frustrated by being incapable to constituent to however are we really going to effort to bring this to a close. We had a horrific aerial onslaught from the Israelis that killed 9 assistance workers with World Central Kitchen, Jose Andreas –
MARGARET BRENNAN: An Israeli drone deed the intelligibly marked convoy.
BRETT MCGURK: And – which – which was truthful tragic – truthful horrific. And so, we person a telephone with – betwixt Biden and Netanyahu. And Biden is conscionable like, you know, wholly fed up. And astatine the aforesaid time, however, Iran is readying to motorboat – we person intel – quality that Iran is astir to motorboat a monolithic ballistic rocket drone onslaught straight against Israel, which is wholly unprecedented. And – which if those missiles get through, you're talking astir thousands of casualties.
So, this is however benignant of everything converges. And I deliberation astatine that moment, if not for that impending rocket attack, which we past had to deploy subject forces. We built an unprecedented conjugation with aerial partners, European partners and, of course, the U.S. subject and General Kurilla (ph), who was benignant of putting this together. If not for that, I deliberation connected that – successful that moment, I deliberation we would person taken immoderate beauteous draconian measures against Israel.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Really?
BRETT MCGURK: Yes. I bash not –
MARGARET BRENNAN: Draconian how? What bash you mean?
BRETT MCGURK: Well, I deliberation we would person – you conscionable mentioned cutting disconnected weapons and different things. That was precise overmuch connected the table. But besides astatine that clip successful April, Congress bipartisan – a monolithic bipartisan bulk approved a $26 cardinal assistance bundle for Israel, close successful April, close successful that moment. But the – the absorption precise rapidly shifts to, however bash we support Israel from this – from this rocket attack. It ended up being 120 ballistic missiles, 170 drones, 30 cruise missiles, each launched to onshore astatine the aforesaid time.
MARGARET BRENNAN: But connected the World Central Kitchen event, the – radical retrieve that. There was outrage astir that. You wrote that, "President Biden told Bibi Netanyahu," the premier minister, "that helium could, successful theory, chopped Israel from subject assistance astatine a digit drawback –
BRETT MCGURK: Yes.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Leaving Israel connected its own. You deliberation I'm Santa Claus? No Santa successful Israel, pal?"
BRETT MCGURK: Yes.
MARGARET BRENNAN: But helium didn't. He didn't cut.
BRETT MCGURK: Well, I mean, we –
MARGARET BRENNAN: Did helium really mean that arsenic a threat?
BRETT MCGURK: We selectively – we talked astir it successful that – successful the Oval Office astir that time. We selectively, aft that call, the president stopped each income and deliveries of dense payload munitions, 2,000-pound bombs. We stopped –
MARGARET BRENNAN: Well, helium delayed them, ultimately.
BRETT MCGURK: We didn't present them and we didn't o.k. immoderate different sales. President Trump reversed that instantly aft coming into office.
MARGARET BRENNAN: It was specified a nationalist statement astatine the clip astir America's relation successful the world, the standards America is held to, and whether America is complicit successful however our weapons are used. And nether the Leahy Law, arsenic you know, you know, countries that person U.S. weapons person to debar committing quality rights violations oregon hazard losing the weapons supply.
Blinken said –
ANTONY BLINKEN (Former Secretary of State): It was tenable to entree that successful definite instances Israel acted successful ways that are not accordant with planetary humanitarian law.
MARGARET BRENNAN: And that "Israeli civilian harm mitigation efforts were inconsistent, ineffective, and inadequate."
Do you hold with that State Department memo?
BRETT MCGURK: No assistance to immoderate state is unconditional, including – including to Israel. And – but information assistance is simply a – is simply a complex, multi-institutional, multi-branch endeavor. And again, these – astir of these appropriations were appropriated by massive, bipartisan majorities successful Congress astatine the time. But – and the – and the State Department has a relation and the Pentagon has an important role.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Right. He was saying deed the brakes connected deliveries. Or reexamine (ph).
BRETT MCGURK: Again, we deed the brakes connected immoderate – connected immoderate deliveries, again, selectively. But to person a broad-based stoppage of support, again, for Israel, astatine a clip – I don't cognize what the timeframe was for that statement, but I tin –
MARGARET BRENNAN: It was successful May, successful 2024.
BRETT MCGURK: So, successful May – yes, truthful successful May, we conscionable had the largest ballistic rocket and drone onslaught ever successful history. We helped the Israelis decision it.
We accidental to Netanyahu, Biden's punctuation successful that gathering is, "I conscionable saved your ass." We're getting backmost to the hostage deal, OK?
We spent the period of May putting unneurotic a detailed, four-page, three- signifier agreement, azygous space, each item there. We spell to the Israelis and to Netanyahu and say, we request you to motion up. And it went precise acold successful the absorption of Hamas. Frankly, it was a amended woody for Hamas than what they person close now.
And Netanyahu, connected May 27th, signed onto that deal. On May 31st, due to the fact that what were we doing successful May? On May 31st, President Biden laid retired that woody to the satellite successful a speech. And helium said, Israel has accepted this deal. Hamas, say, yes, let's extremity this war. The U.N. Security Council endorses that deal. It's May 31st.
What happens? In aboriginal June, aft this is connected the table, we tin halt the warfare close present if Hamas says yes. Khamenei, ultimate person of Iran, gives a defiant code praising October 7th, and fundamentally Iran is telling Hamas to not – to not compromise successful immoderate of – of the terms. Hezbollah launches its largest onslaught of the war, 250 rockets into bluish Israel. This is – erstwhile we person a ceasefire woody connected the table.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Yes.
BRETT MCGURK: We don't get an reply from Hamas until July 2nd, astir 5 weeks later. And they enactment each sorts of things successful it that acceptable the talks back.
So, I accidental this due to the fact that we were moving to extremity this situation and extremity this war. And if you privation – successful May, June, and we had the woody connected the array to bash it.
My attack would person – is, this woody is connected the array to halt the war. All pressure, everything, public, everything else, has to travel down connected Hamas and their enablers to accidental yes to extremity this woody – oregon to extremity this war.
But Hamas did not accidental "yes." and they kept stringing this out. And they would enactment an contented connected the table, past Israel would instrumentality a hard position. But that's what was happening successful May. And if you spell to that – you know, Biden goes to the satellite and says, this is the deal. He had a telephone telephone with I deliberation 18 heads of authorities due to the fact that these hostages are from countries each astir the world. They each said – they called connected Hamas to instrumentality the deal, and Hamas did not instrumentality the deal. I mean we were moving astatine that clip to extremity the warfare done a deal. And I think, again, each vectors of unit should person been connected Sinwar to accidental yes.
MARGARET BRENNAN: But you're not saying –
BRETT MCGURK: And the warfare would person stopped.
MARGARET BRENNAN: You're not saying that the Democratic Party unit and calling retired compliance with U.S. instrumentality was enabling Hamas? That's not what you're saying?
BRETT MCGURK: No, no, no. I – but I'm not – and besides not –
MARGARET BRENNAN: But you're saying it's astir similar naive?
BRETT MCGURK: And I'm besides not getting into interior enactment debates. I've ne'er been a portion of that. I'll fto – I'll fto governmental parties person their debates. Not my relation astatine all. I travel backmost to the question, however bash you extremity this crisis?
MARGARET BRENNAN: Uh-huh.
BRETT MCGURK: And I deliberation the grounds shows, if you conscionable halt American enactment for Israel, that is not going extremity to the crisis. It's going to marque it worse.
(END VT)
MARGARET BRENNAN: Our afloat conversation's connected our website, facethenation.com, and our YouTube page.
We'll beryllium close back.
(ANNOUNCEMENTS)
MARGARET BRENNAN: That's it for america today. Thank you each for watching. Until adjacent week. For "FACE THE NATION," I'm Margaret Brennan.
(ANNOUNCEMENTS)
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