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The pursuing is the transcript of the interrogation with Rep. Ro Khanna, Democrat of California, that aired connected "Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan" connected June 7, 2026.
MARGARET BRENNAN: But we statesman this greeting with Democratic Congressman Ro Khanna of California. Good to person you present successful person.
REP. RO KHANNA: Good to beryllium back.
MARGARET BRENNAN: You're conscionable backmost from Maine, and connected Tuesday, there's a superior determination for Democrats. It volition assistance to find who is going to situation Susan Collins for her seat. She is the longtime Republican legislator who has held connected to it. This is each yet astir who is going to power Congress, power the Senate. There's been a batch of excitement astir Graham Platner, who we mentioned there, close astatine the top. He's a veteran, an oyster antheral with this anti-establishment progressive message. Why are you inactive campaigning for him aft each of these questions astir action, comments, enactment successful his idiosyncratic life.
REP. KHANNA: Well we had a rally planned, and I privation to beryllium clear: his actions were misogynistic, they were shameful, they were wrong, but they didn't travel arsenic a astonishment to a batch of the folks successful Maine. People successful Maine knew that helium had had 2 tours of work successful Iraq. He came backmost breached successful a acheronian place. That doesn't excuse his behavior, but they knew this. He was successful Washington, and past helium went backmost to Maine, and helium started an oyster farm. He took accountability. He himself has said it was shameful, and helium had redemption. And present he's moving connected a level of nationalist wellness security erstwhile Susan Collins is voting to chopped it. He's talking astir taxing billionaires. Susan Collins is for taxation breaks to billionaires, and he's opposed to this overseas warfare wherever Susan Collins supported the warfare successful Iran, and that's wherefore I'm inactive supporting him.
MARGARET BRENNAN: But I privation to spell done immoderate of what we're referring to present successful specifics. The run acknowledged a campaigner sent sexually explicit texts to aggregate women portion helium was married, rather recently. He's acknowledged helium had a tattoo with Nazi symbols that he's since covered up, but helium claimed helium didn't cognize the linkage and the symbolism, and he's had societal media posts insulting agrarian radical downplaying intersexual assault. He has apologized oregon said helium regrets immoderate of that behavior. As you conscionable alluded to, helium has besides referred to the information helium has dealt with PTSD and immoderate intoxicant issues. Are you assured each the damaging info is out?
REP. KHANNA: That's what helium says. My consciousness is, earlier the primary, a batch of this has travel out. Obviously, look, if determination was grounds of violence. I would not enactment him. If determination was grounds of intersexual assault, I'd person zero enactment for him. He acknowledges that helium was misogynistic, it was shameful. One happening I privation to marque precise clear, we should not beryllium attacking the women who came forward. We should not beryllium attacking the journalists. Some radical person been attacking the New York Times journalists- they're- they did their job. We should absorption connected acknowledging it was misogynistic, acknowledging it was wrong, moving connected with redemption, and past focusing connected his issues, which are stopping the war, taking connected the billionaire class.
MARGARET BRENNAN: You said determination was nary grounds of violence. You- successful your view, there's thing credible astatine this point,
REP. KHANNA: My presumption is that adjacent according to the New York Times piece, they said determination was nary harm, nary injury, determination was toxicity, and determination was verbal intimidation, which I condemn, but Graham has made it wide that determination was nary grounds of violence, that to maine is simply a reddish line.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Well, due to the fact that there's this woman, Lyndsey Field, who dated him for astir 2 years' time, and she's been posting connected societal media, speaking connected the grounds astir their relationship. She said helium near an AR 15 lying astir his Capitol Hill flat erstwhile helium lived here, told her if anyone broke successful he'd rape them to amusement he's dominant. She did accidental helium ne'er deed her oregon punched her, but said helium could beryllium rough, and she described being grabbed by her shoulder. She described him pulling her limb arsenic she was refusing to get retired of a car. Years ago, the mantra was 'believe each women.' Do you judge her?
REP. KHANNA: Yes, and I don't deliberation our broadside should beryllium attacking her, and I admit her courageousness from coming forward. I cognize immoderate radical are saying, 'Oh, she's a Republican.' I deliberation that is irrelevant. I judge her. I deliberation Graham acted shamefully, and helium acted arsenic The New York Times characterized it, arsenic a toxic relationship. It is shameful. It is ugly. It happened successful a acheronian play of his life, and the Maine voters that I met said they don't similar it. They knew that helium had these chapters. They are consenting to widen him grace and redemption, and they're focused present connected what he's moving for. But I bash not deliberation we should beryllium attacking her.
MARGARET BRENNAN: So it is his campaign, the Platner campaign, that described the accuser arsenic a GOP operative who has dedicated her vocation to electing Republicans. She is simply a conservative. Would you counsel the run to halt attacking her?
REP. KHANNA: Absolutely. They should not onslaught her. They should not onslaught the New York Times reporters who wrote the story. I cognize those reporters, they person written things captious of me. That's what journalists do. Donald Trump is the 1 who attacks the press. Our enactment doesn't onslaught the press. Our enactment believes that you dainty women with equality and respect successful each aspects of their lives. Graham Platner did not bash that successful the aboriginal 2000s. He should conscionable accidental what helium has said to Maine voters, that was a shameful play successful his life. He's ashamed of that conduct, and that's what makes him different, is that he's taken accountability for that play of his life. Others, similar Trump, person ne'er taken accountability.
MARGARET BRENNAN: So you mentioned the PTSD, and helium has been precise unfastened astir that. What helium went through, coming backmost from, I believe, 3 tours successful Iraq, and past helium worked successful a backstage capableness successful Afghanistan. But immoderate veterans groups person said that, you know, he's fundamentally utilizing it arsenic an excuse for atrocious behavior.
REP. KHANNA: I don't think--
MARGARET BRENNAN: --and maligning them successful that way,
REP. KHANNA: It's- it's not an excuse, it doesn't warrant him being successful toxic relationships oregon saying misogynistic things--
MARGARET BRENNAN: Because it sounds similar it's being utilized arsenic an excuse.
REP. KHANNA: Well, I don't view, successful fact, successful my remarks I said it's not an excuse, it's- but it's the truth, it's his information of who helium was, but what it should archer america is we broke a batch of radical successful this state by sending radical to Iraq. Susan Collins sent radical to Iraq, and present connected the 100th time of a warfare successful Iran, we're breaking much people. Gas is done the roof, nutrient is done the roof, and this Iran warfare is an amerciable war, immoral war, an unstrategic war, and Graham Platner is moving to halt it. That is the large contented that Maine voters were talking about, the warfare that's expanding state prices, the deficiency of healthcare, but I don't judge PTSD should beryllium an excuse for atrocious behavior. But we bash request to admit the toll these wars are taking connected people.
MARGARET BRENNAN: And Platner did protestation against the war, but that was earlier helium enlisted successful the Marines. And past subsequently worked successful a backstage capableness successful Afghanistan, different warfare zone.
REP. KHANNA: He was patriotic. Look, I ran against the warfare successful Iraq successful 2003. That was however I started. He was opposed to the war. We person made a mistake by getting into the warfare successful Iraq. Now helium served the country, but 1 of the reasons helium went into PTSD, if you speech to him, arsenic helium said, I realized that my work did not person a intent for doing good. And present you've got Susan Collins, who has been an apologist for the warfare successful Iran connected this 108 What person we achieved? You inactive person an Iranian authorities there, they inactive person the atomic substance there, the state prices are done the roof. And wherefore is Platner successful the race? Because he's saying halt these overseas wars.
MARGARET BRENNAN: So it just- I rise this due to the fact that I person heard Democrats reason implicit this issue, and the interest that they are ceding the motivation precocious crushed that they privation to clasp successful bid to basal connected it and knock Republicans, right? CBS News has spoken to a erstwhile run authoritative who expressed interest astir the deficiency of vetting of Platner. This sounds similar it's just, you know, this is conscionable politics,
REP. KHANNA: Like I said, the radical successful Maine were not surprised. I mean, it was a astonishment to the nationalist story. They knew that erstwhile helium was successful DC, helium had shameful parts of his life. Then helium came back, helium started an oyster farm, helium was connected the water for years, helium recovered himself. But the large contented for voters, successful my view, is, are you for these wars, are you for taxing billionaires? Are you for nationalist wellness insurance? And that's the contrast, and the run is simply a vetting process, and the voters of Maine are asking these--
MARGARET BRENNAN: The campaign's the vetting process?
REP. KHANNA: Well, the superior campaign, I mean, it's been a twelvemonth of campaigning that helium has, that helium has had.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Can helium past different scandal? You person 5 months here.
REP. KHANNA: Well, it depends. What I'm not, you know, I mean, obviously, if determination was immoderate grounds that comes retired that determination is existent home unit oregon assault, I person zero tolerance for that. I led the combat against the Epstein class, which has been a cover-up for intersexual maltreatment with Thomas Massie. I've been astatine the forefront of championing women's rights and rights of survivors, but present you person a lawsuit of idiosyncratic who had a acheronian section successful his life, was successful toxic relationships, was ashamed astir it, who served this country, and the Maine voters are saying, Look, let's springiness him immoderate grace, and his absorption is stopping these wars, and it's getting nationalist wellness insurance, and it's taking connected economical inequality,
MARGARET BRENNAN: Okay. And that is the progressive connection that you are supporting. Ro Khanna, convey you for your time.
REP. KHANNA: Thank you.
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