3 hours ago
5
The pursuing is the transcript of the interrogation with Sen. Mark Warner, Democrat of Virginia, that aired connected "Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan" connected March 15, 2026.
MARGARET BRENNAN: We crook present to the vice president of the Intelligence Committee, Democratic Senator Mark Warner. He joins america this greeting from Richmond, Virginia. Senator, a batch to inquire you astir successful respect to Iran, but I privation to commencement archetypal connected the homeland. We had respective attacks, 2 being investigated arsenic panic incidents present astatine home. Do we inactive person the senator? Okay, sorry. Glad helium tin inactive perceive me. The incidents present astatine home, including 1 successful Virginia astatine Old Dominion University, the gunman had served respective years successful situation for trying to enactment ISIS. He walked into an Army ROTC people and helium changeable the teacher dead. He injured 2 others. How does a convicted ISIS protagonist bash this close nether the chemoreceptor of instrumentality enforcement?
Whose occupation was it to way him?
SEN. MARK WARNER (D-VA): Well, Margaret, I deliberation the occupation was expected to beryllium the FBI. And unfortunately, nether this FBI director, Kash Patel, helium has fired galore of the apical counterterrorism folks, counterespionage folks. And helium has taken, and I reported this galore times, adjacent to a 3rd of our FBI officers disconnected doing counterterrorism oregon doing enactment crimes and enactment them connected migration enforcement. I knew this was gonna travel backmost and wound us. And I judge portion determination whitethorn not beryllium a nonstop narration here, we cognize successful each of the offices they've taken these FBI agents disconnected their captious cases and enactment them connected migration enforcement. I deliberation that was a mistake. I wanna find retired however this feline was capable to inactive beryllium connected the loose, and we've got to get an investigation, but we've got to get an FBI that is backmost focused connected protecting the homeland and preventing, whether it beryllium terrorists oregon espionage taking place.
MARGARET BRENNAN: At this point, are you alert of immoderate credible threats to the homeland?
SEN. WARNER: I person not been briefed successful the past fewer days connected a further credible threat. But this, let's enactment it similar this, you know, these are the things you person to program for if you are readying connected going to warfare connected a warfare of choice. This is simply a warfare of choice. And if you conscionable spell done quickly, the president said determination were going to beryllium 4 goals. Regime change, we've really got a worse ultimate person than the erstwhile one. And you heard the overseas minister, it doesn't dependable similar they're acceptable to determination out. The uranium enrichment, it would instrumentality troops connected the ground. Getting escaped of the missiles, we've betrayed immoderate of those.
MARGARET BRENNAN: --I get it.--
SEN. WARNER: But the brainsick happening was that we didn't instrumentality the Ukrainian connection to spell after, to usage their drones, which are overmuch cheaper. I request to speech to you about- And finally, we've got the Strait of Hormuz closed.
00:02:46
MARGARET BRENNAN: I got to spell to a interruption and I'm coming backmost to speech to you wherever I don't person to chopped you off. Let maine conscionable spell to this interruption now.
[COMMERCIAL BREAK]
MARGARET BRENNAN: Welcome backmost to Face the Nation. We instrumentality present to our speech with Senator Mark Warner. Senator, we were talking astir Iran earlier that break. It was a twelvemonth agone that the country's quality leaders sat earlier your committee and provided grounds astatine the Worldwide Threats Briefing. And astatine that point, the grounds was, quote, "we proceed to measure Iran is not gathering a atomic limb and that Khamenei has not reauthorized the atomic weapons programme helium suspended successful 2003." Clearly, Israel disagreed with that U.S. assessment, and they persuaded President Trump. Were those U.S. quality leaders wrong?
SEN. WARNER: No, they were not. There was nary imminent menace to the United States, and I don't judge determination was adjacent an imminent menace to Israel from Iran. Over a play of time, peculiarly with the ballistic rocket capability, Israel would beryllium much nether threat. The determination to spell to war, successful this case, was a prime by President Trump. And arsenic I was racing through, I won't spell done the full database again, but it was authorities change, get escaped of the enriched uranium, get escaped of their missiles, descend the Navy. I'm not definite we person reached a palmy decision connected immoderate of those four, peculiarly connected the past point, the Navy. They're still- you know, person hundreds and hundreds of these velocity boats that they tin works mines successful the Strait of Hormuz, which they've already partially mined, and now, we're successful this condition wherever he's going to decide, I conjecture erstwhile helium feels it successful his bones, I deliberation was the punctuation the president used, and is that the criteria erstwhile we've got virtually 13 work members killed? And I got a batch of those sailors connected the Ford that are location ported successful Norfolk, Virginia. And waiting for him to consciousness close successful the bones? That doesn't look to beryllium the close criteria.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Well, we volition get an update from those quality leaders earlier your committee aboriginal this week. We'll beryllium watching that closely. I privation to specifically inquire you, though, astir what happened with this deadly onslaught connected an simple schoolhouse successful Minab, Iran. Our CBS reporting is that astir 200 radical were killed, apt the effect of outdated quality that was utilized for the people coordinates, according to the preliminary assessment. Secretary Hegseth said helium has appointed an researcher from extracurricular Central Command to bash a afloat probe. From what you person been told, did the fatal mistake originate from wrong the quality assemblage oregon was this an contented with the subject not vetting the quality they were given?
SEN. WARNER: Margaret, we've lone got preliminary assessments, and I privation a thorough investigation. But what I don't privation to bash is leap to the conclusion, whether it was CENTCOM oregon whether it was Defense Intelligence Agency. Let's- that's what thorough investigations are expected to beryllium for. Clearly, it was an American strike. I, again, consciousness a small disappointed that the president tried to contradict that astatine archetypal oregon accidental it was adjacent the Iranians. This is where- what we've got. The words of the president of the United States are terribly important successful moments similar this. And, unfortunately, President Trump has, uses escaped connection each the time, didn't ever travel to the American radical connected this warfare of prime and accidental what our goals are, and we inactive don't cognize different than the 4 goals helium outlined. I'm not definite we're going to accomplish, but he's going to then- whenever helium decides. And we- wherever I disagree with my person Kevin Hassett is, this is having a immense economical effect. In Virginia, 2 weeks ago, state prices were $2.81. Today, they're astir $3.45. I saw a husbandman yesterday. His fertilizer outgo had been up 40%.
MARGARET BRENNAN: No, and we'll proceed to way that. Just to enactment a good constituent connected this, though, due to the fact that this was, this was a schoolhouse afloat of children. If a mistake similar this happens, are you assured successful the remainder of U.S. quality that is continuing to beryllium utilized for targeting and to pass what is happening connected the crushed present and the much than 50,000 work radical we person committed here?
SEN. WARNER: This is wherefore we privation the investigation. This school, though, was perfectly adjacent to an Iranian subject base. That does not excuse what happened. But that's why, earlier I formed blasted connected whether it was the subject oregon DIA, I privation to get the facts. I deliberation we'd each bash a amended occupation if we really argued from facts alternatively than from suppositions.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Well, connected the facts, the Senate failed to beforehand that Homeland Security backing for the 4th clip yesterday. We person hose CEOs faulting Congress for not paying TSA agents. I've got video of TSA workers connected nutrient lines due to the fact that they conscionable missed their 2nd paycheck, fractional paycheck past time, afloat paycheck this Friday. Why can't your leaders interruption this deadlock?
SEN. WARNER: Margaret, I deliberation we should. And what we person offered is let's wage TSA, let's wage FEMA, let's wage the National Guard [sic.] I'm atrocious the Coast Guard, let's wage CISA, I'd adjacent accidental let's wage Customs and Border Patrol. If we can't hold connected ICE reforms, let's wage everybody else. With the fund that the Republicans laid out, wherefore won't they conscionable instrumentality yes for an answer?
MARGARET BRENNAN: Well, they accidental it's, it's a full standard funding, not piecemeal, but--
SEN. WARNER: --If you're going to money 95%, arsenic we did to equilibrium the government, wherefore not bash the equilibrium of DHS with the objection of ICE?
MARGARET BRENNAN: Well, we volition beryllium watching that. Senator Warner, convey you for your clip this morning. We'll beryllium close back.
English (US) ·