Transcript: Sir Christian Turner, U.K. ambassador to the U.S., on "Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan," April 26, 2026

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The pursuing is the transcript of the interrogation with Sir Christian Turner, U.K. ambassador to the U.S., that aired connected "Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan" connected April 26, 2026.


MARGARET BRENNAN: We crook present to the British Ambassador to the United States. His Excellency, Sir Christian Turner. Good to person you here.

AMB. CHRISTIAN TURNER: Good to beryllium here. Margaret, convey you.

MARGARET BRENNAN: You too, were successful that ballroom past night. You got a batch of information grooming for unstable countries wherever you person been posted arsenic a nonrecreational diplomat implicit the people of your career. Did you ever ideate successful 1 of the astir heavy guarded rooms successful DC, you'd person to enactment that to use?

AMB. TURNER: Well the grooming I've had successful immoderate of those places I've been really kicks successful past night, you fundamentally bash what you're told and fto the nonrecreational information people bash what they do. And I deliberation it was 1 of my large takeaways past night. I deliberation it was a- I'm with the radical who accidental it was a occurrence story. The Secret Service perfectly did what they needed to, not lone that, but seeing really each the journalists successful the country and their grooming kicking successful in a play that is each astir the state of the press. I'm afloat of admiration for the mode radical responded past night.

MARGARET BRENNAN: Well you- maine too, but you person a week up of you, due to the fact that King Charles and Queen Camilla are expected to get tomorrow. This is simply a going to beryllium a large lawsuit careless of what happened past night. But conscionable to beryllium clear, you haven't changed your information assessment. You judge it is inactive harmless for them to travel and talk to Congress and beryllium astatine the White House?

AMB. TURNER: So we respond to that nonrecreational advice. I'm presently readying to beryllium welcoming their Majesties tomorrow. But of course, our squad has been successful interaction mode done the night, and we'll beryllium done the time to spot whether the events of past nighttime person immoderate alteration successful our operational planning. And I'm precise assured that their Majesties volition person the precise champion information passim the visit.

MARGARET BRENNAN: All right, determination is different large ballroom gathering planned, right? For the King.

AMB. TURNER: it's going to beryllium an bonzer 3 oregon 4 days for us. Margaret. We've been readying this sojourn for years. Really, it's the 250th betwixt our 2 countries. I mean a somber inheritance aft past nighttime for each of us. But I inactive anticipation we'll beryllium capable to showcase this infinitesimal to marque it the solemnisation that it deserves to be.

MARGARET BRENNAN: Well, a celebration, but to beryllium clear, it's besides a spot of repair enactment close to the peculiar relationship. The president had been rather upset with your Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who didn't initially enactment the violative operations by the U.S. and Israel against Iran, and the president was precise wide helium was not blessed with him. He mocked him. He said he's nary Winston Churchill. He said it was excessively precocious for the UK to adjacent connection help. And past determination was different hostility astir the UK. As a NATO ally, however overmuch repair enactment is this sojourn really about?

AMB. TURNER: Well, the bonzer happening successful the British Constitution, of course, is the king is supra politics. I person to punctual people, he's ne'er given--

MARGARET BRENNAN: He's a definite governmental asset, let's beryllium clear.

AMB. TURNER: But he's ne'er fixed an interview, which I person to punctual radical because, of course, he's the caput of state, but he's not the caput of government. So actually, that's wherefore we tin marque this a infinitesimal to measurement up and measurement back. And I think, I mean, conscionable to instrumentality it backmost to past night. I mean, the different takeaway is that beardown sentiment you were conscionable discussing with your past guest, the president, calling for america to resoluteness our differences peacefully, that determination is, determination is nary spot for governmental unit successful immoderate of our democracies. You know, these are, these are enduring messages. They're baked into our governmental makeup, into your governmental makeup, that quality for america to look backmost we had a tiny quality of sentiment successful 1776. 1776 we've been done that. We've- we've travel a precise agelong way, and that, successful a way, for me, is what is truthful enduring astir this relationship. It's that we've had differences. Thatcher to Reagan. Roosevelt with Churchill really implicit however to grip Stalin. These are moments successful the narration but really it endures due to the fact that it is truthful heavy connected security, yes, NATO connected our investment. We are the largest capitalist successful 21 states, $430 cardinal of trade. I mean, the statistic travel out, but it's really astir the radical that we privation this to focus. So I am, I'm precise assured that's wherever we volition privation to absorption our clip this week. And I should add, the premier curate spoke to the president this greeting aft the incident, the king sent a idiosyncratic connection to the president and archetypal lady. So actually, successful diplomacy, it's arsenic overmuch idiosyncratic arsenic it is political.

MARGARET BRENNAN: Well, connected the diplomatic front, the UK has been convening European countries to effort to fig retired what to bash with the Strait of Hormuz aft combat ends. You cognize the Iran record rather well. You were antecedently a negotiator here. What's your appraisal connected who is moving Iran close present and whether we spot an extremity to this struggle anytime soon?

AMB. TURNER: So, it's hard successful in Tehran, determination are intelligibly immoderate divisions. You pointed to that archetypal disagreement earlier the war, but since then, Margaret, actually, the UK, has been doing a lot. We were utilizing our bases for antiaircraft strikes. We've flown thing similar 2000 sorties with craft successful the Middle East shooting down drones and missiles to support our allies each night, successful precise adjacent coordination with the US. And, of course, our quality base, we don't speech astir it much, but it's the implicit instauration of of truthful overmuch that is that is going on. We stock the aforesaid intent, the aforesaid argumentation arsenic the US. We privation to constrain this authorities and its threat. We privation the straits unfastened again. So this conjugation you notation to that President Macron has worked with, with my Prime Minister, Keir Starmer on, what we want, that to bash thing similar 50 countries coming unneurotic to enactment retired --

MARGARET BRENNAN: Secretary Hegseth called it silly. He said it was conscionable a clump of meetings.

AMB. TURNER: Well, it is --

MARGARET BRENNAN: What are you going to program to do--  

AMB. TURNER: Yeah, it is planning, erstwhile the straits are open, to guarantee that the navigation we request has got the assurance of a full bundle of boats, of drones, of quality to beryllium capable to marque definite that shipping goes through. Because that's what American citizens need. That's what British citizens need. The radical of Asia need. The planetary system is suffering, and we privation to spot that resolved.

MARGARET BRENNAN: It is indeed. Thank you, ambassador, bully luck this week. We'll beryllium close back.

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