On this “Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan” broadcast, moderated by Margaret Brennan:
- Sen. Tom Cotton, Republican of Arkansas
- Sens. Richard Blumenthal, Democrat of Connecticut, and Lindsey Graham, Republican of South Carolina
- Sen. Alex Padilla, Democrat of California
Click here to browse full transcripts from 2025 of “Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan.”
MARGARET BRENNAN: I’m Margaret Brennan in Washington.
And this week on Face the Nation: The shocking shootings of two Minnesota lawmakers spark new fears of political violence.
And in the escalating war between Israel and Iran, can the U.S. avoid further involvement?
A massive manhunt is underway after a gunman authorities say posed as a police officer shot two Minnesota lawmakers, killing one and injuring another, leaving behind a list of other lawmakers to target. We will have the latest.
Los Angeles is still the epicenter of protest and unrest following the White House mandate to ramp up deportations of people in the country illegally. Will the president’s softening of that order ease the situation?
We will talk with California Democratic Senator Alex Padilla. He was briefly detained himself following an attempt to interrupt Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem’s press conference in Los Angeles last week.
As the back-and-forth between Israel and Iran picks up in its intensity, with no end in sight, is there any way to de-escalate tensions in the Mideast before the situation worsens? The chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, Tom Cotton, will be here.
Then, Republican Senator Lindsey Graham and Democratic Senator Richard Blumenthal will appear together to talk about their bipartisan effort to punish Russia with sanctions, as that country continues their bombardment of Ukraine.
It’s all just ahead on Face the Nation.
Good morning, and welcome to Face the Nation.
The streets of Washington are quiet following yesterday’s parade celebrating the Army’s 250th birthday, just one of many milestones we will be honoring as we get closer to marking America’s own 250th next year. President Trump celebrated his 79th birthday with a rousing appreciation of our armed forces, although the event itself was somewhat subdued, amid criticism of increased politicization of the military.
(Begin VT)
DONALD TRUMP (President of the United States): No matter the risk, no matter the obstacles, our warriors will charge into battle, they will plunge into the crucible of fire, and they will seize the crown of victory.
(End VT)
MARGARET BRENNAN: The obstacles this country faces today continue to grow, particularly those exacerbated by the widening divide among Americans.
As the Army was marching down Constitution Avenue yesterday, dozens of organized protests of the president and his policies as part of the No King movement were held across the country.
We will have more on those protests later in the broadcast, but we begin today with a shocking act of political violence that is still unfolding just outside of Minneapolis.
CBS News correspondent Lilia Luciano has the latest from Brooklyn Park, Minnesota.
(Begin VT)
LILIA LUCIANO (voice-over): The manhunt in Minneapolis entered its second day. The FBI is offering a $50,000 reward for information leading to the arrest of 57-year-old Vance Luther Boelter, accused in what Governor Tim Walz called a politically motivated assassination of Minnesota State Representative Melissa Hortman and her husband, Mark Hortman, Saturday morning.
GOVERNOR TIM WALZ (D-Minnesota): This was an act of targeted political violence.
LILIA LUCIANO: Hours earlier, State Senator John Hoffman and his wife were also shot multiple times at their home in nearby Champlin. The two are recovering in a hospital.
Boelter is listed as the director of a private security company. Records show he served on a state board with Senator Hoffman. This image from the state senator’s home security camera appears to show the suspect wearing a full face mask, what looks like a police uniform, and tactical vest. This happened at around 2:00 a.m.
Around 2.5 hours later, during a precautionary safety check at Representative Hortman’s home, officers spotted the suspect walking out the front door. He opened fire and then ran away. Police say he left behind a car equipped with flashing white and yellow lights and a police license plate.
Inside were leaflets reading “No Kings,” a manifesto listing more than 50 possible targets, including abortion clinics, pro-abortion rights advocates, and other lawmakers from states beyond Minnesota.
(End VT)
LILIA LUCIANO: A man who shared a home with a suspect told reporters that he’s a Christian, that he does not like abortion, but that he didn’t seem really angry about politics, at least not lately.
He also shared a text message he says the suspect sent him on Saturday morning, which read: “I’m going to be gone for a while, and I may be dead shortly” – Margaret.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Lilia Luciano in Brooklyn Park, Minnesota, thank you.
And we turn now with what began Thursday as an Israeli attack on Iran in order to debilitate Iran’s nuclear program. And the back-and-forth between the two countries continues to intensify, threatening an already unstable region.
Our Debora Patta is in Tel Aviv with the latest.
DEBORA PATTA: The conflict between Israel and Iran is in uncharted territory, as the escalating tensions enter their fourth day, with the two rivals each warning, there is worse to come.
(Begin VT)
DEBORA PATTA (voice-over): Overnight, wave after wave of Iranian drones bearing down on Tel Aviv. Most were intercepted. Those that got through destroyed homes and shops.
Israel was quick to retaliate, targeting an oil refinery and hitting buildings in Tehran. There have been casualties on both sides. At least 12 Israelis were killed this weekend, but that toll was dwarfed by the damage Israel inflicted on Iran, with almost 100 civilian deaths, nearly 30 of them children, and the assassination of top military commanders and scientists.
The surprise Israeli strikes began on Thursday. Israel wants to cripple Iran’s nuclear capability, already hitting four major facilities, Natanz, Tabriz, Isfahan, and Fordow, as well as key energy sites. And Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is not done yet.
(PRIME MINISTER BENJAMIN NETANYAHU SPEAKING IN FOREIGN LANGUAGE)
DEBORA PATTA: “What they have felt so far,” he said, “is nothing compared to what’s coming.”
(SIRENS BLARING)
DEBORA PATTA: But Iran has warned of a far more ferocious response if Israel does not back down.
Another casualty, nuclear talks between Tehran and Washington scheduled for today. Those have been postponed indefinitely.
Zohar Palti is the former director of Mossad intelligence.
So, are Israel and Iran at war?
ZOHAR PALTI (Former Mossad Intelligence Director): Yes.
DEBORA PATTA: Unequivocally?
ZOHAR PALTI: Definitely.
DEBORA PATTA: But starting a war is one thing; ending it is a lot harder.
ZOHAR PALTI: No doubt that, without the Americans, without President Trump, nothing will be over, over here. And when the American will decide, enough is enough, whether with us or whether with the Iranians or with or without, they have the ability to end it.
(End VT)
DEBORA PATTA: Not only is Netanyahu striking Iran. He is also appealing to the hearts and minds of Iranians, hinting at regime change and urging them to stand up for their freedom.
MARGARET BRENNAN: That’s our Debora Patta in Tel Aviv.
Thank you.
And the conflict between Israel and Iran has undermined President Trump’s efforts to negotiate directly with Iran on a nuclear deal. Overnight, he vowed in a social media post that, if the U.S. was attacked in any way by Iran, that the – quote – “full strength and might of U.S. armed forces would come down at levels never seen before,” and then seemingly offered to negotiate a deal between Iran and Israel.
We go now to Holly Williams, who is at Iran’s border with Iraq.
HOLLY WILLIAMS: Here in the Middle East, Iran has accused the U.S. of being complicit in Israel’s attack and has threatened to target American military bases and ships if the U.S. blocks Iranian strikes on Israel.
But the U.S. has already done that with air defense systems and a warship, according to a U.S. military official. There are around 40,000 American troops in the Middle East, a powerful presence that aims to protect U.S. interests, including trade routes.
But if Iran did try to strike American forces, the roughly 2,500 U.S. troops here in Iraq could be the most obvious target, since they’re right next door. Iran previously targeted U.S. forces in Iraq with ballistic missiles back in 2020 in retaliation for the assassination of Qasem Soleimani, the commander of Iran’s Quds Force.
No U.S. service members were killed on that occasion. Since then, a series of shifts has reshaped the Middle East and weakened Iran and its proxies, the war in Gaza, Israel’s decimation of the leadership of Hezbollah in Lebanon, the collapse of the Syrian regime, and now Israel’s surprise attack.
If Iran does target American forces this time, it would be extremely risky, because it will likely draw a sharp response from the U.S., when Iran is already under attack.
MARGARET BRENNAN: That’s Holly Williams reporting from the Iraq-Iran border.
And we’re joined now in Washington by Senator Tom Cotton, who is the chairman of the Intelligence Committee.
Good morning, and Happy Father’s Day to you.
SENATOR TOM COTTON (R-Arkansas): Thank you, Margaret.
MARGARET BRENNAN: So, I know you are staying on top of all these events.
When it comes to what President Trump has said publicly, he seems to be indicating not just that the U.S. had nothing to do with the attack on Iran, but he’s saying this is not America’s fight unless Iran hits the U.S.
Should it be such a bright line?
SENATOR TOM COTTON: Well, what the president said in his overnight post was a clear message to the ayatollahs, that, if you hit America in any way, whether our troops or our citizens or our ships, for instance, then you’re going to feel the full force and strength of the U.S. military in a way no one’s ever seen.
That’s a clear deterrent message, setting aside the threat that the nuclear program poses to Israel and to the United States, because, let’s remember, the Iranian regime has been terrorizing Americans. It’s killed thousands of Americans. It’s taken them hostage. It still chants “Death to America.” And it’s building missiles that can strike not just our troops or our friends in the region, but soon enough here in the United States as well.
And that’s why President Trump has been consistent for his 10 years in political life that we cannot allow Iran to have a nuclear weapon. We cannot allow them to have a path to a nuclear weapon with uranium enrichment. That’s the deal that he was trying to negotiate for the last two months.
But, as he said early last week, Iran was simply too stubborn. They weren’t willing to come to the table and negotiate. And I have to disagree with the reporter who said that Israel strikes in Iran ended those negotiations. It was Iran’s – Iran’s stubbornness that ended them.
President Trump was clear about that. And he is still clear that there is time, if they want to come back to negotiate an end to the uranium enrichment program, that he would accept that. But he’s given them chance after chance, as he said.
MARGARET BRENNAN: But, in terms of the line he’s drawing on military force, should the U.S. involvement be purely defensive and deterrent, or should the U.S. be willing to be engaged in these military operations?
SENATOR TOM COTTON: Well, I don’t think he’s drawn that line. He’s been very clear that all options remain on the table to defend our own people, to support Israel…
MARGARET BRENNAN: He hasn’t said that.
SENATOR TOM COTTON: But he – well, he said that for 10 years, and he said it for months leading up to this moment.
He said that Iran can make a deal and live happily without death, or there will be bombing. So, I think he’s appropriately kept all options on the table. He made clear in the early days of this conflict, on Thursday night and Friday morning, that we back Israel to the hilt. There’s almost 700,000 Americans in Israel at any time. So, of course, we’re going to protect Israel, and that we have the best military technology in the world.
And he said that he has proudly provided Israel with those weapons, both in his first term and in this term as well. So, we back Israel to the hilt all the way. But he’s appropriately keeping all options on the table.
MARGARET BRENNAN: But he’s emphasizing again and again, this isn’t us. This isn’t America. This isn’t an American operation.
SENATOR TOM COTTON: So, so far in this operation, we have not been involved in offensive strikes. We’ve been involved in other ways, through our provision of Israel with weapons over the years or our defense of Israel and its citizens and our citizens in Israel.
Now, he has said his objective remains the same, which is Iran’s nuclear disarmament. And he has said that that can happen still through a deal. I don’t think…
MARGARET BRENNAN: He prefers diplomacy.
SENATOR TOM COTTON: And he would like Iran to come back to the table, I think, now that Iran sees that Israel and America mean business…
MARGARET BRENNAN: Yes.
SENATOR TOM COTTON: … and surrender its enrichment capabilities voluntarily. If that doesn’t happen, though, I think these strikes are going to continue.
MARGARET BRENNAN: But to the point, if it’s really about destroying the nuclear program that Iran has, you know this very well, that there’s this underground facility at Fordow, very deep, under a mountain.
It’s long been assessed that only the U.S. has the capability with a bunker-buster bomb to take it out. Should the United States offer that kind of massive ordnance penetrator to Israel to finish the job?
SENATOR TOM COTTON: Well, I’m not going to speculate about the methods that the United States or Israel might use…
MARGARET BRENNAN: But should they?
SENATOR TOM COTTON: … to protect our own interests.
I will simply say this. It is, as you say, widely known that Israel does not have heavy bombers. It doesn’t have those 30,000-pound penetrating munitions. But, as we saw with Hezbollah last fall, as we saw in Iran on Thursday night, when the Mossad had infiltrated officers and agents and manufactured drones in Iran, Israel has more than a few tricks up their sleeve.
And I wouldn’t be surprised if Israel has other cards yet to play.
MARGARET BRENNAN: So, when it comes to differences in intelligence assessments, the U.S. intelligence that was made public in March said at the time the U.S. does not assess Iran’s building a nuclear weapon and that the supreme leader has not reauthorized the nuclear weapons program that he suspended back in 2003.
Was there more recent U.S. intel sharing or intel indicating that there was some kind of sprint for a bomb?
SENATOR TOM COTTON: Well…
MARGARET BRENNAN: Because that seems a very different assessment from what Israel’s claiming.
SENATOR TOM COTTON: Well, unfortunately, Iran enriched a lot of the uranium to near weapons-grade over the four years of the Biden administration. And they…
MARGARET BRENNAN: But that’s not weaponization. You know that.
SENATOR TOM COTTON: They are – they are close to having enough pure weapons-grade uranium for several weapons.
Now, that’s not the only step to having a weapon. You also have to have the weapon design. We’ve seen indications that Iran is once again exploring those weapon designs. And then, if you want to use a missile, obviously, you have to marry up the warhead to the missile. But Iran has other delivery methods as well, through terrorist proxies.
So I think that’s one of the reasons why both President Trump and Prime Minister Netanyahu thought we – things that were coming to a head. A second reason is, Iran is rapidly producing ballistic missiles, both medium-range to target Israel and short-range to target our troops, and they add substantially to those stockpiles every single month.
And at a time when Iran is both continuing its work on its nuclear program and trying to rebuild its offensive missile capacity, that the window to actually stop Iran from entering that zone of immunity was rapidly closing.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Right, but why Thursday night?
SENATOR TOM COTTON: Well, as President…
MARGARET BRENNAN: There seems to be a difference in this idea of a sprint.
SENATOR TOM COTTON: Well, as President Trump – well, as President Trump said on Friday morning, that he had given Iran 60 days to make a deal.
That was day 61.
MARGARET BRENNAN: And he scheduled talks on day 63. You know that.
I mean, this was a – this wasn’t really a hard deadline.
SENATOR TOM COTTON: He gave them 60 days. On day 61, the strikes began.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Day 63, Steve Witkoff wanted to meet with them.
But if this was a covert race to weaponize, though, it – it raises questions here, because it appears President Trump’s offer is to negotiate with the existing regime that is in place in Iran.
Do you support a deal with the existing regime in Iran to stay in place? Do you support his push for diplomacy?
SENATOR TOM COTTON: President Trump has always said his goal is to end Iran’s nuclear weapons program…
MARGARET BRENNAN: Right.
SENATOR TOM COTTON: … which means the surrender of its uranium enrichment capability.
MARGARET BRENNAN: But this would be offering them a lifeline, wouldn’t it?
SENATOR TOM COTTON: Well, it would be protecting our interests and securing Israel’s interests as well in Iran not having a nuclear weapon.
We’ve seen what happens when they don’t have nuclear weapons. They’re deliberately targeting civilian areas in Israel. We’ve seen their campaign of terror against Americans over the decades. That’s why we can’t allow them to have a nuclear weapon.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Right.
SENATOR TOM COTTON: And presidents have said – for 20 years, presidents have said that. George Bush said it, didn’t act on it. Barack Obama and Joe Biden, frankly, aided and abetted Iran’s nuclear program. Only Donald Trump has drawn that line and is willing to enforce that line.
MARGARET BRENNAN: But he’s not enforcing that line. It is Israel that’s bombing. As you just said, the United States is not involved in these offensive operations.
SENATOR TOM COTTON: But, in – in Israel, we are helping – we’re help…
MARGARET BRENNAN: Do you – but do you share the president’s assessment that the way to finish this is through negotiating with the existing regime that the Israelis have called for the Iranian people to rise up against?
SENATOR TOM COTTON: I think there’s multiple ways to eliminate Iran’s enrichment capability. They are today what they were Thursday morning, before these strikes started. As the president has said repeatedly, they can make a deal, or there’s going to be bombing.
MARGARET BRENNAN: I want to move to some domestic issues, but, very quickly, I know in the past, you have said that former officials who have a direct threat against them from Iran should continue to receive security. President Trump pulled it.
SENATOR TOM COTTON: I think we should…
MARGARET BRENNAN: Should they get it now?
SENATOR TOM COTTON: We should probably revisit the threat that all persons face – remember, President Trump faced assassination threats from Iran as well – in this moment of tension, to ensure that no one who worked for President Trump in the first term or works for him now could be the target of Iranian agents.
MARGARET BRENNAN: And that security detail was pulled by the president himself.
On immigration, the Trump administration has decided to pull back its policy a little bit. They are pausing raids on farms, hotels and restaurants. Arkansas has a lot of agricultural business in your state. Do you support this decision?
SENATOR TOM COTTON: I think we need to have robust worksite enforcement.
I don’t think ICE is going to show up at one or two restaurants where they have an illegal migrant working. Usually, it’s unscrupulous employers who have large numbers of illegal immigrants working in their worksites. And whatever worksite it is, whatever industry it is, ICE has to be able to go and enforce our immigration laws and remove illegal immigrants.
MARGARET BRENNAN: But the president has pulled back from that. That was the change in policy last week when it came to farms, in particular.
SENATOR TOM COTTON: I don’t – I don’t think we should – I don’t think we should pull back to any – on any kind of enforcement at all.
I think worksite enforcement in all industries needs to be able to move forward. And I think ICE agents on the front lines need the support of political leadership.
MARGARET BRENNAN: You would want more enforcement, including in manufacturing, including in construction, where it could impact the economy?
SENATOR TOM COTTON: We – we – we should – we should not – we should not declare any industry or any worksite that uses large numbers of illegal immigrants off-limits for enforcement of federal law.
MARGARET BRENNAN: I also want to ask you about the enforcement to date.
As you know, there has been outcry. We’ve seen protests across the country because of the enforcement policies. You wrote an op-ed supporting President Trump’s decision to send in federalized National Guard troops and active-duty Marines to California.
You referred to it as “the threat from the radical left, an overwhelming show of force to end the riots,” and talked about communities being terrorized.
Given the amount of tension in the country right now, is that really the language to use?
SENATOR TOM COTTON: Yes, when you see left-wing street militias who are throwing bricks and frozen water bottles at police officers and shooting them with fireworks.
And, unfortunately, you have mayors and governors in some places that won’t allow police to maintain order. The next step is to call in the National Guard. And if the governor won’t call on the National Guard, then the president has to federalize them.
We always hope that the local police are allowed to do their job and have sufficient numbers to do their job to maintain order and protect innocent life and property. But, if they can’t, or they’re not allowed to, the National Guard has to be on scene to restore civil order.
MARGARET BRENNAN: LAPD says they were handling when things turned violent yesterday. They fired rubber bullets, but they said they had it under control.
SENATOR TOM COTTON: The L.A. police chief said last weekend that his forces were overwhelmed, and they couldn’t manage the situation.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Senator Cotton, thank you very much for your time today.
SENATOR TOM COTTON: Thank you.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Face the Nation will be back in a minute, so stay with us.
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MARGARET BRENNAN: We’re now joined by two senators in a rare bipartisan interview, Republican Lindsey Graham and Democrat Richard Blumenthal. They’re co-sponsors on legislation to put secondary sanctions on Russia.
Good morning to you both.
SENATOR LINDSEY GRAHAM (R-South Carolina): Good morning.
SENATOR RICHARD BLUMENTHAL (D-Connecticut): Good morning.
MARGARET BRENNAN: I want to get to that conflict in a moment, but starting here on the Middle East, Senator Graham, you said you believe it’s in America’s interest to go all in to help Israel finish the job.
It sounds like you mean offensive support.
SENATOR LINDSEY GRAHAM: So, the worst possible outcome for the world is for the Iranian nuclear program to survive after all this. How do you destroy their program? Through diplomacy – I prefer that – or through military action.
If diplomacy is not successful, and we are left with the option of force, I would urge President Trump to go all in to make sure that, when this operation is over, there’s nothing left standing in Iran regarding their nuclear program. If that means providing bombs, provide bombs. If that means flying…
MARGARET BRENNAN: Bunker-busting bombs?
SENATOR LINDSEY GRAHAM: Whatever bombs.
If it means flying with Israel, fly with Israel. The worst possible outcome for the world is to take the Iranian nuclear program on and leave it standing. That will be a disaster.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Senator Blumenthal, what’s your view? How involved should the U.S. get?
SENATOR RICHARD BLUMENTHAL: Let’s begin with the basic proposition that ought to motivate American policy, as well as the world.
A nuclear-armed Iran is a unacceptable threat to the world, not just to Israel, but to the United States as well. And I support Israel’s right to defend itself against this existential menace.
I’m very concerned right now about United States personnel in the region, our service men and women, but also the civilians that are there. I’m getting phone calls from families in Connecticut who are deeply worried about their children who are there, about the hostage families.
I support the president’s effort to prioritize diplomacy.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Let’s talk more about this after the commercial break, so please stay here with us.
And we’ll be right back.
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MARGARET BRENNAN: If you’re looking for more Face the Nation, including extended interviews and special content, you can subscribe to our podcast. It’s available on all platforms, including Apple Podcast, Spotify and Amazon.
We will be right back.
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MARGARET BRENNAN: And we will be right back with a lot more Face the Nation. Stay with us.
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MARGARET BRENNAN: And welcome back to FACE THE NATION.
We return now to our conversation with Senators Graham and Blumenthal.
Senator Blumenthal, before we get to Ukraine, I just want to tie up the Middle East here.
You know, the defense secretary was testifying to Congress this week, and he said he’s moved equipment meant to counter drones in Ukraine over to the Middle East now because of this escalation.
What more is needed to protect U.S. personnel?
SENATOR RICHARD BLUMENTHAL: We need to move assets. And we’ve done so. Not only to protect U.S. personnel, but also to enable Israel to defend itself against Iran’s retaliation.
But I think that the president is right to try to bring the two sides together. There is a deal that’s possible here if Iran were to abandon its effort to build nuclear bombs that endanger not only Israel but the entire regional stability, because all the other Arab nations are going to have nuclear weapons if Iran does as well. But Americans have no interest in a forever war. And so I think we need to be mindful about the priority of diplomacy here and bring the two sides together, as well as protecting U.S. personnel.
MARGARET BRENNAN: But, Senator Graham, the – the thing with diplomacy is that the Israeli prime minister is calling for the Iranian people to rise up against the regime.
SENATOR LINDSEY GRAHAM: Yes.
MARGARET BRENNAN: A regime he says is calling for the destruction of his state.
SENATOR LINDSEY GRAHAM: Yes.
MARGARET BRENNAN: It doesn’t really seem like there’s a compromise there if it’s truly this existential. Is this just leading us towards the outcome you say, which is the United States getting involved in military conflict?
SENATOR LINDSEY GRAHAM: Well, this – I would love for the regime to fall. If you don’t, if you want this regime to stay in power, you’re wanting people to oppress the Iranian people. You want people to threaten their neighbors, to – to be the largest state – who wants the largest state sponsor of terrorism to stay in place? But regime change is not the policy of the United States. It is not the purpose of this attack yet. But if there is one attack on an American anywhere in the Mideast by Iran, then you’ll get regime change.
So, what are we dealing with? We’re dealing with a non-negotiable part of the deal. They can’t have a nuclear program that can make a bomb. Diplomacy is preferred, as Dick says, but force may be the only option. And I said as clearly as I can say, if diplomacy fails, Mr. President, President Trump, you’ve been great, help Israel finish the job. Give them bombs. Fly with them if necessary.
I cannot stress to you how – if you want to get Russia right, you want to make China be better, you want to convince international terrorism we mean business, you’ve got to finish the job with Iran.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Well, we’ll see if there’s any willingness to negotiate. So far, we haven’t seen much.
SENATOR LINDSEY GRAHAM: Well, that’s a big mistake on Iran’s part. It’s not on President Trump’s. If we don’t have notions, it’s not because of Trump, it’s because of the ayatollah.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Or – you can’t necessarily bomb someone into concessions that they were not willing to make, right? I mean here – is there –
SENATOR LINDSEY GRAHAM: Yes, I don’t think they have any desire to make concessions.
SENATOR RICHARD BLUMENTHAL: If – if Iran miscalculates now –
MARGARET BRENNAN: Yes.
SENATOR RICHARD BLUMENTHAL: It will face the consequences. But there is a road to a deal. President Obama reached a deal. Far from perfect. President Trump ripped it up. If it were in effect, maybe we could have stopped the Iran nuclear buildup, which has occurred. They’re close to ten bombs now. But there is the possibility of diplomacy. In the meantime, the United States ought to provide the means for Israel to defend against this Iranian retaliation.
MARGARET BRENNAN: And just to clarify, when you say close to ten bombs, you mean they would have enough nuclear fuel? But as far as we know, from the U.S. assessment, they hadn’t made the political decision to turn that into a weapon. We didn’t hear that from the Senate Intel chair when I asked that.
SENATOR LINDSEY GRAHAM: What purpose do you need – if I may, what purpose is there for enriched uranium at 60 percent other than making a weapon?
MARGARET BRENNAN: Leverage (ph).
SENATOR LINDSEY GRAHAM: Why do you have 900 pounds of this stuff if you don’t want to make a weapon?
MARGARET BRENNAN: Well, you know, the – the assessment was they wanted the leverage, right? So –
SENATOR LINDSEY GRAHAM: Yes, right, whatever.
MARGARET BRENNAN: I want to ask you about the bipartisan work you are both doing, if I can.
SENATOR LINDSEY GRAHAM: Yay.
MARGARET BRENNAN: By the way –
SENATOR RICHARD BLUMENTHAL: Finally.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Iran and – Iran and Russia –
SENATOR LINDSEY GRAHAM: Yes. And we’re bipartisan on this. We say the same, actually.
MARGARET BRENNAN: And – you are. Iran and Russia work together.
SENATOR RICHARD BLUMENTHAL: And, you know, if I can just add one more point about Iran –
MARGARET BRENNAN: Yes.
SENATOR RICHARD BLUMENTHAL: Because we’re going to talk about Russian sanctions.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Yes.
SENATOR RICHARD BLUMENTHAL: I think we ought to strengthen sanctions against Iran, which is a non-kinetic, a peaceful means of exerting pressure. I’m hoping that perhaps Senator Graham and I –
SENATOR LINDSEY GRAHAM: I will be your wingman. We’ll write the bill right here on television. China, if you’re listening, stop buying Russian oil and stop helping the Iranians. You would make the world a safer place if you would stop.
MARGARET BRENNAN: They buy it because it’s cheap, though. And they –
SENATOR LINDSEY GRAHAM: Yes, they – well, you know –
MARGARET BRENNAN: And that – but right now –
SENATOR LINDSEY GRAHAM: Well then, they should play a price for propping up Putin’s war machine.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Well, sure.
SENATOR LINDSEY GRAHAM: We should crush their economy.
MARGARET BRENNAN: OK.
So, tell me about that. So, with the – the sanctions bill that you all are working on, you have a veto-proof majority.
SENATOR LINDSEY GRAHAM: Yes.
MARGARET BRENNAN: You just need the Senate leader to put it to a floor and you need the president to tell him go. What are you waiting for?
SENATOR RICHARD BLUMENTHAL: I think the president should call on the Senate to vote approval of the Russian sanction bill literally tomorrow. He’s on his way tonight to the G-7 meeting. He will be sitting across from world leaders. Right now, very bluntly, the perception may be one of weakness in terms of America’s position on Ukraine. He can be there in a position of strength. This bill will pass overwhelmingly. It has 84 evenly divided co- sponsored. It will get 90 votes on the floor of the Senate.
This moment cries out for presidential leadership. There is an urgency here. We’ve seen the neighborhoods decimated, people killed in their sleep, women and children shot in the back of their heads and buried in mass graves in Bukha. Children who are kidnapped and re-educated, 20,000 of them, behind Russian lines. These atrocities are ongoing. And the people of Ukraine are bleeding and dying.
So, I am hoping that the president will affirmatively show leadership here and call on the Senate to vote. The majority leader could do it tomorrow.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Yes.
SENATOR RICHARD BLUMENTHAL: We have some technical issues to work out. But I really think the moment has come for President Trump to call on the Senate.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Senator Graham, President Trump tweeted yesterday that he did speak to Vladimir Putin, who called very nicely to wish me a happy birthday and talk about Iran.
SENATOR LINDSEY GRAHAM: Yes.
MARGARET BRENNAN: He said they’re going to speak again this week.
President Trump has put sanctions on Iran while talking to Iran. Why won’t he put sanctions on Russia while talking to Russia?
SENATOR LINDSEY GRAHAM: We have sanctions on Russia. He –
MARGARET BRENNAN: Not new Trump sanctions. You know that.
SENATOR LINDSEY GRAHAM: Just – so, I find it odd. So, my Democratic friends are holding him back when it comes to Iran. We appreciate you trying to do diplomacy. What am I saying? Do diplomacy with Iran until it doesn’t work. What am I saying with Russia? I don’t mind you – I don’t care if you go on vacation with Putin. I don’t care how it ends. I want the war to end so we don’t start new wars. I want our – Ukraine surviving when the war ends. I want Putin not to be overly rewarded for the invasion.
To China, if you stop buying Russian oil, cheap, and India, the war machine would grind to a halt. President Trump has tried diplomacy. And I will say this, I talked to him last night, you’ve made very sincere efforts to get Putin to the table. I think he’s playing a game with you and the entire world. It is now time to change the game with Putin.
I talked to President Trump last night. Stay tuned. If we do not have a breakthrough soon, I would expect that these sanctions will move through the Senate and the House. And to China, if you want your economy ruined, keep buying Russian cheap oil. If you want to be a new nation in the eyes of the civilized world, change your behavior regarding Putin and the ayatollah. And until you change your behavior –
MARGARET BRENNAN: Yes.
SENATOR LINDSEY GRAHAM: You’re going to be seen as a problem, not a solution.
So, these sanctions are coming if Putin doesn’t change. And to my good friend Dick, you’ve been a great ally. If we can’t get the ayatollah back to the table, it is now time to end his nuclear program using military force, jointly with Israel if we have to.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Well –
SENATOR LINDSEY GRAHAM: If we get Iran wrong, good luck with Russia.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Senator Blumenthal, the bill that you put forward will put a 500 percent tariff, as I understand it, on imported goods from countries that buy Russia’s oil, their uranium, their gas, other products. It would hit China. It would hit India. The U.S. is also trying to negotiate trade deals with them. Is that getting in the way?
SENATOR RICHARD BLUMENTHAL: I think there is really no obstacle to our moving ahead with these bone-crushing sanctions.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Even if oil prices spike because of what’s happening in the Middle East?
SENATOR RICHARD BLUMENTHAL: You know, we are now energy independent when it comes to oil, the United States. Europe has weaned itself off Russian oil. We visited with President Macron, we’ve talked to Chancellor Merz. Europe is solidly behind these sanctions. And we’ve incorporated flexibility in this bill based on our national security for a potential waiver where our interests are concerned, unforeseeable or unknowably right now. We’ve incorporated exceptions for our European allies who are aiding Ukraine in the billions of dollars, giving them a little bit more time to adjust.
This is a carefully constructed bill.
MARGARET BRENNAN: They get 20 percent of their gas from Russia, right?
SENATOR LINDSEY GRAHAM: Can –
MARGARET BRENNAN: Go ahead.
SENATOR LINDSEY GRAHAM: What he says, that there’s three categories. If you’re not doing business with Russia, you don’t have anything to worry about. If you’re doing business with Russia but you’re helping Ukraine, you have a carveout for 270 days. If you’re doing business with Russia and not helping Ukraine, you’re screwed. The president can waive part or all of this based on our national interest. But to the people who wonder, should we pay a price for our freedom? We have in the past.
Go to Arlington. Oil prices will go up if we confront Russia through our bill. Oil prices will go up if we try to confront Iran for their nuclear ambitions. But you pay now or you pay later.
If we get Iran right and we get peace with Russia/Ukraine, not only do oil prices come down, the world will be better off. So, this idea of having freedom and not sacrificing never existed, nor does it exist now.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Senator, I want to ask you as well about what’s happening here at home with the protests we have seen around the country and some of them at times turning violent. There has been criticism of Democrats’ policies on immigration. Do you think that this confrontation that we are seeing now, between military forces, federalized, and protesters is partly because of what Democrats have done to date?
SENATOR RICHARD BLUMENTHAL: The use of military, whether it’s the National Guard or the Marines, can be inflammatory and provocative. We had protests across the country yesterday that were entirely peaceful. I was at a number of them in Connecticut, in Hartford and Farmington and elsewhere, all around the country. I think this country knows how to do peaceful protest. And the exceptions ought to be handled by the local police and prosecutors locally.
I spent most of my life in law enforcement before I had this job. I was the chief federal prosecutor in Connecticut. Then I was attorney general for 20 years. And the reliance on state and local police I think is well-founded. And I’ve supported – in fact, I’ve introduced a bill that would limit use of the Insurrection Act, would define better what is a rebellion, and compel the president to come back to Congress for approval if he uses this kind of federal force.
So, I think that there are criticisms to be made of immigration policy.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Yes.
SENATOR RICHARD BLUMENTHAL: In fact, I favor comprehensive immigration reform. We need it. But that is separate –
MARGARET BRENNAN: But you would call on local law enforcement to perhaps stand up more and deal with it at the local level?
SENATOR RICHARD BLUMENTHAL: It’s the local level where law enforcement happens in this country.
MARGARET BRENNAN: OK.
SENATOR RICHARD BLUMENTHAL: We rely on state and local police. And that ought to be the way we enforce our laws in this country. And emphasize the importance of peaceful protests, such as we saw yesterday around the country.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Yes.
All right, Senators, thank you for joining us for a bipartisan interview. Rare, as we said.
We’ll be back.
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MARGARET BRENNAN: Saturday, demonstrators participating in the “no kings” movement marched in all 50 states and Washington, D.C., as part of an organized effort to protest President Trump’s policies, including recent deportation sweeps. Organizers of the “no kings” rally said that over 5 million people participated coast to coast.
Most were peaceful. But in Salt Lake City, at least one person was injured in a shooting during a demonstration. And in Portland, Oregon, local police declared a riot outside an I.C.E. facility for a few hours before that crowd dispersed.
And we’re joined now by California Senator Alex Padilla.
Good morning and Happy Father’s Day to you.
SENATOR ALEX PADILLA (D-California): Thank you. Thank you. Happy Father’s Day to all the fathers out there and including those who are living a little bit fearful right now because of what we’re seeing, these increasingly cruel and extreme immigration enforcement raids. But, nonetheless, they’re going to work, trying to provide for their families.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Well, I want to ask you about your personal experience with some of this. As many of our viewers saw that video of you being briefly detained when you were trying to get a question to the Homeland Security secretary. Their office – her office later said you spoke for nearly 15 minutes afterwards. Did you get the answer to the question you were trying to ask? And – and what was it?
SENATOR ALEX PADILLA: Yes, sadly, no. And to a little bit of context here. The reason I tried to – the reason I was at the press conference, I was – I was at a scheduled briefing with representatives at Northern Command, just a couple doors down the hall, in the same federal building, when I learned of the press conference. My briefing delayed because the folks I was supposed to meet with were at that press conference.
So, I asked if we could listen in. I was escorted over. And that’s what I was doing.
Why? Because for months and months, whether it’s in committee, the secretary herself testifying and not providing substantive answers to questions, other representatives of the department, formal letters and inquiries that we’ve submitted, doing my job as a senator, to get information as part of our oversight and accountability responsibility.
So, to be able to ask a question of the secretary directly, when they offered the meeting after the incident, I took it but, sadly, no, nothing substantive, nothing informative.
MARGARET BRENNAN: She couldn’t answer the question or –
SENATOR ALEX PADILLA: Either couldn’t or wouldn’t. And – and, frankly, that says a lot, right, in terms of the type of –
MARGARET BRENNAN: What was the question?
SENATOR ALEX PADILLA: Well, among other things, their justification for the – the federalization of the National Guard, not only not necessary but counterproductive as we’ve seen this last week in Los Angeles. And also just truth. You know, for all the talk about the focus and targeting of violent criminals, if that’s all the Trump administration was doing, there would be no debate. There’s no disagreement on that.
But as you’re hearing more and more stories of undocumented, long-term residents of the United States who are otherwise law-abiding, working hard, paying taxes, raising families. And, frankly, working in jobs that under the first Trump administration, when the Covid pandemic hit, were deemed essential, right?
MARGARET BRENNAN: Right.
SENATOR ALEX PADILLA: Workers in restaurants, in agricultural fields, in health care, construction, et cetera, that’s who’s being targeted now, and that’s why there’s so much fear and – and terror in communities, not just in Los Angeles but throughout the country.
MARGARET BRENNAN: So, the vast majority of immigrants in California, we went and we looked at the stats. They are in this country legally. But Pew Research says your state has nearly two million undocumented and they make up about 7 percent of the entire labor force in some of those farming and service jobs that you – you talked about.
Since the Trump administration this week told I.C.E. to pull back a bit when it comes to enforcement, do you see that as a step in the right direction, and do you know what triggered that decision?
SENATOR ALEX PADILLA: Yes, so I don’t know exactly what triggered that decision. I’ll take it. Is it a step in the right direction? It’s at least a baby step. And let’s hope there’s more to follow because they’re responding to what I and others have been saying for months and what’s frankly years, going back to the first Trump administration. You know, you – you – you want stats? Let’s talk about stats. The – the state of California, the most populous state in the nation, the most diverse state in the nation, home to more immigrants than any state in the nation, mostly documented, some undocumented. This is the same California that is the largest economy of any state in the nation.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Yes.
SENATOR ALEX PADILLA: Fourth-largest economy in the world. Not despite the immigrant population, but thanks to the contributions of so many immigrants as a workforce, as consumers and as – as entrepreneurs. So, again, focus on the dangerous, violent criminals. No disagreement there. But the – the folks who are otherwise law-abiding, tax-paying and – and enriching communities, there’s got to be a better way.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Yes.
SENATOR ALEX PADILLA: A pathway towards legalization. A pathway to citizenship for dreamers, farm workers and others.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Well, that – that’s – that is hoping for – for movement in Congress that would take some time.
I did note it was interesting to see the – in the House, the Republican Hispanic conference put forth a letter asking for a breakdown of how many criminals were among those actually deported.
SENATOR ALEX PADILLA: And that was – yes, that was – and that was one of the key questions I had for the secretary. Of course, she had no data, had no answer, promised to follow up, I hope.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Yes.
SENATOR ALEX PADILLA: We’ll see. And – and I also want to be clear about this, because when I had the audacity to try to ask a question, as a Senator of a cabinet secretary, that’s what happened.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Yes.
SENATOR ALEX PADILLA: And you saw the response. Everybody’s seen the video. You know, it wasn’t about me. But if that’s how this administration responds to a senator with a question, don’t just imagine what they’re capable of but what they are doing when the cameras are not there to people without a title like United States senator. That cruel, disrespectful treatment of so many people who deserve much better.
MARGARET BRENNAN: We see in our polling – on the policy front, we see in our polling that there still is broad support for President Trump’s mass deportation policy. Our last CBS poll, as of last Sunday, showed 54 percent approval. There was an interesting “Washington Post” piece written by David Ignatius that was pretty sharp about Democrats, saying that, “they’ve gotten the border issue so wrong for so long, it’s political malpractice.” And that he was basically arguing, Democrats are handing to Trump the confrontation he wanted with the military, citing actions during the first administration.
Do you think that he has a point there?
SENATOR ALEX PADILLA: No, I think, you know, –
MARGARET BRENNAN: Because the public approval is so high of deportation.
SENATOR ALEX PADILLA: Well – but details matter. It depends. You know, it depends on how you ask the question. If you ask the same people, you know, do they think we should maintain due process in the United States of America, the answer is overwhelming, yes. Do dreamers deserve better than the limbo that they find themselves in? Overwhelmingly, on a bipartisan basis, yes.
And so, I think it’s important to break down three things. Number one, do we need a safe and secure, ordinarily, humane border? Absolutely. No disagreement there. People seeking to come to the United States, whether it’s to seek asylum, on work visas, et cetera, we definitely have to modernize that system and be more strategic in those capacities. But we can’t forget the millions of long-term residents, people who have been here working, paying taxes, raising families, buying homes, contributing to the strength of our economy, they deserve better.
MARGARET BRENNAN: You are the ranking member on the Senate Rules Committee, which oversees the Capitol Police. What, if anything, can you tell us about the state of security for lawmakers given what’s happening in Minnesota?
SENATOR ALEX PADILLA: Yes, look, a lot of questions, a lot of concerns. I work directly with both the U.S. Capitol Police and the Senate Sergeant at Arms. And they’re doing what they need to do to ensure the – the safety of members of – of Congress. But I also think it’s more than appropriate to step back and say, why are tensions so high, not just in Los Angeles, but throughout the country? And I can’t help but point to the beginning of, not just the first Trump term, but the – the beginning of the campaign. The tone with which the president launched his first campaign for president, served throughout his first term and continues in this term. For a cabinet secretary, during a press conference, to not be able or be willing to deescalate a situation when I was trying to ask a question, that’s just indicative of the tone of the administration.
MARGARET BRENNAN: You wanted her to say, wait a second, I – I know who he is, calm down, let him go? Is that what you’re saying?
SENATOR ALEX PADILLA: The – the vast majority of people in that room knew who I was. I was escorted into that room by an FBI agent and a National Guard’s member. It’s the Los Angeles Press Corp. It said, United States Senate on the chest of my polo.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Senator Padilla, thank you for joining us today.
SENATOR ALEX PADILLA: Thank you.
MARGARET BRENNAN: We’ll be back in a moment.
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MARGARET BRENNAN: That’s it for us today. Thank you all for watching. And we want to wish all the fathers out there a Happy Father’s Day. And I want to say Happy Father’s Day to my own father, my father-in-law and, of course, my husband.
Until next week, for FACE THE NATION, I’m Margaret Brennan.
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