The following is a transcript of an interview with House Intelligence Committee chairman Rep. Mike Turner, Republican of Ohio, on “Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan” that aired on Aug. 18, 2024.
MARGARET BRENNAN: We’re joined now by the Chairman of the House Intelligence Committee Ohio Republican Congressman Mike Turner. Good morning to you, sir.
REPRESENTATIVE MIKE TURNER: Good morning. Thanks for having me.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Good to have you here in person. I want to talk about the election meddling that we have been hearing is underway. US intelligence and the Justice Department say Iran is working to influence the outcome of the next election. The FBI is investigating phishing attempts at people associated with both the Trump and the Harris campaigns, but we know in 2020 the Supreme Leader had sanctioned Iran interfering to hurt Donald Trump in that election. Are you satisfied with what the social media companies and US intelligence are doing now?
REP. TURNER: You know, I think what’s missing here is a response from the administration. You have Microsoft coming forward and saying that the Trump administration has- has been the excuse me, the Trump campaign had been hacked. The administration, the Biden administration had identified that Iran was attempting to do this, including spreading misinformation. But even further, the administration has acknowledged that Iran had- was executing a plan to assassinate Donald Trump. They even- alleging that an individual they have in possession was part of that plot. But you don’t really have a response from the administration. You know, most national security experts resoundly agree that killing a presidential candidate would be an act of war from a foreign power. Well, certainly attempting–
MARGARET BRENNAN: — Well they have surged protection–
REP. TURNER:– attempting is certain- is attempting, though does at least require a response, and this the administration is both on the hacking side, on the misinformation side, and on the alleged attempt on Donald Trump’s life is not holding Iran accountable. There’s no red lines.
MARGARET BRENNAN: So, you don’t count the arrest and prosecution of the individual who is recruiting assassins?
REP. TURNER: This is not a law enforcement issue. This is not a law enforcement issue. This is a nation state that the administration has identified as having executed a plot to try to assassinate Donald Trump and is undertaking misinformation election interference, including hacking. This requires a response to the administration.
MARGARET BRENNAN: You have oversight of the intelligence community. You can’t talk about classified information. But are you suggesting here that there aren’t even covert actions being taken against Iran?
REP. TURNER: I’m saying that there is, there is there is not a response that impacts Iran or that has a deterrent effect or holds them accountable, and- and that, of course, results in increased activity and an increase in bolding of Iran to meddle in our elections and to- to, I think, you know, have people at risk in our country.
MARGARET BRENNAN: What would you want to see sanctions?
REP. TURNER: At least- well for you of course- you first have to start with a statement by the administration. And then also you could go to there need to be statements of red lines and understanding of what actions would occur, and then there does need to be action. I think the administration needs to look at what is their response going to be now that they’re openly saying that they have in custody an individual they allege was part of an Iranian plot to assassinate Donald Trump.
MARGARET BRENNAN: And those other officials associated do still receive protection, largely from diplomatic security–
REP. TURNER: — Also- in addition to his Cabinet members that have been threatened.
MARGARET BRENNAN: So, the administration is approving that though, is my point. But on what the US intelligence community is assessing about interfering in the election, the Director of National Intelligence did brief reporters and said that Moscow has not changed its prior preference of candidates, which in 2016 and 2020 was Donald Trump. Is enough being done on that front, in terms of that level of meddling, which is expected to continue as well?
REP. TURNER: I think what we’re seeing here, especially in the part of Iran, is that they understand that Donald Trump is anti-Iran, and he recognizes that a strong America is a safer world. Now the- if you look further as to meddling in what Russia is doing, I think in this instance, Trump has certainly indicated that he wants to bring an end to the conflict between Russia and Ukraine. And it certainly isn’t an anti-Ukraine position, but it certainly is a stronger America position. And you were just talking with Senator Kelly about the restrictions that are being placed on Ukraine by the Biden administration in this conflict. Those certainly are troublesome and do result in this sort of status quo of it can be a game of attrition on Ukraine.
MARGARET BRENNAN: So to the point in terms of lifting further restrictions, which I think he favored, I know you advocate this as well, but how much of this is based on the imperative that there are five months left of the Biden administration, and the Trump Vance view is, “that it is not in America’s interest to sustain that war.” Do you need to surge in the next five months, because JD Vance, who I’ve interviewed many times about this, is clear that he is not for continued support financially?
REP. TURNER: Well, no one is for this this war continuing, but I certainly fully support Ukraine, and I think a concern with the Biden administration’s restrictions also needing to get them modified is Ukraine is finally in a position where they can hold Russia accountable. If they can, they have now entered into Russian territory. If they can use long range weapon systems to hold accountable Russia’s valid military targets that are attacking Ukraine, we can change the dynamics on the ground. You can’t continue to just have a front line in Ukraine, where Russia is out producing weapon systems that Ukraine from- from what Ukraine has, and have this this turn out well for Ukraine. In this instance, if the Biden administration’s restrictions are lifted, we also know, even if there is a Harris administration that follows that, that- that Ukraine’s support would be there. The ability to hold Russia accountable would be there.
MARGARET BRENNAN: You have said you are concerned about aggressiveness from authoritarian nations that are putting democracies at risk. Donald Trump recently called Xi Jinping and Vladimir Putin “lovely individuals”, and he said this on Thursday.
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DONALD TRUMP: I’m not looking to be bad to Iran. We’re going to be friendly. I hope with Iran, maybe, but maybe not, but we’re going to be friendly. I hope we’re going to be friendly. But they can’t have a nuclear weapon. They can’t have a nuclear weapon, and we were all set to make sure that they don’t have a nuclear weapon, because once they do, it’s a whole different world.
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MARGARET BRENNAN: I’m sure you’d be critical of Democrats saying they want to be friendly with Iran. What do you make of the mixed messaging there from Mr. Trump?
REP. TURNER: Well, I don’t think it’s really mixed messaging to acknowledge some of the strengths of your adversaries is not having weakness on your own part. In fact, Donald Trump, with the maximum pressure campaign on Iran, put the most pressure on Iran that they have had in any administration, both economically, militarily, they were- they were on the ropes. Actually, they had–
MARGARET BRENNAN: — They restarted–
REP. TURNER: — in their- in their processes they had slowed. What we see now with this administration, they might have a- they might declare themselves a nuclear weapons state by the end of this year, with the reports have been- news reports have been out stating that there is a possibility —
MARGARET BRENNAN: — Are you saying that the Supreme Leader has changed his conclusion on this?–
(CROSSTALK)
REP. TURNER: — There is a possibility, with the advances that have been made under the Biden administration’s policy, that Iran could, reports are out, that Iran could declare itself a nuclear weapon state by the end of the year, if- and you would not have had that–
MARGARET BRENNAN: — But that conclusion hasn’t been made, has it?–
REP. TURNER:– No–
MARGARET BRENNAN: — Okay–
REP. TURNER: — But you would not have had that under the Trump administration’s maximum pressure campaign. The flexibility and freedom that they’ve had under the Biden administration has given them the ability to both try to influence our elections, actively try to undertake a plot to assassinate Donald Trump, and to continue their nuclear weapons and their nuclear enrichment programs.
MARGARET BRENNAN: We’ve got to leave it there, Chair Turner. We’ll be right back.