Transcript: Sen. Mark Warner on “Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan,” June 14, 2026
The following is the text of the interview with Sen. Mark Warner, Demcorat of Virginia, aired on “Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan” on June 14, 2026.
MARGARET BRENNAN: We're now joined by the top Democrat on the Intelligence Committee, Virginia Senator Mark Warner. It's good to have you here.
SENATOR MARK WARNER: Thank you, Margaret.
MARGARET BRENNAN: As you heard from the Secretary, many of these very important details still need to be discussed. What do you think about the emerging agreement to stop fighting the agreement, because you wanted to negotiate?
SEN. WARNING: Listen, if the President can declare victory, so be it. You heard Pete Hegseth's voice. Let's look at the real facts. 107 days into Donald Trump's election war, can anyone make the case that we, or our allies, are in a better place than before this war? The state leadership is stronger than ever. Our ability to extract enriched uranium, I believe, will require troops on the ground, which I don't think America wants to do. The idea that we have an additional 60 days of negotiations, where does that lead? We'll be here for 60 days, and we still won't have access to it. Apparently, after Hegseth said, “We have destroyed all their capabilities,” they still have many missiles and thousands of drones, and the idea that the strait will suddenly be reopened. Look at gasoline prices, they're from $2.80 to $4.20 and I believe they're going to go up a lot because all the global reserves have gone down. How is that better for America or better for our allies?
MARGARET BRENNAN: Well, there's a lot of detail here, as I said, still to be discussed, and when we look at the role of Congress in terms of rolling back some of these sanctions, this was a big debate during the Obama administration. Do you ultimately think that anything said by Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner and JD Vance, the Vice President, will be approved? Are you getting anything?
SEN. WARNER: First of all, the idea that these three gentlemen have very little background in terms of negotiations or the technical nature of nuclear negotiations against the Iranian hardliners who have been doing this for decades. I wish we could have some of our experts at the table, but I'm not sure any of this will come before Congress, and it should. I mean, if the President wanted to start this war, a war of choice, there was no threat from Iran. Come to the Congress, come to the people, present the case. He did not, and we have not, done the kind of oversight required.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Yes.
SEN. WARNER: We're slowly getting more Republicans to repeal the War Powers Act, but Congress has failed miserably.
MARGARET BRENNAN: I- before I go on to other things, I want to make a point that the American intelligence assessment was not that Iran was developing a nuclear weapon, but that it was looking for an opportunity to do so in the future. Given what they have, nuclear dust, a dirty bomb in the desert, does that still bother you? How worried should Americans be?
SEN. WARNING: Yes, I'm still worried. And for all his criticism of the JCPOA, we had international observers, we actually had a coalition there that included the Europeans, and Russia and China were all signatories. Now America goes alone or only with Israel, and that does not make us safer. And again, I'll be happy to come back on the show and eat my words if the Iranians in the next 60 days give up that enriched uranium.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Yes, we'll look at whatever comes next. I want to ask you about the oversight here and the lack of a key authority. On Thursday, the President nominated Jay Clayton, he said, to be the next Director of National Intelligence, to replace Bill Pulte, not knowing that he was against him–
SEN. WARNER: Not only do I object–
MARGARET BRENNAN: Yes–
SEN. WARNER: –but every Republican senator who knows anything about national security is also opposed.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Yes, there are some pretty colorful statements, but Clayton is the current US attorney for the Southern District of New York, former chairman of the SEC. How quickly can he fit into the role? I mean, he doesn't really have the kind of broad national security background—-
(CROSSTALK)
SEN. WARNER: Law enforcement, he was the head of the SEC, and like the Southern District of New York, that's where we pursue a lot of our terrorists. I know Jay. I think you have the right spirit. I have many questions, like who won the election in 2020, so at least you admit that fact. But remember, Margaret, this was entirely because of Donald Trump.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Well–
SEN. WARNER: He could have appointed Jay Clayton last week–
MARGARET BRENNAN: Yes.
SEN. WARNING: –and it wouldn't be dark.
MARGARET BRENNAN: This is a series of extraordinary events that we have to spend a lot of time talking about on the other side of the break. Let me take it, and we'll finish it. We will be right back.
(ANNOUNCEMENTS)
MARGARET BRENNAN: Welcome back to Face the Nation. We return to our discussion now with Senator Mark Warner. Before the break, Senator, we were talking about the next Director of National Intelligence. Jay Clayton's hearing is next week, this Wednesday, right? How quickly can he be confirmed, and what does that do about preventing Bill Pulte from ever taking the job?
SEN. WARNER: Well, I have some questions for Jay, like, I want to make sure that he's going to maintain the integrity of our election, that he's not going to try to pull something that Miss Gabbard did, where she was interfering with local election operations by taking votes in Fulton County. I hope that, if we can get unanimous consent, we can confirm him this week. I would hope that the President will tell Tulsi Gabbard, who will stay until the end of the month, to stay at least until Clayton is confirmed, or let the number two stay.
MARGARET BRENNAN: That's a shocking statement from you, because you're a big critic of Tulsi Gabbard.
(CROSSTALK)
SEN. WARNER: I'm a big critic.
MARGARET BRENNAN: How much damage can Bill Pulte do in just a few days?
SEN. BEWARE: Well, my fear is not that much damage can be done in Section 702, which has a complete audit trail. If he misuses that, we will clarify it, but if he is exposed when he does not even have a guarantee of safety in all the systems of our nation, due to ignorance, he may give information. I have had the heads of our intelligence agencies say to us that they are afraid to show him information. I have had foreign governments express great concern. One thing we know about Bill Pulte is that he will do whatever Donald Trump says. He was able to arm the private home insurance information, giving them the keys to 18 intelligence agencies would be a disaster and a national security threat.
MARGARET BRENNAN: So, I understand that you will withhold your vote to reauthorize FISA based on this.
SEN. WARNER: Listen, we have to get FISA again. We were on our way to skate–
(CROSSTALK)
MARGARET BRENNAN: This is a surveillance tool with no warranty. This is the concern of a foreigner in other countries.
SEN. WARNER: Immigrants listen to immigrants talking to foreigners. None of this would have needed to happen if Donald Trump had – he didn't come out in support of this tool until about six weeks ago. If he prioritized Clayton or anyone else six weeks ago, he would have even done Jay Clayton a few days ago. I actually think that Donald Trump wants this tool to expire because then he tried to blame the Democrats if, God forbid, if something happens. And the surprising thing about this is that we usually come here again with Democrats versus Republicans–
MARGARET BRENNAN: Yes.
SEN. WARNING: –this one is not. Our Republican colleagues worked together. If something happens, God forbid, the responsibility rests on the shoulders of one man, Donald Trump.
MARGARET BRENNAN: That's a pretty good statement that you think the president wants this tool out of reach. I mean the congressional authorization expired on Friday. His Republican colleague, Senator Tom Cotton, described the results as dire, potentially fatal, considering all the mass gatherings in America right now. How vulnerable is the US right now? Did Google and Verizon and others say, if you're going to ask me for information, I'm not going to give it to you?
SEN. WARNER: What has happened is that the investigation that has begun is still ongoing.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Right.
SEN. WARNER: Our ability to continue listening to bad guys talking to bad guys abroad continues. The question is whether you can initiate new actions, and we are here now, and I have not yet received a report on whether the telcos and Google will continue to stick or, because they have no compensation, they will stop participating. We don't have, I don't- as of Sunday morning, I don't have an answer to that. I hope that the Department of Justice will use all the tools at their disposal to try to encourage them to continue with this program, because what it will be, whether we like it now or not, is the end of time.
MARGARET BRENNAN: But Democrats are using their power here with FISA to force the president to change nominees. He did that, so why do we have a Democrat stand up, and for example, block unanimous consent on reauthorizing interim surveillance? This appears to be a major threat to national security.
SEN. WARNER: The national security risk was created because Donald Trump did not prioritize Clayton or anyone else that was legitimate until the clock ran out. There is no question. If you have one of my Republican colleagues here, they would agree that this is a problem created by the White House. Finally, someone came to Trump and said, “You've got to put in a sane person, not this guy who doesn't even have a national security clearance.” We will get Clayton, hopefully, confirmed as soon as possible. We will then move quickly to get FISA approved again. In the meantime, I hope the telcos will continue to cooperate with the government.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Senator Mark Warner, thank you for your time today.
SEN. WARNING: Thank you, Margaret.
