The next is the transcript of the interview with Sen. Lindsey Graham, Republican of South Carolina, that aired on “Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan” on Oct. 26, 2025.
MARGARET BRENNAN: We flip now to Republican Senator Lindsey Graham. He joins us from Seneca, South Carolina. Welcome again to Face The Nation. Senator–
SENATOR LINDSEY GRAHAM: Good morning.
MARGARET BRENNAN: On Friday, Protection Secretary Hegseth ordered the deployment of the Navy’s most superior plane provider, the Gerald Ford, to Latin America. President Trump was requested if he deliberate to ask Congress for a declaration of conflict. Take a hear.
[SOUND ON TAPE BEGINS]
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: I do not suppose we will essentially ask for a declaration of conflict. I feel we’re simply going to kill individuals which can be bringing medication into our nation, OK. We will kill them. You realize, they will be, like, lifeless.
[SOUNDS OF TAPE ENDS]
MARGARET BRENNAN: You do not want an plane provider to hit drug boats are land strikes deliberate?
SEN. GRAHAM: Yeah, I feel that is an actual risk. I feel President Trump’s decided that Maduro, the chief of Venezuela, is an indicted drug, drug trafficker, that it is time for him to go, that Venezuela and Colombia have been secure havens for narco-terrorists for too lengthy, and President Trump instructed me yesterday that he plans to transient members of Congress when he will get again from Asia about future potential army operations in opposition to Venezuela and Colombia. So there can be a congressional briefing a few potential increasing from the ocean to the land. I help that concept, however I feel he has all of the authority he wants. Senator Gallego, on one other community, accused President Trump and our army of committing homicide by attacking these drug boats. To our women and men in uniform, you are not murdering anyone. You make America safer by going after a narco-terrorist. You are following lawful orders. When President Bush, 41, took Ortega out in Panama, Reagan went into Grenada to take care of the Cuban affect from Grenada in our yard, he has all of the authority on this planet. This isn’t homicide. That is defending America from being poisoned by narco-terrorists coming from Venezuela and Colombia.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Effectively, rather a lot there. However simply to make clear the examples you are citing, additionally concerned floor troops. You mentioned time for Maduro to go. That sounds rather a lot like regime change. Are you speaking about troops on the bottom?
SEN. GRAHAM: I will let the President communicate to that. I am speaking a few briefing that will develop army operations doubtlessly from the ocean to the land. It’s time for Maduro to go. It was time for Ortega to go. You realize, the Monroe Doctrine has been robustly utilized by President Trump. So these army belongings are transferring ahead to take care of a rustic that is acquired blood on its palms in terms of Individuals by flooding our nation with medication from Venezuela and Colombia. So I hope Maduro would go away peacefully, however I do not suppose he will keep round for much longer. I feel President Trump is uninterested in Venezuela getting used as a staging platform to poison America?
MARGARET BRENNAN Effectively, there’s rather a lot there, sir, however you cited a Democratic senator’s criticism. He is not the one one. A few of your Republican colleagues have been uncomfortable with what little data has been shared with Congress. Take a hear:
[SOUND ON TAPE BEGINS]
SEN. RAND PAUL: If they need all out conflict the place we kill anyone and all people that’s within the nation of Venezuela or popping out that has to have a declaration of conflict. It is one thing that isn’t fairly, very costly, and I am not in favor of declaring conflict on Venezuela, however the Congress ought to vote. And the President should not do that by himself.
SEN. TODD YOUNG: If this was taking place with this degree of perception below the Biden administration, I would be apoplectic.
[SOUND ON TAPE ENDS]
MARGARET BRENNAN: Todd Younger additionally criticized this, what precisely is the top recreation? Since you’re speaking about regime change in Venezuela, the President says that is about drug boats.
SEN. GRAHAM: Yeah. Effectively, I feel the top recreation is to be sure that Venezuela and Colombia can’t be used to poison America, that the narco-terrorist dictator Maduro not have the ability to threaten our nation and to ship in medication to kill Individuals. As to Rand Paul, I simply disagree basic together with his method. We did not have a declaration to enter Panama. Bush 41 went into Panama to exchange the management there, as a result of the Panama management, Panamanian management, had been working with drug cartels to threaten our nation. Reagan did not have a declaration of conflict congressional authorization to take care of Cuban affect. So this idea- Rand Paul, I simply basically disagree with. To the opposite senators, you deserve extra data, and you are going to get extra data, however there isn’t any requirement for Congress to declare conflict earlier than the commander-in-chief can use drive. Panama and Grenada are two examples in our yard, the place Republican presidents selected to go after international locations and leaders that had been threatening our individuals.
MARGARET BRENNAN: However there appeared to be a variety of points wound up in right here. I do know you personally used to function a choose advocate within the Air Drive. We appeared on the JAG guide: preventative self protection employed to counter non imminent threats is unlawful below worldwide legislation. So if we’re not at conflict and these suspected criminals pose no risk of imminent violence, is not this doubtlessly a conflict crime to be killing the individuals on these boats after which to be taking out a frontrunner?
SEN. GRAHAM: No, by no means. I do not know what man you are referring to, however I do know what President Bush, 41 did. He took down Ortega [sic], the chief of Panama, as a result of he was concerned in drug trafficking threatening our nation. Venezuela is now partnering with Hezbollah. Hezbollah is working out of cash as a result of Iran is weak.
MARGARET BRENNAN: That is not new.
SEN. GRAHAM: Partnering with drug cartels in Venezuela. No, it ought to have stopped. This is what, here is what’s new. You bought a commander-in-chief’s not going to place up with this crap. We’re not going to sit down on the sidelines and watch boats full of medication come to our nation. We will blow them up and kill the folks that need to poison America, and we’re now going to develop operations, I feel, to the land. So please be clear about what I am saying at this time. President Donald Trump sees Venezuela and Colombia as direct threats to our nation, as a result of they home Narco terrorist organizations. The chief of Venezuela is an indicted drug vendor in American courts. So yeah, the sport is altering in terms of drug traffickers and drug cartels. We will use army drive like we’ve got up to now to guard our nation. That is the brand new recreation we’re taking part in, and I am glad we’re taking part in that recreation, and if I had been Maduro, I would discover a approach to go away earlier than warmth goes down.
MARGARET BRENNAN: However is trafficking cocaine an armed assault on the US? That is what you are equating it to?
SEN. GRAHAM: I’m saying that there is loads of legislation below article, Article Two powers of the President are designed to guard our international locations from threats overseas and home. Was it unlawful for Bush to take Ortega out in Panama? Was it unlawful for Reagan to enter Grenada to cease Cuban affect constructing this massive, lengthy runway? There’s loads of precedent right here to do what he is doing. However the recreation has modified. The sport has modified in terms of narco trafficking, drug organizations. We will take you out.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Effectively, you referenced one thing earlier. Sorry. I need to come again to you mentioned to the women and men of the army that they’re finishing up lawful orders. Secretary Hegseth eliminated the highest uniformed legal professionals within the Air Drive, you recognize this, the Navy and the Military, as a result of he referred to as them roadblocks to orders which can be given by a commander-in-chief. There have been different departures as properly. This raises concern that commanders are usually not being given ample authorized counsel. That’s the reason you simply mentioned that sentence, to guarantee them.
SEN. GRAHAM: That is that is rubbish, that is absolute rubbish–
(Crosstalk)
MARGARET BRENNAN: Which that Hegseth mentioned that?
SEN. GRAHAM: No, no. I am saying that- the speculation that President Trump’s doing one thing right here illegally, coping with a rustic that is run by an indicted drug vendor. It is the identical as Panama. There’s a greater case to enter Venezuela than there was Panama. There’s a greater case to take care of Colombia than there was Grenada. Yeah, I have been doing this all of my grownup life. I’ve all the arrogance on this planet that President Trump has the authorized authority, however extra importantly, he is doing the correct factor. Extra Individuals have died from cocaine and fentanyl poisoning than any terrorist group on this planet. I’m more than happy that we now have a president who’s going to make use of the total drive of, of the American individuals, the may of America, to guard us from narco terrorist states and drug organizations. Stick with it, Mr. President, we’re not committing homicide. We’re defending our nation from individuals who need to poison us.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Effectively, there’s clearly patrons on the opposite finish of it, which is why the cartels are promoting, proper?
SEN. GRAHAM: Effectively yeah, we’ll take care of each. We’ll take care of each.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Effectively I need to come again to– once we speak about lawful orders right here, I actually spoke to a former senior commander who mentioned he’d need that in writing due to concern that, that that is going to be down the road questionable.
SEN. GRAHAM: What in writing?
MARGARET BRENNAN: You have already heard the orders to hold out operations. You have already heard Democratic lawmakers, together with on this program, say that they’ve issues about future prosecutions of officers.
SEN. GRAHAM: Effectively act in your issues. Why do not you- Why do not you- Okay, for those who’ve acquired issues, here is what we will do as members of Congress. We will minimize off funding for army operations we do not like. So for those who’re involved as a Democrat or Republican, why do not you introduce laws to chop off all funding to the army in terms of attacking drug votes and going after narco terrorist states by means of the army. You are able to do that. Go forward and do it. I will vote no. I feel it has all of the authority on this planet below Article Two and worldwide legislation to be sure that international locations like Venezuela cannot be staging areas to infiltrate medication into our nation. It isn’t a, I feel it has all of the authorized authority on this planet. I am simply actually glad he is doing this and Mr. President, stick with it.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Effectively, we look ahead to listening to these justifications when they’re shared with Congress. You made some information there, Senator. Thanks to your time at this time. We’ll be again in a second.
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