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 pay attention.
[SOUND ON TAPE BEGINS]
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: I do not suppose we will essentially ask for a declaration of conflict. I believe we’re simply going to kill folks which are bringing medication into our nation, OK. We will kill them. You already know, they’ll be, like, useless.
[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 believe that is an actual chance. I believe 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 advised me yesterday that he plans to temporary members of Congress when he will get again from Asia about future potential army operations in opposition to Venezuela and Colombia. So there shall be a congressional briefing a few potential increasing from the ocean to the land. I assist that concept, however I believe 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 the earth. This isn’t homicide. That is defending America from being poisoned by narco-terrorists coming from Venezuela and Colombia.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Nicely, lots there. However simply to make clear the examples you are citing, additionally concerned floor troops. You stated time for Maduro to go. That sounds lots 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 might broaden army operations doubtlessly from the ocean to the land. It’s time for Maduro to go. It was time for Ortega to go. You already know, the Monroe Doctrine has been robustly utilized by President Trump. So these army belongings are shifting ahead to take care of a rustic that is obtained blood on its palms in relation to People by flooding our nation with medication from Venezuela and Colombia. So I hope Maduro would depart peacefully, however I do not suppose he will keep round for much longer. I believe President Trump is bored with Venezuela getting used as a staging platform to poison America?
MARGARET BRENNAN Nicely, there’s lots there, sir, however you cited a Democratic senator’s criticism. He isn’t the one one. A few of your Republican colleagues have been uncomfortable with what little info has been shared with Congress. Take a pay attention:
[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’s not 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. JAMES LANKFORD: If this was occurring with this stage of perception beneath the Biden administration, I might be apoplectic.
[SOUND ON TAPE ENDS]
MARGARET BRENNAN: Todd Younger additionally criticized this, what precisely is the tip sport? Since you’re speaking about regime change in Venezuela, the President says that is about drug boats.
SEN. GRAHAM: Yeah. Nicely, I believe the tip sport 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 People. 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 interchange 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 info, and you are going to get extra info, however there is no such thing as a requirement for Congress to declare conflict earlier than the commander-in-chief can use power. 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 folks.
MARGARET BRENNAN: However there appeared to be a lot 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 prohibited beneath worldwide legislation. So if we’re not at conflict and these suspected criminals pose no menace of imminent violence, is not this doubtlessly a conflict crime to be killing the folks on these boats after which to be taking out a pacesetter?
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 take a seat on the sidelines and watch boats full of medication come to our nation. We will blow them up and kill the those who need to poison America, and we’re now going to broaden operations, I believe, 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 relation to drug traffickers and drug cartels. We will use army power like we now have prior to now to guard our nation. That is the brand new sport we’re enjoying, and I am glad we’re enjoying that sport, and if I had been Maduro, I might discover a method 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 beneath article, Article Two powers of the President are designed to guard our international locations from threats international 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 large, lengthy runway? There’s loads of precedent right here to do what he is doing. However the sport has modified. The sport has modified in relation to narco trafficking, drug organizations. We will take you out.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Nicely, you referenced one thing earlier. Sorry. I need to come again to you stated 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 are given by a commander-in-chief. There have been different departures as properly. This raises concern that commanders should not being given sufficient authorized counsel. That’s the reason you simply stated that sentence, to guarantee them.
SEN. GRAHAM: That is that is rubbish, that is absolute rubbish–
(Crosstalk)
MARGARET BRENNAN: Which that Hegseth stated 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 the earth that President Trump has the authorized authority, however extra importantly, he is doing the precise factor. Extra People have died from cocaine and fentanyl poisoning than any terrorist group on the earth. I’m more than happy that we now have a president who’s going to make use of the total power of, of the American folks, the would possibly 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: Nicely, there’s clearly consumers on the opposite finish of it, which is why the cartels are promoting, proper?
SEN. GRAHAM: Nicely yeah, we’ll take care of each. We’ll take care of each.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Nicely I need to come again to– after we discuss lawful orders right here, I actually spoke to a former senior commander who stated 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’ve got already heard the orders to hold out operations. You’ve got already heard Democratic lawmakers, together with on this program, say that they’ve issues about future prosecutions of officers.
SEN. GRAHAM: Nicely act in your issues. Why do not you- Why do not you- Okay, in the event you’ve obtained issues, here is what we are able to do as members of Congress. We are able to reduce off funding for army operations we do not like. So in the event you’re involved as a Democrat or Republican, why do not you introduce laws to chop off all funding to the army in relation to attacking drug votes and going after narco terrorist states via the army. You are able to do that. Go forward and do it. I will vote no. I believe it has all of the authority on the earth beneath 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 believe it has all of the authorized authority on the earth. I am simply actually glad he is doing this and Mr. President, stick with it.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Nicely, we sit up for listening to these justifications when they’re shared with Congress. You made some information there, Senator. Thanks in your time at this time. We’ll be again in a second.
