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 service, the Gerald Ford, to Latin America. President Trump was requested if he deliberate to ask Congress for a declaration of struggle. Take a hear.
[SOUND ON TAPE BEGINS]
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: I do not assume we will essentially ask for a declaration of struggle. I believe we’re simply going to kill individuals which can be bringing medication into our nation, OK. We will kill them. You recognize, they will be, like, useless.
[SOUNDS OF TAPE ENDS]
MARGARET BRENNAN: You do not want an plane service to hit drug boats are land strikes deliberate?
SEN. GRAHAM: Yeah, I believe that is an actual risk. 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 protected 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 towards Venezuela and Colombia. So there can 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 this planet. 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 am going to let the President converse to that. I am speaking a few briefing that might 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 recognize, the Monroe Doctrine has been robustly utilized by President Trump. So these army property 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 go away peacefully, however I do not assume he’ll 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 data has been shared with Congress. Take a hear:
[SOUND ON TAPE BEGINS]
SEN. RAND PAUL: If they need all out struggle the place we kill anyone and everyone that’s within the nation of Venezuela or popping out that has to have a declaration of struggle. It is one thing that’s not fairly, very costly, and I am not in favor of declaring struggle 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 guarantee that Venezuela and Colombia can’t be used to poison America, that the narco-terrorist dictator Maduro not be capable 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 exchange the management there, as a result of the Panama management, Panamanian management, have been working with drug cartels to threaten our nation. Reagan did not have a declaration of struggle 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 struggle 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 nations and leaders that have been threatening our individuals.
MARGARET BRENNAN: However there gave the impression to be quite a few points wound up in right here. I do know you personally used to function a choose advocate within the Air Pressure. We appeared on the JAG handbook: preventative self protection employed to counter non imminent threats is against the law beneath worldwide regulation. So if we’re not at struggle and these suspected criminals pose no risk of imminent violence, is not this doubtlessly a struggle crime to be killing the individuals 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 operating 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. Here 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 medicine 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 believe, to the land. So please be clear about what I am saying in the present day. 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 supplier 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 have been Maduro, I might discover a strategy to depart earlier than warmth goes down.
MARGARET BRENNAN: However is trafficking cocaine an armed assault on america? That is what you are equating it to?
SEN. GRAHAM: I’m saying that there is loads of regulation beneath article, Article Two powers of the President are designed to guard our nations 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 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 Pressure, 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 will not be being given satisfactory 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 idea that President Trump’s doing one thing right here illegally, coping with a rustic that is run by an indicted drug supplier. 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 appropriate factor. Extra People have died from cocaine and fentanyl poisoning than any terrorist group on this planet. I’m very happy that we now have a president who’s going to make use of the total power of, of the American individuals, 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– once we discuss lawful orders right here, I personally 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 have already heard the orders to hold out operations. You have already heard Democratic lawmakers, together with on this program, say that they’ve considerations about future prosecutions of officers.
SEN. GRAHAM: Nicely act in your considerations. Why do not you- Why do not you- Okay, in the event you’ve obtained considerations, here is what we will 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 by means of the army. You are able to do that. Go forward and do it. I am going to vote no. I believe it has all of the authority on this planet beneath Article Two and worldwide regulation to guarantee that nations like Venezuela cannot be staging areas to infiltrate medication into our nation. It is not a, I believe 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: Nicely, we look ahead to listening to these justifications when they’re shared with Congress. You made some information there, Senator. Thanks to your time in the present day. We’ll be again in a second.
