The next is the transcript of the interview with Sen. Thom Tillis, Republican of North Carolina, that aired on “Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan” on Feb. 15, 2026.
ED O’KEEFE: We’re joined now by Sen. Thom Tillis from the Munich Safety Convention in Germany. Senator, good to see you. Good morning. Thanks for taking a couple of minutes to be with us. A report that was revealed this week–
SENATOR THOM TILLIS: Thanks
ED O’KEEFE: –by the Munich Safety Convention describes leaders who’re taking an ax to present guidelines and establishments, and says the period wherein Europe might depend on the U.S. as an unquestioned safety guarantor is over. You suppose that is a good evaluation. Is the U.S. not a dependable companion to Europe?
SEN. TILLIS: Nicely, you recognize, in some methods, I hope that we’ll enter an period the place our reliance on Europe is improved. Look, I’ve obtained a problem with a number of the issues popping out of the White Home, however a variety of that frustration comes from a $2 trillion shortfall in investing in our mutual protection by far too many NATO Allies. Now, they’re- they’re making proper now, however it’s a must to give the administration and the president some latitude to level to the truth that a $2 trillion greenback shortfall over two decades- what has that executed to our readiness? What has that executed to our innovation? What’s that executed to our navy industrial base and manufacturing capability? You realize, we could possibly be scaling up latent capabilities that might have been serving that $2 trillion to higher serve Ukraine and higher modernize their very own weapons. So let’s be sure that folks take a look at this with stability and perceive that part of the explanation why we’re the place we’re is as a result of we had that deficit within the 20 years, within the first 20 years of this century. Now, the NATO alliance is a very powerful alliance within the historical past of mankind, and the- and the Article I department, Congress, believes that, they usually consider it in giant numbers. So we’ll commit- I am right here in Munich to principally remind all people that we have now three coequal branches of presidency. The president is making an attempt to get our NATO allies to carry out extra strongly and have some stage of independence, however the Congress has their again.
ED O’KEEFE: Yeah. So when the protection secretary sends the Pentagon’s quantity three to a NATO protection assembly this week and tells the remainder of the alliance, the U.S.’s help for NATO will proceed, however quote ‘in a extra restricted and targeted vogue,’ is that the message that Europe ought to be receiving proper now? Is that the way in which the administration ought to method it?
SEN. TILLIS: I’d not have used these phrases. I believe what we wish to do is be stronger and symbolize the deterrent capabilities of our alliance. The USA might presumably go it alone. However the actuality is, our alliance is what makes us the world’s superpower, what retains this world safer. We will have malign actors for the- for- we have had them all through historical past. We’ll proceed to. Putin is a liar and a assassin. He ought to be expelled from Ukraine. I am going to settle for a peace settlement if Volodymyr Zelenskyy desires one, however we have to be sure that our adversaries, except they modify profoundly, are seen as adversaries that we have now to coexist with however not appease. On the similar time, Europe must step up, not let this be episodic, that they are now beginning to contribute to their mutual protection, their very own capabilities, by the way. It is not like they’re writing a test and ship it to the U.S. That is build up their capabilities, their interoperability, their means to work with NATO allies if a battle happens. So, you recognize, it is an emotional time. I’ve obtained a philosophy that nothing is ever nearly as good as- unhealthy because it appears. I believe folks coming to Munich, considering that that is the tip of NATO, are being a bit alarmist and that we simply have to get issues proper and be taught from the previous errors of our allies, or- or be taught from the previous errors of people that have come up brief. However the rhetoric about NATO one way or the other being a second tier type of alliance going ahead is- is clearly being spoken by any person who does not actually perceive the brilliance and the facility of the NATO alliance.
ED O’KEEFE: On NATO, one of many issues the alliance introduced in current days is that this plan for a brand new Arctic Sentry mission to strengthen safety throughout the Arctic area. The choice, after all, comes within the wake of the president in the previous couple of weeks urging NATO to do extra for Arctic safety, dropping his threats of navy invasion of Greenland. Is that this new operation precisely what you are speaking about, what you wish to see the alliance doing? And is it additionally the reply to the president’s considerations about Greenland?
SEN. TILLIS: Nicely, you recognize, we talked in Davos. The fact is, to me, it was irresponsible to go wherever aside from determining how we modernize the 1951 settlement, the place Greenland and Denmark agreed to roughly give us unfettered entry in Greenland to mission energy within the Arctic. So now let’s that- now that the temperatures have cooled, present a bit little bit of respect to Denmark and to Greenland. Work out what a part of Greenland- we have to up match our house base, the only- the one occasion of military- or U.S. presence in Greenland now to the north. Check out a base that they provided to us for a greenback and provide you with a fiscally sound, sustainable technique to mission energy within the east by working with Canada and their icebreakers, that are mandatory for us to navigate there, working with Denmark and our Scandinavian and- and Arctic allies to essentially mission the sort of energy we have to defer- deter China and Russia.
ED O’KEEFE: The German chancellor, at first of this convention, instructed that the world order as we all know it’s over. I do know you have been speaking about hyperbole there at first of this. Do- would you agree, although, with the chancellor that issues are altering that quickly?
SEN. TILLIS: Provided that the chancellor permits it to. Look, if- if- if the NATO international locations, who got here up brief for many years, would simply admit that that was a mistake after which double their- redouble their efforts, I believe that this goes identical to the hyperbolic language round Greenland is now almost- it is unbelievable that was solely three weeks in the past. However it’s virtually within the distant previous. I believe we have now to look forward and acknowledge that the American folks, the American Congress, and I consider, the administration is behind it, however they don’t seem to be fallacious to level out the deficiencies of the previous. Look, I have been in conferences the place folks speak about a few of our social applications, and the way we should always actually step up with the European world, after which on the similar time, they’re funding a few of these applications on the expense of their very own protection. So let’s simply have an trustworthy dialogue with relations and get the household proper.
ED O’KEEFE: Let’s work via just a few different points right here. European leaders this week additionally instructed that they don’t seem to be taking retaliatory tariffs off the desk. Again right here at house, the Home voted to primarily reject the president’s tariffs on Canada, after a bunch of Republicans joined with Democrats to make that occur within the Home. If that ever comes up within the Senate, are you somebody who would agree with that, that the tariffs in opposition to Canada ought to be stripped away?
SEN. TILLIS: Nicely, I’ve- I’ve appeared at- what I believe we have to do is get the USMCA modernization the settlement on the desk and handle that within the context of strengthening our relationship with Canada and Mexico. Look, we’re an important buying and selling bloc, and we should always construct on our successes. As I am certain you recognize, a variety of the tariffs, there’s a variety of exemptions due to the existence of USMCA. I believe we should get in a room and kind them out. I’ve had- I’ve expressed publicly considerations with a variety of the tariffs that have been imposed. I nonetheless, to at the present time, cannot determine why we have now a 50% tariff on Brazil when we have now a commerce surplus with Brazil. These types of issues are irrational to me. In different instances, I can justify it primarily based on previous behaviors of nations that we have now a deficit with, however we should be surgical and never use a blunt pressure object–
ED O’KEEFE: –Certain–
SEN TILLIS: –to negotiate commerce relationships, significantly with China and Mexico, or, I am sorry, with Canada and Mexico.
ED O’KEEFE: Ought to your social gathering be distancing itself extra from the president although on tariffs, particularly the nearer it will get to November, when the American public just isn’t essentially a fan of those strikes?
SEN. TILLIS: See, I do not suppose it is a matter of distancing ourselves. That is what’s fallacious with Washington. We have gotten into this mode now to the place we have now some type of a loyalty or fealty check, as a result of we both disagree. Oftentimes, it isn’t even the what, it is the how. I do suppose the what of holding international locations that have- we have now had continual commerce deficits with accountable is important, and if tariffs are required to get their consideration, advantageous. However the how is a really surgical method, not a blanket method, not one that truly creates froth and uncertainty as a result of that is not good for enterprise and the U.S., if anything, is de facto good after we’re at our greatest on certainty.
ED O’KEEFE: You reiterated this week, you are going to block any affirmation hearings for a brand new Federal Reserve chairman or board member till the Justice Division’s investigation into Jerome Powell is, as you place it, resolved. However will there be affirmation hearings for Kevin Warsh, even when this DOG investigation- DOJ investigation into Powell is continuous?
SEN. TILLIS: Nicely, let’s make the excellence between a- a affirmation listening to after which a affirmation markup. Mr. Walsh [sic] goes to should determine whether or not or not he desires to undergo with this, as a result of, as I am certain you recognize, as soon as the nominee is put ahead, there are specific restrictions on what he can do in his- in his enterprise life. However I’ve tried to make it very clear that I’ve no intention of supporting any affirmation of any Fed board member, chair or in any other case, to fill the Kugler seat, for instance, till that is resolved. I believe we had a younger U.S. legal professional with a dream making an attempt to get the president’s consideration, not even consulting with the administration and large DOJ on one thing that possibly they thought they’d get brownie factors for. It is not cute. And if that is solely about two minutes of- of debate that got here earlier than Chair Powell, that prosecutor ought to hearken to the seven members, Republican members, who mentioned they did not see any prison intent or exercise. And- and extra importantly, the prosecutor ought to perceive that the protocol usually could be a referral from the chair or a member of the committee to say, we predict against the law was dedicated right here. We have against the law scene the place seven Republican members say no crime was dedicated. How exhausting is that to grasp?
ED O’KEEFE: However when the treasury secretary mentioned Friday, there is a deal to no less than maintain affirmation hearings for Kevin Warsh to function the following chairman of the Federal Reserve. Is he misguided on that?
SEN. TILLIS: Nicely, that is not a deal. That is a call that the- that the chair makes unilaterally in his capability as chair. The choice I get to make is whether or not or not I enable a markup, and if I do enable a markup, how I vote. And I am saying that till the matter is solved, I am a no.
ED O’KEEFE: Understood, and while you say resolved, while you need this investigation resolved, does that imply the whole lot dropped by the Justice Division and different entities?
SEN. TILLIS: Nicely, consider, the whole lot is an investigation about two minutes of commentary.
ED O’KEEFE: Proper.
SEN. TILLIS: Even for this man, that is not exhausting to determine.
ED O’KEEFE: You might have been fairly important of the administration on a collection of points, whether or not it is tariffs, the way it’s participating Europe, as you talked about earlier, considerations about homeland safety and whatnot, and you’ve got mentioned that it runs the danger of wounding your social gathering going into November. So I am curious, if the elections have been held right this moment, would Republicans maintain on to the Home and the Senate?
SEN. TILLIS: I believe that we maintain on to the Senate. I’ve questions in regards to the Home, and a few of that comes from what I consider might have been a bit little bit of overreach with respect to- to redistricting. Plus, you’ve gotten the historic problem of a midterm election after a presidential election, a variety of complexities in it. However I- you recognize, we have work to do. And once more, my beef virtually all the time pertains to what I contemplate to be how issues are being executed. And I believe the president has some advisers round him. You’ve got heard me speak about Stephen Miller, you recognize my opinion about Kristi Noem. These are folks that do not go searching corners and aren’t taking good care of this president’s legacy, and I intend to. And if I’ve to talk bluntly, that is what I will do in my remaining time within the Senate.
ED O’KEEFE: Nicely, we respect you talking bluntly with us this morning from the Munich Safety Convention. Senator Tillis, thanks in your time.
SEN. TILLIS: Thanks.
ED O’KEEFE: And we’ll be proper again.
