Writing: Sen. Lindoy Graham “faces the nation with Margaret Brennan,” Oct. 26, 2025
The following is the text of the interview with Sen. Lindoy Graham, Republican of South Carolina, who was full “face the nation with Margaret Brennan” on Oct. 26 26, 2025.
Margaret Brennan: We turn now to Republican Senator Lindsey Graham. He joins us in Seneca, South Carolina. Welcome back to face the nation. senator-
Senator Lindsey Graham: Hello.
Margaret Brennan: On Friday, Defense Secretary Hegseth ordered the deployment of the Navy’s most advanced aircraft carrier, the Gerald Ford, to Latin America. President Trump was asked if he planned to ask Congress for a declaration of war. Take a listen.
[SOUND ON TAPE BEGINS]President Donald Trump: I don’t think we’re going to ask for a declaration of war. I think we’re going to kill people who bring drugs into our country, okay. We will kill them. You know, they’ll be, like, dead.
[SOUNDS OF TAPE ENDS]Margaret Brennan: You don’t need an airplane load to hit drug boats Are global strikes planned?
Sen. Graham: Yeah, I think that’s a real possibility. I think that President Trump made the decision that Maduro, the leader of Venezuela, is a suspect leader, that it is time to organize the members of the narco-terrorists as a whole against Venezuela and Colombia. So there will be a conmeteral discussion about growth from sea to land. I support that idea, but I think he has all the authority he needs. Senator Gallego, on another network, blamed President Trump and our military for killing these drug boats. For men and our men, the uniform does not kill anyone. Making America safer by going after narco-terrorists. He follows official orders. When President Bush, 41, took Ortega to Panama, Reagan entered Grenada to deal with Cuban influence from Grenada in our backyard, he has all the authority in the world. This is not fatal. This protects the American from being poisoned by Narco-terrorists from Venezuela and Colombia.
Margaret Brennan: Well, a lot there. But just to clarify the examples you set, which also involve ground forces. He said it is Maduro’s time to go. That sounds like a regime change. Are you talking about troops on the ground?
Sen. Graham: I’ll let the President address that. I am talking about a forum that will increase the military operations that I may have at Sea in the country. Time for Maduro to go. It was Ortega’s time to go. You know, the roe doctrine has been put to good use by President Trump. So these military outfits are moving forward to confront a country with blood on its hands when it comes to the Americans flooding our country with drugs from Venezuela and Colombia. So I hope Maduro leaves in peace, but I don’t think he will last long. I think President Trump is tired of Venezuela being used as a platform to rally America?
Margaret Brennan well, there’s a lot there, sir, but you’re pointing out the criticism of the Democratic Senator. He is not the only one. Some of his Republican colleagues have been uncomfortable with what little information has been shared with Congress. Take a listen:
[SOUND ON TAPE BEGINS]Sen. Rand Paul: If they want an all out war where we kill anyone and everyone in the country of Venezuela or come out with it they should have a declaration of war. It’s not a good thing, it’s very expensive, and I don’t like to declare war on Venezuela, but Congress has to vote. And the President should not do it himself.
Sen. James Lankford: If this was happening at this level of Insight under the Biden administration, I would be Apoplic.
[SOUND ON TAPE ENDS]Margaret Brennan: Todd Jr. criticized this, what exactly is the end game? Because he is talking about regime change in Venezuela, the President says this is about drug boats.
Sen. Graham: Yes. Yes, I think the last game is to make sure that Venezuela and Colombia will not be used for American poison, that the Narco-terrorist and Mashimu Mashidu Mayururo can no longer threaten our country and send drugs to kill Americans. As for Rand Paul, I fundamentally disagree with him. We had no announcement to go to Panama. Bush 41 entered Panama to take a leadership position there, because the leadership of Panama, the leadership of Pania, was working with the drug cartels to threaten our country. Reagan had no declaration of war authorization to deal with Cuban influence. So this idea- it’s an idea Paul, I just basically agree. In other Senates, you need more information, and you will get more information, but there is no need for Congress to declare war before the Commander-in-Chief can use the power. Panama and Grenada are two examples in our backyard, where Republican Presidents chose to go after countries and leaders who threatened our people.
Margaret Brennan: But there seemed to be a lot of wounding issues here. I know you used to work as a judge advocate in the air force. Let’s look at the Jag Manual: Defensive defenses employed to increase illegal threats are subject to international law. So if we are not at war and these alleged criminals are not committing imminent violence, isn’t it a war crime to kill the people on these boats and take the leader?
Sen. Graham: No, it’s not. I don’t know what someone is referring to, but I know what president Sush, 41 did. He took ortega [sic]the leader of Panama, because he was involved in drug trafficking that threatened our country. Venezuela is now allied with Hezbollah. Hezbollah is running out of money because Iran is weak.
Margaret Brennan: That’s not new.
Sen. Graham: You work with the drug cartels in Venezuela. No, it should have been stopped. Here, here’s what’s new. You got the commander-in-Chiff not to put this crap. We will not sit on the sidelines and watch boats full of drugs come to our country. We’re going to blow them up and kill people who want to poison America, and now we’re going to expand operations, I think, in the country. So please be clear about what I am saying today. President Donald Trump sees Venezuela and Colombia as direct threats to our country, because they are home to narco-terrorist organizations. The leader of Venezuela is a prominent drug trafficker in American courts. So, the game is changing when it comes to drug dealers and drug cartels. We will use military forces like us in the past to defend our country. That’s a new game we’re playing, and I’m glad we’re playing that game, and if I were Maduro, I’d find a way to go before the heat goes down.
Margaret Brennan: But is cocaine smuggling an armed attack on the United States? Is that what you’re measuring?
Sen. Graham: I say there is a lot of legislation under the article, the article The President’s broad powers are designed to protect our countries from foreign and domestic threats. Was it illegal for the tree to take ortega out of Panama? Wasn’t it illegal for Reagan to go into Grenada to stop Cuban influence from building this big, long runway? There’s a lot of structure here to do what he does. But the game has changed. The game has changed when it comes to Narco-trafficking, drug cartels. We will get you out.
Margaret Brennan: Well, you’re looking at something from the front. Sorry. I want to get back to you about the men and women of the military who make legitimate orders. Secretary Hegseth removed the top UniFormirched lawyers from the Air Force, you know this, the sailors and the army, because he called them on the roads given by the Commander-in-Chief. There were other ways to go too. This raises concerns that chiefs have not been given adequate legal advice. That’s why you just say that sentence, to convince them.
Sen. Graham: That’s rubbish, that’s complete fuel-
(Crosstalk)
Margaret Brennan: what does hegseth mean?
Sen. Graham: No, No. I mean that- the idea that President Trump is doing something illegal here, dealing with a country run by a well-suspected drug dealer. Same with Panama. There is a better case for entering Venezuela than there was Panama. There is a better case against Colombia than there was Grenada. Yes, I have been doing this all my adult life. I have all the confidence in the world that President Trump has the legal authority, but most importantly, he is doing the right thing. More Americans have been killed by Cocaine and Fentany than by any terrorist group in the world. I am very happy that we now have a President who will use the full power, the American people, the power of America, to protect us from the Narco-terrorist nations and the drug cartels. Keep it up, Mr. President, we no longer call for murder. We protect our nation from people who want to burn it.
Margaret Brennan: Well, there are obviously buyers on the other side of it, so that’s why Cartels sell, right?
Sen. Graham: Well yeah, we’ll deal with everything. We will deal with everything.
Margaret Brennan: Well I want to get back to the official orders here, I personally spoke to a commander who was at a high level who said he was going to demand that in writing for the sake of writing.
Sen. Graham: What does it write about?
Margaret Brennan: You’ve already heard the orders to do the jobs. You’ve already heard Democratic lawmakers, including in this program, say they have concerns about future prosecutions of officials.
Sen. Graham: Well Well for your concern. Why don’t you- why you’re wrong, if you have problems, here’s what we can do as members of Congress. We can cut funding for military operations we don’t like. So if you are concerned as a Democrat or Republican, why don’t you sign legislation that will cut off all war funding when it comes to attacking the medic ballot and going after the Narco terrorists of the country with the military. You can do that. Keep doing it. I will vote no. I think it has all the authority in the world under article bilateral and international law to make sure that countries like Venezuela will not be places to import drugs into our country. No, I think it has all the legal authority in the world. I am really happy that you are doing this with Mr.
Margaret Brennan: Well, we look forward to hearing those reasons when they are shared with Congress. You made some news there, Senator. Thank you for your time today. We’ll be back for a while.
Editor’s note: An earlier version of this document incorrectly stated that the measure in Sen. Todd Young instead of Sen. James Lankford. The text is updated.
