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The next is the transcript of the interview with Rep. Mike Turner, Republican of Ohio, that aired on “Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan” on March 1, 2026.
MARGARET BRENNAN: We’re joined now by Ohio Republican Congressman Mike Turner. Congressman, you’re on the Armed Companies Committee. I do know you have been involved with the administration to grasp what’s going on. The rating Democrat on the Senate Intelligence Committee, Mark Warner was briefed by Secretary Rubio, and he’s calling this- Warner is, a struggle of selection. He mentioned there was no proof of imminent hurt to People or an imminent menace to our nation. Have been you knowledgeable of a particular and imminent menace to the USA?
REP. MIKE TURNER: Effectively, this challenge of imminent is admittedly this, this fallacy of the actually that comes from the Obama administration’s nuclear weapons- nuclear enrichment negotiations, the place, with the Obama administration, the JCPOA arrange this fallacy that we had been simply going to arrange, you recognize, cameras and watch Iran do that nuclear enrichment till they obtained all the best way to a nuclear weapon, after which they had been going to kick to the following administration, whether or not or not there was going to be a navy battle, which is what we have come down to–
MARGARET BRENNAN: –That was a fairly detailed worldwide accord with phases. There have been elements at sunset–
REP. TURNER: However this- this idea of imminent, I imply, as we simply noticed from the international–
MARGARET BRENNAN: Effectively, that is separate and aside from imminent menace to justify U.S. navy force–
REP. TURNER: No, but it surely’s not as a result of it goes to essentially this- this inherent coverage that we see- that has, you recognize, a thread that is come by the Democrat aspect that we nonetheless see from the Democratic Obama administration’s insurance policies of what’s imminent. Imminent right here actually is that the Iranian regime continues to be a a sponsor of terrorism and amassing of missiles and stock the place they’ve declared themselves an enemy of the USA and of our allies, the place they’ve dedicated themselves to nuclear enrichment and refused to declare themselves as not pursuing a nuclear weapon, and–
[CROSSTALK STARTS]
MARGARET BRENNAN: They mentioned they weren’t–
REP. TURNER: –Effectively, truly they have- they haven’t, as we have now seen–
MARGARET BRENNAN: –the International Minister said–
REP. TURNER: Even simply final yr, we had the top of the Worldwide Atomic Vitality Company saying that they had been simply mere months away from having the ability to have a number of nuclear warheads–
MARGARET BRENNAN: –No, had a sufficient materials
REP. TURNER: So this- this imminent challenge -this imminent- this imminent challenge is one the place folks wish to have them be with their hand nearly on the button to one thing that has been utterly assembled. On this occasion, the administration has declared that they’d data and imminent side of that- that Iran was a menace, each to us and to Israel, our- our ally, and had the chance to take an motion to remove that menace. That is necessary. We do not have to wait–
MARGARET BRENNAN: –Sorry which menace though–
REP. TURNER: We do not have to wait–
MARGARET BRENNAN: –because the president mentioned the nuclear menace was obliterated. And not one of the nuclear sites–
REP. TURNER: –No, no, he mentioned that at these websites that we had taken motion to remove had been their nuclear enrichment websites that we had obliterated these websites, however they’d continued to amass missile expertise and missile stock. That they had continued, as has- had been declared, to pursue their intention of nuclear enrichment. That they had continued.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Rubio mentioned they weren’t enriching.
REP. TURNER: That they had continued their intention to pursue nuclear enrichment. That they had- had mentioned and declared that they had been going to do this. Their applications had not been utterly abolished, and their intention had not been abolished. They remained a menace, and the truth that we had the flexibility to- to intervene, that imminence is extremely necessary. This- this- this commonplace of what’s imminent. I imply, you- you- you–
MARGARET BRENNAN: Effectively, folks wish to know why. Why now? That is that is why I am asking.
REP. TURNER: As a result of the chance is there to remove an imminent menace that may be a imminent menace to the USA and our operations and within the space and our ally.
[END CROSSTALK]
MARGARET BRENNAN: I wish to ask you about one other standoff between the Pentagon and Anthropic which is the one AI firm whose merchandise are utilized in categorized techniques for issues like Goal ID, intel assessments and battlefield simulations. This morning, the Wall Avenue Journal is reporting that their AI was, actually, utilized in these operations, although Secretary Hegseth and Trump ordered it to be minimize off as a consequence of this contractual dispute over using the mannequin. Anthropic’s CEO instructed CBS in an unique interview that it’s as much as Congress to behave right here to essentially create readability as to how AI can be utilized. It is clearly important, if the Pentagon’s nonetheless utilizing it on this operation. Will congress act right here?
REP. TURNER: That is one thing that they will need to take care of and are available to congress for. That is clearly–
MARGARET BRENNAN: The administration has to come–
REP. TURNER: On this circumstance- on this explicit circumstances I am unaware of this explicit challenge, that is going to need to be one thing that there is going to need to be handled in additional element than, clearly, an interview on CBS.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Can I ask you, in that focusing on of the Supreme Chief, that Secretary- that Senator Cotton talked about. Did the U.S. perform that strike?
REP. TURNER: Effectively, I believe this is essential. The- what’s very clear right here, and I believe that is necessary to debate, you recognize, the President of the USA indicated that we had been focusing on the navy, navy infrastructure and- and never the regime, and never regime change. And yesterday, once I had the chance to speak to Secretary Rubio, you recognize, I requested that query, and he was very clear within the reply that we didn’t goal Khamenei and the- and we weren’t focusing on the management in Iran. So the side of- that the USA was not endeavor regime change is essential. Our side of what the President of the USA has undertaken was this imminent menace that he described in his announcement and- and that, I believe- his response and his assertion to the USA is a vital side.
MARGARET BRENNAN: However simply to be clear, you are not saying that Israel carried out that strike with out the U.S. permission, inexperienced lighting, purchase in?
REP. TURNER: You already know the truth that that Khamenei has been a murderous authoritarian who has killed an unbelievable variety of Israelis, they’ve completely, I believe, a robust foundation by which to take action. I believe it actually exhibits that in case you’re a murderous authoritarian and also you are- that you’re, you are at risk- and also you’re it is higher to be a pal of the USA than a murderous authoritarian. It is also attention-grabbing that Putin simply mentioned that he misplaced–
MARGARET BRENNAN: –Talking of murderous dictators
REP. TURNER: –that he misplaced a pal in in dropping Khamenei, and we actually did not see Khamenei as a pal.
MARGARET BRENNAN: We’ll depart it there, Congressman Turner. We’ll be again in a second with extra ‘Face the Nation.’
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