The next is the transcript of the interview with Sen. Mark Kelly, Democrat of Arizona, that aired on “Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan” on Oct. 19, 2025.
MARGARET BRENNAN: And we start with Arizona Democratic Senator Mark Kelly, who’s right here in studio with us. Good morning to you, Senator.
SEN. MARK KELLY: Good morning.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Lots to get to. I wish to begin on what you’re seeing as a member of senate armed companies and the intelligence committees. There are about 10,000 US forces now which might be constructed up within the Caribbean space, both on ships or in Puerto Rico. Three B2- B-52 bombers flew close to Venezuela final week. There have now been six maritime strikes by U.S. Particular Operations Forces. What is that this including as much as? Is the Trump administration planning regime change in Venezuela?
SEN. KELLY: Nicely, I hope not. Regime change has never actually labored out effectively for us as a nation the place we have supported that, whether or not it was in Vietnam, Cuba, Iraq, Afghanistan. It does not go the best way we predict, and it places an amazing variety of People in hurt’s means. The U.S. army, the blokes flying these missions now in B-52s near the coast, these people are in danger, members of america Navy now on this operation, which is clearly historically a regulation enforcement operation, now escalating to one thing possibly, because the president talks about regime change. I believe that is the unsuitable transfer for this president. The Coast Guard has the sources to do that.
MARGARET BRENNAN: To interdict–
SEN. KELLY: To interject medication. That is the best way this has historically been carried out. And I do fear concerning the authorized authorities or lack thereof that america army has to conduct these type of strikes.
MARGARET BRENNAN: And you have been briefed on what authorized authorities are being invoked. Do you suppose they’re inadequate at this level?
SEN. KELLY: That they had a really exhausting time explaining to us the rationale, the authorized rationale for doing this and the constitutionality of doing it. When you think about what the regulation of warfare, particularly at sea, was, a really convoluted argument. It additionally included, by the best way, a secret checklist of over 20 narco organizations, drug trafficking cartels. They would not share with us the checklist. So the temporary we acquired had an amazing variety of holes in it, and so they needed to go spherical and round to provide us the authorized rationale for doing this. And what I fear about, Margaret, are all these younger army personnel which may discover out, you recognize, months from now, that what they did was unlawful.
SEN. KELLY: And then you definately get to what are we making an attempt to perform right here? We wish to hold fentanyl out of america. And I do not understand how broadly identified that is, however these routes via the Caribbean on boats are predominantly used to carry cocaine to Europe.
MARGARET BRENNAN: to Europe.
SEN. KELLY: To Europe, sure.
MARGARET BRENNAN: To not U.S. shores.
SEN. KELLY: That is proper. Fentanyl tends to come back from a unique means, and we do wish to hold fentanyl out of america.
MARGARET BRENNAN: However so far, you simply mentioned the legality of what is being carried out. CBS reporting signifies that the commander who was working Southern Command, Admiral Alvin Holsey, was pressured to go away his command submit early, only a 12 months right into a four-year submit, and that there have been tensions with Secretary Hegseth that had been main as much as that departure, which Hegseth characterised as only a retirement. You converse to the highest officers, can they, with confidence, refuse illegal orders with out concern of retribution and even dropping their pensions?
SEN. KELLY: Nicely, I do not find out about dropping their pension, however they need to. That is extra essential than any single individual. That is about our democracy at this level, and people admirals and generals, they should converse reality to energy. I’ve had conversations with probably the most senior members of our army about this particular factor. They can’t be breaking the regulation. Would not matter if the president or the Secretary of Protection tells them to do one thing. If it is in opposition to the regulation, they must say no. They are not required to observe an illegal order. So we anticipate that from them. I do not know the precise circumstances why the admiral give up. He hasn’t mentioned publicly but. I anticipate in time we will discover out extra.
MARGARET BRENNAN: However you suppose he did give up? It wasn’t only a retirement, abruptly?
SEN. KELLY: I do not know. They might have pressured him out. He may have give up. He may have mentioned, hey, you are not accepting my recommendation, you want someone else in right here. I do not know. I hate to invest about it. He had a protracted service within the U.S. military–
MARGARET BRENNAN: –37 years.
SEN. KELLY: –highly embellished, and an amazing chief. I recognize his service to this nation. All of us, all U.S. residents, can be higher served if this administration listened to the recommendation of these army leaders, particularly the Secretary of Protection, who thinks he’s actually good at this. He ought to have by no means had this job. He was unqualified for the job, and for my part, the president ought to have fired him a number of occasions.
MARGARET BRENNAN: On Ukraine, you have been an outspoken supporter of it. Among the pilots educated in your state. After President Zelenskyy met with President Trump on Friday, he mentioned they kind of agreed to disagree on whether or not to get these long-range missiles, these Tomahawks that will permit them to fireplace into Russia. The place does that stand? President Biden would not do that both.
SEN. KELLY: Yeah. So I spoke to Zelenskyy three weeks in the past in New York, proper after his assembly with Donald Trump, and we talked about Tomahawks in that assembly. For much longer vary, over 1,000 miles, 700-pound warhead. Actually good–
MARGARET BRENNAN: — sport altering.
SEN. KELLY: Recreation altering. The president mentioned he would think about giving them these- this weapon system. After which he had a dialog with Vladimir Putin. And I believe it is essential for folks to acknowledge, Vladimir Putin is a former KGB officer. He’s a grasp manipulator. The president has one view. Then he talks to Vladimir Putin, and he alters his story on this. After all, Putin doesn’t need Ukraine to get a longer-range missile that would go after targets deep into Russia, past Moscow and St. Petersburg, by the best way. It could possibly vary targets a lot additional. It’s totally correct, very survivable weapon, and Putin has a dialog with him, and people weapons are actually off the desk. Hey, I believe Ukraine can deal with it if we may give them sufficient rounds, and we have now them in our stock, and sufficient launchers. Floor launchers are reasonably new to this method, one thing we removed for a protracted time period. They’ve demonstrated their potential to function a complicated weapon system just like the F-16. They might deal with this and it might assist.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Zelenskyy says they will proceed to attempt to persuade President Trump. I’ve to ask you concerning the shutdown. The Republican Chief John Thune has supplied to take a seat down with Democrats to debate Obamacare, however on the situation that Democrats finish the shutdown. He posted this on social media. Are you able to financial institution this as a win and agree to begin negotiations?
SEN. KELLY: That is what we wish. We would like negotiations–
MARGARET BRENNAN: –Is it sufficient?–
SEN. KELLY: –on how you can repair. I did not have a look at his tweet, however what we’d like is to repair this skyrocketing premium. They will go up on November 1 for folks, they cannot afford it. Folks in my state–
MARGARET BRENNAN: –either means they’re going up.
SEN. KELLY: I’ve talked to so many individuals. This lady, Emily, whose husband is a pastor who has three youngsters, says with out the Reasonably priced Care Act, she can’t have insurance coverage for her kids. They do not get it via his work. So what we have to do is repair this well being care premium situation and open the federal government.
MARGARET BRENNAN: However do not it is advisable to try this earlier than November 1, when pr- premiums go up? Are you going to finish the shutdown earlier than November 1?
SEN. KELLY: I want to. I might prefer to. We should always be capable to wrap this up this week if they are going to sit down and have a negotiation with us. The president has spent one hour negotiating this situation with management in Congress. That is it, one hour. They should get in a room and keep in a room till we will hash this out. The president has mentioned he desires to repair this premium factor and he desires the federal government open. That is what we wish.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Nicely, we’ll see if there’s progress this week. Senator, thanks in your time.
SEN. KELLY: Thanks.
