The next is the transcript of an interview with Sen. Roger Marshall, Republican of Kansas, that aired on “Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan” on Sept. 7, 2025.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Welcome again to Face the Nation. We flip now to Republican Senator Roger Marshall, who joins us this morning from Wichita, Kansas. Welcome to Face the Nation.
SENATOR ROGER MARSHALL: Margaret, nice to be with you. I do know it’ll be an excellent dialogue.
MARGARET BRENNAN: I do know you had been an OB-GYN in observe for many years earlier than you ran for workplace. This previous week, the HHS Secretary underwent intense questioning from each democratic lawmakers, and a few of your fellow Republicans, who had been additionally docs. Take a hear.
((BEGIN VIDEO CLIP))
SENATOR JOHN BARRASSO: Secretary Kennedy, in your affirmation listening to, you promised to uphold the very best requirements for vaccines. Since then, I’ve grown deeply involved.
SENATOR BILL CASSIDY: I’d say, successfully, we’re denying folks vaccine.
((END VIDEO CLIP))
MARGARET BRENNAN: That is the Republican Whip, and that’s the Chair of the Committee, Invoice Cassidy. Why do you suppose they’re off base and so they’re involved?
SEN. MARSHALL: Look, President Trump selected Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to be a disrupter to the CDC, and that is precisely what he is doing. He is targeted on making the CDC extra clear, to make it extra reliable proper now. Proper now, Individuals do not belief the CDC, so he’s actually turning that place the other way up. I respect what my colleagues are saying, however I believe that, you already know, this complete situation immediately, or in that assembly, was about vaccines. In my humble opinion, not each particular person wants each vaccine. And I do not suppose there’s many kids on the market that want 76 jabs by the point they’re sufficiently old to vote. However earlier than you label me a non-vaxxer-person, look, I’ve raised cash for polio vaccinations. The MMR is a superb vaccine. It saved 1000’s of lives. Vaccines, general, have saved a whole bunch of thousands and thousands of lives, however not each particular person wants each vaccine. And we simply wish to empower dad and mom and the docs to make nice choices.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Okay, I simply wish to unpack a couple of stuff you mentioned there, and simply very- as a result of we wish to be very cautious on this very heated atmosphere. While you say you have got an issue with trusting the CDC, it was just some weeks in the past a gunman walked onto the CDC campus in Atlanta and shot the place up. Do you care to reply to that? And do you suppose that we should be cautious after we are discussing the CDC and public well being officers proper now?
SEN. MARSHALL: Nicely, look, in fact, I condemn that taking pictures. However the insecurity within the CDC goes again to what the CDC did throughout Covid. They misguided us, perhaps lied to us, even, concerning the origins of Covid, and how you can deal with it, as properly. And the vaccine, they over-promised what the vaccine might do as properly. In order that’s the place the mistrust is. And now, Bobby Kennedy is in there, making an attempt to clean-up that mistrust, and making an attempt to offer American dad and mom and grandparents and the docs the precise info, clear info, to make good choices.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Okay, simply earlier than we discuss different vaccines, particular to Covid, and what you simply mentioned with the CDC; it was- the pandemic was through the Trump administration. It started through the Trump administration, and Operation Warp Velocity was a Presidential Directive by Trump, which a few of your fellow Republicans say he deserves the Nobel Prize for as a result of it stopped the pandemic. So, did you belief the CDC and Operation Warp Velocity below President Trump, or are you saying you do not suppose the President deserves the prize for that shot?
SEN. MARSHALL: Look President Trump completely deserves the Nobel prize. That vaccine saved thousands and thousands of lives —
MARGARET BRENNAN: — Okay, however you simply mentioned one thing that sounded very contradictory to that. —
SEN. MARSHALL: I disagree. I believe it is such a unique time immediately than it was 5 years in the past. 5 years in the past, we had a novel virus. None of us had any immunity to it. It was an odd virus made in a lab in Wuhan, China. However immediately, on common, Individuals have had Covid 5 occasions. We now have pure immunity to it, and never everyone wants the vaccine. So each issues may be true, and that is why, when you have got individuals who do not perceive science, that do not perceive drugs, why they do not get it. It was a unique day then than it’s immediately.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Okay, however folks do perceive that once they go into their pharmacy and have an issue getting a shot. As a result of in lots of states, they’re now advised they want to return and get a prescription, that the impact, right here, of the Kennedy insurance policies are making it tougher, even when they fall into classes the place they need to be capable to get a shot. You’d acknowledge that?
SEN. MARSHALL: Yeah. Yeah, I believe you are making this manner, approach too sophisticated. That- look, vaccines are a drugs, and similar to you want a prescription to get a GLP-1 —
MARGARET BRENNAN: — Proper. You mentioned he is disrupting. However, successfully, what you had been listening to the Republican Whip John Barrasso, and the Republican Senator Invoice Cassidy discuss was the interruption of the provision of vaccine. Cassidy mentioned, I’d say, successfully, we’re denying folks vaccines. That is not Margaret Brennan, that is Invoice Cassidy.
SEN. MARSHALL: Look, I disagree, respectfully disagree. Take into consideration this, what the CDC is now saying is if you happen to’re over the age of 65, you possibly can have the vaccine. It is attention-grabbing that the UK and France have set 75 and 80 because the age. So, all you might want to do is e mail or name your physician’s nurse and get a prescription, and you must be capable to get it. For those who’re over the age of 6 months, it is most likely a good suggestion to speak to your physician. And all of your nurse has to do is take a look at the chart and say, oh, little Johnny’s received bronchial asthma, positively wants the vaccination as properly. So I believe we’re making this manner too sophisticated. Why does everyone lose their minds in relation to Covid vaccine? Why cannot we let the physician and the dad and mom resolve? Let the sufferers resolve. There’s so many extra necessary issues on the market we ought to be speaking about: Persistent ailments, 20% of our adolescents have weight problems, psychological well being issues in- and are on pharmaceuticals. There’s so many extra issues to speak about than simply Covid vaccines.
MARGARET BRENNAN: No, however I believe we’re conflating a couple of issues, together with the operational side of this. I believe folks get pissed off with their insurance coverage firms. I believe folks get pissed off with their pharmacies and the implementation of well being coverage. And you already know that that is extra sophisticated than simply saying we’re altering a couple of issues right here. There are large implications, and I wish to discuss to you about it since you mentioned you just like the MMR vaccine. You want DPT, Polio, Smallpox. You do not like Hepatitis B, which is a liver an infection, and you do not suppose new child children should be vaccinated in opposition to it. Senator Cassidy, who’s a liver physician, mentioned he handled poor and underserved sufferers and that it may be a life-altering situation for the remainder of your life. So why is not it a compelling argument to you, that this ought to be out there?
SEN. MARSHALL: I delivered a baby- delivered a child every single day for 25 years. We did a Hepatitis take a look at on each certainly one of my sufferers on the time of supply. If that mother has a detrimental Hepatitis take a look at, she’s in a secure, monogamous relationship, she’s not doing IV medicine, she’s not letting her child play in a sandbox stuffed with used needles, then there’s zero likelihood that that child’s going to have Hepatitis. Now, there’s different mothers that- or different infants that do want it, okay. We should be extra particular. We won’t be overly-prescriptive. If that mother has not had prenatal care, if she’s an IV drug-abuser, if she’s not in a secure relationship, a complete lot of causes, however we have to pick-and-choose. Not each child wants Hepatitis vaccine, and particularly on day primary. What are these vaccines doing to mess with the immune system of that specific child as properly? So, that is my concern. It is not each child wants Hepatitis-B vaccine.
MARGARET BRENNAN: And I perceive it will also be unfold from- in a family sharing toothbrushes or razors or, for instance, if her accomplice was not monogamous, the pregnant girl, for instance. However I hear your level right here that you really want this to be extra bespoke, like, extra picking-and-choosing. However others would argue, right here, that in doing that, you are going to drive down immunization charges general, if you happen to create broader doubt in vaccines, and that it is a slippery slope, right here. Are you in any respect involved that that’s going to be the takeaway?
SEN. MARSHALL: Look, Anthony Fauci did extra to create vaccine hesitancy than Bobby Kennedy will do in his 4 years, or eight years, nevertheless lengthy he has Secretary. That is the place the issue is. So, do not blame Bobby Kennedy for the issues created by Anthony Fauci. However this- however I am simply telling —
MARGARET BRENNAN: — I am asking you about what you mentioned concerning the Hepatitis-B vaccine.
SEN. MARSHALL: I am sorry. Go forward.
MARGARET BRENNAN: I wasn’t speaking about Bobby Kennedy, or Secretary Kennedy. I used to be speaking about you, and what you mentioned concerning the Hepatitis-B vaccine, and are you involved that picking-and-choosing these items like this, this bespoke idea of giving extra alternative, that it additionally has the impact of undermining confidence in vaccines?
SEN. MARSHALL: I believe this can be a large distinction between Democrats and Republicans. Democrats desire a one-size-fits-all prescription for everyone. And I am telling you, not everyone reads the- reads the e-book does precisely like that. I’ve confidence in docs, and nurses, and oldsters, and grandparents to make these choices. I do not suppose that we must always have one authorities coverage that dictates each certainly one of these vaccines. I believe native coverage, native colleges, in the event that they wish to have necessities, what Florida did was a bridge too far. However how about just a bit frequent sense? Just a bit frequent sense would go a protracted methods right here.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Okay, as a result of President Trump mentioned he had some doubts about that Florida assertion you simply talked about there, too, and that he likes quite a lot of vaccines. Earlier than I allow you to go, Secretary Kennedy based this group that’s arguing that ladies taking Tylenol or Acetaminophen could be placing their infants in danger. They declare there is a hyperlink to neurodevelopmental problems. Would you take- inform a pregnant lady to take a Tylenol and never really feel nervous about it?
SEN. MARSHALL: Look, Tylenol is a Class-B drug. I’ve given it to plenty of sufferers. It is on the approved- accepted listing. However, that being mentioned, I attempt to inform my patients- my pregnant lady, to not take something, as a result of we do not know what we do not know. I am very cautious. You recognize, why- why did 20% of our kids have some kind of psychological well being sickness proper now? Why do we have now so many peanut allergic reactions? Why do we have now so many individuals with autoimmune ailments? We- so we do not know. What we do not know, we do not know, and I would like gold commonplace research to assist us determine this out and kind it out. However so far as I do know, Tylenol is okay in being pregnant.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Thanks, Senator, we’ll depart it there for immediately. We’ll be proper again.
