Face the Nation - Season 15 / Year 2025

Sen. John Thune; Reps. Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., Mike Turner, R-Ohio, and Jim Himes, D-Conn.; Tom Homan, the incoming Trump administration's "border czar."

The massive Palisades fire has destroyed an estimated 75% of the Pacific Palisades and officials say the 1/3rd of the eastern edge of Malibu has also been destroyed. The fire is now threatening the nearby communities of Brentwood and Encino. Jonathan Vigliotti reports from the Pacific Palisades. FEMA administrator Deanne Criswell tells "Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan" that she believes Los Angeles officials were "very prepared" for devastating wildfires, but "they have never seen 100-mile an hour winds that are fueling the fire." Rep. Judy Chu, whose district has been affected by the Eaton fire, tells "Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan" that she has been in touch with Gov. Gavin Newsom and fire agencies have assured them that there is "enough water" to fight the ongoing wildfires. Despite the earlier combination of factors that overwhelmed the fire response, "I believe that we're in a good place right now," she said. As the Supreme Court weighs the legality of the TikTok ban, Sen. Mark Kelly tells "Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan" that "I know this is controversial. I know folks earn a living on TikTok," but the app "has a national security risk to it." Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, who has a new documentary airing on PBS, "Coming to America," that examines how nine remarkable American immigrants have shaped our country's history, tells "Face the Nation with Maragaret Brennan" that "in the long run," the U.S. should "want to have an ability to allow legitimate refugees to come here." 

This week on "Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan," on the eve of President-elect Donald Trump's inauguration, a ceasefire deal takes effect and TikTok is shut down. Biden White House Middle East envoy Brett McGurk joins, as does incoming National Security Adviser Mike Waltz.

This week on "Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan," Vice President JD Vance gives his first interview since taking office. Plus, Republican Rep. Mike Turner and Democratic Rep. Jason Crow join.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio is in Panama as part of his first official foreign trip as President Trump announces massive tariffs on Mexico, China and Canada. Ed O'Keefe reports from Panama. Amid the Trump administration's move to offer "deferred resignation" to 2 million federal workers, Sen. Mark Warner says the situation has caused "chaos on steroids" for government employees. GOP Rep. Brian Mast of Florida, the new chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, tells "Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan" that he is working with Secretary of State Marco Rubio to "make sure there is appropriate command and control" of USAID and similar agencies. He added that he is "absolutely" in favor of USAID being folded into the State Department. Sen. Bernie Sanders, an independent who caucuses with Democrats but has praised some of Robert F. Kennedy's remarks on the food industry, tells "Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan" that he is "not particularly happy" with Kennedy's performance at his confirmation hearing last week. "Anybody who watched that hearing understands my deep concerns about Kennedy," Sanders said. As sources say senior FBI officials have been asked to resign or retire from top positions and others who investigated the Jan. 6 riot are undergoing review, former FBI assistant director for counterintelligence Frank Figliuzzi says they make "America less safe when you lose that much expertise that quickly." Hanna Siegel, the niece of Keith Siegel, an Israeli-American hostage who was freed by Hamas on Saturday, tells "Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan" that she is worried because the ceasefire is a "really fragile deal."John Dickerson, "CBS Evening News" co-anchor and presidential historian, reflects on how presidential reactions to national tragedies can "live in our collective memory" — and how President Trump's "hour of anguish" only lasted a few minutes as the president moved on to assigning blame. 

Anthony Salvanto, CBS News director of elections and surveys, tells "Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan" that President Trump has a 53% approval rating in his first weeks in office."He's doing, in the eyes of the public, what he said he would do in the campaign," Salvanto said. Republican Rep. Michael McCaul of Texas, the former chair of the House Foreign Affairs Committee who had once been a big supporter of USAID, tells "Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan" that the organization "needs to return to the core mission principles." But McCaul said he would urge the administration to "move more expeditiously" on implementing waivers for humanitarian aid that had been paused. Republican Sen. Bill Hagerty of Tennessee, an ally of President Trump, tells "Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan" that he believes there is a "tremendous appetite" for Mr. Trump to dismantle and consolidate USAID. Democratic Rep. Ilhan Omar of Minnesota tells "Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan" that as the Trump administration has steamrolled forward with executive orders to dismantle USAID and the Department of Education as well accessing the Treasury Department records because the president doesn't "have the support" among Republicans in Congress. USAID was founded in 1961 by President John F. Kennedy as a way to exert American strength abroad and had only accounted for less than 1% of the federal budget before the Trump administration began its campaign to dismantle it. It isn't clear why this sliver of spending is the first focus of the so-called efficiency project, but it feels like a demolition — and perhaps a preview of the future for other public servants. Amid the Trump administration's bureaucratic overhaul, CBS News Justice Department correspondent Scott MacFarlane, chief legal correspondent Jan Crawford, CBS News homeland security contributor Sam Vinograd and CBS News cybersecurity expert and analyst Chris Krebs join "Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan" to discuss the impact.

Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, D-N.H.; Rep. Dan Crenshaw, R-Texas, and Jamie Raskin, D-Md.; Kevin Hassett, director of the White House National Economic Council.

President Trump announced on Friday that he will replace Gen. Charles Q. Brown as chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Other senior Defense Department officials were also ousted. CBS News senior national security correspondent Charlie D'Agata examines the impact of the firings. New York Gov. Kathy Hochul said she and her fellow Democratic governors won't "sit idly by and let our rights be attacked" by the Trump administration. Steve Witkoff, President Trump's special envoy to the Middle East, described the next phase of the Israel-Hamas ceasefire, his 3.5-hour meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin and the administration's approach to the war in Ukraine. Democratic Sen. Chris Van Hollen of Maryland faulted President Trump for undermining Ukraine in any eventual peace talks with Russia, saying that taking several Ukrainian demands off the table is "terrible negotiating." "I think that this is going to get into the hundreds of cases and could take many months to fully snuff out," Dr. Scott Gottlieb, the former commissioner of the FDA, said about the ongoing measles outbreak in Texas and New Mexico. Republican Sen. John Curtis of Utah says Elon Musk needs to bring a "dose of compassion" to his treatment of federal workers who are being fired across the government.

This week on "Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan," as fallout continues from the unprecedented Oval Office meeting between President Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Margaret Brennan speaks to Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, GOP Reps. Mike Turner and John James and Democratic Sen. Mark Kelly.

This week on "Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan," after a whiplash week of on-again, off-again tariff announcements, Canadian ambassador to the U.S. Kirsten Hillman joins to discuss the costs and consequences of a trade war. Plus, former White House Russia expert Fiona Hill discusses President Trump's diplomatic pivot on Ukraine. China announced retaliatory tariffs on U.S. agricultural products and targeted 25 American companies in response to the now 20% blanket tariffs President Trump placed on all Chinese goods. Anna Coren reports from Beijing with the latest. As President Trump threatens tariffs on the Canadian dairy and lumber industry — while holding off on broader tariffs on goods covered under the USMCA until April — Canadians are also dealing with a transfer of power, with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau set to step down. Ed O'Keefe reports from Ottawa. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem tells "Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan" that the authorities that she has are "broad and extensive" as she discusses her plans at the helm of the agency. 

This week on "Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan," as the U.S. launches airstrikes on Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen, Margaret Brennan speaks to Secretary of State Marco Rubio. Plus, President Trump's envoy to the Middle East, Steve Witkoff, joins.

This week on "Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan," National Security Adviser Mike Waltz and Senate Homeland Security chair Rand Paul join as the backlash grows against the Trump administration for the deportation of alleged Venezuelan gang members. Plus. House intelligence committee member Democratic Rep. Jim Himes joins.

Sen. Mark Warner, United Auto Workers President Shawn Fain; Rep. Jodey Arrington, R-Texas; Sue Gordon, former principal deputy director of national intelligence; retired Gen. Frank McKenzie, former commander of U.S. Central Command. 

This week on "Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan," Major Garrett speaks to UAW president Shawn Fain as the Trump administration deals with upcoming tariffs with the markets sliding up and down and consumer confidence sliding. Plus, Sen. Mark Warner joins to discuss the Trump administration's mistake of its own making — sharing attack plans over an app.

This week on "Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan," Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick and Sen. John Barrasso discuss the new tariffs announced by President Trump. Rep. Don Bacon and Sen. Maria Cantwell discuss a measure in Congress to claw back its authority over trade and NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte discusses next steps in the Russia-Ukraine war and the impact from the tariffs on the military alliance.

This week on "Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan," U.S. trade representative Jamieson Greer and Minneapolis Fed president Neel Kashkari discuss the latest with the U.S. economy. Plus, the FDA's former top regulator, Dr. Peter Marks, joins.

This week on "Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan," Lee Zeldin Environmental Protection Agency Administrator, Gov. Maura Healey (D) Massachusetts, Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D) Maryland, Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick (R) Pennsylvania, Austan Goolsbee President & CEO Chicago Federal Reserve Bank 

This week on "Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan," Anthony Salvanto discusses new polling as President Trump's 100th day in office. Plus, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov sits down with Margaret Brennan. Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, D-N.H.

This week on "Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan," NPR CEO Katherine Maher and PBS CEO Paula Kerger join as President Trump signed an executive order cutting their funding. Plus, Sen. Tammy Duckworth discusses the Trump administration's national security moves. Oksana Markarova, the Ukrainian ambassador to the U.S., tells "Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan" that Russia's most recent overnight drone attack in Kyiv was against "completely civilian targets." "Every day, regardless of what Russia says, there are some attacks and there are civilian casualties," Markarova said.

This week on "Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan," Ed O'Keefe speaks with United Airlines CEO Scott Kirby; Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham, D-N.M.; Rep. Mike McCaul, R-Texas; Cardinal Blase Cupich, archbishop of Chicago; British Ambassador to the U.S. Peter Mandelson; Sam Rose, director of United Nations Relief and Works Agency Affairs in Gaza.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio tells "Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan" that his talks with his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov are "not a complete waste of time." "Are they tapping us along? Well, that's what we're trying to find out," Rubio said. Bridget Brink, who served as the U.S. ambassador to Ukraine until last month, tells "Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan" that the "first sign" that she should leave her post "was the Oval Office meeting in February, in February, President Trump and President Zelensky, where I saw that our approach is to put pressure on Ukraine and not pressure on Russia." Democratic Sen. Chris Van Hollen of Maryland said on "Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan" that "hindsight is 20/20" about the interview that Robert Hur did with former President Joe Biden, which highlighted Biden's memory lapses and Democrats lambasted at the time. Former Defense Secretary Robert Gates, who served in George W. Bush's administration tells "Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan" that Russian President Vladimir Putin "feels that he has a destiny to recreate the Russian Empire. And as my old mentor, Zbigniew Brzezinski once said, without Ukraine, there can be no Russian Empire." Ret. Gen. Stanley McChrystal tells "Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan" that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth's focus on DEI in the military is a "distraction" and "not helpful." "The idea that everybody's got to look a certain way, got to have biceps of a certain size, there's got to be a male, straight, all these things, is not my experience," McChrystal said.   

This week on "Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan," as Americans prepare for Memorial Day, Margaret Brennan speaks to some veterans serving in Congress about the value of public service and honoring those who've protected us. Plus, House Speaker Mike Johnson talks about the House's passage of President Trump's "big, beautiful bill." Democratic Rep. Jim Himes of Connecticut, who voted against President Trump's "big, beautiful bill" that passed the GOP-controlled House, tells "Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan" that the increase of the cap for the state and local tax deduction is the "one little portion" of President Trump's "big, beautiful bill" is "going to be good for my constituents." Margaret Brennan's full interview with the UN's World Food Programme Executive Director Cindy McCain. Navy veteran Jack McCain, who is the son of late Sen. John McCain and Cindy McCain, tells "Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan" that "everyone" in Afghanistan who helped Americans during the 20-year war is "at risk." "And not only do I owe them personally, but the nation owes them a debt of honor, one that we have yet to repay," he said. 

This week on "Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan," as turmoil continues over tariffs, Margaret Brennan speaks to Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent. Plus, Sen. Rand Paul joins to discuss President Trump's Big Beautiful Bill; Martin Makary, commissioner of the Federal Drug Administration; Michael Roth, president of Wesleyan University.

This week on "Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan," Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem joins as protesters and federal authorities clash in Southern California as the Trump administration ramps up nationwide roundups of those who could be in the country illegally. Plus, Save the Children CEO Janti Soeripto. National Economic Council Director Kevin Hassett; Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn.; Rep. Tony Gonzales, R-Texas.

This week on "Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan," as Iran and Israeli strikes continue for the third day, Holly Williams and Debora Patta join with the latest from the Middle East. Plus, Sen. Alex Padilla joins days after he was briefly detained by Homeland Security officers. Sen. Tom Cotton, Sen. Lindsey Graham, Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn. 

This week on "Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan," President Trump delivers on his threat to use American firepower to bomb Iran's nuclear sites. We'll talk to Secretary of State Marco Rubio, plus Virginia Democratic Sen. Tim Kaine, and two-House members with very different political ideologies, united now when it comes to U.S. intervention in a war between Iran and Israel. Israeli Ambassador to the U.S. Yechiel Leiter; Reps. Ro Khanna, D-Calif., and Thomas Massie, R-Ky.; retired Gen. Frank McKenzie, former commander of U.S. Central Command.

This week on "Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan," Democratic Sen. Mark Warner joins as President Trump turns his attention to his "one big, beautiful bill." Plus, taking a look at what comes next for Iran with the head of the IAEA, the watchdog agency who monitors nuclear capabilities in Iran, Rafael Mariano Grossi, and Iran's ambassador to the UN, Amir-Saeid Iravani.

This week on "Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan," Weijia Jiang speaks with Democratic Rep. Tom Suozzi of New York and the director of the National Economic Council, Kevin Hassett, in the aftermath of President Trump's newly signed "big, beautiful bill." Meanwhile, search and rescue operations are ongoing in central Texas after devastating flash floods killed dozens.

This week on "Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan," Sen. Rand Paul joins to discuss a newly released Senate report that he authored about the Secret Service and the 2024 assassination attempt on President Trump. Sen. Maria Cantwell, the top Democrat on the committee that oversees NOAA and NWS, joins. Rep. French Hill, chairman of the House Financial Services Committee, told "Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan" that he doesn't believe President Trump can fire Fed chair Jerome Powell as the White House looks into his authority to do so. Mr. Trump has repeatedly expressed frustration with Powell refusing to lower interest rates, although board members of independent federal agencies like the Federal Reserve can only be forced out before their terms expire "for cause." In a bipartisan "Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan" interview with Democratic Sen. Richard Blumenthal and GOP Sen. Lindsey Graham, Blumenthal says, "what's most important at this time is our unity" as Graham says, "Congress is on the verge of passing the most consequential sanctions package in the history of the country," against Russia over the ongoing war in Ukraine.

This week on "Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan," Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick joins ahead of the Trump administration's looming August 1 tariff deadline, and as President Trump lashes out against Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell. And a new CBS News poll gauges how Americans feel about the Trump administration, six months in.

This week on "Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan," director of the U.S. Office of Management and Budget, Russell Vought, joins to discuss President Trump's trip to a Federal Reserve facility with Fed Chair Jerome Powell ahead of his departure for Scotland. Meanwhile, The Ohio State University President Ted Carter joins to explain how he's handling a new era of higher education amid the Trump administration's push to assert control over private and public institutions across the U.S. With France set to become the first major Western democracy to recognize a Palestinian state, Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot told "Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan" that "what's happening in Gaza right now is appalling." Barrot said his office has been working for months to get humanitarian aid to Palestinians. In an abrupt reversal, Israel cleared the way for more aid to enter Gaza, saying it will open secure routes for aid trucks as widespread hunger and even starvation has grown in the territory. Elizabeth Palmer reports.