This is the transcript from an interview that was aired by Margaret Brennan on “Face the Nation” on March 16, 2020.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Welcome back to Face the Nation. We turn now to the chairman of the Budget Committee, Republican Senator Lindsey Graham, who joins us this morning from Clemson, South Carolina. Welcome back.
Sen. LINDSEY GRAHAM: I thank you.
MARGARET BRENNAN : I think we missed the government shutdown by a hair, sir. I thought that we would be discussing domestic policy. But President Trump seems to have been focused on overseas issues in recent weeks. When we last spoke, I noticed that you wanted President Trump to attack Iran. You said that there is “a one-in-a trillion chance” you will degrade the Iranian nuke program through diplomacy. Since then, Trump has offered to negotiate. Are you softening your stance?
SEN. GRAHAM : I’m not opposed to negotiating as long as the result is what we all want. They cannot have a nuke. There is only a 1 in a trillion possibility that the Ayatollah will ever give up on his desire for a nuclear bomb. He wants to have a nuclear device so he can use it. He wants to destroy Israel and kill all Jews. He’s a Nazi religious. He wants to purify Islam, and force us out of this region. Yeah, I believe he is a religious Nazi fanatic who would use bombs. Let’s talk with him and, if he is really sincere, ask him to give up enrichment. Forty countries have nuclear energy but do not enrich. It’s not for commercial purposes to enrich uranium by 60%. You can make six bombs with 60% uranium. So, spread it around the world. We’ll pay. We’ll pay for it. You’ll have proven me wrong if you do those things.
MARGARET BRENAN: It’s long. That’s long. So far, there’s been no sign that he will accept the offer.
SEN. GRAHAM : — No, not really. If you don’t bomb, stop enriching. You don’t require enrichment to produce nuclear energy. To make a nuclear bomb, you need to enrich the fuel. It’s really not difficult.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Understood. Overnight, we did witness additional Russian strikes on Ukraine. You are a strong advocate of Ukraine. You heard Secretary of State. You heard Ambassador Witkoff. Is Putin trying to buy time? Is Putin playing Trump?
GRAHAM: “I don’t yet know, but I know that you played President Trump on your own risk.” Trump’s tough approach to getting Ukraine on the table worked. If Putin truly wants peace, he should accept the ceasefire at the same conditions as Ukraine. Stop trying to combine the ceasefire with a peace deal. The Trump administration should ask Putin if he is willing to accept a ceasefire that matches the terms of Ukraine. You can go back to the maximum pressure if you don’t. I have legislation which will pass overwhelmingly in the United States Senate and will crush the Russian Economy. I am willing to go forward if necessary, but I want to talk about peace and ceasefire. In the previous administration, we didn’t talk about this. To me, Putin is a predator. It’s not fair to judge Putin on a three-hour meeting. Instead, it is best to look at his 30 years of actions. I don’t see any indication that Putin will stop being a predator towards Ukraine until there is too much pain.
MARGARET BRENAN: –Do You Have–
SEN. GRAHAM : If he rejects the ceasefire then that’s all I need.
MARGARET BRENAN: Do have any reason to think that President Trump will sign the legislation which you claim you can use to impose more sanctions on Russia. He hasn’t imposed any significant sanctions on Russia.
GRAHAM, SEN.: I think that he is waiting to hear what response he will give from the conversations with Witkoff. I like Steve a lot and I am glad he is doing what he does. I believe Trump will talk to Putin in the next few days. You can’t fix a problem unless you speak to the person that created it. Putin is the problem. He is a predator towards Ukraine and the entire region. I hope that President Trump can convince Putin of the need to come to the table for peace, to agree to a ceasefire, and to find an agreement where both sides win. You won’t know unless you try. There’s only one person who is capable of doing this, and that’s President Trump. Putin will regret playing Trump.
MARGARET BRENNAN : Do you believe that Vladimir Putin will benefit from the US’ decision to shut down some of the agents and advocates of free press like Radio Free Europe and Voice of America, or to close Radio Free Asia, Radio Free Europe and Radio Free Europe? You know that there was an order issued to dismantle these organizations.
SEN. GRAHAM: Yeah. Yeah, I don’t think these-these ideas are of any value in the 21st Century. After all, I will look at the Voice of America and see where it really is. Radio Free Europe made a big difference during the Cold War. People told us this. This is something to think about. Does it still deserve the price? But I like that idea of giving people hope and putting the bad guys in their place.
MARGARET BRENNAN : You were a proponent of soft power. I’d like to ask you what is happening at home. This week, the president issued more executive orders that targeted some of the most prominent law offices in the country, including Paul Weiss. The president wants to limit the business activities of Paul Weiss, despite the fact that a federal court ruled in another case that this was unconstitutional. The President suspended the security clearances of the firm. The President also stripped clearances of lawyers at Covington and Burling because they represented former Special Counsel Jack Smith. Do you agree with this?
GRAHAM, SEN.: I agree that Jack Smith’s actions were motivated by politics. I believe that many people who were involved in the Russian hoax should have been sent to prison, but they weren’t. I believe that the idea that Trump was a Russian agent was manufactured. Steele Dossier is based on falsehoods and lies from a source who said that he did not intend to use it in the manner it was used. Jack Smith’s attempt to prosecute Donald Trump on January 6 was political motivated. I’m not against him going after those who try to undermine President Trump in a legal way. I don’t like restricting–
MARGARET BRENAN: Is it legal?
GRAHAM, SEN.: I believe you know that Biden has taken- taken- yeah.
Senator, is this good for US legal system? The President is using government power to punish a private company because he doesn’t like the work that they have been doing.
SEN. GRAHAM (R-GA): The private sector aided the government in a way to ruin Donald Trump’s personal life. On our side, no one in your world understands it. But our people are convinced that the Justice Department has been used to destroy Trump’s business and campaign, and ruin his family. They believe they have made up false charges, and proceeded to do so in a way that is designed to destroy Trump, both politically and personally. I do. This is what I think: If they pay a penalty, it’s their own fault.
MARGARET BRENNAN : –But they are working on cases- You’re making it seem like their work is part of a conspiracies, and that they should be punished.
LINDSEY GRAHAM, SEN.: I agree. I believe that these law firms were pushing theories of law which, in my opinion, were more geared towards political than legal outcomes. We can debate whether a lawyer should be held accountable for the actions of his client.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Yeah.
LINDSEY GRAHAM, SEN.: I don’t generally like that but these law firms are doing it.
This is what it sounds like:
Sen. LINDSEY GRAHAM: Jack Smith and I, using the government’s power- incorporating these law firms into my- my opinion was that they were trying to undermine the Republican candidate for president. Biden regretted that they hadn’t done it sooner. It was a political move, and I hope that everyone involved pays a price.
MARGARET BRENNAN : Senator, since you are on the Judiciary Committee…
LINDSEY GRAHAM, SEN.: My answer is not going to be changed.
MARGARET BRENAN: I’m sorry, but today it is best to stop there. We’ll be back shortly.
