Full transcript of "Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan," Oct. 18, 2026

On this "Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan" broadcast, moderated by Margaret Brennan:

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MARGARET BRENNAN: I'm Margaret Brennan in Washington.

And this week on Face the Nation: Midterm elections campaigning enters the homestretch, and President Trump's latest move to ease pressure on Vladimir Putin sparks fury among some Republicans.

From East to West and far North to Deep South, it's down to the sweet 16 for the 2026 candidates, even for the politician whose name won't actually appear on any ballot this year.

DONALD TRUMP (President of the United States): What an honor. I love doing this stuff, you know? This is worth the eight hours in a plane.

PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: And don't forget, I got eight hours going back too.

MARGARET BRENNAN: The president says his quest for a red state romp is working.

PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: So I think these rallies have changed everything. I think a lot of people that maybe were having trouble won't have so much trouble. But I feel I owe it to the Republican Party.

MARGARET BRENNAN: But will the rallies be enough to reverse those hurricane-force headwinds the president's party is facing? We have brand- new polling on that Texas race. It's one of the tightest toss-ups in the country.

Democrats face their own tough challenges, like getting a fractured party to go out and vote, if not for them, then against Trump's Republican candidate.

STATE REP. ANGIE NIXON (D-Florida) (Senatorial Candidate): Are you ready to put an end to corruption that's driving up our prices and ruining our democracy?

MARGARET BRENNAN: We will also look at the president's latest move to make it easier for Vladimir Putin to sell oil, an executive order freezing the just-passed Lindsey Graham law intended to cut off funding for Putin's war chest.

Ohio Republican Congressman Mike Turner and North Dakota Senator Kevin Cramer will weigh in on that. And we will talk with Florida Democratic Senate nominee Angie Nixon.

Good morning, and welcome to Face the Nation.

With just two weeks and two days until November 3, there is no better way to begin the broadcast today than with our executive director of elections and surveys, Anthony Salvanto, with our brand-new Texas poll.

CBS estimates Democrats have the edge to take the House. They need four seats to take the Senate. How can they do it?

Through the fall, the Democrats have put a lot of Senate races in play in a lot of red Republican-leaning states. Texas is a really good example of that. So, let me take you there. What you have got here in the matchup between Talarico and Paxton, our new poll shows this really as tight as can be, Margaret, at 51-49.

ANTHONY SALVANTO: But the story in there is a common theme that we see running through a lot of these races. One is, can the Republican base consolidate behind their candidates?

Here in Texas, you see, at least because they're the party's nominee is one reason that folks are backing Paxton. But at the same time, you also see a big thing here, where you have got these party breaks, Talarico doing better with independents and also better with people who say that they're hurting financially because of prices.

That's a common theme. And I'm going to take you back to the map now and show you the rest of these places that we're really watching, for one thing, Ohio. That's another state that the president won fairly easily. That, we see as a toss-up. I can take you out to Alaska. This is another toss-up, again, a Republican-leaning state.

And there are a couple of others too. To just remind folks, Iowa, it's leaning red right now in this race, but certainly competitive. Even Kansas is another spot that we're going to be watching closely on election night in that one. And, again, to remind folks, this is a place the president won easily, but is in play now.

So that's the Democrats' challenge that comes along with that expanded map. One other point, though, because it's really important as we go. You have got to watch for the Democrats to hold on to places that they already have.

So, Michigan, this is a toss-up. They'd have to hold up. And then another one, I'm going to show you, Maine, because this one's interesting, Susan Collins running for reelection in a state that Kamala Harris won. This race is neck-and-neck too, and that's a toss-up, probably also one the Democrats would have to have.

MARGARET BRENNAN: So, the last time you were here, you told us Democratic voters were telling you they're more likely to show up at the polls than Republicans were. Is that still the case?

ANTHONY SALVANTO: It is. And I'm going to show you a slide that kind of tells the tale here.

This is from our House estimates. And you see this gap between the Democrats who say they're definitely going to vote and the Republicans who say they're definitely going to vote. This is driving a lot of the gaps you see in the polling, and it's also driving the political narrative, the president hitting the campaign trail, trying to boost that Republican turnout.

Because Republicans, especially if they say inflation has hit them hard, they're not going to vote for Democrats, but they might stay home.

MARGARET BRENNAN: And that's everything, turnout.

MARGARET BRENNAN: And we're joined now by Ohio Republican Congressman Mike Turner.

Good morning, and thanks for being here in person.

REPRESENTATIVE MIKE TURNER (R-Ohio): Thank you.

MARGARET BRENNAN: A lot to get to with you, but let's start on politics.

Ohio has been reliably Republican, but you've got a competitive gubernatorial race and Senate race. In Minnesota, in Iowa, in Michigan, and in Maine, Republicans have been positioning themselves as independent of the president on some issues. Take a listen.

MICHELE TAFOYA (R-Minnesota Senatorial Candidate): When Trump is right, I will work with him. When he's wrong, I will stand up for Minnesota.

REPRESENTATIVE ASHLEY HINSON (R-Iowa) (Senatorial Candidate): We need to lower gas prices in this country. We need to lower diesel prices, but I don't think we need to be making a deal with Russia to do it.

MIKE ROGERS (R-Michigan Senatorial Candidate): Here in Michigan, we know that Canada is not our enemy. We need to end this tariff war now.

SENATOR SUSAN COLLINS (R-Maine): I agree that the president did not have a good plan. He should have anticipated the closure of the Strait of Hormuz.

MARGARET BRENNAN: I know you've been endorsed by President Trump. You did appear at a rally with him, but do you feel it would help to create some distance, like they did?

REPRESENTATIVE MIKE TURNER: Well, as you know, I don't run with the president. I don't run from the president. It's one of the reasons why you have me on this show, because of the fact that – that I have my – my own agenda.

And I think what's important, as your pollster has – has indicated, he's in – he's talking of – of trends. What's most important, as he ended his presentation, as Anthony said, this is about who gets out to vote, and everybody needs to get out and vote.

You know, Margaret, my very first race, I won by 244 votes out of 44,000. It's really, really important as to who gets out and votes. So, my message would be to everyone is to get out and vote. And also, when they go to the polls, they need to make certain that they vote in every race.

REPRESENTATIVE MIKE TURNER: … that people have. As they go down the ballot, people need to vote in every race, and they need to get out and vote.

MARGARET BRENNAN: But, clearly, those candidates felt they needed to say that.

FOX had a poll this week showing six in 10 respondents were extremely concerned about government corruption. AP had one that said six in 10 adults believe Trump is illegally profiting from the presidency or at least doing something unethical.

Your local paper, "The Columbus Dispatch," wrote it could not endorse the Republican Senate candidate because of the "abject failure" – this is a quote – "of Republicans in Congress to stop visible corruption and abuse of power by the Trump administration." They referred to Republicans as almost entirely spineless.

How do you counter those perceptions? Do you feel you need to?

REPRESENTATIVE MIKE TURNER: No, first off, that – Columbus is not my local – local paper. And – and the…

REPRESENTATIVE MIKE TURNER: Right, yes. I'm – I'm – I'm Dayton…

MARGARET BRENNAN: But it is still talking about the Senate race and talking about the perception that Congress has not pushed back on the president.

Well, I think – I think Congress has pushed back, and, certainly, I have pushed back. And in – in my community, I'm seen as part of the integral economic development team, the local economic development team of my community.

And the – the aspect of what people are doing or are not doing with respect to this administration is, I think, an individual candidate's issue. And people vote for individual candidates. They don't vote for a team. They don't vote for – for a slate.

And – and I think that's why individual candidates are talking about their individual records, as – as I do. People look in my community. They see me as a job creator. They see me as someone, if – Margaret, if you came into my community and we took a drive along my community, and I showed you my accomplishments, you'd see things at, you know, my local base, where we've doubled the jobs both inside and outside the fence, the VA, where we've created senior housing.

And, like, my opponent wouldn't be able to get out of the driveway of her house. Those are the kind of things that people look to for the individual candidates.

MARGARET BRENNAN: But the president is central here. The president is telling people, vote like he is on the ballot.

REPRESENTATIVE MIKE TURNER: Well, that's – that's – that's the president. That's not the individual candidates.

MARGARET BRENNAN: He thinks he's doing candidates like you some – some good when he says things like that and comes out and rallies in Ohio.

REPRESENTATIVE MIKE TURNER: Well, he came to a rally in my community, as the – as he said in the community when he was there, campaigning for the top of the ticket. When he came to my community, he actually came, when he was speaking of my record, that he was committing to sign legislation to restore the Delphi salaried pension who had their pensions taken away under the Obama administration.

MARGARET BRENNAN: Yes. That hasn't happened yet.

REPRESENTATIVE MIKE TURNER: He committed to sign that legislation to restore those pensions that I had been working on for over a decade.

That makes over 5,000 people in my community restore their pensions.

REPRESENTATIVE MIKE TURNER: I have been working on paychecks and pensions, and that's the type of thing that makes a difference in my community.

MARGARET BRENNAN: Well – well, let's talk about some of those things, which – because that hasn't passed yet, some of those things could get gunked up in the lame-duck because of what I'm about to ask you about. And that is…

REPRESENTATIVE MIKE TURNER: … that the president has committed to sign.

MARGARET BRENNAN: OK, if it can get to his desk.

I want to ask you about Elon Musk's SpaceX technology. Starlink, Ukraine uses it for communication. They use it to control their drones. Secretary Rubio said no one at the White House ordered it to be slowed down this week so that drones couldn't use it. But, effectively, that was the outcome.

Here is how Secretary Rubio explained it last night.

MARCO RUBIO (U.S. Secretary of State): We had nothing to do with that. I don't – I don't – the United States, nobody ordered that Starlink speed to be slowed down. It sort of happened. But I – my understanding is, it's been restored.

MARGARET BRENNAN: Is "It sort of happened" sufficient explanation for you and others on the Armed Services Committee?

I mean, this is something where there needs to be an investigation. There needs to be a congressional investigation. I mean, this is one of those things where – where we see that – that policies occur where sometimes there's – there's breaks in – in weapon systems that are supposed to be sent to Ukraine that doesn't happen, where monies are – are – don't arrive, where intelligence gets broken, where then later that we have – find, you know, unnamed people in the Pentagon perhaps break it.

There needs to be an investigation. We need to find out who these people are, because lives are at risk and lives are lost over these things. And, even today, you know, the Institute for the Study of War reports today…

REPRESENTATIVE MIKE TURNER: … and Zelenskyy reports that, you know, perhaps it's spotty. There are areas where – that it's restored.

REPRESENTATIVE MIKE TURNER: And there are areas where perhaps it is not. People's lives are at risk. And these – this is within Ukraine. This is areas where they're trying to defend themselves.

REPRESENTATIVE MIKE TURNER: This is essential to the United States' support of Ukraine in defending real aggressive attacks by Russia within Ukraine. And this needs to be restored.

MARGARET BRENNAN: But Elon Musk, who owns this company – and Starlink is a commercial enterprise. Elon Musk publicly opposes President Zelenskyy.

He posted on social media he doesn't want Starlink used for offensive military action. I know Secretary Rubio said it had been restored, but…

REPRESENTATIVE MIKE TURNER: But this is within Ukraine. This is defending Ukraine against aggression within Ukraine.

MARGARET BRENNAN: Exactly, but it is just – they're all pointing at each other, saying, no, DOD is in charge. No, Elon Musk's in charge. I don't know. It just sort of happened.

REPRESENTATIVE MIKE TURNER: But the policy decision has been made that – that Starshield will be utilized for the purposes of Ukraine defending itself against Russian aggression.

MARGARET BRENNAN: … which is the U.S. military contract.

REPRESENTATIVE MIKE TURNER: Within its territory.

And it has, by everybody's reports, been broken in – in its ability to be able to be accessed. And there should be an investigation as to why, and it should be completely restored.

MARGARET BRENNAN: the president, there were a series of actions, not just the diesel waivers, these actions in regard to Ukraine's ability to defend itself.

And then you saw him waive or at least pause for a period of time the sanctions that you voted should be in place under the Lindsey Graham bill. They were supposed to punish buyers of Russian oil. He said, don't implement them.

REPRESENTATIVE MIKE TURNER: Well, there's – there's two – two…

MARGARET BRENNAN: Will you encourage him to reverse course?

REPRESENTATIVE MIKE TURNER: OK, there's two separate things here.

The – the sanctions under the Lindsey Graham bill, this weekend, there was a deadline for the president…

REPRESENTATIVE MIKE TURNER: … to either waive or to impose sanctions upon, there are three categories, the individuals in the Russian government, Russia itself, and individuals doing business, governments doing business with Russia.

REPRESENTATIVE MIKE TURNER: The president had those three categories, impose them, or waive them, or waive them in part.