The next is the transcript of the interview with Sen. Tim Kaine, Democrat of Virginia, that aired on “Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan” on Nov. 30, 2025.
NANCY CORDES: Welcome again to Face The Nation. We’re joined by Virginia Democratic Senator Tim Kaine. Senator, thanks a lot for being with us.
SENATOR TIM KAINE: Completely, Nancy.
NANCY CORDES: I need to begin out by asking you concerning the state of affairs in Venezuela, as a result of there at the moment are severe indicators that navy motion, together with doubtlessly floor motion, may very well be imminent. You could have tried twice to cross struggle powers resolutions that may drive President Trump to get approval from Congress first earlier than any navy motion. Twice, you have got failed. Do you suppose the numbers on this may change if there may be floor motion, and can it even matter at that time?
SEN. KAINE: I d- I do consider the numbers will change. You are proper, I together with others, filed a decision, no struggle in Venezuela or towards Venezuela with out congressional approval. It failed, however that was earlier than all of those belongings have amassed round Venezuela, and earlier than President Trump mentioned that the airspace must be closed. I’ll transfer with colleagues, Senator Schumer, Senator Paul, Senator Schiff, instantly ought to there be navy motion. After which secondly, I additionally tried to cease the, what I view as unlawful boat strikes within the Caribbean and the Pacific along with Adam Schiff, and the circumstances have modified within the months since we had that vote. In every of those cases, we had been in a position to get two Republicans to vote along with Democrats. We expect the escalating tempo and a few of the current revelations, so, for instance, the current revelation concerning the kill everybody order apparently dictated by Secretary Hegseth. We do consider that we are going to get extra help for these motions when they’re refiled.
NANCY CORDES: You are referring to this new Washington Put up report that claims that Secretary Hegseth referred to as for everybody aboard, the primary suspected drug boat that was focused, to be killed when two folks survived. The navy went again in, reportedly with a follow-on strike. What questions do you have got for the Pentagon about that state of affairs?
SEN. KAINE: Effectively, first, if that reporting is true, it is a clear violation of the DOD’s personal legal guidelines of struggle, in addition to worldwide legal guidelines about the best way you deal with people who find themselves in that circumstance. And so this rises to the extent of a struggle crime if it is true. And the questions that we have been asking for months are give us the proof that the parents on board had been actually narcotraffickers. In a single occasion, there have been two survivors, one Colombian, one Ecuadoran in a distinct strike. As an alternative of arresting them and prosecuting them, the U.S. picked them up and returned them to their international locations of origin the place they had been launched. So in the event that they had been narcotraffickers, why would we do this? We want extra proof about that. And we positively want the administration to lastly reply the query of why strike somewhat than interdict. If the place the ships are, you may interdict. And while you do, you get proof. You get people. You possibly can squeeze them to offer testimony towards their higher-ups. You get proof with the drug seizures. And at last, the opposite query that my colleagues and I are deeply nervous about is your complete authorized rationale for the strikes. We needed to pry with a crowbar after weeks and weeks out of the administration. The supposed authorized rationale for the strikes in worldwide waters, it was very shoddy. As a result of it is categorised, I am unable to inform you what’s in it. However I can inform you it was in no way persuasive that these are authorized actions. And so along with an entire collection of issues, the early retirement of the top of SOUTHCOM, the information that the SOUTHCOM’s lead lawyer mentioned the strikes weren’t lawful, the choice of allies just like the U.Ok. to cease sharing intelligence with the US on this space as a result of they consider the strikes are unlawful. It is time for Congress to rein in a president who’s deciding to wage struggle on his personal say so, which isn’t what the Structure permits.
NANCY CORDES: A variety of lawmakers on each side have questions which are much like those you are elevating. On a associated word, President Trump simply introduced this weekend that he plans to pardon former Honduras President Juan OrlandoHernández, who was accused of conspiring with drug cartels to maneuver 400 tons of cocaine from Honduras to the U.S. He is at present serving a 45-year sentence. Have been you shocked by the President’s plan to pardon him, given how strongly the President feels about medicine coming from different international locations like Venezuela?
SEN. KAINE: That is surprising, and once more, this isn’t a person who was accused of operating medicine to the US. He was convicted in a federal court docket in the US. One of many bits of proof was his assertion that was picked up by these close to to him that he wished to shove medicine up the nostril of gringos and flood the US with cocaine greater than 400 tons. He was the chief of one of many largest legal enterprises that has ever been topic to a conviction in U.S. courts, and fewer than one yr into his sentence, President Trump is pardoning him, suggesting that President Trump cares nothing about narcotrafficking. Suggesting probably that pardons at the moment are on the market by this White Home. And if he would not care about narcotrafficking, and this was additionally proven earlier this yr with the pardoning of Ross Ulbricht, then what is that this Venezuela factor actually about? The President of Colombia has mentioned that he thinks it is concerning the U.S. making an attempt to grab oil belongings in Venezuela. I lived in Honduras for a yr as a missionary manner again when. The conspiracy theories are operating wild within the Americas about why this- this navy effort is so necessary to the President when he is pardoning drug kingpins who’re operating medicine into the US. These are additionally questions that we’ll need to dig deeply into after we return to Washington tomorrow.
NANCY CORDES: I need to ask you about some large developments in Washington this week. The Trump administration is making large modifications within the wake of this tragic taking pictures of two Nationwide Guard members. They’re halting all asylum selections. They’re halting Afghan immigration purposes. The President says he desires a everlasting pause to immigration from what he calls “third world international locations,” we do not know what number of international locations. Have they got a case that it is smart to place a few of these processes on maintain whereas they determine what occurred right here?
SEN. KAINE: Effectively, , first, let’s simply acknowledge this unhappy truth, these two guards, members, Ms. Beckstrom andMr. Wolfe, what a tragedy for them and their households. And what? They need to have been at dwelling at Thanksgiving, celebrating Thanksgiving with their households, not deployed in a political deployment, to do legislation enforcement in D.C. that the D.C. police and different native legislation enforcement businesses can do. And this demonstrates, but once more, one thing we have seen so usually our troops, together with our guards members, they’ll serve in courageous and brave and self-sacrificing methods, and we could be so happy with them, however the orders that they get from their civilian leaders, that is the place the issue is available in. Whether or not it is a Hegseth order to kill all of them, or an order to ship guardsmen and girls in a political stunt deployment to cities across the nation, these two people ought to have been celebrating Thanksgiving with their households, and I simply mourn for them and all who are suffering consequently. The President’s choice to say, okay, this specific legal who needs to be prosecuted to the complete extent of the legislation, who got here in beneath an asylum grant, that President Trump and his administration determined this previous summer time, that now we’ll pause processes or asylum from 19 quote “third world international locations” you do not know which of them they’re. You should not paint with a broad brush. Go after a legal to the complete extent of the legislation. However do not say that each one Afghans in the US, those that served with our navy and who misplaced their lives and their well being and their households in some ways by doing so, do not say that they are all dangerous. Do not say that individuals who come from third world international locations are dangerous. Virginia, about one out of 9 of us is an immigrant, and our immigrant communities in Virginia have been an infinite supply of power to our commonwealth and to our nation. And it is mistaken to focus on all of them for the dangerous actions of a person, identical to we would not target- goal different communities in the US for the dangerous actions of 1 particular person.
NANCY CORDES: One thing tells me that is going to be an enormous subject of Congress- of dialog somewhat, in Congress–
SEN. KAINE: –It’s going to–
NANCY CORDES: –this week. Senator Kaine, I actually recognize you being with us, and Blissful Thanksgiving.
SEN. KAINE: So glad we may do it. Thanks.
NANCY CORDES: And we’ll be proper again.
