Transcript: Rep. Mike Turner on “Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan,” July 12, 2026
The following is the text of the interview with Rep. Mike Turner of Ohio aired on “Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan” on July 12, 2026.
MARGARET BRENNAN: And now we’re joined by Ohio Republican Congressman Mike Turner. Good to have you here, Congress. I know you are a friend from Ukraine. Senator Graham certainly was. As I said, he was very happy to finally clear this debt of fines and taxes. Do you think this will go forward without champions like him behind it?
REPRESENTATIVE MIKE TURNER: Let’s hope. Let’s hope, as you have indicated, that- that- that is one of the legacies that- that the Senate will pass its bill. You know, we were – I was at the NATO conference with Lindsey Graham and another senator last week, Senator Shaheen, Coons, Durbin, Rounds, and as we met with Zelenskyy, Lindsey Graham was making the point of the need for this sanctions bill that has passed the House and that I have sponsored, and that should be such a champion of the Senate. It was his – it was his debt. You know, the sad thing about losing Lindsey is that, you know, in this debate that we now have America first- you can be America first and understand that it doesn’t have to be America only. That, you know, allies want an American voice. The American voice matters. America needs to stand for- freedom and- and democracy and freedom. And that’s what they saw in Lindsey Graham’s voice. You know, with McCain’s voice and Reagan’s voice, and what they saw in Lindsey was someone who was willing to stand up and say, “You’re not alone. America is with you.” You know, we won’t do it for you. You can’t- you know, come in and decide for yourself. But-but you won’t be alone. And- and he was that voice with Ukraine, he just went to Ukraine, saying that we will- we will be with you, and this bill will be an important sign that ‘we will be with Ukraine.’ And I really hope that the Senate will move it this week, and we can put it on the president’s desk this week. As you said earlier, he was contacting you and said he believed he had left the White House on that bill. We must pass this bill, put it on the president’s desk.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Do you know if the Republican leadership has considered that yet?
REP. TURNER: I don’t–
MARGARET BRENNAN: Right.
REP. TURNER: –I know that, you know, we have news there that they just mentioned in our–
MARGARET BRENNAN: Yes.
REP. TURNER: –back at the NATO summit they believed–
MARGARET BRENNAN: Yes.
REP. TURNER:–that they can move this to the Senate.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Yes.
REP. TURNER: The House has already passed a version of this bill–
MARGARET BRENNAN: Yes.
REP. TURNER: So I know there is broad support. There was, you know, more than you know a number of veto proofs–
MARGARET BRENNAN: Yes, 85 in —
REP. MJIKELI:–who sponsored it. With White House support, the bill could be on the president’s desk this week.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Let me ask you about NATO. You voted for a bill years ago, CAATSA, we’ll call it, that would have challenged what Turkey did, which was to buy this Russian weapons program, and President Trump said this week that he’s OK with removing some of the sanctions and allowing Turkey to have the F-35 fighter. How is that possible without breaking the law that supported it?
REP. MJICHI: That’s right. So you’re talking about the S-400, which is the Russian air defense–
MARGARET BRENNAN: Yes.
REP. TURNER:–the plan that Turkey had bought into, and at that time, Congress passed, that was signed into law, a bill that would limit the ability of the president–
MARGARET BRENNAN: In the first Trump administration.
REP. MJICHI: That’s right. And lifting the sanctions imposed on Turkey, including pulling them out of the F-35 program. Turkey has shown that it is now in a position that it wants to comply with the bill that will put them in a situation where the S-400 will no longer be an obstacle to their entry back into the F-35 program. I hope that will happen.
MARGARET BRENNAN: They’re going to sell it to someone else?
REP. MUJICHI: Information, you know – I can’t reveal what they told us, but it’s very promising. Of all the senators, we agreed together that we would be able to say publicly what we felt was very promising, and Senator Shaheen said- you know, he was one of the first authors of this, he believed it was promising. If they do this, getting them back into the F-35 program is incredibly important. They are a member of NATO, the strongest member of NATO, as they recently hosted a summit, which was very successful. I really hope they follow through and do it in a way that will bring them back. They are also a manufacturer of parts for the F-35, so getting back into production would be very important.
MARGARET BRENNAN: I want to ask you about some domestic matters. Late Friday, Homeland Security announced that they are going to change- they want states to change the way elections are run, or if the states refuse, they will lose millions in anti-terrorism funding. So, there’s a range of things there, including switching to paper ballots, which, like, almost every single state has a paper backup system at this point. What do you think about this federal pressure to get states to change their elections?
REP. TURNER: Okay, so I’m not familiar with this announcement. You know, obviously there is concern in Congress of federal intervention on the election–
MARGARET BRENNAN: As a conservative, you should. Yes.
REP. TURNER: –on the county side. But at the same time, there are also- or America First, you know- you know- the provisions of the bills that are going through the House related to making sure that we have the identity that people- to prove that they are American citizens, to send in ballots as the president has done as part of his provisions.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Right.
REP. TURNER:–that you continue to–
MARGARET BRENNAN: You want to change all these things.
REP. TURNER: All of those things are troubling, and we have to deal with them.
MARGARET BRENNAN: How many days until the midterm elections? At the moment, that doesn’t really work–
REP. JIKIHI: The House has passed these provisions several times, all of which I have voted for–
MARGARET BRENNAN: We noticed that. We checked that.
REP. TURNER: –I think- I think the Senate needs to move these provisions.
MARGARET BRENNAN: But did you vote for it, knowing that the Senate didn’t have the votes to make it law? Vote yes, hopefully no?
REP. TURNER: I think- I think- I think the president- he’s really making a very good case for how these provisions should become law, and I think they’re going to ensure the American public, you know, integrity in voting.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Well, non-citizens can’t vote in federal elections. That was in 1996–
REP. TURNER: The concern is how do you make sure that- that happens- that that happens–
MARGARET BRENNAN: What each state does.
REP. TURNER: And we need to make sure that we make sure that happens.
MARGARET BRENNAN: At the federal level?
REP. TURNER: You know, sure–
MARGARET BRENNAN: I’ll let you get on with that. But, to–
REP. TURNER: Of course having an ID should at least be, a way to verify–
MARGARET BRENNAN: Yes, but not–
REP. TURNER: –that person–we know who’s voting.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Yes.
[CROSSTALK]REP. TURNER: How are we- how are we? I mean a lot of things–
MARGARET BRENNAN: States confirm it. And not all driver’s licenses say you are a citizen.
REP. TURNER: –all you have to have is an ID. How do you – how do you allow someone to vote and they don’t even have an ID? I don’t understand how anyone can argue with that.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Let me–
REP. JACHI: And this is one of those things where – there are no charts. The American public believes that people should–
MARGARET BRENNAN: Yes.
REP. TURNER: –have information to vote. This must pass.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Yes, and- and that’s usually required when you register. Very quickly, do you know what the strategy is to deal with the Haitians who had their temporary protection status revoked in Springfield, Ohio?
REP. TURNER: So as of Friday, there was a temporary extension because of —
MARGARET BRENNAN: So the 24th of July.
REP. TURNER: It’s been two weeks. You know, Markwayne Mullin, the Secretary said that those people who work-that they should look-as a way that they may be able to be included in other processes, because, you know, they contribute to society for sure. You know our governor Mike DeWine and I and other people in our community who will be affected, we are advocates for these people to be able to live in our communities, who work and donate. They are important people in our community, and we certainly hope—-
[CROSSTALK]MARGARET BRENNAN: You voted for Congress to extend this, but the leadership–
REP. TURNER: –we really hope that they can- that they can stay and- and be able to contribute to our communities.
MARGARET BRENNAN: We will continue to follow up on that and whether they have that hope beyond the 24th of July. Congress, thank you for your time. We’ll be back in a little while.
