The following is a transcript of an interview with Democratic Senator Mark Warner of Virginia that aired on “Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan” on January 18, 2026.
MARGARET BRENNAN: We’re going to the top Democrat on the Senate Intelligence Committee, Mark Warner, who joined us this morning from Virginia. Senator, this week we have had extraordinary national security news from two of America’s closest allies, NATO and Canada. Canada signed a trade agreement with China. Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said the US is undermining the international world order. In the past 24 hours, President Trump appeared to have started a trade war with our closest European allies, saying he had slapped tariffs on the UK, France, Denmark until they agreed to hand over Greenland. Will there be any congressional checks and balances now on the president’s use of tariffs in this way?
SEN. MARK WARNER: Well, Margaret, that’s the question of the hour. I would hope so. When the President assumed the independence of the Federal Reserve we thought Congress could lift it. When the president sent 20% of our fleet down the coast of Venezuela, we thought Congress might lift it. A- we would get a vote on the War Powers Act. Then the administration reversed the Republican votes. Now the question is, when the president is taking over, is there possibly a new tariff war with our NATO partners, threatening Greenland. In addition to my Republican friends quietly saying, Mark, this is crazy, will they say publicly that he has brought chaos to the international order and I told you will they rise up against the president when you are making Americans safer, for example, when you threaten the security of NATO, the most successful alliance in modern history. In reality, the only countries that are benefiting the most from this chaos are Russia and China.
MARGARET BRENNAN: And I’ll get to some of those in detail shortly with Congressman Mike Turner. But on this point, there is an effort from some Republicans. Lisa Murkowski is one of them. He and Jeanne Shaheen are working on a bipartisan bill called the Defense of the NATO Union Act, which would prohibit the use of federal funds to blockade, occupy, annex, conduct military operations or control the territory of a NATO state. This is an extraordinary bill that is being introduced. Would you vote?
SEN. WARNER: Of course I would. But remember…
MARGARET BRENNAN: Will it ever see the light?
SEN. WARNER: — the only security threat — I don’t know, but let’s be clear about that today and as vice chairman of the Intel Commission. I’m very familiar with what’s going on. There is no current security threat to Greenland from Russia or China. The only security threat to Greenland now is the United States. I’ve been in contact with the bipartisan delegation that has met with the Danes, who are there now that the people of Denmark, frankly, their longest ally, America is now threatening to invade part of their territory, those other countries that Trump is threatening with additional tariffs. Remember, the European Union already has a 15% tariff. The French, Germans, Norwegians have stationed small numbers of troops in Greenland to help protect it, but they’ve also sent a signal that if America attacks, our closest allies are attacking. And I would also point out that, you know, the United States used to have 17 military bases in Greenland. We decided we didn’t need them all. We are reduced to a military base, and on that base there are more Danish partners on the base than the American military. The Danes have made it very clear that if we want more military bases, if we want more capacity to extract critical minerals, that would be welcome. But it should be done in cooperation, and it should be done with NATO allies, and I’m just pointing out to Margaret, when we’re all tied together, this nonsense about NATO undermines the ability of the world to come together right now against the Iranian regime, which has been brutal to its people. One of the reasons the president was unable to take military action against the Iranians was because the aircraft carrier that would normally be there to avoid helping our forces was off the coast of Venezuela. So all of this international chaos ties together, making America less safe. And when you see the Canadian prime minister in power, you know, China can be a more reliable partner. If that doesn’t bring us all back, I’m not sure what would.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Well, the president is moving on the Iran front. An aircraft carrier is moving CENTCOM from the Pacific to that region of the Middle East where no aircraft carrier has been. He also told Politico on Saturday that it’s time to look for new leadership that doesn’t kill thousands of people in Iran to keep it under control. Mossad chief David Barnea was reported to be meeting with Steve Witkoff in Miami. Do you know the focus of these meetings? Is the United States working with Israel on a plan for what will happen in Iran?
SEN. NOTE: I can’t talk about anything specific, but what is in the public domain is that Israel, as well as all of our allies in that region, were worried about a strike in terms of Iranian retaliation, and not having all of our forces there, with some of our forces on the coast of Venezuela, makes us less of a threat. And there’s a real question, what would you bomb? And is there a chance that this kinetic action will give more support to the regime around the flag. That doesn’t mean we can’t do more cyber, it doesn’t mean- and I say I have a lot of concerns with Elon Musk, but Starlink’s operations are great. We should be able to get more Starlink into Iran so we can reconnect the people of Iran to the Internet and our ability, for example, normally we would gather all our NATO allies to put pressure on them because they have relations with Iran. But most of our NATO allies are concerned about possible American military action in Greenland and the threat of additional tariffs. So America’s ability to bring a united worldwide confrontation to this terrible Iranian regime, and the Iranian people are incredibly brave to stand up. We need to do more, but some of our options are limited because of the president’s chaotic approach around the world.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Well, let me ask you about Venezuela, because you’re the chairman of the Intelligence Committee. CIA Director John Ratcliffe was in Caracas on Thursday to meet with Interim President Delcy Rodriguez. A US official explained that he intends to improve the relationship between the two countries. Are you comfortable with the administration’s plan and what the director explained to you is basically the plan to force you to comply?
SEN. WARNER: Well, let’s see what the American military did in Venezuela was extraordinary. No one else could do that, and the president’s goal, as he made clear, was mostly oil, not the Venezuelan people. It will take years for Venezuela’s oil fields to start operating at anything close to efficiency. Maduro was terrible at that, but our ability to strangle and strangle the Venezuelan regime means that fleet continues to blockade Venezuela. Are we going to keep that fleet — 20% of our fleet off the coast of Venezuela for the next three years —
MARGARET BRENNAN: I think it’s 14% now…
SEN WARNER: — is that really America’s long-term —
MARGARET BRENNAN: Did you ask the administration that?
SEN. Note: We asked, and they- we didn’t get an answer how long the fleet will be there. And I would also point out one thing, and let me be clear, the Biden administration screwed up in 2024 when the Venezuelan people voted to oust Maduro, and we didn’t oust him. But to suddenly say to leader Machado, who was the leader of the opposition in Venezuela, who won the Nobel Prize, I mean, doesn’t President Trump realize that he looks kind of stupid by taking away that award while basically trying to suck it up? And the point is, what he said, and again publicly, is that yes, you got rid of Maduro, but the same people who tortured and imprisoned the opposition in Venezuela are still in control of the regime. Where does this lead the people of Venezuela? And where does that lead to a better relationship, frankly, a cooperative relationship with Central and South America and not a colonial relationship, which again seems to be what the president is aiming for.
MARGARET BRENNAN: All right. Senator Warner, I have a world of trouble talking to you about that, but I have to leave it there. Thank you for your time today. We’ll be back in a moment.