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Transcript: Sen. Mark Kelly on “Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan,” Oct. 4, 2026

2026-10-04T10:48:00-0400 / CBS News

Updated on: October 4, 2026 / 11:16 AM EDT / CBS News

The following is the transcript of the interview with Sen. Mark Kelly, Democrat of Arizona, that aired on “Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan” on Oct. 4, 2026.

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MARGARET BRENNAN: We turn now to Arizona Senator Mark Kelly. He joins us from Charleston, South Carolina, where he is campaigning for his fellow Democrats. Good morning to you, Senator.

SEN. MARK KELLY: Good morning.

MARGARET BRENNAN: Our CBS polling shows that Democrats have reason to be optimistic about taking the House, but how much harder will it be in the Senate?

SEN. KELLY: Well, Margaret, there is a lot of energy in the states I’ve been to recently. Whether it’s Ohio or Iowa, Kansas, Georgia, now here in South Carolina, I think we have real opportunities in a lot of places. But also, I mean, this could be, you know, close elections in many of these states. But I’ll tell you this: people are frustrated and they’re fed up with Washington D.C. right now, and they know that this president is not addressing, you know, any of the needs that affect them and their families. I mean, the cost of living is way too high. The price of everything just keeps going up, and people can’t afford their lives.

MARGARET BRENNAN: Well, President Trump announced Friday he’s going to send $90 payments to 20 million older Americans this month, Medicare Part B enrollees. That’s in addition to sending $500 in terms of checks to ACA refunds to a million people. Also said if Republicans win, then he’ll send everyone $5000 bucks. Do you support any of that? And what exactly is the Democratic message on lowering costs for Americans?

SEN. KELLY: Well, certainly trying to help some working class people and seniors on a fixed income. But you got to remember, this is a guy that gave a big tax cut to the wealthiest Americans, to billionaires and millionaires, and then to partially pay for it, he’s kicking people off of their health care, off of Medicaid. He’s taking food benefits away from people that are having a hard time affording food, even children, in order to to help out his family and his friends, so I think people should see this for what it is, especially this $5,000 payment, if Republicans maintain control of the House and the Senate. I mean, this is just a- a payoff, and he’s trying to buy votes. I mean, are you surprised with this president, who, in my view, is the most corrupt occupant of the Oval Office ever? I’m not surprised, but it’s not right.

MARGARET BRENNAN:But what is the affirmative Democratic message here, other than we’re not him?

SEN. KELLY: Well, we’re going to lower costs for the American people.

MARGARET BRENNAN: How?

SEN. KELLY: We’ve got to win the House and, or the Senate. Well- well, how will we do this? I have legislation with- with Chris Van Hollen. We’ve got to get Republicans on board. It raises taxes for people who make over a million dollars a year in income, and it provides tax cuts for people, individuals, and even couples up to- who make up to about $160,000 a year- that’s some relief. Ending this war in Iran that he started without a- any kind of a strategic goal or a plan, has jacked up prices for the American people- ending that would help. Getting this tariff policy reversed, these ridiculous tariffs that have also jacked up prices. The American people pay this. For some reason the president thinks that foreign countries are paying for these tariffs, that is not true. So there are things, a lot of things, we can and will do once we win back the House and, or the Senate.

MARGARET BRENNAN: Well, Republicans have pulled funding, as I understand it, from North Carolina’s Senate race, they’ve redirected it out to Kansas. Not typically a place a Republican would have to spend money to- to keep an advantage, but what seats specifically are you optimistic you can turn blue?

SEN. KELLY: Well, there are a lot of them. I spent some time in Kansas with Adam Hamilton. He’s a pastor. He’s- he’s a great guy. He is the right person for Kansas. He understands what Kansans are dealing with. Josh Turek in Iowa, similar kind of situation where that’s a very winnable race. Mary Peltola in Alaska, Troy Jackson in Maine, Sherrod Brown in Ohio. I’m gonna do an event, you know, here today with Annie Andrews in South Carolina. Yeah, I understand it’s South Carolina, but she is a pediatrician, she’s working incredibly hard, she’s raising the resources to be successful. And then there are the House races. Admiral Nancy Lacore, I did an event with her yesterday here in South Carolina- can be critical to Democrats winning back the House of Representatives. She’s a- she’s a three-star admiral, a naval aviator like myself, who was fired by Pete Hegseth early in this administration.

MARGARET BRENNAN: Well, a number of Senate Republicans have expressed some concern about Secretary Hegseth’s firing. He also announced this past week he’s going to cut by 20% the number of generals and admirals. He says in order to try to change the culture and what the media calls a purge, he says is simply a matter of accountability. Do you have any insight into who he will be targeting in these cuts, and if Democrats take some control, do you have any ability to stop it?

SEN. KELLY: Well, he often fires people because of the color of their skin or because they’re women. He also seems to be looking for–

MARGARET BRENNAN: He would deny that.

SEN. MARK KELLY: –loyal- of course, he would deny that. I think anybody would deny that. But it’s pretty obvious when you have a list of seven people who don’t promote from one-star to two-star, and five of them are either black or women. It’s pretty obvious. Also, right off the bat, firing CQ Brown without giving any reason, without any particular reason why one of the most qualified professional aviators, but a four-star general, chief of staff of the Air Force, fired. Lisa Francetti–

MARGARET BRENNAN: Yeah.

SEN. KELLY: –the chief of naval operations, fired. The commandant of the Coast Guard, also a woman, was fired. The- the list goes on, Margaret. This is a pattern with this Secretary of Defense, and it’s damaging our readiness. And when you hurt readiness, it means that all of us, everybody watching the show, you and your family, are less safe because we have the most unqualified Secretary of Defense we’ve ever had in this country’s history.

MARGARET BRENNAN: Well, he gave a big speech this past week. The secretary said that every military branch has hit its recruiting targets ahead of the end of the year. He also argues military sexual assaults are on the decline. I know they have been on the decline for a few years now, but what is your response to his argument that he’s doing something right?

SEN. KELLY: Well, he’s doing very little right. Remember, Margaret, this is a guy that gets on a stage in front of the senior leadership of the U.S. military and runs around talking about killing people and lethality, and that the rules of engagement- I’m going to paraphrase, but he talks about how he wants to eliminate or reduce the rules of engagement, and you see the consequences of that in Iran. And he- his plan is what we went into Iran with, and he has bombed or attacked over 15,000 targets, depleting our munition supply. This thing has been a disaster because the Secretary of Defense has no idea what he’s doing–

MARGARET BRENNAN: Yeah.

SEN. MARK KELLY: –and to some extent, he’s also a yes- a yes-man for the president. Nobody seems to want to push back against this president, who–

MARGARET BRENNAN: Yeah.

SEN. MARK KELLY: –who I- I think is checked out from even trying to do this job.

MARGARET BRENNAN: Okay.

SEN. MARK KELLY: Got us into another war with- without- without a plan and without explaining- explaining to the American people what are we going to get out of this.

MARGARET BRENNAN: Senator, I’m sorry to cut you off, but I’m out of time, I have to leave it there. Thank you. We’ll be right back.