Transcript: Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders on ‘Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan,’ July 26, 2026

July 26, 2026 | 12:41 PM

▶ Watch Video: Sen. Bernie Sanders calls for negotiated end to Iran war and talks 2026 midterms

The following is the full transcription of an interview with Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, an Independent, a portion of which aired on “Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan” on July 26, 2026.

MARGARET BRENNAN: We begin this morning with Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders. Welcome back to Face the Nation, Senator.

SENATOR BERNIE SANDERS: Good to be with you.

MARGARET BRENNAN: Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth told Congress he needs $67 billion on an emergency basis to help pay the troops, to help restock munitions. I know you object to the war, but we’re in this thing now, and- and I know you want to help the troops. So, how do you do that without providing the funding?

SEN. SANDERS: Well, Margaret, we need $67 billion to build housing, to make sure that all of our people have healthcare, that we deal with climate change, that we deal with a middle class- a working class in this country that is struggling. The war in Iran is unconstitutional. It is illegal. Should never have been started. We need to sit down, negotiate, end this war as quickly as possible.

MARGARET BRENNAN: So our polling that we just referenced there show that the president does have low approval ratings, but when it comes to Democrats, they actually fare slightly worse on this. When they were asked by CBS who has the better approach to Iran, 32% say Trump and the GOP, only 30% say Democrats. So, what should the solution be here? Is there an affirmative vision from Democrats on how to get out of it?

SEN. SANDERS: The solution should be A- and by the way, both the House and the Senate have voted for War Powers Resolution that makes it clear what Trump is doing is illegal. But given that we are where we are right now, let’s sit down. Let’s negotiate with them. Let’s stop the killing. Let’s stop the devastation to our economy, which is raising gas prices, prices all across the board. That’s what we’ve got to do. Sit down, negotiate. Let’s end this war.

MARGARET BRENNAN: Just cut the losses where they are?

SEN. SANDERS: Yes.

MARGARET BRENNAN: Okay. Well, we are 100 days out from the midterm races. I know you’ve been working, going around the country to help boost some of these progressive candidates. Maine is a state that could flip control of the Senate. Yesterday, 600 Maine primary delegates replaced scandal-ridden Graham Platner with Troy Jackson. He’s a logger. He’s a progressive. He had been allied with Platner before he called on him to wake out in the wake of those sexual assault allegations. I’m wondering, with 100 days out, can Jackson play catch-up here?

SEN. SANDERS: I think he can. I think what Troy- and I’ve known Troy for many years. What he understands that the people of Maine are sick and tired of a rigged economy, in which the billionaire class is getting richer and richer, where we have more income and wealth inequality today than we’ve ever had in the history of this country. While 60% of our people, including in Maine, including in Vermont, all over this country, are living paycheck-to-paycheck, trying to put food on the table, trying to pay for healthcare, for housing, put aside a few bucks for retirement. Troy understands that. He’s a working class guy. He’s from the working class. He is very articulate. I think he stands an excellent chance to win. The problem that he has, and the problem that we have in Michigan and Minnesota right now, we have candidates Abdul El-Sayed and Peggy Flanagan- is that the oligarchs, the billionaire class, are throwing unbelievable amounts of money into these campaigns to protect the establishment candidates, and whether we can overcome that, that remains to be seen. But in Michigan right now–

MARGARET BRENNAN: Yeah.

SEN. SANDERS: –the super PACs- billionaire super PACs, spending $50 million against El-Sayed.

MARGARET BRENNAN: Well, you were an early supporter in Maine of Graham Platner. You helped him rise. Do you regret not acting earlier to call for him to drop out, given the warning signs? Would that have–

SEN. SANDERS: No, I–

MARGARET BRENNAN: –given you a leg up here with Jackson?

SEN. SANDERS: No, I don’t think so. When we heard the serious allegations made against him, I wanted to get on the phone. I wanted to talk to him. I did. I asked, along with virtually all his supporters, that he should get out of the race, and he did.

MARGARET BRENNAN: But you are confident that with your endorsements, these other candidates have been fully vetted?

SEN. SANDERS: Well, look, I think, you know, there are hundreds of candidates. I don’t know who has been quote unquote fully vetted–

MARGARET BRENNAN: Well, you just mentioned two of them.

SEN. SANDERS: –all I know is the candidates- well, all I know is, Margaret, that the candidates that we are supporting are standing up for the working class of this country. And at a time when so many people are discouraged, deeply discouraged, whether you’re Republicans, Democrats, Independents, about a, not only a rigged economy, but a corrupt campaign finance system in which billionaires are buying elections, I think the candidates that I and other progressives are supporting are generating enormous grassroots excitement and enthusiasm. As you indicated, I was in Michigan, Minnesota.

MARGARET BRENNAN: Yeah.

SEN. SANDERS: We had large rallies for El- El-Sayed and Peggy Flanagan.

MARGARET BRENNAN: There is, as you know, though, concern within Democratic circles that these inter-party primary fights are draining resources and sort of, you know, pulling away from what should be a unified message. Rahm Emanuel wrote in the Wall Street Journal, “The Bernie Bros could spoil Democrats’ midterms.” He said the DSA and others are saddling the party with nominees who, as he put it, “wildly unpopular positions will protect Republicans from having to pay the price of Donald Trump’s corruption.” Said it was, “the socialists who led the charge to defund the police, open borders, abolish prisons.” He’s saying those are losing messages that are going to hurt the party overall. How do you respond?

SEN. SANDERS: That is what– that is what Rahm Emanuel is saying, who no doubt has the support of millions of working class people. Look, this is an argument. There’s no- no debate. There is a strong division within the Democratic Party. You have an establishment like Rahm Emanuel, who are dependent on billionaire campaign contributors and want to maintain the status quo. Then you have a progressive movement, which, by the way, what is getting these guys nervous is we are winning all over this country. Suddenly, Mamdani in New York City, it’s in New Jersey, it’s in Ohio, it’s in Colorado. People are sick and tired of the Rahm Emanuels, and the Democratic establishment, and the Republican establishment. They are asking simple questions, Margaret. Why in God’s name are we the only major country on Earth not to guarantee healthcare to all people as a human right? Pretty simple question. Canada does it. Europe does it. Somehow we can’t do it. Why do we have an economy in which one man, Mr. Musk, owns more wealth than the bottom half of American society?

MARGARET BRENNAN: Yeah.

SEN. SANDERS: Why do the economists tell us that in the richest country in the history of the world, our kids will likely have a lower standard of living than their parents? The American people are tired of a rigged economy, a corrupt campaign finance system. They want real change. They don’t want Rahm Emanuel and the establishment maintaining the status quo.

MARGARET BRENNAN: But in the meantime, I hear you on the message that you think is resonating on the, you know, the tactical planning here. Do you think in the state of Michigan that you were just talking about with Abdul El-Sayed, he’s a public health official, he’s a populist, but he’s running against a moderate, Haley Stevens. Do you really think that in a state like Michigan, it’s going to be a progressive Democrat who could beat a Republican in November? This was a state Trump narrowly won.

SEN. SANDERS: Absolutely. Whether it’s Michigan, Minnesota, Vermont, or any place else in this country, the point I’m trying to make, Margaret, and the polling indicates this, the people are sick and tired of the status quo.

MARGARET BRENNAN: Yes.

SEN. SANDERS: We are the richest country in the history of the world. We should have the highest standard of living for all of our people, not massive income and wealth inequality. And by the way, we should not be continuing to get involved in genocidal wars with Israel in Gaza or getting involved in the destruction of Lebanon. People want change in foreign policy and in domestic policy. The status quo is not working.

MARGARET BRENNAN: But for Republicans who are looking at this, they’re saying, ‘that’s great.’ Is Bernie going to tell his supporters not to show up, for example, if Haley Stevens wins out in Michigan, or will you say–

SEN. SANDERS: No–

MARGARET BRENNAN:–it’s- in the end, the Democrats have to unify?

SEN. SANDERS: Margaret, the Republicans, and maybe it’s the Republican establishment, maybe it’s the billionaires who own the Republican Party. Your working-class Republicans are not going to say that they can’t afford to pay for healthcare. They can’t afford to send their kids to college. They can’t afford decent retirements. And more than a few of them, by the way, will be voting for Peggy Flanagan in Minnesota and Abdul in Michigan.

MARGARET BRENNAN: You talked about the cost of living. When we look at polling, it’s healthcare costs that are the public’s top economic worry, according to KFF. Out in Vermont, you’ve got the most expensive ACA premiums in the entire country. I’m hearing from Republican senators now that they want to make changes to healthcare too. Your chair on the HELP committee, you have been championing change. Why aren’t we seeing any traction in Congress if this is the number one issue? Why can’t you guys work on a–

SEN. SANDERS: That is–

MARGARET BRENNAN: –bipartisan basis here?

SEN. SANDERS: Margaret, that is a great, great question, and I have to tell you the answer has everything to do with money and politics. That the function of the current healthcare system is not to do what other countries are doing around the world, guaranteeing healthcare, quality healthcare, to all of our people as a human right. The function of the current American healthcare system is to make billions of dollars in profits for the insurance companies and the drug companies, and they are spending huge amounts in campaign contributions to make sure that that happens. So, when we talk about a political revolution, when we talk about a grassroots movement–

MARGARET BRENNAN: Yeah.

SEN. SANDERS: –one of the things we’re talking about is we have got to join every other major country through a Medicare for All single-payer program.

MARGARET BRENNAN: Is there a single-payer program in this country that you think actually worked? I mean, Vermont struggled with it when your state tried it. Is there a model for what you’re talking about?

SEN. SANDERS: No, look we don’t have- no, Vermont. No, there is not. But 50 miles north of where I am talking to you right now, they are spending half as much per capita as we spend, and somehow or another, they manage to guarantee healthcare to every man, woman, and child in that country. You go to the hospital for a month, you come out, there is no bill. Is it a perfect system? No, but we are the only major country that does not guarantee healthcare to all people. That is what we have got to do.

MARGARET BRENNAN: You are the ranking member on the HELP committee. The CDC has been without a Senate confirmed leader now for nearly 11 months. The FDA doesn’t have a chief going on two months now, there’s no surgeon general. Under questioning, Dr. Erica Schwartz, President Trump’s nominee, was repeatedly asked if she would resist political pressure. I know her answers did not win your vote, but do you think that she even has enough support to make it out of committee and ultimately to get confirmed?

SEN. SANDERS: Look, I liked her personally. I mean, she has a very strong background in public health, in the military. She’s an attorney as well. Very impressive resume. But when you’re dealing with the Health and Human Services Department agency, the issue is whether people will stand up to Bobby Kennedy- Secretary Kennedy, and his conspiracy theories regarding vaccines, etc. etc. She did not impress me as somebody who, in fact, would do that.

MARGARET BRENNAN: You don’t think she will ultimately make it through?

SEN. SANDERS: I don’t know that she will or not.

MARGARET BRENNAN: Okay.

SEN. SANDERS: She may gain Republicans, but I won’t vote for her.

MARGARET BRENNAN: You do have bipartisan support from the MAHA caucus for a bill to require warning labels for ultra-processed foods and to try to restrict marketing to kids. Doesn’t the FDA kind of already do that with all the disclosures on packaging that tell–

SEN. SANDERS: No–

MARGARET BRENNAN:–you the ingredients? I mean–

SEN. SANDERS: Nowhere near enough. You know, nowhere near enough. Look, we have a problem- really serious crisis in this country in terms of obesity. I think one out of five children in America is obese, and that translates into diabetes, which is, as you know, just a terrible illness impacting our country, and very expensive to deal with. We’re spending about $400 billion a year dealing with diabetes, so what I want to see, and I think a lot of people want to see, is strong labeling. You know, so if a mom goes to a grocery store and the kid says, ‘hey, I want that Coca-Cola,’ understand that a 20-ounce bottle of Coca-Cola has 15 teaspoons of sugar in it. Bad stuff, and it’s not just Coke. Obviously, it’s all these sweetened drinks and all kinds of processed foods. So, what we are trying to do is A, have strong labeling and B, ban TV advertising of junk food to kids.

MARGARET BRENNAN: Well, you do have some Republican support for it. We’ll keep an eye on it. Senator Sanders, thank you for your time this morning.

Sailors on carriers like the USS Abraham Lincoln feel the strain as Navy deployments stretch longer

By CNN
August 15, 2026 | 12:07 AM

(CNN) — The USS Abraham Lincoln is in the midst of a record-setting deployment, kept out of port for more than six months as the carrier’s crew faces morale and mental health concerns. The ship may break a record for the longest trip away from its home port for a US carrier since the Vietnam War.That record was set just months ago by the USS Gerald R. Ford after that ship completed a 326-day deployment that included operations against Iran and Venezuela.It’s part of a pattern, with the US Navy increasingly asking its aircraft carrier groups to exceed the service’s recommended deployment duration of seven months, according to a CNN analysis of deployment announcements and the USNI News fleet tracker.Experts and former officials have warned that the trend could place more stress on the ships and lead to burnout among sailors or even push some to leave the Navy altogether.A crew member serving on the Lincoln described morale on the ship as very low and said they had heard repeatedly about suicidal ideation by fellow crew members. And there were regular strains on essential amenities — toilets and water fountains around the ship frequently closed and hot water often unavailable, the crew member said.“Everyday we wake up and listen to our Captain speak, we are desperately hoping and anxious for updates on our return,” the crew member told CNN.Other sailors aboard the Lincoln who spoke with CNN described conditions unlike their prior deployments, largely due to the combat that has kept the carrier from making stops at friendly ports. Ships can take on new supplies and allow its sailors to rest and relax during those port calls.The ship has experienced intermittent food shortages, low supplies of hygiene items, and problems with the water system, sailors and family members told CNN.“You used to be able to go to the ship store and get as many items as you want, with every hygiene product consistently available,” one sailor, who requested anonymity due to fear of reprisal, told CNN. Now there are limits on purchases and “hardly any hygiene products (are) readily available.”Kate Kuzminski, a defense expert who oversees research at the Center for a New American Security think tank, said the Navy needs to realign its deployment model with reality to properly set expectations for sailors and their families.“What does it do to a family who’s newly assigned to the Ford?” asked Kuzminski, who argued that “it could drive people’s or families’ decisions to get out (of the Navy).”CNN previously reported that two sailors assigned to the Lincoln strike group have jumped overboard in recent months. Both were rescued alive, US officials said. Others were prevented from jumping, according to reports from the Navy Times and Stars and Stripes.The father of a sailor aboard the Lincoln who spoke to CNN on the condition of anonymity, said he understands sailors like his child join the Navy to do their jobs and doing them in combat is inherently hard – but he questions why relief hasn’t come sooner and whether some of the mental strain from the long deployment could have been prevented.The Navy said in a statement to CNN, “We have not observed an increase in suicidal ideations or attempts aboard the ship. We take every service member’s well-being seriously and have religious, medical and mental health professionals available to assess and address concerns as they arise.”A US official added that the Navy does not believe there is a correlation between deployment length and thoughts of self-harm and that man overboard incidents are not unique to this fleet.President Donald Trump on Friday appeared to address a question about the length of the Lincoln deployment, telling reporters that it had been “not nearly long enough.”The wife of one service member aboard the Lincoln who requested anonymity told CNN’s Jake Tapper on Friday that the president doesn’t think “before he talks,” and urged both he and Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth to have “some empathy.”“Take some accountability for what’s going on with your military, your ships, in your war. In your war. It’s infuriating,” she said.Increasing stress on the fleetThe median length of US-based aircraft carrier deployments has steadily increased since 2020, according to the data reviewed by CNN.The Navy’s plan has aimed to provide predictable three-year cycles for sailors that include a seven-month/210-day deployment, according to Adm. Daryl Caudle. Between 2018 and 2022, most deployments remained under or within a few days of the target length.However, the sea service has routinely missed that mark since the October 2023 Hamas terror attacks against Israel sparked a spate of extended deployments.The USS Gerald R. Ford and the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower both saw deployments extended after the Israel-Hamas war began — the Ford returned home in January 2024 after 260 days away, and the Ike’s July 2024 homecoming came after 274 days.Three different carrier deployments that began in 2024 exceeded 250 days.The following year, 2025, saw the carrier force even more stretched, with two extended deployments passing 270 days, including the Ford’s post-Vietnam War record breaker 326-day trip, which began in June 2025.That deployment took the supercarrier from homeport in Norfolk, Virginia, first to Europe and next to the Caribbean, where its planes struck Venezuela during the raid that captured former strongman Nicolas Maduro, and then to the Middle East where it participated in Operation Epic Fury against Iran despite a major fire.Experts told CNN that on extended missions, like that undertaken by the Ford and the Lincoln, components wear out and repairs at sea serve as temporary band aids. Other minor issues also begin to compound: arresting cables that catch landing aircraft begin to fray, and saltwater seeps into shipboard systems, among others.Those issues can add up and increase the chances of mishaps, the sources said.Burnout for crew members and their families can also become a concern, experts and former officials told CNN.Retired Rear Adm. Bruce Gillingham, who previously served as the Navy Surgeon General during the Covid-19 pandemic, told CNN that one of the “critical factors” of extended deployments during the pandemic, which did not allow ships to make port calls, was “how resilient the sailors and Marines were.”“This is not unprecedented,” Gillingham said. “I mean, when you look at the history of the Navy, world events require that deployments be lengthened, and the sailors answer the call … The Navy plays the away game, that’s the nature of the business, and it’s very good at it. It doesn’t mean that it doesn’t put stress on the people and the ships.”Retention of naval aviators and maintenance personnel has been an area of significant concern this year, according to sources familiar with the Navy’s internal discussions.Earlier this year, Hegseth ordered a review of retention struggles for sailors assigned to Navy Strike Fighter Squadrons, according to a March memo from Hegseth obtained by CNN. To retain top talent, the Navy is also offering flight officers and naval aviators tens of thousands of dollars annually in bonuses.Meanwhile, a third 2025 deployment — that of the USS Abraham Lincoln — remains underway nearly nine months after the ship left San Diego on November 21. Most of its crew last touched land in Guam for a December 11 port call. Although a Japan-based carrier, the USS George Washington, is on its way to relieve the Lincoln from its blockade duties in the Persian Gulf, the Lincoln may break the Ford’s deployment length record on its way home to California.Struggles on the LincolnThe continued deployment of the Lincoln has placed strains on families, several relatives of those serving on the carrier told CNN.Care packages sent by sailors’ family members sometimes arrive months late or go missing entirely, Ashley T., the mother of a sailor aboard the Lincoln said. She requested that CNN withhold her last name to protect the sailor’s identity.“I understand they are in a combat zone, but if they aren’t allowed any port calls, the least (the Navy) could do is make sure they are getting packages in a timely fashion,” she said.Another family member, who requested anonymity to protect their sailor, shared photos of overflowing toilets in sewage-saturated restroom areas — an issue also experienced by the Ford during its deployment.The spouse of a service member aboard the Lincoln who spoke to CNN told Tapper on Friday, “He is saying that it is the worst deployment that he’s ever been on.”“My husband is a very leave-it-at-work type of person,” she said. “He gets his job done. He comes home, and he lets it go at work. He does his best. He works very hard for United States military, and he’s even said that he finds himself changing. He feels himself being angrier and more frustrated, and that’s just very unlike him. So it’s very hard to hear that as his wife when I can’t do anything about it. I can’t help him.”The conditions have fueled concerns about sailor mental health as well and scrutiny from lawmakers such as Democratic Sen. Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut, who wrote a letter to the Pentagon demanding answers on that status of the crew.Leaders aboard the strike group’s ships are working to improve conditions for their sailors, they previously told CNN.Capt. Casey Mahon, who commands the USS Frank E. Petersen, Jr., acknowledged to CNN’s Pamela Brown aboard the destroyer last month that the combat conditions pose a “very stressful situation” for the sailors. He said the ship holds group therapy and venting sessions where sailors can provide feedback, and leaders encourage lighter-hearted methods of stress relief such as ice cream socials and bulletin boards where sailors can post memes about their experiences.And despite the challenges, the sailors of the Lincoln strike group have launched approximately 10,000 aircraft flights supporting strikes on Iran and enforcing the US blockade of the country, according to US Central Command.Yet Navy officials have been questioning the current model in light of recent operations.The Navy’s top enlisted sailor, Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy John Perryman, recently criticized the existing cycle as a “conveyor belt that’s very prescriptive” derived from a “peacetime mindset.”“We’re going to have to come up with a different force generation model,” Perryman said while discussing the USS Gerald R. Ford’s 11-month deployment during a recent Military Officers Association of America event.Part of the problem is that aircraft carriers are a finite asset: the US has eleven of the ships, some of which are aging and pending replacement with new Ford-class supercarriers. Not all the ships are simultaneously available due to maintenance requirements and reactor fueling schedules as well.The new Ford-class carriers have faced repeated delays, too. The USS John F. Kennedy, which began its final sea trials this week, is scheduled for delivery to the Navy in March 2027 — nearly two years later than originally projected.And recently announced changes to the USS Doris Miller — the next scheduled Ford-class supercarrier — could delay its construction even further, experts told CNN.Trump directed that the Navy scrap its plans to use an electromagnetic system for launching aircraft from future Ford-class ships. The current ships in the class use the system, but the Miller and future ships will use steam-powered launch catapults like those on the legacy Nimitz-class aircraft carriers.That will require the Miller to be redesigned, Hudson Institute shipbuilding expert Bryan Clark told CNN. The cost “will probably be into the billions” and it could delay the carrier — which was expected to be in service around 2034 — “until the end of the next decade.”Any delay could force the Navy to extend deployments to cover for a ship it had planned to have available or operate its last-generation Nimitz-class carriers beyond their 50-year service life.Davis Winkie’s work at CNN is supported by a partnership between Outrider Foundation and Journalism Funding Partners (JFP). CNN retains full editorial control of the reporting.CNN’s Kaanita Iyer, Sean Lyngaas, Zachary Cohen, Brian Todd and Ross Adkin contributed to this report.The-CNN-Wire™ & © 2026 Cable News Network, Inc., a Warner Bros. Discovery Company. All rights reserved.

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