A rush transcript of "This Week with George Stephanopoulos" airing on Sunday, June 7, 2026 on ABC News is below. This copy may not be in its final form, may be updated and may contain minor transcription errors. For previous show transcripts, visit the "This Week" transcript archive.RADDATZ: I'm joined now in studio by Senator Mark Warner of Virginia, the top Democrat on the Intelligence Committee.It's good to see you this morning, Senator.SEN. MARK WARNER, (D) VIRGINIA & INTELLIGENCE COMMITTEE VICE CHAIR: Thank you, Martha.RADDATZ: You've heard the allegations against Graham Platner. It's hard to imagine the Democrats could win back control of the Senate without Maine. What's your reaction?WARNER: Well, first of all, if the allegations are true, they are disturbing. End of the day, though, Maine voters are going to decide this.I've got my own election this year. I'm trying to get rehired in Virginia. So I'm trying to make the case to people in Virginia why they ought to rehire me. And that's what I'm focused on.RADDATZ: Platner has blamed the media, denied the most serious allegations of physical intimidation, and said his past is being politically weaponized.He is a combat veteran. He did say he has suffered from PTSD. But is this the way to handle this, do you think?WARNER: Listen, I think the whole -- this whole realm changed dramatically when Donald Trump ran his first time and was caught on tape saying extraordinarily disparaging things. That seemed not to stop Trump getting elected. And I do think at the end of the day, you know, American voters will make those decisions.And I don't know Mr. Platner. I've never met him. I would just say this. The allegations are made. I think he ought to have at least some attempt to sort of prove whether they are -- disprove them if that's the case.RADDATZ: Well, he has said that the most serious aren't something he did, but there are others out there, women saying it was a toxic relationship.You've heard those allegations. Are those serious enough? If the other part is not true, are those serious enough to disqualify him?WARNER: That'll be up to the folks in Maine.RADDATZ: But how do you look at it?WARNER: I look at it from the standpoint that I wish all candidates in both parties maybe held themselves to a different standard, but that's in a world where it seems like focus on flaws, flaws real or not, focus on this type of activity, although clearly, if true, inappropriate, it's going to be up to the voters. I mean, isn't that at the end of the day?I know I'm making my case to my folks in Virginia why I get rehired. That's one of my focuses this year.RADDATZ: When you say held to a different standard, both parties, what standard are you talking about? What standard should they be held to?WARNER: Well, again, anything, even allegations back in the late '90s of this kind of activity would end up probably gaining more traction. But again, I think President Trump set a new standard, whether that's low standard is what we ought to proceed with. I think it's going to be again in the hands of the voters.RADDATZ: Let me turn to the Democrats in general. You've been critical of President Trump and Republicans. President Trump's poll numbers are now hitting record lows.But take a look at this New York Times-Siena College poll. Only 55 percent of Democrats are satisfied with the party right now. And among Independents, it's only 31 percent.Why do you think the Democratic Party is so unpopular? And what do you think should happen to change it?WARNER: Well, I think people are over Donald Trump at this point. He's taken us into a war of choice. We've got high gas prices. He seems erratic beyond belief.There's not a day that goes by that we don't go, oh my gosh. I still got surprised. It happened with me earlier this week with his nomination or putting in Bill Pulte as director of national intelligence.I think the Democrats have not -- you know, need to articulate a fuller strategy, not just against Trump. I want the Democratic Party to be pro-growth, pro-innovation, and actually about getting stuff done. I think Democrats at times have been -- we have been too bureaucratic.But Donald Trump drives the agenda, and I think that's -- come this fall, that is going to be what will be the ultimate decision. Are you better off today than you were when Donald Trump came back in? Is your -- has inflation gone up? Are we more secure as a nation? Are we being governed in a way that --RADDATZ: So running against Trump in a way?WARNER: I think running against Trump, but I go back. I can remember, Martha, Barack Obama's first campaign, and I can remember Bill Clinton's first campaign. Every time Democrats are looking for that three-word slogan, I can't remember many cycles, 2006, when the Democrats won, huge. But I don't remember other than frustration with President Bush and the Iraq war at that point, what the other message was.I do think -- and one of the areas I'm spending a lot of time in, artificial intelligence, is going to transform our world beyond what we can imagine. And there's positive, but there's also a deep underbelly here of national security risks, personal risks, job risks that we have to deal with. I'd love Democrats to lead on that.RADDATZ: Let's talk about Bill Pulte. You brought that up. The current director of the Federal Housing Agency, he has -- President Trump has now picked him as acting director of the DNI.You've been very critical, and so have Republicans.WARNER: This is beyond outrageous. This guy has no national security experience. You remember when the law was set up, the director of national intelligence overseeing 18 agencies was supposed to have national security experience. This guy's got none. Matter of fact, I don't believe he has a security clearance.What he has shown is a complete loyalty to do whatever Donald Trump wants, compromising private information about mortgages. That means he should get promoted to have the keys to the 18 intelligence agencies with our most classified information. And with an attempt by President Trump to interfere in the elections, my fear is this guy would completely go along with that.And it's not just me. Look at the Republican pushback as well.RADDATZ: The -- President Trump says the appointment is temporary, but told “The Wall Street Journal” that he wants Pulte to start the process of firing people who shouldn't be there.What do you think he means by that? And that has got to be one of your own concerns.(CROSSTALK)WARNER: Well, yes. Tulsi Gabbard at least had national security experience. She was the former DNI. She fired people that were long-term intelligence professionals, but had some constraints --RADDATZ: Is he trying to gut the agency?WARNER: I fear that -- I fear that he'd be trying to gut the intelligence community or so intimidate them that they don't tell the truth. If we don't have intelligence professionals that speak truth to power, America ends up less safe and less secure.RADDATZ: So you fear that they would get rid of people who don't think --(CROSSTALK)WARNER: If they don’t -- if they don't play the party line. You know, we got into the war in Iraq when we cooked the books on intelligence. We're already in a war of choice with Iran. What will he try to cook the books there?Popular ReadsAnd more importantly, we've seen this president say he wants to federalize or have Republicans take over elections. The idea that the director of national intelligence could come up with a fake piece of intelligence and then use that for an excuse to bring troops into the polls, I would never have believed I'd be saying that in 2026. But that's what I'm afraid of. That's what Democrats and candidly, a lot of Republicans are afraid of as well.RADDATZ: We just have about a minute here, but FISA, which is a critical government foreign surveillance authority, is set to expire next Friday. Last Friday, almost every Democrat voted against beginning debate to extend it after the president made his announcement of Pulte. So --WARNER: And some Republicans voted against it as well.RADDATZ: Yeah. So, if he does not change his mind, will Democrats -- will you deny the extension?WARNER: I didn't -- I know how important this tool is. Why the president would throw this live hand grenade of Bill Pulte in 10 days before this is due to expire, I'm not sure Donald Trump wants this to expire. We were on the path, been working well with Tom Cotton, my chairman, to have a compromise bill come forward.The idea that you're going to have Democrats and I think responsible Republicans say we want to turn a controversial program that 702 already is over to a guy with no national security experience, that's a rough row to hoe.RADDATZ: Okay. Thanks very much for joining us this morning, Senator.WARNER: Thank you, Martha.RADDATZ: Good to see you.//MARTHA RADDATZ, ABC “THIS WEEK” CO-ANCHOR: Our thanks to Ian.REP. MICHAEL MCCAUL, (R) TEXAS & FOREIGN AFFAIRS COMMITTEE MEMBER: I'm joined now by Congressman Michael McCaul, chairman emeritus of the House Foreign Affairs Committee.It’s good to see you, Congressman.MCCAUL: Thank you.RADDATZ: We heard Ian say that the Europeans are thinking the tide may be turning, but we are four and a half years into this war. On Friday, President Trump said he thinks it’s going to get worked out, but it’s been more than a year and a half since he was elected, promising he could end the war even before he took office. This strategy really doesn’t seem to be working so far.MCCAUL: Well, that’s why I voted for the Ukraine bill on the House floor this week to provide additional assistance, but tougher sanctions on Russia. Anytime I can help Ukraine and punish Putin, I'm in on that fight. And the fact is that the Ukrainians are winning this fight. They’re taking back territory. There are 30,000 casualties by the Russians in the Donbas and the --(CROSSTALK)RADDATZ: And yet Russia is upping its attack on Ukraine. We had that devastating attack in Kyiv just this week.MCCAUL: So, in response, Putin has sent three hypersonic missiles into Kyiv. So, this is escalating. But I think, you know, deterrence is always the key.You know, I was a critic under the Biden administration, not putting enough weapons in. I think we need to put tougher sanctions on Putin. If you want a serious negotiation, Putin has to have pressure put on him if he is going to make any concessions at all. Zelenskyy has agreed to sit down, but Putin does not.RADDATZ: He does not. And Zelenskyy certainly doesn’t want to go to Moscow, so that doesn’t look likely.But do you seriously see any end in sight? I feel like we’ve talked about this for four and a half years now. And it’s put more pressure on Putin, sanction Russia, and yet here we are four and a half years later. So, really, is there an end in sight, do you --MCCAUL: Well, they said it would be over in four days. Here we are, four years later. I think the Ukrainians have surprised everybody with their innovation, their drone technology, modernization of warfare. It’s like a laboratory in Ukraine. And the fact that they are pushing the Russians back now. The fact that there are 30,000 casualties a month on the Russian side speaks volumes.And I think Putin is taking a hit now. He will not -- Putin will not agree to the negotiating table unless enough pressure is put on him. And that’s why I think sanctions, not just the bill we passed this week, but, you know, Lindsey Graham and I are working on a bill, Senator McCormick and I had a tougher sanctions bill. And that’s the stuff we need to start doing now to put pressure to negotiate out of strength, not out of weakness.RADDATZ: I want to turn to D-Day and Pete Hegseth. We -- you heard there, us run that sound bite from Pete Hegseth in Normandy. What did you think of those comments?MCCAUL: Well, as the son of a D-Day veteran, look, there’s a time and a place for these issues of immigration. That was not the day. Not the anniversary of D-Day. I think out of respect to the veterans, and myself being the son of a D-Day veteran, those remarks were out of place. I think it should have been about their sacrifice, their service to their country, and what they did to protect the free world at a time of great peril against Nazi Germany. That should have been the message. It always has been in the past. And, quite frankly, I thought it was just inappropriate.RADDATZ: All right, let’s turn to another war that has not ended. The president said the war in Iran would be over in four to six weeks. We are now on day 100, and it was 78 days ago that he told Iran they had 48 hours to open the Strait or they would bomb power plants. Where do you see this going?MCCAUL: Well, I -- right now, you have a ceasefire they’re trying to negotiate. I applaud --RADDATZ: But do you really think it’s a ceasefire? They’re trading fire. Why is it still a ceasefire?MCCAUL: That’s true. Defensive in nature.I agree with General Jack Keane on this one. I think that -- that, honestly, the Iranians are dragging this out. They want to drag this out closer to the midterm elections. I don’t think they’re negotiating in good faith.I mean, look, you’ve got to give, if you can --RADDATZ: Was the administration prepared for this, prepared for the Strait to be closed?MCCAUL: It was obvious in the contingency plans that Iran had that capability, the capacity to close the Strait. So, I know that had to be in their calculation. I think they thought the regime would implode after taking out the top leadership and the ayatollah, and that didn’t happen. And so, you know, now, I -- this is the first president in 50 years to actually try to do something about the problem. A nuclear Iran is not acceptable. We’ve always said that. Every president since 1979. I passed a resolution as chairman of the last Congress, say, by all means necessary, stop a nuclear Iran.So, he is taking action on the brink of that.RADDATZ: But he has also said in recent weeks that he doesn’t think about Americans' financial situation as the war continues. Also said he doesn’t care about the midterms. Do you think that is true?MCCAUL: Well, I think what he’s putting national security first. A nuclear Iran is not acceptable. I do think the American people, though, as they see high gas prices, affordability is going to be an issue in this midterm.RADDATZ: He says he doesn’t care about that.MCCAUL: Well, it depends if you care about the elections. And I do think the Iranians are going to drag this out closer to the midterms and try to play that card.RADDATZ: And we have about 30 seconds here. You’ve expressed concerns over Bill Pulte as well.MCCAUL: I don’t believe he’s statutorily qualified. He doesn’t have any national security intelligence background. I applied for FISA warrants prior to Congress. If we go dark next week, right before the World Cup FIFA games, and the 250th anniversary, that would be the most grossly irresponsible thing I've seen Congress do in my 22 years in office.RADDATZ: OK, thanks for joining us. Always good to see you. Thank you.MCCAUL: Thanks for having me.RADDATZ: Coming up, the roundtable on the ripple effects from the Maine Senate race and why they’re still counting votes in California.We’ll be right back.