June 7, 2026 / 12:07 PM EDT
/ CBS News
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The following is the transcript of the interview with Rep. Don Bacon, Republican of Nebraska, that aired on "Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan" on June 7, 2026.MARGARET BRENNAN: We go now to Republican Congressman Don Bacon, who joins us from Omaha, Nebraska. Welcome back to Face the Nation.REP. DON BACON: Thank you, Margaret.MARGARET BRENNAN: Before we get to national security, I want to ask you about politics and candidate quality. Last month, Texas Republicans chose to make Ken Paxton their Senate nominee, despite the fact, as Texas AG, he was impeached by the Republican-controlled House on multiple charges of abuse of office, including bribery. His wife is divorcing him on what she called biblical grounds because of adultery, and he was indicted in 2015 on securities fraud charges that were later dropped. Despite all this, the President backed him over sitting Senator John Cornyn, and so did Texas Republicans. For your party, does Trump's favor carry more weight than character?REP. BACON: I think in many cases it does. His endorsement in a primary is often carries- carries the most weight. I think it was a mistake. I think this has hurt the president. A lot of senators feel very close to Senator Cornyn. He was a big fundraiser. He helped a lot of these Republicans get elected all over the country, so there's a lot of loyalty to John Cornyn. In fact, I know him too, and I admire the guy. And now they've not- we've nominated a guy in Texas that is probably the most vulnerable in a general election, and it puts that seat up for grabs. So, it was- I don't think it was a wise decision, and I would say- one other factor here is the Democrat nominee. I think he's also pretty weak, though, in Texas. So, I think they both- both sides have nominated people that are vulnerable in general. But, John Cornyn could have won the seat easily, and now the Republicans will be spending a lot of money to hold it, and I think it was a mistake.MARGARET BRENNAN: I know you have chosen to retire, but if you were having to campaign and explain all this, including the higher gas prices, how would you persuade voters?REP. BACON: Well, I try to, in my case, I try to show- I try to do what's right, whether it's President Trump's position or not his position. And I just try to look voters in the eye that say, "Hey, I support Ukraine. I think tariffs are a mistake. I have votes to back it up. I also support the fact that we secured the border. I support, generally, what we're doing in Iran, because Iran has been waging war against us for 47 years." So, I just try to call balls and strikes, and I try to be honest, and I try to do once I'm elected what I campaign on.
