July 26, 2026 / 12:37 PM EDT
/ CBS News
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The following is the transcript of an interview with Louisiana Sen. John Kennedy, a Republican, that aired on "Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan" on July 26, 2026.MARGARET BRENNAN: We turn now to Republican Senator John Kennedy, who joins us this morning from Madisonville, Louisiana. Senator, it's good to have you on the program. I've- I've got a lot to-- SEN. JOHN KENNEDY: -- Good to be with you, Margaret.-- MARGARET BRENNAN: -- get to with you. Let me just button up where I left it with Ambassador Waltz, if I could, because that Saudi civil nuclear deal he was just discussing-it's got to go to you. It's got to go to Congress for approval. Are you comfortable with it?SEN. KENNEDY: No. Maybe some someday, but not right now. We're bombing a country to keep them from getting a nuclear weapon, but we're signing a deal with another country, I know it's a commercial agreement, but that the world perceives as possibly someday leading to a nuclear weapon. The world's on a hair trigger. The world looks at what's going on in- in Ukraine, the Middle East. The world looks at America's relationship now with Europe. People are scared. That's why I say hair trigger. And if you're running Japan, or South Korea, or Australia, or Brazil, or some countries in Europe, you're at least thinking about the need to acquire a nuclear weapon, and then you see this deal with Saudi Arabia, and it's just not good timing. I think someday it might be. I don't think it's going to happen anyway because the president's conditioned it on Iran- on Saudi Arabia recognizing Israel, and they're not- they're not going to do that.MARGARET BRENNAN: Well, the Saudis said they'd be willing to, but they want a pathway for the Palestinians. The Israeli politics of the moment don't make that sound-- SEN. KENNEDY: -- I know. And- and the president's going to say- the president's going to point out correctly that we've got 26 of these one-two-three agreements with other countries.
