Transcript: House Intelligence Committee chair Rep. Mike Turner on “Face the Nation,” June 16, 2024

The following is a transcript of an interview with House Intelligence Committee Chairman Rep. Mike Turner, R-Ohio, on “Face the Nation,” which aired June 16, 2024.

MARGARET BRENNAN: Let’s start with the Republican chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, Ohio Congressman Mike Turner. Welcome back to Face the Nation.

REP. TURNER: Good morning, Margaret.

MARGARET BRENNAN: Chairman Turner, last week, as you know, there were federal immigration arrests of these eight individuals with suspected ties to ISIS. They were arrested in Philadelphia, Los Angeles and New York. They traveled from Central Asia, from Tajikistan, across the southern border to the US. Do you have any indication that there is a plan for a terrorist act?

REP. MIKE TURNER: Well, I’m, Margaret- I’m your- I can neither confirm nor deny all the details that you just reported. But what is important about these reports, and what we are seeing, especially in conjunction with Director Wray’s public statements that we are at the highest level of a possible terrorist threat, is that the administration’s policies are absolutely directly related to threats to Americans. These are no longer speculative, they are no longer hypothetical. And we have real administration officials stepping forward. And certainly our committee and our committee members agreed with the information that we’re seeing as a result of the administration’s policies that allow people to cross the border unchecked. We have terrorists who are actively working within the United States and who are a threat to Americans.

MARGARET BRENNAN: Well, the point, as we understand in our reporting, is that there was verification, but the verification did not reveal any derogatory information. Doesn’t this indicate that there is a broader problem in the system that Congress would also have to address?

REP. TURNER: Well, Margaret, you know, there are those who are vetted and are in the vetting process. They – there is no evidence that the United States currently has that they are actively involved in terrorist plots or involved in organizing terrorist groups. And this administration, by its own policy, is then allowing these individuals in rather than fully vetting them, fully understanding what the risk is to the United States and the fact that they are letting them in, and there they are – they are illegally entering the United States through the southern border. And that is the threat. This is what Director Wray is identifying and presenting. This administration’s policies directly result in people who have been in the United States illegally having ties to terrorist groups and organizations, and this is a threat.

MARGARET BRENNAN: The US already finds itself in a heightened threat environment. But last week, our CBS colleague and former CIA deputy director Mike Morel wrote an article in Foreign Affairs magazine warning that the United States faces a serious threat of terrorist attack in the coming months. He called on the Congressional Intelligence Committee, like the one you chair, to hold public hearings with the Director of National Intelligence, the CIA, the FBI and the National Counterterrorism Center. Will you commit to doing this?

REP. TURNER: But we do. In fact, the testimony you just gave…

MARGARET BRENNAN: –Unclassified public information of these individuals–

REP. TURNER: –The- the testimony you just gave from Director Wray was the result of the intelligence committees, including mine, Director Wray was testifying before my committee and said exactly the same thing publicly. Of the threat, what we have done and continue to do, and what this administration needs to be held accountable for, is that they need to declassify the terrorist threat information that they are seeing so that there can be public discourse about what the administration’s risks and threats are. they are. You know, this was notable and expected as a result of the Biden administration’s policy of having an open southern border, and we’re seeing it across the country. The – and my – my committee has been open, my members have been open and publicly discussing this threat and directly pointing the finger at the administration’s policies.

MARGARET BRENNAN: Well, as you know, the administration points to Congress saying it asked for more authorities and Congress refused to act. But I want to ask you about the Intelligence Committee. You tried to keep it nonpartisan, as you said on this show. President Johnson, although he recently decided, as you know, to add two congressmen, Scott Perry and Dr. Ronnie Jackson, to his committee, allegedly at the request of Donald Trump. One of its members, Congresswoman Chrissy Houlahan, referred to Perry as a threat to intelligence oversight, citing, “he will be on the same committee that oversees the FBI while he is directly under investigation by that same agency.” Do you think this is a disqualifying conflict of interest?

REP. TURNER: Well, obviously concerned about this issue, and being the chair, I reached out to the IC to see whether or not there was an issue that, you know, in our committee’s due diligence, that we needed to resolve or address. They indicated that there was not an ongoing or ongoing problem, or even a current problem that we needed to resolve–

MARGARET BRENNAN: -Did the FBI tell you that?

REP. TURNER: The point – I think this is the most important one – the IC told us this. I think what’s really important here is that the speaker makes that appointment and then what he’s done since. The speaker was absolutely committed to these two individuals, following the rules, not just the laws, both have military experience, both have had access to classified information before, and there have been no reports of any incidents of their mishandling. of classified information. The speaker met with our committee, Republican members, and spoke directly to Jim Himes. We had a meeting with Mr. Perry, myself and the speaker where all these assurances were made. But the Mayor said he will continue to monitor the situation and if there is any indication of something inappropriate happening, he will intervene. And I believe the speaker will assert leadership here.

MARGARET BRENNAN: And potentially withdraw that nomination. Well, look, I-Scott Perry came and targeted you, as you know, because he said, if he gets on this committee, he will conduct real oversight, not blind obedience to some facet of our intelligence community. And he claimed that they are spying on the American people. How do you respond to this?

REP. TURNER: He… he apologized. And certainly those are the kinds of words you wouldn’t want from someone who is joining a committee that is obviously very dedicated to national security and very dedicated to working in a bipartisan way. I think when he joins the committee, and looking at the work that he does and the work that we’re doing, he will be absolutely pleased to be able to play a role in the work that we’re doing for national security.

MARGARET BRENNAN: So I understand you said you were given assurances about their ability to handle classified information that they will have access to, but as you know, Dr. Ronnie Jackson was demoted by the Navy because the Pentagon inspector general’s report found that he was taking sedatives while providing medical care to two US presidents. This kind of compromising behavior would be disqualifying for most people when it comes to receiving a security clearance or having any access to the nation’s secrets.

REP. TURNER: I’m aware of these reports. However, as you just indicated, they are not related to the handling of classified information. And certainly, the individuals in your district believe that these issues are resolved. He presents himself to Congress with his military background. And we will certainly work with the speaker and with- Mr. Jackson so that- again, he is a very productive member of our committee and if there is any incidence, the speaker indicated that. As with Mr. Perry, he will enforce our rules,

MARGARET BRENNAN: But there are… these seats could be filled by Republicans and national security backgrounds who don’t have that kind of compromising situation hanging over their heads.

REP. TURNER: And there was certainly a wide range of individuals who sought these seats.

MARGARET BRENNAN: You were with Donald Trump when he was at the Capitol last week, and he met with lawmakers. It is true, as Congressman Matt Gaetz claims, that Mr. Trump said the Ukrainians will never be there for us, and that he was destroying the Ukraine aid bill in the face of President Johnson, who Gaetz said was, among quote, “so epic.” ” Is this true? And someone backed away?

REP. TURNER: I don’t believe President-Trump did that. I was certainly there. He raised questions about how the Ukraine issue is being handled. I think there is certainly enough criticism to get around the fact that the Ukrainians do not have the authority to use weapons inside Russia to hit targets that target them. But I think overall what was important is that Trump was very focused on his questions about why he was seeking the presidency and the changes in policy and the Biden administration. The border was a problem. Power was a problem. The economy, China and inflation were a problem. All the ones where he had real, concrete things that the Biden administration did to reverse his policies that resulted in negative consequences for a country that he intends to reverse.

MARGARET BRENNAN: We’ll see if he supports Ukraine and then if he gets elected. President Turner, thank you…

REP. TURNER: –I believe- I- I believe he will. And certainly from members who strongly support Ukraine. We certainly believe he will, and that is certainly essential.

MARGARET BRENNAN: President Turner, thank you for your time this morning.

REP. TURNER: Thank you.