Meet the Press interviews for 2026 races
(Margaret Brennan interviewing candidates for 2026 races)


(Click for external website)

Citations: On Trump Administation (State Dept.): Meet the Press - January 4, 2026, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, interview by Kristen Welker, (Link) On 2026 Arkansas Senate race: Meet the Press - December 7, 2025, "Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.)", interview by Kristen Welker, (Link) On 2026 Minnesota Gubernatorial race: Meet the Press - November 30, 2025, "Gov. Tim Walz (D-Minn.)", interview by Kristen Welker, (Link)

OnTheIssues.org excerpts:  (click on issues for details)

Abortion     Sarah Huckabee-Sanders: $45 million towards maternal health during pregnancy.     Wes Moore: Bridge Project: cash assistance to prenatal mothers.     Mike Pence: The administration deems right to life as a state-only issue.

Civil Rights     J.B. Pritzker: Lengthened hours of early voting, have mail balloting.

Crime     Mike Pence: Offensive to compensate people who vandalized the Capitol.

Drugs     Tom Cotton: Drug smugglers are valid targets, even if on wrecked boats.

Foreign Policy     Markwayne Mullin: If being in NATO isn't in our best interest we should relook.     J.B. Pritzker: Israel needs to ensure food assistance to innocent Gazans.     Marco Rubio: We're not at war with Venezuela; just with drug cartels.     Byron Donalds: I believe there needs to be full scale regime change in Cuba.     Abdul El-Sayed: AdWatch: Accused of ties to Muslim Brotherhood as a child.     Lindsey Graham: America First is not isolationism.

Free Trade     Cory Booker: Unequivocally condemn the Trump tariffs, there's no strategy.     Markwayne Mullin: We have been subsidizing the Canadian economy by billions.

Government Reform     Andy Beshear: Ban partisan redistricting; ought to have term limits.     Cory Booker: Stop Justices from accepting gifts; add term limits.     Pete Buttigieg: We should look at the size and make-up of the Supreme Court.

Health Care     Sarah Huckabee-Sanders: What's left out of health conversation is faith community.     Wes Moore: We need more physicians and nurses of color.

Homeland Security     Cory Booker: Trump seeks personal political loyalty from military.     Markwayne Mullin: Record numbers of new recruits since Trump's in office.

Immigration     Tim Walz: We need to have comprehensive immigration reform.     Lindsey Graham: Introduced bill to end birthright citizenship years ago.     Cory Booker: I'm not going to vote for another dollar for ICE.

Principles & Values     J.B. Pritzker: Being a billionaire doesn't determine your values.     Wes Moore: Fight for other people; but don't be argumentative.     Abdul El-Sayed: Commit to safety of worship for Jewish, Muslim, or Christian.

Technology     Pete Buttigieg: We shouldn't be rushing? AI is moving quickly.

War & Peace     Cory Booker: Iran war has been a cataclysmic failure of Trump's making.     Cory Booker: Iran one of the greatest presidential blunders of our time.     Lindsey Graham: Iran, the mothership of terrorism, is sinking.

Welfare & Poverty     Tim Walz: COVID fraud: jail the criminals; don't target the community.

Click for quotations from other sources by: Abdul El-Sayed Michigan Democratic candidate for Governor Andy Beshear Kentucky Democratic Gubernatorial Challenger Byron Donalds Florida Republican Challenger Cory Booker New Jersey Mayor of Newark; N.J. Senator J.B. Pritzker Illinois Democratic Illinois Governor Lindsey Graham South Carolina S.C. Senator; Republican Presidential candidate Marco Rubio FL Senator; Republican Presidential candidate Markwayne Mullin Republican Jr Senator Oklahoma Mike Pence Indiana Former Republican Vice President (withdrew Oct.2023) Pete Buttigieg Indiana DOT Secretary Sarah Huckabee-Sanders Tim Walz Minnesota DFL Governor & V.P. nominee Tom Cotton Republican Jr Senator Arkansas Wes Moore Maryland Democratic Gubernatorial Challenger