CBS "Face the Nation" interviews during 2019: on War & Peace


Amy Klobuchar: We need to start bringing troops home from Afghanistan

A lot of this is negotiating. I think you've got to make sure that when you're dealing with the Taliban that you know exactly what they're up to, what's going to happen. You want to make sure a lot of the gains we made with women in government and the democracy gains that we made in Afghanistan stay the same. But, yes, I think we need to start bringing our troops home.
Source: CBS Face the Nation interview for 2019 Democratic primary Aug 25, 2019

Marianne Williamson: We're spending $350B supporting genocidal war against Yemen

Q: What should be America's role in the world?

WILLIAMSON: Moral leadership. Our grandparents would be rolling over in their graves to see something like, for the sake of a $350 billion-dollar arms deal over the next ten years, we are giving aerial support to a genocidal war that Saudi Arabia is waging against Yemen. I'm not saying that America was ever perfect, but there was a time on this planet when other nations, and Americans ourselves, saw that we at least tried to stand for de

Source: CBS Face the Nation interviews in 2019 Jul 28, 2019

Amy Klobuchar: Talking to enemies good if there's results; Trump has none

Q: Do you support President Trump's meetings with the leader of North Korea?

Klobuchar: You always have to talk to everyone when it is American security and the world's security at stake. But he keeps having these summits and meetings that really don't produce anything. what This is about is making sure that there are measurable results, that we have a plan when we go in there and we just haven't seen that.

Q: Would you accept North Korea as a nuclear power?

Klobuchar: No, I would not. What I am saying is you need to have steps and measures. Talk is good, but if all it is, is talk it doesn't produce anything for national security for America and international security for our allies.

Source: CBS Face the Nation 2019 interview Jun 30, 2019

Amy Klobuchar: Would not accept North Korea as nuclear power

Q: Would you accept North Korea as a nuclear power?

KLOBUCHAR: No, I would not. What I am saying is you need to have steps and measures. You have dates and you have times and you have a focus and you have a plan. Talk is good, but if all it is, is talk it doesn't produce anything for national security for America and international security for our allies.

Source: CBS Face the Nation 2019 interview series Jun 30, 2019

Bernie Sanders: No support of Saudis against Iran; it's a never-ending war

It is the Congress that has war-making authority, not the President. If you're attacked immediately, you have to respond. Nobody believes that we are in that type of emergency situation with Iran right now. The function of a President should be to say to Saudi Arabia, "We're not following your lead; you're going to have to sit down with Iran. The United States does not want to continue to lose men and women and trillions of dollars in never-ending wars in the Middle East. Work it out."
Source: CBS Face the Nation 2019 interview Jun 23, 2019

Bernie Sanders: Iran not an emergency; no military action without Congress

I will do everything I can to stop a war with Iran. It is the United States Congress, under our Constitution that has war making authority not the President of the United States. If he attacks Iran in my view that would be unconstitutional. There are some times emergency situations. I understand. If you're attacked immediately, you have to respond. Nobody believes that we are in that type of emergency situation with Iran right now.
Source: CBS Face the Nation 2019 interview series Jun 23, 2019

Mike Pompeo: Sanctions & withdrawal from deal will change Iran behavior

We don't want Iran to get a nuclear weapon. The previous administration put them on a pathway that virtually guaranteed that they could get there. So we withdrew from the ridiculous JCPOA and are moving ourselves towards a set of policies which will convince Iran to behave simply like a normal nation-- Our mission has been very clear: deny them the wealth and resources and their capacity to build out a nuclear program, and be prepared to do all that it takes to prevent that from happening.
Source: CBS Face the Nation 2019 interview Jun 16, 2019

Pete Buttigieg: Restore Iran deal; work with allies in Europe and the region

If we want to see stability in the Middle East we should be engaging with our partners there as well as allies like our European partners who are such an important part of the Iran nuclear deal. Another thing I would never have done is to get us out of the nuclear deal setting off a chain reaction that has destabilized the regional security framework and the politics of that area, and making it that much harder for any moderates that are still in the Iranian regime to get anywhere.
Source: CBS Face the Nation 2019 interview Jun 16, 2019

Pete Buttigieg: Never should have left Iran deal, will do something new

Q: What would you do about Iran?

BUTTIGIEG: First of all, engage our allies. We are not alone. At least we shouldn't be acting alone. Another thing I would never have done is to get us out of the nuclear deal setting off a chain reaction that has destabilized the regional security framework and the politics of that area. We need to have a completely different approach. We're going to have to do something new. The point is that we never should have left it in the first place.

Source: CBS Face the Nation 2019 interview series Jun 16, 2019

Beto O`Rourke: End war in Afghanistan; even work with Taliban

We've got to end our war in Afghanistan. We've got to make sure that we satisfy the conditions that first led us to go to war in the first place. That those who perpetrated 9/11 are brought to justice. That Afghanistan is never again used to stage attacks on the United States of America or Americans. Now it is time for us to work with the partners in the region to produce a lasting peace and stability and bring our U.S. service members back home.

Sometimes, you don't have the fortune of working just with your allies, your friends, or the people with whom you agree. In order to produce peace, you sometimes have to negotiate and work with your enemies. And that's true for Afghanistan.

Source: CBS Face the Nation 2019 interview of presidential hopefuls May 26, 2019

Beto O`Rourke: Default should be to pursue peace, not war

I'm suspicious of a national security team that has so often called for war. The body count on both sides will not be measured in the hundreds or the thousands but the tens or hundreds of thousands. If there is a peaceful alternative to this -- and I know that there is -- then we must do everything within our power to pursue it. I'd stick up for our values, make sure that we defend our allies, protect the lives of our fellow Americans. But do that peacefully where we can.
Source: CBS Face the Nation 2019 interview of presidential hopefuls May 26, 2019

  • The above quotations are from CBS "Face the Nation" interviews during 2019
    (Margaret Brennan interviewing candidates for 2019-20 races).
  • Click here for definitions & background information on War & Peace.
  • Click here for other issues (main summary page).
  • Click here for more quotes by John Hickenlooper on War & Peace.
  • Click here for more quotes by Bernie Sanders on War & Peace.
2020 Presidential contenders on War & Peace:
  Democrats running for President:
Sen.Michael Bennet (D-CO)
V.P.Joe Biden (D-DE)
Mayor Mike Bloomberg (I-NYC)
Gov.Steve Bullock (D-MT)
Mayor Pete Buttigieg (D-IN)
Sen.Cory Booker (D-NJ)
Secy.Julian Castro (D-TX)
Gov.Lincoln Chafee (L-RI)
Rep.John Delaney (D-MD)
Rep.Tulsi Gabbard (D-HI)
Sen.Amy Klobuchar (D-MN)
Gov.Deval Patrick (D-MA)
Sen.Bernie Sanders (I-VT)
CEO Tom Steyer (D-CA)
Sen.Elizabeth Warren (D-MA)
Marianne Williamson (D-CA)
CEO Andrew Yang (D-NY)

2020 Third Party Candidates:
Rep.Justin Amash (L-MI)
CEO Don Blankenship (C-WV)
Gov.Lincoln Chafee (L-RI)
Howie Hawkins (G-NY)
Gov.Gary Johnson(L-NM)
Howard Schultz(I-WA)
Gov.Jesse Ventura (I-MN)
Republicans running for President:
Sen.Ted Cruz(R-TX)
Gov.Larry Hogan (R-MD)
Gov.John Kasich(R-OH)
V.P.Mike Pence(R-IN)
Gov.Mark Sanford (R-SC)
Pres.Donald Trump(R-NY)
Rep.Joe Walsh (R-IL)
Gov.Bill Weld(R-MA & L-NY)

2020 Withdrawn Democratic Candidates:
Sen.Stacey Abrams (D-GA)
Mayor Bill de Blasio (D-NYC)
Sen.Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY)
Sen.Mike Gravel (D-AK)
Sen.Kamala Harris (D-CA)
Gov.John Hickenlooper (D-CO)
Gov.Jay Inslee (D-WA)
Mayor Wayne Messam (D-FL)
Rep.Seth Moulton (D-MA)
Rep.Beto O`Rourke (D-TX)
Rep.Tim Ryan (D-CA)
Adm.Joe Sestak (D-PA)
Rep.Eric Swalwell (D-CA)
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Page last updated: Feb 29, 2020