Transcript: Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders on "Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan," July 26, 2026

Updated on: July 26, 2026 / 12:41 PM EDT / CBS News Add CBS News on Google The following is the full transcription of an interview with Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, an Independent, a portion of which aired on "Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan" on July 26, 2026.MARGARET BRENNAN: We begin this morning with Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders. Welcome back to Face the Nation, Senator.SENATOR BERNIE SANDERS: Good to be with you.MARGARET BRENNAN: Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth told Congress he needs $67 billion on an emergency basis to help pay the troops, to help restock munitions. I know you object to the war, but we're in this thing now, and- and I know you want to help the troops. So, how do you do that without providing the funding?SEN. SANDERS: Well, Margaret, we need $67 billion to build housing, to make sure that all of our people have healthcare, that we deal with climate change, that we deal with a middle class- a working class in this country that is struggling. The war in Iran is unconstitutional. It is illegal. Should never have been started. We need to sit down, negotiate, end this war as quickly as possible.MARGARET BRENNAN: So our polling that we just referenced there show that the president does have low approval ratings, but when it comes to Democrats, they actually fare slightly worse on this. When they were asked by CBS who has the better approach to Iran, 32% say Trump and the GOP, only 30% say Democrats. So, what should the solution be here? Is there an affirmative vision from Democrats on how to get out of it?SEN. SANDERS: The solution should be A- and by the way, both the House and the Senate have voted for War Powers Resolution that makes it clear what Trump is doing is illegal. But given that we are where we are right now, let's sit down. Let's negotiate with them. Let's stop the killing. Let's stop the devastation to our economy, which is raising gas prices, prices all across the board. That's what we've got to do. Sit down, negotiate. Let's end this war. MARGARET BRENNAN: Just cut the losses where they are?SEN. SANDERS: Yes.MARGARET BRENNAN: Okay. Well, we are 100 days out from the midterm races. I know you've been working, going around the country to help boost some of these progressive candidates. Maine is a state that could flip control of the Senate. Yesterday, 600 Maine primary delegates replaced scandal-ridden Graham Platner with Troy Jackson. He's a logger. He's a progressive. He had been allied with Platner before he called on him to wake out in the wake of those sexual assault allegations. I'm wondering, with 100 days out, can Jackson play catch-up here?SEN. SANDERS: I think he can. I think what Troy- and I've known Troy for many years. What he understands that the people of Maine are sick and tired of a rigged economy, in which the billionaire class is getting richer and richer, where we have more income and wealth inequality today than we've ever had in the history of this country. While 60% of our people, including in Maine, including in Vermont, all over this country, are living paycheck-to-paycheck, trying to put food on the table, trying to pay for healthcare, for housing, put aside a few bucks for retirement. Troy understands that. He's a working class guy. He's from the working class. He is very articulate. I think he stands an excellent chance to win. The problem that he has, and the problem that we have in Michigan and Minnesota right now, we have candidates Abdul El-Sayed and Peggy Flanagan- is that the oligarchs, the billionaire class, are throwing unbelievable amounts of money into these campaigns to protect the establishment candidates, and whether we can overcome that, that remains to be seen. But in Michigan right now-- MARGARET BRENNAN: Yeah.SEN. SANDERS: --the super PACs- billionaire super PACs, spending $50 million against El-Sayed.MARGARET BRENNAN: Well, you were an early supporter in Maine of Graham Platner. You helped him rise. Do you regret not acting earlier to call for him to drop out, given the warning signs? Would that have--SEN. SANDERS: No, I--MARGARET BRENNAN: --given you a leg up here with Jackson?SEN. SANDERS: No, I don't think so. When we heard the serious allegations made against him, I wanted to get on the phone. I wanted to talk to him. I did. I asked, along with virtually all his supporters, that he should get out of the race, and he did.MARGARET BRENNAN: But you are confident that with your endorsements, these other candidates have been fully vetted? SEN. SANDERS: Well, look, I think, you know, there are hundreds of candidates. I don't know who has been quote unquote fully vetted--MARGARET BRENNAN: Well, you just mentioned two of them.SEN. SANDERS: --all I know is the candidates- well, all I know is, Margaret, that the candidates that we are supporting are standing up for the working class of this country. And at a time when so many people are discouraged, deeply discouraged, whether you're Republicans, Democrats, Independents, about a, not only a rigged economy, but a corrupt campaign finance system in which billionaires are buying elections, I think the candidates that I and other progressives are supporting are generating enormous grassroots excitement and enthusiasm. As you indicated, I was in Michigan, Minnesota.MARGARET BRENNAN: Yeah.SEN. SANDERS: We had large rallies for El- El-Sayed and Peggy Flanagan.MARGARET BRENNAN: There is, as you know, though, concern within Democratic circles that these inter-party primary fights are draining resources and sort of, you know, pulling away from what should be a unified message. Rahm Emanuel wrote in the Wall Street Journal, "The Bernie Bros could spoil Democrats' midterms." He said the DSA and others are saddling the party with nominees who, as he put it, "wildly unpopular positions will protect Republicans from having to pay the price of Donald Trump's corruption." Said it was, "the socialists who led the charge to defund the police, open borders, abolish prisons." He's saying those are losing messages that are going to hurt the party overall. How do you respond?SEN. SANDERS: That is what– that is what Rahm Emanuel is saying, who no doubt has the support of millions of working class people. Look, this is an argument. There's no- no debate. There is a strong division within the Democratic Party. You have an establishment like Rahm Emanuel, who are dependent on billionaire campaign contributors and want to maintain the status quo. Then you have a progressive movement, which, by the way, what is getting these guys nervous is we are winning all over this country. Suddenly, Mamdani in New York City, it's in New Jersey, it's in Ohio, it's in Colorado. People are sick and tired of the Rahm Emanuels, and the Democratic establishment, and the Republican establishment. They are asking simple questions, Margaret. Why in God's name are we the only major country on Earth not to guarantee healthcare to all people as a human right? Pretty simple question. Canada does it. Europe does it. Somehow we can't do it. Why do we have an economy in which one man, Mr. Musk, owns more wealth than the bottom half of American society? MARGARET BRENNAN: Yeah.SEN. SANDERS: Why do the economists tell us that in the richest country in the history of the world, our kids will likely have a lower standard of living than their parents? The American people are tired of a rigged economy, a corrupt campaign finance system. They want real change. They don't want Rahm Emanuel and the establishment maintaining the status quo.MARGARET BRENNAN: But in the meantime, I hear you on the message that you think is resonating on the, you know, the tactical planning here. Do you think in the state of Michigan that you were just talking about with Abdul El-Sayed, he's a public health official, he's a populist, but he's running against a moderate, Haley Stevens. Do you really think that in a state like Michigan, it's going to be a progressive Democrat who could beat a Republican in November? This was a state Trump narrowly won.SEN. SANDERS: Absolutely. Whether it's Michigan, Minnesota, Vermont, or any place else in this country, the point I'm trying to make, Margaret, and the polling indicates this, the people are sick and tired of the status quo.MARGARET BRENNAN: Yes.SEN. SANDERS: We are the richest country in the history of the world. We should have the highest standard of living for all of our people, not massive income and wealth inequality. And by the way, we should not be continuing to get involved in genocidal wars with Israel in Gaza or getting involved in the destruction of Lebanon. People want change in foreign policy and in domestic policy. The status quo is not working.MARGARET BRENNAN: But for Republicans who are looking at this, they're saying, 'that's great.' Is Bernie going to tell his supporters not to show up, for example, if Haley Stevens wins out in Michigan, or will you say-- SEN. SANDERS: No--MARGARET BRENNAN:--it's- in the end, the Democrats have to unify?SEN. SANDERS: Margaret, the Republicans, and maybe it's the Republican establishment, maybe it's the billionaires who own the Republican Party. Your working-class Republicans are not going to say that they can't afford to pay for healthcare. They can't afford to send their kids to college. They can't afford decent retirements. And more than a few of them, by the way, will be voting for Peggy Flanagan in Minnesota and Abdul in Michigan.MARGARET BRENNAN: You talked about the cost of living. When we look at polling, it's healthcare costs that are the public's top economic worry, according to KFF. Out in Vermont, you've got the most expensive ACA premiums in the entire country. I'm hearing from Republican senators now that they want to make changes to healthcare too. Your chair on the HELP committee, you have been championing change. Why aren't we seeing any traction in Congress if this is the number one issue? Why can't you guys work on a--SEN. SANDERS: That is--MARGARET BRENNAN: --bipartisan basis here?SEN. SANDERS: Margaret, that is a great, great question, and I have to tell you the answer has everything to do with money and politics. That the function of the current healthcare system is not to do what other countries are doing around the world, guaranteeing healthcare, quality healthcare, to all of our people as a human right. The function of the current American healthcare system is to make billions of dollars in profits for the insurance companies and the drug companies, and they are spending huge amounts in campaign contributions to make sure that that happens. So, when we talk about a political revolution, when we talk about a grassroots movement-- MARGARET BRENNAN: Yeah.SEN. SANDERS: --one of the things we're talking about is we have got to join every other major country through a Medicare for All single-payer program.MARGARET BRENNAN: Is there a single-payer program in this country that you think actually worked? I mean, Vermont struggled with it when your state tried it. Is there a model for what you're talking about?SEN. SANDERS: No, look we don't have- no, Vermont. No, there is not. But 50 miles north of where I am talking to you right now, they are spending half as much per capita as we spend, and somehow or another, they manage to guarantee healthcare to every man, woman, and child in that country. You go to the hospital for a month, you come out, there is no bill. Is it a perfect system? No, but we are the only major country that does not guarantee healthcare to all people. That is what we have got to do.MARGARET BRENNAN: You are the ranking member on the HELP committee. The CDC has been without a Senate confirmed leader now for nearly 11 months. The FDA doesn't have a chief going on two months now, there's no surgeon general. Under questioning, Dr. Erica Schwartz, President Trump's nominee, was repeatedly asked if she would resist political pressure. I know her answers did not win your vote, but do you think that she even has enough support to make it out of committee and ultimately to get confirmed?SEN. SANDERS: Look, I liked her personally. I mean, she has a very strong background in public health, in the military. She's an attorney as well. Very impressive resume. But when you're dealing with the Health and Human Services Department agency, the issue is whether people will stand up to Bobby Kennedy- Secretary Kennedy, and his conspiracy theories regarding vaccines, etc. etc. She did not impress me as somebody who, in fact, would do that.MARGARET BRENNAN: You don't think she will ultimately make it through? SEN. SANDERS: I don't know that she will or not.MARGARET BRENNAN: Okay.SEN. SANDERS: She may gain Republicans, but I won't vote for her.MARGARET BRENNAN: You do have bipartisan support from the MAHA caucus for a bill to require warning labels for ultra-processed foods and to try to restrict marketing to kids. Doesn't the FDA kind of already do that with all the disclosures on packaging that tell--SEN. SANDERS: No--MARGARET BRENNAN:--you the ingredients? I mean--SEN. SANDERS: Nowhere near enough. You know, nowhere near enough. Look, we have a problem- really serious crisis in this country in terms of obesity. I think one out of five children in America is obese, and that translates into diabetes, which is, as you know, just a terrible illness impacting our country, and very expensive to deal with. We're spending about $400 billion a year dealing with diabetes, so what I want to see, and I think a lot of people want to see, is strong labeling. You know, so if a mom goes to a grocery store and the kid says, 'hey, I want that Coca-Cola,' understand that a 20-ounce bottle of Coca-Cola has 15 teaspoons of sugar in it. Bad stuff, and it's not just Coke. Obviously, it's all these sweetened drinks and all kinds of processed foods. So, what we are trying to do is A, have strong labeling and B, ban TV advertising of junk food to kids. MARGARET BRENNAN: Well, you do have some Republican support for it. We'll keep an eye on it. Senator Sanders, thank you for your time this morning.