The following is the transcript of the interview with Sen. Tammy Duckworth that aired on “Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan” on Oct. 5, 2025.
MARGARET BRENNAN: And we’re now joined by Illinois Democratic Senator Tammy Duckworth. Good morning, and good to have you here, in person. So, I have to ask you about what the President announced yesterday in regard to federalizing 300 National Guardsmen out in the state of Illinois. We’ve heard this threat going back all the way to August. The governor says these are not needed. Do you have any idea when they’ll arrive?
SENATOR TAMMY DUCKWORTH: Well, I believe they’re going to be Illinois National Guardsmen. So, they’re not going to be coming from out of state. I spoke with our governor yesterday, and it looks like it’s going to be about 300 Illinois Guardsmen who will be activated against the governor’s wishes. So they’ll be they’ll be homegrown Illinoisans, and they’re our brothers and sisters, our neighbors. I probably served with quite a number of them, certainly the leadership. And, you know, they’ll be home. We’ll welcome them. It’s a misuse of the National Guard. They’re they’re not needed in this particular role. If President Trump really wanted to fight crime, then maybe he should stop defunding the police he, you know, he diverted $800 million in crime prevention efforts away from- that was appropriated away from funding for our police officers. So, you know, I- they’re not needed, but we’re going to welcome them, because they’re our brothers and sisters, and we’re proud of our National Guard.
MARGARET BRENNAN: He has surged, or the federal government has surged, agents from different groups. The FBI said yesterday they’re sending folks in. Tell me about these protests, because the images look pretty intense of what has happened between people on the streets of Chicago, we’re showing some of that video now, around immigration issues. As I understand yesterday, ice authorities shot a Chicago woman in the Brighton Park area. Secretary Noem claimed ICE fired defensive shots at this woman, who was armed, who had appeared in a border patrol intelligence bulletin previously. She claims that federal agents were surrounded and were threatened. What are local authorities telling you about what they think happened here?
SEN. DUCKWORTH: Well, they lie, right? The Trump administration lies. We have a president who is a known liar, and they have been- they’ve been lying about the situation all along. And, in fact, they even shot tear grenades- tear gas grenades, I think, at a reporter who was simply driving by with her window open. And so, we’re urging people, we’re urging our protesters, remain calm, peaceful protests, exercise the First Amendment rights. But video-tape everything. Everybody has a phone; tape everything, so we actually have real evidence of what is happening. We know the Trump administration lies consistently. And what I am hearing is that, for the large part, people are being very quiet, are being very respectful. But ICE is being very aggressive. Remember that they are zip-tying children. They are raiding apartment blocks in the middle of the night, separating children from their families, pulling people out onto the streets naked. They are using Gestapo tactics in Chicago, and this is what Trump wants to do, right? He wants to intimidate the people of Chicago. That’s not going to happen, and we’re going to document everything and make sure, just as the judge in Portland said, that these- these requirements, these orders from the Trump administration, are not actually tied to reality.
MARGARET BRENNAN: You’re talking about President Trump’s directive to send Oregon National Guard troops into Portland, and the judge said that- untethered to the facts. But, in this case, I mean, the Homeland Security Advisor says there’s a large and growing movement of left-wing terrorism, organized and funded. They’re posting, on Homeland Security, images of snipers. So we’re not talking troops, we’re talking about federal agents that are carrying out some of this right now. Have you seen any evidence of what Stephen Miller is describing here in terms of organization and targeting of federal agents?
SEN. DUCKWORTH: No, not at all. This is- it’s simply not happening. They are lying. And so, if anybody is targeting anyone, it is out of control ICE agents targeting, again, zip-tying children, throwing reporters onto the ground, separating children from their mothers, trying to convince schools to turn over kids from public schools. They are raging through the streets of Chicago, trying to intimidate everyday, ordinary citizens, or just trying to go to school and go to work. That’s not acceptable. That’s not what America is about. And it is shameful that the present United States has instigated this on one of its greatest cities. He should be defending the city. He should be protecting the city. Send us the federal dollars that were appropriated in a bipartisan way to support law enforcement. They took money away from law enforcement officers, child prevention effort- violence against children prevention efforts. They- they’ve literally, this president, has defunded the police.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Well, that is counter their messaging, at least. But on the messaging around the military, I want to ask you about what happened at Quantico. And, just so our viewers are clear, you serve on Armed Services, but you retired from the National Guard. You were a lieutenant colonel.
SEN. DUCKWORTH: 23 years proud of it.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Blackhawk helicopter pilot in Iraq. You served in combat. Secretary Hegseth told senior military leaders just a few days ago he doesn’t want to prevent women from serving, but he’s now going to require everyone meet the male standard. Let’s listen to that.
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SECRETARY OF WAR PETE HEGSETH: When it comes to any job that requires physical power to perform in combat, those physical standards must be high and gender neutral. If women can make it, excellent. If not, it is what it is. If that means no women qualify for some combat jobs, so be it. That is not the intent, but it could be the result.
((END VIDEO CLIP))
MARGARET BRENNAN: How did you hear those remarks, and how do you think female service people heard them?
SEN. DUCKWORTH: Well, this is the least qualified Secretary of Defense in our nation’s history, and he’s questioning the ability of the women who actually qualify to their- to do their jobs. The female Rangers, the female that graduated from seal school, have met those highest standards. And, by the way, he is obfuscating a little bit because there are different male standards. The standard for 45 year-old man is not the same as an 18 year-old man. So he doesn’t actually talk about that. He has long sought to push women out of the military. And, frankly, our military could not do its job of protecting America and keeping us safe without the women who serve in the military. If you look at some lessons we learned in Afghanistan, for example, the lionesses, the Marine Corps group of women who actually went on patrol, all-female units that actually was able to get intelligence from women- Afghani women to get information on the enemy. Frankly, you’ve got a least qualified secretary of defense in the nation’s history who wastes taxpayer dollars on a regular basis doing things like bringing in general and flag officers to be an audience for his dog and pony show, using them as little toy soldiers when they should be out there at your units in command, doing their jobs.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Senator, thank you for your time and for your insight. We’ll be back in a moment.
