Transcript: Rep. John James on “Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan,” Aug. 30, 2026

The following is the transcript of the interview with Rep. John James, Republican of Michigan, that aired on “Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan” on Aug. 30, 2026.

MARGARET BRENNAN: And we’re back with Michigan Congressman John James, who is also the Republican nominee for governor in his state. He joins us from Rockford, Michigan. Good morning to you, Congressman.

REP. JOHN JAMES: Hey, Margaret. Good morning. Thank you so much for having me on. I’m really excited because in a state like Michigan, we have the most extreme ticket running with Abdel Al Sayed and Jocelyn Benson campaigning with people who said that we deserve 9/11, I say never forget.

MARGARET BRENNAN: Wow, I want to ask you about some issues with your platform and the like, but never forget. Of course, I’m sorry. Did you just accuse Senate candidates of something to do with terrorism? I’m not clear on what you just said.

REP. JAMES: Yeah, they’re- they’re campaigning with extremists who say that America deserved 9/11, and I think that coming up on the 25th anniversary of 9/11, these are statements that are way out of bounds and should definitely be clarified. Michigan is ground zero for this republic in this next election, and we need to make sure that we stop socialism and that we save the state of Michigan, because we don’t do it here, it’s going to go to the rest of the country.

MARGARET BRENNAN: Okay, I think you’re talking about a supporter of a Senate candidate that that Senate candidate has started to distance himself from, and that influencer Hassan Piker has disavowed those past comments he made, but let’s put that aside because I don’t want to get into that. I want to talk about you. You are an Iraq war vet, and we are now given your time in uniform and your service to this country. I wonder what you think that we’re now at the six-month mark of the war with Iran. We were told it was going to be four to six weeks. As you know, it’s unpopular. 61% of Americans, according to our polling, disapprove of it. It’s driven up gas prices. It’s affecting America’s role in the world. I wonder if you agree with what appears to be a switch away from military force towards economic sanctions. And do you think your constituents deserve more of an explanation from the administration as to what they’re doing?

REP. JAMES: I believe very strongly when people say “death to America,” we should take them at their word. I graduated West Point in the class of 2004, and we took our oath of affirmation, knowing that we would go to war. And as a result, the class of 2004 suffered the most casualties of any service academy since Vietnam. We understand the cost of war. We hate war, and we want to use every method, diplomatic or economic, to make sure that we keep Americans safe and we keep our young military members out of war. I applaud the administration’s effort to make sure that Iran has no nukes, so they cannot threaten America and our allies. I applaud the administration’s efforts to use every resource at their disposal to pursue peace, and these are the types of things that- that- that our people want. But we also have a number of things in the state of Michigan that we can do to lower the cost of living, to increase affordability, and these are the types of things that I’m running to do as governor to reduce harmful regulations that will lower gas prices and will lower the cost of groceries. These are the types of things that Michiganders are talking about: increasing affordability, particularly with energy and housing and healthcare. And I’m excited to be able to do that here at home.

MARGARET BRENNAN: Okay. Well, Michigan, in particular, has a major reliance on trade with Canada, your neighbor to the north. Their prime minister said he’s going to match the U.S. tariffs on Canada dollar for dollar, starting September 8. Do you have any idea what this trade war is going to cost Michigan?

REP. JAMES: Absolutely. I am somebody who actually understands the automotive industry. I’m an automotive supplier. I have actually created jobs in the state of Michigan, and I recognize how important and crucial our partnership with our friends and family in Canada is. But I also recognize how crucial it is that the status quo not continue. Michigan has lost over 300,000 manufacturing jobs since the 90s, and that cannot continue. But at the same time, we need the negotiators to go back to the table, stop acting like children, and negotiate a fair, mutually beneficial, reciprocal deal that will benefit the United States of America and the state of Michigan. As a governor, I will be able to work with the president, be able to work with the prime minister to make sure that we can do this. Hopefully, it doesn’t take that long, but I stand ready and willing to assist to make sure that we have an economy that works for Michiganders and one that will continue to create prosperity in the state of Michigan.

MARGARET BRENNAN: So, if you win, you would be Michigan’s chief executive here. So, January 1st, when you would be sworn in, is the very same date President Trump says he’ll hit Canada with a 50% tariff on cars, trucks, auto parts, and steel. Canada’s prime minister said workers in your state rely on Canadian demand since they are the largest customer for autos. This is going to be a big blow on the first day of your administration. Would you ask the White House not to do this?

REP. JAMES: Well, we’re already talking with with members of the trade team and we’re going to be continuing to engage with them so that we can avoid those things. Look, tariffs are not the objective. The objective is to protect Michigan jobs. The objective is to make sure that we deepen and continue our relationship with Canada. But it cannot be borne on the backs of Michiganders. Michigan is a state that relies on-on free and fair trade, but it cannot come at the expense of Michiganders. So again, as somebody who’s been in the automotive industry who understands this, the prime minister has also said that he’s targeting politically sensitive states. He should not be bullying Michigan because the- the negotiators can’t come to a deal. We need to stop the bickering–

[CROSS TALK]

MARGARET BRENNAN: Well, President Trump said–

REP. JAMES: The negotiators need to sit in a room–

MARGARET BRENNAN: –he was going to do tariffs first.

REP. JAMES: –they should probably- Well, well, you know what? I have kids, and I recognize that when you have people who are fighting, you just want people to fix it. Yeah. And these are adults. The negotiators need to get back in the room and negotiate, and not leave until they have a deal. As the governor of the state of Michigan, I will be uniquely situated to make sure that these-these things don’t happen and we continue to grow jobs because the fact of the matter is Michigan is 42nd in the nation in infrastructure. We’re 43rd in the nation in economy. We’re 45th in the nation in education. We’re 46th overall. Outside, people want to make this about the president. Democrats want to make this about the president. But there are 45 states doing better than Michigan, and we all have the same president. By having a governor who will work with everybody on both sides, and including Canada, to make sure that we grow our economy, because the status quo isn’t working, Michigan has been hurt. We will continue for it to have a more prosperous future and affordable future for Michigan.

MARGARET BRENNAN: Okay, on that point, I want to ask you about your position on data centers. This is such a hot topic. You’ve said both that the decision to allow data centers should be left to local communities, and then the John James campaign said you support a moratorium on new data centers until there’s a plan to protect local communities. Which is it?

REP. JAMES: Yeah, they’re not, they’re not mutually exclusive. They are the same. My position is that we need to have a plan to protect our communities. Until we do, then we have to make sure that we have local control. Our electricity bills can’t go up. We must protect our water. We have to prevent pollution–

MARGARET BRENNAN: So we have to hold off for now until there is a vote? 

REP. JAMES: that includes land, air, noise pollution, and then we need to make sure that we prioritize blighted and brownfields over productive green farmland. And then, of course, we all need to make sure that we have diverse growth in our economy. But Michigan is open for business, but we are not for sale. We need to make sure that we are repealing Public Act 233 and Public Act 235 that give Lansing all the control and pursues these Green New Deal initiatives that are making everything more expensive from our gas to our groceries. You look at our prices, from our taxes to our energy costs. We are the highest amongst other Midwestern states. So again, we need to have local control, and we need to make sure we prevent pollution, make sure our electricity bills don’t go up. We prioritize blighted brownfields over productive green farmland.

MARGARET BRENNAN: All right, John James, Congressman, thank you for your time today. We’ll be right back.