The following is the transcript of the interview with former Defense Secretary Robert Gates that aired on “Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan” on May 17, 2026.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Mr. Secretary, if you’re ready, we’ll dive right in.
FORMER SECRETARY OF DEFENSE ROBERT GATES: Absolutely.
MARGARET BRENNAN: So it’s great to be back here with you, but there’s a lot going on in the world. You said in December we’re living in perhaps one of the most, if not the most, dangerous periods in our modern American history. Why do you feel that way?
SECRETARY GATES: For the first time in our history, we
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