CBS’s Margaret Brennan Gets Shut Down Over Trump Loyalty Questions [WATCH]

Former Secretary of Defense Robert Gates appeared on CBS News’ Face the Nation on Sunday, where he addressed questions surrounding the National Security Council (NSC), President Donald Trump’s relationship with the intelligence community, and expectations of loyalty among White House personnel.

Gates joined CBS host Margaret Brennan amid renewed media scrutiny of President Trump’s national security strategy and reports that the president has expressed skepticism toward some elements of the intelligence community.

Brennan questioned whether such skepticism, paired with an emphasis on loyalty within the NSC, posed a concern for U.S. national security.

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Gates, who led the Department of Defense under both President George W. Bush and President Barack Obama, responded by defending the president’s right to establish loyalty as a standard for those serving in key national security roles.

“The NSC is the president’s personal foreign policy team,” Gates said.

“If you can’t support and defend the president’s policies, you don’t belong inside the White House complex.”

Gates added, “I think you need to give the president your honest views on things, on the subjects that you’re in charge of. And it may be unwelcome to him, but he needs to hear different perspectives and different points of view. Being loyal doesn’t mean pulling your punches in terms of the policy debate, but once the president’s made a decision, then you have to salute.”

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When asked directly whether views about the 2020 election or the Justice Department should factor into that loyalty standard, Gates did not comment on specific political issues but reaffirmed the basic principle that disagreement during policy formation is acceptable, but subordinates must support the president’s decisions once they are finalized.

Gates also reaffirmed a mantra he used while serving in government: “Be loyal or be gone.”

President Trump “has a right to expect loyalty” by National Security Council staff and “if you hold views that are unacceptable to the president” on issues like the 2020 election, “you don’t belong inside the White House complex,” former Defense Secretary Robert Gates says.

“I… pic.twitter.com/XXrHa8FbUs

— Face The Nation (@FaceTheNation) May 18, 2025

The interview highlighted ongoing tensions between the media and the Trump administration regarding the role of political loyalty in federal agencies and national security roles.

Brennan pressed Gates on whether the emphasis on loyalty might conflict with professional standards or independent judgment.

Gates maintained that offering honest counsel is part of the job but that following the president’s lead is a requirement for serving within the White House.

The discussion shifted later in the program to immigration, where Brennan questioned Secretary of State Marco Rubio about the recent admission of 59 South African farmers to the United States as refugees.

The case received attention after it was confirmed that the farmers, citing persecution in their home country, were approved for entry.

While CBS raised questions about refugee admissions in this case, the volume of focus stood in contrast to earlier periods during the Biden-Harris administration when large-scale illegal immigration surged at the southern U.S. border.

During Biden’s presidency, millions of illegal migrants crossed into the country, many of whom were released into the U.S. interior.

Officials have linked that wave of migration to multiple criminal incidents, prompting criticism of Biden’s immigration policy from conservative leaders and law enforcement associations.

Rubio emphasized that the South African refugee case involved a legal and highly vetted process, unlike the broader illegal immigration trends seen during the previous administration.

🚨Marco Rubio methodically schools CBS’ Margaret Brennan on South African refugees:

“These are people that, on the basis of their race, are having their properties taken away from them and their lives are being threatened and in some cases k*lled.”

“We’ve often been lectured by… pic.twitter.com/cNo4pStJ1c

— Western Lensman (@WesternLensman) May 18, 2025

The Sunday program marked a renewed point of contention between conservative officials and mainstream media outlets, with Trump-era policies and loyalty standards continuing to face media pushback, particularly from networks like CBS.

The interview reflected the ongoing divide between legacy press coverage and the current administration’s efforts to reshape national security and immigration policy priorities.

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