This is a rewritten transcript of the interview with Senator Chris Van Hollen (D–Md.) that aired on Face the Nation on May 24, 2026. The interviewer was Nancy Cordes.
Nancy Cordes asked Van Hollen for his read on the evolving reports about the deal to end hostilities with Iran. Van Hollen called the war a major mistake from the outset and said the president abandoned a campaign promise to avoid war and focus on lowering costs at home. Instead, he argued, the country is facing higher prices, rising interest rates and a prolonged conflict. Summarizing the reported terms, Van Hollen said the Strait of Hormuz would be reopened to shipping — as it was before the conflict — but that Iran appears to retain greater control over the strait and now has a more hardline government. He also noted concerns about the release of some of Iran’s frozen assets. His bottom line: “stop digging” — end the war rather than deepen entanglement.
Cordes moved to the Justice Department’s new $1.8 billion anti-weaponization fund, which has drawn controversy on Capitol Hill. Van Hollen reiterated his characterization of the fund as a political slush fund and described his efforts to force floor votes on amendments that would place limits on eligibility. He said proposed guardrails include barring people who rioted on January 6 and assaulted police officers, excluding those convicted of child sexual abuse, and preventing members of Congress from receiving payouts. He urged Republicans to oppose the fund and support those constraints.
When asked whether there is momentum in Congress to eliminate or rein in the fund, Van Hollen said he hopes so. He suggested many Republicans were more upset that debate over the fund interrupted plans to advance a reconciliation package that would have provided another roughly $70 billion for ICE, and that some senators left town rather than vote on amendments. He promised Democrats would press these votes when they return.
Cordes relayed an administration defense that the fund is lawful and that new rules, appointments and procedures make the process more transparent. Van Hollen dismissed that argument as insufficient and “absurd,” arguing the structure was corrupt from the start. He described the arrangement as one in which the acting Attorney General — previously the president’s personal lawyer, in Van Hollen’s telling — and the president would effectively control a five-member commission, with the president able to remove commissioners. He criticized the administration for refusing to promise full disclosure of fund recipients and raised concerns that part of the broader deal contained favorable tax treatment for the president.
The interview then turned to a Maryland-related criminal case. A judge this week dismissed federal human smuggling charges against Kilmar Abrego Garcia after the man was wrongfully deported to El Salvador and held in a supermax facility there. Van Hollen said he had visited Garcia in El Salvador, has spoken with him and his wife, and welcomed the court’s finding that the prosecution was vindictive. He described the judge’s comments characterizing the government’s actions as an abuse of power and said the case reflects a broader threat to constitutional rights when the administration brings punitive charges in response to someone asserting their legal protections. He noted the Department of Justice intends to appeal and that deportation efforts may continue, but stressed the family’s relief at the court’s decision.
With about a minute left in the interview, Cordes asked about the Democratic National Committee’s long-awaited post-2024 autopsy. Van Hollen called the report incomplete and uneven, saying its release came late and that the DNC chair, Ken Martin, acknowledged responsibility. He argued it would be a mistake to change party leadership with a high-stakes election just months away, while also saying the party must not simply return to pre-Trump approaches. Van Hollen emphasized Democrats need to show they understand Americans’ economic struggles, promise concrete action on those issues, and oppose powerful special interests that he said work to rig the system against ordinary people.
Cordes thanked the senator for joining the program; Van Hollen closed by reiterating his criticisms and priorities.