Transcript: Rep. Ro Khanna on "Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan," Sept. 20, 2026

California Congressman Ro Khanna, a Democrat and the top Democrat on the Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party, appeared on Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan on September 20, 2026. Khanna proposed that Chinese AI firms cooperate with American companies to slow AI advancement until society develops appropriate safeguards.

However, Khanna's letters to Chinese firms, such as DeepSeek and Alibaba, went unanswered. The FBI, NSA, and Homeland Security's CISA have warned that China-based AI companies are engaging in industrial-scale technology theft and copying American models. Khanna emphasized the need for international agreements with Xi Jinping to establish basic standards, including data center monitoring and enforceable verification tools.

Both Khanna and Trump support the idea of forming an AI czar and AI Force, similar to the Space Force, to tackle AI regulation. Khanna suggested that establishing an AI agency like the FDA would be more effective than placing the responsibility solely on existing bodies like Cyber Command.