Even for Senate Intelligence Committee chair, all politics is local
At a Monitor Breakfast, Senate Intelligence Committee Chair Mark Warner weighed in on AI, China, and border security. Then I asked the Virginia Democrat if he鈥檇 run for reelection.
Senate Intelligence Committee Chairman Mark Warner spoke to reporters at a Monitor Breakfast at the St. Regis Hotel in Washington on June 18, 2024.
Troy Sambajon/海角大神
Washington
Late in our Monitor Breakfast on June 18 with Sen. Mark Warner, chair of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, I couldn鈥檛 resist asking: Will you run for reelection in 2026?
鈥淪orry!鈥� I added with a chuckle, hoping to convey to the Virginia Democrat that I knew my question seemed off-topic. We had just spent most of the hour discussing the weightiest of issues 鈥� election interference, artificial intelligence, border security, TikTok, China, Russia, Israel.
But I asked Senator Warner about his plans for a reason. There鈥檚 been talk that Virginia鈥檚 fairly popular Republican governor, Glenn Youngkin, might challenge him in 2026. Suddenly, too, Virginia is looking competitive in the presidential race. If the Old Dominion is edging rightward, that could affect Mr. Warner鈥檚 prospects 鈥� and suggest larger forces at play in American politics.
Predictably, the senator didn鈥檛 answer my question. But he immediately pivoted into campaign mode, touting the expertise he has built up serving on and then leading this key committee. And he alluded to his past as a successful entrepreneur in telecommunications. It鈥檚 obvious technology doesn鈥檛 scare him.
鈥淚 feel I鈥檓 adding value in this job,鈥� Mr. Warner said, appearing at his fourth Monitor Breakfast. He鈥檚 also proud of his work with Republicans, calling his panel the Senate鈥檚 鈥渓ast fully functioning bipartisan committee.鈥�
The Virginia Democrat clearly approaches his role, and the access to classified information it entails, with the seriousness it deserves. At our breakfast, when asked about a sensitive intelligence matter, he would often pause, look up, and quietly ask himself a version of, 鈥淥K, what can I say here?鈥�
Mr. Warner did have plenty to say.聽聽that artificial intelligence and disinformation could turn the November election into 鈥渢he Wild, Wild West.鈥澛爐hat the United States needs to 鈥渦p our game鈥� on tracking Chinese technology. The Washington Times聽.
Watch the moment I asked Mr. Warner for his thoughts on reelection at 1:00:20 on our YouTube.聽