1 00:00:00,120 --> 00:00:02,840 Speaker 1: Hammer. We have a special guest on the line, do 2 00:00:02,960 --> 00:00:04,000 Speaker 1: we yeahs. 3 00:00:03,680 --> 00:00:06,360 Speaker 2: A friend of the show who is moving up through 4 00:00:06,360 --> 00:00:10,400 Speaker 2: the ranks. He is now the principal deputy spokesperson for 5 00:00:10,480 --> 00:00:14,400 Speaker 2: the State Department. Tommy Piggott joins us to Tommy, Welcome 6 00:00:14,400 --> 00:00:15,880 Speaker 2: back to the show, my friend. How are you. 7 00:00:16,640 --> 00:00:18,639 Speaker 3: I'm doing well. Great to be back. Great to be back. 8 00:00:19,640 --> 00:00:24,759 Speaker 2: So what is the latest on this situation in Venezuela. Here, 9 00:00:25,079 --> 00:00:27,920 Speaker 2: we know about the raid, We know that it was 10 00:00:27,960 --> 00:00:30,880 Speaker 2: a group of elite American badasses that went in there 11 00:00:30,880 --> 00:00:33,720 Speaker 2: and executed this thing. I think the next question a 12 00:00:33,720 --> 00:00:37,960 Speaker 2: lot of people have is what's next for Venezuela. 13 00:00:38,120 --> 00:00:41,680 Speaker 3: Well, what an operation? Right? Really showing greatness of America 14 00:00:41,760 --> 00:00:44,760 Speaker 3: on display. The fact that this happened. I mean, I 15 00:00:44,800 --> 00:00:47,000 Speaker 3: think the world woke up and was really shocked about 16 00:00:47,000 --> 00:00:49,519 Speaker 3: the abilities of the United States bringing this fugitive of 17 00:00:49,960 --> 00:00:53,720 Speaker 3: American justice to justice, to face justice in America Maduro 18 00:00:53,880 --> 00:00:57,080 Speaker 3: and his wife. When we're looking at what's next, I mean, 19 00:00:57,200 --> 00:00:59,560 Speaker 3: it's defined by what our national interest is are in 20 00:00:59,640 --> 00:01:03,120 Speaker 3: basic we've had the President and the Secretary been talking 21 00:01:03,120 --> 00:01:05,920 Speaker 3: about our national interest regarding Venezuela since even before the 22 00:01:05,920 --> 00:01:09,800 Speaker 3: President took office talking about the drugs coming out of Venezuela, 23 00:01:09,880 --> 00:01:12,800 Speaker 3: the cooperation with narco terrorists, the fact that we see 24 00:01:12,840 --> 00:01:16,039 Speaker 3: gangs leaving Venezuela. So we're focused on addressing those national 25 00:01:16,040 --> 00:01:18,520 Speaker 3: security concerns, and so in the short term we're talking 26 00:01:18,520 --> 00:01:23,000 Speaker 3: about a stabilization country in the immediate aftermath of this. 27 00:01:23,600 --> 00:01:25,959 Speaker 3: Then when we're looking at medium term, we're talking about recovery, 28 00:01:26,160 --> 00:01:28,760 Speaker 3: which includes the president's event today for example, talking with 29 00:01:28,800 --> 00:01:32,160 Speaker 3: oil companies, getting Western companies from there about oil right 30 00:01:32,200 --> 00:01:33,920 Speaker 3: seeing we can develop that, we have the deal for 31 00:01:34,000 --> 00:01:36,360 Speaker 3: thirty to fifty million barrels of oil coming to the 32 00:01:36,440 --> 00:01:39,399 Speaker 3: United States, and the proceeds of that will then be 33 00:01:39,520 --> 00:01:42,000 Speaker 3: used to buy Americans. So it's benefiting both the people 34 00:01:42,000 --> 00:01:44,880 Speaker 3: of Venezuela and the people of America. And then when 35 00:01:44,880 --> 00:01:46,600 Speaker 3: you're looking at sort of the long term, that's when 36 00:01:46,640 --> 00:01:49,200 Speaker 3: you talk about a transition. So you know it's possible 37 00:01:49,240 --> 00:01:51,880 Speaker 3: those overlapples, some things happen all at the same time. Right. 38 00:01:51,920 --> 00:01:54,240 Speaker 3: That's not a clean literal sort of thing there, but 39 00:01:54,280 --> 00:01:55,720 Speaker 3: that's kind of a way to think about it. Those 40 00:01:55,720 --> 00:01:58,840 Speaker 3: three stages in terms of what comes next in Venezuela. 41 00:01:59,040 --> 00:02:04,400 Speaker 1: Tell me about the money the United States is going 42 00:02:04,440 --> 00:02:07,400 Speaker 1: to take in from what happened in Venezuela in terms 43 00:02:07,480 --> 00:02:09,800 Speaker 1: of the oil, what is that money going to do 44 00:02:09,840 --> 00:02:11,920 Speaker 1: for the American people? Is that money going to be 45 00:02:12,840 --> 00:02:16,000 Speaker 1: to pay down debt? Is that money coming back to us? 46 00:02:16,040 --> 00:02:18,440 Speaker 1: Does that mean cheaper gas prices? What all does the 47 00:02:18,440 --> 00:02:19,800 Speaker 1: oil situation entail? 48 00:02:20,720 --> 00:02:22,959 Speaker 3: Well, I mean, it's very significant. It's significant for a 49 00:02:23,000 --> 00:02:25,639 Speaker 3: lot of reasons. Venezuela, if you were just to put 50 00:02:25,680 --> 00:02:28,720 Speaker 3: a price on it has oil reserves worth trillions of dollars, 51 00:02:28,720 --> 00:02:32,560 Speaker 3: and you have infrastructure that back many many years ago, 52 00:02:32,680 --> 00:02:35,280 Speaker 3: the United States and our companies helped build. Our blood, 53 00:02:35,280 --> 00:02:37,680 Speaker 3: sweat and tears went into that infrastructure, and as the 54 00:02:37,680 --> 00:02:40,360 Speaker 3: President's described, it was taken from the United States. It 55 00:02:40,400 --> 00:02:44,120 Speaker 3: was stolen from the United States. So what we're seeing 56 00:02:44,160 --> 00:02:47,760 Speaker 3: now is an effort to upgrade, rebuild what is actually 57 00:02:47,760 --> 00:02:51,560 Speaker 3: a dilapidated infrastructure to allow more oil production. And I 58 00:02:51,560 --> 00:02:54,360 Speaker 3: think this deal that was just struck offers a really 59 00:02:54,360 --> 00:02:57,520 Speaker 3: illustrative example of how this will benefit the American people. 60 00:02:57,919 --> 00:03:00,640 Speaker 3: We're talking about the thirty to fifth in million barrels 61 00:03:00,639 --> 00:03:03,520 Speaker 3: of oil coming to the United States and then that 62 00:03:03,560 --> 00:03:06,000 Speaker 3: revenue being used in a way that doesn't go to 63 00:03:06,080 --> 00:03:09,880 Speaker 3: a corrupt regime is and pocketed by corrupt officials, instead 64 00:03:09,960 --> 00:03:12,320 Speaker 3: benefits the Venezuelan people. And the way it does that 65 00:03:12,400 --> 00:03:16,200 Speaker 3: is through buying American buying American goods, buying American medicine 66 00:03:16,360 --> 00:03:18,680 Speaker 3: and other things. That's the president is described. And we're 67 00:03:18,680 --> 00:03:21,680 Speaker 3: also talking about American and Western companies being involved in 68 00:03:21,720 --> 00:03:24,320 Speaker 3: the production of this oil, that they'll get the oil 69 00:03:24,840 --> 00:03:27,919 Speaker 3: out of the ground, and of course that lowers energy 70 00:03:27,919 --> 00:03:32,120 Speaker 3: prices for Americans. And what that also does when that 71 00:03:32,520 --> 00:03:35,920 Speaker 3: lowers those energy prices, it helps the entire economy. And 72 00:03:35,960 --> 00:03:38,320 Speaker 3: we're talking about trillions of dollars worth of oil in 73 00:03:38,400 --> 00:03:41,320 Speaker 3: terms of the reserves that Venezuela has, So it's really significant. 74 00:03:42,120 --> 00:03:44,920 Speaker 2: And Tommy, talk a little bit if you can't about 75 00:03:45,000 --> 00:03:48,880 Speaker 2: the way this was covered in the national media, because 76 00:03:48,920 --> 00:03:51,200 Speaker 2: we've been kind of joking on our show that the 77 00:03:51,240 --> 00:03:55,440 Speaker 2: same people that were protesting no Kings here in Indianapolis, 78 00:03:55,560 --> 00:03:58,040 Speaker 2: you know, a month or two ago, are now protesting 79 00:03:58,120 --> 00:04:01,800 Speaker 2: free Maduro just because Donald Trump is the president and 80 00:04:01,800 --> 00:04:04,080 Speaker 2: as the man behind this all. How do you think 81 00:04:04,120 --> 00:04:08,200 Speaker 2: this was covered nationally from the mainstream media. 82 00:04:08,320 --> 00:04:10,400 Speaker 3: Well, there are many people that will oppose something just 83 00:04:10,400 --> 00:04:13,120 Speaker 3: because the President does it. I do in some ways 84 00:04:13,120 --> 00:04:14,800 Speaker 3: I feel sorry for them because it gets harder and 85 00:04:14,840 --> 00:04:17,040 Speaker 3: harder to do every single day when the President delivers 86 00:04:17,240 --> 00:04:20,440 Speaker 3: on promise after promise after promise. But in this example, 87 00:04:20,440 --> 00:04:23,760 Speaker 3: I mean, you had so many people that forever were 88 00:04:23,800 --> 00:04:27,800 Speaker 3: falsely criticizing Trump, claiming that he was going soft on MADRK. 89 00:04:28,160 --> 00:04:30,800 Speaker 3: That was the criticism that the President falsely faced for 90 00:04:30,839 --> 00:04:32,839 Speaker 3: a very long time. And then, of course those same 91 00:04:32,839 --> 00:04:36,240 Speaker 3: people are now criticizing the fact that President Trump, through 92 00:04:36,279 --> 00:04:39,880 Speaker 3: his orders, has brought Nicholas Maduro to face justice in America. 93 00:04:40,400 --> 00:04:42,800 Speaker 3: And what we're talking about again here is someone who 94 00:04:42,800 --> 00:04:45,839 Speaker 3: faced an indictment. He is an indicted narco terrorist, He 95 00:04:45,880 --> 00:04:49,919 Speaker 3: was a fugitive of American justice. He was collaborating with 96 00:04:50,160 --> 00:04:53,680 Speaker 3: narco terrorists across the region. And what we saw here 97 00:04:53,760 --> 00:04:56,120 Speaker 3: was strong action to bring him to face justice. So 98 00:04:56,520 --> 00:04:58,960 Speaker 3: I think also the important context here as well is 99 00:04:59,000 --> 00:05:01,240 Speaker 3: the regional focus. I mean, obviously there's a lot of 100 00:05:01,240 --> 00:05:05,200 Speaker 3: discussion of Venezuela, but we're combating narco terrorists across the 101 00:05:05,360 --> 00:05:07,880 Speaker 3: entire region. We're going to make sure that our home, 102 00:05:07,920 --> 00:05:11,000 Speaker 3: our region, our hemisphere is not safe haven for narco 103 00:05:11,080 --> 00:05:13,680 Speaker 3: terrists that are funneling drugs into the United States to 104 00:05:13,760 --> 00:05:16,440 Speaker 3: kill tens of thousand Americans. No more. We are taking 105 00:05:16,440 --> 00:05:19,200 Speaker 3: action to stop these narco terrorists. This is part of 106 00:05:19,200 --> 00:05:21,880 Speaker 3: that that's across our region, and we have many partners 107 00:05:21,920 --> 00:05:24,080 Speaker 3: with US that are working with US on combatant these 108 00:05:24,160 --> 00:05:26,599 Speaker 3: narco terrorists. But what we had with Nicholas Maduro was 109 00:05:26,600 --> 00:05:29,599 Speaker 3: someone that was actually cooperating with narco terris, was an 110 00:05:29,640 --> 00:05:32,400 Speaker 3: indicted narco terrists himself. So that's what we've seen here, 111 00:05:32,440 --> 00:05:34,919 Speaker 3: strong action to defend our interests and defend the American people. 112 00:05:36,160 --> 00:05:41,120 Speaker 2: Tommy Pikett is our guest deputy spokesperson for the State Department. Tommy, 113 00:05:41,240 --> 00:05:44,400 Speaker 2: last thing here before we let you go. Yesterday, the 114 00:05:44,800 --> 00:05:47,280 Speaker 2: US Senate voted, i think it was fifty two to 115 00:05:47,320 --> 00:05:52,120 Speaker 2: forty seven to block Trump from using future military action 116 00:05:52,520 --> 00:05:57,240 Speaker 2: in Venezuela without congressional approval. You know, one of our senators, 117 00:05:57,279 --> 00:06:00,479 Speaker 2: Todd Young here in Indiana, was one of those Reuplicans 118 00:06:00,480 --> 00:06:03,720 Speaker 2: that voted with the Democrats for this. Like, maybe I'm 119 00:06:03,720 --> 00:06:06,520 Speaker 2: looking at this in a different way, but the reason 120 00:06:06,720 --> 00:06:10,400 Speaker 2: why the Maduro raid did not leak was because the 121 00:06:10,440 --> 00:06:13,799 Speaker 2: President just did it. It's not like there's a war 122 00:06:13,920 --> 00:06:16,760 Speaker 2: being declared on Venezuela. That's not the case at all. 123 00:06:17,000 --> 00:06:20,119 Speaker 2: It was capturing somebody that had a bounty on his head. 124 00:06:20,400 --> 00:06:22,840 Speaker 2: So what do we make of this vote yesterday that 125 00:06:22,960 --> 00:06:27,719 Speaker 2: blocked Trump from taking future military action without the approval 126 00:06:27,760 --> 00:06:28,360 Speaker 2: of Congress. 127 00:06:29,279 --> 00:06:31,160 Speaker 3: Well, I think that's exactly right to say. What we 128 00:06:31,200 --> 00:06:35,240 Speaker 3: saw was a targeted law enforcement operation to bring two 129 00:06:35,360 --> 00:06:38,480 Speaker 3: fugitives of American justice to face American justice, Nicholas Maduro 130 00:06:38,520 --> 00:06:41,400 Speaker 3: and his wife. And of course you needed the cooperation 131 00:06:41,839 --> 00:06:44,720 Speaker 3: with the Department of War, given some of the capabilities 132 00:06:44,760 --> 00:06:46,360 Speaker 3: that were on the ground, in order to make this 133 00:06:46,400 --> 00:06:50,279 Speaker 3: apprehension happen. The Secretary has described that very well. The 134 00:06:50,279 --> 00:06:54,680 Speaker 3: Secretaries also described how in this case, given weather, given circumstances, 135 00:06:54,680 --> 00:06:58,400 Speaker 3: whatever have you, for many reasons, the cerification was impossible 136 00:06:58,440 --> 00:07:01,240 Speaker 3: because the right conditions needed to be in place for 137 00:07:01,440 --> 00:07:04,360 Speaker 3: this to happen. And when the right conditions were in place, 138 00:07:04,440 --> 00:07:06,800 Speaker 3: we needed to be able to go and make it happen. 139 00:07:07,040 --> 00:07:10,400 Speaker 3: That's the reality here. The administration, the Vice President, the 140 00:07:10,440 --> 00:07:13,640 Speaker 3: President have made the position very clear in terms of 141 00:07:13,680 --> 00:07:16,720 Speaker 3: how that vote, that vote is viewed, and the Secretary's 142 00:07:16,840 --> 00:07:20,000 Speaker 3: really clearly outlined why it was so important that the 143 00:07:20,000 --> 00:07:22,240 Speaker 3: President made the decision, why the President had to make 144 00:07:22,240 --> 00:07:24,720 Speaker 3: this decision, and what contexts he made that decision, and 145 00:07:24,760 --> 00:07:27,080 Speaker 3: really the benefits that it brings the American people that 146 00:07:27,120 --> 00:07:30,360 Speaker 3: we no longer have and indicted narco terrorist purporting to 147 00:07:30,400 --> 00:07:33,680 Speaker 3: be the president of Venezuela. He was illegitimate, he wasn't, 148 00:07:33,760 --> 00:07:36,120 Speaker 3: but purporting to be, and the benefits that we now 149 00:07:36,120 --> 00:07:37,160 Speaker 3: have because of this operation. 150 00:07:38,160 --> 00:07:42,640 Speaker 2: Tommy Pigott, Principal deputy spokesperson for the State Department. Tommy, 151 00:07:42,640 --> 00:07:44,240 Speaker 2: it's always good to have you on with us, man. 152 00:07:44,280 --> 00:07:47,600 Speaker 2: Don't be a stranger, and remember tonight, Oregon is a 153 00:07:47,680 --> 00:07:51,480 Speaker 2: liberal state. Indiana is a conservative state. I think I 154 00:07:51,520 --> 00:07:53,000 Speaker 2: know who you're rooting for tonight, right. 155 00:07:54,920 --> 00:07:56,920 Speaker 3: I don't have a horse in this race, but that 156 00:07:58,600 --> 00:07:59,680 Speaker 3: it'll be good either way. 157 00:08:00,360 --> 00:08:02,200 Speaker 2: Tommy, thank you. I appreciate you.