1 00:00:00,200 --> 00:00:04,840 Speaker 1: Who exactly is running Venezuela this morning. According to Donald Trump, 2 00:00:05,000 --> 00:00:09,560 Speaker 1: it's the United States. According to Little Marco, it's the Venezuelans. 3 00:00:09,880 --> 00:00:13,520 Speaker 1: According to Nicholas Maduro's vice president, a died in the 4 00:00:13,520 --> 00:00:17,560 Speaker 1: woolf socialist who blamed his abduction on the Jews, it's her. 5 00:00:17,880 --> 00:00:21,400 Speaker 1: According to the men with guns, it's them, But maybe 6 00:00:21,560 --> 00:00:26,400 Speaker 1: it's me. From my secret jungle location. It's January the fifth, Monday, 7 00:00:26,640 --> 00:00:32,120 Speaker 1: Happy New Year. This is the morning America is at war. 8 00:00:32,360 --> 00:00:36,600 Speaker 1: In South America. One hundred and fifty planes from twenty 9 00:00:36,640 --> 00:00:41,400 Speaker 1: two bases took off. Donald Trump risked the lives of 10 00:00:41,440 --> 00:00:47,160 Speaker 1: America's most elite commandos to arrest the president of Venezuela 11 00:00:47,240 --> 00:00:50,839 Speaker 1: and bring him to the United States. Let's examine the 12 00:00:50,880 --> 00:00:55,120 Speaker 1: life cycle. We obliterate the speedboats in the Southern Caribbean. 13 00:00:55,160 --> 00:00:59,480 Speaker 1: We don't arrest the low grade drug traffickers alleged, We 14 00:00:59,640 --> 00:01:03,080 Speaker 1: just call them. And if there's a shipwrecked survivor, we 15 00:01:03,160 --> 00:01:06,280 Speaker 1: don't arrest them, we don't bring them to the United States. 16 00:01:06,480 --> 00:01:10,000 Speaker 1: We murder them or we let them go. Now it 17 00:01:10,080 --> 00:01:13,959 Speaker 1: goes without saying some presidents are luckier than others. How 18 00:01:14,000 --> 00:01:17,760 Speaker 1: do you explain the president of Honduras released from federal 19 00:01:17,800 --> 00:01:21,800 Speaker 1: custody with a Trump pardon an ourco trafficker, while the 20 00:01:21,840 --> 00:01:25,960 Speaker 1: most elite commandos in the American Arsenal their lives are 21 00:01:26,040 --> 00:01:30,120 Speaker 1: risked to go arrest another alleged drug trafficker. It doesn't 22 00:01:30,120 --> 00:01:33,080 Speaker 1: make a lot of sense. One thing is certainly true. 23 00:01:33,280 --> 00:01:36,120 Speaker 1: Donald Trump did not care about the lives of the 24 00:01:36,160 --> 00:01:40,720 Speaker 1: men he ordered into Harm's Way for his reality show episode. 25 00:01:40,880 --> 00:01:41,560 Speaker 2: Not at all. 26 00:01:41,840 --> 00:01:46,959 Speaker 1: He risked their lives for sound bites for cable TV hits. 27 00:01:47,400 --> 00:01:51,720 Speaker 1: What has been accomplished, There is nothing but in coherence. 28 00:01:52,040 --> 00:01:56,920 Speaker 3: Here's Donald's There's about seventeen billion worth oil reserves in Venezuela. 29 00:01:57,080 --> 00:02:00,320 Speaker 2: Is not going to be to be Trillia. This going 30 00:02:00,360 --> 00:02:05,920 Speaker 2: to be billion. You said seventeen million. It's much more 31 00:02:05,960 --> 00:02:06,160 Speaker 2: than that. 32 00:02:06,480 --> 00:02:08,840 Speaker 4: Okay, So what is going to happen to those reserves. 33 00:02:09,639 --> 00:02:12,120 Speaker 2: We're going to run everything. We're going to run it, 34 00:02:12,919 --> 00:02:16,400 Speaker 2: fix it. We'll have elections at the right time. The 35 00:02:16,480 --> 00:02:18,600 Speaker 2: main thing you have to fix it's a broken country. 36 00:02:18,639 --> 00:02:21,760 Speaker 2: There's no money. There's inflation like we would have had 37 00:02:22,080 --> 00:02:24,560 Speaker 2: if I didn't win this election, we would have been 38 00:02:24,720 --> 00:02:28,760 Speaker 2: Venezuela and ceros. As everyone knows. The oil business in 39 00:02:28,840 --> 00:02:32,000 Speaker 2: Venezuela has been a bus, a total bust for a 40 00:02:32,040 --> 00:02:36,560 Speaker 2: long period of time. They were pumping almost nothing by 41 00:02:36,600 --> 00:02:41,240 Speaker 2: comparison to what they could have been pumping and what 42 00:02:41,400 --> 00:02:46,200 Speaker 2: could have taken place. We're going to have our very 43 00:02:46,320 --> 00:02:50,919 Speaker 2: large United States oil companies, the biggest anywhere in the world, 44 00:02:51,919 --> 00:02:57,240 Speaker 2: go in, spend billions of dollars, fix the badly broken infrastructure, 45 00:02:57,600 --> 00:03:02,120 Speaker 2: the oil infrastructure, and start making money for the country. 46 00:03:03,160 --> 00:03:07,519 Speaker 2: And we are ready to stage a second and much 47 00:03:07,600 --> 00:03:11,880 Speaker 2: larger attack if we need to do so. We were 48 00:03:11,919 --> 00:03:18,880 Speaker 2: prepared to do a second wave if we needed to 49 00:03:18,919 --> 00:03:21,720 Speaker 2: do so. We actually assumed that a second wave would 50 00:03:21,919 --> 00:03:24,040 Speaker 2: be necessary, but now it's probably not. 51 00:03:25,040 --> 00:03:26,320 Speaker 1: Here's little Marco. 52 00:03:26,760 --> 00:03:29,760 Speaker 3: How soon will elections be held? 53 00:03:29,800 --> 00:03:36,040 Speaker 5: Within thirty days, mister secretary? Elections or the look that 54 00:03:37,200 --> 00:03:39,160 Speaker 5: this is a country that's been governed by this regime 55 00:03:39,160 --> 00:03:41,040 Speaker 5: now for fourteen or fifteen years. The election should have 56 00:03:41,040 --> 00:03:43,120 Speaker 5: happened a long time ago. The elections did happen, they 57 00:03:43,160 --> 00:03:44,880 Speaker 5: lost them, and they didn't count the votes, so they 58 00:03:45,040 --> 00:03:47,360 Speaker 5: refused to count the votes, and everyone knows it. So 59 00:03:48,280 --> 00:03:50,280 Speaker 5: all of that I think is premature at this point. 60 00:03:50,400 --> 00:03:52,200 Speaker 5: There's a lot of work to be done here. Right now. 61 00:03:52,360 --> 00:03:55,040 Speaker 5: We are focused in let's be realistic here. What we 62 00:03:55,080 --> 00:03:58,240 Speaker 5: are focused on right now is all of the problems 63 00:03:58,280 --> 00:04:00,720 Speaker 5: we had with the when Maduro was We still have 64 00:04:00,760 --> 00:04:02,920 Speaker 5: those problems in terms of them needing to be addressed. 65 00:04:03,160 --> 00:04:05,520 Speaker 5: We are going to give people an opportunity to address 66 00:04:05,520 --> 00:04:08,040 Speaker 5: those challenges. Let me ask the question again, what is 67 00:04:08,040 --> 00:04:13,560 Speaker 5: the legal authority for the United States to be running Venezuela. Well, 68 00:04:13,600 --> 00:04:15,440 Speaker 5: I explain to you what our goals are and how 69 00:04:15,440 --> 00:04:17,120 Speaker 5: we're going to use the leverage to make it happen. 70 00:04:17,160 --> 00:04:19,680 Speaker 5: As far as what our legal authority is on the quarantine, 71 00:04:19,720 --> 00:04:22,680 Speaker 5: I'm very simple. We have court orders. These are sanctioned boats, 72 00:04:23,000 --> 00:04:25,440 Speaker 5: and we get orders from courts to go after and 73 00:04:25,480 --> 00:04:27,960 Speaker 5: seize these sanctions. So I don't know, is a court 74 00:04:28,000 --> 00:04:31,360 Speaker 5: not a legal authority? So is the United States running 75 00:04:31,600 --> 00:04:36,400 Speaker 5: Venezuela right now? Well, I've explained once again, I'll do 76 00:04:36,400 --> 00:04:38,760 Speaker 5: it one more time. What we are running is the 77 00:04:38,760 --> 00:04:41,040 Speaker 5: direction that this is going to move moving forward, and 78 00:04:41,080 --> 00:04:43,720 Speaker 5: that is we have leverage. This leverage we are using 79 00:04:43,720 --> 00:04:46,520 Speaker 5: and we intend to use. We started using already. You 80 00:04:46,560 --> 00:04:48,960 Speaker 5: can see where they are running out of storage capacity 81 00:04:49,160 --> 00:04:51,040 Speaker 5: in a few weeks, they're going to have to start 82 00:04:51,040 --> 00:04:54,479 Speaker 5: pumping oil unless they make changes. And that leverage that 83 00:04:54,520 --> 00:04:56,640 Speaker 5: we have with the armada of boats that are currently 84 00:04:56,680 --> 00:05:00,360 Speaker 5: positioned allow us to seize any sanctioned boats coming into 85 00:05:00,800 --> 00:05:03,840 Speaker 5: or out of Venezuela loaded with oil or on its 86 00:05:03,839 --> 00:05:05,600 Speaker 5: way in to pick up oil, and we can pick 87 00:05:05,640 --> 00:05:07,720 Speaker 5: and choose which ones we go after we have court 88 00:05:07,839 --> 00:05:10,240 Speaker 5: orders for each one that will continue to be in 89 00:05:10,279 --> 00:05:13,320 Speaker 5: place until the people who have control over the levers 90 00:05:13,320 --> 00:05:16,040 Speaker 5: of power in that country make changes that are not 91 00:05:16,120 --> 00:05:18,120 Speaker 5: just in the interest of the people of Venezuela, but 92 00:05:18,160 --> 00:05:20,080 Speaker 5: are in the interest of the United States and the 93 00:05:20,120 --> 00:05:22,760 Speaker 5: things that we care about. That's what we presently ask ye. 94 00:05:22,960 --> 00:05:25,520 Speaker 5: Legal authority is the court orders that we have here. 95 00:05:25,520 --> 00:05:30,960 Speaker 1: A Champagne Pete Nicholas Mduro had his chance, just like 96 00:05:30,960 --> 00:05:34,560 Speaker 1: Iran had their chance. Until they didn't, and until he 97 00:05:34,640 --> 00:05:39,960 Speaker 1: didn't he left around and he found out. Of course, 98 00:05:40,640 --> 00:05:41,240 Speaker 1: Christy no. 99 00:05:42,080 --> 00:05:45,719 Speaker 3: Following up on a point you made, Madame Secretary, to clarify, 100 00:05:46,200 --> 00:05:51,039 Speaker 3: is it possible that you might eventually deport Maduro overseas 101 00:05:51,320 --> 00:05:54,040 Speaker 3: elsewhere once he faces trial here in the US. 102 00:05:56,080 --> 00:05:57,760 Speaker 4: I think we need to see them and let the 103 00:05:57,839 --> 00:06:00,680 Speaker 4: process play out. But in many of the countries, what 104 00:06:00,680 --> 00:06:04,400 Speaker 4: we're doing is bringing people to justice for the crimes 105 00:06:04,400 --> 00:06:06,760 Speaker 4: that they've committed here in the United States, and then 106 00:06:06,800 --> 00:06:10,480 Speaker 4: if there's a legitimate government in another country that wants 107 00:06:10,520 --> 00:06:13,560 Speaker 4: them to come and pay their for their crimes and 108 00:06:13,600 --> 00:06:15,920 Speaker 4: their country, we'll work with them. Right now, we don't 109 00:06:15,920 --> 00:06:18,480 Speaker 4: have that in Venezuela. President Trump has talked about bringing 110 00:06:18,480 --> 00:06:22,520 Speaker 4: stability to Venezuela and working with individuals there who really 111 00:06:22,560 --> 00:06:25,359 Speaker 4: want to see it be successful. But we'll continue to 112 00:06:25,400 --> 00:06:27,400 Speaker 4: do what we've been doing for the last twelve months 113 00:06:27,480 --> 00:06:30,560 Speaker 4: under President Trump's leadership, and that's get the criminals off 114 00:06:30,560 --> 00:06:34,080 Speaker 4: of our streets, bring these terrorists like trend de Ragua 115 00:06:34,200 --> 00:06:37,120 Speaker 4: and Maduro to justice, and make sure that we're focusing 116 00:06:37,160 --> 00:06:38,279 Speaker 4: back on America first. 117 00:06:39,040 --> 00:06:42,920 Speaker 1: This raises the most interesting question. Ice has said they 118 00:06:42,960 --> 00:06:46,640 Speaker 1: can go anywhere. Do they intend to break out Maduro 119 00:06:47,160 --> 00:06:50,599 Speaker 1: from the Brooklyn jail and ship him to the El 120 00:06:50,680 --> 00:06:54,240 Speaker 1: Salvadora and Seacott We're no doubt Barry Weiss will be 121 00:06:54,279 --> 00:06:57,920 Speaker 1: waiting to interview them. Here's the deal. The United States 122 00:06:58,400 --> 00:07:04,360 Speaker 1: in Vietnam, in Iraq, and now in Venezuela has a 123 00:07:04,400 --> 00:07:09,200 Speaker 1: great track record of starting wars and being quite convinced 124 00:07:09,640 --> 00:07:12,000 Speaker 1: that we're going to win and we're going to achieve 125 00:07:12,040 --> 00:07:14,960 Speaker 1: our aims. But it never quite works out that way, 126 00:07:15,360 --> 00:07:18,240 Speaker 1: not because of the valor of the American soldier, but 127 00:07:18,280 --> 00:07:22,640 Speaker 1: because of the incompetence of the American politician. And there 128 00:07:22,800 --> 00:07:28,240 Speaker 1: is no politician more venal, more malignant, more dishonest than 129 00:07:28,280 --> 00:07:32,400 Speaker 1: Donald Trump, who is unfit at a profound level to 130 00:07:32,680 --> 00:07:36,720 Speaker 1: order the American military into harms way. He has the 131 00:07:36,800 --> 00:07:40,200 Speaker 1: legal authority to put them in harms way, but he 132 00:07:40,360 --> 00:07:45,119 Speaker 1: doesn't have the constitutional authority to start wars. The United 133 00:07:45,160 --> 00:07:49,280 Speaker 1: States is a republic, and our unit Congress has allowed 134 00:07:49,280 --> 00:07:52,160 Speaker 1: this travesty to go on and on and on and 135 00:07:52,240 --> 00:07:55,560 Speaker 1: on and on and on for many many years, until 136 00:07:55,600 --> 00:07:58,160 Speaker 1: we have reached the place where the President of the 137 00:07:58,280 --> 00:08:02,560 Speaker 1: United States, operating like a gangster, has asserted he has 138 00:08:02,640 --> 00:08:06,240 Speaker 1: the power to kidnap anyone anywhere and then to run 139 00:08:06,280 --> 00:08:09,480 Speaker 1: their countries, only to be refuted, of course, by Little 140 00:08:09,520 --> 00:08:13,840 Speaker 1: Marco within a few hours time. I'm Steve Schmidt. This 141 00:08:14,400 --> 00:08:17,040 Speaker 1: is the warning. I invite you to join this community, 142 00:08:17,200 --> 00:08:21,400 Speaker 1: where I promise to be honest, blunt and direct about 143 00:08:21,440 --> 00:08:25,080 Speaker 1: what is happening in this country. America is in crisis. 144 00:08:25,280 --> 00:08:29,280 Speaker 1: Follow and subscribe to this channel and on substack. Thank you.