Transcript
News Reporter (0:00)
Melissa Maduro is back at the Metropolitan Detention center in Brooklyn after a dramatic appearance in federal court. When asked to confirm his identity by the judge, quote, are you Nicolas Maduro Moros? Maduro responded in Spanish, I am Nicolas Maduro Moros, president of Venezuela. I am here because I have been kidnapped since Saturday. I was captured at my home in Caracas. At which point the judge interrupted, saying, there will be time to address this through motions. The this is not typical for these sorts of arraignments. Then, asking for his plea, Maduro responded, I am a decent man. I am innocent. I am not guilty. Then, as the hearing wrapped, when Maduro stood up to exit the courtroom, a man behind him provoked him in Spanish, saying, you will pay. Maduro turned around and responded back in Spanish, telling him, I am a man of God. I am a prisoner of war. It has not even been 72 hours since Maduro and his wife were taken from their home in their pajamas, seconds before trying to lock themselves into a steel safe room taken from a palace with all the comforts of an authoritarian to a notorious jail infamous for what federal judges have called barbaric conditions, allegations of freezing temperatures, brown water, cockroaches on the food, mold in the shower, and medical conditions that go untreated conditions victims of Maduro's regime will have no sympathy toward, as those who fled Venezuela and those who remain celebrate his downfall. But what exactly happens to Venezuela now? Maduro is gone, yes, but his regime is still very much in place. And it's still sounding a lot like the guy who was just arraigned saying, maduro is innocent and he's still the president.
Nick J. Freitas (1:49)
All right, ready?
Stephen K. Bannon (1:50)
Whoa, wait a minute.
Glenn Story (2:07)
There.
Stephen K. Bannon (2:08)
That's better. But I cannot abide the actions of the political leadership in Washington. These opportunists are willing to hurt our people to score cheap points. They and their allies have no intention of helping us solve this problem and every intention of trying to profit off of it. Which brings me to this. 2026 is an election year. Election years have a way of ramping up the politics at a time when we simply can't afford more of that. In Minnesota, in September, I announced that I would seek a historic third term as Minnesota's governor. And I have every confidence that if I gave it my all, we would win the race. But as I reflect on this moment with my family and my team over the holidays, I came to the conclusion that I can't give a political campaign my all. Every minute that I spend defending my own political interest would be a minute I can't spend defending the people of Minnesota against the criminals who prey on our generosity and the cynics who want to prey on our differences. So I've decided to step out of this race, and I'll let others worry about the election while I focus on the work that's in front of me for the next year. I'm passing on this race with zero sadness and zero regret. I did not run for this job to have the job. I ran for the job to do the job. Minnesota faces enormous challenges this year, and I refuse to spend a single minute doing anything other than rising to meet this moment. Minnesota has always come first and always will. That's what I believe servant leadership demands of me. As an optimist, I'll hold out some hope that my friends on the other side of the aisle will consider what servant leadership demands of them. In the moment. We can work together to combat against the criminals. We can work together to rebuild the public's trust and make our state stronger. But make no mistake about it, if Republicans continue down the path of abusing power, smearing entire communities and running their own fraudulent game at the expense of Minnesotans, I will fight back with everything that I have. I am absolutely confident a Democratic and a DFLER will hold this seat come November. I'm confident that I'll find ways to contribute to the state that I love long after next January. But there'll be time to worry about all that later.
