American Sunrise Early Edition - January 7th, 2026

Summary

Podcast Summary: American Sunrise Early Edition

Podcast: Real America’s Voice
Host: Alison Hahns (with co-host Brian Glenn)
Air Date: January 7, 2026
Episode Theme:
A high-impact discussion of breaking American and global news through the lens of American values, with insights into political maneuvering, energy strategy, global conflict, disinformation, and evolving U.S. foreign policy under the Trump administration—particularly the situations in Venezuela and Greenland, and the impact of AI-generated disinformation.

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Main Theme & Episode Overview

This episode focuses on a whirlwind of breaking stories at the start of 2026: the U.S. operation to detain Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro, the implications of capturing and importing Venezuelan oil, debate over U.S. claims on Greenland, concerns over AI-driven disinformation, and political maneuverings ahead of the midterms. The hosts—Alison Hahns and Brian Glenn—combine headline reporting, live reactions, and expert guest interviews, reflecting a tone of urgency, skepticism of mainstream narratives, and America-first advocacy.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. U.S.-Venezuela Oil Deal & Maduro’s Capture

(02:32 – 07:00, 09:14 – 11:07, 13:43 – 19:05)

• Breaking News:
  President Trump announces, via Truth Social, that Venezuela’s interim authorities will turn over 30-50 million barrels of sanctioned oil to the U.S. at market price, with profits “controlled by me as President... to benefit the people of Venezuela and the United States.”
  Quote – Alison Hahns (02:32):
  “It looks like Trump is going to possibly meet with oil execs on Friday. He is not messing around. And it looks like this is the art of the deal.”

• Economic and Strategic Analysis:
  Brian Glenn notes the possibility of consumer benefit (cheaper gas) but emphasizes skepticism about the logistics and long-term impact, given years of sanctions have decimated Venezuela’s oil infrastructure.
  Quote – Brian Glenn (03:45):
  “Let’s see if this deal benefits Americans directly... At the end of the day, when you pull up your Chevy Suburban to that gas station, what is that costing you? We’ll find out.”

• Political Reaction:
  Congressman Jimmy Petronas (FL) explains the opportunity now present with Maduro’s arrest and the confiscated oil infrastructure. He describes the new administration’s stance as righting prior wrongs and leveraging a negotiating advantage.
  Quote – Rep. Petronas (09:23):
  “You have had a dictator there... arrested who is sitting in a New York jail... the President is trying to right that wrong... the President’s strength is in negotiating, it is in leverage.”

• Democratic Skepticism and Security Concerns:
  Congressional leaders are assured no U.S. troops will be in Venezuela, with the operation framed as a precise, not a “warped war,” action to protect communities from drug cartels.
  Quote – Rep. Petronas (11:07):
  “This President has shown that he does not want to put our soldiers in harm’s way... There will be an effort to make sure what we were going after Maduro for is not, you know, act two of her presidency.”

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2. AI-Generated Disinformation Flood (Maduro Deepfakes)

(13:43 – 19:05)

• Headline:
  A deluge of fake video/image content circulating after Maduro’s capture, muddying public understanding with AI-generated celebrations and dramatic scenes that never happened.

• Expert Perspective:
  Joe Reddin, conservative content creator, warns that the rush for “clicks” and government/media actors weaponize AI to shape narratives.
  Quote – Joe Reddin (15:09):
  “People aren’t interested in having the correct story. They’re interested in having the first or the most sensational story... AI is their pathway to getting that.”

• How to Spot Deepfakes:
  “Community Notes” on X/Twitter is somewhat effective, but only after millions view the content.
  Quote – Joe Reddin (17:03):
  “Not before it gets about 10 million views... the lie gets around the world before the truth has a chance to wake up.”

• On Bot Farms:
  Artificially generated mobs easily manufacture consensus or outrage, drawing in real users due to “mob mentality”—escalating social chaos.
  Quote – Joe Reddin (18:24):
  “You’re creating a fake mob on demand... you may create 1 million fake mob users... [then] 10 million real people will join in.”

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3. U.S. Claims on Greenland – National Security and the “Don Rowe Doctrine”

(19:51 – 29:25)

• Administration’s View:
  Trump and aide Stephen Miller argue that Greenland, a Danish territory, should become U.S. territory for strategic/national security reasons.
  Quote – Trump (19:51):
  “We need Greenland from a national security situation. It’s so strategic right now. Greenland is covered with Russian and Chinese ships all over the place.”

  Quote – Stephen Miller (20:52):
  “Greenland should be part of the United States... By what right does Denmark assert control?... For the United States to secure the Arctic region... obviously, Greenland should be part of the United States.”

• Panel Reactions and Concerns:
  Brian Glenn and Emily Finn debate the justification (“America First” vs. imperialism), the need for the Greenlandic population’s consent, and the congressional process required to pursue such a territorial shift.
  Quote – Brian Glenn (22:28):
  “If they claim Denmark has no justification... what justification do we have to do the same? ...Maybe they should be able to vote on this.”

• Broader Doctrine:
  The conversation extends to the idea of U.S. dominance across the Western Hemisphere, raising questions about overreach and the cost to domestic priorities.
  Quote – Emily Finn (24:12):
  “If there’s anything that the US can do in terms of Greenland... that could be strategic to our military advantage... wouldn’t that be technically America first?”

  Quote – Alison Hahns (26:07):
  “Are we really helping the people and do they want our help? And if they do then have a vote... This is not us just walking around the world and trying to dominate.”

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4. Midterm Elections, Impeachment, and Congressional Control

(07:49 – 09:14, 32:01 – 36:05)

• Trump’s Warning:
  The President tells House GOP that a loss in the midterms likely means another impeachment attempt.
  Quote – Trump (07:49):
  “You gotta win the midterms. Because if we don’t win the midterms... they'll find a reason to impeach me. I'll get impeached.”

• Analysis from Congressmen:

  • Jimmy Petronas (FL) stresses the importance of Republican unity and messaging tax reform benefits; predicts positive consumer impact from oil policies.
  • Ralph Norman (SC) reflects on Trump’s impact since returning to office, frames Democrats as “Marxist socialists,” and foresees a strong GOP midterm based on Trump’s leadership and achievements. Quote – Rep. Norman (33:12):
    “I think the 77 million people that voted him in office... will come back in the midterms. Look at his track record... [Democrats] are Marxist socialists... all they want is power.”

• Government Shutdown Fears:
  Norman believes Democrats may bluff but won’t force a shutdown, given past public backlash. Quote – Rep. Norman (36:18):
  “If they think they gain leverage, they will shut it down… but I don’t think they will.”

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5. Presidential Power Abroad - Arresting Maduro

(37:03 – 38:35)

• Justification for Action:
  Norman defends Trump’s decisive move against Maduro as “obligation” rather than overreach; frames Maduro as a criminal, not a legitimate leader. Quote – Rep. Norman (37:20):
  “The president had the obligation... America first. [Maduro] is a drug king pin thug...This president would not put our military in danger.”

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6. Overarching Concerns: U.S. Global Role, Sovereignty, & “Hint of Globalism”

(44:29 – 46:37)

• Analyst David Brody’s Take:
  Brody notes the apparent tension between MAGA’s core nationalism/America First and the broader imperial scope of the evolving “Monroe Doctrine” approach. Quote – David Brody (44:38):
  “It was interesting to me what President Trump said... is this about oil or regime change? He goes: no... peace on Earth. And I'll be honest, that had me concerned... it feels like he's fallen in love a little bit with being the peace president.”

• Closing Reflection:
  Both Brody and Glenn warn listeners to wait and see the impact of these policies; note the possible risks of “hint of globalism” and American imperialism creeping into the administration’s agenda. Quote – Brian Glenn (46:15):
  “This is a hint of globalism when he says we're the leader of the Western Hemisphere. I don't really like the sound of that, but we'll see...”

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Alison Hahns (05:31): “In Venezuela, what they had was all this rickety infrastructure... we’re going to go in, fix up the house and help it pump the oil... and also protect us from China and Russia.”

• Joe Reddin (16:09): “It's a war for clicks... Now we're seeing actual government intervention—government influencers... pushing any narrative they want.”

• Stephen Miller (20:52): “It has been the formal position of the US Government... that Greenland should be part of the United States.”

• Brian Glenn (26:33): “Let me pose this question... What if a country came into our government, ripped President Trump or Biden... out of office... What would the reaction be in America?”

• David Brody (44:03): “It's Venezuela, it's Iran, Colombia, Cuba, Greenland. Oh my. I feel like it's lions, tigers and bears. Oh my.”

• Alison Hahns (46:37): “A hint of globalism with peace on earth.”

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Timestamps for Key Segments

• Venezuelan Oil Deal & Maduro Capture:
  02:32 – 07:00, 09:14 – 11:07, 13:43 – 19:05

• Disinformation & Deepfakes Segment with Joe Reddin:
  13:43 – 19:05

• Greenland and Don Rowe Doctrine Discussion:
  19:51 – 29:25

• Midterms & Impeachment Analysis:
  07:49 – 09:14, 32:01 – 36:05

• Maduro's Arrest & International Law:
  37:03 – 38:35

• Global Role and Monroe Doctrine vs. MAGA with David Brody:
  44:29 – 46:37

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Final Thoughts

This episode delivers an action-packed, provocative rundown of current events seen through the “America First” lens—with probing questions about U.S. power, sovereignty, and global responsibility. Listeners are left with a sense of watchful skepticism: praise for boldness and negotiation, but concern over creeping globalist tendencies, the ethics and optics of international intervention, and the existential risks of unchecked technological disinformation.

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Transcript

[Alison Hahns]

This is an iHeart podcast.

[Donald Trump]

Guaranteed Human.

[Alison Hahns]

It is 7 o' clock in the east, 4am in the west. Coming up right now on this early edition of American Sunrise. Defending the homeland. Lawmakers are told there is no expectation of US Troops on the ground in Venezuela, but a precise operation to hold a foreign criminal accountable and protect American communities from drug cartels. Are Democrats buying it? We've got the latest. Then extreme target, Greenland. Stephen Miller, one of the President's top aides, ramps up the pressure and turns the heat on major European powers over the Arctic territory, claiming military intervention would not be needed to take over the island because, quote, nobody is going to fight the United States militarily over its future. We've got the latest ahead. And later, extreme fakes. The world is being flooded with deep fakes of Venezuelan President Maduro and so much more. How can you tell what's real and when seeing isn't believing? Find out as this early edition of American Sunrise starts right now.

[Narrator]

Welcome to American Sunrise Early Edition, the show where faith, freedom and the values that built this nation take center stage.

[Donald Trump]

You people and others like you built this country.

[Narrator]

Join us as we break down the stories that matter.

[Brian Glenn]

F A F o.

[David Brody]

If you don't know, now, you know.

[Narrator]

American Sunrise early edition on Real. America's Voice starts now.

[Alison Hahns]

Good morning and welcome, everyone, to this early edition of American Sunrise. Joining me now is Brian Glenn, chief White House correspondent for rap.

[Donald Trump]

Good morning.

[Congressman Ralph Norman]

Whoa.

[Alison Hahns]

Hey.

[Brian Glenn]

Now.

[Alison Hahns]

You'Re like flying out of the air in this firebomb. How are you?

[Brian Glenn]

We got all of the production team here. When we make an entrance, we make it a grand entrance.

[Alison Hahns]

Alison, seriously. There we are. There's our team. The boys love that. That is. That's some show business there. Thank you, gentlemen. We appreciate it. Well, I want to get first to.

[Brian Glenn]

It's amazing What.

[Alison Hahns]

I'm sorry. Go ahead, Brian. No, I just wanted to get right to.

[Brian Glenn]

It's amazing what they can do.

[Alison Hahns]

I know, I know, I know. We have so much going on this morning, but, you know, we're talking about these, this oil deal, what we're looking at in Venezuela. And I want to first right away get to this truth social post that the president put up last night saying, I am pleased to announce that the interim authorities in Venezuela will be turning over between 30 and and 50 million barrels of high quality sanctioned oil to the United States of America. This oil will be sold at its market price and that money will be controlled by me as President of the United States of America to ensure it is used to benefit the people of Venezuela and the United States. I have asked Energy Secretary Chris Wright to execute this plan immediately. It will be taken by storage ships and, and brought directly to unloading docks in the United States. And of course, thank you for your attention to this matter. Okay, Brian, it looks like Trump is going to possibly meet with oil execs on Friday. He is not messing around. And it looks like this is the art of the deal. What do you say?

[Brian Glenn]

Well, it is the art of the deal, but let's see if this deal benefits Americans directly. And I would think that it would, in a certain extent, add oil to the inventories in our supply chain, perhaps lowering the price of oil. But the sanctions that the US through previous administrations have put on Venezuela has really driven down the investments and the infrastructure in Venezuela to produce those oils. There are several companies, rather, that has simply almost gone out of business or filed for bankruptcy. So perhaps this will re energize those certain industries and those certain companies to now get this oil out of Venezuela into US Custody, if you will. We'll see exactly what that looks like at the end of the day to the consumer, because I think that's what people are most interested in. Allison, what does this mean to the consumer? Now? This does mean that US Oil companies will perhaps get richer. They're going to have more oil, more refineries in Venezuela. But at the end of the day, when you pull up your Chevy Suburban to that oil, to that gas station and you pump that 93 octane gas, what is that costing you? We'll find out.

[Alison Hahns]

Well, if we're looking at gas at, you know, going somewhere like 250 or $2, I think that people are going to be pretty happy. And it kind of the way that I kind of look at it is that in Venezuela, what they had was all this rickety infrastructure, like, like an old house, for example, and, and we're going to go in, fix up the house and help it pump the oil, have it benefit Venezuela and have it benefit people in the United States and also protect us from China and Russia. That's the way I look at it.

[Brian Glenn]

Yeah. And that's a great way to look at it. I just get sometimes confused when they talk about that we're going to back to get our oil when that oil is in the ground of Venezuela. I don't know how that is technically our oil if it resides in another country, but I do support us kind of adding a lot of value to the oil industry there in Venezuela and of course, helping the Venezuelans that Need it. And adding revenue for them as well.

[Alison Hahns]

Yeah, fair enough. Well, another story overnight, it is actually the wildfire anniversary of the fires out in California. And several events are scheduled to commemorate the one year anniversary of the start of those wildfires that devastated Altadena, Pacific Palisades and the other communities in January of 2025. I cannot believe that there has not been any real movement on the ground to help these people. Brian, your thoughts?

[Brian Glenn]

Well, I've asked President Trump that several times in Oval Office about the rebuilding of California, Pacific Palisades fire and the fraud that was involved in fire aid. If you remember that benefit concert, less than 4% of the structures have been rebuil. You've got hundreds, if not thousands of structures completely burned without even getting a permit to rebuild them yet. This is a story that will continue to develop. And as we Fast forward to 2028, perhaps Gavin Newsom becoming the Democrat nominee for his party, people are going to look back and say, well, what exactly happened on your watch in the Palisades fire? And how did you handle it and how did people rebuild? But my thoughts and prayers still go out to those people. My son lives not too far away from that. He was affected that day. Thank God his structure wasn't burned. But certainly California is still trying to rebuild. Allison.

[Alison Hahns]

And speaking of prayers, we begin this morning. We want to begin with God's word in memory of the victims of last year's wildfires. This verse is Psalm 146:12. Praise the Lord, oh my soul, while I live, I will praise the Lord. I will sing praises to my God while I have my being. Well, turning now from the good book to a prophetic message by the president, Trump met with House Republicans yesterday and issued a dire prediction. If the GOP loses the midterm election.

[Donald Trump]

You got to win the midterms. Because if we don't win the midterms, it's just going to be. I mean, they'll find a reason to impeach me. I'll get impeached.

[Alison Hahns]

Joining us now with reaction is Congressman Jimmy Petronas of Florida. Welcome, Congressman. Good morning. Thanks the for for being here.

[Congressman Jimmy Petronas]

Thank you for having me.

[Alison Hahns]

Oh, our pleasure. Okay. Your thoughts on the President's prediction about the midterms?

[Congressman Jimmy Petronas]

Look, the President was in rare form yesterday. He gave us a lot of insight on what has taken place in his head, where our country's going, how we can win the midterms. We need to be focused. We've got to look at what we've accomplished. The one big, beautiful Bill, and we've got to do a better job of messaging the savings and the money that will be restored back to our United States taxpayers. They sent us up here to put money back in their pockets, not to spend their money. And whether it be no tax on tips, no tax on overtime, no tax on security, Social Security, these were things that have never been done before. And they, they don't come into effect overnight. It takes a while. Usually takes a cycle with income taxes for people to actually feel the real benefit. Fuel prices are going down, but we still need to have everything else at the grocery counter to be adjusted for the good that we've done.

[Brian Glenn]

Yeah. Congressman, what is your take on the President's plan for the oil there in Venezuela as far in the wake of the capture of Maduro?

[Congressman Jimmy Petronas]

I think a lot of the stuff is, as you start to open up the box, you start peeling back the onion and look at what opportunities are presenting themselves. One, you have had a. A dictator there that was arrested who is sitting in a New York jail that will maybe be, you know, brought to trial sometime in March. And then you've got the oil and the oil infrastructure, primarily the infrastructure that was confiscated by that government, that was nationalized by that government. So I see where the President is trying to right that wrong. You look at those countries around the world that aren't necessarily our allies that have had a dependence on that Venezuelan oil. So the President definitely got their attention. And look, this is where the President's strength is. It is in negotiating, it is in leverage. And this is what he has done with this as he starts to message the fact that we're going to bring this oil to the United States to benefit Venezuela and Americans. You know what? Those countries that depend on Venezuela are starting to get concerned. What does that mean to my supply chains? I think this is just how the President continues to negotiate with other parts of the countries.

[Alison Hahns]

Congressman, Top Trump administration officials, including Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, briefed congressional leaders yesterday. Lawmakers were told there is no expectation of US Troops on the ground and that this is not a, quote, warped war, but a precise operation to hold a foreign criminal accountable and protect American communities from drug cartels. Your thoughts on the matter?

[Congressman Ralph Norman]

Yeah.

[Congressman Jimmy Petronas]

Look, this president has shown that he does not want to put our soldiers in harm's way. And it's no different than what happened in Syria. They came back with a resounding thumping to those ground forces in Syria through aerial assaults. We're not going to, you know, Introduce our soldiers, our airmen, our sailors, our marines into another foreign war. We have got a situation where there is a interim president in Venezuela. Marco Rubio is in daily conversations with her, ensuring that we have got a functional government. And look, she should understand that her predecessor colored outside the lines. She has now got an opportunity to cooperate and work with the United States government, but she will be monitored. There will be an effort to make sure that you know exactly what we were going after Maduro for is not, you know, act two of her presidency. So, you know, I think a lot of this stuff is yet to be seen and hopefully she makes good decisions.

[Alison Hahns]

Congressman Jimmy Petronas, thank you so much for being here today. We appreciate it.

[Congressman Jimmy Petronas]

Happy New Year. Thank you all.

[Alison Hahns]

Congressman, have a good one. Coming up, seeing isn't always believing when it comes to the news. In moments we find out how we may be being fooled in our very own homes. That's next as American Sunrise continues.

[Brian Glenn]

All right, welcome back to the early edition of American Sunrise. I am Brian Glenn. Before we dive in, let's get a quick word from one of our sponsors here. Artillery Tea Company, the only American first veteran owned tea brand. Now their mission is to maximize the flavor with the whole leaf blends and chemical free tea bags. No junk, just real tea. And here's a tactical advantage. Each bag bruised twice. Just go to artillerytco.com and use the promo code RAV for 10% off your first order. That's artillerytco.com premium T, mission driven, brewed for the brave. Go get you some. All right, let's bring back my co host Allison as we kick off on this hump day Wednesday here. This is a topic that I think you and I can agree upon.

[Alison Hahns]

Yes, this is a topic that Brian brought to my attention. So we want to change gears now to the old expression so seeing is not always believing. A word to the wise and a warning for those who surf the net. Now take a look at this headline. Disinformation and bots flood social media after Maduro's capture. In the wake of the US Capture of Venezuelan dictator Nicolas Maduro, social media has been flooded with fake images, AI generated videos and misleading posts claiming to show celebrations and dramatic scenes that never happened. Fact checkers have exposed countless AI created photos of Maduro in custody and viral videos allegedly showing Venezuelans rejoicing. But many were fabricated or spread out of context. This is a clear example of how AI and online platforms can turn real news into chaos, confusing the public and spreading misinformation far and wide. And making it harder to discern the truth in global events. Joining us now with insight into the world of AI is Joe Reddin, the older millennial, as he calls himself. Joe used to work in the corporate world, but now is a prominent conservative content creator who primarily posts videos regarding current events, social issues and political critiques. Joe, welcome this morning. Thanks for getting up with us.

[Joe Reddin]

Thank you so much for having me.

[Alison Hahns]

Oh, our pleasure. So what do you think of this?

[Joe Reddin]

Well, I mean, this has become par for the course when it comes to social media. I mean, people aren't interested in having the correct story. They're interested in having the first or the most sensational story. And a lot of times I think they see AI as their pathway to getting that.

[Brian Glenn]

Yeah.

[Alison Hahns]

Brian, if you wanted to add in.

[Brian Glenn]

No, you're absolutely. Yeah, no, I agree. And of course, you know, years ago when I worked in Dallas, our news director said, hey, look, don't be first, be right, be correct. And of course now with, with the information that we have, the technology creating a lot of videos through AI and sometimes you have to rewatch it three or four times and say, Joe, is this even real? Is this even possible? But could it get even worse from, could the, could the AI technology get even better where we don't know if this is actually happening? Is this a true news story? And how dangerous can that be to effectively create chaos in a country, in our own country and anywhere around the world?

[Joe Reddin]

Well, that's the scary part, is generally on social media we've seen people using AI and using, you know, fake created photos for clicks. It's basically just a war for clicks. They don't care if they're honest, they don't care if they're right. It's all about getting the clicks. But now we're seeing actual government intervention, government programs or government influencers that are recognizing that they can push any narrative they want. And even worse, when they put out fake narratives, it's, you have the other side who so badly wants to believe something to be true that they end up pushing the same fake information in an effort to, to rage bait or to, or to get more people involved. And I think sometimes it comes from a good point, a good place where people are just trying to draw attention to something. But being dishonest has never been the way to report the news.

[Alison Hahns]

Joe, is there any way to spot a fake video or something that's AI, Anything that's like really egregious?

[Joe Reddin]

Not before it gets about 10 million views. That's, that's the Scary part of it is that generally we won't see it, especially as larger content creators, we won't see the fake stuff until it's got 7, 10 million views. So by that time it's already, what's the old adage like? The lie gets around the world before the truth. Chance to wake up. I mean, that's really what it is. I wish there were better tools to be able to immediately spot it and be able to notice it. Community Notes is doing a good job on X, but again, they're, they're, they're getting to it when it's 10 million views behind.

[Alison Hahns]

What is the kind of craziest, I think, that you've seen, Joe? And then. Brian, please.

[Joe Reddin]

Well, the craziest ones aren't like the couple of the videos you showed are like the little kids, little animated kids running around. Those aren't the scary ones. The scary ones are the ones that are close to the truth because, like, that's, that's the best lie for people is the one that's really close to the truth, but just enough to push you in a different direction, push you to a different narrative. And, and people have gotten very good at putting that type of content out.

[Brian Glenn]

Yeah. Joe, about 30 seconds. If you could address the bot farms that exist as far as these fake users that are made to attack people or purse a certain narrative. So what's your take on these bot farms, fake profiles?

[Joe Reddin]

Well, I mean, I think the bot forms really started out by content creators wanting to be able to pay to get views or pay to grow themselves. And it's become just a tool for you're, you're creating a fake mob. I mean, you're creating a fake mob on demand. And, and people, sadly, on social media and on and across the Internet, they want to be part of the group, they want to be part of the mob. So when you create that fake mob, you end up with, you may create 1 million fake mobs. Users are coming to do something. The problem is now you're going to have 10 million real people that are going to join in that because they're going to believe in the mob. And it's, and again, that just leads to mob mentality, which is going to force absolutely things to happen that we don't actually want to happen.

[Alison Hahns]

Joe, thank you so much for being here this morning. We appreciate you.

[Joe Reddin]

No, my pleasure.

[Congressman Ralph Norman]

Thank you for having me.

[Alison Hahns]

Coming up, Stephen Miller, one of the President's top aides, says the administration wants Greenland and doubts anyone will stand in Trump's way of Getting it. The story and the reaction is next as American Sunrise continues.

[Donald Trump]

We need Greenland from a national security situation. It's so strategic right now. Greenland is covered with Russian and Chinese ships all over the place. We need Greenland from the standpoint of national security and Denmark is not going to be able to do it, I can tell you.

[Alison Hahns]

Welcome back to American Sunrise EARLY edition. I'm Alison Hahns. Let's bring back Brian Glenn. Good morning. There in focus right now, Greenland and the so called Don Rowe doctrine. You just heard Trump say it, we need Greenland. Well, White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller is also making headlines about the island, claiming Greenland should belong to the U.S. in a recent interview on CNN, Miller told Jake Tapper, nobody is willing to go toe to toe over the future of Greenland with the US Military. Take a look at how that conversation played out.

[Stephen Miller]

It has been the formal position of the US Government since the beginning of this administration, frankly, going back into the previous Trump administration, that Greenland should be part of the United States. The president has been very clear about that. That is the formal position of the US Government.

[Brian Glenn]

Right. But can you say that military action.

[Stephen Miller]

Against Greenland is off the table? Would it be military action against Greenland? The, the Greenland has a population of 30,000 people, Jake. The real question is by what right does Denmark assert control over Greenland? What is the basis of their territorial claim? What is their basis of having Greenland as a colony of Denmark? The United States is the power of naito for the United States to secure the Arctic region to protect and defend NATO and NATO interests. Obviously, Greenland should be part of the United States.

[Alison Hahns]

Welcome RAV correspondent Emily Finn. Good morning, Emily. It is so great to have you with us this morning. What's happening?

[Emily Finn]

Hi, Alison. Yeah, great to be here. I mean we heard it from both President Trump and Stephen Miller that this is in national security interest for the US to take a serious look at Greenland, something that President Trump was talking about even last year when his son Don Jr. Was on a trip with Charlie Kirk. Rest in peace to Charlie. That was before his assassination last year to go check it out. And the people of Greenland were very much on board and very supportive of the US Being there and these conversations happening. So it's just really interesting to see with everything that's played out over this week with Venezuela. Brian.

[Brian Glenn]

Yeah, it is really interesting and I'll play devil's advocate here if they claim Denmark has no justification to occupy or control Greenland, but what justification do we have to do the same thing? And now I've you look online, monitor social Media, this is a very debated topic here. Now, obviously, in the security essence of the United States, that's a strategic location. 100% support that. But once again, we're going back to the MAGA America first agenda. Is this America first to take over Greenland and to what advantage? If there's any economic advantage to people who live in Greenland and we only have 30,000 people that live there, what does that. Maybe they should be able to vote on this whether or not they want to do that. Also, if we are going to buy Greenland from Denmark, that does have to go through Congress. They control the purse. You just can't, you know, adversarially just throw money at Greenland or Denmark to buy it. You've got to go through proffer channel. So let's see if that happens as well. But I think from a security standpoint, Alison, think this is a wise and smart move.

[Alison Hahns]

That's really interesting. I didn't understand that it would have to go through Congress. So what would that look like, Brian?

[Brian Glenn]

Well, I'm not sure if you will. You've got to sell Congress on it. You've got to sell Congress on the idea that this is worth doing. Now look at the slim margin we have in Congress right now with the passing of Lamafa in California. And you've got another one that another congressman that has got injured from a car accident. He's 80 years old. Let's just say he wasn't to come back for a vote. Like, I don't, I'm not sure this would pass with the slim majority they have now. But, you know, maybe I'm wrong.

[Emily Finn]

Yeah, certainly. And things do get complicated when they have to go through all of those processes in D.C. there, Brian. But if you take a look at the state of the world right now, you know, everything happening between Russia and Ukraine, between Israel, Hamas, I think it's really a scary time for not only Americans, but for everyone taking a look at, at what's going on. And so if there's anything that the US can do in terms of Greenland or any other pieces of land throughout the world that could be strategic to our military advantage, to our national security, wouldn't that be technically America first in the end, Brian, if it's keeping everyone safe on a global perspective.

[Brian Glenn]

Yeah, that's a great point. It's a great point, Emily. And of course, that's the point that President Trump often makes, that having these negotiations with these countries and putting American interest first and foremost in those countries is actually America first. But we can just look down south from where you're at, Emily, a couple hundred miles off the coast there, you have Cuba. This we could be talking, we could be having the same exact conversation a week from now about Cuba. What does that mean to the United States or better yet, go next door to Venezuela there. Colombia is another country that President Trump has often said that perhaps we need to have some type of control. So he often does refer to EMILY as the U.S. is the, I guess, the leader of the Western Hemisphere. And one could argue that we, no doubt about it, that we are the greatest country in the Western Hemisphere. But what does that look like? Do we need to, there's the map on your screen right now. Do we need to control dominance, governance wise of the Western hemisphere? Not sure. That's kind of what America signed up for.

[Emily Finn]

Right. And how many countries did you just name right there? And where does it end? All of that American taxpayer money is going to be going to all of this and then at the end of the day does, you know, domestic issues get overlooked? ALISON?

[Alison Hahns]

Well, I think the question goes back to voting. I think that was a really good point with Brian. I think you have to go into each region and are we really helping the people and do they want our help? And if they do then have a vote, do they want us to come in and what does that look like and have a negotiation? This is not us just walking around the world and trying to dominate. I think it's helping, let me help you, you know, so we can help ourselves.

[Brian Glenn]

Yeah, well, Alison Emily, let me, let me pose this question, put the shoe on the other foot. What if a country came into our government, ripped President Trump or Biden or whoever the president is out of office, captured him and said, guess what, we're going to take over your country, we're going to take over your oil reserves, your energy, your infrastructure. What would the reaction be in America? And I could, if we're being naive, if we think everyone in Venezuela is supporting this. Now, we talked about the AI videos and things like that. Overwhelmingly, I think the people do support this. But if we think that just getting Maduro out of Venezuela, his government runs deep there. There's a lot of people that worked under him in the cabinet positions and other positions in the government. They are still going to fight to keep the material, I guess, you know, governance the way his style, his, you know, his, his commands in place. So, you know, it could get nasty. So what happens if we have several countries that we do this? We have some civil discourse on the streets of those countries now we have chaos around the world that we actually, well, we kick the ant bed, if you want to use a term like that. So I just want to be very cautious before we just think we need to go into every country and be the dominant force and take over their natural resources. And just like we wouldn't want anybody to come over and take away our natural resources in our country.

[Emily Finn]

Yeah, certainly can get very complicated there, Brian. You don't want chaos in any of these countries. This is going to be a massive undertaking for the US to come in and try to reinstate, you know, a new branch of government there. It's going to be interesting to see. Brian, do you think that at this point we are going to, you know, kind of focus on issues here in America, you know, continuing to secure our southern border, continuing to deport all of the illegal criminals in this country right now, or do you think that we are going to kind of continue on with this so called dunru doctrine to kind of control Western hemisphere? The western hemisphere?

[Brian Glenn]

I think we can do both. Emily. If you look at what Trump is doing, he's sending troops up to Minnesota. We're still maintaining the border. We have the safest border we've ever had. I think we're going to shift to campaign mode going into the end of this year. We're just a few months away from a primary in certain states. So I think we're going to continue to focus on domestic issues but also look at these foreign issues as well. So it's going to be a balancing act. But I think it's important to note here, I want the American people to realize what are they doing for us? Let's put America first. And if everyone else needs help, that's a secondary venture. But we got to make sure they're helping America. And you know, if you look at inflationary rate, all the things right now, Emily, things are getting better here in this country. So which we got to congratulate the Trump administration on that.

[Alison Hahns]

Thank you, Brian. Thank you, Emily, so much this morning. We'll see you in the 8am hour. Still ahead, we will be right back. Don't go anywhere. Coming up on American Sunrise, early edition, the race to the midterms and the consequences of the Republicans losing the majority on Capitol Hill. Congressman Ralph Norman will be here with his take on what may lie ahead. Plus, the clock is ticking. In just four weeks, are we looking at another government shutdown and if so, what will the fallout be in Washington and around your dinner table and the next steps in the fight for justice against an alleged narco terrorist. Did the president go too far in bringing Venezuela's Nicolas Maduro to face justice? Find out those stories and so much more as this early edition of American Sunrise continues right now. Welcome back to American Sunrise Early Edition. I'm Alison Hahns and let's bring back my co host Brian Glenn. Brian, what's happening?

[Brian Glenn]

Oh, you know we're here.

[Alison Hahns]

Okay, well, all right. What we really want to know is what does the President and the White House have on the schedule today? If there's anyone who knows it, it's you.

[Brian Glenn]

Well, there is a couple events in the Oval Office. Now typically they'll say they're closed to press, but knowing how they operate, and he's the most successful president as far as media wise we've ever seen, there are some policy discussions in the Oval Office and of course, I believe at one o' clock there is a press briefing with Carolyn Levitt. So we'll have that for you right here in Real America's Voice as well.

[Alison Hahns]

Okay. And we will take that press briefing live as we always do. Thank you, Brian. Well, turning now from the President's plans today. Oh, I'm sorry, did you have one other thing?

[Brian Glenn]

I was in the correction, that's 11 o' clock on the press briefing with Carolyn Levitt. I just got a correction on that. 11 o'.

[Alison Hahns]

Clock, 11 o'. Clock, we gotcha. Thank you, Brian. Turning now from the President's plans today to the midterms and his long term future. Yesterday, while speaking to Republican members of the House, Trump weighed in on the upcoming midterms. Listen in.

[Donald Trump]

We have great, solid common sense policy. They have horrendous policy. What they do is they stick together. They never have a no vote. They impeached me. I never knew I was going to be impeached. I get a phone call, you just got impeached. I said, what does that mean? It took them 10 minutes. They impeached the President of the. Who did a damn good job. I rebuilt our military space force.

[Congressman Jimmy Petronas]

I got everything.

[Donald Trump]

I did a lot. They impeached me for nothing twice.

[Alison Hahns]

The President also said that if the Democrats win the midterms, they will attempt to impeach him again. Joining us now to weigh in on the midterms and all that is going on inside the hallowed halls of Capitol Hill is Congressman Ralph Norman of South Carolina. Good morning, Congressman.

[Congressman Ralph Norman]

Good morning, Allison. Great to be with you.

[Alison Hahns]

And Brian, thanks so much for coming in. Okay. You are leaving Congress and you have your eyes set on becoming Governor of the state. Do you think the GOP will be able to hold their majority in the house in 2026?

[Congressman Ralph Norman]

Yes, I do. You know, you look at what this president has done, Donald Trump has done in less than 12 months, and I would argue eight months because he took office on January 20th. We had a 43 day shutdown and this president has turned this country around like never before. And, you know, isn't it great we've got a president that can actually have a news conference. You compare that to the Biden years where not only was he not competent, he didn't make sense when he, whatever he said, but to have a man at the controls as president that has done such a phenomenal job. The American people will judge him on what he's done and what he's been able to do in just a short period of time. And I will tell you the courage that he has, his leadership. Yes, I think the 77 million people that voted him in office, I think is going to come back in the midterms with the individual races. And look at his track record. Look at his track record and you've got a Democrat Party that is off the rails now. They're Marxist socialists. They're, you know, all they want is power, Allison. That's, that's it. They don't deserve it. And I think the president is going to weigh in and he'll get in on key races and he'll keep the, we'll keep the midterms. And there's no reason for, for America to change courses now. And he's right. The president's right. All they want to do is impeach him. And I don't think it's going to happen.

[Brian Glenn]

Yeah. Congressman, I'll ask you, so do you agree with President Trump that if he's likely to be impeached again if the Democrats win back the majority? They've said it from day one. And Congressman, if you remember Jamie Raskin, one of your colleagues on the other side of the aisle, I think said it on Inauguration day that they're already going to launch articles of impeachment on President Trump. So do you agree with, with Jamie Raskin as well?

[Congressman Ralph Norman]

Oh, absolutely. I mean, that's, that's been the intent the whole time. Look, they don't give this president credit for anything, Brian. I mean, this Trump, true Trump derangement syndrome. And again, this is a party that opened the borders. This is a party that, you know, that sided with those who have no, who hate this country. And this is a party who, those who watched during the State of the Union. They didn't stand for him. They, they hate him at every level. But again, the American people know the truth. And the Democrat Party is not the Democratic party of the 60s or 70s. It's the new socialist regime. And if you look at what's happened in New York, California and other states, we got to stop it. We got to fight against it. And President Trump is the perfect leader to lead that fight. We're going to keep the midterms. We've got to get some more great candidates in line. And that's what I intend to do as governor, is recruit good candidates all over this country.

[Alison Hahns]

Excellent. Well, Congressman, moving away from the midterms to a more immediate threat, another looming government shutdown. What are your predictions as we inch closer to the end of the month?

[Congressman Ralph Norman]

Here's what's going to happen, Alison. If the Democrats think it's in their best interest, if they think they gain leverage, they will shut it down. Now, if you look at what happened, you know, when they shut it down for 43 days last year, it didn't come out. It didn't work out too well. So no, I think they may bluff it. I don't think they'll do it. And let's just say if they do this, this will show their true colors, which is they want power back at any cost and the American people will suffer for it. But no, I don't think at the end of the day, I think they may say they're going to do it, but I don't think they will because they suffered whether they admit it or not, when they shut it down for 43 days.

[Alison Hahns]

Congressman, I wanted to get your take on the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro. He had the mighty. But as a member of Congress, in your opinion, did the president have the right to arrest him and his wife by capturing them in their own country?

[Congressman Ralph Norman]

First of all, the president had the obligation and I heard in the previous segment, you know, America first. He is putting America first. 50 countries have pretty much condemned Maduro. He was not the leader of Venezuela. He's a drug king pinned thug who harmed this country. And secondly, this president would not put our military in danger. Had this been leaked, had as the Democrats said, it'd be broadcast around the world and to Congress of what they're going to do, it would have never taken place because Maduro would have not been there to capture him and people would have gotten injured. Just think about what's happened. The president had the courage to pull in all the forces America's military might, which is thriving under Donald Trump. And he carried it off successfully. Not one person was injured. You had one helicopter that had some damage. But yes, he did the right thing. This is not a democracy in Venezuela. And you know who's the beneficiaries? The people of Venezuela. And I think that'll be proven true as we get the refineries rebuilt that were put in by America back in the 70s. And it will be a country that is run well, as has shown this president can do in America.

[Alison Hahns]

Congressman Ralph Norman, thank you. Before we let you go, to break, a new year means new financial goals like making sure your savings are secure and diversified. Will this year be the year you finally listen and talk to someone from Birch Gold Group on a slight lastly, they're great people. I appreciate their educational approach and their understanding of macroeconomics. There are forces pushing the dollar lower and gold higher, which is why they believe every American should own physical gold. So until January 30th, if you are a first time gold buyer, Birchgold is offering a rebate of up to $10,000 on qualifying purchases. To claim eligibility and to start the process, just text America to 989-898. Birchgold can help you roll an existing IRA or 401K into an IRA in gold and you're still eligible for rebate of up to $10,000. Make right now your first time to buy gold and take advantage of a rebate of up to $10,000 when you buy by January 30th. Text America to 989898. Claim your eligibility today. Again, text America to 989898. Up next, we will have so much more on the day ahead. The Epstein files, the Maduro arrest, Venezuelan oil. We'll have breaking news from Capitol Hill and your weather forecast too in moments. David Brody will be here with a preview of the next hour of American Sunrise. We will be right back.

[Brian Glenn]

Back.

[Alison Hahns]

Don't go anywhere.

[Donald Trump]

The radical left knows exactly what they're doing. They want to steal the election. We're going to walk down Pennsylvania Avenue and we're going to the capital. They need to take back our country.

[Narrator]

Events in Washington have taken a violent and tumultuous.

[Congressman Ralph Norman]

K pop.

[Narrator]

January 6th wasn't just a moment in history. For thousands of Americans, it was the moment their voices were taken.

[David Brody]

It's insurrection.

[Narrator]

They were persecuted, hunted, seditious conspiracy. But behind prison walls, something unexpected happened. They found, found their voice again, started.

[David Brody]

Singing the national anthem. We took it up to him at Mar a Lago.

[Congressman Ralph Norman]

He goes.

[Alison Hahns]

I'll put my voice on it.

[David Brody]

Our supporters made this go platinum.

[Narrator]

Real America's Voice is telling the real story of January 6th like you've never seen it before.

[Alison Hahns]

Everybody, this must be peaceful.

[Narrator]

This is not the story you were shown.

[Brian Glenn]

I take responsibility.

[Narrator]

This is the story they live government.

[Stephen Miller]

Entrapment scheme that this actually was.

[Narrator]

The J6 Patriots are no longer staying silent. They are speaking, they are standing and they are telling the truth.

[David Brody]

You can't kill us.

[Joe Reddin]

You can't beat us.

[Narrator]

Scan the QR code or visit real AmericasVoice.com Real America's Voice presents the Sleeping Giant. Available now.

[Alison Hahns]

Welcome back to American Sunrise EARLY edition. I'm Alison Hahns. Let's bring back my co host Brian Glenn. And joining us is American Sunrise host David Brody. Good morning, gentlemen. How you doing?

[David Brody]

Well, Allison. Hi, Brian.

[Alison Hahns]

Okay, Brody, what's coming up on American Sunrise?

[David Brody]

You know, you always ask me this and I have no idea. No, I do know. I really do know. Congressman Tom Tiffany from Wisconsin will be here. He'll be here at the top of the show talking about that House Republican meeting last night or yesterday afternoon. Excuse me. And I got to tell you, maybe we can get into this in a second, but I mean, President Trump said something extremely controversial regarding the life issue. I mean, when he talked about the Hyde Amendment. We can get into that in a moment, but we will ask about that, flexible on the Hyde Amendment, if you will. So anyhow, we're going to talk about that, obviously, Venezuela. Armin Kurdian will be here to talk about, in essence, the Monroe Doctrine under Trump. And then we've got Matt Schlapp later in the hour as well from cpac. Guys.

[Alison Hahns]

Very good.

[Brian Glenn]

You know, David, Carolyn Levitt has a Press briefing at 11 o' clock this morning. How many questions I think this might be out of all the press briefings I've ever covered, I think this one will have the most people in that room because look at all the topics that Carolyn Levitt has to address. Think about it, six ways of Sunday on Venezuela. And then you can insert every other foreign policy issue that we're talking about, David.

[David Brody]

Oh, 100%. I mean, it's Venezuela, it's Iran, oh, Columbia, oh, Cuba, oh, Greenland. Oh my. I feel like it's lions, tigers and bears. Oh my. I mean, my goodness, you could talk about all of that. Sorry, did I bury the domestic lead, which is health care subsidies. So look, there is so much going on. Please, someone get me some Stephen Miller today at the podium, please. I need a little Stephen Miller at the podium today because I need a little dress down.

[Alison Hahns]

I want a little David Brody right now. What's your take on the oil situation and us going in there and taking charge? I'll put it to you that way.

[David Brody]

Well, you know, here's the thing. First of all, I agree once again. Back to what you said, Alison, a couple days ago, which is, I think we all need to, to take a beat and wait a little bit to see how this unfolds. I think everybody trying to kind of pontificate and say this is horrible or this is great, we don't know. I mean, that's the truth. This is open ended. We don't know how this is going to end. And anybody saying, oh, this is a great move, well, maybe it also might not be a great move. So we just don't know. Now, having said all of that, it was interesting to me what President Trump said the other day when asked, they said, is this about the oil or is this about regime change? He goes, no, it's not about regime change, it's not about the oil. And then someone asked him, so what is it about? And he said these words, peace on Earth. And I'll be honest with you, that had me concerned because peace on Earth beyond being kind of generic and it sounds great. It doesn't feel exactly like straight up maga. It feels like he's fallen in love a little bit with being the peace president. And it just makes me wonder about what's going on globally. So I think the Monroe Doctrine and what Trump is trying to do here, I think is something that has been a shift here. And once again, to be clear, the White House will probably say, Brian, that it's not a shift, that he's always believed this, but they haven't led with it for sure. And now we're seeing that Monroe Doctrine really kind of compete a little bit with maga, but at the same time, they're trying to fold MAGA into the Monroe Doctrine. So that's, to me, a very interesting storyline.

[Brian Glenn]

Yeah.

[Alison Hahns]

Brian, final thoughts.

[Brian Glenn]

It is. Yeah. Final thoughts on this. I agree with you, David. Let's see how this all plays out. This is a hint of globalism when he says we're the leader of the Western hemisphere. I don't really, don't really like the sound of that, but we'll see what that, you know, fast forward a year from now, let's see where we're at. Yeah.

[Alison Hahns]

Okay.

[David Brody]

A hint of globalism in terms of American imperialism too.

[Alison Hahns]

Okay. A hint of globalism with peace on earth. Thank you, gents. Man. David, have a great show. American Sunrise is straight ahead. We will see you tomorrow. Thanks so much. This is an iHeart podcast.

[Donald Trump]

Guaranteed Human.