American Sunrise - January 5th, 2026

Summary

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Podcast Summary: American Sunrise – January 5, 2026

Podcast: Real America’s Voice
Episode: American Sunrise – January 5, 2026
Hosts: David Brody, Terrence Bates, Allison Hans (in for Dr. Gina)
Special Guests: Sheriff Mark Lamb, Waleed Phares, David Zier, Royce White, Mike Baker, Rabbi Jason Sobel
Theme: Turning Point in U.S. Foreign Policy—Maduro’s Capture, America’s Role in Venezuela, Global Repercussions, and Domestic Divides

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Episode Overview

The American Sunrise episode of January 5, 2026, kicks off the year with wall-to-wall coverage and debate on the stunning arrest and extradition of Venezuelan strongman Nicolas Maduro by U.S. forces. The hosts assemble live and remote guests for analysis and reaction, explore the potential ripple effects across Latin America and global hotspots, and break down how President Trump’s bold move is dividing MAGA and raising questions about America’s role in the world.

The episode also covers unrest in Iran, the political implications of New York’s new mayor Zoran Mamdani, a political shakeup in Minnesota, and broader debates within conservatism about American interventionism versus isolationism.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Arrest and Extradition of Nicolas Maduro

Background and Immediate Reactions ([01:29]–[04:28])

• The show leads with the breaking news that Maduro and his wife are in U.S. custody, awaiting a Manhattan court appearance.
• Trump aboard Air Force One: “Don’t ask me who’s in charge, because I’ll give you an answer. And it’ll be very controversial…It means we’re in charge.” ([02:27])
  • Hosts interpret this as Trump signaling U.S. dominance in Venezuela post-operation.
• David Brody clarifies, “They’re not necessarily installing an actual government with people, officials on the ground. What Trump is saying here when he says ‘we’re in charge’ is we’re calling the shots.” ([02:48])
• Allison Hans raises concerns about stability: “Hopefully it’s smooth…I don’t know if it can be smooth, but…it concerns me with the woman who was put in charge right now and what’s going to happen with her as she was part of Maduro’s team.” ([03:37])

Rubio’s Take and Historical Parallel ([05:14])

• Secretary of State Marco Rubio appears (clip) and states:
  • “Legitimacy for their system of government will come about through a period of transition and real elections, which they have not had…And by the way, that’s the reason why…Maduro is not just an indicted drug trafficker. He’s an illegitimate president.” ([05:14])

Sheriff Mark Lamb’s Perspective ([05:43]–[12:57])

• Sheriff Lamb compares the operation to Panama (1989), praises minimal casualties, and calls Maduro “a communist, who is a socialist. We got to stop putting up with it.” ([06:11])
• The MAGA Reaction: Brody wonders if the move aligns with “America First,” noting MAGA's mix of isolationists and hawks. Lamb supports the operation but warns, "Let’s talk in six months to see what our footprint is on the ground there... This is not Iraq. This is not nation building." ([07:57])
• The drug war connection: “We’ve got to stop the flow of drugs into America…That is why I want to see us eradicate evil in this world, he being one of them, along with the drugs that he was purveying.” ([07:57])
• Lamb draws a sharp line with critics: “Doesn’t matter what President Trump does, he could save the world and they would still not like it.” ([10:34])
• Practical impact: “This was a very well executed tactical strike…no other country could have done what President Trump and America did taking him out of office a couple nights ago.” ([11:42])

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2. Legal, Geopolitical & Historical Context

Legal Debate and Precedent ([14:40]–[17:43]; [33:11]–[37:44]; [50:04]–[53:55])

• Terrence Bates summarizes the legal challenges: Maduro’s lawyers will argue for head-of-state immunity and protest the legality of the extradition.
• Precedent cited: Manuel Noriega’s capture in 1989—a similar situation where international protest did not prevent prosecution.
• On-site correspondent David Zier reports heavy security and draws comparisons to Noriega: “That argument was lost back on the Bush with Panama. So I’m not confident Maduro’s will win on those grounds here.” ([33:11])

Waleed Phares on U.S. Goals ([22:03])

• “It’s a mandate for the United States to rearrange the relationship with Venezuela, making sure that the threat…is over. So it’s not that this is going to be an occupation. This is a mission by the United States.”
• Notes Trump’s wariness of an “Iraq mistake” (disbanding bureaucracy), so working with existing structures is part of the plan.

Regional Significance—Colombia in Crosshairs? ([16:45])

• Trump warns: “Colombia is very sick too, run by a sick man who likes making cocaine and selling it to the United States. And he’s not going to be doing it very long, let me tell you.” ([16:45])
• The panel notes the world is now taking Trump’s threats about Colombia—and possibly Cuba—seriously.

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3. Broader Implications and Debates

America First vs. Interventionism ([62:51]; [77:00])

• Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (“MTG”) opposes: “We don’t consider Venezuela our neighborhood. Our neighborhood is right here in the 50 United States.” ([63:16])
• Brody rebuts: “You can walk and chew gum at the same time. You can do domestic priorities and also do what President Trump did in Venezuela. I support it, by the way.” ([63:58])
• Divisions inside MAGA noted—some see Monroe Doctrine logic, others worry this is another “nation-building” blunder.

Mike Baker (Ex-CIA) on Execution and Risks ([82:21])

• On Venezuela’s post-coup structure: “You can’t write the script...they’ve already moved the vice president into the position...there are all these other senior military and security apparatus personnel who have enriched themselves…over the years. So it could get messy.” ([82:51])
• “If we haven’t done some extensive negotiating...it could get messy.”
• On regime-types: Likens phase two transitions to the problematic aftermaths in places like Gaza. “Transition of power to the democrat opposition won’t be easy.” ([87:21])

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4. Related Headlines & Issues

Unrest in Iran ([24:52])

• Waleed Phares details the intensifying protests and how Trump’s warnings to the regime (“if you crush these uprisings...we will intervene”) are emboldening demonstrators. ([25:23])
• The collapse of Basij (the regime’s internal militia) is seen as tipping point: “Once the Basij are down, guess what? The regime will fall.”

New York’s New Mayor: Zoran Mandami ([39:59])

• Policies enacted on Day One—cutting city support for Israel, redefining antisemitism, ending police buffer zones.
• Terrence Bates: “Elections have consequences, and the city is now going to feel those consequences…particularly for the city’s Jewish population.” ([40:50])
• Rabbi Jason Sobel weighs in:
  • “Public oaths are acts of power…it’s about what comes next…It is very concerning what he’s done and it should raise our eyebrow and really cause us to stand up and take notice.” ([44:27])

Minnesota Political Earthquake ([54:15], [93:56])

• Royce White and others discuss Governor Tim Walz’s (D) potential stepping down after massive daycare and welfare fraud controversy.
• White: “Minnesota is actually a conservative state...we have to get some help here in Minnesota to make sure our elections are clean and safe and secure.”
• Later, breaking news: Walz confirms he will not seek reelection ([93:56]).

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5. Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• President Trump: “Don’t ask me who’s in charge, because I’ll give you an answer. And it’ll be very controversial…It means we’re in charge.” ([02:27])
• Sheriff Mark Lamb: “Let’s do Minnesota next.” (a joke about ‘removing’ corrupt leaders) ([06:41])
• David Brody: “This is not Iraq. This is not nation building.” ([07:57])
• Waleed Phares: “It’s not that this is going to be an occupation. This is a mission by the United States.” ([22:03])
• Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (clip): “We don’t consider Venezuela our neighborhood. Our neighborhood is right here in the 50 United States.” ([63:16])
• Mike Baker: “I keep going back to the same word—messy. You have to worry about what backfills all of this.” ([85:19])
• Rabbi Jason Sobel: “By using the Quran, the issue is not is it allowed? It’s what does it signal. It’s about what comes next…” ([44:27])

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Timestamps for Major Segments

• [01:29] — Show opening & anchor roundtable
• [02:27] — Trump’s “we’re in charge” comments on Venezuela
• [05:14] — Rubio denounces Maduro’s legitimacy
• [05:52]–[12:57] — Interview with Sheriff Mark Lamb (Venezuela, MAGA reaction)
• [14:40]–[17:43] — Legal briefing: courthouse, arrest legality, protest
• [22:03]–[24:52] — Waleed Phares (foreign policy/deep state)
• [24:52]–[27:35] — Waleed Phares on Iran unrest
• [33:11]–[37:44] — Live courthouse update with David Zier
• [39:59]–[42:50] — Zoran Mandami’s first day as NYC mayor
• [44:27]–[47:17] — Rabbi Jason Sobel on Jewish concerns in NY
• [50:04]–[53:55] — Legal precedent for trying heads of state
• [62:51] — MTG’s opposition, MAGA split
• [77:00] — In-depth “America First” foreign policy debate
• [82:21]–[89:21] — Mike Baker (ex-CIA) on coup aftermath
• [93:56]–[96:04] — Tim Walz steps down in Minnesota

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Conclusion

This landmark episode captures a pivotal moment in American foreign and domestic politics: the bold removal of Nicolas Maduro, the resulting fissures within the conservative movement, the complexities of real-world regime change, and the interconnectedness of global and local crises (drug trafficking, immigration, U.S. elections, antisemitism, and more).

The hosts favorably frame Trump’s moves as decisive and in line with securing the Western Hemisphere, but platform dissenting voices (notably MTG and Mike Baker) about the wisdom, risks, and meaning of “America First.” The program’s tone is urgent, unapologetically pro-Trump, and determined to link global intervention to domestic security and patriotism.

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For listeners:
This episode is rich with debate, historical analogy, and “live from the ground” updates. It’s essential listening for understanding the shifting definition of “America First” and the intricate consequences of U.S. power projection in the post-2024 world.

Transcript

[A]

This is an iHeart podcast.

[B]

Guaranteed Human.

[C]

Ahead on American Sunrise, Venezuelan dictator Nicolas Maduro is in U.S. custody and preparing to answer to a judge in just a few hours. So how is the world reacting and how is President Trump responding? Live coverage from New York in advance of Maduro's court appearance throughout the show. Plus, Iranian unrest continues as protesters speak out against the country's Islamic regime. Is a revolution to topple the current government a possibility? We've got expert analysis ahead. And later, New York's Zoran Mandami era is underway. Find out what orders the city's new communist mayor has already signed and what the moves mean for the city's massive Jewish population. Those stories and so much more right now on American Sunrise.

[D]

Good morning, America.

[B]

Welcome to American sunrise.

[C]

Whether it's culture, we have breaking news.

[D]

To share with you.

[C]

Politics.

[D]

President Trump is joining us live now from Florida.

[C]

We've got you covered.

[D]

This is what it looks like to be a patriot.

[C]

We have to protect the American family.

[D]

The American dream is still alive. I'm David Brody.

[C]

I'm terrence.

[E]

And I'm Dr. Gina.

[C]

Good Monday morning to you. By the way, it is the first Monday of 2026. I'm still getting used to saying that it's 2026. I'm Terrence Bates coming to you from our Denver newsroom. Let's bring in David Brody. He's in Washington, D.C. and Allison Hans in West Palm. By the way, Allison is in for Dr. Gina this morning. Good morning to both of you.

[D]

Morning, T. Bates.

[E]

Morning. It's so good to see you. It's been a while.

[C]

It's been way too long, Allison, even though I hear your voice all the time. But it's good to see you, David. Also good to see you in this new year. So look, let's just get right to it. Nicolas Maduro is the big story of the day. He and his wife, of course, making their first court appearance after being arrested by US Forces in their home country of Venezuela. It's the story everyone talking about. In fact, President Trump even giving out a warning to the interim leadership there in Venezuela. Here's what he had to say aboard Air Force One. Don't ask me who's in charge, because I'll give you an answer. And it'll be very controversial.

[E]

What does that mean?

[C]

It means we're in charge.

[E]

Have you spoken with her?

[C]

We're in charge.

[E]

Have you spoken with her?

[C]

No. No, I haven't. But other people.

[D]

Yeah, at the right time, I will.

[C]

All right, David, I'm going To go right to you. We're in charge, quote. Does that give you pause?

[D]

Well, it'll give me pause if in the next 60 to 90 to 100, it becomes more of a US footprint in Venezuela. We'll see. Sure. But having said that, when he says we're in charge, let's be clear, right? I mean, the Secretary of War down in Venezuela is not Pete Hegseth right now. In other words, they're not necessarily installing an actual government with bodies, if you will, people, officials on the ground. What Trump is saying here when he says we're in charge is we're calling the shots, and that's what's happening. So we're running Venezuela. We're in charge. Technically, that is not true. But what technically is true is they are calling the shots, which basically means they're running Venezuela. So, Alison, he is right, if you think about it.

[E]

But the thing is, I mean, what would the alternative be? We went in, did this strategic strike, and then just hauled it out of there and left nothing. I mean, that would be impossible. So something has to be done. Hopefully it's smooth. I don't know if it can be smooth, but, you know, it concerns me with the woman who was put in charge right now and what's going to happen with her as she was part of, you know, Delsey, as she was part of Maduro's team. That doesn't seem very hopeful to me, but I don't really know.

[C]

Well, not to mention, you know, it's.

[D]

Funny, T. Bates as well. I mean, you got a whole cauldron of bad dudes down there within the government, so they're either gonna play nice or they're gonna be gone. I mean, that's the bottom line. I mean, Trump's not playing around. Has anybody ever heard about that before? Trump ain't playing.

[E]

Yeah, we got the fo.

[D]

Yeah, right.

[C]

What does that mean?

[F]

F?

[C]

A, F. Oh, no, no. Okay, you know what? Let's get to the Bible verse.

[D]

Just kidding. Just kidding. Yes. We're going to the.

[E]

We're going to be good. We're going to the Bible verse. Okay. It is Psalm 34, 17:18. The righteous cry out, and the Lord hears and delivers them out of all their troubles. The Lord is near to those who have a broken heart and saves, such as have a contrite spirit. Well, more on the capture of Venezuelan dictator Nicolas Maduro. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Maduro was not a legitimate leader and said new leadership will come in. Let's take a look.

[D]

Ultimately, legitimacy for Their system of government will come about through a period of transition and real elections, which they have not had. And by the way, it's the reason why Maduro. Maduro is not just an indicted drug, an indicted drug trafficker. He's illegitimate president. He was not the head of state. And I continue to see these media reports referring to him as President Maduro and the head of state. He was not the head of state. He was not the head.

[G]

And it's not just us saying it.

[D]

The Biden administration said it. And so did 60 something countries around the world hold that position.

[E]

Love it. Rubio not pulling any punches. Let's now bring in Arizona congressional candidate Sheriff Mark Lamb. Welcome, Sheriff. Good morning.

[H]

Good morning, Allison. Good morning, Terrence and David. I appreciate you guys having me on.

[E]

Oh, we love having you here.

[C]

That's how I know we're friends. You're like T. B now, Terrence. You can call me T. Bates. I tried to be professional.

[H]

At the last second, I was like, T. Bates. I mean, Terrence, it's all good.

[E]

Sheriff, what was your initial reaction to the news?

[H]

Look, I was in Panama in 1989, going into 1990. I was there at 17 years old. My family was. My dad was a businessman in Panama. Lived in Panama. And so when I saw those videos, it reminded me of when the US Invaded Panama. However, the Trump invasion of Venezuela was much more successful. What President Trump and his team did, being able to enter in the dark of night, minimal casualties, and remove the President from that country, I thought was absolutely outstanding. Look, this is a man who is a communist, who is a socialist. We got to stop putting up with it. And the other first reaction I had was, let's do Minnesota next.

[D]

You know, you mentioned Panama. You're right. 23American soldiers died in that attack under George H.W. bush. When they went in and got Noriega, this was, boy, this was precision for sure. Now, look, here's the thing. I mean, the big question I think we need to answer on this show, and it's gonna be a work in progress, if you will, is this move maga? So I'm curious to get your take on that. Obviously, the pure isolationist crowd, the MTGs of the world think this is horrible, and there's a slice of MAGA that's not going to like this. But my sense of it, Sheriff Lamb, is that most of MAGA will go along with this and like it with an asterisk. Let's talk in six months to see what our footprint is on the ground there and to make sure this isn't getting out of control to the point where we've got too many boots on the ground. I mean, we had a couple hundred thousand in Iraq. This is not Iraq. This is not nation building. And I'm curious to get your take on all of that.

[H]

Well, look, I'm an America only in many cases guy. I think we should focus on what we our problems here in America. But some of our problems here in America were caused by people like Venezuela, where we had all these people that were brought in here from Venezuela. Not only that, we have continued to have drugs. We saw the drug boats that were coming in here. Think about the ones we didn't catch. All the drugs coming in here. We've got cartel guys in Mexico that I would love to see removed through in the dark of night. We've got to stop the flow of drugs into America. The average person in this country does not see firsthand the effects of, of what people like Maduro and the cartel guys bring into this country and the devastation it wreaks on American families. That is why I want to see us eradicate evil in this world, he being one of them, along with the drugs that he was purveying. And I think this is a message to other cartel members. My wife said it best. She was like, look, if I was a cartel member or if I was another dictator or criminal, I think I would pack up my money and move to a beach and never be heard from him again at this point.

[C]

Yeah, well, Sheriff Lamb, unfortunately most of those dictators live in countries that have beaches and pretty nice ones, but that's a whole nother story.

[H]

It's true.

[C]

So, which actually brings me to Colombia. Then let's talk Columbia. President Trump is threatening to potentially do some sort of action in Colombia. Is that reasonable in your mind? And part B to that question, since you do have experience in Panama, are Nicolas Maduro and Noriega, Manuel Noriega, are they virtually the same person in your mind? Do they have the same sort of threat historically and currently to the United States?

[H]

Look, I think Noriega was a little bit different. Noriega was not a communist. He was a dictator. And what he did was he told the CIA, hey, I'm not playing your game anymore. And they didn't like that.

[G]

Let's not.

[H]

This is not just a one way street. Look, our politics play a role in a lot of these, what we're having to fix across the globe. And I think that we have got to do better as a country. And removing this Guy, I think is a good sign that we're in the right direction. Now I'm with a lot of other people. I don't want to see us being, you know, going all over the world and trying to fix everybody's problems. We have a ton of problems right here in America that I agree with a lot of people. We need to focus on those problems as well. One of the problems is when we had Panama, most of the people, including the left media at the time that was there was no left and right media, but the media was all for it and so were most Americans. Now what we have is we have all these white liberals and we have all these paid agitators who go out and it doesn't matter what President Trump does, he could save the world and they would still not like it. These people just have a deep hate for him and they're going to fight against anything that he does. And I just. And then we have all these paid agitators going around. Look throughout the world, Argentina, Venezuela, all these different places who are celebrating the removal of this man because they lived through what kind of dictator he was and how vicious and violent and how he ruled that country with fear and proof positive. All the people that have come here looking for a better life, and many of those were criminals that Maduro dumped into our country.

[E]

Sheriff Lamb, you're such a great communicator, just in a very succinct way. Why does this work? Why do the American people benefit from what happened over the weekend?

[H]

Well, it certainly is gonna throw a wrench in this situation on the drugs that are brought in here. Is he the biggest purveyor of fentanyl and other drugs, cocaine, into America? No, he is not. Neither is Venezuela. That's gonna probably be the cartels in Mexico. But this is the start of something where we're really having a war on drugs. There's been that president after president has come in and said, we're going to war on drugs, and then they don't do anything. As a matter of fact, their policies actually aid in a bed in the cartels business. We finally have somebody who is actually doing what is right to help Americans and save American lives. And I think that is what I hope people take away from this. Also, we need to give President Trump credit. He went in there and in less than a night, one night, he removed the president, his wife, and look at that. This was not a sustained military effort where tons of citizens were dying. This was a very well executed tactical strike. And I think they achieved their mission. And I think Americans should be proud of what the work that was done last night because no other country could have done what President Trump and America did taking him out of office a couple nights ago.

[E]

Thank you so much, Sheriff Lamb, for being here this morning. We appreciate it.

[D]

Thanks, Sheriff.

[H]

Thank you.

[C]

God bless.

[E]

Coming up, we check out the hottest headlines from the RAP newsroom with tbates. And later, the international fallout from the Maduro capture. What Ukraine now wants in the wake of this US Led victory? Find out. Those details are straight ahead as American Sunrise continues.

[C]

This newsbreak is brought to you by amac, association of Mature American Citizens.

[D]

Manhattan. Nicolas Maduro set to arrive this morning. We will cover that live. David Zier is on the ground for us and we'll have a live report coming up later in our show. By the way, some breaking news. We'll get to here later, but Tim Walls has a press conference. The governor of Minnesota, 11am local time. That's noon Eastern. There are reports that he may, may resign. Excuse me, not resign. My bad. Not run for governor in 2026. We'll see what he says, but that is a developing story. All right. T. Bates standing by with some more headlines from the Real Americans Voice newsroom. Sponsored, everybody, by amac.

[C]

The association of Mature American Citizens is.

[H]

The conservative voice for Americans 50 and older. Amb iMac is fighting for the values.

[C]

That you hold dear.

[I]

Join today. Together we can right the course of America.

[C]

The big story of the day is that deposed Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro has a date with the judge in New York City today. He'll face narco terrorism charges. Today's noon hearing will be Maduro's first court appearance after being taken into custody by U.S. officials. This is a live look at the courthouse where he'll appear. Maduro and his wife are both expected in court as the proceeding will likely kick off a legal fight over whether the duo can even be put on trial here in the U.S. lawyers representing the former Venezuelan leader will contest the legality of his arrest and argue that he is immune from prosecution as a sovereign head of state. Meantime, protesters who are opposed to the administration's move to arrest and try Maduro will likely make their voices heard again today. On Sunday, a few dozen of them gathered outside the New York jail where the arrested leader is being held. They held signs opposing a US War with Venezuela, as you can see. And while protesters question the legality of Nicolas Maduro's arrest, there is precedent for this sort of action. You probably remember, and we just talked about a little while ago, Panama's Manuel Noriega was arrested and tried in similar circumstances following the 1990 US invasion of that country. Plus, in Maduro's case, the United States doesn't recognize him as Venezuela's legitimate head of state, particularly after the country's disputed 2024 election. The country's interim president, Deli Rodriguez, is demanding that the US Return Maduro taken to social media on Sunday, though Rodriguez said that she was hoping for, quote, receipt, respectful relations with the United States. Maduro and his allies claim the U.S. s actions are motivated by lust for Venezuela's oil and mineral resources. And while all eyes are on Venezuela, President Trump also out with a warning to Colombia this morning. Colombia is very sick, too, run by a sick man who likes making cocaine and selling it to the United States. And he's not going to be doing it very long, let me tell you.

[E]

What does that mean? He's not going to be doing it very long.

[C]

He's not doing it very long. Cocaine mills and cocaine factories. He's not going to be doing it very.

[E]

So there will be an operation by.

[C]

The U.S. it sounds good to me. Secretary Rubio mentioned, you know why? Because they kill a lot of people. Those comments coming aboard Air Force One as the commander in chief returned to the White House on Sunday. Given the president's actions against the Maduro regime in Venezuela, the entire world now taking the Trump threat to Colombia seriously and watching how that situation ultimately develops. We'll, of course, keep you posted here on Real America's Voice. That's a quick check of your headlines. Now let's get a quick check of your forecast. Weather Nation meteorologist Tracy Anthony standing by with a quick look at what you can expect from coast to coast. Also, we're going to put up a QR code here momentarily that you can click or scan and then join our friends over at Weather Nation to have that forecast at your fingertips at any moment. That'll be up here shortly. There you have it.

[D]

All right.

[C]

Tracy, good morning.

[E]

Hey, good morning. How was the holidays?

[C]

It was pretty good. Pretty good. I missed you, though, I must admit. It's good to see you in this 20 for the first time in 2026.

[E]

I know when you get a nice long break, it's, you know, a little more fun going back, you know, you got enough time to rest. Well, weather wise across the country, a lot of people going to be feeling more like fall. We're talking record warmth from coast to coast, really throughout the entire week. So it is not gonna feel like the holidays were just a week ago. So look at this. This is where we could have record high temperatures. And this is through Friday. So we broke close to 30 daytime highs yesterday. And we've got up to about 60 more here this week. And I'm not just talking by a couple degrees. I'm talking we're well above average, a good 15 to 30 degrees warmer than average. So if you didn't like the snow you got for the holidays, we're in for a big change because a lot of us will feel those above average temperatures. So we're just starting that warming trend for the day today. So, Terrence, I know Denver's been pretty warm as well.

[C]

Oh, Denver has been super warm. Thank you so much for that. I'm giving you all the credit for that. But it's been great. I think everybody's talking about how warm it's been. So I'll tell them it was all because of Tracy. Thanks so much, Tracy. Appreciate it.

[H]

It.

[C]

Up next, Iran unrest. How is Tehran trying to combat protesters who are slamming the regime? The details are coming up. First, though, a quick look at this day in history. It was on this date in 1972 that President Nixon launched the US space shuttle program, approving the development of a reusable spacecraft designed to make space flight more affordable and more frequent. The shuttle was meant to fly more like an airplane than a one time rocket. This decision led to the first shuttle Columbia, which of course blasted into space in 1981 and changed the future of NASA missions. More American Sunrise coming your way in two minutes.

[G]

Take your protein pills and put your helmet on.

[H]

Ground control to Major Tom.

[D]

Commencing countdown.

[H]

Engines on.

[D]

Well, hey, Nicholas Maduro, you're not in Venezuela anymore. You'll be there at the U.S. district Courthouse. You're looking live, I feel like Brent Musburger from NFL. You're looking live at the US District Courthouse where he will appear later this morning. David Zier on the ground for us. And we will be going to him in the show. Welcome back, everybody. Welcome everybody to American Sunrise. I'm David Brody. All right, so as we have been covering, President Trump says the US Is now in charge of Venezuela. But the acting leader, Delsey Rodriguez has also invited US Officials to work with Venezuela. Okay, whatever. Guess what, Delsey? We're calling the shots. Rodriguez says they extended an invitation of the Trump administration to work together on a cooperation agenda aimed to strengthen lasting community coexistence. Yada, yada, yada. This comes after Rodriguez initially condemned the Trump administration's actions against Maduro. Well, that didn't last long. For more, let's bring in former Trump foreign policy adviser and author of An Imperialist Republic and US Policy. That would be Waleed Faris. Waleed, great to have you here this morning. My goodness, the new year off to a big start. Talk about off with a bang, if you will. Venezuela and Iran, and we will get to the unrest in Iran in a moment. But regarding Venezuela, clearly the US Is now calling the shots. But what about Delsey Rodriguez and the rest of the Maduro regime? I mean, they can't be trusted, can they? How does this all proceed from here? Good morning to you.

[G]

Good morning to you. Thank you for having me, and Happy New Year to you and your team. President Trump made something unclear a little bit clearer when he said, we're gonna run. Now, there are legal, even international law, legal ground to this. It's a mandate. It's a mandate of. For the United States to rearrange the relationship with Venezuela, making sure that the threat that was previously against the United States is over. So it's not that this is going to be an occupation. This is a mission by the United States. The most important, as you just mentioned, is to have a administration or a bureaucracy in Venezuela that would work with the United States. When he was asked about the role of the leader of the opposition who won elections, he said, not now. I'm going to deal with the sitting bureaucracy.

[F]

Why?

[G]

He doesn't want to go through the experience of dismantling everything, and then there will be chaos. Then there could be guerrilla, the dismantling of the Iraqi army in Iraq. So they're going to be walking through these fine lines to get a cooperation with the army, essentially inside Venezuela.

[D]

What about fair and free elections? What's your sense on the timeline there? Obviously, everything's fluid, but is the plan here to have Delsey Rodriguez and others play nice? Because you got the defense minister and many other bad dudes there. So how are they? I can't imagine them playing nice for long. I mean, maybe they will because Trump's got the ultimate trump card here. But then what about fair and free elections? And what about Maria Carino Machada and others? Yeah, I'm blanking on the other. The person's name that won. Edmund. Sorry, forgot his name. But anyhow, that guy, too. What about them?

[G]

Well, the opposition now is on reserve. I think that the Trump plan is to ask Machado and the others to be on reserve, meaning waiting. But he's gonna use them. He's gonna use them for information. He's gonna use them to start placing administrators inside Venezuela. All of this under the mandate that America took on its own. But with regard the end product, it's going to be an election. I don't think it's going to be an election in one, two, three months. It's going to take probably six months to one year for any election to be possible. Because they have something also called the deep state there. You can cut a deal with them, or you're going to make sure that every position, including with regard to security apparatus. Remember, in Venezuela, there is Hezbollah, there are the Iranian or the Islamic regime of Iran people. You have connection with the cartels in Mexico. All of that is gonna go through interviewing the arrested president. He's gonna give them so much information. Based on this information, there will be US action.

[D]

Very interesting, Waleed. I could ask so many more questions about Venezuela, but let me move to Iran. Obviously, this is something that you have covered and are extremely well versed in for decades and decades. Where is this going? You have Iran's supreme leader, the Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, blasting prot protestors across the country, calling them rioters, urging security forces to crack down. Where is this heading exactly? Do you think this regime ultimately falls or is this a false alarm?

[G]

That's the greatest question of the day. Actually. There are two major players. On the one hand, you have the demonstrators on the ground in Iran, and they are making progress, progress that we have not seen when they started when Iranian population demonstrated in 2009, and when the former president of the United States, Obama said, chose actually the regime send a letter to the Grand Ayatollah instead of addressing the population. That's a massive difference between the Obama doctrine and the Trump doctrine. But second, nowadays they have shifted. The population is seizing control of police stations, of municipalities. This is something we haven't seen before. But the moment when their Wall street, meaning the bazaar, has shifted, and it did last week, one can guess that they're going to be going forward. The regime is preparing to crack on them. Then came this unexpected tweet by the president warning the regime, if you crush these uprisings or these demonstrations, we will intervene. We will do something. So now those two actors, the Iranian people and our president, our administration, are messaging the heads of the regime. You don't have much time. You have to deal with this.

[D]

Yeah, I've got about 30 seconds. But you mentioned the Basaj. I mean, these Iranian citizen patrols that are all over the country. How crucial is that? I mean, that's what they've Iran has relied on them. Right. To be kind of stealth inside the communities. What happens here?

[G]

Explain that the militia that controls Iran on the ground are the Basij. These are the SS Gestapo, if you want of Iran at this point in time, quickly. Remember when Israel was striking the regime during the 12 day war in the summer, the Israelis were at 5, 6 days from ending those Basij. Unfortunately for the Iranians, it turned out to be different. But now the United States position, Trump's position and the population are going after the Basij. Once the Basij are down, guess what? The regime will fall once the besieged.

[D]

That's what I thought and I just wanted to confirm it with you. And of course you do so much great work. Thank you. Waleed Faris, where can people find more of your writings and information?

[G]

It's very easy if they can spell my name, W A L I D. That's Waleed Ferris. P H A R E S on the screen here. Everywhere in social media, you know, from X to Facebook to Instagram, just walidfairs. They'll get to my production.

[D]

Gotta do it. Waleed Farris, thanks, thanks for being here. Appreciate it.

[G]

Thank you so much, David.

[D]

All right. Coming up, the president's health. After a recent physical and a battery of tests, Trump is in top shape. So why are some of the left questioning the results? Find out next on American Sunrise.

[E]

Welcome back to American Sunrise. We are looking at a live shot of the Manhattan courthouse. We are waiting for Maduro's arraignment today. An extraordinary capture and military operation over the weekend. We will have all the details coming up. Well, I'm Alison Hans. Thank you so much for joining us. Time now for today's health news sponsored by the wellness company under the microscope today, President Trump's health. President Trump defended his energy and health in a recent interview, saying he underwent a routine CT scan last October and that the results were normal with no abnormalities. Trump pushed back against questions about his fitness, explaining visible bruising and swelling as routine and dismissing suggestions he fell asleep in meetings. He said he feels strong and attributed his energy to good genetics. Routine CT scans have now become a common scheduled non emergency imaging test used to diagnose medical conditions, monitor treatment or perform preventative health screenings. Unlike emergency scans used for immediate life threatening trauma, routine scans are typically planned in advance as part of standard medical care. The diagnosis on this, the liberal media making much ado about nothing. Well, as New Year means New Year's resolutions, if you're looking to lose weight, get in better shape and have a more energy then Drop is for you. Drop is not a gimmick, a crash diet or a quick fix. It's a daily prescription free flavorless liquid peptide supplement. It supports weight management by targeting GLP1, GLP and other metabolic pathways. It works with your body, not against it. The core ingredient is Retrotruth, a breakthrough peptide studied for its ability to regulate appetite, improve metabolism and help the body use energy more effectively. Combined with MCT oil and mineral rich Irish Sea Moss, Drop becomes a powerful tool to curb cravings while gently raising your energy. Drop is an investment in you and your health. Promo code RAV100SAVE100DOLLARS ON DROP. Go to TWC Health RAV and make 2026 your best year ever. Click TWC Health RAV to start your health reset with Drop from the wellness company. Use code RAV100 to save 100 bucks on drop. Now let's send it over to Terrence.

[C]

Allison. I'm not so sure what I'm supposed to make of this. Are you telling me I'm overweight and I should drop some pounds? Is that how you're going to do me?

[E]

Like that on the no. No way. You know I love and I'm taking Mama Bates. You know I love the chubby cheeks. Okay, if anyone, I need to be taking a drop. Forget about it.

[C]

No, I am with you. I do need to drop some pounds. Mama Bates actually just texted me moments ago and said I just did my 20 minute walk. Are you getting some exercise? And I was like, word Mama. That's what we're doing on a Monday. Hey Alison, stick around because we are going to take a deeper dive into ousted Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro. He is set to appear in a Manhattan federal court today for arraignment on four federal drug related counts. Maduro, of course, accused of leading a 25 year narco terrorism conspiracy. He was captured in a US operation and flown to New York where he and his wife now face charges including drug trafficking and related offenses. For more, let's bring in RAV correspondent and the host of Breaking Point, which you can of course see on weekends right here on rav, David Zier. David is by the way, at the courthouse where Nicholas Maduro and his wife are going to be making their first court appearance. David, good to see you. Let's get right into this court hearing because this is probably going to be a long, drawn out process. We're expecting that Nicolas Maduro's attorneys are going to argue that the US doesn't really have the right to arrest him and that because he is a sovereign leader of another country that he can't even be tried here in the United States. I suspect that's what much of the arguing today is going to center on around.

[F]

Good morning Terrence. We're outside of the Daniel Patrick Moynihan Courthouse, U.S. district Court in Lower Manhattan at 500 Pearl street here in a frozen security zone. And we're frozen but US Marshals, big police presence, very tight security down here. He's going to be arraigned today at about noontime in front of Judge Hellerstein in courtroom 14C or D here. He's a 92 year old bill Clinton appointee who has consistently ruled against Trump. Last year, Hallenstein blocked Trump's use of the Alien enemies Act of 1798 to deport a ledger trend gang members. And then he also refused to move Donald Trump's hush money trial from state to federal court. But this case goes all the way back to 2011 under Judge Hellerstein here where the Cartes de la Soles or cartel of the Suns involving high ranking military, Venezuelan officials were indicted. El Pollo the Chicken top General Hugo Armando Barrios was just convicted and he's going to be sentenced in a couple of days from here. So this is a 15 year old case here. And yeah, they'll probably make that argument. But remember Noriega lost that argument even though he was a recognized head of state right back then and Maduro's not recognized that way. So you know, that argument was lost back on the bush with Panama. So I'm not confident Maduro's will win on those grounds here. But early this morning, Nicolas Maduro and Celia Flores were flown over by chopper from the Metropolitan Detention center, home to Luigi Mangione where we had El Chapo pun. Sean Combs was there. Now he's in Fort Dix, New Jersey. Tough reputation, not a great place to be, but should be an incredible day. And there's more media here than I've ever seen in my life. Bigger than the hush money trial down here, lower Manhattan.

[E]

Okay, David, I don't want to skip over. I want to back this up here. A 92 year old judge who was appointed by Clinton and the background, come on, that does not sound good to me.

[F]

Well, he's been presiding over this case again for the last 15 years or so. And the prosecutors out of the Southern District have been on this for a really long time. They just convicted El Pollo the Chicken said he had been working with the cartels since 1999. A conspiracy to flood the US and part of the charges against Nicolas Maduro now is that ever since he was in the National Assembly, I believe in 2000, going all the way up to when he took over from Chavez in 2013 upon Chavez death and then all the way through, now that he's been working with these same cartel members, they're trying to, the prosecution is going to try to make that connection between the President Maduro and the cartel De La Solis. So, yeah, I mean, the judge, I don't know how much room he has today to do anything drastic. We expect a not guilty plea from Maduro at 12:00pm today, David.

[C]

So look, this is all going to play out in about three hours from now. Behind you. You said it's a frozen security zone. Talk about the security that's in place there. And if protesters have already arrived.

[F]

Well, there's multiple drones above. There are helicopters everywhere. And again, the helicopter with Nicolas Maduro and Celia Flores, the first time they've been united since they arrived in New York, I believe, or since his arrest in Venezuela. There is very heavy security. I don't see any signs of protesters down here on the other side of the building going out towards City hall, out onto Lafayette street and Center Street. There may be some stuff there later. I'm going to check it out. I tried to get into the arraignment but the rooms are full. I may get into an overflow room later. There are some protesters right over here, but I don't see many of them. Yeah, there's a little pen behind us where there may be protesters gathering here. But again, even some Democrats are in agreement with what happened because of this sitting indictment, not only since 2020, but this ongoing case for the Southern District of New York under DOJ under Pam Bondi. Now, you know, it should be interesting and we'll bring you more details throughout the day.

[E]

Sounds good. David Zier, thank you so much. We will see you again in the 9am hour. Well, coming up, the Mandani era has begun in New York City. What orders has he already signed? We break that down next on American Sunrise.

[B]

Welcome back to American Sunrise. Coffee pods are easy, but most of them are just caffeine and nothing else. Rejuvenate pods are built differently. They're clean pods infused with caakg, a compound linked to longevity, metabolism and deep cellular energy. It's the easiest way to get better focus, smoother energy and long term benefits without changing your routine. I choose them because they match the lifestyle. I want more energy, more clarity and more intention in how I start my day. If you're going to drink coffee anyway, make it one that actually supports the life that you're building. Head to 1775 Coffee.com Rav and try rejuvenate pods today. Don't just drink coffee, rejuvenate. All right, now that we are caffeinated, it's time to stay awake, not woke. And apparently no amount of triple shot jet fueled espresso can shake the woke out of New York City Mayor Zoran Mamdani. Day one on the job and it's straight to the delete. Key support for Israel, that's gone. The definition of anti Semitism, that's also gone. Public safety buffer zones, Siya, those are gone too. Here's what Israel said on X. Calling it anti Semitic. Gasoline on an open fire. Not exactly a welcome parade. The woke explanation, free speech in the reality, free chaos. Welcome to big city woke politics, where day one is about signaling virtue and day two is about explaining the mess. So who had day one mess on their bingo card? Let's now bring in Allison and Terrence for further discussion. Alison I think we all saw this coming. We knew this was going to be a train wreck when Mamdani was elected.

[E]

I can't believe that he was elected in the first place. And I think it's really, we're just going to have to pay attention to what happens in the next couple of months because the question that I have is how much power does he really have and putting in orders and then how much can the city council fight back and will they fight back on anything? So we just don't really know the proof is going to be in the pudding. It's like if something happens in terms of a police action, okay, there is a crime that goes down and you have the social worker who shows up. What's going to happen? There are so many unknown variables at this point and I think we're just going to be paying attention to what unravels. I think it's just going to be chaos and we can't even perceive what's going to happen. That's my take.

[C]

Zoram Dami is who he said he is. We shouldn't be surprised because he told you exactly what he was going to do and New York voters sided with that when they voted for him. And, and elections have consequences and the city is now going to feel those consequences. While Zoran Mandami is moving forward with his policies. I believe that the impact of those policies won't be felt for some time. But he's also creating an atmosphere for New Yorkers, which can really be divisive. And it's something that, particularly for the city's Jewish population, which is a very significant and large population, is of concern. And so, again, Zoran Mandami is who he said he is. And so now the city is going to have to live with the consequences of that election. Hopefully, those consequences won't be felt wide and far, but they are going to be felt.

[B]

Yeah, I think you're spot on, Terrence. It certainly is going to take some time before those policies are felt. So at this point, it almost feels like messaging. And what is he doing on day one? I mean, this is his priorities. And like you said, you know, he's not hiding. He always said he was going to be this person. But it's just interesting to see the difference in messaging on the topic of Israel and support for the Jewish community, of what Mandami is doing in New York as opposed to President Trump at Mar a Lago on New Year's Eve, side by side with Netanyahu. Just really interesting to see the difference there. Ellison.

[E]

Yeah, absolutely. And when I look at this whole mess, and that's what it is, a mess, I look at the election itself, I don't know what the numbers are, but a very small population in New York comes out to actually cast their vote on Election Day. I think if you really look at who voted this guy in, it would be very small. And I think it says a lot about our vote and how important it is and for all of us to get out and use it and think of it as a sacred, a sacred element of our lives. Because this is what happens when you don't vote. Yeah.

[B]

Participation is key. Absolutely. All right, coming up next, Rabbi Jason Sobel weighs in on Mandani's ascent to mayor, his first of its kind, swearing in and what it means not just for Jewish New Yorkers, but for all Americans. That and more is next as American Sunrise continues.

[D]

Bless the usa.

[H]

In the beginning, God created the heaven and the earth.

[C]

Welcome back to American Sunrise. It is now time for our moment of faith, which is brought to us by Lee Greenwood and the God Bless the USA Bible in focus today, Faith, power and symbolism. New York's new mayor, Zoran Mandami, was sworn into office on a Quran, which is a first in the city's history. The oath was legal. The symbolism was intentional, though. And after a campaign critical of Israel, Jewish communities are watching and wondering what comes next. Joining me now is Rabbi Jason Sobel. He's the author of Transformed by the Messiah. We've got a QR code that we're going to put on your screen where you can get more information about that book. Rabbi Sobel, good to see you. Welcome. We'll talk about the book here shortly. But first, let's talk about Zoran Mandami. I'm just going to ask you straight out, do you feel that his election and the way he went about taking his oath of office was a direct attack at New York's Jewish population and Jewish community?

[H]

Look, I think it's very concerning because public oaths are acts of power. It's not private. Faith and power always speaks in symbols. And by using the Quran, the issue is not is it allowed?

[I]

It's what does it signal.

[H]

It's about what comes next. And this didn't happen in a vacuum. He refused to condemn statements like globalize the intifada. One of his first acts was changing a definition of antisemitism. And he's had other past controversial statements with the rise of anti Semitism in New York. So it is very concerning what he's done and it should raise our eyebrow and really cause us to stand up and take notice.

[C]

So you caught my attention when you said what comes next? What do you predict will come next out of Zoram? You CHUCKLE so I suspect you have an idea.

[H]

Yeah, look, I think clearly there is going to be a rise of anti Israel sentiment coming from him, policies that are negative towards Israel. But the problem is it's not just about being critical of the Israeli government. I think his anti Zionism in many ways reflects a deeper sense of anti Semitism. And so, look, I grew up in New York. I love New York. I believe it's only going to get worse. And I believe the Bible speaks about these things clearly about how in the end of days rise of radical Islam is going to be one of the direct challenges to biblical faith, Christian faith.

[I]

In the Judeo Christian worldview.

[C]

I said that we would talk a bit about your book Transformed by the Messiah. How can it be potentially used as a guide to help alleviate some of the stress of that your fellow Jewish New Yorkers might be feeling? How can it maybe be a guide to bring the community, all of New York together in light of some of what we expect to be anti Semitism coming out of Zoram Mandami and his administration?

[H]

Yeah, I mean, absolutely. One of the reasons why we wrote the book is that we want people to have hope. Hope is the belief that our future is going to be better than our past. We don't have to live in fear. The fact that Jesus claimed to be the Jewish Messiah, that he was king of the Jews, just reminds us that God cares about the Jewish people and that he inextricably ties his fate to the history and destiny of the Jewish people. And so therefore, Christians should care about.

[I]

The Jewish people and about the Judeo.

[H]

Christian foundation on which this nation was founded. That's what's under attack right now.

[C]

Rabbi Sobel, I have 20 more questions if we could go 20 more minutes. Unfortunately, we don't have that time, so we'll have to leave it there. Always good to see you and always good to talk with you.

[H]

Thank you. Happy New Year.

[C]

Happy New Year to you as well. We're back with the second hour of American Sunrise right after this. Coming up on this second hour of American Sunrise, ousted Venezuelan dictator Nicolas Maduro is set to appear in court in about three hours. President Trump ordered the capture of the socialist leader over the weekend. We'll have the very latest developments for you throughout the hour, including a live report from outside the courthouse where Maduro is set to be. Plus, the operation in Venezuela has garnered a mixed response from lawmakers on both sides of the aisle, including from outgoing Republican Marjorie Taylor Greene. We'll break down her reaction later this hour. And then later, anti government protests continue in Iran where security forces have violently clashed with demonstrators. President Trump now threatening an intervention if the clash is continue. Those stories and so much more as this second hour of American Sunrise starts right now.

[D]

Good morning America.

[B]

Welcome to AMERICAN sunrise.

[C]

Whether it's culture, we have breaking news.

[D]

To share with you.

[C]

Politics.

[D]

President Trump is joining us live now from Florida.

[C]

We've got you covered.

[D]

This is what it looks like to be patriot.

[C]

We have to protect the American family.

[D]

The American dream is still alive. I'm David Brody.

[C]

I'm terrence.

[E]

And I'm Dr. Gina.

[C]

We are continuing to monitor breaking news this morning involving ousted Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his wife who are set to appear in federal court in lower Manhattan at high noon. The two will be arraigned on charges including drug trafficking, conspiracy, and it marks their first public court appearance since being removed from power and brought to the United States. Joining me now from the courthouse in New York City is the host of Breaking Point here at Rav, David Zier. David, good morning to you. So one of the key elements of this hearing and what's going to ultimately be decided before this case moves forward is the legality of the arrest and the prosecution of Nicolas Maduro and his wife. Talk about the precedent that's already been set.

[F]

Yes. If Maduro argues today or argues with his defense lawyers, he's expected to make a not guilty plea in the arraignment today. But they want to make the case that he was not, it was not legal that he was arrested under international law. But there's been a lot of talk and even Cato Institute Clark Neely recently wrote, federal courts held in the past, the manner in which a defendant is brought before US Court even by force, even from foreign soil does not decree, it doesn't defeat criminal jurisdiction. And prosecutors may rely on a 1989 memo from Justice Department Office of Legal Counsel Bill Barr at the time claiming that a president has inherent constitutional authority to order the FBI to take people into custody in foreign countries even if they violated international law. So it'll be really interesting to see how this plays out. And again we have Judge Hellerstein, 92 year old Clinton appointee judge who has ruled against Donald Trump several times about deporting trend and other things including moving the hush money trial from state to federal court. He denied that. So we'll see how this goes. But the prosecution, Amanda Houl is a key prosecutor in the original 2020 indictment of Nicholas Maduro and she's currently the criminal chief in the Manhattan's U.S. attorney Office. So it'll be really interesting. But some of these charges today include narco terrorism conspiracy alleging a 25 year relationship with FARC, you know, the revolutionary Armed forces of Colombia and other groups and a conspiracy to flood the US with drugs and other trial and other charges like corruption and violence. So it'll be really interesting as this case moves forward. And I just wanted to add, Terence A. Barbarios known as El Pollo was recently convicted here from going back to the 2011 indictment regarding the Acosta de la Sole, the cartel of the Suns, in a conspiracy going all the way back to 1999 to flood the US with drugs. Prosecution is going to try to tie that all together in this case.

[C]

David, let's broaden the scope a little bit. What sort of message regionally there in the Caribbean and, and in South America does the arrest of Nicolas Maduro and the ultimate prosecution or what we expect will be a prosecution, what message does it send to other countries like Colombia, some of those other dictators and countries that are involved in narco terrorism and narco trafficking?

[F]

I think it's a clear message that the US Won't tolerate that. And these boat strikes and defense war department policy if there's an imminent threat to the United States, they feel they have the right to stop these boats from coming over here. That combined with this arrest and the armada of the dozen or so ships that we have down there is a clear signal that we're not going to tolerate it. Now Colombia has the highest trafficking of cocaine production ever right now. And you know that economy in Venezuela was an agrarian economy because they destroyed the oil industry. Industry, I think there were only a 20% capacity in producing oil. So you know, like 300,000 barrels a day or less or it could be millions. And they can't process it because it's not good quality oil and we have the refineries to do it. So Maduro's ruined that. So they're relying on cocaine money and other money to keep the economy going, I think. So this will be a real hit in the wallet for these countries that want to participate in narco trafficking and they have to restore that oil industry down there to be profitable again.

[C]

Absolutely. David Zier reporting in lower Manhattan. He'll of course be there throughout the day and we'll be checking back with you David throughout the day as we continue to update Nicolas Maduro heading to court there in lower Manhattan. Thanks so much. All right folks, let's switch gears a little bit. Bring in Emily Finn and Allison Hans. They are both in our West Palm beach studio. Ladies, good morning to both of you.

[E]

Good morning. Very busy morning.

[B]

Yeah, busy couple weeks ahead of us, I think.

[C]

Absolutely, absolutely. We of course have been discussing ousted Venezuelan president Nicolas Maduro who's expected to appear in Manhattan federal court at around noon today. He's going to be arraigned on those four counts that accuse him basically of leading a decades long narco terrorism conspiracy. The court appearance comes just days after a U. S led operation removed Maduro from power and then flew him out of Venezuela to the United States to face his charges. You're looking at the video of him being escorted here in handcuffs and all of that. This follows months of planning and pressure from the Trump administration. Let's bring in for reaction Minnesota senate candidate and the hosts of the Royce White show on Rav Royce White. Royce, good to see the ladies also joining us here. You're reaction to what's happened with Nicolas Maduro and I think really at this point what precedent it sets, what tone it sets for the Trump administration and for other countries who are narco trafficking.

[I]

I absolutely love it. You know, since the 2024 campaign I've been a huge advocate of the hemispheric defense and I think some of our Other regional neighbors better pick a side. I mean, we're in an asymmetrical war with the ccp, there's no doubt about it. Anybody, even in the MAGA movement or America first movement who doesn't acknowledge the seriousness of the growing geopolitical conflict isn't ready for what's really happening in this country and around the world. Hemispheric defense is 100% America first and MAGA. And I'm in full support of the extradition of Maduro.

[B]

Royce, I'm noticing. Noticing your hat there. Your home state has been rocked by scandal after scandal over the past few weeks. More recently, an empty daycare center with a misspelled sign went viral, putting more pressure on Governor Tim Walz. This was one of the most egregious stories that I've seen. Royce, what more can you tell us about the fraud schemes coming out of Minnesota right now?

[I]

Well, I think the greatest admission of guilt will be if Governor Tim Waltz drops out of his reelection bid today in Minnesota, which rumors are swirling that he's expected to do so even as early as, you know, seven, six o' clock this morning, I saw that allegedly he met with Senator Amy Klobuchar, who will likely be the candidate to step in for the, the 2026 governor race here in Minnesota. And then they find themselves in a good position where she can probably reappoint Governor Tim Waltz as the United States Senator. So, you know, all eyes on Minnesota again. I've been saying for two years now, it's the belly of the beast. It's, it's the, you know, it should be the focal point of American politics and Democrat corruption. I'm glad the entire nation is getting to watch now.

[E]

Okay, Royce, my head is spinning there with what you just said. So, okay, can you go here again? Amy Klobuchar would possibly step in and then reappoint. I mean, that's bananas.

[I]

Well, if she wins as a sitting U.S. senator and she's the governor, her seat will be vacant and the governor gets to appoint the U.S. senate seat. That's how Tina Smith ended up being appointed, initially amid the Senator Al Franken scandal when she was appointed and, you know, now she's resigning, she's not going to go back to the U.S. senate. So all eyes on Minnesota. I expect Governor Tim Waltz to drop out of his reelection bid today and announce that, which is a great sign. It's a great sign for Minnesota Republicans in the country in general. It means the dfl, the DNC and the donors recognized the grave error. They Made with Tim Waltz as a VP candidate and how Minnesota is going to start to unravel the Democrat party at a fundamental level all across the country for 2026.

[E]

Royce, Royce, you mentioned. I'm sorry, go ahead, go ahead.

[C]

No, go ahead, go ahead, go ahead.

[E]

I'm just wondering, Royce, I mean, you have always talked about the corruption in Minnesota. Now we are all seeing it. Did you even understand how deep it was when these Nick Shirley videos came out? Were you surprised at all or is this just something you knew all along?

[I]

In Minnesota, it's always been, you know, spoken in hushed tones somewhat that there was huge fraud in the Somali community, specifically with the daycares and some of the other government, you know, subsidies that, that we've seen across years. Many, many of us have, have watched it, you know, up close and personal. You never quite know when ten plus billion dollars have been frauded. I mean, the number is obscenely high. But speculate. I mean, look at Ilhan Omar. And I don't mean to say Ilhan Omar represents the entire Somali community because that would be ridiculous. But she does represent what the Somali community in Minnesota is willing to allow to represent them. And, and that speaks volumes. And it's the same that I would say of, of my own community, the black community. And we allowed Barack Obama to represent us. Right now it appears that we are on track to let Jasmine Crockett represent us. And there are consequences and judgment that should come with that. The Somali community, and I've said this on my show the last couple of weeks, the answers to Somalia are not in Minnesota, they're not in Minneapolis, they're in Mogadishu. Somalia is still one of the most unstable nations in the entire world. Failed state by all measures. And then one of the biggest economic, one of the biggest pieces of their economy are remittances from the United States, Minnesota obviously being ground zero. So the Somali community has to take some accountability for what's happening in Somalia, in the Somali community. And us here as Americans have to be courageous enough to speak about it, especially person like myself going into the 26 midterms here in Minnesota.

[C]

Royce, back to Tim Walls really quickly. He is set to host a news conference at about 11 o' clock your time. That's where we expect he will announce his intentions, whatever they may be. And I heard you loud and clear that you believe that he and Amy Klobuchar are probably plotting something. But is there not also an opportunity here if in fact he does decide not to run for reelection? For Republicans in Your state. And part B of that question, what do you think national. The national Republican Party should be doing now to try to make sure that there is a switch, that Minnesota becomes more conservative or at least more Republican?

[I]

Well, you know, Minnesota is a conservative and Republican state, and the elections don't bear that. We have to get some help here in Minnesota to make sure our elections are clean and safe and secure. I don't think that they are. I mean, if the fraud is that bad with this, you know, feeding our future and all the other government subsidies, imagine how bad our elections are. You can vote online with no id. You can vote online with no proof of citizenship. I mean, so the Minnesota elections aren't secure. That's number one. Number two, it's estimated that close to a million Christians and conservatives didn't even cast a ballot in Minnesota in 2024. So that tells you that Minnesota is actually a conservative state. We have bought into the narrative that Minnesota is a heavy, heavy, blue, entrenched state. And part of that is the problem with the Republicans. And I think the national Republican Party has aided in that narrative by not being active enough in Minnesota. So whether Tim Waltz decides to drop out or not, Tim Waltz is a Christmas present for Minnesota Republicans. If he does drop out. If he does drop out, it presents a huge opportunity for fellow MAGA friend of mine, Mike Lindell, now in the race and also myself running for U.S. senate.

[C]

Royce, we'll have to leave the conversation there. It's always good to see you and always good to talk with you.

[E]

Thanks, Royce.

[I]

God bless you guys. God speak to you.

[C]

Bless you as well. Remember, folks, the Royce White show airs every Saturday morning at 9am right here on Real America's Voice. It's also available as a podcast. Coming up, Marjorie Taylor Greene breaks with President Trump yet again, blasting the capture of Venezuela's leader as a betrayal of, quote, america first. That story is next.

[B]

Welcome back to American Sunrise. I'm Emily Finn. Voices on both sides of the aisle are coming together to voice their opposition to the capture of Venezuelan dictator Nicolas Maduro, including Marjorie Taylor Greene. In an interview on Meet the Press, Green argued that going after Maduro doesn't serve US Interests, does little to address the fentanyl crisis at home, and feels like a return to what she calls Washington's old foreign policy playbook. Take a look at this.

[E]

And I want to see domestic priorities that put Americans first in regards of health care. Health insurance costs too much, car insurance, home insurance, and these are issues that matter to Americans. We don't consider Venezuela, Our neighborhood. Our neighborhood is right here in the 50 United States.

[B]

Greene's comments highlight a growing ideological divide within the MAGA coalition between those who support a more aggressive global posture and those who say the priority should remain squarely on domestic issues inside the United States. For more, let's bring in Allison and David Brody. David, want to go to you first on this one. What are your thoughts on mtg?

[D]

Well, I got a lot of thoughts, but I'll try to keep it within 30 seconds or so. You can walk and chew gum at the same time. You can do domestic priorities and also do what President Trump did in Venezuela. I support it, by the way. I support what he did here. You know, a lot of people are calling this the Dhandro Doctrine rather than the Monroe Doctrine because he's basically reinvented the Monroe Doctrine to a degree which basically says, you know, we all learned about the Monroe Doctrine in high school. Right. Or before that. But just to give everybody a refresher, I mean, the Monroe Doctrine basically says, we're not going to have bad neighbors. The United States is not going to have bad actors, excuse me, in the Western hemisphere, in our zone of influence, in the US Zone of influence. And that's what China's doing, that's what Russia's doing, that's what Iran is doing inside Venezuela. And so because of that, President Trump says, look, this is maga, this is America first. Because you can't have those bad actors close to our borders. Venezuela is not that far from the United States compared to Iraq and the folks and other countries in the Middle east, it's much different.

[C]

Middle east is.

[D]

It's an apples and oranges scenario. Not to mention the fact, guys, that you've got drugs coming in this country, cocaine through Venezuela mostly. And then you of course have trend of Aragua and many bad dudes coming in from Venezuela too. So this all affects American America and American citizenry. So that's kind of the way I see it. I'm curious to get your takes as well.

[E]

Well, I'll jump.

[C]

All right, well, I'll.

[E]

No, Terrence. Go ahead, Terrence, please.

[C]

Okay. I'll just add, David, I think you largely hit the N on the head that one can do two things. You can still focus on domestic policy, but there's an argument to be made, and I think it's a fair argument that the situation in Venezuela and the narco terrorism coming out of Venezuela also affects American communities. And so to address it is also to address something that affects American. The American citizenry, excuse me as you use, but also has national implications here in the United States. And so the president is focusing on both. Yes, Marjorie Taylor Greene is right. People's health insurance is a concern, but people here in the United States and communities all across this country are also concerned about the drugs that are flooding into this community and into this country and more importantly, the deaths that result from those drugs. And so I think both absolutely work and both are an issue.

[B]

Yeah, really well said there, Terrence. All right. Coming up, we're headed down to Wall street for the opening bell and insight into how to hold on to your hard earned dollars with some common sense. We'll be back with more American Sunrise in just two minutes. Stay with us.

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Welcome back, everyone. We're getting you ready for the opening bell at the New York Stock Exchange. It is set to ring here in just a few minutes. Here's a quick look at the futures board. As you can see from top to bottom, looking pretty good. We'll take you though to the opening bell at the New York Stock Exchange here in just a little bit and give you a sense of where the markets are actually standing on this first day of trading of the week. All of that coming up shortly. First though, let's get you over to David Brody. David, good morning.

[D]

Good morning, T. Bates. All right. Time now for our daily dose of dollars in common Sense. Joining us now with what you need to know about keeping your hard earned dollars in your wallet is the founder of StormW, Michael Wilkerson. Michael, good morning to you. So let's talk about the big news. Obviously is Maduro's ousting in Venezuela. And that of course, has the world's largest. They have the world's largest oil reserves. So analysts are saying that ousting Maduro won't have a big impact on the energy markets, at least not now. Here was Secretary of State Marco Rubio speaking about oil and all of this yesterday. Have a look. We don't need Venezuela's oil. We have plenty of oil in the United States. What we're not going to allow is for the oil industry in Venezuela to be controlled by adversaries of the United States. You have to understand why does China need their oil? Why does Russia need their oil? Why does Iran need their oil? They're not even in this continent. This is the Western Hemisphere. This is where we live. And we're not going to allow the Western Hemisphere to be a base of operation for adversaries, competitors and rivals of the United States. Michael, curious to get your take, by the way, on a separate note, I watched Rubio on all those Sunday shows yesterday. What a masterclass. FYI. But go ahead.

[H]

He did an amazing job. I think the thing that we have to realize here, there are two issues going on. One, the geopolitics to the geo economics, the impact to the markets. You asked about that. Let me hit that first to say that Venezuela is irrelevant to us today. America has a lot of oil. Prices are low. It's unfortunate because when the communists took over under Hugo Chavez, Venezuela, Venezuela's oil industry fell apart. They used to produce three to three and a half million barrels a year. That fell to about 800,000 roughly at 25% of their capacity because they expropriated and nationalized all of the oil companies that were there to help them extract this very heavy crude that is not easy to clean and not easy to use in the long run. Having more oil on the market will help keep prices low. That's great for American consumers. It will help stabilize those markets internationally. More importantly, Secretary Rubio's point is that, that this is our neighborhood. And you know, when you don't have a fence around your farm and your neighborhood, the wolves come in. And we've seen over the last few years, the wolves come in and they've taken advantage of our livestock and our children, so to speak, and that needed to stop. And Venezuela is one of the main outposts of that, of that flow of drugs, of other things and military capability that was being built up there over time. So this is about real politics. And the benefit to the market should.

[D]

Be favorable what about the real time on all of this? In other words, do you see the markets being affected in the, I don't know, in the next week or two or is this going to take some time to kind of have everything kind of figured out as to what the next moves are here? Because you got oil companies that have to figure out. I'm sure they want to go down there, obviously. But then again, that oil infrastructure is just in tatters. So this is going to take some time. I'm curious to kind of get your timetable on all of this.

[H]

Yeah, I think the only short term effect is a psychological one. And as you appreciate that could go up or down, favorable or unfavorable. It's going to take three to five years to really get the production capacity back online. So no actual tangible effect in the next couple of years.

[D]

All right. Well, Michael Wilkerson, great to have you. You know, we had so much other discussion points today on other topics, but thanks a lot. Nicolas Maduro, you messed up the segment, but we'll take that. Thank you, Michael. Appreciate your time.

[C]

Thank you.

[D]

All right, great advice from Michael Wilkerson. We'll have him back. Let's head back to T. Bates now in Denver for a very important opening bell. I'm looking forward to it. And it's at the New York Stock Exchange. It's also sponsored by amac.

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[C]

Well, David, since you're looking forward to the opening bell at the New York Stock Exchange, I hope I don't disappoint. As we get ready for the first full week of trading of 2026, the applause is underway there at the New York Stock Exchange, which means the opening bell is going to ring here in short order. And then we'll get an idea of how the markets are faring, particularly as the traders kind of scurry to get those first trades and the first buys and sells in here. That's going to happen here in short order. And right there on cue, you hear the opening bell, which means the markets are now officially open again on this first full week of trading of 2026. Let's take a quick look and see how the numbers are faring. There you go. Right there you have the markets open. It looks like everything looking pretty good. Only one blemish, only one negative spot there on our board at the moment. But it is going to be a long day of trading ahead and there are a lot of factors that are going to factor into how the markets ultimately shape up by the end of the day. If you're one of those people who's going to be trading or buying and selling, good luck to you. A new year means new financial goals like making sure that your savings are secure and diversified. So will this be the year that you you finally listen to us here on Real America's Voice and talk to someone from the Birch Gold Group. Honestly, they are great people. They really appreciate, or we really appreciate, their educational approach and their understanding of macroeconomics. Their forces flushing, pushing the dollar lower and gold higher, which is why they believe that every American should own physical gold. So until January 30th, if you're a first time gold buyer, the Birch Gold Group is offering a rebate of up to $10,000 on qualifying purchases. In order to claim eligibility and start the process, simply text the word America to the number 989-898. The Birch Gold Group can help you roll an existing IRA or 401k into an IRA in gold and you're still eligible for a rebate of up to $10,000. Make right now, 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 the word America to the number 989898 and claim your eligibility today. Again, text America to the number 9,898 98. Still to come here on American Sunrise, a growing split inside the MAGA movement. President Trump's decision to escalate military action against against Venezuela is raising questions about what America first really means and whether some of his most loyal supporters are starting to sour on 47 that debate is coming up. Welcome back to American Sunrise. I'm Terrence Bates. As always, we appreciate you being here with us. We also want to invite you to join the conversation on Getter Rumble as well as YouTube. It is now time, though, to take the political pulse of America and the beat today has to do with President Trump's decision to oust and detain Venezuelan dictator Nicolas Maduro. It's opening a new and increasingly visible rift within the president's own political coalition. Some Trump supporters see the decision as a necessary show of strength tied to narcotics trafficking and regional security. Others, however, including prominent MAGA aligned voices, warn that the move risks pulling the United States into another open ended nation building exercise with unclear objectives. The divide echoes earlier tensions within the MAGA base over military action abroad. And it reflects a broader debate inside the Republican Party about whether American power should be used assertively overseas or restrained in order to avoid entanglements. As fallout continues, the question now is whether this is a temporary disagreement or a deeper fracture between the President and the movement that helped return him to the White House. For more, let's bring in David Brody and Allison Hans to discuss. Allison, I'd love to get your perspective on all of.

[I]

Of this.

[E]

Well, I really loved what Royce White had to say a short time ago. He said, hemispheric defense is America First. I found that very interesting because there are things that are happening over in Venezuela that were and continue to directly affect the lives of Americans. So I think if we look at it from that perspective, it is America first. What I would caution people in the party, in Maga and America first to do is to take a beat. This happened 48 hours ago. I don't claim to be an expert on Venezuela or Maduro or what has happened. I don't know exactly what is in the indictment. But let's, let's open it up. Let's find out the information before we take a stand. Go one way or the other. And there's infighting. I think there's so much information that is going to be revealed not only over the next week or two, but over the next few months. And for me, I trust President Trump with the decisions that he is making regarding this operation. So that's where I will begin. And then I will hold my thoughts either or after that.

[C]

David, Allow me to broaden the scope a little bit, David, if you don't mind, just so we can have a larger conversation. Yes, Nicolas Maduro and Venezuela is dominating the headlines right now. But President Trump has also warned that if Colombia keeps doing what it's doing, it could be the next target within MAGA world, within the America first world. If, in fact, President Trump were to take action against Colombia as well, how do you think that would resonate? What might the ripple effect be within the party, should that happen?

[D]

I don't know. It depends on the imprint in Colombia and the imprint in Venezuela. And I like Alison's advice. I think it was the best analysis and advice of the morning, which is take a beat. I think that's exactly right. I think we all should do that in Maga and quite frankly, the entire country writ large. Look, if you're a pure isolationist, if you're in the MTG camp, if you will, and let's be honest, the Tucker Carlson camp, because they hate what just happened in Venezuela. We know this. If you're in that camp, I understand it to a degree. Right. I mean, President Trump went around saying, make America great again. He didn't say, make America the Western Hemisphere great again. So I understand that. I also understand that with Soleimani, when he took out Soleimani in the first term, that was in and out, boom. That was good. El Baghdadi, when he took Al Baghdadi out, in and out, boom. Iran, nuclear strikes, in and out, boom. This is different. This is in and out. But there's an asterisk here. And the asterisk is how big's the footprint? And how long does this go on? And that's why when Allison says, take a beat, I agree. I think we need to wait and see how this develops. And to your point, T. Bates in Colombia, same thing, quite frankly, in Cuba, same thing. I mean, Cuba, I don't see any military use of force there in Cuba, But I do think because Cuba's economy is tied directly to Venezuelan oil, which, sorry, have you gotten the memo? Cuba, that ain't coming in. That you are basically, as President Trump said on Air Force One last night, you're down for the count, and it's just a matter of time before Cuba falls. So, my goodness, guys, we are in for quite a 20, 26. So all of that to say I understand where the isolationists are coming from, having said that, and I know I need to take a beat, too. But right now, at least, I support what President Trump is doing for a lot of different reasons. I do believe that it is apples and oranges to compare Iraq and nation building in Afghanistan to what's happening in our own Western Hemisphere. Venezuela is just a few hours away from the United States by plane.

[I]

This is.

[D]

We know about the drugs, we know about the bad dudes. Right? And others coming here as well. So when you put it all together, let me just say one final thing. You know, are you gonna have Russia and China and Iran, bad actors in your backyard, which is the Western Hemisphere, a couple hours from the shore of America by plane? No, that is maga. That is Make America great again. And by the way, the Belt and Road initiative that China has done all over the country has about 60 to 70 billion billion dollars of investment in Venezuela. China is trying to make strides all around the world. That's why we can talk about Greenland later, because President Trump talked about Greenland, still wants Greenland. But in Venezuela, you're going to let China have a stranglehold, if you will, on Venezuela and their infrastructure there? Absolutely not. If we keep talking about China being a threat to the United States, then what President Trump did in Venezuela is maga.

[C]

All right, guys, so let's broaden this discussion and bring in former CIA covert operations officer and the host of the President's daily Brief podcast, Mike Baker. Mike, welcome to the show. Good to talk to you, as always. What do you make of what the President is doing, and are there broader consequences, in your estimation, to the move that the president has made as it relates to Nicolas Maduro in Venezuela?

[A]

Yeah, there are definitely broader implications here. And. And you've been pointing out some of those.

[D]

Look, the.

[A]

The problem with, let's. If you want to call it regime change is, is you can't write the script right afterwards with any surety. Right. So the. The. The government still exists in Venezuela. The regime was not just one person. It wasn't just Nicolas Maduro. He was clearly the face of it. But they've already moved the vice president into the position. They've already named her as the new president. Delsey Rodriguez, and she essentially was the oil minister. Right. Her brother is the propaganda minister. Diostado Cabello is still there as the. As a thug. He was likely. If there had been a normal transition of power from Maduro, he would have taken over, probably. And Padrino is still a defense minister.

[G]

So you.

[A]

And there's all these other senior military and security apparatus personnel who have enriched themselves through the largesse of Maduro and the overall willingness to work with drug traffickers over the years. So it could get messy if we haven't done some extensive negotiating, if we haven't done some backroom deal with some of these actors that are still there in terms of a transition that will then be beneficial to US national security interests to. Yeah, it could get messy.

[D]

So, Mike, let's talk about that, because Marco Rubio, the Secretary of State, was asked about exactly what you're talking about, like, why not just go in and get them all? And he said, really? You want us to go to four to five different military bases? Because that's where they were staying. Maduro was on a separate one. Then Delsey Rodriguez and others, the Defense minister, the Interior minister. So we're not gonna do. We're not gonna get them all. But they are. They. The United States, they're calling the shots. And the point that Delsey Rodriguez is like, look, look, you want to mess around, look what happened to Maduro, it would be far worse for you. And he's talking about her death is what he's talking about in that second wave of attacks. So, I mean, to me, do you believe that it was a strong enough signal to get Maduro to say, don't play around with us because if you're not going to straighten things out, we'll straighten it out for you. And this other part of it, regarding the opposition party that won those elections and Maduro took over anyhow. Now my sense of it is they don't have the infrastructure right now to take over the country. And that is the second phase, the second prong of this. But they want to get this thing straightened out first. So what's your take on all that?

[A]

Yeah, yeah. What you've outlined is a real, is, I keep going back to the same word, messy. Look, we've got plenty of case studies as to how these, these types of situations can, can spiral. I don't, I don't think that the opposition, I mean, to your point, has full backing from military and security apparatus. I mean, I think it's probably a natural thing. Look, you've got, you know, a real downside to those senior military and security personnel who again, have benefited greatly by staying in Maduro's camp and these other individuals. Right. Including the Rodriguez twins. So I think what we're looking at is probably the White House thinking, well, the easiest path here is to essentially reshuffle the power structure in Venezuela rather than say, let's bring back Edmundo Gonzalez, you know, Maria Machado, who just won the Nobel Peace Prize. But the international community has agreed for a very long time that Maduro and his crew stole that last election. By conservative estimates, the opposition won that election by 3 to 1. It didn't matter because Maduro was never going to leave office. So he, he just basically outright stole it. So when they say he's illegitimate. Yeah, that's true. But again, I keep going back to the same thing. You have to worry about what, what backfills all of this. And I do worry that the White House, if what they're thinking is let's just, let's just reshuffle, let's try to work with, you know, Rodriguez because, you know, we've kind of sent this message, as you pointed out, and you know, we're going to come back and do it again if you don't deal with us, that, that's got all sorts of problems. You've also got a credibility issue there from the White House who's saying, look, these people are terrible. We want a free and stable Venezuela Democrat. And yet you kind of push aside the opposition because you think, well, that just looks too difficult to accomplish here. Let's do a phase two. Well, phase twos in ceasefires or phase twos and power transitions are always a lot more problematic than you imagine. Just take a look at Gaza.

[E]

Mike. So where do we see Machado fitting into all of this?

[I]

This.

[A]

Yeah, well, that's, I, I think you, you kind of hit the nail on the head in terms of the, the Holy Grail of the question, can they or have they orchestrated, you know, it's speculations in terms of what has been happening behind the scenes because the White House is, you know, probably rightly so, kept some of this to themselves. But what sort of discussions have been taking place both with the opposition and potentially these back channel conversations with the, the, the people still in power in Venezuela? Can you get a smooth transition that says, yes, we will provide some type of amnesty as an example for some of these other power brokers in Venezuela to essentially allow for a peaceful transition of power to the democrat opposition? Look, you've got Venezuelans in the streets celebrating the capture of Maduro, right? But they've lived there long enough to understand, you know, that this is not going to be a moment where Machado comes riding in easily and says, now you know, the opposition is in charge. So I guess, you know, my point is two things can be true at the same time, right? Maduro is a terrible person. A lot of those individuals at the top of the power structure of Venezuela have enriched themselves through very close cooperation with drug trafficking networks over the years. They've driven Venezuela, which has the most resources in that region, into a basket case situation. They've ruined the lives of millions of Venezuelans, many of whom fled the country because of the actions and policies of Maduro and his predecessor Chavez. But at the same time, you can also argue the side of the non interventionists, the people who say we should not be doing this now. I don't think non interventionists or isolationists, I don't think they actually live in the real world, but you can see what their point is.

[C]

Yeah, absolutely. Mike, we appreciate your time. It's a, you know, there's a lot to unpack here, but I think you put it succinctly. It's messy. I think that's the best way to put it. Thanks so much, Mike.

[E]

Thanks, Mike.

[A]

Take care.

[C]

All right, we'll talk soon. Coming up, taking to social media to say the Pledge of allegiance for 10 years. A country music star is joining us to reveal his special limited edition flags, that special act of Patriotism is next. Let's spill some tea.

[B]

All right, let's spill some tea. Fueled by Artillery Tea Company, the only America first veteran owned tea brand and their mission to maximize flavor with whole leaf blends and chemical free tea bags. No junk, just real tea. And here's the tactical each bag brews twice. Just go to artilleryteaco.com and use the code RAV for 10% off your first order. Again, that's artilleryteaco.com, premium tea, mission driven and brewed for the brave. It is time now to spill some tea. And in the cup today, old school patriotism. While a lot of people are busy taking a knee, one country star has been standing up for 10 straight years. Country music artist Neal McCoy has recited the Pledge of Allegiance every single day, no days off. And now he's marking that anniversary with a new partnership and a limited edition American flag. Joining us now is country music artist Neil McCoy. Neil, so great to have you with us this morning. Ten years, I mean, there are public schools in this country that don't do the pledge every day like that. Why did you start and why do you keep it going?

[G]

You know, I started back in January of 2016 when the, when the Republicans and the Democrats were starting to figure out who we trying to figure out who they were going to run for the president, United States. And they had already started kind of bickering back and forth. And I just, I thought, you know, the one thing I can do is pledge my allegiance to the, to the wonderful American flag into our great country. So I went on and started and I read, I just recited it for probably a few weeks and then people started catching on to me. Before the algorithms got to us, we used to reach a million people a day. And so it was a big deal. A lot of people still follow us. And now we continue to do it because some people that have seen us before and some of the older people that don't get out as much or maybe in nursing homes, they don't have many people come to see them. So they write me and say, you know what, our day doesn't start until we see you. We say we want to say the pledge with you. And then because sometimes you're the only face we'll see all day. So we appreciate you continue it. And I said, well, I'm going to be here, so you come see me any day.

[B]

Well, I certainly appreciate you too. And I have tremendous respect for your consistency with this 10 years. I just can't get over it. That's incredible. So we do have one of your flags here with us today. Very excited about this. Why was a flag the perfect way to celebrate this 10 year milestone?

[G]

Well, I had heard about the group of folks called Allied Flag that make about 5,000 flags a day out of Kansas City. And so I had some people start researching and I come to find out they had kind of been looking for a way to get in touch with me. So once we did hook up, it made perfect sense because they know my loyalty and my commitment to our flag and to our country and they feel the same way. So it just made sense for us to get in bed together. And now that you held up that box a while ago, that's a commemorative 1010 year anniversary flag that we're making available through, through my website, Neil McCoy.com or our allied flag.com and it's just we just think people that don't see the flag anymore, they, we want to get their hands on one or at least want to see the one in that box. And so a lot of people are ordering it and it's their way of supporting us and showing their support for our country when it may be the only way they get to do that.

[B]

That is so amazing. That website is down at the bottom of our screen right now for all of our viewers. Make sure you check it out. It is very, very, very cool. Neil, thank you so much for being on the show today. I'm going to be tuning in to see all of the Pledge of Allegiance from you moving forward.

[G]

And we'll look forward to seeing you.

[B]

Amazing. Amazing. All right, still to come on American Sunrise. She's 80 years old and just made climbing history. The inspiring story of a woman who refused to quit. That's the sunny side up. And it's coming up next.

[H]

Breaking news.

[C]

From Real America's Voice.

[D]

Okay, we have some breaking news this morning from Minnesota. It is now confirmed Governor Tim Walz has put out a statement saying he is not going to be seeking reelection for a third term in his state. It comes, of course, amidst all those revelations of massive welfare fraud in Minnesota. Of course, continue to bring you the latest developments as they come. Let's bring in Terrence and Allison to discuss this. Well, it's official. You know, as I'm looking at this statement, he says right at the top, he says for the last several years, an organized group of criminals have sought to take advantage of our state's generosity. And even as we make progress in the fight against the fraudsters, we now see an organized group of political actors seeking to take advantage of the crisis. And then, of course, he goes on to mention Donald Trump and maga. Of course he did. T. Bates that should come as no surprise, right?

[C]

Shifting the blame. You were in charge of the state when all of this happened. And there are people who would argue that Mike Walz was complicit in all of this. But I'm just going to broaden the scope a little bit. This is a great opportunity for Mike Lindell. Mike Lindell, of course, has said that he's going to run for governor in the state of Minnesota. The fact that an incumbent is leaving office is obviously going to open the door on the Democrat side. And there's talk that someone like an Amy Klobuchar could potentially run. But forget the left side. Let's focus on the right side. And this gives Mike Lindell an opportunity, and he needs to seize on it. This is when you probably need to up the ante, if you will, when it comes to campaigning in the state of Minnesota and try to take advantage of what will soon be a void. Alison?

[E]

Absolutely. And sunlight is the best disinfectant. So let's get all the details of everything that's happened. This was not small fraud. This was billions and billions of dollars. Good riddance to Walt. I don't understand how he ever could have stayed in office. This is probably the best decision ever.

[D]

Yeah. And let's also remember, tbh, you make a good point about Mike Lindell. Also, the tailwinds of this could be good news for Royce White as well in Minnesota. I mean, if this is about not just Tim Walls, but if this is about Democrats. And you know, we've got of course, the mayor, Jacob Fry in Minneapolis, who's come under criticism as well. So Royce White, who's running for Senate there on the Republican side, he could swept in in a good way as well. All right, guys. Well, Alison, great to see you today. Dr. G is back tomorrow, but great to have you.

[E]

Thank you. And thank you out there for joining us today. We had a great show. War Room is up next. Go boldly now.

[A]

This is an iHeart podcast.

[B]

Guaranteed Human.