Maduro Pleads Not Guilty To All Charges

Summary

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Podcast Summary: The Five

Episode: Maduro Pleads Not Guilty To All Charges
Date: January 5, 2026
Host: Dana Perino
Panel: Greg Gutfeld, Emily Compagno, Harold Ford Jr., Jesse Watters

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Overview

In this episode, the panel dissects the dramatic capture and arraignment of ousted Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro and his wife, who plead not guilty to sweeping drug and weapons charges in the U.S. The hosts debate the motives, legalities, and global ramifications of the U.S. operation, discuss Venezuela's future leadership, and critique partisan reactions in the U.S. They also touch on a brewing fraud scandal in Minnesota and cultural trends surrounding public praise.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Capture and Arraignment of Maduro

• Opening Context: Maduro and his wife, arrested in a U.S. military operation, loudly claim innocence and allege kidnapping. President Trump defends the action, citing national security and drug interdiction.
  • Dana Perino (00:33): "A defiant dictator having his day in court. Ousted Venezuelan strongman Nicolas Maduro... All this comes after a breathtaking dead of night capture at the hands of the US Military."

The Raid and U.S. Motives

• Jesse Watters (02:36): Lauds the Delta Force's precise execution and notes the absence of any regime collapse.

  • "Audacious, Dana... They cuff him, they bring him home. Absolutely incredible... But, Dana, this is not regime change. This is just trying to change the regime's behavior."

• Greg Gutfeld (02:05): Argues the U.S. now calls the shots in Venezuela, especially regarding oil access.

  • "It means we're in charge... We need total access. We need access to the oil and to other things in their country..."

What Comes Next for Venezuela

• Discussion:
  • Political continuity under interim leader Delsey Rodriguez, cooperation with the U.S., and possible U.S. corporate involvement in oil.
  • Jesse Watters (03:41): Explains U.S. leverage via a naval blockade and willingness to pressure the new regime for compliance with U.S. aims.
  • Harold Ford Jr. (05:24): Highlights bipartisan support—especially in Florida—though raises questions about U.S. motives: anti-narco action or oil interests.

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2. The Legal Terrain and Courtroom Dynamics

• Emily Compagno (08:20):

  • Maduro remains defiant in court; wife more subdued. Their defense attorneys contest the venue and process.
  • U.S. legal precedent allows prosecution even if suspects are abducted abroad when U.S. interests are harmed.
  • Quote: "Since the 1800s, this country has settled that it doesn't matter if someone is abducted in a foreign country... We can have it be in any venue."

• Greg critiques Democratic inaction:

  • Notes previous administration's bounty on Maduro and inaction, drawing contrast with Trump’s decisive approach (10:31).

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3. U.S. Political Responses and Partisan Debate

Democrat and Media Reactions

• Panel Montage (15:07–16:28):

  • Clips illustrate Democrats’ shifting stances—at first blaming Trump for not ousting Maduro in term one, now decrying the operation as illegal and autocratic.

  • Dana Perino (16:28): “The left is defending a dictator who... stole an election, but only now because during Trump's first term, they went after him for not removing Maduro.”

• Jesse Watters (18:19): Satirizes perceived hypocrisy—Democrats want Trump prosecuted but Maduro freed; policy stances change based on opposition to Trump.

  • Greg Gutfeld (18:25): Mocks the left for “opposing themselves,” references flip-flopping on Maduro and calls out inconsistencies in legal and moral positioning.

Legality of the Action

• Emily Compagno (20:43): Explains U.S. jurisdiction and draws parallels to historical actions (Noriega, 1800s cases). Argues the process is lawful, regardless of international complaints or sovereignty concerns.

Congressional Consultation / Secrecy

• Harold Ford Jr. (23:05):
  • Insists Congress should have been informed or consulted due to the military nature of the mission.
  • Greg Gutfeld (25:16): Counters that leaking was too big a risk; secrecy ensured operational success.

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4. The "Don Roe Doctrine" and Hemispheric Strategy

• Greg Gutfeld (26:33): Parodies Trump's assertive foreign policy—targeting narco-states and securing hemispheric interests (including unexpectedly, Greenland).

• Emily Compagno (27:34): Reframes Trump’s rhetoric (“you’re next”) as strategic posturing, not unconstitutional chaos.

• Harold Ford Jr. (29:06): Calls for explicit presidential communication to clarify objectives—if the goal is oil, modernization, or broader stability.

  • Dana Perino (30:24): Links stabilizing Venezuela to improved U.S. border control, supporting action “at the source.”
  • Jesse Watters (31:52): Notes regional political realignment away from China, predicts Cuba could collapse next with America pressuring Venezuela.

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5. Broader Themes and Culturally Resonant Moments

Fraud in Minnesota

• Emily Compagno & Panel (33:07): Discuss Governor Tim Walz’s decision not to seek reelection amidst a massive fraud scandal, suggesting this is just the tip of the iceberg and that corruption is a multi-state issue.

Social Trends: Recognition Culture

• Greg Gutfeld (39:06):
  • Riffs on fitness “shout outs” and the proliferation of praise for mundane achievements as a sign of cultural decay.
  • Dana Perino (39:53): "I hate all graduations, unless it's high school or college, all this other nonsense... That's what leads to this kind of ridiculousness."

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments (with Timestamps)

• Jesse Watters (02:36):
  • "Audacious, Dana. First, big props to Delta Force... Absolutely incredible when you think about what could have gone wrong."
• Greg Gutfeld (02:05):
  • "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. We're going to have the big oil companies go in and they're going to fix the infrastructure and they're going to invest money. We're not going to invest anything. We're going to just take care of the country."
• Emily Compagno (08:20):
  • "Since the 1800s, this country has settled that it doesn't matter if someone is abducted in a foreign country... We can have it be in any venue."
• Greg Gutfeld (10:59):
  • "This is like Trump is kind of like the parents that become the trustees of a drug addled celebrity. Like he's just going over there, he's just running the business until you can get back on your feet."
• Dana Perino (16:28):
  • "The left is defending a dictator who... stole an election, but only now because during Trump's first term, they went after him for not removing Maduro."
• Emily Compagno (20:43):
  • "The whole point is that... Even if, per the Noriega comment, even if the capture violated international law... nothing strips the court of the jurisdiction over this criminal case."
• Greg Gutfeld (25:16):
  • "There is no trust. It would have been leaked immediately and those people would have died."
• Jesse Watters (31:53):
  • "Do you know how many right wing pro American governments have just seized power in Latin America? Argentina. Chile. Ecuador, El Salvador, Peru, Honduras. Pro American governments are sweeping this hemisphere."
• Dana Perino (39:53):
  • "I hate all graduations, unless it's high school or college, all this other nonsense. Kindergarten, fifth grade... That's what leads to this kind of ridiculousness."

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Timestamps for Key Segments

| Timestamp | Topic | |--------------|-------------------------------------------------------------| | 00:33 | News intro and context of Maduro's arrest | | 02:36 | Breakdown of the military operation and U.S. goals | | 05:12 | U.S. leverage over the new Venezuelan regime | | 08:20 | Legal status of Maduro in U.S. courts | | 10:31 | Contrast with Democrats’ previous inaction | | 15:07–16:28 | Democrat/media reactions and debate montage | | 18:19 | Panel critiques alleged Democrat hypocrisy | | 20:43 | Court jurisdiction & historical precedent explained | | 23:05 | Congressional consultation—should Congress have been briefed?| | 26:33 | "Don Roe Doctrine," U.S. hemispheric priorities declared | | 31:52 | Latin America's political shift, U.S. contest with China | | 33:07 | Minnesota fraud scandal and governor's withdrawal | | 39:06 | Societal obsession with public praise |

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Overall Tone & Style

The tone is energetic, sometimes irreverent, with trademark sarcasm and banter among the panelists. Debate flips between sharp political critique and comic asides, with discussions rooted in both legal precedent and cultural observation. The panel vocally credits U.S. military prowess and Republican resolve, while lampooning perceived Democratic hypocrisy and the culture of public recognition.

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Conclusion

In this episode, "The Five" tackles the U.S. operation against Maduro as both a triumph of surgical action and a move raising complex questions about motives and legality. The panel sharply divides partisan responses, reasserts U.S. hemispheric doctrine, and mixes serious commentary with their signature humor and skepticism toward both legal process and cultural trends.

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Transcript

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[Dana Perino]

Definitely. Hi, everyone, I'm Dana Perino along with Emily Compagno, Harold Ford Jr. Jesse Waters and Greg Gutfeld. It's five o' clock in New York City and this is the five. A defiant dictator having his day in court. Ousted Venezuelan strongman Nicolas Maduro claiming that he was kidnapped. And he and his wife plead not guilty to a sweeping list of drug trafficking and weapons charges. Maduro telling the judge, quote, I am innocent. I am not guilty. I am a decent man. I am still president of my country. All of this comes after a breathtaking dead of night capture at the hands of the US Military. President Trump defending the move to arrest Maduro.

[Greg Gutfeld]

What really played is the fact that he sent millions of people into our country from prisons and from mental institutions, drug dealers. Every drug addict in every drug addict in that country, in his country was sent into our country. The fact that he sent drugs into our country was stopping it rapidly.

[Dana Perino]

So what comes next for Venezuela? Interim President Delsey Rodriguez is now vowing to cooperate with Washington after President Trump warned that she could suffer a fate worse than Maduro if Caracas does not work with his team. The goal? The likely access to Venezuela's vast oil reserves after US Companies were pushed out decades ago.

[Greg Gutfeld]

Don't ask me who's in charge because I'll give you an answer and it'll be very controversial.

[Dana Perino]

What does that mean?

[Greg Gutfeld]

It means we're in charge. We're going to have the big oil companies go in and they're going to fix the infrastructure and they're going to invest money. We're not going to invest anything. We're going to just take care of the country. We need total access. We need access to the oil and to other things in their country that.

[Dana Perino]

Allow us to rebuild their and Happy New Year, everybody. We get right back to it. Jesse, maybe start with you on just the overall news, the big picture, the shock and awe of it.

[Jesse Waters]

Sure. Audacious, Dana. First, big props to Delta Force. These guys go in on night stalkers in the dead of night, take on enemy fire, land blowtorch the doors off this fortress, kill all of these Cuban bodyguards, and then capture this tyrant and his wife right as they were about to get into the steel safe house. They cuff him, they bring him home. Absolutely incredible when you think about what could have gone wrong. It could have had a Mogadishu situation under Clinton. You could have had hostages like they did in Iran under Jimmy Carter. But this was a perfect operation. You know what it reminds me of? My back surgery. Donald Trump's like my surgeon. He's elegant and he's precise, and he went in there with the perfect extraction. You get this guy out of here. But, Dana, this is not regime change. This is just trying to change the regime's behavior. Remember, the regime is still intact. So you have this vice president who we're going to have to deal with. Now, I don't know whether she is an ideologue, a thief, a nationalist. We're about to find out.

[Dana Perino]

Might be our asset.

[Jesse Waters]

She could be. We don't know yet, but time will tell. But when Trump says we're going to run the country, what he means is we have a naval blockade. So we control the cash flow. We know what goes in, what goes out, so we know who gets paid. And if we don't want them to get paid, we can decide that. Or we can send in more commandos or more missiles, depending on people, if they behave or not. So what does behaving look like? That's the big question. They have to stop doing business with our enemies, the cartels, the communists and Hezbollah. They have to stop pouring narcotics and migrants into our country, and they have to give us back our oil rights, which they stole. And judges have agreed. These have been stolen from us. So if you have. It's basically like the Spanish, Saudi Arabia, they have more oil under the ground than the Saudis do. So you get the Western companies back in there, you get it back online, and what does that do? It makes Venezuela more prosperous, America more prosperous. Keeps energy prices low, which starves the Putin war machine, keeps inflation down, which is good for the economy, and it isolates the Iranians and it makes us the seller of oil to China. Now, we might not have elections for quite some time. We might have to bribe a lot of people in Venezuela, but I'd rather have them on our payroll than have them on the payroll, the cartels and the communists. Which is why we'll be going down and broadcasting all next week live from Caracas.

[Dana Perino]

I can't wait.

[Jesse Waters]

Johnny will be on the streets getting the pulse of the people, doing man on the street. And that is something. Everybody will look forward to it.

[Dana Perino]

I can't wait to see the movie clips he pulls.

[Jesse Waters]

That's right.

[Dana Perino]

We'll go with it in Espanol, Harold. One thing that was interesting was the unity amongst Republicans and Democrats in Florida on this action.

[Harold Ford Jr.]

Without question. First of all, happy New Year to everybody. And it's good to be with everybody around the table. I was pleased to see that, too, DP And I was expecting also some pushback from some about whether or not Congress was advised or Congress was consulted or even Congress was communicated with. But we'll come to that a little bit. I agree with Jesse. The execution of this mission. And we think about some of the nonsensical things that some say about how DEI has ruined our military. Our military has done Operation Midnight Hammer, and they've done this as well as other things since. President Trump has been in office flawlessly. And this is another example of it. I applaud Jay Clayton, the Southern District, the U.S. attorney for the Southern District here, who obviously understands, as he shared this morning, how serious this case is, how prepared they have to be. And equally important, I think that Emily would agree. Our system of law declares that you're presumed innocent until proven guilty. And U.S. attorney said that this morning. Now, here's where it gets a little tricky for me. I don't know exactly what the primary motive was for going in and getting Maduro, who is a bad guy. I understand why the Florida congressional delegation celebrated. There's a former member of the Tennessee delegation sitting on this table here who, who celebrated as well. But when the president said that, and I heard Mr. Rubio say we're going after narco terrorists, which we should have and which we have. And I think that others have also said we need to meet these drug dealers where they are, and this guy is a drug dealer. And I believe that the U.S. attorney's office here will bring justice. The question is, are we there for the narco issue or are we there because they have mismanaged the production of their natural resources? And one will say both. I give President Trump a lot of credit. He just basically said it out loud, said the quiet part out loud, said we're there also to ensure that they produce oil in a way that is, that is conducive and consistent with the kind of reserves that they have. And I wonder aloud if that's what the country wants. President Trump a few weeks ago delivered a national televised address to talk about some of his economic accomplishments. If he's watching us this evening. I would encourage him to give another address to tell us exactly what we're hoping to do, what we're planning to do, and how long he thinks it may take us to do the things he wants us to do there. Because I happen to believe that focusing on our own hemisphere is something we should be doing. I've been saying since I've been on this show that this should be a priority of the administration. But if the priority is not catalyzing all of this growth and rule of law and governance in these countries to help those countries survive and help those countries flourish so they won't come to our country, but it's to help our oil companies and us make more money. I think the country would love to know, just know a few more of the details there. But I'm one Democrat and one American who says congratulations to our military, and I say congratulations to President Trump for having the courage to go get this. Doug.

[Dana Perino]

Emily, how do you think court went today for the Southern District of New York and Maduro?

[Emily Compagno]

I thought it was an interesting snapshot into the tenor that we can expect from Maduro and Flores and both of their respective attorneys and, respectively, Maduro defiant. He still thinks he's in charge no matter what room he's in. His wife seemed a little bit more subservient, a little bit more defeated. As Paul Morrow said, obviously she has claimed that she broke a rib during the abduction. The attorneys came out sort of establishing assertiveness right away. And obviously they talked about fees, they talked about the voluminous and complicated discovery that we can expect. But I think this underscores and highlights why the Southern District of New York, they are the gold standard venue to hear this. And we know that they have established this history in the past, and people are saying why there and how can we haul this person here? Since the 1800s, this country has settled that it doesn't matter if someone is abducted in a foreign country, and it doesn't matter if there are interests that are harmed. We can have it be in any venue. And SCNY is again, that gold standard for that reason. So if there's international criminal conduct, then we can hold essentially that prosecution anywhere that the US Interests have been harmed. Any venue. SCNY in particular, however, number one, all money laundering and all of these. These, the banks, the financial headquarters of the world. So sort of conversationally, every dollar flows through New York, even if it's proverbial. We have a longstanding relationship, the SDNY with people like FinCEN and the DEA and all of those Elite agencies and the special. The special elite quality of our prosecutors there to deal specifically with anarcho terrorists, to deal specifically with drug lords, to deal specifically with these global thugs that are used to having their way in any room. That really cannot be overstated. So I think going into this, and the judge said this at the age of 92, he sounds a lot younger, but he said, look, I am ensuring that this defendant will have a fair trial. And if the appeals record is any indicator of what we are going into, then the, the success of SDNY is to be totally expected.

[Dana Perino]

Greg. The Biden Harris administration had a $25 million bounty on his head, but they didn't do anything.

[Greg Gutfeld]

They didn't.

[Dana Perino]

They just waited to see if somebody would capture him. And then it's interesting to see some Democrats being so outraged that he actually did something.

[Greg Gutfeld]

I fear, Dana, that I've lost the ability to make complete sentences after the time off. Yeah, I spent two weeks with a one year old. I have not had a conversation that is about anything.

[Dana Perino]

Okay. Would you like to sing us a song about how you feel?

[Greg Gutfeld]

Yes.

[Dana Perino]

Which is your favorite?

[Greg Gutfeld]

What was. Oh, yeah, 25 million. I think Trump should give that to the Delta Force. Right again, Democrats, they'll throw money at anything, but they won't actually do it. I feel like this is like Trump is kind of like the parents that become the trustees of a drug addled celebrity. Like he's just going over there, he's just running the business until you can get back on your feet. The irony of this golden age is that it's gotta be great to be a commie mayor in New York City because Trump is outside your kingdom, solving all of your problems. You know, it's like staunching the flow of drugs, reducing illegal immigration, slashing crime by gangs, easing the burden on your social programs that are designed for the citizens. All the things that we were going through under a Democrat mayor, under Adams and under Biden. But now Trump is handing Mamdani a soft landing, a honeymoon. All these horrible problems that existed under Biden are now going away. And you, you know Trump. I know people are saying, but Trump's against forever wars. Well, what's the opposite of a forever war? It's not no war. It's precise, surgical action. Taking out drug boats, bombing nuke facilities, extracting a dictator. So you don't have forever wars. It's not a forever war when you're lancing a zit. A forever war is what Trump is dealing with domestically, with Democrats. You know, this complex fraud. You know, that is waged against us every day. And it's like it's such a contradictory between Trump's decisive action and kind of the Kafka esque, you know, corruption of Democrat rule in every city that keeps, that continues to keep going. Now there's an argument, and Harold touched on it briefly, but then scampered away from it because he knew I would crush him like a bug.

[Harold Ford Jr.]

Scampered.

[Greg Gutfeld]

Trump, you know, says it's about drugs and people will say, well, if it's about drugs, why didn't he go after Mexico? Mexico is the primary source of fentanyl. You know, Venezuela isn't. Well, you do Venezuela, so you don't have to do Mexico. You start small and you send a message. You work your way up to the ladder, to the big stuff. And who knows, you may not have to do it because as you can see, people will start cooperating. The other interesting thing that people haven't brought up, but I will now, is that, you know, where does all the fentanyl precursors come from?

[Dana Perino]

China.

[Greg Gutfeld]

Exactly, Dana, thank you for completing that thought. Who was in Caracas? Is that how you say it? Hours before Maduro was snatched. Top Chinese diplomats. Why are they there? Because they're Maduro's sugar daddy. And basically Venezuela is the crack house for China where they, where they pimp out whatever they need. So China's role in Venezuela is enough basis for the Monroe Doctrine to go in there and clean it up.

[Dana Perino]

Peace through strength.

[Greg Gutfeld]

Yeah. What just happened?

[Dana Perino]

I think you did well. You did well. I think she would be very proud of you.

[Greg Gutfeld]

Yeah, you just need a little throw.

[Harold Ford Jr.]

Up on a sweater. I think it'll be fine.

[Greg Gutfeld]

There was a lot of vomit, some of it mine.

[Dana Perino]

Coming up. Remember the no kings protest? Well, now some Democrats are upset about the legality of capturing one.

[Emily Compagno]

This is Ainsley Earhart. Thank you for joining me for the 52 episode podcast series, the Life of Jesus.

[Greg Gutfeld]

A listening experience that will provide hope, comfort and understanding of the greatest story ever told. Listen and follow [e-mail] or wherever you listen to podcasts.

[Jesse Waters]

Maduro.

[Dana Perino]

Where does the United States have the.

[Jesse Waters]

Right to arrest Maduro? Democrats in the media going from no kings to yes narco kingpins crying foul over the legality of capturing Venezuelan dictator Nicolas Maduro and making him face American justice.

[Dana Perino]

I was very concerned that Trump may try to do everything that he can to make sure that we're at war so that he can then justify us not having elections.

[Harold Ford Jr.]

This is wildly illegal. This is a President who has been operating illegally since he was sworn into office.

[Jesse Waters]

He's a bad guy. But we pledge an oath to the Constitution, Jackie. And the Constitution does not give the president the power to initiate military action.

[Harold Ford Jr.]

Donald Trump claims that he's going to run Venezuela. He's done a terrible job running the United States of America.

[Greg Gutfeld]

This president is doing whatever the heck.

[Harold Ford Jr.]

He wants without any checks or balances.

[Dana Perino]

In my view, this is completely, completely, 100% illegal.

[Jesse Waters]

Of course, Kamala just had to chime in saying this. That Maduro is a brutal, illegitimate dictator does not change the fact that this action was both unlawful and unwise. Dan, let me if I get this straight. The left is defending a dictator who.

[Dana Perino]

Stole an election, but only now because during Trump's first term, they went after him for not removing Maduro.

[Jesse Waters]

Right.

[Unknown Announcer/Commercial Voice]

Okay.

[Dana Perino]

And they're on video saying all of this. So it's not. It's not hard to go back and look all of those things up. Yesterday, the House Democrats had an emergency meeting to talk about their messaging because they're a hot mess. They are twisted all in knots about what are they going to say. And they think that their base wants them to say, like, if President Trump said, we're going to cure cancer, they would say, leave cancer alone. But if you just take a step back, it's no wonder that Democrats are in swing states or in tough districts. They realize that the initial gut reaction to go against anything is going to make their lives harder in trying to win back 2026. But there was an alternative. For example, if you. Let's say you're really worried about Venezuelan migrants that have come to America, and you're upset that President Trump has removed that temporary protective status. Right. And you say, okay, well, what is something that we could do where we could get something from Trump that we want? Well, you wanted Maduro gone before. I guess they're deciding if they still want him gone. They also think, well, it shouldn't be about oil, but they were the ones complaining when the oil was taken from the American companies or the rights were taken from the American companies years ago. But why not? Why can't they ever just say, you know what we should do? Let's go to the president tomorrow and ask him if he's willing for anybody that's from Venezuela that doesn't have pending criminal charges against them or some sort of sexual charge against them, like some sort of conviction, could they stay while this gets worked out? Like, try to go to him and get something for your support for something that you Wanted under Trump and Biden. Biden his only term and Trump's first term. That doesn't make sense.

[Jesse Waters]

Do you know, Greg, what the Democrat policy is on Venezuela?

[Greg Gutfeld]

Yes, I do.

[Jesse Waters]

What is that?

[Greg Gutfeld]

They don't see a dictator. They see a father. A father with a son and three stepsons. And once again, Trump the authoritarian has split a family up. And you know what? Oh, you can mock me or you can laugh at me, I don't care. But what I see, what I see. There is nothing short of a tragedy, especially around the holidays, to split them up like that. You know, I love that the Dems were so upset that Trump sent Maryland dad to Central America and demanded him back for due process. Now they're mad that we bring this guy here from Venezuela for due process. Shouldn't they be happy? We could said, but we're just doing due process, you know. But you got to ask, you know, when you look, if you're a young, like, leftist, you gotta like, think for yourself and go, why are all these protests interchangeable? Why are the protesters interchangeable? Why do the signs all look alike and readily available? And I get it, you know, you're the opposition, Democrats are the opposition. But it's kind of funny when you start opposing yourself. The Dems will now defend anyone, including if it means contradicting their own beliefs. From a few years ago, Chris Murphy was at bozo, right? He was like screaming to get Maduro out. And now he's like, oh, this is terrible. He said that the fact that Maduro was still in Venezuela was proof that Trump loves dictators. And now he's like going, how dare he do this? So you got to like, I don't know also. And I'll shut up because I don't know if I'm making any sense. I'm just basically winging it. You gotta love a party that violates federal law with sanctuary cities and then imploring their own law enforcement to defy or hinderize, then telling you that you're violating the law. That is like Ilhan Omar accusing you of incest.

[Jesse Waters]

That's been proven, right? I mean, no, I don't know what the marrying. The marrying.

[Greg Gutfeld]

No, I don't know what you're talking about. I'm just saying how ridiculous it is that anybody would accuse you of it. I just chose Ilhan Omar.

[Jesse Waters]

I got it out of the blue.

[Greg Gutfeld]

Yeah.

[Jesse Waters]

So it seems like they wanted Trump in prison, but they want Maduro free. Is that the Democrat strategy?

[Emily Compagno]

Right. If any law is meant to be broken, if it in any way has to do with President Trump here. However, what's more simple than a criminal indictment that, by the way, the original one issued under Biden's watch and then hauling that person to court for some reason, this absolutely implodes because it all occurred under President Trump's watch. The thing that I'm most surprised by in that montage was Strega Nona there, the one who was, like in her 90s, who doesn't remember, who questions the authority by which we are arresting Maduro when she's the one that should remember. I'm now used to, unfortunately, all of these Democrat politicians and all of these sophomores that are protesting outside, forgetting everything about history. But I would think someone of her age would remember exactly what happened, for example, with Noriega, and maybe back to the 1800s case I mentioned earlier, because maybe she's that old. But the whole point is that, again, to go back to that criminal jurisdiction, even if a defendant never set foot here, even if everything illegal happened off this shore, it is well settled. Even if, per the Noriega comment, even if the capture violated international law and we improperly and unlawfully permeated that airspace and the sovereign land, even if the invasion itself was unlawful, which, by the way, all of those things are not here. Even so, nothing strips the court of the jurisdiction over this criminal case. So people like Kamala, Look, I know Kamala didn't pass the bar in the first time. I know she has an issue with knowing the law. So maybe I'm here to remind her that, yes, he squarely belongs in that court. And the court specifically talked about, even if this is someone who was abducted, even. And here she's the one that says, correct, he is a dictator. Correct. He is not an actual sovereign president or state, so leader of a state. So she should know more than anyone that this was the most lawful thing about it. And unlike Noriega, this was safer. We didn't even need to use Metallica. Right? So everyone here, it just goes to show that they have to say something. They have to have that clickbait. They can't simply say, thank you, President Trump, for hauling in the dictator that deserves to be in the defendant chair, that deserves to answer for millions of people whose lives have been ruined and hundreds of thousands of people who have died under his impervious watch. But unfortunately, they just want that dopamine hit. They want the. The followers rather than constituents to applaud them.

[Harold Ford Jr.]

Congress has every right to expect to be made aware of a military attack on land, and they should have the right to be consulted. We have a history in recent, recent years where at least the Gang of Eight, the heads of the Intelligence Committee and the leaders in both the House and the Senate. There's a trust that the president, regardless of any party. I don't know about the young lady, the woman you were talking about, what she made, what may have motivated her to say what she said. But this is why I think it's incumbent upon the president to come before the country. I think the country wants to understand, which I think we all understand, we got a narco terrorist and we've arrested him and that was the right thing to do. I think the confusion comes as people are trying to digest what does this mean for military action in Venezuela? Is it. Should we expect another? The president, I think flippantly and in his own way said that the vice president, who is now the president, she should expect worse if she does not follow what we're saying. I think the confusion for a lot of people, Emily, and those around the table is when President Trump in the press conference at Mar a Lago, which I watched very closely, and watched Secretary Rubio very closely when he was asked what's going to happen in Venezuela now? And he said, we're going to run the country. I think that's what really provoked and catalyzed a lot of this reaction. I think the Democrats are reacting the way some are. You're right, Jesse and Dana, there's an inconsistency in what. Greg, you pointed out something that Senator Murphy said. There's an inconsistency there that you have to. But if you're the president, you have to give a message to the country, explain what we did, explain why we did it, what running the country means. And I've seen some people in the administration talk about this term fafo, which I think they really mean, mess around and find out that can't be a governing military doctrine. You said it well, Greg, just a few seconds ago. It almost feels like we're winging some of it. We didn't wing the military part of it. Jay Clayton is not winging the exercise of our, of the legal doctor, the legal instruments that he's using, as Emily said. But it does, it doesn't sound like we know fully why we're there, what we're trying to accomplish, and frankly, what the Dunro doctrine.

[Greg Gutfeld]

Actually, he did invoke my name. I didn't say anybody winging anything. I.

[Harold Ford Jr.]

You used the word winging. Not about. Not about him.

[Greg Gutfeld]

I said I was winging it. How dare you? By the way, you did mention one thing about, like, running this before Congress. There is no trust. It would have been leaked immediately and those people would have died.

[Harold Ford Jr.]

I disagree with you.

[Greg Gutfeld]

Oh, no, we know. We know it. Had you had Democrats basically telling the military to disobey orders. There's no way after that that Trump is going to talk, tell anybody anything in terms of saying run the country. He's basically saying we're cutting up their credit cards. For now, that's all it is.

[Harold Ford Jr.]

There's been no example of anybody leaking anything under President Trump. And I hate to say this, but the only time anyone is talking about Russia.

[Jesse Waters]

Harold, Harold. They weaponize the intelligence.

[Harold Ford Jr.]

No, no, that's not fair. That's not fair. That's not fair. The only leaking was by the President's own team on a tweet site.

[Jesse Waters]

You're wrong. I'm right. Happy New Year. Up next, the gun Roe doctrine. President Trump threatens to grab and bag another Latin American leader. What's your name, little girl?

[Greg Gutfeld]

President Trump laying out the Don Row doctrine. A show of US Hemispheric dominance that puts Greenland and Latin American leaders on notice.

Colombia is very sick to 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. Afraid the cartels are running whether you like it or not. Nice to say that the cartels. The cartels are running Mexico. We need Greenland from the standpoint of national security. And Denmark is not going to be able to do it. I can tell you Cuba literally is ready to fall and you have a lot of great Cuban Americans that are going to be very happy about this.

Lynn's clearly impressed by that young, attractive woman. Hey, so, Emily, I did not know, and I am freely admitting this, that Greenland was in our hemisphere, but you explained to me that it's north af. What does that mean?

[Emily Compagno]

That was for the commercial break. I said, to quote the scientists, it's very north. It's very cold.

[Greg Gutfeld]

All right, whatever.

[Emily Compagno]

Look, here's what I wanted to say about this, that we sort of saw an inkling of the reaction, respectfully, by Harold earlier.

[Greg Gutfeld]

You don't have to say respectfully.

[Dana Perino]

You don't.

[Emily Compagno]

But I mean it. That everyone hears Trump's rhetoric and they think it's constitutional chaos, but really it's muscle memory and rhetoric is not an action and it is well settled, per my points. Every block that things are legal and constitutional. Yeah, exactly. Going back to the primary source and so Everyone losing their hair in their mind over our commander in Chief saying, yeah, and you know what, you're next. Why wouldn't they be cheering? Thank you for finally, unlike the Biden administration, going after what was an indictment. Look, you called into question the sort of political motivations that are separate from the legal issues and the criminal consequences of global narco terrorism. And that's an appropriate question to ask, but that should be settled on the Hill and that's totally separate from Congress. So right now, what we're getting from the Dems is just squawking and resistance, but we're not getting actual. I don't see a memorandum of understanding. I don't see something ever with specificity to the contrary about or saying, I know we need to get burned in here. And final point real quick, that all the drone, all the drone murders that Obama did, Congress didn't. Did he ask Congress? Last time I checked, no, he didn't. And everyone stayed silent. So why now?

[Harold Ford Jr.]

They didn't, actually.

[Greg Gutfeld]

Ah, well, fancy words. Lady said a lot of things, Harold.

[Harold Ford Jr.]

The Monroe Doctrine was 1823. It basically was introduced by our president to say, no new European colonization in these newly independent Latin American countries. Countries. The president, I was impressed with how he talked about it, but I think of also a doctrine of the late Joint Chiefs of Staff, who Dana had an opportunity to work around and work with, named Colin Powell, who said that you use military action rarely, carefully and decisively. Again, I think the president. I don't a lot of things you're saying, Emily, you could very well be right in your criticism of what I'm saying or even the amplification of what you're saying. But the only person who knows it, and I put words in Greg's mouth the last seven. You didn't say President Trump was winging it. You were making a joke about yourself. I think the president in many ways is winging it. And if you're not winging it, just come before the country and explain. I don't mind. If you believe that the oil developed, helping them to mature and modernize their natural resource production in Venezuela is the right thing to do. Come before the country and tell us. If you're going to commit troops to another country to help oil companies modernize those fields, then do it and let us understand what we get out of it. And equally important, if you believe in the Monroe Doctrine, you're for those countries. So you have to figure out a way to help those countries become more stable, more predictable, for that matter, help those people Live better lives.

[Greg Gutfeld]

I just heard Dana go like this.

[Dana Perino]

No, I know. Okay. So the reason I went is because I always believe that if you want to stop the flows of illegal immigration, you have to try to solve the problem at its source. We haven't been able to do that. We've had attentions elsewhere. So if you solve the problem at its source and the government of Venezuela could return in a way that they used to be like mackay wanted to live there.

[Greg Gutfeld]

Right.

[Dana Perino]

Then they wouldn't leave.

[Greg Gutfeld]

Exactly.

[Dana Perino]

Here. And so solving the problem at its source is a great thing. Is terrific.

[Greg Gutfeld]

Do you remember when Kamala went to the source to find the source of the problem for immigrate?

[Unknown Guest/Participant]

Remember?

[Greg Gutfeld]

She was the border czar. She went to the source and she came back with nothing but a shirt that said I went to the source.

[Jesse Waters]

She was looking for root causes.

[Greg Gutfeld]

Root causes. Jesse, does Trump kind of treat the news like a laser pointer, you know, and drives all the cats crazy. It's like he throws out Greenland and the Dems and the media.

[Jesse Waters]

Perhaps. But there's another military doctrine I'd like to say if you don't use it, you lose it. And that goes for Greenland. And it also goes for all the oil that Venezuela has. And Denmark better wise up. They should sell it to us, lease it to us so we can run it together. Who cares? But we need it more than they do. Same with the oil. Harold, I don't know if you missed the press conference on Saturday morning. I did. I didn't have Internet, but I've read about it and he was very clear about what's going on here. We're kicking the Chinese out of the hemisphere. That goes for the Arctic and it goes for Latin America. Didn't want to do research for this segment. Had to.

[Greg Gutfeld]

Yeah.

[Jesse Waters]

Do you know how many right wing pro American governments have just seized power in Latin America? Argentina. Chile.

[Dana Perino]

Chile.

[Jesse Waters]

Chile, whatever. Ecuador, El Salvador, Peru, Honduras. Pro American governments are sweeping this hemisphere. And the Chinese Belt and Road initiative is collapsing. Leftist governments are collapsing one at a time. And I'm sorry, but Cuba could be next. They get all their energy from Venezuela and we are going to see the Mafia running casinos again in Havana.

[Greg Gutfeld]

Well done.

[Harold Ford Jr.]

The American way.

[Greg Gutfeld]

I'm troubled though. Okay, Cuba. You said Cuba. Colombia, Colombia, Mexico. Mexico. But what about Greenland? Greenland.

[Jesse Waters]

Greenland.

[Greg Gutfeld]

Greenland.

[Jesse Waters]

Mustard on.

[Harold Ford Jr.]

Happy New Year.

[Greg Gutfeld]

Hey, Tampon. Tim packs it up for good. Greenland.

[Emily Compagno]

Failed. Beep. Tim Walls is dropping his reelection bid for a third term as Minnesota's governor amid a multi billion dollar fraud scandal that's engulfed his time in office.

[Dana Perino]

Watch.

[Unknown Guest/Participant]

Every minute that I spend defending my own political interest would be a minute I can't spend defending the people of Minnesota against the criminals who prey on our generosity and the cynics who want to prey on our differences. So I've decided to step out of this race. And I'll let others worry about the election while I focus on the work that's in front of me for the next year.

[Emily Compagno]

Harold, do you see this as a good riddance from your party or a gentle pat on the rump with a thank you?

[Harold Ford Jr.]

I see it neither. He's not been accused of anything. And when he is, if he is, he'll have to defend himself. I do think the story, this young influencer who's put it out there, I mean, let the chips fall where the chips may fall. And I hope this young man, the influencer, I think I saw picture of him. He should go around the country because I think they're governors in red states and blue states who have similar problems.

[Emily Compagno]

Fraud is fraud.

[Jesse Waters]

He should go to California because California Medicaid pays for Native American exorcism, music lessons and cooking classes. So if I was a real schemer, not to say I'm not, but if I was really into it, I could move to California, set up an llc, say it was tools for cooking and I could get a million dollars from California taxpayers. And I could say I was, like, going to teach the homeless people how to, like, microwave ramen noodles. And they wouldn't catch you. And this guy is all over. It's not just Shirley, it's Rufo. Those two guys expose more corruption as independent journalists than the entire legacy media combined. Now, I'm a little worried about Tampon. He doesn't own any real estate or stocks or bonds. So when he's out of office, he's gonna be homeless and broke. He's gonna need welfare, but there's not gonna be any because the Somalis stole it. And it's sad because the only reason he was on this ticket was because he wasn't gay or Jewish. I have an amazing joke I wanna tell.

[Harold Ford Jr.]

Please do.

[Jesse Waters]

I'm not gonna tell it because I don't wanna start the year off on the wrong foot. Greg could tell it.

[Greg Gutfeld]

Okay.

[Jesse Waters]

But I'll tell you guys in the break.

[Greg Gutfeld]

Thank you. I will use it.

[Emily Compagno]

Dana. So will he just move to California, then? And do exorcisms for the rest of his life?

[Dana Perino]

I think he's got a real problem because he might have been the first shoe to fall. But there's more coming because Keith Ellison, who is the attorney general of Minnesota, former congressman, who is a member of Democratic leadership, he is on audio, leaked audio, talking to these people. Tell him that he will cover up the investigations. Tell him that they'll tell the investigators to back off. So this resignation or decision not to run? Not a resignation, but the decision not to run, it's not the end of the story. The fraud story doesn't end there. To me, it's really just beginning. And thankfully there's a very good prosecutor in the state that is relentless. So hopefully they'll get it cleaned up.

[Emily Compagno]

Political ramifications more to come.

[Greg Gutfeld]

No, when you said resignation, you're right. This is actually a resignation without a resignation. They actually have to get him to resign. And that will probably come. And to your point, Jesse, and I like saying that, is that it's not just Nick or Rufus, though, it's also Musk.

[Harold Ford Jr.]

Musk.

[Greg Gutfeld]

Introducing Doge. It put fraud top of mind. And then he purchased X, which, which prevented the suppression of this story. Because remember, this stuff was going on before X was purchased. We just didn't know about it. I wonder why. But here's my question and I'm going to talk about Waltz tonight, so I'm going to save it. Do Somalians know that they did anything wrong? Does Ilhan Nomar, Ilhan Omar know that she's done anything wrong? What if they come from a lawless country where there are no laws? There's just what do you do for your tribe? So you look out for fellow Somalians. Screw everybody else, including your brother.

[Dana Perino]

What about Tim Walls tribe?

[Greg Gutfeld]

Yeah, he has no tribe. But here's what scares me. Have you noticed, and maybe it's just me on Instagram and on X, seeing how much aggression and rudeness there is in society. Have you noticed how much there is?

[Harold Ford Jr.]

I do. I come here.

[Greg Gutfeld]

Yeah.

[Unknown Announcer/Commercial Voice]

Yeah.

[Greg Gutfeld]

Well, that's just for me. I think that we are importing low trust societies. These are societies created by a lack of shared values with a high suspicion of others because of corruption. So you have, you have scams, you have counterfeit goods, you have pickpockets, you have fraud, you have government and bureaucratic economic inefficiency. And what happens is everybody's on edge about being cheated. So you see fights on airplanes, you see fights in bars, you see people arguing over shit in parks. And it's crazy. It's because we are becoming like the countries that we used to visit and go, get me the hell out of here.

[Jesse Waters]

So you're saying we need to import more Gaines gains.

[Greg Gutfeld]

Yes, from Greenland.

[Jesse Waters]

Very good.

[Emily Compagno]

All right guys. Up next, people are freaking out if their sweat isn't celebrated.

[Greg Gutfeld]

Greenland.

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[Greg Gutfeld]

What do you have to lose?

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[Emily Compagno]

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[Harold Ford Jr.]

Welcome back. Public praise is now the reward for working out. Boutique gyms are handing out, get this, signs, socks and shout outs. And people are getting mad, freaking out if they don't get credit for their hundredth class. Greg, is this something that you like at your gym? You want to be recognized as Mr. Gutfeld's hundredth class? Everybody clap.

[Greg Gutfeld]

Well, you know, I now work out at home. I couldn't go to the gym. People interrupting me all the time, getting selfies and stuff like that. But it is. I'm tired of shout outs in general. Everyone must be included. Press conferences after major crimes or disasters. The first 15 minutes while we're sitting here, they're thanking everybody. Cuz if they forget the one lesbian firefighter, you are screwed. And that's why they have, that's why they have signers for the national anthem. Whoa, we can't leave out the deaf people. They gotta know the song too. They don't care about the song.

[Harold Ford Jr.]

Jesse, you never really thank anyone. Is this something you think is.

[Jesse Waters]

Well, I got a great shout out during a Lamaze class. I was like getting ready to do my thing and she was like, go Jesse. You go, Mr. Waters. And it made me perform better. That's the kind of reinforcement that I respond to. Positive reinforcement.

[Dana Perino]

I think this all started with kindergarten graduation. I hate all graduations, unless it's high school or college, all this other nonsense. Kindergarten, fifth grade, from third grade, junior high. Enough. Do not do that. That's what leads to this kind of ridiculousness.

[Harold Ford Jr.]

Well, your thoughts on this hurting or helping America?

[Emily Compagno]

Well, hurting. When I saw that, I was like, this article is for the 50 people in New York City that it impacts. And I forgot that I hated this when I used to do peloton classes before COVID Because it was so annoying and because I was like. I was at the gym every day for the last 365 too. I just didn't do it on your watch. So I don't get like. It was just like, shut up.

[Greg Gutfeld]

That's why I moved over to LA Break, which is on Peloton, which doesn't have instructors, but now they don't replenish Lane Break.

[Harold Ford Jr.]

One more annoying BEEPS One More Thing is up next.

[Emily Compagno]

Yes.

[Dana Perino]

It's time now for One More Thing.

[Greg Gutfeld]

Greg, we are so back tonight. Tom Shalhou, Jamie Lissow, Tyrus Cat, Tim. Tonight, Ted, Jesse.

[Jesse Waters]

We are so back to Waters Prime Time when Johnny was on the beach asking about Venezuela Watch, of course.

[Greg Gutfeld]

Where is Venezuela?

[Unknown Guest/Participant]

I don't know.

[Jesse Waters]

Is it north or south of Florida? The world's circular. So it's both.

[Greg Gutfeld]

True. Yes.

[Dana Perino]

All right, that's it for us.

[Greg Gutfeld]

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