The Rob Carson Show – "Maduro Falls, Walz Stalls & Gordon Calls"

Newsmax Podcasts | January 7, 2026

Episode Overview

This episode dives into seismic political changes of early 2026, focusing on the dramatic fall of Venezuelan dictator Nicolás Maduro, shockwaves to American and global politics, and unfolding scandals and corruption in Democratic-run U.S. states. Host Rob Carson, with his trademark humor and energy, skewers the American left, critiques media narratives, and spotlights what he sees as a global domino effect of rightward momentum catalyzed by Donald Trump’s presidency. Notable guest Gordon Chang joins mid-episode to analyze geopolitical consequences for China, Russia, Iran, and Cuba.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Fall of Nicolás Maduro and Its Aftermath

• Rob Carson recaps the event:
  The U.S., under President Trump, apprehends and removes Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, widely seen as a dictator responsible for atrocities and exporting chaos to the U.S.

  “He actually emptied his prisons into America. … Consequently there were a whole lot of murders and stuff. … Now that Maduro has been deposed, the world is actually celebrating…” (01:00)

• Carson claims mainstream Democrats and media are unhappy due to partisan opposition to Trump’s success, and highlights leftist protests supporting Maduro.
• Rachel Campos-Duffy’s analysis (Fox News):

  “I predict that in the next two years, one or two years, you are going to see a baby boom in Venezuela and the number one name is going to be Donald and the second Donaldo name is going to be Marco, and then it will be Pete. And the reason is that what we just witnessed was the most historic and consequential action taken in the Western Hemisphere in the last hundred years.” (03:21)

• Carson and Campos-Duffy argue the left supports Maduro not despite, but because of his socialist/communist credentials.

2. Activist Movements: "Grassroots" or Astroturf?

• Franny Block’s investigative report (Free Press):
  Block explains that allegedly “spontaneous” protests defending Maduro were driven by the same network behind post-10/7 anti-Israel actions.

  “One of the main groups behind these protests is the same organization that helped fuel the pro Palestine protests across campuses and cities... it's called the People's Forum, a far left activist group based in New York City... funded almost entirely by Neville Roy Singham, a multi-millionaire tech entrepreneur turned Marxist.” (05:33)

• The People's Forum serves as a headquarters and incubator for professional activism, offering radical courses and organizing protests swiftly after major events.
• Block alleges the group uses complex funding mechanisms to mask source money, heavily pushing a "socialist – anti-American" line (06:36–07:57).

3. Carson on Leftist Protests and Alleged Hypocrisy

• Carson plays and mocks left-wing podcast reactions and points to organized, funded nature of protests supporting Maduro.

  “It’s bought and paid for. … It doesn’t mean b-word for Richard. We should just be raging. We should be angry. We should be in the streets. It's a class war. It's a global war. It's an anti imperial. No, it's not. Not one little bit. You're absolutely high.” (08:29)

4. Media & Political Reactions: Moral Relativism and Democratic Dissent

• Carson criticizes left-wing politicians’ and pundits’ reactions—singling out Rep. Jasmine Crockett for making what he considers false moral parallels between the U.S. action in Venezuela and a hypothetical foreign intervention in the U.S.:

  “She’s doing moral relativism in the worst possible way… She's saying that Donald Trump going in to get Nicolas Maduro... well, how would they feel if they came into the United States and grabbed Donald Trump?” (11:41–12:04)

5. Economic Fallout and Rebound

• Carson touts booming U.S. markets, record highs in the Dow and S&P 500 (14:18), and $20 trillion promised in new investments.

  “That's not happening in China. That has never happened in any country in the history of the world. Are you listening to me?” (14:57)

• Silver and gold prices are at all-time highs, seen as a sign of economic shift and global instability (14:18, 14:57).

6. Minnesota Fraud Scandal & "Tampon Tim" Waltz

• Carson lampoons Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz and deep corruption in state social programs—falsified daycare payments, massive fraud against taxpayers, and political coverups.

  “The Minnesota auditor just reported that it confirms Tim Walsh, Department of Human Services, fabricated records and did not verify grant recipients. One outrageous example. The auditors found a grantee that was paid $672,000 for one month of work without any info on what they had to do.” (16:57)

7. ICE Operations and Violent Protest

• Coverage of violent, left-led protests targeting ICE agents—allegedly incited by demonization of law enforcement:

  “A protester, a terrorist in Minnesota attempted to run over ICE agents with her vehicle, requiring Ice Agent to fire defensive shots. She has been pronounced room temperature… The Democrat Party, they demonized the police in the summer 2020… and now they're doing the same thing with ICE.” (18:41)

Global Geopolitics with Gordon Chang (22:41–37:34)

Gordon Chang joins to discuss global implications of recent U.S. moves:

a. China and Russia Reeling

• Russia threatens missile strikes over tank seizures; Chang points out their depleted capabilities and the strategic blunder this symbolizes (22:41).

  “It undermines globalization. Globalization has been the best friend of China. China supports Russia. So this… will get the United States even faster to relocate supply chains... very bad news for China.” (23:11)

b. Venezuela's Fall – Blow to China

• China loses access to Venezuelan oil (used to settle Venezuela’s $20B debt) and military-diplomatic foothold in the Western Hemisphere:

  “China's now got a $20 billion receivable which it can't collect on.” (25:10)

c. Rightward Shift in Latin America

• Latin America sees an accelerating “right-wing wave”; leftist leaders in Colombia, Brazil, Mexico will be forced to align with U.S. (27:14).
• Removal of Maduro cripples China’s regional strategy and dims Cuba’s survival prospects, as cheap Venezuelan oil disappears (29:05).

d. Domino Effect: Iran, Cuba, Globalists

• Historic protests erupt in Iran; regime is vulnerable. Cuba in crisis.

  “China loses an even more important proxy, which is Iran, 100%.” (29:35)

e. U.S. Corruption & Turning Point

• Chang and Carson discuss parallels between present-day America and the old Soviet oligarchy—political enrichment, rampant fraud, only now coming to a head (34:18–36:50).
• Carson asserts that America’s “baptism by fire” was necessary to ensure a new 250-year epoch of liberty.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Carson on Dem reactions to Maduro:

  “There are leftist protesters around our country who are saying, put Maduro back in power. Does this surprise you?” (01:45)

• Campos-Duffy on the global significance of Maduro’s fall:

  “What we just witnessed was the most historic and consequential action taken in the Western Hemisphere in the last hundred years.” (03:46)

• Franny Block exposing protest funding:

  “They're not authentic or grassroots. They're funded, they're organized. And they're part of a much bigger ideological machine pushing socialism and an anti American agenda.” (07:57)

• Gordon Chang on U.S. momentum:

  “What President Trump has done is he's reversed an almost irresistible momentum towards bad outcomes and now we have an almost irresistible momentum toward good outcomes.” (33:18)

• Carson on history in the making:

  “We are witnessing history every single day.” (27:59)

• Chang’s warning:

  “The United States is moving in all the right directions and that's because we've got a new president. But we've got to continue on because this is a daily struggle.” (36:50)

Important Timestamps

• [01:00] – Carson on Venezuelan immigration and Maduro’s prison-emptying tactics
• [03:21] – Rachel Campos-Duffy’s prediction of a Venezuelan “baby boom” named for Donald Trump
• [05:33] – Franny Block exposes the People’s Forum, protest funding, and connections to radical activism
• [08:29] – Leftist activists react to Maduro’s fall, Carson’s mocking commentary
• [11:41] – Rep. Jasmine Crockett’s “moral relativism,” Carson’s rebuttal
• [14:18] – Stock market booms, metals surge, economic optimism
• [16:57] – Minnesota “Tampon Tim” Waltz fraud scandal, parody song
• [18:41] – ICE agents attacked, Carson connects violence to Dem rhetoric
• [22:41] – Gordon Chang joins; global chain reactions examined
• [23:11] – Chang on Russia’s threats and implications for globalization/China
• [29:05] – Cuba’s energy crisis post-Maduro
• [33:18] – Chang on shifting global momentum, Carson on personal history with Berlin Wall and Tiananmen
• [35:23] – Chang: U.S. spending collapse inevitable, blame on both parties
• [36:50] – Chang: “We’ve got to continue on because this is a daily struggle.”

Summary Takeaways

• The episode frames the removal of Maduro as a keystone, world-altering event—one exposing and weakening leftist movements, authoritarian regimes, and foreign influence.
• Carson and guests paint protest movements as synthetic, well-financed, and anti-American, not organic uprisings.
• U.S. economic numbers are cast as validation of a new “Trump era” prosperity and global investment leadership.
• Gordon Chang provides expert, deeply informed analysis on China’s strategic setbacks, right-wing gains in Latin America, and the perilous positions of Iran and Cuba.
• Rob Carson concludes with an emphatic, optimistic call, asserting America and the world are at a real inflection point toward freedom—if reform and vigilance continue.