The Plain Truth is so Happy That You Have Been Enjoying Bob’s Broadcasts.
2000 years ago, a newscaster that we know of as Jesus Christ warned us about false Christianity. The warning was not against the devil but against false Christianity…about people who come in His name and deceive many.
Now, John Bolton, former Trump National Security Advisor to President Trump and former UN Ambassador.
Question— Sir, always good to see you. I’m going to start with how did we get here, why now?
Bolton —Well, I must say information is still incomplete, but I’m delighted that Maduro has been captured and extracted. I wished we’d been able to do that in 20 18, 2019 when the opposition tried to overthrow Maduro. We have significant American national security interests at stake. However, this is maybe step one of a much longer process. Maduro is gone. The regime is still in place. According, again, to limited information, Delcy Rodriguez, the vice president, Vladimir Padrino, the defense minister, Jorge Rodriguez, the president of the National Assembly, are still in place. And it’s interesting. We’ll know more when Trump speaks at 11.
Question–But the president’s rationale is a law enforcement rationale. There is the warrant for Maduro’s arrest. The operation is said to have been carried out largely by law enforcement personnel with protective support from the military. And as you just noted, Hegseth and Rubio had briefed Congress that regime change was not the answer.
Bolton—- So I’m not sure how much more there is to celebrate. I’m glad Maduro is gone. But if the regime remains, the threat to America remains and the harm done to the Venezuelan people remains.
Question— You worked in this White House under President Trump. Can you give us a sense of the thought process behind the scenes and the conversations among the president and the administration that eventually led up to this?
Bolton— Well, I think it’s still unclear whether illegal narcotics is the real issue here or whether it’s an effort at regime change. The comparison to Manuel Noriega in Panama 35 years ago to the day, as you point out, is interesting, but but doesn’t take you very far. But Noriega was overthrown not just because of his drug trafficking, although he was ultimately convicted of that, but because of threats and actual harm to American personnel and their families and grave concern over the safety of the Panama Canal. There was no real foreign influence in Panama like there is in Venezuela, Russia, Cuba, China, Iran, all having significant stakes in keeping the regime with or without Maduro in place. So we don’t really know much about what the administration’s thinking is to the extent there was much other than the extraction of Maduro, which I’ll say again is a plus for sure, but not the end of the story.
Question—-Now, the reason I asked you that and the timing of this is Maduro’s capture comes just days after the Venezuelan leader signaled an openness to work with the U.S. to stop drug trafficking and to collaborate on oil. Why do you believe he was captured now? because there’s absolutely no reason to negotiate with Maduro about anything.
Bolton—-Back in 20 19, we said the only thing we’d negotiate with Maduro about was what he wanted to have for lunch on the plane taking him to Havana, Cuba, when he stepped down. The Biden administration made a critical mistake in 2024 in negotiating with Maduro and believing that he would actually conduct free and fair elections, as to which there was 0 chance that was going to happen. So when you’re facing a regime and a figure like Maduro, they used negotiations for their own purposes. It was never serious and I don’t think should have and obviously did not slow down the effort to capture him. You said something very interesting. Maduro is gone, but the administration is in place.
Question— Venezuela’s vice president is asking the US for proof of life. What do you think comes next for Maduro at this point? What does this mean for the future of Venezuela?
Bolton—-Well, for Maduro, presumably he’ll be brought back to the United States. And just to be clear, he now has to be convicted in a U.S. court. And I hope the administration has the evidence to do that. For Venezuela, it’s still very unclear. The hold of the regime doesn’t depend on Maduro alone.
Question—This is a A REGIME THAT CAME TO POWER 30 YEARS AGO, 30 PLUS, WITH HUGO CHAVEZ, MADURO’S SUCCESSOR. IT’S HELD TOGETHER THROUGH MANY CRISES BEFORE. A KEY QUESTION HERE, AGAIN, WE HAVE INCOMPLETE INFORMATION, HOW MUCH WAS THE VENEZUELAN OPPOSITION INVOLVED OF OR AT LEAST AWARE OF WHAT THE U.S. DID OVERNIGHT?
Bolton—ARE THEY PREPARED TO GOVERN IF IT COMES TO THAT? ARE THEY PREPARED TO PROTECT THEMSELVES AGAINST REPRESSION FROM RODRIGUEZ AND PADRINO AND OTHERS WHO ARE PERFECTLY CAPABLE OF IT? ARE THEY SAFE? ARE THEY NOW IN DANGER? AND PROBABLY MOST IMPORTANTLY OF ALL, WHAT WILL Russia, Cuba, China, and Iran do in the face of this capture of Maduro? Will they stand by the regime? I expect they will because they have very strong interest in keeping it in power. So we need to watch all of these things in the coming days.