Hour to Sean Hannity Show, 800-941-Sean, if you want to be a part of the program.
There's so much that took place.
And I don't care if it's what happened with the president taking out the Iranian nuclear sites or this operation that took place in Venezuela.
New York Times reporting that the CIA had sources inside Maduro's government helping.
They were able to actually build a replica of Maduro's house prior to this invasion, the Delta Force, this elite unit involved in the 2003 capture of Saddam Hussein, as well as counterterrorism missions following the 9-11 attacks, inside what it is that the U.S. Army unit did to capture Maduro.
You know, seeing that a Chinook helicopter was, the pilot was shot, landed the helicopter, got air cover, was able to get the bird back in the air, get it back to safety, and thank God nobody was killed.
No equipment was lost.
That aspect of this just does not get the credit that it deserves.
Let me go to the Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, explaining why the U.S. is taking over the Venezuelan oil industry and why regime change is different in Venezuela than other countries.
He was on Meet the Press this weekend.
The question is, I guess, if the purpose of the operation was to capture Maduro and bring him to justice, why does the United States need to take over the Venezuelan oil industry?
Well, we don't need to.
First of all, let me go back up.
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.
Have specific oil companies.
We also want to see that oil and the proceeds from it.
Hold on.
We want to see the oil proceeds of that country benefit the people of Venezuela.
Why have 8 million people left Venezuela?
8 million, the single largest mass migration probably in modern history, left Venezuela since 2014, because all the wealth of that country was stolen to the benefit of Maduro and his cronies in the regime, but not to the benefit of people of Venezuela.
You know how destabilizing 8 million migrants is?
We've got this phobia built up and this sort of thing that's like, number one, most of the experts that people have on television, I watch these experts and it's clown hour.
Okay, these are people that have focused their entire career on the Middle East or some other part of the world because that's where all the action was.
Very few of them know anything about Venezuela or the Western hemisphere.
Venezuela looks nothing like Libya.
It looks nothing like Iraq.
It looks nothing like Afghanistan.
It looks nothing like the Middle East other than the Iranian agents that are running through their plotting against America.
Okay.
These are Western countries with long traditions among their at a people-to-people and cultural level and ties to the United States.
So there's nothing like that.
So I think people need to stop ascribing the apples and oranges here, the apples of the Middle East to the oranges of the Western Hemisphere.
Number two, this is about the national interest of the United States.
And what I'm confident of is we are in a safer and better place because we're taking it seriously.
The alternative would have been to leave Maduro there as an indicted drug trafficker, illegitimate president, running the country, open invitation for all of our adversaries to do whatever they want against the United States from Venezuela.
That was not going to continue.
The alternative would have been to allow a drug trafficker to continue to use national territory and elements of nation-state power to further drug trafficking organizations.
Read the indictment.
This guy used the levers of their security apparatus not to arrest drug traffickers, but to cooperate and facilitate the trafficking of drugs for the purpose of getting them into the United States.
And that's going to stop.
I mean, it's so entertaining to watch Marco just tear these people up on these Sunday shows.
Joining us now, Vice Admiral Robert Harwood of the U.S. Navy and also is the general and admirals program participant member of the Jewish Institute for the National Security of America,
not only to discuss what we have witnessed in Venezuela, but we also are watching the mullahs in Iran on the brink as now people have taken to the streets in Tehran and around the country demanding themselves regime change in Iran as they are now perhaps even on the brink themselves.
Certainly Cuba is going to be impacted by the actions that the president took in Venezuela.
And I could see that regime toppling of its own weight and corruption as well.
Anyway, Vice Admiral, great to have you, sir.
Sounds great.
And I think that lead-in you provided by Secretary Rubio is so succinct, precise, and makes it very clear why this is so important, not just for the United States, but for Venezuela and the people of Venezuela.
And I think if you even want to take a step back, unlike the previous three administrations over decades now, this administration has been willing to use force for good, for good of the United States and for the good and well-being of the people of these countries that have been oppressed for many years.
So Venezuela is a perfect example, but you have Iran, you have Cuba.
And as the president said last week in his words to the Iranian people, we stand in support and we're going to hold leadership there accountable.
So this is unprecedented for over several decades.
So it's just going to change the calculus everywhere.
Let's talk about why this was needed and then the military aspect of all this.
Because whenever you take military action such as this, I mean, I know our equipment is superior.
I know our troops are superior.
I have great confidence in our military, but every military operation brings with it inherent risks.
And like Midnight Hammer, this came off without a hitch.
Well, the number one thing you did mention and what separates us from everyone is our experience.
We've been doing this sort of business for decades.
Don't forget what started, especially in Latin America.
Remember when we were chasing and targeting and went after Pablo Escobar?
Then we went into Panama.
So we have a great experience.
We've done this.
We rehearsed for this.
We've trained this.
And then in Iraq and Afghanistan, including the UBL raid, we've done this time and time again.
So once we've done it once, you refine that.
And if you really remember what all started this was the failure of Desert One, where Congress stepped in and said, hey, you're going to create a special operations command.
So we learned from that lesson over 45 years ago and then have rehearsed, trained, and executed these type of raids and seizures over decades.
No other military in the force in the world have the capabilities, the professionalism we do, much less the operational experience.
And that's why this is just another day and another operation for the best military in the world.
It really is beyond impressive and godspeed and an amazing, amazing tip of the cap to our military to do this in the way that they did it with next to zero collateral damage in the process, which is remarkable in and of itself as well, and something that has been long overdue.
Your background is very interesting to me.
You graduated from the Tehran American School.
You speak Farsi, former Navy CEO, Vice Admiral.
You led U.S. invasions in Afghanistan and Iraq, served as deputy commander of the U.S. Central Command, helped stand up and set up the National Counterterrorism Center, and was asked by President Trump to serve as National Security Advisor.
And you have lived and worked across the Middle East, you know, for decades.
You understand this in, you know, what are you to make of the unrest that we now see daily inside of Iran?
Now, we have seen it before.
And unfortunately, the unrest usually gets quelled because you don't win revolutions with slingshots.
Why do I feel this time is different?
I mean, they're trying to move everybody out of their major city in Tehran because they don't have any water.
They've been cut off financially.
The big, the lifeblood of their economy has been oil, but the Trump administration is making it very difficult for them to sell any of it.
What do you see happening there?
Are we on the verge of possible regime change there?
Is Cuba next to fall after Venezuela?
As you look at the global situation, there's a lot happening.
Well, let me first off.
I got to go back and say, while we talked about the military, what's really precedent-setting is this administration, President Trump, Secretary Rubio, Secretary Hegseff, willing to use force.
So first, kudos for them.
And that's playing out in Iran.
We knew Iranians were killing our people in Iraq in 2012 through their surrogates, and we wanted to take action.
But the administration was focused on solving the nuclear program and reaching an agreement, the Jakpoa, to event that.
So they were very leery and hesitant to use force.
This president supported the Israeli strikes and used force.
And that really unveiled to the people of Iran how weak the Islamic revolution really is.
So couple that with the disaster of governance that they provide.
They can fail the people militarily.
They're war in Iraq.
They're exporting the revolution into Lebanon, Yemen, Syria, and other places.
But most importantly, they failed the people of Iran internally.
The real, I think, is a million and some to a dollar.
There's no water in the cities.
People can't afford housing.
They can't afford food.
And most important, the Bazaris, the guys who work all the money, it's all about money in Iran.
You got to survive.
They have now turned against the regime.
So there's no doubt in my mind there will be regime collapse.
Now, what form that's going to take and what triggering event really drives it over the keel.
And what government comes next is the big issue.
Now, I lived in Iran when it was a constitutional monarchy from 1968 to 1979.
And I was there when it first was.
Talk about the Shah of Iran.
That's exactly right, the Shah of Iran.
But previous to that, in the 50s, they had a go at a go at democracy.
They elected a prime minister.
The U.S. and quite the opposite situation today, but there are some analogies to Venezuela.
Everyone was concerned about the prime minister nationalizing oil.
So there was a coup, a U.S. and English, the British coup that removed the prime minister, installed the Shah into power.
He became very Western.
He promoted change, women's rights, lands reform.
So he was doing so much for the country, but he fell to this revolution.
I think we're in that same position today where the people of Iran realize this government has failed them for decades, has squandered the resources to export the revolution as opposed to taking care of the people.
And that's going to come back to roost right now.
So I think it's inevitable.
Add to that this action in Venezuela, which demonstrated to them and the people that he's willing to support.
And then most importantly, President Trump's message to the regime and the Iranian people that we will support them and hold the regime accountable is really one of those there.
And he's demonstrated he's willing to do that as this previous strike into Iran and now in Venezuela.
And that empowers the people and further weakens the government.
So I'm very confident and hope this long overdue regime collapse will come to fruition.
The hypocrisy of the left is breathtaking.
Let's take a little trip down memory lane, shall we?
And let's listen to Chuck Schumer criticizing Donald J. Trump for not doing anything about Maduro and Venezuela.
He brags about all these things he wants to do or is doing, but his actions belie his words.
Maybe the best metaphor was his claim to bring democracy to Venezuela.
There was a big policy there.
It flopped.
If the policy was working, Juan Guido wouldn't be in the balcony here.
He'd be in Venezuela.
He'd be sitting in the president's palace or at least waging a fight to win.
He's here.
And the president brags about his Venezuela policy?
Give us a break.
He hasn't brought an end to the Maduro regime.
The Maduro regime is more powerful today and more entrenched today than it was when the president began.
Well, it sounds like he's a big advocate for what Donald Trump did over the weekend.
But apparently, since the president actually did what Schumer was begging him to do, he's not so happy anymore.
Listen.
The United States will run Venezuela.
We have learned through the years when America tries to do regime change and nation building in this way, the American people pay the price in both blood and in dollars.
You heard Secretary Rubio there.
He says the United States has the authority to do what they're doing.
They do not.
They do not.
Why not?
He couldn't even answer your question.
There is no authority to go.
They did not just do ships off the water.
They went inside Venezuela, bombed civilian as well as military places.
And it's a violation of the law to do what they did without getting the authorization of Congress.
So what can the Congress do about it is the next question.
Well, the next question is very simple.
And that is that we have the War Powers Act.
That's a privilege resolution, which means the Republicans can't block it.
Tim Kaine and I and Rand Paul are sponsors of it.
It's going to come to the floor this week.
And if it is voted for, if it's voted positively in both houses, then the president can't do another thing in Venezuela without the okay of Congress.
We have to pass that.
Not going to happen.
Interesting, Joe Biden, same thing.
Trump talks tough on Venezuela, but admires thugs and dictators like Nicolas Maduro.
As president, I will stand with the Venezuelan people for democracy.
All he did was talk.
Remember, President Trump would always say they talk, they talk, they do nothing.
You know, winking, Tony, blinking, you know, discussing the return to democracy in Venezuela.
Biden then extended Obama-era executive orders deeming Venezuela a threat to U.S. security.
Put a $25 million bounty on the capture.
I guess maybe Trump's due $25 million, so he can give it to the military and, you know, calls for sanctions, et cetera.
And Biden failed to take any meaningful action when Venezuela snubbed U.S. sanctions and imported Iranian oil and was exporting to the Iranians.
He didn't do a thing.
But anyway, it continues.
Anyway, joining us now on the legal aspect of all this, I was watching Saturday, and almost right from the get-go, the person that got it right was Greg Jarrett in terms of, no, Donald Trump's order to snatch Maduro was not illegal.
It was not unconstitutional.
And no, he could not go to Congress because you think the people in Congress would keep their mouths shut?
No, they would have put the lives of our brave men and women at risk because they would have leaked it all.
Anyway, Mr. Jarrett, sir, how are you?
Hey, I'm well.
Thank you.
Appreciate it.
Well, I guess Donald Trump is owed $25 million because it was Biden that put the $25 million reward for Maduro's arrest while he's been arrested.
Yeah, no kidding.
And, you know, you play the clip of Chucky Schumer, and you got to laugh at him saying it's a violation of the law not to consult and get permission from Congress.
What law?
You know, Schumer, ought to take a few moments to just try to read and comprehend simultaneously the United States Constitution.
The president does have to go to Congress for a declaration of war, but for an armed conflict, he can act on his own.
It's an inherent constitutional authority under Article 2, Section 2 of the Constitution.
And every president since World War II, from Harry Truman all the way up to Donald Trump, have done that.
When Trump does it, you know, Schumer denounces him.
But, you know, when Clinton and Biden and Obama did the same sort of thing, launching attacks without congressional approval, drone strikes, and so forth, they cheered him.
And, you know, so it's frank hypocrisy.
Beyond constitutional authority, there's also the take-care clause, also Article 2, Section 3, that a president shall take care that the laws be faithfully executed.
That means he has to enforce statutes.
And when there is somebody, doesn't matter who the person is or where that person is, who is charged with serious crimes, apprehension, arrest, prosecution of that wanted fugitive is part of the president's job.
So this was both a military operation as well as a law enforcement operation.
You had law enforcement officials, DOJ, on the scene involved in it.
And so under both constitutional clauses, the president was four square correct in doing what he did.
Well, we can go back.
I mean, we did capture Saddam Hussein.
We can go back.
The former president of Honduras, Juan Orlando Hernandez, was extradited to the U.S. in 2022, later convicted of drug-related charges.
We have the case of Norieger, Manuel Noriega, again, an illegitimate leader and had recognized as the country's leading candidate.
So all of this precedent you rightly point out, but you listen to the left and they're acting like and by the way, there was silence among Democrats when all these other incidents occurred.
So is it just Trump derangement syndrome?
Yeah, a lot of it is.
They reflexively condemn Trump for anything and everything he does, even if they like it.
I mean, he said years ago during his first term, if Trump cures cancer, they'll denounce him for it.
You know, you're violating Mother Nature.
I mean, they'll come up with something because they hate him so much.
They despise him personally.
They have contempt for his policies.
I mean, look at the hundreds of lawsuits in the first year that they filed against Donald Trump.
If he so much as sneezes, they sue.
And, you know, they go out in front of television cameras.
And they, you know, condemn and denounce Donald Trump for everything he does.
Well, I mean, this gets to the heart of it.
But let's go to the legal aspect of it because you and your column rightly point out their condemnation of Trump has nothing to do with the law.
And no president has recognized the War Powers Act, have they?
No, they haven't.
Most legal scholars, the good ones at least, have pronounced it an unconstitutional violation of the president's inherent authority to engage in armed conflict for defense purposes.
And here you can argue that the scourge of drugs, you know, 250 metric tons of cocaine a year, and the United States is the favored market, taking action to stop it is defensive in nature.
But, you know, this canard that it's a violation of the War Powers Act, which is what Schumer said in a clip he played, is simply untrue.
The War Powers resolution back in 1973 in reaction to Nixon's bombing of Cambodia is not a prohibition on a president to act.
It's a notification requirement.
He has to notify Congress within 48 hours.
And, you know, some people like Obama, some presidents like Obama, have utterly ignored it.
Obama did notify Congress, but he blew past the 60 and 90-day limitation of military troops in Libya.
And, you know, he just decided, along with the scholars, you can't make me do it.
It's unconstitutional.
And when push came to shove, Congress didn't pursue it.
And they won't hear either.
Quick break more with our legal analyst, our friend Greg Jarrett, on the other side.
Also, your call's coming up and an update on the Somali fraud situation.
800-941-Sean is a number as we continue this Monday.
All right, we continue now.
Greg Jarrett is with us.
Yes, what the president did is legal.
It is constitutional.
Nobody seems to want to focus in on how the United States built Venezuela's oil industry.
Now, if you look at their oil reserves, it has the largest oil reserves in the entire world, which is amazing because American companies had invested all of this money.
And I went through this and I have a list of all of the money that they made.
But American oil companies have been operating in Venezuela since the 1920s.
They built out and developed the entire oil industry in that country.
And then it was 1976 with then Venezuelan President Carlos Andres Perez nationalized the oil industry, taking control of American and other oil assets.
American companies lost billions and billions of dollars.
And I do believe that the president, again, the president has said that during this transition, he's not going to allow just another dictator to take over and pretty much return to where we are at this point.
But knowing the president as well as we do, and him having had conversations with the oil industries and the oil companies that I guess maybe he had written this off as a loss, I would imagine they're going to recoup their losses.
And once they start updating and producing oil at the level that they're going to be capable of, that's not only going to benefit American oil companies, but the people of Venezuela and probably even the U.S. government in a lot of ways as well.
And it will lower the price of oil in global markets, won't it?
Oh, it absolutely will.
So everybody wins, particularly the Venezuelan people, who 80% live in poverty because Maduro took whatever oil and drug funds and absconded with it.
He looted the government.
And, you know, the poor people of Venezuela got poorer and poorer.
Now, they now have potentially a bright future, as I pointed out in my column.
And the template for this is Panama, which under Noriega impoverished so many people.
But when democracy was set up after he was captured, it undertook a remarkable economic renewal in Panama.
And it transformed the country.
And the people of Panama benefited with greater prosperity and financial gain.
And so I think that's the parallel that we look at in so many different ways.
303 billion barrels of oil.
Now it's dirty oil in Venezuela, so it requires an extensive amount of refining.
Yes, it does.
It absolutely does.
But the only people capable of that are American oil companies and refineries.
And, you know, they were looted in the nationalization.
They lost billions of dollars.
They ought to be compensated in some form or fashion.
But I think if American oil went in there and rebuilt the oil and refinery infrastructure, it not only benefits the people there, it lowers the price of oil everywhere.
And it harms Iran, China, Russia, Turkey, Cuba, all of our enemies, because they were the ones who were propping up Venezuela by buying their cheap, dirty oil.
We appreciate it.
Great analysis, as always.
Greg Jarrett, thank you.
800-941-Sean, if you want to be a part of the program, we'll update you on Somali Medicare fraud.
Maria Marchado is going to be on Hannity tonight.
She has been one of the top opposition leaders, had to be in exile for many, many years.
What does she hope for Venezuela?
Remember, she got the Nobel Peace Prize and said Donald Trump deserved it, not me.