Rick Grinnell

And the huge gift is that I am here sitting with you and you've got all sorts of cameras around and you're going to use this for propaganda purposes because an American diplomat is sitting here with you. And I get that. It is my job to let you know that we want a different relationship. We're going to put America first. We want the Venezuelans who are in our country illegally out.

And the huge gift is that I am here sitting with you and you've got all sorts of cameras around and you're going to use this for propaganda purposes because an American diplomat is sitting here with you. And I get that. It is my job to let you know that we want a different relationship. We're going to put America first. We want the Venezuelans who are in our country illegally out.

And there's a lot of them. And we want you to pay for them and bring them back home. And I want our hostages and we want to go down this road of getting back the Americans. And so the gift was a conversation, a hope of a different future and an American diplomat sitting there. And I am very clear eyed. that an American diplomat sitting with Maduro is a controversial thing.

And there's a lot of them. And we want you to pay for them and bring them back home. And I want our hostages and we want to go down this road of getting back the Americans. And so the gift was a conversation, a hope of a different future and an American diplomat sitting there. And I am very clear eyed. that an American diplomat sitting with Maduro is a controversial thing.

But I have to say that I think that we have to be able to talk. Talking is a tactic. It is not weakness. It is in the face of looking at someone else, pushing for the American agenda and not backing down. And I think there was a individual from the Biden administration on Twitter attacking me saying, oh, come on, they must have paid or switched Venezuelan hostages for that.

But I have to say that I think that we have to be able to talk. Talking is a tactic. It is not weakness. It is in the face of looking at someone else, pushing for the American agenda and not backing down. And I think there was a individual from the Biden administration on Twitter attacking me saying, oh, come on, they must have paid or switched Venezuelan hostages for that.

And I say, no, actually. We're sending Venezuelans back to Venezuela, and we are absolutely giving no money, no hostage switch. It's called diplomacy, and it's what you do when you look at someone and you put America first and you make the arguments that this is what America wants.

And I say, no, actually. We're sending Venezuelans back to Venezuela, and we are absolutely giving no money, no hostage switch. It's called diplomacy, and it's what you do when you look at someone and you put America first and you make the arguments that this is what America wants.

President Trump also recognizes that exact point. And so what we wanted to make clear on Thursday night before I left, nobody knew I was going to Venezuela the next morning. But in the Oval Office, we took a picture with President Trump. I then went to J.D. Vance's office and took a picture. And both of those, the president and the vice president, both those pictures were

President Trump also recognizes that exact point. And so what we wanted to make clear on Thursday night before I left, nobody knew I was going to Venezuela the next morning. But in the Oval Office, we took a picture with President Trump. I then went to J.D. Vance's office and took a picture. And both of those, the president and the vice president, both those pictures were

were released Thursday night and very early Friday morning to send a message that this is our guy without actually saying anything specific.

were released Thursday night and very early Friday morning to send a message that this is our guy without actually saying anything specific.

Well, I knew that there's a whole bunch of issues with Venezuela and we got to continue tackling those. We've got North Korea. We've now got the California federal government's reaction to the fire. So I like to tell people, Megan, that I'm dealing with Nicolas Maduro, Kim Jong-un and Gavin Newsom.

Well, I knew that there's a whole bunch of issues with Venezuela and we got to continue tackling those. We've got North Korea. We've now got the California federal government's reaction to the fire. So I like to tell people, Megan, that I'm dealing with Nicolas Maduro, Kim Jong-un and Gavin Newsom.

Yeah, we're not. I don't know exactly if all of them have contacted their families. They had complicated issues. So I'm just not going to say their names.

Yeah, we're not. I don't know exactly if all of them have contacted their families. They had complicated issues. So I'm just not going to say their names.

Yeah, first of all, there are two different issues and I wouldn't blur them together. First of all, with Somalia and actually I would say a concern until a few weeks ago in Syria as well. We've defeated, Donald Trump defeated ISIS and we watched over the last four years with concern that ISIS may be trying to reconstitute. We've been very clear that we will not let that happen.

Yeah, first of all, there are two different issues and I wouldn't blur them together. First of all, with Somalia and actually I would say a concern until a few weeks ago in Syria as well. We've defeated, Donald Trump defeated ISIS and we watched over the last four years with concern that ISIS may be trying to reconstitute. We've been very clear that we will not let that happen.

ISIS is a horrible terrorist organization that has really gone after Christians. And so we've watched them very closely. And I think President Trump was very troubled by even them beginning to organize to come back. And so we have to be able to do this to keep ISIS at bay. This is the right thing to do. And we're watching where ISIS would begin to form in any possible way.

ISIS is a horrible terrorist organization that has really gone after Christians. And so we've watched them very closely. And I think President Trump was very troubled by even them beginning to organize to come back. And so we have to be able to do this to keep ISIS at bay. This is the right thing to do. And we're watching where ISIS would begin to form in any possible way.