The Philip DeFranco Show - Trump’s Alex Pretti Problem Just Got Worse. New Video Sparks Pre-Meditated Murder Concerns

Episode Date: January 29, 2026

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We gotta talk about this new Alex Preddy video that dropped that right-wingers are pointing to as a way to justify his murder, not from the moment where he was killed, but 11 days earlier on January 13th. Because it was apparently during a protest just four blocks from the spot where Renee Good was killed a week prior, and Prattie's family has confirmed that it is him in the video. And that's actually a point that I need to stress here, because I've looked online, there are a lot of people claiming and saying that this video is actually AI, but on top of Prattie's family and lawyers saying that it's him in the video, the BBC also verified that it's real using facial recognition and an analysis of his clothing,

facial herringate, and you can even look for yourself, a link to it. There's a video that was posted on YouTube 13 days ago from another angle than the video being shared the most online right now that shows everything play out. You can hear cars honking, whistles, screaming, and then what sounds like Prattie, yelling at agents in an unmarked vehicle. With them eventually seen spitting on and then kicking its tail light as it's about to move away, and with the second kick, you hear it shatter. At which point, a heavily armed agent and tactical gear gets out of the car and

tackles Pruddy to the ground where several more agents pile on as well. Over then, other agents firing tear gas and pepper balls into the surrounding crowd who's shouting at them. And then after a brief scuffle, Prady apparently breaks free from the agents and then stands there as they get back into their car and leave without trying to apprehend him again. It's in the process of escaping his jacket apparently comes off, exposing what looks like a gun in his waistband. Now with all that, it's not clear whether this was the same incident, but you had sources previously telling CNN that about a week before his death. Pruddy suffered a broken rib when a group of federal officers tackled him while he was protesting their attempt to detain other individuals.

The outlet also citing records that seemed to corroborate the story showing that he received medication consistent with treating a broken rib. Did a quote that, you know, ends up just kind of being chilling, given what happened to him days later. A source said that during this earlier encounter, Prady thought he was going to die. And in the wake of this latest video, you had a lawyer for Prattie's family saying a week before Alex was gunned down in the street, despite posing no threat to anyone, he was violently assaulted by a group of vice agents. And adding, nothing that happened a full week before could possibly have justified Alex's killing. And, you know, many reactions from independents and the left, they were similar with many saying that whether or not he kicked a taillight 11 days earlier,

it's completely irrelevant to his later execution by the state. And some arguing that if anything, this video exonerates him even more because he never actually appears to go for his gun during this altercation either. But then, if you look on the right, you have many feeling like this is vindication with, for example, the likes of Megan Kelly commenting. Alex Pruddy was itching for another confrontation with Border Patrol whom he'd been stalking, harassing, and terrorizing. He had been victimizing them. His felonies are on tape. He was reckless and it cost him his life. Mind another poster boy, illegal-loving leftists. You also had regime lover, Alex Jones, calling Pretty's actions a case of extreme ice derailment syndrome. And just imagine how many other attacks he carried out that were not caught on tape. And then you had President Donald Trump reposting another user's caption of the video that reads,

this wasn't some peaceful protester, he was a domestic terrorist. So yeah, it looks like after all the backtracking this week from White House officials on their initial statements about Freddie being a terrorist assassin, looking to mask her agents was kind of for nothing because now they're kind of back here. But then with all this, one thing that I would add here is we need to know what agents were involved in the first and second incident. Because if any of the agents from the first incident were involved in the second incident, In the second incident, there might be a conversation around premeditation.

Trump trooper is possibly wanting to get retribution, get some payback. But who really knows what's going to happen there? Because there's not a lot of trust that whatever's going to come from the investigation is going to be above board. And all the while, you know, Trump still hasn't condemned the attack on Ilhan Omar, nor is he apologized for suggesting the whole thing was staged. So also, speaking on that, forensic examiners have now determined with a high probability that the liquid in the attacker's syringe on Ilhan Omar, it was apple cider vinegar. Or with many thinking that's an odd choice though, others saying he was probably trying to send a message that you're not safe anywhere,

I can get to you, people can get to you. You know, even if Trump's moved on from this situation, Omar hasn't. Last night, she said that every time her name leaves his mouth, death threats against her, they skyrocket. I wouldn't be where I am at today. Having to pay for security, having the government to think about providing me security

if Donald Trump wasn't in office and if he wasn't so obsessed with me. And last night, the man that attacked me was specifically upset that, Trump's order to deport Somalis was not yielding enough deportations of Somalis. So he wanted to come get the person he thought was protecting the Somalis. Well, we are protected by the Constitution. Also, I'll say on the note of Democrats in the state, today you had Democratic Senator

Amy Klobuchar making an appeal for unity announcing her run for governor. These times call for leaders who can stand up and not be rubber stamps of this administration. but who are also willing to find common ground and fix things in our state. That's why today I'm announcing my candidacy for governor of the state of Minnesota. And of course this, it's coming after the current governor, Tim Walls, abandoned his reelection beta amidst the renewed focus on Medicaid fraud. You know, kind of by default, Klibachara has got to be considered a serious contender, if not the outright favorite for his office. She's won elections by double-digit margins before.

She ran for president, and with over two decades in the Senate, she's kind of cultivated an image as a common-sense centrist who loves by Bipartisanship. Though you already had a number of people saying it's hard not to notice that in the over four minutes of speaking She never mentioned a single specific policy proposal besides getting ice out of the state and rooting out fraud So you know, we're gonna have to wait to see if her messaging evolves what this looks like and you know if the kind of brand of comm moderation Appeals to a Minnesota that's now reached kind of a boiling point under the siege of Trump Troopers And actually with that do you remember how I mentioned on Tuesday that Minnesota's chief federal judge declared the the court's patience is at an end? But he ordered acting ICE director Todd lines to personally appear in the courtroom on Friday to answer for his agency's disregard for the law unless they release a man who was still detained,

despite the judge ordering him released two weeks ago. Well, apparently, they actually finally released the guy, albeit only after being threatened. So now the judge has called off the hearing with lines, but he also wrote an absolutely scathing note about the agency. With him listing 96 court orders that he says that ICE has violated just since January 1st and then adding, the extent of ICE's noncompliance is almost certainly substantially understated because the list was hurriedly compiled by extraordinarily busy judges. In fact, he goes on to say that ICE has likely violated more court orders in January of 2026 than some federal agencies have violated in their entire existence. With him then, finishing by pointing out the obvious, ICE is not a law unto itself.

And with that, he warned that if ICE keeps ignoring court orders, he'll order lions or other government officials to appear in his courtroom again. But also the fact that this judge has kept his school for this long, it really has a testament, I'd say, maybe at least, to his patients. Or because ever since Trump's stormtroopers just poured into Minnesota, their court dockets have been flooded by hundreds of cases from migrants who have been detained or citizens who alleged their rights were violated. As we've heard from local officials, police have been absolutely overwhelmed with 911 calls and chaotic unrest on a daily basis throughout the Twin Cities. But also I'll say lines isn't the only one getting spanked by a judge because another one that was lit up was Attorney General Pam Bondi. And that, after she posted photos in social media of 11 defendants who were accused of assaulting immigration agents just before a hearing, calling them rioters and declaring. I've said it before and I'll say it again, nothing will stop President Trump and this Department of Justice from enforcing the law. I guess as long as the law isn't releasing the Epstein files. It's over 40 days now, Pam.

But that's it. When the judge saw that social media post, she said that she was deeply disturbed that Bondi would publicize images of people who are presumed innocent. Right, and you had a lawyer for several defendants jumping in pointing out that they don't get the same courtesy as masked agents. And also, when you're the prosecutors asking the judge to bar the defendants from contacting the federal agents they allegedly assaulted, she was like, bro, we don't even know who those agents are, you won't reveal them. How would they even be able to contact them? But then also, while you have all this playing out in Minnesota, Democrats and really anyone else who cares about the rule of law and human decency, they've been fighting on another front down in Texas because Liam Ramos, right, that five-year-old boy who was allegedly used as bait by Ice Agen's Delora's own family out of their home and sent to Texas, he is still in detention. And in fact, he had his school superintendent saying that she spoke to his mother on Tuesday and

quote, unfortunately, Liam's health is not doing great right now. He's been ill. I've been told he has a fever, so I'm very, very concerned about his well-being in that facility. And Liam's mom also saying to NPR, Liam is getting sick because the food they receive is not of good quality. He is stomach pain, he's vomiting. He has a fever and he no longer wants to eat. And so actually yesterday, two Democratic lawmakers, Joaquin Castro and Jasmine Crockett, they went to visit Ramos for themselves with Castro telling reporters afterwards. You can see from the picture that I posted that he was lying in his father's arms. His father said that Liam has been very depressed.

He said, his father said that Liam has been sleeping a lot, that he's been asking about his family, his mom, and his classmates. I told him that we would do everything that we could to get him out of there. And so shit like that, you know, going on and not seeming to slow down, and despite all the events of the past week, it's no surprise that Democrats are willing to shut down the government to rain ice in. And actually, on that note, this morning, we just got closer to a partial shutdown,

but I will say it's still not guaranteed. Because a handful of Republicans just joined Senate Democrats and voting against a funding package by 55 to 45 with 60 votes needed to pass it. And that deadline to pass this package to keep multiple parts of the government afloat, it's tomorrow. You know, the negotiations, they're still ongoing. There could be a change between now and then. Just as a reminder, right, one of the bills in this package includes over $60 billion for DHS

and $10 billion of that goes to ICE. You know, for many obvious reasons, Democrats just don't want to give ICE more money right now, with Chuck Schumer saying earlier this week that in the wake of ICE's abuses and the administration's recklessness, Senate Democrats will not pass the DHS budget until it is rewritten. And so some level of overhaul could be underway, and in fact, according to the New York Times,

Schumer and Trump actually worked together last night on a deal that would avoid a shutdown. The sources saying that this potential plan would split the DHS funding away from the remaining bills, funding the government, and that way those bills can get passed by Friday and they can buy some time to figure out what to do with DHS. Because while Democrats, they're out of power, they don't have much power here, they want to add a slew of restrictions for ice Including blocking agents from wearing masks mandating that they wear body cameras stop random sweeps and

Prevent any searches without warrants With all that today you had Trump suggesting that a deal could actually be on the horizon saying Hopefully we won't have a shutdown. We're working on that right now. I think we're getting close the Democrats I Don't believe want to see it either And he was Senate Majority Leader John Thune likewise saying that he is hopeful and has been part of very constructive discussions You know of course even if the Senate does figure something out that doesn't mean that a shutdown would definitely be a avoid it. Or because this new package would need to bounce back to the house for approval and the house is currently in recess until next week. So depending on how things play out, we could be looking at a

partial shutdown starting this weekend. But for now, it's really just a waiting game to see how this plays out. And then there's more we've got to dive into in just a minute. But first, let me thank a sponsor and say, you know, I realized something uncomfortable recently. My email inbox, it knows more about me than some of my friends do. Every sign up, every receipt, every just checking in from brands I never remember giving my email to, it adds up. And that's why I switched to Proton Mail, today's sponsor and why I'm excited to recommend it. And Proton Mail is a free email service built around privacy and security, not ads, not data mining, not creepy tracking. And unlike traditional platforms, Proton doesn't scan your emails, sell your data, or build a profile on you.

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You know, if you've ever thought I should probably care more about my privacy, this is the easiest place to start. You can sign up for Proton Mail for free right now, no catch, no trial clock, just better email. Just head to Proton.combe slash Philip DeFranco or scan the QR code and get started today. It's free right now at proton.combe. But then getting back into the news, Trump's FBI raid on an election center in Fulton County, Georgia, it is unlike anything we've ever seen before. And among a lot of other things, this could be a terrifying look into what is to come ahead of the midterms, right? That is what numerous experts are saying right now about the unprecedented actions taking yesterday in a county that was at the center of Trump's false claims about the 2020 election.

And you know, we touched on this briefly in yesterday's show, but it was breaking as was a recording, so there's a lot we didn't know. Right, but since then, we've learned some more, including a bit of information about the search warrant that the FBI executed, which said that the raid was part of a criminal investigation into possible violations of two different federal laws. The first law requires the preservation of election-related materials, and the second, criminalizes voter intimidation tactics and makes it illegal to submit or tabulate fraudulent voter registration and ballot information.

And specifically, the warrant authorized the FBI to search for all, physical ballots from the 2020 general election, all images produced during ballot scanning, all voter rolls from that year, and all tabulator tapes, which is basically a receipt for the vote totals recorded by the voting machines. Right. And so then with all that, you had Mo Ivory, a Democratic commissioner for Fulton County saying in a post that the FBI's first warrant had an error, but once the error was resolved, FBI agents returned later in the day with a second warrant and county officials complied. With then agents surrounding the facility with lines and trucks, and they spent hours taking away boxes and boxes of old ballots and other materials. But at least for right

Now, that's basically all we know for sure. There, there haven't been any more details about the investigation or even what the exact allegations are. You know, with this, you have many Democratic lawmakers and experts speculating that this is a dramatic escalation of the same baseless bullshit that we've been hearing about for the last six years and yet another example of Trump weaponizing his DOJ to do his personal bidding. Three recounts, multiple investigations, numerous courts, and countless state and local officials have all debunk Trump's claims about the fraud in Georgia. But Trump, of course, has refused to shut up about it. And now that he's in office, he's using his power to revive the case and he's going after Georgia by throwing everything at the wall and seeing what sticks.

Right, I mean, while shocking, this is completely unexpected. Back in December, Trump's DOJ sued Fulton County over its refusal to turn over the same 2020 election records at the FBI sees yesterday. And that was a request that officials initially denied because they claim that the records were sealed and couldn't be produced without a court order. Then that same month, the Trump DOJ also filed a separate lawsuit against Georgia in an effort to obtain voter rolls containing highly sensitive information like voter's names, birth dates, addresses, drivers, licenses, and partial social security numbers. And actually, Just last week you had a judge tossing that case, ruling that it had been filed in the wrong court,

though the Trump administration has now since refiled the suit. Again, this isn't the most surprising because last week you had Trump using his speech at the World Economic Forum in Davos, probably one of the biggest possible platforms he could have used to further his election lies, claiming that the 2020 election was rigged and adding, we'll soon be prosecuted for what they did.

It's probably breaking news, but it should be. It was a rigged election, can't have rigged elections. But again, even with all that, you have many experts saying that this raid in Fulton County is entirely unprecedented. Or with experts saying, things like I'm not aware of something like this happening ever before, adding, this just looks like a way

to use the might of the federal government to further Trump's voter fraud narratives. Again, that's something that's been echoed by many top Georgia officials, including Mo Ivory, who said that she and her colleagues were working on a legal plan to stop Trump's efforts. An attempt to take your vote away. This is all about November 26, about the primary on May 19th and then the November election. He does not want the midterm elections to take away his power. So he's trying to create chaos. So this is what he does. Chaos in Minnesota, chaos in Fulton County. We are a target. Protect your vote at all costs. I'm telling you, everybody always says your life depends on it. Oh, your life does depend on it this time. Also, you had Ivory saying that what we saw in

Fulton County yesterday, it's really just the tip of the iceberg. We're saying that Fulton County, it's actually just the blueprint. And Trump is showing us here what he's capable of and what he is willing to do in other states. Fulton County is right now the target, the only County right now fighting over an election that already happened, but it is coming to a place near you. This is the beginning of the chaos of 2026 that is about to ensue. You know, she's definitely not alone here. You also had Georgia Senator John Asif issuing a very similar warning. This is a seismic event. This should have people across the country absolutely shook. This is a huge deal. This is an FBI raid on the Fulton County Elections Office.

His conspiracy theories about the 2020 election have been based in Georgia from the very start. This is a shot across the bow at the midterm elections. He tried to steal power when he lost it in 2020. We have to be prepared for all kinds of schemes and shenanigans. We have to be prepared for him to try to deprive people of their voting rights. I think it's very important to be a thousand percent clear with you about what is happening here. This is just a preview of what is to come.

This raid, the lies that he tells to cast doubt on election security, his red state gerrymandering campaign. It is just an appetizer for the main course served by a chef who cooked up a full-blown insurrection the last time we sat around the dinner table. And the only way you, I, we can fight it is to do what Ivory said and vote like your life depends on it. And also, I guess, in the background, hope that the Maga Civil War divides Republicans enough that their voters just kind of turn on them. And actually, speaking of the so-called MAGA Civil War, Candice Owens has now leaked even more alleged footage of Erica Kirk. And this time, it's from a Zoom call with TPSA staff that apparently took place just six days after Charlie was shot.

So you have people now adding this and comparing this to, you know, yesterday we talked about audio that Candice shared. We're following Charlie's memorial, Erica is boasting about merch sale. She sounds really happy. You know, those clips, they faced a lot of backlash from a number of people. And now with this Zoom call, you have Candice, again, taking issue with Erica's tone and how often she uses Charlie to encourage people to work harder. And so she shares clips like this, where Erica gets emotional, talking about TP USA's future.

Turning point USA will continue. Like my husband always wanted. We're going to work hard because that's what he would want. I will fight like hell to make sure that all of you have a job here. I don't want anyone to think the job's in jeopardy because your family. I think Charlie's just, I'm trying not to say that he would be, he's obviously celebrating in heaven. amongst many things, but he's so proud of all of you. It's just, I feel so blessed and honored.

See, no, like with the last clip, the reaction to it was sort of a mixed bag, but here you had Candace thinking. One, it's odd to suggest that Charlie would be celebrating after being assassinated, and two, it's also weird to her to hear a widow say that she feels blessed. Right, and that is, you've also had a number of people pointing out this moment where Erica's kind of smiling very big

as the Zoom call starts. Yep, there you go. Look how cute that is. Sorry, it's a little bit more informal than probably Charlie would be reacting. How sweet. I didn't know they could do that. I hate soon. I never liked soon. Sorry you guys. I just wanted to say first and foremost, um, my heart obviously is broken for you guys as much it is for our family. Also in the videos we've now seen, Erica encourages people not to judge people for how they grieve. He sucked with them. I'm one another. Everyone grieves differently. So

if someone's acting weird, don't read into that. Um, I wish I could help all of you. But again, The fact that there's a lot of them in the office. The fact that a lot of you guys are here in office, that's what you do. If the mission, he doesn't want you to just be sitting on the couch alone in your room. So one of Candace's biggest issues with this is that the employees apparently thought this hustle through the tragedy messaging felt kind of cult like. They were only given Erica as this symbol of you guys need to work harder, right? As though Charlie's wife was being used to convince employees that it is now a mandate handed to. them by God to work harder, to sacrifice themselves, to work longer days, because this is their new

family. But you know, with all this, the reactions I'll say are a little more split here than with yesterday's clips, right? You have some people, again, thinking that Erica doesn't sound like a grieving widow, though others thinking that, you know, it's not weird that she's putting on a brave face and that, yeah, she smiled, but she was just reacting to her team supporting her, right? Arguing that if smiling while grieving is illegal, well, you could also see Candace smiling on camera in the aftermath of Charlie's death as well. And all of this is you have people saying that when it comes to Candice, it's worth noting that it's to her direct benefit to try to get people to turn on Erica Kirk, especially amid this MAGA Civil War. People arguing that it's about audience

consolidation and pickup because the less people on TPSA's side, the more people would be on hers and vice versa. I mean, you've even had the New York Times previously saying that this is a story about conservatives creating a monster they can't control. And saying, having elevated her in large part for her willingness to say outrageous things about her opponents, people on the right are now surprised by her willingness to say outrageous things about them. And then we've got to dive into more in just a minute, But first, let me thank a sponsor and say, you know, I thought a lot about what it means to truly show up for my family. You know, not just for now, but for the long term. Being a parent means protecting my family. It's a non-negotiable. Today's sponsor, Fabric by Gerber Life, it's something I actually think matters.

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Join the thousands of parents who trust Fabric to help protect their family. Apply today in just minutes, scan that QR code, or go to meetfabric.com. DeFranco. That's M-E-E-T Fabric.com slash DeFranco. Then, getting back into the news, Donald Trump has now given two companies with a history of briberying corruption, the right to buy Venezuelan oil. He's holding the money from those sales in an offshore Katari bank account, and he has the final say over whether all of those funds are given to the Venezuelan government. That is the plan that Secretary of State Marco Rubio had to defend before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee yesterday in his first public testimony to Congress

since the abduction and arrest of Nicholas Maduro. But where we'll start are with the two companies who have been awarded confidential licenses to buy and sell Venezuelan oil with little independent oversight despite continued sanctions. And their names are Vital and Trafigura, and they're actually two of the three largest oil trading firms in the world. And they're getting this deal about one year after the Trump administration absolutely gutted the Foreign Corrupt Practices Unit at the Justice Department. And that ends up being notable because that DOJ unit, they brought charges against these two companies and their traders in 2020 and 2024. In fact, Vitol ended up paying $135 million in criminal penalties to settle accusations that it bribed officials in Mexico, Ecuador, and Brazil.

Traficiura, they ended up forking over fines and forfeitures totaling $126 million as part of a plea deal in which it admitted guilt. In that case, specifically involved payments being funneled through shell companies and offshore accounts in order to conceal bribes to Brazilian officials that the DOJ said netted the company over $61 million in profits. So even that, it's kind of just the tip of the iceberg. In 2024, for example, traffic yore agreed to pay another $55 million and civil penalties to U.S. regulators over allegations that had acquired confidential information about gasoline contracts, manipulated prices, and impeded potential whistleblowers. Then a month later, V-Tol and another firm coughed up a cool $50 million to deal with a case brought by the California

AG involving allegations that they had secretly worked together to tamper with and manipulate gasoline prices in the state. Then another month later, an individual V-Tal trader was convicted of bribery, and last year, Trefiguero was convicted on corruption charges in Switzerland for having bribed an Angolan official for oil contracts, although the company is now appealing that. So then with all that, you have people like Robert Bachman, an analyst at a Swiss NGO investigating commodities traders saying, Trump is taking advantage of firms that know how to circumvent regulation, saying they were previously hunted down by the U.S. Department of Justice, but that does not seem to matter to the current administration. Now, that said, there are other reasons

to go with these guys, right? You reportedly had administration and industry officials arguing that their existing networks of tankers and storage facilities across the Caribbean. It makes them an obvious choice. Or with the head of the Latin American energy program at Rice University saying, they are probably among the few companies that can in short notice allocate such a large number of barrels, 30 million to 40 million, so it's a very convenient way for the administration to solve what would have been a much more complex problem. And with that, the licenses that these companies have been awarded reportedly enabled them to buy tens of millions of barrels of oil

already in Venezuelan reserves or that is pumped while sanctions remain in place. And in fact, according to the Washington Post, it may even let them trade other natural resources in Venezuela, such as iron ore and agricultural products, potentially making this even more lucrative than previously believed. That as far as the oil, you have administration officials stressing that the deal requires the firms to sell at least half to buyers of the US, while they also say that the money going to Venezuela

will be used to stabilize the economy and benefit the Venezuelan people. But again, very notably, Donald Trump, as an individual, gets to decide where the money's dispersed. In this case, the firms have reportedly already paid half a billion dollars up front, and Venezuela so far confirmed receipt of the first $300 million last week, with the rest maybe still sitting in a Qatari bank. And this appears to be a way of keeping the money away from creditors with pending claims against Venezuela and its state-owned oil company.

But also, of course, we're talking about potential corruption. I mean, you hear Qatar and you're like, isn't that the country that gifted Trump a $400 million luxury jet? And that's just one thing among several questionable things? You know, with all this, while it's a much smaller amount, it's worth noting that a senior trader at VTAL donated $6 million to political committees supporting Trump's 2024 election. There, you have the company emphasizing that the donations were made by an individual and not business. Also, you know, I will say at least according to one expert, the U.S. taking control of another country's oil sales and routing payments to an offshore account, it's not without precedent. But the U.S. actually managed sales of Iraqi oil using foreign bank accounts in the 2000s, but notably, you had this expert adding,

there is also precedent for corruption scandals popping up around these schemes. You know, that's concerning not just because of what we've talked about so far, but, you know, the fact that so much about this, it seems to be shrouded in secrecy. You're seeing things like an economist who is also a member of the Venezuelan opposition saying, the Venezuelans are the owners of the oil and we know nothing. There is no transparency. And saying in a normal condition, a sovereign country sells oil and the exact number of barrels in the price are known and goes to the central bank. But adding, again, right now, we know nothing. So with all this, just today, you had California representative, Robert Garcia, sending a letter to the CEOs of Vitol and Trafigura, asking for answers about any agreements.

made with the Trump administration in Venezuela. You're also seeing Senator Elizabeth Warren claiming in a statement that the Trump administration is funneling another country's oil revenues and to hand-picked accounts with virtually no oversight and adding. Congress cannot allow Trump to treat Venezuela's oil profits like his personal slush fund. And now Warren, one with four other senators,

have actually launched an investigation, asking for information from 15 major American banks to figure out whether they were approached by the administration before the military action in Venezuela. Or because you've actually had Donald Trump telling reporters straight up that he had spoken with oil executives before and after the military operation. And so yesterday, you had Rubio trying to do some damage control, denying that that had ever actually happened.

That never happened. I couldn't be with him because it never happened. The oil executives were not involved whatsoever in any of the planning on this matter. All of those executives learned about this operation the same time everybody else did. Well, President Trump has said the opposite in public. But then, in getting to what's actually happening now, you had Rubio trying to clarify a little bit about what the plan is regarding Venezuelan oil. And so Rubio confirmed that the proceeds from sales are held in an offshore account in Qatar, but he said that eventually they'll be transferred to an account in the United States that the US can

block with sanctions if necessary. And then to get the money in this account, he explained that Venezuela's interim government has agreed to submit a monthly budget request. Meaning that it would have to request the use of those funds for a set of very specific purposes that the US would basically need to approve with him then saying that the US controls the dispersal of the money, but not the actual money. Right, and at least, according to Rubio, the Venezuelan government has pledged to use a substantial amount of those funds to purchase medicine and equipment directly from the United States. But then among those who were criticizing the you had Democratic Senator Brian Schatz who questioned whether the Trump administration had the legal authority to create and manage such an account. Also, you had him complaining that the administration hadn't released the text of what Rubio said was the written agreement with the Venezuelan government. And then outside the hearing, you had Texas Representative Lloyd Daggett, saying in a statement, in a statement,

in a statement, that Rubio's testimony raised more questions than answers, saying he wanted to know why, for example, the administration had chosen Qatar and not a country with much stronger banking laws and a history of robust management of oil revenues. He also said that by shielding the money from creditors through the use of the Katari account, the Trump administration is unconstitutional. unlawfully refusing to honor debts owed to U.S. institutions. Which is also kind of notable because part of Trump's so-called justification for taking Venezuela's oil was that it was stolen from American companies. A claim that, you know, we've talked about before is misleading at best, but you know, with all that, the pushback it didn't just come from Democrats. You also had Rand Paul, for example, going after Rubio for the attack and arrest of Maduro, rejecting Rubio's repeated characterization of American military action as a law enforcement operation. If a foreign country bombed our air defense missiles, captured and removed our president, and blockaded our country, would that be considered an act of war?

We just don't believe that this operation comes anywhere close to the constitutional definition of war. But would it be an act of war if someone did it to us? Nobody dies, few casualties, they're in and out. Boom, it's a perfect military operation. Would that be an act of war? Of course it would be an act of war. I think we're in violation of both the spirit and the law of the Constitution by bombing a capital, blockading a country,

and removing elected officials. and we certainly wouldn't tolerate it, nor would I, if someone did it to us. Now with that, you know, you had Rubio denying that they had removed an elected official saying that Maduro was illegitimate, right, because Maria Corino Machado, the opposition leader, who was barred from running. The person that was seen as her stand in was widely believed to be the real winner of the last election. You know, she's also been in the States pleading her case to Trump, asking Trump to help her get back to Venezuela as soon as possible, giving the man her Nobel Peace Prize. And actually, she met with Rubio after the hearing yesterday, and she said,

We are willing to facilitate a genuine transition, but not a Russian-style transition where mafia's remain in control, saying Venezuela does not need stability from criminals, it needs justice, truth, and freedom. With that, while Rubio said that the end goal is free and fair, democratic elections, he didn't give a timeline. Plus, I'll say at least for now, it seems like Machado returning to Venezuela could disrupt the White House's plans there. While, you know, at least for Trump, it's very clear that this whole thing is about

oil and not democracy. And if you needed more proof, while Maduro is facing charges, including narco-terrorism, questions remain about what kind of ties his old ally who replaced him, Delci Rodriguez has to trafficking networks. You've got the Associated Press reporting recently that she's been on the DEA's radar for years where it's suspected involvement in drug and gold smuggling, though no public criminal charges have ever been filed.

You know, if Rubio was saying that the administration had established a very respectful and productive line of communication with Rodriguez and saying, it's our belief that her own self-interest aligns with advancing our key objectives. Rubio also justified the regime change mission that's not a regime change mission, saying it's a strategic necessity

because Venezuela under Maduro had been a base of operation for virtually every competitor, adversary, an enemy in the world. Right with them giving Venezuela's alleged ties to Iran, Russia, and China as examples. But notably, Rodriguez hasn't met the White House's demand to cut ties with those countries. So that's why you had Democratic Senator Jean Shaheen saying, All the same people are running the country. Maduro's vice president, now the interim president, has taken no steps to diminish Iran,

China, or Russia's considerable influence in Venezuela. One of the reasons that has been given for the mission. Her cooperation appears tactical and temporary and not a real shift in Venezuela's alignment. And you know, with that, U.S. intelligence reports have apparently raised doubts about whether Rodriguez fully is on board with American strategy in her country. And in fact, over the weekend, you had her saying she has had enough of Washington's orders. So all of that, it brings up the question, if she doesn't end up being compliant, what's the Trump administration gonna do about it?

And then responding to a question from Senator Chris Murphy, Rubio made it clear that they are not ruling out the possibility of military action in Venezuela again. The president never ruled without his options as commander-in-chief to protect the national interest of the United States. I can tell you right now with full certainty, we are not postured to, nor do we intend or expect to have to take any military action in Venezuela at any time. The only military presence you'll see in Venezuela is our Marine Guards at an embassy. Okay, that is our goal. That is our expectation. And that is what everything that outlines towards. But if that said, if an Iranian drone factory pops up and threatens our forces in the region,

the president retains the option to eliminate that threat. And then with that, you had Murphy asking if the Trump administration would get authorization from Congress this time if it took military action in Venezuela. So there you had Rubio responding by claiming that under federal law, any military action lasting longer than 60 days would require congressional authorization, basically leaving the door open for another operation of the sort we've already seen. But that, my friends, you beautiful bastards, this is where your Thursday, Philip DeFranco Show daily dive into the news is going to end. But one, I'll see you right back here tomorrow or Monday, depending on how a number of things shake out. And two, you've got more you can watch right now, right here, including my brand new podcast crashing out, which just dropped yesterday. Thank you.