CBS News anchor Margaret Brennan attempted to set a trap for Secretary of State Marco Rubio, demanding to know why the United States had only moved against Venezuelan dictator Nicolás Maduro while other wanted narco-terrorists were left in power.
Rubio, who made several Sunday morning appearances across multiple media networks, walked Brennan through the strategy behind taking on one mission at a time — all while also pointing out the fact that the media reaction to a broader mission would have been much more dramatic: “Imagine the howls!”
WATCH:
Secretary of State Marco Rubio just took CBS’ Margaret Brennan to the woodshed on live TV over the Maduro raid.
“I don’t know why that’s confusing to you.”
Brennan spiraled over the fact that the operation did not seize EVERY narco terrorist in Venezuela, but Rubio hit her with… pic.twitter.com/6AtPJowG8A
— Overton (@overton_news) January 4, 2026
Referencing Maduro’s arrest on Saturday, Brennan noted that President Donald Trump’s administration had left a number of others — who had also been designated as narco-terrorists — holding power of some sort in the Venezuelan regime.
“The defense minister, who has deep ties to Russia, $15 million price on his head. He is still in place,” Brennan said. “I’m confused. Are they still wanted by the United States? Why didn’t you arrest them if you are taking out the narco terrorist regime?”
“You’re confused? I don’t know why that’s confusing to you. I mean, it’s very simple,” Rubio pushed back, but Brennan interrupted.
“They’re still in power!” she protested.
“You’re not going to go in and … you’re going to go in and suck up five people?” Rubio’s tone was incredulous. “They are already complaining about the one operation! Imagine the howls we would have from everybody else if we actually had to go and stay there four days to capture four other people.”
“We got the top priority,” Rubio continued. “The number one person on the list was the guy who claimed to be the president of the country that he was not, and he was arrested along with his wife who is also indicted.”
“That was a pretty sophisticated and frankly, complicated operation,” Rubio said, and Brennan voiced her agreement as he explained, “It is not easy to land helicopters in the middle of the largest military base in the country. The guy lived on a military base. Land within three minutes, kick down his door, grab him, put him in handcuffs, read him his rights, put him in a helicopter and leave the country without losing any American or any American assets.”
“That’s not an easy mission and you’re asking me why didn’t we do that in five other places at the same time?” Rubio asked. “I mean, that’s absurd!”
.png)
.png)
