The next is the transcript of the interview with Secretary of State Marco Rubio that aired on “Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan” on Jan. 4, 2026.
MARGARET BRENNAN: We start as we speak with Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, who joins us this morning from Miami. Good morning to you, Mr. Secretary.
SECRETARY OF STATE MARCO RUBIO: Good morning. Good morning.
MARGARET BRENNAN: President Trump stated that the US will run the nation and that Venezuela might be largely run by, he pointed to you and a number of the different cupboard members when he spoke to the general public yesterday. He stated, The U.S. retains all navy choices, together with boots on the bottom till U.S. calls for have been absolutely met. How do you intend to run the nation?
SECRETARY RUBIO: Nicely, to start with, I believe the vital factor to level out is that the important thing to what that regime depends on and is the economic system fueled by oil. And proper now, it’s an oil business that’s backwards and actually wants numerous assist and work by way of, not solely that, however it would not assist the folks. Not one of the cash from the oil will get to the folks. It is all stolen by the folks which might be on the highest there, and in order that’s why now we have a quarantine. There is a quarantine proper now during which sanctioned oil shipments, there is a boat, and that boat is beneath US sanctions, we go get a courtroom order, we’ll seize it. That is still in place, and that is an incredible quantity of leverage that may proceed to be in place till we see modifications that not simply additional the nationwide curiosity of the US, which is primary, but in addition that result in a greater future for the folks of Venezuela. And so that is the form of management the President is pointing to when he says that. We proceed with that quarantine, and we count on to see that there might be modifications, not simply in the way in which the oil business is run for the advantage of the folks, but in addition in order that they cease the drug trafficking, in order that we not have these gang issues, in order that they kick the FARC and the ELN out, and that they not cozy as much as Hezbollah and Iran in our personal hemisphere.
MARGARET BRENNAN: What you might be speaking about is extra of a sanctions strain, not boots on the bottom. So simply to be clear, there isn’t any plan for U.S. occupation of this nation of almost 30 million folks?
SECRETARY RUBIO: Nicely, I believe to start with, the President at all times retains optionality on something and on all these issues. He actually has the flexibility and the fitting beneath the Structure of the US to behave towards imminent and pressing threats towards the nation. That stated, and all of that stated as proper now, I believe what you see as a power posture is without doubt one of the largest naval deployments in trendy historical past, actually within the Western Hemisphere, and it’s able to stopping not simply drug boats, however stopping any of those sanctioned boats that come out and in, and actually paralyzing that portion of how the regime, you understand, generates income, so that may proceed to be in place. What the President has stated, clearly, is, you understand, and I believe what he is pointing to is that this obsession folks have about boots and this or that. He,he doesn’t really feel like he’s going to publicly, you understand, rule out choices which might be out there for the US, although that is not what you are seeing proper now. What you are seeing proper now could be an oil quarantine that enables us to exert great leverage over what occurs subsequent.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Nicely, he additionally stated the U.S. is able to stage a second and far bigger assault, if we want to take action. However I am curious, since you simply described the regime as nonetheless in place, basically. I imply, I am curious why the Trump administration determined to depart it intact and solely arrest Nicolas Maduro and his spouse, the one that controls the police, the chief thug, Diosdado Cabellos, he is the inside minister. He is been indicted by the US. He was in that indictment the Administration launched. He is a narco-terrorist. There is a $25 million value on his head. He is nonetheless in place. The protection minister, who has deep ties to Russia, $15 million value on his head. He’s nonetheless in place. I am confused. Are they nonetheless wished by the US? Why did not you arrest them if you’re taking out the narco terrorist regime?
SECRETARY RUBIO: You are confused? I do not know why that is complicated to you–
MARGARET BRENNAN: –they’re nonetheless in energy.
SECRETARY RUBIO: I imply it is quite simple. You are not going to go in and wrap up. You are going to go in after which seize up– however yeah, however cannot go in and suck up 5 folks. They’re already complaining about this one operation. Think about the howls we’d have from all people else if we really needed to go and keep there 4 days to seize 4 different folks. We bought the highest precedence. The primary particular person on the listing was the man who claimed to be the president of the nation that he was not, and he was arrested alongside together with his spouse, who was additionally indicted. And that was a reasonably subtle and admittedly, difficult operation.
MARGARET BRENNAN: It was.
SECRETARY RUBIO: It’s not straightforward to land helicopters in the course of the most important navy base within the nation, the man lived on a navy base, land inside three minutes, kick down his door, seize him, put him in handcuffs, learn him his rights, put him in a helicopter and go away the nation with out dropping any American or any American property. That is not a straightforward mission. And also you’re asking me, why did not we do this in 5 different locations on the similar time? I imply, that is absurd. I- I do assume this is without doubt one of the most, you understand, daring, you understand, difficult, subtle missions this nation has carried out in a really very long time. Great credit score to the U.S. navy personnel who did it. It was unbelievable, and an incredible success. And as we speak, an indicted drug trafficker who was not the respectable president of Venezuela–
MARGARET BRENNAN: Proper.
SECRETARY RUBIO: Who we do not acknowledge, the Biden administration did not acknowledge, 60-something international locations do not acknowledge, the European Union would not acknowledge, and lots of international locations in Latin America do not acknowledge. He was a convicted- he was a indicted drug trafficker. He was arrested. His spouse was arrested also–
MARGARET BRENNAN: Proper however the others–
SECRETARY RUBIO: –and they’re now dealing with justice within the American system of courts–
MARGARET BRENNAN: –The others who had been additionally indicted are nonetheless in place. In order that’s the purpose of my questioning there. However you talked about not being the respectable president–
SECRETARY RUBIO: –so you wished us to land in 5 different navy bases?
MARGARET BRENNAN: No, I am asking why you selected that this was the restrict of the navy operation. However to your level that you simply simply made that Maduro was not the respectable president–
SECRETARY RUBIO: He was- he was the man was claiming to be the president.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Proper. Nicely, the opposition–
SECRETARY RUBIO:–He was the highest goal.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Okay, the opposition chief María Corina Machado and Edmundo González received that 2024 election, by your individual account. They had been a number of the first folks you referred to as while you had been Secretary of State, you stated, Edmundo González is the rightful president of Venezuela. Is that also the U.S. coverage? And if that’s the case, are you engaged on a transition to have these elected leaders run the nation?
SECRETARY RUBIO: Nicely, I believe a pair issues I’ve great admiration for María Corina Machado. I’ve admiration for Edmundo. We now have all these views about what the election that occurred the final time, and never solely us, however many different international locations around the globe, there’s that. And there is and then- however there’s the mission we’re on proper now. We now have been very clear from the start, as a result of I nonetheless assume that lots of people analyze all the pieces that occurs in international coverage via the lens of what occurred from 2001 via you understand 2015 or 16. The entire, you understand, international coverage equipment thinks all the pieces is Libya, all the pieces is Iraq, all the pieces is Afghanistan. This isn’t the Center East. And our mission right here could be very completely different. That is the Western Hemisphere. Throughout the Western Hemisphere, now we have a rustic, doubtlessly a really wealthy nation, that has cozied itself up beneath the management of this regime. Has cozied as much as Iran. Has cozied as much as Hezbollah. Has cozied- has allowed narco-trafficking gangs to function with impunity from their very own territory, permits boats with medicine to site visitors from their territory. And we’re addressing that. And by the way in which, for eight, 9 million folks and the most important mass migration occasion in trendy historical past have left that nation since 2014–
[CROSSTALK]
MARGARET BRENNAN: Proper, however that regime continues to be in place–
SECRETARY RUBIO: –also having an influence on us, that’s what we’re addressing now.
MARGARET BRENNAN: If you spoke yesterday–
SECRETARY RUBIO: Nicely, once more that- however we’re not simply addressing the regime. We’re addressing the components which might be a risk to the nationwide curiosity of the US.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Understood you spoke with Delcy Rodríguez, who’s now, in keeping with President Trump, sworn in because the President, because the chief of Venezuela. Did she promise you that she is expelling all these American adversaries from Venezuelan territory? What precisely did she comply with do when she spoke to you?
SECRETARY RUBIO: We we’re going to- our aims in terms of how Venezuela impacts the nationwide curiosity of the US haven’t modified, and we wish these addressed. We wish drug trafficking to cease. We wish no extra gang members to return our approach. We do not need to see the Iranian and, by the way in which, Cuban presence up to now. We wish the oil business in that nation to not go to the advantage of pirates and adversaries of the US, however for the advantage of the folks. We need to see all of that occur. We insist on seeing that happen–
MARGARET BRENNAN: Did you she promise that?
SECRETARY RUBIO: –and we’re going to work to proceed to see that happen- nicely, proper now, the United- we’re going to see what occurs shifting ahead, let me simply say that. I am not clearly going to have these conversations within the media. These are delicate and sophisticated issues that require mature statesmanship, and that is what we intend to do. However our targets stay the identical. The distinction is that the one that was in cost, although not legitimately up to now was somebody you can not work with. We simply couldn’t work with him. He isn’t an individual that had ever saved any of the offers he made, broke each deal he ever made, made a idiot out of the Biden administration on the deal they made with him, and we supplied him, on a number of events, a chance to take away himself from the scene in a constructive approach. He selected to not do so- and now he is in New York–
[CROSSTALK]
MARGARET BRENNAN: However, his quantity two is now working the country- his quantity two is somebody you possibly can work with? And is that what you are implying right here? And did she let you know that she’s going to transition to democracy and the girl who received the election alongside together with her accomplice there, María Corina Machado.
SECRETARY RUBIO: We’re going to make- we’re going to make our assessments of individuals. You are asking me to make an evaluation. We will make assessment- we will make an evaluation on the premise of what they do, not what they are saying publicly within the interim, not what you understand some what they’ve performed up to now in lots of instances, however what they do shifting ahead. So we will discover out. You are asking me, why- do I do know what selections individuals are going to make? I do not. I do know this, that if they do not make the fitting selections, the US will retain a number of levers of leverage to make sure that our pursuits are protected, and that features the oil quarantine that is in place, amongst different issues. Nicely, so we however we’re going to choose shifting ahead. We will choose all the pieces by what they do, and we will see what they do.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Okay, as a result of yesterday, President Trump stated María Corina Machado would not have the help or respect inside the nation, and by your individual admission, she walloped Nicolas Maduro within the final election. So it does sound like a call was made, but–
SECRETARY RUBIO: She wasn’t on the poll within the final election.
MARGARET BRENNAN: No, however her, her celebration was.
SECRETARY RUBIO: Edmundo was.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Sure.
SECRETARY RUBIO: Right. So it was an illegitimate election, and that is why he is not a respectable president.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Proper, however is there an settlement to transition to democracy? It appears like there’s not.
SECRETARY RUBIO: I believe what the president identified is the plain. Nicely, I believe what the purpose, however there needs to be somewhat realism right here. Okay, a transition to the market — They’ve had this regime. They’ve had this technique of Chavismo in place for 15 or 16 years, and everybody’s asking, why 24 hours after Nicolas Maduro was arrested, there is not an election scheduled for tomorrow? That is absurd.
MARGARET BRENNAN: No, no, I am asking what you talked about.
SECRETARY RUBIO: This stuff take time. There is a course of.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Proper. And you might be —
SECRETARY RUBIO: I am not going to have, I am not going to publicly get into particulars about any of these issues, aside from to let you know that our expectations stay the identical, and we’re going to choose whoever we’re interacting with shifting ahead by whether or not or not these circumstances are met. We wish, in fact, we need to see Venezuela transition to be a spot fully completely different than what it appears to be like like as we speak. However, clearly, we do not have the expectation that is going to occur within the subsequent 15 hours. What we do have an expectation is that, that it transfer in that path. We expect it is in our nationwide curiosity, and admittedly, within the curiosity of individuals of Venezuela.
MARGARET BRENNAN: The president used the phrase oil 20 occasions this press convention. You talked about these great oil property that Venezuela have, has. However the president’s final envoy to Venezuela, Elliott Abrams, is publicly arguing that you understand higher than the coverage you are backing. He stated, quote, “Venezuelan plutocrats, or US oil executives appear to be coming to Mar-a-Lago and whispering about how straightforward life could be if we simply made a cope with the regime as soon as Maduro was gone.” Is that what occurred right here?
SECRETARY RUBIO: No, that is not what occurred right here. What occurred right here is that we arrested a narco trafficker who’s now going to face trial in the US for the crimes he is dedicated towards our folks for 15 years, and the one that helped him, in fact, his spouse, who was co-located with him, so she was arrested as nicely. That is what occurred right here. So far as oil, look, oil is crucial, not simply to fueling economies all around the world. It’s important to Venezuela’s future. Their oil business is totally destroyed. It is destroyed, all these oil fields that used to supply rather a lot and wealth for his or her nation and their folks. These issues are decrepit. They’re bankrupt. They should be reinvested in. It is apparent, you, they don’t have the potential to deliver up that business once more. They want funding from personal firms who’re solely going to take a position beneath sure ensures and circumstances. That has to go to the advantage of the Venezuelan folks. Proper now, all of that wealth is stolen. It is stolen, and it goes into the palms of oligarchs around the globe and the oligarchs within Venezuela. A handful of individuals profit from it. The folks do not profit from it. On prime of that, it is quite simple, okay, within the twenty first Century, beneath the Trump administration, we aren’t going to have a rustic like Venezuela in our personal hemisphere, within the sphere of management and the crossroads for Hezbollah, for Iran and for each different malign affect within the nation, on the earth. That is simply not going to exist.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Marco Rubio, Secretary of State, would like to maintain speaking to you, however I am instructed you might be out of time. I’ve to depart it there.
MARCO RUBIO: Thanks.
