US lawmakers voice concerns about Venezuelan tanker seizure: ‘sounds a lot like the beginning of a war’ – US politics live
US lawmakers voice concerns about Venezuelan tanker seizure: ‘sounds a lot like the beginning of a war’ – US politics live Today, the United States government seized an oil tanker off the coast of Venezuela, accusing it of transporting oil sanctioned by Venezuela and Iran. And adding to a growing cluster of tensions in the region that are already escalating.
Now, to be honest, we don’t know exactly what’s going on here or what the ultimate goal of this location is, but earlier tonight, Attorney General Pam Bondi claimed
The tanker was previously sanctioned by the United States for its involvement in an illegal shipping network supporting foreign terrorist organizations.
Although I should note that Bondi has yet to provide any evidence to back up these claims. And listen to what Trump himself said when a reporter asked him.
What happens to the oil on that ship now that the United States has seized this tanker? Well, we keep it, I guess. I don’t know, so what happens now?
We were trying to figure it out. We're learning more, but thankfully, I have the person to ask who might be thinking about it, too.
Back with me is my friend and colleague Rachel Matteo. So I don't expect you to answer that exactly. But you, as I noted before the break,
I mean, you wrote a book a few years ago called Blowout, which of course covers how the oil and gas industry has effectively corrupted and corrupted democracy.
It feels pretty relevant to all of this. Um, what we saw today, I mean, what went through your mind when you saw this news about all the reasons for this?
When you saw Trump's response to whether he would keep the oil? What was going on in Rachel Maddow's head? Oh, Jane, it feels like I'm. This Maduro is somehow involved in drug trafficking. So that’s right. And then Trump pardoned the former president of Honduras, the president of Honduras,
who is one of the most convicted drug traffickers in this country. Now he’s saying, “Oh, he’s violating Iran sanctions.”
Oh, right. Violating Iran sanctions. That’s why we’re going to war with Venezuela. Whereas Trump just pardoned the Binance guy.
What did Binance need a pardon for? Violating $898 million in Iranian sanctions, right? Plus funding Al Qaeda, ISIS, and Hamas, and the meaning of Islam and Islamic Jihad.
So like all the things they keep saying, they clearly aren’t. And so what is this? Apparently, this is a regime change war, so we can try to take their oil.
Well, that would work great. It's always worked great for us in the past. I mean, what's going on here and who's running it? Trump doesn't seem to have any idea.
What's going on here, or why? No, which is an evergreen statement about Trump and national security in general. I keep thinking, and again it's important.
That we don't fully know what's going on here, but his obsession with taking oil from other countries, which he's talked about for years, and I'm betting his oil baron friends are on his mind, but we'll learn more in the coming days. Amen, it all comes down to what you said,
I mean, these extraterritorial strikes, this oil tanker seizure, these are a lot of things that feel like they're overstepping the legal line, and it feels like it's setting incredibly dangerous precedents.
As you look at the totality of this. I mean, what worries you the most about what you're seeing and where it really goes, because it's a very slippery slope.
They see fit, I think, to seize more oil tankers. We'll see what happens. Yeah. Yeah, I mean, I think there are basically three things going on here.
One thing I think is that Trump wants to show that he's not bound by law, politics, or public opinion. Like he wants a king protest against Trump, not just
Because he calls himself king, and you know that looks part of it, but because he's trying to set up an illegitimate or illegal government around him
In which he's untouchable by anything that would legally stop a US president. So that's dangerous. That's part of it. The other thing that's really bad about it is
It looks like we could catch fire. And it really looks like a government.
Change the war to try to take their oil, which is really something that we know a lot about in this country, and supposedly is the reason.
Trump emerged in Republican politics because he was against that kind of thing. As supposedly, the whole theory of this case is why J.D. Vance exists as a political figure.
But the last thing that I think is the most bizarre thing to worry about, which is that Trump really has no idea why he's going to war in Venezuela.
And doesn't seem to be in charge of any of the decisions that are leading us to this war. And so we also have to worry about who is actually running the government right now.
And who is actually leading this regime change war that apparently doesn't have a president? We don't know who it is, and we don't know why. And this kind of intellectual feeling that you're feeling right now
That's the most disturbing part of this whole thing. Um, I've worked for two presidents. I've never seen a lack of interest from Commander-in-Chief Rachel Matteo in what he's doing with his military power.
I could have talked to you for a long time, but we had to wait for Senator John O'Farrell, who is standing here, and I'm looking forward to talking to him.
