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TRISH: BREAKING TONIGHT, RUSSIA
TRYING TO TIGHTEN ITS GRIP AS WE
SPEAK ON VENEZUELA IN TOTAL
DEFIANCE OF THE UNITED STATES'
DEMAND THAT RUSSIA VACATE THE
SOCIALIST DICK CAN TODAY TO
HAVESHIP. -- DICTATORSHIP.
NEW REPORTS RUSSIA IS SENDING
EVEN MORE TROOPS TO THE REGION.
YOU KNOW, NOT SINCE THE CUBAN
MISSILE CRISIS IN 1962 HAVE WE
HAD SUCH AN ENEMY PRESENCE IN
OUR OWN HEMISPHERE.
THIS CANNOT AND THIS WILL NOT BE
ALLOWED.
VLADIMIR PUTIN, NICOLAS MADURO,
YOU'RE BOTH ON NOTICE.
ALL OF THIS AS TODAY MARKS THE
500TH DAY FIVE AMERICANS HAVE
BEEN HELD HOSTAGE IN A CARACAS
PRISON BY NICOLAS MADURO.
THIS IS A STORY WE ORIGINALLY
BROKE, AND WE'VE CONTINUED TO
REPORT ON EXCLUSIVELY RIGHT HERE
ON "TRISH REGAN PRIMETIME".
THE VICE PRESIDENT, AS I SAID,
THEY DID -- HE DID, AS WELL AS
MIKE POMPEO, MEET WITH THE
AMERICAN FAMILIES WHOSE LOVED
ONES ARE BEING HELD THERE, AND I
SPOKE WITH THE DAUGHTER AS WELL
AS ONE OF THE WIFES OF ONE OF
THE HOSTAGES THERE.
THEY'VE HAD NO COMMUNICATION
WITH THEIR FATHER, WITH THEIR
HUSBAND BECAUSE OF THE POWER
OUTAGES THERE.
SO THERE'S A LOT OF CONCERN THAT
KEEPS MOUNTING.
JOINING ME RIGHT NOW FOR A LOOK
AT HOW WE DEAL WITH ALL OF THIS
AND HOW WE DEAL WITH VLADIMIR
PUTIN IS FORMER TRUMP DEPUTY
NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISER KT
McFARLANE.
IT IS GOOD TO SEE YOU, MA'AM.
THANK YOU FOR COMING ON THE
PROGRAM.
>> IT'S AN HONOR AND A PLEASURE
IS, AND CONGRATULATIONS TO YOU
AND THIS PRIME TIME SUCCESS,
TRISH.
YOU GO, GIRL.
[LAUGHTER]
TRISH: THANK YOU, KT.
WHAT'S YOUR ADVICE HERE, AND
WHAT ARE YOU HEARING FROM THE
ADMINISTRATION IN TERMS OF HOW
YOU APPROACH THIS?
BECAUSE THIS IS, YOU KNOW, A
LITTLE DIFFERENT THAN SYRIA.
THIS IS RIGHT HERE IN OUR
HEMISPHERE.
>> YEAH, THIS IS.
TRISH: THREE HOURS FROM MIAMI.
AND WE'VE GOT A PROBLEM BECAUSE
ALL THE BAD GUYS ARE THERE BEING
LED, REALLY, BY THE LIKES OF
VLADIMIR PUTIN WHO'S NOW
SENDING -- WE HAVE SOURCES THAT
ARE SAYING SOME SPECIAL FORCES
INTO THE REGION AND POSSIBLY
MORE.
KT, HOW DO WE GET NICOLAS MADURO
TO GO?
>> WELL, FIRST OF ALL,
UNDERSTAND THAT PUTIN DOESN'T
CARE ABOUT VENEZUELA.
HE DOESN'T WANT TO GET STUCK
WITH THAT AND REBUILDING
VENEZUELA.
WHEN THEY HAD CUBA, IT
PRACTICALLY BROKE THEM.
SO WHAT HE'S DOING IN VENEZUELA
IS NOT ESTABLISHING A MILITARY
PRESENCE THAT HE WANTS TO BUILD
OUT, HE'S LOOKING FOR A
BARGAINING CHIP.
HE'S LOOKING FOR LEVERAGE.
WHAT DOES HE WANT?
IN IS THE 62, AS YOU -- 1962, AS
YOU JUST POINTED OUT, AMERICA
HAD PUT NUCLEAR WEAPONS,
MISSILES IN TURKEY THAT COULD BE
AIMED AT RUSSIA.
THEY RESPONDED BY SENDING
NUCLEAR WEAPONS TO CUBA.
WHAT DID WE DO, HOW DID WE SOLVE
IT?
AT THE END OF THE DAY, THE
RUSSIANS LEFT CUBA, AND WE TOOK
THE MISSILES OUT OF TURKEY.
I THINK PUTIN WANTS A TRADE.
HE'S DOING THIS BECAUSE HE WANTS
OUT OF UKRAINE WHERE PRESIDENT
TRUMP HAS BEEN VERY TOUGH.
YOU KNOW, HE IMPOSED NEW
SANCTIONS ON THE RUSSIANS, AND
HE'S ARMED THE UKRAINIANS WITH
LETHAL WEAPONS, AND PUTIN
DOESN'T LIKE THAT.
TRISH: OKAY, SO YOU GUYS ARE
MESSING AROUND IN MY BACKYARD,
I'M GOING THE MESS AROUND IN
YOURS?
IT'S A TIT FOR TAT?
>> IT'S ALSO LEVERAGE.
TRISH: OKAY.
KNOWING THAT, YOU KNOW, HOW DO
WE WITH APPROACH THIS?
BECAUSE WE, THERE IS A REAL
CRISIS THERE, AND PEOPLE ARE
REALLY SUFFERING THIS RIGHT NOW
BECAUSE WHETHER THEY DON'T HAVE
FOOD, THEY DON'T HAVE WATER, AND
THEY'RE GROWING INCREASINGLY
FRUSTRATED, UNDERSTANDABLY SO,
BECAUSE THEY HAVE A CRIMINAL
REGIME THERE IN POWER THAT CAN'T
KEEP THE LIGHTS ON.
I MEAN, THEY CAN'T HELP THEM
WITH BASIC NECESSITIES.
SO HOW DO THE PEOPLE MANAGE TO
GET NICOLAS MADURO OUT WHEN, YOU
KNOW, THE RUSSIANS ARE HELPING
TO KEEP HIM THERE?
>> IT WAS ONE OF THE FIRST
THINGS THAT I TOOK UP AS DEPUTY
NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISER IN THE
TRUMP ADMINISTRATION, HOW DO YOU
DEAL WITH VENEZUELA --
TRISH: REALLY?
THAT'S VERY INTERESTING.
>> AND HERE'S WHAT WE CONCLUDED.
YOU KNOW, PRESIDENT TRUMP WAS
ELECTED TO GET OUT OF THESE
FOREVER WARS AND NOT KEEP
FIGHTING WARS OF INTERVENTION.
WHAT WE CONCLUDED WAS THAT THE
THING THAT MADE THE MOST SENSE
IN SOUTH AMERICA, LATIN AMERICA
AND PARTICULARLY IN VENEZUELA,
HAVE IT BE A REGIONAL SOLUTION.
THE ORGANIZATION OF AMERICAN
STATES.
THERE ARE SOME POWERFUL AND
WEALTHY COUNTRIES IN SOUTH
AMERICA THAT CAN WORK TOGETHER
TO STEP UP AND SOLVE THE
PROBLEM.
NOW, THAT'S REALLY GOOD FOR A
BUNCH OF REASONS.
IT'S GOOD FOR THEM TO SHOW THAT
THEY CAN GET SOMETHING DONE AND
WORK TOGETHER.
IT'S GOOD FOR US BECAUSE IT GETS
THE CONCLUSION WE WANT WITHOUT
US HAVING TO PUT AMERICAN TROOPS
ANYWHERE NEAR IT.
AND FINALLY, IT SENDS A SIGNAL
TO EVERYBODY ELSE THAT THEY'RE
CAPABLE.
THE PROBLEM THOUGH IS HOW DO YOU
GET RID OF MADURO --
TRISH: MAKE HIM AN OFFER HE
CAN'T REFUSE, I GUESS.
GO AHEAD.
>> HERE'S THE PROBLEM WITH
GETTING RID OF ANY DICTATOR,
PARTICULARLY BRUTAL DICTATORS.
THEY DON'T WANT TO GO BECAUSE
THEY THINK THEIR ALTERNATIVE IS
THE INTERNATIONAL CRIMINAL
COURTS AND MAYBE BEING EXECUTED.
IT'S A TRAGIC THING, BECAUSE
MADURO NEEDS TO BE PUNISHED
BEYOND BELIEF, BUT YOU MAY NOT
GET HIM OUT IN TIME.
MAYBE HE SHOULD GO LIVE IN CUBA.
MAYBE HE SHOULD GET FREE PASSAGE
TO CUBA, AND THEN THE REST OF
THE WORLD STEPS IN.
TRISH: RIGHT.
BUT HE'S PROBABLY IN A POSITION
WHERE HE'S QUITE FEARFUL, RIGHT?
THE CUBANS ARE ONLY SAYING
YOU'RE WORTH SOMETHING TO US IF
YOU'RE THERE, AND IF YOU CAN'T
KEEP THE OIL SPIGOT OPEN --
WHICH IS WHY THEY RELIED SO MUCH
ON VENEZUELA, THEN YOU'RE NO
GOOD TO US.
SO HE MAY BE WORRIED, LITERALLY,
FOR HIS LIFE.
AND SO HE DOESN'T KNOW WHO TO
TRUST.
AND, YOU KNOW, IT'S CERTAINLY
NOT US, I GET IT.
WE DON'T LIKE HIM EITHER.
>> NO.
TRISH: BUT TO YOUR POINT, TO BE
REALISTIC ABOUT THIS SITUATION,
JOHN BOLTON RIGHT HERE ON THIS
SHOW OFFERED HIM A DEAL.
HE SAID LISTEN, YOU KNOW, GO
LIVE IN A VILLA SOMEWHERE NICE
ON THE SEA AND PUT THIS ALL
BEHIND YOU.
BUT GETTING FROM POINT A TO
POINT B, I GUESS, IS EASIER SAID
THAN DONE WITH THESE GUYS.
BUT WE'VE DONE IT BEFORE, RIGHT?
>> WELL, YEAH.
BUT THAT'S WHY IT'S IMPORTANT TO
HAVE A REGIONAL SOLUTION AND TO
TELL THE RUSSIANS WE'RE NOT
GOING TO PLAY THIS LITTLE GAME
AND THAT IF MADURO DOES HEAR
FROM ENOUGH PEOPLE THAT HE'S GOT
AN EASY OUT, HE CAN GO GET THE
VILLA, HE CAN LIVE NICELY FOR
THE REST OF HIS LIFE, AND THAT'S
AN INCENTIVE FOR HIM TO GO.
THE WORSE IT GETS IN VENEZUELA,
THE WORSE IT GETS FOR MA
DAUGHTER ROW -- MADURO.
AND IF HIS ALTERNATIVE IS TO
LEAVE ON A COFFIN OR A PLANE, HE
MAY CHOOSE THE PLANE.
TRISH: JUST REAL QUICK,
COLOMBIA, BRAZIL, THEY'RE STILL
NOT SAYING, OKAY, WE WANT TO
INTERVENE IN A MEANINGFUL WAY.
AT WHAT POINT DO THEY REALIZE
THEY KINDA GOT TO BECAUSE IF
THEY DON'T, THEY'RE GOING TO
HAVE REFUGEES BLEEDING OVER
THEIR BORDER?
>> THAT'S RIGHT.
UH-HUH, WELL, THAT'S WHY I THINK
THE DIPLOMACY THE UNITED STATES
CAN USE BEHIND THE SCENES IS
EXTREMELY IMPORTANT.
PRESIDENT TRUMP GOT ALONG VERY
WELL WITH THE PRESIDENT OF
BRAZIL.
THAT WAS A VERY SUCCESSFUL
MEETING.
AND THAT KIND OF LEADERSHIP THAT
BRAZIL COULD TAKE FOR THE WHOLE
REGION WOULD BE EXTREMELY
IMPORTANT NOT JUST FOR BRAZIL,
NOT JUST FOR THE REGION, BUT IT
SHOWS THAT LATIN AMERICA HAS A
LOT OF CAPABILITIES, AND THEY
SHOULD BE ABLE TO STEP UP AND
USE THEM.
THEY COULD BE VERY WEALTHY,
SUCCESSFUL PARTNER.