Thune Joins America’s Newsroom on Fox News

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WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) today joined America's Newsroom on Fox News.

On Venezuela oil sales:

"It's the Chinese and the Russians … who are stealing Venezuelan oil. What the president is attempting to do is to get this country to where … it benefits from Venezuelan energy production. And the United States … can play an important role because of the economic leverage we have there to lessen this reliance and dependence that Venezuela has on Russia and China and the malign influence that they're creating in this hemisphere - which creates a national security threat to the United States - but also liberates the people of Venezuela.

"[Venezuela has] been held hostage … by Maduro, and they aren't getting the benefit, their economy there or the people, from these vast resources that they have available to them. So I think the president, Secretary Rubio, the plan that they've laid out makes a lot of sense, not only for … the security of the hemisphere and particularly the United States, but also the people of Venezuela who desperately need to be liberated from this regime they've had to live under for the past many years."

On the Trump administration's successful operation in Venezuela:

"What the president did [in Venezuela] is something that's supported broadly, not just by folks here in Washington, D.C., but across the country, because Maduro was leading a drug cartel that was poisoning literally thousands of Americans every single year.

"So bringing [Maduro] to justice is a worthwhile goal. And [I] congratulate the men and women in uniform, and of course, in our intelligence community, and the president of the United States for taking the kind of action that was necessary to get him here in this country where he's going to have to stand up for himself in court."

On supporting law enforcement:

"What happened [in Minnesota] is an indication of the uptick that we're seeing across the country in these protesters starting to attack ICE officers, law enforcement officers who are trying to lawfully enforce immigration law. And so political leaders, mayors, governors, in some of these cities - red or blue - need to make sure that they are sending a message out there that protests and protesters need to act in accordance with our laws.

"When you cross lines, there's obviously going to be consequence. And clearly, in a situation like this, you've got people who are trying to do a job … We support, respect these law enforcement officers - ICE, Border Patrol - all across the country.

"Law Enforcement Day is tomorrow, and they need to know that the people of this country and their elected leaders are going to stand with them as they do a job that they're being asked to do, and frankly, a job that the American president, President Trump, was elected to deliver for the American people."

Permalink: https://www.thune.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/2026/1/thune-joins-america-s-newsroom-on-fox-news