Skip to content 1/5/2026 The Arrest of a Foreign Dictator and Big News Following a Welfare Fraud Investigation in Minnesota Jan 5 · 54 min ...more
1/5/2026 The Arrest of a Foreign Dictator and Big News Following a Welfare Fraud Investigation in Minnesota
January 5, 2026 · 54 min
Tony and guests investigate various aspects of arresting Venezuelan dictator Nicolas Maduro and MN Gov. Tim Walz's announcement that he won't run for re-election amid a massive fraud investigation.
Series Washington Watch with Tony Perkins - Audio
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January 5, 2026 · 54 min · Washington Watch with Tony Perkins - Audio
Tony and guests investigate various aspects of arresting Venezuelan dictator Nicolas Maduro and MN Gov. Tim Walz's announcement that he won't run for re-election amid a massive fraud investigation. ...more Show the full description Show less Tony and guests investigate various aspects of arresting Venezuelan dictator Nicolas Maduro and MN Gov. Tim Walz's announcement that he won't run for re-election amid a massive fraud investigation.
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In this video 0:00 US Military Triumph in Venezuela: Capturing Maduro7:23 Combating Drug Cartels and Tyranny: A Veteran's Insight15:00 Exposing Welfare Fraud and Government Accountability27:03 Legal and Strategic Analysis of Maduro's DownfallComments No comments yet. Start the conversation.
US Military Triumph in Venezuela: Capturing Maduro 0:01 From the heart of our nation's capital in Washington, DC, bringing compelling interviews, insightful analysis, taking you beyond the headlines and sound bites into conversations with our nation's leaders and0:12 newsmakers, all from a biblical worldview. Washington Watch with Tony Perkins starts now.0:19 Overwhelming American military power, air, land, and sea was used to launch a spectacular assault. And it was a an assault like people have not seen since0:32 World War 2. It was a force against a heavily fortified military fortress in the heart of Caracas to bring outlaw dictator0:44 Nicolas Maduro to justice. This was 1 of the most stunning, effective, and powerful displays of American military might and competence0:57 in American history.1:00 That was president Donald Trump highlighting the successful US military operation that captured Venezuela's president Nicolas Maduro. Happy New Year, and welcome to this January fifth edition of Washington Watch. I'm1:12 your host, Tony Perkins. Thanks so much for joining us. Well, coming up, Venezuela's deposed leader Nicolas Maduro made his first court appearance in New York, pleading not guilty to narcoterrorism and other1:23 charges. United Nations officials, including UN secretary general Antonio Guterres, warned the US operation may have been illegal. We'll speak with former DOJ prosecutor Richard Gregory to break it all
1:35 down. Plus, Minnesota governor Tim Walz drops his reelection bid amid a 9000000000 dollar welfare fraud scandal. Federal funding has been frozen frozen and hearings are now underway.
1:47 Is this yet another example of government largesse fueling corruption? Assistant secretary for family support at the Department of Health and Human Services, doctor Alex Adams, will join us later.
2:03 Well, as I mentioned, Venezuela's president Nicolas Maduro pleaded not guilty in a New York federal court today to US narco narcotics and weapons charges following his capture by American special
2:15 forces in the capital of the South American country. Prosecutors accused Maduro of leading a long running cocaine trafficking operation linked to violent criminal groups. Maduro denies
2:27 the allegations. Now the arrest has drawn international condemnation and raised law legal questions over the US operation. Joining me now is Washington Sand reporter Sarah Holliday, who has been
2:38 following today's main stories. Sarah, Maduro and his wife both appeared briefly in court as Venezuela's government remains in place. What did we learn from today's hearing?
2:49 Thank you, Tony. Maduro pleaded not guilty to 4 charges, including narcoterrorism and cocaine importation conspiracy, and he said through an interpreter that he
3:01 is innocent. His wife, Celia Flores, also entered a not guilty plea. Prosecutors say Maduro oversaw drug trafficking for years, working with Mexican cartels and
3:13 Colombian guerrillas. Defense lawyers said they expect a legal fight over what they called a military abduction. Meanwhile, the United States defended the operation at an emergency
3:25 UN Security Council meeting. Here is what the US ambassador to the UN, Mike Waltz, said at the
3:31 meeting. There is no war against Venezuela or its people. We are not occupying a country. This was a law enforcement operation
3:46 in furtherance of lawful indictments that have existed for decades. The United States arrested a narco trafficker who is now going to stand trial in the
3:58 United States in accordance with the rule of law for the crimes he's committed against our people for 15 years.
4:07 Tony, Russia, China, and Colombia condemned the move, warning it violates international law and risks destabilizing the region. Tony.
4:18 Well, thank you, Sarah Sarah. We're gonna talk, more about, Venezuela a little bit later and drill down on some of those, arguments. Democratic Minnesota governor Tim Walz, who was Kamala Harris'
4:30 running mate in 2024, will not seek a third term. Now he steps aside as federal investigators expose fraud in the state's welfare program. Sarah, other than a potentially
4:41 9000000000 dollar fraud investigation, why is, Walls leaving the race now?
4:49 That's right, Tony. Tim Walls announced earlier today that he will not run for reelection to focus on welfare fraud allegations that have shaken his administration. Here's
5:01 what he had to say at a press conference.
5:04 Every minute that I spend defending my own political interest would be a minute I can't spend defending the people of Minnesota against the criminals who prey on our generosity and the cynics who want to prey on our
5:16 differences. So I've decided to step out of this race and I'll let others worry about the
5:20 election while I focus on the work that's in
5:20 front of me for the next year. While I focus on the work that's in front of me for the next year.
5:25 Federal authorities say the scandal involves up to 9000000000 dollars in misused taxpayer funds, with at least 56 people pleading guilty. Critics say the crisis
5:37 highlights mismanagement under Waltz, while Republicans see an opening to reclaim the governor's office. Potential candidates, including senator Amy Klobuchar, are now weighing a run-in November.
5:49 Tony.
5:51 Alright, Sarah. Interesting. We'll be watching that 1 over the, the next several months. So New York mayor Zoran Memdani, the first Muslim and self described democratic socialist to hold the
6:02 office of mayor of New York City, has revoked several executive orders that were put in place by former mayor Eric Adams, including protections for Jewish New Yorkers and restrictions on boycotts of
6:14 Israel. Sarah, how has the, the Jewish community there responded?
6:21 The Jewish community is concerned, Tony. Mamdani, as you mentioned, a socialist democrat, overturned Adams' orders that safeguarded Jewish New Yorkers and limited city
6:33 support for boycotts of Israel. He also scrapped the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance's definition of antisemitism, which critics say weakens protections
6:45 against hate. Israel's foreign ministry condemned the move, saying Mamdani shows his true face by lifting restrictions on boycotts and discarding internationally recognized
6:56 antisemitism standards. They called it, quote, antisemitic gasoline on an open fire. While Mamdani frames the changes as promoting civil rights, opponents warned they put
7:08 New York's Jewish community at risk and send a troubling message globally.
7:14 Right. I think it certainly does. Thanks so much, Sarah, for bringing us up to date on the headlines for today. These are all stories that we'll be continuing to watch. Alright. I wanna go back to the US operation in
Combating Drug Cartels and Tyranny: A Veteran's Insight
7:25 Venezuela and get the perspective of a member a member of congress who's actually dealt with foreign drug cartels. Joining me now is congressman John Maguire, a member of the House Armed Services Committee and
7:37 the Oversight and Government Reform Committees. He is also a Navy Seal veteran who has deployed on missions against cartels across South and Central America. He represents the fifth congressional
7:49 district of Virginia. Congressman Maguire, welcome back to Washington Watch. Happy New Year. Great to see you.
7:56 Yeah. Happy New Year, Tony. Great to see you. Really appreciate what you do. Yeah. You know, I back in the nineties, my seal team and I, we did counter drug missions in just about every country, South Central America.
8:08 But 1 country that stood out was Venezuela. It was clean, it was safe, and it was prosperous. You go to a restaurant in the city of Caracas, and you would see Porsches and Ferraris. And then Chavez
8:20 brought in socialism, Maduro. And what socialism does is it puts the boot on people's neck. It creates tyranny, and it makes everyone poor. And the country is unrecognizable. And I wouldn't even it's
8:32 almost like not even a country now. It's more of a proxy for Iran, Russia, and China. But by the grace of God, our incredible military, president Trump's leadership, Pete Hegseth,
8:45 the entire military got in, got out, didn't lose 1 person, didn't lose any equipment, Rubio, general raising cane, our law enforcement. Just by the grace of God, they got that done. And I'm so glad that
8:57 we got him in and out. No 1 got killed.
8:59 So so, congressman, let's in fact, in in just a little bit, the president and his team will be briefing, some of the the members of congress on this. But let's let's talk a little bit about the the rationale here, the
9:11 impact upon the United States. Why, was this an issue for the United States?
9:18 Well, you know, I I actually joined SEAL team 4 after SEAL training. I replaced a guy. We lost 4 guys in Bravo platoon, SEAL team 4 back during the invasion of Panama with Noriega. And think about how
9:30 much money we spent, how much time it took to get Noriega. And these guys went in and got out so easy. It just shows you how far we've come. But if you remember under the Biden DOJ, they indicted
9:43 Menduro for this, drug trafficking and human trafficking and all the problems that he's caused in our country. You remember you may remember there's a 25000000 dollar price on his head. It went up to
9:55 50000000 dollars. And in Colorado, these Venezuelan gang members took over an apartment complex at gunpoint and cut the fingers off of people that would speak up on it. And
10:06 so they brought unspeakable evil into our country, and president Trump sent a loud message across the world that we're gonna defend the American people at home and abroad, and our hemisphere and our country
10:18 are now safer. So it's, it was an arrest. It was a law enforcement military operation. He is now on US soil, and, of course, he was, brought before the judge today.
10:29 So he was basically I mean, he he there there's questions about the legitimacy of his election as president. That's been questioned not just by the United States, but a multitude of of nations. But he's
10:40 basically running a criminal conspiracy, there with, drug lords and others as as a part of running these drugs into the United States. So there there clearly was a
10:52 concern on behalf of the United States and the impact it was having here on our country.
10:59 Oh, big time. In fact, he caused a lot of disruption in the region and our country. And, you know, I think you remember Lake and Riley was killed by a Venezuelan, And there's so many deaths like hers around this country
11:10 that could have been prevented. And I've knocked on 6 doors in my district where a mother or a father prayed with me and cried with me because their 18, 19, 20 year old son or daughter is
11:22 dead. Now we've lost more people from overdose since 20 20 than died in World War 2. And if that's not a war, I don't know what war is. So we have got to stop that, and president Trump and
11:34 his administration are saying no more. We're going for American, accept, accept exceptionalism, and we're gonna keep American people safe.
11:43 Congressman, I would agree with that, and I do think we have to address the the supply side of drugs, and that's long been a focus of American foreign policy. But I would also say that this administration, and
11:55 I've repeatedly said this, needs to focus on the the demand side. And we have to be asking the questions, why do we have more people using drugs, illegal drugs in this country that's fueling those deaths
12:07 that you made reference to?
12:09 Well, it's interesting you say that. Well, first of all, you think about this. Drug trafficking across the world's ocean has dropped 97 percent in the last month or so for some reason. But when I knocked on these
12:21 doors, where these parents prayed with me, they would say something to the effect. And I'm talking big mansions all the way down to people that live in mobile home, you know, trailer courts. It doesn't matter what your
12:31 race, religion, creed, or money situation is. People are dying and being poisoned. But the I had 1 parent say that my child was a 4.5 GPA student, never smoked cigarettes or anything, just went to a party
12:43 and tried something, and it was laced with fentanyl or something in the cocaine or marijuana, and it killed their kid. So I you're right. We've got if we could figure that answer out, we could solve a lot of problems.
12:54 Why is there a demand? Because if we don't get rid of the demand, these these cartels and these drug dealers are gonna figure out a way to get their drugs here.
13:03 You're right. And I think it's a it's a that's a community, focus. It's not just the government. I mean, I think it it speaks to an underlying, both spiritual and moral issue that
13:14 we have to address that the government can't. I just think that we need to put more of an emphasis on, you know, the supply, as well as the, or the demand as well as the supply. Congressman McGuire,
13:26 always great to see you. Thanks so much for, joining us today, and thanks again for your service to our country.
13:32 Hey. God bless you. Thank you.
13:35 I do think, you know, we're gonna look at this more, throughout the rest of this program. I think there was justification what the Trump administration did and how they went about it. There's precedent there.
13:48 Again, I think we need to look at this problem that our nation is facing holistically. There's some personal responsibility here as well. Alright. We're gonna be looking at the scandal in Minnesota. Don't go away.
14:03 The book of Hebrews says that the word of God is living and active, sharper than any 2 edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the
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15:00 At Family Research Council, we believe religious freedom is a fundamental human right that all governments must protect. For years, Islamist militants in Nigeria have targeted Christians
Exposing Welfare Fraud and Government Accountability
15:12 and other religious minority groups with brutal violence. Since 2009, 52000 Christians have been slaughtered. A staggering 89 percent of Christian martyrs in the world today are
15:24 from Nigeria. The first Trump administration declared Nigeria a country of particular concern, a designation reserved for countries whose governments engage in or tolerate religious freedom
15:36 violations. However, this designation of Nigeria was quickly reversed by the Biden administration. Following consistent calls from FRC president Tony Perkins and other religious leaders across
15:48 the US, president Donald Trump has responded.
15:52 Christianity is facing an existential threat in Nigeria. Thousands and thousands of Christians are being killed. I am hereby making Nigeria a country of particular concern.
16:04 This is a huge step forward for the protection of Christians in Nigeria as well as religious freedom across the world. While this opens the door for the US government to pressure Nigerian leaders to protect vulnerable
16:16 Christians, it is only the beginning. We must continue to pray diligently, work strategically, and stand firm for the protection of religious liberty across the globe.
16:29 Looking for a trusted source of news that shares your Christian values? Turn to the Washington stand, your ultimate destination for informed faith centered reporting. Our dedicated team goes beyond the headlines,
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17:01 Welcome back to Washington Watts. Thanks so much for, joining us. The website, f r c dot o r g, or you can go to tony perkins dot com. Earlier today, Minnesota governor Tim Walz
17:13 announced that he will abandon his bid for reelection amid the widening welfare fraud scandal in his state, the state of Minnesota, that has drawn national attention. Now later this week,
17:25 the house oversight and government reform committee will hold the first of 2 hearings on the scandal. Federal prosecutors estimate the fraud could top 9000000000 dollars in taxpayer
17:36 money. Now in the meantime, the Department of Health and Human Services has also taken action, freezing all federal funding to the state's childcare providers. Joining me now to discuss this, assistant secretary for
17:48 family support, doctor Alex Adams, who leads the administration for children and families at the US Department of Health and Human Services. Assistant secretary
18:00 Adams, thanks so much for joining us today. Appreciate, you being with us.
18:04 Thanks for having me.
18:05 So we're we're coming back from the holidays. Some in our audience may not have been following closely the news during the holiday period or may just heard bits and pieces. So give us kind of the
18:17 overview. Start and and share with us what we know so far about this scandal that seems to be very widespread.
18:24 Yeah. Well, it as as you said, fraud is rampant in Minnesota. Prosecutor has estimated that, the total fraud across multiple different programs is 9000000000 dollars. 1 of the programs
18:36 implicated is the child care development fund, which my agency, the Administration for Children and Families, oversees. Around the holidays, a video was posted on social media, going
18:48 to different day care facilities, finding that there were very few, if any, children there, alleging some to be false, storefronts. Unfortunately, those allegations, align well with, past reports.
19:00 Just this past May, HHS's inspector general had issued a report, questioning the attendance records practices in Minnesota, suggesting that it was leaving leading to overpayment.
19:12 So the scale of the fraud is eye popping, and, unfortunately, it does not just impact those in Minnesota. It impacts all American taxpayers because these are federal dollars that are given to the state, a
19:24 portion of which are then stolen by fraudsters.
19:28 You know, assistant secretary, I I when I look at this, there's a couple of questions come to mind. Number 1, that's so widespread, it can't be isolated. It it almost it has to be coordinated. It's almost as someone has
19:39 to be driving this. It doesn't just happen.
19:43 Well, either through negligence or malice. You know, governor Walz has overseen 1 of largest welfare fraud scandals in American history, and I think it's appropriate that he's, stepping away. That doesn't mean that we
19:54 will let up on the gas. It doesn't mean we will, stop our efforts to uncover the scope and size and magnitude of this fraud, but I think it's a, good first step. A couple things that
20:06 we did to to nip this in the bud, we took 3 quick actions last week. First, we put up on our website, childcare dot gov, a tip line for anyone with allegations of fraud, waste, or abuse to
20:18 report to us directly. To date, we've received about 280 tips, nationwide and from multiple different states. I mean, it does, appear that this exists outside of that state
20:30 as well. We did ask for an audit too of, Minnesota. He had some of the day care facilities specifically named. Yeah. The the third thing is we set up a defend the spend system where
20:42 states, prior to drawing down funds for child care, have to substantiate their drawdown with evidence of legitimacy.
20:49 Now I wanna go back to something you said a moment ago that the the inspector general report that there had or an audit. There had been an audit that had raised these questions regarding attendance records and the the
21:00 billing. Did the state did state officials take any action on that whatsoever?
21:06 I'm I'm not aware of any actions they've taken because, certainly, some of the social media reports are subsequent to the release of that. The other thing to know is this had been on the Trump administration radar for a
21:15 while. Earlier in December, well, in advance of those social media videos, we had sent letters, to governor Walz and his administration asking for more information on the childcare program,
21:27 some of their cash assistance programs, some of their block grants, and we had asked for very specific, specific information from them by December 26. Unfortunately, they did not, provide a substantive
21:39 response. They asked for a delay into, this month. So they've got about a week, to provide, answers, to us, but we're hoping to get to the bottom of that soon.
21:50 Now you mentioned, secretary Adams, that this is going to affect I mean, this affects not just families and people in Minnesota, but this is this affects all Americans, all taxpayers.
22:01 Yeah. Just as 1 example, in this child care program, American taxpayers send 185000000 dollars out each year to the state of Minnesota, and Minnesota is supposed to administer that with fidelity.
22:13 And they're supposed to, in the child care program, get it to families in need, families who are working, who would not be able to join the workforce but for having child care support. Yet every
22:25 dollar stolen by 1 of these fraudsters is taken from the pocket of, children and families. Certainly, 1 of the things we've said is fraud does not occur in a vacuum. The policies from
22:37 Washington can either enable it or impede it. And, unfortunately, what we saw during
22:42 the Biden Harris administration is
22:42 a lot of the child care program, for example, the Biden administration had adopted regulations
22:54 that would have required states to pay child care providers in advance based on enrollment rather than after the fact based on attendance records that are verifiable.
23:06 That would have turbocharged fraud. So in addition to those actions that we took last week, the Trump administration today published a proposed rule, to limit eliminate those Biden era provisions,
23:18 and we're trying to to to get these programs back on the the right path, which is to help the children and families for whom congress intended.
23:26 We we just have about a minute and a half left. But when you look back during COVID where there was just this infusion of cash into the states and and now, of course, part of the fraud in in being uncovered here is
23:38 connected to, the COVID era funding. But is it not also an issue of scale when the government is sending so much money creating so many social programs that it's just hard
23:50 to keep track of it?
23:52 Yeah. Well, Tony, I I think the best way I've heard it described is, the Biden administration with ARPA and some of their pandemic era funds essentially sent the bricks truck full of cash out to the states and sent the
24:02 security home. So, you know, I I think, you know, as the president has said, we've only, seen the tip of the iceberg so far, but Americans can have confidence that we're going to uncover the size and
24:14 magnitude of us, and we're gonna do everything we can, to return those dollars back to hardworking Americans.
24:20 Well, we appreciate what the Trump administration is doing and appreciate you joining us today, to, give us the latest on what's happening as it pertains to families and children in Minnesota and elsewhere. Assistant
24:32 secretary Adams, thanks for for your time today.
24:35 Thanks for having me.
24:37 You know, I again, I think it's a a part of it is just the government has gotten so big providing so many programs. It just can't keep track of it. And and, of course, you get liberal governments like we see in
24:49 Minnesota, and it's just ripe for for fraud. We're gonna be watching this closely over the next several weeks to see what's uncovered. Alright. Don't go away. More straight
25:01 ahead. For over 4000 years, the Jewish people have had legal, historical, and biblical ties to the land of Israel, especially the heartland of Israel, Judea and Samaria, which much of the world still calls the West Bank.
25:13 To Israelis, Judea and Samaria is far more than a name. It's the center of their ancestral homeland where nearly 80 percent of the Bible's events took place. Abraham purchased property in Hebron, Jacob in
25:25 Shechem. Joshua made an altar on Mount Ebal and led the Israelites into a covenant before God. On Mount Gerizim overlooking Shechem, Jesus talked to the Samaritan woman at the well about worshiping neither on
25:37 Mount Gerizim nor in Jerusalem, but in spirit and in truth. Judea and Samaria is nearly a quarter of Israel's current land mass, not a small strip of land on the Jordan River, but a
25:49 vital and strategic part of the nation's identity. The October seventh massacre launched from Gaza shattered the illusion that giving away territory brings peace. Gaza, which was
26:01 once seen as the cornerstone of a 2 state solution, became a launchpad for terror. Today, only 21 percent of Israelis support a Palestinian state. Trust in a 2 state solution
26:13 has all but collapsed. The Middle East is changing. Iran's grip is weakening. New alliances are forming, but Western countries and some US officials still chase the mirage of a 2 state solution.
26:25 History speaks clearly. The 2005 Gaza withdrawal, backed by the US, led not to peace, but to a terrorist regime. Judea and Samaria are 24 times larger than Gaza,
26:36 deeply woven into Israel's geographic and spiritual fabric. To surrender them would not bring peace. It would invite conflict and existential danger. Family Research Council stands with Israel's
26:48 rightful claim to sovereignty. It's time for America to do the same for history, for justice, and for lasting security in the Middle East.
27:03 Welcome back to Washington Watch. Good to have you with us. The website tony perkins dot com. If you've not yet downloaded the Stand Firm app, I encourage you to go to the App Store. Get the Stand Firm app. That way youShow more
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