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One World with Zain Asher
Trump: Venezuela To Turn Over 30-50M Barrels Of Oil To U.S.; White House Holds Briefing Amid U.S. Focus On Venezuela And Greenland; CNN Speaks To Bondi Beach Hero And Family Member Of Victim; U.S. Seizes Two Oil Tankers Days After Maduro Capture. Aired 12-1p ET
Aired January 07, 2026 - 12:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[12:20:28]
ZAIN ASHER, CNN ANCHOR: All right. You've just been listening to a live press conference, White House press briefing with Karoline Leavitt. She
touched on a whole host of issues, especially issues that we were keen to hear from her about today, including Venezuela, the U.S.'s actions in
Venezuela, especially as it pertains to the U.S. controlling 30 to 50 million barrels of oil from Venezuela, selling that oil and distributing
the funds as it sees fit.
She also touched on this idea of the fact that the U.S. is still exploring a whole range of options when it comes to acquiring Greenland, maintaining
that Greenland is a national security priority to deter Russia and China in the area, and that U.S. military options are on the table.
We've got Stefano Pozzebon following from Bogota, Colombia. But let's begin with CNN's Alayna Treene at the White House.
Alayna, what stood out to you in terms of what the White House press secretary said -- said there?
ALAYNA TREENE, CNN WHITE HOUSE REPORTER: Yes. There were a number of things. One, when she was talking about that post from the president, of
course, yesterday where he said that they had made a deal with the interim government in Venezuela for 30 million to 15 million barrels of oil to be
sold to the U.S.
She leaned into the idea that this was a deal that was agreed upon by the president, but the Trump administration, of course, with the acting
president of Venezuela, Delcy Rodriguez.
But she also talked about how, you know, with these ships that we're seeing today, that the U.S. has seized both one, of course, the -- the former --
former ship, or oil tanker, I should say, known as the Bella 1, renamed by the Russians as Marinera once they took that over.
She said that ship as well is another one that was seized by U.S. U.S. SOUTHCOM, or South Command, more in the Caribbean. She said both of those
were discussed with Venezuela beforehand.
And then essentially, Venezuela's acting government right now had said that they wanted that oil to be given to the United States as part of that
broader deal of that 30 million to 50 million barrels that they will be giving to the United States. So all of that giving a little bit more
clarity.
I also think another issue that has kind of not had a lot of clarity. And I know a lot of lawmakers on Capitol Hill have been asking about this, is
what will the military presence look like in Venezuela moving forward, particularly as they really entrench themselves in this idea of wanting to
run Venezuela's oil operation, essentially.
And -- and Karoline Leavitt said that as of now, there are no troops on the ground in Venezuela. Of course, there is a massive military buildup,
particularly in Armada (PH), right off the coast of Venezuela, but she said not on the ground inside Venezuela. Though the president reserves the right
to -- to, you know, use them in the future.
[12:25:08]
She also talked about, as you mentioned, Greenland. And I think this is a - - it's a huge question. You know, one of the reporters asked, why not the - - why not use diplomacy? The president is, you know, now reserving the right to use the military to try and essentially seize control of a Danish
territory, Greenland. It's also, of course, part of NATO.
And she said, who says the president isn't interested in diplomacy? She said that he is definitely interested in it, so as his national security
team, but doesn't necessarily match the rhetoric, of course, we know that he's been using in recent days.
BIANNA GOLODRYGA, CNN ANCHOR: All right. Alayna Treene, thank you so much.
Let's go to Stefano Pozzebon who is in Bogota, Colombia, for us.
Of course, there, Gustavo Petro being warned by President Trump over the weekend to watch his ass. This as we have that huge naval buildup
surrounding Venezuela. They're bordering Colombia.
You heard the secretary of state say that there is a three-stepped process that the U.S. has introduced. And the first is quarantining all of the oil
there, the tankers and the oil internally from being sold out of the country, which would give Venezuela really just a number of weeks before
the economy would collapse. They're using that as leverage.
How is that being viewed from neighbor in Colombia? And just tell us what you're hearing from your sources within Venezuela itself.
STEFANO POZZEBON, CNN CONTRIBUTOR: Well, when it comes to Colombia, we're going to hear more from President Petro himself in a few hours, as he has
called for a series of rallies on all the major squares, the major Bolivar Squares in all the major countries -- cities of this country, as he
protests what he sees as a neo-colonial approach at the whole matter, accusing the United States of resorting to the old Monroe Doctrine and
behaving frankly, rightly, and behaving as the hegemonic power in the Western hemisphere.
So the Colombians are warning. Petro, yesterday, said that he would not be afraid to pick-up arms again if indeed Donald Trump will come after him
personally. That was a reference, of course, to his background as a leftist guerilla when he himself was a revolutionary moving war against the country
that he now represents.
However, for that part, I think we can say that it's contained to the rhetoric warfare sphere. That is not the case in Venezuela when we're
seeing that the United States has the appetite of meddling in Venezuelan affairs directly inside the country as we saw on Saturday morning.
The question there is, how much time can Delcy Rodriguez buy for herself as he tries to move the country in the direction that she, and apparently
Donald Trump, want for Venezuela?
It was interesting to hear several times Karoline Leavitt in that press briefing wrapped just now saying that the -- the U.S. administration is
working hand in hand with the interim government down in Caracas with acting President Delcy Rodriguez. And that Delcy Rodriguez is willing to
follow Trump's demands.
Most of the demands, of course, have to do with oil. Delcy Rodriguez being perfectly tasked in handling the Venezuelan oil industry.
However, everything takes a lot of time when it comes to Venezuela, Bianna. Everything takes a lot of time with Venezuela.
And so restoring the Venezuelan oil producing capacity will take a lot of time. And Delcy Rodriguez probably is looking at that time as the main
commodity for her own presidency.
Bianna, Zain.
GOLODRYGA: All right. Stefano Pozzebon for us live in Bogota. Thank you so much.
ASHER: Thank you, Stefano.
Let's bring in Clayton Seigle, joins us live now from the Center for Strategic and International Studies. Clayton is a very experienced analyst
of the energy sector.
I have so many questions for you, especially with the news about the U.S. essentially seizing and taking over Venezuela's oil industry.
I think the first question, and obviously I asked this question, but it's important not to normalize what has happened in Venezuela over the past few
days.
However, the reality on the ground is it does appear that the U.S. is working hand in hand with Delcy Rodriguez and that she has essentially
handed over control of Venezuela's oil sector for the time being.
That being said, what mechanisms are in place to ensure that a significant amount of the money made from the sale of this oil actually goes to benefit
the Venezuelan people instead of simply lining the coffers of the U.S. government and American energy companies?
CLAYTON SEIGLE, SENIOR FELLOW, CENTER FOR STRATEGIC AND INTERNATIONAL STUDIES: You're asking exactly the right question, but I'm afraid we don't
have the answers at this early stage.
But I do think that today has been an important breakthrough, because after one month of this unprecedented naval quarantine that has blocked most oil
exports from Venezuela, followed by the extraordinary events at the head of state this weekend, we now have apparently the outline of a plan for how
the United States administration is planning to handle and eventually rehabilitate Venezuela's oil exports.
[12:30:08]
And so in this first phase, we're talking about 20 to 50 million barrels of oil that have accumulated during this quarantine and haven't been able to
be exported. That's maybe two dozen of these super tankers carrying oil around the world. And it's probably worth about two and a half billion
dollars.
So in theory, that could be a good start if it's applied to the needs of the Venezuelan people. And I would think, first and foremost, promoting
basic security and stability at the top in Venezuela, providing some of those social needs.
And we'll see if the administration is able to continue that flow going forward after that first trench with about a million barrels per day that
Venezuela could be producing and exporting.
GOLODRYGA: Clayton, if I can just ask you a quick question. You've said that companies may be eager to engage in the short-term, but not commit
longer term, given that there's so much uncertainty here.
Do you think that that's why we heard the energy secretary today explicitly say that the U.S. will be controlling and overseeing the sale of
Venezuela's oil quote indefinitely?
SEIGLE: It does probably play a role, because the most important prerequisite for oil companies to think about a long-term future, big
capital spending commitments in a market like Venezuela, is a credible roadmap to political stability.
We don't have that yet, but the administration, the ball is in their court, so to speak. For example in the meeting that's scheduled with executives
for Friday to convince oil industry leaders that the risk-reward balance for getting serious about investing in Venezuela is attractive. And so the
administration will have an opportunity to face.
GOLODRYGA: Yes. These are private companies, not state runs. So -- so this is at their own discretion. And this is going to cost a lot of money to
extract what is a lot of lucrative oil as well.
Clayton Seigle, thank you so much.
And coming up for us, we take a look at some of the other news, including the impact of the Bondi Beach terror attack. We'll talk to two people
affected by the tragedy, you've come to know this man in particular, a hero who saved so many lives. We'll have him on as well as the relative of one
of the fallen. That's next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[12:35:22]
GOLODRYGA: All right. Welcome back to "One World." I'm Bianna Golodryga.
ASHER: And I'm Zain Asher.
GOLODRYGA: It's nearly one month since the anti-Semitic shooting at Australia's Bondi Beach that shocked the world. And one image remains in
the hearts and minds of so many. It is the hero who put his life on the line to save others.
ASHER: Yes. People around the world were moved by the courage of Ahmed al Ahmed, who was wounded after he rushed forward to wrestle a shotgun away
from one of the attackers. An online fundraiser for the Syrian-born Ahmed raised more than $1.6 million.
The former Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull had this to say about him.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MALCOLM TURNBALL, FORMER AUSTRALIAN PRIME MINISTER: Mr. Ahmed, who tackled one of the terrorists, you know, 42-year-old greengrocer from Sutherland,
who tackled one of the terrorists and brought him to the ground. He represents Australia far more, vastly more than anyone that is filled with
hatred.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GOLODRYGA: All right. Time now for "The Exchange." And joining us is that hero Ahmed Al Ahmed, who is in New York, alongside Rabbi Yehoram Ulman,
father-in-law of the late Rabbi Eli Schlanger, who tragically lost his life in the attack last month. Welcome, both of you.
And, Ahmed, I would say you not only represent the best of Australia, you represent the best of humanity. And thank goodness we have that video to
showcase to the world your heroism and your selflessness in saving so many others.
And I was really taken by what you said in a recent interview where you said there was, quote, nothing to think about. After hearing women,
children, and families scream, it made your body move before your mind actually caught up.
And in addition to that, you disarmed the attacker, but then chose not to shoot him, even as you were being shot a total of five times.
Have you had the opportunity to ask yourself where that strength, where -- where that courage came from?
AHMED AL AHMED, TACKLED AND DISARMED BONDI BEACH SHOOTER: First, I thank you for your welcoming and thanks for all the opportunity. And your
question is very good and smart, honestly.
Where this come -- come from, the humanity. I did it as a -- I'm a human being and how I grow my family, my father, we all grow in the warm family.
They teach me to help, who need my help.
And -- and the same time, I don't, you know, put my -- my -- my hand or anything, you know, and danger.
As you say, I didn't shoot him because I was do it as a humanity to stop him, to -- to kill more unseen human being.
And my target, as I say before, just to take the gun and to stop him, not shoot him, not doing something else.
I get five shots, it's -- it's fine. It's for a human -- for -- to save life, my blood, as I say, for my country, Australia, and for human being
around the whole world, and anywhere and any place.
ASHER: Thank you for that. Ahmed, I mean, you are such a hero. And all of us, you know, all of us were watching you with just all, you know, in terms
of what you did during that attack.
Rabbi, I do want to bring you into the conversation. And I think I want to start by just saying, I am so deeply sorry for your loss. We understand
that you lost your son-in-law on that fateful day.
And I do want to ask you, I think, two questions really. One is about your memories of -- of your son-in-law. But also this idea of what Ahmed Al
Ahmed did on that day.
I mean, the idea of a Muslim person saving Jews should not be extraordinary in our world. It shouldn't be extraordinary, but it is.
What does that say about the kind of world we have built, especially as it pertains to the division among us? And the fact that division is so much
more of a focus than our shared humanity.
YEHORA ULMAN, FATHER-IN-LAW OF THE LATE RABBI ELI SCHLANGER: First of all, thank you very much for the opportunity to -- to be part of this interview.
I think that we live in the world where the clarity of good and evil, and who is on the right side of the moral compass is becoming more and more
clear.
[12:40:10]
And this particular clarity transcends anything that may divide us as far as our opinions are concerned, as far as our religions, as far as our
philosophies. Because we have over here a situation where you have a father and a son, I assume that the father probably convinced his son that it's --
it's a good thing to kill innocent civilian, for whatever reason that he explained it to him.
Probably a little bit similar to when the Nazi regime convinced the population that it's moral to destroy certain parts of -- certain types of
minorities.
And on the other hand, you have people like Ahmed and -- and many other individuals, at least four other individuals who tackled and at their own
risk and some -- and in -- in -- in those cases, they actually give up the life in order to be able to tackle and fight with the terrorists.
So you have this particular divide and a clear division between good and bad. And that is the reason why I've invited Ahmed to come to America,
first of all, to pray at the holy site of the resting place of Lubavitcher Rebbe, but also to share with the world the universal biblical concepts of
what is right and what is wrong.
And I think that this is really what this is all about, that you have people who are on the side of good and light and kindness and humanity and
people -- and people who represent evil and darkness.
GOLODRYGA: So well said, not surprise coming from a distinguished rabbi like yourself.
Ahmed, as a proud Jewish woman who has been alarmed by the rise in anti- Semitism, I have to say, not only watching your heroism as a human being, but then knowing that you are also a brave Muslim man, gave us so much hope
and optimism, not just within the Jewish community, but -- but within the - - the humanity, I would say, all of humanity.
And yet, there are those, a minority, who have called you a traitor. And again, you have responded by saying you would do this all over, all over
again, to save lives.
As you are traveling the world, and we should remind you, you're still healing, you're still recovering, as you're traveling the world, is this
now your mission to -- to spread this unity, this message of peace and unity?
AHMED: Yes. What I want to say, like, we all -- we have to stand up and send (PH) each other and to save a human being from all disaster around the
world.
And we have to stop all this hate. And, you know, it's very hard to say, you know. And I don't want to be in a politic, honestly. But as a human
being, I have to say it's enough. And we have to send (PH) each other and save a human soul.
ASHER: Thank you, Ahmed.
Rabbi, I just want to get your -- your response and your take on this. Because I think one of the things that is important to me, because I was
profoundly moved by Ahmed's heroism, is really this idea of how do we keep this story alive?
You know, you have one community that was deeply affected in such a positive way by essentially what is an unexpected ally.
And, you know, we often, in the news business, get distracted. There's so much going on in the world. There are, you know, several wars happening at
the same time. There's so much focus on division, on hate, on politics.
But this is one of those stories that I think, for me, I really hope that this is something that we can remember. Because there are so many messages
within this narrative of what took place on that Sunday on Bondi Beach. It is a story of bravery, obviously. It is a story of heroism. But it's also,
as Bianna was touching on, a story of profound unity and a message that there is so much more in terms of what unites us than what divides us.
So, how can we collectively keep this particular story alive, do you think?
[12:45:05]
ULMAN: Well, I think, first of all, you've -- you've phrased it very so appropriately. When you said that there's so much more that unites us than
divides us.
And I think that the only way that we're able to make sure that the lesson of what happened on Bondi Beach almost a month ago, how this -- how the
message could positively affect humanity is by stressing that the concept of what is right, what is good, and what is bad and what is evil should be
very, very clear.
It's something which is defined -- something which is defined so clearly by the universal biblical laws that talk about sanctity of life, talk about
universal love, belief in one God, and -- and how we accept his code of behavior, not try to match the what's right and what's wrong, according to
our personal prejudices, our personal hang-ups and hatreds of other people.
And I think that if humanity will start to understand that the only way to create a peaceful world, a moral and -- and ethical world, is by following
those laws. We see that -- that particular fateful evening, the heroes that defended sanctity of life, well, Jews and Ahmed is not Jewish, he's a
Muslim. And therefore, it's not something which can be divided into who we are but how we act.
GOLODRYGA: Yes. And as Jewish teaching reminds us, saving a life overrides almost everything else. And, Ahmed, you save not just one life but
countless lives and really, really changed the world in that one fateful decision.
So thank you so much for everything that you've done, that you continue to do. Rabbi, once again, our condolences for your loss, but also our thanks
and gratitude to you for continuing to spread this message of unity. We need it now more than ever. Thank you both.
ASHER: Thank you both so much.
ULMAN: Thank you very much.
GOLODRYGA: And we'll be right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[12:50:02]
GOLODRYGA: All right. We want to go back to our breaking news.
In the last few hours, the United States has seized two oil tankers. One of the ships is carrying two million barrels of oil that's linked to
Venezuela. That's according to analysis.
Let's bring back in CNN global affairs analyst Kim Dozier for a final thought. We heard a lot there from Karoline Leavitt there at the press
briefing talking, not only about the plans going forward for Venezuela, but also for Greenland.
What, if anything, out of it all stood out to you?
KIMBERLY DOZIER, CNN GLOBAL AFFAIRS ANALYST: Well, her conversation about Venezuela in terms of saying that they reserve the right basically to send
the military in to protect oil executives.
But if you look back at also Secretary of Defense Hegseth and Secretary of State Rubio also gave remarks in the past hour or so, saying that while
they reserve the right to do that, they don't think that's going to be necessary.
It seems the administration is banking its hopes on taking the oil that they say the Delcy Rodriguez administration has promised them right now.
And that slowly the more they control Venezuela's oil receipts, the more leverage they'll have to force the current remnants of the Maduro
government to obey.
The problem with that is there is this system in place where very little of the oil receipts get to the Venezuelan people and it comes off at several
different portions. You've got generals who control certain parts of Venezuela where the oil fields are that run them like their own sort of
warlord fiefdoms.
So the payoffs begin close to where the oil is drilled out of the ground and they continue all the way to when they get shipped out of the port.
How the U.S. thinks they're going to compromise and take over that whole system without U.S. boots on the ground? I'm really not certain.
ASHER: All right. Kim Dozier live for us there. Thank you so much. We'll be right back with more after the short break.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ASHER: Russia's foreign ministry is demanding that the U.S. return Russian citizens on board a seized oil tanker.
GOLODRYGA: Yes. Earlier today, U.S. forces seized an oil tanker that Washington believes is linked to Venezuela after pursuing it for weeks. It
was captured south of Iceland in the North Atlantic Ocean.
[12:55:04]
Now, until recently known as the Bella 1, the tanker is under U.S. sanctions for allegedly transporting illicit oil.
Separately, the U.S. seized a second vessel early Wednesday, this time in the Caribbean. The U.S. Southern Command says the ship is considered to be
stateless and was conducting illicit activities. We'll continue to follow this breaking news story throughout the day.
GOLODRYGA: A very busy day for us.
ASHER: Yes.
GOLODRYGA: That does it for "One World" for this Wednesday. I'm Bianna Golodryga.
ASHER: I'm Zain Asher. Appreciate you watching. "Amanpour" is up next. You're watching CNN.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[13:00:00]
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