Tommy talks with Anthony Faiola, the Washington Post bureau chief for South America and the Caribbean, about the dire situation in Venezuela. Then Ben Rhodes joins to discuss the Trump administration’s approach to Venezuela’s leadership struggle, the Worldwide Threat Assessment hearings in Congress, a potential peace deal in Afghanistan, Ebola, Jared’s security clearance (again) and bumbling spies.

Show Notes:

• Washington Post: Trump administration announces sanctions targeting Venezuela’s oil industry
• Washington Post: Venezuela’s opposition in talks with military and civilian officials to force out Maduro, Juan Guaidó says in interview
• Washington Post: Fight in Venezuela is against more than a strongman — it’s against what some call a criminal empire
• Washington Post: U.S. diplomats hunker down in Venezuela amid standoff with Maduro
• Washington Post: Who is Juan Guaidó?
• Washington Post: Around the globe, Trump’s style is inspiring imitators and unleashing dark impulses
• Washington Post: Venezuela’s political battles deepen as Maduro begins new presidential term
• Washington Post: Four reasons it’ll be hard to offer Maduro a golden parachute (and one reason to try anyway)
• New York Times: Trump Administration Announces Muscular New Sanctions on Venezuela
• Daily Beast: Trump Open to U.S. Forces in Venezuela, Says John Bolton
• The Atlantic: The White House’s Move on Venezuela Is the Least Trumpian Thing It’s Done
• New Yorker: Trump Says that Nicolás Maduro Is No Longer Venezuela’s President. Maduro Disagrees