United States Senator Bill Hagerty, a Republican representing Tennessee, appeared on Fox & Friends on March 9 to discuss President Donald Trump’s national security approach and recent developments in Latin America.
Hagerty said the United States is seeing significant changes across Latin America due to renewed emphasis in national defense and security strategies. He credited Secretary of State Marco Rubio for his work in the region, saying, “He understands this area very well and, as our Secretary of State, is doing an outstanding job. And we’re seeing a tremendous reinvigoration of our relationships in Latin America.”
Hagerty also addressed border security measures implemented by President Trump. “The answer is yes, and the key element of all of this is President Trump’s immediate move once he took office to secure our southern border. That was actually the fundamental requirement to be able to deal with the rest of Latin America, to stop the economic flow, to stop the drug flow, to stop the flow in human trafficking that has been feeding these cartels and these illicit narcoterrorists,” Hagerty said.
Discussing adversarial influence in Latin America, Hagerty stated: “You heard President Trump mention that he’s not going to allow these entities to have a foothold in our region. And you just mentioned it: China, Russia, even North Korea has a very large embassy in Cuba. China was setting up intel operations under the Biden administration in Cuba.” He added that discussions between Secretary Rubio and Raulito Castro could signal significant change for Cuba.
On Venezuela, Hagerty highlighted U.S. actions against Nicolas Maduro: “They see that President Trump is serious, and the prosecution that’s going to take place in the Southern district of New York–that is very serious, indeed, with respect to Maduro. It sends a strong message to all of these narcoterrorists that this administration means business.” He expressed optimism about Venezuela’s future leadership: “Rodriguez is cooperating with us. Secretary Rubio is very much on top of this situation… I think we are moving in the right direction and toward a position where Venezuela can be great again.”
Hagerty serves on several Senate committees including Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs; Foreign Relations; Appropriations; and Rules and Administration for the 119th Congress according to his official website. His Senate office provides constituent services such as casework assistance and federal agency support statewide through district offices located across Tennessee—including Chattanooga, Knoxville and Tri-Cities—as well as an office at the Russell Senate Office Building in Washington D.C., according to his official website.
