Waltz: “All Hell to Pay” — Hostages Held Longer Than 1979 Iran Crisis; Miller Outlines Day One Executive Actions

In a compilation of interviews aired on January 12, 2025, incoming National Security Adviser Mike Waltz warned that there would be “all hell to pay” for hostage-taking, noting that American hostages in Gaza had been held longer than the 1979 Iran hostage crisis. Senator Katie Britt addressed the weaponization of the justice system under Biden and praised AG nominee Pam Bondi’s commitment to reform. Trump Senior Advisor Jason Miller then laid out the incoming administration’s Day One executive action agenda, covering border security, deportations, energy, and the removal of DEI policies from the federal government.

Waltz: “There Will Be All Hell to Pay”

Incoming National Security Adviser Mike Waltz drew a stark historical comparison to underscore the severity of the hostage situation in the Middle East.

“In the most awful conditions, longer now than our hostages were held in 1979 in Iran,” Waltz said of the Americans held captive in Gaza. “It’s just unacceptable, and there are going to be consequences to those who think they can take an American.”

Waltz issued an explicit warning about the incoming administration’s posture: “There is going to no longer be any upside for anyone who harms Americans abroad.”

The comparison to the 1979 Iran hostage crisis — in which 52 American diplomats and citizens were held for 444 days — served to highlight how long the Gaza hostages had been in captivity following the October 7, 2023, Hamas attack. Waltz’s comments signaled that the Trump administration intended to treat the hostage issue as a top national security priority from the moment it took office.

Senator Britt on DOJ Weaponization and Pam Bondi

Senator Katie Britt of Alabama addressed the state of the Department of Justice under the Biden administration, arguing that it had been turned against ordinary American citizens.

“Look at what’s happened under the Biden administration,” Britt said. “We have people in these offices who have chosen to go after American citizens, who have chosen to weaponize the justice system in a number of ways.”

Britt then spoke about her conversations with Pam Bondi, Trump’s nominee for Attorney General, expressing confidence in Bondi’s commitment to reform.

“When I talked with Pam Bondi, she committed to me, to getting back to doing the job of the people, to getting back to doing what the department was created to do,” Britt said. “So whether we’re talking about the AG, whether we’re talking about the FBI, whether they’re talking about the Department of Defense, people want these agencies, these departments, to actually work for the American people.”

Britt emphasized that the broader cabinet was aligned with this mandate: “What President Trump has done is he has selected people who are willing to not move as business as usual, but yet are ready for action. They understand his vision for the nation. They understand the mandate that was given on November 5th, and they understand that time for talk is gone and time for results and action is now.”

She added that Bondi was specifically committed to removing politics from the DOJ’s operations: “She is committed to that. And I think she’s going to do an excellent job of returning the department to the work of the American people.”

Jason Miller: Day One Executive Actions

Trump Senior Advisor Jason Miller outlined the executive actions the incoming president planned to take on his first day in office, drawing a parallel to Biden’s own Day One approach in 2021.

“On day one, we’ll have executive orders and we’ll have executive actions,” Miller said. He then listed the priorities:

“First and foremost, we are going to secure our southern border. We’re going to get those Trump policies back in place. We’re also going to begin the deportation efforts. So that’s very important. We’re going to remove some of the restrictions on our energy exploration.”

Miller also highlighted the cultural dimension of the agenda: “And we’re going to get this woke nonsense out of government, completely start stripping down the Green New Scam and get back to some sanity with our federal government.”

When asked whether results would come quickly, Miller was emphatic: “Absolutely, because so many of these things you can literally just put the Trump policies back in place. And we had a secure border, a record level of security at our southern border under President Trump. And Joe Biden came in and flipped the switch and threw that all away.”

Miller concluded by noting the broad public support for the agenda: “President Trump’s border policies are supported by more than two-thirds of Americans, including a majority of Latinos.”

The Transition in Context

The three interviews collectively painted a picture of an incoming administration that was moving aggressively on multiple fronts. Waltz’s hostage warnings signaled a harder line in foreign policy. Britt’s endorsement of Bondi pointed to a DOJ overhaul focused on ending what Republicans characterized as political weaponization. And Miller’s Day One agenda outlined immediate domestic policy reversals on the border, energy, and government culture.

The transition team’s messaging was consistent across all three appearances: the November 5 election had delivered a clear mandate, and the new administration intended to act on it from the first hour of the new presidency.

Key Takeaways

• Incoming NSA Mike Waltz said hostages in Gaza had been held “longer than our hostages were held in 1979 in Iran” and warned there would be “all hell to pay” for hostage-taking.
• Senator Katie Britt said the Biden DOJ had been weaponized against American citizens and praised AG nominee Pam Bondi’s commitment to returning the department to “the work of the American people.”
• Jason Miller listed Day One priorities: securing the border, beginning deportations, removing energy exploration restrictions, eliminating DEI policies from government, and dismantling “Green New Scam” regulations.
• Miller said results would come quickly because “you can literally just put the Trump policies back in place” and noted Trump’s border policies were supported by “more than two-thirds of Americans, including a majority of Latinos.”