Trump Discusses Cuba at Florida Rally
During a campaign event in Florida on Friday, Donald Trump expressed that a U.S. warship could potentially push Cuba’s communist regime into submission, following a similar stance on Iran, and mentioned Secretary of State Marco Rubio in connection with this plan.
The comments were made at Alico Arena at Florida Gulf Coast University in Fort Myers, where one audience member raised a question regarding Cuba.
“No, about Cuba, he wants to know. Give me a break,” Trump responded. “Don’t worry. We’ll take care of Cuba on our way back from Iran. We’ll do a little stopover.”
Trump then elaborated on the idea of American ships passing by Cuba while returning from Iran, suggesting that one might anchor just offshore.
“Actually, what we’re going to do with Cuba is we’re going to come back from Iran. Those beautiful ships will pass Cuba,” he explained.
He further noted, “We’ll have one of them stop about 50 yards off the coast. They’ll raise up their hands. And then we’re going to send Marco Rubio in to finish up the deal.”
Later, he proposed that Rubio could manage the situation without the need for a ship to stop.
“We’ll have Marco. We don’t even have to stop,” he said. “We could just put him in there and he’ll figure it out. He’s a great guy.”
Rubio, having served as a U.S. senator from Florida, has played a significant role in shaping the administration’s Cuba policy. Trump has emphasized his desire to drastically alter the communist government on the island, vowing to apply even more pressure on Havana in his next term.
In September, the administration rolled out additional sanctions aimed at Cuban elites, financial systems, and resource operations, with the State Department claiming the Cuban government poses a threat to national security.
Rubio has also raised concerns about the viability of Cuba’s current system, calling it a failure during an interview with Fox News’ Sean Hannity, where he pointed out that the leadership has perpetuated a revolution that hasn’t succeeded.
Trump’s visit to Florida was meant to bolster Republican Rep. Byron Donalds’ gubernatorial campaign against Democrat David Jolly. The issue of Cuba is particularly significant in Florida, where Cuban Americans represent a powerful voting force.
