President Donald Trump said Friday the United States would "take care of Cuba" after dealing with Iran — suggesting American warships returning from the Iran conflict would stop off the Cuban coast before Secretary of State Marco Rubio is sent in "to finish up the deal."
What Trump said
Speaking at a 90-minute rally at Florida Gulf Coast University's Alico Arena in Fort Myers, Trump told the crowd: "We'll take care of Cuba on our way back from Iran." In response to someone yelling about Cuba, he painted the scenario in detail: "Those beautiful ships will pass Cuba. 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. We don't even have to stop."
Trump, who won 68% of the Cuban-American vote in Florida in the 2024 election, added of Rubio: "We can just leave him there, and he'll handle it. He's a great guy." Rubio, the former Florida senator now secretary of state, has been handling much of Trump's Cuba portfolio. The rally was intended to boost Florida Republican Rep. Byron Donalds, who is running for governor against Democrat David Jolly.
Escalating pressure on Havana
The remarks fit a pattern of mounting pressure. A U.S.-imposed oil blockade earlier this year has put Cuba under severe strain, with fuel shortages and blackouts compounded by failing infrastructure. UN human rights experts have condemned the blockade as a violation of international law. Washington has maintained an embargo on Cuba for more than 60 years, and the administration has been stepping up pressure since the U.S. military seized Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro in a deadly raid in January.
Last month, Trump predicted the U.S. and Cuba would reach an agreement and said he did not think military action would be necessary. In September, he called Cuba a "failed state" at the UN General Assembly and said "freedom will be coming to Cuba," prompting the Cuban delegation to walk out. Cuba's foreign minister told the UN last month that Havana would always be open to dialogue with Washington.
Why it divides
Supporters of the remarks — many in Florida's powerful Cuban-American community — see them as long-overdue pressure toward ending six decades of communist rule. Critics hear gunboat diplomacy: a threat of force against a small island nation, with the oil blockade already punishing ordinary Cubans through blackouts and shortages.
Trump also used the rally to warn of a possible new "Majestic Fury" operation against Iran if Tehran refuses serious negotiations, and announced $250 million to hire at least 5,000 new nurses for elder care facilities across America.
Music in this post's reel: Kevin MacLeod - Volatile Reaction (incompetech.com), licensed under CC BY 3.0