{"id":220,"date":"2026-05-13T05:04:10","date_gmt":"2026-05-13T05:04:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/jacksonvillemovingnews.com\/?p=220"},"modified":"2026-05-13T05:04:10","modified_gmt":"2026-05-13T05:04:10","slug":"trump-comment-on-cuba-sparks-political-questions-in-south-florida","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/jacksonvillemovingnews.com\/?p=220","title":{"rendered":"Trump comment on Cuba sparks political questions in South Florida"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n

A social media post from President Donald Trump about Cuba is drawing attention in South Florida and raising questions about how it could affect Republican political campaigns ahead of the midterm elections.<\/p>\n

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In a post published shortly before 8 a.m., Trump wrote: \u201cNo Republican has ever spoken to me about Cuba, which is a failed country and only heading in one direction – down! Cuba is asking for help, and we are going to talk!!!\u201d<\/p>\n

The statement immediately generated reaction because several high-profile Republican leaders tied to Cuba policy are based in South Florida, including Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Cuban-American Republican members of Congress Mario Diaz-Balart, Carlos Gimenez and Maria Elvira Salazar.<\/p>\n

NBC6 political analyst Alex Penelas said the president\u2019s comments could complicate the political messaging of South Florida Republicans.<\/p>\n

\u201cWithout a doubt this statement by the president has the potential to complicate the re-election bids of the Cuban-American Republican congresspeople here in South Florida,\u201d Penelas said.<\/p>\n

Penelas noted that many Cuban-American Republican voters remain skeptical of any negotiations with the Cuban government that focus primarily on economic issues rather than political change on the island.<\/p>\n

He also pointed to the president\u2019s assertion that no Republican had spoken to him about Cuba as a potentially sensitive political issue.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat could result in some backlash in the upcoming midterm elections especially, for example, Congresswoman Maria Elvira Salazar, who is being seriously challenged by Elliott Rodriguez,\u201d Penelas said.<\/p>\n

By midday, Rep. Maria Elvira Salazar was the only South Florida Republican member of Congress to publicly respond to Trump\u2019s remarks.<\/p>\n

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On social media, Salazar said: \u201cRepublicans know you are the only person who will be able to free Cuba after 67 years of oppression, and we Republicans in South Florida are supporting you and waiting for you to take the necessary action. There is nothing else to say or discuss.\u201d<\/p>\n

Salazar appeared to reference the second part of Trump\u2019s post, where the president wrote that Cuba is \u201casking for help\u201d and that \u201cwe are going to talk.\u201d<\/p>\n

For years, Cuban-American Republicans in South Florida have largely opposed direct negotiations with the Cuban government.<\/p>\n

Meanwhile, in Washington, Rep. Mario D\u00edaz-Balart questioned Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth during a House Appropriations subcommittee hearing about whether Cuba poses a national security threat to the United States.<\/p>\n

\u201cDo you believe that the Cuban regime possesses a national security threat to the United States?\u201d D\u00edaz-Balart asked.<\/p>\n

\u201cI do,\u201d Hegseth responded.<\/p>\n

The comments come one day after NBC\u00a0 News published exclusive reporting that Trump has grown frustrated that longstanding U.S. sanctions and pressure campaigns against Cuba have not produced significant\u00a0political changes on the island.<\/p>\n

Cuban officials also responded forcefully on Tuesday. A Cuban minister accused the United States of carrying out \u201ceconomic aggression\u201d against the island and called U.S. sanctions \u201cvicious and cruel.\u201d<\/p>\n

The minister also said Cuba maintains a \u201cfirm commitment to self-defense,\u201d amid escalating rhetoric surrounding U.S.-Cuba relations.<\/p>\n

Read more Tugboat captain charged in Miami sailing camp tragedy wants plea deal, attorney says<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

A social media post from President Donald Trump about Cuba is drawing attention in South Florida and raising questions about how it could affect Republican\u2026<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":219,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[39],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-220","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-cuba"],"yoast_head":"\nTrump comment on Cuba sparks political questions in South Florida - Jacksonville Moving News<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/jacksonvillemovingnews.com\/?p=220\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Trump comment on Cuba sparks political questions in South Florida - 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