Speaking to a crowd at Alico Arena on the Florida Gulf Coast University campus in Fort Myers, President Donald Trump said Friday that U.S. warships returning from Iran could make a detour past Cuba, with one vessel stopping close enough to the island’s coast to prompt the communist government’s surrender.
The remarks came after an audience member at the Lee County rally asked Trump about his plans for Cuba. “No, Cuba, he wants to know what about Cuba. Give me a break. Give me a break,” Trump said. “Don’t worry. We’ll take care of Cuba on our way back from Iran. We’ll do a little stopover.”
He elaborated on the scenario moments later. “Actually, what we’re going to do with Cuba is we’re going to come back from Iran. Those beautiful ships will pass Cuba,” Trump said. “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.”
Trump then suggested Secretary of State Marco Rubio might not even need naval backup to resolve the matter. “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, a former U.S. senator from Florida, has led much of the administration’s Cuba policy and has said he wants to see fundamental change to the island’s government. In September, the administration imposed new sanctions aimed at Cuban elites, financial networks and resource industries, with the State Department describing the communist government as a threat to U.S. national security.
In a separate interview with Fox News host Sean Hannity, Rubio questioned how much longer Cuba’s political system could hold on, calling it a failed model propped up by leaders still pushing a revolution that never delivered.
Trump’s visit to Fort Myers was aimed at boosting Republican Rep. Byron Donalds, who is running for Florida governor against Democrat David Jolly. Cuba policy remains a potent issue in the state, where Cuban American voters carry significant political weight.
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