Trump at GOP rally in Florida revives idea of military intervention in Cuba after Iran

President Donald Trump used a campaign appearance in South Florida to again raise the prospect of a U.S. military move against Cuba, this time tying it to the voyage home of American warships from the Iran war. Responding to a question yelled from the audience, he described a Navy vessel halting roughly 50 yards offshore, after which Secretary of State Marco Rubio would go in to complete an agreement. The remarks came days before midterm elections, in which voters have voiced worry about how the Iran conflict has affected the cost of gas and groceries, according to PBS NewsHour.

Trump had spoken of Cuba as a possible next target earlier in the year and had not returned to the subject for months. In May, after the administration brought criminal charges against former Cuban leader Raúl Castro, he said he might be the president who finally acts. Rubio described Cuba as a long-running security danger and doubted a negotiated settlement with its present government. Shortly after the rally, Rubio posted online that "now is the time" for action, inviting those wanting change to work with the CIA. Talks between U.S. and Cuban officials have disappointed Washington and brought additional sanctions, according to the Associated Press.

Summarized by PolitiKool from PBS NewsHour’s reporting. Read the full story at PBS NewsHour →