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In Florida, Trump vows to deal with Cuba after Iran gets settled · GNN Daily Breaking News

• 0:00
  Speaker 1: Speaking at a midterm campaign rally at Florida Gulf Coast
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  Speaker 1: University in Fort Myers, President Donald Trump declared that the
• 0:08
  Speaker 1: United States will focus on confronting the Cuban government once
• 0:12
  Speaker 1: military operations involving Iran are resolved. Addressing a key political
• 0:17
  Speaker 1: base in a state where he secured substantial support among
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  Speaker 1: Cuban-American voters, the president suggested that naval forces returning from
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  Speaker 1: the Middle East could make a strategic stopover off the
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  Speaker 1: Cuban coast. Trump stated that Secretary of State Marco Rubio
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  Speaker 1: would subsequently be dispatched to finalize diplomatic or administrative terms,
• 0:39
  Speaker 1: signaling an aggressive posture toward the island nation. The remarks
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  Speaker 1: build upon a series of escalating measures enacted by the
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  Speaker 1: administration aimed at increasing economic pressure on Havana. In recent months,
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  Speaker 1: federal agencies have tightened restrictions on state-owned Cuban construction, mining,
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  Speaker 1: and energy entities while maintaining an energy blockade that international
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  Speaker 1: observers note has severely disrupted local fuel supplies. Coinciding with
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  Speaker 1: the president's rally speech, Secretary Rubio issued a public appeal
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  Speaker 1: urging Cuban citizens to cooperate discreetly with U.S. intelligence services
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  Speaker 1: to foster domestic governance changes, reinforcing the White House's public
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  Speaker 1: position that the Cuban government poses a direct security concern
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  Speaker 1: in the Western Hemisphere. In response to the campaign statements,
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  Speaker 1: Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez firmly rejected the administration's rhetoric,
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  Speaker 1: describing the threats of naval stops and political intervention as
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  Speaker 1: unacceptable violations of sovereignty. Writing on social media, official representatives
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  Speaker 1: in Havana cautioned against hostile maritime actions, emphasizing that national
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  Speaker 1: defense forces remain prepared to safeguard the island's borders. The
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  Speaker 1: sharp exchange highlights deepening diplomatic friction between the two nations
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  Speaker 1: following months of stagnant high-level bilateral talks. The public focus
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  Speaker 1: on Cuba serves as a key foreign policy focal point
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  Speaker 1: for the White House as the campaign enters its final
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  Speaker 1: days before the midterm elections. While national security advisors argue
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  Speaker 1: that curbing foreign adversarial influence in the Caribbean is critical
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  Speaker 1: to regional stability, critics contend that threats of unilateral action
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  Speaker 1: risk further destabilizing hemispheric security. As the administration balances ongoing
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  Speaker 1: international commitments, the president's statements reaffirm that policy toward Havana
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  Speaker 1: will remain a primary focus for executive foreign strategy moving forward.