Trump casts Cuba as Rubio's next assignment after peace negotiations
The U.S. president linked the secretary of state's future attention to the island to his work on Russia and Ukraine, without announcing new measures during the speech.
U.S. President Donald Trump said Cuba would be a later assignment for Marco Rubio once the secretary of state's efforts to secure peace between Ukraine and Russia are complete. The remarks came Friday during the private CPAC Circle Retreat and Gala, which brought U.S. conservatives together at Mar-a-Lago in Palm Beach, Florida. CPAC shared the recording through its official account on X.
Speaking to participants, Trump praised his secretary of state's performance and said he expected the negotiations to produce results soon. When he turned to Cuba, he joked about sending Rubio in by parachute to resolve the situation and recalled that the official's parents were born in Cuba. The reference did not amount to an announcement of military intervention and was not accompanied by specific decisions targeting the island.
The parachute image had previously appeared at a campaign event in Corpus Christi, Texas, on October 27. Before that, in Fort Myers, Trump had described a scene in which U.S. military ships sat 50 yards off the Cuban coast while Rubio negotiated. In September, during the week of the UN General Assembly, he had also suggested dropping the secretary off in Cuban territory from an aircraft carrier.
On the diplomatic front with Moscow, Trump had received Kirill Dmitriev, a special representative of Russian President Vladimir Putin, at the White House on Thursday. After that private conversation, the U.S. president said peace could be near and suggested a potential agreement could have implications across Europe. The next scheduled meeting was in Abu Dhabi, where U.S., Russian and Ukrainian delegations were due to hold talks on November 10 and 11.
Regarding Cuba, the State Department had announced sanctions on November 5 against ten targets connected to the island's government. The measures included a network used to ship oil by sea, state-owned importing companies and Chinese suppliers of military materiel.
The speech also coincided with changes in the U.S. political landscape after the November 3 congressional elections. Democrats won control of both chambers, although members of the new Congress would take office in January 2027. Trump had also announced a change in White House leadership the day before the gala: Stephen Miller would replace Susie Wiles beginning November 9.