Trump tells a Florida rally US warships heading home from Iran could park off Cuba before Rubio closes a deal

President Donald Trump brought back the idea of pressing Cuba by force on Friday night. At a campaign rally in Fort Myers, Florida, he told the crowd that Navy ships coming home from the war with Iran could make a stop near the island on the way.

He was answering a question someone shouted from the audience. Trump said the ships would pass by Cuba and one would sit roughly 50 yards from shore. He said the Cubans would put their hands up and then Secretary of State Marco Rubio would be sent in to wrap up a deal.

Trump first floated the idea earlier this year but had not brought it up in months. He has said before that Cuba would be next once the fighting with Iran winds down, although that wind down has not happened yet.

Rubio weighs in

Minutes after Trump spoke, Rubio posted a message online saying now is the time for change in Cuba. He addressed people on the island who want change and invited them to work quietly with the CIA.

Rubio, the son of Cuban immigrants, has long taken a hard line against the island's communist leaders. Last month he said Cuba had already fallen with no working economy. He also said the U.S. would never let it become a base for threats against Americans.

In May the administration charged former Cuban leader Raul Castro with crimes. Trump then said past presidents had talked about stepping in for decades but he looked like the one who would do it. Talks between the two governments in recent months went nowhere and led to more sanctions. Trump has also said he expects a deal and may not need the military.

Hard times on the island

Cuba has been stuck in an economic and energy crisis since 2020. Its roughly 10 million people face blackouts, food shortages and rising prices. Protests have broken out and hundreds of thousands have left, many for the U.S.

The rally came just over a week before the Nov. 3 midterm elections, as voters tell pollsters the Iran war has driven up prices for gas and groceries. At the same event Trump suggested another strike on Iran is possible if Tehran does not agree to terms.