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President Joe Biden made a mysterious comment after his State of the Union address that was unexpectedly caught on a hot mic.
“Bob, I gotta to talk to you about Cuba,” Biden said to fellow Democrat Bob Menendez.
Menendez appeared to be caught off-guard by the remark. He replied, “OK.”
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BIDEN: "Bob, I gotta talk to you about Cuba."
BOB MENENDEZ: "Okay." pic.twitter.com/Px0jhtcSaZ— Jorge Bonilla (@BonillaJL) February 8, 2023
“I’m serious,” Biden added.
The moment caught the attention of many people, including Cuban American Marco Rubio who serves as a Republican Senator from Florida.
“It looks like Biden wants to talk to someone about Cuba,” Rubio responded.
It’s unclear what exactly Biden is planning with regards to Cuban.
Despite being a Democrat, Menendez is known for taking a hard line against Cuba’s communist government.
It looks like Biden wants to talk to someone about #Cuba pic.twitter.com/RO7r8xP0zI
— Marco Rubio (@marcorubio) February 8, 2023
Menendez’s parents emigrated from Cuba to America and has had differences in the past with Biden about Cuba.
Biden has attempted to create closer ties to Havana in the past while Menendez has consistently opposed those efforts.
Menendez Biden’s decision that loosened rules on group tours going to the island nation.
“I am dismayed to learn the Biden administration will begin authorizing group travel to Cuba through visits akin to tourism,” Menendez said in May.
“To be clear, those who still believe that increasing travel will breed democracy in Cuba are simply in a state of denial.”
“For decades, the world has been traveling to Cuba and nothing has changed.”
“For over sixty years, the tides of romanticism toward Cuba have come and gone, but they’ve always crashed hard against the rocks of reality. Today is another reminder that we must ground our policy in that reality, reaffirm our nation’s indiscriminate commitment to fight for democracy from Kyiv to Havana, and make clear we will measure our success in freedom and human rights and not money and commerce.”
More from Western Journal:
In August, Menendez and Rubio partnered on legislation that called upon the Biden administration to make a policy shift that would call for the extradition of suspected criminals and terrorists who have taken refuge in Cuba, according to a news release issued in August by Menendez’s Senate office.
The Biden administration has been seeking to restart discussions with Cuba on counterterrorism and law enforcement issues, with the first talks held last month, according to the State Department.
“This type of dialogue enhances the national security of the United States through improved international law enforcement coordination, which enables the United States to better protect U.S. citizens and bring transnational criminals to justice,” the State Department said in a statement.
