Senator Lindsey Graham, animated and fervent, hinted that President Trump might set his sights on Havana following his actions in Iran, as he prominently displayed a “Free Cuba” hat during a live television appearance on Sunday.
Speaking on Fox News’ “Sunday Morning Futures,” the senator expressed, “Take a look at this hat, ‘Free Cuba’? Keep watching. The liberation of Cuba is approaching. It’s only a matter of time.” Known for his strong foreign policy stance, Graham continued, “We’re making our way across the globe, eliminating threats. We aim to establish new alliances that will enhance our prosperity and security. I’ve never witnessed anything like this. It’s reminiscent of Ronald Reagan’s era, but even more impactful.”
“President Trump is reshaping the global landscape in ways unimaginable just a year ago,” he asserted.
In recent weeks, the United States has been implementing an oil blockade around Venezuela to curb the country’s oil exports. Venezuela, which possesses the largest proven oil reserves globally, had been supplying oil to Cuba before the imposition of these restrictions.
Though the Trump administration has slightly relaxed these constraints, allowing some Venezuelan oil to reach Cuba, the island nation continues to grapple with widespread power outages and fuel shortages affecting millions. Despite these adjustments, a significant portion of the blockade remains in force.
The Trump administration recently eased the restrictions on Venezuelan oil flowing to Cuba slightly, which has been bogged down by blackouts and fuel shortages that have impacted millions, though much of the blockade is still in effect.
Trump has made it clear that he’s got Cuba, which sits some 90 miles off the coast of Florida, on his mind.
“Many of you have come today and they say, ‘I hope you can take care of Cuba.’ Because you have problems with Cuba, right?” Trump told the gathering of Latin American leaders at the Shield of the Americas Summit in Florida on Saturday.
“I was surprised, but four of you said, actually, ‘Could you do us a favor?’ Take care of Cuba.’ I’ll take care of it, OK?”
Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) had observed last month that “it’s entirely possible” that the regimes in Cuba, Iran and Venezuela could all fall within the next six months.
Graham, a close Trump ally who was in Florida during the interview, also briefly showcased a black “Make Iran Great” hat. He defended Trump’s Operation Epic Fury attacks against the country as necessary for peace.
The Republican senator underscored how, according to special envoy Steve Witkoff, Iran boasted about having enough 60% enriched uranium for 11 nuclear bombs.
Notably, 60% enrichment is still short of the 90% threshold needed to become weapons-grade material. However, the jump from 60% to 90% is easier than getting up to 60%, according to nuclear experts.
“Best money you ever spent,” Graham said of the cost of the war in Iran. “That’s a really good investment. They’re going to fall. It’s not a question of if the regime falls, it’s a matter of when.”
“All of this money is to make sure they never go nuclear,” the senator went on. “They can’t hit us with ballistic missiles, and they stop terrorizing the region. When this regime goes down, we’re going to have a new Mideast. We’re going to make a ton of money. Nobody will threaten the Strait of Hormuz again.”
Graham has long been a champion of an interventionist posture abroad. Just last week, the South Carolina foreign policy buff publicly urged Trump to join Israel and bomb Lebanon to “settle the score” with Hezbollah.
“Trump’s a man of peace and business,” Graham argued. “Venezuela and Iran have 31% of the world’s oil reserves. We’re going to have a partnership with 31% of the known reserves. This is China’s nightmare.”
The senator’s Fox News appearance drew a rebuke from Meghan McCain, whose father had been a close friend of Graham’s.
