President Biden's decision to remove Cuba from the state sponsor of terrorism list is igniting criticism from both sides of the aisle.

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Karah Rucker Anchor

U.S.

Democrats and Republicans criticize Biden over Cuba terror list removal

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Karah Rucker Anchor

By Karah Rucker (Anchor), Jodie Hawkins (Senior Producer), Jack Henry (Video Editor)

One of President Biden’s final foreign policy decisions in the White House to remove Cuba from the state sponsor of terrorism list has caused criticism from both sides of the political aisle. Sources tell The Associated Press that senior Biden administration officials who previewed the plan say dozens of political prisoners and others considered by the U.S. to be unjustly detained would be released by the end of the Biden administration at noon on Jan. 20.

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The Catholic Church has been negotiating with Cuba’s communist-run government to facilitate the prisoner release.

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The plan would also ease some economic pressure on Cuba, as well as a 2017 memorandum issued by then-President Donald Trump toughening U.S. position toward Cuba.

Reaction from Republicans

Republican officials are criticizing Biden’s choice, including Rep. María Elvira Salazar, R-Fla., who said on X, “Cuba is a leading sponsor of terrorism harboring, training and enabling Hamas, Hezbollah and other terrorist enemies of the U.S.”

Once again, the Democrats have BETRAYED the Cubans!

Shame on the entire Biden Administration for taking Cuba off the State Sponsor of Terrorism list.

Cuba is a LEADING sponsor of Terrorism, harboring, training & enabling Hamas, Hezbollah & other terrorist enemies of the USA. pic.twitter.com/4u9slVJCae
— Rep. María Elvira Salazar (@RepMariaSalazar) January 14, 2025

Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, also weighed in on the decision.

“These moves do incredible damage to American national security and send a message to our adversaries that they can rely on outgoing democrat administrations – and wait out pressure from republican administrations – to continue engaging in terrorism and other aggression against Americans,” Cruz said in a statement.

Florida Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis condemned the decision.

“The Biden administration continues on its quest to leave as much wreckage behind on its way out the door as possible,” DeSantis said on X.

The Biden Administration continues on its quest to leave as much wreckage behind on its way out the door as possible. Cuba should not be removed from the list of state sponsors of terrorism. The communist dictatorship in Cuba is one of the most repressive regimes in the world and…
— Ron DeSantis (@GovRonDeSantis) January 15, 2025

Reaction from Democrats

Florida’s Democratic Party is also criticizing Biden. Democratic Party chair, Nikki Fried, released a statement disagreeing with the action.

“While any return of political prisoners from the clutches of communist Cuba is cause for celebration, the regime’s treatment of the Cuban people continues to be one of the biggest human rights violations of the last century,” Fried said on X.

The Florida Democratic Party condemns the removal of Cuba from the list of state sponsors of terrorism.

Statement below: pic.twitter.com/fD3pcYj27K
— Florida Democrats (@FlaDems) January 14, 2025

Rep. Ritchie Torres, D-N.Y. disagrees with the administration’s decision as well.

“Do the majority of Cuban Americans support the removal of Cuba, an adversary of the U.S., from the list of state sponsors of terrorism?” Torres said on X. “If the answer is ‘no,’ then why is the Biden administration unnecessarily alienating Cuban Americans?”

Do the majority of Cuban Americans support the removal of Cuba, an adversary of the US, from the list of state sponsors of terrorism?

If the answer is ‘no,’ then why is the Biden Administration unnecessarily alienating Cuban Americans? I agree with the Florida Democratic… https://t.co/X9YDDl67gE
— Ritchie Torres (@RitchieTorres) January 15, 2025

However, Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., applauds the decision.

“I welcome the Biden administration’s steps to remove Cuba from the state sponsor of terrorism list – a long overdue action that will help normalize relations with our neighbor,” Omar said in a statement.

Will the decision stay?

The move probably won’t last though, with President-elect Trump’s team likely to reverse the decision.

His choice for secretary of state, Marco Rubio, has backed punitive measures against the island’s government.

Former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo designated Cuba as a state sponsor of terrorism in January 2021. He said Cuba hadn’t followed through on commitments it made to President Barack Obama in 2015.

Cuba was one of just four nations designated as state sponsors of terrorism, along with North Korea, Iran and Syria.

Tags: Cuba, Donald Trump, Florida, Ilhan Omar, Joe Biden, Marco Rubio, Prisoners, Ron DeSantis, Ted Cruz

[Karah]

ONE OF PRESIDENT BIDEN’S FINAL FOREIGN POLICY DECISIONS IN THE WHITE HOUSE … TO REMOVE CUBA FROM THE STATE SPONSOR OF TERRORISM LIST IS IGNITING CRITICISM FROM BOTH SIDES OF THE AISLE.

SOURCES TELL THE ASSOCIATED PRESS … SENIOR BIDEN ADMINISTRATION OFFICIALS WHO PREVIEWED THE PLAN SAY DOZENS OF POLITICAL PRISONERS AND OTHERS CONSIDERED BY THE U-S TO BE UNJUSTLY DETAINED WOULD BE RELEASED BY THE END OF THE BIDEN ADMINISTRATION AT NOON ON JANUARY 20TH.

THE CATHOLIC CHURCH HAS BEEN NEGOTIATING WITH CUBA’S COMMUNIST-RUN GOVERNMENT TO FACILITATE THE PRISONER RELEASE.

THE PLAN WOULD ALSO EASE SOME ECONOMIC PRESSURE ON CUBA, AS WELL AS A 2017 MEMORANDUM ISSUED BY THEN-PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP TOUGHENING U-S POSITION TOWARD CUBA.

REPUBLICAN OFFICIALS ARE CRITICIZING BIDEN’S CHOICE … WITH SOUTH FLORIDA REPRESENTATIVE MARIA ELVIRA SALAZAR SAYING CUBA IS A LEADING SPONSOR OF TERRORISM HARBORING, TRAINING AND ENABLING HAMAS, HEZBOLLAH AND OTHER TERRORIST ENEMIES OF THE U-S.

It’s embarrassing .. because Blinken as you know in the house foreign affairs committee told me repeatedly that he was not thinking of taking cuba off the list of terrorist countries and now he called by office and said that biden directly from the office that he had to take cuba off the list.

TEXAS REPUBLICAN SENATOR TED CRUZ RELEASED A STATEMENT … SAYING IN PART “THESE MOVES DO INCREDIBLE DAMAGE TO AMERICAN NATIONAL SECURITY AND SEND A MESSAGE TO OUR ADVERSARIES THAT THEY CAN RELY ON OUTGOING DEMOCRAT ADMINISTRATIONS – AND WAIT OUT PRESSURE FROM REPUBLICAN ADMINISTRATIONS – TO CONTINUE ENGAGING IN TERRORISM AND OTHER AGGRESSION AGAINST AMERICANS.”

FLORIDA REPUBLICAN GOVERNOR RON DESANTIS CONDEMNED THE DECISION … “THE BIDEN ADMINISTRATION CONTINUES ON ITS QUEST TO LEAVE AS MUCH WRECKAGE BEHIND ON ITS WAY OUT THE DOOR AS POSSIBLE.”

FLORIDA’S DEMOCRATIC PARTY IS ALSO CRITICIZING BIDEN’S DECISION …. WITH DEMOCRATIC PARTY CHAIR, NIKKI FRIED (freed) RELEASING A STATEMENT ON X … “WHILE ANY RETURN OF POLITICAL PRISONERS FROM THE CLUTCHES OF COMMUNIST CUBA IS CAUSE FOR CELEBRATION, THE REGIME’S TREATMENT OF THE CUBAN PEOPLE CONTINUES TO BE ONE OF THE BIGGEST HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATIONS OF THE LAST CENTURY.”

NEW YORK DEMOCRATIC REPRESENTATIVE RITCHIE TORRES DISAGREES WITH THE ADMINISTRATION’S DECISION AS WELL … POSTING TO X …

“DO THE MAJORITY OF CUBAN AMERICANS SUPPORT THE REMOVAL OF CUBA, AN ADVERSARY OF THE US, FROM THE LIST OF STATE SPONSORS OF TERRORISM?

IF THE ANSWER IS ‘NO,’ THEN WHY IS THE BIDEN ADMINISTRATION UNNECESSARILY ALIENATING CUBAN AMERICANS?”

HOWEVER, MINNESOTA DEMOCRATIC REPRESENTATIVE ILHAN OMAR APPLAUDS THE DECISION, SAYING IN A STATEMENT “I WELCOME THE BIDEN ADMINISTRATION’S STEPS TO REMOVE CUBA FROM THE STATE SPONSOR OF TERRORISM LIST – A LONG OVERDUE ACTION THAT WILL HELP NORMALIZE RELATIONS WITH OUR NEIGHBOR.”

THE MOVE PROBABLY WON’T LAST THOUGH … WITH PRESIDENT ELECT TRUMP’S TEAM LIKELY TO REVERSE THE DECISION.

HIS CHOICE FOR SECRETARY OF STATE MARCO RUBIO – HAS BACKED PUNITIVE MEASURES AGAINST THE ISLAND’S GOVERNMENT.

FORMER SECRETARY OF STATE MIKE POMPEO DESIGNATED CUBA AS A STATE SPONSOR OF TERRORISM IN JANUARY 20-21 … SAYING CUBA HADN’T FOLLOWED THROUGH ON COMMITMENTS IT MADE TO PRESIDENT OBAMA IN 20-15.

CUBA WAS ONE OF JUST FOUR NATIONS DESIGNATED AS STATE SPONSORS OF TERRORISM — ALONG WITH NORTH KOREA, IRAN AND SYRIA.

FOR SAN – I’M KARAH RUCKER… FOR ALL YOUR LATEST NEWS HEADLINES – DOWNLOAD THE STRAIGHT ARROW NEWS APP TODAY.