Trump Jokes About Sending Rubio to Cuba During Texas Rally

During a rally in Corpus Christi, Texas, President Donald Trump invited Secretary of State Marco Rubio to join him on stage, sparking cheers from the crowd as Trump humorously suggested sending Rubio to Cuba to "solve" the island's issues.

The event, aimed at supporting Republican Senate candidate Ken Paxton ahead of the November 3 elections, marked the first time Rubio accompanied Trump on a national campaign tour in 2026, according to reports from Politico.

Trump, from the podium, called out to Rubio with enthusiasm, "Come here, Marco! Get up here." The crowd responded by chanting "Marco! Marco! Marco!" The president praised Rubio with comments like "He's so humble, we love Marco," and "He's done a fantastic job."

Rubio, in turn, expressed his gratitude, stating, "It's an honor to serve the greatest country in the world and the greatest president in the history of the United States of America. We love you, Texas."

The light-hearted Cuba remark soon followed. Trump quipped that after returning from Iran, he plans to "drop" Rubio on the island: "We're going to parachute him in, just let him drop and he'll fix it." The jest was met with applause and laughter from the Texan audience.

This isn't the first time Trump has employed such humor. On September 22, during his United Nations General Assembly speech, he joked about deploying Rubio to Cuba to "figure things out," and reiterated the idea in Fort Myers, Florida, four days before the Texas rally, suggesting naval ships returning from Iran could pass by the island, with Rubio sent in to "seal the deal."

These remarks occur amid an escalation in Trump's administration's rhetoric against the Cuban regime. On Monday, Rubio stated that Cuba requires a "very drastic change," and on October 23, he publicly urged Cubans to "discreetly collaborate with the CIA" to foster change on the island.

Rubio, the son of Cuban immigrants and the first Hispanic to lead U.S. diplomacy, holds dual roles as Secretary of State and National Security Advisor since Trump formalized the dual position on September 22, becoming the first person since Henry Kissinger to occupy both roles simultaneously.

In addition to the rhetoric, the administration has exerted economic pressure on Havana: at least seven tankers carrying fuel to Cuba were intercepted in 2026, significantly reducing the island's crude imports by 80% to 90%, according to media reports from May.

Trump continued his Texas tour with a second rally in Lubbock later that afternoon, as October polls show Talarico with a slight two-point lead over Paxton, within the margin of error, in the Senate race.