Ex-Senator Mel Martinez: Donald Trump Cuba Policies Heading 'In The Right Direction”

POSSIBLY 13,000 JOBS. >> I WANT TO NOW BRING IN FORMER
SENATOR MARTINEZ, REPUBLICAN FROM THE STATE OF FLORIDA, AND
FORMER CHAIRMAN OF THE RNC. GOOD MORNING, SIR.
YOU AGREE WITH MARCO RUBIO AND PRESIDENT TRUMP ON THIS
MOVEMENT. WHY?
>> LET ME JUST SAY, I AGREE THAT SOME CHANGE TO PRESIDENT OBAMA'S
POLICY ON CUBA WAS WARRANTED. I THINK THESE MEASURED CHANGES
THAT HAVE TAKEN PLACE ARE PROBABLY HEADED IN THE RIGHT
DIRECTION. WHAT THEY'RE DOING IS ENHANCING
THE OPPORTUNITY TO DO BUSINESS WITH CUBANS, NOT WITH THE CUBAN
MILITARY, NOT WITH THE CUBAN GOVERNMENT, NOT WITH THE MEANS
OF REPRESSION TO THE CUBAN PEOPLE.
BUT TO DO BUSINESS WITH THOSE THAT CAN BE EMPOWERED BY THE
OPPORTUNITY TO MAKE A LIVING BY TRADING WITH THE UNITED STATES
OR HOSTING SOMEONE IN THEIR HOME AS AN AIRBNB TYPE ARRANGEMENTS
THAT CAN BE MADE OUTSIDE OF THE CUBAN GOVERNMENT.
LOOK, FIRST OF ALL, PRESIDENT OBAMA'S POLICY ON CUBA WAS A
ONE-SIDED AFFAIR. THERE WAS NO GIVE AND TAKE.
THE CUBAN GOVERNMENT IN THE LAST YEAR AND A HALF OR SO, SINCE THE
POLICY HAS BEEN ENACTED, HAS ONLY INCREASED THE LEVEL OF
REPRESSION ON THE CUBAN PEOPLE. I DON'T THINK YOU CAN COMPARE
HUMAN RIGHTS ABUSES AND SAY, WELL, THEY ABUSE MORE HERE AND
MAYBE LESS THERE. I THINK ALL HUMAN RIGHTS ABUSES
WERE -- >> I DON'T DISAGREE ON THAT
POINT. >> THE UNITED STATES HAS
ALWAYS -- >> I UNDERSTAND, SIR.
YOU SAW THAT PRESIDENT TRUMP WAS DOING A SWORD DANCE WITH THE
SAUDIS. I'M NOT SAYING IRANIAN HUMAN
RIGHTS VERSUS CHINESE RIGHTS VERSUS CUBAN RIGHTS -- I'M NOT
COMPARING HUMAN RIGHTS. WE CELEBRATE WITH SOME PEOPLE
WHO ARE HUMAN RIGHTS ABUSERS AND GET CRAZY ABOUT CUBA.
>> BECAUSE CUBA IS A HORRENDOUS HUMAN RIGHTS ABUSER.
>> SO IS SAUDI ARABIA AND IRAN AND CHINA.
>> TURKEY, PHILIPPINES. >> YOU CAN'T COMPARE THE
GEOPOLITICAL SIGNIFICANCE OF CHINA OR THE OPPORTUNITY FOR
BUSINESS IN CHINA WITH THOSE IN CUBA.
I MEAN, LET'S FACE IT -- >> SIR, I TAKE ISSUE WITH YOU
FOR A SECOND THERE. AS YOU REMEMBER, CUBA USED
VENEZUELA AS A PATRON. WHEN OIL CRIPPLED VENEZUELA,
THEY SAID, WE CAN'T BE YOUR PATRON ANYMORE.
VLADIMIR PUTIN WAS IN HAVANA IN A WEEK.
THE MILITARY IMPORTANCE OF CUBA IS QUITE COMPARABLE TO THAT OF
RUSSIA AND CHINA IN TODAY'S GEOPOLITICAL --
>> IT HAS A TREMENDOUS -- >> IT IS ONLY GOING TO OPEN AN
OPPORTUNITY FOR PLACES LIKE CHINA AND RUSSIA WHO CAN MOVE IN
AND SAY, DIGITIZATION, HOTEL, YOU'RE NOT GOING TO STOP IT.
>> LET ME TRY TO GET A WORD IN, OKAY?
TAKE A DEEP BREATH. FIRST OF ALL, THE UNITED STATES
HAS HAD A TREMENDOUS AMOUNT OF AN -- FROM CUBA FOR YEARS.
THE RUSSIANS HAD BEEN BACKING CUBA.
THE RUSSIANS HAVE NEVER REALLY TOTALLY LEFT BEING IN CAHOOTS
WITH CUBA. THE CHINA ARE AND WHEN YOU TALK
ABOUT BUSINESS, THE LOSS OF 13,000 JOBS, THIS IS NOT
COMPARABLE WITH THE REALITY AT ALL.
AIRLINES THAT STARTED FLYING INTO CUBA, AIRLINES THINKING
THIS WOULD BE A GREAT TO -- THING TO THEM CUT BACK FLIGHTS.
THE BOTTOM LINE IS UNTIL CUBA CHANGES, I DON'T KNOW WHY WE GET
SO FOCUSED ON US TO CHANGE. WHY DOESN'T CUBA CHANGE?
WHY DON'T THEY OPEN THEIR MARKETS?
WHY DON'T THEY LET CUBANS OPEN PROPERTY?
WHY DON'T THEY LET AMERICAN COMPANIES --
>> HERE'S THE THING -- >> -- HIRE CUBANS DIRECTLY.
I WANT TO FINISH. >> YOU KEEP NOT ANSWERING THE
QUESTION. >> WHAT IS THE QUESTION?
>> YOU DON'T APPLY THE STANDARD TO SAUDI ARABIA OR CHINA OR
RUSSIA. YOU DON'T APPLY THE STANDARD TO
TURKEY OR ANYWHERE ELSE. YET, FOR SOME REASON, THIS IS
THE GREATEST OFFENSE. NOW YOU'RE GOING TO TELL ME
ABOUT ALL SORTS OF OTHER THINGS. I WANT YOU TO ANSWER ONE
QUESTION WE ASK YOU THAT IS A QUESTION ABOUT THIS.
LET ME TELL YOU ONE OTHER THING. >> REPEAT THE QUESTION.
WHY CUBA IS DIFFERENT FROM THE OTHER COUNTRIES IN TERMS OF
HUMAN RIGHTS? >> GO AHEAD.
TELL ME. >> WELL, I'LL TELL YOU WHY.
CUBA IS 90 MILES FROM OUR SHORES.
WE'VE HAD A 50-YEAR HISTORY WITH CUBA.
CUBA HAS A SIGNIFICANT HISTORICAL CONNECTION TO THE
UNITED STATES THAT HAS BEEN WITH US FROM THE INCEPTION OF CUBA AS
A NATION STATE. AND THE FACT OF THE MATTER IS, A
LOT OF US CARE DEEPLY ABOUT WHAT HAPPENS IN CUBA.
IT IS A MUCH CLOSER PROBLEM TO US.
>> SIR? >> IT'S GOT A WHOLE LOT
DIFFERENT GEOPOLITICAL SIGNIFICANT THAN TURKEY OR
CHINA. >> JUST BECAUSE --
>> YOU DIDN'T TELL ME -- >> JUST BECAUSE CUBA IS IN
CLOSER PROXIMITY TO THE STATE OF FLORIDA DOES NOT MAKE THE
RELATIONS BETWEEN CUBA AND THE UNITED STATES MORE IMPORTANT.
AS IMPORTANT AS THAT RELATIONSHIP MAY BE TO SOME
AMERICANS, OTHER AMERICANS WOULD MAKE THE SAME ARGUMENT ABOUT
OTHER COUNTRIES. HOW ABOUT MEXICANS WHO ARE
WORRIED ABOUT THE WALL THAT IS GOING TO BE BUILT?
THEY, TOO, ARE NEXT DOOR NEIGHBORS TO TEXAS.
THEY'RE WORRIED ABOUT THAT RELATIONSHIP.
TO SAY BECAUSE IT IS IN CLOSER PROXIMITY AND THERE ARE
AMERICANS WHO CARE ABOUT IT, AMERICANS CARE ABOUT A LOT OF
THINGS, SIR. >> HERE'S THE REALITY, OKAY?
THE GEOPOLITICAL SIGNIFICANCE OF THE UNITED STATES AND CHINA
CANNOT BE MATCHED BY ANY OTHER RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN TWO
COUNTRIES. THE UNITED STATES TRADE WITH
CHINA. THE TWO MOST SIGNIFICANT
ECONOMIES IN THE WORLD CANNOT BE COMPARED TO THE INSIGNIFICANT
AMOUNT OF TRADE TAKING PLACE WITH CUBA.
THE IMPORTANCE OF TURKEY IN THE MIDDLE EAST AS A SIGNIFICANT
ALLY OF THE UNITED STATES, AS A NATION THAT IS A NATO PARTNER,
BUT IS ALSO PIVOTAL IN THE MIDDLE EAST SITUATION ALSO
CANNOT BE COMPARED TO THE RELATIONSHIP WITH CUBA.
WHAT CUBA HAS BEEN DOING HAS BEEN CONTRARY TO BEING AN ALLY
OF THE UNITED STATES. FOR INSTANCE, IT'S BEEN MEDDLING
IN VENEZUELA. IT HAS A CLIENT STATE IN
VENEZUELA. THE DEBTS TAKING PLACE ON THE
STREETS TODAY ARE IN PART BEING DIRECTED BY THE CUBAN MILITARY
AND SECURITY APPARATUS, OPERATING IN VENEZUELA.
CUBA WAS CAUGHT A COUPLE YEARS AGO TRADING ARMS WITH NORTH
KOREA. THESE ARE NOT THINGS THAT ARE
HYPOTHETICAL EVENTS. THESE ARE THINGS, WHEN YOU HAVE
A COUNTRY THAT IS LOOKING TO WORK WITH US, CHINA'S IMPORTANCE
TO NORTH KOREA, THE NUMBER ONE THREAT TO OUR COUNTRY, YOU JUST
CAN'T COMPARE THE SIGNIFICANCE IN ALL OF THOSE RELATIONSHIPS.
SO THE UNITED STATES IS DOING WHAT IT THINKS IS BEST FOR ITS
OWN GOOD. THE PRESIDENT, I THINK, IS
ACTING IN WHAT I THINK IS A HUMANE WAY, ABOUT TRYING TO
ENHANCE THE OPPORTUNITY FOR THE CUBAN PEOPLE TO HAVE A BETTER
LIFE AND FOR HUMAN RIGHTS TO BE IMPROVED IN CUBA.
LET'S SEE IF CUBA MAKES CHANGES. LET'S SEE IF CUBA DIMINISHES THE
NUMBER OF POLITICAL PRISONERS, WHICH HAS ONLY INCREASED, AND
THE HARASSMENT TO

Ex-Senator Mel Martinez: Donald Trump Cuba Policies Heading 'In The Right Direction” | MSNBC

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