Trump says US seeks to help Cubans, denies carrier deployment as intimidation
President Trump said the US is seeking to help the Cuban people and denied that the recent arrival of a US aircraft carrier near Cuba was intended to intimidate the government. He said the administration's approach would focus on humanitarian concerns and enabling Cuban Americans to invest in the island.
President Donald Trump said Thursday the US is seeking to help the Cuban people and denied that the recent arrival of a US aircraft carrier near Cuba was intended to intimidate the government of the island nation. Speaking to reporters at the White House, Trump was asked whether the deployment of the carrier this week was meant as a warning to Havana. "No, not at all," Trump responded.
'Failed country'
"The Cubans -- look, it's a failed country. Everybody knows that they don't have electricity, they don't have money, they don't have really anything. They don't have food, and we're going to help them along, and we're going to help them."
Cuban American focus
Trump said his administration's approach to Cuba would focus on humanitarian concerns as well as strengthening ties with Cuban Americans in the US, particularly in Florida. "Number one, I want to help them, I want to on a humanitarian basis, but we have the Cuban American population, much of it living in Miami and Florida, that's a great group of people," said Trump.
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Return and investment
Trump said many Cuban Americans hope to eventually return to Cuba to rebuild and invest. "They've wanted this stuff and they want to go back to their country, they want to help their country," he said. "I hope they're going to stay here, but they want to go back, they want to invest in their country and see if they can bring it back."
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