Representative Mark Pocan, D-Wis., ignited a heated exchange during a House Foreign Affairs committee hearing Wednesday when he questioned the weight of Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s opinions on Cuba, citing Rubio’s never having visited the island nation. The comment prompted U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Mike Waltz to defend Rubio, highlighting his family’s origins in Cuba.
Pocan, who recently visited Cuba and advocated for easing U.S. pressure on the communist government, suggested that those with strong opinions on Cuba, including Rubio, should have direct experience with the island. "Considering you've never been to Cuba, I'm not going to take your advice on where to go," Pocan stated to Ambassador Waltz. He later added, "Marco Rubio has never been to Cuba, so many others who have strong opinions."
Waltz responded, "His entire family is from Cuba and fled the regime." Pocan countered that Rubio's family left Cuba decades ago, before the revolution, dismissing the connection as "ridiculous" and suggesting a visit would offer a different perspective.
The exchange quickly drew criticism on social media, with some commentators accusing Pocan of echoing Cuban government talking points. Cody Sargent, communications director for the Department of Interior, called Pocan's remarks "insane" and suggested they demonstrated a problematic shift within the Democratic party. The National Republican Congressional Committee spokesman Mike Marinella characterized Pocan's reasoning as the kind of thinking favored by communist regimes.
Pocan also dismissed a recent State Department report detailing alleged Cuban government influence operations within the United States, calling it "ridiculous" and "the stupidest, most fantastical, most biased thing I’ve ever read from a governmental agency." The report asserted that the Cuban regime has long linked its survival to advancing the revolutionary left in the United States.
During the hearing, Pocan also inquired about the administration's plans regarding potential military action against Cuba. Waltz declined to rule out any options, stating they would remain on the table for the president.