Trump On Cuba

The CBS4 Interview: Trump On Cuba
October 23, 2016 10:59 PM By Jim DeFede

MIAMI (CBSMiami) — CBS4's Jim DeFede interviewed Republican nominee
Donald Trump Sunday afternoon at Trump's resort in Doral, Florida.

Part of the interview included a discussion of U.S.-Cuba policy and his
company's possible business dealings with Cuba. The following is the
transcript of that conversation.

DEFEDE: Let's talk Cuba for a second. You've recently come out with a
much harder line, saying that you would repeal some of President Obama's
executive orders. I just want to be specific. Would you break off
diplomatic relations with Cuba?

TRUMP: Look, Cuba has to treat us fairly and it has to treat the people
of Cuba fairly and the people living here that were from Cuba or their
families were from Cuba. The agreement President Obama signed is a very
weak agreement. We get nothing. The people of Cuba get nothing and I
would do whatever is necessary to get a good agreement. An agreement is
fine. It has to be a strong, good agreement that's good for the Cuban
people.

DEFEDE: I just want to press, would you break off diplomatic relations
though on Day One?

TRUMP: I would do whatever you have to do to get a strong agreement. And
people want an agreement, I like the idea of an agreement, but it has to
be a real agreement. So if you call that for negotiation purposes,
whatever you have to do to make a great deal for the people of Cuba. So
important.

DEFEDE: Would you appoint an ambassador to Cuba in the meantime?

TRUMP: I would wait, I would wait until we have the agreement. I would
want to get a very powerful agreement. Look, the people of Cuba have
been waiting for a long time. The people here formerly of Cuba have been
waiting a long time. We can wait a little bit longer and get the kind of
agreement we want.

DEFEDE: Since I last talked to you, there have been two stories that
have come out with regard to Cuba related to your business dealings. One
was in Newsweek and one was in Bloomberg. The Newsweek story suggested
that you had, through a consulting firm, sent emissaries to Cuba about
casino gambling in 1998. And then the Bloomberg story talked about a
number of people in 2012 – 2013 going to Cuba to explore possible golf
operations there. Did you, in fact, send those people?

TRUMP: Well, I can say that Cuba very much wants to see us there, I have
heard, I don't know, I didn't speak to anybody, but I can tell you that,
Cuba, everybody wants us to go, whether it's countries or people
themselves and we will maybe at the right time look at Cuba. But I
wouldn't want to do anything in Cuba until we have a very powerful
agreement.

DEFEDE: I just want to be clear, because the Bloomberg story said that
Edward Russo, Jason Greenblatt, your chief legal officer Ron Lieberman,
and another executive, Larry Glick, have all travelled to Cuba on your
behalf. Did they, in fact, go?

TRUMP: I don't know exactly where they were. I can tell you that Cuba
wants to, you know, really negotiate with us. They've said, "We want to
negotiate." They want to make some kind of a deal. I've said I don't
want to make any deals unless we know we have a deal with Cuba, I think
it's appropriate.

DEFEDE: But you think they did, in fact, go to Cuba?

TRUMP: Well, I know that Cuba wants us to go there. I'm not interested
in going.

DEFEDE: No, I meant as emissaries. Did those individuals travel there to
have those discussions?

TRUMP: I would have to find out. I know they had some meetings, but I
would have to find out.

Source: The CBS4 Interview: Trump On Cuba « CBS Miami -
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