In response to the Trump administration announcing new restrictions on U.S. citizens traveling to Cuba, and banning their stay in Cuban government-owned hotels and the purchase of Cuban cigars and rum, DNC spokesperson Enrique Gutierrez released the following statement:

“This is a desperate and hypocritical attempt by Trump to pander to Cuban-American voters in Florida. American citizens are already banned from travelling to Cuba because of the coronavirus, and Trump has privately sought to do business with the country for years and ignored the embargo. He’s filed trademarks with the Cuban government to make money on golf courses, hotels, and more — but now that he’s lagging in the polls, he’s just using our foreign policy for his own political gain.”

Trump has repeatedly said he would not do business with Cuba until the country was “free,” but a report by the Miami Herald shows that was another one of his lies. In fact, Trump was essentially seeking business in Cuba until well into his presidency, and likely even violated the embargo in 1998.