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Rubio: If Cuba sues US in Miami court, they’ll lose

by Jesse Byrnes - 03/10/16 10:36 PM ET

Marco Rubio mocked Donald Trump at the Republican presidential debate on Thursday night after the businessman suggested that Cuba would try to “sue” the U.S. after striking an unfavorable diplomatic accord.

Trump was arguing that the U.S. doesn’t have officials “who have a clue” how to negotiate with the isolated island nation that President Obama will visit later this month.

{mosads}”As an example, I heard recently where the threat was made that they want reparations for years of abuse by the United States and nobody’s talking about it, and they’ll end up signing a deal and then we’ll get sued for $400 billion or a $1 trillion,” Trump stated during the debate.

“All that stuff has to be agreed to now. We don’t want to get sued after the deal is made,” he said.

Rubio, a Cuban-American, quickly responded to Trump’s remarks.

“I don’t know where Cuba is going to sue us, but if they sue us in a court in Miami, they’re going to lose,” Rubio said to laughs and thunderous applause in the debate hall in Miami.

The Florida senator is hoping to win his home state primary next Tuesday, in part by appealing to Cuban-Americans who have opposed the increasing U.S. dialogue with the Communist government.

Pressed for his position on the Obama administration’s strategy to renew diplomatic relations with Cuba, Trump said “something should take place” after 50 years of frostiness, including closing the newly opened U.S. embassy in Cuba.

“I would want to make a good deal. I would want to make a strong, solid good deal, because right now everything is in Cuba’s favor,” Trump argued.

Rubio said that the U.S. Embassy should simply revert to being called a U.S. Consulate since it’s the same building, and argued there should be a push for freedom of elections and the press before having diplomatic relations.

Fellow candidate Ted Cruz compared the Cuba negotiations to the international nuclear deal with Iran, which he similarly opposes, before accusing Trump of simply agreeing with the Obama administration’s general strategy.

Tags 2016 Florida primary 2016 GOP primary Cuba Donald Trump Florida GOP debates Marco Rubio Ted Cruz