Angie Nixon draws criticism over Cuba remarks
The Florida Senate nominee faced bipartisan backlash after telling CBS News she had not visited the island and relied on the accounts of Cubans she has spoken with.
By Stella Brooks ·
Angie Nixon, the Democratic nominee for the U.S. Senate in Florida, is facing sharp criticism from party members and rivals after a recent interview regarding the political status of Cuba. During a conversation with CBS News, Nixon was asked directly if she considers Cuba a dictatorship. She responded that people have told her it is, but she has never been to the country and must take their word for it. The exchange has intensified scrutiny of her campaign in a state with a large population of Cuban exiles.
Nixon quickly challenged the initial framing of the interview by CBS News. The network originally posted a clip describing her answer as a refusal to acknowledge Cuba as a dictatorship. Nixon disputed this characterization on X, calling the network's edit a serious failure of editorial reporting. She explained that she was referencing specific conversations with Cubans who described the government as a dictatorship and that she believes them. She stated that claiming she declined to answer the question was categorically false and labeled the initial report misinformation.
CBS News removed its original post and reposted the interview with an editor's note. The note acknowledged that the earlier version did not accurately portray Representative Nixon's answer. Despite the correction, the core of her response continues to generate debate among voters and political observers in the state.
Democratic candidates have joined the chorus of critics. Phil Ehr, the Democratic nominee for Florida's 28th Congressional District, cited conversations with Cuban American voters at early voting sites. He said he could not get past the remarks after seeing how frightened many voters felt. Ehr described Cuba as a communist dictatorship and stated there was nothing progressive about making excuses for such regimes. He added that he would not stand behind Nixon or defend her remarks if the party failed to condemn them.
Elliott Rodriguez, the Democratic nominee for Florida's 27th Congressional District, also voiced his disagreement. While noting that he and Nixon agree on many issues, Rodriguez argued that Cuba's status as a dictatorship is a fact rather than a matter of opinion. He pointed to political prisoners, repression, and the deaths of Cubans seeking freedom as evidence of that status.
Republican leaders in Florida also weighed in on the controversy. Senator Rick Scott suggested the exchange reflected a wider issue within the Democratic Party. He compared Nixon's response to other party members who struggle to define basic concepts. Representative Byron Donalds called the answer the craziest thing he had ever heard. He asserted that the Castro regime is obviously a dictatorship and expressed sadness at what he described as the party's consumption by socialism.
The controversy follows Nixon's recent decision to join the Democratic Socialists of America. The organization's positions on Cuba have previously drawn questions about where she stands. In an August interview with CBS Miami, Nixon addressed the group's praise of Fidel Castro. She said she did not believe he should be praised and clarified that she does not agree with every position taken by the DSA. She continues to campaign for the statewide office amid these discussions.
Nixon remains the Democratic candidate for the U.S. Senate seat in Florida. The race is set to proceed with the candidate defending her remarks while opponents continue to press the issue during the final stages of the campaign.
