The US government has massively increased the pressure on Cuba and is calling for economic and political reforms in the Caribbean country. At the same time, US President Donald Trump repeatedly thought out loud about “taking over” the country. Cuba is in the worst economic crisis since the collapse of the Soviet Union. Trump recently massively exacerbated the crisis with an oil blockade against the communist-ruled Caribbean island.
The US military captured Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro in January and brought him to the US. Washington then ensured that Venezuela, Cuba’s most important oil supplier, stopped supplying Havana. Cuba is located 145 kilometers from Florida and has been subject to a US trade embargo almost continuously since the communist revolution led by Fidel Castro in 1959.
Iran, Senate, approval ratings: Weak polls for Trump
Several surveys give US President Donald Trump a poor rating. Approval for his leadership fell to 37 percent in a New York Times/Siena poll – the lowest level of his second term. 59 percent of those surveyed are dissatisfied with Trump’s work.
Many Americans are particularly unhappy with the economy (only 31 percent) and the cost of living (only 28 percent) under Trump. Almost half of those surveyed (44 percent) said Trump’s policies had harmed them personally. The war in Iran is also unpopular: only 30 percent of those surveyed believe that the war was the right decision. Dissatisfaction with the war is also increasing in Trump’s own party: only 70 percent of his own party believe that Trump has done a good job in the conflict, and almost one in four (22 percent) believe that he has done a bad job.
There is also bad news for the Republicans in the upcoming Senate elections in the fall. According to a YouGov poll, Democrat James Talarico, who is running for Senate in Texas, has a good chance against both Ken Paxton (both at 45 percent) and incumbent John Cornyn (Talarico 44 percent, Cornyn 45). Texas is considered a clearly Republican state – Cornyn won his election in 2020 against Democrat MJ Hegar by ten points. But a victory in the fall seems anything but certain. It will be decided on May 26th which Republican Talarico will run against.
Trump withdraws billion-dollar lawsuit
US President Donald Trump apparently wants to withdraw his billion-dollar lawsuit against the US tax authority IRS. This emerges from a court document filed in Florida on Monday. Trump sued the agency for $10 billion in damages over the publication of his tax records.
US media had previously reported that the government was planning a fund worth $1.7 billion. This could be used to compensate Trump’s allies who, according to their own statements, were wrongly prosecuted. Details of possible agreements were not disclosed in court documents. Democrats sharply criticized the plans. Democratic Representative Jamie Raskin spoke of a “political grievance fund.”
