SOTU hot mic: Biden told Sen. Bob Menéndez he wants to talk about Cuba

An open microphone after President Biden's State of the Union address on Tuesday captured the moment the president told Democratic Cuban-American Senator Bob Menendez, who chairs the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, that he needs to talk to him "about Cuba."

"Bob, I need to talk to you about Cuba," Biden told the senator.

Hot mic catches President Biden telling Cuban lawmaker he has to talk to him 'about Cuba' https://t.co/bnyxcA1luu #FoxNews

— CUBA VIRAL VIDEOS (@ViralCuba) February 9, 2023

The brief conversation drew attention in many political circles, especially since Menéndez was ignored by former President Barack Obama, who never took him into account when implementing his failed policy of unconditional openness towards the Cuban communist regime.

Menéndez has not been consulted on the subject in the two years that Biden has been in the White House.

That may be the reason why the senator was quite surprised, and only manage to say "Okay." Then, to express his sincerity, Biden insisted: "I'm serious."

The brief exchange was caught on C-SPAN cameras as Biden was speaking with Menendez and Rep. Adam Schiff, who was blocked by House Speaker Kevin McCarthy from joining the House Intelligence Committee.

Despite being kept at arms length by Obama when it came to Cuba policy, the senator helped the 44th president push the Deferred Action for Arrivals policy in for Children (DACA).

Neither the White House nor Menendez's office have commented on what issue Biden would like to discuss with Menendez. But the brief exchange has unleashed suspicion in South Florida of a possible change in U.S. policy toward the Cuban dictatorship, a move that would most likely not bode well with the New Jersey senator. 

The island's regime has demanded two key things in its negotiations with the United States: that they be removed from the list of countries sponsoring terrorism, despite the fact that notorious terrorists live on the island, and that they support guerrilla groups. And the end of the embargo, which prevents the Cuban regime from accessing the U.S. financial system.

Other reports have indicated the regime has repeatedly demanded the U.S. shut down its congressionally supported news broadcasting network, Radio and Television Marti, founded by the Reagan administration to penetrate the regime's propaganda.