Republican Representatives Nicole Malliotakis (NY), Carlos Gimenez (FL), Maria Elvira Salazar (FL), and Mario Diaz-Balart (FL) held a press conference at 9:45 AM at the House Triangle to condemn a trip to Cuba by some members of the Progressive Caucus, as reported by the Miami Herald. The press conference, announced by Rep. Carlos Gimenez, aimed to denounce the 'Socialist Squad' for lobbying for Cuba's military dictatorship. During the event, Code Pink activists disrupted the proceedings, leading Rep. Salazar to remark on the freedom of protest in the U.S. compared to Cuba. The GOP lawmakers urged President Biden to maintain Cuba on the State Sponsor of Terrorism List, a designation put in place by Trump and maintained by Biden, criticizing the Progressive Caucus members for appeasing a regime they accuse of human rights abuses, harboring terrorists, and spreading communism. The disruption by Code Pink was highlighted by various tweets as an attempt to hijack the GOP's anti-communism message, with Rep. Brian Mast notably silencing a protester in a viral moment.
Brian Mast @RepBrianMast is an absolute legend! https://t.co/osNH1bOiD9
Florida Rep. Brian Mast SHUTS DOWN Code Pink Rabble Rousers https://t.co/S1UqsFHB8P
This morning, right-wing members of Congress tried to hold a press conference on doubling down U.S. aggression towards Cuba.After telling us we should be grateful for our freedom to demonstrate, they asked us to leave (we didn’t). While these members of Congress pretend to care… https://t.co/yggOD4FrlT
WATCH: GOP lawmakers confront leftist protesters who interrupt anti-communism event https://t.co/PcxfIoI7cH
Protesters interrupted a press conference on keeping Cuba on the list of state sponsors of terror, which Elvira Salazar said shows the difference between Cuba and the US. | @zach_kessel https://t.co/af9XnGT5SG
.@RepBrianMast silences protester with single line on terrorists in viral video https://t.co/xE4vJCzVyM https://t.co/xE4vJCzVyM
Code Pink protesters hijack House GOP event condemning ‘Squad’ trip to Cuba https://t.co/uvAafNmzpM https://t.co/uvAafNmzpM
If terrorists call you a monster, be a scary one. Amazing work @RepBrianMast! https://t.co/sPMWMepmUT
It is an honor to stand shoulder to shoulder with my esteemed colleague and friend @repcarlos, a true and dedicated patriot, and to collaborate with pro-democracy activist and human rights leader Rosa María Payá, whose father was brutally murdered by the anti-American Communist… https://t.co/wMbsuhUE8A
I joined my Cuban-American colleagues to condemn members of the Congressional Progressive Caucus' secret trip to Cuba. It is imperative Dept. of State maintain the designation of Cuba as a state sponsor of terrorism. We ask our colleagues not to be blinded by ideology, to follow… https://t.co/J5cn30yznU
Grateful to stand with my fellow Cuban colleagues to call on the State Department to keep Cuba on the State Sponsors of Terrorism list. These protesters show us that in the U.S. you are free, but in Cuba they do not get the same rights. https://t.co/1G2n504K7z
These Communist sympathizers go to Cuba to appease a regime that abuses its people, harbors terrorists & cop-killers, helped spread communism across South America and allows Russia and China to operate spy bases 90 miles from our shores. It’s anti-American and it’s shameful. https://t.co/2tinaPjpUQ
This morning I joined my Cuban colleagues @RepMariaSalazar, @MarioDB & @RepCarlos to highlight the atrocities committed by the Communist Cuban regime. The regime jails, beats & murders peaceful protesters & political opponents, harbors terrorists & cop-killers, helped spread… https://t.co/BXjoXBgbol
Activists disrupt GOP press conference held in response to @USProgressives trip to Cuba. @MaElviraSalazar and @MarioDB say Cuba must stay on State Sponsors of Terrorism list, despite no credible evidence Cuba sponsors terrorism. Trump put Cuba on the list. Biden has kept it there https://t.co/h2adZHog83
🚨NEW: Proud to join my colleagues in denouncing the murderous military Castro dictatorship that oppresses the people of #Cuba. https://t.co/gAZygjix9Z
Instead of crashing our press conference they should go to the border or Key West to get educated on why Cubans are fleeing the communist, murderous regime. https://t.co/xNgdUv2HNJ
Communist sympathizers tried to interrupt my press conference about keeping Cuba on the State Sponsor of Terrorism List. Sadly, I had to explain to them that in Cuba they would throw you in jail for protesting like that. The truth will prevail and Cuban propaganda will NOT win.… https://t.co/BUCDp75sV7
Code Pink protesters interrupting Cuban-American GOP lawmakers’ press conference urging President Biden to keep Cuba on the terror list https://t.co/s7Xw6avkeq
Code Pink activists disrupt Cuba presser, to which @MaElviraSalazar explains that they wouldn’t be able to get this close to lawmakers in Cuba. https://t.co/rLDdUi180Y
🚨MEDIA ADVISORY🚨 I’ll be joining Chairman @MarioDB, Chairwoman @RepMariaSalazar, and our sister from New York @RepMalliotakis, to denounce the Socialist Squad lobbying for the murderous military dictatorship in Communist #Cuba. WHERE: House Triangle WHEN: TODAY, 9:45 AM https://t.co/NRftU5SkXQ
Republican Reps. Malliotakis (NY), Gimenez (FL), Salazar, (FL) and Diaz-Balart (FL) are holding a presser this am to condemn a trip some Progressives members took to Cuba Members of the Progressive Caucus quietly traveled to Cuba | Miami Herald https://t.co/MrOO5mADvq