PUBLISHED
MAR 22, 2026 AT 08:12 PM EDT
UPDATED
MAR 22, 2026 AT 08:13 PM EDT
By Adeola Adeosun
Weekend Night Editor
Isra Hirsi, the daughter of Democratic Minnesota Representative Ilhan Omar, publicly defended her visit to Cuba on Sunday, saying on social media she was "honored to be here" and "honored to make history" on the island amid escalating tensions between Havana and Washington.
Omar later reposted her daughter's message on X.
Why It Matters
Hirsi's visit comes as U.S.-Cuba relations are at a particularly volatile point. President Donald Trump has publicly floated the idea of "taking Cuba in some form," while Havana has said its military is actively preparing for the "possibility of military aggression" from the United States. The trip — and Hirsi's public defense of it — is likely to draw sharp criticism from Republicans, who have long targeted her mother over her progressive politics and immigration background.
What To Know
Hirsi responded to a New York Post X post that characterized her trip and those of others as "tone-deaf," writing: "yes i am in cuba! people are here from across the globe to express solidarity with the Cuban people. people who are standing against the oppressive blockade exacerbated by the trump administration. i am honored to be here. i am honored to make history and Eid Mubarak to all."
Cuba is currently grappling with a severe energy crisis, driven in large part by a U.S. campaign to restrict oil shipments to the island. Trump signed an executive order threatening tariffs on any country that exports fuel to Cuba, and Secretary of State Marco Rubio has publicly signaled support for leadership change in Havana. The island has experienced repeated nationwide blackouts throughout March, and Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel has warned that any external aggressor would face "impregnable resistance."
Trump said last week from the Oval Office that he believes he will have the "honor of taking Cuba," adding: "Whether I free it, take it, I think I could do anything I want with it, if you want to know the truth. They are a very weakened nation right now."
Cuba's deputy foreign minister, meanwhile, told NBC's Meet the Press on Sunday that regime change was "absolutely" off the table and that Cuba "would not accept to become a vassal state."
Hirsi's mother, Rep. Omar, has been one of Trump's most vocal critics in Congress. During Trump's 2026 State of the Union address, Omar shouted "That's a lie! You're a liar!" from the House floor as Trump made remarks about immigration and alleged fraud in Minnesota's Somali American community. Omar has faced years of criticism and attacks from Trump and Republicans, much of it tied to her Muslim faith and her origins as a Somali immigrant.
MAR 22, 2026 AT 08:12 PM EDT
UPDATED
MAR 22, 2026 AT 08:13 PM EDT
By Adeola Adeosun
Weekend Night Editor
Isra Hirsi, the daughter of Democratic Minnesota Representative Ilhan Omar, publicly defended her visit to Cuba on Sunday, saying on social media she was "honored to be here" and "honored to make history" on the island amid escalating tensions between Havana and Washington.
Omar later reposted her daughter's message on X.
Why It Matters
Hirsi's visit comes as U.S.-Cuba relations are at a particularly volatile point. President Donald Trump has publicly floated the idea of "taking Cuba in some form," while Havana has said its military is actively preparing for the "possibility of military aggression" from the United States. The trip — and Hirsi's public defense of it — is likely to draw sharp criticism from Republicans, who have long targeted her mother over her progressive politics and immigration background.
What To Know
Hirsi responded to a New York Post X post that characterized her trip and those of others as "tone-deaf," writing: "yes i am in cuba! people are here from across the globe to express solidarity with the Cuban people. people who are standing against the oppressive blockade exacerbated by the trump administration. i am honored to be here. i am honored to make history and Eid Mubarak to all."
Cuba is currently grappling with a severe energy crisis, driven in large part by a U.S. campaign to restrict oil shipments to the island. Trump signed an executive order threatening tariffs on any country that exports fuel to Cuba, and Secretary of State Marco Rubio has publicly signaled support for leadership change in Havana. The island has experienced repeated nationwide blackouts throughout March, and Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel has warned that any external aggressor would face "impregnable resistance."
Trump said last week from the Oval Office that he believes he will have the "honor of taking Cuba," adding: "Whether I free it, take it, I think I could do anything I want with it, if you want to know the truth. They are a very weakened nation right now."
Cuba's deputy foreign minister, meanwhile, told NBC's Meet the Press on Sunday that regime change was "absolutely" off the table and that Cuba "would not accept to become a vassal state."
Hirsi's mother, Rep. Omar, has been one of Trump's most vocal critics in Congress. During Trump's 2026 State of the Union address, Omar shouted "That's a lie! You're a liar!" from the House floor as Trump made remarks about immigration and alleged fraud in Minnesota's Somali American community. Omar has faced years of criticism and attacks from Trump and Republicans, much of it tied to her Muslim faith and her origins as a Somali immigrant.
NEW YORK, NY - APRIL 21: Amal Sabrie, Isra Hirsi, Ilhan Omar, Ilwad Hirsi, Ahmed Hirsi, Adnan Hirsi attend the premiere of "Time For Ilhan" during the 2018 Tribeca Film Festival at Cinepolis Chelsea on April 21, 2018 in New York City. (Photo by Astrid Stawiarz/Getty Images for Tribeca Film Festival)
What People Are Saying
President Donald Trump told reporters on Saturday: “I do believe I'll be having the honor of taking Cuba. That's a big honor. Taking Cuba in some form. Whether I free it, take it, I think I could do anything I want with it, if you want to know the truth. They are a very weakened nation right now.”
Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel, via X: The US publicly threatens #Cuba, almost daily, with overthrowing the constitutional order by force. And it uses an outrageous pretext: the harsh limitations of the weakened economy that they have attacked and sought to isolate for more than six decades. They intend and announce plans to seize the country, its resources, its properties, and even the very economy they seek to strangle to make us surrender. Only in this way can the fierce economic war be explained, which is applied as collective punishment against the entire people. In the face of the worst scenario, #Cuba is accompanied by a certainty: any external aggressor will clash with an impregnable resistance."
What People Are Saying
President Donald Trump told reporters on Saturday: “I do believe I'll be having the honor of taking Cuba. That's a big honor. Taking Cuba in some form. Whether I free it, take it, I think I could do anything I want with it, if you want to know the truth. They are a very weakened nation right now.”
Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel, via X: The US publicly threatens #Cuba, almost daily, with overthrowing the constitutional order by force. And it uses an outrageous pretext: the harsh limitations of the weakened economy that they have attacked and sought to isolate for more than six decades. They intend and announce plans to seize the country, its resources, its properties, and even the very economy they seek to strangle to make us surrender. Only in this way can the fierce economic war be explained, which is applied as collective punishment against the entire people. In the face of the worst scenario, #Cuba is accompanied by a certainty: any external aggressor will clash with an impregnable resistance."
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