Angie Nixon's answer on whether Cuba is a dictatorship draws criticism from both parties

Right · 2Angie Nixon, the Democratic nominee for US Senate in Florida, faced criticism after an interview with CBS News in which she was asked directly whether she considers Cuba a dictatorship. 1 2 Right · 2Nixon replied: "You know, that is what people have told me. I have never been to Cuba, and so I will have to take their word for it." 1 2 Right · 1Nixon pushed back on X, saying she was referring to Cubans she has spoken with who described the country as a dictatorship and that she believes them. She called CBS's initial post a "serious failure of editorial reporting" and said claiming she declined to answer was "categorically false". 1

Right · 1According to Fox News, CBS deleted its original post, which had said Nixon declined to say whether Cuba is a dictatorship, and reposted the interview with an editor's note saying the earlier version "did not accurately portray Rep. Nixon's answer." 1 Right · 1The Washington Examiner quotes a separate Nixon statement on X on Tuesday: "I do not celebrate Castro. I call Cuba what it is, an authoritarian regime, and I will fight for the Cuban families who fled it." 2 Right · 1Two Florida Democratic congressional nominees criticised the answer. Phil Ehr (District 28) said he would "not stand behind Angie Nixon or defend her remarks" and cited the fear he saw among Cuban Americans at early-voting sites. Elliott Rodriguez (District 27) said "Cuba being a dictatorship is not a matter of opinion. It is a fact." 1

Right · 1Republicans also criticised her. Sen. Rick Scott said Nixon was a candidate "who can't define a dictatorship", and Rep. Byron Donalds called the answer "the craziest thing I've ever heard." 1 Right · 1On Fox & Friends First on Wednesday, Washington Examiner columnist Joe Concha called it the "worst answer" of the year and said Nixon "is not winning this election." He compared it to answering a question about North Korea by saying she had never been there, and said Nixon's position would not go over well with Florida Democrats. 2 Right · 1Fox News adds context: Nixon joined the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) months ago. In an August CBS Miami interview, she distanced herself from the group's praise of Fidel Castro, saying "I don't believe he's someone that should be praised." 1

Right · 1Nixon is running against Sen. Ashley Moody, a Republican. The Washington Examiner also notes Nixon's earlier comment to CNN on Oct. 14 that she wants Moody "locked up and punished in jail for what she has done." It reports that Barack Obama has endorsed Nixon. 2