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ABC Omits References To Communism, Allows Cuban FM To Warn Of 'Genocide'
ABC recently sent reporter Whit Johnson down to Cuba to interview Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez that aired on Friday’s Good Morning America. Somehow, Johnson never mentioned the words “communism” or “socialism” when detailing the island’s economic woes but did allow Rodriguez to uncritically spew about “genocide” amid the “dangerous path” the Trump administration has chosen.
Co-anchor Michael Strahan kicked off the memory holing of communism by introducing Johnson, “We’re going to turn now to the Trump administration imposing a new round of economic sanctions on Cuba, intensifying the crisis there. A U.S. oil blockade has already pushed the price of gas to $40 a gallon. Whit Johnson is on the scene in Havana for us. Good morning to you, Whit.”
Johnson began by informing Strahan, “There is a growing sense of desperation and exhaustion here in Cuba, and the government remains defiant. The foreign minister tells me they are open to dialogue but says so far there has been no progress in recent talks with the U.S.”
In a segment that featured neither the word "communism" or "socialism," ABC's Whit Johnson recently traveled down to Havana to interview Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez to allow him to say, "It seems that the U.S. government has chosen a dangerous path, a path that could… pic.twitter.com/ROkAJniYfs
— Alex Christy (@alexchristy17) May 8, 2026
Now in voiceover, Johnson continued, “This morning, with Cuba already on the brink of economic collapse, the Trump administration is tightening its grip, imposing new sanctions on the Cuban military's business enterprise, which controls so much of the island's economy. In Havana, I sat down with Cuba's foreign minister, Bruno Rodriguez, who dismissed recent demands from the Trump administration for political and economic reforms.”
After a clip of Rodriguez claiming via a translator that no progress has been made in talks with the administration, Johnson cued up a clip of Trump by declaring, “Despite the war in Iran and in Venezuela, the Trump administration has remained fixated on Cuba.”
In the clip, Trump mused about “Taking Cuba in some form, yeah. Taking Cuba. I mean, whether I free it, take it, I think I can do anything I want with it, you want to know the truth.”
Johnson then hyped, “The Cuban foreign minister warning of a bloodbath if the U.S. tries to take over” before asking him, “Do you take those threats, those words from President Trump seriously?”
Rodriguez, again through an interpreter, replied, “We take threats by the United States very seriously. It seems that the U.S. government has chosen a dangerous path, a path that could lead to unimaginable consequences, to humanitarian catastrophe, to a genocide, to the loss of Cuban and young American lives. It could also lead to a bloodbath in Cuba.”
The closest Johnson came to saying a critical word about the regime was citing a local who remembered history didn’t begin with Trump but who nevertheless was not crazy about some of Trump’s more far-reaching threats, “For months a blockade straining infrastructure, including access to clean water and even healthcare. Antonio Ramon tells me his neighborhood is experiencing 16-hour blackouts nearly every day. He’s one of the few we’ve met willing to speak on camera criticizing the Cuban government for years of struggles but says he does not want U.S. intervention fearing what war could bring.”
Back live, Johnson concluded, “And the fuel shortage here in Cuba only worsening the crisis. We noted gas prices around $40 a gallon but most of the gas stations we've seen are completely shut down bringing much of this already fragile economy to a screeching halt.”
This would be the second time in less than a week that ABC has done regime propaganda on behalf of the communist government. It is also not just ABC. The entire media seems fixated on this idea that communism is not an interesting part of Cuba’s collapse.
Here is a transcript for the May 8 show:
ABC Good Morning America
5/8/2026
7:11 AM ET
MICHAEL STRAHAN: We’re going to turn now to the Trump administration imposing a new round of economic sanctions on Cuba, intensifying the crisis there. A U.S. oil blockade has already pushed the price of gas to $40 a gallon. Whit Johnson is on the scene in Havana for us. Good morning to you, Whit.
WHIT JOHNSON: Hey, Michael, good morning. There is a growing sense of desperation and exhaustion here in Cuba, and the government remains defiant. The foreign minister tells me they are open to dialogue but says so far there has been no progress in recent talks with the U.S.
This morning, with Cuba already on the brink of economic collapse, the Trump administration is tightening its grip, imposing new sanctions on the Cuban military's business enterprise, which controls so much of the island's economy. In Havana, I sat down with Cuba's foreign minister, Bruno Rodriguez, who dismissed recent demands from the Trump administration for political and economic reforms.
BRUNO RODRIGUEZ [VIA TRANSLATOR]: I can tell you that I see no progress. I can say that I feel there's a huge inconsistency.
JOHNSON: No progress?
RODRIGUEZ [IN ENGLISH]: No, no progress.
JOHNSON: Despite the war in Iran and in Venezuela, the Trump administration has remained fixated on Cuba.
DONALD TRUMP: Taking Cuba in some form, yeah. Taking Cuba. I mean, whether I free it, take it, I think I can do anything I want with it, you want to know the truth.
JOHNSON: The Cuban foreign minister warning of a bloodbath if the U.S. tries to take over.
Do you take those threats, those words from President Trump seriously?
RODRIGUEZ [TRANSLATOR]: We take threats by the United States very seriously. It seems that the U.S. government has chosen a dangerous path, a path that could lead to unimaginable consequences, to humanitarian catastrophe, to a genocide, to the loss of Cuban and young American lives. It could also lead to a bloodbath in Cuba.
JOHNSON: For months a blockade straining infrastructure including access to clean water and even healthcare. Antonio Ramon tells me his neighborhood is experiencing 16-hour blackouts nearly every day. He’s one of the few we’ve met willing to speak on camera criticizing the Cuban government for years of struggles but says he does not want U.S. intervention fearing what war could bring.
And the fuel shortage here in Cuba only worsening the crisis. We noted gas prices around $40 a gallon but most of the gas stations we've seen are completely shut down bringing much of this already fragile economy to a screeching halt.
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