ABC’s Jim Avila Promotes Obama’s New Cuba Policy Ahead of SOTU

On Tuesday, ABC’s Good Morning America previewed President Obama’s 7th State of the Union address and the network did its best to play up President Obama’s recent unilateral actions aimed at normalizing American relations with Cuba. 

During a brief report that sounded more like a White House press release, ABC’s Jim Avila insisted that “tonight at the State of the Union President Obama will tell Congress that he has done all he can do to normalize relations with Cuba.” 

The ABC reporter continued to play up Obama’s Cuba proposal and insisted that the president believes “the time is right to lift the embargo and that only the Congress can do that. The president will make his case to the American people that the embargo has been a failed policy and that it's time to change in the national interest of the United States and also the Cuban people." 

GMA co-host George Stephanopoulos then turned to Jonathan Karl, ABC News Chief White House Correspondent, to further preview the president’s speech. After Karl explained that Obama’s Cuba policy has bipartisan opposition, the ABC reporter suggested that the politics seem to be on the side of those wanting to lift the Cuban embargo: 

I’ve got to tell you the politics on this are interesting. Farm groups are now pushing to see that embargo lifted because they want to sell American farm products to Cuba. So you have some farm state Republicans, very powerful Republican senators, who agree with Obama on this and would like to see the embargo lifted at the very least for agricultural products. 

Jim Avila’s boosting of Obama’s new policy toward Cuba is nothing new. On December 18 [1], he cheered Obama’s efforts at normalizing relations with Cuba and declared that “soon many more Americans will be able to hop a plane to Havana, take a tour, even legally buy one of those famous cigars.”

See relevant transcript below. 

ABC’s Good Morning America

January 20, 2015

GEORGE STEPHANOPOULOS: President Obama will address the conflict with ISIS tonight in his State of the Union address. He's already revealed most his new proposals but as he puts the final touches on his speech, ABC News learned about a new move he'll be making on policy towards Cuba. Jim Avila starts us off in Havana. Good morning Jim. 

JIM AVILA: Good morning George. Sources tell ABC News that tonight at the State of the Union President Obama will tell Congress that he has done all he can do to normalize relations with Cuba and that the time is right to lift the embargo and that only the Congress can do that. The president will make his case to the American people that the embargo has been a failed policy and that it's time to change in the national interest of the United States and also the Cuban people. George?

STEPHANOPOULOS: Okay, Jim, thanks. Let’s get more on this now from Jon Karl at the White House. And Jon, this is just one of many proposals not likely to go too far in the Congress. 

JONATHAN KARL: George, there is strong opposition to lifting that Cuban embargo from prominent Republicans like Marco Rubio but also from some very powerful Democrats. But I’ve got to tell you the politics on this are interesting. Farm groups are now pushing to see that embargo lifted because they want to sell American farm products to Cuba. So you have some farm state Republicans, very powerful Republican senators, who agree with Obama on this and would like to see the embargo lifted at the very least for agricultural products.