Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.) caused irony meters to explode on Wednesday after critics suggested his swipe at Cuba's leadership could just as easily apply to Donald Trump's White House.
Kennedy, appearing on Fox News after federal prosecutors leveled charges against former Cuban President Raúl Castro over a 1996 downing of civilian planes, described Raúl's brother, the late Cuban President Fidel Castro, as 'evil' but 'pretty smart.'
He then turned his fire on the island's current leaders, as the Trump administration ramps up its efforts to unseat the communist government.
'They are like three-wheeled shopping carts,' said Kennedy.
'I mean they are incompetent,' he continued. 'All they know how to do is oppress people. They take all their money and they give it to the military and the police and themselves, and to hell with the good people of Cuba.'
'And that's not a model for success and they're gone and they just don't know it yet,' he added, suggesting regime change was imminent.
Critics on social media quickly pointed out the irony, arguing Kennedy's description could just as easily be read as a critique of the current U.S. leadership under Donald Trump.
One user wrote, 'Kennedy just talked himself into a corner! Trump and friends do the exact same thing!'
Another commented, 'Let's see senator... this sounds like someone who's in office right now that's doing the exact same thing. The sad thing is you have the balls to do it for Castro but when it's trump doing it you just kiss his ass and let him do it.'
A third user said, 'Sounds like what Trump is doing right now. They take all the money and we get war and higher prices.'
Others drew parallels between the Cuban government and the Trump administration, with one user stating, 'Kennedy: "They take all their money and they give it to the military and the police and themselves." Replace police with ICE and it sounds exactly like the Trump administration.'
Some users questioned whether Kennedy was describing Cuba or the United States. One asked, 'So, the Senator is complaining about Cuba doing exactly what Trump and his minions are doing. But with Cuba, it's bad and with Trump, it's good? Can't these people hear themselves?'
Another wrote, 'I'm sorry, is he referring to Cuba or the United States because it wasn't entirely clear.'
The criticism continued, with users noting the apparent hypocrisy. One comment read, 'Once again, idiot US "official" accusing another nation of doing precisely what the US does.'
Another user directly addressed Kennedy, saying, '@SenJohnKennedy That's an apt description of the current United States Administration Senator.'
The backlash highlighted the growing perception among some that the Trump administration shares characteristics with the Cuban government it seeks to condemn.
