President Trump said Thursday he wants to resolve the U.S. approach to Cuba before his term ends, telling conservative radio host Hugh Hewitt that the administration is watching the island nation closely.
“I want to get Cuba done before I leave,” Trump said. “We are watching it very closely, it's doing very poorly. It's essentially a failed, you know, place, nation, whatever you wanna call it.”
Trump pointed to Secretary of State Marco Rubio, whose parents are Cuban, as a driving force behind the push. “He would love to do it,” Trump said, adding that he won the Cuban-American vote by a wide margin in Florida. “I'd love to be able to do it for the people, for the Cubans that came and were treated really badly, and they came to America.”
Asked whether he would consider military intervention to topple Cuba's communist government, Trump said he “would certainly consider that.” The comments are the latest in a series of signals that the administration may be preparing a more aggressive stance toward Havana.
Earlier this month, Trump predicted Cuba “will fall fairly soon,” describing it as “a failing nation” with an ideology “very similar to what the Democrat ideology is.” He said the U.S. would help Cuba “on a humanitarian basis.” At the United Nations General Assembly last month, he called for “fundamental change” on the island.
In March, Trump claimed he could “do anything I want with it,” saying he might have the “honor” of overseeing Cuba's transition. “Whether I free it, take it, I think I can do anything I want with it,” he told reporters.
The administration has already stepped up pressure. Earlier this month, the Treasury Department imposed new sanctions on 10 individuals and entities linked to Cuba's government, military, and oil industry. The State Department accused Cuba's “ruling elite” of “hoarding the island's energy, shipping, and technology resources for its own enrichment, leaving the Cuban people to contend with blackouts, shortages, and a stagnant economy.”
Rubio has been equally blunt, telling Fox News last month that Cuba has “already fallen” and is a “failed state.” “It does not have a functional economy, and it is governed by people who continue to preach about some revolution that has been dead for 20 years,” he said. “It's never worked.”
The push comes as Trump faces a shifting political landscape, with pressure on Senate Republicans to advance his agenda before the balance of power changes. The Cuba comments also echo his broader rhetoric on immigration and border security, as he seeks to frame his foreign policy as tough on adversaries.
Critics warn that any military action would be a major escalation, but Trump's remarks suggest he is willing to consider it. With time running short, his promise to “get Cuba done” is likely to remain a focal point in the final stretch of his presidency.
